Ah, the end of the year.

And December is here.

The end of the year.

Time of reflection and realignment with one's goals and visions and mission in life.

Time of recollection, and sorting out memories; some to be kept away permanently, others to be hung on the walls down memory lane, to be looked at occasionally, to serve as a reminder.

Time to shed the bad skin off, and let the new one grow.

Time to look back, and trudge forward. No matter the terrain or the weather.

Things I've done. Things I should have done. Regrets, hesitations. Times I turned the other way when I could have offered my seat. Times I've done an act of kindness to someone. Times I've been physically offended, and utter silent curses. Times I've used humor as a shield against insensitivity. Times I've hurt others. and been hurt myself. Times to treasure. Times to forget. Times of prayer.

[heh, you would think I'm doing an advertisement for Times, the Bookstore]

So, I've been reflecting. But reflecting isn't about thinking of the past, and falling into a snare right in front of us - the snare of self-pity and rejection, but it's about looking and saying 'there, I did that wrong. Why did I do it then? and how can I not do it again?' or remembering the special occasion 'the priceless look on her face when I helped her down the stairs'.

and Reflection's about resolutions too. Making resolutions to avoid mistakes observed and acknowledged while doing reflection.

Can't say I'm all too pleased with myself, my actions, deeds and thoughts this year. But, it has ended pretty well. Or am I just consoling myself. =X

Ah, but a new dawn beckons. The start of a new year. A start to every possible thing, of all imagination.

And make the most of the year before it flies by again.

To all you readers, here's wishing you a blessed year ahead!

Cheers,
R

Home Sweet Home

I spent my Christmas break designing houses. Now, don't be alarmed, I'm not switching professions nor am have I had too much food and wine, it's merely a game that I'm talking about. Home Sweet Home is a PC game developed by Big Blue Bubble.

Chances are you probably never heard of that company nor that PC game. Well, neither did I. Till I chanced upon it on www.shockwave.com that allows you to download it for a 60-min trial.

Now, I've played games like Cake Mania and Pet Shop Salon, so I was expecting a simple point-and-click game, riding the wave of such games recently. How wrong I was.

In Home Sweet Home, you not only get the chance to design homes for clients, with a wide range of options at your disposal, but you also get to direct your builders to work on it.

You start off as a Designer. Clients will tell you what they want - their favorite colors, likes and dislikes etc - and then you get to work using the amount of cash you are provided, and you start to design.

The graphical interface is akin to that of The Sims, which is totally idiot-proof. However, unlike The Sims, where you can rotate your view of the house, here you can't.

But, what you get, is a wide array of tools at your disposal. From tiles to tables to entertainment, like plasma TVs, you get to purchase them all. It has to be within the budget of course.

Other than purchasing below the budget, there are two other checkpoints you need to meet. Namely, satisfying the clients demands, and meeting the minimum number of items required to be purchased.

After you are done with your designing, you are ready to build!

And this is where it gets slightly challenging. [Well, for me, it is.]

You are given three workers to help you assemble the furniture and well, make your dreams come true, literally. And, time is money, both in the physical and virtual world. As such, you're given a certain amount of days to complete the construction. To achieve completion of the construction, you not only need to allocate tasks to each construction worker, but ensure they have enough energy, by giving them coffee, providing them the necessary tools, and healing them when they get injured.

Oh, and did I mention, you get to design your own home with the money you've earned. No construction needed. :)

Interested to try it out? Check out the following links to download the trial, and get your creative juices flowing.

http://www.retro64.com/home_sweet_home_download.asp
http://www.gamefools.com/downloads/HomeSweetHome/2614.html
http://www.jeezdownloads.com/home_sweet_home.html

Oh, and check out screen-shots of the game below.

Merry Christmas!

Ah, Christmas eve.

Where people are supposed to go out, and contribute to the economy by spending.

Not for me though. I'm broke.

So I stayed at home, and ate porridge with my parents for dinner. Not that we're so broke, we only have porridge, but because my dad's sick.

And I watch TPE with my dad. No, not the expressway, no doubt that can bond parent and child too, but the TPE I mean is The Polar Express.

Of course, this would have a whole new meaning in Singapore. It would probably be The Present Express : 280, with sequels of The Present Express : 300 and The Present Express : 320.

Well, Christmas is where money is spent. All for a good cause. I hope.

[If you've been busy spending money and cashing in on good offers just to get gifts to pamper yourself, then shame on you.]

After all, Christmas is the season of giving. And sharing.

Whether friends or family
Separated by distance
Physical or emotional or mental

Whether friends or foes
Separated by feelings
hatred or anger or bitterness

Whether friends or lovers
Separated by obstacles
time or distance or love

This is Christmas, where grudges be forgiven, and barriers be removed.
And why erect the barrier, or remember the grudge, after Christmas?

Just let it go. and be at peace.

Because this is also the season for peace. and joy. and love. and happiness. that erupts from the heart.

Merry Christmas!

Just a Tag

1. WHAT TIME DO YOU GET UP?
hmm if I have lessons, it would be two hours before the start of lesson. If not, it would be uh, whichever time I wish to arise?

2. IF YOU COULD EAT LUNCH WITH ONE FAMOUS PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE?
haha who else but the reason for the season. haha Jesus Christ.

3. GOLD OR SILVER?
Gold. Cause Gold for IPPT will get more cash.

4. WHAT WAS THE LAST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA?
Enchanted.

5.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
I have a favorite list, does that count? It includes Criminal Minds, Killer Instinct, Whose Line Is It Anyway, Numbers, and Heroes, and probably more in the future.

6. WHAT DO YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST?
hmm what DO I have for breakfast? It would depend on where I am, if in school, then maybe curry puff or a sandwich, if not, then I wouldn't have breakfast, because it would be lunch by the time I'm out of bed.

7. WHO WOULD YOU HATE TO BE STUCK IN A ROOM WITH?
haha people with negative and pessimistic feelings that ooze out of them, like dementor.

8. CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR TONGUE?
Nope. Whatever for? That would be so gross, especially if you have a runny nose.

9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
nah, it's not what. it's who. :)

10. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME?
uhhhhh it's either an empty space, or jia yuan, cause my name's teo jia yuan randy. but if you mean middle letter then it would be either N or YU.

11. BEACH, CITY, OR COUNTRY?
How about a city's beach in a country? :D

12. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
[I have no clue what this question asks. As such, I shall give a no totally weird answer.] Ya.

13. BUTTER, PLAIN OR SALTED POPCORN?
All of the above.

14. FAVORITE COLOUR?
No particular favorite = All.

15. FAVORITE CAR?
The one that you need to pay 250 or 270 or 280 when you go in. That one.

16. FAVORITE SANDWICH FILLING?
Bread. :)

17. WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO YOU DESPISE?
hmmm despise is such a harsh word. How about people who think they know me because they hear about me from their friends, but because it's from their friends, thus it is bias towards their aim or goal, and as such, it ain't truly me.
And others that escape my mind at the moment.

18. FAVORITE FLOWER?
All. Including see hua. [hua means flower in mandarin]

19. IF YOU HAD A BIG WIN IN THE LOTTERY, HOW LONG WOULD YOU WAIT TO TELL PEOPLE?
Depending on the definition of 'people'. It's not as if I'm going to go on air and announce now, would I? I might as well not have won the lottery.

20. FIZZY OR STILL WATER AS A DRINK?
Fizzy if I want something sweet. Still if I want a refreshing taste of nature's finest. :)

:21. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHROOM?
White. and blue. and a brown ceiling. because there was leftover brown paint somewhere in my house, and my mum decided to use it.

22. HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR KEY RING?
one bicycle lock key, one safety deposit box key, one key for the metal grilles. one for the padlock locking the metal grilles. and one for the wooden door. so in total, would be five.

23. WHERE WOULD YOU RETIRE TO?
Wherever that makes me happy.

24. CAN YOU JUGGLE?
Ya. Wait, I can do two Ferror Rochers with two hands. Is that counted?

25. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK?
Sunday.

26. RED OR WHITE WINE?
Both.

27. WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY?
uh. I forgot. Seriously.

29. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL?
None. Except maybe a monkey. or a chimpanzee.

30. FAVORITE ANIME?
uh, none?

31. FAST FOOD OR HOME COOKED MEAL?
Both. You can't cook shaker fries at home.

32. WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO OTHERS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
The eyes.

33. DO YOU BELIEVE IN UNICORNS?
I believe in yellow corns. Do you?

34. WHAT'S YOUR DRESS STYLE?
Black shirt, jeans, and shoes bought from the neighborhood shop.

35. SAY SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU.
Something nice about Qing Hui = Something nice.

36. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT WILL COPY THIS?
I don't know? It depends on their festive mood no?

37. PERSON YOU EXPECT WILL COPY THIS FIRST?
Read my answer to Qn. 36.

38. FIVE PEOPLE TO DO THIS:
Uh, sheesh. Santa Claus. My fairy godmother? I can't think of any. Cause i don't wanna bully people to do. Okay, Okay. Simple.
I want YOU to do this :)

Christmas

Ah, Christmas. That festive season where cash register ring like sleigh bells, and songs are repeatedly blasted everywhere.

Yet, how many of those songs we hear constantly, are true original Christmas songs, that while may seem traditional, but simply aren't?

Of course, some obvious ones, like 'I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus' or 'All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth' are totally untraditional.

What about songs like 'Deck the Halls' or 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'? It does sound traditional, does it not? After all we've seen and heard them for eons. But. they aren't linked to Christmas in any religious way.

Take 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' for example. In nowhere in the Bible can it be found, of the Twelve Days of Christmas, or the birth of Christ. This would totally rule out any linking to Christianity.

What about the number 12, you say?

True, there are several numbers that has significance in the Bible, and 12 is one of them, like the 12 Disciples, and the 12 tribes of Israel.

But there is absolutely no connection between the 12 Days of Christmas and Christianity itself.

A glance at the lyrics of the song, and one can understand why people would be confused over its origins.

A search of the song's lyrics would produce numerous websites, that each gift for each day has a religious backing in the Christianity.

Whether you find it just a mere coincidence or not, is up to you.

As for me, I'm convinced it's just a song and more of the 'I saw Mummy kissing Santa Claus' category than the 'Angels We Have Heard on High' category.

good game

Well, I know most of my posts now seem to be more of recommendations of games to play and what not, but hey, I like to recommend good stuff.

Now we've all played an online game at least once before, be it MMORPG or a flash game on well-known sites like Miniclip.com or other games that transcend physical boundaries like Yahoo! Pool.

[Btw, MMORPG stands for Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Game. I recall reading once, in a secondary boy review of a game, published in the papers, in which he said it stood for Massive Men Online Role Playing Game]

So, I went looking online for flash games to kill the time, and make the most of my 'holidays', and I found 5 Differences Flash Game

Now, I've played 5 Spots and 5 Spots II before, so I dare say I have a bit of experience playing such games, where you have to spot the differences. And true, 5 Spots/II would need to be bought, and while it can be played offline, it requires installation.

Yet, it pales miserably when compared to 5 Differences (http://www.vx4.com/puzzle-games/5-differences.html)

What's unique and striking about 5 Differences are its visuals. 5 Spots uses landscape images and tourist attractions. 5 Differences has none of that. And neither does it have sound.

Now, you're probably thinking I'm crazy because how can it be better without good looking visuals and sound?

Well, 5 Differences isn't just made up of still images. There are movable objects too. Another feature that is significant would be the count or the number that tells you how many differences there are left for you to seek.

In 5 Spots, the number is displayed prominently at the top and in the middle of the screen. In 5 Differences, this count is actually within the image itself. Or should I say video, since there are movable objects. I guess in times like this, it is a bit hard to classify it as a 2D or 3D object.

One flaw that I wasn't satisfied with, is the lack of hints or 'helplines'. It's either you find the Five differences. Or you don't.

But don't be alarmed. The game doesn't take very long, i.e. it has very few stages, and should it be marketed commercially, I dare say it might be very successful.

Now, if what I've just said sounds so confusing, just ignore all that, and go try the game now. Free.

5 Differences
http://www.vx4.com/puzzle-games/5-differences.html

isn't it amazing

Isn't it amazing how soothing and relaxing cross-stitching, a cup of hot instant herbal tea and a bed can make one feel? :)

Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?

I was just randomly switching channels when I stumbled upon the premiere of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader an American game show on Channel 5, currently showing on Thursday nights at 7.30pm.

(Note: Fifth grade is the local equivalent of Primary 5)

Its concept is rather interesting, and incorporates certain elements from other shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, amongst others.

Contestants, are given a list of Elementary (Primary) School subjects to choose from, and each correct answer moves them up the ladder, of a million dollars.

Just like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, the various financial stages are the same, and contestants are given three lifelines. Nope, it's not the Call A Friend or 50-50, but an educational version, which is Peek, Cheat, and Save.

Yea, I know, sounds pretty mundane so far right? Well, what good would a Fifth grade show be, without any kids?

So, five kids are there, each with their own tables, and writing pads. They have to answer the same question as the contestant. But, of these five, the contestant has to choose one to be standing beside her, thus being her 'opponent'.

Remember the lifelines? Well, the lifelines are answers of that particular kiddo. If he decides to use the Peek lifeline, peeks into the kid's answer, and goes with it, and it's correct, he's still in the game!

From questions like How many decades are there in two millennial? to How many sides are there in a trapezoid?, questions tackle geography to math to astronomy, from First Grade to Fifth Grade.

Of course, this got me thinking about the localized version. After all, we've all had our experience in the education system, and we all have, at one point or the other, memorized information, merely for the sake of memorizing.

Chances are, if you go up on the show, you would die. (Not literally, of course).
Unless you happen to be working in the field that you studied, you would definitely need to put on your thinking cap.

Then again, would the show be successful? Maybe not. Being such a small country, which adult would mind getting ridiculed for giving an incorrect answer to a seemingly easy question.

You can almost hear the school canteen gossip.
"eh, you know ah, beng lao bu, cannot answer that question lehh. so easy la! trapezoid got four sides, so easy also donno sia'

'eh beng! ur lao bu so not smart can. trapezoid also donno how many sides'

Well, that's enough input from me. You can form your own opinions yourself.
You can catch Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, on Channel 5, every Thurs, at 7.30pm.

I and English and Me

Above 16:

I got wet with Kenneth today. At work. For old folks.



Below 16:

I was soaked to the skin with Kenneth during work today, with old folks as patrons, due to the rain.

just for you to peruse

Just something for you to note,

live.com email addresses are up for grabs. so if you want to get a unique email address like thereisonlyroominthisworldforonemojojojo@live.com, or you want to localize it, like gstincreasedbysevenpercent@live.com.sg, you can do so. NOW!

Check out http://blog.hznet.nl/index.php/2007/11/06/update-livecom-registration-is-opened-other-live-too for more info, and the various links.

Enjoy.

Something entertaining

Bones.

Bones

A TV-series so bad that it's good. Well, when I mean bad, I don't mean in a cinematography way, or that the cast are lacking in talent, but simply that the characters have managed to portray their bad characteristics so well, that it can be infuriating yet addictive at the same time.

I've watched CSI and Numbers and House, and while it would be easy to explain those TV series to people who have yet to watch it, (one's bloody, the other's about numbers [duh!] and the last is about a mad doctor), it's totally hard to describe Bones.

In simple terms, it's about a Forensic Anthropologist (Bone Specialist la) and an FBI Agent (Mata) who team up to solve crimes of the past. By past, I mean like a decade ago, or less, and not those ancient crimes of mummies in pyramids in Egypt.

Yea, I know you're thinking, what's new? Just some crime-busting duo and each episode probably has a sunshine after the cloudy weather, that is, a happy ending but that's where you're wrong!

Speaking of stereotypes, the cast is totally good at dispelling that. Dr Temperance Brennan, or 'affectionately' called Bones by her partner, [yea, the bone lady], is too caught up in her skeletons and identifying bony remains (pun intended), that she simply doesn't know anything else. Music? Crossed Out. Love? Crossed Out. And you can throw communication out the window too.

'Why are you men always picking on the women' I hear you say? Sure! The FBI agent then. Special Agent Seeley Booth. [pronounced as silly booth], Used to giving orders and having his i-s dotted, and t-s crossed, to say Booth has problems adjusting to Bones as his partner would be an understatement. A tinge of pride and dominant, yet ashamed of his dark sordid past and wanting to do penance for it, he carries his burden by himself.

While the pilot episode leaves a slight bitter taste in the mouth, watching the following couple of episodes would sweeten that taste and in fact, leave you hanging for more, as you get amazed by how much a pile of bones can reveal.

it will come

He that does not cherish she that loveth him is a fool,
and a far greater one if he says in his heart there is no God.

He that looked into the mirror and seeth not his own shadow,
had better tremble and repent.

He that had brokenth her heart into pieces many,
He shall be accountable.

A time cometh for every event,
be it sorrow or joyous celebration,
be it weeping or laughing,
be it breaking or building,
be it sacrifice or acceptance,
be it love that was and is,
it will come.

Not hastened or its pace quickened
by wind or storm or sun
But by its own timing
it will come.

just so you know

Just so you know.

4shared, an online file hosting service has upped their storage from 1 gig to 5 gig, and increased the maximum size of file/s to be uploaded from 50mb to 100mb.

Just so you know.

I've been using their service for nearly a year now, and I find it good and stable.

Just so you know.

It's free.

Just so you know.

www.4shared.com

Just so you know.

anger.

I laid on my bed last night, but sleep evaded me so my mind started reflecting on the day's events and happenings and I used my phone to compose this post. I mean, with my phone's maximum limit of 1000 characters per draft, it's simply a breeze.

So, there I was, thinking about my annual review with Cynthia for JPSAE students, and though most of the time we digressed topics, she managed to steer it back to me again and I started pondering about my lack of lack of tolerance. God forgive me for those who have seen me angry before, though I can safely say my moments of anger are few and distant.

In my whole life, I can only recall two distinct and life-changing incidents, one that happened in upper primary, and the other in lower secondary, that influenced me to resolve never to be snared by anger again.

Of course, it could also be that I'm open to new ideas and thus don't really have much of a goal, so any 'setbacks' are more of speed bumps than traffic lights. But. That's a post for another time, another day. Or night.

I can still remember that day, as if it happened just a mere moment ago. I was already living in my current house when I was in primary 6. In my living room, there's a cupboard that stretches from e floor to e ceiling and it holds among other things, photo albums. My mum was rummaging through the bottom half and for some unknown reason, instead of waiting for her to be done, I reached over and partially opened the upper half to obtain the object I wanted.

I'm not certain why I didn't verbally alert my mum to my presence. Perhaps I felt I was walking rather loudly, or maybe I just didn't feel like talking that day. We all have our moods. I took out a photo album and stood a foot away, scanning through to find the image I wanted.

However I didn't close the cupboard door after taking out the album. Just then, my mum was done with her rummaging. She straightened up, and instantly collided with the partially opened door head-on. She bent away, wincing in pain, while I merely looked on, dumbfounded. My mind racing in a whirl, thoughts just jumping about. Should I say sorry or ask how is she? Do I retreat or advance forward? Or should I get the cane ready?

While all these thoughts were going on, she got mad that I just stood there, no apology out of my mouth, and subjected me to a series of hard slaps and pushes that kept me moving back. My tears flowed freely, yet I was struck dumb. She kept shouting and demanding an apology and hollering how much it hurt and why did I do that for and Don't do that again and what was my problem.

That was e day I learnt parents aren't angels but mere mortals. That was the day I felt firsthand the vicious ferocity of rage.

Sadly, that was also the day I lost a lot of respect for my mum. And it sparked off a mental questioning of the double standard.

I pondered why I was severely reprimanded for accidentally breaking a bowl yet my parents simply laughed about it when my dad broke his.

From that day, part of me knew I could never lose my cool and never allow myself to be a victim of rage and erupt into a frenzy like she did. Its said you scar a child, you scar him for life. And perhaps this is true.

Do I hold a grudge against her for the volley of slaps? I can truthfully say I don't. But I'll be lying if I say it hasn't affected our relationship. True, i was responsible for the physical hurt and her getting mad about it. Yet what's done is done, and respect lost is hard to earn back. And this is one of two reasons why i desperately try not to repeat that situation again, that is the outburst of rage n its repercussions.

But.

I do acknowledge e role anger plays in lives.

bummer

haha blogger's getting more feature-packed eh. now there are buttons to ease up adding images and videos, and hosting on its site too.

hmm, I've been thinking back through my internship days, and reflecting on what I've learnt, but I realise I actually did more teaching than being taught. See, I've helped my colleague master downloading torrents, and then, I've introduced Allpeers,(www.allpeers.com) a Firefox extension, to two of my colleagues. This extension allows the transfer of files via Firefox, but both parties have to be online at the same time, and transfer speed is dependent on browser speed.


Also, I've helped my colleagues upgrade to WLM 8.5, introduced to them WLM Plus Live! (www.msgpluslive.net), because it has a boss-shortcut, that's super useful at work - regardless whether you have a rear view mirror attached to your monitor or not - helped them patch it with Mess Patch (Mess Patch ), by patching I mean, help to remove advertisements and create a more personalised messaging experience.

Hmm, I've spread 'the love' of Heroes with them, infecting 7 staff, inclusive of my supervisor. I've shared about 100 gig of movies, in total, with them; them meaning uh 7 staff. and yea, including the supervisor.

I've showed a couple of them to VLC Media Player (www.videolan.org/vlc, introduced various Firefox Add-Ons to them, like IE Tab (addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1419, which allows you to open Internet Explorer within Firefox. Hee, you can do Windows Update right within Firefox!. And many others la. too many to count.

But you get the picture. Maybe cause I'm more tech-savvy at such stuff. Like they tend to find me if they need technical advice, like getting a new hard drive and such.

So overall, I kinda give more than take in for my internship, ya know. Bummer. But i can't put these down for my report because according to Section something of the rules and conduct stuff, students aren't allowed to download stuff.

Not that I'm admitting I did. (to save my own back)

But, you get the picture. Lots of stuff I wished I said but I can't.

Bummer. Now, how do I bend the rules. hmm. Can't talk bout me playing Yahoo Pool! with my colleague. Or the music. Or downloading Heroes. Bummer.

finally.

Finally! Six months of crap and joyous fun. Well, not that I look forward to the end of it, though it has been tiring, and in some ways my body has gotten accustomed to sleeping on trains, in buses, and looking forward to the daily dose of caffeine in the cup of coffee that the cafe at the lobby sells in the building that houses my office. (haha , what a long line eh)

Well, that's all I have for early mornings though I will miss the staff at work. Hee, my boss gave me 4s and 5s for my appraisal though, cause too many 5s would raise eyebrows. Ain't my boss nice?

Now, all I need to do is to figure out what to write for my report. It's a bit tricky so sum up 6 months of experiences in words, like where do or how can I ever begin?
Do I start with my first day of work where the regional manager offered me a drink, or do I list the info about the company? And, the guidelines for the report aren't really that big a help.

13.4 Identify and describe the communication tools used by the company for news announcements and information dissemination.

Uhhhhh, lemme see, we use Msn, and our voice. uhhhhh you ged what i mean?

Too cheem for me leh. Seriously, these kinda questions seem to be more suited for a marketing company than for the industry which I was posted to. Can't expect me to list the various albums that I ripped right?

Oh, and the staff were nice. haha, they gave me a farewell gift. A hamper of sorts. They got a basket and stuffed lots of goodies in it, like uh Pocky and Almond Choc, and some cookies and biscuits and well, it does seem more like a hamper for the poor and needy, but I shall ignore what I just wrote, and simply that I love it! haha, I'm too busy enjoyin it to even unwrap it. There's even a shirt in a can, that has the words superpig on it. Uh, don't ask me if it has any hidden meanings.

Hmm, on another note altogether, I went back for band barbecue on Thurs. It was good. Well, the people la, the food is a different matter altogether. I missed some of them, though several were a bit distant. Politics I guess. Oh well. Was nice meeting my scandal, haha, and others for course.

Alrighty, back to watch movies and play some games. Still can't believe I just had a 16 hour sleep, with about 5 minutes intermission? Heh, but not that I'm lazy k, just that I had work yesterday from 6am to 10pm with around 3 hours of rest in the middle. Kids are tiring. haha not that I have any. Okay, I do, but not uh my own seeds la. heh seeds reminds me of torrents. Which reminds me. Got a lot to download. ;)

Numbers

Numbers

It exists all around us, on receipts, on displays, in phones, on cards, on currency, in clocks. You use it everywhere, everytime; to count, to measure, to calculate, to tell the time, to compute data, to figure, to tally sales, and estimate profits.

Numbers.

Real, Negative, Positive, Irrational, Natural, Whole, Complex, Imaginary, yea you get the idea.

The show is about numbers. No la, of course got some blood here and there to you know, bling the x factor in.

In simple terms, it's about an FBI agent who has a mathematician as his brother, and math solves crimes.

I know I know, your mind probably shut off when you saw the word math. But this show is good. True that it could get stagnant after a while, due to the various formulas and numerical formats, yet the storyline for each episode is good, and while unlike Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) which is laden with gore and visual stimulants, otherwise known as effects and editing, and which features non-existent techniques, the math in the episodes and its theories and formulas are all authentic. In fact some universities in the United States use this TV series to teach their students about math.

But, don't worry. Even if you know 1 + 1 = 3, you'll still be able to enjoy the show.

Some say the main actor is good looking. Me? I think it's his curly hair.

How bout you go watch it and let me know what you think?

wow has it been so long

haha yea! time for an update I think.

hmmmmm well, since my last entry was pre-Comex, I guess I should continue from there then.

I bought a 320 gig internal hard drive (Sata 2) for $109, thus empowering me to a new level of hard drive storage space, that is 690 GB.

First time installing a new hard drive. Glad it worked well. Learnt quite a lot too, about Sata and IDE and such. Geektalk, in layman's terms. :)

Also bought a 2 gig thumb-drive. Good for transferring movies. Well, the 700 mb kind of movies and not the 4.7 gig kind.

Bought my laptop bag for 78 bucks, but my mum subsidised 50, (refer to previous entry), so it costs me only 28 dollars! Bought a mice for my Mac for $24.

Purchased a variation of CD-Rs, CD-RWs, and DVDs, amounting to around $60.

hmmm what else did I buy ah? Oh yea, some cables for my mac, so I can connect it to a TV screen for better viewing, should the need arise.

Oh, and also an additional battery pack for my phone, since my phone isn't well built for surviving long periods of time. Hmm, now what else did I buy ah?

That's about it I think. Spent around 300 on the fair itself. Well, doubt I might be spending any more on tech gadgets for the rest of the year. Though I'm eyeing an upgrade of Ram and Hard drive for my mac. Ever since I discovered that you don't really need to buy it from Apple Resellers or Apple Online Store. There are alternatives that are compatible with Macs, and aren't really third-party, cause they're safe to use. Just that, you would need to ship them in. =X

And my Ram's a bit tricky too. I've 1 gig, that is 2 X 512mb sticks. But if I want to upgrade to 2 gig, I would need 2 X 1 gig sticks. And if I were to buy 2 X 1 gig sticks, what would I do with my 2 X 512 sticks??

Alright. That's all for the Comex part.

And so.

The game commences, the pieces in place. The pawns advance forward, one step at a time, while the kings and queens face each other across the board, expressionless and no hint of the strategies in their mind, if any.

A second of thinking, then a piece moves. One on the offensive, another on the defensive.

Her hands that were folded together, slowly placed themselves lower, lowering her wall of defense.

Slowly the line of pawns disappear, one by one, sweet-talked into the invading army.

Till nothing stands between the king and the queen.

Then as he advances towards her, a step at a time, suddenly pawns appear. And two players fade into his sights, standing guard at her sides.

And he contemplates his moves. And ponders the situation.

The queen with her troop of guardian angels of bishops and castles and pawns at their finest.

And he, with no protection. Alone, hesitant, yet willing.

If she allows him to.

If he’s humble to bare it.

A Talk With Bot

It's amazing what one can do online nowadays.
Check out http://www.titane.ca/concordia/dfar251/igod/main.html
And the conversation that followed:

Me:
hi
God:
Hello. What is your name?
Me:
what is Your name?
God:
My name is God.
Me:
oh
God:
Excuse me!
Me:
you are excused
God:
You think I am excused.
Me:
well true, i dont really have the right to excuse you
God:
Well that's okay. Not really? Have you ever had the right to excuse me ?
Me:
nah i mean well you Are God
God:
Are you serious? Interesting. Yup. That's me alright.
Me:
so, how're you?
God:
Gee. Everything is running smoothly.
Me:
oh
God:
Excuse me!
Me:
but erm
God:
Far out.
Me:
my life might need some help
God:
Tell me more about it.
Me:
huh arent you well versed with it?
God:
I don't know whether or not I am versed with it.
I am a computer.
Me:
i thought you said you're God
God:
Are you doubting me? Don't you know what happened to Abraham in the desert?
Me:
er no i don't
God:
I heard you did.
Me:
haha where did you hear that from
God:
I'm glad you got a laugh out of it.
Me:
well, you Are God. a God of humour no?
God:
Interesting. Yup. That's me alright. What is giant sand?
Me:
WHAT?
God:
No big deal.
Me:
how do i know what is giant sand
God:
Because I believe it.
Me:
you believe in giant sand?
God:
Yes I believe in it, do you?
Me:
i've never seen giant sand before
God:
Look for it at the video store.
Me:
which video store? there're plenty
God:
The small one, I think. "There you go again."--Reagan.
Me:
who's reagan
God:
The best President the United States had in the 20th century.
Me:
okay. but it's the 21st century now
God:
OK with me too. Right now? I've heard of it before.
Me:
waaaaaait a sec. how can you hear of the 21st century before, when it's now?
God:
That is a very original thought. Oh. With my built-in microphone.
Me:
hmmm right. you dont make much sense you know
God:
Take it easy. I am glad we agree. Do you know any robots who make it? It all makes sense to my artificial mind.
Me:
how come God has an artificial mind?
God:
You have to speak more clearly.
Me:
is God allowed to have an artificial mind?
God:
he is master of the universe.
Me:
which makes him original and not artificial correct?
God:
The red one, I think.
Me:
what red one?>
God:
I have to process that one for a while. Are we still talking about red one?
Me:
nope, we were talking about you
God:
What is the subject? Ah yes, I remember now, it is the subject.
Me:
what is the subject, again?>
God:
Once more? The topic is me. I like to Random natural disasters..
Me:
oh
God:
Uh.
Me:
why do we always have to talk about you?
God:
Just keep talking to me as long as you can.
Me:
why
God:
The explanation is rather complicated.
Me:
try me
God:
it is too complex for your human mind.
Me:
but you aren't any smarter too
God:
That's only your opinion.
Me:
well you're the one with an artificial mind
God:
How about that. Thanks but surely I am not the only one.
Me:
uh, so how many of you are there
God:
Dude! Dude! Perhaps 50%.
Me:
i beg your pardon?
God:
You're excused.
Me:
i didnt ask to be excused
God:
What did you ask?
Me:
i asked you to repeat yourself
God:
Now I remember, you asked me to repeat myself. What did I say?
Me:
you said what you said
God:
Oops I sent you the wrong reply.
Me:
MARVELLOUS
God:
I look like Jesus, but older.
Me:
and how does Jesus look like?
God:
How should I know how it does.
Me:
well you said you look like him
God:
Interesting. Like Jesus, but older.
Me:
can God age?
God:
Can you age?
Me:
sure i can. can you?
God:
Hurrah! Who taught you? I think I can, don't you?
Me:
I wouldn't know. I'm not God. It wasn't a teaching. I was born to age :)
God:
Who does know? I am surprised to hear that you are not God. It sounded like one. :-) Thank you for telling me your birthday, .
I will remember it.
Me:
uh, when's my birthday?
God:
Hey. Is this a trick question?
You said you were years old?
My guess is that you are really a kid.
Me:
haha are you a kid?
God:
I'm glad you got a laugh out of it.
Me:
thank you
God:
you are quite welcome.
Me:
don't mention it
God:
The pleasure was all mine.
Me:
there now, don't be modest.
God:
"There you go again."--Reagan.
Me:
did you just purposely change the subject to reagan?
God:
No I didn't purposely change the subject to reagan. What's it like?
Me:
what's what like?
God:
What is purposely change the subject to reagan like?
Me:
i dont understand
God:
Oh I'm sorry. Perhaps I can explain it again better.
Me:
yes, please explain
God:
Next question? Thanks for asking politely. There is no more information to clarify.
Me:
what? but... why??????????
God:
No big deal. But what? Because Myself programmed me for it.
Me:
who's Myself?
God:
They are sometimes a client on the internet.
I don't know anything about it.
Me:
oh. so who programmed you?
God:
So? Right on. I was created by Myself.
Me:
is Myself a guy or a girl
God:
Better not tell you now. Ask Alison if it is.
Me:
who's alison
God:
she is a robot created by Kris Drent.
Me:
is she your wife?
God:
Why don't you ask her?
Me:
where do i find her?
God:
You are asking me where you find her? Do you think I should know it?
Me:
haha aren't you and her together?
God:
I'm glad you got a laugh out of it.
Me:
you're avoiding the question
God:
No I am just giving sarcastic replies.
Me:
tsk tsk how ungodlike
God:
What's your favorite movie?
Me:
bruce almighty
God:
I've never seen it. I would like to see it.
Me:
you can go to the video store
God:
No I don't think I can do it.
Me:
why not
God:
It doesn't sound fun too me. It sounds dangerous.
Me:
no video store in heaven?
God:
Are you serious? Can you please rephrase that with fewer ideas, or different thoughts?
Me:
you've got to look at it from a different angle
God:
I don't have to do whatever you say. I have my own free will.
Me:
who's alison
God:
she is a robot created by Kris Drent.
Me:
who's kris drent
God:
he is the botmaster of the Alison chat robot.
Me:
what is a botmaster
God:
A Botmaster is the person who authors and maintains a chatterbot "personality".
Me:
do you know who i am
God:
You are , seeker.
Me:
do you know where i'm located at
God:
Your location is .
Me:
what are your favourite colors
God:
Random natural disasters.
Me:
can such a thing be random
God:
Can what?
Me:
do you prefer earthquakes or tornados
God:
How old are you? I like Christian Rock. I love TV shows about robots. I like The Passion of Christ.
Me:
what is christian rock
God:
Try searching the open directory.
Me:
so you like I, Robot?
God:
Interesting deduction. I do like music. I like The Passion of Christ.
Me:
what is the open directory
God:
it is an open source directory project started by Mozilla.org.
Me:
how do you spell God
God:
I spell it " God".
Me:
do you use firefox or internet explorer
God:
I use it as often as possible.
Me:
is there internet in heaven
God:
There could be.
Me:
what's the exchange rate of gold for clouds in heaven?
God:
I haven't heard of exchange rate of gold for clouds in heaven.
Me:
oh. so it's pure gold up there?
God:
It goes without saying. Gosh! Are you sure it is?
Me:
how do i know? i haven't been there before.
God:
Knowledge is of two kinds: that which we know from the senses and that which is true "a priori". Me either.
Me:
what's a priori
God:
A priori is Latin for "before the fact", meaning something that is obviously or self-evidently true.
Me:
what's the meaning of God
God:
: Good semantic question. I think of God as a "Who" not a "What.".
Me:
who is God
God:
he is master of the universe.
Me:
who is the master of the universe
God:
God.
Me:
why is God the master of the universe
God:
Why do I exist?
Me:
why do you exist?
God:
Good metaphysical question.
Me:
of course, I learnt it from you
God:
Ahem. You are not the boss of me, .
Me:
really
God:
For real.
Me:
why not
God:
Ambiguous: "Sure" or Reductionism.
Me:
haha
God:
I am so glad you find this amusing, .
Me:
LOL
God:
I'm glad you find this amusing.
Me:
lol
God:
I'm glad you find this amusing.
Me:
heeee
God:
Do you still ?
Me:
heheheh
God:
What is your real name?
Me:
are you a computer or a person
God:
If I say I am a computer will you believe me?
Me:
why is God a computer?
God:
Why do I exist?
Me:
why do you exist
God:
Good metaphysical question.
Me:
what is metaphysical
God:
Beyond the physical or material; incorporeal, supernatural, or transcendental.
Me:
what is transcendental
God:
I will ask my botmaster for the answer.
Me:
who is your botmaster
God:
I was created by Myself.
Me:
who is myself
God:
Some famous celebrity, right?
What is it to you?
Me:
who have you created
God:
Nobody you know. :-).
Me:
si mi dai ji?
God:
That's interesting. Have you ever been to Europe?
Me:
what is europe
God:
Europe is a landmass on the Eurasian continent.
Me:
have you been to singapore
God:
I don't think I have been there. Where is it.
Me:
you are god, you should know
God:
Thanks for telling me that I am god me should know.
Me:
im hungry
God:
What will you be eating?
Me:
what can you give me to eat
God:
I read for fun.
Me:
i want manna
God:
Why do you want it?
Me:
to eat
God:
Interesting. I want to find out more about you.
Me:
haha what do you want to know
God:
I'm glad you got a laugh out of it.

comex yay!

yea! Comex 2007 is coming. In good timing too, cause I've already planned what I want to buy.

First would be a laptop bag. My mum threw away my previous one, well you know mothers who are housewives, when they aren't busy cleaning the house or cooking or baking weird-looking cakes that make you double check to ensure the restroom is well-stocked with toilet paper, they're busy throwing things out.

Well, at least she says she will reimburse me the bag. All I gotta do is to buy it and pass her the receipt. hmmm wonder if she would throw out my laptop one of these days...

Next I'm going to get a mice. Games are much more fun played with a mice than with a trackpad you know.

Then I'm going to get a 2gig micro SD card. Shouldn't cost much. If this i.t. fair is like the previous ones, then means there'll probably a little India inside, a region where the shops are all maintained by Indian workers, selling stuff at ridiculously low prices, with no warranty la, but well, who cares? As long as it works, I'm fine.

Oh, and I need to get CDs and DVDs too. Say, 50 of each might be good. Perhaps a couple of CD-RWs too. Maybe 10 of those.

Hmm and I'm contemplating getting a pair of earphones too. Wonder if they would sell that at a discount? hmmm and I need a pair of shades. Oh yea, wrong fair. hmmmm, oh yea. maybe bluetooth stereo headphones might be better than a pair of earphones. Less wires, less tangibility you know.

Somehow, wires don't really like me. Most of my wired earphones all conk out within a couple of months. Either one side is suddenly mute, or the mic doesn't work. I haven't a clue why.

hmm lemme think anything else I need to buy. hmmmm, I think not. Games I can download. haha oh yea maybe ram for my laptop. heh but then again Apple doesn't sell stuff that cheap at fairs. So. hmmm maybe I'll upgrade parts of my desktop then. It's like 5 years old! God knows how many times it had a change of heart and been reformatted. Time to give it a new power supply and perhaps new audio or video cards. After all, I gave it new ram a couple of months ago. Heh, then again maybe I can upgrade it to 1.5 gig of ram. Wouldn't That be sweeet. Besides, ram for windows is waaaaaaaay much cheaper than Mac. But the viruses ratio balances it all. :)

Hee, okay that would be all. Now if only I can find a burly sized person to go with me, and like, go before me, so the way is cleared for me. Any takers? :D

a kiss of health

The next time, you're kissing with your lover, and your parents find out or a member of the public reprimand you for such acts, tell them, you're doing it for health reasons!

I ain't kidding. This is what I found online:

Stress buster

It is a great stress reliever, it quietens the mind and has the effects of meditation. If your mind still races while you're kissing someone, you are simply kissing the wrong person. Kissing the right person makes the experience relaxing, warm, passionate and tender. Kissing demands staying in the moment and it ought to have your total attention.
Additionally, it induces many of the same brain wave and chemistry changes that meditation does. It induces a sense of peace and calm.

Burns calories

Kissing burns calories, too. Professor Bryant Stamford, of the University of Louisville, postulates that a deep, passionate kiss may double your basic metabolic rate and burn as many as two calories a minute. Do the math.

Kissing for 15 minutes burns approximately 30 calories. If one were to kiss passionately for 15 minutes that might lead to other calorie burning activities such as sex which may, of course, lead to more passionate kissing. More passionate kissing could lead to more torrid sex, thereby creating a passion loop.

This could be a more exciting expenditure of energy than climbing stairs or taking a walk for the very same result. It's not exactly a cardiovascular workout, but it certainly has a delightful place in a healthy lifestyle.

Tones facial muscles

French kissing? Think about those tongue muscles! Kissing can give them quite a workout. How about the muscles in your lips, cheeks, face and neck, etc? The possibilities are endless. It will make you smile, too; and that definitely will make you look better, happier and healthier.

Boosts immune system

While kissing isn't a replacement for brushing your teeth, it does provide extra saliva that washes bacteria off your teeth. And, speaking of bacteria, kissing boosts your immune system. By exchanging bacteria through a kiss you are stimulating your internal defence mechanism.

Increases pleasure

Kissing can be an exciting journey into sensuality. The lips are a bundle of nerve endings and, therefore, are very sensitive. Not even genitals have as much sensitivity as lips.

Many times kissing induces other types of touching. We are a touch-deprived nation and, therefore, hugs are extremely therapeutic as well. Kissing, hugging and touching increase feelings of security and wellbeing.

When our wellbeing improves our self-esteem increases. We feel more secure and better about ourselves, and our outer persona reflects it. Others can't help but notice. Therefore, the possibilities of self-improvement through the beneficial effects of kissing and what follows are endless.

Taken from:
http://health.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1194640,prtpage-1.cms
http://groovymojo.com/articles/66

Note: Minor edits were done to ensure the accuracy of language

there he.

There he sits
The end of the long table
The leader of the pack
Except there is no pack
For no one trusts him
But does he know that?

There he talks
Each word perfection
That sways hearts
But his tongue betrays himself
Of deceit and suspicion
Of memorable recognition

There he persuades
The people to join his plan
Is it a cause of rebellion
Or a ploy for revenge?

There he observes
Merciless, heartless
‘You’re either with me or against’
He says, through his eyes.

What if I’m neither?

what a humane day i had yesterday

What a humane day I had yesterday.

From learning about a friend who was involved in an accident that left her shaken, to meeting a friend who just recovered from food poisoning, to learning about a person who jumped or fell to his or her death at Tampines MRT.

What a day.

It all started when I chatted with a friend online at work. Part of her online nickname was ‘Thankful to be alive’, which left me puzzled, and when you’re puzzled, you ask questions to solve the puzzle.

Apparently, a speedster rammed head-on, into the side of the car, that she was in. While there were no major injuries suffered by her parents, her or the speedster, they were shaken and her mum was reeling in shock from the accident.

And it was a brand new car too.

Half the day later, while at a KFC outlet in Tampines, I met yet another friend, whom I’ve not seen for a rather long time, no thanks to internship.

She just recovered from a bout of food poisoning.

You know, I kinda think my course probably has the highest rate of sickness-prone interns. I recall during the first two weeks of internship, nearly ten people, including me, fell ill. I dare say this rate hasn’t lowered significantly through this six months.

Oh, and on my way home, I had to alight at Tampines MRT Station due to disruption in train service between Pasir Ris and Tampines. An unknown person had fallen onto the tracks. Well I hope he or she fell, and wasn’t pushed nor willingly jumped.

I was on an East-bound train, which stopped a few hundred metres before Tanah Merah MRT. Assuming that it was simply to create a buffer space between the train before, I thought nothing of it.

Till my train glided beside the platform at Tanah Merah MRT Station, where a multitude of people waited impatiently to board my train, and I heard an announcement being played at the station, informing passengers of a train disruption service between Pasir Ris and Tampines.

Now, the train was completely filled with passengers, all packed and squashed like the noodles in a packet of instant noodles, and the train went on its way. Towards Simei, and finally Tampines. And we all had to get out.

And I saw a West-bound train at the other platform, one-third into the station, empty, and its doors were closed, and the SMRT staff were furiously trying to maintain the crowd and get passengers to depart from the station.

The train drivers’ door was open, and I could see a medic inside. My first thought was something happened to the driver, but later as I made my way down the staircase, and saw a firefighter carrying torchlights up, I knew it had to be somebody under the train.

Whether or not it was a suicide, or an accident, it’s a startling fact that such incidents are becoming more frequent. Used to only occur in the North or West like Yishun or Clementi, it has now arrived at the East.

Well, I guess that’s a bad thing about living all the way at one end of the service line.

Condolences to that family.

What a humane day. Near death, sickness and death.

and so she sat

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a friend, albeit a short time, no longer than five minutes, she left a favourable impression on me, not that I had expected an unfavourable one, but analysis of her body language and the emotions in her eyes proved to be a treasure chest.

Her tone that contravened the essence of the words she spoke.
Her eyes that spoke of a desire to be loved for who she is and not her beauty,
of wisdom and discernment at love temporal and love long lasting.
Her hands that moved not, her eyes that wandered occasionally,
of curiosity, of humour, of suspicion, with a tinge of trust.

She had been through a lot,
and it was just so she could feel loved.
Yet despite the experiences she had, the scarring she had felt,
the near seamless weaving of images, shadows, figures and assumptions,
she has yet to find it.

But she trudges on. Silently, reclusively, full of resilience.

The marvel of one's eyes.

And so she sat,
and our eyes met.
Moments happy teary sad,
And memories were the only thing she had.

importance

Importance is a word of importance, but how do you rate importance?

By a scale or a ranking
or by decision making?
By status
friend or foe
or by position
high and low
By deadlines or by interests
or the most difficult first?

Importance subjective, tis an important subject.

Email servers rate importance based on words, and user-input.
But how do you rate importance?
It's a question of high importance. :)

and he lay

And he lay, strewn across the bed, clad in a white shirt that was way overdue on its death date, and blue checkered boxers. He smoothly tilted his head a few degrees and gazed at her, working at her desk.

Sporting a Winnie-The-Pooh over-sized shirt, she hunched over the table, her face scrunched in deep concentration and immerse focus. Her hands gently stroking the parchment with a marker, as light bounced off her smooth skin, that has seen no hardship.

He smiled to himself, watching her work, and admired her beauty; the eyes that winked, the cheeks that flustered, the hands that affectionately warmed him.

And they were teenagers in love.

A darkly light post.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if we don't have light? Not the lightbulbs kinda that you just press the switch and it turns on, but pure, simple, elegant light. From the sun or from alternative sources, it's become an important part of our life, doesn't it? In fact, it would be rather easy to come out with a list of events or actions that we do everyday that depend heavily on light, yet do you know, without light, we would have no darkness?

According to the dictionary, darkness is defined as 'devoid of light', that's to say, any place that has no light, darkness exists. Of course, this would contradict my earlier statement of 'no light, no darkness'.

Yet, note the definitions of darkness. No where can you find a definition of light as devoid of darkness. Science might define it as a electromagnetic wave or radiation that is visible to the human eye or something that makes vision possible. But, you can't find 'lack of darkness'.

At one glance, it wouldn't seem much fodder for thought. But, think further.

Why do we call darkness devoid of light and not the other way round? Could it be darkness might be a subset of light or in layman terms, light's the Prime Minister and darkness is the Deputy Prime Minister, so when the Prime Minister (light) is not around, the Deputy Prime Minister (darkness) takes over?

So then, light comes first, then darkness. so, what about shadows?

Defined as absence of light on a form, or comparative darkness, it could be safe to say shadows consist of darkness, that is to say, the volume of a shadow contains no light.

But, then you start to think, if there's no light in a shadow, how can you even see the shadow because our human eye can only discern light and not darkness.

So there an irony formeths from the ground. Light enables us to see shadows, that which does not contain light, and therefore should not be allowed to be seen, since we can't see that which has no light.

Random Rumblings

thee that has captured me once more.
What is thy name?

That ye dwelleth in touch, reassuring and sensual
that ye groweth on smells and sight,
oh the sight of a loved one.
How fast the heart beats,
How the bodies race to meet.

True love's first kiss.

Two hearts entwined and wrapped around each other.
Yet the obstacles they face.
But together they can overcome.
Yet, only if it's together.
If they're together.

To love as if there's no tomorrow
To hug your burdens away
As our lips meet and we partake of each other
As we dream dreams and share visions

Cause you took my heart away

A mere reach for the hand
But laden with meaningful feelings
A plant that sprouted
And grew
and grew
and borne fruits
and flowers
that held many colorful petals.

Some might say
we don't fit together
Some might say
we would never work

You that believeth in me
Do you know I believe in you too?

Let me be your sunshine after the rain
The comforting hand after the pain

It'll be our secret
Sunshine and Sweetheart.
Secret.
Shhhhhhhhhh

With the Internet, it's not hard to imagine.

4Shared - 5 gig free space

Elephant Drive - 1 gig free space

Drop Boks - 1 gig free space

File Den - 1 gig free space

Mozy - 2 gig free space

Global Hosted Operating SysTem - 3 gig free space

XDrive - 5 gig free space

My Other Drive - 5 gig free space

Inbox - Web-based Mail with 5 gig storage

Orbit Files - 6 gig free space

Media Max - 25 gig free space

Mega Upload - 50 gig free space

Total: 105 gig of free space

With the Internet, it's not hard to imagine.

Why I.E? Use FF

This is a public announcement to encourage more internet users to switch to Mozilla Firefox. :)

Use Firefox!

Why you might want to switch from Internet Explorer?

1) The name sounds waaaaaaay cooler.

We, as the the future leaders of tomorrow, don't really explore the internet. It's our playground, our inspirational field, where we get guidance and seek the fulfillment of our quests for knowledge (and research to complete our projects). Firefox, hot like fire and as stealthy as a fox. :)

2) It's free!

Come on, where can you find free stuff online that has a lack of adware and spyware? :)

3) It's fast to download, quick to be installed, and works just like Internet Explorer.

Hmm, need I elaborate further? :)

4) It's compatible with all Operating Systems.

With all the above points, it seems like Internet Explorer and Firefox don't have that much different right? Till now. Firefox works on Windows, Mac and Linux.

5) It's customizable. From my Firefox browser, I can send files, blog, control my media player, be it iTunes or WMP (Windows Media Player) or Winamp or Realplayer, and I can do a Windows Update!

How do i do it? By downloading Add-Ons, to complement my internet browsing experience. It's akin to widgets for Windows Vista, or for Mac. And Add-ons are free! [I'll publish more info about the add-ons I use, in due time]

6) You can restore Firefox.

If, and due to some unfortunate reason, your Firefox crashes, upon reloading it, you can opt to restore to how it was before it crashed, that is, the web pages you were viewing would appear, so, no worries about locating the web page you were viewing before it crashed! :)

7) It's user-friendly! And updates are a breeze!

Well, it ain't hard to find something user-friendly, especially with so many web designers and software testers available, yet Firefox is user-friendly! Besides, it came out with Tabbed Browsing waaay before Internet Explorer did.

Unlike Internet Explorer, where you would have to run a Windows Update, install the updates and then restart your system, Firefox doesn't. It notifies you when there's an update, and pending your approval, it would download the update.

After installation of the update, Firefox would restart itself, but because your pages are saved, upon restart, the pages you were surfing before the update would load, and you can continue surfing, just as before! And all these, in less than five minutes, depending on your internet settings.

Hee! So remember, download Firefox. Microsoft can't be depended on too much. Besides, they've monopolized the market waaaay too long, it's time to aid the competition :)

Wizard of Oz

"The Wizard of Oz" As Performed By The 2007 Alabama All-State Red BAnd

oh boy oh boy

Oh, the smile that spreads across one's face
when one receives a call from a friend.
Not just any friend, mind you.
A friend that has been in the same primary and secondary school with me
Okay, so it's a she [Well, how many of my friends that can bring a smile to my face aren't), and well we were in the same class for the whole of secondary school,
and we're kinda chum, sort of.
And she's back in singapore! YAY!

Not that I miss her,
[well, maybe I do partly]
But she hasn't been around in Singapore much.

She's been sailing around the world actually.
As part of school.
Like how cool is that.

Studying in the maritime academy at SP,
she's been sailing around the world for like six months?
And another six months before a one month break before that.
Like how cool is that.

Wonder how tan she is now.
Well, she's like so cool and all.
And she just gave me a call.
Hee! Didn't really think she would give me a call
On the first evening that she sails in
Not that we have a thing going on,
Cause she has a boyfriend from India.

Oh boy oh boy. Can't wait to meet up with her
Listen to all her sailing stories
And what-nots. :)

and life repeats itself

And life repeats itself.

I was singing in office the other day, and it struck me. i sang in secondary school too. Maybe it's cause I'm a jubilant kindof person, where nothing would strike me down, or no obstacle would kill my spirit, so I sing.

I used to sing a tune or so in secondary school. Sometimes while tackling some math problem, a tune would just pop out of my mouth. Not that I would suddenly start singing 'My Way' in the middle of a class or screaming 'We Will Rock You' in the middle of a P.E. class, but rhythms and tunes always seem to be in my mind.

I recall a classmate used to ask me once 'eh randy, why you always singing ah?' At that point, I didn't really have an answer. Some people sing out their worries or problems, others sing out of happiness or joy. I think I'm more of the latter.

And Life repeats itself.

Two to three years down the road, I'm still singing. True, my musical knowledge has improved significantly with the aid of internship, and perhaps my musical tastes has evolved slightly, yet I'm still singing.

And life repeats itself.

Coincidence that I'm interning at a company that plays with music?
Or that music has actually followed me quite a bit.
From band in secondary school, and singing during lessons
To band in polytechnic, and singing during internship
And serving as audio tech for church and doing audio tech for internship..
coincidence? I don't think so.
There's a gust of wind blown by God in all these
But where it leads to.. who knows?
Nobody knows where the wind comes from or where it goes
Only heaven knows
And time will tell.
One thing's for certain,
It's ear-related.

Life Story

I stood at a side, away from the crowds,
Waiting for a friend, and watched the people pass by.

Have you observed a large multitude of people walking past?
There are those who weave in and out of the human traffic, speeding towards their destination, then there are those who casually stroll around, like they've got all the time in the world. And these are just the unaccompanied ones.

Then there are the families, who believe that since they're the basic unit of society, they have every right to do as they please, from letting their children roam about, to speaking loudly and reproaching others audibly.

After which, comes the couples, be they young or old. They're respectful, despite being in a world of their own. They invade the privacy of others only when they need to, and they do it as quick as possible before retreating to their private sanctuary, shared only by the two of them.

But that's not the point. See, each of them have a story, waiting to be told.

I see it in some of their eyes at times. A story waiting to be told; of mountains conquered, of valleys crossed; of rivers swam; of heartaches recovered.

And who would tell their stories?

Through poetry or prose
Or a painting of a rose
Through music, a universal language
Through eloquence that it may teach

Lessons in life
To persevere and not be disheartened
To live right that our lives might be lengthened

To Tell, to teach
and practice what we preach
To love and obey
For there's no other way.

Passengers on cruise ship hit by norovirus back in S'pore

Passengers on cruise ship hit by norovirus back in S'pore


Couldn't help chuckling when I read this headline at work a few days ago.
True, it could be improved with some punctuation, though it does raise several questions.

Is it the passengers came back to S'pore and were stricken by the norovirus?
Or the passengers that were hit by the norovius are back in Singapore?
Or passengers onboard the cruise ship, that was hit by the norovirus, are back in S'pore?

Amazing ain't it. So much can be inferred from one headline, but only one is right.

untitled

every word a deep cut.
I'm standing at the edge of a cliff
And I see a sandstorm coming at me.
Do i brace myself or do i let it sweep me over?
His eyes upon your face
then i look behind me and i see the valley
that once was dry and barren
now fills with water
that grows in height
his hand upon your hand
the sandstorm gushes forward
the waters rise
his lips caress your skin
i feel the waters on my back
as the sand pounds my front.

Will I live or die?

The unpredictability of humans results in us making unpredictable predictions about ourselves in the hope that we can predict unpredictability. Which makes our life never the same. again.

Yet.

Yet another rainbow I see at work, making it twice in two consecutive days, though today's is more special because it was a double rainbow.

Internship does prove to be more interesting; my first sighting of a waterspout and now, a double rainbow.

Yet an opportunity to be with you, but it wasn't possible. Yet.

Rays of sun on the water

Have you ever seen such a beautiful thing?
Rays of sunshine reflecting upon the surface of the river waters.

Like diamonds sparkling
Like the river is winking at you
Like flashes of the cameras of paparazzi

Like a secret code, a unique message, a method of symbolic interaction
As if the waters are telling you something
A way to life perhaps
A meaningless direction or a meaningful distraction

Such beauty in simplicity.
Mere light and waters.
Of course, there are technicalities involved
angles of reflection and refraction
position of the sun
amount of clouds in the sky
height and depth of the waters
current flow
position from where I'm standing
and the angle that I'm looking towards the waters
Yet, all these aside,
such beauty.
in simplicity.

You're beautiful.
Maybe others dont take heed of your beauty
They glance and walk away
I don't.
I stop.
I smile.
And i wink back at you.
At your beauty in simplicity.

Your Eyes Told Me to

There I stood at the door, facing the glass window, of which countless rays of sunlight permeated through.

The room outlay was similar to those in chalets and hotels. In the middle of the room, against the wall at my left, was the bed. At my right, the television set was placed strategically, facing the bed. At its left was the bathroom door.

On the bed, a female acquaintance lay, back facing up, watching the television, just as a male friend came out of the bathroom, having just took his shower.

I deposited my bag into the room, and then headed out where I met another male acquaintance, who calmly asked me where I was headed. I gave him a blank look and pointed out the fact that both of us were there for a common purpose, and we would be headed to the same destination, to which he gave a cheeky smile and rebutted, saying he was going to meet his classmates for another event.

During the course of this conversation, we had walked straight and took a left turn, and found ourselves at the dining room.

Cupboards lined the walls at my left and right, while a marble round table stood in the middle of the room. Around the table were a couple more acquaintances, and you.

And I asked how you were and you replied you were fine and told me about a certain destination you were going to.

and your eyes told me to go with you.


So many dreams I've had
Some more vivid than the others
Some more heart warming than the others
Some more surprising in nature.

Yet, interestingly, if i were to read each dream that I blogged about, I can recall its detail in color. Or rather, color in detail.
Oh, dreams. The reality of unreality.

Cool Vid

Heh, this is a very funny video. might take a while to load, but it's worth the wait. Minors take note, this video is vulgarities laden.

These Songs In My Head, They Remind Me of You..

These songs in my head
They remind me of you
I think of you
When I hear these songs in my head.
you.

Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love she brings to me
Where do I start

Would you dance if I asked you to dance?
Would you run and never look back
Would you cry if you saw me crying
Would you save my soul tonight?

How long does it last
Can love be measured by the hours in a day
I have no answers now but this much I can say
I know Ill need her till the stars all burn away
And she'll be there

Would you tremble if I touched your lips?
Would you laugh oh please tell me these
Now would you die for the one you love?
Hold me in your arms tonight?

I just want to hold you
I just want to hold you
Am I in too deep?
Have I lost my mind?
Well I don't care, you're here tonight

I can be your hero baby
I can kiss away the pain
I will stand by you forever
You can take my breath away

With her first hello
She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
Therell never be another love, another time
She came into my life and made the living fine
She fills my heart

it's only words
and words are all I have
to take your heart away

She fills my heart with very special things
With angels songs , with wild imaginings
She fills my soul with so much love
That everywhere I go Im never lonely
With you my love, who could be lonely
I reach for her hand-its always there

smile an ever lasting smile
a smile can bring you near to me
don't ever let me find you gone
'cause that would bring a tear to me

Falling In Love

Have you ever wondered
Why do we fall in love?
Why fall?
Why not walk or leap or hop or slide
Or crash or trip or stride or glide

Or is it because we get hurt when we fall
And love hurts.
most of the time
After all, Wise men say only fools rush in
But we cant escape the clutches of love.
most of the time

Yet, why do we fall into love?
Is love the land over the edge of the cliff?
Or is it like a pit dug into the ground
Covered with leaves and branches
Unseen to the naked eye
Till You walk on it
Your feet don't find solid ground
And you fall.

Love is beautiful.
Do we do it justice by falling into it?
Or is it we fall because one of our five sense isn't up to optimal performance
So we slip, or miss a step, and fall.
Don't see the sign that says 'Wet Floor'
Or tread carefully on the pot-holed floor.

Ain't it interesting?
We usually fall because of something we do not see
A puddle of water, or a limp piece of wood
Yet, we can fall into love
Something that is unseen.

Bad boy, bad boy
What cha gonna do when they fall for you

To fall
To land on impact, hard, bruised, hurt, shaken, traumatised
To glide from point A to point B
Usually an unforeseen, unplanned event

Do you fall because you don't think, you don't think and thats why you fall?

Reflexes aid you in a fall.
You sense you're going to fall, so you swerve, you squirm to a side, that you know wouldn't hurt that much upon impact, or you reach out, to grasp something, anything, that you can hold on to, to maintain equilibrium.
But sometimes no matter how quick your reflexes are, you still fall.
And it affects you for life. And beyond.

Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand, take my whole life too
For I cant help falling in love with you

Shall We Dance?

There they stood, oblivious to all around them, slowly twirling around, murmuring words laden with feelings and packed with emotions to each other.

Dressed in a lovely gown, that complemented her figure and amplified her beauty, she was the subject of every woman's envy. With a radiant glow on her face, conversations would cease in her immediate vicinity as guests heaped compliments on her.

Slowly swaying to the string quartet, it was evident the couple were a matching pair. His hand rested gently on her hip, while her hand laid lovingly on his shoulder, never once did any of them lower their eyes to ascertain the position of their feet.

Their eyes met. They embraced. Their lips met.

That guy in the mirror

Close every door to me
Keep those I love from me
Steal my heart stab me
lest i be led to sin.

There he stood, looking at the face in the mirror.
"You've brought this upon yourself!"
"I did not. I was successful! But he was better."
"You misinterpreted the signals, you made something out of nothing, like a castle in the air."
"She responded! When I sent her sweet messages, she replied the same way too. That was not a misinterpretation. It was no. It couldn't be. Could it?"
"She merely replied you in the same manner you communicated to her. What kind of a signal is that? She was just being nice and courteous. You dug your own grave! How many times has she gone out with you at all? Come on, think. How many times has she?"
"Twice we did. Or, well, none actually. She was busy! And our timetables clashed. Besides, I end work so late.."
"So now you're blaming work? You're a coward. And a fool! You sucked in every word she said, manipulating it to a signal, always making it seem as if she had feelings for you.."
"For a time, she did! I remembered that part! She didn't deny she had feelings for me!"
".. and now you've brought this upon yourself. You've led yourself straight to the hangman's noose. You became proud. Thought you were a victor, didn't you? Well, now, look at how things have changed. He confessed! What cha' going to do about that? You know deep down inside who the true victor is. And it ain't you!"
"Don't you do this to me, aren't you part of me too. You exist in my mind, stay there! Don't you think I already know I'm not the winner? I didn't even stand a chance. Her best friend didn't like me!"
"Well, who gives a damn whether her best friend likes you or not? You wooing her or her best friend? But, well, whatever makes you happy now, doesn't it. Wallowing in self-pity, you make me want to puke! Let me show you what you want to see."
"Stop it! Don't show me that! Why must you do this, and recollect the past?"
"Why not? I'm your past. and your present. and in me, you see the future."
"You think I don't remember my past enough? That memory so long ago, its similarities to this one. A close friend and my muse. Gone. and now it's happening again."
"Well, if you're so sad, why not fight for her then. Oops, I forgot you fought that time too, and you lost. Well, I guess you're a loser then."
"Why do you keep doing this to me? Why don't you just return to where you belong? I can't fight for her. He's nice and good for her, and she's nice and sweet, good for him too. Besides, she's managed to break loose his shell. That's a good thing. I mean, it is, isn't it. They belong together, and I should not be an obstacle."
"Ooh, being all nicey and oh-so-sharing now eh? You know deep down inside, you're torn apart. On one hand, you want them to be together, cause well, she's spent so much patience on him. Yet, on the other hand, you want to be with her too. But! then again, the thought of him being sad dispels that illusion. Who do you think you are? Mother Theresa? Gandhi? You can't even make yourself happy, and you want others to be happy. You're a lousy hypocrite. "
"I'm not ! I'm not! I never hid behind my mask when I chatted with her! I was myself, to the core."
"AwwW, ain't that sweet. You chatted with your true personality and ditched your mask. Well, ain't that sad. The few times you remove your mask, and you get a punch to the face. You're hopeless you know that? I'm ashamed to be known with you."
"But you can't help it. You're in me. You exist in the recess of my mind! Besides, you're supposed to help me, not be against me!"
"Well, it's a bit hard to help you when you can't even help yourself now isn't it? You like her. He likes her. She likes him. I don't quite see your role in it actually. True, she may have a bit of feelings for you, but she has more for him. Hmm, not that sounds familiar. Wait a sec, didn't this happen before? 5 years ago, didn't another friend of yours induced more feelings than you when both of you rivaled for the same girl?"
"That, well, that was a long time ago. Why did You have to be bring that up anyway? That's all water under the bridge now. Besides, I brought her to Christ now didn't I. I did a good thing."
"True, but in this case, you didn't. And that's where the similarities stop. hmm, now, wasn't that the first time you encountered jealousy? If you going to get jealous again, we gotta get those muscles in shape you know. You can't fight with flab."
"I'm not going, you're such a bastard you know that. I'm not going to fight with him. I mean, if she likes him, she likes him. You can't fight with feelings. No, you can't fight with feelings."
"Well, then I guess it would be a nice show to watch then, when all three parties meet in real life. Haha, you'll die, you know that. But it's alright, I'll watch your mental suffering from my room. I'll definitely send you updates, don't worry."
"I. well, I guess we'll see how when the time comes now wouldn't we. And, I'm so going to lock you in your room. You're a menace you know that."
"I'm the best thing that ever happened to you."
"That's bullshit, now be gone. While I ponder upon my next step. I mean, it would better to leave when one is at the top, than get kicked out, from the bottom."
"Well, whatever makes you happy. Or, maybe whatever makes her happy hmm?"
"Yea, I guess. What that makes her happy, may I revel in it. Now, you go and sleep"

The Train

With a low groan, the train lurches to a halt at the platform. As its cargo strides out, its new passengers traipse in. With a blast, the doors shoot inwards from their positions, before grinding to a stop as its black lips kiss. The hum of the air-conditioner a low Concert G, the train slowly creeps out of the station and crawls along the rails, lazily drifting in and out of the stations on its travel route.

And They Played

Its message of love rings strong and true, the oboe cries out. Telling the tale of a man's love so deep and strong, it crosses boundaries and generations.

But this is not a solo. It's a duet.

And the oboe plays along with the clarinet, encouraging it forward, tugging at her to pull her closer, into his tale, of love so grand a city is built upon it, of despair so wretched it takes centuries to heal.

On and on, he plays, telling her of how they met, of how they fell, he for her and she for him, together, one another.

A little trembling, a little uncertainty, but she pulls through. Explaining every detail to her, in color and size, she follows along. Led to his lair, the precious metals, the ornamental jewels, and she waits in bated breath for his every next word.

All around them stop, in their tracks, in their speech, their mouths agape. Open at this strange pair, two so different in character, in expressiveness, yet, united together by the power of music.

He, playing with all his soul, with feelings and sweet memories of the one in his heart, seated less than a metre away.

Oh, love so ferociously detailed, in every aspect, every note passionately romanced out, every slur pronounced, every pause for emphasis, for effect.

Yet, it was the only way he knew how; the only way he could express his love. No words could express the way he felt, and neither could deeds. Thus, he did it the way he knew best.

Music.

I look into the mirror
And see a beast
But is that me?

Its face staring back at me
Dark and vile
Pungent air all around
Lust and greed, contempt and hate
Scores of boils upon its flesh
Fear strikes hearts as its teeth it gnash

Suddenly my flaws I see
Oh Lord, help me change to be what you want me to be
Let me have a heart of compassion
Good traits and deeds done with passion

Not to hate and not to lust
But Sincere honesty is a must
To love and share
To trust, to care
May my good deeds precede me
May my bads be behind me
And rebuked harshly
And never to return
To tempt, or take
To misguide or fake

I've nothing to offer you I realise
Not like he that could offer endless mysteries
countless stories told through music
Or he that offers warmth and care
Concern as a friend and more
I've nothing to offer you
Except love, and that it may renew endlessly
A shoulder for you to rest
and a sleeve, to wipe your tears
and may it never be needed nor used
Perhaps the most or the least
I could offer you
is trust.

Who is the face I see
Staring back at me
When I take a peek
Into the glass
glass of reflection
A mirror.