After Facebook games: Real life. Quit and thrive!

14 Rabiul Akhir 1431H

Pic 1 - Message from a fellow FB friend.


Quitting Facebook (FB) games.

This time, meaningfully saying, “Get lost!” is replied with a smiling “Thank you”.

While writing this 1k story, I repeatedly mental-picture virtual risks if I quit: farm crops will wither, country fruits rot, café dishes on the stove turn stale, fish tank not profiting, vampire clan cripple, and zoo unmanaged. Virtual facts hard for a dedicated FB gamer to accept. A virtual lost. And a bad way to stop.

I wish to follow the footsteps of my fellow FB friend, very soon. Previously, I've tried to give-up... then found myself relapsing into playing again, and again. Quoting Abang: “Hati tak cukup kering”; I think that's my problem. After series of relapses, cold turkey is the only way to go for me.

Simultaneously, something needs to fill-in the vacant spot of the old interest. Maybe pick-up from where I left-off? Studies. Photography. Foreign language. Swimming. Or onto myself a new challenge?

With a prayer, here I go, again.

Real world, please welcome the new me!

Contain the sugar, expel the ants

7 Rabiul Akhir 1431H

Pic 1 - A kerengga fencing on top of stale rice.

I need a worthy container to store sugar. The container must be easy to open and close without any hassle. A screw-on lid isn't suitable as some people don't bother to spend a few extra seconds to properly screw the lid on; they just place the lid on the container, just like that. An open container loaded with sugar is an open invitation to all ants to a sugar rush fiesta. Even if they did screw it on nicely, at times, Murphy's Law shamelessly kicks in. A pop-on lid makes no difference either. That brings the attention to my second characteristic requirement – keeps ants out, totally. A container that encourages people subconsciously to close it properly rather than force people to do it, is an evolution in design. A transparent glass jar with a metal lid is straightaway safe within the desirable range.

Why so particular? Well, if I wanted a jar of ants, I'd might as well go outside and dig them up; fresh from the ground! So, if I want sugar – that means – I WANT SUGAR! No ants, please.

Ubuntu Newbie: Why I switched OS

3 Rabiul Akhir 1431H

Pic 1 - My current Ubuntu desktop. Waiting for GIMP to load.

Monday, 8th March 2010: the turning point in my computing life. I'm crawling on a one-way highway from pirated Windows to Linux! Ubuntu to be precise. Files & folders from my robust 4-year old Toshiba Satellite M100 laptop are transferred to Abang's spacious PC via FileZilla.

Sorry for encouraging piracy. As a Muslim, I want to avoid products deriving from stolen goods/services. A stolen item IS a stolen item; no matter how much good you get out of it. Furthermore, when asked in the hereafter, what am I to answer?

The awareness matured overtime through many events. The decision itself to switch wasn't easy.  I'm giving up the undeserving privilege of using various software and games for the sake of going clean. What I see coming is major learning and adaptation to the new OS. Hence, this humble blog to note and share what I've learned.

My 1k stories are typed using MS Word. But this time is different. I'm writing straight into my blog, then editing it in OpenOffice.org Word Processor.

See actual post here: Ubuntu Newbie: Why I switched OS

Mister Muu-muu

18 Rabiul Awal 1431H

Pang! – An idea hit my brain, and then infectiously ate away my writer’s block. Of the 1k stories, I forgot to write one about Mister Muu-Muu... until now.

Who is this Muu-muu fellow?

Mister Muu-muu is a neutered she-mackerel tabby. Yeah, a cat!

Muu-muu is actually called “Mama” by the neighborhood. Mama is neither the tame housecat nor hissing wildcat. However, when picked-up a few inches off the floor, she’ll stiffen and yowl.

Words of mouth say Mama was spayed by UPM’s veterinarians and put up for adoption, then an ex-housemate took her in. I’m unfamiliar with this person as she moved out of the rumah sewa after marrying; before I moved in. Mama, on the other hand, recognizes her owner’s scent immediately. Whenever her keeper came, the cat would jump for cover in the drain outside the terrace house. In the end, the owner gave-up taking Mama away.

And so did me. After I took her to a new house, the clever cat ran back to her old home; that’s the last I saw her. Built-in GPS you say?


Pic 1 - Her right ear was really clipped off at the tip. Poor Muu-muu :(