by | § ¶ | trackbackMobile casinos targeting families in mourning
I learnt something new today.I learnt that there are mobile casinos in operation in the heartlands of Singapore that prey on chinese wakes held in HDB void decks to avoid being arrested.
They come in vans stocked with tables, mahjong paper, portable fans and many other forms of gambling paraphernalia. They'll spend the first day or two surveying the area and making discreet enquiries before setting up shop by the third night. Apart from dealing and playing the house they have full time staff handling refreshments and acting as lookouts. I believe they also managed transport because people came in droves all through the night.
Now how low can one go just to satisfy your craving for gambling? You pieces of shit.
by | § ¶ | trackbackVernon God Little
Last Monday, he bought 3 books at Waterstone and one of them came back with me mysteriously. Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. To be honest, I believe we would never give it a second look if not for the fact that the author won The Man Booker Prize in 2003. So I have been reading some 5 pages a day. Not because it is not interesting, but I have been busy with unpacking and working on my dissertation. But reading it on the train was an interesting affair. People were looking at me disapprovingly. Is it because the title reads Vernon God Little, or is just my horrendous hair colour?Just so you know, this book is the author’s first novel, erupted just before his fortieth birthday. Another point of trivia is that DBC Pierre was born in Australia, grew up in Mexico, now a British citizen, and is living halfway up a small mountainside in Ireland. And oh by the way, the novel is set in the barbecue sauce capital of Central Texas.
So, Vernon Gregory Little was accused of murder, and apparently became the fulcrum for the bizarre and vengeful impulses of the townspeople of Martirio. Not having finished the book, I can tell you no more than "he did not do it". But here's a brief paragraph of the book which I like and will shamelessly plagiarize.
’Pa-ra-dime. You never heard of the paradigm shift? Example: you see a man with his hand up your granny’s ass. What do you think?’
‘Bastard.’
‘Right. Then you learn a deadly bug crawled up there, and the man has in fact put aside his disgust to save Granny. What do you think now?’
‘Hero.’
‘There you go, a paradigm shift. The action doesn’t change the information you use to judge it does. You were ready to crucify the guy because you didn’t have the facts. Now you want to shake his hand.’
Hey Bush, does this apply to you? Is there something we do not know about your insistence on declaring war on Iraq? We know what you can gain from it, but I’m not sure if it is worth the risks and hassle in the first place. Were there any compelling and good but embarassing reasons? Tell me.
by | § ¶ | trackbackWe are still alive
Barely... just barely. We've moved out of the lovely Evington flat into a third rate 3 room student house just across from Vic park. A terrible but necessary downgrade. It's so bad we didn't even want to take any photos of it.Expect regular postings to be back in about a week's time. And well done Greece and the determined few who staked 50:1 for them to clinch the cup three weeks ago....