How to make your blog's URL much cooler

Recently discovered a cool way to use Google's URL shortener as well as the Google Goggle feature available on the Google app available on Android, Blackberry, iPhones and other smartphones.

For those of you who are unaware, you can shorten any URL by just using Google's URL shortener, the resulting shorten version of the URL would appear as something like this goo.gl/xxxx plus a 3D barcode which look something like this:

And then using the aforementioned Google Goggle, take a picture of the barcode above and voilà!, your search results returns the goo.gl version of the URL. 

And so a conversation like this:


Ah Beng: Eh, what is the yew-arrr-ell of your broggg again ah?
Me: It's w-w-w, dot epiphany ...
Ah Beng: Ah? What ah? Tiffany ah? Why your broggg got a girl's name one? Your girlfriend ah?


would soon be replaced by something like this:


Ah Beng: Eh, what is the yew-arrr-ell of your broggg again ah?
Me: No need URL, do you have the Google app on your iPhone? 


Technology is cool, go embrace it like the cuddly teddy bear on your bed :).

G-Shock Gulfman

Recently got me-self a new gadget, actually it's an early birthday gift from both my brother and sister, thanks to both of them :) . I have always been a sucker for products where featuring high tech elements both in the design of the product itself or during the course of producing it. Amongst the items that I have fallen "prey" to include phones, gadgets, or even clothing items like Columbia's Bamboo Nano-Charcoal Fiber tights, and their Omni-Tech jackets. Usually these products come with cool names like Omni, Techno, i-something and comes with a description like these on the boxes:

"As bamboo charcoal with innumerable holes structure, can absorb and decompose benzene, phenol, methanol, sulfide, nitrides etc, it can reduce harmful matters and odors, such as a  53%  deduction in odor from  NH3gas. It also can adjust the moisture, release anions, restrain microbe... etc.  The major function of our products is Warming. According to ITRI test result, with 500W halogen lightshone on the bamboo charcoal yarn for 10 minutes, the yarn emits  far infrared rays for  87% ~ 92%,and warm up the temperature 10 ^oC, which is much higher than for instance wool's with 5 ^oC.The bamboo charcoal powder is equally diffused in to the fiber structure and not a coating on the surface, therefore any method of washing will not influence its function. It has an excellent water-resistance,  natural no irradiation, the best choice of warm textiles."

Doesn't makes much sense to when I read it, but I suddenly feel much "cooler" wearing it. Smart underwear anyone?

This time around my latest gadget is a G-Shock watch. I have always wanted to get a G-Shock after seeing my friends wearing them. I wanted to have a watch for weekend use where I don't have have to worry about scratching it or suffering any "abuse" during the course of outdoor activities. Now as most of you know G-Shock watches are synonymous with toughness and more recently trendiness as well judging from the new colors and design available in their line-up. So there you go, a G-Shock is something that fits my needs pretty well and the great thing is it's not too expensive as well.

G-Shock was created as part of  "Project Tough" by Casio engineers way back in 1981 with the sole aim of creating an "unbreakable watch". Over 2 years numerous prototypes has been created and finally in 1983 the first G-Shock was born - the DW-5000C. Here's what the makers have to say on the technology that is involved in making a G-Shock:

And here are the tests the watches are subjected to: gravitational shock resistance, dropping sock resistance, hammer shock resistance, water pressure, electrical current, low temperature resistance and vibration resistance. Here's a video showing the various tests. Kinda "shocking" how they test their watches, sorry pun intended.

The model that I recently acquired is a G9100-2, where the postfixed number 2 denotes that it is in color blue. Nicknamed "Gulfman", the watch is part of the Master of G collection, others being the Frogman, the Mudman, and the Riseman. Each series represents unique features that the namesake suggests - Frogman has very high resistance to underwater pressure, features a dive timer, tide data and so forth, Mudman features dust and mud resistance design, a rally mode, a highly accurate stopwatch mode and the Riseman has twin sensors featuring an altimeter and a barometer (in which you can use it to gauge whether it will rain or not, by the means of atmosphere pressure around you).

Here's how my Gulfman looks like:

 

Besides the usual shock resistant feature the Gulfman is the only watch in the Master of G series that features a rust resistant structure by using titanium in it's case back cover, button shafts and buckle. So the watch feels really light weighing at 53 grams. Each Master of G features a unique logo at it's back. Here's how mine looks like:

And with the electro-luminescent  (EL) back light synonymous with most G-Shock watches - the Gulfman features dual illumination back lights built into the LCD and the dial for better visibility (for those who work at night at the seas, I am not one of them), and has a feature that can turn on the back light automatically with just a tilt of their wrist - although I have to say that I have turned off this feature as it would probably drain the battery faster. The manual states that the battery can last for around 7 years.

On the watch face you can see the tide graph and the moon phase indicator (with moon age and moon phase) , of which you have to set your coordinates and the lunitidal interval of your locality in order for the watch to display the info correctly. The watch is also water resistant up to 200m.

Another feature that I like is that it stores world time for 48 cities in 29 time zones, with daylight saving mode. Good to know what time it is before calling that cousin at London eh? Although I have to say one thing that I don't like is the abbreviations that they use for the city names some of which are pretty straightforward to guess like LON, but what's MLE?

The watch has 3 alarm modes - 2 normal alarms, 1 with snooze feature of which can be set to go off at daily, monthly, or on a certain date. It also has an hourly time signal.

The 1/100 second stopwatch feature allows you to measure elapsed time, split times and able to time up to  finishes. A 1/100 second is also known as a centisecond, or 10 milliseconds which is 0.01 seconds. So how fast is a 1/100 second? Well it's probably somewhere as fast as a typical camera shutter speed. The stopwatch can display up to 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59.99 seconds.

Next feature on the watch is the countdown mode which allows you to set a time between 1 minute to 24 hours before the alarm sounds when the timer reaches 0. It also has a auto repeat feature which allows the watch to restart the timer after reaching zero and as well as a progress beeper which sounds at specific intervals before the end of the countdown. The above said stopwatch, countdown alarm, alarms and hourly time signal have a Flash Alert feature which enable the watch to flash with buzzer when ever the alarm / timer goes off.

The watch  has an accuracy of  plus / minus 15 seconds for every month of operation - for those of you who wonder what this means, man made watches inherently inaccurate due to many reasons some of which are due to the mechanism, quality of craftsmanship etc. etc. So if we say a watch is %99.9 accurate for example, it will still be out by a minute and a half in 24 hours! Some watches like mechanical ones (think Rolex, Omega etc.) are less accurate not by design but by nature - imagine all those tiny gears and screws in the watches are constantly affected by the gravitational forces, so they are quite inaccurate if you compare to a say, a much cheaper Casio quartz watch. Of course there are certain exceptions which features very very high workmanship and which are a Certified Chronometer where each watch has to be certified individually by COSC in Swiss where the watch movement has to achieve somewhere in the region of %99.994 accuracy which means -4 to +6 seconds accuracy. All certified watches are then allowed to feature the designation "Chronometer" which is a mark of distinction for a high quality and exclusive watch. However it is interesting to note that a normal quartz watch is %99.9998 accurate which only leaves room a loss of accuracy of between -2 and +2 seconds per day. Why is this so? Because a quartz watch uses a crystal oscillator to create electrical signals which is very precise. It is also interesting to note that some G-Shocks features self-calibrating features which the watch receives signals from calibration stations which is based on, wait for it ... atomic timekeeping! Whaaaattt?

Wheeeewww, that's a lot for a watch nowadays isn't it? But it's so cool to know that the stuffs that you are wearing has so many technology in it. Makes it sound like something from a James Bond movie. Well who knows, probably James Bond would be proud owner of a G-Shock someday ;)

The Count of Monte Cristo

I am currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas on the iBook app on my iPhone and iPad. Reading books the iBook is such a breeze and it has now become my favorite companion to pass my time. Anyway this post is not about the iBook or the iPad for that matter but probably I shall in my next post.

This post is about the Count of Monte Cristo, for those who have not read it before I highly recommend that you do. I feel that Dumas is such a great writer that all his characters in the book come alive in front of you as you read. You can't help but empahize with Dantes when he was cruelly dealt with injustice, you feel the joy of his learning when he met the abbe. I just wish I could write like the master storyteller that Dumas is.

From time to time I would encounter some classic lines from the book and I would like to share them with you. Here is the first one, an extract from a chapter detailing the time when Dantes was rescued by some smugglers after he escaped:

Moreover, it is possible that the Genoese was one of those shrewd persons who know nothing but what they should know, and believe nothing but what they should believe

How true it is indeed that some can live their life wisely by knowing only what they need to know and when not to meddle in the affairs of others!

Serendipity? You better believe it

My company trip at a resort in Ayer Keroh has just concluded and I am writing this as we are on the way home.  First of all this is the first time in my life that I have partake in a company event at this size although I have been given many opportunity by many ex employers which I am most grateful for. So not expecting much I packed my bags on Saturday and head toward the historical city of Malacca with the rest of the staffs from the company. Unbeknown to me there's a most serendipitous chain of event that is waiting for me. Now mind you when I said serendipitous I did not mean that I have suddenly struck a ten million dollar lottery but it's still a most fortunate event. Let me tell you why.

Upon reaching the resort I discovered that my roomie that I am supposed to share a room with is down with fever and was absent for the event. After putting my bag in my designated room I went for lunch and event activity. Upon returning back to my room I discovered that my room has another new occupant and my luggage gone. Feeling quite displeased with the sudden turn of events I stormed of to the front desk to find my bag and with the intention of making a complain. After a few firm words I was upgraded to a much bigger room - feeling quite pleased at this point I decided that I have no use for such a big room for myself and instead offered to switch room with another colleague which had brought her husband and baby along. During the lucky draw at dinner I did not win anything which according to the event organisers there are enough of prizes for more than half of the participants on the night. Well number 181 didn't yield any price for me.  Feeling quite unlucky that I wasn't the lucky other half given the possibility of actually winning something is more than 0.5 I joked to those who cared to listen that I am going to win the iPad which was one of the grand price for second lucky draw on the following day ( I didn't have that much conviction when I said it). On the following day however I got another set of number 281 which again to me is such a coincidence to me, 181 being my birthday. Just plain coincidence?

When number 281 was announced with the prize of guess what - an iPad, my hair was standing on my back a sudden exhilaration of actually winning something that I really want. Serendipity? You be well believe that good things does come to us in our lives.

I always believe that our lives are intermittently peppered with highs and lows and this last to days I believe is a testimonial to that - albeit on a much smaller timeframe in two days. But guess what I have always feel lucky with my life - sure it's not so outstanding and I have been I some pretty low times. But I have grown to love what life has managed to offered to me. Good times I felt immediately pleased with but with bad times I have grown to learn from them after a recess. My motto is and has always been the mantra - everything happens for a reason. It is up for us to appreciate it and learn from it. Embrace the challenges and be thankful for the gifts. At the mean time - thank you God for giving me this iPad!

Air Asia - The airlines that cares? (pt. 2)

Just got a reply from AA after I wrote in to complain about my experience and here's what i got:

To those of you who don't know what's happening you can read my previous post on my frustrations with AA  on http://epiphanyofahorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/air-asia-airlines-that-cares.html .

Anyway first thing I noticed is the email address that is used to reply to my complain donotreply@airasia.com , which basically says one thing - "shut up we don't care about your complains but because we would like to appear to care to our customer so we have no choice but to create the feedback form on our website". And after reading the contents of the email I just went:

And then after suggestion from my friend I went to Mr. Tony Fernandez's page on FB and here's what I found:

Well I guess it's to be expected since Mr. TF himself branded his own staff as, read this - Low cost army. So good luck Yogamala, and yeah I agree with you Air Asia system sucks!

Mr. TF you got to wake up from your "dream" and start acting fast - it's really starting to look like you weren't really paying too much attention to AA nowadays - F1 and Asean basketball taking too much of your time? Pooodah!

P.S. I am thinking of writing to Tony directly next. Will keep you updated on the outcome

Air Asia - The airlines that cares?

Recently made a trip from KL - Bangkok on Air Asia and I can say that flying with AA is starting to feel like a torture. It started with trying to purchase the check in luggage after I have made my flight booking but was unable to due to some stupid bug on their website - so I went trying to get help from their customer service. Things looks pretty desperate after I saw I was the 999,999,999 on their "live" help so I decided to call their premier customer support which cost RM1.95 per minute. Expecting soothing music or some efficient help I encountered a guy who instead asked me to call Air Asia Kargo services (wtf?) and I just did and the woman who picked up was just as puzzled as to why I was directed to their department. After some explanation that I actually booked my flight via Air Asia Go Holidays she instead directed me to call another line (she was sensing that I was quite agitated at the point). After a third call I finally managed to arrange to purchase my check in luggage.

I thought my bad experience with AA was going to be over until the return flight from BKK - KL where I discovered that at LCCT's baggage carousel there was shitloads of confused passengers wondering where their baggage will appear. Seemed at that time the information screen was not working or some stupid idiot just forgot to update it.

It was most embarrassing seeing foreign tourists looking dazed and confused and more embarrassing seeing some AA staff just sitting down at the bench. Since there's no one manning the baggage information service desk, feeling utterly disgusted and pissed, I went to approach the procrastinating douche head to ask as to which carousel belt that my baggage would appear on. And he just stupidly replied "I am not in charge of the baggage". At that point the HULK in me was unleashed - at that point all I wanted to so is just do the Hulk Smash on his face so that his brains will splatter all over the floor. After that I will smash all the AA Airbuses that was parked outside on the runway.

Or if I can think of a worst possible sentence for him - I would chopped him to pieces and let the dogs have him and poop it out again so that the dogs can eat him again and excrete him again and again. I can't find an image for that but you get the idea. Since that day (yes I did managed to locate my baggage) but I am still pissed 2 weeks after the trip. So today I decided to write to AA to complain and here's what I get:

The airline that cares - pooh! I hope Tony Fernandez reads this, AA you guys better get your act together, I hope Tiger Airways or Firefly will thrash your asses one day so you guys can stop paying lip service and do what you promise to do. At the mean time I just want to say this to you - you guys suck!

Oh by the way did anyone tried using the AA app on iPhone, it's the most useless piece of cr-"app" that I have ever seen.

Top reasons on why your dog is your best friend

1) They have 'separation anxiety ' when they are away from you. How cool is that?

2) They give you unconditional love. And when I say unconditional love I really mean unconditional.

3) They look so darn cute when they are sleeping on the couch.

4) They look so darn cute when in costumes.

5) They are super-duper talented

5) Mountain lions are afraid of them

6) And best of all, they are the most loyal being on the face of the earth (which in my Elmo's case, when there's food)

To all Malaysians

Let's start off by doing a simple experiment. Imagine your friend telling you about their bad experience when being served by a rude waitress( I get that once in a while, more often than not when I am in Malaysia than other countries). Or when you are reading some news about racism, corruption or some silly politician making some blatant statements which are not only unreasonable but it's also bordering to stupidity. Or some crazy moron tailgating your car when on the road even when traffic ahead is heavy?

What is the first thing that comes to your mind? I bet it would be somewhere along the line of "Aiyah, Malaysia is like this la!". If not, I can be sure that at least you have heard someone said this line before.

So what can we make out of this mental examination? That my dear reader is called cynicism.

To me, this is the greatest disease that has been plaguing our entire society at large in our modern times. And today I have decided to write something about this phenomenon.

Cynicism has bred a defeatist attitude in all of us, a lackadaisical outlook towards things that have been going on around us. Issues that need our attention, overdue actions that has to be taken. Achievements that we are truly capable of. Cynicism has given everyone of us an excuse to stay indifferent, an excuse to stay on the sidelines - until it happens to us. By being so it has left our country inheriting a population of underachievers, a country lacking of go-getters capable of bringing the nation forward into the future.

It's not that Malaysia lacks of a talent pool, look at 2 great Malaysians that has made a name for themselves overseas - Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh. It's not that we cannot achieve greatness while remaining in our motherland, it is not because we have an ineffective government. Hypothetically speaking if everyone in Malaysia gave me one ringgit each I would have in excess of 25 million ringgit (still an achievable dream for me someday to have that kind of money), I would easily be able to feed 500,000 children for a month (http://www.worldvision.com.my/). Point is that if everyone starts to take action, no corrupt forces nor ineffective governments can stop us. Even by just one person, can stop a great empire - think Mahatma Gandhi.

We need to rid ourselves of this apathy now. This is a rallying cry to all, a reminder that we are empowered to make a difference to our world, to our country. It is time to raise the civic mindedness of all Malaysians, we can be better and we will be better if we start to change. The change might be slow, it might not happen in our lifetime at all. But we can still instill good values into our children, for the next generation. To those with children, educate them so that they can grow up to be good citizens irregardless of status and wealth. This I believe is the least we can do.

What then have I done on my part? For starters I have written this blog. How about you?

Happy Merdeka.

Written on eve of Merdeka 2010, 8pm.

Miracle Meow

The doc wasn't too sure that he would live. Lying there on the cold steel of the doctor's table, his breathing was labored, his life was merely hanging on a thin wisp of thread. It was pitiful to see something so weak, ravaged by bites of a hundred army ants we felt hopeless more than hopeful, a sense of defeat looming over our minds like the specter of Death which was hanging over him. "Will he survive?" was always the first question that was ready to roll from the tip of my tongue the moment we entered the doctor's room. The doctor shook his head. "It's very difficult to say." came the reply. Usually the odds are against it.

But someone in the room knows better, the spirit who's body was on the metal table refuses to say no. No! I refuse to die here today! (meow, meow...) A faint meow came from the feline, tiny as it seems but a fighter spirit encased within the tiny body. It raises it head when we called out to him seeming to remind us to not just give up on him yet, that cats have nine lives and he has a few more to live on.

We decided to leave him at the hospital for the night. To see if it survives the night. I'll call him Miracle if he lives, said I to my sister. More of a cruel pun at that moment.

He's still alive! Came the call from my sis. Ok great, but the kitten was still very weak and I'm not convinced that it could live for another day, refusing to give myself false hope. Another day went by and then another. When I paid the hospital a visit the doctor was smiling this time. Yes, you can bring him home today. Kitty is doing well indeed and is eating well. A sense of relief. I knew all along the kitten wants to live says my sis. I guess she is right then. Miracle Meow, we hope that you will have a blessed life, all eight of them. God bless.

I eat Tom Yum when I think of you

She tells me that she is having "nasi lemak" for dinner. Well sometimes I have Thai food when you are not around. It's our way of doing something, eating something and going to places that remind us of that special someone, whenever they are not around. Well I suppose it's also probably due to the fact that I do love a good bowl of spicy Tom Yum occasionally.

Wonder if I can find a good Thai restaurant at Europe. Miss you much, you are the sunshine of my life,  wherever I am at.

Smiling Shau Kei Wan

It's funny when you loathe some place or some situation that you are facing but when sometimes it's time to leave it you suddenly feel sad that you a finally getting out of it. Shau Kei Wan! I have to say what a place, crampy apartments, endless stream of old folks hobbling around in walking sticks, you have the same food everyday over and over again for both lunch and dinner - it does sound depressing. I did shed a few tears (literally) when I finally have to leave, but not tears of ecstasy because that I am leaving this place, but tears of sadness and longing for something I knew that I had it good all along. One thing I realized today is that it's not the place that matters, but what is filled in that place - friends, family and best of all the experiences that you share with them. I cried because I know my departure marks the end of a blessed period in Hong Kong with my friends - my only consolation is this a beginning of a new phase in my life. Will it be together with the rest of the team? I wouldn't know, my only salvation from separating from them is the thought that I have enjoyed my time with them as much I could. If  I have not treated them that well at times, it is without ill intention.

To all of the team, this post is for you - Simon, Angel Lee, SHIT, ST, Darren, Murph, Joel, Jerome and to my love Oh, it has been an honor. So I will see you guys next time, for some of you most probably back in Malaysia.

I hope you guys enjoy my jokes, thinks that my cooking is palatable and appreciate that I have tried to take care of the team the best that I can. You guys have been great and I hope that life treats you well, where ever you are. It's time for me to soldier on, looking forward to spend my life with my dearest Oh where ever our fate will bring us to.

Till then, this is Jon signing out from Hong Kong.

If

I find this inspirational truthful and a sincere poem. How many of us can say that we have been truthful, not to other people but towards ourselves, have stuck to our principals and not swayed by the crowds? I can't at the moment, but I wish I could have, until I find my life's principals I think I am still searching for an answer. I wish to be a good man.

If (Rudyard Kipling)

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Prologue - Epiphany Coming

Finally decided to blog in a more serious manner. I actually got inspired after looking at some other people's blog. So why start now? For starters I have decided to post pictures and write about my experiences during my travels. I also think that a blog is a good way for me to express myself. Most importantly of all, it is sort of a way to record down my memories, to etch on a medium so I can leave a trace in this lifetime. To make my presence among millions of other entities be felt. Call it my effort to make a ripple in our reality. To share amongst other. To seek advice and reaction from others from my posts.

And hopefully to have an epiphany one day from my life's journey record.