Justice has prevailed...

Finally after weeks of exchanging blows(emails), the villainess has finally succumbed and will be paying me back what was wrongfully deducted from me in november. In her words, she still insists that I'm the one purposely showing attitude blah blah and in order to get me out of her face, she'll pay out of her own pocket. Geez, what bullshit..

But all's well ends well.. or so you might think. I think I've been very patient with the b*tch and her henpecked pussy husband and that I carefully select my words in my emails so that it sounds very cool and calm. I want to push it a step further after getting the $ and see what else I can do to them but today's horoscope mentioned this: "Foolhardy behavior could set off a string of unintended consequences. Why make someone else's job harder just so you can have fun? Try looking and, even more importantly, thinking before you leap." *HmPh* Consider themselves lucky.. But be warned... I'LL BE BACK!! Muahahahahahhahahha :p

Signing off for now... be back soon

Apple - Mac mini

Coming soon...

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

*UPDATE* Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement

Dear all, do help if you can. Like what Jo said,"$15 simply means one less trip
to the pub or one less taxi ride." But it can make a difference if we all chip in
together. May the victims R.I.P.

God Bless~

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 6:34:15 +0800
Subject: Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement T-shirt fund raising prog.
To: love@mind-trip.com

Dear kind souls,

By now, you must have been aware of the Asian Tsunami tragedy that have
killed more than 158,000 people in the Asian region, and leave millions more
with nothing but devastation and engraved trauma. The irony is that it had
to hit the poor nations, where they spent decades to build their homes, yet
decades more now, to rebuild their lives.

We are sure that many of you have helped, or contributed in a way or
another. But as the news reports wears off in time, our concern gets
diluted, but the remaining survivors are still struggling to pull through
every new day.

what > is this about?

Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement is led by a group of individuals, which
is supported by Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and endorsed by World Vision,
with ONE hope to raise funds and offer our love for devastated tsunami
victims that are still struggling for survival after their traumatic
experience in this unprecedented disaster.

The message of this love movement tee bears the significance that "Waves of
destruction can be rebuilt by waves of love." And by doing this together, we
can all "Make a difference." There are produced at a qty of 1000 pcs, sold
at SGD$15 each and ALL proceeds will go to WORLD VISION Singapore, in hope
to raise S$15,000 in this movement. Funds raised could aid crucial need for
clean water, food and medical supplies for the hopeful, hungry survivors.

Today, children are the most vulnerable victims in this disaster, occupying
more than 1/3 of the death toll, and are in desperate need to receive aid
for the remaining ones. Funds to rebuild orphanages to rehome the children
now is crucial as these young victims are facing a high threat of child
trafficking for slavery and prostitution by senseless gangs who sell them
for money in this desperate times. Thus, our beneficiery - World Vision
would do their very best to attend to the urgent needs of these little lost
souls as soon as they can. Time, is something they do not have.

I certainly hope in this love movement, besides pooling up our humble
donations, we could gather ourselves into a community which we could speak
our love in ONE voice, and send our love and condolences that is bundled by
ONE people. I hope to see the extension to this fund raising program, of
which we could have a day where all owners of this simple tee, could gather
and wear it on World Harmony Day on 20th February 2005, to display our ONE
LOVE and have a moment of silence for the tsunami victims.

We hereby voice our respect to all aid workers who devoted their
unconditioned love to keep the rest alive and hopeful. Thank you for reading
this through. With a will to change things for the better, we all can play a
part in making a difference. If you see the world through their eyes, you
will feel what they feel.


yours sincerely,
Pebbles Lim
Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement
Visit > http://tsunami.mind-trip.com (for full details)

how > can you help?

Support us in the Asian Tsunami Relief .LOVE. Movement Tee fund raising
programme. With just S$15 you can help more survivors to pull through
another day.

a) For bulk orders from companies, institutions or groups please download
the online order form to consolidate orders from your family, friends and
co-workers. Will deliver for orders >20 pcs.

Send your orders to :
love@mind-trip.com or fax to 63968791

b) Be a participating outlet to help extend the sales to more people and
raising more funds in this movement. Institutions/Shopping centres/Malls/
Retail outlet etc. are welcome. We thank you for your support. Email us with
subject - "Outlet".

Overseas supporters are welcome too!
We await like-minded supporters from institutions/organisations/ individuals
who would like to help us extend this movement beyond our region.
Email us with subject "Overseas".

These victims have sacrificed their lives so we could all learn a lesson at
their expense. Appreciate the blissful life we have, and reach out to them
while we can. The only good out of this evil is that we have break the
boundary between nationality, race and religions to unite our one love for
one another. Together, we can all make a difference.

" With every breath gathers greater strength."

For verification or enquiries:
email> love@mind-trip.com

or call>
World Vision International (Singapore)
Visit: www.worldvision.org.sg
Tel: 6221 1040

Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Student Services Office
80 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189655
Tel: 6512 4076 or 6512 4077

--
"If better is possible, then good is not enough."
- Make a difference. -



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


"If you look through the world from their eyes, you will feel what they feel.
Make a difference, be the difference."

Merry Xmas!!

Merry X'mas y'all~

I noe this comes a lil late since x'mas has already passed. But... i think i heard from somewhere that there's 12 days of X'mas.. so here's my best wishes to everyone out there. Hope you had a wonderful X'mas and may 2005 be a blast for you!

Now for a little update of myself: I'm officially out of job (for nearly a month now), basically I'm bumming everyday.. eat,sleep,watch dvds,play games on my PS2 or xbox while applying for 2 jobs online per day (avg.) So far I've only went for interview at BBDO (and I got rejected), supposedly to go for another interview at ayer rajah crescent tomorrow but I'm abit reluctant cos of the distance n the ULUness. Basically I don't wanna go there and waste my time, and only to get myself rejected. So now I'm still considering *think think think*

Oh yea, for the PC users out there.. has anyone tried the new MSN messenger 7.0 (BETA)? It's quite cool ya noe, lotsa new features.. try it! Also, found that MSN has a new space for BLOGS n photos. It's call SPACES ... a "can try" for those who don't like blogger and would prefer to try something else.

Ok lah.. I think that's about it... I'll penned off for now. Hope to see y'all in 2005!!! Happy New Year in advanced~

Crazy woman at it again. geez.. making sound as if i'm the one who started everything.. oh well, why do i even bother.. anyway I'm posting this as a laugh... at her bad english that is :p


From: Cindy Lim
Sent: Sat 11/27/2004 2:16 AM
To: Tan Chin Wee
Cc: 'Daniel '; 'Mick Lim'
Subject: RE: Reminder


I am very sick talking people like you, WASTE MY TIME!

I REGRET, I SHOULD HAVE FIRE YOU RIGHT FROM 1 YEAR AGO FOR YOUR MISCONDUCT. WHY ARE WE SO KIND TO BEAR WITH YOUR ATTITUDE AND BOTHER TO LET YOU STAY FOR SO LONG TO LOOK FOR A JOB. REGRET FOR BEING NICE TO YOU!

YES, I AM STRESSED OUT DUE TO HAVE STAFF LIKE YOU.

WHETHER I HAVING MY PMS OR NOT, IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!

MY BIG REACTION IS DUE TO YOUR BAD ATTITUDE!

SMS, WRITE EMAIL OR CALL, NO REPLY, ASK YOU FOR REPORTS/UPDATE- NO REPLY! CALL YOU TO GET A JOB DONE, NO REPLY! SO WHY NOT BIG RE-ACTION! AND MORE…….

WITH YOUR KIND OF ATTITUDE, WHY SHOULD I WRITE NICELY! MOREOVER I AM YOUR BOSS, YOU ARE ONLY A WORKER, WHY SHOULD I SEE YOUR ATTITUDE!



From: Me
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 11:51 AM
To: 'Cindy Lim'
Cc: Daniel Chan; 'Mick'
Subject: RE: Reminder

You can say whatever you want, after all that's what you always do. And why are you getting so defensive and uptight? You said please update on the following, and you didn't remove the sept bill issue, of cos I'll think that you're still referring to that. And my reply is that I've already passed it to daniel. So why the CAPS? If my attitude is bad, then yours ain't any better. Are you having PMS? Are you stressed out? Why are you having such a BIG reaction? Anyways please do not bother to reply to this email, thanks.


From: Cindy Lim
Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 10:45 AM
To: Me
Cc: daniel
Subject: RE: Reminder
Importance: High

I am not asking for the Sept 2004 Bill, YES THAT I GOT IT. Please read properly I ask for update. It is a few more days before you leave, why show this kind of attitude before you leave. Your attitude is very BAD for these past days, is this the way you want to behave before you leave?

Since you choose to leave and we have not treat you unkind, why don’t leave us in a better and good manner. Sad to see a person like you behave such a way.

LEAVING AND YET STILL NOT HAPPY? FOR WHAT?

LET ME TELL YOU I WILL NOT OWE YOU A CENT! BUT MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR WORK WELL AND PROPER FOR YOUR LAST FEW DAYS! IS THIS THE YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU, DON’T TEST MY LIMITS WHEN I AM TRYING TO CONTROL NOT TO TREAT YOU THIS WAY!


Cindy.

-----Original Message-----
From: Me
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 6:29 PM
To: Cindy Lim
Subject: RE: Reminder

Its not that I want to say, but I’ve given the sept 2004 bill to daniel.. so can you please check again? As for the jan2003 one, sorry can’t help.
As for the rest, will sort out before my last day. Thanks


________________________________________
From: Cindy Lim
Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 5:54 PM
To: Me
Cc: Daniel Chan
Subject: Reminder

When got time, can you please update me the below info, thank you for your co-operation.

-----Original Message-----
From: Cindy Lim
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 2:43 PM
To: Me
Cc: Daniel Chan
Subject: Can I have your Sept M1 Bill


I have 2 missing M1 bill from you:

1. Jan 2003, if you have it, please pass me the copy, if no, no choice.
2. September 2004 so that I can compute the outstanding

Can you kindly complete the company’s standard clearance formalities before you leave end of the month, 30, November 2004.

1. Can you please update whatever outstanding job for Mick to continue.
2. Please submit and update all the job done details for this month.
3. Can you please help to update the password/settling for our customers ?
4. Please pass all doc and claim before end of the month (at least 3 days before month end)
5. Any items which belong to SIT, (not to forget the Company Rubber Stamp too) please pass to Daniel.
6. Any loan item loan by you or to customers which belong to TB/SIT, which we are not aware or informed please return or let us know.

Lastly thank you for staying with us for 3 years though during the 3rd year have a lot of disagreement nevertheless, we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

You are always welcome to keep in touch.

Cindy Lim

I'm finally back! Back from where you might ask... no where exactly; Just back to post on my blog. Last week was short, but I didn't get to go anywhere. All getaway packages were snatched up, all air/ferry tickets fully booked and no hotel rooms available etc etc.

In a nutshell, my weekend was spent watching dvds: The Best Bet, Ghost In a Shell II - Innocence, Twin Effects II. Also completed Ninja Gaiden (XBox) & DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball. Oh ya, I also went to the motorshow at Suntec.. $10 for the entrance fee is quite acceptable .. but too bad I didn't managed to get tickets for the stunt show :( If any of you is going and need answer for the lucky draw (Prize: Subaru Impreza) just gimme a ring. If I feel like it I might tell you :p

Just kena shit today from the crazy woman. SMS-ed me why I took so long to do work at 10AM, so I text back "Need to reformat, need to reinstall, need to update, need to transfer files and need to make sure everything is working. fyi I didn't have time to had lunch because I had to go pick up stocks for you" (these were my exact words) and guess what was the reply.. "10q 4 yr detail info 4 2 days work done at 10am, I tink u forgot 2 add nd 2 go toilet if tat make u happier 4 d reply"
Not too sure what she means.. but I guess the crazy woman is either having PMS or she's sore that I'm leaving and she can't exploit me anymore. Whatever it is..FUCK YOU!! u crazy woman! _|_ and I'm not going to waste my time to reply to any of ur antics

Time to go watch tv.. adios~ Be back soon :)

Beware! 10 Most Dangerous Species of Help Desk Callers

Extracted from Jeff Dray's article in TechRepublic

Update - Today: Human nature being what it is, no matter how sophisticated users think they have become and no matter how much training users receive, there will always be these types of help desk calls.

During my years working in IT support, I've become more and more interested in the many types of people who call IT help desks. Like a biologist, I've found that having a classification system is critical in understanding the users that I help on a daily basis. It is with this in mind, and with my tongue in my cheek, that I've categorized users into the following species:

1. "The Expert" : Userus expertia
"The Expert" user is the curse of most IT support establishments. Experts try out something they heard about from "the bloke in the pub", an unqualified expert on everything who offers advice to anyone who will listen. Experts usually make a complete mess of their systems when they follow the bloke's advice. Then they compound the problem by trying to fix it themselves, often destroying their machines. As a last resort, they call the help desk and demand that their machines be replaced or mended immediately, as they have urgent work that can't wait. There has been an Expert at every place I've worked. I leave it to you to decide who your resident Expert is.

2. "The Fiddler" : Userus manipulata
The motto of "The Fiddler" is: "I wonder what happens if...". I've placed these callers next because they are the most closely related to the Expert. These callers don't realize that some files actually make their computers work. If they don't recognize a file as one of their own, they delete it and are surprised when something then stops working. Unlike the Expert, they don't say anything about the problem; you only discover it months later from a casual remark, such as, "Oh no, that hasn't worked for ages. I meant to call you." Fiddlers are usually very pleasant people -- who will drive you mad.

3. "The Mouse" : Userus rodentia
"The Mouse" is more common than the previous two and fortunately less harmful. For this species of caller, the big gray box is a source of blind terror. I can remember talking on the phone to a Mouse at a UK communications company. She had worked in a telephone exchange for years and was suddenly given a PC to help her. She had not asked for it and didn't want it. The screen was making strange noise, and she was concerned.
"I don't want it to explode or anything," she wailed.
"No," I said patronizingly, "they don't explode. There's no explosive in them."
Then I heard a loud "BANG!" through the phone.
"What was that?" I asked.
"My screen has just exploded." she replied.

4. "The Train Spotter" : Userus geekissimus
"The Train Spotter" is most often the offspring of an Expert and a Fiddler. These callers are usually harmless and don't have many computer problems. What they do is an IT magazine, which they have read from cover to cover. The Train Spotter will invariably corner an unsuspecting help desk tech and proceed to bore the tech rigid by sharing their knowledge. The main difference between Train Spotters and other callers is that Train Spotters do not usually phone the help desk, they visit in person.

I'm not quite sure what they want from the help desk, but they take up a lot of time asking various questions about new innovations, about which I usually know nothing. I have found no explanation for the existence of this user other than that the Expert and Fiddler conceived the Train Spotter on a trip to a computer trade fair.

5. "The Paranoid User" : Userus newbigata
"Paranoid Users" are convinced that the computer has an intelligence of its own and is out to get them. The machine is constantly doing something that causes a problem. The computer will maliciously alter their documents, obliterate all references to their passwords, and lose work they have saved. If a machine is ever going to break down, it will be while being used by a Paranoid. This species' one saving grace is determination. They never give up, as much as you wish they would.

6. "The I'm-building-a-case User": Userus fabricatum
"The I'm-building-a-case User" is grinding an axe to get some new gadget brought in to his department or have an old one taken away. They report hundreds of trivial problems, hoping upper management will buy them the latest all-singing and all-dancing machine. The real problem with this species of caller is the fact that they are usually not trying to replace computer equipment. This user doesn't see the difference between computers and any other piece of office equipment. I have often been required to pass opinions on all kinds of electrical equipment even after pointing out my lack of knowledge on the subject. I do not evaluate coffee makers. I do not drink coffee, and I know nothing about the black arts involved in its production.

7. "The Just-testing User": Userus gustulata
"The Just-testing User" is not even using a computer but wants to test your knowledge and, if possible, trip you up. The best technique for dealing with this species is by answering questions with "I don't know." They cannot deal with this straight capitulation. Most Just-testing users would love the chance to show your boss how useless you are or how little you know. They are thrilled when you give a wrong answer and will crow about it incessantly.

8. "Pig Pen": Userus perfumia
Based on the Charles M. Schulz Peanuts character, "Pig Pen" has the messiest, most unhygienic work area in the company. Pig Pen's personal hygiene is fine; it is only the workspace that is a hazard. It is a graveyard for old coffee cups, half-eaten green sandwiches, used Kleenex, and moldy sock collections. Pig Pens are some of the nicest and most technically able people you know. They usually give the help desk very little trouble except when their keyboard needs replacing, which is often. Pig Pen is a mainstay of most companies, the backbone of whatever department he or she works for. If that were not the case, the company would have let them go years ago.

9. "The I-don't-want-to-hear-that! User": Userus headinsandia
This is a rather curious species. They call, ask a question, and if they don't hear what they want, they take it personally. I always wonder why they ask, if they don't want to know the answer. It does not seem to matter that what they want is not possible. All they want is to hear the answer they're looking for.

10. "The End-of-my-tether User": Userus adlimitus
This is the angriest but, perversely, often the easiest to deal with. After spending weeks attempting to resolve their own queries, they finally swallow their pride and call the help desk. Calls from this type of user usually end in one of three ways:
The problem's solution can be found simply by reading page 1 of his instruction manual, which, of course, the caller has not done.
The caller is informed that the operation she is trying to perform cannot be performed with the equipment or software that she has.
The caller has already found a solution but phoned the help desk to let you know how frustrated, mad, or unsatisfied he is.



What do you think of Jeff's classification of help desk callers? Do you know users who fit these descriptions? Would you like to add a few categories to the list yourself? Post a comment and share it with everyone else :)


Newly added:
11. "The Stupid User": Userus stupidus - provided by Sam
What if u ask the fella to close the window and the fella actually closed the window, then asks why since it's not raining?

This is funny

Sam just sent me this link via msn

http://jaimedays.blogspot.com

She's still trying to figure out whether the stories are true or what not.
As for me, i'm not interested in finding out.. I just read it for entertainment.
Guess the person writing those posts is either:

1) A p0rn scriptwriter wannabe (but still very bad it)
2) Some delusional poor soul (who does nothing but daydream)
3) A damn ugly & fat chick who's trying to have all the attention she needs (highly possible)

What say you?

Would you know how to answer this?

The following is an actual question given on a
University of Washington engineering mid-term.
The answer was so "profound" that the Professor
shared it with colleagues, and the sharing
obviously hasn't ceased...

Bonus Question: Is Hell
exothermic (gives off heat) or Endothermic
(absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote Proofs of their
beliefs using Boyle's Law,
(gas cools off when it expands and heats when it is compressed)
or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:
"First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is
changing in time. So we need to know the rate that
souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are
leaving. I think that we can safely assume that
once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave.

Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many
souls are entering Hell, let us look at the different
religions that exist in the world today.
Some of these religions state that if you are not
a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.
Since there are more than one of these religions
and since people do not belong to more than one
religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.
With birth and death rates as they are, we can
expect the number of souls in Hell to increase
exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change
of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states
that in order for the temperature and pressure in
Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to
expand as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the
rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature
and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell
breaks loose.

2. Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster
than the increase of souls in Hell, then the
temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes
over. So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa
Banyan during my Freshman year, "...that it will
be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you.",
and take into account the fact that I still have
not succeeded in having sexual relations with her,
then, #2 cannot be true, and thus I am sure that
Hell is exothermic and will not freeze."

This student received the only A.

ZoukOut 2004

ZoukOut 2004


This yr's lineup looks good... Hopefully PVD will pull together his act after his last album. Other than him, Timo Maas looks set to whip up a storm here in Sunny Island Singapore; so is Satoshi Tomiie and of cos, Seb Fontaine. Not much comments about the other DJs though.. But I think overall it should be a smash (as compared to the one last year).. now, should I go or should I not go.

On a lighter note, found this from Paul Van Dyk's Website ... think he's going everywhere.. including politics (isn't that a taboo for artistes?). Or he's doing it because someone paid him loads of cash? We won't know..





And if you refer 5 friends, they'll send you a free track!

Finally..

Oh well... it's confirmed.. I've tendered my resignation and I'll be a free man come december. If any of you have any job lobangs do let me know.. cos i still havent found a job yet.

Was at winebar just now.. packed as usual.. went up to Phuture for awhile to find jx,sam,ky,shuli n gang... fricking crowded... took me nearly 5 mins to go from one end to the other (no joke).. stayed there for prolly half an hr before I decide to go back to winebar to find my colleague (it was rather boring.. though they have nice hiphop n breakz but just couldn't stand the crowd). Saw some ex-tbwa staffs at winebar (darren,june and chin) and an "auntie" (think her name was Eileen) who used to freelance at tequila and currently at Band. A nice lady.. who doesn't appear to be as shy/old as she said she was.. and she kept on talking for like an hour or so (but it was somewhat entertaining). So basically that's it... lotsa booze, lotsa laughter and i'm sure going to miss it.

should be helping Din move some of her stuff from her hse to the new apartment.. just hope that I'll be able to wake up on time though it's not yet confirmed. Gonna be a lazy day tomorrow :p

No one's currently online.. princess is sleeping i think.. hope she can sleep well without having to use the pill. I think i'll go and sleep soon too.. see you ppl around.

Peace~

Just wanna dedicate 2 songs to you.. "Honey" and "Waiting For"... check out the lyrics if you can.. hope it'll perk you up (at least by a bit).. Don't waste your time waiting, esp if its too painful to hold on.

*Imagine yourself hanging by the edge of a tall building.. probably around the 3rd level. You can (1) try to hang on but it's nearly impossible for you to climb up to the top or (2) you can just let go and fall to the bottom; No matter which choice you decide, the most likely result would be you falling down. Choose (1), you'll eventually grow tired and can't hang on. Choose (2), you waste lesser time, let go, fall down and get hospitalised. And the earlier you will be able to move on.*

"Life is simply a matter of choice. You just gotto make yours and stick/live with it." - Setzer

Currently Playing...

Waiting For


Can't really make out the lyrics to the song (other than the chorus part). Think it's eng mix jap, oh well.. it does have a catchy tune to it. And she's quite cute yah?




1st Album

Fresh out of the Oven!!!

A delight for the ears. A feast for the eyes. Though it's no bigger than a pack of playing cards and weighs in at just over 6 ounces, iPod Photo delivers a one-two sensory punch. Letting you carry an entire library of your favorite music — up to 15,000 songs — or enough photos — as many as 25,000 — to fill nearly 200 slide trays or cover nearly 5,000 square feet of wall space. Got a really big den?

The newest member of the iPod family, iPod Photo comes in two sizes: a 40GB model, available for $499, and a capacious 60GB model that sells for $599. Both feature a razor sharp LCD display that lets you see your photos in vivid color — 65,536 colors, to be exact. And with its built-in backlighting, you’ll be able to admire those photos indoors or out.


Take Your Photos for a Spin
Like its famous siblings, iPod Photo features the touch-sensitive Apple Click Wheel that's the envy of the industry. You'll use it to navigate iPod Photo's new menu. Now in living color, its easier to read than ever. That's thanks in part to the clarity of the display — it offers 220x176-pixel resolution — and in part to the new Myriad typeface. Spin the wheel to Music, and you can scroll effortlessly through dozens of playlists, hundreds of albums or thousand of songs.

Enjoy Improved Battery Life
Whether you’re on a transcontinental flight or an extra long hike, if you plan to listen to music for hours and hours, iPod Photo has you covered. Fully charged, it lets you enjoy up to 15 hours of continuous music; or up to 5 hours of continuous slideshows with music. Use the FireWire or USB 2.0 cables to quickly charge the batteries. Or use the iPod Photo Dock that comes with both 40GB and 60GB models

For more information, please visit iPod Photo

The gorgeous new iPod U2 Special Edition for Mac and Windows.

Paint it Black
Like no other, iPod U2 Special Edition stands out. Jet black, it bears a prominent red Apple Click Wheel and, on the flip side, the autographs of each U2 band member. Available for just $349, it comes with an exclusive U2 poster and, of course, the signature white iPod earbuds. As an extra special treat, it includes an iTunes Music Store coupon you can use to get $50 off your purchase of “The Complete U2.” As unique as the iPod itself, this digital boxed set brings together an amazing 400 U2 tracks. Songs span the band’s celebrated career. From “Boy” to “War” to “The Joshua Tree” to “Zooropa” to the soon-to-be-released “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” it includes every U2 album and brings us over 25 rare and unreleased tracks. Look for it on the iTunes Music Store at the end of November.

TV AD - U2 Vertigo (Quicktime Format)

Small (1.4MB)


Medium (2.6MB)


Large (7.6MB)

Digitally Bohemian... with the new Bose series

CNET Rating: 8 out of 10

The good: Simple to set up and use; attractive design; sounds impressive compared to other iPod speakers; charges iPod while docked; includes basic remote.

The bad: Expensive; works only with iPods (and iPod Minis) equipped with a docking connector.

The bottom line: If you don't mind the high price, the SoundDock will turn your iPod into a nice bedroom or office stereo system.

Est. street price: S$539 (US$318.75)


Note: In Asia, the SoundDock will be available for purchase only through Apple stores and Bose showrooms.

The long-awaited SoundDock from Bose! Get ready for even bigger sonic crunch time with your iPod or iPod Mini.



Whatever happened to our LCD monitor? We think it probably sneaked off to sulk in a corner.

Review:
The huge popularity of the iPod has given rise to a cottage industry of iPod accessories, including various speakers that help turn your iPod into a boombox. With Apple's blessing, Bose has entered the world of iPod with its SoundDock "digital music system," a S$539 (US$318.75) stereo speaker designed to work with dockable iPods.

Design
Bose's SoundDock is a compact and elegantly designed product that comes in just one color--white--though it works just fine with whatever color iPod Mini you might have. The speaker ships with adapters for the Mini and the various generations of iPod (the only incompatible models are the first two iPods, which lack the dock connector on the underside). You simply pop the adapter in the SoundDock's cradle, plug in the power cord, drop your iPod in the cradle (it's a digital connection), and you're good to go.
Also included in the box is a small, very basic, credit card-style remote that allows you to advance and rewind tracks on your iPod, control its volume, and shut off the unit (the iPod automatically turns on and the battery charges when you dock it).

Performance
The SoundDock performed better than we expected. It easily filled our 5.48 x 3.04m room with a big sound, but stereo separation was nada until we moved to a position within three feet of the speaker. The near-field sound also enhanced the little system's bass and treble definition.

A series of duets between jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Bobby Previte on their Come in Red Dog CD sounded surprisingly live. Previte's bass drum had lots of kick, and his cymbals' crisp detail added to the realism of the sound. Hunter plays bass and guitar simultaneously on his eight-string instrument, and the SoundDock delineated every note. The Bose's richly balanced bass goes a long way toward mimicking the weighty presence of a larger speaker.

Rocking out with John Mellencamp's greatest hits once again proved the little system's stamina. Yes, a decent home-theater system will deliver even more satisfying sound and real stereo separation, but it will take up a lot more space than the little SoundDock. If you're considering Altec Lansing's InMotion microspeaker set, which also hosts iPods, that travel-friendly unit is almost half the price S$229 (US$135.42), but the Bose plays louder and has deeper bass and clearer treble.

Our biggest gripe with the SoundDock is its lack of inputs, which means that you can't connect anything to it besides an iPod. Ideally, a speaker accessory costing S$539 (US$318.75) would be a little more flexible. Also, it'd be nice if the SoundDock, like Tivoli Audio's iPAL, had a built-in rechargeable battery, making it a truly cordless speaker that you could place anywhere. That said, the Bose SoundDock is the best-sounding iPod speaker accessory we've tested to date, and it would be well suited for use in an office, a bedroom, or a small living room.

Thanks peepz (Sam,KY,Iggy & June), for the night of fun. Haven't had such a good laugh in a while.. though we had a bad start (was pouring heavily and we were drenched from head to toes and drinking away :) ). Oh well, shall not type too much now, need to go rest and later heading down to Levelz for a swim (I mean soak in the water). Will update again soon :)

The trophy of the night (and my birthday present) after 3 mini barrels.

Rant post:

"To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge; thus real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

"Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form."

"The process of practice is to see through, not to eliminate, anything to which we are attached. We could have great financial wealth and be unattached to it, or we have nothing and be very attached to having nothing. Usually, if we have seen through the nature of attachment, we will have a tendency to have few possessions, but not necessarily. Most practice gets caught in this area of fiddling with our environments or our minds. "My mind should be quiet". Our mind doesn't matter; what matters is non attachment to the activities of the mind. And our emotions are harmless unless they dominate us that is, if we are attached to them ---then they create dis-harmony for everyone. The first problem in practice is to see that we are attached. As we do consistent, patient zazen we begin to know that we are nothing but attachments; they rule our lives. But we never lose an attachment by saying it has to go. Only as we gain true awareness of its true nature does it quietly and imperceptibly wither away; like a sandcastle with waves rolling over, it just smoothes out and finally Where is it? What was it? - nothing."

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is the much anticipated sequel to Square's top selling game Final Fantasy VII. The sequel however will not be in the form of a game [like Final Fantasy X-2], but instead as a CG movie.
The movie will run for somewhere between 70 and 80 minutes and will be released on DVD and UMD [for the Sony PSP]. It will feature a total of 20 characters, including the popular Cloud and Sephiroth, and is being developed by Square-Enix in conjunction with Visual Works.
It is expected to be released in Japan at the end of 2004, with a US release to follow shortly after [first quarter of 2005]. No word on a European or Australian release has been made as yet.
More information on specific areas of the film can be found in the following sub-sections.
The Announcement
The Tokyo Game Show Trailer [includes script translation]
The Jump Festival Trailer [includes script translation]
The FFX-2 International Trailer [includes script translation]
The E3 Trailer
The Project
Interview with Tetsuya Nomura [Dengeki PlayStation, 2003]
Interview with Tetsuya Nomura [GanGan, June 2004]

Related Links:
Square-Enix Official FFVII:AC website [Japanese]

Note: Watch the trailers and see how good this is

Trailers:

Full E3 Trailer [26.2 MB, avi]
This trailer was shown at the E3 expo in Los Angeles. It is the first English trailer of Advent Children, with an English narration.

Full Trailer, FFX-2 Int, DVD Quality, Sub-Titled [24 MB, avi]

TGS Alternate Trailer [11 MB, avi]
This appears to be a different trailer, it is shorter and doesn't contain the Sephiroth flashback or church scenes. Taken with a video camera on a side angle.





Text, Movies & Images : Courtesy of www.adventchildren.net

You are Form 9, Vampire: The Undying.

"And The Vampire was all that remained on
the blood drowned creation. She attempted to
regrow life from the dead. But as she was
about to give the breath of life, she was
consumed in the flame of The Phoenix and the
cycle began again."

Some examples of the Vampire Form are Hades (Greek)
and Isis (Egyptian).
The Vampire is associated with the concept of
death, the number 9, and the element of fire.
Her sign is the eclipsed moon.

As a member of Form 9, you are a very realistic
individual. You may be a little idealistic,
but you are very grounded and down to earth.
You realize that not everything lasts, but you
savor every minute of the good times. While
you may sometimes find yourself lonely, you
have strong ties with people that will never be
broken. Vampires are the best friends to have
because they are sensible.


Which Mythological Form Are You?
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As if you were born into a world of tears, you
always tend to look at the darker things in
life. Inside you crave attention yet push away
society, and you're a hopeless romantic. Drawn
to things like the occult and mysteries, you
spend your time daydreaming.


What Type of Soul Do You Have ?
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Reposting a post by Gen,


You have no idea what I can believe...

I can believe things that are true and I can believe things that aren't true and I can believe things where nobody knows if they're true or not.

I can believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny and Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles and Elvis and Mister Ed.

Listen-- I believe that people are perfectable, that knowledge is infinite, that the world is run by secret banking cartels and is visited by aliens on a regular basis, nice ones that look like wrinkledy lemurs and bad ones who mutilate cattle and want our water and our women.

I believe that the future sucks and I believe that the future rocks and I believe that one day White Buffalo Woman is going to come back and kick everyone's ass.

I believe that all men are just overgrown boys with deep problems communicating and that the decline in good sex in America is coincident with the decline in drive-in movie theatres from state to state.

I believe that all politicians are unprincipled crooks and I still believe that they are better than the alternative.

I believe that California is going to sink into the sea when the big one comes, while Florida is going to dissolve into madness and alligators and toxic waste.

I believe that antibacterial soap is destroying our resistance to dirt and disease so that one day we'll all be wiped out by the common cold like the Martians in War of the Worlds.

I believe that the greatest poets of the last century were Edith Sitwell and Don Marquis, that jade is dried dragon sperm, that thousands of years ago in a former life I was a one-armed Siberian shaman.

I believe that mankind's destiny lies in the stars.

I believe that candy really did taste better when I was a kid, that it's aerodynamically impossible for a bumblebee to fly, that light is a wave and a particle, that there's a cat in a box somewhere who's alive and dead at the same time (although if they don't ever open the box to feed it it'll eventually just be two different kinds of dead), and that there are stars in the universe billions of years older than the universe itself.

I believe in a personal god who cares about me and worries and oversees everything I do.

I believe in an impersonal god who set the universe in motion and went off to hang with her girlfriends and doesn't even know that I'm alive.

I believe in an empty and godless universe of causal chaos, background noise, and sheer blind luck.

I believe that anyone who claims to know what's going on will lie about the little things too.

I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies.

I believe in a woman's right to choose, a baby's right to live, that while all human life is sacred there's nothing wrong with the death penalty if you can trust the legal system implicitly, and that no one but a moron would ever trust the legal system.

I believe that life is a game, that life is a cruel joke, that life is what happens when you're alive and that you might as well lie back and enjoy it.

...go read. -G