The Rat Pack

And so, the trusty Microsoft Wireless Optical 5000 finally met its demise after less than 2 years out of 5 of its warranty period.

It doesn't make any economic sense for mice makers to provide 5 year warranties, because it means that customers would prolly get 2 mice for the price of 1 eventually.

Getting it exchanged under warranty involves calling the Microsoft hotline, speaking to a rep, then speaking to a technician, reading out a really long serial number on the bottom of the mouse, then awaiting an email where one fills up a form and attaches an image of the proof of purchase.

Saves you a trip to a service centre, but it's a bunch of mental hassle.



Microsoft Habu (currently on the gaming rig), Microsoft Wireless Optical 5000, Microsoft Basic Optical and Acer notebook mouse.

Unfortunately I had to make do with another mouse for now, and so I plugged in the Microsoft Basic Optical mouse. It's tiny. And makes my finger muscles spasm in rebellion. What's more, it doesn't glide freely on the mousepad. Ouch.



Borrowed the Logitech from my brother's abandoned rig. It works better, but it's old and sticky and small. My LARGE hands need LARGE mice.

And boy oh boy do I miss the nifty side buttons on the Habu and Wireless Optical 5000 which are assigned Forward And Back roles in web browsers. Mouse Gestures on Firefox is a convenient alternative, but hitting a button with your thumb is always easier than holding down the right mouse button and flicking the mouse either left or right.

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Xiu Ji Yong Tau Foo at Chinatown Temporary Market. Don't believe the hype. At $3 for its portion size (VERY variable. My friend got mostly little fishballs in his bowl), one can't help but feel slightly cheated. It's a great idea to serve noodles with fried ikan bilis. And it doesn't taste obnoxious, but it certainly doesn't deserve the stellar reviews and long queues.



Bought a REAL leather (real men use real leather!) wallet to replace my broken one, since Fadz says I might as well invest in a proper wallet. Billabong makes superbly reliable cloth wallets, so I gave their leather ones a shot. After all, they're cheapish for a leather wallet complete with zippered coin pouch, zippered dollar note compartment, a generous smattering of card holders and a tab to hang my keys.

After all that hype, the price tag still reigns supreme.



Went for a run today. Tired.