at 12AM

TGIFF

2012-02-10T12:00:00.005+08:00

Yea, call me a cynic or a colossal A-Hole but its Friday and it should be met with a Friday attitude.
So when people come knocking at my door asking for a fight, I obliged them with a shot in the gut.
I don't do hand-to-hand very well, me being tall and lanky, so I use a pistol instead, 9mm semi-automatic glock.
In the current situation though it would be unprofessional of me to shoot my client so I used my 80mm Semi-automatic mouth instead.

I told her how she can take her ego and shove it where the sun don't shine and start doing her job for a change.
It's not that I don't like her, but the attitude she is pushing around is really beginning to get old.
Just because you have 20 years in seniority does not mean you get to be a bigger A-hole than me.

I believe in the true balance of equality.
You get as much as you shove at me.
Equal but opposite reaction.
I am good with physics.

So here is me having my Friday and eating it.

PS: Just so you know, I did not spell the title wrong.

The way I see it ...

2012-02-09T11:13:00.001+08:00

It always starts with a picture in the mind.
That is the way it is for me.
I get this image in my bran and then I start building around it.

Does that mean that I am a visual centric person?

Basing my expectations from my visual instead of my understanding?
Where first impressions matter more than the truth beneath the facade?
I am not apologetic about who I am but I thought better of myself than just another shallow Hal.

There are so many things that bothers me but most of the time it is the version of what I am within me that I am concern with most.
Shifting paradigm took a big chunk of what I was away when I did it when I was 19.
For the better I hope but there is still a lot of what I am is based on how I perceive the world and myself.

My friend says that I take visual cues much better than audio.
But my wife says that my eyes do not see the truth even when it stare's me in the eye and that I listen a lot better than I see.
My sister though says that I don't pay attention to anything but perceives everything at the same time.
These coming from people that are close to me and sees me every day.
Very contradicting comments but seem to sum up me very well.

I am an enigma?
Or is it that which defines me have not been tagged yet.

Seeing that I am arriving the mid-life portion of my mortal timetable, it is again time to look deep into myself and evaluate if there is a need to upgrade my perception software.

Happy Chinese New Year...

2012-01-23T00:27:00.001+08:00

Enough said.

Enjoy the holidays.

Talk is cheap ...

2012-01-19T11:46:00.002+08:00

That's the general consensus.
We like to put our opinion on things regardless of whether the said subject wants it or not.
It is (in a sense) our god given right to spew thoughts out continuously without holding back the possibility that we are actually rushing into judgment before all the facts are collected.
Which is exactly what I am doing now as well.

Or am I?

I have been told in numerous occasions (almost every single time I open my mouth) that I am too opinionated in my viewing of the world and its inhabitants.
There is just too much "negativity" that I push upon others and it causes them to feel ... uncomfortable.
As it is my nature to listen as much as I talk (which is a lot), I decided some time ago that I shall keep my silence until I am convinced that the other party really wants to hear what I have to say.
I actually warn them by saying "Do you really want to know what I think? I am known for my scathing tongue. And I might still want you as a friend when I am done sharing"

They persist of course to convince me that they are ready for my take on the truth.
And as always, they aren't totally ready.
It usually ends up with them not talking to me for at least a few weeks before they reappear before me again as a socialable individual.
We talk and I will not bring up the "conversation" we had again, even if they prod me to.

Why won't I talk about it?
Is it because I am angry?
Or is it because I think they are not ready to listen the same truth so soon after the last event?

The truth is? None of the above.

I believe that once something is said, it is already out there.
They should actually be able to digest it and come out with a better question or answer.
I rarely like to talk about the same issue multiple times with the same person from the same point of view.
In my mind, conversations should evolve.
Perspectives should be changed as better understanding is obtained.

But if the individual is harping on the same point again and again, that means that they have not properly embrace and understood the subject matter at all.
What is the point in discussing on why is life treating you unfairly when you don't understand that the problem resides in your own actions.
The path we choose changes when we walk upon it.
The scenery, the people, the events all differs when we actually move forward.
Looking back, we try to learn and absorb the lessons that was imbued within it.
Thus allowing the next step to be slightly different and hopefully better aligned to our meaning in life.

Am I forming opinions before I understand the whole story myself?
Too judgmental about what is right and wrong?
You may be right and I appreciate the candidness.
And because of that I chose to move forward and incorporate more insight into my decisions.
We agree to disagree.

If you ask me what is the secret to success today.
I will tell you that I don't know
I am not looking for success in my life.
Instead I am investing all that I am into living a life of no regrets.

Typically slanting ...

2012-01-15T20:54:00.001+08:00

The thing about beauty is that we all like the exotic version. Or should I say the one that is different from our "safe zones".

It does not mean we would take them home to mama but we would not mind flirting with them a little.

Ok, maybe it's just me and a selected few, but that number is no push over either. We have clubs, secret hand shakes and the whole works. We call them cultural exchange.

Now there are those that call us weirdos and racist but that's because these individuals are not confident in themselves. They need the familiar to feel safe. I can't blame them. It is exciting territory.

So here is me throwing a bone to those who like a little oriental variety. They might be small but they bite. Keep your fingers nimble.

PS:

In case there are those who are offended by my words, know that I aim to make smiles, but I am not going to loose sleep over your fragile reality chips.

Happy New Year.

Hazelnut...

2012-01-14T11:59:00.001+08:00

It's been a while since I last heard from a certain nutty someone. She has been sane for a good long while and have been traveling around again. Her postcards do end up on my notice board reminding me her current state of being.

So I thought I would just do the same for her here.

I am fine.

Doing well.

All is dandy.

Love you lots and hope you enjoy life as well.

Toodle do.

It's a little late ...

2012-01-11T13:56:00.002+08:00

... but better than never.
This is the kind of flashmob that I don't mind seeing.

Strange things ensue...

2012-01-08T22:16:00.001+08:00

Just going through my head on what I need to do move ahead.

First thing...

Wake up.

Second thing...

Remember.

Third thing...

Smile.

Fourth thing...

Share.

Happiness is not absent in our life.

We are the one excluding it from coming in.

Focusing so much of the bad stuff makes us unappreciative of the good parts.

Nonsense?

In what I term as a force upon epiphany I realize that I have forgotten the very lesson that I learned when I was 13 years old.

I don't need people to make me happy.

I am happy enough for all of us.

If your gloomy and want to vent, go ahead and do it.

Once your done you no longer have a reason to be gloomy anymore.

If you persist to stay at that state, you have no one to blame other than yourself.

It's that simple.

So good morning to you all and before you know it, something strange has happened.

You might actually be alright.

Life just gave you a second chance to smile and be happy with yourself.

It's 2012 ...

2012-01-01T03:32:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year people.
Its official.
We are at the threshold of a new Era.
One way or another things are going to be different for all of us.

Not of this world (maybe) ...

2011-12-31T04:00:00.000+08:00

I have been told by a certain individual that I am the"New Breed" of what is categorized as "GoodHusbandry" of our current timeline.

Why was such a statement uttered, you asked?

Simply because I was doing chores at home while my wife unitwas gallivanting around town with her girlfriends having a good time.

Personally I don't see the issue, but it seems that it wassomething of a weird occurrence equivalent to "UFO Sightings". Bothof which are not possible yet clobbered with such overwhelming undeniable evidence that it cannot be ignored by the mere brush of hands.

I would say that I am doing something that my wife would dofor me if I ever so wanted to go running around with my friends shopping. Itjust so happens that I have no such need, thus she does not need to invest in suchactivity for me. I do however have a tendency to spend a lot of time working in frontof my computer and she graciously allows me to do so without giving me too muchgrief over the matter.

So there, it is a fair exchange of time and money.

I make the cash.

She spends them.

To be fair, she spends her money and mine so she is not biasin that area.

And I am all good for it.

I am not a spender.

I enjoy working, the money is a secondary outcome ofthe event, so it is not a problem when my wife helps me utilize it for ourbenefits.

I know the post sounds like I am speaking in a reveresreference manner.

But the truth is, I really don't mind it.

When one is in a relationship, we do things that allows ourpartners to achieve the highest possible score in happiness experience gauge. It is our duty and pleasure to see them laughand smile. Why should it be a problem at all?

I can guess of course on why most people are not happy withthat particular formula.

What might that be?

It is simple.

People are rather selfish when happiness is in play.

They want to be the one happiest.

Actually some might even go to the extend to be the ONLY ONEhappy.

And that my friends is where I am at a cross roads withthem.

Oh, I agree that we must do the things that we are happy of.

Why would anyone do anything that makes them unhappy.

It is just insane to not be so or that your brain is saddled with too much ofprescriptive drugs.

I do the things I do because it makes me happy.

I just have a different definition on how to achieve the said happiness.

I get a kick whenever I see my love ones smile.

A giggle in the morning will make my entire day seem bright.

A good laugh from the belly gives me a tingle on everypossible synapse in my body.

A sincere "I love you" will basically sign my lifeover to whomever that utters it.

I thrive on the happiness that I draped over the peoplearound me.

But wait.

Doesn't that mean that I am basing my entire life on whatother people think?

Doesn't that give them power over me?

The answer?

No. It only seems to be so but it is not.

I am still my own master.

My soul is still mine.

The things that I am looking for in life is true happinesswhich I can bring from my actions.

If I am unable to make another smile, it merely means that Ihave more to do in order to achieve it.

Am I unhappy?

Nope. On the contrary, I am in essence more excited becausethere is a challenge at hand.

To be able to bring that smile to light is a goal in mylife.

That is the part which I keep telling my wife and explainingto her why I love her so.

Because making her smile is more than just her exercisingsome facial muscles.

It is the corner stone to something bigger.

It creates the sense of fulfillment that washes away everythingthat is the ickiness that tries to tarnish the sensibility of the living.

Another day, another smile.

Another tick in the box until the end days.

What better life can one ask for.

The day before the day before the new year ...

2011-12-30T10:09:00.001+08:00

Its time again for the reflection of the year.
In summary I would like to say that the year has been rather amusing and intoxicating.
I had some new toys.
I made a few friends.
Got me some new insights.
Let go of some weights.

In reality, I actually feel that I had actually lived through an entire year instead of the usual feeling of "where did the time fly?"
Which is why I am rather sad that the year is gone.

The thing that got me thinking was of course the prediction of 2012.
Don't laugh, well not too loud anyway.
Throughout the whole year, one of my most common phrase was "If 2012 was the end of it all, why should I waste my time on these trivial things?" or "If its all going to end soon, I don't want to end it with regrets."
These notions brought about a certain change in me that was so subtle, I almost missed it all together.

I took a lot less crap, I gave a lot less crap as well.
It was all just not worth the effort, I had more important things to do in my life than fret over these irrelevant people and thoughts.

I was given a second chance to live.
And I took it all without hesitation..
Life is just too short to waste it on the things that refrains it from shinning it brightest.

So people, here is me.
We have shared something together.
We have shared our life.
Thank you.

See you soon.

Boogie man...

2011-12-28T19:44:00.001+08:00

The things that I see while leaving the office is bizarre.

I got flashed a few weeks back.

Today I get to see a man shitting in front of the restaurant aptly named "the library".

Of course we can safely say the said individual is not of the sane category, so no mystery there.

But the question begs to be asked is why this particular area?

Does the city attract more crazies than other places?

Is it really that popular?

Or maybe something more illusive?

A few more days and it will be a new year.

Hopefully a new beginning to a manageable path.

Christmas mornings...

2011-12-25T07:41:00.001+08:00

It's not just holiday, people.

It's the season when being good is a bit more about the best that we are then just being nice.

Sitting in church now posting is the first for me. For you twitter fans that might not be something new.

Anyway, merry Christmas friends and all.

May the seasons bring you happiness and laughter.

PS. If 2012 IS the end of days then let this last Christmas be the best of them all.

When you think you know ...

2011-12-21T20:34:00.000+08:00

To all Joss Whedon fans ...
I will have some words for you ...

"The Cabin in the Woods"

Good hunting.

Confuse?

2011-12-20T12:10:00.002+08:00

No matter where you go, there you are.

I am not for the obvious. But that statement actually makes more sense to me than it would have been a year ago.

Bizarre...

2011-12-14T20:17:00.001+08:00

Something strange just happened to me ten minutes ago.

A woman just flashed her naked breast at me.

Yes, in all their natural wonder.

And in Malaysia.

While traveling to the LRT station.

You can tell that I am lost for words.

It's not what you think ...

2011-12-13T20:33:00.001+08:00

Is stupidiest a word?

I would think that most stupid is how we should word it. But I just read it from a famous blog side that very word.

Children today learn heavily from the world wide web. It's their staple diet for the written word. Yet it is so full of holes, it's not even funny anymore.

Should we be worried?

Does this mean the end of our civilization?

Armageddon was predicted with less reasons, I suppose.

Who am I to berate on the how the English language should be handled. It's not even my mother tounge. Let the whites handle the fallout.

Bit by bit that is how things fall.

Seldom do the masses notice the tiny bits that corrode away in the name of convenience and laziness.

Like all things man, we eventually forget or ignore it and it becomes the truth.

I should really stop.

Whatever will be, will be.

Right?

Right.

Opening move ...

2011-12-12T09:25:00.001+08:00

We seldom think about the rationale for our actions. It comes for like a milisecond and then it's gone. We don't consciously decide why we do it, only that it 'feels' right.

But there is always a reason for all our behavior.

In the world of police investigation it is known as the motive operandy.

My sister and I are huge fans of investigative stories. From Sherlock Holmes to the famous fives, we suck it all up. It speaks volumes about why we do what we do today.

I am a solution analysis and my sister is an auditor. We break things down and understand them. It's what we do.

You can say it's almost like a skylar complex. Just without the murder and psychological madness. The urge to find an answer to almost everything we see and touch is strong.

Understanding and knowing makes us feel complete. Or being a busybody is just our natural state of being.

Maybe both?

Until tomorrow.

Quick fingers ...

2011-12-11T00:45:00.001+08:00

The thing that we often forget is that we were all young.

Young and foolish.

But that's not a crime (yet).

It's not healthy in a long run but essential for anyone trying to grow into adulthood.

Point of matter is we all should let ourselves LET our hairloose sometimes. Mistakes are what we need to remind ourselves of that we stillhave tons of things that we don't know about.

Trying something new here.

This is me typing with my eyes close.

Assuming that my fingers are now touching all the right charactersand I am actually making sense of all the things that I am talking about.

Why am I doing this?

Well...

I think it's because I am trying to clear my head again ofall the rubbish that I am currently keeping within my immediate memory banks.

And it seems like something cool to try out as well.

There are plenty of mistyped words but it seems to be on wordsthat I don't know the proper spellings for, instead of typo's on words that Idon't know about.

... Interesting.

So long story short (not that my stories are ever long thesedays) I am starting to post on a more regular basis, now with my special abilityto put things up to the cyber world on a moment's notice via my handy androidapp. Even short postings are better than none, as I am strong believer on incrementaldevelopment, or in my case incremental improvement of my mental health. Insanity can sometimes be a real pain.

Till we talk again.

The hand ...

2011-12-10T20:35:00.001+08:00

What do you see?

A hand?

I see... my life.

PS: I found chavez again ... by sheer luck.

Waltzing Matilda...

2011-12-05T09:40:00.001+08:00

One foot after the other.

That's what I am trying to do now.

Nothing fancy.

Constant vigilance.

Ensure that I don't waver from my course.

Simple instructions.

But hard to execute in my current condition.

Breath.

Walk.

Do.

Repeat.

Another insight ...

2011-12-03T17:06:00.001+08:00

Just reread my post yesterday and found a tonne of spelling mistakes and grammer issues. My english teacher will be rolling in her grave if she saw this!

Why has that happened?

Has my command of the English language fallen to that level of disrepair?

Am I loosing my ability to form cohesive sentences?

Well here is my theory.

I use the autocompletion mechanism too much. It's like my brain relies heavily on the dictionary to spell words and I just type willy nilly of what I presume to be right, ignoring what is probably signs of my brain being too lazy to engage on meaningful task.

I complain that I had nothing to do yesterday. Indicating that I felt bored and idle for too long a period. But from the evidence that I have been seeing so far that's not exactly true.

I believe that I am not focusing enough of myself into the things that I am doing.

In simple terms I am not committed.

And I want to be.

That's the only way I know how to get things done and done properly.

I just have to keep reminding myself of the important things and committing all of me into them.

For now, that is my meaning of life. The necter of my soul.

Twiddle dee ... twiddle dum ...

2011-12-02T13:52:00.001+08:00

What do we do when we have nothing go do?

Well the simple answer is to find something TO DO.

Feeling weird?

Thinking that I am trying to be funny with your brain?

Take this then, I am not trying to do anything of such.

I AM MESSING WITH YOUR BRAIN.

Every time I blog, I messing with your brain.

When I sneeze I am messing with your brain.

Being alive is all about messing with our brain.

So stop being such a paranoid.

Anyway this is me talking about me.

Not you.

Not her.

Me.

Simplicity at it's finest.

Is it boredom?

Nope.

Is it a midlife crisis?

Nope.

It's just the machine in me trying to find less idle time in it's system queue processes. I don't do idle well. Bad things happen when I am fiddling with my fingers.

Thus is this strange post formed. My mind requires distractions. Something to occupy the synapse.

Time to get a tablet perhaps? Or not?

Time and my wife will decided on that.

Let us see then.

What the future has installed for this ghost shell of mine.

I had dreams of these ...

2011-11-28T10:30:00.001+08:00

The strangest thing that is going through my head these days are that of dreams ranging from 'oblivion' the game to 'how best to make a proper English Breakfast set'. I can't explain it, hence the strange part.

People may find all these dreams to be a sign of things to come or of things that might be.

Me? It smells like my brain trying to sort out the junk from the jewels.

Or maybe is it the other way around.

There are so many things that go through our life that it's not inconceivable that our consious mind can't process them all. So it outsourced it to the subconscious to handle the overflow.

The dreams of vivid and I know that I am dreaming. It's bizarre in that manner as well.

I am obviously chalking this up the stress alley. Fear is as strong a feeling as well as a motivation. And I believe that this stress that I am feeling is fear induced. Coming up to the big 40. It's guaranteed to bring up some boogey mans.

Let the dance begin.

The thing in which we see ...

2011-11-27T16:54:00.001+08:00

We all try to be the best that we can be. But often fall short from the mark.

That's ok.

It's actually fine to be off by a bit.

The secrete is to aim high so that even in failure it's not too bad.

Some might say that it's planning for failure, to all their own oppion.

Me? It's call plan B.

And plan C and D and E.

I plan for everything and anything possible.

Is this a failure mentality? Not having enough balls to hang it out there?

Well it depends on who you talk to then.

There is a fine line between being courages and being stupid. Success favours the prepared mind. And a prepared mind always has more than one plan on deck.

Be the best.

Prepare for the worst.

Expect everything in between.

Quadrant II ...

2011-11-21T13:30:00.001+08:00

Trying to put everything of ones life into four little boxes used to be simple for me. Those were the days where the most important stuff in life circled around things like work and getting laid.

Now that I have those particular things checked off from my checklist, it became a bit blurry for my "important stuff to do list".

Eventually though things catch up and I have to address them. The reality is seldom what we expect them to be.

Of course some people might say that I should have gotten my act together much earlier.

Me, the plan ahead guy.

Me, the know what is best for everyone person.

Me, the have an answer to everything jerk.

Well lets put it simply.

I am not perfect.

Never had been.

I might know what to do but it does not mean I can solve all things without mistakes. Hell I expect that I make more mistakes than the usual Joe for the sheer fact that 'I know' what the mistakes are.

So here I am doing my thing.

Trying to walk my talk without tripping all over the floor.

Hopefully be able to pick up all the right clues and do the right thing.

Should this ever be of any help to others, this is exactly what I envisioned the meaning of life to be.

Somethings should be more important than being urgent ...

2011-11-19T10:46:00.001+08:00

Have been falling sick very often these days. So much so my boss is thinking of sending me to a health farm. That is his round about way of telling me his pissed off at my attendance ratio.

Strangely though I am not too bothered by what he thinks.

Why?

Because I am rearranging my quadrant objectives.

I am shifting the important and urgent stuffs around. Its essential that I do this as my gut says its time.

Life is going to be fun again.

Paper plane ...

2011-11-04T09:48:00.001+08:00

Every morning when I go to work, I wonder what I will be archiving today.

It's not a hard question or complex mystery.

But yet it tends to have no answer.

It's almost like asking for the meaning of life itself.

Of a thought that is totally out of context, I think the most asked question in the world right now would be what's for breakfast.

This is me now.

Thoughts jumping around.

Learning to type using 2 thumbs and make less mistakes as possible.

So back to topic.

What will I be achieving today?

What contribution would I be putting put to this world?

Is it a surprise that I have no answers?

Or is that suppose to be the right answer?

Not knowing.

Just doing it and see what the day will bring.

Seriously.

I don't know.

But at least I have asked the question.

And now I am going to find the answer.

Mistakes ...

2011-11-03T09:54:00.001+08:00

Once a while I remiss into a state of depression that takes me back to the times where all the mistakes I made in life comes haunting every corner of my mind.

Things that I could have done differently.

Choices that would have made things better instead of what it is now.

And everyone of them hurts as much as it had been when it happened.

Plus the fact that I have taken near to one whole month to type this post says something.

Unfortunately I still don't hear it yet.

These mistakes reminds me of the fragility that we all wear on our sleeves but ignore until its too late.

Therapy is required I think.

Definitely.

Making the world a better place ...

2011-10-14T19:15:00.000+08:00

2 weeks.
That is how long I have been offline from the internet world.
The computer was on.
I wrote software.
I replied company emails.

But I did not visit a single blog site, read news, Facebook or Message anyone.

Why?
Firstly I wanted to see if I could survive my "offline" journey.
Second I was "over" connected, as my sister puts it.

With my Galaxy S2 in my pocket, I was in every sense fully "plugged" into the internet.
And for the first time in my life, I felt suffocated from all the information flowing into my life.

It used to be me sitting in a train and reading a book.
But now it was reading real-time news and posting comments every second of the way.
So much so that I felt that I did not have enough time to do everything online anymore.
The fact that I was spending more time online than off says something about my perception of reality in the cyber world.

So I stopped.
I stop hooking myself up to the internet world for stuff that did not involve work.

And strangely I started to feel much better.
My health actually started to get back on track.
Less tired.

So why am I back on the blogs again?
Because the 2 weeks was an experiment.
A way to prove to me that I was over dependent on the connectivity into cyber reality.
I needed to step back and literally smell the roses.

Moderation is essential of all things in life.
Till I post again.

Note: The 2 postings that I did on Steve Jobs passing is not counted because it was meant to be a tribute to the man that changed the face of computing.

Think Different ...

2011-10-07T13:31:00.001+08:00

Yeah, apparently I miss him more than I realized.
I am in a state of mourning for a man which I never really agreed with but admired tremendously.

And one more thing ...

2011-10-06T10:51:00.002+08:00

Yes.
He has passed on.

Thanks Steve.
See you on the flip side.

I am not who you think I am ...

2011-09-27T18:42:00.001+08:00

I find the strange thing about me is that I am very much unsure of who I am whenever I ask the question myself.

Or course the people around me would vehemently deny that it is not possible and that I am merely pulling their leg on this, I assure that I am not as "confident" as I look.

I know generally what I want in life.
I know almost how I wish to achieve it.
But I do not know who I am in full "money back guarantee" scenarios.

For instance, if I am to be asked if I will willingly sacrifice myself for the greater good, I would actually pause and ask "how much of greater good are we talking about here?"

Does that mean I am a selfish bastard?
Or does it merely indicate me as a pragmatic individual that do not believe in wasteful usage of ones limited resource?

I don't know.

I am not sure if I would run to the middle of the road just to save a child.
I am not sure if I can even run into a burning building to save another life.
I definitely know that I won't jump into the pool to save a drowning person as I don't know how to swim.
What does that say about me?

I am no hero.
Do not wish to be.
Never want to be.
Yet, that is what others expect of me whenever there is a burning building in the vicinity.
They look at me and their eyes say "Why are you still standing here?"

Why are you looking at me?
I don't save lives.
I advice them to buy proper insurance and live healthy.
But don't you expect me to jump in and pull you out of every single ash ridden situation you get yourself into.

Yet ... {sigh}

The wandering eye ...

2011-09-20T09:47:00.001+08:00

It is a known rule that when one is in a relationship, it is bad taste to be oggling at other people.

Especially if that said partner is standing beside you.

The other word that can be used is being disrespectful to the oggled and the partner.

I agree.

But ...

What if all that we are doing is admiring a piece of art?

As for those who is going to start saying that I am objectifying these people, I can tell you now it is a "yes".

When I say art, I am talking about an Object of Beauty crafted by a master sculptur. So you lower your pitchforks and torches.

I am very honest with myself and those around me. I love my wife with all my heart and soul. But that does not mean I need to abstain from enjoying the beauties that the lord created on earth.

Enjoying is arguably the most open ended word here.

So let me clarify.

Enjoying as in appreciating the work of art via our visual equipment.

To take in the radiant that it emits.

Not to stain it with our impurities.

That is how we saviour the art form of life.

And it doesn't hurt to have an understanding wife that which trust us enough to allow such appreciation.

Its Malaysia day ...

2011-09-16T09:07:00.001+08:00

... and I am working.

Why?

Mainly because that's what I am paid to do. And I have a training session with my Singaporean vendor.

Intergrating into the 3rd party system to obtain usable data and pushing money making request into the chain of what is known as online bookings.

This is what we do.

My bread and butter.

or so we are led to believe.

Yet is it trully so?

Something had been brewing behind mind that is telling me something bigger is at play. Or could be brought to play.

My fingers are still seeking a point to stick it.

It's there.

I just need to focus a little more.

Just a little more.

Here is the thing ...

2011-09-02T13:27:00.003+08:00

Here is the latest toy that I am really really keen on getting my hands on.
Its not something that I can explain to people other than I am a junkie for gadgets.
I don't buy a lot of them but this year, I told myself that I will be investing my hard earn cash into the android phone and tablets so that I can move into the new era of computing.

I am dead set on getting a android tablet, the only thing stopping me now is which device should I invest on. It was last known to my friends that I would be getting my hands on a Toshiba Thrive but they have delayed their release date in Malaysia for so long that I STILL CAN'T get my hands on one.

Maybe its a blessing in disguise but out of nowhere came the Samsung Tablet 7.7.
This baby has everything that I wanted in a tablet, the power, the size and the capability to expand its internal memory size.

With a whooping 1.4 Dual Core Processor and 8 GB of Internal RAM, it is now one of the coolest device to exist on the market. And the 7.7 inch size is what I have been yearning for the longest time. 8.9 to 10.1 inches range has always been a deterrent point for me.

So hopefully this baby will land on Malaysian shores soon and I can hold it in my hands for the next 2 years as my De facto mobile productivity device.

Bring on the Samsung dope.
I need my gadget addiction fix.

In love with coffee ...

2011-08-31T20:42:00.001+08:00

I can't remember how many times I have blog about this coffee place, but Truth be told I am not about to stop.

It trully has one of the best tasting coffee around.

Maybe I am running out of interesting stuff in my life.

Just maybe ...

:: Posted via my spiffy Galaxy S2 ::

Maybe nothing's ...

2011-08-25T10:16:00.001+08:00

Apparently Steve job's resigning from CEO position.

What does that mean to the normal consumer like you and me?

Well nothing really.

We who buy apple products don't do so because of Steve.

It's because its functional and because its hip.

Apple has brought the computer world into a new era with its practical approach and their dedication to simplicity.

They did not create the tablet but they were instrumental to its growth into our daily life.

The fact that I am typing this on mobile phone instead of my desktop is the simple evidence that Apple succeeded to change the face of modern consumer computing.

People often mistaken Apple's success as a technological breakthrough but in reality its was a marriage of marketing and practicality that put Apple on the map.

Say what you may of the Jobian distortion field but the fact remains that he manage to take a dream and make it real. Never waving from the principle that everything must work and work well.

So will Apple continue with its current success? Maybe.

Yet I can't but help to feel lost when such a visionary steps down from the field of battle after so long. And also wonder when will the next reality distorter emerge and lead us into a new computing world.

:: Posted via my spiffy Galaxy S2 ::

What is love ...

2011-08-22T10:17:00.002+08:00

A friend post a question about the difference between sex and making love.

Its quite a common question that many feel inadequately answered. Isn't it the same? Merely a difference in wording nothing more.

Yet to those of us who have tasted the fruit knows it isn't.

Simply put ...

Sex is fucking of the body.

Making love is fucking of the soul.

Sex can be explained with words like ecstasy and climax.

A masterbation is sex with ourselves. Sex with another person without love is still sex with ourselves.

Making love though is different.

Its an exchange of soul between partners.

You don't just climax.

You pass a piece of yourself over to the party when it is done right.

A true act of love is our willingness to open ourselves up to another, a solemn trust that they will guard and protect that which we have shared with them.

Which is what makes loving making so sensual and pure. It's not physical but a liberation of the heart.

Based upon trust, love and understanding, a successful Love making session frees us of our self doubt and negativity.

Its something that is simple but hard to achieve. Mainly because we are so guarded today. Trust is a hard commodity to find.

Take this posting as it is.

My words are a mere shadow of the whole.

Hopefully enough to help point at the right direction for those who seek it.

:: Posted via my spiffy Galaxy S2 ::

Hidden in the attic ...

2011-08-18T02:17:00.001+08:00

There are many of us that believe we can change the world ... once upon a time.

Our passion drove us to the point of suicidal tendencies.

Some of us actually still believe so.

And those are ones we label as the crazies.

I am one of these crazy tomatoes.

Though I hide it well, there are people that can see it on my eyes. The swirling mist of mischief that seem to say "I know something you don't "

Though mellowed down, I am still trying my best to achieve that ultimate goal.

Saving the world one clam at a time.

Passion and stupidity are close bed partners.

Take your pick.

I don't mind at all.

:: Posted via my spiffy Galaxy S2 ::

It's ok ...

2011-08-13T21:14:00.001+08:00

There are times when every thing will seem impossible and unsolvable.

As if there is no choice left but defeat.

Yet it is in those desperate hours that allows our true self to emerge.

To be all that we can be.

Pushing away all the excuses and standing up to the one thing that blocks our path.

Our selves.

It's ok to be afraid.

it's ok to be not strong enough.

It's even ok to wet our pants.

It only means that we are human.

Accepting that fact is the first step in finding a solution.

Acknowledging our weakness gives us the initial direction towards where we can go to solve the unsolvable.

So don't let a little self doubt stop you from being all that you can be.

Everything will be ok.

Whatever shall be will be.

:: Posted from my Samsung Galaxy S2 ::

One ...

2011-08-10T22:07:00.001+08:00

The thing about life is that everyone start from the first level.

Regardless of race, gender or wealth.

Some might disagree but the fact that its true makes it a mute point.

Now the trick is to move to the next level.

How does one achieve that?

I'm the kind that wonders about this often.

Did I level up?

Or was it just another test to see that I am worthy to attempt the task.

I ask because I am constantly pushing myself further.

That extra step might be the one that pushes me forward.

Or maybe pull me back to my proper expectation.

I won't know until I try.

Can't ask anymore then that.

:: Posted from my Samsung Galaxy S2 ::

Seek and hide ...

2011-08-09T00:30:00.001+08:00

Everyday at 12am my alarm will ring and remind me that its time to do my thing.

What is the thing?

Well it depends on the day.

On weekdays it would be for me to sleep.

On weekend's it would be for me to start preparing tomorrow's agenda.

sometimes it would be for me to start my alter ego, and start donning my special gear and go save the world from utter destruction.

But today is different.

Today is to remind me to put my thoughts in order.

To post it up and stencil it into the world of digital glyph.

As all things blog, the content is merely one tenth of its intent.

So take home what you may of this post knowing that I am not gushing out mindless spews from the recess of my brain.

There is a reason for this thing.

A purpose that is for you to find if you seek it deeply.

Good night and happy dreams.

:: Posted from my Samsung Galaxy S2 ::

Learning to type again ...

2011-07-31T16:11:00.001+08:00

Using a text editor to key in text is not as fast as i am hoping for.

Changing my keyboard type is not helping much.

At the end am back to using the gingerbread keyboard in portrait mode. My finger or more specifically my thumb is fighting for dominance of the limited space on the phone.

That's it for today's report on using my Galaxy S2.

:: Posted from my Samsung Galaxy S2 ::

The world according to me...

2011-07-30T18:52:00.001+08:00

Am trying to learn of a new way to blog by using two hands to type what I want on the phone without looking at the keypad.

It seems to be working.

With some mostly finger mistakes littered all throughout the post.

But it does seem possible for me to put up a lengthy post without a lot of hassle. Gingerbread stock keyboard seems to be able to handle my typing with ease.

Interestingly enough that it manages to guess most of what I need without too much trouble. Though changing words in the middle of a written sentence can be a bit of a chore.

Fully posted with my Samsung Galaxy S2.

Putting aside the ego ...

2011-07-30T11:02:00.000+08:00

I had an excuse before that I had no way to conveniently put postings up here because I had no way of immediately putting my thoughts into words and post it into the blogsphere. So imagine my surprise when I still don't post enough up here since I got my new fangled Samsung galaxy S2 seven days ago.

I thought I would be jumping straight back in and pushing my thoughts and words to you all constantly.

But the truth is ...

... I am just too distracted to do everything.

Distracted in the general area of work, life and addiction.

The first 2 is easy enough to interpret without bringing out Ms.Miriam Webster.

So what is that addiction part that I am talking about?

That would be something that I generally term as Lust.
Yes, Lust.
No sugar coating.
No beating around the bush.

Straight simple Lust.

Yes, sex is involved.
But its not the only thing involved.

Here is the wiki definition of the word.
Which is more or less accurate.
But the version that I am inkling here about is closer to what Meher Baba's talks about.

Its about the weight of the mind which makes daily life a heavy subject instead of its true form of simplicity and delightfulness.

I am not the only one which is having this anchor in their heads.
Most people around us have it, in one form or another.
Mine is centered around my need for gratification in sensual urges.
The wife understands this and helps me along.
And I am truly grateful for her love and support.
While gracefully recovering with the withdrawal symptoms slowly ebbing away.

Am I still addicted to sex?

Lets now put it in perspective.
I am beginning to really enjoy it again instead of just seeking the high it brings.
The jubilation comes in the form of every action that is associated in the process of achieving the orgasming finale.
But please remember that orgasm is merely a part of sex, its not the only thing (which I was addicted to).
And I believe the wife sense it as well because she seems much happier than before.
Her happiness gives me more ecstasy than everything else in the world.
Which is why I believe the name of the action eventually becomes making love.
As that is what we are doing.

So why am I posting this here?
Such personal thoughts are not something that most will share.
But I learned that part of the process for recovery is to acknowledge that I have a problem and not hide it from the world. To share my experience and to allow it to come to light so that I can move on from it.

Lust is a confusion of the mind and soul.
In order to awake from it, one must embrace the truth of it and not shy away from the consequences.
It is not easy but it is quite simple.

One more thing, I will like to thank again for your continuous support of this blog.
Though most of you do not leave any remarks but I know (from Google Analytics) that you visit here often.

So thank you all.
Might the light shine your path always.

There is something in the air ...

2011-07-26T11:53:00.001+08:00

After getting into having pain killers as a staple diet for a few weeks, its nice to be finally off it and gain some semblance of normality in life.

Being like "house" is not something that people should aspire to be.

The best part of it is that my body no longer smell like a walking dispensary.

Blogging on the droid...

2011-07-25T11:47:00.001+08:00

Finally succumbed to the power of The Android Army.

Hope to have more stuff to share in the future.

Hi ho silver away.

Hurt but not broken ...

2011-07-12T12:40:00.001+08:00

When we act like the way we do, is it really a mystery that we get what we get?

Point in matter is something that I recently went through.
A former coworker (one which I never did really liked) saw me and ignored me even though I was talking to him on the street. He just plain ignored me and talked to the person beside me instead.

Now, truth be told, I felt rather hurt by this.
So it bugged be the entire day up until midnight when I realized that I was being stupid.
I mean, I use to treat him with contempt when we were working together.
So why in the world should he treat me any other way?
Why am I unhappy or in shock over his apparent attitude towards me.
I reap what I sow.

That is what got to me at the end.
Though I never liked the guy, I don't hate him, I just never enjoyed his work etiquette and managerial skills. So I gave the guy a hard time all through the tenure of our working relationship.

In simple term, I was a pain in the ass to him.

So here and now, why should I be surprised by his mannerism towards me?

Just because I forgive and forgot does not mean that others will do the same.
So here is me saying to myself, "Dude, smell the roses."
For whatever reasons that I had for what I did back then, it was yesterday and I salvaged all that I could of that situation.

There is no excuse for being a jerk.
With so many ways to achieve the same outcome, I chose the most direct way.
An experience which I learned and keep within my book.

Learning using the trial by error route gives us a lot of pain and scars.
Sometimes it hurts so much that one can only surmised it as being an idiot for making that choice.
But chose I did and I embrace the hurt that came with it.
There are always 2 sides of every incident.
A pro and a con.
And I need to learn from both of them.

Yes, I am hurt.
But I am not yet broken.
Will keep on moving.
Keep on learning.
Keep living.

Someone once said that the only way we know we are still alive is because we can still feel the pain of living. I am not sure if its true or not, but it does sound "zen-ish".

Catching the breeze ...

2011-07-11T18:32:00.001+08:00

Not to be too blunt but life has been good lately.
The definition of good is open to debate though.

I have manage to crack my collar bone a few weeks back.
Lost and gained some unneeded weight.
Pissed off 70% of my work force.
And I manage put myself in a Benedict Arnold type of situation where if I fail, it would be so spectacular it should go down in the history books as the "idiot that did that".

Yet through out the whole weeks of all these happenings, I found something that over shadows everything.

I found peace.

In the middle of all the turmoil, I looked upon the heavens to seek divine intervention.
And I got only one answer.
And the word was "Embrace It".

Well, it was more than just words, there were visuals to help me comprehend the concept of it.
But the gist of it was just that.

Embrace it all.
Take it in.
Be at peace.

The usual me would try to say more.
But the truth is, there is nothing more to say.
They used to call these a "particular faith".
And I can't find a better description for it.

Paper blogging - 20110704

2011-07-04T12:43:00.003+08:00

For those who can't read my writing, here is the plain text version

4 | July
Fear is a constant in life
Ignoring it will not lessen its impact
Embracing it can ~~left~~ help lessen its power
But facing it head on despite every fiber of our body complaining is the only way we can move forward.

Some call it courage.
I don't feel courageous at all.
I feel sick and scared.
But I will not run away.
If this is what it takes to do the right thing.
Then fear can take it up the ass.
I am going to do what I should.

PS: I made some spelling changes in the text version, apparently I don't spell so well without a computer under my fingers.

Kicking up the dust ...

2011-06-28T16:19:00.000+08:00

The strange thing about writing a diary and blogging is that after a certain time, you feel as if you have ran out of things to pour out into the world of words.

There is just so much one can tell about ones own life.
We do not live the interesting life of Mr.Bond or Alex Ryder.
And frankly speaking, constantly posting stuff about how we narrowly missed being killed or blown up gets kind of stale after the first 20 times.
Seriously, if you are always getting away with surviving the near misses, it becomes like a norm which is expected of you.

"Of course James Bond survives, his the title character isn't he? Now we should look at the girls that he almost always gets romantically involve, thats where the story is."

Which is what I think eventually becomes the focus of their lives.

What about you and me?
Its obvious, isn't it?
Our stories are basically about the people around us, instead of us.
We are the plain, uninteresting, menial stain on the wall.
But them drama queens or hot jocks, those are the interesting people which warrant posting about.

But alas, even those subjects are far and few.
Our life is just not as interesting as we hope it to be.

That is only to be expected when we keep doing the same thing every single day.
Nothing can change, which is the meaning of the word "constant".
Which is synonymous with "boring".

So here is me trying to move away from that "constant".
Pitching myself onto something which is "unsafe".

I have decided to start caring a bit more.
Loving a little further.
Fearing a little less.

The result of it could be a lot more hurt, maybe a bit more tears.
But it is that which I am suddenly passionate about again.
People.

Eventually of course, it will come down to how much of pain I can withstand.
Or more appropriately, how much of love I can muster.
But at least, I am willing to try again.

Seriously ...

2011-06-21T10:27:00.002+08:00

. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . ,.-'". . . . . . . . . .``~.,
. . . . . . . .. . . . . .,.-". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ."-.,
. . . . .. . . . . . ..,/. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ":,
. . . . . . . .. .,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\,
. . . . . . . . . /. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,}
. . . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:`^`.}
. . . . . . . ./. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:". . . ./
. . . . . . .?. . . __. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :`. . . ./
. . . . . . . /__.(. . ."~-,_. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,:`. . . .. ./
. . . . . . /(_. . "~,_. . . .."~,_. . . . . . . . . .,:`. . . . _/
. . . .. .{.._$;_. . ."=,_. . . ."-,_. . . ,.-~-,}, .~"; /. .. .}
. . .. . .((. . .*~_. . . ."=-._. . .";,,./`. . /" . . . ./. .. ../
. . . .. . .\`~,. . .."~.,. . . . . . . . . ..`. . .}. . . . . . ../
. . . . . .(. ..`=-,,. . . .`. . . . . . . . . . . ..(. . . ;_,,-"
. . . . . ../.`~,. . ..`-.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..\. . /\
. . . . . . \`~.*-,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..|,./.....\,__
,,_. . . . . }.>-._\. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . ..`=~-,
. .. `=~-,_\_. . . `\,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . . .`=~-,,.\,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . `:,, . . . . . . . . . . . . . `\. . . . . . ..__
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .`=-,. . . . . . . . . .,%`>--

Got to hop ...

2011-06-03T11:42:00.000+08:00

So just the facts.

1. Have been working my ass off due to a promise I made to a friend.
2. Migraine has been more frequent for unknown reasons but I blame the weather.
3. Found out that I am actually married and did not dream up the whole thing.
4. Pray that if it was a dream, I will never wake up ... ever.

I will make an effort to post more but time schedules have made it very hard to sit down and really put proper wordings into thoughts.

Am patiently waiting for my dateline to come so that I can get myself a Tablet which will give me the ability to better utilize my time during commuting and do some proper postings.

Long blogs are really hard to do when I am using my PDA.

Thanks for visiting.

A somewhat semi review for the stories of the boy who lived ...

2011-05-19T10:01:00.000+08:00

The Harry Potter stories came to a conclusion in 2007.

I however only finished reading them 4 days ago.
It took me 3 weeks of scrounging up 30 minutes here and there to go through all 7 books, which was surprisingly a nice way to read.

The hardest book to finish (for me personally) was Book 5 - The Order of the Phoenix.
Reason being, in this particular span of Harry's life, he was almost consistently angry.
I couldn't stand the parts in which he throws his anger around like a cudgel onto everyone especially his close friends.
I had to stop reading every once in a while so that my emotions don't get too carried away with it.

According to some reviewers, book 5 was one of the peak in the stories but I simply do not feel that to be true for me.

I personally like Book 1 and 6 the most.

The stories archs for The Philosopher's Stone and The Half Blood Prince is very well written where I, as a reader, was carried into a much richer world and deeper character development. It is here that I start to truly paid attention to Severus Snape.

As a whole, J.K.Rawling did a wonderful job of creating a world where adults and children are able to hide for a few hours from the harshness of the daily grind.

Scratching the surface ...

2011-05-10T19:07:00.000+08:00

We seldom dwell deep into a problem until its too late.
Understanding what makes things happen is essential to solving it completely.
A simple concept but seldom applied.

I used to go deep, so much so, my coworkers will be pissed off at how detail I want things to be.
But that has changed a lot since I was that dedicated to finding the truth about everything.
For years, I have convinced myself that it was for the better that I let my grip loosen.
Letting people come up for air and not feel drowned whenever they are working with me.
And because of that, I too have learned to not take things too seriously.

That is no longer something that I am happy with.
The slip that I have allowed others have somehow contaminated my own principles and philosophy.
It is not their fault that I am letting myself go down that path, I am fully responsible for the decisions that I have wrath upon myself. So it will be me that will resolve this tangled mess that I am in right now.
Letting others go by with their own set of "standards" does not mean that I too have to succumb to their fallacies. In order to create a quality result, I must be willing to put in quality effort.

There is no two way about it.
Garbage in, Garbage out.

Butterflies and Butterbeers...

2011-05-09T10:25:00.002+08:00

Its a bit strange walking into the office today.
My stomach has butterflies.
Something in the air maybe?

Not sure but am thinking that a little giddy is good for the Monday morning health.

Good Morning everyone, Happy Monday to you all.

Stick in the mind ...

2011-05-07T19:00:00.001+08:00

About 2 years back, I started a few extra blogs to better categorized my postings.
Things that made better sense if it was posted under another heading.
The blogs are still there but I have posted less and less these days.
Mainly because I was put into a new position that took away most of my blogging time but at the end it was because I am at a lost within my own world and I could not really put it into words.

I still kept my own hobby running though for a good long while.
i-snap-pictures was having its daily posting non-stop.
But as you would have noticed, even that blog has been suffering from my lack of attention to it.
It does not mean that I have stopped snapping pics (because I haven't) yet it does show that my interest in putting it up on web is wanning.

Somewhere at the back of my head, a voice is telling me that I should not stop.
For one reason or another, it believes that I should persist on it or face a future that is bleak and dark.
And I tend to listen to that voice.
It usually spouts good sensible advice.

So I shall begin my posting of my snaps again soon.

Why am I putting this post up?
Its also come into my attention that I have been ignoring this blog as well.
Work (though important) should no longer be used as an excuse to live the other parts of one's life. And I am cognizant of the situation that I am in right now.

It is unhealthy to be too engross on one part of life for too long, as it might lead to severe depression and mental constipation.

So this is me trying to unknit my brain from its current condition with a persistent exercise of releasing ones thought onto a clear distinctive medium in order to better understand our mental well being. It is almost like what Dumbledore does when he puts his thoughts into the Pensieve, though less "graphical" and more literal.

Thanks for listening.

Flesh and Blood ...

2011-05-05T01:49:00.002+08:00

This is a story based on true events.

"Leave" said the older brother to his siblings.
"Leave now" he said again with a sterner voice.

"But why, brother? Why are you casting us out?" his younger brother ask.
"Why are you forcing us to leave our home?"

"You are not of my blood. You were adopted and will never be my brother."

"But I know no other home. You are my brother since I can remember." pleaded the younger brother again.

"I already told you. Are you deaf? Or are you dumb? You are NOT my brother. You and that thing over there are only here because my mother took pity on you both and allowed you into our house so many years ago. Now I no longer welcome the likes of you or him in MY house."

As the yuonger brother pleaded with his older sibling, the youngest son walked towards his mother.

"Mak, please say something? Please tell abang to let us stay. We know no other mother but you. We have no other home but here. We have been good and have done no wrong. Why is abang kicking us out?"

Suddenly the eldest brother ran over and pushed his youngest brother to the floor.
"MOVE AWAY FROM HER!!!!"
"DO NOT TOUCH HER EVER AGAIN!!! SHE IS MY MOTHER!!! NOT YOURS!!!"

Holding back her oldest son, the mother pleaded.
"Son, please don't hurt them. Just let them go."

"Mother, let me handle this. It was your softness that led our family into this. So don't interfere."

The mother cowered before her own flesh and blood, not wanting to anger him anymore.

"You two piece of trash get out from my roof. You are no longer welcomed here."

The younger brother helped pulled his fallen brother up.
Together they stood there looking at their oldest brother with eyes of confusion.

"Bang. I do not understand why you have forsaken us. We have been brothers for 30 years. We cried and bled together when we were young. We have shared laughter and sadness together when we grew older. Why are you doing this now?" The youngest brother asked.

"You want to know why? Fine, let me tell you why? Because you are not of my blood. You are an outsider. And now you want to take away what is rightfully mine? My mother gave you food and shelter but that does not mean you are my kin. This house belongs to those who are of our flesh. And you are obviously not. Do not ask for anything else from us, we have given you enough to fend for yourself. So leave, your trespassing on private property."

"When have we taken from you, abang?" Questioned the youngest again, still unable to understand why his eldest brother's attitude changed so drastically.

"When? You two have taken what is mine again and again. And you asked me when? The toys that was suppose to be mine, father gave to you because you had better grades. The sawah that was suppose to mine, father gave to him because he worked faster than me. Now this house, he wanted to divide between me and YOU TWO when he died!!! This is my family house. My ancestors have been living in this piece of land for 100 years. And now he wants to give it out to strangers? But luckily he did not write it into a will and only told mother of his decision. And now mother has given it all to me. Her flesh and blood. Her true son. The sawah is mine. The house is mine. You will have nothing."

The two brothers were dumbstruck.
They looked at their eldest brother and then to their mother.

"Mak? Is that true? You no longer want us as your sons anymore?"

The mother looked at them sadly and nodded.

"Now you know. And now you can leave."

"But mak, why? We have always been good to you. We bring all our money back to the family. We love you. Why?"

The mother let out a soft sigh and said,"Although you two have been good to me but only he is my true son. I will not let him be left with nothing. Your father was not thinking properly when he made those decision. I do not wish you two any harm so you should just leave. You are both capable of taking care of yourself now and do not need my protection anymore."

Tears flowed down from their eyes as they felt the invisible knives thrusting through their heart.
Unable to comprehend how all this could have happen when they were so loyal and obedient to the family.

"Mak..." the middle sibling called softly.

"Enough already. She is not your mother. She is mine. Now go before I call the police."

Slowly they walked away, the two young brothers left their home of 30 years silently.

Years passed, and although the two brothers were not born of the same parents, they kept close with each other because in their hearts they were bonded beyond blood.
Eventually they buried their sadness and got on with their lives, in the years to come they too started their own family as well.

The two of them never returned to their kampung and only recently heard that their mother had died a few years after they left. Apparently she was sick with fever and their eldest brother did not send her to the hospital for medical care. The fever eventually took hold of her body and broke down the immune system. She died alone on her bed in an empty house. They never found out what happened to their older brother only that he sold the house and the surrounding land to some real-estate developers that wanted to build a new housing area.

And so ends the story.

There is no intention of making this a moral story.
Nor is it my purpose for this to be a reminder.
It is just a story.
A sad one.
Take from it what you may.

Labour Day ...

2011-05-01T23:00:00.000+08:00

1st of May.
The day we celebrate the people that makes the world go round.
The day in which we remember that the power is with the people that help builds everything.

But yet do we really know and remember these people at all?
To most it is just a holiday.
A day to let go and not be bothered about work.
And that would not be wrong at all, as these are the laborers that do the heavy lifting.

Maybe I am just being sentimental.
As I am commonly known to be a little "gay" in that sense, I am allowed a little leeway on this kind of emotional outburst.

Anyhow ... enjoy your day off tomorrow.
Let your hair down and fluff through the day with no more thoughts of work and stress.

Happy Labour Day.

Joss Whedon might just be a living prophet ...

2011-04-27T11:31:00.000+08:00

For those out there who still remember the Serenity Movie and the Firefly television series would remember that the world in which our dear Captain Reynolds live in is predominantly conversing in the Chinese Mandarin language.

The reason for that is mainly because most of the traveling space people were equip with Chinese space equipment and technology.

With NASA and the European space agency sliding back their funding of space faring adventures, it is now the Chinese government that is pushing into this unknown frontier.

A new space station (tentatively named "TianGong" which means Palace in Heaven) is being built by them and will be the next platform for humans to explore further into space. The next spacecraft to reach Mars might not be coming from the US of A but from the China instead.

At least according to their public relations, China plans to put a man on the moon by no later than 2025.

Joss Whedon might not be a "prophet" but he is as close to any if you ask me.
Long live Joss Whedon.

Note to myself : 20110424 ...

2011-04-24T01:26:00.000+08:00

The issue with programmers is this ... we are programmers.

We programmers tend to think in a way that is very much different from a normal user.
What is "usable" to a programmer is not always in sync with that of a normal user.

That is why most of the applications written by a programmer must go through a user acceptance test , UAT for short or commonly known as "You What?"

Most programmers don't understand the importance of UAT as they think that it's just a redundant process that over complicates the delivery of a product to market.

And that is a fundamental flaw in our basic understanding of a "useable" product.

I learned this lesson the hard way.

The key success factor to any deliverable is the user expectation of the product being delivered.
It is the user's that decides if a product is usable or not.
And that is what user experience and user acceptance test is all about.

One can argue that a user is never satisfied.
Users have a forever wish list that never ends.
There is always another feature that "if" it was there would be then be perfect.
So how can user expectations be used as a yardstick for product delivery goals?

There is a simple answer to that.
We don't.

We don't use their expectations but instead concentrate on their usability experience.

For whatever feature that us delivered, it is to be delivered with the best user experience possible.

For example, if the requirement was to build an application to capture photo's, then the final delivered product must be an application that allows the user to capture the "BEST" photo that they can ever imagine in the simplest and fastest way possible.

An application that not only delivers the ABILITY to capture photographs but to also provide the BEST USER EXPERIENCE in the process of photography.

And that is why USER EXPERIENCE SATISFACTION should always be part of the KEY KPI for product delivery.

Normal programmers seldom think in that perspective.
It's not their fault.
Its hard wired in our thinking pattern to find the best logical approaches to a task.
We are not trained to find the MOST SATISFIED AND LOGICAL path to a task.
It takes a while to even accept that user satisfaction as part of the design cycle.

Best user experience should now be a standard requirement for all product delivery.
Just make sure that it is based upon the practical identified requirements and not the fictional requirements that we conjure up.

It's a learning process.
But it's worth the effort to invest in it.
Only with good user experience would users come back for more of our products.

True colors ...

2011-04-19T11:32:00.000+08:00

Just as I thanked Apple for ushering the birth of an affordable tablet, they go and do something like this.

Seriously?
The law suite sounds like Apple is trying to stifle their competitions.
Which to me is rather ludicrous.
The type of business that Apple pursues are that of quality and class.
Them going about suing people because others have the "audacity" to come up with a "similar" product smells like Apple is turning into a "Bad Guy".

But of course, one must acknowledge that they have the right to protect their intellectual property. So lets see what are they suing on.
The known list are as follows

1. The same rectangular shape with rounded corners on the equipment.
2. The silver edging around the equipment.
3. A flat surface face with substantial top and bottom black borders
4. Design for the slim buttons on the sides of its devices.
5. The gently curving edges on the back
6. The display of colorful square icons with rounded corners
7. Application icons on the devices for the phone, music player, notepad, contacts and settings functions
8. A cleanly designed trade box dominated by an image of the phone, with the device cradled in the box so it appears as soon as the lid is removed
9. The method of text messaging between two people appear in bubbles on opposite sides of the screen

Now that you have read it.
What do you think?
Its almost like Ford suing every single car manufacturer in the world for infringing on their patents of having "Circular Steering Wheels" on their automobiles handling designs.

I am beginning to think that Apple is liking its place at the top and realized that they have enough muscle to stay there by punching at every competitor in the gut.

Would this new "comprehension" of the fruit company hurt iGadget sales?
Of course not.
It sales will continue to soar to greater heights because who does not like "i" stuffs.

Frankly speaking, anyone who is easily "confused" between a Samsung and Apple phones should have their eyes examined.
How in the world can anyone have missed that overly big fruit logo on every one of their product?

Apple and Camelot ...

2011-04-13T21:26:00.000+08:00

These days when I start reading tech news on the web, it is "Apple" this ... "Apple" that.

One would think that the entire Technological world is now revolving around JUST APPLE alone.

Everyone is trying to be the next "Apple".

My daily lunch discussions have the same pattern as well.
It is mostly about Apple and its path to world domination.
Remember the good old days when we use to say that Microsoft was taking over the world one PC at a time instead?

Does big corporate moguls always get portrayed as the one that will make the world kneel to their wishes? Or is it something that we put upon them ourselves?

Like the kings of old.
Arthur and Camelot.
Which people are saying to be fictitious.

No, Mr.Jobs is not Arthur.
He will not be delivering us from the brutal onslaught of bad user experience.
He is not the epitome of what it means to do things right.
He is just a man like us.
So please don't make him out to be the messiah reborn.

I do thank him for making my dream come true.
And that is the actual delivery of a workable portable tablet.
Because of him, I will be able to finally read from an electronic device that weighs less than 600 grams.
Thank you Steve Jobs.

Fun down south ...

2011-04-11T11:12:00.000+08:00

Once a while I do the Blogspot adventure thing.
That is to actually press the button on the top bar and get sent to an unknown site just to see who else in our world still post interesting topics.

And wow.
First click and I found her.
An interesting person who has a knack to say the simplest things and making them sound funnier than it actually is.
A mom.
A comedian.
A cat lover with huge guinea pigs.

Mission accomplished.

We are what?

2011-04-07T20:26:00.001+08:00

According to this article, apparently we are the top in our English class.

I am surprised.
Very surprised.

As I am with the impression that our control of the English language is rather shabby.
Other than words used in cursing, which we seem to excel in leaps and bounds in all languages.

There must be a mistake somewhere.
We don't speak English.
We speak a mangled version of Malay, Chinese and English with a tint of Tamil just for spice.

Considering that most of us watch American Shows on a daily, I am surprised we don't all speak with an American accent.

Yet, I find most of us speaks with an Australian slang.
With the amounts of "No Worries" and "Mates" that float around, I could well be in Wollongong instead of Kuala Lumpur.

Chaos ... or not ...

2011-04-04T01:26:00.001+08:00

Its a new show.
Its funny.
That's all you need to know.

You're gonna take me home ...

2011-04-03T01:44:00.000+08:00

This is the reason why I love youtube.
Seriously.
I can't stop listening to her.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

5 New ways ...

2011-04-02T23:07:00.001+08:00

Take a look at what the future of blogging will look like ...

I am quite fond of the mosaic view but not as a blog but as a business tool.
It fills my mind up with potential possibilities.

Coolmaster X2 ...

2011-04-01T14:41:00.002+08:00

Just bought a cooler for my notebook and it feels a bit strange typing on an elevated keyboard.
It might take sometime to get use to this.

My hands feels like its hanging on air.
So I am using a towel to prop my hands up so that it does not feel so out of place.
It does feels more natural than it was before.

Most importantly is that the notebook seems to be less hot.

Lets see if this works out for all of us.

Booh ....

2011-03-31T07:18:00.005+08:00

If you take a part of something and start commenting it for what it is, you usually end up looking like an idiot or worst yet, a politician.

The story is as old as man.
But it seems like we don't really learn.

But maybe its good for business.

I am going to go kiss my wife again now.
Why?
Because I love doing it.

Just a friendly reminder.
We started the journey to death the day we were conceived.
So stop worrying about it coming for a visit.
Don't forget to Live Your Life while you still have one.

Because you asked for it ...

2011-03-29T15:50:00.002+08:00

She-Ra : Princess of Power

izso says ...
... I deliver.

Wonder Woman ...

2011-03-28T09:46:00.002+08:00

When puberty came knocking, she was the first woman that come to mind.
Don't be offended.
Its the hormone talking.
But its true.
At least for those of us who follow DC comics.

Wonder Woman is the epitome of a goddess.

Intelligent.
Sexy.
Kick-ass.

Anyway, found this image while going through yahoo news and thought I should share it with you guys as well.

Its not a real promo picture.
But it sure is shinny.

World Invasion - Battle Los Angeles

2011-03-25T10:13:00.008+08:00

As the name implies it has something to do with the movie that is currently shown in a theater near you.
The gist of the movie is already indicated within the title itself.
So no spoilers there.

Went and watched the movie with my best friend and felt that it was a rather entertaining show for its action genre.
I mean, its not an Oscar Nominated Movie.
Well, maybe for special effects but definitely not for its value in story telling.

This is the story line...
The premise - Los Angeles.
The city of Angels.
The problem - Invaders from Space.
The solution - A lot of bullets and C4, plus a few ballistic missiles.

So anyway, both of us enjoyed the movie for its effects and I recommended it to my colleague at work on the basis that it was a gun throttling, building exploding show.

And of course, trusting my taste, he went with his wife last night.

Big mistake in my part.

Apparently, he and his wife almost puked their guts out half way through the movie.
According to him, majority of the people in the cinema had the same "greenish" look on their face when the movie ended.

The reason for the vomit inducing reflex?
Sorry, if your guessing its the "shallow" story line, its not.
It was caused by the consistent "jittering" effect that is employed throughout the show in order to show its "authenticity" for being in a combat zone.

Personally I was not effected by it.
But apparently it happens to everyone else.

So I apologized to my colleague on my bad recommendation.
Take heed from my experience on this.
Should have kept my recommendations to "The King's Speech" or "The Social Network".

Second post of the day ...

2011-03-24T19:03:00.001+08:00

Small steps.
Shorter time lines.
More visual results.
Simpler approaches.

That is what I am going to be attacking.

The issue with large projects, is that when its not done properly, it is very destructive in the morale department.
Like a never ending road in purgatory.

With smaller chunks, it becomes easier to chew.

Focus and consistent result based delivery will bring me out of this stupor that I am in.

Do you see?

2011-03-24T15:30:00.003+08:00

Subtle but substantial.
I made a small change to the look of the site.
If you pay attention you might see it.

A work in progress but definitely a move forward.

Work has been creeping up on me and its my fault that its able to do that.

Focus.
Keep on focus.

As the water rides in ...

2011-03-22T23:53:00.000+08:00

Just like yesterday
it's scent lingers of possibilities
what could have been
what would have been
my past, my present, my future
yet it is not so

Different from the current...

I want to cry
but tears do come forth to comfort me
only the fickle touch of acid rain
washing my face away
leaving behind my eroded skull

As yesterday
happiness ceased to be
Life as I know it
Is no more

Birds flying in the wind ...

2011-03-22T10:40:00.004+08:00

Rebooted.

Well not really.
Just re-imaged.

Finally made the decision to just use the stock Blogger templates for this blog.
The previous free template codes were giving me a lot of strange behavior.

So here is the new look.
Will update the background to something more "personal" in the ensuing weeks.

Thanks for visiting.

My Blog have been acting strange lately ...

2011-03-21T19:05:00.002+08:00

My Blog have been acting strange lately.
It could be Blogspot itself or the JavaScript it employs causing these mysterious happenings.

I am honestly not sure.

Anyway, the past few days have been rather silent for me.
Due to the fact that my throat is soar and I could not talk loudly if I do talk at all.

The wife unit would have been enjoying her peace and quiet if not for the fact that her monthly pain had not come visiting.

So the both of us are not having the best of time right now.

Will put up something nice later when we recover from our "pain".

McApple ...

2011-03-19T10:48:00.005+08:00

When I first seeing postings in facebook on subjects like children within the age of 2 - 5 playing with iPads, I was fascinated at how well children integrated with modern electronic devices.

These poster's claim that their children seems to be smarter after utilizing apps created in iPad for children. They are able to spell, count and make proper sentences after only 1 year of iPad exposure.

The stories are remarkable.

And then somewhere at the back of my brain it shouted ...
"It's McDonald's all over again."

One of the reason why McDonald's is so successful now as a franchise is because of their ability to capture an entire generation of youngsters during the 80's and 90's.

When I was young, the most consistent commercial that I get to see whenever I am watching TV would be McDonald's.

Its more or less engrave into our brain structure now.

With parents now purchasing iPad's for their children as toys (be it expensive toys) they are now slowly integrated into the Apple branding. Which basically means, Apple just bought an entire generation of Apple users.

With the quality of the devices being so high, it would not be far fetched to predict that the future desktops, notebooks and tablets would slowly be dominated by these "Apple Generation" babies.

If Microsoft, Google and HP do not start making their tools more "accessible" to these younger generations, they aim to face a whole new world of users shifting from their products to that of the Apple logo.

Children of today will eventually forgo the windows and androids for their childhood companion.

Just look at how many of the our childhood "cartoon" movies are created and you will see how strongly people cling to their toys and dreams.

Apple is not just aiming to claim the throne for today.
Their aiming to claim the throne for the next 40 years.

I just can't stop myself ...

2011-03-16T14:50:00.004+08:00

What constitutes to an addiction?
I am currently refraining myself from going to Wikipedia for a definition.

So this is me trying to make an interpretation on the subject of addiction.

From my perspective, the nutshell on it would be this ...

A consistent lack of ability in controlling oneself from performing an action or behavior towards a particular subject matter.

It does not get any simpler than that.

So if you find that you are unable to stop eating candy's even if you know that you should stop, that would constitute an addiction.

Another example would be, the total inability to stop ourselves from booting up the computer when we get home, would also be an addiction.

The same goes with people who can't leave their iPad's out of hands read even when they are only going out to the balcony for a nicotine stab. Yes people its an addiction.

So I can safely say that I am an addict as well.

I am addicted to my wife.
I have all the markers of an addict when it comes to my infatuation of her.

Everyday, everywhere, anytime, my mind will always tend to float towards her.

I might see a pretty dress and instantly my mind will conjure a picture of her in it.

Or that I am in a conversation and an interesting topic jumps up, my mind will be marking it down as something that I should tell her later.

Even when I am working on a software design, the patterns might remind me of the places that I want to visit with her on our next vacation.

Every time I walk pass her, I have to kiss her or touch her.
When we go out, her hands are always within mine.
At night when we go to bed, I tell her how much I love her.

We have been together for 11 years.
And I still can't get enough of her.

So yeah, I am addicted to my wife.
And I will not want it any other way.

Really?

2011-03-14T11:56:00.002+08:00

The latest tasteless cartoon that appeared in one of our national daily gave me pause when I first saw it on the stand.

Really?
This is the kind of humor that we promote?
The kind of pain that wrecked my heart was staggering.

Its been many years since I made the decision to give up a chance to live and work in a foreign country because I believed that I was needed back in at my home to help build a better future.

I felt that it was part of my obligations to contribute back to those who had helped given me my life.

But now?
After all these years of working and living among my fellow countryman, I finally realized that I no longer have that fire in me anymore.

It has been drenched from my heart by all the bigotry and narrow-mindedness leaders that we have in office.

"Isn't it the same everywhere?" you say.

I am ashamed to say that on a majority, it seems to be so.

There are exceptions of course and that is the sad part.
Freedom, Justice and Honor are the exception cases.

I can almost hear the cries of the faithful that echo their ancestors.
"Why have you forsaken us, lord?"
"Why have you allowed these charlatan's to poison the world you created?"

The grievance is the same.
Yet we do not learn from history.

We had always been given the freedom of choice.
That singular most powerful ability that is of man.

So choose.

Don't cry.
Don't complain.
Don't blame.
Choose.

Because if you don't.
Someone else will do it for you and you might not enjoy the outcome that it reaps.

Those who don't stand for something, will fall for anything ...

2011-03-11T15:08:00.000+08:00

A famous quote used by a lot of famous people, yet not fully appreciated for the magnitude that it represents.

Human's today tend to survive day by day without much thought of purpose or objective.

We eat.
We sleep.
We shit.
Repeat cycle.

Day in day out, the same routine again and again.
There is no real motivation to be better.
To be stronger.
To be more.

Movies that we remember watching always has a theme or a message that they want to convey.
The stronger the message, the more compelling the story.

It would be the same with our life.
There should be a purpose to it.
It does not NEED one but it should HAVE one.

History has again and again shown us that those who live for a purpose are often those who will achieve greatness.
One simple life can change the course of history itself.
A simple choice can create a whole new world of possibility.
All because of their unwavering strive towards a goal.

Maybe that is why so many people around the world love a good game of football/soccer/rugby.
A singular purpose that inspires billions of people to cheer and cry at the same time.
All just to see a ball fly through the goal posts.

In a recent article I read about Steve Jobs, it says that if they were to point out the one singular trait that explains why he is what he is today, it would be his persistent view on what he wants to achieve in whatever he sets out to do.
And that sense of purpose is what drives him and those that he inspires to follow him into the abyss and beyond.

The same can be said for all those who were before him.
These leaders, martyrs, presidents and prophets all have the same trait.
Their refusal to silently go into the night and the ability to show the world what they see when everyone else don't.

The simple science of courtship ...

2011-03-10T21:06:00.001+08:00

The idea of getting into a relationship with another person is one which most people do without much consideration.

Statistically we tend meet our other half at places that is surprisingly of diverse origin.
For instance at bars.
At parties.
At cinemas.
At restaurants.
At the side of a road.
The hospital.

And hooking up with total strangers.

Of course we will like to tell ourselves that we did get to know them first before getting into a real relationship.

One way is to spend a substantial amount of time in observation in order to properly obtain useful perspective of our person of interest.
It takes time and effort to analyze the data that might become useful information before any sound judgment can be made.

Then there is the other way which is "love".
If love is present than everything else are just details.
All is good when love is in session.

Most will say "love is blind".

My version of it is "Desperation is blind".

What it is that we want in which we knowingly switch off all the alarm bells in order to gain companionship?
That fabled thing that we call "love"?

Ah, but those of you who have been following my blog will say that I am a strong advocate of "Love".

Am I not madly in love with my wife?
Am I not the one that will willingly walk onto air with nothing but faith?

So how can I say such things about the one thing that I am so passionately provocating?

That my friends is because I understand what it means to be in love before participating in the ritual of courtship.
I went in with my eyes wide open.

My sense of "love" is based upon the foundation of understanding and acceptance.

I do not thread lightly on these grounds because I believe them to be sacred.
I believe them to be fragile as well.
Constant effort and vigilance are required to keep them well nurtured and healthy.

You don't just ask for love.
You work for it.
Day and Night.
Twenty Four by Seven.
Never a day off.
That is what love is.
A constant motion of giving to the individuals all that we are and more.

I made it point to know my wife before I was in love with her.

When the dance started 11 years ago, it started with a fact finding mission.
One after another, I gained more and more intel on her and the life that she leads.
And the more I understood, the more I felt that I can love her.
At the end, I gave her my soul because I know deep down she will never betray it.

So what is love?
It's the day that we commit our time to someone other than ourselves.
It's the days where her smile is worth more than a trillion dollars.
It's when we know deep down, we are not alone anymore.
A decision that is founded upon trust and interdependency.
But most of all, a vow to share the rest of my life with another soul that completes me.

I do not say "I love you" because it's what she wants to hear.
I say because it is the truth.

How do Giants change the world ...

2011-03-06T19:09:00.003+08:00

There has been a lot of talk about the new iPad release on the 2nd of March 2011.

Some hail it as a better tool for normal consumers.
Some call it a 1/2 upgrade that is meant to snub their competitors on the nose.

The non-tech savvy general public as a whole does not really have an opinion on this matter other than "it looks cool" and is very much integrated in their daily activities.
Activities like reading a novel and web surfing.
Social networking works like a charm with their Twitter and Facebook apps.

Simply put, its a very much useful gadget for 90% of my friends.
With their current price cut of the version 1 iPad down to a measly RM1199, it becomes an even more attractive purchased to those who don't own one of them.

It is arguably one of the most interesting gadget that has surfaced for the last 10 years. One that integrates itself into our daily lives so nicely that it lives up to the phrase "Plug and Play" better than anything else in the market right now.

So the question that comes to focus is "Why is only Apple" able to do it?

Its been 1 whole year since iPad came into our living sphere and a lot of other manufacturers have thrown in their version of the Pads/Tables/Slates, but why is Apple still getting so much attention?

Why haven't the market "balance" itself out yet?

Some say its because iOS is currently a much better OS than their competition, which is Android and WebOS (just to name a few).

Some say that its because Apple's App Store has more Apps than those of their competitors.

Some say that its because Apple makes nicer looking gadgets than all their competitors.

Some (though few) say that its all a hype and it will eventually grow stale.

I personally believe that its all of the above and none of it at the same time.

If we look at the iGadgets and broaden our perception a bit, we will find that one of the most successful aspect that these gadgets have is that all of them actually does what it says its suppose to do, and it does them very well.

Some people don't see it that way, but they know it to be true deep within themselves.

Looks look at this via an example.

The first version of the iPod plays music.
Its what it was created for and it does it very well.
It gave its user a very convenient way to do just that one thing.
Creating a portable jukebox that can play up to hours of non-stop music and with little to no hassle.
As newer versions were introduced, it kept its original objective well within its sight.
Today the latest version of the iPod (which is basically the iPhone without the phone capability) is much more than its first generation ever was, yet it is still predominantly a bloody good Jukebox and it is priced relatively exactly as it was when it first came to market.
Apple never waiver from its primary objective.

The same pattern applies itself in iPhone, iPad and all the other apple devices.

iPod as a music device.
iPhone as a communication device.
iPad as an entertainment device.

The key to Apple's success is their uncanny ability to focus on what their tools are meant to address and sticks to it.

As of now, none of the competitors that is rushing into the market have that kind of focus. Their grasping at the hints that Apple (which means Steve Jobs) leaves around during their keynote addresses. Desperately trying to figure out how to be at PAR with what they come up with.

The only other person that I know of that has that ability is now philanthroping around the world, spreading his wealth and knowledge to those that wants it.

These people are giants by themselves and seems to be invincible when facing enormous odds. Yet they are very much human beings like the rest of us.

Their core behavior are very similar in the sense that they know exactly what they want and they aren't too shy about the way they go about getting it.

Which is why they garner so much attention as well as resentment.

Will Apple continue to strive into higher places, as Microsoft did when it was still under the nurturing hands of their founder?

Only time will tell as history writes itself another chapter of how greatness is achieved by simply being honest to oneself and dedicating all that is within us to reaching that goal.

PS: I don't own a single piece of Apple hardware currently nor do I see myself getting one in the near future, so please don't tag me as an Apple Fanboy. I am typing this blog using my trusty Dell (running windows 7) while connecting to the internet via my Sony Ericsson W901 phone.
This is just my personal opinion on the subject matter based upon my understanding and analysis of the information available to me.
Thank you for reading.

The winds will blow ...

2011-03-04T10:53:00.003+08:00

I have been very quiet for the pass week because I was sick again.
Traveling in Taiwan gave me a strong strain of flu virus that just won't quit.
Wife and I were quarantined at home for the whole week with constant medication and a bag full of medication.

Now that I am better, I thought I would just drop a note here to tell you guys "Hi".

The latest news that might be of interest would be my decision to purchase an iPad sometime in the next few months.

Why?

Because they decided to slash their machine by RM300 when iPad 2 was announced.
So now its at a price range that I am quite comfortable with.

Plus with most of the current owners deciding to ditch their "old" unit for a new iPad 2, they would be a huge influx of semi used iPads availble in EBay or Mudah for cheapskates like me to get it for no more than say RM700.

So now owning an iPad would not make a huge dent in my wallet and I get to have a eReader that is comfortable in my hands.

I wonder if this is part of Apples plan when they introduced this new version.
It would definitely fit the kind of schemer I visualized Mr.Jobs to be.
Bravo.
Nicely played.

Moving mountains ...

2011-02-25T00:06:00.003+08:00

Once upon a time, I had the notion that in order to make things work, I must always have the correct tools in order get them done. Be it a proper chart creator, a fancy hardware or a state of the art development software. The right tools needs to be at hand in order for it to be done perfectly.

Today, I know that its not entirely correct.

Getting things done is all about setting our mind in its proper state.

Under normal circumstance, the tools might help get me to the end point a little faster but it does not necessary dictate my ability to complete the task successfully.

Of course there are tasks that depends on (or is) the equipment itself. For instance a computer software does require the usage of a computer that will allow us to compile codes into a running application. But does the type of computer dictate our ability to deliver the designated task?

In reality, no.

As long as the computer meets the basic requirement of being able to process a list of computer instruction then our hardware need would be theoretically fulfilled. Even the oldest "punch card" mainframes are considered usable for delivery. A damn steep climb to reach the top but still workable.

My point?

Simply that the primary parameter that dictate the successfulness of a task predominantly resides with our mind set and not the tools. It is our minds that fuel the initiative to find better and bolder solutions to the task at hand. Bending the rules of possibility to achieve what was previously deemed impossible.

I know that there are more than enough arguments that can be had with my examples. The whole notion is based upon very shaky ground. But I stand by my principle that getting things done always starts from within us, the tools are just there to help get us get going.

If we can make a 640,000 KG pile of steel fly in the air then we can basically achieve anything we set our mind to accomplish.

2:38AM in Taipei ...

2011-02-18T02:38:00.007+08:00

Its 2:38AM in Taipei and I am waiting for my clothes to finish its dry cycle.

If you haven't guess already, I am currently not where I am normally at this time of the year.

I have tried to write travel blogs before but it never seem to come to a proper conclusion. I put up a few pre-post (like movie trailers) but I never follow it through to the end.

This time is not going to be any different either.

Am no good with posting about my vacations or trips to other places.
I don't mind putting up some of the pictures with comments.
But not a play by play run down.

Seriously, its harder than it seems to be.
Thus people like Sharon should be commended for their ability to put up all those post of their trips around the globe.

So here are some pictures that I snapped while going around a Taipei hotspot.

Its tremendously busy and crowded.

And here is a gem I found among the mass of human flesh.

To tell the truth I am rather surprised at the alarming amount of cute people I see in Taipei. Everywhere I look I tend to see cute looking humanoids.

My current running theory is the quality of the water supply that gives the people here that fine shiny skin.

Even I feel as if I am much better looking while looking in the mirror here.
If this can be proven, more people will start visiting Taipei.

The new Visit Taiwan tag line will be ...
"Come visit Taiwan. We make people pretty."

Valentines Day ...

2011-02-14T23:28:00.000+08:00

Am sitting in a foreign country,
holding my love of life in my hands.
Enjoying the February breeze going through our hair.
Thinking ...
... this is what life is all about.

More than meets the eyes ...

2011-02-12T01:41:00.002+08:00

Its like this, apparently Valentine's Day is now a day in which sinful acts are tightly associated. And further more these said acts are an integral part of a religious practice as per Valentine's Day ritual.

So say the guy with a stick up his nether regions.

It's not to say I don't understand where his views are coming from.
The sheer fact that I do understand it means I know what his complaining about.
But why in the world must he request that Valentine's Day itself be banned?

Yes, my fellow friends.

The good Samaritan wishes to BAN Valentine's Day because according to his understanding, the celebration of love is just a precursor to abandonment of moral values and free flow sex romps.

It is from a statistics somewhere which somehow implicates that the number of "unwanted babies" left in the hospitals/dumpsters/roadsides are highest for impregnation during certain periods of time where one of which is Valentine's Day.

This is a simple case of people blaming the wrong thing for the right reason.

The problem of baby dumping is a very serious social issue.

But it's not cause by celebrating Valentine's Day.
It is caused by people who do not owe up to their actions.
This kind of irresponsible action can happen anytime, anywhere.
Pegging a "holiday" and blaming it as the cause is like saying a woman will be raped because she was born beautiful.

Telling people that they are going to go to purgatory when they commit such a sin does not create the same kind of effect as it did 30 years ago.

Educating people that we are all responsible of our own actions does not cut down the act of committing the crime as well.

So what can we do to help build a better morally inclined society.
Where the sense of Justice is strong and doing the right thing is not just a socially expected behavior.
It needs to be a part of us, our principle to all that we do.

Its a much deeper issue than just "Not celebrating Valentine's Day".

Pushing beliefs and moral justification upon those who do not live by it is but the first step of instigating a rebellion. It forces them to close their mind and heart from listening. And if push any harder, what we get is a lot of people doing a lot of stupid things because they are angry at being told that they are wrong.

No one likes to be told that their wrong, even when they KNOW that they are wrong, let alone in this case, they don't believe that they are wrong to begin with.

So all this noise will only get negative reactions from the very people that we are trying to help.

"So what do YOU propose we do, smarty pants, huh?"

If I knew the answer, I would be at the level of the likes of Gandhi.

But what I do know is this.

Pushing beliefs on people who holds opinions different from ours will always turn out badly for us at the end and no closer to our goals.

So I will end this post by sharing what I tell my juniors whenever I try to teach them what proper design is all about.

"The way in which the proper designs are done, is by understanding the business rules that drives the outcome. Don't just focus on the results but instead try to find the motivation for producing it as well. By knowing why it is done and what gets done, will show you exactly how it can be done. And if we are lucky, we might even learn how to live a good life as well"

Make it so ...

2011-02-09T15:09:00.001+08:00

The thing that I am constantly going on about of these days is "Choice"
I can't stop talking about it.
Almost all my conversation with my friends and relatives is about our ability to choose what we want to be in our life.
Me, the young buck telling my seniors that they can be different by just choosing it to be.
Of course, they tell me otherwise.
They know better and that my notion that change is our right is "non-practical" and "non-realistic".
Change is but an illusion.
Something that they tell children, along with Santa and the Easter Bunny.
Nothing ever changes.
The outer layer might be different but deep down, it's always the same.

Jaded?
Yes.
Misguided?
Not really.
They have their point.
The world have shown us again and again that it is reluctant to change.
No matter how much we push it to another path, it pushes back so that it ends up the same again.
There are people that have given their entire life trying to change the world into a better place and got burned for it.

Yet does that mean that change is an illusion?
To me, it is just something not easily accomplished.
Then again everything worth doing is never easy either.

So we come back to choice.
Are these choices that we make worth the price we pay for?
The majority says "No"
But in the history books, it is the minority that believes which manages to change our world.
If not by a lot but a little better than it was before.

It is these choices that our forefathers make which gave us our freedom today.
It is these choices that created our society as it is now.
It will be these kind of choices that we make that helps mold the world of our children.

Choose to be true to our hearts.
Choose on a change for the better.
And the world will be a better place because we care enough to do what needs to be done.

Dear Sharon ...

2011-02-07T11:08:00.002+08:00

I think most of us actually know that we don't fit in.
We just TRY to fit in.
After all, we are all unique individuals.
Our actions, our thoughts, our motivation, all vary in some degree.

For those who fits in nicely are the ones who are most comfortable with being themselves.

Look around and observe a bit.
You see people always flocking to the one with the most confidence.
They stand out among the crowd not because of their height, but because of their shine.

Do they fit in?
No, they don't.
What they do is just being themselves.
And people love them for who they are.

They are of course the exceptions.
Like me for instance.
I don't flock over to these shiny objects in the sky.
Not because I dislike the warmth they give, but because I don't like the crowd.
I prefer the quite sceneries of the lesser.
2 or 4 people at most is already enough.
But even if I was the only one walking around, I would still be content.
Because I enjoy life as it is.

My point?
Being a misfit is not a problem.
Not liking ourselves for being misfits will eventually be a problem.

Happy Chinese New Year Sharon.
May the year of the Rabbits bring you the cheerfulness that all rabbits bring.

PS: You look is Stunning in this picture.

Something in me ...

2011-01-26T15:25:00.001+08:00

izchan presents ...

:: Something in me
Today
There is you
There is me
And there is the dream of something more

Sometimes I take a long breath
Just so that I could have your scent in me deeper
Knowing that is enough
to make my life mean something
more than just seconds on a ticking clock

Thank you for believing
that we can be something more
A set completed
with laughter and tears

I love you
more today than yesterday
And Even if tomorrow never comes
I am content
because as of now
I have you in my heart and soul
and that's enough for me and the rest of my life

A little something that happen this morning ...

2011-01-25T16:33:00.002+08:00

While getting out from the cab today, I noticed a pouch on the side of the road.
A grey little thing with no particular shine to it.
Yet it did catch my eye.
So I walked over and picked it up.

Lull. What do I find?

An almost brand new HTC Wildfire.

I looked around to see if there was anyone who was running around looking for something.
No individual fit that description.

So I tried to access the phone.
It used one those new fangled Android locking system where you had to draw out a pattern instead of typing in a password.
Thus denying me the ability to contact the owners home or friends.

The second thing I checked was the battery meter.
It had 80% of juice left in it, so it's going to be able to run for a while at least.

Since I was rushing to work, I decided that I will just pocket the thing and wait for the owner to contact me when they find out its missing.
And as I suspected, no more than 15 minutes into my train ride, the little android phone started dancing to the tune of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.

I told the owner that I am on my way to KLCC and that he can come over to the train station to pick up the phone.
So 15 minutes later in front of the KLCC ticket counter, I stood and waited for a stranger to come meet up.

With that many people walking around the station, it was a surprise that the owner manage to identify me at all.
But he did.

A young man in his late twenties walked up to me and asked "Are you the person who found my phone?".
I answered "Yes, I am." and handed the phone to him.

He shook my hand.
Thanked me.
Shook my hand again and I left him standing there looking at his phone while I continued walking to work.

The reason why I read his stuff ...

2011-01-24T12:52:00.000+08:00

Will Wheaton says the most interesting things in the most interesting ways possible.

His not Joss Whedon.
But he will do untill Joss gets his mojo back.

Classic ...

2011-01-21T12:34:00.000+08:00

There is a reason why these things live forever.

Something straight and narrow ...

2011-01-14T18:27:00.002+08:00

This is my mother.

Not to that extreme but she will never let me get away with failing.
But it does not mean that I always win.

There can only be one Number One.
I tend to end up somewhere around the top ten but never the first.

To some extent I always felt that I let my mom down, even though I know she was never disappointed with me.
But she does always believe that I can do better.
Always better.

I use to hate that.
Because it is never good enough.
I still hate it actually but I am no longer resentful of it.

Doing my best is often not good enough.
Because we either get it right or we don't.
Telling ourselves that it's the best that we can do is merely a way of saying that I failed with pride.

In the teachings that my mother put upon me, failure is failure is and always will be failure.

The amount of stress that it brings to a person's mental state is so severe that it does not do us any favors.

Yet, that is how I am taught.

It is also the reason why we never give up.
Why we keep pushing on.
Bulldozing our way through obstacles.
Because our best is not good enough when we fail at the end.

I believe that Mom could have taught me that theory some other way, though I am not sure how that can be done.
As a strong willed, thick headed and stubborn mule, I know how hard it is to make me do anything that I refuse.
Yet she manage it none the less.
I am who I am today mostly because of how she perceives me to be.
She (as a mother) sees the potential that I can be more than I can (or ever will).

Is her method correct?
I am not in a position to criticized.
Because I am the product of her actions.

What I do know is that I am grateful for mother and all that she has done for me.
Will I do the same to my children?
I am not sure.
But I believe that I will not want my children to ever give up on their potentials.
And I will do anything and everything that I can to make it happen.

Happiness is a habit ...

2011-01-11T10:33:00.001+08:00

It's not something new to me.
Oprah introduced me to this notion when I was 19 years old.
As time passed, I slowly forgot about it.
And eventually lost it totally.

It took a close friend of mine to remind me of it a few days back.
Apparently GOD felt that I needed a reminder and sent him my way.

For the past few years, I have been more or less under a gloomy cloud.
I am not unhappy but I was not as happy as I would have been otherwise.
My wife noticed that I am smiling a lot more these days regardless of the situation.

The kind of liberation with the return of my old habit is astonishing.
Will keep an update of my progress here.

Cheers.

2011-01-08T10:53:00.000+08:00

Every morning I come into the office and listen to this particular guy sing this.

The way they render music is something that can only be described as an "Eargasm".
Hope you enjoy their brand of making sounds much better than it is.

Its good to know ...

2011-01-07T13:01:00.000+08:00

It is one of those things that I have always wanted to know about.

What actually goes through my love of life mind whenever I make her scream like a banshee.

Well, it seems like I have an answer.

So what is the answer?
Everything.

Every sensory nerve is active and engaged.
Now I know why she claws my back until it bleeds.
She is just sharing the experience with me in here own "unique" way.