T-55


The T-55 was built in great numbers and supplied to many Soviet client states during the Cold War. This particular example, being a heavily modified Iraqi vehicle, was captured during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The Iraqi T-55 had numerous armour blocks crudely affixed on its glacis, turret and hull sides and was ungainly. The up-armouring was not adequate in the face of Coalition firepower as numerous Iraqi T-55s and Type 59s* were destroyed during one of the most one-sided campaigns in history.

The T-55 mounted the 100m gun which was one of the most formidable anti-tank armament during the Second World War and the early post war years.

*Chinese supplied copy of the T-55 tanks. The Chinese, like the Soviets and the French, supplied vast amounts of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) to the Iraqis. 

Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade



The Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade houses a Leonidas chocolate store, Subway, Tony Romas, a well-known Irish pub, Muddy Murphy's and many other shops. It is generally a sleepy place.

 

Silver's (AK) Humble Abode

Another exchange on MSN Messenger:

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Good morning Friend Kuoby!

AK says:
Link

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Yes, you have shown me the image previously.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
This should be blogged.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Looks pleasant and humble.

AK says:
what should be blogged?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Silver's humble abode.

AK says:
i am humble and pleasant!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I thought you would want a palatial place.

AK says:
no

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Huge, with gold taps.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
And torture chambers.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
And lots of slaves.

AK says:
oh no, i wouldn't want your palatial factory floors

AK says:
filled with struggling peons making a buck

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I don't know man. Who is the one with the slave?

AK says:
you! and your maids

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
YOU!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your slave has spoken up.

AK says:
idiot!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
She suffered unusual, cruel torture at your hands.

AK says:
such idiocy!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You are damned.

AK says:
listening to you is ususual and cruel torture.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Evading the issue again. You had slaves.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
What are you going to do now?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Are you going to be reformed?

AK says:
Going? i AM reformed.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
So you claimed.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
How do you explain your slaves?

AK says:
why do i need to explain

AK says:
can you send me durian? i thiink my aussie colleauges would love it.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Woo, you seem to think that I am your slave.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your slaving habits are still there. You are not reformed.

AK says:
i still can't mud

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
That's divine punishment from Emperor Loh.

AK says:
Emperor Loh can lick my boots and resuscitate my butt.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
See? That's another manifestation of your slaving habits.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You are just proving to the world that you're a heartless slaver.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Yours slaves lick your golden boots, don't they?

AK says:
i don't wear golden boots

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
And they pat your golden butt too?

AK says:
oh ho ho. i won't be goaded by your feeble asinine opines.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You felt goaded?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Why?

AK says:
i'm busy so...

AK says:
F

AK says:
C

AK says:
Kayu!

AK says:
U

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You sound like a British fashion house, O'Golden Butt.

AK says:
they've stupidly dropped the FCUK branding

AK says:
they should keep it.

AK says:
revitalise it

AK says:
so much brand equity in it.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
People have told me of a backlash.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Any truth to that?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
They said that the novelty is gone.

AK says:
yea, that's because they lack the foresight to see that i can be revitalised.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I am sure you can.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Perhaps with a hot poker, O'Golden Butt.

AK says:
sigh.

AK says:
i guess mudding means i can do more work

AK says:
of course that means i have to suffer your insolence more, without having Dune to distract me.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You're flattered that people bother to listen to you while you ply a dishonest trade, eh?

AK says:
i have no need for flattery you flatulent fool.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Slavery and deception are evil, O'Golden Butt.

AK says:
OH MY WORD! THAT STENCH. stop flatulating you flatulent fool.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Eh?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Still obnoxious?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I guess your reformation did not extend to your obnoxious behaviour.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Maybe, your reformation is not complete.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your claims are falsehoods.

AK says:
your opinion of me matters as much leech being crushed by a truck.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
How creative! Is that how a creative copywriter uses metaphors?

AK says:
what does it matter to you? it's like your head's a coconut being pulverised by a monkey with an axe.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your analogies are weak.

AK says:
not as weak as tea being diluted with water from the bathtub.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your kung fu is weak, O'Golden Butt.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Is that how you peddle your junk food to young innocents?

AK says:
if only you could see me snort and flare my nostrils as big as the moon, you'd feel the true power of my disdain.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Is that what you do to frighten your slave Benita?

AK says:
who's benita.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I know, to you slaves don't have names.

AK says:
DO

AK says:
I

AK says:
GIVE

AK says:
A

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
KUOBY!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Kuoby?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Slaver?

Orchard Hotel


 

Snoozing

 

M46 Patton


The M46 Patton was a derivative of the M26 Pershing, being first developed in 1946. The M46 mounted a new engine and transmission with some improvements to the gun, fire control and suspension. Otherwise, the M46 was very similar to the M26.

The M46 mounted a M3A1 90mm gun and was protected by 100mm of armour on the glacis and turret front.

The gaudily painted tiger and dragon faces were meant to frighten 'superstitious' Chinese troops during the Korean War.

Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006 

Liar's Poker


My sister recommended this. It's unexpectedly entertaining. Heh. 

Bumboats in the Stream


This way, that way, where are they going? 

Hear me roar!


What is she doing up there? She's the dominator! Roar! Meooooooooow! 

AMX-13


The first prototype of the AMX-13, being was one of the three armoured vehicles designed in France following the end of the Second World War, was constructed in 1948. The early models were armed with a 75mm gun, similar to that of the Panther which equipped the French army immediately after the Second World War. This was followed by later models with a 90mm gun with others mounting SS-12 ATGMs. The AMX has an unusual FL-10 oscillating turret and a gun fed by two revolver type magazines, each holding six rounds of ammunition.


A whole family of vehicles were developed from the AMX-13. Over 3000 examples were built in a period up to the early eighties.

Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006 

Conversation with Alma from Romania

A conversation on MSN Messenger with Alma from the Fremen guild on DuneMUD:

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Yo O'Blood-Sucking One!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Happy New Year!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
The sietch is still talking about the legendary Alma porn.

Virginia says:
hi

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Are you at work?

Virginia says:
was there ever any alma porn?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Surely, there was!

Virginia says:
no, home

Virginia says:
i can't sleep

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Ahh... It's a Friday night, right?

Virginia says:
saturday morning

Virginia says:
almost 6 am

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
It's Saturday morning here too. you haven't gone over to the USA?

Virginia says:
no

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
When are you scheduled to go over?

Virginia says:
i'm not

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Oh. You have a change of plans then?

Virginia says:
well yeah

Virginia says:
it's been a while

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I recall you were going to do a Ph.D. programme.

Virginia says:
yeah i was doing many things

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
And you were going to get a job as an engineer.

Virginia says:
i realised i got a great job as an engineer here and a family that i won't leave here and another boyfriend that i like

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Excellent!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Are you ever coming back to Dune?

Virginia says:
no, i don't think so

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Not even in two years?

Virginia says:
hopefully i'll be a successfull busines woman with a family in 2 years

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Oh well.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Excellent!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
That's more important!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
That's real life.

Virginia says:
although successful business women and families is a rare thing

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Instead of residing a text-based game with hordes of kids with insecurities. Hahahah

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Why is that?

Virginia says:
i mean who have families

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Ahh... I get you.

Virginia says:
they're to busy being successful

Virginia says:
etc

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You could have a family and also kids.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I have seen successful women like that.

Virginia says:
ack no kids!!

Virginia says:
not yet at least

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You could have your parents help in looking after the kids?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Your in-laws?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Alma and her 20 kids! WOO HOO!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Whee!

Virginia says:
only a little house and the guy to live with

Virginia says:
nooooo

Virginia says:
i'll have kids when i'll be 29

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
That should be a good age.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Not too early or too late.

Virginia says:
yep

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Besides you will be a lot more financially secure by then!

Virginia says:
yep

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
A successful career woman then!

Virginia says:
i'll be a bill gates

Virginia says:
i'll buy you all

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Hahahahaahahahah. Almasoft Windows Vista!

Virginia says:
laf

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
If you have the willpower, I'm sure you can make things happen.

Virginia says:
and the error messages would be "wtf dude. what did you do? you're breaking the system"

Virginia says:
!!111

Virginia says:
we'll see

Virginia says:
i've been working since july last year and i already got 2 raises

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You're gonna be rich and famous.

Virginia says:
the boss <3 me

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
What is your role?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
What do you do?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Besides beating people up?

Virginia says:
well..i'm kinda staying there from 8.30 am til 7 pm

Virginia says:
laf

Virginia says:
i'm le project manager dans le refrigeration department

Virginia says:
muahahaha

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Wow!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Not bad! That's pretty good for six months of work.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
11 working hours!

Virginia says:
well, i was a project manager since i got hired

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You really put in the hours there.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You must have that mean look.

Virginia says:
yeah

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You growled at the reviewer didn't you?

Virginia says:
laf

Virginia says:
i made an angelic face

Virginia says:
and he said "awwww....."

Virginia says:
and hired me

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Wow! That's hard to believe. I thought you gave the reviewer a wedgie!

Virginia says:
laf

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Angelic face! I can't believe that.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I can't equate Alma with an Angelic face.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You sure you can make one?

Virginia says:
ofc

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
It's hard to believe.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You sure you're not bluffing?

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You may have to confess at the booth later about that.

Virginia says:
we don't have those

Virginia says:
only catholics do

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Orthodox!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
You're Orthodox.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Yes, you're right.

Virginia says:
yeah theoretically

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
But you're evil Alma.

Virginia says:
i'm not the religious type

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Men worship you.

Virginia says:
neah

Virginia says:
i'm a bunny

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
And they want Alma Porn!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Legendary religious text!

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
The Alma Porn Bible.

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
APB.

Virginia says:
laf

Virginia says:
alma porn manuscripts

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Hahahaahahah

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
I really gotta get back to work. You take care. I will chat with you again.

Virginia says:
ok have fun

Chuang Shyue Chou says:
Byeeee!

Virginia says:
buh byeeee

It's a pity. DuneMUD has lost her. She's a good player to have around. Fun, lively and helpful. Great person. Sadly, DuneMUD has lost many good people over the years. Alma, Nightbreeze, Bornhelm, Kain/Storm, Blackice, Knight/Sith, Llama, and more.

"In some circumstances, the choice to build high may even have disruptive political implications. The Petronas twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, designed by the same New York office that produced the Docklands colossus, are still the tallest buildings in the world in the year 2000. They were shown in a 1998 film called 'Entrapment', with Sean Connery, rising from a miasma of slum dwellings, which - so the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamed, announced, while publicly banning the film - were located in Southern Malacca, "hundreds of miles away." Wherever that scatter of slums was located, what really provoked Mohamad's ire was the reading of the twin towers as an image of social inequity, since, of course, Kuala Lumpur has plenty of slums to show.

Quote from 'The Seduction of Place: The City in the Twenty First Century" by Joseph Rykwert

"The Empire State Building was nicknamed the "Empty State" Building, as much of the space was unlet for some time and it took twenty years for it to declare a profit.

Quote from 'The Seduction of Place: The City in the Twenty First Century" by Joseph Rykwert

At Chatterbox



This is was years back, probably around the Chinese New Year period when the Great Emperor Loh deigns to grant us an audience... 

A Celebration!

A conversation thread on DuneMUD:

[00:11] Marlboro waves happily at Mreh.
[00:11] Mreh: Hi, Mr. Marlboro. I don't think Mr. Silver likes my changes.
[00:12] Marlboro: He has been playing? I am surprised.
[00:12] Marlboro: All I know is that he has invested a lot of his time building AM levels. I don't know his reactions at present.
[00:13] Marlboro smiles happily.
[00:13] Marlboro is going to laze in bed on this fine windy afternoon.
[00:13] Marlboro smiles happily.
[00:13] Marlboro: With a book of course!
[00:16] Mreh: He died earlier/.
[00:16] Mreh waves happily at Marlboro.
[00:17] Marlboro: He died earlier! That calls for a celebration! WOO HOO!
[00:17] Marlboro: Thanks for the great news!
[00:17] Marlboro: This is most excellent.
[00:17] Mreh: Oh?
[00:17] Marlboro: Well, we are always giving each other shit.
[00:17] Marlboro laughs.
[00:18] Marlboro: He gets it from me all the time.

So, I checked.

Displaying last 20 events in history:
[Jan 27 19:51] Action is now the Burseg Leader (level 25).
[Jan 27 20:06] Nienor is now the Sinister Encantrix (level 181).
[Jan 27 20:27] Natas (138) just died to A Big Door Guard [seriously injured]!!
[Jan 27 20:47] Lakash is now the Sand Predator (level 8).
[Jan 27 20:47] Lakash is now the Hopeful Sand Fighter (level 9).
[Jan 27 20:59] Argros (10) just died to A Harkonnen guard [hurt]!!
[Jan 27 21:02] Argros is now The Genetically Modified (level 10).
[Jan 27 21:02] Argros is now The Genetically Enhanced (level 11).
[Jan 27 21:03] Argros is now The Genetically Improved (level 12).
[Jan 27 21:26] Lakash is now the Sand Fighter (level 10).
[Jan 27 21:33] Mkumuk is now the Sand Wanderer (level 3).
[Jan 27 21:33] Argros (12) just died to A harkonnen short blade trainer [hurt]!!
[Jan 27 21:35] Fufa (50) just died to Rabban the Beast [lightly scratched]!!
[Jan 27 21:36] Argros is now The Genetically Improved (level 12).
[Jan 27 21:36] Argros is now The Genetic Marvel (level 13).
[Jan 27 21:36] Argros is now The Master of Genetics (level 14).
[Jan 27 22:03] Silver (195) just died to Guardian Skrafa!!
[Jan 27 22:43] Serg is now the Almighty Fury of House Harkonnen (level 53).
[Jan 27 22:48] Argros (14) just died to Functionary [scratched]!!
[Jan 27 22:53] Argros is now The Master of Genetics (level 14).

Woo! And so Silver died! Most excellent! This calls for a celebration!

T-72M


The T-72M is the export model of the T-72A which was deployed in large numbers by Warsaw Pact nations in the Cold War. This example is likely to be an ex-East German example.

The T-72 first entered service in 1971 and was the low-end component of the high-low mix. Armed with a 125mm gun considered to be 'highly destructive', the T-72 appeared to have enjoyed little battlefield success instead, it enjoyed commercial success with more than 50,000 built.

Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006 

Hiding under a table

 

Scotts


The end. Scotts was somewhat of a shortlived complex, housing mostly fashion retailers and a service apartment block. Two decades later, the end has come. The area has been condoned off and the demolition has begun.



Its neighbour, Hyatt Hotel, was built in 1971 and is still thriving. Similarly, Far East Plaza, built in 1984-85, is a hive of activity. 

Hotel Negara



 

Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank


The Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank started as a new tank concept from Vickers Defence Systems in 1986, being an almost totally new tank with respect to the Challenger 1 despite its similarity in appearance. The main armament is the Royal Ordance 120mm L30 rifled tank gun, a different gun from the rifled 120mm L11A5 mounted on the Chieftain and Challenger 1s. The Challenger 2 was equipped with new electronics, fire control and more on a new turret.



Tank Museum, Bovington: July 2006 

Choo Choo

Another slow day on DuneMUD:

[23:21] Marlboro runs around Mreh shouting 'Woo Woo i'm a Choo Choo'.
[23:24] Benedict sets Marlboro on a collision course with another train.
[23:24] Marlboro eeks.

Here I am, back at work on a regular Saturday morning.

The last few months have been somewhat quiet. Suddenly, a deluge of work came yesterday. Thank goodness.

Between a relaxing night with a coffee and looking at abstract modern art with Pan-Asian elements, I chose the obvious.

I didn't go to the Singapore Arts Museum after all. Instead, I had coffee with Siu Hean at Starbucks.

At one point, Siu Hean was describing a three dimensional deck of cards. Then, we extrapolated a fourth, fifth and finally 52-dimensional deck.

Sleeping with her favourite lobster toy

 

Asian Civilisations Museum II


 

It would be a cruel miracle should illumination come for them.

The Lost Souls

From what I see, not many can be rescued. Not that I want to, I don't play god and I don't know how. And not that they want to be rescued either. When that mental veneer of safety is lost, some will lose that ability to live and exist and there may just be a form of mental collapse.

Their inflated self-importance, their world of 'Me Me Me', will vanish. The glittering skyscraper will suddenly be revealed to be a crumbling hovel.

Of course, there are others while they live in the real world, find comfort and safety in numbers. Still, it will not do to mention names or do character sketches online. Heh.

Stanislaw Lem, in my opinion, easily the greatest science fiction writer of the 20th century, described in 'The Futurological Congress' a progressive world of the future where illusions are maintained for a level of comfort while Philip K. Dick described another in 'Time out of Joint' where certain purposes were met while this world was self-perpetuated. These virtual worlds do not only exist in science fiction.

Then again, it will do well if some of the lost were to read Franz Kafka's 'The Trial' or 'The Castle', perhaps, some day, illumination will come for them.

Fantasy Worlds

I observe that quite a few friends and aquaintances are living in their little self-contained fantasy worlds. Be it an MMORPG, be it a consistent mental prison, be it a rather large chip on a shoulder, be it being a slave to a shiny machine, be it a life of servitude to an imaginery entity, it is astounding. For some, while they toil in the corporate world and the service industry, these artificial constructs provide an escape of sorts.

While some whine about their pitiful existence and blaming others, others thrive in the bliss of their fantastic worlds.

Meanwhile, the calculative and the kiasu* of this society, make their way steadily up, acquiring contacts, ascending the social ladder.

Whatever happened to people? Whatever happened to living?

*kiasu. A local Hokkien term describing someone as being 'afraid to lose'.

Singapore Art Museum, Borders

I will probably venture down to the Singapore Art Museum at Bras Barsa Road this evening and probably Borders after 9:00 pm. Sounds like a plan! Whoa...

Books on the Napoleonic Wars

I bought the following from Chris last night:

•  'The Anatomy of Glory: Napoleon and his Guard' by Henry Lachouque and Anne S. K. Brown
• 'Blucher and the Uprising of Prussia against Napoleon 1806-1815' by Ernest F. Henderson
• 'On Fields of Glory: The Battlefields of the 1815 Campaign' by Andrew Uffindell and Michael Corum

Asian Civilisations Museum


This was former the Government House, housing the colonial council and more. In the seventies, the immigration department was housed here. I recall coming with my parents and applying for a passport.



Today, this restored building houses the Asian Civilisations Museum. The name describes the role of this museum which had exhibits on Indian, Malay and Chinese cultures and history.


In my opinion, the place is well worth a visit. Still I suspect not too many would be interested. What can I say? 

Caught in the Act!


Look at her! Such a look of guilt. She's up to no good again. Heheh. 

Moon over Malaya



'Moon over Malaya' by Jonathan Moffatt and Audrey Holmes McCormick is a fascinating account of the Argylls and the Marines who were involved in the defence of Malaya and Singapore during those heady days of 1941-42. The cover featured a photo of a dispatch rider and a Lanchester Mark I armoured car.