by Jonny | Jan 26, 2012 | Updates
If you have been reading my blog, which likely isn’t the case, you’ll have read that I went back to my parents place for Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year. I took a few pictures here and there, and they were large files which meant they needed compressing before I could upload them to my blog. I looked at a few software’s and most if not all I came across either placed a watermark on your image (As it was the free version of that particular software I downloaded) or you had to compress files, one by one; a timely process if you have lots of images. I have my laptop, on which I had already installed a software before-hand called “Fast Stone Image Viewer“.
As you can see from the image above, there are lots of options and this may look complicated, especially if you are only looking for a simple image compressor to compress your large files. However this gives you lots of options. For example, as you can see in the image above, you can add a border to give off a nice effect around the image itself.
You can also see me highlighting with my cursor on the “Batch Covert” option in tools, once you have highlighted the images in the Fast Stone Image Viewer browser. Simply click that and you’ll be brought to this part of the program:
From the above image, you can see that it has all the images listed on the right hand side. You can make additional changes, such as adding a border, changing the names of the files etc in batch and generally selecting the best options which you want personally. This tool is very handy. It has compressed my images from around the size of 3-4mb to 1mb. (While keeping a very high resolution of over 2xxx by 2xxx) You can of course make the resolution smaller, which will significantly cut down the size of the file, while seeing no reduction in quality.
Best thing of all about this software? It is free. When I mean free, it isn’t that bullshit, which comes with Ad-ware or you do not get messages popping up all the time suggesting you to buy the “pro version”. This is totally freeware. Although they do sell a version which you can buy, you really don’t need it, if the above is all your are looking for.
You can download the software on their website here: http://www.faststone.org/
by Jonny | Sep 13, 2011 | Updates
(09/12/2011) Today I went bowling, which was pretty fun! I beat the people I was with 3 times! I averaged over 100 points each game and I got several strikes and quite a few half strikes. I was actually quite impressed with my bowling skills. I also taught my cousins boyfriend how to bowl and I could see he got much better. It is purely just not looking at the pins (The pins are the distraction). You need to look at the ground markers only and aim for them. – 9 times out of 10, you will get the ball going down the middle.
I’m the “15G” guy! I played a little better than usual however with a little more practice, I think I would be pretty decent at bowling at any rate. It is purely just hitting the ball straight down the middle and knowing how to do that. – While also lunging forward enough to get enough speed into the ball to get it rolling fast exactly down the middle. I actually think it is possible to get strikes every round quite easily if you practiced enough.
After bowling we went to this place Lenkung (sp?) township, it is a 1 hour drive from Taichung city to this place. But it is interesting. It is considered as the “old town” since everything, including the buildings are very old. The shops & markets there also looked old. It was an interesting look. The reason I came here, was because I was travelling with my cousins, her boyfriend and also their friends. They went there purely to say a prayer or bow to an idol for the Moon Festival season.
However before this, we ate at an ice desert place. The desert they made was delicious. Though I believe you can buy similar types of food all around Taiwan:
I will end it there. I had a pretty decent day out today – which was a lot of fun!
by personal | Aug 26, 2011 | Opinion
I wish I had money that I could spend. I would branch out more on my online websites and do a lot more online and be more active on the business side of things. I could go on holiday’s, live in a nice apartment by myself and be more independent. – I wish that was me. Perhaps one day it will be me. I would love to be financially secure on my own without having to use my parents money or my own money that I saved while I was working in the UK.
I hope to perhaps get a decent paid job in Taichung or Taipei. I have already tried working as an English teacher, but I didn’t like that job one bit. Although the pay was decent, it wasn’t my thing. I could probably still get this type of job, but the thing is I want something I will enjoy working as for once in my life. Like perhaps a typing job. I can type fast and accurately. I need to find a job which I can do specifically to help me earn money — doing something I’ll enjoy.
God damn. I just wish I could win the lottery. Would solve so many problems. Money helps make you happy and don’t no one tell me it doesn’t. It fucking does. But the thing is I hate money, I am disgusted by what it causes to people who cannot buy things, that is what a monetary system does. But because there is nothing we can do about it and we have to live this life with money, I want money and I need it if I want to survive. So I hate money and what it does… but damn do I want lots of it. But hey money does a lot of good, no doubt, but the system itself … well maybe one day things will be different.
by personal | Jun 22, 2011 | Opinion
I made a post yesterday talking about how I didn’t get the interview that I suspected I would get. I just came back from a long, long road (Metaphorically) and it seemed that there were a few bumps and a few nervous tendencies but one thing that was apparent was the amount of doubt that I had about myself.
I feel this “interview” went okay. I don’t think it was a serious interview as it was done in front of the bosses wife who wants me to have a job at this place. If she doesn’t like the person who was interviewing me, then there could possibly be consequences for him. So I feel under different circumstances, I doubt I would have been able to attain a job at this place.
I tried hinting that I liked typing, so if they needed any manuals typed for their products or whatever I could do that. But the boss literally said “they will find something for you to do here”. So I really don’t have a clue what type of job this is. All I know is that the job title could be “assistant engineer”. I will admit that I did not come across as nervous. I felt I was quite confident. I may have not talked much, but I said things in a very “tidy” way. Or I said things in a smart manner if that makes sense.
The atmosphere looked great I guess at this office place. It was quite an office though. So this is some serious business, not just some small family business. But it looked good. The boss said the only problem was transportation to and from this office. He has never used a bus, since he is some rich guy who can afford a brand new Mercedez, but he was nice and said that someone would be able to take me home after work.
Hopefully this turns at good. But like most things in my life that usually is never the case.
I had a quite different day today, it was unusual for me. I took the bosses son out for just a kick-around of football (Or soccer) and that was quite good for me and my exercising regime. I also did around 1 hour and 30 minutes of constant rowing around this park. That was pretty decent exercise right there. I had fun with the son, I made sure he got wet along with myself when the water fountain erupted. You could tell he had fun which was good. But I’m not sure, if I don’t like this job, I won’t do it, simple as that. Hopefully the pay is decent. I think I would move closer to my University and perhaps buy a bike if at-all possible for me.
But I won’t be too hopeful about this job, if I am too optimistic and too pretentious about this job then it will suck when it turns out that it isn’t what I expected or feel like doing.
Hopefully this will be a new chapter in my life, who knows?
by personal | Jun 21, 2011 | Updates
I have my job interview in 2 hours or so and I’m right now at home just doubting myself in every way. I mean this company that I have an interview for, well, is a software company.
So I was thinking just to console myself to list all the skills I do have, which I can bring up, though apparently some workers there can speak decent enough English, however, I’m not sure whether speaking Mandarin is an absolute requirement or at what level. So, I thought I’d list the skills I have and that I could probably use to benefit the company:
- I am a hard worker, I won’t be late to work. This is attributed to the fact that I did work delivering papers everyday at 6 am in the morning for 4 years.
- I can touch type and I am very fluent with how the web works with marketing. (AdSense, AdWords, Yahoo Advertising, MSN AdCenter etc etc)
- I can create websites with the use of blogs and design logos which will match those websites.
- I can speak, write and type in fluent English. Though these might already be attributes which most hold in this office where I might be working in the future.
- I can talk on the phone if I am given enough information, and I can probably sell something pretty damn well if need be it.
- I have a grasp of internet and the way it works. I can script in HTML/CSS and I’m learning Python. I’m also good at managing websites.
The horrible thing is the job description that I know so far is just “computer” according to my mother who I told to inquire about when she was talking to her friend, whose husband owns the business. I’m just terrified that I am going to walk into an office and then be questioned whether I can do this or that, with myself saying “I probably couldn’t do that…” if he is looking for specialised skills, which I may not have. I am already at an all time low with my learning Chinese, so another rejection of sorts would kind of finish me — I’m not sure what I would do in that case. I believe I have a disorder called social anxiety, which means I am constantly thinking about others and my own opinion about myself and worried about those opinions especially if they are bad.
But then again, I have had to console myself by saying, what is the worst that can happen? I get rejected, I just move on. But the thing is, this is my big break. If this is a decent job which I don’t mind doing for most of my life, then hallelujah, I have find something which I will finally enjoy and make money while doing so.
So am I scared to death? Yes I am.
In an hour and a half, I will have to ring the bosses wife as she will pick me up and take me to the office, which I’ve seen (On Google Maps) and it looks pretty decent. They have an office and a factory right next to each other. Even if I got a factory job just putting components together, I think I would be pretty much satisfied if the pay was any good.
Hopefully I can make friends with the bosses son, if I do that, I’m pretty much assured a job without any problems; I think. Whatever the case, apparently this is as a favour from the bosses wife to my mum. – As I’ve been told that when the bosses wife was younger, she was poor and like my mum, she gave money to her and took care of bosses wife and her brothers and sisters. – Which may have been the trigger somewhat to their success in making a company. So this is sort of like a “payback” if I’m allowed to describe it as that.
So hopefully it goes well. If it doesn’t, I will continue with life, learning Mandarin and trying to live life day by day and just try to gain some new experiences around this country. I really want to go to Kenting… so, who knows?
Peace out.
