20260526 Taking things for Granted?

 A Customer just came in and wanted someone to help retrieve her car's DVR recording. And it was a very urgent request. So, I immediately rose to help her, something I am used to nowadays despite my apprehension of dealing people.

It was... when?

 She said, the incident happened three weeks ago. Alas, experience had already told me that this was a lost cause since car DVR recordings do not last for more than half a day's worth of driving. Since this was an older model, there is no Wifi features which we could retrieve the recording into her mobile phone. Luckily, I had a microSD card reader on my USB hub and... well, shit. There is nothing on the Normal recording which does not suprise me. And so, the only option left would be to go into the Accident Folder since any collision would be recorded permanently there. And yeah, it recorded everything except the event itself.

 So, in an unfortunate sense, she is out of luck. I had so many questions there and then but I decided not to  since she is on a lot of trouble. But the gist of the story is, she stopped her car (for some unknown reason) and saw a fast car coming down the ramp which she was unable to avoid even though she drove a little out of the way. And during this time, she was kept 'waiting' for the Police Report for three weeks, which eventually said she is in the wrong and therefore, her 55% NCB is gone.

 I was a little annoyed by then because she kept repeating her whole story and her woes. I mean, granted that she could have forgotten how to operate the DVR when the Salesperson showed it to her, unless she conveniently bobbed her head up and down, eager to drive out from the Dealership. Or maybe, in a panic, she could have come to the nearest Dealership on the SAME day to get the footage retrieved. But nooo... by then, three weeks is up because when she needed to repair her car then suddenly that (financially) life-saving footage became very important.

 If you must know, you can get the Police Report on the day itself but it would take three weeks for the 'Keputusan' to be ready. THAT is the Report which determines who is at fault and, this is one of the required documents for the Insurance Company.

20260518 The Dream of Last Week's

 This was from a Dream a few days back, leading to last week. I was hesitant to 'record' it but I guess I'll do it, with whatever memories I have remaining.


 It all began when my first view was in a small dim shoplot, where the (only) entrance leads to the traffic outside, with shimmering wet roads, and everything was blue. Then, I realised, there were other shops the similar to mine. However, I am not sure what everyone were selling. Once I walked out, the building was actual Lot10, withing KL's Golden Triangle and my shop was facing the corner of the 4-way traffic intersection with McDonalds in the distance. Everything is dark, and it looked like as if it is run down, with black streaks on the building walls. There was a girl which I'm not sure, maybe its is my Partner. 

 This is the part which I felt weird, in fact, I felt funny. Everyone treated me the same and they're all girls. So after walking around, I started to notice something; I feel very light. And when I looked at my hands, its thin like a girl's. Once I get to catch a glimpse of myself, I am a girl, wearing black clothes and pants! ok, I have shoulder black hair and well. I'm all black.

 There are other details I've forgotten and what I did but I know walking on the slimy pavement, I felt as if I'm walking like a man. Plus with the normal sandals, although they looked fit, factually felt very loose and slipping. I was literally walking half barefoot.

 In reflection, what does the dream means? I know sometimes I wished for the most accurate out of body experience to the point of being in control and have the means to overcome a lot of barriers. But without the consequences or even let myself be affected. It is most like escapism because in that dream, I was able to feel the sense of wonderment, something which, I have not felt after being exposed to the Book, Comics, Movies and, eventually the Internet with AI, since childhood. 

20260504 Jusant Wallpaper

 

This French console game called Jusant is wonderful and moreso, if you're a Climber. What got me interested was the ability to explore the interior of most constructs and well, the lighting effects within. Since I do not have a playable Games Console I just watched the whole Walkthrough from YouTube. If you love its Music by Guillaume Ferran, you can listen to them here.

 

 

 The Walkthrough of the Game using the original Avatar

 

The Modified Walkthrough using Lara Croft with some items/ effect missing. I really liked this version since exploring abandoned places was in her Game.
 

 

 

 

 

20260420 BengMobile #3?

 The Way I (ab)use my BengMobiles

 My First car was the Proton Satria 1.6 (4th Gen Mitsubishi Mirage/ Colt), a Manual which I got it in 1997, with the help of my Parents. It lasted me about close to 15 years with a 650K Km mileage. I got this car trough a late Colleague whose sister was the Manager of Jalan Ipoh's USPD. When the subject of the car colour came up, the I chose Blue instead of Green. But alas, on the day of collecting the I had to take the Red instead of Green, despite my Mom's persistence that red cars causes more accident. I was OK with Green but that shade was so bad that I had to take the Red which was more of a dark ruby. Anyway, this was the very car which, to me (at that time) had enough power and well, fun factor. I was yearnin for the 1.8 variant and possibly a Turbo but I realised, I am not going to use those extra power except to show-foo, which I hated. Still, I learned what not to do with the car, from ICE Systems to Alarms to Undercarriage modifications, ECU bypass and so on, except for the Engine, with the exception of tappet tuning and stuff like that. I literally traveled the whole of Malaysia due to my Job as a PBX Service Engineer amongst other Positions. And I would like to keep the car for longer. But fun things does not last. It has already suffered a lot since my early accidents, where is there is a crack near the Firewall. And the car will never straighten even if you did tyre alignment multiple times.

 

BengMobile I (1997-2011) 

BengMobile II (aka VeeChai)

 My Second BengMobile was the Perodua MyVi 1.3 EZi (Daihatsu Boon), and this time, it is a Automatic. If I am not mistaken, I got it in 2011, and the main reason was that the Home Minister did not consider the car to be safe enough for my two Kids who are school-ready. I did not believe her until I did (an almost emergency) brake one day and reaslised it was close to about 50 metres before coming to a stop. So, I did a quick stop to Proton for a Manual 1.8 Inspira (aka Mitsubishi Lancer) but the Sales Guy told me there is a 6-months wait for a Manual. On the way back, I decided to stop by a Perodua Showroon. And as luck would have it, they have a Manual MyVI. However the stick felt stiff and unpredictably off during the test drive. On the way back to the showroom, I saw the White SE (Special Edition) variant and asked for the possibility of a test drive. As soon as I drove less than 100metres, I told the guy, "I want this", which the Home Minister also agreed. I mean, the car already has side skirts, a rood spoiler ad a very nice front bumper. Furthermore, the seats, steering wheel and gear knobs are covered in leather. I have no excuse to modify the BengMobile II. The Sales Guy was eager to complete the Sale but I told him to chill first. We settled everything and because its so close to the Chinese New Year, I told him not to rush it but to deliver after the Festivities.

 And now, its already 15 years and VeeChai, which I so fondly call instead of the Bengmobile II, is getting on. It has done a top overhaul, a radiator change and just last week, had the A/C compressor and cooling coil replaced. The Drive shafts and steering racks are next but I was told, it is best not to go ahead and leave it as it is. Even the plastic headlamps have cataracts. You won't notice it since the lamps are bright but then you'll start to wonder why your lights have a short throwing distance...

BengMobile II (2011 - Present)

 

BengMobile III?

 It is time for another car. But, it is also the time for me retire. Except I cannot since my savings can only last me for a few years. Without a car, I cannot travel to my Job. And without a Job, I cannot maintain VeeChai. There is a solution which is to get an (updated) used car. I had set my eyes on a Nissan Almera 1.0 VLT (Turbo). Yeah, it is a 1 litre 3-cylinder engine which depends on the Turbo to give a equivalent power of a 1.5 litre. I have reflected back on my past two cars, which had an average service lifespan of about 13 years. So, maybe, this Nissan will be good.

Nissan Almera VLT 1.0L
I like it for the Front fascia design and yeah, the huge rear boot, plus it has a decent Audio Unit with Android Auto plus 360 PVM camera.

 

 There are stories about this 3-cylinder engines not being as 'powerful' for such a long-ish car. And yeah, there are stories about all Nissan cars using cheap parts as well. Blah blah blah...

 Alternatively, the 2019 Kia Piancanto Red Line does look good except for the fact that its Warranty is long over. Its does look nice but its a 1/2L car. And Korean cars are a b!tch to maintain/repair after some years. Blah Blah Blah...

2020 KIA Picanto GT Line 1.2L
Whadaya say? It's cute and looks good. Just 0.5L short of 1.3, just like VeeChai.

 

Taking a chunk out of my Savings, I am ready to make a decision...
 

Soon.
 

Maybe.
 

OK, next month, then.
 

No, maybe July...

 

 

 

20260326 Bye-bye, Mr. Ring Lamp

 It's been, I would say, about 2 decades since I had this lamp. I remember buying it for about RM75 in Pasar Road. I remember my Dad asking for my Sister about the Lamp which I offered but she never took it.

What I did not remember was how deadly the UV light was to my eyes because I tend to have it near my face all the time. This was how I used the heavy but beautiful magnifying glass. And it tends to shake if I accidentally moved or bumped into it. Alas, that lens was surrounded by a 22W round fluorescent tube.

I meant to throw this away as what I thought the main metallig casing was actually made of hard plastic. And so, this area was the closes to the fluorescent tube connections, where there is minimal phosphor coating, the UV light must have contributed to its brittleness. That and the heat from the electronics.

You can see the scratches on the white cover which houses the 22W fluorescent lamp. The plastic was getting brittle which, I am sure, was due to the UV light exposure from the lamp. Despite the phosphor coating, UV light still managed to get through. I cannot explain the blackened areas as that was where my cheeks would be touching. Maybe I need to wash my face more often...

 And so, my Works Table would be without light for the time being, until I can locate the power supply to the old makeshift LED I did sometime in 22 September 2019...

20260204 20GB from Yahoo!

 

 Is it worth it? Would we see the hook after we bit it?

 And after that, the eMail Webpage changes to something weird... eukkk...

 

20260117 Artisanal Coffee

 What is Artisanal coffee?

In a nutshell, it is coffee made from high quality beans and brewed at insanely slow methods via Artisans. Or whoever they want to call themselves. I am not sure how this is done or why this is done. When it comes to making coffee, I prefer to use the common 3in1 powder sachets.

Then I looked at the word again. I might be a little dyslexic because I always get it mixed up with antianal or just plain artisanal. After some rest, I looked at the word again:

 Artisanal

or rather,

Artisanal = Art Is Anal

 This is where my mind went off tangent and thought about Luwak Coffee where Asian civets ate the beans, let it ferment inside their intestines and then pass it out of their ass with other stuff. and since the twenty tens, making coffee was claimed to be an art form. So you have been served a cup of coffee, with either a map of the Dubai Palm Islands or some cute Teddy Bear hanging at the side, which makes it a Sin to destroy. It's like a form of torture to a thirsty art connoisseur. Yeah, it is technically shit coffee. Or maybe, this anal coffee, I mean artisanal coffee, is the Luwak Coffee which everyone raves about.

 

20260114 How to train your Mamak

The Mamak Connection

 I want to tell you something, I might have either told you or someone else long ago. And since you're here, I want to tell you again. And I am so sorry if you have heard it before because I am going to tell it to you again. 

The Favourite Mamak

 Back in the mid-90's, we Engineers would hang out at the Mamak after work, or any given chance we can get. Of course, we can go to other stalls within the vicinity but we always prefer this place. There is one tall skinny fella who remembered our Drinks and does great mental calculations right in front of you. Of course we only go there either during lunchtime or, in the evenings but never during working hours *ahem*. And another great thing is, even if we stayed beyond 7pm in the evening (to wait out the evening traffic), he does not chase us away.

 It sounded ideal but we have to remeber that there are the occasional patrolling Supervisors or Managers who can catch you red-handed even if you sat right hidden inside the stalls. Luckily, we know their usual time-table and so, after collecting our Jobs for the day, its an open secret that most of us would hang out at the Mamaks before the grind starts. Here, everyone can share about Job anecdotes, Customer follow ups, tips & tricks, hand-overs and anything else that can be done in the Office since they do not serve teas and coffees. We would rather sweat it out here, in an environment where hierarchy is the last thing on everyone's minds. And over cups of iced Tea of Coffee, where everyone knows your name.

 

The NESLO Story

 Which brings me to this. I am not sure if I was one of the few who invented the NESLO Drink. Right before the time of Internet, Forums and Digital recording devices, there was no other way to record this. It happened one evening, when I my thirst wanted something different apart from the usual Coffee, Tea or Milo and their various combinations with milk, sugar, etc. So, I just asked for Neslo as if there is such a drink. For those who are not familiar, it is essentially, mocha.

 As expected, this unexpected expectation led me to showing they Guy how it was done, although I just thought of it mere seconds ago, for a made up drink. The name Neslo is a potmanteau of Nescafe (Coffee) and Milo (Chocolate drink). Come to think of it, maybe Milafe is a much better name (Me, Laff). Anyway, I just told him, just do the usual iced Nescafe Coffee with all the condensed milk and stuff but in half the cup, then add lots of Milo in. And lo and behold, it was done and yea, it was delicious! I can see the Mamak's mind is working overtime as he looked as if someone smacked his face with a plank multiple times.

 Anyway, about 6 months later, I realised that most of the Mamaks I've been to, have this Neslo drink. A drink that never existed before, made up just for fun, became a reality. My theory is that he might have revealed this newfound knowledge to other fellow stalls and maybe though the Mamak network, then got the Drink officiated. Maybe he was given a Medal or a Box of KFC, but yeah, that'd never happen. Thankfully, the price that f@cker charge me, which is the equivalent of two drinks with no discounts, has settled into a single drink price. And so, that was my story of I 'invented' Neslo which cannot be proven nor claimed.

This is like Generations ago, where through migration every country had Bak Kut Teh, and now, they're claiming theirs is the original, etc. Or even, the origin of the Nasi Lemak which is a Country's National Dish and for others, a native dish.

The Mamak stalls were located on the left (yellow) of this recent 2026 Google Map. As you can see, the ongoing roadworks on both sides have nuked any remaining stalls, trees and road shoulders for you to double-park.

 

 The Kuey Teow Special Story

 I have a friend to thank for this next culinary breakthrough but then again, it is nothing new. Char Kuew Yeow which is basically a stir-fried flat noodles (almost like chee cheong fun's flattened version) with a good dose of soya sauces and stuff AND cooked with a fiery charcoal heated wok. In Malaysia, where we have three dominant races, the way they prepare this dish is very different.

 For me, I prefer the Chinese version which is 'dry' and sprinkled with oily, crispy lard and must have that umistakable 'wok hei' flavour. I do not care for stuff such as prawns and chinese sausages though, just as long as there's some chili in there. However, all these was nothing when I tasted the Mamak variety. It is wet. I am not sure how to describe it but its just not oily wet. The Kuey Teow Special, like the Chinese version, does vary depending on who cooked them. Some would have a lot of Kuey Teow, some would add in crispy chicken and/ or, good stuff such as big chunks of raw garlic and whole green chilis. 

 And so, in every place, I would tell them that I want a 'Kuey Teow Special' but with TWO half-boiled eggs on top of it. The first time trials with new Mamaks are more misses than hits but once in a while, a few would get the concept right away. The main aim is to mix the two (almost) raw eggs into the HOT Kuey Teow which will eventually cook them. The reason being that the egg yolks kinda hits the spot for me as it makes the whole dish creamy and sweet.

 You know, one day I might want to add the eggs to a curried rice or, even, curry noodles but not Nasi Lemak unless its piping hot. Eggs on buttered toast has already been done since I was small shiet.

I guessed the former 'team' manning the Mamak Stall near the Office has gone. The two new faces there looked quite inexperience but over the course of about three months or more, picked up very quickly. Except that only one of them can cook Kuey Teow. Alas, although it was delicious, the portion was quite small, about 1/3 less compared to the previous Chef.

 

20260111 All for a RM20.00 PSU

Good Morning! Ha ha ha ha! 

 For once, I forced myself to wake up as early as possible to get some soldering done on a nice Sunday morning. The day went kaput the moment I connected the Chip Programmer and switched its power supply on. Since the Laptop was not able to detect the said programmer, and basic trouble-shooting indicates the 9VDC 2A PSU is out.

 Instead of getting it online (and cheaper even with shipping), I decided it was time to drive down to Pasar Road instead...

 

 

This is literally the whole Map of Pasar Road. Just for this post, I am only showing the main street, which is Jalan Pasar (aka Pasar Road). There are more electronic shops (not shown) in the upper area of the map. Anyway, for today's blog, my Journey starts from the left to the right, and that's just about 425 metres (or 1,400 ft, give or take)

Walking down Pasar Road

 A lot has changed since my last visit and I have to admit that Pasar Road was not how I remembered it. I remembered on my last visit, the whole street has gotten hotter because decades old trees were chopped down. Today was no different except for the roadworks behind. And today, there wasn't much of a crowd too.

 The first noticeable sign was that apart from the normal Electrical, Cars and CCTV shops, most of the Electronics shop were not open, except for two. By around 1000 on a Sunday morning, the shutters would be up but it is now past eleven. Secondly, the crowd seemed to have thinned out, which is quite apparent on the open booths and the market alley. Maybe tomorrow is the end of the School Holidays and everyone is scrambling to get the kids ready. Or maybe, this is how it is.

 After getting the PSU, I decided to walk the whole street, starting from the left (as shown on the map (above). Most of the dots in the Map are roughly the spot where I took the photos. It is not accurate but then again, I am not being paid for this.

This is the T-junction entrance/exit to Jalan Pasar Baharu. If you go on straight in, you'll see the Wet Market and then end up cutting across to Jalan Yew. Ever since I came to this area in the 80's for some Tuition, the corner is always filled with fish and aquarium related stuff.

 

Some of these fishes are ready packed in a bag...

 

The more 'exciting' ones, I guess, are plastic bags housed in glass jars, maybe to make them stand upright?

From aquariums, to filters to pumps to plants to food, etc. everything is there. I am not sure why there are eels though.

 

The makeshift stalls on the main Jalan Pasar Road seemed quite empty today. The road shoulders are devoid of sellers.

 

The Clothes shop is still here.

 

And so is the Toy Shop. More than a decade ago, and old man used to sell his RC stuff from a small Van and later, I assumed, ventured into this shop. He does have one at the back but this is much more 'noticeable'. I have to assume because I used to see him in there, always chastising his 'son' and scolding the staff. Suddenly, he appeared on the Van parked on the left and away from the camera.

 

A usual sight where 'Customer Service' is at work. For me, it is normal even when I was a kid but in most shops, they will take the item and slip into another shop, so that the Customer does not see what is being done. My assumption would be, since the Customer wants it fast, the item in question to be repaired and without the Customer asking any questions, butting in and complicating things. It slows down the whole process without them knowing it. But from their point of view, we're doing the sneaky. I've been in that spot many times and it took a lot of strength not to yell at them to shut the hell up.

 

I've just passed a guy sitting on the right. They are the ones selling Blue Pills of mysterious origins and you know what these small shops are, due to images of women plastered near the walls.

 

 

 

The small Market in the Valley. Notice not many stalls are felling meat and stuff, maybe they're closing up since this is already 1100.

 

At the mouth of the Alley is where I would stop for a bowl of soya bean drink. I did not see the old man anymore and so, I am not going to ask. If the next time I came and it still this old woman, then I know the sad answer. Anyway, with the Chinese New Year coming, they are displaying more CNY cookies than soya bean drinks. Or maybe, this is their Business Plan now.

 

 

 

More and more Foreigners doing their weekly marketing and instead of walking back, they're haggling with the Taxi guys. I cannot remember if the Bus Stop is still operational.

 

It is about 1133 and the guys at Nasi Kandar Lubna took about 10 minutes for my Thosai. By noticing the light cast by the Sun, the yellow arrow shows how much time has elapsed. I did not measure the length but it's about 8cm. The traffic on the left is already building up, leading to a heavy Jam later.

 

I finished the whole meal within 10 minutes and by my estimate, I will start to receive a lot of direct Sunlight if I stayed on for another 30 minutes.

 

So, this is the RM20.00 switch-mode PSU. I was looking for those heavy transformer types but with most of the Electronics shops closed, my choice was pretty much limited...

 

 

 

20251231 That Pinky Fan Pt. 02

 So, in just less than three days, the replacement battery had arrived. And I am not happy.

 In what was a simple replacement job, it almost went to FUBAR but I managed to steer it back to SNAFU. Oh, the former acronym is the worst situation and here are some more colourful ones.

 

The Battery Change

 The job at hand is quite simple. Get a new battery, match the connectors to the PCB and plug it in. 

The new battery (2200mAh) has a 2.54" pitch connector which I would have to somehow convert it to the Fan's 2.0". The quickest solution would be to cut off the wires of the original battery and solder it to the new one.

The original batter has a BMS circuit which I could not remove and solder to the new one as I do not have a spot welder. Using a slow 30W soldering iron is madness. It's like making an omelette with a candle.

The SNAFU

 So, this is the part where everything went wrong. After plugging the new battery in, it does not charge reliably. Suddenly, all the years of using this fan brought back memories. Especially the memories of the USB connector being faulty...

 In other words, the faulty battery might not have been faulty at all until I made it so (by removing its cover and snipping its cables away).

 

 

So after wiggling the USB connector, it was confirmed to be loose. And with some dabs of solder, the circuit is charging.

 

The FUBAR

 OK, so it didn't fully go to that stage yet except for my Wallet which I FUBAR-ed it. Once I am back from work, I would have to perform a Supervised Charging Test and then, we'll see.

 

 

 

20251231 Dentists

 I was just wondering...

 

If an Artist does Art, and then a Dentist...

20251227 That Pinky Fan Pt. 01

The Pinky Fan 

 While I was at the back of the Kitchen, I saw the Pink Fan again. Alas, this time, it was destined to be thrown away as my Wife stated that it could not be used for long after every charge. This fan has been at out girl's study table for quite some time. I never thought I would ever see it again after our move as we did a lot to lighten our trips.

 

(Almost) Everyone had one

 I was toying with the idea of having one of those fans which now comes in a very compact form. If you looked at it, it was designed to be like a small jet or, a high speed fan. I was thinking of, you know, having one handy if we ever did some BBQ outside the house. Alas, there is a very high possibility that it would not be happening so soon. In the meantime, everyone else in the Office was using it to blow onto their faces. This is quite awkward since we're in an Air-conditioned environment.

 

 Can this be repaired?

 I am very sure that this can be repaired. When my Wife told me the reason why it has to be thrown away, I know that it has something to do with the batteries. With today's products (and Vapes), I know I'd be looking at lithium-ions or, lithium polymers. In most cases, it was always the batteries as most products needs them to work and in the most economical way.

 Looking at the Fan, it is either glued on, or, snaps together with hidden clips. This method does away with metal screws and which I surmised, reduces manufacturing costs. In the end, the Consumer would get a year or two of service out of it before it 'breaks' down.

 

 In the meantime

  So I am still browsing at my local B2C Platform to get the best deal and I am very sure that the price could either be half of the Fan's original price or slightly more.

The lonely little pink fan which sat on the pile of debris, awaiting its fate with the Dump.

The simplicity of this design is that everything is either glued on or, it has hidden clips. The design of the fan is quite simple. Connect a DC motor to a USB Li-Ion charger cum motor speed controller and you're all set.

 

 

So, replacing the battery is just a simple matter of unplugging the old one and plugging a new one in. Actually, it is not that simple because, there is no standard in ensuring the connectors are following which side is the positive and which is, the negative. Therefore, when I receive the battery, I'll bet there would be some re-wiring.

 

 

20251219 Who is Frank Miller and why is there a Ronin sequel?

 During my Teens, when I was into Comics, there were a few Artists which I loved. Names such as Cam Kennedy (2000Ad: Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper), the late Carlos Ezquerra (2000AD: Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog & The Stainless Steel Rat), Arthur Adams (Longshot), Todd McFarlane (SPider-Man & SPawn), Matsumune Shirow (Appleseed, Ghost in the Shell & Intron Depot), Don Martin (MAD), Al Jafee (MAD), Sergio Aragones (MAD & Groo the Wanderer), Peter Kuper (MAD's Spy vs SPY), Barry Windsor-Smith (Alpha FLight #38 Uncanny X-Men - Wounded Wolf) and Marc Hempel (Gregory)

Frank Miller? At that time, I had no ideo who he was. It was not until I came across a simple bookshop that was selling some very old comics. Ronin was one of the better ones because of its exciting and sometimes in your face black border designs. This got me going and searching for more of the Ronin series but to no avail. I mean, for a kid living in the 80's, the concept of specialised Comics Shop or information on a particular Artist was unthinkable. So, reading and getting the incopmlete Ronin series meant that I have no understanding of the story. Plus, the art was... unique. At that point in time, I felt like as if I was holding the Mona Lisa in my hands but I have no idea about its significance.

Decades later, the Ronin chapters turned into a Collection. I was saving up for it but due to work and other stuff in Life (like The Dark Knight, Hard Boiled), that goal was quickly forgotten. The 90's Internet allowed me to access more of his work, namely The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Returns, Hard-Boiled, Robocop vs Terminator and Sin City. Although I did not digest the latter, the Movie was still... weird. The only time I got interested with a Comic was due to its art but for Frank Miller, it was different. His art style was... unique. It was just enough to convey the Story and it was his very Stories that got me hooked. Confused yet hungry for more, but hooked. So for Ronin, I had to refer to the Wikipedia to understand what it was all about, and then I realised, Sci-Fi with D&D or Fantasy just does not work for me.

And, ComplexAd7272 summed it best.

Anyway, Frank Miller is now 'sober' and since October 2024 has produced the sequel to Ronin, called Ronin Rising and another title called, Pandora.

20251213 The RM50 Irony

 Usually, when we go out together, most of us would look for some shady parking spots which even the Authorities would not bother. In fact, most of us Malaysians have this bad parking habit and now, decades later, it has gotten even worse. All that changed for me when in the late 80's, an Engineer shared a mind-blowing concept with me. "Don't think of the Parking fee as a burden but more as a shield" or something like that. What he meant was, the RM1.00 is an Insurance or guarantee that you would not be fined. And so, once you accepted that paradigm shift, paying for parking is not that bad. Since we're on a 1 hour lunch break, finding parking fast is very important and so, paying for a proper parking spot is standard. Well, OK, unless the fee is RM6.00 and above which is not my kind of tea.

 And so, I've been drilling this to my colleagues and anyone who would listen to an old Uncle like me.

 Coming back to the irony of the day, since I offered to drive my colleagues to Lunch (we kinda voluntarily rotate our cars), I made sure to share the parking concept with them. I mean, there is nothing else to do while sitting inside a car where it is blowing hot A/C gasses at you, and on a busy street too. Before I could start, I noticed a vacant parking slot across us which, surprisingly, no one has taken it for the past 6 seconds. And so, after swooping in and parking my car, we went on our merry way while I mentally and humbly congratulated on my great luck. Lunch was just an ordinary affair where I got to have my favourite Jawa Mee and we bumped into an ex-colleague who had finally escaped the grind.

The Irony?

 Well, that was me, getting fined, for not paying for the parking while telling others to pay for their parking. I guess the excitement of getting that parking made me forget. These are the spots where people just parked and did not bother about paying. I guess the change of guards has brought on new changes.
 

 

 

 

Yeah, the fine would cost me about a minimum of 4 days of Lunch which means, I better start making my own Lunch. Maybe its a sign for me to do that as most of the Lunches really made me gain weight...

 

20251130 Art Side of the Force @Jaya One

The Sunday Drive

Out on a whim, my eldest Daughter and I decided to have a slow drive to Jaya One, just to let her have a small glimpse of my World. There was a Star Wars event happening and I wanted to let her see what kind of mischief I used to enjoy when I was so much younger. And also, I wanted to get some 3D printed 1/35 scale motorbikes (which I saw on Facebook a day earlier).

I highlighted the numerous 'Historical' places that had taken place on our route and stuff like that. I felt that although the information was overwhelming, she kinda took it well, maybe out of politeness. She might know the route yet but I tried to link them with the places she had entered just to make sure she does not get 'lost'. This happened to me a few times when I was a kid since my Parents drove us around. It was only when I started to drive that my mind more or less linked the places and routes together, giving me a rudimentary sense of location.

But first thing first...

We needed to have something to eat, never mind if it was already four in the afternoon. Call it a late Lunch, a pre-Dinner meal or even Lunner if you want but we're damn hungry. We bumped into a friend of mine, Mr. Chan and after a brief chit-chat, he politely left us alone to enjoy our meal.

To be honest, really entering back to Jaya One after so many years, there was a lot of changes and as expected, a lot of emptiness. To me, it was as if the place had picked up and moved on, while discarding the dead baggage while at the same time, tried to be as normal as possible. But we can see that the foot traffic is not that healthy, even if I compared it years ago.

A fulfilling meal at GoduBab Cafe. Since its a Sunday and all, the bill of RM59.35 sounds reasonable. We did enjoy the meal and she did ask a lot of questions about Family ties, Sci-Fi, and... stuff.  From the conversation, I had a brief glimpse or window of where her interests lies in Sci-Fi. Still, it is not my nature to force her into my World.

 

 The Wonderful disappointment that is... Star Wars.

 Imagine visiting one of your on and off favourite Uncles. He is sitting in one of the dimly lit corners. Sometimes he has gifts for you which can be very exciting and sometime, it is just inconsequential. Most of the time, it is the same stuff repackaged over and over again. You still want to see him, hoping that one of his gifts is a hit and over time, as you moved on, it became meh and you're actually embarrassed to introduce him to your kids. The outcome can be either embarrassing, irrelevant or just plain boring. 

I dreaded the choice of bringing my eldest to the point of really questioning my move. Like any excited parent, I would really want to share my Interest with my children and hoped that they too, would be interested. In the last decade, I have seen many FB friends who did that and it does not last. More like fatique setting in and they did it out of politeness while being forced. I do not want that. She did ask what was the last or rather, latest Star Wars movie to which I replied was, "The Rise of Skywalker", a film I wanted to bring them to watch before the Pandemic struck and before all that indigestable woke shit came out.

Seeing that the whole Event was nothing more than booths being set up by some people I knew and Cosplayers walking around with bathrobes and lighted stick, I knew she was bored. Even other areas of the building had more foot traffic. After a last detour to catch up on a friend who has a model kit shop there, it was time to leave as she needs to get a memory card; one of the somethings that Jaya One does not have.

 

It felt as if we were walking into a barren display area or some kind of a second-hand bazaar. If there ware some decorations such as fabric cave walls, this might work. Seeing some of my friends manning the booths there, I did not want to stop by and chat since I know my kid is not really interested.

 

The only consolation is that I was able to get a RM5.00 3D printed figure since the 1/35 scale bikes were all sold out.

 

Sabertrio is a home-grown Company which does a lot of beautiful lightsabers. Seeing them on display really made me wished I had one and hoping that the numbers on the price tag was in Japanese yen...

 

 

 

 

 

20251121 The Gig Worker

The New Disruption

 Imagine working in a place where you can do whatever you like, however you like and whenever you like (OK, this last part is important later), just as long as you hit the target, everyone is happy. And best of all, the no stress target is set by you. Plus, you get to 'work' everyday, as long as you feel like it and the more hours you put in, the more you get out of it, even if the goalpost moves every now and then. There are no office politics, no one stealing your food/ seat/ etc and more importantly no time consuming, useless meetings. And this is an exciting Job where you are at the forefront of this disruptive movement.

 But like all good things nowadays, there is a downside. First of all, there is no financial safety net for you should you fall sick, lose in a fight or just... fall. Although everyone is doing the same work, there is no team and should you fail, they will get your reward for picking up the slack. If you do not work for that day, you will not be punished but you'll have less to eat later on. Still, its a good thing, right? And since the Pandemic, more and more were keen to join you, disregarding the traditional way of studying for Diplomas and/ or Degrees for a more stable position. Lastly, you will not enjoy the benefits of EPF or even SOCSO (but this is being changed).

 By now, you know where I am heading with this.

The Gig Economy

 Yep, there you are, a Gig Worker. No, no, it has nothing to do with Concerts or anything related to it. A Gig Worker is someone who does short-term, flexible jobs be it on a digital platform or, the oft popular opportunities; freelancing and delivery. This breaks the traditional long-term employment with rewards (if you planned) in favour of short-term gains. In short, you are an independent contractor responding to on-demand companies.

 The Gig Economy is a normal part of our daily lives. And we all love to have a package delivered and waiting for us. No more rushing through jams, fighting for a parking spot, ordering and waiting for the food to arrive. Walk under the hot Sun? That was so twenty teens. Now, you can pay someone else to do that all for you and you still have so much time left during that lunch hour.

 Just like a Worker with overtime benefits, the more hours you put in, the more you get paid and that's just about it. But a vertical promotion? Ain't got no time for that since you're too busy making money, right? And this easy peasy this job segment only relies on manpower and the available (legal?) resources that comes with it. It is such an easy Job. A Job that no one can see what the future holds nor how you fare when you have other mouths to feed and also, get older. By this time, will all that ready cash, I'm sure you would have squirreled away some for a rainy day, right? Right? Easy money.

When reality sets in

 There will be a day, when you're too tired, too old and too slow. But you cannot stop. You cannot get your friend/ family to replace you either, even just for a few moments. Unfortunately that day came, and just for that day, you stopped. And every other Gigs you signed up for, also stops. And this is where you need to cash out some of your savings... Let's hope you have savings.

You HAVE savings, right? OK, you can still work

Need instant cash? OK, you can still work

Wife needs money? OK, you can still work

Kids needs more money? OK, you can still work

Family needs more money? OK, you can still work

 Well, since you're still young, why not sign up with other Gig Companies too, as this will make sure you have non-stop orders every moment of the day. And so, everyday, this is your Job. It has turned from, "I'll do this when I have some time to spare" to, "When is the next order?".

Poor fella called me up around half-past ten at night to let me know he has arrived. It was raining, he sounded lost and tired. From the brief convo, I know he's not a regular and only in the evening, did he start working for this gig. So, since it's a pair of safety Shoes, I told him to fling it over the Gate. Didn't realised it rained the whole night and into the morning too. I am not so worried about it getting wet and all, but it would be nice if the seller could have put them inside a box.

 

20251115 Walking through the dark corridor

I can't remember much about this dream but it was frightening and real to me. 

In the beginning, I was exploring a dark corridor by myself and it was a little darker than I expected. So, I went back to my office/ room to gather my wits. Then a female friend came in later and we laid together on the table to rest, with some twisting and turning, she somehow showed me her flat chest. Anyway, with her around, I became braver and we decided to go through the corridor again. It was a long office corridor with high ceiling and both sides had greenish tempered glass. This corridor looked very familiar to another dream I had some time ago. And at the end of that corridor is a darkened shadow. As for the reason why, I am not sure but it felt as if we need to do this.

The corridor opened to a bigger room, which on the right of me were a facade of a coffee shop with tall windows. Inside were empty tables and so, it gave me an ordinary feeling. But then I realized, my Mobile Phone has a mode which view 'special' things. The moment I activated it, from its screen, I can see a lot of 'ghosts'. There were people sitting and drinking at the tables. And then, there is the dark area further up ahead. The normal view shows only a pair of small green doors in the wall, is if it is leading to a celler. But my Phone showed it is full of dark aura, with large spider-like fuzzy soot coming out of it every now and then. I should not open it but I did and all the spider things came out, only to reveal a reddish flowing core.

There were other parts but by the time I rushed for work, the above was the only thing I could remember. The scary part was me walking through the dark corridor alone.

20251112 It was..... Aliens

 20251113

 I was driving along some kind of highway, on a Sunny afternoon, with winding slopes on the right. The Sun was glaring but through my wind screen, there was a long line of cars in front among the sea of yellowish brown.

 I think i must have pulled over at one of the turns where  the hills have recessed shadow. Once I stopped and looked up at the ridge, there were some soldiers with sniper rifles on standby. I climbed up but they were not that bothered with me. While I was looking down at the long line of cars, I noticed they have some kind of potato bread at the side, the kind with burned cheese tops. I ate some abd suddenly, one by one, the soldiers started to turn on their backs, almost screaming in agony while foaming at their mouth before dying. I was worried because I think the bread had something to do with it.

 The next thing I know, I was in front of a brownish house. Inside there were a scene featuring the two guys from Yes, Minister. I was lying on a couch, resting. Then everything shifted to outside, where on a white wall, with one guy crying and sobbing (maybe he is the PM) while the other, who looked like the PM in the TV Show, pushed him to the wall and started scolding hit. Next thing, they were back to the same room with me, which I was still lying on the couch. When the sterner guy talked to me (I thiknk he is really the PM), I noticed though his mouth and into where the throat was, there was some kind of a silver cog wheel with a orange-ish sac in the middle, with red tubes/ veins to the body. I used my finger to poke the sac which then leaked out and he was dead.

 I was in the bathroom, measuring the red scooper which turned out to be 7cm in depth, the same with the others although they looed different in size. 

 I went down where the other staff were, saw a fat guy and pokde my finger into his mouth. There was nothing but his throat. Then saw a Lady Maid, used a chopstick and poke into her mouth and she dies. Somehow, the first guy and I concocted some kind of a white power (salt?) which when we blew onto them, they snorted out the powder and died.

20251108 The oils are... gone!

 Sometimes I can get paranoid when it comes to cars. I have been with VeeChai aka Bengmobile II for close to 14 years and have been very familiar with his quirks. So, any weird sound or changes, can either make me go into inquisitive mode or, well, worry. For example, that 6 six year old occasional front vibrating/ knocking sound? Its now gone, which I attributed to the front bonnet stand lying somewhere on a Malaysian road. I am very certain it is that despite the fact that every time I open the bonnet, it stayed solidly on its holder.

The Engine Oil

 If you were young enough, you would be able to watch how James Bond dispatch the bad guys with an oil slick. In those days, every Bond cars has secret weapons which, by sheer coincidence, came in very handy for 'every' situation. So, everyone, including me, wished our cars has some secret gadget too.

 For those who need to know, mine is the oil slick. Yes, that trailing black oil slick, which, also happens to be uncontrollable (maybe I should have installed a switch?) and sneaky. Sneaky as in, 'How did that happen?' sneaky. Maybe I should call it an oil drip. But anyway, I started to notice Veechai's weird behaviour which seemed to feel lethargic of late and has that occasional clattering/ farting sound.

I beg your pardon?

 Yeah, cars don't usually fart. One thing you should notice when you drive near a wall or a long barricade, they can be a very helpful diagnostic tool. Any sound from the car (apart from the screaming passengers) would be reflected back to you, the driver. This is the opportunity where you can quickly determine if there is a problem. For example, a quick sharp and consistent ticking sound could either be a small stone or, a nail/ screw stuck to the tyre. And, if there is a screeching metallic sound, it could mean you're gluing to the wall, which you can confirm first by looking at the missing side mirror.

Anyway, for my case, the sound is like a fast rattling or a series of non-stop rapid farts. Plus, it only comes up when I least expect it, which is not very helpful when I am on the road. At first, I thought it had something to do with the exhaust and so, I lifted the gas pedal but the sound did not stop. Maybe it's the gearbox because when I set the car to a cruising glide without any load, the sound is occasionally there. Aha! Aaannnnnd...... then it is gone. Only when I press the go-go juice again, it is occasionally there. So, this means, it is from the Engine... shit.

 And. I. Have. Been. Driving. For.... Months!

With the help of the Technicians, we all more or less pin-pointed the loss if engine oil to the faulty oil filter housing, where the oil is trickling down. And when the throttle was pressed, the dripping speeded up. The first thing is to solve this problem before we can confirm if the surrounding oil splatter was from that faulty o-ring of the oil filter housing. Hey, its almost 14 years now. Might also be a good time to really re-seal the oil sump with some gooey stuff.

 

And so, the Sunday is (clockwise from left) Perodua Engine Oil semi-synth 5W-30 RM110.00, Bosch Oil Filter RM8.00, Oil Filter Housing O-Ring RM14.00, Bardalh2 RM22.00 and a pair of Bonnet Rubber RM3.00. Yeah, I forgot the metal oil gasket.