Constructive Deconstruction

blogs can show us how similar we really are…

A couple of months back, i chanced upon a blog a Malaysian blogger and it struck me that blogs, when not too extreme in nature, actually help to create an ecosystem where people from all walks can understand different cultures. Take for instance, this blogger(all I know is that her middle name is Ben), it very pleasantly shows what seems to be the normal life of a Malaysian. It’s pleasant simply because it shows how similar our worlds are.

Why is this so significant? Because as a Singaporean, i’ve always harboured this superiority complex when comparing myself against our neighbour. That coupled with the media portrayal of things, I can’t help but having mental images of run down, poorly maintained buildings with people who just don’t like Singaporeans(blame their politicians for making this impression). But reading a layman’s blog like that just makes me realise that they’re mostly just like us. They’ve got problems too. They look forward to the weekends. They complain about the state of their country too! haha. And, yes, they’re into MacDonalds just like the rest of the world.

Are you bored? Talk to my Cybertwin

MyCyberTwin has this cool service that kinda let’s you have…a twin! I mean, all us geeks would love to be online 24hours a day right? But hey, too bad we need to waste time doing stuff like eating and sleeping. So perhaps, an online twin would do the trick!

Anyway, CyberTwin actually allows you to train the fella(it’s a computer programme by the way). Looking through the control panel, you can actually even let it control your MSN and let it ‘be’ you while you’re sleeping.

By answering a 79 question MCQ questionnaire you can set the tone of the twin and later on my teaching it the hundreds of responses that you would normally give when faced with various lines…

So…here. If you’re bored and you’re looking to talk to a real dumbass…talk to me - my twin actually. Pardon his stupidity - he’s less than 10% trained.
 

Chat to my CyberTwin online now!

Warning.

I don’t know you. But it seems you know quite a bit about me, and my family. And it seems you’re making serious threats to my family.

Now, i’ll be honest with you. I don’t who you are. I don’t know how exactly much you know. But if you get here, and you’re reading this. Then yes, this is for you.

I am warning you to stay away from my entire family. Settle. If you want, we meet, we settle it one time…If you harm anyone, i’ll tell you what’s going to happen. I’ll drop all my plans - school & work - and I will find you. And I will find everyone who’s working for you. And I will find your family. And I will taste their blood.

From what I know, you sound like an educated person. But if you cannot understand me, i’ll make it simple for you.

You don’t disturb my family, I don’t disturb yours. If you do, i’ll kill your mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your wife, your girlfriends, your children.
…I can find you.

Horoscope

I don’t usually post stuff like this…but this one really boosted my ego…haha…Check it out Here

You possess a lot of stamina. You are an over ambitious person. You are never satisfied by working under someone and always want to reach the top position. Usually, your only aim is to progress and rise in the world. You will have the desire to have control and authority over other people. You are a very fortunate person and your destiny will always favour you. You are generous at heart and are also an optimistic person. You never accept defeat easily. You want order and discipline in every work of yours. You will readily obey orders yourself but will also want your orders to be obeyed by others. You do not like being under others obligation. Your only fault is that you insist on carrying out your ideas rather than listening to other’s opinions. This way, even though you are not quarrelsome, you will make many enemies. You will try to bring benefits to other people by your efforts. You are a very humorous person and bring joy wherever you go. You will receive the love and affection of your elderly people and relatives. They will also guide you to your success. Regarding health, you may have to suffer from diabetes and heart problems. You may also suffer from problems related to blood. You may sometimes overwork yourself and become uneasy and suffer from overstrains of the nervous system. You should have pomegranates, peaches and almonds as much as possible. You should take boiled dates in milk regularly. This will prove very useful to you.

You possess a noble and religious mind. You will successfully face every forth-coming difficulty in life with courage and braveness. You are a very good communicator and you can prove to be a great educationist. You will approach your life very practically. You are true to your word and you honour your commitments. You are very fast in making friends.

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Ping.SG: The Singaporean Blogger Portal

I posted this on XSMatter as well but I think it deserves mention here too…

I chanced upon this site while blog surfing and found out that it was founded by a friend’s friend. Now, because i’ve pretty taken a higher interest in blogging these days plus, i’m a strong support of new ideas and projects( Start-ups should support each other ) I decided to put this up.

Ping.SG allows bloggers to ping the platform and the latest/hotest blog entries will be aggregated and published on the site front. Officially(Based on their FAQ), Ping.SG is

ping.sg is a meta blog for Singapore bloggers. It aims to create a comprehensive and thorough database for blog entries written by local bloggers and/or with local interest. ping.sg also aims to create online community for Singapore bloggers to interact and gives every single blogger the same chance to stand out above the rest.

The entire project is still very new but I think it’s very promising. Another point to take note is that they’re just about 2 weeks old at the point of this entry…so cut em some slack ya?

Kudos to Ping.SG

Stressed? Chill out!

If you see a picture of pig smiling at you, you are stressed.

So, are you stressed?

If you are, chill out! Here are the top 10 videos you can watch:-

Your time will be up…Waiting for Fidel to drop dead

Countdown in Cuba
July 17 2006

Prepared by: Robert McMahon
Source: Council on Foreign Relations

Cuban leader Fidel Castro is nearing his eightieth birthday and talk of succession is in the air. His younger brother, defense minister, and heir apparent, Raul, is enjoying a surge in media attention (Miami Herald), suggesting to Cuba watchers that a power transition is underway. Raul has stressed in recent media appearances that the communist party will remain the anchor of the Cuban ship of state. U.S. officials have something different in mind. Vexed by Castro’s regime for forty-seven years, the White House earlier this month reaffirmed a plan to support independent civil society and break the information blockade in Cuba, aiming for a transition to "genuine democracy." The Bush administration endorsed a call by a government agency, the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, to spend about $80 million to promote democratic succession.

But Cuban officials have signaled they will play hardball against this soft diplomacy, saying it amounts to active U.S. support for regime change. The president of the Cuban National Assembly, Ricardo Alarcon, said the U.S. efforts are doomed to fail but would "cause harm and deprivation and suffering of individuals." Cuba’s dissident community is still struggling to recover from a 2003 crackdown on citizens ranging from medical doctors to librarians. An AP analysis says Cuba notably lacks the kind of opposition figures and institutions that helped communist states in Eastern Europe make a relatively smooth transition to capitalism. The Lexington Institute says in a recent Cuba policy report that despite the Bush administration’s tough words, its policies in Cuba "seem to have no prospect of being politically decisive." This new CFR backgrounder looks at the issues that continue to dog the U.S.-Cuban relationship.

Other than some enhanced funding, there does not appear to be much new in the U.S. approach. The Congressional Research Service says the U.S. government has been planning for years how to handle political transition in Cuba, noting a 1997 report by the Clinton Administration that outlined ways in which U.S. and international actors could assist in the democratic development of Cuba. The size and focus of the fund announced on July 10 appeared to be similar to the new Bush administration initiative to spur democratic change in Iran. In both cases, local civil society activists raised concern that receiving U.S. monies could damage their efforts. In neither case is it specified how such funds would be channeled to democracy groups.

Ok. I’m a supporter of Democracy. But i’ve come to realise one thing. Democracy is not something you can force on people. People like freedom, yes. But people are not necessarily ready for that. It’s a simple concept really. Society is like a huge blow up of a family. When you’ve got the typical parents above 40, 1 kid that’s in his 20s and another that’s in his teenage years there’s a certain way of governing the family. It would be great if you could give everyone freedom of course, but no, you simply have to control what the teen does and doesnt and slowly introduce the concept of freedom and responsibility. To introduce complete freedom the next morning will simply cause the teen to go crazy.

A mature nation like the US is likened to a family with grandparents in their 60s, parents and children who are in their 20s. They know their roles, and thus should be given freedom.

So what am i trying to say? Look at the nations where democracy has been introduced by an external nation…how many of them are in chaos right now? How many of them have more blood being shed now than when their so called autocratic leaders were in power? My bet is this…when the people are ready for democracy, they’ll fight for it. And that’s the best time for the champions of democracy to step in…

On Closure

I read this in a friend’s blog…Althought I don’t share the memory, she triggered the right emotions…thought i’d share it with you guys…(i edited the formatting a little to increase readability…just a little)

the other day, my bro & i went there to look at it for the last time. i took the camera, thinking i’d have plenty of pictures to take but i surprised myself. i couldn’t seem to find the perfect angle for the perfect shot. actually, there was no shot to begin with. the place had become so different from five, six years (or was it seven?) who could remember how long it’d been?

i made my way up the spiral stairs, to the room that used to house this cool bed set that came with a table, shelves & a flight of stairs (that had secret drawer compartments) leading to the bed. the room has this zig-zag glass partition where we (my siblings & cousins) would lay out layers after layers of blankets, pile up the pillows and then seal off the entrance with a mattress. then we’d talk, laugh & have supper in it till one by one, we’d start dozing off. sometimes waking up to find someone’s hand or leg sprawled across yours hahah.

weekends were mostly spent there - saturdays were always play-days, where we’d have the luxury of swimming, playing table tennis, shooting some hoops (not me though cos i’ve had a phobia of basketballs since i don’t know when) before adjourning for piping hot home-cooked lunch. i used to play detective with my pretend kit, filled with powder (for fingerprints), threads, a notebook & a pen. i’d scout the garage for clues, then go around the bushes, confident that i’d find something substantial. i remember distinctly how our sundays were always dreadful cos it meant homework. i remember playing tekkan, street fighter, crash bandicoot & the likes in our trusty ps 2. all that, and more. but they’re gone now, along with the house. you know, i did my first split there because i was running out from the kitchen, oblivious to the slipperly floor that had just been mopped. and woila! a perfect split. i had trouble getting up really. i stood there, at that moment, wishing so hard that i could take a video of it all. or at least a picture of the happy & sad times. i found it hard to fit in, to you know, find that sense of familiarity beneath all the washed & cracked walls, and the vacant rooms.

i guess, that’s what closure is all about.

I guess closure comes in many forms…what was to be a pictorial was captured best with words…

They must be insane…