1. In a place where Christmas day means empty town. When 25th of December means only one car left in the parking area of Healey Apartment. Sitting on the couch chatting with Miles Davis and Duke Ellington. Miles doesn't like coffee: he wants drugs. Duke only wants hot water. Both play the time, beyond the time. Miles trumpet blowing fills my cold room and Duke sends pianical tone to the ceiling. Me, coffee: as usual, as normal as it has been, for the past four or five years. A knock on the door, excuse me. It's Sir Past. Come on in. What do you play?

2. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or also known as Mad Cow disease is invading America. Only one case so far, i.e. from Washington State, but the impact on the U.S. economy is approaching fastly. A friend's comment really represents a popular view: "I won't eat beef for a month". Financial Times reported, shares of McDonald's fell more than 4 percent yesterday. Korea and Japan have decided to ban beef imported from U.S. Ten years ago more than 100 people died in U.K. after attacked by the disease (in the form of what so-called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, in their brains). Canada was attacked 6 months ago and by now has suffered $2bn loss in it's economy. Beef export of the U.S. amounted to $3.7bn last year. This case of BSE would definitely hurt its market so much. (Somewhere out there, Australia and New Zealand will gain a windfall profit -- Argh, economy).

3. A friend from Boston sent a pastime through email. It's an old Makassarese song. Last time I heard this is when I was 10 or so. It is really sad, I don't want to translate it : Kukanga tu nipela // Tu nibuang ri tamparang // Tu nianyukang ri je'ne' // Narappung tau maraeng // Ca'di ca'di dudu inja // Nanapela'ma' anrong ku // Mantang mama kale kale // Tu'guru' je'ne' matangku // Aule, sare sarena ikukang sayang // Sare tea ta kucini // Empo tena mate'nena // Aule, sare sarena ikukang sayang // Sare tea ta kucini // Empo tena mate'nena...