Turn Your Netbook Into A Desktop

My Netbook-Desktop Workstation

I have always believed in downsizing my gear: not just my photo gear but also my electronic gear. As a techie,  I tend to collect a lot of electronics, from mobile phones to computers. There was a point in my life that I collected so much gadgets, I couldn’t decide which one to use. Those days are over, and now I try to limit my gadgets to those that I actually need.

Six months ago, I made the hard decision of letting go of my Asus laptop because:

  • I was using my netbook more.
  • I wasn’t doing any heavy computing at home anymore.
  • It’s more practical to bring my netbook with me( in terms of weight and battery life : netbook=9hours vs laptop 2hours).
  • The Asus laptop is getting old, and cheap and I’ll just lose more money if I sell it at a later time.

It may sound counter-productive, trading a full size laptop to a netbook, but it’s not. For my needs, the netbook was more than enough. The fact that I don’t have a big powerful laptop also made one “habit” of mine disappear: the habit of taking my work everywhere, including my home. Ever since I removed the option of doing work at home, I got back a lot of quality time. Continue reading Turn Your Netbook Into A Desktop

From a Calcutta brothel to a New York university

Photography is not just a hobby. It can be a profession. It can also be used to transform peoples lives.  One good example is from the news article:

BBC News – From a Calcutta brothel to a New York university.

Born into a brothel in the Indian city of Calcutta, Avijit Halder’s life has undergone a dramatic transformation.

The 20-year-old is currently pursuing a degree at one of the top film schools in the US.

The story behind this life changing event for Avijit Halder’s  life revolves around the documentary “Born Into Brothels“.

I was fortunate to watch the documentary back in 2006 and I recommend it to those who are passionate about photography, not just about the wonderful images they can create but also for the potential of photography for advocacy.

I’ve always believed that photography shouldn’t be used just to portray the good things in life, but all the realities of life, however harsh they may be.

Yasmin Ahmad – Making Film and Ads with a Heart

If you live in Singapore I guess you’ve seen that moving TV commercial “Funeral” about the uniqueness and importance of family. That commercial was directed by Malaysian filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad, the same director for the “Rich Son, Poor Son” video I linked to some days ago.
I did a research about her and was shocked to know that she passed away last year. I tried searching more for her works, and one thing I can say is that her works have a heart.  They touch you and make you think. It’s sad to know that she’s not with us anymore, but I believe she has left a legacy with her works and these works will inspire us through generations to come.
To know more about her, I strongly suggest you watch the following videos. Or if you have the time, go search “Yasmin Ahmad” in Youtube.com.

A tribute to Yasmin Ahmad:

The behind the scene interview for “Funeral”:

The last commercial Yasmin Ahmad created:

Rich Son, Poor Son

Here’s another video I found that really drives a  message well. It’s in a chinese dialect, hokkien i believe, but there are subtitles.
This video made me value my mother even more. Check it out:




So what do you think about it?

Unfortunately, Not All Men Are Not Psychic

Warning: This post is not for the people who are weak in spirit,  have low self-esteem, or are easily offended. Openmindedness is advised.

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For the women out there: How many times have you had sleepless nights falling in love with a guy, but that guy doesn’t seem to notice how you feel about them.

Ladies (and men), please take note of this fact:

Men will not assume you like them even if you flirt with them, not because they’re insensitive, but because they don’t want to assume something then be humiliated for thinking so.

If  you want a guy to know how you feel about him, just tell him!  You get to know their reaction faster, and it removes the countless nights of thinking whether or not they like you. Let’s face it: Men are not all psychic. If  you girls can’t read our minds, why do expect us to read your mind? Human beings have evolved an efficient way of expressing their thoughts and feelings:  it’s called talking.

I will be daring enough to assume that if you’re reading this blog, you are human. Then,  if I’m right, you can talk too (maybe even too much).  Do you know how irritating it gets when a girl talks and talks about how great someone is? Yes it can be very annoying.

Here’s the kicker: After some time this girl will come to you crying or sobbing or with a very long face and then suddenly blurting out that this guy that she can’t stop talking about is seeing a new girl and that, that guy is thankful for her for being a great friend?  So you let her cry, then you ask her, “Did you tell him how you feel about them?” And her answer….drumroll please…”No”. Tada! And then you have this lightbulb moment: “So that’s why.” Something reminiscent of the “My Bestfriend’s Wedding”.

So why are you afraid to tell him?

Fear of rejection? Fear of the unknown? Fear of losing a friend? If he’s really your friend, he won’t leave. You are both rational people, right? Sort it out.  Don’t dwell on it if he leaves, at least you got one less friend to  think about. Don’t act like a child;  you don’t need a boyfriend to survive. You’re like saying that all singles are unhappy without a partner. Once you get that idea straight, life will be easier.

Don’t pressure yourself, and definitely don’t rush it. It will come when the time is right.

Don’t get tunnel vision and block out your other friends. You have friends that understands you and care for you.  You have them; don’t risk losing them because of one boy, man or woman.

Live your life to the fullest. Remember, not all men are psychic.