Love is an MRT Tunnel

The bible says In Galations 5:6 that faith works through love. You know people always wonder when they pray for the sick “Oh, do I have enough faith? Maybe I don’t have enough faith. Do I have enough faith?” But I tell them don’t focus on the faith, focus on the love, because faith works through love. Okay it’s like love is the tunnel or the MRT tunnel and faith is the MRT train that goes through the tunnel

Quoted from 6:00 – 6:20 of The Love Of God by Mike Reyes (COOS Youth Service 15th Dec 2006)

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Why do you go back to work?

Well thats the question I keep getting in the past few weeks and it’s draining. The process of going back is physically draining as it is, and when people start questioning me about it, it gets emotionally draining. Yes I admit I can be a workaholic and I push myself too much at times but as anybody who has heard my cry I want a holiday. I want a break. Yet I feel circumstance does not permit it. In short lack of understanding from people be it from the aspect of software development to that of computer system setup where weird things just happen. But at the end of the day the reason I’ve been working my butt of the past few weeks was to get everything up and ready for the client. I’m not saying it is the client’s fault because we have set deadlines both side have agreed to. Deadlines are meant to be kept (as long as they are within reason of course) and I believe the past deadline (2nd Jan for system going live) and the next deadline (tomorrow) are both perfectly reasonable, it’s just that things got in the way. I’ve been getting ‘scoldings’ and ‘hard advice’ that I haven’t NOT heard before. I have not forgotten them but I believe this is a part of my job and thus my responsibility. I will not shirk it. I will not neglect it. For if there is one thing I do, is that I work hard. There are some that call me smart and a genius, but I can assure you I am neither, just the times with a different view on things, but I wouldn’t consider myself either one of those 2 words: hard working, however – I am. I am not angry at those who ask this question it’s just tiring to hear it over and over again when people don’t understand. So as I wait for installation to finish I just hope I can get some peaceful rest from all of this. Please

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Thank You

To all you guys who helped out in the handmime tonight. Kind of afraid to name names because I’ll probably miss somebody but here goes anyway starting from the left: Shasha, Sheiela, Kristina, Ryan, Emily, Sam, Michelle, Anand, Karen, Sharon, Sherly (told you I’ll miss somebody), Caroline; and the helpers: Shawn, Brian and Sarah; and photographer Nick (another person I missed)
A big thank you to all and continue to serve Him in whatever way you can: nothing is too small or insignificant.

Note to self: bring more Blu Tack the next time around

Edit: See I told you I’d miss somebody. Thinking too much of office and personal work. Aaaahhhhh. Now I got the ‘mice love rice’ song in my head!!!

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An Ode To A Server Room

Server room, server how have you been?
It’s been a long time much longer than it should seem.

After a long hiatus we are back together.
If only the master of the door never had to take leave…ever.

How I’ve missed your ability to provide dual monitor support;
With the LCD monitor with who I’ve built good rapport.

Your network cable long, blue, winding and unobtrusive.
Unlike the other: short, intermittent, trip-inducing and obstructive.

The hum of the servers, that seek your refuge, buzz in the air,
As I happily work away on my humble little chair

A chair that swivels, pivots and whose height can vary,
As opposed to the fixed stiff one that didn’t leave me merry

So here’s to a new year with lots of work and documentation to be done,
Despite spending new year’s eve and day with your competition on Ground level one.

Do not be jealous for the front desk is good,
Easy to access and accommodates more food.

But alas I will return in due time I shall,
For more work to be done with the Server Room, my Pal

Ok I don’t know if that makes me sad or just that weird or both.

So here’s to a new year:
</2007><2008>
Courtesy of Reddit.com

Portal: The Flash Version

Based on Valve’s Portal, Portal: The Flash Version brings it all up in 2d!
Portal: The Flash Version includes over 40 challenging, portals thinking levels, and everything’s included, in 2d – energy balls, cubes, turrets and even the famous crusher from the trailer. The game also includes a console to mess around with after finishing the game, or just being frustrated by thinking with portals!

This game is pretty fun. It shall go in my flash games stash along with Desktop Tower Defense.

N.B. Save the game to your computer (right click > “Save Target As…” or “Save Link As…”)

P.S. Thanks to Nick for the game =D

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Removing Vocals from a Song

Can I remove the vocals from a recording to make a Karaoke track?

This is possible only for certain stereo tracks. When the vocals are exactly the same on both stereo channels, you can remove them by “subtracting” one channel from the other. This works for many studio recordings, where the vocal track is mixed exactly in the center.

To do this in Audacity:

  1. Import your stereo file into Audacity.
  2. Open the track menu (click the arrow next to the track title), and choose “Split Stereo Track.”
  3. Select the lower track (the right channel) by clicking it in the area around the mute/solo buttons.
  4. Choose “Invert” from the Effects menu.
  5. Using the track menus, change each track to “Mono.”

Youtube tutorial

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Still Alive

While listening to The Linux Action Show! Episode 67 (MP3 page | OGG page) I was wondering what the heck Bryan was doing at the end… until “Still Alive” (lyrics and chords!) started playing. Loved the song and first heard about it from Windows Weekly (I think it was episode 40): it’s played at the end credits of the game Portal sung by Ellen McLain (in-game voice of GLaDOS and the turrets). This song comes from the same genius who brought us “Code Monkey” – Jonathan Coulton. Check out his songs here. Loved the Half-Life reference: “Maybe you’ll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa. That was a joke, ha ha, fat chance”. And when the song mentions about doing science the only thing I could think of was this from XKCD:
I'm going to try Science

Windows
+ Netcast/Podcast (Windows Weekly/Linux Action Show)
+ Linux
+ Games (Portal/Half-Life)
+ Music (Jonathan Coulton / Code Monkey / Still Alive)
+ Comics (XKCD)
= One great combination blog post

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