Diary

This is how my day was a few days ago.

06:55 hours: Wakey wakey, blurrily turned on laptop and connected to company's network. Noticed that there was indeed a 07:00 hours meeting. Don't you just hate those meeting organiser who doesn't have the courtesy to send out the agenda or cancellation at least 12 hours before the meeting?

07:00 hours: dutifully called into the meeting. Assigned to attend this meeting by my second boss. Only a single topic today and not relevant to my department, didn't bother to write my usual summary e-mail to the team.

08:05 hours: meeting ended. Showered and commuted to ulu place.

09:20 hours: arrived office. Docked, locked, and booted up laptop, nothing super duper urgent so it's breakfast time. Only Nelson wasn't in yet so I headed over to beg and plead two colleagues for the information I need for the oh-my-goodness-we-are-so-behind-schedule project. Think to get rid of me bugging them I finally got what I wanted, well, kind of. Everyone has limit, after a certain threshold I got to talk to the hand.

10:00 hours: Nelson finally arrived and ready for breakfast. Think the two colleagues must be real relieved I finally left them alone.

10:20 hours: back to my cubicle trying to figure out how to share information that was told not to be shared, yet must be shared else nothing gets done. Back to bugging the colleague and he kindly showed me how to make the not-sharable sharable. Went back to my cubicle and got it done and went to bug the colleague yet again for his approval on the not-sharable now made sharable.

11:50 hours: "go go go makan" message popped up in IM. Darn, noon already? I still had this, that and those to go through, sort out, and deal with ler. Time not enough.

12:00 hours: Nelson didn't have too many IM conversations today apparently, he was ready to go to lunch. Think him being in the toilet and we got him to move towards cafe after his "business" instead of let him got back to his cubicle helped.

13:15 hours: why incoming e-mails never end?

13:55 hours: darn, have to go! Have to go! Why nobody at the receiving store? Guess have to wait till tomorrow to collect my loaner chip.

14:05 hours: left ulu place, heading home.

15:05 hours: home, father said good to go after a shower. Booted up laptop and tried to clear a few e-mails while waiting.

15:20 hours: chauffeur duty, drove father to airport.

16:30 hours: bloody idiot parked at my reserved parking lot, security failed to stop the offender in the first place, then being incapable of locating the offender. After 15 minutes I gave up and parked right behind the mover's lorry. If you want to get out of MY parking space, come see me so I can give you an earful.

17:00 hours: idiots came apologising to wife and mother, was discussing work with boss on IM during that time, so I went down to move the car a few minutes later. Bastards had the gut to show dark faces, was too busy to get back to work to give them an earful.

18:20 hours: ridiculously heavy rain and thunderstorm, a few consecutive lightnings convinced me to stop working. Shut down and unplugged the laptop, can't afford to pay the company if a lightning strike fried it. Don't have surge protector ler.

18:40 hours: entertain king#2 while reading newspaper while wife fed king#1 and then had her dinner.

19:15 hours: dinner time, by that time everyone was done so I dined alone, as usual. Sad.

20:00 hours: done with everything downstairs so got king#1 upstairs, showered him.

20:20 hours: king#2 was giving wifey a hard time so my turn to cuddle him till he sleeps.

20:25 hours: trouble brewing between king#1 and wifey so I brought king#2 to my room while the thunderstorm erupted in the other room.

20:40 hours: wife gave up and came to my room. My turn to be "good cop", went to handle king#1, who was wailing at top of his lung. Good thing king#2 has fallen asleep.

20:42 hours: king#1 vomited from excessive crying, wifey got him changed and got him back to the room for the aftermath rebonding. I cleaned up the mess on the floor.

21:00 hours: took my shower.

21:10 hours: went to have a few words with king#1, kissed him goodnight, and took over king#2 from wifey so she could go take shower. King#2 has woken up again.

21:30 hours: wifey ready and took over king#2, fed him. I returned to my room and noted down the events today, will flesh them out and tidy them up for posting some other day.

Random Thoughts

My Google-fu is strong, for I found the bird hierarchy image I mentioned in the previous entry.

Behold!

image source

Can you find me? Ney, I am second from the left on the bottommost perch lor.

It's pretty warm and fuzzy really... =P

This image is a bit strong, I didn't know about the wordings top and bottom of the image since when I first saw it, it was flashed only briefly and I was busy running around doing stuff.

But no worries, for my Google-fu is strong! I found a milder version that's probably easier to accept by shit and assholes as a joke instead of being taken as an offence.

Here you go, buy one get one free! =)

image source

Am showing these images for no particular reason, honest! I just think they are funny.

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I am lousy at managing stress, so I am easily stressed. Hence when too many things that are new to me need me to handle at the same time, I get overwhelmed.

Plus, I like to complain and grumble.

What lar? This is typical for old farts like me. =)

Ranting is one of my ways to manage stress, can or not?

I find that spilling it out is a good way to relieve, rather than having it pent-up. Like shit really, better out of the system than in.

As the sole bread winner, having many tasks to do is a good thing really, means I still have a job.

Though it would be real nice if everything went a bit smoother and I got hit with less shits delegated tasks.

Maybe I should do more random acts of kindness so I get better karma. Like treating my colleagues icecream using the free birthday voucher, share the happiness!

Maybe I should really take the Feng Shui seriously instead of ignoring it, think I best ask the Feng Shui master tomorrow for some pointers.

Make things go smoother for me please, including but not limited to shitting. =P

Bosses

In the beginning, I have one boss, this is the real one.

For a specific project, I get another "boss" in the form of the project coordinator.

Then for a specific job assigned within a specific project, I get another "boss" who delegates tasks to me.

Reminds me of the bird hierarchy picture flashed in 2009 Annual Dinner, where the shits from the largest bird on the very top drop onto the birds on the second highest perch, the shits from birds on the second highest perch drop onto the birds on the third highest perch, and so on and so forth.

I am the one at the bottommost where you can see nothing but a big pile of shit with two eyes.

Honestly, this is not a complaint. I am after all a junior engineer with the least experience.

Better to have a job than to be removed because you "do nothing".

Overwhelmed

Woke up after a midnight meeting to find the inbox full of "heavy" e-mails.

This is not a nice way to start a day... >.<

The nature of my work involves dealing with ambiguity, and ambiguity invokes stress.

Sadly I am easily stressed. =(

The sudden influx of jobs which I have no prior experience in is overwhelming. Mind you I don't mind learning new things and doing new stuff, just not so many at the same time.

All new to me, all I have not a clue how to do.

It's just... too much.

I feel like a punctured balloon now. Meh.

On a side note:

Me is happy because three of my colleagues had to stay up late for the ungodly hour meeting earlier today, for once I am not alone in the suffering, muahahahaha!

Yea, me is evil.

Not a Movie (2)

High speed vehicle chasing scenes seen by my own eyes as I drove to work today...

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Penang Bridge, reckless 4x4 driver cutting in and out of lanes, eager for the appointment with death?

A heedless lane change by the 4x4 caused a saloon in the fast lane to veer sharply and dangerously close to hitting the divider.

The 4x4 pulled away from the saloon and went on changing lanes and cutting in front of other vehicles recklessly.

Pissed off saloon driver sped up and followed the 4x4, mayhap to give the 4x4 driver a piece of his/her mind?

Last seen before they moved out of my sight was the scene where the saloon cut sharply into the innermost lane, cutting in front of the 4x4.

I have no idea how it ended, was hoping to see the 4x4 crashed at the road side and the fooking idiotic driver burns in hell but no, I didn't see any wreckage as I drove along.

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Butterworth-Kulim-Expressway, police on superbike far ahead of me made a U-turn on the one way lane, sped back towards approaching vehicles.

A few seconds later, the reason became apparent, there was another motorcycle speeding in the wrong direction, swerving among the fast moving vehicles trying to ditch the police.

As I was passing the offending rempit and the pursuing police, the rempit made a U-turn at one of BKE junctions and I think he sped down the motorcycle lane.

I passed them then driving on the fast lane, last seen on rear view mirror the police making a U-turn as well.

Like all sensible drivers, I pay no more heed to it anymore and drove along, unlike those brainless busy-bodies who slow down to see or to take down the "4 digits".

Drove at my usual 90km/h (since I wasn't trying to keep up with two lady F1 drivers) and after that, saw neither the rempit nor the police all the way to ulu place.

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Also worth mentioning is the fire engine and a large patch of burned grass at the road side on my way home this evening, near to Komtar.

Someone been playing with fire? The "A" word being spoken again?

Impressed

Today being the replacement holiday for Sultan of Kedah's birthday for all who work in ulu place, I got the chance to run some errands while the majority of the Penangites are working.

Went to the bank wanting to withdraw some cash in new notes for the coming Chinese New Year but was told new notes will only be available next month, meh.

Went to Tesco wanting to get soya formula for my elder son, milk for my wife, and nappy for my younger son, but all still sold out as they were yesterday, meh. Guess I will have to try again tomorrow.

At least I achieved the third and last errand though, collected my younger son's MyKid card (identification card for young ones) and was actually pleased with the efficiency of the relevant government department. I think this is the first time I am actually pleased with the efficiency of my government in anything, as previously it's only the income tax department that's efficient in taking the tax payer money (but not in refunding excess, of course).

I arrived and duly took my number, expecting to be waiting for a long while before my turn but was surprised to see I was actually the second in line. Well, in my specific line anyway as I was in the collecting line, while everyone else were waiting for the application line.

Giving the benefit of doubt and assuming the one before me had just been called, I estimated that it should take about 15 minutes at most for a simple collection process. Just for the heck of it I started my stop watch.

I was rather surprised when my number was called after just 7 minutes, I was therefore suitably impressed.

Since I like to make things easy for everyone, I already had all the relevant documents in hand and in order so I just handed them over after I greeted the receptionist (whom didn't have the manner to response). The receptionist checked the documents, proceeded to look for the MyKid card, and handed it to me. I am at the counter for 3 minutes top.

Wonder why the person before me had to use twice as long but oh well, I was just glad I got my errand done in a timely manner so I deposited my number ticket in the "excellent" box for the receptionist, even though she didn't say anything in response to my parting thank you.

This efficiency in the government is so rare that it warrants an entry so I will not wake up tomorrow and think I have dreamt it. =)

This is a genuine compliment and is not my usual sarcasm, honest*.

* original collection date was 29 November 2009, called and being told it's not ready so collect in December. Called again in December and was told still not ready so collect in January. Called in January and woohoo, it's ready! Still, at least the efficiency at the collection counter is recommendable.

Cocks

Today's topic is about cock, the stuff that we love to play with, male and female alike.

Some people are gentle with it, some are tough. Some play it fast and hard, some play it long and to the limit. Though for maximum performance, it's really about skill.

The secret is in the wrist, a good, nimble wrist.

Me? I just want to sweat it. It's good exercise, really.

Anyway, I am seeking advices and recommendations from people who play with them a lot, for the cocks I played with recently didn't last as long as they used to be ten years ago.

image source

I bought the exact same shuttlecocks leh, they used to be more durable ten years ago then the two dozen I bought recently. Is it common practise for manufacturer to increase cost while decrease quality nowadays?

Cost RM34.60 a dozen from Young Ones, the shuttlecocks are not exactly cheap at RM2.90 each. However thier durability is rather disappointing so I am looking for better quality shuttlecocks and welcome any recommendations.

Come on cock badminton players, come help each other out! From your experience, what is a good shuttlecock brand, what's the usual price and where can we get them?

As a contribution to the brother-and-sister-hood of cock badminton players, I like to advice you all to avoid the Green RCL shuttlecocks shown above. I just bought the following shuttlecocks and will see if they are better, I will post again (if I remember to) when we have played with them.

image source

Sea Lion 1130, RM43.80 a dozen from Young Ones, that's RM3.65 each

image source

RCL Master, RM45.80 a dozen from Young Ones, that's RM3.85 each

Hello Cave

When you have tried in the past few days to engage your wife in discussion about ways to lessen her burden in response to the recent change in available assistance, but she either ignored you or never wanted to discuss it in any depth...

When you have tried your best to help out whenever you can, bathing the child, washing the dishes, cleaning the potty, doing the laundry, ensuring there's boiled water, et cetera...

When you are holding the baby wooing him to sleep because you know your wife is otherwise engaged...

...and yet your wife admonishes you (while you are holding the baby no less) for not doing some house chore that she expects you to do even though you have no idea you are supposed to do it, but would nevertheless do it as soon as she asks you to...

Then you know it's a lost cause and are better of to go into your cave and shut yourself in.

Sorry for not having the mind-reading ability, trust me I really want to have it since being able to know what's going on in a woman's mind would make me the richest man in the world.

Not to mention not having to suffer this unpleasant and ridiculous "you should know you have to do it and there's no point for me to ask you to do it since I would rather do it myself then" thing from happening.

No worries my dear wifey, I will never expect you to solve my work issues, wash the car, fix the computer, handle the shit from my work, service the car, et cetera. Cause both you and I know those are not the things that you usually do, both you and I wouldn't expect you to do them out of the blue.

My only hope is that after all these years together, you can at least know what are the things I usually do and help out with whenever I am available, and what are the things that I don't usually do but would nevertheless do if you tell me to.

You know, there are things that I don't feel like doing after a day's work or even in the weekend since weekend is when I hope to get some rest and relax time in. You know, chill a bit to recharge for the next week's work. Again, don't feel like doing but would nevertheless do it if asked to. Just how difficult is it to tell me?

It's not that I do not appreciate what you do or that I am unaware of the burden you are bearing, remember those discussions that I tried to engage you in? Sometimes we just need outside help, I would rather be poorer financially than to have to face your bad temper everyday.

Coax me out of my cave when you can stop hurting me for trying to help, it's difficult to love you sometimes.

Scared leh?

Had my MyVi serviced today, another 10,000 km logged.

Changed the engine oil and oil filter. The air filter was replaced as well, apparently I haven't changed it since I bought the car and it's all grey and fluffy, not sure if it can simply be cleaned instead of replaced but I got a new air filter anyway, it's clean and white!

The battery fluid, coolant, and wiper water just needed some minor top up since I checked those recently. The mechanic informed me that the brake fluid and transmission fluid do not need changing or topping up yet.

Car felt more responsive and a tad more powerful after the service, of course it could just be a psychological effect. =)

So watch out all you impatient (and rude) drivers who like to follow way to close to the others, I can now accelerate faster so you cannot follow me so closely liao.

After the service I no longer go from 0 to 80 km/h in 30 seconds, I can do that in 29.5 seconds!

Scared leh? =P

Had a discussion with friends recently about ron95 not giving me the mileage of ron97 and one of them said I have to drive like a ron95 driver when using ron95 instead of driving like I am using ron97. Something about I should accelerate slower and drive slower on the highway.

Since I think I drive reasonably fuel-efficiently (slow down gradually, no sharp acceleration, etc.), I went and timed my acceleration from 0 to 80 km/h a few times when I stopped as the first vehicle at a traffic light and get around 25 to 30 seconds, counting in my head and not using a stopwatch so it may be a bit off.

Still, 0 to 80 km/h in 25 seconds is pretty darn slow enough, I don't think I want to go any slower. And I stick to speed limit +/- 5 km/h on the highway, I don't want to go any slower and lengthen the 1 hour+ journey, thank you very much.

Second Resurrection

"Can you hear me Mr SB-the-third?"

"Y..e..a.."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sluggish, weak."

"That's to be expected, after all, I transplanted a smaller heart to you. It has less power compared to your previous heart."

"Am I going to be alright now?"

"I am going to be honest with you, I don't know, bear in mind this is your second crash. To be frank, I am not sure if I could ressurect you if you suffered a third crash."

"Can't you just transplant another heart if I crashed again, doctor?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I am not a doctor? I only have a master degree and I don't really know what's wrong with you."

"But... but... you brought me back to life twice already."

"Well you see, it's all based on trial and error plus sheer dumb luck systematic analytical work, but that can only go so far. Besides, I do not have the mean to get a replacement for you, so you best not crash again!"

"You have financial problem?"

"Yea, I am poor to begin with, and that overlady is demanding her donation back."

"Overlady? What's an overlady?"

"Heard of overlord? You know, evil overlord? Overlady is just the female version of overlord*."

"I see. Why did the overlady make the donation if she intended to take it back?"

"I guess you don't know this overlady, this is just her way of first making you happy just to take it away after, in order to double your misery."

"Ouch... sounds like an evil person."

"Verily."

"Can't nobody do anything about this overlady?"

"Nobody dares, I certainly don't after her talk of body bags."

"Gosh! Evil!"

"Yea, verily."

* I made this up, don't think overlady is a real word. =P

My home computer (gaming machine) died again. Managed to bring it back to life after some fiddling. I changed the power supply, all trial and error systematic analytical work trying to identify the problem, of course. This 'short story' is the result of my imaginary conversation with my computer.

And yes, all self-respecting gamer named their gaming machine, mine is called SoulBot-III as it's my third computer. =)

One Liners

Back from KL, what a weekend.

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It took 3 hours and 49 minutes to get to my inlaw's, door to door, non-stop, covering 352.9 kilometers.

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Breaks my heart seeing the ribs and skinny arms of my son when showering him, no thanks to food poisoning.

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Younger brother married. Congratulations Wei and Linda!

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Back to work tomorrow, more tired than before the long weekend. Meh!