Interesting weekend…

Vacuumed my room, washed the laundry, and washed the kitchen floor too. Followed by a trip to the library to catch up on my POA syllabus. Not gonna order Passion Orange freeze anymore from Galilee cos its got bitter after taste despite getting a replacement. But their potato wedges are irresistable and service is not bad. Thumbs up for the Jurong branch so far.

Caught my first local play this afternoon…

I couldn’t catch all of the gags, but some of ‘em were jaw breaking hilarious. I’d probably catch it again the next time they show a new one. Went together with RN, KM, SM, LP and his Missus (AG). After the show, RN and KM had to rush off, leaving me in a slightly awkward situation with SM together with LP and AG, thankfully we settled at a nearby Starbucks to chat and do the usual crapping with lameness and a bit of pun. LP’s really larky cos AG’s really nice and they just look natural together. Way to go dude.

Chatted with SM… and found that she does lots of volunteer work, meeting lots of people with different needs… most of the time in emotional distress, if not plagued by medical conditions that prohibit what we would deem as a normal life. I’ve not met anyone actively doing volunteer work before… and looking at SM who does it on a regular basis and even as a passion… speaks volumes of care and kindness… but also at the expense of some emotional baggage that comes when sometimes doing your best doesn’t yield the results that you hope to achieve… especially when you’re involved with people abandoned, others with genetic defects… etc. When you see sadness, pain and suffering in its various forms and in large numbers, it can get to you and make one look at life so differently from the norm. It even seems like a convenient excuse for us not to do volunteering because of that…

Yet she still persists and mentions of having to be an “aunt agony” after receiving an sms when I sent her home. It just made me reflect about what I do nowadays…

Despite getting a blister on my toe after this morning’s run, I need continue more often now that my virus is gone. I’m in the worst shape ever since I was a little fat-ass in primary school, and there’s a long way to go to get rid of the belly. Gotta control my diet…

But I still crave for american breakfast buffet… uurrrgghh… the temptation… devil is seriously after me… and its about time to fight back.

Soulfood…

Yes its one of those days where stuff just doesn’t go your way, just about everything feels farked up even though its really not as bad as it seems. You’re just fine… in its “fine” sense. I for one, have found a small outlet of relief from “fineness”. Life didn’t feel that farked up when I had this for dinner before attending my night classes.

For those who don’t eat cow… TOO BAD… you can read further below though. But I must express the innate feelings that derived from confounded senses by the aroma that extrudes from Cowabunga… Yes ladies and gentleman… its Beef Fried Rice at its finest when you’re feeling just “FINE”. I… am tehhling you peepurl ah… this beef fried rice is Si beh ho jiak… (die father very tasty). Because this dish brings me all the way back in time where uncles have their meals while resting their foot on the same chair they sit on… no I would’ve ripped my pants if i did that… It just smells of the 1980s… and that’s the time where food is usually cheap and so much nicer than now. It smells fragrant and just the way beef fried rice should be. Simple. But how many of us know that good fried rice = master of a lost art. I’m not completely blown away by the texture and quality of the food, but when the basics are right: not too salty, fragrant, rice not too hard or soft, consistency, tender beef that’s properly marinated, a real proper “he bao dan”… there’s just no need to ask for more here. My colleague claims that the uncle cooks better when the younger (middle aged) lady is helping with the stall… so far, its the same standard with or without that lady. I shall not divulge where to find this place in my blog for fear that I’ll pollute it in the public sphere of madness. (can still ask me personally if you really want to go and try)

I really find peace and satisfaction when there’s good food around. Its like everything else can be shitty… but at least I’m not eating shit. I’ve not cooked for quite awhile since M, RN and KM came for a cook-over. Which reminds me, I wanted to blog about it but was just too tired at that time to do so… That was last year in November I think, had a long shopping session at IMM to buy the ingredients… and I personally thought that I tried too hard again… nevertheless the results were still good though it was tiring. RN and KM took forever to arrive, and M and I were taking forever to cook everything… it was the time I wished I had one of ‘ose big kitchen ovens like Jamie Oliver has. Because we made baked chicken.

Looks good right? But I didn’t feel it was as good as the chicken chop that I did the last time round. Nevertheless its the first time experimenting with the recipe so I wasn’t that disappointed. M stir fried some of the leftover veges which I thought was the highlight of dinner… she did it just right and I just wanted to keep eating it. We also steamed the live prawns with hua diao…

… which is always good. And doing all this just helps to settle one’s soul… knowing that we’ve still got the basic stuff that we need to move ahead and drive us to greater things. Although things might not look too bright in life, we still have the little things that matter… and no wonder… we can still smile here and there, and remain alive. Cheers to the soul, and to life.

Microsoft’s Sidewinder vs Logitech’s G9

Supposed to catch Dan in real life today with E, but end up she’s too tired. Luckily, I went to funan this afternoon and hooted these…

Razer eXactMat Xspeed mouse pad (comes with wrist rest), Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse and… I finally got these balls!! WooHoo!

Overclocked these babies to 1066 Mhz… *silly grin*

Also decided to do some review/comparison with my Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse. Quite frankly I’m putting myself to shame doing this review, on the basis that my writing sucks now. Nevertheless, I will base this review along this set of criterion:

1) Comfort
2) Functionality
3) Value/Price
4) Features
5) Cool factor

Also, I’m strictly reviewing right-handed mice… no offence to lefties. =p

here’s the Microsoft Sidewinder up close…

Its probably the biggest gaming mouse ever seen in the market as of late. I’ve used this coming to about 2 months without a mouse pad/rest till now, and thankfully nothing bad has happened to it yet (even after slapping the mouse onto the desk when I keep dying while playing Call of Duty 4). Which really makes me pretty glad that the construction is solid. For someone who has longer fingers, I found the grip to be very comfortable, and despite its size, its actually quite light. But that’s really subjective because it might feel a little bit too chunky for others with smaller hands. There’re many other mixed reviews in gaming websites with regards to the Sidewinder. Some say its just too big, whereas some end-users really adore it (think its the bigger hands). Just to set the tone right, its one of those types meant for gamers who have more palm/large movements as opposed to finger/delicate movements.

(above) a look at how the mouse fits. Notice that my fingers are quite extended but not reaching the front, and my palm’s fully in contact on the mouse.

The Sidewinder has a flurry of buttons that seem to bode really well for the hardcore gamer. Its the 1st mouse to have an LCD display showing the dpi (2000, 800, 400 default) with 3 red led buttons at the topside just behind the mouse wheel to toggle the desired sensitivity. The mouse wheel feels really solid without the side to side clicks found on other mice. I found this to be good because you don’t have to worry about accidentally clicking on the wrong button (cos there isn’t one). There are 2 silver thumb buttons strategically placed and only work if you deliberately click them. In front of the silver buttons is a macro button that I’ve not tried yet.

Another really nice touch was the fact that Microsoft actually went the extra mile to think about how to make the mouse even better. They did that by introducing a weighted box that actually clips on to the mouse wire to prevent excessive wire slack that messes up the desk. The box also doubles up as case containing interchangeable weights, and even 2 sets of interchangeable mousefeet. Makes one wonder, if only MS did the same for Windows Vista… (they must be playing too many games with this to do real work…)

On the downside, I found that the weights made the mouse too heavy and sluggish. I also felt that the smoothest set of mouse feet, is still brought down to its knees compared to the G9′s slick glide. Its also only 2000 dpi at max, which is kind of low for gaming mice. Having got this at Sitex for S$139 together with Gears of War was a really good deal, now its probably retailing for about S$120 just by itself. Rather average price-value ratio if not for the additional features like the weighted box that solves the wire slack problem. This mouse is a real looker with the Sidewinder logo embedded at the top (actually brings up the Games folder when clicked) and the red lights shining out under the mouse yells out awesome coolness. The macro button is a good idea from MS that separates the Sidewinder from its competition with additional functionality.

On a score out of 10…

1) Comfort – 7
2) Functionality – 8
3) Value/Price – 8
4) Features – 8
5) Cool factor – 9

Overall – 8/10

Next up……

Logitech’s G9 Laser Mouse

Logitech has been at the forefront of the PC peripheral market churning out tons of gaming hardware (i.e keyboards, speakers, mice, media controllers etc). If there’s any company that knows how to make great mice, its Logitech. Their stuff is always good, and hard to beat. And this G9 mouse is nothing that I’ve ever experienced before.

The G9 is light and seems to make more sense in terms of size compared to the Sidewinder. There’s also a box of interchangeable weights that can be inserted for the hardcore gamer. Logitech have also included 2 different types of “grip-casing” which provides a choice of soft satin feel, or rugged dry feel. And both grips are equally comfortable. Its just a matter of preference to which feel you like. Shown above is the soft satin casing, below is the rugged dry casing.

Interchangeable weights for the G9

Moving the G9 is a very soft and delicate affair. The mouse is extremely nimble without weights and even though it doesn’t have interchangeable feet, it feels like the mouse is floating on a cushion of air. Its nothing I’ve felt before and its insanely smooth. This thing glides like nobody’s business, and it requires such minimal effort to use. Its ergonomically sound in design and very suitable for those with smaller hands, or those who prefer smaller movements relying on fingers.

(above) my palm is hardly touching the mouse so its moving more delicately with my fingers.

The buttons also have a softer feel to it, but in no way should be misunderstood as risk to misclicking. Everything about the G9 is simple and delicate. When its movements replicate running your hand through silk, it almost feels feminine and sexy even. The mouse also comes with its own inbuilt memory, and requires no software to install. Just plug and play. There’s a toggle switch on the topside to adjust up to a max of 3200 DPI, and the red led indicates the amount of sensitivity of the mouse. The thumb buttons are in their usual traditional location, and have a very nice solid feel to it as well.

Logitech have again produced another strong contender for gaming mice. Aside from the Razers, this thing glides as smooth as butter. Its really the most comfortable mouse I’ve ever used. The high sensitivity also makes it great for quick sharp movements needed for competitive gaming. Despite its rather awkward looks, it should satisfy the most nitty picky gamer looking for a good gaming mouse. However, this is also the most expensive gaming mouse in the market at S$159 (after discount pay in cash only, S$169 on credit) which is really expensive taking into account there’s not as many features as the Sidewinder.

On a score out of 10…

1) Comfort – 9.5
2) Functionality – 9
3) Value/Price – 6
4) Features – 7
5) Cool factor – 8.5

Overall – 8/10

Conclusion:

At head to head, the Sidewinder loses out to overall performance due to its size compared to the G9. But it does however make up for that with value added features with the box solving wire slack and doubling up as a casing for interchangeable mice and feet. Not to mention the macro button for added functionality.

The G9 makes up for lack of features with a sublimely smooth glide and exceptional nimbleness and quickness. But you have to pay a high price for sublime. The interchangeable grip-casings feel fantastic and its very easy to change them whenever you want to.

I really have a hard time deciding which is the one to own… so coming to personal preference, I’ll choose the G9. Because this thing feels so good once you use it… nothing else really matters.

More details of the products can be found at the following links:

Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse

Penryn chips coming out…

And the 780i nForce SLI motherboards also coming out… also Nvidia came up with a new GPU that has 2 cores (9800 GX2) that runs 30% faster than a pair of 8800GTX Ultras… Urgghh!! the poison!!

I just wanna run Crysis in MAX settings and get to play it butter smooth… though Call of Duty 4 is running on max now and looks freaking gorgeous and sublimely real. Playing Crysis for the 2nd time in normal difficulty… made me realize that enemy AI is pretty cockanaden. Probably can starting playing “Hard” and “Delta” difficulties.

And… mua finally got my first credit card. *grin* planning to read the thick booklet that came with it when I’m more free.

I really wanna try to overclock my PC but just have no time and no balls… despite my intense curiosity to know if Crysis will perform any better at 3 Ghz which a lot of people with the Q6600 have attained easily. But I might need to get custom CPU cooling to be safe. My 8800GT stock cooling also sucks… feels like its always running at 60-70 degrees celsius (card is so hot even at idle).

Going to be quite occupied this weekend again, dinner with M, C and E, then Sat badminton… plus have to help mum with CNY shopping, and gotta mug my principles of accounting.

Reservist call-up came and I’ll be away for my “holidays” come late April. Hate Jurong camp.

New Games I’m looking forward to:

1) The Witcher

2) Mass Effect

3) Assassin’s Creed

but then… I still haven’t completed all my current games yet… so much to play and so little time…

Daily happenings…

Week has been rather fine. If not rather uneventful… There’s somewhat a sense of serenity for the past few days. We haven’t had an upset customer since the new year… which I think will be jinxed after I write this… I’ve managed to force my unwilling and awfully reluctant body to class yesterday. Again there are sick people in the office… boss went off after an interview in the morning, and colleague was also down sick on MC. I’ve finished my antibiotics and am almost cough free… almost…

Crude oil is now US$100 and on its way up… property markets are still up… a lot of stuff seems to be… up. Except for my stomach. (i need to get well before i can go running again).

Don’t feel like thinking or talking about life at the moment. Because interestingly it almost feels like utopia this week. However my temper has gotten a little bit shorter than it used to be… perhaps in a good way because there are things in life that just are not supposed to be tolerated. I’ve been known to be too accepting and too nice… but for the wrong reasons.

And yes… I am freakin restless. I need to run and play sports again… very very badly. I’ve been feeling this strong sense of awkwardness about me since I fell sick late last year. Its just gets me so off rhythm… I can’t really set my mind… ahh… why do I have to constantly manage myself when life can be in fact a lot simpler than it is. Perhaps I really worry too much… really.

I gotta just relax… and to W I didn’t mean to leave the comment in a bad way… and yes its plain irritating and insensitive… I feel bad that work hasn’t been going well for W. She’s been under the constant repetitive blather of parents going to the extreme of getting their kids into the school that she works in. Its a not a job for impatient people… and also not for the most patient either. Go figure. But she really shouldn’t be fired (no she’s not fired yet) just because the rich fags go all the way to get what they want, and are finally unable to get it because they don’t follow the rules and conditions set by the school. Imagine not just 1 rich fag parent (not saying that all rich ppl are like that), but a bunch of them nagging, complaining, yelling/screaming, calling non-stop, and you have to keep re-iterating over and over again the school’s entry policy… they still keep on pushing you to bend the rules, bribing you, threatening you, even belittling you… and you have to just tolerate it because that’s just part of the job. So yeah… when you have such rough days it just gets worse if a friend says something wrong at the wrong time whether he meant it or not. You’ve had enough stupidity for the whole week, and u just need people around you not to be stupid. Sorry W I really hope things get better for you, so just hang in there.

Quite sometime ago I wanted to write about the steak at Hog’s Breath Cafe. I had the one with BBQ sauce… didn’t really like the sauce, but the medium rare steak was certainly tender. It gets better when you’re with a bunch of friends and have a few beers after the meal and start crapping about life and all that other stuff.  The setting of the restaurant at Vivocity is very casual and western. Its just the sort of place that yells out “BEER!”…… yet… very interestingly, they don’t seem to have any pork in their menu at all. *ponder* Hog’s breath… no hog?

Also, I went to Rocky’s pizza at Sunset way with KM and RN… the pizza we ordered was huge… and there were actually juices flowing out onto the pan. Its simply quite good, and looking at the kitchen from the dining area was interesting. You can see the system they employ to keep track of the orders. It felt rather homely being a place in the neighbourhood… Sunset way has quite a few little restaurants with a nice, quiet and getaway setting from all the buzz in the city.

Miss playing pool too… perhaps this weekend… after I study.

Little things that make me happy

Yes its another meme… I have no idea how to pronounce it. This one’s “10 things that makes me happy on a regular basis”.

In no order of importance:

1) Alcohol and jokes with friends.

2) Break and run out a rack of 9 ball.

3) Kiwi (RN’s cat) resting on my lap while watching TV. I find it therapeutic and calming.

4) A sweaty workout (running, bball)

5) Taking a drive on a sunny Saturday morning to have breakfast.

6) Payday.

7) Using my uber Quad core PC.

8) Knocking off for the week on Friday.

9) Watching the sunset at a coastline.

10) Being good company and having good company at the same time.

So, pass to these people. You may choose to tag others or respond at your own free will… and you will NOT be cursed if u decide not to carry on. I just think its nice to appreciate the simple things in life that matters to us.

a) http://allocohappybutt.blogspot.com/

b)  http://www.mybrainisstillat.blogspot.com/

c) http://ianlum.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/

d) http://lexandria.wordpress.com/

e)  http://fleaflyflooflum.wordpress.com/

Aimless and full of doubt…

Its finally 2008… with what I thought was a bad start to the year being sick and all… Time really flies when you’re having fun, and I admit I’ve had lots of fun in 2007.

But then comes the crux of what really matters in this stage of my life. What achievements I’ve gotten and what goals to look forward to next. Again I’ve not spent much time planning 3-5 years ahead, other than the assurance of keeping my current job. However, even as it is, work is about to become a little more complex and challenging that it was before. People are going to expect more from you, and perhaps vice versa as well… which kind of bodes further risk for misunderstandings and lotsa bitching in the near future. Why? Because we always struggle to meet expectations due to our own differences, even though we’re actually after the same goal and destination.

Also, a number of people have gone ahead of me and graduated with their degrees and moved on with their life and career. At times, I will wonder why am I so slow… and I know all the reason too well.

Acceptance is a big part of life. It even determines your destiny and how you evolve as a person. I for one, think I have been too accepting towards many things in life, in the expense of being influential at times. I realized that you can either be an adaptive person, or, you can be an influential person. For the time being, I’m beginning to think that the latter has the greater power. Though of course, being adaptive has its own perks. I’d say I’ve been rather adaptive throughout most of my life… and now that I have think of ways and means to be more influential in my workplace, has caused some mental conflicts with how I deal with my life in general.

The roles we play in our lives, says a lot about who we are, and where we come from. In another few years, I’ll be in my 30s… and I think about what people are going to think about me when I’m 30. Does it really matter? Just how valuable are my representations? Because ultimately, when we communicate with others, we want to be listened to, and not have to listen all the time. When I reach that stage, I wonder… How am I going to face up to people, how am I going to earn the respect that I’ve given to people who deserve it. I’m no longer a person who has to be led… but a person who most probably has to show the way ahead for the younger generation.

To be studying part-time, is really such a toil… and I’m just doing it to ensure I have a brighter future ahead. However, I’m not really working as hard as many other individuals who make sure they pass everything. And it really simply shows how lazy and care-less I am about my future… perhaps mainly because I still don’t really have any passion to look forward to fulfill… perhaps I just don’t dream big enough, and maybe I get easily bogged down by all the negativity that’s been seeping through my emotional walls.

In short I’m in a pretty bad mood… and yes its probably because of the drugs I’m on to get well from this accursed virus. But I’ll be a lot better when this crap goes away.

Still down with the FREAKIN FLU

I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick…I hate being sick!!!!