Fumigation: It is every three months

I learned long ago that you need three points to confirm that a straight line joins them. Today I have the third date point. Today they came to fumigate the chutes in a most welcome genocidal frenzy against the roaches. The last time they gassed them to death was about three months ago, and another three months before that.

Mr. Car Wash is indeed back

Just bumped into Anandth at the car park. He can add one more car to wash. He used to wash the car before Samy, whom I am told tonight, he had returned to India.

I remember Samy to be a better. I hope Anandth would do a better job this time. In the past, sometimes he didn't turn up for work!

Another bad fall in school

Received an SMS from my elder girl that she suffered a bad fall in school as I was driving :-(. Earlier this year my younger girl had suffered a bad fall too. She had ran into a concealed hole in the ground. This time the offense was a drain. The school filled up the hole to prevent further mishaps. As for this drain, I am puzzled how the accident happened. I hope it isn't a new threat. Will have to check and inform the school about it. My experience is unless a parent raise such issues with the school, nothing is done.

Update: About four hours later...picture of the wound via MMS from her, and complaining that it isn't clotting well.

Coffe shop renovations

They took almost a month to start working on the new coffee shop. The kids were hoping that it would be a McDonalds. Looks like zero chance of that happening. Someone told me this coffees shop had to be sold because the previous partner ran away with the deposits of the stall holders. I wonder if it was due to gambling debts.

No McDonalds but the kids were hoping that at least Aston would come back.

Deleting blog comments

My phone alerted me to this when I was at the hawker centre buying dinner just now. When I checked later, it was deleted. That was good as I was telling myself, I need to remove this one. My policy has been to leave all comments alone as much as possible. I do not welcome comments since this is, "blogging for myself". Sometimes I get thoughtless comments, which I tolerated in the spirit of the Internet Age. At times, I blog about them explaining how ridiculous their point was, but I never respond with a comment like many bloggers are apt to do.

The comments facility is left on for the family and may be one day my personal friends.

Update: Did some checks. The comment originated from Karachi, Pakistan....has been getting visitors from all corners of the world.

How the Hippies Saved Physics

Took this book from the library a couple of weeks ago. I only have time to go over and read the beginning and the end: Conclusion: That was why I decided long ago that it was a bad idea to be a scientist. The reasons are still valid today. History keeps rhyming. From the persecution of Copernicus to present day. These path breaking scientists often have tumultuous lives like those of the Jewish prophets. Better go and do something else. Thomas Kuhn was right on the money about Paradigm Shifts.

Every worthy enterprise is eventually largely filled with too many mediocre minds. If they come in leadership positions, that is the end. Breakthroughs will now have to come from the lunatic fringe. What is true for Physics, I fear is also true for politics in Singapore. Despite the PAP best efforts they cannot avoid decay and eventually mediocrity. It is just not possible. There aren't theorems to prove that but there are also no historical exceptions.

How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival

http://www.amazon.com/Hippies-Saved-Phys...

The surprising story of eccentric young scientists who stood up to convention—and changed the face of modern physics. Today, quantum information theory is among the most exciting scientific frontiers, attracting billions of dollars in funding and thousands of talented researchers. Bu...

"Through It All" brings back memories

To the memory of one of my Sunday School teachers from long ago. For now he is as good as lost to us, but he used to play and sing this on the guitar. As a young teenager I had difficulty empathizing with why this song resonated with him.

A couple of weeks ago, our Sunday School class had a reunion. We naturally talked about our teacher. One of us bumped into him a couple of days later; invited him to join us when another of our classmate is due to visit us for two weeks from Virginia. No surprise he said no. When will this song be meaningful and real to him again?