{*} Thanks for the support, people. I am still continually having minor heart attacks regarding the validity and the lucidity of my thesis, so I think I really need to hand this up ASAP, or I'll just go nuts. Onward!
{*} Adding to Nuyen's second law of thermodynamics, the museum of unworkable devices!
--- Perpetual Motion Machines, Class (2):
Devices which are claimed to remain in motion without energy input while producing output energy. Such proposed devices may require a push to get them started, but no input energy thereafter. This is the kind of machine inventors seek. Sometimes the inventor refuses to disconnect the starter battery after the machine is moving. Suspicious.
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Sngs Alumni @ 30.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} This is so amazing. I think I'm done. I have to do biblio and all sorts of formatting crap, but oh my gosh.
I also find I'm often seized by the overwhelming fear that my thesis is crap.
The scary thing is that I don't care anymore. What? Me not caring about the quality of my work?
Very nasty.
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Sngs Alumni @ 29.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Eka likened cutting words from your thesis to abortion. Now I know what he means. 20,000 words, and I've not concluded yet. Ack.
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Sngs Alumni @ 29.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} For people asking about my thesis:
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Sngs Alumni @ 28.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} George Bush as 1984's Big Brother. Hmmm...
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Sngs Alumni @ 28.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} These last few days of the thesis' evolution have certainly been frazzling. Last minute changes to the methodology, going back to Chapter 1 and refining my research question, changing what I said I'd do because there's no way I could ever do it... Amazing shit I'm doing.
I'm rather worried about the basic premise of the thesis - can I really use an evaluation of e-ASEAN to explore if ASEAN has recovered institutionally after the 1997 crisis? - because if that falls through, then I'm pretty much screwed. I'm rather proud of my evaluation; I think my points hold water (but I hope I become smarter with every reading, like joo tells me - if you think it's rubbish the next day, you've become smarter) so here's to wishin' and hopin'.
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Sngs Alumni @ 27.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Yesterday someone asked me about how I protect myself from evil people. It's true, I swear.
Well, okay, she didn't really ask me that question really; she told me about her situation with a bunch of really unreasonable idiotic people, and how she couldn't meet their demands for group meetings (they wanted to get together to write a 20 page report together - the height of inefficiency) because she had other stuff on - like, a life, you know. Then she asked me how I would have conducted myself in a situation like hers. I'm thinking: I have no answer.
Leaving religion out of that equation, I wonder how anyone would respond? I don't see two ways about it - you either have to be evil, or you have to be bullied into doing whatever you don't want to do.
The situation:
20 page project report is due to be handed up the next day. Your group members had overwhelmingly voted to do the report together, over your suggestions to break up the work and delegate instead. So now, the day before the report is due, the group plans to stay in school from 2pm to 12 midnight, or even overnight to write the report together. But you have another pressing appointment in town, which will only allow you to stay with the group till about 7pm.
She asks me - how do I be a good testimony in this situation? Or, removing religion and just assuming "goodness", what would a person be reasonably expected to do without being "evil"?
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Sngs Alumni @ 27.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} the ... last ... lap ... of ... the ... thesis ... race ...
*pant*
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Sngs Alumni @ 26.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Something I read recently...
In 1870 we went down the Tigris River. We hired a guide at Bagdad to show us Persepolis, Nineveh and Babylon, and the ancient countries of Assyria as far as the Arabian Gulf. He was well acquainted with the land, but he was one of those guides who love to entertain their patrons; he was like a barber that tells you many stories in order to keep your mind off the scratching and the scraping. He told me so many stories that I grew tired of his telling them and I refused to listen -- looked away whenever he commenced; that made the guide quite angry.
I remember that toward evening he took his Turkish cap off his head and swung it around in the air. The gesture I did not understand and I did not dare look at him for fear I should become the victim of another story. But, although I am not a woman, I did look, and the instant I turned my eyes upon that worthy guide he was off again. Said he, "I will tell you a story now which I reserve for my particular friends!" So then, counting myself a particular friend, I listened, and I have always been glad I did.
HE SAID there once lived not far from the River Indus an ancient Persian by the name of Al Hafed. He said that Al Hafed owned a very large farm with orchards, grain fields and gardens. He was a contented and wealthy man -- contented because he was wealthy, and wealthy because he was contented. One day there visited this old farmer one of those ancient Buddhist priests, and he sat down by Al Hafed's fire and told that old farmer how this world of ours was made.
He said that this world was once a mere bank of fog, which is scientifically true, and he said that the Almighty thrust his finger into the bank of fog and then began slowly to move his finger around and gradually to increase the speed of his finger until at last he whirled that bank of fog into a solid ball of fire, and it went rolling through the universe, burning its way through other cosmic banks of fog, until it condensed the moisture without, and fell in floods of rain upon the heated surface and cooled the outward crust. Then the internal flames burst through the cooling crust and threw up the mountains and made the hills and the valleys of this wonderful world of ours. If this internal melted mass burst out and cooled very quickly it became granite; that which cooled less quickly became silver; and less quickly, gold; and after gold diamonds were made. Said the old priest, "A diamond is a congealed drop of sunlight."
This is a scientific truth also. You all know that a diamond is pure carbon, actually deposited sunlight -- and he said another thing I would not forget: he declared that a diamond is the last and highest of God's mineral creations, as a woman is the last and highest of God's animal creations. I suppose that is the reason why the two have such a liking for each other.
The rest of the "story" is good. You should check it out.
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Sngs Alumni @ 23.3.03 { 0 comments }
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SWITZERLAND, HERE I COME!
{*} I cannot believe it. I've been picked as one of 250 winners in an essay competition. They're flying me to Switzerland to attend a Symposium. BUT I'VE ALREADY BOUGHT MY SINGAPORE-LONDON TICKETS.
WAKE UP, WAKE UP... THIS IS NOT HAPPENING... THIS IS NOT HAPPENING...
{*} Ironic question of the day:
Why be rational?
[SWITZERLAND, HERE I COME!]
Sngs Alumni @ 22.3.03 { }
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{*} From an email someone sent me:
"Bill Maher said last week,
how bad do you have to suck to lose a popularity contest with Saddam Hussein?"
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Sngs Alumni @ 21.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} I remember staying up in 1997 to watch the Hong Kong handover to China. I remember feeling that it was important for me to do so, if only to be a silent witness to History in Action. I remember awe.
Today, the role is similar, the feelings anything but. The sadness immense, one overriding question runs through my mind: Why, God?
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Sngs Alumni @ 20.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} I used to have this quote as my email sig a couple of years back, but I think I shall revive it in light of recent global events:
"I smell blood and an era of prominent madmen."
- W. H. Auden.
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Sngs Alumni @ 16.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} 2 weeks left.
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Sngs Alumni @ 15.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Heh. Apologies to people who are sick of the song.
{*} The world is being run by idiots. An idiot in particular. Wage a war if you want, but make sure you don't come anywhere near Europe when I'm on holiday.
{*} Did anyone read the Streats report on "Young Grads don't need your 'advice' "? I read it, and man, I was jumping for joy.
[fuzz - the report was something like "don't keep telling us stuff that we know already, and quit putting us down with words like "lazy, choosy and unrealistic"; life is hard as it is."]
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Sngs Alumni @ 14.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} So much for the white ribbons. Tmrw's the last day. I'll still be wearing it like a moron. No wonder political activism's dead.
{*} idoonwannara'annawaebuddaikanttekkit,aidonnunnderstaan...
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Sngs Alumni @ 13.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} I'm wearing my white ribbon today. Are you?
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Sngs Alumni @ 11.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*}
No work today
My life has gone astray
Just printing documents
but nothing today learnt.
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Sngs Alumni @ 10.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} I AM COW
I AM COW
by The Arrogant Worms
I am cow hear me moo
I weigh twice as much as you
And I look good on the barbecue
Yogurt, curd, cream cheese, and butter's
made from liquid from my udders
I am cow, I am cow, hear me moo!
I am cow, eating grass
methane gas comes out my ass
and out my muzzle when I belch
the ozone layer is thinner
from the outcome of my dinner
I am cow, I am cow, I've got gas
I am cow, here I stand
far and wide upon this land
and I am living everywhere
from B.C. to Newfoundland
You can squeeze my teats by hand
I am cow, I am cow, I am cow
I am cow, I am cow, I am cow!
Wanna know more? Heh. PLUGGING FOR:
The Arrogant Worms.
Track Listing
1. Idiot Road (about idiots driving on the road)
2. Boy Band (about boy bands)
4. Baby Poo ("I used to talk about Communism, Socialism, Capitalism; I used to talk about all those isms but now I'm a dad and all I talk about is..." - prob about the death of intelligent conversations after people get married.)
5. Fuzzy Dice (WRITTEN FOR FURZY!!!)
6. I Ran Away ("I ran away yes I ran away; Danger stared me in the face and I ran away; my sister was grounded for 3 years and a day so I said she was adopted and then I ran away" - durh....)
8. Billy the Theme Park Shark (""I'm a shark, I'm a shark, I'm dumber than a tree, I only have 3 thoughts and they are eat, swim, eat")
9. Stalker Girl (About those girls who follow bands everywhere... "fans", they call themselves.)
10. Worst Seat on the Plane (Gettin that middle seat...)
13. Mrs. Catto Loves Her Budgie (About a woman who lurves her budgie - "She reads the horoscopes out loud; she reads them to her budgie; she puts on her favorite blouse; and she shows it to her budgie")
Where do these people COME from?!?
Libellés : music
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Sngs Alumni @ 9.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} So. Today.
One thesis draft. One chicken cutlet. One Her World. One Starbucks Mocha Frappachino. One Catch Me If You Can. One HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERONICA!!!. One dinner with Cheryl Koh. One That Ugly Cake in NYDC. One car ride with Cavin and Cheryl. Oh, and did I mention, one thesis draft?
Life is pretty damn good.
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Sngs Alumni @ 8.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Oh joy! Two more respondents for my interviews! *dances nurul's happydance*
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Sngs Alumni @ 6.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} There's this girl in the arts club room beside my honours room who (believe it or not) rivals my capacity for making noise. Words which can be used to describe her voice: whiney, nasal, loud. Topics she's been discussing for two days straight - inconsequential-nonsensical, yay-I-beat-you-at-taidee-again (for the whole damned night), wah-your-handphone-colour-very-the-nice, and the like.
Why can't I be forced to eavesdrop on interesting people, like on Eve S. Dropper?
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Sngs Alumni @ 6.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Oh BOO. They've somehow taken off the www.e-aseantf.org website. Now what am I going to do? *checks through computer for all the pdfs and docs that have been downloaded*
hmmph.
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Sngs Alumni @ 6.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Sap tonight. Daniel Bedingfield. You know the song.
Libellés : music
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Sngs Alumni @ 3.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Thesis has been put on hold for two and a half days as I plan my route through Europe.
Holland/Netherlands - Amsterdam (Van Gogh's 150 years anniversary celebrated throughout; Rembrandt museums)
Belgium - Tin Tin museum! Asterix and Obelix (haha~)!
Luxembourg - just because it's there.
Switzerland - Zurich! Marc Chagall! Geneva! The Swiss Alps! The Matterhorn!
Austria - Vienna vienna vienna with Mr. Freud, and the Austrian Gallery which houses Klimt's The Kiss. And Salzburg, with Moooo-zart!
And Germany... my suddenly unearthed gem...
Berlin. Munich. Frankfurt. The Rhine Valley. The Neander Valley. Wittenburg.
Goethe. Bach. Schiller. Liszt. Nietzche. Kadinsky. Klee.
Have I been blind all my life? To not know that I'm actually German? :)
Why aren't Italy, France and Spain on this list, you ask. Well... mainly because they're out of the way if I intend to go to any of the places above. But if I had a dream Europe holiday of like, 2 months...
Italy - Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Venice
France - Paris
Spain - Barcelona (Antoni Gaudi!) and Madrid
Portugal - because it's the cheapest to visit in Europe, and since I'm there, I might as well go. Good as a chillout place, just to sit and people-watch.
Anyone has like... ten thousand to spare me? :)
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Sngs Alumni @ 3.3.03 { 0 comments }
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{*} Aaaand it's official, ladiez and gentlemen. My first draft will not be finished by today.
New target date: Tuesday.
{*} Happy early birthday, Ronnie. We have *no* idea what to get you.
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Sngs Alumni @ 1.3.03 { 0 comments }
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