there's something about ..... familiar sounds

Today I called my wife.

I don't usually call her, she calls me more because of incoming free-calls that I enjoy.

And today I hear a familiar sound.

The sound that I haven't heard for about 7-8 years which surprises me.

It surprises me on 2 counts.

Firstly, how on earth it happens.

Secondly, it's the sound of Pager!!

PAGER!!!!

PAGER!!!!

PAGER!!!!

For some strange reasons, my wife's line will not go to voicemail but pager. It was sweet. Because we got that pager together when we were dating. But we have long discarded the usage and the physical pager itself. So it came as a total surprise that my wife hasn't change that phone settings for so long.

Now, we are not too sure what we should do about it. This is like the last piece of History in the whole world and a piece of History about us. That peeping sound is so irritating but yet so close to us. It serve zero function other than reminding us that we are irritating and yet sentimental.

To any caller, they might think that we are someone:

1.) Very Dinosaur.
2.) Very Rude. "I kept paging for you but you never return call".
3.) Very Rude. "I kept hearing that peep peep sound... are you swearing?"

So, if you ever miss that sound of paging, and you have my wife's number, the best time to reminiscence that is to call her during 12 to 3pm.

And she might just called back "DIANG KAR PAGER?"

there's something about ..... entertainment

Recently my life has been bland.

Too bland. Nothing exciting. Nothing amusing.... until today

I caught abit of the Channel 8 drama serial at 7pm about rivalry between 2 foot reflexology shops apparently own by 2 brothers. While the story revolves round feet (exciting stuffs), something caught my EYE.

I thought Darren Lim looks different. I couldn't pin point exactly what's wrong, I meant... we are talking about Darren Lim here, not Christopher Lee, not even Mark Lee. The fact that I know he is Darren Lim would rank him as popular as Steven Lim. That is some achievement.

Anyway, I couldn't figure out exactly what's wrong until I asked my wife.

My wife, the ever super observant, said "He now got Double eye Lid lah".

OMFG!!!!!

Firstly, my wife notice such things!!!!

Secondly, Darren Lim needs to sue the plastic Surgeon who did that. HE LOOKS UGLY!! Yes... UGLY is the word. It's the first time I come across someone who actually look worse after they have done a plastic surgery.

Thirdly, he needs to see a shrink!!

And What the hell is he thinking???! You are in your 30s and you decided "What the heck, my double eye-lid is too single, let's change it". I mean... HELLOOOO.... is that what you think during your free time? How about Worldly Issues like Net's Fee increase, Richard Yong dissappear, Christopher Lee out of Prison.....

I pity his wife. It's bad enough to have a husband who is that vain, now she has a husband whose eye-lid resembles Sylvester Stallone.

Also today, I read that a Asian Super Star is opening a cafe in Singapore, the first of many global franchises to come.

It's called JACKIE CHAN COFFEE AND TEA CAFE.

Great!! Our childhood super hero is finally opening a cafe in Singapore. I bet it's real cool to be seen in JC cafe!! Jackie Chan leh!!! Don't pray pray. The spokeman for the cafe said that they will be the first cafe in the world to serve "Chinese Tea". COOL!!! I mean Cafe and Chinese Tea is like Bread and butter, Tarzan and Jane, Darren Lim and Sylvester Stallone.

And Jackie Chan. What can I say.

We grew up idolises him. You probably is shy to admit it but he was our hero growing up. You kinda hope he knows when to stop. Like stop making movies about a tux that gives you superhuman powers, or a medal that gives you powers, or a machine that lets you travel rounds the world, or some period movie about going back in time.

If you ask your hong kong friends, they will tell you that nobody watches JC anymore. And that is sad to know.

But hey, for sentimental people like us, we can always go to California Gym or JC cafe.

there's something about ..... traffic summon (part 2)

see link

there's something about ..... channels

Channel 21, 22, 23, 24
or otherwise known as
Sports Channel

Sayonara.

Goodbye.

再见。


See you in 15 december.

there's something about ..... cable TV

Nabeh. Sports Channel will go up by $10 more!!!!

But that is not the most nabeh thing.

The most Nabeh thing is the hypocripsy behind it.

"Most pay-TV operators around the World increases prices periodically, and starhub has not done so despite a steady rise in costs over the years."

PUI!! The only Steady Rise in costs is STARHUB "overpaying" for exclusive rights to EPL to the Tune of $246m over 3 YEARS!!! While ESPN only paid $300m for 20 Asian Countries during the previous contract. And Starhub is only paying that amound for SINGAPORE market only!

"The new $25 sports subsciption fee is likely to take effect from October. Starhub says the delay in the price increase for it's sports packages would help ease the pain for customers.

PUI!! Yeah right. The idea to start in October is because EPL seasons will start in Mid-late August. Thus the idea is to get the fans to get so hooked that cancelling the channel 1 month later will be hard.

"... the increase for the sports package was much higher because "it would not be fair for non-sports fans to be affected by the escalating sports costs."

PUI!!! First I don't see the logic about increasing the price of sports channel for the NON-SPORTS FAN. Second, why should Fans of Other Sports be paid more because of EPL. And worse, what if they don't even watch football.

This is my plan:

Now I paid $15 per month for 1 year. = $180 per year for sports channel.

I'm going to terminate the sports channel after the NBA Finals, and probably sign on the sports channel from 20 December for 6 months. This make sense because:

1.) you can watch all the games in EPL during the Christmas and New Year week.
2.) You can catch the second half of the EPL season which is more exciting from Jan to May.
3.) You can catch all the football excitment in May with FA Cup, Champions League.
4.) Formula one will end sometime in March.
5.) NBA Playoffs starts in May and end in June
6.) Super Bowl is in February
7.) NBA All star games is in February
8.) you can at least catch 3 grand slams. One in December for the US open, February for Australia Open and French Open.

6 months of $25 per month = $150 per year. So, I will save another $150.

So, Starhub... All the best with your $246m. You are going to earn less from me.

there's something about ..... lebron (updated)

.... of.....A bad performance in a NBA Finals Game 1

1. zero field goal until half-way thru the 3rd quarter
2. 14 points or about 15 below his average
3. 25% shooting
4. no Dunk

.... of .... A bad performance in NBA Finals Game 2

1. 2 points and 2 fouls within the first 3 minutes of the game. 2 FOULS?!?!?!
2. 6 Turnovers, the highest in the game.
3. AIRBALLed a FREE THROW (I have never.. NEVER... airballed a free throw!!)

.... of .... A bad performance in NBA Finals Game 3

1. One is a legend-defining shot, the other try to be a legend
   
2. One shot went in, the other miss. BADLY.
3. One shot went in and win the game, the other would have tie the game if it went in.
   

there's something about ..... nets

Taken from NETS's Website, FAQ page:

8.
Will I, as a consumer, be affected by this fee change?

No, you should not be affected by this fee change as NETS fees make up only a fraction of merchants’ operating costs. We have informed merchants not to pass on any transaction fee or minimum purchase amount for EFTPOS payment as this is not allowed. Consumers should inform NETS if they encounter merchants who do so and can call 6274 1212 for assistance.

Yeah right!!

For those retailers with Credit Card payment facilities, they would have effectively included those 3% surcharged into the selling price. So whether you use nets or credit card, it doesn't matter to them anymore.

For those retailers that uses only Nets Machine, who is to say that they do not have the rights to increase their selling price. Bear in mind that we are in a free economy. Retailers can re-priced their products to factor in their operation costs like manpower costs, rental costs, material costs.

Say if a retailer is to sell this product for $40. Factoring in this extra 1.7%, all the retailer needs to do is to sell it for $41. They can then say, cost of doing business increases. They do not have to specify anything at all.

It's nothing but profiteering.

So what if Debit cards are more expensive to maintain.

It's these same banks who come up with "debit" cards to start off. And they want to give these same "debit" cards the same benefits of "credit" cards, and then says it's more expensive to maintain "nets".

Totally rediculous.

there's something about ..... whatever

Finally, I've waited for this moment for a long time.

I've been waiting to say "Anything lah" to those coffeeshop uncle for a long time.

It's different if you go to the stall and ask for "anything" as compared to ordering from those uncle who goes table to table taking orders.

Also, I have waited a long time to ensure that all drinks stall holders know what I'm ordering, or it would be totally embarassing.

So that day finally came.

Uncle: Ai lim jui mai?

Me: "Anything" lah.

Only this time, the script didn't work out the same way as I have hope for.

Uncle: Buay Liao, "Whatever" eh sai boh?

And so my "Whatever" finally arrived. It's been a super long time since I have that feeling of anticipation. It's almost like having sex for the first time.

I've always been a fan of local soft drinks. My favourite is Kickapoo, followed by Sinalco. And now Greenspot is making a comeback. Not too sure if they are local, but Anything and Whatever are definitely local.

At the side of the can, it proudly stated "Product of Singapore". WAH.... don't pray pray.

I was expecting a carbonated drink, considering the advertisements were quite "Hyper". I supposed Hyper = carbonated. But it was not to be.

I was also expecting "whatever" to be somewhat of a bright colour, something fun, but it was a dull green.

So with my expectations somewhat very different, my anticipation level went up a few notch.

And here goes my first Sip......

...it taste like.......

SUGAR CANE!!!!!!!!!!

KNN!!!! In fact, it's CHRYSANTHEMUN pretending to be SUGAR CANE!!!! At least that was what the "incredients" says.

After all the advertisements, this product of Singapore gives us Chrysanthemun Tea???!?!

Anyway.... after visiting their website..... www.anything.com.sg

I realised "Anything" will be carbonated.

I can't wait to taste it.

there's something about ..... traffic summon

It's bad enough that we have sneaky traffic warden from those private company hiding behind some tress with a camera in hand. But sneaky being sneaky... if you speed... you speed. Other words.. you, as a driver, if guilty, cannot complain other people sneaky.

BUT..... BUT..... what if I'm innocent.

I met with a overzealous traffic warden few weekends ago.

I was "Accused" of parking across continuous line and was fined $70 for my "misdeed".

The problem is.... I wasn't parking.

I arrived at that spot, still behind the wheels, have my hazard lights on because I was waiting for someone, the warden came, ask me to move and I moved. He didn't issue me any ticket. I arrived at the same time as the warden and was there for less than 1 minute.

And for this, I was deemed "parking" and was fine $70.

I can understand if I'm not in the car and therefore deem to have "park". But I was behind the wheels all the time. And since I arrived at the same time as the warden, I wouldn't be stupid enough to walk out of the car.

I didn't think I was infringing any laws. I mean... if I'm not even allowed to wait by the road side, even for 1 minute, then... LTA or Traffic Police should just draw a ZIG ZAG lines on it. That would have been very clear. No Waiting at all. The fact is, there isn't any zig zag line and I will consider a brief stop as allowed as long as I'm still behind the wheels and therefore able to drive away if required to do so.

And required to do so, I did. No hesitation. I moved out immediately being told so. For that, I should be "rewarded".

But NO..... these traffic wardens have to earn a living. Or so I heard from the grapevines. These traffic Wardens have to earn a commission. Or so I heard from the grapevines.

They seems to go on the modus operanti of "Fine the motorists first. Let them appeal later. If they don't appeal, I get my commissions".

And appeal I did and I'm still waiting for my reply.

Interestingly, while researching on who I should complain my situation, I came across this link from Cutwaste.gov which I find it ironic.

read link

There was a suggestion to outsource traffic functions to relieve the real traffic police from more important job.

This was classified as "cut waste".

However, these outsourced traffic wardens seems to create more waste than before.

1. Issuing unjustiable summons (waste paper and create negative energy on "victims")
2. Traffic Police send registered letters to "offenders" (waste paper and envelop)
3. "offenders" surf internet to find out who to complaint to (waste time and waste bandwidth)
4. "offenders" write an appeal letter because traffic police don't entertain email appealing (waste paper and ink)
5. drive to Traffic Police Headquarters (waste time, petrol, create pollution), park at the public carpark that costs me 1 coupon (waste money and paper), and deliver the appeal letter (waste time).

Just wonderful.

there's something about ..... bra

Isn't the blogging world Great?! Came across this story from Cheem and like any other Ti Goh Pek, I went to youtube.

Damn!! I want to be DJ now. I will be call "Beef".

read story