"SomeWhere Over The RainBow" (Updated)

SomeWhere Over The Rainbow

More songs, what else!

Of so many versions sung by so many different people, I personally like the ones by Doris Day and Celine Dion and only because I didn't listen to the entire listing but sampled a few.

On hindsight, the ones by the originator "Judy Garland, "Celtic Woman" and American Idol Jason Castro were really good. And I got to see one of my favorite singers "Josh Groban" in a duet rendering the same song.

This song really kicks!

From Now On, It Is Gonna Be All Apple For Computing, Audioing And Cellularing

To keep my mind engaged even further, I am gonna spend at least the next 6 months studying the Mac OS X.

As it is, I am enjoying the quiet, solid and very stable UNIX system it runs on and many of Mac's unique and useful features.

I may actually migrate to its system eventually, ditching Windows for good?

And as a final tribute to all things Apple, I am gonna switch to an iPhone and Ipod very, very soon when my re-contract comes up. Among some of my wishlist would be that Iphone will feature screen-savers and messaging emoticons real soon !

Ode to Apple!

I Am (Wo)Man (Song By Helen Reddy), "Money, Money, Money" (Abba), "Material Girl" (Madonna) & "Thank You For Being A Friend" (Andrew Gold)

I Know I Promised To Blog On Friday
I will be blogging when I get home tonight.

In the meantime, bear with me and I leave you a song popularized by Helen Reddy. Just change the gender and it becomes "MAN", what else.

But Guess What? I Am Just Too Shagged Out And It Is Only Sunday Today!
But hey, today is already Sunday....and I am bloody shagged out by all the past events. From losses to losses. So I think I will pass on blogging and just leave you with the titles of the song.

Please look them up and sing to the lyrics. I think they do encapsulate some of our general feelings at times?

Oh yes, several new additions like "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA.......what else??? And don't forget to all the f(r)iends out there, "Thank You For Being A F(r)iend" by Andrew Gold written for the popular drama serial "Golden Girls".

Finally to round it all off, "Material Girl" (Madonna).

TADA!

Breaking Point - I Am Tired
Look, we all have our breaking point, man or woman, young or old, wateva.

I have reached mine. You had your fun. Now grant me my passageway......

Please! $ob $ob $ob?

More Emo-ing Over A Lost Lappie And Other Bad News- Boo Hoo! Boo Hoo! (New)

How Many People In This Fucking World Actually Lose Their Lappies? There You Are...It Is A Darn, Fucking, Stinking Predatory World And You Wanna Trust Humans?
You know what? I don't think I am over yet emo-ing over my lost lappie....

And I can only put my loss down to several factors:

1. eversince that new guy (let's call him LV dude) moved next to my room, I have been harassed by what was once his "sleeping" partner. This "sleeping partner" drives a Tourism Coach and he has been waylaying me at home like near my bedroom and outside the mansion. He will cover his face with papers and so on and pretend that he is buried in reading while waylaying and harassing me.

2. then the LV dude who is still staying here, is dirtying the toilet to get back at me because I wasn't smiling to him and I dont want to because we are too close in proximity and I need my space and privacy. And I am NOT AT ALL sexually interested in him.

3. another new guy has moved into Henry's (Henry is the other tenant who has since moved out and not to be confused with Henry my ex-lecturer) quarters and he and this LV dude seem to be "getting more than along".

Speaking of Henry, he looks a lot like Richard my ex-lecturer.

They also look like the same guy who was recommended me by a government agency when I was looking for premises to start a school.

My first impression was bad. He spoke of how traffic wardens and the traffic police are always out in full force when they need revenue (another gripe). Then I couldn't trust him because I asked if other schools will be allowed to start on their premises as well but he couldn't vouch for that.

And the place wasn't appropriate because it was stocking construction materials and it was also running their own programs and business programs happen to be one of them. I was afraid of being taken over. Guess what! My hunch was right! Today it has become a full-fledged academy and not the HQ of the construction industry as it was back then.

4. Someone told me he lost his electronic dictionary just days before this incident. It was a sob-story that rubbed on to me I guess. How else will you explain this ? Moral of the story is ....LAY OFF SOB STORIES because it may just befall me....

5. I seldom take out my notebook to public places these days and when I do, it is always in a travel bag. But that fateful day, I had to, because Ben has issued the ultimatum for me to vacate the place (and I suspect that this LV dude is Ben's friend and they were harassing me because Ben wants back his room) and I was trying to look for a new place online.

Or Ben has plans to lease it out to some foreign students like the Chinese students in my school because he has contact with my Chinese ex-roomie.

6. And I was hand carrying my lappie that day, something which I have never done before in my whole entire life.

7. Backpain, braces' tightness, vision strain, grogginess, a splitting headache from stresses, all my losses, etc SO I LET GO OF MY LAPPIE, what else.

8. Plus, not having the security of my home or an office or a home office (imagine if it RAINS) where I can properly do my work and stuff. Some quiet, ideal places out there have such BAD INTERNET CONNECTION.

People must be eyeing me when I was hand carrying my lappie.

I suspect it could even be from my school, the students.

The passengers like those off-duty, across-the-causeway bus captains aboard the bus speaking in accented Cantonese (and there are plenty of them around as mothers with kids in tow, home-makers, coffee-shop assistants and operators, etc, etc). Or even the kindly-looking shopkeeper where I boarded my buses.

So you see, I let down my guard and in a moment of weakness, BAD THINGS START TO HAPPEN!

Plus whoever is still holding on to my lappie is A STINKING FUCKING LOWDOWN criminal and thief who is MISAPPROPRIATING LOST PROPERTY. I am surprised this happens in Singapore but I can't be sure if that person is ONE OF US?

I suggest that RFID tags (which in this case should be a Serial Number, if not, what good is a SERIAL NUMBER for?) be made compulsory for all past and present valuable properties like lappies and luxury goods so that should they be misappropriated or stolen, they CAN BE TRACKED DOWN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

Cuss You!
My cuss remains.

Whoever has done this to me will suffer something in return. What I don't know. Something debilitating, an accident, some misfortune, maybe even a horrible death.

Even if he/she lives long and suffers nothing (seemingly), at least on the surface, on the day of death and on her/his deathbed, all the demons will gather round and he/she will suffer great throes of sufferings, pain and anguish and his/her gut will gnaw at him/her before he/she dies.

That is the way it will be.

Was That Why I Didn't Fare As Well In School Back Then?
This also brings to mind how difficult it was to follow the business or school texts of old, which were usually overseas editions.

It is like foreign currencies and units of measure (imagine doing conversions for pence, penny, shilling, gallons, yards, foot and what have you). Language was usually stiff and rigid laced with many of that said country's cultural backdrop. The names of places, people, events and food items. And it wasn't very illustrative or user-friendly.

Very much like reading a Victorian piece of literature and for an ordinary, in the street folk, how many of us actually has contact with the kinda setting, backdrop, cultural habits and language of the said country?

Psycho Movies
Chris has been screening movies for his students again. So I learnt from an ex-classmate I ran into.

Of course we all know that movies have never made it to the Golden Psi List except for some television dramas (which is an award handed out for realistic portrayals of psychology). And worse, there is always that element of an "artistic licence". Therefore there is always that CAUTIONARY WARNING!

But seriously these three movies were not that bad.

They were "Patch Adams", "Doubt" (Oscar nominee) and "Girl Interuppted" (1999 Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress and that honor goes to Angelina Jolie).

"Patch Adams" taught us the moral of the importance of laughter and positivism in promoting good health. That was the philosophy behind Patch Adams' institution and all those physically and mentally sick and crazy people actually needed friends to talk to and happiness in their lives.

"Doubt" also shows the austerity of the Roman Catholic orders especially among the nuns. When a priest tries to break that tradition in his pastoral role in school, he is regarded with suspicion by the nun principal and forced to resign. Undertones of homosexuality and its discrimination.

Finally "Girl Interrupted" was the funniest and the best. It showcased several "loonies" "incarcerated" in a mental institution and their intricate relationships and past histories. Angelina Jolie rightly deserves her winning role for her more than realistic portrayal of a sociopath.

Again the movie highlighted how we are actually all NORMAL people living in AN ABNORMAL world.

What Would You Say Is Your Most Significant Achievement In Life? And My Answer Would Be...........
And yeah we all know the hype about achievement and significant contribution in life.

So if ever anyone were to ask me what was my most significant achievement in life, I would reply:

"Having great sex?"

And as an afterthought....

"Loads of it......."

And a further afterthought......

"And oh yes.....owning luxury goods.......tonnes of it?"

Another AfterThought
And was my cataract a result of a past double eyelid surgery? Did it kinda disarm my eyelashes and eyelid from its protective function against the sun?

And I agree that like a Western notion of what constitute correct dress protocol when donning a business shirt with tie for formal office wear (as against a Mandarin collar), the Western concept of a double eyelid as beautiful (versus a natural Asian single eyelid) is also flawed.

My next question is : What will be the after-effects of skin laser...?????

There Are Other Bracing Systems Out There!
Remember what I have mentioned about an imperfect world in terms of knowledge. Well this illustrates my point succinctly.

I just found out there were comparable bracing systems out there in the world today.

One promised INSTANT braces with only 2 visits and no extractions and no relapses. Another promised a shorter time with fewer visits and better quality results.

Mine has taken me almost two years and I probably have half a year more to go. Plus another two years wearing retainers.

Prices were either cheaper or comparable. So why was information withheld for whatever reasons? Why wasn't I informed of what was available? Or was I just caught on the wrong side of the technology advance curve?

Sigh! Enough of bad news already and given my age, do they have to.......................? The young have better coping capacity but please, can you spare me...........?

"I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor) And 2009 Remix By Pussy Cat Dolls
Finally I leave you with this song .

It embodies what I think I will be enunciating for some time to come.............

What Else Before I Drop Dead?
My rice bowl has been broken by many people. I have lost money and my home. I can't move on to my higher education. My physical and mental health is poor. I am not sure what is gonna happen next....

I may just die from it all..............

The Way Forward (Newest)

Clarification : It Is Not To Be Taken Literally But Figuratively
I hope readers did not take it too literally when I wrote about the hearing and intellectually-impaired.

I am sure they understood that I meant those who did not hear or understand what I had said or written in my blogs.

The likes of people who love throwing their weight around and who obviously do not listen and always cut in when you talk to them.

People like that senior instructress at the gym (and I had a quite a few incidents at this constituency), the assistant manager at my school (effectively a sales consultant) and the rest.

Oh yeah! I actually ran into the Eunuch Daryl just today. He seems to be doing fine. The usual posturing, false accent, pompoity (so full of himself, that fucking wimpy prick) and nonsense. He is an "educator", mind you.

But one day he will get his just dessert. Nearer old age if he lives long enough or upon his death. It will not be peaceful I assure you. It will be a horrible death. He will be gnawed inside of him before he kicks the bucket.

Human (Song By "Human League")
No matter.

I am human after all, of flesh and blood I am made, born to make mistakes (TADA - lyrics of the song and yes Wang Lee Hom actually did a "TADA" pose when he debuted at ION Orchard's Grand Opening).

I do feel a whole range of emotions, feelings (nothing more than feelings - TADA again with lyrics from the the other song "Feelings") and frustrations from day to day, even hour on the hour. I do need to VENT "my feelings" and my blog seems like the WAY TO GO!

Feelings (Song By Morris Albert)
Like the pain I have been experiencing the last couple of weeks. The throbbing pain centred right between my browhead and a kinda cold searing sensation running down my back in addition to what else but more pain. Which includes pain from my knees.

At times I felt like passing out, feel disoriented (maybe my braces and vision played their part in making me feel even groggier), light-headed and dizzy especially among crowds and constant movement.

That explains my agitation and irritability when I am faced with harassment from groups I blogged about. And by the way any community, young or old, ethnic or otherwise, foreign or local must remember that if stereotypes are to be broken, they must prove themselves and earn the respect from the rest of us


And of course a fillthy toilet at "home" (whch attracts fruit flies sticking on to dental floss, hair, food scraps, urine and faecal stains) just adds up, doesn't it? I mean it is living quarters after all and don't we all wanna keep our abodes clean?

Which explains why I could actually lose my notebook! $%^#@@@.

An UnLucky Day (Hey! Sounds Like I Am Writing A Primary Fourer Essay All Over Again!)
That was the worst day of my life.

After almosting fainting from the grogginess and all the pain, I finally discovered I had misplaced my notebook. I frantically retraced my steps. A search at the showers, the booking office and the bus depot turned up nothing.

To add to all my woes, it poured and that delayed me from swinging into action fast. I was caught in the rain and my mobile shut down several times (despite having upgraded the software at a fee previously) while I was making all the necessary calls to the LOST AND FOUND hotlines.

I hadn't eaten the whole day and thought I could catch a quick bite at the Jap restaurant while waiting for the rain to stop but to place an order I had to literally walk round the restaurant windows and pick out little wooden sticks showing the food menu items I wanted.

IT WAS SUCH A HASSLE I decided to go hungry.

The cab I hailed to head down to the premium reseller was a NEW driver and GOD, I had to direct him in the sad emotional and physical state I was in.

I finally decided to go home, ate my late lunch at the nearby foodmall and slumped in my bed, dead to the world to sleep over the UNLUCKY DAY I have had. I really wanted to DIE that day, feeling weak and tired and mentally washed out.

I only managed to pick up my strength the following day, filed an online police report and the store supervisor of another authorised reseller I visited that day was really my SAVIOURESS!

As an afterthought, something should be done about the Serial Number of the product which will make it effectively the ID for its owner and no theft or criminal misappropriation is possible.

Like making it the de-facto log-in identification and anyone else using it will be caught red-handed?

Really Wonderfully Conceived Audio Products That Needs A Bit More Research And Refinement?
When I came across these two sets of capsule speakers engineered in Singapore but manufactured in China and Taiwan respectively, I was REALLY taken up with their conception.

I am not sure if they are one and the same company but the products were similar on many counts.

While one was doing fine, another wasn't. At least not the model I picked up. But its other model was working well. Does that explain why its webby was signed off as "a works in progress"and the products at another shop were "sold out" (or was it recalled or withdrawn)?

The retractable cables were a wonderful concept but it couldn't retract to its original position. The sticker logos (like my mobile the last time) came off easily and there was an accompanying bee-buzzing sound along with the volume. And yes, the white models stain very easily like mine did.

However, it has many things going for it. The volume tuner, the accordion-like bass resonator which with one twist opens up and the cool magnetic attachment of two capsules to make it ONE neat tower.

All it needs is further research and refinement. Perhaps even going wireless. I am sure there is a HUGE market demand for such an innovative and clever portable audio device.

Anyway international brands do have their faults too like two USB slots spaced too closely together to fit odd-sized USB devices (what with new and creative designs happening nowadays). But this is easily overlooked by using an extension USB port?

Sometimes even straps of internationally designed lappie bags meant to hold down the lappie don't velcro together at the right places to REALLY HOLD IT DOWN!

Not to mention a local edition of an internation fashion magazine could caption a luxury brand fashion wear wrongly. Guess it could mistake the uncanny resemblance of some of the brands' respective logos or is it? Think Chanel and Chloe. Is there a resemblance in the first place?

Therefore, what can I say if humans can make mistakes (if I make mistakes, it only has private consequences but hey.....these are public mistakes) but well done SINGAPORE!

Do We Wanna Regress Or Do We Wanna Move Forward?
We have gotten to where we are and it is either an inflexion point or a upward sloping gradient (mathematically speaking).

We can't regress.

Otherwise we will have to go back to building thatched-roof or mud houses and worse, reverting to THE BUCKET SYSTEM!

What can I say again? "Yucks" I guess?

And as a further afterthought, do we really wanna revert to the old ways of folklore, myths, superstition, traditional medicine (like drilling into human heads to treat psychopathologies back in the old days?) and the whole ding-dong thingy by bringing in large numbers of Third World new immigrants?

What Will Be The Solution To Capturing An Even Greater Market Share And Keeping It A Perpetually Captive Audience Especially For Innovative And Useful Products ? Comprehensive Product Knowledge (So That The Full Range Of Benefits Of The Products And Services Are Exploited) And Training Done Uniformly Across The Board?
Knowledge is imperfect. Hence, there are HUGE GAPING GAPS and LAPSES in product knowledge even among sales personnel working for THE SAME BRAND.

Not my saviouress. She kinked out my audio output problem by just enabling the correct audio device. A check with other sales staff and even on forums mistakenly attributes the fault to not installing the appropriate drivers or that we had to wait for such a technical update which wasn't available now.

I am so sorry. That was the reason why I made my SAVIOURESS do the software loading. I just wanna make sure everything works. I spoke too soon when I told her I trust the speakers worked. They didn't and I had to return to the store the next day to replace them.

And yes no "expert" knows everything.