Life as an unemployed is a nice, refreshing change from the mindless routine that began ever since I started NS. No waking up before the sun rises, no reaching home before the sun sets. Sure, there were the short periods of breaks, holidays and stuff, but nothing beats waking up at 10am in the morning with the thought "Now what shall I do today?" instead of "Argh, (insert number) more days before going back to camp/work."
Lately, the answer to the question above has been "Lets see, Final Fantasy XII, Rappelz (an MMO I've neglected for awhile), FIFA, L4D or TF2?"
I've become a no-life gamer ^^. Haven't done that since the last school holidays (minus the mugging).
In the meantime I'm trying to keep track of the Singapore stock market and try to learn a thing or two about investing to pass time. Quite interesting to see the numbers go up and down and linking those numbers to the performance of the economy and the individual companies. I might even try my hand at buying some stocks to keep and see what happens in time to come.
Why the sudden interest? I realised that plain savings and working like dogs for a salary ain't enough to keep up with the inflation rate. The recession also made me realise that the people who really earn the most out of it are those who dare to take the risks. And I happen to be very risk-adverse (i.e humji).
Anyway!
QUIS will be perfoming this Saturday at Ngee Ann City (Orchard Road) for the Mascot Parade Event http://www.mascotparade.org/
*EDIT* Our timeslot is 7pm!
We'll have a surprise in store for everyone ehehehe.
Cosplay isn't my kind of thing, but it'll be nice to see members of the 501st. Stormtroopers and ol' Vader himself in Orchard Road! What next? Podracers zipping past those Ah Beng street racers in their zhnged Evos and WRXs?
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www.fmylife.com just got mentioned in today's newspapers (I forgot which section). Have you had an FML moment?
Today, I stepped into the lift and into what seemed like a puddle of water. It covered the entire lift so it was hard not to step onto it. "Oh, someone just went swimming or something". There was this strange smell though. Now that I think about it, I might have been stepping in dog pee all the while. FML.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
An ode to a Devil
When we first saw you in action, it was magic
The stepovers, the flicks, the tricks, we insisted that the gaffer sign you on
From the land of Portugal you came, to brighten the terrible English weather
You sparkled at times, fell spectacularly mostly, and yet produced magic that confunded the best of defenders
Others said you were a cheat, a boy with a penchant for mischief and a terrible hairstyle
We said you could do it, gave you the number 7 after ol' Becks left
It was a tough few years, til the World Cups came
You tumbled on the ground, ol' Wazza let loose his breath and saw red
Then came the wink, the boos and the jeers
Wazza left it in the past, so did you, and with each boo you ran faster
With each jeer you thumped the ball harder
And finally you showed the world who you really were
Those blazing free-kicks, the lightning headers, feet that dazzled, speed to rival the roadrunner
And those goals, those wondrous 42 goals, and with it came cups, trophies and honours
Heads were turned, from Spain and hitherto.
You were drawn, yet stayed for another year
We were glad, but knew that you would eventually leave someday
And so you did.
Cristiano Ronaldo, we thank you for those magnificent displays that you put in for us. We will not miss you, nor will we rue your absence, but we truly wish you well.
Rio and Co. will be eager to have a go at you should we ever meet again.
P.S Tell Ruud that he left behind his old socks when you get there, will ya?
The stepovers, the flicks, the tricks, we insisted that the gaffer sign you on
From the land of Portugal you came, to brighten the terrible English weather
You sparkled at times, fell spectacularly mostly, and yet produced magic that confunded the best of defenders
Others said you were a cheat, a boy with a penchant for mischief and a terrible hairstyle
We said you could do it, gave you the number 7 after ol' Becks left
It was a tough few years, til the World Cups came
You tumbled on the ground, ol' Wazza let loose his breath and saw red
Then came the wink, the boos and the jeers
Wazza left it in the past, so did you, and with each boo you ran faster
With each jeer you thumped the ball harder
And finally you showed the world who you really were
Those blazing free-kicks, the lightning headers, feet that dazzled, speed to rival the roadrunner
And those goals, those wondrous 42 goals, and with it came cups, trophies and honours
Heads were turned, from Spain and hitherto.
You were drawn, yet stayed for another year
We were glad, but knew that you would eventually leave someday
And so you did.
Cristiano Ronaldo, we thank you for those magnificent displays that you put in for us. We will not miss you, nor will we rue your absence, but we truly wish you well.
Rio and Co. will be eager to have a go at you should we ever meet again.
P.S Tell Ruud that he left behind his old socks when you get there, will ya?
Monday, June 08, 2009
Valve left us 4 dead...
Creative use of photoshop aside, I believe many gamers, including L4D players were taken by surprise by Valve's announcement of the development of L4D 2, slated to be released by the end of this year. For those still in the dark, here's a couple of additional reading to keep up to date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L4D2
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174667
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/06/04/valve-on-l4d2-trust-us-a-little-bit/
I must say I share the same sentiments as the rest of the disgruntled L4D fans (I joined the group!), but primarily because I didn't like the idea of spending money to get another sequel just when I bought the original game. Its like how I gave up trying to keep up with EA Sports' FIFA every year. The coincidence with the 40% weekend discount also played a part, almost as if Valve was trying to clear stock to make way for new ones.
Sure it looks interesting, with enough content and storyline to warrant a "new game" status (hell, if I ever decide to buy it, it'll be because of that CHAINSAW), but I'm really concerned whether L4D will continue to receive updates and new content, just like the other fan favourite, Team Fortress 2. If it were EA or something, I wouldn't care less, but this is Valve, one of the few game developers that I actually feel a sense of loyalty to (the other is Blizzard). And its precisely their commitment to long-term post-game support that attracts their large fanbase.
Will I succumb to temptation and buy it? Guess I'll adopt a wait and see approach.
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Since we're on the topic, here are some games that deserve to be awarded a "Longest Lasting Game" award.
1) Counterstrike (1.6 - Source)
It's synonymous with LAN gaming shops and tournaments all over the world, ever since it was released in 1998. Thats a 10 year history boy!
2) Starcraft (and Brood War)
While not as popular now, its still one of the iconic RTS games that pro gamers train on for tournaments. The South Koreans in particular are still crazy over this. Another 10 year-old!
3) Warcraft III (and Frozen Throne)
Another RTS, albeit more recent one, to command a huge fanbase with thousands still playing on Bnet and LAN shops. Thanks to the custom map DOTA, WC3's lifespan has been considerably lengthened. Possibly the most widespread RTS game now too. Blizzard has been patching TFT regularly too. 7 years!
4) Team Fortress 2
This one gets in based on pure ingenuity on the part of the game developer. Its a newbie in terms of age (only 2 years) but updates have been coming regularly and not just to fix game bugs. You get whole new maps, game modes, new weapons and other goodies with every update released. If this continues, it'll probably be around for ages to come. Respect to the TF2 department in Valve!
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Well its time to say goodbye to the past 4 months at Alpha Biofuels. I can't say I've had the greatest time there, but hey, there's bound to be ups and downs everywhere. I'm sure I not many people know what I've been up to since February, so now I shall dedicate this post to my short stint there.
So when I first started work, there wasn't very much to do, other than handling some banner designing stuff and manning the pump whenever customers came to pump biodiesel. I was still a noob, not really used to working since it was my first job (and internship). I spent lots of time reading up on biodiesel and its properties as well as production. I can say I learnt most during those first few days. I did my first lab-scale production of biodiesel as well.
Then our driver Siva fell while cycling home and fractured his elbow, so yours truly, armed with a driving license, became the substitute driver. For the whole of Feb, I was driving all over Singapore, collecting waste cooking oil as well as delivering biodiesel to our customers, together with partner-in-crime Wootien. This was the most fun period of my internship I guess; we got to meet lots of people, chat with the aunties and uncles who provide us with oil, explore unknown parts of the island as well as the unseen parts of shopping centres, travel around looking for good food to eat, all while rushing to get back to office by 6pm.
March came, and so did the official opening ceremony of ABF. It was kinda hectic to prepare for that day, though thankfully I wasn't much involved other than figuring out parking space and cleaning up. The day finally came, and it was quite a success. Everyone had a good time, and there was a sense of achievement that we managed to pull it off.
Once the euphoria died down though, work finally piled up. I was called to do some marketing campaigns in Eunos and Simei, by foot and armed with flyers and namecards, to spread the news about 2 new retail stations. I talked to loads of people, mostly the bosses of small workshops located within the vicinity. It was a good experience I guess, though I ended each day with sore feet. Thereafter was a sudden explosion of demand for biodiesel, driven primarily by a retail station in Simei, run by a very ambitious (and demanding!) customer. It was also the place where we managed to get a steady stream of taxis to run on biodiesel.
As a result things got pretty crazy in the factory, with everyone struggling to churn out biodiesel to meet demand. I was assigned a new title - Blender, which was basically to polish biodiesel and package for delivery. Also since me and Wootien were the ones who setup most of the retail stations, we were often called up to fix leaks, perform on-site maintenance and what not, as well as deal with unhappy bosses. We were the self-named Repair crew, and proud of it. As WT put it, by the last week of my internship we could deduce the source of the problem just by listening to customer's vague descriptions, bring along the right tools, and rectify them in record time.
April and May were pretty much the same thing, except that we welcomed new guys to the place, so we had to teach them from scratch and hand over our duties. There was a lot of restructuring and changes going around as well as back breaking work so there were a few conflicts here and there. But at the end of every day, I guess everyone went home without hard feelings.
I guess some memorable events which I joined in, aside from the opening ceremony, included the lab courses that we conducted at JJC and TJC, as well as Earth Hour. Although I was just helping out at the 2 JCs, it was quite fun being back in school again, seeing the students go about doing their lab stuff, explaining and guiding them in biodiesel making. I was a student too, listening to Mr. Tan give his lectures and learning at the same time. Earth Hour was fun and relaxed, we were basically just manning the ABF booth, fooling around with the bosses and fellow interns, talking to random people who passed by and enjoying the atmosphere (and free Starbucks, Coke and Old Chang Kee!).
I've also come to understand the feelings and cultures of the foreign workers who keep our economy humming along. I've made friends with Siva, an Indian national who wishes to obtain a PR and bring his family over someday, as well as Xiao Li, a PRC who came from Shandong to a unfamiliar and foreign land, hoping to earn as much as he can to support his family. Its quite humbling to watch them work with little complaints, scrimping and saving to feed their loved ones back home, and yet maintain a cheerful attitude towards work.
And so 4 months have come to an end. No more travelling insane distances to work, lorry driving or dirty work (someone suggested we have our own Dirty Jobs documentary). Its been quite a journey.
I didn't get a chance to say this yesterday so I guess I'll type it here.
Thanks to Woots for being my best buddy in ABF, guiding me from the start, joking together and creating lots of funny moments to make life at work bearable.
Thanks to Lynette and Jaimie for treating me as Xiao Di and putting up with our nonsense.
Thanks to the new guys who formed the Ground Crew, its been great working and goofing around with you guys.
All the best to everyone at ABF, hope it will eventually become a huge success in the local biodiesel scene.
So when I first started work, there wasn't very much to do, other than handling some banner designing stuff and manning the pump whenever customers came to pump biodiesel. I was still a noob, not really used to working since it was my first job (and internship). I spent lots of time reading up on biodiesel and its properties as well as production. I can say I learnt most during those first few days. I did my first lab-scale production of biodiesel as well.
Then our driver Siva fell while cycling home and fractured his elbow, so yours truly, armed with a driving license, became the substitute driver. For the whole of Feb, I was driving all over Singapore, collecting waste cooking oil as well as delivering biodiesel to our customers, together with partner-in-crime Wootien. This was the most fun period of my internship I guess; we got to meet lots of people, chat with the aunties and uncles who provide us with oil, explore unknown parts of the island as well as the unseen parts of shopping centres, travel around looking for good food to eat, all while rushing to get back to office by 6pm.
March came, and so did the official opening ceremony of ABF. It was kinda hectic to prepare for that day, though thankfully I wasn't much involved other than figuring out parking space and cleaning up. The day finally came, and it was quite a success. Everyone had a good time, and there was a sense of achievement that we managed to pull it off.
Once the euphoria died down though, work finally piled up. I was called to do some marketing campaigns in Eunos and Simei, by foot and armed with flyers and namecards, to spread the news about 2 new retail stations. I talked to loads of people, mostly the bosses of small workshops located within the vicinity. It was a good experience I guess, though I ended each day with sore feet. Thereafter was a sudden explosion of demand for biodiesel, driven primarily by a retail station in Simei, run by a very ambitious (and demanding!) customer. It was also the place where we managed to get a steady stream of taxis to run on biodiesel.
As a result things got pretty crazy in the factory, with everyone struggling to churn out biodiesel to meet demand. I was assigned a new title - Blender, which was basically to polish biodiesel and package for delivery. Also since me and Wootien were the ones who setup most of the retail stations, we were often called up to fix leaks, perform on-site maintenance and what not, as well as deal with unhappy bosses. We were the self-named Repair crew, and proud of it. As WT put it, by the last week of my internship we could deduce the source of the problem just by listening to customer's vague descriptions, bring along the right tools, and rectify them in record time.
April and May were pretty much the same thing, except that we welcomed new guys to the place, so we had to teach them from scratch and hand over our duties. There was a lot of restructuring and changes going around as well as back breaking work so there were a few conflicts here and there. But at the end of every day, I guess everyone went home without hard feelings.
I guess some memorable events which I joined in, aside from the opening ceremony, included the lab courses that we conducted at JJC and TJC, as well as Earth Hour. Although I was just helping out at the 2 JCs, it was quite fun being back in school again, seeing the students go about doing their lab stuff, explaining and guiding them in biodiesel making. I was a student too, listening to Mr. Tan give his lectures and learning at the same time. Earth Hour was fun and relaxed, we were basically just manning the ABF booth, fooling around with the bosses and fellow interns, talking to random people who passed by and enjoying the atmosphere (and free Starbucks, Coke and Old Chang Kee!).
I've also come to understand the feelings and cultures of the foreign workers who keep our economy humming along. I've made friends with Siva, an Indian national who wishes to obtain a PR and bring his family over someday, as well as Xiao Li, a PRC who came from Shandong to a unfamiliar and foreign land, hoping to earn as much as he can to support his family. Its quite humbling to watch them work with little complaints, scrimping and saving to feed their loved ones back home, and yet maintain a cheerful attitude towards work.
And so 4 months have come to an end. No more travelling insane distances to work, lorry driving or dirty work (someone suggested we have our own Dirty Jobs documentary). Its been quite a journey.
I didn't get a chance to say this yesterday so I guess I'll type it here.
Thanks to Woots for being my best buddy in ABF, guiding me from the start, joking together and creating lots of funny moments to make life at work bearable.
Thanks to Lynette and Jaimie for treating me as Xiao Di and putting up with our nonsense.
Thanks to the new guys who formed the Ground Crew, its been great working and goofing around with you guys.
All the best to everyone at ABF, hope it will eventually become a huge success in the local biodiesel scene.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Time to come out of the depression that befell all fans of the Red Devils...
And that's after watching the Premier League Review twice (i.e watching my team lift the BPL trophy twice).
I'll be finishing my internship/attachment/cheap labour job in 2 days! Its been a very interesting experience, guess I'll blog more in detail in the following post.
Just a little "Tweet" to keep this blog somewhat active =x
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Just replaced my music player Jaangle with Songbird, an open source music player that aims to be to iTunes what Firefox is to IE. In other words, highly customisable, with lots of add-ons to enhance that listening experience (heck, it has a built in web browser!) and a cool, iTunes-like interface.
Can expect many more improvements since its only version 1.1, but already you can feel its a finished product. My only grouse is the memory hogging - it eats up 100+ mb of memory while playing songs, which is probably due to the many functions and visual candy available. Definitely not for slow PCs. Slow to start-up as well as to play that first song (sounds familiar, Firefox users? Trade-offs, trade-offs...)
Check it out here - http://getsongbird.com/
And that's after watching the Premier League Review twice (i.e watching my team lift the BPL trophy twice).
I'll be finishing my internship/attachment/cheap labour job in 2 days! Its been a very interesting experience, guess I'll blog more in detail in the following post.
Just a little "Tweet" to keep this blog somewhat active =x
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just replaced my music player Jaangle with Songbird, an open source music player that aims to be to iTunes what Firefox is to IE. In other words, highly customisable, with lots of add-ons to enhance that listening experience (heck, it has a built in web browser!) and a cool, iTunes-like interface.
Can expect many more improvements since its only version 1.1, but already you can feel its a finished product. My only grouse is the memory hogging - it eats up 100+ mb of memory while playing songs, which is probably due to the many functions and visual candy available. Definitely not for slow PCs. Slow to start-up as well as to play that first song (sounds familiar, Firefox users? Trade-offs, trade-offs...)
Check it out here - http://getsongbird.com/
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
In case you're wondering about the deluge of soccer-related posts, then obviously you're not a football crazy fanatic.
TOMORROW IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL !!!!!!!!!
I'm so excited, I've already run 2 simulations using FIFA 09 (with yours truly controlling Man Utd). The results so far? 3-1 and 2-0 in Man U's favour, both including a wonderful free-kick goal scored by Ronaldo. A sign perhaps?
The results are obviously very biased.
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I discovered 2 very interesting websites this week, thanks to Lifehacker.com and the How-to-Geek.
1) www.nintendo8.com
Play 100% authentic, classic N64/Gameboy/Sega games at this site! The games are powered by Java, so I doubt you can save that Pokemon game. I've been playing Super Mario Bros, Dig Dug and Megaman =)
2) www.socwall.com
Absolutely stunning wallpapers from every genre possible, a godsend if you love changing wallpapers everytime you boot up your PC.
TOMORROW IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL !!!!!!!!!
I'm so excited, I've already run 2 simulations using FIFA 09 (with yours truly controlling Man Utd). The results so far? 3-1 and 2-0 in Man U's favour, both including a wonderful free-kick goal scored by Ronaldo. A sign perhaps?
The results are obviously very biased.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I discovered 2 very interesting websites this week, thanks to Lifehacker.com and the How-to-Geek.
1) www.nintendo8.com
Play 100% authentic, classic N64/Gameboy/Sega games at this site! The games are powered by Java, so I doubt you can save that Pokemon game. I've been playing Super Mario Bros, Dig Dug and Megaman =)
2) www.socwall.com
Absolutely stunning wallpapers from every genre possible, a godsend if you love changing wallpapers everytime you boot up your PC.
Friday, May 22, 2009
I know this is somewhat belated but...
Manchester United are BPL Champions! Again!
But I bet we all knew that was gonna happen last Sunday. Save for those rabid Liverpool fans hoping for the impossible *cue evil laugh*
Looking forward to the Champions League final against Barcelona. Probably gonna go to work late just to catch it =) Dunno why UEFA must schedule on a weekday; half of the world's economy will probably freeze that following morning or something.
... end soccer ramble.
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Can't wait to get my NTU matriculation card. No not because I can't wait to start school, I just wanna throw away my Singtel mobile plan and jump ship to the green side. Unlimited SMS student plan ftw! Together with Maxonline and cable I'd get the Hubber discount too!
And I hope to get a new phone too, mine's becoming chui-er by the day. An E63 or something with a QWERTY keyboard, I'm tired of trying to type out long SMSes using predictive texting that isn't so predictive. No touch screen phones though! Surprised right? For all my techieness touch screen is one technology I'll never embrace wholeheartedly.
Yes I'm an anti-fingerprint, anti-smudge freak. If you've ever seen my laptop, you'll know why. Its almost 3 years old, made of cheap, easy-to-smudge glossy black plastic and I have friends who say it looks new. Ritualistic cleaning ftw! If I had an iPhone I'll probably wear out the screen from too much rubbing .
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To hall or not to hall, that is the question?
Manchester United are BPL Champions! Again!
But I bet we all knew that was gonna happen last Sunday. Save for those rabid Liverpool fans hoping for the impossible *cue evil laugh*
Looking forward to the Champions League final against Barcelona. Probably gonna go to work late just to catch it =) Dunno why UEFA must schedule on a weekday; half of the world's economy will probably freeze that following morning or something.
... end soccer ramble.
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Can't wait to get my NTU matriculation card. No not because I can't wait to start school, I just wanna throw away my Singtel mobile plan and jump ship to the green side. Unlimited SMS student plan ftw! Together with Maxonline and cable I'd get the Hubber discount too!
And I hope to get a new phone too, mine's becoming chui-er by the day. An E63 or something with a QWERTY keyboard, I'm tired of trying to type out long SMSes using predictive texting that isn't so predictive. No touch screen phones though! Surprised right? For all my techieness touch screen is one technology I'll never embrace wholeheartedly.
Yes I'm an anti-fingerprint, anti-smudge freak. If you've ever seen my laptop, you'll know why. Its almost 3 years old, made of cheap, easy-to-smudge glossy black plastic and I have friends who say it looks new. Ritualistic cleaning ftw! If I had an iPhone I'll probably wear out the screen from too much rubbing .
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To hall or not to hall, that is the question?
Friday, May 15, 2009
2 weeks before first infection...
No this is not about Left 4 Dead...
If you've been reading the comics page every Sunday in the Sunday Times, you'll be familiar with Lio and his quirky imagination.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hyqTxJlWHlv1yLyo-yETVjbOFroQ
Not too far from reality though eh? But its just speculation of course.
If you've been reading the comics page every Sunday in the Sunday Times, you'll be familiar with Lio and his quirky imagination.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hyqTxJlWHlv1yLyo-yETVjbOFroQ
Not too far from reality though eh? But its just speculation of course.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Haven't posted anything geeky in awhile, so here's a tidbit for you to nibble on =)
Top 10 Free Apps Installed on my PC/Laptop (in no particular order)
1) AVG Free Edition 8.5 (http://free.avg.com/)
2) Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" (Ok fine its an OS but hey, it comes with hell lots of excellent free open-source apps, some of which are listed below)
- Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/)
- Pidgin messenger (http://www.pidgin.im/)
- Banshee music player (http://banshee-project.org/) *Linux and Mac OS X only*
- VLC player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)
http://www.ubuntu.com/
3) CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/)
4) Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html)
5) Mozilla Thunderbird (http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/)
6) Jaangle (http://www.jaangle.com/)
7) GIMP 2 (http://www.gimp.org)
8) Comodo Firewall Pro (http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/)
9) Media Player Classic (http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/)
10) Super Anti-Spyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/)
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Random musing of the day:
Can anyone remember Marshmallow Man, proton packs, ghost traps and ectoplasmic activity?
"Who ya gonna call?"
I bet that rings a bell. I used to love the cartoon back then.
"Ghostbusters!"
Top 10 Free Apps Installed on my PC/Laptop (in no particular order)
1) AVG Free Edition 8.5 (http://free.avg.com/)
2) Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" (Ok fine its an OS but hey, it comes with hell lots of excellent free open-source apps, some of which are listed below)
- Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/)
- Pidgin messenger (http://www.pidgin.im/)
- Banshee music player (http://banshee-project.org/) *Linux and Mac OS X only*
- VLC player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)
http://www.ubuntu.com/
3) CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/)
4) Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html)
5) Mozilla Thunderbird (http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/)
6) Jaangle (http://www.jaangle.com/)
7) GIMP 2 (http://www.gimp.org)
8) Comodo Firewall Pro (http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/)
9) Media Player Classic (http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/)
10) Super Anti-Spyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/)
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Random musing of the day:
Can anyone remember Marshmallow Man, proton packs, ghost traps and ectoplasmic activity?
"Who ya gonna call?"
I bet that rings a bell. I used to love the cartoon back then.
"Ghostbusters!"
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday came and went.
For those who came, thanks for coming! Hope you guys enjoyed the food and company! I had a great time =)
(Especially after watching ManU beat Tottenham 5-2 muahahahaha!)
Best birthday present ever.
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In other news,
I have been promoted!
To lab tech. HAHA.
Anyway I've been busying myself doing stuff in the lab these few days, never knew it was that fun to conduct experiments and keep track of the results, especially if you don't know whether it'll succeed or not. SPA was horrible back then.
Driver -> Factory worker -> Lab tech. Upgrade! *ding ding*
For those who came, thanks for coming! Hope you guys enjoyed the food and company! I had a great time =)
(Especially after watching ManU beat Tottenham 5-2 muahahahaha!)
Best birthday present ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news,
I have been promoted!
To lab tech. HAHA.
Anyway I've been busying myself doing stuff in the lab these few days, never knew it was that fun to conduct experiments and keep track of the results, especially if you don't know whether it'll succeed or not. SPA was horrible back then.
Driver -> Factory worker -> Lab tech. Upgrade! *ding ding*
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
twenty-one.
What's the big deal with turning 21, I wonder?
Besides being able to watch R21 movies. And besides, you could probably download R21 movies, watch PG shows without "guidance", NC16 shows by acting "mature" and M18 movies with your older brother's IC, all when you were just 12. Did I mention you could just download them all/watch online?
An excuse to hold a huge party that you never had?
A reason to finally go out there and have some fun (and use the excuse "But I'm 21 liao!")?
A coming-of-age when you finally get to "Be a Man!" (and do the right thing)?
Or just another milestone reached in life? I don't suppose many people go around shouting "Hey! I survived to see my 21st birthday!"
Which is quite sobering considering those who don't make it.
I don't feel that old.
Besides being able to watch R21 movies. And besides, you could probably download R21 movies, watch PG shows without "guidance", NC16 shows by acting "mature" and M18 movies with your older brother's IC, all when you were just 12. Did I mention you could just download them all/watch online?
An excuse to hold a huge party that you never had?
A reason to finally go out there and have some fun (and use the excuse "But I'm 21 liao!")?
A coming-of-age when you finally get to "Be a Man!" (and do the right thing)?
Or just another milestone reached in life? I don't suppose many people go around shouting "Hey! I survived to see my 21st birthday!"
Which is quite sobering considering those who don't make it.
I don't feel that old.
Monday, April 06, 2009
FMA 2 : Brotherhood
Yes you read it right!
For all you anime fans who've got enough of Bleach and Naruto (you mean they're still running? @.@), this is one reason to rejoice!
Edward Elric is back!
Especially so since the 1st series ended like 4 years ago =,=
The story is supposed to be totally different from the previous one, and an adaptation of the manga, so I guess we can expect more interesting content! Something to satisfy the hunger for FMA while waiting for the next installment of the manga (its taking ages for it to get published)
Only grouse so far (as commented by various people) is the change of voice-actors (seiyuu), although the brothers still remain the same.
Plus the opening song pwns! "again" by YUI.
Its been ages since I last watched anime. Time to relive old days again!
For all you anime fans who've got enough of Bleach and Naruto (you mean they're still running? @.@), this is one reason to rejoice!
Edward Elric is back!
Especially so since the 1st series ended like 4 years ago =,=
The story is supposed to be totally different from the previous one, and an adaptation of the manga, so I guess we can expect more interesting content! Something to satisfy the hunger for FMA while waiting for the next installment of the manga (its taking ages for it to get published)
Only grouse so far (as commented by various people) is the change of voice-actors (seiyuu), although the brothers still remain the same.
Plus the opening song pwns! "again" by YUI.
Its been ages since I last watched anime. Time to relive old days again!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
I want to have my Okonomiyaki (and eat it, too!)
And so he flew away, towards a land full of opportunities, experiences and thrills.
Last Wednesday, I rushed to the airport together with the rest of BTT14 to send Kevin off to Japan where he'll study for the next 5 years.
I couldn't help but watch in envy as he walked through those gates. Another one to live the dream. A dream that I once shared (and I still linger upon), of living on my own in a country which has influenced and enthralled me so much.
And yet I know my place is here.
Perhaps that dream will remain a dream. A dream that I would love to fulfill one day, if only for a few months, and keep it forever in my memories. Heck, I haven't even got the motivation to pick up the language, even though I've always wanted to.
In the meantime, my place is here.
Reading blogs and Facebook updates, looking at pictures of far away, yet remotely familiar places, and genuinely wishing that I was there.
Just for that few, fleeting, online minutes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok I've said it, I will start to learn (basic!) Japanese by the end of this year.
Friends who are reading this, you be my witness. And if you too are interested, drop me a message! Because its so hard to learn something on my own without anyone to practise with.
Hong Yi wa ganbarimasu!
(I hope that was the correct way of expressing it =x)
Last Wednesday, I rushed to the airport together with the rest of BTT14 to send Kevin off to Japan where he'll study for the next 5 years.
I couldn't help but watch in envy as he walked through those gates. Another one to live the dream. A dream that I once shared (and I still linger upon), of living on my own in a country which has influenced and enthralled me so much.
And yet I know my place is here.
Perhaps that dream will remain a dream. A dream that I would love to fulfill one day, if only for a few months, and keep it forever in my memories. Heck, I haven't even got the motivation to pick up the language, even though I've always wanted to.
In the meantime, my place is here.
Reading blogs and Facebook updates, looking at pictures of far away, yet remotely familiar places, and genuinely wishing that I was there.
Just for that few, fleeting, online minutes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok I've said it, I will start to learn (basic!) Japanese by the end of this year.
Friends who are reading this, you be my witness. And if you too are interested, drop me a message! Because its so hard to learn something on my own without anyone to practise with.
Hong Yi wa ganbarimasu!
(I hope that was the correct way of expressing it =x)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Blackout Drill!
Its been ages since I've done guard duty (HAHAHA YESSS ORD LO!!!)
but I still remember the infamous blackout drill.
Anyway, I'm referring to the 1 hour blackout all over the world to celebrate (?) Earth Hour, in case it wasn't already supremely obvious.
So while the world poised their fingers on their light switches, I was milling about Esplanade Park where Alpha Biofuels had their booth, fooling around and generally not making myself very useful except to entertain some foreign kids with McD french fries. And a particularly shy Spiderman-bag carrying kid (boss's nephew). What were we doing there? The generator was running on Biodiesel of course!
Oh, and filling my stomach with free Old Chang Kee, Coke Zero and Starbucks (diluted) coffee. Like a particularly greedy person said, our booth was in a very nice position (next to Starbucks).
It was a rather small scale event, with a few booths (including some no-link brands like POLAR and Chipster) and a small stage. There was a surprising large crowd at the event, though the proportion of foreigners was high. It says a lot about their environmental consciousness. Like one of them mentioned, "We have Biodiesel in Europe too!". Nothing much happened before lights out except a few cultural performances. I can understand the percussion troupe using recycled bins, but a lion dance?!? Maybe the lion was made up of recycled newspapers or something =x
I met up with XJ for dinner just in time to catch the lights out at Marina Square foodcourt. It wasn't very concerted, but visually stunning all the same. First went Maybank and their nice decorative strips of light. Then slowly the tall office buildings in the CBD turned off their lights, followed by the Esplanade's twin domes. Even the Fullerton and Merlion went dark. The only cold water pourers were the IR constructions sites. Their spotlights totally spoilt the whole scene. Once the blackout was completed, the party started, with bands taking to the stage (yes, in darkness!) and picnickers lighting up their candles.
So for that 1 hour, it was just about sitting on the grass, listening to music, staring at the relatively dark cityline, enjoying the light of the candles, the company of friends and contemplating our impact on the environment. Ok the last point was probably the last thing on everyone's mind, but still I'm sure the message got across.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In retrospect I think the candle burning probably released more CO2 than leaving the lights on, but what the heck.
At least it wasn't about 1 hour of non-stop lights ablazing, amplifiers blasting, all-over-the-world rock concerts.
but I still remember the infamous blackout drill.
Anyway, I'm referring to the 1 hour blackout all over the world to celebrate (?) Earth Hour, in case it wasn't already supremely obvious.
So while the world poised their fingers on their light switches, I was milling about Esplanade Park where Alpha Biofuels had their booth, fooling around and generally not making myself very useful except to entertain some foreign kids with McD french fries. And a particularly shy Spiderman-bag carrying kid (boss's nephew). What were we doing there? The generator was running on Biodiesel of course!
Oh, and filling my stomach with free Old Chang Kee, Coke Zero and Starbucks (diluted) coffee. Like a particularly greedy person said, our booth was in a very nice position (next to Starbucks).
It was a rather small scale event, with a few booths (including some no-link brands like POLAR and Chipster) and a small stage. There was a surprising large crowd at the event, though the proportion of foreigners was high. It says a lot about their environmental consciousness. Like one of them mentioned, "We have Biodiesel in Europe too!". Nothing much happened before lights out except a few cultural performances. I can understand the percussion troupe using recycled bins, but a lion dance?!? Maybe the lion was made up of recycled newspapers or something =x
I met up with XJ for dinner just in time to catch the lights out at Marina Square foodcourt. It wasn't very concerted, but visually stunning all the same. First went Maybank and their nice decorative strips of light. Then slowly the tall office buildings in the CBD turned off their lights, followed by the Esplanade's twin domes. Even the Fullerton and Merlion went dark. The only cold water pourers were the IR constructions sites. Their spotlights totally spoilt the whole scene. Once the blackout was completed, the party started, with bands taking to the stage (yes, in darkness!) and picnickers lighting up their candles.
So for that 1 hour, it was just about sitting on the grass, listening to music, staring at the relatively dark cityline, enjoying the light of the candles, the company of friends and contemplating our impact on the environment. Ok the last point was probably the last thing on everyone's mind, but still I'm sure the message got across.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In retrospect I think the candle burning probably released more CO2 than leaving the lights on, but what the heck.
At least it wasn't about 1 hour of non-stop lights ablazing, amplifiers blasting, all-over-the-world rock concerts.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
OFF ALL YOUR LIGHTS!
Yes, even that tiny one that you keep on at night because you're afraid to wake up to a pitch dark room.
The one you turn on to read the newspaper.
The one you turn on to pee without missing the target.
The one you turn on to eat dinner.
The one you turn on to... see the switches to turn on other lights.
I think its a ridiculous idea personally. People are going to end up being frightened to death, spoiling their eyes, soiling their toilets, getting food poisoning because didn't see the fly that landed, and fumbling over the light switches and tripping and falling and getting injured.
So don't be a dumbass and obsessively observe the Earth Hour thingy. Its not like its some new government thingy telling you to speak more Mandarin.
Come to think of it, even Shan from 98.7FM is learning Mandarin from 93.3's Peifen. Hmmmmm.....
Anyway back to the topic - imagine if LTA/CAAS were to support Earth Hour. I wouldn't want to be on the roads/landing at Changi from 8.30pm onwards man.
.
.
.
Seriously, I hope this event will spread more awareness of the environmental challenges we face. Its not just about wasted lights or light pollution. Its about getting the world to sit up and wake up and do something, even if it means turning off the lights at 8.30pm for 1 hour every year.
Earth Hour. Our Earth.
Note to readers: Above comments are made in good humour and are not meant to critise the event in any way. The author supports Earth Hour, really. He pledges to reduce his carbon footprint by turning off the lights on his mp3 player. And he sincerely hopes that every hour can be Earth Hour.
Yes, even that tiny one that you keep on at night because you're afraid to wake up to a pitch dark room.
The one you turn on to read the newspaper.
The one you turn on to pee without missing the target.
The one you turn on to eat dinner.
The one you turn on to... see the switches to turn on other lights.
I think its a ridiculous idea personally. People are going to end up being frightened to death, spoiling their eyes, soiling their toilets, getting food poisoning because didn't see the fly that landed, and fumbling over the light switches and tripping and falling and getting injured.
So don't be a dumbass and obsessively observe the Earth Hour thingy. Its not like its some new government thingy telling you to speak more Mandarin.
Come to think of it, even Shan from 98.7FM is learning Mandarin from 93.3's Peifen. Hmmmmm.....
Anyway back to the topic - imagine if LTA/CAAS were to support Earth Hour. I wouldn't want to be on the roads/landing at Changi from 8.30pm onwards man.
.
.
.
Seriously, I hope this event will spread more awareness of the environmental challenges we face. Its not just about wasted lights or light pollution. Its about getting the world to sit up and wake up and do something, even if it means turning off the lights at 8.30pm for 1 hour every year.
Earth Hour. Our Earth.
Note to readers: Above comments are made in good humour and are not meant to critise the event in any way. The author supports Earth Hour, really. He pledges to reduce his carbon footprint by turning off the lights on his mp3 player. And he sincerely hopes that every hour can be Earth Hour.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
DIY for greenies!
DIY green tip #2
Did you know? The amount of water needed to flush down your solid waste is actually around 75-80% of the full flush. And for the liquid waste, its even lesser.
What to do if your home doesn't have a half-flush toilet bowl? For the really motivated a few scoops of used washing machine water will do the trick. But of course how many of us would actually go to such lengths to save water? Plus the solids probably require a whole pail.
For those who would really like the convenience of pressing a button, here's a DIY thing you can do.
Zng my Toilet Bowl
You'll need: A couple of small 250ml water bottles. Depending on the size of your cistern, you might want to try even smaller containers (Chicken essence bottles, hair gel containers etc)
1) Fill the bottles with water.
2) Open up the top of the cistern and throw them in. Try to arrange them neatly.
3) 3 - 5 bottles should be enough. If you're worried about the... stuff not going down when u flush, keep it at 4
4) Assuming a full tank of 8-9 litres, you'll be saving around 0.75 to 1.25 L of water per flush! Which is around 10-20%.
5) Test it out. If your... erm... stuff doesn't go down, reduce by 1 bottle. If it goes down nicely, you might want to raise that bar and throw in another bottle.
Rationale:
Since the cistern operates via displacement, once you throw the filled bottles in, the capacity of the cistern is reduced by that amount. Simple!
Plus you get to recycle those bottles! And save on the utilities bill!
Man, PUB should really hire me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the week:
Konfusius say, "Man who run after bus, will be exhausted!"
Did you know? The amount of water needed to flush down your solid waste is actually around 75-80% of the full flush. And for the liquid waste, its even lesser.
What to do if your home doesn't have a half-flush toilet bowl? For the really motivated a few scoops of used washing machine water will do the trick. But of course how many of us would actually go to such lengths to save water? Plus the solids probably require a whole pail.
For those who would really like the convenience of pressing a button, here's a DIY thing you can do.
Zng my Toilet Bowl
You'll need: A couple of small 250ml water bottles. Depending on the size of your cistern, you might want to try even smaller containers (Chicken essence bottles, hair gel containers etc)
1) Fill the bottles with water.
2) Open up the top of the cistern and throw them in. Try to arrange them neatly.
3) 3 - 5 bottles should be enough. If you're worried about the... stuff not going down when u flush, keep it at 4
4) Assuming a full tank of 8-9 litres, you'll be saving around 0.75 to 1.25 L of water per flush! Which is around 10-20%.
5) Test it out. If your... erm... stuff doesn't go down, reduce by 1 bottle. If it goes down nicely, you might want to raise that bar and throw in another bottle.
Rationale:
Since the cistern operates via displacement, once you throw the filled bottles in, the capacity of the cistern is reduced by that amount. Simple!
Plus you get to recycle those bottles! And save on the utilities bill!
Man, PUB should really hire me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote of the week:
Konfusius say, "Man who run after bus, will be exhausted!"
Monday, March 16, 2009
Saturday Bloody Saturday....
I never thought I'd ever experience being taunted by my Liverpool loving friends.
For the past 4 years through JC and NS, it was always US, the Red Devils, not the Reds, doing all the taunting and suan-ing. When Ferdinand scored with a volley, we laughed at them (a defender scoring against Liverpool! With his FOOT to boot!). When O'Shea scored in the dying minutes, we chuckled at the cruelty of it all. When we drew square, we always believed that our superior team had an off day.
Somehow 2008/2009 has been a different season.
When Torres scored, we cringed at the untimely stumble by Vidic.
When Evra hacked down Gerrard, we shouted our disbelief, until the replay confirmed our fears. When Gerrard subsequently slammed home the penalty, we cried at the near miss of Van der Sar's diving hands.
When Giggs, Scholes and Berbatov were subbed in, we prayed and hoped.
When Vidic pulled down Gerrard, we hid our eyes, hoping the card would be a nice shade of yellow.
When the red was shown, we slumped in our seats, all hope lost.
When Aurelio curled in the free kick, we hid our faces, embarrassed by the keeper's immobility.
When Dossena chipped Van der Sar, we laughed, not at all in mirth. At his staring, hapless figure as the ball bounced slow-mo into the net.
It has been a bloody Saturday in Manchester.
For the past 4 years through JC and NS, it was always US, the Red Devils, not the Reds, doing all the taunting and suan-ing. When Ferdinand scored with a volley, we laughed at them (a defender scoring against Liverpool! With his FOOT to boot!). When O'Shea scored in the dying minutes, we chuckled at the cruelty of it all. When we drew square, we always believed that our superior team had an off day.
Somehow 2008/2009 has been a different season.
When Torres scored, we cringed at the untimely stumble by Vidic.
When Evra hacked down Gerrard, we shouted our disbelief, until the replay confirmed our fears. When Gerrard subsequently slammed home the penalty, we cried at the near miss of Van der Sar's diving hands.
When Giggs, Scholes and Berbatov were subbed in, we prayed and hoped.
When Vidic pulled down Gerrard, we hid our eyes, hoping the card would be a nice shade of yellow.
When the red was shown, we slumped in our seats, all hope lost.
When Aurelio curled in the free kick, we hid our faces, embarrassed by the keeper's immobility.
When Dossena chipped Van der Sar, we laughed, not at all in mirth. At his staring, hapless figure as the ball bounced slow-mo into the net.
It has been a bloody Saturday in Manchester.
Monday, March 09, 2009
4 weeks after infection...
(Note! Numerous references to Left 4 Dead, non-gamers alert)
Besides going to work and sleeping, I'm left with 3-4 hours every night to do my own thing.
I'd usually fire up Left 4 Dead to start another zombie killing spree but I guess tonight will be different. Maybe its got something to do with being overwhelmed in the final scenario of Blood Harvest 5 times on expert mode.
I haven't been following the news recently, other than scanning the pages of Today every morning while I munch on breakfast (its really just a routine I go through, the real objective is to get to the sports page). One article in the Sunday Times really got my attention - regarding the recent suicide case and the possible influence of video games and WoW. Not an overriding factor but probably part of a box of tinder waiting for a spark.
Another red mark for us gamers. Its too tedious to delve into another discussion on the effects of excessive gaming on gamers but I do know there are a few (ok, maybe not just a few) gamers out there spending loads of time on their Maplestories and WoWs and L4Ds and DoTAs. Frankly speaking if I wasn't working I think I'd be joining that group =x. In a way I'm glad I'm not glued to the computer chair although sometimes I wish I was, just to blast away a few Boomers and watch them explode in glee.
A great stressbuster, Boomers are.
So if you think the world is 2D side-scrolling, have a night elven girlfriend and zombies as neighbours, get a life! Get a... job.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today a new worker from China joined the company. I really gotta start brushing up on my Mandarin proper, somehow English words keep slipping through the gaps whenever I attempted to communicate with him. Probably explains the D7 I got for Higher Chinese for my O levels.
Still, translating is hard work, especially when you have an Indian and a Chinese worker working together. Hand signals usually do the job.
To end off this post I shall start posting tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, in our Singaporean context =) Gotta justify the green in my blog title or I'd get reported for greenwashing.
Carbon tip #1
For all you broadband users (you, yes YOU!), turn off your modem and wireless router at night before you sleep. Yes I know its UNLIMITED broadband but surely you don't need to be all typical kiasu Singaporean and keep it on 24/7 just to make full use of the UNLIMITED access, even when you sleep?
So if you're not downloading anything, turn it off. Prevents the neighbours from leeching, too. You don't want to be giving free suppers to possible Bleach downloaders, lest you receive the dreaded xedo letter.
Besides going to work and sleeping, I'm left with 3-4 hours every night to do my own thing.
I'd usually fire up Left 4 Dead to start another zombie killing spree but I guess tonight will be different. Maybe its got something to do with being overwhelmed in the final scenario of Blood Harvest 5 times on expert mode.
I haven't been following the news recently, other than scanning the pages of Today every morning while I munch on breakfast (its really just a routine I go through, the real objective is to get to the sports page). One article in the Sunday Times really got my attention - regarding the recent suicide case and the possible influence of video games and WoW. Not an overriding factor but probably part of a box of tinder waiting for a spark.
Another red mark for us gamers. Its too tedious to delve into another discussion on the effects of excessive gaming on gamers but I do know there are a few (ok, maybe not just a few) gamers out there spending loads of time on their Maplestories and WoWs and L4Ds and DoTAs. Frankly speaking if I wasn't working I think I'd be joining that group =x. In a way I'm glad I'm not glued to the computer chair although sometimes I wish I was, just to blast away a few Boomers and watch them explode in glee.
A great stressbuster, Boomers are.
So if you think the world is 2D side-scrolling, have a night elven girlfriend and zombies as neighbours, get a life! Get a... job.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today a new worker from China joined the company. I really gotta start brushing up on my Mandarin proper, somehow English words keep slipping through the gaps whenever I attempted to communicate with him. Probably explains the D7 I got for Higher Chinese for my O levels.
Still, translating is hard work, especially when you have an Indian and a Chinese worker working together. Hand signals usually do the job.
To end off this post I shall start posting tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, in our Singaporean context =) Gotta justify the green in my blog title or I'd get reported for greenwashing.
Carbon tip #1
For all you broadband users (you, yes YOU!), turn off your modem and wireless router at night before you sleep. Yes I know its UNLIMITED broadband but surely you don't need to be all typical kiasu Singaporean and keep it on 24/7 just to make full use of the UNLIMITED access, even when you sleep?
So if you're not downloading anything, turn it off. Prevents the neighbours from leeching, too. You don't want to be giving free suppers to possible Bleach downloaders, lest you receive the dreaded xedo letter.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Today I was searching around for Firefox tweaks when I found this skin to make Firefox 3 look like Google Chrome, the all-new open-source browser by Google.
Feeling abit tempted to compare the 2, I searched "Firefox 3 vs Chrome" and the first comparison I found was hilarious.
From http://www.piggynap.com/google/google-chrome-vs-firefox/
I've always thought that the Google Chrome logo looked really familiar but I never really realised it until today.
Logo FAIL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway for some laughs, check out this place:
http://failblog.org/
especially for those who love "FAIL" jokes like me XD
Feeling abit tempted to compare the 2, I searched "Firefox 3 vs Chrome" and the first comparison I found was hilarious.
From http://www.piggynap.com/google/google-chrome-vs-firefox/
I've always thought that the Google Chrome logo looked really familiar but I never really realised it until today.
Logo FAIL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anyway for some laughs, check out this place:
http://failblog.org/
especially for those who love "FAIL" jokes like me XD
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