White castle

I was hoping that I could have more time to rest after my reservist yesterday but that didn't happen.

My computer got invaded by malware and I tried everything I know and then some and still couldn't detect and remove the darn thing.

(Edited to add) Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Zonealarm Pro, Microsoft Malicious Ware removing tool, upped my browsers' security, privacy and firewall settings, defragmented my hard disk just to see if that'd help but nada.

Every now and then I'd get prompted through various methods that my computer is being infected and I should go buy something in order to remove them effectively.

This is blackmail. I know this is their desperate marketing attempt at fear-mongering and I refuse to be had. It's damn annoying. If I could come face to face with the person or even persons who are responsible for this I'll make sure they suffer a slow death for causing people like me mental agony.

I lack rest and I'm tired.

Anyway I found strength to visit my mom. Food, real food is the motivation. Doesn't take much for me to be inspired.

As usual, my mom likes to suggest ways of me getting better work opportunities elsewhere.

- Be a flight steward like my brother
- Be a nurse
- Work for the government, anything as long as it's with the government
- Pay a visit to this religious guy she knows to offer me some prayers for a better future
- Blah yada blah yada

I appreciate her concerns but she refuses to see how I look at things and I too refuse to accept her suggestions.

For her, it's about me getting a stable job and a high salary and live happily ever after.

For me, it's about me working for myself, have enough for my family and live happily ever after.

But I've learned to zone everything out. The trick is to:
- establish and understand the pattern
- anticipate what is gonna happen prior to my visit and focus, focus, focus
- come up with template responses
- slide in attempts to distract her from undesirable topics of conversation
- if that doesn't work, to just go "uh hmm" everytime she says something while reading the newspaper
- point at the TV and say something general that would entice her to respond
- finally, if all else fails, just be silly

Heh heh.

Talking about this, Max told me yesterday that the Eng Wah lady has been avoiding him but on the other hand he has been approached by Carrefour for some kinda collaboration thingy. If either or both of these are successful, he wants me to take care of it.

I'm not too hopeful. I'm just taking the next week or so at a snail's pace. Chill out, no pressure. Perth WEEK so to speak.

And about this [removed] thing, I have a deadline set in my mind for something concrete to come out of it and if that isn't achieved, I'd have to move on. I have to be practical and snap out of this castles in the sky thing.

Stay tuned.