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End of blogging drought

Dear Diary,

Wow, it has been a while since my last blog entry!  My self-imposed hiatus was due to my inability to access the Internet at home (until now) since we moved house & work being especially demanding these past 3 weeks.  But I'm back & lots has happened.  Rather than strain the reader's eyes with drawn-out tales of our escapades, I have detailed them in bullet-points for your convenience.  I may elaborate on individual events at a later date.  Since my last blog entry (6th June 2007) the following has played out in the lives of Captain Booger Features, Ravi & I (in no order of chronology nor importance):

• We've become Balmain-ites, moving house a few weeks ago.  We love our new place.  There's a pool upstairs.  Pictures forthcoming.  Our cleaner has also moved with us!
• Ravi has resumed riding on his motorbike again.
• Captain Booger Features celebrated Holy Communion last week.
• Farewell dinner for Irene & Brian before they moved to Canada.
• We were robbed!  Thank God for insurance - everything was replaced.  Special place in hell for thieving bastards!
• Celebrated Thuy's birthday last Sunday - quite a feat in itself since Tweety usually celebrates her birthdays overseas.
• Tony Blair left No. 10 Downing Street.  Replaced by Gordon Brown.  (1 out, 2 more to go.)
• My workload is more manageable after my boss assigned me an analyst (who shall be known as "Young Paduan" in future blog entries)
• Paris Hilton started & finished her prison sentence (with a lot of drama in-between).
• Have already filled half the cast for "The Divine Plan".  More auditions to come but it's very exciting as more people get involved in this production.
• Ravi, Tung & I had Thai massages.  (Are they supposed to hurt?)
• To Captain Booger Features' horror, he is finding himself falling 'in like' with a pretty classmate called Samira.  He is starting to find out that girls can be quite strange & illogical at times.  He insists he doesn't like her despite mentioning her name in nearly every conversation.
• Ravi & Kylie challenged each other in a cook-off.  Kylie bested Ravi (although it took a score of 3 decimal points to decide the winner) - which makes me the loser of the loser (having lost the previous cook-off with Ravi...don't get me started on Ravi's billety rice!).
• Is it just me or does the Australian media seemed a bit obsessed about the endeavour to refloat the Pasha Bulker?  It's just a big ol' boat for heaven's sakes!
• Poker resumed after a long break.  Details of the game here.
• Ravi & I attended Ravi's 15-year high school reunion.  It was fun & interesting to observe the different personalities in the room - who were the loud kids in the class, the shy kids, the smart kids, etc.

I think that about covers it.  Going to sleep now . . . .

Picture originally uploaded by jenophoto.

Earth Hour 2007

Last Saturday night we joined 2.2 million households in Sydney to participate in Earth Hour - where from 7:30pm to 8:30pm we turned off everything requiring electricity (except the fridge) to conserve energy.  We stayed in the main bedroom & lighted candles.  While Captain Booger Features played his PSP, Ravi & I pored over bridal magazines.  When we stood outside on the balcony, we noticed that the whole townhouse complex had also switched off all their lights.  One of our neighbours was even hosting a party in their backyard, with lighted candles & battery-operated stereo.  It was actually very pretty staring out at a sea of darkness interspersed with dancing candlelight.  Reports the next day cited a 10% saving in electricity during Earth Hour.  There is even talk of taking this nationwide.  It was a very fun exercise, particularly seeing everyone band together out of concern for the environment.

Picture of Sydney City during Earth Hour originally uploaded by vankatwijk.

Showing signs of weakness in leadership?

I never thought I would say this but could PM John Howard be right?  Could North Korean leader Kim Jong-il be "seriously crazy?"  According to a Sydney Morning Herald article today, Kim Jong-il has expressed regret to a Chinese delegation in conducting the nuclear test.  This coming from a man who was threatening to conduct a second nuclear test a few days ago!  What's changed? 

Could pressure from North Korea's main trading partner China been too much too bear?  Could Kim Jong-il have failed to anticipate the angry international response?  Did Kim Jong-il decide to back down when an embargo was placed on luxury items into his country, such luxury items he is renowned to favour for his own personal usage?  Could Western journalists have translated Kim Jong-il's speech to the Chinese delegation incorrectly?  If the speech was translated correctly, this about-face smacks of weakness.  This weakness is exascerbated by the fact that he is also a leader.  Not a good look.  How does a leader recover from such a crack in his armoury?  I don't know much about cracks, but what I do know is that they only get bigger & wider.....

Picture originally uploaded by eimeng98.

Comfort worst-served cold

This morning one of the sales managers called me to chat.  I've transcribed our conversation below.  My thoughts are italicised.

Sales manager: How are you, love?

Clare:  You know.  You?

Sales manager: Same.  Had a busy weekend . . . (proceeds to relate what transpired over the weekend).  And now I'm using up most of this week to prepare for the sales conference.

Clare: Yeah, I still haven't finished doing my presentation.  And I just realised I'm actually flying to Brisbane on Monday, September 11!  (Here we go, she'll know what to say to put me at ease, allay my fears of being on a plane on the 5th anniversary of THE September 11!  She'll say, 'security will be tighter than usual,' or 'you'll be fine.')

Sales manager: (Deadpan) Well, at least you'll have a few more days than Steve Irwin.

Needless to say, I did not feel comforted.

Picture originally uploaded by lapinfille.

Very Scary . . . .

Click on link to read about single mum Catherine who got the sack for writing about her employers in her blog (i.e. bringing her lawyers into disrepute) as well as updating it during business hours.  I've read her blog & it's a hoot!  I thoroughly recommend reading her blog - I can definitely understand the following she now commands after maintaining her blog for 2 years - 3,000 people a day read her musings!  There's also a permanent link to her blog under "Clare's People" (left column).

Wrote blog and got the sack. V. bad.  Will sue.  Telegraph.co.uk

Picture originally uploaded by La petite anglaise.

Two Words: Homer Simpson

Last Saturday night, Ravi & I had dinner with Andrew at BBQ King in Chinatown.  Must have been the place to be because we were soon joined by Kim Beazley & friends) who sat at the table next to us.  It was nice seeing a politician roughing it like the rest of us!  It was great catching up with Andrew who looked happy & healthy.  As per usual with Andrew, our conversation revolved around politics & social commentary.  We started talking about the nuclear power debate: to have or have not a nuclear power plant.  With Ravi being pro & Andrew taking the negative, it was left up to me to break the deadlock.  I only had 2 words for them: Homer Simpson.  Would you want someone like Homer Simpson working at a nuclear power plant in your suburb?  Could we guarantee the screening out of all the Homer Simpsons in Australia who desire to work at the nuclear power plant? 

Since we were in earshot of Beazley, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to hear him say on live television, "To the people of Australia, to answer the debate of nuclear power, I ahve 2 words for you - Homer Simpson."  He's on a winner!  You heard it here first!

Picture originally uploaded by ridgarou.

Their Coldness Did Not Thaw

At 9am this morning (AEDT), Nguyen Tuong Van paid much more than his debt to society when the cold arm of Singporean law reached out & strangled him.  There was no announcement of his death following his execution.  Only a silence, with many left to assume his execution was carried out.  Singapore's desire to play down the execution of a life continues unabated.  Despite countless pleas for clemency &, later, compassion to allow his mother to hug him one last time, the Singapore government remained stoic in their resolve to protect the efficiency of the process, believing the trauma Nguyen & his family would experience by allowing physical contact would de-stabilise their clinical process.  Although we must acknowledge the magnanimous gesture of the Singapore government to finally allow Nguyen to hold hands with his family & close friends during their last visit together.  I can only hope that Nguyen, enriched by his newfound meaning in life, is away on some extraordinary adventure beyond this life.  I also hope that his mother finds enough comfort to survive this dark time and the dark times in her future as she lives her ruined life oppressed by the knowledge that someone will always be missing.

Picture originally uploaded by Jacks World.  The photographer "found these 2 dead pigeons outside a busy supermarket, people rushing by, they died snuggled together in the shape of a heart..."