Life For Rent

Guys, an ex army colleague of mine has a dog that is up for adoption. He just sent me pictures but I can’t put them up now cause I am in the office.

From the pictures it looks like a rottweiler, like Diesel, the dog I had. Male, 4 months old. If you do have the intention to adopt or know anyone who is capable of taking care of dogs, do drop me a note and I’ll refer you accordingly. For those reading this on my blog, I will try and put up the pictures on live journal and provide the link when I am home. In case I forget, do remind me please.

Cheers.

Good Thursday morning. Well actually it seems to be nearing lunch and all. Feels like a Monday, first day at work after a vacation and all.

Loads of stuff and emails to look through, and my colleague broke some not so good news to us. Change, I guess, is inevitable but whoever enjoys being treated like a soccer ball. One way to become a soccer ball is to become too expensive. A golf ball as one guy hitting it. A soccer ball has 22 men after its ass kicking it around, each with a different role. Some want the ball (strikers) while others want the ball as far away as possible (goal keeper/defenders).

Oh well we shall see how things go. Must plan my carrer on the fly you know. Don’t wait for something to happen and then start panicking and planning.

How did the trip go? It went very well indeed. Yes we escaped the mother of mine all the way. I knew that we’ll see her during airport transfer cause we would be on the same transfer. But all the way through airport immigration, to the departure gate, in the plane, through BKK’s arrival hall and immigration, we escaped them all.

Pathumwan Princess is a great place to be at. Right smack next to MBK and National Stadium BTS (skytrain), it costs more than the more common hotels like Baiyoke. However, service is immaculate. The rooms are fantastic. The cocktails are the bar are WOW. Security was tight (i love it for the last thing I want is a bomb to go off in my hotel lobby). And of course, they prepared the surprise I had planned pretty well. I am impressed. Very impressed. Definitely recommended and certified by me to be a choice for travelers.

The ‘not so good areas’ are it’s breakfast and the shower. For breakfast.. they didn’t have hash browns! It is a SIN not to have hash browns with your bacon and cheese omelette or scrambled eggs, ham, sausages and all. I don’t like grilled potatos in the morning. I want hash browns! As for the shower, the temperature tends to be erractic. If you take a shower during ‘peak’ times, the temperature varies according to the number of people using the water system at that time. When everyone showers at the same time, water pressure drops and so does the temperature. So you turn up the heat a litle. And then suddenly a gush of very hot water gushes down. I have done at least 5 leaps away from the water each time I shower so it is quite bad. *shrug*

We watched more shows than we thought we would. From the go-go (naughty boy) show at Patpong, an artistic stage performance of how Thailand first came about with the Chinese and Malay immigrants, to the drag shows at Calyptso. Paid quite a hefty amount for the shows but the costumes was pretty much a ‘WOW’. The difference between shows there and back home are galaxies apart.

The one regret is that after being in the city for 5 days, there wasn’t any chance to try out their Tom Yum Gong. In fact we had everything from KFC to sashimi but tom yum. We did have the chicken rice at Patpong though. I gotta say the chicken is very tender (did they massage the chicken before they killed it?) and the simple mixture of chilli and garlic combined with the meat and rice is inseperable. I didn’t expect a lot out of the city, but it was the time spent with my hubs that I was looking forward to, and that I’ve got. Hope the hubs enjoyed graduating from a child to an adult right smack in Bangkok with me…

For those traveling to the country, or any country, I feel that I have the duty to remind everyone about scams. Everyone knows the saying “If it is too good to be true, it usually is.” But trust me, you’ll tend to forget all that while traveling, whether due to greed, or just grabbing the chance at a good bargain, it is very likely that a tourist unfamiliar with all these will fall for the trick.’

In Bangkok, there are gem scams that date as far back as the 1950s. A simple google about Thai gem scams will reveal them all. I won’t go into details since you can read them all for yourself and you’ll be amazed at how similar the stories are. How they were approached, till the end when they discovered the scam. You’ll think you’re too smart to fall for this trick? I can bet with you, that a lot of people have been cheated at least once and they learn their lesson at a price. A small price hopefully. Some never learn their lesson. Remember what do these con-sters work on. Greed. Unfamiliarity. Whether it is gems or shark’s fin, NEVER ever listen to what people on the streets tell you.

For gem stones, here’s some info:

- Tiffany & Co / Taka / Lee Hwa Jewellery DO NOT buy stones/rings from people. ie, you cannot buy something and then hope to sell it there at a profit.
- Gems are NOT for investment, unlike gold or diamonds. Period. You DO NOT buy gems as an investment, contratry to what anyone tells you. Yes, blue sapphire are the rarest and valued the most as compared to the same weight and cut as the other stones, but they are not going to bring you any value if you sell them, especially if they were treated.
- Thailand is not known for its gems. It is known for their GEM SCAMS. The locals are not very aware of it for it is seldom publicised despite it going on for years. In Singapore, a shop at Lucky Plaza cheats a tourist and the next thing you know, CASE blacklists the shop and the whole country hears about it. But that’s not how things are done in Thailand.

A typical gem scam is not really a scam or a con job per se. You do get REAL gems, but they will be overpriced. Since the stones are not fake, it is not a crimminal activity. The tourist just got a big rip off and there is nothing the police can do other than refer you back to the shop to ask for a refund. So you do get real stones/rings and all, but they will not be valued as high as what they make it out to be, no matter what they say.

Tourists get conned all the time, even back here in Singapore except that laws are strict here so no one dares to mess around with CASE even. My mom was once cheated into buying shark’s fin at a good price many years ago, but when she soaked them she found a lot of fakes within the bundle the bought.

It is all about being unfamiliar with the product as tourists. We do not work in the industry and we will never really know for sure if things are real or fake. Gold, gems, shark’s fin etc.

Golden rules are:

- Do NOT stop and listen to anyone on the streets. Just keep walking and avoid eye contact.
- If in doubt, check with the tourist police or your hotel. Better still, drop the whole idea, no matter how good it sounds.
- Remember, if it is too good to be true, it usually is. If you are a tourist in another country, chances are, it ALWAYS is too good to be true.

I go on and on about this because I feel after all these scammers have done, the incidents are not made known enough. As tourists, one is unfamiliar with the country and their people. Sure after being cheated you’ll be very aware of such things, but must you really be cheated to learn? We should help one another when it comes to this. Info sharing and all. For example, in the case of gem scams, 2bangkok has done a great job. (URL www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml)

If there were more sites like these, and tourists make the effort to do some research before traveling, I believe scam incidents will fall. Spread the word!

Remember, if you are unfamiliar to the product, it is extremely easy to rip you off. If you do not know the price of a computer and I sold you one at 10 thousand dollars, telling you that such items can easily fetch double the price back home due to the new technology, would you buy it?

It is very simple actually. If it is for real, why do they need you? They’ll do it themselves. Why would I sell you a technology when I can do it myself and earn the money. It could be a new technology indeed, but a stupid and of no value. Eg, waterproof toilet paper?

So when you travel, or when you are back home even, be on your guard. There is no free lunch at all. Even if there is, what are the odds of you being the first? If no one else seems to be doing it, why should you be the first? Especially when you come from a country that is known for copying other people… we have no lack of such talents here.

Nigeria scams, Thai gem scams, scams scams scams. They are like terrorists really.

Like the Thai scams, whether one of them actually tries to con you right in front of the 4 faced Buddha. So don’t be fooled even if it is an American ‘tourist’ who tells you it is a good buy. If terrorists can use the name of their god to do their shit work, so can anyone else.

There’ll be karma yet. But you don’t have to be at the receiving end as a victim.

Right smack in the holding area now waiting for boarding..

My mom is on the same flight.. Will we NEVER meet? I HOPE SO!!!!

We have taken every evasive action that we can so far..

Managed to try popeye chicken at the airport. As what Ceddy said.. Aint as good as I thought. Small.Cold. Overpriced..

Grrrr..

Ok I have to get back to hiding from ‘them.. wish me luck!! See ya all soon. For those of you who asked for soveniors, just to give you a heads up I will be bringing back used condoms for all of you.Pls call me when I am back to get it..!!!

Cheers babez…

Went back to the specialist today..

Wait hang on. It was an MO consultation. He had to refer me to his ‘upper study’, a registrar. Very young looking indeed. Things weren’t as much as I hoped but heck. It will have to suffice. I guess I shall just have the ‘i have the best of both worlds’ mentality.

Heading to bangkok tomorrow! Finally! Can’t wait. My mom has sneakily got onto the same flight. But I aint gonna allow her to spoil my little honeymoon, and it will be a cold day in hell before she thinks she can get what she wants.

I may sound mean, but for those who really know my mom, I aint mean at all. My dear knows her well enough..

So have fun all of you. Shall get loads of pictures which I will place on my dear’s blog when we are back. See ya all in a week’s time!

How bleak is the world’s forecast? According to top scientists, this is how it goes:

March 12, 2007
Asians among hardest hit by global warming: Panel
Millions in Asia and Africa will be affected by flooding, water shortages and disease

WASHINGTON – ASIAN countries may take the hardest knocks as the world gets warmer.
Millions worldwide could be hit by floods. Others will face severe water shortages, and polar bears may be found only in zoos.

All that may come to pass within the lifetimes of today’s youth and that of their children, a leaked copy of the second international report on the impact of climate change said.

Top scientists will warn next month at a meeting in Belgium that hundreds of millions of people will face water shortages, while tens of millions of people will be flooded out of their homes each year as the earth reels from rising temperatures and sea levels.

Portions of a draft of the international scientific report, obtained by The Associated Press, said food will be plentiful for a time because of the longer growing season in northern regions.

But by 2080, hundreds of millions of people could face starvation, the draft report said.

Tropical diseases such as malaria will spread. By 2050, polar bears will mostly be found in zoos, their habitats gone. Pests such as fire ants will thrive.

The draft document by the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focuses on global warming’s effects and is the second in a series of four being issued this year.

Written and reviewed by more than 1,000 scientists from dozens of countries, it must still be edited by government officials. But some scientists said the overall message is not likely to change when it is issued next month in Brussels.

The report is considered by some scientists as the ‘emotional heart’ of climate change research.

‘This is the story. This is the whole play. This is how it is going to affect people. The science is one thing. This is how it affects me, you and the person next door,’ said University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver.

The hardest-hit continents are likely to be Africa and Asia, with major harm also coming to small islands and some aspects of ecosystems near the Poles. North America, Europe and Australia are predicted to suffer the fewest of the harmful effects.

‘In most parts of the world and most segments of populations, lifestyles are likely to change as a result of climate change,’ the draft report said.

The report offers some hope if countries slow and then reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but it notes that what is happening now is not encouraging.

‘Changes in climate are now affecting physical and biological systems on every continent,’ the report says.

Global warming soon will ‘affect everyone’s life…it is the poor sectors that will be most affected,’ said Ms Romero Lankao of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, one of the many co-authors of the new report.

Co-author Terry Root of Stanford University added: ‘We truly are standing at the edge of mass extinction.’

—

How climate change will hit our daily lives

ISLANDS THREATENED: The hardest-hit continents are likely to be Africa and Asia, with major harm also coming to small islands and some aspects of ecosystems near the Poles. North America, Europe and Australia are predicted to suffer the fewest of the harmful effects.

WATER RUNS DRY: By 2050, more than one billion people in Asia could face water shortages. By 2080, water shortages could threaten 1.1 billion to 3.2 billion people. Hundreds of millions of Africans and tens of millions of Latin Americans who now have water will be short of it in less than 20 years.

FOOD SUPPLIES HIT: At first, more food will be grown. For example, soya bean and rice yields in Latin America will increase. Areas outside the tropics will see longer growing seasons. But by 2080, 200 million to 600 million people could be left hungry as temperatures rise.

POOR HIT BY DISEASE: Death rates for the world’s poor from global warming-related illnesses such as malnutrition and diarrhoea will rise by 2030.

Cases of malaria and dengue fever, as well as illnesses from eating contaminated shellfish, are likely to increase too.

ANIMALS AT RISK: Polar bears in the wild and other animals will be pushed to extinction.

—

For those with kids/intending to have kids, it is a slap in the face knowing what could happen when you are no longer around.

A person may be lucky once, twice, thrice. But he’ll never be lucky forever.

Over the weekend, daylight saving changes took effect. This time round it came earlier than before so computer systems all need to be patched accordingly, failure of which the times will be 1 hour off. Aint you lucky we’re in Singapore and are not affected directly by all these?

The DST affects cellphones all the way to computer systems, of which the latter basically covers everything cause at the end of any technology is a computer system. People turn up for meetings late (a norm), but at the computer end, if the time is off by an hour the implications can be great. In terms of security, our logs will no longer co-relate as everything is not synchronised. When we look at audit trails we need to co-relate the timestamps and it is hard when everything is off. In a network, systems will fail to access files and the domain controller as it will not allow hosts to connect to it if the computer time is off by more than 5 minutes.

And if it bothers you, yahoo mail was reported to be down for a while.

So there you go again. I could go on and on and list everything but it shows how reliant we are on our computers. Mother nature does not need to introduce a new virus or a biochemical war with us. She simply needs to do this every now and then that causes chaos everywhere and IT people to be recalled back to the office.

But the good news is the DST should be ironed out soon enough. Worst case scenario is people being locked out of their offices for an hour cause the door access is 1hr late and will not let anyone in. Computer viruses and malware however, have been spreading and a new malware has been noted to be attached to compromised websites. Which means, you surf onto a website that was compromised, the malware runs on your station. You don’t really need to do anything else. I simply cannot stress the importance of having a reliable and updated anti virus program running. This new malware is reported to have keylogger capabilities. Which means it records whatever you type on your keyboard and sends it back to the owner of the malware.

Better not surf naughty sites for now. You may be watched more than you think.

Careless me..

I realised this morning after a futile search that I must have dropped my wallet outside my house last night. Totally frustrating indeed especially since you have everything in it. So after calling up the credit card companies and blocking all the cards, I made my way to the police station with my dear. I was quite certain the documents will come back to me eventually, but when? My ATM card, my door pass, my insurance medical card, EZ link card.. ID, Driver’s license.. etc. All these are always used and I no longer have them! The time taken to replace them is.. suffice to say.. daunting.

But I made my way to the police station anyway, half hoping everything would have been found and I’d have to perhaps, find my way to the particular police station that has my wallet. The other half my mind was planning what I had to do next. I had transfered money from my account to my dear’s, so we could go to the ATM after making a report to draw money (I have no more ATM card rememebr?). Then take a cab down to the nearest MRT station near my workplace, get a new EZ Link card, and I have to sort out the replacement of my door access pass.

I planned all these, but never had to carry them out, for the fortunate unfortunate me, as I was making my report, an old man walked in and said he found a wallet. The encik of the police station called out a name, probably from the IC found in there. The name is very familiar indeed (cause few pronounce my full name correctly). IT IS MINE!

Wow. The man said he found it on the way home last night but didn’t know if the police station was open at night. I noticed he has a blue NRIC so he is probably a PR. In my surprise and all, I thanked him profusely but forgot to check his address and name from the details he left behind with the officer. I know that if I call now for it, they will never release the info. I’d love to send them a hamper or something..

But you know what, I think the greatest joy comes from knowing you have helped someone in the flesh. I haven’t had the chance to return a lost item personally yet. I have never found mobile phones, mp3 players etc on the bus and all, but I have found IDs, passes and all and passed them to the driver. I do reckon if I find mobile phones I’ll probably wait for the owner to ring back. And yeah I’ll return it back to the owner as long as (s)he can verify ownership of it. Good deeds and karma aside, price of finding a wallet? A few dollars maybe. Price of returning it back to the owner and seeing that look of relief knowing you’ve helped someone big time? Priceless.

I’m not sure if I’ll recognise the guy with his grandson/granddaughter in his arms. He took the trouble to walk all the way to the police station though. He must be living near me somewhere for him to have walked pass my place and then being able to walk to the station, just as I did. But I’m very thankful kind hearted people still exist. It actually gives me a little hope that we’re not all beyond hope.

Einstein could be turning in his grave as we speak. Something that is said to be unbreakable has been broken.

I am talking about the speed of light. It has been assumed for eons that it is the fastest ‘thing’ ever possible. But one has to remember, it was once thought that the speed of sound was unbreakable. An aircraft travelling at that speed will be shattered into pieces. But it has been proven that sound isn’t the fastest, nor will an aircraft crumble under its own speed.

Boffins broke the speed of light barrier in a lab under controlled conditions. While he maintained that it is not done to challenge Einstein’s theories, it does make me wonder, what has technology done to us?

I ask this because in this rapidly changing world, do we lead technology, or is technology leading us instead? Will we be at the mercy of technology?

Have you heard of the biometric passport? Of course you have. In light of 911, the US of A has this biometric passport with data in a microchip that is ‘secure’.

However the whole process is flawed. A person requesting a new biometric passport has it sent to his place. The delivery man does not verify identity and anyone can accept the passport on behalf of the person. Thousands of passports have gone missing this way. More disturbingly, the passport is wrapped in an envelope that screams “Inside me is a passport!”. Well, it is basically a normal and white envelope but certain traits of it reveals what it contains inside.

So ‘someone’ has possession of it now. Using computer systems, the entire content of the passport was downloaded within 4 hours. This means the security features was compromised (thanks to technology. In this case, RFID). The microchip security feature was hacked (the hackers had unlimited time and number of tries to crack the passcode till it was broken into), and the contents all downloaded into the computer. The envelope was never opened, and no one will ever know the data inside has been compromised. Wow. I am impressed indeed.

A long time ago, the traditional passport had no such features, and if you wanted to see what was inside you had to open the envelope. And evidence would have been left behind that the package was tempered with. Today, with biometric and microchip embedded passports, you don’t need to open anything. You just need physical possession of the package.

Are we making things more insecure by trying to make things secure? Are we going against nature it seems? My take is, the more technological features there are, the easier it is to compromise it. The worst of it all in my opinion is, people have a false sense of security. You’ll think “Hey I have a secure passport, I need not worry!”.

Not only is that untrue, but your guard is down against something that is MORE insecure that its ‘ancestor’. Hence this leads back to my question. Are we going to be at the mercy of technology?

I think we already are.

My manager (head of dept) commented that I am prolly the only guy in entire building of 60 over floors to have ‘personal’ things on my table. Namely, my lil stuff toys. *L* I do agree most men only have work stuff on their table.

I aint no ‘most men’ nor am I a regular cancerian, so people say. You’ll probably not want to mess with this crab, let alone attempt to eat it.

But I don’t think I am the only weirdo yeh? My ‘big boss’, COO of Asia, is a dutch from the bank HQ. She whistles! Yes. SHE. You can hear her whistling away as she walks past you. You can hear her whistling in her room every now and then too. I see men whistle but I have never seen a lady whistle as she walks. Neither have I seen one that whistles sitting. Heck I haven’t seen women who whistle!

Been having a fabulous time remixing and editing mp3s for my mobile phone as ringtones! Let’s see what I’ve got:

- Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (remix)
- No Reason (exclusive track)
- Get Right – J Lo Remix
- I like It (Narcotic Thrust original)
- SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE (Remix)

Woooo hooo I love since you’ve been gone. Never fails to get me up jumping all over to this one.

Back to the phone!