5.30.2004

 

[doing my bit for the nation]

just realised that i've spent a LOT in the past 48 hours. not exactly a spending spree, but not hitting the major sales either. bought a set of cambridge soundworks Slim Optical 2.1 speakers from the Creative warehouse sale at $50.. a real steal if you ask me. set it up a couple of hours ago and the sound totally *rocks*. can take analog input from my discman-radio and optical input from MD / extigy. then again, to quote YJ, anything is better than unpowered speakers. then: 0.2W x 2. now: 6W x 2 + 17W subwoofer. ^^; now joss stone and gilles peterson just completely blow me away! (literally!)

sometime later last night / this morning, decided that i would be using a lot of my IBM X21 during the attachment period - not using the laptop there, mind, but working at home - and that the original 128MB of RAM just wasn't enough for me to keep multiple apps running at the same time (which i am notorious for doing, even when on the phone). so off i went to sim lim and discovered, much to my horror, that the online price guide of $90 for a 128MB RAM chip was nowhere near the $120 i was quoted in real life. the shop people just laughed (well, nicely, if that's possible) and said that they have no idea where the hardwarezone prices come from. there ARE shops listed together with the price they give at hardwarezone but i was in a rush and didnt feel the necessity to prove my point, so $120 it was. at least my computer is multitasking much better now!

finally got myself a wrist rest.. hopefully that'll put an end to my fears of developing carpal tunnel. and for the umpteenth time, NO, i cannot "discuss the carpal tunnel [and its structure]". i am so dead when term starts. no time to even study, once i come back from work i need to complete some more work that i didnt finish / couldnt finish.. haiz.

also picked up yeow's CD, This Generation, at the Zircon Gov Pawnstarz gig yesterday for $15 (cheap!) at the merchandise counter. din feel the need to grab a ZGPS t-shirt with the warped crest and all, i just don't feel goth or punk enough to wear that. yet.

in unrelated news, the national fencing team did well in a regional FIE-related event (skimpy details in the newspaper, and i cant find any info online, honestly) .. women's foil and men's epee (woo hoo!) brought back the gold, beating japan and vietnam respectively, while men's sabre came in bronze. which is quizzical if you ask me, since i always figured that our sabre teams were better. *shrug*

looking good.. here's hoping it'll last. ^^;

timestamp: anonymous 13:57 0 comments

5.29.2004

 

[Don't smoke cigarettes / Don't take any drugs / Don't go out at night / Just ....]

whoa. the Tiramisu + Zircon Gov Pawnstarz (ZGPS) gig totally RAWKED!! Tiramisu was awesome. i distinctly remember saying "with a name like that how could they possibly be bad?" ^^; in any case they're a lot more rock than ZGPS is, in a very melodic-dancey and head-bangy kinda way. to quote calvin, heavy influences from U2 and Joy Division. they certainly have the talent, although their stage presence cannot compare to ZGPS (yet). Tiramisu are recording their debut album now, and that's definitely something to look forward to in the near future. (not to mention make my wallet another $20 lighter)

ZGPS live was even better than in the album, maybe it was the spontaneity or the sound system, i can't quite put my finger on it. their style can best be described as punk-electroclash.. (apologies to those i've tried to define their music style to previously) and when i found the same people headbanging to both the more-rock Tiramisu and the more-dance/electro ZGPS, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the reason why electroclash is more accessible (and therefore popular, though others may beg to differ) is because it combines elements of 80's pop, the dark undertones of goth (stereotypically anyway), the riffs of rock - in itself wildly popular, the attitude of punk and the beats of modern dance (mostly house i think), each of which already has an established fan base. If anybody needs to write a paper on electroclash, don't forget to acknowledge me ^^;

ZGPS' stage presence was undeniable.. and unmistakable. mostly because all 3 are seasoned performers in their own right, and it shows. the part where X'Ho and Sue-Sue Law exchanged dialogue in thai and french over a song (forgot which already) was inspired, and special guest MC Sleepwalker was riotous on stage. but the best bit was the audience interaction over tom neville's "just ****".. which as you may have guessed, is the title of the post. it's always wonderfully reassuring to hear 1) something you're familiar with and 2) something you LIKE at an alien venue surrounded by many people you don't know (although some were cute ^^; ).. that said, though, calvin's familiar with the tune and not me..

the only bummer was the fact that the venue was about 1/3 - 1/2 full, though i guess that's more due to capacity of the place (i estimate it as 400) than any fault on Tiramisu or ZGPS' part. It's still a subculture - just like those breakdancers in the underpass between citylink and the esplanade - but it's growing. And unfortunately, as much as I wish it wasn't so, punk-electroclash is still less accessible to your average joe than downtempo (such as The Observatory). even i must admit that i play downtempo on my cd player more. =
can't remember the last time i had so much fun. The Observatory's playing a late-night gig at the same place (esplanade theatre studio) in early july, 2 nights performance.. let me know if you wanna go quick. I'm worried the tix might sell out.

Tom Neville - chorus from Just ****

---

Don't smoke cigarettes
Don't take any drugs
Dont' go out at night
Just ****
(repeat)

---

whee!

timestamp: anonymous 21:25 0 comments

5.21.2004

 

[Yahoo! News - Thousands may have human form of mad cow disease]

breaking news on yahoo. this ranks among my worst fears.. that said, though, its nothing terribly surprising considering how long the cannibalism of farm animals in the name of economic gain has been going on; someone just decided to crunch the numbers. it's timely, though, because the public (as always) needs an attention-grabbing headline to remind them of serious threats to their health in yesterday's news.

timestamp: anonymous 16:52 0 comments

5.20.2004

 

[Zircon Gov Pawnstarz GIG!!!]

it's finally here.. the much-anticipated live gig. well, to be honest, i've missed the observatory's album-launch show at the Alliance Francaise (to my eternal regret) and zircon gov pawnstarz' album-launch show at zouk. sooooo.. $20 incl 1 drink, standing room only. Esplanade Theatre. Next Sat (29 May) 2100 - 2300 (but arrive >15 min early) im not going to miss them this time.. anybody who wants in, let me know ASAP. tix on sale now.

timestamp: anonymous 17:17 0 comments

5.15.2004

 

[ghost town]

This is cool: GHOST TOWN - Chernobyl Pictures .. a ride through the dead zone around Chernobyl. kinda creepy, but in a nuclear-winter sorta way. makes all the old Z for Zachariah fears come back again..

timestamp: anonymous 18:15 0 comments

 

[foot in mouth syndrome]

y_avatar (09:34 PM) :
eh? that's unpolitically correct you know..
y_avatar (09:34 PM) :
or should i say, politically incorrect..
y_avatar (09:34 PM) :
haha
y_avatar (09:34 PM) :
(oops)

timestamp: anonymous 14:41 0 comments

5.12.2004

 

[not for the easily offended]

was introduced to this site - b3ta Question of the Week archives.. (thanks jun!) it's drop dead funny. we are such angels compared to what these people do! but it's really not for the easily offended.

Rated R for strong language, adult situations and mischievous MALICIOUS intent..

and it's a total time waster. i've spent over a day just going thru the "Best" submissions to each question.. you've been warned.

PS if you find my post looks a little funny, its because im now using the "title" field in the new blogger. does anybody still know where to sign up for the gmail beta? or is it closed liao? took too long to think of a nick (still haven't thought of it yet)..

timestamp: anonymous 21:01 0 comments

5.08.2004

 

[priceless nugget of the day, pt 2]

... there are lots of reasons females might play the field, although we don't necessarily know the reasons in any given instance. Just in case you meet a girl on the prowl and you want to understand her motives, here's a checklist of possibilities:

• She has run out of sperm


• Her other lovers were sterile


• Her other lovers had lousy genes


• Her other lovers had incompatible genes


• Her other lovers were ugly


• She wants diversity in her children


• She wants you for your food


• She wants help raising her kids


• She wants to enter your sperm in a competition


• She wants to give herself or her eggs a selection of sperm to choose from


• She wants to confuse everyone about who's the father

- Dr Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex, Olivia Judson

timestamp: anonymous 16:42 0 comments

5.07.2004

 

[priceless nugget of the day]

You see, girls may say they want a kind, sensitive, devoted guy - that personality matters more than looks - but the truth is, in many species, females are body fascists. That's why as a rule it's the males that have ridiculously long tails or fancy headdresses - or eyes perched on the ends of long, stiff stalks.

- Dr Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation: The Definitive Guide to the Evolutionary Biology of Sex, Olivia Judson

timestamp: anonymous 17:09 0 comments

5.04.2004

 

[Total Lunar Eclipse]

hey theres gonna be a total lunar eclipse tonite, it more or less starts around 0352 but the total eclipse starts around 0430. the moon will set before the thing is over! insomniacs.. anybody reading this now.. stay up and watch the eclipse! ^ ^;

timestamp: anonymous 19:09 0 comments

5.02.2004

 

[cogito ergo sum]

i think, therefore i am. but i think too much. i read too much into trivial matters. i attach too much symbolic meaning to what others interpret as normal, not earth-shattering, events. and i don't ever get anything done. so if i think too much, does it mean that i am too "me" for my own good?

NB - for the life of me i can't tell if its cogito or cognito. both seem valid.. although i always remember the phrase as the former, while the latter aids comprehension. any idea which is the real deal?

Faithless ft Dido - Dub Be Good To Me

---

Here comes the music
hit maker from jamaica
Sweet like candy
Hit me now

Baby girl

Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me

(Rap By Maxi Jazz)

Friends tell me I am crazy
That I'm wasting time with you
You'll never be mine
That's not the way i see it
'Cos I feel already fine
Whenever you're with me

People always talk about
Reputations
Well I don't care
about your other girls
Just be good to me
Friends are always telling me
That we're using
I dont care what you do with them
Just be good to me
I don't care what you do with them
Just be good to me
Just be good to me
Just be good to me

---

feeling retro... modern-retro. the original Dub Be Good to Me was by Beats International - Norman Cook @ Fatboy Slim & Lindy Layton - was #1 for 4 weeks in 1990 and spent 13 weeks on the charts. but i must say that the faithless ft Dido cover gives it a whole new lease of life.. which is the whole point of reinventing old songs. whipping out my verve remixed (vol 2), joss stone and lisa ono records. wo0!

in an unrelated note, i realise that i have spent a small fortune at hmv heeren recently, and it's mainly on local, if not regional, artistes. as Paul Zach recently remarked in his saturday music column, most of the best CDs of 2004 have been released already, and 2 of them are local acts: X'Ho's Zircon Gov Pawnstars & Leslie Low's the Observatory. wonderful stuff.. though i must add that i've been waiting for the commercial release of these albums with bated breath since late last year til NOW. still..

timestamp: anonymous 17:03 0 comments