Thursday 20 January 2011

A Boston Cat Called For Jury Duty


The judiciary in US is different from the one in Malaysia. In Malaysia, one man (the judge) listens to a case and then passes his judgement. In the US, the court has a panel of jury, members of whom are selected from the public, and comprised of people from all walks of life.


Now, what do you do when you run out of people to call for the jury? A cat, of course! Check out the full story from Daily Mail


Well, mistake or no mistake, I hope Sal gets presented in court on March 23.   :)

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Book Review: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro



Usually, I prefer to watch a movie first, then read the book if I like the movie. But in the case of Never Let Me Go, I read from the comments in IMDB that it is better to read the book first before watching the movie. One movie-goer even went so far as to say that if you haven't read the book you won't understand what the movie is about as a lot of the details were left out.


Well, I've read the book but haven't got around to watching the movie yet. It's still sitting there in my computer. Never Let Me Go is told from the perspective of Kathy, one of the three protagonists. They were clones though they were not sure if they were modeled from a real person. Their purpose for existing is to be organ donors, though Kathy and her two friends, Ruth and Tommy, yearned for a normal life.


Sounds familiar? Yes, it is along the same lines as the movie "The Island". But unlike "The Island", the clones did not escape.


They didn't have their freedom curbed like the clones in "The Island", but they never made any effort to escape. It made me think and wonder why. I guess perhaps they were afraid to leave the world they know and venture out into the unknown? So many opportunities were lost, and in the end, Kathy was left with questions like what if they had done something before it was too late.


It also makes me think deeply of how sometimes science chooses to ignore the obvious. A clone is also a human being, not a "creature" to be reviled like a spider. He or she has emotions, just like a real human. What right then, do we have for creating a sentient being only to ask him to serve his purpose for existence by donating his organs and when the critical organs were donated, the clone shuts down (the term is referred to as 'complete' in the book) and is only kept alive with the aid of machines until the very last organ has been donated? It sounds pretty inhumane to me. I hope in the real world, science won't get that far.

Friday 7 January 2011

The Pros and Cons of Married Life

Disclaimer: This post is nothing but the ramblings of someone who has nothing better to do than to self-indulge in some mindless drivel. It does not contain any useful information. Reading it will not make you better-informed. Rather, the contents might contain harmful elements to your sanity. If you still wish to go ahead and read it, do so at your own risk. You have been forewarned......
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Humans are like cows. The grass on the other side of the fence is always greener. It's not unusual to hear someone who is married complained that they wished they were not married, while those who are single wished to join themselves to someone for better or worse.


As a married woman of eight years, I feel I am qualified to list the pros and cons of married life as well as include some tips on how to overcome them, where applicable.


First, the disadvantages of married life:


1) You'll always have a dinner companion. No tips. Still mulling it over.


2) You'll always find that you are squeezed to the edge of your King-sized bed as the elephant of the house occupies the centre while in deep sleep. Have a sharp pin on the ready beside your pillow and when that happens, prick the elephant in the arm with it. Don't worry about hurting the elephant even if he yowls, the skin is too thick to suffer any serious damage.


3) You're forever on your knees helping your spouse look for his missing socks. There are three options here. One, you could paint his feet, from toes to ankles, to look like they're wearing socks so no socks will be required anymore. Two, you could string all his socks together and put them around his neck so he knows where they are at all times, even when he's at work in the office. Or, as a last resort, you could chop off his feet and save him from having to wear socks. 


The advantages of married life:


1) You'll always have someone to tell you you're fat (even if you don't think you are) and proudly call you his cow.


2) You'll know the Apocalypse hasn't come in the dead of the night when you hear the snores from the other side of the bed.


3) You'll always have a guinea pig to experiment your recipes on.


4) You'll always have a free plumber. You only need to holler when the sink clogs up. But do get a pail and mop ready in case the plumber decides the quickest way to unclog the sink is to simply open the bottom cover.


5) You'll always have someone looking over your shoulder as you go about your life to make sure you haven't dropped dead standing up or sitting down with your eyes opened.


The advantages are not limited to the above, but I think you would have got the idea now --- it's far more advantageous to be married than not. 


P/s: This is a tongue-in-cheek post and in no way does it reflect my relationship with my husband. I love my Mr. Potato lots! He's a GREAT hubby!   :)