Blog
Monday, 4 February 2008
Wake up and go!
Posted @ 16:03
Ok, this time adjustment thing is getting quite messy I must admit. I was mainly involved in 'recharging' over the last couple of weekends, which left me with little time for other things. Overall January has been very busy and eventful, but this leaves me rather disorganised during my spare time. This is, of course, something that I plan to improve on in due course.
Meanwhile, getting up ultra early in the cold is not particularly appealing. In fact, even if one has had enough rest, the sheer thought of venturing out of one's bed is enough to put people back to sleep. The other day, I read in the newspaper showcasing a new walking alarm clock. This particular clock will start to crawl around the house once the alarm goes off. Not only does one wakes up completely by the time he manages to catch the crawling siren, he will also have benefited from some morning exercises.
I couldn't find this particular alarm clock on the net, so I'll have to link you to an alternative. This particular model rises towards the ceiling as it goes through snoozes.
My only question is... what if you live somewhere with a really high ceiling? Go and buy yourself a ladder too? Also, I find the crawling one funkier too, I better start searching for a link, shouldn't I?
Meanwhile, getting up ultra early in the cold is not particularly appealing. In fact, even if one has had enough rest, the sheer thought of venturing out of one's bed is enough to put people back to sleep. The other day, I read in the newspaper showcasing a new walking alarm clock. This particular clock will start to crawl around the house once the alarm goes off. Not only does one wakes up completely by the time he manages to catch the crawling siren, he will also have benefited from some morning exercises.
I couldn't find this particular alarm clock on the net, so I'll have to link you to an alternative. This particular model rises towards the ceiling as it goes through snoozes.
My only question is... what if you live somewhere with a really high ceiling? Go and buy yourself a ladder too? Also, I find the crawling one funkier too, I better start searching for a link, shouldn't I?
Monday, 14 January 2008
Adjust...
Posted @ 23:30
This January is a month of adjustments...
Lots of new things waiting for me to discover/do, so life has been pretty busy. Actually, the last couple of weeks has sent such a shock to my schedule that my body is still adjusting. First, I need to remember how to retrieve my brain power, but I think that's been largely taken care of by now. Then there's the issue of organisation, I think I'm still relying on random bits of paper, which is ok for now, but I really ought to pick up my habits again. Then lastly, I have managed to think of several topics for my blog, only to forget when I actually sit in front of my computer - hence nothing since the New Year until now.
Not to mention my grammar, I'll leave it as it it for now, but it should improve soon...
Lots of new things waiting for me to discover/do, so life has been pretty busy. Actually, the last couple of weeks has sent such a shock to my schedule that my body is still adjusting. First, I need to remember how to retrieve my brain power, but I think that's been largely taken care of by now. Then there's the issue of organisation, I think I'm still relying on random bits of paper, which is ok for now, but I really ought to pick up my habits again. Then lastly, I have managed to think of several topics for my blog, only to forget when I actually sit in front of my computer - hence nothing since the New Year until now.
Not to mention my grammar, I'll leave it as it it for now, but it should improve soon...
Friday, 28 December 2007
So talented... (II)
Posted @ 10:18
So, I was approached by a talent recruitment agent. My initial reaction was - do I really look like someone who is dreaming to become a superstar? I wasn't pleased at all, and I tried my best effort to run away. However, the agent was probably very experienced and my attempt to get rid of her was unsuccessful.
So I managed to fake my number, occupation and office number. However, she insisted on me giving her my mobile number. Now, I would have thought that a real agent would have simply given me her business card, and asked me to contact her if interested. I really doubt they would ask for my details, except perhaps my name, on the spot. I certainly did not expect they would insist on giving particular information (privacy law is against this anyway).
Her reason? She feared that my 'office' number is a switchboard number, and she said she wanted to minimise disruption to my colleagues, so my mobile number would be more convenient. Besides, I could be contacted outside office hours too.
Wait a second, isn't the switchboard staff *paid* to relay phone calls to the relevant people?
When I went back home, I checked out their company website, which looks genuine enough. However, I have no way to verify that the contents are also genuine. On hindsight, I should have just insisted that I was not interested, rather than faking everything. Another thought: if the agent who approached me was real, then I have to say that she was not a very good recruiter...
So I managed to fake my number, occupation and office number. However, she insisted on me giving her my mobile number. Now, I would have thought that a real agent would have simply given me her business card, and asked me to contact her if interested. I really doubt they would ask for my details, except perhaps my name, on the spot. I certainly did not expect they would insist on giving particular information (privacy law is against this anyway).
Her reason? She feared that my 'office' number is a switchboard number, and she said she wanted to minimise disruption to my colleagues, so my mobile number would be more convenient. Besides, I could be contacted outside office hours too.
Wait a second, isn't the switchboard staff *paid* to relay phone calls to the relevant people?
When I went back home, I checked out their company website, which looks genuine enough. However, I have no way to verify that the contents are also genuine. On hindsight, I should have just insisted that I was not interested, rather than faking everything. Another thought: if the agent who approached me was real, then I have to say that she was not a very good recruiter...
Labels: journal
Thursday, 27 December 2007
So talented... (I)
Posted @ 23:51
Have you ever dreamed of being approached by 'model agencies' or 'talent recruiters'? Obviously, if one has absolutely no interests in these kind of things, then it's irrelevant. However, for the model-wannabes, this is potentially a golden opportunity.
Well, is it?
I'm sure this happens elsewhere too, but certainly in Hong Kong, there are fake model agencies. Their purpose? The money of the gullible folks of course. The agencies will ask the poor folks to fork out money for photoshoot, beauty course, catwalk course, etc. However, any real model agency will tell you that potential models will not be expected to pay for these expenses themselves.
Earlier today, whilst I was out on the streets, I was approached by a representative from a talent search company - they were looking for all sorts of people to take part in advertisements and other short films.
So what happened? (To be continued)
Well, is it?
I'm sure this happens elsewhere too, but certainly in Hong Kong, there are fake model agencies. Their purpose? The money of the gullible folks of course. The agencies will ask the poor folks to fork out money for photoshoot, beauty course, catwalk course, etc. However, any real model agency will tell you that potential models will not be expected to pay for these expenses themselves.
Earlier today, whilst I was out on the streets, I was approached by a representative from a talent search company - they were looking for all sorts of people to take part in advertisements and other short films.
So what happened? (To be continued)
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Merry Christmas!
Posted @ 00:00
It has been a really mild (to put it er... mildly) winter in HK this year. However, the weather seems to have picked up the festive mood and managed to lower its temperature by a few degrees to a 'reasonably cool' climate. So, at least Christmas feels just a little more like Christmas.
Here's a customary Christmas photo...
Merry Christmas everyone, and remember to spare some thoughts (and preferably some actions too) on those who are less fortunate!
Here's a customary Christmas photo...
Merry Christmas everyone, and remember to spare some thoughts (and preferably some actions too) on those who are less fortunate!
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
A good day to remember...
Posted @ 20:28
This post primarily is a private record for myself...
After all the ups and downs and U-turns, it looks like I've finally got myself *in motion*! I pretend to look calm and unemotional, but I was thrilled of course... haha~
After all the ups and downs and U-turns, it looks like I've finally got myself *in motion*! I pretend to look calm and unemotional, but I was thrilled of course... haha~
Labels: journal
Friday, 7 December 2007
Type... when?
Posted @ 15:51
Whilst I hope the quality of my posts has been acceptable over the last few months, the same could not be said on the quantity. September was very thin on posts coz I was very busy with various things; October and November were better in terms of time, but there were many things interesting to record. What about December? Well, there are several things that definitely qualify to be blogged about, but guess what? My brain seems to be in a bit of a blogging trough at the moment.
Ironic isn't it? Or, *typical*, as my choice of word here...
Now that, I'm getting out of the trough again, all the things I wanted to write about have 'expired'. Oh well...
Ironic isn't it? Or, *typical*, as my choice of word here...
Now that, I'm getting out of the trough again, all the things I wanted to write about have 'expired'. Oh well...
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Pitching for diamonds...
Posted @ 21:32
In true FBP spirit, here's another 200% anonymised story. However, it has been pointed out that previous posts of similar nature had been so obscure that they were comparable to Picasso's surrealism. So I shall make extra effort this time to write a less abstract story...
Let's pretend that I'm a jewellery designer, and I am designing a diamond necklace. Now in this hypothetical world, diamonds are very difficult to get, and jewellery designers often have to submit designs in order to pitch for one. Now, I have not have much luck in the pitching process, with several near-misses. On one occasion, several dozen designs, mine included, have already been selected. On the day when the designers were to meet the owner of the diamonds, one of them just looked at me, and then decided that he will not give me a diamond.
His reason? He didn't like the look of me, and therefore his diamond on my design was a no-no.
Occasion number two. I was one of the eight finalists in another design competition. It was a fierce competition, so getting to the final was not easy. In the end, I didn't win. They gave me feedback, but it wasn't what I expected. I asked how I could improve my designs, and they replied 'none'. They said they could not flaw my design. It was just that three of the finalists stood out a little more, so the diamonds went to them. They said I could should have been a winner under normal circumstances.
For me, this wasn't encouragement at all. I'd rather have been told that I needed to make improvements. To tell me that I've done everything correctly yet still not getting the diamond was simply morale sapping...
Third occasion. Again, I got myself deep into the diamond competition. However, the day I was to attend the final pitching session, the organisers told me that the diamonds were stolen, so the whole competition was called off. Great...
I decided that I've had enough. I need a change of environment, maybe this will breathe some fresh air into my luck. So, with a little bit of planning, I am concentrating on designing bracelets instead. Similar to necklaces, the designers must pitch for diamonds in competitions to use in their bracelets. Eventually, I got myself an offer of my much desired diamond supply!
The snag? Out of curiosity, I did some Internet searches. To my surprise, this particular competition organiser has been punished by the authority recently for supplying fake diamonds! So, were the diamonds on offer this time real or fake? Having discussed my position with my friends, we decided it was not worth taking the winner's prize, as working with fake diamond could dent my reputation as a jewellery designer.
So close, yet so far. I desire diamonds, yet the diamonds would come within my grasp, only to disappear again... unless I am happy to work with fake diamonds of course. Obviously, in the real world, I am not a jewellery designer and I have not been pitching for diamonds, but this analogy is as good as the real story. So, when will I get the diamond that I desire so much?
Let's pretend that I'm a jewellery designer, and I am designing a diamond necklace. Now in this hypothetical world, diamonds are very difficult to get, and jewellery designers often have to submit designs in order to pitch for one. Now, I have not have much luck in the pitching process, with several near-misses. On one occasion, several dozen designs, mine included, have already been selected. On the day when the designers were to meet the owner of the diamonds, one of them just looked at me, and then decided that he will not give me a diamond.
His reason? He didn't like the look of me, and therefore his diamond on my design was a no-no.
Occasion number two. I was one of the eight finalists in another design competition. It was a fierce competition, so getting to the final was not easy. In the end, I didn't win. They gave me feedback, but it wasn't what I expected. I asked how I could improve my designs, and they replied 'none'. They said they could not flaw my design. It was just that three of the finalists stood out a little more, so the diamonds went to them. They said I could should have been a winner under normal circumstances.
For me, this wasn't encouragement at all. I'd rather have been told that I needed to make improvements. To tell me that I've done everything correctly yet still not getting the diamond was simply morale sapping...
Third occasion. Again, I got myself deep into the diamond competition. However, the day I was to attend the final pitching session, the organisers told me that the diamonds were stolen, so the whole competition was called off. Great...
I decided that I've had enough. I need a change of environment, maybe this will breathe some fresh air into my luck. So, with a little bit of planning, I am concentrating on designing bracelets instead. Similar to necklaces, the designers must pitch for diamonds in competitions to use in their bracelets. Eventually, I got myself an offer of my much desired diamond supply!
The snag? Out of curiosity, I did some Internet searches. To my surprise, this particular competition organiser has been punished by the authority recently for supplying fake diamonds! So, were the diamonds on offer this time real or fake? Having discussed my position with my friends, we decided it was not worth taking the winner's prize, as working with fake diamond could dent my reputation as a jewellery designer.
So close, yet so far. I desire diamonds, yet the diamonds would come within my grasp, only to disappear again... unless I am happy to work with fake diamonds of course. Obviously, in the real world, I am not a jewellery designer and I have not been pitching for diamonds, but this analogy is as good as the real story. So, when will I get the diamond that I desire so much?
Labels: journal
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Cool animation, cool advert...
Posted @ 16:09
I reckon most Flash animation fans must have seen the work by XiaoXiao, who have made a series of stickman fighting animations. There are/were lots of stickman fighting animations in cyberspace, but few can match XiaoXiao's quality (in my opinion). I quite like No. 5 in the series, but No. 3 was probably his best known piece of work, which could be described quite simply as 'cool'.
Meanwhile, I have been on the rare hunt for a new mobile phone. I have been using my previous one since the summer of 2003. When it comes to phones, I am not a function freak - I only ever use my phone to make calls and to send text messages. Camera, video, internet, MMS, etc are simply not my cup of tea... well not via a mobile phone anyway. However, mobile phones which only have basic functions *AND* looks good/cool are practically non-existent thesedays.
Anyway, back to the phone hunt. The Motorola V8 and V9 have been catching my attention lately, especially after watching the TV advert. Whilst I was searching for more information, I found various versions of the V9 advert posted on its website. To my surprise, I found a version created by XiaoXiao! Now, Motorola is doing a campaign where users can submit their own advert based on the supplied script, so I'm not sure whether XiaoXiao's was an official or a submitted version. Click 'The Directors' tab to find XiaoXiao's advert.
Incidentally, you should also watch the version made by Tarsem, which is the version I saw on TV, and it is definitely one cool advert.
Meanwhile, I have been on the rare hunt for a new mobile phone. I have been using my previous one since the summer of 2003. When it comes to phones, I am not a function freak - I only ever use my phone to make calls and to send text messages. Camera, video, internet, MMS, etc are simply not my cup of tea... well not via a mobile phone anyway. However, mobile phones which only have basic functions *AND* looks good/cool are practically non-existent thesedays.
Anyway, back to the phone hunt. The Motorola V8 and V9 have been catching my attention lately, especially after watching the TV advert. Whilst I was searching for more information, I found various versions of the V9 advert posted on its website. To my surprise, I found a version created by XiaoXiao! Now, Motorola is doing a campaign where users can submit their own advert based on the supplied script, so I'm not sure whether XiaoXiao's was an official or a submitted version. Click 'The Directors' tab to find XiaoXiao's advert.
Incidentally, you should also watch the version made by Tarsem, which is the version I saw on TV, and it is definitely one cool advert.
Monday, 12 November 2007
Recruiting luck...
Posted @ 17:08
"There is always a reason..."
Could this be my motto? Perhaps - at least this is something I have told myself, time and time again. Don't get me wrong though, I am still a firm believer in skills and ability. When something doesn't work out, chances are that one has not prepared sufficiently or simply lacks the necessary skills. However, having said that, there are also times when one is clearly capable, and has done all the necessary preparations, and still couldn't succeed.
A small but not insignificant element to success is luck...
When things don't work out (when it clearly should have, and after eliminating all human factors), I always tell myself that there is a reason for this. My theory is that, by missing out on something now, one is going to gain something else in the future, something far more valuable to him. For me, this has quite often been the case. Obviously, this is a very subjective view, as I would have no way to tell whether I was getting a better deal.
However, living by my 'motto', assuming it is correct, is a test of character. One could in theory go through weeks, months or even years of 'hardship' before he finally stumbles upon his 'destiny'. Ok, 'hardship' and 'destiny' are exaggerations here, but you get the idea.
On a... ahem.... different note, I am actively recruiting 'luck'... ha~
Could this be my motto? Perhaps - at least this is something I have told myself, time and time again. Don't get me wrong though, I am still a firm believer in skills and ability. When something doesn't work out, chances are that one has not prepared sufficiently or simply lacks the necessary skills. However, having said that, there are also times when one is clearly capable, and has done all the necessary preparations, and still couldn't succeed.
A small but not insignificant element to success is luck...
When things don't work out (when it clearly should have, and after eliminating all human factors), I always tell myself that there is a reason for this. My theory is that, by missing out on something now, one is going to gain something else in the future, something far more valuable to him. For me, this has quite often been the case. Obviously, this is a very subjective view, as I would have no way to tell whether I was getting a better deal.
However, living by my 'motto', assuming it is correct, is a test of character. One could in theory go through weeks, months or even years of 'hardship' before he finally stumbles upon his 'destiny'. Ok, 'hardship' and 'destiny' are exaggerations here, but you get the idea.
On a... ahem.... different note, I am actively recruiting 'luck'... ha~
Labels: journal
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Wild adults...
Posted @ 23:30
You think a child throwing a tantrum is bad? Well, the situation is far worse when it involves adults, those who are more than twice your age (well, my age). You can't really shout at them and tell them off (coz it won't work for a start), and all you can do is to pretend nothing is happening, which is obviously not true. Throwing a tantrum over the pettiest of all things is, in my opinion, just annoying and achieves only in losing my sympathy.
The difference between a child being childish and an adult being childish? The child will get bored quickly and move onto something else. The adult will just carry this on and on...
The difference between a child being childish and an adult being childish? The child will get bored quickly and move onto something else. The adult will just carry this on and on...
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Lost in space...
Posted @ 23:16
I have been helping someone to set up a new laptop, which provided me with the first opportunity to sample Windows Vista. When I first opened the laptop, I noticed a sticker that reads 'Windows Vista Basic'. Interesting, given that the laptop should have the business edition installed. Luckily, when I switched on the laptop, it showed that I did have the correct version. A quick email to the vendor revealed that "This particularly model always have the basic edition sticker". Note that this model only comes with the business edition.
Intriguing...
Then we checked out the hard disk. We bought a 160 GB disk, but adding up the numbers showed that we only had 137 GB. This seems to be a big difference. I must admit that I got caught out too (which I shouldn't have). The 160 GB quoted by the vendor was in decimal, so 160 GB means 160,000,000,000 bytes. However, thanks to the binary system adopted by computer memory, where there are 1024 bytes per kilobyte and so on, the computer will display 149 GB instead. As the biggest hard disk I have ever owned is 60 GB, the discrepancy between the two systems is smaller, so it wasn't immediately obvious to me what was going on.
Still, I am missing 12 GB, since the computer says there are only 137 GB. This time, our lovely vendor said that some space was 'lost' due to partition and other hidden use. Ok, as 137 GB in binary system translates to about 147 GB in decimal, which is an odd number for standard hard disks, I'll believe him this time...
Speaking of space, I bought an anti-virus software to go with the laptop. The box was 6.5 cm x 18.5 cm x 23.5 cm in size. Inside, it contained a few sheets of A5 papers (instructions), and one CD housed in a paper envelop. What a great use of space!
Intriguing...
Then we checked out the hard disk. We bought a 160 GB disk, but adding up the numbers showed that we only had 137 GB. This seems to be a big difference. I must admit that I got caught out too (which I shouldn't have). The 160 GB quoted by the vendor was in decimal, so 160 GB means 160,000,000,000 bytes. However, thanks to the binary system adopted by computer memory, where there are 1024 bytes per kilobyte and so on, the computer will display 149 GB instead. As the biggest hard disk I have ever owned is 60 GB, the discrepancy between the two systems is smaller, so it wasn't immediately obvious to me what was going on.
Still, I am missing 12 GB, since the computer says there are only 137 GB. This time, our lovely vendor said that some space was 'lost' due to partition and other hidden use. Ok, as 137 GB in binary system translates to about 147 GB in decimal, which is an odd number for standard hard disks, I'll believe him this time...
Speaking of space, I bought an anti-virus software to go with the laptop. The box was 6.5 cm x 18.5 cm x 23.5 cm in size. Inside, it contained a few sheets of A5 papers (instructions), and one CD housed in a paper envelop. What a great use of space!
Labels: journal
Thursday, 27 September 2007
An amateur tour guide...
Posted @ 23:16
I notice that September has been a pretty lame month as far as posting is concerned. Last time it was recovering from fatigue, so what is my excuse this time?
I was entertaining a friend visiting from abroad...
It was an interesting experience, given that I don't know the place too well myself. Well, I know the places that I visit regularly, but that alone is not going to be enough for a tourist. One problem is that there are always new developments, and it's not that easy to keep up with the developers. Luckily, one of his requests was to sample 'local lifestyle', which one could do pretty much anywhere.
Anyway, after four days, I've shown him about 80% of the tourist hotspots, plus a few less-hot-spots (but worth visiting in my opinion). My only complaint is that I live in the suburbs, and commuting takes an hour. Since we started early and finished late, this translated to very little sleep. Oh well, at least the last few days have been fun...
I was entertaining a friend visiting from abroad...
It was an interesting experience, given that I don't know the place too well myself. Well, I know the places that I visit regularly, but that alone is not going to be enough for a tourist. One problem is that there are always new developments, and it's not that easy to keep up with the developers. Luckily, one of his requests was to sample 'local lifestyle', which one could do pretty much anywhere.
Anyway, after four days, I've shown him about 80% of the tourist hotspots, plus a few less-hot-spots (but worth visiting in my opinion). My only complaint is that I live in the suburbs, and commuting takes an hour. Since we started early and finished late, this translated to very little sleep. Oh well, at least the last few days have been fun...
Labels: journal
Thursday, 20 September 2007
In motion...
Posted @ 02:00
It has been almost a month since I last wrote anything!
Words to describe the last few weeks include hectic, chaotic, topsy-turvy, etc. Depending on your point of view, a lot of things have happened, but on the other hand, one could also argue that things are moving painfully slow. I was so exhausted from sorting stuff out at the end of August that I literally had to sleep for a whole week afterwards to recover. This also explains the lack of updates in cyber world.
Speaking of updating, regular visitors to FBP will realise that they are greeted by a new theme. Like I said a few posts back, 'in motion' has been the working title for several previous themes, but I always ended up calling them something else. Why 'in motion'? The short answer is - there have been times in the past when I needed something 'upbeating' for self motivation. I can always feel a positive vibe in the phrase 'in motion', certainly from a design point of view.
Well, I couldn't have timed it better to have finally nailed the 'in motion' design. I have set many things in motion now, and fingers crossed, I could be in for a thrilling ride!
Words to describe the last few weeks include hectic, chaotic, topsy-turvy, etc. Depending on your point of view, a lot of things have happened, but on the other hand, one could also argue that things are moving painfully slow. I was so exhausted from sorting stuff out at the end of August that I literally had to sleep for a whole week afterwards to recover. This also explains the lack of updates in cyber world.
Speaking of updating, regular visitors to FBP will realise that they are greeted by a new theme. Like I said a few posts back, 'in motion' has been the working title for several previous themes, but I always ended up calling them something else. Why 'in motion'? The short answer is - there have been times in the past when I needed something 'upbeating' for self motivation. I can always feel a positive vibe in the phrase 'in motion', certainly from a design point of view.
Well, I couldn't have timed it better to have finally nailed the 'in motion' design. I have set many things in motion now, and fingers crossed, I could be in for a thrilling ride!
Monday, 27 August 2007
Literally binning files...
Posted @ 16:03
This week is binning week - I am trying to get rid of the piles of junk in my room. Actually, some of them are not really junk at all - useful stuff that are in good conditions - it's just that I don't need them any more. I have a feeling it's going to be harvest time for the local charity shop, which is literally a minute's walk from where I live.
More on the theme of binning stuff - last week I had an 'urgent MSN conversation', which involved suggesting ways to undelete files from a USB stick. The files that were deleted were not moved to the recycle bin, instead they just 'disappeared' forever. After some fiddling around with file recovery programs, I began to suspect that the files were not deleted after all...
If only she has one of these:
Yes, a hard disc literally in the shape of a recycle bin! As well as acting as a conventional external hard disc, everytime a file is deleted, it will place a copy into the device. One may wish to question the point of this, as normally if you delete files, it will be moved to the Windows recycle bin anyway. However, one cannot question the 'cool' fact that blue LEDs on the device itself will light up as the bin gets filled up with files. Also, judging from the screenshots, you don't even need to connect the device via a USB cable.
The only snag is that it is still a conceptual product...
More on the theme of binning stuff - last week I had an 'urgent MSN conversation', which involved suggesting ways to undelete files from a USB stick. The files that were deleted were not moved to the recycle bin, instead they just 'disappeared' forever. After some fiddling around with file recovery programs, I began to suspect that the files were not deleted after all...
If only she has one of these:
Yes, a hard disc literally in the shape of a recycle bin! As well as acting as a conventional external hard disc, everytime a file is deleted, it will place a copy into the device. One may wish to question the point of this, as normally if you delete files, it will be moved to the Windows recycle bin anyway. However, one cannot question the 'cool' fact that blue LEDs on the device itself will light up as the bin gets filled up with files. Also, judging from the screenshots, you don't even need to connect the device via a USB cable.
The only snag is that it is still a conceptual product...
Thursday, 23 August 2007
ABCD...
Posted @ 14:05
A few posts ago I wrote about some of my commitments over the next week or so. First, here's a quick update on the situation: Job A is now scheduled to start on 2nd September; and I couldn't bring job B forward, so I had to turn that down. Now, things are getting even more complicated...
I have started something else, and let's call it job C. This piece of work must be done in 3 phases, but given I will have done 2 of them by the end of the week, I am taking a gamble and hope that I can finish stage 3 before job A starts. Again, it's not up to me to decide when to start stage 3, but judging by the pace of the project, I reckon we will go ahead by the end of next week. As with job B, once I start job A, job C cannot continue. Luckily (or unlucky, depending on your point of view), giving up job C now will no longer affect its progress, except I will be the only person losing out...
As if I have asked to tempt fate, I just got a message today asking me if I am interested in getting involved in yet another project: job D! No prize for guessing correctly: job D starts during the first week of September. This is really annoying, but I think I really have no choice but to decline the invitation.
In summary, job A (unavoidable by now) takes priority over jobs B, C and D. I would gain absolutely nothing from doing job A, and missing out on any of B, C or D is going to hurt. So, for the sake of not having to rant much more about this in the blog, let's hope everything is plain sailing for job C from now on!
This really sounds like an episode from some cheesy drama. Sux...
I have started something else, and let's call it job C. This piece of work must be done in 3 phases, but given I will have done 2 of them by the end of the week, I am taking a gamble and hope that I can finish stage 3 before job A starts. Again, it's not up to me to decide when to start stage 3, but judging by the pace of the project, I reckon we will go ahead by the end of next week. As with job B, once I start job A, job C cannot continue. Luckily (or unlucky, depending on your point of view), giving up job C now will no longer affect its progress, except I will be the only person losing out...
As if I have asked to tempt fate, I just got a message today asking me if I am interested in getting involved in yet another project: job D! No prize for guessing correctly: job D starts during the first week of September. This is really annoying, but I think I really have no choice but to decline the invitation.
In summary, job A (unavoidable by now) takes priority over jobs B, C and D. I would gain absolutely nothing from doing job A, and missing out on any of B, C or D is going to hurt. So, for the sake of not having to rant much more about this in the blog, let's hope everything is plain sailing for job C from now on!
This really sounds like an episode from some cheesy drama. Sux...
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Spider!
Posted @ 16:41
ACT I SCENE I
LOCATION: Office
CHARACTERS: Male x6 (including FBP), Female x1
(The six male characters working in the office)
FEMALE: (storming into office) Is anyone good with spider here?
(The male characters stopped working and looked at each other)
(Stunned silence)
(A few moments later)
(Stunned silence)
(A few more moments later)
(Stunned silence - it was obvious that all the male characters did not mind sorting out the spider, but couldn't be bothered to get up)
(Yet a few more moments later)
FBP: Alright, let's go and sort it out!
(Female character quickly left the office to lead the way)
(After female has left but FBP still on his way out)
MALE A: (amused) Six guys in the office, and nobody moved!
(ALL laughed)
END OF SCENE
**********
We are such a bunch of gentlemen, aren't we? Oh well, I guess this kind of awkwardness can be avoided had we invested in one of these contraptions...
LOCATION: Office
CHARACTERS: Male x6 (including FBP), Female x1
(The six male characters working in the office)
FEMALE: (storming into office) Is anyone good with spider here?
(The male characters stopped working and looked at each other)
(Stunned silence)
(A few moments later)
(Stunned silence)
(A few more moments later)
(Stunned silence - it was obvious that all the male characters did not mind sorting out the spider, but couldn't be bothered to get up)
(Yet a few more moments later)
FBP: Alright, let's go and sort it out!
(Female character quickly left the office to lead the way)
(After female has left but FBP still on his way out)
MALE A: (amused) Six guys in the office, and nobody moved!
(ALL laughed)
END OF SCENE
**********
We are such a bunch of gentlemen, aren't we? Oh well, I guess this kind of awkwardness can be avoided had we invested in one of these contraptions...
Friday, 3 August 2007
Typical...
Posted @ 15:42
Ok, currently I have two commitments, let's call them jobs A and B. These have the following constraints: Job A cannot be started until after 31 August but must be completed within the first few days of September; job B is a two stage process which must be completed before job A, but I have no control over the schedule. Ideally I would like to complete both, but if absolutely necessary, I can give up one of them. Personally I would rather do job B than A, but realistically I will probably need to ditch job B instead for logistics reasons.
Since the schedule for job B has not yet been decided, and I really need to sort out job A, I went ahead yesterday and confirmed the schedule: Job A is to be done on 2 September. This morning, I got an email from the people organising job B, and they told me that phase 1 will be done on 31 August. *Nice* ~ this means the prospect of finishing job B is zero as there are some lag time between the two phases. This is just typical, either I don't get anything organised or everything clashes...
I think I will try to see if we can shift job B forward.
Since the schedule for job B has not yet been decided, and I really need to sort out job A, I went ahead yesterday and confirmed the schedule: Job A is to be done on 2 September. This morning, I got an email from the people organising job B, and they told me that phase 1 will be done on 31 August. *Nice* ~ this means the prospect of finishing job B is zero as there are some lag time between the two phases. This is just typical, either I don't get anything organised or everything clashes...
I think I will try to see if we can shift job B forward.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Bill 1 - Steve 0
Posted @ 12:48
I can't believe I am actually saying this!
Here I am talking about Microsoft (Bill Gates) and Apple (Steve Jobs). For once, I am finding that one of Bill's product is doing a better job than Steve's! What am I talking about?
Well, I've ordered some soundtracks which finally arrived yesterday. When I tried to play the CDs using iTunes, it wouldn't work. I couldn't work out why (and I still cannot). For some reason, iTunes refused to recognise that I have a music CD inserted into my computer, despite fiddling about with various iTunes and autoplay settings. All the options available to CDs were greyed out, so I could not even manually force iTunes to do something.
Then to my surprise, when I tried to play using WMP, no problem whatsoever! Is it something to do with copy protection systems? I don't think so, coz I tried to rip a track as a test, and it worked fine. One thing I didn't try, but ought to, was to test out iTunes with another music CD.....
Ah well, nothing can be perfect, software included... but surely being able to play a music CD is a basic requirement of a music/multimedia player?
Here I am talking about Microsoft (Bill Gates) and Apple (Steve Jobs). For once, I am finding that one of Bill's product is doing a better job than Steve's! What am I talking about?
Well, I've ordered some soundtracks which finally arrived yesterday. When I tried to play the CDs using iTunes, it wouldn't work. I couldn't work out why (and I still cannot). For some reason, iTunes refused to recognise that I have a music CD inserted into my computer, despite fiddling about with various iTunes and autoplay settings. All the options available to CDs were greyed out, so I could not even manually force iTunes to do something.
Then to my surprise, when I tried to play using WMP, no problem whatsoever! Is it something to do with copy protection systems? I don't think so, coz I tried to rip a track as a test, and it worked fine. One thing I didn't try, but ought to, was to test out iTunes with another music CD.....
Ah well, nothing can be perfect, software included... but surely being able to play a music CD is a basic requirement of a music/multimedia player?
Sunday, 22 July 2007
Expectation & Appreciation...
Posted @ 12:13
[Background: please read the two previous posts titled 'Commissioned to build a granary...']
There is a difference between 'I expect you to work hard' and 'I appreciate that you have worked hard'. Some people, however, think otherwise.
Tough yet understanding bosses would understand both concepts: they expect their staff to work a million hours a day in order to get a job done; yet when they inspect the progress, thoroughly understand the amount of effort the staff had to put in to get to this stage, however much or little this may be.
Soft and understanding bosses are... well, probably won't get anything done I guess!
Soft and not understanding bosses are, in my opinion, just apathetic, possibly looking for a new job secretly too!
The final category is the tough but not understanding bosses: they know you have put in the time and effort, and expect that kind of commitment (this I have nothing against). However, they do not appreciate that what is seemingly inconspicuous (e.g. one data point on a graph) was the result of days of careful, hard work. The bosses would brush these asides and just couldn't bring themselves to believe that a getting this far literally drained the mind and body of the staff dry.
Which type of people would you want to work for?
There is a difference between 'I expect you to work hard' and 'I appreciate that you have worked hard'. Some people, however, think otherwise.
Tough yet understanding bosses would understand both concepts: they expect their staff to work a million hours a day in order to get a job done; yet when they inspect the progress, thoroughly understand the amount of effort the staff had to put in to get to this stage, however much or little this may be.
Soft and understanding bosses are... well, probably won't get anything done I guess!
Soft and not understanding bosses are, in my opinion, just apathetic, possibly looking for a new job secretly too!
The final category is the tough but not understanding bosses: they know you have put in the time and effort, and expect that kind of commitment (this I have nothing against). However, they do not appreciate that what is seemingly inconspicuous (e.g. one data point on a graph) was the result of days of careful, hard work. The bosses would brush these asides and just couldn't bring themselves to believe that a getting this far literally drained the mind and body of the staff dry.
Which type of people would you want to work for?
Labels: journal
Friday, 20 July 2007
Commissioned to build a granary... (II)
Posted @ 15:37
[continued from the previous post...]
So, the King inspected the granaries. He noted that the advisor had put in a lot of effort getting the work done, and he acknowledged that the team of builders and architects weren't up to scratch. At the end of the inspection, they sat down and had a debriefing session. There were some minor issues that needed discussing, which were done pretty quickly. Now, as the session was just about to end, the King asked one final question,
"Why were the food gathered so far rather haphazardly sorted?"
Remember the advisor was forced to spend all his time building the granaries, instead of doing the planning? Therefore, given he has only started thinking about the logistics, he would just gather some food first, get the feel for his granaries, and then devise the logistics accordingly. He had noted down clearly in his journal that a systematic way of storage was yet to be made, but should be the next step. The King, however, didn't buy that. The debriefing thus ended with some differences in opinion between the two parties.
The advisor gave this matter some thought, and was not happy that the King, whilst acknowledging that his time was devoted elsewhere through no fault of his own, still queried him as to why the planning wasn't done properly. Essentially, he was saying, it was not the advisor’s fault, but he was still marked down for it.
Nice...
So, the King inspected the granaries. He noted that the advisor had put in a lot of effort getting the work done, and he acknowledged that the team of builders and architects weren't up to scratch. At the end of the inspection, they sat down and had a debriefing session. There were some minor issues that needed discussing, which were done pretty quickly. Now, as the session was just about to end, the King asked one final question,
"Why were the food gathered so far rather haphazardly sorted?"
Remember the advisor was forced to spend all his time building the granaries, instead of doing the planning? Therefore, given he has only started thinking about the logistics, he would just gather some food first, get the feel for his granaries, and then devise the logistics accordingly. He had noted down clearly in his journal that a systematic way of storage was yet to be made, but should be the next step. The King, however, didn't buy that. The debriefing thus ended with some differences in opinion between the two parties.
The advisor gave this matter some thought, and was not happy that the King, whilst acknowledging that his time was devoted elsewhere through no fault of his own, still queried him as to why the planning wasn't done properly. Essentially, he was saying, it was not the advisor’s fault, but he was still marked down for it.
Nice...
Labels: journal
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Commissioned to build a granary... (I)
Posted @ 23:55
Thought of the day...
In a fictitious Kingdom, the King's mystics made a prediction that there will be a very severe failure of crops in ten years' time. In order to prevent a potential famine, the King commissioned one of his advisors to build an extensive granary system throughout the Kingdom. The plan was to finish building them in two years (which was a realistic goal) and to start storing food. The King would conduct an official review himself in five years' time to assess progress.
The advisor, who was very enthusiastic and committed to the work, started planning straight away. Now, for one reason or another, the advisor only had access to one team of builders and architects. This particular group was truly, well, *amazing*, in a typical FBP sarcastic way. To cut a long story short, what would have been very achievable in two years took four, and the only reason it didn't take longer was because the advisor decided to learn the craft and built most of the granaries himself! Of course, being inexperienced, the quality weren't exactly award winning, but at least they were functional.
Unfortunately, as the advisor has spent most of the time building, he didn't have much of a chance to do the coordinating and strategy thinking, which ideally should have been his real job whilst the builders were set to work. He ended up only having one year to start gathering food instead of three, and he didn't have the chance to sort out the logistics yet. Nevertheless, he decided to get started with the gathering anyway, and whoever was in charge of running the granaries afterwards can then implement a more systematic way of storage. This, he thought, was better than nothing, especially they still had some time before the predicted agricultural disaster kicked in.
Five years had passed. The King arranged a date for inspection. How would he respond to the progress made by the advisor? All will be revealed in the next post...
In a fictitious Kingdom, the King's mystics made a prediction that there will be a very severe failure of crops in ten years' time. In order to prevent a potential famine, the King commissioned one of his advisors to build an extensive granary system throughout the Kingdom. The plan was to finish building them in two years (which was a realistic goal) and to start storing food. The King would conduct an official review himself in five years' time to assess progress.
The advisor, who was very enthusiastic and committed to the work, started planning straight away. Now, for one reason or another, the advisor only had access to one team of builders and architects. This particular group was truly, well, *amazing*, in a typical FBP sarcastic way. To cut a long story short, what would have been very achievable in two years took four, and the only reason it didn't take longer was because the advisor decided to learn the craft and built most of the granaries himself! Of course, being inexperienced, the quality weren't exactly award winning, but at least they were functional.
Unfortunately, as the advisor has spent most of the time building, he didn't have much of a chance to do the coordinating and strategy thinking, which ideally should have been his real job whilst the builders were set to work. He ended up only having one year to start gathering food instead of three, and he didn't have the chance to sort out the logistics yet. Nevertheless, he decided to get started with the gathering anyway, and whoever was in charge of running the granaries afterwards can then implement a more systematic way of storage. This, he thought, was better than nothing, especially they still had some time before the predicted agricultural disaster kicked in.
Five years had passed. The King arranged a date for inspection. How would he respond to the progress made by the advisor? All will be revealed in the next post...
Labels: journal
Thursday, 12 July 2007
The Perfect Final Fantasy?
Posted @ 12:09
Ok, I've managed to finish Final Fantasy XII a couple of nights ago. Overall, I think it was an enjoyable experience, and there were many positive points about the game. Despite the fact that Vaan was designed to be the 'main character', he didn't actually dominate the storyline. This aspect particularly appealed to me, maybe because I have never been a fan of the first lead character of any groups, be it movies, games, cartoon, etc. The focus of the story itself took a refreshing detour from the typical 'love story' or the 'a journey to learn about myself', which was seen in several previous titles. I read some reviews that the music was 'good but not memorable', but I liked it, and actually found myself whistling to the opening tune every now and then (hmm...).
Good things must be balanced with the bad. My first complaint: don't design an offline game as if it is an online one! There are just too many tedious and repetitive things that one has to do in the game. Examples (slightly exaggerated) include the need to kill a million of the same enemies in a row to even have a faint chance of obtaining a rare item; or the fact that you have to fight monsters with more hit points than the number of stars in the Universe. I can understand (though not necessarily agree with) why game developers use these tactics for online games, where their income increases with the play time. For offline games, this is just unnecessary.
Speaking of stupidly long fights, let's talk about one of the optional bosses - Yiazmat. This beast had an insane 50 million hit points, and it took me about 2 hours (yes, TWO hours) to bring it down to just over 3 million. Then, that beast started to go mad, and was dishing out damages like there is no tomorrow. Now, until about that point, the fight was fairly routine, it was only the last part that was vaguely (I mean *very*) challenging, and I had to drastically alter my RPG fighting strategies. You see, one makes an RPG more challenging by forcing the player to continually adapt to the situation, not by forcing people to endure repetitive and mind numbing decisions.
I really believe that FF12 was marred by the OTT repetitions that one has to go through to get the most out of the game. However, on the other hand, I guess one will never see a 'perfect' FF game, as it will then be impossible to top it with the next title. Then it will really be the *final* Final Fantasy...
Good things must be balanced with the bad. My first complaint: don't design an offline game as if it is an online one! There are just too many tedious and repetitive things that one has to do in the game. Examples (slightly exaggerated) include the need to kill a million of the same enemies in a row to even have a faint chance of obtaining a rare item; or the fact that you have to fight monsters with more hit points than the number of stars in the Universe. I can understand (though not necessarily agree with) why game developers use these tactics for online games, where their income increases with the play time. For offline games, this is just unnecessary.
Speaking of stupidly long fights, let's talk about one of the optional bosses - Yiazmat. This beast had an insane 50 million hit points, and it took me about 2 hours (yes, TWO hours) to bring it down to just over 3 million. Then, that beast started to go mad, and was dishing out damages like there is no tomorrow. Now, until about that point, the fight was fairly routine, it was only the last part that was vaguely (I mean *very*) challenging, and I had to drastically alter my RPG fighting strategies. You see, one makes an RPG more challenging by forcing the player to continually adapt to the situation, not by forcing people to endure repetitive and mind numbing decisions.
I really believe that FF12 was marred by the OTT repetitions that one has to go through to get the most out of the game. However, on the other hand, I guess one will never see a 'perfect' FF game, as it will then be impossible to top it with the next title. Then it will really be the *final* Final Fantasy...
Thursday, 21 June 2007
The vegetarian chef...
Posted @ 13:13
Here's a story...
(Not so) once upon a time, there was a chef who happened to be a vegetarian. However, this did not stop him from cooking meat, and indeed he was rather good at it. He was not that enthusiastic when it comes to eating animals, that's all. One day, a famous 6-star hotel (yes, 6 stars!) was recruiting a new head chef. Our protagonist, being a rather good chef himself, decided to give it a go. As expected, he came through the selection process until he came to the final stage. Interestingly, the assessment involved an in-depth discussion on the art of food and cooking. Nothing too taxing for a would-be top chef. However, it happened that they were discussing how a certain exotic animal became the 'ultimate indulgence' for the palate. Our protagonist, being not that keen on eating meat, could not really bring himself to discuss why this exotic animal is so tasty. However, he knew that if he was given one of these right now, he could easily conjure up a feast.
If you were the hotel management, would you pick our protagonist? To put it more bluntly, would you rather have someone who may not necessarily be enthusiastic, but who would get a job done quickly and effectively; or someone who is very keen on the work (real or pretend) but who turns out to be at best average?
(Not so) once upon a time, there was a chef who happened to be a vegetarian. However, this did not stop him from cooking meat, and indeed he was rather good at it. He was not that enthusiastic when it comes to eating animals, that's all. One day, a famous 6-star hotel (yes, 6 stars!) was recruiting a new head chef. Our protagonist, being a rather good chef himself, decided to give it a go. As expected, he came through the selection process until he came to the final stage. Interestingly, the assessment involved an in-depth discussion on the art of food and cooking. Nothing too taxing for a would-be top chef. However, it happened that they were discussing how a certain exotic animal became the 'ultimate indulgence' for the palate. Our protagonist, being not that keen on eating meat, could not really bring himself to discuss why this exotic animal is so tasty. However, he knew that if he was given one of these right now, he could easily conjure up a feast.
If you were the hotel management, would you pick our protagonist? To put it more bluntly, would you rather have someone who may not necessarily be enthusiastic, but who would get a job done quickly and effectively; or someone who is very keen on the work (real or pretend) but who turns out to be at best average?
Labels: journal
Friday, 1 June 2007
Keep yourself busy!
Posted @ 20:45
Ok, although I have been at work every day for the last month, I have not been doing much, coz it was a work-hiatus month for me - new project doesn't start until today. To be honest, I got bored of the lack of work pretty quickly, and in a sense, I am quite glad I need to start doing stuff again. Some might say this is a sign of workaholism, but others may prefer to call this 'enthusiasm'. I would certainly classify myself as the latter. I am a firm believer that keeping your brain active is one way to take good care of yourself. I mean, you will reap the rewards in years to come, when your mind will still be functioning pretty well (and hope that medical technology will have advanced enough that your body will be in decent shape too!). Thesedays, we have some old folks making a big statement, and why shouldn't they? Take an example closer to home: one of my bosses is over 80, and his mind is sharper than half a dozen of 20-something put together (and he is also in very good health).
There is a fine line dividing 'keep yourself busy' and 'workaholism'. I mean, *this* is workaholism! Enjoy your work.....
There is a fine line dividing 'keep yourself busy' and 'workaholism'. I mean, *this* is workaholism! Enjoy your work.....
Thursday, 24 May 2007
All for a beer...
Posted @ 20:33
[Disclaimer: can be offensive to some (e.g. myself), please do NOT continue reading unless equipped with a *big* dose of sarcasm!]
It is the beer festival this week, with an interesting theme based on the concept of 'spy'. Why spy, one might wonder? Apparently, if one takes away the '2' in the year '2007', one is left with '007' - get the idea? To compliment the theme, there are also many beverages named using James Bond puns. 'Interesting' is how I would describe these puns, and my personal 'favourite' (although not spy-theme related) is 'I can't believe it's not bitter'...
Hmm.....
Anyway, moving swiftly on. As people who know me, I always have a problem with age identification. It seems that nobody in the world of pubs and clubs would believe that I am (way) over 21. So, when we went yesterday, all my (younger) friends got in without any problems, and I got ID-ed yet again. Fair enough, I got used to it. However, some %£#@$ came up with a brilliant idea: let's give all those people who got ID-ed a wristband! Yes, it *could* have been a great idea, but I was told that I might get ID-ed again inside even with the wristband. Eh? What's the point of giving us wristbands then?
Grr.....
Now, speak of the wristband, or shall I say, 'wristband'? Instead of getting some proper wristband people give out during events (and the potential for sponsors logos printed on them), they have gone for the stylish CABLE TIES?!?!! Admittedly, they did try to make it less humiliating by making the wristband out of three cable ties of different colours, but still, these are cable ties! Surely this is against human rights? hehehe...
To round off this post, how about some magic tricks with cable ties?
It is the beer festival this week, with an interesting theme based on the concept of 'spy'. Why spy, one might wonder? Apparently, if one takes away the '2' in the year '2007', one is left with '007' - get the idea? To compliment the theme, there are also many beverages named using James Bond puns. 'Interesting' is how I would describe these puns, and my personal 'favourite' (although not spy-theme related) is 'I can't believe it's not bitter'...
Hmm.....
Anyway, moving swiftly on. As people who know me, I always have a problem with age identification. It seems that nobody in the world of pubs and clubs would believe that I am (way) over 21. So, when we went yesterday, all my (younger) friends got in without any problems, and I got ID-ed yet again. Fair enough, I got used to it. However, some %£#@$ came up with a brilliant idea: let's give all those people who got ID-ed a wristband! Yes, it *could* have been a great idea, but I was told that I might get ID-ed again inside even with the wristband. Eh? What's the point of giving us wristbands then?
Grr.....
Now, speak of the wristband, or shall I say, 'wristband'? Instead of getting some proper wristband people give out during events (and the potential for sponsors logos printed on them), they have gone for the stylish CABLE TIES?!?!! Admittedly, they did try to make it less humiliating by making the wristband out of three cable ties of different colours, but still, these are cable ties! Surely this is against human rights? hehehe...
To round off this post, how about some magic tricks with cable ties?
Monday, 21 May 2007
Rant is a measure of blog quality!
Posted @ 15:36
You may have noticed the lack of posts recently. Not because I have nothing to say, but rather, I have not been in a great mood to put my thoughts down on paper... well, metaphorically on paper that is. In fact, on my desktop, I have two text files: one with lots of quizzes which I was meant to put on my website, and the other one with ideas for posts.
So the question is: why am I still not updating my website regularly? Several reasons I think... apart from the fact that I am sort of addicted to Final Fantasy XII at the moment. First, I have been stressed, but not really work related. All these years I have come to realise that I thrive on work-related stress, but go absolutely miserable if the stress is non-work related. Secondly, I have been trying to think of ways to make better use of the blog (and the rest of the website). I think my blog is getting boring at times to read, especially to people who don't know me. I have been doing some blog browsing lately to get some inspiration for good writing styles. A few blogs managed to catch my attention, purely on the basis that it was entertaining to read. One common feature I find is that these entries are all about the authors' everyday lives. Now, to be honest, I don't really care much about their businesses. However, the entries were written with wit, humour, and very importantly (for me!)... sarcasm and a healthy dose of cynicism. Also, the focus is not on their lives per se - it's more about a piece of thought, analysis or comparison, whilst drawing examples from their daily chores and mishaps to keep it from being too philosophical and deep. The last thing one wants is to tax the brain with deep thoughts after a tired day at work! Throw in a complementary photograph or link, and you have a good recipe for an enjoyable blog reading.
I may try out these tactics at some stage, but like I said before, I thrive on work-related stress, and in my blog, this means *rant*... but I rarely need to rant thesedays.
So the question is: why am I still not updating my website regularly? Several reasons I think... apart from the fact that I am sort of addicted to Final Fantasy XII at the moment. First, I have been stressed, but not really work related. All these years I have come to realise that I thrive on work-related stress, but go absolutely miserable if the stress is non-work related. Secondly, I have been trying to think of ways to make better use of the blog (and the rest of the website). I think my blog is getting boring at times to read, especially to people who don't know me. I have been doing some blog browsing lately to get some inspiration for good writing styles. A few blogs managed to catch my attention, purely on the basis that it was entertaining to read. One common feature I find is that these entries are all about the authors' everyday lives. Now, to be honest, I don't really care much about their businesses. However, the entries were written with wit, humour, and very importantly (for me!)... sarcasm and a healthy dose of cynicism. Also, the focus is not on their lives per se - it's more about a piece of thought, analysis or comparison, whilst drawing examples from their daily chores and mishaps to keep it from being too philosophical and deep. The last thing one wants is to tax the brain with deep thoughts after a tired day at work! Throw in a complementary photograph or link, and you have a good recipe for an enjoyable blog reading.
I may try out these tactics at some stage, but like I said before, I thrive on work-related stress, and in my blog, this means *rant*... but I rarely need to rant thesedays.
Saturday, 12 May 2007
A fine line...
Posted @ 00:30
There is only a fine line separating right and wrong, good and bad...
Is it possible to create more problem for a person by helping him/her out? The answer is a big YES. It's quite difficult to explain what happened, as regular readers would realise that I often anonymise names and events in order to 'safeguard privacy' (or the more cynical explanation of not getting me into trouble, haha). Anyway, the essence of the story was that a certain A needed some help with a piece of work, this involved contacting B, who independently noticed A had a problem. The next day, I found out that A 'semi-backstabbed'(*) A, which gave A a lot more hassle. Although it is perfectly legitimate for B to do this, I thought the whole point of contacting B is that this would allow A to solve the problem with minimum hassle, not to remind him to 'semi-backstab'...
Oh well, problem was solved eventually, but I felt rather bad. Did I indirectly caused A more trouble by trying to help him, or would B have done it on his own anyway? Thesedays, I often find myself trying to help people too much, and I admit that I am treading on the boundary separating 'helpful' to 'put a foot in other people's business'. I just couldn't help it...
(*) I should explain what I meant by 'semi-backstab'. This was an action that was perfectly legitimate for B to carry out, probably within his duty to. However, it is also legitimate for him to not do the backstabbing, and he would not have done anything wrong either.
Is it possible to create more problem for a person by helping him/her out? The answer is a big YES. It's quite difficult to explain what happened, as regular readers would realise that I often anonymise names and events in order to 'safeguard privacy' (or the more cynical explanation of not getting me into trouble, haha). Anyway, the essence of the story was that a certain A needed some help with a piece of work, this involved contacting B, who independently noticed A had a problem. The next day, I found out that A 'semi-backstabbed'(*) A, which gave A a lot more hassle. Although it is perfectly legitimate for B to do this, I thought the whole point of contacting B is that this would allow A to solve the problem with minimum hassle, not to remind him to 'semi-backstab'...
Oh well, problem was solved eventually, but I felt rather bad. Did I indirectly caused A more trouble by trying to help him, or would B have done it on his own anyway? Thesedays, I often find myself trying to help people too much, and I admit that I am treading on the boundary separating 'helpful' to 'put a foot in other people's business'. I just couldn't help it...
(*) I should explain what I meant by 'semi-backstab'. This was an action that was perfectly legitimate for B to carry out, probably within his duty to. However, it is also legitimate for him to not do the backstabbing, and he would not have done anything wrong either.
Labels: journal
The lack of context makes it so confusing that I don't even understand what it means. Maybe this is a post for a very narrow audience (ie. those involved).
# posted by
Alastair :
2:30 PM
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
New pen!
Posted @ 10:31
Wow, for the first time in almost four years, there is a random pen *appearing* on my desk! After all this time of pens 'mysteriously' disappearing, it is kind of a shock to me! Haha~
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 1 May 2007
One leg is day-dreaming...
Posted @ 13:19
I think I need someone to have a look at my playing style in squash. Ever since picking up badminton again after a long hiatus, my body is just not responding well to squash sessions. I played fairly solidly for an hour, which was a good amount of exercise. My body normally recovers in just over 24 hours, which is fine. The only exception is my right leg (more specifically my right thigh). It doesn't start aching until *after* about 24 hours (just when the rest of my body has more or less recovered). This is quite annoying, coz I always end up limping for a day or so.
Strangely, this doesn't happen when I play other sports...
Strangely, this doesn't happen when I play other sports...
Labels: journal
Sunday, 22 April 2007
Quickest tour ever?
Posted @ 10:19
When I was in Rome last week doing all the prerequisite tourist things, I came across this sign:
Let us retrace the route. We entered the site to the ticket office, bought our tickets, and on leaving the ticketing office, this was the sign that we saw. There were no mistakes in the signs, it was pointing at the entrance. So does this mean that we've practically seen everything within a 100-metre walk? More interestingly, the arrow for toilets pointed to the same direction. Could this be interpreted as 'Find your own toilets outside our museum!'?
Luckily, this was not the case. The 'entrance' referred to the entrance to the rest of the site, which happens to be right next to the entrance to the building, the exit, and of course, the toilets...
Let us retrace the route. We entered the site to the ticket office, bought our tickets, and on leaving the ticketing office, this was the sign that we saw. There were no mistakes in the signs, it was pointing at the entrance. So does this mean that we've practically seen everything within a 100-metre walk? More interestingly, the arrow for toilets pointed to the same direction. Could this be interpreted as 'Find your own toilets outside our museum!'?
Luckily, this was not the case. The 'entrance' referred to the entrance to the rest of the site, which happens to be right next to the entrance to the building, the exit, and of course, the toilets...
Thursday, 5 April 2007
One week of slacking...
Posted @ 16:33
Yes, just completed the (hopefully) final draft - all ~250 pages of it! I am allowed to slack for a week before putting together the finishing touches. FFXII - here I come! :)
wow ... congrats ^0^
# posted by
:
3:31 PM
Friday, 30 March 2007
Dry showers...
Posted @ 23:13
So I've moved again...
The place is great, but interestingly, in the shower unit that is right next to my room, there is a pair of woolly gloves and a mirror INSIDE. That was very strange, I wonder what's going on...
Now, on the first night I moved in, I tried to have a shower. Strangely, the jets were so diffused that most of the jets only hit the walls and ceilings of the shower, instead of the person standing inside the shower unit! I stood in the shower for 10 minutes and only my feet got wet (coz all the water flows to the shower floor). In the end, I had to take a pint glass and fill that up with water, and used that to take the 'shower'.
The next day, we were discussing the shower with my colleagues. Since the mirror inside the shower was angled such that you could see the shower head clearly, we came into the conclusion that other people used the pair of gloves as a sponge to wash themselves, and the mirror was there so that they know exactly where to catch the water jets...
I really could not work out if this should be labelled 'rant' or 'funny', so I'e used both.....
The place is great, but interestingly, in the shower unit that is right next to my room, there is a pair of woolly gloves and a mirror INSIDE. That was very strange, I wonder what's going on...
Now, on the first night I moved in, I tried to have a shower. Strangely, the jets were so diffused that most of the jets only hit the walls and ceilings of the shower, instead of the person standing inside the shower unit! I stood in the shower for 10 minutes and only my feet got wet (coz all the water flows to the shower floor). In the end, I had to take a pint glass and fill that up with water, and used that to take the 'shower'.
The next day, we were discussing the shower with my colleagues. Since the mirror inside the shower was angled such that you could see the shower head clearly, we came into the conclusion that other people used the pair of gloves as a sponge to wash themselves, and the mirror was there so that they know exactly where to catch the water jets...
I really could not work out if this should be labelled 'rant' or 'funny', so I'e used both.....
Monday, 26 March 2007
Moving again...
Posted @ 13:28
You may remember I blogged a few times back in the summer regarding moving. Guess what? I am moving house (room) again! My contract with the current landlady ends this week. Although I tried to negotiate an extension, we couldn't agree on how long the extension should be - I wanted 2 months, but she wanted either 1 month or 3 months. Having found out that my college has unoccupied rooms, I thought it's probably easiest if I stick to the original contract terms and move back to college.
Well, I've got the keys to my new room this morning. The house is on the old side, but at least it's clean (enough) and the communal areas are well equipped - on the other hand, my room could do with a couple more pieces of furniture. However, I'm not complaining, since the size of my room is now about 5 times larger than my current one (i.e. I can actually move around inside the room!)...
The only 'headache' now is to actually move to the new place...
Well, I've got the keys to my new room this morning. The house is on the old side, but at least it's clean (enough) and the communal areas are well equipped - on the other hand, my room could do with a couple more pieces of furniture. However, I'm not complaining, since the size of my room is now about 5 times larger than my current one (i.e. I can actually move around inside the room!)...
The only 'headache' now is to actually move to the new place...
Labels: journal
Sunday, 18 February 2007
Golden Pig!
Posted @ 18:18
Happy CNY!
This is the year of the pig, in particular, it's the year of the golden pig. Interestingly, it has been reported that this is a 'rare occurrence'. Now, is it just me or does the article implies that the golden pig is rarer than any other the other combinations? Given that the naming convention goes through a 60-year cycle, isn't it true that *every* year is a rare year?
Haha, nevermind. Wish you all a prosperous year!
Monday, 5 February 2007
*cough*
Posted @ 18:25
Grr...
I have not had a cough for probably a couple of years now, and now my body just can't get used to it. I do not remember I have ever coughed so hard that I've got a headache and strained stomach from it! And if I have a cold, then fair enough - the fact is I've just breathed in some random stuff that's irritating my throat. This is doubly annoying...
grr...
I have not had a cough for probably a couple of years now, and now my body just can't get used to it. I do not remember I have ever coughed so hard that I've got a headache and strained stomach from it! And if I have a cold, then fair enough - the fact is I've just breathed in some random stuff that's irritating my throat. This is doubly annoying...
grr...
Monday, 15 January 2007
Journey to workville (II)
Posted @ 17:50
It was an almost three-hour journey on the coach from the airport back home. The coach windows have double glazing, which kept the heat loss down. Now, I don't know whether they have invented some new types of double glazing, or whether it was some form of onboard entertainment, this is the window panel next to my seat:
I must say, this water feature was quite soothing for a little while!
I must say, this water feature was quite soothing for a little while!
Friday, 12 January 2007
Connectivity... or not!
Posted @ 16:37
It looks like I'm not having much luck as far as internet connection is concerned thesedays. Having 'escaped' from HK, where many deep sea optic cables had been damaged recently, I found my myself returning to my room sans-wireless. For some reason, the wireless router in the house was not working. This is annoying, as given the size of my room, the lack of internet connection means that apart from zzz there is literally nothing I can do.
PS - Part (II) of "journey to workville" will be posted once the wireless problem has been fixed...
PS - Part (II) of "journey to workville" will be posted once the wireless problem has been fixed...
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
Journey to workville (I)
Posted @ 13:43
Thanks to some *minor issues* with severed optic fibre cables, I had some difficulties logging into Blogger. Now that I'm back to work, I guess I can start blogging again!
Once again, I've picked a wrong time for my flight - it was the start of school and (some) university terms. This means the average age of passenger was lowered to about 12. Most of the kids refused to eat the in-flight meals, and opted for cup noodles instead (yes, cup noodles were provided as refreshments throughout the flight). It was also interesting to see how people would activate the attention light just to get a glass of water, even though the food gallery was just next to some of the seats. I have lost count the number of times I saw flight attendants walking down the aisle carrying trays of cup noodles and soft drinks.
Speaking of cup noodles, I guess it's the end of an era with the recent death of the inventor of instant and cup noodles. It is possibly one of the most ingenious invention that makes the hectic city life possible! ha~
Once again, I've picked a wrong time for my flight - it was the start of school and (some) university terms. This means the average age of passenger was lowered to about 12. Most of the kids refused to eat the in-flight meals, and opted for cup noodles instead (yes, cup noodles were provided as refreshments throughout the flight). It was also interesting to see how people would activate the attention light just to get a glass of water, even though the food gallery was just next to some of the seats. I have lost count the number of times I saw flight attendants walking down the aisle carrying trays of cup noodles and soft drinks.
Speaking of cup noodles, I guess it's the end of an era with the recent death of the inventor of instant and cup noodles. It is possibly one of the most ingenious invention that makes the hectic city life possible! ha~
Monday, 25 December 2006
Festive recharge...
Posted @ 00:00
Well, I'm back!
It has been quite a tough few weeks, but now I can finally relax (for a little while). Although it took me only a day or two to recover physically (i.e. catch up on ZZzzz), it is taking me far longer to recharge mentally. Anyway, almost there now, so it's time for the customary Christmas lights photo!
Merry Christmas!
It has been quite a tough few weeks, but now I can finally relax (for a little while). Although it took me only a day or two to recover physically (i.e. catch up on ZZzzz), it is taking me far longer to recharge mentally. Anyway, almost there now, so it's time for the customary Christmas lights photo!
Merry Christmas!
Labels: journal
Sunday, 3 December 2006
Hiatus...
Posted @ 00:20
Wow, it's been ages since I've written anything. Three posts in November! Anyway, it has been a hectic month, and it will continue to be so for another fortnight. Here's a quick post just to let everyone know that all is well. Probably no more posts until mid December... argh~ too much work!
Labels: journal
add oil~~~
# posted by
:
2:24 AM
Wednesday, 8 November 2006
HDD, room, agitation...
Posted @ 20:12
A few random thoughts for the day...
This morning, the moment I stepped into my office, I realised that I've left my portable HDD at home. A few months ago, it would only have taken me 10 minutes to walk back home. Now, it will take half an hour, so I will have lost one hour to walking if I go and fetch it. On the other hand, if I don't go back home, I would have wasted 8 hours as I couldn't access the contents of my HDD psychically!
My decision? Stay in the office of course! Luckily I managed to find other things to keep me occupied for the day. The new place isn't really convenient relative to where I used to live. Also, I have been battling some serious condensation problems in my room: I either have to open windows and doors all day and endure the freezing cold, or keep the windows shut and pretend to live in a jungle. Not ideal...
Although the place itself is nice, and more importantly - clean, I just don't feel like staying there at all. Something is wrong but I couldn't figure out exactly what. I am increasingly tempted to camp out in my office - I actually feel far more comfortable there...
Hmm...
Another thing, I have been very impatient thesedays, not helped by what happened yesterday regarding the queue jumping incident. Work has been stressful, but it's more like motivating-ly stressful rather than depressingly stressful. I am suspecting it's to do with where I'm living - if I don't feel at home there then I'm not going to get proper rest and this will probably affect my mood...
This morning, the moment I stepped into my office, I realised that I've left my portable HDD at home. A few months ago, it would only have taken me 10 minutes to walk back home. Now, it will take half an hour, so I will have lost one hour to walking if I go and fetch it. On the other hand, if I don't go back home, I would have wasted 8 hours as I couldn't access the contents of my HDD psychically!
My decision? Stay in the office of course! Luckily I managed to find other things to keep me occupied for the day. The new place isn't really convenient relative to where I used to live. Also, I have been battling some serious condensation problems in my room: I either have to open windows and doors all day and endure the freezing cold, or keep the windows shut and pretend to live in a jungle. Not ideal...
Although the place itself is nice, and more importantly - clean, I just don't feel like staying there at all. Something is wrong but I couldn't figure out exactly what. I am increasingly tempted to camp out in my office - I actually feel far more comfortable there...
Hmm...
Another thing, I have been very impatient thesedays, not helped by what happened yesterday regarding the queue jumping incident. Work has been stressful, but it's more like motivating-ly stressful rather than depressingly stressful. I am suspecting it's to do with where I'm living - if I don't feel at home there then I'm not going to get proper rest and this will probably affect my mood...
y dun u bike?
# posted by
:
5:27 PM
Wednesday, 4 October 2006
Back to the future?
Posted @ 23:33
I have just noticed that the date on the 'News' item on the home page was '22 October 2006' instead of '22 September 2006' (the day this theme was uploaded)! Obviously it's been corrected now, but I wonder how many people noticed...
Speaking of bizzare dates, I got a spam email today dated 1979! Amazing...
Speaking of bizzare dates, I got a spam email today dated 1979! Amazing...
Labels: journal
Thursday, 7 September 2006
Hermit? No Thanks!
Posted @ 16:57
By 9pm yesterday, I was so exhausted from moving that I went to bed, so didn't have a chance to meet my new housemates, who were not back home yet. I went home (old place) in the afternoon on Tuesday to start sorting out the packing, spent the whole of yesterday and half of today moving and unpacking. I was pretty much on my own all these times. In fact, I've managed to speak to real people for about 5 minutes over this period (48-plus hours), and this is not nice. As soon as I've done the bulk of unpacking, I came straight back to the department, just so that I can talk to people!
Yes, I value time on my own, but not 48 hours non-stop!Hermit?
Yes, I value time on my own, but not 48 hours non-stop!Hermit?
Labels: journal
The real sliding puzzle...
Posted @ 15:27
Ok, Phase 2 of moving completed (just about). I just need to tidy up the mess in my old place and I'm done. Luckily, I've haven't thrown away the bin-liners of rubbish from the old place yet, as I realised I've accidentally thrown my PS2 cables away too! I've just about unpacked in the new place, but I can't unpack completely, as I'm still waiting for some storage bags that I've ordered. Hoepfully, with these storage bags, I will be able to stack my clothes in a neat pile (at the moment, half are in my suitcase). I'll also need to seriously consider pruning my possessions gradually - at the moment, if I need to have access to any of my stuff or to the door, I will need to move at least two items, in a manner not dissimilar to a sliding puzzle.
Labels: journal
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
From small to smaller...
Posted @ 16:07
Right, finished phase 1 of moving place, most of the stuff are now in the new room, except a few random things which I will polish off tomorrow. The new room is tiny, and just to give you an idea, there is literally only space for a desk, chair and bed. However, as these are meant to be self contained units, they have to find me some storage space. Their solution was to build a bunk bed, and have shelves, etc below. This actually creates quite a lot of storage space, although I must say the shelves are not exactly efficiently stacked, so usage of some of the space required creativity.
Generally, I am happy as long as I have enough space for my stuff (which should be fine even after phase 2 of the move), I don't care if I have to go through an assault course just to reach the door. At least I don't live on ground floor facing the traffic anymore, so I could actually open the blinds without putting on a show to the outside world.
Yet there is a slight problem - the bed. I have to climb up 1.5 m, followed by some yoga-style movements, before I can get on/off without banging my head onto the ceiling. This is a lot more difficult than I anticipated, and I can see a potential problem after a night's out partying...
BTW, don't even try to ask me why I am moving, unless you can endure hours of ranting...
Generally, I am happy as long as I have enough space for my stuff (which should be fine even after phase 2 of the move), I don't care if I have to go through an assault course just to reach the door. At least I don't live on ground floor facing the traffic anymore, so I could actually open the blinds without putting on a show to the outside world.
Yet there is a slight problem - the bed. I have to climb up 1.5 m, followed by some yoga-style movements, before I can get on/off without banging my head onto the ceiling. This is a lot more difficult than I anticipated, and I can see a potential problem after a night's out partying...
BTW, don't even try to ask me why I am moving, unless you can endure hours of ranting...
Tuesday, 15 August 2006
Oooh, look! A notice on the chair...
Posted @ 15:00
As I have mentioned before (although quite rarely), I work in a big lab where my stuff occupy around a third of the space. Recently, there was a clean-out of another section of the lab, the junk was replaced by a chair placed in the centre of the space. As you move your line of sight from the newly created space to my area of the lab, you will find this is where much of the junk has migrated to! In fact, they are blocking access to my own stuff!
Obviously muttering censored phrased to myself, I return my line of sight to that solitary chair. There is a signed notice on it reading,"This space is reserved. No Dumping!"
I was speechless. It's amazing the kind of thing they would do.....
Obviously muttering censored phrased to myself, I return my line of sight to that solitary chair. There is a signed notice on it reading,"This space is reserved. No Dumping!"
I was speechless. It's amazing the kind of thing they would do.....
Monday, 14 August 2006
You want it... when?
Posted @ 13:23
Ok, here's the gist of the conversation I've had today when booking for a doctor's appointment...
ME: Hi! I'd like to book an appointment to see the doctor this week please.
RECEPTIONIST: Which day of the week would you like?
ME: Any day *except Thursday* would be fine.
RECEPTIONIST: Ok, what about morning or afternoon?
ME: *Mornings* only please.
RECEPTIONIST: Let me see... is Thursday 3pm ok for you this week?
ME: ..........
ME: Hi! I'd like to book an appointment to see the doctor this week please.
RECEPTIONIST: Which day of the week would you like?
ME: Any day *except Thursday* would be fine.
RECEPTIONIST: Ok, what about morning or afternoon?
ME: *Mornings* only please.
RECEPTIONIST: Let me see... is Thursday 3pm ok for you this week?
ME: ..........
Monday, 24 July 2006
The best building design?
Posted @ 22:12
Yes, I have been quite slack with blog entries thesedays. It's been so hot recently that I couldn't concentrate on just about anything, so I couldn't think of things to write. I am not complaining about the heat or the sun, but building design in general. My room has no ventilation, and remains hot even if the outside temperature has dropped substantially. This is great for winter, as I need nothing more than T-shirts and shorts to keep me warm enough, but during the summer months, my room is like a sauna. I think I only managed to have a few nights of good sleep over the last month.
Incidentally, I was in a presentation the other day, and building designs were briefly mentioned. Both the UK and Sweden have scales for assessing the energy efficiencies of buildings (e.g. how good the insulations are, how much energy is needed to keep hot water pipe hot, etc). Interestingly, the British and Swedish scales do not overlap! So, the buildings in the UK which were assessed as "best" in terms of energy efficiency wouldn't even pass on the Swedish scale!
Yes, if you haven't realised it, in the UK, inefficient building design is the biggest contribution to wasted energy!
On a lighter note, to cool things down a bit, I shall leave you with a little recipe for making ice shot glasses...
Incidentally, I was in a presentation the other day, and building designs were briefly mentioned. Both the UK and Sweden have scales for assessing the energy efficiencies of buildings (e.g. how good the insulations are, how much energy is needed to keep hot water pipe hot, etc). Interestingly, the British and Swedish scales do not overlap! So, the buildings in the UK which were assessed as "best" in terms of energy efficiency wouldn't even pass on the Swedish scale!
Yes, if you haven't realised it, in the UK, inefficient building design is the biggest contribution to wasted energy!
On a lighter note, to cool things down a bit, I shall leave you with a little recipe for making ice shot glasses...
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 18 July 2006
21.00 - 6.65 = 14.35
Posted @ 11:59
That was how much I should have not have paid...
Anyway, I was at the doctor's today, and I found out that normal sunscreen would actually mess up my skin - great under the strong sun, eh? To cut a long story short, the doctor recommended I use a moisturiser with a built in SP factor instead. Apparently this is not an uncommon problem, as he even knows which brand would cause the least problems. The recommendation was:
Hmm... ok, wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Anyway, the annoying thing is that it is not a prescription drug, so I can't get it for the standard prescription charge (GBP6.65), so I had to pay the full price (GBP21)! Grr... and it is cheaper anywhere else on planet...
Anyway, I was at the doctor's today, and I found out that normal sunscreen would actually mess up my skin - great under the strong sun, eh? To cut a long story short, the doctor recommended I use a moisturiser with a built in SP factor instead. Apparently this is not an uncommon problem, as he even knows which brand would cause the least problems. The recommendation was:
Hmm... ok, wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Anyway, the annoying thing is that it is not a prescription drug, so I can't get it for the standard prescription charge (GBP6.65), so I had to pay the full price (GBP21)! Grr... and it is cheaper anywhere else on planet...
Labels: journal
Monday, 26 June 2006
Weather forecast...
Posted @ 12:15
Ah, it's Wimbledon time again, the finest grass court tennis. Actually, if you do not have sky or digital TV (like me), then it's more or less the *only* tennis you can watch in the UK. Hang on, I don't actually have access to *any* TV thesedays, but that's besides the point here.
I must admit, of all the tennis tournaments that I've watched on TV, Wimbledon is usually the least watchable on average. Nothing wrong with the tennis itself, but rather it's because it normally rains half the time, so you end up having to put up with the 100th replay of old matches. Yes, a particular match may be a classic, but nevertheless still extremely boring if you keep watching it time after time.
First day of Wimbledon, and guess what was the headline even before the first ball was struck? Yup, you've guessed it - RAIN! If you predict warmth and sunshine on the day before and after the fortnight, but gloom and rain during the tournament, you are not too far off! :p
I must admit, of all the tennis tournaments that I've watched on TV, Wimbledon is usually the least watchable on average. Nothing wrong with the tennis itself, but rather it's because it normally rains half the time, so you end up having to put up with the 100th replay of old matches. Yes, a particular match may be a classic, but nevertheless still extremely boring if you keep watching it time after time.
First day of Wimbledon, and guess what was the headline even before the first ball was struck? Yup, you've guessed it - RAIN! If you predict warmth and sunshine on the day before and after the fortnight, but gloom and rain during the tournament, you are not too far off! :p
Labels: journal
Friday, 9 June 2006
One is not enough... of course!
Posted @ 13:38
Ok, two weeks after the new laptop has arrived, I got a phone call from the online retailer today. Apparently, they are doing a promotion right now - a brand new laptop for half price! In addition, should England win the world cup, I would get two thirds of the money back! This means paying about GBP 350 for a laptop that is worth about a grand!
Did the sales realise that I have just bought a new laptop? Yes, of course! He started the conversation like this: "Hello, this is company X here. I know you've just bought a laptop from us, but I am calling you to offer a laptop promotion..." When I told him that one normally doesn't buy two laptops in two weeks, he suggested that I could sell this extra laptop for a profit?!? Hmm... very convincing...
And finally there is always the question: how likely am I going to get that extra 60% off? I guess the answer would depend on which team you support!
Did the sales realise that I have just bought a new laptop? Yes, of course! He started the conversation like this: "Hello, this is company X here. I know you've just bought a laptop from us, but I am calling you to offer a laptop promotion..." When I told him that one normally doesn't buy two laptops in two weeks, he suggested that I could sell this extra laptop for a profit?!? Hmm... very convincing...
And finally there is always the question: how likely am I going to get that extra 60% off? I guess the answer would depend on which team you support!
Labels: journal
Monday, 5 June 2006
Spicy HDD (and "costs" a fortune!)...
Posted @ 11:55
Ok, here's the conclusion of my laptop saga. My 2.5 inch HDD caddy arrived so I was able to see if my old HDD is working or not. Luckily it worked! That means my lost data are not lost afterall - hurray! On the other hand, that means my old laptop is probably quite dead. So I'm going to keep the old HDD and use it as a portable. This new caddy is actually not bad, despite coming from the "value range" in the online catalogue. Probably doesn't look too solid, but it does have some cool red LEDs - well not as cool (literally!) as blue LEDs of course, but nevertheless, this particular shade of red does look rather spicy.
The only 'complaint' is that this new 'portable HDD' costs over a grand (GBP) - because this was practically the price I paid for my old laptop!
The only 'complaint' is that this new 'portable HDD' costs over a grand (GBP) - because this was practically the price I paid for my old laptop!
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 30 May 2006
Break-athlon...
Posted @ 14:27
Hmm... May 2006 seems to be a month of malfunctioning. First my computer, then my umbrella (!), and now the washing machine?!? The washing machine washes and dries ok, except it stopped tumbling, which sort of rendered the 'tumble drying' function useless, so now I am ended up with piles of steaming but wet clothes (i.e. no point in tumble drying). Grr...
A quick update on the computer issue. There is now a new theory of what's going on. One person proposed that the processor fan malfunctioned, which means the motherboard was killed by overheating. Hmm, I guess now I'll take any explanation, since the computer is not starting regardless of what I do to it. All I can confirm is that the power supply to the electronics is fine. Anyway, I've got myself a cheap HDD caddy, just to see if the HDD is in fact ok afterall.
Oh well, a couple more days to go before June. Fresh start then...
A quick update on the computer issue. There is now a new theory of what's going on. One person proposed that the processor fan malfunctioned, which means the motherboard was killed by overheating. Hmm, I guess now I'll take any explanation, since the computer is not starting regardless of what I do to it. All I can confirm is that the power supply to the electronics is fine. Anyway, I've got myself a cheap HDD caddy, just to see if the HDD is in fact ok afterall.
Oh well, a couple more days to go before June. Fresh start then...
Friday, 19 May 2006
Shake, smash, press...
Posted @ 15:20
Hmm... I've tried shaking my HDD, from a very gentle tap up to almost smashing it with a sledgehammer, yet that little magnetic contraption is still not responding. I still have a couple more options, like trying to boot the computer via a CD, but that may involve playing around with the bios. However, I don't seem to be able to get to my bios either.....
Headache...
Headache...
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 16 May 2006
Argh~ my hard disk!?
Posted @ 13:16
Argh~ I think my hard disk in my laptop has just died!!??
This morning, I switched on my computer, but after a few minutes it froze (this is very rare for my laptop), so I switched it off. When I tried to switch on my computer again, my hard disk wouldn't respond. From the laptop LED display, I can see that there is actually power through the computer, but for some reason the hard disk wouldn't start, no noise whatsoever...
Erm, does this mean that my hard disk has died?
So annoying, the last thing I need right now is a broken hard disk. Luckily, the damage done, in terms of lost data, is relatively mild. It turns out that I've backed up most of the important things when I uploaded my new website theme last week! The most annoying chunk of information that I've lost is my accounting stuff.
Hurray for my new website theme - you've saved the day! Deceptively calm - was this an omen?
This morning, I switched on my computer, but after a few minutes it froze (this is very rare for my laptop), so I switched it off. When I tried to switch on my computer again, my hard disk wouldn't respond. From the laptop LED display, I can see that there is actually power through the computer, but for some reason the hard disk wouldn't start, no noise whatsoever...
Erm, does this mean that my hard disk has died?
So annoying, the last thing I need right now is a broken hard disk. Luckily, the damage done, in terms of lost data, is relatively mild. It turns out that I've backed up most of the important things when I uploaded my new website theme last week! The most annoying chunk of information that I've lost is my accounting stuff.
Hurray for my new website theme - you've saved the day! Deceptively calm - was this an omen?
Monday, 15 May 2006
Philosophical Monday...
Posted @ 20:01
Just a thought on a Monday evening...
Most kids are, of course, naive. In a typical family, they are probably shielded from the harsh reality from their parents. They believe everything is perfect. When they grow up, the reality begins to dawn on them. They release that things are not always what they seem. By then, they know enough to know that we all live in an imperfect world, but it's just difficult to accept at first that what they saw as flawless were not so flawless afterall. They try their best to rectify the situation, but with little success. They will eventually resign to the fact that some things are beyond their control, and their futile attempt to create a solution is just going to increase their unhappiness. The best (only) solution is to leave everything as it is, and let nature takes its course.
The psychology of the human mind... what a complicated concept!
Most kids are, of course, naive. In a typical family, they are probably shielded from the harsh reality from their parents. They believe everything is perfect. When they grow up, the reality begins to dawn on them. They release that things are not always what they seem. By then, they know enough to know that we all live in an imperfect world, but it's just difficult to accept at first that what they saw as flawless were not so flawless afterall. They try their best to rectify the situation, but with little success. They will eventually resign to the fact that some things are beyond their control, and their futile attempt to create a solution is just going to increase their unhappiness. The best (only) solution is to leave everything as it is, and let nature takes its course.
The psychology of the human mind... what a complicated concept!
Labels: journal
Friday, 28 April 2006
Almost ready...
Posted @ 15:00
This week has been miserable, to put it mildly. I wish I was hibernating instead. Anyway, believe it or not, I've been working on my website for a while, and it is almost done! In fact, I've uploaded a test page somewhere, if you can manage to find it! I am to get everything switched to the new design within a week...
Friday, 14 April 2006
Satire is the best cure...
Posted @ 14:19
Compared to, say, 100 years ago, we have more documented types of ailments and disorders. Why? Because people are living longer, so many illnesses that are more pertinent in the elderly become more common? Or is it because advances in technology allow us to detect and classify illnesses that have been baffling the physicians of the past?
Well, it seems now there is a third possible explanation. Apparently, new diseases are invented by the big pharma companies all the time. Why? So that they can sell you random tablets and raise their profit. Of course, this is a rather cynical view, which one may or may not choose to believe. Luckily, for those who choose to believe that everything has a sinister side, there is now a cure! How could anyone cope without this wonder drug? I mean, if you are a shareholder of a large pharmaceutical company, surely it is in your interest that this drug becomes widely available?
Hmm... oh dear, I think I've just overloaded myself with satire...
Speaking of 'hoax drug', this one must feature in every grad student's medicine cabinet. (There are two more comic strips that continue the story, and they are here and here.)
Hmm... I really think I ought to get back to my work now...
Well, it seems now there is a third possible explanation. Apparently, new diseases are invented by the big pharma companies all the time. Why? So that they can sell you random tablets and raise their profit. Of course, this is a rather cynical view, which one may or may not choose to believe. Luckily, for those who choose to believe that everything has a sinister side, there is now a cure! How could anyone cope without this wonder drug? I mean, if you are a shareholder of a large pharmaceutical company, surely it is in your interest that this drug becomes widely available?
Hmm... oh dear, I think I've just overloaded myself with satire...
Speaking of 'hoax drug', this one must feature in every grad student's medicine cabinet. (There are two more comic strips that continue the story, and they are here and here.)
Hmm... I really think I ought to get back to my work now...
Labels: journal
Monday, 10 April 2006
Unusual Diet
Posted @ 10:43
Ok, I swear that somebody in my office is on a diet of plastic and black ink! I've now lost one pen every week for the last month! This is so annoying, I paid for the pens and only managed to use them for a week before it became 'someone else's property'. I have my suspects, but because everyone get their stationery from the department stores, I couldn't actually tell the difference.
Grr... so annoying!
Grr... so annoying!
ng hai ha ma ... steal pens gum cheap :P??
# posted by
:
2:25 PM
hey baz...yes, thesis kick-off, heehee, yes, i mean, fidling with the "template" and "layout" and "font"...
arrr...u know, ppl around my lab likes to steal my calculators. so, u probably feel a bit better for ur pens??
arrr...u know, ppl around my lab likes to steal my calculators. so, u probably feel a bit better for ur pens??
# posted by
:
8:24 AM
Wednesday, 5 April 2006
Tasty apple...
Posted @ 18:32
Apple...
Whilst I'm never a big fan of this, over the last few years, this has become more and more appealing. I have probably mentioned it a few times already that it is my intention to own one of those in the future. However, the major thing that keeps putting me off is that a MAC can't play computer games. Now, it seems that they are finally coming up with something that let people install Windows on a MAC! Well, I won't be buying any new computers in the foreseeable future, so by the time I do part with my cash, their Boot Camp software should be running smoothly...
Whilst I'm never a big fan of this, over the last few years, this has become more and more appealing. I have probably mentioned it a few times already that it is my intention to own one of those in the future. However, the major thing that keeps putting me off is that a MAC can't play computer games. Now, it seems that they are finally coming up with something that let people install Windows on a MAC! Well, I won't be buying any new computers in the foreseeable future, so by the time I do part with my cash, their Boot Camp software should be running smoothly...
Labels: journal
I wanted to leave you a line before, but i was always worried what i said will be challenged by henry...haha :-P. but haven't actually heard from him for aaaaaaaaaagesssss....and shirley didn't call me. heart broken, i thought they were my best friends....anyway!!!!.....i wanna say, wow I am so glad Robin gives me this ibook to work with. " I am Loving it...' :-P although it is a bit heavy to carry around.
# posted by
:
8:31 AM
Monday, 3 April 2006
I'm undeRAGE...
Posted @ 12:36
Interesting weekend.....
Last Friday, for the millionth time, I got refused into a bar because "I am underage". When I produced my driving licence as proof of ID, the bouncer (who is considerably older than me) asked what that was?!? You see, nowadays, people have a photocard driving licence, whereas before 1998, we had the old paper style. However, many places do not accept them as valid ID.
Now, a couple of points to note here...
First, this country does not accept its own legal documents as proof of identity, which is ridiculous. I admit the lack of photo on the old style licence is the reason behind this, but surely whoever designing these things in the first place should have thought about this! Secondly, the bouncer, who I said was older than me, did not even recognise the old style licence. Hello? What's going on here? Don't tell me he's never seen a paper licence before (I bet he owns one anyway)?
People said I should take this as a compliment. Er, NO! If they say I'm 21, then yes; but to think I'm under 18, this is just inconvenient. I can assure you that nobody finds any comments that lead to inconvenience flatterring at all. In fact, 'insult' would be a better word than 'compliment'!
However, trying to see some humour in all these (Oh I tell you the whole saga was very funny to all my friends...grr), I propose two plans. Either I wear a badge saying "I am 2" going into the pub next time, or I get a customised T-shirt that reads "Obviously I look under 18!".....
Actually, the bouncers only start working at around 7pm or so. Therefore I only had to start my weekend at 5pm..... hahaha
Last Friday, for the millionth time, I got refused into a bar because "I am underage". When I produced my driving licence as proof of ID, the bouncer (who is considerably older than me) asked what that was?!? You see, nowadays, people have a photocard driving licence, whereas before 1998, we had the old paper style. However, many places do not accept them as valid ID.
Now, a couple of points to note here...
First, this country does not accept its own legal documents as proof of identity, which is ridiculous. I admit the lack of photo on the old style licence is the reason behind this, but surely whoever designing these things in the first place should have thought about this! Secondly, the bouncer, who I said was older than me, did not even recognise the old style licence. Hello? What's going on here? Don't tell me he's never seen a paper licence before (I bet he owns one anyway)?
People said I should take this as a compliment. Er, NO! If they say I'm 21, then yes; but to think I'm under 18, this is just inconvenient. I can assure you that nobody finds any comments that lead to inconvenience flatterring at all. In fact, 'insult' would be a better word than 'compliment'!
However, trying to see some humour in all these (Oh I tell you the whole saga was very funny to all my friends...grr), I propose two plans. Either I wear a badge saying "I am 2" going into the pub next time, or I get a customised T-shirt that reads "Obviously I look under 18!".....
Actually, the bouncers only start working at around 7pm or so. Therefore I only had to start my weekend at 5pm..... hahaha
Sunday, 19 March 2006
Tag game...
Posted @ 18:22
Ok, this is what I would call 'a novel way of collaborating'...
First, read what Alastair has to say on his website about the weekend.
Now, I happened to be in London too on Saturday for my friend's birthday. However, whilst I was in London, I decided to do the one-stop-visit-your-friends-scheme. I called up Manfred on Friday night to see if he would be free for a quick meet up. Eventually he called back (eventually = saturday afternoon), and he was due to meet up with his friends, and they were conveniently within a few minutes walk away from where I was at that time. Conincidentally, Alastair was there too! So, a double meet up was arranged.
I haven't seen Alastair for a little while now, as he is supposed to be busy wri...*censored*... (hahaha!), so it was nice to meet up with him at places away from work.
Anyway, after lunch, we went our separate ways, as I was meeting up with the birthday boy. We met up, with a few others, and went for a coffee. Then we were strolling along the streets and went to the Apple Store. Guess who I saw? Yup, Alastair and Manfred. It's a small world...
The birthday dinner was with a group of lawyers, bankers and consultants (and no, I did not copy and paste from Alastair's entry). Luckily, unlike last time (see entries in October), the bill wasn't astronomical (almost the same group of people though).
First, read what Alastair has to say on his website about the weekend.
Now, I happened to be in London too on Saturday for my friend's birthday. However, whilst I was in London, I decided to do the one-stop-visit-your-friends-scheme. I called up Manfred on Friday night to see if he would be free for a quick meet up. Eventually he called back (eventually = saturday afternoon), and he was due to meet up with his friends, and they were conveniently within a few minutes walk away from where I was at that time. Conincidentally, Alastair was there too! So, a double meet up was arranged.
I haven't seen Alastair for a little while now, as he is supposed to be busy wri...*censored*... (hahaha!), so it was nice to meet up with him at places away from work.
Anyway, after lunch, we went our separate ways, as I was meeting up with the birthday boy. We met up, with a few others, and went for a coffee. Then we were strolling along the streets and went to the Apple Store. Guess who I saw? Yup, Alastair and Manfred. It's a small world...
The birthday dinner was with a group of lawyers, bankers and consultants (and no, I did not copy and paste from Alastair's entry). Luckily, unlike last time (see entries in October), the bill wasn't astronomical (almost the same group of people though).
Labels: journal
24 hours later...
Posted @ 02:15
[continued from previous post]
*sob* x2
After discharging my camera for over 24 hours, I tried switching it on again. Not good. Sigh~ So I guess the next thing is to reload the firmware. However, the casio download section does not have the firmware for EX-Z55, so I'm stuck at the moment. Google, for once, couldn't offer any help either.
hmm.....
*sob* x2
After discharging my camera for over 24 hours, I tried switching it on again. Not good. Sigh~ So I guess the next thing is to reload the firmware. However, the casio download section does not have the firmware for EX-Z55, so I'm stuck at the moment. Google, for once, couldn't offer any help either.
hmm.....
Labels: journal
Thursday, 16 March 2006
24 hours of error...
Posted @ 23:38
*sob*...
My camera stopped working!?? A couple of days ago I was snapping pictures happily with my Casio Exilim Z-55 when all of a sudden I got a system error 0e01! Basically, the camera wouldn't load anything up. Thanks to Rich's suggestion, plus a couple of google searches, if I leave the battery out for 24 hours, it should reset itself. However, people did mention something about updating firmware. I have no idea how to do it, or where I could get the firmware from. Well, let's hope this 24 hour rest would do the trick.
My camera stopped working!?? A couple of days ago I was snapping pictures happily with my Casio Exilim Z-55 when all of a sudden I got a system error 0e01! Basically, the camera wouldn't load anything up. Thanks to Rich's suggestion, plus a couple of google searches, if I leave the battery out for 24 hours, it should reset itself. However, people did mention something about updating firmware. I have no idea how to do it, or where I could get the firmware from. Well, let's hope this 24 hour rest would do the trick.
Labels: journal
Monday, 13 March 2006
Really, they are not for kids...
Posted @ 00:00
I own a LaCie portable hard drive. The design is quite sleek (at least that's what they claim), with its metallic covers and so on. My only minor initial complaint, as far as the design is concerned, was that it looked like a miniature brick. I bought it about a year ago, and there were competing brands that offered a far smoother look. However, the LaCie won because, for 10 pounds less, I get 20GB more storage space! I was more than happy to overlook its stylish-but-brick-like look. (I would have made less fuss about its appearance had this not been its big focus when it was first out)
Since then, I have actually got used to this tiny brick and thought it looked not bad afterall. Now, my complaint is that I can't find a leather/fabric protective sleeve for this thing anywhere!
Well, carrying on with its 'stylish lines', there is now a new range of designs. Called the Brick, the new design looked literally like a lego brick, and you can even stack them up like lego too! They come in red, blue or white. I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on the new design.....
Just to prove that adults are far more interested in lego than kids, we've just bought a big bucket of lego for our office - in order to build up morale! Well, more time for architectural creativity, which er... will increase hmm... work productivity!
Since then, I have actually got used to this tiny brick and thought it looked not bad afterall. Now, my complaint is that I can't find a leather/fabric protective sleeve for this thing anywhere!
Well, carrying on with its 'stylish lines', there is now a new range of designs. Called the Brick, the new design looked literally like a lego brick, and you can even stack them up like lego too! They come in red, blue or white. I don't know about you, but I'm not too keen on the new design.....
Just to prove that adults are far more interested in lego than kids, we've just bought a big bucket of lego for our office - in order to build up morale! Well, more time for architectural creativity, which er... will increase hmm... work productivity!
Labels: journal
Monday, 6 March 2006
Picky taste buds...
Posted @ 00:13
Taste buds, like children, cannot be spoiled. Once they are spoiled, it's difficult to U-turn...
Once upon a time (January 2006), I tasted a really nice slice of bread and butter pudding. Not too sweet, and not too creamy. A huge portion which was both nicely presented and well cooked.
Now I'm in search of a decent bread and butter pudding again. The ones offered by the supermarkets are, not surprisingly, quite inferior in taste. They just flood the desert with raisins, which just make the thing taste too sharp.
Hmm...
Once upon a time (January 2006), I tasted a really nice slice of bread and butter pudding. Not too sweet, and not too creamy. A huge portion which was both nicely presented and well cooked.
Now I'm in search of a decent bread and butter pudding again. The ones offered by the supermarkets are, not surprisingly, quite inferior in taste. They just flood the desert with raisins, which just make the thing taste too sharp.
Hmm...
Labels: journal
Make your own :P, you can experiment until you get it perfect, bread is cheap enough and you won't need that many raisins!
# posted by
PocketGenius :
12:51 PM
Thursday, 23 February 2006
Verbal Smoothies...
Posted @ 13:27
Is it really difficult to talk smooth and be sincere at the same time?
Take this recent example. I had a conversation with someone two days ago because he wanted me to do him a favour. This was fine, and everything was sorted out within two sentences. However, that person must have thought it would be rude for him to then just disappear, so he started some 'polite conversation'. I dunno, I just felt very fake.
This is what I often find. People who are slick and good at speaking often give an impression of being fake (maybe because they are talking too perfectly). On the other hand, people who are more sincere, who have a no non-sense attitude, sometimes upset people as they are being blunt.
Back to the scenario I've just described. You may think I'm just a bit paranoid. Well, I have my reasons. On only the day before we had this conversion, he has asked me already to do him the same favour. Now he came and asked again, with no recollection that I have already said 'yes' less than 24 hours before!
Oh well, just some thoughts anyway...
Take this recent example. I had a conversation with someone two days ago because he wanted me to do him a favour. This was fine, and everything was sorted out within two sentences. However, that person must have thought it would be rude for him to then just disappear, so he started some 'polite conversation'. I dunno, I just felt very fake.
This is what I often find. People who are slick and good at speaking often give an impression of being fake (maybe because they are talking too perfectly). On the other hand, people who are more sincere, who have a no non-sense attitude, sometimes upset people as they are being blunt.
Back to the scenario I've just described. You may think I'm just a bit paranoid. Well, I have my reasons. On only the day before we had this conversion, he has asked me already to do him the same favour. Now he came and asked again, with no recollection that I have already said 'yes' less than 24 hours before!
Oh well, just some thoughts anyway...
Labels: journal
Saturday, 11 February 2006
How to look after the kids...
Posted @ 20:31
Just came back from Paris. I thought it was freezing there, until I got back home. Then, I realised how warm Paris had been! haha...
Well, instead of showing you pictures of the Lourvre, Eiffel Tower, etc, check this out:
I found this sign in the open court outside the Palace of Justice. Does it mean parents shouldn't be holding the hands of their children? Or, giving we were right outside the Paris Law Courts, a gentle reminder that kidnapping of children is to be avoided? I doubt neither interpretation is correct, but if we were to believe the former is true (i.e. no holding hands), then here's a good demonstration from the public:
Or, as this couple has shown, alternative response to the sign:
Well, instead of showing you pictures of the Lourvre, Eiffel Tower, etc, check this out:
I found this sign in the open court outside the Palace of Justice. Does it mean parents shouldn't be holding the hands of their children? Or, giving we were right outside the Paris Law Courts, a gentle reminder that kidnapping of children is to be avoided? I doubt neither interpretation is correct, but if we were to believe the former is true (i.e. no holding hands), then here's a good demonstration from the public:
Or, as this couple has shown, alternative response to the sign:
i believe that sign means:
"people with one leg longer than the other are not allowed to wear skirts or go commando.
"people with one leg longer than the other are not allowed to wear skirts or go commando.
# posted by
liquidx :
9:32 PM
paris is such a romantic place. u should spend ur valentine's day there... u went back to cambridge too early la!
# posted by
:
10:57 AM
Well I guess it means don't walk on the footpath, at least if it is the opposite of this sign. Further investigation reveals this. I don't think it's a very obvious sign at all, though I should've noted the similarity to the British cycleway/walkway sign. The odd sign section of the Americans in France website has a few peculiarities, I particularly like danger of artificial rain!
# posted by
PocketGenius :
1:21 PM
Monday, 30 January 2006
De-sensitised...
Posted @ 22:52
Well, I guess when others keep being rude to you (without realising it), you become less and less annoyed by their actions - de-sensitised. Or maybe I've managed to revive my *zen* mode, so that nothing bothers me anymore. Still, almost there.....
Incidentally, 'Mr PG' was unfortunately enough to be disturbed by the same rudeness last week. Poor him! hehehe...
Incidentally, 'Mr PG' was unfortunately enough to be disturbed by the same rudeness last week. Poor him! hehehe...
Labels: journal
if sb keeps being rude to me, i'd stay away
# posted by
:
11:58 AM
Tuesday, 24 January 2006
Pride and Prejudice...
Posted @ 16:36
I think when somebody is on your blacklist, you tend to have a reduced tolerance towards any inappropriate actions he or she may have carried out. In the extreme case, prejudice might start kicking in too.
I pride myself in being able getting on with even the most hated or difficult people. Therefore, to be able to enter my blacklist, one really needs to be very *special*. Ok, we all get annoyed with others from time to time, but to be able to annoy someone irreversibly, especially me, really takes some skills.
I know this is bad, and is certainly not my style of treating people, but I'm only human after all.....
I pride myself in being able getting on with even the most hated or difficult people. Therefore, to be able to enter my blacklist, one really needs to be very *special*. Ok, we all get annoyed with others from time to time, but to be able to annoy someone irreversibly, especially me, really takes some skills.
I know this is bad, and is certainly not my style of treating people, but I'm only human after all.....
Labels: journal
I don't think you should feel bad about blacklisting, some people just don't learn and keep adding straw until the camel's back breaks. In some cases they might even add straw to the camel's neck as well and that would really cause problems. Camels spit in self defense, so I don't see why people can't blacklist, it's more polite than spitting...
# posted by
PocketGenius :
11:23 AM
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# posted by
franericks98889656 :
10:09 AM
Monday, 23 January 2006
Low key affair...
Posted @ 15:58
There are things which I'd like to keep low key, even though there's nothing secretive about them. As an example, I tend not to tell people what I'm up to every minute, and the easiest way to annoy me is to try to map out my daily schedule by bombarding me with questions.
Recently, I had to disclose a plan to a friend for "logistics reasons" (I assure you that it's nothing sinister, haha :p), but with an added comment that I'd like to keep it a low profile. So how come everyone's been asking me how the plan is going today?!!?!
Ok, it's no big deal that everyone knows what I've been doing over the last few days, but personally I don't think it's the best time to tell everyone yet. I'm probably just not thick-skinned enough to face people if the plan doesn't work out and every had known about it, but I'd like a little bit of privacy when requested. Thanks you.
Speaking of invading private space, I'm in a bit of a bad mood lately coz someone did something far too 'personal'. Disgusting. Everyone I've told thought that person has acted inappropriately. Don't they teach manner at school anymore? Grr...
Recently, I had to disclose a plan to a friend for "logistics reasons" (I assure you that it's nothing sinister, haha :p), but with an added comment that I'd like to keep it a low profile. So how come everyone's been asking me how the plan is going today?!!?!
Ok, it's no big deal that everyone knows what I've been doing over the last few days, but personally I don't think it's the best time to tell everyone yet. I'm probably just not thick-skinned enough to face people if the plan doesn't work out and every had known about it, but I'd like a little bit of privacy when requested. Thanks you.
Speaking of invading private space, I'm in a bit of a bad mood lately coz someone did something far too 'personal'. Disgusting. Everyone I've told thought that person has acted inappropriately. Don't they teach manner at school anymore? Grr...
i suppose the definition of everyone is everyone besides me?
maybe you should consider restraining yourself from blogging about it until its done, that way i don't have to guess what the hell is going on.
besides i've been out of the loop recently that i don't know what's going on with any of my friends.
maybe you should consider restraining yourself from blogging about it until its done, that way i don't have to guess what the hell is going on.
besides i've been out of the loop recently that i don't know what's going on with any of my friends.
# posted by
alastair :
5:07 PM
hehe, I guess you're right, except I'm out of ideas for blog at the moment, and I haven't done a 'complaining entry' for a while! As usual I'm leaving everything semi-enigmatic so only the people involved would know exactly I'm on about... haha :p
# posted by
Basil :
5:47 PM
Sunday, 15 January 2006
From chicken to Mac...
Posted @ 18:39
Several weeks ago, when I was looking for some inspiration for my design work, I came across a website describing (mainly) medieval weapons, and amongst the various types of swords and spears, I found a weapon named "chicken"?!! Apparently, if you stick a blade onto a pickled chicken, you form a "most feared" weapon (quoted from the website). I did wonder for a while whether this was a spoof article, but I didn't spend much time on it.
Well, many of you know that I was on holiday last month, and I spent much time chilling at home. One of the things I did was to munch through my Garfield comics collection again. When I read one of the strips, something amusing came to my mind. Garfield fans may know where this is leading to. If not, perhaps you may want to read the online version of that particular comic strip.
On a completely different note, Apple has decided to use chips made by Intel from now on. Incidentally, you may or may not have noticed, Intel has undergone is small brand image change in the new year. I was wondering, would Apple need some sort of new image too, since moving to Intel chips seems to be a rather radical move. Here, Garfield may have again provided some inspiration.....
Anyway, enough about Macs. Everyone knows I want one (just because a designer using a Mac looks cool), but I'm not good enough to write about them. Better leave this to the experts.....
Well, many of you know that I was on holiday last month, and I spent much time chilling at home. One of the things I did was to munch through my Garfield comics collection again. When I read one of the strips, something amusing came to my mind. Garfield fans may know where this is leading to. If not, perhaps you may want to read the online version of that particular comic strip.
On a completely different note, Apple has decided to use chips made by Intel from now on. Incidentally, you may or may not have noticed, Intel has undergone is small brand image change in the new year. I was wondering, would Apple need some sort of new image too, since moving to Intel chips seems to be a rather radical move. Here, Garfield may have again provided some inspiration.....
Anyway, enough about Macs. Everyone knows I want one (just because a designer using a Mac looks cool), but I'm not good enough to write about them. Better leave this to the experts.....
Wednesday, 11 January 2006
0045
Posted @ 15:27
Holiday cut short by a day... grr...
Well, not really. You see, my flight was scheduled to take off at 0045 on 11th January. However, I, being in a stupid (or holiday?) mood, decided that heading to the airport in the evening of 11th was a good idea. In fact, what I needed to check in on the evening of 10th instead.
Luck seemed to be on my side. I decided to go to the airline office for some air miles enquiries on the afternoon of the 10th. It was then the airline staff pointed out my mistake. I had to rush home and pack.
Grr... anyway, time to get back to work mode I guess...
Well, not really. You see, my flight was scheduled to take off at 0045 on 11th January. However, I, being in a stupid (or holiday?) mood, decided that heading to the airport in the evening of 11th was a good idea. In fact, what I needed to check in on the evening of 10th instead.
Luck seemed to be on my side. I decided to go to the airline office for some air miles enquiries on the afternoon of the 10th. It was then the airline staff pointed out my mistake. I had to rush home and pack.
Grr... anyway, time to get back to work mode I guess...
Labels: journal
lucky u ... all the Europe flights r overbooked these days. if u missed this flight, i'm afraid u can't get on another plane to london b4 15Jan.
# posted by
:
3:29 PM
Friday, 6 January 2006
Quick update...
Posted @ 17:33
I guess it's time for a quick update. Well, the truth is, not much is happening, with the exception that I went to a friend's wedding on Wednesday. For me, this is a wedding with a difference, because this is the first time I've been to a wedding of my *own* friend (it has also been relatives or family friends).
As you may have noticed, I've not been blogging much for a while now. Having a quick browse through my old entries, I noticed that many of them were about complaints. Since I have been reasonably content with my work life the last couple of months, it is not surprising that the number of entries have dropped.
Do I search for things to complain, or should I start focusing on something else in my blog?
As you may have noticed, I've not been blogging much for a while now. Having a quick browse through my old entries, I noticed that many of them were about complaints. Since I have been reasonably content with my work life the last couple of months, it is not surprising that the number of entries have dropped.
Do I search for things to complain, or should I start focusing on something else in my blog?
Thursday, 29 December 2005
Thanks, Mr Murphy!
Posted @ 04:25
"Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong!"
This is Murphy's Law. We've seen it everywhere: toast lands butter side down, three buses come in a row, you joined the longest queue, etc. I happen to be reading a book at the moment that offers a psychological explanation to all these. To demonstrate, I found out today that I have an important engagement that "just happens" to clash with my planned short trip next month, days after I've paid for the flights, etc.
Grr.....
This is Murphy's Law. We've seen it everywhere: toast lands butter side down, three buses come in a row, you joined the longest queue, etc. I happen to be reading a book at the moment that offers a psychological explanation to all these. To demonstrate, I found out today that I have an important engagement that "just happens" to clash with my planned short trip next month, days after I've paid for the flights, etc.
Grr.....
Labels: journal
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# posted by
lisasmith1861 :
10:22 PM
Sunday, 25 December 2005
Merry Christmas!
Posted @ 15:23
Actually, quite disappointed with this year's Christmas lights. This seems to be the general consensus too...
Labels: journal
Saturday, 24 December 2005
Merry Christmas... almost!
Posted @ 15:01
When you notice the number of new posts have plummeted, you will know that I'm on holiday again! I've posted a Christmas photo here for the last couple of years. However, I have yet to start snapping those festive lights, but my camera will be out tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get something up soon.
Labels: journal
Monday, 12 December 2005
Warm up to vacation...
Posted @ 01:08
One needs warming up to vacation...
Ever since I've officially informed my boss about my Christmas holiday plans, my body and mind have instantly began the process of "preparing for holiday mood". My ability to get up on time is non-existent, and my motivation for work is fast approaching zero. This is not helped by the fact that I'm trying to finish off a rather tricky job before I head off.
Hmm... must... get my... act... together... grr...
Ever since I've officially informed my boss about my Christmas holiday plans, my body and mind have instantly began the process of "preparing for holiday mood". My ability to get up on time is non-existent, and my motivation for work is fast approaching zero. This is not helped by the fact that I'm trying to finish off a rather tricky job before I head off.
Hmm... must... get my... act... together... grr...
heehee ........
# posted by
:
4:44 PM
Friday, 9 December 2005
Dancing time...
Posted @ 15:13
With the festive season fast approaching, I guess it is the prime time for companies to roll out all sorts of gadgets. For time keeping, how about this equaliser watch?
Anyway, I think the 'oooh' factor always go up a few nothces whenever blue LEDs are involved, although they do offer a green LED version too. I can see how this watch can be 'cool' to look at for a while, but the novelty factor would soon wear off, and one may well start cursing the fact that it takes a few seconds to display the time...
Useful or not, I'm sure these watches are in high demand. Somewhere on that page they mentioned that "maximum 2 watches per person only"!!!
Anyway, I think the 'oooh' factor always go up a few nothces whenever blue LEDs are involved, although they do offer a green LED version too. I can see how this watch can be 'cool' to look at for a while, but the novelty factor would soon wear off, and one may well start cursing the fact that it takes a few seconds to display the time...
Useful or not, I'm sure these watches are in high demand. Somewhere on that page they mentioned that "maximum 2 watches per person only"!!!
Monday, 5 December 2005
Emergency spouse...
Posted @ 12:12
Something one could do when the gf's are away on holiday...
Mr Pocketgenius got invited to a really nice dinner last week coz his friend had a spare guest ticket (gf away). Next week, I got invited to a Christmas dinner by Mr PG (again, due to the same reason). So I guess the aim is to continue the chain... haha!
Anyway, we were thinking about the concept of 'emergency spouse', and perhaps could set up an agency to do these sorts of things. However, we quickly realised that, in the real world, this is called 'escort'!!! (No, not *those* kind of escorts, we are talking about escorts to accompany educated professionals to social events!)
Mr Pocketgenius got invited to a really nice dinner last week coz his friend had a spare guest ticket (gf away). Next week, I got invited to a Christmas dinner by Mr PG (again, due to the same reason). So I guess the aim is to continue the chain... haha!
Anyway, we were thinking about the concept of 'emergency spouse', and perhaps could set up an agency to do these sorts of things. However, we quickly realised that, in the real world, this is called 'escort'!!! (No, not *those* kind of escorts, we are talking about escorts to accompany educated professionals to social events!)
Labels: journal
Friday, 2 December 2005
alarm vs. ALARM
Posted @ 14:00
As I've said before, my energy level hasn't been great this week. This was exemplified by the fact that I've managed to wake up late four times over the last four days (that's 100% record!). Yesterday was a bit unfair, coz my alarm clock went mad again, so it didn't activate. This is not the first time it has happened, so maybe it's time to get a new alarm clock?
On the other hand, I got woken up today at 8am by a fire alarm. Yes, a real one - my neighbour managed to burn her breakfast in the kitchen. My ear still hurts now, coz the siren was a particularly nasty one (perhaps to ensure that people will not just ignore it). I guess it's good to know that the house's fire alarm system is working fine.
On the other hand, I got woken up today at 8am by a fire alarm. Yes, a real one - my neighbour managed to burn her breakfast in the kitchen. My ear still hurts now, coz the siren was a particularly nasty one (perhaps to ensure that people will not just ignore it). I guess it's good to know that the house's fire alarm system is working fine.
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 29 November 2005
Enthusiastically can't be bothered!
Posted @ 19:56
Well, not many new entries lately, isn't it? First, I have been very tired over the last week or so. Not so much physically, but rather mentally fairly drained, coz I have been busy with work. Yes, brain power was required!
Secondly, I have this semi-cold hanging over my shoulder. You know, not quite a proper cold where you are too tired to do things, but the mild stuffed noise is still annoying. I have exponentially increased my vitamin C intake (bought lots of fruits for a change!), and had about 9-10 hours sleep every night. So I think everything is under control.
Thirdly, and this is really annoying, although I am overall in a good mood, I found that I lack the motivation to do a lot of things. Amongst other things, it includes working on my website and writing blog entries! Hopefully, I'll get my act together and do something interesting before term ends...
Secondly, I have this semi-cold hanging over my shoulder. You know, not quite a proper cold where you are too tired to do things, but the mild stuffed noise is still annoying. I have exponentially increased my vitamin C intake (bought lots of fruits for a change!), and had about 9-10 hours sleep every night. So I think everything is under control.
Thirdly, and this is really annoying, although I am overall in a good mood, I found that I lack the motivation to do a lot of things. Amongst other things, it includes working on my website and writing blog entries! Hopefully, I'll get my act together and do something interesting before term ends...
Labels: journal
Monday, 21 November 2005
A test of strength...
Posted @ 17:12
Well, some folks were being considerate and decided to open the doors when smoking a cigarette. Fine, except she was on an aeroplane - slight problem I would say. Anyway, she wouldn't have been able to open the door anyway, unless she has super strength.
Given the choice of "work" or "procrastination", we chose the latter and discussed what force she would actually need to exert in order to open the door successfully during a flight. Since plane doors open inwards, we came up with an estimation that one needs to be able to move the equivalent of a tonne to open the it!
Well, I'm sure some random folks in the Guinness Book of Records could have done it... perhaps...
Given the choice of "work" or "procrastination", we chose the latter and discussed what force she would actually need to exert in order to open the door successfully during a flight. Since plane doors open inwards, we came up with an estimation that one needs to be able to move the equivalent of a tonne to open the it!
Well, I'm sure some random folks in the Guinness Book of Records could have done it... perhaps...
Tuesday, 8 November 2005
Utopia?
Posted @ 17:00
However hard one may try, it is never possible to keep things simple. It may be so at the start, but interaction with the environment will complicate things inevitably. Let's take a web forum as an example - although this has nothing to do with what I am actually trying to refer to, it is a good analogy nevertheless.
A few years ago, due to some university society work, I came across a web discussion forum. This is set up by a few people who share some common interest (for the sake of argument here, let's say they are all interested in "video games"). They wanted a discussion board so that people from a particular city (where these people originate from) can discuss video games in an informal manner. Now, the forum must be maintained, at the minimum, by a webmaster. Initially, news of this forum reach others by word of mouth. So a small group people, perhaps 20 or so, became regularly involved in this virtual community. They even arranged to meet up every now and then as a social thing.
Since it's a web forum, people from other regions can join easily. Within a couple of years, membership of the forum has soared to over 200 (now it's over 1000 I think). The web forum is *very* lively, and the admin and finance structure have become a lot more rigid. Also, the meet ups have spread to all over the country (and overseas too!).
Within the forum, nobody is enjoying (or intending to enjoy) any higher status than anyone else, apart from a few moderators who had to er... moderate "inappropriate posts". However, the nature of their job means that the moderators, as well as the people who started the whole thing, are regarded as "higher power", certainly from the point of view of an outside organisation. This is inevitable, because if an outside organisation needs to interact with the forum, it can't just talk to all 1000+ members!
So, I guess here is the paradox. How can the forum maintain true equality and minimal formality within its members whilst being able to interact with the outside world efficiently?
A few years ago, due to some university society work, I came across a web discussion forum. This is set up by a few people who share some common interest (for the sake of argument here, let's say they are all interested in "video games"). They wanted a discussion board so that people from a particular city (where these people originate from) can discuss video games in an informal manner. Now, the forum must be maintained, at the minimum, by a webmaster. Initially, news of this forum reach others by word of mouth. So a small group people, perhaps 20 or so, became regularly involved in this virtual community. They even arranged to meet up every now and then as a social thing.
Since it's a web forum, people from other regions can join easily. Within a couple of years, membership of the forum has soared to over 200 (now it's over 1000 I think). The web forum is *very* lively, and the admin and finance structure have become a lot more rigid. Also, the meet ups have spread to all over the country (and overseas too!).
Within the forum, nobody is enjoying (or intending to enjoy) any higher status than anyone else, apart from a few moderators who had to er... moderate "inappropriate posts". However, the nature of their job means that the moderators, as well as the people who started the whole thing, are regarded as "higher power", certainly from the point of view of an outside organisation. This is inevitable, because if an outside organisation needs to interact with the forum, it can't just talk to all 1000+ members!
So, I guess here is the paradox. How can the forum maintain true equality and minimal formality within its members whilst being able to interact with the outside world efficiently?
Labels: journal
assuming you are talking about forums, and not something that is parallel in particular. this is an interesting story about how some communities actually is able to self moderate.
http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008640.html
it talks about a discussion forum that is setup to have true anonymity and how well it works. of course, the problem is that you lose personal contact, but the gain is that you judge things on the merits of the post rather than the character of the person. you could imagine a way where the moderators of the forum become anonymous and blend in, leaving a no hierarchy.
another technical solution to this problem would be to use a forum that allows moderation, similar to slashdot where members themselves are randomly selected to moderate posts that they deem inappropriate. if you're not familiar with slashdot, basically, you earn karma by posting insightful posts, and then once you do earn karma you are randomly given 5 moderation points which you can use to moderate posts up or down according to their content.
now if you're not actually talking about a real forum, then my technical suggestions don't mean a thing.
if this is a philosphical post, then think of the problem this way. the outsider could communicate with the forum by actually posting to it in a way that would solicit feedback. there is no need to go thru some "filter" just to get a response. people who feel passionate about the forum would reply in a constructive way. if those founders didn't give a flying f*ck about the outsiders, and the members themselves couldn't care less, then there would be no point.
the whole point of having a forum not based on hierarchy means that insiders, members and outsiders are on a level footing.
at the end of the day, it is just a forum, not a bloody cult.
http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008640.html
it talks about a discussion forum that is setup to have true anonymity and how well it works. of course, the problem is that you lose personal contact, but the gain is that you judge things on the merits of the post rather than the character of the person. you could imagine a way where the moderators of the forum become anonymous and blend in, leaving a no hierarchy.
another technical solution to this problem would be to use a forum that allows moderation, similar to slashdot where members themselves are randomly selected to moderate posts that they deem inappropriate. if you're not familiar with slashdot, basically, you earn karma by posting insightful posts, and then once you do earn karma you are randomly given 5 moderation points which you can use to moderate posts up or down according to their content.
now if you're not actually talking about a real forum, then my technical suggestions don't mean a thing.
if this is a philosphical post, then think of the problem this way. the outsider could communicate with the forum by actually posting to it in a way that would solicit feedback. there is no need to go thru some "filter" just to get a response. people who feel passionate about the forum would reply in a constructive way. if those founders didn't give a flying f*ck about the outsiders, and the members themselves couldn't care less, then there would be no point.
the whole point of having a forum not based on hierarchy means that insiders, members and outsiders are on a level footing.
at the end of the day, it is just a forum, not a bloody cult.
# posted by
alastair :
2:11 AM
Sunday, 30 October 2005
Computer rocks!
Posted @ 11:07
People always talk about having an ergonomic friendly desk and chair when using a computer, but I don't know whether this falls under the category or luxury or nuisance.
Well, as you can see, this is a computer-rocking chair combo. The chair itself looks quite cool, although it might look better as a mantelpiece. I don't know about you, but I never found rocking chairs comfortable, so I may just have to give this a miss!
Well, as you can see, this is a computer-rocking chair combo. The chair itself looks quite cool, although it might look better as a mantelpiece. I don't know about you, but I never found rocking chairs comfortable, so I may just have to give this a miss!
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Two years... (Part 2)
Posted @ 20:39
So two years later, the birthday dinner of the same friend.....
Well, we went to an even more posh place. I took twice as much money as last time, and had the birthday boy not kindly picked up the drinks bill, I would not have enough to pay! Argh~~~ I was tempted to remind the organiser of this surprise dinner that *not* everyone is a banker/consultant/lawyer! hahaha :p
Anyway, jokes aside. What's changed since two years ago? (Everyone met up regularly in between, but that's not the point here) Well, most of my friends got promoted, so earning even more money! I am still sort of in the middle of nowhere.
However, there is one big difference - my mind. Superficially, I may not have achieved much over the last two years, but I know I have. Time has allowed me to understand what I really want, and I now see further than I ever had. My journey may not be as smooth that of my friends, but it's certainly no less exciting and no less rewarding. Yes, I still ask myself, out of frustration, "what the hell am I doing here?", but my answer is, "because if I can gut it out, then nothing else can stop me!".
Two years can make a lot of difference.....
Am I really in the middle of nowhere? To me, yes, but to many others, probably not. I have always been over-critical of myself, but this doesn't matter. I thrive under stress.....
Well, we went to an even more posh place. I took twice as much money as last time, and had the birthday boy not kindly picked up the drinks bill, I would not have enough to pay! Argh~~~ I was tempted to remind the organiser of this surprise dinner that *not* everyone is a banker/consultant/lawyer! hahaha :p
Anyway, jokes aside. What's changed since two years ago? (Everyone met up regularly in between, but that's not the point here) Well, most of my friends got promoted, so earning even more money! I am still sort of in the middle of nowhere.
However, there is one big difference - my mind. Superficially, I may not have achieved much over the last two years, but I know I have. Time has allowed me to understand what I really want, and I now see further than I ever had. My journey may not be as smooth that of my friends, but it's certainly no less exciting and no less rewarding. Yes, I still ask myself, out of frustration, "what the hell am I doing here?", but my answer is, "because if I can gut it out, then nothing else can stop me!".
Two years can make a lot of difference.....
Am I really in the middle of nowhere? To me, yes, but to many others, probably not. I have always been over-critical of myself, but this doesn't matter. I thrive under stress.....
Labels: journal
working for 3 years gives u $$$, well, also work experience but u'll get that even if u start working later
studying for a phd gives u intellectual stimulation, personal growth, satisfaction and contacts ...which r priceless and may not be obtained elsewhere
as an outsider, i think u made a good decision. enjoy each stage of ur life and good luck :)
studying for a phd gives u intellectual stimulation, personal growth, satisfaction and contacts ...which r priceless and may not be obtained elsewhere
as an outsider, i think u made a good decision. enjoy each stage of ur life and good luck :)
# posted by
:
10:39 AM
Sunday, 23 October 2005
Two years... (Part 1)
Posted @ 23:23
October 2003, for good or bad, will always be an important milestone in my life. I have just made some big decisions, and it was the dawn of a new chapter of life. However, at that time, I wasn't enjoying myself - it was a dark time for me. I went to a birthday dinner of one of my close friends in London. Most of mu friends had been working for a year by then, or had just started work. Now, most of them happen to be a banker, consultant or a lawyer - young professional one may call them. Anyway, the dinner wasn't fun. Around me sat people who were enjoying their new experiences in the world of the work, the world of business, and the world of the affluent. I wouldn't say they were suave (yet! haha), but one could certainly see an aura of confidence. They complained that life as a new graduate analyst or lawyer was tough, but they were visbly satisfied with their career choices so far.
By contrast, at that time, I was still wondering if I had made the right choice. I was certainly not content. What the hell was I doing? Everyone seemed to have grown and matured as a person, whereas I was still nowhere. I knew I was one league below everyone else, or at least I wanted to believe that.
(On a side note, it was the first time I've been to a trendy place in London, and I almost didn't bring enough money to pay the bill!)
Two years later, October 2005, I went to the birthday dinner of the same friend, again with more or less the same group of other friends turning up.....
[To be continued]
By contrast, at that time, I was still wondering if I had made the right choice. I was certainly not content. What the hell was I doing? Everyone seemed to have grown and matured as a person, whereas I was still nowhere. I knew I was one league below everyone else, or at least I wanted to believe that.
(On a side note, it was the first time I've been to a trendy place in London, and I almost didn't bring enough money to pay the bill!)
Two years later, October 2005, I went to the birthday dinner of the same friend, again with more or less the same group of other friends turning up.....
[To be continued]
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 11 October 2005
Actually busy!
Posted @ 23:41
Well, I haven't blogged for a short while now, nor did I manage to find any interesting link. Guess the reason - I'm actually busy with work! WOW... Anyway, that was last week, hopefully things will calm down slightly and I will be able to waste more time again, hehehe...
Monday, 12 September 2005
Cut out the MSN... er I mean spam
Posted @ 11:52
Ok, a few days has passed since I've discovered the problem with two firewalls running simultaneously. The firewall seems to be running happily now, but spam killer is still giving me headaches. MSN still wouldn't run when spam killer was on. In fact, even logging into hotmail was close to impossible. Perhaps it decided that all hotmails must be spam? One friend even suggested that the anti-virus software company works for a MSN-rival so they've secretly blocked Microsoft stuff. I guess the spam killer will continue to be disabled until I find a solution.....
Labels: journal
well, i don't think blocking msn users with your spamming software will allow you to sell many copies. anyway, its not unheard of that these companies make over zealous spam filters.
the initial gmail invites were marked as spam by hotmail's servers.
the initial gmail invites were marked as spam by hotmail's servers.
# posted by
alastair :
2:25 PM
Saturday, 10 September 2005
Two walls are worse than one...
Posted @ 02:10
An update on the new internet security software. It turns out that when it installed the upgrade, it didn't remove my old firewall properly, so both versions are running together. That's why I got the mixture of old and new interface as mentioned in the last blog entry. However, getting rid of it was not simple. To cut a long story short, it involved quite a bit of installations, uninstallations, reinstallations, and system restores! Anyway, I think it is working now, certainly better than before. Oh, the problem with MSN seemed to have disapppeared too. So some progress here.....
(Before I realised I have both copies of firewall running, the only thing that could make MSN run was to disable the Spam Killer application!)
(Before I realised I have both copies of firewall running, the only thing that could make MSN run was to disable the Spam Killer application!)
Labels: journal
Wednesday, 7 September 2005
So far not impressed...
Posted @ 23:25
Well, I've installed the new virus scan/firewall combo for a few days now. Here's two words to summarise my initial impression - NOT IMPRESSED! The software has four applications, and here's a quick run down of what I think so far:
Virus Scan: Actually, I quite ok with it.
Firewall: I thought it was ok until I started observing wierd behaviour. Every day so far it has decided to block something randomly, it could be a particular page of a particular website (I've tried it on another computer and it was fine) or MSN. In the case of MSN, the firewall is actually saying it is allowing all traffic.
Privacy: This utility basically deals with cookies, file shredder, etc. I found the interface a lot more confusing than the previous version, and it *appears* that I have less control over the matter of cookies. Also, in terms of alerting me to these cyber snacks, it has employed a mixture of the old interface where I get a Window-style dialogue, and the new interface where a MSN-style pop-up appears at the corner of the screen.
Spam Killer: Well, it identifies spams correctly, but it also accuse many decent emails as spams too. For each message, it actually explains why it think it's a spam. For the incorrectly identified ones, so far the funniest explanation is "it looks like spam"?!!? However, I can set custom filters, which I did by telling it all emails from the university should not be labelled as spam. Well, it sort of worked, except its logic is that it will classify all emails from the university as spam, but the automatic action would be to accept these emails anyway. Hmm...
General Points: My computer took a minute or so longer to start up, which is not surprising. However, the delay in opening new IE windows is starting to seriously annoy me now. Conclusion: I don't like the latest incarnation, but I'm stuck with it coz they no longer offer support (and hence updates) on the older versions.
Virus Scan: Actually, I quite ok with it.
Firewall: I thought it was ok until I started observing wierd behaviour. Every day so far it has decided to block something randomly, it could be a particular page of a particular website (I've tried it on another computer and it was fine) or MSN. In the case of MSN, the firewall is actually saying it is allowing all traffic.
Privacy: This utility basically deals with cookies, file shredder, etc. I found the interface a lot more confusing than the previous version, and it *appears* that I have less control over the matter of cookies. Also, in terms of alerting me to these cyber snacks, it has employed a mixture of the old interface where I get a Window-style dialogue, and the new interface where a MSN-style pop-up appears at the corner of the screen.
Spam Killer: Well, it identifies spams correctly, but it also accuse many decent emails as spams too. For each message, it actually explains why it think it's a spam. For the incorrectly identified ones, so far the funniest explanation is "it looks like spam"?!!? However, I can set custom filters, which I did by telling it all emails from the university should not be labelled as spam. Well, it sort of worked, except its logic is that it will classify all emails from the university as spam, but the automatic action would be to accept these emails anyway. Hmm...
General Points: My computer took a minute or so longer to start up, which is not surprising. However, the delay in opening new IE windows is starting to seriously annoy me now. Conclusion: I don't like the latest incarnation, but I'm stuck with it coz they no longer offer support (and hence updates) on the older versions.
Radially? Radically? What?
Posted @ 14:40
Ok, I really wish Word comes with a scientific dictionary. At the moment I'm writing a report that involve the use of the words 'axial', 'circumferential', and 'radial' and their variants. These three words describes the three major axes of a cylinder. Anyway, at some point, I needed to use the words 'axially', 'circumferentially' and 'radially'. Word decided that of the three words, 'radially' is not accepted, and 'radically' is suggested as a replacement. Strange.....
(PS - actually - Blogger's spell checker won't accept 'radially' either!)
(PS - actually - Blogger's spell checker won't accept 'radially' either!)
Labels: journal
Monday, 5 September 2005
A tale of two sales people...
Posted @ 14:01
Random 'work' entry here. Different circumstances, same ending.....
Story 1: I called up sales to ask for a quotation on some electronic instrumentations. My normal practice is to ask the sales random questions about the product. Some are things which I really wanted clarifications, others are simply things that I ask to check if the sales is bulls**ting or not. This time, when I was about to hang up (and getting ready to order), the sales mentioned that a lot of customers had been caught by the accuracy of the device - it is no where as good as people perceive it to be. For most, but not all, applications, this is acceptable. However, I happen to fall into the latter category. Oh well, time to look somewhere else I guess. Later, I checked on their website again. It turns out that the reason why people were being misled is that they've used some funny acronyms when they explained the accuracy.
Story 2: I called up sales again (another company). Guess what? The whole sales team is having a meeting, so nobody could answer my questions?!! (Now, if I was in charge, I would have the meeting outside office hour. It's a bad idea to leave gaps in your office hours with no sales team. You may lose out on business!) Anyway, I asked the receptionist how long the meeting would last. She just told me to email sales instead (she said it's better?!). Er... ok, whatever. I did what say said, although I do not expect a reply, as I've been through this before. One week later, I got what I wanted from *another* company.
In both cases, no deals with the companies involved!
Story 1: I called up sales to ask for a quotation on some electronic instrumentations. My normal practice is to ask the sales random questions about the product. Some are things which I really wanted clarifications, others are simply things that I ask to check if the sales is bulls**ting or not. This time, when I was about to hang up (and getting ready to order), the sales mentioned that a lot of customers had been caught by the accuracy of the device - it is no where as good as people perceive it to be. For most, but not all, applications, this is acceptable. However, I happen to fall into the latter category. Oh well, time to look somewhere else I guess. Later, I checked on their website again. It turns out that the reason why people were being misled is that they've used some funny acronyms when they explained the accuracy.
Story 2: I called up sales again (another company). Guess what? The whole sales team is having a meeting, so nobody could answer my questions?!! (Now, if I was in charge, I would have the meeting outside office hour. It's a bad idea to leave gaps in your office hours with no sales team. You may lose out on business!) Anyway, I asked the receptionist how long the meeting would last. She just told me to email sales instead (she said it's better?!). Er... ok, whatever. I did what say said, although I do not expect a reply, as I've been through this before. One week later, I got what I wanted from *another* company.
In both cases, no deals with the companies involved!
Labels: journal
Sunday, 4 September 2005
Privacy?
Posted @ 23:25
I've upgraded my computer's virus scanner, firewall, etc. For the particular program I'm using, there is a privacy setup, which generates a warning if a website is trying to request personal information. I've configured the system so that I will need to manually decide if I should permit the request or not.
Now, I found that every time I open an IE window, the anti-virus company's website would automatically request my personal details (just first name). Hmm... what's going on? My feeling is that it's doing a licence check to make sure I'm not using a 'community' version of the software. So, the trade-off for monitoring websites from stealing my personal information is to give my personal information to the anti-virus company???
Another thing I've noticed is that it now takes noticeably longer (perhaps a few seconds) to open an IE window. This is annoying.....
Note: Originally, this post only contained the 1st paragraph, due to some 'technical hiccups'. So for those who had read that version, it probably didn't make sense at all.
Now, I found that every time I open an IE window, the anti-virus company's website would automatically request my personal details (just first name). Hmm... what's going on? My feeling is that it's doing a licence check to make sure I'm not using a 'community' version of the software. So, the trade-off for monitoring websites from stealing my personal information is to give my personal information to the anti-virus company???
Another thing I've noticed is that it now takes noticeably longer (perhaps a few seconds) to open an IE window. This is annoying.....
Note: Originally, this post only contained the 1st paragraph, due to some 'technical hiccups'. So for those who had read that version, it probably didn't make sense at all.
Labels: journal
Thursday, 1 September 2005
Cheap labour...
Posted @ 14:32
Most people strive to do the least for the most amount of pay. However, there are people who do the opposite. Oh dear, I think I fall into this category... for the time being..... need to get out! argh~
Labels: journal
Tuesday, 23 August 2005
Don't try this on the road!
Posted @ 12:21
We were discussing how bad traffic is over here at the moment, especially with all the random and never finishing road works (emphasis on never finishing). This is made worse by the fact that we have millions of cyclists here, half of which haven't got a clue on what they were doing. Anyway, whilst most of us would associate road saftey with "follow traffic light", "sensible speed", etc, some folks have other ideas on their mind. They even published a book on how to behave badly on the road, which is completely bizzare.
Well, for the sake of the majority of road users, think twice before following it!
Well, for the sake of the majority of road users, think twice before following it!
Labels: journal
Sunday, 21 August 2005
Productivity vs deadline
Posted @ 23:32
The past week has been a very productive week! I wish I could do this day in day out. How did I manage a *full* week of work? Well, thanks to four deadlines this week, my efficiency has risen exponentially!
I am the kind of person who could only thrive under pressure/stress. If I was given two weeks to do one thing, and compare it with giving me two days to do five things of similar difficulties, chances are, I will do a better job in the latter case.
I don't think my brain can function well by working at a leisurely pace. I know this is a bad habit, and I've even attempted to change this. However, every single time, I failed spectacularly..... (this means either the quality of the work is very low, or I end up leaving it until the last minute again)
Oh well..... I guess a leisurely career will drive me mad.....
I am the kind of person who could only thrive under pressure/stress. If I was given two weeks to do one thing, and compare it with giving me two days to do five things of similar difficulties, chances are, I will do a better job in the latter case.
I don't think my brain can function well by working at a leisurely pace. I know this is a bad habit, and I've even attempted to change this. However, every single time, I failed spectacularly..... (this means either the quality of the work is very low, or I end up leaving it until the last minute again)
Oh well..... I guess a leisurely career will drive me mad.....
Wednesday, 10 August 2005
Food for thought
Posted @ 12:08
Spot the difference.....
Scenario A
Two people are debating on an issue, with each having a contrasting view to the other. Both of them are completely convinced that they are right, and couldn't understand why the other person has a different view. Moreover, they could only accept the other person's view being correct to have a probability of zero. After the debate, they are still convinced that the other person must be wrong.
Scenario B
Two people are debating on an issue, with each having a contrasting view to the other. Both of them are completely convinced that they are right, and couldn't understand why the other person has a different view. However, they accept that the other person's view may be correct, although very unlikely. After the debate, they are still convinced that the other person must be wrong.
Now I ask you, which scenario is more constructive?
Scenario A
Two people are debating on an issue, with each having a contrasting view to the other. Both of them are completely convinced that they are right, and couldn't understand why the other person has a different view. Moreover, they could only accept the other person's view being correct to have a probability of zero. After the debate, they are still convinced that the other person must be wrong.
Scenario B
Two people are debating on an issue, with each having a contrasting view to the other. Both of them are completely convinced that they are right, and couldn't understand why the other person has a different view. However, they accept that the other person's view may be correct, although very unlikely. After the debate, they are still convinced that the other person must be wrong.
Now I ask you, which scenario is more constructive?
Labels: journal
well, problem is that none of those scenarios are constructive because they are both obssessed with the fact with right or wrong. until both of them admit that they were wrong, the situation will not get any better.
i think for arguments sake, in the heat of the moment, you use everything to defend your ground, even if you know that it is shaky ground to start off with. with tempers cool, it is time to rethink and re-evaluate what the meaning of the conflict is.
if you get hung up on what is right and what is wrong , you'll never get anywhere. human nature is that you never admit you are wrong until there is undeniable proof that you are wrong.
also, when the argument is about opinions, there is no right or wrong, just whether what someone says is contradictory or not.
i think for arguments sake, in the heat of the moment, you use everything to defend your ground, even if you know that it is shaky ground to start off with. with tempers cool, it is time to rethink and re-evaluate what the meaning of the conflict is.
if you get hung up on what is right and what is wrong , you'll never get anywhere. human nature is that you never admit you are wrong until there is undeniable proof that you are wrong.
also, when the argument is about opinions, there is no right or wrong, just whether what someone says is contradictory or not.
# posted by
:
10:53 PM
Monday, 8 August 2005
Linguistic creativity.....
Posted @ 09:33
Recently a particular shop is doing a range of clothes with an 'ethnic theme'. I really liked one of the T-shirts, but when I was about to pay, I noticed that there was a phrase written in the ethnic language on one corner of the T-shirt. Since I do not understand what it says, I decided not to buy it... reluctantly.....
"It's only a phrase!" Some people may say. For example, oriental themes in clothes have always been fashionable to some extent. However, as someone who is able to read Chinese, I sometimes do wonder if these people would still wear the clothes had they knew what was actually written on them. You see, if this happens with Chinese, the same can happen with any other languages. Therefore, to be on the safe side, I had to give the T-shirt a miss.
Back to this Chinese thing on clothes. When things go wrong, it may be attributed to: (1) the characters written upside down or flipped; (2) the characters are written wrongly, or they are completely made up; and (3) the characters are written correctly, but their meaning is perhaps a bit... er....
linguistic misfortunes are less damaging on clothes, because all you have to do is to not wear it again. What if it is a tattoo? Laser treatment? Hide that part of the flesh forever? Anyway, take a look a this, and whether you want to laugh or feel sorry is up to you.....
[NOTE: there seems to be some problems displaying the page, depending on the computer/browser. My browser at home wouldn't display the page whereas it worked fine using another computer]
[Edit: It turns out that the author of the blog has talked about the display issue, and I've now modified the link above to reflect this.]
"It's only a phrase!" Some people may say. For example, oriental themes in clothes have always been fashionable to some extent. However, as someone who is able to read Chinese, I sometimes do wonder if these people would still wear the clothes had they knew what was actually written on them. You see, if this happens with Chinese, the same can happen with any other languages. Therefore, to be on the safe side, I had to give the T-shirt a miss.
Back to this Chinese thing on clothes. When things go wrong, it may be attributed to: (1) the characters written upside down or flipped; (2) the characters are written wrongly, or they are completely made up; and (3) the characters are written correctly, but their meaning is perhaps a bit... er....
linguistic misfortunes are less damaging on clothes, because all you have to do is to not wear it again. What if it is a tattoo? Laser treatment? Hide that part of the flesh forever? Anyway, take a look a this, and whether you want to laugh or feel sorry is up to you.....
[NOTE: there seems to be some problems displaying the page, depending on the computer/browser. My browser at home wouldn't display the page whereas it worked fine using another computer]
[Edit: It turns out that the author of the blog has talked about the display issue, and I've now modified the link above to reflect this.]
By the way...
This is only a personal website, it is not supposed to (and impossible to) cater for all tastes. Whilst the mood of the entries vary from "serious" to "random", please forgive me for the liberal use of "cynicism" and "sarcasm". If an entry isn't your cup of tea, just skip it... [Yes, this is a disclaimer!]
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