If you read The New Paper On Sunday, which my column is in, you may notice that the paper has been redesigned again.
Since I joined The New Paper in 2008, the paper has underwent four redesigns - two for the weekday editions, two for the Sunday edition. Each redesign means all the reporters (and columnists) get new byline photos.
So each redesign brings new hope that I would finally get a non-embarrassing byline photo. Each redesign crushes that hope like you would a cockroach. First world problem.
From 4 May 2008 to 13 July 2008
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If not for the smile, I'm okay with this photo since my hair looked neat for once. But this was used for only a couple of months before it was ditched because of a redesign.
From 17 August 2008 to 28 August 2011
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I call it the poodle hair photo. Still the stupid smile. Dig the suspenders though.
A few readers who wrote in to complain about the column used my hair against me.
I had to live with this byline photo for three years.
From 11 September 2011 to 9 November 2014
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My longest running byline photo. No more smile. Maybe because I had a woman's haircut. One reader called me "Samantha".
I had to live with this byline photo for three years too - plus a couple of months.
From 16 November 2014 to ?
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For the latest redesign, the Sunday paper is going with the full-length shot for the byline photo. That made me self-conscious of my posture because I tend to hunch over. That's why I'm pulling shoulders back so awkwardly. Which resulted in me pushing my stomach forward, making me look fat.
I guess I have to live with this for next three years until the next redesign.
Since I joined The New Paper in 2008, the paper has underwent four redesigns - two for the weekday editions, two for the Sunday edition. Each redesign means all the reporters (and columnists) get new byline photos.
So each redesign brings new hope that I would finally get a non-embarrassing byline photo. Each redesign crushes that hope like you would a cockroach. First world problem.
From 4 May 2008 to 13 July 2008

If not for the smile, I'm okay with this photo since my hair looked neat for once. But this was used for only a couple of months before it was ditched because of a redesign.
From 17 August 2008 to 28 August 2011

I call it the poodle hair photo. Still the stupid smile. Dig the suspenders though.
A few readers who wrote in to complain about the column used my hair against me.
I had to live with this byline photo for three years.
From 11 September 2011 to 9 November 2014

My longest running byline photo. No more smile. Maybe because I had a woman's haircut. One reader called me "Samantha".
I had to live with this byline photo for three years too - plus a couple of months.
From 16 November 2014 to ?

For the latest redesign, the Sunday paper is going with the full-length shot for the byline photo. That made me self-conscious of my posture because I tend to hunch over. That's why I'm pulling shoulders back so awkwardly. Which resulted in me pushing my stomach forward, making me look fat.
I guess I have to live with this for next three years until the next redesign.