熱浪

很久之前我便愛上了吃卡樂Ｂ熱浪薯片。中學時代，吃熱浪是一種癮。我不是說我常常吃零食。我才沒有那麼多零用那樣做。但在我心目中，沒有一款薯片的味道比得上它。已經不清楚在哪一年放課後，大家都走了。我卻跑進小食部。那裡除了員工外，沒有別的人。我用兩大元買了一小包熱浪。打開包裝袋，溢出濃濃撲鼻的香氣。每一口都滋味萬分。連藏於角落的零碎都被我吃得一乾二淨。吃了一包，卻想繼續吃。心思思了好一會兒，也是敵不了。如是者吃到第四包才肯罷手。痛快！此情依舊，卻是人事全非。

新聞：300校園陸續停售薯片蝦條（明報）

蜆、蠔、三文魚

去過水族舘才發現，原來在美國，飼養的蜆和蠔比捕捉的更宜食用。三文魚則相反。

詳情可瀏覽刊於SeafoodWatch.org的列表。

五週年

在公司裡打滾已有五年。今天中午我的老細和幾位同事在鄰近的西餐廳為我慶祝。老細巡例送上公司的賀卡和五週年的記念擺設。座上的都是和我一同拚搏了多年的同事。老實說，平日除了在工作方面，我與他們沒有很多對話。說到尾在各方面我都不是一個傾談的好對象。說會話，有很多口語及日用的字眼我聽不懂。說生活，他們都已經有妻有兒有樓，平日說的，不是兒女的事，就是妻子的事。說嗜好，我並不好動，卻碰著攀山好手長途單車手和專業泳將。說文化，多年來我仍未能容入本地人的活動中。說信仰，他們都沒有信甚麼。有一次我穿一件福音性的外衣上班，被我那個穿著South Park外衣的老細說crazy。我想過放慢一點，看多一點，學多一點，下點決心去接觸本地的一切。本來這晚刻打算回家，卻被我找著了一位舊同事。原本約好八時食個晚飯，卻改至八時半。現在是時候起行了。願天父為我開路去認識去接受去關心身邊的人。阿門。

Update: 很高興能與舊同事邊吃邊傾了兩個鐘。他還有興趣與我一同去看看那個香港藝人佈道會。現在才醒起我已經認承了當該晚的陪談員。看來要找別人替我了。

Credit card: late fee and finance charge

This one may be a no-brainer to you. I am just here to vent.

Activity	Amount
MEMBERSHIP FEE AUG 06-JUL 07	0.00
CREDIT PROTECTOR FEE MNTHLY 8009505114	6.39
LATE FEE - JUL PAYMENT PAST DUE	39.00
PURCHASES*FINANCE CHARGE*PERIODIC RATE	13.12

USD$52.12 because I was 8 days late in paying the balance. "What's the difference between late fee and finance charge?" you may ask. The lady at the call center explained that the late fee is assessed according to the amount of unpaid balance. The finance charge is assessed according to the amount of unpaid balance, the number of days overdue, and the current interest rate.

It'll take me a long time to earn such an amount with the card's dividends, that is, if I remember to pay up the balance on time. Argh!

Dell recalls battery, finally

Dell Battery Return Program

A different kind of soccer

It's crazy. It's pathetic. But it is so much fun!

Watch the ROBO-ONE Robot Battle Ball video

To love what I hate

In the mood, so I would babble over here.

Hearing problems. Two friends separately spoke to me at a distant last night and I could hardly hear what what they were talking to me about. I am sorry if you were those friends who felt frustrated towards my incapability to understand your words. Because I couldn't figure them out. Somehow I haven't got problem hearing during work or over the phone. Makes me wonder if I have any hearing problem for real.

Weak memory. When we came back to the city and were on the way to dinner, I forgot about the exact location of the restaurant. I chose to tune to my failing memory rather than to follow a reliable friend's directions. Because of that, I am sorry.

Meaningless, blunt words. If you have known me, you would know I have always been blunt and have constantly been making comments that never seemed to help anyone. "Inflated ego" would be the word to describe it. As if everyone should come and listen to these meaningless comments for some enlightenment or something, how so full of myself I always have been!

Selfish personality. I guess it has something to do with my lack of attention and security during my childhood. The kind of courtesy I have shown to others and the consistency of it have never been as loving as the compassionate friends close to me. How much would I like to become as loving as them! How come I always seem to lack the capacity to give it all to others? Do you feel the same way?

One good point I took from yesterday's devotion was one shall accept in order to love a person. It's not what one does that determines whether the person is lovable. It's merely that one being a person, just like you, just like me.

So self, let's see if we can work something out, m'kay?

5 years

Today I hit the 5-year mark working for my current employer. It's also the 5-year mark for my living in this place. It seems that things have turned for the better. But at the same time, I am kind of lost whenever I look back at the period. It was not very long but there were many turning points to me. There were many things that I wish didn't happen. But then it seems that I have come through those obstacles. I didn't do so with my strength. No, not once. Rather, I am grateful that my Heavenly Father has always been near. His love, grace and promises gave me hope whenever I seeked Him. Time endured the situation for me. I wished to repent for my transgressions. It seemed that I continued to live selfishly while always calling out to the One who forgives. Was it always the trick I fell for? How would you call this thing in my ego that I just wouldn't let go, this tendency to let loose and fall off?

Did I get any closer to You after these times at all? I know You hear my voice.

Some claim that the past helps shaped a person into who s/he is. I definitely agree with that claim. But I do not know if it helped me in my case. I do not think it did. Sadly, it would be futile to find a way to go back in time to the old days when I was a kid. If I have been raised differently, if I have gone to a different school, still I might end up being the same person. Who knows? Everyone knows there is no point in asking what-ifs. Maybe, just maybe, the past has "helped" me after all? It's only logical to stop pondering questions that we can never answer. Instead, let's get a stack of paper and bottles of ink and draw better pictures for our own story, shall we? And this time, grab onto His hand for real--you can't truly live without.

Online at force

This is a first.

Windows Live spaces, RAW image tool

I was reading RSS feeds with Google Reader and noticed that all the past entries of the MSN spaces of a few friends showed up again as new entries in the reader. It was because those friends "upgraded" their MSN spaces to Windows Live spaces. Having been spoiled by the ad-blocking AvantBrowser, I couldn't stand seeing the ad banner at the top of the layout of those blogs. Anyhow, one of those new-again entries from a friend mentioned a free tool from Microsoft with which you may view RAW images and have thumbnails created for them. I know a few of you own DSLRs so it may be of interest to you.
Download Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer for Windows XP

Cat vs Dog

I always wondered what would happen when you put a cat and a dog together. This video didn't only answer my question. It did so the way I have always imagined.

Thank you YouTube.

Timing belt

I took my car in for regular maintenance and had it check up for the squeaking noise coming from the left side of the vehicle.

Now I got a call from the shop about the cause of the squeaking noise. The driving belt is cracked. The timing belt hidden inside would probably be in the same state. Replacing the driving belt costs less than $100 labor included. But replacing the timing belt (which also gets the driving belt replaced in one go) cost over $700! But there is no way to tell the condition of the timing belt without digging deep into the inside. Unlike the driving belt, the timing belt won't make a sound until it breaks. And when it does, there will be a 85% chance that it would damage the engine. Typically the timing belt needs replacement every six years or so. And I didn't remember whether I had it replaced in recent years. I really didn't expecting any major repair to my car as I probably won't be keeping it for long. But in the meanwhile, I can't just let go of it either.

At last, I made the decision to fix it up so I can keep it running until the day I am going to sell it. =~~( It wasn't a decision made without pain. I really hope that this would be the last time my car would dig this big a hole into my wallet.