Am I at my lowest?

Here I am again, ranting on the virtual space where I do not know this post is for whose eyes, nor I'll never know anyone who had been on the same path as me. I've put in my sweat, tears and blood (literally) on a job for 10 years, climbing up the career ladder something I can be proud of. I put in so much until I had gained not only experiences, skills but also the trust of my employer. During that 10 years, I've built up a household and took on many commitments. I even thought I'll be able to work until I retire, which I can do so comfortably. But alas, nothing good ever lasted for me. The company I worked for 10 years was winded up in 2020, and everything I had worked for had gone to ashes. My world came crushing down on me. Lucky for me, my wife was supportive otherwise I would not have be able to publish this post. However, whatever had planned for me since 2020 until today was not all pleasant, although I took anything and everything thrown my way with stride and face these challenges head on. I'm not sure whether the Covid-19 pandemic was a silver lining for me, but I finally managed to get a good 2 year rest without feeling any guilt. In fact, I believe many were resting with me. I naively thought I could get back on my feet and regain my former glory. I was so wrong. Since then, I'm not able to secure a decent or stable job no matter how I tried. My last job lasted me 2 years after i really cannot tolerate the toxic culture of the working environment. And today, I'm once again jobless anxious looking another opportunity so I would not lose the roof over my head. Although I've ways to get by and my wife had assured me that I'll get the right one soon. But the thought of not able to provide for the family had caused anxiety during day and sleeplessness during the nights. You may say that I had it coming, leaving the job without an offer but I this job is draining me in all aspect, i.e. mentally, physically and most important of all financially. Being middle age is very hard to get reemployment and that cause even more anxiety. ~ Shackks "Andy" Ooi

Is she still with me?

She is no longer that 坏蛋小宝贝 I used to know. That 坏蛋小宝贝 is always so caring and loving towards me and both of us are always be there for each other.

Those days are gone. I no longer mean anything to her. My place in her heart has been replaced by someone I do not know. It broke my heart whenever what I do doesn't yield any result at all. Although my love for her is still the same, but I can feel that her heart is no longer with me. The struggle that we had gone through for more than 10 years means nothing now. The memories that etched deeply in our hearts may just be covered by dust and no longer exist anymore. My heart gets heavier whenever I thought of this.

My Rant on Hubristic Individuals

A team will cease to improve if they are complacent of their past achievements or success. Having the spotlights shining brightly on them with high respect and expectation will only makes them become addictive to such power.

Achievements and success are sweet to savor but they are not permanent. These feelings is nothing but just a reminder to keep trying and progress for more achievement, not to maintain, but to excel. Not only to excel among peers and competitors, but also in our own limitations of knowledge, skills and also mentality.

I've heard a sayings, "Power is like Morphine", which I do agree on very much. And this is the legal addiction that lead to the downfall of many men or organisations. Many failed to realize they had fell into this category of addiction. Which is why, power does not last as long as it is an addiction.

That, will affect the overall progress of the whole organisation, which in turns, will lead to a downturn trend which slowly leads to it's demise.

So, it is totally reasonable to understand why is there always a group of third party, being placed in the sideline to observe and evaluate the current situation. It is to put everyone's feet firmly on the ground, where they are supposed to be. Only those with open heart shall heed those reminders stem from these observations and stress for improvements.

Otherwise, the calls from these observers are nothing but pollutions. They are considered as pest to the team, disturbances or hindrances as they would see it.

Auditors or observers, are lead by guidelines, and has no benefit in any way should they give out calls for improvement. These team of pesky people does not share your spotlight nor your glory should you enjoy a new success or achievement. They are the shadowed, and only work in the background.

No matter what, they are just an observer, which will only remain outside your court, witnessing your success or your downfall. They will clap on your achievement, but will never gloat on your downfall.

The choice if yours, whether to embrace them, and quit the addiction. Or to ignore them, and continue to be oblivious to your addiction.

All the best to you.

*The above is not related in any political situation, just my personal reminder to myself.

Microsoft Shutting Down MSN Live Services

Yeap... It's true. Like it or not, after Microsoft bought over Skype. They've decided to shut down the MSN Live Messenger which will be schedule on the March 2013. This decision will affects all regions with the exception of China.

This move is to prevent the conflict of interest between Skype and MSN Live Messenger. And after all, Skype will surely brings in more revenues with users using cash to buy credits to make calls. MSN Messenger has been with us for a very very long time. It has stands all test and trials of competition, competing against chat room like irq and other instant messaging services like ICQ and Yahoo Messenger and Skype.

 However, all good things must come to an end. And the time has comes for this wonderful companion which has been one of  the essential software since 1999.

I'm sure we'll miss MSN very much but the grief shall not be long as there's already facebook chat and google talk eagerly taking its place in no time. But then, I'll be quite sure many corporates IT heads are having headache on which to use for their instant communicating tools after this. For I'm one of them.

More details in BBC

Cheers,
Andy MH Ooi

Changes thru the years

After a tiring day, as I was sitting down to read my news after dinner, a sudden thought comes to my mind.

Do you have such experience:

At the age of 10, you would run around with other boys who you might not even know his name, only knowing he'll be here the next day at the same time.

At the age of 12, you would hurry home after class, get change and rush your lunch. Then sprint out to your friends' house. Shouting for their names as you reached their gates. What happens next, no one knows...

At the age of 15, hogging the public telephone was a norm, leaving those behind you frustrated. Either you're chatting with your classmates, or to the sweet looking girl you're hoping to date.

At the age of 16, roaming around the streets in bikes with friends was the proudest things to do. While boasting of everything in school.

At the age of 19, dating with the college belle was the ultimate goal. One who took their studies seriously are deemed as nerds, only good when the exam is near.

However, all these happy days just zap to oblivion the moment we started our working days.

So, do you still remember your childhoods?

Cheers,
Ansy 'Shackks' MH Ooi

Lack of important feature in Windows Server 2003

It's quite surprising to know that the system administrator are not able to view the history of the user's activity on the domain's resource effectively and easily. The administrators has to take several beaten path and weave it's way full of confusing settings and configurations before it's able to see the information it wanted, after filtering from the lots of useless information from the pool resulted from those settings and configurations.

I've been looking for a solution on this matter after the HOD of OSSD Department aka "My Lady Boss" asked me to do so. Using a Windows Server 2003 built from Virtual Machine 2007, I discovered that getting such information wasn't easy, or inaccessible to laymen. Scouring the internet made me understand that more than half of the world's System Administrators are looking for solutions on this matter, as early as 2004. Basically, I've no access

Why??

With the capability of being a Domain Controller of a massive network configuration, Windows Server 2003 (various edition) should be able to have various tools to made the System Administrator's life easy, enable them to access to information easily. But then, somehow, they decided to made it hard, as thou life is easy as it seems. I just couldn't understand why. Is that so hard to track activities on the Active Directory or the share resources the server has rolled out?

I just can't fathom the mind of those brilliant developers in Microsoft. They took assumptions that life are supposed to be so... err.... have they been in the shoes of System Administrators prior to their attachments in Microsoft, I asked myself sometime, every time I hit a bug in the system. Life as a System Admin aren't easy, they have to cope with the temperament machines who would just black out out of no reason, and those users who just loved to mess with those settings we meted out for their benefits. Above all, those outside factors, vendors, customers, business partners etc.

Anyway, enough of my rant, through the span of days of scouring the net for answers and solutions, I've seen scripts, utilities and various third party software, which some would work perfectly but most wouldn't. This is because our network environment are somewhat different from other typical Domain setup. We used more of workgroups and only logged on to the Domain to share the network resource aka Shared Folders, Shared Printers. Therefore, the users and workstation don't really log on to the Active Directory in the Domain Controller locally, rather through the network resource. So until now, I've nothing to reply to my boss and I'm getting quite anxious already.

For anyone who do have any idea or solutions for my scenario above, I truly appreciates your kindness to share with me.

Back to the net, hopefully for a solution...

Cheers

Andy 'Shackks' Ooi

2011 >> I've got a pet in the office!!!

Happy Belated new Year 2011!!!

 

Was kinda late to greet my new year wish this year. All due to this job, which I've hanged on for almost a year already, left me quite breathless and tired when I reach home. Even weekends were not spared as Saturday was usually family activities out of the house when either or both Mummy or Penny are working. And Sunday is left for washing both cars, or groceries shopping. The rest of the free time was occupied on Facebook or PSP already. hehehe

 

Anyway, the year 2010 was quite a mix of everything, adventurous but frustrating, fun yet quiet, peaceful almost boring. Worst of all, every month are face with financial difficulties, even we tried to save no matter what. Sadly, I've faced with 2 accidents on my car, one during 2Q of 2011 and second one, a hit and run causing minor dents, a few week before 2011. So now I'm actually waiting for a windfall so that I'll have some extra money to repair the dent. Hopefully, before the Chinese New Year.

 

Anyway, I has been 12 days in 2011, and it seems the same as in 2010. Same environment, same people, same shit and same routine, everyday. The only thing that has change is the time and the date on the calendar. Kind of bored of the environment already, but then, I'm unable to make any drastic moves now as we've got plans for the Chinese New Year and for something big mid of 2011. So have to grit my teeth and bear with whatever comes my way. Telling myself that everything that was thrown to me was a challenge, taking them, and learnt as days goes by.

 

Today was quite a plain day, with the lost of directions on what to do to start my morning. Browse for some solutions and thought of installing a workstation which was requested a few months ago. But the clerk has left, therefore, the computer was brought back to the office once again. So tired.

 

After all those have been settled, whatever was moved, are right in it's place. I'm back to my desk, and with delight, saw a lil' black spider. Without any thoughts on it, I used a small plastic container and caught it. Now, upon the suggestion from my colleagues, it's my pet. In that container on the wall socket by the side of my desk. Ridiculous, isn't it?

 

Somehow, I don't really know what to feed it. Hopefully, the ants will be a delight to it.

 

I wishes everyone, to any follower(if any) those who actually chanced upon this quiet and lonely blog, a very prosperous 2011 and may this year be a great year for everyone.

 

Cheers

Andy "Shackks" Ooi