Chilled to last some longer, like in the fridge. Been some time, probably a year or more. I tried stepping on ice again.

I can still slide, and that's enough really. Felt like flying a bit, I'm not an advanced player.

But time felt slower, even though I listen to music for the pace.

Live Mesh is available for everyone (with Live ID)! They keep the promise of delivering public beta in this week. Heard it this morning from Liveside.

For those in country that natively speaks English or American English (say… en-UK and en-US), there’s also beta client for Windows Mobile 6.1 device.

Setup and using

Fir now, I’ll just use it for the file synchronization function until I find even more ways to get its potential. Installed it to my home computer, notebook and my work computer, setting up my main documents folder (MS Word documents, not the whole My Documents), Messenger log, Favourites and Live Writer posts.

The initial setup took long time though, which is understandable because I’ll be uploading those files I have. After this I’ll fix the conflicts and duplicate files (because I changed the directory structure in some devices).

Now, what is the next thing I’ll do ? Maybe next week, I’ll collect portable applications (those that need no install, no other DLL, no registry key, etc) into a folder, and then synchronize those up to the cloud. Then, I can have all of them in my devices :D

I wonders, when will application developers starts distributing their application by sharing it through the Mesh, that way we can have centralized updates for the applications (but still keeping the personal settings in user space un-synced while the application in centralized application space). Also, a Start Menu-like interface to arrange those applications.

But since it’s a cloud application, I guess rather than using setting files in some user space, they’ll prefer using database to store user preference settings don’t they ? Like Messenger’s contact, display picture and personal text.

Issues

I can’t access Mesh.com’s online desktop from my home computer, I goes into that login endless loop (same as what I sometimes get from Microsoft Connect). I used IE7 on my desktop and IE8b2 at my notebook, could that be why?

In my work computer, I used IE8b2 on XP, and the online desktop got stuck in the “Loading…” page.

Another issue is Remote access not working. But this could also because my ISP is blocking this function somehow.

Well, it’s only been several hours since I installed it, so I might just missed some parts.

Hasn’t been productive in writing day-to-day story here lately am I ? I got pressed by my boss to quickly finish the editing of the three titles for December that I hasn’t submitted yet. The problem is, all three is in the translators. One said she’ll finish it soon (and I finished it by today), the other one said she didn’t know I need it urgent (and she had more than six in queue from other editor). While the other, I guess because I don’t like that one so I forgot sending it to the translator.

Actually, considering the yearly plan, it shouldn’t be a matter for that last one. Book 12 would be published on Febuary 2009. But with our crisis of ready to publish materials, we have a really “adjustable” schedule to say.

Anyway, I got another new titles to work on. Tomorrow, I should start distributing the scripts to the translators again I think. *sigh*

On more natural things. It rained at the first half of this week, on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday’s rain is heavier, but I still find that I need not to open the umbrella (although I bring it with me).

Ah, on Tuesday, after going for meeting in the other building, I got trapped by heavy rain, while my girlfriend came already to the office (ﾉω･､)

But today, the whole moisture is wasted up. From Wednesday, there’s no rain and in fact, terribly hot.

Moreover, it’s my bad luck with public transport day. I waited long, and because of the traffic jam, the bus went through freeway, skipping the place I’m waiting. So I took another bus, and after transferring to another mini bus, it got engine malfunction and I have to switch to another.

Thinking of that, I wonder if I should’ve gone to Roxy and check for the camera instead, and so I could try and take picture with it on tomorrow and Saturday. (*￣ー￣)ゞ

Yes, my plan for tomorrow, private Halloween party. Not really in a traditional way, just need a date with reason to do something special. Too bad she can’t go out late at night due to the over protective parents.

By the way, Indocomtech (a local IT product sale event) is two weeks away. Going to try look for a new DVD drive and wireless router there.

Start your week with dreaming, exactly what I did.

The dreams are split into at least four sections.

First section have me getting four computers. The specs are nothing out of ordinary, just the usual consumer home PC. But the four are placed in an elaborated platform, supercomputer style towering casing in the middle with four control centre style panel table at four side of it.

The fact that it’s running Windows for daily personal activity itself while making it’s placement and positioning in a building (I think I made it as some kind of corporate campus) and looking as if it’s doing as the institution’s central computing system is an irrational set (but this is a dream anyway, things could be as screwed up as it can be).

I mention corporate campus because sometimes, I feel the limit is blurred whether I’m there as a student, or because I work there (not as education staff).

The second section has characters and story from a game I’d rather not speak out here.

Third section showed the classroom, which is a cross between an assembly hall and a hallway with students grouping together. In the first story in this section, I’m damn sleepy, and do something I don’t remember. But the teacher then took me after the class to a corner outside in the terrace (with cage-like fence facing the busy street) and give me long speech while smoking).

The second story has a lecturer, with face reminding me of an American presidential candidate who tell story to the student about how he want to crack a device that monitor the staffs location; because the students seems to want the teacher out of the room, so he set it to go out, and he came back in when they had their mood fixed. Not clear, and I’m from other group going to the toilet at the time.

Fourth section is on toilet, a really large one with almost nobody inside. Then, some girls came in (the entered the wrong door, no bad intention). Things get rather chaotic when that girl came in to look for her friend who had also came in earlier in hurry and not caring to change to the girls toilet due to the urgency. The scene gets more crowded with the toilet become mixed use.

Nothing kinky, if any, both the boys and girls are just slightly annoyed and shrugs it off easily.

Fifth section… I only remember key scenes and keywords such as hotels, evening schedule, crossing street, naval ship, 8’000 (sum of money).

So, a long dream after a week without it. (*^▽^*)

On unrelated note. Vista introduced WEI as a simple way to measure computer capability, split in (for now) six level with one point decimal number. But for tech sites, there seems to be an easier metric isn’t it ? “Will it play Crysis ?” (^_^;)

She had a permission to go out by herself (usually, her parents asked her to go with the driver, which they will use as an excuse to tell her to come back home early). For someone who’s already 27 years old, that’s overprotective isn’t it? Thanks to that, we rarely ever had time to go out together until later at night.

About last night, I’m glad at least they’re listening and starts thinking more about contents.

We also met her old classmate, so she had time to vent out her problems with family, most are not something we don’t know already (it’s just chronic). The details are not ethical to tell in public like this without permission, so this ends here.

On the wired side. PDC starts next week! Even as a non-IT Pro, the events excite me as an enthusiast of Microsoft products. There, finally the news will rolls out with more information about what to expect. For example, on Windows 7 and Windows Live’s service.

Another announcement I’m expecting very much also is a from a post in the Live Mesh’s team blog (via Liveside) that there will be update to prepare for Open Beta. Finally the rest of the world can try the service too! (>◇<)9

By the way, I think this deserve what the anon in 4chan would use the overused term “epic fail” for. *LoL*
The characters in the left side of the title pictures an Oriental style grave, and the letter in the middle is “Haka” (grave).

The other articles are fun also, showing about the quirks of that part of modern Japanese society ^^;

But I find this case happened in my place also.

Comment post by Nick Ramsay

[…] anyway, one possible reason for IMs’ lack of popularity could be that the Japanese find it so hard to say goodbye. I can imagine an endless stream of “okay, goodbye”, “bye”, “yes, see you”, “you go first”, “no please, you leave first” comments.

Hell yeah. Had that. To end a conversation, just rudely leave, or else both side will keep saying “bye” to each others like a staring contest.

Got a free ticket for Max Payne today. The movie starts on 09.00, before the other shops in that place opened. Because of the previous experience, I went out early, and arrived a nice 30 minutes early.

Getting earlier is a good thing, because if I’m not mistaken, this is the 4th Sunday in a month, our local authority decided to close the Sudirman and Thamrin street (one long busy boulevard in the central business district) to promote less usage of motor vehicle and reduce pollution.

The citizens, who enjoyed a very high utilization of personal vehicle think this is a bad move, because instead of using public transport, they took alternative routes and clogged the traffic in those alternative streets.

Back to the movie. First a disclaimer, I’m not an intellectual film watcher, means I don’t complain about weak plot, bad characterization, shallow philosophical message, etc. My result are binary: enjoyable, not enjoyable.

Enjoyable, but kind of flat. The actions doesn’t feel special, and so does the special effect. Many scenes felt like that when you play game and the character walk through and empty street without any events. That “It’s here, but I don’t feel like I lost some memories of what just happened”. It’s not something that are remembered when the next scene came (I’m not touching the part about if it’s memorable after walking out of the theatre).

Luckily, it’s a free ticket.

Went to Kinokuniya to take my subscribed magazine. The plan is probably goes to my friend’s place, helping with the website her parents want to do. Also brought with me an umbrella, because it starts to drizzle.

But, rain doesn’t fall when you’re ready. When I arrived, it’s bright and shine. Not really a bad thing, I want to have lunch on the street side instead of in the shopping centre, far cheaper.

After taking the book, and spend some time reading, she said she’ll depart on 15.00. So I went to cafe and do some writing (version 3 already, I never manage to write far without rebuilding everything >_< ).

The place is a shopping centre called e’X, the Starbucks over there (for the available seat with electric plug). But there’s a design flaw on the building. Sometimes, from the ventilation, there will be a noticeable smell of from toilet, and not the ammoniac smell but the rotten digested waste. Terrible.

Luckily the smell goes away (or my nose adapt to it (-_-)

At least, the story seems to flow nicely, although still too slow. And I kind of feeling self conscious with the reaction of the guys sitting nearby. Did I really act that weird ? Maybe my clothes are old fashioned, and I’m kind of stiff, but still, those peoples made me feel self-conscious, you know, the feeling like they’re laughing behind your back but you can’t feel sure about it.

She’s late, family matters as usual. So I just get a dinner, next store, which has large window opening to the bowling alley. A nice view, stomach full, and we met.

Also met with her parents. So here’s a review of the website plan again. They had a land in the rural, which they want to rent out for lodging or camping. To promote it, they want to make a website. This is last year, and I also asked for complete content, which doesn’t came. I doesn’t push them either because the work load in my primary job is increasing also.

Then, back from being forgotten, they want to make it again, deadline is by next month. Great, with uninspiring photos and not really any content. I don’t have the chance to go to their place, so my friend’s childhood friend offered to make it, in a day. Result, disastrous. Pictures linked through protected folders, or even local folders. HTML that looks like it’s saved directly from MS Word. I felt like crying when seeing it.

So finally got the chance to meet face to face. I’m not a seasoned developers, so I’ll just try saying it formally. They need an attractive design, and contents to describe their offers. Peoples wont be interested in a mere brochure site of an almost unknown business.

But the stepfather instantly object and cuts me. They said there’s a camping site that’s full booked all year long and their site offers only pictures. I wonder if that’s because of the site or other marketing effort. Well, personally, I just think that he’s lazy and don’t want to bother thinking of the contents. I’m also not doing this professionally anyway, so I’ll just do what they want, fix the pictures in that brochure site and let them do the rest. *sigh*

If there’s something else I really regretted today is that I didn’t take a snap when I think I should.

Talking about job, the boss in office is also pushing us too much. When she’s back from her days off to attend her sick parent, she want us to prepare the schedule and titles we’ll work on for each months next year. Now the main problem is, we don’t have that much titles yet!

The Japanese side is really slow in responding to request for publishing right, so we don’t really have that much of option to build a schedule. I mean, we can’t just put any title that we don’t know if the right will be granted or not just to please the upper management right ?

And I made a fatal typo on references. I mistyped 1999 for the year that Berlin wall is torn down. *bangs head to the wall* (>_<)

Time is measured by something… measurable, often, a periodic cycle. Our clocks nowadays used atom vibration. There are those that used spring, pendulum, etc.

Even the larger time cycle, we have a day, a month, a year.

Not so dependable though. Yesterday, it’s cloudy. Although it’s spring, closing to summer in the southern hemisphere, from the luminescence of the sky, I felt 17.30 like 18.00. And 18.00 felt like 18.45~19.00 because of the rain.

No sun on the sky either, so there’s no guessing by angle. But this morning, when looking to the east and saw a shining spot behind the cloud, the angle is higher than I expected either.

Turn to a more fatal use of non-standard cycle is earlier this morning. My brother is going to college out of town, so he stayed in a shared apartment with his friend. He returned usually on Friday (about twice a month).

Yesterday, he went home. Yes, as everyone might guessed, I woke up and already reviewing my weekend activity schedule. Then, my aunt asked me, what day this is. I checked the calendar in Windows, and… Friday. To the bathroom!

Recently in my free time, I’ve tried looking for way to use Powershell to set all my subscriber RSS feeds as read. The case is, I doesn’t read all the feed everytime. Sometimes, I’ve also read it in my other device. In this case, I need a one-click solution to mark all of them as Read.

Popping up Live Mail and mark all as read on the Unread Feeds works, but not really one-click solution.

Anyone know the script I can use ? Especially what attribute or method can be used to set the feeds’ read status ?

This is what I tried. But I think the last line is wrong.


cls
$fm = new-object -comObject "Microsoft.FeedsManager"
$fu = $fm.rootFolder.subFolders | %{ ($_.Feeds) }
$fui = $fu | %{ ($_.Items) } | where { ($_.IsRead) -lt 1 }
foreach ($_ in $fui) { $_.IsRead = 1 }

 

Although I doesn’t remember clearly which site this comment is posted, I remember it’s about the Mojave Experiment.

A commenter posted that the videos looks rather fake because of the way the peoples interviewed express so much about their impression of Vista after the test seems unreal. But he also mentioned, it might be because he’s an European and the peoples in the Mojave is American.

This comment alone had my attention more than the Mojave itself (I’m already using Vista anyway). How much truth is in it? I’m from an Asian country, south east Asian. But like the comment, I do feel sometimes that what could be normal expression in other culture could sounds over-reacting in another.

That aside, me and my brother had also experienced seeing in China where the locals are talking casually in manner we consider rudely yelling on each others in our country.

 

A scan I got last night. It’s a spinoff from Strike Witches series.

Seeing there are notes from Shimada Fumikane (the concept designer), seems to be official, in a way.

Making things short, just head to the review and some summaries available in the wired. The story in this book is set in the Africa operation theatre. 1942, Halfaya pass, North Africa where the force (joint of German, Italy and Britain) is defending the pass. There’s also 88 cannons (which name always ticks me after Yozakura Quartet) for another long hour before their reinforcement arrive.

Land type Neuroi and unlike in the anime version, no beam weapons. The Witches shown is Major Miles of C Squadron and a German pilot Witches, Hanna-Justina Marseille (modelled of Hans-Joachim Marseille) whom my first impression is (she have tanks for lunch). ^^;

Personal comment, the picturing of the battle is as intense as Kiseki Himura’s works, although here, the proportion of individual battle as well as angst is a lot lower (thus, better).

Hasn’t read the novel part yet. I think if I finished the proof checking today, I’ll had some time to read some pages before returning home. :)

Disclaimer: I’m not that interested in military technology nor history, so pardon my mistakes.

Partly related. Shimada Fumikane art collection. (Amazon)

PS: although the pictures are mostly safe for work (well, some panty flashes but not significant), the legality of scanned copy is questionable.

 

Waking up, and it slightly smells like shit, literally. I don’t really understand, whether my bedroom’s ventilation had problem, or my brain just short circuited the memory storage again, but in less than a minute the thing is gone like a mere dream.

By the way, last year, a friend’s family asked me to make a website for a cottage they have which are rented for camping. That’s last year, and although I asked for the materials needed (pictures and content), the progress is slow. My work load at that time is fluctuating, so I doesn’t rush them (besides, it’s a voluntary non-professional work).

Recently, last week actually, they want to continue the plan. They gave the material, not much, one PDF with content fitting to be presented in Power Point slides. No high quality pictures and those included are not inspiring at all *sigh*

And this year I’m not as free as I used to. Although I made personal deadline by the end of the year, I wonder if I could finish it by time.

Besides, I'll have even less time to start writing again. 24 hours is not enough in these age.

By the way, spent the whole Sunday at home, almost not walking a step out of my room. Felt tiring, really.

 

This is supposed to be yesterday night’s entry, again on why I couldn’t enjoy talking with my father.

Yesterday night, I told him during dinner that today I’ll go to meet a friend to take the book ordered to be used in office. We’ll meet and it’ll be cheaper than sending by post.

So, what’s his comment ? “Look for opportunity!”, yes, that’s his response. He starts acting like some start-up councillor trying to guide me to find a chance and capitalize on it.

I don’t know if I’m too relaxed under-achiever or he’s overly competitive. But this is why I don’t like talking to him. Every time I did, I must watch and calculate all the words I’m saying like I’m in a frickin’ press event with media-hyenas waiting for any slip of tongue. Even so, I still can’t feel at ease because I never know how long that “casual” will last, I had to walk out before it’s too late. *sigh*

And I missed the Nestle drink dispenser in Indonesian sub’s pantry room; although I always took only the chocolate drink (not too sweet and not too acidic) and it always burned my tongue.

To tell the truth, I don’t know them ^^;

There’s a group who held a gathering (I suspect, from their interaction) in the same place I’m having dinner today.

About why they’re looking up, that’s because the place have a mezzanine level and that’s where the cameraman stand to have better angle for such large group.

Anyway, the topic is not that, but like title, photogenic. I also had several gatherings with friends from local online communities and many likes to take pictures of themselves. Here, we even had “self-proclaimed narcissist” who likes to boast that they’re so proud of themselves and pretend to “misheard” peoples’ comment (which made others not want to bother commenting them anymore). In my opinion, it shows lack of self-esteem in a way.

Returning to my report, I post the previous one from my phone. Comparing with other casual mobile journal post though, I think my style is still too much like when typing in computer.

Yes, I went to the southern district, passing the Blok M terminal (rarely stopped there). Despite wanting to take picture, I felt hesitated from taking out my phone in that place, it felt dangerous even in mid noon, and more when I returned at around 19.00.

Lots of bus, lots of peoples, lots of graffiti, an unused control tower (that looks like ATC tower) and an underground city with lots of pedestal street vendor.

The street to Pondok Indah area are surprisingly not congested as usual. From home, I reach my destination in less than two hours. Usually it’ll take probably half an hour longer.

About the shops, like I mentioned, playing to the hardware shop is refreshing although I didn’t buy anything. They’ve started stocking small Christmas day decoration.

My favourite corner is the gardening lane. There are mini fountains, wind chimes, garden tables, faux stone walls. The other alley that caught my attention is the bathroom utensil’s. The small seems as if portable wash basin looks like design for airplane or submarine, but the decoration for drug cabinet caught my attention. Ah, and there’s those expensive shower stall, with steam, various sprays, radio, and phone line ^^;

The (faux) antique shop in the other hand, sparks inspirations. Loved those English style wood furniture and room mood, not too elaborate, but also not plain. Not feeling comfortable with the modern and more minimalist design styles.

Travelled to the southern part of the city. It's a nice change of pace. Unlike the other districts that's already more built, the south you could call the suburban area. Buildings had slightly different feel also.

Going to hardware store or faux antique furniture shop is inspiring. They look better than the new modern style furnitures.

At such time ? Our electric company, I hope this doesn't mean their quality of service will be less than standard for the next days. And especially not when the next rain season begin.

On relationship though, she came today to send in translation script and I still have the feeling that she had been too busy lately that our every meetings felt really rushed.

We could meet again tomorrow but I expected it to be just as rushed.

So cute!! メッチャカワイイ!! XD

Founded the diary yesterday, and lots of fun stuffs she wrote. For those wondering, it’s the online diary of Itou Shizuka (伊藤 静), a Japanese voice actress. I used to bookmark the wrong page, of a comic artist with the same name.

Got more free time now. I’ve finished most of the editing and the proofs, just now may there no fatal mistakes I missed, there’s no public beta for that kind of thing, online internal review, and then RTM. :P

So! Celebrating it, I went out to the ATM, pick up some money and bought myself pack of potato chips and nata de coco drink. Okay, actually I don’t have enough cash in my pocket even for paying bus to go home. The snack shopping is to get smaller change to make transaction easier.

Delicious, better than silicon chips of course, it’s edible. I even bought more for next week.

Now, to hunt for a person from the production crew. Damn, he should’ve sent the material for publishing, so how come nobody got it ? And contacting anyone here is difficult, nobody want to answer the phone.

Arrived this morning in my office, opening my flash disk, and there’s an autorun.inf file trying to initialize an vbs file!? I think I missed and plugged it to an unsecure location. >_<

Got to do full scan when I got home later. Office has been full of virus too lately.

By the way, last night got treated by my dad to a restaurant with my brother. Quite expensive though. It’s a Japanese food restaurant with the usual course (except the bigger more complicated menu). Several types of sushi, sliced salmon and tuna, teppanyaki with more variation of meat and fishes. There’s also some small snacks that’s decorated like overpriced food.

But special for me is two menu. oden and purin. Well, mostly because that two (especially the later) is a running internal joke between me and my girlfriend ^^;

Since the menu is displayed outside the restaurant, I took a look at the neighbouring Italian restaurant’s also. Looks delicious :D Too bad I can’t remember clearly what’s written in the descriptions.

Don’t have the rhythm for dining in buffet anymore. Every time I go to one, it always ends up the same way. Eat easily, and when I starts to feel full and stopped, it gradually goes down to the point where I feel vomiting is a great idea.

On another topic, ever had the situation that problems suddenly cure itself when you talk about it to others? For example, you had a problem with computer acting unexpectedly. So, you rave in a public forum about the problem. Then, without any answer and attempt, the problem is gone (to shows up random moment in the future).

 

My aunt told me about a local news aired in TV. It’s still part of the issue about food quality here.

You know, things here are not less fucked up really. The local currency price is weakening, which is bad for a country where the peoples are still dependant on a lot of imported goods (thanks to the mentality of the peoples and government policy who seems to obey rich multi-national investors). All price is up, and like the disease of large corporation, the society is probably also in the phase that’s it’s dragging its own feet to grow even a miniscule percentage.

Other than the issue of junk food (literally junk as in domestic trash junk), and the age old non-food-grade chemical usage on food to save money in production, made the colour more interesting (like HDTV’s better than real colours) and more time on-shelf.

There’s another type of “creativity” they get, by injecting water to meat product, such as poultry or beef. This issue might not goes as big as the usage of industrial preservative because it’s just lying to the consumer but not as worse as poisoning them.

Saving cost for raising by reducing food will produce thin cattle, not really worth to sell for the needed profit to survive. So, they inject high pressure water to the animal’s body, making the flesh blow up in size (from my aunt’s story, to the extent that the water goes out from all holes of the animal’s body like eyes, nose, ears). That way, they can sell it with higher price like well-grown cattle.

At first, I thought this is done to animals already butchered and cuts to pieces for sale, but seems like that’s not always the case.

IMO, that’s not just cruel, that’s a Torturing process. But I afraid I don’t have much voice. Those doing it are not peoples you can just put in prison and gave hige cost of penalty, they’re peoples of the lower class who if told to stop because it’s a form of animal cruelty would just say back that their (human) life is more important and they needed a living in this recession age.

And after so much time with poverty problem, our government seems ready giving money to help the economic market from collapsing, helping those tax-paying (and bribe-paying) players but all this year not really shown enough care to the poor. *sigh*
Well, those gave more profit I guess.

I hate the world, at least human’s world. They always try to grow infinitely in place they shouldn’t. If it’s strife for knowledge and understanding, it’ll be good for everyone. But they strife to grow in wealth, capitalizing on everything, even something that should be for the good of many (yes, those overpriced drugs for terminal diseases), even to get money from something that doesn’t exist.

Finished the updating last night. It didn’t take long actually. The whole process, flashing Hard SPL and then the ROM took less than half an hour. Now I’m on WM 6.1 with the green screen and sliding panel home screen :D

Windows Live works fine. The folks in XDA Developers placed the version which has working Messenger application (contrary to what the tyrant carriers in some countries forced to exclude).

They also put in Jbed for Java and Segoe Condensed as default interface font.

Bugs with the threaded message is behaving as expected from report. After sending an SMS message, the box will have the last character of message you sent, twice. (e.g: your previous message ends with character ‘a’, the box will have ‘aa’).

Installed my essential softwares, including Total Commander, Opera Mini and IM application.

I played with the Font linking. Japanese text in ID3 shows fine in HTC Audio Manager, but not in Windows Media Player. The folder name shows in Japanese text in the file manager’s title bar, but not in the file listing.

Weird. I then tried Asukal’s Lets Japan pack, but ends up with non-responding keys. I tried erasing some changes it made and have control back of my keypad. But when I tried uninstalling, it’s stuck in the splash screen. Now, hope a hard reset will help.

[Add 2] After hard reset, I reinstalled everything, and now it works. I don’t know how, but it just did. Perhaps I missed something in the previous step. The Japanese fonts works now.

Oh, and I should’ve washed my hair yesterday, it’s too oily and made me feel uncomfortable.