BASEMENT TWO

Inspired by a strange ride in Pine's non-government safety checked lift, I have decided to announce that the ride now goes on down to Basement Two. The Basement has a new home. HERE.

Basement One is now closed.

The party rocks on downstairs.

By a strange coincidence, Basement Two happens to look like Cathy's blog. >.<

For the record, Cathy's blog came first. I just happened to choose the same theme as hers. *double d'oh!*

A Short History of Medicine

2000 B.C. Eat this root.

1000 A.D. Say this prayer.

1850 A.D. Drink this potion.

1940 A.D. Swallow this pill.

1985 A.D. Take this antibiotic.

2000 A.D. Eat this root.

Liverpool 08

Saturday 25th March 2006.

The 203th Merseyside Derby.

Never an occassion for the faint hearted. I've been a Liverpool fan for the past 19 years and I have to tell you, the 2 fixtures any Red looks forward to each and every year are the games against Everton and Manchester United.

Those eagle-eyed in the crowd and in front of the telly would probably have spotted the rather strange "08" on the backs of Steven Gerrard and James Beattie.

Since I was on night shift at the Box that night, I didn't have the pleasure of watching it live. But I did get live updates from Soccernet and SMS updates from a Hammers fan (big up to you, GH) who was watching from the coffeeshop just down the road.

After the game, GH and I were chilling in the Box when I asked him what this strange 08 numbering was in the image I pulled off Soccernet.

"Ahhh.....", GH said in his typical London accent...

"...apparently...."

*pregnant pause*

G always had a flair for the suspenseful.

10 minutes later, I saw the light.

Apparently, those 2 shirts (Gerrard's and Beattie's) were specially commissioned by the City of Liverpool to be worn during the game, and then later auctioned off for charity to commemorate Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Lovely.

Hopefully I'll be able to make a trip to Liverpool in 2008 to take in the sights. On my shopping list:

• The Beatles Museum
• Ground visit to Anfield (hopefully score tickets to a home game)
• Everything else is gravy...

I was only able to watch the game last night off the VCR. What amused me the most was after Garcia scored Pool's second goal, the Kop were in full voice, belting out "We've Only Got Ten Men". Awesome.

Too bad Stevie lasted only 18 minutes on the pitch this time round. Whoever gets his jersey will be lucky.

It only has 18 minutes worth of sweat on it.

Reuters Redux

I'm back at Reuters.

Seems like the departure in December turned out to be a 3 month hiatus instead.

I have to admit. It's nice to be back, and although I'm in a new department and on a different floor, I'm still happy to see familiar faces back at the office like G Cubed and iBon and gang. I missed you guys. *emotional group hug*

awwww.....

Popped down to G's desk after work on Friday to find out that he had purloined a new camera. Being the hapless shutterbug I am, (despite promising myself a digital camera for the longest time), I couldn't resist snapping some shots on his new toy.

I first started with a shot of G's blog...


Don't ask me about the giraffe.... I'm not saying ANYTHING....

Then... I was overcome with a sudden shudder of inspiration.

Why not do one of those picture-in-a-picture-in-a-picture-in-a-picture-in-a....well you get the idea.



Then I realised that I'd need several cameras to achieve that effect, so I had to settle for G's camera plus my phone's camera.

So here's 2 Corrine Mays... I didn't hear G complaining. heh heh.

And for a change of pace, here's a pic I pulled from the net of someone else's pic in pic in pic in pic.



He managed to get more pics in pics than me.

I'm mad now.

Going to buy my camera.

I get my kicks, on Route 46

Hour 46 of 50.

This has been a pretty challenging 46 hours so far. I've slept a total of 6 hours in these 46 hours. I've answered more phone calls than I care to remember, and I've had more excitement to last me well into next year.

Here's an extreme closeup of Lucky's nose.



Lucky has been my saviour. I don't know how I would have passed these hours if he wasn't here...

We've become very close. I feed him, and clean his poo poo. He entertains me with his antics and disarming smile and ever-ready meow. We fight. We squabble. He scratches me.

I bleed.




We make up.

He shares the sofa with me at night. One night, I was half asleep and I felt a warm furry object curl up at my feet. It was strangely intimate and comforting.

He follows me around the hostel. I hear the familiar tinkling of his bell near my ankles. He's Robin to my Batman, Tonto to my Lone Ranger. Jack Neo to my Moses Lim.

Here's to you, my furry friend... if dogs are man's best friend, then cats are his soulmate.

Google circa 1960

It's hour 6 of my 50 hour shift.

As most of you would know by now, I'm heading back to Reuters to a new job.

It all came rather suddenly, and it never fails to amaze me how true the old adage is. "When it rains.... it pours." I, for one, feel that this tends to be a gross understatement as it doesn't just rain, and pour, rather when it rains... it batters you to a bloody pulp with the force of furious vengence leaving one a heaving mass of nerves and shattered promises.

So I've had to move all my shift duty into Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, this leaving me free to start work on Thursday. Hence, the wonderful 50 hour shift marathon.

Meh... it's not so bad I guess.

I've been in worse situations. There was that time I stayed awake for 3 days straight in Area E in god-forsaken Lim Chu Kang on army exercise. At least here at the Box, I have aircon at night, Internet and Lucky for company. And I don't have to eat SAF combat rations (ALL HAIL THE THREE YEAR OLD RED BEAN SOUP IN THE RATION PACK!!).

In any case, today's post is this parody of Google.

I, for one, am a shameless Google-head.

I use Google too many times a day to count, I use Gmail until I have GoogleTalk in Gmail (Sorry Danny... dunno what happened to yours...), I have read 2 books on the phenomenon of Google. Heck, if there was a Google brand toothpaste, I would probably brush my teeth with that too.

Speaking of brushing teeth, it's time to brush mine, and it's off to bed in about 4 hours.

By then.... 10 down.... 40 to go...

Lucky

Aye laddie...

It be St Patrick's Day.

Where the green beer flows freely. You know... luck 'o the Irish and all that...

Lucky.


Seems I have an strange affinity with that name/word/song/cat recently.

The hostel feline, so-named, has completely had me in his paws. I'm enamoured. captivated. mesmerized even...

Never figured myself for a cat lover until now.

Radiohead has been on my mind, and iPod a lot recently. And coincidentally (or perhaps, not so coincidentally), Lucky (from the groundbreaking OK Computer) is one of my favourite Radiohead tracks.

I'm on a roll,
I'm on a roll this time
I feel my luck could change.

Kill me Sarah,
kill me again with love,
it's gonna be a glorious day.

Pull me out of the aircrash,
Pull me out of the lake,
'cause i'm your superhero,
we are standing on the edge.

The head of state has called for me by name
but I don't have time for him.
It's gonna be a glorious day!
I feel my luck could change.

Lucky... indeed....

Exit Music: Songs for Radioheads

I knew Thom was right.



Inside each of us is a subterranean homesick alien.

Thanks to the awesome awesome people over at Green Plastic, I just found out that there will be a Radiohead tribute album released sometime in April so appropriately titled Exit Music: Songs for Radioheads.

The album will be available from April, whilst a single release of Just by Mark Ronson and Alex Greenwald (frontman of Phantom Planet) will hit shelves on March 13.

1. Shawn Lee - No Surprises
2. The Randy Watson Experience with Donn - Morning Bell
3. Sa-Ra Creative Partners - In Limbo
4. Pete Kuzma with Bilal - High and Dry
5. Mark Ronson with Alex Greenwald - Just
6. Rjd2 - Airbag
7. Matthew Herbert with Mara Carlyle - Nice Dream
8. Lo-Freq - Blow Out
9. Meshell Ndegeocello & Chris Dave - The National Anthem
10. The Bad Plus - Karma Police
11. Sia – Paranoid Android
12. Osunlade with Erro - Everything In Its Right Place
13. Wajeed featuring Monica Blaire - Knives Out
14. Cinematic Orchestra - Exit Music (For A Film)

Shawn Lee doing No Surprises...? THIS I gotta hear...

As soon as this puppy is released, I'm going to be on it faster than Oprah on a Christmas ham.

In other Radiohead goings ons, the boys are apparently rehersing for an upcoming tour... and perhaps tinkering around for a new album. Cmon guys.... It's been 2 years since Hail...

Don't keep me waiting....

Street Kids in Vietnam

Couple of weeks ago, the Betelbox hosted a group from Blue Dragon Children's Foundation, an Australian NGO working with street kids in Vietnam.

Michael, the director and 3 Vietnamese boys came over to Singapore to participate in the Singapore Fringe. Almost all of the kids in the Blue Dragon Centre are either runaways, shoeshine kids, or are found sleeping under bridges and living in appalling conditions on the street. They are frequentlty easy targets for gangs who beat them up and abuse them. They are exploited by drug dealers and pimps. To get by, these kids salvage scraps from the streets or beg for money.

The Blue Dragon Centre takes these kids in and educates them. They learn English and art. They are also encouraged to discover what interests them so that they may positively contribute to society. Many eventually go on to learn a vocation such as motorcycle repair, or being a waiter or cook.

One day I would dearly love to volunteer at the Blue Dragon Centre. It's something that greatly interests me and stirs my passions... I hope it will be sooner rather than later.



Click on the Blue Dragon in my sidebar for more info. If anyone is also interested by this idea, drop me an email. We could make a short trip to Vietnam to visit Michael and the kids.

Fun New Products from Apple.... yet again....

The undisputed masters of milking the media.

I can't wait.