It's coming basically towards the end of my working year. I have classes this week and then a further series of halfdays for two weeks and then it's Thailand or bust! I'm actually fairly exhausted. I think I've done this to myself emotionally and ever so physically as I have readjusted to doing the whole nights and weekends work thing.
Having moved countries several times now, it has been wildly surprising to learn that moving to a country most like my own would be the biggest culture shock of all. It's been a trying time but I'm at the point of being so over myself that I just have to move on from all this crap. Someone said to me recently that I almost never say 'no' to anyone. I hate it when people are insightful about me. Makes you feel as though you didn't build your wall quite high enough and that people are able to make out the patterns in the randomness. There's some truth to all this and it does bear thinking about. Perhaps from a sunchair somewhere in Phuket...
A friend here had laser correction surgery on her eyes today. I picked her up from the Eye Clinic to take her back to her apartment. She had protested this vehemently but honestly, what kind of wacko has a laser in their eye and then goes home by themselves when there are perfectly good alternatives. When she came out she was fine, all smiles and remarkably chatty. She revealed to me amid bursts of insane giggles that they had loaded her up with Valium for the trip home. Oh boy, I had NO idea that Valium did that to people. She was high as a kite. Or at least she was until the pain started to kick in. Let's face it, and get your best quotation marks ready, she had a "laser" in her eye. Poor thing, but by all reports that pain has now passed and she claims to be seeing fairly competently now.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
He shoots, he scores!
I was lying to a Primary 6 class the other night, telling them that I had been educated in Singapore. They were utterly disbelieving at first. I needed something. If I was going to sell the lie then I would have to dig deeper. I made up a primary school name based on the suburb we were in at the time. One of the boys became very excited, a note of awe in his voice as he shouted "That's my school!". Sweeeeeeeeeeet. I had just added some credibility to my lie. However they were still telling me that I was full of lies as I scrambled for something, anything that would act as the glue this lie needed. And there it was - legitimacy in the form of outright fiction. Pick a name, something that is common enough to have a hope of actually being true. "Yes, my teacher was Mr Goh. Is he still there?".
Awe-boy looked at at the other students, his mouth wide open as he confirmed what I knew to be a lie. "Yes, there is a Mr Goh!". And with that a Singaporean primary school education backstory was successfully created.
Awe-boy looked at at the other students, his mouth wide open as he confirmed what I knew to be a lie. "Yes, there is a Mr Goh!". And with that a Singaporean primary school education backstory was successfully created.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Mysterious
For the past two weeks someone has been taking my mail from the mailbox and slipping it under my door. While this is a lovely gesture, it's borderline creepy because I don't know who is doing it...
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Putting the psycho in psychoanalysis
Well, I've finally broken. This afternoon I joined Facebook. After numerous requests from friends and associates and my steadfast refusal to be part of a fad, I have finally caved. My sister is probably the only person in the world that can get me to do things I don't want to do, so when she asked me to sign up my remaining resolve crumbled like the proverbial beach shack in a tsunami.
One of my main reasons for not joining Facebook was because I don't like the idea of people being able to track me unless I want to be tracked. So what is one of the first things I do upon signing up? I enter in the names of ex-girlfriends to see if they are members! Yes I did the very thing that was a reason for me not joining this kind of social networking site. The strangest part is that I did this despite having no desire to actually add them to my friends list. I do have waaaaaaaaay too much time on my hands. That said, I doubt I'm the only person who has done this upon signing up to Facebook.
I think I'm missing something though. Now that I have joined Facebook, what happens next? People spoke of Scrabble and other magical wonders that make this such a good site, but I got nothing. Sigh... oh well, just another social networking site joined and then forgotten about 3 weeks later.
It's Hari Raya here today. I'm all for the end of Ramadan as I get a 3 day weekend! I'm pretty sure I shouldn't say "Happy Ramadan" to people but here's to hoping people have a fun day.
One of my main reasons for not joining Facebook was because I don't like the idea of people being able to track me unless I want to be tracked. So what is one of the first things I do upon signing up? I enter in the names of ex-girlfriends to see if they are members! Yes I did the very thing that was a reason for me not joining this kind of social networking site. The strangest part is that I did this despite having no desire to actually add them to my friends list. I do have waaaaaaaaay too much time on my hands. That said, I doubt I'm the only person who has done this upon signing up to Facebook.
I think I'm missing something though. Now that I have joined Facebook, what happens next? People spoke of Scrabble and other magical wonders that make this such a good site, but I got nothing. Sigh... oh well, just another social networking site joined and then forgotten about 3 weeks later.
It's Hari Raya here today. I'm all for the end of Ramadan as I get a 3 day weekend! I'm pretty sure I shouldn't say "Happy Ramadan" to people but here's to hoping people have a fun day.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
One five oh
I've had my head buried in the sand for the past few weeks and while this may continue for some time I'm feeling just whimsy enough to make a new post. This coincides with my new blog being banned after only two posts. Who knew I could be that inflammatory??
W-ko's most recent post struck a chord as I actually had a very similar conversation over lunch today with a female co-worker. As a male, is there a problem with your female partner earning more than you do? Same-sex couples are left out of this as it's either girl on girl or two men which disqualifies the cultural intrigue of such a topic.
Being a teacher, I honestly can't remember the last time I dated someone who earned less than me. The last 3 majors were either earning nicely or independently wealthy. Did this bruise my male ego? Not in any significant way. Honestly, I was more of the opinion of 'good luck to them!'. At least I knew that if my whole life and career went down the toilet that they would be able to take care of themselves if I was somehow unable to. That probably sounds wrong. It's not about me taking care of someone financially. I believe that a true partnership requires emotional and spiritual support and perhaps enough money to get by. I may also have been spoiled by growing up around two very successful sisters and failing to see anything wrong with that.
So why do some men take issue with it? I can only skim stones on the water in regard to that, but perhaps it is just a very old skool, ingrained notion that men are the breadwinners and women are at home baking goodies and making babies. I'm guessing noone sent these guys the email explaining that it's the 21st century now and women generally do have careers and lives of their own.
And raising the kiddies myself? Well, I do like the notion of being at home with them. I figure if anyone's going to warp them then it may as well be me.
W-ko's most recent post struck a chord as I actually had a very similar conversation over lunch today with a female co-worker. As a male, is there a problem with your female partner earning more than you do? Same-sex couples are left out of this as it's either girl on girl or two men which disqualifies the cultural intrigue of such a topic.
Being a teacher, I honestly can't remember the last time I dated someone who earned less than me. The last 3 majors were either earning nicely or independently wealthy. Did this bruise my male ego? Not in any significant way. Honestly, I was more of the opinion of 'good luck to them!'. At least I knew that if my whole life and career went down the toilet that they would be able to take care of themselves if I was somehow unable to. That probably sounds wrong. It's not about me taking care of someone financially. I believe that a true partnership requires emotional and spiritual support and perhaps enough money to get by. I may also have been spoiled by growing up around two very successful sisters and failing to see anything wrong with that.
So why do some men take issue with it? I can only skim stones on the water in regard to that, but perhaps it is just a very old skool, ingrained notion that men are the breadwinners and women are at home baking goodies and making babies. I'm guessing noone sent these guys the email explaining that it's the 21st century now and women generally do have careers and lives of their own.
And raising the kiddies myself? Well, I do like the notion of being at home with them. I figure if anyone's going to warp them then it may as well be me.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
A long post about comics
If this doesn't interest you just get in your time machine and go to the post I'll write next Monday, I'm sure you'll like it better.
A gift in the form of Singapore’s National Library has allowed me to read up on a host of comics I would not have otherwise ever purchased. It has also allowed me the opportunity to cast my own critical eye on the ‘hottest’ writers of the past 7 years. Yes, I’m talking Bendis, Millar, Brubaker and Geoff Johns. While they all work for either Marvel or DC it’s worth examining their mainstream works considering that all of them write books that regularly field in the top 20 American mainstream comics produced.
Brian Michael Bendis
I’ve read up on his work through New Avengers and Ultimate Spider-man trades and must admit that his writing is far more irritating than the haters ever made it out to be. People have often commented on his gift for dialogue. Now I have to admit that he has a knack for dialogue, perhaps even a gift. However, it doesn’t suit the comics medium. Bendis seems enamored with jis own ability to write ‘witty’ lines at the expense of the flow of the medium in which he is writing. His writing reminds me very much of Gilmore Girls where the back and forth would have the Flash struggling to keep pace. In the case of NA and Ult. Spidey this just doesn’t work, particularly in the case of the first. In particular, the Avengers are just not a group that lend themselves to such a style of dialogue and even when Bendis revamped the team so that he could play with his favourite toys it made little sense given the characters he was using. Oh yes, it may be ‘clever’... but I have to question the intelligence of making characters ‘clever’ just to show off. Frankly, the book is an indulgent mess that makes a mockery of a franchise with a long and successful history. While I haven’t read Daredevil, which is supposedly Bendis’ mainstream opus, I just can’t find the energy to give it a shot based on the mind-bogglingly boring experience of the other two titles. So it’s a thumbs down to Bendis.
Mark Millar
I’ve read a decent chunk of Millar work over the past few years. From his follow-up to Ellis’ Authority to the recent Civil War. When Millar has worked for me has been when the gloves are off. The Authority, The Ultimates and even his Wolverine run. I just didn’t care anymore. Millar likes to use the tried and true Tarantino method of tough guys shocking for shocks sake. And quite often, it works. When his hands are tied however (be they by editorial demands or just by the brand of the franchise he’s working on) it just tends to come off as trying very hard to be edgy. This was obvious in his Spider-man run and the Civil War series, which started off promisingly and by the time the final issue came around I was so bored that I didn’t even bother buying it. His Ultimate X-men I thought was fine though really wasn’t all that different from reading a regular 616 X-book. Millar does giant, over-the-top dumb fun. And he’s quite exceptional at it. His books are the equivalent of Summer event movies though I would on balance put them into the category of the good Summer event films (as opposed to the poor ones like the War of the Worlds remake).
Ed Brubaker
I’m including Brubaker here even though I haven’t read extensively of his library. The two biggest things besides some Bat-books back in the day are the X-men : Deadly Genesis mini and his run on Captain America. I’ve heard very good things about Gotham Central and his Catwoman but can’t comment on them from firsthand experience. Deadly Genesis? A mess that sought desperately to prove itself as important but was really just one giant ret-con that added little except further complication to the X-mythos. I don’t blame Brubaker for this one as it was obviously an editorially driven story that was handed to him when he became Marvel exclusive rather than an idea he himself came up with and pitched. Captain America, and here’s where I move into territory I never thought I’d be in, is exceptional. I’ve read the first 20 issues in trade and was just enthralled by the political intrigue and the handling of a large cast with an even longer history. Brubaker’s ability here to establish personalities and motivations in the midst of solid action has actually made me want to read a Captain America comic, something I thought would never ever ever happen to me in a million years. Given the reactions to his runs on Bats, Cats, Sleeper and Cap it would appear that Brubaker has a much firmer grasp of solo titles with large supporting casts than of team books. So Brubaker gets a very strong nod for doing the impossible – making me like Captain America.
Geoff Johns
From JSA to the Flash to Infinite Crisis and 52, Geoff Johns has become the go-to man at DC. Need a character revamped? A continuity nightmare made intelligible? Just shine the Johns-signal into the night and 6 months later you have a title people are prepared to read. This is not to say he’s perfect. Infinite Crisis just didn’t make it to the finish line after a very strong first three issues. It was also marred by guest artists but that hardly seems Johns’ fault. The work I’ve enjoyed most by him is his run on the Flash which showed long-term strategic planning, my favourite thing in any serialised story (whether that’s comics or tv). He managed to play with readers’ expectations and throw in genuine surprises when needed or alternatively build up a sense of foreboding in the case of others (I’m thinking Zoom here). He’s currently crafting the Sinestro Corps storyline in Green Lantern which I will be getting as soon as they trade it up for me. One of the things I also like is the vague rumour that he really likes the character of Dick Grayson. I would actually start reading that title again if Johns started writing it. Hopefully he would have the sense to put Dick and Babs in their rightful place – together.
A gift in the form of Singapore’s National Library has allowed me to read up on a host of comics I would not have otherwise ever purchased. It has also allowed me the opportunity to cast my own critical eye on the ‘hottest’ writers of the past 7 years. Yes, I’m talking Bendis, Millar, Brubaker and Geoff Johns. While they all work for either Marvel or DC it’s worth examining their mainstream works considering that all of them write books that regularly field in the top 20 American mainstream comics produced.
Brian Michael Bendis
I’ve read up on his work through New Avengers and Ultimate Spider-man trades and must admit that his writing is far more irritating than the haters ever made it out to be. People have often commented on his gift for dialogue. Now I have to admit that he has a knack for dialogue, perhaps even a gift. However, it doesn’t suit the comics medium. Bendis seems enamored with jis own ability to write ‘witty’ lines at the expense of the flow of the medium in which he is writing. His writing reminds me very much of Gilmore Girls where the back and forth would have the Flash struggling to keep pace. In the case of NA and Ult. Spidey this just doesn’t work, particularly in the case of the first. In particular, the Avengers are just not a group that lend themselves to such a style of dialogue and even when Bendis revamped the team so that he could play with his favourite toys it made little sense given the characters he was using. Oh yes, it may be ‘clever’... but I have to question the intelligence of making characters ‘clever’ just to show off. Frankly, the book is an indulgent mess that makes a mockery of a franchise with a long and successful history. While I haven’t read Daredevil, which is supposedly Bendis’ mainstream opus, I just can’t find the energy to give it a shot based on the mind-bogglingly boring experience of the other two titles. So it’s a thumbs down to Bendis.
Mark Millar
I’ve read a decent chunk of Millar work over the past few years. From his follow-up to Ellis’ Authority to the recent Civil War. When Millar has worked for me has been when the gloves are off. The Authority, The Ultimates and even his Wolverine run. I just didn’t care anymore. Millar likes to use the tried and true Tarantino method of tough guys shocking for shocks sake. And quite often, it works. When his hands are tied however (be they by editorial demands or just by the brand of the franchise he’s working on) it just tends to come off as trying very hard to be edgy. This was obvious in his Spider-man run and the Civil War series, which started off promisingly and by the time the final issue came around I was so bored that I didn’t even bother buying it. His Ultimate X-men I thought was fine though really wasn’t all that different from reading a regular 616 X-book. Millar does giant, over-the-top dumb fun. And he’s quite exceptional at it. His books are the equivalent of Summer event movies though I would on balance put them into the category of the good Summer event films (as opposed to the poor ones like the War of the Worlds remake).
Ed Brubaker
I’m including Brubaker here even though I haven’t read extensively of his library. The two biggest things besides some Bat-books back in the day are the X-men : Deadly Genesis mini and his run on Captain America. I’ve heard very good things about Gotham Central and his Catwoman but can’t comment on them from firsthand experience. Deadly Genesis? A mess that sought desperately to prove itself as important but was really just one giant ret-con that added little except further complication to the X-mythos. I don’t blame Brubaker for this one as it was obviously an editorially driven story that was handed to him when he became Marvel exclusive rather than an idea he himself came up with and pitched. Captain America, and here’s where I move into territory I never thought I’d be in, is exceptional. I’ve read the first 20 issues in trade and was just enthralled by the political intrigue and the handling of a large cast with an even longer history. Brubaker’s ability here to establish personalities and motivations in the midst of solid action has actually made me want to read a Captain America comic, something I thought would never ever ever happen to me in a million years. Given the reactions to his runs on Bats, Cats, Sleeper and Cap it would appear that Brubaker has a much firmer grasp of solo titles with large supporting casts than of team books. So Brubaker gets a very strong nod for doing the impossible – making me like Captain America.
Geoff Johns
From JSA to the Flash to Infinite Crisis and 52, Geoff Johns has become the go-to man at DC. Need a character revamped? A continuity nightmare made intelligible? Just shine the Johns-signal into the night and 6 months later you have a title people are prepared to read. This is not to say he’s perfect. Infinite Crisis just didn’t make it to the finish line after a very strong first three issues. It was also marred by guest artists but that hardly seems Johns’ fault. The work I’ve enjoyed most by him is his run on the Flash which showed long-term strategic planning, my favourite thing in any serialised story (whether that’s comics or tv). He managed to play with readers’ expectations and throw in genuine surprises when needed or alternatively build up a sense of foreboding in the case of others (I’m thinking Zoom here). He’s currently crafting the Sinestro Corps storyline in Green Lantern which I will be getting as soon as they trade it up for me. One of the things I also like is the vague rumour that he really likes the character of Dick Grayson. I would actually start reading that title again if Johns started writing it. Hopefully he would have the sense to put Dick and Babs in their rightful place – together.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
To be a citizen, or not to be a citizen
The sample questions from the most recent draft of the Australian Citizenship Test for migrants has hit and it's as predictably incomprehensible as one might have imagined. Really, does knowing who Phar Lap is make you Australian? Let's remember anyway that while Phar Lap has historical significance in Australia, he was actually a Kiwi born and bred horse!
Of The Age's 20 sample questions I was able to get 16 correct with the other four being wrong on technicality. Clearly they did not have an English teacher or any kind of editor proof read their questions because the vagueness of many of the questions leaves room for multiple answers and yet they only give one possible correct answer. Having heard some of the other questions, it really makes you wonder what the hell they are thinking!
Q: In which capital territory is the parliament of Australia situated?
A: Canberra.
In actuality the answer to such a question would be the Australian Capital Territory, not Canberra which is the city in which parliament is situated. This kind of stupidity leaves me breathless.
The other issue to consider is what is the point of all this. Prospective migrants will learn the answers to the test by Rote memorization and then forget the information as soon as they walk out Again... what is the point of all this?
Of The Age's 20 sample questions I was able to get 16 correct with the other four being wrong on technicality. Clearly they did not have an English teacher or any kind of editor proof read their questions because the vagueness of many of the questions leaves room for multiple answers and yet they only give one possible correct answer. Having heard some of the other questions, it really makes you wonder what the hell they are thinking!
Q: In which capital territory is the parliament of Australia situated?
A: Canberra.
In actuality the answer to such a question would be the Australian Capital Territory, not Canberra which is the city in which parliament is situated. This kind of stupidity leaves me breathless.
The other issue to consider is what is the point of all this. Prospective migrants will learn the answers to the test by Rote memorization and then forget the information as soon as they walk out Again... what is the point of all this?
Sunday, August 26, 2007
September, my favourite month
In the face of much opposition and many back-handed compliments, Collingwood finds that it has cemented a place in the 2007 AFL finals. In a year where the requisite number of wins needed to make the finals has gone from 11 to 13, Collingwood now sits confidently on 13 wins with one game to go. Of interest this year is the resurgence of Victorian teams. While it's been many years since the last Victorian premiership, this year would seem to be the best opportunity since 2000 to bring the premiership cup back to the state if its birth.
Now this supporter has been critical of Nathan Buckley's decision to play on. With each injury setback this year I have decried his place on the senior list as selfish and pointless. I didn't think he would play again, and certainly felt that a better long-term solution would be to elevate a youngster from the rookie list. In 2007 Collingwood has played no less than eight first year players. Some of whom, I'm looking at Tyson Goldsack and Marty Clarke in particular, have become essential components of the side. Over the past month it's become painfully obvious that the youngsters have been running out of steam and motivation. And back comes Nathan Buckley. A part of me saw this coming and thought that it would be a disaster to have a player, even one of Buckley's caliber, come back to play finals in a team that had spent a year without him. The mere presence of Buckley on the field seemed to have an impact on the youngsters. After all, who would want to fumble a pinpoint pass from the Collingwood champion?
Watching last night I realised that Nathan Buckley is indeed a champion and it's GREAT to ave him back. He didn't have a significant impact, particularly in the second half when he became a bit more tired, but it was clear that he has lost none of the mental hunger for a premiership. His passes were accurate and he provided the voice of experience that some of the youngsters have perhaps been needing over the past few weeks.
Yes, Collingwood are back and we want the premiership cup.
Now this supporter has been critical of Nathan Buckley's decision to play on. With each injury setback this year I have decried his place on the senior list as selfish and pointless. I didn't think he would play again, and certainly felt that a better long-term solution would be to elevate a youngster from the rookie list. In 2007 Collingwood has played no less than eight first year players. Some of whom, I'm looking at Tyson Goldsack and Marty Clarke in particular, have become essential components of the side. Over the past month it's become painfully obvious that the youngsters have been running out of steam and motivation. And back comes Nathan Buckley. A part of me saw this coming and thought that it would be a disaster to have a player, even one of Buckley's caliber, come back to play finals in a team that had spent a year without him. The mere presence of Buckley on the field seemed to have an impact on the youngsters. After all, who would want to fumble a pinpoint pass from the Collingwood champion?
Watching last night I realised that Nathan Buckley is indeed a champion and it's GREAT to ave him back. He didn't have a significant impact, particularly in the second half when he became a bit more tired, but it was clear that he has lost none of the mental hunger for a premiership. His passes were accurate and he provided the voice of experience that some of the youngsters have perhaps been needing over the past few weeks.
Yes, Collingwood are back and we want the premiership cup.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Getting my geek on
Well, I've been struggling for the last couple of weeks with the issue of my own geekdom. It came to my attention that the cast of Heroes will be visiting Vivo City here in a couple of weeks time. The thought of meeting Masi Oka is enough to have me salivating. I imagined us both doing the blink thing to stop time. It was wonderful. But I had to wonder, at 28 years of age, am I too old to be going to meet TV stars?
I struggled with this, planning the run from work in the morning out to Vivo City and back to work for evening classes. If I did indeed go... would I have out-geeked myself? Would I be crossing a line I've been straddling since I was a teenager? When do you stop being a fan and start being a fanboy?
Fortunately the decision has been taken from my hands due to a work schedule change which wouldn't give me enough time to get back for my evening classes. This is all ok, as I go back to straddling the line. I can't help but think though, that I'll be missing my one chance to meet my hero, errr... Hiro.
I struggled with this, planning the run from work in the morning out to Vivo City and back to work for evening classes. If I did indeed go... would I have out-geeked myself? Would I be crossing a line I've been straddling since I was a teenager? When do you stop being a fan and start being a fanboy?
Fortunately the decision has been taken from my hands due to a work schedule change which wouldn't give me enough time to get back for my evening classes. This is all ok, as I go back to straddling the line. I can't help but think though, that I'll be missing my one chance to meet my hero, errr... Hiro.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Follow the Leader
Now that I am on a somewhat human schedule I'm able to enjoy some of the finer things in life. Yesterday I watched the final season of Justice League Unlimited. For a show that was only passable in its infancy, this is one cartoon that absolutely hit strides once the format of the show changed and the league was expanded. They were also clever enough to use the established format that Buffy the Vampire Slayer really brought to mainstream attention - the season-long arc. Where the larger plot weaves in and out of different episodes with certain key episodes being given over to direct advancement of said plot. Naturally, Unlimited was always going to appeal to hardcore DC people because you pretty much see everyone that ever was from that universe - even Aztek!
I also watched the pilot episode for HBO's new show John From Cincinnati. At first I wasn't very drawn into this show but the second half of the episode leaves you scratching your head just enough to want more. From what I can tell so far it involves surfing, drugs and possibly superpowers. By the end of the episode I was left with just the vaguest memory of Twin Peaks. So far it doesn't have that level of kookiness, but it would certainly appear to be part of the ingredients. And since when did a television production company (HBO in this case) become a brand unto itself whereby I will pretty much try any program they have to offer? I really am becoming a sucker.
Two years ago I bought the entire first season of The Ultimates and Volume 1 of Ultimates 2. Yesterday, some 24 months later I bought and read Volume 2. I think some of the shine had worn off purely because I had waited 2 years for it. Enjoyable because of the way the series skirts reality, let's face it if the world had superheroes then it would probably all happen the way things played out in the Ultimates. Mark Millar's political leanings are obvious, as ever, and it's stunning that he is allowed to get away with the picture he paints of America and yet still sell to a very mainstream comics crowd. Very much like Michael Moore, I happen to agree with Millar politically on many things but I don't need it forced down my throat in such a way. I guess that's the price I pay for Bryan Hitch art.
Am still in report-writing mode. In fact I should be doing it this very second. It's hard to be diplomatic sometimes in these kinds of reports. You can't tell someone their child sucks because they may pull them from the school - not to mention the fact that I'm not that evil. But it's also difficult to tell them what they can do to address these issues in just two short paragraphs. So it's the old format. Tell them something good, tell them some bad things and then end with something good or a note of encouragement. Yes, after writing 50 of these my brain is officially fried. Tragically I still have 29 to go. Back to the drawing board...
I also watched the pilot episode for HBO's new show John From Cincinnati. At first I wasn't very drawn into this show but the second half of the episode leaves you scratching your head just enough to want more. From what I can tell so far it involves surfing, drugs and possibly superpowers. By the end of the episode I was left with just the vaguest memory of Twin Peaks. So far it doesn't have that level of kookiness, but it would certainly appear to be part of the ingredients. And since when did a television production company (HBO in this case) become a brand unto itself whereby I will pretty much try any program they have to offer? I really am becoming a sucker.
Two years ago I bought the entire first season of The Ultimates and Volume 1 of Ultimates 2. Yesterday, some 24 months later I bought and read Volume 2. I think some of the shine had worn off purely because I had waited 2 years for it. Enjoyable because of the way the series skirts reality, let's face it if the world had superheroes then it would probably all happen the way things played out in the Ultimates. Mark Millar's political leanings are obvious, as ever, and it's stunning that he is allowed to get away with the picture he paints of America and yet still sell to a very mainstream comics crowd. Very much like Michael Moore, I happen to agree with Millar politically on many things but I don't need it forced down my throat in such a way. I guess that's the price I pay for Bryan Hitch art.
Am still in report-writing mode. In fact I should be doing it this very second. It's hard to be diplomatic sometimes in these kinds of reports. You can't tell someone their child sucks because they may pull them from the school - not to mention the fact that I'm not that evil. But it's also difficult to tell them what they can do to address these issues in just two short paragraphs. So it's the old format. Tell them something good, tell them some bad things and then end with something good or a note of encouragement. Yes, after writing 50 of these my brain is officially fried. Tragically I still have 29 to go. Back to the drawing board...
Thursday, August 09, 2007
National Day
Singapore by night.
The Potter line I waited in for far too long.
My place.
I took these with my phone, so not sure what the quality is like.
Today is National Day here which for me meant a day off. Besides sleeping in I didn't get much done. Went and saw a French film called Poltergay which, as the title implies, is about gay ghosts. Up until 10 minutes before seeing it I actually thought it was going to be a Hollywood film. Being French kind of saved it from being utter rubbish. I didn't find it all that amusing besides the parts where certain people could see the ghosts and others couldn't. That was never much discussed but was the basis for some clever observations about who in the film was gay or not gay.
I'm in the midst of writing 83 reports at the moment. I only have 58 to go, which seems like a lot but really is a whopping 25 less than what I started with. I'll make this happen over the next week and then it's easy street from there. I've also switched branches so I am working a LOT closer to home which is pleasant and am looking forward to my first two consecutive days off this weekend since beginning work.
One item of interest (to me anyway) is that many Singaporeans I meet here are actually a mixture of all kinds of nationalities. Chinese/Malaysians, Arab/Malaysians, Japanese/Filipino/Dutch, Dutch/Chinese etc etc. The one term which I'd never really heard much before is Eurasian. Everyone that has a mixture of all different kinds of things seems to claim themselves as Eurasian. It's almost like it implies some kind of first class status among people. I've learnt a lot of the history of Orchard Rd too. Apparently it hasn't always been full of prostitutes and high class shops. You would never think this by walking from one end to the other, but apparently this is indeed the case. As little as 15 years ago it was quite different. Makes me wonder if one day Chapel Street will end up this way, all in a bid to encourage tourists.
The Potter line I waited in for far too long.
My place.
I took these with my phone, so not sure what the quality is like.
Today is National Day here which for me meant a day off. Besides sleeping in I didn't get much done. Went and saw a French film called Poltergay which, as the title implies, is about gay ghosts. Up until 10 minutes before seeing it I actually thought it was going to be a Hollywood film. Being French kind of saved it from being utter rubbish. I didn't find it all that amusing besides the parts where certain people could see the ghosts and others couldn't. That was never much discussed but was the basis for some clever observations about who in the film was gay or not gay.
I'm in the midst of writing 83 reports at the moment. I only have 58 to go, which seems like a lot but really is a whopping 25 less than what I started with. I'll make this happen over the next week and then it's easy street from there. I've also switched branches so I am working a LOT closer to home which is pleasant and am looking forward to my first two consecutive days off this weekend since beginning work.
One item of interest (to me anyway) is that many Singaporeans I meet here are actually a mixture of all kinds of nationalities. Chinese/Malaysians, Arab/Malaysians, Japanese/Filipino/Dutch, Dutch/Chinese etc etc. The one term which I'd never really heard much before is Eurasian. Everyone that has a mixture of all different kinds of things seems to claim themselves as Eurasian. It's almost like it implies some kind of first class status among people. I've learnt a lot of the history of Orchard Rd too. Apparently it hasn't always been full of prostitutes and high class shops. You would never think this by walking from one end to the other, but apparently this is indeed the case. As little as 15 years ago it was quite different. Makes me wonder if one day Chapel Street will end up this way, all in a bid to encourage tourists.
Friday, August 03, 2007
From the mouths of babes
Some insightful comments from my 7 year olds tonight :
Student 1 : I have no phobias.
Student 2 : My fear is God... and the dark.
After I told them that I would no longer be their teacher after tonight's lesson the God/dark student said :
Student : Is that because you couldn't control the class?
*Ulp!*
For the third time this year I've bought razors that don't fit the handle I have in my bathroom. You'd think I would learn...
Student 1 : I have no phobias.
Student 2 : My fear is God... and the dark.
After I told them that I would no longer be their teacher after tonight's lesson the God/dark student said :
Student : Is that because you couldn't control the class?
*Ulp!*
For the third time this year I've bought razors that don't fit the handle I have in my bathroom. You'd think I would learn...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Spider-Pig
If you haven't seen the Simpsons yet then you may not want to watch this clip. It's a song from the movie which I makes me smile everytime I think about it.
State of disrepair
Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not the world's cleverest person. When it comes to things that fall into the manual labour category I definitely suck. If I'm told what to do I can do it in record time and with as much polish as I'm able to imagine. Realistically, I'm just not the physcial labour type. Handy Man? Carpenter Boy? Nail Gun Lad? I'm none of these people? Ask me to put something together or paint something, well... let's be frank, I need instructions.
I bought a bookshelf on the weekend to put the tiny amount of novels and graphic novels that I brought with me on. As you can see from the photo, I'm not all the way through this home improvement. In my enthusiasm - yes, having a screw driver in my hand makes me enthusiastic - I screwed the shelves into the sideboards. It was only after screwing in every shelf and ripping the skin from one finger that I realised that perhaps, just perhaps, I'd made a miscalculation.
As I furiously screwed the cheap wooden shelves into the sideboards, I could do little more than admire my ability to be the handyman I thought I would never be. Maybe I will one day be the 'full packege'... This was what I was thinking until I realised that I had screwed the shelves in in the wrong order. If I intend to put the plywood backboards in, then it's very obvious that it can't be done the way I've done it. After screwing four shelves in very tightly and ripping several inches of first degree skin away, I can only question what happens next.
After losing skin, do you unscrew the shelves and put them in the right order or just put in the other sideboard and pretend that there were never any backboards at all? I've decided to put this up to the wisdom of others because I am clearly not in the Tim the Toolman category...
Saturday, July 28, 2007
If half of what I'm saying...
One of the greatest indulgences I have is the Saturday night spent at home. I've developed this over the last two years. Go out on the Friday or the Sunday night and leave the Saturday night free for music, a couple of home bevvies and books or the Net. Tonight's an I'm-going-through-my-iTunes-for-all-the-coolest-stuff night. So far I've moved from the Cat Empire to Blondie to the Shins to You Am I.
I've finished up with the final Potter book. It's interesting to watch a series of books become so conscious of and influenced by the films that will subsequently follow. Certainly the climax of this final book will look spectacular on film, assuming they don't gloss over aspects that are certain to be glossed over in a literary form but will look spectacular on film. Unfortunately, this final book falls into exactly the same trap that they last 4 books have fallen in to - it takes far to long for the main plot to advance. When you're writing the final book of a 7 book series I would hae thought it prudent not to waste over a sixth of the book on aspects that don't advance the characters or the plot. It's fantastic to read, of that there's no doubt, but from a planning point of view it would seem to me to be a mistake. And yes, there's copout that W alluded to on her blog. I tend to agree with you.
My sister was in town last night and we did the touristy thing, largely because it was close to her hotel and because she was appalled that after almost 2 months here I hadn't actually done it myself yet. We went to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel followed by dinner and then a night cap at Chjimes. She warned me that when I do have visitors, this is one of the night's out to do. So now I know. Long Bar then Chjimes. Very colonial and very toffy stuff, but I can see how it would be fun for a tourist. As always it was fun to catch up with my sister and dissect all the family goings on in Melbourne. Her and I are still plotting to have our parents sell the family home and move into a place devoid of others (my brothers, in case it needed further elaboration).
Tomorrow I'm off to see the Simpsons movie. which I think makes about 8 films I've seen since arriving here. I figure there's nothing much left so I can take a break from the bog screen for a little while after this. I'm also on a total sequel ban - having seen every single sequel that has come out over the last three months - Spidey, Pirates, FF, Die Hard etc. Am thinking I'll hit one of the few and far between Arthouse cinemas here to detox from my glut of blockbusters.
Yes, I'm very aware that Collingwood got pounded tonight. This being the first week since I arrived that Australia Network hasn't shown the Collingwood game, I'm pretty sure there's a jinxish lesson in there for us somewhere. Not to mention the slightly worrying trend of us not being able to string together multiple wins in this second half of the season. There'll be hell to pay if we somehow end up missing out on the finals...
I've finished up with the final Potter book. It's interesting to watch a series of books become so conscious of and influenced by the films that will subsequently follow. Certainly the climax of this final book will look spectacular on film, assuming they don't gloss over aspects that are certain to be glossed over in a literary form but will look spectacular on film. Unfortunately, this final book falls into exactly the same trap that they last 4 books have fallen in to - it takes far to long for the main plot to advance. When you're writing the final book of a 7 book series I would hae thought it prudent not to waste over a sixth of the book on aspects that don't advance the characters or the plot. It's fantastic to read, of that there's no doubt, but from a planning point of view it would seem to me to be a mistake. And yes, there's copout that W alluded to on her blog. I tend to agree with you.
My sister was in town last night and we did the touristy thing, largely because it was close to her hotel and because she was appalled that after almost 2 months here I hadn't actually done it myself yet. We went to the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel followed by dinner and then a night cap at Chjimes. She warned me that when I do have visitors, this is one of the night's out to do. So now I know. Long Bar then Chjimes. Very colonial and very toffy stuff, but I can see how it would be fun for a tourist. As always it was fun to catch up with my sister and dissect all the family goings on in Melbourne. Her and I are still plotting to have our parents sell the family home and move into a place devoid of others (my brothers, in case it needed further elaboration).
Tomorrow I'm off to see the Simpsons movie. which I think makes about 8 films I've seen since arriving here. I figure there's nothing much left so I can take a break from the bog screen for a little while after this. I'm also on a total sequel ban - having seen every single sequel that has come out over the last three months - Spidey, Pirates, FF, Die Hard etc. Am thinking I'll hit one of the few and far between Arthouse cinemas here to detox from my glut of blockbusters.
Yes, I'm very aware that Collingwood got pounded tonight. This being the first week since I arrived that Australia Network hasn't shown the Collingwood game, I'm pretty sure there's a jinxish lesson in there for us somewhere. Not to mention the slightly worrying trend of us not being able to string together multiple wins in this second half of the season. There'll be hell to pay if we somehow end up missing out on the finals...
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