A Penny For Your Thoughts, Cleffy's Pillow Talk

There’s no accident or coincidence, only reasons.

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I don’t believe in accidents or coincidence. I believe that things happened for a reason, especially if it is bad things. If bad things happened to me a few years back, I might not be able to see it as a blessing in disguise. I would cry foul and point finger to the sky and blame God for being unfair and not listening to my prayers, but now, I can see that things happened for a reason, and God never answer your prayers at your convenience, but at His when the time is truly right.

He is the epitome of mercy and justice. He will give you justice, and it’s just the matter of time before he showed it to you. All you have to do is be patient and take everything in life as His will and learn to listen to Him follow His plans.

You see, I did not believe in Him back then… or rather, I felt that He no longer love me and I was not worthy of His love, and therefore, He was no longer with me. But as time goes by, I could see that God is always with me. It was me who was not with Him. And he was trying hard to get me back into His arms by showing me things that I could not see through the things that’s going on in my life. He loved me, and that is why bad things happened: to show me truth, and how the world is really like.

I’ve been working very hard lately. I took extra projects and whatnot so that I could save for the rainy day. But out of the sudden, my netbook died on me. Well, it did not exactly died on me, but it was not chargeable when I plugged it to the adapter. Consequently, I could not do work. I wanted to cry as there was dateline to be met and the workload was practically piling. But I took a deep breath, say a prayer, and took it as a blessing.

I was thinking that surely something good could come out for this. God must have known that I’ve been working too hard, and since I refused to take a rest, he made me take a rest by making my netbook ‘rest’. And so, taking it as a sign from Him, I shut it down, turned away from the table, and took a good rest by relaxing and spending time with my family.

I was amazed, really. My husband not only did not scowl at me for messing up the netbook or made me feel bad, but he comforted me instead and told me not to worry as he’ll set up a desktop for me to use temporarily until he figured out what’s wrong with my netbook.

I appreciates this very much cuz he’s extremely busy and shouldn’t be disturbed right now as he’s supposed to take another round of exam next week. I did not wish to disrupt his concentration, but he assured me that it’s all right and even promised me that if it can’t be repaired, he’ll buy me a new one (and in respond, I told him I’ll pay half). I was really touched. To others, this may be nothing, but to me, this is alot, especially when it cost my husband precious studying time and possibly, money too.

And so, my husband set-up another PC for me to use, which is operating under different operating system that I am not exactly familiar with: FreeBSD- A Unix based operating system. (My netbook was running on Ubuntu Netbook Remix). I fiddled around with it and I learned to use one more operating system. This is good, isn’t it? If my netbook did not died on me that day, I wouldn’t have bothered to learn to use something else besides  Mac, Windows and Ubuntu. Because of this, I’ve broadened my horizon a little bit in the field of computing and Open Source.

And because my netbook was not chargeable and there was no power going through it, and I couldn’t possibly continue doing my work. And because of it, I was forced to put work aside and just relax and reminded myself that I ought to backup my netbook regularly in case of such thing happens again.

My husband  took some time to unwind too and spent…. ahemm… quality time with me. I suppose the boy enjoyed it too, considering the mummy is not completely glued to the PC or forcing him to sit beside her and practice his writing as she do her own work and is able to bring him out for a stroll and eating out.

Anyway, at the end of the day, we went to the shop and get them to service the netbook for us (since it’s a branded netbook and couldn’t be ‘dissect’ or the warranty would be void), and we were told that the adapter conked out, and therefore, the netbook couldn’t be turned on and the battery was not chargeable.

We paid for a new adapter, and I was singing praises for Him deep inside cuz we not only do not need to buy a new netbook, but we get to spend quality time together. It’s been a long time since I feel this way and I am forever grateful to Him for making me stop working for a day and enjoy what life and people around me had to offer. Now that I’ feel much more relaxed and after a really fun break from work, I can now work much in a much more efficient manner since my mind and body is refreshed.

This little glitch made me feel closer to Him too. It made me think of practicing Sabbath. Hmm. I wonder if I could accomplish that?

On a much more romantic note, I feel much more connected to my husband since he started studying again. I am sure this is His doing too. God does work in mysterious way, does he not?

Cleffairy: There’s no accident or coincidence, only reasons. You just have to learn to open your eyes and see the reasons.

ps: Thank you for the new adapter and the new mouse.

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Movies/ Entertainment, writing

Antitrust

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Is it possible to gain understanding towards certain matter a few years late? I am not sure how knowledge works for people, but I think I am quite a slow learner. I need to understand how everything works before I absorb certain information into my brain. I guess my brain is pretty selective in storing infos.

I come to realize that as of late, I started to understand more about physics and it’s theories 8 years after I left school, when I’m no longer required to understand the theories. It is amazing how human brain works…it’s really a wonder. I failed physics for my SPM examination. Yes, FAILED. Because I could not understand the formula and how the theories ought to be applied in real life.

But amazingly…. 8 years later, I could grasps on the concept…one quite a few physics theories… such as Newton Law, Momentum, Inertia, Quantum Physics and many more. I come to wonder…if my brain is taking me into a different direction by allowing me to finally understand and work on the theories correctly? Is this what they call wisdom? If it’s not wisdom, then what exactly do you call this? The ability to grasps on certain knowledge and relate it to real life?

God, my father would really be proud of me if I told him I finally understand certain concept in physics and actually get the calculation right. Is it because now I exercise my brain more than before, it made my brain more active then when I was studying? Is that how our brain actually works? In order to really use your brain and gain understanding, you need to continuously exercise it and give it constant stimulation?

Anyway, ditch physics and my questions. What I want to talk about today is…understanding and coming to term with certain matters after a few years. You see, when I was a little girl… I read a lot of classics. Authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and many more are on my regular read. No… I did not read the children version of their stories. I read the unabridged version instead, and more often than not, I struggled to understand the entire thing. I believe, my mind wasn’t sharpened enough and I lack experience to totally understand what the books are trying to deliver.

Same goes with movies. You see… my husband is a rather technical person… while I am the direct opposite. I am the creative person in the household.Like any other typical man, my husband tend to gravitate to watch movies that revolves around…technology and science. I don’t quite watch science fiction unless I could relate it in real life. And instead of being fascinated about certain things like other people do… I showed my interest and understanding through writing them down instead.

As of late, I realized that I am really quite a slow learner. I understood one movie in particular about 6 years late. The movie in question is ‘Antitrust’.

Antitrust is actually a movie targeted to people who believed in that human knowledge belongs to all and people who supports Open Source. In order for people to understand what this movie is really about and what message it’s trying to send across, one would have to understand Open Source concept, and Microsoft antitrust case that has been quite a hit in commercial court all over the world back then.

Initially, Antitrust is about Milo Hoffman. The story stars off with him working with his three friends at their new software development company known as Skullbocks. Things started to gets murky when  Milo Hoffman is contacted by CEO Gary Winston of NURV (Never Underestimate Radical Vision) for a very attractive programming position: a fat paycheck, an almost-unrestrained working environment. Milo accepted Winston’s offer and he and his girlfriend, Alice Poulson, move to NURV headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Despite development of the flagship product (Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network) being well on schedule, Hoffman soon becomes suspicious of the excellent source code Winston personally provides to him, seemingly when needed most, while refusing to divulge the code’s origin.

After his best friend, Teddy Chin, is murdered, Hoffman discovers that NURV is stealing the code they need from programmers around the world — including Teddy Chin — and then killing them to cover their tracks. Hoffman learns that not only does NURV employ an extensive surveillance system to observe and steal code, the company has infiltrated the law and most of the mainstream media. Even his girlfriend is a spy, an ex-con hired by the company to manipulate him into doing their deeds.

While searching through a secret NURV database containing surveillance dossiers on employees, he finds that the company has information of a very personal nature about a friend and co-worker, Lisa Calighan. When he reveals to her that the company has this information, she agrees to help him expose NURV’s crimes to the world. Coordinating with one of Hoffman’s friends from his old startup, they plan to use a local cable access station to hijack Synapse and broadcast their charges against NURV to the world. However, Lisa Calighan turns out to be a double agent, foils Hoffman’s plan, and turns him over to Winston.

Hoffman had already confronted Poulson and convinced her to side with him against Winston and NURV. When it became clear that Hoffman had not succeeded, a backup plan is put into motion by Poulson, the fourth member of Skullbocks, and the incorruptible internal security firm hired by NURV. As Winston prepares to kill Hoffman, the second team successfully usurps one of NURV’s own work centers, “Building 21” and transmits the incriminating evidence as well as the Synapse code. Winston and his entourage are publicly arrested for their crimes. After parting ways with the redeemed Poulson, Hoffman rejoins Skullbocks.

Okay… after re-watching this show almost 7 years after I first watched it, it is no longer a nonsense movie that could put me to sleep. I could now understand what the movie is all about, after being an Open Source supporter myself. What the characters did in the story is also no longer gibberish to me, and much to my amusement, Antitrust actually have loads of message to tell, and honestly…this movie… is pro-Open Source and rather anti Microsoft.

It is amazing how Antitrust seems to send you to a paralell world of Internet and software development technology and the dirty tricks that comes with it. What amaze me is that the movie itself gives allusion that the antagonist in the movie is Bill Gates of Microsoft himself. I’m really surprised that they are not subjected to libel.

Anyway, I learned a lot from this movie too… albeit a few years late. This is what learned:

  • Knowledge is power, but it could also destroy and corrupt.
  • Never ever try to dominate the business world in a dirty way, or one day, it might backfire.
  • Behind a good software, there’s always good programmers, and one should not just stick at one brand in regards to technology. If there’s good and free software out there that could benefit you, consider using it instead of the expensive proprietary.
  • One should not be extreme… it doesn’t matter if you support Microsoft or Open Source, as long as you open your mind to everything, there’s limitless possibility.
  • Human knowledge belongs to the world and not just one person.
  • Always anticipate the move of your opponent. Life is like playing a game of chess. One must anticipate the opponent’s move, or one will loose.
  • Sometimes, even your loved ones can be your enemy, so beware… don’t trust anyone but yourself 100%.
  • Always have a backup plan.
  • Things are not always what they seems to be.
  • And last but not least… what seems to be harmless, cute and pretty childish on the outside, may hold many dark secrets and could possible be the cause of destruction inside. (Referring to the servers in NURV that contains CCTV surveillance of programmers all around the world… it was disguised as children’s PC in a daycare in NURV)

This movie… is something to WOW for. But only if you understood how Microsoft, Open Source and Programming world works in reality. Thumbs up for Antitrust. Here’s the trailer for Antitrust:

And if you’re wondering where you can watch Antitrust, the entire movie… You can watch it HERE

Cleffairy: The Internet should be public, open and accessible.

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A Penny For Your Thoughts, Current Issue, Giveaways/freebies, IT/ Computing, writing

Ubuntu Linux: Malaysians are so Buntu!

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Bloody hell, sometimes, people are just so goddamn brilliant that I feel like slapping and kicking their ass to oblivion. I am not in my best mood lately, and I don’t appreciate being treated like a fool of a bimbo who knows nothing about computing stuff at all.

Malaysians…especially some Malaysian men are completely obnoxious and I can’t stand their stinking and cocky mouth. Just because I am a woman, that does not mean I am not well versed in IT stuff. This country is full of stereotyping bastards.

I remembered that once, I was walking in Low Yat Plaza on my on, and I was approached a salesman who is trying hard to convince me to buy a laptop. I told him off that I wasn’t interested.

Well, why should I be interested? My husband is doing the same bloody business. He’s selling PC and offering IT Solution services from A-Z to the consumers, and if I wanted to buy a new laptop or a desktop, I would have just seduce my husband to get me one, and if I’m lucky enough and he’s feeling generous to indulge me, I might just get it for free.

Anyway, I’m straying. As I said, my husband is in IT servicing line, and therefore I don’t need to buy stuff from outsiders. So, naturally I declined to buy from this obnoxious feller who pestered me non-stop, in hopes that he will stop bothering me and I can continue browsing for those stuff in the display rack. Obviously, this feller doesn’t seems to have a clue that I’m practically boiling inside, and he persistently pestered me to buy a laptop.

He told me that the bloody laptop in question is equipped with the latest crap from Microsoft, Windows 7, complete with it’s Office application and whatnot and it’s free of charge. Free of charge? Windows license is free? It comes with the bloody laptop? You got to be kidding me. Since when Microsoft is doing charity? Microsoft products is never free. They are up to world domination and intends to monopoly the IT industry.

Maybe many of you don’t know this, but it is no secret that most companies are forced to sign with them, and therefore, if they are selling desktop and laptops, the machine price is included with the Windows license. Windows are not free!

You are paying to use the damn thing, and if people are telling you that it’s free, they are all lies. Microsoft Office is also not free. You pay big bucks for it too. Even if I want to buy a laptop outside, I’ll tell them that I don’t want the bloody Windows, and I just want the machine itself. If I’m lucky enough, I’ll probably get an empty machine and I’ll save my money by hundreds as I didn’t take the Windows license. But if I’m not, I’ll be forced to pay for what I won’t even use. If Windows is truly free, the cost of each machine, PC, Laptop and whatnot would be cheaper at least by Rm300. Check the quotation and the cost of each PC specs, duh! Windows is never free. It’s pre-installed and you had to pay for it, whether you like it or not!

I was gritting my teeth then. I told this feller that I am not using Windows products at the moment and not interested in Windows 7. Instead of just leaving me alone, he assumed that I was IT illiterate, and don’t even know how to use a PC and proceeds to try to ‘educate’ me on how I can use the the laptop with Windows 7 installed in it. Keep telling me what I can do with a laptop and how fun it can be. What a dense feller. I’ve been using a Desktop ever since I was 7. And I don’t even start with Windows to even begin with. I was a Macintosh user, starts off using an old Apple. I only started using Windows at 10, because my school was using it.

I assume he was thinking that since I am not using Windows Operating System, then I must not be using any PC at all. God help me, I almost whack that asshole to death. What is wrong with his head? I may not be using the bloody Microsoft product, but that does not mean I am completely illiterate in IT department.

I was so pissed, so I told this feller that I know how to use Windows. It’s just that I don’t prefer to use Microsoft products as it seems crappy to me. Well,all sort of Windows, 98, ME, XP, Vista and Windows 7 may be right for others, as it’s not for me.

Windows is full of hidden trojans, and security wise, it’s a virus magnet. The last Windows that I used was Windows XP Professional Edition, and I beta tested Vista and Windows 7. But they ate my RAM, and the memories are never enough, resorting the PC to lag like mad and having blue screen so damn often.

Apparently, Windows products are not suitable to be used for a low spec machine, and so, I started to familiarize myself with another operating system platform, which is Linux. It is great for me, cuz I simply hate updating Antivirus and stuff.

Using Ubuntu, I have no fear for virus and trojans, as it’s a completely different platform, and does not execute exe. files without permission.And since Ubuntu is designed with security in mind. I get free security updates for at least 18 months on the desktop.

So why should I bother use Windows and gives myself headache to update antivirus every one or two weeks? Some antivirus is not free either. We have to pay for it too, especially if we’re using a professional or a corporate edition.

Unlike Windows, Linux are never vulnerable to trojan, viruses and spywares. I like Ubuntu, and I use it completely on my free will, as I believe that access knowledge and Internet should be free. Besides having an interface that’s user friendly, Ubuntu is open source and free. Yes, free. One never had to pay for using Ubuntu.

I am more than sure that almost 90% of my blog visitor is using Windows, and perhaps, you don’t quite understand what I’m rambling about. So allow me to explain a little bit about Ubuntu.

Below are the screenshot of my desktop. I’m using Ubuntu Netbook Remix version. Typically,my desktop interface looks like the picture below. See, there’s Open Office and stuff inside.

And for any idiots who thinks that you can’t browse the Internet or use Internet messenger with Ubuntu, the picture below is for you. Don’t be so stupid!


And a typical Open Office would look like this. Similar to Microsoft Office. The functions are all same.



Ubuntu is an operating system built by a worldwide team of expert developers. It contains all the applications you need: a web browser, office suite, media apps, instant messaging and much more. Ubuntu is an open-source alternative to Windows and Office. In Windows, you’ll have Microsoft Office and you’ll be browsing with their default browser, IE. But in Ubuntu, you’ll be using Open Office (that’s similar Microsoft Office) and browsing with open source browsers like Mozilla Firefox.

Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. nobody needs pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your family and friends, school or business for absolutely nothing. Ubuntu is no pirated stuff, mind you. Some authorities might believe that. But if the authorities catch you using Ubuntu and charged you for software fraud or using pirated/unlicensed software, you can sue them back.

Canonical issue a new desktop and server release every six months. That means you’ll always have the latest and greatest applications that the open source world has to offer.

Everything you need comes on one CD, providing a complete working environment. Additional software is available online for free.

The graphical installer enables you to get up and running quickly and easily. A standard, fresh installation should take less than 25 minutes. Once installed your system, Ubuntu is immediately ready-to-use. On the desktop you’ll have a full set of productivity, Internet, drawing and graphics applications, and games.

Ubuntu is strictly for professional use. It is not for gamer. If you are a gamer and plays online game, Linux platformed Operating System is definitely for you. It is just perfect for those who wants to concentrate doing without getting hooked with online games addiction.

Server-wise, you get just what you need to get up and running and nothing you don’t, unlike Windows. Windows servers sometimes contains things that you do not need at all, and to me, that’s just completely annoying and waste of HD space.

Ubuntu Linux is good, and easy to installed. At least, for me. At the moment, I am using Ubuntu Netbook Remix, and I am definitely not planning to go backwards and shift back to Windows. So butt out will ya? No telling me how to use Windows and how good it is, cuz I know how to use it, and I don’t like it at all! Don’t mess with me or I’ll shoot you like Tux’s going to do to Windows!

The above picture is not my desktop. Notice the difference? This one’s using Enlightment and more command based interface. I have yet to learn to use this.

And no, before anyone of you starts asking me questions, this is not a paid posting.  I don’t receive any money or compensation for this, and it is 100% my own opinion as I think it is about time I spread around about Ubuntu Linux to the community after using such a good stuff for free for quite a long time. It’s time I contribute back and let people know that Windows is not the only Operating System that exists in the world. And if anybody dares to tell you that, it’s all lies.

Cleffairy: Just because Microsoft monopolized the IT industry, that doesn’t mean there are no other OS exists. And just because you pay expensive shits to use the famous and well advertised Windows, it does not mean other OS like Linux or Mac is not good. Security and money wise,  various kind of Linux are better. Graphical and publishing wise, Mac OS is way better than Windows, and before you argue with me, be sure you’ve tried them first. Malaysians, if you reach ‘jalan buntu’ with your Windows, try UBUNTU, and I assure you, you won’t be buntu anymore!

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