First week

Week number one in NTU.

So far its been quite ok, getting used to staying in hall, attending lectures, running around doing admin stuff.

First day was horrible though - I couldn't bear seeing the vacancies for HMJ1 - Japanese 1 drop until a measly 3 slots - none of which could fit into my timetable. Even the very first lecture I had actually seemed pleasurable compared to the tension that slowly ramped up as 7pm approached. I had a few backup plans for electives, none of which was interesting at all to me. But anyway I just hecked it and clicked through the minute the clock struck 7.

In the end I dropped that particular elective for a geekier-sounding (and more exciting! to me that is) How Computers Work. Been refreshing the vacancies praying for people to drop that elusive HMJ1 timeslot for me now and then, but I don't expect much.

So far I've been scurrying to lectures, printing lecture notes, exploring friends' halls, exploring various parts of the school, getting lost in the far reaches of N4-xx-xxx, hiking all the way to NIE to check out the bookstore, getting squeezed in the NTU shuttle buses (I find walking is a much better experience), sweating buckets just by walking from point to point.

More on this point - NTU. Is. Freaking. Hot. Maybe its just the weather these few days, but everytime I step outdoors, it feels as if global warming has come to NTU. Now you know why the preferred dress code in school is berms, not jeans. I've tried the latter for 2 days, and it really sucks to find your wallet and h/p pouch drenched in sweat.

Did I mention that the food in NTU is cheap? I mean, its been ages since I had food at school canteen prices, so eating beehoon for $0.70 and chicken rice for $2 is like a godsend. Drinks below a dollar! Makes you want to curse the random heartland coffeeshop for overpricing their drinks.

My room is pretty old, but with revamped furniture so its not so bad. The good thing is its just opposite the toilet, and very spacious since its a corner unit. The bad? A very powderful ceiling fan, cranky blinds and mozzies at night. Shall bring a stronger fan to counter the mozzies.

Been pretty quiet in hall this week, probably because I didn't go for orientation. I like it that way actually, nice and quiet and relaxing. Wouldn't mind some activities though, otherwise what's the point of staying? Wonder if my hall has a street soccer team or something...

In a nutshell - Living in hall is just like BMT minus the shouting seargents, limited personal space, and strict timings, plus lots more freedom, relaxation and the presence of females. Zhar bor platoon in BMT not counted.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope I don't sabo myself by engaging in very thrifty printing. Been squeezing as many lecture slides as possible into single sheets of paper, at extremely low ink usage. I'm so gonna need a magnifying glass to study.

patriotism

After reading today's news regarding the worldwide National Pledge taking ceremony on 9 Aug, 8:22 p.m, I thought to myself, that's a nice way to show our unity and patriotism! Even SMRT said they'll be halting their trains at that point for the commuters (and the train drivers I presume) to say the pledge. A whole country stops to take the pledge! Ain't that cool or what?

I wonder if this will cause an increase in complaints over train frequency and punctuality :x

Anyway it made me think about what I really feel about Singapore, the country where I was born and bred and fed. I don't feel like writing a long essay on it, so I'll say it in a list (hah! another list!)

Besides the obvious reasons, I'm a Singaporean and proud to be one because...

1) I love the food here. Hawker food FTW! cai tao kway, char kway tiao, bak chor mee, wantan mee, nasi lemak, roti prata, laksa, zhi char, blah blah... I think about it start drooling already...

2) I've been through the hell that is NS. And understand what the terms 1206, LOA, SOL, IPPT and KNNCCB mean.

3) I speak Singlish. And I velly good at it hor. dun pray pray. got degree in Singlish i sure 1st crass honours one.

4) Whenever I go overseas, I can recognise a fellow Singaporean immediately from the way he/she talks

5) I understand the whole plethora of acronyms out there. PIE SLE TPE CTE ECP AYE KJE BKE KPE PUB NEA MRT ERP CPF NDP SAF HDB PAP GSS MOE CGH LKY DBS CBD NTU(C) NUS SMU LOL

6) I know that good stuff must queue. But queue doesn't mean good stuff. And yet I queue.

7) As a sign of respect I call strangers who are totally unrelated to me whatsoever "auntie" and "uncle"

8) I am on track to live the "Singapore dream", that is - get a degree (in the process), get a job (not yet), get lots of money (nah), get a wife (not so soon), get some kids (not yet), get to retire (still far), get to die (damn). Might be good to de-rail at some point.

9) I support Manchester United more than our Lions team. But still feel sense of pride whenever they win international matches.

10) Last but not least, I know how to and will recite the pledge come 9 Aug, 8:22 p.m.

Happy NDP in advance!

eat my words... om nom nom

Remember those words I said a few weeks back?

[.......Not-so-famous geek quote, "If they can zhng their cars, why can't we zhng our rigs also? We also Ah Beng what."

Next project will be... A new graphics card, complete with side grille and fan! Which probably won't happen for another 2 years."]



....Well, I ate them.



Forums are evil. After a few days staring at people announcing their tech buys, upgrades, mods, and their own sales, its hard not to join in.

And yet I've them to thank for making the pain of upgrading a brother that somehow just manages to catch up much easier to bear. After 2 years, I figured he wouldn't be able to keep up sooner or later, especially with the end-of-year game release season approaching (a Crysis 2 would have killed off his graphics card for good).

It started out as a plan to upgrade my aging 8600GT, and of course after advice from the forums, I had to upgrade my power supply, my RAMs, blah blah blah...

Not just another simple trip to Sim Lim Square though; I set myself a personal goal to buy most, if not all, the stuffs from the thriving online tech marketplaces at VR-Zone and Hardwarezone. Well, I got my graphics card, power supply and fans from there! Saved me a bundle as well as allowing me to sell off the old stuff!

I did head down to SLS to get a brand new set of RAM, as well as a custom side hole for a fan.

The results! (sorry, I just had to cam-whore)

My totally Benged-out brudder in all his zhnged glory


The interior

The side fan!

Budget: $200

XFX GTS 250 512mb graphics card - $150*
CM Real Power Pro 550w power supply- $90*
4GB Kingston HyperX 800Mhz RAM - $88
CM 212 Case fans - $21*
Side panel cutting + fan grille/filter - $19

My bro all fired up to take on any game thrown at it - Priceless

*bought from friendly forum sellers

Total: $368

After selling away my old stuff ($110)

Total: $258 (exceed budget by $58... don't think about it... just enjoy....)

So if you're thinking of DIYing a PC, be it for games, work or just surfing the net, nothings better than reading up in VRZ and HWZ forums. Better still, register and post a "help!" topic =)

Warning: It can get pretty addictive. I'm trying to go cold turkey now.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alright enough of the geek stuff. Just came back from NTU Engineering Freshmen Welcome Ceremony. Tired like hell... Need... sleep...

Lets see, its been a week since I last posted something.

In that one week, I've...

1) Seen Mayday (Wu Yue Tian) in person and watched Sam + Sean play a song for them


We were the only non-Mayday fans there (well, I'm half a fan)

2) Lost money at mahjong

3) Gotten my tentative timetable for uni (shall pile on the courses! 12AUs =.=)

4) Gotten confused over course registration and worrying about which one to take

5) Planned an upgrade to my PC

6) Bought a relatively "new" graphics card and power supply

7) Pulled my ankle in soccer

8) Sold off my RAMs, leaving behind a useless shell until I can find new ones

9) Ate Ikea's famed meatballs

10) Attended TL's 21st birthday celebration, complete with bursting balloons,bowling, cake-in-the-face and almost-pool-dunking (damn!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 more week 'til school starts! Already feeling a sense of dread... Tomorrow's the freshmen welcome ceremony for the engineers. Somehow I don't like the label freshman. Like we're all Mentos addicts or something.
.
.
.
.
.
Engineers ftw! Hard hat, check. Spanner, check. Sentry gun? *beep beep* *blam blam blam ka-boom* Check.

M&M&Ms

Yesterday while I was getting a haircut, the friendly auntie started to chat, asking me about the usual stuff, "Finish army? Going to uni? Which uni? Study what? When starting school? Now doing what?"

Then she said, "Study uni very good hor, got qian tu (future)".

Naturally I just smiled and agreed.

Then she looked at me in the mirror, stopped her scissors and did the rubbing fingers sign, "Really got qian (money) tu hor!"

That got me laughing. Luckily she wasn't wielding a powered-on razor, otherwise I'd have gotten a bald strip.

Come to think of it, going to University to get that degree simply boils down to money, money and more money. Get degree for what? To get a good (paying) job. Score honours for what? To get a good (paying) job. Chiong CCA for what? To get a nice-looking resume and a good (paying) job. Whack internships for what? To get a nice-looking resume and a good (paying) job.

Or at least thats the common view of us practical Singaporeans. Or rather, our parents. Its hard to blame them. As my dad likes to candidly put it, I'm his long-term investment, and I'd better give him solid returns. And why not? After all they dumped so much capital on us (school fees are a killer!) without any guarantee that they'll get back at least the principle amount.

Really respect those who chose their courses based on their own passions and interests, not just the $ sign.

Me? Mixture of both la :D If can save the Earth and make $$$ at the same time, why not man? Hoot 2 birds with 1 wind turbine.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 weeks to school start! Wonder what's in store for me. What do I see...

Wa kua si mi...

Pikachu! (th)Undervolt!

And so the quest to save the Earth, reduce global warming and some money ends.

No I haven't been joining some Green Peace movement or something (wish I did, the stuff they do is brilliant. Check this out: Mount Rushmore Stunt)

I've been trying to undervolt the CPUs of both my laptop and PC.

Which, in a nutshell, is trying to force the CPU to suck less energy and produce the same amount of processing power. This works wonders for laptops - not only do they run cooler, the fans run slower producing less noise, plus you get increased battery life!

A Guide to Undervolting

I haven't tested out the effects on my battery life (My battery is currently in cold storage collecting dust), but the temperatures are waaaay cooler than the normal voltage. Just FYI, I went all the way to the lowest voltage the program would allow me to go. Same goes for my PC.

Looking forward to lower electricity bills already =))

To round up the recent deluge of techie posts, I finally took the plunge and reseated my CPU heatsink, new thermal paste and all. Can't say it was easy, I was so scared that I would crack my motherboard from the force needed to push the securing pins in. Dumb design. But it was well rewarded - 61C at full load! That's a whole 10C decrease! I guess PCs need a nice "spa" treatment once in awhile.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finally, the hall allocations are out. Me in Hall 6, anyone else the same?

Laptop BBQ (Zhng my PC/laptop part 4)

I am utterly sorry to say that this will be my 4th "Zhng my ___" post in a row.

But I promise it will be the last!

Until I start Uni, that is.

Problem: Laptop processor runs at a flamin' hot 80C when running >50% for long periods.
Apparently my zhnged cooler fan configuration wasn't working. (fail T.T)

Solution:

Step 1: Clean!

I opened up the laptop until I managed to reach the fan (but not the heatsink though, it was blocked by this piece of plastic that refused to budge. Killed some dust bunnies, although I suspect many more hiding in my heatsink. -0.5c (fail)

Step 2: Zhng some more!

I love DIY =))

I constructed a fan duct out of some old cardboard, duct tape, aluminium foil, paper clips and good ol' cable tie.



It doesn't fit perfectly, especially once I open the screen (it blocks the exhaust! dumb design), but it does a relatively good job! -2 to 3C

Step 3: Undervolt!

No its not some Pikachu technique of striking from below, its reducing the power supplied to the processor so that it'll run cooler. Plus I'll be able to squeeze out more battery time =)

Still in the process, but I hope it'll give good results!

Around the world in a single day!

Mix a poor, jobless geek at home together with lots of time to spare and what do you get?

Its not hard to guess, just look at the previous 3 posts =.=

Alternative answer = MMORPGs!

I've been playing Rappelz until recently, largely due to the fact that KY was also playing so we could party dungeons together (definitely more fun than mindlessly killing monsters on your own - sure to encourage anti-socialness)

While Rappelz was a not-so-bad MMO, with its nice graphics, pet system and stuff, it got pretty repetitive after awhile.

Other than going all hardcore and playing TF2/L4D the whole day, I started to source for new games to play. And this is what I chanced upon:

Atlantica Online (Wiki)

While at first glance it seems like just any other Korean-produced game (like Cabal/Rappelz/Granado Espada), the actual gameplay and mechanics are worlds apart.

First thing I noticed was the combat - not the typical single avatar running around smashing skulls - but a party of characters that you can customise to suit your style of playing. Plus a turn-based style of battle brings it that much closer to a RTS game.

In a few words, its actually Heroes of Might and Magic meets Final Fantasy meets World of Warcraft.



Next was the setting - not some fantasy world but real life places around the world back in the medieval times - I started off in Sapporo, teleported to Beijing, walked on the Great Wall to Shanghai, teleported to Rome and walked to Angkor Wat, all in a day. The storyline is a bit dodgy, but who cares when you can marvel at the epic rendering of the ancient buildings and landscape. Graphics are great for a free game, comparable to Granado Espada.


Isn't that St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow?

The whole game revolves around its players, and there are lots of opportunities for interactions and PvP, mostly without penalties and the prospect of losing exp and loot. I spent most of my game time competing in the free league where I was matched up against other players of similar level. I certainly used up much more brain juice trying to outsmart opponents and shifting character formations than just grinding away at AI monsters. The game also rewards players for socialising, its way of encouraging social interaction.

The only reason why I decided to try it out was the rating given to it by most MMO sites - it was ranked no. 1 for many. And so far I'm not disappointed =)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MMORPGs have come a long way. I still remember when I started on MMOs with Runescape (oh, the horrid graphics and those chickens!) and Ragnarok (still one of the best!), followed by MapleStory (I wish I didn't) and Rappelz.

I wonder what I could have done if I didn't play any of those. Maybe I'd be rich by now =x

100 Essential Skills for Geeks (and Zhng my rig part 3)

100 Essential Skills for Geeks

My personal skill set?

1. Properly secure a wireless router.
   
2. Leech Wifi from your neighbor
3. Work from home or a coffee shop as effectively as you do at the office.
4. Wire your own home with Ethernet cable.
5. Understand what “There’s no Place Like 127.0.0.1” means.
6. Benchmark Your Computer
7. Identify all computer components on sight.
8. Know which parts to order from NewEgg.com, and how to assemble them into a working PC.
9. Use any piece of technology intuitively, without instruction or prior knowledge.
10. Install a Linux distribution. (Hint: Ubuntu 9.04 is easier than installing Windows)
11. Remove a virus from a computer.
12. Dual (or more) boot a computer.
13. Boot a computer off a thumb drive.
14. Protect your privacy when using a public computer.
15. Surf the web anonymously from home.
16. Transcode a DVD to play on a portable device.
17. Build amazing structures with LEGO and invent a compelling back story for the creation.
18. Understand that it is LEGO, not Lego, Legos, or Lego’s.
19. Build a two story house out of LEGO, in monochrome, with a balcony.
20. Be able to pick a lock.
21. Assemble IKEA furniture without looking at the instructions. Bonus point if you don’t have to backtrack.
22. Origami! Bonus point for duct tape origami. (Ductigami)
23. Play any SNES game on your computer through an emulator.
24. Whistle, hum, or play on an iPhone, the Cantina song.
25. Solve a Rubik’s Cube.
26. Know the difference between skills and traits.
27. Explain that the colours in a rainbow are roygbiv.
28. Know the difference between radiation and radioactive contamination.
29. Understand the difference between a comic book and a graphic novel.
30. Be able to explain why it’s important that Han shot first.
31. Know why it is just wrong for Luke and Leia to kiss.
32. Stop talking Star Wars long enough to get laid.
33. Cite Mythbusters when debunking a myth or urban legend.
34. Have a documented plan on what to do during a zombie or robot uprising.
35. Talk about things that aren’t tech related.
    

Guess I'm 35% equipped to be a geek? I'd probably fail a geek job interview.

Star Wars jokes aside...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zhng my PC (part 3)

This has less to do with my PC than it has to do with my laptop.

I recently bought a relatively cheap Cooler Master (love that brand!) laptop cooler to, uh, cool things down. My antique Compaq laptop could fry an egg on its wrist-rest area (conveniently located just above the red-hot hard disk drive).

Today I took another look at it and discovered how badly it matched my laptop - it has 2 fans, one on each side, while my primitive laptop has its air intakes ONLY on the LEFT. Being the cheapskate, recent-DIY rampaging me, I decided to shift the right fan over to the left.

Simple sounding enough? It required some ripping apart, drilling, filing and most importantly, cable tie-ing =)

Before:



After:



Note the tiny little almost invisible cable ties popping up through the grill in the left photo =))
Had to remove the bottom cover as well as raise the entire pad to accomodate the lower fan, but I suppose its better that way, more air to circulate underneath.

I probably voided the warranty, but what the heck.

A Geeky Update! (Zhng My Rig Part 2)

Guess what?

I decided to go 1 step further.

When my dad suggested we go someplace in Little India for dinner, my mind immediately thought - Sim Lim Square!

And so I zipped in, bought a Cooler Master 120mm casing fan, complete with Benged-out LED lights and zipped out as fast.

After some prying, monster strength and nimble screwing... Tadahh!





My 2 year old brudder has just been given a new lease of life!

And he's much cooler too! I shaved off 4 degrees Celsius off each of my 4 cores (about 5 degrees less when at full load). Now they're idling pretty comfortably at a nice relaxing (on average) 36 degrees.

Man I love DIYing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not-so-famous geek quote, "If they can zhng their cars, why can't we zhng our rigs also? We also Ah Beng what."

Next project will be... A new graphics card, complete with side grille and fan! Which probably won't happen for another 2 years.

Cable Management, Module 1 (Zhng My Rig, Part 1)

Warning: Not for the faint hearted non-techies

I spent the whole of yesterday morning with the innards of my gaming PC (or "rig" as we call it)

Why?

I've been trying to figure out ways to lower down the temperature of my processor as well the entire system. Its quite terrifying to stare at the numbers climb past 70 degrees Celsius whenever I start TF2 or some other high-end game. It gets rather hot in the room on a windless day too. Try stuffing your feet next to the exhaust of my com after a few hours of intensive gaming. After a night of researching on Hardwarezone and VR-Zone forums, there were a few options:

1) Liquid Cooling (geez that's expensive)
2) More fans (cheap, but I'd hate to drill holes in my casing =x)
3) Tidy up those cables (free!)

Obviously the effectiveness decreases down the options but I decided to choose 3). Partly because I wanted to see whether it really did help. And its really the easiest and cheapest thing to do.


My brudder, before ripping it apart. Note the bloody mess inside.


First thing I did was stuff the unused annoying power supply cables at the top, above the CPU heatsink and fan. This took a bit of thinking as well as inspiration, I was stumped initially on where to stuff them, untill I realised they could be bunched up into a bundle. Twisties are my friend =) I saw some excellent pictures at the forum where they stuff the cables behind the motherboard, but that needed some drilling as well.


Next, I flattened the irritating IDE cable against the casing wall, bundled it together with the main power supply cable and cable tied it down. Cable ties are my friends too =)


The finished result. Amateurish perhaps XD But I managed to clear the pathway of the mega fan there, resulting in uninterrupted airflow.

Most importantly, I reduced the temperature by 1-3 degrees! w00t!

Ok sorry you had to sit through that. But damn, its really satisfying.

Om Nom Nom Nom...

Random.

Anyway the songs of the first and last vid is by Parry Gripp, a singer/songwriter who takes random words and phrases and turns them into cant-get-it-outta-my-head jingles. Don't say I didn't warn you!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ParryGripp

The middle one is a tribute to TF2's Heavy =)

A tale of 2 Michaels

I just realised I never did a proper dedication to that special guy, the guy who could walk backwards looking like he was walking forward, who could do gravity and friction - defying moves, and make grabbing crotches fashionable.

Michael Jackson - RIP.

While I wasn't really a big fan of him (my childhood idols were the Bee Gees and Take That, horrors), his music always seemed to stand out from the rest of the stuff that was playing on the radio. Who could forget the unmistakable opening basslines of Billy Jean? That, together with Thriller, Beat It and Bad became my favourite MJ songs.

Of course I never really saw the genius that was MJ until my dad brought home a hulking bulk of a LaserDisc titled - HIStory. It was the video version of the "best" album that was released at the time. Because that was before I had access to MTV, it would be the first time that I saw his dance moves and videos.

The video Thriller was actually quite hilarious to me, the bunch of dancing zombies surrounding that poor girl. It was MJ moonwalking on lighted tiles in Billy Jean that really made me go "WTF!!!!" (Of course being at such a tender age I probably went "WA LAO!"). Smooth Criminal was another video that made me feel as if I was watching a mafia movie, complete with white suits, top hats, flying billiard balls and the iconic Tommy Gun.

Sadly MJ slipped from my radar after that. His newer songs were nice and singable (Heal the World, Black or White) but never had that impact. Then the weird stuff started appearing in the news, the eccentric "Wacko" things he did, the child molestation etc. I never paid much attention to those other than a shake of the head "Tsk.. He kee siao liao..."

Then he died.
MJ will always be the King of Pop for my generation. Simply because Elvis and the Beatles were already dead when I was born, and nothing else after that can match MJ at his imba best. No, not even cry you a river Justin.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Who's the other Michael?

Michael Owen.

I can almost hear the "CHEYY.." coming from you guys.

No he's not dead, he just joined Manchester United from poor ol' relegated Newcastle on a free transfer. Man, how cheapo can Alex get? Still, its a good deal! How can anything that you get for free not be a good deal?

I hope he teaches Berbatov and Anderson a thing or two about scoring.

Take that Liverpool fans!

P.S Any fellow Man United fans wanna camp along the Singapore River waiting for the Liverpool team to float by? Wearing the ManU jersey and waving fake BPL trophies at them? kekekeke

Clickspam.

I don't if this warrants a new post but...

I just got a new mouse =D

Well. Its the first purchase I've made on impulse since... a long long time ago in a land far far away?

If you were wondering what on earth would make a mouse worthy of a blog post, no, its not a Raz0r mouse. Nor is it a purebred variety you find scurrying around evil laboratories. Its just another Logitech plasticky optical mouse that happened to catch my eye.

For those who don't know my spending habits, I rarely make a purchase unless it is absolutely of utmost necessity. And not without plenty of self-debating and consideration.

So why the impulse rodent buy? Well I had a niggling need to get a new mouse since my old (Logitech also, I'm a fan) one started acting erratically and began to clickspam. I believe I may have coined a new term here -

Clickspam .v

To unleash a flurry of clicks with a mouse/cursor, intentionally or unintentionally.

e.g "I was playing (insert random MMORPG) and suddenly got ambushed by this imba PKer, so I panicked and started to clickspam."

In my case it wasn't intentional. Damn furry thing went crazy and double, triple and quadruple clicked everything I clicked. And when I wanted to hold and drag something, the clicker gave up halfway and left the item dangling behind. Which isn't very handy especially when you find yourself engulfed by zombies and your gun stops firing.

Which brings me back to the original topic. I was walking along Eunos MRT when I spotted this new, tiny hole in the wall PC shop. The inner geek in me screamed "Lets go take a look!!!!" And so I did. Of course there was this little niggling thought at the back of my head reminding me of my mousey predicament, so I scanned the mice available, saw the brand Logitech, felt sudden euphoria, simply grabbed it, paid for it and hey presto!

I'm now happily clickspamming. On my own accord.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's a video someone took of our performance at the Mascot Parade. Thanks, whoever you are!

QUIS @ Mascot Parade - Nobody (Wondergirls)



I wan nobody nobody bak chiu~

An ode to a Real Devil

Back when we were already champions

You were with the Hammers, fighting to stay up

We met on the last match of the season

And you single-handedly kept them alive in the League

Scoring a single goal that their fans will forever remember

We told ol' Fergie; "Sign him up!"

And he did

So began 2 years of loyal service

You fought for us

Chased for us

Heckled and closed down for us

Never gave up on us

And most importantly, scored for us

Who will forget those last ditch efforts?

The powerful strikes?

That wonderfully improvised back heel?

Then came the languid Berbatov

You found yourself on the bench

It must have been hard, watching from there

But when you came off it, you gave your all

The fans loved you

The players loved you

We told Fergie again; "Sign him up!"

But we were too late

Too late to mend your heart that was broken

We tried our best, but you thought us insincere

Its a pity that you chose to leave

Please, if you haven't already made up your mind

There'll be millions of us welcoming you back with open arms

I await your say, come first July

PS: Thanks for not joining Liverpool, but try to avoid Chelsea or Manchester City? We don't really like them either. I strongly suggest you consider Hull City, first-team opportunities won't be lacking there. You might be playing alongside Owen too, he'll complement you perfectly with his "charisma" and "looks".

What to do now?

Life as an unemployed is a nice, refreshing change from the mindless routine that began ever since I started NS. No waking up before the sun rises, no reaching home before the sun sets. Sure, there were the short periods of breaks, holidays and stuff, but nothing beats waking up at 10am in the morning with the thought "Now what shall I do today?" instead of "Argh, (insert number) more days before going back to camp/work."

Lately, the answer to the question above has been "Lets see, Final Fantasy XII, Rappelz (an MMO I've neglected for awhile), FIFA, L4D or TF2?"

I've become a no-life gamer ^^. Haven't done that since the last school holidays (minus the mugging).

In the meantime I'm trying to keep track of the Singapore stock market and try to learn a thing or two about investing to pass time. Quite interesting to see the numbers go up and down and linking those numbers to the performance of the economy and the individual companies. I might even try my hand at buying some stocks to keep and see what happens in time to come.

Why the sudden interest? I realised that plain savings and working like dogs for a salary ain't enough to keep up with the inflation rate. The recession also made me realise that the people who really earn the most out of it are those who dare to take the risks. And I happen to be very risk-adverse (i.e humji).

Anyway!

QUIS will be perfoming this Saturday at Ngee Ann City (Orchard Road) for the Mascot Parade Event http://www.mascotparade.org/

*EDIT* Our timeslot is 7pm!

We'll have a surprise in store for everyone ehehehe.

Cosplay isn't my kind of thing, but it'll be nice to see members of the 501st. Stormtroopers and ol' Vader himself in Orchard Road! What next? Podracers zipping past those Ah Beng street racers in their zhnged Evos and WRXs?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

www.fmylife.com just got mentioned in today's newspapers (I forgot which section). Have you had an FML moment?

Today, I stepped into the lift and into what seemed like a puddle of water. It covered the entire lift so it was hard not to step onto it. "Oh, someone just went swimming or something". There was this strange smell though. Now that I think about it, I might have been stepping in dog pee all the while. FML.

McD's, anyone?

lol.

And this one which I really like



Peter fails.

An ode to a Devil

When we first saw you in action, it was magic

The stepovers, the flicks, the tricks, we insisted that the gaffer sign you on

From the land of Portugal you came, to brighten the terrible English weather

You sparkled at times, fell spectacularly mostly, and yet produced magic that confunded the best of defenders

Others said you were a cheat, a boy with a penchant for mischief and a terrible hairstyle

We said you could do it, gave you the number 7 after ol' Becks left

It was a tough few years, til the World Cups came

You tumbled on the ground, ol' Wazza let loose his breath and saw red

Then came the wink, the boos and the jeers

Wazza left it in the past, so did you, and with each boo you ran faster

With each jeer you thumped the ball harder

And finally you showed the world who you really were

Those blazing free-kicks, the lightning headers, feet that dazzled, speed to rival the roadrunner

And those goals, those wondrous 42 goals, and with it came cups, trophies and honours

Heads were turned, from Spain and hitherto.

You were drawn, yet stayed for another year

We were glad, but knew that you would eventually leave someday

And so you did.

Cristiano Ronaldo, we thank you for those magnificent displays that you put in for us. We will not miss you, nor will we rue your absence, but we truly wish you well.

Rio and Co. will be eager to have a go at you should we ever meet again.

P.S Tell Ruud that he left behind his old socks when you get there, will ya?

Valve left us 4 dead...

Creative use of photoshop aside, I believe many gamers, including L4D players were taken by surprise by Valve's announcement of the development of L4D 2, slated to be released by the end of this year. For those still in the dark, here's a couple of additional reading to keep up to date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L4D2

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/L4D2boycott
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174667
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/06/04/valve-on-l4d2-trust-us-a-little-bit/

I must say I share the same sentiments as the rest of the disgruntled L4D fans (I joined the group!), but primarily because I didn't like the idea of spending money to get another sequel just when I bought the original game. Its like how I gave up trying to keep up with EA Sports' FIFA every year. The coincidence with the 40% weekend discount also played a part, almost as if Valve was trying to clear stock to make way for new ones.

Sure it looks interesting, with enough content and storyline to warrant a "new game" status (hell, if I ever decide to buy it, it'll be because of that CHAINSAW), but I'm really concerned whether L4D will continue to receive updates and new content, just like the other fan favourite, Team Fortress 2. If it were EA or something, I wouldn't care less, but this is Valve, one of the few game developers that I actually feel a sense of loyalty to (the other is Blizzard). And its precisely their commitment to long-term post-game support that attracts their large fanbase.

Will I succumb to temptation and buy it? Guess I'll adopt a wait and see approach.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since we're on the topic, here are some games that deserve to be awarded a "Longest Lasting Game" award.

1) Counterstrike (1.6 - Source)

It's synonymous with LAN gaming shops and tournaments all over the world, ever since it was released in 1998. Thats a 10 year history boy!

2) Starcraft (and Brood War)

While not as popular now, its still one of the iconic RTS games that pro gamers train on for tournaments. The South Koreans in particular are still crazy over this. Another 10 year-old!

3) Warcraft III (and Frozen Throne)

Another RTS, albeit more recent one, to command a huge fanbase with thousands still playing on Bnet and LAN shops. Thanks to the custom map DOTA, WC3's lifespan has been considerably lengthened. Possibly the most widespread RTS game now too. Blizzard has been patching TFT regularly too. 7 years!

4) Team Fortress 2

This one gets in based on pure ingenuity on the part of the game developer. Its a newbie in terms of age (only 2 years) but updates have been coming regularly and not just to fix game bugs. You get whole new maps, game modes, new weapons and other goodies with every update released. If this continues, it'll probably be around for ages to come. Respect to the TF2 department in Valve!

Well its time to say goodbye to the past 4 months at Alpha Biofuels. I can't say I've had the greatest time there, but hey, there's bound to be ups and downs everywhere. I'm sure I not many people know what I've been up to since February, so now I shall dedicate this post to my short stint there.

So when I first started work, there wasn't very much to do, other than handling some banner designing stuff and manning the pump whenever customers came to pump biodiesel. I was still a noob, not really used to working since it was my first job (and internship). I spent lots of time reading up on biodiesel and its properties as well as production. I can say I learnt most during those first few days. I did my first lab-scale production of biodiesel as well.

Then our driver Siva fell while cycling home and fractured his elbow, so yours truly, armed with a driving license, became the substitute driver. For the whole of Feb, I was driving all over Singapore, collecting waste cooking oil as well as delivering biodiesel to our customers, together with partner-in-crime Wootien. This was the most fun period of my internship I guess; we got to meet lots of people, chat with the aunties and uncles who provide us with oil, explore unknown parts of the island as well as the unseen parts of shopping centres, travel around looking for good food to eat, all while rushing to get back to office by 6pm.

March came, and so did the official opening ceremony of ABF. It was kinda hectic to prepare for that day, though thankfully I wasn't much involved other than figuring out parking space and cleaning up. The day finally came, and it was quite a success. Everyone had a good time, and there was a sense of achievement that we managed to pull it off.

Once the euphoria died down though, work finally piled up. I was called to do some marketing campaigns in Eunos and Simei, by foot and armed with flyers and namecards, to spread the news about 2 new retail stations. I talked to loads of people, mostly the bosses of small workshops located within the vicinity. It was a good experience I guess, though I ended each day with sore feet. Thereafter was a sudden explosion of demand for biodiesel, driven primarily by a retail station in Simei, run by a very ambitious (and demanding!) customer. It was also the place where we managed to get a steady stream of taxis to run on biodiesel.

As a result things got pretty crazy in the factory, with everyone struggling to churn out biodiesel to meet demand. I was assigned a new title - Blender, which was basically to polish biodiesel and package for delivery. Also since me and Wootien were the ones who setup most of the retail stations, we were often called up to fix leaks, perform on-site maintenance and what not, as well as deal with unhappy bosses. We were the self-named Repair crew, and proud of it. As WT put it, by the last week of my internship we could deduce the source of the problem just by listening to customer's vague descriptions, bring along the right tools, and rectify them in record time.

April and May were pretty much the same thing, except that we welcomed new guys to the place, so we had to teach them from scratch and hand over our duties. There was a lot of restructuring and changes going around as well as back breaking work so there were a few conflicts here and there. But at the end of every day, I guess everyone went home without hard feelings.

I guess some memorable events which I joined in, aside from the opening ceremony, included the lab courses that we conducted at JJC and TJC, as well as Earth Hour. Although I was just helping out at the 2 JCs, it was quite fun being back in school again, seeing the students go about doing their lab stuff, explaining and guiding them in biodiesel making. I was a student too, listening to Mr. Tan give his lectures and learning at the same time. Earth Hour was fun and relaxed, we were basically just manning the ABF booth, fooling around with the bosses and fellow interns, talking to random people who passed by and enjoying the atmosphere (and free Starbucks, Coke and Old Chang Kee!).

I've also come to understand the feelings and cultures of the foreign workers who keep our economy humming along. I've made friends with Siva, an Indian national who wishes to obtain a PR and bring his family over someday, as well as Xiao Li, a PRC who came from Shandong to a unfamiliar and foreign land, hoping to earn as much as he can to support his family. Its quite humbling to watch them work with little complaints, scrimping and saving to feed their loved ones back home, and yet maintain a cheerful attitude towards work.

And so 4 months have come to an end. No more travelling insane distances to work, lorry driving or dirty work (someone suggested we have our own Dirty Jobs documentary). Its been quite a journey.

I didn't get a chance to say this yesterday so I guess I'll type it here.

Thanks to Woots for being my best buddy in ABF, guiding me from the start, joking together and creating lots of funny moments to make life at work bearable.

Thanks to Lynette and Jaimie for treating me as Xiao Di and putting up with our nonsense.

Thanks to the new guys who formed the Ground Crew, its been great working and goofing around with you guys.

All the best to everyone at ABF, hope it will eventually become a huge success in the local biodiesel scene.

Time to come out of the depression that befell all fans of the Red Devils...

And that's after watching the Premier League Review twice (i.e watching my team lift the BPL trophy twice).

I'll be finishing my internship/attachment/cheap labour job in 2 days! Its been a very interesting experience, guess I'll blog more in detail in the following post.

Just a little "Tweet" to keep this blog somewhat active =x

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just replaced my music player Jaangle with Songbird, an open source music player that aims to be to iTunes what Firefox is to IE. In other words, highly customisable, with lots of add-ons to enhance that listening experience (heck, it has a built in web browser!) and a cool, iTunes-like interface.

Can expect many more improvements since its only version 1.1, but already you can feel its a finished product. My only grouse is the memory hogging - it eats up 100+ mb of memory while playing songs, which is probably due to the many functions and visual candy available. Definitely not for slow PCs. Slow to start-up as well as to play that first song (sounds familiar, Firefox users? Trade-offs, trade-offs...)

Check it out here - http://getsongbird.com/

In case you're wondering about the deluge of soccer-related posts, then obviously you're not a football crazy fanatic.

TOMORROW IS THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL !!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited, I've already run 2 simulations using FIFA 09 (with yours truly controlling Man Utd). The results so far? 3-1 and 2-0 in Man U's favour, both including a wonderful free-kick goal scored by Ronaldo. A sign perhaps?

The results are obviously very biased.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I discovered 2 very interesting websites this week, thanks to Lifehacker.com and the How-to-Geek.

1) www.nintendo8.com

Play 100% authentic, classic N64/Gameboy/Sega games at this site! The games are powered by Java, so I doubt you can save that Pokemon game. I've been playing Super Mario Bros, Dig Dug and Megaman =)

2) www.socwall.com

Absolutely stunning wallpapers from every genre possible, a godsend if you love changing wallpapers everytime you boot up your PC.

I know this is somewhat belated but...

Manchester United are BPL Champions! Again!

But I bet we all knew that was gonna happen last Sunday. Save for those rabid Liverpool fans hoping for the impossible *cue evil laugh*

Looking forward to the Champions League final against Barcelona. Probably gonna go to work late just to catch it =) Dunno why UEFA must schedule on a weekday; half of the world's economy will probably freeze that following morning or something.

... end soccer ramble.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can't wait to get my NTU matriculation card. No not because I can't wait to start school, I just wanna throw away my Singtel mobile plan and jump ship to the green side. Unlimited SMS student plan ftw! Together with Maxonline and cable I'd get the Hubber discount too!

And I hope to get a new phone too, mine's becoming chui-er by the day. An E63 or something with a QWERTY keyboard, I'm tired of trying to type out long SMSes using predictive texting that isn't so predictive. No touch screen phones though! Surprised right? For all my techieness touch screen is one technology I'll never embrace wholeheartedly.

Yes I'm an anti-fingerprint, anti-smudge freak. If you've ever seen my laptop, you'll know why. Its almost 3 years old, made of cheap, easy-to-smudge glossy black plastic and I have friends who say it looks new. Ritualistic cleaning ftw! If I had an iPhone I'll probably wear out the screen from too much rubbing .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To hall or not to hall, that is the question?

2 weeks before first infection...

No this is not about Left 4 Dead...



If you've been reading the comics page every Sunday in the Sunday Times, you'll be familiar with Lio and his quirky imagination.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hyqTxJlWHlv1yLyo-yETVjbOFroQ

Not too far from reality though eh? But its just speculation of course.

Haven't posted anything geeky in awhile, so here's a tidbit for you to nibble on =)


Top 10 Free Apps Installed on my PC/Laptop (in no particular order)

1) AVG Free Edition 8.5 (http://free.avg.com/)

2) Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope" (Ok fine its an OS but hey, it comes with hell lots of excellent free open-source apps, some of which are listed below)

- Open Office (http://www.openoffice.org/)
- Pidgin messenger (http://www.pidgin.im/)
- Banshee music player (http://banshee-project.org/) *Linux and Mac OS X only*
- VLC player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/)

http://www.ubuntu.com/

3) CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com/)

4) Mozilla Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html)

5) Mozilla Thunderbird (http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/)

6) Jaangle (http://www.jaangle.com/)

7) GIMP 2 (http://www.gimp.org)

8) Comodo Firewall Pro (http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/)

9) Media Player Classic (http://sourceforge.net/projects/guliverkli/)

10) Super Anti-Spyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random musing of the day:

Can anyone remember Marshmallow Man, proton packs, ghost traps and ectoplasmic activity?

"Who ya gonna call?"

I bet that rings a bell. I used to love the cartoon back then.

"Ghostbusters!"

Saturday came and went.

For those who came, thanks for coming! Hope you guys enjoyed the food and company! I had a great time =)

(Especially after watching ManU beat Tottenham 5-2 muahahahaha!)

Best birthday present ever.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In other news,

I have been promoted!

To lab tech. HAHA.

Anyway I've been busying myself doing stuff in the lab these few days, never knew it was that fun to conduct experiments and keep track of the results, especially if you don't know whether it'll succeed or not. SPA was horrible back then.

Driver -> Factory worker -> Lab tech. Upgrade! *ding ding*

twenty-one.

What's the big deal with turning 21, I wonder?

Besides being able to watch R21 movies. And besides, you could probably download R21 movies, watch PG shows without "guidance", NC16 shows by acting "mature" and M18 movies with your older brother's IC, all when you were just 12. Did I mention you could just download them all/watch online?


An excuse to hold a huge party that you never had?

A reason to finally go out there and have some fun (and use the excuse "But I'm 21 liao!")?

A coming-of-age when you finally get to "Be a Man!" (and do the right thing)?

Or just another milestone reached in life? I don't suppose many people go around shouting "Hey! I survived to see my 21st birthday!"

Which is quite sobering considering those who don't make it.


I don't feel that old.

FMA 2 : Brotherhood

Yes you read it right!

For all you anime fans who've got enough of Bleach and Naruto (you mean they're still running? @.@), this is one reason to rejoice!

Edward Elric is back!

Especially so since the 1st series ended like 4 years ago =,=

The story is supposed to be totally different from the previous one, and an adaptation of the manga, so I guess we can expect more interesting content! Something to satisfy the hunger for FMA while waiting for the next installment of the manga (its taking ages for it to get published)

Only grouse so far (as commented by various people) is the change of voice-actors (seiyuu), although the brothers still remain the same.

Plus the opening song pwns! "again" by YUI.

Its been ages since I last watched anime. Time to relive old days again!

I want to have my Okonomiyaki (and eat it, too!)

And so he flew away, towards a land full of opportunities, experiences and thrills.

Last Wednesday, I rushed to the airport together with the rest of BTT14 to send Kevin off to Japan where he'll study for the next 5 years.

I couldn't help but watch in envy as he walked through those gates. Another one to live the dream. A dream that I once shared (and I still linger upon), of living on my own in a country which has influenced and enthralled me so much.

And yet I know my place is here.

Perhaps that dream will remain a dream. A dream that I would love to fulfill one day, if only for a few months, and keep it forever in my memories. Heck, I haven't even got the motivation to pick up the language, even though I've always wanted to.

In the meantime, my place is here.

Reading blogs and Facebook updates, looking at pictures of far away, yet remotely familiar places, and genuinely wishing that I was there.

Just for that few, fleeting, online minutes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok I've said it, I will start to learn (basic!) Japanese by the end of this year.

Friends who are reading this, you be my witness. And if you too are interested, drop me a message! Because its so hard to learn something on my own without anyone to practise with.

Hong Yi wa ganbarimasu!

(I hope that was the correct way of expressing it =x)

Blackout Drill!

Its been ages since I've done guard duty (HAHAHA YESSS ORD LO!!!)
but I still remember the infamous blackout drill.

Anyway, I'm referring to the 1 hour blackout all over the world to celebrate (?) Earth Hour, in case it wasn't already supremely obvious.

So while the world poised their fingers on their light switches, I was milling about Esplanade Park where Alpha Biofuels had their booth, fooling around and generally not making myself very useful except to entertain some foreign kids with McD french fries. And a particularly shy Spiderman-bag carrying kid (boss's nephew). What were we doing there? The generator was running on Biodiesel of course!

Oh, and filling my stomach with free Old Chang Kee, Coke Zero and Starbucks (diluted) coffee. Like a particularly greedy person said, our booth was in a very nice position (next to Starbucks).

It was a rather small scale event, with a few booths (including some no-link brands like POLAR and Chipster) and a small stage. There was a surprising large crowd at the event, though the proportion of foreigners was high. It says a lot about their environmental consciousness. Like one of them mentioned, "We have Biodiesel in Europe too!". Nothing much happened before lights out except a few cultural performances. I can understand the percussion troupe using recycled bins, but a lion dance?!? Maybe the lion was made up of recycled newspapers or something =x

I met up with XJ for dinner just in time to catch the lights out at Marina Square foodcourt. It wasn't very concerted, but visually stunning all the same. First went Maybank and their nice decorative strips of light. Then slowly the tall office buildings in the CBD turned off their lights, followed by the Esplanade's twin domes. Even the Fullerton and Merlion went dark. The only cold water pourers were the IR constructions sites. Their spotlights totally spoilt the whole scene. Once the blackout was completed, the party started, with bands taking to the stage (yes, in darkness!) and picnickers lighting up their candles.

So for that 1 hour, it was just about sitting on the grass, listening to music, staring at the relatively dark cityline, enjoying the light of the candles, the company of friends and contemplating our impact on the environment. Ok the last point was probably the last thing on everyone's mind, but still I'm sure the message got across.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In retrospect I think the candle burning probably released more CO2 than leaving the lights on, but what the heck.

At least it wasn't about 1 hour of non-stop lights ablazing, amplifiers blasting, all-over-the-world rock concerts.

OFF ALL YOUR LIGHTS!

Yes, even that tiny one that you keep on at night because you're afraid to wake up to a pitch dark room.

The one you turn on to read the newspaper.

The one you turn on to pee without missing the target.

The one you turn on to eat dinner.

The one you turn on to... see the switches to turn on other lights.

I think its a ridiculous idea personally. People are going to end up being frightened to death, spoiling their eyes, soiling their toilets, getting food poisoning because didn't see the fly that landed, and fumbling over the light switches and tripping and falling and getting injured.

So don't be a dumbass and obsessively observe the Earth Hour thingy. Its not like its some new government thingy telling you to speak more Mandarin.

Come to think of it, even Shan from 98.7FM is learning Mandarin from 93.3's Peifen. Hmmmmm.....

Anyway back to the topic - imagine if LTA/CAAS were to support Earth Hour. I wouldn't want to be on the roads/landing at Changi from 8.30pm onwards man.

.
.
.
Seriously, I hope this event will spread more awareness of the environmental challenges we face. Its not just about wasted lights or light pollution. Its about getting the world to sit up and wake up and do something, even if it means turning off the lights at 8.30pm for 1 hour every year.

Earth Hour. Our Earth.


Note to readers: Above comments are made in good humour and are not meant to critise the event in any way. The author supports Earth Hour, really. He pledges to reduce his carbon footprint by turning off the lights on his mp3 player. And he sincerely hopes that every hour can be Earth Hour.

DIY for greenies!

DIY green tip #2

Did you know? The amount of water needed to flush down your solid waste is actually around 75-80% of the full flush. And for the liquid waste, its even lesser.

What to do if your home doesn't have a half-flush toilet bowl? For the really motivated a few scoops of used washing machine water will do the trick. But of course how many of us would actually go to such lengths to save water? Plus the solids probably require a whole pail.

For those who would really like the convenience of pressing a button, here's a DIY thing you can do.

Zng my Toilet Bowl

You'll need: A couple of small 250ml water bottles. Depending on the size of your cistern, you might want to try even smaller containers (Chicken essence bottles, hair gel containers etc)

1) Fill the bottles with water.

2) Open up the top of the cistern and throw them in. Try to arrange them neatly.

3) 3 - 5 bottles should be enough. If you're worried about the... stuff not going down when u flush, keep it at 4

4) Assuming a full tank of 8-9 litres, you'll be saving around 0.75 to 1.25 L of water per flush! Which is around 10-20%.

5) Test it out. If your... erm... stuff doesn't go down, reduce by 1 bottle. If it goes down nicely, you might want to raise that bar and throw in another bottle.

Rationale:

Since the cistern operates via displacement, once you throw the filled bottles in, the capacity of the cistern is reduced by that amount. Simple!

Plus you get to recycle those bottles! And save on the utilities bill!

Man, PUB should really hire me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote of the week:

Konfusius say, "Man who run after bus, will be exhausted!"

Saturday Bloody Saturday....

I never thought I'd ever experience being taunted by my Liverpool loving friends.

For the past 4 years through JC and NS, it was always US, the Red Devils, not the Reds, doing all the taunting and suan-ing. When Ferdinand scored with a volley, we laughed at them (a defender scoring against Liverpool! With his FOOT to boot!). When O'Shea scored in the dying minutes, we chuckled at the cruelty of it all. When we drew square, we always believed that our superior team had an off day.

Somehow 2008/2009 has been a different season.

When Torres scored, we cringed at the untimely stumble by Vidic.
When Evra hacked down Gerrard, we shouted our disbelief, until the replay confirmed our fears. When Gerrard subsequently slammed home the penalty, we cried at the near miss of Van der Sar's diving hands.
When Giggs, Scholes and Berbatov were subbed in, we prayed and hoped.
When Vidic pulled down Gerrard, we hid our eyes, hoping the card would be a nice shade of yellow.
When the red was shown, we slumped in our seats, all hope lost.
When Aurelio curled in the free kick, we hid our faces, embarrassed by the keeper's immobility.
When Dossena chipped Van der Sar, we laughed, not at all in mirth. At his staring, hapless figure as the ball bounced slow-mo into the net.

It has been a bloody Saturday in Manchester.

4 weeks after infection...

(Note! Numerous references to Left 4 Dead, non-gamers alert)

Besides going to work and sleeping, I'm left with 3-4 hours every night to do my own thing.

I'd usually fire up Left 4 Dead to start another zombie killing spree but I guess tonight will be different. Maybe its got something to do with being overwhelmed in the final scenario of Blood Harvest 5 times on expert mode.

I haven't been following the news recently, other than scanning the pages of Today every morning while I munch on breakfast (its really just a routine I go through, the real objective is to get to the sports page). One article in the Sunday Times really got my attention - regarding the recent suicide case and the possible influence of video games and WoW. Not an overriding factor but probably part of a box of tinder waiting for a spark.

Another red mark for us gamers. Its too tedious to delve into another discussion on the effects of excessive gaming on gamers but I do know there are a few (ok, maybe not just a few) gamers out there spending loads of time on their Maplestories and WoWs and L4Ds and DoTAs. Frankly speaking if I wasn't working I think I'd be joining that group =x. In a way I'm glad I'm not glued to the computer chair although sometimes I wish I was, just to blast away a few Boomers and watch them explode in glee.

A great stressbuster, Boomers are.

So if you think the world is 2D side-scrolling, have a night elven girlfriend and zombies as neighbours, get a life! Get a... job.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today a new worker from China joined the company. I really gotta start brushing up on my Mandarin proper, somehow English words keep slipping through the gaps whenever I attempted to communicate with him. Probably explains the D7 I got for Higher Chinese for my O levels.

Still, translating is hard work, especially when you have an Indian and a Chinese worker working together. Hand signals usually do the job.

To end off this post I shall start posting tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint, in our Singaporean context =) Gotta justify the green in my blog title or I'd get reported for greenwashing.

Carbon tip #1

For all you broadband users (you, yes YOU!), turn off your modem and wireless router at night before you sleep. Yes I know its UNLIMITED broadband but surely you don't need to be all typical kiasu Singaporean and keep it on 24/7 just to make full use of the UNLIMITED access, even when you sleep?

So if you're not downloading anything, turn it off. Prevents the neighbours from leeching, too. You don't want to be giving free suppers to possible Bleach downloaders, lest you receive the dreaded xedo letter.

Today I was searching around for Firefox tweaks when I found this skin to make Firefox 3 look like Google Chrome, the all-new open-source browser by Google.

Feeling abit tempted to compare the 2, I searched "Firefox 3 vs Chrome" and the first comparison I found was hilarious.

From http://www.piggynap.com/google/google-chrome-vs-firefox/



I've always thought that the Google Chrome logo looked really familiar but I never really realised it until today.

Logo FAIL.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway for some laughs, check out this place:

http://failblog.org/

especially for those who love "FAIL" jokes like me XD

Death of the CD?

Poll: Does my blog load really slowly? Please post your opinion in the chatbox =)

After a night of scouring the Internet for new music (Japanese indie bands ftw!), I realised that I would never have known all this should CDs be the traditional choice for music distribution. Online music is blazing a path forward, bridging cultures and connecting musicians to fans all over the world! Heck, your neighbour could be a fan of a Ukranian punk band, who knows?

Saw this in the Jpop news:


Yes, that is a USB thumbdrive, uploaded with Ayumi Hamasaki's soon-to-be-released 10th album, [Next Level]. It will be the first album sold in Japan to take this format. Debunk the ugly rectangular stick of memory perception - that thumbdrive looks absolutely gorgeous. Does it signal the beginning of the end for the humble CD?

The signs are showing:

1) People are downloading more music online than ever before (legally or not)
2) CD sales are slipping down
3) When was the last time you saw a Discman?
4) When was the last time you saw an Ipod? (it probably sits on your table right now)
5) Sandisk is pushing for albums to be sold on SD memory cards
6) Artistes are releasing albums for download (remember Radiohead?)
7) Flash memory prices are dropping

It all points to a near future of downloadable releases and memory sticks filled to the brim with songs.

Still, I can't bear to see the CD die off just like that.

- Wonderfully designed CD covers and lyrics booklets!
- The feeling you get from ripping open the plastic wrapping
- Superior sound quality
- The sheer physicality of it (ever felt proud of your CD collection)
- Browsing in CD stores (and the free gifts like posters and stuff)
- Indie musicians still rely on the trusty old CD to earn the cash

Will the CD go the way of the prehistoric record? VHS and LDs are already extinct, VCDs are endangered while DVDs are threatened. What will the future entail? Music being confined to megabytes of data flying around cyberspace and residing in flash drives? Or Blu-Ray HD music cum video albums, anyone?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random nugget of information:

Did you know that bush fires can actually be good? In some temperate forests a fire can provide fertile material for the next generation of vegetation to grow, while eliminating the problem of insufficient sunlight reaching the forest floor. In such cases fire is actually essential for the forest to regenerate!

Still, don't go out there and start one. Fire = bad.

Me, the default lorry driver.

I think I've driven more in these 2 weeks than the past 6 months since I got my license. Its fun though, going to far flung and familiar places all at one go and trying out crazy stunts, all guided by a street directory.

Anyway, its been some time since I last made a decent post.

Valentine's day - We decided to do something different and went to the Science Centre! Both to catch an Omni-Theatre show and to see what's new there. I think the last time I went was 3 years ago, bringing a group of kids around for CIP or something. And so we embarked on a Journey to the West. Nothing much has changed, except that whole new areas have sprouted up (I noticed a new Climate Change and Alternative Energy section, yay!). The old exhibits were rotting though, with pieces falling apart and some not even working. One exhibit which went missing was the immensely fun mirror maze; I remember the crazy times I spent running around and getting lost. And who could forget the number counting wheel? I once had an ambition to stand there turning the wheel non-stop until the number reached 9999 or something XD

Then we roamed around the West and went to Jurong Hilltop restaurant next to Birdpark. The Japanese teppanyaki was not bad, but the fumes (some would say fragrances) were overpowering. Not much of an atmosphere either, with the whole place packed with families. The view was nice though, even if we could only see Jurong Island and lots of containers. Headed out to West Coast Park for a walk (surprisingly it was rather crowded, like the ECP of the West. Hmm.) and watched the container ships go about their businesses.

So ended our Journey to the West.

I think I'm getting the hang of things in the west side of Singapore. Anyway it'll probably be my new hangout place once I step into NTU. I'm still proud to be an Eastie (my friend coined the word) though, we've got more places with nice food =) And the roads aren't filled with container trucks. I've been dodging them everyday.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scholes and Giggs are phenomenal. They should be thinking of taking off their boots and relaxing at home now, not spraying 30m long passes, slamming home 25m volleys, curling crosses, dribbling past defenders and flicking through balls over defences.

Respect.

http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download2.html

This is a really useful guide if you're new to Linux and Ubuntu, even I'm discovering new stuff by reading it =)

So if you've just installed Ubuntu, wanted to install Ubuntu but don't know how, secretly wanting to install Ubuntu but not daring to take the plunge, been using Ubuntu for some time or just someone intrigued by something different from Windows and OSX, download it! It makes quite an interesting read =)

Credits to Ubuntu Geek for this.

de de de de de de de de de de de de de

And so my first week as an intern has ended.

In case you're wondering, I'm currently interning at Alpha Biofuels in Jurong (horrors!). Yes its a stand-all-the-way trip Journey to the West every morning and back. Feet killer, our MRT system is. Especially when you're past Tanjong Pagar and you realise the guy in front of you sleeping peacefully is probably going all the way to Boon Lay. I guess thats the only downside to this job, apart from the delicious peanut butter allowance and the prompt bang kang timing of 6pm + service charge + GST, no less.

Seems like a dream job eh? So why in the world did I decide to take it up? For one its related to my course of study (Enviro Engi), and secondly its an SME, which means I'll get to learn much more than if I were to join say XXXMobile or seaShell. Who knows, I might draw on this when setting up my own company in the future. Plus its producing renewable energy!

And so far, it seems that my decision has been justified. In a span of a week I've been involved in marketing, project trials, delivery, collection, DIY furnishing and retailing. Stained jeans, oily hands, slicky shoes, all deja vu from the past 1 year. I can't say I've been looking forward to work everyday, but just by being there beats sitting in an office the whole day chatting on MSN and Facebooking. And for the first time I drove a lorry! Through the roads of NUS and Singapore Poly no less.

Not to mention the friendly atmosphere there - thanks to the 5 other interns running the show. As a colleague mentioned, we're all peons there. "hurh? Yes warchief... work work..."

Money vs experience?

Hong Yi has gained a level! *cue FF victory chime*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Random nugget of information - Did you know that the MRT door closing chime has 13 beeps?

25 thingies u may not know about me.

Sigh. Its hard to avoid being arrowed even after ORD. Anyway this will be rather random and lighthearted =) since this blog is linked to Facebook, I hope you're satisfied.

1) I have powerful eyes. i.e 1000 megawatts of eye power. Cyclops would pale in comparison.

2) I woke up in the middle of the night to satisfy a craving for Warcraft III once.

3) I got spooked by my own battery operated Lego set.

4) I haven't had a single memorable dream ever since Primary school. My brain is already jaded with reality.

5) I have a large collection of Pokemon cards and figurines, Star Wars cards, Lego sets and other figments of my childhood.

6) I was fat. My sister says I still am. By her standards, a skeleton would be ideal.

7) I'm afraid of bees, wasps and any flying thing that stings.

8) I find moths cute. And I used to be crazy about creepy crawlies.

9) I'm really a nature lover. Too bad I love the great indoors.

10) My very first computer ran primarily on DOS and Monopoly was the only decent game installed.

11) I spoilt my own SEGA machine because I was too excited and pulled the controller, console and all. It crashed spectacularly.

12) I've been wearing contacts since Pri 4.

13) And spectacles since Pri 1.

14) I sleep with 3 bolsters every night - 1 big, 2 small. The latter because the cases were sewn by my late grandma.

15) I hate vegetables. I am unstrictly carnivorous.

16) Oranges, apples and bananas are the fruit I usually (i.e almost always) eat.

17) I love porridge.

18) I had a crush on a girl for 6 years.

19) I have an English name, though rarely used. Ken/Kenneth is just a name my parents call me at home.

20) I was a rabid fan of Ayumi Hamasaki. Was. Is still. But no more rabid. More languid.

21) I joined the Chinese Orchestra really because I wanted to get out of NCC Land. And I originally wanted to play the ruan.

22) I have a fear of tuning my liuqin.

23) The reason why I learnt the guitar was because of Yoshio, Ayumi's guitarist. Yes, that was back when I was rabid.

24) I fall sick easily. No its got nothing to do with point 15. The weather affects me.

25) I always thought that boys doing NS was fair because all girls have to go through pregnancy. Until I discovered the existence of contraception.

hello world, i'm back

and so it ends here.

Feels like being airlifted from the rooftop of Mercy Hospital while a horde of zombies rush towards you, outstretched claws barely inches from your face.

Feels like the end of the last exam paper of the A levels, when the invigilator tells you to put down your pens, no more writing.

Feels like when the tester ticks and writes the word "pass" on your driving test slip.

Feels like scoring the winning goal against an imba team during soccer.

Feels like... nothing special really.

7 weeks of fear, awkwardness, fatigue, fun, brotherhood and comradeship.

3 months of learning, friendship, expression and laughter.

2 months of unfamiliarity, mistakes and relearning.

14 months of work, routine, boredom and the occasional lighthearted moment.

2 weeks of India.

1 month of adrenaline rushes, satisfaction and happiness.

1 month of relaxation, waiting and anticipation.

1 day of mixed feelings.

ORD lo!

tomorrow, I shall walk away a free man.

double O

Remember this?

http://not-so-geeky.blogspot.com/2008/03/olivia-ong-esplanade.html

That was about 10 months ago.

Since then, she's got a best album in addition to her 3 mini-albums and 4 full albums (those crazy Japanese labels!), been travelling all over Singapore doing mini-concerts and lives, and of course the highlight of 2008 - doing the theme song for the crazily popular "The Little Nonya" . Even though I didn't catch the show, I sure did take notice of the theme song. I can safely argue that it was this song "Ru Yan" that catapulted her into the radar of many Singaporeans.

Wanna bet her albums are flying off the shelves?

I think she recently signed with HIM records, the same record company as S.H.E. I suppose we can expect more mandarin songs? Still, I find her chinese pronunciation kinda awkward, but we can't fault her for that can we? If you've been living in Japan for the past 6 years saying "ohayo gosaimasu" instead of "zhao an", you'll find it tough too.

Saying all that, I hope she does an album filled with jazzy, self-penned tunes. That would take the cake!

Not sure if you can get it here in Singapore, so here: Yesasia.com

Olivia Ong, the next Stefanie Sun? Maybe she'll even get invited to sing during National Day LOL

"Don't worry, I'll protect you"

When the opening screen shows blue with a huge Totoro and the words "Studio Ghibli" written on it, you know you're in for a visual treat.

Yup, I just watched "Ponyo on the cliff by the sea" yesterday. I've been a fan of Hayao Miyazaki's works ever since I watched "Spirited Away" so I was rather excited when Ponyo was released. My first reactions when I saw the trailer was: "Wa, so cute, sure alot of girls wanna watch". Incidentally, the cinema hall in which I watched the show was nearly 80% filled with girls =.=

Anyway back to the movie. Right from the start of the movie I was captivated by the stunning visuals and artwork. And the details! The opening scene showing Ponyo's daddy standing on his submarine was one of the most memorable ones, showing the ocean's best, what with crabs of all kinds and sizes, technicolour fish zipping around, menacing looking eels, bouncing jellyfish, octopuses and squids, all wonderfully drawn and animated. You know the old type of anime, where only 1 or 2 actions are being animated in the foreground at any one time? Well in this underwater scene, EVERYTHING was moving in its own natural way.

Amazing once you realise everything is fully hand-drawn!

Even the quaint seaside town and the sea was beautifully rendered. Check this out:



Looks familiar? Miyazaki-san based the town on this little Japanese port town Tomonoura. I can almost imagine Lisa's tiny pink car zooming along the coastal roads.

Like XJ said after the movie, it all seemed a little strange to be watching the 2D film. In this age of CG technology and 3D movies, its charming to see one of the best animators of all time sticking to his traditional hand-drawn medium, film after film. Another reason why the next generation of kids should watch Ponyo (if they haven't already). We grew up with 2D, and we only have Miyazaki-san to thank for keeping it alive with brilliance.

Although the storyline wasn't too deep (its meant for the kids really), you can spot some subtle references to themes that are prevalent in Miyazaki's works. The scene where a trawler dregs up muck from the ocean floor gently reminds us of our environmental impact, and it hammers home the message when Ponyo gets stuck in a discarded jar. Later in the movie when the sea turns a violent rage, it references to old Japanese folklore as well as their obsession with the ocean and its power. Imagination is the key here, with waves turning into giant fish slapping against the shore, a submarine powered by flapping flippers, sorcery and sea godesses, and a flood which submerges the world into prehistoric waters.

In the eyes of a child, the world is filled with endless possibilities.

For 2 hours last evening, I was a child once again.

happy new year (the irony)

The first week of 2009!

And from the looks of it, pretty lousy too.
Been a pretty uppy and downy few days...

Hit with a fever on New Year's eve (boo!), before meeting the XJ for Bedtime Stories, Brewerkz and fireworks watching (cheer!).

Fever gone on New Year's day (yay!), but in comes a sore throat (aww)

Back to camp on Friday (sian) with a sore throat (double sian), but went out with the guys for ramen and supper (cool!) but the ramen tasted bland because of a blocked nose (damn!).

Played soccer on Saturday (whee!) but too many people turned up (dang).

Slacked on Sunday (ahhh~) but then came a killer cough (cough cough cough ><)

Finally, my voice gave way on Monday. Now I sound like a demented killer.

Hoping to land my "dream" job for these 6 months after ORD.

The Top Five List of Top 10 Lists of 2008

Its that time of the year where top ten lists of 2008 start appearing in magazines, newspapers, on television yadayada. So I thought I'd do a lil' half spoof of it =)

Why 5? Because 10 would entail much mindless scrolling down.

Well as you can fathom from the title this is going to be one loooong and quite pointless post, but I'll just go ahead for the heck of it.

Note: All lists are purely of my personal opinion.

Top Ten Geeky Things That Happened to me

1) Deciding to take the plunge into Linux (Ubuntu) and discovering a brand new world
2) Trying to learn how to use the terminal to improve my Linux experience (and failing)
3) Zhnging my Compaq laptop so it dual-boots with Mac OS X and Ubuntu. Which is really Windows XP zhnged to look like Mac OS X.
4) Upgrading my Compaq laptop to 2 GB RAM with a cheaply bought used 1GB RAM module
5) Upgrading my monitor to a 22 inch LG one
6) Researching for days for a new printer and ended up buying one totally different from the initial selection
7) Starting this blog afresh
8) Ordering DVDs online from Amazon.jp and Yesasia.com
9) Printed T-shirts for an online forum
10) Eagerly devouring Digital Life (the newspaper add-on) every Wednesday
11) Surviving 2 weeks without touching a computer in India

Top Ten Green Things That Happened to me

1) Sleeping without air-conditioning since who-knows-when
2) Cycling at every possible opportunity as long as destination is within 5km.
3) Walking home from the MRT station in the wee hours of the morning just for fun
4) Turning of power socket switches at home with rabid obsession
5) Constantly adjusting office air-conditioning temperature higher, even as others turn it down
6) Recycling and sorting garbage if bins are in sight and trash is at hand
7) Declining plastic bags whenever possible. Even returning them
8) Tried to reduce toilet paper used when attempting bombing runs and found it to be near impossible
9) Starting this blog afresh
10) Watching "An Inconvenient Truth" at home instead of a movie theatre
11) Getting my license to drive

Top Ten Video Games that I've played

1) Far Cry 2
2) Fallout 3
3) Team Fortress 2
4) Portal
5) Red Alert 3
6) Crysis Warhead
7) Fifa 09
8) GTA San Andreas
9) The Frozen Throne (Battlenet)
10) Assassin's Creed
11) Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3

Top Ten Artistes (Albums/Singles) that I've heard
I've discovered lots of Japanese artistes this year, so lots of unfamiliar names =)

1) Chatmonchy (Miminari + Seimeiryoku + Somaru Yo)
2) Asian Kung-Fu Generation (World World World + Mada Minu Ashita Ni)
3) Tokyo Jihen (Kyouiku + Adult + Variety)
4) YUI (I Loved Yesterday + My Short Stories)
5) FREENOTE (Shuuden Master + Introducing the popline + Otonoha Triangle)
6) Mika Nakashima (Voice)
7) Ayumi Hamasaki (Guilty + Mirrorcle World + Days/Green)
8) Kimura Kaela (+1, SCRATCH)
9) Olivia Ong (A Girl Meets Bossanova + AGMB 2 + Fall in Love With)
10) Coldplay (Viva La Vida)
11) Money No Enough 2 Soundtrack

Top Ten Things That Happened that affected me in a big way

1) QUIS
2) Barack Obama = President
3) Overseas Exercise in India + Mumbai Bombings
4) The economic meltdown
5) Japan trip in April
6) Beijing Olympics 2008 (In particular, Team Singapore)
7) Manchester United being crowned Champions in England and Europe
8) Facebook
9) Passing my driving test
10) AHM
11) ORDDDD!!!

Goodbye 2008, a year of top tens