Monthly Archives: December 2005

Quote of the day

30 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Well I was gonna bring you flowers but I didn’t
It’s the thought that counts and I think I’m a bit too broke
But there’s change in my ashtray maybe just enough to pay
For a half pint of something prob’ly make us choke
No I’d rather not go and meet your family
They’d prob’ly send me back where I [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (2)

Well, this is true to form, no surprises there. He’s started five of his eleven novels to date with the definite article. We’ve had two of them with “it”, there’s been one “but”, two “ats”, one “and” and a “Dolores”. Though that , of course, was never published.

30 December 2005 – 7:37 am +0800

I was doing my long daily walk a month or so ago, muttering to myself as usual, when I started telling myself about a guy who seemed pretty interesting.
He was a former US Navy pilot living in Shanghai just after WWII. He played trumpet — a peculiar, small, “stub” trumpet inspired by one I [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in General | Comments (0)

Quote of the day

29 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Well we listen on in silence, memorizing line and verse
Though the poetry is awful and the imagery is worse
Doesn’t it seem absurd?
Little children learning every single word.
And they mimic words and phrases of a hundred years ago
and observe a moment’s silence for the guy who wrote “Hey Joe”
Matthew said it best at Jane’s
Though the maiden’s [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (0)

“So who’s the doctor?” “That’s right.” “No, I wanna know the doctor’s name.” “Who.” “The doctor.” “Who.” “I’m asking you who’s the doctor!” “That’s right.” “Okay.” “All right.”

29 December 2005 – 11:15 am +0800

Word on The Christmas invasion from Whovians is ecstatically good. I can’t wait!

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in General | Comments (0)

Bag of Bones by Stephen King, 1998

29 December 2005 – 9:10 am +0800

My, my, my, my, my, my, what a mess.
A well-written mess, true. A suspenseful mess, sure. But definitely a mess.
Tom Noonan is a successful author — making this at least the fifth book in which King has featured a writer as the protagonist1. Noonan wrote women-in-peril thrillers of the V.C. Andrews/Mary Higgins [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Literature | Comments (3)

Quote of the day

28 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

CHAIRMAN
[...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (0)

Observational question

28 December 2005 – 9:01 am +0800

Why is it — or at least, why does it seem — that most of the male expats in Shanghai are significantly taller than I (2 inches or more) and outmass me by, at a guess, 1.2 to 1 or more? I’m not short — between 6 foot 2 inches and 6′3″ in my [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Shanghai Stories | Comments (1)

24 spoilers

28 December 2005 – 8:19 am +0800

You probably don’t want to read these.
Ye have been warned.

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in General | Comments (0)

Quote of the day

27 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Don’t question why she needs to be so free
She’ll tell you it’s the only way to be
She just can’t be chained to a life where nothings gained
And nothings lost, at such a cost
Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, who could hang a name on you
When you change with every new day
Still I’m gonna miss you
— Rolling Stones, “Goodbye, [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (0)

Quote of the day

26 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.
— Clive Staples Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (1)

Merry Christmas

24 December 2005 – 12:15 pm +0800

Eat, drink, and be jolly.

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in General | Comments (1)

Quote of the day

23 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Scrooge: What about you, Crass? I suppose you have the usual ads showing Santa with your cigarettes sticking out of his bag?
Crass: Better than that — this year we have him smoking one. Got Santa a little more rugged, too. Both sleeves rolled up, and a tattoo on each arm. [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (0)

Quote of the day

22 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Santa Baby, a fifty-four convertible too — light blue.
I’ll wait up for you dear
Santa Baby,
So hurry down the chimney tonight.
Think of all the fun I missed.
Think of all the fellas that I haven’t kissed.
Next year I could be just as good if you check off my Christmas list
— Eartha Kitt, “Santa Baby”, best Xmas song [...]

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (1)

Cognitive Dissonance

22 December 2005 – 2:32 pm +0800

Okay, I know they’re not Amish or anything, but still…
Seeing a Buddhist monk — shaven headed, in full, flowing light brown (or golden, I guess) robes — using a cell phone is just weird.
I watch too many historical kung fu movies, it seems.

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Shanghai Stories | Comments (1)

Quote of the day

21 December 2005 – 11:59 pm +0800

Santa Claus: Dasher and Dancer and Donner and Blitzen and Vixen and Nixon…
Tom Servo: Uh yes, what’s in the pipe, Santa?
— MST3K, ep 321, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

By Ian Michael Hamet | Posted in Quotes | Comments (0)