The World Through Glasses

A good mate just told me he was advised against wearing contact lens because of some white protein build-up in his eyes.

So, he has to switch back to glasses or go for lasik.

Lasik was highly recommended by most of our mates, but in case he decides to go traditional, I had two brilliant fashion spectacles choices for him.

Wong Kan Seng v Rivers Cuomo

Real Old Skool
photo source: straitstimes.com

Geek Rocksphoto source: guyism.com

Whaddya think!?

A dreary weekend for the world innit?

I had intended to write a little piece of something to whine about the lads' experience at the award-winning Garibaldi at Purvis St.

But after what's happened over the weekend, it would be inappropriate to dedicate a post just to diss at the crap food and service.

It's sad to hear Norway, a peace-loving country, suffer such a shocking and tragic act of terrorism committed by its own citizen. It's sad that he did what he did to innocent lives based on his stupid ideology.

photo source: guardian.co.uk

It's sad to see that lives are lost so easily in such a mundane activity like taking a train. Whether it's failure on the government's part or companies' slipshod jobs of building and maintaining the railway, it's a pity nonetheless that families lost their loved ones just like this.

photo source: popcrunch.com

And of course, closer to heart, would be someone who's touched us with her music. We all knew she was in trouble for a long time, but it seems so unreal that she would just leave the world so easily.

They say she's joined Club 27. It is made up of very talented people, but still, it just doesn't seem right to categorise them all in a group because they've left at age 27.

And perhaps we should all take just a little time off complaining today and be thankful for our fortunate little lives and the ones around us.

Foxxxy and The Side Trackers Go Kite-Flying

We've done it. Finally out and about, trying something new, doing something different.

Foxxxy was the reason why we got together on Sunday. The lil one is leaving our shores for the Alps. I guess foxes are more comfortable in a four seasons habitat than sunny and humid Singapore.

It's been a blast with her. The drinking and the thrashtalking, especially so when she's more of a dudes' dude than a chicks' chick.

So we celebrated her new journey with a kite named after her friend, assorted beers and three levels of Jerrys' chicken wings.

Looking forward to seeing her half-blood foxlets in years to come. Hehehe.

P.s. our last post mentioning foxxxy was one year 10 days ago. how time flies.

Super Thursday

Wanted to blog substantially about Beijing today, but had a bit too much with Yakki and Yakki's girl.

So it's good night to all.

How I kept sober
Photo Source: loyalkng.com

A Gift for Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend?

Lads, a great gift for your ladies.
Ladies, a great gift for your men.

Agent Provocateur - "Love Me Tender" in HD from Greg Williams on Vimeo

Sparkling Water Challenge - Perrier v Oldenlandia

Clash of the Titans

One hails from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France (sounding quite atas already).

Representing France

The other is made from a herb named Oldenlandia or 百花蛇舌草 (already sounds damn cheena), bottled in Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Co. Ltd (confirm cheena).

Representing the People's Republic of China

But Yakki and I, big drinkers of Sparkling Oldenlandia Water, were adamant that besides the price and packaging difference, Perrier and Oldenlandia tasted the same.

So we had to initiate a Challenge.

The Challenge was simple.
Each participant had to keep their eyes shut while we poured 30 ml of each into two identical plastic cups. He/she was to taste each sample a la wine tasting and then give his/her comments on each.

It was a unanimous decision.
Out of a population size of six, the Perrier was the preferred choice of the common people.
It was gassier and blander, unlike the Oldenlandia which had a slight salty taste.

Expensive Perrier thrashes Cheap Oldenlandia

Yakki cried foul, protesting that I didn't buy the right Oldenlandia water.

On close examination, the less saltier and much gassier Oldenlandia water we usually drank did come from a can, not a bottle.

On even closer examination, this sample was bottled in Qingdao Laoshan Mineral Water Co. Ltd., while the canned version is a product of HSC Singapore.

But the decision was final. It would have been too lame for us to carry out this already lame and random test again, just to prove that Perrier isn't much better than Oldenlandia.

Regardless, we will remain greater fans of Oldenlandia Sparkling Water because:

1) It has more medicinal and nutritious value in it than Perrier; can cast away heatiness (zhua) within one's body.
2) It can be found in coffee shops and be served with salt at no additional cost.
3) It costs 70 cents per bottle. Perrier costs 3 times as expensive at $2.*

'Nuff said.

*both Cold Storage prices. prices in atas restaurants or heartland kopitiams might vary.

Upcoming Review for the Lads

If you've been reading our past few posts, you'll realise that they've been slightly random, haphazard and perhaps lazy.

But fear not, because we're going to promise you something special very very soon.

We'll still talk about Shanghai and complete all the serious, sombre posts about the city.

We'll even throw in reviews of two very sexy places to hang in Bangkok.

However, the special post will be on something that dudes will truly madly deeply be interested in. And of course, we hope that it'll beat the Vicki Zhao post in terms of hits (that post clocked the highest number of hits in a day, mothers do sell).

Till then, get yourselves ready. Hands out of pockets.

Breast Cancer Awareness

These intelligent posters from the Breast Cancer Foundation have recently made appearances on Singapore newspapers and advertising boards across the island.

Thought we should post them up to perk up your weekend.

Ladies, do check your assets once every month (Self-examination procedures are available here).

Gentlemen, keep your hands to yourselves.

Shanghai Hiatus

To all our fans, googlers and the accidentally spammed, we apologise for the lack of action in The Tuck Shop.

This is mainly due to Yakki's eventful life off the web and Wally's workload in his 'real job'.

And, we'll be going up to Shanghai for a week.

Probably no us for another 10 days or so, since Google's not very welcomed in China.

But we'll be back with smashing posts/pictures on/from Shanghai.

Hope to see more Gongs than Johns in 上海
Source: Slashfilm.com

The Art of Pausing for Applause

Anyone who watched the opening and closing ceremonies of the Youth Olympic Games would have noticed that the speeches by Mr Ng Ser Miang were very well choreographed. It was written and planned to the second, probably by a junior staff member.

This is what we think was on his hard-copy transcript.

Photo: ChannelNewsAsia

"Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore,

Mr Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee,

Friends and Colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have done it!!

We have delivered the inaugural Youth Olympic Games!!!

(Pause.)

(Look at crowd.)

(Wait for applause.)

Young Olympians, blah blah blah. Thank you Chefs de Mission, team officials, coaches and Athlete Role Models ...

(Pause.)

(Look at crowd from left to right. Good speech etiquette.)

(Wait for applause.)

The journey for the last 2 ½ years has been exhilarating and fulfilling. Thank you friends. Blah blah blah. Thank you, President Jacques Rogge for your vision...

(Pause.)

(Look earnestly at crowd.)

(Wait for applause. Wait for applause.)

(Applause finally comes.)

My fellow Singaporeans, we have worked hard together to host the world. We have fulfilled our promises and undertakings and made Singapore proud. Thank You, Terima Kasih, Xie Xie, Mi Ker Nandri.

(Pause. Long pause if required until obligatory applause comes after awkward silence.)

More thank you you and thank you him and thank you her.

(Pause. Look even more earnestly at crowd. Soak in the atmosphere. Indulge in the final moments of glory. Just wait for applause.)

Thank you!

(FINAL pause. Final applause. Wait for fireworks. Wait for screams. Wait for clappers. Wait for cheers. Wait till everyone in the crowd and at home watching the television feel compelled to do something, anything.)"

- Phew. Finally done. Experience in PSLE Oral Examinations does come in handy 50 years on. -

Yakki's Take on Make-Up Sex

Rain and More Rain

It's been an interesting year for Singapore, weather-wise. Instead of the usual hot and humid or very cloudy or heavy thunderstorms and showers expected all over Singapore, our Met service now has access to the word "flood" in their limited vocabulary.

The rain has caused many problems to us Singaporeans. Some losing their cars. Others having their condos' car park or landed property filled with sexy brown water. We too had our problems with the rain.

Bad Bad Rain

Remember we were gonna do an article on "Birds". Yes, 鸟. The rain has forced us to cancel many early Sunday morning trips to the birds' sanctuary. So you'll have to wait a little longer for the "Birds" article.

Anyway, back to today. As I was driving along the surprisingly-only-damp Bukit Timah Road, I wondered about my insurance's coverage for a drenched car, and then about changing to a more flood resistant car like an SUV or a crossover.

The new Kia Sportage

Speaking of which, Yakki and I should be test driving some new crossovers (in flood conditions preferably) in the coming month, so keep a lookout for that.

The new Peugeot 3008

But on a serious note, we should be thankful that the floods here have not caused any loss of life as seen in Pakistan and China. We are really a fortunate bunch of people. Be grateful.

Times Square Kiss

V-J Day in Times Square, 14 August 1945

Source: New York Times

Iconic photo of a sailor kissing a nurse by Alfred Eisenstaedt. Must have been a great advert for the US Navy.

What is an Alpaca?

Alpaca noun
A long-haired domesticated South American mammal related to the llama, valued for its wool

Before shave; After half-shave

Photo Source: www.bordom.net

More alpacas
Cute aye?

Dance to this Song

A tribute to predictable Pop songs.

Dream Numbers

Goal TOTO: Singaporeans' favourite sport

We missed the small one

BUT

Coming tomorrow..

Always wear RED to huat!

China Heatwave Hits Friend

A friend returned from Beijing, asking us if we've been to China during summer.

"No dude, only in autumn or winter. How was it?"

"Beijing was filled with Han people."

Duh. Isn't it filled with Han Chinese all year round?
According to Wikipedia, Han Chinese constitute about 96% of the population of the PRC (and 9^% of Beijing).

"I meant 汗人(Han Ren), not 汉人(Han Ren). Damn smelly."

Orhhh...

Hot and Sweaty Smelly Man (above)

汉人 = Han Chinese; an ethnic group native to China and, by most modern definitions, the largest single ethnic group in the world.
汗人 = Sweaty people; a perspiring group.

The Universe is a Dude

I met Ross and Foxxy for drinks last night. After a pint of Stella, Foxxxy became philosophical/gibberish.

"Scientists have proven that the universe is always expanding. But it becomes nothing really."

Huh. It's a proven scientific fact?

"Yes! It's like it expands and expands and gets sucked into a black hole."

"Oh, so it's just like sex la. The universe is a dude who keeps expanding and then at the end of it, it's like nothing when it comes to an end," the brilliant Ross dissected Foxxxy's theory.