Blog
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...
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Looking forward to 2000!
Posted @ 10:00
Ok, ok, I concede that September has been a pathetic month as far as posting is concerned. Let's see how October goes...
I received an email concerning changes in the library system (although it probably doesn't concern me anymore). Here's the *first* paragraph:
"College Library is about to enter the 20th century, and offer automated
borrowing. Initially you will be able to borrow, renew and reserve
books in the Library via the computer, although it is hoped that we will
also be able to offer online renewals and reservations in the
not-too-distant future."
Good to hear that things are now only one century behind instead of two!
I received an email concerning changes in the library system (although it probably doesn't concern me anymore). Here's the *first* paragraph:
"College Library is about to enter the 20th century, and offer automated
borrowing. Initially you will be able to borrow, renew and reserve
books in the Library via the computer, although it is hoped that we will
also be able to offer online renewals and reservations in the
not-too-distant future."
Good to hear that things are now only one century behind instead of two!
Monday, 20 August 2007
Resurfaced from the deep pool of work...
Posted @ 23:25
Wow, I have just had a hectic 10 days, busy with work. It was one of those periods when one needs to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week to get things done. I actually did have time to blog, but I was so exhausted that the last thing I wanted was to do more typing.
With the current batch of work completed, I do have a little bit of spare time before the next wave arrives. I made a pact that last weekend I would do no work at all. Instead, I got the creative side of my brain going again. Yes, you've guessed it, it's almost time for another change of theme. As of a few minutes ago, I have got a draft version of the header graphics. The real thing is going to be largely similar, except there will be a couple of tweaks to smooth things out. The theme is very topical (for me), and it is actually something that I keep wanting to do, but always ended up doing something else. However, I guess I should talk about the theme more only when it is uploaded.
With the current batch of work completed, I do have a little bit of spare time before the next wave arrives. I made a pact that last weekend I would do no work at all. Instead, I got the creative side of my brain going again. Yes, you've guessed it, it's almost time for another change of theme. As of a few minutes ago, I have got a draft version of the header graphics. The real thing is going to be largely similar, except there will be a couple of tweaks to smooth things out. The theme is very topical (for me), and it is actually something that I keep wanting to do, but always ended up doing something else. However, I guess I should talk about the theme more only when it is uploaded.
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Word limit...
Posted @ 15:28
In one of my earliest posts (which I haven't got round to categorising yet), I (think I have) noted my general dislike of Times New Romans and (later) Arial. I avoid using them whenever possible. My current favourite fonts are Bookman Old Style and Trebuchet MS.
My recent experience (read: nightmare) with MS Word left me literally exhausted. I have spent an equal amount of time trying to get round dodgy Word settings and actually doing the work itself. For background information, why not check out my previous posts under the heading of 'work'? Now, besides the really annoying and pretending-to-be-clever auto-label functions, there are also many minor irritations. One thing is the uneven line spacing as a result of super- and subscripts; another thing is the really *basic* equation editor. I know they want us to fork out lots of $$$ to upgrade to a decent equation editor, but some of the things that are on offer with the free stuff are just poor. Take a look at the screenshot of an equation:
What's all those extra space at the top of the square brackets?!?
Interestingly yet not surprisingly, I am not the only person to have something against the design of Word. Anyone at Microsoft listening? Hello?
My recent experience (read: nightmare) with MS Word left me literally exhausted. I have spent an equal amount of time trying to get round dodgy Word settings and actually doing the work itself. For background information, why not check out my previous posts under the heading of 'work'? Now, besides the really annoying and pretending-to-be-clever auto-label functions, there are also many minor irritations. One thing is the uneven line spacing as a result of super- and subscripts; another thing is the really *basic* equation editor. I know they want us to fork out lots of $$$ to upgrade to a decent equation editor, but some of the things that are on offer with the free stuff are just poor. Take a look at the screenshot of an equation:
What's all those extra space at the top of the square brackets?!?
Interestingly yet not surprisingly, I am not the only person to have something against the design of Word. Anyone at Microsoft listening? Hello?
Saturday, 9 June 2007
Insert doodle here (II)...
Posted @ 00:26
[Please start by reading the previous post]
Now, the reason why I was talking about presentations in the previous post is because of a one-day conference which I went a few days ago. It was actually very well-structured, in particular, there were regular breaks (literally after every talk) which allowed people to refresh their minds. This certainly stopped the 'zzz' effect. Also, the talks were actually good, both in terms of the content and the delivery, except......
One of the scheduled session was a panel discussion, on a topic that interests me greatly (and perhaps one of the main reason why I attended the conference). However, the panelists were rather er... bland with their delivery. In fact, the chair of the panel tried so hard to arouse their enthusiasms but to no avail. Actually, they were very keen on the topic, but it's just that their delivery were rather... hmm... According to a fellow audience, the chair actually almost fell asleep?!
What a waste - it could have been a great discussion topic. Luckily, the venue staff must have had much experience in dealing with boring talks. They have designed their notepads to include space for doodles (whilst obviously doing some subtle advertising too). What a life saver...
Now, the reason why I was talking about presentations in the previous post is because of a one-day conference which I went a few days ago. It was actually very well-structured, in particular, there were regular breaks (literally after every talk) which allowed people to refresh their minds. This certainly stopped the 'zzz' effect. Also, the talks were actually good, both in terms of the content and the delivery, except......
One of the scheduled session was a panel discussion, on a topic that interests me greatly (and perhaps one of the main reason why I attended the conference). However, the panelists were rather er... bland with their delivery. In fact, the chair of the panel tried so hard to arouse their enthusiasms but to no avail. Actually, they were very keen on the topic, but it's just that their delivery were rather... hmm... According to a fellow audience, the chair actually almost fell asleep?!
What a waste - it could have been a great discussion topic. Luckily, the venue staff must have had much experience in dealing with boring talks. They have designed their notepads to include space for doodles (whilst obviously doing some subtle advertising too). What a life saver...
Labels: work
Friday, 8 June 2007
Insert doodle here (I)...
Posted @ 09:38
What is a good talk/presentation? I am talking about the conference/meeting type presentation here. First, let us tackle the actual delivery. For the less experienced speakers, one can often see quite clearly that they are rather nervous. Hands fiddling with props is a common symptom (or even fiddling inside one's own pocket), as is what I call the 'earthquake effect' (where, if you look at the laser pointer, it is either going everywhere or shaking uncontrollably). Unfortunately, even with the more experienced speakers, the performance is not necessarily any better. Ok, there will always be people who naturally hate doing public speaking, fair enough. However, the main problem is that many of these speakers sound and look as if they are as bored as the audience. I mean, the audience is there to (hopefully) learn something new, not going to a hypnosis show!
If the speaker is not enthusiastic about the topic, how could he/she expect the audience to appreciate the work?
Delivery aside, one needs to think about the presentation slides too, which are very commonly used in business and academic presentations. First, people never realise that a size 16 font on the monitor may look big enough, but once projected onto the screen, nobody is going to be able to read a thing, especially if they are sitting at the back of a big hall. Dark coloured text on a dark background is also a common theme, and ironically these are usually accompanied by comments such as 'it is clear from the slide that' - no, it is not clear at all! Putting far too much information on one slide seems to be favoured by some, but sorry, the audience is just not going to be able to absorb everything (or anything). Finally, the speaker sometimes just reads from the slides, literally word for word. To be honest, the audience can read as well as the speaker (assuming the slides are actually clear enough to read), so why bother with the talk in the first place?
If the speaker is not enthusiastic about the topic, how could he/she expect the audience to appreciate the work?
Delivery aside, one needs to think about the presentation slides too, which are very commonly used in business and academic presentations. First, people never realise that a size 16 font on the monitor may look big enough, but once projected onto the screen, nobody is going to be able to read a thing, especially if they are sitting at the back of a big hall. Dark coloured text on a dark background is also a common theme, and ironically these are usually accompanied by comments such as 'it is clear from the slide that' - no, it is not clear at all! Putting far too much information on one slide seems to be favoured by some, but sorry, the audience is just not going to be able to absorb everything (or anything). Finally, the speaker sometimes just reads from the slides, literally word for word. To be honest, the audience can read as well as the speaker (assuming the slides are actually clear enough to read), so why bother with the talk in the first place?
Labels: work
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
Monday, 26 March 2007
From auto-caption to giant toilet...
Posted @ 18:37
MS WORD auto-caption function - you are driving me mad! Enough said...
Meanwhile, Rich came to the rescue just in time with some amusing architecture. Otherwise, I would probably have thrown a computer out of the door by now!
Meanwhile, Rich came to the rescue just in time with some amusing architecture. Otherwise, I would probably have thrown a computer out of the door by now!
Thursday, 15 March 2007
Can't auto 19...
Posted @ 14:34
ARGH~ Sleep deprivation really lowers one's tolerance to nuisance...
It is one of those days where I just have to do an (almost) all-nighter just to finish all the work. So having had 3 hours' sleep last night, I was printing out a report this morning.
I think I've commented on WORD's *amazing* auto-caption function elsewhere already, but the new development was just... bizarre. I have a series of diagrams which I've labelled using the auto-caption function. Strangely, WORD refused to allow me to insert Figure 19. It will do 16, 17, 18, and then jump to 20 and so on. I tried updating the fields and deleting the labelling and start again, but for some reason WORD just refused to insert Figure 19 in this particular document.
Chances are, the file is corrupted somehow - I've had lots of problems with automation and templates before, where the *quickest* solution is to cut and paste the whole document to a new file...
Why will Micros*ft decide to actually make something that won't piss people off?
It is one of those days where I just have to do an (almost) all-nighter just to finish all the work. So having had 3 hours' sleep last night, I was printing out a report this morning.
I think I've commented on WORD's *amazing* auto-caption function elsewhere already, but the new development was just... bizarre. I have a series of diagrams which I've labelled using the auto-caption function. Strangely, WORD refused to allow me to insert Figure 19. It will do 16, 17, 18, and then jump to 20 and so on. I tried updating the fields and deleting the labelling and start again, but for some reason WORD just refused to insert Figure 19 in this particular document.
Chances are, the file is corrupted somehow - I've had lots of problems with automation and templates before, where the *quickest* solution is to cut and paste the whole document to a new file...
Why will Micros*ft decide to actually make something that won't piss people off?
Thursday, 18 January 2007
Evil and pretending to be clever...
Posted @ 13:23
ARGH~
The combination of auto-caption with custom document template in Word is just EVIL! It pretends to be 'clever' and starts applying what it thinks is the 'correct format' as soon as I've inserted an auto-caption (and wouldn't undo properly unless I delete the 'corrupted' section and type again)! I've spent more time correcting (and re-correcting) all the random format changes Word decided to apply than actually typing new stuff!
ARGH~
The combination of auto-caption with custom document template in Word is just EVIL! It pretends to be 'clever' and starts applying what it thinks is the 'correct format' as soon as I've inserted an auto-caption (and wouldn't undo properly unless I delete the 'corrupted' section and type again)! I've spent more time correcting (and re-correcting) all the random format changes Word decided to apply than actually typing new stuff!
ARGH~
Friday, 17 November 2006
Format overload...
Posted @ 12:18
Ok, another big gap between posts, not because I have nothing to say, but rather it's because my diary was jam packed last week (with work commitment unfortunately).
Anyway, here's something I have never encountered on Excel...
Ok, so Excel said I have exceeded the number of times I can change my text formats? My file is only 3 MB, and I have had files bigger than that and Excel would still quite happily do the formatting.
Annoying, isn't it?
Anyway, here's something I have never encountered on Excel...
Ok, so Excel said I have exceeded the number of times I can change my text formats? My file is only 3 MB, and I have had files bigger than that and Excel would still quite happily do the formatting.
Annoying, isn't it?
Labels: work
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
Sunday, 10 September 2006
Deutschland?
Posted @ 15:45
Well, I've more or less settled down in my 'sliding puzzle room', so it's time to get back to my normal schedule...
Workwise, over the last two weeks, it almost felt like I am working in Germany. First, there was a journal article in German that I need to read (and understand). Despite virtually zero knowledge of German, I managed to translate the article by using a German-English scientific dictionary and an online translation tool. On one hand, I was pleasantly surprised that the translation tool managed the technical terms rather well, and I seldom need to use the dictionary. On the other hand, however, I wouldn't have a clue on what the translator was trying to say had I not have background knowledge of the topics discussed in the article.
However, the translated article pointed to another article for further information, which was again written in German. So back to square one. Now, having translated the second article, guess what I found? Bingo - I need to translate a third article. The third article then led to a fourth one, again in German. Finally (?), the fourth article pointed to a book written in German. I am in the process of understanding what the book was saying at the moment, so I don't know yet whether I need to find something else.
Annoyingly, even if I am fluent in the language, I would still need to sieve through all the articles and books, as each article only gave a fraction of the information I need. In addition, most of the articles were written by THE SAME AUTHOR!!?!? grr...
So there you go, I have virtually not read anything other than in German at work for the last two weeks. Oh, on a side note, now that I've settled down in my new place, it is now time for me to finish off the next design of my website as promised!
Workwise, over the last two weeks, it almost felt like I am working in Germany. First, there was a journal article in German that I need to read (and understand). Despite virtually zero knowledge of German, I managed to translate the article by using a German-English scientific dictionary and an online translation tool. On one hand, I was pleasantly surprised that the translation tool managed the technical terms rather well, and I seldom need to use the dictionary. On the other hand, however, I wouldn't have a clue on what the translator was trying to say had I not have background knowledge of the topics discussed in the article.
However, the translated article pointed to another article for further information, which was again written in German. So back to square one. Now, having translated the second article, guess what I found? Bingo - I need to translate a third article. The third article then led to a fourth one, again in German. Finally (?), the fourth article pointed to a book written in German. I am in the process of understanding what the book was saying at the moment, so I don't know yet whether I need to find something else.
Annoyingly, even if I am fluent in the language, I would still need to sieve through all the articles and books, as each article only gave a fraction of the information I need. In addition, most of the articles were written by THE SAME AUTHOR!!?!? grr...
So there you go, I have virtually not read anything other than in German at work for the last two weeks. Oh, on a side note, now that I've settled down in my new place, it is now time for me to finish off the next design of my website as promised!
Wednesday, 30 August 2006
Stunned by generosity...
Posted @ 22:51
Today I have experienced something that is new to me, and I'm still learning to cope with the situation. In my lab, I discovered the addition of a set of cupboards, and it belonged to me! They said they could do better than letting me lay my stuff all over the floor in cardboard boxes. Wow, I didn't really know how to respond when I heard the news. I mean, I got used to my perpetual struggle in the lab to keep my lab space free of "junk gifts", and now, having actually got something useful for once, my system is still recovering from the shock!
Oh well, better enjoy whilst it lasts. You'll never know when the fight starts again...
Oh well, better enjoy whilst it lasts. You'll never know when the fight starts again...
Labels: work
Tuesday, 1 August 2006
Boring 'X-hell'...
Posted @ 14:21
Grr... for the last week or so, I literally spend hours every day staring and modifying the same excel worksheet again and again. Basically I have sets of about 50 identical worksheets (identical layout, different data) that I need to play around with. Every time I change something, I'll need to do it to all the worksheets. Now, I've already written macros to do most of the chores such as pasting and solvers. However, before I could use the macros, I'll need to change some of the numbers - manually. Why? Well, even though I am changing the content of the same cell in every worksheet, the actual values are unique because they all have different data. Now, to get those unique values, I'll need numbers from a different file. This isn't too bad, as the macros make it semi-automatic. The worst bit is that, to complete a cycle of modification, I'll need to have some input from my brain, as some of the cell values are based on the qualitative assessment of everything else on the worksheet.
I must have done at least six cycles of alterations by now. So this is 50x6=300 identically layered worksheets! The job is not difficult, just incredibly tedious and repetitive. Argh~ I am getting sick of it! Whether I finish or not, I *will* move onto something else next week...Boring 'X-hell'...
I must have done at least six cycles of alterations by now. So this is 50x6=300 identically layered worksheets! The job is not difficult, just incredibly tedious and repetitive. Argh~ I am getting sick of it! Whether I finish or not, I *will* move onto something else next week...Boring 'X-hell'...
Saturday, 8 July 2006
Phantom viewer...
Posted @ 12:15
Where was I? Ah, yes, PowerPoint XP vs 2000. Well, since there doesn't seem to be an easy way to persuade 2000 to display my images without the shadows, let's try something else. PowerPoint comes with a function called "Pack and Go" where you zip the slides into a self-executable file. In the setup wizard, you have the option of adding the PowerPoint viewer to the file, so that the slides can be shown even on computers without PowerPoint (or the wrong version) - that's the theory anyway. Now, the viewer doesn't come as a standard so you will have to download it from the MS Office website.
As with all computer products, what you think you see is certainly what you won't get. After downloading the viewer (by clicking on the "download viewer" button in the setup wizard), PowerPoint insists that I do not have the viewer, so it cannot zip the application with the slides. This has happened to the two computers that I've tried.
So, there you go, I did my presentation in 2000. Luckily the room is bright enough so that you can't really see the extra shadows. Why did I not bring my own laptop? Coz they said they have all the necessary equipment in their conference room!
As with all computer products, what you think you see is certainly what you won't get. After downloading the viewer (by clicking on the "download viewer" button in the setup wizard), PowerPoint insists that I do not have the viewer, so it cannot zip the application with the slides. This has happened to the two computers that I've tried.
So, there you go, I did my presentation in 2000. Luckily the room is bright enough so that you can't really see the extra shadows. Why did I not bring my own laptop? Coz they said they have all the necessary equipment in their conference room!
Oh baz i didn't realize you are still updating your blog since the front page was not updating itself as much. I had been wondering why you were so quiet tim, thought you were vigourously working and shutting yourself down into only your PhD like Henry. One thing I find very crap with Xanga and other free weblogs, is that I have to sign up to everything if I wanna leave a comment on my friends' blog. annoying, i cant be bothered......
# posted by
:
9:54 AM
Thursday, 6 July 2006
Phantom of the Border...
Posted @ 22:05
I thought I was in the Tropics over the last few days. First it was the heat wave, now we get (almost) monsoon style rain (admittedly only for a little while). Since my office has air conditioning, I suppose this is an incentive to stay there and work!
Speaking of work, I was making a presentation for a site visit. Now, their computers use PowerPoint 2000 whereas we have XP here. As many of you may know, PowerPoint is notorious as far as backward compatibility is concerned. However, I belong to the minority who do not use a single animation feature (not even the sequential display of bullet points - I just have everything on the screen at once), so I thought I could not go wrong. How wrong was that...
Luckily I have access to PowerPoint 2000, so I was able to check before I made the journey. I have several shapes with a gradient fill that has been flipped. On XP, the gradient fill would flip with the shape as expected, but good old 2000 would leave the gradient as it is. This is a relatively easy fix, so I'm not going to complain too much here.
However, the shock came when PowerPoint 2000 tries to display my images, which are in PNG format. When I prepared those images, I had a white border around them so that I know where to crop. Since my slides have white background, nobody will notice the white borders on my images - except PowerPoint 2000 of course! It has decided to put a hideous shadow under the white border, so every slide has some random grey/brown lines lying across (I have multiple, overlapping images on some slides).
Instead of having the white borders on my images, I replaced them with a white background fill, but 2000 still doesn't like it. I'm not sure what is happening exactly, but I have a feeling that PowerPoint 2000 will put a shadow over any PNG images on the slide.
Hmm... this post is getting rather long, let's continue the story next time...
Speaking of work, I was making a presentation for a site visit. Now, their computers use PowerPoint 2000 whereas we have XP here. As many of you may know, PowerPoint is notorious as far as backward compatibility is concerned. However, I belong to the minority who do not use a single animation feature (not even the sequential display of bullet points - I just have everything on the screen at once), so I thought I could not go wrong. How wrong was that...
Luckily I have access to PowerPoint 2000, so I was able to check before I made the journey. I have several shapes with a gradient fill that has been flipped. On XP, the gradient fill would flip with the shape as expected, but good old 2000 would leave the gradient as it is. This is a relatively easy fix, so I'm not going to complain too much here.
However, the shock came when PowerPoint 2000 tries to display my images, which are in PNG format. When I prepared those images, I had a white border around them so that I know where to crop. Since my slides have white background, nobody will notice the white borders on my images - except PowerPoint 2000 of course! It has decided to put a hideous shadow under the white border, so every slide has some random grey/brown lines lying across (I have multiple, overlapping images on some slides).
Instead of having the white borders on my images, I replaced them with a white background fill, but 2000 still doesn't like it. I'm not sure what is happening exactly, but I have a feeling that PowerPoint 2000 will put a shadow over any PNG images on the slide.
Hmm... this post is getting rather long, let's continue the story next time...
u should bring along ur laptop!
i experienced viewing powerpoint XP work with older version b4 and got problems with images, words and spacing ... basically everything >_<
i experienced viewing powerpoint XP work with older version b4 and got problems with images, words and spacing ... basically everything >_<
# posted by
:
4:00 PM
Wednesday, 28 June 2006
No more scrambling!
Posted @ 19:01
Ok, I've spent the whole day reading journals - and instead of ZZzzz I was actually taking much of the info in - WOW... Anyway, by now I think my brain is beginning to get saturated with jargons so it's time for a little break. Therefore I invite you to check this out, which is a must-have gadget for all office workers. It promises a discreet way of doing 'alternative work' in an office environment. The flash animation in the 'demo' section is quite funny too.
You have to admire the effort people would put in just to get a moment or so of slacking. I bet the design was carried out *during* office hours!
You have to admire the effort people would put in just to get a moment or so of slacking. I bet the design was carried out *during* office hours!
Wednesday, 29 March 2006
They have the guts to ask...
Posted @ 22:23
This is so rude. I could not believe that somebody asked me if I needed my lab space any more?!?! I might not be spending much time in the lab nowadays (coz I'm running computer simulations), but that doesn't mean I don't need my lab equipment anymore. Also, even if I truly won't be doing any more experiments, only a fool would vacate their space before the end of their project. What if you realise, a few months on, that you need to check a set of experimental data? Oh, equipment dismantled, tough luck!
I don't think so.....
I don't think so.....
Tuesday, 28 February 2006
Active obstruction...
Posted @ 14:27
I noticed that whenever I'm going through a 'rant phase', the number of posts increases to keep in sync.
A great way to *maximise* resource utilisation is to install all the one-off software onto the same computer. At least this is what *some people* think. From one semi-official source, I found out their justification is that 'it is easier to install software onto one computer'. Of course, I should see this happening anyway, giving all the fuss everyone had been through before.
Now, I'm stuck here blogging until the computers become available again.....
A great way to *maximise* resource utilisation is to install all the one-off software onto the same computer. At least this is what *some people* think. From one semi-official source, I found out their justification is that 'it is easier to install software onto one computer'. Of course, I should see this happening anyway, giving all the fuss everyone had been through before.
Now, I'm stuck here blogging until the computers become available again.....
Friday, 24 February 2006
Phantom bin lid...
Posted @ 11:52
Are people getting desperate or what?
Ok, my lab has a habit of becoming other people's junk yard. No exception this week. I have a whole table of junk pipes, nails, tubes and even part of an air conditioning unit! However, what's different this time is that something of mine has gone missing. I have a big bin full of powder, and for some reason the lid covering the bin has disappeared. This is really pathetic, to go to someone else's lab and steal their bin lid. Do people not have better things to do? Even more annoying is that I will need to get a replacement lid, because I don't want people to start thinking it is in fact a bin for trash.
Still, there is a net increase in the amount of stuff in my lab.....
Ok, my lab has a habit of becoming other people's junk yard. No exception this week. I have a whole table of junk pipes, nails, tubes and even part of an air conditioning unit! However, what's different this time is that something of mine has gone missing. I have a big bin full of powder, and for some reason the lid covering the bin has disappeared. This is really pathetic, to go to someone else's lab and steal their bin lid. Do people not have better things to do? Even more annoying is that I will need to get a replacement lid, because I don't want people to start thinking it is in fact a bin for trash.
Still, there is a net increase in the amount of stuff in my lab.....
Tuesday, 21 February 2006
A teaching robot...
Posted @ 00:43
Busy Busy Busy...
Ok, last week I've just about managed to make up for the fact that I took some time off to Paris. Actually, workwise I've been pretty happy with my progress lately (for a change).
This week is a nightmare week - I'm doing lots of undergraduate teaching and computer classes. Today I worked flat out from 9am to 6pm, except for about an hour (non-continuous) break in between. Imagine teaching the same thing every hour for several hours.....
Oh well, one needs to work hard for the money!
Ok, last week I've just about managed to make up for the fact that I took some time off to Paris. Actually, workwise I've been pretty happy with my progress lately (for a change).
This week is a nightmare week - I'm doing lots of undergraduate teaching and computer classes. Today I worked flat out from 9am to 6pm, except for about an hour (non-continuous) break in between. Imagine teaching the same thing every hour for several hours.....
Oh well, one needs to work hard for the money!
Labels: work
were you in trouble ?
# posted by
:
12:49 PM
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
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, 15 November 2005
Dramatic change!
Posted @ 10:33
My university has recently implemented a new student records system (bought from, ahem, across the Atlantic... hehe), which is supposed to be quite good, as it allows the students to sort out personal details, exams, transcripts, etc, all from one website and database. Yesterday I logged in and found out that, to my surprise and amusement, I am classified by the University as "Caucasian". I've checked myself in the mirror several times, and I really found it hard to find evidence to support the idea that I am in fact not a Chinese/Oriental/Asian! :p
Interestingly, I can change most of the personal details in my account, but 'ethnic group' is something that is not within my admin right to change. So I have to contact the university to sort this out! I wonder if they would believe it when I told them I want to amend my ethnic group status!
Interestingly, I can change most of the personal details in my account, but 'ethnic group' is something that is not within my admin right to change. So I have to contact the university to sort this out! I wonder if they would believe it when I told them I want to amend my ethnic group status!
u'd better tell them in person ...hahaha ... so they can see ur face and reflect on how they can make such a mistake!
# posted by
:
3:22 PM
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...
Friday, 7 October 2005
Self reminder
Posted @ 13:41
Slight set back with the my software mission. Someone semi pulled out after all this (basicalhy he halved the financial contribution). The money itself isn't too great a problem, as we are still on track. However, I have a feeling that *something* else will go wrong in the future (which I don't think it's appropriate to mention here).
Hmm... that reminds me of something... paragon of wits... how appropriate! "Be aware!" I shall say to myself...
Hmm... that reminds me of something... paragon of wits... how appropriate! "Be aware!" I shall say to myself...
Labels: work
Thursday, 1 September 2005
Job satisfaction...
Posted @ 13:31
During the last couple of days (and the next couple of weeks), I have been involved in some 'logistic issues'. Basically, I need some $$$ (actually - a lot) for some computer software, and I have been rallying the department for support. Realistically, there are probably 5 or 6 people genuinely interested, and therefore willing to contribute to the cost. There are also some 'communal funds' that I may have access to. So, I have been busy assessing all kinds of permutations of the software packages so as to maximise the efficiency of deploying the available resources.
Essentially, this is a project management exercise. It's equally, if not more, exhausting than my actual research work. However, I seem to derive more satisfaction from these 'chores'. Is this telling me something about..........?
Essentially, this is a project management exercise. It's equally, if not more, exhausting than my actual research work. However, I seem to derive more satisfaction from these 'chores'. Is this telling me something about..........?
Labels: work
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.....
Friday, 12 August 2005
Envy...
Posted @ 11:10
A few days ago I talked about the department installing some stylish blinds in my lab. Apparently it has become a mini talking point of the department! Everyone who visited the lab could not help thinking they were rather extravagant for a lab. Some people even witnessed the 'higher power' saying that they wish their labs had them!
Wow... However, ironically, since the blinds have been installed, the weather has been rather crap, so I still haven't been able to test them out yet.....
Wow... However, ironically, since the blinds have been installed, the weather has been rather crap, so I still haven't been able to test them out yet.....
Labels: work
Friday, 5 August 2005
A stylish lab?!?
Posted @ 13:10
Ok, some of you will know that I am having problems with my experimental work. This is because the equipment is located in an old lab with big windows. The result is that the temperature of the lab varies a lot during the day. Also, the big windows means that when the sun is out, there is direct sunlight on my stuff. Unfortunately these have the consequence of messing up my data. After some discussions with the 'higher power', it looks like moving lab could be a possibility. However, meanwhile, they've arranged to put up some blinds to block the sunlight. That was a few days ago.....
A few days later (yesterday), the blinds have been installed! I was surprised by two things. (1) They did it in less than a week?!?! This must surely be a miracle. (2) I was expecting some improvised screens made out of newspapers, but it turns out that they've installed some rather stylish vertical blinds?!? Also, instead of some boring black/white/beige stuff, the blinds came in a pleasant royal blue colour.
With these nice blinds on, my lab looks like a messy conservatory! If I can replace all the lab stuff with sofas, etc.....
A few days later (yesterday), the blinds have been installed! I was surprised by two things. (1) They did it in less than a week?!?! This must surely be a miracle. (2) I was expecting some improvised screens made out of newspapers, but it turns out that they've installed some rather stylish vertical blinds?!? Also, instead of some boring black/white/beige stuff, the blinds came in a pleasant royal blue colour.
With these nice blinds on, my lab looks like a messy conservatory! If I can replace all the lab stuff with sofas, etc.....
Labels: work
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Drained
Posted @ 17:43
Went to bed at 3.30 am last night, coz I needed to sort out my presentation today - my project sponsor is visiting! Argh~
Anyway, it was a productive day, and things seem to be heading in the right direction. However, I'm completely exhausted now... Quick ZZzzz for a couple of hours now.....
Anyway, it was a productive day, and things seem to be heading in the right direction. However, I'm completely exhausted now... Quick ZZzzz for a couple of hours now.....
Monday, 23 May 2005
324030
Posted @ 18:00
I broke a couple of personal records today. First, I was at work and has started an experiment by 6.45am - YES - it's AM!!! Thanks for the insane amount of time that my experiment needs, and the fact that I can't leave the thing running unattended, I had to be around to keep an eye on it. Also, thanks for meetings and various other commitments, I had to start at such an insane time if I was to finish it on time.
Second record... Well, thirty sensors taking data at one point per second for three hours. This makes 324030 data points! Yes, over thirty thousands for just one experiment! Luckily I didn't have to record the data by hand...
(PS - in case you did do the calculation - 30 sensors * 3 hours = 324000 data points. However, I also recorded an extra set of data at the start of the experiment, so that gave another thrity points)
Second record... Well, thirty sensors taking data at one point per second for three hours. This makes 324030 data points! Yes, over thirty thousands for just one experiment! Luckily I didn't have to record the data by hand...
(PS - in case you did do the calculation - 30 sensors * 3 hours = 324000 data points. However, I also recorded an extra set of data at the start of the experiment, so that gave another thrity points)
Labels: work
6:45am? impressive... i was still sleeping like a pig at that time =P
u haf all the data pts, so i suppose u finished ur experiment on time?! good job ..heehee =) !
u haf all the data pts, so i suppose u finished ur experiment on time?! good job ..heehee =) !
# posted by
:
9:05 PM
Monday, 16 May 2005
Snapshot in the office...
Posted @ 13:58
$%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!* $%@#!*
I hate mathematical modelling................................ Brain got stuck on line one!
I hate mathematical modelling................................ Brain got stuck on line one!
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
Grads are the 'foundation' of knowledge...
Posted @ 08:48
Haha, so funny - check out today's PhD Comics! So I guess putting grad students in the basement can be seen as a symbolic move to represent the roots of all advancement in knowledge. Afterall, most university departments get their $$$ through research - and who does the staff rely on to get the results? Grad students!
Obviously, that interpretation is highly naive. The truth is, grad students get the worst space in a department. Why put a professor in a basement when you can squeeze about twenty into the same space? On well...
Wait a second..... I work in a basement office too!??!?
Obviously, that interpretation is highly naive. The truth is, grad students get the worst space in a department. Why put a professor in a basement when you can squeeze about twenty into the same space? On well...
Wait a second..... I work in a basement office too!??!?
Wednesday, 13 April 2005
All wrong!
Posted @ 11:27
Ok, more on that stupid calculation.....
I've finally cracked it - it turns out that *ALL* the answers I got yesterday were wrong?!?!!? I've (finally) spotted a mistake very early on in the calculation, which means by the time I did the number crunching, I was using the wrong expression anyway...
Grr.....
I've finally cracked it - it turns out that *ALL* the answers I got yesterday were wrong?!?!!? I've (finally) spotted a mistake very early on in the calculation, which means by the time I did the number crunching, I was using the wrong expression anyway...
Grr.....
Labels: work
congrats~
u solved it =)! whether the mistake is stupid or not is not important anymore.
u solved it =)! whether the mistake is stupid or not is not important anymore.
# posted by
:
8:55 PM
Tuesday, 12 April 2005
Too many answers!
Posted @ 22:05
This is INSANE!!!!!
I've done this calculation 10 times today, and got 6 different answers out?!?! Worse, all of them were pretty similar, so I couldn't really eliminate the obviously wrong ones. There wasn't even a 'statistical winner' either - 4 of the answers came up twice, and two answers came up once.....
I've done this calculation 10 times today, and got 6 different answers out?!?! Worse, all of them were pretty similar, so I couldn't really eliminate the obviously wrong ones. There wasn't even a 'statistical winner' either - 4 of the answers came up twice, and two answers came up once.....
Sunday, 27 March 2005
Mood-less...
Posted @ 23:59
I hate Sundays..... always messes up my body clock (actually, it's been messed up since Friday). Woke up late + feeling lethargic + got nothing done + can't fall asleep until dawn + etc (the cycle goes on). Argh~
I've still managed to squeeze in a little bit of work this Easter weekend. Why work? Basically I've been given several jobs to do this week from the *boss*, and all of them were *censored* hard. Although the work is not expected to be finished within a week (I'll be lucky if I can do them within a month!), I thought I'll get something done this weekend whilst motivation is still high.
Oh, just got a letter from my bank this week coz they suspected that my debit card is being used "fraudulently". Grr... those stupid online shopping websites... they crash when you want to pay, and then messes up your account too. Ok, so not fraud here, but still needs some sorting out. I will not buy stuff from that site again!
Mood indicator: "mood-less" (too lethargic to have a mood)
I've still managed to squeeze in a little bit of work this Easter weekend. Why work? Basically I've been given several jobs to do this week from the *boss*, and all of them were *censored* hard. Although the work is not expected to be finished within a week (I'll be lucky if I can do them within a month!), I thought I'll get something done this weekend whilst motivation is still high.
Oh, just got a letter from my bank this week coz they suspected that my debit card is being used "fraudulently". Grr... those stupid online shopping websites... they crash when you want to pay, and then messes up your account too. Ok, so not fraud here, but still needs some sorting out. I will not buy stuff from that site again!
Mood indicator: "mood-less" (too lethargic to have a mood)
Thursday, 10 March 2005
Moral and teaching?
Posted @ 22:57
I may be sarcastic, I may be cynical, and my temper is not the tamest around. However, my moral values still rank above $$$! Call me stupid, but I'm not going to quibble over the OT's that will probably not be paid. I had received my *fair* share (to put it mildly) of awful teaching, so I will not pass this on. I'd rather spend a few more hours sorting out your brains than to let you wandering around feeling lost. A bad education experience can mess up your life, and I know this far too well.
Equally, I hate it when your students can almost outwit you. I've already prepared extra materials just for one group, but they still seem to be able to (almost) get the better of me - two weeks in a row now. So unfair, I did put in all the extra effort you know?
Equally, I hate it when your students can almost outwit you. I've already prepared extra materials just for one group, but they still seem to be able to (almost) get the better of me - two weeks in a row now. So unfair, I did put in all the extra effort you know?
Wednesday, 9 March 2005
Ranting in a good mood...
Posted @ 19:29
Know when to be courteous and when to leave people alone! I think we should introduce a similar system in the department, then I'll make sure that I have the "I'm at the front of the queue!" badge displayed prominently! Hahahahaha...
Well, to be fair, I'm in a little bit of a good mood workwise lately, so you won't hear me complain about work for a while...
Well, to be fair, I'm in a little bit of a good mood workwise lately, so you won't hear me complain about work for a while...
Labels: work
Friday, 4 March 2005
Technology pulls people apart!
Posted @ 20:18
More people than I thought share my view that there are serious flaws with how things operate at the moment. As a result of a discussion today, I notice that there seems to be two extreme camps - one that really likes him and one that think he is a waste of space. So another point has been added to my "I don't want to work in academia" list...
I've been told that my name got an honorary (or notorious? hehehe) mention in a lecture today... hmm...
Moral of the story: technolgy may make the world a smaller place, but it certainly does not bring people closer together - in fact it pulls people apart...
I've been told that my name got an honorary (or notorious? hehehe) mention in a lecture today... hmm...
Moral of the story: technolgy may make the world a smaller place, but it certainly does not bring people closer together - in fact it pulls people apart...
Tuesday, 1 March 2005
Power of waffle...
Posted @ 23:55
When your students are clever, it makes your life very difficult. I've managed to go through an hour of teaching materials in 15 minutes?!?!?! I couldn't think of anything else to say for a while, but luckily still able to waffle on... Hmm... better get some "emergency materials" under my belt next time...
What a rubbish way to start the month! There were other things that made today a bad day, but I won't mention them here now - the list was too long...
And this time last year, I fell off my bike. So it's two rubbish 1 March in a row now. Grr.....
What a rubbish way to start the month! There were other things that made today a bad day, but I won't mention them here now - the list was too long...
And this time last year, I fell off my bike. So it's two rubbish 1 March in a row now. Grr.....
Wednesday, 23 February 2005
Angry for others...
Posted @ 14:26
Complaint time again... not had one of those for a while now!
Well, this time it's not me, but one of my colleagues experienced the great management and teamwork spirit that has existed here since the dawn of time. Anyway, I thought what people had done to her (project) was just plain rude. Another point added to my "why I don't want to work in academia" list. I don't know why I got so worked up by this, coz it's not even remotely to do with me or my work - but I was very angry...
Well, this time it's not me, but one of my colleagues experienced the great management and teamwork spirit that has existed here since the dawn of time. Anyway, I thought what people had done to her (project) was just plain rude. Another point added to my "why I don't want to work in academia" list. I don't know why I got so worked up by this, coz it's not even remotely to do with me or my work - but I was very angry...
Monday, 21 February 2005
I have a rig!
Posted @ 12:33
[12 noon] I HAVE AN EXPERIMENTAL RIG!!! Yes, finally I can start experimental work. Ok, there's a couple of electronics to sort out, and I have yet to do the safety and trial runs to iron out glitches, but I can't really start them until I have the equipment!
So happy... :)
So happy... :)
Labels: work
Sunday, 20 February 2005
Cold-blooded software...
Posted @ 23:26
Ma***ma**** (mathematical software) should be made ILLEGAL! One of the many user unfriendly computer programs available... grr... I mean, from the tutorial files, I've copy and pasted the code and it says "error" - what the?!?!
Meanwhile, today is *rather* cold, to put it *mildly*... in fact it snowed several times, and for some reason everytime I got my camera ready it stopped snowing, grr... Well, if I manage to get a decent night picture of snow, then I'll post it up...
Snow rarely accumulates in this part of the country. I wish it does, coz I want to make snow balls. There are several people whom I'm quite happy to stuff a snow ball down the back of their shirt. The team behind Ma***ma**** for one.....
Meanwhile, today is *rather* cold, to put it *mildly*... in fact it snowed several times, and for some reason everytime I got my camera ready it stopped snowing, grr... Well, if I manage to get a decent night picture of snow, then I'll post it up...
Snow rarely accumulates in this part of the country. I wish it does, coz I want to make snow balls. There are several people whom I'm quite happy to stuff a snow ball down the back of their shirt. The team behind Ma***ma**** for one.....
Tuesday, 23 November 2004
I pay... grudgingly!
Posted @ 15:50
Hmm... paying a rip-off price of 30 quid for some pieces of materials. Not convinced... but apparently this will save me several days of work. Given that time is not on my side as far as finishing construction is concerned, I really don't have a choice. I guess I'm paying money to buy time - well - I pay *grudgingly*...
Labels: work
Thursday, 18 November 2004
IP-less...
Posted @ 17:01
Hmm, I've lost internet connection since last night, and when I checked again this afternoon, the problem hasn't gone away. A "chat" to the computing people reveals that somebody else is using my IP address, and they couldn't work out who without checking their detailed records. Anyway, they've now given me a IP address so things are now back to normal. I wonder who would steal my IP address... Actually on second thought I think it's more likely that they've reallocated my IP address by mistake and wouldn't admit to it! hehehe...
Monday, 8 November 2004
Good day at work!?
Posted @ 23:00
Ok, this entry must be the rarest as far as my blog is concerned, but I don't know when this will happen again, so I better make a note of it now. Today I have probably had the best day at work for a long time - everything that can go well went well! What's going on? What's even more unbelievable is that I've managed to have a very efficient day (normally I can't work properly until after 5pm) - done lots of things today - wasting no more than half an hour on random things! (Nope, I didn't play slime volleyball today...)
Labels: work
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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