Friday, October 28, 2011

Goodbye

Time to say goodbye. To childish dreams. Hopes and wishful thinking. People you thought you knew. Fantasies that used to sustain you.

Reality beckons, and she can't be ignored. Shouldn't be ignored anymore.

God grant me the serenity to discern His voice, and strength to do His Will.

So long. Farewell. Aufwiedersehen. Goodnight.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Before I Forget...

...don't have time to elaborate on why I found these interesting. But...yeah...

British "psychic", Sally Morgan, has some 'splainin' to do about why she wears an earpiece in addition to a radio microphone. Reminds me so much of Leverage's Season 2 ep The Future Job. Luke Perry was excellent in the role of Dalton Rand though.

Ahhh...always fascinating how breakthroughs in hard science somehow get filtered down and adapted to concoct the "next big thing" in cosmetics and skincare. Figures why the cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar sector. Nanoblur...blur out your imperfections with nanotechnology. Whatever will they come up with next?

After the millions of articles in men's (and women's) magazines trying to figure out what women want, we now have insight into what men want...or feel, anyway. Only one issue I have with the article. I don't expect my men to "save" me. I just want them to stop looking to me to fulfil or continue their mothers' role.

Monday, October 10, 2011

For the Guys

10 Ways to Look Good Instantly

Some All of the tips actually apply to females too. And the underlying mantra across all the tips seems to be "dress confident, feel confident, be confident, because confidence is sexy and attractive". Maybe men and women are more alike than we care to admit =)

except, of course, for the baby-men.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

So I Have to Touch Up My Thesis...

thus here's some bits and pieces from the media that have caught my interest in the past few weeks...

Why do today's soppy men act like toddlers who need to be mollycoddled?

THIS is what I mean by men turning into babies when in a relationship. Although this writer generalises it to men of this modern generation rather than just men who are in relationships. But it's the way I've felt about some of my past partners...most notably BP. Aimless. Unmotivated. Clinging on to the women in their lives like security blankets rather than being men. The problem? They want to be treated like men. Waited on. Served. Respected. Feared, even. Given the place of highest honour in the family and woman's heart and mind. But they use their women as crutches and excuses for their failures, and run to them to be babied and propped up. If the woman doesn't provide enough energy and motivation for them, they turn elsewhere for comfort. Not necessarily towards other women, but other things. Expensive toys. Substance abuse. Anything to keep from growing up.

Some passages from the article that particularly resonated with me...

"It’s not just young bucks. Men who would once have been called middle-aged are behaving like teenagers, faces nourished by some male consumer-targeted unction (because he’s worth it), huddled over their Nintendo Wii or iPhone, desperate to ignore the spectre of maturity tapping on their shoulder.

And even those whom some might regard as verging on camp — Monty Clift, James Dean, Dirk Bogarde — were butcher than many of today’s heterosexual men, despite being comfortable with expressing their emotions.  Dean’s ‘You’re tearing me apart!’ was the howl of a wolf, not the bleat of a lamb.

With the exception of Colin Firth, who fills the Peck/Stewart gap, and Cary Grant’s successor, that old-school playboy George Clooney, today’s big-screen role models are all eternal ‘frat boys’.

Think of American actors Owen Wilson and Ashton Kuchter.

Ashton’s currently making headlines for allegedly cheating on his wife Demi Moore, a woman 15 years his senior. But the whole affair is being treated as if he’s a naughty schoolboy who’s disappointed his proud mum — not a man who’s betrayed his woman.

No one’s saying everyone should conform to a gender stereotype, or that men should be ‘dissing’ their women like some caricature of male aggression.

But neither should masculinity be regarded as a dirty word.

Isn’t it time to man up, boys?"

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Never Going on a "Cruise to Nowhere"

...you will likely end up in the middle of nowhere with no one to contact and no help available.

Scratch that. I now have a very healthy fear of cruises. So those big ocean liners are taboo for me.

165 people have disappeared from cruise ships since 1995.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

So I Stumbled onto This...

Hilarious customer reviews for the Sigma 200mm-500mm lens on Amazon.com

You can find the full complement of reviews here. There are a few genuine reviews, but...yeah. Oh and don't forget the images uploaded by (supposed) users of the blessed thing.

Gee whiz. That thing really looks like a bazooka though. The military green doesn't help!!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Quick Photoshoot Around the House

The smog had cleared up a bit mid-morning, and I spotted the patch of wild pansies along the side of the fence. I say wild 'cos they weren't planted by anyone I know. And pansies 'cos that's what I think they are. Then the brilliance of the red and pink hydrangeas caught my eye, and decided to snap those too. Didn't turn out too badly, if I do say so myself =)

Opinions and the Like

So I've been putting off blogging properly since the week before handing in my damned thesis (no. not happy with it. but if I hang on to it anymore, it will refuse to go anywhere). In between completely chilling out after submitting, buying lots of a few books (finally got 'round to reading The Da Vinci Code), and sorting through the colossal mess that is my room (no..not done yet. but culled 8 pairs of shoes and boots that don't fit my style anymore and other clothes that I was sentimental about during the 1st round of culling), I didn't really have the presence of mind to really give voice to the voices in my head. Give...voice...to the voices... gee whiz. What the hell am I saying. Oh. No idea.

Anyway.

Courtesy of Jeri Ryan's Twitter Feed

The perfect (???) blend of "soooo cuuute!!!" and "WTF?!" Trust the Japanese to come up with something so inane.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Runaway Rabbit

Runaway rabbit in my backyard. Gorgeous colouring, don't you think? So so cute! Photos are untouched. Just resized downwards. Clicking on each will open in a new tab/window weird new-fangled Google-esque slideshow.








Tuesday, September 13, 2011

RIP Andy Whitfield

I don't really like the violence in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, but Andy Whitfield wrested Spartacus away from the cheesy arms of Kirk Douglas and made the character his own. I'm sure he will be missed greatly by all who knew him. RIP Andy Whitfield.


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Jon Schmidt Medley

Think it might have been Da Sista who introduced me to Jon Schmidt via his mash-up of Viva La Vida & Love Story. Still love that arrangement! Pity the frickin' record companies refuse to accord Jon Schmidt commercial rights to the songs. Would love to have a proper MP3 version instead of the ripped one. *blush*

This is his latest arrangement. Adele's Rolling in the Deep. Funny how the cello gives the song a very Celtic feel to it.



Love Story vs Viva La Vida



Man...this gave me chills. Steven Sharp Nelson is spectacular on the cello(s) in this one. And I want that Yamaha baby grand. Gotta love electric versions of instruments. Totally different sound!



I LOVE Rachmaninoff. And totes love what Jon Schmidt did to this.



Jon's son is kinda cute too! *rotfl*

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Distraction

So Stephen Fry tweeted this old YouTube vid of him and Hugh Laurie saying "The extraordinary thing is I have simply no memory of doing this song with Hugh. It's like watching a stranger."

When I Grow Up...

...I wanna look like Kate Winslet. So sue me. If I can't look like her, I want her stylist.

More importantly, I want to have the money to buy original Victoria Beckham dresses.

When I grow up....

Worried

Dammit. I'm getting worried. Haven't heard anything from him since Monday! Completely no online presence. The last I'd heard was that he'd made all the necessary preparations and taken precautions. C'mon! Where are you?! Am hoping it's just a case of continued power outage and not something worse. Shit. In his condition, prolonged power outage is gonna irritate him big time.

Hmm...maybe I should spend less time worrying and more time bracing myself for a massive outpouring of frustration when he finally comes back online.

In the meantime...here's something from Jeri Ryan's Twitter Feed... =)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Awwwwww....


I got this from Jeri Ryan (yes. again). But this time it's from her Google+ feed. =)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Gotta Get Me...

...some more gay friends!! Not so much the over-the-top queens alá Carson Kressley or Sean Hayes, although they are hysterical to have around. But the gays who look and behave like any other straight male, but are aware that they fall in love with men rather than women.

Had the best time in a loooong while last night when I was unexpectedly invited along to a BBQ by a gay friend. He told me that it'd be just 5 gay guys hanging out, and that I was welcome to come along. So I made the decision to go. Hadn't been out in company for quite some time since my housemate moved out, and I thought that better 5 gay guys than straight ones where I have no idea what their agenda is. My friend told me to wear something pretty, and I was like: define pretty... He responded something along the lines of "well..something other than what you're wearing now". I was in an over-sized t-shirt and fleece pants, you see. It being winter and all.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Bits and Pieces from the Media Today

Ms Rachel Lloyd puts it far more eloquently that I ever could.

Which of these Female Office Tribes do you have in your workplace? And which one do you (unabashedly) identify with? I reckon I'm The Bore. Yup.

That's all we need. A wasp that's the Viking/Spartans of all wasps. On a side note...Z...I want me some of that macro lens. The one that can photograph a warrior wasp in all its scary glory.

This scaredy cat climbed an almighty cactus and escaped being mountain lion dinner. Wpnder how it managed to get itself up and down without getting scratched to oblivion...

We need to talk. Wonder if this will work for me....the death knell part. Not the building communication blocks aspect.

Da Sista -- check out the colour of the leather mini-dress that Zoe Saldana is wearing. Same shade as the Salmon Pink Dress that you donch likez... I need my tan back. Pronto.

Apply sun screen. Don't apply sun screen. Wear a hat. Hats are useless. Will researchers make up their bloddy minds and issue consistent advisories??

For all its finesse and beauty, France seems to be one of the most rascist, bigoted, and sexist country around. Or is it limited to Paris? I don't know. Met a young Frenchman briefly while I was living on the Gold Coast. Didn't spend that much time with him as he was boarding at Terry's friend's place. A homestay student. And initially he was a charming young man, but after 2 weeks, he turned into a horror houseguest that Elaine couldn't wait to get rid of. Thank God he was only in Australia for 8 weeks.

Ohhhh. LOVE!!! I just absolutely adore 1950s/60s fashion. Funny though. I still haven't watched a single episode of "Mad Men" in spite of the rave reviews it's always got. So in love with the dark blue/black version of the traditional houndstooth-pattern dress.

If this is what the designers are doing, it's no wonder recent collections from Alyssandra, Fairbelle, loef, KindofWonderful et al are looking...well...huh????

Thursday, Thy Name is Serendipity...

Was going to log on to the M1 website to check out when I can upgrade my mobile phone. Hit the enter key too fast, and this is what I got...

Piotr Sroczyński
Of particular interest was his Photography section. For some reason, only the Malaysia and Singapore links are viewable. I don't understand the language, but Borneo-Malaysia and Singapore still sorta...kinda...looks the same-ish in Russian. Or whatever language this is.

Serendipitous Coincidence or Coincidental Serendipity

Which 2 names leap out at you?

When WSU returns live to iPPV on 11/19, we will be presenting the biggest womens wrestling event of the Fall. WSU has been on fire all year in 2011, from putting on one of the most incredible ladder matches, celebrating Mercedes Martinez’s 2 Year reign as champion and watching new stars develop, while being a place for new beginnings. On 11/19 on iPPV, in our double main event of “BREAKING BARRIERS II”, we will see new stars get the opportunity to shine, while seeing Former WWE Womens Champion Melina get a new beginning.

Former WWE Womens Champion Melina will be making her WSU debut on 11/19. Melina joins names such as Jillian Hall, Luna Vachon, Christy Hemme, Jazz, Ivory, Dawn Marie, Molly Holly and others as someone with WWE experience looking to start anew in the biggest womens wrestling promotion today. Someone also on that list is Serena Deeb, a person who is not happy about Melina coming to WSU. Serena told WSU she will be releasing a video message about Melina’s debut in WSU where she will explain why she’s not thrilled with Melina in WSU.

Aside from the names, what else is...intriguing about this? Hmm.
Round One: FIGHT!

Killing Me Softly...

Had a conversation with Aunty's youngest son, Ivan, this afternoon. Completely unplanned. And after the convo, Adele's Someone Like You started swimming in my head. And also sent me into a very pensive and emo mood.


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

As The Rest of US East Coast Shook...

...Wall Street yelled out "Business As Usual! Money to be made...and lost!"

Ok. Seriously though. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake that just happened in America is quite unexpected. I don't know much about US geography, but from reports, it seems like the aftershocks went interstate. Thank God there appears to be no reports of death or injury. Just a lot of building and landscape damage.

And I didn't make up the scenario of Wall Street trading through the quake and aftershocks. From the abovelinked article:
Not everyone, however, was quite so terrified by the tremors. On Wall Street traders could be heard shouting: 'Carry on trading!' despite the shaking.

Update: checked with a friend in the US, and things aren't as bad as reported in the media. Classic sensationalistic journalism.

So I Was Really Looking Forward To This...




It's called the "Gabbana Pleated Velvet Dress". Inspired by one of Dolce & Gabbana's creations that Selena Gomez wore to some party earlier this year.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Leverage Cast Gift to the Crew

From Gina Bellman's Twitter Feed

Who is the feller on the shirt??
That would be Pete Dowd. Second Unit Assistant Director on Leverage. And subject of running "Ask Pete Dowd" series of twitcasts by Tim Hutton.

From Dean Devlin's Twitter Feed

Needed a Reminder...

...so I went mosey-ing. And got the reality check I lacked. I love the internet.

For goodness' sake, stop thinking you're special.

Monday, August 22, 2011

SingTel Needs Better Customer Focus

Warning: This post is going to be filled with the word SingTel. At every opportunity, SingTel will appear. Even if it SingTel doesn't make SingTel sense to have the SingTel word SingTel in the sentence SingTel. Partly to test if by SingTel doing so, it bumps up the possibility of a search engine locating this SingTel post, and bring it to the attention of SingTel. And partly 'cos I'm gonna use SingTel in lieu of a swear word wherever SingTel possible. Let the SingTel games begin.

More Evidence Leverage S4 Finale is Gonna Be EPIC!

JR's caption for this? "On the #leverage finale, local law enforcement is Not. Happy"

#leverage counting down to the explosion. ALL of these are bombs.

These vids are from Beth Riesgraf's Twitter Feed:




And Dean Devlin has been tweeting his joy about getting to "blow shit up". OMG. Sounds like John Rogers and Chris Downey have managed to script a season finale to top Season 3's finale. zomg.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Microsoft Windows Scam. Again. By the indefatiguable Indian telemarketers.

I so wish that I could track down these sons and daughters of low-life bitches who keep giving me "courtesy calls" to "inform" me that my computer is malfunctioning and having error reports and warnings. I wish I had my phone set up such that I could record calls straight off the bat. Then I'd record the lies these arsewipes try to spew. Moronic fucking Indian bitch that called me just now had the audacity to call me a liar when I told her that I was out of town and my computer couldn't have been turned on. Granted. I was lying about it. But who is she to call me a liar when my computer couldn't possibly have sent info to her "company" informing them of "error messages".

Gotta give these scam artists credit though. They seem to have stopped using "I am calling you from the Microsoft [insert whatever bombastic sounding IT fixit department name] about your Windows 95/98/XP/Vista/7 operating system" {please feel free to use an Indian accent or faux-Western accent spoken by Indian national}. G almost got taken in by them 2yrs ago, until something started smelling fishy and he called me to ask if the deal was genuine, and I told him straightaway to disconnect his modem and turn off his computer. 'Cos Microsoft does NOT cold-call customers at all. When he did that, guess what happened? The low-life dropkick called him back to say that the connection had dropped and that he needed to reconnect immediately so that their system could finish scanning his computer. I was on the mobile with G when they called him back on his home phone, so I told him to tell them that he needed to go out, thanks for their help, goodbye. In the end, we formatted his system to ensure all traces of whatever trojan they inserted was gone for good.

Now the con-men and con-women are just saying that they're calling with regard to the Windows OS you are using. But it's still a scam. Google/Yahoo/Bing "microsoft windows scam" and there thousands of hits. Remove the quotation marks and it returns millions of sites ranging from an official Microsoft Advisory, to various alerts by media outlets, to forum discussions. Apparently the Indian scammers originally targetted UK residents, then moved to US then Australia. Each time when the media of the country picked up the story to expose the scam, they would move countries until the interest died down, then start again.

Fucking Indian government needs to stop their in-fighting and do something about this. They wonder why their citizens are hate-targets. Look within their country, for pete's sake! All the things that their people do to make a living and survive in their over-populated, under-developed, corrupt country. I don't blame the telemarketers. They are just trying to ensure they don't end up a statistic on the starvation or prostitution count. I blame the people who set up the companies and the Indian government.

And it's all the more frustrating that the victim countries' governments AND Microsoft can't do anything about it. Except post advisories and warnings.

Microsoft at a loss over Event Viewer scam

Windows Event Viewer phishing scam remains active

To the female Indian telemarketer who called me out on my lie: find a job that gives you some measure of self-respect and respect in general. 

Update: Just found out that this scam has already hit Singapore. Google spat out various articles dating back to Mar/Apr 2011.

Update 2: Got called TWICE today. fucktards. 

Friday, August 19, 2011

Walkabout

Had a vanity appointment today, and decided to go into the city early to see if I would be inspired by the sights and sounds. Took my Canon A495 instead of the Lumix FZ20. The cranes you see in the water are part of the rebuilding of CityCat (ferry) jettys after the flood we had earlier in the year. Just amazing that they got the man-made lagoon back to such pristine conditions in a short time. It's like the floods never happened. Until you look at areas that used to be bright green grassy patches, and see that they're still brown. The pics have only been resized downwards. No other touchups. Clicking on each pic will open it in a new window/tab. Which do you like?















Z..If You're Reading This...

......this is for you


There I was..doing a generic search of my name and nick in some attempt to manage online presence/reputation, and this pops up in Google search. My delicious french toast breakfast nearly landed on my poor laptop.

Oh. And. Only my Google+ profile is linked definitively to me. All the other links in the first 7 pages point to someone else who is very very prolific in her use of social media.

Z...I am now irrevocably linked to him, of all people. Kill. Me. Now.

Email Extravaganza. Not.

So I was clearing out my Hotmail account of all the clutter. Email notifications from goodness knows where, newsletters that I barely skim through...not quite spam, but...yeah. Clutter. Then I came across a series of Facebook-related notifications. And then that song by Jennifer Paige swam into my consciousness. You know which tune I'm talking about. The one that goes "it's just a little crush, not I like I faint everytime we touch...". Yeah. That one. Gawd. I'd forgotten how gooey I'd gotten then. Actually. Still abit mushy inside now when I think about it. HAH! Outta my league though. Wait. Since when was I ever in a league? Um. Stratosphere? Atmosphere? No blinkin' idea.

Anyway. As usual, it was all internalised and never vocalised. Classic me. One more time *siiiiiighhhhhh* Ok. I'm done now.

I had 900 unread mails sitting in the Hotmail Inbox and another 180 in the Junk folder. Guess how many I deleted? Good grief. This is one of the rare times I'm thankful for the damned Windows Live interface. Using the email client was far easier to manage mass-deletions than going through the web platform. GMail needs a similar interface. Did I mention I have 4000 unread mails in GMail? Yeah. Does that explain why I need a separate account for professional use?

Clutter clutter. Sounds familiar.

Da sista just sent me a youtube link to The Little Mermaid's Poor Unfortunate Souls in Japanese. After getting over the shock of hearing the purple octopus woman speaking Japanese, I was horrified to hear the song translated almost word for word into a different language. Problem? Music did not match the words inserted. And purple octopus woman wasn't as terrifying as in the English version. Lost in translation indeed.

Anyway, need to find the time and energy to de-clutter the GMail account. I don't even want to think about the other accounts I've maintained over the last 10yrs. zomg.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Wait. What??

STYLE CENTRAL: THE WORLD'S FASHION CAPITALS
  1. London
  2. New York
  3. Paris
  4. Milan
  5. Los Angeles
  6. Hong Kong
  7. Barcelona
  8. Singapore
  9. Tokyo
  10. Berlin
  11. Sydney
  12. Madrid
  13. Rome
  14. Shanghai
  15. Monaco
  16. Las Vegas
  17. Melbourne
  18. Moscow
  19. Amsterdam
  20. Buenos Aires
  21. Bali
  22. Mexico City
  23. Rio de Janeiro
  24. Mumbai
  25. Sao Paulo
Top 4 capitals listed are nothing new. The article expressed surprise that London had overtaken the others to claim number 1. But what surprised...no...shocked me is finding that Singapore is at number 8. Ahead of Tokyo, Sydney and Melbourne. 

Singapore. A fashion capital. More fashionable than Tokyo. Or Sydney. And wait. WHY is Melbourne at 17 while Sydney is ranked 11?? Also, how in the world did Bali make the list?! Oh. One more thing...where's Seoul?

Healthiest Dinner Ever




Blanched in boiling water. Still crunchy. Only one problem. After finishing the whole bowl of broccoli and long beans, I had chocolate chip ice cream for dessert. Ooooops.

Sterling is Baaaaaack

Episode Synopsis: Sterling enlists the gifted grifters to pilfer a nuclear-reactor component from a skyscraper in Dubai during an international chess tournament. They must rise to the occasion—yet they might only be pawns in this intricate game. Jonathan Frakes directed the episode.
Original Air Date: Aug 28, 2011

Much as I hate how he's the bad guy in Leverage-verse, Mark Sheppard is one brilliant character actor. Love love LOVE him! Why the hell did Warehouse 13 have to kill off Benedict Valda?? Use an artifact and bring him back already! Dammit. While on the topic of WH13, Jaime Murray is one sexy mama regardless of what she wears. Hustle sure as hell used her sultry style to maximum effect. So did Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, for that matter.

Thoughts That Fly By When Surfing the 'Net

Why the hell do people consider individuals who appear on reality television shows as "stars" or "cast members"? These people are a) attention whores, b) ratings fodder, c) voyeurs fodder, and d) would-be social lepers until MTV invented "reality tv".

Jennifer Hudson prouder of weight loss than Oscar win. Perfect example of the skewed mentality towards the female form. Worst offenders are women ourselves. Closely followed by men.

How does Isaiah Mustafa ooze sultry-ness and masculinity all at the same time?

Store milk at 3degrees Celcius to help ensure milky good freshness. And adhere to expiration date.

Why are people still trying to define "classy"? Like stereotyping, it's just a ridiculous waste of time.

I Have No Words But...

...What. The. Fuck?


Lawsuit: Mo. girl expelled for making rape claim
A southwestern Missouri school district has denied accusations in a federal lawsuit that officials failed to protect a middle-school girl from being raped, calling the lawsuit "frivolous" and saying the girl "neglected to use reasonable means to protect herself."

The girl, identified as a 7th grade special education student, was raped twice during the course of two school years, according to the lawsuit filed July 5 against Republic School District in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The lawsuit was first reported by the Springfield News-Leader newspaper in Missouri Wednesday.

The article goes on to detail the incidents leading to the conviction of the perpetrator. School and school district say that they have no responsibility/liability yada yada blah blah. Won't rehash everything here. What got me is that, after the 1st incident, the girl was forced to recant her accusation and then write an apology to the animal who raped her. There's no indication what kind of disability she has that she qualifies as a special education student, so I'm not assuming that she's got Down's, ASD or GDD, but special needs indicates some form of learning impediment.

And even after the 2nd incident, the school, instead of apologising and rectifying their original position, continues to wash their hands off the whole thing. True that you have no control over what the students do...even if the act takes place on school grounds. But you are responsible for how you handle the matter, and this is a gross injustice! You expel the victim thereby telling the perp that what he did was ok, allow the girl back in the school, create a situation where her rapist had the opportunity to corner her again, subject her to further torment, continue to ignore her right to be heard properly, and suspend her again on grounds of "disrespectful conduct"! What is wrong with people?? What the hell did she do that classes as disrespectful conduct? Being helpless when faced with a stronger (presumably) normal-functioning male? Reporting the incidents to her parents and school authorities? Reporting to the police?

She's in a mainstream school, which means her cognitive abilities, while requiring particular attention to nurture, is still at a level that can comprehend and process complex information. Knowing right from wrong. Telling her that she was wrong to be raped, wrong to report it, and wrong to stand up for herself, is just...disgusting.

Had a Whole Post Typed Out...

......and realised: who the fuck really cares??

Definitely not these brain-eating amoebas.

Might post that piece. Maybe not. We'll see.

In the meantime, enjoy the brain-eating amoebas. Just make sure you've properly digested your meal. Regurgitated anything is never a pretty sight.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

So I Just Bought This...

$59 for Foils, Protein Treatment, Style Cut, Blow-Dry, GHD Finish plus Lash and Brow Makeover from Bounce Hair Body Beauty ($330 Value)

As the less recognised cousins of rabbits, hares may not be deemed as adorable, but they do exude sleek furry coats courtesy of super moisturising Protein Treatments. Keep human hair in check with today’s Groupon: $59 for a complete hair and beauty package, including a half head of foils, Keratin moisture treatment, style cut, blow-dry, GHD finish, lash tint, brow tint, brow wax and more at Bounce Hair Body Beauty, Highgate Hill ($330 value).

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Highgate Hill hair institution, Bounce Hair Body Beauty, offers clients a well-balanced combo of international haircare experience with a complete hair makeover offered in this deal. Settle into comforting décor for up to two hours of pampering bliss with a luscious moisture and protein treatment, followed by a half head of foils, style cut to bring out each personality, blow-dry and glam GHD finish. Peepers are then prettied with all over preening, featuring a lash tint, brow tint and brow wax.
Bounce Hair Body Beauty brings babes and beaus of the river city back with acclaimed service and an internationally experienced edge. An indulgent jewel in convenient Highgate Hill, Bounce boasts accolades such as team member Elise Fraser’s DeLorenzo Australian Stylist of the Year. The charitable salon enchants Grouponites with a $50 voucher to use with their next service.

This is gonna be interesting...I've only ever permed my hair, and the last time I did that was 2+yrs ago. I didn't particularly enjoy sitting in the hairdresser's chair for 3hrs doing that either. Wait. The very 1st time I permed my hair, I was there for almost 5hrs. 'Cos there was a screw up with the equipment. Nothing caught fire, thank God. But it was a very very long visit. The subsequent 2 times I had the perms took about 3hrs each. Still bloddy long. But I'm overdue for a haircut anyway... might as well get it done for a bargain price and maybe change my look to something less boring.

Update: Booked myself in for 2nd Sept at 1.15pm. Am now experiencing anxiety. What...unholy torture have I just subjected my hair to?? Belatedly decided to google hair foils and highlighting procedures, and thought: this sounds worse than getting a permanent wave forced into my frickin' straight hair! zomg.
Picture perfect memories
Scattered all around the floor
Reaching for the phone 'cause
I can't fight it anymore

And I wonder if I

Ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one

I'm all alone
And I need you now
Said I wouldn't call
But I've lost all control
And I need you now

And I don't know how

I can do without
I just need you now

Another shot of whiskey

Can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping
In the way you did before

And I wonder if I

Ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one

I'm a little drunk
And I need you now
Said I wouldn't call
But I've lost all control
And I need you now

And I don't know how

I can do without
I just need you now

Whoa, whoa

Guess I'd rather hurt
Than feel nothing at all

It's a quarter after one

I'm all alone
And I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call
But I'm a little drunk
And I need you now

And I don't know how

I can do without
I just need you now
I just need you now

Oh baby, I need you now

-- Lady Antebellum

Having done so long without, you'd think that I've already come to terms with everything. Gotten a grip on all the intangibles. But true to form of a female with normal hormonal cycles, some things just hit really hard in the most unexpected ways at the most inopportune times. Or maybe it's not a hormonal-female thing. Christian Kane's Thinking of You comes to mind right now...  
When a new moon shines through your window, 
or you hear a sad song on the radio. 
And you don't know why, but you just start to cry. 
Or you're driving 'round on a sunny day, 
and out of nowhere comes the pouring rain. 
And a memory hits you right out of the blue. 
It's just me, thinking of you.
Aside from the fact that Christian Kane is hawt, he's undeniably male.

So. ok. Scratch the "hormonal" thing out as being the cause of the emo. Rather, it's completely normal. Especially for someone who suppresses everything in the name of normalcy and pleasing others. Every now and then, it will just hit. And hit hard. At the same time, it's my own fault that it even has the opportunity to hit at all. I'm just a sucker for punishment. Keep opening myself up to the possibilities of getting hurt. If only I can stay away. Just leave the past back where it belongs. Put everything behind. No more "what ifs" or "if onlys" or "if evers". Then the pain will stop. But...as Lady Antebellum puts it, I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all.

Rebecca Kirsch gave Gina Bellman a really good line in "The Grave Danger Job". This life is not worth living without the people that make us want to tear down those walls [that we've erected before]. The thrill of vulnerability, the danger of opening your heart......it makes us feel alive.

On the up side, I've never called out of weakness, fatigue, or drunken-ness.

Made. Of. Awesome.

I gotta get me some of this...

Go the F**k to Sleep

All The Right Moves

I blame this on da sista.


This is very Phantom of the Opera meets Eyes Wide Shut meets Oliver Twist. And am so. hooked. on. the song.

For Da Sista

Watch this only after you've watched the ep. Rebecca Kirsch is the one that John Rogers used to refer to as "Filthy Assistant" in his post-games. Haha!
Man!! This ep really did me in.

The other production video blogs can be found here:
http://www.tnt.tv/dramavision/?cid=44279


Production Video Blog for "The Grave Danger Job"

Need You Now

Ever since I saw the performance by Lea Michele and Mark Salling on Glee, the song has been surfacing in my head every now and then. Mostly when I'm feeling emo.



This one is a mash up of live performances and clips from the official MTV


If only......

One of Those Nights...

......where you feel like breaking down and giving up. But you have to carry on. And ask yourself: what did you expect? Hearts and flowers and happy ever after? Life doesn't work that way. You know better. Keep the fantasies to things that, cognitively, you know will never happen, rather than provide any form of nurturing to the slightly-tangibles. Seriously. Just keep reminding yourself of the impossibilities, and you will pull through this. Like everything else, it will pass. Forget the pacts. The promises. The "if ever we..." And the subtexts. Focus on the words that are actually repeated. Hold on to them and ride them to safety. If ever there is a time to act on your head instead of your heart. It is now.

Einstein's (or Rita Mae Brown's) definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Will Designers NEVER Learn?

Jumpsuits are for babies and toddlers. NOT for adults. Even if you have no curves or are short or both. I don't care if the Queen of England designed it in collaboration with the Queens of Jordan and Denmark with Princess Diana's input via a seance, and under the combined banner of Alexander McQueen, Dior, YSL, Chanel, Prada and Oscar de La Renta. You frickin' do not put a woman into a jumpsuit.

From Jeri Ryan's Twitter Feed

Man! Jeri Ryan gets the cutest stuff sent to her!!



This...This....and again THIS!!!


Stop Coddling the Super-Rich
Back in the 1980s and 1990s, tax rates for the rich were far higher, and my percentage rate was in the middle of the pack. According to a theory I sometimes hear, I should have thrown a fit and refused to invest because of the elevated tax rates on capital gains and dividends.
I didn’t refuse, nor did others. I have worked with investors for 60 years and I have yet to see anyone — not even when capital gains rates were 39.9 percent in 1976-77 — shy away from a sensible investment because of the tax rate on the potential gain. People invest to make money, and potential taxes have never scared them off. And to those who argue that higher rates hurt job creation, I would note that a net of nearly 40 million jobs were added between 1980 and 2000. You know what’s happened since then: lower tax rates and far lower job creation.
Now my question is: why aren't more gazillion-aires supporting Warren Buffett in his stand?
Cynical me: 'cos they're greedy and are secretly plotting to bring down Warren Buffett for his betrayal. *duh*
Optimistic me: 'cos they are quietly agreeing with him and gave him their approval prior to his speaking out.
Apathetic me: I don't give a damn. Ask me again when I will be impacted.

Frick. Governments around the world need to stop pandering to and molly-coddling the rich. The incomes of the middle classes (lower-middle, middle, upper-middle...the whole frickin' middle class dammit) combined outrank that of the rich/super-rich.

Funny. Only during election years do governments "pay attention" to the grassroots. That's another thing. I don't understand why you call the general public "grassroots". I mean. I get what you're trying to connote, but can't you think of a more edifying word?? Like say salt of...the.......earth. No. Ok. How about the people who matter....most. Too long. Um. Lemme think about it.

In any case, kudos to Warren Buffett for voicing what countless middle-class people have been saying. I just hope more of the Million/Billionaire Club will do the decent thing.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Especially for Z

Maybe bookmark this for future reference...*grin*




Leverage Season 4 Finale...

......is gonna be EPIC!! again. (From John Roger's Twitter feed)


Of BP and Marriage

For every annoyance that comes to mind, there are at least 2 other instances of him doing something really sweet...if I stop being annoyed and think about it. The question then becomes: do I (or rather, am I able to) allow the tender actions outweigh the annoyances? Both aspects are a part of him. When I'm calm, the memories of unexpected gestures cause a conflict if I think about breaking it off. But when I'm annoyed, my resolve is firm.

Can I live with a person who I alternately care about and have little respect for? Little respect...not disrespect. I don't disrespect him. I just...don't have much faith and trust in him to be able to be an equal and not another person that I end up looking out for or taking care of. And based on his past relationships with others and with me, there is actually some measure of insecurity for me. 'Cos when he loves a woman (or maybe when he believes he loves a woman), he will be completely devoted to her, placing her and her family second to his own family (hey. any person who places another family ahead of their own is scum to me...unless there's a damned excellent reason), and doing whatever he can to support her dreams and ambitions. BUT when things aren't going well, he is one of the most vicious and vindictive people I know. He won't tear you down, but attack what he believes you intrinsically value. And he has an uncanny ability to ferret out whatever that is. Don't know if he's aware he's doing it, but he does do it.

I think about my walls being up and being very guarded these days with sharing what I feel with people. His defenses are one of those super high-tech ninja-like fortresses that are sunk into the ground during good times lulling everyone that visits into a (false) sense of security, and snaps up in a split second when he feels something is not to his liking. And embedded into the wall are elite snipers and archers ála the Elven folk in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga...pointing their weapons at whatever perceived intruder/marauder/person-he-feels-is-attacking-his-perfect-world.

Do I marry him just to give him what he wants and so I don't feel guilty for agreeing to give the relationship a second chance, all the while preparing for the eventuality of divorce? Not to mention the fact that everyone is getting married these days. Must be a fun endeavour. Get married just to own a flat and live together forever without wanting children. Fucking. Kill. Me. Now.

That's another thing. I don't understand why the frick people are keen to get married and not plan to have kids. Or rather, do things to prevent themselves from falling pregnant and say to their friends that they have no intentions of having children. Then...why get married?? My cliqué of friends from primary and secondary school are all married. Varying from 2 to 5 years of marriage. And still no kids. No plan to have kids (as far as I know). Then..there are ex-classmates/schoolmates who got married and had a succession of children. Good for them. But this is not about them.

Maybe I'm too "westernised" in my thinking. Or rather, forgetting the cultural taboos that still exist in SG. Co-habiting is still not the done thing in SG. And maybe many couples decide to get married 'cos they want to live together and copulate without censure.

I...have a better solution. Move to a "western" country. Get out of your comfort zone and start a new life in a new country, and you have all the privacy you want without the ties of marriage. Mind you, I'm "recommending" this to people who have no intentions of having biological children. If you want children with your current partner, I do believe you should get married. Assuming it's a functional and loving relationship, it will provide the children with stability and a strong foundation for role modelling. Getting married just for the sake of it is like telling people "I love this man/woman so much that I want to possess him/her and make sure the world knows he/she belongs to me...and I'm conforming to social conventions by having sex within the sanctity of my marriage vows".

If you are unable to have children, that's a different story altogether. It's those that are unwilling to procreate that I want to ask: why the need to go through all that expense to have a legal document stating that any relationship outside of this one is grounds for punishment?

OK. How the bloomin' heck did I wander into the minefield of marriage???

Anyway...BP. Relationship question mark. I'm a basket case.

In trying to think of a suitable title for this post, the phrase "of mice and men" came up. Couldn't for the life of me remember the author of the book (John Steinbeck. *duh*) so I went googling. And in the wiki entry, there is an excerpt from John Steinbeck's journal

In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other.
John Steinbeck in his 1938 journal entry
What resonated with me are the second and third sentences. I love BP because I understand him. At the same time, it's because of this understanding that I can't see him as the father of my children, much less envision an everlasting future for us.

So who do I see an everlasting future with? Um. That's...my secret. Have a great day/night, wherever in the world you are.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Comfort Food

Cooked up a batch of Spaghetti Bolognaise (Bolognese?? How the heck do you spell it?!) and it's ohhhh so good. Haven't had it in quite awhile now. For the life of me, I have no idea WHY I didn't cook it sooner. I'd forgotten just how much I love the blend of flavours from using oregano, thyme, coriander, sweet paprika, black pepper, beef, mushrooms, onions, garlic and tomato paste. And there's just something about oregano that ALWAYS makes me start salivating and feeling hungry.You'd think it was poppy and I'm a heroin addict, the way I smother my Italian-inspired dishes with the herb. Sure, I'll throw in a good dose of thyme, rosemary and other herbs. But somehow, oregano gets a double shake. And I just had a horrible realisation. I left out Bay Leaf from my Bolognaise! THAT explains why it tastes slightly off.

Anyway...oregano. Love it! And my dinner was still bloddy good.


I had it with Angel Hair Pasta instead of normal Spaghetti pasta. Angel Hair cooks alot faster, and I was hungry (which explains why there's no pic of the dished up serving). Started prep at 6pm, so it was ready to eat only at 7.30pm. Chopping, dicing, mincing the garlic, onions and mushrooms. Sauteing onions, garlic and herbs, cooking off beef mince, simmering to render fat, draining fat, pouring in tomato paste and mushrooms, simmer, stirring occasionally, simmer somemore while pasta cooks. Yeah. 1.5hrs from the time I picked up the knife till I sat down to eat. Guess that's why I didn't cook it sooner. Cooking proper meals for one can be such a chore sometimes. On the up-side, when I do cook quasi-elaborate dishes, I usually make enough to either freeze or refrigerate for at least 2 more serves.

Now to wash up and scoop myself some Bulla Creamy Classics Rich Chocolate Chip ice cream. To be enjoyed with a steaming hot cup of strong tea.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Oh Yeah Baybeh!!

'Leverage' Renewed for Fifth Season

“While many shows decline in their second, third or fourth seasons, Leverage has defied the odds and continued to climb,” said Michael Wright, executive vp and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies.

'Warehouse 13' renewed for fourth season

“Under executive producer Jack Kenny’s leadership, this superlative team of writers, cast, and crew continue to turn out a series that only gets better and better with every episode,” said Syfy president of original content Mark Stern. “Warehouse 13 is deservedly the most popular series in our history and we’re delighted to renew it for a fourth season.”

Friday, August 12, 2011

Inspired by Boredom

So I decided to grunge up these outfits that my sister said "eeeeyeewww!!" when she first saw them. Going so far as to say that she hates the peach crochet chiffon dress (but I like it! so there...).

   Basic Suit Dress              Faux 2-Piece Peplum      Crochet Chiffon Dress

Ankle boots from KMart. LOVE them. Makes me feel taller. If only I could walk down slopes in them without feeling like I'm going to topple over. At 4" high, they are the highest heels I own. EXCELLENT workout for calves and thighs though. No wonder all the celebrities have beautiful legs. From A-list to ZZ-listers. Totter around all day in sky-scraping heels, and you're bound to train up those muscles without ever having to hit the gym. Of course, this is ignoring the fact that your knees will hate you. But. The price one pays for beauty. Or vanity.

On a side note, I'm starting to think I need to get a tripod. Or get my siblings to bring the one I have in SG over here when they visit. Hmmm...

Leverage Vids

Sneak Preview of The Boiler Room Job 
        Market correction...
        I have never heard of the Leverage team described quite that way before...

Series of pics and vids posted by John Rogers, Beth Riesgraf and Timothy Hutton from the season 4 finale.











Jessi Graff. Not Beth. 'Cos Parker's about to do something mad...
and insurance ain't covering Beth if she does it.
Yes. I love this show. shaddap.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Purpose of Politics is to What Now??

The Onion published a story on...actually. I have no idea what the story really is about. All I got out of it was that the Republicans sole reason for existance is to make President Obama's life hell and cause him to lose 4 years (or 8 years, if he gets re-elected) of his daughters' lives. Whatever happened to making a country a better place? Whatever happened to working for your contituency? When did politics degenerate to become so overtly evil? note: I'm not saying that politics was never evil. And more importantly, what is wrong with these Republicans that they are able to spew such poison against another human being? Has ideology become so important to them that fundamental human courtesy and decency have fled their psyche and vocabulary?

The article is called "New GOP Strategy Involves Reelecting Obama, Making His Life Even More Miserable" and assuming The Onion is a reliable media outlet, this is just disturbing to know.

"If you look at what we've accomplished as a party in the last four years—making President Obama lose his temper on multiple occasions and even causing him to storm out of a meeting in frustration—it doesn't make sense for us to throw all that away, not when we could do so much more," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said. "If by being impossible to work with we are able to make the president physically shake with frustration during every single meeting, give him the nervous tick of mumbling angrily under his breath, tarnish his entire legacy, and in the process completely destroy his faith in humanity, then we've succeeded as lawmakers."
"If you thought this debt ceiling thing was bad, wait till you see how unbearable we are when it comes time for the Bush tax cuts to expire," Cantor added. "We are going to pummel this man over and over and over until he regrets ever getting into politics."

How far we've fallen from the days of Abraham Lincoln and the declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. "All men are born free and equal, in dignity and in rights, and, being endowed by nature with reason and conscience, they should conduct themselvesas brothers one to another"pffffft.

From Beth Riesgraf's Twitter Feed

Beth Riesgraf & her stunt double on Leverage, Jessie Graff
 I love Beth (and her stunt double) as Parker on Leverage. But what I love more about this pic is the dress. There's just something about me and toga/Grecian-style dresses. Just love them even though I haven't been able to find one that flatters me yet.

Although...I've been eyeing this one for quite sometime now...

Only problem is that, as my sister puts it, the dress looks confused. Ok. Wait. How does an inanimate object look confused? Maybe it was the designer who was confused. Or high...or drunk...or...both?? Champagne satin bodice with black polyester skirt. Too plain. Needs...ah! LACE at bodice..but not all the way up. Just at bust to create illusion of sweetheart-neckline. Still too plain. What's in now? Maxi dresses. Nope. Won't work. Although...Maxis make those hot Hollywood babes look like goddesses. GODDESS! GREECE!! I shall cut the bodice diagonally! No. Can't. One boob hanging out...nope. Won't work. Oh screw it. Drape a chiffon thing diagonally to satisfy my craving for goddesses.

I don't know. Anyway. According to da sista, da dress looks confused. But I still like it. I might unpick the sleeves. What do you think?

update: they've sold out in my size. oh well. heheh... =)
update 2: Nadine Haders, costumer extraordinaire of Leverage, said that Beth's dress is from BeBe. Can't find it though... =/