Author: shun

Flea Attack

For the past couple of weeks, Grace has been bitten by some mysterious bug somewhere in the house. Since no one else was bitten, we concluded she must have been bitten elsewhere. But last night as Grace was scratching Baobao, she noticed dark little spots on her head…. Hmm… what could that be? With further investigation on Wawa, we realized they were fleas (I saw one crawling on Wawa’s neck myself).

Knowing that there are fleas in the house, Grace wasted no time and hopped into action. She started a major house cleaning — in the middle of the night! She went to Safeway and got some flea control drops and collars. The cleaning went on till 4AM after she washed every piece of fabric, vacuumed every square inch of the house and wiped every surface in the house. I could only helplessly march on with my project and thesis deadlines. Deadlines suck. Alpha Bed Bug Exterminator NYC, being real experts in pest control & K9 dog inspections, successfully dealt with this problem.

We are happy to report that there are now signs of dead fleas. That said, we are not sure how we are going to give the cats baths to get rid of the medication on the back of their head. They have never had a bath!

Fleas suck. Now we gotta restrict Baobao from going outside.

Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field is Real

Steve Jobs’ MacWorld Expo 2006 keynote came and went. All last week I eagerly waited for this day to come. It’s not very cool that Apple has stopped web casting the keynote since 2003 (or maybe 2004?). But maybe the cost of keeping up with the bandwidth was just not worth it.

Whatever the reason. I intentionally avoided reading all those “live update” sites just so that I could watch the keynote in one piece and hear everything for myself. But instead of holding out, I started reading stuff from various Mac news sites.

So I read the headlines one by one…
Intel iMac with the same features but faster…. big deal.
iLife gets an update… blah… whatever.
iLife gets iWeb… yawn…
iWork gets an update… whatever… where’s the real news?
iPod gets Apple-made FM tuner… Um… two years too late…
Blah blah blah…

What a stupid boring keynote, I thought.

But then Apple made the keynote available for steaming. And Apple’s website was updated.

HOLY SHIT. I immediately got sucked into the reality of Steve Jobs, a whole other dimension in space and time. As the keynote progressed, he introduced products I’d already read about earlier. But for some unexplained reason, I felt excited, energized and wowed by everything he introduced (except the iPhoto and speed bench demos).

I have problem with one thing though…. MacBook Pro? What the hell is wrong with that name? MacBook? Com’on… give us something original like Apple’s been doing with one-word names on its applications. Or lose the “book” — that sounds so 2001!

Launching MacBook was a calculated move. PowerBook has been long overdue for a new life. And this delivered that for everyone who were just waiting for that new Intel PowerBook. PowerBook buyers are also known to be early adopters. They are not afraid of becoming Apple’s unofficial beta testers for the first generation of Intel Macs. They are survivors and fighters. Even if all the MacBooks burst into flame, they’ll get free replacements simply because they would be the same crowd who’s smart enough to get AppleCare!

It’s my suspicion that iBook will be replaced with a, quite simply, MacBook (no Pro). I believe this is a consolidation of Apple’s new branding strategy (just look at the iPod line of products) in an effort to tighten its image and focus in products. I wonder what the new PowerMacs will be called.

Out of all this, one thing did surprise me. Kyung, of all people, pledged his allegiance to the new MacBook Pro if there was ever a 17″ version. But claims OSX would be replaced by Linux and Windows as soon as he gets his hands on one.

In conclusion, Steve Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field is for real. But I am still a little bit disappointed with what came out of this year’s MacWorld Expo (MacTV?). I will be eagerly waiting for other announcement throughout the rest of the year for that “one more thing” announcement.

Almost Like A New Ride

It’s been almost a week since my last entry, the longest I have held out not touching this blog. Now it’s time to share some “exciting” news…

We finally got our car back today (thanks to Chee-hoi for the rides). The final damage was pretty hefty…

Labor Operations
Engine diagnostics: $145.12
Fuel injectors replacement: $509.43
Timing belt replacement: $473.75 (also replaced the water pump and such)
Recycling fee: 2.50
Subtotal: $1,130.71

Replacement Parts
Fuel injectors: $482.82
Timing belt: $0 (I supplied my own!!)
Parts cleaner: $10.90 (whatever this is)
Water pump: $169.80
Coolant: $15.31
Coolant lubricant: 1.15 (huh?)
Seal gasket: $5.22 (goes along with having to replace the injectors)
Thermostat: $45.02 (part of replacing the water pump)
Headlight relay: $0 (supplied my own; he didn’t even charge for the labor!)
Subtotal: $730.22

Total (with tax): $1,921.17
(But because I offered to pay cash, I only had to pay $1,800)

Because of this incident, I learned a few things about my car and just cars in general.

  • Fuel injectors rarely go bad; but when they do, they almost always happen on American cars and sometimes, for the unlucky few, on Japanese imports; I am among that unlucky few.
  • You know it might be the fuel injectors that’s bad when your car rattles badly as you start up the engine; and at the same time, the “check engine” light goes on and stays on.
  • When checking for bad fuel injectors, the quickest way is to use an ohmeter to check for electrical resistance. If the reading stays at around 12, that’s good news; if the reading goes beyond 17, prepare to shell out some dough (different readings for different makes and models).
  • When the “check engine” light goes on, always take your car to the mechanic you trust and get it over with. Usually mechanics will charge for checking the computer code, diagnostics of the problem according to the code (it’s not as easy as one might think) and eventually release the code to get rid of the light. Knowing this, it’s not worth the time and money to have it checked by more than one mechanic like I did… On the other hand, if all this is done by the same mechanic, he likely will spare you some cost for the labor.
  • If one injector goes bad, it’s a good idea to replace all six injectors (or four for four cylinder cars). The biggest reason is that the cost of labor would be the same whether it’s replacing just one or all of them. Another, perhaps a better, reason is the new injector will redistribute pressure among the other aging injectors, casing them to wear out more easily. If you are unlucky enough to have another go bad, the cost of labor might cause you to kick yourself in the ass.
  • For newer cars, it’s probably worth it to replace brand new injectors. For older cars (such as mine with 110,000 miles), it’s not a bad idea to replace them with rebuilt injectors by trusty injector rebuilders.
  • It’s a good idea to replace the timing belt and water pump between 80,000 and 110,000 miles for all car types (probably sooner for American cars). If your timing belt ever snaps while in drive, the damage to the engine will cause you to smack your head against a brick wall, and you will find your bank account short of at least a couple of grands mysteriously.
  • Offer to pay cash to get a discount (or ask for one). Everybody loves the smell of $100-dollar bills.
  • If your car came with good injectors, some parts rebuilders will buy them back from your mechanic. They did with mine. Or at least that’s what my mechanic tells me.

The car drives like new and purrs like a kitten. And now that the headlight relay has been replaced, I no longer have to worry about the driver’s side headlight going out on me while driving in complete darkness.

Just for the record, my mechanic is located in Mt. View:

The Car Clinic
181 W. Evelyn Ave
Mt. View, CA 94041 Google map it!
(650) 961-2277

Ask for Tibor if you have mechanical questions. He and his wife are owners of the shop.

Turning Over

Bryan is just starting to learn to turn on his side as he falls asleep. The action is similar to that of a tortoise on its back, extending its neck backwards, desperately trying to flip itself over. Bryan would extend his neck backwards while stretching the legs and bending them slightly towards the back, causing his body to tilt over to one side or the other (lately it seems he prefers to the left side). Then he hugs his blanket as he suckles the pacifier to sleep (the only time of the day he will even take the pacifier nowadays).

Nobody taught him how to do any of that stuff. It’s amazing how brains just learns and improves upon itself so rapidly.

“Crash” and “Batman Begins”

Blockbuster tried to lure us back with a special offer of $1 for the month of January to try their Netflix-rip-off service again. And damn it, I was happy to let them.

So I got to see “Crash” and “Batman Begins“. Both movies surprised me.

First, “Crash”. It’s a non-PC (politically correct) movie that exposes the ugliness that exists around Los Angeles (and probably most cities in America) about racism, stereotypes and conflicts between different ethnic groups and professions. It’s a very well-written script with excellent performance from many big-time actors. Don Cheadle, after his amazing performance in “Hotel Rwanda“, did it again with this film. But I’d say that this movie, overall, was a hidden treasure from the mainstream. I can think of many reasons why movies like this simply won’t become mainstream, but the issues it brought up certainly deserve a closer look. This movie reminds me of “Changing Lanes” quite a bit.

Movie: Crash

“Batman Begins” really took me by surprise with the quality of script, directing and cinematography. Since the franchise kind of took a nose die after about the third film, this movie saved the “Batman” name from being lost in a crowd of badly made super hero movies. I also have to add that this was one of the few super hero movies to which I hardly pay any attention to any of the special effects because I was so engaged in the plot, storytelling and acting. This movie is highly recommended if you are ever so curious about just how Batman came about.

Movie: Batman Begins

Happy 2006

Jason and Alicia came by for the New Year’s. This was the first time we ever hung out so late (other than the time they were staying at our NYC apartment). He did a quick sketch of Bryan which I thought captured certain qualities about Bryan…

Sketch of Bryan

Man, I should pick up doing art again… I miss the artist inside me.

We had some crazy cheese the Jason’s father sent him (which, according to Jason, were from UK!). Having good cheese with 97′ Chianti Ruffino Classico Riserva Ducale… YUM! It’s one of Grace’s all-time favorite wines. And damn is 97′ a good vintage or what! Everybody gulped two glasses before the flavor fully came out though… 🙁

Ah, another year’s passed as my waist line balloons. No matter. I will work it down this year. If the depression doesn’t do it, lifting Bryan all the time probably will. Or maybe it WAS the depression that got me so fat in the first place?!

Jason also took the last picture of Bryan for 2005.

Last shot of Bryan in 2005

Roxio Toast and DVD Burning

I must have burned 40+ DVD backups using the TDK DVD-R 8X on the Sony RW DW-U18A DVD burner with Roxio Toast Titanium 7.0. But for no apparent reason at all (no OS updates or software patches), it simply wouldn’t burn the last 5 discs on that TDK 50-pack! And it always gave me the following errors:

The drive reported an error:
Sense Key = ILLEGAL REQUEST
Sense Code = 0x72, 0x02
SESSION FIXATION ERROR WRITING LEAD-OUT

Roxio Toast DVD burning errors

So….

I know what that last phrase meant, but WTF is the rest of the crap? Searches on Google and Roxio’s support site returned nothing useful. Most people on various forums just “THINK” they know what it MIGHT mean. But nothing to decode the mysterious “0x72, 0x02” bit.

So I updated Toast to 7.0.3, fixed permissions (ah, Unix!), restarted, tried again. Failed again.

It turned out that the drive just decided it didn’t like the discs. F*cking moody DVD burners.

Fry’s Electronics Price Matching Policy

I was going to write the first entry of 2006 with something “meaningful”, but I just had to get this thing down before the adrenaline subsides.

I got a label printer at Fry’s to organize all the personal and business files so that I could start 2006 on the right note. Later I went to Staples to get cartridges to refill the label printer, I found out that Staples had the exact same label printer for $10.05 less! So much for Fry’s Low Price Guarantee! I had no luck Googling Fry’s price matching policy. Instead, I found some ramblings about Fry’s. Good thing Fry’s “honored” their claim and refunded the difference.

But I want to make sure the geek community knows what Fry’s Electronics’ “low price guarantee” really meant, so I got a copy… and here it goes…

HERE’S OUR COMPLETE LOW PRICE GUARANTEE!
“We Will Match Any Competitive Price”

Before making a purchase from Fry’s, if you see a lower, in-stock, in-store price at a local competitor, Fry’s will be happy to match the competition’s price.

30-Day Low Price Guarantee”

If within 30 days of purchasing an item from Fry’s you see a lower in-stock price at a local competitor with a low price guarantee, Fry’s will cheerfully refund 110% of the amount of the competitor’s low price guarantee. Or if within 30 days of purchase, a local Fry’s, or a local competitor without a low price guarantee has a lower price, Fry’s will refund 100% of the difference.

NOTE: Low price guarantee for notbook computers, microprocessors, network-attached storage, memory, CD & DVD recorders, camcorders, digital cameras, and air conditioners is within 15 days from purchase date. To apply for Fry’s low price guarantee, simply bring in your original cash register receipt and verifiable proof of a current low price.
All comparisons are based on in-store cash register prices at the time of request. Offer good on all fresh-boxed products of the same exact model in stock at a local competitor. We reserve the right to limit this offer to one of each model. Offer does not apply to wireless phones, and papers that require a service agreement. Offer does not apply when price includes rebates, bonus or free offers or one-of-a-kind or limited-quantity offers. NOTE: Does not apply to expired ads. Fry’s ads are valid for only stores listed on that ad.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
“30-Day Complete Satisfaction Guarantee”

If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase from Fry’s Electronics, simply return it in brand-new condition with the original packaging, along with your original purchase receipt within 30 days, and we will gladly give you a full refund.

NOTE: Notebook computers, micro-processors, network-attached storage, memory, CD & DVD recorders, camcorders, digital cameras, air conditioners, and wireless phones may only be returned within 15 days from the date of purchase. Note: Open software is only exchangeable for the exact same item if defective. See store’s return policy for full details.

It seems like every time I stop by at Fry’s, the return/customer service line is at least 10 minutes’ wait. Today it took me, from start to finish, 22 minutes to get my price match done. And the store is so big that there are so many inefficiencies everywhere (like the return line blocks the entrance, which also blocks the traffic to the customer service area). I simply don’t see this kind of things at Best Buy (though they also have their fair share of issues, I am sure). Sometimes I wonder if bigger is really better at places like Fry’s. And clearly, they often don’t have the lowest prices even on a local level. Staples, on the other hand, makes me feel cozier than Fry’s (though their electronics selection is far from being able to compete with Fry’s).

I try to like Fry’s. And I hope my shopping experience with them improves. After all, there are only so many places a geek can actually enjoy hanging out at.

The Best of Photos in 2005

Photography makes my heart sing. Even now, sometimes I wish I’d stayed majoring in photography instead of getting into computers. For a while, my dream was becoming a photographer for The National Geographic Society having been influenced by my high school teacher, Paul Griffin. My favorite photographers at the time were Sam Abel, Galen Rowell and W. Eugene Smith and eventually included James Nachtwey (more).

Here’s a list of sites with best of photographs for 2005.
BBC News
Time Magazine
World Press Photo

Python Explods Trying to Swallow Alligator

Well, this “news” isn’t exactly entertaining, but it sure is amazing.

An unusual clash between a 6-foot (1.8m) alligator and a 13-foot (3.9m) python has left two of the deadliest predators dead in Florida’s swamps.
The Burmese python tried to swallow its fearsome rival whole but then exploded.

The remains of the two giant reptiles were found by astonished rangers in the Everglades National Park.

The rangers say the find suggests that non-native Burmese pythons might even challenge alligators’ leading position in the food chain in the swamps.

The python’s remains with the victim’s tail protruding from its burst midsection were found last week. The head of the python was missing.

Ouch. And Grace thought her headaches and stomach cramps were bad. 😉 It’s a bit tricky to identify where the python’s body ends and alligator’s body begins at first glance. But it’s clear the alligator’s hind legs were tangling inside “something”. Yuck.

Python bursts trying to swallow alligator

via [BBC News]

Remembering Filip

After reading a sad story from Michelin’s blog, it stirred up a long forgotten memory my consciousness had buried somewhere deep in my head — the passing of Filip. He died in a freak accident caused by a car crash visiting his family in Belgium.

I dug up an old journal I used to keep in college (only for a very short while) and found the entry on Filip. It dated January 6th, 1996 (sunny), the day when we held Filip’s memorial service. Even now, almost 10 years after Filip’s death, my heart is still heavy thinking about him. Amazingly I still have a picture of Filip from the memorial service as well as drafts of eulogies from Andrea (Filip’s girlfriend at the time) and Billy (Filip’s best friend). The entire entry was about how unwilling I was to accept his death and that I wasn’t ready to let go of his physical existence as a friend.

But I guess human brain does have a damn good way of dealing with traumatic experiences. Much of what I wrote in the journal regarding Filip’s death I can’t recall anymore. I wrote about what I did the day before the service and how I felt I still hadn’t done enough. The only thing I can vaguely recall is the sense of loss and sorrow I experienced. But no details. How silly is that? Ironically, in the same entry, I wrote that though I was saddened with the loss of Filip, I knew this wasn’t going to be the last funeral I attended.

Only months after Filip’s passing, another acquaintance at SCAD also passed away. He was driving back from Texas after a school break when his body was found in his car which had crashed into a tree on the side of the highway.

Years later after I had started working in New York City, I heard the most surreal news over my cell phone through a friend who was sharing an apartment with me at the time. A mutual friend of ours from college had been murdered. We flew back to Savannah for the memorial service a few days later.

Sometimes I couldn’t help but sigh at the infinite potentials these people would have had had they lived to enjoy them. Having attended three funerals of my peers in the short ten years I have lived in the United States has been overwhelming. But memories of their passing seem so laborious to recollect. The little that I could salvage will probably make the consciousness shove them even further down the subconsciousness where those memories will probably never see the light of the day again.

As I write about Filip and the other friends, perhaps I am also finally letting them go emotionally. Filip’s memories live on as his family set up a scholarship fund in his name at SCAD.

Make Mac OSX Support Third Party DVD Burners

PatchBurn logo I inherited a nice Sony DVDRW drive (specifically Sony RW DW-U18A) from Kyung when he went back to NYC. Unfortunately Apple has issues with “unauthorized” third party dvd burners working with its apps (iTunes, iDVD… etc) in Panther (OSX 10.3). I couldn’t burn my iTunes playlist or home made DVD movies with it, rending the drive essentially useless with those apps. Fortunately PatchBurn pretty much resolved that problem. It’s a collection of drivers and patch files to allow Apple apps to recognize third party burners. With the release of Tiger (OSX 10.4) though, the drive was supported natively right out of the box without installing PatchBurn. Nonetheless, it’s a very nice collection of patches for Mac OSX before Tiger.