It says here that there's a legal political party just set up in Holland that is made of paedophiles. And they plan to run on a platform of lowering the age of consent and legalising sex with animals. Oh, and the Dutch courts condone it!
What kind of sick joke is this? They legalise prostitution and drugs and all that in Holland, and now paedophilia and beastiality? That's just sick to the gut man!
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Internet Advertising
So, I'm reading an article which says internet advertising is the next big thing (if it isn't already). With google and amazon and all that good stuff, I guess maybe that's true huh? Just show ads of what people want to see and then pay up only when they click, isn't that just so simple? It is simple I guess, but too much of an engineering solution?
Well I'm afraid maybe internet advertising may not be the panacea its made out to be. For starters, advertising is an art, there are no engineering solutions! So you provide links and ads of stuff that the customer happens to have searched for all the time, and you expect a sale, simple as that, providing the solution to the question, easy as ABC. Maybe not. I mean firstly, oftentimes when the customer already has that item, he don't need it anymore maybe? And he'll be more interested in random ads? That's exactly what Amazon pisses me off with. I buy a book or dvd on one topic, and forever they are introducing similar books to me! I already have that book, why the heck would I want another one? First time its amusing, second time... enough is enough!
Same with search engines. Sometimes you just want some entertaining ads of random stuff pop up while u are searching, not just the same 'ol! You won't make much out of me if every ads related. I've been hanging out in bookstores lately, and I've realised I only make a purchase when I walk around randomly and find something interesting. And why do I have to go down? because the online advertising isn't doing a good job.
Is it a myth that the whole world uses the internet all the time in their free time and so internet advertising is the way to go? I used to think so. As a college student, the internet was my life. In freshman year, I did not have anything other than a computer! No TV. No radio. I got my music from the internet, downloaded tv from the net, watched movies from the net, paid bills online, talked to people on the internet too! However, since starting work, I realised that working people are spending LESS and LESS of their free time online! The more they work, the less time on the internet, even watching tv would be a higher priority. And why is that so? Well the usual gripe is that you stare at a computer screen all day at work, its just so depressing to stare at a computer screen at home. Heh, bet some people didn't figure that. So maybe its only the Singaporeans who don't use the intenet much, I mean after all, we aren't as First World as the Americans huh? Guess what? My American friends spend much less time online that any of you reading this right now. Just look at how often they update their blogs! There you go....
So. I'm heading to the US of A soon, and I'm thinking of getting some gifts for my friends that are unique to Singapore. But guess what? I can't really think of very much! I guess food would be unique, but I don't think I can get it through the customs. I've asked around others what they think, but I just get a blank look. Maybe there isn't very much that's unique other than a few trinkets huh? Local books? I managed to find one or 2, but mostly its quite dismal, I can imagine it being junked after the first read. Cheong Sam? You could probably get it for half the price in SF chinatown. I can't possibly ship the Uniquely Singaporean durian-shaped Esplanade over can I? Maybe there isn't really anything that is unique and representative.... Bring a Malay and Indian friend over to show we are multi-racial and don't kill each other? Guess I can't afford the air tickets. What about an SIA girl?
Okay lets say trinkets. Trinkets of any monumental building? Hell I've never heard of any of them being a widely sold item. Not the pricky durian for me... I mean overseas you got trinkets of the seattle space needle, eiffel tower, liberty bell, statue of liberty etc (I've got em all). I guess we got the merlion, but seriously, it is quite ugly, and not that many people associate the merlion with Singapore anymore. Used to in the old days maybe, but not anymore. It's small, publicly accessible (not like the liberty bell), been moved couple of times (so its not exactly an artifact), and there isn't really any historical significance to start with (what does the lion have to do with a fish? Did Sang Nila Utama catch one?)! I might still end up buying merlions for everyone, but that's kinda sad man......
Oh I take a little trip around the Singapore Town
To see the Singapore City Sights
To see Coller Quay and Raffles Place
The Esplanade and all of us
Well Coller Quay is gone, or almost gone, so that's out. Raffles Place, er, why was that an attraction ever? The Esplanade ah, it was featured in that song cos of the rows of satay club and all the greenery by the bay, but today it really is a concrete jungle, too ang moh to be representative (come on anybody prove me wrong there!). if I were an ang moh, I would not want to come all the way to Singapore to visit some ang moh arts club, or some ang moh theme park at Sentosa (unless I'm looking for the SPGs, but then you only need to head to Chjimes and save on the entry fee). I would want to see what makes Singapore unique. And after writing all this crap, I think what's really unique is the coffee shops and hdbs in the heartlands, the yellow box smoking zones (in the coffee shops), the hoards of smartly dressed office workers heading to hawker centers for lunch, public transport thats really not so public (talk about monopoly haha!).... Maybe we need trinkets of hdb flats and coffee shops. Oh yes, a trinket in the shape of the whole east coast park! Never has anyone man made such a huge reclaimed plot of land and left it to wither until it looks like its natural (those ppl in the gulf reclaim a lot but come on, it looks too artificial). But guess what? it's actually better in its "natural" state, but finally the authorities wanna do it up into some Dubai like paradise.... sigh.
So Mr Brown has finally crossed the line. And the cops are looking out for the 30 or so people who turned up in public all of a sudden wearing brown, supposedly in protest. In Singapore you don't protest. At least not loudly like in San Francisco. So how do we know that it wasn't 30 brownies just wearing their club t-shirt? Why is it definitely a Mr Brown protest just because 30 people are found in public one day quietly wearing brown? I wore brown when I was a venture scout, there were 50 of us, maybe we were protesting Mr Brown too, 10 years ago. I tell you why. Because someone out there was already on a lookout to catch anyone who would possibly be showing support for Mr Brown, thats why it was so easy for the cops to suddenly spot a group of people in brown and immediately point the finger at them. Seriously, this is rather childish, ban Mr Brown if you want, but please make sure our cops are spending their time more wisely catching those illegal cigarette peddlars on Woodlands road near Sungei Kadut and not catching people in brown!
Well I'm afraid maybe internet advertising may not be the panacea its made out to be. For starters, advertising is an art, there are no engineering solutions! So you provide links and ads of stuff that the customer happens to have searched for all the time, and you expect a sale, simple as that, providing the solution to the question, easy as ABC. Maybe not. I mean firstly, oftentimes when the customer already has that item, he don't need it anymore maybe? And he'll be more interested in random ads? That's exactly what Amazon pisses me off with. I buy a book or dvd on one topic, and forever they are introducing similar books to me! I already have that book, why the heck would I want another one? First time its amusing, second time... enough is enough!
Same with search engines. Sometimes you just want some entertaining ads of random stuff pop up while u are searching, not just the same 'ol! You won't make much out of me if every ads related. I've been hanging out in bookstores lately, and I've realised I only make a purchase when I walk around randomly and find something interesting. And why do I have to go down? because the online advertising isn't doing a good job.
Is it a myth that the whole world uses the internet all the time in their free time and so internet advertising is the way to go? I used to think so. As a college student, the internet was my life. In freshman year, I did not have anything other than a computer! No TV. No radio. I got my music from the internet, downloaded tv from the net, watched movies from the net, paid bills online, talked to people on the internet too! However, since starting work, I realised that working people are spending LESS and LESS of their free time online! The more they work, the less time on the internet, even watching tv would be a higher priority. And why is that so? Well the usual gripe is that you stare at a computer screen all day at work, its just so depressing to stare at a computer screen at home. Heh, bet some people didn't figure that. So maybe its only the Singaporeans who don't use the intenet much, I mean after all, we aren't as First World as the Americans huh? Guess what? My American friends spend much less time online that any of you reading this right now. Just look at how often they update their blogs! There you go....
So. I'm heading to the US of A soon, and I'm thinking of getting some gifts for my friends that are unique to Singapore. But guess what? I can't really think of very much! I guess food would be unique, but I don't think I can get it through the customs. I've asked around others what they think, but I just get a blank look. Maybe there isn't very much that's unique other than a few trinkets huh? Local books? I managed to find one or 2, but mostly its quite dismal, I can imagine it being junked after the first read. Cheong Sam? You could probably get it for half the price in SF chinatown. I can't possibly ship the Uniquely Singaporean durian-shaped Esplanade over can I? Maybe there isn't really anything that is unique and representative.... Bring a Malay and Indian friend over to show we are multi-racial and don't kill each other? Guess I can't afford the air tickets. What about an SIA girl?
Okay lets say trinkets. Trinkets of any monumental building? Hell I've never heard of any of them being a widely sold item. Not the pricky durian for me... I mean overseas you got trinkets of the seattle space needle, eiffel tower, liberty bell, statue of liberty etc (I've got em all). I guess we got the merlion, but seriously, it is quite ugly, and not that many people associate the merlion with Singapore anymore. Used to in the old days maybe, but not anymore. It's small, publicly accessible (not like the liberty bell), been moved couple of times (so its not exactly an artifact), and there isn't really any historical significance to start with (what does the lion have to do with a fish? Did Sang Nila Utama catch one?)! I might still end up buying merlions for everyone, but that's kinda sad man......
Oh I take a little trip around the Singapore Town
To see the Singapore City Sights
To see Coller Quay and Raffles Place
The Esplanade and all of us
Well Coller Quay is gone, or almost gone, so that's out. Raffles Place, er, why was that an attraction ever? The Esplanade ah, it was featured in that song cos of the rows of satay club and all the greenery by the bay, but today it really is a concrete jungle, too ang moh to be representative (come on anybody prove me wrong there!). if I were an ang moh, I would not want to come all the way to Singapore to visit some ang moh arts club, or some ang moh theme park at Sentosa (unless I'm looking for the SPGs, but then you only need to head to Chjimes and save on the entry fee). I would want to see what makes Singapore unique. And after writing all this crap, I think what's really unique is the coffee shops and hdbs in the heartlands, the yellow box smoking zones (in the coffee shops), the hoards of smartly dressed office workers heading to hawker centers for lunch, public transport thats really not so public (talk about monopoly haha!).... Maybe we need trinkets of hdb flats and coffee shops. Oh yes, a trinket in the shape of the whole east coast park! Never has anyone man made such a huge reclaimed plot of land and left it to wither until it looks like its natural (those ppl in the gulf reclaim a lot but come on, it looks too artificial). But guess what? it's actually better in its "natural" state, but finally the authorities wanna do it up into some Dubai like paradise.... sigh.
So Mr Brown has finally crossed the line. And the cops are looking out for the 30 or so people who turned up in public all of a sudden wearing brown, supposedly in protest. In Singapore you don't protest. At least not loudly like in San Francisco. So how do we know that it wasn't 30 brownies just wearing their club t-shirt? Why is it definitely a Mr Brown protest just because 30 people are found in public one day quietly wearing brown? I wore brown when I was a venture scout, there were 50 of us, maybe we were protesting Mr Brown too, 10 years ago. I tell you why. Because someone out there was already on a lookout to catch anyone who would possibly be showing support for Mr Brown, thats why it was so easy for the cops to suddenly spot a group of people in brown and immediately point the finger at them. Seriously, this is rather childish, ban Mr Brown if you want, but please make sure our cops are spending their time more wisely catching those illegal cigarette peddlars on Woodlands road near Sungei Kadut and not catching people in brown!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Zidane: What a disgrace!
Stayed up to watch the world cup finals last night. What a disgraceful headbutt by Zidane! The New Paper this morning said there is likely to be an uproar because the officials used tv replays before deciding to give him the red card. But well, if he didn't get one, that would just spoil the Beautiful Game completely. Maybe some form of tv replays are necessary. Or maybe just more referee assistants?
Whatever, the headbutt was absolutely shameful. Zidane should be publicly flogged! So some people said he should be forgiven because the other guy probably said something offensive to him. Let's assume the guy said something offensive, so what? Scold him back, or go outside settle after the game lah! No way you should hit someone on the pitch, at the World Cup final too! And by the way, its not the first time Zidane has hit someone on the pitch in an important tournament. Which is even more reason why he needs to be flogged. Oh, and he can still go ahead and win the most valuable player of the tournament? What a disgrace, Fifa! You do not award someone this prestigious title if he has ruined the beauty of the game with his behaviour!
You know, the americans must be laughing away. Especially with so many matches decided on penalties in this world cup, what a joke. Penalties spoil the game too, especially ones like last night! The goalies didn't have a chance in any of the kicks, how exciting is that? It makes the Superbowl so much more fun to watch. After 1 month of competition, it's all down to penalties, which the goalies didn't even have a chance, what a joke! I say bring in the golden goal or come up with some other sort of set piece like they do in American Football.
In the past, Fifa and the rest of the soccer world have laughed at the way American football uses high tech communication between referees and assistants, their numerous linesmen, tv replays and such. Judging from what we've seen, looks like the Americans will have the last laugh, as usual. World cup 2008 is going to see much more high tech communication, tv replays, and more linesmen, or the game's just gonna get uglier. So much for the beautiful game....
To be frank, I didn't think either team were that great. Especially when Italy played the 10 men defence, that just made the game so boring! They should have a rule that u can't have more than 5 in the penalty box. Kinda something like the 3 second rule in NBA and all that (again the americans came up with the smart ideas first) to prevent such boring play. Yah sure some purists will say you shouldn't restrict play so much, but seriously, 10 men in the penalty box? I thought we were watching rugby! And its not as if they already had the lead. Truth is, the teams were playing like they wanted a penalty shootout towards the end, and that's just such a shame!
I'll prefer an Argentina-Brazil final anyday; anyday man!
Whatever, the headbutt was absolutely shameful. Zidane should be publicly flogged! So some people said he should be forgiven because the other guy probably said something offensive to him. Let's assume the guy said something offensive, so what? Scold him back, or go outside settle after the game lah! No way you should hit someone on the pitch, at the World Cup final too! And by the way, its not the first time Zidane has hit someone on the pitch in an important tournament. Which is even more reason why he needs to be flogged. Oh, and he can still go ahead and win the most valuable player of the tournament? What a disgrace, Fifa! You do not award someone this prestigious title if he has ruined the beauty of the game with his behaviour!
You know, the americans must be laughing away. Especially with so many matches decided on penalties in this world cup, what a joke. Penalties spoil the game too, especially ones like last night! The goalies didn't have a chance in any of the kicks, how exciting is that? It makes the Superbowl so much more fun to watch. After 1 month of competition, it's all down to penalties, which the goalies didn't even have a chance, what a joke! I say bring in the golden goal or come up with some other sort of set piece like they do in American Football.
In the past, Fifa and the rest of the soccer world have laughed at the way American football uses high tech communication between referees and assistants, their numerous linesmen, tv replays and such. Judging from what we've seen, looks like the Americans will have the last laugh, as usual. World cup 2008 is going to see much more high tech communication, tv replays, and more linesmen, or the game's just gonna get uglier. So much for the beautiful game....
To be frank, I didn't think either team were that great. Especially when Italy played the 10 men defence, that just made the game so boring! They should have a rule that u can't have more than 5 in the penalty box. Kinda something like the 3 second rule in NBA and all that (again the americans came up with the smart ideas first) to prevent such boring play. Yah sure some purists will say you shouldn't restrict play so much, but seriously, 10 men in the penalty box? I thought we were watching rugby! And its not as if they already had the lead. Truth is, the teams were playing like they wanted a penalty shootout towards the end, and that's just such a shame!
I'll prefer an Argentina-Brazil final anyday; anyday man!
Zidane: What a disgrace!
Stayed up to watch the world cup finals last night. What a disgraceful headbutt by Zidane! The New Paper this morning said there is likely to be an uproar because the officials used tv replays before deciding to give him the red card. But well, if he didn't get one, that would just spoil the Beautiful Game completely. Maybe some form of tv replays are necessary. Or maybe just more referee assistants?
Whatever, the headbutt was absolutely shameful. Zidane should be publicly flogged! So some people said he should be forgiven because the other guy probably said something offensive to him. Let's assume the guy said something offensive, so what? Scold him back, or go outside settle after the game lah! No way you should hit someone on the pitch, at the World Cup final too! And by the way, its not the first time Zidane has hit someone on the pitch in an important tournament. Which is even more reason why he needs to be flogged. Oh, and he can still go ahead and win the most valuable player of the tournament? What a disgrace, Fifa! You do not award someone this prestigious title if he has ruined the beauty of the game with his behaviour!
You know, the americans must be laughing away. Especially with so many matches decided on penalties in this world cup, what a joke. Penalties spoil the game too, especially ones like last night! The goalies didn't have a chance in any of the kicks, how exciting is that? It makes the Superbowl so much more fun to watch. After 1 month of competition, it's all down to penalties, which the goalies didn't even have a chance, what a joke! I say bring in the golden goal or come up with some other sort of set piece like they do in American Football.
In the past, Fifa and the rest of the soccer world have laughed at the way American football uses high tech communication between referees and assistants, their numerous linesmen, tv replays and such. Judging from what we've seen, looks like the Americans will have the last laugh, as usual. World cup 2008 is going to see much more high tech communication, tv replays, and more linesmen, or the game's just gonna get uglier. So much for the beautiful game....
To be frank, I didn't think either team were that great. Especially when Italy played the 10 men defence, that just made the game so boring! They should have a rule that u can't have more than 5 in the penalty box. Kinda something like the 3 second rule in NBA and all that (again the americans came up with the smart ideas first) to prevent such boring play. Yah sure some purists will say you shouldn't restrict play so much, but seriously, 10 men in the penalty box? I thought we were watching rugby! And its not as if they already had the lead. Truth is, the teams were playing like they wanted a penalty shootout towards the end, and that's just such a shame!
I'll prefer an Argentina-Brazil final anyday; anyday man!
Whatever, the headbutt was absolutely shameful. Zidane should be publicly flogged! So some people said he should be forgiven because the other guy probably said something offensive to him. Let's assume the guy said something offensive, so what? Scold him back, or go outside settle after the game lah! No way you should hit someone on the pitch, at the World Cup final too! And by the way, its not the first time Zidane has hit someone on the pitch in an important tournament. Which is even more reason why he needs to be flogged. Oh, and he can still go ahead and win the most valuable player of the tournament? What a disgrace, Fifa! You do not award someone this prestigious title if he has ruined the beauty of the game with his behaviour!
You know, the americans must be laughing away. Especially with so many matches decided on penalties in this world cup, what a joke. Penalties spoil the game too, especially ones like last night! The goalies didn't have a chance in any of the kicks, how exciting is that? It makes the Superbowl so much more fun to watch. After 1 month of competition, it's all down to penalties, which the goalies didn't even have a chance, what a joke! I say bring in the golden goal or come up with some other sort of set piece like they do in American Football.
In the past, Fifa and the rest of the soccer world have laughed at the way American football uses high tech communication between referees and assistants, their numerous linesmen, tv replays and such. Judging from what we've seen, looks like the Americans will have the last laugh, as usual. World cup 2008 is going to see much more high tech communication, tv replays, and more linesmen, or the game's just gonna get uglier. So much for the beautiful game....
To be frank, I didn't think either team were that great. Especially when Italy played the 10 men defence, that just made the game so boring! They should have a rule that u can't have more than 5 in the penalty box. Kinda something like the 3 second rule in NBA and all that (again the americans came up with the smart ideas first) to prevent such boring play. Yah sure some purists will say you shouldn't restrict play so much, but seriously, 10 men in the penalty box? I thought we were watching rugby! And its not as if they already had the lead. Truth is, the teams were playing like they wanted a penalty shootout towards the end, and that's just such a shame!
I'll prefer an Argentina-Brazil final anyday; anyday man!
Monday, July 10, 2006
DJ Behrouz
DJ Behrouz from 1015 Folsom San Francisco was spinning at Zouk last night and he was just so awesome! The usual crowd was there, with special guests J and RT haha! RT is such a natural on the dancefloor.... I hear So You Think You Can Dance is coming to town, she shld show them how its done! Oh, and J, thanks for the E33, cheers!
So I had dinner with some secondary school friends tonight at some Japanese restaurant called tsubuki in Novena. There's quite a few Jap restaurants there so its easy to get lost, but we all found it eventually. My friends are thinking of organising a vacation to Tibet, to check out the highest railway in the world at Lhasa. Sounds like a plan! We were wondering what the weather there would be like in winter. I said maybe it could hit -40 celcius. I mean, its near the himalayas and its pretty damn high up there, you even need oxygen piped to you on the train!
JM says that at -40 liquids freeze immediately when exposed to the air. i.e. if I threw a cup of hot coffee at you, you'd actually be hit by a black blob of ice? I definitely don't want to be peeing in the bushes then, might get stuck to the bushes!!! I wonder if they have good music and parties in Tibet? I mean Brad Pitt spent 7 years there (just kidding!)...
Anyway, I'll be in California end August. Bay Area mostly but will go down to SoCal for a few days, so I guess I'll check out 1015 and the like, meet up with ol fren's, stroll down telegraph and hearst? Boy I miss the Golden State.... An expensive vacation though, hopefully I can get enough bonus this year to make up for it!
So I had dinner with some secondary school friends tonight at some Japanese restaurant called tsubuki in Novena. There's quite a few Jap restaurants there so its easy to get lost, but we all found it eventually. My friends are thinking of organising a vacation to Tibet, to check out the highest railway in the world at Lhasa. Sounds like a plan! We were wondering what the weather there would be like in winter. I said maybe it could hit -40 celcius. I mean, its near the himalayas and its pretty damn high up there, you even need oxygen piped to you on the train!
JM says that at -40 liquids freeze immediately when exposed to the air. i.e. if I threw a cup of hot coffee at you, you'd actually be hit by a black blob of ice? I definitely don't want to be peeing in the bushes then, might get stuck to the bushes!!! I wonder if they have good music and parties in Tibet? I mean Brad Pitt spent 7 years there (just kidding!)...
Anyway, I'll be in California end August. Bay Area mostly but will go down to SoCal for a few days, so I guess I'll check out 1015 and the like, meet up with ol fren's, stroll down telegraph and hearst? Boy I miss the Golden State.... An expensive vacation though, hopefully I can get enough bonus this year to make up for it!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Fireworks anyone?
Today we celebrate Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness!
:P
It was a long tiring day at work today. Okay, I chose to stay back late to finish up what's left of my computer model, but I also got shot with some big time arrows in the process, sigh.... Anyway, I was just staring at my window's background to chill. That picture is the Tongass Narrows in Alaska, taken 2 years ago in the summer. It's really been quite a while. We got East Coast Park, miles and miles of endless man made beach lined with artificial foot paths..... The skating's good, but somehow it can't match up to Tongass Narrows, Mount St Helens, Poing Reyes, Squaw Valley and the likes. I guess the only nature you can find here is Ubin and Bukit Timah Hill, but that's more like tropical rainforest full of mosquitoes! The only time I was ever swarmed by mosquitoes in the Land of the Free was when I was hunting for the tallest tree in the world at Redwood National Park.
Yeah, bet I never told you about that one. I went to Valley of the Giants and Redwood National Park for the first time with KH on a road trip. We were hunting for the tallest California Redwood, which is incidentally the tallest tree in the world. Found one which was the tallest but had been felled, and another at the Valley which was the next tallest before they discovered one at Redwood National Park. So we drove up to Redwood National which was some miles away but it started to get rainy so we headed back. And we also tried to find the Mouth of the Klamath River on the way, and I so do not recommend that to anyone who doesn't own a 4WD. Basically the dirt road is more dirt that I've ever imagined! Basically just completely strewn with 40mm aggregates, I think I must have messed up my suspension and tire axle real bad on that road. Anyway, a year later, after KH had gone to Stanford, I returned with my parents to hunt for the tallest tree again. Basically there are a few supposed "tallest trees" which are almost the same height except one gets hit by lightning and loses the title etc. We saw almost every one of them (xcept the one with the 5 mile walk) but the last one, called Big Tree, had mosquitoes all over the place. That's when we decided enough is enough.
Anyway, to digress for a moment, I saw this guy skating some weird skates on Sunday at the Park. Basically his skates had 2 wheels on each skate and they were aligned sideways. So he skates sideways like skateboarding, so weird!
Back to reminiscing about my adventures in the Home of the Brave since it's the 4th of July. Skiing really is the Pursuit of Happiness haha, I don't think skating can even come close. Not fast enough, actually hurts when you fall etc.... I still remember my first Black Diamond. I was on a ski trip with TBP in the winter of 2002 and we decided to go to Squaw Valley. The other choice was Donner, which costs only like 20 bucks for the lift ticket but come on, once a year trip you gotta go to Squaw! Anyway, I took the lift right up to the top, and everyone got out on the left, it was kinda crowded. I took a look at the right, looks empty, looks doable. Sign says "for advanced skiiers only" with a black diamond, one way down only. What the heck, I went for it, and never looked back! It was so so fast, but friendly and wide, and the bowls were so huge! I can never forget those bowls. The K2 olympic run was amazing. I tried all the peaks, there was one u had trees around u at the top too haha! And another with gates which were double black, i saw some dude rushing through and almost followed in, but you can't miss the gates, its suicidal! Just round the next bend i saw the cliff behind the gates and I was so lucky I didn't try my luck there.... Some people like the terrain park, but hey, it's all black diamond for me!
I think we should all pursue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That makes life so much more worth the living than just money or power.....
:P
It was a long tiring day at work today. Okay, I chose to stay back late to finish up what's left of my computer model, but I also got shot with some big time arrows in the process, sigh.... Anyway, I was just staring at my window's background to chill. That picture is the Tongass Narrows in Alaska, taken 2 years ago in the summer. It's really been quite a while. We got East Coast Park, miles and miles of endless man made beach lined with artificial foot paths..... The skating's good, but somehow it can't match up to Tongass Narrows, Mount St Helens, Poing Reyes, Squaw Valley and the likes. I guess the only nature you can find here is Ubin and Bukit Timah Hill, but that's more like tropical rainforest full of mosquitoes! The only time I was ever swarmed by mosquitoes in the Land of the Free was when I was hunting for the tallest tree in the world at Redwood National Park.
Yeah, bet I never told you about that one. I went to Valley of the Giants and Redwood National Park for the first time with KH on a road trip. We were hunting for the tallest California Redwood, which is incidentally the tallest tree in the world. Found one which was the tallest but had been felled, and another at the Valley which was the next tallest before they discovered one at Redwood National Park. So we drove up to Redwood National which was some miles away but it started to get rainy so we headed back. And we also tried to find the Mouth of the Klamath River on the way, and I so do not recommend that to anyone who doesn't own a 4WD. Basically the dirt road is more dirt that I've ever imagined! Basically just completely strewn with 40mm aggregates, I think I must have messed up my suspension and tire axle real bad on that road. Anyway, a year later, after KH had gone to Stanford, I returned with my parents to hunt for the tallest tree again. Basically there are a few supposed "tallest trees" which are almost the same height except one gets hit by lightning and loses the title etc. We saw almost every one of them (xcept the one with the 5 mile walk) but the last one, called Big Tree, had mosquitoes all over the place. That's when we decided enough is enough.
Anyway, to digress for a moment, I saw this guy skating some weird skates on Sunday at the Park. Basically his skates had 2 wheels on each skate and they were aligned sideways. So he skates sideways like skateboarding, so weird!
Back to reminiscing about my adventures in the Home of the Brave since it's the 4th of July. Skiing really is the Pursuit of Happiness haha, I don't think skating can even come close. Not fast enough, actually hurts when you fall etc.... I still remember my first Black Diamond. I was on a ski trip with TBP in the winter of 2002 and we decided to go to Squaw Valley. The other choice was Donner, which costs only like 20 bucks for the lift ticket but come on, once a year trip you gotta go to Squaw! Anyway, I took the lift right up to the top, and everyone got out on the left, it was kinda crowded. I took a look at the right, looks empty, looks doable. Sign says "for advanced skiiers only" with a black diamond, one way down only. What the heck, I went for it, and never looked back! It was so so fast, but friendly and wide, and the bowls were so huge! I can never forget those bowls. The K2 olympic run was amazing. I tried all the peaks, there was one u had trees around u at the top too haha! And another with gates which were double black, i saw some dude rushing through and almost followed in, but you can't miss the gates, its suicidal! Just round the next bend i saw the cliff behind the gates and I was so lucky I didn't try my luck there.... Some people like the terrain park, but hey, it's all black diamond for me!
I think we should all pursue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That makes life so much more worth the living than just money or power.....
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
On the catwalk
Did you just watch Project Runway 2? Diana is cute man! Creative nerd who knows how to dance, how cool is that? Too bad she got kicked out.
I was on course today, had so many coffees, but still managed to doze off several times. But now I cannot sleep. Sigh. So much for China professors I guess.....
I was on course today, had so many coffees, but still managed to doze off several times. But now I cannot sleep. Sigh. So much for China professors I guess.....
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I ran and I ran and I ran
One of the great things you can do in Singapore which you wouldn't do in California is to run by the beach in the middle of the night. Even when it's deserted. Okay, the other thing you can do is drink with an open can in the middle of the street, anywhere, even when you're 18, but let's not go there. I can't imagine running down the Ohlone Greenway in El Cerrito or at Caesar Chavez in the middle of the night. If you don't get killed you'll probably get mugged. Or mugged and killed....
The only time I ran in the middle of the night (once) was in freshman year. The route was standard, one round around campus, but no it wasn't a nice flat round! First leg out of the dorms you go right upslope on Bancroft. It feels okay at first, but you just want to die when you hit Piedmont. Then its flat along Piedmont and you run down Hearst, which is such a breeze! The flat stretch along Oxford really feels like a warmdown, but then up Bancroft past the RSF and back to Unit 3 and that's a real test of endurance! I always made it though, my dorm mates thought I was a commando or something. But those were the days when I was actually slim and fit haha!
One of my other running routes was one round around the back of Albany hill, up to Central and then down San Pablo and back onto Solano. That one was long and tough, almost blacked out once! The thing that really kills you is when you pass Dunkin Doughnuts but you can't go in! I make sure I don't carry any cash when I run so I don't get tempted. I never ate at Dunkin by the way. Guess it can't beat fresh Krispy Kreme....
The last running route is of course back and forth on the Ohlone Greenway up to St John's Church near Portrero and back. It gets kinda quiet on the weekday's though, and sometimes theres a patrol car going back and forth, so I get a little freaked out, especially when I go by the low cost housing areas. But so far so good, nothing happened.
Anyway, right now I actually have a pair of shoes just for running. I used to use my running sneakers for anything under the sun, but after I spoiled the last pair playing golf and tennis, don't think that's gonna work out anymore. I think running shoes just aren't made for good lateral movement. Or maybe I'm just making the wrong moves.... Either way, its time for a new pair of shoes. ;)
Speaking of shoes, I actually have too many pairs of shoes. Even some that I never really used. I have one pair of North Face hiking boots worth US$100 with Nubuck leather that I never really used. I always wanted a Nubuck because it's like the ultimate leather for hiking boots. But sadly the boot is just so hard that its so so uncomfortable! Then I have a pair of Timberland low cut gortex hiking shoes, which was great for rainy weather, but then the sole keeps coming out when it gets too wet. Waterproof, but not the sole, damn... And don't get me started on the bowling shoes, which I have used only twice (and don't ask me why I bought them, I can't even bowl a 100). My best shoe buy? Timberland hiking/construction boots worth $70, with steel toe and insulated base! Why is it so good? Cos its construction safety standard but yet its very comfortable, for hiking, how bout that? I wouldn't use it for too much hiking though, the steel toe gets in the way after a while....
Yah I know my lady friends will be going, "What? That's it? I have like 200 pairs I don't use!" Well, girls tend to buy real cheap shoes but many many of them, to match every single outfit. Most of my shoes cost at least a hundred and are durable enough to last a few years. I have a female friend who throws away shoes every 3 weeks or so...
The only time I ran in the middle of the night (once) was in freshman year. The route was standard, one round around campus, but no it wasn't a nice flat round! First leg out of the dorms you go right upslope on Bancroft. It feels okay at first, but you just want to die when you hit Piedmont. Then its flat along Piedmont and you run down Hearst, which is such a breeze! The flat stretch along Oxford really feels like a warmdown, but then up Bancroft past the RSF and back to Unit 3 and that's a real test of endurance! I always made it though, my dorm mates thought I was a commando or something. But those were the days when I was actually slim and fit haha!
One of my other running routes was one round around the back of Albany hill, up to Central and then down San Pablo and back onto Solano. That one was long and tough, almost blacked out once! The thing that really kills you is when you pass Dunkin Doughnuts but you can't go in! I make sure I don't carry any cash when I run so I don't get tempted. I never ate at Dunkin by the way. Guess it can't beat fresh Krispy Kreme....
The last running route is of course back and forth on the Ohlone Greenway up to St John's Church near Portrero and back. It gets kinda quiet on the weekday's though, and sometimes theres a patrol car going back and forth, so I get a little freaked out, especially when I go by the low cost housing areas. But so far so good, nothing happened.
Anyway, right now I actually have a pair of shoes just for running. I used to use my running sneakers for anything under the sun, but after I spoiled the last pair playing golf and tennis, don't think that's gonna work out anymore. I think running shoes just aren't made for good lateral movement. Or maybe I'm just making the wrong moves.... Either way, its time for a new pair of shoes. ;)
Speaking of shoes, I actually have too many pairs of shoes. Even some that I never really used. I have one pair of North Face hiking boots worth US$100 with Nubuck leather that I never really used. I always wanted a Nubuck because it's like the ultimate leather for hiking boots. But sadly the boot is just so hard that its so so uncomfortable! Then I have a pair of Timberland low cut gortex hiking shoes, which was great for rainy weather, but then the sole keeps coming out when it gets too wet. Waterproof, but not the sole, damn... And don't get me started on the bowling shoes, which I have used only twice (and don't ask me why I bought them, I can't even bowl a 100). My best shoe buy? Timberland hiking/construction boots worth $70, with steel toe and insulated base! Why is it so good? Cos its construction safety standard but yet its very comfortable, for hiking, how bout that? I wouldn't use it for too much hiking though, the steel toe gets in the way after a while....
Yah I know my lady friends will be going, "What? That's it? I have like 200 pairs I don't use!" Well, girls tend to buy real cheap shoes but many many of them, to match every single outfit. Most of my shoes cost at least a hundred and are durable enough to last a few years. I have a female friend who throws away shoes every 3 weeks or so...
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Going crazy with CFD
I just learned something new today. For most Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) problems, the solution (dependent variable) is the flux of the primitive variables (i.e. flux of density, velocity and energy) at any given time and not the primitive variables itself. I guess that is in contrast with what ppl like myself in solid mechanics deal with; which is mainly the primative solution of strain. So are we any inferior, 'cos strain is like only one variable? Hell no! Strain is actually 9 variables arranged in a 3x3 matrix, while density (1), velocity (3) and energy (1) flux only constitute 5 variables! Well ok, there's still pressure, which makes it 6 variables, but only 5 variables need to be solved for in the partial difference equations (PDE), which is the hard part, in CFD. :P
There is however, a striking similarity between the CFD and solid mechanics methods of solution. In CFD the boundary value problem (BVP) can be solved in the conservation form or the non conservation form, with the former being preferred because the solution remains stable over a discontinuous shock wave. In solid mechanics the BVP can be solved using the displacement method or the force method, with the former being preferred because the solution remains stable over discontinuous stress fields (i.e. nonlinear behavior). So I guess we should just kiss and make up and learn from each other after all!
In other news, I watched silent hill and scary movie 4 today. Scary movie is absolutely hilarious! But they have so many spoofs though, and the spoofs even look almost like the original set that there isn't really much of its own story. And besides, its less that an hour and a half long, a tad too short for my $9.50..... Silent Hill was just weird, I still haven't really got it. I guess its supposed to just scare the shit out of you, but I wasn't really scared, more like humoured. It topped the US box office though!
There is however, a striking similarity between the CFD and solid mechanics methods of solution. In CFD the boundary value problem (BVP) can be solved in the conservation form or the non conservation form, with the former being preferred because the solution remains stable over a discontinuous shock wave. In solid mechanics the BVP can be solved using the displacement method or the force method, with the former being preferred because the solution remains stable over discontinuous stress fields (i.e. nonlinear behavior). So I guess we should just kiss and make up and learn from each other after all!
In other news, I watched silent hill and scary movie 4 today. Scary movie is absolutely hilarious! But they have so many spoofs though, and the spoofs even look almost like the original set that there isn't really much of its own story. And besides, its less that an hour and a half long, a tad too short for my $9.50..... Silent Hill was just weird, I still haven't really got it. I guess its supposed to just scare the shit out of you, but I wasn't really scared, more like humoured. It topped the US box office though!
Monday, June 19, 2006
Hitting the driving range
Sembawang golf course 9pm on sunday nights, u're gonna see me there every weekend! Why? 9 cents for 50 balls for students. OMG is that cheap or what??? I thought u can't buy anything for 9 cents nowadays. I mean, even egg prata at The Prata Place cost $1.20, which is insane (but good...)!
So DZ and I were wondering over dinner how the price of prata could go up and up and yet nobody complains? DZ says it might have been inflation. Well, inflation is like 2.5% a year or something right now, and it so does not explain the grossly inflated price of prata everywhere! I think we should open up the borders more and let locals go over to JB for prata every night. 50sen for egg prata in JB! Then lets see how these local profiteers compete!
Last night over drinks at P and K's place, P was saying how come everyone seems so broke when tax is so low and everyone lives at home over here. Good question, really, why is everyone so broke? Well, I postulate that for those who drive, its the car. Cars are so insanely expensive. And not to mention you can't really buy resale here. So if cars are expensive why do people keep buying them? Status? Maybe, but you can be rich in New York City and still not drive a car, so... Public transport system sucks? Possibly. Despite all the "first world" and high tech gadgets, public transportation isn't really public, especially if you hear the recent public outcry over rising bus fares and profiteering. I once met a renowned Stanford professor who said that public transport only remains successful if its public and subsidised. Not privatised "public" transport. Maybe there really is only one solution to reducing the number of cars on the roads.
Back to golf. My swing's getting a little more consistent, but still not happy with it. Driving range 9pm at night when its quiet empty and the weather's cool is really therapeautic. I can't imagine going on the green in the daytime in this weather, how can you enjoy it in this heat? Besides, you tend to see better players practicing at night. Sometimes the coaches take time off to practice, or even the counter guy. By the way, counter guy is pretty damn good man! I once saw a coach that hit 200 using irons, and off the range using woods. Now that's some technique I should learn man! In other golf news, Tiger Woods is out, on father's day too. Aw shucks, go Tiger anyway! :P
So DZ and I were wondering over dinner how the price of prata could go up and up and yet nobody complains? DZ says it might have been inflation. Well, inflation is like 2.5% a year or something right now, and it so does not explain the grossly inflated price of prata everywhere! I think we should open up the borders more and let locals go over to JB for prata every night. 50sen for egg prata in JB! Then lets see how these local profiteers compete!
Last night over drinks at P and K's place, P was saying how come everyone seems so broke when tax is so low and everyone lives at home over here. Good question, really, why is everyone so broke? Well, I postulate that for those who drive, its the car. Cars are so insanely expensive. And not to mention you can't really buy resale here. So if cars are expensive why do people keep buying them? Status? Maybe, but you can be rich in New York City and still not drive a car, so... Public transport system sucks? Possibly. Despite all the "first world" and high tech gadgets, public transportation isn't really public, especially if you hear the recent public outcry over rising bus fares and profiteering. I once met a renowned Stanford professor who said that public transport only remains successful if its public and subsidised. Not privatised "public" transport. Maybe there really is only one solution to reducing the number of cars on the roads.
Back to golf. My swing's getting a little more consistent, but still not happy with it. Driving range 9pm at night when its quiet empty and the weather's cool is really therapeautic. I can't imagine going on the green in the daytime in this weather, how can you enjoy it in this heat? Besides, you tend to see better players practicing at night. Sometimes the coaches take time off to practice, or even the counter guy. By the way, counter guy is pretty damn good man! I once saw a coach that hit 200 using irons, and off the range using woods. Now that's some technique I should learn man! In other golf news, Tiger Woods is out, on father's day too. Aw shucks, go Tiger anyway! :P
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Where do I belong?
Sometimes I'm not sure if I know where I belong. In the corporate arena, or in front of a computer? I guess I can't be blamed. After all, how many people go to work like me feeling as if they are a PhD student? Yet I am not a PhD student, nor would you classify me as a researcher, and I'm getting no guidance at that. But then again, I guess you just do what you gotta do and just see where the wind blows you know.....
So I've been learning something new everyday lately. And with everything new I learn, I learn that there's more things that I don't know. Now, that's kinda freaky you know, cos it really should be a nutty professor who's doing such things and worrying about how to save the world, not a government engineer!
Just yesterday I was trying to get the gist of nonlinear static analysis. I mean, that's the stuff that most finite element programs can do nowadays, so its no biggie. We learnt that in school too, all that Newton Raphson strategy with automatic load incrementation, stiffness update, iteration, energy norm termination blah blah. But Professor Filippou did warn that its not so simple, you gotta know when to use which parameters and which strategy. I thought it was all baloney, just turn on all of the controls and put the maximum parameters, that always works in the classroom right? Well, in the real world, your computer software (and hardware possibly) is gonna blow up in your face if you don't know what you're doing. And what matters worst is, what parameters do you even start with?
Today I moved on to eigenvalue analysis. There was this chapter on Guyan reduction. Basically that's good 'ol static condensation that you learn in school, just condense out all the undesired degrees of freedom to make your solution go faster. Simple stuff? Again wrong! In a real model you may be looking at thousands of degrees of freedom. Let the computer decide? Turns out that's the least accurate way....
Let's not even talk about meshing. Use the automatic mesher in the computer? Yeah it churns out very nice symmetrical meshes. But computational mechanics is not about aesthetics. Nice mesh often equals poor mesh, especially if your dumb automeshing software always takes the easy way out by mixing tria and quad elements, resulting in stiffness locking. Guess you can't rely on automatic meshers despite their claimed sophistication....
And there's more to come: nonlinear contact analysis, damage modeling, geometric nonlinearity etc. And I always wondered how difficult could it be to use a general purpose finite element program? Pretty damn difficult, if you want to push it to the limits and there's nobody else around to help you....
So I've been learning something new everyday lately. And with everything new I learn, I learn that there's more things that I don't know. Now, that's kinda freaky you know, cos it really should be a nutty professor who's doing such things and worrying about how to save the world, not a government engineer!
Just yesterday I was trying to get the gist of nonlinear static analysis. I mean, that's the stuff that most finite element programs can do nowadays, so its no biggie. We learnt that in school too, all that Newton Raphson strategy with automatic load incrementation, stiffness update, iteration, energy norm termination blah blah. But Professor Filippou did warn that its not so simple, you gotta know when to use which parameters and which strategy. I thought it was all baloney, just turn on all of the controls and put the maximum parameters, that always works in the classroom right? Well, in the real world, your computer software (and hardware possibly) is gonna blow up in your face if you don't know what you're doing. And what matters worst is, what parameters do you even start with?
Today I moved on to eigenvalue analysis. There was this chapter on Guyan reduction. Basically that's good 'ol static condensation that you learn in school, just condense out all the undesired degrees of freedom to make your solution go faster. Simple stuff? Again wrong! In a real model you may be looking at thousands of degrees of freedom. Let the computer decide? Turns out that's the least accurate way....
Let's not even talk about meshing. Use the automatic mesher in the computer? Yeah it churns out very nice symmetrical meshes. But computational mechanics is not about aesthetics. Nice mesh often equals poor mesh, especially if your dumb automeshing software always takes the easy way out by mixing tria and quad elements, resulting in stiffness locking. Guess you can't rely on automatic meshers despite their claimed sophistication....
And there's more to come: nonlinear contact analysis, damage modeling, geometric nonlinearity etc. And I always wondered how difficult could it be to use a general purpose finite element program? Pretty damn difficult, if you want to push it to the limits and there's nobody else around to help you....
Monday, June 12, 2006
so u think you can dance?
Did everyone watch the finale of "so you think you can dance?" tonight? That was some hard core action! As expected the top 2 dancers were that couple from San Francisco (Bay area rocks!). Their moves were so awesome, coupled with their ever smiling personality! I mean, you can see they were dancing for the love of dancing, for the love of the music, winning or losing doesn't really matter. How I wish I could dance like that? Just feel the music, and be good at it too....
Ever been to zouk lately? Zouk was good last Saturday. Can't remember the DJ's name, some ang moh who was spinning a good mix of house and trance. I could imagine those 2 dancers grooving away at Zouk.... Well, maybe Spundae at 1015 Folsom in the City. Yeah, that's the place to be alright! The last time I went there I think was Armin Van Buuren in 2004, though I may be wrong. He brought out Burned With Desire when my 2 friends went out for a smoke. That was so AWESOME! And I got his autograph too, though I lost in eventually in the process of moving.... My aim in life? To go to 1015 Folsom every saturday. Okay, alternate Saturdays in the winter, so I can fly up to Whistler every other! ;) Maybe I should just find a job at Boeing in Washington state, just like C. Right in between, the best of both worlds. Xcept that Washington ain't have much good Chinese food..... Well, you can't have everything I guess...
Somebody gave me a gift last week. She came back from Taiwan and got me a bottle of Taiwanese wine. I haven't opened it yet, cos I've already had too much alcohol in JB and its time to detoxify haha. But it was wrapped so nicely and that really makes it special: the extra effort. I'm not good with gifts, to be frank. Most of the time I just put it in a paper bag. A nice paper bag of course, but you could see there wasn't as much effort in that. The last time I put efforts into gifts I guess was Freshman year in Cal, and after that somehow I never got down to doing it again. That was a long time ago.... Guess I should spend more effort next time.
Anyway, I'm procrastinating again. I like to do the hardcore technical stuff. But somehow when the work is presented to me on a plate, I procrastinate, preferring to do the simple meanial tasks first. An article I just read says that just spend 5 minutes doing the hard tasks first. Then later when you go back to it, it won't feel so hard. Maybe I should follow this advice at the start of the day. I often take that 5 mins like 5 mins before knocking off work! haha
Ever been to zouk lately? Zouk was good last Saturday. Can't remember the DJ's name, some ang moh who was spinning a good mix of house and trance. I could imagine those 2 dancers grooving away at Zouk.... Well, maybe Spundae at 1015 Folsom in the City. Yeah, that's the place to be alright! The last time I went there I think was Armin Van Buuren in 2004, though I may be wrong. He brought out Burned With Desire when my 2 friends went out for a smoke. That was so AWESOME! And I got his autograph too, though I lost in eventually in the process of moving.... My aim in life? To go to 1015 Folsom every saturday. Okay, alternate Saturdays in the winter, so I can fly up to Whistler every other! ;) Maybe I should just find a job at Boeing in Washington state, just like C. Right in between, the best of both worlds. Xcept that Washington ain't have much good Chinese food..... Well, you can't have everything I guess...
Somebody gave me a gift last week. She came back from Taiwan and got me a bottle of Taiwanese wine. I haven't opened it yet, cos I've already had too much alcohol in JB and its time to detoxify haha. But it was wrapped so nicely and that really makes it special: the extra effort. I'm not good with gifts, to be frank. Most of the time I just put it in a paper bag. A nice paper bag of course, but you could see there wasn't as much effort in that. The last time I put efforts into gifts I guess was Freshman year in Cal, and after that somehow I never got down to doing it again. That was a long time ago.... Guess I should spend more effort next time.
Anyway, I'm procrastinating again. I like to do the hardcore technical stuff. But somehow when the work is presented to me on a plate, I procrastinate, preferring to do the simple meanial tasks first. An article I just read says that just spend 5 minutes doing the hard tasks first. Then later when you go back to it, it won't feel so hard. Maybe I should follow this advice at the start of the day. I often take that 5 mins like 5 mins before knocking off work! haha
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Back from JB
The long weekend is finally over..... Not! I'm still off on Monday haha! Well, this weekend was a project team retreat in JB using funds from our recent IQC gold award. JB is a city in Malaysia that is really close to Singapore for those who don't know. So what did we do? Basically, eat, shop and watch soccer! It's world cup season I guess, and a weekend getaway in a town where the world cup is being watched everywhere you go, there's no lack of entertainment. Wanna go to a bar? They're watching the world cup there. Wanna have supper at the hawker center next door? There's world cup there too. How bout just hang out in your room? Roommates watching the world cup!
The hotel lounge itself had a huge screen which was showing the game, of course. But they also had some skimpy chicks dancing and singing throughout the whole match, which means you can't hear the commentary. Isn't that the worst possible way to watch a football match? Apparently most people think not, cos the lounge was fully booked!
Traffic was really a bummer on the way home though. Which is why I didn't have much of an afternoon today. But otherwise, an unforgettable trip. Didn't take too many pictures though, cos despite what they tell you, I ain't feeling comfortable walking around JB with a camera slung around my neck. A sure target for robbery especially during the midnight supper sessions. I find it kinda strange that the super low cost housing and all is like right next to our 5 star hotel. I mean, once you step outside the hotel you are a prime target for a mugging..... Maybe that's why the only hotel guests who stray out to the neighbourhood for supper are Singaporeans and Malaysians...
We had lunch at this nice pizza joint on the ground floor on the first day. It was a nice quiet pizzeria, pretty much like pizza hut up a notch I guess. I had absolutely no idea that once nightfall beckons, all the tables would be gone, and the whole place would turn into a dancefloor! Heheh, the ultimate business transformation I guess! Even the pizza signs and menu remained during dancefloor mode! I guess the only telltale signs were the beertaps which were strangely not in operation during lunchtime.....
The hotel lounge itself had a huge screen which was showing the game, of course. But they also had some skimpy chicks dancing and singing throughout the whole match, which means you can't hear the commentary. Isn't that the worst possible way to watch a football match? Apparently most people think not, cos the lounge was fully booked!
Traffic was really a bummer on the way home though. Which is why I didn't have much of an afternoon today. But otherwise, an unforgettable trip. Didn't take too many pictures though, cos despite what they tell you, I ain't feeling comfortable walking around JB with a camera slung around my neck. A sure target for robbery especially during the midnight supper sessions. I find it kinda strange that the super low cost housing and all is like right next to our 5 star hotel. I mean, once you step outside the hotel you are a prime target for a mugging..... Maybe that's why the only hotel guests who stray out to the neighbourhood for supper are Singaporeans and Malaysians...
We had lunch at this nice pizza joint on the ground floor on the first day. It was a nice quiet pizzeria, pretty much like pizza hut up a notch I guess. I had absolutely no idea that once nightfall beckons, all the tables would be gone, and the whole place would turn into a dancefloor! Heheh, the ultimate business transformation I guess! Even the pizza signs and menu remained during dancefloor mode! I guess the only telltale signs were the beertaps which were strangely not in operation during lunchtime.....
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Ignacio Chapela wins!
Ok, this post comes one year too late, but I'm totally surprised! Ignacio Chapela is this professor who was battling against UC Berkeley because they did not give him tenure due to his allegations against Novartis, which Cal invests heavily in. In 2003 he staged a sit out protest by camping outside California Hall and lecturing in the hot sun day and night. I stopped by the lecture in amusement. I mean, I suppor this guys fight against the big giants but I thought it was game over for him. Guess not:
Ignacio Chapela Wins Tenure Battle
In May 2005, after a two-year battle, biologist and professor Ignacio Chapela was granted tenure with full back pay by the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Chapela -- a vocal opponent of the University’s research ties with the agrochemical and biotechnology firm Novartis (now Syngenta) -- was denied tenure in 2003 despite the overwhelming support of faculty in his department, Environmental Science, Policy and Management. Chapela remained at the teaching post he had held for ten years while he appealed the decision, charging the University had retaliated because he spoke out about improprieties in the Novartis agreement. In April 2005, Chapela filed a lawsuit against the University over the denial.
In 1997, Chapela opposed a US$25 million contract between the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Novartis, granting the genetically-engineered seed producer first rights to negotiate licenses on a major portion of the department’s discoveries, allowing two Novartis representatives to sit on the department’s research committee, and requiring certain faculty to sign confidentiality agreements. Chapela openly led public opposition to the deal, arguing the contract was negotiated in secret, was detrimental to academic freedom and a misuse of the university’s resources, and would ultimately bring damage to the environment, native plants and public health. The Atlantic Monthly ran a cover story on the contract titled “The Kept University” and California State Senator Tom Hayden held hearings in Sacramento. The contract was allowed to expire in February 2004.
In November 2001, Professor Chapela again stung the agricultural biotechnology industry when he and researcher David Quist published surprising findings in the scientific journal Nature: genetically engineered corn, banned in Mexico, had contaminated indigenous strains in the Oaxacan highlands; and the transgenic material or DNA detected was fragmented and unstable. If these results were confirmed, it meant that the world’s reserve of wild, biodiverse maize might be irreparably diminished.
The peer-reviewed paper was met with a storm of criticism, particularly on the question of unstable DNA, already a concern among scientists. As Paul Gepts, University of California, Davis plant geneticist, pointed out to an Australian news agency, “There is little research done on the stability of transgenic DNA…. These are important questions to investigate and yet the idea has never been tested in a systematic way.” Internet postings and letters-to-the-editor in Nature attacked the Chapela and Quist research, and the editors took the inexplicable and unprecedented step of “disavowing” the article, stating, “the evidence available does not justify publication of the original article.”
Later studies by the Mexican government confirmed the existence of the transgenic corn in Mexico, and an investigation tied some of the letters to Nature and web postings to fictitious “scientists” created by a public relations firm hired by Novartis.
When the University Budget Committee voted to deny Chapela tenure in 2003, it did so despite the unanimous support of an ad hoc tenure committee and a nearly unanimous vote for tenure (32 to 1) by his faculty peers. Chapela’s cause benefited from widespread student support, on-campus vigils, backing from the Berkeley Faculty Association, and letters from international scientists and supporters. It sparked an interdisciplinary campaign for intellectual freedom in scientific research and academic debate, including webcast conferences. Hearing that his bid was finally granted, Chapela wrote an open letter to his supporters:
“I know of no other case where the public’s role in the conferring of tenure has been more evident. There is no doubt in my mind that I owe this tenure to you, as well as to others beyond yourselves who, without knowing, have been prodigal in support of a place to think and speak freely.”
PAN North America is proud to have had Dr. Chapela as a member of our Board of Directors since 1997.
Sources: Tenure Justice, http://www.tenurejustice.org/Index.html; Mexican Maize Madness, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, April 7, 2002 (accessed on Pulse of Science website); Pulse of Science, http://www.pulseofscience.org; Global Pesticide Campaigner, August 2002; David Quist and Ignacio Chapela, “Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico,” Nature (November 2001, v.416, pp.541-543).
Ignacio Chapela Wins Tenure Battle
In May 2005, after a two-year battle, biologist and professor Ignacio Chapela was granted tenure with full back pay by the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Chapela -- a vocal opponent of the University’s research ties with the agrochemical and biotechnology firm Novartis (now Syngenta) -- was denied tenure in 2003 despite the overwhelming support of faculty in his department, Environmental Science, Policy and Management. Chapela remained at the teaching post he had held for ten years while he appealed the decision, charging the University had retaliated because he spoke out about improprieties in the Novartis agreement. In April 2005, Chapela filed a lawsuit against the University over the denial.
In 1997, Chapela opposed a US$25 million contract between the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology and Novartis, granting the genetically-engineered seed producer first rights to negotiate licenses on a major portion of the department’s discoveries, allowing two Novartis representatives to sit on the department’s research committee, and requiring certain faculty to sign confidentiality agreements. Chapela openly led public opposition to the deal, arguing the contract was negotiated in secret, was detrimental to academic freedom and a misuse of the university’s resources, and would ultimately bring damage to the environment, native plants and public health. The Atlantic Monthly ran a cover story on the contract titled “The Kept University” and California State Senator Tom Hayden held hearings in Sacramento. The contract was allowed to expire in February 2004.
In November 2001, Professor Chapela again stung the agricultural biotechnology industry when he and researcher David Quist published surprising findings in the scientific journal Nature: genetically engineered corn, banned in Mexico, had contaminated indigenous strains in the Oaxacan highlands; and the transgenic material or DNA detected was fragmented and unstable. If these results were confirmed, it meant that the world’s reserve of wild, biodiverse maize might be irreparably diminished.
The peer-reviewed paper was met with a storm of criticism, particularly on the question of unstable DNA, already a concern among scientists. As Paul Gepts, University of California, Davis plant geneticist, pointed out to an Australian news agency, “There is little research done on the stability of transgenic DNA…. These are important questions to investigate and yet the idea has never been tested in a systematic way.” Internet postings and letters-to-the-editor in Nature attacked the Chapela and Quist research, and the editors took the inexplicable and unprecedented step of “disavowing” the article, stating, “the evidence available does not justify publication of the original article.”
Later studies by the Mexican government confirmed the existence of the transgenic corn in Mexico, and an investigation tied some of the letters to Nature and web postings to fictitious “scientists” created by a public relations firm hired by Novartis.
When the University Budget Committee voted to deny Chapela tenure in 2003, it did so despite the unanimous support of an ad hoc tenure committee and a nearly unanimous vote for tenure (32 to 1) by his faculty peers. Chapela’s cause benefited from widespread student support, on-campus vigils, backing from the Berkeley Faculty Association, and letters from international scientists and supporters. It sparked an interdisciplinary campaign for intellectual freedom in scientific research and academic debate, including webcast conferences. Hearing that his bid was finally granted, Chapela wrote an open letter to his supporters:
“I know of no other case where the public’s role in the conferring of tenure has been more evident. There is no doubt in my mind that I owe this tenure to you, as well as to others beyond yourselves who, without knowing, have been prodigal in support of a place to think and speak freely.”
PAN North America is proud to have had Dr. Chapela as a member of our Board of Directors since 1997.
Sources: Tenure Justice, http://www.tenurejustice.org/Index.html; Mexican Maize Madness, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, April 7, 2002 (accessed on Pulse of Science website); Pulse of Science, http://www.pulseofscience.org; Global Pesticide Campaigner, August 2002; David Quist and Ignacio Chapela, “Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico,” Nature (November 2001, v.416, pp.541-543).
Saturday, May 27, 2006
bet you didn't know this
I just read this in the Economist:
"The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is not quite what it is often made out to be. It is often called the world's biggest hydroelectric dam. But several others are taller or longer. The Itaipu dam on the Brazil-Paraguay border produces more electricy...."
So much for the Three Gorges huh?
"The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is not quite what it is often made out to be. It is often called the world's biggest hydroelectric dam. But several others are taller or longer. The Itaipu dam on the Brazil-Paraguay border produces more electricy...."
So much for the Three Gorges huh?
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