Friday! Whee!

A great deal on its conscience

"Violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children: organized religion ought to have a great deal on its conscience."

Christopher Hitchens

What a nice rainy night!

This is certainly entertaining. Whee!

Darwinian spectacle

"Nature is a Darwinian spectacle of the eaters and the eaten. All phases of procreation are ruled by appetite: sexual intercourse, from kissing to penetration, consists of movements of barely controlled cruelty and consumption. The long pregnancy of the human female and the protracted childhood of her infant, who is not self-sustaining for seven years or more, have produced the agon of psychological dependency that burdens the male for a lifetime. Man justifiably fears being devoured by woman, who is nature’s proxy."

Camille Paglia, Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990)

They keep calling...

Caller: Hi, I am Kumar from Intermedia calling on behalf of HSBC...

Me: Yes?

Caller: I...

I had closed my account with HSBC less than a month ago and had asked that my name and number be taken off their lists. Guess what? So, I left the phone hanging and he went on talking. After a few minutes, he realised that no one was responding and he called again. So, I picked up.

Me: Yes?

Caller: Hello, I am Kumar, I called just now...

I left the phone hanging again and he went on talking while I went to take a shower. Haha. He gave up after some time.

Get lost!

Caller: Hi, I am calling from BNP Paribas and I am calling with regard to investment..

Me: Where are you calling again?

Caller: BNP Paribas.

Me: How did you get my number?

Caller: I got it from Dun and Bradstreet..

Me: I didn't give any permission for my number to be distributed like this. This is an unwelcome call.

Caller: In that case, bye b..

Me: Get lost!

I hang up at this point.

Caller from Fuji-Xerox

Caller: Hi, I'm calling from Fuji-Xerox and I would like to share some government schemes with...

Me: Thank you, you don't need to share them with me.

Caller: May I know what copier you ar....

Me: No, you may not.

Caller: Urm, thank you.

I hang up at this point. I think this is the second or third call from one of their marketing people this month.

Caller from Toronto

Caller: Are you Mr Chuuuang?

Me: Yes.

Caller: Mr Chuuuuuang, I am calling from Rosberg and xxx etc from Toronto and...

I left the phone hanging and he went on and on. One could hear the guy going on and on as he was loud.

Free!

Caller: Hello, how do I address you?

Me: Mr Chuang.

Caller: Okay, Mr Chuang, I am calling from Dreamworks and I am working with Singaporepost to publish a publication..'

Me: It's okay, I am not interested. And I have no advertising budget.

Caller: It's free but since you are not interested..

You can see what he is pulling here. It's hilarious!

Me: Thank you, goodbye!

Caller: Goodbye!

These people never learn, do they? If someone is not interested, don't push it. Aggressive techniques only alienate potential customers.

Call from software house

Caller: "Hello, my company is a software house providing solutions.."

Me: "Don't need any."

Caller: "e-commerce solut.."

Me: "Don't need any."

Caller: "Just wonder why hah?"

Me: "Don't need any."

It slowly begin to dawn on her that I don't want any of her solutions.

Caller: "Thank you.."

I hang up.

Modern liberalism

'Modern liberalism suffers unresolved contradictions. It exalts individualism and freedom and, on its radical wing, condemns social orders as oppressive. On the other hand, it expects governments to provide materially for all, a feat manageable only by an expansion of authority and a swollen bureaucracy. In other words, liberalism defines government as tyrant father but demands it behave as nurturant mother. Feminism has inherited these contradictions.'

Camille Paglia, 'Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson (1990)'

Fountain pen

This is a classic.

"When I can't draw well, I choose a nice fountain pen."

Hong Ban Pang

Another spam call from Great Eastern Life

Salesdude: Hello, I'm David calling from Great Eastern Life.

Me: Is this a sales call?

Salesdude: I am calling regarding the basic Eldershield enhancement.

Me: Is this a sales call?

Salesdude: You can call it that.

Me: Thank you, I am not interested.

Salesdude: Thank you. Bye.