Scratch Post

25 March 2006

[Work] So ...

So there I was talking to another PM on Friday about life and working habits. When it came to the topic of not overworking, getting old, having more fun I was totally nodding in agreement.

So there I was today pulak in office from afternoon to 11pm working my butt off; with full plans to work a long day tomorrow too.

So what gives? I guess the work piled up - trying to closing a project that's refusing to die*; and at the same time working on a new project - trying to mobilize and plan for something large (which I have never really ever, so it's a steep learning curve); trying to incorporate better project practices and unlearn bad practices; and also trying to get some key things done before my long absence.

So after all that load of justification - maybe the simple truth is that I'm still a work addict and probably will be like this for most of my life.

So if:
WBS Task = "Loosen Up"
Status = "WIP Delayed" :)

*It's like a chicken whose neck got sliced but not properly, and now it's running all over the kampung bumping into things, just running, running and running without any control or regard for what it's splashing around either.

24 March 2006

[Whoa!] Bad Joke

Hrrmm .... found in my "Draft" Archive I had this posting I did not post yet for some weird reason.

Background: A few weeks back a dude of mine - Mr. Potato Chip was having a nice time in Tokyo and was telling me of his experience there.

Mr. Potato Chip: .... Oh i was out with colleague ..... had monjayaki and okonomiyaki

Keen: I never heard of monjayaki ..... BTW did u have a nice or yaki experience then?

<<<Taaaadaaa!! TQ, TQ, TQ very much!!!>>>

23 March 2006

[Self] Theme Song

OK, so that John Sena theme song that rang in my head the entire Tues night was just a temporary thing - PHEW!!

14 March 2006

[Msia] Constitutional Rights

I guess this is as good an entry point to start writing about Msian politics and society.

Last Sunday morning was different. Attended a talk "Federal Constitution: Protection for All" which was organized by the Bar Council. Interesting stuff where several speakers spoke about the constitution in different dimensions.

I came in at a time some prof was going through a list of items that constituted actual violations agst the constitution; the next speaker then spoke about a culture of constitutionalism and how events in Msia had made the constitution a distant document hardly to be taken off the shelves; followed by a younger chap who took a realist pov of silent majorities, and how the constitution has been subject to changes wrt developments in political Islam and the Malay race (the speaker was actually a Muslim by the way) that had eroded the secular framework in which the constitution was drafted; and finally Zaid Ibrahim talked about the constitution in a politician's context (to his credit - he seemed to make more sense than most of those who appear regularly on TV and media).

For me, I just soaked it all in. It was refreshing to go back to issues that I was so interested in so long ago. But on a serious note, the topics on the constitution aside, Msian society has generally regressed; and for me - I am still thinking of what role I can play in stopping a dire situation from becoming utterly hopeless.

07 March 2006

[Work] Tuesday

Took a brain time-out, and realized that it was only Tuesday today.

But heck it didn't feel like a Tuesday belonging to today, but a Tuesday following a Tuesday which in turn was followed by another Tuesday.

Know what I mean?

02 March 2006

[Whoa!] Dave Koz

Thems pesky siblings have probably permanently borrowed half of my CD collection and mis-stashed a whole lot of them.

So after scrimmaging around looking for Blur, and then something on the more rock~alternative edge, failing miserably I went through the cassette collection (lots of dust) and found Dave Koz's Lucky Man. Which was probably his best album, coz after that he faded into total obscurity.

And what is "jazz" in the 90s without Kenny G? Yeah sure Kenny G was probably better known but the dude totally lacked innovation after Songbird. Listen to the past few albums he released since and its just so formulated - esp that "signature" superlong single streched out tune where he hops from different tone to tone just to prove he's got ultrasuper-breathe :)

And something that has not happened for a long time just happened. The cassette player went "kuh-klunk" and switched to the other side. Whoa indeed!

And this is Side A where Dave Koz does his version of Sinaran. Pretty decent stuff.

[Work] The Long Dark Midnight Coffee Break of The Soul

If according to Dirk Gently there is "the long dark teatime of the soul", I certainly am going through its midnight equivalent.

Been busy like nuts, and I've done a heck lot of misc stuff, and now as of 0035 I am faced with a mountain of an SOW to complete. Was going to write up "Terror Rides in BKK" to get my mind off work for a while, but putting that piece on the backburner for now.

Now for a few sips of coffee before crunching the keyboard again.

01 March 2006

[Whoa!] Them Darn Democrats! ;)

Whatever your opinion of American politics, one thing you cannot deny about it is its entertainment value.

Have heard 2 audiobooks which are more "lightweight" in nature:
- One was Ann Coultehard's "Slander" which was basically a feisty right wing lady punching the dems up. Her main point - Democrats main political tactic is to act intellectual and call everyone else who disagrees with them 'stupid'.
- The other was James Carville's "Take It Back" which was basically a Democrat pundit's bemoaning of the woes the Democras got themselves into. His advice? Be more like the Republicans.

But there are good serious soundbites in the audiobooks. But I tend to look at the cynical and chaotics of what they actual represent, and somehow the juice of that is this wry humor I so enjoy.