Ron's Blog

Doggy Connection...

2009-08-21T10:38:00.001+08:00

It is really annoying... connection has been pretty fcuked the last couple of days here in Hong Kong... for the Netvigator users anyway...

It is not until now, do I realise how spoiled we are to bve acustomed to 'broadband' internet speed. When I first for hold of my 56k modem, I needed to call my buddies and exclaimed, "Fcuking 5kb/sec download, DIU LA SING!!!! Fcuk your 2400 la!!!".

At that time... there arent too many websites of interest to visit...

Now... even a mobile phone can do 100kb/sec easy... (if you have the money to pay for the 3G data plan).

Water Drops - Behind the Shot

2009-08-14T12:59:00.004+08:00

Nice and simple setup, maybe I should give this a try.. :D

Original post is here.

Re : Speaking Up

2009-08-07T17:09:00.003+08:00

This is in response to my sister's lastest blog.

Wow.... bitchslapping for a piece of discounted garment... fxcken economy is really bad in the States I guess...

Truth to be told, I always thought I was one of those untouchables. Cross me and I will run all over you. Then, I found out that I was just talk, as I have found myself backing down when facing with rudeness / possiblities of physical violence. I used to get shellshock.

One exception was when I was in Shanghai. Went partying with my colleagues and one of the girls got slam drunk, flat-lined..... we have to tow her away to send her home. While we were taking her out, some weasel looking half drunk Shanghainese dirtbag trolling next to me and say, "You going to have fun tonight!! She is all drunk!!".

Say it once, I would have just let it go, but he chosed to buzz me like a bloody annoying fly. As a annoying fly, he should be "SPLAT"ed. Once we got outside the bar, I let my other colleagues to take care of the girl and turned to splat the fly. It wasn't much of a fight, since I came on him too fast fand hard, and it was all over before he even hit the ground.

Then it was speech time in my crappy putonghua.

Thinking back, if I was not partially toxicated, I prolly wouldn't have hit him. I will prolly tried to tell him off first, then our friends will join for a verbal combat and curse throwing. It will all be finished with both side walking away thinking how nicely and manly we have handle the other side.

Although, after the few months of muay thai training, things definitely look and feel different now. It has to do with having the experience of actually getting punched and kicked. Seriously valuable, since now, I know how to protect myself and then giving me the choice of running and retaliating.

Speaking of that, I miss my lessons. I really should get back to the ring for more regular training.

iPhone (con't, but there is no first part... LOL)

2009-08-05T09:35:00.007+08:00

For the last 2 weeks, this new toy has not stop amazing me. This is not an easy task by any means.

The ease at which it links many day-to-day miscellaneous tasks together into a seamless experience is truly what it shines over all other mobile phones and PDAs I have ever used. (There were many, many, MANY of those...)

Much like a Mac computer, it does everything that others do but in a better more convenient and innovative way.

But that's not to say Apple is perfect. As now, I am living in this Apple world (together with the MBP and the iPhone, I am constantly in contact with either one of them while I am awake), I am starting to notice Apple can be just as 霸x道 as Microsoft.

The App Store. Without cracking your iPhone (a.k.a. jailbreaking), this is prolly the only way one can install any software into the iPhone. At first, it may look like a safety gateway to ensure no crappy or malicious software are installed into the iPhone, great protection, you say?

Hell no. It is to protect the provocative over the capability of iPhone. The iPhone is essentially a mini-computer which happens to have the function of a mobile phone. The true limit of this gadget is still being explored and there are many more bright minds out there than in Apple that can come up with better and more innovative software, more efficient codes that continue to push the limit of the iPhone.

The Calendar function is a good example of this Apple provocative. The information is nicely sync with Calendar in MBR, and exchanger server (or similar), like Google calendar. However, the calendar database is inaccessible by other software. Meaning, software like Agendus (Palm and Windows Mobile) lost 50% of its capability, rendering it next to useless.

Reading many forums on the internet from fellow Mac / iPhone users, you will find that they are much more forgiving over this kind of dictatorship compared to Microsoft. Explanation : Hatred takes time to build up? Hahaha....

Still, I am still totally into the iPhone... already spend a lot on accessories, protective cases and screen protectors...

It is as stable as they claim it is...

2009-07-07T09:58:00.002+08:00

After about a week of testing, I have only crashed my new Macbook once and that was like 30 minute into my re-found Life of Mac User.

How I managed that? By connecting online thru LAN wire and wifi at the same time, and tried to download 13 updates file ranging from 300k to 125MB all at once.

Other then that, it has been flawless.

And it bundles with a lot of really nice software as well / function as well. Expose and Spaces is my favorite, not only it is usefulness, it is also a blatantly obvious example of how much more powerful / efficient the Mac OS is compared to good old XP.

Yes, fuck Vista.

Working with 4 different desktops seamlessly is not even in the Dream List of XP User. They don't even know it is remotely possible. Yet to try it with 9, but I know I will loose track...

Tell you the truth... apart from the immaculate finishes, this is one thing that helped me to do the Switch of Faith. So far, the only regret is why the hell I didn't get one 10 months ago.

The Opening

2009-06-29T01:37:00.001+08:00

Testing from MarsEdit

2009-06-26T01:01:00.001+08:00

Wonder if this is going to work...

Back to Apple after what..... 15 years...?

2009-06-25T11:16:00.002+08:00

My first Apple was a PowerMac. It received as much cheers as with boos from my friends. They have been teasing me for the last 15 years about what a piece of crap that was... well, they have obviously forgotten how it was The Machine that did the System Engineering assignment for our little group.

Anyway. After 15 years, I got myself a Mac again. This time, a notebook. Macbook Pro.

Just opening the packaging is already enough to send thrills down my spine. The packaging is minimalistic and ooze details to be admired. (I actually took photos of The Opening, I saw many Mac fanatics did that and thought it will be funny to look back later.)

Now, I am searching for programs for it. It seems a lot are open source, aka free.

Photos to come (here or facebook).

A modern sickness.. bought to you by the Information Age

2009-06-24T16:35:00.003+08:00

First, there is Facebook...

Then, there are blogs...

Then, there is Twitters... (now this is some real weird shit... people actually update this every hour or so... and to make things weirder, there are followers to these random bits and pieces of someone else's life...)

I have all these.. but the only thing I really use is Facebook. It is the simplest tool to stay connected with friends. I only play with Twitters when I am shitting, yes.. whenever you see a new Twitter update of me, chances are I am shitting my pants off. Way to go, Smartphones.

Back to FB, I know I have said it so many times... but it is such a wonderful tool to keep in touch with your friends without trying.

People are strange now... afraid to make make contact... even a call.. yet, it does not mean they don't care about other people... We will still check on photos of new born babies of high school friends that had lost all contact ever since the last day of school...

It is more than just being 八掛. This is a new modern sickness brought to us by the new digital world.

We don't have time to talk with our friends and families, yet we are interested in someone else's ranting half way around the world. We never bother to call, yet we spend hours flipping thru old photos of a friend that you have not talked to for the last 15 years.

Random Babblings about my sister

2009-03-06T09:23:00.005+08:00

I feel the urge to babble , so I shall.

Today, I found myself thinking about my sister all the way in NY and genuinely worried about her. First, it would be her safety. Small girl, big city. A city in the one of the most hated country in the world (to a significant portion of the world's population, especially after the economical festival they have brought down to Planet Earth). She keeps those of us in Hong Kong very regular report and she calls everyday or my parent calls her. It is obvious that my parents worried about her much much more than me, compared to the time I was stationed in Shanghai. We only contact every 2-3-4 days, only when we feel the need to chat. No, I am not jealous, not at the very least. Physical bulkness has its benefit.

I never seem to worry about her mental stability, not after her breakup with her first boyfriend. She seems to have developed into an equivalent of Superman-ess in the way she handles people and her emotion. Pray that she will never meet her Kryptonite. I asked myself, what if she does? My first reaction is what every big brother will do. Eradication, dull spoon, pain and punishment are the first words that came into my mind, in my poor English vocabulary. Being brought up watching repetitious Hong Kong triad movies, I have many imagination on how to hire people to hurt people. I still hold grudges within me about the guy that hurt my sister when they broke up. I don't even recall his name, as he was in my sister's life when I was already working in Hong Kong. I THINK I have met him once or twice, but I have no recollection. No matter. I remembered once I expressed my brotherly anger about him in front of my sister. She didn't take it very well and said something along the lines that I shouldn't comment on her relationship. Knowing myself, my expression are usually an amplified version of what's in my mind so I accept her response. That's all a long time ago.

She seems to be totally enjoying herself, even amidst of her recent breakup extremely well. I just hope it is not superficial to keep us from worrying about her.

She got herself a small apartment in East Village (where is not on the map?). She sounds very excited being on her own in her own little place / heaven, which I am sure will eventually become a garbage dump. My sister has no talent and patience in cleaning her own den.

D700

2009-02-02T01:12:00.003+08:00

The decision didn't take long, didn't torture myself too long to get this new toy.

Only took about 20-odd photos so far, both day and night... So far, it exceeds every bit of my expectation.

I didn't expect I will be getting a new camera that soon. I always look at them as just a black box. The key being what's attached at the front, and most importantly, who is behind it.

So far, it handles low light situations as good as the reviews are claiming it to be... And being full frame, it brings back the truth specs of all my old lenses.

More testing and photos to come.

Gong Hey Fat Choy!!!

2009-01-30T10:27:00.003+08:00

Time really flies... another year has gone... shit comes and goes...

The highlight of CNY this year has to be my sister's surprise trip back to HK. It took a bit of planning, including me living on the street the night before to fake a 2-day business trip.

It wasn't a event-packed CNY though... just taking it easy... apart from the drinking, that is... The stomach cramp is still killing me...

I dont like my shit to be commented...

2008-12-03T10:04:00.003+08:00

This is getting on my nerve... Everything.... from regular reports to meeting minutes, everything I do, I am getting it commented and amended.

Granted, if i miss something or made an error, thank you for the fix. I suck at doing minutes, that's why I had assistants before.

Correcting me for file format, adding bits and pieces of useless elaborations and giving me that shit face of "You f--k up again" is not something I can handle too well.

Rickrolled!!

2008-11-29T09:22:00.002+08:00

Rickrolling on a national scale!!

For those that who doesn't know the meaning of "rickrolling".

Bush: All Americans can be proud

2008-11-06T14:26:00.002+08:00

Just shut da fuck up, will ya?

...
...
...

Just go back to your ranch and disappear from Planet Earth. Bang a goat, dig some oil, no one cares anymore.

2008-10-15T16:27:00.000+08:00

New game. To be tested.

Typhoon this coming Sunday?!

2008-10-02T17:45:00.003+08:00

Are they serious?! What I can say is that the weather guy is REALLY looking for a free holiday.... Did he just think joining the dots that way will make the typhoon come running?!

Look look see see lor...

27092008002

2008-10-02T11:36:00.002+08:00

Flickr

2008-09-30T14:49:00.001+08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Nokia E71

2008-09-29T14:45:00.003+08:00

It is all Bee's fault. He was the one that babble on how good it is... and worst... let me played with it and compared to my ugly company Blackberry. F__k you, Bee!!

So far, it seems to be a good machine... with plenty of power packed in that slim body.

Nokia seems to be doing the network connection part much better than other fashion phone makers... namely Sony E. (yes.. after all these years, i still have not figured out how to spell "ericsson"?"

Mobile MSN is working perfectly... although it drains the battery really quickly... Push mail is working fun with the free service provided by Nokia (for now).

More to come...

駒歌 by 好戲量

2008-09-17T10:23:00.004+08:00

Watched it last night. It is ok... Nothing spectacular, but not bad.

Like a few of FMTP's performances, this one has the same structural problem...

The plot was not very strong and quite obvious from the start. No problem with that, as long as the main part is solidly thought out and executed, which in this case, a little bit lacking...

The branches from the main story are confusing as well.

The director seems to take full advantage of the real life couples within group and have them perform the more intimate scenes. Pretty convenient... but these are just kids, nevertheless... not 100% appropriate...

After seeing their many performances, I start seeing the limitation of the actors / actresses acting style and expression, which limited the kind of roles they can play in different performances...

I am not full of criticism, not at all. Otherwise, I wont be continuously watching their performances.

Eric's Wedding

2008-09-16T11:04:00.000+08:00

Just back from Shanghai for Eric's wedding.

Didnt take too many pics.. since I was concentrating in getting drunk with my ex-colleagues.

:D

Karaoke with Mum and Dad

2008-09-08T17:52:00.002+08:00

Apparently, they have never been to a karaoke place in Hong Kong, same with Auntie and Uncle 3.

So, Rico and I took them to Neway CEO at Causeway Bay, for the buffet and singing!

They loved it!!! Claiming the food is better than 妹記 @ 美孚. I totally agreed as 妹記 was REALLY fucked... to the point that I don't even want to talk about it....

Photos

Another T8 is on the way...

2008-08-21T15:49:00.003+08:00

It looks like another free holiday coming its way....

2008-08-12T10:59:00.003+08:00

P-S-P, short for Phantasy Star Portable, came out too early for me to completely squeeze the last bit of fun out of GBU.

I read a great deal about it before it was on the market, with people anticipating it to be similar in game play compared to MHP2G, in the Wifi multi-player point of view anyway.

I didn't get the game as soon as it was out, since I was still submerged in GBU. Not only when it was out of stock, I decided that I will skip the latter part of the GBU, as it lacks new spices, with plenty of grinding to follow.

Spent a few days on P-S-P already, and as I pick up the game play / interface, it is getting more fun, yet I can already foresee it no multi-player games, my interest in it will run out, unlikely MHP2G.

Look look see see lor...

T8 - Nice Day Off!!

2008-08-07T15:51:00.003+08:00

It is really nice to have a mid-week holiday to spend with family. Thanks for the vacuuming of the city by the Almighty. The air definitely took a better turn.

Gundam Battle Universe

2008-08-04T17:05:00.005+08:00

This is the 3rd (or 4th) of the series. It is kind of addictive and bring backsome childhood memories...

Some grinding needed, which I most likely wont bother to go thru the whole way... A good game to play while travelling on MTRs, mini-buses and planes.

Mummy 3

2008-08-01T15:08:00.003+08:00

Genuinely disappointing.

I am especially annoyed at the language used in various parts of of the movie.

While I understand that the conversation between the characters have to be in English and shouldn't be asking why they people from thousands of years apart in two different part of the world can communicate. It is a movie!!

Michelle Yeoh casted the spell on the Emperor in a gibberish language, I am fine with that... it is suppose to be an extreme old dialogue..... then why would she be casting the final spell in English? Subtitles works fine.

And the female actress-what-her-name is a serious let-down compared to Rachel Weisz...

It is too hot here...

2008-07-30T14:39:00.003+08:00

it is really getting too hot...

i still remember in the 'old days', summer temperature of 33-34 are absolutely maximum...

now, it is not uncommon for temperature to hit high 30s... and in condensed area with high traffic, temperature soared to 40+... that is literally life-threatening... esp coupled with the high humidity...

the hotter it gets, the harder people push their air-conditioner, giving out even more heat... that's a deadly vicious cycle... and why the fxxk do shopping malls have their a/c setting at freezing?!

Red Cliff

2008-07-26T10:57:00.004+08:00

It is better than I expected, and quite a bit better than Andy Lau's...

I really look forward to the second half of the movie... then getting the whole thing on DVD and rewatch it in one time... much like the 9 hour Lord of the Rings marathon that I once did...

Back from a 4-day trip

2008-07-26T10:46:00.002+08:00

Hong Kong - Shanghai - Suzhou - Nanjing - Shanghai - Hong Kong

In the span of 4 days.... so yea.. that was a lot of traveling...

Plenty of meetings, all were just design institutes bragging about how good they are which they are really are not, in most cases anyway...

And they finally gave me a Blackberry yesterday... is it going to be the cursed toy that I have always think it will be?! Time will tell...

i will like shit...

2008-07-17T15:13:00.001+08:00

2 days in a row...

too much chivas...

got to sober up or i will burn to death...

out.

Hancock

2008-07-04T10:47:00.006+08:00

Went to see Hancock last night @ The Grand.

A great movie, although it is a little bit short in time... only like 1 hour and 40min...

Who ever said people with superpowers has to be like Superman and join the Justice league?

The twist is really nice though... gave a kind of mortality to an immortal. I won't spoil it for anyone.

好x熱...

2008-07-03T09:12:00.004+08:00

I am not complaining... not after the spells of raining (aka dogs and cats and whatever that fell for 3 consecutive weeks)

但係真係好义熱... 由巴士站走到寫字樓... 5分鐘都唔使巳經好濕X晒.....

Muhammad Ali

2008-07-02T12:37:00.002+08:00

So funny... so provoking... so arrogant...

Guess if you are the best in the world, you can brag about it...

"Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wild Life. "

"I am the astronaut of boxing. Joe Louis and Dempsey were just jet pilots. I'm in a world of my own."

"I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was."

"I figure I'll be champ for about ten years and then I'll let my brother take over - like the Kennedys down in Washington."

"I'm not the greatest; I'm the double greatest. Not only do I knock 'em out, I pick the round. "

"If they can make penicillin out of mouldy bread, they can sure make something out of you."

"If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize."

"It's hard to be humble, when you're as great as I am. "

斷片簡記

2008-07-02T11:16:00.001+08:00

清洒
+啤洒
+威士記
-----------
斷片

Spain 1 vs Germany 0

2008-06-30T10:11:00.002+08:00

Euro 2008 Final. Spain vs Germany.

The game was a whole let better than I expected... I was seriously looking forward to another final match that is boring with the 2 teams playing defensively and pray for luck at the penalty shoot out...

No, it was far from that... Spain started with a defensive play style but just 10min into the game, they sensed the German team wasn't playing their best game, they slowly took control of the game and played more offensively.

Torres scored the only goal in the game, a reward that he deserved for playing with SO much heart.

German team never looked to be the winner... towards the closing minutes of the game, you can actually sensed their helplessness, they don't want to give up, but their offense just can't connect the dots and made a real attempt to score... it sort of felt like they wanted Spain to scored another goal so that they can admit to the defeat with confirmation.

Anyway... the 2am-wake-up-and-watch-the-game lifestyle came to an end with the victory of Spain. The next event will be the Beijing Olympics. This is going to be tough... since the games are going to take place during the day...

Maybe I will subscribe to nowTV cellphone broadcast plans....

Spain 3 vs Russia 0

2008-06-27T10:34:00.002+08:00

Well, what a game...

Russia was nothing I expected... played no where near half as good as they did against the Netherlands... they never get the passing rhythm going... the mid range shooting that gave the Netherlands so much pressure never materialize...

As a matter of fact, they never had a shot-on-goal until the 88th minutes, and that was a pretty sucky effort, too...

The 2 yound Spain forward werent doing that great either... Villa was supposedly injured... no idea how he got hurt... Torres missed quite a few opportunities... the subbing-on of Fàbregas really made a difference... 2 of the goals were his assist...

All in all, an exciting game... would have been a lot better if Russia played their "Netherland-game".

Germany 3 vs Turkey 2

2008-06-26T10:39:00.003+08:00

First of all, I have to say I am fxxken tired... Stayed up watching the game last night... begging and praying that there will be no overtime... Don't get me wrong, it was a good game... but even with overtime, the game finished at nearly at 4:30am...

And I have to say, the broadcast was terrible... we lost more than half of the 2nd half because the signal was lost... the broadcast was left with the few local commentators giving their own lame version of what they think happened... strategies that I bet the team manager never made up...

Worst of all, the 3rd and 4th goal was never seen as they took place when the signal was out... It was worst than listening to radio...

Turkey played much much better than we all anticipated... kudos to the team, they lost but they did their best. The German team wasn't playing their standard but their players had a lot more depth and experience... and were able to convert the few chances they had...

Tonight, Spain vs Russia... going to be another exciting game... hopefully!! :D

What 512MB Ram can do to your computer...

2008-06-25T14:59:00.001+08:00

It is minimal... but for the on-loan machine that I have been using for the last month with only 512MB Ram.. the increase was 100%.... and the speed gain is... phenomenal...

Also the spell check addon on Firefox is also wonderful... I wouldn't know how to spell "phenomenal" in a million years...

Typhoon 風神

2008-06-25T14:31:00.002+08:00

Came so fast, and gone so fast.

What a perfect name for it!! 風中之神聶風 ...

It gave Hong Kong a morning of rest, chaos, and a good flush of the air pollution... Hong Kong is indeed a 福地...

This typhoon killed many people when it flew past the Philippines...

Been a while....

2008-02-13T23:53:00.003+08:00

My blog writing habit comes and goes... i really admire people that make this their everyday habit...

I worked up the urge to write once in a while... then eventually found that I am not the type of person that craves to share everything with everyone...

I have been hopping from blog sites to blog sites... last appearance was on Yahoo... and MSN Space before that. I found too many unwanted person read my MSN blog... then switched to Yahoo before I even bother to fiddle with the security settings... I was going to try out blogger / blogspot.. but they were blocked in China...

Now that I am in HK... so I play around here again... wonder if how long this urge of mine will last this time round.

Cheers!

The New & Improved Zedi

2007-06-07T10:04:00.001+08:00

Hahaha... sounds like a new washing powder...

Loot from Maiden of Virtue

2007-06-07T09:37:00.000+08:00

I have not been raiding as hard as I used to... mainly due to the reason that I wanted more balance in my life... The previous raiding schedule is very demanding... taking a lot off my personal life...

Last night, we didn't get enough people to raid Gruul's Lair, so we head Karazhan instead... Due to the fact that we are much better equipped than before and clear most of Kara already... AND the fact that it has been some how nurfed after the last patch, the flights are a lot easier.

In the time that it takes us to do 2 bosses, we did 4... and that was the time I signed off... the raid kept going... god knows until when....

Anyway, when we downed Maiden, 2 epics dropped. The bracer is mine to take as I was the only pally there. As with the duper mace, I think it is the first time it dropped for our guild. My guidies deferred this mace to me, namely BFL and Noobie since they already have something better than mine and not as good as this loot.

Thx to BFL and Noobie. They are really team player.

I guess I have to raid a little bit more to repay their generosity.

At The Top Of The World...

2007-06-06T16:47:00.000+08:00

In the middle of a huge metropolitan city was a skyscraper where at the top was a bar. At the end of a particularly hard day at work Jim went up to the bar to let go the stresses of that day. When he got there, there was already a man sitting at the bar drinking a particularly vile looking drink. This strange man said "watch this" and proceeded to walk over to one of the large windows lining the wall. He then picked up a chair and smashed out the window and stepped out.

He started falling toward the ground turning end over end and right before he hit the ground he stopped and proceeded to drift up. He floated back up through the window and went back over to the bar.

Jim looked at the bartender and said "I'll have what he's having!"

After a few rounds of the drink, Jim stumbled over to the window and fell out. He fell all the way to the ground and landed with a loud SMACK.

The bartender turns to the mysterious man and says "Superman, you're such a jerk when you're drunk!"

To be or not to be...

2007-06-05T09:59:00.000+08:00

this is such a hassle... right after my last post, i lost connection to blogger.com for a day... was it a temporary service break down? was it the internet censorship? what the fxxk was that...

anyway.. been very tired lately, i dont think i have the energy to babble too long here...

i will keep coming in everyday just to check if everything is ok...

deliberate move away from microsoft and yahoo

2007-05-31T21:54:00.000+08:00

for reason unknown, i have decided to move another step away from microsoft and yahoo... made a few changes to my everyday internet habit...

i decided to use Firefox instead of IE... i still remember the day i embrace IE for Navigator (that was like 10 years ago...) but so far Firefox has been stable, more powerful and convenient than IE... and it has tabs!!! /wave IE.

then i decided to move my blog once again (third time within the last couple of months)... i had been using MSN Spaces for 2-3 years... then moved to Xanga a few months back... but after a few days, the site was blocked by the chinese government... then i decided to move the page to yahoo... it isn't bad... but not 100% to my liking...

Well well well...

2007-05-30T18:44:00.000+08:00

They seems to be taken the block away... now wondering if I want to move my blog to here... :D

Sigh

2005-02-18T05:21:00.000+08:00

I can post thru blogger.com but it seems the reading site, blogspot.com is blocked from China....

Oh well....

First Post in Blogger.com

2005-02-18T05:15:00.000+08:00

Wonder if this is more user friendly than MSN Spaces...