Blogging Diarrhoea

As promised, an avalanche of crap is coming your way. You have been warned. ;P
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Alter Ego

See this watch here? Isn’t a beauty? It’s one the watches in the Alter Ego range, by Tag Heuer. So sleek, so stylish... the price is beautiful, too. SIGH.
             Don’t we all have an alter ego, too? Especially to fellow bloggers out there. Or practically just anybody who uses the Net to communicate with others. I noticed that people in real-life may not necessarily be the same as their personalities online. A person could be chatty, friendly and/or witty online... but when you see the person in real-life, he/she would behave completely opposite sometimes. What is this barrier in the real world which makes certain people more difficult to connect to?
            Are really who we think we are? Are our Internet personalities true reflections of who we really are... or just merely a projection of what we THINK we are or WISH to be? Are our Internet personas merely another mask, subconsciously designed to comfort our own inadequacies and insecurities?
            These quotes from a particular movie clearly articulate the idea of an alter ego:

“You were looking for a way to change your life. You could not do this on your own. All the ways you wished you could be... that’s me! I look like you wanna look, I f*ck like you wanna f*ck, I’m smart, capable and most importantly, I’m free in all the ways that you are not.”

“People do it every day. They talk to themselves. They see themselves as they like to be. ...”
(first person to tell me which movie these quotes came from will get a stick of Choki-Choki chocolate. The Roommate is not allowed to participate. ;P)

Or are our online selves our pure, unadulterated version of ourselves, let loose and unguarded due to the safety and security provided behind the computer screen?
            Masks... is it inherent in human nature? People are so afraid of getting hurt, afraid of rejection and long to be accepted by others. I suppose masks are a form of defense mechanism, to somehow survive in the community.
            So how do I know if you are really who you said you are? Which one is the mask? Is there any?
            Just a thought.
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THBT* Formula One racing is not a sport
*stands for 'This House Believes That'
The Roommate and a batchmate recently went for a debate and this motion came up. I find that ridiculous because it is a non-issue. Formula One racing IS a sport. It is a fact. A statement. And no matter how a person may want to argue, in the end, the human element is still the driving factor (pun intended ;P) behind the sport.
            Trying to argue that F1 is not a sport will be like trying to argue that the sun does not rise in the east. The only thing arguable would be ‘Is East really in the east?’ or other philosophical crap as such, but the fact is the sun would always rise in the same direction, regardless of what the direction is called.
            Here are some fun facts about F1 racing:
F1 drivers are among the fittest human beings on this planet. The amount of training they do keep fit to drive 60++ laps could rival the training for athletes preparing for the Olympics. Racing totally punishes the drivers’ body. In a race, a driver could suffer from dehydration, and hallucinations, if driving in extreme heat like in Sepang. These people work their staminas by going mountain-biking, running cross-country, and going to the gym, almost everyday. They take really good care of their diets. In terms of their bodies, they are quite muscular and strong, especially their necks since they are literally driving at breakneck speed, where they may experience the force of up to 4G at certain corners. While racing, the adrenaline level is upped, the heart is working overtime. If the heart isn't strong enough to withstand the increased workload, the driver may collapse and die. If not by heart failure, then death by racing accident. Driving round and round a racing track is not as easy as it sounds.
            Still unsure about F1’s sports status? Apart from being physically tough, a driver gotta keep his wits about him. While driving up to 330 km/hr sometimes, the driver has to manipulate 7 different gears, do defensive maneuvers when the fella behind tries to overtake, devise a tactic to overtake the fella in front, be completely aware of the conditions of his car (the most experienced drivers would really know how to take care of the tyres and bring the best out of their machineries. Case in point: Michael Schumacher) and his surroundings (in case an accident occurs in front of him) AND maintain his focus to drive all out, at the greatest speed possible.
              To put it simply, if you put Alex Yoong/Antonio Pizzonia in a Ferrari, do not expect Michael Schumacher results just because the Ferrari is fast. There is more to F1 racing than its technology.
               Not convinced that it is a sport still? Well, as DC (not David Coulthard—this is the lesser known one ;P) always says, “If you don’t get it, forget it.”
              Anyway, the recent German GP was brilliant. My Schumi won in front of his home crowd. The racing between Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso was just fantastic. Towards the end stage of the race, something went wrong with Button’s helmet... and he drove with ONE HAND ONLY for 1/3 of every lap from then on, at a speed which could slightly threaten the leader (Schumi actually responded by going faster) but no real challenge was mounted because he prioritised his life first than a GP win. ;) And Button drove from 13th place on the grid to clinch 2nd place. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Alonso got third.
                  The Roommate came in to watch the race in the middle of it and the following conversations ensued.

TR: Actually, F1 race is quite fun to watch, huh?
Me: Err, yes. That’s why I try to watch every race.

TR: Hey, what’s he doing there? Get out of there lah! Wasting time only!
Me: Err, it’s called a pit-stop.
TR: Huh? For what lah?
Me: To refuel and change tyres.
TR: Change tyres for what lah?
Me: The tyres get worn out after driving many laps at high speed.
TR: Really ah? Why so ganas one?

TR: How come Michael Schumacher starts from the front and others are behind him?
Me: The grid positions are determined by the Qualifying sessions the day before.
TR: Oh. But then a bit obvious who’s gonna win, right? A bit unfair, right?
Me: Not really. The pole position gives him the advantage but he doesn’t necessarily wins. Other factors, like pit-stop strategy and luck, comes into play as well. 

              The Roommate may win various debate tournaments and discuss intellectually about the current political and economic situations in the world, but when it comes to F1 racing... FINALLY, a topic I could realistically beat her in debate. Yes! ;P But then again, it’s not really a debatable topic as I mentioned earlier. Dang! ;P
              So to those who never had an interest in F1 before, I hope you have been enlightened by this particular ramblings and hey, why not spare 2 hours of a Sunday night to catch a race in action? Watch the reigning F1 King, Michael Schumacher in action before he retires, which is speculated to be in 2006. He is awesome. There is no one like him (except for Mika Hakkinen but he’s retired. *sniff* *sniff*) .
Schumi and his wife, Corinna
              The Hungarian GP will be on August 15. :)

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Sing-Along Songs
I  was listening to Jason Mraz (You and I Both, The Remedy) the other day and was singing along to one of his album songs, Curbside Prophet. And the chorus goes like this: “I’m just a curbside prophet/ With my hand in my pocket/ And I’m waiting for my rocket to come.” And suddenly it hit me—what exactly is he singing about?
            If you are not sure what I’m talking about, maybe this would be clearer:
           
            “I’m just a curbside prophet
            With my HAND IN MY POCKET
            And I’m waiting for my ROCKET TO COME.”
           
            If you still don’t get it, your level of innocence is applaudable.
            If you do get it, chances are, your mind is as screwed up as mine, muahaha!
            Other songs with ambiguous lyrics include:

Bent by Matchbox Twenty (thanks, Ad!)
“Can you help me?/ I’m BENT”
Sure, dude. The gay bar’s just down the road.

I Could Not Ask For More by Edwin McCain
“I could not ask for more...”
This song is a typical Diane Warren-penned romantic ballad... or is it? It could also be another way to say “I’ve already had enough.” Not so romantic now, eh? ;P

Any other suggestions for songs with ambiguous lyrics?
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Goodbye. Flush.