tired

fell ill after kayak. I knew something was wrong when i had dinner on sat. Throat was itching.

wanted to see a doc on mon, but the freaking clinic was bursting with people. On tue i was coughing badly, had no choice but to go back. Luckily, the crowd was more forgiving. Had a splitting headache after sleeping for few hours, was literally shouting my head off.

i had enough. Enough of my sickness. Enough of my current lag in studies. Finally enough of someone. ENOUGH.

tank hardware

on Kelvin's request, i'm writing up some details of my tank. To be honest, my tank looks amateurish compared to efforts by other aquascapers out there. The plants look... argh. But it's my own creation and developed much feelings for it (it is around for 5 years already)!

because the tank is quite established, i have forgotten some finer details. If anyone has a question, let me know. I'll try to find out.

let's dive in and look at the 'specifications':

- 2 ft FivePlan acrylic tank (last time, these tanks were pretty cheap because of flowerhorns)

- Eheim Ecco 2231 (1st generation ecco with problematic handles - now 2nd gen replaced it)
-- Media Basket 1 (mechanical filtration): Eheim coarse blue sponge
-- Media Basket 1 (mechanical filtration): Eheim Ehfi Mech (cost me a small bomb last time)
-- Media Basket 2 (biological filtration): Eheim Ehfi Substrat Pro (cost me a big bomb last time)
-- Media Basket 2 (biological filtration): generic white sponge
-- accessory: extra long cleaning brush for pipes

- CO2 accessories
-- UP reactor, 3 ball configuration
-- 2L CO2 tank (NA)
-- JBJ solenoid
-- Bubble counter
-- CO2 indicator (Dymax)

- Substrate: garden soil (yes it's garden soil, bought from Cold Storage)
- Lighting: 36W PL lighting with e-ballast (bought from NA)
- Aeration: generic airpump
- Cooling/heating: 80mm PC fan (powered by my PC server), fan mounting custom made / Rena 50W heater

This is the messy tank


My trusty filter. Eheim Ecco, auto-priming function


The green UP reactor, with filtered water from Eheim


JBJ solenoid regulator, precise output of CO2 compared to manual regulator
The orange LED means in operation



Bubble counter


Bought this today, to measure pH.


PC fan with a fan filter on top.
Note the PVC mounting. It's those PVC cover for electrical wires


Diehl digital timer, took me a while to figure out the operation

external filters are extremely easy to install and run. Except for the Eheim Classic filters where you'd have to prime the filter manually. Priming simply means getting the water flowing using a suction and then gravity. For my Ecco filter, just connect the various pipes, prime by turning the handle up and down a few times. Then the water will flow.

there's no chemical filtration, because i find it a hassle to keep replacing carbon. I have not used medication (and salt) for years, because i don't believe in it too.

installation of CO2 tank
- tools: a wrench and preferably white sealing tape used for plumbing, plus a pair of strong hands
- accessories: bubble counter, reactor and hard tubing suitable for CO2
- use some sealing tape on the thread of the outlet
- fit the solenoid onto the outlet, turning the nut tight with the wrench
- turn the main valve of the CO2 tank fully open, the left meter should read 1000psi
- to check for leaks, turn the main value to fully closed, leave it for few hours. The pressure should remain at 1000psi.

- the next day, using appropriate tubing, connect the various equipment:
--> solenoid -- bubble counter (check polarity) -- check value (check polarity) -- reactor

- turn on the solenoid by connecting it to the timer. Regulate the actual CO2 amount by turning the smaller knob near the outlet of the solenoid. 1bps is sufficient for 2 ft.

the check valve is to prevent backflow of water, which can be disastrous for the bubble counter and CO2 tank. An additional check valve should be used between the bubble counter and solenoid too.

Jolin - 听说爱情回来过

here's something to ponder - have you ever listened to yourself? Are you honest, or lying to yourself, about what you really wanted?




爱是一种需要一种缺乏
所以我们都喜欢情歌


不管爱在进行中还是仍未萌芽
不管你爱他比较多还是他爱你比较多
爱或被爱其实都是一种喜悦
在朋友那儿听说
知心的你曾回来过
想请他替我向你问候
只为了怕见了说不出口
你对以往的感触还多不多
曾让我心碎的你
我依然深爱着
在朋友那儿听说
知心的你曾找过我
我要他帮我对你隐瞒
只是怕见了面会更难过
我对以往的感触还那么多
曾给我幸福的你
我依然深深爱着
有一种想见不敢见的伤痛
有一种爱还埋藏在我心中
我只能把你放在我的心中
这一种想见不敢见的伤痛
让我对你的思念越来越浓
我却只能把你把你放在我心中

在朋友那儿听说
知心的你曾找过我
我要他帮我对你隐瞒
只是怕见了面会更难过
我对以往的感触还那么多
曾给我幸福的你
我依然深深爱着
有一种想见不敢见的伤痛
有一种爱还埋藏在我心中
我只能把你放在我的心中
这一种想见不敢见的伤痛
让我对你的思念越来越浓
我却只能把你把你放在我心中

对你的声音你的影你的手
我发誓说我没有忘记过
而关于你选择了现在的他
我只能说我有些难过
我也真心真意的等过

有一种想见不敢见的伤痛
有一种爱还埋藏在我心中
我只能把你放在我的心中
这一种想见不敢见的伤痛
让我对你的思念越来越浓
我却只能把你把你放在我心中
只能把你把你放在我心中

只希望你能幸福...

罗志祥 & Elva - 败给你

s:陪你讲冷笑话
像冻到北极
要我陪你吃冰
恋爱是什么逻辑
算算星座和命理
到底谁在你心里

你这么惊天地
就要一路证明
谁在乎我有的比
当我一遇上你
却那么情不自禁
肯宁愿你蹂躏

你什么时候要回去你们火星
我越来越介意
做梦也梦到你
这算是我的天敌

e:你爱罗嗦又爱生气
喜欢我还嘴硬
好面子又假生气
s:好想被你吃定

败给你说话的眼睛
败给你微笑的魔力
不知不觉想每天跟你在一起
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo love

败给你少一根神经
爱上你这是我的命
我们世界原来就等这默契
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo

e:请问你还逼得我抓得那么紧
只是穿得性感些而已
你明明很自恋
让人等好着急

我心中你是第一名耐心还有爱心
爱不是有帅气就可以
拜托你别一直耍嘴皮
oh my oh my oh my oh my

s:什么时候要付出你那颗心
我越来越介意
做梦也梦到你
这算是我的天敌

e:很奇怪只要看到你
就变得好开心(s:有吗)
我已不能判你出局
s:我想把你吃定

败给你说话的眼睛
败给你微笑的魔力
不知不觉想每天跟你在一起
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo love

败给你少一根神经
爱上你这是我的命
我们世界原来就等这默契
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo

s:败给你爱上了你
看到小狗就蹲下去
骗自己你一定充满
我没发现的爱心

e:败给你爱上你
看不见你会生病
原来我也有害怕你
突然不见的危机

s:你也有温柔的时候
害我抬起头以为天上下着红雨
不然就是我还没有睡醒
只有一个我在意着的一个你
竟然的让我爱你
想你一天又一天又一天

我败给你说话的眼睛(e:败给你)
败给你微笑的魔力(e:我爱上你)
不知不觉想每天跟你在一起(e:想每天跟你在一起)
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo love

败给你少一根神经(s:我败给你)
爱上你这是我的命(s:我爱上你)
我们世界原来就等这默契
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo

败给你说话的眼睛(e: woo 败给你)
败给你微笑的魔力(s: yeah yeah yeah )
不知不觉想每天跟你在一起
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo love

败给你少一根神经(e: woo 败给你)
爱上你这是我的命(s:我败给你 e:爱上你)
我们世界原来就等这默契
woo baby baby woo baby baby woo

recession looming

world stock markets have dived on fears of US recession.

however, Singapore appears to be out of this big bursting bubble (read: appears). Property prices are red hot, consumer prices are almost out of control, yet people still feels worthwhile to spend their excess cash or extend credit terms on big ticket items.

yes, commonwealth funds are buying into faltering US banks such as Merill Lynch and Citigroup. But that doesn't guarantee recession is avoided. The market is volatile and our country's investment entity is playing with a couple of bush fires for a hopeful rebound, and to secure some sort of security in the years ahead. The principle of "buy low" is true, it seems. Nevertheless, i hope it is a long term investment that GIC/Temasek has planned.

if you're a wise individual, you would be saving this moment. When consumer prices get lower, it is then the best time to do any spending. This is my belief from reading past news reports when i was still a kid in 1997. If you've been spending on especially big items (which none of us really do because my readers are not earning enough? =)), the pain will come soon. Either hold it or rid it quickly. Not everyone can hold for years though, because banks will be coming with their demands when jobs are coincidentally lost and such. Good luck to everyone, including myself.

if US economy sneezes, world economy catches a cold. What we have seen is not even sneezing, just probably some irritations. Unless you're from Saudi Arabia, there will be some damage.

the ugly side of SMRT

i have just read the annual report of SMRT Corp.

i shall briefly list the business objectives of the group:

- maximise shareholder value
- provide safe, reliable and friendly travel experience at affordable prices
- leverage core expertise in operations and maintenance for trains and related infra
- maximise non-fare revenue through rental, advertising and engineering businesses
- enhance and sustain high standards in corporate governance

let's shelve this for discussion later. Fast forward to the 'track fault' on Monday morning, where train services were stopped from Pasir Ris to Tanah Merah.

pictures gathered from Hardwarezone (tamago and ev0d3vil)

This was what happened - the railgrinder locomotive hit a trailer of something.

The front section was badly damaged, thus it couldn't be towed back easily
(possible rail damage)


Closeup


Attempt by a normal C751 train to push it towards Tanah Merah Depot failed.
The train had to pull it backwards, towards Tampines and Pasir Ris


And here it was . The train had to accompany the lonely loco as well (see the dead end)

service criticisms
- non-transparency on cause of service disruption. On the screens at the MRT station, i only knew there was a DISRUPTION from PSR to TNM. What's the fault? Why is SMRT always so shy to tell commuters of the actual problem?

- lack of alternative information for commuters in both directions. For the people at the affected stations, there were 70 shuttle buses to link them to Tanah Merah. How about people going to these stations? What were the alternatives? What if my grandmother had to go to PSR, but is in a loss when the screens only displayed DISRUPTION? Posters should be put up at every station, informing what affected commuters can do. For example, take MRT to Bedok, transfer to SBST 17 to PSR, 24 to TNM, 67 to Tampines, etc. Nope, there were plenty of time (7 hours of disruption) but Corp Comms failed to do that.

- an apology did the job. Singaporeans are so forgiving. However to only receive an apology for a 7 hour disruption and the trouble of fare refunds are simply unacceptable.


business objective criticisms
- safe, reliable and friendly. Where is the timeliness? It is a known fact that everyone had a problem of boarding trains during peak hours. Some might even have to wait for 1-2 trains at interchange stations, such as Jurong East on the way to City.

the frequency is an issue, yet officials attempt to cover it up with statistics and figures. However, there is an issue.

from the annual report, passenger trips have increased 11% from 2002 - 389.7m to 434.9m. However, car kilometres operated dropped from 81.4m to 77.1m. SMRTC has been aggressively cutting costs by cramming as much as people into each train and reducing frequencies since 2004, to maximise shareholder value. Thus, what is observed is simply increasing ridership, yet the supply of trains remained the same, and even dropped.

on the buses side, this what SMRT had to say:

service schedules were refined to optimise operating costs. This included school holiday
schedules to match changes in student travel patterns, split-shift duties for services with distinctively high demand during peak hours, and parking of split-shift buses at interchanges to reduce off-service mileage.

this is not innovative. It is only innovative if the group had taken care of the operating fundamentals of the bus subsidiary. In the past 3-4 years, SMRT Buses has only introduced a handful of services for the transport hubs under its charge. In contrast, SBS Transit has overwhelming introduced too many services and initiatives that SMRTB is unable to match. While ridership has increased with additional services and demands on existing routes, SMRTB has not purchased any new buses so far.

the latest service failure showed its vulnerability. SMRTB came up with 40 buses, probably handpicked from a variety of services. It had to call for help from SBST to provide another 30 buses. This is unexpected from a multi-modal operator. It should have additional vehicles to cope with reasonable scaled emergencies. As only 4 stations were affected, this is considered to be reasonable for SMRT to handle by itself.


conclusion
the Land Transport Review has conveniently glossed over certain areas, especially for rail transport. SMRTC is clearly in need of a structural change to handle the country's needs for decades to come. While it is trying to follow footsteps of overseas operators such as MTR Corp (HK), it is inappropriate for the company to introduce initiatives such as growing non-fare revenue through properties or 'innovative' strategies to improve ridership, when the basic responsibility has not been fulfilled.

this is my personal analysis - Given ComfortDelgro's strength in similar areas, except for its inexperience in running rail operations, many young market watchers are betting on CDG to surpass SMRTC in years ahead. The reason is simple - CDG has managed NEL reasonably well (look at the frequency) and has a strong bus subsidiary (SBST). On the other hand, SMRTC has managed to dress up its operating costs by cutting back frequencies of trains and buses. Not to mention the poor state of SMRTB, which is better off as TIBS Buses in 2002.

public transportation has been a bugbear of lower and mid class citizens for a long time. If MOT/LTA does not nip the problem in the bud, this bugbear will very soon balloon into an election issue.

new CO2 setup for fish tank

after close to 5 years since the tank was setup, i decided to upgrade my CO2 from the yeast/sugar method to the commercial tank grade. For cost and time reasons, it's a lesser trouble to renew the CO2.

went to Nature Aquarium at Balestier to ask for pricing. Bought the stuff almost immediately:

- 2.0L tank, $45
- JBJ solenoid regulator, $125
- JBJ bubble counter, $5
- Yamato shrimps, $5

discounted total was $174.

because the solenoid requires an electrical current, i had to hook it up to my timer too. So went to Home-fix to get a new soapbar and got a multi-tap adapter included. Then on advice in the forums also the white sealing tape used by plumbers, plus a wrench for tightening the nut on the solenoid.

Expensive stuff

Solenoid

What is looks like after setup

the setup was pretty simple, since Chan did a short introduction on installation. Used some sealing tape on the thread of the CO2 tank's output, then wrenched the solenoid to the tank. Then connected the plastic tubing from the solenoid's output valve to the bubble counter, check value and the existing reactor in the fish tank. Turned it on, the left meter read 1000psi. Tried to bubble some CO2 over, which was ok but an important lesson learnt!

- connect the check valve in the correct direction. I connected it the other way, and the CO2 from the bubble counter got blocked, since the check valve allows airflow in 1 direction only. Disconnected it only to hear a loud burst, i thought it was going to exploded. Luckily not.

- turn the main knob of the CO2 tank really hard, until it moved.


there's a problem though; the solenoid's plug is not suitable with my multi-tap adapter. So have to get another adapter. Meanwhile, have turned it off to check whether the setup is leaking.

Algae busting got a boost with Yamato shrimps

dimsum buffet, family dinner

friday's lunch was dimsum buffet @ Excelsior Hotel's River City Restaurant with my uni mates - CS3214 mates minus Wang Yu, Wei Qiang and a female friend (not sure how to spell, sorry!).

i thought i was going to be late, so instead of 960 i took a train. Who knows, i ended up waiting for the rest to come 30 minutes later! Anyway its seldom like this, so i was glad to do that amount of waiting, while catching a breath.

it's kinda worth it - $11.90+++, excluding tea, wet tissue, govt taxes etc. For a local offering its good, but i preferred HK's Ho Choi.

The order chits

We called a lot more than illustrated here...

went back to office to prepare for sat's events. Then went to do my long-awaited banking stuff - update passbook, transfer money here and there, pay off cc bill, etc. Finally these are done. Got a couple of messages from msn, which i read and decided not to reply. I'm disappointed though, that i became a football in another person's eyes.

started sat with a busy start; printed A4 posters to stick on doors, so visitors and students know where to go. The events came and went without much ado.

dined with my parents at Vista Point's zi char, because my impression from the last meal with moses there was good. Indeed it didn't disappoint; the prawns and red snapper were well cooked without any smell. 5 dishes for $65 after discount.

came back from Vista Point with a bag of water as well. A pair of SAE and an unknown fish that i fished out together with the SAEs. The SAEs are darn hard to catch! Fast swimmers that dart around the tank. The netting was kinda useless. Cleaned my fish tank, removed the slimy black-green algae a.k.a BGA (actually bacteria) from the leaves this time.

read more online, and found that algae crew might be useless. The answer to preventing the slime from coming back is to stop the bacteria from multiplying. Let's see the interim measures so far:

- aeration of water (done, changing airpump and adding airstone soon)
- reduced lighting duration to reduce heat and photosynthesis (done)
- changing light bulb
- CO2 to reduce pH
- additional algae crew, yamato shrimps and otos to rid other resident algae

it was expected.

if only you could tell us what you're exactly thinking.
so we can share your burden

if only you could listen to us.
we care.

if only you would be more sensitive towards the feelings of others.
you have dealt others a bigger blow, think carefully what you've done so far.


it's obviously a wake up call. You know it, you have been avoiding the issue for a long time.

yet you still don't realise what's really wrong. Please, please god help us!

virus hashes

for work use only. Please ignore this post.

767baf4600d97ef2a98323ca0380b4df:373248:32771 - system16

6a19a8475f715cdedf5482276fbfc699:17424:32771 - auto.exe

etc

funny, these days i don't really blog as much as i want to. Hopefully the 'urge' comes again. lol...

school officially started on monday. As usual i had problems with punctuality, and created a brand new poor start this semester. Of course i promise to work on it. Later monday evening was work. Heard of some disciplinary case, and i think the student ought to examine himself, as a character. It's tantamount to stealing. Shan't reveal more here because it's an open area.

then tuesday was lectures for MA1312 and CS2301. We were quite impressed with the lecturer for math, because he knew exactly what we were worried about - little foundation on calculus, even if there is any we were out of touch for 1-2 semesters, being there because the module is (just) a prerequisite for statistics, etc. His pace was good, at least for this lecture. Hope it remains this way! Then met up with WX, so the 3 of us were comparing our various trips to HK over the past month. Quite a difference in viewpoints actually.

Trivia: 1st time lecture was conducted by a Muslim.
Not a hardcore racist like !@#$, just a note here.

for CS2301 it was largely ok, except that assignment #1 was released to us already. Quite an abrupt shock. Bought the textbook using KF's co-op card, at $27.90 (10% discount). Now going to mop up the other textbooks soon.

there was a last minute change in schedule, so i went down to town for my favourite korean meal. This time round, the nice auntie established eye contact with me at the glass door at the foodcourt, then we "mutually agreed" on my order. lolz...

bought some modding stuff from Uvnium, and now my PC looks bengish. Lots of bling bling.

Some dust on my window. Oops...

There's a connector floating at the top. No choice.

there's a dimsum lunch for uni peeps this friday. Yummy...!

looking for kayak companions

can a pair of peeps go for the 1-star course? Then i will have another circle of kayak butties... yay!

i'm looking forward to the next kayak session, but don't know when. sigh...

梁静茹 - 101 and 原来你也唱过我的歌

i like 101, because it's very positive. And she's indirectly promoting Taipei's 101 Building in this mv. I like the cantonese song too, because her cantonese is superb.

i want to visit 101 on 31 December 2008! will it happen??

就算失败了一百遍
不管剩下多少时间
最遥远的距离
就是当我说放弃
即使幸福已经很近

不需要安慰的字句
就算需要很多运气
我永远不放弃
拥有幸福的权利
等你愿意我就愿意

就在第一百零一遍
当我慢慢睁开眼
喔也许你就会出现
失败了一百零一遍
也要不断的许愿
神啊再给我些时间


每一遍都是新的体验
一转眼又跨了一年
昨天的每一天
都是为了要让自己
到明天更勇敢一点

就在第一百零一遍
当我慢慢睁开眼
喔也许你就会出现
要在第一百零一遍
和你再爬高一点
这世界最高的花园

就在第一百零一遍
当我慢慢睁开眼
喔也许你就会出现
要在第一百零一遍
和你再爬高一点
这世界最高的花园

就在第一百零一遍
一定要一起看见
全世界最美的画面
就在第一百零一遍
我们要一起看见
这世界最高的花园

神啊再给我些时间

听说过 这边失恋的人
也会点唱分手快乐
旁人话过 这里有个大男孩
欠缺勇气想示爱 唱勇气来当替代

分开两地都不紧要
即使距离也会再变小
从旋律中的感觉再把我们连系了
如乐章的变调　
连过客也变得亲切了

原来你也唱过我的歌
陪同见证年月的经过
感激有你 肯相信我
我们随旋律的高低挽手走过

原来我唱你也在拍和
亲昵犹如我是情人吗
即使从未认真拖手过
却也彷佛爱过

听说过 这边厢的恋人
唱我喜欢都很快乐
宁静夏季 分享多一首亲亲
完全无条件为你
我也觉无穷快乐　
分开两地都不紧要
今天我陪你唱到破晓
如像熟悉的歌曲已把友谊维系了　
唯望好好答谢　
能碰上原是有多奇妙

原来你也唱过我的歌 　
陪同见证年月的经过　
感激有你 肯相信我
我们随旋律的高低挽手走过　

原来我唱你也在拍和
亲昵犹如我是情人吗
即使从未认真拖手过
却也不愿离座　

原来你也唱过我的歌　
陪同见证年月的经过
悲喜对错 一起去过 　
我们还未共分享的尚有很多

原来再见仍然未生疏
心底埋藏我每段情歌
感激从未认真相识过
却这么宠爱我

do you realise...

how much you have progressed through the years? Have you become a better son, daughter, girlfriend, boyfriend, brother, sister, colleague or good friend since the day you promised to?

i can't help feeling that my life has slowed down since graduating from poly. Or rather, i have not achieved much since then.

when i was in primary school, my aim was to become a bus driver.

when i was in secondary school, my aim appeared to remain the same, however i was hoping for more.

in polytechnic, i hoped to be a scholar, then fast track to a career in teaching or computing after army. Back then, there wasn't any tactics such as borrowing of codes nor sharing of work. In a 'quest' to do well in studies, i spent frequent nights in the school lab trying to outpace my peers. Of fond memories was the time in year 2. To conquer java, nights were spent in the cold lab trying to build a strong foundation. The process was tough yet extremely satisfactory, because the foundation still serves me very well.

then, i always thought i was slower in grasping concepts than others, so the compensation for that was time. Everything was done, with a great deal of time. My ex (and my junior) would always tell me i've spent too much time in school. Looking back, it's true.

i had great inspirations, but every man has to serve (national service). Over the years, the training has somewhat mellowed, yet everyone still find the initial 3-5 months tough. I wasn't physically trained beforehand, so i was in tekong for a good 5 months (2 month PTP and 3 month BMT). Furthermore, the past regulation mandated passing-out only with a pass in IPPT. Anyway, got through that, and spent the remaining 2 years in my unit (and Commander's Office).

life was slow in army. Really slow. I require continuous work to keep my mind awake. Consider these

- in PTP, the daily programme was physical training. Every darn day in the sun, working out every part of the body from head to toe. I liked running the most, hated SOC the most. In slack times, we slept. Sleep was abundant because SAF wanted soldiers to sleep for at least 7 hours. So, i grew to like sleeping.

- in BMT, the pace was obviously faster. Lesser sleep because of IFC and ranges. But it was a love-hate affair, because i loved camping in the basha tent with only the stars above, yet hated being knocked down by our commanders while walking and carrying 5-10kg of stuff.

- in SI, sleeping was a staple diet. During lectures, i fell asleep. During lunch breaks, the whole platoon crashed in the 2 bunks. During nights off, i happily went home and out, yet the feeling was rather aimless. At last, during lights off, we crashed soundly. SI to me and platoon mates was heaven. Because there's always cool wind from the nearby KJE.

- in 3 sig, sleeping was again a staple diet, but only after the unit induction period. When there wasn't any major exercise/preparation, my friends played games. Since i'm a non gamer, i took naps in the nice aircon platoon office. Tried to read some books, but after a while i preferred to nap. After the 3 meals, it was rest. Life was passed in this way, day after day. It got a lot of exciting when i had a chance to serve my Commander. But it was tiring - i wanted to stay out, got the wish, but had to spend 1-2 hours shuttling from Woodlands to Boon Lay, then a bus to Jurong Camp. The nights home were rather bland. Eat, sleep.

as you can see, the army life has affected some of us (me inclusive) silently. The slow pace has completely absorbed into me.

then i started working while waiting for admission. It was better than army, but the pace needed some getting used to. So far, so good.

the greatest disappointment is perhaps on studies. The report card i attained so far isn't something to rave home about. I've expected to do better, yet i felt handicapped - my personal efficiency is no longer comparable to pre-army times, sometimes i felt too tired after working, that i don't want to open my books. The worst culprit of all is procrastination. If you know me well, you would know this is a (huge) problem. Given a task X, i will either

- a) do it immediately, then forget about it.
- b) not do it immediately, but remember it (kiv), yet not do it. By the time i did it, something would have happened already.

this wasn't myself years ago. I would execute (a), and very seldom (b). Now, it's the other way round.

2 years after 2006, i'm putting more focus onto this problem of mine. It's my resolution to improve on myself. There's an impetus to rid myself of the sleeping problem. I recalled Kelvin telling me during one of the project meetings:

is it really so important to sleep?

needless to say, i was dumbfounded for a while.

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many things also happened since poly, that changed some of my life values. I entered hospital twice, to visit my eldest niece and father who got into an industrial accident. I threw a rock at my own relationship. My state of studies got affected too. These has seemingly told myself to slow down my pace, and take a look at surroundings.

is it worth the time and effort to slog and work, then realise you've lost out something that are more important? Why must we take things for granted, then cry over spilt milk?

looking at someone who is somewhat on this track, i have many words to say, but the choice is not with the beholder. While you might feel justified in doing things your way now, you must come to realise that not everybody sings the same tune (as you). The lack of communication and mutual understanding has worsened the issue and affect people's impression of you. All these negative consequences will make an impact sooner or later. I (and we) can only do so much, because you're a person with an stubborn thinking.

pc specifications (technical jargon)

this is a posting to remind myself of my computing plans...

network configuration:
- Internet: SNBB 10mbps, Thomson Speedtouch 585v6
- Printing: HP LaserJet AIO 3030 served by HP Jetdirect 300x
- Wireless: Linksys WRT54Gv4, Tomato v1.14
- Backbone: 3Com gigabit 5 ports switch

server:
- CPU: Intel Pentium M 730 1.6GHz (FSB: 533MHz)
- Motherboard: Asus P4P800-E Deluxe, i865P
- Memory: Kingston ValueRAM DDR400 2GB (4 * 512MB)
- VGA: ATI Radeon 7500 (BBA)
- HDD: Western Digital WD360GD and WD1600JD (36+160GB)
- Optical: TDK AID1616DLN
- PSU: Seasonic S12-430
- Casing: Lian-Li PC60USB

zq (power efficient desktop):
- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (FSB: 667MHz)
- Motherboard: Asus N4L-VM, i945GM
- Memory: Kingston ValueRAM DDR2-667 2GB (2 * 1GB)
- VGA: ATI Radeon X800GT (PC)
- HDD: Western Digital WD3200KS (320GB)
- Optical: BenQ DW1640
- PSU: Seasonic S12-430
- Casing: Silverstone SG01 blk

zm:
my PC will be undergoing upgrading in 2008. Potential specifications:

- CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz (FSB: 1.33GHz), 45nm Penryn 2nd gen
- CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2180 M0 stepping, overclocked to 2.66GHz (FSB: 1066Mhz)
- Motherboard: Asus P5K Pro
- Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB (2 * 1GB)
- VGA: ATI Radeon X800GT (PC)
- HDD: Western Digital WD360ADFD and WD5000AAKS (36+500GB)
- Optical: Samsung SH-S203D
- PSU: Seasonic S12-430
- Casing: Lian-Li PC7+

the reason for downgrading my choice of CPU - since taking over my bro's single-core Pentium M, there wasn't much performance impact. In fact the experience was better, as i loaded less programs on startup. There are quirks though, when the CPU reaches 100% utilisation everything slows to a halt. So, Intel's E2000 series shall suffice. And if there's a pressing need to get the latest CPU, i'll wait for the 2nd revision to Penryn.

most parts will be reused, except for a new purchase of the Ballistix RAM (already on my table), Zalman fan controller and maybe a flashy heatsink fan. The damage? Definitely close to $800... ouch.

functionalities of the server will be taken down progressively with the PC upgrade, to reduce operation and maintenance costs. Then the server will be made obsolete and powered down:

- Web Server (IIS, Apache, Tomcat, Glassfish): Functionalities to move to PC
- File Server: Server storage drive(s) to move to PC
- DHCP/DNS Server: DNS to move to Speedtouch 585v6, DHCP already migrated to Linksys WRT54G.

kayak practice

spent two days after new year working. It's back to the sleep-late-wake-up-late problem. In this year perhaps its time to look at this problem? I suddenly became a heavy sleeper. Hmm...

went on a buying spree for toiletries in chinatown yesterday. Bought everything i needed, and the items cost me $37 in total! However before that, i got drenched in the rain. Very sad man, advised somebody to bring hers, yet i didn't bring. lol...

today is kayak day. Met up with the peeps for lunch, then walked to kallang for our practice. Some team mates from the 1-star course are already taking 2-star certification! I'm not well prepared for it though.

loitered around kallang basin; from the sheltered area to Sheares Bridge, to Cosy Bay near Oasis. It was the low tide period, so water was flowing out to the sea. I stopped at the bridge, then found myself drifting out quite rapidly! A little more and i could be saying hello to the Singapore Flyer. lolz.. Paddling against the current movement was damn tiring. Then the rain came after a while. But managed to say cheese to the cameras in the ducktour vehicles. =D

beached up a few times to avoid moving around during heavy rain. The last 30 minutes were really bad - heavy rain while paddling back to sheltered area, the rain felt like stones. Couldn't see anything in front of me for a while.

now my arms are really sore. Legs too, because the bandit i had didn't have foot pedals! I need to remember to warm up next time. And bring my sun tan lotion too. Plus my towel. So forgetful la. Time to rest.

birthday dinner

on sunday i had a gathering over dinner with secondary school peeps. The occasion was to celebrate wenqun's and my birthday, which were over a month ago.

I remember dining here with family 9 years ago..

had quite a good meal and company of friends of over a decade. Heard of some unhappiness prior to the dinner, but i'm glad everyone turned up. I hope the affected parties can overlook past differences, and be proper friends again. We are already a quarter of a century old, it doesn't make sense to bear grudges against issues that happened long ago!


on the eve, i went back school to renew my contract. It's my 3rd renewal and probably the second last or the last one with NYP. Hope i can accomplish more this year. Was quite sick with a sore throat and headache, then headed back home to have a short rest. Then had a good evening out with a friend for the countdown. I only wished i had a better location for the fireworks!!


new year's day was allocated to rest. Went out for a while for banking and dryclean my jacket, then coincidentally met Kelvin and company at the lift. He didn't see me, so i just entered another lift. By the time i noticed XL and Ananth (sp?) the lift door closed.. oops.

and spent the night unwrapping a gift. I have to record about it here because...

I thought the gift was huge...


But i removed xx pages of newsprint for the next 3 hrs...


I still like the present. Thanks!!!

i can't be negative about it, because effort was spent in wrapping it up! haha...