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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Poetry ~ Never a Bad Word said; this Gentleman, a Gem

I found this poetry in one of the comments in the link below... you may to scroll a few pages to see it. It was a comment by znotty on famous singer and guitarist, Chet Atkins. More about Chet Atkins HERE.

Urrgghh! I'm repeating myself again. I've blogged about before HERE. Only here has a little more info. Oh well.

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Never a Bad Word said; 
this Gentleman, a Gem 
by znotty

Never...
a bad word said, 
for or against,
always a gentleman, 
and every song, 
a finger-picking gem.

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Chet - TV Interview & "I Still Can't Say Goodbye"

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Father & Son Joke & Pun of the Day

When a son said that his ambition was to drive an
army tank his father said 'I won't stand in your way'.


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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Mark Dinning ~ Teen Angel & The World is Getting Smaller

Here're 2 songs I remember listening to in my teens. They're songs from my father's time which I enjoyed listening to. I didn't have much money (either that or was too stingy to spend my savings) to buy current pop music so listen to my dad's music. These are the slow sentimental rock n roll numbers.

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Teen Angel
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YouTube Video:

Mark Dinning - Teen angel (1960)


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Lyrics:

Teen Angel ~ Mark Dinning ~ Lyrics
(Jean Surrey & Red Surrey)

[Intro]
Teen angel, teen angel, teen angel, ooh, ooh

[V1]
That fateful night the car was stalled
upon the railroad track
I pulled you out and we were safe
but you went running back

[Chorus]
Teen angel, can you hear me
Teen angel, can you see me
Are you somewhere up above
And I am still your own true love

[V2]
What was it you were looking for
that took your life that night
They said they found my high school ring
clutched in your fingers tight [Chorus]

[V3]
Just sweet sixteen, and now you're gone
They've taken you away.
I'll never kiss your lips again
They buried you today [Chorus]

[Ending]
Teen angel, teen angel, answer me, please

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The World Is Getting Smaller
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YouTube Video:

Mark Dinning - This World's Getting Smaller


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Lyrics:

The World is Getting Smaller ~ Mark Dinning ~ Lyrics

[Chorus]
Dum Deedle I Dee Dum Deedle Ay
Where can you hide away?
Dum Deedle I Dee Dum Deedle Ay
Where can you hide away?

[Bridge 1]
The world is getting smaller
The population's grown
Where oh where can sweethearts go
When they wanna be alone

[V1]
Out to the park we went walking
To a quiet spot by the bay
We found some kids playing cowboy there
And they wouldn't go away
So no romance that day [Chorus]

[V2]
We thought that we had the answer
A drive-in movie we planned
But the only place we could find to park
Was next to the Pizza stand
And man that's a busy stand [Chorus]

[Bridge 2]
The world is getting smaller
And let me ask you this
Where oh where can sweethearts go
When they want to steal a kiss

[V3]
To lovers lane we went driving
We parked and what did I find
My own kid sister was in the car
That was parked right next to mine
And love withered on the vine [Chorus]

[Ending]
Where can you hide away?
Where can you hide away?
Where can you hide... (fade out)

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Saving GAIA ~ Books Swapaholics Day

I thought this was an interesting idea.

• You get to swap books you've read.
• You get to free up space at your home.
• And this is so Environmentally Friendly.

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FAQs

Q1) Besides books, can I bring other items like CDs / gadgets for exchange?
A1) This Swap Day is only applicable for books.  

Q2) Are other language books (besides English) allowed?
A2) Sure!

Q3) Why would I want to have second hand books?
A3) This is an opportunity for you to contribute books which you've read and no longer wish to keep. It will help free up space in your bookshelf. You can always use the vouchers to exchange books for your siblings, children, parents, friends.

Q4) Will there be old and torn books?
A4) We encourage staff to contribute books that are still in good condition. Books that are badly scribbled or torn will not be accepted. All books will be checked at the drop-off point. 

Q5) Can I bring a new book (with price tag still on) and exchange for two vouchers since it's new?
A5) Each book is given one voucher only. 

Q6) Can I have my books back if they are not being exchanged at the end of the event? 
A6) All remaining books that are not exchanged at the end of the event will be donated to the National Library Board / Charities.

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Beautiful Saviour ~ by Planet Shakers with Lyrics

Theme song for recollection.

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YouTube Video:

Beautiful Saviour ~ by Planet Shakers with Lyrics


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Lyrics:

Beautiful Saviour ~ by Planet Shakers ~ Lyrics

[V1]
Jesus, Beautiful Savior,
God of all Majesty, Risen king,

[V2]
Lamb of God, Holy and righteous,
Blessed redeemer, Bright morning star

[V3]
All the heavens shout your praise,
All creation bow to worship You

[Chorus]
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Name above every name, exalted high
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus

[V1]
Jesus, Beautiful Savior,
God of all Majesty, Risen king,

[V3]
All the heavens shout your praise,
All creation bow to worship You

[Chorus]
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Name above every name, exalted high
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus

[Bridge]
I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you
I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you
I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you
I will sing forever, Jesus I love you, Jesus I love you

[Chorus]
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Name above every name, exalted high
How wonderful, how beautiful,
Jesus your name, name above every name, Jesus

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Monday, May 28, 2012

Use A Tissue

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When it comes to flu, sharing isn't caring. 
If you need to cough or sneeze, use a tissue.
~ Health Promotion Board.

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Ferrari Accident ~ Defensive Driving ~ And more...

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Things I picked up in these articles:

# Victor Khoo's statement on Defensive Driving.
Local entertainer Victor Khoo sums it up: "It seems that the only positive thing that has come out of the horrific Ferrari accident is noticing that over the last couple of days, when red lights turn green, drivers don't just drive off but, wait a couple of seconds, look left and right before doing so. If this is the sign that drivers are now driving more defensively on the roads, then the sad deaths of the taxi driver and his passenger would not have been totally in vain."

# The senseless anti-foreigner sentiments.
This accident has nothing to do with race or nationality. It is just one senseless driver in a fast car causing a senseless accident.

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YouTube Video:

Ferrari 599 GTO fatal crash with Taxi


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Still Photos:



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News Report 02:

Reckless driving not determined by nationality
May 20, 2012 - 1:51am. By: Maureen Koh, Photo: Lianhe Wanbao

As anti-foreigner sentiment burns online against "the China man who killed a Singaporean cabby with his speeding Ferrari", it's almost scary to read the violence in the words used and the depth of anger directed against "the rich outsiders".

But not all share the same sentiments.

Heartlanders we spoke to say Singaporeans can be just as reckless on the road.

Local entertainer Victor Khoo sums it up: "It seems that the only positive thing that has come out of the horrific Ferrari accident is noticing that over the last couple of days, when red lights turn green, drivers don't just drive off but, wait a couple of seconds, look left and right before doing so. If this is the sign that drivers are now driving more defensively on the roads, then the sad deaths of the taxi driver and his passenger would not have been totally in vain."

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Cabby in Ferrari accident dies
Monday, May 14, 2012, My Paper, by Adrian Lim

THE taxi driver involved in a horrific accident with a Ferrari sports car has died, bringing the number of people killed in the incident to three.

Mr Cheng Teck Hock, 52, had reportedly suffered head injuries after his ComfortDelGro taxi was reportedly hit by the red sports car at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street at around 4am last Saturday.

He was pronounced brain- dead at Tan Tock Seng Hospital that evening, and my paper understands that he died at around 7pm yesterday.

From video footage provided by an eyewitness to Shin Min Daily News, it is believed that the Ferrari was speeding and had beaten a red light.

Its driver, Mr Ma Chi, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Mr Cheng had remained unconscious since he was admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). His wife told Lianhe Wanbao that he was suffering from heavy bleeding in his lungs, liver and brain.

The couple have two sons and a daughter, who are between the ages of 16 and 21, the evening daily reported. Mr Cheng's wife said her husband had been driving the late shift for more than 10 years.

The taxi's passenger, a Japanese woman in her 40s, was found unconscious following the crash and subsequently died at Singapore General Hospital. Her next-of-kin has been contacted.

The Ferrari's passenger was a woman from China in her 20s, who suffered serious injuries and a fractured right leg. She was also taken to TTSH.

Friends of Mr Ma whom The Sunday Times spoke to said they do not know who she is.

Reports said that Mr Ma, a financial investor, was from Sichuan, China. He had a wife, 29, and a daughter, three, and moved to Singapore four years ago. The couple are expecting their second child.

A motorcyclist, 25-year-old Muhammad Najib Ghazali, was also involved in the accident. Lianhe Wanbao reported that he was thrown off his bike and suffered spinal injuries. (read about this motorcyclist HERE.)

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More Still Photos:



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More Reporting, News Report 03:
http://www.tnp.sg/content/she-was-wrong-place-wrong-time

She was in the wrong place at the wrong time
May 17, 2012 - 1:40am
By: Chai Hung Yin & Amanda Phua

A person in the know has spoken about Ms Wu Wei Wei, the woman who was in the Ferrari that crashed into a taxi on Saturday.

He claimed that Ms Wu had been at a party to celebrate the completion of her degree course in hospitality management at the East Asia Institute of Management (EASB) when she bumped into the Ferrari driver, Mr Ma Chi.

It was then about 4am and she was about to go home. Mr Ma, 31, offered her a lift home.

The person claimed that Ms Wu, who is in her 20s, did not know why Mr Ma had accelerated suddenly. He said: "She happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

He also claimed that she is definitely not working as a hostess here.

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Positive Side of Life

Someone just sent me this. Here are some quotes that I like.

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THE POSITIVE SIDE OF LIFE:

Living on Earth is expensive, 
but it does include a free trip 
around the sun every year. 

How long a minute is 
depends on what side of the 
bathroom door you're on. 

Birthdays are good for you; 
the more you have, 
the longer you live. 

Happiness... comes through doors 
you didn't even know you left open. 
{Picture this... think... Heaven's Gates}

If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day,
how come nothing is free yet?

You... may be only... one person in the world;
but you may also be the world to one person. 

Some mistakes 
are too much fun 
to only make once. 

Don't cry because it's over; 
smile because it happened. 

We could learn a lot from crayons: 
some are sharp, some are pretty, 
some are dull, some have weird names, 
and all are different colors....but 
they all exist very nicely in the same box. 

A truly happy person is one who 
can enjoy the scenery on a detour. 

Working for God on earth does not pay much, 
but... His Retirement plan is out of this world.

Have an awesome day, 
and know that someone 
who thinks you're great has 
thought about you today!.. 
"And that person was me."..... 

Please don't keep this message 
to yourself.....send it to those 
who mean so much to you.... "NOW".. 

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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Receipt ~ Al Azhar Restaurant ~ 2012 May 24, 1200hrs

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Al Azhar Restaurant ~  Lunch with Mediacorp Colleagues
Date & Time: 2012 May 24, 1200hrs (Note: Date on receipt is wrong)
Present: Tahir, Aida (Norizan), Peihoon & Me
with Special Guest: Elsie

I had the Mutton Dum Briyani $7:00 and the Almond Milkshake $3:50.

Mutton Dum Briyani $7:00
I like it. The Mutton was lean. There was a lot of meat. The rice was a little too tasty for me but still nice.

Almond Milkshake $3:50
As usual... it was good.

Here's my initial post about this restaurant with address and all... click HERE.

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Fireworks ~ Lovely

Fireworks ~ Lovely, bright colors in the dark sky.


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Here are more of the same...



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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Poem ~ LIFE ~ by Mother Teresa

Someone just sent me this. I am in no position to verify if this was indeed written by Mother Teresa... but it says so all over the internet.

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Poem ~ LIFE ~ by Mother Teresa

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.

Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

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Smiley ~ Naughty Face Smile

Online GIF you can use...

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Smiley ~ Naughty Face Smile

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

16 Tons ~ Sixteen Tons ~ Song Lyrics ~ YouTube Video

At the moment, I've got a very bad sore throat which takes my vocal range down to sometimes more than an octave. I can now go as low as C2 and sometimes even lower. Well, this song suits my voice and I can sing it even lower than the original singer.

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Info of song
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteen_Tons

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YouTube Video ~ Various Versions:

Studio Recording:
Sixteen Tons | Tennessee Ernie Ford
This is the original version of the song "Sixteen Tons", by Tennessee Ernie Ford.


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Lyrics:

Sixteen Tons ~ by Tennessee Ernie Ford (Lyrics)

[V1]
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man's made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong

[Chorus]
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go
I owe my soul to the company store

[V2]
I was born one mornin' when the sun didn't shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said "Well, a-bless my soul" [Chorus]

[V3]
I was born one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Fightin' and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol' mama lion
Cain't no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line [Chorus]

[V2]
If you see me comin', better step aside
A lotta men didn't, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don't a-get you
Then the left one will [Chorus]

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YouTube Video ~ Various Versions by Tennessee Ernie Ford:

Live Singing:
Tennessee ernie Ford - 16 Tons

A Live Upbeat A-Go-Go Version... something about digging up an old dog and teaching it new tricks:
Tennessee Ernie Ford - 16 Tons (Go-Go Version)

Here he is many years later with the added humour while singing:
TENNESSE ERNIE FORD - SIXTEEN TON

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YouTube Video ~ Merle Travis (Original Singer & Composer of this song)

1st Live Version
MERLE TRAVIS - Sixteen Tons


2nd Live Version (love that joke using Chet Atkins)
Merle Travis - Sixteen Tons


Original Studio Version
Merle Travis - Sixteen Tons (original version)

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YouTube Video ~ Other Versions

Fantastic Guitar
Tommy Emmanuel - Merle Travis Medley


Acappella
"Sixteen Tons" by The Yale Spizzwinks(?) of 2005-09


Acappella
Sixteen Tons by Eight Hole Punch, solo by Brad Franklin

An unusually low Platter Song
THE ORIGINAL PLATTERS - Sixteen Tons - Lima 2011

Tom Jones - Sixteen Tons (Original Stereo)

A High Country Version
Don Harrison Band - Sixteen Tons

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Story ~ A Baby's Hug

Someone just sent me this lovely story. I hope you enjoy it too.

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A Baby's Hug

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.

I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.

We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy.. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik.

My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?'

Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.'

Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.'

Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk.

My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.

I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'

Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone.

He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.'

I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity. How did God feel when he put his baby in our arms 2000 years ago.

The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'

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Monday, May 21, 2012

Joke & Quote on Choices

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Joke ~ Choice & Humility

Two pieces of ADVICE for married men...
1 ~ Never laugh at your wife's choices; you are one of them.
2 ~ Never be proud of your choices; your wife is one of them.

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Quote ~ Choice

"You can't make someone else's choices and
you shouldn't let someone else make yours."
~ Gen. Colin Powell

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TV Theme Song Lyrics

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TV Theme Song Lyrics ~ Mr Ed the Talking Horse
by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston

A horse is a horse, of course, of course, 
And no one can talk to a horse of course 
That is, of course, unless the horse... 
is the famous Mr. Ed. 

Go right to the source and ask the horse 
He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse. 
He's always on a steady course... 
talk to Mr. Ed. 

People yakkity yak a streak 
and waste your time of day 
But Mister Ed will never speak 
unless he has something to say. 

A horse is a horse, of course, of course, 
And this one'll talk 'til his voice is hoarse. 
You never heard of a talking horse? Well listen to this.... 
I am Mister Ed.

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TV Theme Song Lyrics ~ Petticoat Junction
(by Paul Henning and Curt Massey)

Come ride the little train, 
that is rolling down the tracks, 
to the junction.
Forget about your cares, 
it is time to relax, 
at the junction. 
Lots of curves, you bet. 
Even more when you get 
To the junction, (Petticoat Junction). 

There's a little hotel, 
called the Shady Rest 
at the junction. (Petticoat Junction
It is run by Kate, 
come and be her guest 
at the junction. (Petticoat Junction
And that's Uncle Joe, 
he's a movin' kind of slow 
at the junction, Petticoat Junction. 

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TV Theme Song Lyrics ~ Green Acres
(by Vic Mizzy)

Husband:
Green acres is the place for me. 
Farm livin' is the life for me. 
Land spreadin' out so far and wide 
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside. 

Wife (Spoken):
New York is where I'd rather stay. 
I get allergic smelling hay. 
I just adore a penthouse view. 
Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue. 

Husband: The chores. 
Wife: The stores. 
Husband: Fresh air. 
Wife: Times Square 

Husband: You are my wife. 
Wife: Good bye, city life. 
Husband and Wife: Green Acres we are there.

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TV Theme Song Lyrics ~ Beverly Hillbillies
(The Ballad of Jed Clampett by Paul Henning)

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed 
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, 
Then one day he was shootin at some food, 
And up through the ground came a bubblin crude. 

Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea. 

Well the first thing you know ol Jed's a millionaire, 
Kinfolk said "Jed move away from there" 
Said "Californy is the place you ought to be" 
So they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. 

Hills, that is. Swimmin pools, movie stars. 

Well now its time to say good by to Jed and all his kin. 
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in. 
You're all invited back a gain to this locality 
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality 

Hillybilly that is. Set a spell, Take your shoes off. 

Y'all come back now, y'hear?.

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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Driving Prayer for ALL Motorcyclists & Other Road Users

For details on the origin or inspiration of this prayer... click HERE.
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Driving Prayer
(for ALL Motorcyclists & Other Road Users)
(Updated: 2012 May 17, 0037hrs)
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Dear heavenly Father... as we make this Driving Prayer to You, we pray first... for all motorcyclists as they are the most vulnerable on the road with nothing to protect them accept for their mandatory helmets, we thank You for it's invention and for making it mandatory in our country. We pray for the parents of these motorcyclists that they would put their worries to good use by praying for the safety of their child as well as for the safety of other children. Besides those riding, we also pray for all other road users... those driving... those on bicycles... and even the pedestrians... that we exercise care and diligence... and think of the safety for ourselves as well as for others on the roads. Keep us alert at all times so we may not pose a danger to ourselves or others. Calm our nerves and grant us patience so as to avoid any forms of confrontations with others on the roads... and bring us all home safely to our loved ones. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ and his loving mother. Amen.
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Motorcycle ~ Son Tells Mum He'll Give Up Riding

Mother's Day has just passed (yesterday, Sunday, 2012 May 14) and these words in the last 2 paragraphs of the article below brought tears to my eyes...

"Muhammad Najib told his mother of his intention to give up riding after spending a quiet Mothers' Day with a "picnic" of home-cooked food in the hospital room on Sunday. ~ "It [the accident] happened just before Mothers' day, and I imagined for a moment there what if something worse had happened to me? It would be the worst Mothers' day present a mother can get," he said.

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News ~ Muhammad Najib told his mother of his intention to give up riding

'The taxi went flying through the air'
By Chua Yini | Yahoo! Newsroom – 21 hours ago
UPDATED (2012, 15 May, 9.15am, to include details of deceased taxi passenger)

The last thing Muhammad Najib Ghazali saw before he was sent flying from his motorbike was the dislodged tyre of a taxi coming straight at him.

Moments later, he was flung off from his bike and hit the tarmac hard, dislocating his right arm, fracturing his rib and hurting his spine.

Najib, still warded in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, is one of two survivors from the high-speed accident involving a Ferrari in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The fatal accident at the intersection of Rochor Road and Victoria Street has already claimed three lives – the Ferrari driver was killed on the spot while the taxi driver and his passenger both later died in hospital. 

The taxi passenger has been identified as Shigemi Ito, a Japanese woman in her 20s who is believed to be living and working in Singapore, the Straits Times reported.

A young woman reportedly from China was with Ma in the Ferrari during the crash and she suffered head injuries and fractured her right leg.

"It was horrifying to see the tyre [of the taxi] right before my eyes, and after that I saw the taxi flip," said the 26-year-old former dispatch rider.

Clad in a blue hospital gown and surrounded by his family in a ward at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Najib recounted the horrific events on the night itself.

Wearing a tired smile throughout the whole interview, he told Yahoo! Singapore, "The Ferrari beat the red light and smashed into the taxi, and the taxi smashed into my bike. I did not see the smash. I only heard it because I was making a right turn. The moment I turned my head to look, I saw the tyre of the taxi coming towards me."

Sporting a snaking long scar down his right forearm, Najib said the taxi went  "airborne" seconds before it landed 50 metres away from where it was hit by the Ferrari. 

The aftermath of the accident was a "smoky mess". 

"From there I totally couldn't see anything because there was so much smoke and the debris was just starting to settle together with the petrol. It was raining fuel," he said. 

Najib counts his lucky stars to have escaped his fourth major accident and "uncountable" minor ones. The avid motorcyclist, who started riding since he was 19-years-old, sees his most recent close shave with death as a sign to finally stop riding. 

"This is the fourth time I cheated death. Usually people say strike three, you're out. [In the accident] I am the most unprotected one but I survived, so I don't want to take the risk anymore. I want to just live to the fullest now," he said.  

Muhammad Najib told his mother of his intention to give up riding after spending a quiet Mothers' Day with a "picnic" of home-cooked food in the hospital room on Sunday. 

"It [the accident] happened just before Mothers' day, and I imagined for a moment there what if something worse had happened to me? It would be the worst Mothers' day present a mother can get," he said.



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True Fire ~ Guitar Tuner

This must be the best Guitar Tuner... yet. I hear it can be used to tune the Ukulele as well.
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True Fire ~ Guitar Tuner
http://truefire.com/guitar-tuner/ 
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To use the free online guitar tuner developed by ProGuitarTuner.com, allow it to access your computer's microphone and play your guitar. Adjust accordingly. The Online Guitar Tuner is copyrighted and developed by ProGuitarTuner.com.
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Monday, May 14, 2012

Almond Milk Shake

Here's where you can find Almond Milk Shake in Singapore. I like the Almond Milkshake there. Real Almond Nuts are used... NOT essence.

I've been there twice so far and both times... I had Almond Milkshake (see receipt below).

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Al Azhar Eating Restaruant 
11 Cheong Chin Nam Road 
Singapore 599736
Tel: 6466-5052

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Map Notes:
Near junction of Chun Tin Road & Upper Bukit Timah Road, and Jalan Anak Bukit is also nearby.
Near Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, Beauty World Centre & Beauty World Plaza.
Note that Bukit Timah Plaza is further away.

Click on picture to enlarge

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Receipts:





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Friday, May 11, 2012

Alamak!

Alamak! I just came across this.

The Portuguese Eurasians in Singapore have more influence in Singlish than I had original thought.

Apparently, the origin of the Singlish word 'Alamak' is Portuguese... hmm... I didn't know that.

A friend of mine told me that it could be a Spanish form of...
..., 'a la madre' which (I was told) isn't exactly a polite phrase.

Anyway... check it out here below at this link...

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TermOriginDefinition
Alamak Portuguese Phonetically close to the Chinese term "Oh, my mother!".
It expresses shock or surprise. 
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This post was inspired when the Malay Shop was eating at... 
had this slogan..., "ala Mak, simply deliciouswhich took 
to mean..., "just like Mum's (cooking), simply delicious".

The word 'a la' in French means 'in the style of'.
The word 'mak' in Malay means 'mother'.



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Other Views on the internet
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http://www.talkingcock.com/html/lexec.php?op=LexLink&lexicon=lexicon&keyword=ALAMAK
ALAMAK  (Contributed by Vidya Hable) ~ An Malay expression of dismay, surprise or alarm that has long been rumoured to mean "Allah's mother" but more likely comes either from the Arabic "Allah Ma'ak", meaning, "God be with you" or "Allah maaf kar" meaning "God forgive you". ~ "Alamak! Why you go and do this sort of stupid thing?"

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet


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Usage Sentences:

• However, I strongly feel that it's a case of "A rose by any other name (that) would smell (just) as sweet."

• Anyway... "What's in a name? that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell (just) as sweet;".

Original Quote:
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

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A rose by any other name would smell as sweet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is a reference to a quotation from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, meant to say that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.[1]

In the play Romeo and Juliet, the line is said by Juliet in reference to Romeo's house, Montague which would imply that his name means nothing and they should be together.

Juliet:
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:
[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

Romeo:
I take thee at thy word:
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;
Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

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Wednesday, May 09, 2012

The Personality Page ~ Carl G. Jung & Isabel Briggs Myers

A website about Psychological Type, based primarily upon the works of Carl G. Jung, pioneer psychologist, and of Isabel Briggs Myers, creator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

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The Personality Page ~ Last update: April 19, 2012


• We all come in different SHAPES and SIZES.

• We all have STRENGTHS and weaknesses.

• What's right for one person may not be right for another.

• There are things that are important to me, that you don't care about at all!

• And sometimes your behavior doesn't make any sense to me.

• But I want for us to understand each other, and communicate well, 
because we live together in the same world.          

• I know I can't expect you to want the same things that I want. 

• We are not the same person, 
so we will not always see things the same way. 

• I have my own Thoughts and my own Ideas, 
that may or may not fit into your vision of who I should be. 

• By learning more about my own Personality, and about other Personality Types, 
I can come to a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. 

• I can improve my interpersonal relationships, realign my expectations towards others, 
and gain a better self-knowledge that will help me define and achieve goals. 

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Monday, May 07, 2012

Dance with My Father ~ by Luther Vandross & Richard Marx

First, I'd like to say that Luther Vandross sang very well in the original and I love the the melody and lyrics of the song. However... the only thing that I don't like about the song... is the percussion... I wish I could turn it off... because it just didn't blend with the everything else.

Here's what Wikipedia had to say about this song...
"Dance with My Father is the thirteenth studio album by American R&B-soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released in the United States on June 10, 2003 by J Records, his final album to be released before his death on July 1, 2005. The album, especially its title track, was dedicated to Vandross' late father. The album earned Vandross two American Music Awards in 2003—Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album—and four Grammy Awards in 2004—Song of the Year and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Dance with My Father" (also nominated for Best R&B Song), Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Closer I Get to You" (with Beyoncé), and Best R&B Album. Chart performance and sales... Dance with My Father debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, moving some 442,000 units in its opening week alone, and also topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, after debuting at #42 the previous week. It was Vandross' only album to top the U.S. albums chart. It was also his eighth album to reach #1 on the Top R&B Albums chart; this is also his first #1 R&B album in twelve years since the release of Power of Love. Dance With My Father also stands as the biggest selling studio album of Luther's entire career with over 2.9 million sales in the United States alone. The title track single was a hit on Pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary radio. It received the 2004 Grammy Award for Song of the Year, which Luther shared with his father."
~ more at... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_with_My_Father

I've included that recording at the bottom of this blog so hopefully you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about.

But before that recording... please listen to these covers and enjoy the song for what, I feel, it should sound like.

The Videos are below these Lyrics.

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Lyrics:

Dance with My Father
Original Singer: Luther Vandross
Co-Writers / Composers: Luther Vandross & Richard Marx

Back when I was a child
Before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
And dance with my mother and me
And then
Spin me around 'till I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure
I was loved

If I could get another chance
Another walk
Another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
How I'd love love love
To dance with my father again

When I and my mother
Would disagree
To get my way I would run
From her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
yeah yeah
Then finally make me do
Just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet
Never dreamed that he
Would be gone from me

If I could steal one final glance
When final step
One final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never ever end
Cause I'd love love love to
Dance with my father again

Sometimes I'd listen outside her door
And I'd hear how mama would cry for him
I'd pray for her even more than me
I'd pray for her even more than me

I know I'm praying for much to much
But could you send her
The only man she loved
I know you don't do it usually
But Dear Lord
She's dying to dance with my father again

Every night I fall asleep
And this is all I ever dream

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{Sung by Sunni Organ}
Dance with my father (Cover)

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{Sung by Joseph Vincent}
Dance With My Father - (Luther Vandross) - Joseph Vincent featuring Richard Marx

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Richard Marx - Dance With My Father

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The Original Recording: 

My notes: Please note the ugly percussion in the background music. Surely... this could have been a much better recording. I did hear this song on radio where percussion was not audible due to loss of fidelity over the air-waves and it actually sounded better.

Dance With My Father - Luther Vandross (Lyrics)


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eBOOK ~ http://www.smashwords.com/


Sunday, May 06, 2012

That'll Be The Day ~ Buddy Holly ~ Lyrics

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YouTube Video

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That'll Be The Day ~ Buddy Holly ~ Lyrics

[Chorus]
Well, that'll be the day, when you say goodbye
Yes, that'll be the day, when you make me cry
You say you're gonna leave, you know it's a lie
'Cause that'll be the day when I die

Well, you give me all your lovin' and your turtle dovin'
All your hugs and kisses and your money too
Well, you know you love me baby
Until you tell me, maybe
That some day, well I'll be through

[Chorus]
[Instrumental Interlude]
[Chorus]

Well, when Cupid shot his dart
He shot it at your heart
So if we ever part and I leave you
You sit and hold me and you tell me boldly
That some day, well I'll be blue

[Chorus]

[Ending]
Well, that'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That'll be the day, hoo-hoo
That'll be the day

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Friday, May 04, 2012

News ~ Australian Newspaper ~ Young Love

A love story that was not meant to be. This appeared on front page of the Australian Newspaper... today.

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News Article

4 May 2012
The Australian

Obama's early Aussie romance
by Brad Norington, Washington Correspondent


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Page 1

'He had notions of gaining power to change things' GENEVIEVE COOK FROM HER DIARY ON OBAMA

BEFORE Michelle, there was Genevieve.

The unnamed ''New York girlfriend'' from Barack Obama's bestselling memoir, Dreams from

My Father, was based largely on an Australian woman with whom he shared ''the deepest romantic relationship of his young life''.

Genevieve Cook, a girlfriend from the US President's youth, has shared her observations publicly for the first time about his early emotional detachment and struggle with his racial identity. Ms Cook, the daughter of an Australian diplomat, has told the author of a new biography of the first AfricanAmerican President how she met Mr Obama at a New York Christmas party in 1983 and briefly lived with him.

In diaries written during their 17-month relationship, Ms Cook said Mr Obama's admirable ''strength'' and ''integrity'' were mixed with a ''coolness'' and ''smoothed veneer, of guardedness''.

As they spent more time together, she realised he needed to resolve his ambivalence about being black or white and ''it became very obvious to me that he needed to go black''.

When they parted ways, Ms Cook wrote in her diary: ''Now, at this point, I'm left wondering if Barack's reserve, etc, is not just the time in his life, but, after all, emotional scarring that will make it difficult for him to get involved even after he's sorted his life through with age and experience.

''Hard to say, as obviously I was not the person that brought infatuation. (That lithe, bubbly, strong black lady is waiting somewhere!)'' 

Continued on Page 2

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Page 2


Continued from Page 1

Ms Cook shared her diaries with Washington Post journalist David Maraniss for his biography Barack Obama: The Story, which is due to be published by Simon & Shuster next month.

In a Vanity Fair magazine extract from the book, Mr Obama is said to have had ''the deepest romantic relationship of his young life'' with Ms Cook while he was living on New York's Upper West Side before moving to Chicago.

Ms Cook's father, Michael, was a prominent Australian diplomat who headed the Office of National Assessments in Canberra and was appointed by the Hawke government as Australia's ambassador to the US.

Born in 1958, Ms Cook is three years older than Mr Obama. When they met, she was working in New York as an assistant teacher for second and thirdgraders, having recently left a small Manhattan publishing company that employed the host of the 1983 Christmas party.

One of the things that helped spark the young couple's interest in each other was discovering that part of their respective childhoods had been spent in Indonesia at roughly the same time — Mr Obama during four years of living with his mother, Ms Cook during one of her father's postings.

Ms Cook's parents divorced when she was 10. At the time she met Mr Obama, she was living in New York's Upper East Side with her Australian mother, Helen Ibbitson, an art historian from a Melbourne banking family, and her US stepfather, Philip Jessup, general counsel for the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

Ms Cook soon found an apartment of her own, and her routine was to spend Thursday nights and weekends with Mr Obama, mostly at his place, sometimes at hers.

When he became fed up with his then New York job writing business newsletters, and quit in late 1984, Mr Obama moved into Ms Cook's apartment in what was meant to be a temporary arrangement until he left for Hawaii to spend the Christmas holidays with his family.

Living with Ms Cook did not go well, as they had difficulty adjusting to each other's constant presence, including one flare-up over her ''irritation at doing the breakfast dishes''.

Still, Mr Obama had no place of his own when he returned from Hawaii in mid-january. He moved back in with Ms Cook and found his first organising job with a public interest research group.

When Ms Cook moved to another apartment in March 1985, Mr Obama helped her but found his own. They continued their routine of seeing each other on weekends but the relationship ended by the middle of May.

In his book Dreams from My Father, Mr Obama writes about an unnamed woman from his New York years.

''There was a woman in New York that I loved,'' he wrote. ''She was white. She had dark hair, and specks of green in her eyes.

''Her voice sounded like a wind chime. We saw each other for almost a year. On weekends, mostly. Sometimes in her apartment, sometimes in mine. You know how you can fall into your own private world? Just two people, hidden and warm. Your own language. Your own customs. That's how it was.''

Interviewed in the Oval Office by Maraniss for his biography, Mr Obama said the unnamed New York woman in his book was a composite of girlfriends, including one who followed Ms Cook after he moved to Chicago.

A question of identity had arisen when Ms Cook told Maraniss that one incident recounted in Dreams from My Father — in which Mr Obama said he had a ''big fight'' about race with his New York girlfriend after watching a play together — did not happen with her.

''That was not her,'' Mr Obama confirmed to Maraniss. ''That was an example of compression. I was very sensitive in my book not to write about my girlfriends, partly out of respect for them.''

According to Mr Obama, he introduced the New York woman, like many characters in the memoir, to advance a theme as he explored his thoughts on race.

Three years after their breakup, on October 22, 1988, Ms Cook married Mohamed Moustafa, a New York accountant and son of Egyptian parents. Their wedding at New York's Cosmopolitan Club was reported the next day in the Style section of The New York Times. A short article, headlined ''Genevieve Cook Weds Accountant'', said the bride would be known as Mrs Moustafa-cook.

Mr Obama met his wife-to-be, Michelle Robinson, in June 1989 when he was employed as a summer associate of the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin and she was assigned as his adviser. They became engaged in 1991 and married in 1992.

Ms Cook told Maraniss she remembered how the 22-year-old Mr Obama would lounge around in his apartment on Sundays, drinking coffee and solving The New York Times crossword puzzle, bare-chested and wearing a blue and white sarong.

Even in the early stages of their romance, she noted in her diary that Mr Obama had a certain reserve, an observation consistent with comments from people who have worked with him as President that he can be cool and aloof.

''The sexual warmth is definitely there — but the rest of it has sharp edges and I'm finding it all unsettling and finding myself wanting to withdraw from it all,'' Ms Cook wrote.

Early in the relationship with Ms Cook, who began keeping her diary in 1975, Mr Obama told her about his ''adolescent image of the perfect ideal woman'' and how he had searched for the ideal ''at the expense of hooking up with available girls''.

Ms Cook wondered who was this ideal woman, and concluded it was someone other than herself.

''I can't help thinking that what he would really want, be powerfully drawn to, was a woman, very strong, very upright, a fighter, a laugher, well-experienced — a black woman I keep seeing her as.''

Ms Cook said in her diaries that Mr Obama looked black but felt like an imposter ''because he was so white''. She accepted he needed to search for his identity.

She knew he harboured ''faintly articulated notions of future greatness, of gaining power in order to change things''.

But when she once talked to him in a park about ''playing out a superhero life'' and the comics he enjoyed as an adolescent growing up in Hawaii, she said Mr Obama shut down and ''didn't want to talk about it anymore''.

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