Mundane & Boring Life

Friday, September 15, 2006

HR Memo

To all Employees:

Effective January 2007

Dress Code
1. It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay raise.
2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise.
3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise.

Sick Days
We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness.
If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

Holiday Days
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.

Compassionate Leave
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements.

In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.

Toilet Use
1. Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the cubicles.
2. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the cubicle door will open, and your picture will be taken.
3. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company notice board under the "Chronic Offenders" category.
4. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.

Lunch Break
1. Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy.
2. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
3. Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. Remember we are an employer of choice and we are here to provide a positive employment experience.

Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

Management

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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Tips On Nails

1. Avoid quick-drying polishes. They have a large amount of acetone, which dries out polish and causes cracks.Use regular polishes instead for a manicure that will last three times longer. Also, store polish in the refrigerator for a longer life.

2. Always roll, never shake the bottle. If you do, you’re sure to get bubbles. Just roll the bottle between your palms. That’s more than enough to thoroughly mix polish.

3. To keep polish from bleeding into the cracks, apply cuticle oil to the surrounding skin before you apply color. Then it’s easy to wipe off excess after polishing.

4. Always make sure that each polish coat is as thin as possible. Thicker coats don’t dry enough between coats to adhere to the nail properly and so polish will peel off more easily.

5. To remove tough polish stains, soak nails in white vinegar for 10 minutes. Or add two teaspoons of household bleach to one-half cup of warm water and soak nails for 15 minutes.

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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Resume Work

Din slp well last nite as keep coughing. Throat oso very bad. So many o/s emails and issues to solve. Sigh!

Went 2 c doc, was given some flu medications. Doubt it'll help. Went Superhub 4 lunch.

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Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Back From KL Trip

Day 1: Din do anyting much. Had dinner near Lot10(i tink so). After makan, stroll arnd the area. Past by Planet Hollywood. Had some drink at an open space pub. Environment not bad.

Day 2: Una 2 slp well, maybe due to new place. Throat giving me hell. Down wif fever. Luckily, had brought along some medication. Bz day. Heavy rain in teh evening. The live band @ Rum Jungle is gd, abt 5 mins walk frm htl. Started coughing in teh nite. Tink caught teh flu bug.

Day 3: Tried to do some last min shopping. Found nthg spcl 2 buy back. Watever they have, we oso have in SG. Sorry folks, din get anyting 4 u. Scroll arnd teh DEP area after ckin. Kena molested by teh lady police when she did body search after teh metal detector sounded. So worried couldn't pass teh temp detector at Changi, dun wish 2 get quarantine.

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Monday, September 11, 2006

Technically Challenged

This ought to make you feel better about your computer skills!

If you skip any, you have to read the last one! Unbelievable, but supposedly all true!!!!

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Tech support: What kind of computer do you have?

Female customer: A white one...

===============

Customer: Hi, this is Celine. I can't get my diskette out.

Tech support: Have you tried pushing the Button?

Customer: Yes, sure, it's really stuck.

Tech support : That doesn't sound good; I'll make a note.

Customer: No, wait a minute...I hadn't inserted it yet...it's still on my desk...sorry....

===============

Tech support: Click on the 'my computer' icon on to the left of the screen.

Customer: Your left or my left?

===============

Tech support: Good day. How may I help you?

Male customer: Hello... I can't print.

Tech support: Would you click on "start" for me and...

Customer: Listen pal, don't start getting technical on me! I'm not Bill Gates.

===============

Customer: Hi, good afternoon, this is Martha, I can't print. Every time I try, it says 'Can't find printer'. I've even lifted the printer and placed it in front of the monitor, but the computer still says he can't find it...

================

Customer: I have problems printing in red...

Tech support: Do you have a color printer?

Customer: Aaaah....................thank you.

===============

Tech support: What's on your monitor now, ma'am?

Customer: A teddy bear my boyfriend bought for me at the 7-11.

===============

Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.

Tech support: Are you sure it's plugged into the computer?

Customer: No. I can't get behind the computer.

Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.

Customer:! OK

Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?

Customer: Yes

Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?

Customer: Yes, there's another one here. Ah...that one does work...

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Tech support: Your password is the small letter "a" as in apple, a capital letter V as in Victor, the number 7.

Customer: Is that 7 in capital letters?

===============

Customer: Can't get on the Internet.

Tech support: Are you sure you used the right password?

Customer: Yes, I'm sure. I saw my colleague do it.

Tech support: Can you tell me what the password was?

Customer: Five stars.

===============

Tech support: What anti-virus program do you use?

Customer: Netscape.

Tech support: That's not an anti-virus program.

Customer: Oh, sorry...Internet Explorer.

===============

Customer: I have a huge problem. A friend has placed a screen saver on my computer but every time I move the mouse, it disappears.

===============

Tech support: How may I help you?

Customer: I'm writing my first e-mail.

Tech support: OK, and what seems to be the problem?

Customer: Well, I have the letter 'a' in the address, but how do I get the circle around it?

===============

A woman customer called the Canon help desk with a problem with her printer.

Tech support: Are you running it under windows?

Customer: "No, my desk is next to the door, but that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window, and his printer is working fine."

===============

And last but not least...

Tech support: "Okay Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager."

Customer: I don't have a P.

Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.

Customer: What do you mean?

Tech support: "P".....on your keyboard, Bob.

Customer: I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!

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Sunday, September 10, 2006

KUL

WOW! So KLIA (KL Intl Apt) is so many times larger. Imagine i had to take an aerotrain to the immig to clear custom. After custom, went to search 4 tkt counter to buy train tkt to KL Sentral. They have 2 types of train services called KL Express & KL Transit. The former cost MYR35/trip while the latter cost MYR12 wif staff discount. Had a difficult time locating KL Transit counter, almost got lost. Time taken frm apt 2 Sentral was abt 35mins. Upon reaching Sentral, took their LRT to Dang Wangi stn (MYR1.60), abt 5-10 mins walk to hotel.

Ckin @ Concorde Hotel, nice view. Able to see the infamous Twin Towers aka KLCC frm my room.

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Off To KL

Woke up quite early in the morning to do some last min packing. It can be considered my 1st trip 2 KL, even though I went dere once more den a decade ago(drove). The only impression I had during tat time was their mosquito was damn huge, found in KFC.

Changed some monies at teh DEP hall. Din realise T2 has undergone so much changes, wif so much freebies...dere are some massage machines, internet access (restricted to 15mins per usage) and some other items.

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Saturday, September 9, 2006

For Smart Women

WOMEN'S REVENGE

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet, I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."


WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position...

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."


WORDS

A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"


CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.

"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.

God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me; God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!


The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.

Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.

The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.


God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece.

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Friday, September 8, 2006

Finally Friday Is Here

Din haf enuff slp last nite, so tired 2dae...Rcvd pspt collection notification slip only 2dae. Welcome the showers during evening time. Hope the nite will be cooling...Recapped of 2dae's happenings.

1. 3P conference call which involves LA. It lasted abt an hour.

2. Trying to resolve some AR program issues. In btwn, make some program changes 4 Tips.

3. Vgml lunch wif dessert(green bean soup)

4. Mtg @ 1500hrs which lasted arnd 90mins. Managed 2 siam some presentation 4 teh last time. Die die oso hv 2 present at next mth mtg.

5. Not much testing done 2dae.

So hot nw after the downpour. Perhaps, due to teh heat frm PC.

Tatz all folks!!!

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Thursday, September 7, 2006

Smooth Day?

Wld say yes except some small hiccups after work.

Panicked when no notification for collection arrived ytd. Called up ICA hotline who gave me another 2 nbrs 2 dial. Lousy! Either line enaged if not boh lan ans, make me worry 4 so long! Finally, a lady staff ans one of the line. Rushed down 2 collect biometric pspt at ICA after work. KNS. Guard dere intially refused 2 let me in until he asked qns till he song. Hotline staff kept insisting np 2 collect even wifout any notification slip.@#$%^*^&!

Kept tinking my Q nbr is 925 when it's 928 all teh while, so malu. 当时恨不得有个洞给我躲进去. Those gahmen ppl so kiasu, made me thumbprint both thumbs. Muz be tat uncle sam requirement......

Pspt nbr no more ai si nbr liao......sianz another new set of nbr 2 remember. SIGH!!! as if we dun hv enuf numerics 2 remember. Enuf complaining 4 todae......

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Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Quality Quotes in Life

________________________

Shall post smthg meaningful for my 100th entry!!!
________________________

Quote 1 :
Ever hear the story of the giant ship engine that failed?
The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work.

He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom. Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars. "What?" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!" So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer $2.00
Knowing where to tap $9998.00
________________________

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.
________________________


Quote 2:
One of the most memorable case studies I came across on Japanese management Was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty.

Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty.

Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed
through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount to do so.

But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, did not get into complications of X-rays, etc. but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
________________________

Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem. Learn to focus on solutions not on problems. Be simple, solve simply

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Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Calories Counter

calories

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Monday, September 4, 2006

For Those Who Drives

LTA has contracted 6 traffic wardens frm a private company at $34,000/year to take down the licence plate number, make & colour of vehicles that intrude into bus lanes at peak hours. (They are incognito with camera in hands......so don't expect to see TP etc)

Note you can get fined $130 for dropping someone off at or near the bus stop.

Bus Lane operation hrs :
7.30 am to 9.30 am and 4.30pm to 7pm (Weekdays)
7.30 am to 9.30 am & 11.30 am to 2 pm (Saturdays)

LTA has intensified their operations at the following areas:
1) Eunos Link
2) Hougang Ave 3
3) Jurong Town Hall Rd
4) Lorong Chuan
5) Orchard Rd
6) Upper Serangoon Rd
7) Upper Thomson Rd
8) Yishun Ave 2

Additional spots where speed traps were seen at these places:

1) PIE towards airport near Toa Payoh exit, tripod mounted speed camera at the pedestrain overhead bridge, 90km/h.

2) PIE towards jurong near adam road exit, tripod mounted speed camera over at Adam Road flyover, 90km/h.

3) Braddell Road after Bishan Junction towards CTE, tripod mounted speed camera at the pedestrain overhead bridge, 60km/h.

4) Queensway towards Bukit Merah, tripod mounted speed camera under tree before Ridout McDonalds, 60km/h.

5) Spot along Upper Bukit Timah Rd towards Woodlands Rd, tripod mounted speed camera under tree after a curve turn, 60km/h.

Fine imposed is $170 and 8 demerit points.

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Latest Credit Card Scam

People, do take note. Received this email from my overseas fren.

If you have a Visa or Mastercard you might want to read the following. This is a genuine scam operating in Australia and is likely to come here.

WARNING...New Credit Card Scam.

Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; THEY already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN numbers on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.

My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard".

The scam works like this: Person calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge Number is 12460 your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in Arizona?"

When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card ". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security Numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him.

After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card.

Long story made short - we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card directly for verification of their conversation.

The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost to late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a Police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening.

Please pass this on to all your family and friends.

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Monday Hues

Reached bus-stop juz in time 2 realise tat i had left my apt pass at home. DARN!!! By the time, i picked up my pass, i missed my transport to work. Had no choice but 2 take public transport......Late 4 work. In teh end, reached office arnd 10mins 2 9am.

Dinner @ PW foodcourt tat steamboat place. So full......Tink had indigestion liao.

Did i mention i bought a Fuji Z3 digital cam ytd? No, i dun tink so. Haben realli explore wif it yet. Didn't buy at Comex, bought it at Best Denki instead where some promo going on.

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Sunday, September 3, 2006

Comex 2006

Went wif Berricia to Comex 2006 @ Expo. Met her up at Expo MRT, had BK 4 lunch. Everywhere, ppl mountain ppl sea(人山人海). Queuing is common scene. While having our lunch, we bought 2 tulips (purple 4 mei mei, pink 4 me) in support of CCF Tulip's Day event. Saw Kero, Dewei and Petrarchan working at their booth.

We got wat we wanted ie mei mei bought her earfones and headset wif additional vacuum cleaner. I bought speakers and vaccum cleaner.

Crowd getting worse as we were leaving......Tired but fruitful day!

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おいしいです!!!

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Saturday, September 2, 2006

SG Biometric Passport

Went to submit my pspt renewal application. Wah, it's so expensive to apply for pspt now. $80 valid for 5 years only nia. They say it's bio-metric, cost increase so application fee oso increased. You get $10 off if you dun submit over their counter ie if you post, drop-in or apply online etc.

Click here for more info.

New pspt shd be ready by Thu (07/09) for collection.

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Dinner @ Stonegrill

Had dinner date wif my family mbrs at Stonegrill, located at 91 East Coast Road, Singapore 428791 (opp Katong Village). Tel: 6348-1211. Best to make reservations if you wish to go during peak hours. Interesting way of cooking. can be considered healthy eating. We had Portobello Mushroom, Oktoberfest and Sirloin steak. Total cost arnd $65, drinks included.


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Friday, September 1, 2006

Unwell

Headache started in the morning. Not sure watz d cause. Perhaps, slept too early (slept arnd 9 plus ytd) Usually, sleeping time is arnd 12 plus. If really tatz d case, I really pai mia.

Darn! Juz realised my passport validity is less than 6mths when wanted to apply air tkt. Sianz!

Brought fwd my nail care session. Tis time round, i chose glittering purple and pink 4 toes and hands respectively.

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