Animal Rights

Today they showed this new artificial arm or leg on the news. Apparently it's very revolutionary.
I'm sure a lot of people will benefit from it.
But it was tested on this monkey. The animal was pinned down in this machine and could not move its head. The monkey didn't really seem to enjoy it!
I guess, I wouldn't either.
Is it ethical to use animals for testing products?
Is it ok if we benefit from it, is it not ok if it is just to test a new product that will be mass produced for consumption?
It's a thin line to walk on and I guess most people don't really care as long they don't have to look at it.
It's hard to be a Monkey now a days!

My Favorite Top 10 Movies Of All Time

When I look around on the internet for a list of best movies of all times I find lists that look strange to me. Movies that I didn’t expected in the list where in the top 20 and movies that I expected where not in there.
Offcourse, when it comes to choosing the best movie of all times is very subjective and the outcome will be different for every person.
One of my rules is, how many times can you watch the same movie before you really get tired of it?
Anyway this is my top ten. I have to say that it might look different in a few years.

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy: Based on the book of Tolkien and directed by Peter Jackson, following the hobbits in their quest against evil. And saying that Jackson never made a big hit movie before, very impressive.
2. Forrest Gump: Tom Hanks at his best. The life of Forrest Gump and a glimpse at American history. Super Funny!!I think my wife watched this one more than 15 times!
3. City of God(Cidade de Deus): A non Hollywood movie. The life in the Brazilian Slumps(Favelas). Most of the actors in the movie are actually not real actors but people from the Slumps. If you don’t like the Big Hollywood productions, this is a movie you have to see.
4. Casablanca: Back to the black and white movies. Released in 1942, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Considered best Romantic movie of all times. Play it Sam!
5. E.T.: Can there be a list of good movies without a Steven Spielberg movie. You have got to love Aliens after this one. E.T. phone home!!
6. The Godfather: Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino, Robert Duval and Marlon Brando in his best role. Maybe the best Gangster movie together with Once Upon A Time In America, starring Robert De Niro.
7. Titanic(1997): Because James Cameron did such a great job recreating one of the most spectacular naval disasters in history. It’s my wife’s favorite movie.
8. The Exorcist: The most scariest movie I have ever seen in my life. I remember looking under my bed before I went to sleep after watching this movie, when I was a kid.
9. Lawrence of Arabia: Haven’t seen this one in a long time. Released in 1962, considered as one of the greatest movies of all times.
10. The Goonies: I know, this one is probably not even in the top 500 of all times. Call it nostalgia. By far my favorite movie when I was a kid. Another great Spielberg movie.

Well, I think there wont be too many people agreeing with me on this one, but that’s what I mean with Subjective!!!!

The end of the Nepalese Kingdom

Nepal has been declared a Republic. It's the end of a Dynasty of Hindu Kings that ruled Nepal for 239 years.
The newly elected Political Counsel wants to start a new democracy in this way.
The Parliament, with the Maoists as the biggest fraction voted with an overwhelming 560 to 4 to end the Monarchy.
King Gyanendra has 15 days time to leave the palace and the country, otherwise he will get some unfriendly help from the army.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia and tourism is the main industry, so peace and stability are more than welcome.

The Singapore Art Museum

Adress:
71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555
Republic of Singapore
Museum Hours:
Mondays to Sundays, 10.00am - 7.00pm
Fridays, 10.00am - 9.00pm (free admission on Fridays, 6.00pm - 9.00 pm)
Admission:
Adult : $8.00
Student (student card to be produced) : $4.00
Senior Citizen (above 60 years) : $4.00
How to get there:
The Singapore Art Museum is approximately a 10-minute walk from Dhoby Ghaut / City Hall MRT stations.

The Singapore art Museum is Housed in a restored 19th century mission school and owns the largest public collection of 20th century Singapore and Southeast Asian artworks in the world.

It is one of the first art museums with international standard museum facilities and programmes in Southeast Asia.

Since its opening, the Museum's permanent collection has grown from under 2,000 art works to over 7,000 making it the largest collection of 20th-century Southeast Asian art in the region.

Visitors can expect to find an interactive, living centre for art, with advanced museum facilities. Its 10,000-square metre floor space includes 14 full climate-controlled galleries, a reference library, an auditorium, a multi-purpose hall, a museum shop, courtyards and a café, all together ensure a quality experience for visitors.

The Museum displays works of major Singaporean artists such as Georgette Chen, Liu Kang, Chen Chong Swee, Lim Tze Peng and Huang Yao, and works of regional artists such as Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Pratuang Emjaroen, Montien Boonma, Le Pho and Bui Xuan Phai.

Meritus Mandarin Singapore

Located on Orchard Road, the Meritus Mandarin Singapore, is conveniently located.
The hotel has a harmonious blend of traditional Oriental splendour and Western contemporary elegance. It is a five-star business traveller’s hotel and offers 1,200 guestrooms with city or harbour view including 32 suites, 2 exclusive Club Lounges and 2 Presidential Suites. All rooms have broadband Internet access.
The 40-storey city hotel also hosts numerous restaurants, Mandarin Ballroom, Meritus Club Lounge, Fitness centre as well as the Club and Premier Rooms.

The hotel is easily accessible via two Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train stations – Orchard and Somerset.

Out of Africa

Out of Africa is one of those movies I wanted to see again for a long time.
I even told my wife about it last night.
And then today in the news: Director Sydney Pollack died of cancer last night.
With Out of Africa the man made probably his best movie and he deservedly got an Oscar for it as best director in 1985.
In total the movie got 7 Oscars that year.
Out of Africa tells the story of a white Coffee plantation owner, played by Meryl Streep, who lives in Kenia.
Robert Redford also stars in the movie.
Definitely the next movie to buy on my list!

Symbol of Singapore

Singapore comes from the word "Singapura".

In the 13th century, a Sumatran prince caught in a storm,was shipwrecked and washed ashore to an island.
On the Island he spotted a beast that looked like a Lion, so he named the Island Singa Pura, which is Malay for Lion City.
In the year 1819, Singapore was founded as a British trading colony by Sir Stamford Raffles.
The lion head symbol was introduced in 1986 as an alternative national symbol of Singapore.
The lion head symbolises strength and excellence, courage, as well as resilience in the face of challenges.
Singapore is one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links.

Malay Heritage Centre

One of the Cultural attractions in Singapore is the Malay Heritage Centre.
The Istana Kampong Glam was built 162 years ago by Sultan Ali, the son of Sultan Hussein Shah. Today,the estate is home to the Malay Heritage Museum.
It was the centre of Islamic learning and literacy in the late 19th century.
Kampong Gelam was a place where Muslim immigrants fromm the Malay Archipelago stopped to buy supplies before embarking on their journey to Mecca.
The Estate houses nine galleries in which it shows the history, aspirations and role of the Singapore Malays.
At the Centre’s daily cultural programme you can experience the grace and artistry of Malay customs, festivals and performing arts.
Check out the seafaring might of the Bugis people or try out one of the pottery or batik courses.
Have a bite at the Restoran Tepak Sireh which serves traditional Malay fare. It is housed in the Yellow Mansion, built around 1860.
The Museum is located at 85 Sultan Gate Singapore 198501.
You can get there by walking towards the Sultan Mosque from the MRT Bugis Station.

Open: 10am - 6pm (Tue - Sun), 1pm - 6pm (Mon).
Admission: Istana Compound: Free
Museum Entrance: SGD 3 adults, SGD 2 children
Cultural Show: SGD 10 adults, SGD 5 children and senior citizens.

Atlantis Lodge, a backpackers place in Singapore

although Singapore is much more expensive than the neighboring countries, their are still plenty of backpackers places around.
In Little India you can find a few budget Guest houses.
The Little India area, a heritage district, is a bustling place with a lot of activity and plenty of cheap Indian restaurants.
You can try out the ATLANTIS BACKPACKER LODGE, a cheapy in Little India.
It got clean, comfortable, air-conditioned rooms and openconcept beds and they have a well-equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meals.
And there is a large communal area dedicated for “chilling out” or simply retiring in a cozy corner with a good book.

Room rates:
Dorm Bed & Breakfast: S$18 per Night
Mixed Dorm: S$20 per Night
Female Dorm: S$22 per Night
Single / Twin Use Room Without Attached Bathroom: S$45 per Night
Single / Twin / Triple Room With Attached Bathroom: S$50 (sgl / twn); S$75 (trpl)

The Guesthouse also organizes tours.

Mount Everest conquered by 77- year -old

A 77-year-old man reached the top of Mount Everest on Sunday, becoming the oldest person to reach the top of the highest mountain in the world.
The Nepalese climber, Min Bahadur Sherhan is in good health and reached base camp today.
Another Nepalese, Appa Sherpa reached the summit for the 18th time, setting a new world record.
The 8,848m high mountain as been scaled more then 3,000 times since it was first conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, in 1953.
And saying that I have even problems getting up the stairs to the 9th floor!!

A Rainy Day

We went only for a short while on a sunny day. But once again I learned that the weather in Asia can change within a matter of minutes.
Within a short while after me and my wife left the house it started pouring down.
It's always wise to bring an umbrella wherever you go but then it should be one that has no holes in it.
And ours had a few holes.
We got back home completely wet but refreshed after the intense heat of the last few days.
Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!!!!

Chelsea looking for new Coach

Only 8 eight months after Avram Grant started as Head coach of Chelsea he is already been fired.
Grant took over from Mourinho, who won Chelsea two Premier league titles and the FA cup.
It turned out to a mission impossible for Grant.
Although Chelsea recovered very good under the Israeli by ending second in the Premier League and the Champions League, it was not good enough for the Chelsea board.
Grant did not bring the attractive football, the reason why Mourinho was fired in the first place.
Ending second is never good but after the bad seasons start off Chelsea it is still quite amazing and some credit has to go to Avram Grant.

Rijkaard, Eriksson, Brian Laudrup, Roberto Mancini and Hiddink have all been linked with a possible move to Chelsea .

It is that simple rule in Football: If you don't win prices you are a loser, because second just don't count!

Communists furious with Indiana Jones

Yesterday Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released in the Russian Movie theaters . It's the first time that an American movie gets so much exposure in Russia.
In the movie, Indy fights against a bad KGB agent.
The Russian Communists find the movie very Anti Communist. They say that the movie gives the communists a bad image. They fear that the younger generation will get a idea about the communists in the fifties.
A member of the communist Party said: What counts is that we defeated Hitler together with the USA.
Movies are movies and reality is reality!
Let people just enjoy the movie and let politics out of it!

Female Streaker wanted

Eindhoven(Holland) is organizing the Tennis Classic from 2 till 5 October.
They want to replay the Wimbledon final of 1996, when Richard Krajicek played against Washington.
Just before that final a woman streaker ran on the court.
The organization is now looking for female streakers in their attempt to reenact that final.
Anybody interested can put in their application and afterwards there will be a final selection by a jury.
Are these candidates supposed to strip in front of a jury or streak somewhere in public?
In the past people who did streaks would get big fines, now they are looking for people like that.
We live in a fast changing world where people have no boundaries anymore when it comes to promote their product!

Immigration Day

It was one of those days you don't like.
It was immigration day, my social visit pass was almost expired.
Couldn't eat in the morning, my stomach doesn't like these kind of days either.
But it turned out ok.
My wife accompanied me and I think we had the lucky queuing number, a shame I can't remember the number or I would have used it in the 4D tomorrow.
We had a very helpful Malay Female Officer.
Got my extension!
So my wife and I where very happy and had Tulang for lunch.
I like happy endings.
Oeps, just remembered the number: 9867!!!!

Working class 'has lower IQ'!!!????

Bruce Charlton, reader in evolutionary psychiatry at Newcastle University,states that the working classes have lower IQs than those from wealthier backgrounds and should not be expected to win places at top universities. He suggested that's why there is a the lower number of working-class students at elite universities.
Bruce Charlton says higher social classes have a significantly higher average IQ than lower social classes.
Now, I don't know what the social background is of this Bruce Charlton but I'm quite sure that his IQ can't be that high by stating something stupid like that.
It is Prejudice!!!!
He probably made it into the university because his family had money and not because of his high IQ!
Wise People are not always educated and educated people aren't always wise!
It's a simple fact that the reason why there are so little students from the working class at universities, because the working class can not afford to send their children to university.
And by keeping the admission fees so high it wont change very soon.
A working class hero is something to be!!!

The Haze is coming

Plantation owners and farmers in Sumatra and Borneo use a technique called slash and burn to clear large pieces of land. They normally use this technique during July and August, just before the planting season.
But it all started earlier this year due to the high temperatures and dry vegetation.
There are so many plots being burnt now that they even had to close the airport for a while in kalimantan, due to the thick smoke.
The smoke from Indonesia could hit Singapore in two weeks time, depending on the wind.
It will be hard breading once again as the region has been plagued by this phenomenon since 1997.
While countries that are affected by this haze yearly are trying to combat it in collaboration with Indonesia, there are no immediate solutions.
And although there is no fall in Singapore, in a few weeks time it might look like that!

Manchester United is strongest team in Europe

There is an old saying in Football: It's the result that counts.
And the result of the Champions League Final says that Manchester United is the strongest team in Europe.
Although Chelsea was the better team apart from the first 30 minutes, it was all decided with penalties.
With a goal from Ronaldo in the 26the minute, Manchester put Chelsea under pressure.
But from then on Chelsea dominated the game and equalized with a goal from Lampard just before half time.
But it proved not to be Chelsea's night as Drogba and Lampard each hit the post.
In the penalty shootout Edwin van der Sar became the hero for Man. U after stopping Anelka's penalty.
So Manchester United are the UEFA Champions league Champions.
Football isn't always fair!
But I'm pretty sure that Abrahmovish will spend a few 100 millions for next season.
Manchester United 1 - Chelsea 1
Penalties 6-5

I Feel The Heat

The Record for highest extreme monthly temperature in Singapore was set in May 2005 when temperatures hit 35,4 degrees C.
This month might set a new record when temperatures hit 34 mark yesterday.
No Spring or Fall in Asia, Just wet and dry season.
With the wet season bringing lower temperatures but a very high humidity and the dry season scorching hot!
It might be great to have air conditioning wright now! No wonder so many people spend their time in the Shopping malls where it is super cool, they don't really go there for shopping.
The extreme heat brings good business for some. Ice cream and cold drink sales are up 10% and the hairdressers are getting more costumers, trying to get some heat relief by getting a haircut.
Whatever works!!

Champions League Final 2008

Today the Champions League Final will be played in the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Manchester United will face Chelsea in an all England Final, well, thats how it's been promoted in the media.
OK, lets look at the teams.
Manchester United team: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton; Brown, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Neville, O'Shea, Pique, Silvestre, Anderson, Fletcher, Hargreaves, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Nani, Park, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Saha, Welbeck.

Chelsea team: Cech, Hilario, Cudicini, Belletti, Ferreira, Alex, Ben-Haim, Terry, Carvalho, A Cole, Bridge, Makelele, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Kalou, Wright-Phillips, J Cole, Malouda, Drogba, Shevchenko, Anelka, Mikel.

If I count correctly, there are 15 non English players in the Man. U squad and 17 non English players in the Chelsea squad.
Stating that it will be an all English final can't be more wrong. In fact, it is probably the most international game of the season, with players from a dozen different countries.
Blatter was criticized for trying to put a limit on foreigners in teams.
Some people in the Premier League said it was out of jealousy because the Premier league is the strongest league in the world.
Maybe so, but tell me, how come England didn't qualify for Euro 2008?
Because most off the top players in England are not English!
Besides all that, the two teams deserve to be in the Final.
So it will be a very International game tonight.
And lets hope it will be of great quality and let the best team win.

Sentosa

If you are looking for a day out of the city, Sentosa is a good alternative.
It is an island just off the southern coast of Singapore.
Sentosa offers a reasonably wide range of attractions and activities.
Although some Singaporeans make a little joke about Sentosa, stating that “Sentosa” actually stands for "So Expensive and Nothing TO See Actually".
The island is popular among Singaporeans for its beaches, but don’t expect it to be like the beaches in Thailand. Siloso, Palawan and Tangong are the three artifical beaches on the Island.
All the beaches are accessible by trams, shuttling people around the island.
The most interesting attractions on Sentosa are:
Carlsberg Sky Tower : With its 131 m above sea level it is Asia's tallest observation tower.
Underwater World: Asia's largest tropical oceanarium
Dolphin Lagoon: Offering daily shows of dolphins doing the usual acrobatic tricks.
For Golf fans: try out the Sentosa Golf Club. It hosts the yearly Barclays Open and it is the only Golf Club in Singapore hat is open to the public.
On the weekend, the beaches can offer some great parties like the yearly outdoor party, Zoukout.
There is plenty of accommodation on Sentosa but it is not for the budget traveler.
The Island can be reached by bus from the Imbiah Station, by monorail or by cable car.

Polar Bears

I had no Idea what to write today until I watched Dr. Dolitle.
Eddy Murphy stars in this movie as a veterinarian who can talk with the animals.
By working together with the animals they save the forest.
So I started browsing a little bit on the internet. I just typed in " endangered animals". Well, I got quite a long list of websites. And I started to get the feeling that there might be more endangered animals than not endangered animals.
I found a very good website about polar bears.
The Polar Bear is the world's largest land carnivore and is threatened by global warming and the destruction of it's natural habitat.The Polar Bear could be extinct within 30 years.
Polarbears International is probably the most complete resource of information on the Polar Bears.
Their slogan is : Conservation through Research and Education!
You find all the Polar Bear facts, Status Reports and even a Bear Tracker where you can track the movement of satellite collared bears on the Beaufort Sea.

Magic Wok Restaurant, Singapore

Eating out in Singapore isn't all that cheap unless you eat in one of the hawker centers where you can get a meal for $3.
But if you look around long enough you can find those hidden pearls among the Singapore restaurants.
When my wife and I were walking around town we stumbled upon the Magic Wok by accident.
It doesn't look like much from the outside. The interior is filled with the most basic furniture.
But the food is Cheap and it is good!
The Magic Wok is a restaurant serving Thai Food and quite often its packed and you might have to wait for a while.
It is very popular among the locals.
It is a good place to get a very good meal at backpackers prices.
Try the fried chicken chunks wrapped in pandan leaf or the beef noodle soup, delicious!
The Magic Wok address:
Capitol Building #01-20
11 Stamford Road (S)178884
There are two other outlets but we haven't been there yet.
One is at:
Novena Square #03-23/25
238 Thomson Road (S)307683
And the other at:
Ten Mile Junction #01-17/18
1 Woodlands Road (S)677899

Survivor sucks!

I wrote a post about survivor a few weeks ago because the episode of Survivor I watched that week was good.
But since then it went all downhill.
What a bunch of crap!!!
Was there anything Survivor related in the last episode?
It seemed more like a mix of the Bachelor(another stupid reality show) and desperate Housewives!
They scored some points with animal rights organisations for releasing the chicken, but the chicken is probably dead by now of starvation or eaten by an other animal.
None of them will have to look for a job as an actor, they are all bad at it.
Ozzy behaved like a 10 year old kid, at least I had a big laugh with that.
The presenter said it was one of the best survivor seasons ever, so I didn't miss much the years before.
The real survivors are the viewers who watched it till the end, you have to have a very strong will power to have accomplished that.
The things I learned from survivor:
1. It rains sometimes in Micronesia.
2. You don't have to be smart to sell ice cream.
3. When people say one thing they will actually do the other thing.
4. Man are dumb.
5. If you are stuck on an uninhabited Island you will not starve to dead,there will always be someone who delivers you a 6 course meal.
6. If you get shipwrecked on an uninhabited Island and you don't want to leave, start digging holes and maybe you find a little Idol. Once you have that no one can take you off the Island.
7. Don't watch a show that is labeled as Reality TV.

Newton Hawker center in Singapore

Newton Food Centre is a major food centre located in Newton, set up for tourists wanting to experience the 'traditional' way of eating in Singapore.
It's one of the best and most famous food centers in Singapore.
It was first opened in 1971 and it closed down in 2005 as the government wanted to revamp the food centre. It was reopened in July 2006 after renovations.
There are 83 stalls, arranged in a horseshoe configuration.
It has a great atmosphere and the food is delicious. The prices are a bit higher then in most hawker centers but it's well worth it.
Don't get frustrated by the many touts walking around, just get a table a look around to find the food stall you think is the best.
The Newton Food center is famous for it's sea food. Try the barbecued stingray topped with sambal sauce, one of my favorites.
Main courses range from $3 to $15
The Food Center is open daily from 6pm till 4am and is within walking distance from the Newton MRT station.

When Rich People get bored

What do rich people do when they get bored?
There were a lot of examples in the last few years.
They are bored , they have a lot of money, so they get a very expensive hobby.
And some actually make money out of it, well I guess that's what they're good at anyway.
Donald Trump was getting bored so he started this show; The apprentice.
It's a good time to start reading a book or get out of the house when this show is on. They call it reality TV; Whatever! It doesn't mean because good old Donald is bored we have to look at his face every week!
Same thing with Paris Hilton. She gets bored so daddy spends some money so she can get her own show on TV. Thanks daddy for putting that crap on TV, another good moment to go out!
Offcourse not all of them want to get into the TV business.
A lot of the "richies" want to get into the sports.
The most famous one in the last few years is probably Abramovich,who bought the Chelsea football club.
The money he spends in one year on Chelsea is enough to feed a small nation for a year! And not with the best results so far.
Thaksin had so much money to launder that he decided to buy Manchester City football club. Most of the money he probably made on the back of the poor. Half of Thailand should own a piece of that club.
There are some more "Richies" like Al Fayed and Hicks who bought some Football clubs. I'm sure they got rid of the boredom but probably got some headaches instead.
Maybe it's just a good way for them to launder their money, I just leave it in my pocket when I wash my jeans and then it's not even bills but a few coins. Well, you have to start somewhere!
Richard Branson had a lot of money to spend but wasn't interested in Football or TV.
The man is a bit of an adventurous one. So he spends most of his money on balloons!
Not the kind of balloons you buy for a party, no, the bigger ones. The ones that can fly all the way up into the stratosphere so they can fly around the world or at least die trying!
I don't have all that money to spend so I spend my time writing utter nonsense like this when I'm bored. It doesn't cost me anything but time and maybe someday I make some money out of it( just dreaming OK!).
Well I'm not bored anymore and I'm starting to get a headache from writing this nonsense.
If you have been reading this useless piece of information, you must have been bored to. I hope it helped a little bit to keep you busy and it didn't cost you any money!
And now it's time to launder my money!!!!

The Raffles Hotel, Singapore

The Raffles Hotel is a beautiful, historic, grand hotel located 25 km. from Changi International Airport. Declared a National Monument in 1987, restored and reopened in 1991,Raffles Hotel is a national landmark in Singapore.
The hotel, founded by Armenian immigrant brothers, Sarkies, was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore.
The Raffles Hotel, one of the world’s last great 19th century hotels, offering a blend of oriental mysticism and grandeur with western comfort and has been ranked among the world's most luxurious hotels, Always at the center of Singapore's colonial high life, it's hosted balls, tea dances, and jazz functions for the rich and famous, and during World War II was the last rallying point for the British in the face of Japanese occupation and the first place for refugee prisoners of war released from concentration camps.
Over the years the hotel has evolved into one of the world's most beloved grand hotels and welcomed innumerable celebrities, writers and royalty, including Somerset Maugham, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, Charlie Chaplin and the notorious Michael Jackson.
Although the rooms aren't as bright as modern hotels, the Raffles Hotel is the only hotel in Singapore where you can still fully play out the fantasy of being a colonial traveler, fresh in town from a long ocean voyage., and it can be a lot of fun.
There are some top-notch restaurants, high tea is served in the Tiffin Room, or sip a Singapore Sling and throw peanut shells on the Long Bar's floorboards.
The hotels houses 103 rooms, including 86 suites, seven grand suites and 10 personality suites, 8 restaurants; 2 bars and a billiard room; small outdoor pool; fitness center with Jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and spa; concierge; personal butler service; limousine service; business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; same-day laundry service/dry cleaning.
The hotel is top end so it all comes with a high price tag. You better be ready to spend some money if you want to stay here!

SEDAAAAAAP!!!!!

The Great Singapore Sale 2008

It's one of those yearly events every Singaporean is looking forward too, The Great Singapore Sale, as Singaporeans favorite pastime is shopping.
From the 23rd of May till the 20th of July it's all about shopping.
From the smaller shops too the big and famous ones, it's the perfect time to get some amazing discounts.
Every year it attracts a big influx of tourists who have spend their holidays somewhere in South East Asia and have a stopover in Singapore to take advantage of the great bargains during the Great Singapore Sale.
It doesn't matter if you want the latest electronic gadgets, the latest fashion or some local souvenirs, it's all there with discounts up to 70%.
It's a good time for me to get an extra jeans besides the one I have!
Just remember the Singaporeans favorite slogan: Shop Till You Drop!!!!!!

Too many commercials on TV

What is it with some of these channels.
You already pay for the cable and then they still want to overload you with commercials.
It used to be OK a few years ago. A movie was interrupted two times for commercials. It gave the chance to go for a leek or get some snacks, but now every 10 minutes. How many times they think I have to go for a piss.
TV5 gives movies every few days. First of all they cut out swearing words, in doing this they insult their viewers intelligence, what, can people in Singapore not handle a few swearing words.
10 year old children probably know more swearing words then a the people together at TV5!
Then they have the annoying habit of cutting a movie short!!
If you want to show what you call a blockbuster movie then show the whole movie and don't cut in it so you can get your commercials in it!!!!
I wonder if they ever heard of over marketing at TV5.
1 month before they start showing a new show, they are already showing previews 20 times a day. I got so fat up with it that when they actually started broadcasting the show I didn't even wanted to see it.
It has to be said: TV5 you stink!!!!
I rather watch a boring show on an other channel.

Manchester United, Premier League Champions once again

It was to be an exiting weekend of football, Chelsea and Manchester United with equal points on top of the Premier League and only one game left to play.
It was simple maths: Manchester would be Champion if they won or if Chelsea lost.
If Chelsea wanted the title they had to win their last game and Man.U had to lose or draw.
It all looked more exiting than it actually was.
What was the chance that Manchester United would lose from Wigan or drew?
In the end it won simple with two goals at Wigan and Chelsea drew against Bolton.
So Manchester won their 10th title under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson in 16 years.
Manchester United facts:
Founded in: 1878
Club colors: Red-White
Stadium: Old Trafford( Capacity: 76.300)
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
This seasons most important players: Van der Sar, Heinze, Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, O'Shea, Vidic, Carrick, Tevez, Ronaldo, Giggs, Saha, Scholes, Nani, Rooney

Premier League titles: 17 : 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956,1957, 1965, 1967, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007,2008
FA Cup winners: 11: 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983,
1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup winners: 2: 1992, 2006
Champions League titles: 2 :1968, 1999
European Cup II: 1: 1991
Intercontinental Cup: 1: 1999
In two weeks time there is still the UEFA Champions League Final between the two rivals.
(Photo Belga)

Lazy Sunday

Spend most of my time today chilling in bed. The cause: Hangover day!
We went to a Chinese wedding last night and the wine came at a regular pace.
Like always I was the quite type and as always I started to loosen up after a few glasses of alcohol.
I guess thats what alcohol does to me, It makes me relax, not like with other people who get aggressive from it.
Same story with my wife,quite at first but after a few glasses she loosens up as well.
So it more or less ended up with two funny people on a table and today two people with a hangover in bed.
Life is more than fair isn't it!!!

Survivor contestants don't need minimum IQ

Watched Survivor yesterday and I found it more frustrating than entertaining this time.
Erik proved once again that a minimum IQ is not required to enter this competition. Is there a name for this kind of stupidity?
Only five contestants left,four woman and one man.
When Erik won the immunity, He was sure of top four spot.
But the woman played the sneaky game again and Erik(Sorry Erik but from now on I call you the Idiot)gave up his Idol in an attempt to make himself a bit more popular in the group.
Now listen Erik, You were the last man,you won the last three immunity challenges, off course no one likes you. If you have that Idol at this stage you keep it, it's as simple as that. PURE STUPIDITY!
That it is less about physical survival and more about playing the so called social game is quite obvious to me.
I can not remember that one of the four contestants left ever won one of the challenges.
They all seem to be saying one thing and then doing the other.
To me, the survivors are already out of the game and what is left are just mediocre players who are only good in back stabbing.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones is back after 19 years with the fourth movie in the series.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Cristal Skull is set in 1957 and will take Indy across New Mexico, Connecticut, Mexico City and the jungle of Peru.
In the movie Indiana Jones is 19 years older since his last adventure, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and is leading a quite life before he is thrown back into his old adventures lifestyle.
Dr. Jones gets entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.
Legend supposes the skull was stolen from a mysterious City of Gold guarded by the living dead in the Amazon and whoever returns it to the city's temple will become master of the Skull's powers.
Together with the young renegade Mutt Williams, Indiana Jones will fight the Soviets, who want to use the Power of the Skull for the Cold War.
It's the kind of movie that brings the little kid in us out, dreaming of the adventures life in search of hidden treasures. Although for me to imagine that kind of life, at times I can't even find my underwear let alone a treasure somewhere in the Jungle of South America.
No doubt it will be the greatest box office hit of the year!

Singapore Underwater World

When you had enough of shopping after spending a few days in Singapore, Singapore Underwater World is a great alternative to get away from it for a day.
Underwater World is situated on Sentosa Island of Singapore, it is a unique and well-known oceanarium showcasing some 2500 marine life from 250 species from around the regions, it provides fun, leisure and educational experiences through interactive activities and interesting exhibits for visitors from all around the world.
The highlight of the oceanarium is a spectacular 83 metre-long tunnel that houses majestic rays, fearsome sharks and great shoals of other fishes.
Underwater World Singapore Offers great value packages, including Diving and Swim with the Dolphins Programs special deals.
Or get a Fish Reflexology. Participants get to enjoy a unique pedicure session done by spa fish, followed by a good massage by a qualified foot reflexologist.
Opening Hours
Underwater World Singapore
9am - 9pm daily (last admission at 8.30pm)

Dolphin Lagoon
10.30am – 6pm daily (last admission at 5.30pm)

Fish Reflexology
10.00am – 7pm daily (last appointment at 6.15pm)

Admission
Underwater World Singapore and Dolphin Lagoon
SGD 19.90 adults, SGD 12.70 children (from 3-12 years old).
Free admission for children below 3 years old.

Fish Reflexology
SGD 35.00 for 40-minute session
SGD 50.00 for 50-minute session

Getting There
To Underwater World Singapore and Fish Reflexology
Take Sentosa Shuttle Bus from Harbourfront interchange, or Sentosa Express from Vivo City, and alight at Beach Station. Board the Blue Line bus and alight at Underwater World stop.

To Dolphin Lagoon
Take Sentosa Shuttle Bus from Harbourfront interchange, or Sentosa Express from Vivo City, and alight at Beach Station. Board the Yellow Line bus and alight at Dolphin Lagoon stop.

Fun guaranteed for the fish lovers!!!

The Singapore Flyer

When you are spending some time in Singapore one of the attractions you definitely have to see is the Singapore Flyer.
Singapore Flyer is the world's largest observation wheel. Standing at a stunning 165m from the ground, the Flyer offers you breathtaking, panoramic views of the Marina Bay,the island city and beyond.
Located at Marina Bay, it sits astride a three-storey Retail Terminal with an exciting array of retail and F&B choices.
Singapore Flyer was conceived and designed by Dr. Kisho Kurokawa and DP Architects, Singapore. It held its groundbreaking ceremony in September 2005 and was launched in 2008.
The Singapore Fyer opens daily from 8:30am to 10:30pm
Prices vary from 20$ too 70$, from basic flight to a Signature Cocktail Flight.
For the price of 1000$ up to 1500$ you can have your private capsule and enjoy exclusive check in and and take in the remarkable skyline with up to 28 guests you can invite.

How easy can your Blog be censored

Yesterday I read an article in the newspaper about how easy it is for people on the web to get your blog censored.
The article states that our freedom of expression expressed in our blogs can easily be destroyed by a bunch of people. And they can do it by using the same software tools as everybody is using for their blogs.
Lets give an example:
Lets say you are a big Chelsea fan and you start a blog in wish you express your passion for that team. In just a few steps you can create such a blog on Blogger.com , wish is owned by Google.
Off course a lot of fans of other clubs will disagree with a lot of things that you will be writing in your blog or even hate you for it.
Your visitors on your Blog can simply press this button on top of your Blogger Blog ' Flag this Blog'. By hitting that button a message is send too Google stating that there might be inappropriate content on your Blog.
If your Blog is been flagged to often Google can shut down your Blog. Google can even deny you access to your Blog for it, wish they will only do in very extreme cases.
In most cases what Google will do when your Blog has been flagged to many times is making your Blog unsearchable. In other words, making it impossible to find.
Making your Blog unfindable is in a way being censored and this censorship doesn't come from the top but from the grassroots,it can come from anybody who is using the internet.
If somebody doesn't like your ideas, the only thing they have to do is getting your Blog flagged enough times for it being unfindable!
In this way it might endanger your freedom of expression.

Do People Care?

In the past few days more than 20.000 people died in Myanmar after a Cyclone rolled through the country.
Over 20.000 of the poorest people in the world died. Surviving might have been a matter of having a brick house instead of a wooden house.
Rice fields where littered with corpses, yes, this might have been a good reason why the price of rice went up( and not because of some greediness).
The news on tv5 spend about two minutes on the tragedy that took place in their neighboring country and then they went on about the big news! Something in the fashion world!
It reminded me of a Jack Johnson song where he sings: why can't the News reader be descent enough to put just a tear in his eye.
And then people go to work the next day and talk about what happened in Myanmar for 5 minutes and then the rest of the day the hot topic will be about the latest fashion news and the latest news about this or that actor or actrice.
We can at least be descent enough to say a quite prayer for all those unfortunate people and praise ourselves lucky with whatever we have. After all, that little bit of luxury we have is probably much more than a lot of people have in this world.

My Mother in Law's towel

When I did our laundry this morning I had to take my Mother in Law's laundry out first and while I was hanging out the laundry to dry I found a towel in there that gave me a shock.
The towel was covered in something I identified as fungus and it had two wholes in it the size of my head.
Could it really be?
Was my Mother in Law one of those silent protesters against the throw away society we live in, A society that produces products that can be used maybe ten times and you have to buy a new product. Not like it was in the old days when they made products that could last half your life.
It lit a spark in me. Yes, the long gone Idealist in me woke up. Lets stand on the barricades to fight against this throw away society.
Lets protest against Mc Donald's for serving us burgers that probably only half exist of meat!
Lets protest against all those brand name clothing lines that over charge for their clothes while they are probably manufactured by children somewhere in China!
Lets protest against the razor blade companies that produce razorblades at expensive prizes and you can only use them once or twice!
But pretty soon all those ideas started to tire my out and the thought occurred me that maybe my Mother in Law isn't really a silent protester.
Maybe she just loved the towel and couldn't find the hart to throw it away or maybe she just keeps it for other things than drying herself(although I don't think there is much you can do with this one).
So slowly the Idealist in me faded away again and another idea rose from out my gray braincells: Maybe I should just buy my Mother in Law a new towel!

George Bush on school visit

President George Bush went on school visit in the US to find out if he was still popular among(was he ever?)the American youth.
He held a short speech and asked the children to ask him some questions.
Little Steve raised his hand and said:
I have three questions for you:
1.How did you win the elections even when you had less votes?
2.Why did you attack Iraq without any proved reason?
3.And don't you think that the Bom on Hiroshima was the biggest terrorist act of the century?
Just at that moment the school bell rang and the children ran out of the class.
After the short recess the children took their seat back in class.
And President Bush asked the children again to ask him some questions.
Little Jenna raised her hand and said:
I have five questions for you:
1.How did you win the elections even when you had less votes?
2.why did you attack Iraq without any proved reason?
3.Don't you think that the Bom on Hiroshima was the biggest terrorist act of the century?
4.Why did the school bell rang 20 minutes to early?
5.And where is Steve?

Searching for Pizza but finding babies in freezer

Saturday evening three dead babies where found in a freezer in Germany after a son and daughter where looking for something to eat in their parents house. They found the three tiny corpses in the freezer of their parents when they where looking for a pizza.
The police was notified and the mother was placed under medical supervision.
The three corpses where all packed in plastic bags, one of them containing a newspaper dating back as far as 1988.
And this is just another case in a string of many such cases in Germany in the past few years.
A few years back a woman in eastern Germany was sentenced to 15 years in jail for killing nine of her new born babies. She hid the remains in flower pots and buckets nd in an old fishtank at her parents home!!
Last year in november a woman from Erfurt was sentenced to 12 year after she killed two of her babies and hid them in a freezer.
A woman was arrested in December for killing five of her children aged between three and nine.
It makes you wonder what people eat these days to make them do such acts. It's pure insanity. And all that while so many people are trying for years to get a baby.
These German woman definitely where missing the mother instinct.
And you better be careful if you're ever invited for dinner in Germany. You never know what they will serve you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smoking in Singapore: Not for the Poor

The number of buyers of duty-unpaid cigarettes caught jumped a staggering 165% to 6,012 in year 2007. This was up from 2,268 in year 2006. And for this year these figures will be even higher as daily a few people get caught smuggling in cigarettes from Indonesia or Malaysia.
A pack of Marlboro cost around 11 Singapore dollars in Singapore while that same pack costs only around 5 Singapore Dollar in Malaysia and even less in Indonesia.
Off course this makes it a big business for smugglers and the opportunists as they can earn up to 3 dollar per pack of cigarettes smuggled into Singapore.
And of course there are the buyers of these smuggled items,the common man on the street,middle class people like you and me and the poor. Like always it's us middle class people who get hit the worse and it is not for health reasons why the government punishes people who buy these cigarettes. They just do it to protect their market and the profits made on taxes!!!!!!!!!!
Make sure, when You come for a visit to Singapore from Malaysia and you have a pack of cigarettes U with for own use, to open it before you pass Singapore Immigration.
For each pack of cigarettes that is brought into Singapore and that is not been declared there is a fine of up to 500 Singapore Dollar!
So be ware because smoking in Singapore is not only bad for your health but can also be very bad for your wallet!!!

And just when I planned to stop smoking!

Earth may get respite from global warming!
That's what I read in the newspaper yesterday.
According to a study done by some German scientists, global warming in the next decade because of a natural shift in ocean circulations but they say that Earths temperature will keep rising as expected over a longer period.
The scientists believe that an impending change in the Gulf Stream, that is the conveyor belt that transports warm surface water from the tropical Atlantic to the northern Atlantic and returns cold water southwards at depth( does anybody understands all this?).
Apparently all this will lead to cooler temperatures in North Atlantic and in North America and Europe and helps the temperatures in the tropical pacific to remain stable.

I hope no one will be angry with me now when I decide to wait a few more weeks before I stop smoking as part of my contribution to stop Global warming!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be carefull what you wish!

A 60 year old couple is celebrating their silver anniversary when suddenly a fairy appears.
The fairy says : both of you can wish anything you want.
Oh nice says the old lady, I wish for a trip around the world because I never did that before.
No problem says the fairy and she starts waving with her magic stick. Suddenly their is a flashlight and then the old lady is sitting there with her hands full with flying tickets.
Then the fairy asks the old man: what is your wish Sir?
The old man looks at the fairy for a while and then says: I want a woman that is 30 years younger then me.
Ok says the fairy and once again she starts waving with her magic stick and once again there was flashlight.
And then the man was 90 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over Her Dead Body: Movie Review

The Plot:
Henry agrees to consult a psychic months after his wife got crushed under an ice sculpture during the rehearsal of their wedding.Despite his skepticism over her psychic abilities, Henry finds himself falling hard for Ashley, and vice versa. But Kate's spirit wants Henry all to herself and when she realizes that Ashley and Henry are getting along a little too well she tries to sabotage their relationship.

The Review:

A mediocre Hollywood movie like their have been so many others. Was it the worst movie I have ever seen,No, but definitely not the best.
The actors where not convincing,with no chemistry between them at all. They could have opted for some more reputable actors although the script was probably not good enough for the better actors.
The scene with the parrot highlighted the movie.Take the bird,Take the bird!!!!!!

Rating: 4/10

Joke of the day: Are you a Manager?

A man flies in a hot air balloon over Singapore and realizes he is lost.
He sees a man walking on a street and lowers his balloon within hearing distance.
Excuse me, he yells. Can you help me? I promised my friend to meet him somewhere half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am!
The man on the street answers: yes, You are in a hot air balloon and floating about ten meters above the ground. You are approximately at 1,14N and 103,55E.
You must be a system controller says the man in the hot air balloon.
Yes I am says the other, but how did you know?
Well, says the man in the balloon: everything you say is technically correct, but I don't have any use of this information. And all in all I'm still lost.
The man on the ground is thinking for a while before he looks up again and then asks the other: You must be a manager?
Yes I am says the man in the balloon, but how did you know?
Oh, says the other man,that is very simple. You have no idea where you are. You have no clue where you are going. You made a promise to someone while you have no idea how to keep that promise and you expect me to solve the problem. You are still in the same position as before we met, but for some reason it just became my fault!!!

From Zero To Hero

Chelsea's coach Avram Grant can become the big hero after Chelsea qualified for the Champions League final. What Gullit, Vialli, Ranieri and Mourinho couldn't do...he did.

By beating Liverpool yesterday by 3 - 2 they will face Manchester United in three weeks time in the Final.

Although it never looked very good for Avram Grant and Chelsea the whole season they are still in the race to win the Premier League after beating Manchester United last week and the Champions League after beating Liverpool yesterday in the semi final.

Avram Grant took over a legacy from a coach with charisma. He is the absolute opposite of Mourinho and in that way not popular at all, even hated by some.

With hardly any experience he took over as manager one of the biggest teams in the world.

And although he made some mistakes in the past I have to admit he is doing a fine job so far. When he made mistakes he was demolished in the press. And looking back on it it might have been good for the team because in that way the team was saved from most of the criticism.

After struggling for almost the whole season the team seems to have found their second breath and are on a cruising speed in the last few weeks and Chelsea might have the best season in their history.

Living in the shadow of the special one, Mourinho, wasn't easy but at the end of the season Avram Grant might step out of that shadow and become the one and only special one!

It's like the old saying : In football anything is possible.
And what is more inspirational in life than seeing the underdog of underdogs, the zero, become hero!