Year of the Tiger

Year of the Tiger promises to be a fun action thriller set in Singapore with a global appeal. It is set to hit the bookshops here in early August 2012. It will also be available as an ebook.

ABOUT THE BOOK

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army under General Tomoyuki Yamashita looted untold amounts of gold and other valuables from across its occupied colonies in Southeast Asia to finance the empire’s ongoing military expansion.

But when the tide of war turned against Japan in 1943, much of this treasure had to be buried in secret. Over the decades, the search for the legendary Yamashita’s Gold had been in vain until now ...

A group of foreign workers digging a tunnel under the Padang in present-day Singapore stumbled across one treasure vault and inadvertently triggered a biological booby trap. An unknown strain of anthrax was released threatening a global holocaust.

It is now up to a special team of investigators in Singapore to decipher a cryptic clue left behind with the loot to halt this deadly plague.

Year of the Tiger takes readers on a roller-coaster journey of political wrangling, murky history and secret organisations, from World War II Singapore to the present day, to discover the elusive cure for a seemingly unstoppable anthrax pandemic.

For more information go to: www.dmbooks.org

When Dinosaurs met Cats

Another home video ... its been a year since I've posted something here ...

When Cats become Cows

It started off by accident. I had bought some corn cobs intending to steam them as a late nite snack. I had forgotten about the last one and it remained shriveled at the back for the fridge for a week or two.

Deciding that it was better not to eat it, I pulled off some of the seeds and threw it in a pot with some soil.

I had really doubted that it could grow and a week or so later grow it did and much to my surprise, the cats loved the fresh young shoots.
 
And so I grew more and this is now it a fav snack treat.


Of course you can get too much of a good thing like this ...

I'll stand by you

And so the World Cup competition rolls around yet again and we stand divided by the teams we support.

Going by reactions from friends and family, my support of Team England puts me firmly in the minority but no matter. I know their chances are slim at best, but that's really not the point.

You support a team because you identify with them ... for me ... since childhood. You don't support just the favourites of Spain, Italy or Brazil and keep switching loyalty with each competition ... where is the sportsmanship in that?

You remain a team supporter in good times and in bad. You take a deep breath and stand tall when you look at the fixtures. Even though at the back of your mind you know it's gonna be a hard fight, you never lose the faith.

But that's a lesson in life too ... you have to believe in yourself and in your people who work under you. No matter how daunting the task seems, you steamroll ahead never doubting that you have what it takes to get the job done. When you push you team onwards, your faith in them has to be larger than life so that they too will believe and with that, conquer.

Barring hope beyond belief, Team England will get blasted out but I will still cheer them on. I won't waste time reading the post match reports with all their recriminations and the 'I-told-you-so' finger-waggings of journalists - armchair critics who probably haven't kicked a ball in years.

England will still be my team well beyond that final whistle.

Cat versus Catfish

Strange cat - hates the catfish

My sweetie, Dasher

And the memories remain ...


Really ... you were the first friendly face we saw when we moved into Woodlands in December 1999. You greeted us everytime we walked past the void deck with a friendly rub and waiting for a pat. You showed us your family. With your little "waak" your kittens would suddenly appear from drains or behind discarded furniture, whereever you had set up temporary home.

We tried to bring you up once, but you wouldn't have it. Perhaps there were more kittens you had to look after and so you stayed by the door, till we let you go free once again.

Evening feeds at the void deck became our ritual, a little packet of fish, a rub on the leg, one pat and you were satisfied... content. That's why we called you Sweetie at first for that was what you are ...

But life wasn't safe for you out there. Most of your kittens never made it but still you tried. We were only able to rescue one - Blitzen. Her brother left you a few days before and we are glad to see that at least he still survives, prowling the neighbourhood. Jet black and handsome, you would be so  proud of him for he followed in your footsteps.

And so we took you up and gave you a home on April 1 2003. There would be no more babies for you to worry about - your job has been done well. When we had you fixed, the vet said it was lucky we got you in when we did. Your womb was so distended by the many births, you would not have survived much longer.

The Passion of Sleep ...

Envy the cat ... for sleep comes easy

Big yawn ... fangs and all

 Brothers make good pillows ...

 

A full laundry basket maketh a good bed ... with a kid brother as a bolster

 Sometimes it's a tight squeeze just to get comfy

 

 When there is no one to hug, a couch will just have to do

And did we mention, yawning is contagious?

Fantasies of the Unconscious

Fantasies of the Unconscious ...

the road is long ... with many a winding turn ...

and so i seek out a new path -
bigger beyond the consciousness of the present
one larger  than i can possibly fathom ...

for if the dream were to die ...
the soul would soon follow and i
would be no better than the ignorant masses,
mere noise in the background ...

aspire no more to lead
but to stand alone ...
eyes fixed firmly on a goal
just beyond the grasp ...

He understands ...

"God understands our prayers even when we can't find the words to say to him."

Love the dog's expression!!
Source:  http://wendisecretstolife.blogspot.com

okay ... so I can't paint ...

or draw or colour or sketch .... sigh!

drew this today while on gmail chat with a friend ... strange thing ... it started off to be a dinosaur ... then I discovered how to make ... well ... splotches. Yup, life is full of surprises
 ...

then in a mood on April 3, ... it changed to this ... which did not get any good reviews either .... probably because of the dark text ...

and so that made way for some greenery  ...

... and on a dreary Easter Sunday ... this is about as done as it is ever going to get. That's me facing the rising sun ... standing alone ... content ...

Hundreds protest global warning in Canada

Sent by a friend ...

Guys don't shop - we just buy things

The other half should have known this by now ... certainly after all these years ...

It's simple really - if you want us to help with the groceries - beyond the manual, unpaid, unappreciated hard labour of physically carrying the hundred-odd bags to the car - fine but be clear in what you ask of us.

"Grab a carton of eggs" = I will take the first carton I see. No that's always the wrong one. If you want a specific brand or type - then you have to tell us 'cos all eggs look pretty much alike to us mortal men.

"Don't you know we always use the low-cholesterol ones?" Huh were these chickens on a diet or something? To me, all eggs look and taste the same - really - when fried and served on a plate - with bacon - the more the better. That kinda makes all this "low cholesterol" crap kinda redundant ya?

Fantasies of the Unconscious - The Art of Appreciation

I admit it - it used to bother me that I didn’t understand much about Art - especially the newer more "contemporary" forms.

To me “real” art was always these scenes of old - oils on canvas capturing a moment of intense human interaction - be it a man dying on a cross, a scene in an Italian marketplace, well-decked virgins dancing in fields of flowers or my favourite - the hand of God reaching out through the clouds to touch some naked guy (Yes, yes - I know its Adam).

You always knew what you were looking at and the main message was clear. If you take a closer look, you would probably be able to uncover more - some of the messages lying just beneath the surface which the artist had in mind.

The Christmas gift of hope

By Susan Leonard

When I recall precious Christmas memories, I think of a very special story, one which represents the magic and glory of the season. This is a true story, as told to me by my husband -- a professional Santa Claus -- of a real Christmas miracle which he experienced. A story that I think will cause YOU to believe ...

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see my Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

"Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
 

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

When the Star of David goes critical ...

 
Israel’s formidable nuclear arsenal is a fact acknowledged quietly but never publicly and this tiny Jewish state is just about the only nation on earth that can sidestep the prying eyes of the world’s nuclear watchdog.

Attempts by its Arab/Muslim neighbours to go down the same route, to acquire the ultimate weapon even in its crudest forms, have been met with mistrust, fear and condemnation.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) – the nuclear equilavent of "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you", has appeared to work well in halting ambitions and egoes in other theatres of potential conflict.

But the Middle East has never been a geopolitical crucible where pragmatic reason rules. History, religion and the delicate dynamics of the players involved, has necessitated such a special exception to be made for Israel and its nuclear programme.

And you are never too old ....

I'm older than the hills or so it seems at times and yet I never feel that I am too old to learn new stuff.

It had bothered me for weeks and try as I did, no amount of gingerness on my part seemed to help ... my shoes from squeaking.

So who knew that a healthy dose of talcum baby powder would do the trick and keep your feet dry and smelling well ... social at the same time.

The things one can learn from the Internet never fails to amaze ...

Why does God allow pain ...

A conversation between a man and a priest:

Man: I don't understand the omnipotent-benevolent thing.

Priest: You are confused because the bible describes God as an ominipotent and benevolent diety.

Man: Exactly.

Priest: Omnipotent-benevolent simply means God is all-powerful and well-meaning.

Man: I understnd the concept. It's just ... there seems to be a contradiction.

Fantasies of the Unconscious - A Rumour of War

It's been over for more than half a century - gone and forgotten ... consigned to the history books. A handful of memorials still stand but we pass them by without a second glance. War-centric museums? Sure we have them but they are mainly for tourists - quaint, quirky and sometimes painful reminders of those dark three and a half years of bloody subjugation.

Apart from the mandatory school trips, how many Singaporeans would actually head for Memories at Old Ford Factory or Reflections at Bukit Chandu or the Changi Museum?

Of Faith from Within

"Faith is universal. Our specific methods of understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just searching for truth, that which is greater than ourselves."

- Dan Brown, Angels & Demons (Page 134)

Does His name really matter? I think not. Call Him what you will. Religion of choice, faith or destiny is there merely to point the way.

We can't all be saints but at least we should resolve to live life by principles - of loyalty and hard work. If you have gone all out to help those you could, and you took the time to cherish the falling raindrops, then let the chips fall where they may ... a difference of one - is still a life well lived...