Own Time Own Target

ALLrighty! download music with no DRM!

enough of soundbuzz and its SGD1.99 songs.

Most Amazon mp3 at USD0.89 to USD0.99 and their 30sec preview actually works. Plus some free songs too.

but alas, none of those back back catalogue songs that i want

• No Evanescence
• No Midge Ure
• No Tracy chapman
• No Carole King
• No Depeche Mode
• ... and then i lost interest after that, maybe next time

OK, neither does soundbuzz but i kinda expected more from Amazon ya know?

(i dont know whether itunes have them or not. I dont need to know cos i dont have anything mac, if you must know)

Anyways, i found the strangest thing:

The songs i want from the above artists are not available on Amazon, BUT they are available from Amazon in the form of Sound-a-Like by some artist called Studio Group. So they are like, er..., the not-pirated angmoh cover version of the pasar malam CDs we get huh?

Labels: to Shop Buy

OK, it is just past Mid-Autumn festival, so it is definitely not 7th lunar month now for ghost stories.

But 2 encounters from people i know and trust is too much.

.......................................................................................................

1. BB's account

Location : New World Hotel HCM Vietnam (yup, the one that has the Ipanima store)
Date : smack in the middle of 7th lunar month

Had 1 beer during dinner and 1 wine at after dinner chit-chat. Showered and per habits left the bar of soap on floor of bath tub. Switched off all lights before sleep. (no master control, all switches manual)

Woken up by slamming noises in toilet at 5am.

Slamming noises too loud to be from next rooms, sat up on bed to realise that the lights in the toilet is ON?!

Multiple flushing sound in the toilet.

Too scared to go into the toilet to check, but after about 10 mins the noises stopped and the lights went off!

When the sun was up, finally went to the toilet to check. There is no way to on/off the light except by flicking the manual switch up/ down... and the bar of soap is placed nicely in the soap dish.

ARGH.

Changed room. Different floor, different unit number.

The next night in the new room was all right, mostly because had heavy drinking session with customers and knocked out from both exhaustion and effects of alcohol.

The 3rd night light drinking during dinner. Busy conference call till late and slept only at 2am.

Again woke up by flushing sounds in the toilet at 5am+

Foolhardy courage led to rush into toilet to check.

No lights.

No water moving the toilet bowl.

Removed cistern cover to check, the water tank is empty and water is FILLING UP!

ARGH!!!

................................................................................................


2. Viny's Account

Location : new Jurong HDB flat that he's lived in a couple of years
Date : recent

Alone in the flat watching DVDs. Windows closed with aircon on.

Without warning, the STEEL Door of bomb shelter started swaying back and forth.

ARGH!!!

...............................................................................................

whilst it is true that 平日不做亏心事, 半夜敲门也不惊

I'll rather not have any unexplained phenomenons / paranormal activities occur to me

Once is really quite enough.

ARRGGHHH!

Labels: to Read Think, to Travel

I know that Anorexia is a disease and is more than just not eating, it is low self-esteem, distorted negative body image, relentless untruthful photoshopped advertising, peer pressure all rolled into one.

And the face of Anorexia is a brave 27 year old French woman Isabelle Caro who had been anorexic since 13. She is now 68 lbs (31kg) in pictures taken by Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani of the controversal benetton ads fame, for Italian Designer Nolita.

The pictures are up on billboard and newspaper advertisements during Milan Fashion Week.

Bravo.

Labels: to Read Think

It is mooncake season, and this year i hadnt had many to satisfy the once-a-year cravings.

Only had a few:
- Bee Cheng Hiang 4 yolk traditional - waste of calories. dry dry dry small yolks. urgh.
- Goodwood Park Snow Skin Durian - yum, even some fibre from the durian fruit
- Goodwood Park Snow Skin Chempedak - a little on the sweet side

and that's it.

no fried yam paste from Crown Prince Hotel, no champagne mooncake from anywhere, and the festival is today.

just a tinge of regret rather than full blown disappointment though, there are larger sadness that i still need to work through.

Labels: to Despair, to Eat Drink Party

The book was launched whilst i was still in Paris.

And the first words I read about the book, while on the return flight to SG, in a tactless/ clueless/ thoughtless reporting which started "As all who are concern with the book will now know, Harry Potter did not die" and there went the whole point of the book, indeed the whole series of 7 books.

I finally borrowed the book last week and read it in 2.5 nights, burning the midnight oil from the time kids fell asleep to the wee 4 am's.

It is the best book of the series, befitting the grand finale.

The staging were almost cinematisque, and the plot mostly tight, with parts of teenage romance and angst; slapstick humor and the dark despair of meandering search, a birth, 2 weddings and many deaths (not counting those 19 years later, which i thot was a little unnecessary, i mean seriously, who cared abt Ginny and HP and their future kids?).

My favourite line is from Dumberdore "It is all in your head, of course, but why isn't it real?" not quoted ad verbatim, but as far as i can remember.

I just might read it again soon.

And shall be waiting with much anticipation for the movie.

but i shall have to sit through number 6 first.

Labels: to Read Think

When One is being bought a meal,

but the Host is too busy to eat until the kids have been settled/fed/gone to the toilet,

One should not eat quickly and when full, tell the other companions to "Quickly eat. Dont waste. Oh gosh, I'm so full, but dont waste."

because for the very simple reason that the Host has NOT eaten yet...

Labels: to Despair, to Eat Drink Party

I've become the kind of driver i used to be afraid of as a newly minted driver

I tailgate drivers who drive at the same speed as the slower lane, until they go faster/ change lane or i manage to overtake from the left. No matter how big the car in front.

I drive faster, dont ask.

I give way only if it does not impede my own progress, or am in a really good mood
If you manage to come into my lane, I will not slow down so that you can change lane leisurely, but have to go faster to ensure that you KEEP UP (which is what you are taught to do in driving school)

I have contempt for pp who
- drive fast and fast-looking car but dont drive fast
- cannot keep in lane, whether going straight or on winding roads

I horn faster and louder


BUT I am a better driver, able to see further and anticipate earlier, judging distance (both verticle and horizontal) more accurately.


I just have less patience for incompetency and indecisiveness


I only wonder: have i merely changed as a driver, or have i changed?

Labels: to Drive

Labels: to Despair

Red despair

The joy so fleeting

The loss so sudden

Did I?
Could I?

Don’t know the How,
Let alone the Why

Au revoir

Mon petit

Labels: to Despair

Had always wanted a (few) tattoo(s).

With the first idea coming from E more than 10 years ago, way before they started shooting Miami Ink

He wanted identical tats to seal our matrimony on our chests, though i had wanted them on our ring fingers, but all talk.

Here's how beautifully tats can match an evening gown and pearls.



Sigh. I want mine.

Labels: to Shop Buy