Cliff Hanging

Introducing the IPAD

So all this hype last week when steve jobs announced the IPAD. (hint, you can find out this stuff long before public knows if you keep an eye on the patent office site)

The tablet isn't something new. Around 5 years ago ago Microsoft tried to push the tablet PC into the market with bill gates visioning a tablet PC for every student in school. The problem was it was way too heavy, bulky and pricey. it didnt catch up. compared to laptops only a very few tablets are sold. still tablet PCs are in production getting more lighter and cheaper but still not catching up.

Then there is WACOM. they produce graphics tablets with their most famous is the graphire and the bamboo series lately. however their market is a very niche market. famous amoung designers and the advertising industry. wacom is very successful. brand wise, if you're a designer. a wacom IS the tool to have.

The new ipad is very sleek. much better than bill gates version. however. I personally see this isnt going to catch the market. somehow i feel this early release is a way of trying to put the ipad on the iphone hype before it dies down. before the iphone was released, Steve Balmer bitched alot about how the iphone was going to be a flop. but it wasnt a flop. it was in a way, it can't compete with the business level smart phones. rather it ended up being used my middle level employees for entertainment.

in one way Ipad would be a direct competitor for the netbook and low end laptops. it's around the same price, same specs and its APPLE. just it doesn't have a keyboard. soon enough apple will introduce a keyboard for this (or make the ipad keyboard compatible) is they haven't already

In a nutshell the ipad isnt going to be something you will see people use when they're on the move. not in the train, or while walking around the city. its too ....big. rather will see ppl use it at places like starbucks as laptops. why??? because ideally people dont want to share content that is personal to them. iphones are good for this coz the screen is small enough to watch by yourself in public without someone peeping over.

books have been around way too long to be replaced the way steve jobs prophecizes. they watch very personalized content over the internet. so they'll want to see it with with some level of privacy, which the iphone is better at

as i walked into the gym this morning, i came into a room full of unpleasent chatter, by 2 women (cleaning staff) yapping away about their ....well whatever it is, coz they dont speak or understand english anyway.

I looked at them. one fat lady was seated on the bench of the bench press (where usually when working out where our head goes, its her butt instead), leaning against the bar with some 30kg of plates on it. never did she realize if this bar slipped off those pegs due to her weight she's going to get seriously hurt.

I ignored them and got to my usually routine. starting with some warm ups and moving to the butterfly machine. their yapping was seriously breaking my concentration. i glared at them and told them to hush. they did for a moment but within a couple of minutes they were yapping again. they dont realize. working out needs some concentration. i upped the volume in my ipod, that helped abit.

so these are some of the few instances you get really pissed off at MMU staff. not for NOT doing their job (they dont do it quite often) but for getting in the way of doing my daily routine. there's been so many other instances, you could probably write a whole blog full of them. for instance every trimester the the staff in the finance department dont update payements made. these are not small payements. usually they are payements of 5000rm plus, even when told they still dont update. these people are getting paid their salaries through our hard earned money. and this is how they behave.

staff in mmu, well most universities and goverment institutes consists mostly of malays. they are known as bumi putra's and are given their jobs in a platter. they dont have to work for it. its just like a gift. as a result they act as if they're in a winter wanderland during work, doing whatever they want, coming and going whatever time they like

staff cant communicate with internationals due to their lack of english. and are very ignorant of what a university is. there have been many times they themselves break the rules. also they have double standards with locals and internationals.

seriously this is an utter joke for the service sector. who would have known such a pretigous unverisity of high standards had such things happening.

Feng Sui

Came across this mail which offered a free Feng Shui report for 2010 for me. While i don't really believe in all this horoscope stuff, since I don't really know much about Feng Shui I thought i'll try it out. this is the report I got

Chapter 6. Activate Ameen's Wealth

Introduction

As someone with natal Sun in Libra, you are resourceful and intuitive when it comes to making money. In order for you to lead a lifestyle of privilege and opulence, you can implement some sensitizing cures. Try implementing these cures in the far left corner of every one of your rooms. Keep in mind that the more attractive these areas are, the easier it will be for you to build wealth. You can use these cures in your home, office, or both. Try the cure that resonates most with you, and then slowly implement others as your wealth begins to grow. Before you know it, you'll be sitting on a sizable nest egg.

Color

The color pink is sure to draw wealth to you like a magnet. Use it on the walls, upholstery, curtains, or rug. Alternately, you can choose artwork with lots of pink in it. If this color is too feminine for you, try pastel colors like powder blue, buttercup yellow, and sea green in your Wealth sectors.

Texture/Material

Smooth surfaces can increase your financial prospects. A polished hardwood floor or glossy tiles can improve your financial prospects, as can firm carpets, satiny damask upholstery, or brocade curtains.

Scents

Floral scents are a powerful way to activate your wealth sector. Candles, essential oils, and potpourri are all good ways to introduce a pleasing scent into your home. Choose aromas like rose, honeysuckle, or lily of the valley, but only use these fragrances if they are pleasing to you.

Sound

Gospel or folk music can activate your Wealth sector; if your income is stagnant; try playing songs that feature plenty of blended voices. Alternately, you can ring a bell four times in far left corner of your Wealth Sector to increase your income. This cure works especially well when your financial prospects grow stale; repeat this ritual every day for a month, beginning with the New Moon.

Flowers

Marigolds are ideal for activating your Wealth sector. Keep a vase filled with these bright blooms whenever conditions permit. Pink flowers can also increase your income.

Semiprecious stones

Placing four pieces of clear quartz in the far left corner of your home is a wonderful way to attract wealth; keep these stones in a beautiful pewter dish or bowl, where they will always attract your attention.

Images

Photos of sociable groups can dramatically increase your income. Display any such images in metal frames at eye level. Artwork depicting romance, partnership, and any of the fine arts can also activate your Wealth sector. Circular and oval frames can increase your ability to earn and accumulate money.

Handcrafted Items

Whether you sew, sculpt, paint, or make collages, it's a good idea to place examples of your handiwork in your Wealth sector. It doesn't matter whether you're an amateur or a professional; handmade items that you enjoyed making deserve a place of prominence in the far left corner of your home. The more beautifully your work is displayed, the greater your wealth will be

So apparently this is something of a combination of astrology and interior design that would make me rich. that's great. I'd like to try out some of these. Since am having some plans or decorating my room (or moving to a new apartment altogether).

But honestly why the goal be getting rich??? just because of wealth, it doesn't guarantee happiness. True all the rich and famous do look VERY happy. but believe me they have allot of problems that are sometimes more complicated than normal people. just that because their wealthy, healthy, happy lifestyle image would ensure their fans stick to them, they HAVE TO portray a image of success and happiness.

Being a designer is a curse sometimes. you get used to all this eye candy and eventually allot of lovely things in life don't impress you anymore, if they have even a small flaw you loose interest. Seldom I come across one of those designs where I'd go WOW and end up staring at it all day. Today was such a day when i came across one of Singapore's tourism sub-sites, made to attract tourists this spring.

click here to view site

besides the leng lui in the lovely cheong sam, I still cant get over the beauty and attention to detail of this site, color matching and the natural feeling is very well excecuted. tho the only attraction factor is the main flash and the interactivity, but combined with the simple navigation this is one of those sites that reminds you not to get too comfortable thinking you're one of the best designers, there's a long way to go. being a designer is the next best thing to being god. creating something out of nothing is truly a wonderful feeling.

There's an eternal debate between web developer-designers and graphic designer-web designers that either websites should be a work of art, marketing tool or a business tool. is it too much to ask for all 3. Lately website are taking the form of advertising posters and magazine cover style design with allot of high quality photography and less text as possible. I like this trend. this is what the web is suppose to be. rice, fast, interactive media. thats simple to use and you can sit back and enjoy. not some boring long para's of too small text which makes you lean over the monitor screen to read

Below is what used to be one of the most awed web designs by a company called FUBON, all their designs were works of art (but poor navigation) really inspired me to focus on the quality of design rather than letting yourself get pressured by clients and bosses.

Later the company was bought over and their new designs didn't meet the target as their predecessors. Makes you wonder if greedy businessmen out there don't feel the passion in such design and just focus on money. There's a big difference when you made something with love compared to when you make something for money.

Just saw the trailer of the upcoming karate kid movie staring jaden smith (will smith jr) and jackie chan. I'm really looking forward to this movie, one reason coz these 2 guys are one of my fav actors. since i saw jaden's acting in pursuit for happyness, i've really luved this lil guy. and who'd imagine the next karate kid would be black lol. well black is the new white these days.

Other is coz its no longer only karate. the fighting in this movie is all chinese martial arts which is very broad and diverse. ranging from armed to unarmed, Northern to southern, hard and soft styles.

and it shows some of the challenges of starting over in a new country thats culture is different to yours, which i've experienced too. If there was a movie that could touch your heart this could be it

Cute pic huh. All about living in diversity :)

So i finished the last of my exams last week. it was a breeze as usual expecting more As and hoping to keep my 3.9

WHAT NOW?

it aint over yet. i need to focus on the thesis. hope to finish the thesis within the next 3 months. but you really cant be sure how these things go. some people get stuck with their thesis for years. i dun want to be one of them. so here's somethings i'd like to do. some can all can do but doubt if at the same time.

one option is to go on an internship through aiesec. like many of the internationals, since you dont have classes anymore you can do your thesis while you're back home. ORRRR in any other country for that matter. so yea going on an internship is a good option. would like to go on a TT or MT. Prefer countries in asia pacific, but countries where you can get along with just english. my choices would be hongkong, thailand and singapore.

looking employment would be my priority. have some interviews arranged in the next couple of weeks. if i dun get malaysia, would be more than happy to check out singapore. actually finding employment isn't an issue. its picking the best offer with the right work culture and people thats hard. either way i'll be definitely hitting singapore more often for longer periods to focus on pushing our business venture forward. if this succeeds job hunting wont be needed lol

Was actually thinking about moving to KL since i came here. last week some friends of mine were telling the KL apartment rates and its pretty much the same rates (sometimes cheaper) than in cyberia.

lastly i want to go back visit lil serendib. they say there's no place like home. will be going. but not for too long. just to touch base with family. malaysia has become my home too.

Ken Block Gymkhana 2

Ken Block is prolly the best Rally car driver in the world. with last years new Scooby hatch for his Gymkhana series 2nd time around. This guy's drifting precision is really something to watch. God i miss driving around colombo early sunday mornings. wheel in one hand bottle of juice in the other!!

no long blog about what i achieved last year??? (i achieved some stuff but thats another whole blog) but here's somethings i've learned which i thought i'd share with you.

as you get older you realize even tho you take up more serious responsibilities, you seem more carefree. how come?? remember you used to really look up to some people when you were little. maybe it was your uncle or your older cousin. guess what, now you're one of those people. you're in their shoes. but things aren't that herculean if you know how to get things done.

its important to commit to continuous improvement of your daily life. there are alot of things in our daily lives we do ...inefficiently. there's always a way it can be done better. to save more time and effort. so constantly look out for ways to improve the quality and efficiency of your life.

So here's some ways i've learned and experimented to keep this stressful life stress free, chilled out and streamlined as much as possible. your mood is one of the most important things. your daily performance will depend alot on your mood so keep your mood intact

sleep less, but take breaks before you get tired.

i sleep like 5 to 6 hours a night. but during the day i would take 1 to 2 cat naps. this helps me work longer without getting tired.

wake up early morning

I'm still working on this. I used to be a morning person when i was working back home. but now with classes late in the evening its not easy. So instead I head to the gym in the morning 3 times a week. that's becoming a daily thing. Find a good reason to wake up early.

work out

like above. working out is not only good for physical fitness but it has emotional benefits too. Every time i wanted to beat the shit outa someone or tell someone off (thanks to some lazy front office person or poor service).. i would let out that steam in the gym. Swimming is good too if you got access to a pool.

play good music

this is a no brainer. play some good upbeat music in the mornings as you start off your day in high gear. when traveling, when doing pretty much anything. but only motivating music, not those sad songs (why are all malay songs sad songs btw??) or songs with dramatic lyrics about complicated relationship problems. buying that ipod i always have on my ears is one of the best things i bought.

spend less time on facebook

This is quite hard and i'm still working on it trying to limit the times i go on facebook a day. but if you didnt realize, facebook takes up alot of time. I'm trying to make it just twice a day. in the morning and in the night. Same goes with email.

Get a bike

before i had a car back home, i used to ride a bike. what i realized is i'd spend less time stuck in traffic as compared to when having a car. of course there are some things you cant do of other things as having compared to having a car, like taking more than 1 person or moving taking a lot of stuff. getting stuck when it rains. Anyway saving time or not. riding is much fun compared to driving.

just a few. more coming soon.

Usually when I'm doing my design work, I listen to music. Most of the time its some jazz. Something to sooth the mind, you need proper music to get those creative juices flowing. None of those pop, rock hip hop stuff work for this kinda thing (unless you're designing some grudge of abstract stuff). More often I listen to music by Yanni. I've loved this guys music since he performed at the acropolis back in 1994. This guys music has been on my playlists since then.

If you don't know Yanni. You need to get enlightened. He's a world famous composer from greece, who has live performances with a very diverse modern orchestra of around 50 to 100 really talented musicians from all over the world. Each of his performances are at a historic landmark. besides the acropolis he's performed at the Taj Mahal and the forbidden city.

His music is instrumental and very new age, combining allot of modern and traditional instruments. In my opinion all kinds of music will come and go. but this guys music is timeless and will be played long after his time.

For around 5 years Yanni took a break due to personal problems, he didn't touch a keyboard. unable to balance his passion in music with his personal life. Now he's back with a whole new line of music. this time with voices (but i prefer his previous songs more)

What's ironic is i've never been to a Yanni concert. Now he's back doing a world tour. Its still not confirmed if he'll be touching anywhere in asia. Lets get Yanni to perform in Malaysia, if not at least in Singapore

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Lets talk about God

this happens every darn time.

someone takes a part of islam and mis-uses it, makes fun of it or distorts it.
all the muslim men in listens to the sermon on friday prayer about this and gets all fired up
they react through protests or violence without thinking about the consequences or the image of islam.
The so called civilized world calls this terrorism

This is the pattern. muslims are provoked to react when they feel their religion is being attacked or manipulated. which happens quite often.

Some instances

there were Danish drawings of the prophet with explosives on his turban. of course you get drawings and jokes about christians too. but those are drawn by christians themselves
When George bush started talking abt 'islams axis of evil'. (what does that moron know about islam??)
Even pope bendict made some very provocative statements about the prophet, Islam and jihad in one of his 1st speeches after becoming pope

Many of these are quite deliberate. to enrage muslims

even tho not so religious. and tho i feel its alright for everyone regardless of religion to use the word Allah, It would create confusion. The perception to christians of god compared to the perception of god by muslims is different. as for christians lord=god=father is same and their lord that has son. In islam tho god doesn't have a gender (so we don't refer to as 'he' or 'father') and god doesn't have a son.

We can debate on this for ages. the bottom line is people feel strongly about their faith. In every religion peace and tolerance are highly valued traits. So it boils down to when we are in emotional situations like this, are you going to give in on pulse emotions like anger and act upon them. or take a step back and remind yourself about the values your faith holds high.

Think in this situation what would prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have done. would he have organized violent protests?

I don't think so