Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by Mesosmagnet

What careers are available for debaters?

Mesosmagnet — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 00:08:53 +0800

Hi,

I've not been working for a large portion of my life so far, but seeing as I may be working for the rest of my life, I'd like to find a career that.. suits me.

Problem is.. I have no idea what that career might be. So here's hoping you guys can lend a hand.

Earlier in life I wanted to be an artist(the kind that makes physical art pieces not performing, though acting was something I wanted to do at a time too, but thats besides the point), but I was "hammered into place" and eventually decided to study software development. Now I've been in the IT sector for almost 3 years and to be honest I don't really like it here. One thing I did realize though is that, when something goes wrong and nobody really knows whats wrong and a small argument/debate happens, thats probably when I feel the most invigorated.

Looking back, I used to have very lengthy arguments/debates with my parents when I was younger too and to me the time during those arguments/debates were bliss, my mind would be racing figuring out connections, picking out small flaws in their arguments and bringing in new scenarios where the said item of debate would not work. (in hindsight my parents were very accommodating and though I may have been tough headed at times they continued to entertain me till I accepted their stand, they had no more counter arguments or we were too tired to continue.

In many work situations as well I often time take on the position of a devils advocate and question decisions of my colleagues and managers (which is probably why no one likes me very much), even though I may totally agree with them. But in IT or in regular office work I presume, everyone tends to just accept decisions and never questions them (my colleagues tell me that as subordinates we should just blindly follow what our leaders decide, and since most of the time bringing things up and questioning decisions do not change the outcome, it is a waste of time and effort that should be spent doing my job). Now I know for certain that this is expected subordinate behavior to follow orders even though they do not agree with them, after all as subordinates we are being paid to do work not make decisions, and I have no issue with that. But as someone who takes pleasure in arguments and debates, I feel like the puzzle piece from another board.

Add to that the fact that I am always keen on finding out new things, I feel there should be a job out there which matches my personality, i just haven't found it yet. Anyone have any suggestions?

Plastic Surgery and having kids

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:35:03 +0800

Hi Guys,

Something has been bothering me for quite awhile about plastic surgery.
But before I get into that, some background.

Nowadays with more and more people having access to plastic surgery its hard to believe whether a person was born good looking or has had surgery done to "fix" their looks. If thinking about having kids, what are the chances that we would pick a person who has had plastic surgery done over a naturally good looking person?

The common idea is that if someone has had plastic surgery done, its certain that the child will not look as good as the parent/parents. People attribute this to the fact that while they can have their physical appearance altered their gene's remain the same, thus "ugly" babies.

Here's a link to a blogpost which shows korean people and the drastic difference plastic surgery has made to their physical appearance.Before and After - Plastic Surgery. While the post may not be 100% accurate, there are a few well documented cases of drastic image alterations through plastic surgery.

But, we have hardly ever heard any stories about after the plastic surgery. It is very likely that these people would have kids as their chances in netting a "mate" would have dramatically increased after their make-over. That bring me to the thing that is bugging me. Would their CHILDREN really be "ugly"?

Its highly likely that I am wrong, but my hypothesis is that if the timespan between getting the surgery done and "mating" is long enough, it is possible that the children would not fully resemble the OLD appearance of the parents and instead may resemble the parents looks AFTER the surgery. And as with any hypothesis there are a few things that brought me to make this hypothesis.
- We know for a fact that the parents after plastic surgery do not totally revert back to their old appearance.
- We also know that we essentially replace our all bones cells every 10 years.
- We also know for a fact that some scars never go away.
- all the above suggest that our genes may adapt to our physical appearance as well.

That considered, isn't it likely that when these people who have had plastic surgery done have kids, that the genes used contain the blueprint of the NEW physical appearance rather than the old?

As usual please share your thought!
Thanks for reading!

Would you give up everything you have to..

Mesosmagnet — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 15:19:21 +0800

Picture a place, where everyone had a place to rest their heads at night, food to fill their bellies, and the time to pursue their interests.
The catch, you spend a few hours each day helping with the sustainability of the community. Eg, growing food, fixing /building, cleaning, and etc.

Would you, give up everything you currently have to go and live in such a place?

EDIT:
A small note: self sustaining as mentioned above does not automatically mean "kampung" life. And also it is not a everyone works the whole day to keep the community sustainable. Its basically a place where you can stay where food is provided and the rest of the day you can pursue your interests, be it creating art, designing programs, building robots, writing a book, raring animals, developing the cure for cancer.. etc.
Of course whatever you achieve, you will not be able to make a profit out of.

Ignoring the perceived cost of running such a facility and etc. Its the idea that instead of slogging away at work which you are not befitting humanity, you instead live in a self sustaining community and are free to develop and bring to life the ideas you have, and all for the benefit of humanity and not for profit.

Untitled - A novel in progress

Mesosmagnet — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 21:55:34 +0800

A long long time ago, when light had yet to appear in these lands, the ancient people whispered a prophecy. A prophecy of one who would be born into the land, one who was like none these dark dwellers had ever seen. Ever seen, get it? There was no light yet so they literally could not see.

“Oh come on professor, that same line wasn’t funny the last time you told us this story, nor the time before that, nor even the time before that. We want to hear another story!”

“Yeah professor, tell us a different story this time, an exciting one,”

“Uh-huh, like the one you told Rynette, the one about her grandmother, your mother. The one you told her when she came back with her arm missing from fighting the war with the.. Ahhhh!”
The children screamed in fear as a loud BOOM echoed through the settlement.

“There there children. Don’t be scared that must have just been one of our Walkers tripping. You know today is the day the new recruits have their training, so lets just calm down. Story time will have to wait, run along back to your homes now. I would like to have a talk with Mr. General regarding this ruckus he’s making. Go on now”

As the last little child scurried away, the Professor could not help but feel sad for them. It was unfortunate they had to be born into a time like this. He turned and hurried to the center of their settlement. Everyone insist on calling him the Professor no matter how many times he tells them to call him by his name, Endryne. Well he couldn’t really blame them, it was a difficult name to pronounce let alone remember. He himself had once loathed the name, he had wished his mother had named him John or Peter, a simple name one like everyone else had. But now he thought differently. His mother’s journal, which was the only item she left to him which was of explicit importance by the way it was mentioned in her will, in it, she wrote of the story of his namesake, her ancestors, whose story he himself had told Rynnete not two weeks ago.

His mother had lived a full life, he was glad she had passed on around a year ago, only a few months before the war began. The war, in which his precious daughter Rynnete was not fighting, the war which took his wife, the war which now threatened to engulf and lay to waste all he held dear.

It would soon be his time, the recent flashes only served as a reminder. But he would not let himself be taken till he had fulfilled his duty, as father, as son, as descendent.

~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~
~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~ Author's note: ~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~
~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~-----~

I am writing a fiction novel and would love any feedback you are willing to provide. I'll update this post from time to time as my novel progresses but for now this is the first 464 words written.

Clothing Manufacturers to Supply Online Store

Mesosmagnet — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:04:05 +0800

Hi~

My gf wants to start a small online store selling clothing, but we have no idea where to source the clothes from. We were wondering whether any of you have contacts of any clothing manufacturers.

And any advice from those who already sell clothes online, would be just awesome.

Government Detal Hospital in Johor

Mesosmagnet — Sun, 27 May 2012 14:21:13 +0800

My son broke his front tooth and the nerve is visible. I previously was in KL and went to university hospital dental wing.

Now I'm in Singapore and the prices here are outrageous. So I'm looking for a government hospital which has dentist in Johor.

ps. University Hospital Dental cost only RM5

No new TV Series to watch~ Good ones all Finished

Mesosmagnet — Sun, 27 May 2012 01:48:38 +0800

My favourite TV series has reached its finale~

House - is no more~
Fringe - final season starts in July
Supernatural - I have a feeling its going to end soon as well

These to me were the most exciting TV series to watch and its been at least 3 years since I started watching them. Now that they are reaching their ends~ I need suggestions on what to watch.

Previous shows I've watched are Lost and HEROES which both ended quite awhile ago.

Alcatraz is interesting, and I'm following that. But besides that I'm at a loss.

Van/SUV from KL to Singapore

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:57:36 +0800

Okay.. the topic might sound rather vague, but I need some help.

I'll be going to Singapore with my wife and 2 year old, and we have some stuff we need to move.(Desktop PC, guitar, toys, clothes)

I'd like to ask if anyone knows anybody who can provide us with a van/SUV and a driver who will take us from KL to Singapore. (on 30th of April)

Its a 4-5 hour journey, and all included I'm willing to fork out RM1,000 (inclusive of petrol/toll/misc charges to enter Singapore). Will add on RM100 if everything goes smoothly.

Please contact me at 018-9807818.

Car rental service?

Mesosmagnet — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:37:25 +0800

Hi guys,

Do you guys know of any car rental services? I need a car to move my stuff from KL to Singapore. I thought of getting a lorry but that cost RM2500 so its just way over my budget. Any advise is welcome. Thank you

Wall Beds and Sofa Beds

Mesosmagnet — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:48:40 +0800

Hi, I'm moving into a house which is unfurnished. My room is small but I'll be living with my wife. So I will be needing a Queensized bed at least. Now as I said my room is small. And if I put in a Queen Sized bed I will have no space at all. So I'm looking at 2 options Wall Beds and Sofa Beds.

I need advice from you guys/gals. Where do I find either of these things, and where can I get them cheap but quite good quality ones.

And besides that.. any other way you think we might be able to furnish a small room with a queen sized bed but still have enough space?

Cockroach infestation.

Mesosmagnet — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 14:33:54 +0800

Hi forum,

I need some help.

I just recently moved into an room at Millennium Place Condo, and only after I moved in I found out the place was infested with cockroaches. MILLIONS OF THEM.

Its been a week, I've paid the landlord 2 months deposit and a months rent and utilities. However I really cant take it any more. Initially they were only in the kitchen. So me and the other tenants, had a cleaning session and cleaned the kitchen. We reduced their number but they were still there. But NOW, they have started appearing in MY ROOM.

I've told the owner about it, and shes scheduling pest control. But I do not know how long that will take and even if it will be effective. And even then, how long till I can move back into the place.

I really have no idea where to turn to. This house is scaring me, but what can I do! I have given her the money.

University of London - Distance Learning

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:59:48 +0800

Hi,

I recently enrolled in the University of London's Distance Learning Programme and would like to seek out others who have done the same.
Past, present or future students are all welcome to share your thoughts here. During application day, there were quite a large number of applications, so I'm hoping at least a few lurk here on Lowyat.

Brief Overview:
The University of London is a federal university made up of 31 affiliates: 19 separate university institutions, and 12 research institutes.[3] As such, the University of London is the largest university in the UK by number of full-time students, with 135,090 campus-based students and over 50,000 in the University of London International Programmes.

University of London International Programmes
The University of London International Programmes is a division of the University of London that manages external study programmes.
Several colleges and institutes of the University of London offer degrees through the programme, including
- Birkbeck
- Goldsmiths
- Heythrop College
- Institute of Education
- King's College London
- London School of Economics
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Queen Mary
- Royal Holloway
- Royal Veterinary College
- School of Oriental and African Studies
- University College London.

Myself, I'm enrolled in the BSc Information Systems and Management course. I plan on taking my first set of exams next May/June, which leave me with very little time. My course is offerd by the London School of Economics.

Thus, I'm looking for resources for study and, if there are others, maybe we could form a group and have a get together to study.

Anyone else doing self study courses are also welcome to join us.

Where them libraries at?

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:50:17 +0800

Hi,

Anyone know the best library to study at? Imma doing a self-study degree course. I need study material AND a proper study environment. Which librayr would best fit that description.

In and around the KL area of course.

SUPPORT mySENTRALfon

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:43:44 +0800

Guys~

I feel sad that one of the best ISP's in Malaysia has so little support. So here is my little rant.

In 2008 when I was in college, TMnut charged RM88 for a 1Mb internet connection. And even then it was crappy and unstable. So when I went to Penang, I found out about PenangFon, the sister company of SentralFon(previously known as MetroFon). However they ONLY serviced high rise buildings, and even then they only serviced a few areas in Penang. I was lucky that my condo was in the list. And this is the package I subscribed to.

2Mb UNLIMITED for RM60 a month

THAT was when I started downloading like crazy. My speed NEVER went below 1Mb constant stable. The only problem people might have is that this connection some how is not very gamer friendly. DoTA and what-not is crap on their connection. But downloads for torrents were speedy. And if you do not believe how good PenangFon was, why don't you do a little search for reviews.

Now after finishing college, I went to Singapore and was obviously blown away by their internet speeds of 10Mb and above. But I'm back in Malaysia now. In KL. So I'm looking to get an internet connection. And here is what I found.

http://www.sentralfon.com.my/residential.html

Look at the packages offered. Look at the prices offered. Look at the download cap.

ONLY downside.. COVERAGE. But that can be dealt with. Give them the support they need. Leave Unifi and those other monopolizing bast*rds and support a company that ACTUALLY IS GOOD.

WHY THE CAPS~!

Mesosmagnet — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:18:15 +0800

Hi guys, and gals of course~

Just moved back to Malaysia from Singapore a few months back. Only just managed to secure my own place. And am looking to get myself an internet plan.

I've read through alot of suggestion threads and stuff, and have seen alot of whining, and some trying to defend lousy internet service providers and etc.

I did my research and there are 4 options,

1. Streamyx AKA Screamyx
- COPPER, MAX 4Mb, UNLIMITED, unstable?, RM149

2. Unifi (VIP/BIZ)
- Fiber, MAX 20Mb, 120GB/UNLIMITED, stable(for now?), RM249/RM899

3. Maxis Fiber broadband
- Fiber, MAX 30Mb, 300GB, stable?, RM398

4. Astro IPTV Broadband (LIMITED COVERAGE)
- Fiber, MAX 24Mb, UNLIMITED, stable?, RM298

In Singapore, I was getting a 10Mb plan for S$50(approx. RM 140), and no download quotas. Being a heavy download user, I was in heaven. AND all that with the use of copper cabling into the homes, yes the tiny phone cable.
When I came back, I heard alot of buzz about our internet speed, and our internet using Fiber optic cabling, I thought maybe for once my country would be better than Singapore. But alas, the speeds are nearly the same 5/10/20Mbs ONLY for a Fiber connection AND WITH A DOWNLOAD CAP!?!?!

I don't know about the majority of you guys, but Fiber to me meant that it could support VERY high traffic, so WHY THE HECK ARE THEY CAPPING OUR DOWNLOADS? Streamyx 4Mb was not capped at all. Now a 5Mb plan is capped at 30GB a month?

But alas, I have but no option when it comes to the internet. I am hooked and even if I get the very life of me sucked out by those money hungry bloodsuckers, I shall still bow to them as long as they posses my ONLY gateway to the INTERNETZ.

so anyways, I will probably go with Screamyx 4Mb since at least it doesnt have a download cap. What do you guys think?

Memory Card showing "Card Error"

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 17:38:49 +0800

Hi all,

Recently I bought a 16GB microSD card for my wife's camera (Casio Exilim EX-Z670). When we tried using the card with its SD adapter in the camera it managed to take a few shots but suddenly it would show a "Card Error" message and the ONLY way I could get it to work again was by deleting the 0kb file created by the camera in the card. once that file is deleted the card could be used as usual again. However the only way to access the card and delete the 0kb file is by using a laptop/PC since the camera itself detects the card as faulty.

When I took the card back to the shop (Harvey Norman - Singapore Centerpoint branch), the told me that I bought the wrong card and that card was not suitable for my wife's camera. Now I am no pro in this area but since all phones and other devices that use microSD cards can be used with any brand and model, are camera's choosy on the type of card? In the end she insisted that if I wanted a replacement they would give me a regular SD card instead if a microSD with adapter. So I turned them down and took back my card.

So my questions are,

1. are microSD's with adapters usable with cameras?
2. are camera's card model sensitive?
3. if both above answers are 'No', any idea why I am facing this problem with my new Kingston 16GB microSD card?

Thank you for your help.

regards,
Meso

Where to stay while working at Menara Manulife

Mesosmagnet — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:15:03 +0800

Hi lowyat forumites,

HELP ME~!!!

I just landed a job at a company situated in Menara Manulife. And I am in need of a place to stay which is nearby~

Anybody working at Menara Manulife care to share where a good place to stay would be? I need advice here.
What are the prices of full-unit rentals in the area?

All the help is greatly appreciated~

regards,
Meso

Part-time Bachelors Degree

Mesosmagnet — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:56:49 +0800

I'll probabaly.. well very likely get flammed for asking such a question here, but I really do not have very much to lose at this point.

After completing my diploma last year, I sought employment in Singapore, and the best that I got was a technical support position. I am now considering whether or not I should further my studies to at least get myself a bachelors degree.

Here is my dilemma..
1. I need a steady income to live independent of my parents. period.
2. I can not study full time due to no.1, thus I need a part-time/distance learning course.
3. I need/would prefer, to get an bachelors degree from a recognized university.
4. It cant cost more than RM20k, or I will never be able to handle the payments.

So far I have come up with only 1 option. University of London's Distance Learning Program, Bachelor of Science in Information Systems And Management by London School of Economics. Damage: RM20,000. Study during my free time, take exams every year in May/June. Complete my Bachelors degree in 3 years.

Only problem I have with the above is that it will take 3 years for me to get my degree, and by then I'll probably need a post graduate degree to advance in my career.

I am looking for a shorter duration course if possible, and if that isnt possible then maybe a combined bachelors+masters program. (If it is a combined course I'm willing to pay RM50,000)

If anyone is able to help, I would really really appreciate your input.

ps. I'm back in Malaysia looking for a job as a software engineer with only a diploma and 0 working experience but a strong passion in programmiong. Will it be difficult?

Help us check an Accounting Assignment

Mesosmagnet — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:32:44 +0800

My friend has this accounting assignment, that I am helping her with. And we have tried doing research but myself being an IT major and her a Marketing major have quite some trouble.

I know that forum policy disallows "do my homework" threads. But since we've already completed the assignment and only wish for someone with more experience to help us check for mistakes it should be okay right?

Question:
WallyMart commenced business on 1st of January 2011 with $20,000 cash, $12,000 worth of Inventory and $8,500 worth of furniture and fittings.

Prepare the journal entry to record each transaction.

-See attached Excel file for transactions and answers that we gave.

We would be very grateful if you could point out any errors we have made.

How do we Learn?

Mesosmagnet — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:23:28 +0800

I have a simple question, how do we learn?

You might think I'm silly for posing such a question but when one really tries to think about it, learning is a very difficult thing. Some people say we start learning even before we are born. But inconveniently we have no recollection of how we started learning.

As a programmer it has always been my dream to create an form of artificial intelligence. We see it almost everywhere today in fiction. Cartoons, movies, even advertisements. Artificial intelligence is the next big thing that the future of technology holds.

But it isnt such an easy thing to achieve. As knowledge isnt something so easily gained. It is possible to create a program that responds to some stimuli, but we cannot predict every outcome, and there is where the limit of current programs lie. To overcome this, we need for programs to be able to learn.

The question I pose however does not have anything to do with computers or programs. Making use of the knowledge of how humans learn to create artificial intelligence is the outcome. But what I am aiming for today is just the knowledge of how, as humans, we start learning.

I apologize if the question I pose is too vague. I will try to clarify as replies given and questions about my question are submitted.

CONTINUE READING BELOW..
Added 14-01-2012
[Because I feel it is relevant to those who are visiting this post for the first time so as to continue the discussion]

Wow its been almost a year now since I started this topic and surprisingly even with so few replies it is still alive.

Anyways, in the past year, while no I did not get any closer to accomplishing my dream of creating the true form of artificial intelligence, I did surprisingly learn that the question "How do we learn" does not just apply to when creating artificial intelligence.. it is so much more important that just that.

Learning.. is from my point of view the ONLY major obstacle which inhibits our ability to advance further as a species. Knowledge has been a major player in the way we ended up how we are today. You see, the only thing separating us from say, chimpanzees is merely the ability to accept, apply and retain knowledge. Chimps are by far naturally better built for survival than humans, so if we possessed only the same amount of knowledge capacity as the chimps, the process of natural selection would have long since taken humans out of the planets gene pool.

My point being, thus far, as a species, we have amassed an unimaginably large amount of information/knowledge. Unfortunately, most of this knowledge has now been lost due to the fact that whomever possessed the information/knowledge has passed on, or they did not manage to write it down, or whatever they wrote got destroyed, or worse yet, they deemed that their knowledge was useless, and did not see the point in sharing. Just one scenario, albeit a little controversial, but all so that you can relate to my stream of thought..

We are in the year 2012, the doomsday year as many believe or wish they did not. Now what sparked the controversy is the Mayan calendar or so I am lead to believe, so imagine IF we possessed the complete knowledge of our kind, we would know exactly WHY the long count ends in 2012, or maybe whether the cycle repeats after 2012, or even IF it was a calendar in the first place. And so all this confusion could have all been avoided.

The above might have been a little out of line with the discussion at hand but it brings me to my main point. The ONLY MAJOR obstacle we face as a species that we are not able to accept, apply and store information at an efficient enough rate a.k.a we aren't learning fast enough and neither are we thorough in our learning. Take another simple example, language, everyone who has tried to pick up a new language knows that it is difficult unless immersed into an environment that forces you to pick up the language but even then it takes longer than it should. So IF we understand HOW WE LEARN, I believe we as a species would be able to overcome the greatest obstacle since we learn't how to convey our knowledge to one another.