Androgene's Blog

I procrastinated in posting this up for months. It’s an original ficlet, snippet, I don’t Know what to call it. I wrote it for this LJ community called ‘Line by Line’, where every week they would give a one-line prompt and members will submit written works incorporating the prompt. Curious? Click here to check it out.  For that week, the prompt was ‘piece by piece’ and here was the result.

 

A follow-up on my last blog on dogs:

This piece of news came out on the Straits Times on July 10, 2008:  
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Tech%2B%2526%2BScience/STIStory_256417.html

I wasn't at all surprised by it. 

Out of curiosity, I tracked down that article: Breed Differences in Canine Aggression 
from the Applied Animal Behavior Science Magazine. Before you dismiss it, this scientific journal has an international standing and it specialises in reporting on the application of ethology to animals managed by humans. It is also Official Journal of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE).

My personal opinion:
As a person who is familiar with dog ownership, I have observed that it is the smaller dog breeds that do not hesitate to bark fiercely at anyone and everyone. Often than not, they are the ones who stare-challenge other dogs, frequently provoking the other dog into attacking. Quite a stupid thing to do, especially if the other dog is twice their size. Thus they wound up injured, and their traumatized owners will not hesitate to blame the other dog - more so if the other dog is a big breed.

Part of the blame lies with the small dog's owner. Very often, people assumed just because the dog is small, they don't have to train or socialise the dog. That is a stupid assumption. All pet dogs have to be trained and socialised. They are just like human children - how do you expect your kid to behave without giving them education and teaching them how to interact with other children? It's still parenting, just dog-style.

First entry of the new year and it is a rewrite. I call this category Reworx—for stories that I have meaning to rewrite for some time. I have a few in progress but ironically the first one to be up in this category is the last fanfiction I have written last year. Introducing ‘Reworx: Winter’s Reminiscence’ - a Weiss Kreuz fanfiction Reworx. Hopefully it’s better than the first outing.http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13/index_files/reworx/reworx_WKreminiscence.html In the meantime, have a Happy Chinese New Year!

Part 3 of Weiss Kreuz's Winter's Reminiscence is posted.

You can read it here:

Noir13
http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13/index_files/Weiss_Kreuz_Reminiscence/WKreminiscence3.htm

Fanfiction.Net
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3767283/3/Winters_Reminiscence

MediaMiner
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php?cid=509975&submit=View+Chapter&id=145975

Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback. Always looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi all,

Part 2 of my Weiss Kreuz x Bartender fanfic 'Winter's Reminiscence' is up!
http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13/index_files/Weiss_Kreuz_Reminiscence/WKreminiscence2.htm
website: http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13

Pls review and feedback. Otherwise it's hard for me to know how well-received it is.

I got a new Weiss Kreuz fanfic up and running! 

That makes me happy. It's ridiculous that I have to quit my job first before I can get into the writing mood again. I guess that's life.

Anyway, the fanfic is called 'Winter's Reminiscence'. Part 1 is up and Part 2 is on its way.
You can read it at my site: http://www.angelfire.com/space/noir13/index_files/Weiss_Kreuz_Reminiscence/WKreminiscence1.htm

Or at Mediaminer.org:
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic/view_ch.php/145975/506419#fic_c

Or at Fanfiction.Net:
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3767283/1/Winters_Reminiscence

It's a crossover with this recent anime called 'Bartender' and I think it work out well. Of course, this is an opportunity for anime lovers to check out this series at www.crunchyroll.com.

I like the series very much for it present an accurate portrayal of bartending. For someone who has worked in such
an environment before, it was nostalgic and impressive.

Pls, pls leave me a review and feedback. I really need to know how well people like this fic.

Was reading through the papers today and its online forum, and came across these forum letters which sorta highlight the for-and-against-muzzling-of-big-dogs-in-public stands here in Singapore.

As someone who keeps pets (up to currently, my family has kept 4 cats, plenty of rabbits, 2 Labs and I Golden retriever), these letters caught my eye as they display both the good and ugly sides of pet-ownership in Singapore, especially dogs. 

We have the good, responsible dog owners. 

But unfortunately, we have increasingly more irresponsible and/or too-busy dog owners who bought pedigree dogs more as a wealth symbol and left the keeping of their 'beloved' pets to the maids or the aged grandparents (who are not the ones who wanted to keep pets in the first place, but help out their children out of parental obligation, much like raising their grandchildren in lieu of the busy parents).

The letters also display the lack of power our local Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) possess. 

I have put here two thread links to the two letters and its comments, and also my own two cents' worth.

Important to muzzle big dogs when in public:
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_149551.html

Muzzling dogs not a good idea:
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_150119.html

On a sidenote, the commenter named kenaspammed can be seen on both threads. Honestly, judging from his comments, I suspect him to be an idle clown with an insensitive nature.

====

I'm late, I know. This has been going on for a few months under my nose and I wasn't aware simply because I don't read the papers (my bad). But now I did, what has been happening is giving me the creeps.

Odex, Singapore's one and only anime distributor, has gone after local anime fans for illegally downloading anime from the Net. Apparently, they cite this as the main reason that the company has been making losses. And somehow, they have gathered enough muscles to get the court to order local ISPs here to diverge private informations of their users to them, so they can go after these downloaders. 

While I agree downloading is bad, I believe Odex has a hand in creating the situation they find themselves in. Below is my essay (about 1 day's efforts of typing and thinking and researching), which is my two cents' worth of giving a balanced view of the situation. 

I have also provided links to other more well-informed and active forums and blogs out there, although I seriously believe if you Goggle the word 'odex', you will find a whole slew of articles on the fiasco.

http://odex-rebellion.blogspot.com/ - the place where local anime
fans are gathering support against the company

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-08-15/court-orders-
singapore-isps-to-name-illegal-anime-downloaders
- we made headlines!

http://ckwiz.blogspot.com/2007/06/i-emailed-straits-times-
journalist.html
- notable for the links to other articles

http://sector6slumjunkshop.blogspot.com/2007/07/odex-letter-fansubs-
anime-downloads-et.html
- very comprehensive and full of links to give perceptions on both
sides of the story

http://sector6slumjunkshop.blogspot.com/2006/03/anime-piracy.html
- interesting article on anime piracy from Animenation

=============

As the only major anime distributor here, Odex obviously has a monopoly on the market. So why are they losing money? They claim it is due to illegal downloading. Yes, hardcore illegal downloaders who ignore licenses harm businesses. But it takes two hands to clap.

I'm not sure if this thingie shows my website, so here's the URL: www.angelfire.com/space/noir13 
Been house cleaning these few days (funny, how house cleaning includes my virtual homes as well), and found a couple of original works I’ve written quite a long time ago and forgotten about it. 
I also rediscovered my Fictionpress account *sweatdrop* I’m amazed it’s still active. Which brought me to a decision: since I’m probably never gonna be published, I might as well just post it online. So, for those who are interested in reading my original works (I’m not sure why you want to but well *shrugs*), I’m providing a link under my original works section in the Library to my Fictionpress account or you can just go there straight: www.fictionpress.com and search for penname: androgene 
On a side note: I’m moving my blog over to Livejournal. Everyone keeps telling me how useful and fun it is, so I figure it’s worth a shot. I won’t be known as androgene on Livejournal. That name was already taken up (I get the feeling it was me on my last long ago attempt to set up my blog there). Rather, I will be known under my other Net name: Cyberoid13. 
The funny thing is I’ve maintained a blog for so many years and I still don’t get why it’s so addictive for some people to actually publicize their diaries for everyone to read *scratch head*. It’s just a tool of convenience for me.

My first post on Livejournal (or at least until my email account been validated). How long does that take anyway? It's been a day already.