Chatter Of The Squirrel

International Link Is Down

Richter 7.1 earthquake in Southern Taiwan. APCN2 (Asia Pacific Cable Network) submarine cables are messed up.

Everyone in the region is messed up, and will have difficulty accessing to international websites. All your Hotmails and Yahoos and GMails are gonna be messed up.

Thankfully though, that the ICQ, YM, MSN networks are also dead to us as a result. Else I’ld be up to my armpits with “Help ME!!!!!”s from people who think of me only when I can be useful to them.

Depending on how long it takes the cables to be repaired, I may get a few quiet evenings where I can paint without being interrupted by IM’s…

But… for those of you who are sweet enough to remember me, and thought of checking out my blog in the midst of this crisis…

Read: http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/388137

This chap is nice enough to open up a proxy for us to use in the mean time.

How do you use this proxy?

Open I.E.
Menu -> Tools -> Internet Options…
[Connections]
[Settings...]
Under Proxy Server: [Tick]Use a proxy server for this connection.
Address: my1.doubleukay.com Port: 3128
[OK]

…OR…

Open Firefox
Menu -> Tools -> Options
[Network]
[Settings]
[Button] Manual Proxy Configuration
HTTP Proxy: my1.doubleukay.com Port: 3128

And your internation web surfing will be very much improved.

Remember that you’ll have to set everything back when the cable is fixed.

MacGyver

Joy is . . .

. . . downloading a season of your favourite childhood show, and finding that there’s an episode that you’ve not seen before.

This show is a keeper. And I want my kids to grow up watching it.

The story is pretty tame for this day and age, but the spirit of chivalry is still unsurpassed by any other show in the last 20 years.

James Bond may score an average of two to three busty stars in every installment.

MacGyver doesn’t even get that many snogs in a year.

There isn’t a better role model to be had in this day and age. A clean hero who thinks with his head.

It isn’t until the series finale at the end of season 7 that it is revealed that MacGyver had a love child that he didn’t know about. A blemish in his white armour, but nobody’s perfect.

Gosh, I can still remember this after so many years . . .

Gosh, MacGyver was 20 years ago!

So old . . . . . . . . . . . .

What To Look Forward To In 2007?

Increased petrol prices

The government is heavily subsidising our petrol. They’re doing this to keep people happy. And to deny that there’s significant inflation in our economy. But just look at housing prices, our interest rates, and the competition between banks to give away money… A lot of money is being ‘given away’. When money supply increases, there must be inflation.

I’m hearing rumours of a 50cts increase in petrol prices come 1st Jan.  Let’s see.

. . .

Increased chicken rice prices

In the last two years I’ve been working at this office, the chicken rice downstairs has gone from Rm3.00, to Rm3.30, to Rm3.50 this year. This is the trend. Read reasoning above.

This will have significant impact on me, I fear…

. . .

Increased crime rate

Again, trends. There’s nothing being done to reverse the trend. So, an object in motion will remain in motion.

. . .

China will be up to something

US wants China to revalue the RenMinBi.

China won’t do it, cos there are still millions of peasants who have yet to benefit from the new wealth. China needs to keep growing.

US threatens China with trade embargo.

China threatens to dump their USD and diversify.

Arab states threaten to refuse to sell oil to China if she hurts the USD.

EU won’t let China move much of her wealth into Euros.

But China isn’t the type to stand for other people telling her what to do.

Things will get interesting.

. . .

Iran is already up to something

But what will they do?

. . .

Russia is getting up to something too

Journalists saying bad things about Russia are getting assassinated.

Defectors saying bad things about Russia are getting assassinated.
It looks as if the KGB is still alive. But everyone’s still shaking hands with Putin.

Will he show his hand soon? Or will more chickens have to die before people realise that there’s a fox about.

. . .

Gilmore Girls will conclude after 7 years

Will Lorelai find happiness?

. . .

Lost will still leave us hanging

Still a lot of survivors left to kill. They’re only killing off 3 or 4 per season. Need to pick up the pace, really.

. . .

A new Wheel Of Time novel?

Dare I hope? Will I get closure with this 11yr old relationship?

Prospects are dim though.

. . .

More opportunities to swim

Starting new job next year. Office at a condo with pool facilities.

Looking forward to a bronzed swimmer physique.

But not holding out that much hope…

Movies I’ve Enjoyed This Year

Hmm… This has got be a short list…

#1 must be: Over The Hedge.

It was better than Cars. Well, even Hoodwinked – Trouble in the Hood was better than Cars.

Then another mind-blowing movie is ??? SPL : Sha Po Lang.

Other shows I’ve watched with some good moments,

Running Scared

Lucky Number Slevin

Clerks 2
Shaun of the Dead

Keeping Mum

The Banquet, ??

.

None of the big comic book franchises impressed me much.

Things I’ll be looking forward to next year, Stardust, and 300.

And though I don’t yet dare to hope… a part of me is also looking forward to Transformers. But I’m dreading that Michael Bay might give it the Pearl Harbour treatment.

What I’ve Read In 2006

Not a good year for reading…

My reading accomplishments are more pronounced when I’m depressed. Like devouring the entire Discworld in the year I was having my finals…

This year, I’ve only read:

Magic Street – Orson Scott Card

Olympos – Dan Simmons

Thud! – Terry Pratchett

Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom

Forest Mage – Robin Hobb

Angel Visitations – Neil Gaiman

The Man In The High Castle – Philip K. Dick

Djinn Rummy – Tom Holt

.

Although I also re-read Hyperion – Dan Simmons, Good Omens – T.Pratchett & N.Gaiman, and Small Gods – T.Pratchett.

.

Also listened to some audio books, like 1984 – Oscar Wilde.

Have a small library of audio books for bed-time stories when I go to bed. I’ve probably listened through American Gods a dozen times already.

.

And game books don’t count in my tally of books read a year… Nor car repair manuals…

Ah well… Do better next year. I hope.