"Sole" mates

♥,

Of being smart(er) and zombies

I haven't been blogging for a very, very, VERY long time. Precisely since I moved back and started working. It's not that there aren't any juicy stuff going on (besides, I've always been random, so it doesn't really matter if I have something interesting to write about or not), just that, there wasn't really any urge to write.

I usually get a lot of ideas of daily stuff to talk about when I'm stuck in traffic jams or traffic lights, but after I got back, everything becomes "meh".

Tonight is different though. I have to fast tonight as I have a health screening tomorrow and since I can't have the munchies, nor is there any point of going out and can't have munchies, I thought I'd ramble a bit to distract my stomach from realising that it's a monster with a bottomless pit.

I've noticed that of late, I am getting weirder by the minute. For instance, today I wrote a note of warning and posted on my Facebook wall. The warning was for my phone. Perhaps tomorrow I shall warn some of my shoes to suck it up and stop being stupid. I know they are all plotting to fall apart at the same time. I also grudgingly have to agree that there is a direct correlation between the price of a pair of shoes and its quality. However things like Quiksilver/Roxy flipflops and my Nike tennis shoes do not abide to this theory. Especially the overpriced flipflops.

There is also this one thing that is kinda going on but THANKFULLY is not (yet?) a full-fledged idiocracy that bugs me. However, I will try to rant about it as nice as possible as there are some people whom I love that did it and so I have to forgive them and not scream insults to the general public.

One of it is that, it would be much appreciated if everyone would just check the facts of stuff before reposting and creating a brouhaha over nothing. End-of-the-world-warnings: Not Cool. If you believe it so much, please proceed to sell off all your assets and head over to China to fight for a place in the arks. Tsunami/earthquake/nuclear fallout warnings: I know you mean well, but please understand that there are a number of sick evil people in this world who have nothing better to do than to create unnecessary panic and chaos. There are also many silly people who would repeat, or worse, blow the evil maniacs' chaos out of proportion. Please don't be either of them.

The other thing is stupid "trends" disguised as awareness campaigns. For instance, how exactly do suggestive statuses promote something (usually breast) cancer related? Birthdates made scandalous into "I like it on the kitchen counter" or "6 inches" ... don't make people more aware and carry out breast self-examination. They make people talk about what a skank someone is. Creating a buzz as if you are pregnant, it only makes people speculate about "shotgun marriage coming soon?" or "so cheap, can't even afford condoms?". Maybe it promotes safe-sex awareness but then the message said something about breast (again) cancer, thus it is utter rubbish. Also there is this theory that all these are tactics cooked up by identity thieves, but I'm not so sure about that. Also, what is this obsession with breasts in particular? Try coming up with a campaign for liver cancer or is that not sexy enough?

So I shall end this with I'm 451 weeks and craving monkey brains.

You see, I am promoting zombie simian awareness.

Beware of zombies that look like monkeys/monkeys that are zombies. Bananas can't help.

This is supposed to be a monkey zombie. I suck at drawing with MSPaint.
I think it looks kinda like a discoloured Hello Kitty with road rage -- and air pollution.

I can't draw with MSPaint like how awesomely Allie Brosh can.

Have a good weekend!

The Airport Entry

It's been ages since I did one of this and most probably this would be one of my last time doing it.

An Airport Entry is borne when I am travelling alone and have to wait for a relatively long period of time for the next league of my journey. For the sake of squandering the free wi-fi provided by the airport, I will post a short entry that I am, at present, waiting at the airport.

Boring. I know :)

Today is kind of like the prologue for the next chapter of my life. Also it could be the epilogue for the previous chapter. A little bit of nostalgia: when I first left West Malaysia for Sabah, I left with one suitcase and a pillow. Today I return with TWO suitcases, and two hand luggage. I've also sent seven boxes of things back the past few weeks. Junk accumulation is a forte.

Ironic to my current situation, time really flies. It didn't feel that long, but I have been away from home for six years. Six years is really a very long time, but it didn't feel like that at all. I have spent thousands (I'm sure) on air and bus tickets. I have also spent a relative amount of time in buses and in planes. It is quite surreal that that is all kind of at an end.

And the people whom I have bonded in those years: PRICELESS.

I really miss you all. But I have to admit, I really love being back too :)

Bittersweet

I dedicate this entry to all who have been there for me in this past two years (and some longer): words can't really justify what I really want to say, so the only thing I could say to you is a big sincere THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

It's that feeling again... when you reach the end of one Life chapter, and will soon embark on a new one. I am looking forward to moving back for good, and that I am soon nearer to all my loved ones back home. I am excited of entering the workforce, and starting my career in the job and company of my choice.

But I also feel sad, of leaving this place and all the wonderful people who are here. Off the top of my head, I am feeling emotional when I think of:
- "I can't do funny dances in the car anymore...there's no one to do it with me."
- "I can't scream songs in the car anymore either."
- "I'm going to miss all the LOL moments...with the most recent amatuer group shuffling-attempt at the sidewalk."

*sigh*

I hate saying goodbyes, so I won't. Better yet, I'll just say, I'LL BE BACK.

I'm really really REALLY going to miss you guys...you know who you are.

A woman degrading women

One of the reasons I shun reading local news is because you get really rubbish-y stuff being reported as "news". For instance, the latest one...which I think is "news" for promotional purposes. I mean, hey, like they say in showbiz, all publicity is good publicity, right? Even the ones that make people want to throw stones at you.

The Star: ‘Wives can curb social ills like prostitution by being obedient and alluring’
and
Free Malaysia Today: Club for obedient wives (you can see how she looks like here, just in case you are curious)

Just to be clear before we start, this is by no means a racist or religious-intolerant entry. Some people might find it racist MAYBE because this particular "club" is predominantly focused on one particular race, hence one religion. And also because of the race and religion of the club's founder. But I shall strive to be as unbiased in my comments and focus on the social point of this whole thing.

I'll start by being nice and say that she has a well-meaning purpose, that is to curb social ills like prostitution and domestic abuse, albeit the fact that she is being rather idealistic. Prostitution IS the oldest occupation in the world and it is still an existing trade. That already says a lot. Forming an Obedient Wives Club isn't going to make any difference whatsoever.

Then everything she said in the news article just goes downhill from there.

“Obey, serve and entertain.”

Club motto, I should think. It's rather sad that beliefs like these are at the top of the third page of the newspaper. After all the rights women all over the world have fought for: the right to vote, the right to work, the right for education, for gender equality, for mutual respect, this woman is advocating a backward mindset that opposes all that women have achieved.

I am not saying that a wife should fight and disobey her husband, or disrespect and ignore him. I mean, two people decide to get married for a reason...and obviously two people did not decide to get married so that they have someone to fight with everyday. That is just preposterous. However, a woman should not also be told that the reason she marries is to become a slave, a servant, a...clown?

If they want entertainment so much, they should just marry a clown.


Any relationship is built on love, understanding, and respect for each other. What she is saying is so backwards, she is placing females as a subservient to males. It is just degrading.

“Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders."

That is just wrong in so many ways, I don't even know where to start. Whatever happened to all the "Stop Violence at Home", "Stop Violence Against Women" awareness campaigns? This is just like saying "If your husband beats the life out of you, it's your fault." Not only does the victim have to suffer the physical pain, she also has to suffer with the reason that she is in the wrong. With reasons like this, the statistics for domestic violence will increase, because to the weak men who beat their wives "it's not a crime, it's HER fault".

I can't go on. The rest of the things she said just makes me want to say "Sex slave much?".

This lady is also in another controversial club, the Polygamy Club. Initially, I thought it was pretty contradicting and redundant of the two clubs. But then, of course she is in the Polygamy Club, she is the second wife.

I, personally, am against polygynous marriages. Why not? It's unfair to begin with. It's always an allocation for a husband to have more wives, never the other way round. It's a patriarchal allowance. I understand that it is allowed in certain religions, but then again, religious texts that were written centuries ago ought to be adapted to the modern world, should they not?

Polygamy was allowed during that time due to war, famine, a lot of strife was going on. Men had to go to war, sometimes they die. During times of hardship and invasion, married women are deemed safer than the unmarried ones because they have the protection of their husbands, otherwise they get abducted and raped by invaders (although not always so, but that was the general idea). For the sake of the continuation of species, and not enough men to go about, men were allowed to have more than one wife.

However, in the progressive society, that isn't very applicable any more is it?

Besides, how would the first wife feel? I am sure irregardless of what they say (that they are happy, and the other wives are like sisters), deep down inside, she is devastated. People get married so that they can spend the rest of their lives together with the ONE person they love. Not having to share that one person with a bunch of others.

What this woman says and advocates is just degrading to women as a whole. It promotes lowered self-esteem, it is screaming "we are the weaker sex, you can do anything you want to us!" Think about it, if you are a man (or you ARE a man), would you want to see your mother, your sisters, your DAUGHTERS be treated this way by her husband?

We may be the fairer sex, we may at times be physically weaker, but we are never a second-class gender.

This woman should have more respect for herself.

Online Money Making Scams

Previously I took to debunking the "nuclear acid rain" hoax which was just a terrible irresponsible thing circulating the net as an aftermath of the Japan Earthquake.

This morning a friend of mine discussed the validity of a website. Which turned out to be SCAM site. Which if one is greedy (and lazy) and could only think of easy ways to make money, then one would fall for this. Me however, am forever doubtful of anything on the internet, so I decided to look at it closer and point out all the "I'm a fake site" signs.

By the way, I don't really advocate this, so I am not going to put up the link. Besides, most probably you've seen  it, or stumbled across something similar, or could figure out what this is from my screenshots.

Magnifying glasses ready? Let's begin, Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys!

The first thing that caught my eye were actually these (click on pictures to enlarge):

If this is really a news site, they wouldn't put SO MANY repetitive links as if promoting the scheme. There are a few more further down the page. That already made this whole 'article' dodgy.

Next, note the 'expiry date:

The date is "correct" where I am in, however since this claims to be a U.S. site, it is still Cinco de Mayo at the moment thus "tomorrow" would be the 6th of May.

I pointed out the Google picture because the scam claims that it's from Google and stuff, but in the other scam site (which I will tell you about later), the bottom of the page has a disclaimer and it says "This site and the products and services offered on this site are not associated, affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Google...".

Also, if you click on ANY links on the site, it leads you straight to the Scam Site. No homepage, no other news, no sports, health, etc. The little red arrow pointing to the line below "Consumer Career Trends" says "Last updated Friday, May 6, 2011" which brings us back to the 'expiry date' point, and current date in the U.S. point. I bet the date changes in accordance to the date set in your computer.

This is the Scam Site which you are led to by clicking on ANY links.

Last but not least, right at the top of the site, there is a "Sign In/Sign Up" thing. I've just realised that printscreen doesn't show your mouse cursors. But when I was at the site, placing the mouse cursor there doesn't change it into a 'link' cursor (like how it usually does with any email accounts etc.). It's just part of the site's design to make it look "legitimate".

Great work sleuths! Bet you can find more clues that this thing is a hoax, but for the mean time, I think I've said enough. Remember, it's always better to be sceptical than to be cheated. Don't get scammed!

Have a great weekend :)

That Egg Thing

I'm not really sure what it's called actually. Some call it egg custard, some creme caramel, some flan, some pudding. I have a bastardised name for it: "dan dan" (rhymes with 'fun'), which in actual cantonese is "steamed egg" (炖蛋).

It looks good, just that I'm not liking the pores at the sides...

I absolutely love this thing. It brings back memories of my mom bringing me to this corner coffee shop some where in the old town, after school, and I'll be enjoying this in my school uniform. And it always comes with a glass of cold water.

Of late, The Fuzzball has been itching to attempt dessert making (for some unknown reason) and we've been volleying all sorts of ideas like bread pudding with rum. And then this sudden childhood treat came to mind and I have been stuck ever since. So I thought I'd experiment with it today (the last I attempted this was several years ago).

I sort of got the recipe from HERE. I knew the ingredients, I just didnt dare to wing it when it comes to volume. (By the way, I halfed the recipe, skiffed off the vanilla, and put in a little not enough sugar.)

Ingredients:


1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups milk, scalded
4 beaten eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:


Butter 6 custard cups. (I didn't do this. Butter in this thing seems wrong, and I didn't have custard cups so I used a tin cup instead...you know, those they make teh tarik with.)

Melt 1/4 cup of sugar in a small heavy skillet, stirring constantly, until a caramel syrup forms; pour immediately into prepared custard cups. 

Add a small amount of the hot milk to beaten eggs, stirring briskly. Add remaining milk; add 1/4 cup sugar and the vanilla; blend well. Pour mixture into custard cups. 


Set cups in a large, shallow baking pan in a 325° oven. Pour hot water into the large baking pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Unmold into shallow dessert dishes to serve. 

Caramel custard recipe serves 6.

I made some massive changes after the egg-milk mixture. I didn't bake, instead I steamed it. Remember to cover your cup/bowl/container/whatever when it's steaming. It took roughly about 10-15 minutes, then I took it off the heat, left it to cool for a while, and then popped it into the fridge.

I also think you should ready the egg-milk mixture first, then only caramelise the sugar so that the syrup is still liquid when you pour the egg-milk mixture in (mine kinda hardened a little at the bottom of the cup). Make sure you pour slowly down the container's side so as to not create bubbles and mix up the syrup with the egg-milk mixture.

The inside looks awesome though. I iz happy.

Chill it, and enjoy! Good luck :)