garry blogs

Just popped by the Global Security Asia 2007 tradeshow at the Singapore Expo on official business. Pretty small conference but man, you’ve gotta see the exciting stuff there!

Saw the SAR 21 (yes i know, old news) but it was my first time holding one. Pretty rugged exterior. There was also the entire assortment of glock pistols, all kinds of weaponry, body armour, etc. Ever heard of inflatable bulletproof vest? Way cool.

They also had all kinds of video surveillance technology, audio surveillance, underwater ones, and even unmanned vehicles. Not to mention the huge special ops, multi-terrain, multi-use logistical vehicles.

Ok, back to work.

Someone emailed me this - I think it originated from digg.

1. You’re probably very smart.
2. It’s hip to be geek. Everyone is familiar with the stereotype of thick glasses, a pocket protector, an obsession with star trek, and social skills akin to a sack of potatoes. Times have changed: geeks are often fashionable, hip individuals who are very aligned with the trends of their own generation
3. You geek out on more than just your computer.  Ever seen the movie collection of a film geek?  Ever had an automotive geek work on your car?  Ever seen the body of a fitness geek?  The tenacity of someone like us, when applied to hobbies outside computers and the like, can yield impressive results.
4. Geek humor is the best humor. This is perhaps a biased opinion, but I’ve never laughed as hard as I have while reading some of the random, funny things that came out of geek culture.
5. You listen to good music. Geeks have access to tools that allow us to hear music that extends well beyond top 40 radio. Want the entire discography of Aphex Twin by tomorrow afternoon? Ask a geek. Not only do they listen to good music, they can find just about anything you’re looking for in a heartbeat.
6. You make good money. If there’s one stereotype about geeks that usually rings true, it’s that they rarely have trouble earning a decent income.
7. You fix stuff. Everyone loves a handyman, especially one that can fix one of the most frustrating devices ever conceived: a personal computer.
8. You’ve got your own stuff going on. You’ll never meet a geek who runs out of things to do, they’ve got lots of hobbies and interests and are more than happy to dive head first into one of those when they’ve got some spare time. In other words: they won’t rely on you to give them a life.
9. You’re very articulate. Compulsively reading a few hundred RSS feeds a day yields a vocabulary that could put most college English majors to shame.
10. You’re passionate. When a geek becomes interested in something, they tend to immerse themselves in it entirely. They’ll strip a new gadget down to nuts and bolts and re-build it with an xhtml compliant grappling gun. This intense passion can extend to many areas of a geek’s life, not just computers and hobbies.

Go GEEKS!

… and so is my 2nd month at work, as well as Chinese New Year.

When I was young, CNY used to be a really hot holiday. Ang Pows were huge then (heh) and you could buy a lot of stuff as a kid. Now, toys get more expensive, and Ang Pows aren’t as significant anymore. I know, it’s all about the relatives you say? But seriously, does that really matter nowadays? Well not me, I’m only close to a few relatives… the rest are usually hi-bye kinda, and I’m sick of answering the typical questions nowadays.

Questions like: Oh, you’re not married yet? or… Where’s your girlfriend? or… How much are you earning now? How’s your job? Where’re you working at now?

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