Ouch! 6/30/2008
Happy Father’s Day 6/16/2008
He taught me the meaning of honour, of standing by my word, and what I believed in. He taught me that losing gracefully is the mark of a gentleman, and sometimes is better than winning. He taught me how to speak the English language properly, and to respect all languages, and the written word. He sometimes lived his life too safely, refusing to take risks, but taught me that decisions have to considered carefully, and to weigh the implications. He taught me that alcohol is something to be savoured, not to be consumed in excess. He taught me to mind my manners, and to be polite to everyone around me, irrespective of their station in life. He taught me how to calculate the averages for poker and blackjack in my head. He taught me that a man is measured by his name, and the reputation attached to it. He gave me his sense of ethics, and that honest work is always rewarded, though not in the way I might want. He taught me how to play tennis, and gave me a lesson in humiliation and being humble when he whupped my ass in straight sets when he was 70, and I was a young officer candidate.
I carried his coffin and scattered his ashes in the sea a month ago today.
Happy Father’s Day Grandpa.
The price of pleasure. 6/4/2008
Is now RM2.70 a liter.
The government just announced that the price of fuel is going up 40% at midnight tonight. Aside from the huge queues from idiots topping up their tanks $20 worth of petrol just to take advantage of the price hike, I wonder how this is going to impact car drivers. If you ride a bike to work, on a regular basis, you’re already ahead of the game. Bikes are way more fuel efficient than cars, tuned superbikes excepted.
However, motorcycles imported into this country are still subject to a 100% import duty, and pay disproportionately more in yearly road tax than a car, based on engine size. Considering the fact that bikes are more fuel efficient, take up less road space and parking space, do a lot less damage to the environment and infrastructure than a car, I think some sort of break is in order, don’t you?
And no, don’t whinge to me about salaries. I haven’t had a pay rise in well over a year.
Pop-up dog… 6/2/2008
… goes for a drive.