Disconnected

Dammit. I've always need to reconnect to the fucking StreamyX as the lines been down every few minutes. Either that, or its speed is crawling. Every time, its always the same, "Connect, Connect, Connect", again and again. And right now, with so many posts in the backlog and almost impossible to upload photos, I guess I'll have to stop this for the time being since I am beginning to lose my mood on this. Even a few minutes in the Office is not enough.

We pay Tolls to get into traffic jams. And we willingly subject ourselves to paying high prices for cars and mobile phones too. So, I am not surprised we have to pay to get disconnected.

Malaysia Really Boleh, la!

Make a meal out of oats......

One thing I loved to add, when eating porridge at home, was the crunchy prawn chili. And because the I can turn the current oatmeal almost to the consistency of my favourite porridge, adding the chili is just natural. The wonders of this instant oatmeal is, once you add hot water and stir it up, you can make it watery or semi-solid, depending on how much oatmeal or hot water you want to add. The only thing I do not like to add (at the moment) is sugar or other sweet stuff. One day, when I am bored, maybe I'll go along the theory of mashed potatoes.......

Not wanting to wanting to waste the spoon, I dipped
it into the chili before adding the hot water.

This time, I decided to make it almost semi-solid
and its delicious. Then wife came in and started
to prepare lunch...... haiya. Too full for her lunch.

Where is my phone?

Where is my phone?

Has anyone seen it?

Have you see it?

No! Not me!

Me neither!

This is so sad....

Rest in Peace, Yasmin Ahmad. I am feeling so shocked now..........

The Talking Joe

After that dinner, we headed off to Carrefour at Tropicana City and well, nothing much to mention about. I mean, its after nine and all shops are in the midst of closing for the night. Bugger all. This is the only time where we, of all people (and others who worked like a dog), are free to go shopping.

What, you don't want our money?

This is the real reason why our economy stinks.

And here, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the latest
RM260 toy from the GI Joe movie. Before I
looked at the price tag, I thought its just one
of those 12 inch toys with limited speech chips
inside it. Aha, wait till you press the button.

Suddenly, the toy would speak, and raise
its 9mm cannon arm and firing at you. Its
RM260, for goodness sake. For that price,
you'd think it can walk via remote too.

But no, all it does is to open its jaws to
show you kids how you can get a nice
set of teeth if you used Colgate regularly.
Me? I'd think it would be picking its jaws
up once the kids go thought it in 5 minutes

Fishies

Nowadays, whenever we go to a restaurant, the first thing the kids would look for, or ask about, would be the fish. The fish. It started when they were very small, I took them to see the fishes once they have eaten their fill served from the Chef's wok and got bored. And to stop them misbehaving, I took them to see the fish. And so, its the fish, fish, fish.

My new phone.......

"Here. This is the phone that's not working."
"What's wrong with it?"
"You tell me, the caller can't hear us."

"Mind you, its a new phone."
"New? Its not new anymore."
"It new, la. We just got it from you."
"Lady, that was more than two years ago. Besides, how can it get so dirty just sitting in the office?"
" Er, ......"

"Anyway, the caller can't hear us. Anything wrong? Is it the cleaner's fault."
"Can't say. But definitely, their perfume is everywhere in the phone."
"I'll have to take it back for further diagnisos"
"OK. Do what you want."

What is wrong with this picture?

Our job is simple. Bring along the phone and also the door access system and install them. We're not doing the cabling this time because like all main Contractors, they have gotten it. Which is not a big deal for me except that they know nuts about cable termination. I am very confident that the cabling job was done by more than one person. And trust me on this, each person has their own version of cabling colour codes. In the end, I had to go over all the eight connections and rewire them to the correct colours.

Oh, and guess what? Yes, the cable
guys were stupid enough to exclude
the power points for both the phone
and the door access system. A few
days later, they also forgot about the
FAX cable. And a few more days later,
the pulled the FAX cable wrongly too.
So, we had to correct the mistakes
these idiots did. Sheesh.

SOIC to DIL Adaptor Part I

OK, so (I think) I needed one. There is a reason in this. In some cases, it is not easy to fit a normal sized IC chip into a small cramped space. A normal IC chip would be very bulky. Add an IC socket to it, its even worse. And so, the only solution would be to use a SMT (Surface Mount) version. A SMT device offers the advantage of small size and also, comsumes less power compared to a normal IC. But in this case, I am looking at its amazing size. (Look down below this pic)

(L to R) A typical SMT IC chip, a normal 20-pin DIL
IC chip and the usual 18-pin IC chip I normally use.

You see, when you stick a normal IC onto the surface of a circuit board, its already taken up quite a bit of space. And when you add an IC socket to it, you'd have in crease its height was well. So, you can see where I'm going to. But there is aother problem with SMT devices. Since the IC chip I am going to use is programmable, I cannot just unplug it from the circuit board and then to the programmer like I'd always do with a normal IC. Because it does not have a normal "leg" like an IC, I would have to solder it to the circuit board in order to make connections. And if I want to program and re-program as often as I like, just just by desoldering the chip from the circuit board is as good as destroying it. And if I want it to be portable, I would need to solder that SMT chip onto a circuit board which converts it to a normal chip. Which also means going back to square one.

And so, this adaptor is the only solution. But of course, I would still need to use a normal IC when prototyping. Once its confirmed, I would use the adaptor to program the SMD version before soldering it. Good idea? Yes and No. For you see, this adaptor can only solve part of the problem, which is to program the SMD IC without any soldering. But if I need to program it again and again AFTER it has been soldered, I would be in deep trouble and the only way to do this is to sacrifice some of its I/O pins to become programming pins for in-circuit programming. This is the train of thought at the moment as I have not researched deeper into this. But if there is a solution to do in-circuit programming without sacrificing some I/O pins, then this RM65.00 adaptor would be useless. Heh.

Actually, this was the cheapest adaptor I could find on the Net. Their prices actually ranged from USD70 onwards. But then again, I guess I just got lucky and found this supplier which sells ONE item instead of the "Our minimum order is 1000 pieces"crap.

Surprisingly, the seller delivered the adaptor to me
in record time. Just when I least expect it!

This is how the SOIC to DIP adaptor looks like. Its very
tiny and the connectors looked very fragile.

I am not sure how it works at the moment, but since
this is a ZIF version, my best guess is to push the
adaptor down to reveal the connectors, insert the
chip there and then release your fingers where
the adaptor would lock the IC into place.

Wire wrapping wires

OK, after getting my salary this week, I rushed out and got these. Its been too long. Ever since I discovered them long ago, they have been a boon to my projects. Small enough to fit in cramped spaces and still good enough to deliver the required power, these wire-wrapping wires are lifesavers. But because they're so thin, just a few yanks would have severed it. The wire is essentially a single strand coated with a plastic sheath. If you were to strip it like a normal wire, either by using a wire stripper or just a sharp blade, its guaranteed to snap later when you have sealed or screwed your project box tight. This is because the blade of the cutter can easily make a dent to the cable which in turn, becomes the weakest point. So, the only way this time, is to carefully melt the plastic. The melted plastic would then cool and harden which you can then just pull it off with your finger, provided you do it fast enough.

So, for RM10.00 each, I only have enough for a red
and a black spool. Yes, I have learnt my lesson of
buying a single colour when doing a complicated
project which has a lot of connections. Its fine if
you can concentrate. But when you're married
and have children running and shouting about,
the chances of getting a wrong connection is high.
Years ago, I bought a green one which costs me
about RM24.00. Ouch.

And what am I going to use these wires for this time?
Here's a sneak preview!

An empty victory

So you think you've won, eh? Wearing down Mommy
until she leaves. And so, you do not need to do your
homework. And what Victory is this? Do you know
what the long term effects are? Do you? Naughty!

Hit the Hut!

On a fine Sunday such as this day, there was a lot of fine things to do.
Such as when my fine wife asked me a question, and I replied it finely.

Wife: Let's have lunch
Me: Fine
Wife: How about Pizza?
Me: Fine
Wife: Fine
Me: Fine

By the time we arrived, the paella was
not in the menu anymore and so,
we chose spaghetti instead.

This was Pizza Hut's promotion
about some thing which I forgot.
The only thing I can remember
was that I did not get to taste
paella, whatever that is. So we
had to change to something else.

Actually, truth to be told, because Streamyx has so
much problem logging on, by the time I go through
this post, I have forgotten what I wanted to post.

So, by the time you read this,
this post is already weeks old.
So, thanks to Streamyx which
is really gone downhill now.

And I still cannot remember what we ate
at the Hut, only thing is I really really
missed the paella. Paella. Paella. Well,
no point remembering it because after
four hours, it'll come out from your body
as shit and completely forgotten.

The actual truth

Yes, this is the actual truth as revealed in the
hidden message. Ah ah ha ha ha haha!

Kaelynn's Birthday

Its a Special Day, today. For someone who's going to be three! And so, she has gone from being a toddler to a smart girl now. A very very special independent smart girl, I would say. And after watching her, she is starting to grow up to be very beautiful and sometimes, she almost look like her elder sister too.

And so, Kaelynn gets a kiss from her sister
as her Birthday Present.

We bought her some presents at Tziplee and when
I opened my big mouth at the counter, both of them
got a special gift from the lady there, despite our
friendly objections.

And Kristine also had her share of presents,
which is for her coming Birthday. But I am
sure, we'll be buying it again since we all
would have easily "forgotten" about this
promise not to buy any. Heh

Big sister allowing Kaelynn to choose her
own eraser from the colletion

For me, I got some stuff too, which is a nice blue
highlighter, an eraser, a pencil case and last of
all, for some weird reasons, a refill cartridge for
a dry eraser, selling for RM3.90

OH, OK. So I wanted this years ago when it first
came out, but it was being sold for RM4.90 or so.
What struck me was the design and when I was
ready to buy it, it disappeared. So, this time I
made sure I got it. Even if I cannot use it.
Stupid, eh?

The gift from the Lady at the Tziplee counter.
We jokingly wanted to gift wrap a slice of the
Birthday cake but by the time everyone had a
slice, it was practically gone.

Mom cooked the yee mee for Kaelynn, with lots
of prawns as well. She loves them but gets very
itchy later on.

This is the new cake from Baker's Cottage, which
I forgot what it was. All I know was that it costs
me RM39.00, it was soft and delicious!

Big sister helping Kaelynn to
blow out the candles.

Kaelynn cutting the cake for everyone.....

..... and Mommy stepped in moments before all the
chocolate and strawberries were picked off.

Floor tiles

"Cleaning up" after people are one of the things I hate. For more than 10 years I have been in this service industry, more often than not, I end up picking up the pieces long after they have gone. Its bearable at first but after that, once you get used to it, its downright irritating and also the fact that they're getting away with it too.

It was less than a year that we moved back in, the floor tiles or rather, the parquet floor has become loose. Dad had gotten the useless contractor to recfity them but after a few times, even more tiles have become loose. And so, knowing its useless to get them to redo the whole floor since we have settled in, I decided to DIY myself. Oh, OK. It was Wife's orders.

So, its time to open up the expensive glue I bought some
time ago. Actually, I made a mistake of adding water to
it. I always forget not to do this until too late. Anyway, I
poured the glue into the shallow dish and used a pencil to
spread the thick goo under the tile. Then, I just press it
back in place, on the floor. Sometimes, I have to hold it
until the glue sort of hardens. It also helps when the kids
are asleep so that they do not walk over the tiles.

You can see the uneveness of the tiles due to my
most excellent craftsmanship.

And not a sign of glue anywhere, thanks to my
great hand-eye coordination.

Just in case one wakes up, she is ordered not
to get off the bed. Or else.

Shopping at the Pavillion

Ah, Saturday. Tis the time (or shall I say, this time) Wifey demanded we go to Pavillion. And so, I happily agreed and rushed back to the house like an obedient slav...er, husband. Unfortunately, by the time we all got ready, it was already evening. Still, not wanting to lose anymore time, we started with some afternoon meal or snack for the kids, if you prefer, before going shopping. No, we're not going window shopping since they do not sell windows here. Besides, Windows 7 won't be out until October this year anyway. There is a reason why Mommy wanted to go there but I am not going to tell.........

Not sure what it was but a lot of people were taking photos
with it. It was not until later that this model was revealed.
But they put the info booth and video a few floors up. Or,
maybe there is another info booth near the entrance which
we might have missed. If not, its a very stupid thing to do.

While the kids were having a light meal, I decided to get
something for my Wife too. I don't feel like eating much
as I have had my share of Nasi Lemak in the morning at
the office. No, I am not getting this noodle for her. They,
I am sure, are not soft and silky enough.

Instead, I got this but after one bite, I felt cheated. OK,
so I did see them nuking the vege/flour to heat it up but
the bread, felt so soaked with deep friend oil. Still, its my
first time to eat this weird thing. Oh, yeah, I peeled the
cover off for the girls since they like crunchy stuff. On
the other hand, wife wouldn't even touch this RM8.50
bread. Still, since its more than RM8.00, I am allowed
to purchase another cup of soft drink for RM1.00 (or
RM1.05 with TAX) as they're having a "sale".

While Mommy did her own thing, I distracted the girls by
going to Toys R Us. Here, they're happily playing with the
wooden blocks until the turned around and noticed........

... some girls were playing with some Disney Video game. And
so, they lined up and waited for their turn. After more than
10 minutes, they were still waiting and so, I told them to get
some chairs. It would be rude for me to tell these girls off and
I would be setting a bad example too. I mean, the will think
that in the future, Daddy will come and scare away other kids
so they could enjoy whatever they wanted.

But the wait is long as there were three girls who actually
took turns. Eventually, their maid sensed something and
took the girls away. No, I did not do anything but she did
realise that there were other children waiting for their
turn to have a go at the games, namely, my girls.

And so, their waiting was not in vain. First, it was
Kristine's turn to play while Kaelynn looks on.

Next, it was Kaelynn's turn while Kristine took a back seat.

You can see how serious these girls are by looking
at their expressions.

See?

But in the end, I have to make sure that their posture
is not affected. This is very worrying if she keeps it up

In the meantime, Kaelynn got bored and went back
to the more traditional toys.

Just outside Harvey Norman, we spotted this
structure, "HOME". The girls were screaming
and running around until a female security
guard came along and so, I pretended to scold
the girls for playing there, when, in the first
place, I allowed them to play there. Ha ha ha

OK, so now, Mommy is hungry but
we're not. Instead, we settled for
some dessert. Yeah, they whacked
the ABC, ice-cream and all.

And lastly, just before going home,
the girls pestered us for some of
those very expensive looking
balloons.......