QUASIMODO VAN AZMIE

2008-07-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

July 13, 2008

Update by REDintern Danial Azmie. Photos by Danial Azmie and Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Shalom See all smiles after breaking record with 400m victory

Shalom Danielle See (#60) on the finishing stretch. Lim Shanru (#180) came in second. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Friday, July 11, 2008 - It was a sweet victory for Shalom Danielle See (#60) of National Junior College as she bid farewell to her other competitors at the tape, clocking a meet record of 58.65 seconds in the A Division Girls 400 Metres race at the 49th Inter-school Track & Field Championships.

Shalom, (whose name, interestingly, also happens to be a traditional Jewish greeting) did not achieve her podium finish without stiff competition however.

Runner-up Lim Shanru (#180) from Hwa Chong Institution briefly led the race, but Shalom See overtook her midway and held on until the finish, despite commendable efforts by both Shanru herself and bronze winner, Ang Peixuan (#30) from Catholic Junior College.

When approached, the affable and chirpy JC2 student remarked, “I did not expect to win! Just before the race, I told myself to try my best, and trusted the race to God.”

When asked of her feelings regarding her record-breaking success, she enthused, “I screamed when I found out about it. I didn’t expect it at all- its a bonus. I’d really like to thank God, my family, my coach Mr Lim Loh Yeo, the team (Masak girls) and IJ girls. Without them, I wouldn’t have dreamt of the win”.

It is a commendable task indeed, for Shalom and most of the A Division Girls in JC2, who would have to make endless sacrifices to juggle both A-Levels and their passion. Despite such hurdles, they have proven to the crowd throughout the Championships that all that and more can be vanquished if the will never lets up.

Congratulations to Shalom!

Final Result:

400 Metres A-Girls
1st - Shalom Danielle See (National Junior College) 00:58.65 (Meet Record)
2nd - Lim Shanru (Hwa Chong Institution) 00:58.88
3rd - Ang Peixuan (Catholic Junior College) 01:01.47

Shalom (in red) with her fellow athletes. (Photo 3 © Danial Azmie)

Shalom See, the new A Division Girls 400m record holder. (Photo 4 © Danial Azmie)

2008-07-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

Clara Poon of Cedar Girls’ breaks record to win C Division girls 400m gold

July 13, 2008

Update by REDintern Danial Azmie. Photos by Danial Azmie and Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Friday, July 11, 2008 - Clara Poon Jia Xin of Cedar Girls’ clinched the C Division Girls 400 Metres title with a time of 1 minute 0.48 seconds, almost a second ahead of her nearest rival. More significantly, the time also beat the meet and national C Division Girls record set way back in 1977 by Munirah Alatas, prompting observers to take notice of her blooming talent despite her relatively young age.

She finished the race with such aplomb that we had to get a word or two from her regarding her performance, which she sportingly obliged. When prodded regarding her opinion of the run, the delicately dainty runner remarked: “I was training for the record, and before the race, I thought I could do it.”

She managed to overcome the 61 second barrier which had been her stumbling block all this year and to that she opined: “You have to be strong mentally and I’m grateful to my school for giving us the opportunity to train in Thailand recently. This certainly caused a level of improvement. I’d also like to thank my coaches Qi Jiaorian, Joel Tay and also my parents for the support.”

Indeed, budding athletes like Clara Poon do need all the support they can get in order to achieve their dreams. It is definitely heartening to see support extended by both school and family.

Final Result:

400 Metres C-Girls
1st- Clara Poon Jia Xin (Cedar Girls) 01:00.48 (Event & C-Div Record)
2nd- Nur Hamizah (Singapore Sports School) 01:01.26
3rd -Wendy Enn (Singapore Sports School) 01:01.80

2008-07-13T05:55:00.000-07:00

Update by REDintern Danial Azmie. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Ranjitha (#17) starts on her second lap. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Friday, July 11, 2008 - Ranjitha from Anderson Secondary grabbed the C Division Girls 1500 Metres gold with a commanding lead, 18 seconds ahead of the runner-up, to emerge the undisputed winner of her event.

It was a great photo finish opportunity for the cameras to capture the huge gap between her and the rest, and she herself was shocked at such a margin of victory, "I did not expect to lead by such a margin. It is not often that happens."

When quizzed about her feelings while running, she quipped shyly, "I was scared at first, looking at the competition, but my aim was always to get first".

Such quiet determination reaped rewards for Ranjitha, and we wish her another victory for her next event, the 800m final next Wednesday. Ranjitha is not new to the track scene as well, despite her being in the C Division. She has been running events such as the recent WALA track championships for the past three years.

With this victory, it signals that she can only get better with every run. Good luck!

Final Result:

1500 Metres C-Girls
1st- Ranjitha (Anderson) 05:12.65
2nd- Hannah Lau Sing Hee (Cedar Girls) 05:29.81
3rd- Lee Ying Si Win Sy (Saint Nicholas Girls) 05:30.36

Ranjitha (#17) finishes first with a time of 5min 12.65s. (Photo 2 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Hannah Lau (#148) comes in second where as Winsy Lee (#32) pips fellow team mate Janielle Lim (#29) to third place. (Photo 3 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Winsy Lee leads the pack on the start of the second lap. (Photo 4 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

You know when you're really good when you see this. Ranjitha looks back at the pack and nearest competitor who is about 20s away after she crosses the finishing line. (Photo 5 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

More photos in the gallery.

2008-07-13T05:54:00.000-07:00

Update by REDintern Danial Azmie. Photos by Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports.

Noreen Herman (#93) leaps over the hurdle. Inez Leong (#34) came in second with a time of 15.47s. Cheryl Lie (#206) finished seventh with a time of 16.75s. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

Choa Chu Kang Stadium, Friday, July 11, 2008- It was a remarkable conclusion to an almost epic rivalry in the B Division 100 Metres Hurdles as Noreen Herman from the Singapore Sports School brought the anticipating crowd to its feet by rewriting her name once more in the record books.

Noreen thought she had it wrapped and delivered for the Finals when she initially smashed the then-record in the Heats with a time of 00:15.55, but much to her, and all other observers' amazement, fellow favourite Inez Leong Hui Xin (CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’) responded with a virtuoso performance in her own Heats, clocking 00:15.42 to install herself then as the surefire choice for the winners medal.

Indeed, just prior to the race, the stadium was buzzing with excitement over the potential for this race to crack another record, such was the intense rivalry amongst both girls over only a single Gold medal. They had both upped the ante with their performances over the days, and you could almost feel the tension pervading amongst the lanes as the girls strutted nimbly to their starting blocks.

The command "Ke Garisan!" ("On your lines") and then, the sudden "Bang!" rang through the Stadium, and they were off.

As expected, it was neck and neck between both girls , right to the wire, it was always going to be either of the two, and in the end Noreen just pipped her rival by a mere 0.12th of a second to claim Gold. And yes, it was another record, the third in the same event in two weeks. Further checks with the Singapore Amateur Athletic Association records showed that Noreen also broke the National Junior Record, a first for the 49th Inter-School Championships! Here's a quick tête-à-tête with the Winner:

Redsports: Noreen, congratulations on the win. What was going through your mind throughout the race?

Noreen: Thanks! Oh, I was fully focused during the race. I was thinking: I need to stick as close as I can to Inez, and I also wanted to make my Coach proud. At the last part, I pushed myself to my limits, and when I saw her fall back, I saw that as an advantage and opportunity to finish first.

Redsports: Indeed, you clinched it. How confident of you of winning the race? Did you expect to break the record once again?

Noreen: I was quite confident that I could do it. I wanted it really badly, but I wasn't thinking of the record, it was more of getting the first position. I didn't want to aim that far, in case I get disappointed if I didn't reach the goal.

Redsports: How was training for the competition like?

Noreen: (Smiling) It was fun, very fun. We did our routines everyday, there was no letting up. My coach gave support advice and was always positively egging me on, telling me that "You can do it" and that we should concentrate on doing the simple things that can eventually make it better overall.

And it sure made things better, even though Nureen did not participate in last year's 80 Metres C Division Hurdles finals, she more than made it up for it with a maverick performance.

It was double heartbreak though, for Inez, as Goh Weiming, also from the Singapore Sports School, broke her 80 Metres Hurdles record with a new timing of 00:12:52.

Final Result:

100 Metres Hurdles B-Girls
1st- Noreen Herman (Singapore Sports School) 00:15.35 (National Junior Record)
2nd- Inez Leong Hui Xin (CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’) 00:15.47
3rd- Lee Mei En Sarah (Nanyang Girls) 00:16.12

Sarah Lee finished fifth with a time of 13.71s last year in the C Division 80m hurdles.

Noreen helps up a fellow competitor who collapsed of exhaustion after the run. (Photo 2 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

More photos in the gallery.

2008-06-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

EURO DREAM TEAM UPDATE

I'm feeling pretty hyped up right now as my 2 favourite picks for Euro, the Netherlands (realistic pick) & Turkey (romantic pick, although I can concede that both are pretty idealistic choices in their own ways) have had good chances to qualify for the next round. The Dutch showed a massively impressive example of Total Voetbal by destroying the languid (or complacent rather?) Italians, with Sneijder & van Bronckhorst particularly impressive & Turkey recovering from that Portugal meltdown to register an astonishing comeback against the Swiss piss. Amazing. Swiss made to cry like the missus on their own home turf. So let me review the stunners and misses from my Dream Team Pick

"Damn that small kid!"

GK- Igor Akinfeev (Russia)vs Spain -6/10 - Disappointing first game, but I would argue that his defence was more to blame for exposing him time and again for the goals. They were just awfully slow. Still, I back him to bounce back and keep a clean sheet against the meandering Greek bullshit players. Yes, he's gonna keep a clean sheet ( I hope)

RB- Valon Behrami (Switzerland) vs Turkey -7/10- The Swiss are out of this, but Valon showed some impressive performances in the games, I think he was especially dangerous in the Turkish game where he filled in at right midfield. He did not disappoint for me, with the manner of his effervescent display. Statistics from UEFA justifies this. He was the hardest running player for Swiss in the game.

"What else should I do to qualify.. Sigh"

CB- Andrea Barzagli (Italy) vs Holland- 4/10- Ahh, what happened to the Catenaccio?? The whole of the Italian defence was awful, ponderous, static (yes, put in all manner of superlatives you can think of) He well and truly bombed. Heir apparent to Cannavaro? I'd rather Donadoni himself played, 40 years plus and all. But he has a chance to redeem that performance against the Romanians. I've not lost faith in him, not yet. I know he can do better than this.

"No Andrea, you're not gonna get the offside call.."

CB- Sebastian Prödl (Austria)vs Croatia- 7/10- I surprised even myself by choosing him, but based on my limited knowledge of reading up on the Austrian team and finding out that he scored 2 goals from defence recently made me plump for him. Plus he's young. And what I saw of him against Croatia looked promising. He wasn't to be faulted for the penalty, and almost scored with a long range strike in the first half. I'm hoping he can nick a goal against the Poles next. But he'll do well to shackle the dangerous Smolarek in the next game.

June 13 Update vs Poland: What a match! If Prödl were an Austrian striker I would have clubbed him to death, his performance for today's match wasn't really world-class, but was decent enough to merit mention. Highlight of the game was that he was the player who was fouled for that injury time penalty, he had his shirt tugged in the goalmouth scramble. The fact that he was Austria's 2nd best passer of the ball for the game (80% completed passes) signifies how horrible their midfielders are..or even their strikers.. They could have been 3 goals up in the first half. But as they say, half full or half empty.

Revised rating: 7.5

Looking much like his age. Acting fierce, like a gangsta.

LB- Marcell Jansen (Germany) vs Poland- 7/10- Solid, if unspectacular, display for him. I'm looking for him to grow in strength in the next game.

June 13 Update vs Croatia- Argh.. This is frustrating. He played like the proverbial fish out of water and was duly substituted on the half. Admittedly, the Srna goal was his fault for not tracking back and sticking close to the wingback. I'm sorry , but I have to be critical. He promised so much.

Revised Rating: 6/10 (average of 2 games)

ARDA TURAN!!!!!

RM- Arda Turan (Turkey) vs Swiss- 9/10- Didn't play in the first match, but duly responded in the next against the Swiss, with a Man-of-the-Match display , capping off with a fine goal. I was jumping after that goal!! I was tipping him, even before Euro 2008, to move to a major European club soon. (okay I didn't exactly get to see him play a full match prior to the tournament, but I saw his Youtube videos and he was impressive for Gala) On a serious note though, Fatih Terim should really relook at Turkey's strategy of always using the wasteful Tuncay at the other flank.. Believe more in this 21 year old!!

CM- Luka Modrić (Croatia) vs Austria- 7/10- His team was decidedly awful despite the win, but hey, he scored! He was one of the more effervescent players in a boring display, but against Germany in the next, that would surely test his potential credentials. I hope he can live up to expectations. Come on Luka!

June 13 Update vs Germany- : Ahh he was the fulcrum of the team in that competent display against the mighty German juggernaut. The reason why the seemingly unstoppable machine screeched to a halt is because Croatian players like him were like little hobbits running all round the pitch closing down the Germans denying them space to play their quick passing game.. He almost scored with a one-on-one late in the game, but the referee arguably got the decision on him fouling a defender wrong.. That was a bad call I think.

So far, he has lived up to the hype.

Revised Rating: 8.5

"Duhh.. I scored? If you know what i mean *wink*

CM- João Moutinho (Portugal) vs Turkey, Czech- 7.5/10- 2 games, 1 assist. I think he did very much better in the game against the Turks, that was a clever assist in the last minute to Raul Meireles. In the second game, however, he was largely anonymous as Deco, Ronaldo and co stole his thunder, but nevertheless, looked comfortable on the ball. I hope he gets to play in the final game too, even though Portugal have now qualified.

LM- Samir Nasri (France)vs Romania- 6/10- Didn't get to show much, as he played in the final 20 minutes, but the whole French team were limp anyway. Come on they can surely do better?? Will update after the Holland game. That will test him. (if he gets to play!)

CF- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Holland)- Didn't get to play. Will update after France game.

CF- Mario Gómez (Germany) vs Poland- 6/10- Missed a couple of gilt-edged chances which he really should have tucked in.. He looked disappointed with himself, but had a hand in one of the goals. He can do better, surely. I hope he can find his feet later on in the tourney.

June 13 Update vs Croatia- He was the reason why Podolski was forced to shift to left wing, but in both games so far, he has been decidedly awful, looked like the grinch everytime the ref blowed him correctly for offside, and never really had a real chance to score anywhere in this tournament. What a flop. And oh, Lukas scored 3, my friend.

Revised Rating: 5/10

"Duhhh... Who scored...?"

subs- Mertesacker (Ger) vs Poland- 8/10- Dependable. Didn't put a foot wrong

vs Croatia: 6/10- Arguably at fault for him and Metzelder somewhat miscommunicated, resulting in the Olic goal.

Corluka (Cro) vs Poland- 6.5/10- Played OK,

vs Germany: 8/10- Oh one of them hobbits. Never stopped running. Are they on some special performance-enhancing shiznitz??

Barnetta (Switz)vs Czech, Turkey- 7.5/10- I think he played well so far, but the Swiss Achilles' heel has got to be their finishing. His shooting was a let-down against the Turks.

Benzema (Fra)vs Romania- 5/10
Biggest flop so far.

Come on Oranje.. Don't disappoint me now!!

2008-05-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

EURO 2008 Underdog First 11

Since the Euros are coming soon, i'd rather jot this list down lest I forget.
These players, chosen according to position, are the ones I predict to make an impact in the coming tournament, provided they get to play.

For obvious reasons, i've left out the established international players, cause if not, this list would be darn f*king boring..

Here it is: Player Name (Country)/ Club/ Age (Caps/Goals)

GK- Igor Akinfeev (Russia)/ CSKA Moscow/ 22 (18/0)

RB- Valon Behrami (Switzerland)/ Lazio/ 23 (12/1)

(initial choice: Gokhan Gonul (Turkey/ Fenerbahce/ injured)

CB- Andrea Barzagli (Italy)/ Wolfsburg/ 27 (21/0)

CB- Sebastian Prödl (Austria)/ Sturm Graz/ 20 (8/2)

LB- Marcell Jansen (Germany)/ Bayern Munich/ 22 (21/1)

RM- Arda Turan (Turkey)/ Galatasaray/ 21 (18/1)

(alternative: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Russia)/ Lokomotiv)

CM- Luka Modrić (Croatia)/ Tottenham/ 22 (25/3)

CM- João Moutinho (Portugal)/ Sporting Lisbon/ 21 (11/0)

LM- Samir Nasri (France)/ Marseille/ 20 (8/2)

(initial choice: Sotiris Ninis (Greece/ Panathinaikos/ 18/ dropped)

CF- Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Holland)/ Ajax/ 24 (12/7)

(alternative: Andrei Arshavin (Russia) / Zenit/ but will miss 2 games)

CF- Mario Gómez (Germany)/ Stuttgart/ 22 (9/6)

subs bench: Mertesacker (Ger), Corluka (Cro), Barnetta (Switz), Babel (Hol), Benzema (Fra)

thats it. Let's see whether they get their chance to arrive on the international stage.

Mark my words. And enjoy the tournament, cheers.

2008-03-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

My Response: (see Melvin's comments in previous post)

Date : 28-Mar-2008 03:59 AM
Topic : Re: Radiohead - goodwill gesture or gimmick?

i think a far more nefarious act was that of EMI (Radiohead's former label) releasing a 7 disc box set of Radiohead's previous albums, riding on such hype and popular sentiment to cash in on the occasion.

your question on whether it is a "goodwill gesture" or "gimmick" is to me, a non-issue. it is clear that such an act was a marketing ploy to generate hype, and i concede that yes, it could be down to profit motivations that the act has decided to release the discset.

but, i feel that the idea i get from your argument in the sense that the consumer is being put at ransom due to the exorbitant price of the "discset" is too far-fetched don't you think? for to a normal layman, s/he can just walk over to the nearest gramophone, hmv, or what not to get the album at 20 dollars or so as an alternative to buying the "limited edition" set.

what i personally saw was that they were pioneering an effort towards an industry shift in focussing towards marketing through the web domain and instead of putting the artiste (and consumer) under the hegemony of the record label, as conflict theorists might subscribe to the various examples of the capitalist means of such labels vehemently looking at meeting bottomlines and targets without much consideration to the individual artiste's own artistic value in creation of the product. an artiste under a label were only considered valuable if they could bring commercial success.

however, the a new industry paradigm is emerging through the vast nature of the world wide web, in a sense that you can see symbolic interactionism at play, with consumers utilizing the bittorrents and whatnot, to somehow signal a shift in popular culture of music consumerism. it is no longer restricted to your record store per se. consumers now have a choice and chance to listen/preview to an album, and if they like it, then buy it.

over the past year, only 3 albums have exceeded the 3 million album mark in sales, suggesting the decline of the record industry if it were to continue to propagate its ethos through such increasingly arcane and redundant means of commoditisation by the record label through stores.

thus picking up the theme of your "goodwill gesture", could you thus translate Radiohead as inadvertantly (intentionally or not )picking up the mantle of working for the independent artiste's cause? for such success of the strategy utilized by thom yorke and co, signalled the strength of marketing through the Net, thus creating opportunities for those at the end of the spectrum, who would have never gotten the chance to be picked up by a record label, the "struggling artistes" so to speak, to tell them "hey you can do it this way". (even though i concede that they might not necessarily have the clout enjoyed by such an established band).

Nevertheless, bands like Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys were discovered by the world, practically out of nowhere, through exactly such DIY means. They would almost not be able to be picked up by the goliaths of EMI and Sony entertainment at any rate due to the nature of their music. for music is, at the end of the day, to the purist, for artistic gratis which then, to the conflict theorists, has somehow been grotesquely commodified for capitalist means by the mechanism that is the record label.

hail to the thief

2008-03-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Heading :
Lecture 9: Religion and Popular Culture
From : CHEN JUNMING MELVIN
Date : 18-Mar-2008 11:18 PM
Topic : Radiohead - goodwill gesture or gimmick?

Hi:

Radiohead famously released its recent album, In Rainbows, as a digital download. Customers were allowed to pay - before you could even start saying 'symbolic interactionism' - whatever price they wished for downloading the tracks. The lines between producer and consumer were blurred - because Radiohead are not part of a record label (hence separated from the global commodity chain and the nefarious world of media conglomerates), they own the distribution rights to their own songs. Radiohead seemed at that time, with its iconoclastic gesture, to jettison the assumptions of commercialized pop culture, transcending the mainstream (the laity) towards an epiphanic, Platonic ideal of the Form of Good: pure communion between producer and consumer, untainted by pecuniary concerns. Some might even claim (rather perversely) that the act of consumption is being ritualized - as in churches, where tithes and offerings are given according to how much the believer wishes to contribute, the Radiohead fan has the carte blanche, his conscience the sole guide. Better yet, Radiohead may even be construed as messianic music-makers whose money-spinning careers have placed them in the privileged position of offering music gratis to their most underprivileged fans.

However, as with every other product of mass media, there are qualifications. Radiohead offered an alternative package, a 40-pound discbox complete with artwork and extra features. Freed from the straitened rules of record labels, Radiohead creates content and delivers it in a variety of forms, not unlike the conglomerates it has a virulent aversion towards. Radiohead's use of the Internet, a site for globalization, implicates it as a member of the global commodity chain. Radiohead has used its name-your-price download scheme, as critics will aver, to gain free advertisement (hence constituting itself as a free rider of the influential power of the mass media), while at the same time perpetuating commodity fetishism (Marx): Radiohead becomes a commodity that the consumer can unashamedly throw money at. Those sold on the 40-pound package worship the money they were affluent enough to be able to throw at Radiohead.

Music is a resource capable of being infinitely reproducible in this digital age, whereas value and scarcity go hand-in-hand. Therefore, the 40-pound package is a cleverly disguised means to a capitalist end, a deliberately contrived scarcity which is positioned adroitly beside infinite reproducibility (downloading via the website). Radiohead may thus be seen as exploiting the mechanics of desire-production and capitalism to maximal advantage. In packaging themselves as postmaterialist and non-mainstream, they have unwittingly commodified themselves on exactly those terms. Radiohead, in the ultimate gesture of irony, has commodified its own exclusiveness (as an alternative act that religiously shuns popular drivel), and is haunted by the materialism it ostensibly seeks to negate by offering an illusory form of transcendence. The proof of the pudding is in the eating: when the album was released in retail, it topped various charts and garnered critical acclaim. In an age of perpetual novelty, excruciatingly short attention-spans (zero-consciousness) and collective amnesia, Radiohead's In Rainbows, far from venturing into new ground, is precisely the novelty act that the media circus was baying for, a self-conscious, self-aggrandizing materialism which posits itself ironically as anti-materialist. Lavartus prodeo - as Radiohead advances, it points out its mask.

Regards,
Melvin

(P.S.: For what it's worth, listening to Radiohead's music is a transcendental experience, and Thom Yorke is pure brilliance, but this takes nothing away from my view that the name-your-price scheme was nothing more than a clever marketing ploy -> Sociologists must set aside personal biases...lol)

2007-07-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

"the Scale" - Interpol

I have a sequin for an eye
Pick a rose and hide my face
This is a bandit's life
It comes and goes and mends the breaks
Under a molten sky, beyond the road, we lie in wait
You think they know us now?

Wait 'til the stars come out

You'll see that
Well, I made you and now I take you back
It's too late but today I can define the lack
I made you and now I take you back
Sun, you sleep in clouds of fire
That's all and that's right

I can still feel it when you lie
Pick a rose just to hide my face
Well, if there's something I should know
I seek no science when there is no shape
Under a molten sky, let the days collide
Well, I made you and now I take you back

Sun, you sleep in clouds of fire
That's all and that's right

song; i can relate to those words perfectly. oh how beautiful you are. To describe the reactions i get , is beyond comprehension

2007-03-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

constant headaches will get the better of me one day

2006-11-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Fodder for all you lonely people.

Glee (Delight)

The enigma.
Perusing on my existance.
Unabashedly mocking every move.
Waiting, berating, consuming,
And gorging, till his selfish fill.

The enigma.
Who listens, with cautious intent.
And crawls incessantly along every corridor.
Smiling wryly, with a contented mind,
But with a foetid innard.

The enigma.
Ephemeral as it may seem
Decidedly seraphic, that porcelain being.
But, a rotten carcass underneath those cracks.

The enigma,
that shameless largesse of hypocrisy.
A serf of imposed moralistic conventions,
Who hides, lies, betrays,
even his brotherly alternate state of mind.

That enigma,
constantly gaining speed, erratic momentum.
As it rolls along the crevices of delusion.
Refusing to heal the wounds,
Even as the caress of the flames,
Stroke the hurt,
And soothes, this great narcissist pretender.

Then I realized.
The enigma.
Is me.

2006-10-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

The good old days... For those who were born in the 70s and 80s. Fond memories.. You know you are getting old when you start to reminisce over such things!

1. You grew up watching He-man, MASK, Transformers, Silver Hawk, and Mickey Mouse. Not to forget, Ninja turtles, My Little Pony and Smurfs too.

2. You grew up brushing your teeth with a mug in Primary school during recess time. You will squat by a drain with all your classmates beside you, and brush your teeth with a coloured mug. The teachers said you must brush each side 10 times too.

3. You know what SBC stands for.

4. You pay 40 cents for Chocolate or Strawberry MILK every week in class.

5. You watch a very popular Malay dubbed Japanese drama on RTM1 aboutschoolgirls who possess powerful skills in volleyball called Meoro Attack.

6. You find your friends with pagers and handphone cool in Secondaryschool.

7. SBS buses used to be non-air conditioned. The bus seats are made ofwood and the cushion is red. The big red bell gives a loud BEEP! Whenpressed. There are colourful tickets for TIBS buses. The conductor willcheck for tickets by using a machine, which punches a hole in the ticket.

8. Envelopes given to us to donate to Sharity Elephant every Children's Day.

9. You've probably read Young Generation magazine. You know who 'Vinny' thelittle vampire and Acai the constable.

10. You were there when they first introduced MRT here. You went thefirst ride with your parents and you would kneel on the seat to see thescenery.

11. Movie tickets used to cost only $3.50.

12. Strawberry ShortCake and Barbie Dolls fascinate Gals.

13. You learn to laugh like The Count in Sesame Street.

14. You longed to buy titbits called Kaka (20cents per pack), and DingDang (50 cents per box), that had a toy in it and it changes every week notforgetting the 15 cents animal crackers and the ring pop, where the lollipopis the diamond on the ring.

15. You watched TV2 (also known as Channel10) cartoons because Channel5 never had enough cartoons for you.

16. Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators, Famous Five andSecret Seven are probably the thickest storybooks you ever thought you haveread. Even Sweet Valley High and Malory Towers.

17. KFC used to be a high-class restaurant that serve food in platesand let you use metal forks and knives.18. Catching was the IN thing and twist as the magic word.

19. Your English workbooks were made of some damn poor quality paperthat was smooth and yellow.

20. CDIS were your best friend.

21. The only computer lessons in school involved funny pixellisedcharacters in 16 colours walking about trying to teach you maths.

22. Water bottles were slinged around your neck and a must everywhereyou go.

23. Boys loved to play soccer with small plastic balls in thebasketball court.

24. Teng-teng, five stones, chapteh, hentambola and zero point were allthe rage with the girls and boys too...

25. Science was fun with the balsam and the angsana being the mostimportant plants of our lives, guppies and swordtail being the mostimportant fish.

26. Who can forget Ahmad, Bala, Sumei and John, eternalized in ourminds from the textbooks. Even Mr Wally & Mr. Yakki. What about Miss Lala???And Zaki and Tini in Malay Textbooks?

27. We carry out experiments of our own to get ourselves badges forbeing a Young Zoologist/Botanist etc.

28. Every Children's day and National day you either get pins or penswith 'Happy Children's Day 1993' or dumb files with 'Happy National Day1994'.

29. In Primary six you had to play buddy for the younger kids like bigsister and brother.

30. We wear BM2000, BATA, or Pallas shoes.

31. Your form teacher taught you Maths, Science and English.

32. The worksheets were made of brown rough paper of poor quality.

33. You went to school in slippers and raincoat when it rained, and youfind a dry spot in the school to sit down, dry your feet, and wear your dryand warm socks and shoes.

34. School dismissal time was normally around1 pm.

35. There would be spelling tests and mental sums to do almosteveryday.

36. Your friends considered you lucky and rich if your parents gave you$3 or more for pocket money everyday.

37. You see Wee Kim Wee's face in the school hall.

38. You freak out when the teacher tells you to line up according toheight and hold hands with the corresponding boy or girl.

39. Boys like to catch fighting spiders.

40. Collecting and battling erasers was a pastime for boys.

41. Autograph books were loaded with "Best Wishes", "Forget Me Not",and small poems like "Bird fly high, hard to catch. Friend like you, hardto forget".

42. Class monitors and prefects loved to say, "You talk some more, Iwrite your name ah!"

43. There were at least 40 people in one class.

44. Large, colourful schoolbags were carried.

45. You brought every single book to school, even though there was one thing called the timetable.

-Anonymous-

2006-10-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

The Secret Letter From Iraq

A Marine's letter home, with its frank description of life in "Dante's inferno," has been circulating through generals' in-boxes.

Written last month, this straightforward account of life in Iraq by a Marine officer was initially sent just to a small group of family and friends. His honest but wry narration and unusually frank dissection of the mission contrasts sharply with the story presented by both sides of the Iraq war debate, the Pentagon spin masters and fierce critics. Perhaps inevitably, the 'Letter from Iraq' moved quickly beyond the small group of acquantainces and hit the inboxes of retired generals, officers in the Pentagon, and staffers on Capitol Hill.

Letter courtesy of TIME Magazine, yo. Just wanted to share this candid letter with you guys-Shows just how much the media offers to sugar-coat the reality of the dangers around there. I pity the men and families of both sides. Can we have peace now??

I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or is depressing to the point that I'd rather just forget about it, never mind write about it. The gaps in between all of that are filled with the pure tedium of daily life in an armed camp. So it's a bit of a struggle to think of anything to put into a letter that's worth reading. Worse, this place just consumes you. I work 18-20-hour days, every day. The quest to draw a clear picture of what the insurgents are up to never ends. Problems and frictions crop up faster than solutions. Every challenge demands a response. It's like this every day. Before I know it, I can't see straight, because it's 0400 and I've been at work for 20 hours straight, somehow missing dinner again in the process. And once again I haven't written to anyone. It starts all over again four hours later. It's not really like Ground Hog Day, it's more like a level from Dante's Inferno.

Rather than attempting to sum up the last seven months, I figured I'd just hit the record setting highlights of 2006 in Iraq. These are among the events and experiences I'll remember best.

Worst Case of Deja Vu - I thought I was familiar with the feeling of deja vu until I arrived back here in Fallujah in February. The moment I stepped off of the helicopter, just as dawn broke, and saw the camp just as I had left it ten months before — that was deja vu. Kind of unnerving. It was as if I had never left. Same work area, same busted desk, same chair, same computer, same room, same creaky rack, same . . . everything. Same everything for the next year. It was like entering a parallel universe. Home wasn't 10,000 miles away, it was a different lifetime.

Most Surreal Moment - Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets. 26 to be exact. We had put the word out earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah that we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget. Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels.

Most Profound Man in Iraq -an unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines if he had seen any foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you."

Worst City in al-Anbar Province - Ramadi, hands down. The provincial capital of 400,000 people. Lots and lots of insurgents killed in there since we arrived in February. Every day is a nasty gun battle. They blast us with giant bombs in the road, snipers, mortars and small arms. We blast them with tanks, attack helicopters, artillery, our snipers (much better than theirs), and every weapon that an infantryman can carry. Every day. Incredibly, I rarely see Ramadi in the news. We have as many attacks out here in the west as Baghdad. Yet, Baghdad has 7 million people, we have just 1.2 million. Per capita, al-Anbar province is the most violent place in Iraq by several orders of magnitude. I suppose it was no accident that the Marines were assigned this area in 2003.

Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment.

Second Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province - It's a 20,000 way tie among all these Marines and Soldiers who venture out on the highways and through the towns of al-Anbar every day, not knowing if it will be their last — and for a couple of them, it will be.

Worst E-Mail Message -"The Walking Blood Bank is Activated. We need blood type A+ stat." I always head down to the surgical unit as soon as I get these messages, but I never give blood — there's always about 80 Marines in line, night or day.

Biggest Surprise - Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are — and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp . . . Greatest Vindication — Stocking up on outrageous quantities of Diet Coke from the chow hall in spite of the derision from my men on such hoarding, then having a 122mm rocket blast apart the giant shipping container that held all of the soda for the chow hall. Yep, you can't buy experience.

Biggest Mystery - How some people can gain weight out here. I'm down to 165 lbs. Who has time to eat?

Second Biggest Mystery - if there's no atheists in foxholes, then why aren't there more people at Mass every Sunday?

Favorite Iraqi TV Show - Oprah. I have no idea. They all have satellite TV.

Coolest Insurgent Act - Stealing almost $7 million from the main bank in Ramadi in broad daylight, then, upon exiting, waving to the Marines in the combat outpost right next to the bank, who had no clue of what was going on. The Marines waved back. Too cool.

Most Memorable Scene - In the middle of the night, on a dusty airfield, watching the better part of a battalion of Marines packed up and ready to go home after over six months in al-Anbar, the relief etched in their young faces even in the moonlight. Then watching these same Marines exchange glances with a similar number of grunts loaded down with gear file past — their replacements. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said.

Highest Unit Re-enlistment Rate - Any outfit that has been in Iraq recently. All the danger, all the hardship, all the time away from home, all the horror, all the frustrations with the fight here - all are outweighed by the desire for young men to be part of a band of brothers who will die for one another. They found what they were looking for when they enlisted out of high school. Man for man, they now have more combat experience than any Marines in the history of our Corps.

Most Surprising Thing I Don't Miss - Beer. Perhaps being half-stunned by lack of sleep makes up for it.

Worst Smell -Porta-johns in 120 degree heat - and that's 120 degrees outside of the porta-john.

Highest Temperature - I don't know exactly, but it was in the porta-johns. Needed to re-hydrate after each trip to the loo.

Biggest Hassle - High-ranking visitors. More disruptive to work than a rocket attack. VIPs demand briefs and "battlefield" tours (we take them to quiet sections of Fallujah, which is plenty scary for them). Our briefs and commentary seem to have no affect on their preconceived notions of what's going on in Iraq. Their trips allow them to say that they've been to Fallujah, which gives them an unfortunate degree of credibility in perpetuating their fantasies about the insurgency here. Biggest Outrage — Practically anything said by talking heads on TV about the war in Iraq, not that I get to watch much TV. Their thoughts are consistently both grossly simplistic and politically slanted. Biggest Offender: Bill O'Reilly.

Best Intel Work - Finding Jill Carroll's kidnappers — all of them. I was mighty proud of my guys that day. I figured we'd all get the Christian Science Monitor for free after this, but none have showed up yet.

Saddest Moment - Having an infantry battalion commander hand me the dog tags of one of my Marines who had just been killed while on a mission with his unit. Hit by a 60mm mortar. He was a great Marine. I felt crushed for a long time afterward. His picture now hangs at the entrance to our section area. We'll carry it home with us when we leave in February.

Best Chuck Norris Moment - 13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in a small town to kidnap the mayor, since they have a problem with any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the Bad Guys put down his machinegun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.

Worst Sound - That crack-boom off in the distance that means an IED or mine just went off. You just wonder who got it, hoping that it was a near miss rather than a direct hit. Hear it practically every day.

Second Worst Sound - Our artillery firing without warning. The howitzers are pretty close to where I work. Believe me, outgoing sounds a lot like incoming when our guns are firing right over our heads. They'd about knock the fillings out of your teeth.

Only Thing Better in Iraq Than in the U.S. - Sunsets. Spectacular. It's from all the dust in the air.

Proudest Moment - It's a tie every day, watching our Marines produce phenomenal intelligence products that go pretty far in teasing apart Bad Guy operations in al-Anbar. Every night Marines and Soldiers are kicking in doors and grabbing Bad Guys based on intelligence developed by our guys. We rarely lose a Marine during these raids, they are so well-informed of the objective. A bunch of kids right out of high school shouldn't be able to work so well, but they do.

Happiest Moment - Well, it wasn't in Iraq. There are no truly happy moments here. It was back in California when I was able to hold my family again while home on leave during July.

Most Common Thought - Home. Always thinking of home, of my great wife and the kids. Wondering how everyone else is getting along. Regretting that I don't write more. Yep, always thinking of home.

I hope you all are doing well. If you want to do something for me, kiss a cop, flush a toilet, and drink a beer. I'll try to write again before too long - I promise.

2006-08-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

These are the lyrics to Quasimodo's next song
which can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/quasimodotheband

Mirrors (End)

I will never say,
or do, like they do.

Not with words.

Saying how I feel,
I just can't look at me.

Am I not crazy? Us just sitting on this bench, like we used to.

If you need time,
And if that is all you need,
then its fine with me

But this is all I have to say-
So do be true, say it if you have to.
Cause our love is guaranteed
We, together, will ever be.
Mirrored till the end, of the centuries,

At this bench.

Saying it, will be rare for me.
Cause I wouldn't want to, influence you,
In mirroring my decisions.

At this bench, A sweet spectacle!
Your bleary eyes, your tired eyes
But that smile on your face..

So do be true
Smile, only like you do

Say them sincerely
Cause we together will ever be

Mirrored, till the end of the centuries.

Brief synopsis of song:

Mirrors point out the self-reflectioning theme of the song,
as we often look outwards in search of true happiness and contentment.

We often question ourselves : "Where is true love? Is there really true happiness?"

Thus we endeavour to go through every nook and cranny in search of the adage representing such enlightenment.

However, haven't we looked at ourselves, for a moment?

Have we considered that such true love could possibly be near us,
embedded right there in our hearts?

We always question the realism of true love,

But what have we done to realise its true meaning?

2006-08-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

Arcane Stories- Rehashed!

Back by popular demand, this old story about my previous life as
a Norwegian brunette stuck in a rockstar's body is again hung up
to dry for all to savour..

Go on, bask in the glory of my kick-ass mysterious life..(tee hee)

The other day, I was walking around in this CD shop around town, called the Gramophone, just killing time and browsing along in the midst of taking a break from extensive touring AND filming simultaneously (its hard imagining yourself being a rockstar and an avant-garde actor as well, though thats besides the point) when I noticed a familiar face at the corner of the easy-listening area, crouched at a spot and headbanging under Europe's "The Final Countdown" album banner ( a classic masterpiece if ever there was one). He was poised, had a look of determination and semi-ecstasy written all over his cute face, and gradually, images of that familiar sight came flooding back to me like the currents of a stream in the dawn of a storm the night before... He stood up, turned round, and instantly.. i recognized him..

EZWAN!!! SO CUTE!!!!

YES! It was my long lost childhood mate, whom I hadn't seen in ages ever since I graduated from Al-Iman Kindergarten, though I was a tad jealous that he was still as cute and adorable as before, still the cuddly Elmo that we adore, but though his features didn't differ much, something told me that he was a changed person..

That... that image on his chest proved to be the giveaway.
Ezwan no longer listens to the "Elmo Song", he now rips bloodcurdling solos on his Fender and screams out "Stil loving you's" at the top of his lungs while wearing a jockstrap which saddles his balls so that they won't fall off from all the rocking going on..

I looked down, closed my eyes, and a silent tear rolled from my cheeks , as I remembered those fun days we had as kids..

You see, we were pretty lively kids, and we spent our times together almost everyday, the whole gang of us, terrorizing the other kids in our school cause we kicked so much ass that even our teachers had to pacify us by giving more servings of those deliciosly creamy "Dumex" powdered milk in recognition of our coolness.

And we didn't need to wear uniforms. We walked around in our favourite suits of the most dapper character we could imagine, such as Spiderman, the Ninja Turtles (Khai Azmas booked liao), Superman, the Avengers , nabeh cheebye Ah Meng (Zabid), and well, you get the idea, and Ezwan used to wear that cute Sesame Street uniform on weekdays..but on weekends, when we go to parties, he would take on a whole new persona altogether, one which made me drool just thinking of it, he was so greeny that you wanted him along with your peas, and not that soggy thing called a spinach.. He was..

A TELLYTUBBY! HOW ADORABLE CAN THAT BE? (Excuse the person on the left, that's just Imran on patrol duty.)

I wanted to do a fellatio act on my brain my imagining even more childhood fantasies, but those dreams were suddenly jolted by the perpetual whistlings by Ezwan, doing the whistle solo bit of the Scorpions' "Winds of Change". And so, me being brought back to the harsh realization of the truth, had a nervous chat with him, as I asked about the other guys of our childhood Mafia, on how they were doing, all grown up now..

Ezwan informed me, albeit in between "White Lion" falsettos, that four of the childhood friends had gone together to form a post-grunge white trash metal psychedelic emo-punkish part-goth outfit called "Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass" and promply whipped out a group photo of the band at the zenith of their ascension up the music scene.. I took a look at it, and began to sob uncontrollably..

"Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass"

From left:

Yazid aka "Intestine Baalism" (electric guitar, sitar & er hu),

Zainal "Necromantia" (screeching vocals dripping with emo like Force Vomit, xylophone & Spanish guitar),

Ridzal "Impaled Nazarene" (bongos & maracas)

& Ezwan "Luciferion" (piccolo , harp & acoustic guitar) (don't ask me why he's grabbing his crotch)

I cried not because they had somehow turned into crazy rockers who ferment from below to evolve into creatures of significance, which mutate into ecosystems complete with growth and death and doubt, forming eventually a meaning in terms of motion and strength that could be interpreted as will, appearing rarely in pure form until a conclusion is distilled in each chapter of this morbid and deranged output of thunderous metal ; but because I wasn't a part of this amazing mesh of incredible tapestry, and that I chose to live a 9 to 5 life, and to remain a slave in the relentless machinery of blindly serving the system, and not given a choice to think for self.

On the other hand, the
"Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass" were already going places, playing in full capacity arenas and festivals in Scandinavia, and touring extensively in Argentina to gain exposure for their latest album, entitled "Resurrection".

They even had the liberty to release a country off-shoot album while having a break in Tennessee, though that didn't go down too well with the locals

(Ridzal doing a trance-like Soya Bean Dance with a similarly clad Zainal in his undies in the background whilst Yazid plays guitar with his pants down & cowboy hat a la Bono)

Ezwan told me of the countless times when they got wasted after gigs after drinking too many Pocari Sweats mixed with Ben & Jerry "Durian Delights" ice-cream, often throwing up on stage to the delight of the fans who lapped it all up. He described to me of the carnival atmosphere of such fests, where fans dressed up in their best gear and partied till they ran out of cash and decided to go back to their mundane part-time jobs to obtain the cash to party again, or till they died from asphyxiation, whichever one came first. One basic dress-code adhered by those revellers was to don a party hat, it didn't matter if is of the wizard kind, or the medieval sort

A particularly popular one, in times of year end festivities, was of course a Santa hat, worn with such determination & confidence, and of course all worn in the manner of fun ..

BUT... Ezwan's voice began to trail off and wail uncomprehendable Gregorian Chants when I asked him about the band's future plans...

He revealed to me that ever since they got back to the country, fresh from their success of the assault of their quirky music, the different band members somewhat began to drift further away from each other, as they got disillisioned of selling out their music to the popular crowd, and be named in the same breath as Three Doors Down, Garth Brooks and *gasp* Ashlee Simpson.. Not wanting to be hapless victims of MTV sub-culture propaganda, each different member began to take his own direction... And that led to Ezwan crying out loud his version of Rick Price's "Heaven Knows" on his acoustic guitar, and buying Scorpions 30th Anniversary DVDs in music stores like Gramophone..

(to be continued..)

2006-07-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm on a video rampage, and it's never gona abate!!

So, let's present the:

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

The Greatest- Cat Power

Buy her cd, its going on cheap in HMV..

Oh, and thats Chan, the female lead of Cat Power strutting her stuff
at the Jools Holland show, without shoes at that..

I like that sultry demeanour of hers.. Whoah!!!

Wah lau whey!!!! So kawaii!!!!!

2006-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

"Sing Me Spanish Techno"- The New Pornographers

If you haven't already been aware of the New Pornographers, (as mentioned in my earlier post on Thursday, March 09 ), maybe this video could convince you on how brilliant they are. Watch out for the twist at the end! =)

2006-04-10T05:36:00.000-07:00

"u know wat! i subconsciously listened to the songs in ur site. n they r like songs on the radio u keep at low volume...but they manage to get into ur brains....n then u keep humming them over n over." -Anonymous Quasimodo listener

Thanks for the comment

2006-04-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

10 Notable Albums From The Past Year('05)- PART 2

Arggggghh.. Been busy lately. But i finally found time to complete the list. And here's the rest of it. Mind you, they are my own comments, therefore I need time to painstakingly analyze each album. But its worth it hahaha

4. "Oh, You're So Silent Jens"- Jens Lekman

It's pretty sad that his records don't seem to be available locally, though he happens to be a hit back home in native Sweden, Europe and the US notwithstanding. Been alerted of his coverage in *gasp* Life! recently, which doesn't bode too well, what with the recent clamour for Scandinavian "indie" circa Kings Of Convenience gig. But i'm crossing my fingers and hoping that he doesn't get all repackaged and sold in mainstream stores as the next best *horrors* JAMES BLUNT!!

Personal fears aside, this album deserves of a spot in my heart, even though it happens to be a compilation of his B-Sides and work of 2000s. This follow up to his previous album "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (2001) , reminds listeners of the time where Belle & Sebastian, Morrissey & George Gershwin went for a picnic with their acoustics and trumpets, albeit that may only exist in dreams!

His genius with wordplay can be apparent in the title of the songs alone, what with "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song" being followed up with next track "Jens Lekman's Farewell Song To Rocky Dennis" revealing Jens' unassuming wit and deadpan delivery, and the songs happen to be tender as well, mixing clever lines with caustic phrases to make it at once a heartbreakingly poignant but funny experience all at the same time. Magic!

Jens' orchestral chamber pop arrangements reveal a deep study of pop knowledge for this indie student, with him having an uncanny knack for beautiful melody and powerful lyrics. I personally feel that this album is well made.

My favourite tracks include the clap-able "Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill, A" and his witty masterpieces "F-Word" and especially "A Man Walks Into A Bar".

His so called "department of forgotton songs" are certainly unforgettable, and fuck the pun I tell you.

3. Beware The Stomp of The Punk Elite- The Sex Pistols

The Pistols have never been in hiatus really, and Jonny Rotten actually got incarnated as a cute teenager.

(The kind of company Ridzal hangs out with)

Truly, Punk ain't dead.

The Real #3. Let It Die- Leslie Feist

Just look at her! Would you want to die in her arms?

Wait till you find out how she sounds like.

Which I fear you have, do you remember that Lacoste ad with that French guy in white pants jumping around, that one?

"Sh'boom.. Sh'boom". Remember?

I can't believe they picked "Mushaboom" for that ad.

Feist has this meltingly intimate voice which is apparently lacking in trained singers, though she was classically schooled and jazz-influenced. The cryptic title of the album hides the melancholic gorgeousness of some of her songs, with the first half being the singer-songwriter's very own work and the second revealing her talent to reinvent existing songs.

This warmth complements the well-orchestrated compositions on LET IT DIE with an almost voyeuristic atmosphere, akin to hearing someone singing herself to sleep.

Leslie Feist has contributed her breathy, expressive alto voice to releases by a diverse range of artists, including Peaches, Broken Social Scene, and but of course Kings of Convenience. However, on Feist's solo debut, this talented singer/songwriter comes into her own with stories of love and ardour, with my personal favourites including the soulful jazz-like acoustic "Gatekeeper", the warm Ron Sexsmith cover "Secret Heart" and an uptempo disco beat to the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out" (here titled "Inside and Out")

Her songs remind you of those old French pop songstresses, and rightly so, for she is lauded in France and Europe as well, even winning a JUNO award, for this poignant and whimsical record.

"It's no wonder that, despite her protestation, reviewers have quite reasonably taken to calling it Feist's French pop album; whether intentional or not, Let It Die shares all sorts of characteristics with our archetypal vision of Paris. "Whimsical," "romantic" and "adventurous" are all adjectives that apply."-Pitchfork Media.

I will keep to my promise of catching her live and falling for Feist's charms one day.

2. (Come On Feel The) Illinoise!- Sufjan Stevens VS Want Two- Rufus Wainwright

There's no separating these two. Not even a toss-up.

SUFJAN

Sufjan is that Brooklyn twat who creates pop art with his posse, tossing in acoustic folk with his trusted banjo, and inculcating influences of marching band jazz as well as progressive rock. This album recalls influences from Steve Reich and Brian Eno as well, requiring a few listens of the full number of 22 songs for the listener to grasp the true meaning of this tribute album.

He actually wants to release an album for all the states in the US(!), starting with Michigan & now, this Prairie State. I applaud his ambition, which is also apparent in Illinoise, with its dense subject matter including Superman, Casmir Pulaski, Abraham Lincoln & UFOs!

My personal favourites include the John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," for instance, is an absorbing narrative that features Stevens's sweet tenor couched by guitar, piano, and backing vocals, revealing a heartbreaking truth about the criminal in all of us. "Casimir Pulaski Day," similarly, rides a rootsy banjo and guitar groove while Stevens unfurls image-rich lyrics over a lilting melody.

Witty, audacious, and moving, ILLINOIS manages to be spiritual, entertaining, and educational all at once, resulting in an utterly unique conceptual and musical statement.

RUFUS

He is one red-blooded romantic, reminding influences of Nick Drake in his works.

A conveyor of love's erratic moods , Wainwright explores the mechanics of want and sadness, allowing magnificent melodies and wry humour at the same time to abate his tragic tendencies. WANT TWO (the sequel to 2003's more subdued WANT ONE) opens with a haunting take on the Agnes Dei (here titled "Agnus Dei"), replete with guitar noise, orchestral accompaniment, and Cimbalom drone. The rest of the album expands on this lyrical theme of pleading and, melodically, echoes medieval church music, even as it flirts with a variety of rhythmic styles.

Though the conflict between desire and peace never quite resolves here, WANT TWO captures the beauty and excitement of the struggle, as told by an artist at the top of his game.

AND HERE IT IS.....

1. FUNERAL- ARCADE FIRE

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE saw them donning helmets while performing their songs, and that erratic streak is exactly what brought them to the fore of popularity, with them first just being guilty of posting their songs on the Internet and having it ferociously being circulated around by enthusiastic listeners by word of mouth, a la Arctic Monkeys. They got into the media's attention, and rightly so.

This Montreal ensemble's explosive debut is marked by surging guitars, soulful strings, driving drums, brilliant bass lines, and the quavering vocals of couple Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. The group's song structures careen through a vast territory of musical and personal stories, some of them might be true, with lyrics warm with memories of childhood neighbourhoods and deceased loved ones, resulting in an alternating movement between joy and sadness.

Chassagne delivers some spellbinding vocals on "Haiti," while the tinkling piano and strings on "Crown of Love" conjure up a heartbreak of smitheereens.

The theme of agony and ecstasy of surviving death is oft repeated throughout the album, with my personal favourite being the rocking "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)", a story about a long-lost brother, Alexander, and his struggle with the family.

Some spellbinding tempo changes from grand and wailing to sudden disco beats like in "Crown Of Love" and also deep agony and longing in the brilliant "Wake Up" which sees Butler wailing in seeming vain of adulthood's jaded feel.
-"Children wake up,
hold your mistake up,
before they turn the summer into dust.

If the children don't grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We're just a million little gods, causing rain storms, turnin' every good thing to rust.

I guess We'll just have to adjust."

Packed with unique instrumentation, mesmerizing build-ups, and galvanizing tempo changes that they seem culled from some enigmatic, decade-spanning rock anthology, this is one must have , and don't forget to appreciate the lyrics as well. It's one remarkable Numero Uno.

2006-03-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

10 Notable Albums From The Past Year('05)

Yeah, i know its already mid-March and 'em cynics may be scoffing at such late entrees but hey, careful deliberance was made as I seem to be discovering new personal gems as the weeks go buy, thus the everchanging list. But this is the last of the oft-amended list, and I hope you guys enjoy exploring these albums that I feel deserve to be mentioned.
I honestly don't care if you agree or digress with my choices though. Haha.

"2005 was laden with new acts and even arcane ones rebranding themselves as the resurrected "Next Big Thing" (read: Velvet Revolver, Goldfinger) but it was a rather prolific year for indie acts, spawning every branch from power-pop (New Pornographers), cabaret-inspired (Antony & the Johnsons) to straight ol' rock (My Morning Jacket), and of course, the singer songwriters, some of them riding upon the popularity of their predecessors (eg. Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith), but with a handful of such creating heartful little stories that truly mark as their own, magical and awe-inspiring to say the least."

10. Howl Howl Gaff Gaff- The Shout Out Louds

Oh lo and behold Scandinavia!!!

Stockholm's latest import after our beloved Hives, Mando Diao and my personal fav Lekman shot from their humble club roots to international reckoning, due to the hit single "Very Loud". Weepy at times, this album just Shouts Out!! for the answers to Love's intricacies, while steering clear from the cheeziness that may come with such meanderings.

The gift of melodies and earnestess without hitting that dreaded state of bathos does it for me in this new band, and hopefully they grow in strength, and not get embroiled in the whole "fashion and pretentions over music" malaise in the indie-world nowadays. I wanted to put Mando Diao's "Hurricane Bar" but that album didn't match in earnestness in making sincere music to this. Edged out Mercury Prize winner "Antony and the Johnsons" for the spot as well.

9. Guero- Beck

All you anti-major label romantics may resist to read this part, but I disagree on the grounds that personally, I feel that good music needs to be appreciated no matter where or how it was made from. And Beck does it well this time, with the Chemical Brothers again in tow, to create a mish-mash of kaleidoscopic tunes mixing bossa nova, strings, blues, electro, even hip-hop ( yes he raps again this time) to announce himself upon the tops of our cranium ever since he disappeared after the brilliant "Odelay".

Upon first listen, you might be confused over the whole changes of mood and music, but this album requires a few listens where you have to eventually step back and enjoy the broad picture of his mutterings to understand why Beck is a hip slacker icon.

The maturity of his lyrics in tracks like "Missing" ("I push and pull; the days go slow; into a void we filled") don't go unnoticed in a more morose outing this time out. Other notable tracks include "E-Pro", "Girl".

Oh, and he happens to play the guitar, harmonica, piano, celesta, Moog synthesizer, vocoder, kalimba, tambourine, claps and percussions for the album. Not bad at all for a slacker!

8. Twin Cinema- The New Pornographers

The follow-up to 2000's "Mass Romantic" sees this indie supergroup burst even more poignantly into the minds of many with their happy and melodic brand of power-pop.

The fact that the collaboration between Neko Case (an alternative-country turned indie beloved) and AC Newman (slightly irritating voice but pardon that cos his music arrangements are breathless) stands out amongst the group, with their adventurous songwriting and arrangement hitting the right notes with me personally, and rather pleasantly, the critics as well.

The slickly produced Twin Cinema tweaks the formula to include subdued moments, climactic episodes and fully unified vocals, elevating the band's ideas to complete cohesion and transcending its previous output.

My personal picks would definitely have to be "The Bleeding Heart Show" where the fantastic shift of melodies catch you when the wistfulness of the opening was just beginning to go bare. "Sing Me Spanish Techno" is another delightful song which you swear is unflailingly familiar, but no, its the New Pornographer's very own. I got quite a shock of my own when I saw their album listed in Life!'s top list. Didn't feel that the Singaporean press would like such music, but I was pleasantly wrong again. Yeah.

7. You Could Have It So Much Better- Franz Ferdinand

Oh yes I fell for the hype!!! But honestly, this sophomore release by them needs to be lauded though their popularity is immensely rising.(That fact scares me. I mean, look at Oasis. What happened to them? Oh and yeah. The White Stripes! Acceptance in mass pop culture often leads to a loss in credibility, i think.)

I initially disliked the way it was compiled, for it seemed like a myriad of singles all forced in compression with each other. However, despite that, the magic of their dance-rock fusing the strong Scottish-BBC accent with disco is titilatingly tantalising, with their catchiness still emanating no matter what critics might say.

However, the ardour of debut album tracks such as "Come On Home" and "Auf Asche" is missing in this hectic party album, save for notable Mid-period Kinks sounding track "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" and Beatle-esque "Fade Together".

Hit single "Do You Want To" is unabashedly campy, but I unabashedly agree to gyrate to Kapranos and gang in this album. You can't blame them for being fucking catchy, right?

Arctic Monkeys eat your heart out, haha!

6. The Runners Four- Deerhoof

This is either a hit or a miss among listeners, no in between. You might baulk at the price it is selling at local stores (around $40plus), but for those brave enough to take the plunge, I applaud you. For you have gotten an eccentric but rewarding experience of discovering this band headed by Japanese vocalist cum bass player Satomi.

This follow-up to 2004's "Milk Man" sees Deerhoof traversing more accessible territory as San Francisco's premier noise-pop advocates. Their fractured, and fragmented chaos makes it for a challenging listen but strangely fascinating album, mixing prog-rock mixes with sunny melodies.

However, I found out that a lot of listeners are turned off by Satomi Matuzaki's helium voice, finding it irritating. Conventional listening may not work for this album, but the trick is in appreciating their true themes here, which are magic and exploration, which befits a band bent on finding places the rest of us don't yet know.

Deerhoof are by turns jubilant, confused, afraid, angry, sad, relieved, all pretty poignant at the same time. Not many bands can make chaos seem so serene as they manage to. One of the closest definitions of art-rock to me so far.

5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

This self-financed, independently recorded album is pretty much lauded by people everywhere, and upon listening, it is rightly so for it grabs you by the coattails and pulls you into a world where you feel a sense of deja-vu, but ultimately realize that though it may have been familiar, the music is in actuality just a trigger to the deep psyche of the individual, of that place we longed of going, unique but feels strangely at home.

You might have been confused by such an analysis, but that was what I myself experienced after listening to the album, its abstraction though reaps immense rewards upon reflection. What sticks out for this band right off is a drive that can't be taught or approximated.

It appeals to me that the songs ring of The Bends-era songwriting, but loungier, more playful, more comfortable in their own skin. For example, the elevating feel of break up song "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)is impactful. ("Now where's the woolen sweater; You mentioned in the letter?; Imply; The other guy")

Their songs exude a precious democracy, composed of elegant, non-rockist guitar lines, trebly synths and busy but never distracting drums. In all, the warmth and sincerity of the Brooklyn band despite their playfully urgent ambience does it for me, and I suggest those who have not heard of them to just give it a listen. You'd never know. It might just become a favourite album.

(Top Four Coming soon..)

2006-01-30T01:24:00.000-08:00

I'm going to occasionally post the words to some of Quasimodo's songs, at least those presently available on the Purevolume site, and yes, we're working on refining some of our current creases, admittedly they are aplenty..

Can't see much progress in our hope of recording more music, cause the various personal commitments threaten to stretch the start of serious rehearsals to even early '07.

Ode To You

Your love is like a baby,
Watching her mom kill herself.
She saw it happen,
But didn't know what it meant,
Till maybe she's older,
Where she will finally understand.

Our love is like those dried leaves,
Falling from above.
Already dead, but being stepped upon
Or being blown away
To all places, but to none.

I want to fit in you,
But want to get out too.
Sometimes it makes me feel,
More like a heartless fool.
But She tries her sweetest best
To get those cars to crash into me.

Go on and please yourself.

Your love is like us going
Somewhere to find calm,
Only to be faced
With noises from urban hype
The wind caresses me,
But that traffic just won't stop

Our love is like those dew drops
Drying up on its own
After the storm
That raged the night before
If only it could be saved
But there is nothing left, for now

Go on and please yourself.

A Brief Synopsis of "Ode To You":

Behind the apparent suspicions of it being a love recital (note the title), is the apparent intent to hide the true sarcasm of the protagonist.. This song is essentially about a broken cause, of feelings torn to the point of no respite.

It pokes at the superficiality of urban relationships, where true feelings are often hidden beneath a canvas of lies and hypocrisy. Its even more resonant when the other has the protagonist wrapped around her finger, succumbing to her every whim & fancy, typical of relationships nowadays.

This is narrated within a backdrop of imagery comparing both nature & urbanity to create a contrast that not all things urban are as refined & civilised as it seems.

I'm thinking of posting my personal take on 10 notable albums for the past year('05), but lets see if time permits. Cheerio.

2006-01-21T21:28:00.000-08:00

Oh poor Jens Lekman! Where have you disappeared?? Have you floated past the horizon, like those "maple leaves" that you crooned of? Or have you put on your "pretty shoes" at last, and left us for good? Tried almost everywhere to get your record.. But to no avail. Don't you know that we Asians here are starved of your musings.. We have to endure crap all the time!!! Blame the bullshit media, yeah i can hear you tell me.

O dear Sufjan! You have truly made me into an Asthmatic Kitty.. How heavy is the heart to dish out 37 BUCKS for one of your cds. And thanks for revolutionizing my view of that plucky thing called a banjo! I used to think that they were just anal retention devices, but lo and behold!! You devised your own magic to fascinate me.. Just don't dwell into country.. Though i fear you would soon enough.

O Alexander! Our Older Brother!

Set out for a ,

A great adventure!

He tore our images,
Out of his pictures,
He scratched our names out,

of all his letters.

Our Mother shoulda just named you Laika!
Laika!

Laika!!

Laika!!!!

2006-01-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

TO SAY THAT I'M ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATED

would be an understatement.

have to give up the Franz gig on the 16th. its a day before my Commissioning parade and obviously i can't be released. had hoped that they would be going to KL or sth but hey, only has-beens like Michael Learns To Rock congregate there I presume.

but i found out that theres this fucking big gig in thailand called the
BANGKOK 100 ROCK FESTIVAL 2006 featuring Oasis, FF, Ian Brown, Placebo, Maximo Park etc, 18-19 Feb at Changwattana Road, Bangkok. Precisely, where the hell is that?

tickets go for 1k-3k Baht for 1 day passes (1k is ard S$41) and 1.7k-5k for both days. (link: http://thaiticketmaster.com/concert/rockfestival06_eng.php)

oh Oasis on 23rd? think i'll be in kl with dinho tho, we'll see how.

however, one saving grace is that Mosaic Music Festival is going feature Kings Of Convenience 16 Mar 06, Thu, 7.30pm

for only 48 bucks! Fucking good deal if there was any.

2005-10-09T01:48:00.000-07:00

Good news?

Quasimodo recently got a nod-on for judges' choice at the inaugural Noise Singapore showcase over print, broadcast & media.

Were invited to the event at Rouge, but emo-punk bands such as Auburn's Epiphany (some rich kids who had already made an EP) and hip hop gangstas!!! Da T Squad got to perform instead cause they appealed to the mainstream audience, apparently.

They got the MTV exposure, and radio airplay. And rightly so, following in the footsteps of their sublime idols "My Chemical Romance", "Ashlee Simpson", "Nelly", "Chingy" et al.

It always easier to jump into the bandwagon, isn't it?

Cheers to that.

Give us a visit under (Sort by: Sounds)
Song submitted: "Ode To You"

link:
www.noisesingapore.com.sg

2005-09-18T01:12:00.000-07:00

I need space to put in all these pics of my handsome face cause my comp's spoilt so here u have it

(J. Depp & Friends pic #2)

(Yearp! You guessed it! its J. Depp & Friends again! pic #3)

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM PICS

(J. Depp's Property in Brunei)

(pics taken by J. Depp while cruising with the Sultan in his yacht)

(Depp & Friends having fun!)

(view frm the 1459m high Mt.Lutut)

(Jonny reaches the zenith)

(the view frm my penthouse at the summit is pretty amazing, aint it?)

(Jonny feeling sexy)

(Jonny feeling sexy #2)

(Alrite, alrite.. I admit.. We're damn hunky larrrrhh)

Anyways, "The Bar at Buena Vista" performance at Victoria Theatre on the 17th was smashing, baybehhh.. These horny ol men we're smoking them cigars as if it were candy, and yeah it was very hard not to miss this performance cause Cuban musicians are hard to come by in this part of the planet, especially those from the famed Buena Vista Social Club lor.. So yeah, it was worth the stash paid seeing these Havana natives like Eric Turro, Maestro Rubalcaba & Carlos Gonzales et al doing what they do best, which is the "descarga", which means the expression of the inner self through improvisation, which you might call a jam session where musicians gather in a bar to drink, tell stories and play with old friends, sometimes until the dawn.. And hey, we got to join it whoah.. haha..May Ibrahim Ferrer salsa well in his grave.

2005-09-13T03:22:00.000-07:00

''Ode To You'' is an inherently sarcastic take at the intricacies of superficial relationships, particularly those involving a domineering other which the supposedly sumissive one has to submit to his/her every whim & fancy, typical of your everyday urban romance where superficiality is key. It is however, presented in a melodic manner rather than an emotional, whiny fashion unlike most punk bands nowadays to further amplify the hidden sarcasm laden between heaps of imagery involving both nature & urban life: another comparision.

Give it a listen.

www.purevolume.com/quasimodo

2005-08-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Glee (Delight)

The enigma.
Perusing on my existance.
Unabashedly mocking every move.
Waiting, berating, consuming,
And gorging, till his selfish fill.

The enigma.
Who listens, with cautious intent.
And crawls incessantly along every corridor.
Smiling wryly, with a contented mind,
But with a foetid innard.

The enigma.
Ephemeral as it may seem
Decidedly seraphic, that porcelain being.
But, a rotten carcass underneath those cracks.

The enigma,
that shameless largesse of hypocrisy.
A serf of imposed moralistic conventions,
Who hides, lies, betrays,
even his brotherly alternate state of mind.

That enigma,
constantly gaining speed, erratic momentum.
As it rolls along the crevices of delusion.
Refusing to heal the wounds,
Even as the caress of the flames,
Stroke the hurt,
And soothes, this great narcissist pretender.

Then I realized.
The enigma.
Is me.

2005-08-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

HI GUYS!! WE'RE QUASIMODO AND SINCE WE'RE SO FREE NOWADAYS, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ALL YOU DANDIES OF URBAN HYSTERIA WHO LIKE TO HAVE USELESS BANTER , WITH A PASSION FOR THE INTRICATE MELODIES OF MUSIC & ALSO WHIMSICAL POETRY, NONETHELESS!! WOAHHHH HOW BORED ARE WE?

Contact: Quasimoband@gmail.com

2005-07-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

IN LIMBO

Being stuck here in camp, undergoing training & having to grapple with the nuances of the "expected decorum of an officer" so to speak, accentuated by the stack of notes ranging from Thermal Physics to Field Intelligence (for nine months at that), I had to find a way to calm my frayed nerves after a hectic day of training, and yes, writing shitloads of crap on my notebook has become my chosen euphoria. So when I decided to sit on my crisp and drum-tight bed (compulsory standards for bunk inspection, though the perennial action of being forced to do hundred or more push-ups has evolved to a norm), nothing, nothing,nothing.. came into my mind. zilch. For seconds. Then minutes.

I became desperate, and finally decided to rouse my half-asleep neurons with the usual effective mantra, something I do, almost religiously, before I sleep every night..

"A IS FOR AIRBORNE.. I IS FOR IN THE SKY.. R IS FOR RUFF AND TUFF....B IS FOR BORN TO FLY.."

"LEFT- TWO, RIGHT- TWO, KEEP UP THE TEM-PO! LEFT- TWO, RIGHT- TWO, WHEY-O WHEY-O AH..
HERE WE GO AGAIN..SAME OLD SHIT AGAIN.. UP AND DOWN THIS AVENUE." et cetera.

You get the gist. Moments after, tears of joy welled up in my soulful eyes, for I finally realised the true meaning of being a MAN..a real MAN ..a hunky MAN.. of life and its pleasures, and that my mind never really went kaput in the first place, it was just hibernating ,despite all those months away from the freedom of brain activity. I also realised that apart from my mantras, there was also another part of my life with me:

Ripping off music stores with my own CD compilation (a la "BLING BLING", VINTAGE ROCK 1 & 2, NOW 2956 etc.) which I dearly wanted to emulate, for they impressed me to no end with how thorough, intense, and rational the selection process by such record companies was, for ONLY the elite songs were allowed to be chosen to fit into a certain compilation.. For instance, "The Reason" by multi-platinum stars Hoobastank is a spot on deserving choice for the recent "Rockstar" compilation album, claming to compile the best rock and indie songs on the planet. Right on, motherfuckers.

And so, I decided to name mine :

"Top 15 Love Songs To Fit Into An Album And Impress A Girl As An Innocent Gift But To Inherently Harbour Secret Fantasies Of Wanting To Get Laid By Her Cause Shes So F*cking Hot But She Listens To ruffedge, machi, 5566 & gerimis mengundang, etc."

Or you could just call it as having the function of being background music to horny bastards making out. Euphemisms are beautiful, aren't they?

(To Be Continued Whenever I'm Not Fucking Occupied)

check out our band's Purevolume site alright. The band's called Quasimodo.
http:www.purevolume.com/quasimodo

2005-05-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

Stolen Prayer

The embers of the saint inside of you,
Are growing as I'm bathing in your glow
I'm swallowing the poison, of your flower
And hanging on the rising of my low
Colourful , and falling from your mouth

Like a painted fever, in recoil
Like a lie, without the pain

On a pillow of your bones
I will lay across the stones
Of your shore, until the tide
comes crawling back.

A waning hand, on silver granite ways
Will mend my broken limbs, and bend my haze
I'm sleeping in the silence of your voice
I'm cradling the peril of my only choice

Throw my pillow on the fire
Make my bed under the eye
Of your moon, until the tide
comes crawling back.

Even though the truth can burn inside, or fall behind
I will wander through your open mind
And you will find,
no lie can hide
Until the tide comes crawling.

Like a painted fever, in recoil
Like a lie, without the pain

2005-02-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

The other day, I was walking around in this CD shop around town, called the Gramophone, just killing time and browsing along in the midst of taking a break from extensive touring AND filming simultaneously (its hard imagining yourself being a rockstar and an avant-garde actor as well, though thats besides the point) when I noticed a familiar face at the corner of the easy-listening area, crouched at a spot and headbanging under Europe's "The Final Countdown" album banner ( a classic masterpiece if ever there was one). He was poised, had a look of determination and semi-ecstasy written all over his cute face, and gradually, images of that familiar sight came flooding back to me like the currents of a stream in the dawn of a storm the night before... He stood up, turned round, and instantly.. i recognized him..

EZWAN!!! SO CUTE!!!!

YES! It was my long lost childhood mate, whom I hadn't seen in ages ever since I graduated from Al-Iman Kindergarten, though I was a tad jealous that he was still as cute and adorable as before, still the cuddly Elmo that we adore, but though his features didn't differ much, something told me that he was a changed person..

That... that image on his chest proved to be the giveaway.
Ezwan no longer listens to the "Elmo Song", he now rips bloodcurdling solos on his Fender and screams out "Stil loving you's" at the top of his lungs while wearing a jockstrap which saddles his balls so that they won't fall off from all the rocking going on..

I looked down, closed my eyes, and a silent tear rolled from my cheeks , as I remembered those fun days we had as kids..

You see, we were pretty lively kids, and we spent our times together almost everyday, the whole gang of us, terrorizing the other kids in our school cause we kicked so much ass that even our teachers had to pacify us by giving more servings of those deliciosly creamy "Dumex" powdered milk in recognition of our coolness.

And we didn't need to wear uniforms. We walked around in our favourite suits of the most dapper character we could imagine, such as Spiderman, the Ninja Turtles (Khai Azmas booked liao), Superman, the Avengers , nabeh cheebye Ah Meng (Zabid), and well, you get the idea, and Ezwan used to wear that cute Sesame Street uniform on weekdays..but on weekends, when we go to parties, he would take on a whole new persona altogether, one which made me drool just thinking of it, he was so greeny that you wanted him along with your peas, and not that soggy thing called a spinach.. He was..

A TELLYTUBBY! HOW ADORABLE CAN THAT BE? (Excuse the person on the left, that's just Imran on patrol duty.)

I wanted to do a fellatio act on my brain my imagining even more childhood fantasies, but those dreams were suddenly jolted by the perpetual whistlings by Ezwan, doing the whistle solo bit of the Scorpions' "Winds of Change". And so, me being brought back to the harsh realization of the truth, had a nervous chat with him, as I asked about the other guys of our childhood Mafia, on how they were doing, all grown up now..

Ezwan informed me, albeit in between "White Lion" falsettos, that four of the childhood friends had gone together to form a post-grunge white trash metal psychedelic emo-punkish part-goth outfit called "Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass" and promply whipped out a group photo of the band at the zenith of their ascension up the music scene.. I took a look at it, and began to sob uncontrollably..

"Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass"

From left:

Yazid aka "Intestine Baalism" (electric guitar, sitar & er hu),

Zainal "Necromantia" (screeching vocals dripping with emo like Force Vomit, xylophone & Spanish guitar),

Ridzal "Impaled Nazarene" (bongos & maracas)

& Ezwan "Luciferion" (piccolo , harp & acoustic guitar) (don't ask me why he's grabbing his crotch)

I cried not because they had somehow turned into crazy rockers who ferment from below to evolve into creatures of significance, which mutate into ecosystems complete with growth and death and doubt, forming eventually a meaning in terms of motion and strength that could be interpreted as will, appearing rarely in pure form until a conclusion is distilled in each chapter of this morbid and deranged output of thunderous metal ; but because I wasn't a part of this amazing mesh of incredible tapestry, and that I chose to live a 9 to 5 life, and to remain a slave in the relentless machinery of blindly serving the system, and not given a choice to think for self.

On the other hand, the
"Cardinal Sins of The Most Unholy Kind As A Result Of Not Licking Ahmad Farid's Cute Excuse of An Ass" were already going places, playing in full capacity arenas and festivals in Scandinavia, and touring extensively in Argentina to gain exposure for their latest album, entitled "Resurrection".

They even had the liberty to release a country off-shoot album while having a break in Tennessee, though that didn't go down too well with the locals

(Ridzal doing a trance-like Soya Bean Dance with a similarly clad Zainal in his undies in the background whilst Yazid plays guitar with his pants down & cowboy hat a la Bono)

Ezwan told me of the countless times when they got wasted after gigs after drinking too many Pocari Sweats mixed with Ben & Jerry "Durian Delights" ice-cream, often throwing up on stage to the delight of the fans who lapped it all up. He described to me of the carnival atmosphere of such fests, where fans dressed up in their best gear and partied till they ran out of cash and decided to go back to their mundane part-time jobs to obtain the cash to party again, or till they died from asphyxiation, whichever one came first. One basic dress-code adhered by those revellers was to don a party hat, it didn't matter if is of the wizard kind, or the medieval sort

A particularly popular one, in times of year end festivities, was of course a Santa hat, worn with such determination & confidence, and of course all worn in the manner of fun ..

BUT... Ezwan's voice began to trail off and wail uncomprehendable Gregorian Chants when I asked him about the band's future plans...

He revealed to me that ever since they got back to the country, fresh from their success of the assault of their quirky music, the different band members somewhat began to drift further away from each other, as they got disillisioned of selling out their music to the popular crowd, and be named in the same breath as Three Doors Down, Garth Brooks and *gasp* Ashlee Simpson.. Not wanting to be hapless victims of MTV sub-culture propaganda, each different member began to take his own direction... And that led to Ezwan crying out loud his version of Rick Price's "Heaven Knows" on his acoustic guitar, and buying Scorpions 30th Anniversary DVDs in music stores like Gramophone..

(to be continued..)

2005-02-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Part 2

The dawn has broken, and its cold.
But Light just hides,
to mourn for me & She.

We might just think of what,
could have been.
But its wise to that that wither,
than remain, in bloom.

That little message,
in a broken vial.
Its thrown, and floats
in aimless winds.
Without, our hope

And so, we start another day,
We laugh, just like its thrown away
With lies, and you

2005-02-06T04:13:00.000-08:00

Prelude to Valentine's (imagined)

Aiyo... Back to writing stupid depressing poems . shit i cant seem to write happy ones. just wanted to share my situational imagined orgasms.. hope you don't mind alright..

Beside this multi-function phone,
You lie in motion on the floor
And weep.

Our hopes have disappeared,
But still you smile, and then you fake a grin
For me.

Forget those candlelight dates,
They're just a memory,
Of a painful escape
From you.

We've lost this opportunity,
The dove's gone, and its flown away
Just like
The truth.

If only you could see, what i just found in your dreams?

If only we could share, that still-framed moment again.

If only we could understand, what hearts mean to say.

They say all is not lost
They say all is not lost

But its lost, for good

And then you dream

You dream

Just like me.

" Wei She Maaaaaaaaa? "

2005-01-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

Bloody Shites

There we were, still reeling from the psychedelic spasms, that being the by-product of the tantalising, titillating night of jazz vocals with Missus Maestro Dianne Reeves and her quintet ( with 3 Grammys at that) , but some MOTHERFUCKER had to spoil the dayyyyy

After leaving our sedans, cabriolets & coupes to the nearby valet to screw with, we decided to get a drink at this cafe with suggestively-relaxed ambience which we eyed from a distance. it looked inviting, comfy; the lighting was somehow beckoning us to give it a try..

And why not? we were longing for some coffee anyway

and so we ordered, me (Johnny Depp) and Zai ordered the same thing, a Cappuccino.
took the cup and sat on our easy chairs, chatting about our next racketeering heist and teaching Wan Tween the ropes to being a made man , when suddenly, a stinging realization dawned upon me as i stared at the table:

Donnie Brasco (Azmi Depp) : Oei! What's with the fucking liberal dose of foam in the fucken' coffee? And it tastes like shittt

Sonny Black (Zai Woody Allen) : Yea Donnie, u got me there.. even shit tastes better i guess.. (if that line wasnt a dead giveaway, nothing is)

Donnie Brasco : Whaaat.. these barristas deserve to be sent for just like good ol' Joe Pesci..they won't know whats coming for them ..

All: Ha ha ha ha ha!

Elmo (Wan) : (in a fucking whiny voice) I suggest we burn this place down!! hehe! Just like those movies where we arson them! Eat that bozos! hehehehe!

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(5 minute silence)

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Donnie & Sonny: What the FUCK was that??

Well to help u guys visualise the scenario and cut the story short, herein lies the picture of the 3 of us, with me and Zai looking at Wan ( the guy with floppy hair in the pic) in disbelief and exhaustion and proceeded to beat him up, And send him sleeping with the fishes. ( just believe me lah even tho it sounds like a long haul).

BUT that didn't spoil our day.

The fucking coffee did. those barrista motherfuckers went to far.

the foam. the stupid foam. stayed in my throat and lingered in my stomach even til the next day. had to wash it down with even more coffee. dumbfucks.

That's it.

They are next on the hit list.

2005-01-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

Cloistered Escapism

Open your arms to the lonely shine.
Lonesome as gold in a poor man's smile
See how the moon is full,
follow the push and pull
follow the ebb & flow in the breathing tide.
Come on moonchild,
You're so far away tonight.

The door is falling open & We're flying wild
Cat on the road, down in the livid night
See how the black dog grins, In the diamond light?
We're dreaming , And we're real
We're drowning , And left for the kill
We're broken
And we're healed.

Give in to what you feel, Over what you see
Come on moonchild, you're so far away tonight
Come on moonflower, you're so far away from it now
You could bloom eternally in the hour
And when if its only yes or no
and now becomes too soon
I know you'll be alright, if you only
disappear into the moon

In the blue shine.

Come on moonchild, you're so far away tonight
The door is falling open & we're flying wild
You could bloom eternally in the hour

You could be our guiding light.

2005-01-03T07:54:00.000-08:00

little did i expect that those sarcastic words in the previous entry proved to be ominous in its relation to reality

my condolences

lets all pray hard
for mercy.

"on a personal note, my mind is a whirlwind ; One second i can be ecstatic, On the other , i would be on the verge of collapse and despair. it sounds fucking pretentious, but i'd rather keep this issue a secret within myself. heck, i even find it hard to keep secrets from my own self, what more share it with others?"

you are killing me you really are

do you know that?

obviously you don't.

2004-12-22T04:34:00.000-08:00

WHO THE HECK IS THIS?

okay okay, you might be wondering why the hell is her picture doing in my blog, looking at u frm an awkward angle with a wierd look on her face.. So let me introduce her:

Lieutenant Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, is a retired U.S. Air Force officer whose assignments included work as a Pentagon desk officer and in a variety of roles for the National Security Agency.(NESA) Since retiring, she has become a noted critic of the U.S. government's involvement in Iraq.

Colonel Kwiatkowski is primarily noted for openly and publicly denouncing what she sees as a corrupting political influence on the course of military intelligence leading up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In the latter piece, titled "The New Pentagon Papers", she wrote:

"I witnessed neoconservative agenda bearers within OSP usurp measured and carefully considered assessments, and through suppression and distortion of intelligence information promulgate what were in fact falsehoods to both Congress and the executive office of the president."

Kwiatkowski exposed how a clique of officers led by retired Navy Captain Bill Luti, assistant secretary of defense, and former aid of Dick Cheney when the later was Secretary of Defense, took control of the military intelligence, and how the "Office of Special Plans" (OSP) grew and eventually turned into a censorship and disinformation organism controlling the NESA.

Following the American Conservative and Salon articles, Kwiatkowski began to receive criticism from several conservative sources that supported President Bush's policies. (unsurprisingly)

A particular comment by her interested me:

"I came to share with many NESA colleagues a kind of unease, a sense that something was awry. What seemed out of place was the strong and open pro-Israel and anti-Arab orientation in an ostensibly apolitical policy-generation staff within the Pentagon."

Compare that agitation with these recent snippets of news, as of 20/12/2004:

An attack on a United States military base in Mosul leaves 15 dead and at least 55 injured, marking the greatest number of casualties in a single strike on the U.S.-led coalition since the start of the war.- taken from Associated Press news.
(further justification for the continuation of the battle against the non-existant saddam terrorist threat innit?)

How bout this?

U.S. President George W Bush is named "Person of the Year" by TIME magazine. -Time, December issue 2004.

One person would certainly be turning in his grave upon hearing the line above.

the Che in happier times

Che Guevara, the revolutionary right hand aide of Fidel Castro in the struggle for Cuba rejected a comfortable bourgeois background to fight for those who were deprived of political power and economic stability.

And when he gained power in Cuba, he gave up all the trappings of privilege and power in Cuba in order to return to the revolutionary battlefield, fighting for the Bolivian Communists against the capitalist rule of President Rene Barrientos and ultimately, to die.

Oh, And that happened in the hands of the American CIA ,in which CIA operatives were sent into Bolivia to aid the anti-insurrection effort, where the pro-Barrientos Bolivian Army was being trained by
U.S. Army Special Forces advisors, to "smoke 'em out".

And smoke the poor fella out they did.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF ALL THIS INFORMATION , U MIGHT THINK?

I mean, why should we care bout world affairs right, cause we're living here in sunny Singapore which is really really safe u know,its like, forget those things lah we're far away frm those tempestous problems so thus we don't need to care and only need to snuggle up to our babes , decked in cute mesh caps and all, flashin our bling blings y'know ma homie?

you're damn right bout that.

ignorance is bliss.

And btw, have a Merry Christmas, ho! ho! ho!

2004-12-16T01:03:00.000-08:00

GRRR

Sweet, little cute baby darls. Never had this much fun in awhile, entertaining them bundles of joy, listening to them telling their playtime stories with wide-eyed enthusiasm, cooking for them those favourite egg sandwiches that I now can expertly whip up in a few minutes, seeing how funny they look wearing those oversized tee shirts which I gladly lent, relenting to their chants for that, that awaited Bed">bedtime story to set them off in transit towards Never, Neverland. I'm not sugarcoating this, but to bask in the serenity of witnessing childhood innocence, absolute bliss. As I gaze intently at their faces, the thought of my own childhood nostalgia inadvertantly rushes back. Of times with Dad. Yeah

To think that i'm writing this on paperback in the dark, by the sofa, looking over them, ensuring each one sleeps soundly; don't really mind it at all. Though, I feel a soft spot for two of my cousins. Mamat & Nurul. Broken family at such a young age. Victims of circumstance, and I pity them. And so I resolved to myself to ensure that I could at least try to brighten up their day, playing with them, tickling them till faces turn beetroot red, so that they won't feel gloomy in the absence of parental love. Mamat is cuddly and amazingly smart & bubbly, & I don't want him to ever lose that zest, or become like me when he grows up, an emotional wreck. Come to think of it, it's almost a similar parallel: separated from a particular loved one at six, with dad formerly doting on the son; I hope those memories won't come back to haunt him negatively in the future, as much as my own memories are eating into me now. I can't help it, can I?

Gonna bring them to the playground tomorrow, to play some catch and terrorize those other kids in the neighbourhood.

My cousins are the 'little Mafia', & i'm their Godfather.

I don't even care if that sounds corny.

Signing off,

2004-11-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

(An Open Love Letter)

Dear Mat-Mat Sachok & Berg,

I'm aware that.

Its easy to critique.

but it is easy for me to counter with a quid pro quo of motives on the phenom that is 'dikir barat'.

yes i know, it has been quite fashionable of late to be in the camp of such group bashing, but this recent 'perjumpaan hariraya' has left me disillusioned about the whole 'perjuangan martabat adat' or the oft-mentioned upholding of Asian (in this case Malay) values.

no doubt, i appreciated the energy, time, and effort made to conjure such an event; it was done with good intentions and i acknowlege that, but my focus is on the whole dikir analogy:

the simple fait accompli of abang-abangs in their argument for dikir is simple: < dikir=adat. thus if we don't practise dikir to uphold our adat, who will? will you want to let our culture slip away?>

fair enough, but first let me delve into the definition of dikir, and to be objective, i've taken a source frm our Malaysian neighbours:

Dikir Barat is a modified and secularized version of zikir, which is a form of incantation praising Allah and Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W). Like most folk performances, the Dikir Barat, in its traditional practice, is an avenue for social commentary.
(source: http://www.dancemalaysia.com/Dance/Traditional/Folk_Dance/Dikir_Barat/body_dikir_barat.htm)

there there. with key words being 'secular' in the praising of Allah and also for purposes of social commentary, that shows the whole ethos of dikir doesnt it? social commentary. secularization.

on that basis. i have a few questions. in singapore's context that is:

what are the actual true motivations of people joining such groups?
to spread the messsage of the ills of Malay society?
to try and eradicate the perennially mentioned notion of Melayu often underperforming in society?

tell me honestly, can any dikir barat member in any group in Singapore tell me that he/she has joined dikir for such reasons mentioned above, and not for the words 'pasal member aku masuk dok , jadi aku join ah' peer pressures or 'glamour','nama','biar org kampong kenal aku sapa' dictum?

deep inside, in the psychological framework of things, ego and self-preservation would surely take priority, no doubt bout that.

but what irks me is that of this narrowed description of Malay culture & values by such supposed torch-bearers of dikir and its preservation in this modern secular world.

i disapprove of the whole hypocritical preachy self-glorifying framework of dikir, and thus comes the counter-chants of 'melayu takda adat'.

Somehow, there is a focus on the polarization of 'beradat' and 'tak beradat' where you are considered to be instantly beradat if you engage yourself in such clapping of hands, placing it at the importance of studies etc. when the paradigm shift should be magnified at the improvement of our malay society at large.

i played angklung, but i disapprove of dikir. does that automatically exclude me from the 'beradat' elite?

i get to eat nasi minyak recently cos a 17 year old neighbour doing her N's married. to suggest a voluntary union would be an understatement.

i study at the study corner facing the wall in one of the void decks and i get snide remarks from mat minahrips who walk along the corridor. at least the ahpeks mind their own business.

i get dikir barat groups talking bout 'puasa cukup satu bulan' when i have seen some of their matrips skiving frm fast in the nearby coffeeshop 2 weeks ago.

i acknowledge that i myself have many faults ; but i baulk at the hypocrisy and doppleganger-ism of it all.

so much for social commentary. menjaga adat.

how bout education as a means of menaikkan bangsa melayu, not focussing on the rhetoric through such clapping singing?

the whole potential of dikir as a wonderful tool of awareness, to me personally, has been offset. i can only imagine on what could have been had the ideals of secularization & commentary had been met.

this is not a means of preaching. its just utter frustration.

think about it. feel free to bash me.

Yours Sincerely,
Azmie BoyGucci

Muahksz!

2004-11-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

Wah kaoz leh...
Read this up somewhere..Useful pseudo-contemplative fodder for those good-for-nothings who don't know what else to do but surf the net cause exams are over and you feel pretty bored cause its 1 am in the morning. hmmm..sounds awfully familiar to me..

Agnosticism

The terms agnosticism and agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. The concept however has long existed: the philosophical and theological view that the existence of God, gods or deities is either unknown, or inherently unknowable. The term is also used to describe those who are unconvinced or noncommittal about the existence of deities as well and other matters of religions.

The singular characteristic of agnosticism is that the existence of God is inherently unknowable, however others view this singular characteristic as either uncertainty or doubt. For this reason, agnosticism is a form of scepticism focusing on religious statements, and so faces some of the same philosophical issues.

For instance if an agnostic claims that absolute knowledge of truth is not possible and does not restrict the scope of this claim, they are in danger of contradicting themselves. For then the statement there are no absolute truths would appear itself to be an absolute truth. An agnostic is on firmer ground if they claim that religious statements or statements about the numinous world are not or cannot be satisfactorily justified. If such were the case, it would be reasonable to reserve judgment. For instance, an agnostic might demand that religious statements be justified in the same way as scientific statements, perhaps in terms of the scientific method. Since this is adopting an attitude towards the quality of proof required to accept such statements, agnosticism becomes a matter of inclination rather than of logical proof. That is, one need only be willing to accept a different justification of religious statements in order to avoid agnosticism. Perhaps this explains why agnostics do not generally engage in proselytization.

P.S. M.Mentor Lky is an agnostic. betcha u didn't know that. tee hee.

I love this feeling.
of being

unfettered/
heez!! PPPPPPP

2004-11-17T21:31:00.000-08:00

What does your t-shirt say? by rejektedrockstar
Name
Age
Fav. Color
Gender
Ta-Da

Quiz created with MemeGen!

Tee Hee! So sexy onexxx!!

Oh what the fuck.

2004-10-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

POLITICS MADE SIMPLE

Socialism: You have two cows. Give one to your neighbour.

Communism: You have two cows. Give both to the government. The government gives you milk.

Capitalism: You sell one cow and buy a bull.

Fascism: You have two cows. Give milk to the government. The government sells it.

Nazism: The government shoots you and takes the cows.

New Dealism: The government shoots one cow, milks the other, and pours the milk down the sink.

Anarchism: Keep the cows. Steal another one. Shoot the government.

Conservatism: Freeze the milk. Embalm the cows.

Republicanism: Milk the cows dry and share it with Jewish mates in Congress. Shoot the palm-oil producing farmers and sieze their cows so that their children can starve to death.

Since i'm in a particularly volatile mood, let me present to you a fantastic collection of some convincing war posters issued by the Ministry of Homeland Security of our virtous allies.

Warning: Not meant for conservative pussies or pro-yankee redneck shitheads

(Oh yeah pre-emptive action my ass! How bout we pre-emp your castration mister republican cause yours gonna get shrivelled anyway)

(Hey you there! Don't question the government.. How can you? After all the tax cuts they made for the upper income bracket citizens.. the least you could do is support.. even though such polarization of "GOOD" vs "BAD" may look suspiciously flimsy.. you still must support the war effort okay..)

(Yea and be rest assured that the Democrats are no less different.)

(Hey.. you gotta be realistic. Ya gotta finish up from where ya father left off. Come on, the memory of your name emblazoned virtously in history texts is at stake here!)

(MORAL OF THE STORY: Don't change horses in mid-stream.)

(Arrest anyone who walks around with a large beard and isn't white. NOW!)

(INK=BLOOD)

2004-09-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

Outgoing (E) 54.05% Withdrawn (I) 45.95%
Imaginative (N) 61.54% Realistic (S) 38.46%
Intellectual (T) 50% Emotional (F) 50%
Improvised (P) 71.88% Organized (J) 28.13%

Your type is: ENFP

You are an Inspirer, possible professions include - conference planner, speech pathologist, HR development trainer, ombudsman, clergy, journalist, newscaster, career counselor, housing director, character actor, marketing consultant,political analyst, politician, career bureaucrat, musician/composer, artist, information-graphics designer, human resource manager, merchandise planner, advertising account manager, dietitian, advertising consultant, account manager, speech pathologist, massage therapist, editor/art director.

Take Free Career Inventory Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Wah piang eh.. i'm not inclined to be a dancer like the cutie in the tanjak izzit? wah laoz.. liddat how sia.. my para para skills all wasted ley.. budden its ok leh.. the career test say dat i can be actor! and singer hee hee! like Jackie Cheung eh.. maybe i can make album like his "life his like a dream" one.. so cool one sia his new album.. plus.. gosh!! i can join boyband like F4 sia!! tee hee.. who wanna join me form boiband leh.. muz noe how to breakdance k.. oh oh .. and muz have cute highlight floppy hair OK! If don't have cannot join! so heng shuai... i cannot wait sia.. to sing on stage.. ( say it in a cute nasal voice for full effect)

2004-09-22T01:08:00.000-07:00

Something new for audioslave pple, got this frm a webbie recently:

If you haven't already forgotten about Audioslave's roots in Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden, Tom Morello thinks you will come the next record.

"The thing that feels different [about the upcoming second album compared to the first] is there's even more spontaneity to it," Morello said recently. "With the last record, each of us was inevitably bringing some of our musical histories to the room. This record, it feels like, is just Audioslave. A lot of the songs grew up out of this fresh soil of getting to know each other."

Musically, Chris Cornell naturally fit in with Rage's former musicians from the beginning, Morello said, but now there's a level of comfort that's yielded more creativity.

"When we played the last record, we had never even played a single live show together," Morello said. "Now we have over a year's worth of touring under our belts and the chemistry has developed further to make it more of a unique entity."

Audioslave have 22 songs written for their second record and are about halfway through recording them with producer Rick Rubin.

"He's the fifth Beatle," Morello said of Rubin. "He's a great collaborative partner. He has a big-picture way of looking at music, which only tends to bring out the best with the artists he works with".

Audioslave are hard at work on the album, but the bandmembers made time for a few other endeavors. Drummer Brad Wilk recently starred in a short film and Morello and Wilk performed at last weekend's benefit for Axis of Justice, Morello and Serj Tankian's political activist organization. Like he did on a solo tour last fall, Morello performed material under the name the Nightwatchman, but he still has no plans to record the songs.

"The Nightwatchman plays for the people," he said. "When shows like this arise, it's a great opportunity to play those songs that are politically-based and from the dark
recesses of the Nightwatchman's psyche. Other than that, I'm very busy.

Taken frm : http://audioslaveky.tripod.com/

That sounds like good news,cos i really wanna hear their new stuff, but when the fuck are they coming to Asia??

Look how anxious some of their fans here in Singapore are? GRRRR

2004-09-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my god i finally saw energy in the flesh for the 1st time today!!! They're all so tall, so cute and so handsome!!! Shuai dai le! The autograph session was held at the IMM open carpark (bizzare choice of location) and it was supposed to start at 11.30am, but knowing celebs, they would most likely be at least 1/2hr late. It was so hot and squeezy. Na and me managed to secure a nice spot. They arrived at around 12.15pm (finally!) and the screams were like WOW! And so we screamed too. Haha! They look even much better in the flesh! They proceeded to belt out 2 songs from their latest tv show soundtrack, mi jia le zhi wu. 1st song; hey you. Their dancing is fab and when niu nai was facing in our direction, he looked at me and smiled!!! That was the 1st smile he gave me. 2nd song was a slow song which im not sure of the title of. Coz havent buy the album ma. Waiting for it to gai ban. They said that next week the gai ban album would be out and they will give away a figurine of one member along with each purchase! YeSH! I havent waited in vain! budden i agar agar the album come out next week leh..

Anyway, they den proceeded to the autograph session (we changed our "viewing spot" liao to get a nicer view of niu nai) and as he was signing albums 1/2way thru, he suddenly turned and looked at our direction, and smiled and waved at us!!! Oh my god! The 2nd time he smiled at me! Plus a wave! And we din even call him! like he sensed our signals telling him to look over here... look over here... muahaha! 3rd time he smiled at me, plus another wave again was oso while he was signing albums. Both times i was so stunned i couldn't move or think for awhile.. Wah piang ey.. And den i realised what happened and quickly smile and waves back in case he returned to what he's doing. There were jux too many albums waiting to be autographed and we were starving, so we went into IMM for lunch. (hungry leh wad to do sia).

After we finished lunch, we came out and energy were still out there, and the queue jux seems endless! Poor things. Energy will be going for another promo session for the ZPop concert at 3pm. Na and me went inside to quickly "chop" seats..They actually came down from the escalators and there's another round of wild screaming. They were interviewed and sang a slow song, wo ting jian tian shi zai chang ge. Soon, it was all over... They're going down to marina promenade for a carnival concert at nite.. *niu nai niu nai niu nai!" Wah lau whey!!! heng cute eh..
haiz..i wan to cry liao la..wei she ma?

We took this pic at night liao.. Ke ai lei!!

p.s.: me doing my vogue-licious pose on the right..hee...*winks*

2004-08-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

GOD

God is a concept, by which, we measure our pain.

I'll say it again.

God is a concept, by which, we measure our pain.

i don't believe in magic
i don't believe in i'ching
i don't believe in bible
i don't believe in tarot

i don't believe in hitler
i don't believe in jesus
i don't believe in kennedy

i don't believe in buddha
i don't believe in mantra
i don't believe in gita
i don't believe in yoga

i don't believe in kings
i don't believe in elvis
i don't believe in dylan

i don't believe, in Beatles.

i just believe in me.

Yoko and Me

And that's reality.

The dream is over.
What can i say

The dream was over.
Yesterday.

I was the dreamweaver,
But now, i'm reborn.

I was the Walrus.
But now, i'm John.

And so, dear friends,
You just have to carry on.

The dream is over.

- Lennon, 9/10/70.

2004-08-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Drawbacks Of Being Nice:

1. If you try to be nice to a girl/s, you get labelled

"Don Juan", "Nonok", "Gatal", "Mr Cinta-Cinta"

by inferior-feeling banana munching apes when all you were trying to do was to be fucking nice for once.

(An example of an inferior-feeling banana munching ape)

2. If you try to tell yourself, "Okay then, screw that, I'll be nice to only guys now", you then get suspicious stares from curious-looking envious apes and thus get labelled

"Gayboy", "Transexually-Oriented", "Wierdo"

3. If u then get exasperated over such macaque-like chatter over your preferences and thus focus ur attention on being nice to ONLY animals now, the squacks by His Majesty the Ape Emperor & Her Highness the Ape Empress get several decibels louder as u are now bestowed the titles of

"Animal-Nympho", "Furry", "Sick Asshole"

You're bein excessively nice to animals? [CLICK]
	You FURRY!
You are a sick, sick, individual. Stop lusting over animals! Take off that fursuit and quit yiffing. No-one likes furry art! STOP NOW!
You sick mufcking son of a butch.

Caught in a conundrum.

And placed in a quagmire of jealous sentiments by such high lofted Neanderthal royalty.

So what do you do now?
What's the use of being nice ?

Solution:

EITHER you take the route of the manipulative Shakespearean machavillain ala Iago, Don John et cetera

OR you submit to the request and heed to HIS & HER Macaque Majesty and become an eternal slave to the whim and fancy of their brood

( A wise choice indeed.)

I choose to tell those Babooned Face Critics to Fuck Off

Look at themselves in their own mirror
And mind their own fucking business
Stop trying to be Big Brother and Sister of your own orgasmic imaginations of an Ape Clan for once

I've made my choice.

What's yours?

2004-08-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

"Deaf Donald"

Deaf Donald met Talkie Sue,

But,

was all he could do.

And Sue said, "Donald I sure do like you."

But,

was all he could do.

And Sue asked Donald, "Do you like me too?"

But,

was all he could do.

"Good-bye then, Donald, I'm leaving you."

But,

was all he could do.

And she left forever, but she never knew, that

means I Love You.

- Inspired by A Light In The Attic, Shiel Silverstein

thanks Aiem.

2004-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, continue your liberated chatter
Don't worry, people won't see that you're less than human
It's fine, he's just an innocent bystander
Your self worth and vested motives are more important
Berate him
Slander him
Use every rule in the book
Heck, tear it up into pieces if u wish

You don't need rules to govern the canker in your heart
You need just that little bit of pure evil
You are king
You are emperor
You are the best of the beast
You are supreme
The divine ruler of holy matrimony

"The end justifies the means"
A collossal sense of self-worth is all u need
Get that dream that u've always craved for
For you are the king
Every one else is a subordinate
As a tool for your illusory goal

Self-deception is non-existant
For you, everyone else bows down
Kissing ur feet
Worshipping your command
Revering your very stature

All hail the supreme leader
"Heil Fuhrer!"
Have belief in him
Have confidence in his self worth

Every spoken word
Its not propaganda
Its his chosen truth

2004-07-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Words Spoken Alone

I kept up with the prophecies you spoke
I kept up with the message inside.
Lost sight of the irony, of twisted faith
Lost sight of myself,
and now its void.

Words that I spoke alone,
Phrases that no one will hear
Empty rooms
Here now on my own
Silence feels my fear

Took a chance, in decieving myself
To share in the consequence of lies.
Childish, with my reasoning and pride
Festering scabs, which I can no longer hide.

Step inside the light, and see
the embers
Of fear, burning inside of me
The scabs were put
To maim
To kill
To burn
To mould

In purity

2004-07-13T04:07:00.001-07:00

Finally..vous avez un tel beau sourire magnifique qu'il brille sur les montagnes comme un million de soleils

ah thanks alot Nizzam for the find.. i kinda miss her , & it was kinda a relief, albeit a shortlived one, to see her pretty smiling cheerful face once again after so long. made my day. and to think that she went to the recent Platform. hah missed opportunities. oh well. let me shave my head, be a monk and hide in that cave of mine in my ancestral origins of those gigantic mountains of Bhutan laa.. maybe i can find serenity there..

I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you

I look at you all ,see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all...
Still my guitar gently weeps

How emo can i get?

2004-06-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

time: 1245hrs
venue: Media Room (t*h t*ck campus)

Dear Mr Scrap of Paper,
Oh well, I have 1 & 1/2 hours left in this cold refrigerator of an exam room, and let me see... hmmmm yeah, did four pages of essays, not bad eh, considering each page consisted of five lines or less. Honestly, I didn't study at all for this subject, so I can't be bothered to test my GP essay writing skills and in the end, get the same marks as when I hand in a blank script. Come to think of it, I could even mark a number beside this dumb goddamn essay and try to pass it off as 'Question No. 5', which I wanted to attempt but had no fuckin' idea on what encompasses "Monetary & Fiscal Economic Policies". Well, I do have a vague idea of it somewhere at the back of my mind,from tutorials long ago, but I can't be bothered to think THAT hard at the moment. There's a lot of clutter in there, so its quite a chore for me to sieve through all and mess and rubble to find only that teeny-weenie bit of information which would eventually count for zilch or half a mark. Can't be bothered.

Hey guess what? 15 minutes have passed since I first wrote the lines on top, and so I will repeat the cycle all over again: Oh well, I have 1 & 3/4 hours left in this very cold refrigerator of an exam room, and let me see... hmmmm yeah, did four pages of essays, not bad eh, considering each page consisted of five lines or less. Honestly, I didn't study at all, but would an increase in investment lead to a full employment level of income? How the heck should I know? Do I look like some richass magnate of a Donald Trump or George Soros to u? Ahh, spouting gibberish again now, and to think that I obtained the highest marks for this stupid subject during the last Common Test. Argh, better buck up my shit, but I can't do anything much now, not for 1hr 5/8 mins
trapped in this extremely cold grave. Sitting down here, it set me thinking of some interesting questions. How might countries restrict imports? Is there any economic basis for such restrictions? Well, yeah I can show you my economic basis only if somebody would hand me a million! Then I'll show you how economic basis looks like.

Damn, if I keep up going on like this, there goes my sheesha outing with Miss Sweet-Die-Hard-Fan-of-Tomokish-Portuguese-Soccer-Player. But then again, being the shy boy that I am, I'll keep quiet now. Heh, reading back now, I realize that this piece of crap is full of nonsense, but its okay lah. I dig nonsense. Cause I'm full of nonsense. And so says Jipang. So yeah he's like the Emperor of Skudai so I gotta agree with his every word. Everyone's full of nonsense. And so are you so just shut your stinking farthole of a mouth and stop sniggering away like some rehab reject on hashish.

Argh, somebody help me man. Feeling rather edgy now. Apologies for the fucked up attitude Mr Scrap of Paper, but then again, I don't really care. Someone has to tell me that I have to be nice for once or else, I'm gonna die alone, shrivelled, cranky and as grouchy as the grouch Grouch, the grouchelorette Miss Grouchinah aka Sofinah. Thinking of becoming a ghetto thug, inspired by Wang Lee Hom's "Not Ur Average Thug", so how bout this, dawg. Spin the beats Zai:

Yo Yo Yo
Mic check.
Aite.
(Sounds of spinning groovy beats in background.)
Let's keep our Singapore, spanking clean and green~
Don't mean to be a bore, didn't know i'd come to this?
Check out y'all new rap starz, dawg they look so fuckin mean,
Its Jay-JayZ in a suitcase, givin each otha a kiss!!
Wazza Homies!!
REPREZENT!!!

(Shout outs to Zairaj Mat Misai Zordon and Jay-Jay-I'm-oh-so-gay-plus-I-like-Zai for those glimpses of inspiration. Raj Our Platform champ man! Check out the chicks at Jakarta fo me aite!
Peace Out Biatch!)

2004-06-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Meet Alex Tomok "Flip-Flop Poppy" Oates: the Everybody Man

The person who seems to know everyone, and everybody seems to feel the same way too, but what they don't know is that of the fact that they actually do NOT know the true him, heck, he doesn't even seem to understand himself, know himself, and his insecurities, as it all seems like a blur to him, a mirage of an apparition trapped in this callous state of being, hundreds of billions of uncountable atoms woven together to represent this..this unworthy object which has this ability to cry, snigger, crawl, beg for mercy, yearn for love, desire to live.

He likes to think that he is a simple man with a simple life and simple demeanour, but this intricately assembled state of consciousness doesnt allow him to react in such a manner,leaving him bemused, neurotic, cursing incessently at himself while he sleeps a million slumbers every cold, hard night. "Dumbfuck! Dumbfuck! Wake up, will you!".

Abstract kaleidescope of illusions often greet him in the wee hours of the morning, as he tries his best not to fall asleep and incur the wrath of the master of puppets; that is "Mr-I-Wanna-Make-You-Happy-For-AWhile-By-Dreaming", (Aka Mr Toaster Face). Mr Toaster face would connivingly try his utmost to try and decieve this honest little insecure boy every single night, by at first beckoning him and inviting him to an innocent game of marbles, but who would inadvertantly destroy the innocence of youth by deluding him with visions of grandeur and ravishing making-out romps, only for him to wake up and realize that it is all a lie, a staged play of deceit , which nevertheless baffled him and kept his idle mind busy as he decided upon the various possiblities of avoiding the monster and never to see his "Toaster Face" ever again.

Oates would often get in and out of different moods in the whim of a second, a flicker of a switch, a flutter of a butterfly; he would feel euphoric and in the next moment be thrown back to the stony gravel of reality, it piercing through his confidence like a stake deliriously driven through a putrid dead carcass. He smiles at the pretentiousness of self, constantly at odds with that alter-ego of his who compels him to become a hypocrite of sorts, a liar masked as a sweet-looking young man who doesn't hesitate to lend a helping hand for a good cause, albeit with hidden intentions. Behind his happiness, hides this festering swab of a wound, infested by maggots, parasites of every kind, savouring the foul-tasting heavenly meat of desire, reminding him of his favourite dish of that steaming pot of sup kambing, with roti perancis to boot.

Ahhh... how would he love to learn how it feels like to be free from inhibitions, the endless chatterings of castrated monkeys in his mind, and away from the screams of a rhinocerous as it gives birth to an amazingly cute chubby little baby boy. He would sell his soul to the Devil just to have the chance to roar! like a lion, keep an identical mane and prowl the gardens of Africa, but alas, he is trapped in the crevices of his own cramped mind, devoid of sunlight and the trappings of life that come with it.

Even, though, everymorning, Mr Alex Tomok "Flip-flop Poppy" Oates would tie his laces, carry his bag, and set off into this brand new world with that everlasting smile plastered perpetually on his face, just in case people find out about his actual insecurities if he doesn't do so.

Oates is pleasantly contented with his life, he has everything to look forward to, especially the day when it dawns upon him that this act is only transient, and that he is just a mere statistic which would return as a part of the ecosystem of the soil when the time comes.

Ho-hum. Mr Oates is definitely everyone's favourite Everybody's Man, isn't he?

Just like everyone else.

2004-06-24T04:07:00.000-07:00
The Ninja Muscle Hot Gila Nak Mampus Punya Holy Trinity has apparently been signed up by Twentieth Century Fox Network to become the Asian representatives for an upcoming television campaign, entitled the "Napoleon Dynamite", after apparently picking up the vibes of euphoric "Ninja Mania" all over the region, spawning bootleg websites, devoted die-hard fans, a strong shadow army of trained made men, and worthy affilates, namely the "Ninja Burger" food franchise (http://www.ninjaburger.com) and a recent release of the "Ninja Gaiden PS2 console game", which has seen strong sales due to it riding on the Muscle's popularity.

An excerpt from the website of our cool boo-wah-pley nak mampus skills is seen below:

http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/napoleondynamite/fanclub/index.php

If u haven't been forewarned of our impressive Air Pressure Ninja Kicks, then I suggest you'd better be careful and watch your smelly, rancid, putrid, foetid back every 2 seconds.

Brace yourself for the coming revolution. Haiyaak!

-Sensei Shichiroji Mimi Kosugi-san

(ps. application forms for the "Made-Man-Wannabe Ninja-Do Healthy Aerobics Workout" are available at a Community Centre near you. Just approach any enthusiastically-clapping dikir barat devotee for details.)

2004-06-23T11:17:00.000-07:00
Useless Serendipity

The sudden screams from the roof of his head,
breaks the silence as he lay on his bed.
When will those noisome feelings go away?
Or are they perpetually destined to stay?

Sadness and grief, burns slowly inside him,
as he engages in mindless self-deprecation,
Over these chains, that seem to fetter him
and plot his imminent damnation.

However hard he tried to stay sanguine,
this state of despondence, never fails to overrule
Enslaving him, alone, in shambles
leaving him with no way out,
as he wanders aimlessly in this maze, of confusion.

He tries his best to stay sangfroid,
Caught in a state of apparent delusion,
but whenever he seems, to regain his equanimity,
Fate somehow flings him back, with His moral intrusion.

Returning into this abyss of retrogress,
he wonders,
When will these perpetual recriminations end?
All he seems to feel, is emptiness
at those wounds, that would not mend.

So now, the waves, they have subsided
and his soul is tattered, torn, tormented.
He can't take away all the shame, he feels.

Forgive him.

2004-06-22T05:00:00.001-07:00
Being Left Aint Right? Hurhur

Another one of those bland 'study' trips degenerated into yet another hop down to the reference section, where i found a useful book on the "Principles of Biopsychology" by a certain Simon Green. To my amusement, there was a section entirely devoted to the enigmas of the human race: the left handed freaks. Don't get me wrong. I'm left handed myself.

What i found shocking was that the statistics for left handed people (constitutes of 10% of the world population) have been consistant for hundreds of years, which only serves the purpose that it doesnt happen by chance, but is actually dictated, either by natural selection (which is Darwin's piece of logical crap.. what we evolve from monkeys? bullshit!) or by some ethereal being controlling the nuances of Mankind. So all ya Atheists, better believe in God now okay..

Even today, life for the left handed in a right handed society is not easy: driving, and especially writing, where "going from the left to right means that the writer obscures what he/she has just written, leading to a loss of neatness (!) and fluency, and also the adoption of the "inverted writing posture".(Green) So that explains it..On why I have such horrible handwriting..which resembles ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics or upside-down Sanskrit.. damn! Not my fault! Levels of left handedness are also "Significantly higher in males, twins, in the mentally retarded, mathematicians, epileptics, dyslexics and artists"- Doesn't look too comforting for the leftists ey?

There happens to also be extreme positions in the debate of the origins of such notion of "handedness". One theory of Green is that left handedness is actually due to some sort of early brain damage (what the fuck!), for instance, at birth. The brain then reorganizes itself to cope with the damage, which why explains the sudden change in inclination. That's pretty hard to believe isn't it?

Another theory explains about Lefthandedness & the vulnerable male(Geshwind). Apparently theres an association between leftists and a number of auto-immune diseases, like migrane (spot on lah!), eczema, allergies and the sorts. Geshwind also noted that immune disorders were more common in leftists, and are also often associated with psychological problems, such as stuttering and dyslexia. And they are found more commonly in males. Damn. Which all points to one conclusion, that we (the leftist males) have pretty much a slim chance of living it up past 50, or even 40, with the odds (currently at 10952-1) being as slim as Kristen Kreuk NOT ending up as my wife! Hah! Gimme the latter ..

There also happens to be differing traits of skill advantages or impairments between the different handed. As we all know, the right handers are more inclined to the left hemisphere of the brain, and leftists vice-versa, in which the

Right hemisphere is all about:
- recognizing faces, abstract patterns, depth perceptions, environment sounds and musical tone

Versus The

Left hemisphere, which is better at:
-Words, digits, letters (visually presented), spoken words & syllables.

Fantastic. Which explains why i screw up my Math countless times.

Studies on brain-damaged patients also suggests that the right hemisphere produces negative emotions, which explains why left handers often have high chances of depression in their lives, whereas the rightists are contented with the fact that their predominant facet, the left hemisphere, produces postive emotional states. Wow. Lucky jackasses.

Oh, talking about odds, I was discussing with a certain soul about the chances of the Italians making it through to the next round of Euro, which is quite impossible, but he digressed and he proceeded to carry on the debate on the positives of the Catenaccio system (yeah right, tell Zlatan that). And when asked about the chances of Latvia against the Dutch, I offered a theory: "Well, Latvia is a predominantly industrialised country, but the farms and the agriculture sector are struggling. And you know what Latvian farmers say: Red sky at morning is a shephard's warning. But red sky at night is a shephard's delight. So lets go Dutch and bet on Ruud to deliver the goods.

After listening to my verbal barrage, he nodded appreciatively, winked knowingly and remarked:
"But remember, the ball is round."

To which i replied: "And? Annnnnddddd? Annnndddd thennnn?"

but the conversation was over and, like all those sages who have used that profound line before, he smiled slyly, delighted with himself with the jaw-dropping fact that he was on a higher intellectual plane than the rest of us minions, who would never fathom the importance it places on the space-time continuom of the Universe.

But then again, he's right. The ball IS round. And until today, I thought that it was a bloody trapezium.

And in case you were wondering where we were, it was in some celestial room, sheesha-ing and trying to emulate legendary dragons, and probably contributing to the sudden irregularity of our PSI index. All the smoke probably clouded my friend's judgement too!

Oh yeah, and we took pics too! So cute!

2004-06-16T22:02:00.000-07:00
A NOSTALGIC TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE..

"Dia ingat dia pandai sangat ah tu.. Merepek kerepek nye budak2 ah.."
- Chow Yun Lif

"Ah ah.. Dah mula lah tu, nak start posing2 setep muke abang2 serious ape.. Padehal takde adat nyer manusia"
- Pang Sameon (Part-time Mat, Full-time Asshole)

"Wah, korang gembira sakan nampak.. Aku sendiri nie yg nak jaga maruah abang2 mat-mat Skudai takkan act cute mcm korang nie la.. Nie pasal aku kena ikut arahan chong aku la..korang mana tau ini semua, kanak2 hidup takda tujuan.. Takde pegangan terus! Pui!
- Jaki Jelapang (Dikir Activist with design bag w/o motorcycle licence)

2004-06-14T23:04:00.000-07:00
Feelings Of Emotions

In my attempt to study in WLB, I unwittingly stumbled upon several interesting studies on the links between physiology and psychology which quelled my interest in such a field. And one happened to be about an interesting analysis of Feelings of Emotions.

There seems to be an apparent direct link between the feelings of people and their subsequent reactions which confirm their feelings, but quite to the contrary of the widespread perception that feelings come first, then the physical reaction, it is rather that the reaction reacts in a vice-versa manner.

In the James-Lange theory that i stumbled upon in a book, William James (An American psychologist) and Carl Lange (Danish physiologist) argued a theory in which they state that the behaviors & physiological responses are directly elicited by situations, and that feelings of emotions are produced by feedback from these behaviours & responses.

Thus, emotion- producing situations elicit an appropriate set of physiological responses, such as trembling (when u see a hot chick),or increased heart rate (when you are feverishly making out). Oh yah, and also behaviours such as clenching of fists & kicking pple in the ribs. (That explains it, Al-Hafiz). The brain (eg Al-Hafiz's) receives sensory feedback from the muscles & from the organs that produce these responsed & it is this feeback that constitutes our feelings of emotion.

Our own emotional feelings are based on what we find ourselves doing and on the sensory feedback we receive from the activity of our muscles. When we find ourselves trembling, we experience fear. However, we normally think that the process is vice-versa, as we may think that we experience emotions directly, internally. And we may consider outward manifestations of emotions to be secondary events.

But think about it, have you ever found yourself in an unpleasant confrontation (eg. with your subject teacher) in which you discovered that you were trembling, even though you did not think that you were so bothered by the encounter? Or did you ever find yourself blushing in response to some public remark that was made about you? Or did you find tears welling up in your eyes while you watched a movie that you did not think was affecting you? What would you conclude about your emotional states in situations like these? Would you ignore the evidence from your own physiological reactions?

Thus, this is what explains why the adage "To think before you act" is crucially ironic. In essence, we cannot respond psychologically feelings-wise before the physiological response acts first, thus feelings are the results, not the causes of emotional reactions.

Even simulating an emotional expression causes changes in the nervous system. Perhaps feeback from these changes explains why an emotion can be contagious( which explains the fact that laughter, fear can be contagious.) We see someone smile with pleasure, and we ourselves imitate the smile, and the internal feedback makes us at least somewhat happier. To make it simple, we don't feel happy and laugh, we laugh (particularly when we do at Jipang), and then we feel the happiness within. So what if we happen to lose our physical abilities?

Depressingly enough, a study of patients with spinal cord damage supported the James-Lange theory, where people who could no longer feel the receptions from most of their body reported a loss of intense emotional states. And that applies to a loss of emotional love, and sex drive as well!

Damn, I think im going crazy

2004-06-08T21:27:00.000-07:00
Flabbergast

They said, it's okay to cry
But the stains, they linger on
Like a memory etched in stone,
painfully worn out by incessent,
tumultous weather.
But omnipresent nonetheless.

I long for those rides
To school.
Where time elapses at the flutter of an eyelid,
Whilst we had our awkward, but meaningful conversations
Even as the car moved
Like a slow-burning candle.

I long for dinner
Conversations.
Where I would whine and cry
Refusing to eat my vegetables,
And you would promptly proceed to shove it
Down my throat.

I long for those
Bathtime moments.
Where you would scrub me clean,
Even as I tried my best to resist.
Like all kids do at that age
Anyway.

I long for those times
At the beach.
Where you would throw screaming me,
Goggles and all, into the sea
In your bid to teach me, how to swim
Though I was terrified, of the raging waves.

You wanted me to overcome my fear
Can you now help me, overcome this hurt?

I long for those
Nights.
Where you would visit us,
Smuggling treats, like Vitagen
and chocolates
Through the metal grille, which separated us.
And which still does, to this day.

However painful it is to reminisce,
They are, and will, remain as memories.

What if, things hadn't turn out the way they do?

It doesn't have to be this way.

2004-05-09T22:41:00.000-07:00
Ridzal! I'm Innocent! Babi..

What a great weekend it was for me, at least soccer-wise. On Friday, me & Ridzal experienced a 1 & 3/4 hr unbeaten run in street soccer for our team, which roughly translates to around 20+ matches won straight, non-stop. Pretty tiring, but satisfying nonetheless. It was not as if the opposition was substandard, but what baffled me was that they had no answer to our flicks, even as new opponents came in. To cap it off, me & Ridz played for Razak's team against some CC and we won 6-3. Was nice to see Rashid again after so long, and was pretty satisfied with my second-half clean sheet playing at left-back, but some idiot stole Imram's wallet and spoilt the day. Motherfucker. Another match coming up on Thursday, at Kranji. Can't wait liaozzz. Imram in NS (claims he looks like Pires. You judge lah.)

And yeah, inside the bus, I saw this Daddy literally digging his son's nose for him (child was 3-plus I think). heh. Paternal affection. Cute.

Shockingly, at JP, me & Ridz realized our uncanny affinity for girls in white & pink! I can't fathom, but there must be some psychological explanation on why our previously blurred peripheral vision would suddenly light up once a girl in pink prances by.

And I meant not just ANY girl in pink. Even especially the sight of pink specs is enough to make my heart melt, with nostalgia at least. And I blame it all on Mira, though I'll still be her faithful platomon. heh don't be jealous laa shikinnn..i'll be a source of emotional support u for too. But sometimes I find it wierd on why I still do quietly support Mira by the sidelines in every single dance competition/showcase that she's in, just to watch. She has what it takes to turn professional, though even to the extent of ignoring matters of the heart.

And what's up with Indonesian music? The gaping disparity between them and the rest of the region is alarming (am gonna post a review of several notable songs soon) and that applies to their chicks as well lah. Exotic or what? It suddenly crossed my mind of having had 2 exes of such origin, which is an idiotic irrelevant thought to consider and is essentially besides the point. Huh?

Zainal in Koala Mode (Note the especially bulgy Adam's apple.)

Oh yeah, I found decent emo rock chick's blog. At last. And both u Ridzal & Kin: Die u motherfunkers.

2004-05-07T23:08:00.000-07:00
Wish I could wind back the clock of my existence. I miss you, Dad. And I miss those days.

2004-05-07T22:58:00.000-07:00
Ethereal Dream

Hands on a window pane
Watching some children laugh, and play
They're running in circles
With candy canes, and plaited braids

Inspired to question
What makes us grown-ups anyway?
Lets search for the moment
When Youth betrayed itself, to age.

So let the children play,
Inside your heart always
And Death you will defy
As your youth will never die.

In searching for substance
We're clouded by Struggle's haze
Remember the meaning
Of playing out in the rain

We swam in the fountain,
Of Youth's timeless maze
If you drink the water,
Never will it fade.

I won't let go of that,
Youthful soul.
Despite ageing body , mind
My youth will never die.

2004-05-05T19:47:00.000-07:00
Azmi's Theory of 'Excludability' (Part 1)

Have you ever wondered why you sometimes see some people just having a good time laughing over a silly joke within themselves and you look at them and say, "Hey, thats immature. Childish. Stupid," amd wonder afterward about whether you truly knew what joke they were laughing about, or just plainly did not see the funny side of their prank? You could thus be the victim of this neurotic phenomenon called "Excludability".
As derived from Freud's 3 states of human consciousness, 1) Ego, 2)Superego, 3) Id, the superego, or even unconsciously, the ego, tells the mind what's essentially right or wrong in their own terms, from what it deduces through rationalization, or the amalgamation of societal conventions and plain logic. It might seem simple enough to conclude that the opinion of the individual is justified through their reactions of disapproval, but my theory is that it is actually the inner state of mind (the superego) of the individual which hides the true intentions of self.
Thus, a person showing contempt at the silliness of other people laughing and having a good time, may just be unconsciously bitter that they are not being let into the joke and its contents (thus excluded), or is plainly irritated that others are laughing and having fun, whilst he/she (due to personal reasons such as mood swings or just plainly acting it cool), can't due to abovementioned reasons. Have you ever encountered such a situation?

2004-05-05T19:39:00.000-07:00
Azmi's Theory of Excludabilty (Part 2)

Thus, onto the continuom of this mini-thesis of mine. My suggested opinion towards the possible solution to such an inherent psychological problem is simple: Just be yourself, stop creating a 'wall' from others, and most importantly, to spread the laughter and the joy. Do you know that Russians laugh the least times in a day (according to a recent proven scientific research) and they too happen to have one of the highest rates of suicide and depression in the world? So, the next time you feel like laughing to yourself (or at yourself), or sharing a joke with others, please do! And remember to spread it along, as it is not only for personal enjoyment, but it contributes to societal benefit as well. Life is not a muddle. It is only as bad as you perceive it to be. Haiyaak!

2004-04-29T02:04:00.000-07:00
The enigma.
Perusing on my existance.
Unabashedly mocking every move.
Waiting, berating, consuming,
And gorging, till his selfish fill.

The enigma.
Who listens, with cautious intent.
And crawls incessantly along every corridor.
Smiling wryly, with a contented mind,
But with a foetid innard.

The enigma.
Ephemeral as it may seem
Decidedly seraphic, that porcelain being.
But, a rotten carcass underneath those cracks.

The enigma,
that shameless largesse of hypocrisy.
A serf of imposed moralistic conventions,
Who hides, lies, betrays,
even his brotherly alternate state of mind.

That enigma,
constantly gaining speed, erratic momentum.
As it rolls along the crevices of delusion.
Refusing to heal the wounds,
Even as the caress of the flames,
Stroke the hurt,
And soothes, this great narcissist pretender.

Then I realized.
The enigma.
Is me.

2004-04-29T01:47:00.000-07:00
Hah! I'm back from the wilderness of this self-imposed hiatus. Been a peasant lately, doing agricultural work at the slopes of mountains, growing vegetables for daily consumption. But... i got disillusioned, dreaming of the smoky streets of Singapore , and the rough and tumble of its highly accelerated and mechanized pseudo-western society , untarnished by globalization and American culture. Missed those days where we would sit at Starbucks (right Shikin?) drinking cafe lattes and mocha frappucinos bantering about the calamactic problems facing teenagers in our country nowadays.. i mean, wow, our life is hard sia... people here actually have to tackle gargantuan problems of musing over what to wear to work , and wad polish to buy for that dirty BMW car parked at the corner over there.. ("yah, dat red one. nice rite?")
And so i returned, with a new outlook and vigour in life, and i met reformed peasants just like me, working hard in the vicinity of a school-cum-plantation and which helped me learn the ropes of HTML to publish this blog here.
Thanks to those who made my life a little better. And thanks Shikin for your web skills in helping me get this blog running. Maddy would be so proud of u! "I know she can't be mine.." -(Indian Accent)

2004-03-08T16:43:00.000-08:00
i wonder why sometimes some people show a sudden interest in an individual and when the other gives his/her heart to that person, that person suddenly disappears from view and refuses to acknowledge your existence. i mean..