Worst Online Purchase Experience Ever

Today, I had to order a spare primary battery for an office laptop. A new Dell Latitude D530 to be exact. After about 5 web pages into their web site (including one asking me to participate in their user survey, which is most stupidly put at the start of a shopping search) , I finally got to where I can specify the model of the laptop. Once I selected that, the list shows adaptors, travel adaptors, power cords, secondary batteries (which replaces the DVD drive), but no primary batteries. Go to any online computer shopping site like newegg or tigerdirect, their search-click-buy interface is so easy and fast it makes you wonder why Dell is still sticking to its antiquated web site! I just want the item, I don't want to tell you that I'm getting it for Home, Small Business, Big Business or Government/Education! Just let me shop and buy that item already. And here's the idiocy: they make me answer all those questions before I start looking for the item. So I go through all that work only to find that the item is not available. Now wouldn't you be pissed off at the company and most likely select a competitor to buy from next time?

Oh This Is So Funny!

http://voshy.com/videos/view.php?id=t6pnxn4k This is _never_ going to happen in Singapore. (you can skip to the 37s mark if you want to get to the good part) - from Digg

终日奔忙只为饥...

终日奔忙只为饥，才得有食又思衣。 置下绫罗身上穿，抬头却嫌房屋低。 盖了高楼并大厦，床前缺少美貌妻。 娇妻美妾都娶下，忽虑出门没马骑。 买得高头金鞍马，马前马后少跟随。 招了家人数十个，有钱没势被人欺。 时来运到做知县，抱怨官小职位卑。 做过尚书升阁老，朝思暮想要登基。 一朝南面做天子，东征西讨打蛮夷。 四海万国都降服，想和神仙下象棋。 洞宾陪他把棋下，吩咐快做上天梯。 上天梯子未做起，阎王发牌鬼来催。 若非此人大限到，升到天上还嫌低， 玉皇大帝让他做，定嫌天宫不华丽。 ——民歌

A Beer I Can Stand. Finally

I don't usually like alcoholic drinks. For example, after I finish a can of beer, my heart rate will skyrocket and my face starts to resemble a statue of Guan Gong, except without the beard. If I don't stop for an hour or two between beers, I can feel my eyeballs bulge in their sockets from the blood rushing through my head. Same thing goes with wine. Half a glass of wine with an alcoholic content of more than 10% will make my friends ask "Are you alright?" in a very concerned tone of voice. However, I recently found a beer that only gives me a nice buzz, without the unpleasant effects. http://www.labatt.com/ I don't think the alcoholic content is much lower than other beers, but this Canadian pilsener is pretty smooth. No. I'm not drinking a lot over here. Just the occasional can with a pizza or steak. Cheers!

Japanese Drama Shows Watched

Finished watching Dr Koto - Shinryoujo. Very nice and touching show. I'm waiting for the fansubbed version of the sequel, Dr Koto - Shinryoujo 2006, to be released. I've also just watched Nodame Cantabile, which Lee Kiang raved about earlier in the year. A "special" is due to come out next year to wind up the hanging threads in the story. More waiting! Argh! Maybe I'll watch the anime version of this in the gap. Anything else good to watch? The only recent J-Drama I watched and would recommend is H2~Kimi to Itahibi.

Cooling Down in Summer Heat

The temperature climbed past 27 deg.C (80 deg.F) and humidity was well above 80%. Felt like Singapore. Took a US$5 watermelon I bought last week from the fridge, hacked it in half and carved out a good plateful of sweet coolness. Yummmm...