As various updates unfold on the circumstances surrounding the Benoit family deaths, a press conference held by the district attorney of Fayette County, Georgia confirmed that Chris Benoit had killed his wife & son. He then hanged himself. Terrible.
That is extremely sad & regrettable, that Benoit's wife & son should die in such tragic circumstances. As for Benoit, well, what can I say....why did he kill them? Hard to believe that he would do such a thing - he doesn't seem the type, but then I'm basing this on what I watch on WWE.
I have removed any references to "RIP Chris Benoit" on my previous post. I certainly do not condone what he did. Having said that, I personally prefer to remember the Benoit that I see on TV, the Benoit that is loved by fans & colleagues alike. Obviously, no one will know why he did what he did - he may have just snapped, I dunno. Police have not found any suicide note, or anything that may point to a motive behind the killings. All I can say is that the whole thing's just incomprehensibly tragic & senseless. My thoughts & prayers go to Benoit's family & friends - what a difficult time they must be going through, trying to comprehend the tragedy that's happened.
Here in Australia, I heard that RAW has been pulled from Fox & replaced with filler shows. The tribute to Chris Benoit (shown in the US) would not be shown here, & apparently it would not be shown in most other countries - not after what Benoit did. The usual RAW replays on Saturday afternoon will probably change as well. RAW will probably be back next week, & in light of Benoit's death, it looks like the "Vince McMahon death" storyline on RAW (where the WWE chairman entered his limousine a couple of weeks ago before it exploded) would be discontinued. It would be interesting to see how things transpire.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Chris Benoit (1967-2007)
Just when I thought the working week could not get any worse, it did. Shortly after arriving at work this morning, I learned the tragic news. WWE professional wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife & young son were found dead at their home in the American state of Georgia. Very very sad, terrible & unexpected, so my rest of the day was a mixture of shock & depression.
Benoit (a Canadian) was 40, & his death came less than 2 years after his best friend Eddie Guerrero died at 38 of acute heart failure (in November 2005). Guerrero was a born-again Christian, not sure about Benoit though. Many people would remember how devastated Benoit was with Guerrero's death - Benoit broke down in front of camera while giving a video testimony for Guerrero. I'm sure many tears will also have been shed by many fans as a result of Benoit's passing.
In the wake of the death, WWE cancelled their originally scheduled 3-hour live RAW show, & instead presented a 3-hour tribute to Benoit's life, career & family. Benoit was well-loved by fellow colleagues & was certainly popular among wrestling fans. He will be sadly missed & fondly remembered by many. Including myself - if a likeable person whom you see on TV weekly suddenly dies, it does affect you. Well, speaking for myself, it does. It certainly did when Guerrero died - at that time, I was extremely sad & never felt like that until now, with Benoit's death.
The county police have ruled that the deaths were not due to gunshot or stabbing. They also say that the "instruments of death" were located within the house, & were not actively looking for any suspects outside of the house. The police seem to hold the theory that the deaths were due to double murder-suicide. Namely, that Benoit killed his wife on Saturday, his son on Sunday & then himself on Monday. Many, including myself, will be wondering why. We may never know the answer.
Benoit (a Canadian) was 40, & his death came less than 2 years after his best friend Eddie Guerrero died at 38 of acute heart failure (in November 2005). Guerrero was a born-again Christian, not sure about Benoit though. Many people would remember how devastated Benoit was with Guerrero's death - Benoit broke down in front of camera while giving a video testimony for Guerrero. I'm sure many tears will also have been shed by many fans as a result of Benoit's passing.
In the wake of the death, WWE cancelled their originally scheduled 3-hour live RAW show, & instead presented a 3-hour tribute to Benoit's life, career & family. Benoit was well-loved by fellow colleagues & was certainly popular among wrestling fans. He will be sadly missed & fondly remembered by many. Including myself - if a likeable person whom you see on TV weekly suddenly dies, it does affect you. Well, speaking for myself, it does. It certainly did when Guerrero died - at that time, I was extremely sad & never felt like that until now, with Benoit's death.
The county police have ruled that the deaths were not due to gunshot or stabbing. They also say that the "instruments of death" were located within the house, & were not actively looking for any suspects outside of the house. The police seem to hold the theory that the deaths were due to double murder-suicide. Namely, that Benoit killed his wife on Saturday, his son on Sunday & then himself on Monday. Many, including myself, will be wondering why. We may never know the answer.
Argentina's Copa America squad analysed
Argentina coach Alfio "Coco" Basile has picked the following 22-man squad for the upcoming Copa America:Goalkeepers: Roberto Abbondanzieri (Getafe, SPA), Juan Pablo Carrizo (River Plate, ARG), Agustin Orion (San Lorenzo, ARG)
Defenders: Roberto Ayala (Valencia, SPA), Javier Zanetti (Inter Milan, ITA), Hugo Ibarra (Boca Juniors, ARG), Gabriel Milito (Real Zaragoza, SPA), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United, ENG), Daniel Diaz (Boca Juniors, ARG), Nicolas Burdisso (Inter Milan, ITA)
Midfielders: Luis Gonzalez (Porto, POR), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool, ENG), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan, ITA), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid, SPA), Pablo Aimar (Real Zaragoza, SPA), Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes, ARG), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors, ARG)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, SPA), Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan, ITA), Diego Milito (Real Zaragoza, SPA), Carlos Tevez (West Ham United, ENG), Rodrigo Palacio (Boca Juniors, ARG)
My thoughts on the squad:
In goals, young Oscar Ustari is missing due to injury, so he has been replaced by Orion - goalkeeper for Argentina's champions San Lorenzo. One footballer's misfortune is another footballer's opportunity. I'm not sure why Atletico Madrid's Leo Franco was not picked, even if he may not be the greatest keeper in the universe. On the whole, I wonder if Basile really needed 3 keepers. I personally prefer picking just 2 keepers, in order to free up an extra outfield spot.
In defence, my only reservation is the lack of cover for left-back. Heinze is the only recognised left-back. Even that, some argue that he's not a genuine left-back as they feel he's more of a centre-back. Perhaps Basile should have also picked Pinola, Clemente Rodriguez or Osmar Ferreyra (who can also play left midfield). I'm happy to see Daniel Diaz in the squad, as he is a regular for South American champions Boca Juniors. Basile coached them before his appointment as Argentina's coach, so obviously he would know what Diaz can offer the national team. The selection of Ayala, Burdisso & Gabriel Milito are expected.
In midfield, it's good to see Riquelme back. He still has a lot to bring to the national team. Veron's selection owe to his good form for Estudiantes in the Argentinian league, so he's back in the national team for the first time in a number of years. Many people blame him for Argentina's premature exist at WC2002, so Veron has plenty to prove. There does not appear to be a specialist flank midfielder (i.e. one who plays left midfield or right midfield), as the midfielders all seem to be central midfielders, although Veron & Gonzalez can play on the right right, & maybe Cambiasso can play on the left. Nevertheless, the midfield does ooze all-round quality & creativity. I hope Gago gets considerable playing time. Maxi Rodriguez is the one big absentee in midfield (he's a "specialist" right midfielder) - apparently, he only just recovered from injury but decided it's best to rest for the sake of his career.
In attack, many will look out for wonder kid Leo Messi. The tournament is Messi's chance to show the world again his sublime talents. No surprise with the selection of Crespo, Tevez & Palacio. I'm glad to see Diego Milito (brother of defender Gabriel) in the squad. Milito has scored 40 goals in 80 games for Zaragoza. That includes 4 goals in one match against Real Madrid last year (How often does anyone score that many in one game against Real Madrid, with their keeper Casillas being one of the world's best?). Milito has been underused for Argentina - not sure when he made his Argentina debut, but he's only played 10 games for Argentina (although still managed to grab 5 goals during that time). Atletico Madrid teenage striker Sergio Aguero (even younger than Messi) is missing as he will be taking part in the World Youth Cup in Canada. I would have preferred Aguero to play in Copa America, as that gives an opportunity to another youngter to play in the World Youth Cup.
Overall, it's an impressive looking squad, with lots of quality & considerable experience. Good to see 7 home-based players in the squad. Aside from the absences of Maxi Rodriguez & Aguerro (for reasons discussed above), I regret the omission of Spanish-based Zabaleta, Saviola & D'Alessandro, as well as home-based players such as Belluschi, Neri Cardozo & Pavone. I can name quite a few others. But these omissions serve to highlight the depth of talent at Argentina's disposal. You simply can't fit everyone in. Nevertheless, with the players who did get selected, I wish them the very best & hopefully they will be able to win the Copa America for Argentina.
Copa America 2007 about to kick off
Copa America 2007 is about to kick off in Venezuela today/tomorrow (depending on which time-zone you are looking at. The 12 participants included invited guests from North America, Mexico & the US. Both these teams contested the CONCACAF Gold Cup (which is the North American championship) a couple of days ago, hosted & narrowly won by the US.The groups are as follows:
Group A: Venezuela, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia
Group B: Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador
Group C: Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, US
The top 2 in each group, plus the 2 best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals.
The Copa America should be one to look forward to, even though Brazil will not have their best 2 players, Kaka & Ronaldinho. Both have asked for a break from national team duties, therefore disappointing their many fans who undoubtedly were looking forward to seeing them in action. Nevertheless, Brazil's squad will still be very strong, & their firepower up front remains second to none - after all, Brazil will always be Brazil. People may say their absences somewhat devalues the prestige of the Copa America. That may contain an element of truth, I dunno for sure. But whatI do know is that Kaka & Ronaldinho's absences will definitely give opportunities to other players to step up & grab the limelight, push for a regular starting place & make a name for themselves in the Brazil jersey.
Here's how I see the teams fare:
Group A: Venezuela should be able to make the most of home advantage & make it out of the group. Uruguay will accompany them. I'm not sure which of these will finish first. Between Peru & Bolivia, I'm not sure which will finish third either. If pressed, I'd say Bolivia to finish third, narrowly ahead of Peru.
Group B: Despite Kaka & Ronaldinho's absences, & despite the group being the toughest of the 3, Brazil will be favoured to finish first. Coming second is not an option for the samba kings. Mexico, the regular guests, have usually done well in these tournaments. I also tip Ecuador to finish third ahead of Chile, but the Chileans should not feel to hard done by. They may be the least experienced team in this group, & apparently are still in the rebuilding phase. This tournament will prove to be a valuable lesson in preparation for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers for South Africa 2010.
Group C: Expect Argentina to top this group. I cannot see any of the other teams finishing ahead of the Argentines. Certainly not the US, who will be bringing an experimental team. That's because they placed priority in the Gold Cup & therefore took a full-strength squad to that tournament, which they won. So, that meant a less experienced (but not necessarily less talented) squad will appear in the Copa America. Though they will be no pushovers, I think their comparative inexperience will mean they finish last. Colombia should take second place ahead of Paraguay. Paraguay will bring their usual fighting spirit & can play a bit, too. But Colombia are more flamboyant than Paraguay, & I believe will finish ahead of them, especially if Colombia's hitman Radamel Falcao Garcia gets into a scoring groove.
After that, we get onto the quarter-finals. Expect the winner of the tournament to come from the usual suspects: Argentina or Brazil. If pushed to choose, I'd say Argentina!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Boca Juniors - Copa Libertadores champions
Argentina's famous club side Boca Juniors have won South America's Copa Libertadores for 2007, after beating Brazil's Gremio 2-0 away in Porto Alegre in the second leg of the final. Both goals were scored by star midfield playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme. The victory completes a comprehensive 5-0 aggregate victory for Boca in the two-leg finals, as they beat Gremio 3-0 last week when they hosted the Brazilian club in the first leg in Buenos Aires.The Copa Libertadores is South America's equivalent to Europe's UEFA Champions League. Big congratulations go to Boca Juniors, for becoming South American champions. Boca Juniors are surely the best side in South America, not just this season but perhaps also in the past decade as they also were South American champions in 2000, 2001 & 2003. Overall, the latest Copa Libertadores is Boca's sixth title. It's a great triumph for both the club & for Argentina. Beating Gremio 2-0 on Brazilian soil is no mean feat,as Boca had to endure hostile Gremio fans as well as a strong Gremio team. The aggregate scoreline is perhaps a little harsh on Gremio & commiserations to them; however, it underlines Boca's continental supremacy.
By virtue of winning the Copa Libertadores, Boca will represent South America in the FIFA Club World Cup later in December which will feature various continental club champions, including of course European champions AC Milan. Boca did beat Milan in December 2003 when the club championship only featured South American & European champions. Come this December, Riquelme (who came back to Boca only months ago) would not be around as the match against Gremio was his farewell match. What a way to sign off - by scoring both goals of the match. With Riquelme's departure, Boca would have to count on young home-grown talent such as Neri Cardozo & Ever Banega, & others who are coming through the pipe-line.
But what a season for Boca Juniors & their coach Miguel Angel Russo. He's only been in charge for a little over 6 months, & already he's taken the club to victory in South America as well as second in the Argentinian Clausura (behind San Lorenzo). What a marvellous achievement & what a coach he's proving to be, although it helps that the club has a strong squad, where he can call on players of the calibre of Riquelme, Palermo, Palacio, Ledesma, Cardozo & Banega.
Now, for the FIFA Club World Cup in December, where AC Milan are likely to be their main rivals. As a big fan of Argentinian football, let me just say: Vamos Boca!!
Riquelme celebrates with team mates after scoring against Gremio.
The Boca Juniors squad celebrates with the Copa Libertadores after beating Gremio in Porto Alegre.
More celebrations from the footballers.
It's party time in Buenos Aires - fans celebrate Boca's triumph, waving Boca flags & parading a model of the trophy.
Source of photos: Yahoo Sport.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Reflection - Psalm 150:6
My colleague at work, J (of Hong Kong origin), is a Christian. She is a team manager, but in a different team than mine. At her workstation (which is just next to mine), she hangs a calendar with a Bible verse each month. A couple of weeks ago, I took a peek at her calendar while passing by her workstation. The verse for the month of June was Psalm 150:6: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. That's what the calendar says. In the Bible, that verse has an additional Praise the Lord. That is certainly a nice way to end the book of Psalm.
At the time, I looked at the verse & exclaimed it aloud. Then I remember sharing with J (who by then already knew that I'm a Christian) that I don't praise God enough, that I don't often think enough to do so. From recollection, J tried to encourage me to do it more often, saying that it's a great idea & is important that we always give God the praise that He so deserves.
J is absolutely right. The trouble is, I don't praise God often enough (sometimes not at all) due to sheer complacency. I become so complacent with my very comfortable life, taking many things for granted (sometimes with blasé indifference) that I forget to show my gratitude to the Lord for all that He has done for me & provided me. So it is my hope that I will always remember this verse to encourage me to praise the Lord constantly, every day. And do so faithfully & with love. And do so with delight, in the knowledge that I am part of His Kingdom of believers & in the knowledge that He will always bless His children richly & take good care of them.
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Dear Lord, thank you for the reminder of Psalm 150:6 earlier this month. Please forgive me for the times where I neglect to give you the praise that you so richly deserve. Please help me to lavish praise on you constantly, & to be grateful & mindful of all your blessings & for your sheer love & kindness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
At the time, I looked at the verse & exclaimed it aloud. Then I remember sharing with J (who by then already knew that I'm a Christian) that I don't praise God enough, that I don't often think enough to do so. From recollection, J tried to encourage me to do it more often, saying that it's a great idea & is important that we always give God the praise that He so deserves.
J is absolutely right. The trouble is, I don't praise God often enough (sometimes not at all) due to sheer complacency. I become so complacent with my very comfortable life, taking many things for granted (sometimes with blasé indifference) that I forget to show my gratitude to the Lord for all that He has done for me & provided me. So it is my hope that I will always remember this verse to encourage me to praise the Lord constantly, every day. And do so faithfully & with love. And do so with delight, in the knowledge that I am part of His Kingdom of believers & in the knowledge that He will always bless His children richly & take good care of them.
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Dear Lord, thank you for the reminder of Psalm 150:6 earlier this month. Please forgive me for the times where I neglect to give you the praise that you so richly deserve. Please help me to lavish praise on you constantly, & to be grateful & mindful of all your blessings & for your sheer love & kindness. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Bad start to the week, & I'm not a happy man
It hasn't been the best start to the week, & I'm not happy. Why? I'll tell u why. Because Real Madrid (who are Barcelona's sworn enemies) won the Spanish championship for season 2006/2007. That's the outcome that I least wanted :( :(
Actually, it's not so much Real Madrid won it, but Barcelona lost it. The title looked Barcelona's to win months ago, but Barcelona's recent inconsistent form meant they tossed away a big advantage the league standings & let Real Madrid overhaul them in the run-in to the season end. Real Madrid & Barcelona actually finished the season level on points. However, the Spanish La Liga rules deem that teams level on points shall be separated by the head-to-head results. In the 2 matches between Real & Barcelona this season, Real won 2-0 & drew 3-3. So Real had the better head-to-head record, & therefore take the title. Basically, Barcelona paid the price for not beating Real once this season. Had the rules in Spain been the same as the English Premier League (which separates teams on goal difference), then Barcelona would have been champions - Barcelona's goal difference is +45 compared to Real's +26.
Yeah, ok, some credit to Real for their persistence which saw them gain momentum at the right time & put together a string of consistent results that saw them triumph. But Barcelona gave it away - there's simply no other way of looking at things. And there's no way I can say Real Madrid are the best team in Spain. There was a point in time, quite a while ago, when I would admit that Real Madrid are superior. Not anymore. All Real Madrid did this season was merely take advantage of Barcelona's various slip-ups. And despite those slip-ups, Barcelona remain the more flamboyant, more entertaining team. But the thing is, in the football world, it's the results that count, & Real got the necessary results.
So, now that the season is over, the onus is on Barca coach Rijkaard & the Barcelona squad to review & reflect on the season, see where they have gone wrong & look to avoid such mistakes in the future. Really, it's not all doom & gloom. Barcelona are in good hands, & there's no reason to feel inferior or totally downcast. They may have to make some changes here & there to the way they do things, in order to improve their consistency next season. If they can do that, then Barcelona will surely regain their Spanish & European crown. Hala Barca!! Bring on next season!
Actually, it's not so much Real Madrid won it, but Barcelona lost it. The title looked Barcelona's to win months ago, but Barcelona's recent inconsistent form meant they tossed away a big advantage the league standings & let Real Madrid overhaul them in the run-in to the season end. Real Madrid & Barcelona actually finished the season level on points. However, the Spanish La Liga rules deem that teams level on points shall be separated by the head-to-head results. In the 2 matches between Real & Barcelona this season, Real won 2-0 & drew 3-3. So Real had the better head-to-head record, & therefore take the title. Basically, Barcelona paid the price for not beating Real once this season. Had the rules in Spain been the same as the English Premier League (which separates teams on goal difference), then Barcelona would have been champions - Barcelona's goal difference is +45 compared to Real's +26.
Yeah, ok, some credit to Real for their persistence which saw them gain momentum at the right time & put together a string of consistent results that saw them triumph. But Barcelona gave it away - there's simply no other way of looking at things. And there's no way I can say Real Madrid are the best team in Spain. There was a point in time, quite a while ago, when I would admit that Real Madrid are superior. Not anymore. All Real Madrid did this season was merely take advantage of Barcelona's various slip-ups. And despite those slip-ups, Barcelona remain the more flamboyant, more entertaining team. But the thing is, in the football world, it's the results that count, & Real got the necessary results.
So, now that the season is over, the onus is on Barca coach Rijkaard & the Barcelona squad to review & reflect on the season, see where they have gone wrong & look to avoid such mistakes in the future. Really, it's not all doom & gloom. Barcelona are in good hands, & there's no reason to feel inferior or totally downcast. They may have to make some changes here & there to the way they do things, in order to improve their consistency next season. If they can do that, then Barcelona will surely regain their Spanish & European crown. Hala Barca!! Bring on next season!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Reflection: “Get More Like Jesus While Watching TV”
Clay St Lucia has just finished studying the book “Get More Like Jesus While Watching TV” by Nick Pollard & Steve Couch. The book basically looked at TV (or TV watching) in the context of Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you brothers [and sisters], in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy & pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is – his good, pleasing & perfect will.
Below are some of the ideas that I found from the 7 chapters of the book, as well as discussions with Clayers on the book (of course, I may have missed some points – but what I got is below):
Chapter 1:
So yeah, some good & interesting points. But in all honesty, I found a lot of them to be abstract/theoretical. That’s not at all to say that nothing practical can be gained from reading the book. Far from it. It’s just that personally, from a practical/applications viewpoint, the book has not yet had much of an impact on my TV watching or changed the way I watch TV – simply because I don’t watch that much TV these days (save the football & wrestling!). But perhaps I can put some of the above points into practice when I actually get more into TV in future.
Anyway, now I’ve had some time to look back at the book, it amazes me how Pollard & Couch can write a book about watching TV from 2 Bible verses! That’s certainly beyond my capability!
Therefore, I urge you brothers [and sisters], in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy & pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test what God’s will is – his good, pleasing & perfect will.
Below are some of the ideas that I found from the 7 chapters of the book, as well as discussions with Clayers on the book (of course, I may have missed some points – but what I got is below):
Chapter 1:
- This chapter compared the first 12 chapters in Romans to a TV serial, where each episode begins with a recap of the previous episodes. Just as each episode should be viewed in light of the preceding episodes in order to understand what’s happening on the TV program, so should Romans 12:1-2 be viewed in light of the preceding Romans chapters.
- Basically, the main message of Romans can be divided into 5 sections:- Our problem (Romans 1:18-3:20); God’s solution (Romans 3:21-4:25); Our new status (Romans 5:1-8:39); Old ways & the new way (Romans 9:1-11:36); & Changing channels: living God’s way (Romans 12:1-15:13).I like the “changing channels” bit – given the book’s title, a nice way of describing a change from the old self (under sin’s rule) to the new self (under Christ’s rule).
- God is interested in every aspect of our lives, including our TV watching.After all He created us, & then showed such love & mercy that He introduced His Son Jesus to redeem us from the consequences of human sin.So since we mean that much to God, every part of our lives (including our TV watching) matters to Him.
- As Christians, we are meant to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices. So in the context of watching TV, we should discern what we watch. We should watch TV in a way that is consistent with offering our bodies to God/righteousness, rather than to sin.
- Our TV watching (just like every other aspect of our lives) should build our relationship with God, rather than damage it.
- It is possible for Christians to be holy & please God via their TV watching. We should discern what is good & what is bad (i.e. tempts us to do ungodly things).
- To please God & be holy via TV watching, we should understand what is it that God wants of us, what is it to be holy. Being holy means to be set apart in our hearts for God & not allow anything to compromise our relationship with Him. So, it may be ok watching or studying certain TV shows, provided that what we watch does not undermine our bond with God.
- TV is like alcohol – nothing inherently wrong by themselves, but we can either control them (which is ideal) or let them control us (which is not so ideal).
- God will call us to give account of what we have done with our lives – including the TV we watch. We should let God guide us with what & how we watch, & how we respond to what we see.
- What we watch will affect others around us – so we should be careful that what we watch will not stumble others or lead them further away from God.
- We need to consider what we watch means to us (i.e. its significance) & others, & how what we watch affects us & others. Watching TV can be an act of worship – what we choose to watch & how we watch can glorify God & celebrate the good things He has given us.
- Christians are expected to stand out from the world, i.e. not to conform to the pattern of this world.
- We need to know what the pattern of the world is, in order to then not conform to it. We need to identify ideas consistent with Biblical thinking & those that oppose it. We are meant to be distinct, & we ought to be different – purpose is to glorify God & do so for the sake of those around us.
- So, with TV programs, we should assess the worldview that it is trying to promote. Is what the program is promoting biblical?
- People say there is a lack of role model on TV. Perhaps it might be better for us to be role models in the lives of the people around us.
- To be transformed by the renewing of our minds, we need to take on God’s mindset – which means taking on the Christian worldview: (1) God the creator is in charge (2) Humans are designed to live God’s way (3) God reveals His way to people.
- As pastor summarises the Christian worldview: God made the world. Humans stuffed up the world & rejected God. God came up with answer – Jesus. Are we part of the solution or part of the problem?
- So, with watching TV, we are to think as we watch. God wants us to make the most of what He has given us, including our minds – we are to develop our minds with Him & devote them for His service.
- God’s will for us is: He wants us to experience His grace. He wants us to become more like Jesus & be presented before Him, perfect in Christ on the last day. He wants us to become His disciples. He wants us to be active in helping others to do the same things.
- Watching TV can help us to know God’s grace. Much stuff on TV shows a world that does not recognise God’s grace – that can serve to remind us of what life without Jesus might be like. We should remain thankful for what God saved us from, but not just content with leaving it at that.
- Watching TV can also help us become more like Jesus & also become better disciples. In a nutshell (& what I say might seem over-simplistic), that would involve testing our belief/faith with what we see, & thinking critically about what we watch.
- Watching TV can also help us help others become disciples. TV can form a considerable part of people’s conversations (whether they be work colleagues or other friends). It would be easier to get into those conversations if we have seen the TV programs being talked about, & being part of those conversations allows us to find opportunities to talk to people about Jesus.
So yeah, some good & interesting points. But in all honesty, I found a lot of them to be abstract/theoretical. That’s not at all to say that nothing practical can be gained from reading the book. Far from it. It’s just that personally, from a practical/applications viewpoint, the book has not yet had much of an impact on my TV watching or changed the way I watch TV – simply because I don’t watch that much TV these days (save the football & wrestling!). But perhaps I can put some of the above points into practice when I actually get more into TV in future.
Anyway, now I’ve had some time to look back at the book, it amazes me how Pollard & Couch can write a book about watching TV from 2 Bible verses! That’s certainly beyond my capability!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
My Slump - MADtv's parody of Black Eyed Peas
Another funny music video - very witty & creative. Behold, MADtv's parody of Black Eyed Peas - My Slump (the actual song is My Humps). It bags George W Bush big time. Hilarious!
Funny music videos
Today, my ex-colleague forwarded me a couple of really funny music videos.
The first ("Paris in Jail: The Music Video") is dedicated to Paris Hilton & all the hype surrounding her prison sentence - I lost touch with the latest developments, so I don't know where things are at right now.
The second ("Aren't Asians Great?") is a parody of Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape".
Check them out!!!
"Paris in Jail: The Music Video"
"Aren't Asians Great?" (MADtv - Parody of Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape")
The first ("Paris in Jail: The Music Video") is dedicated to Paris Hilton & all the hype surrounding her prison sentence - I lost touch with the latest developments, so I don't know where things are at right now.
The second ("Aren't Asians Great?") is a parody of Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape".
Check them out!!!
"Paris in Jail: The Music Video"
"Aren't Asians Great?" (MADtv - Parody of Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape")
Monday, June 11, 2007
San Lorenzo - Argentina's Clausura champions 2007
San Lorenzo just won Argentina's Clausura championship by beating Arsenal de Sarandi (not to be confused with London's more famous Arsenal Football Club) 4-2. It's their first Argentine championship since 2001. Congratulations must go to San Lorenzo, one of the biggest clubs in Buenos Aires & the whole of Argentina, & some credit should go to their coach Ramon Diaz for moulding a consistent, championship-winning squad.San Lorenzo headed into the game needing a win to be assured of the title. They raced out of the blocks & grabbed 2-0 lead through goals by defender Christian Tula & young striker Ezequiel Lavezzi. However, Arsenal de Sarandi pegged them back with 2 goals from forward Mauro Obolo, & at half-time the score was 2-2. In the second half, Gaston Fernandez (another young forward) scored twice (the second one, a penalty) to win the match & secure the championship for San Lorenzo with 1 game to spare. Both Lavezzi & Fernandez will surely feature for the Argentinian national team in time to come, perhaps at the Copa America later this month.
The league format in Argentina is different from most European domestic leagues. In Argentina, the 20 clubs that make up Argentina's top division (Primera División) play 2 tournaments each year: the Clausura (February to June) & the Apertura (August to December). In each tournament, the clubs play each other once. The format means that there are 2 champions each season. Argentina does not have any official Cup competition, unlike many European countries (e.g. FA Cup in England, Copa del Rey in Spain).
San Lorenzo's triumph in the Clausura 2007 came on the back of the Apertura 2006 victory by Estudiantes de la Plata in December 2006. I would think that these recent developments are a welcome change from the usual dominance of Argentina's 2 biggest clubs, Boca Juniors & River Plate. Their championship success means that San Lorenzo (whose colours are quite similar to Barcelona's) will take part in next season's Copa Libertadores, which is South America's equivalent of UEFA Champions League. That is the one competition which San Lorenzo has never won (they won the Copa Mercosur in 2001 & Copa Sudamericana in 2002), & they will surely be keen to add that to their trophy cabinet. I wish them the best of luck & certainly would certainly like to see them hold aloft the Copa Libertadores in 2008. Oh, and next year would be San Lorenzo's centenary year, as the club was founded in 1908. Perhaps it will be an added incentive for them to go for the Copa Libertadores. Vamos San Lorenzo.
San Lorenzo footballers celebrate a goal.
San Lorenzo coach Ramon Diaz & the squad celebrate winning the Argentine championship.
Gaston Fernandez celebrates San Lorenzo's triumph.
Shit joke
This is just hilarious. LOL.
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One day, Ah Choy & Ah Seng were walking down the Chinatown when they saw something in their path.
"Wait!" cried Ah Choy.
"Wat is lat ho?"
"Yah ho! Be carefool lo," warned Ah Seng.
"Wat is it?" They approached the thing and looked at it very closely. "Eee.. look like shit lah!" say Ah Choy.
"Hmmm..smell like shit also!" say Ah Seng after taking a deep breathe.
Ah Choy then poked the thing with his one finger, raised the finger to his lips, tasted it and said, "Tastes like shit!"
Ah Seng pushed his finger right through the thing and stick out his tongue to lick. With confident, he said, "Confirm is shit!"
Then they smiled at each other, "Wah! lucky we didn't step on it."
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One day, Ah Choy & Ah Seng were walking down the Chinatown when they saw something in their path.
"Wait!" cried Ah Choy.
"Wat is lat ho?"
"Yah ho! Be carefool lo," warned Ah Seng.
"Wat is it?" They approached the thing and looked at it very closely. "Eee.. look like shit lah!" say Ah Choy.
"Hmmm..smell like shit also!" say Ah Seng after taking a deep breathe.
Ah Choy then poked the thing with his one finger, raised the finger to his lips, tasted it and said, "Tastes like shit!"
Ah Seng pushed his finger right through the thing and stick out his tongue to lick. With confident, he said, "Confirm is shit!"
Then they smiled at each other, "Wah! lucky we didn't step on it."
Another office dance - the secretary
Hahaha, I seem to be carried away today with office dances. But I couldn't resist posting up this one - the daily routine of a secretary. A fantastic & funny clip, to Daft Punk's catchy, beatsy disco/techno song "Technologic".
More office dances
Here's some more office dances. People doing dances & other funny stuff behind the backs of their colleagues. Most of them don't get caught in the act. I wonder what goes on in those people's minds when they perform their little routine. Not that I'm complaining or anything like that, of course - I don't diss anything that makes me laugh myself silly. Such as this clip. Hahaha.
Clip - Michael & Dwight, The Office (US version)
This one's from the US version of The Office. It's a very good clip (800,000 hits & 4,500 faves). Apparently, the clip is meant to show how uncool the boss/manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) & his assistant manager Dwight Schrute (played by Rainer Wilson) are, even though they have delusions that they are cool & fantastic people.
The clip is shown to the tune of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack".
I'm still trying to figure out who's the bigger try-hard & bigger "jerk" between Michael Scott & David Brent (the boss in the UK version). So far, I still haven't been able to decide. I might never be able to separate these two.
The clip is shown to the tune of Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack".
I'm still trying to figure out who's the bigger try-hard & bigger "jerk" between Michael Scott & David Brent (the boss in the UK version). So far, I still haven't been able to decide. I might never be able to separate these two.
Clip - The Office Dance (The Office, UK version)
Here's a clip of the famous Office Dance from the UK sitcom The Office. It's from the second series. The try-hard boss/regional manager David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais) apparently performed the dance to raise money for charity.
It's sooo hilarious, that I was left in stitches when I found this online a few days ago. It's even funnier viewing online than when I first saw it on TV some years ago. I was prompted to look this up after seeing a picture of Brent doing the dance on my good friend's blog. My friend's post was talking about how you can rearrange the London 2012 logo to all sort of shapes, including the shape of someone doing the Office Dance.
Anyway, do check this clip out. Who knows, one day you might want to do this in front of your colleagues, should you need to raise funds for charity, or if you just want to entertain your colleagues, or simply show off your abilities. Just make sure you get your colleagues to clap & hum the music while you perform. Taaa na tana tana, taaa na tana tana.....
It's sooo hilarious, that I was left in stitches when I found this online a few days ago. It's even funnier viewing online than when I first saw it on TV some years ago. I was prompted to look this up after seeing a picture of Brent doing the dance on my good friend's blog. My friend's post was talking about how you can rearrange the London 2012 logo to all sort of shapes, including the shape of someone doing the Office Dance.
Anyway, do check this clip out. Who knows, one day you might want to do this in front of your colleagues, should you need to raise funds for charity, or if you just want to entertain your colleagues, or simply show off your abilities. Just make sure you get your colleagues to clap & hum the music while you perform. Taaa na tana tana, taaa na tana tana.....
Clay day trip - Glass House Mountains (Sat 9/6/07)
Just this past Saturday, a bunch of Clayers made the day trip to Glass House Mountains. Not everyone at Clay came for the day trip - in fact, there were quite a few who didn't come. A number of non-Clay people (invited by some of the Clayers) joined us. The exact spot was Mt Tibrogargan picnic area.
The lead-up to Saturday's day trip was very hectic, as I was so busy with organising transport/car-pooling - & on top of being extremely busy at work & there was the Sunday School prep as well. After emailing out the passenger allocations, I still received some replies which necessitated shuffling around the original passenger allocation. It was so frustrating, & the truth was, I did respond to the stress in an ungodly manner, & said a few bad words along the way (although I did tone down to a few friends who I did tell about my stress). I hope I won't react the same way next time.
The other thing I was sweating on in the lead up to Saturday was the weather. The Bureau of Metereology indicated a fine weather forecast for the weekend, but I didn't want to take anything for granted. So it was a relief when Saturday arrived, that the weather was ok, even though there were still a few dark clouds in the sky.
After picking up 1 of my passengers, I was caught in a traffic jam on the Centenary Highway, on the way to pick up the remaining passengers. So, I turned around at the roundabout just before the turnoff to Moggill Road, & took the "back route" via Oxley & Sherwood to get to the other passengers. Then we set off to Glass House Mountains.
TC looked at the refidex maps I flagged, noted that we were travelling all along Bruce Highway before turning off to Glass House Mountains, & didn't bother looking at the refidex afterwards. This complacency would cost us, as we would then miss the Glass House Mountains turnoff. I did actually see that turnoff (which said Glass House Mountains tourist drive), by which time I had already passed it. Initially me & TC thought that wasn't the one, as we were expecting a big brown sign that says Glass House Mountains Road. After driving on for ages & not getting anywhere, Rachel called & after TC spoke to her, we realised we had overshot! So we had then had to work our way back to Mt Tibrogargan. We ended up being 15-20 minutes late (we were meant to be there by 12pm) which, all things considered, was not a bad effort at all. At least we still arrived before Nigel & Phuong!
Anyway, the Clayers & friends had just started eating when we arrived at the picnic area. So we delved into the food. I grabbed more than my fair share of TC's curry puffs! Yet still, there was a few left-over curry puffs. In fact, there were left-overs for just about everything which didn't surprise - so plentiful was the food quantity that I knew all along we wouldn't be getting any food shortages on this occasion.
After lunch, we set off on a 3km bush walk along the Mt Tibrogargan tracks. The walk took quite a while - more than 1 hour, probably a bit under 1.5 hours. So by the time we got back to the picnic area, it was a tad after 2:30pm. That meant we had more time to kill as we planned to depart at 4:30pm. So after a brief rest, TC brought out his soccer ball, & after kicking the ball about, most of the boys played a soccer match (of sorts). A couple of the Clay sisters (Rachel & Belle, on opposing sides) joined in as well! Initially I wasn't too sure about whether or not to play, but after seeing the boys kicking about, I joined in. Then the match started - it was basically a team of mainly Clayers versus a team of mainly non-Clayers. It was a shame the amount of trees (& the picnic tables) meant the playing area was not big.
The soccer was fun, even if it was all too apparent that I had zero fitness. I should have paced myself instead of going hard early. I even tried hard showing off, & I did manage to get past a couple of people, but on the whole, I'm just not very good at football. After a while, I took myself out of the game due to exhaustion (didn't want to throw up). I tried to get Sam & the other ladies (Maria, Catherine, Phuong) to join in, but they declined. People like Sean, Wong, TC, Ivan, Kwang & Nigel played longer than me - maybe they had better fitness, or perhaps they paced themselves unlike me. Sean, in particular, looked a class act as he constantly dribbled past opposition & is difficult to shake off the ball (unlike me). TC, too, is reasonably good in football.
Who won? I dunno, as I think both sides scored roughly the same amount of goals (we used soft drink bottles to mark the goal mouth). It would have been what, 5-5, 6-6.....oh well, it doesn't matter. We stopped for the "half-time" break at around 4pm, & had a rest at one of the picnic tables. We chatted, & ended up not starting the second half, as 4:30pm was fast approaching (plus a few people may have been tired).
We left for Brisbane just after 4:30pm, & headed for dinner at 6:30pm at Little Taipei near Market Square in Sunnybank (at Sean's suggestion, we made last minute change of plan from Sunnybank Plaza foodcourt). Since my car arrived just before 6pm, my passengers took the chance to do some shopping at Yuen's Market. Then we headed to Little Taipei. Alison (who's in Brisbane for a break) came with BT, & the Clayers were delighted to be able to catch up with her. I had the roast duck with rice, & complained that the duck meat was not as much as I would have liked. Despite that, I ended up being full, as I managed to order myself two pearl ice drinks from TTT (wintermelon tea & longan red tea).
After dinner, the Clayers went to check out Sean's new home. It was really superb & modern. Seeing how fabulous the place is made me want to buy a home for myself, & this is something I would have to give serious consideration to. We stayed on for a while, & some of the Clayers got into some games. Me & my passengers left earlier than the others. It was a long, tiring day, but it was time well spent with brothers & sisters in Christ.
There were some funny moments & lots of laughter during the day:
PS: I didn't take any pictures with my digital camera, as it died at Hung's 30th birthday party & it's now being fixed. I did take a few pics (& only a few) with my mobile phone camera, but I haven't figures out yet how to get pictures from mobile to my PC. Never mind....
The lead-up to Saturday's day trip was very hectic, as I was so busy with organising transport/car-pooling - & on top of being extremely busy at work & there was the Sunday School prep as well. After emailing out the passenger allocations, I still received some replies which necessitated shuffling around the original passenger allocation. It was so frustrating, & the truth was, I did respond to the stress in an ungodly manner, & said a few bad words along the way (although I did tone down to a few friends who I did tell about my stress). I hope I won't react the same way next time.
The other thing I was sweating on in the lead up to Saturday was the weather. The Bureau of Metereology indicated a fine weather forecast for the weekend, but I didn't want to take anything for granted. So it was a relief when Saturday arrived, that the weather was ok, even though there were still a few dark clouds in the sky.
After picking up 1 of my passengers, I was caught in a traffic jam on the Centenary Highway, on the way to pick up the remaining passengers. So, I turned around at the roundabout just before the turnoff to Moggill Road, & took the "back route" via Oxley & Sherwood to get to the other passengers. Then we set off to Glass House Mountains.
TC looked at the refidex maps I flagged, noted that we were travelling all along Bruce Highway before turning off to Glass House Mountains, & didn't bother looking at the refidex afterwards. This complacency would cost us, as we would then miss the Glass House Mountains turnoff. I did actually see that turnoff (which said Glass House Mountains tourist drive), by which time I had already passed it. Initially me & TC thought that wasn't the one, as we were expecting a big brown sign that says Glass House Mountains Road. After driving on for ages & not getting anywhere, Rachel called & after TC spoke to her, we realised we had overshot! So we had then had to work our way back to Mt Tibrogargan. We ended up being 15-20 minutes late (we were meant to be there by 12pm) which, all things considered, was not a bad effort at all. At least we still arrived before Nigel & Phuong!
Anyway, the Clayers & friends had just started eating when we arrived at the picnic area. So we delved into the food. I grabbed more than my fair share of TC's curry puffs! Yet still, there was a few left-over curry puffs. In fact, there were left-overs for just about everything which didn't surprise - so plentiful was the food quantity that I knew all along we wouldn't be getting any food shortages on this occasion.
After lunch, we set off on a 3km bush walk along the Mt Tibrogargan tracks. The walk took quite a while - more than 1 hour, probably a bit under 1.5 hours. So by the time we got back to the picnic area, it was a tad after 2:30pm. That meant we had more time to kill as we planned to depart at 4:30pm. So after a brief rest, TC brought out his soccer ball, & after kicking the ball about, most of the boys played a soccer match (of sorts). A couple of the Clay sisters (Rachel & Belle, on opposing sides) joined in as well! Initially I wasn't too sure about whether or not to play, but after seeing the boys kicking about, I joined in. Then the match started - it was basically a team of mainly Clayers versus a team of mainly non-Clayers. It was a shame the amount of trees (& the picnic tables) meant the playing area was not big.
The soccer was fun, even if it was all too apparent that I had zero fitness. I should have paced myself instead of going hard early. I even tried hard showing off, & I did manage to get past a couple of people, but on the whole, I'm just not very good at football. After a while, I took myself out of the game due to exhaustion (didn't want to throw up). I tried to get Sam & the other ladies (Maria, Catherine, Phuong) to join in, but they declined. People like Sean, Wong, TC, Ivan, Kwang & Nigel played longer than me - maybe they had better fitness, or perhaps they paced themselves unlike me. Sean, in particular, looked a class act as he constantly dribbled past opposition & is difficult to shake off the ball (unlike me). TC, too, is reasonably good in football.
Who won? I dunno, as I think both sides scored roughly the same amount of goals (we used soft drink bottles to mark the goal mouth). It would have been what, 5-5, 6-6.....oh well, it doesn't matter. We stopped for the "half-time" break at around 4pm, & had a rest at one of the picnic tables. We chatted, & ended up not starting the second half, as 4:30pm was fast approaching (plus a few people may have been tired).
We left for Brisbane just after 4:30pm, & headed for dinner at 6:30pm at Little Taipei near Market Square in Sunnybank (at Sean's suggestion, we made last minute change of plan from Sunnybank Plaza foodcourt). Since my car arrived just before 6pm, my passengers took the chance to do some shopping at Yuen's Market. Then we headed to Little Taipei. Alison (who's in Brisbane for a break) came with BT, & the Clayers were delighted to be able to catch up with her. I had the roast duck with rice, & complained that the duck meat was not as much as I would have liked. Despite that, I ended up being full, as I managed to order myself two pearl ice drinks from TTT (wintermelon tea & longan red tea).
After dinner, the Clayers went to check out Sean's new home. It was really superb & modern. Seeing how fabulous the place is made me want to buy a home for myself, & this is something I would have to give serious consideration to. We stayed on for a while, & some of the Clayers got into some games. Me & my passengers left earlier than the others. It was a long, tiring day, but it was time well spent with brothers & sisters in Christ.
There were some funny moments & lots of laughter during the day:
- The group photos taken at the Mt Tibrogargan picnic area, just before the 3km walk. There was one with TC putting the two-fingered "rabbit ears" behind Nigel's head. There's another one where I caught TC's hand about to do another "rabbit ears" on Nigel, but the photo taken showed TC's fingers about to tickle or jab the back of Nigel's neck. It looked so funny, that I was laughing myself uncontrollably.
- Nigel imitating the "gday mate" accent when walking past some Caucasians during the 3km walk (obviously he assumed every Westerner he saw was a Caucasian Australian).
- The "monkey" joke I shared with Nigel, & the "koala" joke Nigel shared with me.
- Nigel (& myself to a lesser extent) trying to speak & imitate Mandarin. It all started when we walked past a signboard which had Chinese on it, & it continued at various points during the walk.
- The jokes about our 3km walk disturbing wildlife.
- There was one moment during the soccer game, where I had my feet on top of the ball & Rachel (who was in the opposing team) was approaching me. Then my foot lost balance with the ball, & I slipped & fell flat on my backside. Bump, just like that. All that without even being fouled by Rachel or anyone else. Everyone laughed, but I wasn't mad at all, just a little embarrassed, & I managed to see the funny side that I laughed myself. After the game, some of them reminded me of the fall. TC told me he saw the look on my face just as I was falling & wished he had captured the whole incident on videocam!
- TC kicking the ball into someone's face during the game.
- Nigel with his usual soccer playing style of barging into the opposition.
- Wong running so hard & going hardcore during the match - & he played with slippers (albeit those slippers with straps).
- Me taking myself off shortly after that falling incident, as I was so exhausted & sweating like a dog.
PS: I didn't take any pictures with my digital camera, as it died at Hung's 30th birthday party & it's now being fixed. I did take a few pics (& only a few) with my mobile phone camera, but I haven't figures out yet how to get pictures from mobile to my PC. Never mind....
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Funny one: Anagrams
Got this yesterday from a friend (although I couldn't copy the exact format from my friend's email). I wonder if my friend's the one who came up with this. Hhmmm.......
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This has got to be one of the cleverest E-mails I've received in awhile. Someone out there either has too muchspare time or is deadly at Scrabble. (Wait till you see the last one)!
DORMITORY: When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM
PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the letters: BEST IN PRAYER
ASTRONOMER: When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER
DESPERATION: When you rearrange the letters:A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES: ! When you rearrange the letters: THEY SEE
GEORGE BUSH: When you rearrange the letters: HE BUGS GORE
THE MORSE CODE :When you rearrange the letters: HERE COME DOTS
SLOT MACHINES: When you rearrange the letters: CASH LOST IN ME
ANIMOSITY: When you rearrange the letters: IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS: When you rearrange the letters: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT
SNOOZE ALARMS: When you rearrange the letters:ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S
A DECIMAL POINT: When you rearrange the letters:IM A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES: When you rearrange the letters: THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO: When you rearrange the letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE
AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:
MOTHER-IN-LAW: When you rearrange the letters: WOMAN HITLER
Yep! Someone with waaaaaaaaaaaytoo much time on their hands! (Probably a son-in-law) Bet your friends haven't seen this one!!! DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THIS
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This has got to be one of the cleverest E-mails I've received in awhile. Someone out there either has too muchspare time or is deadly at Scrabble. (Wait till you see the last one)!
DORMITORY: When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM
PRESBYTERIAN: When you rearrange the letters: BEST IN PRAYER
ASTRONOMER: When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER
DESPERATION: When you rearrange the letters:A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES: ! When you rearrange the letters: THEY SEE
GEORGE BUSH: When you rearrange the letters: HE BUGS GORE
THE MORSE CODE :When you rearrange the letters: HERE COME DOTS
SLOT MACHINES: When you rearrange the letters: CASH LOST IN ME
ANIMOSITY: When you rearrange the letters: IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS: When you rearrange the letters: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT
SNOOZE ALARMS: When you rearrange the letters:ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S
A DECIMAL POINT: When you rearrange the letters:IM A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES: When you rearrange the letters: THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO: When you rearrange the letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE
AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:
MOTHER-IN-LAW: When you rearrange the letters: WOMAN HITLER
Yep! Someone with waaaaaaaaaaaytoo much time on their hands! (Probably a son-in-law) Bet your friends haven't seen this one!!! DON'T FORGET TO SHARE THIS
Monday, June 4, 2007
Resisting the platinum invitation - again
The ICAA sent me another invitation to upgrade from my current CA Gold American Express (nil annual fee) to the Platinum American Express. It's exactly the same as the invitation I received a few months ago, & which I posted on - refer "Nice invitation, but I say no".
Only this time, there's an additional American Express brochure (which I don't think came previously). Now this brochure is intended to suck people in to take up the Platinum offer. One look at the brochure & u can tell this is the case. It starts with the heading in bold caps:
Some things in life just have to be experienced
More bold caps follow:
Live like a high-flyer - every day
Experience endless rewards
Shop with complete confidence
Get treated like a VIP
Empower yourself financially
In amongst those bold headings are lots & lots of explanations on how good the Platinum card is, what benefits it offers the card holder, & a few bright & glitzy pictures. I laughed when I see this. The ICAA & American Express (both of which are business partners) just don't give up, do they. They must be thinking like this: If people like DT don't sign up first time, let's send them another invitation.
Nice try. But for reasons previously posted, I won't be signing up for the Platinum AMEX anytime soon. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel a tad "privileged" to be considered for offers such as these.
This is the Platinum Card. Much better looking than the above card, it's got "eye candy", but it would set me back $295 in annual fee if I were to take up the offer.
Only this time, there's an additional American Express brochure (which I don't think came previously). Now this brochure is intended to suck people in to take up the Platinum offer. One look at the brochure & u can tell this is the case. It starts with the heading in bold caps:
Some things in life just have to be experienced
More bold caps follow:
Live like a high-flyer - every day
Experience endless rewards
Shop with complete confidence
Get treated like a VIP
Empower yourself financially
In amongst those bold headings are lots & lots of explanations on how good the Platinum card is, what benefits it offers the card holder, & a few bright & glitzy pictures. I laughed when I see this. The ICAA & American Express (both of which are business partners) just don't give up, do they. They must be thinking like this: If people like DT don't sign up first time, let's send them another invitation.
Nice try. But for reasons previously posted, I won't be signing up for the Platinum AMEX anytime soon. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel a tad "privileged" to be considered for offers such as these.
This is what my current CA Gold Card looks like. The look's not that great. The "real" American Express Gold card looks much better, as it has a similar appearance to the Platinum one below, except that it's gold, of course.
This is the Platinum Card. Much better looking than the above card, it's got "eye candy", but it would set me back $295 in annual fee if I were to take up the offer.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Article: 10 Attitudes of Successful Workers
Good career-related article. Some useful tips & things to think about.
The big idea seems to be: Attitude is key. Rrrriiiiggghhhtt.......
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10 Attitudes of Successful Workers
By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
Why do some people seem to reach the top of the corporate ladder easily, while others remain stuck on the middle-management rung? You might think that it is just because those people have more of what it takes to succeed, like brains, talent and powerful people in their corner. But there is something else that is just as important: attitude.
Dr. Martin Seligman, an authority on optimism, discovered that attitude was a better predictor of success than I.Q., education and most other factors. He found that positive people stay healthier, have better relationships and go further in their careers. And he even found that positive people make more money.
Anyone can adopt the right attitude. No matter where you are from or how much innate talent you have, the right attitude can make a difference in your career. Try adopting these 10 attitudes of successful workers:
1. I am in charge of my destiny.
If you spend your entire career waiting for something exciting to come to you, you will be waiting a long time. Successful professionals go out and make good things happen. So commit yourself to thinking about your career in an entirely different way. You will make it to the top, and you are in charge of making it happen.
2. Anything is possible.
Think that there is no way you will ever be at the vice-president level? Then you definitely won't. Remember: If you think you can't, you probably won't. Adopt the attitude of The Little Engine That Could -- "I think I can."
3. No task is too small to do well.
You never know when you are going to be noticed. That is one reason to take pride in your work -- all of it. One public relations executive in Chicago said that her first task in the PR department of a ballet company was reorganizing the supply closet. She tackled the project with gusto and was immediately noticed for her hard work and attention to detail. Remember this the next time you feel like slacking because you are working on a menial task.
4. Everyone is a potential key contact.
While you do need to be aggressive in the workplace, you can also go far by being nice to those around you. Do you think it's unimportant to establish a good rapport with your boss's secretary? Well, just try getting your meeting squeezed onto the schedule when you really need it. Be courteous to those around you -- you never know when your past contacts will play a role in your future.
5. I was made to do this job... and the one above me.
If you spend your days feeling like you are not cut out to do the work you are responsible for, your performance will suffer. Your job may not be the perfect fit, but successful workers act like they are in their dream job, no matter where they are.
6. It's not just what I know, but who I know.
Successful workers understand the importance of networking, both in and out of the office. You need to proactively establish professional contacts. Invite a colleague out to lunch. Go to the after-work happy hour. Join your professional association. Do your part to establish a networking path for your future.
7. What else can I do?
Since you are in charge of your destiny, it's your job to look for ways to improve your professional self. Volunteer to take on an extra project. Learn a new skill that will make you more marketable. Stay late to help your co-workers. Successful workers don't just complete the job and sign out -- they look for additional ways to make their mark.
8. Failure will help pave the way to my success.
While it seems like some people never experience setbacks, the truth is everyone fails from time to time. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they deal with failure. Those who find success are the ones who learn from mistakes and move on.
9. I am my own biggest fan.
Have you been waiting for someone in the office to recognize your talents and efforts? Maybe it's time you start tooting your own horn. Step up and talk about your accomplishments and what you have done for the company. Successful workers know how to point out their achievements without sounding boastful.
10. My opportunity monitor is never turned off.
Yes, there will be days when you will want to just be happy with the status quo. But remember that successful workers are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve. Keep your eyes, ears and your mind open to new opportunities -- you never know when you will discover the one that will change the course of your career!
The big idea seems to be: Attitude is key. Rrrriiiiggghhhtt.......
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10 Attitudes of Successful Workers
By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
Why do some people seem to reach the top of the corporate ladder easily, while others remain stuck on the middle-management rung? You might think that it is just because those people have more of what it takes to succeed, like brains, talent and powerful people in their corner. But there is something else that is just as important: attitude.
Dr. Martin Seligman, an authority on optimism, discovered that attitude was a better predictor of success than I.Q., education and most other factors. He found that positive people stay healthier, have better relationships and go further in their careers. And he even found that positive people make more money.
Anyone can adopt the right attitude. No matter where you are from or how much innate talent you have, the right attitude can make a difference in your career. Try adopting these 10 attitudes of successful workers:
1. I am in charge of my destiny.
If you spend your entire career waiting for something exciting to come to you, you will be waiting a long time. Successful professionals go out and make good things happen. So commit yourself to thinking about your career in an entirely different way. You will make it to the top, and you are in charge of making it happen.
2. Anything is possible.
Think that there is no way you will ever be at the vice-president level? Then you definitely won't. Remember: If you think you can't, you probably won't. Adopt the attitude of The Little Engine That Could -- "I think I can."
3. No task is too small to do well.
You never know when you are going to be noticed. That is one reason to take pride in your work -- all of it. One public relations executive in Chicago said that her first task in the PR department of a ballet company was reorganizing the supply closet. She tackled the project with gusto and was immediately noticed for her hard work and attention to detail. Remember this the next time you feel like slacking because you are working on a menial task.
4. Everyone is a potential key contact.
While you do need to be aggressive in the workplace, you can also go far by being nice to those around you. Do you think it's unimportant to establish a good rapport with your boss's secretary? Well, just try getting your meeting squeezed onto the schedule when you really need it. Be courteous to those around you -- you never know when your past contacts will play a role in your future.
5. I was made to do this job... and the one above me.
If you spend your days feeling like you are not cut out to do the work you are responsible for, your performance will suffer. Your job may not be the perfect fit, but successful workers act like they are in their dream job, no matter where they are.
6. It's not just what I know, but who I know.
Successful workers understand the importance of networking, both in and out of the office. You need to proactively establish professional contacts. Invite a colleague out to lunch. Go to the after-work happy hour. Join your professional association. Do your part to establish a networking path for your future.
7. What else can I do?
Since you are in charge of your destiny, it's your job to look for ways to improve your professional self. Volunteer to take on an extra project. Learn a new skill that will make you more marketable. Stay late to help your co-workers. Successful workers don't just complete the job and sign out -- they look for additional ways to make their mark.
8. Failure will help pave the way to my success.
While it seems like some people never experience setbacks, the truth is everyone fails from time to time. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how they deal with failure. Those who find success are the ones who learn from mistakes and move on.
9. I am my own biggest fan.
Have you been waiting for someone in the office to recognize your talents and efforts? Maybe it's time you start tooting your own horn. Step up and talk about your accomplishments and what you have done for the company. Successful workers know how to point out their achievements without sounding boastful.
10. My opportunity monitor is never turned off.
Yes, there will be days when you will want to just be happy with the status quo. But remember that successful workers are always on the lookout for opportunities to improve. Keep your eyes, ears and your mind open to new opportunities -- you never know when you will discover the one that will change the course of your career!
Article: Good Sleep Wakes Up Memory
Yet another interesting article (for me, anyway) that I found last week on the internet. Good sleep enhances memory. OK, some people may find this as obvious as saying grass is green. Nevertheless, personally it's good to have a reminder not to stay up so late when there's work the next day - & incentive to boost my memory & enjoy the other benefits that a good sleep brings.
*Yawns* Goodness, I'm starting to yawn already! I definitely won't be staying up past 11pm tonite. I mean, tomorrow's Monday, which is many people's least favourite working day of the week. So, to get a good start to the working week, I'll be getting the snooze relatively early tonite.
****************************************
Getting shut-eye before tests boosted performance, study found
By Juhie Bhatia, HealthDay Reporter
Researchers found that sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, it also helps strengthen them.
"There was a very large benefit of sleep for memory consolidation, even larger than we were anticipating," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and a postdoctoral fellow in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.
In the study, the researchers focused on sleep's impact on "declarative" memories, which are related to specific facts, episodes and events.
"We sought to explore whether sleep has any impact on memory consolidation, specifically the type of memory for facts and events and time," Ellenbogen said. "We know that sleep helps boost memory for procedural tests, such as learning a new piano sequence, but we're not sure, even though it's been debated for 100 years, whether sleep impacts declarative memory.
"
Two of the groups (the wake groups) were taught the words at 9 a.m. and then tested on the pairings at 9 p.m., after being awake all day. The other two groups (the sleep groups) learned the words at 9 p.m., went to sleep, and were then tested at 9 a.m.
Also, prior to testing, one of the sleep groups and one of the wake groups were given a second list of 20 word pairs to remember. These groups were then tested on both lists to help determine memory recall with interference (competing information).
The result: Sleep appeared to help particpants recall their learned declarative memories, even when they were given competing information.
According to the researchers, people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words whether or not there was interference. Those in the sleep group without interference were able to recall 12 percent more word pairings from the first list than the wake group without interference (94 percent recall for the sleep group vs. 82 percent for the wake group).
When presented with interference, those who slept before testing did significantly better at remembering the words (76 percent for the sleep group vs. 32 percent for the wake group).
"We were surprised to find the order of magnitude by which the data demonstrated our effects," Ellenbogen said.
Jan Born, a professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Lübeck in Germany, said the study offers more proof of the importance of sleep for memory consolidation.
"Considering that learning in every educational setting (schools, colleges, etc.), is centrally based on hippocampus-dependent memory function [declarative memories], people should realize that optimal learning conditions require proper sleep," he said.
Proper sleep may have other benefits, too, added Michael Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. Research has shown that in addition to memory, sleep may be related to physical functioning, good immune function, physical and cognitive performance, and mood regulation, he said.
"These are all theories. The only thing we know is that when we're deprived of sleep, we do less well. Is that a lack of sleep or sustained wakefulness? It's very difficult to figure out how to crack that nut," he said. "We spend 30 percent of our time on sleep. What is sleep for? This is a riddle we're still working on."
*Yawns* Goodness, I'm starting to yawn already! I definitely won't be staying up past 11pm tonite. I mean, tomorrow's Monday, which is many people's least favourite working day of the week. So, to get a good start to the working week, I'll be getting the snooze relatively early tonite.
****************************************
Good Sleep Wakes Up Memory
Getting shut-eye before tests boosted performance, study found
By Juhie Bhatia, HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) -- Besides helping you feel well-rested, getting your zzz's may also sharpen your memory, a new study shows.
Researchers found that sleep not only protects memories from outside interferences, it also helps strengthen them.
"There was a very large benefit of sleep for memory consolidation, even larger than we were anticipating," said study author Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, an associate neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and a postdoctoral fellow in sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School.
In the study, the researchers focused on sleep's impact on "declarative" memories, which are related to specific facts, episodes and events.
"We sought to explore whether sleep has any impact on memory consolidation, specifically the type of memory for facts and events and time," Ellenbogen said. "We know that sleep helps boost memory for procedural tests, such as learning a new piano sequence, but we're not sure, even though it's been debated for 100 years, whether sleep impacts declarative memory.
"
Two of the groups (the wake groups) were taught the words at 9 a.m. and then tested on the pairings at 9 p.m., after being awake all day. The other two groups (the sleep groups) learned the words at 9 p.m., went to sleep, and were then tested at 9 a.m.
Also, prior to testing, one of the sleep groups and one of the wake groups were given a second list of 20 word pairs to remember. These groups were then tested on both lists to help determine memory recall with interference (competing information).
The result: Sleep appeared to help particpants recall their learned declarative memories, even when they were given competing information.
According to the researchers, people who slept after learning the information performed best, successfully recalling more words whether or not there was interference. Those in the sleep group without interference were able to recall 12 percent more word pairings from the first list than the wake group without interference (94 percent recall for the sleep group vs. 82 percent for the wake group).
When presented with interference, those who slept before testing did significantly better at remembering the words (76 percent for the sleep group vs. 32 percent for the wake group).
"We were surprised to find the order of magnitude by which the data demonstrated our effects," Ellenbogen said.
Jan Born, a professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Lübeck in Germany, said the study offers more proof of the importance of sleep for memory consolidation.
"Considering that learning in every educational setting (schools, colleges, etc.), is centrally based on hippocampus-dependent memory function [declarative memories], people should realize that optimal learning conditions require proper sleep," he said.
Proper sleep may have other benefits, too, added Michael Perlis, director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. Research has shown that in addition to memory, sleep may be related to physical functioning, good immune function, physical and cognitive performance, and mood regulation, he said.
"These are all theories. The only thing we know is that when we're deprived of sleep, we do less well. Is that a lack of sleep or sustained wakefulness? It's very difficult to figure out how to crack that nut," he said. "We spend 30 percent of our time on sleep. What is sleep for? This is a riddle we're still working on."
Friday's funnies - More people for the Darwin Awards
This most recent Friday at work, the colleague that forwarded the "30 lines to make you smile" last Friday forwarded the list of contenders for the Darwin Awards below. It's hilarious!!
Hmmm, I wonder what is it that I need to do to get myself nominated as a Darwin Awards contender. Hahahahaha.....
***********************************************
Number One Idiot
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her in. During the conversation, she happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants.
I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away.
Number Two Idiot
Early this year, some Qantas employees on the airfield decided to steal a life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in getting it out of the plane and home. Shortly after they took it for a float on the river, they noticed a Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them. It turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated.
They are no longer employed at Qantas.
Number Three Idiot
A man, wanting to rob a downtown Commonwealth Bank, walked into the Branch and wrote this, "Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the Commonwealth Bank and crossed the street to the Westpac Bank. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Westpac teller. She read it and surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Commonwealth Bank deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Westpac deposit slip or go back to Commonwealth Bank. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at the Commonwealth Bank.
Number Four Idiot
A motorist was caught in an automated speed trap that; measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $240 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $240. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $240.
Number Five Idiot
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all of the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused and said, "Because I don't believe you are over 21." The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because she didn't believe him. At this point, the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and she put the Scotch in the bag.
The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later.
Idiot Number Six
A pair of Sydney robbers entered a record shop nervously waving
revolvers.
The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him.
Idiot Number Seven
Brisbane: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a brick through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the brick and heaved it over his head at the window. The brick bounced back knocking him unconscious.
It seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape.
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
I live in a semi-rural area (probably Kurrajong) We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road.
The reason: "Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! - I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing any more."
IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE
My daughter went to a local Taco bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for "minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce. He was a Chef?
IDIOT SIGHTING
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
IDIOT SIGHTING
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"
She was a probation officer with the NSW Police.
IDIOT SIGHTING
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker (she was leaving the company due to "downsizing), our manager commented cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare. This was a bunch at Telsta.
IDIOT SIGHTING
When my husband and I arrived at an car dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door.
As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!" His reply, "I know - I already got that side."
This was at the Honda dealership at Parramatta!
Hmmm, I wonder what is it that I need to do to get myself nominated as a Darwin Awards contender. Hahahahaha.....
***********************************************
Number One Idiot
I am a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center. Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her in. During the conversation, she happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants.
I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away.
Number Two Idiot
Early this year, some Qantas employees on the airfield decided to steal a life raft from one of the 747s. They were successful in getting it out of the plane and home. Shortly after they took it for a float on the river, they noticed a Coast Guard helicopter coming towards them. It turned out that the chopper was homing in on the emergency locator beacon that activated when the raft was inflated.
They are no longer employed at Qantas.
Number Three Idiot
A man, wanting to rob a downtown Commonwealth Bank, walked into the Branch and wrote this, "Put all your muny in this bag." While standing in line, waiting to give his note to the teller, he began to worry that someone had seen him write the note and might call the police before he reached the teller's window. So he left the Commonwealth Bank and crossed the street to the Westpac Bank. After waiting a few minutes in line, he handed his note to the Westpac teller. She read it and surmising from his spelling errors that he wasn't the brightest light in the harbor, told him that she could not accept his stickup note because it was written on a Commonwealth Bank deposit slip and that he would either have to fill out a Westpac deposit slip or go back to Commonwealth Bank. Looking somewhat defeated, the man said, "OK" and left. He was arrested a few minutes later, as he was waiting in line back at the Commonwealth Bank.
Number Four Idiot
A motorist was caught in an automated speed trap that; measured his speed using radar and photographed his car. He later received in the mail a ticket for $240 and a photo of his car. Instead of payment, he sent the police department a photograph of $240. Several days later, he received a letter from the police that contained another picture, this time of handcuffs. He immediately mailed in his $240.
Number Five Idiot
A guy walked into a little corner store with a shotgun and demanded all of the cash from the cash drawer. After the cashier put the cash in a bag, the robber saw a bottle of Scotch that he wanted behind the counter on the shelf. He told the cashier to put it in the bag as well, but the cashier refused and said, "Because I don't believe you are over 21." The robber said he was, but the clerk still refused to give it to him because she didn't believe him. At this point, the robber took his driver's license out of his wallet and gave it to the clerk. The clerk looked it over and agreed that the man was in fact over 21 and she put the Scotch in the bag.
The robber then ran from the store with his loot. The cashier promptly called the police and gave the name and address of the robber that he got off the license. They arrested the robber two hours later.
Idiot Number Six
A pair of Sydney robbers entered a record shop nervously waving
revolvers.
The first one shouted, "Nobody move!" When his partner moved, the startled first bandit shot him.
Idiot Number Seven
Brisbane: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a brick through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the brick and heaved it over his head at the window. The brick bounced back knocking him unconscious.
It seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape.
IDIOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
I live in a semi-rural area (probably Kurrajong) We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road.
The reason: "Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! - I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing any more."
IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE
My daughter went to a local Taco bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for "minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce. He was a Chef?
IDIOT SIGHTING
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?" I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."
IDIOT SIGHTING
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"
She was a probation officer with the NSW Police.
IDIOT SIGHTING
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker (she was leaving the company due to "downsizing), our manager commented cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare. This was a bunch at Telsta.
IDIOT SIGHTING
When my husband and I arrived at an car dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver's side door.
As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open!" His reply, "I know - I already got that side."
This was at the Honda dealership at Parramatta!
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