JmaX

I LOVE Leona Lewis, and ‘Happy’, the first single off her sophomore album ‘Echo’, has been growing on me ever since it was released.

The youtube video above shows her performing ‘Happy’ at the America’s Got Talent finale. I have to admit I was wow-ed and deeply engrossed throughout the video at her AMAZINGLY pitch-perfect performance. It was so incredible I could actually feel the song emancipating from her!
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Whipped up a sinful plate of fried rice for my lunch today, at the same time scalded my finger by accident when my right ring finger brushed against the hot frying pan! I simply love spamming italian herbs seasoning in my fried rice. The seasoning not only enhances the aroma of the fried rice, it also brings out the flavour of the ingredients due to the pleasant contrast in the taste. What is lacking is olive oil though, which I couldn’t find anywhere in the house. I’m pretty sure if I used olive oil instead of the usual “knife-brand” vegetable oil, the aroma and taste would be further enriched, yummy!!!
Reminder to self: western herb seasonings largely ALWAYS go well with olive oil.
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We all just want to be happy, don’t we?

Some friends posted this youtube video on facebook.

Honestly, I cried watching this.
This video isn’t just about dementia, it’s about living with dementia in the family. While some may say that such a thing wouldn’t happen to anyone in their family, who’s to be absolutely certain of that? Of note, elderly dementia is very relevant to anyone, to families, and people only start to realise after it hits. There is no cure for it, not even prevention for it, just gradual. Why wait till it happens and we start to regret, when we can learn to stop being complacent and show more concern right now.
I was amazed by the fact that love and a simple promise to get food was the sole reason that kept the ah ma from forgetting about her grand-daughter, and that bolstered her determination in trying to get home just to give the girl food. To act on to even the simplest and most trivial of promises, that’s how true love empowers people.
~
Love never forgets.

Today’s the day where I had my first Semester 2 test, mid-sem test to be exact, on Microeconomics 1 (Prices & Markets). I only have one thing to say about it: whoever set the paper, is a BITCH. What the hell’s with all the ambiguity, in a 20 question MCQ test!?

Example 1: A question mentions that the income elasticity of Fashion Furniture (I can’t remember the exact name, but these 2 words are definitely part of it) is positive, and asked what kind of a good does it produce. The choice of answers included: normal good, luxury good, inferior good, substitute good. Based on the notes I have taken in class, as far as what we have covered, a positive income elasticity includes both normal and luxury goods, although the magnitude to determine accurately which 1 it is was never covered in class. Moreover, the question does not even state any further clues for us to determine whether it was a normal or luxury good. I chose ‘luxury good’ due to 2 reasons. A) The name seems to appear like a luxury good more than a normal good, and it’s furniture we are talking about, not 2 differing-quality brands of biscuits. B) Income Elasticity = (change in quantity demanded of good/change in income)*(summation income values/summation quantity demanded values). For income elasticity to be positive, the resultant division of the ‘change in quantity demanded of good’ over the ‘change in income’ needs to be positive, which would mean they need to complementary in signs (either both negative or positive). In such a case, if I were to draw the demand curve for this, wouldn’t it be a perverse demand curve where quantity demanded rises as income rises? In the case of perverse demand curves, there is a likelihood for the good to be a luxury good due to either the bandwagon effect, the snob effect, of conspicuous consumption, where an increase in pricing will increase the quantity demanded for the good (or vice versa).

Example 2: I can’t remember exactly all the choices given, but this question asks for the definition of Producer Surplus. This is probably the most debated question in class after the test ended. All 4 answers given were unlike the definition I learned in my notes, that is ” Producer Surplus is the amount producers receive over and above the minimum price that would be required to induce them to supply the good”. The answer I chose was “the difference between what the producer needs to receive and what consumers are willing to pay”, which is obviously wrong. Another answer was clearly the definition for Consumer Surplus so I shall not go into that. That leaves the 2 answers that has left us in a debate over which is right; “the difference between what the producer needs to receive and what the consumers actually pay”, and “the amount producers charge consumers over and above what the consumer is willing to pay”. I’m just boggled…

Example 3: This question tells us that a price increase in the price of apples will result in the quantity demanded for oranges to increase, and asks us what relation do the 2 fruits have. Obviously the answer would be that the 1 fruits are substitutes. However, the choices given to us included both ’substitutes’ and ‘close substitutes’. Again, both of these answers mean at the very least that they are substitutes, yet then question does to give any further clue for us to determine which answer to choose. I chose ’substitutes’ as the answer, although in reality ‘close substitutes’ seem like a plausible answer too.

Who would’ve thought a 20 question MCQ that lasted for a mere 50min would trigger such a dramatic response from us. The lecturer had better go through the questions PROPERLY after the results are out.
There’s still Business Statistics test this saturday, and Commercial Law test next saturday…
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Moving away from schoolwork, I had an annoying encounter on bus 970 today, at about 5.50+pm. I was seated beside this auntie, and it so happened I saw her press the bell before her stop. As the bus was about to reach the stop, I moved my legs out so that she could move out of her seat easier.
You know what she did!?!?!?
That fucking fatso auntie used her behemoth ass to bump forcefully onto me, bouncing me off my seat, before “gracefully” sliding her watermelon-sized ass across the seat to get off the seatS.
She’s just plain lucky my mind was preoccupied thinking about the test questions from earlier, otherwise I would have given her a verbal lashing on the spot, JmaX style.

Hey woman, if your arse is too heavy, go for a liposuction, or get a cab next time.

Song: Trust You
Artist: Yuna Ito
Album: Dream

Need I say anymore?…

It’s been awhile since I blogged, ah heck!
I have something total-fuckingawesome-ly COOL to show you guys, check this out!!!

Just yesterday we celebrated Daniel’s birthday. I shall not go into details of what we did, instead the focus of this post is on our visit to Heaven’s Loft at Orchard Central.
Honestly, I didn’t know Orchard Central has opened, even though the official launch is in July. Some shops have already opened, they include Celio*, Nike, Tonkichi, Ben & Jerry’s INSIDE Heaven’s Loft. The first thing I felt while inside Orchard Central, was that it felt like Clarke Quay’s Central… Crammed, maze-y, confusing, narrow, a very good place for kids to play hide-and-seek.
There are open-air verandahs on different levels of the building, offering a night-view of Orchard Central’s neighbours. The unique thing about such a view is that it’s never been seen before in that area, and there’s this tinge of emo-ness and melancholy that seems perfect for a scene right out of a drama serial (as according to Dayvid,” *drama-tone* 你要的钱我会还给你的，你还要什么？”).
It still too early to tell whether Orchard Central is going to be truly boring like how Clarke Quay’s Central is, or would it house a whole a fresh new chain of boutiques. Also, it seems that there’s going to be an indoor park on the 13th storey, that had better be a saving grace too.
~
We visited Heaven’s Loft on the 8th floor (or maybe 7th).

I’m going to be very honest. I don’t like the decor there, I don’t like certain aspects of the service there, and the only saving grace is that Heaven’s Loft has a partnership with Ben & Jerry’s so ALL the desserts are from the Ben & Jerry’s stand in the cafe-restaurant itself.
Decor: The silver cushioned seats are hard and uncomfortable. The moving spaces in between tables are so narrow and crammed. The lighting is alright being low and UV-neon-ish. The ceiling design comprises uniquely angled and shaped mirror panels, with LCD screens showing the stage outside. I don’t see the point of having those LCD screens flat on the ceiling, it’s a pain for diners to look up vertically to see what’s on the screen so effectively no one would; if no one bothers to look up, those screens are going to be a waste of money and electricity.

Service: Standard politeness in speaking tone and behaviour of the staff is there. What drives me totally ANAL AND IMMENSELY ANNOYED is that THEY CLAIM THAT THEY DO NOT SERVE ICE WATER, OR EVEN JUST PLAIN TAP WATER, instead they could only provide hot water, or bottled water (which means paying for water). So all of us asked for a cup of hot water since that’s the only water that’s free. What’s further amusing is that while that’s what they claim, we could clearly see the bar guy serving kids from another table with a constant flow of plain ICED WATER. GLASS AFTER GLASS AFTER GLASS AFTER GLASS AFTER GLASS AFTER GLASS. SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK!? That’s plain bias in the treatment of customers. A possible reason could have been because we only ordered from the dessert menu, which would mean from B&J’s and not from their kitchen. Even then I don’t see why they should differentiate like this since they have a partnership with B&J.
Let’s face the facts Heaven’s Loft: Firstly, obviously B&J is far more famous and is going to be the very reason why people would even step into a restaurant that is 7-8 storeys high, so if you continue to treat customers like that, people would rather visit B&J outlets the rest of town than your place. Secondly, with all your competitors throughout Orchard having signature dishes that people love, and serving free-flow of plain iced TAP water to customers, do you think you can survive being so stingy?
Heaven’s Loft? Seriously I don’t think Heaven is a place where people get angry, and get denied of plain tap water…
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Lousy service bitchings aside, we were the first customers to order the Vermonster at B&J @ Heaven’s Loft!!! That means a complimentary camera shot by the B&J crew and our picture will be on the B&J board there. LOL it’s hilarious, that they’re first Vermonster customers are a bunch of erm… people (if you get what I mean)!

20 scoops of icecream, toppings of nut, M&Ms, chocolate rice, candy flakes, brownies, cookies, cookie dough, chocolate fudge, caramel, a whole canister of whipped cream. I know, this is TOTALLY sinful!!!

THIS is what we call HEAVEN.
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Vvvvvvermonster KILL!

Recently, JS posted a video about Project Naval. Seriously, it blew me off my seat!
Just watch and see why:

This is gaming on orgasmic levels!
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Remember the days where you slugged your life out doing endless arrows of sai kang, repeated your IPPT/SOC and field trainings over and over meaninglessly, yearned for every nights out, every off and leave and public holiday?
Wonder what all that would be like in a Final Fantasy game?
Check this out:

Credits go to NCH Animations for creating this erm… “cute” animation.
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Let’s face it, MANY of us somehow get hooked to facebook games. On first look we’d say it looks stupid/corny/dumb/childish/lame/no-life/boring, the next moment we (or most of us) get hooked on it, staring at it aimlessly daily, hourly, minute-ly, second-ly!
It all started with the immensely popular Word Challenge and Geo Challenge, and people go ballistic trying beat everyone else (they still do anyway). Who would’ve known these 2 games indirectly pitted everyone’s language power, geography general knowledge, and most importantly, their reaction and mouse clicking (or spamming) skills.
Then came the uber cute Pet Society. For once, being sociable became the IN thing. Why? Because the only way to earn money was to visit as many friends’ pets as possible daily, interact with the pets and then clean or rub those pets whatsoever, win the pets race 10 times daily, or go picking random coins in the field all just to earn that few hundred in-game cash. Guess what? That jukebox everyone wants costs 20,000 cash. So… Happy visiting!!!

The latest craze in the list, Restaurant City. Own a restaurant that expands with each level, own a few friends including yourself and give those little people jobs like cook, waiter, cleaner, or rest (reluctantly), feed those impatient and attitude customers and hope they eat faster and leave earlier and give a thumbs up, make sure all litter is clear and toilets clean, increase the menu level through frantic trading of ingredients with friends. Now that’s quite a mouthful!

I personally prefer Restaurant City as compared to Pet Society. It’s easier to earn cash, items cost cheaper (I’ve yet to see anything hitting 5 digit, YET), and somehow it’s more fun observing ugly idiots cook and wait on more ugly idiots. Honestly, watching your pet prance about like an ass is worse than boring!
The only thing about Restaurant City is the game server connection feels so flimsy. I get disconnected easily for no reason even while on full wifi-signal, whereas Pet Society never crashes on me.
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Another recap post.
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PWNAGE 1
Last saturday (23rd May 2009), 15 of us went for Distant Worlds ~ Music from Final Fantasy!!!
I remember when ticket sales first opened to arts fest members, the tickets for both shows were sold out within the opening day, and when SAF anounced a 3rd show and opened ticket sales, the tickets were sold within a day and a half too. The lucky 15 of us managed to get tickets for the 3rd show. I’m gonna be a bitch, so to those who didn’t catch it, OH WELL maybe next time? :P

Setlist
1) Final Fantasy VIII – Liberi Fatali
2) Final Fantasy X – To Zanarkand
3) Final Fantasy VIII – Don’t be Afraid
4) Final Fantasy VII – Aerith’s Theme
5) Final Fantasy I-III – Medley 2002
6) Final Fantasy V – Dear Friends
7) Final Fantasy IX – Vamo’ alla Flamenco
8) Final Fantasy series – Main Theme
- Intermission -
9) Final Fantasy VII – Opening Bombing Mission
10) Final Fantasy VIII – Fisherman’s Horizon
11) Final Fantasy XI – Memoro de la Stono – Distant Worlds
12) Final Fantasy IV – Theme of Love
13) Final Fantasy series – Swing de Chocobo
14) Final Fantasy VIII – Love Grows
15) Final Fantasy VI – Opera “Maria and Draco”
Encore
16) Final Fantasy VI – Terra’s Theme
17) Final Fantasy VII – One-Winged Angel

Obviously, those 3 pieces in bold are by far the most celebrated ones that would make almost anyone go wet! The local arts fest orchestra was the playing orchestra for the Singapore length of the Distant Worlds tour. Many would say that the performance standards were fairly decent, but even then I felt that this performance was practically my, as a fan’s, first orgasm since this is my first time at a Final Fantasy concert!
Do you know what it’s like to be left PWNED and wet on your seat? You need more.
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PWNAGE 2
The same day as the Distant Worlds concert, Heng Hiang and I went to collect our Sundown race packs.

To be honest, I have been slacking off, a lot. I’m PWNED…
This leaves a few alternatives:
1) I’d be walking right from the start, and might even offer my services to help the rear runner right at the back carry the signage at the back.
2) I can attempt to run it all, and drop dead (not literally) halfway through, and end up not getting the finishers medal.
3) I can jog so slowly I’d still be halfway through after sunrise. (Note: the 42.195km component starts at 2359)
4) I’d freak out, and FALL SICK before the run.
5) Be a bitchy cheater, and hail a cab after jogging for 5km, and alight just 3km from the finish point.
This looks bleak.
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Since this post is all about getting PWNED, I thought it appropriate to post this video by Ryan Higa, about the definition of ‘PWNED’.
Enjoy~

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PWNED

Hey Josie and the Valiant (NOT) Pussies, YOU LOSE!
As we all know, the results of AWARE’s EGM is out, with a vote of no confidence passed against the new exco with 1414 to 761 votes.
Initially when this whole issue came under media obsession, one would think that the issue involved mainly homosexual acceptance vs religious conservatives. However, as the conflict carried on between the new exco and the old guard, with tensions rising to the level of boiling outburst, one can see that this whole issue has nonetheless blown out of proportion involving religious activism vs secular organisations, with the touch of sensational media spotlight.
Honestly, on one hand I fail to understand why so big a fuss has been made out of it, on the other, along with most other Singaporeans who aren’t really bothered about it, this whole AWARE saga is quite the socio-political drama we need to spice things up a bit. In fact, I do enjoy watching the catfight that is going on, even though I do have my stand on it: secularisation should NEVER involve reigious influence!

My pre-EGM view: If a secular organisation like AWARE falls into the hands of religious activists under the guise of “valiant warriors fighting for a greater good”, these people will DEFINITELY reshape the goals of the organisation to suit THEIR religious beliefs. What’s the point of an organisation being secular, if it operates on the hands of a ruling religion that imposes its ideals on the non-religious or believers of other faiths? These so called ‘warriors’ are threading a very fine line here. Push too much and step on the religious beliefs of other faiths, and that’s as good as shaking the religious balance and peace Singapore has achieved post-riot. The government should step in, disband AWARE, let the old guards regroup under a new secular NGO to continue the good work they’ve been dong so far. As for these “valiant warriors”, they can regroup for all they want as a religious NGO without tainting the definition of “secular”, have their supporting church members join up, and voice out their bullshit via the proper channels. It’s easier to deal with an NGO that’s not doing anything substantial for the economy or society and making too much noise than it should, than dealing with a secular NGO that has been split into 2 camps with one involving religious activism that has gone beyond the lines. Seriously, the new exco can use their church links to recruit all the numbers they want, even win the EGM come May, but they are never going to truly win anything if they continue to step on everyone else’s toes trying to win a petty fight.

To quote the email that was sent to parents regarding the issue: “ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD PEOPLE TO DO NOTHING” – This is quite the irony. Precisely the majority of Singaporeans couldn’t really be bothered and are doing nothing except to enjoy the drama, that allows these attention-seekers to triumph in their drama and nothing else. This drama is getting boring, next season please?
To quote Derek Hong: “It’s not a crusade against the people but there’s a line that God has drawn for us, and we don’t want our nation crossing that line.” – Seriously Mr. Hong, if Singapore is YOUR God’s nation, I’m leaving for good. Why threaten to overturn the religious harmony and co-existence we’ve been enjoying for 40 odd years by imposing your beliefs on non-believers with sweeping statements like this?

Well it’s good that the old guards won and now have the support of the MAJORITY people, so it is expected that they ought to carry on the good work they’ve been doing, and REMAIN SECULAR.
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Imagine this: you work at Sakae Sushi. One afternoon, a customer signals you to take his/her order, and the request turned out to be, “can we have the soft-shell crab temaki, sashimi, unagi chawanmushi, and Hot Men?”
I was out with chocobo today, and we happened to have the tea buffet over at Wheelock’s Sakae Sushi outlet. Of course this being a buffet, it involved an intense jamming of food down my throat, to cover the cost of the buffet (I shall not go into the specifics as to how many plates we ate though…). We asked for the bill, and as I checked the order list I found something very amusing:

I’m just wondering, what if customers do get what they want (literally) by ordering that o.o!
~
Chocobo tried to use the birthday voucher for the tea buffet, and apparently the voucher is not applicable to buffet meals. This I totally don’t understand! If I get a complimentary voucher for my birthday for being a member, yet I cannot use it on buffets; what if I happen to be celebrating it with friends by having a BUFFET? From what I see, if such an issue arises, it’s going to deal damage to their customer relations, leaving customers displeased. Shouldn’t they earn more if the discount voucher is used to pay for a cheap buffet, rather than a huge à la carte spread?
We decided to fill in a comments-form, with yours truly helming the written comment/suggestion. I can’t remember what I wrote exactly, but it goes something along the lines of: “I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY BIRTHDAY VOUCHER CANNOT BE USED ON A TEA BUFFET MEAL, SINCE IT IS A BELATED CELEBRATION. IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE, AND I AM EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED.” (Yes I wrote it in CAPS)
I know we’re being really bitchy, but it is still within our role as a customer to question. If it really were a birthday celebration, an issue like this would be one hell of a mood-damper. Why be nice anyway? Aren’t they supposed to be marketing and building effective customer relations?
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After last thursday’s Biz Comp paper, and last sat’s Accounting paper, I am currently halfway through my exams, leaving 2 more papers. Biz Comp catalysed the “resign-to-fate syndrome” in all of us, and accounting literally took us into the disease, wholesale. What a bitch of a paper! This is the first time I’ve come across a question that required me to form up a cash budget, through value-comparison and observation of transactions from a balance sheet and income statement; this means I’m practically coming up with the cash flow statement, only difference being that I do not produce a statement, but use the values to determine the cash budget. I shall let heaven decide my fate…
As such, I can almost surely say that I’m currently in GAGA mode. No this has nothing to do with Lady GaGa (although she rocks). I’m just cranky I guess, so cranky that a gummy bear song actually cracks me up like a mental patient.

I’m a jelly bear, cause I’m a gummy bear~ *repeat chant*
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Ever since I fell sick weeks ago, my running regime crumbled into dust, and i would do at most 1 run a week that spreads no more than 10km.
A miracle happened just from 9.30-11.30pm. I managed to complete my 20+km in the usual 2hrs cap! Hopefully things start off from here so I can be ready for Sundown 42.
I shall attribute my regained standard to the music I blast while running. Seriously, remixes ROCK! Your momentum chants along to the beat of the mix, your mind drifts off in a sing-a-long to your favourite hits, and before you know it you pass km after km like a stroll in the park.
Some of the remixes I’m currently digging big time:
1) Come Back To Me (Tony Moran & Warren Wiggs Remix)
2) Jai Ho! (Big Kids Lah! Mardi Gras Tribal Slumpdog Reconstruction)
3) Long Distance (Jody Den Broeder Club Mix)
4) Love Etc (Pet Shop Boys Mix)
5) Love Story (Digital Dog Remix)
6) My Life Would Suck Without You (DJ VNO Rework Remix)
7) Poker Face (Jody Den Broeder Remix)
8) Takin Back My Love (Moto Blanco Club Remix)
9) Tattoo (Jason Nevins Mix)
10) I Hate This Part (Digital Dog Radio Edit)
The list just goes on so I’ll just give 10. In fact I have more than one remix of some of the songs playing back-to-back like Utada’s ‘Come Back to Me’, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘My Life Would Such Without You’ and Enrique Iglesias’ ‘Takin Back My Love’.
Dirrty Remixes dot com ♥
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