my perception on our world

Twilight book review (halfway)

2009-05-26T18:09:00.004Z

I have never heard of this book until the movie came out. I have not yet seen the movie either but my friend said that it was the best movie she has ever watched! Since the last book i've read was one of Dan Brown's novels, i thought it was about time to return to that nice feeling of curling up to a good book. so, the twilight series was going to be that book.

halfway through the book, i feel that my brain is slowly getting numb. the first 216 pages which i have read so far was all about Bella's (the main character) daily routine and how she was so madly in love with a vampire. LITERALLY, there was nothing more than that... she goes to school. tries to find Edward (the vampire) if he's around. she's happy when he's there, she's sad when he's not. and the book is not well written and the story line, very very bland.

the first half is all about how beautiful Edward is. and Bella keeps on narrating this in her head. okay.. i get it.. he's a freakin hot vampire. move on please~ and the way Bella is so head over heels for the guy gets annoying to say the least.. whenever he gets close to her, she feels tension.. whenever she looks at his face, she forgets to breath.. it was like a teenage girl swooning over a rockstar. and of course, this is on repeat for the first half of the book.

i looked back at the trailer to see what i was missing... is this how the movie actually goes? nope, i saw action... i saw other enemies and Edward fighting them. Edward climbing a tree on all fours. not much on Bella's teenage angst.

to sum up, so far, it's a very very dull read... i feel like i'm reading a 14-year-old's love diary. i may end up regretting spending my hard-earned B$22.80 on this book. but what i do regret more is spending another B$22.80 on the sequel already. (i bought them together) BIG MISTAKE. may some poor soul on ebay suffers as i did by these forsaken literature. i think i'll just stick to the movies for the other 2 books.

where popular phrases came from

2009-04-09T11:31:00.002Z

here are some of the most popular phrases that people use often. but what do they mean and where did they come from?

"Houston, we have a problem..."

Meaning

Originally a genuine report of a life-threatening fault. Now used humorously to report any kind of problem.

Origin

John Swigert, Jr. and James Lovell who, with Fred Haise Jr., made up the crew of the US's Apollo 13 moon flight used (almost) this phrase to report a major technical problem back to their Houston base.

Swigert: 'Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.'
Duke: 'This is Houston. Say again please.'
Lovell: 'Houston, we've had a problem. We've had a main B bus undervolt.'

The phrase was later used as the tagline for the 1995 film - Apollo 13.

"shiver my timbers!"

Meaning

An oath, expressing annoyance or surprise.

Origin

Those of a certain age will remember Robert Newton, rolling his eyes and yarring it up in his archetypal Hollywood pirate role - Long John Silver in the 1950 film Treasure Island.

Robert Louis Stevenson used shiver my timbers several times in the original 1883 book, for example:

"Well, he [Old Pew] is dead now and under hatches; but for two year before that, shiver my timbers, the man was starving!"

Of course, Newton made the most of such 'parrot on the shoulder' phrases and it also appears several times in the film's screenplay. Newton's version, like that of all self-respecting stage pirates, was shiver me timbers, with the occasional 'aaarh, Jim lad' thrown in.

The first appearance of the phrase in print is in Frederick Marryat's Jacob Faithful, 1834:

"I won't thrash you Tom. Shiver my timbers if I do."

One meaning of shiver, which is now largely forgotten, is 'to break into pieces'. That meaning originated at least as early as the 14th century and is recorded in several Old English texts. A more recent citation, which makes that meaning clear, is James Froude's Caesar; a sketch, 1879:

"As he crossed the hall, his statue fell, and shivered on the stones."

So, the sailor's oath shiver my timbers, is synonymous with (if so and so happens then...) let my boat breaks into pieces. The question is whether any real sailor used the term or whether it was just a literary invention. Well, we can't be sure, although the fact that it actually means something and isn't just Newton-style hokum must count in favour of it being an authentic sailor's oath.

"i'm in a pickle!"

Meaning

In a quandary or some other difficult position.

Origin

This alludes to the pickling liquid made from brines and vinegar which is used to preserve food, and presumably to the imagined difficult of being stuck in such. The phrase was known in Dutch by 1561 - ' in de pekel zitten' meaning 'to be in a pickle'.

There are a few references to ill pickles and this pickle etc. in print in the late 16th century, but Shakespeare appears to be the first to use in a pickle, in The Tempest, 1611:

ALONSO:
And Trinculo is reeling ripe: where should they
Find this grand liquor that hath gilded 'em?
How camest thou in this pickle?

TRINCULO:
I have been in such a pickle since I
saw you last that, I fear me, will never out of
my bones: I shall not fear fly-blowing.

oops!! my bad!

Meaning

My mistake - I'm to blame.

Origin

This slang term originated in about 1970. At that time, i.e. pre the widespread use of the Internet, slang terms often circulated at street level for many years before being adopted by anyone who felt inclined to write them down. That's clearly not the case any longer of course and any word or phrase that is widely known is dateable quite precisely via website logs.

The first citation in print is C. Wielgus and A. Wolff's, 'Back-in-your-face Guide to Pick-up Basketball', 1986:

"My bad, an expression of contrition uttered after making a bad pass or missing an opponent."

'My bad' came into widespread popular use in the mid to late-1990s in the USA via the 1995 movie “Clueless”. This starred Alicia Silverstone and contains what seems to have been the first use of the phrase in the mainstream media. The 1994 'Green revision pages' for the movie script has a scene with Alicia Silverstone's character learning to drive:

"Cher swerves - to avoid killing a person on a bicycle. Cher: Whoops, my bad."

the original version to popular fairytales

2009-04-08T17:52:00.002Z

i found this really good article on fairy tales. all credit goes to the orginal author so have a good read like i did.

written by stacy - orginal post here.

You might have noticed from an earlier post that I’m a bit of a Disney buff. This is kind of out of character for me, to be honest, because I’m not a huge fan of happily ever after. I like movie endings that are unexpected. After doing a little research, though, I realized that maybe fairy tales and I are a perfect match: those Disney endings where the prince and the princess end up blissfully married don’t really happen in the original stories. To make sure kids go home happy, not horrified, Disney usually has to alter the endings. Read on for the original endings to a couple of Disney classics (and some more obscure tales).

1. Cinderella

Don’t break out your violins for this gal just yet. All that cruelty poor Cinderella endured at the hands of her overbearing stepmother might have been well deserved. In the oldest versions of the story, the slightly more sinister Cinderella actually kills her first stepmother so her father will marry the housekeeper instead. Guess she wasn’t banking on the housekeeper’s six daughters moving in or that never-ending chore list.

2. Sleeping Beauty

In the original version of the tale, it’s not the kiss of a handsome prince that wakes Sleeping Beauty, but the nudging of her newborn twins. That’s right. While unconscious, the princess is impregnated by a monarch and wakes up to find out she’s a mom twice over. Then, in true Ricki Lake form, Sleeping Beauty’s “baby’s daddy” triumphantly returns and promises to send for her and the kids later, conveniently forgetting to mention that he’s married. When the trio is eventually brought to the palace, his wife tries to kill them all, but is thwarted by the king. In the end, Sleeping Beauty gets to marry the guy who violated her, and they all live happily ever after.

3. Snow White

At the end of the original German version penned by the brothers Grimm, the wicked queen is fatally punished for trying to kill Snow White. It’s the method she is punished by that is so strange - she is made to dance wearing a pair of red-hot iron shoes until she falls over dead.

4. The Little Mermaid

You’re likely familiar with the Disney version of the Little Mermaid story, in which Ariel and her sassy crab friend, Sebastian, overcome the wicked sea witch, and Ariel swims off to marry the man of her dreams. In Hans Christian Andersen’s original tale, however, the title character can only come on land to be with the handsome prince if she drinks a potion that makes it feel like she is walking on knives at all times. She does, and you would expect her selfless act to end with the two of them getting married. Nope. The prince marries a different woman, and the Little Mermaid throws herself into the sea, where her body dissolves into seam foam.

Now here are four more fairy tales you might not be familiar with, but you might have trouble forgetting.

1. The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter
What It’s Like: Cinderella, with an incestuous twist

The King’s wife dies and he swears he will never marry again unless he finds a woman who fits perfectly into his dead Queen’s clothes. Guess what? His daughter does! So he insists on marrying her. Ew. Understandably, she has a problem with this and tries to figure out how to avoid wedding dear old dad. She says she won’t marry him until she gets a trunk that locks from outside and inside and can travel over land and sea. He gets it, but she says she has to make sure the chest works. To prove it, he locks her inside and floats her in the sea. Her plan works: she just keeps floating until she reaches another shore. So she escapes marrying her dad, but ends up working as a scullery maid in another land? from here you can follow the Cinderella story. She meets a prince, leaves her shoe behind, he goes around trying to see who it belongs to. The End.

2. The Lost Childen
What It’s Like: Hansel & Gretel meets Saw 2

This French fairy tale starts out just like Hansel & Gretel. A brother and sister get lost in the woods and find themselves trapped in cages, getting plumped up to be eaten. Only it’s not a wicked witch, it’s the Devil and his wife. The Devil makes a sawhorse for the little boy to bleed to death on (seriously!) and then goes for a walk, telling the girl to get her brother situated on the sawhorse before he returned. The siblings pretend to be confused and ask the Devil’s wife to demonstrate how the boy should lay on the sawhorse; when she shows them they tie her to it and slit her throat. They steal all of the Devil’s money and escape in his carriage. He chases after them once he discovers what they’ve done, but he dies in the process. Yikes.

3. The Juniper Tree
What It’s Like: Every stepchild’s worst nightmare

Cannibalism, murder, decapitation? freakiness abounds left and right in this weird Grimm story. A widower gets remarried, but the second wife loathes the son he had with his first wife because she wants her daughter to inherit the family riches. So she offers the little boy an apple from inside a chest. When he leans over to get it, she slams the lid down on him and chops his head off. Note: if you’re trying to convince your child to eat more fruits and veggies, do not tell them this story. Well, the woman doesn’t want anyone to know that she killed the boy, so she puts his head back on and wraps a handkerchief around his neck to hide the fact that it’s no longer attached. Her daughter ends up knocking his head off and getting blamed for his death. To hide what happened, they chop up the body and make him into pudding, which they feed to his poor father. Eventually the boy is reincarnated as a bird and he drops a stone on his stepmother’s head, which kills her and brings him back to life.

4. Penta of the Chopped-off Hands
What It’s Like: Um?you tell us

These old fairy tales sure do enjoy a healthy dose of incest. In this Italian tale, the king’s wife dies and he falls in love with Penta? his sister. She tries to make him fall out of love with her by chopping off her hands. The king is pretty upset by this; he has her locked in a chest and thrown out to sea. A fisherman tries to save her, but Penta is so beautiful that his jealous wife has her thrown back out to sea. Luckily, Penta is rescued by a king (who isn’t her brother). They get married and have a baby, but the baby is born while the king is away at sea. Penta tries to send the king the good news of the baby, but the jealous fisherman’s wife intercepts the message and changes it to say that Penta gave birth to a puppy. A puppy?! The evil wife then constructs another fake message, this time from the king to his servants, and says that Penta and her baby should be burned alive. OK, long story short: the king figures out what the jealous wife is up to and has her burned. Penta and the king live happily ever after. I can’t really figure out what the moral of this tale is. Chopping hands off? Giving birth to a dog? I just don’t get it. Help me out here, people.

10 technology predictions that was dead wrong

2009-02-24T16:51:00.003Z

many apologies for the 2 months disappearance. so, let's get to it. one of my most favourite topics of all - technology. i love technology and i love how we're advancing at an exponential rate. it's a good time to be alive and enjoy the wonderful things we human beings have created.

it's amazing to me how people could live without the things we have now. i know that there are some new technology that we think that are useless and you'd think no one would ever use it. which brings me to the main topic. the people of the past... they had the same feeling. and even some of the brilliant minds were so confident with their thought on the technology of the past. but they were so wrong. so dead wrong. so read on.

let's start with something recent. the computer has been an important part of our lives. it consumes us and i personally have never gone a day without turning on my computer. but in 1977, Ken Olson (chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp) said, "there's no reason anyone would want a computer in their homes." so dead wrong.

“To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth - all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, in 1926. he was proven very wrong 5 years later.

“There will never be a bigger plane built.” — A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people. thank goodness he was wrong.. imagine being cramped in with 9 other people. it'll be fun though if you were flying with your large family. a plane to yourselves. ':)

“The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916. ironic that he even said that since cinema made him famous.

“The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty - a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903. one word - haha!

“How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat, 1800s. hmmm maybe if he'd listen to the guy, he'd won the war.

“[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946. a foolish foolish man.

“Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” — Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York, 1830(?). so freakin' funny...

“This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876). someone give him a Nokia.

10
and finally to the most recent one.. one of the richest man in the world today who was so bold to even predict this. but most funny of all it was about what he does best. why make it since i think it'll hurt himself?

“We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates

thanks for the 64 bit operating system Mr. Gates. you really scared us there for a second.

so people, don't judge a new technology so hastily. it might come handy one day.
hope you had a good laugh everyone!

till next time.

people prefer internet over sex

2008-12-15T02:35:00.001Z

Intel came up with a novel way to show how important the Internet and computing have become in the lives of Americans. In conjunction with Harris Interactive, the company conducted a survey of adults in the United States under the prosaic-enough banner “Internet Reliance in Today’s Economy.” But the first “key finding” from the study is a little more attention-grabbing. According to the study, 46 percent of women and 30 percent of men would opt to forgo sex for two weeks instead of giving up access to their precious Internet for the same period. More broadly, those surveyed said access to the Internet ranked highest among the discretionary spending items they could not live without. Cable television, dining out, shopping for clothes and gym memberships followed in declining importance.

Along similar lines, 61 percent of the women surveyed said they would rather go without TV for two weeks than lose access to the Internet for one week. Using the data as a means of pitching products fueled by Intel chips, the company said: “The survey revealed that 65 percent of adults feel they cannot live without Internet access, and even more — 71 percent — responded that it is important or very important to have Internet-enabled devices, such as laptops, netbooks and mobile Internet devices that can provide them with real-time updates on important issues including the state of the economy.” Harris Interactive polled 2,119 adults on Intel’s behalf.

source: NY Times

maybe i should stop blogging

2008-10-31T02:45:00.002Z

after a couple of months being away from the blogasphere, i am back! but just to say hello. not really a worthy post to read. no random stuff on my mind to share. i guess, i'll share what i've been up to.

been studying (not really) for my re-sit exam which, by the looks of it will be in January hopefully.
went to a Peterpan (the indonesian band) in London in September. they were awesome by the way and we were in front row!
with a lot of free time on my hands, i've been going around the attractions in london.
going to visit ali tomorrow in kent for their raya celebration with the malaysians. that should be awesome.
went on a few shopping sessions, which i hardly do.

i can't think of anything else at the moment.. other than i'm having the time of my life here! ':) if i do go back to brunei in january, that'll make it a whole year being away! just a random thought that i just realised. cool. can't say i really miss home other than my family.

anyway, i might come back with something to share. but don't hold your breath people. the thing about being in london is that there's always something to do or see. social life up, online geekiness down down down.

laters

be back in a giff!

2008-09-05T18:02:00.001Z

on a break from blogging indefinitely.

reasons:

need to re-sit and exam
internet connection not easily available

sorry!

got tagged

2008-07-18T14:37:00.003Z

i did say the last post was going to be my last for a while.. but it's a weekend so, i'm resting my brain from all the studying. i just got tagged and i have to oblige the tagging rule of cyberspace.

1. Do you think people will judge you by the answers to this questionnaire?

maybe but if so, i have a lot of other things to worry about than people judging.

2. What is your favourite brand for bags?

ummm.. not much of a bag guy.. but when i do buy one, i get the cool ones with a good brand on them.

3. What’s your favourite thing to do?

currently, video games, downloading old tv series i haven't watched and drawing.

4. What are your phobia(s)?

i'm afraid of open water (stop laughing). it's true! i have this fear of being in the see and fish are swimming around me.

and i'm slightly afraid of heights. i have no problem looking down from even 100 stories high up IF there's a sturdy rail between me and the edge. but if there's nothing, i'll be hugging floor..

5. How do you vent anger or stress?

take a walk or do the dishes. that'll calm me down..

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?

without money at all? of course not. but as long as i have a home and enough to make ends meat, then yeah. that's fine with me.

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?

my family

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?

buy a home for myself. save most of it for the future, and spend the rest on my family.

9. If you are asked to do one house chore, which would you choose to do?

the dishes, yup i'll pick that over any chore. i hate vacuuming the most.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you?

funny, unique

11. What skill do you wish you have?

cooking.

12. What type of person do you hate the most?

people who stab you in the back..

13. What is your ambition?

ambition? not sure at the moment.. just going with the flow..

14. What did you regret doing?

even though it's working out well, i still say taking this job that i have now.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?

if we're talking about objects, i have to say my awesome PC. i'd die without it..

16. If you were a car/bike what would it be?

probably my dream car, Aston Martin DB9

17. If you have a chance which part of your character would you like to change?

i guess to be a bit more daring in the dating department.. :s

18. What music have you been listening to recently?

not updated with what the kids are listening to now..

19. What is your least favourite animal?

oh, my tagger knows this one.. no need to mention it.. *cringe*

20. What is your ultimate addiction?

my current addiction, i'd say are the newest gadgets. especially, if it has anything to do with my PC.. if i can install it in there, i have to have it.

Instructions: Remove 1 question from above, and add in your personal question make it a total of 20 questions. Then tag 8 friends.

i shall tag: ali amani, mash, maurina, afee, naj.. and anyone else who's willing..

i'll be back in 2 weeks with my exam results. til then, keep your fingers crossed for me..

busy for 2 weeks

2008-07-14T21:59:00.005Z

hello everyone. as the title suggests, i'll be over my neck in exam preparation. so, i won't be updating my blog until after the exam and i won't be able to spend as much time chatting online so don't get offended. i'm going to leave you with my new hobby (well, until i get bored of it and find something else).

remember the robot i drew for fun? well, i actually submitted that to the facebook graffiti contest. the theme was robots. so, i drew it and guess what? it got into the top 250! so, it kinda got me interested in drawing again.

i got a drawing program and picked, the very beautiful, Song Hye Kyo (the Korean actress from Full House) as my first subject. apologies in advance if the drawing doesn't look like her and for the horrible shading too. i was trying it out.

there are a lot of cool videos of people drawing (type in "speed art" in youtube) and i thought it would be cool if i knew how to record that. but here's the next best thing - besides, i'm no where near as awesome as those people.

so check it out more clearly by clicking each photo.
program used: Artrage 2.0

anyway, for those who are on their summer break, have a good one. i can't wait til my damn exam is over so i can have my break.. wish me luck. i promise i'll post something better to read.

12,000 laptops lost & a 400GB CD invented

2008-07-08T10:26:00.003Z

12,000 laptops lost in U.S. airports every month

source: Dallas news
According to the study commissioned by Dell, more than 12,000 laptop computers are lost in U.S. airports every week. That’s about 600,000 notebooks per year. What’s more, only 33 percent of the laptops found in airports are ever reclaimed. That’s not surprising if (as the survey found) 16 percent of business travelers said they would do nothing if they lost their laptops, while 58 percent said they’d contact their companies for advice before they did anything. Just 27 percent said they’d immediately retrace their steps and contact lost and found.
A question for those who said they would do nothing: what do you do when you show up to the big meeting sans laptop? Pretend to type on an invisible computer? Act like you’re suffering from amnesia? Seriously, who does “nothing” when they discover their laptop is missing? I know laptops are getting cheap, but this seems like a stunning lack of concern for the whereabouts of a machine worth several hundred dollars at least, and presumably storing important documents, valuable photos and so forth. Of course, Dell is using the startling findings to pitch its new laptop protection and data recovery services, so make of these findings what you will.

400GB optical disc invented by Pioneer

source: Cnet
Got a big archiving project you’ve been itching to do? Pioneer’s latest development could help you keep all your data in one nice, little circular package. The Japanese electronics maker has been working on an optical disc, which, like Blu-ray, can store 25GB of data in a single layer. But Pioneer says it’s one-upped the high-definition format to the sixteenth degree. The company announced today that it has a single disc that contains 16 layers of storage, at 25GB each. That adds up to 400GB of data capable of being stored on a single disc.
Blu-ray comes in single layer (25GB) and dual-layer (50GB) flavors. Pioneer does say that because the lens specification for reading the discs is similar to Blu-ray, “it is possible to maintain compatibility” between its disc and Blu-ray discs. That’s not saying it will be compatible, but it would make sense since Pioneer is one of the original Blu-ray Disc Association members. However, plans for that archiving project will have to be put on pause if you want to use this technology. Pioneer is going to demonstrate it at an industry conference next week, but for now the disc is read-only. Eventually, they’ll add write capability as well.

top 10 anime of 2007

2008-07-07T12:32:00.008Z

okay, this topic, i was not suddenly hit in the head by the curiousity cat. but this is more for that person out there bugging me to post something so she could be kept occupied for a few minutes. haha.

in 2007, 2 million anime fans cast their votes for their favourite anime. i'm not much of an anime fan but the result was not what i anticipated.

10. hidamari sketch

Sunshine Sketch centers around a young girl named Yuno who finally is able to get accepted into Yamabuki Art High School, which she has longed for. To attend the school, Yuno moves and starts to live in a small apartment building named the Sunshine Apartments located near the school. Once there, she starts making new friends like her classmate Miyako and the second year students, Hiro and Sae. There is no real plot line to the story but rather the events of the characters' everyday lives are shown as they attend the school together and get to know each other better.

9. Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei

Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei revolves around a very pessimistic high school teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki who, at the very beginning of the series, tries to hang himself on a sakura tree. Despite this effort of self-destruction, he is saved by an extremely optimistic girl known only as Kafuka Fuura (though in her effort to save his life, she almost kills him). She explains to him that it is simply unimaginable that he would hang himself on such a nice day, especially in front of such beautiful trees. She decides to nickname Nozomu "Pink Supervisor" , and offers to pay him fifty yen to call him by that nickname. After having enough of the strange girl, Nozomu bolts to the school and starts his homeroom class, but the attempt to escape was in vain as he finds that the girl is one of his students. Not only that, but Kafuka is just the tip of the iceberg: each and every student in his class represents a new personality quirk or bizarre obsession, posing challenges that the suicidally-inclined teacher must overcome in spite of himself.

8. Nanatsuiro Drops

Masaharu Tsuwabuki is a normal student, though not very social. One day he meets a new student named Sumomo Akihime, and another girl named Yaeno Nadeshiko, Sumomo's close friend. That same afternoon, he suddenly bumps into Arthur, a servant of Nona Yuki from Figurare who at the time was disguised with a mask. The collision causes Arthur to drop a bag full of magical potions; amid gathering up the scattered cans, one of them is accidentally switched with Masaharu's soda can. Upon drinking it, he transforms into a stuffed animal lamb at night. He must collect seven stardrops, in order to return to normal.

There are two primary worlds within the story of Nanatsuiro Drops: the human world called Retroscena, and a magical world called Figurare from which the Stellar Spinners originate. There are currently two schools that teach magic within Figurare: Pramu Cloris and Saint Asparas. According to Natsume, each year the two schools pick their top Stellar Spinners (the one from Pramu Cloris is called Prima Pramu, and from Saint Asparas is called Prima Asparas) to send to the human world to capture seven stardrops in a goodwill competition to improve relations.

7. Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS is the third season of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series. The Nanoha anime was, in turn, a spin-off of the Triangle Heart series of games and OVAs, specifically Triangle Heart 3: Sweet Songs Forever. This season aired shortly after the promotional event "Lyrical Party III" scheduled on April 1, 2007.

StrikerS takes place after the epilogue of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's, aired between October and December of 2005. While the epilogue connected A's to a world six years later, StrikerS advances the timeline another four years, where the main characters have gone on to work for the Time-Space Administration Bureau (TSAB) and come upon a new case. The series focuses more on team-based battles and bureaucracy rather than individual rivalry and school life, due to the change in character dynamics.

6. Gintama

The story takes place in Edo (known today as Tokyo because of the name change in 1868), Japan, which has been taken over by aliens called Amanto since the late Edo period. The samurai of Japan have fallen, and the Amanto placed a ban on carrying swords in public. The story focuses on an eccentric samurai, Gintoki Sakata, his (partial) apprentice Shinpachi Shimura, and a teenage alien girl: Kagura. All three are "free-lancers" who search for work in order to pay the monthly rent, which usually goes unpaid anyway.

5. Higurashi

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni takes place during June 1983, at a fictional rural village called Hinamizawa which has a population of approximately 2000. The main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to Hinamizawa and befriends his new classmates Rena Ryugu, Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Hojo. Keiichi joins their after-school club activities, which consist mostly of card and board games (and punishment games for the loser, usually him.) Hinamizawa appears to be a normal, peaceful, rural village to Keiichi.

However, the tranquility abruptly ends after the annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration to commemorate and give thanks to the local god, Oyashiro-sama. Keiichi learns that every year for the past four years, one person has been murdered and another has gone missing on the day of the Watanagashi Festival. Keiichi himself soon becomes drawn into the strange events surrounding the Watanagashi Festival and Oyashiro-sama. In each story arc, he or one of his friends become paranoid, and a crime is committed. Usually, the crime involves the murder of one of their own friends. While it seems impossible to tell their delusions apart from the mystery of Hinamizawa, slowly the truth is revealed.

4. Ookiku Furi Kabutte

The series, set in Saitama, follows the story of Ren Mihashi. Mihashi was the previous ace pitcher in his middle school's baseball team, but it seems that he only got the position because his grandfather was the owner of the school. His teammates (especially the team's catcher) hated him, and they always lost their games. Mihashi is thoroughly convinced that he is a lousy baseball pitcher and he graduates to high school with extremely low self-esteem. He then transfers to Nishiura high school with plans of quitting baseball, because he does not believe he is good enough to succeed at baseball. However, he is dragged into Nishiura's baseball team by their coach. Assisted by his new teammates (and especially the catcher, Takaya Abe), he grows in stature, confidence and skill, helping his team excel with his own abilities.

3. Kaitei Kyoshi Hitman REBORN

The Reborn! story revolves around a boy named Tsunayoshi "Tsuna" Sawada, who is chosen to become the Vongola Family's boss due to him being the great-great-great grandson of the first Vongola boss, who had moved to Japan from Italy during his time. Also, the other candidates for the position of the head of the Vongola Family died: Enrico, who was the leading candidate to become "Vongola X", died in a gun battle; Massimo, the second, "sleeps with the fishes;" and Federico, the favored son, was found as a pile of bones. For these reasons, Tsuna is the only remaining heir. As such, Timoteo a.k.a. "Vongola IX," the current head of the family, sends Reborn, an infant hitman from Italy, to train Tsuna. Tsuna then unwillingly undergoes training from Reborn.

Tsuna goes through many predicaments in his progress of becoming the Vongola boss including fighting against escaped Mafia convicts, a rival group of Vongola assassins claiming the right for their boss to be the true Vongola boss, as well as rival families aiming to destroy the Vongola Family. Through his experiences, Tsuna unconsciously becomes stronger and more confident, which ultimately makes him better suited as the Vongola Family's boss.

Reborn's main instrument of choice in teaching Tsuna is the "Dying Will Bullet" ("Deathperation Shot" in Viz Media's translation of the manga), which will make the person be "reborn" with a stronger self intent on fulfilling his dying will.

2. Lucky Star

Portrays the lives of several school girls attending a Japanese high school with a very loose humor tone. The main heroine is Konata Izumi, an athletic and intelligent girl who, despite these attributes, is not in a sports club, and her grades remain low. Her laziness at school is due to her love for anime and video games, and she is not interested in much else.

and the NO. 1 is....

sola

Sola's story revolves around Yorito Morimiya, the main protagonist, who is a young boy attending high school. He loves taking pictures of the sky at any time of day and any time of the year. One day, Yorito decides to take a picture of the sunrise overlooking the bay, but is deterred when he meets a strange girl trying to force a vending machine that stole her money to give her what she tried to buy—a can of tomato juice. Yorito helps her with forcing the machine while attempting to strike up conversation with her, despite it being four in the morning. Yorito tells her why he is here, but by the time he has forced the can out of the machine, the girl has mysteriously vanished.

The next day, Yorito goes to visit his older sister Aono in the hospital with his friend Mana Ishizuki and Mana's little sister Koyori Ishizuki. Despite it being Aono's birthday, Yorito leaves soon after to take a photograph of the setting sun near an old church on the roof of the hospital. That night, Yorito leaves to buy groceries when it begins to rain and stops on the way home to wait for the rain to stop; while waiting, he runs into the strange girl he met from yesterday again. They talk longer this time and Yorito finally learns her name—Matsuri Shihou. A few days later, Yorito goes looking for the girl in the old church and finds a man wielding a sword before Matsuri.

After a display of Matsuri's astounding powers, Yorito discovers that she is in fact a creature known as a "Calamity of the Night", who has lived for centuries. She is being chased by Takeshi Tsujidou who intends to kill her, but Yorito tries to protect her by bringing her back to his home which is when Yorito asks her to stay with him for the time being.

A "Calamity of the Night", otherwise known as a Yaka is a supernatural being in the Sola story. Yaka have many supernatural powers, such as: a strong physical ability, fast regeneration, and never aging body, among other powers. A Yaka is hurt by direct exposure to sunlight, but the wound can be healed in time if the exposure is not excessive; a Yaka is otherwise immortal unless exposed to too much sunlight or has received fatal wounds. Matsuri explains that a Yaka is the embodiment of human agony and pain and that such creatures are meant to always be alone.

so to those who were expecting bleach or naruto in there are a bit surprised, i imagine.. i might watch a few of these.

(are you happy now?) ':)

what sleepless nights can make me do...

2008-07-03T01:15:00.001Z

i used to draw a lot when i was younger. good times..

the process of laser eye surgery

2008-07-02T20:03:00.004Z

just a few seconds ago, i was watching the king of queens and the episode was about carie getting laser eye surgery but was blind for a few days instead. i literally paused the video and googled about it. what it laser surgery? how much is it? and what could go wrong? read on to find out.

basically, the cornea is sliced from the side to create a flap by using a high-tech cutting instrument. the laser is then put over the eye and blasts for a few seconds to correct the eye. after that, the flap is put back into place, which heals back really fast. and a few days after that, perfect 20-20 vision.

from BBC news:

How does this improve vision?

People need to wear glasses for different reasons. Some people are said to be short-sighted or myopic. This is due to the cornea being too steeply curved or the eye longer than normal.

Therefore, light rays fall in short of the retina - the area at the back of the eye that interprets the image - and results in blurred distance vision.

Other people are long-sighted or hyperopic because their cornea is too flat or the eye is too short. This means that the light rays focus too far beyond the retina.

Others have a condition where the cornea is oval shaped rather than spherical, called astigmatism. This produces two different focal points which can blur images at all distances.

Laser surgery to reshape the cornea can help to correct these problems.

Will it help with age-related vision loss?

No.

Laser surgery will not be able to cure age-related presbyopia and the need for reading glasses that people often develop in their mid-40's.

This is because presbyopia is not to do with a problem with the cornea. Instead, it occurs when the lens becoming less flexible with age.

Where can I get it?

Private treatment usually costs £1000-1500 per eye and is available at some NHS hospitals.

What are the risks?

Complications occur in less than 5% of cases, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.

Some people have a problem with dry eyes in the months after surgery and artificial tear supplements might be needed in the long term.

Many patients have experienced glare or halo effects when night driving, particularly just after treatment. This is more likely the higher the correction that has been made, but is rarely severe.

In rare cases, excessive thinning of the eye wall can cause the shape of the eye to be unstable after treatment. Severe loss of vision is very unusual, but some patients could require corneal surgery or hard contact lenses to restore vision, it said.

Can both eyes be done on the same day?

Yes, but your consultant should outline the risks. In order to reduce the risk of cross contamination should complications arise, each eye should be treated as separate procedure.

How long will it take me to recover?

Most patients have a reasonably comfortable period after surgery and are back at work within a few days to a week.

Depending on the vision correction attempted, driving may be unsafe for one to two weeks. Tinted glasses with ultraviolet protection are needed when out in the sun for the first three months.

here's a video of the whole procedure. the patient does not feel any pain because of the eye drops that numbed the eye. the only discomfort in the whole process was the night after.. but the pain went away quickly.

is this cruelty really necessary?

2008-06-30T14:04:00.002Z

i read my good friend's blog yesterday and the post haunted me all through the night.. i could not sleep last night..

it was about how people in China get fur from cute furry animals. please watch the video as long as you can bear.

be warned.. it's highly graphical and disturbing.

click for the video.

was this really necessary? aren't there any humane ways of doing it? cruel.. just so cruel..

NO TO FUR!!!

random facts that you CAN live without knowing!

2008-06-24T21:20:00.004Z

most of my posts are random in nature. i might talk about super cool technology one day and then talk about tips on how to pack a suitcase. some might find a post of mine full of knowledge and sometime it's useless. so today, i'm bringing the latter. these are some of the most random facts that, to be quite honest, won't help you in any way! unless you got yourself into one heck of a predicament that the following information actually saved you.. or you got onto a quiz show and this was the million dollar question.. if that's the case, you owe me at least a lunch..

what's the difference between a monkey and a chimpanzee?
one difference is that a chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

what's the wage like in the 40's?
in the 1940's minimum wage was US$0.43 per hour

baseball/moon fact
In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, a few hours after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first of six home runs.

where did the phrase "you're fired!" come from?
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression "to get fired."

fiery fact
The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

hottest place on earth?
What is the hottest place on Earth? El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 the hottest ever measured. In Death Valley, it got up to 134 Fahrenheit on July 10, 1913.

clucking fact
By feeding hens certain dyes they can be made to lay eggs with varicolored yolks.

strange law
In Baltimore, Maryland, it is not legal to take a lion to the movies.

are black and white considered colours?
Black and white are generally not labeled as colors. Black is the result of absence of color and white is all colors mixed together.

how much honey can one single bee produce?
In its entire lifetime, the average worker bee produces 1/12th teaspoon of honey.

studied too hard
A psychology student in New York rented out her spare room to a carpenter in order to nag him constantly and study his reactions. After weeks of needling, he snapped and beat her repeatedly with an axe leaving her mentally retarded.

how powerful is the sun?
According to the American Solar Energy Society, enough sunlight falls on the earth's surface each minute to meet world energy demand for an entire year. learn more about the sun here.

a land of few words
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.

graduation before the exam

2008-06-19T16:11:00.002Z

it's been a while since my last post and it can be blamed to exams and my pure laziness. i do have topics to share. for the past few weeks, unrelated thoughts just popped into my head and i jot it down as a possible blog post. i just haven't had the time or energy to properly delve into the subjects. today is no different, i'm afraid.. just a short post telling everyone my blog is still active and a few upcoming events and stuff going on in my life.

graduation is coming up and the weird thing is, my final exam won't be until end of next month. the thing is, our exams are oral exams. it's a one-on-one session with the examiner for about an hour. and he can ask us anything we've learned about ships for the past 4 years. pretty daunting? yes.

but anyway, that's why we have our graduation early. so that we can have it while everyone is still on campus and not run away right after passing their exams. so that's this saturday. my mom is here for the joyous event. (sarcastic tone) cause if it were up to me, i'd rather be in bed and have an Everybody Loves Raymond marathon that night. but it's for my mom so i'll just deal and get it over with as soon as i could.

i also just found out that i have another course, which i have to do in august. this means, my final return home will be brought back more. so, it seems, i won't fly home until end of august or early the next month. so, to a certain someone, hold off carrying the camera around. hehe.

anyway, that's it from me and i shall return with a worthy post. have a good one.

awesomest night yet!

2008-06-05T09:09:00.004Z

if pictures say a thousand words, then videos say much much more. here's a tidbit of one of the most amazing night of my life.

i love adult animations

2008-05-22T21:02:00.003Z

no, it's not what you think. dirty minds! all of you!

we used to associate cartoons with kids. only children watch cartoons. but not anymore. that all changed when the simpsons aired. children loved it but so do adults because of some hints of adult humour in each episodes. the boundaries of adult cartoons was pushed when animations such as southpark, family guy and american dad came into viewing. ever since then, cartoons aren't just for kids.

where am i going with this? nothing really. just thought i'd give a proper intro before posting a few videos i find hilarious!

i absolutely love this one. i watched it, literally, a dozen times and i crack up every single time!

hahahhahaha!

DR TRAN! ':)

by the way, congrats to manchester united for being the european champion! i honestly had no idea they were playing last night. i was in my room cursing at the noisy people in the building. and when i went out, the guys were celebrating and told me about it. lol. i miss football. i wish i was in brunei, then i'll have espn. oh well, milan was out anyway. so, i didn't miss much.

singing along to curse of curves & that's what you get

2008-05-16T22:19:00.003Z

just a short personal post today.

what started out to be a bad week, ended on a high today. i've been looking forward to going to a concert at the end of the month. even though i knew about it a while back now, i didn't buy the tickets to it and ended up sold out. i didn't know curse is what you aim for is so popular here. i looked everywhere else for them but couldn't find one - until today! as soon as i saw it, bought the tickets right there and then. so, 30th may, i'm going to Astoria for the concert in london.

then, looking around facebook, my mouth dropped when i saw paramore is scheduled to perform in portsmouth! again, there and then i bought 4 tickets! why 4? i know a few people might want to go. and i know paramore IS popular, anywhere!

so, in less than 15 minutes, i bought 6 tickets to 2 concerts. haha! what a way to end the week..

a healthy way of smoking?

2008-05-12T19:23:00.006Z

i just read this post post from feebleprodigy, and i was so curious i had to find out more! this is the first post worth reading, actually. hehe. kidding ali.. it's about a new technology on smoking. i don't mind smokers, i just mind the disgusting smell of cigarettes. most of my friend are smokers and i hang out with them a lot. i just lean away when they do have a puff or two. although i do have my limits, especially when being in a small room, with little to no air circulation. that's when i gasp for air and my eyes get irritated.

but when i read the post, i thought, "praise science! it hath come to mine rescue.."

someone, which i now dearly love, invented this.

Gamucci Micro Electronic Cigarette

what is it?
it's just what it is. it's an electric cigarette. it feels, looks and even has nicotine to satisfy the cravings. but the good things about are that it doesn't contain tar, carbon monoxide or other carcinogens - meaning smokers live longer and non-smokers can breath easier. yey!

here's a video of it.

again, yey! but wait.. it sounds too good to be true.. smokers are healthier and non-smokers don't have to fan the smoke from our faces? a world in harmony.. hmmm.. too good to be true.. so, i searched the internet for more information.

i actually found out that this isn't really a new invention, it's been out a while now. but didn't really caught on. here's a video and followed with a review from an ex-smoker of the reasons why.

a review by Rick on Crown7 e-cigarette at e-markus.com
After charging the battery for 8 hours I “fired” the thing up and was pleasantly surprised.

Let me start off by saying the e-cigarette is not a cigarette. There is no seamless transition from smoking a cigarette to smoking the e-cigarette. The first difference is that you have to suck the e-cigarette about four times harder to get a worthy amount of mist (fake smoke) out of the device. Besides a few awkward noises here and there, you’ll also make a few awkward facial expressions sucking on the e-cigarette. Yes, you’ll get a few smooth drags out, but the next one will be twice as hard. The delivery system is inconsistent. Also, on some pulls you’ll wince at the overly large amount of fake tobacco taste.

Secondly, the device is about twice as long as a regular cigarette. It’s about as long as a cigar, but thinner. This fact may or may not bother you, but I found myself wishing the thing was half as long.

Though the device is certainly awkward, I didn’t find it overly awkward to use. I smoked daily for around nine years but quit in January. I’ve cheated quite a few times since then, but it’s normally only been when socializing and having drinks. I had some drinks this weekend, and with my Crown7, I didn’t crave a real cigarette once.

I bought the Crown7 to help me get over those social cigarettes and quit smoking tobacco for good. And I think the Crown7, though not perfect, is a good enough product to do just that.

I don’t think this product should be tried by a person who smokes 2 packs a day and wants to quit cold turkey because the device will be overly frustrating. But if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to those few cheated butts here and there, I think you should give it a shot.

UDPATE (5/8/08): Eight months later I find that I don’t use the cigarette near as much. I DO break it out about once a week, but lately I find I give it a couple puffs, then let it just sit on the coffee table while craving a REAL cigarette. One of the two batteries has already died and the whole process has just become too much of a hassle. I find that when I want to use it I have forgotten to charge the one working battery. It’s enough stress to make me want to drive to Super America and buy a real pack.

sigh.. oh well.. but hey, science has never let me down yet. this is a technology that will be improved on.

http://www.electronicsmoking.co.uk/

how to pack a suitcase

2008-05-08T00:05:00.003Z

from the weather i'm sure people in the uk can tell that summer is coming. some welcome the warmth of the bright sun, some (like me) are already miss wearing layers of clothing before stepping out the door. i'd choose winter over summer any day. like i said before, i would live at the North Pole if it wasn't for the lack of internet connection, civilization and melting ice.

anyway, before i go off-track even further, summer means holiday. and to the bruneians in uk, summer means flying back home. after everyone has finish their respective exams, i'm sure they're walking around with a smile on their face and very eager to start packing. i shall now share eHow's tips on how to pack a suitcase!

packing a suitcase is a strategic exercise in maximising space and minimising creases. you may already have a favourite packing system, but read on for more suggestions.

pack clothing

1. remmeber this order of operations: shirts at the bottom, then dresses (if applicable), then trousers.

2. stack tops, unfolded, by placing creases-prone tops towards the bottom of a pole and less easily creased ones towards the top.

3. fold the sleeves in towards the shirts' torsos.

4. fold the shirts in half from the bottom. you now have a rectangular bundle of shirts; place it in your suitcase.

5. drape long dresses in the suitcase so that the ends hang over the sides.

6. place trousers and skirts on a flat surface; fold each in half length ways.

7. stack trousers and skirts on top of one another, with easily creased ones at the bottom and sturdier ones, such as jeans, on top. fold the stack over, so that its length is halved.

8. place your stack of trousers and skirts on top of the dresses, then fold the ends of the dresses over the trousers and skirts.

pack accessories

1. roll ties losely.

2. stuff socks in shoes. pack underwear in mesh laundry bags or side pockets to save space.

3. arrange each pair of shoes so that the heel of one aligns with the toe of the other.

4. wrap pairs of shoes in separate plastic bags, and place them along the border of your suitcase.

5. protect clothes from leaks by placing toiletries in a plastic bag.

6. pack essential toiletries in a carry-on bag. include your toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, medication and other important items.

tips: pack items snugly, leaving little room for them to shift. consider surrounding them with plastic dry-cleaning bag to minimise creases; use a suit carrier for suits or dresses.

pack an easily flattened extra bag, such as a lightweight holdall, for carrying purchases you make on your trip.

label both the outside and inside fo your suitcase with your name, address and phone number. remove old baggage claim stickers.

travel light. check with your airline regarding restrictions on size, weight and number of pieces of luggage allowed.

warning: avoid packing money, jewelery, travel documents, medication, keys and other valuables in your suitcase. carry these items with you.

i hope that some gave you good ideas on how to pack. good luck with exams and enjoy your summer, everyone!

giant squid found

2008-05-06T18:42:00.002Z

source: dbTechno.com
Boston (dbTechno) - In New Zealand, scientists have been working all week to defrost and study a 1,000-pound giant squid. The squid is the length of a school bus. Upon studying her, they have found that she has the largest eyes in the world, and is also a female.

Scientists in a lab at the Te Papa Tongarewa, New Zealand’s national museum, have been studying the squid all week.

They have concluded that the giant squid is, in fact, a female. They do not believe that she was fully-grown as her beak is between 1.6 and 1.7 inches.

They have also found that the eyes of the giant squid are 10.6 inches, making them the largest eyes ever recorded from any animal.

To put it into perspective, the eyes are about the size of a soccer ball according to reports.

The giant squid was caught by accident in Antarctica’s Ross Sea back in February 2007.

The squid was frozen in a block of ice until scientists could join to study it.

Once they are done studying the giant squid, they will display it in a natural position at the musuem.

It is possible that as fishing continues in Antarctica, more of these giant squid will be found.

a pretty cool news if you're into weird unknown animals. i forgot the scientific word for it.. freaky-animal-zoology?

Questions that popped in my head today

2008-04-28T23:48:00.006Z

Have you ever had those moments when a question just popped into your head and you just sit there gazing into the distance? Then after an hour of wondering, you give up and HAVE to Google it? Then after another hour of finding it and reading about it you say to yourself, “ahhh.. now I can sleep easy tonight.”

What? Just me?

Anyway, here are some of those random questions popped into my head suddenly. My curiosities are usually triggered by watching TV, some are sudden realization in things I do routinely. So read on and delve into my weird mind and who knows.. I might answer some of your ‘popped questions’.

Why Apple (as in the iPod, Mac) is called Apple?

This came about while I was playing my iPod, of course.

The reason why Apple Computers are called that is so that it would, symbolically, come before rivals Atari in the phone book.

How did people with poor eye-sight see before glasses were invented?

This question popped into my head while watching Will & Grace.

Now this took me a while to find out but I was too curious to be satisfied with just one answer.

There are a few answers out there. Here are a few that I found and made sense to me.

1. There was no definite exact date of when glasses were invented and by whom. It was a technology that was developed over time. In an old transcript by a Roman, in 4 B.C., said that he was able to read “all” the books in Rome peering through a glass globe of water. Then there was Emperor Nero, watching gladiator matches with an emerald in front of his eye. But since the emerald was green, it could mean he used it to block out sunlight so that he could see well. Kind of like sun glasses.

Around 1000 A. D. the reading stone, what we know as a magnifying glass, was developed. It was a segment of a glass sphere that could be laid against reading material to magnify the letters. It enabled presbyopic monks to read and was probably the first reading aid. The Venetians learned how to produce glass for reading stones, and later they constructed lenses that could be held in a frame in front of the eyes instead of directly on the reading material. The Chinese are sometimes given credit for developing spectacles about 2000 years ago--but apparently they only used them to protect their eyes from an evil force. But even with all this information, the life expectancy in those days was 40 years-old. And sight deficiency doesn’t usually start until after that age.
Now you might be thinking, “I’m way younger than 40! And I have glasses as thick as the Hubble Telescope!” On to number 2.

2. Early sight-loss could be in the genes but most cases can be blamed to lighting. Either there’s not enough, like reading in a dim area or watching TV in the dark; or it could be because of too much light. With all the technology we have now, TV, computers, etc, our eyes are having a hard time coping and get very strained easily. Long hours in front of these artificial lights were not a daily ritual in the old days as it is today.

3.Glasses weren’t really ‘discovered’ until after the 16^th century. So before then, literacy was a rare skill to have and the rich were the only ones that could afford books and if they lost their eye-sight, the Egyptians would used their slaves to read for them.

How much is it to advertise on Facebook?

I wondered about this when I was just checking my account and noticed the tiny advertising. So it got me thinking.. Since Facebook is so popular and costs over a billion dollars, the advert cost should be immense!

On the contrary it could be cheap, even normal people could advertise. I couldn’t find the exact number online so, I wore my journalist hat and went to the advertising section of Facebook. There, you can advertise almost anything. I tried to advertise this blog.

From there, I can choose which type of people I’m trying to target. Here, I chose any ages since my blog is family friendly. As you can see, you can choose your potential ‘targets’. (that’s how they use our profile details to get their money). Over 10 million people. Cool. It’s going to get me a lot of hits. J

Next, you choose your budget. It can be as low as $5.00. Then you choose how much you’re willing to pay per click.

Let’s say I chose to be cheap and will only pay just $5.00 and $0.01 per click, your advert will be on Facebook until your budget runs out. But since I was being very cheap, it could mean, my advert would pop up very rarely, making it rare for people to click on it. Or more often so that I’ll pay again for advertising. Now I get how online networking can be so lucrative. Anyone want to start one with me?

Okay, this post is getting too long now and I don’t like long posts. Look for part 2 in the near future. Hope you had a good read.

weekend randomness

2008-04-27T20:12:00.002Z

after a long week, it was nice to just be cooped up in my room and did absolutely nothing. although, i should be worried about the week that was to eventually come. 2 assignments due and a presentation to, well, present. i should have spent my weekend more wisely and finish an assignment and just be more at ease about my dreaded situation. instead, today, i woke up late and watched two movies back-to-back. national treasure (the first one) and deep impact.

i watched national treasure 2 and loved it! so i had to watch the first one and to my expectations, loved it too. i can't wait for the third installment. why deep impact? i dunno. i only watched it once and remembered it being really good. it came out in 1998 when the movie theme of the year was 'great tragedies'. (i.e. titanic & armageddon).

the only i am looking forward to monday is that that's when i'm getting my allowance. been broke for a whole long month and it was not fun at all. so, now i can be more relaxed with my spendings. i might just go to london next weekend. so, ali, if you're reading this, i'm letting you know. i haven't been away from southampton since easter break and that was a while back. so, a good weekend away should be refreshing.

hope you had a good weekend. a proper geeky post coming up next.

5 simple ways to save our planet

2008-04-22T21:11:00.001Z

a featured video from youtube.

let's help out our planet everyone.

10 fun facts about our moon

2008-04-14T23:36:00.003Z

the geek inside me loves watching documentaries. a long time ago, i was into ocean science. the deep sea creatures astonished me. one time, i was captivated by the history of the Roman Empire and when it became the a great superpower until it's untimely demise. now, however, my interest is not on this Earth but at close proximity - our moon. history channel has been showing a series about the Universe. how it theoretically began and even an episode on how it'll end. but that's another very long topic, which if you're interested go look for the series on tv.

anyway, on to our moon and some really cool facts about it.
ref: space.com

1. The Moon was created when a rock the size of Mars slammed into Earth, shortly after the solar system began forming about 4.5 billion years ago, according to the leading theory.

2. Perhaps the coolest thing about the Moon is that it always shows us the same face. Since both the Earth and Moon are rotating and orbiting, how can this be?

Long ago, the Earth's gravitational effects slowed the Moon's rotation about its axis. Once the Moon's rotation slowed enough to match its orbital period (the time it takes the Moon to go around Earth) the effect stabilized. Many of the moons around other planets behave similarly.

What about phases? Here's how they work: As the Moon orbits Earth, it spends part of its time between us and the Sun, and the lighted half faces away from us. This is called a new Moon. (So there's no such thing as a "dark side of the Moon," just a side that we never see.)

As the Moon swings around on its orbit, a thin sliver of reflected sunlight is seen on Earth as a crescent Moon. Once the Moon is opposite the Sun, it becomes fully lit from our view -- a full Moon.

3. More than 400 trees on Earth came from the Moon. Well, okay: They came from lunar orbit. Okay, the truth: In 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa took a bunch of seeds with him and, while Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell were busy sauntering around on the surface, Roosa guarded his seeds.

Later, the seeds were germinated on Earth, planted at various sites around the country, and came to be called the Moon trees. Most of them are doing just fine.

4. The Moon's heavily cratered surface is the result of intense pummeling by space rocks between 4.1 billion and 3.8 billion years ago.

The scars of this war, seen as craters, have not eroded much for two main reasons: The Moon is not geologically very active, so earthquakes, volcanoes and mountain-building don't destroy the landscape as they do on Earth; and with virtually no atmosphere there is no wind or rain, so very little surface erosion occurs.

5. The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. Right? Maybe not. In 1999, scientists found that a 3-mile- (5-kilometer-) wide asteroid may be caught in Earth's gravitational grip, thereby becoming a satellite of our planet.

Cruithne, as it is called, takes 770 years to complete a horseshoe-shaped orbit around Earth, the scientists say, and it will remain in a suspended state around Earth for at least 5,000 years.

6. The Moon is not round (or spherical). Instead, it's shaped like an egg. If you go outside and look up, one of the small ends is pointing right at you. And the Moon's center of mass is not at the geometric center of the satellite; it's about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) off-center.

7. Apollo astronauts used seismometers during their visits to the Moon and discovered that the gray orb isn't a totally dead place, geologically speaking. Small moonquakes, originating several miles (kilometers) below the surface, are thought to be caused by the gravitational pull of Earth. Sometimes tiny fractures appear at the surface, and gas escapes.

Scientists say they think the Moon probably has a core that is hot and perhaps partially molten, as is Earth's core. But data from NASA's Lunar Prospector spacecraft showed in 1999 that the Moon's core is small -- probably between 2 percent and 4 percent of its mass. This is tiny compared with Earth, in which the iron core makes up about 30 percent of the planet's mass.

8. Our Moon is bigger than Pluto. And at roughly one-fourth the diameter of Earth, some scientists think the Moon is more like a planet. They refer to the Earth-Moon system as a "double planet." Pluto and its moon Charon are also called a double-planet system by some.

9. Tides on Earth are caused mostly by the Moon (the Sun has a smaller effect). Here's how it works:

The Moon's gravity pulls on Earth's oceans. High tide aligns with the Moon as Earth spins underneath. Another high tide occurs on the opposite side of the planet because gravity pulls Earth toward the Moon more than it pulls the water.

At full Moon and new Moon, the Sun, Earth and Moon are lined up, producing the higher than normal tides (called spring tides, for the way they spring up). When the Moon is at first or last quarter, smaller neap tides form. The Moon's 29.5-day orbit around Earth is not quite circular. When the Moon is closest to Earth (called its perigee), spring tides are even higher, and they're called perigean spring tides.

All this tugging has another interesting effect: Some of Earth's rotational energy is stolen by the Moon, causing our planet to slow down by about 1.5 milliseconds every century.

and i leave the best fact about our moon for last..

10. our moon is moving away from us! It is expected that in 15 billion years, the Earth day will be 55 days long equal to the time it will take the Moon to orbit the Earth. but don't worry, in less than 7 billion years, the Sun will have evolved into a red giant star and engulfed the Earth-Moon system, thereby incinerating it!

curious about the death of our Sun? click here.

graduation, facebook and sleepy mornings

2008-04-10T21:35:00.003Z

i've been sleeping really late this week. i missed a few morning classes because of it. i don't know why i sleep late. in the mornings, i tend to be really exhausted and i know i should just take a short nap in my free periods but i end up fighting it and be online or play video games. i guess life is short and i feel that sleeping it away is a waste.. even though i know how tired i'll end up. it's 10.40pm and i'm already exhausted.. i should sleep early but chances are 2am will be my bed time.

even though it's still early to talk about graduation, the organization committee wants the guest list and payment. uggh.. to be honest, i don't feel like going. i don't feel like paying over £100 just to buy the navy shirts and jacket for one night, which i'm fairly sure is going to be dull. i'd forget about it right here and now if it weren't for my mother who's coming to the darn event. i talked to my sister about this last night and she told me it's my decision and prepare to be bleed in the ear when i decide to tell mom. haha. i'm sure my mother would kill me if i tell her how i feel. she would not understand at all.. she's the type that's like, "other people are doing it, why don't you?" uggh.. i hate that reasoning.. i don't know.. i don't feel like celebrating.

i've been on facebook for almost a week now and already people i know have been adding me up (on the first day, i had 30 friend invites!). the thing that i find both scary and cool at the same time about facebook is that you get to see what people are doing when they're on facebook. every conversations.. every wall-to-wall messages.. every picture posted.. anything. but i guess privacy is null and void when you're in one of these online community sites. so far, i don't find it as addicting as some of the people i know who can't seem to leave it for a 30 minutes! i'd check it more often if it had a blog application like multiply has. does it have one? anyone know? can't be asked to rummage through all the applications..

weekend is almost here. i need a good rest..

death by blogging

2008-04-07T14:46:00.002Z

that's right.. people have actually died from blogging! i found this really scary article from the NY times.

Some of the blogging community are worried that blogging could be bad for your health. The constant need to publish new and exciting facts is putting stress on successful bloggers, and the recent deaths from heart attacks of three popular writers is causing something of a rethink in the industry. “I haven’t died yet,” Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, told The New York Times. “At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to hospital, or something else will happen. This is not sustainable.”

Arrington claimed that he has gained 30 pounds and developed a severe sleeping disorder over the past three years as a result of his job. Two other technology bloggers, Russell Shaw, 60, and Marc Orchant, 50, have died of heart failures. While blogging has not been directly linked to their deaths, the stress of churning out thousands of words a day may have been a factor. “There is no time ever, including when you’re sleeping, when you’re not worried about missing a story,” said Arrington. “Wouldn’t it be great if we said that no blogger or journalist could write a story between 8pm Pacific time and dawn? Then we could all take a break. But that’s never going to happen.”

scary..

how to know if someone likes you romantically

2008-04-04T20:26:00.002Z

most of the time, i'm pretty much in the dark when it comes to someone liking me that way.. in fact, i'd be the last one to know and whenever someone tells me someone was crushing on me, i have a hard time believing them. so, here are a few tips from the book of knowledge, eHow's How To Do Just About Everything.

sometimes the direct approach is the best - just ask. but if that seems too bold, look for some of these telling signs.

Behaviour:

pay attention to your conversations with the person in question. does this person show a special interest in talking with you and, once it's started, make an effort to keep the conversation going?
does this person "accidentally" run into you in places where they know you will be?
notice whether this person mentions future plans to spend time with you; "that band is coming here soon. we should really get tickets."
notice if the person is making an effort to spend time alone together. canceling other plans in order to be with you longer, or finding excuses not to leave, could be a sign of romantic interest.
has the person been calling for seemingly random reasons, such as, "i was wondering if you knew what that pizza place down the street is called', followed by, "are you hungry?"
has the person taken a sudden interest in you life and hobbies? this is a sure sign that they are interested in something - and it's probably not your stamp collection.
observe how the person acts around your friends - they might be extra friendly to your closest pals for a reason.

body language:

sometimes seeing someone you have a crush on results in telltale physiological signs. does the person in question blush when you look at them? his/her sympathetic nervous system is probably going into overdrive. does he/she jumble their words when talking to you?
see if the person mirrors your movements: when you lean back, they lean back; when you put your elbows on the table, they do the same.
notice whether this person sits or stands in the open position - that is, facing you with arms uncrossed, or crossing her legs in your direction if the person is a woman.
does he move closer to you and/or touch you subtly, such as patting your hand or touching your cheek? (that's kinda freaky..)
look for other elements of body language, such as frequent eye contact, holding your gaze and looking down before looking away, energetic speech coupled with open hands, or flashing palms.
does the person you're wondering about smile at you a lot?

think about these.. maybe you just realised someone secretly crushing on you. ':)
have a good weekend everyone!

Free-IQTest.net

2008-04-03T00:29:00.002Z

Free-IQTest.net - IQ Test

it's 1.30am here and i was bored.. did this very short IQ test and scored 121. googled what the score meant.

Over 140 - Genius or near genius
120 - 140 - Very superior intelligence
110 - 119 - Superior intelligence
90 - 109 - Normal or average intelligence
80 - 89 - Dullness
70 - 79 - Borderline deficiency
Under 70 - Definite feeble-mindedness

cool. very superior intelligence.. i don't feel like one though..

then i found this which confirmed just that..

High IQ & Genius IQ

Genius IQ is generally considered to begin around 140 to 145, representing ~.25% of the population (1 in 400). Here's a rough guide:

115-124 - Above average (e.g., university students)
125-134 - Gifted (e.g., post-graduate students)
135-144 - Highly gifted (e.g., intellectuals)
145-154 - Genius (e.g., professors)
155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners)
165-179 - High genius
180-200 - Highest genius
>200 - "Unmeasurable genius"

so i guess, i'm at a level of what i should be.

7 things you shouldn't do after a meal

2008-04-01T15:48:00.003Z

i'm back after a very short, 2 weeks of easter but even so, i had a very good easter break. went to keele to celebrate my sister's birthday then spent the rest of easter in london just hanging out till 8am almost everyday. it was awesome. anyway, i learned a few things while i was there and today's topic is one of them. enjoy!

1- Don’t smoke- Experts have proven that smoking a cigarette after meal is comparable to smoking 10 cigarettes.

2- Don’t eat fruits immediately - Immediately eating fruits after meals will cause stomach to be bloated with air. Therefore eat fruit 1-2 hr’s after a meal or 1hr before a meal.

3- Don’t drink tea - Tea leaf’s contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hardened thus difficult to digest.

4- Don’t loosen your belt - Loosening your belt after a meal will easily cause the intestine to be twisted & blocked.

5- Don’t bath - Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs & body thus the amount of blood around the stomach will therefore decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6- Don’t walk about - People always say that after a meal walk a hundred steps and you will live till 99. In actual fact this is not true. Walking will cause the digestive system to be unable to absorb the nutrition from the food we intake.

7- Don’t sleep immediately - The food we intake will not be able to digest properly. Thus will lead to gastric & infection in our intestine.

to those who are still on a break, have a good one!

easter + PC + video games = FUN

2008-03-19T23:58:00.007Z

easter break is finally here, although i'm a bit mad that it's only 2 weeks but i'll take what i can. oh heck.. i just checked the calender and i'm into my 5th day of easter. almost a week and after next week, it's back to dull classes taught by dull lecturers.. just a short post today, sharing what i've been up to and what i'll do so that my whole easter won't go to waste with me just being cooped up in my room in front of my PC.

just before the break started, i discovered a new interest - PC building! buying the necessary parts for a desktop and build it myself!

i've been dying for a new entertainment machine after my laptop of 3 years, finally decided to call it quits.i scowered through the interenet and asked people's opinion on what to buy. the new m15x from alienware caught my attention and i had to have it. i didn't care that it'll set me back more than 2 grand (pounds!). i looked super cool and it is the most powerful 15 inch laptop on the planet!

after a long and frustrating experience with the customer service for more than 3 weeks, i decided to take back my hard-earned cash and looked for something else..

i decided to go for a desktop, since it's much more powerful than any laptops for the same amount of cash. of course, i'd lose the portability, but i don't really carry my computers around with me anyway. and with the job i'll be having, i'll need to move my computer around every few months.

so then, i looked for an uber-cool PC. i stumbled on this on a magazine. it is the best gaming PC at the moment.
this is from commodore. after selecting the components that i want in it, it'll set me back about 2000 pounds too but 3x more powerful than the alienware.

i was really ready to buy but for some weird reason, the 'buy now' button wouldn't work. it kept bringing me to the homepage. so, i thought i'd try some other day.

on that very same day, i was browsing through youtube looking for videos on the commodore and a comment struck me. "pfft! expensive shit.. it's cheaper and much easier to build that gaming PC"

really? how easy is it?

so for a whole week, i watched videos on how to build a pc. and holy heck, it is easy. after i was somewhat confident with the steps, i dove in and bought the components from novatech. since i was just buying parts, it arrived the next day! it cost just over a thousand pounds but i had almost the same specs as the commodore! took me 4 hours to complete the build.. i have never been so nervous in my life as i was when turning it on for the first time..

i took a deep breath and switched it on..

nothing.. screen is blank

tried again..

nothing.. still blank.

oh crap...

then i realised i forgot the switch button on the casing itself. turned that on and it was alive!

isn't she pretty.. yes, it's a she and yes she does have a name.. tasha. ':) also, that 19-inch monitor is so awesome. very clear, very huge (for me).

btw, that is a dirty fishbowl. i'm taking care of the 2 goldfish inside it for a friend who's off to milan.

so for the rest of easter, i'm contiplating on cancelling my around-UK trip and just stay here to keep my PC company. ':)

proper post coming soon. have a good easter everyone!

what my handwriting say about me

2008-02-27T18:13:00.000Z

What does your handwriting say about YOU?

dirtiest job in the world

2008-02-27T15:32:00.003Z

are you feeling down about the job you're doing or about to do in the future? and every day you go for work, do you feel like just going up to the big boss man and make a scene before quitting your dead-end job? well, after you finish this post, you might just thank the stars that you have the job that you have.

10 dirtiest job in science

By Candace Corner
CareerBuilder.com -> link

Manure Inspector

What they do: Wade through farming manure, inspecting different kinds of animal waste to make sure it is free from contaminants. By checking the manure, these scientists make sure that the harmful materials do not spread to infect vegetation, animals or consumers.

Orangutan-Pee Collector

What they do: Collect and analyze ape urine to study factors that effect their reproduction. The work involves tracking down apes and laying down large plastic sheets or attaching plastic bags to poles in hopes of catching adequate samples to analyze.

Hot-zone Superintendent

What they do: Perform maintenance work for bio-safety labs that study lethal airborne pathogens, for which there is no known cure. Their work enables scientists to study the nature of disease-causing organisms, such as anthrax.

Extremophile Excavator

What they do: Sift through the smelly fumes of arsenic-saturated mud areas in blistering heat in order to gather samples containing arsenic-eating extremophiles. The purpose is to find microbes that could possibly assist in the decontamination of the nation's freshwater sources.

Dysentery Stool Sample Analyzer

What they do: Study stool samples from diseased humans who have experienced diarrhea from a disease-causing microbe. The analysis allows these scientists to develop intestinal diagnostics to ease those suffering from the disease.

Semen Washer

What they do: Take semen samples under microscopic observation to study their sperm count, then spin, separate, add preservatives and freeze the samples for in vitro fertilization.

Volcanologist

What they do: Monitor volcanic regions to determine when they'll erupt next. In addition to dodging hot magma, these scientists mountain climb their way through the heat and fight their way through fogs of sulfur dioxide gas, ash, rocks and debris.

Carcass Cleaner

What they do: Clean corpses for display using one of a variety of cleaning methods. This may include immersing the body in boiling chemicals, placing maggots or beetles on the carcass, or picking off the leftover flesh.

Fistula Feeder

What they do: Study how the insides of cattle work. To do this, they deplug the fistula, an opening to the bovine intestinal system, and take samples from the forestomach to test their digestion and reaction to food additives.

Corpse-Flower Grower

What they do: Grow and tend to a towering, foul-smelling plant called the corpse flower. Similar to the way pleasant-smelling flowers attract honeybees, the corpse flower attracts its own bugs, Sumatran carrion beetles and flesh flies. These scientists are competing to grow the largest blooming plant in cultivation.

so, i hope this'll put things into perspective and make you appreciate what you do more. if doubts about your career resurfaces again, remind yourself of these dirty jobs and repeat these words in your mind: 'i love my job, i love my job, i love my job..'

how many drinks would kill you?

2008-02-21T23:39:00.003Z

a friend of mine told me something really interesting the other day.

"did you know that if i drink 160 cans of red bull, i'd die?" he said, as he sip the energy drink.

of course, this caught my attention and needed to find out more.

personally, i'm not much of a caffeine-junky. i don't need a cup of coffee or chugging down a red bull to start the day. in fact, i very rarely drink coffee.. probably 10 times in a year? so yeah.. but i do, however, love diet coke (that's why i drink as much as i can here before going home cause brunei only has coke light and no, they are not the same). my favourite drink - that and pepsi max. can't get enough of it. it has caffeine but not enough to give me a sudden boost of energy.

note: these figures are of how much you have to have in your system to actually be lethal. it's not like having more than 160 red bull in a year or a month or even a week would kill you. but you have a good chance of feeling very sick having 60 red bulls in a day. you'll definitely pass out before even reaching the lethal dose. but please people.. don't be stupid to even try it. ':s

2nd note: the figures vary for each person. some have a high tolerance for caffeine.

coca-cola - 371 cans and you'll keel over.

diet coke - 284 cans and goodbye to you..

sprite / 7-up / tonic water - no caffeine in it but you could get killed by sugar intake though.

chocolate milk - 2556 cups and you're done for..

instant coffee - 224 cups and you'll be so awake that you won't ever get up!

mac donald's large coffee - 88 cups (now that's kinda doable.. very scary ':s)

starbucks' grande coffee - just 39 cups (holy fudge.. even more scary)

instant tea - 492 cups and you'll be walking into the light

there it is.. still craving for a cup/can to get through the day? ':)

there were a lot of drinks and even food to list here. go to the website and input your weight and the item you want to know how much to kill you.

energyfiend.com

i am the procrastinator!

2008-02-11T23:46:00.000Z

we were given assignments a month ago and it's due tomorrow. as to not break the malay sacred rule, i kept it hidden on my shelf until finally yesterday, looked at the question. now i'm trying to attempt to finish it by sunrise. as if that's not bad enough, i just finished watching a movie and now blogging about it!When a teenage girl is faced with an unexpected pregnancy, she enlists the aid of her best friend in finding the unborn child a suitable home in this coming-of-age comedy drama from Thank You for Smoking director Jason Reitman.

Juno (Ellen Page) may seem wise beyond her years, but after sleeping with classmate Bleeker (Michael Cera), the pregnant teen quickly realizes how little she really knows about life. Thankfully, Juno has been blessed with parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) who trust their daughter's judgment, and a best friend named Leah (Olivia Thirlby), who's always willing to help out in a pinch.

With a little help from Leah, Juno soon comes into contact with Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) -- an affluent suburban couple who have been unable to conceive a child of their own. Mark and Vanessa seem like they would make great parents, and are eager to adopt Juno's unborn child. Now, as adolescent Juno is faced with a series of very adult decisions, she will draw on the support of her family and friends in order to discover who she truly is, and discover that one bad choice can have a lifetime of consequences.

i just simply LOVE the movie from start to finish. the characters were awesome with witty mouths, especially juno. if that's not enough, the music in it is a pleasure to the ears. a very cute line-up of songs.

i've never heard of the movie before until a friend told me about it. apparently, it received oscar nominations.

ellen page - actress in a leading role

jason reitman - directing

best picture

best writing original screenplay

and after i watched it, i can see why.. what actually attracted me to the movie was ellen page. i saw her in another movie a while back. the trailer was awesome so i had to watch the movie and was NOT disappointed. she was amazing in it!

ellen page - my new favourite actress. ':)

iconic photographs

2008-02-10T12:30:00.001Z

i've noticed that photography is a growing interest in brunei. photoblogs have been cropping up more and more recently. personally, i don't get it. unless you're making a living out of it, i see as just an expensive hobby. but don't shoot me just yet (pun intended), i like art and photographs are art. they portray the raw truth and sometimes could even change the world. here are some of the most iconic photographs ever took. later on, a more modern take on photographic art with the world press photo 2007 awards.

Galloping Horse 1878

Was there a moment midstride when horses had all hooves off the ground? Leland Stanford, the railroad baron and future university founder, bet there was—or at least that’s the story. It was 1872 when Stanford hired noted landscape photographer Eadweard Muybridge to figure it out. It took years, but Muybridge delivered: He rigged a racetrack with a dozen strings that triggered 12 cameras. Muybridge not only proved Stanford right but also set off the revolution in motion photography that would become movies.

Tiananmen Square 1989

A hunger strike by 3,000 students in Beijing had grown to a protest of more than a million as the injustices of a nation cried for reform. For seven weeks the people and the People’s Republic, in the person of soldiers dispatched by a riven Communist Party, warily eyed each other as the world waited. When this young man simply would not move, standing with his meager bags before a line of tanks, a hero was born. A second hero emerged as the tank driver refused to crush the man, and instead drove his killing machine around him. Soon this dream would end, and blood would fill Tiananmen. But this picture had shown a billion Chinese that there is hope.

First Human X-ray 1896

To know something like the back of your hand is a timeless concept, one taken yet further by Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen. While working on a series of experiments with a Crookes tube, he noticed that a bit of barium platinocyanide emitted a fluorescent glow. He then laid a photographic plate behind his wife’s hand (note the wedding rings), and made the first X-ray photo. Before that, physicians were unable to look inside a person’s body without making an incision. Roentgen was the recipient of the first Nobel Prize for Physics in 1901.

Earthrise 1968

The late adventure photographer Galen Rowell called it “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken.” Captured on Christmas Eve, 1968, near the end of one of the most tumultuous years the U.S. had ever known, the Earthrise photograph inspired contemplation of our fragile existence and our place in the cosmos. For years, Frank Borman and Bill Anders of the Apollo 8 mission each thought that he was the one who took the picture. An investigation of two rolls of film seemed to prove Borman had taken an earlier, black-and-white frame, and the iconic color photograph, which later graced a U.S. postage stamp and several book covers, was by Anders.

Execution of a Viet Cong Guerrilla 1968

i'm sure you think this is a disgusting picture depicting a gruesome scene of an evil man executing a cuffed man at point blank. how can man be so without morals as to do such a thing? i thought so too but unlike this picture, things aren't always in black and white..
what this picture, taken by Eddie Adams, didn't say was that the man being executed was captain of a Vietcong "revenge squad" that had executed dozens of unarmed civilians earlier the same day.

Regardless, it instantly became an icon of the war’s savagery and made the official pulling the trigger - General Nguyen Ngoc Loan - its iconic villain.

Sadly, the photograph’s legacy would haunt Loan for the rest of his life. Following the war, he was reviled where ever he went. After an Australian VA hospital refused to treat him, he was transferred to the United States, where he was met with a massive (though unsuccessful) campaign to deport him. He eventually settled in Virginia and opened a restaurant but was forced to close it down as soon as his past caught up with him. Vandals scrawled "we know who you are" on his walls, and business dried up.

Adams felt so bad for Loan that he apologized for having taken the photo at all, admitting, "The general killed the Vietcong; I killed the general with my camera."

Winners Gallery 2008

unfortunately, due to copyright reasons, i can't post the pictures here. please click on the link to find some of the most amazing pictures.

World Press Photo of the Year

may these inspire you to snap more of 'real life' rather than pretty pictures of flowers and fireworks.

how to flirt

2008-02-04T13:44:00.000Z

i mentioned a few months ago that i bought a fantastic book - eHow: how to do just about everything. to be honest, i haven't even cracked it open - until now. i was glancing through the index and found that there a lot of really good stuff in it. for example, a step-by-step guide on how to flirt.

this caught my attention because, ofcourse, i don't how to flirt. i'm just too shy to do that. *notices a topic on how to overcome shyness in the index*

i think i mentioned this before but one time, a girl i never met flirted with me and you know what i did? i turned red, smiled and walked away.. uggghh.. smooth mr. lover boy..

so if you're not a natural flirt like me read on!

steps:

1. be confident -it's the magical charm that makes other want to get to know you.

2. smile, smile, smile.

3. think playful thoughts when gearing up to flirt. flirts are fun and engaging, and they love to play with others.

4. compliment a stranger or acquaintance on his or her clothes, eyes, smile or sense of humour, for starters.

5. keep your body language open and inviting: make eye contact, lightly touch the person's hand or arm when telling a stroy, toss your head back when you laugh. (personal note: i think this is a bit much.. especially the laughing like a maniac bit. ':s but a good tip: if you can't look a person in the eyes, stare at a point between the eyebrows. they can't tell.)

6. initiate stimulating conversation. at a loss for words? ask open-ended questions about the flirtee's job, home town, family, recent films seen or thoughts about a painting on the wall.

7. open up about yourself, giving some even more reason to like you. but don't go on and on - the goal is to engage and intrigue, not bore.

8. gauge the person's interest carefully. if you sense a red light - or worse, smug ridicule - make your exit graciously and immediately. you've got nicer people to meet.

9. progress in your flirtation, paying attention to cues from the object of your interest. if you perceive a sensual or sexual connection, make a bold move - ask for a date.

tips: avoid negative body language, such as crossing your arms, scowling, appearing overly stressed, looking downwards or walking in a hurry when you don't really need to.
give yourself time to learn the types of conversation starters that work for you. practise flirting wherever you can - at a local shop or laundrette, or with your friends.

warning! sexually suggestive remarks or touching is inappropriate among colleagues. keep any office flirting innocent at all times.

for more wonderful tips of just about everyting click here -> www.ehow.com
go get 'em tiger!

10 amusing techs

2008-02-02T15:33:00.000Z

as promised, a worthy post is here.

today, we're living in a high-tech world. man have progressed 100 times more in the last 50 years than ever before. there's nothing i like more than technology, whether it be in medicine, helping man-kind or just developing in things that may not serve a helpful purpose other than mere entertainment or personal comfort. today, i'll share with you the latter.

here are 10 techs that i find amusing.

have a bath - anywhere!

like bathtubs? like being outside? can't really carry a bathtub with you outside? no fear! what you need is this...
just build a wood fire in the centre of the coiled tubing, fill up the sizeable polyfibre bowl and slip into the steamy warm water. its lightweight construction means you can haul it anywhere.

how big is it? 8 grown people can fit snuggly in it. cost: £3220
www.dutchtub.com

EEEEPP! is that a mouse??!

GUPI is a robotised guinea pig that looks and feels like a real one. GUPI is highly autonomous, he walks around in the house without bumping into anything or falling off a table or the stairs thanks to sensors in its eyes and legs..

GUPI is so smart he can also walk through a maze and you can be assured that he will find a way out. GUPI has a very interactive playing behaviour, if you don't play with him he becomes lonely and scared and he will go and hide in a dark place. But if you caress him he will feel loved and will be happy. GUPI can also hear you and he will react to voices and sounds, depending on his mood ..... When GUPI is happy he will actually come running at you when you call him, but when he's scared he can't stand noise and will run away from it.

When happy, GUPI will also follow a light beam so you can lead him wherever you want him to go. When GUPI gets hungry you can feed him (read : recharge his reloadable batteries) through a little carrot, and he's ready for a lot more fun together with his friends. As such GUPI creates the 'Tamagochi'® binding-effect. Gupi has unique identification codes in the chipsets, therefore, when other Gupi's are in the vicinity, they will express excited behaviour and they will learn gradually how to accept each other, how to share 'food' (battery re-loader), and how to play with each other! When one or more Gupi see one another they will sing and dance with each-other in a cute manner.

cost: £35
www.drinkstuff.com

sailing happily to anywhere

ok, this one isn't really a brilliant gadget or entertaining in any way, but the eco-friendly in me find it very cool. it's a bag made out of recycled sail! marked on it are the type of vessel it came from and even where that ship has been.

use this recycled shopping bags and reduce the usage of plastic!

on the website, they don't just sell bags. they sell a lot of other recycled and eco-friendly stuff from picture frames to bathroom stuff. so go green!

http://ecocentric.co.uk

scented candles? no thanks, i have my pen drive.

This Oil Burning Flash Drive is just plain weird.. This version comes in two distinct aromas, red rose and peppermint green. No word on the longevity of the aroma and you’ll need a steady hand for application. it goes for $US7.00

where's a pair chopsticks when you need one, eh?

what? it's still technology.. and it was amusing. i was certainly amused.. need i say more? ':)

analog watches are for sissies

if you think watches are just dull then give these babies a try. telling time isn't as easy as it used to be with the watches from Tokyo Flash. each model they design has its own different way of telling what time it is.

Oberon: it uses rings of glowing lights to represent seconds, minutes, tens of minutes and hours.

Pimp Easy: When the button is pressed for the time it will spiral all the lights on and off then show the time. Press the button again and the day and date will be displayed. Now what really makes this watch stand out, is the light up feature, the watch lights up every light in a spiral and then off in a spiral every 2 minutes from 6 PM to 1 AM.

Q version: One push of the button animates the LED's in various patterns before revealing the time, a function which can be skipped with a second press of the button. The Q version uses the established 12-5-9 method to tell the time. 12 hours, 5 groups of 10 minutes and 9 single minutes. Moving clockwise from the top of the display, the first two lines of LED's show the hours 1-12, each lit LED indicating one hour. The next line indicates minutes up to 50, each LED showing 10 minutes. The final two lines indicate single minutes 1-9, one LED for each minute.

with these, when someone asks you to look at your watch to know the time, you sit them down and explain..

www.tokyoflash.com

goodbye snooze button, i'll miss you

staying with the time-theme, if you're like me, i love hitting that snooze button a few times before properly waking up. but with this gadget, there's no such thing as snoozing!

this is the puzzle alarm clock. when it rings, the puzzle pieces explodes out and the only way to shut it up is to put the four-piece puzzle back together. it might sound like an easy task but just imagine waking up to the blare of the alarm and you have to find the pieces that could've scattered anywhere and solve put it together again.. sounds like hell to me..

cost: $USD 97.00

"flower, am i happy?"

This "Kotohana Flower" recognizes your feelings and changes its color corresponding to the feeling you have. The gadget judges your emotion through the ryhthm of your voice. A small microphone is hidden in the flowers to detect happiness (yellow), sadness (blue), excitement (red) and calmness (green).

be a pop star in the shower

there are a lot of other gadgety ways in bringing music into the bathroom (water-proof covers, etc) but i think this one is unique.

This is a great little shower radio that simply sticks to your bathroom tiles using the sucker provided. Perfect for those of you who love to sing in the shower! Operating the Shower Tap Radio couldn't be simpler than that. Turn the tap on the radio on, adjust the volume and tune into your favorite station!

a call from the future

finally, something to look forward to. i've always been a big fan of nokia and their seemingly endless innovations in the technology of communication. and by the look of it, it's not stopping any time soon. i'm so glad of that..

it's still a concept phone but hey, they're thinking about it.. if this doesn't come out.. something similarly spectacular would eventually come..

i love technology..

feeling under the weather because of the weather

2008-01-31T21:32:00.000Z

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

2008-01-30T21:51:00.000Z

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

2008-01-23T21:27:00.000Z

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!

2008-01-11T22:39:00.000Z

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

2008-01-10T14:48:00.000Z

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

2008-01-01T21:24:00.001Z

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!

the year is ending

2007-12-23T07:33:00.000Z

the new year is almost upon us and i have yet to come up with a plan on how to spend it. like every year, the empire hotel is having the new year celebration with loud music and of course, fireworks. i'm almost certain i won't be going because i have no one to go with. no offense to my friends who ARE in brunei. i'm sure you'd want to spend it with your other half and i really don't feel like welcoming the new year as a third wheel. actually, i don't think there's anyone i know who is single. but that's another whole long topic, which i shall avoid right now.

since i've been back, it seems i haven't done much and yet i've been out almost every day. today is actually the first day i've stayed at home. although, i shouldn't count my chickens just yet, there's still 9 more hours till the day ends.

i watched national treasure the other day and i have to say, it's a really good movie. nice intro, nice plot, nice action sequences and the ending was satisfactory. definitely recommended. i haven't watched the first one so, i might get the dvd for that.

i've been looking around for a new laptop. my current one is old, can't be seen in public, slow (for me.. even though it's much faster than most) and most importantly, can't play games decently! i'm fairly OK with computers. but i'm mostly blurry with what makes a computer good, like graphics card, processor and other computer specs, which i have no clue. so, i've been doing a lot of research on it and i've a better understanding now. the mall has a tech show and i've been looking around. i've found the one i want but there's no guarantee that it'll arrive before i go back to uk. that completely pissed me off cause i'm not a big shopper. and when i finally do want something, i have to have it or else i'd buy something else to scratch that splurging itch. that's why i'm looking for a guitar now. even though i've said that, i'm still contemplating. should i bring it with me to uk? will it survive the flight? won't i have excess baggage? should i just leave it here and buy myself a new one over there (which i'll be leaving it at my sister's.. maybe.. hehe)

anyhow, merry christmas everyone!

our body is icky

2007-12-17T16:07:00.000Z

i would like to start things off with something we all can relate. our bodies. specifically, it's nasty functions. smelly sweats, farty bottoms and slimy noses to name a few. but why? why do we all have these disgusting functions? let's find out.

perspiring like a pig

sweating is the body’s natural way of cooling us down. Although it may feel as if the sweat or perspiration is making us hotter, especially on warm days, without sweat, we would not be able to tolerate the heat our bodies would produce.

We sweat in order to keep the body at its normal temperature, which is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). If we lost this bodily function we could suffer from heatstroke in hot weather.

Think of all the food the body takes in each day. This has to be burned off somehow. The burning of this food produces heat within the body which triggers our brain to kick start the body’s natural cooling process. Inside the human body are long, twisting tubes of cells known as the sweat glands. The blood vessels in our skin open and the fluid is released through our pores.

There are approximately 2 million sweat glands in our body. We may not realize it but we perspire even when it is a cold day and we are not doing anything particularly strenuous. The body is two-thirds water and we lose a great amount of this every day through sweating. This is why it is so important to drink approximately 2 liters of water each day in order to replenish the lost fluids.

Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating -- usually on the palms of the hand or the armpits -- that is not caused by emotional or physical activity is called diaphoresis or hyperhidrosis. It is often an embarrassing condition. The cause or causes are unknown, but the condition may be due to the following:

hormonal imbalances (e.g., menopause in women)
overactive thyroid gland (The thyroid hormone increases body metabolism and heat production.)
certain foods and medications (e.g., coffee with its high amounts of caffeine)
overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system

B.O.? please go..

Body odour is caused by a natural process involving sweat that occurs on the skin's surface. Sweat is odourless, but if left on the skin the bacteria that normally live there feed on it and break it down. This process releases chemicals that cause the unpleasant smell.

Some areas of the skin, such as the armpits and genitals, are more likely to produce body odour because these glands produce proteins and oily substances that bacteria feed on.

Sweat elsewhere in the body is mostly salty water, which bacteria don't thrive on so easily.

The feet produce their own characteristic odour. We tend to wrap them in socks and shoes, making them hot and humid and allowing fungi, as well as bacteria, to flourish.

Body odour may be influenced by diet. Certain foods, such as curry, garlic and strong spices, contain chemicals that may be excreted in the skin.

The smell almost always disappears with a shower or bath, but can return rapidly, especially if a person puts on unwashed clothes covered in old sweat and bacteria.

ummmm... that wasn't me.

the gas that makes up a fart comes from two sources: more originates from the breakdown of food by the digestive system, and some is from swallowed air. In the first case, foodstuffs are broken down by enzymes, stomach acids, and intestinal bacteria in order for the energy in them to be made available to the body.

Through the processes of digestion and fermentation, gases can be liberated from what's eaten. In the second case, air that a person swallows from eating, drinking, breathing, chewing gum, and being stressed, among other ways of entry, that's not expelled during a burp travels through the stomach and intestine, transforming into fart-ready mode.

In either case, the gases flow down through the rest of the digestive tract and eventually exit the body — Poof! Ping! Pfft! Toot-toot! Kaboom! — expelled as a fart, or farts. And this silent or noisy expulsion of air can help bring about some relief and comfort from a buildup of gas within the lower part of the body.
To clear out a room you'd want to eat a lot of eggs, cauliflower, or meat.

*sniff*

there are a few reasons why our nose run.

when you're sick - your nose goes into mucus-making overdrive to keep the germ invaders out of your lungs and the rest of your body, where they might make you even sicker than you already are. You know what happens then: The mucus runs down your throat, out your nose, or into a tissue when you blow your nose. Or it can fill your sinuses, which is why you get that stuffy feeling.

when you cry - When you cry, tears come out of the tear glands under your eyelids and drain through the tear ducts that empty into your nose. Tears mix with mucus there and your nose runs.

when it's cold outside - When you're outside on a cold day, the air in your nose is a lot warmer than the air around you. You know how the bathroom gets steamy when you take a shower? Something similar happens in your nose - water drops come together, or condense. Then the drops mix with your mucus and run out your nose.

when you eat spicy food - most spicy foods contain something called "capsaicin," a chemical found in peppers. When ingested, it's believed to affect "the quantity and thickness of mucus and other fluids secreted in the nasal passages." In other words, it's a kind a nasal decongestant.

i hope you had a good read

i'm back! let the randomness begin..

2007-12-16T18:25:00.000Z

hello you people out there in the blogging world. i know i promised to update while i was away but the ship's internet was being a *bleep* and i didn't even bother. i just got back a few hours ago so, you can see that i'm not wasting any time in bringing you randomness (and a few tid bits of updates in my life). anyway, to atone for my sin, i'm working on posts, which have been conjured up by my curiousity. so please check often cause i will be updating a lot to cover lost ground.

top 10 crime reduction tips for students

2007-11-14T19:55:00.000Z

first off i'd like to say that i'm going away to work tomorrow. i'll be gone to japan for a month or so, so this might be my last post for a heck of a while. although, i've heard that the ship i'll be on has internet connection, if that is the case i shall keep you posted with something special. the sea-log of a seaman. it'll be an account of the daily occurances while i'm onboard. so watch this space for that.

anyway, i shall leave you with this. it's a helpful guide on how to protect your home, yourself and your wheels. it's emphasis is on students but you can of course incorperate it in related situations i.e. on holiday or a shopping spree miri.

1. lock your bedroom door - even if you're only going to the kitchen or bathroom. (for people living in halls.)

2. check doors and windows are locked at night or when going out - don't assume someone else will do it. (for those who share a house)

3. make a list of your personal property including the serial number and descriptions - use an ultraviolet pen to mark electrical and other items

4. think ahead - don't walk home alone late at night - arrange in advance to stay with a trusted friend or pre-book a taxi.

5. never leave drinks unattended in pubs or clubs - when you go to the toilet, ask your friends to keep an eye on your drink. men's drinks get spiked too. if you suspect your drink has been spiked, contact a member of staff or tell a trusted friend.

6. don't show off your cash, mobile phone or laptop, or leave them lying around - never leave your bag, wallet or purse unattended and don't carry your chequebook and card together. take out protection for you credit cards and note all you card details at home, so you can cancel them quickly if they're stolen.

7. try to go to the cashpoint in daylight if possible - be aware of people standing too close to you and always conceal you PIN. if it's dark, go with a friend if you can and don't check your money in full view.

8. always lock doors, windows, the boot and sunroof when leaving your car - even if it's only for a few minutes.

9. never leave belongings in your car - even an old coat could tempt a thief if they think there might be something in the pockets. if you have to leave anything, lock it in the boot.

10. keep your car topped up with petrol - try to park in busy, well-lit areas.

that's it from me. have a good one.

i'm back home

2007-11-11T21:42:00.000Z

just a short personal post letting everyone know that i'm back in brunei for a couple of months. i hope i'll some of you around!

the cute and the funny

2007-11-07T00:43:00.000Z

just wanted to share my favourite videos of the week. they'll sure to make you go 'awwww..' and 'hahaha!'

ps: thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! wished i spent it with all of ya! ':)

the long journey to keele

2007-11-04T15:51:00.000Z

it was very stressful going to keele. i had a few major setbacks, which i can't blame but myself (hehe).

after a few times canceling on my sister about visiting, i finally decided to just go before i go home. i waited for the very last minute to buy my coach ticket in london. a few hours after that, i was all ready to go to keele when suddenly i noticed the date on my ticket. 3rd of november. i realised that that date was the next day. ':p i called my sister and told her about it. let's just say that she was not happy at all. lol.

anyway, on my long 4-hour journey, i met this really nice lady. Yvonne from poland. we talked all throughout the ride. she told me of her travels to LA, las vegas, canada and her trips in europe. she showed me pictures and i showed her my milan & german summer trip. it was fun. she was just lovely.

now, i'm here in keele. that's it from me really.

laters

just random

2007-10-31T22:38:00.000Z

as i said before, i'm going back to brunei really soon so i decided to start packing even though i'm not even remotely sure when i'm going. i just needed to start clearing things up in my room a bit and get rid of stuff i don't need. anyway, while i was packing, i found an email i printed a while back. it was a "stepbystep instructions to luneberg! hehe" it was when i went to germany to visit during the summer break.

it was really concise and pretty helpful. but there was this one part in the instructions that just made me go "what the hell??!!"

here it is:

step 15: go to a ticket machine and there should be instructions in english. choose luneberg for one perosn. it should cost about 12-14euro.

step 16: if there happens to be no instructions in english, go to a train conductor. he'll help you, i'm sure. just point to the machine and look confused. then say "luneberg, einmal" (luneberg, one) and point to yourself. lol.

that's my precious sister folks! hahahaha!

luckily, i met these 2 really nice german girls who can't help but notice me with the instructions in my hand. they were going to the same place as i was. so, fortunately, i didn't humiliate myself.

speaking of my sister, i'm off to london tomorrow for a night, before heading off to keele to visit my lovely sister.

anyway, i leave with this picture when i was in a museum in germany. i didn't censor the naughty parts cause it's art. i'm not really an art person but i think this painting is awesome and so romantic.

two against the world

by
ernst ludwig kirchner

for the sake of updating

2007-10-30T12:02:00.000Z

i'm updating for the sake of updating. no random knowledge here but random personal stuff.

exams are over, now i'm just waiting for my results before going back home. so, no date is confirmed yet. at the moment, i'm just hanging out in southampton doing zip all. i wanted to do a very journal-esq post about MIRC but problems with connecting stopped me in doing so. it's going to be an awesome post. look out for it in the near future.

speaking of posts, i was asked why i don't put personal stuff in my blog. well, in the beginning, my blog was only that but decided to change it so that my readers have something really worthy to read and not just me rambling on about myself. no offense to anyone, i just think it's a bit.. you know. so, what do you guys think? should i put in more 'a day in the life of sham' or just keep it general knowledge on random stuff?

take the poll!

eat slow, lose weight

2007-10-27T20:09:00.000Z

hello everyone! want to lose weight but can't really find the time (or the initiative) to get off your keisters and sweat? well, i found this article just for all of you lazy bums out there! did you know that you could lose weight just by eating slower?? have a read!

A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full.

If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop on time. Now, I would still recommend that you eat healthier foods, but if you’re looking to lose weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new lifestyle.

also, it will help with your digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.

another good reason to eat slower is that it will lesses your stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. This kind of mindfulness, I believe, will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Give it a try.

Nov. 17, 2004 -- Eating slowly may help overweight people lose weight after all, according to a new study that tested the commonly held belief.

The study showed that overweight men and women actually ate less when they ate a slower than usual pace.

Researchers say the study shows that eating slower may assist overweight men and women in their weight loss efforts. Their results were presented this week at the annual meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity in Las Vegas.

Eat Slow, Lose Weight

In the study, 28 overweight men and women ate a lunch of chicken nuggets at their normal pace in order for researchers to establish their habitual eating pattern.

Then over the course of three lunches, researchers varied the pace of the same meal by instructing the participants to take a bite when they heard a computer beep.

In the first lunch, they ate a prolonged meal in which the pace of the entire meal was slowed by 50%. In the second, they ate a decelerated meal in which the pace of only the last half of the meal was decreased by half, and in the final meal they ate at a steady pace.

The participants were told that the computer beeping would last indefinitely and they could eat as much or as little as they wanted.

The study showed that all of the participants ate more during the steady meal than in either of the slower meals. The difference between each of the three meals was largest among the men. However, researchers say only a small number of men were involved in the study (six), and more research is needed to confirm this result.

But they say this study shows that a slower rate of eating results in people eating less, which may help them lose weight.

house terminology 101

2007-10-18T19:00:00.000Z

i love this guy. as much of a jerk he is, he's a brilliant one. the need to solve medical problems, not because to save lives, but only because he's that curious is just amazing. i love the show but nearly 80% of the time, i have no idea what they're talking about. so today, for those of you love the show, i shall share a few of the frequently used medical terms of the show and some fun facts about the show.

Differential Diagnosis:
when house and his team gather together to talk about a case, this is what it's called.
"The process of weighing the probability of one disease versus that of other diseases possibly accounting for a patient's illness. The differential diagnosis of rhinitis (a runny nose) includes allergic rhinitis (hayfever), the abuse of nasal decongestants and, of course, the common cold."

what's wrong with his leg?
He had an infarction in his right thigh.
Similar to a clot that causes a stroke if it is in the brain, a heart attack if it is in the heart and an embolism if it is in the lung, an infarction in his leg blocked the flow of blood.

It is further explained in "Three Stories" that his condition went misdiagnosed for three days causing severe nerve damage and muscle death. They wanted to amputate his leg but he opposed it. The surgery that tried to restore blood circulation and removal of dead muscle tissue left his leg permanently impaired and in chronic pain

what's vicodin?
the pills that house is addicted to. Vicodin is actually a combination of two pain relievers; acetaminophen, commonly known by the trade name Tylenol; and hydrocodone, a synthetic codeine. Vicodin is one of the most widely prescribed pain relievers and has become one of the most frequently abused.

"do a biopsy!!"
A biopsy means taking a small body tissue sample from somewhere in the body and examining it very closely under the microscope. Biopsies are usually taken during medical tests or operations. For example, you may be having an endoscopy - an examination that looks at the inside of your oesophagus (gullet) and stomach.

If your doctor sees signs of stomach ulceration, small tissue samples will be cut out and sent to the laboratory. The cells in these samples of tissue will be looked at very closely under the microscope to see if they are normal or cancer cells. If they were normal, then you would be diagnosed with a stomach ulcer. If they looked cancerous, then you would be diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Cancer cells look quite different to normal cells. They are often more primitive looking and have oddly shaped nuclei compared to a normal cell. Even so, you can usually tell what type of body cell it was originally. Doctors can sometimes tell from biopsies where in the body a cancer has started.

As you can see, biopsies are vitally important in medicine. It is virtually impossible to diagnose some types of cancer any other way. Doctors can see signs on CT scans, and when they examine you, that indicate cancer. But often, the only way to be sure is to actually look for cancer cells under the microscope.

what are their specialties?
House (Hugh Laurie) is the Head of the Diagnostics Department with dual specialty in Nephrology and Infectious Diseases. Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) is an Immunologist. Foreman (Omar Epps) is a Neurologist. Chase (Jesse Spencer) is an Intensivist (Intensive Care Specialist). Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) is a Oncologist as well as the Head of the Oncology Department. And Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) is the Hospital Administrator as well as the Dean of Medicine and an Endocrinologist (Insensitivity, Season 3, Episode 14).

lupus:
a running joke of the show. it's been mentioned a thousand times in their diagnosis but it never is lupus. so, what is it?
Lupus is now recognised as an important and common illness of modern times. It is a disease in which the immune system goes ‘wrong’, becomes overactive. It can affect any organ of the body. Because the symptoms can be so diverse, including for example; fatigue, rashes, allergies, depression and kidney failure it is called the ‘great mimic’. All ages can be affected, but the commonest sufferers are young females, the peak ages being between 18 and 45. lupus still remains one of nature's grim diseases - but the outlook for most sufferers, given the correct treatment, has improved beyond recognition.

gregory house = sherlock holmes
Creator David Shore based House on Sherlock Holmes because of his ability to solve the medical mysteries of his patients. You'll find lots of similarities to Holmes, who was in turn based on a real-life doctor by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so it's come full circle.

In addition, Holmes and House have something else in common: both are drug addicts. House is addicted to the powerful painkiller Vicodin and Holmes to injected cocaine.

The show is named after a play on words (House = holmes). House's best friend James Wilson is named after Holmes' friend James Watson.

click here for more house!

the first episode of season 4 is absolutely awesome!! one of the funniest episodes ever!

personal note: on hiatus for a week cause exams coming up. i might update if there's something really worthy to write about.

the death of our sun

2007-10-15T22:09:00.000Z

i just finished watching sunshine. it's about these scientists going to the dying Sun and implant a bomb to rejuvenate it. so, this caught my attention and i had to find out more about it.

the sun at about 2% of its full brightness

that bright shining star, our sun, has been there for about 4.5 billion years ago and it is 1/3 into its life span. scientists are now predicting the following events during the remaining life of our star:

In the next 1.1 billion years, its brightness will increase by 10%. This will super-heat our planet as a result of a severe greenhouse effect. All of the oceans on earth will boil away and all life will be destroyed.

In about 6.5 billion years, our sun will double in brightness and use up all of its supply of hydrogen fuel in its core. This will cause the sun to begin swelling as it uses hydrogen from the layers surrounding the core.

In about 8 billion years the sun will swell to 166 times its present size. This giant star will swallow up Mercury, Venus, and maybe even our Earth. Our sun will then be what scientists call a Red Giant because it will be very large and red in color.

note: though don't underestimate the Earth. Even inside the sun it will not disintegrate and will continue in its orbit! It's just too massive to be pushed around or boiled away. Bad news for the life ON the Earth, though it's going to be uninhabitable 3 billion years before that anyway.

an illustration of earth under the Red Giant

After all hydrogen fuel is used, the sun will begin to use helium as its fuel. This fuel will burn very quickly and only last about 100 million years.

In about 12 billion years, the sun will eject much of its outer layers and become a smoldering, collapsed core that scientists would call a White Dwarf.

white dwarf

got tagged...

2007-10-10T08:38:00.000Z

got tagged.. must answer..

Name, age and occupation.
sham, 22, student

Which schools did you go to - since kindergarten up till your current/last educational institution?
sek. rendah binturan, tutong. - sek. menengah sufri bolkiah - sek. menengah muda hashim - maktab duli - warsash maritime academy.

Favourite subjects [throughout the span of your education, e.g. you can include what you enjoyed in high school, college, AND university]. Why?
physics, maths and english.. cause i genuinely enjoy learning them.

Favourite teachers? Why?
mr pixton, my MD maths teacher. he was one of the best teachers i've ever had!

What qualities do you feel should a good teacher have?
funny and passionate about teaching their subject.

What are/were the impacts teachers have/had on you?
don't know how to answer this one.. too long..

Describe the most memorable moment/s you’ve shared with a teacher/teachers?
hmm.. i'm getting a sense that these are 'teacher's day' questions..

Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher? Yes or no? Elaborate on your answer.
nope.. i tried very hard to avoid it. and thankfully, so far so good.

If you’re working, are you still in contact with any of your teachers? Why/why not?
in contact? nope. tried to keep in contact with mr pixton but it was kinda hard.

To tag :: no one. let this rather dull questionnaire end here..

is king arthur real?

2007-10-09T15:26:00.000Z

i have this friend, *li *m*ni (the 'A' in his name is not shown to protect his identity), he told me that king arthur was real. of course, i laughed thinking he was joking.

"i'm f*ckin' serious, dude" he said with a straight face. i remained quiet.

then i laughed louder than before. apparently, when he was a wee boy, his mommy brought him to a castle in winchester and there, they saw the legendary castle of camelot and the round table. well, today, i shall unravel the truth and myth of the mighty king, shattering my friend's dream and reveal his childhood memory was nothing but a lie.

king arthur. just a legend or a true hero?

first off, let's start with a brief 'history' of the magnificent king. king arthur was not ruling the east part of england but was more associated to cornwall. there are multiple time frames of his era, but it is around 367-734 AD. his origins is not known. some say he's british or roman. the earliest account of the reign of arthur was not documented until 200 years after the arthur era. so, this account is a long shot to the truth at best. but in 1998, this stone caused a stir.

In the north coast of Cornwall on cliffs overlooking the sea. In the 1100's this was recorded as the traditional birthplace of Arthur. In 1991 the first major excavation since the 1930's took place at Tintagel Castle directed by Professor Chris Morris of the University of Glasgow. In 1983 an excavation here found the remains of dozens of huts from the 400's. During the1998 excavation in August some evidence of a Runic inscription on a piece of rock of the 500's mentioning Arthur (Artognov) was located. The present day economy of Tintagel is closely built on the myth of King Arthur. Arthur's birth site is reputed to lie beneath the Norman castle.

the answer is not yet conclusive.

you may know the story of the sword in the stone.

"only a true king can pull this sword from the stone!" said merlin . then, a boy came and pulled it out and became king of camelot. it is said that the mythical sword could cut anything. the story doesn't just end there. according to historical accounts, he threw away excalibur when he accidentally killed a fellow knight but went on a quest to find a new sword and named it after the original.

as he was a great leader, he was also a great warrior. in a crucial battle with the invading anglo-saxons, he won the battle..... single-handedly, killing over 900 men.

now for the truth... where better to start than wikipedia.
King Arthur is a fabled Brython leader and a prominent figure in Britain's legendary history. A real individual may have been the inspiration of the legend, but later stories of Arthur are almost entirely fictional. In these he appears as the ideal of kingship both in war and peace; even in modern times he has been ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Britons of all time. Over time, the stories of King Arthur have captured such widespread interest that he is no longer identified as the legendary hero of a single nation. Countless new legends, stories, revisions, books, and films have been produced in Europe and the United States that unabashedly enlarge on and expand the fictional accounts of King Arthur.

most historians think that arthur were stories of many great leaders of the time, making him one great king. he was actually nothing more than a mere romantic story of a great king and his brave knights and round tables which was just used as a moral booster for pheasants and soldiers of the time. a big proof to this are the armours. during the alleged arthur era, weapons back then were simple. there were no knights in shinning armours on horses with metal swords. wooden spears would have been common and realistic during that period.

there's a lot more to it than what i described above but for your sake, i shall stop here. it's very long and some may find it dull.

but there was one more thing i needed to find out. what did my friend actually see when he was a kid? well, here it is...

this was just a replica of the famous king arthur's roundtable. and the king on the table is king henry VIII. kings and leaders of the knight era would use king arthur's brave stories in war cries before going into battle. so, it is not surprising that a roundtable is made to, again, boost morale.

hope you had a good read, *li!

my new toy

2007-10-08T11:44:00.000Z

my last post left people wondering what i was holding in my hand! haha! i mentioned it before about several posts ago. it's a PMP (portable media player).

Featuring the highest quality screen resolution, highest quality video, touch screen, WiFi capabilities for streaming content to the device or a TV, the ARCHOS 605 WiFi is the top product in the line-up for flexibility, portability, features and price.

Touch screen

The ARCHOS 605 WiFi features the highest resolution screen (800 X 480) and highest quality screen in a PMP. Use the touch screen to easily operate the device with your finger or stylus.

Personalize your ARCHOS

Make it yours: personalize your ARCHOS 605 WiFi to fit your unique lifestyle. Abundant plug-ins and accessories are available to customize your device to work the way you do: Go online for full Web surfing, video your friends and family in action, record your favorite TV shows and movies, and share your photos.

WiFi

Download content wirelessly and directly to your ARCHOS 605 WiFi via the ARCHOS Content Portal and our partners' online stores.
You can also stream movies, TV shows and music that are stored on your computer.
Your device is Internet ready! With the optional Web browser plug-in, you can surf the Web and enjoy videos from online videos sites like DailyMotion and YouTube.

Your movies, your videos

Store and play up to 40 movies
Play the most popular video format: MPEG-4, WMV, protected WMV, MPEG-2*, VOB*, H.264* (*with optional plug-ins)
Play the movies you shot on your camcorder

Your photos

Transfer your photos from a PC or most mass storage devices via the USB 2.0 high speed interface
Store and view up to 300,000 photos1 (JPEG, PNG and BMP formats)
Display slideshows with music and transition effect
Manage your files and folders directly on the device for a better mobility

Your TV

Record your favorite TV shows or series directly on your ARCHOS 605 WiFi with the optional DVR Station Gen 5
Easy programming with the TV Program Guide
Record the most video sources such as satellite/cable box, VCR, DVD player in MPEG-4 format

Your music

Store and listen up to 15,000 songs
Play the most popular music files such as MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA
Easily organize songs with the enhanced ARCLibrary
Customize your view by artist, album, type of music, title and create your playlist on the go

click here to find out more!

headaches, tv & my new toy

2007-10-04T20:16:00.000Z

apologies for the lack of random info updates. it's been one heck of a busy week. while everyone else's term is just beginning, mine is about to end this month. so, with that comes assignments' due dates, exams and the all studying to complete. boy.. it's wearing me out. i've been having major headaches for a number of times now. therefore, updating my blog about random stuff that you CAN live without is not on my mind at the moment.

the start of TV season isn't helping either.. a bunch of awesome shows are coming back now. i.e. prison break, heroes, how i met your mother, etc are consuming my free time. to be honest, i'm not looking forward to going back home actually.. i'm having too much fun here just rotting in my room waiting for my super fast internet to download all that goody. sweet-bitter fate..

i rarely buy things on a whim. i'm a very cautious shopper. even if i say i was to go on a shopping spree, i'd most probably end up with 2 things at the end of the day. i'm not a penny-pincher, i'm just aware of my financial situation. but when i do buy something worthy, it really is somethin worthy. feast your eyes on this beauty..

oh yes.. going on a very long trip would not be a dull experience anymore.. yessiree.. i could have a grey's anatomy marathon or just listening to music or better yet, watching music videos. have wifi hotspot? much more awesome! i'll just browse the web and watch youtube to my heart's content. isn't technology just the grandest?

i'm going to london tomorrow, so now i can try out my little miracle and see how it is. i'll have a full review of it soon.
also coming soon is a regular update on random stuff, when things calm down a bit.
later days.

10 worst pick-up lines!

2007-09-28T19:09:00.000Z

i just read this article on msn. i can't believe people actually use these pick-up lines.. haha!

Pick-up lines you must avoid!

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

Knowing that the attraction between you and that cute person is mutual… trying trendy new restaurants… getting that rush from smooching someone for the first time—these are just a few of the perks to the single life. But, alas, there is a downside to being relationship-free: The torture of being subjected to stale, decades-old, pick-up lines is penance for all that fun. In a survey taken across a range of age groups, geographical borders and lifestyles, we have compiled the top 10 worst pick-up lines that have sullied the ears of singles everywhere. Read on, and see how many of these have been lobbed in your direction.

1. “What’s your sign?”
The epitome of cheese, this line, which has been around since the Beatles came to America, ranks as the very worst line in dating history. The fact that it’s still in use says a lot about the decay of our society’s standards and the glaring desperation of some singles.

2. “Pardon me, I seem to have lost my phone number, can I borrow yours?”
Maybe this was funny around 1910 or 1915—back when the telephone was a novel appliance. It does not inspire smiles now, only scared and doomed looks.

3. “You must be a broom because you’re sweeping me off my feet.”
Maybe your dad used this one on your mom and for nostalgia’s sake, you’re bringing it out again. Nostalgia does not get you dates, only pity. “I actually had a guy say this to me during happy hour,” says Kim, a vivacious flight attendant who gets her share of pick-up lines. “I didn’t hold it against him because I don’t know how much he’d had to drink and he was cute. But if he hadn’t been cute, I would have dodged him.”

4. “Do you have a license? Because you’re driving me crazy.”
Caution! Watching too many stupid teen movies impairs your judgment. This probably sounded clever to the person who swiped it from an Annette and Frankie beach party flick.

5. “I gotta thirst and baby, you look like my Gatorade.”
Generally, comparing potential dates to food or drinks is not a winning move. “I had a guy use this one on me and I rolled my eyes and walked way,” says Susan, a marketing representative who doesn’t usually go for lines. “But a couple of weeks later, I saw this hot guy at the gym and I used that same line and it worked! I guess there are gender preferences when it comes to lines. He was really flattered, where I was insulted when it was used on me.”

6. “Are you lost? Because heaven’s a long way from here.”
Maybe angels like this one, but real women don’t.

7. “Are you religious? Because you’re the answer to all my prayers.”
Prayer is something that anyone who uses this tacky line desperately needs.

8. “Can I take your picture? I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas.”
This line is popular with both men and women who think references to Santa are cute and charming, which are qualities that they never possess personally.

9. “Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk by again?”
“A stunning woman I had been staring at used this on me,” says Mark, a tawny-haired, gregarious copywriter. “I know it’s an old one but it took guts to say it. I’m afraid I happily fell for it.”

10. “Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?”
A personal favorite, this one takes a certain amount of arrogance, as well as delusion, to pull off.

here is the original post and find out the worst pick-up lines that actually worked!

oh gravity...

2007-09-25T15:56:00.000Z

this has been bothering me for a while now.. okay, here's mr plane flying merrily. the question is, will he go around the world faster going westwards than he will going eastwards because of the rotation of the earth?

i've been looking for the answers everywhere on the internet but i've found only one so far... and it contradicted ali's answer. he said that the time taken will still be the same due to the earth's gravity, making the rotation of the earth, negligible. i'm not quite sure how to explain it but i think he meant that mr plane's weight is acting with the rotation of the earth OR it's weight is just slowing it down.
the contradicting answer i found was on answer.yahoo.com:

The one going east will go faster for most of the ride (has the wind behind it), and with the rotation of the earth it will arrive faster, as the earth rotates east to west. One last thing, it also depends on the altitude reached and weather conditions.

note: i don't think the guy is a physicist or anything.

any physicist out there that can quench my curiosity will be much appreciated.

my youtube favourites!

2007-09-24T19:27:00.000Z

as i have mentioned over and over again, i am massive fan of youtube. i spend literally hours browsing through infinite amount of videos on the fantastic video website. here are some of my favourites that i subscribe to.

happyslip

christine is one of the most popular youtuber at the moment, ranking at no. 6 on the most subscribed. her videos are mostly about her Filipino parents and the people in her life. she basically just pokes fun of them in her videos. she produces, directs and even acts in all her videos with no help from anyone. her videos are watched at an average of half a million times! with the highest view at over 3 million times! funny acting, singing and the talent to play guitar and the piano are the traits that makes her popular among people online. but what over 76,000 subscribers keep coming back for more is her very lovable personality. click here for her website.

whatthebuck?

About Buck:
Michael Buckley is the host and writer of WHAT THE BUCK, the popular celebrity news program. Whether accusing David Beckham of playing with Tom Cruise's balls or warning Jennifer Hudson that Beyonce wants to kill her, Mr. Buckley is not afraid to tell stars to go Buck themselves! Buck covers all the hot topics of the week and will simply make stuff up if the real news sucked that week! You can also watch Buck on The Fizz which airs on DirectTV. Buck can also be heard on Leeza Gibbons radio show Hollywood Confidential. He is most proud of the fact that more people watch him every week than "Hey Paula".

just two words that sum it all up - very entertaining. click here for his channel.

marie digby

her name seems easy enough but to pronounce it correctly it should sound like 'mar-ee-ay'. 24th in the most subscribed musician on youtube, she's slowly getting herself known in the music industry. she's been on the radio and on tv shows singing the song that made her break, the umbrella-ella-ella song! her music talent on the acoustic guitar, her sweet voice and being drop-dead gorgeous resulted in over 1.2 million views on her video! watch out for her in the near future. for more of the japanese-american beauty, click here!

daxflame

well.. where do i start with this guy.. i hate him and his videos but i just can't seem to look away.. i am a peaceful guy and i do not condone violence but whenever i see this guy's video, i just want to meet him in person and pound his head in! arrrghhhh!! a lot of people out in youtube feels the same way and yet he has over 45,000 subscribers (including me) and has a channel hit of almost 4 million times! Bernice Juach III (yes, that's his name.. don't you just want to beat him up already?) he HAD over 100 videos but i can't seem to find them now. he may have removed all of them. very fortunate for you guys. but it's not the end of daxflame. rumours have been circulating that he's just another actor like lonelygirl15. well, if he is, he's really good. if not, he needs mental help. someone please beat him up..

my weekend

2007-09-23T18:06:00.000Z

just got back from a wonderful time in london. it's good to see ali and my brunei hall buddies again. now, i can actually look forward to weekends and knowing that london is just a 3-hour coach ride is a sigh of relief. anyway take a gander at these..

ever wondered if giants are vain? apparently, they are. haha! it is actually an advertisement for a new discovery channel show. you might have heard of two very popular reality documentaries; miami ink and la ink. well, a new one is coming soon called, london ink. i'm a big fan of both ink's but i'm not sure if i'll be liking this new one. there's something about english reality shows that makes me go uggghhh.. but it's too soon for me to judge just yet.

a book that literally stopped me in my tracks on the way to london. the title just popped out and completely caught my attention. i had to have it. i had to read it.

back cover:

Clear instructions on how to do just about anything... even if it had never occurred to you to them in the first place.

keep a dozen roses fresh
clean grout without scrubbing
make a basic vinaigrette
make dreadlocks
read your date's body language (<- i know i'm intrigued too.. more on this soon.)
treat your dog's separation anxiety (not so much on this one though..)

The eHow team knows how to do just everything, and in this comprehensive reference book it shares its expertise with you. From pets to home improvement, sport to survival guide, here are 1001 solutions explaining clearly how to get the job done - and done well.

For every task there are clear step-by-step instructions, helpful tips and warnings and useful lists of things you will need to complete each task. There are also practical checklists, charts and calenders.

**warning this book is seriously addictive**

the book was down-priced from £16.99 to £4.99. addictive? really. i'll let you all know soon. hope you had a good weekend.

"don't tase me, bro!"

2007-09-20T07:31:00.000Z

according to google, this phrase is the 11th most searched for item. it is now also one of the most discussed topic on facebook (over 80 groups especially made) and youtube. here's why.

NOTE: VIDEO DEPICTS VIOLENCE AND HAS A SLIGHT SQUIMISH-FACTOR

CNN september 19th

GAINESVILLE, Florida (CNN) -- It has been 48 hours since college student Andrew Meyer was stunned with a Taser during a forum with Sen. John Kerry, and some students are still in shock over what happened.
But other students at the University of Florida are already tired of hearing about it.

While about 350 students protested the incident Tuesday, the opinions on campus seem to be evenly divided over whether the officers acted properly.

On the popular online networking Web site Facebook.com, students from around the nation have already created more than 80 groups discussing what happened Monday. Even among those groups, the count is almost split between the number who oppose the police's action and those who support their decision.

"I was pretty horrified by what happened. I was shocked that the people we are supposed to trust would turn against us," said Vanessa Wood, a freshman who is majoring in psychology.

This is what I saw at the Kerry forum on Monday: Meyer, a 21-year-old telecommunications major, jumped up to the microphone already flanked by University

He interrupted another student's question, and although Kerry had earlier said he was taking no more questions, he told Meyer he'd take his comments next. Kerry asked the police to allow Meyer to speak.

When it was his turn, Meyer first asked about the 2004 presidential election and followed with statements about whether President Bush should be impeached.

At that moment the microphone was turned off and police began to take Meyer out of the auditorium. Meyer then started to struggle with the officers.

As they pulled him toward the exit, Meyer broke free and tried to get away. At that point, six officers tackled Meyer to the ground and told him to roll over.

He continued to yell for help and a female officer warned Meyer if he did not stop he would be Tased. He kept yelling and one of the other officers gave the order to Tase him.

The audience remained seated and watching the confrontation until they heard the loud zap of the Taser. Then several people at the event started yelling at the officers.

"I was startled by the noise, considering what was happening in front of me. And after they Tasered him there was a stench that was not overpowering but it was unsettling," said Ben Omar, a University of Florida graduate student.

The videotape of Meyer screaming as he was shocked quickly got the attention of news services and became a YouTube hit.

Campus rumors now circulate that Meyer, known as being a prankster, was simply trying to be obnoxious and get attention at the Kerry speech.

Meyer spent a night in jail on charges of disturbing the peace and resisting an officer. Later, the school's president, Bernard Machen, said two police officers involved were placed on administrative leave.

Since the incident, Meyer has kept a low profile. But other students haven't been so quiet, with Tuesday's rally protesting what the students' claimed was a case of police brutality and another rally being planned.

my thoughts on this? at first, i saw a shorter version of that video with just the police tasing the poor guy and thought that it was one of the most horrific thing i've ever seen. but i found this longer video and now i'm not sure. still, tasing him was not necessary at all. he was on the ground with 4 officers over him. he couldn't possibly do anything then.

anyway, "Don't Tase Me, Bro!" has become the newest cultural touchstone of our pop-cultural lexicon. t-shirts of the phrase are made and in hot demand.

how to thrive the uni life

2007-09-15T12:10:00.000Z

first of all, i would like to congratulate to all those received their scholarships. you all will be in an experience of a life time. today, i'll share with you the general secrets of success in the new study environment.

it's not really any different from the previous academic experience you've been through before. many things are the same only at a higher academic level. the main differences you will find are that:

you have more control and independence over what, when and how you study

understanding and critical thinking are more important than remembering.

1. get organised!
it's not like O-level or A-level, where things are just relaxing and most things are done for you. it's up to you to organise yourself and your study. you may find that all of your assignments are due at the same time, so a bit of forward planning for staggered deadlines will save a lot of panic at the last minute.

2. get yourself informed!
about things like timetables, room locations, deadlines and guidelines for assignments. it’s your responsibility to do this – no-one will remind you! your Course Handbook is your best source for what you need to know about your course of study. make sure you know where you’ve put it, or how to access it online – you’ll probably need it later in the term.

3. make notes! - lots of 'em...
getting handouts is a rarity in university classes and if you try to write down everything the lecturer says you won’t be able to focus on listening. make notes of selected points and underline the important ones to make them obvious. add any thoughts of your own that arise, but make it clear that they’re your own ideas, perhaps by circling them.

4. understanding is key
at university, it's not about how much you know, but how you understand it. that usually means knowing the major issues and debates and putting what you’ve found out about the topic into that context. it also means being able to communicate your understanding, so knowing how to structure your work and write clearly is really important.

5. leave your procrastination back home!
again, get yourself organised. lecturers give assignments with a very long deadline. you have to have a really damn good reason to not finish or extending it. of course, most of us like to do things at the very last minute and managed to do so time and time again. but in university, it's just not worth the stress and most of the time, getting a low grade in the end. do it early and do it well.

6. ask for help when you need it.
there’s a lot to get used to when you come to university, and no-one finds it all easy. one of your most important responsibilities is to yourself - to recognise when you need help and to know where to get it. there are plenty of people whose job is to help you get yourself sorted. you can talk to your personal tutor, or a Study Adviser, or a Counsellor.

7. be financially aware!
it’s a valuable habit to get into and being a student, with all the difficulties of juggling expenditure, is a good time to start practicing it. keep a log of how much money you have coming in and how you are spending it. that way you can tell exactly where your money is going and make important conclusions from it. found out you are spending the bulk of your money on study books? look at buying them second hand (ebay or amazon) or using the library.

to put it simply, just be aware of what you're spending. i've seen people buy useless things and most of the time at the spur of the moment. this is especially for newbies. not even been in uk for a day, already buying expensive stuff like brand new £25 dvd (5 of them) and £100 shoes - very foolish and unnecessary. please be a bit cautious of your spendings and don't be so iski.(very stupidly eager)

8. explore your campus!
get to know your campus quickly. it’s where you will spend a lot of your time and by acclimatising yourself to it early, you will settle in much more quickly, making those first few weeks more pleasant. you will also learn the little quirks like the most quiet place to study, or the busiest time in the canteen. by knowing about your campus you will be able to make the most of the facilities. any half-decent college/university will host plenty of free/cheap entertainment and special events. they are much better for your finances than expensive nights out round town.

9. make friends! not just from the same nation.
not really meaning to sound stuck-up or anything but you'll be in a different countries with people from around the world in uni. and you're just wasting that culture-sharing by hanging with other people who are from the same country as you. of course, i'm also not saying to completely ignore them. i'm just saying use this time to spread your wings and your social network.

consider getting to know and befriend as many people as possible, whether it be other students or lecturers. It makes acclimatising to university much more easy if you have people you can talk to and trust. it can also open up lots of opportunities. a lecturer you can comfortably talk to may be able to provide advice on your work, and it can be so much easier to do group work if you have friends on your course. freshers week is great for achieving all this as there will be so many other people in the same position as you. Look to join groups that have the same interests as yours!

more importantly, be friends with seniors. they have experience and it would be a waste to not leech out every bit of tips and tricks, whether it be in studies or any other general tips on cheap transport and food.

10. have fun!
this is an experience of a lifetime for all of you. don't waste a second of it being cooped up in a room (except when assignments are due). go out have the best safe fun of your life!

britney spears, kid rock and the girl from highschool musical

2007-09-13T21:21:00.000Z

i've never talked about celebrity gossips and mindless entertainment news (like perez hilton is famously known for) but i've been watching a lot of tv and youtube lately and here are the some that i feel like sharing.

i watched the video music awards last night. personally, i didn't like the atmosphere of the place. different parties going on in different rooms? so weird. and the usual, 'just seats' in the audience area was changed to tabled hall, made the event really quiet. but anyway, that is beside the point. the main story, which i'm sure you know by now, the legendary britney spears. describing her performance as sloth-like is a understatement of the year. it looked like she wasn't giving any effort at all. and her post-baby body was very obvious. sources say, she sobbed after her abysmal performance. not a comeback that people were hoping for. on the up side, her song was very catchy.. ok, i found it catchy. so sue me..

another big story was the whole kid rock and tommy lee fight. here's what mtv news said,

According to eyewitnesses, Lee — sitting at the same table as Diddy — jawed at Rock as he made his way toward the Bad Boy CEO, with whom he was supposed to present the show's final performance. It wasn't clear exactly what Lee said to Rock, but apparently after his words, Rock slapped the drummer, according to eyewitnesses. Lee, one eyewitness said, attempted to fight back but, before he was able to land a blow, was punched in the face by Rock.

Many inside the venue — including Jermaine Durpi — were oblivious to the fight taking place behind them. Others either tried to get out of the way as security tossed chairs to reach the outbreak or were stunned and didn't quite know what was going on.

Security quickly detained both men, with Lee being immediately removed from the venue. Rock, with his cigar still in his mouth, was held back momentarily until Lee left and calmly walked out alongside security.

"I never hit nobody for nothing before," Rock was overhead saying in the lobby of the casino. "I told him to shut the f--- up."

According to a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police Department, Rock was cited for misdemeanor battery for his assault on Lee. Rock was not detained or taken into police custody but was issued a summons. He'll need to return to Vegas for a future court date, and if convicted, he faces a $500 fine and up to six months behind bars.

i even read somewhere that kid rock went looking for tommy in his hotel room but kicked down a door with a frightened family inside. he apologized and signed autographs for them.

okay.. i wanted to talk about your beloved highschool musical chick (dunno the name, don't care either) but my motivation for this post is gone now.. watch the video.. hehe. i love what-the-buck.

urine

2007-09-11T21:08:00.000Z

what a title eh? i would think that'll catch your attention. this topic came about, of course, in the toilet. i was attending to nature's call when i noticed, not one.. not two.. but three guys who just left without washing their hands! they didn't even acknowledge the existence of the taps! if you're one of those people, please read on.. for the sake of your health. and while on the topic, some really fun but gross facts about the yellow liquid. i hope you're not having a drink while reading this.

why is it important?

if the fact that it's just really disgusting isn't enough, a number of infectious diseases can be spread from one person to another by contaminated hands, particularly gastrointestinal infections and hepatitis A. washing your hands properly can help prevent the spread of the organisms that cause these diseases.
some forms of gastroenteritis can cause serious complications, especially for young children, the elderly or those with a weakened immune system. drying your hands properly is as important as washing them.

when to wash?

after going to the loo isn't the only time to wash your hands. you should wash your hands thoroughly:

before preparing food
before eating
between handling raw and cooked or ready-to-eat food
after going to the toilet or changing nappies
after smoking
after using a tissue or handkerchief
after handling rubbish or working in the garden
after handling animals
after attending to sick children or other family members.

what is the proper way to wash our hands?

use large amounts of warm, running water and liquid soap to lather hands and wrists. Scrub all surfaces of your hands and fingers for at least 15 to 20 seconds (note: this is about the same time for you to completely sing the birthday song, if that'll help you remember.) bar soaps can harbor germs which cause infection. Therefore, use liquid soap if available.
rinse hands well clean, running water.
rinse with hands pointing down to prevent rinse water from running up your arms.
dry your hands with either a disposable paper towel or hot air. make sure your hands are really dry.
shut off the faucet using the paper towel as a barrier between your clean hands and the faucet handle.

fun facts!

80 percent of all infectious diseases are passed by human contact, either direct or indirect? That includes viruses like pneumonia, salmonella and the common cold.
urine is sterile and is safe to drink! oh yes it's true.. this is what i found..

Most people forget that urine is mostly water. Water is the filter of the human body. Waste that our cells produce, collectivley known as urea, ends up in our bloodstream. Our kidneys remove the urea, along with excess water, and the result is urine. When you drink your own urine, you are putting more water back into your system, but you are also putting in the stuff your body is trying to get rid of.

This is not bad for you at first, but if you drink no water, only your own urine for an extended period of time, the urea content of your urine will increase. It becomes difficult to urinate, painfull sometimes. But note, this is after drinking your own urine for days. Its like using a dirty air filter. It works, but soon the filter will become more and more clogged with dust. Just like an air filter, the urine, which now must dispose of more and more waste in the same amount of water, becomes saturated. This is observable, as if you do drink your own urine over a few days it becomes darker in color. Similarly, the more water you drink, the lighter your urine is.

Astronauts on the Apollo 13 mission were stuck in space without power. For the last four days or so of their journey, they had run out of liquid water. They drank their own urine, which kept them from dehydration while they came home.

bottom line, wash your hands! it's a simple task that'll make you healthier. want to know more. click here.

how to speed up your computer

2007-09-09T15:00:00.000Z

there's nothing i hate more than a slow pc/laptop. it just gets my goat when i have to wait more than 5 seconds for a program to start up or website to completely upload on the screen. *cough! my sister's laptop* technology is supposed to be fast! and especially today with all the new high-tech chips and super-powered thinga-ma-jigs.

you might say.. "but, oh wise sham, i have owned my laptop for years now.. so, it can't be as fast as it was once before. surely, there's no way around this other than emptying my wallet/purse buying a new one, is there?"

that's where you're wrong! if your pc wasn't that slow to begin with, then there's hope. i know what you might be thinking.. sending it off to a computer store and have it fixed.. not necessarily.. you can do your own maintenance. i've had my laptop for almost 4 years now and it's not high-tech or anything either.. i'm not even going to post a picture of it because that's how un-high-tech it is.. but it still runs fine with little glitches. it's all because of good maintenance. and today, i shall share my top pc maintenance tips.

NOTE: for pc people only. for mac users (that means you maurina), look elsewhere. i can't help you here.

pc/laptop maintenace 101

1. get rid of your junks!
a full pc means a slow pc. keeping your hard disk space to more than 15% is the minimum. this is important, which i'll tell you why later. and i'm not only talking about files you saved, music, pictures, etc. the programs that you've installed and afterwards uninstalled could still be in your pc somewhere.
say for example, you've installed a game from EA games. you played it for months.. bored of it.. uninstalled it. and yet if you go to :-

my computer
then, C:
then, program files

you'll be surprised to find a folder named EA games with stuff still in it. sometimes, huge ones. this takes up unnecessary space. delete the whole folder. it won't matter that much. if it did, you wouldn't have uninstalled it to begin with. this is especially important to those of you who love to d/l those mini games (feeding frenzy, diner dash, burger island, etc) and uninstalled it after it expired. it's still in your pc! get rid of them!

2. a faster startup!
you turn on your laptop. went away to let it load. make a cup of coffee. finished drinking it. come back. it's still not on the finished loading your desktop. if this is you, i weep for you, you sad sad person. here's the problem...

it's the startup programs that's slowing you down. look at the bottom right at the system tray (next to the clock). if it's almost filling up your whole taskbar, that's the problem. those are programs that are running in the background. these are tiny programs that are robbing you of memory and processing power. some of them you need, while most you don’t. some of the programs you DON’T need are printer icons, CD burning icons, shortcuts to programs (such as video settings), any Instant Messaging Programs, etc. Just because these programs aren’t always running, doesn’t mean that you still can’t print, burn CDs or Instant Message. They can be run when you need them, from a shortcut. get rid of them! go to:-

start
run
type in MSCONFIG
you'll see the 'start up' tab. click on that.
here, untick those that you don't need right away. example: ituneshelper, adobe reader speed launch, quick time task. you might have not used it in months! so, untick those and other that you're sure you don't need.
click apply and on the next start up, it'll make a HUGE difference.

also, check your system tray regularly when using your pc. if you see the msn messenger icon on it even though it says you're offline, just exit it. it just sits there being useless and slows the pc down.

3. clean up your disk!
one of the simplest way to clear up the clutter and make your pc faster. go to:

start
all programs, accessories
system tools
click on 'disk clean up'

click here for a detail description of what it is but basically, it's just what it says. it cleans up your drive of any useless data you have on your pc. if you're worried that it might clean up something you still need, don't. it'll know what you need and what you won't need. there is also an option there for it to clean up 'temporary internet files'. those are data of past websites that you've visited. it kept a log so that the next time you visit that website, it'll load faster. by default, it'll already be ticked. but if you're the sort of person who can't remember website addresses and depends on the first few parts of the address and let the browser fill up the rest or you want it to load faster, untick this box. but personally, i think it takes up a huge space (in just 3 days, i accumulated about 60mb of temporary internet files ':s ) . and i just bookmark my favourite sites.

4. make your windows basic!
do you have a very impressive looking desktop? colourful backgrounds, a mouse cursor with blinking lights and colourful trails behind it, impressive visual effects and a theme that makes people go "wow.." that's good and all but is it making your pc slow?

just go back to basics people. it's pretty to look at but not very practical. below, an article i found that describes this perfectly..

By default, EVERYTHING is turned on in Windows XP. It isn’t very streamlined for performance, but rather for appearance. You can turn off a few of the unnecessary features, and Windows will still work just fine, and maybe a little faster.

To do this, right-click on My Computer and click on Properties. Click on the Advanced tab. Under the Performance section, click on the Settings button. On the Visual Effects tab, you will see a list of check boxes. By default, these are all on. You really don’t need any of them. If you choose one of the radio buttons at the top, say, Adjust for Best Performance, then all of the check boxes will turn off. This will noticeably speed up your computer. You can go through the check boxes one by one, and determine which ones you can and can’t live without. The one that will make the biggest effect is the very last one in the list. This is the Themes. If you turn it off, it will free up a lot of system resources and give you quite a bit more memory to work with, but Windows XP will look more like Windows 2000. For most people, this isn’t a problem. It is all eye-candy, anyway. Your pretty green pasture picture will disappear; your pretty green and blue buttons and task bar will go to a gray. If you can live with these things, then you will have much more performance. You will find that menus open up much more quickly and everything responds more immediately.

looks isn't everything.. especially when it comes to computers. it's the speed and functionality we want. don't you agree?

5. defragment, defragment, defragment!
i cannot stress this enough. when i see someone's laptop acting like a tortoise, i'll ask if they've defragmented it recently. i usually get a, "i de-what now?" or "no dude.. i don't have that kinda money" or "haha! that's a funny word! did you just make that up?"

here's how i like to explain what it actually is..
(NOTE: no comment necessary on the drawing. i know it's super cool.)

so okay.. here's mr pc working on your file.
then you ask it save those files. mr pc then works frantically and saves it in your hard disk as fast as he can because, that's what he does.. he tries to work as fast as his tiny processor can dish out.
BUT there's a downside to this.. the files aren't always in the same place as one huge chunk. most of the time, it's in pieces. especially big files like, programs or games you installed. mr pc does know where each parts are and when you load them up, sometimes it takes mr pc a few moments to gather everything together.
uh-oh.. here comes mr defrag-man and he is far from happy..
mr defrag-man now has to sort out the mess, so that stuff on mr pc works faster. so, the longer you haven't defragment your hard disk, the messier it is. remember when i told you you need at least 15% of free space? well, here is why.. mr defrag-man needs space to work with.. to place the separated files all together in one place temporarily while it finds a suitable place to place in, in one chunk. the best hard disk space it'll need is 25%. it'll defragment your files much faster.. here's how you do it.

a. To defragment your hard drives (in any Windows operating system), double-click on My Computer. Right-click on the c-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose the bottom button, to Defragment Now… Click on the appropriate drive, and then on Defragment. This can take some time. Depending on your processing power, the amount of RAM you have available, the size and speed of your drive, and a few other things, this process can take 20 minutes, or hours. It is best to let this one run over night, as well, but it is well worth it.

it'll look something like this...
those red lines on the top bar are the mess.. and the blue lines are the neat sorted chunk of files. the bottom bar is the after picture. see how tidy it is? your pc will work much faster looking like that.

that's it from me but there are a lot of tips on how to speed up your pc. these were some of my easy ones that i very often do. questions are welcomed and i'll try my best to answer them.
click here for 10 top tips!

prison dancers and the chasers

2007-09-08T10:44:00.000Z

i stumbled on this in youtube last night. hahaha! i had to share with you guys.

i found out that it was actually featured on cnn. so, i did some searching for more information on these awesome dancers and i was very fortunate to find these guys.

the seven wonders of the world

2007-09-07T18:04:00.000Z

this topic was brought on by my sister who asked me what are the wonders of the world.. being a major fan of civilization games, i thought i had the answer in the bag.

"well, there's the pyramids.. ummm.. the hanging gardens of babylons is another one.." then i stopped. those were the only two i knew. she told me that the wonders of the world keeps changing and now there more than seven. this caught my curiosity and had to find out. hence today's post.

i thought this was going to be an easy subject. "just google in seven wonders", i thought. well, on my quest to find the answer i found out that there are actually many types of wonders of the world. some of them are:

the seven wonders of the natural world
the seven wonders of the modern world
the seven underwater wonders of the world
the seven wonders of the medieval mind

there are even forgotten wonders of the world.

but the one i was actually interested and will share with you today are the seven wonders of the ancient world.

the great pyramids of giza

of course, when thinking of the world wonders, everyone would definitely know that the pyramids are one of them. being the only wonder that is still left standing here today, it is located in the city of giza, a necropolis of ancient memphis, and today part of greater cairo, egypt.

the great pyramid is believed to have been built over a 20 year period. the site was first prepared, and blocks of stone were transported and placed. an outer casing (which disappeared over the years) was then used to smooth the surface. although it is not known how the blocks were put in place, several theories have been proposed. one theory involves the construction of a straight or spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. this ramp, coated with mud and water, eased the displacement of the blocks which were pushed (or pulled) into place. a second theory suggests that the blocks were placed using long levers with a short angled foot.

interesting facts:

when it was built, the great pyramid was 145.75 m (481 ft) high. over the years, it lost 10m (30 ft) off its top.
it was the tallest structure in the world for more than 43 centuries!
it consists of more than 2 million blocks of stone each weighing more than 2 tons.

the hanging gardens of babylon

this wonder is actually a huge controversy. many think it didn't even exist because of a lack of documentation in the babylonian history book.

The Babylonian kingdom flourished under the rule of the famous King, Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC). It was not until the reign of Naboplashar (625-605 BC) of the Neo-Babylonian dynasty that the Mesopotamian civilization reached its ultimate glory. His son, Nebuchadnezzar II (604-562 BC) is credited for building the legendary Hanging Gardens. It is said that the Gardens were built by Nebuchadnezzar to please his wife or concubine who had been "brought up in Media and had a passion for mountain surroundings".

While the most descriptive accounts of the Gardens come from Greek historians such as Berossus and Diodorus Siculus, Babylonian records stay silent on the matter. Tablets from the time of Nebuchadnezzar do not have a single reference to the Hanging Gardens, although descriptions of his palace, the city of Babylon, and the walls are found. Even the historians who give detailed descriptions of the Hanging Gardens never saw them. Modern historians argue that when Alexander's soldiers reached the fertile land of Mesopotamia and saw Babylon, they were impressed. When they later returned to their rugged homeland, they had stories to tell about the amazing gardens and palm trees at Mesopotamia.. About the palace of Nebuchadnezzar.. About the Tower of Babel and the ziggurats. And it was the imagination of poets and ancient historians that blended all these elements together to produce one of the World Wonders.

here's a picture of what it might looked like.

the temple of artemis at ephesus

there were so many temples back then. why did this one made it into the world wonders? well, just look at what it looked like. beautiful..

Although the foundation of the temple dates back to the seventh century BC, the structure that earned a spot in the list of Wonders was built around 550 BC. Referred to as the great marble temple, or temple D, it was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus and was designed by the Greek architect Chersiphron. It was decorated with bronze statues sculpted by the most skilled artists of their time: Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon.

The temple served as both a marketplace and a religious institution. For years, the sanctuary was visited by merchants, tourists, artisans, and kings who paid homage to the goddess by sharing their profits with her. Recent archeological excavations at the site revealed gifts from pilgrims including statuettes of Artemis made of gold and ivory... earrings, bracelets, and necklaces... artifacts from as far as Persia and India.

On the night of 21 July 356 BC, a man named Herostratus burned the temple to ground in an attempt to immortalize his name. He did indeed. Strangely enough, Alexander the Great was born the same night. The Roman historian Plutarch later wrote that the goddess was "too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple". Over the next two decades, the temple was restored and is labeled "temple E" by archeologists. And when Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor, he helped rebuild the destroyed temple.

When St Paul visited Ephesus to preach Christianity in the first century AD, he was confronted by the Artemis' cult who had no plans to abandon their goddess. And when the temple was again destroyed by the Goths in AD 262, the Ephesians vowed to rebuild. By the fourth century AD, most Ephesians had converted to Christianity and the temple lost its religious glamor. The final chapter came when in AD 401 the Temple of Artemis was torn down by St John Chrysostom. Ephesus was later deserted, and only in the late nineteenth century has the site been excavated. The digging revealed the temple's foundation and the road to the now swampy site. Attempts were recently made to rebuilt the temple, but only a few columns have been re-erected.

what it is now...

the statue of zeus at olympia

The ancient Greek calendar starts in 776 BC, for the Olympic games are believed to have started that year. The magnificent temple of Zeus was designed by the architect Libon and was built around 450 BC. Under the growing power of ancient Greece, the simple Doric-style temple seemed too mundane, and modifications were needed. The solution: A majestic statue. The Athenian sculptor Pheidias was assigned for the "sacred" task, reminiscent of Michelangelo's paintings at the Sistine Chapel.

For the years that followed, the temple attracted visitors and worshippers from all over the world. In the second century BC repairs were skillfully made to the aging statue. In the first century AD, the Roman emperor Caligula attempted to transport the statue to Rome. However, his attempt failed when the scaffolding built by Caligula's workmen collapsed. After the Olympic games were banned in AD 391 by the emperor Theodosius I as Pagan practices, the temple of Zeus was ordered closed.

Olympia was further struck by earthquakes, landslides and floods, and the temple was damaged by fire in the fifth century AD. Earlier, the statue had been transported by wealthy Greeks to a palace in Constantinople. There, it survived until it was destroyed by a severe fire in AD 462. Today nothing remains at the site of the old temple except rocks and debris, the foundation of the buildings, and fallen columns.

the mausoleum at halicarnassus

When the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers -- the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king's lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia's.

For 16 centuries, the Mausoleum remained in good condition until an earthquake caused some damage to the roof and colonnade. In the early fifteenth century, the Knights of St John of Malta invaded the region and built a massive crusader castle. When they decided to fortify it in 1494, they used the stones of the Mausoleum. By 1522, almost every block of the Mausoleum had been disassembled and used for construction.

Today, the massive castle still stands in Bodrum, and the polished stone and marble blocks of the Mausoleum can be spotted within the walls of the structure. Some of the sculptures survived and are today on display at the British Museum in London. These include fragment of statues and many slabs of the frieze showing the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. At the site of the Mausoleum itself, only the foundation remains of the once magnificent Wonder.

present day...

the colossus of rhodes

Throughout most of its history, ancient Greece was comprised of city-states which had limited power beyond their boundary. On the small island of Rhodes were three of these: Ialysos, Kamiros, and Lindos. In 408 BC, the cities united to form one territory, with a unified capital, Rhodes. The city thrived commercially and had strong economic ties with their main ally, Ptolemy I Soter of Egypt. In 305 BC, the Antigonids of Macedonia who were also rivals of the Ptolemies, besieged Rhodes in an attempt to break the Rhodo-Egyptian alliance. They could never penetrate the city. When a peace agreement was reached in 304 BC, the Antagonids lifted the siege, leaving a wealth of military equipment behind. To celebrate their unity, the Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to erect an enormous statue of their sun god, Helios.

The construction of the Colossus took 12 years and was finished in 282 BC. For years, the statue stood at the harbor entrance, until a strong earthquake hit Rhodes about 226 BC. The city was badly damaged, and the Colossus was broken at its weakest point -- the knee. The Rhodians received an immediate offer from Ptolemy III Eurgetes of Egypt to cover all restoration costs for the toppled monument. However, an oracle was consulted and forbade the re-erection. Ptolemy's offer was declined.

For almost a millennium, the statue laid broken in ruins. In AD 654, the Arabs invaded Rhodes. They disassembled the remains of the broken Colossus and sold them to a Jew from Syria. It is said that the fragments had to be transported to Syria on the backs of 900 camels.

this is a picture of where the colossus might have been built on. see those two deers, that's where the feet were.

last but definitely not least is the...

the lighthouse of alexandria

Shortly after the death of Alexander the Great, his commander Ptolemy Soter assumed power in Egypt. He had witnessed the founding of Alexandria, and established his capital there. Off of the city's coast lies a small island: Pharos. Its name, legend says, is a variation of Pharaoh's Island. The island was connected to the mainland by means of a dike - the Heptastadion - which gave the city a double harbor. And because of dangerous sailing conditions and flat coastline in the region, the construction of a lighthouse was necessary.

The monument was dedicated to the Savior Gods: Ptolemy Soter (lit. savior) and his wife Berenice. For centuries, the Lighthouse of Alexandria (occasionally referred to as the Pharos Lighthouse) was used to mark the harbor, using fire at night and reflecting sun rays during the day. It was even shown on Roman coins, just as famous monuments are depicted on currency today.

When the Arabs conquered Egypt, they admired Alexandria and its wealth. The Lighthouse continues to be mentioned in their writings and travelers accounts. But the new rulers moved their capital to Cairo since they had no ties to the Mediterranean. When the mirror was brought down mistakenly, they did not restore it back into place. In AD 956, an earthquake shook Alexandria, and caused little damage to the Lighthouse. It was later in 1303 and in 1323 that two stronger earthquakes left a significant impression on the structure. When the famous Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited Alexandria in 1349, he could not enter the ruinous monument or even climb to its doorway.

The final chapter in the history of the Lighthouse came in AD 1480 when the Egyptian Mamelouk Sultan, Qaitbay, decided to fortify Alexandria's defense. He built a medieval fort on the same spot where the Lighthouse once stood, using the fallen stone and marble.

hope you enjoyed learning something new today.. or old rather.. and hopefully that answers your question my dear sister.

it's morphin' time!

2007-09-01T18:57:00.000Z

as promised, i've come back with a good-read post. it still is as random as my other posts but this one has a sentimental value for me and to those of you who were just a young child in the early 90's. i'm not quite sure how this post came about. it suddenly just popped in my head and i HAD to find out the answers. it's the original power rangers. i remember telling my brother to tape the show cause it aired in the afternoon during my ugama school (religious school) and i'd watch it afterwards. i spent hours playing as the red ranger with my brother being the green ranger. sigh.. memories. but it's been 13 years now. what ever happened to those powerful characters? if you're curious, read on.

red ranger (jason) - austin st. john

after leaving the cast midway through the second season, he has been in a few movies, the last one was in 2003 called footsteps. he wrote a book and made a video, both on martial arts. currently, he's 31 and in Washington DC working as a paramedic. get a load of his picture now.

black ranger (zach) - walter emmanuel jones

like austin, he also left the show in season 2 due to disagreement in wages. he continues to dabble in acting, most notably having a recurring role in FX's The Shield during its first season. he did a few things after he left the show. he did voice-overs for a villain, ironically enough, in the show that he left and also as the main character in a video game, freedom fighters. his current passion is salsa dancing and was the 2004 Mayan International Salsa Championship. he still keeps in touch with austin, his best-friend. click here for his own website.

blue ranger (billy) - david yost

david yost was the only ranger to have been in every episode of the original power rangers. after the 4th season, his role in the show was reduced to a mere advisor to the new rangers. dissatisfied with the new role and the pay that went along with it, he left the show. since then, he moved behind the camera and has worked as a producer for Sci-Fi Lab (a division of Sci-Fi Channel) and manager of licensing for Pioneer Entertainment (selling completed television shows to networks). he is now 38.

pink ranger (kimberly) - amy jo johnson

the most active of them all after the power ranger hoopla, she has kept herself very busy by getting as much media exposure as she could. she guest-starred in another 90's favourite, saved by the bell, in a small role. then, she worked with disney and was a star in a 1996 movie, susie q. she landed a major role in a series, felicity, where she learned to play guitar. she then had a band called, the amy jo johnson band but later disbanded and since then preformed acoustically. now 36, she has her own website dedicated to her music. click here for her site and here for her myspace page.

green/white ranger (tommy) - jason david frank

frank is the longest appearing male power ranger, while amy jo was the female to appear for the longest time. he appeared in the most power rangers episodes, 257 character appearances and 242 actual appearances. he also appeared in the most seasons: seven (Mighty Morphin [3], Zeo, Turbo, Wild Force and Dino Thunder). since then, he made a lot of tv appearances and made a couple of movies but he starred in his last one, fall guy (2006). now 33, he's been married twice and have 5 kids.

yellow ranger (trini) - thuy trang

it is unfortunate to tell you that thuy trang died from a car crash on september 3rd 2001. she and former actress/model Angela Rockwood-Nguyen, to whom Trang was to be a bridesmaid to later that year, were passengers in a car traveling on Interstate 5 between San Francisco and Los Angeles (they were returning from visiting Angela's planned maid of honor) when the driver (another of Angela's bridesmaids) of the vehicle she was riding in lost control. The car swerved violently across the road before hitting the roadside rock face and flipping several times before hitting the safety rail and plunging over the bank. Rockwood-Nguyen, who has claimed she was wearing a seat belt^[1], survived despite being thrown out of the vehicle through a window before its final impact; as a result, however, she is now quadriplegic. Trang, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, died from the injuries she sustained.

milan, italy

2007-09-01T09:55:00.001Z

buongiorno readers! (that's hello in italian). it's been a while since i last posted a good read. well, today will be no different i'm afraid. no random facts to read just yet but i do have pictures for you which i think will be an equal substitution for now. i'm not posting a lot of pictures though.. i don't want to be one of those distant relatives who show their holiday photos and killing those who watches it slowly.. here are just a tiny some of mine. enjoy!

the very beautiful Piazza del Duomo. a lot of expensive shopping can be done here.

and just outside.. the Duomo. the third largest church in the world. 3500 statues decorate the cathedral. it took 500 years to complete from 1386

ofcourse, what visit would be complete without going into museums.

old decorations of the past. fancy having that to show-off for raya eh?

believe it or not, this mummy was someone's collection. but being superstitious, the former owner donated this mummy in 1854.

church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. some of you may gasp at the name if you're an art buff. this is the place where one of the most famous painting is located. it's none other than Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper. yup. unfortunately, we didn't get adore the painting.. apparently, you have to book WEEKS in advance for a viewing. so, keep that in mind.

the statue of the great man himself. Leonardo Da Vinci.

the 506 submarine. strangely enough, our room has the same number.

the museum of technology. this part, exhibits recreations of Leonardo Da Vinci's brilliant sketches.

i wonder if they blogged back then too.. hmmm

some monuments are just plain silly..

there you have it. just a quick look-through of my time in milan. i'll post videos once i edit it. a good-read post coming your way tomorrow!

my perception on our world

Twilight book review (halfway)

where popular phrases came from

the original version to popular fairytales

1. Cinderella

2. Sleeping Beauty

3. Snow White

4. The Little Mermaid

1. The King Who Wished to Marry His DaughterWhat It’s Like: Cinderella, with an incestuous twist

2. The Lost ChildenWhat It’s Like: Hansel & Gretel meets Saw 2

3. The Juniper TreeWhat It’s Like: Every stepchild’s worst nightmare

4. Penta of the Chopped-off HandsWhat It’s Like: Um?you tell us

10 technology predictions that was dead wrong

people prefer internet over sex

maybe i should stop blogging

be back in a giff!

got tagged

busy for 2 weeks

12,000 laptops lost & a 400GB CD invented

400GB optical disc invented by Pioneer

top 10 anime of 2007

what sleepless nights can make me do...

the process of laser eye surgery

is this cruelty really necessary?

random facts that you CAN live without knowing!

graduation before the exam

awesomest night yet!

i love adult animations

singing along to curse of curves & that's what you get

a healthy way of smoking?

how to pack a suitcase

giant squid found

Questions that popped in my head today

weekend randomness

5 simple ways to save our planet

10 fun facts about our moon

graduation, facebook and sleepy mornings

death by blogging

how to know if someone likes you romantically

Free-IQTest.net

High IQ & Genius IQ

7 things you shouldn't do after a meal

easter + PC + video games = FUN

what my handwriting say about me

dirtiest job in the world

how many drinks would kill you?

i am the procrastinator!

iconic photographs

Winners Gallery 2008

how to flirt

10 amusing techs

feeling under the weather because of the weather

prison break

It was filmed in John Wayne Gacy’s former cell

Prison Break’s stars were cast at the last minute

Prison Break was almost a superstar miniseries

Wentworth Miller

heath ledger

TGIF baby!

holidays of the world

how to buy a laptop

the year is ending

our body is icky

i'm back! let the randomness begin..

top 10 crime reduction tips for students

i'm back home

the cute and the funny

the long journey to keele

just random

for the sake of updating

eat slow, lose weight

house terminology 101

the death of our sun

got tagged...

is king arthur real?

my new toy

headaches, tv & my new toy

10 worst pick-up lines!

Pick-up lines you must avoid!

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

1. The King Who Wished to Marry His Daughter
What It’s Like: Cinderella, with an incestuous twist

2. The Lost Childen
What It’s Like: Hansel & Gretel meets Saw 2

3. The Juniper Tree
What It’s Like: Every stepchild’s worst nightmare

4. Penta of the Chopped-off Hands
What It’s Like: Um?you tell us