Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Glassy

It was supposed to be glassy. Fur-like. With the thickness of a hair. So I was told.

But see, there's this subjectivity to adjectives. Fat that glistens under the light when seen at an angle. Isn't that glassy too?

Words are so insufficient sometimes.

Grinning Goat at 7/29/2009 04:09:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Colors on a square

It involves a little bit of maths
Some creativity
Some color coordination
Some patience
and a lot of clicks

You can make patterns
Checkered. Stripes.
Even polka dots if you're persistent and patient enough
Hell
My friend made an elephant dog before
I think you can sell it
Make a business out of pattern making
Contemporary batik one might call it

You can include whatever colors you want.
except for green
green is a must
Or
well, you can choose not to have green,
but then you must have brown
and I pick green over brown

You can do business
People want to trade with you all the time
It makes a lot of business sense
even if you're not a businessman by trade

It's not three dimensional
It's colorful
but it doesn't make you dizzy

Aim click aim click
There's a rhythm to it
Like making music
Everyone is a drummer
just that not everyone is an on-the-beat drummer
But that's okay
I'm not an on the beat drummer
and I get on fine
it just means some people get to walk longer paths
But that's okay
it makes their legs stronger
they can take it
it just takes a little patience

Some are ugly
Some are pretty
Some wear hair bands
Some have uneven eyes
Some are imitations of another
And most importantly
some have alter egos

It's not really self-serving
Having alter egos
You just work harder
to benefit more
And you make people have a lot more friends
that is very sociable

I didn't use to play it
But my friends played it
it's fun, go play it they say
and so I did
with lukewarm reception
that soon is rising
to a feverish pitch
After all it's a place where
27 does not represent the immaturity of youth
but the wisdom of a thousand clicks

I see colors when I close my eyes
Colors on a square behind my eyelid
That is how rainbows would look like
if God ever decides that rainbows should be a square

5000 5000 5000
10000 10000 10000
15000 15000 15000
25000 25000 25000

Some say colors on a square makes them antisocial
but they're very social at the marketplace
I'm very social too at the marketplace
In fact, I'm going there now

Grinning Goat at 7/28/2009 05:40:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Friday, July 24, 2009

When the human is too stupid for the toilet

The toilet on the 9th floor has a dual flushing system to help conserve water. It's really quite smart that toilet. One shallow flush to remove your pee. One deep flush to remove more heavyweight materials.

But EVERYTIME I go to the toilet on the 9th floor, there are just BOUND TO BE one toilet bowl clogged up with tissue papers. It's pretty commonsensical to assume that tissue papers + pee, together do not really make for very lightweight materials. Especially if you throw ROLLS AND ROLLS of them (how many rolls do you need to wipe the entire area of your ass anyway???). And even if one is slow enough to fail in making that assumption there's always THE POWER OF OBSERVATION that ops the tissues are still there jamming the passageway even after you flush.

Of course I understand that sometimes while the toilet may be smart it may also be stingy. It may not be able to handle back to back flushing because the water runs out. But EVERYTIME I go to the toilet on the 9th floor I never really have to QUEUE. Most of the time they're empty; out of business. WHich means it's VERY UNLIKELY that people actually flush back to back. Which means that the only reason the tissue papers block the bottom of the toilet bowl from peeking at your ass is the people's stupidity and laziness, because the toilet sure as hell isn't stupid. Or stingy.

Grinning Goat at 7/24/2009 05:04:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Thursday, July 23, 2009

BLEEDING PINK FILE

THIS PINK FILE IS PISSING ME OFF TO NO END. I'M GOING TO GO TO BED BEFORE I COULD SUMMON ENOUGH COURAGE TO BURN THIS STUPID PINK FILE. THE SORE EYES IT GIVES. THE INFORMATION PEOPLE CAN DO WITHOUT KNOWING. I CAN DO WITHOUT.

THIS IS STUPID. THIS FILE IS MAKING ME SLEEPY AND ANGRY. SO ANGRY I DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER TURNING THE CAPSLOCK ON. THAT'S RIGHT I PRESS SHIFT ALL THE WAY BECAUSE IT JUST MAKES WRITING THIS ALL THE MORE CATHARTIC AND SATISFYING. ALL THAT PRESSURE ON MY FINGERS.

PINK FILES PINK FILES. WTF

Grinning Goat at 7/23/2009 12:59:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

F.A.R.M.T.O.W.N

R: Farmtown is the root of all my sleep deprivation
Sheegoon: Lies you had this problem way before farmtown. The root cause is self denial and procrastination -my same problems. Haha. But farmtown IS making me more antisocial in real life. Although I'm very social at marketplace LOL

Too bad I'll probably never bump into her at the marketplace at her MOST SOCIABLE HUAHAHAHAHA.

Grinning Goat at 7/23/2009 12:55:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

la la

Wedgie: heyah rossie goat! All the best for your presentation tomorrow! I'll be rooting for you in dreamland! Sleep early tonight ar!
R: Wow wedgie I was just about to sms you to whine and beg for some luck. Rooting for me in dreamland SO INSINCERE
Wedgie: Wowzers! U mean I managed to pre-empt you and save myself from your whining? So lucky, must buy 4D alr!Huahahaha! Eh..I sacrifice my sleep time to dream of rooting for you leh...

Grinning Goat at 7/23/2009 12:50:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Confidence

It either self-perpetuates or self-destructs.

Grinning Goat at 7/23/2009 12:49:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Living on UVERworld (with Uver-chan)

If you don't like this song, don't even talk to me.

Grinning Goat at 7/16/2009 09:28:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Sunday, July 12, 2009

11th July

I graduated 11th July 2008.
My sister graduated 11th July 2009.

What I remembered about graduation is that while the very fact that I was graduating was in itself exciting, the ceremony was not. I had it on my head that it was an important occasion (well of course it was, like how shiva so aptly put it "I stayed on by will and survived by love and grace". There was that sense of gratitude and at the same time a kind of suspended disbelief) but it was so boring I had to consciously make the memories. I STILL don't remember what the valedictorian said but I remembered queuing up at the back.

Remembered having the drape on my toga righted (because for some stupid totally fashion-related reason, it always slipped to the back) by this bunch of people on walkie talkies. And having listened to people around me whine about how "they better pronounce my name right" (well try pronouncing MY name right. Well ok to be fair, JL Ding pronounced it correctly but it still sounded weird. Well ok maybe I just don't like anybody pronouncing it).

And of course I remembered being very conscious not to fall on stage. And I can tell you that if you do fall, one of the reasons could be exactly that. Having all your brain power channeled into consciously trying to avoid falling that no brain power is left for hand and foot coordination. But no, I didn't fall. Sorry no entertainment for you.

And then I missed the surprise of finding that my degree scroll was empty because somebody told me that it was supposed to be a fake scroll. Which is good actually, because it would've given me severe arrhythmia.

And then I saw my friend's dad wearing a tie, which made me worry for a second there because my dad wasn't wearing one. But then again my dad looked just fine and wearing a tie is just that one step closer to overkill.

And making my student try on my robe and mortarboard (kaka did this too to our ex-neighbour). It was fun. Even my dad tried it on.

And the last thing I remembered was the balloons and confetti. And I remember thinking how the cleaning auntie is gonna get so pissed at all this confetti.

And after that it was just pictures and more pictures. With Wedgie. Sheegoon. The whole lot. And Mr.Bear whose mortarboard kept wanting to fall off.

Grinning Goat at 7/12/2009 02:10:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Thursday, July 09, 2009

E.T --> Entertainment Tonight

Grinning Goat at 7/09/2009 05:03:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The cog in the wheel

I was just thinking. About this thing people refer to as 'psychological barrier'. When people think that they can't do something, that is until they're being forced into a corner. Until they really HAVE to do it and then they really do it.

What I was wondering was, how is it that when people really HAVE to do it, they CAN do it when in other circumstances they CAN'T? I guess you'd say that when people really have to do it, they'll expend more efforts than normal and therefore their chance of success is naturally higher.

And yet is it also not incorrect to say that efforts are more often than not, not really proportional to results? Take talents for example. For a starter (and a very realistic illustration), even if I learn how to compose music and play the piano now til the end of my life, I'm not going to be the next Beethoven. If you get the best coach, the best tennis racket and tennis court and practise tennis everyday, are you going to be the next Agasi or Federer? What are the odds of that?

Hard work can only compete with talent so much. There is no replacing talent.

Well, say that you do expend the efforts, is it also not untrue to say that when you do need help, sometimes whether there would be people out there who have the capability to help you is out of your hands? In an age where the principles of aerodynamics haven't been discovered yet because nobody has really quite had the inspiration in their heads, asking the whole wide world for help to fly is going to do you a fat lot of good. There's that element of luck to it; whether or not your effort is going to pay.

And with luck, it won't happen everytime. Luck is after all defined based on its very INFIDELITY.

Do you think then that if you need to do something badly enough then you'll want it badly enough? And when you want something badly enough, somehow somehow, heaven will conspire with you to steer the universe into the direction you desire?

Grinning Goat at 7/08/2009 09:26:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

On the matter of GB

Dex: so were back to gbwc. That's good theyre waaaay up to date
R: lol the players are better too
Dex: pfft scared? Me and u and mak = unbeatable lol. Apart from the times u team kill me. And angle rape me
R: LOL shhhhhhhhhhhh
Dex: me and mak lost a bunch cos we were naked lol
R: enough depressing thought
Dex: pfft you suck ross just make noob accounts and kick anyone looking pro = win =_=
R: lol that's acting like such a sucker
Dex: it's fun that way D=
R: accept defeat gracefully dex HAHAHAHA
Dex: pfft says the person that NEVER accepts defeat with grace

Well I can't stand it when Noobs that play the same game I played, are sucking in a game and then act all high and mighty saying tsk it's just a game, I don't take it so seriously like you guys do, you nerds.

In the first place people play TO WIN. That's the purpose of a game. If your intention from the very beginning is to lose and get thrashed just go watch a TV. Be a spectator.

Oh sure, this is just a game to them, winning or losing doesn't matter the least bit and that's why they're acting all sore from losing calling people nerds for winning.

I hate losing I have to admit. But I lose because other people play better, not because they're nerds. Or because they use real money to practically buy victory. And that's when I get really sore.

Grinning Goat at 7/07/2009 05:44:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Tea break

Liha Pengpeng and I were having our tea break in the pantry when Apple (56-58ish years old) came in.

Liha: (to me) Ross please give up your seat to those who need it more

I found that reference so funny I'm awake for the rest of the day. Aunties make good tea break companion, doncha know?

Grinning Goat at 7/07/2009 04:53:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Reason

Words, Caravaggio. They have powers. That's what Almasy told Caravaggio in his morphine-induced half delusional state as he recalled the story of how he fell in love with a certain Katharine Clifton. The wife of Geoffrey Clifton.

Well for those who don't ever to read the English patient you can proceed to reading this spoiler below.

Basically, Katharine Clifton was teasing her husband, reading the histories of herodotus out loud in front of everyone. The story was about this King who feels the need to show off his wife.

Candaules, the king was called, bragged to his bodyguard Gyges about his wife's incredible beauty. "It appears you don't believe me when I tell you how lovely my wife is," said Candaules. "A man always believes his eyes better than his ears; so do as I tell you - contrive to see her naked."

Gyges refused; he did not wish to dishonor the Queen by seeing her nude body and yet he also feared what the King might do to him if he did accept.

Candaules was insistent, and Gyges had no choice but to obey. Candaules detailed a plan by which Gyges would hide behind a door in the royal bedroom to observe the Queen disrobing before bed. Gyges would then leave the room while the Queen's back was turned.

That night, the plan was executed. However, the Queen saw Gyges as he left the room, and recognized immediately that she had been betrayed and shamed by her own husband. She silently swore to have her revenge, and began to arrange her own plan.

The next day, the Queen summoned Gyges to her chamber. Although Gyges thought nothing of the routine request, she confronted him immediately with her knowledge of his misdeed and her husband's. "One of you must die," she declared. "Either my husband, the author of this wicked plot; or you, who have outraged propriety by seeing me naked."

And so Gyges killed Candaules and became King of Lydia.

And that's when Almasy fell in love with Katharine Clifton. After she read from his copy of Herodotus and in a way eerily predicts what is to be their future together.

Michael Ondaatje told the story in far more words than that. But it was done much more beautifully. There's an art to story-telling and the multiplicity of words, it is a weapon. As Almasy correctly told Caravaggion. Words, they have powers.

There's got to be a reason why there are so many words in the english dictionary. Men aren't really forgiving creatures when it comes to redundancies.

After all a paper clip isn't invented just because people took a fancy out of bending metals.

Grinning Goat at 7/07/2009 10:53:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Monday, July 06, 2009

Message for the aliens

If you can just see this as something more than the laziness to plant the entire field.


Grinning Goat at 7/06/2009 11:05:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Saturday, July 04, 2009

OMG

Grinning Goat at 7/04/2009 09:51:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Thursday, July 02, 2009

What if

What if Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens died so that there was a day 'the music died' so that Don Mclean can write American pie? Because if the music never died there won't ever be American pie. What if the higher powers decided a long time ago that mankind needs American pie and sent that jet crashing down?

Well, sure that was an outrageous idea but if there ever IS a reason for everything, why not that? Besides, American Pie is probably the only good thing that comes out of their death.

Death for cultural revolution. So there can be The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Grinning Goat at 7/02/2009 07:32:00 PM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Blurbs

I've figured out a long time ago that Wedgeh has an almost limitless capacity for remembering nonsense. It's like she has this separate brain compartment full of folders that are full of nonsensical stuff but while the information in it is overwhelmingly plentiful, it appears that she has the perfect organization and indexing system that allows for easy extraction. One may even suspect that that compartment of her brain has its own secretary.

So anyway yesterday during lunch she recalled, with uncanny precision the conversation we had more than a year ago. The conversation went like this:

Wedgeh: I can't believe you're doing that Ross
R: Well believe it, Wedgeh (or probably back then it was still Wedgie) cuz I'm doin it

I decided yesterday that I should write that somewhere because my brain doesn't quite have that extra compartment. Or probably it does but just not as big and I would want to remember these things.

Now going back to the depressing subject of insomnia:

11.30pm
R: I'm going to brush my teeth now to give myself inspiration to sleep
Sheegoon: ok

11.45pm
R: I'm going to attempt to sleep now. Wish me luck
Sheegoon: LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK

12.35am
R: I'm positively insomniac. Isn't that a disease of old people? Tmr lunch again ah. Btw sorreh if this wakes you up. If I don't sleep in another half an hour I'm going to freak out

12.38am
Sheegoon: I was waiting for the sms from you leh. LOL. Too suspiciously quiet. Lunch on lah. Keep this up and you'll be slim and svelt in no time eh

12.41am
R: Omg this is shit. Lying in bed with eyes open, I might as well watch a movie

12.43am
R: And hugging Levi to sleep doesn't work. Maybe cuz he's too small. Gotta wait for him to grow up

12.44am
Sheegoon: maybe if you take him out of Lalaland then you will actually realize Levi has more than grown up, he's grown OLD and moldy lol!

12.46am
R: HAUAHAHHAHAA. Omg stupid sheegoon sending a funny message now I'm MORE AWAKE

12.55am
R: You know next time if we want to sleep at 12 we can't aim 11.30. We gotta aim like 10 lol or maybe for me 9

12.57am
Sheegoon: You need tranquilizers. Nothing less. LOL. Ok I'm gonna try to sleep now. I'm gonna try to sleep earlier than you and then wake up later than you. Wootwootwootttttttt!

Grinning Goat at 7/01/2009 08:24:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}

Where's the fairness in that?

How fair is it that when you NEED to sleep you can't but when you CAN'T sleep you WANT TO?

I used to wish for a day that's longer than 24 hours so there are more sleeping time in a day. What a nightmare this will be for insomniacs I just realise.

Anyway now I wish for it no more. More than 24 hours a day doesn't necessarily mean longer sleeping time, it probably means longer work hour. Nowadays I just wish that time can freeze while I try to sleep.

Grinning Goat at 7/01/2009 08:20:00 AM pontificated

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{buzzz out}