2005

So, this is my last entry for 2004. What to say yah? :P No. No. Dont expect that i will tell you my new year resolution. :P

A lot of things happened this year. Transferred office from Tech Park to Mid Valley and then to Bukit Damansara and now in Jb. Transferred from Serdang, Selangor to Tampoi Utama, Johor. Changed company. And, i now got fiancee, love and being loved. And of course being one year older. And, yeah, having this blog. And, in that span of time, i learnt a lot of things ( and a lot of time wasted too, to be frank!). What a year!

Life is about improvement (Is it?).

It's not only about year to year improvement, but day to day improvement, month to month improvement. As long as there is even a minute improvement made, you can consider yourself in "ok state". They say, do not afraid of moving slowly, but be afraid of not moving. (A motivational speaker made that words stucked in our mind while he gave a motivational talk at Sc Muar. Shoot! :P)

There are people who say that they do not need new year resolution since they make them regularly. I can only say "Congratulations!". However, i do not see any problem with having this yearly postmoterm and resolution.

Wait! I'm in error. Yearly review does not necessarily being done in January. Sorry! :P

So, i'm supposed to say, "Happy New Year" right? So, yeah, Happy New Year. :P (Sooo book-lah, i think :P)

Difficulty

"So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief: Verily, with every difficulty there is relief." [Al-Insyirah: 5-6]

Deceiving?

Anybody who read my posting at terato forum, at the thread discussing about books, would have known that currently, I'm concentrating on reading non-fiction books. In my posting, I blamed fahmot half-jokingly for this sudden change. I believe, my last 10 purchased books are of non-fiction.

In one of my conversation with fahmot, he suggested me to read any Jack Welch related. (What I know about Welch comes from a book entitled Robert Heller's "Roads To Success", which I bought at a very cheap price with approximately 2/3 price cut. This book also portrays other 7 gurus in various fields). He loves a solid one. I'm on the other hand read much easy-going-and-average-reader-friendly kind of writing style.

I've several books I bought because they are bestseller. And, I've also enlisted books in the hot list to be in the pipeline to be purchased.

Out of my curiousity, I checked those titles in the amazon.com to see readers' review.

And, I'm sick I want to puke! Why? Let me show examples:

RICH DAD POOR DAD. This book has a lot of good reviews. But, many good reviews where users gladly gave five stars away, but that does not mean that book is good. I dug deeper to find this review:

Avoid it like the plague!!!, December 1, 2004 Reviewer: Karthik Natarajan "McCombs2004" (Austin, TX) (REAL NAME) This is BY FAR THE WORST BOOK I'VE EVER READ IN MY LIFE!!! I cannot believe that this guy is making so much money selling nothing! I heard so much about this book, that I decided to buy it and read it on a long flight to South Africa from Atlanta. By the time that plane landed in Johannesburg, let me tell you - I was quite queasy (not by the terrible SA Airways food, but by the content in the book). I'm a 2004 MBA grad from a top-20 school, and right off the bat, I could detect some fluff in the book (e.g., insider trading, deducting personal expenses as company expenses, his vacuous comments about avoiding mutual funds and the like because they are "too risky"), but I didn't dismiss him right away because I thought that maybe I wasn't reading between the lines enough to get the "point" - remember the children's tale, "Emporer's New Clothes". Fortunately, I trusted my instincts and did a little research and found this website (yes, I know we've all heard of it, but nonetheless, you can NEVER overstate the truth) - http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html. People can say whatever they want about John Reed's intentions for his analysis, but the bottom line is that everything he says is the TRUTH - something that the Kiyosaki cultists don't want to concede to. And reading this analysis, and Kiyosaki's connections with Amway and these other MLM freaks has only enraged me even more that I not only threw away money on something useless, but that there are countless others out there (yes, even other top-20 MBAs) who have been guiled by this unscrupulous charlatan! The only thing useful that could ever come out of this book is a B-school case study on the effective use of Machiavellian cultism as a tool for marketing - then again, that, too, would give this jerk more money through royalty fees. Bottom Line: As my title clearly states, AVOID THIS BOOK LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!

I went to the said URL (http://www.johntreed.com/Kiyosaki.html). and read here and there of the argument. And I was like, oh my God! In this page, John T. Reed, a guru in real estate, shows us as to why this book is bad for readers who does not have background in it. What is more annoying is that it can be proved some persons who give the direct testimonial are paid for that, and their words are totally not what happened to them as they claimed.

The question is what makes these books bestsellers? I do not know. I'm still confused because it is a bestseller among the big player too, who know about tips and tricks of the field deeper.

Next question: if these bestsellers provide us with inaccurate facts, so how to trust what have written in any other books? How to distinguish which one is good and which one is bad writer?

Should we ignore the fact that the facts are incorrect as long as they benefit us in some way, like many people who email mr Reed after reading his argument and still defending the author? (They say: "So what, it's just a little book". "So who cares if he oversimplifies a little?". "It's OK if he lies because it's just a motivational book". "He got me thinking about finance and that's all I care about". "What is truth anyway?")

The problem is we do not spend some time to check the review and buy the book based on the bestseller title. If it is a fiction, then I cannot see any much harm. But, if it is a guide or fact that will affect our belief or conducts, then I learn my lesson - check, no matter after or before you buy. :P

I think, I should read more solid book. :P Welch is ok to begin with, hihi. Perhaps. :P

:)

Today, i'm on leave. So, I watched Ocean's Twelve at MegaPavillion, City Square.

p/s:
Anyway, yesterday was Ain's Mom's Birthday. So, Ain, her mom and I were having our dinner at Mutiara Hotel. Ironically, ( or at least I found it quite, hmm, different ) Ain's sis' birthday was also in the same day. It turned out to be double birthday. But, since Ain's sis is still studying in US, so she could not be present with us. She sent a cake bought via Internet to her mom while we sent her present through mail.

Of course having a buffet in a hotel is pleasant experience. (Especially when the one you love most is sitting next to you!!) Back when I was working in my previous company, my work sometimes gave me chances to stay a night or two at hotel. I really love every minutes of it.

Ain and I love foods. We appreciate them.

You know what, I love to see Ain eating those food - I mean, the way she tastes, the expression, and the way she gives her comment about those foods - hehe, I dunno how to say it. (Dun tell her, but I think she is extra cute at that moment. Hehe!)

I expect, we will have a rich journey jalan-jalan cari makan later.

p/s/s:
I expect no comment for this entry :P This entry was written just to make me feel better, not for everyone information. And, mind you, to make one's feel better is one of the purpose of writing a blog, hehe!

Woweee, this is the shortest entry i have ever written, assuming that p/s and p/s/s does not take into account. :P

YM Session : Our mind!

Today, my terato friend, Nazier suddenly gave a message asking about a question. I guess, those in form 4 or form 5 will answer it with ease. On the other hand, i've to recall and answer it with a bit uncertainties.

Below is a the YM session between us.

xnazier		abg yusoff
xnazier		tumpang tanya
m_yusof_y		ye?
xnazier		"Veni Vedi Vinci"
xnazier		tu ayat siapa?
m_yusof_y		eh?
m_yusof_y		nak buat apa?
xnazier		tiba2 terfikir
xnazier		alexader ke?
xnazier		ke org lain?
m_yusof_y		bukan kot
m_yusof_y		Caesar rasanya
xnazier		Julius Caeser?
xnazier		i see
m_yusof_y		Julius Caesar
m_yusof_y
m_yusof_y		cuba check balik
xnazier		url here!
xnazier		sbb dlm tu ada tulis
xnazier		Paling meninggalkan tanda tanya, ke manakah menghilangnya ayat yang kerap diucapkan oleh Alexnder The Great ini: "I came (saya datang) , I see (saya lihat) and I conquer (saya tawan)"
m_yusof_y		siapa tulis tu?
m_yusof_y		hmm mungkin me silap
m_yusof_y		jap check kat internet
m_yusof_y
xnazier		hiih

And i began to ask Master Google, and was directed to several websites. Satisfied, i continued our conversation.

m_yusof_y		Caesar la
m_yusof_y		dari apa yg me check la.
xnazier		hm..
xnazier		itu la
xnazier		oh!
xnazier
xnazier		thank you ye abg usop
m_yusof_y		Balas balik siapa yg buat tu
xnazier		hoho
xnazier
xnazier		tapke la
m_yusof_y		hehehe!
m_yusof_y		terkeliru kot
nazier		hihi

What do you think? Sometimes, our mind confuses between facts, and which is which. Sometimes, they just stay in our subconcious mind and when one thing happens that wake them up, we are like -- "hey, that's familiar but who said that eh? what is it eh?" and etc.

Long time ago in my previous company, i was asked by my Director if a logo that she showed to me ring a bell, whether i'd seen it somewhere. She just tried to make sure that the logo designed for a product was original. I said, it's look familiar "subconciously" but i could not recall where i'd seen it. I thought like hell but only days later i found the answer, when my mind a bit calmer. :P

Our mind is a mysterious thing!

However, i still think that the guy should do his homework! :P

p/s:
I stumbled at this site when i surfed to find who was actually being quoted as above. It was from "Who want to be a Millionaire" episode. "MUSIM KE LAPAN, EPISOD 11, RABU, 12 SEP 2001".

7th question at RM4000 to second contester, Aidil:

'Veni, Vedi, Vinci' merupakan kata-kata yg diucapkan oleh...
A. Pompey
B. Julius Caesar
C. Asoka
D. Iskandar Zulkarnain

Either not knowing the answer, or just not confident with his answer, he used his #1 talihayat and called his friend, Cikgu Abdul Hamid. "B Julius Caesar, confirm 100%" was his friend's reply :P

I will do the same if i were in his shoes, hehe! Or so i think.

:P

Friends, i wanted to update last night but i got this error as soon as i logged into blogger.com control panel:

Error
We apologize for the inconvenience, but we are unable to process your request at this time. Our engineers have been notified of this problem and will work to resolve it.

So, don't blame me! :P

But, it's ok since what i wanted to write last night was a crap. Hmm, about me having some kind of --, how to say it, this uncomfy, weird feeling. I wanted to write what i ate yesterday ( food, and food and food!) and stuffs. And wish, "Selamat Bulan December!" :P

I was really exhausted last night, and thanks God for the error :P ( when i'm exhausted, the topic i choose is some kind of rubbish - which i nicely put them in words and play with sentence structures! :P)

Ok, this is an update, BTW! ( ah! TLO's force is sooo strong here! :P )

Bug Fixed !!

I don't know why, but today i'm looking for subtitute for my $^#*%@# Internet Explorer (Yes, the adjective used not passed my own censorship, hehehe!). Several browsers came into my mind, like Netscape, Firefox, Opera etc. I ended up using Firefox after reading good reviews about it.

So, of course later i tried several website known for their layers of tables in the programming to see whether the layout and design still look intact (certain browser does not really support or "being nice" to the complicated design or certain parameter or tag in the coding!!). And, of course my own blog, numbed-mind, is one of them. ( Because it is my coding, started from scretch ma! Ask Katak, if u dun believe me! :P)

To my horror, the layout is not as what i see when i use Internet Explorer. What should be right and left side suddenly turn out to be as top and bottom to one another. "There must be some unnecessary tag or wrong parameter in the coding, that i overlooked before", i said to myself. And, suddenly i remembered one complaint from a friend - is it Mugen? - at the tagboard long time ago, about this page being very weird on his non-IE browser. I took it for granted at that time since i didn't care to check the page by using other browsers. :P Poor me!

So, i started looking back at the coding. Right enough, i made an elementary mistake at the css part, unnoticedly included the "absolute" value where it is unnecessary. :P One word only and thing went soo wrong, hehe! (That's part and parcel of a programmer's life! And luckily i'm not working as full time programmer! :P)

So, is it that IE being nice or is it that it is so dumb? No matter what the answer is, I hate it for executing certain unnecessary script that make the system unhealthy, and those bugs which turn my life quite miserable, and etc and bla bla bla. And enuff is enuff! :P (Q: How long i can refrain myself from using IE? Firefox is ok to me so far :P)

p/s: I think i have so many "bugs" in myself that i need to fix :( I feel so uncomfy lately! Anyway, thanks to my Ain for giving me precious advices. I love u!!

Najwa

Below is my colleague's kid's pic, Najwa. The nice thing about this kid is that she is over friendly. Rarely indeed she cries when someone takes her from her mom. She has been babysitted nearby the office so it is easy for me to meet her after office hour. :P The second pic, however, ehemm, is the one for you to see as to why her mom considers me as Najwa's "bapa angkat".






What do you think? Hehe! Me, nice uncle huh? :P But, guys, if you are 20s over, please dun think i'm like ur uncle. :P I know some did because that very person told me so, and you know who you are, hehe! :P

Personality Test

I've taken quite a number of personality test where i've been given questions to answer as honest as possible. Those questionnaire sometimes are boring, where even certain question we answered with a bit uncertainty. :P

But, the one i put here today is nothing like that. It's a simple test. All of the optional pics are beautiful, but alas, we have to choose our most preferrable one. Yes, beautiful they are, but it consists some meaning for psychologist to penetrate and understand our personality. At least, a very interesting experiment.

This test is actually sent by my friend, Rudiah via email, and i should say that i didn't open it until weeks later. :P Why? I guess, because it is in a Word Document. :P But, one fine evening, i opened it and found it a very interesting test. :)

So, let's me bring you the exact words, pasted from the document. :P

[begin]

Select a shape below that appeals to you the most and then scroll down to read about your personality.

A psychologist developed these shapes. They have been tested worldwide, over a period of several years. As we received feedback from our research, we carefully adjusted the color and/or form of each shape, then tested again, until we were left with a highly successful set of shapes. These represent the nine basic personality types.

[1]	[2]
[3]	[4]
[5]	[6]
[7]	[8]
[9]

[end]

So, have you choose one? :P Ok, i know being honest here. Now, let's see the verdict :P

*drum rolling*

Wait! I give you a chance to change your mind and look at the shape again!

And again!

Are you sure that one is your most preferrable?

Sure?

Ok. By now, i know you are damn sure about your choice. So, here we go:

*drum rolling*


[1]
Independent
Unconventional
Unfettered
You demand a free and unattached life for yourself that allows you to determine your own course. You have an artistic bent in your work or leisure activities. Your urge for freedom sometimes causes you to do exactly the opposite of what expected of you.
Your lifestyle is highly individualistic. You would never blindly imitate what is "in"; on the contrary, you seek to live according to your own ideas and convictions, even if this means swimming against the tide.

[2]
Dynamic
Active
Extroverted
You are quite willing to accept certain risks and to make a strong commitment in exchange for interesting and varied work. Routine, in contrast, tends to have a paralyzing effect on you.
What you like most is to be able to play an active role in events. In doing so, your initiative is highly pronounced.

[3]
Down to Earth
Well-Balanced
Harmonious
You value a natural style and love that which is uncomplicated. People admire you because you have both feet planted firmly on the ground and they can depend on you. You give those who are close to you security and space. You are perceived as being warm and human. You reject everything that is garish and trite. You tend to be skeptical toward the whims of fashion trends. For you, clothing has to be practical and unobtrusively elegant.

[4]
Professional
Pragmatic
Self-assured
You take charge of your life, and place less faith in your luck and more in your own deeds. You solve problems in a practical, uncomplicated manner. You take a realistic view of the things in your daily life and tackle them without wavering. You are given a great deal of responsibility at work, because people know that you can be depended upon.
Your pronounced strength of will projects your self-assurance to others. You are never fully satisfied until you have accomplished your ideas.

[5]
Peaceful
Discreet
Non-Aggressive
You are easy-going yet discreet. You make friends effortlessly, yet enjoy your privacy and independence. You like to get away from it all and be alone from time to time to contemplate the meaning of life and enjoy yourself. You need space, so you escape to beautiful hideaways, but you are not a loner. You are at peace with yourself and the world, and you appreciate life and what this world has to offer.

[6]
Carefree
Playful
Cheerful
You love a free and spontaneous life. And you attempt to enjoy it to the fullest, in accordance with the motto: "You only live once."
You are very curious and open about everything new; you thrive on change. Nothing is worse than when you feel tied down. You experience your environment as being versatile and always good for a surprise.

[7]
Romantic
Dreamy
Emotional
You are a very sensitive person. You refuse to view things only from a sober, rational standpoint. What your feelings tell you is just as important to you. In fact, you feel it is important to have dreams in life, too.
You reject people who scorn romanticism and are guided only by rationality. You refuse to let anything confine the rich variety of your moods and emotions.

[8]
Analytical
Trustworthy
Self-assured
Your momentary sensitivity represents that which is of high quality and durable. Consequently, you like to surround yourself with little "gems," which you discover wherever others overlook them.
Thus, culture plays a special role in your life. You have found your own personal style, which is elegant and exclusive, free from the whims of fashion. Your ideal, upon which you base your life, is cultured pleasure. You value a certain level of culture on the part of the people with whom you associate.

[9]
Introspective
Sensitive
Reflective
You come to grips more frequently and thoroughly with yourself and your environment than do most people. You detest superficiality; you'd rather be alone than have to suffer through small talk. But your relationships with your friends are highly intensive, which gives you the inner tranquility and harmony that you need in order to feel good. However it is no problem for you to be alone for extended periods of time, without becoming bored.


So, which one do you think my choice is? Which one do you think my Ain's choice is? See again at the shape, guess, and ask me :P I mean, if you have time to do so lah, hahaha! :P

Hari Raya Entry :P

Today, i believe, i've to update because it's quite a while since my last update. And this update should be Hari Raya Update. And Hari Raya Update is supposedly to be a proper one, colourful and full of happiness. :P ( And, i think, i dedicate this update to the update beggar of the year, Leeya, who personally sending sms to me asking for update. :P )

So, where do i start?

Ooo yah, Hari Raya Card. So far, i only received one card. Altho several of my friends claimed has sent their card to me, the cards were yet to arrive in my hand. :P

I admit that i myself felt very lazy to write one. I sent a lot of sms around as a substitute, and they replied back. (And to those who did not reply, you know who you are! :P Takder credit eh? :P) Ironically, their sms showed a variety of ways to express that sms is REALLY a substitute to cards, and easier way to wish. And what's more? See the example below, and draw your own conclusion:

First:
LAPAR PUASA
TERKETAR2
BILA BERBUKA
LEGA RASANYA
KAD RAYA TAK
SEMPAT NAK
HANTAR
CARA SMS PUN
DAH KIRA OK LAH
YE...!
SELAMAT HARI
RAYA
MAAF ZAHIR &
BATIN

Second:
AnAk PaK dOLLaH
mKn LePaT, MkN
LePaT sAmBiL
mELoMpAT, NaK
hAnTaR kAd
RaYa tAk tAhU
aLAmAt, PaKai
sMs PuN Ok
wHaT?.. -selamat
hari deparaya
maaf zahir dan
batin.

Third:
ANAK JAWS MAIN
GITAR, ANAK
SOTONG MAIN
TABLA, KAD RAYA
MALAS NAK
HANTAR, SEND
SMS Je DAH LA,
SEMOGA INGATAN
TAKKAN PUDAR,
TERIMALAH
UCAPAN SELAMAT
HARI RAYA ...

Fourth:
" Sir lump mud
hurry rare year
ideal fit tree moo lee year..
ma half za hair
bar ten.. 2 loose
dairy hearty
young eek
class.." sory i
barroo blk dairy
london.

Hemmmm, what do you think? :P I think, they are creative. I mean, the creator, not the forwarder :P. Do not underestimate the power of human mind. :P

Besides, the card, one thing that i found weird was a sudden enormous firework and firecracker being played around. The sound was so disturbing, considering that my anak buah is only 2 month old and the shock sometimes costed his mother a proper sleep. Or so i thought. :P Actually, it costed me a nice, peaceful sleep. Damn! And it gimme a headache.

And, i've enuff headache last week by being so nice reading mail from those spammers club members. Mael, Rudi, Bee, Aan, Neena, Puchong, Dihah, etc to name a few. :P 100s of them. I should blame their poor level of understanding on the art of spamming. Only Puchong is exceptional. :P When i got the headache, i realized one thing: when you do thing, make sure it is harmoniously intertwined with your inner self, or else wait for the subsequent side effects. :P

Wait, was the headache caused by my "anyaman ketupat" last Friday with my colleague in the office? I dunno. :P

At least, i survived with celebrating Hari Raya without the headache. Close called tho!

Ok, ok! I dunno what i have written today :P Such a crap! My mind is sooo unfocussed :P I think, i didn't tell you what i was doing during Raya yet. But, i have told to several of my friends during YM sessions and personal call, so asked them. Hehe! I should stop here! :P

So friends, Selamat Hari Raya! Maaf Zahir Batin! I think i could write better if there is no update beggar pressurize me :P Kidding!

p/s: Ain. I luv u!!

Hmm!

Dear all,

Sorry for not updating for such a long time. Yes, i'm still much alive and kicking. However, i might not updating for some time for certain reason. I'm ok BTW. :P

Sorry for the inconveniences caused.

regards.

Preventive.

When i was studying in UTM, i bought a Dale Cargegie's book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living". I read the book day and night and become hooked to it. I read that book now and then till today. The way that book being presented - the ideas and the constructed words - was really got my attention.

One day, my roomate asked me whether i've this worrying over things. I laughed.

I laughed because the question itself was funny.

Why?

To me, reading that kind of book is something like "sediakan payung sebelum hujan". Or, we can also think it as to increase knowledge so we can understand people better. (I dunno if i've been worrying day and night, i will buy and read that book!)

Or, it makes us know about worrying better. :)

So, now, if i start to feel like worrying, then i know what to do. Or, if i believe my friends become one, i can offer several practical, test-of-time advices. :) Sounds good right?

So, when you meet someone who read about Aids now, don't jump to the conclusion that they or their family have Aids. :)

Footnote:
Some people still keep asking me where the man's head is. :P Those who can see it, please help them. hehe! And, about writing in BM, err, some fine day! :P As to Iqa's whereabout, she will be taking her exam next week, so good luck to her (heyy, of course a stern action will be taken for her not updating hehehe! :P)

Medical Experiment: Man's head in the picture

I received a forwarded email which i share below. It took me about half a minute to find the head. At first, i tried to see in general in order to find the object. But later i realized that i need to look in details. :P

How about you? :P

Subject: Fwd: Man's head in the picture......try it

Hey

Can you find the Man's Head in the picture within 3 seconds?



According to recent medical experiments: If you can find the Man's Head within 3 seconds, your right brain is much more highly developed than in normal people. If you can find the Man's Head within 1 minute, your right brain is developed normally. If you can find the Man's Head within 1-3 minutes, your right brain is slow in reacting......you should eat more meat protein. If it takes more than 3 minutes for you to find the Man's Head, your right brain is a disaster . . . . .extremely slow in reacting.

AND YES -THERE REALLY IS A MAN IN THERE!

Smart in Business ?!

Last Tuesday, i read a posting at terato forum posted by sis neena. Here is the posting:

Jack, a smart businessman, talks to his son. Jack: I want you to marry a girl of my choice Son : "I will choose my own bride". Jack: "But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter." Son : "Well, in that case..." Next Jack approaches Bill Gates Jack: "I have a husband for your daughter." Bill Gates : "But my daughter is too young to marry." Jack: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank." Bill Gates : "Ah, in that case..." Finally Jack goes to see the president of the World Bank. Jack: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president." President : "But I already have more vice-presidents than I need." Jack: "But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law." President : "Ah, in that case....." This is how business is done!!

It is a nice one. So, i replied in my mindless way:

Wah!! The exploitation of timeline and personal life! But in what order he should execute his plan? To marry first or to be vice-president first? Both will make the vital information leaks to the involved party. :P This story give me an idea a big idea to cheat !! Hehehe! Well, I should say he is genius. But, the risk is too high. And, yup, insincere. :) This remind me of Charles Ponzi :P

And," who is this Ponzi?" you might ask. Master Google will answer you beter than me!

On Spending!

If you are tempting to spend on something, then remember Socrates.

Why?

He loved to go to marketplace, spent his time there, looking stuffs that being sold. But, he rarely buy something. When his friends asked about this, he simply answered: I just wondered how could it be so many things that i don't need!!

Short lesson, but hopefully that will stuck in our mind, and we take some action!

The Thanks!

The other day, while i've my dinner, i received an SMS from Nabeel, Ain's cousin. Here is the sms: "Abg yusof internet utk masuk cheese drp nabeel". Since i could not decipher as to what he meant, i sent a short sms: "Tak faham".

Then came his reply: "Abg yusofkan selalu main cheese dalam internet apa dia punya www. Apa". Now, i understood. He asked for url that enable him to play chess online.

So, i gave him an instruction to go to Yahoo and look at game portion, and log in using his Yahoo mail account when he was asked to do so. In addition, i was jokingly corrected the spelling mistake he made that made me confuse: "cheese", when what he meant is of course "chess".

Unexpected to me, he replied: "Thank pasal tolong betulkan kesilapan nabeel".

This Nabeel just finished sitting for his UPSR exam. And, when i was temporarily staying at his house, i taught him a simple Math for his exam preparation. The good example here is that he shows that he is the one who able to take any comment when someone tells him his mistake, and subsequently thanks them for it.

How about us?

It is just that some people are so hard to take any comment or advice from their buddies, let alone thanks them for showing the mistakes!

Radio

The day i transferred to my new room in JB, Ain's uncle lent me a big radio because he thought that i didn't have much any means of entertainment and would be getting bored to death in my room. It has been a long time since the last time i listened to one and chose any station i like. So, i called Iqa to get her recommendation on what stations that seems ok to her for me to listen. And later she sent SMS which i love to share here :P

"News Radio 93.8 FM byk news la. Red 92.9 FM Msian station, good selection of songs. Gold 90.5 FM Spore station, soothing songs, oldies. 88.90 FM BBC - enjoy!"

Ok. She is here in JB by the way! So, this tip might not practical to some of you. Come! Come! Study in JB. Work in JB. Live in JB. :P

Ok. You are right! This entry is not so much about radio, but about inviting all of readers out there to come here - Johor! :P This is a twisting tactic i learnt from Shyamalan's movies. :P

See, told ya, idea is not a problem for me not writing :P

Ah, maybe some of you thought that this is a bit old. You want a fresh one? Fine!

Today, my office blacked out for about one hour. I sent an SMS to a friend of mine about it and in reply, she wrote this:

"cepat2 psg lilin. jampi2 mana tau bley online ke. hehe"

And, i began to wonder about her sanity. Eh, did i say "her"? :P I think, if 90% of you can guess correctly as to her identity, then her sanity should really be in doubt!

Not so interesting story. I could not draw any "moral of the story is ... " :P

Hmm! Again, this sounds like Imran's and Hanani's writing style and i hate when mine sounds like theirs. :P So strong their force in my vein. Help me! :P ( Puchong, if you read this, you will know that i really need 1960s :P) Second thought. This entry is a crap :P This is a hallucination. This is a delusion. :P I promise, I will come up with some "original ideas" of mine after this. (Sounds like Dr. Nash? :P)

Hey, am i crazy? *vomit*

p/s: I just realize, the title of this entry is a bit misleading. Sorry! :P

Puteri Gunung Ledang

I don't think i should tell more about my new life here in Johor. Wait, one thing tho. It happened that my other male colleague here is also a movie buff. :P So, now i've a new friend talking about this stuff. In KL, i've watched too much movies i believe. So, here, with the Mega Pavillion and GSC help (they don't have big enough cinema to show all the movies with more time to select) , i believe i can reduce the number of movie to watch. :P

That's left to be seen tho :P.

Anyway, last Sunday, i went to MegaPavillion to watch PGL. It was 1.45 p.m. show and the tickets were being sold at a fast pace. Luckily, i got ticket for 2 where the seats were just nice - not far in front that would hurt our neck once we finish watching. :P Happily, i sent an SMS to Hanani to make her a bit envy. Later, came her reply: "My PGL is 11.50 a.m. today :P" Argghhh! And, i told her straightaway that she didn't have Ain beside her (i was just being unreasonable here :P)

Anyway, while watching, there was this one old guy who talked about what he knows about the legend now and then to his wife next to her. :P Disturbing, but sometimes amusing. It was like watching DVD with the director commentation on. :P

Ok. Enuff crap. Now on PGL.

My simple and mindless notes :P

[1] They say that most of the Malay movies are of love story. Perhaps, they are right. But, this love story is different from others. It is between one of the well-known and respected warrior, Hang Tuah and Gusti Putri (Puteri Gunung Ledang). The way they tell the story, with the history and legend being intertwined nicely, make us drooling.

[2] M. Nasir and Tiara are my favourite actor and actress. Both of them didn't dissapoint me in this movie. They bring their character wholeheartedly. But, ironically, the Sultan looks a bit weird. In my history of watching Malay movie ( :P ), never did i see something like this one. Even if they are comedy movies, the Sultan in there looks like Sultan - in a comedy way i mean-lah :P

[3] If you noticed, in the early scene, just before Hang Tuah fought with those bunch of samseng kg, he said something like this: "even if we want to follow instruction, it must be sensible". Do you think Hang Tuah sensible in following instruction? :P No. No. It's nothing to do with this movie tho. I hope, u have read about Hang Tuah fortunately :P

[4] In the middle of the movie, Hang Tuah looks confuse with himself. Love and Duty - which to follow. When the one we love suddenly become the one Sultan likes, what the word "sensible" means? :P Here, we can look the other side of Hang Tuah. He is human after all.

[5] Should such a serious story include the jokes like "pelempang jawa", "pelempang bugis" etc? :P I dunno. They might release a bit the seriousness the movie gives to the audiences. It's a common thing to do, and we can even see that in the Hollywood movies. But 4 times of the same thing? Don't u think it is a bit exaggerated?

A lot more small things to reflect (like how far the adaptation try to follow the written story? Is the Sultan so dumb that he could not thing of the simbolic rejection? How big is the daulah - once the curse broken, is it really gives effect? etc.) But never mind. Sorry for my curiousity :P

It's a good movie. Rarely indeed we have the opportunity to watch a movie produced by Malaysia like this one.

Wait. I guess, they should direct a movie called "Puteri Banjaran Andes". Not a romance, but a horror! :P

Ok! ok! i'm updating!

Again. Pindah membawa diri. :P

This time I transferred from HQ at Damansara to Taman Tampoi Utama. It's in JOHOR, in case you dunno where it is :P

And sorry for not updating such a long time.

Again, new place being my excuse: "the need to cope with new environment".

Plus, my computer is still in KL so I cannot write at my room before pasting it later.

And for other reasons that I think it is improper for me to mention here. :P

It's nothing related to the "lack of ideas". In my absent, I wanted to write about Olympics, about Independence day, about certain things of human nature. Idea is not the problem of me not writing. I mean, not this time :P

Big sorry to Aleeya who sounds like dying of not reading my posting. And others who don't want to admit the fact that they are also feel like dying (hehe!) I dun want to be responsible when one day, the newspaper bears a title: "One suicide of unknown reason". :P So, here I'm, updating my blog today.

So, what's new? The good thing is I rent a room which several minutes of walking to my office (should i say about 3 minutes?). So, no rush. No jam. And I save a lot. In my new office, there are only 8 staffs: 3 guys and the rest are girls. And, in no time, I became close to them, partly because it is like a small family here; partly because they are very, very friendly; and partly because they do not realize yet that I'm a martian. :P

Or so I thought.

I guess, this update sounds like Imran's and Hanani's writing style. :P My posting become weird and weirder ( please read like Alice in the Wonderland! ). So, should stop here because i hate Hanani's and Imran's spells on me!

Till later yah!

Present

Today is 25 Aug 2004. Today is Ain's Birthday. Today is my sis' convocation at UiTM Shah Alam.

For my sis, i give a bouquet of flower, a big one. For Ain? I dunno. It's hard to choose a present for someone - at least to me (any tips?) :P So, i called her and asked her what she wants. No surprise element i admit, but it's better than giving what she eventually don't like :P

Is it means that i don't really know her? Perhaps, but i don't think so. I know what she likes. But by asking, i just wanted to know what she really likes for present for this once-in-a-year occasion. By asking, i make the present customized especially for her (and prescribed by none other than the person herself :P)

At least that's my opinion right now (You can read: lame excuse :P) . Time moves, and my opinion may change based on certain occurences.

And what's more? Heyy, I save the surprise later! (hopefully you are aware the existence of Forrester's Theory of capturing girl's heart- of course from the movie, Finding Forrester :P : "give unexpected thing at an unexpected moment!")

And what i give for myself? Livita, white kit kat and barbeque twisties while playing chess online! :P Great!

KLIA, erl and me!

Last Saturday, i went to KLIA to send Ain's sis, Ida, before her departure to US, continuing new semester of her study. Others who came were Ain, her mom, Ida's bf and her Aunt.

Knowing that she would check in at 12.00 p.m., i took ERL (for my first time!) at Bandar Tasik Selatan. The ticket costed me RM 26.50. It's ok with me. But, on my rushing there, i forgot i had only small amount of cash in my wallet! Luckily, it was enuff for me to pay for the ticket, and after paying, only 40 cents remained in my pocket. :P Ironically, it was fun!

The story was told later while we had meal at KLIA, and they laughed. Her mom pointed out that she only draw out money once per month for big amount of money and put in his purse.
Thinking about that, i believe, whether you want to draw cash once a month or draw little by little, it's up to your displinary level. Like me, there are people who could not have a lot of cash in hand, or they would easily spend it on something. :P

Hurm! And, you know what? I might be lucky with the ticket, but i was not so lucky when the train came when i was buying the ticket. It is impossible to across to the other side using the bridge above in such a short time. I wish i could fly, reaching the door on time. Anyway, it was just my imagination, and i've to wait for 30 minutes more for the next train. Argghhhhh! Poor me! I didn't know how many times i looked at my watch :P And, no matter how fast the train was, I reached KLIA at about 12.10 p.m.!!

Was i late? Nope! It happened that Ida would come aboard only at 2.15 p.m :P And, i was lucky after all. :P

Should i tell you the moment when a mother has to say goodbye to her daughter? Better not, lest you can't handle it. :P

"Who Moved My Cheese?"

Last Saturday was a working day. It has been for a while i haven't working on Saturday, mainly because my previous company has adopted the 5-working-days system.

At Dagangnet Tech, on working Saturday, we have activities to fill that half working day. Last Saturday, we got to watch a DVD presentation on "Who Move My Cheese?", and later, listened to a talk about that very topic presented by Mr Chandra Sikaran from MIM.

If my mind didn't deceive me, I believe, the very last talk i attended was one given by Datin Ampika long time ago on The Power of First Impression. So, i'm glad to have this opportunity.

So, what is "Who Moved My Cheese?"

It's a book - a worldwide bestseller written by Dr Spenser Johnson. This book is basically trying to explain the importance of adapting ourselves to any changes occur. According to this book, we must realize that changes do occur and we have little power to stop it. So, willy-nilly, we've to anticipate change and fearlessly adapt to it quickly. Change ourselves if needed and enjoy it. And, after that, we must always alert and become observant to our surrounding because by doing so, we can see better and reflect better to any changes.

I bought this book some time ago. You can read this book in one sit since it's not so thick. Unlike other motivational book, the explanation comes in a short story form.

Mr Chandra is a fluent, proficient, knowledgable with a lot of experience presenter. He has unfolded a lot of things in front of us. Yeah, a lot, but i want to draw your attention to one thing - this equation. IQ=(mental age/physical age)*100. This is a simple equation to show how we've to update our knowledge and embrace any changes in our surrounding. Or else we end up like a 40 years old man with a mentality of 20 years old back, who when doing thing he always refer to the old method of his time with outdated technology.

Sounds good enuff. :P

The problem with this book, like mentioned by many, is that the writer seems to think that all changes are positive, or what we call "improvement". Meaning, when a change occur, it's our job to distinguish whether it is for better or for worse. And only then, what has been preached in this book become applicable.

It's a nice book after all. The insight given at least can broaden our perception towards new things and changes.

I'm afraid you would take less time to finish reading the book than to digest what i've written here :P

Wah!

// Martian's in red

Lot of things happened during the time of me not updating :P

"So what happened?", you might ask.
// I dun give a damn!

Ok.Lemme tell on what happened. So, prepare your cup of coffee! :p *drum rolling*
// drum? How about bomb exploding? :P

So, as i told you in my entry, i have transferred to Dagangnet Technologies commencing 1 August. I could not give you my opinion yet about the company, since i'm only working there for about 2 weeks. But, whatever my opinion is, it is not as surprising as this fact: i will soon be back to Johor Bahru! Ok, now you can start crying, oh, kidding! :P
// HA. HA. HA. Not funny!

Actually, when i was being interviewed by the Director and HR of Dagangnet for the inter-company transfer, i emphasized to them on me being back to JB sooner or later. So, if there is any vacancy there, i would like to fill the position (or i might resign after working for 1 year). And lucky me, i was just in time when the head there asked for one more tech guys to support the increasing users. And yesterday, my director has confirmed that soon, i will be transfered to JB office at Taman Tampoi Utama. He said, it depends on me now - how fast i can learn here - and expects me to catch up whatever relates to the system. The sooner i learn and reach a satisfying level and confidence with my own skills, the sooner i will get transfered. He believes i can catch up quite easily and confident that two weeks time is enuff for me. I have a mix filling about my own ability. Hurm! :P Meaning, by Sept, i have already been there! Wah! Still, it depends on me. October pun ok :P
// Eleh! Mr Polt kerek! You're having delusions about your own ability!

Ok fren, here we go. A pantun:

Tuai padi antara masak,
esok jgn layu layuan,
Intai kami antara nampak,
esok jgn rindu rinduan. *sob* *sob*

// Nak jawab:

// Sapu tgn tepi berkelim,
// Kelim mari gigi belalang,
// Hati nan rindu tak boleh di kirim,
// Hendak dikirim bukannya barang.

//Muahahahhaha! Pantun lama!

Hurm! Ala, bukan jauh pun :P

Yay, i will be closer to my fiancee!
// fiancee? hey, i don't know that!

Wait! Aha! I can hear some of you saying this: "fiancee? hey, i don't know that!" ok. It's no secret. I got engaged last Sunday. No futher details about it needed. :) If you have any question, ask me personally :P And big thanks to those who had given their personal congratulation to me via any means of telling me so. :)
// Hey, at last you get an Earth girl huh?

And, it was quite weird that on Monday, her family (Ain, her mom and sis) and i went around visiting her relatives in JB, introducing me to them (since i could not attend the engagement ceremony :P) Hey, it's fun after all getting to know them and minggling around. In addition, we had dinner that night. Four of us. Wait. Forgive me, five of us. Yeah, including her sis's bf. :)
// Erk!

So, you see, a lot of things happened that will change my future. And now, i'm trying to cope with it. Pray for me! :)

:P

Short update (can we take this as an update?) :
Lack of update. I need some time to cope with new workplace and daily life - to "stabilize". :P

This is of course an excuse :P I know you can smell it. Therefore, a big sorry from me! (Iqa! Help me! S.O.S :P)

Internet Freak

Taken from [[here]] . My annotation in red:

You know you're an internet freak when...

• You refer to yourself and your friends with names such as "pimpdaddy2000" and "sugarbaby14" on the phone.
  // OMG! I think people start calling me mr Polt here and there!
  
• You have met more people online than you know in real life.
  // This is soooo true. We have a lot of friend online. Some of them become so intimate yet we have not met them yet. Who cares.
  
• You constantly type between *stars* to express emotion or your actions. *rolls eyes*
  // Hehe! Always. Undeliberately following others, especially my sis Dihah yg comel :P
  
• You use LOL, WBS, LMAO, JK, YGM, or any other net abbreviations, in real life.
  // In writing, yes! But, have you ever heard someone laughing like this: "LOL" -- i mean, with the exact similar pronounce? I think i've :P
  
• Your chair has an ass-groove because you have nothing better to do than sit in it.
  
• You have your own email, webpage, every possible messenger, a message post/board, your own chat, and a telnet talker.
  // I've webpage at Geocities. In addition, i've a shared blog. I'm using Yahoo Messenger regularly and sometimes, MSN Messenger. I own Yahoo, Hotmail and Lycos mail accounts. Hurm! And terato and Netscape mails too altho i dun think i use them. :P I'm teratorian and post in the forum now and then. I join several online group like Malaysia-chess, sck9697 etc. Argghh.. ! Hehe! But still, they are manageable! Dun worry yah! :P
  
• You spend 4 hours or more online each day, on a regular basis.
  // Hahaha! 4 hours? More than that. Being online is my job. ( I dunno in my new company la! :P)
  
• You are outraged if someone doesn't message you back, and you spam them with hate mail.
  // Sometimes, yes. But, we have to think positively: the reason being, their line is suck at that very moment :P
  
• You seem to value what people on the other side of the country think of you, whom you will most likely never meet anyways, and you burst into tears if Jiggy007 doesn't say goodbye to you.
  
• You've met more than twenty 17/f/blonde/blue eyes/skinny/big boobs/professional model people in chats.
  
• You acctually believe they're all big-breasted, blond models.
  
• You threaten to punish someone by banning them from your internet club or talker, as if it will affect their lives deeply. (oh boo hoo!)
  // sounds familiar! :P
  
• You openly admit your a looser, and rejoice in it.
  
• You dominate all chats and clubs, because you know everyone.
  // It hards sometimes to join other groups when they have already known each other, and you are a new member in that group.
  
• Everyone refers to you as "that cyber bitch" because of your incessent need to challenge everyone with your opinions
  
• You think that cybersex counts as loosing your viginity.
  
• You have imaginary cyber babies with your cyber boyfriend/girlfriend. You name them.
  // :P How about cyber pet?
  
• Your eyes hurt from staring at the screen, and there's a buildup of dishes on your desk. You haven't seen the light of day in a while.
  // Yeah. Soo true, it happens to me. Yay, i'm a computer freak :P
  
• You imposter people, ie. Celebrities, on a regular basis.
  // Erk!
  
• You SPEAK IN ALL CAPITALS BECAUSE IT'S COOL. Or you condemn those who do,
  saying that they're huritng your ears. (It's friggen typing, how the heck does that hurt your ears?)
  // Haha! All in capital isn't cool. It simply means people speak loudly. And it hurts my eyes more than my ears. :P There are people who dunno what it means to write in capital, when they do so, misunderstanding always occurs - like we think thay are angry, or the message is urgent etc :P
  
• Your nickname is garnished with ~'s and *'s and such.
  
• You take your rank as an Admin. in a chat VERY seriously, as if it were a real profession.
  // I dunno. I'm not an admin :P But, i've seen several who just as mean as that :P
  
• You think you're God, because you're the owner or founder of a chat/talker.
  
• YEW DUN SPELL RITE N-E-MORE. And you acctually understand that.
  // Hehehe! A lot of example! Assignment=esemen, catch up=kecap etc. :P But, that's not mine. :P
  
• You get in a bad mood if you're away from your computer for more than 10 hours.
  // No! Well, sometimes :P
  
• You demand a picture from everyone, and you're always posting usless pictures of yourself. "Here's my left big-toe.."
  // Long time ago, i used to ask for pics. But, not anymore :P Getting tired of it.
  
• When you're not online, you're thinking about, or talking about what you do online.
  // Yeah. Sometimes, i feel very uncomfortable when i haven't online for one day! Now, that's a serious symptom! :P

Inter-company Transfer

Short Update:
Today, i received letter of appointment and inter-company transfer from Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd (UEM is one of DNT shareholder), stating that i will be transferring there effective 1 August 2004 as Technology Support Executive. For your information, the office is located at HP Towers, Bukit Damansara.

After 3 years and about 6 months working in current company, new environment may enrich my experience. Wish me all the best of luck! :)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Jonathan Livingston Seagull - A Story
by Richard Bach.
Avon books. 127 pages.

I read this book for the first time when i was in form 5. It was meant for my book review assignment for my English class. I guess, I chose this book because it was thin and simple and i would be able to read it in one seat. Only later i found that despite its simplicity, it contains what those thick motivation books have to offer. I bought my own copy long time ago and read it again and again since then. (You can find the full text here!)

I should say reading this book is a refreshing experience. It shows the value of self-improvement and self-perfection in our daily life.

The story focuses on Jonathan, a seagull. He finds that life is more than finding food day in day out. To him, it is more than that. He thinks: "Instead of our drab slogging forth and back to the fishing boats, there's a reason to life! We can lift ourselves out of ignorance, we can find ourselves as creatures of excellence and intelligence and skill. We can be free! We can learn to fly!". So he learns how to fly better. He tries to find reasons every time he fails on mastering certain technique, figures out what goes wrong, and later try again until he succeeds. Never one second he satisfies with what he has achieved. He really looks for perfection!

It is not easy though. He faces resistance from his mom and dad and his flock. One day, he tries to show to his flock how they - seagull - can get more foods by mastering flying techniques and only to find they do not like it. To them, he breaks the traditional way. The flock cannot distinguish between breaktrough and breaking ways they have adopted for years.

The elder in the flock makes Jonathan an outcast. He says that Jonathan is a shame to Gull Family. 

He is sad but he learns still and meets other outcast. He finds seagull with better technique and learns from them. Until he has a real mastery on how to fly. The mastery helps him in simplifying his ways to take simpler tasks like catching fish, and that is what his flock cannot see.

No! He is not stopping there. Yes, he has mastered the technique but he still thinks of his flock. He wants to teach them that by taking time to learn, all other matters will become handy. His friend thinks that it is futile but Jonathan believes there must be some way to change their perception. Off he go, and later he succeeds.

What i wrote above of course not as entertaining as reading the original text :P But i hope u get the ideas.

You see, in daily life, we must find reasons for our doing. (In chess, trainers always tell their students to find purposes for every move they made). We must think of ways to improve ourselves. We must learn anything we think that can make our job easier. Once we fails, we must find the cause of the failure,  and find the right way. Once we succeed, we must think of others and teach them of our findings. We must not become so selfish and think of no one but ourselves.

What a lesson!

This book was written in 1970. It still being published until now. What that's supposed to mean? It's classic!! A lot of people find some inspiration through it. A lot of people just like Rad Bradbury: "Richard Bach with this book does two things. He gives me Flight. He makes me young".

Small Creation :P

This pic has been created by one of my friend. I think most of teratorian know her. I should say it is cute. I wonder, is she in the mood of wanting being loved by someone dear to her? Anyway, i guess, Hallmark should hire this girl to come up with brilliant ideas and create more lovely cards for them :P

In terato YM conference session, she explained:
" hmm
bukan la
itu kan sweet kiss
kalau boy kiss, dah biasa
sweet ke?
so, we turn to other side
kiss pipi..sweet per
pastu tagline dier
'i love EVERYTHING about you' "

Attitude

I get this when i did sites-hopping (here!)

What makes life 100% ??

IF,
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then,

H A R D W O R K
8 1 18 4 23 15 18 11 = 98 % Only

K N O W L E D G E
11 14 15 23 12 5 4 7 5 = 96 % Only

But,

A T T I T U D E
1 20 20 9 20 21 4 5 = 100 % 


My note:

Sorry if i bore you with this topic! :P I don't actually like to talk about motivational stuff directly, but i can't help myself on this one. Simply because it's one of the most basic things. And i believe, if you want really take care of a tree, take care of its root first :)

To be frank, i didn't really recalculate, and see whether the calculation is correct. Why should i when that's not the main point. The one who came up with this isn't a number freak - rather, he was trying to show us that attitude is more important than hardwork and knowledge.
 
I can't see how an individual or an organisation can move forward without the right attitude.  

It's sad to see how educated people don't have right attitude. They blame the world for their failure when the very problem they face is actually come from themselves. They never stop whining day in day out talking about problem on their way; blaming other people for something that turn out not to be as they like; not admitting the mistake they actually do; giving 1001 reasons when the goals are hard to achieve, etc. 
 
Even a big organisation will stumble when this thing happens.  

A lot of problem our country facing right now are due to attitude problem. Like the increasing number of accidents. Like the increasing number of crime among teenagers. You can list them down. 

William James says: "the greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be. Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."
 
Viktor Frankl told us the story on how he and the other who lived in concentration camps could remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.  

If you want to change something, first change the attitude. If you want to get something, first change the attitude.

Right attitude can attract many good things to us. Plus, it's free of charge. No cost at all. No consultation fees needed.

Sounds soooo book!  But, it's up to us to make its practical. To change our bad attitude, and to influence others to change their bad attitude. 
 
Yes, i admit, it's hard! BUT, we have attitude problem if we don't try. :P

Nice Avatars!!

I want to put pictures in entries. So, let's begin with this. The lovely avatar owned by teratorian.


   

   

   

   

   

   



Cute, dun you agree? :P

On how a blog affects one's life

Let's begin with a question:
How do you think a blog can affect one's life?

I happened to read Pick Yin's "Life Is Great" with absolute interest. I find this blog rather thoughtful in most of its entries. For July 10, she told us how her blog affected someone's life. The story started when it happened that on June 21, she wrote about "My Take on Polygamy in Islam". A reader read it and redirected the pages to her friend, who contemplating on taking a second wife. In the email to the owner of the blog, the reader wrote: "After reading all the comments, he was a bit insaf. After a week, he said 'I don't think I will proceed'. ([For] whatever reasons that might be.)"

In one example given by Biz Stone, written for blogger.com: "Salam Pax blogged from Iraq with bombs exploding all around him. The whole thing with the bombing and the fighting and the explosions is not always a good way to go but in this case it worked out for Salam. It turns out people wanted to hear what was really going on over there and not just watch television news about how great America is." It was a first hand experience; someone wrote it and it was being read worldwide and made people realize the real situation. It changed the perception of many.

These are serious examples.

How do you think a blog can affect one's life?

Perhaps, it comes from a simple note or short list, which turn out to be very helpful. Like "10 ways how to save your money" i read the other day! (forget from whose blog :P).

Or from the pictures they take and put in the blog. Or jokes they share.

Nobody knows when it happens, when something will, out of nowhere, affects us and changes our life.

Therefore, when a blogger share their ideas or experiences, we should have fun reading and sincerely think about it. Then, we should be able to draw our own opinion and later, perhaps, we can share our opinion and experience with others if there is "comment" part included. Both parties should open-minded enough about this and by this exchanging process, both parties will get the benefit from the little blog created.

Or at the very least, we can take that as a friendly gesture, a contact that will make us closer. No harm done.

(Having written this, i still don't really care whether people are seriously reading my blog or not. :P The rules number 10: Relax! :P)

So, back to the question:
How do you think a blog can affect one's life?

I think, now, you are able to tell me how :P

Random Topics

Sorry for such a long interval between entries. Anyway, this entry is dedicated to Aan who very nice to be the update beggar of the week. :P Hurm! Hihi! She wrote at the tagboard: "Update! Update! Dah ulang baper kali 10 tips tu, tapi tak amal gak! 'write often' ". I was like being slapped on the face! :P Damn, baru ingat, i still owe her her birthday present! ( i'm waiting for my engagement and if she doesn't gimme present, then it's 0-0. So, no need to give, muahahaha! erk! :P )

Since Aan likes a lighter entry, so here we go:


Euro 2004 : "A Greek theory to beware"

As we know, last Monday morning (M'sia time), Greece beat Portugal to become the winner of Euro 2004, 1-0. Against all odds, they overcame one game after another and they did it with his defensive style.

A lof of people loves attacking style and opted to support Portugal that night. I was behind Greece's back.

Anyway, the title above was taken from an article at SkySports. In the article, the writer stated that "German tactician Rehhagel amply demonstrated what can be achieved by constructing a team whose primary target appears to be stopping the opposition from scoring." and then he asked a question: "True, this is an important facet of football but is this defensive-minded, negative outlook the vision for the game which should be promoted?".

This question of course makes the world think whether "fun to watch" is more important than "winning". Wait, why didn't they think that watching people defencing is as entertaining as watching people attacking? Wait, again. I don't think that Greece lacks of attacking skill at all. It is only they chose to play defensively and attacked when the time was right.

It's up to them to play any style they like. The style they chose is not new, and it has been in the textbook long time ago. A lot of team has adopted it, but with little success. This team on the other hand adopted it with flying color, made the giant team stumbled on their feets.

Sun Tzu in the Art of War told us the importance of knowing when to attack and when to retreat. He wrote, "the general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom." That's what Greece did in this tournament!

p/s: I dunno why suddenly people are really looking for materials on Greek myth and stuff. :)


Spent RM 20,000 on SMS Contest

The Sun front page for yesterday revealed how a part-time agent spent RM 19,613.25 in an SMS contest ("Jom! Senang Mesti Menang"). She hoped to win the Grand Prize of a four-wheel drive but ended up only got the second proze of Suzuki VR125 worth RM6,143.40. How unfortunate!

To make the things worse, she went to the Consumer Claims Tribunal to get her money back. But, her claim has been rejected. She should accept the fact that the winners were chosen based on the best slogan and not the number of SMS sent.

Nowadays, a lot of transaction based on SMS has been introduced. Contest, voting, info etc. Heyy, you know what the word "afundi" means right? :P I dunno, how much the telecommunication company making money based on that.

How about having donation through SMS? It will be charged in the bill and the money will be donated to the needed. We can choose either RM 10 per SMS or how. Or is it already existed? If so, poor me for not knowing :P

It is easy to squander money nowadays, right?


Torrent and my Poirot Collection

I should blame this to Aan! :P She taught me about torrent and told me how good it is to download big files using torrent.

I happened to be Agatha Christies fan and when i found a website where a lot of Poirot's series available to be downloaded, i thought i just hit the jackpot. I loves Poirot, so i put other things in the bottom of the list and download all the series first. So far, i finished almost 20 of them. Crazy!

Wait! Dun ask me "Who is Poirot?" :P


Chess World Championship

Currently the FIDE World Chess Championship is underway where it's come in it's final stage. Two player who passed the elimination process faced each other competing for the title. By the time i wrote this, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, 24 years old, the top Uzbekistani player leads 1 1/2 - 1/2 against 32 years old and England's top GM, Michael Adams, after winning the second game. The first game is draw.

Kasimdzhanov, like Greece, is underdog, 27th seeded in this tournament. He has already won against top seeded and big names in his way to the final. He is only 2652 Elo rated while Adams is 2731 (2nd seeded in this tournament). For comparison, Kasparov is 2817 ELO rating.


Aan

Aan crazy! (This sub topic doesn't mean to be here!)

On Selecting a Dictionary

Yesterday, i read a short acticle in The Sun (which you can get for free), pg. 16 on how to choose a dictionary to suit us.

Currently, i own only two dictionary: COBUILD (stands for Collins Birmingham University International Language Database), and Oxford Fajar (English-Malay, Malay English), 2nd Edition. If i do online, i always refer to dictionary.com. I love COBUILD because it explains the meaning in simple way, and the examples on how to use the words are extensive.

Below is the said article:

Selecting a dictionary WITH so many titles out there, choosing a dictionary can be difficult. Here is Gwyneth Fox's advice. "The common mistake people make in choosing a dictionary is that they always look for something that is big and prestigious," she says. "That should not be the case. In reality, you should choose a dictionary that fits your needs. For example, if you are interested in the language of Shakespeare, then the Oxford dictionary is what you should look for. In the same vein, if you are an architecture student, get a dictionary that specialises in architecture terms. "Also, if you are a school student, go for the Macmillan School Dictionary, as it has been specially written for school students who learn their curriculum subjects in English," Fox adds.

If you wonder why the words you try to find the meaning are always not in the dictionary; or you think that you could not understand the definition given, or the definition given does not suitable in the context; or you find that you hardly understand what two IT Techs are discussing; then you should start agree with Gwyneth Fox and follow her advice. :)

Big one does't mean it has good explanation for the words.

Letter to my blog

Dear Blog,

I dunno why i feel that time flies very fast, and it's already several month after i created you: sharing you with Iqa in writing some thought, ideas and common happenings.

Looking back at what i've written on you, i didn't know how i manage to write them all. Some are serious thoughts, some are craps. Reflecting, i thought some of them should be elaborated more so the ideas will be clearer. Some should contain more examples to elucidate the gaps. Words could be changed to more precise one. Sentences could be reconstructed to show the meaning better. Grammatical error could be corrected. More than that, now, i might find some argument have holes after my friends pointed it out.

But, dear, you know what? Despite that facts, I just write and write. (that's what Forrester taught me right? Wait, dear, have you seen "Finding Forrester"?) If i care too much about that and think i can find some masterpieces by being careful and make people saying their "wow!" everytime, then i think this blog would lack of entries. Or worse, i would not be able to write at all. If i'm afraid of harsh comment given by people, then my fear will make me stand back and my ideas and experience never reach others. If i'm afraid to make mistake, and afraid that people will find my writing dull and uninteresting, plus full of craps, then i don't think i would be able to publish anything at all. So, it's better just to write leisurely and follow whatever style i've built in my subconcious mind. :P

One nice day long time ago, i was looking for some article on how to write when i stumbled to this website containing practical advice, and it's inspired me (10 Tips on Writing the Living Web). I printed it and read it again and again. All 10 listed advices are very good: write for a reason, write often, write tight etc. And more, my eyes fix on no. 10 where it is stated that we should relax, don't give so much worry about the grammatical and spelling errors, don't worry about your size of audience, don't worry about those who disagree with you, etc. You can read it there, dear.

Several of my friends stopped writing because they thought it was not their thing. I dunno how long i will be able to write in this blog, but since i just love writing, i just write. Only time will tell when it will end. But, i want to make sure, at that time, at least, i can proud because i have already written something and written with passion!

So, blog, thanks for making me think hard; making me learn my writing style, words, grammar etc; making me become more observant; making me feel comfortable with myself; making me improve my English. I know you won't be able to reply, but thanks just the same. :)

regards.

J Card Member's Day

Short Update:
Yesterday was J Card Member's Day at Jaya Jusco Mid Valley. So, people who own the card thronged to JJ Mid Valley since morning, which caused a heavy traffic jam around there. It continued until late at night - until the shopping complex closed.

I happened to work at Mid Valley and became the victim of the situation. :P

If you happened to be at Mid Valley, you would be able to see people with their bags of stuffs, and trolley full of things here and there. It was like they bought for one year of supply :P Not a surprise since the price got cut up to 70% of the original price. It's cheap!

I heard, there were people who even took one day leave just to be there!

Loose Adaptation?

If you have read my 21 June entry, you would know that I watched "Around the World in 80 days" last Saturday. This movie is based on the Jules Verne's novel. I've read the original, unabridged copy. When I was a kid, I've watched the adaptation on TV, which covered in several episodes. I should say it was a wonderful experience.

After reading several reviews, I didn't expect much from this movie. But I still watched it because it was based on the classic. Because I've read the novel. Because I've watched the previous adaptation. So, I wanted to see this one. If it would disappoint me, I wanted to know how far it would disappoint me.

And, so it did disappoint me. At least, storywise.

You can see a big difference between this one and the original if you have read the novel. I don't really mind if the director decided to do minor changes which would not affect the storyline - like what they did to LOTR, Sleepy Hollow etc. But when Phileas Fogg has been portrayed wrongly; and when the fake Passepartout suddenly become the main character; and no the lovely Aouda; and the missing of wonderful journey in India; and several other reasons that make me love the story, then I can't see why they stick the title to the movie.

Luckily, one of my friend highlighted the words "based on" to me. Meaning, they don't necessary to follow the book closely; just follow the main idea. And luckily, the jokes injected were not bad after all.

If you are going to any bookstore, now you can see how the cover of newly printed of the classic bear the picture from the movie, and this is a disaster. I'm afraid that people would confuse between those two versions.

The problem happens when we seem to love the idea of "don't need to read the book-lah, just watch the movie"!

Last time, i watched "The League of extraordinary Gentlemens" before reading the graphic novel. I found that the story between the moving picture and the hardcopy are not even close . They just took the idea of having such an extraordinary people to accomplish a mission. That's all. Sorry, not only that. They were playing with Alan Moore's name. Crazy!

And, you can find a lot of examples! So, should we agree with this kind of loose adaptation?

Weekend: TGV KLCC, Uptown and Sg Tua!

This posting is just a plain description of my weekend. No serious thought inside. So, read leisurely. :P

I've told myself that i would be hitting the cinemas last weekend, watching movies till i puke. :P So, i slept early and woke up early. I found my way to TGV KLCC and reached there at almost 10 a.m. that Saturday morning. TGV was still close yet people have already waited in front of it. Not many of them, thanks God, since this time around, it is football fever - the matches are between midnight and early in the morning so people spent their time sleeping! (I've foreseen this! Hehe!)

So, I got a good seat for both movies. Did I say both? Erk, I mean, I watched "Around the World in 80 days" and "Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban".

Here we go, my short notes:

1. Around the World in 80 days.
This movie didn't follow the storyline in the original copy, and this made me a bit upset and dissapointed. I dunno why suddenly Phileas Fog become an inventor who lack of confidence. And, hurm, no lovely Aounda that they supposed to meet in India. The gadgets are a bit exaggerated. And, they have no respect to Jules Verne at all. Still, there have parts spare for us to laugh. :)

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
I still think i love the 2nd one much much more than this one - in the 2nd one (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets), the creature in there are much much cuter and the climax of the story, astounding! But, hey, it's Harry Potter series so it is a must watch just the same. The time travelling is so much like of the Back To the Future series. But, the effects - hey, i can't resist to feel like a wizard myself, and study at Hogward! (Damn Rowling! :P)

Wanna watch for my 3rd of the day, but my head spinning, and my eyes were unwilling to let me to! I guess, i should have some exercises in order to have the stamina required for a such long watch. :P

Anyway, that night, for the first time I watched Akademi Fantasia until the end. Dunno what made me so absorbed and hooked with it. Perhaps it's because all the participants are almost equal in their skill - singing and entertaining. Only Yusof Haslam looked as if he didn't know what he was saying by giving some mere general comments. :P I can't guess who will be at the top place among them and who will have to leave (revealed next week?). I don't think I will follow this closely. :P But, since I come from Johor, I should be proud to have a Johorian being praised owing to her perfect show. :P *clap* *clap*

I didn't vote tho. No afundi this, afundi that, hehe!

After watching the Akademi Fantasia, I dunno what spell suddenly gotten over me to follow my housemate to Uptown to eat and wonder around, looking for things - if there is any - to buy. I had chicken chop, and fresh orange. Wait! AND carrot juice with milk (so thirsty, thus two glasses of juice to quench my thirst!) Didn't buy anything tho, so u can consider me just went there to observe (or sight-seeing? :P Hey, I just followed friends!). And, we reached home at about 3.00 a.m. Gosh!

On Sunday, after a long sleep in the morning, my roommate suddenly asked me whether I want to come along with him and the others to Sg Tua. "Sana ada kedai makan tak?" was my reply. :P Sorry, but i was very hungry and could not help myself from asking a stupid question. Since there are some, at least that was what they said, off i went there with 4 others.

After having my lunch (see the word "my", hehe! They only accompanied me!), we moved to find a nice spot. A lot of families. A lot of couples. A lot of groups. But we managed to find a nice place. My housemates did plunge and take bath and play around with water, but me didn't - because i didn't bring any clotch to change. After putting my feet in the water, i felt regret a bit - it's cool and refreshing! The flora around at least relaxed my mind and eyes a bit. And the clean air. "Peaceful", yeah, that's the word! I felt so calm!

After sometimes, we went back and reached home at about 7.30 p.m. It is good for us to befriend the nature and escape from hustle and bustle of city life once in a while.

After all these activities, i felt tired. I'm human after all! (Human from Mars, can? :P)

Happy Father's Day!

Short Update:
I did call my father today evening to say Happy Father's day! I love him so much! He taught me a lot of thing about life. And, most of all, he gave me freedom to make my own decision, to really stand on my own feet! Thanks dad!

To all fathers out there: Happy Father's day!

Erk, how to explain, eh?

It's weird how sometimes it is hard to explain your thought to others.

Everything is very clear in your mind, but you could not make them understand.The words you lay in front of them are not enough for them to grab what you mean.

Or perhaps you could not simplify your ideas and explain in simple, plain words.

Or is it due to your vocabulary?

Yesterday, i was unable to explain a simple idea to a friend of mine. I know what i wanted to say, but after regurgitating words after words, i found myself entering a forest and losing my way. And, i've to stop and think again, and eventually laughed at myself. But, luckily, that fren of mine was quick and offered a single, simple sentence to conclude what i've said.

I just feel, sometimes, it's hard to explain than to learn one thing. Like what happened yesterday!

The one who can think clearly does not necessarily can explain what he thinks clearly. Even words sometimes fail him.

It is like a great thinker who unable to write down their thought, and who unable to preach and talk fluently in explaining their ideas. The ideas are meaningless.

That's why brain is a mysterious thing!

I should stop before i got confuse here :P (If you think you want to laugh, you can laugh now! :P)

New Semester? Study?

The time for IPTA students to come back for a new semester is just around the corner. So with the new intake students who will further their study. In my Uni years, almost every new semester, I would keep the same resolution again and again: "I will study hard and get better result". Sometimes my result was getting worse, but, yes, sometimes better.

I thought I never stretched myself hard enough to generate adequate efforts to achieve what I want. Ironically, later, I just satisfied with what i got, since it was good enough compared to others. :P Poor me!

People kept asking me since my Uni years on how the best way to study. I said, I dunno, and laughed awkwardly. And always, they would stare at me unbelievingly, but then came my explanation: by "I dunno", I mean, people are different from one another. So, everyone should find the most ideal way for them by themselves. Some people think they are ok to stay up, studying late at night when they find that it's hard to grab even single thing during the busy days. In contrast, some can study effectively during the time between classes. And lucky for students who can study at any time at all. Didn't Voltaire say, minds differ still more than faces?

I guess, the books written on the subject can just give u some practical ideas. You must test the ideas to find the way that suit you best.

Therefore, to give a generic idea is more practical than asking them to follow how you study. :P (Perhaps, show them several ways to study so they can choose later is also quite practical.) And, looking at my collection of articles (get from forwarded emails, website, etc), I found the short anecdote below. If I'm not mistaken, I have shared with teratorian at terato forum, but that was long time ago. :P

The Concept Of "Progressive Resistance Training" (steadily increasing load) "The lore of ancient Greece recalls an Olympic athlete who was determined to become the strongest person in the world," writes sports physiologist Jay T. Kearney in the June 1996 Scientific American. "Everyday Milon of Croton would pick up a calf, raise it above his head, and carry it around the stable. As the calf grew, so did Milon's strength, until eventually he was able to lift the full-grown cow. "Milon, who won the wrestling contest five times, intuitively grasped one of the basic tenets of contemporary sports science: progressive resistance training, the stressing of muscles with steadily increasing loads...." This concept can also be applied to your mind. Learn and study and practice and "steadily increase the load."

This is very straightforward and easy to understand. Rome could not be built in one day, so does your mind. After all, your mind still follows the nature law - force and it will break! If you give so much input at one go, unless you're a damn genius, your mind can't cope with that. You can't remember the whole dictionary in one day. You can't absord all information in those thick books in one day. Why? Because, it's an accumulative process!

So, back to pepatah org tua-tua, "sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi bukit". Start study early. Learn and study and practice and steadily increase the "load".

Enough said.

Friends, good luck! Enjoy studying!

Toys Fair

Today is the last day of Toys Fair at Mid Valley megamall (started from 28 May 2004). Various types of toy are being stacked in booths. At one corner, kids are taught how to do some simple, do-it-yourself arts by nice intructors. At the other corner, you can see clowns entertain kids with their tricks; tricks that will even leave an adult stare in amazement. On the stage, a lot of activities are being held mainly to capture the kids' attention.

This time around, the place is a heaven for children.

I couldn't recall if I had toys when I was a kid.

However, I still remember how at that time, my friends - most of them several years older than me - and I, were playing around, exploring the creative side of ourselves. We did play games which now considered traditional: belon acah, sungkit ayam, teng teng, ram rem pus, batu serembam, just to name a few. Even things like laying-layang and gasing are self-made. What a memorable experience! Unfortunately (should i say unfortunately here?), that only happened for a while. At about darjah 3, everything turned out to be a bit calmer. The elder friends were too old to play. Then was when I built my interest in reading and playing chess. I read a lot, ranging from newspaper to a serious magazine. I became an avid reader. And, in addition my parents bought me a chess set, and i became addicted to it. (I don't know if chess set is considered a toy :P)

I'm a bit envy looking at the kids happily playing around at this fair. I sat at one corner looking at them for quite sometimes. But, I felt that way was not because I didn't have the chance to have this kind of luxury when I was a kid. Rather, it is because they are happy playing. Hmm, pardon me. I'm supposed to be happy for them, rite?

Nowadays, a lot of toys are sold in market. And, they are of many categories. Some of them are a bit manipulative, portraying superhero of some kind: Superman, Star Wars, Batman etc. But, I guess, they are a lot which quite educational. There are even sciences for this kind of stuff, where experiments are being conducted to make those toys play some role in building the kids' mind in a fun way. They try to make the kids understand a more complicated things easier.

I'm, however, very skeptical about this although I second their effort. :P This toys might help to build their mind and excel in education, but how far they can survive in social life and facing the reality? (And, mind you, this is of course not to take the computer influence into account!) I don't know.

Nonetheless, I think, I should get myself a toy or two for my collections! :P

p/s: This posting sounds lighter, right? right? :P