Posts
Joyeux anniversaire mon lapin bête!
The Great Awan Road Trip Part I - Manhattan
13 years ago
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Block My Tongue
What I absolutely love.
"People don't understand the harm of a provider that has no obligations to this country," said Mohammed Ghuaith, director of technology for the Emirates Telecommunication Regulatory Authority. "Are the conversations secure? Are they being recorded? Will they steal information? Will they sell it? These are the things we need to look at.'
What I don't get at all, why really use the word obligation? Obligation to what? Security? Are you serious? What about the Internet overall, regular and cell phone lines? What about that security? Skype is the ultimate threat in Dubai?? Shouldn't there be an alert status raised? It's so bloody ridiculous I can't even begin to explain the frustrations I share with many people here. There are so many people here who (throwing in a 'new' word here) globally use this Estonian-based VoIP and shouldn't have to be controlled and regulated by monopoly telecoms!
Having spent the last hour trying to fix the language translation option on the blog.
Re-reading through HTML (from what I remember) and scouring the web for forums and samples.
Trying to repost, test, repost, test, again and again.
Trying every bloody possible service from Google to Alta Vista.
Then finding out that Etisalat blocks translation sites and the translated site can't be accessed.
Right . . .
And you're then brought to the page here that all of as in UAE know oh so well . . .
WHY? How does this offend any religious, cultural, political or moral values here??
Am I missing something here??
First of all, as some of you may know, Etisalat, the Emirates' chief telecom and Internet provider, and don't be a smart-ass and even bring up Du, (Ask Ali, he'll tell ya alla about it) blocked Skype and other Internet phone providers, on the completely logical argument that they had no license to sell phone service. Etisalat's profits have been sky rocketing since then. Like other Voice over Internet Protocol systems, Skype breaks sounds into data packets just like e-mail and Web traffic and reassembles them at the recipient's end. What happens then is that the VOIP calls are much cheaper because they travel over the open Internet and don't tie up dedicated circuits like regular phone calls.
"People don't understand the harm of a provider that has no obligations to this country," said Mohammed Ghuaith, director of technology for the Emirates Telecommunication Regulatory Authority. "Are the conversations secure? Are they being recorded? Will they steal information? Will they sell it? These are the things we need to look at.'
This pisses me because people don't only use Skype for the low prices, but also for the conference/messaging medium which has contributed to successful meetings and synchronization of business operations. I fell in love with it when I first started, and it's idiotic one can't use it at work or home.
So for now . . . if your engrish no gud, my apologies, until I find a way around. Sometimes living here is like a George Orwell fantasy . . .
Bond versus Twins of Plastic
So this afternoon trying to take a break from the madness at work, reading the paper, I see some very disturbing news.VERY DISTURBING.
Pay attention here.
Olsen Twins considered for new Bond Girls
WHAT? Has Barbara Broccoli lost her mind?? Now granted, I was a bit hesitant when they announced Daniel Craig for the 21st Bond movie, and a actually glad I ignored the fray that was flying around up till the movie's release. I was very impressed, and really enjoyed his foray into the world of 007. He really brought back like into a sadly dying franchise that's been exploding on with bigger stunts (Surfing a giant wave in Die Another Day? Which if you didn't know, Laird Hamilton was the stunt double), and retarded gadgets (The invisible Aston in again, Die Another Day), to disguise the fact that it's run out of fresh ideas. What I did enjoy is that he acts with an actor's skill, an athlete's grace and that dangerous edge that slams in your face that Bond, James Bond, is back and not messing around. Definitely more brutal and classic action scenes. For a more laid-back look, he was also in the multiple Oscar winning Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, where he plays Alex West, an American archaeologist with the worst possible accent ever. Flicking through that movie the other day again made me think he didn't even make a ripple, scary in a movie of that extreme caliber . . . Now that he's redeemed himself, in a related nice surprise, when I bought my PS3 there was an offer to get a free Blu-Ray of Casino Royale which was very cool. Need to do a review of my Blu-Ray discs soon too!
One of the things I really dug was Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, the sultry British treasury operative sent to stake Bond at the poker tables, who lifts her role to a solid performance. I would marry this woman in a heartbeat. The train scene in which Bond and Vesper attempt to guess each other's past balances the fine sense of humor with romantic honesty. She was fantastic in Bertolucci's "The Dreamers", and though not as good was also in "Kingdom of Heaven". Rather odd I don't seem to meet women like this in my life . . . is it location? Maybe I must spend more time in Monaco, Montpelier, or some random classical place.
Did I mention how amazing Eva Green is?
Anyways, the yet to be named 22nd 007 film will feature again Daniel Craig, while apparently they're looking at the 20-year old twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. Hollywood executives (code for blood-sucking leeches) are said to be in talks with producers to co-star in the latest 007 installment. WHAT? What part of any of their history makes people think they can act? Let alone be part of the Bond legacy? Was it their 'make you want to pluck your eyes out' classic "New York Minute"? Or the equally 'I would rather stick my face in the microwave' intriguing "To Grandma's House Here we Go"? And please, there's a lot more . . . Apparently in order to seal the deal, the super-intelligent producers have offered the super-duper twins a contract clause which states no nudity or sex scenes will be required from the pair. Apparently their role in the film will solely be to help Bond with the mission. (They're 20. In what universe can they help him? Make funky rainbow coloured charm bracelets to give to the kids of the bad guys he kills?)
There's word now that Carice van Houten and Abbie Cornish are rumored to play Bonds possible sexual interests in the film. Did some research, Carice is some random Dutch actress I sure as hell have never heard of. She recently acted in a movie called "Black Book", directed by none other than Paul Verhoeven. He's a guy I never really understood. He makes the following awesome movies; "Robocop", "Total Recall", "Basic Instinct", and then showed up with "Showgirls" (WTF??) and then the cult classic "Starship Troopers". I don't even want to talk about "Hollow Man". Anyways, so he says about her in a television interview: "Never in my life I have worked with an actress this talented," and when asked to compare her with Sharon Stone he says: "Carice can really act".The international press is also enthusiastic about her role in Black Book as some random schmuck Dick Schümer writes in his review of the film in the Frankfurter Allgemeine that Carice van Houten is " . . .not only more beautiful, but also a better actress than Scarlett Johansson". Okay . . .
Did I talk about how stunning Eva Green is? Did I hint at that? Slightly?
As for Abbie Cornish, it's first of all an odd name. Besides that, she's some other Auzzie actress, but was in "The Golden Age" that just came out, and "A Good Year" with good old Russell 'Throw ma phone at you mate' Crowe.Completely random. I'm all for finding new talent and propelling them to semi-stardom but please, for the love of all that is holy and right, no Olsen twins ok? Besides, do they really need all the publicity and money? Forget all your pubescent fantasies, (now they're not teenagers anymore), they're not even that pretty, (I don't even come close to liking bimbo blonds), and sure as schinola can't act. Maybe in a plot twist that would please many viewers Bond can tie them to their millions of DVDs, perfumes, clothes, pencils, nuclear power plants, CDs, books, and other 'we're cute and innocent propaganda' stuff and let them sink to the bottom of the Atlantic.
Now THAT I would wait in line to see.
And by the way, Eva Green rocks.
Heat it Up
So first of all, it's damn hot. I had to go to the bank today, (without mentioning names), though they claim to be all local and down with all customs, and thus enjoyed a nice drive around the bank vicinity for a good 45 minutes, just cruising, looking at fellow cruisers, prowling for parking. I finally managed to find a spot nearby, (almost 37 kilometers away), and I have to say, walking in the bloody heat in your suit sucks. Like bad. The weather service plugs today at a high of 41C, which sounds about the right temperature at which the sun was pointed at my head this afternoon. And it's only the begining of summer . . .
I don't even want to get started on the morons at the bank. I believe the interview and entry process goes something like this:
Bank: Hello, welcome to your interview.
Applicant: Bleh.
Bank: Do you posses any mathematical skills, or have experience in finance?
Applicant: Me like the number seven. It sounds nice. Seven.
Bank: Do you have good logical reasoning ability?
Applicant: Me like cheese.
Bank: What would you do when a customer needs service and additional information?
Applicant: Counter closed.
Bank: You're hired!
Applicant: Seven cheeses.
I don't even want to get started on the morons at the bank. I believe the interview and entry process goes something like this:
Bank: Hello, welcome to your interview.
Applicant: Bleh.
Bank: Do you posses any mathematical skills, or have experience in finance?
Applicant: Me like the number seven. It sounds nice. Seven.
Bank: Do you have good logical reasoning ability?
Applicant: Me like cheese.
Bank: What would you do when a customer needs service and additional information?
Applicant: Counter closed.
Bank: You're hired!
Applicant: Seven cheeses.
I Don't See No Jumping Sheep
It's 2:34 in the bloody AM.
And I can't sleep.
I did all one should.
Warm bath. (With rubber ducky of course).
Read. (Almost finished Freakonomics, then got sick of reading).
Watched re-run of Extras. (Classic episode with Kate Winslet).
Tried to count sheep. (Till started having flashbacks of sheep shearing disaster).
Day (night) dreamed of eating lamb with mint sauce. (Get more upset as none available).
Went for walk. (Realize people driving by think I'm the Midriff stalker, and head home).
Hot shower. (Sang to Barry White).
Hot milk. (Had one sip and remembered I hate hot milk).
Created comic. (Bloody insomnia).
And I can't sleep.
I did all one should.
Warm bath. (With rubber ducky of course).
Read. (Almost finished Freakonomics, then got sick of reading).
Watched re-run of Extras. (Classic episode with Kate Winslet).
Tried to count sheep. (Till started having flashbacks of sheep shearing disaster).
Day (night) dreamed of eating lamb with mint sauce. (Get more upset as none available).
Went for walk. (Realize people driving by think I'm the Midriff stalker, and head home).
Hot shower. (Sang to Barry White).
Hot milk. (Had one sip and remembered I hate hot milk).
Created comic. (Bloody insomnia).
Monday, May 21, 2007
Blog Burp
I'm damn tired.
I came home, started working on some training programs. Thought of something (oh just quickly I figured) to add to the blog. 2 hours later, I is peeved but little happy.
To make a long story short, found some very funky things to put on the blog, i.e. you can never be too old for Pac-Man, still trying to work out the email update button, and all of a sudden the text in my header's gone.
. . . .
In a different time, it would have been cigarette time.
Chocolate milk instead, though it ain't the same.
Damn nicotine memories.
I came home, started working on some training programs. Thought of something (oh just quickly I figured) to add to the blog. 2 hours later, I is peeved but little happy.
To make a long story short, found some very funky things to put on the blog, i.e. you can never be too old for Pac-Man, still trying to work out the email update button, and all of a sudden the text in my header's gone.
. . . .
In a different time, it would have been cigarette time.
Chocolate milk instead, though it ain't the same.
Damn nicotine memories.
Golf GTI turns into Demon
Have to say thanks to Paul for sending this across for me. This is amazingly beautiful. If there was ever a description for "sex on wheels", this would be it. I don't quite know if this is in the price range I can afford (though I highly doubt it is), but man . . . just look at this beast . . . “Extreme” hardly begins to describe Volkswagen’s latest concept car, the new Golf GTI W12-650.
Created to headline the annual gathering of VW enthusiasts at Woerthersee, Austria, on May 19, the new three-door hatchback was conceived as a the wildest, fastest and most powerful incarnation of the Golf GTI yet.
That is has succeeded in its quest is beyond any reasonable doubt. With rear-wheel drive and a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine producing, as its name suggests, 650 hp, its performance meets and beats that of some of the world’s most celebrated supercars. Although it is just a concept car, there appears to be real intent in its existence, with high-ranking VW insiders suggesting to AutoWeek that the W12-650 is a clear signal of what is in store as the German carmaker’s new boss, Martin Winterkorn, begins pushing through changes aimed at raising VW’s profile and loosening its conservative image. So while we can comfortably rule out a supercar-challenging Golf GTI arriving in a VW showroom anytime soon, expect to see some of the excitement bundled up in Wolfsburg’s newest show car percolating down into its road cars in the not-too-distant future.
No ordinary-looking Golf GTI, the W12-650 receives a bespoke steel and carbon fiber body shell styled in-house under the guidance of VW design boss Klaus Bischoff.“Our target was clearly defined—despite the dramatic technical changes carried out underneath, we strived to retain a classic GTI appearance,” Bischoff says, adding, “The biggest challenge was to provide the mid-mounted engine with sufficient air without upsetting the silhouette to any great degree.”
What Bischoff neglects to point out is that there has also been some substantial massaging to set the body over the W12-650’s heavily reworked chassis. Among the concessions to cooling is a gaping duct up front along with substantial openings set into the sills behind the reworked doors. The rear windows have also been reshaped to allow air to enter the body along the leading edge of the C-pillars.
The one-off concept car is substantially larger and lower than its production sibling, giving it a truly menacing stance and take-no-prisoners visual attitude that’s sure to have VW fans drooling with delight. The standard Golf GTI’s wheelbase has also been shortened, providing the W12-650 with an instantly more compact appearance. Powering the GTI is a newly developed twin turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine. Mounted longitudinally behind the front seats, the four-valve-per-cylinder unit produces 650 hp at 6000 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm, bettering the standard Golf GTI’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplant by a whopping 450 hp and 332 lb-ft. The power is channeled back to the W12-650’s rear wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox and locking differential. The ensuing fireworks see the VW concept car storm to 62 mph from standstill in just 3.7 seconds, with its top speed put at 202 mph.Please, if there ever is a God of Cars who wishes to bestow a gift onto me, this would be just dandy.
Pac-Man's Skull
For some bizzare reason, (though very cool), artist Le Gentil Garçon collaborated with palaeontologist François Escuillié to create this resin vision of Pac-Man's skull, which was based off human and predatory animals.
Now wouldn't that be a cool centerpiece on your dining room table . . .
Australians versus Vampires
So before I begin, I want to make something clear. There IS a difference between a movie, and a film. A movie is something like Pearl Harbour, Titanic, or Attack of the Killer Mongoose 9, whilst a film is something like Requiem for a Dream, The Godfather, or The Seven Samurai.
So those of you (and really shame on you!) who don't know about this show, it's about some ordinary Oz girls try to become a British Princess (?!?!?) with Paul Burrell (Princess Diana's butler) and some random crazy woman's judgement deciding. Having nothing better to do with their lives, these girls get trained in making tea "the proper way", serving lunch, making conversation, standing up straight and boating (which apparently is THE thing in the upper crust of British society . . . ) whilst being told to lose a few kilos (hahahaha . . .) and that they are common because they don't usually use tea strainers (hahahaha . . . x 2). The winner then gets to be with a (true blue, oh a dream come through pumpkin oh pumpkin) prince, if they get through each week in a series of demeaning round that eliminates one person every time. Right. Such an original concept! Just like every other generic crap of The Bachelor, Beauty and the Geek (Or Cheap Pick-up and the Dork), and Survivor - where are they now; Fujairah?. (Non-UAE residents please google map it).
The other judge person calls herself an "etiquette expert". This means that she has this "holier than God and every other sentient being in this universe" attitude and she thinks she can tell girls to lose weight . . . though I'm quite perplexed while she looks really nasty while her double chin wobbles. But lest I forget . . . she worked for the Queen! So she must be important! Hoorah! She rips into the girls on being "lady-like" and tells them off for being too boisterous, rough, loud, etc . . . but is it "lady-like" to be so bloody offensive and a loud-mouthed witch with a pancake face? The girls, suffice to say, are all quite dolts and should not change. Where else would redneck towns get charm from?
And also, who is this spectacular prince they will be with? Some completely random Canadian-born Marek Andrzej Stanislaw Prince Swiatopelk-Czetwertynski (in true Aryan looks) strutting about in a Nottinghamshire manor house, Harlaxton Hall (borrowed for the occasion,of course), in this massive effort to look luxurious but succeeds in presenting that it only seems to burn electricity excessively. I pissed myself laughing when in true blue Oz fashion, they started the elimination round for the episode. The girl that was voted off was told by the host, and quote "He didn't think you had spunk, and that you were a bit thick." This by far has to be the best cutdown line ever spoken on reality television. Ladies and Gentlemen, it doesn't get better than this. Sadly the show then ended, while my hunger for idiotic television was not staved. 
I turned back to "Vampire Wars - Battle for the Universe", what else? Only about 20 minutes had passed into this epic tale as I tuned in. When I started watching this movie, I felt I was going to another world, one where acting, plot, script, and any of those things used in movies were not important, to a world where nothing made sense, because everything did. Point to be made here, this movie is proof that Michael Ironside will star in anything. Which is a pity, because I really enjoyed him in Starship Troopers, classic B Grade stuff.
You probably don't know that in the Splinter Cell games, the main man Sam Fisher is gravelly voiced by none other than Ironside as well. Man of many talents! Well, some anyways . . . Doing some research, (for those of you wanting to buy this movie in HD or Blu-Ray), it was originally called “Bloodsuckers,” and debuted a few years back on the dreaded Sci-Fi Channel. To be honest, it starts out surprisingly enjoyable, as we follow the adventures of a “V-San” (Vampire Sanitation, don't ask, accept) unit on patrol in the furthest reaches of the galaxy, strange alien lands that just so happen to look an awful lot like British Columbia. It’s the year 2210, and outer space is crawling with all sorts of vampires - a variety of subspecies that need to be killed in a variety of ways before they overtake you with their variety of vampire powers. Our rugged V-San crew, which includes a handsome captain, a gruff rookie lieutenant, a sexy half-woman/half-vampire (apparently related to Blade in concept), a butch lesbian (token Asian), and some guy in a cowboy hat, because apparently you have to have a guy in a cowboy hat, (homage to "Predator"). These guys wander around the outskirts of Vancouver (or maybe Toronto), shouting kick ass macho Space Marine-isms like “Knock ’em, sock ’em, bring ’em to the ground and spike ’em!” before heading off to knocking, socking, and spiking grounded space vampires.
What I loved was the crazy ass action and the ridiculous dialogue accompanied by the ample amounts of rock (both bluesy decent and Nickelback-level sucky) and the realization by everyone involved that it’s such a shitty movie to try to take seriously. Heroes and bad guys are both deliciously overplayed without being so tongue-in-cheek that comedy gets in the way, while the action is brisk enough and bloody enough to satisfy fans of such high-concept, low-rent productions. (And I mean really low-rent . . .) What's sad is that this previously fairly simple B movie quickly balloons out of his control, as we’re introduced to a weak subplot about a band of human rebels who want to team up with vampires to overthrow humanity. (Don't ask, accept). One of the greatest moments is, yes, seeing Michael Ironside and Michael DeLuise, both in full-on space vampire make-up. (Sadly, I couldn't find any pics of him in this getup online, but he probably burned all of them after the movie wrapped). All of this gets awkwardly intertwined with bits about vampire mind-sex, some weird conflict among the crew, and a key plot point involving the interrogation of what can only be described as a vampire slug puppet.
There is a difference people, deal with it.
So last night lying in the wonderful soft comforts of my bed, I was channel flicking, (and though it lacks in certain functionalities I love the Showtime Showbox), and came to a visual conundrum. Now on one channel I have what seems to be the beginning of one of the greatest movies ever made (insert buckets of sarcasm here) "Vampire Wars - Battle for the Universe", whilst on the other channel, I have the equally intriguing, "Australian Princess". Now my preference for all things Australian over vampires is commonly known, so I stayed on MBC 2 to enjoy the tirade of events unfolding.
So those of you (and really shame on you!) who don't know about this show, it's about some ordinary Oz girls try to become a British Princess (?!?!?) with Paul Burrell (Princess Diana's butler) and some random crazy woman's judgement deciding. Having nothing better to do with their lives, these girls get trained in making tea "the proper way", serving lunch, making conversation, standing up straight and boating (which apparently is THE thing in the upper crust of British society . . . ) whilst being told to lose a few kilos (hahahaha . . .) and that they are common because they don't usually use tea strainers (hahahaha . . . x 2). The winner then gets to be with a (true blue, oh a dream come through pumpkin oh pumpkin) prince, if they get through each week in a series of demeaning round that eliminates one person every time. Right. Such an original concept! Just like every other generic crap of The Bachelor, Beauty and the Geek (Or Cheap Pick-up and the Dork), and Survivor - where are they now; Fujairah?. (Non-UAE residents please google map it).What I really enjoyed during the episode I watched, was where Burrell readily downgraded the rest of Britain and called them all "miffs" (?) just because they don't set their tea cups and saucers at the 5 o'clock angle and because they don't spend 30 minutes making a cup of tea. The "cardinal sin" is apparently putting milk in the cup first. Sad to say Paul, but if you REALLY knew your tea history, some people would consider putting milk in their tea a sin in itself. It also became crystal clear just how sad this man is: He bases his whole existence on the fact that he knows the royal family. Right . . . Paul, you're still a butler…which traditionally is marginally better than a slave. And personally I'd rather not spend my life serving at someones beck and call. Learnt that in hotels! So go think about that while boating and sipping tea you muppet.
The other judge person calls herself an "etiquette expert". This means that she has this "holier than God and every other sentient being in this universe" attitude and she thinks she can tell girls to lose weight . . . though I'm quite perplexed while she looks really nasty while her double chin wobbles. But lest I forget . . . she worked for the Queen! So she must be important! Hoorah! She rips into the girls on being "lady-like" and tells them off for being too boisterous, rough, loud, etc . . . but is it "lady-like" to be so bloody offensive and a loud-mouthed witch with a pancake face? The girls, suffice to say, are all quite dolts and should not change. Where else would redneck towns get charm from?
(*This disclaimer states that all countries have rednecks anywhere, in Japan, Inakapes, and India, Ladoos!)
And also, who is this spectacular prince they will be with? Some completely random Canadian-born Marek Andrzej Stanislaw Prince Swiatopelk-Czetwertynski (in true Aryan looks) strutting about in a Nottinghamshire manor house, Harlaxton Hall (borrowed for the occasion,of course), in this massive effort to look luxurious but succeeds in presenting that it only seems to burn electricity excessively. I pissed myself laughing when in true blue Oz fashion, they started the elimination round for the episode. The girl that was voted off was told by the host, and quote "He didn't think you had spunk, and that you were a bit thick." This by far has to be the best cutdown line ever spoken on reality television. Ladies and Gentlemen, it doesn't get better than this. Sadly the show then ended, while my hunger for idiotic television was not staved.
I turned back to "Vampire Wars - Battle for the Universe", what else? Only about 20 minutes had passed into this epic tale as I tuned in. When I started watching this movie, I felt I was going to another world, one where acting, plot, script, and any of those things used in movies were not important, to a world where nothing made sense, because everything did. Point to be made here, this movie is proof that Michael Ironside will star in anything. Which is a pity, because I really enjoyed him in Starship Troopers, classic B Grade stuff. 
You probably don't know that in the Splinter Cell games, the main man Sam Fisher is gravelly voiced by none other than Ironside as well. Man of many talents! Well, some anyways . . . Doing some research, (for those of you wanting to buy this movie in HD or Blu-Ray), it was originally called “Bloodsuckers,” and debuted a few years back on the dreaded Sci-Fi Channel. To be honest, it starts out surprisingly enjoyable, as we follow the adventures of a “V-San” (Vampire Sanitation, don't ask, accept) unit on patrol in the furthest reaches of the galaxy, strange alien lands that just so happen to look an awful lot like British Columbia. It’s the year 2210, and outer space is crawling with all sorts of vampires - a variety of subspecies that need to be killed in a variety of ways before they overtake you with their variety of vampire powers. Our rugged V-San crew, which includes a handsome captain, a gruff rookie lieutenant, a sexy half-woman/half-vampire (apparently related to Blade in concept), a butch lesbian (token Asian), and some guy in a cowboy hat, because apparently you have to have a guy in a cowboy hat, (homage to "Predator"). These guys wander around the outskirts of Vancouver (or maybe Toronto), shouting kick ass macho Space Marine-isms like “Knock ’em, sock ’em, bring ’em to the ground and spike ’em!” before heading off to knocking, socking, and spiking grounded space vampires.
What I loved was the crazy ass action and the ridiculous dialogue accompanied by the ample amounts of rock (both bluesy decent and Nickelback-level sucky) and the realization by everyone involved that it’s such a shitty movie to try to take seriously. Heroes and bad guys are both deliciously overplayed without being so tongue-in-cheek that comedy gets in the way, while the action is brisk enough and bloody enough to satisfy fans of such high-concept, low-rent productions. (And I mean really low-rent . . .) What's sad is that this previously fairly simple B movie quickly balloons out of his control, as we’re introduced to a weak subplot about a band of human rebels who want to team up with vampires to overthrow humanity. (Don't ask, accept). One of the greatest moments is, yes, seeing Michael Ironside and Michael DeLuise, both in full-on space vampire make-up. (Sadly, I couldn't find any pics of him in this getup online, but he probably burned all of them after the movie wrapped). All of this gets awkwardly intertwined with bits about vampire mind-sex, some weird conflict among the crew, and a key plot point involving the interrogation of what can only be described as a vampire slug puppet.Oscar material indeed.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Must. Buy. Now.
Must. Buy. Now.
So go check out Mediacom, which has these rockin block figures featuring the one and only Master Chief. The 4-pack includes traditional Green, online Red and Blue, and stealth Clear versions of Master Chief. Alright . . . how wicked is that?
Not only that, they have other completely funky random sets too!
Usual Suspects! "Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees I mean. That was good. This is shit but, hey, I'm in a police station." - Verbal
And, yes, I'm so glad someone is paying homage to one of the classics, Back to the Future. "McFly? Hello McFly?" - Biff
Only from Japan my friends!
So go check out Mediacom, which has these rockin block figures featuring the one and only Master Chief. The 4-pack includes traditional Green, online Red and Blue, and stealth Clear versions of Master Chief. Alright . . . how wicked is that?
Not only that, they have other completely funky random sets too!
Usual Suspects! "Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees I mean. That was good. This is shit but, hey, I'm in a police station." - Verbal
And, yes, I'm so glad someone is paying homage to one of the classics, Back to the Future. "McFly? Hello McFly?" - Biff
Only from Japan my friends!
The Begining of the End of the Trilogy
So over the weekend, (which I promised myself would be spent only lazing about ignoring the outside world), I managed to download the Halo 3 Beta and got stuck into it. Now for those of you who don't know, Halo 3 is (and maybe, the greatest thing to come about since sliced bread), a game upcoming on the Xbox 360, the final part of an epic trilogy that's been played the last few years. Starting on the original Xbox, it brought about also Halo 2, through which many countless hours of fragging over pizzas, beers, and gratuitous amounts of swearing have been played. Halo 2 has been in effect, the game in which we've always played.Back in the day, (which in this case refers to the days in Sahari Village @ Hyatt), we used to play on brokeass tvs we dragged around everywhere. Using our limited knowledge of networking and routers, we "borrowed" a router from work, cajoled an IT employee in crimping hundreds of meter of cabling, and linked up several xboxs in the now infamous Liwa #7. Marc will well remember the indestructible Phillips T.V.,(that actually fell twice out of the car boot, dents and all), which was carried all over Sahari, even twice to Dubai Marina for some serious fragging.
Special mention must be made to Snowman, Garikai, how much we cried to see you running around pointing your gun in the sky. Those were the days . . .
At home now I've finally setup the networking I've always wanted, with sweet Cat 6 cabling running through the walls, wired and wireless throughout the whole house, and two Bravia LCDs broadcasting in glorious 1080i picture the carnage that comes about. Boys with toys only get older, and better toys.
Back to the Beta.
Now the pictures aren't going to give it justice, so I'm not even going to try. In short; the game is amazing.
Now having played Halo 2 for quite a while, and even having played in on the 360, the graphics haven't been able to come on par with current 360 games, (especially Gears of War), which also kicks some serious derier), so I was quite curious of the upgrade. I always appreciate the little things, game environments, music, AI, and all these small points that come together to make a product or game what it is. Wandering through the game, (while all the time getting absolutely fragged silly), you notice the details that stand out, vegetation moves in the breeze, and parts as you walk through it. Water looks absolutely amazing, and leaves fall in the distance as you walk by. In snow you create footprints, which slowly fade as the seconds go by. Granted, you don't get much time to notice these things as you're running around throwing grenades while shotgunning MonkeyLord35 in the head. Call me a geek, but technology on this level makes me feel all funny inside . . .
Which brings me to my next point, sound. The sound really does kick ass, and I can now rest in comfort that my investment in the Harman Kardon system was well worth it. Going to be released in 5.1 Digital, even now the intricacies of sound layering is clearly audible. The sweet sound of bullet shells clinking as they hit the floor in a continuous pour, the ambient sounds of flies and birds, even bloody wind rustling by. All adds to the ambiance. The much touted control scheme has also been talked about endlessly. And my honest opinion, it takes a few games, (in which you fumble briefly like a dyslexic), but after the first stumbles the new scheme feels very natural, and much more refined. Things like using the respective bumper buttons to reload each gun is a much needed change, while the X button to use new things like trip mines and bubble shields are great. Not going to spoil it more for you, but a LOT of cool stuff is on there.
With the announcement that it will officially be released on September 26, the countdown begins. I hope it doesn't get as bad as when Halo 2 was coming out, and delayed, and delayed again, till brains were scrambled and it was almost an internal hemorrhaging when we actually go to play it. And of course, which version would I get but the only one worthy of purchase, the Legendary one. 
The Halo 3 Legendary Edition, comes packed into a Halo Spartan Mjolnir Mark VI Helmet replica. How awesome is that! (And no Paul, you can't wear it.) The Halo 3 Legendary Edition, which will sell for $99.99, includes a behind-the-scenes at Bungie Studios with new insights into the Halo Universe and the making of Halo 3; a special hi-res collection of all cinematics from Halo 1 and Halo 2 with director commentary from the Bungie Team bonus; community content from Red vs. Blue, This Spartan Life and Exclusive Gamer Tiles & a Theme. Each unit will be serialized for added individuality and collectability. Respect. Let the countdown begin.
CV for Moi?
So due to popular demand, (basically friends keeping emailing me to re-send this to them), here's a tip, go to the blog! Anyways . . .
(Originally posted on 8th April, 2007)
Too long again since blogging, though much to blog about. Blog, blag, blug. I have to rant. For the past 3 weeks at work now more than usual I have been sifting through CVs, as recuitment is on the rise, and many positions to be filled. So to end all before I stick my face through my laptop, here are my cardinal rules based on the 400 odd resumes I get daily, I would like to share with potential candidates who send their CVs through:
1) Football is NOT a skill. A skill is profficient in MS Office, AutoCAD, Oracle, etc. Ability to Persuade people is not a skill, and neither is Friendliness. If you think it is, you're applying in the wrong place.
2) I don't need your whole educational history from grade school. I also don't need to know if you won fifth place in a public speaking competition. Frankly, if you were anything less than third, do you really want to tell everyone? It would make sense also that whatever you write is in relation to what you're applying for. Case in point; do not apply for: ANY SUITABLE POSITION.
3) When you take your photo, try and smile. It makes you look less depressed. It would help also if you didn't take your photo with a psychedelic hippie back-grown. The 80's are so over.
4) Objectives. Crap. Crap. And more crap. Add some lies to that. Everbody wants to work in a challenging environment to which they can fully utilise their skills to the best of their ability to best enhance the corporation in which they will work with full dedication. Come on, please. Even worse is saying you're a team-orientated, customer friendly individual who has good time and task management. WHO is going to say otherwise? "I am lazy, and frankly, I hate dealing with customers." I think not.
5) Spellcheck. Spellcheck again. Then some more. Then do a grammar check. Then do another grammer check. Then have someone else read it. Then another person. Remember, you're only one letter away from confusing someone who was once a public accountant.
6) Don't lie on your resumes. I'm going to find out, one way or the other. This is why people do refernce checks. If you exaggerate, you're going down. Besides, if you had such great jobs in the past, why did you leave?
7) Using Arial or Times New Roman Font, size 10 or 12 is fine. You like creative, funky fonts? Cursive, elaborate styles? Great. Send the resume to yourself where it saves me from bleeding from the retinas when I read it.
8) I don't need to know if you still live with your parents. And if you do, that's just really sad. One resume even had a person who wrote they were divorced twice but had custody of the children. That's a bit too much information.
9) If you worked for (Insert Random Company) for xyz number of years as abc position, it would be nice if I KNEW WHAT YOUR COMPANY DID. Do explain what the company makes, point in case a resume last week where a gentleman wrote he was Production Manager. Of what? Baby strollers? Fighter Jets? Teapots? It's such fun to guess.
10) And finally, your hobbies. Frankly, the fact you enjoy surfing the internet, play tennis, or like meeting people (not a hobby by the way), is not the tipping point in your favor. It just wastes space on the resume. I can't understand why applying for a charted accountant requires listing your hobby of walking, (didn't know it was a hobby, thought more a necessity of life), eating fine foods, (also, more a want isn't it?), and salsa dancing, (which is of great relevance when looking for CPAs), needs.
Maybe I need to get out more. Now back to the resumes . . .
(Originally posted on 8th April, 2007)
Too long again since blogging, though much to blog about. Blog, blag, blug. I have to rant. For the past 3 weeks at work now more than usual I have been sifting through CVs, as recuitment is on the rise, and many positions to be filled. So to end all before I stick my face through my laptop, here are my cardinal rules based on the 400 odd resumes I get daily, I would like to share with potential candidates who send their CVs through:
1) Football is NOT a skill. A skill is profficient in MS Office, AutoCAD, Oracle, etc. Ability to Persuade people is not a skill, and neither is Friendliness. If you think it is, you're applying in the wrong place.
2) I don't need your whole educational history from grade school. I also don't need to know if you won fifth place in a public speaking competition. Frankly, if you were anything less than third, do you really want to tell everyone? It would make sense also that whatever you write is in relation to what you're applying for. Case in point; do not apply for: ANY SUITABLE POSITION.
3) When you take your photo, try and smile. It makes you look less depressed. It would help also if you didn't take your photo with a psychedelic hippie back-grown. The 80's are so over.
4) Objectives. Crap. Crap. And more crap. Add some lies to that. Everbody wants to work in a challenging environment to which they can fully utilise their skills to the best of their ability to best enhance the corporation in which they will work with full dedication. Come on, please. Even worse is saying you're a team-orientated, customer friendly individual who has good time and task management. WHO is going to say otherwise? "I am lazy, and frankly, I hate dealing with customers." I think not.
5) Spellcheck. Spellcheck again. Then some more. Then do a grammar check. Then do another grammer check. Then have someone else read it. Then another person. Remember, you're only one letter away from confusing someone who was once a public accountant.
6) Don't lie on your resumes. I'm going to find out, one way or the other. This is why people do refernce checks. If you exaggerate, you're going down. Besides, if you had such great jobs in the past, why did you leave?
7) Using Arial or Times New Roman Font, size 10 or 12 is fine. You like creative, funky fonts? Cursive, elaborate styles? Great. Send the resume to yourself where it saves me from bleeding from the retinas when I read it.
8) I don't need to know if you still live with your parents. And if you do, that's just really sad. One resume even had a person who wrote they were divorced twice but had custody of the children. That's a bit too much information.
9) If you worked for (Insert Random Company) for xyz number of years as abc position, it would be nice if I KNEW WHAT YOUR COMPANY DID. Do explain what the company makes, point in case a resume last week where a gentleman wrote he was Production Manager. Of what? Baby strollers? Fighter Jets? Teapots? It's such fun to guess.
10) And finally, your hobbies. Frankly, the fact you enjoy surfing the internet, play tennis, or like meeting people (not a hobby by the way), is not the tipping point in your favor. It just wastes space on the resume. I can't understand why applying for a charted accountant requires listing your hobby of walking, (didn't know it was a hobby, thought more a necessity of life), eating fine foods, (also, more a want isn't it?), and salsa dancing, (which is of great relevance when looking for CPAs), needs.
Maybe I need to get out more. Now back to the resumes . . .
Flashback of Reality
It’s funny how sometimes friends and random acquaintances, in all their kindess and goodwill, pass on quotes or sayings that have been heard before. Never leave that till tomorrow. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say it has a lot to do simply with having fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you're wrong? What if you're making a mistake you can't undo? All the great ones you’ve heard before; a stitch in time saves nine, the early bird catches the worm, he who hesitates is lost, and so on. What makes us tick is that we still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes, and not only the small ones. We have to learn our own lessons from these mistakes. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrow's rug until we can't anymore. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure you could ever make, even the worst, sure beat the hell out of never trying.
Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human. Maybe, we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate that we’re doing so. At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. That’s what defines you. Some things you say cause there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself, just because it feel better that way. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves.
Admiring the struggle it takes to simply be human. Maybe, we're thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we're thankful for the things we'll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate that we’re doing so. At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear, and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. That’s what defines you. Some things you say cause there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself, just because it feel better that way. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves.
Don't mess with Domo-Kun!
So people continously ask me about Domo-Kun, the somewhat sadistic looking monster which pops up on my facebook and messenger, with no apparent purpose and rhyme or reason. To silence all of you inquiring questionaries, here is the story of Domo, and why he will rule the world.Domo-kun (どーもくん) is a small brown open-mouthed monster hatched from an egg who lives with a wise old rabbit underground. (Don't ask, just accept!) He really, really likes TV and also enjoys rocking out to Guitar Wolf. (Like only the coolest band to come out of Japan!) Domo-kun is the super kakoi mascot of NHK's BS2 (a satellite channel; he also appears on BS1 sometimes). NHK has been producing a series of Domo-kun stop-motion vignettes that exude personal charm and warmth. Check out this great youtube montage here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXlZzBbeNg. It's in Japanese though, so you might miss out on some of the humor . . .
"Domo" in this case hereappears to mean more of something (usually to stress "thank you," "excuse me," etc), implying increased politeness. "kun" is used as "Mr." or "Ms." for "younger people or colleagues." He acquired his name in the second episode, when Usajii turns on the TV for him and an announcer says "Domo konnichiwa" ("very much hello"). I've also read someone's opinion that "Domo" in this case means "ferocious," but the Random House Japanese/English dictionary doesn't support this at all (the "domo" meaning "ferocious" has two long "o"s, the "domo" in Domokun only has one).So the official Domokun website states this:
Domo is a strange creature born from an egg. One day he fell into Usajii's house, the old rabbit likes TV. After that he began to love watching TV. He is gentle and strong. When he is in a bad mood, he breaks wind.
Favorite food: Seasoned beef with potatoes
Disliked food: Apple (There seems a deep mystery in his DNA)
Favorite talent: MAX and The guitar wolf
Location: Everywhere
Amazingly, acording to NHK, Domo-kun is recognized by 90% of Japanese schoolchildren.
I am also guessing that "bad mood" is really something like "distressed/nervous," (similair to what people say in the middle east here) as evidenced by the episode in which he accidentally meets up with Ta-chan, sweats a little, and lets fly. (Here, when one says there're very nervous, it means there're upset but can't show it to you . . . right . . . you can see how this confused me uncessarily more here . . .) Usajii has been living in a cave for 70 years. He loves TV and astringent tea. When he was young, he often traveled with his sweet heart, but now he is completely retired.
Favorite food: Kinds of carrot
Disliked food: A trivial thing
Favorite talent: Hijiri Kojima (A young Japanese model/actress)
Now if you're wondering on the origin of his name; "Usagi" (rabbit) + "Oyaji" (older man) = Usajii!
So to bring an end to this grand story, he's Domo, and don't mess with him.
And for those who want the original explanation, nihongo deh, hai dozo!
NHKの隠れた人気キャラクター、どーもくんは1998年12月22日から、BS開局10周年を記念して放映が開始されたスポット番組のキャラクターです。 で、そのどーもくんと共に流されたコピーが「どーも、BSです。」。 このコピーは通常のスポット（「アリガトBS10周年」のハートスポット、「続々ゾクゾク」などを除く）では必ず流されています。 その流し方というのは、30秒スポットで言うと、一年分（誕生篇から初雪篇）までは、終わり頃に「どーも、BSです。」の文字が出、ナレーションでも「どーも、BSです。」と入るというものでした。 ナレーションはただ入るだけではなく、どーもくんの声を利用したものもありました。 「ロックはお好き篇」では最後、うさじいはしのぶ達にさとされロックのコンサート番組をどーもに見せるわけですが、みんなで踊っているカットでどーもが「どーも」とうさじいにお礼を言っています。その後ナレーションｪ「BSです。」と入ります。 また、「出るのもつらいよ篇」ではしのぶディレクターにNGを連発されながら、緊張した面もちのアップでどーもが「どーも」というのですが、その後、ナレーションが「BSです。」と入ります。 2年目から（「料理大ぱにっく篇」以降）はナレーションがなくなり、「どーも、BSです。」の文字だけとなりました。 ただ文字だけだと言っても、
内容によって出方が工夫されています。 「料理大パニック編」では、どーもは自分の作った料理でふらふらと宙に舞ってしまいますが、それを表すように黒字に「どーも、BSです。」の文字がふわふわと画面の上の方に浮いていきます。 「たーちゃん登場篇」では最後たーちゃんが「テレビは見れるち。よかったち。うふ」といたずらっぽく笑うのですが、たーちゃんのキャラクターを表すかのように「どーも、BSです。」の一文字一文字が一列に並ばず、波打つように動きながら画面左上方へ上っていきます。 このように見てみると、「どーも、BSです。」のコピーだけを見てみてもおもしろいのですが、残念ながらどーもくんの1年分のビデオ「どーも338秒」やCD-ROM「どーも、どーもです。」「どーもですったらどーもです。」ではコピーの文字が入る場面は真っ黒に差し替えられているか、どーもの図案化されたイラストが出るだけ、ナレーションも消されています。現在見ることが出来るとすれば最新版
のスポットか、BSのミニ番組「ぞくぞくどーも10連発」の再放送、もしくはそれに類する番組の新規放送を期待するしかありません。 もしDVDが出るのであれば「どーも、BSです。」が出るバージョンと、出ないバージョンの両方が楽しめるようにしてほしいものです。 なお、4秒スポットでは以前からぼーん、という太鼓のような音が流れて「どーも、BSです。」の文字だけが出ます。
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Clarity on a Saturday Evening
So I have a few things of clarity I've come to realize:
1) Waking up at 6am to go for a run is hard. Damn hard. And I am NOT a morning person at all. But once you're on the road the sleep goes away. And I have to say I don't feel as lethargic these days.
2) Not having smoked for few weeks now; reminds me how foolish I was in my past to be weak to smoking for so long. I still miss the smell, and have cravings. But I breath deep, and it passes. Funny thing is how I've surprised myself, let alone others.
3) Peanut Butter and Honey on wheat bread for breakfast. It rocks your body full of energy. And it tastes DAMN good.
4) You're always going to love and care for people in your past. For so long I have blamed and hated myself for not being to stop thinking of them. What I realize is not that one should stop, but let go. The important thing is not to fall into a deep hole of sadness and self-neglect as you wallow in memories, for it's a cold and lonely path. Remember that life is in the now, and it's not what you say; but what you do that defines you as a person.
5) When using a yellow highlighter inevitably you will get some marks on your fingers.
6) I miss my parents terribly. I miss Jaya. I miss Dermott. I miss being young and having my only worry as wondering what's for dinner.
7) Watching a documentary on Machu Picchu (Don't know it? Google and expand your horizons punks) last night, I am sadly dissapointed that more and more beautiful places in the world are being commericalised, populated and just becoming tourist traps. One of my earliest memories of childhood is standing at Krakatau in Indonesia with my father when nobody had heard of it and ever went.
8) In line with the previous thought, less and less of the world is left to be explored.
9) If the world can allow someone like Steven Segal to make money and be famous, there is hope for insanity in this world.
10) If you think you're right, if your gut tells you something, 99.999999% you're probably right. So just go for it.
1) Waking up at 6am to go for a run is hard. Damn hard. And I am NOT a morning person at all. But once you're on the road the sleep goes away. And I have to say I don't feel as lethargic these days.
2) Not having smoked for few weeks now; reminds me how foolish I was in my past to be weak to smoking for so long. I still miss the smell, and have cravings. But I breath deep, and it passes. Funny thing is how I've surprised myself, let alone others.
3) Peanut Butter and Honey on wheat bread for breakfast. It rocks your body full of energy. And it tastes DAMN good.
4) You're always going to love and care for people in your past. For so long I have blamed and hated myself for not being to stop thinking of them. What I realize is not that one should stop, but let go. The important thing is not to fall into a deep hole of sadness and self-neglect as you wallow in memories, for it's a cold and lonely path. Remember that life is in the now, and it's not what you say; but what you do that defines you as a person.
5) When using a yellow highlighter inevitably you will get some marks on your fingers.
6) I miss my parents terribly. I miss Jaya. I miss Dermott. I miss being young and having my only worry as wondering what's for dinner.
7) Watching a documentary on Machu Picchu (Don't know it? Google and expand your horizons punks) last night, I am sadly dissapointed that more and more beautiful places in the world are being commericalised, populated and just becoming tourist traps. One of my earliest memories of childhood is standing at Krakatau in Indonesia with my father when nobody had heard of it and ever went.
8) In line with the previous thought, less and less of the world is left to be explored.
9) If the world can allow someone like Steven Segal to make money and be famous, there is hope for insanity in this world.
10) If you think you're right, if your gut tells you something, 99.999999% you're probably right. So just go for it.
Phobia Hobia
So randomly, a colleague at work tells me she has Achluophobia, or fear of the dark. This lead to a loooong conversation about phobias, and which ones we could dig up. Here's my list so far . . .
Ablutophobia: Fear of washing or bathing (Know lots of people with this...)
Aerophobia: Fear of swallowing air
Ambulophobia: Fear of walking
Anablephobia: Fear of looking up
Anemophobia: Fear of wind (Do you mean; oh, I get it . . . )
Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers
Barophobia: Fear of gravity
Basophobia: Fear of walking
Batophobia: Fear of being close to high buildings
Bibliophobia: Fear of books
Blennophobia: Fear of slime
Bogyphobia: Fear of the bogeyman (Didn't we all?)
Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting
Catoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors (Like in "Candyman"?)
Chaetophobia: Fear of hair
Chionophobia: Fear of snow
Chromatophobia: Fear of colors
Chronophobia: Fear of time
Cibophobia: Fear of food
Clinophobia: Fear of going to bed
Cnidophobia: Fear of string (!?)
Deciophobia: Fear of making decisions
Dendrophobia: Fear of trees
Dextrophobia: Fear of objects at the right side of the body (Huh?)
Didaskaleinophobia: Fear of school (Hahahaha)
Eisoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors
Eleutherophobia: Fear of freedom
Eosophobia: Fear of daylight
Epistemophobia: Fear of knowledge
Ergophobia: Fear of work
Ereuthophobia: Fear of the color red
Geliophobia: Fear of laughter
Geniophobia: Fear of chins (Right.....)
Genuphobia: Fear of knees
Geumaphobia: Fear of taste
Gnosiophobia: Fear of knowledge (Now it's getting deep...)
Graphophobia: Fear of writing
Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
Helmintophobia: Fear of being infested with worms (As we all do...)
Hemophobia: Fear of blood
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words (Ironic)
Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
Hypnophobia: Fear of sleep
Ichthyophobia: Fear of fish
Ideophobia: Fear of ideas
Kainophobia: Fear of anything new
Kathisophobia: Fear of sitting down
Lachanophobia: Fear of vegetables
Leukophobia: Fear of the color white
Levophobia: Fear of objects to the left side of the body
Linonophobia: Fear of string
Logophobia: Fear of words
Melanophobia: Fear of the color black
Melophobia: Fear of music
Metrophobia: Fear of poetry
Mnemophobia: Fear of memories
Mottephobia: Fear of moths
Nebulaphobia: Fear of fog
Neophobia: Fear of anything new
Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
Nomatophobia: Fear of names
Octophobia: Fear of the number 8
Ommetaphobia: Fear of eyes
Oneirophobia: Fear of dreams
Ophthalmophobia: Fear of opening one's eyes
Ostraconophobia: Fear of shellfish (I'm allergic, does that count?)
Panophobia: Fear of everything
Papyrophobia: Fear of paper
Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
Peladophobia: Fear of bald people
Phobophobia: Fear of fear (Wow Freud...)
Photophobia: Fear of light
Phronemophobia: Fear of thinking
Pogonophobia: Fear of beards
Sciophobia: Fear of shadows
Scolionophobia: Fear of school
Selenophobia: Fear of the moon
Siderophobia: Fear of stars
Sitophobia: Fear of food
Sophophobia: Fear of learning
Stasibasiphobia: Fear of walking
Thaasophobia: Fear of sitting
Trichopathophobia: Fear of hair
Triskadekaphobia: Fear of the number 13
Verbophobia: Fear of words
Xanthophobia: Fear of the color yellow
And finally, this is by far the most ridiculous phobia I've ever heard of:
Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
Ablutophobia: Fear of washing or bathing (Know lots of people with this...)
Aerophobia: Fear of swallowing air
Ambulophobia: Fear of walking
Anablephobia: Fear of looking up
Anemophobia: Fear of wind (Do you mean; oh, I get it . . . )
Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers
Barophobia: Fear of gravity
Basophobia: Fear of walking
Batophobia: Fear of being close to high buildings
Bibliophobia: Fear of books
Blennophobia: Fear of slime
Bogyphobia: Fear of the bogeyman (Didn't we all?)
Cathisophobia: Fear of sitting
Catoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors (Like in "Candyman"?)
Chaetophobia: Fear of hair
Chionophobia: Fear of snow
Chromatophobia: Fear of colors
Chronophobia: Fear of time
Cibophobia: Fear of food
Clinophobia: Fear of going to bed
Cnidophobia: Fear of string (!?)
Deciophobia: Fear of making decisions
Dendrophobia: Fear of trees
Dextrophobia: Fear of objects at the right side of the body (Huh?)
Didaskaleinophobia: Fear of school (Hahahaha)
Eisoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors
Eleutherophobia: Fear of freedom
Eosophobia: Fear of daylight
Epistemophobia: Fear of knowledge
Ergophobia: Fear of work
Ereuthophobia: Fear of the color red
Geliophobia: Fear of laughter
Geniophobia: Fear of chins (Right.....)
Genuphobia: Fear of knees
Geumaphobia: Fear of taste
Gnosiophobia: Fear of knowledge (Now it's getting deep...)
Graphophobia: Fear of writing
Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
Helmintophobia: Fear of being infested with worms (As we all do...)
Hemophobia: Fear of blood
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Fear of long words (Ironic)
Homichlophobia: Fear of fog
Hypnophobia: Fear of sleep
Ichthyophobia: Fear of fish
Ideophobia: Fear of ideas
Kainophobia: Fear of anything new
Kathisophobia: Fear of sitting down
Lachanophobia: Fear of vegetables
Leukophobia: Fear of the color white
Levophobia: Fear of objects to the left side of the body
Linonophobia: Fear of string
Logophobia: Fear of words
Melanophobia: Fear of the color black
Melophobia: Fear of music
Metrophobia: Fear of poetry
Mnemophobia: Fear of memories
Mottephobia: Fear of moths
Nebulaphobia: Fear of fog
Neophobia: Fear of anything new
Nephophobia: Fear of clouds
Nomatophobia: Fear of names
Octophobia: Fear of the number 8
Ommetaphobia: Fear of eyes
Oneirophobia: Fear of dreams
Ophthalmophobia: Fear of opening one's eyes
Ostraconophobia: Fear of shellfish (I'm allergic, does that count?)
Panophobia: Fear of everything
Papyrophobia: Fear of paper
Paraskavedekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th
Peladophobia: Fear of bald people
Phobophobia: Fear of fear (Wow Freud...)
Photophobia: Fear of light
Phronemophobia: Fear of thinking
Pogonophobia: Fear of beards
Sciophobia: Fear of shadows
Scolionophobia: Fear of school
Selenophobia: Fear of the moon
Siderophobia: Fear of stars
Sitophobia: Fear of food
Sophophobia: Fear of learning
Stasibasiphobia: Fear of walking
Thaasophobia: Fear of sitting
Trichopathophobia: Fear of hair
Triskadekaphobia: Fear of the number 13
Verbophobia: Fear of words
Xanthophobia: Fear of the color yellow
And finally, this is by far the most ridiculous phobia I've ever heard of:
Arachibutyrophobia: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
Virgin Steps
Ok, so it's a step, at least to a more permanent form of a blog which has been long overdue mainly due to my laziness. Enough.
I need to write and this is what I do. Now having scoured the web for blog sites, I decided to spend the next 1 hour searching for an ideal name. How many bloody people are blogging? Who are these people? Do they have nothing else to do? And why did they pick all the names I wanted??
Here are some names I (innocently) was thinking of having, not knowing the plethora of people thinking the same . . .
- Pecha Kucha: Japanese slang for someone who talks alot, a real "chatterbox" if you will.
- Sine sole sileo: Latin for "Without the sun, I'm silent"
- Kaveesha: One of the 108 names of Ganesha, where is Lord of Poets.
Who are these people? Why have they all these names? Anyways . . . and for those of you not in the now, Naruhodo neh? is Japanese slang to tell the person you're listening, and to say huh?
So, baby steps out of the way, here we go.
I need to write and this is what I do. Now having scoured the web for blog sites, I decided to spend the next 1 hour searching for an ideal name. How many bloody people are blogging? Who are these people? Do they have nothing else to do? And why did they pick all the names I wanted??
Here are some names I (innocently) was thinking of having, not knowing the plethora of people thinking the same . . .
- Pecha Kucha: Japanese slang for someone who talks alot, a real "chatterbox" if you will.
- Sine sole sileo: Latin for "Without the sun, I'm silent"
- Kaveesha: One of the 108 names of Ganesha, where is Lord of Poets.
Who are these people? Why have they all these names? Anyways . . . and for those of you not in the now, Naruhodo neh? is Japanese slang to tell the person you're listening, and to say huh?
So, baby steps out of the way, here we go.
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