In-car antics...

I've been toying with the idea of installing a 'carputer' (In-car computer) for in-car entertainment purposes and mainly for the g33k factor. Which turns the car into a working office if need be... quite unlikely but I need some form of justification of this exercise... :)

Anyways, this morning I saw something that got me thinking that most people use the car for purposes other than a mode of transport. Take for instance this young lady driving a nice black BMW... who decided it was appropriate to use her car as a bathroom at the lights... no... she wasn't relieving herself, but rather using her vanity mirror to check the contents of her armpit region... ick! Self-grooming at the lights... I was tempted to wind down my window and stare to make her self-conscious and embarrassed, but I thought better seeing in her position I wouldn't know where to turn if someone was looking at me in such a situation...

Just one of the many amusing things I see going to and from work... :)

Find rest in...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 NIV

Scwheeeeeet!

Came across this from PRK's live journal blog, and thought it was good fun... Above is my attempt at creating a character that is kinda like me... by that I mean that I do wear my cap backwards at times, and my glasses look like that, and I grow stubble on the weekends... other than that... it bears no other resemblence to me... :)

Oh and the site is at Create-A-Character... enjoy!

Marketing Strategies...

My cousin sent me this link to Google Video, titled 'Microsoft iPod' and it's pretty hilarious. More importantly it highlights the differences in Microsoft's and Apple's marketing strategies where Apple has taken the minimalistic approach to their marketing of slowly building up their brand in the marketplace through having a well designed product, and simple elements to their marketing, whereas Microsoft is more about hyping up the product prior to the launch and wowing the masses with information overload about their new product.

Well worth a look... :)

Two Chinese Boys...

I was sent a link to a video a few months back, of these two chinese guys lip sync-ing to the Backstreet Boys songs 'I want it that way' and 'As long as you love me' captured on webcam in their dormotory, and I came across their blog where they posted their other videos and also plans of doing other songs.

They call themselves The Dormitory Boys and they are classic!

Hot Dog no more...

Guess who's joining the Marines?
Originally uploaded by maxthedog.

Poor Max has been feeling really warm lately as we couldn't get him an appointment to the groomers before today, but tonight he's a cool little dog, and this time they even cut all the hair off his tail! (They usually leave a bit of fur, so it looks like a brush, but I think as his fur was very long this time and probably tangled, they had to shave it right off... heh)

Gosh he looks like a different dog, and he acts like another dog too... I guess I would be feeling a lot more energetic than before if I had a fur jacket on in the middle of summer and then suddenly took it off... :)

Tree... Be Gone!!!

Gum Tree in backyard...
Originally uploaded by swang.

Notice anything different? :)
Originally uploaded by swang.

Yep, after about three and a half years of plagueing our backyard with twigs, leaves and gumnuts, the large gum tree in the backyard is gone!!! Yay!

You shall no longer plague
our backyard with gumnuts!
Originally uploaded by swang.

Blissful skyline...
Originally uploaded by swang.

After a few months of writing to the neighbours, getting quotes, getting approval from the neighbours, waiting for the tree guy to come... etc. it's finally gone! The fence is going to be repaired on the weekend, then I can finally clear out the gutters, and do a nice clean up of the backyard/courtyard so that we can spend a bit more time outdoors!

Make yourself useful or I'll shove this...
Originally uploaded by swang.

Yay! More work... :) but it'll be enjoyable once it's done, and we can reclaim a bit of unused space in our backyard... Hmmm... maybe I can come up with some sob story and get Backyard Blitz to come around and make me a new backyard, and throw in a nice plasma screen somehow... (as they always do in the show... heh)

Engaged!

An Awesome Feast!
Originally uploaded by swang.

Yay! Our good friends James and Jing Man finally announced their engagement last month, and we went out last night for a wonderful dinner to celebrate! They've been going out for like forever and it's wonderful to finally take the plunge into scary marriage... Heheheh... just kidding... it's really great guys! :)

We managed to catchup with old friends who went to Med School with wifey, whom we haven't seen in ages, and some even haven't seen Hannah! It was an awesome night of celebration of the wonderful news and we stuffed ourselves silly as the hosts ordered up a banquet for the guests! (see pic... Mmmmm...)

Technology imitates life

Came across this via hack a day, and it's an awesome video of a robotic swimming snake. The video is pretty neat and is in japanese which makes it all the more entertaining hearing the japanese women squeal with delight when the snake does things... (um, get your minds out of the gutter people!)

Sign of the times... :)

Parking Sign
Originally uploaded by swang.

Well, not really... sign of the times that is...

This shot was one suggested by Nick a couple of nights ago so as I was walking to the car yesterday I took the shot. Turned out pretty interesting due to the sun flare effect as the sun was directly behind the parking sign so the entire perspective thing turned out to be quite funky... :) Thanks for the suggestion dude! :D

I found out that where I'm working at the moment had a weekly prayer group going so I decided to join them today at lunchtime. They meet once a week for group prayer and it was such an encouragement and awesome privilege to be able to meet up to pray with others at work.

It's the first time I have been involved in a prayer group in a work environment and I think it's great as it reminds me that we are meant to be salt and light in this world, and especially at work seeing we spend a whole chunk of our lives being at work! It also makes me more accountable at work about how I conduct myself based on my faith and beliefs which can only be a positive thing! :)

FYI...

Cool Crane at the E Shed Markets
Originally uploaded by swang.

This is what I see walking from my car towards work every morning...

I've been meaning to take pics cos I thought that crane was pretty cool looking next to the E Shed markets. Finally remembered today and the sky was perfect, not a cloud in sight, except for that darned seagull in the middle of the pic... *grin*

Another reason for bringing the camera is to take all the interesting ships that come into port, as the QEII cruise ship was in a few weeks back and it was spectacular! But alas I did not have my camera with me... so I think I'll either have to check the schedule of ships that come into port, or just bring my camera everyday... :)

Hopefully this will be a start to me actually taking more pictures to learn how to take proper photos rather than just pointing-and-shooting in a lame-ass shotgun fashion... :P

Life's little suprises

Nice shadow effects!
Originally uploaded by swang.

Was driving on the way from work to pick up Hannah, and was driving up Marine Parade towards Cottesloe when this most interesting sight made me slow down and do a double take. I kept driving until I realised I had my camera with me so I pulled over, did a U-turn and went back to snap a few pics!

I'm sure glad I decided to take the coastal way instead of the boring way I sometimes take! :) There is a little sign with "Alcoa Foundation - Invited Artist" on one end of the line of cubes... so it's art hey?

I'm not usually a huge appreciater of art, all I know is if I look at something whether I like it or not... I don't think much about what the artist had in mind etc. etc. but this I like... maybe because it's a kind of industrial art... like it took some great big machine to crush all those cans, and a host of other machines to get it there by the beach... and maybe it's because the cubes are equidistant from each other and all lined up, which make my logical analytical nature go "Ooooh... it's all so symmetric, geometric..."

Hmmm... just realised anyone who reads this will make me out to be some kind of geeky math nerd or something... :P

Anyways, my point being that even though my life is full of routine at the moment, life does present little suprises every now and then. We just have to look out for them, and take some time out to appreciate them when they do happen...

That's all folks...

Dinner out with good friends

Baby Carrier
Originally uploaded by ntt.

Went out to dinner with some good friends of ours tonight to the local thai place, and everyone enjoyed the meal and had a good time. Our little munchkin Hannah came along as well and proved to be a bit of entertainment as she always seems to be happy no matter what she is doing.

Two of our friends present are pregnant and both due with a few days of each other in early/mid May, which is exciting for us as well! This might be the last time we catchup for a meal before their lives are changed forever when their bundle of joy arrives.

No comment required... :)
Originally uploaded by swang.

After we put Hannah to bed, we all sat around catching up, and even Max got in on the action and got attention, cuddles and even massages from people which he really enjoyed! Poor thing has been attention-starved with the busyness of our lives lately so I'm sure the attention was welcomed.

Interesting Revelation...

Was channel surfing last night and came across some foreign film on SBS, which had an interesting bit of dialogue. It was some writer typing away on a laptop, and a friend who has mucking about on the writer's old typewriter and asked the writer about if using the computer was alot easier than using the typewriter.

The writer went on to say that it is easier, however when using the typewriter and putting pen to paper, one tends to put more thought into writing, be more authentic. Which got me thinking... this is rather true especially with my industry, where it is just all too easy to put together some code, try it out, if it doesn't work, change things and retest it, and repeat if neccessary. So forward thinking, pre-planning and design sometimes seem not as important.

So... has working in the computer industry, affected me such that all things that I do tend to be a bit more reckless than others? Where I can just try something, and if that doesn't work, I'll be quick to change some things, try that out for a while, and if that doesn't work, the viscious cycle repeats itself. Perhaps that is why the IT industry has such a high rate of turnover of staff, where careers are not really planned out, and people are just changing jobs like refactoring some code, trying it out, and if it doesn't work out the way they expect, then they change jobs again. I think that kinda describes a bit of my career journey thus far... :)

Go figure... it takes a chance encounter with a scene in a foreign film to understand a bit more about myself. The moral of the story is I suppose that we should be spending more of our lives watch more TV just in case it holds more gems of wisdom such as this... ;)

Woohoo! The Apprentice is back!!! Again!!!

I've only just finished watching the 4th season of The Apprentice and the 1st and probably only season of Martha Stewart Apprentice late last year, and heard from Nick last night that Season 5 has started in the US! w00t!

Downloaded the first episode last night and just finished watching it, and now I have something to look forward to entertainment-wise each week! Ahhh... the simple joys... :)