On the flip side

I know quite a few of you have heard me complain about certain aspects of my work, but as this project (hopefully) draws to a close, let me highlight the fun part of being on a plant in the middle of corn fields.

1. The best part, I think, of being away, is the fact that the company picks up the tab for everything. In essence, the only costs I incur this month have been on weekends only. So that should save me a bundle.

2. Another thing I liked about being on a plant site was the ability to be up close and personal to the action. Sitting in an air-conditioned room might be better for your complexion and temperament, but it's kinda exciting to be able to crawl into 20m long drums and climb about inside it. I tell myself I'm spelunking. In industrial caves. And it sometimes feels like I'm running around in a jungle gym made of stainless steel and synthetic insulation.

3. I think I learned about the operations of the equipment quite a bit faster on the job site. Being able to see what a diagrammed equipment layout is in real life was a real plus. Also, I could see how an actual control scheme worked. Which was cool, for the first 3 hours or so.

4. Finally, it was kinda fun to be able to do some workshop kinda stuff. It was the first time I drilled holes into sheet metal (for ventilation) and buffed that same metal (to smoothen out all edges). It was tiring but there's definitely a sense of accomplishment after you manage to do something you've never done in your life.

All in all, there are positive experiences to be had working out of a trailer in the middle of nowhere for 4 weeks and counting. But that's not gonna stop me from complaining some more.

2 Taurens & An Undead ...

have too much time on their hands. And you get this as a result. Based on Mahna Mahna by the Muppets.

There's f*cked up & there's F*CKED UP

Well, the week was going along so smoothly until the freakin' equipment blew up in our face. And so the true process of comissioning begins. Working against the clock with limited resources to fix someone else's f*ck up. It's a times like this that I feel so alone, being the only rep for the company here. But then I thank my lucky stars that I'm insignificant enough not to be held responsible for mistakes.

Oh well, as my mentor says, there are good problems and bad problems. Good problems are not yours and bad problems are. That was a good problem for me but a bad problem was that I dinged my camera. Yeap, MoronsVille population: ME. ARGH.

But in the end, that's not as fucked up as this ad from craigslist.

I don't know which pis more loserish, the people who completed the transaction, or the people who made fun of them.

And finally, for those who follow the Dallas Mavericks. This is a hilarious video.
Some classics from that video include:
1. Why did Cinderella get kicked off the basketball team? Cos she ran from the ball.
2. What do you call a pig who plays basketball? A ball hog.

Also, for Starcraft fans, this is awesome.

Hosed by (Mis)Reading...Again...

Or rather, by a lack of research. Although I don't know how much research could have told me that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7 DOES NOT HAVE SPEAKERS. I googled the camera and went around to a couple of review sites but did not manage to pick up that bit of information. So now when I have videos recorded, I need to play them back on a PC for sound... What a drag...

Oh well, at least for a point & shoot camera, it doesn't look half bad. But I haven't really tried to do anything with it yet. Maybe I can get a return on it... That's not too much to ask for is it?

Would You Like Cheese With That?

Justs some thought that I had this week. In reverse chronological order.
1. Word of the day - Sombong. It means aloof/arrogant in Indo. Perhaps a more colloquial translation would be "dao".

2. Getting an engineering degree from a (relatively) presitigous university: Approximately USD55,000 per year

Getting a job with said degree: Having the best starting pay (so far) amongst your buddies back home

Getting paid to clean spray nozzles as part of OJT due to OTHER PEOPLE'S INCOMPETENCE: A very WTF feeling.

Translating all the experiences I have had on the job site into my own Knowledge: Priceless. (Also awfully hard to do)

3. Travelling so often has it's drawbacks, but food is definitely not one of them. I think I've eaten Waaaaaaay more luxuriously in the last 2 weeks than I've had in the last 2 months. The joys of dining with older collegues who appreciate fine wine and food...

最近比较烦?

Before I get into the post proper, I'd just like to point out that there's such a thing as Gummi Bears overdose (you have been warned). And you know who you are, you spastic dreamer =D.

Okie, to the post proper.

最近比较烦,比较烦,比较烦,总觉得日子过得有一些极端

So I've graduated and have started working. My friends are scattered all over the world. I'm stuck (till August at least) in a hole-in-the-ground place and the work just keeps getting harder and harder. I've definitely reached a different stage of life that's radically different from the last 15 years or so. And I guess naturally, during this transition, there's bound to be some trials and tribulations. I just never figured they'd come so fast. And so frequent.

最近比较烦,比较烦,比较烦,我看那前方怎么也看不到岸

It increasingly looks like I'm gonna be the designated test-site engineer for the company. And that involves a ton of travel to different job sites when we are starting up our equipment. In the next 4 months or so, I expect to be away from home for at least 8 weeks, or more, depending on how smooth a start-up goes. 8 weeks out in 4 months means that I can probably find someone to sublet my house for summer... That's a very depressing thought. Not only will I not see the comforts of home, but that kind of schedule just f*cks up your social life. Trust me, no one ever builds a ehtanol plant on the hip side of town. In fact, I'd be surprised if an ethanol plant was ever built NEAR a town... Man, travelling it this sucks.

不烦,我不烦,只有一点烦

Well at least that was how I felt. And in fact, I still do now (a little at least). But thanks to an email from a good friend, I feel better. Because no matter how bad the situation is, at least you know that you can always talk to your friends and there are people there who have worse situations than you =D. Like being called to travel to the other side of the world with only 3 weeks notice. (As opposed to 3 months). Thanks. And please don't kill me.

So I guess, in the end, this is a rather exciting transitional period. And I hope to emerge from this phase of life smarter, more well travelled and have a more complete resume. And thanks once again to all the listening ears out there. Cheers.

终于明白笑里藏刀的意识。。。

这个世界上能信谁呢？好友，家人，除此以外，其他人都得争取你的信赖。不能凭表面而说能信不信。由此是在工作方面的人。

这次不算什么大事，可是，某某人的真面目已经被漏出来了。。。

下次要谨慎一点。

P.S. 爸妈，不用担心。当我能用自己的电脑时，我会寄email给您们的。

How Unembaressing Is This?

Before you actually click the video, be forewarned that some of you might find it very OMG-ish. But if anything, I guess u have to admire their guts to be able to do something like that. No matter how small the stage nor what the setting, to do such a thing would entail a 100x critical strike on your dignity I think.

So enjoy?


P.S. I'm not gay.

The Many Faces of the Same Anime Theme...

The original.


The Action Figure version.


My current favourite, the MEGAMAN version.


The MEGAMAN version had me in stitches for quite some time. So I hope you guys enjoy the vids as well.

Appearances can be deceiving...

I'm going to show you a video of an ad. Before the ad is over, try to guess which company it's trying to promote. I'm pretty sure that unless unless you've seen it before, you'll not get it right.

Surprising eh. Even the name of the bank is misleading. When I first heard it, I thought its origins were from Asia. But it's not. (Woah, two examples of "its" and "it's")

Another thing that might be misleading is the concept that the government cares for you. Apparently, to certain government related individuals, the people who pay taxes to the government, but vote for the opposition, do not deserve the government's attention nor care. That's really f*cked up. I'd post the link, but I don't want to get tracked back. So I'll just copy and paste from the Young PAP Blog (www.youngpapblog.blogspot.com).

The self-intro:

I’m an activist in the PAP – Hougang Branch since 2002.

His point of view:

The residents in Hougang appreciate what the ruling party or the government has done all these years since independence. However, they felt that the ruling party did not show sympathy and empathy towards the feelings of the residents in Hougang. Many still bear grudges against the ruling party for its decision to relocate the farmers in Hougang/Punggol back in the 70’s/80’s. Hence, votes were given to the Workers’ Party (WP) all these years as Mr Low Thia Khiang, in their opinion, has shown that he empathized with them.

The kicker (emphasis mine):

This, to me, has to be put to an end. Politics is not a game. There is a price to pay for a decision to choose a political candidate and party. One cannot claim that he is a taxpayer and should benefit from the likes of those in a PAP constituency when he voted for the opposition. Have we taken our efficient and incorruptible system and political stability for granted? Can WP garner its own support and resources to benefit the residents of Hougang instead of whining and complaining that the government is not doing enough?

Holy shit. I'd like to say more, but that's neither here nor there. I leave to the reader to draw your own interpretation of the future of the country if people like that ever make it as a *cough*leader*cough*. I think I'd better start researching about that green card thingymajig.

影のように忍び寄り、霧のように消え失せる。。。

That damn cool quote has almost nothing to do with the post proper but I found it irresistible and had to stick it in somewhere. It came from last week's edition of Shounen Sunday and I must say, the Japanese version panders to a much different audience than the English version. For those who can afford to take a stab at the Japanese one, give it a go. It has far more variety I think.

Anyways, I'm gonna be leaving the house yet again. E.B.O.F. might travel far and wide, but I stay on a site for weeks on end. Since the plant is (finally) going to start up, I'll be heading down to (hopefully) learn as much as this college-adled mind can absorb... Cos someday, I'll have to do this stuff solo. And hopefully the notes I take now won't fade/get eaten by some random animal/get lost in a office reshuffle. But I won't be at home for the better part of next month. Just a heads up.

And finally, a big welcome back to Bleach_Deathgod, previously circa 2006. His presence invokes memories of younger, simpler times, when all you had to do was score well and try to get enough sleep while doing a project... The good old days eh. Also, if you have no time/are lazy to load your WC3, have a go at Desktop Tower Defense. It might be worth your time.

Edit - I just finished the game on Normal mode with a score of 5151. That means 39299 other people have had my score. See if you can do better.

Update

昨天，我下面谈的人已经被炒鱿鱼。真的很突然的一件事。他照样来上班可是9点就突然说声“好吧，我要去钓鱼了。大家保重。”而走了。起初我还以为他在搞笑但过后大老板寄一封email给公司，说他辞职了。

收到email之后，我想每一个新的人都有一点害怕。被开除的事实是很sobering。昨天，公司很冷。也很安静。。。

洋人和我的差别

我想先说好我不是看不起老外.单单只想highligh他们被上士司谴责的时候的反应。我想我一百年之后还是不能像他们一样。

让我先给一些background.在我公司，除了我之外，还有多一个新的化学工程士师。他和我一样，是普渡同一届的毕业生。他最近转换到我的部门，和我一起做projects.他最近的project犯了一个超大的错误，当上士叫他把公司想要bid的project的经济算术(hmm, not sure about this translation here)时，他忘了数一个equipment.如果上士没好好查他的数字的话，公司就会损失超过USD500,000.而且，他犯了错之后，就去旅行。不能联络到他。

那昨天，我们和上士开会时，上士为了这件事而大骂他一顿。他的回应是“我很了解我自己犯的错有多大。从此以后，不会有这种事发生了。“可是上士还不满而说“我相信你是不真真正了解你的错有多大。会害公司损这么大的一笔钱不是一件小事。如果你不加把竟劲的话。。。“

到了这种地步，如果被骂的人是我,我就会安静得点点头，再声说“对不起”。可是我的同事，他却说“我明白。我不会再犯这种错。”好像没什么内疚的样子。这就是洋人和我的差别吧。是好是坏，我不知道。只知道，如果是我，我不会那么有“balls"...

And a brief review of the DS-X for the interested. The DS-X is a brilliant piece of equipment that basically transforms the DS into anything you want it to be. A PDA, a game machine, a psychedelic MP3 player... Nothing is out of it's scope. And the best part is, it's just 1 piece of equipment. So no transfer is required between equipment before stuff gets onto the DS. In fact, I'm going to have a quick go at Robot Wars Taisen now. =D

Edit - Did some 改正。

More Melancholy (of Karate Ka)

This brings back memories... I never did manage to complete that game.

Early Morning Post

Because I was supposed to do this last night but was too tired...

Recently, I was asked by a supervisor a question about how gas flow changes with pressure. He just popped by my desk and said (and this is verbatim),"Process engineer extraordinaire, help me with this." I had 2 immediate reactions to that. The first was "Huh?" and the second was "Oh F*ck"... In the end, we googled that problem together and decided that DBoyle's Law (P1V1=P2V2) could be used to approximate the solution. But that sequence of events got me thinking about how far I've come in the last 6 months or so.

When I first started work, there wasn't any office space or cubicle for me. So I had to work on the conference table in the middle of my division. I also didn't have a phone, so when I needed to call people (vendors, colleagues) I had to "hijack" someone else's equipment. I was in that situation for about 3 months. In all fairness, I was given a laptop straight from the getgo. So I didn't have to deal with moving any desktop equipment. Then I was assigned my own desk in the division as spaces had opened up due to a office space re-shuffle. Shortly after that, I was given my own phone. So I could plead for help/information from colleagues/vendors at my own desk. And then, I even managed to "appropriate" an LCD screen from a colleague. So I was the only new guy with dual screens. Which is damn convenient when you want to compare spreadsheets. And now, I've been asked to help out in questions. So I guess my position is starting to get firmly established. That's kinda nice but I hope that I can still remember my stuff when I get called upon again the next time...

And now, I have a series of videos to show. The first is by someone from Muar, Malaysia (like you Bang). It's a pretty cool homemade piece of rap. Not very SFW as there's foul language (of the dialect sort).


The next video is DEFINITELY NSFW. It's by Dj Ozma, a japanese group that performed at the NHK 2007 New Year's special. Very very controversial performance. But I'm sure more than 1/2 my readers will enjoy it. In some form or another.


And finally, this is the same song, but done to an Anime theme. It was just hilarious to me. And I don't even know what anime this is either.

Enjoy.

Edit - Correct that error in Pa-jiaoness. Kudos to Ah Seng.

Before I get accused of Neglect...

Thankfully, it's the holiday/exam period for most of my readers now. So I don't think they're too pre-occupied with my lack of updates recently. But for the rest of you guys...

How much do I miss home already? Let me count the ways.

1. The family
2. The friends
3. The attempted hook-up
4. The food
5. The feeling of knowing all the jokes and local lingo

Still, I guess that not being home means that I get to enjoy cool weather 6 months a year, get to scold people in whatever dialect I choose with impunity and perhaps most important try to get into position to go home, but with an expat's pay.

Anyways, spring is finally around the corner. The day is noticeable longer now and daylight savings has kicked in. 3 weeks earlier than normal... So I have been robbed of an hour of my life 3 weeks earlier than normal. Not that I really care, since it signifies the start of nice weather (for awhile at least). Unfortunately, I am no longer living near a university campus. Hence I predict a distinct lack of females in short skirts... What a drag...

Oh well, maybe when I moved closer to downtown Chicago, I may be able to regal you, my dear readers, of my exploits. Or then again, maybe not. But all I can say is, "It's Spring Time for Hitler, and Germany!!!" Oh noes, aryanic references!!

It's Been...

Wow. A month since my last post. Well since I have to go to bed soon, I'll just say vacation was great. And I went to Atlanta, Georgia after I came back, so I really missed the brunt of the late Midwest winters. But enough talk. Pics are up. So enjoy. More commentary later.

Superbowl Afterthoughts

I was going to do a Superbowl Ad recap, but E.B.O.F. has done an admirable job already. My personal favourite was the Garmin Ultra-Man spoof. That's cos I hope to discover my Garmin holds the key to unlocking my ability to run around in Silver Tights and flash beams from somewhere near my crotch...Or not. But it was hilarious nevertheless. Anyways for the people who were not so fortunate to have been able to catch the game on TV (a far better preposition than to soak the 10+ inches of rain that fell in Miami that night), here's my recap of the game. Done Dota Style.

Manning: Okie, so this is for the nuts. -SB game. No leavers kk. GLHF all.
GAME STARTED...

About 1 second into the game...
Dungy: Vinatieri, wat u doing? Dun be so garang (brave)! No need to agro(aggressively aggravate) their special teams.
FIRST BLOOD(+50% Morale Boost)! DEVIN HESTER has just pawned the Colts Special Team for 7 points.
Dungy:... Nub (Newbie).

Apparently the Bears used that mojo they got from that kickoff return to power up their defense cos the Manning threw an interception on the very first Colts offensive series. However...

Manning: The plan is the bait them with Dallas Clark and Marvin Harrison, then when they engage us, Reggis Wayne will be sneaky and backstab their secondary.
Ball Snaps, Manning darts left and right...
WindWalk (Grants Invisibility) Activation Noise...
Bears Secondary: WTF, where did he come from?!?
Manning connects with a Wide Open Reggie Wayne to put 6 points on the board for the Colts.

For the extra point conversion,
Hunter Smith: Aiyah, I misclick. Instead of (G)ood Placement, I press (F)umble. Pai Seh (sorry) Vinatieri .
Manning:... OMG!! Potential ban...

So with the Bears leading 7-6 in the first, they attempt to run the ball (as they don't really ask that much from Grossman).

Thomas Jones: I got MoM (Grants increased speed). Just gimme the ball and watch me run.
Ball Snaps, Grossman hands Jones the ball and gets the hell out of the way. The Bear's offensive line parts a gap for Jones and then...
"OHHHHHHHH"(MoM's Activation Noise)...
Colts Linebackers & Secondary: Eh Jones, your -ms (checks movespeed) how much??!?!
Jones: -ms
Jones: 488 (fastest move speed is 512 522)

Jones would then run for 52 yards. Grossman made a 14 yard touchdown pass for another 7 points. The Bears would lead 14-6 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the momentum would start to swing towards the Colts as the Colts defense started to tighten up and the offense cranked it up to a higher gear. Vinatieri would kick a field goal and the Colts would run for another touchdown to bring the half-time score to 16-14 Colts. The half-time show of Prince was substituted for the Puppy Bowl (a television event that lasted for 3 hours) so I cannot really comment on the Artiste who has an Identity Crisis. In the third quarter, the Colts would make two more field goals, and the Bears would answer with one of their own to bring the score to 22-17 Colts into the fourth. Down 22-17, Grossman tries to play the hero...

Lovie Smith: Grossman, dun cross river alone. No need to try to hero. Sure will kenna (receive) gank (gang kill, i.e. outnumbered and killed by the enemy).

Grossman pays no heed and tries the high risk , high reward long play down the field. If the receiver catches the ball, the Bears would have gained about 30 yards and be in excellent field position to attack. Unfortunately...

Grossman: Okie, I will throw the ball down field to the right. Everyone come. We push into their territory.

Grossman's pass appears to be underthrown and the Colts secondary manages to get in between the intended receiver( Muhammad) and the ball. The result? An interception. Muhammad tries to tackle the interceptor (Hayden) out of bounds but Hayden activates his BKB (Grants immunity to most spells) and with a "KAZ MODAN!" breaks free of the tackle JUST before he steps out of bounds. The interception is returned 56 yards for a touchdown and the Colts lead 29-17. After the interception, the Bears were visibly deflated and the Colts were firmly in the driving seat.

(Allies)Manning:GG (Good Game) all.

At this point in time, the Bears get the ball back with about 10 minutes to play in the game. I have 100 dollars riding on a 29-23 final score. So I'm praying for divine intervention that the Bears can somehow score 6 more points. Alas, it was not to be. The combination of an inept Bears offense and a steady Colts offense ensure that 29-17 remained the final score. It was an exciting game in the first half and fairly entertaining for the 8 screaming guys gathered around the TV yesterday. So that ends my recap of Superbowl XLI. RM anyone?

SUPER BOWL XLI

It's SuperBowl weekend. Do you know where your 40 inch plasma Hi-Def TV is? Unfortunately, I don't. But still, nothing beats watching grown men smash themselves together over a pigskin ball together with some friends. And you guys have about 6 hours to make it so. So Just Do It.GO COLTS!

How Anal Can You Get?

Let's do a test. What does this picture remind you of?

A. A series of lights
B. An array of electronics that resemble an Adult Cartoon
C. A Bomb

If you choose A, you're probably not very familiar with American late night cartoons. If you choose B, you've probably watched the Milkshake, French Fry and Tomato Meatball (Kudos to E.B.O.F.) and uttered to yourself "WTF is up with that neighbour?" If you choose C, you've probably 1. A paranoid ignoramus who is culturally isolated from today's media 2. The Boston Attorney General. (You can probably guess which option I'd choose.)

Someone in that office apparently decided that the blinking lights were characteristic of a bomb and mobilized the entire city's police to defuse them. However, they failed to consider that said devices had adorned the city for at least a few days already and that other major cities had the same thing as well. Although in their defence, this appears to be a form of viral marketing, so not much information would have been available anyways.

And now, the AG is talking about suing the company behind Adult Swim (Turner) for restitution. That's right, I'm suing you for my stupidity (*Biatches* optional). Oh joy. The people who are supposed to serve the American public are just so atarded. It's a wonder that America is a superpower...

Totally unrelated but I WANT!! Who can resist rocket tits?