|
|
|
Thursday, May 26, 2011
[When is the bus coming?]
Recently, SBS Transit introduced a captcha code on their Iris websites. Apps that provide bus timings failed. Most people were pissed. People wrote in to ST Forum, describing it as a lose-lose situation.
I disagree.
In the first place, these apps have no business using the information. If the same thing happened in school, it would have been considered as plagiarism. The other thing is that these apps flood the Iris website with so many queries that legit users, such as myself, am unable to get the bus timings and instead got a bunch of different HTTP errors.
I think it was a brilliant move by SBS to introduce captcha code for the Iris websites. Ever since then, I have not had a single problem accessing the service, even during peak hours.
There was an article about allergies in the papers today. It says that most kids outgrow food allergies by the time they are 10-years old. But those with shellfish allergies usually don't outgrow them. Only two out of ten children do so.
I guess I could count myself lucky then. A few years ago, I realised that I was no longer allergic to shellfish. And the interesting thing is that people who are allergic to shellfish tend to also be allergic to dust mites, as both of these things have the same "trigger".
I hope I would outgrow my dust allergy one day.
But I guess I could count myself lucky for outgrowing my shellfish allergy.
^^^ by Locksley @ 8:45 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
Saturday, May 21, 2011
[The problem with batteries...]
About two years ago, I bought two packs of Duracell batteries. A pack of AA's and a pack of AAA's. I bought them because I switched to a wireless mouse and keyboard combo for my desktop and I would need batteries to power them up. All the batteries mentioned in this post are from these two packs.
Fast forward to this year.
The first time I noticed a problem was when my Arc mouse could not power up. I opened up the battery compartment and noticed a clear liquid leaking out from the bottom. There were also some blue residue on the battery contact points. I thought at the time it was due to some hardware issues so I contacted Microsoft and got a replacement mouse.
A while after that, I looked at the two packs of batteries in my drawer and realised that the cardboard backing seems to be wet. I've noticed it in the past but I did not investigate, thinking it was due to the material breaking down. When I examined it, I realised that about half of the AAA's were leaking. I tossed all of them away. Although some of them seemed fine, I did not want to take a risk with using them in my gadgets as they were covered with the leaked battery fluid and I don't know what would happen if I used them.
Fast forward again, to last night. My desktop mouse is complaining that its batteries are running out. I went and replace the AA batteries and found that it was leaking too. I have been noticing a weird mark on my mousepad for a while and now I realise it was from the leaking batteries. The mouse, while still functional (although one of the shortcut keys have been malfunctioning), was done. It was impossible to clean the mess within. Lucky for me, I had my keyboard replaced two years ago shortly after I bought the combo and when Microsoft sent me a new set then, they sent a complete set and I only returned the faulty keyboard. Hence I have an identical and brand new mouse. An instant replacement.
So, the total damage caused by these batteries - Two mice and a mousepad. And I tossed away quite a few of the unused and leaking AAA's.
I don't think I will ever buy Duracell batteries again. I'm not a battery expert, and a search on Wikipedia seems to suggest that leaking batteries is a common occurrence. But still...Too much damage caused. I will be buying my alkaline batteries from IKEA from now on. I've already bought a pack of AAA's. I haven't used them yet, but reviews from my father who used them for his cameras seem positive.
^^^ by Locksley @ 12:04 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
[Of all the pictures to use...]
I don't know why they decided to use this as a poster for Pirates 4:
This is like the kind of posters you'd expect to see for movies at Yangtze.
I saw this at Borders.
I swear I did not set this up.
^^^ by Locksley @ 12:52 AM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
[Hand of God...]
I don't understand why people of a certain age do this.
When the bus is approaching the bus-stop, they put their hands on the side of the bus and follow the bus along. They want to be the first ones up the bus, and they keep walking along with the bus and try to be at the same position where the door would be when it comes to a complete stop.
I never do that. Not really. I may move a bit but I don't play "follow the door", so to speak. So when these people keep moving with the door, they sometimes bump into me. Unlike them, I don't follow the door. Unlike the other people waiting for the bus, I don't give way to them. When these people bump into me, most of them look up at me with a surprised look on their faces.
I don't know what are they so surprised about. Is it because I did not give way? I don't owe you anything. So I'm not going to give way. What did you think was going to happen? You put your hand on the bus and expect all of us to part like the Red Sea for you?
Go fuck yourself. I hope the bus runs over your foot one day. You deserve it.
^^^ by Locksley @ 1:53 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
[Fail...]
^^^ by Locksley @ 1:52 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
[Is it me?]
I spoke to a colleague about the problems I've experienced at work. He's from my department and is my closest confidant at work. He's leaving for his Masters soon.
Anyway, after speaking to him about the problems I've experienced, I had a think-out-loud moment and questioned whether was it a problem with the company or whether there was a problem with me.
He said that the problems I've mentioned are not problems that someone would bring up to whine and complain about just for the sake of it. These are indeed problems with the organisation but there is not much we can do about it.
I'm actually coping with the work quite well. It's the problems with the system and processes that are really getting to me.
^^^ by Locksley @ 9:28 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
Friday, May 06, 2011
[Going the extra mile...]
Two days ago, I lost my Internet connection at home. My father was using it in the afternoon during a thunderstorm and after a very loud thunder-bolt, the Internet went dead.
It happened once before in the past. The service was restored without any intervention. This time, it did not. I called the Singtel Helpdesk the same night and they sent someone over yesterday. After some checks, the verdict was that the extension wiring from our main phone line into my room was fried.
They sent someone over today to get the rewiring done. At no cost. I was surprised, to say the least. Especially since the line I have in my room was not laid by them. It was laid by my uncle who was in the renovation business before he retired. Apparently, the cable he used was just an ordinary telephone cable. Not the type Singtel uses for wiring. Singtel uses a higher grade cable for wiring, which makes it more hardy against lightning strikes.
They sent over a different person to do the wiring and the person wasn't too tech-savvy. The fact that my wall-to-modem wiring runs through a UPS probably made it more complicated. Long story short, wiring was done, but he was unable to confirm that the Internet is back on because he can't figure out where the wires went in my home network.
My father was of the opinion that if the wiring was done, I will be able to sort out the connections later myself since it was my network. So he let the guy go. Shortly after, someone from Singtel called and asked that he switched on the modem, as they would be running some tests from their side.
Their tests must have failed, because three hours later, they sent over a three-person team to see what was wrong. As it turns out, I connected the modem to my router wrongly. It was disconnected when I came home yesterday and I absentmindedly connected it wrongly. Singtel could see this on their end and they sent someone over to investigate.
I am very impressed with their work antic. More so when rightfully, they should be able to see that connection has been restored (from the wall socket to the modem) and their job is actually over. But they went the extra mile to ensure that connection was restored, end to end. This was despite me telling the wiring guy that everything from router onwards will be taken care of by me (my father called when they could not figure out my network wiring).
I will write a letter of compliment to their customer service department when I have the time.
Tomorrow is Polling Day. It's a public holiday. Which means a day off-in-lieu!
I hope the country wakes up and realises the shit-hole we are in right now. And come tomorrow, we will be able to do something about it.
Saying sorry doesn't make it okay.
5th May 2011 marks the third anniversary of the day I started working.
So much has happened in the three years, both in my work and my personal life.
I am coping well with work, but getting more and more frustrated everyday. I took stock of what I was doing and realised that I've faced unexpected issues in every one of my projects and assignments so far. Nothing ever went smoothly.
This company is so operational in nature that the mindset of the company is to fire-fight. After the fire is put out, everyone is so exhausted and no one investigates the cause of the fire. So the fire comes back, and everyone fire-fights, and the cycle repeats.
I am considering bringing forward my exit strategy.
^^^ by Locksley @ 11:40 PM.
1 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
Sunday, May 01, 2011
[Same old brand new you...]
It's all the same. Only the words have changed. In some cases, even the words are the same.
The same tactics have been used so far. They are pushing the same agenda. Playing on the same fears. Dangling the same carrots.
Enough.
This is not the same country I dreamed about growing up in when I was younger. I am a stranger in my own land. I work hard, but don't get to enjoy life. Why is the pursuit of GDP growth the utmost and most important thing in our lives?
There should be more to life than this.
I don't know know if the others can do any better.
I just have to.
^^^ by Locksley @ 5:35 PM.
0 comments.
[Read Comments]
[Post Comments]
|
RSS
|
|
