tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64769102024-03-24T01:44:54.271+08:00WittySquirrel's Insane Ramblings...Still going funky at 5am in the morning...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-27242922084348605222008-05-03T21:45:00.003+08:002008-05-03T21:50:03.024+08:00Google Adsense and Analytics Privacy Policy<span style="font-weight:bold;">Privacy Policy for <span style="font-style:italic;">wittysquirrel.blogspot.com</span></span><br /><br />The privacy of our visitors to <span style="font-style:italic;">wittysquirrel.blogspot.com</span> is important to us. <br /><br />At <span style="font-style:italic;">wittysquirrel.blogspot.com</span>, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important. Here is information on what types of personal information we receive and collect when you use visit <span style="font-style:italic;">wittysquirrel.blogspot.com</span>, and how we safeguard your information. 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This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.<br /><br /><small><span style="font-style:italic;">AdSense Privacy Policy Provided by <a href="http://www.JenSense.com">JenSense</a></span></small><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Google Analytics</span><br />This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States . Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-35497312471227905952008-03-04T01:54:00.005+08:002008-03-04T02:59:06.869+08:00Everything That Begins Needs an EndI came to the blogging scene way back in 2004 when I was just 16 years old, and my first blog posts were all about nagging how school life is and a couple of miscellaneous posts. Then <a href="http://petalingstreet.org/">Project Petaling Street</a> came along and pretty much transformed the way I blog and how I connected with other Malaysian bloggers. In all of these past few years, knowing you all has been an eye-opening experience for me.<br /><br />To bloggers that I've met before in real life like <a href="http://www.5xmom.com/">Lilian "5xmom" Chan</a> and <a href="http://lucialai.org/">Lucia "Mental Jog" Lai</a>, you all have dared to write it all and stand firm for what you have believed. You guys certainly have more guts than me, and I salute you all for being Malaysia's frontline bloggers. Back then we had war journalists reporting despite bullets and missiles were zipping above their heads, now we have citizen journalists reporting despite having gas canisters shot at them.<br /><br />It's not just these few bloggers, but just basically everyone who's reporting from everywhere. Half a year ago, nobody would've expected how our country has turned the way it is now. From what I've seen, Malaysians now have more awareness of the country's politics than before. Instead of beating around the bush and mulling over less concrete issues, I can safely say that bloggers nowadays are on the same level as their foreign counterparts when it comes to political discussions.<br /><br /><br /><b>Keep Reinventing</b><br /><br />Yes, I grimaced a little when using this Gerakan tagline, but overall it's pretty much true. One has to keep reinventing oneself in order to survive in this world, and that's what I'm exactly doing. As you can see the posts from the past year, I'm not exactly a talented blogger here. Despite experiments here and there, I've found out I can come up with some interesting posts once in a while but other than that, even my own damn blog posts bore me to sleep.<br /><br />The Malaysian blogosphere is nice and everything but it doesn't change the fact that I can't write a consistent nor interesting blog. Then I also realised that I didn't want to have a public face on the internet. The risk of being compromised later in life is quite high and I don't wanna take the risk. I have seen my fair share of weirdos on the internet and I'm very well aware that how much information others receive depend on how much information I provide. So that's why I'm taking the decision to announce that I most likely will not blog from this address again. Yes I will still be blogging, but no, I'm not going to reveal my new blog address. I'll still be reading blogs and occasionally commenting anonymously though.<br /><br />I know that I'll be losing all of these links to other blogs as well as my PageRank, but staying static isn't something that I'll accept either. I'll be having a new online identity with very little links to the old identity, and basically it would be the start of a new lease of life. It's just like enrolling into a Witness Protection Program.<br /><br />Something new,<br />Something better,<br />Something to hope for,<br />In the near and bright future.<br /><br />:)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-45929724772823200432007-11-02T02:39:00.000+08:002007-11-02T03:00:48.042+08:00Still Blogging?Ed: "Do you still blog?"<br />Me: "Yes, right here." *Points to head*<br /><br /><br />To me sometimes thinking about blogging ends up more satisfying than actually blogging. My mind ends up being more expressive in the showers than sitting right here in front of the computer. Perhaps it's due to the overuse of instant messaging, or it might be the overall degradation of my mental sanity due to bad habits. Let me make this clear, I'm perfectly fine personally but I've a problem with expressing thoughts into words due to various circumstances.<br /><br />Enough to say, I'm thankful for what I already have and own at the moment. Still there are things that if left unsaid, you'd probably see me exploding at any one point or another. Well, in the short space of 15 minutes I think it's time to wrap up this post. Sleepiness is affecting my judgment, and that is one reason why it's hard for me to blog. If only things can go my way, if only I had the ability to change difficult situations at the drop of a hat. That's enough I suppose, the more I keep saying the word "I", the more selfish I feel about myself. Give me back my mind, I need it.<br /><br />One last thing: I just wish that my mom would just trust me and let me handle the exams on my own instead of nagging me all the time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-35467906694152824522007-10-26T00:58:00.000+08:002007-10-26T01:11:23.748+08:00A WishWhen you're reading a book or a long article, don't you wish that you could just type "/" and enter in the words that you're looking for? Firefox's spoiled me quite a bit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-88565769334006919992007-10-23T23:21:00.000+08:002007-10-23T23:29:51.187+08:00Rehearsal BluesSo today we were rehearsing for our graduation ceremony this Friday, and it was really quite the bore. Almost three hours of sitting down and singing the graduation song over and over again. All of these while we had to watch imaginary VIP guests giving imaginary speeches giving away imaginary prizes to students.<br /><br />Most weirdest thing I ever realised: noticing that the orchestral intro to my school's anthem sounds like it came from a Superman movie. I wasn't kidding about that.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-76076200276592229762007-09-01T18:37:00.000+08:002007-09-01T19:44:01.927+08:00An UpdateFirst things first, I don't seem to be in the best of moods at the moment. Hence although this post is gonna sound as dry and dusty as the Mojave desert, but at least it's going to be one of the most truthful blog posts that I've written.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mental health</span><br />One of the biggest issues bugging me now is about my mental health. It could be that my mind is really lax when it comes to grabbing note of events that are happening around me. I feel like I'm a ship in a violent storm without an anchor to the seabed. My grasp of memory seems blurred now and days just seem to pass by endlessly. When I was young I lamented and grumbled at how come time was passing so slow sometimes, and now I'm regretting the fact that time passes by too fast for me to catch up. Hence I regretted that I wasted days by not doing anything that was productive for me. Take for example yesterday, I slept from 6am till 6pm and spent the most of that day at night. It's not good for me, I know.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Exams</span><br />Don't pressure yourself too much, really, don't do it. The more pressure I inflict myself for this upcoming exams, the less psychologically unstable I am. All that I need to do to face this series of trial exams is to plan well and stay calm.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Friends</span><br />I don't really mind if somebody stumbles onto my blog. Lest it be friends online or offline or even any teachers out there. After all with such a long history of blogging and "forumming", it isn't hard if you want to play detective. To be honest, I like my friends, I like who they are but I hate their situations. I am totally sick and tired of having to listen to how sad they are. The main reason why I get online is to have some fun and to relax, not to get bagged with a ton of burden on my shoulders listening to how much shit happens on a particular person. It's even worse when I can't possibly say that to them one-to-one, I'm not that mean to do so. Then there are some people who I can't seem to know well. It seems that we seem to be stuck at acquaintances just because the other person is reluctant to get to know you better. Could it be because they have been scarred just like I was? Nah, I only know one guy who was also scarred, hence he appears invisible in his messenger. I'm currently following his footsteps. Sometimes too much contact with a person or many people might not end up good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Responsibilities</span><br />Two of the most important responsibilities I have at the moment are my exams and my obligation to maintain an internet community. Seems like I'm not really dealing well with either one. I tried studying a while ago, but somehow I just couldn't focus on it. My moods and my mental as well as psychological states need to be balanced most of the time for me work efficiently. And I make sure that my fan doesn't vibrate too noisily at night. Although I'm really relaxed most of the time, I am very particularly fussy on some stuff.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Needs</span><br />- enough time for me to prepare for my exams<br />- enough time for me to gather my thoughts<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wants</span><br />- to learn German and Japanese<br />- to travel to Europe for sightseeing and also living in Japan for a few months<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fears</span><br />- getting arrested for a crime that I might or might not commit (I drive a car, you can figure out the rest) *touch wood* <br />- the balcony of my apartment (I'm living six floors, you can guess the rest of that too) *touch wood again*<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Plans</span><br />STPM is really really around the corner, I should try being active around 8am in the morning daily. The more the day wears on, the less mood I have for studying. Hope to try out waking up early just to study. Sometimes I can't study when I'm too sleepy, and sometimes I can't study when I'm too sober. Typical conditions at school should be just right. Told you I was picky, didn't I?<br /><br />I'm going to host an online conference tonight, it's a weekly thing. I dread and dread having the conference not working out well, as well as listening to the same old complaints again. I really do not like to give trouble to a person that I know. It's a preference of mine that was gained through cultivation over time, namely trial and error. I know how it is like to be burdened, and I don't want anybody else to feel the same thing. It's just a pity that other people don't think the same way.<br /><br />Signing off<br />~Ryou<br /><br />P.S. (to Glassy) - I know it's been a long time since we last chatted on MSN, probably two months I suppose. Last time was being the Penang Bridge Marathon. Hope we can get in contact with each other soon. :)<br />P.S. (to Jin) - I have no idea where is your current blog located now, but I'd sure like to get back in touch with you. Hmm... I hope your address is still the same as the postcard that you sent me two or three years ago. I'd like to try corresponding with postcards. Sounds nice. :)<br />P.S. (to T-zone) - Hey man, sorry about not being active in your Spanish Inquisition forum. Likewise your blog's pretty much idle now. Hope to chat with you soon.<br />P.S. (to Ed) - Yo Ed, think on the good side of life okay? There's no problem which can't be solved. Even Rubik Cubes. @.@Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-11271975839466692002007-08-09T00:41:00.000+08:002007-08-09T15:45:29.006+08:00[mp3 player preview] - Creative Zen Stone Plus<img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;" src="http://g-images.amazon.com/images/G/02/uk-electronics/shops/creative/StoneTCG.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Yae7mJcFHaE/RrrEwUhZVwI/AAAAAAAAAAc/BHUbYlQW41U/s1600-h/creative-zen-stone-plus-bottom-on.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Yae7mJcFHaE/RrrEwUhZVwI/AAAAAAAAAAc/BHUbYlQW41U/s400/creative-zen-stone-plus-bottom-on.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096602262744684290" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Design and features:</span><br />Just like the Zen V series of players, the Zen Stone Plus manages to make itself look even more like a toy. While the original Zen Stone (released in May this year) sported enough looks to flatten the iPod Shuffle, the Plus version here has an additional circular screen, which is actually a square 64x64px blue OLED display.<br /><br />I'm still uncertain that the circular screen would look good on the Stone Plus. I would've preferred a square screen at first choice, but I think they might've done the right thing in the design department. If you ask me, stay away from the red, green and pink colours unless you're feeling flashy, and avoid the white because of the similarities to the Shuffle. Keep to the blue and black versions for pure stylishness. :)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Professional reviews:</span><br />• <a href="http://www.anythingbutipod.com/archives/2007/07/creative-zen-stone-plus-review.php">Anything But iPod review</a><br />• <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/creative-zen-stone-plus/4505-6490_7-32477563.html?tag=pdtl-list&tag=nl.e428">CNET review</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Price:</span><br />Current estimated price in Malaysia:<br />• RM260 (2GB Zen Stone Plus)<br />• RM160 (1GB Zen Stone)<br /><br />As usual, I'm hoping that the price would drop until RM200 next year. When I bought my 2GB Zen V Plus in February 2007, it was retailing at RM550 (bought it at a RM500 bargain price) and currently it's selling at around RM400.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Creative thoughts:</span><br />Amidst its <a href="http://www.epizenter.net/comment.php?comment.news.314">slumping streak</a> when it comes to company profits, Creative keeps trying to chip away Apple first by introducing the Zen Stone Plus to challenge the iPod Shuffle, and second by releasing <a href="http://www.epizenter.net/comment.php?comment.news.311">a whopping 16GB version</a> of the Zen V Plus. Microsoft won't be pulling themselves out of their sinkhole anytime soon (Zune? Hah!), Creative is the only company who can pose a challenge to Apple's dominance in the market. It's just a pity that they keep registering losses quarter after quarter after quarter.<br /><br />[Edit]: And oh, if you manage to get your Stone, remember to take a good sniff at it. <a href="http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10669">You might be surprised.</a> ;)<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Creative" rel="tag">Creative</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Zen Stone Plus" rel="tag">Zen Stone Plus</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-54784793368143527302007-06-15T23:43:00.000+08:002007-06-15T23:59:56.407+08:003 Kittens Up For Adoption!Three kittens, all less/around one week old were found at Heng Ee High School yesterday morning and they are in need of a good home and especially a good owner. Two of them are black and third one is a blackish-brown tabby kitten. They're usually very quiet when sleeping together, so it's not advisable to split them up yet. Sorry but there's no photographs available.<br /><br />If you would like to adopt these kittens, or if you know somebody who would like to adopt them, please drop me an e-mail at andylkl(at)gmail(dot)com. Wooden box, kitten milk powder and syringe for feeding will be provided. I'm currently living near Georgetown, Penang, and delivery can be arranged if you're living on the east coast of Penang island or Butterworth.<br /><br />These kittens need a home, please pass this message on!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-3927365213133809092007-04-27T04:22:00.000+08:002007-04-27T04:35:57.613+08:00When Boredom Strikes...What do you get when you're sitting in a mathematics class, being bored and then there's a very nutty classmate sitting next to you?<br /><br />You get this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Yae7mJcFHaE/RjEKlGT2KBI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Hhfrv1DT5SM/s1600-h/Picture+11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Yae7mJcFHaE/RjEKlGT2KBI/AAAAAAAAAAU/Hhfrv1DT5SM/s320/Picture+11.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057835488979068946" /></a><br /><br />It's just two small circles and one big cirgle. The "teeth" happens to be a periodic function graph. ;)<br /><br />Thanks a lot, Ed!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-67267705794964597112007-04-27T02:45:00.000+08:002007-04-27T03:33:27.046+08:00This Blog Post Is NOT SponsoredIt's well over two in the morning, and I have butterflies in my stomach. Wonder why I might be feeling that way? It's because I've thought this endlessly for days and days whether or not to just close this blog and consider it as a good and eventful chapter in my past.<br /><br />Staying and leaving are both the hardest things to do. Ever since I went dormant and left this blog untouched, the world has definitely passed me by. New blogs have sprung up here and there in the Malaysian blogosphere, and it's going to be hard keeping an audience sticked to this very blog. Heck, just look at Project Petaling Street, there are now more blogs than you can ever imagine! I don't recognise the names of most new blogs, and I certainly don't read them because it's the equivalent of gorging yourself on a buffet. There's just too much of it going on until you can't even follow!<br /><br />And now, there's the new phenomenon of blogging for cash, even until the point of letting advertisement blog posts taint the very essence of the blog. Although I think ads at the sidebar or underneath blog posts are acceptable, but whatever happened to your dignity? Have you succumbed to the point that you are willing to give up your integrity and dignity of your blog so that you can earn a good buck or two?<br /><br />Ideally speaking, a blog without ads is fine, a blog with some ads is fine as well, a blog with quite a lot of ads is on the borderline, but the line is crossed when you get paid to blog! It's... it's similar to bribery, it's unethical, and most of all, it goes against the very purpose that blogs are supposed to be - a non-mainstream informational distribution medium that brings people together - and not some bloody money-spinning tool.<br /><br />Now I know that this is going to ruffle some feathers. I'm not pointing fingers at those who accept those blog-for-money offers, after all which sane person wouldn't pick money off the floor if all that it takes for them is to just bend down and pick it, right?<br /><br />To be honest, I've thought about venturing into such articles-for-money territory, but I decided it was not worth it. Anything that happens to be coerced into words (especially when that motivation involves money) will lack usually lack the essence and spirit. Jeremy Clarkson used to say that some objects have souls right? Well I happen to think that blogs and the articles within have souls. So, please don't let that soul be corrupted. <br /><br />//<br /><br />Well then, today's copy of The Star highlighted the possible decline of the blogosphere. It's in the In-Tech section and <a href="http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2054402,00.html">here's the link</a> to one such article that was published, please read it if you have the time. I hope it'll be a reality check for some out there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-8415691045921461512006-11-17T17:54:00.000+08:002006-11-17T18:43:20.551+08:00A Bit of Maths...There are 30 objective questions in an Economics examination paper.<br /><br />Let X be the number of questions that I scored correct in the paper.<br />Therefore X~N(30, 0.25)<br /><br />0.25 is the probability that I will get a question correct.<br />0.75 is the probability that I will get a question wrong.<br /><br />If I magically manage to get every single question correct, the probability for that event occuring will be...<br />P(X=30) = <sup>30</sup>C<sub>30</sub> (0.25)<sup>30</sup> (0.75)<sup>0</sup> = 0.00000000000000000086736<br /><br />Let's say that I know only half of the paper. So, I estimate that I'll get 15 questions correct...<br />P(X=15) = <sup>30</sup>C<sub>15</sub> (0.25)<sup>15</sup> (0.75)<sup>15</sup> = 0.000000000012445<br /><br />Then let's say that the gods frown on me, and I shockingly end up with not even a single question correct...<br />P(X=0) = <sup>30</sup>C<sub>0</sub> (0.25)<sup>0</sup> (0.75)<sup>30</sup> = 0.00017858<br /><br />Hence, the probability of me having no questions correct is definitely higher than me mysteriously scoring all questions correct by random choosing.<br /><br />I'm so doomed in my Economics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1162317335383969532006-11-01T01:20:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:02.137+08:00Mentioned in The Star!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/10/30/lifefocus/f_pg03meet.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px;" src="http://thestar.com.my/archives/2006/10/30/lifefocus/f_pg03meet.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Oh boy, this came as a sudden shock for me. I was browsing and checking my e-mail when I came upon the daily digest from my local <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Malaysian-Bookcrossers/">Malaysian BookCrossers group</a>. It appears that our band of 200+ BookCrossers have finally gotten recognition in the local press! The local chapter of BookCrossing was one of the many parts in article about Malaysian book habits that was published in The Star <a href="http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/10/30/lifefocus/15520701&sec=lifefocus">two days ago</a>.<br /><br />Long timers Emily, Taty, Ariel and Betty were interviewed in the article, and Zarina was caught on camera! Even I was mentioned in one paragraph for founding the group!<br /><br />Meanwhile scrolling a bit downwards on that article, fellow blogger <a href="http://thebookaholic.blogspot.com/">Sharon Bakar</a> was also interviewed! It's really a fantastic article, and special thanks ought go to the journalist who penned this article. Thank you so much!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1162314970124940382006-11-01T00:49:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:02.021+08:00Windows Media Player 11 released... but the agony!Just a while ago, a little Gmail web clip led me to this <a href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/reviews/0,72036-0.html?tw=rss.index">Wired article</a>, which led me to the site where you can download it from, which is <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx">Microsoft</a>.<br /><br />I'm one of those who use Windows Media Player as his main media player, and I love using it. So imagine the disappointment when I downloaded the installer and upon unpacking, I see this notice:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/WittySquirrel/WMP11validation.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a></center><br /><br />I closed the window and dumped the installer into the Recycle Bin.<br /><br />I have no choice but to continue using WMP10. I can't install WMP11 because it needs the damn validation, which is impossible because my copy of Windows is not original here!<br /><br />Arngh, I hate it when things like this occur.<br /><br /><br />[Update on Nov. 1 afternoon]: Thanks to Earl-ku for providing the .exe file, but still I'm unable to install WMP11 because I don't have Service Pack 2 on my computer! I give up on it. I'm gonna switch to a Mac if I have a chance to do so.<br /><br /><br />[Sidetrack]: I noticed that Blogger's image uploading feature has gone pear shaped. I can't upload any images onto Blogger without either getting a timed-out notice or a blank white window.<br /><br />Why can't you just stick to two simple buttons without resorting to Javascript, Blogger? First button to select, the other to confirm upload!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/WMP" rel="tag">WMP</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Windows+Media+Player" rel="tag">Windows Media Player</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1161954889957104572006-10-27T20:56:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:01.897+08:00Brian Eno - Another Day on Earth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/WittySquirrel/AnotherDayonEarth.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px;" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v131/WittySquirrel/AnotherDayonEarth.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />There's a good chance that you haven't Brian Eno before, since he deals with non-mainstream music. Though, he's best known for his ambient and minimalist works. This brings me to another point. So far the only Eno albums I've heard are <span style="font-style:italic;">Another Green World</span> (1975), <span style="font-style:italic;">Music for Airports</span> (1978) and <span style="font-style:italic;">Another Day on Earth</span> (2005). His last album is a bit quirky, and I admit that I've just barely scratched the surface of his album (not literally mind you).<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Another Day on Earth</span> starts off with 'This', a very cheery and uplifting song complete with Eno's vocals. A friend of mine once commented that it sounds like Depeche Mode lite. 'And Then So Clear' as well as 'Passing Over' evokes a strange futuristic image. Through vocoders, Eno's vocal's were now morphed into the android-like vocals. I'm guessing that the former song was an attempt at an andriod with a soul, trying to prove that humanity exists in his metallic casing, while the latter one has a much harsher sound, a sound of regret and judgement. In between those two songs was 'Long Way Down' and 'Going Unconcious', both are dreamy songs that tend to lurk on the edge of nightmares. Throughout this album, Eno proves his best at various times and places in this album. 'Caught Between' is no exception. Love the gentle guitar riff.<br /><br />If you felt that songs 3 to 6 have a dreary, dreamy and dark atmosphere, then songs 7 to 10 have the opposite effect. With the backing of a simple guitar strumming, Eno's voice in 'How Many Worlds' is clean and not very altered, and 'Just Another Day' reprises the theme from the first track. From what I think, Eno has gone a long way since <span style="font-style:italic;">Another Green World</span> in terms of lyric-writing. Lines which sound quite silly when sung aloud like "<span style="font-style:italic;">I'll come running to tie your shoes</span>" are a thing of the past now. I suppose through trial and error, Eno's past experience with ambient music and his vocal works resulted in this piece of finely crafted album. Do keep note on the guitar and piano lines that appear quite a lot, and even if you strip off the lyrics I think it could still stand as a very good intrumental ambient album. Even Eno's vocals is something to ought to hear for yourself. I'm one of those who really appreciate vocalists who can really really sing their heart out.<br /><br />And then there's the very last song of the album, simply titled 'Bone Bomb'. A lone woman recites a poem word by word without any emotion, most likely the emotion has already been drained away from her. You can read the lyrics <a href="http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/adoelyrics.html">here</a>. The technique of stretching the first letter is rarely heard, but I like the effect. "B-b-b-b-bone bomb". Then at the very end, it builds up to a buzzing climax... and ends abruptly.<br /><br />I was left quite puzzled at this song until I came across this article about it. According to <a href="http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=3748">an interview</a> with the St. Petersburg Times, Brian Eno was reading the newspapers one day when he came across 2 seperate stories, one about a female Palestinian suicide bomber, and the other about how the bones of suicide bombers can turn into shrapnel when they blow themselves up. This was the inspiration for 'Bone Bomb'.<br /><br />From now onwards, each time I hear the ending it gives me serious goosebumps. This song is a serious contrast from the rest of the album, when the rest of the songs are titled and themed around 'just another day on earth', touching words and optimistic hopes. In this depressing last song however, it clearly is the woman's last day and last moment on earth! And the fact that Eno chose to create this song from the woman's viewpoint, and for the ending not to be a *BANG* nor a *BOOM* nor a *POOF* but rather the eerie silence that one faces when death occurs, that is just disturbing, especially to someone who has thoughts about his own mortality frequently.<br /><br />Review score: 4 out of 5 stars.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Brian Eno" rel="tag">Brian Eno</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Another Day on Earth" rel="tag">Another Day on Earth</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1161192579313257512006-10-19T01:04:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:01.791+08:00MUET MassacreAbsolute and total massacre is the only thing I could describe my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUET">MUET (Malaysia University English Test)</a> oral exams earlier this morning. I was Candidate B during Task A and not only did I stammer quite a lot during the oral exam, but when I hit a brick wall I just stopped talking right at the spot. Nothing came out of my mouth, and I even found myself laughing to calm myself down because I was such a bundle of nerves.<br /><br />During Task B, it was just slightly better. I had more points written down in my paper, though my attention wasn't really focused on my teammates. I was struggling to come up with more points, and I believe that I had stated the conclusion too soon. I say this because since we found ourselves talking in rotation from A till D, and Candidate C opposed my conclusion just because she hasn't finished mentioning her points. I wonder how much damage hitpoints we received just because of that.<br /><br />My confidence for this Speaking paper has been seriously shaken, though there's still 3 more papers remaining for MUET. And if I don't score at least a Band 5, I'll try again with next year's examination.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/MUET" rel="tag">MUET</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1159945337910023742006-10-04T14:57:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:01.650+08:00The Haze Strikes BackAfter a week of continous cold and heavy rain here in Penang, the scenery here has abruptly turned back into a sky full of blurry smog. And yet although the winds are still blowing strong, it's bring in more and more haze to the island.<br /><br />Dammit, we need more rain here!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1157038748658751072006-08-31T23:24:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:01.525+08:00Tanggal Tiga Puluh Satu...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/1600/Flag%20of%20Malaysia.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/400/Flag%20of%20Malaysia.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Happy 49th Birthday Malaysia!<br /><br />:DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1156324162161358632006-08-23T16:31:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:01.210+08:00If You're A Woman Living in JB...This strange but yet true "joke" that's circulating in Johor is...<br /><br />"If you're a woman and you live in Johor Bahru,<br />... then you surely had your purse or bag snatched at least once in your life."<br /><br />I heard this being mentioned on ntv7's Chinese edition of <span style="font-style:italic;">My Siasat</span>, and it certainly rings a bell to my ears.<br /><br />The reason?<br /><br />8 years ago when my family were still living in Johor, my mom fell prey to snatch thieves who rode on a motorbike, and smacked a hand right on her chest and grabbed her gold necklace. Mom was literally shocked and dazed after that. We were just thankful only the necklace got stolen, it could've been a lot worse.<br /><br />So when <a href="http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/22/nation/15207500&sec=nation">this article</a> appeared on yesterday's newspaper, you can't blame me when I said I was happy that another scumbag got nabbed by the public. Score one for the ramming down of the snatch thief, and score another for his capture! I'd be happy too if vigilante justice took hold, and the crowd kicked the shit out of the red-handed thief before handing him over to the police.<br /><br />Even 8 years ago, snatch thieves were out on their motorcycles, lurking and observing women from a distance before committing the crime. 8 years later, instead of less crime, the security in JB is getting worse day by day. The more and more news articles that I read about victims dying from head injuries or end up paralysed from the neck or waist down, I have less and less sympathy towards the fate of these scumbags.<br /><br />Alongside that incident in JB, did you know that my mom once encountered a smartly-dressed snatch thief on a motorbike right in Penang? She noticed that the guy was reaching his hand out for her, and so she took her umbrella to shield herself. The guy gave up and pointed an index finger and looked at her sternly as he fled on his bike. This second incident shocked my mom so much till even a motorcycle passing by alongside her is enough to give her a bad jolt.<br /><br />So, don't ever be afraid to take a few swings of your umbrella at a snatch thief if you ever see a crime in progress, and don't be afraid to ram down a thief's motorbike. Since they brought this upon themselves, these thieves are a legitimate target with a giant bullseye painted on their back and chest.<br /><br />[Edit]: On a more moderate note here, I'm not advocating that snatch thief victims ought to hang on to their posessions stubbornly. These victims often end up injured or dead in the process of struggling. So it's best to just let go your belongings if you're threatened. No amount of gold, money or jewellery is enough to replace a life.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1155896720487340882006-08-18T18:07:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.972+08:00R.AGE's Spirit of Penang!Guess who's going to R.AGE's <a href="http://thestar.com.my/spiritofpenang/">Spirit of Penang</a> competition tomorrow?<br /><br />It's none other than these four guys!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/1600/09062006%28006%29.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/320/09062006%28006%29.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><center><small>Left to right: Kah Leong, Kok Leong (me), Bi Cheng, and Edmund!</small></center><br /><br />Yeap! The place's at the old Esplanade (not Gurney Esplanade), tomorrow morning starting from 7:30am. We're Team 4 Factorial! Wish us luck there! :DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1154165173338893292006-07-29T15:34:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.837+08:002006 Heng Ee High School ConcertEven logging into blogger seems unfamiliar now. Gawd it's been over a month since I last blogged anything about my life here. Fair enough, plenty and I say PLENTY of stuff and events happened during this time period.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wittysquirrel.lifelogger.com/media/photos/182592_bkxpdhpwej_medium.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://wittysquirrel.lifelogger.com/media/photos/182592_bkxpdhpwej_medium.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">June 30, Friday night:</span><br />Annual school concert in Dewan Sri Pinang. A week later the event was covered in the North section of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Star</span>. Despite what you read in the news article, the performance was NOT spectacular, and the entire concert was NOT magnificent. In fact the hall sound system was badly tuned and damaged the audience's hearing during the first 30 minutes of the concert, and most of the performances were mediocre. Let's say that for every 2 performances that each group played, only one out of those two were decent performances.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Bad performances:</span> The brass band, harmonica band and Chinese orchestra were out of tune and out of rhythm at times, it ought to be called a practice session rather than a real performance.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wittysquirrel.lifelogger.com/media/photos/182654_lwqzuumfyj_medium.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px;" src="http://wittysquirrel.lifelogger.com/media/photos/182654_lwqzuumfyj_medium.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />Good peformances:</span> The dance troupe and the drama club. The performances of both these two were simply great I can say! The dance troupe had both male and female dancers swinging and jumping wildly to a tribal snake-spirit appleasing ritual (or somesort) while the drama club's performance was simply surreal. The drama's about a group of 20 boys and girls questioning the very definition of the word "art". The entire performance was elaborately planned (about 30 minutes or more in length) with large scale cloth-twirling and even a "glow-in-the-dark" scene involving fluerescent-painted elephants and objects. I'd give them a standing ovation. :)<br /><br />As for the rest of the performances like poetry recital and choir, I think they're not bad and pretty nice actually, but nothing stunning of course. :P Anyways, me and my mom were the ones who were watching this concert, since last year's concert was so interesting. Who would've thought that this years concert was exceptionally bad compared to last year?<br /><br />I really pity the journalit from <span style="font-style:italic;">The Star</span> who had to grimace and force himself to write about an "amazing" concert. Y'know, I can easily guess that some of these students who performed less than expectations could be given a dressing down by the seniors.<br /><br />And by the way, the blurry photos were taken with by old handphone and its external camera. I don't think I can take proper pics with it anymore, since most of the pics nowadays turn out to be too blurry.<br /><br />[Edit]: One more thing here, I couldn't believe how uncooperative the audience were. The announcers had already requested that the audience to NOT take pictures at the drama club performance because the flashes might affect the performance. Yet, the cameras flashed as much as fireworks in a dark stadium. Good gawd.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1150726117114966252006-06-19T21:52:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.732+08:00An Irony..."Baldrick, do you know what irony is?"<br />"Yeah, it's like tinny or brassy, only it's made of iron."<br /><br />Okay, now let's put that silly Blackadder quote aside.<br /><br />Y'know, there was one... no, make that THREE ironies while I was at the driving centre last Saturday:<br />1. The driving instructor giving me a ride to the place had his handphone stuck on his ear for half of the trip there.<br />2. The lecturer talking about being physiologically exhausted while I was sitting there feeling exhausted, and...<br />3. The driver taking us back at the end of the course WASN'T wearing his seatbelts!<br /><br />And oh by the way, I scored 42 out of 50 for the computerised driver's test! Passed barely, but still I passed it! :DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1150447761153422042006-06-16T16:22:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.613+08:00Almost Got Punched!WTF???<br /><br />Seriously, have we that many paranoid punks wandering around Penang nowadays? Just barely half an hour ago I was walking back from school and was at the the T-junction near my house when I saw someone sprinting like he was in a hurry or something. I saw the guy and he saw and ran up to me saying something which I didn't manage to hear. Then he pulled back his arm and fist and was looking like he was gonna take a punch AT ME! WTF? At that exact point I stepped backwards quickly and already raising my right arm in case his fist flew at me, I wasn't holding my other schoolbag close to my chest or else I would've use it to block. The guy later then walked away speaking in Hokkien that he'll "let Ah Pui know about this".<br /><br />Weird weird weird. o__O;;;<br /><br />I don't know what would happen if the fist landed on my face or stomach. There could be plenty of outcomes, but I'm not gonna think about it any longer. In short, I'm not gonna take that shortcut anymore and stick to the footpath beside the main street. This was tooooo weird.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1150297959379976812006-06-14T21:44:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.515+08:00On The Road To A Driver's Licence...Has it been that long since I blogged here? Well, sorry guys for the lack of updates. School's just reopened this week and it's made me pretty tired these past few days. And the fact that 3 football World Cup games on the telly nightly isn't helping my case at all. I could only catch the first two games. :P<br /><br />Anyways, that's not really the point here. The point is that after all of these while, I'm finally moving towards getting a driver's licence! My mom got a driving instructor's phone number last Friday night and the next morning I was scheduled to attend the course about the laws of the road, road safely and such stuff.<br /><br />So, one bright and glaringly early morning at the very uncomfortable time of 8am, the guy who was the driving instructor appeared downstairs my apartment in a tiny and new Perodua Kancil and fetched me to at the main driving school in Sungai Ara. o.O Reached the spot 45 minutes later and had to wait a little before going into the lecture room. Passed a hundred bucks and IC to the same guy and he handed it to the folks at the counter, by then I had barely enough time to have a slice of bread for breakfast. Too rushing.<br /><br />So, I got myself into the lecture room which was just beside the small exam room five minutes later. Everyone ranging from 16 year olds who were attending this course on their birthdays to middle-aged folks were there. There was even an Indonesian woman and a Pakistani man at the course too. :P I could say the people in charge inside the room there were pretty rushing too, since the changeover to the computer-chipped MyKad wasn't really proving to be convenient either. The scanner had problems reading the cards most of the times, further adding to the wait. And some of the chips were practically useless, so they had to resort to another kind of chipped card for the applicants. As for me blame it on my parents who haven't picked up the new ICs yet. I'm still stuck with my old one.<br /><br /><span style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/1600/Diamond_road_sign_question_mark.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5079/350/320/Diamond_road_sign_question_mark.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br><small>I saw too many<br> roadsigns. @.@</small></span> First lecturer was somewhat old Malay middle-aged guy, but he was darn hilarious with the talk. Shooting out Malay words like a machine gun and peppering his speech with antics and witty comments, the 4 hours seemed to pass by pretty fast enough. First break was a 15-minute break at 11 am and second break was a 30-minute break at 1pm. Then it was the turn for the second lecturer, he was an Indian guy but he wasn't as funny as the first one. But still, the little textbook needed to be roughly explained throughout the two lectures nontheless, and we were paying roughly 50 bucks for each lecturer. Checkout again was hampered by the same problems. Am just thankful that it passed soon enough.<br /><br />So, overall the first lecture started at 9am and the second one ended officially at 3:30pm. A whole 6 and a half hours in that boring place with folks I don't even know at all. And to top it all off, I had to squeeze with 9 other people inside a Toyota Unser on my way back. So damn tired when I got back home.<br /><br />By the looks of things, I'm gonna make an appointment and head back to the same place this Saturday to take the exams. If things go fast and well, the lecturer mentioned that the lessons and everything could be settled as fast as within a month! Am not gonna keep dragging this on anymore, my relatives are sorta bugging me to get my licence as soon as possible, and besides I keep seeing my classmates taking days off for their driving lessons. It really ought to be my turn now. :PUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1149490952860099242006-06-05T15:01:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:11:00.380+08:00The Train Station...So there I was, just stepped into the train station and saw three huge counters. The time was around 12:40pm. The one in front were for tickets, while the one on my left dealt with baggage ticketing and the right was the carpark payment counter. It must've been the holiday season or something, since the lines were long at all three counters.<br /><br />It was only four minutes before the train arrived, and guess what? Dad had a stomachache right there at that moment.<br /><br />"Dad, if you go to the toilet right then now we're gonna miss the train!"<br /><br />He ignored me and walked straight ahead. The place rumbled a bit as a weird-looking service train passed through the station. Our train's not here yet, but I sure as heck know that it's gonna arrive right on the dot. <br /><br />"Did you even know the car isn't parked properly yet?!?!"<br /><br />The car was probably parked just outside of the station. And I have no idea where it's gonna end up once we board that train.<br /><br />Also, we almost couldn't put the baggage in the train yet because everyone snapped up all of the numbers available. The person in charge told me to hold on as they were finding a way to settle this mess. Gawd knows what was wrong with me, I should've squeezed and grabbed a number but instead I stood like a fool as the crowd passed by me.<br /><br />So many unsettled things, my dad's not helping me a bit, and lastly the train arrives in FOUR minutes. I have no idea how much longer the train will wait before it sets off again.<br /><br />And then...<br /><br /><br />...<br /><br /><br />...my handphone rang, and...<br /><br /><br />...<br /><br /><br />...I woke up.<br /><br /><br />o.O<br /><br /><br />Turns out I was having a dream since last night. Was in bed thinking about trains, and I ended up dreaming about trains. Weird.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6476910.post-1149446486486224292006-06-05T02:19:00.000+08:002006-11-13T03:10:59.805+08:00Free Domain Name From Microsoft With a Catch...If you're in the US and have a credit card and are searching for a domain name for yourself, then read on this blog post. If you're not, then good luck and keep on searching. :P<br /><br />Apparently Microsoft's now offering one free domain name bundled together with its new <a href="http://officelive.microsoft.com/default.aspx">Microsoft Office Live Beta</a>. And apart from the restrictions I mentioned a while ago, you also can't change the domain's host to a non-Microsoft one. Or is it so?<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:250%;">“</span>Microsoft is offering to give you a free domain if you signup for Microsoft Office Live Basics Beta (http://officelive.microsoft.com/default.aspx)<br /><br />...<br /><br />“The only catch is, there is no technical support once you get a domain. However, I did not know this prior to signing up (and they do not tell you this ANYWHERE in the signup process).<br /><br />“So, I signed up a domain name for a company I started. however, when I accessed my account, I was horrified to find that I could not change the host from being Microsoft to my own personal hosting provider.<br /><br />“This seriously troubled me. So, I went through the entire site and NO WHERE does it say how to do this. I instead decided to do some contacting on my own.<span style="font-size:250%;">”</span></blockquote><br /><br />Read the rest of it at <a href="http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2006/04/11/switching-hosts-on-microsoft-office-live-basics-beta/">Darren's blog</a>. :)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Technorati tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Office" live="" beta="" rel="tag">Office Live Beta</a>, <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Domain" names="" rel="tag">Domain names</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0