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Friday, October 17th, 2008
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8:43 pm - Call me Dr. Tellurium...
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Well, decided to be called "Dr. Tellurium" for now, since I'm practically playing with Tellurium (Te).
Typical reaction schemes:
2 AgNO3 + Na2TeO3 --> Ag2TeO3 + 2 NaNO3
Ag2TeO3 ---(with TOPO and dodecanethiol)---> Ag2Te
2 NaBH4 + Te + 6 H2O --> Na2Te + 2 B(OH)3 + 6 H2
Na2Te + 2 AgNO3 --> Ag2Te + 2 NaNO3
Na2Te + PhCOCl --> PhCOTeNa + NaCl
PhCOTeNa + AgNO3 --> PhCOTeAg + NaNO3
PhCOTeAg ---(with TOPO and dodecanethiol)---> Ag2Te
And so the journey continues...
The Journey Towards the Promised Land III.
current mood:  geeky
current music: Love Story
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| Friday, September 19th, 2008
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10:38 pm - 3 weeks on the 3rd Journey...
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The Journey Towards the Promised Land III - Becoming a Master
3 weeks had past since I officially started my 3rd research journey. In terms of productiveness, I must say that I'm personally pleased with my progress. It had been productive, especially with the first week, when I did a record of 7 reactions, a record that was unmatched by even the most productive week during my undergrad days. Well, I guess life as a research post-graduate is more focused. Not so much of other distractions and the mind is only on my work.
So much so that I realised that I got so engrossed that almost every single moment I was thinking of work. I though that I would end the day by sleeping but no... even in lalaland, thoughts of my work still haunt my sleep. Perhaps it is still the transition state now for me that I'm adjusting to the new life. Tired but happy. Don't mind working from 8 to 8 daily in the lab. To some, that may be even enough. Well, for me as much as I want to be engrossed in my work but I feel that somehow there has to be balance in life. Life is not just all work. So, it is more or less 75% time on work for me now. The only time I left for others, will be the weekends. Even so, they are not spared from some random ideas that pop up in my head once in a while. Seems like the only time when I'm not thinking about work, is when I'm doing sports, either running or swimming.
Anyway, this week had been not as productive as the previous 2 but a good learning experience. I for one relearnt some basic fundamental experimental techniques, learnt during the teaching lab sessions. "Simple distillation made not so simple..."
Consider the chlorination of benzoic acid by thionyl chloride to benzoyl chloride...
PhCOOH (s) + SOCl2 (l) -> PhCOCl (l) + HCl (g) + SO2 (g)
Classical organic reaction, simple and straight forward. Only thing is have to be mindful when handling thionyl chloride and also the acid gas given out. Well, apparently I did all the necessary precautions and the whole process went on smoothly, minus the fact that I had to redo the setup twice, as I mistakenly use vaccum rather then just N2 purge initially...
So how to get the pure product? Simple... Just use simple distillation to distil excess SOCl2 (bp ~80 deg C) and pure PhCOCl (bp ~197 deg C) lor... To be safe, I used N2 atmosphere. Well, the mixture did boil but no distillate! Heating mantle temperature check; already 160 deg C... Okaay... but the temp at the condenser mouth refuses to go above 40 deg C. Wrapped Al foil liao, use oil bath liao, changed to a small 1-neck rbf liao, still no distillation. In the end, I got fed up and use vaccum distillation the next day. Even so, it didn't really work out until I blast the temperature up to 250 deg C. Whatever's in the distillate is pure PhCOCl, as whatever excess SOCl2 should be gone in the earlier fraction. And yesh, there's this characteristic "irritating" odour, as stated in the MSDS...
So what's the yield? A miserable 2g, that's less than 50% yield. Bad bad... And guess what, my senior managed to find a 1L commerical bottle of PhCOCl. 1L vs ~2mL, kaoz... Ironically another of my senior and I previously searched our store high and low but can't find it. Why? Cos we forgotten to look at the acid cabinet... Oops.
Irony of life indeed. Still I don't think it is a complete waste of effort. At least now I have a very pure sample of what I want. And of course I am glad to have re-learnt some basics. Moral of the story, when something that is meant to be basic, be basic!! My organic chemist friends really having a good laugh at me. Yeah yeah, that's why I'm an inorganic chemist...
And so the journey continues...
The Journey Towards the Promised Land III.
current mood:  cranky
current music: He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother
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| Sunday, September 14th, 2008
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2:39 pm - It's been awhile...
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Wah, come to think about it, it had been a year since the last entry. Time seemed to have stood still at 150907, as some may realised that my "rank" was still "TLG/1" then. Had been busy for the past year, doing my Honours Project and finally graduating in Jul 08. Now currently doing my Masters by research work... so hopefully got some time to write something here. Muahahahae.
Coming up, as promised the long awaited UBS Saga Season 2 (and even Season 3 is in the making). They will be backdated to fit in their respective time frames. Well, I did pen down on certain events over time, just that didn't really have the time to sit down and write the story.
Oh well, watch this space!
current mood:  awake
current music: You'll Never Walk Alone
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| Saturday, September 15th, 2007
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1:59 am - A new era? / UBS Episode XX (Final) – Retribution
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The 28th NUSSU Council convened for a final time before handing over the reins to the 29th NUSSU Council. The highest student body it represents, with many fresh faces along with a handful of veterans. Smiles, handshakes and numerous exchanges of contacts filled the atmosphere. Will it be a promising future that lies ahead?
As the picture was being painted, one veteran who had seen the turbulence below the calm water surface kept his silence as he observed from above in a corner. Not known to many, the veteran was actually the first to secure his seat while keeping a low profile, threading stealthily behind the scenes of the stage. Now that peace has prevailed after weeks of uncertainty, will that be of a true reflection in the portrait that is being painted? Only time knows…
We are finally in the final episode of season 1 of the UBS saga, where the bad finally get their deserts? As promised, it is a dramatic ending… Stayed tuned for season 2, which would be out when the author found enough inspiration to write...
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DEFCOM RELEASES INTERIM CONCLAVE – MARTIAL LAW LIFTED
Yusaw Ishaw Hoi (YIH) – In the light of the coup that toppled former Boogan President Al’hungri Eatnothing, the Union of the Booga States (UBS) Defence Commission (Defcom) has released the interim Conclave that assumes the role of the caretaker government until the declaration of elections. Taking over the Presidency is none other than the retired former Chief of the Armed Forces (CAF) and former Chief Tiger Officer (CTO), Tiger Grand Marshal (Retired) Fat Tiger, who appointed several retired and active “Flying Tiger” Generals to assume top ministerial positions. This move was of no surprise as the elite Flying Tiger Formation still remained loyal to their CTO. The current CAF, TLG Lionheart, who led the coup took on the newly created Defence Minister post, aimed to bridge relations between Defcom and future Conclaves.
What caught analysts by surprise was the reinstatement of the former Conclave members, including Vice President Daffy Gooi. However, it was noteworthy that none of the reinstated former Conclave members were from the Eat Buffet Party (EBP), where many of its members faced alleged corruption charges, including former UBS President Eatnothing.
The key positions are listed below----
President – TGM (Ret.) Fat Tiger
Vice President – Mr Daffy Gooi
Premier - TLG (RS) Loo Foo Chi
Vice Premier – TGEN (Ret.) Sleepy Tiger
Finance Minister – Mr Yuhee Kundoo
Deputy Finance Minister – Ms Amaloo Looi
Communications Minister – TLG (RS) Angelus
Deputy Communications Minister – TLG (RS) Cryhaven
Interior Minister – TFM (Ret.) Tigger
Deputy Interior Minister – TGEN (Ret.) Tigress
Defence Minister – TLG Lionheart
Foreign Minister – TLG (Ret.) Pooh
During the national address at the swearing in ceremony, President Fat Tiger stressed “the need for Boogans to unite and rebuilding the UBS (economy) was of paramount importance. Justice will definitely be served to those who ‘plunged the confederation in chaos’ but in the meantime Boogans should not be carried away in seeking justice that they overlook the primary task of rebuilding the UBS confederation.” The President also declared the end of martial law and pledged to call for free elections “as soon as the confederation rides out of the storm that it is currently in”.
Meanwhile in the streets of the Boogan capital of YIH, Boogans were in a celebratory mood and some even defaced portraits of disposed President Eatnothing. The Boogan Toilet Paper Index skyrocketed to an all time high to almost the level prior to the twin natural disasters, as investor confidence surged.
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Latest NEWs (exclusive) -
EATNOTHING DIED IN FREAK ACCIDENT WHILE EN ROUTE TO EXILE
Dolla – Call it a twist of fate, if you would like but nothing would change the fact that disposed former Union of the Booga States (UBS) President Eatnothing had passed on. The official enquiry reports from the Republic of Buzzi stated that Ms Eatnothing died from a fatal fall that cracked her skull and broke her neck. Ms Eatnothing was en route to her assigned exile residence in the Buzzian capital city of Dolla, when she made a pit stop at a local convenience. She was last heard calling out to her attendant for toilet paper, while her guards stood guard outside her cubicle. As the attendant returned with a roll of fresh Boogan toilet paper and called out to her, a scream together with a loud bang was heard, together with a of cracking sound and one of her heels was said to have flew out from her cubicle at the same time. The guards forced open the cubicle door, only to find a motionless Ms Eatnothing face down in the toilet bowl. The back of her head was bloodied and there were blood stains on the cubicle wall. Despite being evacuated to the nearby Buzzi General Hospital, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The Buzzian Coroner’s report ruled out both suicide and foul play. A detailed account was released to the press, predicting the events that led to Ms Eatnothing’s death. It was stated that “Ms Eatnothing had most likely stood on the toilet bowl while trying to reach above the toilet cubicle walls to receive the fresh roll of toilet paper that her attendant took. Given her ‘large frame’, it would be a ‘physical challenge’ to step on top of the toilet bowl, and not to mention with heels on. This was backed by the account that her left heel was found inside the toilet bowl. She apparently lost her balance and tripped. As she fell backwards, the back of her head hit the rear cubicle wall. The impact must have been very great, given the loud bang and that could have caused her to crack the rear of her skull. As she collapsed downwards, her head went into the toilet bowl and an impulsive downward force from her weight snapped her neck. The immediate cause of her death was not directly due to injury but possibly due to suffocation as her broken neck might had shut off her windpipe. Another cause was possibly ‘drowning’ as water (from the toilet bowl) was found in her lungs.” The coroner concluded the report by describing the freak accident as “tragic”.
The Buzzian government expressed ‘regret’ over the accident and offered to assist the family in Ms Eatnothing’s funeral and burial. The Boogan Conclave also expressed ‘regret’ that she had “gone off in such an undignified way”.
The former Boogan President previously faced the death penalty, as the Boogan courts found her guilty of high treason and conspiracy in her alleged involvement in former Volantian President Tinkles’ plane ‘accident’ and as well as abuse of power with regards to the declaration of martial law when the unjustifiable decrees forced upon Boogans during that period. She was also charged with corruption over the misappropriation of funds handling of the Conclave run disaster relief centre. It was alleged that Ms Eatnothing insisted on travelling on luxurious means, whilst visiting disaster sites. Two charges of terrorism, which also carried the death penalty were also taken into consideration. One charge being her alleged involvement in the assassination of Mr Nato Hoot, the self-claimed President that declared independence in Hukkian and Volantia. The second charge being her alleged order to assassinate Purusian President Mr Ong Ah Kim. In addition, a military court also found her guilty of “attempted murder” for giving the order to shoot down the B52 military plane carrying both President Ong and the UBS Armed Forces (UBSAF) chief, TLG Lionheart.
In summary, Ms Eatnothing faced at least 3 counts of death penalties and a total of 291 years of imprisonment. While Ms Eatnothing rebuked by claiming the right to exercise presidential immunity to the Supreme Courts, Chief Justice Noll Merci rejected the claim by declaring that the immunity was no longer valid as Ms Eatnothing was no longer holding office as President when she was tried. It looked set that the gallows were inescapable when UBS President Fat Tiger gave the presidential pardon to write off the death penalties in exchange of exile equivalent to the number of years of imprisonment. In the end fate proved unpredictable with her abrupt passing from a freak accident. The exile order still applied even after her death, as her remains were not allowed to return to Boogan soil until 291 years later.
Boogans on the whole were generally unsympathetic as they blamed Ms Eatnothing for destabilising the confederation with her badly miscalculated policies which plunged the (toilet paper) economy to near recession. Boogan society also plunged into chaos from the mishandling of the twin disaster where relief and rebuilding were allegedly hampered by “cosmetic constructions” and “lip service” to foreign powers. A poll revealed that 75% of Boogans polled were satisfied that “justice was served” for her death due to the freak accident, while 10% felt that she was “went off too easily” and the remaining 15% were ambivalent.
Ms Eatnothing’s body would be cremated and stored in a crypt until 291 years later if her descendants decide to bring the remains back to her hometown for burial.
[END]
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Fides, Fidelitas, Fastosus. En Garde!!
current mood:  thoughtful
current music: (Silence)
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| Thursday, September 13th, 2007
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1:58 am - UBS Episode XIX – Endgame
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Episode 19 of the UBS saga would mark the beginning of the end of season 1 of the UBS saga.
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COUP D’ÉTAT IN UBS
Yusaw Ishaw Hoi (YIH) – Chaos, turmoil and uncertainty described the situation for the past 24 hours in the Union of the Booga States (UBS) Confederation. There was a total news blackout and the entire land was changed when the dust had settled. A military coup had taken place and UBS President Al’hungri Eatnothing had been ousted from power.
Independent reports revealed that the events that led to the eventual coup as “highly dramatic”. The entire saga was believed to have started when the UBS Armed Forces (UBSAF) Chief of the Armed Forces (CAF), Tiger Lieutenant General (TLG) Lionheart pledged his intention to travel to the Republic of Chusse to personally escort Purusian President Ong Ah Kim safely back to Boogan territory. This was in response to the assassination of Mr Nato Hoot, the self-declared President of independent Volantia-Hukkia, with the intention of safeguarding Mr Ong’s safety. Mr Ong then faced arrest under the orders of the UBS President Eatnothing. The Presidential Office then also reaffirmed its supreme authority over the UBSAF under martial law terms.
In response, the Defence Commission (Defcom) had submitted numerous petitions to over to the Presidential Office, seeking “permission” for a military mission to Chusse to escort Mr Ong safely back to Boogan territory under military protection. However, such requests were bluntly rejected by the Presidential Office without much explanation. Rather than waiting for approval from the Boogan Presidential Office, TLG Lionheart gave the green light for the mission, as soon as the Chussen government given the approval for the UBSAF special task force to enter Chussen territory.
Both Chussen and Boogan military forces enjoyed very close ties and it was believed both sides had planned the mission thoroughly under wraps. The entire mission was carried out swiftly and efficiently by both forces. The Chussen forces secured Mr Ong safely to an undisclosed air base while the Boogan forces arrived in a B52 strato-fortress bomber. It was believed that this operation took merely two hours to complete, with the B52 returning back to Boogan territory.
The Presidential Office however blasted back at TLG Lionheart for his audacity of defying orders and had him sacked from his post as CAF, with President Eatnothing effectively taking direct control of the UBSAF but only for a few hours though. President Eatnothing was said to have given the order to shut down all military air bases and civilian airports. In addition, all aircraft were grounded, citing an imminent “terrorist hijack attack”. A shoot to kill order was given to the air defence units to shoot down any “renegade” aircraft. In response, TLG Lionheart had the B52 redirected to the capital’s Ahboo International Airport. The President however ordered troops, including tanks to surround the airport and arrest both the general and Mr Ong.
In the meantime, a huge civilian protest, with a total of about 100,000 protestors had amassed outside the Presidential Office demanding for the end of martial law. The protest had gone out of control as protestors crossed the security barricades and threatened to break into the Presidential Palace as the local police were overwhelmed by the size of the protest. It was then alleged that the President had given the order to the police to open fire at the protestors, an order which the police had defied, as no shots were heard. In response, President Eatnothing had no choice but to order the military forces into the capital to quell the protests.
An hour after the airport saga, an armoured convoy, making up for several amour battle groups rolled into the streets capital towards the Presidential Palace. Initially, it appeared as if the tanks would crush the protestors in their path. However, the leading tanks diverted from the protestors headed towards the main gate of the Presidential Palace. The leading tank fired a shot from its main weapon that demolished the main gates, clearing the way for the rest of the convoy. The crowd cheered as the tanks and armoured carriers roared into the Presidential Palace, while a few armoured carriers sealed the main entrance that once housed the demolished gates, while the other armoured vehicles surrounded the perimeter of the Palace. The final moments for President Al’hungri Eatnothing were imminent, as troops dismounted from the armoured carriers and stormed the Palace. Leading the assault on the Presidential Palace was none other than TLG Lionheart himself, who noticeably got out of the lead tank and personally led the troops into the Palace.
President Eatnothing was said to be having breakfast with the first family when the special forces troops stormed in and took custody of President at gun-point. The President was said to be in a state of shock while being taken to an undisclosed location. Following the coup, the protestors broke into a celebratory mood, and the soldiers became instant celebrities and posed for photos together with the tanks.
Within hours after the coup, Defcom announced the dissolution of the Conclave and declared military control over the government. Radio and television broadcasted the messages from the military to all Boogan civilians to remain calm and observe the emergency rules as martial law was still in place.
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Fides, Fidelitas, Fastosus. En Garde!!
current mood: awake
current music: Caruso
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| Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
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11:11 am - Remembering 9-11 / UBS Episode XVIII
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It was a peaceful day today but it wasn’t so exactly 6 years ago. I still remembered that I was studying for my A-lv prelim, Bio paper and was also watching WWE when the newsflash appeared across the TV screen. The world changed after that incident, 9-11.
Would there ever be world peace? Is that goal entire feasible? From a thermodynamic point of view, it wouldn’t be possible, the 2nd law states the favouring of increase entropy (disorder) in a system… Somehow if you think about it from a philosophical point of view of the science, these some sense in it if you relate to real life. Disorder is so much easier than order, just like packing your room requires effort while messing up is almost “effortless”, or breaking a cup as compared to fixing a broken cup… The same thing goes to Le Chatelier’s principle on equilibrium…
Episode 18 of the UBS saga, the chain reaction propagates…
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ASSASSINATION IN HUKKIA
Kooke – A large car explosion woke the capital of Hukkia on a sleepy early Sunday morning. The force of the explosion was so large that it also destroyed the adjacent cars and lamp posts. Miraculously this incident only claimed two victims, the car driver and the passenger. The passenger was none other than the self-claimed Volantian-Hukkian President, Mr. Nato Hoot.
Mr. Hoot had previously received numerous death threats for the past few months ever since coming to office but this was the one and only assassination attempt, which incidentally struck the bull’s eye. The matter was a complicated affair as the indented vehicle ferrying Mr. Hoot was not the official Presidential car. The deliberate concealed measure made to ferry Mr. Hoot covertly back to the Volantian capital, Nimo City failed. This led to wide speculations that the assassination was politically driven, with political analysts not ruling out “a deliberate information leak at the highest level”. Local Hukkian authorities were still investigating the matter and refused to comment any further.
This assassination drew swift worldwide condemnation of terrorism. However the internal response from within the Union of the Booga States (UBS) was relatively muted. The official statement from the Boogan Presidential office was cited to express “surprise” over this incident and conveyed condolences to Mr. Hoot and his driver’s family. However, it did end of with a sour note that Mr. Hoot had no one but himself to blame for “sowing the seeds of dissent”. No other comments were available as the UBS was still under martial law.
The UBS Armed Forces (UBSAF) and Defence Commission (Defcom) released an independent statement, “regretting the incident”. The UBSAF had previously offered military protection for Mr. Hoot in the light of the death treat incidents, which Mr. Hoot had bluntly rejected as “mere hoaxes”. Mr. Hoot also made the alleged remark that angered the Defcom by saying that “his own intelligence sources would be of much relevance”. In an additional measure, the UBSAF announced that TLG Lionheart had pledged to personally travel to the Republic of Chusse to escort Purusian President Goh Ah Kim safely back to the UBS. Mr. Goh currently faces arrest under the orders of UBS President Al’hungri Eatnothing.
In response to the military, a statement from the Presidential Office was cited that under martial law, the President has the supreme authority and direct control over all matters and ministries, including the military. It was stressed that the military would have to seek endorsement from the Presidential Office before performing any military operations. Defcom on the other hand had reaffirmed their full compliance to the Presidential Office, citing the full deployment of military troops in the Boogan capital Yusaw Ishaw Hoi (YIH) on the “request” of the President Office, as an act of compliance, despite many controversial “disagreements”.
Meanwhile back in the states of Hukkian and Volantia, de facto control has returned back to the UBS Conclave and Presidential Office. The issue of independence thus came to an abrupt halt. Sentiments from the Hukkians and Volantians still remained divided on the independence issues but most were generally willing to accept central control from the UBS Conclave and remain part of the confederation. The streets of the major cities of both states were uneasily calm, as its citizens went about their routines without much hassle.
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Fides, Fidelitas, Fastosus. En Garde!!
current mood:  blah
current music: Heresy (FFVIII OST)
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| Friday, September 7th, 2007
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11:54 pm - PRU’s 10th AGM / UBS Episode XVII
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Yet another term for the PRU had passed as I witnessed its 4th AGM. I never thought that I would stay on long enough to witness this. Nevertheless someone I found myself getting involved again, as the returning officer, together with another old timer from the 9th MC, Kelvin for the elections. Kids these days are so ignorant of official channels… Though rules can be relaxed but some form of official business has to be in place to ensure legitimacy, haiz…
Looking back, a lot had happened for the past 3 years, where I went through thick and think with all my follow comrades. My batch, most had either graduated or retired from the frontlines into their peaceful final year here. Being one of the last few standing, I wonder why I am still here. Can I sit back and watch the show? Apparently not. Seldom I the chance to really sit back and watch as a spectator. Somehow, somewhere, someone would drag me in to be involved, either directly or indirectly. It would be usually hard to refuse a distress call but then again this so-called “lifeline” should not be taken for any first line of defence but rather as the ultimate last line back at the rear.
The only way that I managed to avoid total involvement was to appear covertly and to hide my aura. Even so, some of the young ones still can pick up my aura no matter how I hid from the front… It was said that my mere presence alone could move things… Hmm… I think the young ones added too much mythical elements to the younger ones about us… We are not as legendary as the “legend” states but rather we are just ordinary older folks who had done the same things as our seniors before us did. Whatever the issues are, I shall not comment as it should be the young ones who take over the decision making. Anyway, this was one of the shortest AGM that I've ever been to. The longest one being my 1st, where it ended past 0200h!!
Meanwhile as election fever warms up (very slowly this year), speculations as usual run high. Still my official statement, “No comments on any decision but not ruling out the possibility. Anything goes and time will tell.”
Episode 17 of the UBS saga, the first indication of decline has appeared…
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MARTIAL LAW DECLARED IN UBS
Yusaw Ishaw Hoi (YIH) – With a two-third majority vote from the Union of the Booga States (UBS) Conclave, UBS President Al’hungri Eatnothing had formally declared martial law throughout the entire Confederation. In a state address, President Eatnothing defended the declaration of martial law as a necessity measure to preserve Boogan unity and security as the several weeks’ massive protest threatened to degenerate to a Confederation-wide civil unrest. President Eatnothing also addressed the issue of Boogan sovereignty, with regards to the Volantian-Hukkian independence. The president stressed that both the states of Volantia and Hukkia are part of the UBS and the declaration of martial law was necessary to regain control of the political situation, with the “minimal” use of force. In an emotional closing statement, President Eatnothing appealed to all Boogans to unite and “endure” this difficult time by cooperating with the Conclave’s decision to call for martial law. The president acknowledged that though it was a highly unpopular move, she was willing to “sacrifice” her political reputation in exchange for the preservation of Boogan unity.
Critics and the opposition slammed the declaration of martial law as a last ditch attempt by President Eatnothing to remain in power, especially when the general elections were scheduled to take place in a few months time. An unnamed opposition member was cited that President Eatnothing’s ruling Eat Buffet Party (EBP) knew that it would not be able to win the majority vote in the following election. Therefore the EBP pulled a political “gimmick” to buy time and win sympathy votes for the next elections, which had been suspended indefinitely, with the declaration of martial law. Many opposition members also saw the endorsement of martial law from the Conclave as “illegitimate” as two-thirds of the Conclave was made up of members of the EBP and its coalition partners.
While appealing to Boogan on the state address, President Eatnothing was said to have directed the Interior Ministry and the Boogan Internal Agency (BIA) to arrest any dissident that threatened Boogan unity. As a result many opposition members and critics of the Conclave were either arrested or put under house arrest. On the top of the “wanted list” was none other than Mr. Nato Hoot, the self declared President of independent Volantia-Hukkia. Boogan authorities were rumoured to have put a bounty for Mr. Hoot, “dead or alive”. Another arrest order was also issued to leading Conclave critic, Purusian President Ong Ah Kim. President Ong was said to have managed to evade arrest by entering the Republic of Chusse on a “private visit” on the eve of the declaration of martial law. In an official statement the Chussen government acknowledged receiving the extradition request from the Boogan Conclave but they were prepared to grant political asylum to President Ong Ah Kim should “the need arises”.
The UBS Armed Forces (UBSAF) has also broke silence with regards to the entire political saga, with an official statement from the Defence Commission (Defcom) stated that the military would support the martial law since it was constitutionally passed by two-thirds of the Conclave. Chief of the Armed Forces (CAF) Tiger Lieutenant General (TLG) Lionheart did not comment on how the UBSAF would support the martial law but he pledged to ensure the that safety of all Boogans will not be compromised, including those under house arrest. TLG Lionheart also warned that any fanatical move that jeopardise Boogan security will not be tolerated. On the topic of the alleged “dead or alive” bounty on Mr. Nato Hoot and President Ong Ah Kim, TLG Lionheart had pledged to make special arrangements to “bring them safely home”.
Meanwhile the streets of the UBS capital of YIH remained calm as business was as usual, less the strong presence of the military and police forces guarding the capital. Tanks and armoured vehicle guard important installations of the capital while its citizens strolled pass as if it were not present.
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Fides, Fidelitas, Fastosus. En Garde!!
current mood: blah
current music: O Sole Mio
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| Thursday, September 6th, 2007
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11:03 pm - The Passing of a Great Maestro...
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I woke up today as per normal but little did I realise that this was the day where the world lost a great voice. The great maestro, Luciano Pavarotti had passed away.
It was rather a twist of fate that I only learnt to appreciate his singing, as well as listening to opera very recently. All thanks to youtube, I was glad that I managed to appreciate the Maestro's singing, at least when he was still alive... I was initially searching for Andrea Bocelli's duet with Sarah Brightman "Time to say Goodbye" sometime in early August. Then I stumbled upon "Nessun Dorma" from one of the links and "hey that sounds familiar". I heard several opera pieces on FM92.4 before but I never really did manage to figure out their titles though. Well, that sparked the beginning of what I would say as a quest to open yet another genre of music into my list of musical favourites. Yup, before I knew it I was blasting opera music by the 3 tenors and Bocelli in office...
Looking at the videos from the 3 concerts by the 3 Tenors from 1990, 1994 and 1998, made me glued to youtube during my free time. Strange it may seems that the music simply have this magic, the universal language. It doesn't matter whether you understood the lyrics in foreign tonuge, it is the tune, rythmn and melody that binds people together. Pavarotti simply had this charisma and passion that actually kept me repeat listening and watching to him on youtube. So much still the pple in office somehow or rather know what "Nessun Dorma", "O Sole Mio" or "Caruso" is, as I kept replaying them... Oops.
Tributes came pouring in upon the news of the Great Meastro's passing. I myself couldn't explain but was certainly moved when I stumbled upon Pavarotti's last performance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. This was one of the most moving "Nessum Dorma" that I ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Sx5lbVlQA
Rest in peace, Great Maestro. The heavens will certainly be livelier with your voice up there. For those of us on the Earth, your voice will remain in our hearts. Bravissimo.
[Lionheart salutes the great master. Respect.]
current mood:  sad
current music: Nessun Dorma
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