Free call to HK landline and mobile

Gizmo is offering free phone call from other country to Hong Kong for free, even landline and mobile number.

My name is getting less popular...

...what about yours? Find it out here

旅行後的後遺症

十天的大旅行過後, 又要面對種種的煩惱: 錢, 工作, 人事等。這數天的心情都不大好。要快點回復狀態才行。

Back from the trip.

I am now back to Hong Kong. I didn't have internet access for the last week so I didn't get a chance to check email or post anything. Anyway, I will post some of my travel experience here in the future.

It was a wonderful trip, I wish I have more money to travel more!

Japan Trip Day 2.

Went to Tokyo DisneySea today and it is a lot more fun than I expected! The shows are fun, the games are cool and I had a wonderful time with my wife. I am glad that it didn't rain for most of the day. The final show is great and if people tell you that DisneySea is not fun, don't listen to them!

We also had Mos Burger for late meal and the burger tasted very very good! I orodered this and my wife like it soooo much that she want to go and order this again in the next few days.

Since I don't have my computer with me, I am using a computer in an internet cafe.

Let's see whether I could stay up and watch World Cup tonight.

Windows Mobile 5...

As a long term PalmOS users, I tried to swtich to PPC once by buying a HP 4700 PDA. I was so frustrated with it and sold it for a lost later and got a Treo 650 instead. Life is good!

The funny thing is that for some funny reasons, my wife is using a Gigabyte PDA TV phone with Windows Mobile 5 now. The Windows Mobile OS has improved a lot compared to the HP4700, but I don't think I will switch to Windows Mobile just yet. I still like Palm's simplicity and speed. Given that she is using WM, I have to become the de facto WM support guy at home and has to get familiar with WM again...

Hopefully the WM5 version of the Missing Sync software will be released soon so she could sync her data to the phone on her mac.

Funny Game TV Ads.

A list of weird game tv ads. I think the Legend of Zelda one is strangest! These also bring back the old memoy......oh the Nintendo Disc System!

The Code Monkey Song

All developers should listen to this Code Monkey song (Direct MP3 Download Here). It is so funny....and true! We all have similar experience while being a developers. :)

Lyric below:

Code Monkey by Jonathan Coulton

Code Monkey get up get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
Code monkey have boring meeting, boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very diligent
But his output stink
His code not functional or elegant
What do Code Monkey think
Code Monkey think maybe manager wanna write goddamn login page himself (Best line in the song! Haha!)
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy just proud
Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
Big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey hang around at front desk
Tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
Bring you cup bring you ice
You say no thank you for the soda ’cause
Soda make you fat
Anyway you busy with the telephone
No time for chat
Code Monkey have long walk back to cubicle
He sit down pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight
Code Monkey not feeling so great
Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
Big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you lots
Code Monkey have every reason
To get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
See your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job fulfilling in creative way
Such a load of crap
Code Monkey think someday he have everything even pretty girl like you
Code Monkey just waiting for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow
Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
with big warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you

巴士阿叔的事後感

這數天不停地聽到巴士阿叔的金句。其實這件應該令我們明白兩件事。

1. 香港人(或中國人)吵架到將會打架也沒有人會出聲, 聽說在外國有一個國家(好像是英國)有一條法律說人們如果看見罪行發生而不去幫忙, 政府有權告你的。
2. 人們在外的一舉一動也會被人看到, 或許這件事會令香港變成一個懂以禮待人的城市呢!

VS.NET 2005, C# and Resharper

I have been using IntelliJ IDEA for a long time and I am a big fan of it. I am playing with VisualStudio 2005 and C# today and found out that it is really a big pain to switch IDE. I than goto the JetBrains website and download their VS.NET Add-in product called ReSharper. I am very happy to find out that most of the IDEA keyboard shortcut are there! I could use "outv" instead of "soutv" to do a println again! And being able to CTRL-click a method name again makes me very happy. Suddenly, life is good again!

Stupid professor and a disgrace to Chinese and UT Austin!

From this news:

"Professor Chen had created the original Hanxin chips simply by grinding away the top surface of some of Motorola's Freescale DSP chips with sandpaper and having them reprinted with the Hanxin logo.... Professor Chen, a 38 year-old who earned his doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin..."

What was this professer thinking?! Did he get a PhD of stupidity and criminality? I also graduated from UT Austin and I still cannot imagine why he could do such a thing that disgrace the Chinese, the univeristy, and all of its alumini!

Regarding Da Vinci Code...

From my friend's blog about the Da Vinci Code Movie and the Vatican:

"Most people do understand the fact that this is a fictional tale written by a comtemporary author and that this film is a commerical artifact produced by Hollywood...A true faith will stand against the strongest temptation from the devil, let alone a blockbuster hit created by Sony Pictures... "

I agree, it is really no big deal. It is what people believe that matters. It is a noval and movie, not documentary!

Is it really such a big deal that Forrest Gump shaked hand with the president in a movie? People should be intelligent enough to think by themselves.

A lot of people actually supports the church of FSM! Ha ha.

Nintendo Old School Business Card Holder

I actually have this fun business card holder shown here. Haven't actually have the chance to use it yet as it doesn't seems to be appropriate in some of my client meeting situation.

Currently Reading: The Business of Software

I am currently reading this book called "The Business of Software". I wish I have discovered it earlier since it certainly makes me understand the software business more. Especially when I got a change to work in different type of software business company: both pure product and consulting.

I only read a couple chapters, but basically it is saying that an hybrid company (doing both product and services) will have a better chance of survival long-term.

Deep down in my heart I like product company more than a pure service company. Anyway, still reading it, so far so good.

Oh My God! PS3 costs USD$600!

I am sure I won't get a PS3 anytime soon. The fact that it costs $599 and the copying of the Wii functionality in its controller makes it a big turn off to me. I think I will buy it only when the price comes down, or when Metal Gear Solid 4 comes out.

I am saving my money for Nintendo Wii. Looking forward to see its E3 press conference tomorrow.

IE "Whee..."

This is so funny! Beside Nintendo "Wii" (Wee), there is also IE "Whee"...

Click the following icon to watch.

Nintendo Wii?!

The Nintendo console that I am waiting for, previous called "Revolution", just got a new name "Wii" (sounds like "we"). For more information, visit the nintendo site.

I don't understand why people start to name everything with "ii". Intel got "Viiv" and now we have "Wii". It just confusion people a lot. I finally understand their reasoning of it after reading the description. However, shouldn't they name the system so people know what it means immediately, without a long explaination??

Nevertheless, I am going to get the system when it comes out. I will get used to the strange name soon.

My Final MBA School Decision

I am going to accept the offer from HKUST for the Dual-Degree program. Going to different interviews was an interesting experience.

I really want to thank everyone who support me during this application period. Thanks my mom, my brother, my best friend Pazu. Thanks Jim and Howan for their help in writing the reference letter. Also thanks Chris, Lewis and other colleagues for supporting my decision as well. And special thanks to my wife, who gave her 110% support and encouragement to me in my quest for MBA study.

Three years of hard work(or, challenges :> ) is coming....

HKUST Offer!

Finally an answer from HKUST! And it is a very good news!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Joel

Greetings from XXXXX taking care of admissions from HKUST MBA
program. Thank you for joining us for the interview,
On behalf of our admissions committee, I am most pleased to
inform you that you are admitted to our part-time
Dual Degree MBA & MScISM program starting August 2006.

As per our schedule, we shall send out the admissions offer package to
you in April 2006. If you accept the admission offer, you are requested
to return the signed acceptance of offer with a deposit of HK$XX,XXX
to us.

The program fees for August 2006 intake is proposed to be around
HKDXXX,XXX for completing the part-time MBA & MScISM program. The proposed
fee is subject to university's approval. You will find more detailed
information from the admissions package.

Congratulations! We are glad to have you joining us! In the meantime if
you have any questions or anything I could help, please let me know.

I look forward to seeing you in coming summer!

Thanks and Regards

MBA Program Office
HKUST Business School
The Hong Kong University of Science & Technology
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
-------------------------------------------------------------------

7pm and no reply....

Still no reply from HKUST....

CUHK....I am coming soon la.....!!

ok HKUST...I will give you half more day tmr.