It's been 60 years since anyone alive today saw the flash of an atomic weapon detonated in anger and lived to tell the tale. The second of only two atomic bombs used on live targets detonated over Nagasaki at the precise time of this post.
But really, does anyone care?
EJ is exactly 14 weeks old. She's come a long way since that day in May when she was forcibly removed from her temporary lodging and brought out into this world of harsh lights and sounds. She's been able to recognize and respond to her primary caregivers for a while now and has recently been taken out for short jaunts into town, giving her a chance to charm strangers who smiled at her or commented on her cuteness by giving them a smile of her own. She's grown a fair bit and is able to hold her head up more or less unassisted. She can communicate through the use of different sorts of short cries and her repertoire of sounds has grown by leaps and bound. She has also recently started to use her face to show her displeasure, a step up from when she first started smiling at people.
Then again, like anyone gives a shit.
And today's the day Singapore celebrates 40 years of independence. That's all that matters doesn't it? Wave the flag, thump the chest,see the fireworks. Oooh, ahhh, it's all good.
Tuesday, 9 August 2005
Saturday, 6 August 2005
And time stood still
Saturday, 30 July 2005
Let me get this straight
Got this off another blogger, I shouldn't run on the platforms or concourses of the Tube, especially if I'm carrying a rucksack, wearing a big coat or look a bit foreign. We're already tarring the Muslims with the same brush anyways, let's just do a double jeopardy on Muslims (majority of whom are not Caucasian and therefore foreign) and who might just come from a climate where 17 degrees C is indeed cold and therefore warrants a big coat. Let's not forget the backpacker tourists from warmer climates who are visiting London this time of the year too. Stereotyping, gotta love it.
I've already said my piece about Jean Charles. I understand the need for acting in the interest of the safety of the majority but what like the Telegraph opinion piece says,
On the same day, Mr de Menezes's jacket cost him his life, the Telegraph ran a page of portraits showing the dead of July 7. Many were like him: young adults of vaguely foreign extraction for whom English was a second language. Possibly they, too, had suspicious quirks of dress. Certainly, at any moment of the day the Tube's full of foreigners with heavy coats and bulky bags. They're on the Piccadilly line heading to Heathrow, the Victoria line to pick up the Gatwick Express, the Docklands to City Airport, the Northern to Euston. I doubt whether many Bulgars or Croats or Mauritians or Quebeckers or many of the rest of the vast tide of humanity sweeping through London every day would be sufficiently familiar with the Met's new policy to prostrate themselves quickly enough before plain-clothes marksmen.
The more I think of it, the more ridiculous it seems, Menezes was observed from the time he went out of his flat, got on a bus and then into a Tube station, if authorities had suspected him of carrying explosives at that time, why didn't they take him down sooner? Why let him get on a bus in the first place? Isn't that also a target? I know it's not kosher to second guess the coppers, it's a shitty situation, damned if you shoot, damned if you don't. I know I wouldn't want to be in the shooter's shoes right now but the Met apprehended the 4 suspected bombers, alive.
Perhaps the shooting of J.C. was a knee jerk reaction to the events of the previous day but when you see the 4 suspected bombers alive and Menezes dead something does not compute. If authorities can track someone who they think is carrying explosives all the way from his house to a Tube station and then decide to do something about it only when he gets there, something about the whole things is terribly, terribly wrong. Menezes part 2 cannot be allowed to happen again, no matter what Sir Ian Blair says.
I've already said my piece about Jean Charles. I understand the need for acting in the interest of the safety of the majority but what like the Telegraph opinion piece says,
On the same day, Mr de Menezes's jacket cost him his life, the Telegraph ran a page of portraits showing the dead of July 7. Many were like him: young adults of vaguely foreign extraction for whom English was a second language. Possibly they, too, had suspicious quirks of dress. Certainly, at any moment of the day the Tube's full of foreigners with heavy coats and bulky bags. They're on the Piccadilly line heading to Heathrow, the Victoria line to pick up the Gatwick Express, the Docklands to City Airport, the Northern to Euston. I doubt whether many Bulgars or Croats or Mauritians or Quebeckers or many of the rest of the vast tide of humanity sweeping through London every day would be sufficiently familiar with the Met's new policy to prostrate themselves quickly enough before plain-clothes marksmen.
The more I think of it, the more ridiculous it seems, Menezes was observed from the time he went out of his flat, got on a bus and then into a Tube station, if authorities had suspected him of carrying explosives at that time, why didn't they take him down sooner? Why let him get on a bus in the first place? Isn't that also a target? I know it's not kosher to second guess the coppers, it's a shitty situation, damned if you shoot, damned if you don't. I know I wouldn't want to be in the shooter's shoes right now but the Met apprehended the 4 suspected bombers, alive.
Perhaps the shooting of J.C. was a knee jerk reaction to the events of the previous day but when you see the 4 suspected bombers alive and Menezes dead something does not compute. If authorities can track someone who they think is carrying explosives all the way from his house to a Tube station and then decide to do something about it only when he gets there, something about the whole things is terribly, terribly wrong. Menezes part 2 cannot be allowed to happen again, no matter what Sir Ian Blair says.
Friday, 29 July 2005
Thursday, 28 July 2005
IRA gives up armed struggle
Hopefully, with this statement more than 30 years of low intensity conflict which saw the deaths of more than 3,500 people all told will be brought to a close. Civilians, royalists, republicans, military and members of the security forces.
Having grown up in a time when the mention of the IRA would strike fear into the hearts of people the end seems like a cop out. This was the organisation that introduced knee capping with a drill to the world. Being a Roman Catholic, I remember being horrified to learn the IRA was born of the Roman Catholic community when I was in Secondary School. What the IRA did flew in the face of everything I had faithfully absorbed about the Church. How could people who professed the same faith as I did turn around and gun down innocents? Like all children and teens, I was an idealist. It was disheartening and left me terribly disillusioned. Just one of the many bitter lessons of the realities (and general wackjobness) of life to come.
Here's hoping this one will finally stick.
A Timeline
Having grown up in a time when the mention of the IRA would strike fear into the hearts of people the end seems like a cop out. This was the organisation that introduced knee capping with a drill to the world. Being a Roman Catholic, I remember being horrified to learn the IRA was born of the Roman Catholic community when I was in Secondary School. What the IRA did flew in the face of everything I had faithfully absorbed about the Church. How could people who professed the same faith as I did turn around and gun down innocents? Like all children and teens, I was an idealist. It was disheartening and left me terribly disillusioned. Just one of the many bitter lessons of the realities (and general wackjobness) of life to come.
Here's hoping this one will finally stick.
A Timeline
Wednesday, 27 July 2005
Jean Charles de Menezes (1978 - 2005)
The shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes by plainclothes police officers of the London Metropolitan Police in a Tube station on 22 July was shocking to say the least. Police justified the shooting by saying he had come from a block of flats which was under observation for being a suspected bomber hideout as well as being dressed in a heavy jacket on a warm day, 17°C being the temperature of the day in question. Jumping over the ticket barrier and running for the train didn't help his cause. Coming a day after 4 bombs fizzled in a botched attempt at a second wave of bombings targeting London's transport system it seemed as if the authorities had finally scored one for the good guys when they announced the shooting was "directly linked" to the bombing investigations.
The next day, the Met revealed the identity of Menezes along with the even more shocking revelation that he wasn't remotely linked to the attempted bombings and more damningly, wasn't carrying any explosives at the time of his death. The Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, apologised to the Menezes family and called the death a "tragedy" but maintained the "shoot to kill" policy concerning suspectedsuicidee bombers would stay.
How Jean Charles de Menezes came to die on the floor of a Tube train presents us all with a little problem. An innocent died at the hands of the police. To be sure, he's not the first. Amadou Diallo comes to mind, but we can explain Diallo away as a case of trigger happy policemen who shot first and asked questions later.
But wait, Menezes looked like a bomber, acted like a bomber. He was shot because he looked like a threat to the policemen of an already frazzled city which had suffered two bomb attacks in the space of two weeks. No matter which way you cut it, Menezes was in the wrong place at the wrong time and wearing the wrong thing. Then again, he's Brazilian, where I'm from, 17°C is pretty damn cold to me, I'm sure it was to him. Okay, so why did he run when police told him to stop? Men dressed in plain clothes start waving guns at you. English isn't your first language. Maybe the accent wasn't didn't help. I don't know. Whatever the case is, Menezes was shot in the head because he looked like a suicide bomber, acted like a suicide bomber. Hindsight is 20/20, don't diss the cops for doing their job.
Sir Ian Blair says Menezes may not be the last, the "shoot to kill" policy stays. To put it crudely, the first time was a freebie, but Menezes Part II? A bit much innit? Where does one draw the line? Locking people up without need to show cause is already a bit much, especially if they're innocent. But to shoot me in the head just because I happen to fit the profile of a suicide bomber? Remind me to wear a singlet if I ever manage to get to London and ride the Tube. Some stuff I rather not regurgitate here and here.
And to top things off, just this morning, Brit police apprehended a suspected bomber of the 22/7 bombings, apparently he had on him a backpack with a "device" in it at the time of his arrest. Uniformed officers took him down with a Taser. Food for thought.
Technorati tags: Singapore, Jean Charles de Menezes
The next day, the Met revealed the identity of Menezes along with the even more shocking revelation that he wasn't remotely linked to the attempted bombings and more damningly, wasn't carrying any explosives at the time of his death. The Police Commissioner, Sir Ian Blair, apologised to the Menezes family and called the death a "tragedy" but maintained the "shoot to kill" policy concerning suspectedsuicidee bombers would stay.
How Jean Charles de Menezes came to die on the floor of a Tube train presents us all with a little problem. An innocent died at the hands of the police. To be sure, he's not the first. Amadou Diallo comes to mind, but we can explain Diallo away as a case of trigger happy policemen who shot first and asked questions later.
But wait, Menezes looked like a bomber, acted like a bomber. He was shot because he looked like a threat to the policemen of an already frazzled city which had suffered two bomb attacks in the space of two weeks. No matter which way you cut it, Menezes was in the wrong place at the wrong time and wearing the wrong thing. Then again, he's Brazilian, where I'm from, 17°C is pretty damn cold to me, I'm sure it was to him. Okay, so why did he run when police told him to stop? Men dressed in plain clothes start waving guns at you. English isn't your first language. Maybe the accent wasn't didn't help. I don't know. Whatever the case is, Menezes was shot in the head because he looked like a suicide bomber, acted like a suicide bomber. Hindsight is 20/20, don't diss the cops for doing their job.
Sir Ian Blair says Menezes may not be the last, the "shoot to kill" policy stays. To put it crudely, the first time was a freebie, but Menezes Part II? A bit much innit? Where does one draw the line? Locking people up without need to show cause is already a bit much, especially if they're innocent. But to shoot me in the head just because I happen to fit the profile of a suicide bomber? Remind me to wear a singlet if I ever manage to get to London and ride the Tube. Some stuff I rather not regurgitate here and here.
And to top things off, just this morning, Brit police apprehended a suspected bomber of the 22/7 bombings, apparently he had on him a backpack with a "device" in it at the time of his arrest. Uniformed officers took him down with a Taser. Food for thought.
Technorati tags: Singapore, Jean Charles de Menezes
Monday, 25 July 2005
Nation Kena F***ed
Seeing I'm regurgitating from memory, my apologies if I've gotten anything wrong or misrepresented, always welcome to email me to set the record straight, please don't sue me.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF), mightiest of the charities in Singapore
1. has $262,000,000 in reserves as of July 2005. Enough for anything from 5 to 30 years of operations depending on how you slice the cake. No, wait, NKF says that's only enough to last 3 years.
2. had a CEO, T.T. Durai, who worked as a volunteer for 21 years before becoming it's CEO in 1992 with a starting salary of $12,000, turning down the initial $20,000 he was offered. Mr. Durai's salary for last year was north of $500,000, his monthly basic of $25,000 and what really pissed people off, a 10-12 month bonus.
3. had a board which approved the above salary package.
4. misrepresented the number of patients under it's care. So is it 2,000 or 3,000 dudes?
5. had a board which included one Ms. Matilda I-can't-remember-the-surname, who was first an NKF employee, left the NKF, started a call centre business with abovementioned CEO and then proceeded to bid for and win a contract to run NKF's call centre.
6. had gold taps which cost $990 before discount installed in the CEO's bathroom before said CEO thought they might be a little too expensive and had them swapped for cheaper alternatives. $990, I could live on that for two months and still have change to buy a bag or two of peanuts.
7. had a patron, Mrs. Goh Chok Tong, wife of the SM, who probably got an earful from the husband when he found out she had justified T.T's salary by saying for someone who managed $262,000,000 his salary was peanuts. Engage brain before mouth Mrs. Goh, if you had just kept it zipped and smiled a sad smile for the cameras and walked away you could have come off smelling like roses but you just had to say something *throws hands in the air*
8. has a new board and Chairman/CEO, Mr. Gerard Ee, I hope he doesn't stop smiling after a couple of weeks of wading in the neck high shithole he's stepped into. Bravo on your decision to not take a cent for your post. Seeing as how the entire nation would have been terribly interested to know your salary you defused that potential bomb with aplomb.
It's 14 days to the day the defamation suit that kicked over this whole anthill started, heads have rolled and people in suits are poring over the nooks and crannys of the NKF. People power came to Singapore 2 weeks ago, it was the first solid expression of the power of the masses and what that power was capable of, gives me the tingles just thinking about it. Just imagine, apathetic Singapore has got a voice and we're not afraid to use it.
Well, not really. The NKF issue was one that united all because it was a victim of it's success. 2 out of 3 Singaporeans donated to it. It galvanised the people in such numbers precisely because so many people were affected by the revelations. Will we see such an awe insipring display of the power of the masses again?
The buck seems to have stopped at the resignation of T.T. and gang, people have gone back to their lives. Wait damnit, where you all going? It's not the end yet, is it?
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF), mightiest of the charities in Singapore
1. has $262,000,000 in reserves as of July 2005. Enough for anything from 5 to 30 years of operations depending on how you slice the cake. No, wait, NKF says that's only enough to last 3 years.
2. had a CEO, T.T. Durai, who worked as a volunteer for 21 years before becoming it's CEO in 1992 with a starting salary of $12,000, turning down the initial $20,000 he was offered. Mr. Durai's salary for last year was north of $500,000, his monthly basic of $25,000 and what really pissed people off, a 10-12 month bonus.
3. had a board which approved the above salary package.
4. misrepresented the number of patients under it's care. So is it 2,000 or 3,000 dudes?
5. had a board which included one Ms. Matilda I-can't-remember-the-surname, who was first an NKF employee, left the NKF, started a call centre business with abovementioned CEO and then proceeded to bid for and win a contract to run NKF's call centre.
6. had gold taps which cost $990 before discount installed in the CEO's bathroom before said CEO thought they might be a little too expensive and had them swapped for cheaper alternatives. $990, I could live on that for two months and still have change to buy a bag or two of peanuts.
7. had a patron, Mrs. Goh Chok Tong, wife of the SM, who probably got an earful from the husband when he found out she had justified T.T's salary by saying for someone who managed $262,000,000 his salary was peanuts. Engage brain before mouth Mrs. Goh, if you had just kept it zipped and smiled a sad smile for the cameras and walked away you could have come off smelling like roses but you just had to say something *throws hands in the air*
8. has a new board and Chairman/CEO, Mr. Gerard Ee, I hope he doesn't stop smiling after a couple of weeks of wading in the neck high shithole he's stepped into. Bravo on your decision to not take a cent for your post. Seeing as how the entire nation would have been terribly interested to know your salary you defused that potential bomb with aplomb.
It's 14 days to the day the defamation suit that kicked over this whole anthill started, heads have rolled and people in suits are poring over the nooks and crannys of the NKF. People power came to Singapore 2 weeks ago, it was the first solid expression of the power of the masses and what that power was capable of, gives me the tingles just thinking about it. Just imagine, apathetic Singapore has got a voice and we're not afraid to use it.
Well, not really. The NKF issue was one that united all because it was a victim of it's success. 2 out of 3 Singaporeans donated to it. It galvanised the people in such numbers precisely because so many people were affected by the revelations. Will we see such an awe insipring display of the power of the masses again?
The buck seems to have stopped at the resignation of T.T. and gang, people have gone back to their lives. Wait damnit, where you all going? It's not the end yet, is it?
Flashbacks
The London bombings of 7th July were quite the nasty epilogue to the city's successful bid to host the 2012 Olympics. Four bombs, three placed on Tube trains and 1 on a double decker bus, went off within minutes of each other around 0900hrs local time killing 50 odd commuters and wounding over 700. Compared to the Madrid bombings of a year and a half ago the Brits got off pretty lightly. The Spaniards lost more than triple the number in dead and over 900 wounded on an above ground system. Considering the Tube has had several incidents of station fires where there was loss of life due to suffocation and/or smoke inhalation someone must be counting their blessings.
Scenes of streets being filled with emergency services vehicles and personnel dressed in all sorts of bright colours with their job designation spelt out at the back of their jumpsuits was a site to see. No scenes of mass panic, somewhat frazzled commuters being herded away from incident sites by simliarly frazzled police was about as panic stricken as you could get. Some credit the famous stiff upper lip of the Brits, others the wave of bombings by the IRA in the 80's, others still the relatively small impact the bombs made to explain the relative calm exhibited by the majority of Londonors in the immediate aftermath and days following the attack.
For me, the defining scene of this sorry episode was a shot of an ambulance just outside the doors of a hospital ER, a paramedics performing CPR on a stretcher case as they offloaded the poor sod off the vehicle and into the hospital. Someone's life was slipping away as I was sitting down to dinner half a world away. Made me really mad at whoever did it. Made me want to rail at the injustice of it all. But then I got around to reading this a couple of days after.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9422.htm
Quote:
"It is easy for Tony Blair to call yesterdays bombings "barbaric" - of course they were - but what were the civilian deaths of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003, the children torn apart by cluster bombs, the countless innocent Iraqis gunned down at American military checkpoints? When they die, it is "collateral damage"; when "we" die, it is "barbaric terrorism".
If we are fighting insurgency in Iraq, what makes us believe insurgency won't come to us? One thing is certain: if Tony Blair really believes that by "fighting terrorism" in Iraq we could more efficiently protect Britain - fight them there rather than let them come here, as Bush constantly says - this argument is no longer valid."
Food for thought. While I don't remember anyone calling Iraqi civilian deaths "collateral damage" I also don't remember hourly coverage of the latest car bomb casualties or if anyone did a story on the survivors of the last family car to get blown away cos they were approaching the American manned checkpoint a little too quickly. In this age of 24/7 coverage, how the media chooses to project a story can greatly influence the perceptions and opinions that people take away from the story. Witness the aftermath of 9/11 and the London bombings, endless coverage, live briefings from authorities. Juxtapose that image with a ten second shaky video shot of the remnants of the latest car bomb to hit Baghdad in the distance and accompanying sound bite, something not right, can't quite figure out what. I know! The danged cameraman! They need to get someone who isn't high on hashish or something when he's filming. Sheesh, shaky video images, you'd think the BBC/CNN could do better.
I also picked up something from the July 12 edition of The Daily Show, well, not the whole show, just the clip on onegoodmove.org. Never really noticed the newscasters on CNN being like that before, or maybe I did but could never really put my finger on it. BBC rocks in any case.
Still, CNN is only guilty of sensationalising or at most, spinning a story so people could point to London and say "See? We got 'em on the run, that's why they're bombing London." Fox News on the other hand.....where in the hell do they get these people?
Footnote, the botched attempts at Wave 2 on July 21st totally blindsided everyone, you'd think lightning never strikes twice, perhaps that's what Wave 2 was all about, a sucker punch from a direction you never expected. ie. the same place. Not that it's any comfort to the poor sod that got shot cos he was wearing a heavy jacket in the middle of summer and refused to stop when plainclothes police officers told him to. More on this when I've had time to organise my simple mind.
Scenes of streets being filled with emergency services vehicles and personnel dressed in all sorts of bright colours with their job designation spelt out at the back of their jumpsuits was a site to see. No scenes of mass panic, somewhat frazzled commuters being herded away from incident sites by simliarly frazzled police was about as panic stricken as you could get. Some credit the famous stiff upper lip of the Brits, others the wave of bombings by the IRA in the 80's, others still the relatively small impact the bombs made to explain the relative calm exhibited by the majority of Londonors in the immediate aftermath and days following the attack.
For me, the defining scene of this sorry episode was a shot of an ambulance just outside the doors of a hospital ER, a paramedics performing CPR on a stretcher case as they offloaded the poor sod off the vehicle and into the hospital. Someone's life was slipping away as I was sitting down to dinner half a world away. Made me really mad at whoever did it. Made me want to rail at the injustice of it all. But then I got around to reading this a couple of days after.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9422.htm
Quote:
"It is easy for Tony Blair to call yesterdays bombings "barbaric" - of course they were - but what were the civilian deaths of the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003, the children torn apart by cluster bombs, the countless innocent Iraqis gunned down at American military checkpoints? When they die, it is "collateral damage"; when "we" die, it is "barbaric terrorism".
If we are fighting insurgency in Iraq, what makes us believe insurgency won't come to us? One thing is certain: if Tony Blair really believes that by "fighting terrorism" in Iraq we could more efficiently protect Britain - fight them there rather than let them come here, as Bush constantly says - this argument is no longer valid."
Food for thought. While I don't remember anyone calling Iraqi civilian deaths "collateral damage" I also don't remember hourly coverage of the latest car bomb casualties or if anyone did a story on the survivors of the last family car to get blown away cos they were approaching the American manned checkpoint a little too quickly. In this age of 24/7 coverage, how the media chooses to project a story can greatly influence the perceptions and opinions that people take away from the story. Witness the aftermath of 9/11 and the London bombings, endless coverage, live briefings from authorities. Juxtapose that image with a ten second shaky video shot of the remnants of the latest car bomb to hit Baghdad in the distance and accompanying sound bite, something not right, can't quite figure out what. I know! The danged cameraman! They need to get someone who isn't high on hashish or something when he's filming. Sheesh, shaky video images, you'd think the BBC/CNN could do better.
I also picked up something from the July 12 edition of The Daily Show, well, not the whole show, just the clip on onegoodmove.org. Never really noticed the newscasters on CNN being like that before, or maybe I did but could never really put my finger on it. BBC rocks in any case.
Still, CNN is only guilty of sensationalising or at most, spinning a story so people could point to London and say "See? We got 'em on the run, that's why they're bombing London." Fox News on the other hand.....where in the hell do they get these people?
Footnote, the botched attempts at Wave 2 on July 21st totally blindsided everyone, you'd think lightning never strikes twice, perhaps that's what Wave 2 was all about, a sucker punch from a direction you never expected. ie. the same place. Not that it's any comfort to the poor sod that got shot cos he was wearing a heavy jacket in the middle of summer and refused to stop when plainclothes police officers told him to. More on this when I've had time to organise my simple mind.
Saturday, 25 June 2005
Hiatus
I hate computer viruses, I hate the geekoids who came up with them, I hate the idiot in me who clicked on the link without thinking, you'd think after god knows how long of sucessfully siaming all the spammers, trojans and assorted whatnots of the virus world I'd at least have suspected that something smelt like fish when I first read the email....bleah.
Anyways, a short work jaunt to Cebu later and here me are, blog blog blog.
Early morning, leaving on a jet plane
Shot this as I was about to get on the plane, it was a shitty rainy morning the day I left and the planes taking off left pretty impressive trails of water as they blasted off into the wild blue yonder. Pity I overexposed the shots, only so much PS can do to cover up a sucky photographer. Heh.
View from the hotel window, the buildings in Cebu rarely climb above 5 stories save for some hotels, commercial and government buildings. Income disparity is insane, a buffet lunch for two with drinks can equal the monthly take home pay of a housekeeper. I read somewhere the Philippines was the strongest economy in Asia at the time of it's independence, what the hell went wrong?
S$1 = 30 pesos approx.
Anyways, a short work jaunt to Cebu later and here me are, blog blog blog.
Early morning, leaving on a jet plane
Shot this as I was about to get on the plane, it was a shitty rainy morning the day I left and the planes taking off left pretty impressive trails of water as they blasted off into the wild blue yonder. Pity I overexposed the shots, only so much PS can do to cover up a sucky photographer. Heh.
View from the hotel window, the buildings in Cebu rarely climb above 5 stories save for some hotels, commercial and government buildings. Income disparity is insane, a buffet lunch for two with drinks can equal the monthly take home pay of a housekeeper. I read somewhere the Philippines was the strongest economy in Asia at the time of it's independence, what the hell went wrong?
S$1 = 30 pesos approx.
Tuesday, 14 June 2005
IR Idiots
So, the MacRitchie Treetop Walk has been classified as "not user friendly" by some of the people who have tried the route since it opened in November last year.
Oh for crying out loud, what were you people expecting? Just getting to the walk itself requires a 4.5/2.5km walk depending on where you start out from. I haven't walked it myself but I did a couple of hikes that skirted the area back when I was a Scout and it defintely ain't no walk in the park.
Just seeing the TV pictures of families carrying strollers and hearing of them not packing enough water or food brought tears to my eyes. Of course it's tough if you're lugging a stroller through the forest and hoping you won't pass out from lack of food. It's got to be this thing that Singaporeans have, the island is so devoid of any meaningful activity spots (shopping and eating can only get you so far) that everytime something new comes up, people just have to die die try it, jump right in without looking, witness the hordes that descended on Lim Chu Kang when the bunch of farmer wannabes there opened up their properties to the public.
Anyways, I wanted to rant more about this, but that was before I stumbled on Merv's take on this, took the words out of my mouth. Horses for courses, ya farktwats. It's a wonder CNA aired the stoopid segment in the first place, like the world needs to be reminded how soft and senseless Singaporeans are.
In other news, we got us a new MRT line, to be completed by 2012 at the cost of S$1,400,000,000, this line will have 5 stations and will be run by SMRT.
Starting with...
Millenia on the Circle Line
Bayfront, which serves IR No.1 and Botanical Gardens No.2 (which IMHO is just plain sited wrongly)
Landmark, near 1 Raffles Quay, the new business and financial centre
Cross Street
Chinatown on the Circle Line
I wonder what they'll call this line?
Money, money, money....Money! Line
IR Line
Integrated Line
Technorati MacRitchie Treetop Walk, Singapore
Oh for crying out loud, what were you people expecting? Just getting to the walk itself requires a 4.5/2.5km walk depending on where you start out from. I haven't walked it myself but I did a couple of hikes that skirted the area back when I was a Scout and it defintely ain't no walk in the park.
Just seeing the TV pictures of families carrying strollers and hearing of them not packing enough water or food brought tears to my eyes. Of course it's tough if you're lugging a stroller through the forest and hoping you won't pass out from lack of food. It's got to be this thing that Singaporeans have, the island is so devoid of any meaningful activity spots (shopping and eating can only get you so far) that everytime something new comes up, people just have to die die try it, jump right in without looking, witness the hordes that descended on Lim Chu Kang when the bunch of farmer wannabes there opened up their properties to the public.
Anyways, I wanted to rant more about this, but that was before I stumbled on Merv's take on this, took the words out of my mouth. Horses for courses, ya farktwats. It's a wonder CNA aired the stoopid segment in the first place, like the world needs to be reminded how soft and senseless Singaporeans are.
In other news, we got us a new MRT line, to be completed by 2012 at the cost of S$1,400,000,000, this line will have 5 stations and will be run by SMRT.
Starting with...
Millenia on the Circle Line
Bayfront, which serves IR No.1 and Botanical Gardens No.2 (which IMHO is just plain sited wrongly)
Landmark, near 1 Raffles Quay, the new business and financial centre
Cross Street
Chinatown on the Circle Line
I wonder what they'll call this line?
Money, money, money....Money! Line
IR Line
Integrated Line
Technorati MacRitchie Treetop Walk, Singapore
Monday, 13 June 2005
Pit Stop
Dang it, wanted to blog but the wifey looks like she's coming down with something, must go see to her needs so I'll just leave you loyal readers with a little something, yes, all 3 of you, I know who you are, well, sort of, blame statcounter.com. Bless you guys for religiously checking every other day to see if I've posted anything new, makes me feel wanted. LOL.
{Nori123} You don't know jack shit
{VioletSky} That's not true, I know him well
{Nori123} Haha
{VioletSky} I'm serious
{VioletSky) Jack is the son of Awe Schitt and O. Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner of Needeep N. Schitt Inc. They had one son, Jack. In turn Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt, the deeply religious couple produced 6 children
{VioletSky} Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins: Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt. Against her parents' objections, Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school drop out.
{VioletSky) However, after being married 15 years, Jack and Noe Schitt divorced. Noe Schitt later remarried Ted Sherlock and, because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name.
{VioletSky) She was then known as Noe Schitt-Sherlock. Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a son of nervous disposition, Chicken Schitt.
{VioletSky) Two other of the 6 children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.
{VioletSky) The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens wedding. The Schitt-Happens children were Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarse.
{VioletSky) Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.
{VioletSky) So there.
{FiPo) LOL
{Nori123) I have actually chortled coke through my nose
- quote #515093, www.bash.org
{Nori123} You don't know jack shit
{VioletSky} That's not true, I know him well
{Nori123} Haha
{VioletSky} I'm serious
{VioletSky) Jack is the son of Awe Schitt and O. Schitt. Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner of Needeep N. Schitt Inc. They had one son, Jack. In turn Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt, the deeply religious couple produced 6 children
{VioletSky} Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, and the twins: Deap Schitt and Dip Schitt. Against her parents' objections, Deap Schitt married Dumb Schitt, a high school drop out.
{VioletSky) However, after being married 15 years, Jack and Noe Schitt divorced. Noe Schitt later remarried Ted Sherlock and, because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name.
{VioletSky) She was then known as Noe Schitt-Sherlock. Meanwhile, Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a son of nervous disposition, Chicken Schitt.
{VioletSky) Two other of the 6 children, Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt, were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.
{VioletSky) The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Schitt-Happens wedding. The Schitt-Happens children were Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarse.
{VioletSky) Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Schitt.
{VioletSky) So there.
{FiPo) LOL
{Nori123) I have actually chortled coke through my nose
- quote #515093, www.bash.org
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Communication
It's been a while since the last one. Much has been said about much that was done, yet here I am, it's as if nothing out of the ordinary happened, life goes on.
I've always suspected the rifts were there, little clues here and there, every so often. It's gut wrenching to see your loved ones act out what happens when two people do not communicate. It's scary when you start identifying all those danger signs you remember from the marriage prep course from not so long ago. Nothing like a look into the future to scare the beejeezus out of yourself if you don't pay attention to the basics.
EJ's been acting up, she's latched on to the fact that if she cries we'll drop everything to pick her up. Of course we've been subjected to the usual barrage of ill-timed and unwelcomed advice on how not to pick her up whenever she starts going eh-eh-eh in that weird cry that she has for fear of spoiling her but Mummy says to hell with that, cry=pick up. The books say EJ will grow up with a better sense of security if she knows there are people who care about her, works for me.
I've always suspected the rifts were there, little clues here and there, every so often. It's gut wrenching to see your loved ones act out what happens when two people do not communicate. It's scary when you start identifying all those danger signs you remember from the marriage prep course from not so long ago. Nothing like a look into the future to scare the beejeezus out of yourself if you don't pay attention to the basics.
EJ's been acting up, she's latched on to the fact that if she cries we'll drop everything to pick her up. Of course we've been subjected to the usual barrage of ill-timed and unwelcomed advice on how not to pick her up whenever she starts going eh-eh-eh in that weird cry that she has for fear of spoiling her but Mummy says to hell with that, cry=pick up. The books say EJ will grow up with a better sense of security if she knows there are people who care about her, works for me.
Thursday, 2 June 2005
Separation
With the departure of B2 to that last bastion of democracy and equal rights for all during the early hours of this morning my immediate family unit now has representatives in the US and Oz. It will be sometime during Christmas 2006 before we will all be standing in the same physical space at the same time again.
That cliche about not knowing what you got till you miss it rings true at this time, we've never been what you might consider close, I guess that's what you get when all your siblings are male. Seems to me girls have the edge on boys when it comes to building and maintaining sibling relationships, even friendships in general. Of course, there's a chance of bitchiness coming into the equation and fucking things up but in general girl-girl friendships seem to stand the test of time better than guy-guy friendships.
The relationship between the Eggs 3 has always been one of don't ask, don't tell. No one asks about your life, you tell no one about it too. It wasn't always like that, I remember us sleeping on the same bed while we were young, sharing the same room when we couldn't all fit into one bed anymore and just talking about nonsense while we lay in bed waiting for the Sleep Monster to ambush us. Those times were the best, we played hard, fought harder and yet in the quiet time before sleep, we'd always have something to talk about, each cocooned in his own bed staring up at the ceiling (in the case of B2, staring up at the bottom of the top bed of the double decker), just talking. Sometimes a little too excitedly, which brought the Big Daddy Bird into the room threatening in a loud voice and in no uncertain terms what he'd do to us if we didn't quiet down and go to sleep.
We've done a lot of growing up since those days, we've taken different paths along the way and made friends of our own, created our own worlds and our own support structure, to the extent that water seems thicker than blood sometimes. Yet, ironically, for all the distance that seems to separate us, both literally and figuratively, I've come to realise that there is nothing I won't do for either of them. You never know what you got till you lose it, indeed.
That cliche about not knowing what you got till you miss it rings true at this time, we've never been what you might consider close, I guess that's what you get when all your siblings are male. Seems to me girls have the edge on boys when it comes to building and maintaining sibling relationships, even friendships in general. Of course, there's a chance of bitchiness coming into the equation and fucking things up but in general girl-girl friendships seem to stand the test of time better than guy-guy friendships.
The relationship between the Eggs 3 has always been one of don't ask, don't tell. No one asks about your life, you tell no one about it too. It wasn't always like that, I remember us sleeping on the same bed while we were young, sharing the same room when we couldn't all fit into one bed anymore and just talking about nonsense while we lay in bed waiting for the Sleep Monster to ambush us. Those times were the best, we played hard, fought harder and yet in the quiet time before sleep, we'd always have something to talk about, each cocooned in his own bed staring up at the ceiling (in the case of B2, staring up at the bottom of the top bed of the double decker), just talking. Sometimes a little too excitedly, which brought the Big Daddy Bird into the room threatening in a loud voice and in no uncertain terms what he'd do to us if we didn't quiet down and go to sleep.
We've done a lot of growing up since those days, we've taken different paths along the way and made friends of our own, created our own worlds and our own support structure, to the extent that water seems thicker than blood sometimes. Yet, ironically, for all the distance that seems to separate us, both literally and figuratively, I've come to realise that there is nothing I won't do for either of them. You never know what you got till you lose it, indeed.
Wednesday, 1 June 2005
Crybaby
EJ has been acting up at night lately, she has been screaming her lungs out the past 2 nights where she used to only cry when she was hungry or when her diapers were soiled. All attempts at getting her to calm down failed and it was only out of sheer exhaustion that she stopped on both occasions. We think it might be colic but can't be sure, it seems to only happen at night. Both her parents are totally frazzled by her crying although we haven't lost our sanity yet.
Perhaps it's her way of thumbing her nose at us for saying she's a joy to look after. Heh, that's my girl.
In other news, the first of many rounds of makan (in honour of EJ's first month) at our place took place this past weekend. Distant relatives who I don't care for fouled up what should have been an occasion to remember. Bleah.
Perhaps it's her way of thumbing her nose at us for saying she's a joy to look after. Heh, that's my girl.
In other news, the first of many rounds of makan (in honour of EJ's first month) at our place took place this past weekend. Distant relatives who I don't care for fouled up what should have been an occasion to remember. Bleah.
Saturday, 28 May 2005
Recognition
It's 3 in the morning, peaceful night if not for the piercing sound of your cries. I stumble out of bed to check on you after what seems like an eternity of wailing on your part. Mummy's milk is being warmed up after being taken out of the refrigerator but you don't know that and you don't care. You're hungry and you're letting the world know.
So it is with some surprise, although I should know better, that you quieten down immediately when I look in on you, you look at me with what I hope is recognition on your face as I bend down and talk to you, you remain quiet as I pick you up from your cot and sayang you a bit as we wait for your milk. Dang, just like the books say. You may not know who I am but my voice is familiar to you, you know I'm not mummy cos I don't sound or smell the same but I've been around often enough for you to recognize me voice. All too soon your bottle arrives and you are whisked away from my arms, later gorgeous.
So it is with some surprise, although I should know better, that you quieten down immediately when I look in on you, you look at me with what I hope is recognition on your face as I bend down and talk to you, you remain quiet as I pick you up from your cot and sayang you a bit as we wait for your milk. Dang, just like the books say. You may not know who I am but my voice is familiar to you, you know I'm not mummy cos I don't sound or smell the same but I've been around often enough for you to recognize me voice. All too soon your bottle arrives and you are whisked away from my arms, later gorgeous.
Wednesday, 25 May 2005
A package from Canada
I received a package from Canada today, it cost something like $18 Canadian in postage. In it there were 2 books on babies and a card for the parents of EJ.
It came from a man I barely knew, with whom I had spent all of maybe 4 hours, we met because of business but parted after sharing our views on Psychology (we both studied it) and bringing up kids. I don't know much about him and I think I probably will never see him again, which just amplifies what he did. Two strangers who might never have met had it not been for a phone call. It warms my heart to know that there are people like him, who will spontaneously do something nice for a fellow human being no strings attached, still out there. This planet might still be worthy of redemption yet.
Thanks Larry, I'll see you around.
Technorati: Singapore, Canada
It came from a man I barely knew, with whom I had spent all of maybe 4 hours, we met because of business but parted after sharing our views on Psychology (we both studied it) and bringing up kids. I don't know much about him and I think I probably will never see him again, which just amplifies what he did. Two strangers who might never have met had it not been for a phone call. It warms my heart to know that there are people like him, who will spontaneously do something nice for a fellow human being no strings attached, still out there. This planet might still be worthy of redemption yet.
Thanks Larry, I'll see you around.
Technorati: Singapore, Canada
Monday, 23 May 2005
Grandparents
I can't remember much of my paternal grandmother. I remember the way she smelt, her typical ah-ma clothes, I remember her when she was sprightly, I remember her when she was frail, I remember her last days, I miss her dearly on the occasions I think about her. It seems I was one of her favourites, the feeling was mutual. She used to admonish people around the house not to speak too loudly when I was sleeping in the days after I was just born. People have told me I was the apple of her eye. It's a pity I couldn't speak Teochew fluently enough to carry on a conversation with her. Our conversations were almost always restricted to the obligatory greeting and "jia ba buey?" (Have you eaten yet?). I remember a time towards the end, when she seemed bitter at the world and people around her, my mum told me to sit with her and keep her company, so there she was, sitting alone with me, telling me things in Teochew that I desperately wanted to understand, I remember the sadness in her eyes. I can't remember what I told her but it probably wasn't something of much help. It's a private moment that's stayed with me all through the years. It pretty much sums up my relationship with her, so close, yet so far.
It is a given that most children have 2 full sets of grandparents when they are born, longer average life spans have made it possible for said grandparents to play a part in shaping the lives of their grandchildren well into their teens, sometimes into adulthood. I'm glad both sets of grandparents are around for EJ, I hope they will be around for EJ's siblings and cousins, I hope they'll be around for a long time. I'd like EJ to meet the people who spent their lives bringing her parents up. I'd like EJ to get to know them real well in the time she has with them for they have much to tell. I'd like her to remember and miss them when they have passed for I surely will.
It is a given that most children have 2 full sets of grandparents when they are born, longer average life spans have made it possible for said grandparents to play a part in shaping the lives of their grandchildren well into their teens, sometimes into adulthood. I'm glad both sets of grandparents are around for EJ, I hope they will be around for EJ's siblings and cousins, I hope they'll be around for a long time. I'd like EJ to meet the people who spent their lives bringing her parents up. I'd like EJ to get to know them real well in the time she has with them for they have much to tell. I'd like her to remember and miss them when they have passed for I surely will.
Saturday, 21 May 2005
X-Men 3
Kelsey Grammer of Fraiser and Vinnie Jones of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels/Snatch have both signed up to play Beast and Juggernaut respectively in the upcoming X-Men 3, Variety reports. I'm speechless.
No, wait, on second thought, HOLY MUTANTS BATMAN! Can you imagine that blue wall that is the Beast quoting Shakespeare in the voice of Frasier? Grammer's got the voice and the personality to carry Beast off, the CG and Costume department folks will take care of the rest. If there ever was an actor who was a shoe in for a character, this is it.
And Vinnie Jones, he of Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels/Snatch fame, he of Wimbledon hatchetman fame back when football paid his salary. He as The Juggernaut, I CANNOT WAIT to hear what lines the writers are going to have him sprout, apart from the fact that he too is a shoe in to play a big, big, huge ass, big badboy that is Juggernaut.
Third time lucky for the X-Men franchise?
Bullet Tooth Tony: You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
Bullet Tooth Tony: So, you are obviously the big dick. The men on the side of ya are your balls. There are two types of balls. There are big brave balls, and there are little mincey faggot balls.
Vinny: These are your last words, so make them a prayer.
Bullet Tooth Tony: Now, dicks have drive and clarity of vision, but they are not clever. They smell pussy and they want a piece of the action. And you thought you smelled some good old pussy, and have brought your two small mincey faggot balls along for a good old time. But you've got your parties mangled up. There's no pussy here, just a dose that'll make you wish you were born a woman. Like a prick, you are having second thoughts. You are shrinking, and your two little balls are shrinking with ya. The fact that you've got "Replica" written down the side of your gun. (withdraws his gun) And the fact that I've got "Desert Eagle point five O" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now... Fuck off.
- Snatch (2000)
No, wait, on second thought, HOLY MUTANTS BATMAN! Can you imagine that blue wall that is the Beast quoting Shakespeare in the voice of Frasier? Grammer's got the voice and the personality to carry Beast off, the CG and Costume department folks will take care of the rest. If there ever was an actor who was a shoe in for a character, this is it.
And Vinnie Jones, he of Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels/Snatch fame, he of Wimbledon hatchetman fame back when football paid his salary. He as The Juggernaut, I CANNOT WAIT to hear what lines the writers are going to have him sprout, apart from the fact that he too is a shoe in to play a big, big, huge ass, big badboy that is Juggernaut.
Third time lucky for the X-Men franchise?
Bullet Tooth Tony: You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.
Bullet Tooth Tony: So, you are obviously the big dick. The men on the side of ya are your balls. There are two types of balls. There are big brave balls, and there are little mincey faggot balls.
Vinny: These are your last words, so make them a prayer.
Bullet Tooth Tony: Now, dicks have drive and clarity of vision, but they are not clever. They smell pussy and they want a piece of the action. And you thought you smelled some good old pussy, and have brought your two small mincey faggot balls along for a good old time. But you've got your parties mangled up. There's no pussy here, just a dose that'll make you wish you were born a woman. Like a prick, you are having second thoughts. You are shrinking, and your two little balls are shrinking with ya. The fact that you've got "Replica" written down the side of your gun. (withdraws his gun) And the fact that I've got "Desert Eagle point five O" written on the side of mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence. Now... Fuck off.
- Snatch (2000)
Friday, 20 May 2005
20.05.2005 How not to blog?
Truth be told I only realised today was the day when I was updating inventory records like I do at the end of each week. Holy crap! 20.05.2005! Never will a day like this appear again....until 20.06.2006. In the words of Neo, whoa!
116 couples are getting hitched today, the highest so far this year, surpassing the 107 couples who got married on 05.05.05. Yep, we Singaporeans always outdoing outselves when it comes to being number 1. But the record for largest number of weddings in a single day is still held by 14.02.1995. Apparently not only was it Velentine's Day, it was Yuan Xiao Jie, the Chinese Valentine's Day as well. A phenomenon only repeated every 20 years. Over 2,000 couples got married that fateful day. Anyone want to do a survey on how many of those couples are still couples 20 years from now? Must....be.....polite, no.....swearing.
But, much as I detest the kitschiness of it all, to each his/her own. Here's wishing the 232 of you blissful marriages, Trust is important but communication more so, because according to some survey from a few months back, most Singaporeans don't seem to be happy with their life partners. A staggering number, over 50% surveyed IIRC. There's something fundamentally scary about the implication that at least 1 of every 2 couples you meet on the street, among your friends and in your workplace are not happy with each other.
Of course, I could go on about the importance of communication in a relationship, I could say that the ability to engage your partner in conversation about anything without getting a "you want to break up with me/take a look at yourself in the mirror first" look is a sign of a healthy relationship and lah-dee-dah but that would just smack of being holier-than-thou right?
Anyways, EJ just blew past 2 weeks, she's
- exerting more control over where she wants the head, and consequently the eyes to go.
- staying awake for longer periods of time.
- letting her eyes roam around her view of vision when she is awake.
- showing signs of recognising her mummy and daddy. (debatable, but oh do we wish it were so)
- being more vocal, even though it's just short gasps of eh, uh, ehhhh.
- still kan cheong when it comes to feeding time, head just swaying all over the place when it's time to latch on, won't settle down on the nipple until she's satisfied there's nothing else around to latch on to.
- still a pretty good sleeper, wakes up at midnight and around 0400hrs for her feeds, like clockwork this one is. Fingers crossed it carries on.
- still gorgeous
Happy 20.05.2005 all!
116 couples are getting hitched today, the highest so far this year, surpassing the 107 couples who got married on 05.05.05. Yep, we Singaporeans always outdoing outselves when it comes to being number 1. But the record for largest number of weddings in a single day is still held by 14.02.1995. Apparently not only was it Velentine's Day, it was Yuan Xiao Jie, the Chinese Valentine's Day as well. A phenomenon only repeated every 20 years. Over 2,000 couples got married that fateful day. Anyone want to do a survey on how many of those couples are still couples 20 years from now? Must....be.....polite, no.....swearing.
But, much as I detest the kitschiness of it all, to each his/her own. Here's wishing the 232 of you blissful marriages, Trust is important but communication more so, because according to some survey from a few months back, most Singaporeans don't seem to be happy with their life partners. A staggering number, over 50% surveyed IIRC. There's something fundamentally scary about the implication that at least 1 of every 2 couples you meet on the street, among your friends and in your workplace are not happy with each other.
Of course, I could go on about the importance of communication in a relationship, I could say that the ability to engage your partner in conversation about anything without getting a "you want to break up with me/take a look at yourself in the mirror first" look is a sign of a healthy relationship and lah-dee-dah but that would just smack of being holier-than-thou right?
Anyways, EJ just blew past 2 weeks, she's
- exerting more control over where she wants the head, and consequently the eyes to go.
- staying awake for longer periods of time.
- letting her eyes roam around her view of vision when she is awake.
- showing signs of recognising her mummy and daddy. (debatable, but oh do we wish it were so)
- being more vocal, even though it's just short gasps of eh, uh, ehhhh.
- still kan cheong when it comes to feeding time, head just swaying all over the place when it's time to latch on, won't settle down on the nipple until she's satisfied there's nothing else around to latch on to.
- still a pretty good sleeper, wakes up at midnight and around 0400hrs for her feeds, like clockwork this one is. Fingers crossed it carries on.
- still gorgeous
Happy 20.05.2005 all!
Thursday, 19 May 2005
Through the looking glass
President Josiah Bartlet: Good. I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an abomination.
Dr. Jenna Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.
President Josiah Bartlet: Yes it does. Leviticus.
Dr. Jenna Jacobs: 18:22.
President Josiah Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I have you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.
[after Josh's therapy session with Stanley Keworth, Josh inquires why Leo is trying to help him]
Leo McGarry: This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, "Hey, you, can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole. Can you help me out?" The priest writes a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can you help me Out" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are you nuts? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before - and I know the way out."
Representative Matthew Santos: Good Evening. I'm running for President. And if you don't know who I am, I wouldn't be surprised. I've been shut out of tomorrow night's debate for suggesting that it actually *be* a debate, and this is the only ad I can afford. I got in this to improve a broken school system; to fix entitlements, 'cause they're going bankrupt; to expand health coverage, 'cause it'll save money if fewer people show up in emergency rooms. What I've found is that Presidential campaigns aren't about these things. They're about clawing your opponent's eyes out, so long as you don't get tagged for it. So how 'bout this - I will never say anything about my opponents, or anything about anything - without saying it myself, right into the camera. You might not get to hear much of me but when you do, you'll know I stand by it. I'm Matt Santos. And you better believe I approved this ad.
Leo McGarry: [to Josh on Arnie Vinick running for President] You ever see Arnie Vinick campaign up close? He'll go into those high school gymnasiums in Iowa and New Hampshire and blow them all away. He'll shake every hand in the joint, kiss every baby, hug every widow on social security, and sound smarter and more honest than any Republican they've ever seen. Because he is.
- The West Wing (1999- )
Never mind the show's won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series 4 times in a row from 2000 to 2003, never mind it won 19 other Emmys awarded for the writers, actors and crew. Never mind it holds the record for most Emmys won by a series in a single season (9) which it accomplished in its first season on the air. Never mind The West Wing currently ranks 8th all-time in number of Emmy Awards won by a series.
I first stumbled on this gem of a TV series in it's first season, the stirring martial overtones of the theme song hooked me, the cast was superb, the dialogue was witty, intelligent and actually made you use your brain if you wanted to keep up. This show has singlehandedly taught me more about the American political system than any other source I know. Oh sure, the show's a little too idealistic for my liking sometimes (some people call it the Left Wing) and I admit I watch it to escape from the reality of our times (that's what's TV for innit?) but hey, the world's gone to hell in a handbasket, I'll take my jollies any way I can.
Aaron Sorkin left at the end of season 4 and some people thought that signaled the end for the show and for a while (season 5) it really did look that way. But John Wells seems to have picked up speed after getting comfortable with the ball. Season 6 was a ripper and I can't wait for season 7. Santos or Vinnick? I love the show to bits, it's a mirror into what could be and sometimes what should be. I'll save the DVDs for you EJ.
Bartlett for President!
P.S. Channel 5 is showing Season 5 on Sunday nights at 2300hrs, last episode I caught the season was coming to an end, I don't know if it already has. Pity the time slot is not a very social hour, we could do with more intelligent shows like this and The Shield, but that's another story.
Dr. Jenna Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President. The Bible does.
President Josiah Bartlet: Yes it does. Leviticus.
Dr. Jenna Jacobs: 18:22.
President Josiah Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I have you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.
[after Josh's therapy session with Stanley Keworth, Josh inquires why Leo is trying to help him]
Leo McGarry: This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by, and the guy shouts up, "Hey, you, can you help me out?" The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along, and the guy shouts up, "Father, I'm down in this hole. Can you help me out?" The priest writes a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by. "Hey, Joe, it's me. Can you help me Out" And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, "Are you nuts? Now we're both down here." The friend says, "Yeah, but I've been down here before - and I know the way out."
Representative Matthew Santos: Good Evening. I'm running for President. And if you don't know who I am, I wouldn't be surprised. I've been shut out of tomorrow night's debate for suggesting that it actually *be* a debate, and this is the only ad I can afford. I got in this to improve a broken school system; to fix entitlements, 'cause they're going bankrupt; to expand health coverage, 'cause it'll save money if fewer people show up in emergency rooms. What I've found is that Presidential campaigns aren't about these things. They're about clawing your opponent's eyes out, so long as you don't get tagged for it. So how 'bout this - I will never say anything about my opponents, or anything about anything - without saying it myself, right into the camera. You might not get to hear much of me but when you do, you'll know I stand by it. I'm Matt Santos. And you better believe I approved this ad.
Leo McGarry: [to Josh on Arnie Vinick running for President] You ever see Arnie Vinick campaign up close? He'll go into those high school gymnasiums in Iowa and New Hampshire and blow them all away. He'll shake every hand in the joint, kiss every baby, hug every widow on social security, and sound smarter and more honest than any Republican they've ever seen. Because he is.
- The West Wing (1999- )
Never mind the show's won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series 4 times in a row from 2000 to 2003, never mind it won 19 other Emmys awarded for the writers, actors and crew. Never mind it holds the record for most Emmys won by a series in a single season (9) which it accomplished in its first season on the air. Never mind The West Wing currently ranks 8th all-time in number of Emmy Awards won by a series.
I first stumbled on this gem of a TV series in it's first season, the stirring martial overtones of the theme song hooked me, the cast was superb, the dialogue was witty, intelligent and actually made you use your brain if you wanted to keep up. This show has singlehandedly taught me more about the American political system than any other source I know. Oh sure, the show's a little too idealistic for my liking sometimes (some people call it the Left Wing) and I admit I watch it to escape from the reality of our times (that's what's TV for innit?) but hey, the world's gone to hell in a handbasket, I'll take my jollies any way I can.
Aaron Sorkin left at the end of season 4 and some people thought that signaled the end for the show and for a while (season 5) it really did look that way. But John Wells seems to have picked up speed after getting comfortable with the ball. Season 6 was a ripper and I can't wait for season 7. Santos or Vinnick? I love the show to bits, it's a mirror into what could be and sometimes what should be. I'll save the DVDs for you EJ.
Bartlett for President!
P.S. Channel 5 is showing Season 5 on Sunday nights at 2300hrs, last episode I caught the season was coming to an end, I don't know if it already has. Pity the time slot is not a very social hour, we could do with more intelligent shows like this and The Shield, but that's another story.
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