Damien Leith - Australia Idol 2006 Semi-Final #1
He's got fantastic control over his voice. I think I know to whom my votes might go to this year, even before the final 12 come about. Coz the others suck arse.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
it's all about yesterday
Some random thoughts that had gone through my mind yesterday, which I had them jotted down for this entry.
1. My table was a mess while I was trying to work out a budget for my 2nd half of the year. Had to work out my expenses estimation so I had to dig out the years old utility bills from a box. And ta-dah! Out it fell my nail clipper which I thought I had lost for more than a few months! How the hell did it get into that box is something I will try not to comprehend. I do have another one, which is bigger than this one. Big things aren't always better - trust me.
2. Talking about budgeting - yes I am drawing up a master (sounds big and serious enough?) budget and finally putting all the accounting knowlegde I know in the income statements and balance sheets. To show that I am totally into get this thing going, they will comply with all the rules and regulations by AASB and ASIC.
3. The second semi-final of the Aus Idol pretty much sucked. There was only one voice that I thought was good. Unfortunately I didn't agree with her song choice - when the 16-went-on-17 Jessica sang Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". And she had already sung "I Have Nothing" in the pre-lim. It just felt wrong as if she was singing some 50-year-old songs. I love Whitney Houston. Even though WH made those hits when she was very young (but still older than the 17yo!) Jessica looked simply baby-hit-me-one-more-time-Britney. I am not very sure about young girls doing ballads from the 80s and 90s; somehow the images striking my mind are way too different to what I see on stage. She could try go more Kelly-Clarksonish or Chrrrrrristina-Aguilerish or even Brit-Britney-ish. Fortunately the rest are not even worth mentioning so move on people.
4. Smokers please stay away from me!!!!! I have to activate my repelling magnetic force field whenever a big (sometimes small) man-size polluting chimney comes close to my breatheable vicinity. Too bad the force field doesn't work on them - normally I would be teleported 3 meters away instead of them.
5. Have been sitting too much and less exercise, especially on my butt. It's getting flabby and my pants are screaming coz they don't feel the snuggly fit anymore. Pat butt. Oh yea....Felt like 40-year-old melon. Kids, say goodbye to lifts and short-distance tram trips and hi to stairs!
6. Nightmare came true. Ocean 13 is being made now as we speak. 12 was already too much and 13 is coming up? 11 was bad to start with. So what are they gonna rob this time? Not another casino please? Maybe they'll try the reserve bank? Or or or - this time they are going to help the US government to steal crude oil!!! If there's no good idea for doing a trilogy, don't.
And that would be all for now. Enjoy your day and hope you get better PJ.
1. My table was a mess while I was trying to work out a budget for my 2nd half of the year. Had to work out my expenses estimation so I had to dig out the years old utility bills from a box. And ta-dah! Out it fell my nail clipper which I thought I had lost for more than a few months! How the hell did it get into that box is something I will try not to comprehend. I do have another one, which is bigger than this one. Big things aren't always better - trust me.
2. Talking about budgeting - yes I am drawing up a master (sounds big and serious enough?) budget and finally putting all the accounting knowlegde I know in the income statements and balance sheets. To show that I am totally into get this thing going, they will comply with all the rules and regulations by AASB and ASIC.
3. The second semi-final of the Aus Idol pretty much sucked. There was only one voice that I thought was good. Unfortunately I didn't agree with her song choice - when the 16-went-on-17 Jessica sang Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". And she had already sung "I Have Nothing" in the pre-lim. It just felt wrong as if she was singing some 50-year-old songs. I love Whitney Houston. Even though WH made those hits when she was very young (but still older than the 17yo!) Jessica looked simply baby-hit-me-one-more-time-Britney. I am not very sure about young girls doing ballads from the 80s and 90s; somehow the images striking my mind are way too different to what I see on stage. She could try go more Kelly-Clarksonish or Chrrrrrristina-Aguilerish or even Brit-Britney-ish. Fortunately the rest are not even worth mentioning so move on people.
4. Smokers please stay away from me!!!!! I have to activate my repelling magnetic force field whenever a big (sometimes small) man-size polluting chimney comes close to my breatheable vicinity. Too bad the force field doesn't work on them - normally I would be teleported 3 meters away instead of them.
5. Have been sitting too much and less exercise, especially on my butt. It's getting flabby and my pants are screaming coz they don't feel the snuggly fit anymore. Pat butt. Oh yea....Felt like 40-year-old melon. Kids, say goodbye to lifts and short-distance tram trips and hi to stairs!
6. Nightmare came true. Ocean 13 is being made now as we speak. 12 was already too much and 13 is coming up? 11 was bad to start with. So what are they gonna rob this time? Not another casino please? Maybe they'll try the reserve bank? Or or or - this time they are going to help the US government to steal crude oil!!! If there's no good idea for doing a trilogy, don't.
And that would be all for now. Enjoy your day and hope you get better PJ.
Monday, August 28, 2006
And so the semi-final 1 begins
It's a bit different this year from timing point of view, which I think is kool as they cut the crap so that the viewers don't have to be waiting for week after week only to get to the Top 12. Moreover they, hopefully, get to keep the viewers tuned in continuously for the 5-day semi-final show.
Oh yes, in case you haven't caught on - it's the time of the year where singers-wannabe-but-were-undiscovered people trying to impress the nation and one of them will be crowned the xxxx Idol for the year. There can be only one international Idol so far - Ms. Independent Kelly Clarkson. And also first Idol ever (who they call Pop Idol) in the UK years ago - Will Young, who has a very uniquely distinctive voice but unfortunately it only reverberates in the UK air space.
The performances from the Aus Idol last night simply boiled down to two singers - Damien Leith and Dean Geyer. The former-Irish-turned-Ozzie lad had the complete control over his angelic voice when he sang Joe Cocker's "You are so beautiful". He's not a terribly good-looking guy to start with and he could use some help with what he was wearing but his voice just blew everyone away since day 1.
@lf's goosebump index: 4.0/5
Oh yes, in case you haven't caught on - it's the time of the year where singers-wannabe-but-were-undiscovered people trying to impress the nation and one of them will be crowned the xxxx Idol for the year. There can be only one international Idol so far - Ms. Independent Kelly Clarkson. And also first Idol ever (who they call Pop Idol) in the UK years ago - Will Young, who has a very uniquely distinctive voice but unfortunately it only reverberates in the UK air space.
The performances from the Aus Idol last night simply boiled down to two singers - Damien Leith and Dean Geyer. The former-Irish-turned-Ozzie lad had the complete control over his angelic voice when he sang Joe Cocker's "You are so beautiful". He's not a terribly good-looking guy to start with and he could use some help with what he was wearing but his voice just blew everyone away since day 1.
@lf's goosebump index: 4.0/5
Of course the highlight of the show belonged to Dean Geyer, who is the most gorgeous guy of this batch of Idols. He was confident and his attire was up to (mine) expectation. If I had to choose, Damien would be the way to go. Having said that, I believe that Dean still had a lot left in this tank. He's still young and sadly not enough interpretation of the song was coming through.
@lf's goosebump index: 3.5/5
A moment of grief must be given to one of the hosts, Andrew G, who I dunno if anyone's hair could get any more hideous compared to his. I had just gotta turn my head away or shut my eye lids whenever he showed. Those dreadlock or mullet of hair!!!! It had gotta go mate. He was the Bachelor of the Year for crying out loud when Idol started in 2003. I guess he has forgotten about a hair appointment since then. I wonder if Madge thought the same way when he interviewed her earlier this year.
That's all for now. More Idol shit will appear in this space I reckon. Have a good week ahead folks.
Ed: he's supposed to be at the gym NOW.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Grevious Budget
Good Alf: Was originally planning to go to New Zealand at the end of year. But with PJ falling sick and SS falling out of employment, NZ has just become 1,000,000km further away from me.
So there's a change of plan that I might go to Sydney with Sherly to visit Winnie at the end of year, IF both of us have enough money! (Winnie you get the hint there)
Evil Alf: Satan (get it?) I feel so poor now after working out my budget for the next few months. Income almost balanced out expenditure. All thanks to my CT5 exam (so if I fail I am not gonna be an actuary anymore!), CPA qualification assessment (if the PR application tightens then I'll pack my bag balik kampung) and some very very bite-you-in-the-wallet retail theraphy. Let's just say that if I didn't incur all of those, I would be $1200 R-I-C-H-E-R.
Evil Alf: I am already having an idea of how to make more money - no, not by prostituting myself even though that might actually be a fantastic (but not good) idea - which I am not going to tell you. It's not going to the all-mighty ATM lah. It's not gonna be much though. (Good Alf shakes head and goes - Haih....)
Good Alf: Will definitely have lunch at home more often now, cut down on bloody expensive caffein intakes and no more going into the city.
Evil Alf: Should I chop my credit cards into pieces and stir fry with some vege for dinna tonight?
Evil Alf continues: I think I still owe my sister a free (luxurious) free meal - let's hope that she has forgotten about it OK? And please, don't you dare remind her!
Good Alf: We had better stick to the budget that we just drew up, you know, to account for every single sen.
Evil Alf, carelessly: Stick it up your @r$3 mate!
Ed: and so the battle between good and evil continues...
So there's a change of plan that I might go to Sydney with Sherly to visit Winnie at the end of year, IF both of us have enough money! (Winnie you get the hint there)
Evil Alf: Satan (get it?) I feel so poor now after working out my budget for the next few months. Income almost balanced out expenditure. All thanks to my CT5 exam (so if I fail I am not gonna be an actuary anymore!), CPA qualification assessment (if the PR application tightens then I'll pack my bag balik kampung) and some very very bite-you-in-the-wallet retail theraphy. Let's just say that if I didn't incur all of those, I would be $1200 R-I-C-H-E-R.
Evil Alf: I am already having an idea of how to make more money - no, not by prostituting myself even though that might actually be a fantastic (but not good) idea - which I am not going to tell you. It's not going to the all-mighty ATM lah. It's not gonna be much though. (Good Alf shakes head and goes - Haih....)
Good Alf: Will definitely have lunch at home more often now, cut down on bloody expensive caffein intakes and no more going into the city.
Evil Alf: Should I chop my credit cards into pieces and stir fry with some vege for dinna tonight?
Evil Alf continues: I think I still owe my sister a free (luxurious) free meal - let's hope that she has forgotten about it OK? And please, don't you dare remind her!
Good Alf: We had better stick to the budget that we just drew up, you know, to account for every single sen.
Evil Alf, carelessly: Stick it up your @r$3 mate!
Ed: and so the battle between good and evil continues...
Friday, August 25, 2006
Blessed vs Cursed
I have pride in myself, and also for many other multi-lingual fellow Asian, especially those from Malaysia. Growing up in Malaysia, however racist the country may be, the Malaysian Chinese are not to play-play with (speaking of Manglish), we understand mostly Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien, maybe with the exception of Hindu (enough with the tongue rolling and ear gruelling). It's really an advantage that we are can switch our tongue and brain to the different grammatical requirements (I was supposed to give an example of broken English but not being one who practices that, I couldn't think of any), even though we may not be expertise in those languages.
I was in Melbourne University the other day and while walking past Richard Berry (a building for all the Maths geeks) a few guai-lows (i.e. caucasian) were singing the Happy Birthday song in Mandarin - 祝你生日快乐...祝你生日快乐...祝你生日快乐
Suddenly I felt that I was no longer special. With many people from the west eagerly learning our language, despite communication improvement, I felt that for one thing is you can't talk behind their backs anymore, for starter. And soon when everyone is special due to their multi-lingual ability, no one is. Even though it's inevitable, I just felt that we would need to do more to differentiate ourselves.
Being a Gemini, you would expect to see the flip-side argument from me for being multi-lingual wouldn't you? As everyone was waiting for the tutor to come in this afternoon, I was trying to complete the tutorial questions. However I was immensely distracted by the Chinese around me. A group of 6 people far opposite me were conversing, loudly like a bunch of aunties at the market I might add, in Cantonese and the two couples on each of my sides Beijing Mandarin with all the tongue-rolling. It reached a point where I would just yell - would you all STFU, maybe in all languages I know? Hahaha...Only I didn't. And the guai-po sitting directly opposite me was as cool as a cucumber. She wouldn't understand a bit of their conversation but me, on the other hand, heard all their bitching from xxx is so ugly to where to holiday to my accounts are not balanced!
Since I have bitched about my own colour, might as well move on to another colour as well (I am not trying to insult any race but it's just my experience). Incidentally I was going to Springvale in a train (you tend to see a bit more of the wider spectrum of the society in a train, somehow) from Flinders Street. Not far behind me an Indian dude was on the phone. With every passing stop, his volume increased and the tongue was rolling at high rpm, I was getting pissed. I hate people talking loudly in a train because I will be stirred.
As annoyed as I was, I was no where near the ang-moh sitting opposite to me. It was as if the tongue of the Indian guy was slapping his face. He got so red, like he was on fire. He cursed, but softly. And he motioned of uneasiness and annoyance. But I didn't think that the Indian guy could see any of those. Let's just say he hadn't stopped even when I got off at Springvale, which was some 30-minute good old smacking on my ear drums.
I know I can move to other seats away from those larger-than-life speakers or to another coach. But that's not the point is it?
Ed: talking behind someone's back isn't necessarily talking about bad things ok.
I was in Melbourne University the other day and while walking past Richard Berry (a building for all the Maths geeks) a few guai-lows (i.e. caucasian) were singing the Happy Birthday song in Mandarin - 祝你生日快乐...祝你生日快乐...祝你生日快乐
Suddenly I felt that I was no longer special. With many people from the west eagerly learning our language, despite communication improvement, I felt that for one thing is you can't talk behind their backs anymore, for starter. And soon when everyone is special due to their multi-lingual ability, no one is. Even though it's inevitable, I just felt that we would need to do more to differentiate ourselves.
Being a Gemini, you would expect to see the flip-side argument from me for being multi-lingual wouldn't you? As everyone was waiting for the tutor to come in this afternoon, I was trying to complete the tutorial questions. However I was immensely distracted by the Chinese around me. A group of 6 people far opposite me were conversing, loudly like a bunch of aunties at the market I might add, in Cantonese and the two couples on each of my sides Beijing Mandarin with all the tongue-rolling. It reached a point where I would just yell - would you all STFU, maybe in all languages I know? Hahaha...Only I didn't. And the guai-po sitting directly opposite me was as cool as a cucumber. She wouldn't understand a bit of their conversation but me, on the other hand, heard all their bitching from xxx is so ugly to where to holiday to my accounts are not balanced!
Since I have bitched about my own colour, might as well move on to another colour as well (I am not trying to insult any race but it's just my experience). Incidentally I was going to Springvale in a train (you tend to see a bit more of the wider spectrum of the society in a train, somehow) from Flinders Street. Not far behind me an Indian dude was on the phone. With every passing stop, his volume increased and the tongue was rolling at high rpm, I was getting pissed. I hate people talking loudly in a train because I will be stirred.
As annoyed as I was, I was no where near the ang-moh sitting opposite to me. It was as if the tongue of the Indian guy was slapping his face. He got so red, like he was on fire. He cursed, but softly. And he motioned of uneasiness and annoyance. But I didn't think that the Indian guy could see any of those. Let's just say he hadn't stopped even when I got off at Springvale, which was some 30-minute good old smacking on my ear drums.
I know I can move to other seats away from those larger-than-life speakers or to another coach. But that's not the point is it?
Ed: talking behind someone's back isn't necessarily talking about bad things ok.
Be careful what you race for
Both CBS and Mr. Burnett acknowledged that the new format could be criticized. “I know it’s going to be controversial,” he said. “I’m not an idiot.”
The new season of Survivor coming up in Sept is trying to play up to a new stigma, which shouldn't be too unfamiliar since everything else revolves around it, racism. Well maybe I shouldn't put it that way, racism. The members of the starting 4 tribes are representing 4 ethic groups. What's next? Tribes by religion? I dare not even go there.
Let the New York Times fill you in. And this time around they are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. How exciting! Yes they are gonna be based on the Cook Islands.
Had a look at the Asian survivors. Asian = Korean meh? Out of the five there are 2 Koreans, and 1 Japanese I suspect (Virate = Japanese?) and gay (my gaydar could be wrong) and a Vietnamese whose nick is "Cao Boi" - which means moo boy. The fifth element from Asia? I dunno which one actually. Maybe you could tell me after you have a look. Am quite worried for them actually. Asian are smaller in size hence strength. Racist or not, I am gonna support the soft-tanned/yellow-skinned people.
The new season of Survivor coming up in Sept is trying to play up to a new stigma, which shouldn't be too unfamiliar since everything else revolves around it, racism. Well maybe I shouldn't put it that way, racism. The members of the starting 4 tribes are representing 4 ethic groups. What's next? Tribes by religion? I dare not even go there.
Let the New York Times fill you in. And this time around they are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. How exciting! Yes they are gonna be based on the Cook Islands.
Had a look at the Asian survivors. Asian = Korean meh? Out of the five there are 2 Koreans, and 1 Japanese I suspect (Virate = Japanese?) and gay (my gaydar could be wrong) and a Vietnamese whose nick is "Cao Boi" - which means moo boy. The fifth element from Asia? I dunno which one actually. Maybe you could tell me after you have a look. Am quite worried for them actually. Asian are smaller in size hence strength. Racist or not, I am gonna support the soft-tanned/yellow-skinned people.
I've got nothing better to do
so I made a collage which consists of me, I and myself only.
What's more is that it's my current wallpaper.
They say you have to love yourself - I believe I am now, vainly.
And now you can judge me =P.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
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