Timeshare company issues legal letter to Tomorrow.sg

Tomorrow.sg has received a legal letter from the law firm representing Grand Seasons International, a timeshare company operating in Singapore. In the letter, the lawyers demanded that Tomorrow.sg comply with their client's requests:

GRAND SEASONS INTERNATIONAL - TIMESHARE SCAM COMPANY

We act for M/s Grand Seasons International Pte Ltd.

Our clients instruct that a blog has been published in your Bulletin of Singapore Bloggers at the following url address: http://tomorrow.sg/archives/2006/10/23/grand_seasons_international_ti.html with the heading in bold "Grand Season International-TimeShare Scam Company".

We are instructed that the above words are defamatory of our clients and our client's reputation and goodwill has been disparaged and seriously damage. It is common knowledge that the Internet has millions of users who have free and open access to the words complained of.

In the premises our clients instruct that unless the above offending words are removed from the above url address and from the bulletin board within the next 5 days from the date hereof our clients shall have no alternative but to proceed as they deem fit in the matter.

Our clients also seek your co-operation to disclose the name and address of "GECKO" who has posted comment on 23/10/06 regarding our clients in the captioned matter as our clients intend to pursue their legal rights against the writer.

The post that they were referring to is this. The lawyers even got the link wrong. How professional aye?! The post was dated October 23, 2006 and it linked to an entry by Gecko that complained about the tactics used by Grand Seasons International to get his relatives to buy some products. From Gecko:

(Update: I've been told by Gecko who was advised by his lawyer, to remove the content in this space here which was taken from his blog post. Even his post has now been taken down.)

I'm not a lawyer but there there are two things that I will do if I'm in Tomorrow.sg's shoes. First, is to change the title of the post from "Grand Seasons International - Timeshare Scam Company" to something like "Grand Seasons International - Timeshare Scam Company?" or "Grand Seasons International - scam or legit?". So instead of saying that it is a scam company, the post asks if it is one. The lawyers of the firm cannot say then that this is outright defamatory.

Second, as for their request to reveal the name and address of Gecko, Tomorrow.sg can kindly remind them that Gecko's email contact is easily visible on his blog and that the legal firm can contact Gecko's hosting provider if they want to purse a legal case with him. I'm not sure about how much info does Tomorrow.sg has on Gecko but even if I have his I.P. address I will not hand it over to them.

And as for Gecko, well he can just remove the word "scam" and "conmen" from his post. I've read his post a number of times and besides the use of those two words, I don't see any other reasons why his post could be viewed as defamatory.

Lastly, to the lawyers of Grand Seasons International. They and other law firms can just fuck off if they think legal threats can be used to quash legitimate and valid criticisms on blogs and elsewhere on the Internet.

It's stupid for Grand Seasons International to take Tomorrow.sg and Gecko to court because then everyone will know more about how timeshare companies operate and the practices and tactics used to get customers. It will be all over the papers! The end result even if they do win the case, will only be bad for their business. So instead of issuing a legal letter, they could have easily talk to Tomorrow.sg and tell them about their concerns regarding the post. I'm sure things can be easily settled when it is done in a very friendly manner.

Prank calls to phone sex girls

Dave also known as Gil, a writer and comedian from NYC, has a website called Phonesexpranks.com where he posts recorded conversations he made with phone sex girls. He tells them that he is into some "weird" stuff. Here's a transcript:

Kristy (phone sex girl): Hi Dave, my name is Kristy.
Dave: Hi Kristy. Can I tell you what I'm into?
Kristy: Ya, go ahead.
Dave: Do you know Clippy, the clip from Microsoft Word?
Kristy: Yes?
Dave: I'm really into that.

Brilliant! After listening to his conversations, I just realised how hard it is to be a phone sex girl. I just hope that they are being paid a lot. Ha!

You can listen to all his calls via the YouTube videos (no nudity, just conversations) that he attached to his posts. Conversations may not be suitable for work and for you underaged kids, please do not click. I'll tell your mama and papa if you do so ok.

Singaporean Childhood Toy Exhibition

Damn it. I missed this one. Blogger Marina was at the Museum of Shanghai Toys recently for the Singaporean Childhood Exhibition which showcased toys that can be found in Singapore many, many years ago. The exhibition may be over but you can still view the museum's main exhibit - toys from China! I have got to visit this museum soon.

Japan wants to kill humpback whales

I love most things about Japan, but it angers me when they want to start killing humpback whales. Other countries have condemned Japan's intentions and some are calling it a provocative act. From ChannelNews Asia:

Japan's proposal is an "extraordinary provocative gesture to the people of New Zealand and we are asking you as a measure of goodwill to build better dialogue," Carter said.

"If there is one thing the Japanese government can do at this meeting ... it would be to drop the humpbacks from the program," he said. "It is a very, very provocative act."

He said Tokyo's humpback blitz was a "calculated" move "to undermine dramatically the standing, the affection, the relationship between the Australian and the Japanese people".

The fate of the endangered mammals is not "a matter of horse trading and negotiations", Britain's Biodiversity Minister Barry Gardiner said.

I love the humpbacks and other whales too since my number 1 favourite animal is the dolphin - dolphins and whales come from the same family. Human beings have been killing whales for centuries. Countries like Japan and Norway have the need to keep killing whales because it is part of their heritage/culture but killing 50 humpbacks this summer is equivalent to murder. I cannot accept it. Fine, they can say we eat sheeps, cows and pigs, so why can't they eat whales? But honestly speaking, if you ask most Japanese today, they don't even bother about whale meat anymore. Let's help these whales survive and thrive in their natural wild habitat. No more killings please.

Old Japanese men carrying a giant mouse cursor

If you've always wanted to control the movements of a bunch of old Japanese men carrying a giant mouse cursor, head to this website, wait a couple of seconds for it to load, move your mouse cursor to the center of the page and enjoy. Try clicking your mouse too. Hehe. Fun aye.

(Thanks Lord Kimbo)

I dreamt of Morning Musume

YouTube Link

My obsession with Japan's popular all-girl pop group Morning Musume has moved to another level. Last night, I dreamt of the Morning Musume girls and especially one Miss Niigaki Risa (video above) appeared in my dream the most number of times. Can't go into so much details but now I really need to go to Japan, find her and propose.

Beware of the $80 prawns at Newton Circus

On Sunday night, I went to Newton Circus to have dinner with Jun, Beth, Cindy, SJ and WH. That's Jun and Beth in the picture. Don't they look lovely?! It was Jun and Beth's first time eating at Newton Circus - and they have been here in Singapore for the past four years! Crikey! Beth is going back to the Philippines leaving poor hubby Jun behind in Singapore. So any gals who want to hang out with Jun and me from next week onwards, do let us know ok? Btw, Jun sings very very well too. Ha! Alright, just joking. Beth is so going to kill me!



So anyway we ordered some really delicious food - stingray, fried rice, fried instant noodles, oysters, carrot cake...



and these $80 per plate prawns! WTF! Yup that was my reaction when the prawn uncle came to deliver the plate of prawns to us. Come on! The prawns are only less than 15cm long and they cost $20 each? Goodness! Anyway Jun ordered two plates without asking for the price so we ended up having to pay $160 for two plates of prawns. Isn't that ridiculous? I mean who would pay $80 to eat a bunch of prawns at the hawker centre?

I also suspected that the prawn uncle was probably cursing at me knowing that I will post this story because of all the pics I took that night with my phone, none of the prawn pics came out good. Seems like the autofocus didn't seem to work on the prawns. Argh! Bloody prawn uncle! So remember guys and gals, next time if you are at Newton Circus, ask for the price before you order the prawns. Better yet, just don't buy the prawns there. It's robbery!!!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Sneak Peek

Thanks a lot George Lucas for getting me excited at 7 plus in the morning! I'm talking about the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars animated series, The Clone Wars. It's now up on the revamped Star Wars website. And oh boy, it's one hell of a trailer. I've always loved the Clone Wars series that was shown on Cartoon Network but this is definitely something else. It has better animation, better sound and hopefully a better script too. Each episode is also much longer than the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars series. About 300 Lucasfilm employees are working on the new Clone Wars, which includes Lucasfilm Animation and Lucasfilm Singapore, where the animation work is taking place. No release date has been announced yet. Damn it. I'm getting goose bumps every time I watch this trailer. And I've already watched it like 5 times this morning! And the best part, it is made in Singapore. Yay!

Related: 30 clips to celebrate Star Wars 30th Anniversary

Dreams Of Flying

"I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky." I have a strong feeling that the lyrics to this song by R Kelly may have inspired photographer Jan Con Holleben to create this marvelous work called Dreams Of Flying. These are photographs of mostly kids posing while lying down on the ground, shot to make it look like they are actually flying in mid air.

(Thanks Sir Thomas)

Stretch it like Kermit

It's always good to start your day with a set of stretching exercises in the morning. Stretching wakes up your muscles, loosens up your body and increases blood flow to your muscles. I've been doing some stretching of my own in the morning recently thanks to my favourite frog, Kermit! Yup, that's right. You can learn from him too. Nothing like a good set of stretching exercises taught by a cute frog aye.

Inside NEWater Visitor Centre

Cool Insider recently visited the NEWater Visitor Centre with his family. Read his photo essay here. NEWater is Singapore's attempt at treating sewage water by purifying it using dual-membrane (via microfiltration and reverse osmosis) and ultraviolet technologies, in addition to conventional water treatment processes. I have yet to drink a bottle of NEWater but Cool Insider thinks that although it is not quite Perrier, it does taste pretty good especially on a hot day.

The Great Singapore Sale at The Extreme Shop

My sponsor San Street has informed me that during the Great Singapore Sale, you can head over to The Extreme Shop to buy 2 tees for ONLY $30 (selected items) and for the month of June, customers get to enjoy 10% discount for every $100 spent. Now that's a good a deal! Don't you just love the Great Singapore Sale?

The Extreme Shop is located above Carrefour at Suntec City Mall. The exact address is Suntec City Mall, My.PlayGround, #03-027K to 027N.

So, do drop by The Extreme Shop if you are in the vicinity aye and go get yourself some wonderful tees and other streetwear goodies by Extreme and Action Ladfigure Inc. Who knows, you might just spot me there too.

Great Singapore Sale Roundup

It is that time of the year again, when every woman (and man) in Singapore heads out to the shopping malls that populate this tiny island country to shop, shop and shop! That's right. It's the Great Singapore Sale! Glazier Topaz has a summary of the malls taking part in this year's event. From Existence of Glacier Topaz:

TAKASHIMAYA SHOPPING CENTRE
TSC Special (25 May to 17 June): Come and enjoy discounts of up to 50% at participating outlets. What’s more, every $100* same day purchase (maximum of 5 combined receipts) at Takashimaya Department Store or specialty shops and restaurants at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, will give you a chance to win attractive air tickets and vouchers. (* Terms and conditions apply.)

Toy Fair (31 May to 17 June, Takashimaya Square): Check out the new range of toys, stationery, apparel and other exciting merchandise on characters and collectibles. Look out also for special character appearances and activities at the Fair.

PLAZA SINGAPURA
Enjoy discounts of up to 70% at Plaza Singapura from 25 May to 24 June. Stand to win fabulous prizes with every $50 spent, and receive a free gift when you spend $120 or more!

Interview with The PR 2.0 Universe.com

Recently I gave a super duper exclusive interview to The PR 2.0 Universe.com about my now not so secret plans of ruling the world. Doh! From The PR 2.0 Universe.com:

Q. How do you feel about your blog being labeled “a marketing platform” by San Street?

A. I’m happy with it because it shows that blogs have come of age, and that companies are starting to regard them as an important marketing tool or platform. I’m not saying that every blogger should start pursuing sponsorships, but I think as a blogger and publisher, it is always satisfying to know that you can make a difference – not only to your readers, but also to the companies that want you to help them market their products.

Q. How many brands do you think a blogger can effectively represent at any one point of time?

A. Ha! Well, David Beckham represents quite a few brands doesn’t he? I don’t think there’s any limit for a blogger seriously but he or she must try not to be seen as overselling because having too many ads and other marketing messages on his blog may put off readers. For me personally, three is the optimal number of brands I can represent effectively.

Related:
Brand Ambassador IZ Reloaded (News Release plus FAQ)
Brand Ambassador IZ Reloaded Part 2

No legal privilege of protecting sources in Singapore

Journalists and even bloggers who write stories containing anonymous sources should take note that in Singapore, they do not have legal privilege of protecting their sources unlike their counterparts in other countries. A journalist working with Reuters was recently forced by the courts here to reveal her confidential source or face a jail term. From AsiaOne:

Mia Shanley, a reporter with Reuters' bureau in Singapore, agreed in court Thursday to identify an anonymous source she cited in a report about a settlement agreement between two money brokerages, said Eileen Wise, a Reuters spokeswoman.

Reuters had challenged the order up to Singapore's highest court of appeal, where it was rejected Thursday, Wise said.

Wise said Shanley faced being jailed for contempt of court if she refused to comply with the judicial order to name the source and said the reporter agreed to do so only after the source decided to release her from confidentiality...

"We believe that confidentiality of anonymous sources must be protected as it is that trust between source and reporter which brings to light vital information and helps to provide the transparency so necessary for the efficient working of markets in a free and vibrant society," a Reuters statement said.

The case also involved two local newspapers, the Straits Times and Business Times. Both agreed to reveal their confidential sources to the court. From TODAYonline:

When asked why BT had revealed its source, Mr Vikram Khanna, BT's Associate Editor, said: "It is not the newspaper's position to reveal or not to reveal (the source). The source belongs to the reporter, the source does not belong to the newspaper."

The Straits Times could not be reached for comment. Huntington, Ms Wee and Mr Poon declined comment when contacted.

So should there be a reporter's privilege in Singapore? The reporter's privilege - the right to protect one's anonymous source, is a right accorded to journalists under the laws of many countries, as well as under international law. Unfortunately, we do not have this in Singapore.

The problem this case brings is that more people in Singapore will be afraid to talk to journalists about revealing confidential information that will lead to a news story. And journalists too will be less likely to accept tips from confidential sources for fear it will lead them to a court case like the above. I think this will only be bad for press freedom in Singapore. Oh wait, do we have one in the first place?

Giant waterspout in Singapore

This photo sent to Stomp by A Hafiz is so surreal - it's damn scary. It looks like one of those hurricanes that are about to devour an entire city. The photo is actually of a giant waterspout that was seen by many in Singapore early this afternoon. You can view more here. Videos on YouTube here, here, here and here. Damn, I've always wanted to see one.

(Thanks to all who wrote in)

Lords of Logistics

Check out this dude's helmet! Ok, that's not really his helmet. He was just trying to transport a chair. You can view other creative transport solutions offered by other genius of transportation here.

(Thanks Sing Huat)

Bollywood Superman and Spiderwoman

YouTube Link

This song and dance clip taken from a Hindustani film (I think) has got to be one of the weirdest ever to come out from the Bollywood studios. The lousy special effects used for the flying scenes - you can look through both of them - coupled with really horrendous Superman and Spiderwoman costumes, make this a real classic! I dread to watch a love scene involving those two.

(Thanks Mr Big)

The iShaver

I just don't understand why anyone would need the iShaver (link to a Japanese page), a USB powered shaver. That's right. You just plug it into the USB of your computer and shave away. I can understand if one may want to save on batteries but shave while you're infront of the computer? Crazy!

(Thanks finatiq)

30 clips to celebrate Star Wars 30th Anniversary

Star Wars turns 30 today, so what better way to celebrate the occasion than to search everyone's favourite video site YouTube, for the best/funniest/coolest Star Wars videos. I selected these 30 clips and they are listed below in no particular order. Pardon me if your favourite clip is not here aye. Enjoy and may the force be with you. Always.

Here are the 30 clips to celebrate Star Wars 30th Anniversary:

1) The Star Wars Kid - Dude used a golf stick to show off his Darth Maul moves. Clip became a hit and made him into a star.

2) Star Wars kid meets Obi Wan, Luke and C3PO - The Star Wars Kid again this time in a Star Wars: New Hope scene. Watch out for the look on Obi Wan's and Luke's faces. Brilliant!

3) Chad Vader - The first episode where we get to meet Darth "Chad" Vader who works as a Day Shift Manager.

4) Star Wars Crystal Maze - A version of Channel 4's legendary gameshow recreated with Star Wars figures

5) Troops - Star Wars meets COPS. Follow the Stormtroopers in their daily work of ensuring law and order. Everybody sing! Bad boys, bad boys...

6) Star Wars Episode 3 and 1/2 - Darth Vader takes his first official post: Guard Duty!

7) The Star Wars Orchestra - Darth Vader as conductor!

8) What really happened after the Death Star blew up - Emperor Palpatine gets worked up when he receives a call from Darth Vader informing him that the Death Star has been blown up.

9) Star Wars: Revenge of the Brick - Lego Star Wars!

10) Star Wars Lego Edition Episode IV - Dude compiles sound bites and images from Google searches and create the Star Wars movies entirely from "found" resources on the internet.

11) Star Wars Help Desk - Tech support the Star Wars way.

12) Star Wars : The Han Solo Affair - Another Lego magic!

13) Star Wars Shortened - The whole of star wars shown inside 20 minutes. Here's part 2.

14) Star Wars in 3 minutes - Made with action figures and cool effects.

15) Star Wars : The Unknown Discovery - A cross between star wars and pulp fiction.

16) Star Wars Lightsaber Tribute - A montage of all six Star Wars films lightsaber fights.

17) Star Wars: TD9993 the movie - Sandtrooper TD9993 is in search of a killer on the harsh planet of Tatooine. Filmed completely in stop motion using Star Wars figures.

18) Vader Sessions - Darth Vader has a nervous breakdown.

19)Star Wars VI: Return Of The Jedi Extended Scene - The truth that was too hard for Luke to swallow.

20) Obi Wan buys a used car - Obi Wan Kenobi is looking for a used car.

21) Star Wars: A New Hope Extended Scene - The part where Luke receives his lightsaber.

22) Star Wars Empire Strikes Back Extended Scene - The frozen plains of Hoth weren't the only thing Luke was trying to escape.

23) Star Wars Phantom Menace - Spoof made by the Brits!

24) The Emperor looks for a new job - After the defeat of the Empire at Endor, the Emperor has decided to seek a new line of work.

25) Darth Vader vs Jap policemen - Darth Vader uses the force to scare some Japanese policemen.

26) Star Wars Dark ressurection - Trailer for an Italian made fan film.

27) Star Wars: A Very New Hope - 1993 spoof was originally a competition entry run by CVG Computer and Video Games Magazine.

28) Star Wars: The Empire Brokeback - Star Wars meets Brokeback Mountain.

29) Star Wars Gangsta Rap - Darth Vader and Emperor entertains us with a rap.

30) Star Trek vs Star Wars - What would happen if the starship Enterprise encountered the Death Star?

Anything or Whatever or Mystery Drink?

I think the maker of the Anything or Whatever drinks must have got their idea from this Mystery Drink concept spotted by Ah 9 on the streets of Johor Bahru last year. Now who needs Anything or Whatever when you can have the Mystery Drink aye?

(via Natsu)

Update: Ooops, I got it wrong. Ah 9 did not find it at JB but he spotted it while he was strolling the streets of Geylang. Ha! Nah, it was actually at Woodlands stadium.

Luckiest Star Wars fanboy in world

Lucky dude has a 5,000-square-foot, climate-controlled barn in Northern California packed with goodies from the Star Wars saga. You can view some of his amazing collection here like these made in Mexico Simpsons Star Wars figures. Oh, and did I say he's lucky? Yup, he even gets to work at Skywalker Ranch as George Lucas' professional, paid fan. Some people have the best job in the world.

Brand Ambassador IZ Reloaded part 2

Nice! Anyway my sponsor San Street - the people who pay me so that I can wear cool clothes everyday - have informed me that they are moving their website to a new server. I think cause Singnet sucks. So for the time being, if you want to head to their website, click here and check out that cool banner on the right. Anyway this is my first time looking at the Zero Hour logo. It's so damn cool.

Some of you readers have been asking me if I lost weight. My lovely friend Ju back in Sydney thinks so too.

Ju: What happened to you? I saw the picture of you modeling the cool white T-shirt by your sponsor. You look so thin sweet?

IZ: Singapore hasn't been treating me well.

Ju: Come on. I'm sure you have ladies who feed you pretty well.

IZ: What? Neh. There ain't many Sheilas over here that can cook well you know mate. Anyway I was sick recently and then the dengue I had the last time. Never got back the weight that I lost. I'll try to eat more and carry some weights.

Ju: Poor thing. Maybe you can go get some weight gain company or a gym to sponsor you.

IZ: What a good idea!

Ahem. Are you companies listening?


Previously: Brand Ambassador IZ Reloaded (News Release plus FAQ)

Chibi Catcher

After reading this post by Mr Miyagi about the Chibi Catcher, I was intrigued and decided to find out more about the uniquely named product. I found a nice picture of it here. The Chibi Catcher is one of those products when you pronounced the name wrongly, may sound totally er, vulgar. Ok, for my foreign readers click here and you'll understand what I mean aye. The Chibi Catcher is actually a miniature version of the booth game you find in arcades where you put a coin in and you get to control a robotic arm to pick up a toy. It also doubles as a savings box. It's a cute little toy but I think they should rename it if they want to sell it in Hokkien speaking countries.

He-Man movie coming soon?

I really hope this is true and they better not mess it this time. A live action He Man and The Masters Of The Universe movie is being developed by Joel Silver and Warner Bros. From SlashFilm:

Well, the increased internet interest has prompted Joel Silver and Warner Bros to sign on to develop He-Man and the Masters of the Universe for the big screen. Variety has confirmed that newcomer Justin Marks (who is currently writing Super Max) is penning the script. But this doesn’t man the film is going to happen. Mattel has to formally approve an outline for the project before it can go forward. But considering the gold and glory Mattel will surely see in July from Michael Bay’s live-action Transformers adaptation, I don’t see how they could say no.

Apparently the project was pitched as a “classic good vs. evil battle” that would use the same digital filming techniques of 300 and Sin City. The project’s logline follows: “A warrior is touted as the last hope of a magical land called Eternia, which is being ravaged by technology and a despotic ruler named Skeletor.”

He-Man is my favourite cartoon back when I was growing up and I really enjoyed the latest cartoon series which came out in 2002 too. I hope the movie tells the story like how the cartoon series did from the beginning, how Prince Adam became He-Man. And if it is done in the style of 300, it will definitely be an awesome movie. Brad Pitt as He-Man? I'll second that!

Related: Watch the intro to the 80's He-Man cartoon and more

30 pieces of Star Wars trivia

Star Wars turns 30 tomorrow so here are 30 facts and figures that any Star Wars fan should know about. From BBC:

26. One of the most famous bloopers from the film is when stormtroopers burst into a room and one of them hits his head on the door frame. Fans of Star Wars and the blooper have spotted hundreds of "mistakes" throughout the Star Wars franchise but many can only be spotted by the most eagle-eyed viewer.

27. Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, worked as a hospital orderly in London before being cast as the Wookiee. He was said to have got into character by copying the mannerisms of animals he visited at the zoo.

28. David Prowse, the 6ft 7ins actor who plays Darth Vader, had problems filming lightsaber scenes as he kept breaking the poles that were used as stand-ins for the weapons. In the sequels, fight co-ordinator Bob Anderson stepped into the costume to film the lightsaber scenes.

I'm not going to climb Mount Everest

I've always wanted to climb Mount Everest. I think it's definitely one hell of an achievement to be able to stand on top of the world.

But after watching Everest: Beyond The Limit on Discovery Channel last night, I've decided that it's best for me to stay on lower ground.

Don't get me wrong. Everest: Beyond The Limit is not your everyday nature documentary - it is in fact the most exciting reality show on TV right now. Really!

The intense and emotional epic follows six climbers as they ascend from base camp at 5,380 metres to the summit at 8,850 metres. But watching the show makes me ask this question: Is it worth risking your life to climb Everest? In the first episode last night, the climbers had to do a rescue operation because one of the Sherpas was down - his brain was swelling due to lack of oxygen (I think). On the next episode, it will be revealed that he died. Sigh. The dangers of Everest - and they are only halfway towards the summit!

I guess after watching what the climbers go though, there will be no Everest for me but I know for sure I'm going to catch the next episode. You can watch Everest: Beyond The Limit every Tuesday at 10pm on Discovery Channel Asia. Damn, it's exciting!

Toypography

Toypography are made in Japan typographic building blocks. There are several sets to choose from: Fish, Bear, Rabbit, Bird, Tiger, Horse and Monkey. Each Toypography set can be arranged to show in English, Japanese or an image of the animal it represents.

(Thanks Josh)

Brand Ambassador IZ Reloaded! (News Release plus FAQ)

I've mentioned about my blog sponsorship in a post last week but couldn't provide you with more information then but now it's official, so here's the news release:

SAN STREET APPOINTS POPULAR LOCAL BLOGGER IZ RELOADED AS BRAND AMBASSADOR

IZ Reloaded blog used to launch labels Extreme and Action Ladfigure Inc in Singapore



Singapore, 23 May 2007 – San Street, a company specializing in streetwear apparel and accessories, with signature labels Extreme and Action Ladfigure Inc (ALI), today announces the signing of popular blogger IZ Reloaded as its brand ambassador.

As part of the agreement, the company also becomes the main sponsor of the IZ Reloaded blog. San Street's main sponsorship of IZ Reloaded will include the integration of the San Street and its clothing brands’ logos with the IZ Reloaded masthead, as well as various ad units placed throughout the IZ Reloaded blog.

On shunning traditional marketing avenues for blogs as a launch platform, Sandy Low, Operations Manager for San Street, said, “By embracing the relatively new blogosphere as part of our marketing mix, we reflect San Street’s brand position of being creative and bold. Blog readership is growing at a rapid rate, with blogs fast becoming a powerful marketing platform for niche brands like us, where word of mouth among the right audience is key. This sponsorship and endorsement deal with IZ Reloaded allows us to reach out and communicate to a highly valuable consumer base. We are therefore very pleased to be associated with one of the most popular and best blogs in Singapore to help us in our strategy.”

Low adds that choosing the right blog to be associated with is important. “While there are many popular blogs in Singapore, many of them either run like personal journals and can sometimes carry rather controversial content, or are special-interest blogs about food and other hobbies. We are delighted that IZ Reloaded offers a great mix of news, current affairs and pop culture, but written in a way that is fun and clearly connects with the audience – that is the kind of brand image we want.”



Blogger IZ Reloaded said that bagging the San Street deal is not only a satisfying personal coup for him, but it is a big boost to the local blogging community as a whole. “Commercial endorsement deals have always been the domain of television, movie and sports celebrities, so it is encouraging to know that a company like San Street – with several cool fashion brands under it – has the confidence and foresight to appoint a blogger as its brand ambassador.”

San Street intends to use the deal to promote the Extreme and ALI brands, as well as an upcoming higher end streetwear brand called Zero Hour in June.

About San Street:

San Street, a company that specializes in streetwear apparels and accessories, was founded in 2007. It is the sole distributor for Extreme and Action Ladfigure Inc (ALI) in Singapore. Its first outlet known as the Extreme Shop is located in the new My.PlayGround at Suntec City Mall, Level 3.

About IZ Reloaded:

IZ Reloaded covers current news, pop culture, blogs, websites, gadgets, the fascinating and the weird from a Singapore/Asia perspective. The blog is a runner up in both the 2006 Weblog Awards (Best Asia Blog) and the 2004 Asia Blog Awards (Best Singapore Blog) and it is also the first Singapore blog to be syndicated by US company Newstex. His photoblog Katoomba Syndrome is a finalist in 2005, 2006 and 2007 Photobloggies (Best Southeast Asia photoblog) and runner up in the 2004 Asia Blog Awards (Best Asia photoblog).

-ENDS-

I will post a FAQ later today. Thanks to some of my readers who were involved in the FAQ process over the past few days. Will mention names later. Ha!

Update: The FAQ, finally. Thanks to readers GeekGod, Shy, Myra Leong and Mr Big for the questions. Will beg, borrow and steal a t-shirt from my sponsors for you.

Q: How did you get this deal?
A: I happened to date the girl who owns the company. LOL. Ok no. That's not it. Seriously. They were actually looking at several blogs and I was just lucky to be chosen.

Q: So now you are really selling out huh?
A: Technically I've sold out several months ago when I decided to include the Google Adwords in my blog. So selling out a bit more will not do any harm aye, only bring in some more money so that I can go out and party more.

Q: How come I've never heard of San Street and their brands before?
A: Well now you have. San Street is in fact a new company. Before it brought the brands Extreme and Action Ladfigure Inc into Singapore only this year, these two brands have been selling well in a neighbouring country. And soon I'm sure they will sell well here too.

Q: So tell us how much are you paid?
A: Well Xiaxue was paid 2 peanuts everytime she wears her sponsor's t-shirts so I would like to think that I'm paid more than 2 peanuts. Ok - 4 peanuts!

Q: You are not the first blogger in Singapore to get this type of endorsement deal?
A: That honour has got to go to Xiaxue. I think she's the first in Asia not just in Singapore. So I guess I'm the second. But mine is better really cause I get to represent 2 brands of clothing line plus another one that is coming soon. Not only T-shirts, but bags, jeans, pants, sweat shirts, caps. I even have a damn nice ladies line too but don't expect me to model them for you people aye.

Q: So do you get to keep their clothes?
A: Ha but of course. As a Brand Ambassador I get to keep my wardrobe full of Extreme and ALI clothes. I even wear them to bed.

Q: Are you really out to take over the world?
A: Shhhsh.

A pill for no more periods

A new pill called Lybrel which is up for an FDA approval, will put a stop to every woman's nightmare - the dreaded period! From CBS:

The 39-year-old mother of four suffered all the classic symptoms of PMS. Then she took Lybrel.

"It was just no cramping, no bloating, no chocolate craving or any of that stuff," Nolasco tells CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

Lybrel is a new kind of birth-control pill that not only prevents pregnancy, it eliminates periods. Period.

But is stopping menstruation a good thing for a woman's body? According to this CNN piece, doctors say there's no reason why it could be harmful. From CNN:

Sheldon J. Segal, a scientist at the nonprofit research group Population Council, wrote back that a British study found no harm in taking pills with much higher hormone levels than today's products for up to 10 years.

"Nothing has come up to indicate any unexpected side effects," said Segal, co-author of the book "Is Menstruation Obsolete?"

Most doctors say there's no medical reason women need monthly bleeding and that it triggers health problems from anemia to epilepsy in many women. They note women have been tinkering with nature since the advent of birth control pills and now endure as many as 450 periods, compared with 50 or so in the days when women spent most of their fertile years pregnant or breast-feeding.

Dubai's Death Star Convention Centre

I think I have to pay a visit to Dubai one day. It is THE place for viewing some of the world's most amazing architecture. Take for example Dubai's RAK Convention and Exhibition Centre. Once completed, it will definitely be the mother of all buildings. Why? Because it is shaped like the Star Wars' Death Star! You cannot get any cooler than this.

The Octapult

YouTube Link

The Octapult is a kinetic sculpture made mostly of wood by Bradley N. Litwin. It has 8 synchronized catapults that can launch plastic balls at a rate of 160 per minute. Once launched, these balls are caught and recirculated. I think it's one of the most amazing piece of wooden contraption out there today.

(Thanks Biff)

Also watch:
Marble Adding Machine
How to escape a fart
The Last Man on Earth
Turkish Batman and Robin
Turkish Star Wars
Bollywood Superman and Spiderwoman
Japanese Transformers Cosplay
Vending Machine Red: Japan's robot superhero!
Intro Clips of popular 80's cartoons

Awesome Tapes from Africa

Dude buys cassette tapes from Africa, reviews them and then posts MP3s of some of the tracks on his blog, Awesome Tapes from Africa. I've just downloaded this track called Wem-Tang-Clan from his latest post here. According to him, the track is a certified banger. I agree! And I don't even listen to African music.

Angry Chinese villagers fight back

In Singapore, we have a government who is trying all sorts of ways to encourage more people to have babies but it's a different story in China where having too many babies will result in fines. This has made some Chinese very angry. For example, thousands of villagers have rioted in south-western China after officials carrying out China's controversial family planning policy, imposed heavy fines on families who had too many children. From BBC:

Angry villagers targeted several local government offices in Shapi township in Guangxi, setting fires and destroying public property, local residents were quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

At least one person was injured in clashes after riot police were called in, Hong Kong's Ming Pao Daily News newspaper said.

"The farmers were really angry because the family planning team was going around to homes and making farmers pay fines if they had too many kids," one local resident told AFP.

"If the farmers had no money they took things from them," the resident said.

USB Mini Fridge

Most of the time when I'm busy working on my computer, I will have a can of Coke or other soft drink to accompany me. And it sucks big time when I leave it beside my computer for awhile and it's not cold anymore. So I'm very happy to find out today that there is this USB Mini Fridge that will keep my beverage chilled beside my computer. It holds only one can and it is powered by USB - no batteries needed! Yay!!

(Thanks GeekGod)

How to get people to read your blog

Your blog traffic is a little slow today? Don't worry. Here's how you can get some attention. Poorly drawn webcomic always works!

Are we becoming a military state?

The Singapore government has announced that the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has been given new powers to enable them to act with the police and other domestic agencies to search, detain and use reasonable force against terror suspects under special situations. Some Members of Parliament are concerned about this new legislature. From Channel NewsAsia:

MP Ong Chit Chung said: "In the London underground, a person was shot by mistake, suspected wrongly of being a terrorist. Would there be clear rules of engagement for SAF servicemen and how well would they be trained to handle tricky and delicate situations? Bear in mind, mishaps cannot be ruled out."

MP Michael Palmer said: "Almost every male Singaporean owns, or has in his possession, a camouflage No. 4 uniform. In fact, it is readily available for purchase at various army surplus stores. Does this mean that once the order is made, we must allow everyone in No. 4 uniform to stop, search and seize and arrest us without warrant? How will we know which serviceman has the authority to act under Section 201 (C) order? How will we know whether a serviceman is or isn't on duty even if he falls under the Act?"

I've always believed that small states like Singapore are better adapt at countering fourth generation warfare (new methods of warfare that go beyond simple terrorism) than bigger countries like the United States because of our smaller size and ability to enact good policies but this new legislation leaves me feeling spooked. We must never let the military deal with civilians. Just look at other countries where the military has such powers and you'll know that this is just a recipe for disaster. Are we becoming a military state? Not yet but I'm sure we are setting a foot on the wrong and dangerous path.

Technorati Monster is on the loose!

About 5 minutes ago, while pinging my blog on Technorati, I got this message: "Technorati is borked right now. Doh! The Technorati Monster escaped again. We're scouring the blogosphere attempting to find it. Back in a flash!" I'm too lazy to do a screen capture so here's one already uploaded on Flickr. If any of you see a monster on the loose, most likely green in colour, then please alert the authorities ok. Oh and don't forget a new word to learn today - borked.

Kit Kat from Japan

Look at what I received all the way from Japan - Kit Kat!!!

Here are two pics taken with my new LG Shine phone. It has a damn good camera you know! Anyway, back to the Kit Kat.

These two have different cocoa content.



And my favourite...



Kit Kat Brandy & Orange!

That's 1% alcohol. Not enough for me (it's never enough!) but what the heck, I love Kit Kat!

(Thanks a lot Yoko)

New record set for English football's shortest managerial reign

Poor dude loses his job 10 minutes after he was appointed manager - a new record in English football! From BBC:

BBC Five Live understands Rosenior lost his job at Torquay only 10 minutes after being introduced as the Devon club's new manager on Thursday.

Chairman Mike Bateson called him to say he had just sold the club to a group led by Colin Lee, who then reinstated himself as director of football.

I'm very sure he will now hold on to that record forever. I mean 10 mins is almost impossible to beat aye.

Excuse me are you the blogger?

I woke up super early today at 6am even though by body was aching after my first tennis session in 4 years yesterday because I was real hungry and had a craving for McDonald's Big Breakfast. So got out of bed, washed up and headed off to the nearest McDonald's. Once I reached there, I ordered a Big Breakfast.

McDonald's dude: Excuse me are you the blogger?

Me: Blogger? *with the shock look

McDonald's dude: Yes, you the blogger right? Is Reloaded or Izzy Reloaded? (That's how he pronounced it)

Me: It's I.Z. Reloaded not Issss or Izzy. *with a laugh

McDonald's dude: Oh.

Me: How did you recognise me?

McDonald's dude: You look familiar mah and I think I recognised your cap.

The first person I meet in the morning is my blog reader! Ha! I think I need a new cap.

Comprehensive list of Nintendo candy

Candy Addict, the blog where you can get all your delicious candy stories, has a comprehensive list of Nintendo-themed candies or should I say Mario-themed instead since almost all the candies in the list have a Super Mario Bros character. I haven't tasted any before but hopefully they are as good as their video games.

Related: Play Nintendo 8-bit games online

Journals made from old novels

Rebound Books are empty journals made from old hard cover novels. The people behind them (some enterprising Aussies) take old and unwanted novels with an interesting cover, rip their pages out, fill them up with 100% recycled denim and then bind them to create one of a kind blank journal. Lovely idea aye.

(Thanks Ju)

The UFO Iconoclast (s)

The UFO Iconoclast (s) is by far the best UFO blog out there. Okay fine, it is mostly critical of the UFO phenomenon but the blog is one hell of a read for those of you who are interested in little green men and flying saucers. Thanks to it, I now know that the brilliant artist Van Gogh might have seen UFOs, painted them, had psychotic episodes because of them and then shot himself to end his life. Crikey!

Coca Cola relieves mental and physical exhaustion

I was browsing the Coca Cola old ads blog and came across this interesting ad that says Coca Cola is good for headaches, relieves mental and physical exhaustion. I wonder if they put something different into Coke back in those days because I swear it doesn't work on me.

(Thanks Haresh)

Play Nintendo 8-bit games online

I'm not supposed to waste my Sunday away like this but what the heck aye! Nintendo8.com has all the classic 8-bit Nintendo games that you can play online for free. I've been playing Batman for the past few minutes or so. This is so fun.

Fiction Pyongyang

YouTube Link

Fiction Pyongyang, curated by Joseph Grima together with Stefano Boeri and Armin Linke, is a video-portrait of Pyongyang, North Korea. Read an interview with Stefano Boeri here. The video shows Pyongyang as a glamorous modern city, with beautiful lights, huge billboard ads and nuclear weapons existing side by side.

The enormous triangular building you see in the video is the Ryugyong Hotel. Back in 1987, the North Korean government decided to build the hotel as a "cold war" response to a South Korean company’s completion of the Westin Stamford Hotel in Singapore. The Ryugyong Hotel was never completed due to lack of foreign investment. If it was, it would have been the world's tallest hotel.

Sex in space is important for future space travel

Wired has an interesting story about the uncomfortable reality of sex in space. From Wired:

Yet as humans begin to spend more time in space and to travel further from Earth, space agencies will need to factor sex into their equations.

"We will have to address crew compatibility, sexuality issues, whether there is a necessity for sexual activity," says David Steitz, NASA senior public affairs officer.

He had the grace to laugh when I interrupted with a "Hell, yeah!"

But I was serious, too. We cannot expect astronauts to spend three years in a spacecraft and not have sex -- of some kind. Probably with each other, and likely in more than one combination.

Sex in space presents a number of challenges beyond tangible matters like zero gravity or awkward enclosures. In fact, the physics should be the least of NASA's concerns.

Do we need sex in space? Hell yeah, yes! I've always wanted to be an astronaut but I'm not going to let them strap me in a rocket to blast of into space for years and not have errm, sex aye. I think this an important issue for those people who plan future space missions. And if humans are to look beyond Earth for the future of our species, then sex in space has to be discussed. Think of the possibilities. Ha! Btw, NASA if you're reading this, I will volunteer for any sex in space test mission.

(Thanks xXx)

Mini Jenga phone charm

This mobile phone strap/charm is a playable miniature Jenga. So cute aye. Comes with a Jenga stick for picking those tiny blocks. I want it for my new LG Shine. Jenga! Jenga! Jenga!

(Thanks troy)

Brisbane gets X-rated nude car wash

Bubbles ’n’ Babes, the X-rated nude car wash in Brisbane has been given the approval by officials. From MSNBC:

The Bubbles ’n’ Babes car wash in Brisbane prompted a flood of complaints with a topless car wash for $45 and a nude car wash with X-rated lap-dance service for $82.

“If it was approved for a car wash then I can’t imagine how we can stop them,” Lord Mayor Campbell Newman told a council meeting with worried local lawmakers.

Those lucky Aussies! I want to go back to Brissy!

Drink from your boobies

Coming soon from the makers of the Beerbelly, is its sister, the Winerack. The Beerbelly is actually a neoprene “sling” and a polyurethane “bladder” with a tube for dispensing beer and other drinks. The bladder is held in an insulated pouch in the sling which is worn under your clothing for concealment. When worn, it looks just like a home grown organic beer belly!

The Winerack is a new product (still a prototype for now I think) for women who do not want to look like they are pregnant when using the Beerbelly. So instead of a belly, you get to increase your A cup to double Ds and at the same time carry your drink with you wherever you go. Who needs push up bras anyway?! And whenever you are thirsty, just drink from your boobies. You can read more about it over at their blog. I heard they are looking for testers too.

Brief news about the new ads on my blog

I've been receiving plenty of emails from readers asking me about the new ads that you see on my blog. Sorry that you guys couldn't click on them few days ago. Ah but as of today, they are finally linked to my main sponsor's website. Go ahead and click on them!

Yup, I have officially sold out (LOL!) ... and become a brand ambassador for a new kick ass street wear clothing line. They even made me wear a pink t- shirt (my first!) and had me pose for pics on their website. Ok, that's all I can say for now. Will tell you nice people more later.

When novels come to life

Thomas Allen's Pulp Fiction is an amazing set of photographs inspired by his childhood experiences with pop-up books and View-Masters. Just keep on clicking the photos to view the rest. Thomas cuts figures and images out of illustrated pages of old books and vintage fiction novels, then cleverly rearranges and juxtaposes the forms to create 3-D scenes. He then photographs the scenes with some clever lighting. The end product is brilliant! Makes me want to try it out myself.

Wallpaper from the 70s

The good old wallpaper is back. Wallpaper from the 70s sells bright and colourful retro wallpapers. I've looked through some of the wallpapers they have (check out their gallery and shop) and I really like them a lot. I don't mind putting some life into the walls of my apartment with one of these. I hate plain looking walls anyway and I think the retro look is always refreshing.

(Thanks Vivi)

A Guided Tour of Wembley

Watch this short BBC video clip of an interview with the architect who designed the new Wembley stadium. It's a thing of beauty aye. The £757m stadium holds 90,000 spectators and will host the FA Cup Final between newly crowned Premier League Champions Manchester United and second placed Chelsea tomorrow. I think it will be cracker of a game. Chelsea has some injury worries so I expect Manchester United to win this one. A 2-1 scoreline and a double for United!

Tintin movie coming soon!

Fans of Tintin will be delighted to know that both Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson will be making not 1 but 3 Tintin movies in 3D! The first of the trilogy will be out in cinemas sometime in 2009. I can't wait. From E!News:

According to DreamWorks, Jackson and Spielberg will each helm at least one installment in the franchise. They will decide at a later date who will handle the third.

The directors will animate the films using the same state-of-the-art 3-D performance-capture technology Jackson's New Zealand-based effects house, Weta Digital, developed to create Gollum in his Lord of the Rings trilogy and the lead ape in King Kong.

The Tintin movies will closely follow the plots of the books, with the iconic hero and his fox terrier Snowy traveling to far-flung lands to fight crime with their posse of oddball friends, including quick-tempered mentor Captain Haddock, absent-minded Professor Cuthbert Calculus, opera diva Bianca Castafiore and bowler-sporting, blundering twin police officers, Thomson and Thompson.

Save Fred the rabbit

Be a surgeon and help save Fred the rabbit (Flash). I tried but I'm sad to say this... I killed him. Twice! Poor Fred. I'm sorry.

Buy an English football club

Buying football clubs is now not only for the rich thanks to My Football Club. They need 50,000 members to contribute £35 each to buy a football club in England. Members get to vote on team selection and on which players to buy and sell. From My Football Club:

Buying the football club

The moment the football club is purchased, you will automatically become a member of its Industrial and Provident Society, owning an equal share and therefore having an equal say in the running of the football club.

Picking the team

You will vote on team selection and formation. You will also have a say in tactics, by voting for your preferred style of play and substitutions depending on match situations. The Head Coach will field the 11 players, formation and tactics chosen by MyFootballClub members.

To help your decision-making, the Head Coach and players will give regular video briefings. There will also be reports from the training ground and members can submit Opposition Scouting Reports.

I think this is the most radical idea ever introduced to the world of football. It will be interesting to see if this will actually work. One thing is for sure, having 50,000 members discussing team selection every two or so days a week will be one hell of a chaos. Ya, who needs a good manager like Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho aye?

World's 101 Hottest Women with Tattoos

The folks over at Vanishing Tattoo have been tracking some of the world's hottest women with tattoos for many years. They identified 101 of them for this impressive list. Must see pics! From Vanishing Tattoo:

1. Angelina Jolie - Actress, humanitarian, Queen of the Hotties, has an ever growing number of assorted tattoos (3 full pages!) One of her latest shows the latitude & longitude of the birthplaces of her adopted children (over her lasered off Billy Bob tattoo). Angelina is one of the hottest women on the planet - the fact that she has tattoos is like icing on the cupcake!

2. Jessica Alba - Actress has flower and ladybug on back of her neck, Sanskrit character for lotus flower on her wrist, a bow tattoo on the small of her back.

The Spiderman PC

This Spiderman PC case mod is so damn cool that I think even Spidey himself would want one in his house. I know I would.

(Thanks GeekGod)

Also read: AXN Spiderman 3 Private Screening

Singnet users have problems creating new post on Blogger

Blogger/Blogspot users who are using Singnet may be facing problems creating and editing posts. I found out from the Blogger Help Group that the temporary solution is to include a "2" into the url. Jordan, a Google employee wrote this on the Blogger Help Group:

Thanks for doing continuing to update this thread - looks like you did some good investigating! So, let me see if I've got a good understanding of what's going on here:

- The post editor shows up in a jumbled fashion, as demonstrated by
this screenshot: http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/7907/bloggererrorca5.gif
- This happens in both Firefox and IE, but perhaps not in the outdated IE 6
- Those who are affected are Singnet users in Singapore
- If you change the post editor's URL to "www2" instead of "www," you're able to get a normal post editor

I'm posting this using Singnet now (I'm a Starhub user) and it works using the solution given above but I do hope that Singnet can work with Google to solve this weird and highly irritating problem once and for all. Blogger employee Jordan again:

We're still attempting to get in contact with Singnet, so unfortunately we don't have an update right now. The problem is on their end and particular to their users, so it's tough for us to have much force to ignite a change. Thus, as a Signet user, I HIGHLY recommend calling, emailing, and doing whatever it takes to get in touch with your provider and making them aware of the problem and asking for a change. Unfortunately, this one is partially out of our hands. That doesn't mean that we're not trying to fix it, but it means that it's up to Signet to make some changes. Let us know if you have any luck.

Now everyone, Singnet sux!

Please Andromeda Galaxy, don't steal our solar system

This to me is almost as depressing as the news that oral sex can cause throat cancer. Our neighbour Andromeda Galaxy (which looks really great in small telescopes for those who know how to locate it and one of my favourite deep sky objects) might steal our solar system from our own Milky Way Galaxy when these two merge in the future. I know it's only going to happen in the next 2 billion years or so, but still! From Space.com:

New calculations by T.J. Cox and Avi Loeb of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics show there is a small possibility that the Sun and its planets will be exiled to the outer reaches of the merged galaxy.

"You could say that we're being sent to a retirement home in the country," Cox said...

Computer simulations by Cox and Loeb suggest the Milky Way and Andromeda will make their first close pass in about 2 billion years. The two galaxies, currently separated by about 2.2 million light-years, are rushing towards each other at about 310,000 mph (500,000 kph). One light-year is equal to about 6 trillion miles (10 trillion kilometers).

During that first close encounter, the two galaxies will circle around each other a few times and their stars will begin to intermingle. The Sun at that time will still be a hydrogen-burning main-sequence star, but it will have brightened and heated enough to boil away the Earth's oceans, other studies predict.

Super Large Chicken Chop anyone?

Renzi spotted this at a "pasar malam" near the Eunos MRT station -- Ichiban Taiwan SUPER LARGE Chicken Chop!

You eat before? LOL.

I just hope they did not come from these genetically engineered chickens or something similar to the KFC Frankenchickens or this giant mutant one:

Hiking in the Central Catchment Reserve

Shyue Chou has some really exciting posts about hiking in the Central Catchment Reserve in Singapore. After reading them, I'm really excited to try it out. Finally something exciting to do in Singapore. Maybe the weekend. Links to all his posts here. He also has a nice guide for those of you who are planning to hike in the reserve. For example, he says one of the most important things is don't go with girly men, whiners and people with ego problems. If you have questions, don't hesitate to email him and show him some love too aye.

How to paint the Mona Lisa using MS Paint

YouTube Link

Wow! Wow! Wow! This has got to be THE most incredible thing you can do on your computer -- paint the Mona Lisa using the crappy Microsoft Paint software. Original painting time is 2 hours 30 minutes. The only thing I can draw reasonably well using MS Paint is the moon which looks similar to a hand drawn moon done by a 4 year old.

(Thanks Alvin)

Fat Pets

Kids, don't ever feed your cat to this size ok? Crikey! You can find more pictures of fat, fat, fat pets in this gallery. I reckon some of them must have been photoshopped.

(Thanks Milo, who also tells me that she has a fat hamster at home. Pics pls?)

Star Wars Bubblegum Trading Cards

I love these classic bubblegum trading cards featuring characters and scenes from the Star Wars movies. More here. According to this 1971 article, collecting bubblegum trading cards is a popular pasttime not only for kids but adults as well. Some of these cards can even fetch a cool thousand dollars or so. Most collectors get their cards from Topps chewing-gum packages or Kellogg's cereal and Milk Duds candy boxes.

(Thanks Lord Kimbo)

Interview with Illustrator Calef Brown

IllustrationMundo, a site that showcases all the great illustrators in the world today, has a nice interview with Calef Brown who is a writer and illustrator of four critically acclaimed children books. Brown has also done illustrations for the likes of Time and Newsweek magazines. You can view some of his lovely work in the interview.

Long term relationship is bad for women's sex drive

Here's one good reason why you ladies should not stick to a guy for too long if you value your sex drive. From BBC:

The researchers from Hamburg-Eppendorf University Hospital interviewed 530 men and women about their relationships.

They found 60% of 30-year-old women wanted sex "often" at the beginning of a relationship, but within four years of the relationship this figure fell to under 50%, and after 20 years it dropped to about 20%.

In contrast, they found the proportion of men wanting regular sex remained at between 60-80%, regardless of how long they had been in a relationship.

To the guy who had sex infront of my house last night

No, no! I did not see any guy having sex infront of my house last night. Maybe just some cats. Hehe. But this user on Craiglist did. From Craiglist:

DO NOT boff some girl in said car in front of my house, parked illegally on my street, under a freakin street lamp. This is college town, did you think no one would see? I mean seriously dude. If you were that horny, perhaps you should have moved to the backseat – that would have prevented repeated honking of the horn. I would have never even known what was going on if my walls weren’t so thin and the honking so regular (my god who goes on like that for well over an hour on a well lit street in front of a stranger’s house?).

I don’t really care if you have to have sex in your car because you still live at home with mom and dad, I just want to enjoy a peaceful honk-free evening in the serenity of my own home. I do hope you understand this.

(Thanks xXx)

On a lazy Sunday afternoon

Just what I need on a lazy Sunday afternoon...



Wine, cheese, crackers, strawberries!





Burp! Yum.

And for those who are wondering, I used the new LG Shine mobile phone to take these pictures. These are unedited, straight from the phone shots! Very nice aye. Read about it by clicking the links below:

The LG Shine Review
More LG Shine pics!
LG Shine pics!
Come Shine with Me!