Swordie Bloggie

Today was the Microsoft TechNet & MSDN Conference at Berjaya Palace Hotel, Kota Kinabalu. From the beginning I had the feeling that this conference is really trying to cut cost. The place was not really a nice place. Food was not provided like normally Microsoft does… only coffee and tea although the program is from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Talking to the other attendees, they agree Microsoft is going ‘cheap’.

Anyway, the conference contents are not that bad although I’m bit bored and made worse with some of the ‘new’ presenters. I guess, the presenters used this to do their ‘practical presentations training’… again, the other attendees agreed that Microsoft send ‘kids’ this time… They are ‘knowledgeable’ but their presentations gave no impact… too dry.

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There is a new gimmick to fish for new customers by sending check valued $5,000.00 to potential clients.

It is a real check you can cash at the bank. The check is not from any Ah-Long but from a real Commercial Bank! Unbelievable?… Well, that’s what I heard… Previously we heard about Ah-Long sending fake checks to their potential clients… but this time, it is the commercial bank doing it.

The gimmick is to commit a potential client who is fool enough to go and cash the check. The catch is, once you’ve cash the check, you are automatically given a pre-approved credit card or was it debit card with $5,000.00 already charged to it! You just signed yourself with fast loan… instant loan… How stupid of you for cashing the check… there is no free money you know… even the 4D you have to buy and wait until your luck comes.

How true is this? I’m not sure…  maybe someone out there can enlighten us if this is true or not…  I hope I’m wrong about this…

I received an email from Microsoft last Friday… invitation for the coming Microsoft TechEd 2008 SEA conference. Actually I come to know about it earlier when Darius informed me about the coming TechNet early last week.

The Super Early Bird Registration Offer is until end of this month for $649. But if you’ve attended last year Microsoft TechEd 2007 SEA, you can use the $50 coupon voucher so the fee will be $599 only.

This evening, I registered myself… but unfortunately I could not find my coupon voucher… so I paid $649 using my Master Credit Card online.

If you like to attend the coming Microsoft TechEd 2008 SEA at KLCC from 11 to 14 August 2008, you should register by 31st January 2008 so that you will get the Super Early Bird Registration Offer at $649. Two of my friends already registered this evening… Microsft should give another ‘award’ 😀 coz I manage to drag another two people with me this year, hopefully more 😛 … last year I manage to ‘convince’ 4 others to follow… 😀

On Saturday, I full filled one of my dreams last year… I bought my dream aquarium 😀 I always wanted to have an aquarium for many years… but never get one coz I don’t think I’m able to care the fish… no time lah…

When I saw the aquarium at Putatan, near the Fuji Car Accessories last year, which I really like… I did not notice it comes with a stand… so on our way to the shop, I was figuring how I’m going to make the stand… I even ask Patrick who made his new gate… coz maybe I will make wrought iron stand with wheels for the aquarium 😀

When we reach at the shop, I do the usual windows shopping first… then Patrick pointed out it looks like the package comes with a stand… orait… I asked the shop assistant and he said YES! Holy cow… this is too easy… making my dream easier… in fact I promised myself that if I’m not one of the ‘unlucky’ in the major ‘process’, I will get the aquarium… 😀 so you should know why bought the aquarium… it’s miracle… lol

The package comes with the aquarium, stand, water filter pump, lights, plastic plant, artificial octopus on stone, a stone bridge and some colorful stones. I did not like the colorful stones. I asked the taukey if I can change the stone… I said, I don’t want my fish to think the stone as M&M’s… He said ok… so I told the shop assistant to get me new stones… unfortunately, the one I like is not available… I settle with the closes stones…

This is the $450 aquarium package… (after discount from $488)

 
No fish yet… need to do some burning test first… next week going to buy small fish 😀 and some more accessories.

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My whole week was occupied with assisting other colleagues with the accounting system… on going system development discussions… and setting up 2 servers… what a week…

Last week I said I needed to setup 3 servers but then decided for 1 server only… well, on that week, decided to order a new smaller server… still Xeon but smaller… HP DL140 G3… I don’t want to waste the HP DL380 G5.

The DL380 has 8 hard disk slot and 2U thick… the Dl140 has 2 hard disk and 1U thick.

It arrived this week… when I wanted to set it up… things turn ugly… no CD drive… damm… how the heck I’m going to install the Windows 2003 Server?… then it turn uglier… the supplier said it will take… 10 bloody days to get the slim height CD drive!!! Actually, I can use external CD drive to do the installations… but decided not to do it… 😛

I decided to use one of the XP machine as a temporary License Manger for the ESRI GIS apps… which turn OK and work fine 😀 but of course not recommended for long run.

Then setting up the server with the real ESRI GIS server apps…. Windows 2003 Server + ESRI… manage to complete the Windows 2003 Server setup by Thursday… then, when installing the ESRI… then only I realized I’ve installed the 32bit Windows 2003 Server instead of 64bit… shooott… It’s like putting a kancil spark-plug into Farrari!… But decide to continue with the ESRI installation anyway… This one also did not work smoothly… got ‘bells’ here and there… but what the heck… I’m going to re-do the whole server again anyway.

Completed the ESRI installation by lunch time…

Microsoft TechNet & MSDN Briefing is coming to town again! I’m glad that Microsoft will be back to KK. Microsoft has been shying KK for the past few years. Maybe it’s because of the cost… or maybe it’s because of the market here.

Personally, I consider Microsoft TechNet & MSDN Briefing as very important to IT professional since it is one of the sources for updating us with the latest news from Microsoft other than giving us some ideas on planning and deploying Microsoft latest technology.

Yesterday ‘morning’, Sunday (20 January 2008), Nadzree SMS me to play at Dalit Golf and Country Club, Tuaran. The only problem is, he SMS me just before 12.00am… so after agreeing to tee off at 9.00am I went to sleep lah…

Unfortunately, when he called me around 7.00am, the call is actually like my alarm clock… so ‘terkejut lah’… So I quickly answered… and told ‘too lazy to go lah’… So cancel lah…

Then around 12.3opm… he SMS me again… ‘Boring lah d rumah… Mari t off lah.’… I replied OK lah… So, I went to pick him around 2.15pm… then ‘singgah’ at sportstoto for a while… 😀

We book 18 holes but at the end… played 9 holes only because too busy taking animals photos… but damm… I did not realize my camera was set to VGA instead of 8 mega pixel… shoot…

Anyway, if you like golf, come to Dalit Golf & Country Club Tuaran… if you like nature, come to Dalit Golf & Country Club Tuaran 😀 If you a tourist, there are few hotel & resorts around like… Shangri-la Rasa Ria Hotel and Tuaran Beach Resort

Otter… (not sure if this is correct) or memerang… running and jumping in sync like kangaroo 😮 Wish I have my Canon S5 with me that time… at least can zoom 12x

Bapa biawak… or monitor lizard father… it actually moving towards my ball, maybe it thought my ball is chicken egg 😮 We were speeding towards it… scared it really eat my ball… it turns back and run into the water.

Another monitor lizard… but this one is a baby lizard 😀

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This is how my putter was modified… or bent. Francis, the owner and also the one and only one doing the work has all kind of tools in his golf workshop. I wanted to take his workshop’s photo… but I think it is not a good idea… probably next time when I buy my new set from him… only if I buy from him lah… and I’m thinking of Taylor Made R7 CGB Max or Taylor Made Burner XD or the Ping G10 irons set. Taylor Made is more ‘changgih’ or advance… but Ping is more forgiving… if you don’t hit the ball right, it still fly nicely to the target… it forgive mah… you think the pro can really play kah?… No lah… its their sets… technology lah… 😀

 
Francis doing his work… bending my Cleveland Classic putter 😀 . . . Continue Reading »

On Wednesday, I did not take my lunch. So, I went out early with Nadzree for a drink around 4pm. We had our drinks at Apiwon, Luyang. I also took a bowl of ngiu-chap since I was quite hungry. We actually planned to go to Likas Driving Range to cut my putter. My putter is a bit long… I don’t really want to cut it but I have only two choices… bending it so that it suits my height or cut it shorter.

At the driving range, there is one small shop… the owner, Francis, is doing golf services minus teaching. Next to his shop is Prodigy Golf School. Other than selling golf equipments and merchandise, he also fix golf club. You can fix, modify or replace your golf’s shaft here.

His advice to me is not to cut it… but bend it to suit my posture and height. Cool, I saved my putter! And he did it for free… maybe because I said I want to buy a new set soon… 😀

Chicken lovers, this one is for you… How do you make your grilled chicken into Mexican chicken! Easy, you marinate it for the whole night with the super tasty El Pollo Loco’s citrus marinate. Then you grilled it with the beautiful charcoal fire at your backyard.

Before it turns into golden brown, invite some of your friends to enjoy your El Pollo Loco’s citrus-marinated Mexican chicken. While enjoying your Mexican chicken with your friends, do some Mexican Hat Dance or if you have enough people, do the Mexican Wave! You want to see what others do with their Mexican chicken, watch their flame-grilling antics videos at www.wherestheflamegrill.com