Random thoughts thread

[JR8]

And "shifting." I don't know about you guys but to me, shifting is small change or movement in a physical. Shift that chair to the right, you nudge it a bit to the right. The tectonic plates shifted; in a geographical scale, a movement of a meter is a shift.
You go to a Tampines store and you see a sign "We shifted to Jurong oredi."

To me, in my version of English (;)) shift in this way = small move, small task, but not entirely welcome (shift has parallels with schlep ie. hard-work/laborious), done informally/ad hoc task.

'He made me shift the pile of boxes of A4 to the Xerox room'.

If it was done by the photocopier guy, or the paper delivery guy, or as part of an established routine then it would be 'move' instead.

-- Agree with the ref to shifting of tectonic plates = small probably insignificant move.

[bgd]

My current favourite, when asking how you want your steak cooked they just say, "doneness"?

Brilliant!

[the lynx]

My current favourite, when asking how you want your steak cooked they just say, "doneness"?

Brilliant!

Basically you can only have your steak well done then. I find that in Asia they tend to cook one level higher than what you order. Ordering your steak blue here may not be a water-testing experience after all

[Wd40]

What an awesome landlady I have. My contract is ending in Jun and my rent is 2050. She just called me and asked me if I want to renew. I said yes. She asked if I need anything for the house. I said no. She offered to reduce my rent to 1900, without even me trying to bargain.

Not just that, she also offered to service my aircons

This will be 3rd renewal. It started off in 2014 Jun with rental of 2100 and I had paid the agent fee. Last year the landlady absorbed the agent fee, because the agent was her sister in law, lol and she reduced the rent to 2050.

Now if only my job lasts 1 more year in SG.

[JR8]

A pragmatic LL + presumably a good tenant. Shame we don't hear of more such examples.
Good for you!

[rajagainstthemachine]

good to hear WD40 hopefully my landlord with reduce too... I'm paying 2300.. i think its steep in the current circumstances.

[Wd40]

good to hear WD40 hopefully my landlord with reduce too... I'm paying 2300.. i think its steep in the current circumstances.

It depends on your area, whether it is a hdb/condo, number of bedrooms and also how well it is done up.

For HDB you can check out these links to find the rent in your area:

https://services2.hdb.gov.sg/webapp/BR1 ... Search.jsp

http://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/reside ... statistics

My house is in Tampines and 1900 seems just right for a 2 bedroom hdb.

[JR8]

Sitting here reading a copy of Jane's Defence Review; like a What Car magazine but for the arms trade.

Laughed out loud to see an ad for an upcoming arms fair in Jakarta 'Indo Defence 2016'. Complete with a '3 for 2 earlybird exclusive' offer on tickets.

Only in Asia....

[Wd40]

Just came back from the movie Jungle book at GV in vivocity. The movie Hall was almost 100% Indians. Almost as if it was a Bollywood movie.

Sent from my Redmi Note 2 using Tapatalk

[Brah]

Basically you can only have your steak well done then. I find that in Asia they tend to cook one level higher than what you order. Ordering your steak blue here may not be a water-testing experience after all

Interesting - I've consistently found it be be the opposite.

[rajagainstthemachine]

I once made the mistake of ordering steak rare, they bought it out almost uncooked! Morons!!!

[the lynx]

Ah, i must have been "unlucky". In Canada, USA and UK, they always get my steak order right. But here, I have been ordering my steak medium rare because I am preempting it to be medium. Never wrong.

[Brah]

Same goes for chicken - countless times it's been undercooked, sometimes dangerously so.

That includes a certain high-end Thai restaurant in a hotel, which served downright rare chicken and sent it back, still came back rare! Never went back after that.

Elsewhere I usually get Medium Well, which here comes as Medium Rare for burgers, and Medium for steaks which here more often than not also comes as Medium Rare.

[JR8]

I had to laugh at some of these...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking ... age-of-40/
'40 things that every man should know by the age of 40'

And the opening champagne with a sabre, yeah it works Here is another vid demonstrating 'thusly' as Alton Brown is fond of saying. I always enjoy the technical/scientific angle he brings to F+B. Looks like some more informative+entertaining links down the side of this vid too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCp9-tEHa8U
'Champagne Saber Time - Alton Brown'

edit/add: Damn those wolverine style meat-shredders look like fun. Could go rabid on some pulled-pork with those [@1:15mins] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgFeVlw2Ywg

[the lynx]

edit/add: Damn those wolverine style meat-shredders look like fun. Could go rabid on some pulled-pork with those [@1:15mins] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgFeVlw2Ywg

Initially I was drawn by the wolverine claws, and then Rollie won my attention...