DP | @ekhoophotography

Another few years and life hits another cross-road. Options, paths and most of all decisions. Do wish I have a GPS for this journey of life. If I do, then how would I know how to rely on my master navigator, the Lord of my life, my God, my savior?

Interesting little quote I picked up from a web site.

�To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.� - Steve Prefontaine

The third year of the Tiger has arrived. At least, from my perspective. Looking back, Tiger Mark II was a lot different from Mark III. What a difference a dozen make. Times have indeed changed a lot. Many turns. Many unexpected dead-ends, detours and u-turns. Many surprising things. Surprised myself a lot too. Guess I also surprised a lot of other people.

Change, again is the only constant. Some people say that I'm quite lucky to be where I am. Well, it's a lot of blood, sweat and tears and a million mistakes along the way. Some say I'm blessed financially. Well, I'll say again that I'm blessed because of the people around me - friends and family. At this milestone, Mark III, I'll also say that I'll never be where I am today without the one person that makes up the world to me, my darling, the one my heart loves. The most amazing sight to wake up to and the most beautiful bliss to fall asleep too. More importantly, sharing the years of Mark III and beyond with her. Of course, the other important people are my family. I can't say much here because again, they are what makes me what I am, they are also all I am. Mom, Dad, Alan.

And now, on a lighter note, if anyone would like to drop a gift wrapped box at the house, I know I'll welcome one of these : Panasonic GF1 kit, a couple of extra RadioPoppers, a ThinkTank Roller or a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 lens.

Coffee Beans. Fremantle Market, Fremantle, Western Australia. Kodak T-MAX 400. November 2002.

A diamond cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials - Chinese proverb

During World War II, Allied bomber losses were high, so the powers that be demanded a fix. The engineers set out to eyeball every bomber they could, gathering great statistics for each bullet hole. After a long study they decided to add more armor plating to the areas that had the highest concentrations of holes. A bit after these improved planes were deployed, they received some startling news: more planes were going down than before. At this point I thought, "Did they make them too heavy?"

Then the light bulb went on for someone: they had measured every bullet hole in every plane at their disposal, but they'd failed to realize it was the ones that they did not have access to that mattered. It was the ones that did not return that needed to be scrutinized. They needed to improve the armor in the places that the returning planes had no bullet holes.

Sounds like it might generally relate to product marketing, and user studies: go investigate the customers that don't return for seconds, i.e. upgrade. After all, if I don't return to buy another product from you or upgrade say my first generation product to your newer product, you gotta find out why. Let's see how many organizations actually to do this!

2009 was my quietest blogging year with only 65 entries compared to 117 in 2008! I guess things got a bit crazy, especially with work after the big house move. I guess also a lot of things happened as well.

Well, here goes 2009 in review on DP...

January

February

March - Before the big house move...

April - No time to blog... moving house

Truck load #1

May - Settling in...

New Home switches!

June

July

August

September - Realized I shoot more of others' families than my own...

October

November - A blacked-out month after life's greatest lesson about living - dying.

December - Miracles do happen... more over here.

You know people write blogs to communicate their daily occurrences and other events. Many also share what they do, what they eat, what they like and more. I decided to do an average day in Brands. Heh, I did a second major in marketing! Anyway, brands are more than logos but for brevity, I'm using their logos (or icons) here. Do note that this is just averaging out the weekdays (no weekends) and this is definitely not listing down every single brand I use on a daily basis -- I mean, that will be way to long considering this list is already long. Just thought this was a good idea after seeing this. How about the rest of you?

There's been a dearth of new postings and photos on this blog for a while now. I guess it's comes down to time. You know, before the move, the move and after the move and all that sort of stuff. There's been a lot of work as well lately plus there's the little odd and ends that I need to do in due time. It was a big difference moving in 2007 when we took over a month of weekends to do things slowly and then later, a month to move things in slowly. Plus of course, the furniture was all newly shipped in and the place has been rented out before so it was already partially equipped.

Anyways, I'm still at a loss at why TM's Streamyx broadband (narrow band more like it) is slow at my parents place compared to mine. I wonder if there's something up with the modem, line, or router. Kinda odd considering that not much else is using the bandwidth. Anyways, I'll need to get a new wireless router soon for my new place (I'm soldiering on with a Belkin right now) so perhaps moving the belkin over might do the trick. Or possibly a change in wiring?

I'm thinking of using P1's Wimax service. Anyone has experience with it so far would like to share?

Tax time is also coming. Sigh, I really need to calculate out and figure out how not pay more tax. There's a difference between tax mitigation and evasion. Anyways, looks like I really need to get my PC desk and printers all setup in time for this weekend to do my taxes!

After you watch this video then try to imagine God, our heavenly father and How much more He will do for us...
"How great the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory"