Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Livescribe SmartPen

A pen that records audio and what you write and can upload them onto your computer. Where is this product when I was going to school? :( Granted, as a poor student, no way could I afford a $200 pen along with their proprietary notebooks.

Livescribe Pulse Smartpen

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Cute Lyrics - All I Want is You

All I Want is You - by Barry Louis Polisar

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

If I was a flower growing wild and free
All I'd want is you to be my sweet honey bee.
And if I was a tree growing tall and greeen
All I'd want is you to shade me and be my leaves

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a river in the mountains tall,
The rumble of your water would be my call.
If you were the winter, I know I'd be the snow
Just as long as you were with me, when the cold winds blow.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were a wink, I'd be a nod
If you were a seed, well I'd be a pod.
If you were the floor, I'd wanna be the rug
And if you were a kiss, I know I'd be a hug

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

If you were the wood, I'd be the fire.
If you were the love, I'd be the desire.
If you were a castle, I'd be your moat,
And if you were an ocean, I'd learn to float.

All I want is you, will you be my bride
Take me by the hand and stand by my side
All I want is you, will you stay with me?
Hold me in your arms and sway me like the sea.

Thanks to STlyrics.com

Check out the little video too!

Amazon Profiling

I remember many many years ago (when Amazon was first established), I was genuinely amazed by their profiling (recommendation) system. They don't just recommend the stuff that I had browsed (that'd be a no brainer), but things along the similar line. Today, after my latest purchase of two DVD sets, my recommendation included a 2008 Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue??? Have I been profiled as a MALE??! I'm so offended! :P

Recession v Depression

A saying for my non American friend (yes, friend, singular, can't think of any one else who'd voluntarily read my chit :). The saying goes like this:

When your neighbor got laid off, it's recession; when you are laid off, it's depression.

:)

A Year in Review

Instead of blogging about the depressing stock market, economy, auto and retail industries etc. etc., how about something mood lifting, like the first female inducted into professional Japanese baseball league -- Eri Yoshida, a 16-year-old Japanese girl who, known for her knuckleball, pitched to eight batters in her November 2008 tryouts without giving up one hit.

Read more


I guess that's not technically an entire year in review, well, it's certainly a landmark of sort. :)

Sunday, December 28, 2008

The Little Joys in Life

I think I'm an easy to please person. Inexpensive little things make me happy -- a lighted fire place, a tub bath, Christmas tree. To me a great weekend is one that I can stay in and just watch lots of movies with my husband. (Yes, doesn't count without him.) But lately it seems these little joys are getting harder and harder to achieve.

Let's start with bubble bath. We spent a lot of time to find an apartment with a great tub, now California (as usual, I guess) is having water shortage issue, I feel guilty to enjoy such a luxury. A fire place -- air quality day. There are days in California that it's actually illegal to lit a wood burning fireplace!! That is not too much of a big deal, I really prefer an electric one better anyway, just suits my lifestyle more... oh, but then the extra electricity usage will contribute to destroying the environment and facilitate global warming... same can really be said about a Christmas tree... or our big screen TV.

Of course, all these whining just seems so petty given the fact that I still have my health, a great husband, a JOB, and a decent living place, albeit a rental. One should be grateful for what he/she has...

Ringing in the New Year

If you have not yet seen the new year video produced by jibjab plastered all over Yahoo.com, MSN.com, CNN.com, etc., here is the link

New Year Jib Jab Video

All things aside, 2009 is looking to be a grim year -- the housing melt down, the financial meltdown (or as they are referred to in Asia, the financial Tsunami), massive lay offs. My last day at work (before the new year), I heard rumors that there will be more lay offs come the new year. This honestly is the first time I work in a field where lay offs are real, for me and those around me. I don't think I will be among the next batch or two to go, but by the third and fourth, anything can happen.

I don't understand why companies lay off people in batches. It's bad for morale, granted, lay offs in and of itself are bad for morale, but doing it in batches are worse. It should be like peeling off a bandage -- just rip it off, you either stay or go. Nothing is worse if not knowing if you will be next. Or in my case, just knowing that people that I know will be lay off is depressing. But as the American saying goes: "When you neighbor gets laid off, it's recession; when you are laid off, it's depression." So far I am still in recession.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Shopping Center Scenary in the Downturned Economy

I went shopping at an outlet mall a couple of weeks ago. For my non US friends who have no idea what an "outlet mall" is, just think a very big discount shopping place. It was a sad sight. It wasn't a weekend, but it was noticeably empty. This place used to be crowded. There are barely any people in the stores, even the store clerk seemed lethargic. Finally spotted a store with more than 10 people inside, it was Shoe Pavilions. I went inside forgetting that they are going out of business. The scene was scary -- boxes, shoes strewed all over the floor. The place looked like it's been robbed, in a certain sense, it probably had. People there were still picking at what's lying on the ground trying to find the last bargains. Good luck finding two shoes of the same style, same size in the same box. Looking at the little kiosks in the middle with vendors selling useless stuff that people will normally shell out a few dollars to buy in the good days were just sad....

Every store and everything was at least 30% off... but the overall atmosphere was still sad... Wonder when we are going to come out of this...

Kudos for the Yes on 8 Props

I refer to the Californians Against Hate website where it lists the top donors to the Yes on 8 proposition. Unemployment rate is at 16 years high, a million hard working Americans are looking for work, holiday season right around the corner, charities are out soliciting for donations..... Lovely peeps are donating $ to stop OTHERS from getting married. Seriously? How about some donations to the women shelter? I'm sure they can use $100K or so. I guess it's still money well spent trying to prop up the US economy.

Kudos to the donors.

What the No on 8 People Did Wrong

So what did the No on 8 people go wrong? They didn't use kids in their commercials. Haven't they learned anything yet? You don't fight fair. Making logical advertisements only caters to those who are going to vote No on Prop 8 anyway. If you are truly trying to sway people from the other side over, you must use communications that they understand -- kids.

Is it me or people just go nuts whenever it's perceived that children are involved? Crimes that that involved kids are "heinous." All crimes are heinous, whether it happens to kids, women, men, elderly! Look at the commercials that the Yes on 8 peeps did!! A little girl saying "Mommy, I want to marry a princess too when I grow up." Isn't that a bit extreme?

So "we" (No on 8 peeps) should have ads with children too. I am thinking a VERY adorable kid with big eyes, "Daddy, please don't teach me to grow up to be a hateful and angry person." Or how about kids adopted by same sex parents, "With Daddies/Mommies, I will not be here." Or preferrably both. They should come and consult my advice next time we vote on this issue.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Stupidity

I've came to realize that people are, notoriously, stupid. Yet the (low) level of their intelligent continues to surprise me. Gun sales increased after election of Democratic President? Seriously? With the sagging economy, housing/financial crisis, and a war that we've been fighting for 8 years for God knows what reason, people really think the first thing on Obama's plate is to ban gun sales?

I am starting to wonder those mutants living in the sewer systems as portrayed in US comics indeed exists... and they can vote too!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Talent

Skill is something one earn through time and hard work; talent, on the other hand, is something that one was born with. A skill instilled by God, figuratively speaking. My talent? Computer killer.

Allow me to explain, many eons and a few blogs ago (yes, I start new and unfinished blogs like there is no tomorrow), I blogged about my series of computer mishap -- spilling water on the company laptop thus conveniently destroying it (have I mentioned that the laptop was only 1 week new?); accidentally put very malicious virus onto my personal laptop; went to use Hubby's laptop while he's trying to fix mine and brought up a blue screen of death. Three on three!

That was a while ago... and my latest streak: moved colleague's laptop from table onto podium in preparation for a conference and immediate soldering smell followed; after said conference returned to my own desk and discovered blue gooey gel on the tip of my CAT 5 cable, turned out that when I unplugged it from my laptop the night before, I accidentally dropped the tip into my cup of water and it sat there over night, at least I didn't destroy another company laptop :); day after I spilled water onto my (thank god external) keyboard and ruined a $70 keyboard.... Again, must look on the bright side, that could have been the work laptop again. :D Where will my talent stop?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Gainfully Employed

So one day I suddenly got a hunch that I was going to get let go, so I decided to clean my cabinet of all my personal junk that's been sitting in there for the last two years. Well, fortunately or unfortunately, my hunch did not come true. Work has, actually, been quite busy lately, so when my friend said I am "gainfully employed," I assumed "gainfully" means constructively/productively. A few days after said conversation, I've decided to look up "gainfully" on Dictionary.com (you should try it some day, it's an excellent resource!). It turned out that "gainfully" means "lucrative." :O Me? Lucratively employed? So I went back to my friend and said to her, "employed... yes; gainfully though... I'm not so sure." To which she replied, "in this economy, being employed is gainfully employed." How true and how sad....

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Hope v Desperation

Once again, my goal to have a blog that I will update regularly was short lived. Here's another shot...

***

My husband believes that lottery is for the mathematically challenged (but sometimes he'll still buy them for me because he is a sweetheart :D). I, on the other hand, believe that one is buying a hope. I'm sure everyone has heard the joke by now about a guy asking God why can't he win the lottery and God said, "you've at least got to BUY the ticket for me to help you." Well... you get the idea.

So where does the desperation part comes in? Desperation is when you looked up the odds of 1/4,500,000 (yes, that's one if 4.5 million) to win the California lottery. Desperation is to calculate out that at the rate of 2 tickets per drawing, it is going to take one 400 years to buy 4,500,000 lottery tickets. Desperation is to calculate out that to buy 4,500,000 tickets within 10 years one will have to buy about 40,000 tickets each drawing... And for those of you who understands the basic concept of statistics -- just because the odds is 1/4,500,000 does NOT mean that buying 4,500,000 tickets will ensure 1 win. Just look at the number of kids a couple that wanted a kid of a specific gender need to have before they have the child of the "right" gender.

(A highschool friend of mine has 6 sisters before her parents finally have the son. The odds of having 7 girls in a row is 1/128 or 0.0078125...)

Desperation....

Monday, October 13, 2008

My Single Child Syndrome

My single child syndrome has been pointed out to me by my beloved coworkers from my previous employment. "Single child syndrome" is a very interesting term and so very true. Funny thing is I noticed that I act the same way when it comes to a video game or a real life situation.

So once upon a time I played this game called "Yohoho Puzzle Pirate." First you join a crew and be a grunt. After a few weeks, I no longer want to be a grunt so I threw money at the problem -- bought game currency with my credit card and started my own crew and flag... and be my own captain.

For the longest time I have wanted to play in coed softball in a company. I was just about to give up on that when I started working with my current company. I could not believe that this particular dream can still be fulfilled at my age. Then I had some unpleasant incidents during the season, so I started my own team. After I started my own work team, I found out that that wasn't the best idea either because now you will have to accommodate every one at work. So next year I am going to start my own team, outside of work.

See, totally the same MO -- (1) start my own and (2) throw $ at the problem. Hurray to single child syndrome, capitalism, and $ to throw at problems. :D

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Marriage

I love being married. Let me precede this post by stating that I do not believe that marriage is for everyone. I believe that to some individuals, the idea of spending the rest of their lives with the same man/woman is a mortifying idea. That said, certain other individuals, like me, are perfectly happy being married. There are many benefits to being married (paying more taxes is, obviously, not one of them). To list a few of those advantages:-

(1) always a date to go to couple events;

(2) always someone to go home to;

(3) always someone there to take care of you when you are sick... (did I also precede that marriage is only a good thing if you are happy in it?)

The biggest advantage of all? Have you ever heard of the quote "Behind every success man is a woman"? I think it's safe to extend to say that "Behind every successful person is a spouse." (Support gay marriage!!) But I digress, this blog entry is not dedicated to supporting gay marriage. There's a good reason to that statement. It's not so much the support from the partner as to the energy saved from no longer needed to look and able to be channeled to other more constructive cause, like WORK!!

Just think, when a man or a woman walk into the room, in a social or work context, you no longer have to think whether he/she is a potential partner. And I don't have to channel as much energy into avoiding potential behavior that will send the wrong message. People don't tend to over interpret as much when they know that you are married. You can make friends with both gender without romantic context. It is just awesome!!

Hurray to being married.

***

Found this funny quote while looking for the actual quote, so I thought I'd mention it:

"Behind every successful man is a woman, behind her is his wife." - Groucho Marx

From Quote DB

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Why I Stopped Using Ebay

Just made a purchase on ebay and totally regretting it. If there's a way to cancel that transaction, I would. So how did I go from this person that used to buy all sorts of stuff (I literally would "window shop" -- as in have nothing specific in mind) on ebay to someone who avoids it like a plague? Answer: one bad experience.

Allow me to go into further details. I buy, and occasionally sell, video games on ebay. Just like many parking lots that like to post disclaimers that "we are not responsible for any lost of damages to your vehicles," many sellers on ebay likes to disclaim that they are "no responsible for shipping lost or damages." As it turns out, peeps can disclaim anything they damn well feel it, but posting it, low and behold, does not automatically make it legal. Although one could argue that you are entering a legally binding contract on ebay... regardless....

So I never received my item from this one seller. In fact, the tracking # on the post office specifically say that "we have been contacted about this shipment," but not confirmed that they have, indeed, received the item. As a decent human being, I even tried multiple times to sort out whether it's FOB (freight on board) origin or destination with ebay to no avail.

Ebay's response: Oh, you didn't receive the item? Go deal with PayPal.

PayPal: We don't deal with shipping insurance. Just file your claim.

So was it my fault that I took advantage of PayPal's $2000 guarantee and got my money back? The seller literally cursed me to hell. I guess to some retards, all living creatures naturally believe in God, their God. Besides the fact that he's a Bible thumber, he also called me a blonde. I'm so evil that I must be blonde. Need an IQ test to determine this guy's intelligence?

Money back or not, I dislike confrontations and nasty emails. And all that for what? A $4-$10 saving? Ugh. Thanks but no thanks. I'd rather buy from Amazon from now on.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Witnessing History

So I've got this new habit of turning the TV on in the morning when I get ready for work. It's some noise in the background and it's also nice to be able to talk to my coworkers about current events in addition to video games and gossips about other peeps in the office. Of course nowadays morning news are invariably about the crashing of the stock market and the pathetic presidential campaign (is there one that is not pathetic)? And one morning, regarding the plummeting stockmarket, the news reporter said, "you are witnessing history here." Sure, can't argue with that, but is that really a good thing? To be witnessing history? With the exception of men landing on moon, I think the rest are quite overrated. Holocaust, tsunami, earthquakes that kill hundreds and thousands of people? No, I'm good. I think I'll be happy just reading them from a history book.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

The Division of Labor

Schools of studies are devoted to the division of labor between men and women. Heck, when I was studying anthropology in college, evolutionary differences between men and women were based on the different in division of labor (mainly hunting v gathering). Last week as I was bragging to my female coworker about how great my husband is, a question popped into my head: my husband cooks, cleans, AND brings home more dough... what do I bring into this relationship. If it wasn't bad enough that I have to ask myself that question, it took me a week to come up with an answer -- he brings all the serious and important things into the relationship, I bring the entertainment.

Allow me to elaborate:- I introduced him to food outside of burgers and spaghetti (my poor mid-west boys); I made him watch My Fair Lady and Sound of Music; I dragged him to Les Miserable (almost ditched him and went alone when he was complaining about $55 ticket to see Les Miserable. $55! For Les Miserable! It was a steal!) and Jersey Boys; not only do I manage the queue to our online movie rental, I've taken the liberty to pick the movies for him also (he never remembers to put movies that he likes into the queue). Hubby kindly pointed out that I've also contributed two lovely cats into the relationship... again, still falls under the entertainment umbrella!

So, I would like to think that I bring fun and joy into his life when he brings organization into mine. ;)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

When It Rains, It Pours

Alternate title for this entry: My Inability to Finish Projects That I Start

I have about oh some 10-15 different blogs. Why? You may ask. The longest one I had was when I was in San Diego. I think the blog lasted my entire duration there -- about 10 months. Then we moved to the bay area, and I was depressed during my job hunt. Then got even MORE depressed when I got the third worst job in my life and I had to stop blogging because I did not want to fill it with all negative criticisms of my imbecile coworkers. Ever since then I've tried plenty of times but was never able to make consistent entries. Every time after a few months gap, I'd have new found determination that "this time I'll have one entry a day," so I'd start another blog. So this is my nth blog... and I'm sure there will be n+1th blog, n+2th blog, so on and so forth.

Why the title? I digressed. Two days after I started this blog, with only ONE entry and NO links at all, I received an email from blogger. Evidently my pathetic one-entry blog somehow flagged their software that identifies spam blogs. Spam blogs? I know what SPAM is... make fried rice with it all the time. I get SPAM emails a lot... but gmail has a pretty good filter, a lot better than Yahoo mail if I may add, but what is a spam blog? I followed the link. Evidently a spam blog is a blog with many links, usually all link to the same place. Ugh. I guess I'd lump this into the category of: this one I'll never figure out in this life time. Perhaps it's because of my gazillion blogs under the account.... ergo the backup title: My Inability to Finish Projects that I Start.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

The Dumb

I hate dumb people. My ex used to say that (as if it's a bad thing) I have low tolerance to dumb people. Of course it was hurtful at the time, but to date he was not able to tell me WHY I need to tolerate them? Maybe he's is one of them, that would certainly explain his odd affinity towards them.

I used to think that when the end of the world came, it'd be some sort of high-tech terrorism that brought all the computers (or just the few main ones) down since we have grown to be SO dependent of computer. Just imagine -- lost of power, water, traffic signals, bank accounts "wiped cleaned," nothing that haven't already been depicted in some Hollywood video. Heck, just imaging not having your TV/Tivo for one night... or your cell phone... or internet... Scary huh? But lately I am thinking that when the end of the world came, it's brought down by the Dumb.

If nothing else, the Dumb sure likes to breed. They believe literally in the Bible about going out there and multiply. Ugh, the Bible, much like the constitution, sometimes needs to be adjusted to the, that's right, PRESENT. Resources are limited, let it be clean water, food, or habitable land. No organisms on earth are meant to breed uncontrollably. Or it could be the global warming, because the Dumb doesn't care, or believe that it's a real deal, or that "someone will fix it, I can just go on with my way of life."

The Republicans are made up of two groups of people -- the Dumb and the Rich. It is very scary the Dumb likes to breed more so than the Educated (the Educated understands the concept of OPTIMAL number of offspring, sometimes the more is not necessarily the better). And in a democratic country, that just means we are screwed. Yes, you heard me, SCREWED. The most ironic part? The Dumb doesn't even realized that they are being manipulated to vote in a way so that the Rich get richer and they never did figure out why they are struggling in the bottom rung of the society.