Friday, October 29, 2004

Look at that...

Look at the timer to the left. That timer counts the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Nirvana, a.k.a Half-Life 2 is unleashed upon us. Putting that timer on my blog took a little Java programming know-how. Something I had oodles of, of course. I mean, with the genius I have in Java programming, it took me less than 10 minutes to code that timer in this blog.




























Oh, alright. I stole it from PlanetHalfLife.com. Happy? No? Alright, I'll make you happy! I'm not a genius Java programmer! In fact, I suck AND blow at it!

Still not happy? Whaddaya want me to do? Go to the middle of the Padang, strip naked, run around and sing "Negaraku"?

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Here we go...

Erk. Yesterday was a painful day. Now I know how it feels like when you have a body temperature of 39 degrees Celsius. Not for the weak, I tell ya. Ooof. And for some reason, my dad has a fever too. I still think it was because of the burgers he bought a few days ago. Not that I don't want to eat Ramly burgers again (Best Burgers in the World) but maybe he should watch where he buys them, because hey, roadside stalls aren't exactly goldne examples of hygeine you know. Anyway, I feel tons better now, temperature dropping to 37.5. Glad that's over. Voice is still hoarse though. Mom allowed me not to fast today. I don't mind, I have no appetite anyway. Man, this fever really did a number on my head, it feels like I went a round with Mike Tyson on steroids. Last night, I thought my mom was Santa Claus. It was that bad.

Fever can give you strange dreams at night.

I'm a regular follower of award shows, I get all giggly when one comes around. Oscar for example, I wanted Return of the King to win. Boy, did it ever! And now, up comes the Asian Television Awards, saluting the best in Asian Television. I noticed one thing in the history of the ATA. In the Acting categories, to my knowledge, and memory, no Malay has ever been nominated. I'm not surprised of course, since in Drama, they tend to over-act or under-perform while in Comedy, most are just lame. Which is why I'm rubbing my eyes to see Aaron Aziz nominated for Best Drama Actor for his role in Heartlanders and Suhaimi Yusof nominated for Best Comedy Actor for his role in Living With Lydia. Aaron, I confess, deserves the nom. Not sure if he deserves to win. He'll be up against the usual Thai soap actors the ATA likes to favor. Still, he should be proud, being the only Singaporean drama actor nominated. Drama is Singapore telly's weak point (Masters of the Seas, Paradise) Suhaimi though. I never really liked him. Living With Lydia depended too much on slapstick and Suhaimi was one of the biggest offenders. And the fact that Lydia herself wasn't nominated shows that the judges consider Suhaimi the best performer in the show. What?!?! Regardless, he must have shown that extra something to be nominated and for that, I commend him. Better him than Gurmit Singh AGAIN! Here's the link.

Blogs are really catching on, aren't they? There even was programme dedicated to it the other day. Searching around, I found a site that featured the best Singapore Blogs of last year. Winner? You all may have heard of her. Xiaxue. Not sure whether I like it. I mean, look at all that PINK!!! But she does blog in her own unique and funny way. Being quite the looker (and I bet she's proud of being quite the looker) helps. Hmmm, you know, my blog already has a catchy name. I wonder if I submit it for award consideration......eh, maybe 2005.

Wendy, if you're reading this, which is beyond doubtful but if you are, know that I have become one of the gazillion people that have become inspired by you. And Jamie Yeo is sexy. Yes, maybe a little on the skinny side, but still sexy enough for my uncontrollable hormones.

Long post isn't it? Guess what they say is true: "Good writers must suffer like mad. The best die before they form a sentence." OK, I made that up.

It is awkward isn't it, eating baked potatoes in daytime during the fasting month? They're delicious, too bad I still feel like puking.

19 days until Valve and Vivdendi Universal Games unleash the heavenly gaming goodness that is Half-Life 2......

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

HA-CHOO!

It's not fair. The holidays I've waited so long for comes around and I get sick. A fever, a bad cough, the sniffles. This is really not my year, is it?

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Look at that. I was so caught up in Half-Life 2 fever that I nearly forgot another game that I want to play is released today.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Since I don't have a PS2, I can't play it now. I can't play it anyway since the censors surely banned this in our fair country. (Gambling, gangs, prostitution, bad for nation building, you know) so when the PC version comes out next year, I'm going to either have to find a pirate CD shop or download it from the net. It'll take awhile, but from the looks of things, I'd say it will be worth it.

Monday, October 25, 2004

Go Gunners.....

So, Arsenal finally lost. To Man U too. Eh, we have to lose some day. But to Man U? Well, let's just consider this a wake-up call, shall we? After all, Arsenal did went one season where they lost only once before. But see, this is a measure of how I don't really care too much about soccer anymore. My most favourite team goes down, and I'm only indifferent to it. But I still will celebrate like it's 2099 once Man U goes bankrupt. Sooner or later, my friends. Sooner or later.....

Sunday, October 24, 2004

Three...

They say good things come in threes. Here's a good example: Last Wednesday, three good things happened.

1) First, as I already mentioned, HALF-LIFE 2 IS OUT NOVEMBER 16TH! That's 2 days after Hari Raya. So it will be a very good week then.

2) My exams finished! Thus endeth the worst semester in any school that I have ever endured.

3) New Proton Wira my dad bought. Best damn car I've ever been in! Enough space for my big legs, comfy seats, and a CD player. Sound doesn't have that 'OOMPH' factor, but you can't have everything.

And now, I'm alone, typing this as my family goes to JB. I'd follow them, but I already did yesterday, and I am too bushed to follow them shopping again. Not like they would buy anything I want. And no, a new shirt and pair of shoes is something I need. There's a difference between want and need.

There, better stop here. Have to save the world (again) in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell. (Highly Recommended.)

23 days to Half-Life 2...

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

GOLD!!!

HALF-LIFE 2 IS GOLD!!!!!!!!!
November 16th 2004 - The Countdown Begins!

VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES ANNOUNCES PLANS TO LAUNCH THE MOST ANTICIPATED PC ACTION GAME OF 2004

Half-Life® 2 to Ship to Retail Outlets Globally This Holiday Season

LOS ANGELES (October 18, 2004) – Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that Half-Life® ,2, the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed PC titles in gaming history, will ship to retail outlets around the world in November. The Company confirmed that Half-Life 2, developed by Valve Software, has gone gold with a planned retail street date of November 16, 2004. The countdown to the highly anticipated retail street date has begun around the world, as VU Games completes plans to ship localized versions of Half-Life 2 simultaneously in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Thai and Japanese.

"Half-Life 2 has surpassed our expectations in every sense – its high-quality graphics, ground-breaking physics and immersive first-person shooter gameplay set a new standard for PC action games," said Bruce Hack, CEO of VU Games. "Half-Life 2 will go down as one of the best-selling PC titles, and we are thrilled to deliver this ground-breaking title to the worldwide gaming community this fall."

Hailed as "...the best game ever made" by PC Gamer, Half-Life 2 earned a top-rated review score of 98, the highest score bestowed by the magazine in more than six years. The game has received numerous accolades for its technical excellence, captivating story and addictive game play, including more than 10 awards and nominations at the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo. In addition to being named "Best PC Game" by 1up.com (Ziff Davis) and Gamespy.com, the title also received a "Technological Excellence on PC" award from IGN.com. CNNMoney.com stated that "Half-Life 2 will redefine what gamers expect from their games visually – and the gameplay is a lot of fun as well."

The global anticipation for Half-Life 2 has reached unprecedented heights, as consumers around the world mark their calendars to buy the game at retail on November 16th. The Half-Life 2 product will include Counter-Strike: Source. VU Games will also release a Half Life 2 Collector’s Edition that will include Half-Life 2 in DVD-ROM format, Counter-Strike: Source, Half-Life: Source, a free limited edition t-shirt, and a Half-Life 2 Prima strategy guide book.

The original Half-Life game was launched in 1998 under VU Games’ Sierra Entertainment publishing label. It earned more than 50 game-of-the-year awards and has been heralded as one of the best PC first-person shooter games of all-time.

About Half-Life® and Half-Life® 2
In 1998, Half-Life revolutionized the game industry with its combination of pounding action and continuous, immersive storytelling. Valve’s debut title was named "Best PC Game Ever" by PC Gamer and launched a franchise with more than eight million retails units sold worldwide. In 2004, Half-Life 2 will take the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original to new heights of realism and responsiveness. Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player’s presence affects everything around him, from the physical environments to the behaviors – even the emotions – of both friends and enemies. The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist, Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted and its population dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people – people he cares about – are counting on him. The intense, real-time gameplay of Half-Life 2 is made possible only by Source, Valve’s new proprietary engine technology. Source provides major enhancements in the advanced facial animation system, physics, graphics and AI. Half-Life 2 will be available for the PC.

About Vivendi Universal Games
Headquartered in Los Angeles, VU Games is a leading global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment, Sierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive and Massive Entertainment. VU Games’ library of over 700 titles features multi-million unit selling properties such as Warcraft®, StarCraft®, Diablo® and World of Warcraft® from Blizzard Entertainment®; Crash Bandicoot®, Spyro The Dragon™, Empire Earth®, Leisure Suit Larry™, Tribes® and Ground Control®.

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Rest in Peace...

How many of you have watched Superman: The Movie? Ah, one of my favourite movies of all time, that was. It saddened me when Marlon Brando, who played Superman's dad in that movie, died. And now Superman himself has died. Christopher Reeves is simply the best Superman ever. He truly made me believe a man can fly. This world is a poorer place without him.

Superman's Song - Crash Test Dummies

Tarzan wasn't a ladies' man
He'd just come along and scoop 'em up under his arm
Like that, quick as a cat in the jungle
But Clark Kent, now there was a real gent
He would not be caught sittin' around in no
Junglescape, dumb as an ape doing nothing

[CHORUS]
Superman never made any money
For saving the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair the world will never see
Another man like him

Hey Bob, Supe had a straight job
Even though he could have smashed through any bank
In the United States, he had the strength, but he would now
Folks said his family were all dead
Their planet crumbled but Superman, he forced himself
To carry on, forget Krypton, and keep going

Tarzan was king of the jungle and Lord over all the apes
But he could hardly string together four words: "I Tarzan, You Jane."

Sometimes when Supe was stopping crimes
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit and turn his back
On man, join Tarzan in the forest
But he stayed in the city, and kept on changing clothes
In dirty old phonebooths till his work was through
And nothing to do but go on home

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Oooh Yeah!

'Viruses can ruin your computer. Spyware can ruin your life'

^One of the best slogans ever. Here's a link to Adwarereport.com

That website reports all the news in the war against the #1 scourge of the internet, Spyware. Yup, pushing viruses to #2. A virus can wreck your computer. No biggie, it can be fixed. But spyware, well, here's an example. An important project, you've finished it, now you have to present it. The presentation goes smoothly. Suddenly, one of the hidden spyware programs decides to do its work and show a pop-up ad to HornyXXX.com (just an example, doesn't exist, I hope). Pictures and all. Very embarrasing, no? That website also lists a Top 10 list of Best Anti-Spyware Program. Try one of 'em. It will change your life.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Adui...

Apparently there's this anti-malay Friendster account. I didn't see it because I can't. The link I got leads to an Invalid User ID page. Good thing that of course. Wish I could've seen it before it got shut down though. I'd like to have written the most cuss-filled testimonial ever made in that account. Now my only record from that account is from Shanaz's blog. Funny, weren't the Malays the first to settle here in this island LONG before Raffles came by? I won't bother cussing about it here, since many people have done it already. But I'd just like to comment about this sentence: "however those f@#$%n huan nas do not noe tat their sense of fashion is reali bad. likes to wear those really cheap t-shirts tat we chinese dun even dare to wear and those fuckin ugly tapered pants." Are you freakin' kidding me? I have a bad fashion sense of course, but I am the only Malay I personally know to have a bad fashion sense. And what does "huan na" mean anyway? I'd just like to pray to God to pity this poor soul.

So some people are signing a petition to bring Jassea (wrong spelling but I don't care). Guys, here's an advice: Don't sign it. I don't care whether she deserves to leave or not. The bottom line is, she got the least votes next to Beverly, so she's outta there. Now these petitionists (sic) are trying to make up for their mistake of not rallying to vote for her last week. Now she's paid for it, so too bad, people. You'll just have to vote for somebody else. I suggest Olinda.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Yo...

Just a note: Beware of IRC! It's dangerously addictive!

Heaven is a horsefly

I saw this cartoon is The Sunday New Paper. It had a point. Matrix Reloaded. R (no one above 18 can watch) in America, PG (everybody can watch) here? Strange. And they say we're censoring too much.

Dammit! Undertaker didn't win on Sunday. Where is the justice? Dead, like him I guess.

Right, don't take my word for it, since I'm hoooked to the internet, but this is my last post for awhile. I need to focus on the exams, dammit! I need to pass everything. I need them so my mom can buy the TV she's been promising me. So, bye bye for now. And don't forget to write.

Friday, October 01, 2004

Go Kerry! Go Kerry!

Right now, I'm listening to the US presidential debate as I type this. Now I'm no expert when it comes to debates, but I think this is a very close one. Bush has been attacking Kerry every chance he's got. And he's got a point, Kerry has been 'flip-flopping' a bit. For or against the war? Anyway, I still think Bush has been an awful president. Going to war even with all the other choice. Going to war against a country that had nothing to do with 9/11. He didn't do it as a last resort as he promised. Actually, I realize that I want Bush to lose not because of Bush himself, but because of his VP, Dick Cheney. I keep getting the feeling that he's the true power in the White House. But what do I know? I'm not American. But I am of voting age there, so I think it's vitally important for me to understand this. And hope the US people make the right choice. Anyway, debates. Bush is his usual simple, easy, country boy style. That coulc endear him to the young people, currently his biggest supporters. Kerry is your usual serious debator. More befitting of a President. Hmmm...

In a somewhat related story, I'm watching the debates from the internet. I'm kinda surprised. My internet streaming video has never been this smooth before. And this is live. I can even see non-stop pictures, where before I only see 5 seconds pictures, 10 seconds pause, while the sound kept playing. Very good news.