Scary Weather

This is what I saw on my way back from the house.



Another shot from my floor:



These weather phenomenons sure get more apocalyptic year after year.

EOS 5D Mark II Support!

Wow, that was fast. The Mark II is barely out and Apple already has released the iPhoto and Aperture RAW support!

Honda City Test Drive

So Corra, Andy, Kevin and I went to the Honda-Mofaz showroom next to LDP to check out the brand new Honda City. Lucky that I called ahead and manage to get a test drive slot booked.

The queue for the test drive was still maddening, as for some lame reason that there was only one car and all the salesperson were jumping their queues. All in all, it took us about an hour before it came our turn.

So Corra started the test drive, from the showroom towards TTDI. Then came my turn, and of course, I had to use the S-mode. So I expected the drive to be similiar to a manual drive, and that sure didn't happen. I put my foot down, and the engine rev-ed up rather slowly. Shifting from 2 to 3 was unsatisfying at all, as I find myself constantly downshifted to get more power, then to lose the torque when I shifted up to 3. Then had to shift down to 2 again.

Maybe it was because the car was loaded to the brim (3 lads and 2 girls), but I am very sure that everytime I pulled on the peddle shift, it takes about 0.5 to 1 second before it kicked in.

So I was driving pretty aggresively from TTDI back to the showroom, and at the very last turn (a left on the flyover), I got really scared. Pretty sure I was going to lose traction and crash. My heart practically jumped out of my skin.

In conclusion, I had my expectation put up too much. I have Honda to blame a bit for that, as cramming in the "S-mode" and peddle shift is suppose to scream "drive me aggresively!". Maybe it's too hyped up, and they should have kept it what it is suppose to be. Which is an unexciting, B segment, small family car. Which translate into safe driving, sufficient boot space, and 2 little children, and no more.

Anyway, I have decided that a B segment car is not for me. I need something bigger, more stable on the highway, a proper family far. D segment is more like it. I guess it's back to my original plan, the Cefiro 3.0 1999.

Switcher

Many years before I started as the lowly Microsoft ASP programmer, I was a hardcore non-MS user. I actually started with Sinclair ZX Spectrum, learning my ropes around BASICA.

(switch 1) Then came my first MS-DOS machine, a 80286. Then the first "proper" Microsoft Windows, which is Win95 on a Acer Pentium.

(switch 2) Although by the time I was in collage, Windows 95/98 stuck, nothing else from Microsoft did. I used Netscape Navigator (remember those?), mIRC, ICQ and my final year project was on ColdFusion. I was tempted to dabble in Linux as well. So no MS in sight.

(switch 3) Then came my first job, and all I could eat and drink was SQL Server 6.5, IIS 5.0, Visual InterDev 1.0. Then came Windows NT/2000, Active Directory, Exchange 5.5/2000 and I never turned back. Was preaching Microsoft both professionally and personally. Beta tested several apps, and started to use Vista on a day to day basis since Beta 2.

(switch 4) Then came the MacBook. And with it, Leopard. And has been loving it since. Who cares about missing apps (there is always VMWare/Parallels). Who cares about Microsoft's "integrated" experience with WinMob and god forbid, Zune. It's all about the reliability! The sub second wake from sleep, the multi touch pad (which is so good that I ditched my RM299 VX Nano), the simple software update process, and the feeling that it will work everytime, anytime. Priceless.

Maybe I'll switch back if Windows 7 can proof it's worth, but I doubt that it'll win me over that easily. So now, it's me and my Mac for the meantime.

Misunderstood

I think I am often misunderstood. For example:

Me: I feel really bad about myself when I see kids driving more expensive cars than me.
Other people would think: Why you are so materialistic? Is driving a better car a very important thing in life?
What I really meant: I feel sad that I am not within control of my life. If I can't even reach for something simple, like a car, what about other bigger things in life? Can I provide for my family for the next 20 years? How about my children's university tuition fees?

Me: I want to migrate to a developed country because I see all my friends there are doing so well, even with just holding a job.
Other people would think: So you just want to live a better lifestyle overseas huh? Is bigger house and car what you are chasing for?
Me: I want the best for my family. When I meant best, not cars and houses. Education and medicare systems are more important to me. If my friends can have excess finances to afford luxury items even with just holding a job, that means that a career does mean something there. That is what lifestyle means to me. And that is what scares me in Malaysia, good education and proper health care is very very expensive. If I can't afford a proper car, what of the things that really matters.

Sometimes I think I am better with words than speech.

Bingo！

不懂你們有沒有這樣的朋友：

明明是有錢的，但是因為很喜歡儲蓄，搞到手頭上的現錢不夠用時， 就會天天喊窮。“沒錢換車”，“沒錢買樓”，“沒錢買名牌包包” 就變了口頭禪。

最吊的是，偏偏很喜歡在我們真的窮人前面講醬的東西。

Anyway, 今天和一個朋友講起她時， 朋友給了一個很好的比喻。問：你讀書時， 有沒有那個同學每逢考試時，常常會說 “死咯死咯。。 這次一定會考到很差。”。。。 但是成績出來時， 偏偏會考100分。

真的很歹死咯。

Of Traffic Summons

Dear friends,

Please stop giving bribes to traffic polices. Other than the fact that it's illegal, I'll give you several more good reasons why not.

Some police blockades are not authorized - and these cops are acting on their own benefit - in another words, they are out there to make a profit, not to enforce the law,

If you are genuinely got red handed for an offense, please admit that you wrong and pay the price of having lesson learnt - you'd get better at your driving skills,

The feel good factor, knowing that you have help the country to reduce the corruption rate. If we all do the same thing, sooner or later the coppers will give up asking for a bribe,

Of many times you got blocked, most likely you did not had a genuine offense, and you were scared into paying a bribe for something that you did not commit. If everyone stand up to them, they'll stop pulling this dirty trick

Have you ever felt angry as you are pulling away from the road block, having given a bribe? Trust me, that feeling is part embarrassment, part cheated. The solution is simple - stop "paying" bribes.

So the next time you pulled over, be honest and be firm. Apologize and ask for the summon. Play dumb when they ask "macam mana nak tolong?". Do not ever pull a smart comment or else you'd get yourself into even more trouble then need be.

Wanna a good example? Read here.

Consolation Price from Apple

I was probably the first few person to order a MB from the Apple Online Store Malaysia, so they were nice enough to send me something as a thank you gift.

Although they have over promised on the deliverable date (not their fault, it was the stupid Royal Customs), they did provide an excellent phone experience. The IVR had 2 simple options only (1 for purchase, 2 for support) and a human being (from Singapore) always pick up on the 2nd ring.

Back to the gift, here is what they gave me.


Such a purtee box!


A thank you card with Apple logo on it.


Feels like Christmas comes early!


Ooh! What is this? A micro fabric for me to wipe off the grease from the MB display? (grin)



It's actually a custom t-shirt, made by American Apparel


Here's the back.


Somehow those Apple people are rather telepathic, the got the size exactly correct. Or maybe I got fatter again.

The Great Blogging Software Search (OS X)

So I had been searching high and low for a proper replacement for Live Writer. Like it or not, Live Writer is one of those rare gems that Microsoft got it right the first time around. It's clean, easy to setup, and supports drag and drop picture uploads. And it supports Live Spaces (d'oh) and Blogger perfectly.

After much research, I am sad to announce that there is no equal in the OS X world. Many bloggers will swear by either ecto or MarsEdit, and some even ScribeFire, but here are some glaring misses compared to LW:

1. Full support for Live Spaces. That means easy setup and picture upload directly to MSN Storage.
2. Full preview before post within Editor. Which means that the software should totally apply all the CSS templates and give me a full preview when I am still editing the post inside the editor.
3. Insert pix first, upload later together with post. Means I can write all my posts offline first, pix included. All the OS X variations forces me to upload the pix before I can continue to edit.

Don't get me wrong, the OS X experience has been great so far, but these are some of the very few shortcomings. Maybe I am missing something, anyone to comment?

Big Three Oh

I'd decided to make dinner for my closest friends for by big 30th birthday as something different. Well, erm - you got me. I got an ultimate motive one. This is so that instead of buying me an (possibly) expensive dinner, they could use the same money to get me a nice present instead :)

So I decided on the following menu:

1. Garlic Butter Baked Chicken
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. Salad - comprised of Nata de Coco, mixed canned fruits, whipped cream and condensed milk

Unfortunately the chicken was a bit dry (baked too long) and I forgot to cube the mashed potato before boiling :P

You guys rock for downing them all without visiting to the toilet too often....nyiak nyiak.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful gift as well! Special thanks to:

• Corra for organizing the present!
• Special thanks to Princess D for the personal shipping service!
• Joey for staying up all night to clean up!
• Iz for being playful and lovely throughout!

Oh Yeah, It's tomorrow!

It's at Jln Ipoh facility liao.

Come to Daddy!

Abandoned

For some reason, I am frequently ditched for lunch.

I wonder whether is because:

1. I talk too much during lunch, therefore annoys the hell out of people,
2. I am a manager, and I sit alone in my room, therefore I should eat lunch alone? (wtf kind of excuse is that),
3. I am generally not liked.

It's pretty sad. They don't even bother to pop by and ask. Or IM. Or holler.

And yet when they need my help (work wise) I am always there for them.

Hmm.

Ladder Theory

Some people thought that I made it up when I told them about the "theory", but it really exists and I can't really take credit for it...

 

Check it out at The Ladder Theory

Tomorrow, I plan to ...

... bake me some crispy bacon.

Will let you guys know whether I am successful in attempting to recreate Aussie style bacon.

I don't get why people...

... buy thousand Ringgit iPods and use the bundled earbuds.

It's audiophile sin. At least get a Crossroads Mylarone Bijou la.

Will post a review after my unit arrives.

I really hate my D630

Where got laptop computer have wireless working battery life of 1 hour?! Might as well just call it a luggable computer.

Even kinda make me miss my old D630 - at least that had a 9 cell with about 2.5 hrs of work time.

Dream wireless lappies:

• MacBook/Pro with FastMac
• X200 with 9 cell
• Wind with 9 cell (as second lappie)

4 cell sucks. Someone give me fuel cell fast!

I needed to say this. These.

I needed to get this off my chest for a while already. But before you even bother to continue reading, let me forewarn you that this is going to be a very long winded piece. If you have better things to do, CTRL+F4 please.

One more warning, I will strongly offend a lot of people in this post. For those who have strong connection with God, I urge you to turn away as well.

Done? OK - let's start.

I hate God. I fucking hate God for all the bad things that have happened to me lately. I hate Him for not standing up for me when times are tough. I hate him for probably MAKING times tough for me. And I hate God for my current financial difficulty.

You all know I drive a really old Proton. It's so old that I have decided not take it for the upcoming trip up North, for the fear of killing my friends. I'm so sure that it's going to kill me one day. And for some crazy reason, I feel that one day is inching to me, day by day.

We really cannot afford even a 2nd hand RM40K car, with the new baby coming and the housing loan refinancing and what not. It's really bloody shameful for someone who carries the title of "Manager" to drive an old car like that. Considering all my peers are driving Mercs, BMWs - and the very least, NEW Japanese cars.

Just to kick it in, I made a quick survey and found out that none of the people around me who is around my age, that I know of, drives a Proton Wira anymore. Everyone have upgraded to non local cars, all new. WHY NOT ME! WHY WHY WHY!!! I am so angry. Worked my ass off everyday and have to suffer with this situation.

Here is the most funniest part about all this. All the best stuff I own are subsidized by the company. My Q9h? Last of my flex dollar. The last Dopod 595? Lucky draw. My Creative Zen? Project bonus. The iffy Macbook (or Pro)? 1/2 to be paid by the company (if that's gonna happen at all).

Such a fucking joke. I am so broke that I can't even own anything by my own. Had to leech off the office. Even had to beg, in some cases (MB). My Crumpler backpack? Gift from my wife. HOW COME I AM SUCH A BIG FUCKING LOSER!

Back to hating God - why do You have to bring so much pain into my life. Why do I constantly feel like I need to scratch my skin off my bone, in by inch, EVERY FUCK DAY. Why do I have to, NEED TO, feel bad when everyone stares at dry, cracked, bleeding skill all day long. It's already bad enough that I grew up with all my friends thinking that I am a wierdo but you have to make the pain and embarrassment come back again and again. I only had less than 10 good itch-less years, OKEY?! AND YOU HAD TO TAKE IT AWAY!!!

Why does my son have to fall and have a scar on his skull. WHY PUNISH HIM! Why do You have to make my son lie in a hospital for 4 days, with no food or drink. And why does it have to be 2 weeks away before the cooling off period of his medical card. WHY WHY!

Is it because I bought a Nintendo Wii just one week before and You have to punish me like that? Is that it? YOU WANT REVENGE IS IT! It is so hard to ask for something that I dream off to own as a kid! I DID NOT OWN A GAME CONSOLE UNTIL I AM ALMOST 30 YEARS OLD, OK!!! You happy or not! Other people's 7 year old children are playing PS3 one OK! OKEYYYYYYYYY! WHY NOT PUNISH THEM!

And that is just one example of why I have to work so much more harder for anything in life. Anything that so simple for anyone else to have, seems to take super extra effort for me to materialize. Things that people buy out of whim always seem to be a GABAZILLION miles away from me.

Matter a fact, I am so angry at HIM, that I have stop observing abstinence on Friday anymore. I have never never ever done this in 30 years of my life. Ever. But for the past few Fridays, it has been McDonalds, KFC and Ramli Burger all the way man. I'll show you! GOD DAMN! I WILL EAT WHATEVER FUCKING MEAT I WANT TO - ANY FUCKING TIME!!! BLOW AR!

Punish me all you want - I'll survive. I've had it worst. Just today, I had a Double Cheese Burger, and WHAM! My car broke down in middle of no where, parking in the middle of a parking lot which is abandoned, and it was raining and I twisted my ankle because I stepped into a big hole coz it was so dark that I could not see it. Whatever. I got out of it. I got back home. Punish me all you like, it's not going to make me like You more right now. BUGGER OFF.

That's it. It's not graceful venting, but I had to do it. It's my FUCKING right to do so. If you think I am ungrateful - fuck it. You are probably better off than I am anyway. Don't believe? Tell me what car you drive, what iPod you listen to, what phone you use and how much debt you owe the bank. So sod off.

You want to tell God off about me? Sure, I don't give a god damn rat's ass anymore. Will I still go to church? Lucky You, coz I'm doing it for my wife and kid. DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T HATE YOU. Doesn't mean that I don't resent you all the time.

You know, maybe devil worshiping is not such a bad thing after all. At least the Satan's bible teaches you to believe in yourself. Maybe I am well off better on my own anyway. Maybe. Maybe.

Maybe.

It's Finally Done

There has been something that has been on my mind ever since she arrived into my life.

The lure is just too strong. I think about it day and night. Hadn't had a proper night sleep since. That thing that I want to do have totally occupied every tiny little available space of my mind.

I talked to my wife Joey and she strongly suggested against it. Matter a fact, she was quite stern and gave me a borderline threat.

I consulted a few close friends, and all of them think that it's a very very bad idea. When I told them how I felt about doing it, they just shook their head in despair.

But I know deep down they wanted to do the same thing as well.

I even took a health exam to make sure I was up to it. I spend sometime with my doctor to discuss the pros and cons, and even he has strong reservation about it. He said that the detrimental health impact might take a while to recover.

I told him that I didn't care. The urge was way too strong to resist. I would most certainly lose my mind if I don't take action soon.

That's when it started to hit me, maybe it's not worth it. At this age, it's probably best not to risk it, said to myself. Self doubt kicked in. Hard.

But's it's too hard to resist. So painful, am so weak. Life isn't fair. I even started to question God why I had to make such choices at this age.

So I decided to succumb into it. Give up. Give in.

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All hail... the.... Wendy's 3/4 Pound Burger with Cheese!!!!!

Look at that baby! Look at the soft bun! Look at all 3 pieces of patty! Look at the CHEESE(es)!!!

Come to dada!

Didn't have space for any sides. Just the burger and mineral water to wash it down. Took me a full 15 mins of intense, non-stop chewing! Even the cashier was a bit wide eyed when I put down my order. Even asked me twice to confirm. The kitchen had to build my order from scratch. That's why the patty was very juicy and the cheese was very very moist.

Next to Out of Africa's Blue Cheese burger, this Wendy's is proven to be one of my most favorite in town.

Now, for my next challenge....

NSFW: Nipples

Warning! Nudity ahead!

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Click away if you are at work!

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Scroll down if you are ready.

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I grew some extra nips on me.

Side view:

Actually these are ECG hickeys. Took my full medical check up this morning. Those damn suction cups always get me bad.

To make it worst, one of the suction cups keep falling off, and the ECG reading had to be reset over and over again.

Then the nurse got her colleague to help, and what she did was put MORE KY on me, and then shift the suction cups up and down, while the sucker (sic) still sucking full force!

Damn shiong man.

I Can't Help Myself!

It has got to be caused by the trauma of being in science stream in secondary school.

When I saw this toilet cubical "wallpaper", I just want to write some formulas on it.

Saw this on my way back from home.

Reminder: You can always click on the picture to see the larger version.

Tesco Selayang

The other day, we went grocery shopping at Tesco Selayang. First time going there, it's very big and very quiet. It's one of those formal Makro hypermarts.

I have to say it's one of those days when you have multiple "Ahhh harr?" and "What the..." moments.

Don't understand why? Check these products out:

No wonder Malaysian police can never hit any gangsters with these.

Er.... really not safe for work ar. I guess it's for some child labor use niah.

Now this is really NSFW.

Sigh - Engrish, Manglish, Chinglish at it's best.

Caught Crab Handed...

The other day during a farewell party, the office decided to have some Chinese...er... cuisine.

Guess what happened.

LH: No picture please!
LC: Eh... that's not crab meat you see...

Yeah right.... see the spoils just between both of them.

I wonder did they dream of crab that night.

Iz和我

有天应酬旧同事们晚餐时，我带了Iz一起逛街。Iz很乖得跟我一起逛。我们手拉手跑去Mutiara酒店里的lobby坐坐。

原来我的儿子也和我一样无聊 - 喜欢坐下来细看看走来走去的人。

Malaysian Knight Rider?

Just some car I noticed next to me waiting for the light.

Maybe it also can transform into a warrior car and have some pew pew action too.

Steve Jobs Made My Wet Dream Come True

Finally, a respectful MacBook. No more cutting corners. No more compromises. No more 2nd fiddle to the bigger brother MacBook Pro.

http://www.apple.com/macbook/

"The nerve!"

Someone had the nerve to finish up the water in the cooler, and instead of changing with a new bottle, he/she (more likely she) just dragged a new bottle and left it at the feet of the cooler.

(Meaning to expect the next person who needs a drink to change the bottle.)

TMD.

And don't give me the crap that girls cannot change a bottle - then what for spend so much money to go Yoga or Gym!

Potential

"He is who he is, mom. You knew that when you jumped into the car with him. If you worried that you made a mistake, then it's not his fault."

"You have to love him for who he is. Not his potential."

--Californication S02E02 15:30

Izilla

Vid explains all.

 

Grado Kaki

Add one more to the list:

Kuching Food

I might have missed this post during my last trip back to Kuching at May. Had limited chance to go out to eat, but one evening we slipped out and ta pao-ed the following!

First up, satey babi!!!

and accompanying peanut sauce!

Next, tao geh mee! (Bean Sprout Noodles)

Lastly, tomato mee!

And here are the stalls I got them from at Hui Sing Hawker Food Center, Kuching:

Mobile Film Crew

If you have wondered how the driving scenes are shot in TV, here is the Malaysian way to do it.

I shot this while coming down from Securities Commission. They could have just mounted the camera on the car though.

Disappointing Copy Cat

So the other day I dropped by to pick up a quick lunch from the Big D. "Hmm! What is that new item I see!" I said.

So I ordered an "Big N' Tasty" combo.

After chowing it down, I have concluded:

"HOW CAN SHE SLAP! HOW CAN SHE SLAP!"

I can't stop watching the video over and over again.......MUAHAHHAHHAHHHAHH!

KennySia: Indian Game Shows Are Awesome

The part I enjoy most is the smirk on the guys face when he told her to fuck herself off the set. The grin, the confidence, even the arrogance.

And the fact that the bitch got so stunned when she got slapped back. Wa lao - she should have seen it coming lo.

Too bad the guy got his ass whooped big time - and was crying like baby afterwards.

Somewhere I will not go to service my car

I wonder why this car owner is so proud of his service center:

p/s Kanasai in Hokkien = like shit.

360

You have heard of webcams that follows the swaying of your face (Logitech Sphere).

You have even heard of webcams that will track you when you walk around the room (Polycom Video Conferencing).

But have you heard of 360 panoramic view webcam? Eat this.

Enter the Microsoft Roundtable!

It has 6 CMOS sensors which shoots up to a prism like mirror to form the panoramic view. It will show EVERYONE in the room ALL THE TIME.

Now how cool is that. Drop by my office or join drop me a line and we can do Live Meeting over the Internet.... ala Roundtable style!

Not to forget, this is the ONLY unit in Malaysia. Even Microsoft Malaysia have to beg us to lend it from us.

Office Mayhem

The girls at the office decided to give their group manager something..... enticing.

To her husband anyway.

Road Side Toilet

When you hear Road Side Toilet, the words "wooden hut, hole in ground, toilet seat with stains" is what comes to you mind.

Surprisingly, I have the opportunity to pang jior (pee) in one of the few "automated" toilet in KL city center.

Check it out, got door control ala lift - even comes equipment with alarm button in case you caught your jiao jiao in zipper?

Nice mirror - what is that warning sign ar?

Automated sink, minus the nose/pubic hair.

 

Even got a nice tray to change the baby's diapers. Erm - some horny couples can probably use it for something else...

So go try it out, best 20 cents I have spent for public amenity. Got air cond some more. But 1 caveat.

The door opens automatically within 15 mins. Don't say I didn't warn you. Can be found at junction across Wisma Sime Darby, KL.

Stain

Some people leaves lip stick stain.

Monica left some of Bill's stain on her.

LCie left this for me this morning:

 

Hypocrisy to the max...

OMFG...

Little Girl Substituted By Cuter Little Girl In Olympic Opening Ceremony

How can this happen :(

Fans vs Mass Market

Manage to get myself a night off to catch 2 movies - that as fans shall not miss. Back to back some more.

Anyway not going to write movie review, just want to say how I observed the fans and non-fans reacted to both movies.

X-Files

I believe (insert puns here) that this 2nd movie would make the perfect closure for the cult following TV series. As fans, we all know that the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully has always been something present, yet almost taboo like that it was never discussed about. Matter a fact, for hardcore fans, the most memorable moment is when they *almost* kissed at Mulder's apartment hallway, when the kiss was interrupted by a bee sting that almost killed Scully.

Another thing that was never really talked about, but insinuated throughout the series, is that Mulder was William's father.

That's why fans can relate when I said that I had goose bumps when Mulder and Scully's sexuality was so publicly displayed, so casually shown off in the 2nd movie. It was a moment that completed us all X-Files fan. They even openly talked about William.

Which leads me to the point, why I am so not surprised when hearing how the non-fan reacted in the cinema. The girl sitting next to me commented:"Har? Like that finish liao ar." Sounded almost like she was cheated or something. Come on la, the mystery was solved (no spoilers here), the bandits were caught - what else you want la?

Dark Knight

When I was queuing for my movie tix, I overheard "Why I cannot see Batman on the list one? Which one is Batman ar? Still on ar?" which someone was nice enough to tell the girl that Dark Knight is the Batman movie then she said "OOOOoooohh... haiyah, why not just call Batman la."

Beh tar han.

Very obviously she has not read the Dark Knight series.

The other comment that I heard inside the cinema was the confused sound of "Huh?" made at the ending of the movie when Jim Gordon said that he would have to pursue Batman, even after he just saved Gotham from destruction.

Fans would understand this because Batman was never a publicly welcomed figure - not openly anyway. Unlike Superman, who appears in fund raisers, talk to kids, shows up during the day time - generally a public figure. Batman works on the opposite, his most powerful is not the Bat Mobile or the Bat-pod (which was super cool. BTW), but fear. He uses fear to achieve his objectives, hides in shadow, wears dark color.

And he is labeled vigilante at best, not ever a "superhero".

And that is why the authorities will always disapprove of his methods, or his existence for that matter.