feeling under the weather because of the weather

i hate being sick. i don't mind being in bed with a fever but i'm annoyed as heck having a cold. why? well, having a cold is like you're actually healthy enough except that your nose is runny.. i hate a runny nose. this is actually the second time i have a cold in a month. IN A MONTH! i've never been sick twice in a whole year! i'm pretty sure it's because of the weather.. it's been cold, windy and wet.. and i've been telling people i love being in a cold climate.. don't get me wrong. i still do. being freezing cold beats being sweaty in a hot and humid place. i think my body is trying to adjust to the january weather cause i've never been in england during the coldest time of the year. and i live in the south. i don't know how you lot in the north put up with the weather.

so yes, right now, i'm in bed plugging my nose to keep it from flooding my room, while watching my tv series. ':)

wanted to go to kent tomorrow but the journey and expenses made me hesitant but the my cold was the eventual decider that i'm going to spend my weekend here.

i hope kent people have a good time playing charades and stuff.

i don't know what to write anymore.. i'll be back soon with a worthy post.

prison break

i've been very anti-social for the past week. i go out only to go to classes, speak only when spoken to and having my dinner to take-away. no, i'm not in a bad place or in any particular mood. i just feel like prisoning myself from the world at the moment.

so, most of the time, i'm in my room either playing my guitar, jen (yes, my guitar has a name) or watch hours upon hours of downloaded videos. i haven't watched prison break in a long while and have just caught up with it. nothing beats the first season though.. anyway, interesting facts about the show coming your way. enjoy

It was filmed in John Wayne Gacy’s former cell

The producers of Prison Break were intent on making the series as authentic as possible, but viewers had little idea just how close to reality it would tread. The permanent set for the first season was at Joliet Correctional Center, a real penitentiary in Illinois that closed down in 2002. Scenes set in the cell blocks, the infirmary and the prison yard were all shot on location at the prison.

But in an especially macabre touch, show producers determined that Lincoln’s cell would be set in the same one that actually housed Joilet’s most infamous inhabitant, the notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Cast members were understandably queasy about the set and some of the staff refused to enter the cell. But Dominic Purcell hasn’t expressed the same squeamishness and claims that Gacy’s cell is the best locale to shoot Lincoln because “it has the best light.”

Prison Break’s stars were cast at the last minute

Once FOX gave the go-ahead to shoot the first season in 2005, series mastermind Paul Scheuring worked to get everything in place for the new show: directors, crew members and supporting players. But, Scheuring almost forgot to cast the stars. The roles of Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows went unfilled until less than a week before the show started filming.

Wentworth Miller was pegged as Michael only six days before the series began and Dominic Purcell was plucked to play Lincoln with a mere 72 hours to spare. Scheuring was having serious trouble finding actors who truly fit the look and feel of the roles and was therefore forced to “sit on pins and needles” until he found the perfect duo at the last minute.

Prison Break was almost a superstar miniseries

The premise of Prison Break is so innately intriguing that it’s no wonder it was a hot piece of property before FOX picked it up as a permanent series. But, the premise of the show begs the question: How long can the story line sustain itself? Paul Scheuring has readily admitted that he initially only conceived a two-season storyline and, as of the start of the second season, he had little idea what direction the story would take in season three. Given the apparent limits of the storyline, it makes sense that it was initially sought after as a possible 10-part miniseries.

Interested parties of the miniseries included the likes of Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis. Spielberg actually committed to being executive producer of the proposed miniseries, but bowed out at the last minute to produce War of the Worlds (2005) with Tom Cruise. In 2004, FOX executives were finally convinced that the concept could work as a regular series when they saw the success of the fellow maverick show Lost, which stars Evangeline Lilly.

Wentworth Miller

before prison break, he was in a few tv series and just a hand full of movies. his first tv appearance was in buffy the vampire slayer. he was also in a movie with the very hot and sexy, kate beckinsale in underworld. here's wentworth in all his tv/movie apperances.

heath ledger

if you still haven't heard the news, heath ledger is dead.

last night, my sister suddenly messaged me saying only these words, "Abg! Heath ledger is dead!"

the first thing i thought was, oh my god..

followed by, who's Heath Ledger?

with the almighty powerful internet, i googled it. oohhhh... him...

daily telegraph - January 23, 2008 06:35pm

ACTOR Heath Ledger, who was found dead in New York today, had been taking a prescription drug that has been caused bizarre and potentially dangerous reactions for hundreds of Australians.

The three bottles of prescription pills found in Heath Ledger's Manhattan apartment in SoHo contained antidepressants and Ambien.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said that there were three prescription bottles found, all in Heath Ledger's name.

The actor, from Perth who was found dead of an apparent overdose today at the age of 28, had spoken in the past about having trouble sleeping.

i think he was a really good serious actor. he wasn't going for the typical 'mr. heart-throbe' roles. lessons to be learned here: life is short and unexpected. also, no to drugs..

also, in his memory, i'm going to watch 10 things i hate about you. i MIGHT watch his Oscar nominated performance in Brokeback Mountain but i'm not promising anything.. but if i watch it, i can definitely promise a lot of cringing..

TGIF baby!

even though i've been here for just a week, the weekend could not come any sooner. classes are as dull as usual and the thought of piled up work in the near future gives me the chills. but for now, the weekend is the only thing that matters.

just recently, there have been financial changes with our course. fortunately, in a good way. extra allowances are coming our way. even though, it's kind of late for me since it's my last term. heck, at least i get to be a part of it. better late than never, i guess. so, tomorrow i'm going on a shopping spree. again, that statement is a bit over-exaggerated. i'll buy a few things on my list but a huge purchase could be in a form of the new ipod touch!
i know, i know. i already have my archos.. but guess what, it went dead on me. ':s i'm sorting it out to get it fixed but that'll be a while. but i'm still in need of communal entertainment. i'd just die of boredom in a coach going to london (or worse.. manchester) without a form of distraction. so, now i have the money and a valid reason of buying one. (plus it looks so cool.)
sadly though, i have discovered i can get my old 3rd generation ipod fixed for a much cheaper price. decisions, decisions.. i'll sleep on it tonight but hey.. nothing wrong with having 2 mp3 players right? ':)

anyway, just finished watching my all time favourite feel-good movie for the 10th time, the parent trap! poke fun if you want. i don't care. this movie is awesome. 10 years ago when i watched this movie for the first time, i was sure lindsay lohan was going to be a major star one day. i called it, didn't i? to me, she's still the cute freckled 11-year-old red-head.

by the way, i was totally fooled into thinking lohan were twins. have a nice weekend everyone!

holidays of the world

hello there people! it's been a while cause i've been getting readjusted to life in england again, especially the time change. my body is still in brunei time but it's slowly getting there. anyway, on to the post.

i am proud to announce that this is the 100th post of this blog. so, i thought what better way to celebrate than to post up holidays of the world! i found them in my schedule diary and some of the names caught my attention and i have to find out what they are.

Easter

the upcoming break, looked forward by a lot of students at the moment (even though, the term just started). but does anyone really know what it is and it's being celebrated for 2 weeks? i was surprised to find out that rabbits hiding eggs was not part of it. ':s

Easter is the celebration Jesus Christ's return to life after his crucification. It is usually celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the first day of Spring. This can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. It is the most sacred of all the Christian holidays or celebrations.

His return from death is called the Resurrection. According to the scriptures, Jesus tomb was empty three days after his death. His followers saw him and talked to him after this. Christians therefore believe that they too can receive new life after death. Easter is the celebration of this belief.

find out more here!

Clean Monday

it is celebrated in greece (10th March). my imagination just wonders when i saw it in the calender. but it's actually related to easter.

Clean Monday is the Monday that begins the season of Great Lent in Eastern Orthodox Churches. This corresponds to the season of Lent found in Western Christendom, but the periods of these two seasons are calculated differently. Both have 40 days between the beginning and end of Lent because of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting the desert. Western Christendom doesn’t count Sundays because Jesus is recorded as having resurrected on a Sunday while Eastern Orthodox churches do count Sundays. Clean Monday is a day of strict fasting — Christians are permitted to take no food from midnight to noon and no meat all day. Christians are expected to spend extra time during the day in prayer and Bible reading, just as they should throughout Lent.

Because Clean Monday is considered the first day of spring, Greeks tend to celebrate less by fasting and prayer and more by outdoor activities and picnics. Traditional foods this day include octopus, olives, and shrimp. In addition to picnics, traditional outdoor activities used to celebrate the day include flying kites, dancing, music, and so forth.

annual flour fight during the so called 'clean monday'

strange how religious activities could be adjusted in a whim..

Greenery day

celebrated in japan on 29th of april.

wikipedia:

Greenery Day (みどりの日, Midori no hi) is a Japanese holiday. Between 1989 and 2006 it was held on April 29; from 2007 on, it will be held on May 4. It was the birthday of Hirohito, the Showa Emperor.

Since 1989, following the accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne of the current Emperor Akihito, the name "Birthday of the Emperor" was changed to "Greenery Day". Officially, as its name suggests, it is a day to commune with nature, to be thankful for blessings, and to foster an abundant spirit.^{[citation needed]} The day was renamed to "Greenery Day" in reference to the controversial war-time Emperor's love for plants, but avoided directly mentioning his name.[1] However in practice it is seen as just another day that expands the Japanese Golden Week vacation.

Emperor Akihito

In 2007, Greenery Day moved to May 4, and April 29 was changed to Showa Day in accordance with a 2005 revision of the law pertaining to public holidays. The Showa Emperor reigned for 62 years and 2 weeks. On May 3, 1947, he became a symbol of Japan by the new constitution of the country.

Some found the decision to re-introduce Showa Day controversial, claiming that it could raise anti-Japanese sentiment in Japan's neighbours who still harbour hostile feelings for Japan's expansionist policies during World War II.

respect for the aged day

Respect for the Aged Day is a holiday celebrated annually to honor elderly citizens. A national holiday since 1966, this used to be held on September 15. Beginning in 2003, Respect for the Aged Day is held on the third Monday of September. In 2007, the holiday was held on September 17, 2007.

This national holiday traces its origins to 1947, when Nomatanimura (now Yachiyocho), Hyōgo Prefecture proclaimed September 15 Old Folks' Day (Toshiyori no Hi). Its popularity spread nationwide, and in 1966 it took its present name and status. Annually, Japanese media take the opportunity to feature the elderly, reporting the population and highlighting the oldest people in the country.

click here on how to celebrate!

Anzac day

ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only fourteen years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and their future.

The first Anzac Day parade in front of Parliament House. My father was President ACT, of the Returned Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia (RSSAILA). 25 April 1928

how to buy a laptop

I mentioned that I was looking for a new laptop but the shipping arrival date was not in my favour. My current laptop is old, not for public display and could be faster. When I bought it, I had no idea about computer specs and what makes a good laptop. After 3 years of slowly building my computer know-how, I now can go and buy with confident and be intimidated by the sales person’s complicated tech-talk. If you’re thinking of buying a laptop, read on. I’ll be giving tips on the best laptop for you and avoid wasting your hard earned cash on something useless to you.

Note: the following is for PC people only. I have no idea about Mac.

The most basic and yet very vital in laptop-shopping is the specifications (specs). At the moment, there are a few road shows in brunei (the Mall, Gadong & Indoor Stadium). And they tend to give out brochures but you haven’t the foggiest of what they mean!

Example:

Super Awesome Laptop
Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor T5550 (1.80GHz)
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
120GB SATA Harddisk
1GB DDR2
Wireless WiFi link
Bluetooth

This is just a basic example. There are actually a lot to know in term of specs but these are the ones to look for and be explained briefly in this tutorial. What do they all mean?

Processor: Intel's Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors have helped notebooks gain ground in the power department. The CPU determines how quickly a notebook runs applications and performs on-screen tasks. Notebooks using these dual-core processors performed considerably faster than notebooks using single-core processors, particularly when multitasking. On my browsing trips, I’ve noticed that most of laptops today have Duo processors. So, if you see one without the ‘Duo’ in it, avoid it even though it’s dirt cheap and it comes in your favourite colour. The processor speed (1.80GHz in the example) is easy. The bigger the number, the faster it is.

Installed memory (1GB DDR2). The more installed memory your notebook has, the more applications you can run at once, and the better your notebook will perform. Ease of access aside, upgrading memory in a notebook is a bit trickier than with a desktop, so buy as much memory preinstalled as you can afford. Notebooks with 512MB or 1GB of RAM are optimal. So please, please, PLEASE avoid 256MB or, God forbid, 125MB like the plague! It will give you nothing but problems in the very near future after purchase.

If you have the money, spend it on picking the best installed memory. (there’s up to 4GB of RAM currently)

Graphics card (Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100): this is important depending on the main purpose of your laptop. If you’re just getting a laptop for internet/work/dvd watching, then most graphics card (especially with the current technology) would be enough to accommodate your needs. But if you’re a gamer or might use it for your gaming pleasure once in a while, then more attention should be given to this spec. there are a lot of graphics card out there and too many for me to mention. It’s best to ask the salesperson about how good the graphic cards are. Or researching it online is best. But all I know is, anything with a GeForce in the spec would be a very good gaming laptop.

Hard drive (120GB SATA Harddisk): this is basically each person’s preferences. How much stuff do you want to put in your laptop? If you’re like me and have a huge music and digital photos collection, the bigger the better. I think it’s such a hassle transferring all those stuff to an external harddisk. Especially annoying when you have to plug in an external just to play a song you want. In the market, laptops with a harddisk of 320GB are in store. If you’re not a pack rat, then please save your money on other things. External harddisks are getting bigger and cheaper. So, lack of space won’t be a huge problem for you.

Other stuff (WiFi & Bluetooth): these are usually a given. A laptop without a WiFi is ancient (*cough* like mine.) but Bluetooth and other stuff are bonuses really. Some need them and some can do with an external one. So, these are your personal choices. Of course, the more the better right?

That’s it from me. Without going into excruciating details, I hope that helped a bit with your laptop-shopping. Questions are welcome.

happy 2008 everyone!