近墨者黑
Useless fact of the day: The QWERTY keyboard is not actually the best keyboard around, but due to network externalities where typists are under the impression that employers want typists trained with this skills. Sellers of the keyboard are convinced that this is the popular, dominant design and thus mass produce this type of keyboards. Typing schools, seeing the surge in number of students for QWERTY keyboards, order more of it from suppliers. In the end it is one big smokescreen, all assuming here and there. Actually the DVORAK keyboard is more ideal for typing accuracy, from Technopreneurship module.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
THREE months of pleasure are preceded by THREE weeks of pain
Second semester gone. Or soon to be. Probably due to Chinese New Year holidays then mid term break, this semester seems to have gone by pretty fast.
4 projects has its drawbacks, like the deadline cutting too close to exam dates, and infernal procrastination due to the seemingly long buffer period to deadline.
Drawn up a list of after exam perks, so there, mug or die. Last retail therapy session scheduled for tomorrow, Digital Delay 6 pedal in the works. For sound effects in the rhythm department while the leads take it away. Woot!!!!
Useless fact of the day: Origin of ORZ or orz mentioned in 五月天's 恋爱-ing. ("超感谢你让我重生整个orz")
ORZ
O -> head
R -> top is shoulder and bottom are hands
Z -> top part is the arse and bottom is the knees
when placed horizontally left to right in that order, it forms a pictorial depiction of someone bowing down to life's misfortunes, but in the song it is spelt out in letters to listeners. creative way of incorporating the AOL age into pop song lyrics as well, imho lol ttyl!
4 projects has its drawbacks, like the deadline cutting too close to exam dates, and infernal procrastination due to the seemingly long buffer period to deadline.
Drawn up a list of after exam perks, so there, mug or die. Last retail therapy session scheduled for tomorrow, Digital Delay 6 pedal in the works. For sound effects in the rhythm department while the leads take it away. Woot!!!!
Useless fact of the day: Origin of ORZ or orz mentioned in 五月天's 恋爱-ing. ("超感谢你让我重生整个orz")
ORZ
O -> head
R -> top is shoulder and bottom are hands
Z -> top part is the arse and bottom is the knees
when placed horizontally left to right in that order, it forms a pictorial depiction of someone bowing down to life's misfortunes, but in the song it is spelt out in letters to listeners. creative way of incorporating the AOL age into pop song lyrics as well, imho lol ttyl!
Check!
So over dinner me and my brother saw the Armed Forces mostly as a game of Chinese Chess. This was sparked off by his friend who had commented that "at the end of the [chess] game, the pieces (both the general and the pawn) are placed back into the same box", showing his contempt for the authority high ranking officers wield in camp and how at the end of the day they are all just humans. Pre-requisite: A little background knowledge on Chinese Chess pieces is needed to understand the following. Having experienced life from a military police's point of view would help as this is written from the perspective of my brother's camp. Preclusions: Not applicable to players who only do international chess.
The soldiers, 卒/兵, are people the likes of my brother and other men who are at the lower end of the food chain. While their immediate commanders (车/車, 马/馬, 炮/砲) can “eat" them (order them around), they also have the right to do funny things to generals (将/帥) like clamping their car wheels when they park without authorization, and booking officers who are 20 odd ranks higher for bringing contraband items like mp3 players with voice recorder function to camp. In fact, their immediate superiors would be less suitable to perform the task as they have a higher tendency to fall prey to the friend-friend tactics employed by most diplomatic law-breaking high ranking officers.
Then the sergeants/ section commanders would be the 车/車 in this game, due to a real life example where a bunk mate of my brother's is always on Medical Leave to escape from camp. Apparently the section commander would drive a GP (general purpose) car to his doorstep and haul him back to camp to be assessed by the doctor. Think MID* vehicles and think 车/車 -.-!
The officers would be the 炮/砲 as they are good at deploying people in front of themselves either to deflect direct assaults or to launch long range arrows at the men, showing their indirect attacking ability.
Guess who's the 马/馬? Warrant officers of course! According to my brother and my own personal experience, these are a crafty lot who have the highest propensity to go "by left" when going through tedious administrative procedures to get things done. This parallels the way the horse in the game moves diagonally to the left or right, avoiding obstacles straight ahead. But for academic purposes now, we take it to be mostly left.
That leaves the 象/相. Doesn't it remind you of downgraded soldiers who end up as deskbound clerks. For those who are unable to even go out for dispatch service, it further shows the similarity between the elephant and the clerk as he is "unable to cross the river" which is the main gate of the camp.
Oh, almost forgot. The dismissable 士/仕 in the game who's able to slide up and down on top of the general both in times of peace and crisis. In real life, they may actually play a more significant role? Given that there are female soldiers and clerks around, looks like a threeway battle to the bitter end is inevitable (we got two 士/仕, but only one 将/帥).
This post was written all in the name of good humour and is not meant to be taken offensively amongst all ranks. I salute all of you who are still donning the uniform, be it number 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0**. Do the right thing, think the wrong thing.
* MID: Mindef vehicles have this prefix on their license plates
** 0: the set you wear when feeling kinky ie. topless, SBO, jockey cap, green socks pulled to knee height, swimming trunks, gas mask, dummy grenade in hand (those were the days)
Useless fact of the day: Linux, as with other Open Source Software (OSS), use the motto "Give a little, take a lot" (!) What seems to be derived from public domain (Red Hat and Novell) is actually charging annual fees for subscription to services. In a way we are like paying for the license to use the operating system in instalments, which is different from the upfront payment for Windows, that's all. Scary.
The soldiers, 卒/兵, are people the likes of my brother and other men who are at the lower end of the food chain. While their immediate commanders (车/車, 马/馬, 炮/砲) can “eat" them (order them around), they also have the right to do funny things to generals (将/帥) like clamping their car wheels when they park without authorization, and booking officers who are 20 odd ranks higher for bringing contraband items like mp3 players with voice recorder function to camp. In fact, their immediate superiors would be less suitable to perform the task as they have a higher tendency to fall prey to the friend-friend tactics employed by most diplomatic law-breaking high ranking officers.
Then the sergeants/ section commanders would be the 车/車 in this game, due to a real life example where a bunk mate of my brother's is always on Medical Leave to escape from camp. Apparently the section commander would drive a GP (general purpose) car to his doorstep and haul him back to camp to be assessed by the doctor. Think MID* vehicles and think 车/車 -.-!
The officers would be the 炮/砲 as they are good at deploying people in front of themselves either to deflect direct assaults or to launch long range arrows at the men, showing their indirect attacking ability.
Guess who's the 马/馬? Warrant officers of course! According to my brother and my own personal experience, these are a crafty lot who have the highest propensity to go "by left" when going through tedious administrative procedures to get things done. This parallels the way the horse in the game moves diagonally to the left or right, avoiding obstacles straight ahead. But for academic purposes now, we take it to be mostly left.
That leaves the 象/相. Doesn't it remind you of downgraded soldiers who end up as deskbound clerks. For those who are unable to even go out for dispatch service, it further shows the similarity between the elephant and the clerk as he is "unable to cross the river" which is the main gate of the camp.
Oh, almost forgot. The dismissable 士/仕 in the game who's able to slide up and down on top of the general both in times of peace and crisis. In real life, they may actually play a more significant role? Given that there are female soldiers and clerks around, looks like a threeway battle to the bitter end is inevitable (we got two 士/仕, but only one 将/帥).
This post was written all in the name of good humour and is not meant to be taken offensively amongst all ranks. I salute all of you who are still donning the uniform, be it number 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0**. Do the right thing, think the wrong thing.
* MID: Mindef vehicles have this prefix on their license plates
** 0: the set you wear when feeling kinky ie. topless, SBO, jockey cap, green socks pulled to knee height, swimming trunks, gas mask, dummy grenade in hand (those were the days)
Useless fact of the day: Linux, as with other Open Source Software (OSS), use the motto "Give a little, take a lot" (!) What seems to be derived from public domain (Red Hat and Novell) is actually charging annual fees for subscription to services. In a way we are like paying for the license to use the operating system in instalments, which is different from the upfront payment for Windows, that's all. Scary.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Providing Opportunities through Growth, Remaking Singapore for Success
I'm eligible for $800 Growth Dividends and $100 NS bonus, just for being 21 years old. Unfortunately, I also happen to be the 50% of Singaporeans aged between 21 - 34 years old who have no interest in politics. What I do know is that NS men who have completed their 10 cycles are going to get $300 more. And that the bigger your house the less Growth Dividend paid out to you. Poor Chew, making noise because his flat is a room bigger and getting less of the action. People in other countries get into heated debates over politics and stuff, over who did what said what to who and what they did or should have done. Then they may get into fights just like their representatives do on TV and start Wrestlemania XI. I'd rather be playing my guitar.
Useless fact of the day: Origin of Bollywood. The Indian film industry started in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay (hence "Bollywood" and not "Mollywood") up till the mid 90's. It produces more films than Hollywood annually and the audience actually like Bollywood movies precisely because of their unrealistic attributes. Actors (like Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim "god" in a Hindu majority state) can be dancing round a coconut tree at one moment wearing a kurta and be transported to the hills of Switzerland wearing western clothing in the wink of an eye. Still dancing.
Useless fact of the day: Origin of Bollywood. The Indian film industry started in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay (hence "Bollywood" and not "Mollywood") up till the mid 90's. It produces more films than Hollywood annually and the audience actually like Bollywood movies precisely because of their unrealistic attributes. Actors (like Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim "god" in a Hindu majority state) can be dancing round a coconut tree at one moment wearing a kurta and be transported to the hills of Switzerland wearing western clothing in the wink of an eye. Still dancing.
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