Nice PC Mod Website

I forgot how I came to this page, and I do not know how to translate it. But the projects in there are very very nice. One project even have a PC what uses water and turn it into a waterfall with a fish at the bottom.

The Suicide Bomber

We were in a Hospital Ward trying to protect the patients where one of them was a close relative to mu pet sister. So, there was this computer nerd sitting at the Hospital's stairwell who has made a bomb hooked to a desktop PC. He was there with his Notebook.

We have less than 3 minutes to disarm the bomb and while we're doing that, he started the timer. So, while my partner was trying to disarm it, I was watching from the computer screen and with only 20 seconds to go, there was not enough time to evacuate all the patients in that wing. And we were not fast enough to run away. So we would have to stay with the bomb. Then the timer ran out as its clock did not follow the normal "seconds" timer of a clock which was running quite fast.

"THANK YOU FOR TRYING. THIS WAS A FLASH ANIMATION FROM WWW.(something).COM."

I was so angry that I went to the stairwell and contronted the suicide bomber.

ME: Did you know that you could have killed everyone including your brother?
*We found out that he is somehow related to my Pet sis's relative*

HE: *shocked for a moment before regaining his composure*
No, I did not kill him. I did him a favour. I gave him 15 minutes to live.

ME: You did not. You robbed him of 15 minutes to survive.

With that, he closed his Notebook, got up and walked away.

And I turned my back to him, swung my fist. I did not feel any pain but heard a loud sickening bone crunching thud. When I looked back, he was out cold on the floor with some bits of blood.

Then I had a closer look at him. He's Carson, the gay fella from the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" TV program. God, I hated him anyway, and with the channels irritating repeating ad of him saying, "This closet is not clean!" in a sick French accent.

Then Kristine woke up with a cry and I realised it was a dream.

Escaped convicts II

We managed to escape from the Little Monster tonight because of a very special belated occasion (and also because I needed to print some cutesy wutesy pictures of Kristine for her Aunt in Singapore) So, we went to The Curve for dinner. There were a few restaurants we wanted to try, Fasta Pasta (Wife) or The Okonomiyaki (me) but in the end, we settled for The Marche Movenpick Restaurant.

Weeks ago, when we passed by, I thought it was some restaurant that specialises in dairy products such as cheese and egg-related dishes (since they has some cows in the front). And hearing horror stories from my In-laws about expensive food in there was of no help. But since tonight is a special occasion, we decided to try (even when my Salary has not been cleared, ha ha)

But once we got in, my first impression was that its just a fancy foodcourt with different decorated dining areas. Since there were a lot of crowd, I only managed to remember a few stalls (country bumpkin here never see all these things before).


The seating system here is unique. Once you have been allocated to a table, the girl will stick a pin on the map so that everyone knows that table is taken.


Once you are shown to your table, they will flip the sign saying its occupied (like a toilet)
So others cannot grab your tables and you are then free to wander around ordering your food



This is your passport (which you have to pay RM200 if you lose it and I forgot to ask them why)
Every stall you ordered food from, they will stamp your passport for that order
Later, when you're ready to leave, they will total up your bill based on the passport



This is the stall which has Rosti, which is some kind of fried potatoes
(I thought it was some fancy omelette)so I got a plain one for Rm6.50
I was tempted to get the giant sausage too



This man is making my Rosti.
The red stuff on the big pan must be the RM16.50 Bavarian Goulash (which I did not order) while on the right is the Mushroom thingy (which the girl ahead of me ordered once she saw how plain the Plain Rosti was)
Other stalls had picture of the dishes they serve but not this one, so, since I was afraid to ask what the heck Rosti was, I took a chance.......


See the thingy that looked like a loaf of bread?
Its the meatloaf Wifey ordered. Behind it must be the sauerkraut and I am not sure what that is on the right.



This guy sliced and then fried the meatloaf


This is the Salad Bar where you can pick & mix but no refills


We passed on the Pizza


And also the Fried Vegetables in Oyster Sauce (That's what the sign says)


This is my Plain Rosti, which is fried potatoes and since we love potatoes, it was a nice dish


This is my Wife's Meatloaf, covered in peppersauce and topped with a very runny fried egg (I wished there were some toast to go with that) and some sauerkraut
The meatloaf turned out to be very salty



This is the Salad my Wife got for us


By this time, we're quite full, so no sweet stuff,


No fruitcakes


No waffles


And no quiche


A shot of one of the unique eating area


Here is another one. All the shots were a bit off colour because of the spot lighting in a dark place and I was using my Wife's Panasonic VS2 to take pictures

So, after the meal, I was ready to face the horror of paying the bill. But imagine to our surprise, it only came up to RM31.63 (maybe its because we did not order any drinks since we did not find any to our liking) which is a far departure from the family of five ahead of us (Their bill was Rm144). They had this little gate which will open once you settle your bill. Ha ha ha ha

We actually did not order much because maybe my expectations were a bit different as I expected to see more Swiss dishes and not stalls like Mamak Fried noodle, Japanese stall and so on. Would we go there again.

Why not?

After our dinner, we went to Starbucks in Ikano since the one in The Curve was a bit too loud as they're doing some Halloween stuff there. And for the first time in three years, I got my Ice Blended Coffee again. I just hope I would be able to sleep tonight.........

[Update: 3:21 AM]
Yep, I am still awake. And my heart is still beating fast. Damn!

[Update: 4:37 AM]
Ok, I am starting to wind down soon.........

Still cleaning..........

Yeah, I am still cleaning the stupid termite gunk off the plastic parts. Wifey kept asking why should I bother since I am not going to finish them anytime soon. She is right, you know. But they hold a lot of memories for me, not only because they're hard to find now, but I just can't let go, after so many years of buying them (before we got married)

This is the movable tracks for the 1/35 Abrams MBT tank
Not the normal rubber/vinyl ones you get nowadays


More plastic parts to clean. The female model is a resin kit of Sarah from Tekken video game
And somewhere inside there is Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, I saw his body but as far as his motorbike is concerned, I only found two of his wheels


Wifey took a photo of me cleaning the gunk
I had to pose so long that even a fly stopped by to see what is going on


Little Monster learns new tricks

For the past few days, we're having trouble sleeping because of this Little Monster. She would cwy and cwy and cwy because Kristine prefers to play instead of getting her normal sleep. This what she did:


Kristine has learnt (within days) how to open Mommy's drawer, climb into it and start pulling all her clothes out


Kristine knows how to beat Mommy at wrestling


Kristine discovers ice water (my drink, actually)
She would put her left hand in, when its too cold, she would take it out and then put her right hand in. Then left, then right, then left, etc.
All the time, she put spill some onto the floor, her clothes and she would also lick her fingers too......
Yeah, my drink was spoilt

Do not get pissed off

ME: Hello, I am ...

GOH: Wait. Let me make a phone call first. (Suddenly his face all black)

GOH: *To another contractor* Wait. Don't worry. I am not going anythere.

GOH: *To the phone* Hello, Peter. Yau mou gau chor, ah? (Are you playing the fool with me?)
You told me you have finished pastered the ceiling! Sure or not, its done?
Well, I am standing here and the ceiling is still not done!

ME: Hello, I am from so-and-so and here is the floorplan we promised you

*Mr. Goh took one quick look*
GOH: What the....?! Hey, why are you giving me this new floorplan now? Look at this! How am I going to buy all the parts you need? And why are you here now? Where is this (my colleague)? Why is it everytime I meet you guys, you're all different. Who is the right person I am supposed to liaise with?!

ME: *starting to get annoyed* Look, this drawing is.......... (explain to him what we wanted done, which does not cost him a sen)

GOH: Oh, OK. Blah blah blah


I meet these type of people quite often nowadays and its usually a waste of time arguing and showing who's Boss to them. Because, at the end of the day, you need to keep track of two things in mind. It does not matter if he is an asshole or just like to make things difficult. Your role there is to just get the job done and get paid at the end of the day. Simple as that.

But if I was younger ten years ago, in my fiery temper, I would be very tempted to whack him in the face, kick him while he is on the ground and maybe break his arms, never paying attention to the fact that I could be fired or get arrested.

After having experienced more "salt", one tends to look at the big picture, and keep their tempers in check. So, once Mr. Goh understands the situation and having to look at the plan very very carefully again, the matter is settled. And I get to go home and play with my Kristine.

My new 3Watt "LUXEON" MXDL Torch

So, after some waiting, my new torch finally arrived. Its a 3Watt "Luxeon" LED torch. But I am not sure if the LED is the real McCoy but then again, if it was, the price would not be that cheep (cheep). Anyway, I got this from a guy (neosaint99) via Lelong.com.my for RM80. (Actually, it cost more because my Mom went and gave the POSlaju guy a tip)

Having gained some experience from my Lightsaber project, a Luxeon LED, when it is driven straight on, can get quite hot pretty fast. So, fearing for the worst, I unscrewed the torch to test if my theory was right. Yep, the Luxeon LED is secured with only a metal disc, and also to the barrel which both acts as a heatsink. After playing with it for a few minutes, the torch felt a bit warm.

Luxeon LEDs have a very wide angle spread of light radiation and therefore, you need a collimating lens or a refector to focus the light. Still, its bright enough for my job.


This is what I got today, the 3w LED MXDL torch and a holster


Side to side comparison with my old 9-LED White Torch


Front view


When disassembled, they looked almost the same, except the MXDL Torch has a slightly larger barrel


The 3W LED is stuck in the barrel (you cannot take it out) while the 9-LED is wedged inside the torch's head


A closer look at the solder solder side of my old 9-LED torch


A closer look at the 3W MXDL LED


5 feet side by side test. The 3W MXDL Torch is brighter
My old torch only managed to make a "dim" spot (bottom left)


5 feet side by side test. The MXDL torch is on the left and my old 9-LED torch is on the right


The MXDL torch against my 3W LUXEON Cyan lightsaber


[Update 29.10.2005]
I saw one at ACE Hardeware in Ikano selling for RM166.90 but I am not sure if its 1Watt or a 3Watt version. I am guessing its a 1Watt because the packaging said its 10 times brighter than a LED (the brightest could be about 1 Lumen) since a 1Watt Luxeon gives about an average of 10 Lumens.

[Update 06.10.2005]
Just got more spare time today, and I managed to pry off the LED part. So, if I wanted to, I can replace the 3W LED with a true Luxeon just to put my mind at ease. But I prefer not to. Still, instead of using a colour filter, I can actually order a BLUE Luxeon or even a RED one if I am sick of the White. Then again, sometimes, its better just to keep my itchy hands in my pockets.


The 3W LED is soldered to a terminal under it.
The whole assembly is stuck to a piece of metal which acts as heatsink.


Once its overturned, you can see the fibreglass PCB.
*The metal heatsink is shown as the inner ring after the plastic piece at the edge


The Power of Blogs

Remember XiaXue's recent blog about disabled persons and their toilets? It made a lot of people angry and now, after a few letters from Peter Tan, Voxy has "dropped" their sponsorship, stating its only for three months. Good news or otherwise, that is how the World responded.

Its alright to have your own opinions but on the Internet where things spread like wildfire, it is a good idea not to upset a lot of people if you can help it. News travel fast and before you can sit down for your cup of tea, a lot of bad things would come back and hit you, ten times faster and maybe, even worse. What they say is true, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall". And sometimes, when it hits, it would not hit you directly but the ones close to you.

Being famous does not mean you can go back and still be what you are.

Reference:
The Blog which started it
The one which got affected
And the aftermath
Latest:Lost Endorsement

Zen Sarcasm

Heh. Nothing much to do as I just woke up from an accident sleep overdose. Yeap, it was a special evening but I blew it by sleeping like a log. I got this from another Forum which I have not been so active lately. Please read each one and ponder before going to the next one.

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me the hell alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and leaky tire.

3. it’s always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

12. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

13. Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.

14. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

15. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

16. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

17. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

18. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

19. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

20. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

21. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

22. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.


The Monster has teeth!!!

Just came back this evening and Wife told me that Kristine has started to grow some teeth in her upper gum. Oh-oh, this means more trouble to come..........


Took me a long time to get her to laugh
and show her teeth

Pepsi Tarik

Mixing drinks is nothing new. As a kid, I mixed drinks as well:
1) Plain water with Ribena (Ha ha)
2) Hot water with Milo, sugar and milk
3) Jelly with Sarsi
4) Sarsi with Ice Cream (Root Beer float was taken)
5) Crysanthemum with black jelly
6) Fresh Oranges with Ice Cream soda, and so on.

However, there are some rules which you must observe when mixing them with softdrinks:
1) Never mix with stuff that have milk (Ice Cream is OK)
2) Never mix stuff that uses powder like Milo or Coffee
3) If your brain says the drink will taste like crap, you'd better believe it
4) Never mix fresh orange with Milk (A few years ago, I though it was a new bubble tea)
5) You cannot mix with sauce (Such as Mayonnaise, Pasta, etc) but maybe Tabasco is OK.
6) Drinks that can be mixed are usually transparent and not cloudy. And so on.

Today, I happened across Pepsi's latest drink, which is called Pepsi Tarik. For those who are not familiar with the word "tarik" (to pull in Malay), it is an action whereby the person who makes the drinks (usually a Mamak who is of Indian/Muslim origin) pours the hot drink from a mug in his hand downwards to the other mug. This thus cools the drinks so that it won't burn your tongue. The types of drink that they will tarik would be the Teh (Milk tea) and Kopi (Coffee) and anything that is hot, except meals.

Pepsi tarik is actually Cola with Coffee. Yep. Why they call it Pepsi Tark, I am not sure but it could be a lame attempt to localise the drink. Whoever came up with this drink must be drunk at the time.

Because it tasted like crap. To be more precise, its watered down Cola with hint(s) of Coffee. For those who loves Nescafe, you would be pissed off because the coffee tasted more like those cheap coffee sweets. I had to force myself to drink the whole damn bottle (or waste RM1.70). I wished I had stuck to Pepsi Twist.

Still it is a good try by Pepsi compared to Coca Cola with their crap Vanilla flavour. But I do so wished that they experiment it INTERNALLY before releasing it to the market. Its so easy. Just blindfold the employees, tie their hands and get them to drink it. If they do not throw up, die or go nuts, then the general public (or 4 out of 10 gullible people) might like it.


My lunch: Pepsi tarik with mini Blueberry buns

Sunday Afternoon

With whatever time I had left on Sunday, I decided to clean my termite infested models. It was still sad for me as they ate everything made of paper and left their shit on all the plastics. If I ever wanted to built the models in the original form, it would cost me a lot more to find the replacement decals and other stuff since these are limited editions or are very rare in the market nowadays.


From left to right:
Models waiting to be cleaned, cleaned models and models soaked in soap water ready for scrubbing

Some of the models I have successfully cleaned, but most, it will end up as spare parts for my weird designs since all the instructions and decals are gone.


This is the Evil Cylon Starbase from Battlestar Galactica
One of the most simplest model; glue all four (dinner) plates and some bits together

Chenweng Mechanical Pencil

It was on Sunday morning while taking Kristine out for breakfast that I spotted this unusual pencil. Yes, its a mechanical pencil.

What attracted me to it was its design at the business end, with its harsh silver grip. Looking back at the rack, the Made in China pencils come in a shade of (all transparent) blue, green, red and black. Although the grip is nice but your fingers will complain when you use it for a long period (seconds), especially if your fingers tend to slide (like me) as you will soon realise how abrasive the grip is, even though its plastic (yes, really), designed to look like aluminium.

For RM3.90 its a bit expensive but then again, its a welcome design from the "normal" stocks you see everyday at the bookshops. OK, I keep losing these when I am drawing because I tend to store them in boxes where I can never find them again for a long long time, which leads me to buying another one.

Somehow, I feel all these pencils are hiding from me............


Nice or not?

Apologies to my two friends

Hi guys, I really have to apologise for not being able to keep our appintments in the weekend. I know, I know, it was planned days ahead and I was really looking forward to it. But unfortunately, I was exhausted. Really. We had our hands full trying to keep the Little Monster from destroying both our houses and our sanity:


My side of the bed was wrecked


Kristine has her first Mac Donalds (French fries)


She crawled out of the bathtub
(In the evening, she flopped to the floor on the same stunt)



Kristine took climbing everywhere.....

Shortcut also got Traffic Jam

Ha ha ha ha. Last Friday, when I got off work, I decided to take a short cut since there was no jam. However, when I reached the shortcut, lo and behold, a long queue formed. This was due to the following reasons:

1) They have installed a traffic light there
2) The road have developed big potholes with heavy vehicles going to and fro


Lots of cars at both sides


From GoogleEarth, the location is:
3"10'12.75N
101º40'02.44E
(Hah?)

Captain Riker's USS Titan

Simon & Shuster organised a contest for fans to design Captain Riker's ship, the USS Titan had ended and they have a winner. Sean Tourangeau's design was picked.

You can see the design here

Personally, its a cross between the USS Enterprise-E with a bit of USS Voyager and inspiration from the USS Reliant's weapons. And its a refreshing design which more or less conforms to the Star Trek Starship Design "Rules". Ha ha

Will my Voyager model kit going to be like that? Nope

Broken Realtionship Gifts

You just broke up from a relationship, didn't you?

Or maybe, you really want to end one.

What better way to do this than buying this wonderful though out gift

Osama is here!


Yeah, he opened shops selling used shoes and furniture