Monthly Archive for June, 2008

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Spreading Firefox 3

Published on June 10, 2008 in Usual Ramblings. 5 Comments

In just under a month, Firefox users will witness yet another improved version of the browser that has been taking the Internet world by storm (well to me at least). With the inital plan of just popping over to the Firefox website to see what’s good a couple of weeks back, I stumbled upon a page noting that the people behind the revolutionary software are planning to release the third edition promising more than 14,000 improvements.

Download Day - English

In a bid to celebrate this milestone, they have organised a Download Day 2008 event allowing fellow Firefox users to download the new browser and hopefully set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours. So as an avid Firefox user, I guess it is not surprising that I have pledged myself to download once it is ready around end June.

For you Firefox enthusiasts, pop over to their website, pledge and make another Internet history. Goooo Firefox!!

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Onward energy efficiency

Published on June 9, 2008 in Usual Ramblings. 4 Comments

Call it a occupational hazard if you will but I guess having once worked in a ministry dealing with the environment (and water resources..hint hint) and educating the public on saving our mother earth, such beliefs do rub off on me one way or another . Even now after having left the ministry to pursue a similar occupation in yet another agency, I do find myself acting a little more environmentally-friendly. Such actions include bringing my own cup for my daily caffeine fix, printing four pages in a sheet of paper and recycling non-confidential documents (~pats own back~)

Back to the subject proper, I know I was supposed to write about this a few days back during World Environment Day but I didn’t get that darn thing installed until Saturday. In a bid to support my ex-colleagues efforts in energy efficiency, my parents and I installed two ceiling fans with lights in their room and mine to go easy on our air-conditioning consumption.

While selecting the type of bulbs our ceiling fan should use last week, I kept reminding everyone that we should choose the energy efficient ones not only to save our environment also a dip in our energy bills. Talk about a win-win situation here.

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Left: My fan with just three lights on | Right: The energy efficient bulb

I am not go into deals nor go all tree-hugging hippie on you but if you have the time, go check out some energy efficient tips that households can adopt to right here. Heck, if you have time, go watch An Inconvenient Truth. Let’s say you and the future generations (including your kids) will be seriously affected if everyone chooses not to act to save the environment.

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Happy 2nd anniversary

Published on June 8, 2008 in This I like and Usual Ramblings. 4 Comments

Today marks the second year of my blogging interest and I am proud to say that it is still going on strong. Much thanks to Sam again for getting me into blogging and of course other friends like Brudder Walter, Vantan, Ivan and many others for helping me understand about the world of Web 2.0. I must admit that my blog can’t go on without the encouragement through constant comments from friends like KP, KC, Len, my dear sister Fel, etc. Most importantly, to Lyn (my boo) for actually being bothered to visit my blog let alone understanding why I chose to publicly bitch about my life.

To avoid sounding like a freaking Oscar winning speech, allow me to give you folks a low down on what I did to improve the ‘ol jBlog. As much as my blog may look pretty much the same, I have upgraded my WordPress software to 2.5.1 and a compatible theme under the name of K2-RC6. WordPress to me is like the best blogging software out there (although I am sure there are many others who disagree) and the highly customisable K2 theme with its rotating banner is one design I feel all WordPress users should at least give a go (oh by the way, I am trying to get the rotating banner to work).

Also adding to my list of enhancements is a slew of plugins especially on commenting in particular to allow my readers and friends to join me as I continue to bitch about the ongoings in my life and those around me. Much thanks to an article by a certain John TP on the type of plugins that can potentially boost comments in blogs. After encountering some widget problems and resulting in server issues, I have removed just about everything not related to WordPress and slowly adding them back in…this may take a while.

I have also added a new contact me form with Captcha functions after receiving endless spams from those pesky spiders asking me if I either want to enhance my manhood or breast (yeah I know), boost my female pleasuring performance or pick up a new designer bag which I freaking don’t need. Of course in my temporal bid to prevent such incoming spam in my email, I added my contact form emails to my spam list only to find out that it caused me to miss a number of genuine contacts including Xavier’s girlfriend on wanting to find out more about Taiwan. Sorry man…my bad on that.

Not to rest on my laurels (not that I have one anyway), I am still looking for more ways to improve my blog, readership, comments and allowing visitors a truly unique experience when chilling at the jBlog (oh crap..I am beginning to write like my organisation’s press releases). So hey, if you folks have any ideas, just drop me a line. Meanwhile, let me go enjoy my second blogging anniversary. Woohoo!!

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Gotta Beat LA

Published on June 7, 2008 in This I like and Usual Ramblings. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Its true that I am not exactly a Boston Celtics fan, but eversince seeing them play during this year’s NBA Playoffs, let’s say I am rooting for them this time round. As dream finals go, I guess one can’t ask for a better rivalry than the ‘ol Boston Celtics and LA Lakers.

Coming back to reality, although I am on Celtics’ side, I can’t for sure claim victory in their name. Heck, I am even not sure that they will take the championship trophy home. The Lakers are not exactly a team you would want to turn your back on…not even for a second. So until the final buzzer sounds…Gooooo CELTICS!!

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One of the many “Gotta Beat LA” T-shirt given out during Game 1 – Image shamelessly taken from Yahoo! Sports

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Pizza and beer

Published on June 6, 2008 in Usual Ramblings. 10 Comments Tags: , , .

About a couple of days back, my colleagues and I popped over to Greenwood Avenue’s very own Pepperoni Pizzeria for lunch in our bid to welcome our lovely colleague, Sharon into our department. Our order for the day apart from the usual calamari and salad is this huge 21 inch 2-in-one type pizza – the Prosciutto Crudo di Parma & Suprema pizza.

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Left: 21 incher | Right: After we are done…

For a person who loves pizza, I must admit that I have never seen anything that big before ever (well apart from the usual world record breakers we see on TV on a lazy Sunday afternoon). As good lunch meals go, we ended our indulgence by sharing a few dishes of Tiramisu & Panna Cotta to satisfy our sweet cravings. It is one of those afternoons you wish you wouldn’t have to go back to work. Hey..did I mention we had beer too?

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Left and Right: Our desserts

My colleague Chantel has more of our wonderful lunch session here.

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Party on the Hippo

Published on June 5, 2008 in Usual Ramblings. 6 Comments

Lyn (my boo) and I were invited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of O BAR and 8th anniversary dbl O about a few weeks back all thanks to our old friends and the wonderful staff of Emerald Hill. For a couple who have not partied for a while, Lyn and I quickly agreed to the invitation for old time sake. To us, O BAR in particular was special to us..that was where we first met.

For the first time in anniversary history, the party planners rented a Hippo Bus, jazzed it up a little, load it with alcohol, fill it with party poppers and invited about 40 of us to tour around town in celebration. With that, we boarded the bus, got a little wasted and partied around town and getting alot of attention.

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Left: Heading into Orchard Road… | Right:…and passing Wisma Atria

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Left: Still in Orchard | Right: Drunk’ish cam whores making use of the opportunity

As first experiences go, Lyn and I did have a great time. It isn’t everyday we can ride the hippo bus with tonnes of alcohol and 38 other completely sloshed and loud party goers with one thing in mind..to have a good time. Making its round from Unity Street, we headed past Patterson Road, Orchard Road, Dhoby Ghaut, Funan area and then back to the club taking a good 40 mins or so.

After alighting, we headed back to the club and enjoyed free flow of just about anything till 11pm with our old friends and the management. Its really nice to know the management still remembers and treats us with a very warm reception considering that we have not partied there for about a good year or so. Thanks to their hospitality (especially when I was a freelance photographer in their club about a few years back), we will be returning pretty soon. Its good to be loved… ;)

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Left and right: The party bus

Wished my sister Fel could join us though, she too was invited. But there is always another year :P


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Shark friendly at Resorts World

Published on June 1, 2008 in Usual Ramblings. 8 Comments

I know this issue is already old news considering that the media published it about a good four days ago but hey…this is still something for me and other shark loving friends like Brudder Walter and my sister Fel to rejoice about.

Resorts World at Sentosa drops shark’s fin from menus – taken from Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE: Growing affluence is fuelling demand for a popular Asian delicacy – shark’s fin.

According to a recent survey carried out by Singapore’s Environment Council and US-based conservation group Wild-Aid, 70 million sharks are killed each year to meet the demand for shark’s fin, resulting in a reduction in the number of sharks by as much as 90 percent over the last 20 years.

However, the popularity of shark’s fin soup among customers often means that most restaurants cannot afford to drop the dish from their menus.

Louis Ng, executive director, Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES), said: “In the past, if you didn’t serve shark’s fin at your wedding dinner, others would term you as cheapskate.”

To support conservation efforts, one of Singapore’s upcoming integrated resorts – Resorts World at Sentosa – said it would not be offering shark’s fin on its menu when it opens in 2010. It does not, however, rule out exceptions.

Krist Boo, Resorts World at Sentosa, said: “In the private gaming rooms, if a high roller asks for shark’s fin, we will serve it and that’s a business decision.”

Together with its move to keep shark’s fin off its menus, the resort has also launched a Marine Life Fund as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.

It has set aside some US$70,000 (SGD$100,000) for 2008 and 2009 to fund research and conservation efforts, and up to US$700,000 a year when the resort opens in 2010.

A quarter of the fund will be reserved for school projects with a marine conservation theme.

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