Passport Photos for less than $0.05 per piece

Just developed my own DIY passport photos, costed me $0.30 for 8 pictures! What I did was arrange 8 passport sized portraits onto a 4R photo, which costs $0.30, develop it and cut it up. The picture quality was good, comparable with a normal passport photo, even though it was in gif format. There were a few problems with the formating though... It had to do with transfering the photo to the shop. First I tried to use a floppy disk, but they couldn't read it, then I tried burning it to CD, still couldn't read. Then they attributed the problem to the file type, i had saved it as a gif file, and they told me that they can only print jpg format. So I went back to change it. But still couldn't solve the problem. In the end, the shop managed to somehow extract the picture from the gif file. Next time I'd try the photo booths.

Another problem is that the pictures are not cut exactly to the size seen on the computer. It is cut around 2mm into the edges. So when aligning the pictures next time, remember to make allowance for it.

Ok, here are some useful dimension:
4R photo: 6" x 4"
Passport photo: 3.5cm x 4.5 cm
*Remember to leave a margin of 2mm!!


Some webpages:
singablodypore: Some things you dont read in the local news. Politics aside, this blog has many peripherals, which I might like to incorperate in my own site, like the Technorati search, java clocks, and BBC News RSS feed.
The Super Hacker: ROTFLMAO (stands for Rolling On The Floor Laughing My *Arteries Out), about this hacker wannabe who ends up unknowingly hacking himself. A cyberage play unfolding on IRC.
* Substitute with another anatomical object starting with 'A'

I realise that my blogging is taking on a certain style. I constantly blog about a few topics.
1) Websites
2) Books/Games wish list
3) To-do lists
4) Reflection on Achievements
5) Personal Updates
6) Experiences

If I had the time, I'd like to design icons to preceed these topics. Like a to-do list would begin with a notepad and pen icon, achievements could begin with a trophy icon.

Back Home.

Came back from the tour on Sunday, haven't really had the mood or inspiration to blog since I returned. I don't exactly have the mood to blog now, it's just that i'm not able to fall asleep at 3 am in the morning, so might as well catch up on weeks of blogging...

We were so happening yesterday
Yesterday was one of the most fun filled, happening days in a while. And must credit Sam for organising it. He managed to jio 11 people out for lan at 10 am in the morning!! He's got the event blogged so I need not say more. *Smirks* I'm such a slacker :p

Acheivements:
As always, looking back and doing an AAR of what I've achieved...
I've changed the skin of the blog. I kinda like the professional yet simple design, and the light blue color. Actually changed it cos I wanted to get rid of the blog frame with the scrollbar. Also added a counter and site tracker, and I never realised that there were people visiting this blog. And according to the site tracker, most of them were directed from a link in Joey's Blog. Since that revelation, I'm a bit more self-conscious about the things I write, now that i know that it might actually be read.

I've also set up a photo album on negimaki.com. Posted the pics from the india exercise, and some pictures taken on the day I ord'ed.

Ah... don't really feel like blogging today, so can't create a substancial entry. Nevertheless, this entry serves to commemorate the fun we had yesterday.

Some programs I've acquired

Leaving tommorrow, but first...

Just downloaded a php editor, phpwscite. Beginning to love it for all the functionalities. It provides help instantly for any php, mysql, and apache function when you hit F1 while the cursor is on the code. There is also color coding and auto-complete, which can come in very useful when debugging, it helps to highlight all the coding mistakes. Hoping that this new tool would help me progress in my pursuit of php.

Also downloaded a ftp client, SmartFTP. I haven't explored it yet, but hoping to use it to connect to negimaki.com, so that I'd be able to upload templates for my blog and photo album. Eventually I hope to set up an FTP server on my computer, so that I'd have some control over it even when I'm in England.

The Tuesday before setting off for UK

It's been a while since I last updated. There're a lot of things happenning, and I think I'll just jot them down as it comes to mind.

I've updated my webpage links, added a google search bar. My next improvement would be adding rss feeds from sources like bbc. Still don't know how to do it, gotta analyse the code of the rss feed in friendster.

Things I need to get before setting off for study in October:
- The file/plastic folder from SAS. I really like the kind of plastic folders they sell in SAS, it has a wire for you to put papers with punched hole's, and the cover doubles as a pocket which can hold A4 paper, and you can place a table of contents, design a cover, or chuck slips of notes into. I've been searching for it for a while but cant seem to find it anywhere else.

- Foolscape paper from NUS Co-op. 3 foolscape pads for $3, beat that!

- Student Card, entitles you to lots of discounts. Gotta visit their website some day. ISIC

- Lots of passport photo's. I'm editing portrait of myself with my newly acquired photoshop 7.0. Intend to format it (perhaps 4 pictures on a photo) such that I can print it from any photo outlet as a normal photograph, and cut it up into passport photo's. I'll need a lot of it when I'm in Uni, and they dont come cheap if bought the normal way: at least $1 per piece!

My past week...
Went for 2 friend's birthday parties. Enjoyed meeting up with old friends.
Got my Advanced Theory and IELTS Result, passed both (Praise God!). Developed the photo's of my India trip - will have to setup a photo hosting account to host the pictures; I have in mind to create a photo album script for my webserver, so that I can host the photo's presentably on my site, but I seem to have a million other things in mind also... Back to my past week. Got photoshop. Visited SAS for a lesson taught by a 'Doctor' who turned out to be my ex-Fmath teacher in SAJC. Had a further investigation on the blood in the urine found during my ord ffi. sigh, still there, spending lots of $$ on the bills, think i'm getting quite agitated over it, feels like sigh, NS is coming back to haunt me. I hope there's no irreversable damage or something. If there is, ahmee's gotta bear the responsiblity. Got some kidney/bladder scan coming up this week too, they gave some medicine to clear my bowels the night before, and they're going to inject some substance into my veins to highlight my bloodstream in the x-ray. Ah! why?

The week to come:
Departing on friday for the UK, gotta pack my lugguage. But got that stupid scan the day before. Got driving lessons tmr at 11, going to book TP test soon. Have to return the library books before I leave. Got to cancel the original appointment for the scan tmr, my mother decided to bring me to a private clinic after the appointment was made.

Matthew's Birthday,
Photograph of Matthew's Birthday taken by his friend, alwin... He's birthday dinner was one of the most bizzarre. I went there thinking I won't know anyone, and it turned out that I knew about half of them vaguely, one of his church friend was from my JC, two of his other friends were my one-week-induction-program bmt mates, one of whom I used to talk to. He also invited the "Legendary Boon Leong" to quote him verbatim, whom I know from phys o. Matthew's Acount of His Birthday

HTTP Protocol.
Went to funan center before matthew's birthday on sunday. There was this very comprehensive computing bookstore on the 2nd level. Found this book HTTP: The definitive Guide by oreilly, browsed through it, and now it's ended up on my to-read list. Want to understand what kind of info is exchanged in the protocol, and how to access it.

I think I'm removing that seperate frame for by blog entries. It's actually harder to navigate the page with it, cos the mouse wheel does not work in that frame and it's difficult to aim for the scroll bars or the arrows. I'll get down to changing it soon.

For now the immediate tasks would be canceling my medical appointment with NUH, and pack my bag for the trip.

Another product of random thoughts - incoherent writing. Bah, but isnt that how the mind works?

Urge

I want to read "Angels and Demons",

And I need to update the links in my website.

Things to look out for in England

Jotting down the things I need to find out for my referal during the tour:

Services:

• *Bank
• *Hand Phone Service Provider
• Doctor
• Optician

The prices of goods:

• Stationary: Pen, Paper, Files
• Bicycle
• Computer - Check if available in accomodation

What kind of ... I need to bring:

• Clothes
• Textbooks
• Notes

Details of ... Provided:

• Food - Exactly which meals are covered
• Lodging - am I allowed to occupy the rooms during the hols?

Whoa, My week is filled up!

I have events practically every single day this coming week.

• Monday: Lanning + class gathering, tuition.
• Tuesday: Helping out at maths society, tuition.
• Wednessday: Driving.
• Thursday: Reccee for Cell Cycling Expedition - To be confirmed.
• Friday: Medical Appointment
• Saturday: not booked yet.
• Sunday: Mathew's Birthday

Other things to do:

• List the things to look out for in England
• Find out more about the Maths course I'd be taking
• Pack my room - It's getting quite messy
• Make arrangements for the Cell Cycling Reccee
• Create a more presentable index page for my Server. Perhaps even a photo album script.

Achievements of the previous week:

• Got a sub-domain for my web server.
• Got my php mail() function to work
• Helped the SAS Maths Olympiad Team

FTT Tomorrow

Slacked at home the whole of today. Felt very lazy. But managed to develop a few parts of the room booking application. Finished the add user module, and the select date code. Also configured the php.ini file to support the mail function. For those who stumbled upon this site searching "smtp server and php.ini" on google: the smtp server parameter is that of my ISP and the sendmail_from parameter is the UserID for my ISP. Now I can send emails through my php code!!!

Brought my router down to the linksys office yesterday and got a replacement. A brand new linksys router!!! Probrably the cost producing an individual unit is very low, so it's more cost effective to replace a router than repair it. Also found out that the router has a 3 year warrenty.

Just got a call from my secondary school A-math teacher this afternoon, I had told her that I've finished NS and I'm free to help out in maths society. Anyway, I'm going down to SAS tmr at afternoon to help the students participating in some competition. It'll be a good opportunity to revisit the kind of maths questions i had faced in the past and see if the things I learnt in JC are of any use when it comes to secondary school maths competitions. I also hope to meet some of my old teachers, teachers like Micheal Lim and Lawrence Koh. Wow! It's been more than 5 years already!

Ok, got FTT tmr, and I haven't really studied yet... I'm counting on common sense to get me through...

IELTS down, FTT to go

Today was the last of my IELTS test, the speaking module... think I didn't do so well, hope I'd still be able to meet the criteria... The next test on the list would be my FTT: it's this thursday, and I haven't studied for it at all... That's the first item on today's to-do list...

My router is still spoilt, found out that I'd need to take it down to the linksys warehouse in tampines, near hougang... I'll be going down tmr... I never knew tampines was so near hougang. Anyway today while asking the office1 people how to get to the linksys warehouse, the salesperson recommended a local online street directory, aptly named Streetdirectory.com looks quite useful...

Also got to find a job... I've wanted to be a a relief teacher for a long time, got to call my school, and ask if they have vacancies, if not now then in the 3rd term.

Also considering being a php or web developer, but dont know how to find such jobs.

On another note, HCH has completed the beta version of his game... and boy it's impressive! I think it can soon match other games like utopia, and king of chaos... He's inspired me to continue pursuing the room booking system I'm making for church.
I'm also thinking of developing an online game, if I were to develop one, it would be based on economics...

A recap of the things to do:

• Repair router
• Study for FTT
• call school up for relief teaching

My wireles router is down... called up the cisco help desk today to troubleshoot the problem, and they concluded that it was the modem problem. The call center seemed to be international, as the people spoke with different accents, and the number was very weird: 800-1204-280, definitely not local, the linksys website says that it is toll free, I'll cinfirm it when the phone bill arrives. I called 3 times, as the first two times I called with my HP, it was cut off after 5 minutes or so... Anyway, apparently the router cannot be detected, my computer is now connected directly to the modem, and as the router isn't functioning, my sis cant use the internet from her laptop... Gotta bring it to the shop along with the warrenty sometime next week.

Went to Ang Mo Kio library today also, borrowed 2 books:
In Search of Schrodinger's Cat, which I found later that it was published before I was born. &
Six Easy Pieces, I realised when I begun reading it that it was the first six chapters in the series 'Lectures on Physics' (which I already have), verbatim.
The book which I really wanted to get, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!, was 'On Transit', it is also available at CCK Library. I'd be going to CCK tmr for Jason's birthday, hope I can catch it before someone else does...

And... I've successfully created the Jukebox! It's on my website... Works as I intended, but I've recieved reports from Ken that it did not work on her desktop computer, sigh... That's the problem with web design... It is simply too time consuming to write code that is competible with every combination of OS/Browser...

A few more webpages which I found...
Days Were The Those, a blog about NS contributed by people who have been through NS, stumbled upon it through matthew's blog.
PHP Reference: a php site with comprehensive function reference. Also has links to many sites affiliated with php.
There're are also a few new sites affiliated with SAS and SAJC brewing... I'm not sure if it'll work out. I've seen the page, and honestly it seems very haphazard, and looks like it won't be 'lively' for very long... if fact, it does not even seem active at all. I'll put them up anyway...
JC Saint's Portal, and
Saint Andrew's Online.

What's up:
I would be having my IELTS written exam tomorrow...
FTT next friday...
Gotta fix my router...

Wow! such a long post! i'm amazed at myself... I think I'm getting the hang of blogging... or simply too free since I ORD'ed...

Plans for My Website

Here are some very comprehensive references in their respective areas:

W3 Schools
MySQL Reference Manual

Will update my website if i find that I keep visiting their site.

Other things I want to do to my website:

• reorganise my list of computer websites, it's getting quite messy...


• add more essays in my website.


• add music to it, in particular a 'Jukebox' where people can select the song they want to listen to. But this requires that I find a webhosting service, albeit small, without advertisements, or it will screw up the layout =[

Oh yes, one more thing: I found while reading Jiabin's blog that one of my ex-collegues, Nigel Kiong was featured in the New Papers for earning $30k a month from his business selling accessories. The Electric Newpaper made it difficult to access backdated articles, but I found a way around it through googles, hope the link does not die so soon. Anyway here it is: Nigel Kiong

Organising My Online Spaces

Now that I've ORD'ed, I'll be switching to my new blog to as a means to update my friends on my life.

However, I'd still be using this blog as a 'Jotter Blog' i.e. an online Jotter Book used to log, without much organization, things I may want to refer to in future, but may not be of much importance.

My webpage on the other hand, will continue to be used to organise the infomation that I have found to be important.

I am also playing with wordpress and php on this blogging site negamaki.com, I might use it as an online photoalbum in future...

My GOD is indeed Jehovah Jireh

I just received the reply from the Bursary Committee tonight, and I want to testify of GOD's providence. The burden on my parents will be very great if I study overseas, but GOD has shown through this bursary offer that HE will provide, and all I need to do is simply to follow HIS commands. I just pray that I would never fail to recognise GOD's faithfulness in my life, instead I would glorify HIM for HIS abundant blessings. I also pray that I'll trust HIM in every circumstance, and that I would be a faithful steward of the talents HE has entrusted to me. I am humbled by GOD's grace.

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. Deuteronomy 28:1

sendmail, qmail, postfix, surgemail and whatnot

I've been exploring mail servers lately, and have come across the above terms, they are all mail servers... Just jotting down my findings in this entry for future reference.

I've been able to send my emails using some of smtp servers I've installed ( surgemail, and the IIS smtp server) through outlook, but whenever I try to send it through php using the mail function, the mail does not seem to get through even though it is free from any error messages. I'm not sure why, but I hope to resolve it so that I'd be able to send emails using php. I also intend, eventually, to be able to host email accounts on my mail server.

Other things I've learnt:
That "Qmail is a linux MTA and won't ever run on Windows.".
The origins of emails on howstuffworks.
I would also like to further explore surgemail.

I am now running the SMTP Server that comes with IIS, hoping to have a better understanding of how it works...

Enbarking on a Project

Yay! just got an assignment by pastor Cuixian! I have been tasked to create a room booking system, and I'm up to the challenge! one problem now will be to find out how to send mails using my web server. I have already devised a way to handle the room booking requests and approval, coding it would be challenging, but apart from the emailing part, I believe I have all the tools required to solve this problem using PHP and MySQL... Hopefully this system would eventually be implementable... If it happens, it'll be the first useful program I've written.

Using mcrypt functions

Setting up mcrypt was the easy part... Using their library functions proved to be much more tricky!

At first i seemed to have problems decrypting the encrypted data. For some reason, it randomly churns out gibberish... Then i managed to create a script that worked... But problems abounded when i tried to store the encrypted data in the contents of a cookie.

After some experimenting with scripts online, I found one that worked: here it is. I have not figured out their code yet, I'm just using it to achieve an end... Hopefully in time, I'd get down to figuring out exactly how it works.

mcrypt

Well, that's a php function to encrypt and decrypt data/strings... It took me a while to figure out how to use it. Turns out that you require the library to get it to work. this page was very helpful...

Yay! Successfully configured my router so that my server can be accessed from the www!

Just jotting this down just in case I forgot, and for the benifit of those who are having the same problem.

Ok, here's my background:
OS: Windows XP,
Server: Apache 2
Router: Linksys WRT54G

My problem was getting a webpage hosted on my webserver to be accessible online. After a lot of searching, I found the answer: you simply need to configure the router to forward requests to your computer. Here are the steps:
1) Configure your router by keying in it's IP address on your address bar. (The IP address can be either the Public or Private IP address). You can always find the public IP address from the linked site, or by typing (!IP) on msn msg :), and your router's Private IP address is usually 192.168.1.1 .
2) You will be prompted for the name and password. It is usually blank and admin respectively. You'll need some security features to configure such sensitive stuff.
3) Once you're in, you'll see the setup interface, access the 'applications and gaming' options. You'll see the words 'Port Forwarding'. Configure it according to the Private IP address of the computer your server is installed on (take note, this address will be reassigned by the router each time you restart the computer), and the Port. It has to be the same port which you configure Apache to listen to.

Now you're set! Your server can be viewed by anyone accessing your Public IP address!!!

Now I'll need to concern myself with the security issues :(

Effective Remedy for Oral Ulceration

Putting it simply: good treatment for mouth ulcers.

One thing that I hate most is mouth ulcers. Once, in the army, I triped during soc, over the 'step-up' bar, and fell face down into the sand and barb wire. I recieved lacerations to my lips and face and a lot of ulcers the mouth. The MO prescribed me a certain 'Trinolone Oral Paste', the packaging had Thai words on it, but it was very effective.

The chemical name for this drug is Triamcinolone acetonide, and apparently it is also some kind of hormone...

Just jotting this down just in case it comes in handy in future.

WooHoo!!! I've Successfully Installed Apache!!!

Finally, after ages of reconning, I've finally gotten Apache to work on my computer!!!

Thanks to HCH - His inspiration, which initiatiated this successful attempt at installing Apache;
and a VERY helpful webpage I found, which guides the Windows XP user on the exact configuration required to get php and cgi up and running, I have successfully configured Apache 2.0.53 to run on my computer!!!

I hope this sparks a rapid advancements in my understanding of server scripting like php and cgi... Time will tell, and this time i'm quite optimistic about it!!!

My life has just begun!!!!