foreword

There’s a crack in the ceiling right above where I usually sit. It spans the entire ceiling, and hides its ends away from view where the cornices are, doing what they’re supposed to do.

It’s a bit disturbing; it’s right above where I usually sit.

I’m not one for capitalism (at least I won’t be until I get rich), but I’m eerily taken by the subject of Economics.

I write ’scarcity is the cause of limited resources coupled with unlimited wants and needs’ while in my head I’m screaming ‘Of course resources are scarce!!! What with all the wasting and at least half the products in the world being stuff we DON’T need. Is that so much of a surprise?!’ in some angsty-youth tone but yet I score fairly well anyway.

(I actually wrote the scarcity bit off the top of my head. That’s how much I’m taken by it.)

Currently I’m able to silence the angsty voice in my head with a little diversion - the Super-Singlish lecturers. They’re pretty interesting (for the most part) but the Singlish… ‘How do you calculate Label Costs…’ ; ‘You need to get this to pass your Test Paple’…… As much as it’s killing my own phonetics I love it!

I woke up today deciding to get a tattoo for my 21st.

You bought us each an umbrella and we were flying in the air past the River Thames, and that was when I realized maybe there’s a reason why fairytale people don’t eat pineapple tarts nor fried food before somewhat romantic endeavours like this;

My hands were slipping off the handle and I really didn’t want to ruin the mood by falling.

Alcohol has my dying devotion.

Passive smoke is my sacrifice for my friends, and part of work.

Food is an addiction.

History I long to be present;

Present I long to pass.

Constipation is my unwanted companion.

Those I can discuss it with are all I need.

You are all I need
You’re all I need
I’m in the middle your picture
Lying in the reeds
- All I need, Radiohead

Get to work! Stop procrastinating! Stop messing around and do some work! Stop being lazy! Print your notes before lecture! Do something about the stuff you keep saying you want to do! Forget other people, it’s just an excuse!

… Just a little Sunday self-nag. I do feel better now that I’ve sat down and completed something today.

I do need to do something about eating too much, though. I haven’t heard my stomach growl for 2 months now. That’s not very nice and I kinda miss it now. Feeling full makes me a bit sick nowadays.

I also miss the scurrying from the kitchen dustbin whenever I walk in to grab a glass of water at night :( :( :( guilt-ridden. This is a lot worse then running onto snails.

Mmmm Durian.

I think I just made the resident Fat Lizard Who Lives Behind My Microwave Oven commit suicide and I am now overwhelmed with guilt and remorse. He’s gonna haunt me in my dreams :(

Dear Altec Lansing,

When I bought your ATP3 2.1 computer speaker model as an upgrade from some crappy 2.0 speakers that came with my then-PC I felt bliss - not only was I now able to blast my speakers when it was raining (which I absolutely love and my mom absolutely hates), it didn’t start to distort and feel as if they might explode at any time. It was clear, and it had just the right frequency response for me. It bordered on perfect.

Then I blew it up when I tried playing distorted guitar on them - a really dumb thing on my part, I admit.

So began my quest for the next pair of perfect Altec Lansing speakers - I’ve bought Sonic Gear and Creative speakers for friends and they just never seemed to sound satisfactory, and from experience I was pretty much loyal to your brand. The IT fair arrived and I quickly snagged up one of your newer models that looked so similar to my previous pair - I was really excited about going home and trying them out.

My verdict? Altec Lansing VS4121: most likely designed when the engineer was high on something. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not crappy or anything. They can sound perfect - but only when they’re hovering in mid air. I’m not gonna go into the technical stuff, basically when placed on the table the 500Hz range are so boosted the sound pretty much borders on unlistenable.

Sold it at a loss. Was so traumatized I think I went about half a year without speakers. Painful.

Learnt my lesson, decided if I wanted to buy speakers I was happy with I needed to test them in a quieter environment (compared to the fair). Today I went down to Stereo Electronics (which is an awesome shop that lets you try every pair of earphones that they sell) and painstakingly tested every pair of Altec Lansing speakers that they stocked. Finally settled on a UFO-looking pair, got excited again and went home.

Verdict? The Altec Lansing FX3021 expressionist PLUS model: Sounds great…… but who builds a subwoofer with loose parts that vibrate and make noise when music is playing?!?!?? The wires are also more flimsy, and sometimes far too short. I had to dig up an old cable to connect my computer to the sub.

So Altec Lansing, I don’t know what happened to you and I don’t really care anymore - I’m bycotting you after this pair of speakers. Never again will you have your wares on my table. And floor.

atee

… gives you peanut butter - Homemade!

I cannot begin to tell you for how long I’ve been wanting to do this. I love peanut butter, I love its savoury goodness and awesome texture, not to mention the health benefits. The thing is, when you buy peanut butter, peanut butter isn’t really the only thing you get:

INGREDIENTS: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Rapeseed Oil and Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil) to Prevent Separation, Salt.

What’s in homemade peanut butter then?

Roasted Peanuts. Salt to taste, and peanut oil as an emulsifier if you don’t like your peanut butter to separate - and you get to add these at a healthy pace.

Now I can eat my peanut butter from the spoon with no guilt. Mmmmm.

Morning, everything a mumble. Wind in hair, slight headache dimming in quiet admonition. Salt trails left by the plane and my glass of green tea from yesterday. Sun receives you in a warm embrace but does not burn;
no one’s rushing today.

I’d sleep early to wake up to this every Sunday. Even if it’s not Sunny.

I don’t need your bad mood thanks.