March 2003 Archives

It's the end of the month again, and time for my monthly statistics report. March 2003 has been my busiest month so far, chalking up 18,639 pageviews.

I knew this was going to happen sooner or later: The US forms its own UN, reports the Onion.

In real news: The Fox News network poked fun at anti-war protesters, running taunting headlines instead of the usual news tickers while covering last Thursday's rally in New York.

Lastly, American troops think that the 'thumbs-up' shown to them by Iraqi civilians is a show of support. To the Iraqis however, it may actually be interpreted as a foul insult meaning 'up yours!'. Slate analyses the issue.

Which goes to show, really, that cultural differences shouldn't be taken for granted.

The Guardian highlights how, in the thick of the battle, news reporters don't always get their facts right.

Here's a list of 15 stories the media has already bungled.

I purchased a few more books yesterday:

'From Beirut to Jerusalem' by Thomas Friedman
'The Clash of Civilisations' by Samuel P. Huntington, and
'Whose Promised Land? The Continuing Crisis Over Israel and Palestine' by Colin Chapman.

10 days to my baptism. I haven't worn a skirt since Peranakan Night, I think... and that was actually a sarong. I have a decent white blouse. Erm, that's really it. Oh, shoes. I should be able to balance on heels. They aren't too high. Plain Jane shoes from good ol' Marks and Sparks.

It's a strange feeling. I knew it was going to happen but I was always telling myself, ah, I have a couple more months to go ... and suddenly, you realise there are only two Sundays left and your good friends are asking you how to get to your church.

In the meantime, disease is on our doorstep, and the battle is still raging on. I read Revelations and sigh. Christian organisations are offering their interpretations of war and plague - but at a price. US$29.95 to be exact. But how do we know for sure that it's going to be true? And do we really need to know everything, anyway? I think I'll leave it to God, not the punters.

A new edition of the Bible Code is out, but I'm not buying it. I recall another expert decoder - was it Simon Singh? - who disproved the first book by showing that 'Mickey Mouse' or 'Donald Duck' was also in the same jumble of alphabets where 'Lee Harry Oswald' was. Regarding the assassination of JFK, of course.

Instead of getting caught up with conspiracy theories written by human beings who may themselves be biased, I'd much rather read the Bible itself, and focus on His word. Isn't it obvious?

Erm, right. Local actors try to look cool by dressing up as 'Postmodern' and 'Bohemian'. Thanks to Waye for the link.

You may notice that my front page's nav bar has a new section - Now Playing. Well I was browsing through the Movable Type forums looking for interesting tweaks, and came across this tutorial which teaches you how to sync up your Winamp player to your weblog.

Essentially you configure Winamp to send a trackback ping which can then be displayed, as an include file, on your website.

I'm so excited I can't sleep. I've been a supporter of Winamp since its shareware days (where I convinced dad to let me use his credit card so I could make a voluntary donation of US$10 to Nullsoft's cause) - and I am an ardent supporter of Movable Type, so I'm doubly happy that they can now be connected to each other.

(shrivels up with enthusiasm, curls up on floor)

Somebody obviously got hold of my office contact details, because I received a letter from one of those Nigerian fraudsters today. A paper letter, not an e-mail. Signed by a human hand.

The stamps from the letter came from Cameroon, but the author claimed to represent a Nigerian petroleum company. The amount was US$30 million and I was promised 20% of it for helping him transfer the money.

It is really dodgy.

[ Update: Here's a scanned copy of the letter in question. ]

I hear that many more Singaporeans are in critical condition now, but can't reveal any more news at the moment. However here is an update on the only patient I know of. Lifted off the Faith Assembly website today:

'26 MARCH 2003
(6:42 am latest)

Do pray unceasingly all through TODAY for Pastor Simon Loh who developed complications in the night. The doc said his condition is very critical. His blood cannot clot and he has internal bleeding. He also had a heart attack. His family is at the hospital now. Outsiders are not advised to be there.'

[ Update 27/3/2003: Sadly, it was Pastor Loh who passed away, along with Joseph Mok, the father of the girl he visited in hospital to pray for. According to the website, Helen Mok is now in very critical condition. I truly hope Esther Mok will not blame herself for something that was out of her control. ]

In fact, let's pray for EVERYBODY in hospital right now, and for good health for all their loved ones who may have come in close contact with them. And for the brave medical staff who have been slaving for the past few weeks to save them all. [ And now, also for the families of the bereaved so that they may be able to cope with their loss. That the disease will be contained and a cure will be found... ]

Look at the bright side. Some good has come out of the SARS scare.

1. Better MRT manners. More people have chosen to stand instead of rushing to grab seats on the train. A doctor at Tan Tock Seng hospital told me that many kiasu Singaporeans are now afraid to sit near the nurses who take the MRT home. Which means that the pregnant ladies with children, the handicapped and the elderly will FINALLY have a place to sit.

2. School children get a real break. Unlike school holidays, where extra homework is dished out as planned by hordes of well-meaning but generally ambitious teachers, I don't think the kids will be as overloaded during this impromptu recess. If you hear any news to the contrary, however, do let me know. [ Update 29/3/2003: Kyle Koh informs me that ACS Independent has a comprehensive homework list for Secondary 1-4. Aww. ]

News links:
Straits Times report on the two official deaths (read it before it disappears into the commercial realm of Newslink)
WebMD has a fairly current page on the SARS situation
Channel News Asia has a section devoted to SARS

Remember that No War wallpaper I designed last year?

It was featured at Italian website Digital Ultras, then it got taken down. I drew the picture of Bush myself, but used a corner of a map of Iraq which was taken from an academic site. I gave them due attribution when I made my submission. However I just HAD to add that I noticed another designer had submitted the entire map, untouched, save for his URL which he added on one side of the graphic, as his own work. Strangely they reacted by keeping his wallpaper / stolen map on display while they took down mine.

Unfair brutes. Maybe it was because he was Italian, too.

Anyway, apart from the fact that my name still resides in the middle black column of this site, that wallpaper of mine has laid low until someone from Austria wrote in yesterday to ask for it. So here it is folks - in its full (and former) glory, all 195 KB of it.

I watched the Greek comedy play Lysistrata this evening. Well since it was a local adaptation it was called Lysistrata Lah! It was performed at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute by a group of young dramatists, most of whom I haven't heard of before, but it didn't really matter in the end because we all had a bawdy good laugh.

The story, consistent with the original, goes like this: The women of Athens and Sparta, tired of their men waging war against each other, decide to take the matter into their own hands (no no no not that way) and swear never to have sex with them until both sides agree to stop the fighting and live in love, peace and hormon - I meant - harmony for ever more.

The play will have its last staging this Wednesday, 26 March 2003 so if you haven't felt offended by my style of writing thus far, I think you can probably survive it. It starts at 8.30pm but seats are pretty limited, so come early unless you happen to like sitting on the floor, looking up at male actors pretending to quell their massive uprisings.

The charity initiative is organised by Mercy Relief, which has already raised money and provided aid to Afghanistan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh and the Palestinian refugees. All donations for this play will go to the 'Iraq in Crisis' fund.

All the world needs some Hellenic humour.
More about the Lysistrata Project and the original play. For some illustrations and excerpts from the original play, you can try here (mature content). Get your tees here.

[ Update: Andrea has a review on her site. ]

Read the first comment on this entry - the writer seems to think that the higher your academic qualifications, the more entitled you are to voice your opinion.

I might have thought he was one of the stodgier members of the Singaporean civil service, except that he calls terrorists freedom-haters. I don't think it's as straightforward as that. I think they want freedom themselves, and see the US as a source of oppression for their people.

And contrary to what many Americans think, the violence in the Middle East is not the product of sheer jealousy, as prosperous and democratic as America is. Instead, its roots are religious and cultural, and go way back - centuries, even a millennium or two - before the United States was founded.

An increasing number of journalists point out that the US is seen by many in the Middle East as a supporter of Israel, turning a blind eye to its territorial infringements in breach of UN resolutions. Yet, the breach of resolutions is one reason given by the US to justify the latest Iraqi 'liberation'. To pro-war advocates who still feel that UN resolutions should be respected - wouldn't this imply that other countries in breach of such resolutions should also be dealt with accordingly?

I am not anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim or against any particular race of people in this world. It is saddening however to see one race destroy another, be it the Nazis against Jews, the Hutus against the Tutsis (remember that one?) and the Israelis (military) versus the Palestinians (suicide bombers). Maybe it is human nature that when you yourself are maligned and abused, that when you become more powerful you return the favour to other people. Hate usually begets more hate, not love.

While in Saudi Arabia on a business trip, my mother and her entourage were entertained by some Saudi businessmen. They were polite, even urbane, and all were _educated_ overseas. However after several rounds of drink, they started to rant about America - and she was stunned to hear them recalling every single wrong that the US had inflicted on them and their brothers. It was a very deep-set resentment which I think many Americans - many of whom have not actually had the opportunity to live in another country and experience how America is perceived from another nation's point of view - should bear in mind the next time they simplify it down to a case of 'freedom-hating'.

Lastly, I am sorry to hear that both coalition, Iraqi troops and innocent civilians have been killed in the war so far. I am disappointed that some of you feel that the UN's authority can be disregarded. Ironically it is powerless when it is needed most. But note that America sets the example for others to follow - and Turkey is taking advantage of that.

[ Update: Read what Albert Einsten himself had to say in a speech supporting the United Nations back in 1947. Link from Kottke. ]

We interrupt this transmission of the second Gulf War to bring you news from the driving range: Vanessa Tan has finally broken the 170 metre barrier with her new driver.

It was a straight and powerful drive which shot past the left side of the 167 metre flag.

Tan was exuberant as she exclaimed to her mother, "That was the best S$299 I ever spent!" She was referring to the Japanese-made driver she recently purchased at Daimaru's closing down sale. It originally cost S$1499.

"It wasn't too difficult. I simply recalled everything my coach taught me, and tried not to tense up like I usually do. Then I made one of the best swings of my life," she said.

Tan's father added with an approving nod, "If she keeps up like this, I think a short game will be in order."

Tan is now considering taking her handicap test this year.

This photo was taken during a boat ride up the Bosphorus River last June. The weather was lovely. We weren't permitted to sail up any further but I was told that this river mouth led to the Black Sea.

Still, it is several hundred miles away from the frontlines.

An argument for legitimacy: If you don't respect other nations' territorial rights or the sovereignty of the United Nations, then neither should other countries. Which is why Turkey has seized the opportunity to engage in 'self-defence' against a possible Kurdish intrusion, by entering Northern Iraq themselves.

Chaos begets chaos.

From Kottke: Kevin Sites, CNN correspondent at the frontlines, has been asked to suspend his weblog.

As you may have noticed, the war has taken on a new form: Weblogs.

Not American blogs against Iraqi blogs but more collectively, pro-war blogs against anti-war blogs.

[ Update: There was a debate between bloggers of both factions which you can read over at Truthlaidbear (pro-war) as well as at Nowarblog (obviously anti-war). Actually people are still posting comments. I haven't finished reading all their answers yet but it is interesting to see how some people on the same side are giving different answers or interpreting key issues differently from each other. ]

Much as I am against unnecessary violence, I'm getting weary of the whole affair (specifically, after seeing how the debate's gotten increasingly personal on some sites, and how the use of sweeping statements and the citing of certain facts while deliberately leaving out others is growing). There are too many facts out there which I have yet to consolidate, and too many dimensions to simplify the issue into a simple 'right' or 'wrong'. Because nothing is really that easy and neither side is perfect.

Meanwhile, the polls in the Straits Times today indicate that while more Asians are pro-peace, they nonetheless agree that Saddam is a dictator who should be ousted. And almost 80% of Americans are now for the war - mirroring the sentiments of the first Gulf War. (We'll see how Bush junior fares in the elections next year.)

A difficult question: in what circumstances can or should moral justification outweigh legitimacy?

[Due to the amount of comment spam, comments for this post have been disabled.]

Steve Bell has a very appropriate illustration of the relationship between the US and the UN, on the Guardian website.

I find it funny that US troops are now reportedly 'indignant' that Iraq is firing back at them - especially after firing a missile intending to kill Saddam himself. I knew the war was going to be fairly one-sided, but this is ridiculous.

I find it funny that Blair's speech touched on September 11, but didn't even mention the name, Osama. If the US and UK claim the right to a pre-emptive strike on Iraq, shouldn't they step up the hunt for Osama all the more, since he has already attacked and killed thousands of innocent Americans?

And it's funny that most of Blair and Bush's rhetoric can also be applied to various regimes in other parts of the world - yet little is being done about them.

And their lip service to the UN is laughable. So they think they can launch an attack not sanctioned by the UN, but when it's over (and they've won, presumably), they will seek more Security Council resolutions to rebuild their country.

I also find it funny that my weblog is getting hits this month from the US Government, Israel and the US Military (ranked #13-15 in that order).

I find it disturbing, however, that so many respectable bloggers think that war is the only option. They write with glee at the impending destruction of Iraq; they mock the nations who don't support the coalition; they brag about the military might their country possesses and make anti-war protesters sound like imbeciles. Am I missing out on something here?

The world is becoming increasingly polarised. I find myself sliding over to the left. But for anyone to take on an extreme stance on either side would be pointless. How can we come to a solution when roughly equal numbers of people have completely opposing points of view?

I agree that Saddam is a tyrant who is capable of killing members of his own family and who will continue to oppress dissent in Iraq. I can understand how some democratic countries would wish to put an end to his dictatorship. However, I found the coalition tactics rather transparent. Why ask for weapons inspections, then refuse to wait a couple more months and launch the attack? Why ask for UN resolutions when they can be disregarded? Why even the visit to the Pope, when the Vatican continues to condemn this war?

News:

The Boston Globe looks back at Bush's election promises on foreign policy: to be humble to other nations, and to use US troops sparingly in areas of conflict. But to be fair, I don't think he expected September 11 either.

The Economist questions: Is the war legal? which is a detailed discussion of the UN resolutions at stake.

Just after posting my email virus warning, I was told the war has begun.

I'm disappointed. But what's been done can't be undone.

Ultimately, God alone will judge who was right.

Not the world's most powerful nation, not its allies or adversaries. Not the newspapers, cable networks or opinion polls. Not even the innocent people who may die in this conflict.

Now we can only wait and see.

Before the war even begins, our computers may face a virus attack via email.

The W32/Ganda-A worm surfaced on Monday and affects users on the Windows platform only. To quote from The Age:

'Anti-virus firm Sophos said it had noticed the following four variants:

Subject line: Spy pics.
Message text: Here's the screensaver i told you about. It contains pictures
taken by one of the US spy satellites during one of it's missions over iraq.
If you want more of these pic's you know where you can find me. Bye!

Subject line: G.W Bush animation.
Message text: Here's the animation that the FBI wants to stop. Seems like
the feds are trying to put an end to peoples right to say what they think of
the US administration. Have fun!

Subject line: GO USA !!!!
Message text: This screensaver animates the star spangled banner. Please
support the US administration in their fight against terror. Thanx a lot!

Subject line: Is USA always number one?
Message text: Some misguided people actually believe that an american life
has a greater value than those of other nationalities. Just have a look at
this pathetic screensaver and then you'll know what i'm talking about. All
the best.'

Judging from the content of the email variants, I'd say the virus could very well deceive those who are for and against the war, as well as others who are curious about it.

Which just about covers almost all of us - save for a few apathetic Singaporeans who have told me that as long as it doesn't affect them, they don't really care.

Thanks to Dawn Lee (who refuses to reveal her secret blog address) for the breaking news.

After coming home from a very taxing and unappreciated day at work, filled with the prospect of a pay cut or retrenchment (leaving me to seriously contemplate a career change for the first time in three years), I came home to find my mailbox filled with messages from regular readers welcoming me back to the online world.

You have no idea how much your emails mean to me. Especially now.

For this, I thank you.

[ Update: after writing this, I read my horoscope. I know I'm not supposed to take it seriously but today it really hit the nail on the head. It said:

You may be ready to make some major career changes in your life, VANESSA. It is likely that you have become fed up with the stress of the hard work and long hours of the corporate environment. Surely in this age of technology there is a way for you to spend more time at home without sacrificing the quality of your work. Give some thought to this over the next few days, VANESSA. If you put a proposal together for your boss, you may be surprised by the positive response you get. ]

Sometimes I think we're helpless to do anything now ... but laugh at the whole situation.

Dixie Chicks told to leave US in 48 hours too and more, link via sixdifferentways

Here's what I think is the ultimate George Bush parody site.

For antiwar posters with a sense of humour, try the Propaganda Remix Project, and Another Poster for Peace.

Digging up the past, here's that cute Banana Boat Song music video starring Colin Powell and Osama.

Contributions, anyone?

Here are my thoughts on Tony Blair's speech, paragraph for paragraph. While my facts may be a little fuzzy I accept your comments, criticisms and any relevant information that would actually make my retorts sound more intelligible.

Sigh. I used to think Blair was cool.

My grand aunt, a doctor living in Los Angeles, has just informed me that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus has been diagnosed in her city!

I also received an SMS today, asking for prayers for a Pastor Simon Loh of the Faith Assembly of God who has contracted the deadly virus which has afflicted hundreds in South East Asia. I hope it isn't a hoax. Then again, for his sake I hope it is.

[ Update 20/3/2003: I wrote in to Faith Assembly of God and they confirm that Pastor Simon Loh IS ill. He has been sedated to prevent him from struggling to breathe. They ask for continued prayers. ]

For more information, read the Ministry of Health press releases, Straits Times commentary, and visit the World Health Organisation website.

Updates:

The Telegraph, The Times and the Guardian report news of the first British victim, a Manchesterian Mancunian [ thanks Kristen! ] who visited Hong Kong recently.

Good tidings! My old host has finally taken the initiative and renewed my domain name for me for free, as way of apology for downing me for over two weeks.

When the nameservers get switched to my new host, you will be able to view this weblog once again at vantan.org.

Following Kristen's example, I have now incorporated a referral log. Check out the side nav to see what I mean.

[ Update: It seems that everybody is looking for my Talking Fish entry. ]

Macromedia is really taking their new site redesign seriously.

My domain remains down for yet another day. Network Solutions have just told me that it's my old host Veoweb who need to release the domain. Veoweb denied holding on to it last week. In the meantime, my new host Addaction is unable to do a thing.

And I promised myself not to swear.

I received over 110 SMSes over the past week. I think I'll start a weekly SMS count.

I feel a little down because I put in a lot of time and effort to help my friend out, and now I've been cheated of my money. I wonder if I should compromise on my principles, make peace with everybody and settle for less, or stand my ground and fight for my rightful compensation.

Funny things have been happening in my house again. I get strange vibes in certain spots. Yesterday morning before going to church, something rapped my cupboard door. I was standing just 2 metres away, changing my clothes. I tried rapping the cupboards nearer to me and the table but the sounds were higher-pitched. I walked over, rapped the last cupboard door, and it produced exactly the same sound.

I want to sleep, but my mind is racing. My domain is still down. I wrote a snippy reply to Network Solution's email to me, asking them to expedite the process. vantan.org has been down for two weeks, and it sucks.

New York - A carp, about to be blugeoned on the head at a Jewish-owned fish processing company, began shouting in Hebrew, "The end is near!" Read more. The article can also be found in the New York Times.

Here's an update: Check out this story of a seventeenth-century Jewish scholar who placed a fish in a cradle, to symbolise the redemption of Israel - which he believed would happen under the sign of Pisces. Taken from the Jewish Heritage Magazine website.

If you have any more theories or background information, post them here.

There was a mad crush of people at the IT Show at Suntec City. Paper handouts were scattered all over the floor and people were just trudging through them. At some points I could barely move.

Times are hard. Apple had a PC trade-in deal. The camera brands were all giving away free gifts worth hundreds of dollars (tripod stands, dry boxes, bags). Canon, Epson and HP let customers trade in old printers of any brand. I bought a new HP Laserjet printer for S$299 (US$170). That was the trade-in price but the sales rep told me I didn't even need to bring my old printer in.

I didn't buy a new digital camera in the end. I figured there was no point - until I know whether I'm going to study abroad again. My future will be determined at the end of March.

I have just downloaded software that will enable me to blog from my mobile phone or Palm. More info to come.

Journalist Christopher Allbritton is starting an independent weblog on the Iraqi war. He will update his weblog via satellite phone and laptop. Read more, or visit his site.

Check out this IQ test on the Guardian website to see if your intelligence corresponds to your salary.

Of course, emotional and adversity quotients matter as well, but anyway ... I took the test, and my IQ is apparently in the 120+ range: 'Wow. Your IQ is as far above the average for your salary level as the scale permits. What are you doing with your life?'

Yes, what am I doing with my life?

Happily, Vanessa Tan has finally learnt how to centre her CSS layout to display in IE, courtesy of Bluerobot.

Duh!

Her mission complete, she can finally to go to sleep.

The results can be found here.

Movable Type has been voted the 'Best Application for Weblogs'. Whoopee!

This weblog has quite some way to go - my vantan.org domain still isn't registrable, last I checked today.

[ update: Kottke reveals his very funny pre-prepared acceptance speech - just in case he won. ]

Admittedly I wasn't entirely neutral to US foreign policy when I chose to read this book, but other titles such as 'Saddam, King of Terror' weren't going to be particularly objective either. 'Why Do People Hate America?' may prove a bitter pill for some Americans (especially those of the right-winged variety) to swallow, but it is certainly an eye-opener.

Verisign has transferred its dot org registry powers to a new organisation called the Public Interest Registry (PIR), created by the Internet Society.

Fellow dot-orgers, not to worry: contrary to earlier speculation, it doesn't look like they're barring personal websites from using this extension. In fact, there will be some improvements in the registration process.

In fact, we don't have to do very much about it, although our registrars are involved in the transition.

Macromedia has relaunched in Flash,taking on a light champagne hue. Its search engine is powered by Google.

You might notice how the Flash site actually remembers the item you selected on your dropdown menu, when you refresh or go back to the main page. Clever. That's another step forward for Accessibility, which they've been taking rather seriously since its previous redesign.

From the Accessibility link you can toggle between Flash and HTML versions of the site, which is also pretty nifty.

As an aside, I'm proud to announce that I've managed to display this MT weblog in Flash (viewable in Flash Player version 6), although I think it's not very practical. So HTML still rules for this site.

Gurmit sent this link to me and I think it is positively ingenious.

Remember when I predicted I'd do several things this year? Let's see how far I've gone:

1. Join a Bible studies group (yep)
2. Get baptised in March (well, April ... if all goes well)
3. Finish the church website soon (done)
4. Lock myself up in the music room and record something new (done tonight - two drum and bass and chillout tracks coming up)
5. Throw out a lot of junk cluttering up my room (hmm not yet)
6. Exercise more. Gym is good and I can do better than two times a year! (i really should be doing more sit-ups)
7. Visit the dentist. Too much coffee and tea. (done)
8. Buy 4D for the first time in my life. (not yet)

I was checking out the recording company founded by Queenie's friend Adrian, and I was ashamed that he's a lawyer AND producer of cool music AND a website. If my production goes well I might contribute a couple of tracks.

Yes, I'm crazy about the film, and in less than a day I have completed reading Szpilman's memoirs. His son notes that he is a musician not a storyteller, yet Szpilman's storytelling is intensely readable: moving without being too emotional; factual, with a directness that is immediately gratifying.

I also liked reading the diary of his German saviour Wilm Hosenfeld (included at the end of the book). How different his viewpoint was from that of his commander, Hitler. The German captain was ashamed of his government and its cowardly propaganda, designed to justify the mindless slaughter of innocent people all over Europe, and felt that ultimately no good would come out of this for Germany.

Hosenfeld saved many other war victims from death and imprisonment; the Jewish pianist was just number four on his list of people whom he thought was in a position to secure his release from a Russian prison.

It is most unfortunate that he could not be saved from death in a Soviet prisoner camp, despite the desperate appeals of Szpilman.

Today I engaged in a book-buying spree. I was at the bookshop and had originally intended to just pick up a copy of 'The Pianist'. I decided to buy the screenplay version as well, because the film had touched me greatly and the script was simple yet so meaningful.

Following that, I chose something off the foreign policy shelves: Why do people hate America? which I had heard about, and upon flipping through its pages, decided that it would make a suitable read.

I also picked up a copy of Dead Reckoning, since I had dinner with the author Dr Baden several months ago and found him to be a pretty interesting fellow.

It was then that I saw the Koran, translated by a British author who was also an Iraqi scholar (as rare as it gets), published by Penguin. I decided I knew little of other people's religions, and based on what I myself have experienced, I didn't feel comfortable analysing or making judgements on anything until I knew enough about the subject. So I bought the book, and am planning to read it - alongside the Bible.

Some issues are very similar; while others differ greatly. When I'm done, I might have enough to compile a comparison table, strictly based on these texts.

I just watched my first movie of the year - The Pianist. It traces the life of Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman and his remarkable survival under Nazi rule in Poland.

I can now understand how the film has won critical acclaim, including the Palme d'Or. It not only has a compelling storyline (as do most war movies); it also has many artistic touches and a dash of humour which shows up in the most unlikely of scenes, lifting us out of the gloom ever so momentarily.

There is also a kind of closure when Szpilman returns to the radio station after the war to complete his Nocturne. The film isn't called the Pianist for nothing - every so now and then, music re-enters his life and he relives his glorious past with a concerto in his head - before awakening back to war-torn reality.

Now I feel like watching Schindler's List and Life is Beautiful.

One more day, and my domain still isn't registerable.

I hope some unscrupulous person hasn't gone and seized this opportunity to swipe my domain name.

Oh, I should be so fortunate.

I'm making use of this domain downtime to tweak little Vanny's blog and help Kottonwool set up her database and migrate from Blogger to MT.

Come Friday, my company will be shifting office, and we will only have a 56k modem connection to share among the 10 (or 9? or 8? I'm losing count) of us.

There must be something inherently wrong with a web host which never fails to down my website and email every other week or so.

Excuse me, I'm feeling a little caustic today.

I'm writing an entry which nobody will see for a couple more days. Friends have been emailing / SMSing / calling me to tell me my site is down (thank you).

You see, my then-web host forgot to renew my domain, when I specifically asked them to do so a couple weeks before it expired. They replied, telling me all my requests were completed, lulling me into a false sense of security reinforced by the fact that, after Feb 25 (the due date), nothing happened.

That was what we would probably call a 'Grace period', which terminated suddenly this morning.

To cut a long story short, this is a new server, and the site will be redesigned on an ad hoc basis, so please excuse the blatant use of MT default stylesheets while I tweak things about.

I've heard the phrase 'bin Laden' used so often on US news, that you'd almost think it is the correct way of addressing the one called Osama (use this name), son of Laden (don't use this name, duh).

That is, unless we're planning to address President Bush as 'the son of George'!

As someone who lives in a country with a growing Muslim population, and who has Muslim friends, I am perturbed at how little care has been taken to address 'outsiders' properly. This sort of ignorance certainly won't impress the rest of the world.

Even if Osama is the bad guy.

I've just set up another MT weblog for my dear pal and namesake, Van Heng. It's quite easy, really, setting up Movable Type. I think I've gotten to the stage where I can set up a mySQL database, configure and upload everything in less than half an hour - where most of the time is spent doing the file transfers.

All hail Movable Type!!!

A recent CNET article reminds me that a fine balance has to be drawn between the protection of copyright and the development of technology.

Easier said than done, of course. While credit (royalties, attributions, and so forth) should be given to the originator, prohibiting others from adapting these works and possibly improving on them, is also too rigid a stance and would hinder innovation on a secondary level.

In fact, let's take this beyond the realm of copyright law. While we should encourage the research and development of cures for diseases, what about patent laws protecting drug companies which charge exorbitant prices for medicine desperately needed by third-world countries?

There is a partial workaround to this problem, albeit only for countries with patent laws that protect processes and not products. Another process can be developed to produce a similar drug, and at a much lower price.

To get an idea of the costs involved, here's an excerpt of a joint statement issued previously by the Third World Network and Oxfam:

'Prices of branded, patented products are often far higher than the prices of similar medicines produced by alternative or generic sources. For example, the Indian generic producer, Cipla, is able to offer its AIDS combination medicines for US$150-300 per year per patient, compared with the US$10,000-15,000 being sold by the MNCs.'

I was never a great economics student, but where poor, sizeable populations are concerned, it would make sense to sell cheaply to the masses. And imagine the wonders it could do for your conscience.

I'm interested to see how this tug-of-war between protection and dissemination develops. If anybody has information to add or even if you wish to correct me on something, I'd be glad to hear from you.

Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles! The Observer reports that Steven Spielberg is planning to produce a series of action films featuring the young reporter and his companions:

'According to Le Soir, Spielberg may cast convention aside and give Tintin a sex change. The magazine claims Gwyneth Paltrow and Jean-Claude Van Damme are being considered for the role of Tintin, Richard Gere for the role of Captain Haddock and Courtney Love as eccentric Italian diva Bianca Castafiore.'

Read more.

Tomorrow, apparently, is the day something major is going to happen to this world. Look here.

Strangely, I myself have asked for, but haven't received, any 'sign' that it will happen, so go figure. Neither has my church nor any of my friends.

I'll pray anyway.

And so we do. I can't wait for the new Tears for Fears album to launch!

Interestingly, my choice of universities had nothing to do with wanting to be near the duo, although it is notable that I studied in a city three minutes away from Bath via train.

And my recent application to USC has nothing to do with the fact that that Curt Smith is now living in LA.

In my visits to Bath, in fact, I had neither time nor opportunity to ascertain where exactly Snow Hill was. I did wonder if I would ever spot Roland in London or Bath. (Just as when I was in Stockholm as a child, I wondered if I would ever bump into Abba.)

And funnily enough, when I saw TFF's first live performance on TV as a kid, I thought Curt's name was 'Via Satellite', because that was what they displayed during his interview.

Ah, innocence.