[OSS Note 678834] [ME140] After changing a RFQ document, the fax will fail if I set the output message to "Print Immediately", instead of letting it be scheduled.

[OSS Note 678834]
[ME140]

Subject: After changing a RFQ document, the fax will fail if I set the output message to "Print Immediately", instead of letting it be scheduled.

Summary:
According to the OSS Note, PO/RFQ change documents are checked upon printing.  The note claimed that if the change documents are created yet, an error message ME140 will be throw and the job will fail.

read more (requires login): OSS Note 678834

Iron Man Costume

Cool.  Wearable costume.

Read more: http://www.dannychoo.com/detail/mac/eng/image/22596/Iron+Man+Costume.html

Be rude, say NO

[Scenario A]

A telemarketer called you and asked if you have a minute to spare.
Politely, you said yes.
She went on for 3 minutes to explain her product.
You tried to tell her no.
She tried to persuade you.

Total time: 5 to 10 minutes.


[Scenario B]

A telemarketer called you and asked if you have a minute to spare.
Politely you said yes.
She tried to sell her product.
You cut her off and said you're not interested.
She gave a dejected thank you.

Total time: 30 seconds.

~
Save each other's time.

Re-adjustment of URL

I intend to move this blog away from the prying eyes of search engines. The access rights will still be kept public. Meaning, if you have the URL of this blog's new address, you can access it.

I will give it a new URL in 1 week's time. Please contact me via other communication channels to get my new address.

Yamato: 1/24 Mobile Police Patlabor (The Movie) AV-98 1st

Yamato: 1/24 Mobile Police Patlabor (The Movie) AV-98 1st

read more: http://www.collectiondx.com/review/chogokin/1_24_mobile_police_patlabor_the_movie_av_98_1st

Sing your Mac Order

http://draft.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=22496932

Laptop

haiz... dying....

I saw that pyscho today. Had not seen him for 8 years. Hope we'll never cross paths again

Let the guy be Peter and my other camp-mate be Ben.

[Act 1]
Ben: Hey Peter, why got a lump on your forehead?
Peter: Don't ask.
Ben: Why like this?  People concerned ma.
Peter: It's ok.  Don't ask.
Me: Looks like the size has gone down.

[Act 2]
Peter: JW, you got a moment?
Me: I'm busy with my duties.  What is it?
Peter: Just come with me.

-moved outside of the restroom and grabbed the front of my vest, shaking me.

Peter: What do you want?  What do you want?

-
He's not a real pyscho, just one who thinks everyone was mocking him.  Though with that threat of physical violence, ended our friendship, if there ever was one.  I saw him today, a much cheerful person.
We did not acknowledge each other.

Will this scare people? - 1st Singaporean death from H1N1 with no underlying cause

[excerpt]
SINGAPORE: Singapore confirmed its sixth H1N1-related death on Sunday.

The 29-year-old woman is the first H1N1 patient in Singapore to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without underlying medical conditions, apart from being overweight.

The Health Ministry said she died Sunday morning from pneumonia with renal failure, with H1N1 infection as a contributing factor. 
[/excerpt]

read here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/446342/1/.html

Public enemy: review

Johnny Depp was the reason I went for this show.  I went in blind without reading any reviews. 
Guest what?


Warning!  Spoilers!!

[The review]

-Starting scene
ta-ta-tat
ta-ta-tat
ta-ta-tat (firing sound of a repeating gun)

-Most of the story
ta-ta-tat
ta-ta-tat
ta-ta-tat (firing sound of a repeating gun)

-Ending
bang!
bang!

Great movie isn't it?  Hope I didn't spoil the movie too much
 

Loss of passport in Malaysia

In the event that you lost your passport in Malaysia, you should do the following:
1. Make a local (Malaysia) police report. Have the "narration" of the case be written in English.
2. Inform the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur at 0166610400.
3. Go to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to obtain a temporary passport.
4. Return to Singapore, explaining to each checkpoint that you lost your passport.

That's the by-right path.
I took a by-left, legally.

Yes, I lost my passport but the story won't be told here.

Overall, I was impressed with the Johor police. They were professional and friendly. They don't scare you. They don't ask for coffee money.
The Singapore Police set the bar even higher. While I was kept waiting, I imagined them pulling out my security clearance and all the intelligence on me...
Overactive imagination.


[Time wasted]
Johor police station - 1 hr
Making calls - 2 hr
Johor CIQ - 30 min
Singapore CIQ - 30 min
Singapore police station - 30 min
Singapore ICA - 1 hr
Grumbling about lost passport - XX hr

Total time wasted: 5 hr 30 min + XX hr

Tamago kake gohan

Yummy.

Tamago kake gohan (卵かけご飯, "egg sauce over rice") or Tamago gohan in short is a popular Japanese breakfast food consisting of boiled rice topped or mixed with raw egg and—optionally—soy sauce.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamago_kake_gohan

white eggs are NOT duck eggs! http://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=746

19-21 July

=]

YouTube: 黃義達-那女孩對我說(揚聲)(KTV)

YouTube: 黃義達-那女孩對我說(揚聲)(KTV)

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhJMmWsFAZM

Panadol and Paracetamol

How much do you know about this common drug?

reading information:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003607.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol

thanks to ST for supplying the info.

Bandai: VB-6 Konig Monster from Macross F

Bandai: VB-6 Konig Monster from Macross F.

Prototype pics shown at Tokyo Toy Show 2009.
Price and release TBD.

http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/07162009/robot_soul_destroid_monster_from_macross_f

Yes is yes; no is no; don't give "See how"

"See how" is a very annoying thing to hear when you're planning stuffs.  So, is that a yes or a no?  Organisers do need to know the headcount; it matters.

I wonder...

What is the legality of SMRT fining passengers for eating?

Why the owner of the school that was accused of pedalling fake degrees, not arrested for fraud?  Instead, the punishment was the closing down of the schools.

Macross Toys from Bandai

Bandai - Macross Frontier DX - Macross Quarter
http://eshop.tfh.com.sg/product_details.php?prod_id=349

Bandai - The Robot Spirits [Side MS] - VF-25F Super Messiah Alto Custom
http://eshop.tfh.com.sg/product_details.php?prod_id=355

Bandai - The Robot Spirits [Side VF] - Queadluun Rea (Klan Custom)
http://eshop.tfh.com.sg/product_details.php?prod_id=356

Microsoft warns of computer security hole

Microsoft warns of computer security hole.
Funny how this article can force a switch to Firefox when I had been highlighting how much of a greater emphasis Mozilla places on security...
Full article here: http://www.avault.com/news/microsoft-warns-computer-security-hole/

A dated but simple breakdown of the various browsers, as at Dec 2008: http://www.obsessable.com/news/2008/12/04/browser-break-down-ie-firefox-safari-chrome-opera/

Vulnerability statistics:
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox#Vulnerability_statistics

Firefox security vulnerabilities have been patched relatively quickly. Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report Vol. 10, based on data from the first half of 2006, reported that while Firefox had more vulnerabilities than Internet Explorer during that time period (47 vs. 38), Firefox's vulnerabilities were fixed on average one day after the exploit code was made available, as compared to nine days for Internet Explorer.

[excerpt]
Microsoft has taken the rare step of warning about a serious computer security vulnerability it hasn’t yet fixed. This vulnerability affects Internet Explorer users whose computers run either Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, and can enable hackers to remotely take control of victims’ machines. The victims don’t need to do anything to get infected except visit a Web site that’s been hacked.
.
.
Microsoft has urged vulnerable users to disable the problematic part of its software, which can be done from Microsoft’s Web site, while the company works on a “patch” for the problem.
[/excerpt]

Full article here: http://www.avault.com/news/microsoft-warns-computer-security-hole/

related post: http://jwitworker.blogspot.com/2006/01/1-2-3.html

Thor (Marvel) Movie: Set for 2011 release

I've been grumbling about the lack of news on this movie (yet too lazy to search movie sites :p)
Today I stumbled upon the news of Natalie Portman being cast for the movie, here.

Playing as Jane Foster the nurse?  Why can't she be Sif?  Sif had more "screen time" in the comics...

Anyway, here's some sites with some info on the movie:

http://marvel.com/movies/Thor.Thor

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/

Personal updates, July 2009

[Work]
I'm stuck in a vicious cycle.

I'm required to write reports and plan my work for the entire year.
But these interfere with my work, causing my deadlines to slip.
Then I'll be asked to revise my work plan for the year.
This again will interfere with my work.
Repeat.

What the hell...
Am I in the wrong job or am I too slow?


[Assets]
After 5 years and 2 hospitalisation stays, my laptop is showing her age.  My precious had accompanied me to UK; wrote many a Java program and processed thousands of photos.
You'll be missed when your retirement comes.  :'(

Sadastic inmates in Singapore

Play a game - choose your own torture
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,207170,00.html?

Aware Saga: Money matters

They made a profit with from the surge in membership, so the extravagant spending is forgiven...
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,207178,00.html?

Internet censorship in Imperial China

It was reported that Facebook is now inaccessible in China, land of stone walls.
I don't know about the other violation of human rights but I find this quite distasteful.

Why?  The Ürümqi Riots.

[SAP] RFQ printing: No print-relevant changes to document, ME 140, OSS Note 678834

[SAP] RFQ printing: No print-relevant changes to document, ME 140, OSS Note 678834

Scenario: When printing or faxing a PO / RFQ, an error is encountered that says, "No print-relevant changes to document". Message class ME; message number 140.

Solution: Create your new output line instead of using "Repeat Output". Using "Repeat Output" will cause the error to replicate itself.
1. Go to the Message details, accessible via the relevant change document program ( me22n / me42 ) or via the print programs ( me9f / me9a ).
2. Create a new output line.
output type: NEU
medium: 1 (print) / 2 (fax)

source: http://sap.ittoolbox.com/groups/technical-functional/sap-log-mm/no-print-preview-143740
more reading, OSS Note 678834 - ME140 with immediate output of change message (login required):

I hate quacks, who copies *wrong* solutions and pass them to others. I found the correct solution here, which nobody seems to notice that it is the *right* one and happily continue to post their wrong answers.

Good one, Patrick Arnoldts

Dolphin drive hunting

First they herd them into the bay.  Then they cut their throats.

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_drive_hunting
video: http://www.glumbert.com/media/dolphin

glumbert - Dolphin massacre in Japan

2 Rolling Balls of Metal: Part 2

[good]
Action was somewhat better. Now you can see who is fighting who. However, near the very end, it becomes a fight between 2 rolling balls of metal again.
Story was somewhat better; albeit with holes. However, I can't discuss this without giving spoilers.

[bad]
Bad scripting.
Annoying, flat Human characters. With the exception of.. John Turturro.
Annoying, flat Transformers characters. With the exception of Optimus Prime.
Part of the show feels like a porn show, with lame sexual jokes.
Pointless and annoying circling of the subject with the camera. Does it really help build any mood?

[Verdict]
If you enjoy watching a porn movie with 2 hot actresses, with lots of light and smoke. This movie is perfect; the average film goer would love it.
If you are approaching this with a fan boy's loyalist heart; stay far far away.

What is the difference between thrifty and being stingy?

Thrifty: not spending for comfort items.
Stingy: not spending for comfort items.


Thrifty: likes to save.
Stingy: likes to save.

What is the difference then?

p.s.  I believe there's a difference but I hope to get different views then putting my judgement down.

Chinese woman boiled man's head to cure daughter's psychiatric problems

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5617094/Chinese-woman-boiled-mans-head-to-cure-daugthers-psychiatric-problems.html

Madness.
Anyway, why is it the helper got death sentence and the mother only charged with assisting murder?  I thought China have a harsh penalty system?  Doesn't look fair to me.

Swim attire sparked row

[excerpt]

TWO lifeguards noticed a woman in wrong attire approaching the pool and tried to pass the buck.
Each told the other to turn her away.
This started them quarrelling and it ended with one attacking the other with a small knife.
[/excerpt]

source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_394275.html?vgnmr=1

Sort lor.. can just don't do it..

RP: Stay away for a week

[excerpt]
ALL first-year students and several staff members of Republic Polytechnic have been told to stay away for seven days from Thursday, after nine cases of H1N1 were confirmed there.

The move affects 4,500 students and 16 teachers and makes the polytechnic the first to adopt Ministry of Education measures aimed at preventing mass local transmission of the flu virus.
[/excerpt]

source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_395065.html

So the Polytechnic won't become a new cluster but the students are now free to roam the streets with *more* time.  Isn't that worse?

Keeping secrets

Disgrunted tongues are loose tongues.

It's loose...

Okay...  no need for me to update le.
There's no point blaming people now because there's probably a 100 imported cases that we know nothing about.
So here's my last update on this new hyped up disease.

As at 21 Jun
source: http://www.crisis.gov.sg/FLU/InfluenzaA/PressReleases/
A) LOCAL CASES
2. Among the seven new local cases include two additional cases from the Riverlife Church cluster, one new cluster linked to Butter Factory at One Fullerton, one case who had contact with an earlier confirmed case, and three unlinked cases who did not have any travel history or known contact with confirmed cases.

3rd time eating at Qun Zhong, Neil Road

edt1: added Tong Lok
edit2: clarify the ranking is on what

Cheryl and Skinny Norman have brought me there on separate occasions. Both times, I was peeved by the unresponsive service and long waiting time to get in. I found the food above average but not top-rate. If an equivalent word could be found in English about their attitude, it's called "stuck-up". I decided not to patronise them again.

Today, for Fathers' Day, we went there again. This time, the waiting was a mere 10 minutes and the food was pretty light and fragrant. The stuck-up-ness was not evident. Maybe times changed and so did my mood. Guess how bad mood can affect the taste-buds, huh?

Anyway, I still prefer my Xiao Long Bao from Ding Tai Fong. The skin is strong yet thin enough. The soup is generous and nice. At Qun Zhong, the skin though stronger than the average fare, can still break. The soup is not enough to my likling. The skin though is soft and taste like those from Shui Jiao.

So my ranking on Xiao Long Bao...
1st Place - Ding Tai Fong
2nd to 4th Place, Crystal Jade or Qun Zhong or Tong Lok, in no special order
Sucky Trophies, all the rest....

Would I go ahead?
Well maybe. It's 2 bad experience to 1 good experience. So maybe I won't suggest that place but I won't protest if someone wants to go there for dim sum.

Local infections detected on 19 Jun

On 19 Jun, there were 4 cases where the patients were believed to have contracted the disease locally.
So there you have it, H1N1 is among us.  In time, we might be listed as an "affected country" too.
There were 103 cases on 19 Jun.
There were 126 cases on 20 Jun.

Country of Origin of Travel of Confirmed Cases (as of 19 June 2009)

Countries	Number of cases
Australia	44
United States	21
Philippines	19
Thailand	4
Canada	2
UK	2
Indonesia	2
Malaysia	1
Chile	1
Cruise#	1
Total	97

Pixar grants girl's dying wish to see 'Up'

source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pixar-up-movie-2468059-home-show

[excerpts]
HUNTINGTON BEACH – Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.
.

On April 28, Colby went to see the Dream Works 3-D movie "Monsters Vs. Aliens" but was impressed by the previews to "Up."
“It was from then on, she said, ‘I have to see that movie. It is so cool,’” Lynch said.
.
By June 9, Colby could no longer be transported to a theater and her family feared she would die without having seen the movie.
.

Pixar has an automated telephone answering system, Orum-Moore said, and unless she had a name of a specific person she wanted to speak to, she could not get through. Orum-Moore guessed a name and the computer system transferred her to someone who could help, she said.
Pixar officials listened to Colby’s story and agreed to send someone to Colby’s house the next day with a DVD of "Up," Orum-Moore recalled.
.

At about 12:30 p.m. the Pixar employee came to the Curtins’ home with the DVD.
He had a bag of stuffed animals of characters in the movie and a movie poster. He shared some quirky background details of the movie and the group settled in to watch Up.
Colby couldn't see the screen because the pain kept her eyes closed so her mother gave her a play-by-play of the film.
At the end of the film, the mother asked if her daughter enjoyed the movie and Colby nodded yes, Lisa Curtin said.
The employee left after the movie, taking the DVD with him, Lynch said.
“He couldn’t have been nicer,” said Lynch who watched the movie with the family. “His eyes were just welled up.”
After the movie, Colby’s dad, Michael Curtin, who is divorced from Lisa Curtin, came to visit.
Colby died with her mom and dad nearby at 9:20 p.m.
[/excerpts]

Read from the link above for the full story.

64 detected cases

More cases.  Again, half of the cases are from people going on holidays or going about their daily routines.  The other half, thanks =]
http://www.crisis.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/D4985A06-E928-4B4E-9A0B-938EDBC88860/24447/H1N1PR17June_rev.pdf

Whether this disease turns out to be harmless or not, we're at Yellow Alert..

49th detected case

http://www.crisis.gov.sg/NR/rdonlyres/192A0CF6-9715-483D-BADC-18D090AF4A75/24395/H1N1PR16Junrev.pdf

[excerpt]

1. The 49th case is a 26-year-old Indonesian man who works in Singapore. He
2. went to Melbourne with friends for a holiday on 5 June
3. He developed symptoms on 11 June while he was there
4. He was not picked up by the thermal scanner at the airport as he did not have a fever then.
5. On 15 June morning, he sought medical attention at a GP clinic, and was given 2 days of medical leave.
6. Before he took a taxi to TTSH ED, he did some shopping first.
7. Laboratory results confirmed his infection at 2140 hours on 15 June.

[/excerpt]

48 cases of H1N1

Suddenly, we see a huge jump in the imported cases.

I'm not worried about the lethality of the disease but there's something very disturbing about the behaviour of the people who are coming back sick, blatantly violating the travel advisory.

• Continue going to affected areas for holidays
• Does not self quarantine
• Does not seek medical attention even though he clearly caught a flu overseas, in an affected country
  

If the Government enforces a forced confinement period for people caught committing the above, for say 21 days; I'm sure everyone will fall into place.

Haiz...

He killed boy to save licence

SEOUL - A SOUTH Korean motorist who hit and slightly injured an 11-year-old boy has admitted later murdering the child in an attempt to cover up driving offences, reports said on Tuesday...

Full report: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_391004.html

1/6 Kotobukiya Collection Movie Fine Art Statue: Iron Man & Many others

The ironman looks good.
Also includes some from Macross Frontier.
This guy is too rich sia...
http://www.dannychoo.com/adp/eng/1706/Iron+Man.html

Data Centers

Interesting photos and facts
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/06/14/magazine/20090614-search-slideshow_2.html

Slamming for social irresponsibility. Who is right or wrong?

1. University management who said the virus was restricted to the Queens? (an area in New York, about 1/4 of the total area)
2. Suspected case who traveled on public trains to the clinic?
3. Aircrew who went on holidays in infected areas while on stop-overs?
4. Families who went holidaying in infected areas, despite travel advice?

It's hard to say.
Case #1, we didn't know much then.  However, what kind of naive fools in the management believed that the spread of the virus could not cross street boundaries?
Case #2, how was he to travel then?  He was told to go to the clinic.
Case #3, stay in the hotel?

But...
Case #4?..

Lyrics: Let's hear it for the boy

Caught this on radio last night...

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/l/letshearitfortheboy.shtml
LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY
Deniece Williams


My baby, he don't talk sweet, he ain't got much to say
But he loves me, loves me, loves me, I know that he loves me anyway
And maybe he don't dress fine but I don't really mind
'Cause every time he pulls me near I just wanna cheer

Let's hear it for the boy, let's give the boy a hand
Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand, oh oh oh
Maybe he's no Romeo but he's my loving one-man show, oh woh woh woh
Let's hear it for the boy

My baby may not be rich, he's watching every dime
But he loves me, loves me, loves me, we always have a real good time
And maybe he sings off-key but that's alright by me, yeah
'Cause what he does, he does so well, makes me wanna yell

Let's hear it for the boy, ah, let's give the boy a hand
Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand, oh oh oh
Maybe he's no Romeo but he's my loving one-man show, oh woh woh woh
Let's hear it for the boy

Ooh
Ooh ooh ooh, yeah

'Cause every time he pulls me near I just wanna cheer

Let's hear it for the boy, ah, let's give the boy a hand
Let's hear it for my baby, you know you gotta understand
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, woh oh oh
Maybe he's no Romeo but he's my loving one-man show, oh woh woh woh

Let's hear it for the boy (let's hear it for the boy)
Let's hear it for my man (let's hear it for my baby)
Let's hear it for my man (let's hear it for the boy)
(Let's hear it for my baby)
(Let's hear it for the boy)
Let's hear it for my man (let's hear it for my baby), yeah yeah yeah hey
(Let's hear it for the boy)
Put your hands together (let's hear it for my baby)
Ooh ooh ooh ooh (let's hear it for the boy)
Woh, let's hear it for my boy (let's hear it for my baby)
Let's hear it for my man (let's hear it for the boy)
Ooh-ooh ooh-ooh ooh ooh-ooh (let's hear it for my baby)
Let's hear it for my man, yeah

Setting priorities

I need to Set my Workplan.
I need to Archive My Emails according to the request numbers.
I need to solve Operation Issues.
I need to do Feasibility Studies.
I need to create a Documentation for screen procedures.
I need to do Technical Specs.
I need to solve outstanding Defects.
I need to complete my Change Requests.

Which should I do first? Past mentors taught me to always give Operation Issues and Defects the greatest priorites. Yet, the other tasks cannot wait. If too many issues stack up in one category, then that becomes a hot potato.

I need a better system...

Macross Frontier: Bandai (?) 1/72 VF-25F Armored Catherine Decal set

Bandai (?) 1/72 VF-25F Armored Catherine Decal set
http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/05142009/1_72_macross_f_vf_25f_armored_catherine_decal_set

Macross Frontier: Alto Saotome EX-Gear

DX Alto Saotome EX-Gear
Flight mode and cockpit seat.
http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/06032009/dx_alto_saotome_ex_gear

Armor Plus Series Macross Frontier EX Gear Alto Versoion
Posing mode only?
http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/05142009/armor_plus_series_macross_frontier_ex_gear_alto_versoion

Yamato - Macross 1/60 Perfect Transformation VE-1 Elintseeker

http://eshop.tfh.com.sg/product_details.php?prod_id=106

Ho Chi Minh City

Q. You went on a trip?!  When was it?
18 May to 22 May.  Missed me? :p

Q. Why?
It was my birthday present, preciousss...  Heh, not really, my current phone is the birthday present.  The trip was co-shared.

Q. ... No, why there?
This destination came about because it was relatively cheap.  The basic tour was only 200+.  Add $60 for extension.  Add $110 for a change in carrier from Garuda to Tiger Airways.
Also, after cleaning out my bank accounts twice on Europe trips, I wish to see something from Asia.

Q. What were the complications?
Switching to a budget carrier means that we get charged from baggage weighing more than 15 kg, which considering it costs $110 more than the default choice of National Carrier, leaves a bad taste in the mouth.  For our return trip, we paid US$20 for excess baggage.

Q. How bad was the traffic?
At first, we expected something like Bali, but worse.  Actually, the traffic in the city was well managed and relaxed.  Jay-walking is the national past-time.  Just make sure you make eye contact with the driver.

Q. Is it true the best way to cross the street is to close your eyes and walk?
Unlike Singaporean drivers, most drivers in Vietnam do not charge at you, to scare you out of their way.  However, bullies exist everywhere.  We met one.

Q. There's nothing to see in Ho Chi Minh!
True.  But are you there to see Zoos and Bird Parks?  Frankly, among all the lame claims to fame that our country tried to make, it's true about our Zoo being world-class.  We went to the standard tourist traps, with hidden costs.  Grrr...  We learnt our lesson from Bali - If you're gonna be a purse-pincher, then you won't get to experience anything!  So spend!  Go to all the silly tourist traps and enjoy yourselves.

Q. Any tourists traps that I should not go?
All of them are pretty enjoyable.  Take note of the hidden costs.  They made their day trips appear very cheap, but they do not include the price of tickets!  Not exactly ethical in my point of view, but everyone does it there, it seems.

Q. Where are your photos?
Ok, here, here.

200905_hcm_vietnam

Sports Sponsership - Which is more deserving?

Soccer?
Table Tennis?
Paintball?
Mountain Climbing?

Someone suggested in the forums that climbing Everest is for personal achievements and not contributing to national pride as there are no medals to be obtained.

Are medals the measure of success?

Blame the cameras

I find it disturbing.
http://www.tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,203977,00.html?

I must be right because my opponent is a liar

Recently, a couple made history for being charged for "violating the peace".  They distributed an article which attacked another faith, by discrediting their key figures.  Therefore, they argued that they are the true faith to follow.

These are logical fallacies and no one should be persuaded using such underhanded methods.

First Singapore H1N1 case

We all knew it was a matter of time..
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_382278.html

Blooper: 15 Birds in Five Fir Trees

Oops. Paiseh. Haha.



Fifteen Birds in Five Fir Trees
source: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Pantheon/1868/tolkienpoems.htm#Fifteen_Birds

Fifteen birds in five firtrees,
their feathers were fanned in a fiery breeze!
But, funny little birds, they had no wings!
O what shall we do with the funny little things?
Roast 'em alive, or stew them in a pot;
fry them, boil them and eat them hot?

Burn, burn tree and fern!
Shrivel and scorch! A fizzling torch
To light the night for our delight,
Ya, hey!

Bake and toast 'em, fry and roast 'em!
till beards blaze, and eyes glaze;
till hair smells and skins crack,
fat melts, and bones black
in cinders lie
beneath the sky!
So dwarves shall die,
and light the night for our delight,
Ya hey!
Ya-harri-hey!
Ya hoy!

Back from Ho Chi Minh City

The trip was pretty enjoyable.  I'm still in the processing of uploading my photos and mapping them.  The stories and pictures should be ready in a week.

Dream: spa?

Dreams as they go don't make sense. I just thought that it's amusing to log them and read at a future date. Readers might want to skip this entry.

[dream]
With Butters, Ah Yam, GaGa.  Some misunderstanding; unhappiness.  Went to SPA?  Met some minor big shots, everyone pretty excited.  I'm still lost in my own world.

~skip scene
Playing game.  Got to choose 3 heroes; each confers a bonus.  I chose Spiderman for agility, Ironman for skill, Hulk for strength.  One game is to time a torpedo fight with a submarine as it surfaces.  Won.
[/dream]

Not my best recall.  This dream evaporated pretty fast as I didn't stop to recall it.

The Last Leaf

The Last Leaf by O Henry.
http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1303/

excerpt:
"What is it, dear?" asked Sue.

"Six," said Johnsy, in almost a whisper. "They're falling faster now. Three days ago there were almost a hundred. It made my head ache to count them. But now it's easy. There goes another one. There are only five left now."

"Five what, dear? Tell your Sudie."

"Leaves. On the ivy vine. When the last one falls I must go, too. I've known that for three days. Didn't the doctor tell you?"

Going off to...

Ho Chin Minh =)

This will be my first major excursion into Asia, discounting places like Malaysia and Indonesia, which are culturally similar to our own.  Being unseasoned travellers, we expect many problems but what the heck.

Here's the rough plan:
Day 1. Get lost and frustrated by the traffic
Day 2. Explore the city
Day 3: Explore more
Day 4: Go out of town
Day 5: Wrap up

This will happen next week.  See ya.
~

Nothing like bad times to show you who the bad employers are

The double whammy of 2001 and 2002 have hit us hard. Loyal employees were let go, sometimes with no warning. They claimed it was due to security concerns.

In this current crisis, a public healthcare group have shown their hard hearted ways too. Everyone has been warned against going to infected countries, but does your company have these measures?

1. Initially, at yellow alert
All staff had to wear surgical masks.
Daily temperature monitoring.

2. Reached orange alert
Visitor restriction at hospitals.
All visitors had to be checked for fever.
All staff had to wear N95 masks (later relaxed to surgical masks).
All leave for the next 2 weeks are canceled, subject to fortnightly review.
All new leave applications blocked.
Staff were advised to write a letter, forfeiting their medical coverage in the event that they got infected overseas, regardless of where they caught they infection. Staff will have to take unpaid leave during their quarantine period.

The official explanation? To keep our staff safe.
Fine, they wanted to keep manpower close at hand. I can understand that.
The letter was a weird idea. I felt it made it sound as an "admission-of-guilt" from the staff applying for overseas leave.

3. Relaxed to yellow alert
All staff had to wear surgical masks.
Daily temperature monitoring.
Official memo frowning on all overseas leave.
Staff were required to write a letter, forfeiting their medical coverage in the event that they got infected overseas, regardless of where they caught they infection. Staff will have to take unpaid leave during their quarantine period.

Upper management now requires staff to write the letter, following an official template, in their own handwriting and signed by them. So don't care if you caught it in a ulu place like Siberia; you got infected means you are on your own. Pay your own hospitialisation; go on unpaid leave. Once you've recovered, welcome back to work.

~
Do you need to rethink your loyalty?
Is your employer a good one?
~

No nomination for best coach

Does this mean pettiness rules over meritocracy?

read more: http://www.todayonline.com/articles/318240.asp

Respect other people's time

1. Be punctual for dates, meetings and weddings.
2. Stick to the date which everyone have agreed on.
3. Don't cancel at the last minute.

Science Centre

I have always been fasinated.  Lots of interesting exhibits to play with.

Recently, I took PM leave to accompany ST.  Somehow, they lost their allure.  I can remember more than half the exhibits; I know the science behind almost all of them.  It's like re-watching your facourite cartoon from your childhood.

It's just different.
~

Beggaring; Pride; Lies; Apathy; Miserly

I don't like their methods.
I don't like my reactions.

New phone

nokia 1650
thanks, baby

RIP: You served well...

on Mar 16,

Farewell...

Welcome...

PHOTO IN THE NEWS: Cosmic "Question Mark" Honors Hubble

PHOTO IN THE NEWS: Cosmic "Question Mark" Honors Hubble
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/04/090421-hubble-fountain-photo.html
~

Camping in SG

Camping in SG

Excerpt:
A permit is required if you're planning to camp at any of the five parks above. Starting 15 Apr 09, application can be done from any of the 500 over AXS machines island-wide and through the internet at http://www.axs.com.sg. Camping permits will be required on weekdays and weekends, including public and school holidays. A permit is valid for 1 day Each camper will be able to apply for a maximum of 8 days per month.

read more:
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=activities&id=6&Itemid=81
~

Work life at the moment & reflections

It has been 4 months since I left my last employement and embarked upon this new job.  I've more or less settled down.  Why I didn't blog about it is because...
1. I now have less sleeping time
2. I don't wish to blog about work anymore.  I wish to make my blog safe when it accidentally comes to the attention of my boss
3. Due to my employment restrictions, it is not advisable to blog.  I am working under the assumption that the location of this blog is already being monitored

Some things I can say are...
1. It's a huge change in workload.  I feel overwhelmed
2. It's nice to work with a team again.  Not a place where everyone is an island and they divert whatever they can to you.  Such people exist here, but that's a universal constant.  With a proper team, I can draw on the expertise of others
3. It's nice to have a SAP system where someone have a say on the overall design on the system and with proper ownership
4. No stupid boss patrolling the aisle
4. No stupid boss looking over my back
6. No stupid boss looking through my personal effects when I turn my back
7. The air is more free

Some drawbacks...
1. No off in lieu
2. Restrictive authorisation profiles
3. Restrictive data sharing rules
4. Small team; cannot find people to disturb because everyone is so busy...
5. Meetings!!!  Omg...
~

In terms of culture and benefits, it felt like I have gone full circle; can't help comparing it with my first job.  I've achieved the position I had set out to obtain, when I left for greener pastures in 2005.  If I had stayed on to my first job and if my director then bothered to groom me, I would have reached the same position that I had know, at the same pace.

So was the 4 years of wandering worth it?

Yes.  I realised there's much more technical challenges that I could do with the ABAP language.  I learned to love and hate the different work cultures that I've been exposed to.  Now, with much older eyes, I could appreciate a little of something from every job.  Certainly, each job has helped me build up my skills.

I regret that during this time, I had not build up more on my functional knowledge.  There is no strong guru to guide me; I could teach my mentors as much as they could teach me. Perhaps if I had stayed, this area of mine would have been stronger.  Nevertheless, I believe I made the right moves.

As at now, I'm back in the Materials Module.  Learning the ropes as a Functional Consultant is fun and exciting but daunting as well.  Some days, I seem to be managing mails and attending meetings; that's not so fun.
~

What if: USS Iowa vs IJN Yamato

What if: USS Iowa vs IJN Yamato
This guy doesn't know how to direct a short movie, that's for sure.  A lot of lights and smoke and with little developments.
The game engine looks great though.
from: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?t=155087

Lego Battleship Yamato

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

What do you expect me to do?

Caught this scene late one night.

An elderly man was railing at the station control staff.
"You should have told me properly!"
"Like this bluff people!"
"This is not right"
"Now I got no money to get home"

The station guy tried to ignore him. The elderly man went on.
"What you expect me to do? Walk home to Sembawang?"
"I now have no money to go home"
"What you expect me to do?"

~
I supposed this elderly man got into the station and missed the last train, so he blamed the station control. I find it amusing because...
1) It is his fault, regardless
2) What he expects the control guy to do? Pay for his cab fare?
~

Blog: Reactions

Since it's unused; I'm taking out Reactions =]
~

TGIF

~

Train timings #1

I've a suspicion that the train company is pushing the peak hour earlier. So from this day forward, I will start logging the time I catch the train and how minutes away is the next train.

week 1
1. 0741 hrs, 6 min
2. 0740 hrs, 4 min
3. ??, ??

week 2
1. 0740 hrs, 5 min
2. 0740 hrs, 4 min
3. 0740 hrs, 4 min
4. 0744 hrs, 3 min
~

FY closing

Busy. Tired.
~

JW's Laws of Deadlines

Law #1
Deadlines are set by whims of users; not logic

Law #2
A deadline is not set in stone

Law #3
The nearer you get to a deadline, the probability of it getting shifted earlier becomes higher

Law #4
The work done for a brought forward deadline is often required only much later
~

status

stressed

Train timings #1

I've a suspicion that the train company is pushing the peak hour earlier.  So from this day forward, I will start logging the time I catch the train and how minutes away is the next train.

1. 0741 hrs, 6 min
~

Bias?

Recently, my friends and I took part in a competition. This game, like soccer, had 3 referees.

My friend did something that by right, should get himself and his opponent out of the field together. However, the referee insisted that his opponent was to be alive. We would have lost that game anyway; so it doesn't really matter. We were livid because we wanted justice. However, we stopped arguing so not to make a fuss. I know we are clean.

I got to know some of the guys from the other teams. One of them had a complaint about unfair refereeing. I had a personal chat with him and without showing my cards, he confirmed that we were talking about the same player who got this preferential treatment.

This isn't concrete proof but what are the chances? The same team. The same player. The same situations. Both time, this player was allowed to play on. Thanks for opening my eyes.
~
~

My daughter was struggling and wasting time and effort because she did not know how to type

My daughter was struggling and wasting time and effort because she did not know how to type

Quote:

Recently, my daughter, who is in Primary 4, was required to turn in her school work as computer printouts. She was struggling and wasting unnecessary time and effort because she did not know how to type. It is obvious that children are loaded with homework and project work which require using the computer and typing skills. What are the Ministry of Education and schools doing to help them?

We had to learn how to speak
We had to learn how to write

Funny, I remembered I had to spend hours to learn how to type.  By my second project, I was striking the keys of my conventional typewriter at a furious pace.  What does she want?  Typing lessons for her daughter?
Wouldn't that take up more time?

Schools in future will have courses to teach your kids how to take the bus to school.  They will learn how to tie their shoe laces.  There will be practical and theory lessons on how to make new friends.  They will have someone pointing out their mistakes so that everyone get full scores and no one's delicate egos get bruised.

Days will also be restructed to be 48 hours / day, since there's not enough time to do all these.  By the time most people graduate from universities, they will be only 12 years old.  Hurray!

~

My son is a whiz kid; do not give him anything less than an A

My son is a whiz kid; do not give him anything less than an A

Quote:
Teachers who supervise whiz kids for project work should not end up giving a grade which is lower than expected. This should be done only if at least three reminders given to students about the need to improve their work have gone unheeded. These reminders should also be sent to parents.

So we have parents who believe their kids are elite and should be treated differently.  Everyone has their pride; why should the pride of a whiz kid be greater than ours?  If the egos of these kids are so fragile, do they have a problem with their EQ?
Already, we have a society that treats elites differently.  Would they one day believe that they should not mingle with us?  Should we cultivate a breed of scholars who have never known failure?
~

It's annoying to have people exclaim surprise when they see you doing OT

>:|

A wrong reported as a right

A wrong reported as a right


bloody hell... someone entered an blank PO into the the dbase, making all search into the PO table successful, instead of an error

i wasted one day wondering why i keep encountering no errors


[explaination]
The program is coded wrongly and so should get an error when reading the database. Someone entered "garbage" into the database, causing all errors to be reported as right.

~

Dilbert: wrong either ways

Click to enlarge

Dream: Virtual Reality Game Park

Dreams as they go don't make sense. I just thought that it's amusing to log them and read at a future date. Readers might want to skip this entry.

[dream]
Entered a spacious room. The entrance was lined with machines that required credits. Inserted a plastic currency note that came in denominations of 5 and 10. We were granted 1 hour.

A comrade was with me. An alien appeared. He shot at it close range. The creature pounded on him. He discharged his shotgun into its belly. The alien was shot up by the impact and the acidic blood splattered all over him. My comrade thrashed on the floor in agony.


I looked up at the bulkhead.
"Computer?"
I waited for a reply. There was none.
"Computer?"
A responding star-trek theme door bell chime replied me.
"Increase blood transfer to 25%"
"Acknowledged"

3m away from me, my comrade recovered and stood up. We were in a garden. We started jogging and the path took us in a clockwise direction. We avoided short red plants that had vines radiating out from the center, whipping blindly. Without knowing how, we knew that these plants are carnivourous. We came upon a swarm of snakes, short and fat like sea cucumbers. We couldn't dodge them so we waved 2 short twigs with leaves at them. Strangely, they exploded.
[/dream]



I came briefly conscious of my dream, "Weird"



[dream]
A group of was in pursuit of us. They caught up.

We were in a hall, sparse and undecorated except for about 8 tables, lined up in 2 rows. On each table, some items were in preparation. Our group now consisted of 6, a task force of some kind.

We were in a carpark, among cars that are vacant, discussing our plans. A woman approached us, insisting we help her.
"I got something to show you but I can't cause it's from the future"
"If you don't, then the timeline is going to get changed anyway", I retorted.
Acknowledging the logic, we walked over to her SUV where she produced a large encyclopedia. The book was a bounded copy and parts of the pages were falling out. At some parts, she stopped us from looking, "These contains weapons of my country (future)", she said. We stopped at a map of the country she wanted us to help. It was a map of Sweden.

We were in a room discussing our plans. There's a show at the airport and there's a flower fair in the town.
"I think it has to be a 2 days event", I said.

I was in a lab. Some of the bunsen burners were lighted but there was nothing cooking above it. I turned them off.



Back at the hall with 8 tables; I turned off all the bunsen burners for the various dishes that were cooking, without consulting my senior, declaring that the dishes were ready.
"Very good", said my teacher. "You have shown confidence"
[/dream]

A flower from my baby

A flower from my baby

ST felt that I was feeling stressed from work and bought me a small gift. Thanks, dear =]



~click on any of the pictures to visit the album

shoot..

shoot..

Overtime and personal time

Overtime and personal time

A major project made me very busy. Coded and recoded the same thing over and over. I scheduled the UAT to be next Friday; my user asked for this Friday. wth?

Being "soft-hearted" and being a day ahead of schedule, I agreed to insert an interim UAT for Monday. I told him the original timetable was already highly optimistic and there was no buffer for mistakes and reworks. He seem to think it's unlikely. We shall see...

So now I have very challenging deadlines, interspersed with personal events I have lined up. I'm not going to skip them! The alternative of course is the dirty word - overtime.

It looks like there'll be days where I clock very late hours, so that I can leave on the dot on other days. I wonder if my colleagues will find this irregular. Once, the days when I do overtime are dependent on my energy level. Now, the days are marked on my calendar.

There never seem to be enough hours in the day to complete the tasks on hand. Some colleagues never seem to need to do overtime at all. At first, I attributed it to the fact that there are more programming requests for my logistics modules. Later, I realised that some of their work were deflected to my side. Some, I learnt, told their users that certain things could not be done. "Manage your users", they say.

Since I'm not likely to change my creed anytime soon, then I shall have to manage my time. I'll put in whatever hours are necessary in those pre-determined days. I won't be working weekends if I could help it - I've been duped enough times. They gave an outrageous deadline and when I complete my task; they sit on it. Or they suddenly decided they don't need it anymore. Ouch.

So I put more time at work, so that I'll get more time to play.
~

Makan week: food from the past 7 days

Makan week: food from the past 7 days


Wednesday - Ate at Brazil Churrasco, Gillman Village
Variety:
Beef fillet / drum / steak / ribs / garlic; lamb fillet / ribs; chicken hearts; Salad Bar

Description:
This place is for meat lovers. Once the meat is ready, the waiters will bring out the skewers to your table and cut the meat onto your plate. If it is a steak, he'll ask you what is the done-ness you desire and he will slice accordingly.Taste: Good

Price:
$46++

Ambiance:
huh?

Room:
no smell. Air-conditioning was not on till we asked. Otherwise, everything is fine.

Like it?
Ya

Would I go again?
Probably not. Not that I don't like this place but too much red meat made me heaty and drowsy.


Friday - Ate at CoCa, Takashimaya Square
Variety:
Chicken fillet; Golden mushrooms; Cockles; Squid; Oysters; Beef stripes; Chicken balls; Pig livers; Crabs; Prawns; Fish glue.

Description:
A Thai steamboat buffet chain gone global. Like all steamboats, the distinction is hard to tell.

Taste:
Okay

Price:
$??

Ambiance:
huh?

Room:
Hot. The Air-conditioning drips. When we complained, the waitress took a mop, tied with a dust coated static paper into the room. While we frantically covered our food, she nonchalantly raised the mop to wipe off the water droplets. We called her to stop soon after.

Like it?
-.-

Would I go again?
I don't think so.


Saturday - Ate at Vino Vino, Mohammad Sultan Road
Variety:
Porterhouse steak, Sirloin steak, Lobster pasta, Fish n Chips, Lamb Chops, lots of wine.

Description:
A popular place for drinking with their cheap wine, priced at $6++ to $9++ / glass. Online reviews raved about how huge the Porterhouse steak is, at 400 grams.

Taste:
Below average

Price:
$40 (split bill evenly)

Ambiance:
Decent

Room:
Pleasant

Like it?
Okay

Would I go again?
Not for the food. A decent place to chill out and have something light to eat though. I'll won't recommend sitting outside - it kinda smell of grease from the exhausts.

~

World view

Once upon a time, men believed that everything goes around the Earth. Though the masses believed them to be spirits of heroes and messengers of gods, the wise among them recognised them to be stars and planets. Interestingly, they deduced that the Milky Way was further away then the stars in the skies.

A scientist with a telescope proved that the Milky Way is made up of vast quantities of stars. The astronomers of that age concluded that these stars are larger than the planets we know.

Came along a mathematical genius, who proved to us that our Sun, our Earth and the planets we know exist in a Heliocentric system. Unfortunately, the very maths developed for this became the bane of millions of students thereafter. Our world view was changed. We now exist in a Solar System. What other Solar Systems are there, out there?

Breakthroughs in the 20th century were stunning. Calculations using distant points proved the existance of different galaxies. With the deployment of the Hubble Telescope, images of 3000 galaxies were captured. From this, we arrived at the estimate of 125 billion galaxies in the Universe. The figure simply blows the mind away.

Maybe we think we know everything. Then when we probe, the world just got a little bit bigger.
~

Protecting oneself

I don't believe in withholding help; if I know exactly what I'm doing.
Hiding is for chickens; and chickens peck you back.
~

Frustrated with non replies

Frustrated with non replies

I don't think I'll be a good organiser ever. If the response is bad, I'll begin to wonder if it is my lack of rapport with my target audience. I believe a prompt reply is basic courtesy. I believe a commitment to an agreed outing is another basic courtesy.

A reply on the day itself is not exactly prompt. A "dunno leh" but went ahead and planned something more exciting isn't showing respect. A "see-how" and see what crops up doesn't make me feel good. I took the effort to lead. All I got was 1-2 replies on the first day. What about everyone else? Can I be faulted for taking it personally?

Someone taught me - organise for a core group; make them your priority. I tried; it sort of works. Lowering your expectations does help. However, it hits harder when your core group doesn't turn up but others, including EXTENDED friends do! Comes back again to - Is it me?

I don't want to go through this anymore =x

Old tune: http://jwitworker.blogspot.com/2008/07/replies-to-sms-invitations-or-lack-of.html

Are you supposed to give a reply, if R.S.V.P is not written? http://www.eventethos.com/blog/q-a-no-reply-card/

~

V-day: Past and present

V-day: Past and present

I never cared much about Valetine's day. All that it bothers me was that slow moving couples, out in force, were a hinderance to my movements, as I usually prefer to zip through human traffic. V-day is ridicously exploited, contrived and materialistic.

Off topic: Valetine's day was when I got my first pair of guppies - Orange and Spots. Sadly, I killed them from washing their tank with detergent. I thought I rinsed the tank clean but I guess a trace amount was all it took =(

Getting attached sometimes forces a person to backtrack on many promises and stances. I still think that V-day is ridicously exploited, contrived and materialistic. My better half agrees with me but we still would like to mark the occasion. We therefore picked activities that are unaffected by the price hikes. We did more things but we paid less. On hindsight, I'm glad we chose these plans. Thank you, ST . <3

Bandai DX Chogokin VF-25S Messiah Valkyrie Ozma Custom

Bandai DX Chogokin VF-25S Messiah Valkyrie Ozma Custom
http://www.collectiondx.com/review/chogokin/dx_chogokin_vf_25s_messiah_valkyrie_ozma_custom
~

Beagle Mospeada Armor Cycle VR-052F (Stick Type)

Beagle Mospeada Armor Cycle VR-052F (Stick Type)
http://www.collectiondx.com/review/action_figure/mospeada_armor_cycle_vr_052f_stick_type
~

Wake up, stupid

Wake up, stupid

If a guy spurns you for your looks; he's not worth having >:(
He's putting on airs. He's leading you on. Wake up!

Yuna's wedding, 6 Feb 2008

Yuna's wedding, 6 Feb 2008

Congrats again, bear bear =]

After 1 month and 18 days...

After 1 month and 18 days...

Another progress was made =]

Not a very good time

Not a very good time

Dealt by friends and enemies.
Enemies I can handle. Sometimes friends and allies might come to my rescue.
With friends, it's harder and mostly suffered alone.
~