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Friday, December 26, 2014

Year End Post


It was an interesting year. This year 2014. A lot of exciting travel. Not that I have SEEN any of Manila, but I can now claim I have been there. The highwight was the IAA in Hannover. I am sure my parents were happy that I left after 3 weeks. Jakarta, Singapore, Thailand and a lot of local travel was part of the busy schedule. And the way I see it, the next year will not get any less demanding in terms of trips abroad. To start, Bangkok and Singapore are lined up.

Work-wise I would have never thought that Asian Trucker would become that successful. Which is great. A real keeper that. And a lot of fun. Thanks to some awesome colleagues too. That said, sometimes I wonder how we actually manage to pump out all these magazines, given the clowning around in the office.

Fitness is coming back. BUUUUT! The saying "it comes back quickly" can be rebutted as utter garbage. I have been to the gym for a year now with full energy. And I am still not where I left it some 4 years ago. Give me another year, will ya?

The Blair Toast Project is still on. Just in case you wonder.

And with that, I have fulfilled my promise of posting more again. And there will be more and more now again. Next year I am planning to be back with blogging to old form too!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Yes. Soon. I promise

Haiz... The last post has been so long ago. But what do you expect? I am writing so much now that I am not really in the mood to have another "publication" that takes up my time.

But ok, I promise that I will be posting more here again soon. Really. Really really!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Challenge rejected

Please note: Neither will I take the ice bucket challenge, nor will I donate instead of taking the challenge. Why?
Not because I don't think one should donate or help people in not. But because I think it should be done in a sustainable manner. Once we have seen all FHM hotties and aged rockstars pouring water over themselves it will get tired. Soon as the frenzy is over, ALS will be forgotten and Ohhhh what an awesome viral campaign that was. I read somewhere that the organsiation receiving the donations only puts 7 % (That's right, there is no 0 behind the figure) towards actual research into ALS.
If you want to do good, you don't have to boast about it on Facebook. The late Paul Walker was running his own charity, spending millions on helping people and hardly anybody knew.

Do I personally do enough for good causes. No. But if I do, not to show off. Also I would rather look at something more sustainable than a "viral campaign'.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Copied. Ok. Still bloody hilarious!

A MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years... to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
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1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
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2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
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3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
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4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
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5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
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6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
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7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
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8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
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9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
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10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
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11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
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12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
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13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
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14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
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15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!

PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Unemployment contract


What I like most about running my own business? It is the fact that I can work from anywhere and there will be no boss asking me what I am doing in a bar at 4pm on a Friday afternoon. Yes, work still needs to get done, but if I can choose the environment that I work in, it may actually help me to be more productive. This is me sitting in "Out of Africa" by the pool. I sat down to write one of my most difficult articles ever. Got it done in an hour and I am happy with it.

Guess, this makes me somewhat unemployable. Not that I am thinking about any of that, but hey...

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Living without ome letter

o, mung tell me I hve to updte my keybord driver. Peronlly, I think tht i  lot of B. ometime key on my lptop work, other time they imply don't...

Now I m hmmering wy on ome key, hoping tht there i till live in them. My emil onvertion with them pn 3 week nd they re unble to jut ell me how muh it i to rple the keybord.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Of quiet dogs and noisy places

The idea was to move to a place where there is less traffic. Not that difficult considering that right down from the bedroom was a major traffic artery with 5 lanes. Now that this is 40 Km away, it is dogs that keep me awake. Strangely, dogs would be sleeping most of the day, not bothering with anyone passing by. Wait till night falls.

The other day the "Outdoor Dog" barked for 3 hours at a squirrel across the street. Like that is gonna be a threat to the house or the non-existing valuables in the home.

Barking competitions typically start at 3am and will last for hours. Don't you love it when your folks communicate?

So, off I go to meet people in a Restaurant / Bar. Nice and relaxing as many (if not most) people are too busy staring at their smartphones and hardly talk to each other.

Biggest news this week is a missing plane. Now, how can a plane vanish without ANY trace. Give it 2 or 3 years and someone will make a movie out of this.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Reset - Third time

Finally. With a bit (more) pushing from the missus, I have finally signed up for a gym membership again. And it HURTS! I can feel every beer and Gin+Tonic of the last five years.

Just a light training of the upper body yesterday and today I am totally stiff (Normal days I am just stiff as any personal trainer that has ever assessed me will certify).

Now the goal is to get back into the shape I was in when we left Hong Kong in 2006.
This is, by the way, the third time that I am starting from scratch on this. Never getting easier, isit?