I spend the whole of yesterday trying to fix the problem - downloading and running all sorts of anti-virus software and spywares, only to realise that some of the free downloads only do the scanning and that you have to buy a license in order that it does the repair job. Uncle Kevin has recommended me IT experts who helped him with his computing stuff, so I am engaging their services. At least there is some guarantee that they can solve the problem right up to the end. There's much more worth paying for this, rather than paying for a software which God knows whether it cleanses out the system completely.
So at the moment I am writing this during break in school. I have to do all my emailing in school as well. And most of all my music projects are delayed - because that is my freaking music computer which is down and out!
“Did you click on it?”
Both affirmed.
Oh shit. And their computers became infected – both disappeared from the radar almost immediately to fix the problem.
Quickly I post a notification on my nick: DO NOT ACCEPT ANY LINK THAT COMES FROM ME.
* * *
The next time, I am nearly a victim.
A friend whom I seldom communicate with on MSN sends me, out of the blue, a zip folder marked Images, with the accompanying message seeking my opinion as to whether they should post them on their Facebook or Friendster accounts. I am about to concede when, thank goodness, I stop myself, because I find it strange how this friend could suddenly behave so vainly. And as I have mentioned, we have not chatted over the net for the longest time, so why is he suddenly sending pictures to me?
To confirm the matter, soon after chat windows from other contacts pop up with the exact same message and attachment – and I will always remember the file size being 71KB.
Quickly I post up an alert on my nick, warning people not to accept a zip folder that is 71KB large. Around the same time, other’s nicks also posted up similar warnings.
* * *
The third instance, I am not so lucky.
It is 4am when I suddenly awake with a start, realising that I have forgotten to switch off the lights and the computer once again – I had fallen asleep on the presumption of a ‘short nap’ before waking up again to resume my work. I had left my MSN running, so I see this chat window from another contact whom I have added but have never spoken to. It says that I can find out who’s deleted me from their list of contacts. I am not concerned whether I get deleted or blocked off other people’s MSN, but I was curious enough to kaypoh. And the link looks authentic enough.
Sure enough, I see a list of names who have deleted me from their address books, and quite convincingly these are people I have seldom or never talked to at all. But one area disturbs me: a guy who is currently online in my window appears in that website as having deleted my name. So if he’s gotten rid of me, why does he still show up? Something is not right!
Too late: I am inflicted with some intrusive, unseen entity. Jittery, I sit up and await a full system scan’s completion before I can pull myself back to bed.
* * *
The worst experience occurs the night before, and it really drains and frustrates me. Two attacks occur within hours of each other. The wretched thing sends some message to everybody in my network – both on and offline – to “check out some fun pictures”. And I have to do damage control, because Windows Live allows people to receive messages even though they are offline – the message will appear when they log on. And the last thing I want is for people to fall for that trap when they log on in the morning and allow a stupid malicious entity of ones and zeroes to spoil their day.
Thanks to Joel and my uncle Kevin for recommending me solutions: Adware 2007 and Windows Live anti-virus, both which work where Norton was insufficient. I think my computer is sufficiently cleaned, but I still feel nervous about going on MSN in case any malicious entity that went underground sudden stages guerrilla warfare on everyone in my MSN list.
* * *
Lessons learnt?
1. Be wary of links that may suddenly appear – if in doubt, ASK.
2. Backup your data. A good solution is to remove files that you rarely access from your internal drive and put them into an external hard disk. Don’t connect your backup drive to the main computer unless you need to use it. This way you free up space on your computer, and you close any link between the marauder and the rest of your data.
3. If you need to send links or files to your contacts, inform them appropriately so that they know it’s genuinely from you and not some joker out to wreck your computer. At the same time, don’t do something like this:
“Hey! Check out this link: blah-blah-blah, don’t worry it’s not a virus!”
… in one entire sentence.
People might think it’s a virus for all you know.
I don’t know if anyone’s smart enough to programme interactive viruses yet – something that could wait for the contact to reply first before it unleashes its trickery, but then your own windows will be flooded with replies from your contacts that it’s game will probably be up even before it can begin.
In any case, protect your computer, it’s damn shitty to waste your time trying to solve computer problems when productivity can be achieved.
Music therapy interspersed with laugher is the best medicine
Robert Fernando’s ‘Here and Now’ concert
Incidentally that's not champagne... it's some fizzy apple drink... Robert says that he 'can't drink for nuts.'
Robert’s concert is one the most enjoyable concerts I have attended – the one that leaves you in a state of perpetual high for a considerable period of time after it is over.
The concert runs over two hours, without intermission, but there was no need for one because nobody wanted to! Music therapy interspersed with laugher is the best medicine.
Robert entertains us with familiar favourites from that wonderful era of James Ingram, Frank Sinatra, the great jazz singers… where songs are masterpieces and, as Robert himself puts it, really puts people into the mood of love. Not ‘Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me’ which Robert camps to the audience, and jokingly attributes this as a factor for the declining birth rate in Singapore! He spoke of the old dating medicine, which I call the 3Ms: movie, makan (‘eat’ in Malay), MacRitchie. So for guys, on your first date, you bring the girl to the cinema, then go for supper… and then MacRitchie. And someone from the audience suggested putting plaques along the benches and bushes: ‘So-and-so was made here’.
Robert is backed up by a four-piece band whose players are experts with their instruments. For several songs they provide new and refreshing arrangements. I am very much intrigued with the way Robert and they delivered On the Street Where You Live (from My Fair Lady), Tonight and Maria (from West Side Story). Most strikingly Maria is sung almost thoughtfully, accompanied by solo piano, compared to the outburst of passion that we so often hear on the stage and screen versions. I also get to hear other great songs which were frequently jammed at Buddhist Fellowship (when we still had a decent band setup and frequently jived into an evening of music-making) but I often play them half-not-knowing how they actually sound. I am so taken by ‘Just Once’ that I am so inclined to go and learn that song (incidentally it’s become Robert’s classic, which he says he’s sung more times that its original singer James Ingram).
Robert is the impeccable showman who knows how to make the audience feel appreciated. His performance does not simply becoming the act of performing, but a sincere want to share those songs with us. This probably explains the lack of a programme. Instead Robert has this list of songs on a music stand which he runs through and ponders on the stage which to deliver, according to how he judges the audience’s reaction, as well as the availability of time. When he feels he has done too much slow songs and fears that the audience is ‘falling asleep’ (to quote him) he finishes the rest of the evening with up-tempo songs. He constantly asks us if we are enjoying ourselves, are we tired – in doing so keeps our energies up as we respond to him. He points out friends and family from the audience and makes them feel appreciated. He banters with members of the audience, even encouraging the audience to do the main singing while he backs them up in the song Amore.
At 9.30pm he springs a surprise. It is his friend Brian Richmond’s (for those who do not know, Brian Richmond is a veteran DJ with Gold 90.5FM, and is the father of another local celebrity Mark Richmond) birthday, so he wants us to help him celebrate by singing the birthday song. He calls the station where Brian is working, and tells Brian that the audience was going to sing for him. Brian must have been so shell-shocked, but composes himself quickly not to disrupt his show, and with gratitude puts us on air! And so the hundreds of us sing the birthday song into the microphone, into the phone, and onto national radio.
It’s about time Robert had his first solo concert – which he already did. So now it’s about time he had another one.
¶ 9/07/2007 11:48:00 pm 0 comments
Shows now are just BORING. They are trademarked with the following features – these are my observations, not necessarily agreed by everyone.
· The characters are almost always (rather wealthy) middle-class young professionals.
· They often run into relationship issues: for the attached, it is a crisis to maintain their relationship. For the unattached, it is the hungry desire to get attached.
· There is always a sibling who falls into one or more of the following categories: (1) a friend who offers advice over relationship problems; (2) a foe who competes and tries to wreck the other’s happiness for the sake of his/her own.
· Family members are involved in a business. Sometimes the patriarch and matriarch are at the head of the business. Politics and family conflicts ensue.
· A hospital is involved.
· The kid, when he/she makes an appearance, is usually of pre-school to primary age.
· You can recognise artistes not only from their physical features but because they always play the same kind of role under the guise of different names.
I can’t think of anymore off-hand, so I shall stop here. I shall update this spot again if I happen to think of more characteristics.
It opens with this little girl having a craving for Swensens. So she screams for it. To prove the point, the word NOW with countless exclamation marks appears on the screen.
In the next shot, we see the parents bringing the little girl to a Swensen's outlet. Right after we see the three of them at a booth with lots and lots of food. The last shot shows the little girl smiling contently with a tall cup of ice-cream next to her.
Quite disturbing right? Parents probably won't want their young kids to view this, because the next people to be walking to a Swensen's outlet might be THEM. If that actually happens, I'd say Swensen's marketing ploy works - harping on kid's wants, pressurising their desires to act out.
...because they have the street directory.
Okay, which is still a map...
http://listed-havoc.blogspot.com/
BIRTHDAY BLUES
Music Composer: Dr Kenneth Lyen
Cast: Shahdon (as Shawn) and Dhaniah (as Jen)
Premiered 2 September 2007 at Marine Cove Amphitheatre as part of the Southeast CDC Arts Festival
By Stephen Shankland
[Source]
http://news.com.com/8301-13580_3-9767153-39.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1040_3-0-5
Perfect pitch, the ability to identify the absolute pitch of musical notes, looks to be the product of a small number of genes, according to a new University of California study.
Many traits, such as high blood pressure or height, have genetic links but span a broad spectrum with relatively few people having extreme measurements. But with perfect pitch, also called absolute pitch, a person either has it or doesn’t, according to UC researchers in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“This striking, bimodal distribution resolves the question of whether absolute pitch ability lies in the tail of a continuous perceptual spectrum or, rather, defines a distinct perceptual trait,” the researchers said in a report in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Judging by the fact that most people score either very well or very poorly, though, the researchers suggest that “AP ability could be governed by the influence of only one or a few genes.”
Perfect pitch may seem an amazing gift, but as the study authors point out, the visual equivalent isn’t. Humans generally are pretty good at identifying the frequency of light they’re seeing with a colour label.
Although perfect pitch appears to be a genetic trait, early exposure to music or musical training appears to influence its development in those with the right DNA.
The study tested 2,213 individuals, recruited via advertisements and a Web site, and 981 of them were categorized as having perfect pitch. The study found that about as many women as men have perfect pitch--47 percent and 53 percent, respectively--and that those with perfect pitch tend to err on the sharp side as they get older.
The researchers also found that people with perfect pitch appear to recognize tones produced by pianos’ white keys--perhaps because of early exposure to music using those notes more often.
And researchers uncovered what they call a “perceptual magnet” around the note A, generally defined as a 440Hz vibration. Orchestras and instruments often tune to A, and perhaps as a result of that and some variation about which precise frequency is used for A, people with perfect pitch are likely to hear it even when it’s not quite there.
“A statistical analysis shows that G-sharp is uniquely error-prone,” the study said. “This widening of the ‘bin’ for frequencies perceived as A can be likened to a perceptual magnet effect previously described for speech.”
In speech, people can distinguish among vowel sounds remote from perceptual magnets, but they have a hard time doing so with sounds that are close to them. “The perceptual magnet effect is a consequence of exposure to a specific language during infancy, when babies learn to bin ranges of vowel sounds into categories delineated by their native language,” according to the study.
One of Singapore’s most respected and sought-after vocalists, Robert has had many name calling moments such as, Singapore’s Andy Williams, James Ingram, Luther Vandross, Johnny Mathis and many more! But Robert Fernando’s voice is about emotional depth and romance. Despite his stellar record in Singapore’s music history, this veteran singer is not resting on his laurels.
Robert will hold his first solo concert ‘Here & Now’ at Drama Centre Theatre on 7 September at 8pm. He will sing ever popular standards and evergreens in his concert with a live band backing him up.
Date: Friday, 7 September 2007
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre (National Library Building)
Tickets: $45, $35, $28
SISTIC Website: http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/index.html?content=1101 ¶ 9/01/2007 05:17:00 am 0 comments
