Idle Musings: The Replacement

Well sure enough no one stepped forward to return my missing Zen so I had no choice but to buy a new one. Already expecting this to happen due to my cynical view of society and life I already came up with alternatives and replacements for my missing MP3 and settled for a new one in the end. So I'm now saddled with a Zen X-FI, another Creative MP3. My main reason for going Creative is of course the price, which is much cheaper than comparable Apple or Sony models. Well as much as my credit is feeling the burn of having to shell out another $229 due to my momentary lapse of vigilance it has taught me a few valuable lessons. The first is that you can never be too careful with your things and the only way to prevent it from happening again is CONSTANT vigilance, if you're not sure about something check and double check again. The second one is that if you do this and still lose stuff then someone up there or somewhere has something against you, in which case good luck. And lastly the age old adage "shit happens". And here's a shout out to Morg, don't waste your money on an iPhone, look at how fast they churn out new models, first the iPhone, then iPhone 3G and now the 3Gs, it's a damn gimmick I tell you. Besides both your handphone and MP3 player are still new and in very good condition. Save that $879 (price from the Apple shop) for something else.

Idle Musings: Domestic competition

Had a COD 4 marathon with Bowen and the lads on Saturday night where we played from 12 am to 6 am. And I must say I am quite impressed with his level of skill in the game; in fact I'd go so far as to say that he is either as good or better than I am. Although I was fatigued by LAN overload from playing on Friday night as well as Saturday afternoon at the behest of James, I'll admit that his skill is HGF level. In fact I'd go so far as to say he could go toe-to-toe with our leader "BRUNO!" (his new nickname, the faggoty gay SM bastard with his equally fagotty and gay non-competition-regulated mouse). His skill with sub machine gun classed weapons far exceeds my own and his stealth work with a silenced Uzi makes him almost impossible to detect. Well since he IS a commando I'd expect nothing less from his well-honed reflexes and concentration. Another one to note is Arthur, and while his skill with ranged weapons is mediocre at best, his knife skills could possibly rival those of Simply Red in a head-on knife fight. The final tally of the night was of course a draw, both of us having won and loss roughly the same number of matches, although I did manage to triumph him in levels. It was a good experience taking him on and I relish the chance where I can square off against him again, hopefully being at my peak level the next time we meet.

Idle Musings: You lose some, and....er....lose some again?

Shit, I lost my mp3 player again. Bloody hell and I just bought my Zen a year ago after I lost my old Zen Neeon which served me reasonably for a good four years. Can't believe it; I'm usually quite careful with my things, always checking and double checking to see if I left anything anywhere, and on the days I let my guard down just a tiny bit it comes back to bite me in the backside. Can't I just get a break from this foul streak or have I used up all my luck for this lifetime? (For a humorous take on this read "Love Hina" book 9; in fact read the whole bloody series, fantastic stuff) Well I just hope that some kind soul finds it in the cinema and hands it over to the lost and found so that I can collect it tomorrow. Here's to optimistic thinking and a little miracle. I don't want to waste money and have to buy a replacement again, not to mention transferring all the songs is going to be a real pain.

"What to do, life is like that."

Idle Musings: The King of Pop

I still remember the songs which I listened to way back. The first which come to mind are La Bamba by Ritchie Valens, Mrs Robinson by The Beatles and of course every one of MJ's songs. Back in the day he was THE thing on every one's high-fi and Walkman. My cousin is probably his greatest fan I know, in fact he used to have this Michael Jackson game they had on the ancient Sega console and LD's of all his albums. Heck I can even remember the Michael Jackson movie, now THAT'S how old I am! He was and is THE quintessential performer. While a flawed and eccentric character as all true geniuses are, his musical talent and supremacy at his art was undeniable. Watch his moves on the dance floor and I'll bet even Kim Jong Il will be mesmerised and forget to flick the switch on that nuke he's about to launch. The way he danced wasn't human, it was that of a well-oiled fluid dancing machine, his moves clinical, smooth and precise. His sudden passing was a real shock, and I'll admit that the thought of getting tickets to his comeback concert did occur a while back. Well guess this takes care of that little dilemma. His passing is a real loss to the art and I would go so far as to say that with his passing the last great performer from my era has gone. While many might focus on the more onerous aspects of his life I feel that we should remember the man for what he was, which is the greatest performer ever to grace the dance floor, not what he was accused of. In a way he lived a sad life devoid of a childhood and was taken advantage of by those who just wanted extra spending money. So I pray, that he has finally achieved the peace he so deserves.



This is probably my most favourite song of his. Brings me right back to my childhood where Power Rangers were still based on dinosaurs and ruled Saturday morning television and kopi was only for people older than me. Oh and milk was still served in a bottle. I guess I especially like the video because it has the romantic feel of the ole' American gangster era with their tailored suits and "Tommy" guns. Fantastic.

Idle Musings: Link

I've always thought of my Grandparents and their home as a constant and a link to my past, when things were much simpler. As a place I could turn to to get away from the hectic pace of my life, a sanctuary. Having been brought up by them and staying at their house for a good 10 years before returning home I've always treated them with the utmost respect and care and I'm not ashamed to say that I treat them leagues better than my parents. I can still remember the times when my Grandfather thought me how to take the bus and MRT, how he brought me back from school if I fell ill during class or after extra lessons. How my Grandmother would cook lunch and would either get my Grandfather to bring it to my place after class or deliver it herself. How I would spend my Saturday mornings at their place (Yes that's the only time I would bother to wake up at 8am on a free day and walk all the way from Balestier to Toa Payoh just to have breakfast with them) having breakfast with them, how my Grandmother would always prepare coffee and snacks which my Grandfather bought for tea at 4pm, how there would always be food waiting for me whenever I turned up. But that's all in the past, my Grandmother has been bedridden and unable to speak due to a stroke four years ago and my Grandfather suddenly passed away last year due to a fall. I can still remember my Grandfather calling me at least once a month (well I tried to call back at least once a week in any case) while I was in Australia, to check up on me and make sure I was fine and how my aunt would scold him sometimes for calling me too many times. At the time of his passing I truly felt that the last link to my past had gone. I now go back to visit an empty and quiet home. Where once the sound of loud conversations in Cantonese and Malay can be heard all that's left is silence. I still visit regularly whenever I'm back home but it'll never be the same again, it's still warm though, that's one feeling that will never change. I'll always miss the conversations and time I spent with my Grandmother watching the latest dramas on show on television and my Grandfather recounting his experiences during the Japanese occupation. Well knowing that you can never go back to the past is progress in itself, it would however be nice if I could go back to those simpler times one more time.

Idle Musings: Thoughts

This marks the beginning of posts titled "Idle Musings" which are a summarised version of what's been on my mind recently. I'll try to make them as short as possible unlike the other full length posts. OK, lets begin shall we. I've realised that deep thinking is the best way for doubts and insecurities to ferment in your life. The more you think of a matter the more you feel that a better decision could have been made, that you've made the wrong one, that the other one would've been infinitely better. You start thinking things like "Why is this happening to me?" or like good ole' Charlie Brown's "When do the good things start?", all very much depressing thoughts to plague yourself with. I guess that's why I tend to drink a tad too much and indulge in smoking off and on as a way of ridding myself of such thoughts, albeit temporarily. Such thoughts usually haunt me, a life which has steadily been full of regrets. What else can you do when you don't have anyone to voice these problems to, I mean they sure as hell can't be posted to the blog, what with them being sensitive and possibly confrontational. How do you find a place to channel these thoughts or do you keep them under lock and key for eternity?

Until You're Over Me

Great song by Maroon 5, well most of their songs are nice in any case, although their subject content is all rather similar. And since I haven't got the time to post anything for awhile I thought I might as well put this up, don't want the site to start smelling like stale sardines the next time I decide to post some real content.

Until You're Over Me

And to all you folks sitting for the dreaded end of semester exams, I bid thee Good Night, and Good Luck.