It's Chakri Day, a public holiday today so my mom and I were planning on doing something together...
Mom: let's go to Silom, I heard the Red Shirts aren't going there after all.
Me: I just heard on the news that they arrived at Silom just now...
Mom: okay, let's go to Rama IV instead. We can go eat at that Chinese restaurant then go to Carrefour for grocery.
Me: Rama IV is one of the banned places too, meaning the Red Shirts will prolly go there too.
Mom: well then, can we go to Conrad on Wittayu Road instead. I have vouchers for afternoon tea
Me: mom... there's police all over Lumpini Park and Wittayu is waayyy too close to Suan Lum.
Me: oooh, a bomb was found in Chula earlier, luckily it didn't detonate.
Mom: oh gosh let's just stay home after all.
Showing posts with label semi-serious stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label semi-serious stuff. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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2. This blog does not endorse in advertisements for any agencies, companies, or the such. None of the comments that viewers may find which advertise for goods & services is the responsibility of the blog owner, nor does the blog owner endorse these advertisements, sexual in content or otherwise.
3. This blog does not get paid to advertise for PETA. The blog owner is, simply, adhering to her conscience and her belief of the humane treatment of animals. Blog content that includes pictures or videos taken from PETA's website have been properly credited, and please note that the blog owner does not receive any monetary incentives for posting.
4. If viewers of this blog should find anything discouraging or not to their taste, please note that the administrator and contributor have never meant to hurt anyone intentionally.
5. Comments are appreciated and welcomed. But please extend the courtesy that the blog owner is extending to the viewers by refraining from foul and scandalizing language. Any vicious attacks on the blog owner and contributor will serve as evidence in court. The blog owner retains all rights to lawsuit.
6. (And most importantly) If you do not like what you see, please simply close this window or click "Back." The blog owner does not invite vicious slander nor does the blog owner wish to start a cyber war in her own blog.
7. Finally, in the spirit of things, the blog owner believes in the saying that a picture is worth more than a thousand words; thus, a video clip (full of moving pictures) would be worth all of her two cents. The blog owner believes that videos and pictures convey much more than words (and this is why it is against her morals typing up all this), and as previously stated, if you don't like what you see, just leave. Nobody is forcing you to stay.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sometimes, you need to appreciate the spoilers.
I'm half way through my copy of Twilight, book 1 of Stephenie Meyer's popular Twilight Saga. It's a great book, really. Just as I was making up my mind to buy the other 3 books in the series, I made the mistake of reading some people's reviews on the final installment (titled Breaking Dawn) -- the reviews were far from positive.
--warning: spoilers ahead--
It's not that people didn't like Breaking Dawn or the conclusion Ms Meyer has drawn up for her fans, it's just that most readers seemed to have a problem with the not-so-subtle message she was trying to send.
The moral of the vampire-human-werewolf love triangle is supposed to be sacrifice and selflessness. But the main character, Bella Swan, is possibly the most immature, self-centered heroine ever created. It feels like Ms Meyer has forgotten to give Bella any personality at all because she was kept so busy describing over and over again the beauty of Edward, the vampire. As a result, Bella is so unimpressionable both in her own eyes and in the eyes of the readers, and defines herself based on cooler "others" -- namely, Edward and Jacob the werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. Even though I'm not even done with book 1, I already have an idea of the kind of happy ending Ms Meyer has in store for everyone, and I have issues with it. Despite my interest in the love triangle which the story centers itself on, I'm totally giving up on Twilight Saga and on Stephenie Meyer's works because I wholeheartedly disagree with her message.
I like happy endings, and I like Enchanted and Cinderella, they were cheesy but cute. But based on the dissatisfied readers' complaints about Twilight Saga, Ms Meyer seems to want her young (mainly female) teenage fans to think that an eighteen year old child-woman does not need to be independent, nor does she need education. She just needs to marry a man--preferably a rich, immortal man who can in turn make her immortal and shower her with material goods--have his baby, and live happily ever after. Who cares if she can't support herself, heavily relies on others, and does not develop as a person throughout the entire time? Who cares if her boyfriend suddenly leaves her? she can just go ahead and find another man to cling onto. And what if her boyfriend decides to come back and she's torn in between the two men, both of whom profess their eternal, undying love for her?
She can just marry one of them (the richer one), and then make a deal to let the other one go for her child (which she has with the one she marries) instead!
That's just wrong on so many levels, not to mention disgustingly morbid. Imagine going after the daughter of the woman you love but can't have!
In the end, Bella gets everything without even trying, and she does not make a single sacrifice. She becomes a vampire, gains immortality, gets the beautiful and faithful Edward, begs for sex, and becomes pregnant with his baby -- and Meyer claimed that this is the story she wanted to write all along. I can't even begin to tell you what a letdown it was. But trust me, it's so disappointing that I'm bothering to type all this crap up right now at almost 3 in the morning even though I'm having difficulty thinking coherently or even keeping my eyes from closing involuntarily.
You can't even use the excuse of "Why not? It's fictional/fantasy!" for the wrongness of the ending because it's illogical, incoherent, and most importantly, where's the moral? Fantasies are supposed to center around a main ethical argument or a moral so readers young and old can enjoy the stories and learn something in the process. Ms Meyer's fanbase is primarily made up of impressionable teenage girls, they've followed Stephenie Meyer faithfully from Twilight to New Moon, Eclipse to finally, Breaking Dawn, and I'm highly doubtful that this is the kind of ending anyone has anticipated for. On top of that, I really don't think that the glorious "marry young, marry rich, forget about schooling", "baby-having-baby," and "turn to the daughter if you can't have the mother" notions are such great message to be sending out to anyone at all, let along her fans.
I disapprove (not that it means much) and urge anyone who's bothering to read this post to NOT read Twilight Saga and read something more worthwhile instead (even Harry Potter had more depth and Harry experienced very significant personal growth than Bella, who most readers claim to have remained flat, one-dimensional throughout), or if you're already reading it, finish the book you've got and just... stop. I'll still finish my copy of book 1 so it won't be a total waste of my 365baht, but tomorrow I'll go to Kino and find something else to read.
--warning: spoilers ahead--
It's not that people didn't like Breaking Dawn or the conclusion Ms Meyer has drawn up for her fans, it's just that most readers seemed to have a problem with the not-so-subtle message she was trying to send.
The moral of the vampire-human-werewolf love triangle is supposed to be sacrifice and selflessness. But the main character, Bella Swan, is possibly the most immature, self-centered heroine ever created. It feels like Ms Meyer has forgotten to give Bella any personality at all because she was kept so busy describing over and over again the beauty of Edward, the vampire. As a result, Bella is so unimpressionable both in her own eyes and in the eyes of the readers, and defines herself based on cooler "others" -- namely, Edward and Jacob the werewolf, both of whom are willing to sacrifice their lives for her. Even though I'm not even done with book 1, I already have an idea of the kind of happy ending Ms Meyer has in store for everyone, and I have issues with it. Despite my interest in the love triangle which the story centers itself on, I'm totally giving up on Twilight Saga and on Stephenie Meyer's works because I wholeheartedly disagree with her message.
I like happy endings, and I like Enchanted and Cinderella, they were cheesy but cute. But based on the dissatisfied readers' complaints about Twilight Saga, Ms Meyer seems to want her young (mainly female) teenage fans to think that an eighteen year old child-woman does not need to be independent, nor does she need education. She just needs to marry a man--preferably a rich, immortal man who can in turn make her immortal and shower her with material goods--have his baby, and live happily ever after. Who cares if she can't support herself, heavily relies on others, and does not develop as a person throughout the entire time? Who cares if her boyfriend suddenly leaves her? she can just go ahead and find another man to cling onto. And what if her boyfriend decides to come back and she's torn in between the two men, both of whom profess their eternal, undying love for her?
She can just marry one of them (the richer one), and then make a deal to let the other one go for her child (which she has with the one she marries) instead!
That's just wrong on so many levels, not to mention disgustingly morbid. Imagine going after the daughter of the woman you love but can't have!
In the end, Bella gets everything without even trying, and she does not make a single sacrifice. She becomes a vampire, gains immortality, gets the beautiful and faithful Edward, begs for sex, and becomes pregnant with his baby -- and Meyer claimed that this is the story she wanted to write all along. I can't even begin to tell you what a letdown it was. But trust me, it's so disappointing that I'm bothering to type all this crap up right now at almost 3 in the morning even though I'm having difficulty thinking coherently or even keeping my eyes from closing involuntarily.
You can't even use the excuse of "Why not? It's fictional/fantasy!" for the wrongness of the ending because it's illogical, incoherent, and most importantly, where's the moral? Fantasies are supposed to center around a main ethical argument or a moral so readers young and old can enjoy the stories and learn something in the process. Ms Meyer's fanbase is primarily made up of impressionable teenage girls, they've followed Stephenie Meyer faithfully from Twilight to New Moon, Eclipse to finally, Breaking Dawn, and I'm highly doubtful that this is the kind of ending anyone has anticipated for. On top of that, I really don't think that the glorious "marry young, marry rich, forget about schooling", "baby-having-baby," and "turn to the daughter if you can't have the mother" notions are such great message to be sending out to anyone at all, let along her fans.
I disapprove (not that it means much) and urge anyone who's bothering to read this post to NOT read Twilight Saga and read something more worthwhile instead (even Harry Potter had more depth and Harry experienced very significant personal growth than Bella, who most readers claim to have remained flat, one-dimensional throughout), or if you're already reading it, finish the book you've got and just... stop. I'll still finish my copy of book 1 so it won't be a total waste of my 365baht, but tomorrow I'll go to Kino and find something else to read.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
如果痘痘長在...
额头 - 代表心火旺、血液循环有问题，可能是过于劳心伤神。这类的人脾气较不好，应养成早睡早起的习惯，睡眠充足，并多喝水。可以服用“导赤散”以泻心火。
鼻子 - 如果长在鼻梁，代表脊椎骨可能出现问题；如果是长在鼻头处，可能是胃火大、消化系统异常；若在鼻头两侧，就可能跟卵巢机能或生殖系统有关。可以服用“枇杷清肺饮”合“黄连解毒汤”以清热燥湿润肺。
下巴 - 表示肾功能受损或内分泌系统失调。女生容易在下巴周围长痘痘的可能是月事不顺所引起的。可以服用“知柏地黄丸”以滋肾阴清虚热。
左边脸颊 可能是肝功能不顺畅，如肝脏的分泌、解毒或造血等功能出了状况。可以适当地服用“龙胆泻肝丸”以泻肝火
右边脸颊 可能是肺部功能失常。可以服用“枇杷清肺饮”以泻肺热。
This is what I found on Google when searching for the causes for the zits on my chin area. It's written in a Chinese discussion board. It basically says that zits and pimples on the chin area are most likely due to kidney problems and digestive problems. If you're a girl it might also mean a funky menstrual cycle (lol, that's me). Check out the really cool names of the medicine they suggest that you take (are they prescriptive?) -- 龍膽﹖導赤﹖好像武俠小說喔... XD 不過龍膽不會是蛇﹑蛇﹑蛇膽吧 *驚驚*
不過話說回來﹐難怪我下巴的小痘痘一直都沒有好(整個消化很差而且經期超不順) -__-"
鼻子 - 如果长在鼻梁，代表脊椎骨可能出现问题；如果是长在鼻头处，可能是胃火大、消化系统异常；若在鼻头两侧，就可能跟卵巢机能或生殖系统有关。可以服用“枇杷清肺饮”合“黄连解毒汤”以清热燥湿润肺。
下巴 - 表示肾功能受损或内分泌系统失调。女生容易在下巴周围长痘痘的可能是月事不顺所引起的。可以服用“知柏地黄丸”以滋肾阴清虚热。
左边脸颊 可能是肝功能不顺畅，如肝脏的分泌、解毒或造血等功能出了状况。可以适当地服用“龙胆泻肝丸”以泻肝火
右边脸颊 可能是肺部功能失常。可以服用“枇杷清肺饮”以泻肺热。
This is what I found on Google when searching for the causes for the zits on my chin area. It's written in a Chinese discussion board. It basically says that zits and pimples on the chin area are most likely due to kidney problems and digestive problems. If you're a girl it might also mean a funky menstrual cycle (lol, that's me). Check out the really cool names of the medicine they suggest that you take (are they prescriptive?) -- 龍膽﹖導赤﹖好像武俠小說喔... XD 不過龍膽不會是蛇﹑蛇﹑蛇膽吧 *驚驚*
不過話說回來﹐難怪我下巴的小痘痘一直都沒有好(整個消化很差而且經期超不順) -__-"
Monday, September 22, 2008
The danger that is Maybelline Japan
This isn't a discussion about cosmetics. This is a post about marketing.
I'm kind of a brand whore when it comes to cosmetics. Except for Japanese brands (which produces drugstore/budget brands under giant cosmetics companies like Kose, Albion, or Shiseido), I never use drugstore brands. Not trying to be a total snob, but drugstore brands just don't do anything for me (especially brands like Maybelline or Sally Hensen, which have bad, cheap-looking packaging, and almost non-existing quality, but well, I guess you get what you pay for).
So it was totally surprising when I saw this really cute loose powder from Maybelline Japan. It's currently a limited edition product in Taiwan, and available only through Watson's from mid Aug-mid September.
It's metallic-pink and shaped like a giant pacifier. I know -- it doesn't feel like Lisa at all. But it's cute, and I figured if I end up not liking it, I could always find someone more appreciative to give it to. The price seemed reasonable at NT425, too (that's roughly a bit over USD$12). Not to mention it was supposedly a Japan-exclusive item. So, a good deal right? I asked Jack to purchase it for me because it's available for such a short period of time, and he agreed.
Meh.
Good thing I wasn't so dazed by its pinkness that I forgot to read it up on an online discussion board about makeup and skincare (it's in traditional Chinese, but here it is anyway: http://www.urcosme.com/index.htm). Turns out there's only 4.3g of product in the tiny loose powder case. That's 125NT for ONE GRAM, making this Maybelline product more costly than Chanel or Dior. (My Anna Sui loose powder is around 1400nt for 25 grams, that's around 65 nt/gram.)
Just looking at the display picture, you'd never know right? It looks so typical Maybelline - messy, a whole lot of loose powder cases crammed in this tiny allotted space - it looks so cheap.
I personally think it's their intended goal -- cute packaging, seemingly reasonable price, limited availability -- to suck you in and you end up paying more for this drugstore brand item than for products from premium brands.
From my limited understanding of how this works, probably 3/4 of the price you pay for goes toward funding the company's advertisements, rents, and other expenses. Customers end up paying premium for something they figured was cheap and a "fashion item" instead of a "luxury item."
This is rather impressive coming from a brand known for its affordability and availability in the US and pretty much around the globe. So far I don't see this happening in the US drugstore makeup brands business yet, but only exclusive in Japan. Guess this proves the already-undisputable fact that the Japanese are just that much better at conducting business than the rest of us.
I told Jack that he didn't have to buy it for me anymore. It's so not worth it.
p.s. Although it's supposedly a Japan-exclusive, it's made in China. I'll have to admit that 90% of the reason why I gave up on wanting this product is because of that. Toxic powdered milk, toxic food, clothes, mattresses... etc. Toxic loose powder will look so good on this list.
I'm kind of a brand whore when it comes to cosmetics. Except for Japanese brands (which produces drugstore/budget brands under giant cosmetics companies like Kose, Albion, or Shiseido), I never use drugstore brands. Not trying to be a total snob, but drugstore brands just don't do anything for me (especially brands like Maybelline or Sally Hensen, which have bad, cheap-looking packaging, and almost non-existing quality, but well, I guess you get what you pay for).
So it was totally surprising when I saw this really cute loose powder from Maybelline Japan. It's currently a limited edition product in Taiwan, and available only through Watson's from mid Aug-mid September.
It's metallic-pink and shaped like a giant pacifier. I know -- it doesn't feel like Lisa at all. But it's cute, and I figured if I end up not liking it, I could always find someone more appreciative to give it to. The price seemed reasonable at NT425, too (that's roughly a bit over USD$12). Not to mention it was supposedly a Japan-exclusive item. So, a good deal right? I asked Jack to purchase it for me because it's available for such a short period of time, and he agreed.
Meh.
Good thing I wasn't so dazed by its pinkness that I forgot to read it up on an online discussion board about makeup and skincare (it's in traditional Chinese, but here it is anyway: http://www.urcosme.com/index.htm). Turns out there's only 4.3g of product in the tiny loose powder case. That's 125NT for ONE GRAM, making this Maybelline product more costly than Chanel or Dior. (My Anna Sui loose powder is around 1400nt for 25 grams, that's around 65 nt/gram.)
Just looking at the display picture, you'd never know right? It looks so typical Maybelline - messy, a whole lot of loose powder cases crammed in this tiny allotted space - it looks so cheap.
I personally think it's their intended goal -- cute packaging, seemingly reasonable price, limited availability -- to suck you in and you end up paying more for this drugstore brand item than for products from premium brands.
From my limited understanding of how this works, probably 3/4 of the price you pay for goes toward funding the company's advertisements, rents, and other expenses. Customers end up paying premium for something they figured was cheap and a "fashion item" instead of a "luxury item."
This is rather impressive coming from a brand known for its affordability and availability in the US and pretty much around the globe. So far I don't see this happening in the US drugstore makeup brands business yet, but only exclusive in Japan. Guess this proves the already-undisputable fact that the Japanese are just that much better at conducting business than the rest of us.
I told Jack that he didn't have to buy it for me anymore. It's so not worth it.
p.s. Although it's supposedly a Japan-exclusive, it's made in China. I'll have to admit that 90% of the reason why I gave up on wanting this product is because of that. Toxic powdered milk, toxic food, clothes, mattresses... etc. Toxic loose powder will look so good on this list.
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