Finis Origine Pendet

Why push for productivity

2010-03-04T07:58:00.001+08:00

(Source)

Recalling his words, Mr Lim said the Hougang opposition MP did not seem to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Singapore today is squeezed from both sides. 'The cheaper countries are getting better, the better countries are getting cheaper. So what option do we have?' Mr Lim asked.

'As a labour movement, we are prepared to bite the bullets and say 'Yes, it's not easy to survive the future but die, die must try.' The way to go is to be cheaper, better and faster. No other option.'

This is so true.

Save the Children, Save the Civilians

2010-02-26T11:18:00.003+08:00

Are the US there to kill children or the Taliban?
UN: 346 Afghan children killed in 2009, more than half by NATO (Source)

The United Nations said Wednesday that 346 children were killed in Afghanistan last year, more than half of them by NATO forces, mostly in airstrikes. "In 2009, 346 children were killed," Radhika Coomaraswamy, the special representative of the UN secretary general for children and armed conflict, said in Kabul after a seven-day visit the country.

She said 131 children were killed in airstrikes, while 22 were killed in nighttime raids by international special forces.

Taliban militants were responsible for the deaths of 128 children last year, with seven of the children used by militants as suicide bombers, she said. In 38 cases, it was not possible to determine who had killed the children.

More than 2,400 civilians were killed last year, the deadliest for Afghan civilians since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, according to the UN.

Coomaraswamy said she met with NATO commander in Afghanistan US General Stanley McChrystal, who assured her that troops "will work with the UN to ensure better protection for children."

But she noted that "recent events in the past months are cause of concern."

About 50 civilians have been killed since the NATO forces began their biggest-ever operation in the southern province of Helmand nearly two weeks ago. At least 27 of the casualties were caused by a NATO airstrike, and 12 others were killed by NATO rockets.

McChrystal said he has put protecting civilians at centre of his war strategy and has ordered the 113,000 international troops to limit the use of airstrikes.

Attacks by Taliban on schools reached their highest level in 2009, with more than 600 incidents recorded, Coomaraswamy said.

War on Children (Source)

Mr Alimy says his research shows it is happening in the south and even in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

"It's true they make the boys wear girls' clothes and make them dance in front of many men," he said.

The powerful men he refers to are often former warlords who helped drive the Taliban out of the north. Others are wealthy businessmen. Under the Taliban, bacha bazi was outlawed.

Afghan Senators Demand Execution of Foreign Troops(Source)

But some senators went farther, demanding that NATO or US military men responsible for the deaths be executed. Senator Hamidullah Tokhi of Uuzgan complained to Pajhwok that the foreign forces had killed civilians in such incidents time and again, and kept apologizing but then repeating the fatal mistake: "Anyone killing an ordinary Afghan should be executed in public."

Lawmaker Fatima Aziz of Qunduz concurred, observing, "We saw foreign troops time and again that they killed innocent people, something unbearable for the already war-weary Afghans."

Maulvi Abdul Wali Raji, a senator from Baghlan Province, called for the Muslim law of an 'eye for an eye' to be applied to foreign troops for civilian deaths. Pajhwok concludes, "Mohammad Alam Izdiyar said civilian deaths were the major reason behind the widening gap between the people and Afghan government."

Note that those speaking this way are not Taliban, but rather elected members of the Afghanistan National Parliament, whose government is supposedly a close US ally.

The warning

2010-02-20T15:28:00.001+08:00

Veteran FRONTLINE producer unearths the hidden history of the nation's worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. At the center of it all he finds Brooksley Born, who speaks for the first time on television about her failed campaign to regulate the secretive, multitrillion-dollar derivatives market whose crash helped trigger the financial collapse in the fall of 2008.

This is getting interesting

2010-02-20T15:15:00.005+08:00

Dubai wants head of Mossad arrested over Hamas assassination
...
Lieutenant-General Dahi Khalfan Tamim called on Interpol, in a statement last night, to issue a red arrest notice seeking Mr Dagan’s extradition “as a killer in case Mossad is proved to be behind the crime, which is most likely now”.

An insider close to the case confirmed that Mr Dagan and Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, are top of the Gulf state’s wanted list.
...

Terrorism: the most meaningless and manipulated word
Yesterday, Joseph Stack deliberately flew an airplane into a building housing IRS offices in Austin, Texas, in order to advance the political grievances he outlined in a perfectly cogent suicide-manifesto.
...
Despite all that, The New York Times' Brian Stelter documents the deep reluctance of cable news chatterers and government officials to label the incident an act of "terrorism," even though -- as Dave Neiwert ably documents -- it perfectly fits, indeed is a classic illustration of, every official definition of that term. The issue isn't whether Stack's grievances are real or his responses just; it is that the act unquestionably comports with the official definition. But as NBC's Pete Williams said of the official insistence that this was not an act of Terrorism: there are "a couple of reasons to say that . . . One is he’s an American citizen." Fox News' Megan Kelley asked Catherine Herridge about these denials: "I take it that they mean terrorism in the larger sense that most of us are used to?," to which Herridge replied: "they mean terrorism in that capital T way."

All of this underscores, yet again, that Terrorism is simultaneously the single most meaningless and most manipulated word in the American political lexicon. The term now has virtually nothing to do with the act itself and everything to do with the identity of the actor, especially his or her religious identity.
...

Frustrated Owner Bulldozes Home Ahead Of Foreclosure
Like many people, Terry Hoskins has had troubles with his bank. But his solution to foreclosure might be unique.

Hoskins said he's been in a struggle with RiverHills Bank over his Clermont County home for nearly a decade, a struggle that was coming to an end as the bank began foreclosure proceedings on his $350,000 home.

"When I see I owe $160,000 on a home valued at $350,000, and someone decides they want to take it – no, I wasn't going to stand for that, so I took it down," Hoskins said.
...

More David Garrett music

2010-02-19T22:42:00.002+08:00

Antonin Dvorak, Humoresque

OMG... he actually performed at paragon b4.
Serenade

Michael Jackson tribute(Did anyone ever imagined playing michael jackson's songs on a violin?)

Meda Response to 911 truth movement

2010-02-17T07:16:00.001+08:00

I. Introduction

Until 2009, doubts about the official 9/11 story were briefly entertained by the mainstream media on each anniversary of the event, allowing the independent research community only a fleeting moment once a year to publicly voice its findings.

But after crucial scientific evidence emerged in April 2009 to challenge the official story of how the towers fell, a spate of European media reports followed. The news coverage of this evidence seems to have opened the door to more serious reflection on all aspects of the 9/11 issue in the major media.

The first paper in my series, "The Media Response to 9/11," dealt with the New Statesman's grudging recognition of Dr. David Ray Griffin, the world's "top truther" (as it dubbed him), placing him number 41 among "The 50 People Who Matter Today."1 Since this admission in September 2009, the issue has gathered increasing momentum.

The collective content issuing from this new momentum is presented here in the hope that it will embolden other major media to take up the pivotal controversy concerning 9/11, and pursuing the truth wherever it may lead.

Observations on the Analysis

While carrying out my analysis, I observed five new features in the media treatment of the 9/11 issue that developed as 2009 progressed. They are listed here, so that readers might look for them in the case studies that follow below:

1. The 9/11 issue is increasingly framed not as conspiracy theories versus hard science, but as a legitimate controversy resting on unanswered questions and a search for truth.

2. News reports and television programs examining these controversies have become longer and more balanced.

3. Major media outlets have begun to present the claims of the truth movement first, followed by counter-arguments from defenders of the official story.

4. Major media outlets have begun to include, and even to introduce, extensive evidence to support the claims of the 9/11 truth community.

5. The media treatments increasingly suggest the possibility of a re-investigation into the events of September 11, 2001.

Source

Not all Iranians hate their regime

2010-02-13T16:49:00.000+08:00

To suggest that crowds only turned out for the 31st anniversary of the revolution to get free food and drink is western delusion

Describing the events in Iran yesterday, CNN correspondent Ivan Watson made a point of mentioning that free food and drink were handed out in Azadi Square to those celebrating the 31st anniversary of the revolution – as if the treats were part of a cunning ploy by the Ahmadinejad government.
...
To speculate whether the majority of Iranians support the government or the opposition is irrelevant. First we need to understand that it's not free juice boxes and small bags of cookies bringing the Iranian masses – from either side of the political divide – out on to the street.
Source

六月的雨

2010-02-12T23:08:00.000+08:00

More politics...

2010-02-05T09:13:00.001+08:00

China Renews Opposition to Iran Sanctions
Reflecting a growing catalog of disputes between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official said Thursday that pressure for tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could block chances of a diplomatic settlement to the dispute.

Moscow cannot agree with sanctions against Iran
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister has said that the country cannot agree with sanctions against Iran because sanctions do not work as a rule.

This is what you get when you think you are at the top of the world.
This is what you get when you do not respect others.

The US has to realise this. You don't win by playing hardball with Asia. Cos you can't win.

The United States may have the power to cause harm and pain, but it is also susceptible to harm and pain. So if the United States wants to pursue that path, let the ball roll.
JAVAD VAEEDI, Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator

The Pentagon Runs Amok

2010-02-04T08:08:00.000+08:00

Obama is letting the generals and contractors roll over him.

It is not possible to believe that it is coincidence that just as the Pentagon is being called upon to justify its immunity from the across-the-board budget freeze that President Barack Obama is declaring for the federal government, at least three provocative U.S. arms sales have been announced -- to Taiwan, Poland and four Persian Gulf states.

The announcements were clearly scheduled to provoke, respectively, China, Russia and Iran. Each will now bark loudly, and perhaps take retaliatory action. Their responses will, in turn, serve as justification by the Pentagon for the 7.1 percent increase in proposed defense spending, even as painful cuts are being administered in other fields.

...

The budget line for defense stands at $708 billion, 53 percent of discretionary spending, eight times more than the next largest item, health and human services. Does that reflect America's priorities?

Source

Finally, a decent American politician

2010-01-28T14:39:00.000+08:00

USA is Bankrupt, Quit Buying Bombs or We're Done

He's not saying anything smart or anything. It's just pure common sense.

Pushing the Limits

2010-01-21T10:13:00.001+08:00

I am the Resistance

2010-01-20T08:54:00.004+08:00

Whenever there is injustice, there are people fighting it with every possible means. We have seen it so many times before: the oppressed rise up, the oppressor dehumanizes them calling them such names as "terrorists", "saboteurs", "death loving" extremists... It is only normal that the oppressor will always lie to justify his actions and its crimes.

What is different in the case of Palestine, is that the Israeli regime has built an effective media and communications networks and campaigns to distort the image of the Palestinian resistance, and that a large portion of the world has believed the Israeli line and hence adopted it.

It is our duty to remember and remind the world that the Palestinian freedom fighter is a man, a woman, like any other. He loves his family. She loves her country. They seek a better future. They are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of justice and freedom. They waited for the world to lift the blatant injustice that has befallen them since 1948. They expected the world to understand when they took up arms to lift this injustice themselves.

Now, they don't care what anyone else calls them. They do not seek anyone's permission, just like any resistance movement. They believe that their cause will be triumphant because it is a cause for justice and humanity. They are merely fulfilling their duty to make the day of justice in Palestine come sooner. So should we.

Why Financial Literacy is required.

2010-01-15T07:36:00.002+08:00

Food Stamp Profits?

Viva Palestina

2010-01-08T08:15:00.002+08:00

So much for the US defending freedom. It is time for the members of the free world to show our strength, to show our stand, and to make our voices heard. All that America, Israel and Egypt need to succeed, is that the rest of the world to keep quiet.

Boycott Israel! Boycott America! Boycott Egypt!

Speak up, or stay quiet?

2010-01-05T21:42:00.003+08:00

Just read Seth Godin's blog, and found a post that particularly caught my attention. Click here.

Well, you can fail by going along with that and not doing it, or you can do it, cause a ruckus and work things out later.

Kindof reminds me of what Prof Leong taught us last sem. It's easier to apologise than to ask for permission. I think often in life what most people lack is the courage to go against the tide, and do something different, and worthwhile, for once in their life.

People should start learning to follow their heart, not the crowd.

We need to fight. We need to stand. And we need to do the right thing.

Because all that it takes for the bad guys to win, is for the good guys to stay quiet.

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Avatar 3D update

2010-01-01T09:38:00.001+08:00

I thought i thought too much while watching the movie. Guess I was not alone. A pretty good read here.

NO to war, NO to greed, NO to intervention, No to throwing bombs, YES to nature, harmony and respecting the beliefs of others.

Happy New Year?

2009-12-31T21:30:00.003+08:00

As the old year draws to a close, as people start to celebrate(for what I have no idea), I start to think(I hate it when it happens).

Why the heck do people celebrate New Year? It's just another day. There is no significance. And there are enough people out there suffering, not because of their doing, but because of our selfishness, our addiction to energy, that changes climate patterns, and bringing famine and droughts to some places, floods and earthquakes to others, that we should rethink all these meaningless celebrations.

We look at Palestine, especially those in the Gaza Strip. The people there are being punished for choosing a leader not endorsed by Israel, and as a result, is undergoing a siege funded by the United States of America, and enforced by the Egyptians and the Israelis. They have not enough food to fill their stomachs each day, and yet we have a sudden rise in food wastage during this 'festive' season.

What is so festive about 1.5 million people, imprisoned in their own country for not bending to the will of a foreign nation, and not even have access to clean water?

What is so festive about the millions of impoverished people across Africa, affected by the famines brought about because of the world leaders' refusal to cut down on their high energy/capital consumption?

And yet today, around the world, billions of people will be celebrating the New Year, spending billions of dollars and contributing to the already bulging pockets of the corporate fat cats and the bankers.

Have we become so morally corrupted that we can continue celebrating, even while knowing that millions of people are living a life worse than death?

Have we become so stupid to not realise that this is the very trap the corporates set for us, for us to continue lining their pockets?

If you can continue enjoying, well then, happy new year to you.

Avatar 3D

2009-12-30T15:37:00.002+08:00

Fantastic graphics, brilliant storyline.

But one thing that struck me was this. It is a very accurate description of our world.
On one hand we have the sky people (corporate fat cats, energy barons, military industrial complex, the US military) and on the other, we have the people.

It is also surprisingly parallel to the situation in the Middle East. Taking a quote from the movie,

They've sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. Well we will send them a message. That this... this is our land!

A great film.

Change in CS curriculum

2009-12-29T22:28:00.001+08:00

Just got this email from UG office.

3. Lifting of ABET- Humanity Requirement for CS students matriculating on AY2008-9 and after.

Currently, these CS students are required to take Breadth Modules and Unrestricted Electives from outside the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering and School of Computing for their degree requirements. With this relaxation, students can now use Science, Engineering and Computing to meet their Unrestricted electives.

Tempted to switch over to CS now that I can live my dreams, and have the mods counted at the same time. =P
But I'm scared off by the maths at the same time.

What should I do?

Back from hols... among other stuff.

2009-12-28T16:22:00.002+08:00

Well, technically this is rather late, so yeah. Came back some time ago already, but really busy with alot of stuff.

First thing first, I GOT INTO CS3216!!! Alright, happiness over. Haha.

Personally, I'm quite shocked at the lack of development in Indonesia. Click here for the photos.

Hopefully I can do something about that in the future.

And I just opened a new tech blog @ geekssphere.blogspot.com . Technically it's for CS3216, but what the heck, i'll just post all the tech stuff there.

Still damn busy, so I guess that's it for now.

On the ROAD AHEAD or the ROAD BEHIND

2009-12-25T17:57:00.000+08:00

I think the fates must grin
as we denounce them and insist,
The only reason we can’t win
is the fates themselves have missed.

Yet, there lives on the ancient claim-
We win or lose within ourselves,
The shining trophies on our shelves can
Never win tomorrow’s game.

So you and I know deeper down
There is a chance to win the crown,
But when we fail to give our best,
We simply haven’t met the test

Of giving all and saving none
Until the game is really won.

Of showing what is meant by grit,
Of playing through not letting up,
It’s bearing down that wins the cup.

Of taking it and taking more
Until we gain the winning score

Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead,
Of hoping when our dreams are dead,
Of praying when our hopes have fled.

Yet, losing, not afraid to fall,
If bravely we have given all,
For who can ask more of a man
Than giving all within his span.

That giving all, it seems to me,
Is not so far from VICTORY.

And so the fates are seldom wrong,
No matter how they twist and wind;
It’s you and I who make our fates,
We open up or close the gates

-George Joseph Moriarty (June 7, 1884 – April 8, 1964)

Animal Right-The Chasers War On Everything

2009-12-23T23:27:00.001+08:00

Climate talks.

2009-12-18T17:56:00.003+08:00

Global Dimming.

If the climate was a capitalist bank, the rich governments would have saved it.

US, with a population of 300 million, consumes more than 20 million barrels of oil a day, while China, whose population is almost five times greater than that of the US, consumes around 5-6 million barrels a day.
Read more here

...

2009-12-17T09:44:00.003+08:00

“My job is to get what I am doing done well. My motto in life is if you have decided to do something, then do it well, or don’t do it at all.”

-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew

Obama is a Disaster

2009-12-11T07:47:00.000+08:00

男儿志

2009-12-10T12:39:00.001+08:00

Reflections for AY09/10 Sem 1

2009-12-08T18:59:00.003+08:00

Got an A for 01s if my calculations were right.

Was expecting the grade, but not the score for finals. I think I seriously short changed myself. I think it is right to say I did not fulfil my potential this semester. If there's one thing that I'll ever regret this semester, it would be that I did not put in the effort into CS1101S.

Having said all these, I am very impressed by some of my peers in CS1101S. Some of them who were expected to just pass or get a B, got an A. Some did even better, and even tho they were expected to do at best pass. I'm really honoured to have to be in the same module as them. Thank you guys for such a great time. I learnt a hell lot from you guys =).

I've spent quite some time in school this sem alone, I think I have began to understand myself better. And I've spent alot of time thinking, about random stuff here and there. This is kind of sad, but I've realised one thing about my life.

None of the happy parts of my life so far were with my family.

Zero.

Zilch.

None.

I have real difficulty thinking of anything happy with my family. I feel a hell lot happier outside, even when I'm alone. I guess material stuff are just that. Or maybe I think too much, till the point I want more than material needs.

Really sad, but what to do? Gotta just live life as it is, and work for that success.

Nothing is impossible, the impossible just takes longer.

Haggling over price

2009-12-06T17:42:00.000+08:00

Occupational Descriptions

2009-12-05T08:48:00.001+08:00

An accountant is someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

An auditor is someone who arrives after the battle and bayonets all the wounded.

A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain. (Mark Twain)

An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today.

A statistician is someone who is good with numbers but lacks the personality to be an accountant.

An actuary is someone who brings a fake bomb on a plane, because that decreases the chances that there will be another bomb on the plane. (Laurence J. Peter)

A programmer is someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don't understand.

A mathematician is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat which isn't there. (Charles R. Darwin)

A topologist is a man who doesn't know the difference between a coffee cup and a doughnut.

A lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000 word document and calls it a "brief." (Franz Kafka)

A psychologist is a man who watches everyone else when a beautiful woman enters the room.

A schoolteacher is a disillusioned person who used to think s/he liked children.

A consultant is someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Something to think about.

2009-11-29T19:39:00.000+08:00

The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
-Atisha

Some funny vids

2009-11-29T09:18:00.000+08:00

Rethink Afghanistan

2009-11-26T13:26:00.001+08:00

Cost of dying...

2009-11-25T10:51:00.002+08:00

"Families cannot imagine there could be anything worse than their loved one dying. But in fact, there are things worse. Most generally, it's having someone you love die badly," Byock said.

Asked what he means by "die badly," Byock told Kroft, "Dying suffering. Dying connected to machines. I mean, denial of death at some point becomes a delusion, and we start acting in ways that make no sense whatsoever. And I think that's collectively what we're doing."

Final Exams are finally here

2009-11-24T04:04:00.001+08:00

May we never let the things we can't have, or don't have, or shouldn't have, spoil our enjoyment of the things we do have and can have. As we value our happiness let us not forget it, for one of the greatest lessons in life is learning to be happy without the things we cannot or should not have.

- Richard L. Evans

The finals are finally here. CS1105 today afternoon, PS1101E on thursday morning, the damned MA1521 next monday morning and CS1101S next friday.
Think I can do well for at least 3 of them. One step at a time I guess.

Back to studying.

Doing the Right Thing

2009-11-21T22:23:00.000+08:00

Another inspiring Randy Pausch Vid

2009-11-21T19:07:00.000+08:00

Assassin's Creed Lineage - Complete Movie

2009-11-20T08:15:00.001+08:00

Really Cool Technology

2009-11-20T06:59:00.000+08:00

End of sem 1...

2009-11-17T12:43:00.002+08:00

Well, it's not exactly the end yet. There are still exams to 'look forward' to.

Been really philosophical lately, thinking about all sorts of random stuff, from living to dying, emotions to inner peace, purpose of life to things like does it matter how you die? Getting so philosophical that it actually irritates myself.

Got addicted to David Garrett. His music is damn good. Classy, not crude, and yet packs a punch. It's got me interested in classical music =)

Barry Schwartz on our loss of wisdom

2009-11-15T22:28:00.000+08:00

Do the right thing

Richard St. John's 8 secrets of success

2009-11-15T08:12:00.000+08:00

...

2009-11-13T18:53:00.003+08:00

Matthieu Ricard on the habits of happiness

John Wooden on true success

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity

2009-11-13T14:59:00.001+08:00

The Americans can't win.

2009-11-12T14:34:00.001+08:00

PE results back.

2009-11-10T11:16:00.002+08:00

Gave up waiting for results into the night, got it when I woke up.

Guess I'm extremely happy with my prac score. Really gave my all. Really proud of myself. Left with just Final Exam to get the final grade. Really hoping I'll get an A+ but I guess A would be a more realistic goal. Taking into consideration that I'll need 100/100 for FE to get 96.85% i think that's way out of range.

This module has indeed changed me. It has started to make learning fun again. I'll miss this mod =(

It's over.

2009-11-06T22:55:00.002+08:00

Finally, practical exam is over =)
I think I did quite well.
Reflecting on it tho, I think I have come a really long way. Seriously. If I had met such questions in the past, I would not have even have the willpower to take them on.
University has indeed changed me. Wait, I take that back. CS1101S has indeed changed me.
Having reached home and reflected about the paper, I realised that I could not have done what I did 1 year back. I could not have forced myself to sit there all the way through the entire paper and try and get every single mark that I can. Today, I gave my all, till the point that I actually felt dead tired.

Alright. Dead tired now. I guess that's it for today.

Motivational Videos

2009-11-04T07:05:00.005+08:00

A damn very good motivational video

The next 3 actually brought tears to my eyes.

If that guy can live life like that, I don't see how we can complain about our lives at all.

Perception

2009-11-03T06:53:00.001+08:00

Something to think about….

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

My take on this,

1) People have lives to go about. They gotta win the 'rat race'.
Another quote I like:
The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you are still a rat -Lily Tomlin

2) Face it, how many of us are fully aware of our surroundings? Most people have thoughts running through their minds all the time. Their minds are jumping from everything to everything but NOW. They live in the past, they live in the future, but they nvr live in the now. That's the problem with most ppl. They lament what they have lost, hope that the future will be great, but never appreciate what is happening now.

3) Ok, granted, I would most likely not listen too, unless I can really 'feel' the music, which only happens when I can feel the sincerity, and passion of the musician. An example would be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFyTkSQkUUc . Even if I'm not watching the guy play, I can sort of feel the 'fire' (? not sure if that's the right term).

OMG... Sem1 is ending

2009-11-02T08:27:00.002+08:00

Ok, the worst is over. For this sem at least. Finished my PS essay, ps6 done(and marked very fast by my tutor), 1105 presentation over. Left with 1105 paper and 1101SPE.

Went for the LKY talk, was pretty enlightening. Could feel the passion he still has for Singapore. Frankly tho, I think he shld get the Nobel Peace Prize ahead of Obama. Look at how there is racial harmony in Singapore. Now find the same elsewhere.

A link that prof leong posted on the forum that I thought was quite interesting.

A few points that i particularly like
18. Take risks.

21. Welcome failure into your lives. It's how we grow. What matters is not that you failed, but that you recovered. (exactly, reminds me of another quote from the movie "The Kingdom")

"And, once we clued into the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, the only thing that matters is how do you wanna go out, on your feet or on your knees? I bring that lesson to this job. I act, knowing that someday this job will end, no matter what."

22. Take some classes that have nothing to do with your major(s), purely for the fun of it. (that's the reason why i choose NUS over NTU. We get more academic freedom here.)

30. If you need to get a job, find something that you actually enjoy. Just because it's work doesn't mean it has to suck.

33. Your health and safety are more important than anything. (learnt that in midterms)

34. Ask for help. Often.

49. Enjoy every second of the next four years. It is impossible to describe how quickly they pass. (I can't believe sem 1 is going to be over =(. It feels as tho school just started. )

Finally, one that makes sense.

2009-10-31T14:03:00.000+08:00

An interview by the US official who resigned in protest on Afghan policies.
One line that stands out: I think we have to realize that, sometimes, people don't like us and don't want to be like us.

Circles of Influence

2009-10-17T08:05:00.002+08:00

Went for 2 talks by Tom Kosnik on Thursday and Friday, and I must say, that was a damn good experience. Glad I signed up for both.
First one was on How to Go To Market: Tools and Best Practices from Silicon Valley. I learnt a lot more than I could possibly have otherwise. The second was the Circles of Influence And the Seven Paradoxes of Silicon Valley. One most important thing I learnt was to observe the culture code. What works somewhere may not work elsewhere.

Got another session by LKY next monday, can't wait for that =)

Hitler Doesn't Get A Google Wave Invite

2009-10-11T20:16:00.000+08:00

Afghans Trained by US Defect to Taliban

2009-10-11T12:10:00.001+08:00

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamal-dajani/afghans-trained-by-blackw_b_134919.html

WTF?!?!?! Obama got the Noble Peace Prize.

2009-10-11T08:54:00.002+08:00

The Nobel Committee has awarded the 2009 Peace Prize to President Obama, the person who started a new war in Pakistan, upped the war in Afghanistan, and continues to threaten Iran with attack unless Iran does what the US government demands and relinquishes its rights as a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty.
How smart can they get?
What the fuck is this world coming to?

And guess what, hours after being given the Noble Peace Prize, Obama convenes the War Council. So much for peace. Read the article here

In other news, US efforts have successfully failed after the outcry from Palestinians when the PLO asked the UN to postpone investigations into Israeli war crime. Hamas is back on track to get popular support. Fantastic. It's time for the US to realise that their foreign policy is not working. If you want other nations to respect you, at least have the decency to respect them first, not threaten them with wars and aggression. Great for the rest of the world tho.

Half a semester gone...

2009-10-04T10:07:00.002+08:00

Time is really passing damn very fast.
Mid-terms over just like that. Damn. Luckily I only had 3 mid-terms.
Uni life is starting to get really fun tho, minus the exams. Love the academic freedom in NUS, where I can choose what I want to study, and questions are actually encouraged, as opposed to in the past.

Sounds funny, but now in NUS, in CS1101S, I have recovered the enthusiasm and passion for programming that I thought I lost 1 year ago. The thing I love most about this scheme course is that I am constantly learning something, despite having programming background. I'm able to see things in a new light. Taking CS1101S is probably the best decision I've made in my life so far. A great prof, and a fantastic senior/tutor, a great bunch of course mates, CS1101S is undoubtedly the best.

Now that I'm in NUS, I'm also beginning to do new things and sign up for more stuff. I guess, NUS did change me in a way. Signed up and attending the basic meditation course, signed up for the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum, joined NES MACO and a whole lot of other stuff to come.

Can't wait to join CVWO and NOC =P

Larry Lessig on laws that choke creativity

2009-09-18T14:19:00.000+08:00

Test For Smart People ..

2009-09-13T02:51:00.002+08:00

Below are four (4 ) questions and a bonus question. You have to answer them instantly. You can't take your time, answer all of them immediately . OK?

Let's start ...

First Question:

You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Answer: If you answered that you are first, then you are
absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

Try not to screw up next time.
Now answer the second question,
but don't take as much time as you took for the first question, OK ?

Second Question:
If you overtake the last person, then you are...?

Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person?

You're not very good at this, are you?

Third Question:
Very tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only .
Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.

Take 1000 and add 40 to i t. Now add another 1000 . Now add 30.
Add another 1000 . Now add 20 . Now add another 1000
Now add 10 . What is the total?

Did you get 5000?

The correct answer is actually 4100.

If you don't believe it, check it with a calculator!
Today is definitely not your day, is it?
Maybe you'll get the last question right....
Maybe.

Fourth Question:

Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini,
4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Did you Answer Nunu?
NO! Of course it isn't.
Her name is Mary.! Read the question again!

Okay, now the bonus round:

A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By
imitating the action ! of brushing his teeth he successfully
expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is
done.
Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of
sunglasses; how does HE indicate what he wants?

He just has to open his mouth and ask...
It's really very simple.... Like you!

5th week of NUS and counting

2009-09-07T14:40:00.002+08:00

Life in NUS is tough. It's like running a marathon at sprinting speed. Seriously.

5 weeks and half dead already, and I'm hoping to get a position within NES MACO as well. I can't imagine the additional workload that's gonna appear, especially when I'm taking CS1102S next sem. COM1 is crowded like all the time, it's damn difficult to find a place to sit down and study.

In terms of food, NUS got a hell lot of good food. I'm spoilt for choice every time I step into the canteen. Eh, wait, I'm spoilt for choice as to what canteen I should go into in the first place.

Enjoying the good life in uni right now. It's the first time that I feel I have academic freedom, in the sense that I can study what I really want to. Political science is gonna kill me though, 1.5k word essay and I'm not even halfway through yet. But it's interesting. If I survive it I'm definitely considering taking PS as either a major. Maybe I might take physics as a major. I've no idea yet.

Yep, problem with too much freedom? We have to plan everything ourselves.
I guess i'll blog again some other time.

Wireless electricity

2009-09-05T21:09:00.002+08:00

I think this is a pretty cool concept. Plus the fact that it can actually power multiple devices. Would be great if it were to become commercially available.

Are we in control of our own decisions?

2009-09-02T16:39:00.003+08:00

End of first week in uni

2009-08-14T22:50:00.002+08:00

Well, that's the first week in uni I guess. Tough and demanding, especially the fact that I took the 'commando' training course in programming plus a political science module which requires me to submit a 1.5k word essay. Thankfully my other 3 modules aren't that difficult or I've no idea how I'll scrape through my first semester.
First week is already killing me, and that's without the tutorials too. And my lecturer from the faculty of science has this super ability to make ppl fall asleep and I've to spend twice the energy trying to stay awake. =(
Damn tired already, I think I'll blog more at some other times.

Uni life has started...

2009-08-06T08:30:00.002+08:00

Well, so it's been a long time, busy + didn't feel like blogging much but here it is.

Went for NUS SoC Freshman Orientation Week, had a camp last week. Games were fun, especially the Mission Impossible game, where the participants had to sneak pass 2 guards down the LT in darkness.

Then fell sick 1 day after the camp, missed the Freshman Inauguration Ceremony =(, but recovered in time to make it for flag day. Flag day was alright, ended up at the museum in the end, and came out all half asleep.

Got all the modules I wanted with only a total of 5 points and just waiting to get my new timetable. Hopefully I'll get to stay in CS1101S but, yeah, if i can't make it I guess I'll have to drop.

In any case, Uni life looks real good from here and I can't wait for it to start.

US: The Christian Army

2009-07-18T09:36:00.007+08:00

I didn't say it. A general in the US army said it.

The new counter-insurgency unit made up of elite troops being put together in the Pentagon is called Task Force 121, New Yorker magazine reported in yesterday's edition.

One of the planners behind the offensive is a highly controversial figure, whose role is likely to inflame Muslim opinion: Lieutenant General William "Jerry" Boykin.

In October, there were calls for his resignation after he told a church congregation in Oregon that the US was at war with Satan, who "wants to destroy us as a Christian army".

Source

Viva Palestina: 24 Hours in Gaza

...
Fraser Gaspard of Denver, Colorado, said of seeing the devastation firsthand, “It really shows how effective the American weapons we give Israel are, and how deliberate Israel was in its attack from the spots that were hit, schools, hospitals, a cement factory, homes in refugee camps. You could see it was a war of terror against the Gazan people.”
...

Read the full story here.

Israel will implode.

One thing of interest to me is this. How will the US continue to fund Israeli aggression in light of the current economic crisis? Starve their own ppl?

Think your money is safe? Think again.

2009-07-14T20:27:00.003+08:00

Rep. Kirk Says China Is Investing Away from Dollar... Bought Enough Gold to Fill Up Ft. Knox Twice

Ron Paul: The Federal Reserve is the World's Counterfeiter

The way I see it, the US dollar has gone kaput. All those hopes of a recovery, and the crap that the economists are saying, they just don't make sense anymore. America has reached a threshold. They are up their necks in debt. And those crazy idiots are actually saying that America will revert to pre-economic crisis spending levels.

The subtext of the financial crisis is class warfare, a fact that mainstream economists would rather ignore than invoke the musty imagery of disheveled revolutionaries and Soviet-era repression. Nevertheless, during the Bush years, the chasm between rich and poor widened to levels not seen since the Gilded Age. Now the top 1 percent of wealth holders own more than twice as much as the bottom 80% of the population. All of the real gains in national income, total net-worth, and overall growth in financial worth have gone to the same 1 percent.

Read more here.

10 free apps for your daily use

2009-07-08T20:51:00.004+08:00

Alright. Been a week since I last blogged, and since there are many out there who have totally no idea about freeware or think that all software have to be bought, I've decided to create a list of what I feel are the best free software.

1)Open Office
The free answer to Microsoft Office(Word, Powerpoint, Excel and the like).
Not as good as Microsoft's version in terms of interface imo, but hey it's free.
Download

2)Firefox
It's free, it has decent speeds and allows you to install a hell lot of addons to totally customise your web browser.
Download

3)Orbit
Ever tempted to buy that download accelerator to increase your download speeds? Here comes your free version. Pretty decent features, plus you can get it to download any media loaded into your browser.
Download

4)Comodo Firewall
Don't get conned into paying hundreds of dollars for that security software when one of the best ones is free. Check here for the ranking of firewalls if you don't believe. Install only the firewall though. I hear the antivirus isn't as good.
Download

5)Antivir Antivirus
Stop wasting billions of dollars on your computer security when you can get them all for free. Antivir has consistently been at the top of the list at AV-Comparatives. This coupled with comodo should be more that sufficient to protect your computer.
Download

6)SUPER
Need to convert videos? Can't find any free video converter? Well, here's your answer. With a pretty intuitive interface, this program is even better that some of those you have to pay for.
Download

7)K-Lite Mega Codec Pack
Ever downloaded a video and finding out you can't watch it? Most likely it's due to you not having the codec. With this codec pack, you can watch virtually every single video clip in the world.
Download

8)Songbird
Like the customization in Firefox? Why not get it in your media player as well? And best of all, it allows you to surf the net from within Songbird and gives you an option to download mp3's that are loaded from the webpage.
Download

9)7-Zip
Need a file compression software but pissed off at the registration window of winrar and winzip? Or you just want 1 software to handle all your archive files. Well, here's your software. With 7-Zip, you can extract from virtually every single archive files and even boasts of very high compression rates for files you seldom use.
Download

10)CCleaner
Ever felt your browser was getting laggier with every use? Or you have confidential data that you need to delete. With CCleaner, you can now delete your internet history and files using secure government agency standards.
Download

A Hard Look at the Numbers

2009-06-27T11:05:00.004+08:00

What Actually Happened in the Iranian Presidential Election? (Source)
By ESAM AL-AMIN

...

The Iranian elections have unified the left and the right in the West and unleashed harsh criticisms and attacks from the “outraged” politicians to the “indignant” mainstream media. Even the blogosphere has joined this battle with near uniformity, on the side of Iran’s opposition, which is quite rare in cyberspace.

Much of the allegations of election fraud have been just that: unsubstantiated accusations. No one has yet been able to provide a solid shred of evidence of wide scale fraud that would have garnered eleven million votes for one candidate over his opponent.

...

More than thirty pre-election polls were conducted in Iran since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his main opponent, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, announced their candidacies in early March 2009. The polls varied widely between the two opponents, but if one were to average their results, Ahmadinejad would still come out on top. However, some of the organizations sponsoring these polls, such as Iranian Labor News Agency and Tabnak, admit openly that they have been allies of Mousavi, the opposition, or the so-called reform movement. Their numbers were clearly tilted towards Mousavi and gave him an unrealistic advantage of over 30 per cent in some polls. If such biased polls were excluded, Ahmadinejad’s average over Mousavi would widen to about 21 points.

On the other hand, there was only one poll carried out by a western news organization. It was jointly commissioned by the BBC and ABC News, and conducted by an independent entity called the Center for Public Opinion (CPO) of the New America Foundation. The CPO has a reputation of conducting accurate opinion polls, not only in Iran, but across the Muslim world since 2005. The poll, conducted a few weeks before the elections, predicted an 89 percent turnout rate. Further, it showed that Ahmadinejad had a nationwide advantage of two to one over Mousavi.

...

The next day(after the election), Mosuavi and the two other defeated candidates lodged 646 complaints to the Guardian Council, the entity charged with overseeing the integrity of the elections. The Council promised to conduct full investigations of all the complaints. By the following morning, a copy of a letter by a low-level employee in the Interior Ministry sent to Supreme Guide Ali Khamanei, was widely circulating around the world. (Western politicians and media outlets like to call him “Supreme Leader” but no such title exists in Iran.)

The letter stated that Mousavi had won the elections, and that Ahmadinejad had actually come in third. It also promised that the elections were being fixed in favor of Ahmadinejad per Khamanei’s orders. It is safe to assume that the letter was a forgery since an unidentified low-level employee would not be the one addressing Ayatollah Khamanaei. Robert Fisk of The Independent reached the same conclusion by casting grave doubts that Ahmadinejad would score third – garnering less than 6 million votes in such an important election- as alleged in the forged letter.

...

Moreover, while Ahmadinejad belongs to an active political party that has already won several elections since 2003, Mousavi is an independent candidate who emerged on the political scene just three months ago, after a 20-year hiatus. It was clear during the campaign that Ahmadinejad had a nationwide campaign operation. He made over sixty campaign trips throughout Iran in less than twelve weeks, while his opponent campaigned only in the major cities, and lacked a sophisticated campaign apparatus.

It is true that Mousavi has an Azeri background. But the CPO poll mentioned above, and published before the elections, noted that “its survey indicated that only 16 per cent of Azeri Iranians will vote for Mr. Mousavi. By contrast, 31 per cent of the Azeris claim they will vote for Mr. Ahmadinejad.” In the end, according to official results, the election in that region was much closer than the overall result. In fact, Mousavi won narrowly in the West Azerbaijan province but lost the region to Ahmadinejad by a 45 to 52 per cent margin (or 1.5 to 1.8 million votes).

However, the double standard applied by Western news agencies is striking. Richard Nixon trounced George McGovern in his native state of South Dakota in the 1972 elections. Had Al Gore won his home state of Tennessee in 2000, no one would have cared about a Florida recount, nor would there have been a Supreme Court case called Bush v. Gore. If Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards had won the states he was born and raised in (South and North Carolina), President John Kerry would now be serving his second term. But somehow, in Western newsrooms Middle Eastern people choose their candidates not on merit, but on the basis of their “tribe.”

...

Some observers note that when the official results were being announced, the margin between the candidates held steady throughout the count. In fact, this is no mystery. Experts say that generally when 3-5 per cent of the votes from a given region are actually counted, there is a 95 per cent confidence level that such result will hold firm. As for the charge that ballots ran out and some people were turned away, it is worth mentioning that voting hours were extended four times in order to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to vote. But even if all the people who did not vote, had actually voted for Mousavi (a virtual impossibility), that would be 6.93 million additional votes, much less than the 11 million vote difference between the top two candidates.

...

Read the full article here.

Iran's rigged election? I think not

2009-06-26T21:35:00.003+08:00

After all those BS news on Iran's election being rigged, despite providing no details, finally, an article that actually looks into the details.

Mousavi's untenable complaint (Source)

...

Unfortunately, despite natural sympathy for the reformist movement in Iran, as someone who worked closely with former president Mohammad Khatami's Dialogue Among Civilizations, I am inclined to dismiss Mr. Mir Hossein Mousavi's allegation of rigged elections, simply because he has not carried the burden of proffering solid evidence.

...

What's beyond dispute, however, is that Mousavi's official complaint to the overseeing Council of Guardians is thin on specifics and is peppered with allegations of pre-election improprieties, which do not substantiate his rigged elections wild claim. A deconstruction of this two page document sheds much light on the fundamental weakness of Mousavi's case for new elections:

Item 1: It has nothing to do with the voting process and is exclusively concerned about the television debates and Ahmadinejad's blunt statements about some regime dignitaries accusing them of corruption and nepotism;

Item 2: Again, deals exclusively with issues raised in the debates, accusing Ahmadinejad of insulting the late ayatollah Khomeini and endangering national security by revealing some state secrets;

...

Read the entire article here.

Back to real life

2009-06-22T21:47:00.002+08:00

Alright, back from HK, just before community infections started to get serious. Actually, was back last thursday already.

Time passes real fast, can't wait for uni life to get started.

In the meantime, off to gaming and stuff =P

Will be inactive

2009-06-07T20:40:00.002+08:00

Alright, will be on holiday from the 8th to 18th June in HK and macau. So I guess blog will be pretty deserted during this period of time. If you need to contact me, do so by sms.

Yup.

Bing Ringtones

2009-06-05T15:40:00.004+08:00

Well, yesterday I did a rather decent length post on Bing. That's how good it really is. Microsoft did something really unexpected again, with their new Bing ringtones. Yeah, ringtones for your phone, or rather, Bingtones.

Catchy tune, mildly irritating, great for alarm clocks, though as a ringtone I would use it. To each his own though.

Video consisting of all the ringtones done by neowin.net. Each ringtone is about 10 seconds long so yeah.

Download BingTones from Microsoft here.

The New Decision Engine: Bing

2009-06-04T09:49:00.010+08:00

Bing.com is officially out.
Yeah, I know, it has a really, uh, wierd name, but you'll get use to it after a while. Really great search engine, or decision engine as Microsoft calls it. I think Microsoft is really mounting a great comeback. After pr screw ups with vista and msn/live search, they are really coming back strong this year, with the much awaited windows 7 coming out on Oct 22nd, and now a serious contender to google. Great for the consumer.

Basically, what's different with Bing is this, instead of getting the most popular result at the top of the list, Bing gives you the choice to search in categories, from the all encompassing Web, and the regulars Images and Videos, to Shopping, Travel, News and Maps. Of course some features are not available for different parts of the world, but you can simply select the american version for all the features.

The new look of using scenery as background instead of google's white background is pretty refreshing, and there a neat new feature where u can view the full sentences containing your search terms simply by putting your mouse over the search result.

Well, below is the official Bing videos, so enjoy. Some are rather funny, others are cool.

Bing Product Tour

Search Overload Is Over

Bing Search Overload Syndrome: Hawaii

Bing Search Overload Syndrome: Cell Phone

Storm the House 2

2009-06-03T21:24:00.003+08:00

Decent game that can keep you addicted for hours at end =P
Well, have fun =)
Mouse to shoot, spacebar to reload.

H1N1 Map

2009-06-02T19:06:00.005+08:00

Just thought in this time of H1N1 epidemic, ppl might want to know what are the more affected areas. But a quick search on google was not fruitful for me. Took a long time before I found it. So here it is. Embedded from http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/.

The Science News Cycle

2009-05-23T15:51:00.001+08:00

Long time since i last blogged...

2009-05-17T12:06:00.002+08:00

It's been a long time since I last blogged =(
Been really busy, with the gaming and uh, uni application, together with submitting the forms to NUS, let's just be glad that it's over.
Starting from the nervousness on the 22nd of March when I applied for NUS and realised that there was a 20% cap on foreign students, it turned to shock when I got a offer 3 days later. Up to that point I was still hesitating if I shld apply at the other uni's. Slacked all the way to May before remembering and decided to stop procrastinating and reply to the offer letter.
Went to the NUS SoC luncheon yesterday and I must say, it cleared some doubts about going there and helped me decide to go for the information systems degree. Below is a video they showed which I thought was pretty interesting.

Yep. I guess that's all for blogging for now.

What Facebook really is

2009-04-11T22:33:00.003+08:00

something funny i found online about facebook =P

Honest Scammer?

2009-03-26T20:55:00.002+08:00

Found something funny on the internet.

iPod Touch explodes in a child's pocket

2009-03-14T21:54:00.001+08:00

By Jacqui Cheng | Last updated March 12, 2009 5:31 PM CT (Source)

The mother of a kid living in Cincinnati, Ohio is suing Apple and 10 unnamed retail employees from the Apple Store in Kenwood over an iPod touch that allegedly exploded in the child's pocket. According to the complaint filed yesterday in the Southern District of Ohio, the plaintiff had the "iTouch" (as the lawsuit refers to it) in his pocket during school when the unfortunate accident happened, resulting in hospital bills and other monetary losses thanks to the disintegration of the iPod touch and, well, the kid's clothes.

As the story goes, the iPod touch was sitting in the "off" position when it unexpectedly popped and caused the kid to feel a burning sensation. At that time, he stood up and noticed that his pants were, in fact, on fire. "Plaintiff A.V. immediately ran to the bathroom and took off his burning pants with the assistance of a friend," reads the complaint. "On said date and at said time, the Apple iTouch had burned through Plaintiff A.V.'s pants pocket and melted through his nylon/spandex underwear, burning his leg."

(!--Nerd alert --)

Upon learning these facts, much of the staff here at Ars took an inordinate amount of time out of our busy day to discuss whether this was a reasonable possibility. The lowest melting point of nylon is approximately 374 degrees Fahrenheit—a temperature that an iPod touch could not reasonably reach without you noticing beforehand (that's hotter than the temperature it takes to fry an egg, by the way). However, because the lawsuit claims there was fire involved, all bets have to be off. Fire is most definitely hot enough to melt nylon, and if there was an explosion to cause the "pop," then there may not have been a way for the kid to notice the heat beforehand.

(!-- End nerd alert --)

The plaintiff went directly to the doctor, where he was declared to have received second degree burns to his leg. "He continues to suffer from both physical and mental conditions which will cause him to suffer pain, mental distress, emotional distress, and otherwise for the rest of his life," reads the lawsuit. The plaintiff's mother says that the family was not warned in advance of the potential risk that the "iTouch" would cause serious bodily injury, and Apple's 10 retail employees had a duty to not only test for this, but also warn customers.

As a result, Apple and the retail employees are accused of gross negligence and recklessness, as they supposedly conducted themselves maliciously and fraudulently when selling the iTouch. The mother asking for compensatory damages of more than $75,000 plus punitive damages of more than $75,000 and attorney fees.

We just hope that Apple's insurance includes something about underwear meltage.

So, what u apple fanboys gotta say?

The Chaser -- Taxi Boot

2009-03-10T15:11:00.000+08:00

This is the funniest thing I've seen for a while. Watch it =P

The Chasers -- Bank Robber Mask Stunt

2009-03-09T21:59:00.000+08:00

Something really funny. =P Enjoy!

Great... Now on to the next part of life

2009-03-07T16:30:00.004+08:00

Got 2A's and 1B, i guess if i did put in a little hard work for computing, i would have received my results on stage. But then again, is it worth the extra effort? After all, i dun need that A. Or any A's for the matter.

Still going to NUS School of Computing even with this result. Difference is, i'm now thinking of taking up biz as well. Or maybe I shld take e commerce. Damn, I just hate choosing.

Sometimes, i can't understand why ppl are going "U going for Computing? But that's CCC. You got AAB. Why the heck would you want to go for computing?" I mean, some times u got to have an aim in life, and not let circumstance dictate ur life. Even if i got a grade that allows me to go for more popular courses, why shld i go for it instead of the course that i have always been looking towards. No idea what some ppl are thinking of sometimes.

Guess it's time to be politically aware again. I miss the life i used to live, reading politics on a daily basis.

Well then, on to the next part of life.

Article: They Told Me Daddy Died

2009-03-05T12:03:00.004+08:00

I hope everyone will read the following text, and realise that there is a reason, as to why Al Qaeda, Hamas and the other groups do what they do.

It's because they do not have a choice. Who are the real terrorists? U decide.

They Told Me Daddy Died (Source)

By Gideon Levy

March 02, 2009 "Haaretz" -- As the war in Gaza raged, Israel Defense Forces reservists apparently thought anything was permissible: It was possible, maybe even necessary, to kill innocents, in the West Bank, too. Under cover of war, they thought, they could also kill a handcuffed Palestinian.

After all, they could always claim he tried to steal their weapons - never mind that he was bound with plastic handcuffs practically impossible to get out of. A bullet in the stomach from close range finished him off. Thus ended the life of Yasser Temeizi, 35, who had a work permit and jobs in Israel all of his adult life; in the past year he had worked for the Harash company in Ashdod. He was a young father who'd never gotten in any trouble with the IDF before. The soldiers arrested him for no reason, beat him for no reason in front of one of his small children and finally executed him for no reason.

A month and a half has passed since this horrifying incident, and the army's criminal investigations division is still looking into the case. An investigation that could have been completed in an hour is going on without end. Not a single Palestinian was questioned, as usual; not a single soldier was arrested, and most likely none will be - also as usual. The reservist soldiers who killed Temeizi have likely already been sent back home; perhaps they returned feeling good about their experiences and about doing their national duty. Granted, they didn't take part in the war in Gaza, but they killed, too. Why not? Herewith, as a service to them, is the story of the consequences of their actions, which senior IDF officers have already termed "a grave incident," that involved "a series of serious failures."

Yasser Temeizi, a conscientious and hard-working laborer, lived in the village of Idna, west of Hebron. He was the husband of Haife and the father of 7-year-old Firas and 2-year-old Hala. For 15 years, he got up every morning and went to work in Israel. In recent months, he worked in Ashdod, for the Harash company, which builds cargo compartments for trucks. On his last pay slip, it says: "Type of worker: Autonomy" - in the language of the occupation. "Amount paid: NIS 3,935.73." Upon the outbreak of the military operation in Gaza, Temeizi's employers asked him not to come to work until things calmed down. But he still had to support the family, so Temeizi made his way to the "slave market" in Kiryat Gat, hoping to find odd jobs. This is what he was doing on the morning of January 13.

On that day, Ehud Barak was trying to promote a week-long "humanitarian cease-fire," the Paratroops advanced toward Gaza City and a seventh Palestinian medical worker was killed by Israeli fire. At 5:30 that morning, Temeizi set out for Kiryat Gat, his work permit in his pocket. He returned home about four hours later; he hadn't found work. His mother, Naife, made him a light breakfast and then Temeizi asked his 7-year-old son Firas if he'd like to come with him to the family olive grove about three kilometers west of their house, a few hundred meters east of the separation fence, in the territories. Father and son loaded water and food onto the family's donkey and began riding toward the grove. If there was no employment to be had in Israel, at least they could work on the olives, they thought.

They arrived at the grove and got to work. Suddenly, a military jeep appeared and four soldiers got out. Firas saw them approaching his father. There was a verbal exchange between them, but it was in Hebrew and Firas didn't understand what it was about. A minute later, he saw the soldiers shoving his father down to the ground and handcuffing him from behind. The soldiers ordered Firas to go home. His father also told him to go; the frightened little boy started running the long distance back toward home. On the way he was attacked by dogs, he says, and some shepherds, his neighbors, saved him from them. That was the last time Firas saw his father alive. Handcuffed and on the ground, but alive.

Eyewitnesses told Temeizi's father Saker they'd seen soldiers kicking his bound and blindfolded son. The witnesses tried to intervene, but the soldiers shooed them away, brandishing their rifles. Musa Abu Hashhash, a reputable field researcher for the B'Tselem human rights organization, heard similar testimonies. Eventually, according to the witnesses, the soldiers put Temeizi on a jeep and drove off. This was the last time the Palestinians saw him alive.

Firas meanwhile made it home and reported that his father had been arrested. The family wasn't that concerned at first: The false arrest of a Palestinian is a matter of routine. They were sure Yasser would be released promptly and return home. He had all the required permits and had never been in any trouble. The hours passed and still Teimeizi didn't return. Around four in the afternoon, neighbors reported he had been killed and that his body was at Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron. Abu Hashhash rushed to the hospital and saw the body: He says he noticed handcuff marks on the wrists. The entry wound was in the stomach and the exit wound was in the thigh. Experts say Temeizi was shot while sitting. Point blank. An autopsy was performed at the Abu Dis pathology institute and Abu Hashhash received the results; he said the reported cause of death was extensive bleeding.

Temeizi was not dead when he arrived at the hospital, but died shortly thereafter. It may have been possible to save him had he received medical care in time. Ten days after the incident, Yuval Azoulay wrote a report on the incident in Haaretz. It appears that shortly after the killing, an IDF investigation was held with the participation of division commander Brig. Gen. Noam Tibon and brigade commander Col. Udi Ben-Moha, who raised the prospect that "a series of failures" occurred on the part of the reservists who killed Temeizi. It was established that he was brought, handcuffed, to the Tarqumiya checkpoint and from there was taken to a nearby army base.

The soldiers killed him in a room, without eyewitnesses, after he tried - so they claim, of course - to steal their weapons. No one explained how a handcuffed Palestinian could steal a weapon and why the response should be a point-blank shooting.

Military sources told Azoulay that "the manner in which the incident was handled, particularly in regard to summoning of assistance for the wounded man, indicates there were serious failures. This is a very serious incident and one can't help thinking that if a regular force was stationed there, it would not have happened. The reservist soldiers are simply not familiar with or trained for such scenarios and such situations."

What kind of training is needed for such situations? Do soldiers need to be trained not to shoot a handcuffed prisoner? Do they need to be trained to know to immediately summon medical care for someone who's wounded?

The IDF Spokesman told us officially this week, a month and a half after the incident: "The matter is under investigation by the criminal investigations division. Once the investigation is complete, the findings will be relayed to the military prosecutor." Firas enters the bereaved household in Idna, a blue UNICEF book bag on his back. In a soft, chirpy voice, he tells the story of his last day with his father. He recounts the donkey ride to the family's olive grove, the soldiers who knocked his father down as he watched and how he made his way home alone, scared by the barking dogs.

"Later on they told me that Daddy died," the boy says quietly, the trauma evident on his face. Just so the soldiers who kill a handcuffed man, and their commanders and investigators, should know.

Vitamins Good? Not really.

2009-03-03T20:49:00.003+08:00

With all the bullshit about how critical vitamins are to our health, i thought i would share this article with everyone. Source

With promises to boost health and prevent chronic diseases, supplements can seem like an over the counter cure-all. Consumers more than buy into that notion: Vitamins accounted for roughly one-third of the $23.7 billion spent on supplements in 2007, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.

While a handful of studies have demonstrated a strong link between certain supplements and positive health outcomes, there's still limited clinical evidence to support the notion that they are critical to excellent health. In fact, much of that $23.7 billion could have been a waste of money, according to recent research.

In a study released last week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers found that multivitamin use in post-menopausal women neither increased nor decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases or common cancers. And last fall, a major study of almost 35,000 men found no link between vitamin E and selenium supplements and prostate cancer prevention.

Dr. Marian L. Neuhouser, the lead author of the multivitamin study and an associate member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, says that while fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been linked to good health and prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease, that doesn't mean vitamins extracted from those food groups will have the same effect.

Life's Greatest Questions! ..

2009-02-05T16:28:00.001+08:00

Life's Greatest Questions! ..

Can you cry under water?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in"... but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"? Where's that extra penny going to?

Once you're in heaven, do you get stuck wearing the clothes you were buried in for eternity?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up like every two hours?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change?
They're going to see you naked anyway.

Why is "bra" singular and "panties" plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane ?

If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours?
They're both dogs!

If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that ACME crap, why didn't he just buy dinner?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune?

Why did you just try singing the two songs above?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Why do ballerinas always walk around on their tip-toes, why don't they just get taller women?

What are occasional tables used for the rest of the time?

Do step ladders know who their real parents are?

Retarded password

2009-02-03T20:13:00.002+08:00

Some funny thing i found on bash

(cthon98) hey, if you type in your pw, it will show as stars
(cthon98) ********* see!
(azurediamond) hunter2
(azurediamond) doesnt look like stars to me
(cthon98) (azurediamond) *******
(cthon98) thats what I see
(azurediamond) oh, really?
(cthon98) Absolutely
(azurediamond) you can go hunter2 my hunter2-ing hunter2
(azurediamond) haha, does that look funny to you?
(cthon98) lol, yes. See, when YOU type hunter2, it shows to us as *******
(azurediamond) thats neat, I didnt know IRC did that
(cthon98) yep, no matter how many times you type hunter2, it will show to us as *******
(azurediamond) awesome!
(azurediamond) wait, how do you know my pw?
(cthon98) er, I just copy pasted YOUR ******'s and it appears to YOU as hunter2 cause its your pw
oh, ok.

25 thoughts to get you through almost any crisis

2009-01-28T20:42:00.000+08:00

25 thoughts to get you through almost any crisis

1. Indecision is the key to flexibility.
2. You cannot tell which way the train went by looking at the track.
3. There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.
4. Happiness is merely the remission of pain.
5. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
6. Sometimes too much drink is not enough.
7. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant.
8. The careful application of terror is also a form of communication.
9. Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world.
10. Things are more like they are today than they ever have been before.
11. Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for.
12. Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.
13. Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate.
14. I have seen the truth and it makes no sense.
15. Suicide is the most sincere form of self-criticism.
16. All things being equal, fat people use more soap.
17. If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
18. One-seventh of your life is spent on Monday.
19. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
20. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
21. The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets.
22. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
23. This is as bad as it can get, but don't bet on it.
24. Never wrestle with a pig: You both get all dirty, and the pig likes it.
25. The trouble with life is, you're halfway through it before you realize it's a "do-it-yourself" thing..

Happy CNY =P

2009-01-26T09:54:00.002+08:00

Long time since i last posted...
I think i haven't blogged since A's ended. So... yep.
After A's went to Taiwan... and came back. Nth much, still can't beat singapore in terms of standard of living. Except the food, some of which are good.
Then...
Went back to chs on the first day of school. Haha. Gotta keep that tradition going.
Pretty much all that happened so far... plus minus a barbeque here and there and a couple of outings.
Having fun at home with Atlantica Online. Damn good game imo. Downside is that it's 2gb. Well, will blog more next time then. Back to gaming.

Paying with spider

2008-11-09T08:30:00.002+08:00

Click to enlarge

Life goes on.

2008-11-05T22:22:00.003+08:00

Well, so far so good. Hamilton is the new youngest and first black Champion of the F1 Grand Prix. Obama is the first black American president. Good.

A levels... Let's just say the worst is over. The past 3 days have been mentally stressful, with 5 papers in 3 days. Hopefully I'll be able to get decent grades for the A's.
Just need to get the momentum going. With the stress levels at super high over the past 3 days, I think the momentum is starting to return.

If there was ever a time to go all out, it's now.

Obama Wins!!!

2008-11-05T21:33:00.005+08:00

Yeah!!! Obama is the new president of america. Finally. Hopefully he will turn out to be a success and have a more friendly foreign policy.
That said, watched both speeches just now, and was impressed by mccain's ability to accept defeat. However, his supporters are just so damn childish, booing everytime Obama's name came up. Reminds me of hooligans. You could just see his despair when they were cheering. He went down standing, with dignity. Kudos to him.

Reminds me of a quote from the movie The Kingdom.

You know, Westmoreland made all of us officers write our own obituaries during Tet, when we thought The Cong were gonna end it all right there. And, once we clued into the fact that life is finite, the thought of losing it didn't scare us anymore. The end comes no matter what, the only thing that matters is how do you wanna go out, on your feet or on your knees? I bring that lesson to this job. I act, knowing that someday this job will end, no matter what. You should do the same.

He definitely went out on his feet. Hopefully Obama does live up to his potential and not be another failed beacon of hope like President Ma of Taiwan.

Obama's victory speech.
Part 1

Part 2

Mccain's speech

The day is finally here.

2008-11-02T21:39:00.003+08:00

If there's ever a time to put in 100%, I guess this is it.
2 ~~months~~ years of hard work.
2 weeks of endurance.
Then it's all over.
Good luck everyone.

Somehow I know that I'm ready. But I don't feel confident.

Life still sux.

2008-10-29T22:10:00.002+08:00

Still no mood to blog. No mood to mug. No mood to do anything. Damn. Think I'm gonna start blogging properly soon. Just no mood to do anything. For now, make do with the jokes below.

"Aim towards the Enemy."
- Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend."
- U.S. Army

"Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground."
- U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop

"If the enemy is in range, so are you."
- Infantry Journal

"A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your unit."
- Army's magazine of preventive maintenance.

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed."
- U.S. Air Force Manual

"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo."
- Infantry Journal

"Tracers work both ways."
- U.S. Army Ordnance

"Five-second fuses only last three seconds."
- Infantry Journal

"Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid."
- Col. David Hackworth

"If your attack is going too well, you’re probably walking into an ambush."
- Infantry Journal

"No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection."
- Joe Gay

"Any ship can be a minesweeper … once."
- Anon

"Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do."
- Unknown Army Recruit

"Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you."
- Your Buddies

"If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him."
– U.S.A. Ammo

Funny jokes on Tottenham

2008-10-22T21:15:00.000+08:00

Funny jokes on Tottenham

I met this really kinky girl last night. 'Humiliate me,' she said ...
.....So I bought her a Tottenham shirt.

Haringey council has blocked Tottenham's plans to build a new ground on Northumberland Park. A town hall source said: "We don't mind having a funfair there once a year, but a circus every fortnight is a bit much."

"I was playing Scrabble and had enough letters to make 'Tottenham Hotspur Football Club'. I was gutted when I found out it was only worth two points."

· What do a toothpick and Tottenham have in common? They both have two points

Juande Ramos, shortly after another training session, comments to the head groundsman at White Hart Lane how impressive the pitch is looking. "It ought to," replies the groundsman. "We put 70 million quid's worth of manure on it every week."

After leaving San Siro, Jose Mourinho was asked if he was going to help Spurs get out of their slump. He turned around and said, "No way, I ain't that special".

Apparently the entire Tottenham squad have been busy honing their skills playing the computer game Championship Manager. Sadly it seems Juande misunderstood and thinks they want to play for a Championship manager.

Contrary to what you may think, Spurs are the strongest team in the league at the moment. Sure, aren't they holding everyone else up?

A man was found dead floating in the Thames, wearing a blond wig, full make-up, bra, knickers, suspenders and a Spurs shirt. Before informing the next of kin the police removed the Spurs shirt to save the family embarrassment.

What would an improved version of Spurs be called? Newcastle United.

Did you hear that Juande Ramos was clocked doing 169mph on the M1 coming back from Stoke? Apparently he was just so desperate for three points.

Is it just me or are Spurs the team to beat this season? Everyone's at it.

A man is sitting in a pub with his jack russell dog one Sunday afternoon. The football results are coming up on the television in the corner: "Stoke City 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1," reads the announcer. Suddenly the jack russell jumps up and shouts out, "Oh, no, not again." The shocked landlord says, "That's amazing. Why did he say that when it was announced that Tottenham lost?" "Because he's a Spurs supporter," the dog's owner replies. The landlord then asks what the dog says when Tottenham win a match, to which the man replies, "I don't know. I've only had him six months."

When a groggy Vedran Corluka regained consciousness in the ambulance leaving the Britannia Stadium on Sunday he asked medical staff who he was. On being told he played football for Tottenham Hotspur he lapsed into a coma.

What does THFC stand for? Tottenham Heading For the Championship.

What's the difference between Bigfoot and the Spurs defence? Bigfoot has been spotted several times.

Retarded Mccain

2008-10-20T20:34:00.002+08:00

Retarded Mccain

Seriously. What the heck was he thinking? If this retarded does really win the election, well, the world is screwed. Really.

Anyway, jokes below. Good way of relaxing in my opinion.

In a Bangkok temple:
“IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN.”

Cocktail lounge, Norway:
“LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.”

Doctors’ office, Rome:
“SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES”

Dry cleaners, Bangkok:
“DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS”

In a Nairobi restaurant:
“CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER”

On a River/highway crossing:
“TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.”

On a poster at an educational institution:
“ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP YOU”

In a City restaurant:
“OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS”

A sign seen on an automatic rest-room hand dryer:
“DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH WET HANDS”

In a cemetery:
“PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES”

Tokyo hotel’s rules and regulations:
“GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED”

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
“OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.”

In a Tokyo bar:
“SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS”

Hotel, Yugoslavia:
“THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID”

Hotel, Japan:
“YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.”

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across a monastery:
“YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND
SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY”

A sign posted in Germany’s Black Forest:
“IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE THAT
PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE
TOGETHER IN ONE TENT UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER
FOR THIS PURPOSE”

Hotel, Zurich:
“BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE
OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY
BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE”

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand:
“WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?”

The box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong:
“GUARANTEED TO WORK THROUGHOUT ITS USEFUL LIFE”

In a Swiss mountain inn:
“SPECIAL TODAY - NO ICE-CREAM”

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen:
“WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.”

A laundry in Rome:
“LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME"

Funny Windows 7 advert

2008-10-17T21:59:00.002+08:00

Funny Windows 7 advert
(Click to enlarge)

Call center conversations!

2008-10-15T19:26:00.003+08:00

Been quite busy lately. Trying to mug.

Graduated. But I dun feel anything. Seriously. It's like, this school doesn't even have a place in my heart. Or soul. Or whatever. I just won't miss it. Well, maybe robotics. But it's largely due to cos the teacher was from cat high. See? Even the only thing that can make me want to go back isn't cos of the college but cos of my sec sch.

Sometimes, I've got this feeling that society is sort of screwed. I mean, u've got a hell lot of people who want to go to a certain faculty, or uni, simply cos everyone is doing it. Forget it.

Just calculated what my school fees will be in uni. 35+k a year. Damn. It's damn ex.

I dunno why i'm doing all these. The richer people around didn't start off with a fixed job. It's obvious following conventional ways doesn't get u anywhere. Losing my motivation for studies.(like i had any in the first place)

Well, enjoy the joke below then.

Call center conversations!

Customer: 'I've been calling 700-1000 for two days and can't get through; can you help?'
Operator: 'Where did you get that number, sir?'
Customer: 'It's on the door of your business.'
Operator: 'Sir, those are the hours that we are open.'

Samsung Electronics
Caller:'Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about.'
Caller: 'On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.'

RAC Motoring Services
Caller: 'Does your European Breakdown Policy cover me when I am traveling in Australia ?'
Operator: 'Does the product name give you a clue?'

Caller (enquiring about legal requirements while traveling in Europe )
'If I register my car in France , and then take it to England , do I have to change the steering wheel to the other side of the car?'

Directory Enquiries
Caller: 'I'd like the number of the Argo Fish Bar, please'
Operator: 'I'm sorry, there's no listing. Are you sure that the spelling is correct?'
Caller: 'Well, it used to be called the Bargo Fish Bar but the 'B' fell off.'

Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: 'Woven? Are you sure?'
Caller: 'Yes. That's what it says on the label -- Woven in Scotland . '

On another occasion, a man making heavy breathing sounds from a phone box told a worried operator: 'I haven't got a pen, so I'm steaming up the window to write the number on.'

Tech Support: 'I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.'
Customer: 'OK.'
Tech Support: 'Did you get a pop-up menu?'
Customer: 'No.'
Tech Support: 'OK. Right-Click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?'
Customer: 'No.'
Tech Support: 'OK, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?'
Customer: 'Sure. You told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'.'

Tech Support: 'OK. At the bottom left hand side of your screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?'
Customer: 'Wow! How can you see my screen from there?'

2008-10-13T20:24:00.005+08:00

The Website is Down

2008-10-11T21:59:00.001+08:00

This is uber classic. Tech guys will be able to appreciate it best. It's damn fucking funny. Especially to at the end. Enjoy.

2008-10-07T21:59:00.001+08:00

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:

"Take only ONE. God is watching."

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.