Monday, December 19, 2011

Girl is with a sitter

Sent Girl to a nice couple who was a potential new owner on Saturday but I got a call to collect her back the day after. Apparently she had turn into a Tasmanian devil, hiding in the toilet and will attack anyone who tried to get close.

I was at lost as to where to house her for the night. I was busy with family matters and had a handing over of the apartment to the tenant later at night. The call was a super dampener.

My wife helped to find a sitter and it seems to be the best solution at that moment.

Went to collect her around 9:30 pm and found her is a super stress mode and totally defensive. She would attack anyone including me. This is the first time she was like that.

The potential owner are probably not used to a cat that will be hostile for a period of time when brought to a new environment but if I were in their shoes, I would probably have done the same which is to return it to the real owner.

A lot of effort was needed to get her into the carrier, including the possibility of me bleeding all over but I managed nevertheless. As much as I hate it as I know it will only make her even more hostile than she already was, I had to use a broom to slowly corner her into the carrier. She soiled herself in the process, a clear cut sign she was simply too stressed out. I feel sad each time I recalled that moment.

Once in the carrier, she was calm. The couple and me apologised and thanked each other as we parted ways.

One the way to the sitter, I prayed that this new temporary arrangement will suit her best. As it turns out, it is. Michelle, the sitter, takes in cat out of kindness and only charge for basic expenses which I am more than willing to fork out.

The moment I stepped into the apartment, I knew it will work out judging from the condition of the rest of the cats there. When I carry Girl into her cage, she didn't bite me, a sign has calm down.

We sat for quite sometime talking about Girl and what's her future will be like. The uncertainty is a downer. But at least for now, I am just glad knowing she is in good hands.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Gonna miss you my sweetheart, my Girl.


I am looking for a new home for my cat of 12 years. It pains me but I had to as I am currently staying in a place where I cannot bring her with me.


It would put my mind at ease if her future owners love cats to death. I would even take care of the expenses if need be. All I asked for is the possibility to visit her from time to time at her new home.

Breed - I seriously am not sure what her breed is but she looks a lot like a Turkish Angora
Sex - Female
Colour - White
Eyes - Blue
Age - approx 12 years
Toilet train - Yes












Medical background

- She had a fall many years back which broke her left shoulder and toes on her right front paws. However, she is still very mobile and able to run around as she is not in pain.
- Claws on broken toes still grow but cannot retract so need to clip frequently to aid her mobility and to prevent it from growing into her paws.
- She is sterilized.
- No other known medical issues.

Temperament

- She is a timid cat and will hide if brought out of her comfort zone or in the presence of strangers as she 100% indoors. Other than that she is friendly with those she is familiar with.
- She can get very defensive and fierce is she feels she is threatened but she will not attack if not provoked.

Diet

- Feed mainly on dry food.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Another blog or Google Site is already using this address

If your domain is registered with Google (which means your DNS is pointing to Google) and you receive "Another blog or Google Site is already using this address" error when you tried to add your own domain name to Blogspot, do the following

1. Log in to your Google Apps at www.google.com/a/yourdomain

2. Under Dashboard > Service Settings, see if Sites is listed. If it is, skip to step 4.

3. If Sites is not listed,  click on "Add More Services" and click "Add It Now" for Sites.

4. Click on Settings > Sites > Web Address Mapping and remove any mappings there.

5. Under General > Uninstall Service, click on Uninstall Sites.

You can now add your own domain in Blogspot.

Monday, November 14, 2011

To pay off or not to pay off

"Since the interest rate for the 1st $20,000 in your CPF Ordinary Account is higher than the interest of the HDB Concessionary Loan, it would not be prudent to transfer the funds from your CPF Ordinary Account to pay off part off your housing loan as the yield earned on the CPF Ordinary Account is higher than the interest expense of the housing loan"

http://www.moneytalk.sg/2009/03/cpf-and-hdb-loan.html

"An additional 1% interest will continue to be paid on the first $60,000 of a member’s combined balances, with up to $20,000 from the Ordinary Account (OA). The additional interest received on the OA will go into the member’s SA or RA to enhance his retirement savings"

http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/Members/Gen-Info/Int-Rates/Int-Rates.htm

So it make sense to keep the first 20k of your OA as it will earn higher interest compared to HDB loan interest rate. Anything above 20k are better off used to settle our HDB loan.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Faulty instrument approved for use


My wife recently had an assisted delivery in KKH with the use of forceps.

The first attempt failed because the forceps were not in working order. We were fortunate that the doctor that delivered our baby, Dr John Tee, was experienced enough to sense that something was not right with the instrument and quickly removed it and asked for a replacement.

The time wasted could have place both mother and child in a life or death situation. Even if it was not life threatening, both had to endure unnecessary pain. They could have possibly suffered serious injuries as well should it had been an inexperienced doctor instead.

I am appalled that such an important instrument for use in a critical situation such as labor was not checked thoroughly before it was approved for use. I expect a hospital synonymous with childbirth would have strict procedures to ensure that all instruments are safe for use.

Such lapses are inexcuseable.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

This woman I call my wife

My wife is a cry baby. She can get upset by the slightest of things and her cries can range from just sniffles to out right wails that can scare even the crows.

Sometimes the things that upset her invokes the wrath in her. When it reaches a level beyond any medical or theological understanding, the frown on her face will make any plastic surgeon raise their hands, palm facing out, saying "We don't have the technology to rectify this".

But it won't take long before silence takes over for a while and slowly her emotion compass points to a different direction and the tears start well up in her eyes.

As her husband, I am privy to all of her various states of emotion. I inherited that privilege from her father who had been the person she went to for comfort when she is in need of that emotional hug.

If it was me who upsets her, then that means I will be in for a marathon console session that sometimes feels like eternity.

No doubt, the passing of her father last Sunday triggers one of her major emotional switches yet again. Seeing her deal with it reminds me of how fragile one can be, no matter how strong a person is, as the case with my wife.

You see, in spite of her emotional frailty, she is one determined woman. When she sets her target on something, she'll do all it takes to reach it. Put stacks of hurdle in front of her and she'll work her way around it. And if all else fails, she'll just bulldoze through it all. 

So she'll be alright, that much I know of her.

If moving on with her life is her next destination, she'll be there, even if it means she'll show up with healed wound marks that will remind of all us of the things that she had to go through in her life. And I'll be right there beside her.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

802.1x supplicant


Windows native 802.1x supplicant supports only EAP-TLS and PEAP as the authentication method.

To have additional options such as TTLS, download the latest Intel ProSet software here

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/20432/eng/Wireless_14.2.0.10_s32.exe
http://downloadmirror.intel.com/20432/eng/Wireless_14.2.0.10_s64.exe

You can install it even if your wireless adapter is not from Intel.

Once you have installed it, you will see the following additional options.




Monday, October 17, 2011

From a first time father's perpective


The one thing I learnt from being a father for the first time is that your newborn needs to be fed enough regardless whether they ask for it or not. Do not listen to old wives tale that says infants should be left sleeping and they will wake up on their own if they are hungry.

Every child is different so no one mold can fit all. Some infants will cry naturally when they are hungry which is a sign that they need to be fed. Some on the other hand will sleep through and may not wake up when hungry as they still have enough fats that they accumulate while in the womb.

One of the reason why feeding them enough is of utmost importance is because of jaundice. It is common in newborn with high levels of bilirubin in their body and is one of the cause for your child to be sleepy and not waking to feed.

Bilirubin needs to be expelled out through bowel movements and the only way to do that is by feeding them enough. Not being fed enough equals little bowel movements and this will cause the condition to get worse and possibly reach dangerous levels.

So stick to a regiment of waking them up and feeding them at least every 3 hours. It may be difficult at first to wake them up but you'll get the hang of it.

Breastfeeding is without a doubt the best food for your child. It has nutrients for your child in the form of colostrum produced only at the early stage of lactation as well as the psychological and emotional benefits for both mother and child that no formula can provide way after the colostrum stage is over.

Even if you are not convinced of the benefits, think of how mothers during the time when there was no formula feed their child. Nature knows best.

However, it is normal if your wife is not lactating yet or not having enough milk right after labor. This does not mean you should not try to breastfeed and totally depend on formula because if you don't breastfeed, the body may not be stimulated to produce more milk. So breastfeed even if there is little to give and keep doing it until the supply increases to a sufficient level. Supplement with formula during this stage and stop when no longer required.

At the same time, you can perform breast massages to help stimulate the body to produce more milk.

During the supplement period, your child may prefer the artificial tits to the real one. This can possibly make them dislike breastfeeding as compared to the bottle. To overcome this, cup feed them. This way, they will only know the only two tits which is their mothers

How do you know if you feed them enough? By monitoring their urine and bowel movements. The doctors and nurses will guide you on all the above.

I wish you all the best.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Ubuntu audio issues

If you faced problems with the audio on your just installed Ubuntu, this is the simplest and quickest fix that I can find online.

With all due credit to those who found the solution first, here it is

1. Edit the Alsa config file

sudo vi /etc/modprobe.d/alsa-base.conf

2. Add at the end of the file the following line

options snd-hda-intel model=thinkpad

3. Restart the sound card

sudo /sbin/alsa force-reload

4. If your issue is still not solved, try changing the value for Step 2 to to something else other than 'thinkpad'. Refer to the list below.

laptopBasic Laptop config (default)
hp-laptopHP laptops, e g G60
asusAsus K52JU, Lenovo G560
dell-laptopDell laptops
dell-vostroDell Vostro
olpc-xo-1_5OLPC XO 1.5
ideapadLenovo IdeaPad U150
thinkpadLenovo Thinkpad

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Poor standards at KTPH

I am writing this to highlight the poor standard of service at Khoo Teck Phuat Hospital. I have been there, although not hospitalised, on a few occasions to make an opinion.

I personally experienced their poor standard when I was referred to the A&E by my GP who had already made a diagnosis. As he do not have the right equipments to confirm his diagnosis, I was referred to the A&E.

After registration, a nurse attended to me and I was made a do a urine test before I see the doctor.

When I finally get to see the doctor, he had nothing with him to make any diagnosis as the results of the urine test was not even back yet.

After he personally went to get the results, his diagnosis was similar to what my GP had made although he cannot confirm it yet as the urine test cannot be used to make a conclusive diagnosis. He simply prescribe some pain medication and tells me to go home and wait for a call from their side to arrange for an appointment.

When they finally called me about two days later, the appointment date given was in about 5 weeks time. So I decided to make an my own appointment at SGH which is available in 2 weeks.

Below are what I feel they should have done.

1. Right from the start of the registration until the doctor attends to me, nobody bothered to read the referral letter from my GP and I have to explain it myself. What is the point of the letter then? Isn't it better to get the information right from the horses mouth?

3. What is the point of making me see the doctor when the test results is not out yet? Isn't it better if they were to call on other patients first until my results are out? It would have speed up the whole process for everyone instead of making me wait further in the room and making others wait for my consultation to finish.

2. For my condition, a simple X-Ray could have confirm it, which was what SGH did when I went for the appointment. They can then straightaway arrange for the necessary procedure that I need to go through. This could have been done at KTPH if they have simply did the X-Ray.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Delayed Atrix

Just ordered the Motorola Atrix online from StarHub yesterday. Today the called me up to tell me it is out of stock.

Why didn't they update their website is beyond me. And when I check today, it is still available online!

Now they cannot even give me a date as to when the new stocks will arrive and I am supposed to wait for their call.

I reserved the right to cancel the order if it takes too long.


Monday, April 4, 2011

The vanishing

Wife called earlier in the day, sounding worried, and asked me to look into the possibility of installing a CCTV system for the house.

She didn't want to elaborate at first but when probed further, she said that the neighbour's CCTV captured the act of someone trying to get into our house.

So I went looking for some solution thinking this is serious business.

When I called back again later to check on her, the story now changed to a ghost like nature where that someone appears to have gone through the front door like magic. And she sounded scared now.

In my mind, ghost captured on CCTV? Must get the neighbour to sell us the footage and I should be able to make a hits on the video and probably advertising revenue.

As I reached home and just parked the bike, wife sms me asking where I am. Thinking that it would be a nice surprise if I were to appear at the door while she thought I was at work, I replied 'Stuck at work'.

When I opened the door, there she was looking as if she is about to freak out thinking the ghost is back. Turns out my plan to surprise her backfired. Poor wife.

While I was changing, wife reminded me of 'pantangs' or do-nots that we supposedly did not adhere too hence the presence.

The women talked of multiple theories while we're having dinner as if they are taking part in the coming election. I listened and gave my views but ghost it is even then.

After dinner, we made our way to the neighbour's house to view the footage and it turns out that it was just some ordinary looking women, though probably not of sound mind, going around putting things out of place.

The ghostly part is when the camera, being a motion sensor one, no longer able to detect the women who is far away by then and therefore stopped recording. It looks like she just vanished into thin air.

So much for ghost that vanished together with my advertising revenue.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

And then there's three

It was about 3 1/2 weeks ago. No one was around except for the two of us. And my cat.

She came up to me and showed it to my face. She had that same disappointed look on her that I recall a week or two ago.

"Can't be" I said, puzzled. "You must have not done it right. We'll do it again".

"Again? I don't want to" she replied, whining. "And I can't anyway. There's no more".

She was actually afraid to do it again and end up with same outcome which will only make her more disappointed.

"I'll get you a glass of water and we'll try again a while later" I said while I rushed to the kitchen and came back with a big filled glass.

She finished it up, unenthusiastically.

We then watched TV while we wait for the next opportunity. Then it came.

"I think I'm feeling it" she said.

It didn't take a second for me get up to grab the kit and rush us both to the bathroom. It was then that she asked me why was I in there with her.

"I did say 'we' just now right? So I'm doing it with you this time" I replied. "I'm going to make sure it is done right"

"But it's embarrassing" she pleaded.

It's true but I was a man on a mission and nothing was going to stop me then.

"You weren't when you almost choked me when you polluted the air in our room!" I said, countering her objection. "So come on. I'll hold the thing".

So we both took our positions. She was like my test subject who by the way still wanted to argue over how it should be done even though she blew it the first time round. So I got to call the shots this time.

When it came, it wasn't just the stick that got it but I couldn't care less.

Sensing that it got enough, I placed it flat on the sink counter and we both waited with baited breath.

It didn't take long before my gut feeling was proven right as I turned to her and said "See? I told you!". She stood there with mouth wide open and eyes almost popping out; in a state of disbelieve.

Although I kind of expecting it, my brain still took some time to register the information in. It's only after a few seconds that that I hugged her and gave her the longest kiss I could remember, right there.

And yes, we did washed up first.


Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Installing OMSA on Citrix XenServer

Latest version of OMSA differs from previous versions.

Instead of the server hosting a web service on port 1311, OMSA now operates by a client-server basis, in which you will use a remote management system web service instead to access the management service on the XenServer. In other words, you will need to configure the server as well as a client.

Below details the installation steps and how to remote manage your server.

1. Download the ISO file v7.3 for XenServer here



# wget http://downloads.dell.com/FOLDER01557095M/1/OM-SrvAdmin-Dell-Web-LX-7.3.0-357_A00.XenServer62.iso
2. Install OMSA
# xe-install-supplemental-pack OM-SrvAdmin-Dell-Web-LX-7.3.0-357_A00.XenServer62.iso
3. Post installation configuration
# cd /opt/dell/srvadmin/etc 
#./autoconf_cim_component.sh -p 5986
# service iptables save
# /etc/init.d/openwsmand restart
# /etc/init.d/sfcb restart
# iptables -I RH-Firewall-1-INPUT -p tcp --destination-port 5986 -j ACCEPT


4.Start the OMSA service
# cd /opt/dell/srvadmin/sbin
# ./srvadmin-services.sh start
Starting Systems Management Device Drivers:
Starting dell_rbu:[ OK ]
Starting ipmi driver: Already started[ OK ]
Starting Systems Management Data Engine:
Starting dsm_sa_datamgrd: [ OK ]
Starting dsm_sa_eventmgrd: [ OK ]
Starting dsm_sa_snmpd: [ OK ]
Starting DSM SA Shared Services: [ OK ]
5. Download another version of OMSA for your remote management system (the client) eg if you are using Windows, then download the Windows version here and install OMSA as per default

6. Open up a browser and type in the address as below.

https://client-system-ip:1311
If you are using your own system to access, then you can type https://localhost:1311

7. On the Managed System Login screen, type the credentials of the XenServer system you want to access, 
and then click Submit.

– Hostname / IP address: Hostname or IP address of the XenServer in the format 'Hostname:5986', or 'IP address:5986', as shown below.

Note: Tick on 'Ignore certificate warnings'