Jobs' Apple

I wonder how much of a company Apple is without Steve Jobs. Recall the troublesome years that it went through between 1985 to 1997. And how it was re-invigorated with his return and the first iMac.


Source: BBC

Now that he has taken 6 months medical leave, and looking increasingly gaunt by the passing months, I fear for the company that always gave us something to look forward to in an industry dominated by suits and geeks who don't necessarily understand what the common man wants from a computer. In essence, he was the driving force behind all that Apple has come to symbolize.

We wish you well, Steve.

Merry Christmas

To everyone out there who's feeling lonely in crowded places.

Have a peaceful time.

Two degrees and counting

The first deep winter since New Zealand in 1994.

Brrr....

Satellite TV

Never mind the uneven water pressure in the shower leaving me feeling like cold sashimi from Hokkaido and hot chilli crab from Singapore at the same time.

I've got satellite TV now, muahahaha...

Taiwan, HK, PRC, US, The Philippines and pretty much most networks along the Pacific Rim.

Wifey's much happier now. Instead of bland government-sanctioned news and dramas about heroes of the Sino-Japanese War, she has Cantonese serials et al. And I have my BBC and Nat Geo.

Being a TV junkie never felt that good.

Reflections across The Bund

Spent part of the day walking around the area east of the Whampoa River and enjoyed it somewhat. The buildings around the Oriental Pearl Tower are new and not as densely-built as the rest of Shanghai. I can actually see the sky without four or five grey buildings encroaching my field of view. The idea of living in Pudong actually appealed to me until I realized that there are no wet markets in the area. The rent's probably paid in USD too.

Anyway, it was an enjoyable day overall, without any scatological episodes. Rotavirus is a b*tch.