Installing Windows Live Movie Maker on Windows 10

Windows Live Movie Maker is (was) an awesome piece of software that allows anyone to easily create movies. It has almost no learning curve and you can pick it up in minutes. However, Sadly Microsoft has decided to discontinue the product and has not provided any updates lately. It was part of Windows Live Essentials 2012. You cannot download or install this as an official download any more.

Luckily as at December 2017 the full software is available as a download in CNET [1]

[1] http://download.cnet.com/Windows-Live-Essentials-2012/3000-20418_4-10805747.html

Claiming your EPF and ETF

Getting your EPF & ETF

So you worked hard for some time and now you need to get your EFP AND/OR ETF. You'd expect this to be a straightforward process. And it is if your name records in the Central Bank has been entered correctly. But for what I've heard from people who've tried to withdraw or check their EPF balance over 90% of the time there is an issue with their name. For example if you have worked in 3 companies and check our EPF balance under your NID number maybe only 1 companies EPF balance shows. Reason is the name has been entered incorrectly (mismatch with your NID) for the other 2 companies.

If you have tried registering online to check your EFP and got a record against a company saying "Rejected due to name mismatch" that means the aforementioned issue exists.

Here are the steps you need to follow to withdraw your EPF/ETF.

Disclaimer: The information listed here is correct and applicable as at June-2017. The procedures and requirements may change in the future.

First let's look at the EFP process:

Checking whether your name has been registered properly:

First you need to check whether you name has been correctly entered in the Central Bank records for each company. To do this you need to go to the ETF department in Narahenpita (yes the ETF department has a section for EPF information on the 8th floor, and the EPF claims section on the Groud floor) - https://goo.gl/v9MKqE

Now when you get there and if you mention EPF the security at the Ground Floor will ask you to go to Central Bank. Simply walk in without interacting with anyone or tell them you are going to the 3rd floor for an ETF matter (about ETF later).

Go to the 8th floor and you will find a room with a notice saying "Public Information Counter" (or something like that). Present your B-cards and NID to them and they will check whether each company record has been registered with your correct name/NID with the EPF department. They will also tell you your EPF balance. If there is a discrepancy they will tell you which companies has the issue and the directions to follow in order to get it corrected. Make sure you write down the names listed under each company; you can get their help to determine what the correct needs to be.

The name could be either the full name or name with initials, whatever it is it needs to be identical across all companies.

e.g:

if your name is Theodore Evelyn Mosby it could be written either the same way or as T.E Mosby. Either Way it needs to match what’s on you NID (with or without initials it doesn’t matter) and needs to be identical across all companies EPF registrations.  

If there are name discrepancies you need to follow the steps given below (they will tell you what’s needed, the information in this blog is correct as at June-2017):

Basically you need to get a letter from each company/employer that there is a name issue with. The letter needs to state that you holding NID number nnnnnn has been registered with the EFP department under the name xxxxxxx, his/her name according to NID is yyyyyyy and xxxxxx & yyyyyy are one-and-the-same person. Apart from this you need signed copies of your NID and B-card from each employer.

So basically if you need to rectify your EPF registration name under any employer you need to obtain the above and go through the following steps

Getting your name corrected:

As mentioned above lets re-cap what you need to amend your EPF name record

1. Letter from each employer (only the ones where your name has been registered incorrectly)

2. NID copy signed by employer (one signed copy for each employer)

3. Signed B-card from each employer

Now you need to go to the EPF department in the Lloyds building in Fort (https://goo.gl/GjcKbS). When you go don't go to any of the immediately visible queues. Go to the reception and inform you need to get a name correction done. They will give you a number and direct you to a section in the ground floor called ‘Member Inquiries’. Go there and they will examine your documents clip them together and ask you to get it sealed from the reception and go to the Central Bank's Record Amendments Division (RAD).

Get this sealed by the Reception and go to the Central Bank. The reception will direct you to the Record Amendments Division.

Submit your documents and they will ask you to wait until they fix it. Be seated but keep your ears open since they will be calling your name. Once done they will print an invoice for each company.

And keep in mind that this section is like a typical government office with a lethargic feel, and they have a tendency to screw things up (yes it’s ironic since you had to go there since someone else screwed it up in the first place). There is a possibility they either misspell it again or hand over your receipt to someone else (e.g if there are 2 people with the same or similar names; they may also mispronounce your name). The above has happened, so be mindful of the name callouts and before you walk away with the receipt (confirmation slip for name change) please read it and make sure your name has been spelled/corrected properly. You can also check whether the names are uniform across all companies and whether any more differences exist when you are collecting the receipt.

Remember: if you submitted documents to correct the name under 2 companies you need to get 2 printed invoices. If you get only one tell them that you submitted more than one and they will find the other one and do it ahead of queue. Once again read these carefully and make sure everything is correct and the name is identical and similar to the NID across each and every company.

Claiming EPF:

Once your name is corrected you can fill the EPF claim form (Form K available to download or can collect it from the 8th floor at Narahenpita ETF office) and get it signed by your last employer. You will also need to get a copy of your NID and the details page of your bank account or a  statement  (of the account you have entered in the form) signed as well.

To submit the claim forms you need to go to the Ground Floor of the ETF department Narahenpita (https://goo.gl/v9MKqE). Just as you enter on the right side you’ll find a door labeled EPF. First you need to get a token from there. They will do a rough check on your docs and give you another form to fill along with another number token. This token is for the counters for where you need to submit the claim forms (in the same room).

What you need to take:

1.   EPF form filled and signed by the last employer along with signed copies of the NID and Bank details

2.   The original B-card
3.   Your NID

4.   Any other documents mentioned in the information leaflet given with the claim form **
   

** In case of migration you need to take a printout of the PR Visa grant with you, take your passport as well. The information leaflet asks you to bring a photograph, however in my case they took a photo then-and-there using a webcam.

If you are having Spouse Migration Visa:
Since the spouse visa is a temporal visa they will require proof of your relationship to the PR holder. For this you need to take a copy of your marriage certificate, a copy of your partners PR visa and a copy of his/her passport as proof.

It will take up to 3 weeks to remit the funds. However, if you are in a hurry you can submit a letter requesting to remit it early. However, there is no fast-track process for EPF and you cannot guarantee whether such a request would be considered.

Claiming ETF:

For ETF the process is easier than EPF. The reason is that ETF is handled by the ETF department itself, unlike EPF which is managed by the Central Bank (though there is a separate EPF department).

Go to the 3rd floor in the ETF department at Narahenpita. Show your NID and they will tell you the balance and direct you with what to do. If there is a name mismatch (which there will be 99% of the time since the talented Government Data Entry Operators are incapable of performing a simple job such as entering what is on a sheet of paper the same way into a computer) you can get it corrected from there itself.

Forms:

When you visit the ETF department collect forms for ETF and EPF. For ETF get a form for each company you worked in. You can get ETF forms from either the 3rd floor or the counter outside of the building. For EPF you can get the claim form from the 8th floor. All of these are available online to download as well.

For ETF you need to get a form signed from each employer you worked for. There are 2 types of forms: Form VI and a shorter form called VI-A. Technically form VI needs to be filled by the last employer and VI-A by previous employers. However, it is ok to get form VI filled by previous employers as well. In my case I got VI filled by all employers. You may have to visit each employer to provide your thumb print if you are getting form VI filled. Better talk to each employer beforehand, they may have their preference.

What you need

1.    ETF form filled by the employer

2.    Signed copy of the NID by each employer

3.    A copy of the details page of your savings account or a statement

Claiming:

As you enter the ETF department in Narahenpita the ETF claiming room is on the left (opposite the EPF room). This room is for normal services that may take up to 3 weeks. There is also an express service. The entrance to this section is not through the main entrance but you need to go past it (ask the security in the ETF claims section and they will direct you to the express section).

Express claims:

Express claims costs Rs. 2000/= and is done within 3 days. But the catch is if the last month (or two months) ETF has not yet being received by the department you will not get those months remittance. And once done by express claims you cannot claim the amount for such months even after they are received by the department (they are lost forever). However, if you are migrating there is good news:

In case of migration:

If you are migrating and you are in a hurry to get your money you can get it done fast track through the normal process (within 4 days) without losing the last 1 or 2 months remittance. For this you need a copy of your PR visa grant as well as air tickets (even if you have not yet booked the air tickets speak to them and explain your situation). For this go to the 1st floor and talk to an executive (usually someone with such authority to override the process will be in a office room on the left hand corner on the 1st floor).

Once again the information here is valid as at 30th June 2017. These may change in the future, always visit the EPF/ETF departments and get the exact information and refer to the latest information leaflets.

-- Cheers --

Hot Chocolate Blend with Tea

I am a huuuge Hot Chocolate fan. The kind of guy who orders extra pumps of chocolate in my Starbucks Hot Chocolate. And also a Tea fan.

Now at home in Sri Lanka my favorite drink is Milo with milk and tea. Yes, that's right a Milo made with milk and Ceylon Tea. Gives a great chocolate flavor as well as the taste of stain from tea which is a perfect balance if you want to have tea and chocolate at the same time. Most people think tea does not go with chocolate, but all of them start to like it after they try it.

So when I traveled to the US for 3.5 months this year I was faced with a huuuuge problem. Needing at least 3 or 4 cups of tea/Milo a day what am I gonna substitute it with in the US. Cause Milo was hard to find, and it did not go well with fresh milk, you need powdered milk to create the Milo blend I mentioned above, and the powered milk I found in the US was shitty and tasted awful. And it was not practical to run to Starbucks everytime I needed a hot chocolate; besides the Starbucks hot chocolate did not have the stain taste of tea that I missed.

So after experimenting with so many types of Hot Chocolate powders I could find at Kroger, and a few types of fresh milk I finally perfected the below recipe:

What you need:

• Starbucks Hot Cocoa - Double Chocolate
• Hershey's Syrup - Special Dark 
• Black Tea bags - Lipton/Ceylon tea blend recommended
• Milk - for better taste use Kroger Vitamin D milk or Whole milk

The amounts of ingredients may differ slightly based on the type of mug you use. What I've used is a medium size mug which is about 250 ml (give or take 50 ml); you always have to play around a bit to find the perfect blend for each mug ;-)

First pour Milk about 4/5 of the mug. The type of Milk that turned out to be the best was Vitamin D Milk from Kroger. Please do not use skim or 2% milk if you want it to taste good ;-)

Microwave the milk so that it reaches about 70-80 Celsius. Do not let it boil, generally this is around1 minute, but would differ on the microwave and the setting.

Put a tea bag to the hot milk and leave for about 45 secs to 1 minute. Then dip it 3 or 4 times before throwing the tea bag away.

 I used Lipton black tea bags. It has a good blend with Ceylon tea.
Tip: Ceylon tea will always give you the Best taste in tea what ever you try to do with it ;-)

 Once this is done the milk will have a slightly creamish color

Next, pour this in the blender and add about 3/4 of a Starbucks Hot Cocoa - Double Chocolate packet.
Once again this is for the medium size mug I used. If it's a larger mug you'll need to empty the whole packet.

Next add some Hershey's Special Dark Syrup. Now I do not have an exact measuring for this. What I do is I turn it in round in circles 3-4 times over the mixture while sqeezing. If it is the normal Chocolate Syrup (as opposed to Special Dark which I use) spin it around 5-6 rounds. But Always try to get the Special Dark Syrup, that has a much intense flavor which I prefer.

Next Blend it on Stir for 4 or 5 seconds. Yes that's right 4-5 seconds. The reason is that the more you blend it the more foam is produced; foam always floats on top and cools pretty fast once it is in your mug. So if you have too much foam it will feel cold and unpleasant when it touches your lips. Once again the time may vary on the power of the blender. The blender I used was pretty standard and powerful, hence 4-5 seconds.

And voilà:
Your Hot Chocolate Blend with Tea

This is a cup of hot Cocoa that will give you an intense taste of dark chocolate thanks to the Starbucks double chocolate Hot Cocoa powder and Hershey's Special Dark Syrup, have the stainy taste of black tea, and the creaminess of Milk.

If you are a tea lover and a Chocolate lover at the same time, this is a drink that will stimulate most of you taste buds and give you an all in one cup of tea/coco.

-- Enjoy --

Blended

 Long time after Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star in this Hilarious movie.

 

This is a MUST WATCH !!!

This guy is Guaranteed to make u Laugh ur ass off !

Cultured Stupid Minds of Our Time ..

This is a comment I wrote sometime back against a stupid, Stupid FB post which was spreading around at that time. The post portrayed a girl dressed in a sexy (revealing in their language) dress and it basically said that wimen dressing like this is the reason behind Sex crimes in the country. And was trying to convey the message that girls should not dress in such way that it provokes men. And if they refrain from dressing in such manner there will be fewer sex related crimes in the country. This is a comment I posted in response to one of the said posts which was posted on FB by some Lamo:

-->

Many ppl in South Asian Cultures are Prejudice hypocrites. Their mind sets are very limited and primitive, and they think of any situation within a tiny box; a box that has been handed over to them by the generation b4.

They are very comfortable sitting in their little boxes and thinking about every situation that they and their society face within the constraints of that box. They do not bother to reason, compare and contrast, or simply question the very logic behind what they preach. They just repeat it cause that's what they have been hearing for so long, and are brain washed so as to refuse any other logic presented to them. Nor are they intellectually capable or inferring reality by intelligently analyzing facts and evidence. All they know to do is repeat what they've already heard, and in what they blindly believe is true.

This kind of people are the ones who write these kinds of posts and support this kind of primitive theories. They do not see the fact that human minds cannot be tamed by hiding or restricting visuals. And that Real humanity arises when you learn to control your own mind and let others have their own freedom, and look beyond physical appearances to identify who people really are. They are just an unevolved group of judgmental beings who hide behind lame excuses such as these to cover up their own weaknesses. And justify their own inner lameness by blaming it on others (wimen in this case), on how they dress, and say stuff like "that it's their own fault that they get raped".

Until our culture evolves from being judgmental and primitive minded so as to judge a human being from what he/she wears, we will be backwards as a Society, as a Country, and as a People. Human beings are born free; and to have freedom is to have the right to do anything you desire as long as it does Not Harm anyone else. And girls dressing in short, tight or so called revealing clothes harms No One. It does not harm anyone who sees them, Nor does it harm the very people who speak out against them or run them down. In the end the people who actually Do Harm are the people who rape/abuse them and justify it on how they were dressed. And yes this kind of posts also are a form of abuse, because it passes judgments and runs down the individuality and freedom of people.

So for the last time... It's time to Evolve u F**king Morons ... Get ur lil primitive minds out of the Gutter and learn to think Logically ...

-- peace out --

WoW !!

Unsung HERO of Sri Lankan Sports - Ranatunga Karunananda

(from FB)

Chity - Great Music

http://www.reverbnation.com/somapala

Ma Cherry

This is Guaranteed to make u want a Skyy Vodka :P

Life ... ! (in the view of a nut case) ..

Life can sometimes (well sometimes meaning most of the time) be strange. And if U like me see the uncertainty behind it as an exciting adventure, then ur one of the lucky few who would know how to enjoy the time we live (at least a good portion of it) without wasting it all in the hope of a wealthy future that is by its means uncertain. (did I get tht sentence grammatically right there… yep got it.. :p )



Nyhow, what I hear from most people is “Why aren’t you doing an MSc. This is because I graduated just 2 years ago and ppl r wondering y I dnt have my head stuck in a pile of books (computer code in my case) for a lousy 2 more years. Well my simple answer to all of them is “It’s Cause I’m Living My Life U lifeless Morons !!!” … as opposed to wasting my youth in the plans of a future that is so uncertain.


The No.2 question ppl ask me is “U r 27 … Why r u single yet… Shall we Propose a Girl to You” … WTF .. wht is ur problem… I’m, single that’s my problem.. and the reason I’m single is that finding a girl is not as easy as buying a book off a shelf. Ok now most guys would settle for 80% of the girls out there… but I’m that guy who only falls to the rare 2% of girls. Basically I want the kind of nut case who is just like me… who takes it easy, who wants to dance crazy when she hears music, who likes to go nuts, get wet in the rain for no logical reason but for the pure Joy of it, who stops to enjoy nature.. u know just to sit down under a Tree on a Sunny day and enjoy the sun…. …they just don’t come around every day… The prob is the stupid Sri Lankan culture (well this is mainly enforced by the retarded generation b4 us… our generation rocks... well .. for the most part... there Are quite a few narrow minded Retards) where ppl think u need to be married b4 u turn 30 … but they missed the big word “Happily”… they miss saying (or thinking) “Happily Married” … to someone who you can really enjoy life with, as opposed to just existing in a plain old boring life just bound by a contract, which in this case is marriage for such poor souls !!! … if u just marry someone for the sake of marrying, cause others want u to, or cause culture defines it and that's what everyone else Does… then it’s just Pathetic.. ofcause I know many guys who won't mind.. who’d just take it… just live life.. the generic way… Boooringg !! … WELL Guess What, I’m Not tht Guy… and I Won't be a victim of a Retarded culture cause someone else thinks I should… It’s My life.. I’m the Pilot .. and I’ll fly this bloody Ship where ever I want it to go. !!!!!!! .. And I F***ing Hate the way the majority of people in this Country Think ... grrr@!@$$$***


Hmm… tht was pretty long .. guess I was so mad at wht’s goin on around me and wht’s happening to ppl… Find love… date.. go out with ppl .. People !!… find the person u r gonna love for the rest of ur life through an adventure… not some newspaper…


Anyway the bottom line is ppl r crazy about living life like everybody else does and making money. Very few bother to live life… it’s not a bother at all if u know how to live.. it’s a daily delight.. If u come home from work planning to put on some music and just dance crazy, or if ur biggest task at hand is not somin ur PM assigned you to do, but planning the next crazy trip with ur friends... then u knw wht I mean :P …


And it’s funny sometimes in life that ur paths cross with old friends…, u meet some very interesting people u find r similar nutcases like u… and what u think were the biggest failures or mistakes in ur life may have earned u the best Friends of ur life eventually… (Happened to me more than twice)


Can go on and on but it’s getting boring… nyway as my Cousin from Aussie said me a few months back… “There are 2 types of people, competent people & Confident people. If you want to merely be competent, by all means do an MBA/MSc learn… then go work for someone else ur whole life… but if ur confident enough to take the challenge, start something of ur own.”


Nyway there are 2 things that cause me to write this article

1. Measure success in life not by the money u’ve made, but by the friends you’ve made and the memories u’ve got to look back and laugh upon.

Cause someday in ur death bead if all u have to look upon is a heap of money (even in its millions) it won’t bring u any joy. But if u remember the crazy shit u did with ur Friends and get a grin to your face thinking “I had a Crazy Life” … then ur a successful man (or woman … or girl or boy depending on the age u die … :P )… and I’m quite proud that If I die tomorrow (or in my sleep today) I have some good friends who love me … and I’d be leaving back some crazy memories in their hearts.


2. And for Crying out Loud… You can do an MBA anytime “YOU’RE YOUNG JUST ONCE… ENJOY IT !!!”

---- Peace Out ----

Perfect Apartment

U knw wht the perfect apartment would be like... the one with a Bar in da basement... yeah.. tht's rite... with a Bar downstairs... like Ted and Marshall's apartment in How I Met Your Mother... WoW tht would be cool ......

and if u havent watched How I Met Your Mother... then .. WHAT ???? U HAVEN'T ??????

Seriously watch it... this is Hilarious... and I'm watching it frm the begining for the 2nd time (first time it was during a break between internship and final year that i watched a hole lot of this and Two and a Half men... now it's the break between jobs) ... nyway this is addictive and u can keep watching it and laugh ur guts out.. (Just for the record .. some other addictive TV serieses: Stargate (the spark.. started out with dis), Two and a Half men, Seinfeld (though i took breakes in middle), Malcolm in the Middle, Numb3rs, Psych and My Name is Earl (more about these later) ah ya and Heros ) ...

.

Seriously Watch This... and Read the Bro Code and Barney Stinsons Blog... it's gonna be LEGEN .. wait for ittt ... just a bit moree ... DAAARYYY !!!

barney explaing the Hot-Crazy Scale (acceptable range that a chick can be hot vs crazy)

MJ Lives Forever

I went to watch 'This Is IT' today. It's sad to think such a great performer, a Legend, an unbelievably wonderful human being is gone. Gone too soon. Michael Jackson was, and will be the greatest Legend of all time. The effect his presence created was unbelievable; how the whole world loved him and was fascinated by him, that I think will never be achieved by anyone else again, ever.

Listening to MJ's interviews and all, it's unbelievable when you realize what a modest and innocent person in heart Michael Jackson was... i mean it's unbelievable... such a modest and innocent person, how innocently and purely he thinks about things, expresses himself, sometimes even shy to talk on Camera... but yet he's the KING of POP.. the KING.. not just great and magnificent.. but the KING ... the Legend who drove the world crazy... to be all that and have such modesty and innocence in one person... it's truly unbelievable.

Michael gave so much to charity, to help children who were sick and underprivledged; he holds records for giving to charity. The list of charities he helped, the charity work he has done is Huuuge. It's so sad how people tried to rip such a person off by making false accusations. And what the press did to him was so inhumane, making up all preposterous lies about him... some extremely ridiculous fabrications just to get tabloids sold... They all made use of Michael's innocence.

Michale's passing I feel has left a vacuum in the world; he was such a Legend. Had he lived, not only would he have helped more and more people, he would have made more and more fans happy with his music, and contributed so much (with music and money both) to try and make the world a better place.

At the 35th Grammy Awards in 1993 where he was awarded the 'Grammy Legend' Award he said, "it is good to be thought of as a person, not a personality" ... well Michael, the world will always love you, not only as the King, the Legend, the unbelievable performer who changed the world, but also as an unbelievable human being who touched the hearts of everyone... R.I.P MJ, may you be happy where ever you are ....

Das Leben der Anderen

This is a really really Good movie. It's about an East Germany writer and how and what happens when the GDR spy on him,... the spying techniques they used were described in a movie synopsis in the Euro Film Fest as "The horrifying, sometimes unintentionally funny system of observation in the former East Germany".

Graduation

Had our convocation day b4 yesterday. It was a really nice feeling to have the cloak, the graduation hood and the hat (mortar board) on; i came home and still felt like i had the hat on and tried to balance my head so that the tassel wnt hit my eye.. lol. I really enjoyed the whole time i wore all that. Anyway after it all ended I feel sad that it is all over. 4 years of ultimate freedom... that was undoubtedly the best time of my life.. and the friends I made during that time are unbelievably awesome (ya ya... dnt get ur collars up u morons) and nutty like hell. One out of many funny moment i remember in da day is when someone yelled at our batche rep pointing out tht he is the batch rep and he yelled back saying "antima dawasa" which meant it was the last day. Anyways still have the grad ball in 3 days time. But after that our uni life will be officially over... It was and will be the best time in our lives. We came in just as somebody (or 'no body' in my case) and leave with many values.. friends the most valuable out of that. Anyway enough dramatic talk... uni life Rocked.. and we will keep rocking always as we did :D :D :D

Knight Rider

Talking about the 80's Knight Rider was awesome. This is one of my favorites.

I like the old KITT better than the new one... it had more personality and a very good sense of humor.

ALF / the 80's

If you haven't watched ALF ur missing out; this is one damn hilarious alien.

Watching stuff from the 80's kinda makes u wish u were there in the 80's. well i was there in the 80's bt a lil kid.. too little i dint know what decade or what year it was for that matter. But if you were young in the 80's you could have had a great time. Times were simple, things were not as complicated like now... there was no computer involved in everything you try to do for example. I guess 80's will be the best decade this planet ever saw and will see. Too bad i was too small back then

this is a nice Alf page

Numb3rs Music

The best thing for me about Numb3rs is the colors and the music. Specially what they play for relaxing scenes (around charlies house etc.); colors all go with the nice music.

King of Queens - Do what you enjoy !

relating to the earlier post. Watching King of Queens seems to have influenced me a lot when it comes to matters regarding my career. Tru it's only a TV series. But it has a simple truth in it; you can be happy if u do something you like. No big logic or theory.. as simple as that. And i realized i'm kinda like Doug, hate reading... lol

Seinfeld

Seinfeld - This is a TV series you SHOULD watch. It IS Hilarious. Its about a stand up comedian and his friends who are all single. They all have a unique flavor to add, and you wont find a single dull moment in this series
















Ok.. for ppl who have already watched Seinfeld and just felt the need to watch some random episode, Try 'The Smelly Car' from season 4 (I just watched it :p)










Trial and Error (1997)

If you like Seinfeld, then u'll definitely like the movie Trial and Error.