Wednesday, July 30, 2008
My new desktop..Spent half a day creating this look. So what's new? See those icons on top? Those aren't normal icons. They're called docklets, and the whole bar, which I've set to transparent is called a docklet (I think those are the appropriate terms). It's like an advanced version of icons allowing you to customize the looks and the animation when you mouse over them. Pretty cool huh? Plus it keeps my desktop tidy.. so that's a huge plus!
Here's another sample..
Other cool things you can do with it include adding docklets which show the ram, memory usage and space left, a calendar, weather forecast etc :)
Check it out here:
http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/
I really gotta start practising before my lessons tonight so I'm out!
Fight on 12:04 AM
Friday, July 25, 2008
It's been a bad week.
I broke my glasses (new one) again but luckily it's built to be destroyed. Bend it and it can be unbent..twist it and it can be untwisted..crack the sides open.. and yes, it can be put back together. Pretty cool glasses I would say albeit a lil' troublesome, having to go back to the optician to get it fixed up... but it saves up a lot since the frame can be reused again and again if the damage is not unsalvageable. I didn't like wearing glasses and still don't but I couldn't replace it with contact lenses either as you all know, I'm just that careless with delicate stuff. So, I'm left with only one option if I were to rid myself of this glasses burden - eye treatment, which the last time I checked, costs around RM 4000+.
I still prefer not wearing them.. See the difference?
There are plenty other mishaps this week.. like realising that I just missed Hancock, microsoft announcing FF XIII for the Xbox 360 (thus the series is no longer sony exclusive), petty stuff like that which I'm sure most of you don't bother about. I do..especially the latter. Microsoft must've stuffed wads of cash into Square-enix's pocket, quoted from NoobToob (a very fun and lively gaming podcast which I shall talk about later). It soils my sole reason for getting the PS3! Petty petty stuff I agree..compared to what the world is facing. I'm pretty selfish I'd say and hopefully that'll change as I age and mature :) Hopefully.. but for now...Why? Square-enix??! WHY?! You're supposed to be Sony's trump card!
No..I'm not done with complaining. My other complaints are as follow:
- Connection sucks like a feisty little leech, goes without saying, but still deserve a saying.
- I'm bored outta my mind and would try anything new and refreshing if given the chance. Not a good attitude I'd say, given the time we're in. Don't worry, I haven't sunk that low yet.
- And to top it off..I just came back from a losing streak of badminton with the uncles and aunties. Couldn't seem to focus with that little headache clogging my head up. Plus I broke the strings on my new asdacquet..yowch..
I'm guessing I should stop now since I'm sure the readers out there, if any, don't come here to "read" me whine about life. So on to the good parts of my life.
For the past 2-3 weeks, I've been playing quite a bit of Starcraft, a pc game which many would consider a classic. It didn't appeal to me when my friend played it ages ago but after seeing starcraft 2, I decided to give it a try..like there's anything interesting going on in my life right now. I gotta say, it's a great game, and should be put into PC games' hall of fame if it hadn't been done. Nice story, great gameplay, and decent graphic for an age old game. I just finished Starcraft, the original and am now indulging myself in brood wars which, imo, is not as good. The new units weren't as creative.. I mean.. devourer for the zerg which looks like a flying infested dragon, capable of shooting acid at air units but not at ground units..not really what I was looking for. But the lurker :) I like..very mucho. Heck..it's an age old game, and everyone gives it a thumbs up so why should I say otherwise. I'm really pumped about SC2 and hopes it'll be coming out this year. My only worry is that..will I be able to play it? PC games' graphic are getting more and more demanding. That's why I prefer to be a console gamer..just slot in the disc and play..no upgrades or whatsoever required. So here's to hoping I could and would be giving a review on it..if I could find the time to :P
Hydralisk: Alright! Huddle up! We'll do the choo choo train!
Zerglings: YEA!! Wooo WOO!
(reminds me of the time I did it in the scottish Ceilidh)
Below shows how I own with the Zerg..yes..my favourite unit is the guardian :)
The mission was to bring the crystals to the temple and later fend off the zerg from the temple(the zerg in blue is mine btw..mind control is awesome:) while the the heroes do their thang. I forgot to read the objectives and wiped out the entire zerg army instead..lol..
So I waited out the 15 minutes by having some fun with my forces. A random Z done with the arbiter's annoying skill..
My forces applaud my ability to own by spelling my initial :) Aww...
I don't understand why so many people like the protoss.. Sure..they do have fancy names..like zealot.. archons.. carriers.. *chokes*
Their units look nice and shiny.. oo.. shiny!
Talk about attracting attention!! We're in a war!
Not to mention they're oh sooooo EXPENSIVE..
And their units come with shields..but they cannot regenerate themselves like the zerg or how the humans heal and repair.. and it ticks me off when I see one my carriers.. damaged ..permanently.
Here's a scene I find particularly amusing.. a dragoon, having 4 legs for f's sake.. can't manouevre up/down a staircase.. Guess aliens can't comprehend how our simple contraptions work.. They prefer teleporting ya?
Sorry protoss fans.. I don't mean to diss the protoss but I do feel that the other 2 races deserve some love too.. especially the zerg :)
The final mission in the original game. After being pummelled on my first time playing this mission.. I paid it back a million fold to them.. yes.. I never forget a grudge..
<<
Initial attack, victory was sealed within minutes as the overmind wasn't really well protected.. Had to replay the mission as I didn't overkill them.. What's overkill you may ask..well.. it's killing more than what's necessary..
See the map? Not really clear.. but yea.. I wiped out the whole colony surrounding the overmind. Like this..
And rubbing it in their face by having only the 3 heroes slay the overmind.. like this..
I like all the races.. each has their own strengths and weaknesses.. but I'm intimately attached to the zerg. They're built to survive.. Plus.. I can do this <<, in a matter of seconds.. And no..I don't cheat, cause I ain't no cheater..
Ultralisk: Alright! Group photo before we take the temple!
oO .. one more thing. Anyone who feels like replaying starcraft, or maybe giving it a go, like me, try this trick which I just found out from a website. Keep clicking on a unit, protoss or terran preferably since they're not verbally challenged and you can listen to them say some funny stuff, mostly insider jokes.
An example.. artanis would say..
Stop poking me..
Do I look like an orc?
This is not WARCRAFT(another blizzard game)!!
I know it's not 3D!
Nerdy huh?
Like I care what you think...
I'm out!!
Fight on 4:14 AM
Saturday, July 19, 2008
2 posts in one week? I'm on roll!
Yes folks! I just watched Batman, The Dark Knight and let me tell you this - Movies that end up being featured in my post would either be so bad it makes you cry just thinking about it or so freaking out of this world good you'd wish you had never watched it - I'm dead serious - (note - maybe this applies to me only since I'm an oddity of the planet :)
So here's what I think. Picture this - Ooo, I just saw the greatest film of the universe and I wish there's just more! - but there isn't gonna be any - so there's just this undescribable feeling that tells you - hmm, maybe I should've waited to watch this, or maybe I should've waited til I get tickets for iMAX. Face it - you'd wish you had never watch in the first place and now you have no idea what to do. Well, here's a solution that I'm sure most of you would go with but are not aware of - Maybe I should get the soundtrack for this, or maybe I should change my desktop wallpaper, or maybe I should get a hold of the previous movies! Well, they are all possible solutions and that's how they milk money outta the fans :) , but enough bout that..let's get on with the show people!
I'll try and keep it spoiler free for those not-so-fortunate souls out there so rest assure.
So.. Batman, (I'm sure this fella needs no introduction even for all you non-geek readers out there.. if any) The DARK KNIGHT is just the type of movie I've been waiting for all this time - saying this from the point where I've already watched it, not before. Everything about it was just so intense - the plot, the action, the acting - everything if there needs to be any!
This movie brought out the best of the franchise; Batman and the Joker, an incorruptible vigilante vs a madman who just simply enjoys what he does ( talk about finding the perfect job for some people eh?)
The acting on batman's part was ok, which leads us to the Joker, who was portrayed just perfectly in this movie - a low-down scumbag who sees the world as his playgroud. This movie would've been just ..meh .. just like the first movie (can't really comment much since I saw it on a pirated disc) if it wasn't for the Joker's involvement. From his 1st appearance in the movie, I was either laughing at the Joker's bad joke, dancing along his evil rhythm or on the edge of my seat (like a kid watching porn for the 1st time - bad joke - get it? owh well) waiting to see just what he has in store(installed?) for us. However, since I don't wish to let out anything on this great movie for everyone, I'll just leave it at that.
The action scenes were not bad. Some were actually quite good and since Batman is all about gadgets (I think), I never knew how he was actually gonna get away with it (which is how all the movies should BE like! Noone wants to watch a movie where you already saw IT coming 5 minutes before!!)
The storyline is just *snap* magnifig. In fact, it was the best I've seen in the long line of superhero movies thus far. It wasn't just all about who vs who, and in the end the stronger prevails, or I've got this amazing supah powahz outta no where and now I need to use it to fight evil! The plot really got me thinking, yea, he(the Joker) is right sometimes cause *spoiler*spoiler*spoiler*spoiler*spoiler*spoiler*spoiler*spoiler* & *spoiler* Sigh..I wish I could say more but, yea it's just too good that I don't have the heart to spoil it for you guys out there - I'm just caring like that :)
Oh, and try to appreciate the sound too. It was intense - the feeling of being on the edge and just about to snap!
So I guess that ties it all in folks!
For those who care what I have to say in this small ol' blog of mine - I give it a 10/10
I'm out! *Runs off to find the soundtrack*
Fight on 12:04 PM
Friday, July 18, 2008
Just because I'm committed to this blog :)I never thought I would see this day coming..but yea! I just finished my attachment at the radiology department in SMC and I lemme tell you this, I can't see myself..ever..being in the radiology department..ever..
Don't get me wrong.. the attachment was great and I did get to learn loads of things not to mention getting my lazy bum to do some work. However, staring at x-rays everyday, and having minimal patient contact weren't exactly what I'd signed up for.
In the past week, I've learned that one needs to have enhanced vision to spot anything wrong at all on an X-ray/CT/MRI/Ultrasound scan, in the order of increasing difficulty. What I'm trying to say is, it's haaarrddd though it's not to be expected since it's a specialist field. Out of the MANY scans I've seen..I got maybe..hmm..
2..5(including the normal ones :) correct. Sad huh?
I choked a laugh when I thought back about it too..I mean.. on my notes, I wrote, "big left hole below the lungs" and when I checked the doctor's report, it was:
Lung fields are normal
Diaphragms on both sides appear normal
Mild cardiomegaly
Unfolded aorta
and many other
gibberish, ahem, terms which I now understand..
So I asked the nurse, what about the big left hole below the lung, and I could just smack myself on the forehead imaginarily(does this adverb exist?) when she said "Oh, that's the gas/air in the stomach..it's normal". Oh, btw, the other terms like cardiomegaly doesn't apply to this picture since I just google imaged this, but it does show the infamous big hole I was talking about :)
Dr. Ravi, the radiologist I was attached to(not affectionately, but professionally mind you) is the only radiologist in SMC, thus having freed some of his time to take care of this nuisance of yours is very much appreciated by yours truly. Heck, he even brought me to have a coffee break in the doctor's lounge where I felt so at a loss of words..literally. The doctors there don't just take a break and talk about CNN or sports, nothing like that, but instead they discuss the cases they've seen, especially the odd and particular ones. I just sat there sipping my milo looking dumb.
Hooray for jargons! Luckily all that studying in my first year in med school didn't go to waste. I understood what they were talking about but couldn't really quite connect the dots as to why. Oh well, I guess that's what the other4 years are for.
So lesson learned:
To be a good radiologist, one needs to have:
- A very good understanding of the human anatomy
- Keen observation skills
- Experience
- Eyeballs trained to withstand long hours of staring into black and white pictures that would normally not appeal to anyone, nor me for that matter.
That's all the highlights of this week folks!
I'm out!
Fight on 9:24 AM
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ever got fortunate enough for a life lesson to be taught to you through your dreams? or in my case.. a nightmare? I have, and in fact, I just did.
I've gotta admit, it's some scary shit..no kidding even for a
tough guy like me. It was so real; not like special side effects real real, but real as in within the boundaries of logic. Many of my friends and perhaps would be readers are in it which just adds to the whole aspect of realism. Alright, so I guess you're all wondering what is this all about..right? RIGHT?! My memory is a lil' sketchy but I'll try to remember as best as I could all the details...
Ok, so for those who have watched the movie
Click by Adam Sandler, it's gonna be something similar.
One fine sunny day, (yes..it has started..go grab some popcorn if you'd like) I met up with my friend, or more accurately my relative like we usually do. On this occassion, she seemed oddly happy about something which was quite unusual for her. So, being the 38 bastard that I am I asked wassup and was rewarded..bountifully. She was having problems of not having enough time lately and not being able to make the right decisions (who doesn't right?) and somehow, she found this software online(yes..my dreams are all geeky like that), and guess what..this software allows the user to relive back 5 minutes of their life in return for 12 hours of his/her life. I don't exactly know how it works but..all in all, it's a software that allows you to travel back in time for just 5 minutes, but in return you get 12 hours chopped off your life.
Eyes widened..I thought to myself, pretty good deal eh? I mean, 5 minutes is not a lot, but enough to change a huge mistake into the best decision one has made in years! The downside - 12 hours? Not really that much compared to how long humans usually live to. Ok, so heck..why not? I'll give it a try.
So I tried it a couple of times and it got to me..I was hooked, like a sony fanboy to a sequel of Final Fantasy! The only example of me using it that I recall was when I did something really embarrassing in front of my friends that I wish I could just stab myself in the face...but wait..I don't have to..since I "didn't" actually do it...*snap* and 5 minutes before, I didn't do it. I'll spare the lame details since I couldn't really control what I did in that dream..I was more like a spectator of myself.
So yea, think about it..not knowing something, but 5 minutes later you would and you have the power to change that in your favour. I could think of a million other things I could do with this power in my grasp - like hitting on a girl and knowing the right stuff to say to get the deal sealed..haha. Oh, and for the record, I didn't actually do that in my dream..damnit!
I've been using this software like mad and one day, this friend who gave me this awesome uber software *pause for grim effect* died...and I think, according to the software..she lived up to her 80's! So I started recalling the times I've used this software and a chill went down my spine, literally and I woke up.
Lesson learned? - Use the software alongside a timetable..HAHA..just kidding.
12 hours is not a lot, I'll admit BUT think about what you can do in those 12 hours.. just think about it. I won't give examples since to each his or her own. I guess making decisions is kinda easy, but following through the decision is not what everyone can and would do. I've made lots of decisions in the past which makes me what I am now and I haven't been able to follow them through lately. Hopefully it would change from now on..
And to reward the readers for reading this long post..here's what I found out..
Zoom out..zoom to when you'd be looking at this from the point on your deathbed (face it, everyone dies!) and follow through your decisions be it good or bad cause IMO, there are no good or bad decisions - We have no way of knowing what would happen if we did this or that! Face it, we all try to make good decisions and in fact it couldn't be any better, but a big chunk of us fail to stick with it...and it's a domino effect from henceforth..
There are no "save" and "load" in life people! Just "continue"!
Pretty depressing post huh? :P
I guess this is why I started blogging - to remind myself of what I did so I can have a game over with a bang!
I'm out!
Fight on 6:09 AM
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Guess a lot of people would be saying "hah!", "gotcha" & not forgetting the ever so frequently used chinese slang "chiu!" because I once blogged, quitted and said I never felt better!
Well, I can't say I was entirely wrong because adjusting to a new- (you have to work your ass off everyday) lifestyle wasn't really what I was expecting when I first got my offer letter from the University.
I'm not saying that I once thought being a medical student would be a breeze, but hey, the transition from high schoolers/college jockies to University dwellers is every guys' and gals' dreams right? I mean..
No more waking up at 5 in the morning,
No more schooling til 5 in the evening
No more boring classes with almost non-existent 20 minutes breaks in between
No more rushing for meals during lunch time unless you want cold ho fun, cold curry etc..
No more homework
And the truth is..
I have to wake up by 7 every weekdays, and though it's not that bad, the chilly weather and the whole walking to school issue isn't exactly an improvement.
I still have classes, no wait..they call them lectures now - lectures til 5 occassionally inclusive of PBL and anatomy classes.
I don't have to rush for meals anymore cause they cater for breakfast and dinner so everyone gets their share. Breakfast is ok..but! butttt...there's always a but(cliche i know) dinner is spontaneously luck-driven - so if you broke a mirror or something, never ever go for dinner - you're better off without it.
Ok, so I just written one whole post about why I stopped blogging. I gotta admit, I do feel a little guilty about it..just a little :)
So here's to hoping more from me and that this blog would last longer than the previous one!
I'm out!
Fight on 11:05 PM
It's been a bad week.
I still prefer not wearing them.. See the difference?
Hydralisk: Alright! Huddle up! We'll do the choo choo train!
I, as defined by myself..