瓜之家

那天看见朋友 Live Messenger 里说要寻找傻瓜
我便问她找我有什么事？
她说我不合格
于是我便告诉她我家里的瓜瓜们

大儿子的其中一个乳名是大瓜
小儿子是小瓜
而我就是傻瓜咯
（但妻子叫我老瓜）

朋友问我妻子是什么瓜？
我告诉她妻子不是瓜
妻子是照顾瓜瓜们的瓜农
她告诉我，我妻子该叫做甜瓜
我想想也好
总好过西瓜，冬瓜，南瓜，木瓜等等的

大瓜，小瓜，甜瓜和（老）傻瓜
这就是我的瓜之家

SoulBot-IV

After months of saying I want to build a new gaming machine (home computer) to replace the current temperamental one, I finally did it yesterday. Thanks to the recent bonus that made this possible, else I would still be waiting for the fund to slowly build up from monthly saving.

For my fourth computer, I decided not to reuse any old parts and went with brand new stuff besides the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Actually I am thinking of getting a new gaming mouse as well since the current one is iffy after my son dropped it a few times too many, but that will have to wait.


SoulBot-IV in Rambo casing. Don't mess with it!

So, spanking new motherboard for the QuadCore, 2GB of DDR3 1333MHz memory (mobo only supports up to 1333MHz), 500GB SATA hard disk, my first ever DVD-rewriter (been recycling my CD-rewriter), new casing, CPU heatsink, 510W power supply, and the graphic card that made up the lion's share of the total cost: my prized GeForce GTS250 256bit 1GB DDR3.


There you go, RM1518 worth of stuff

All that without the QuadCore processor summed up to slightly over RM1.5k, purchased and assembled at Accom Technology in Bukit Jambul Complex, Penang.

I am giving Accom Technology a free advertisement for the customer service I received, and for deducting the price when I informed them I found cheaper price of the same motherboard and graphic card listed online, and because instead of selling me two 2GB DDR3 memory like I wanted to, adviced me to just get one and wait till the end of March to get the other since DDR3 price will drop then (but DDR2's will rise).

I was thinking of putting the box together myself but Accom has kindly did that for me, saving me the effort.

The graphic card is a beast, it took up two back panel slots while its heatpipe cooling system covered the neighbour PCI slot. It requires dedicated power hence the 510W power supply.


GeForce GTS250, my precioussssss...

I am going to turn all my game graphic settings to max now, muahahahahaha!

Initially I wanted to install the old SoundBlaster audio card I got since SoulBot-II but the onboard audio seems to be good enough. I did installed an old 40GB IDE hard disk and made a 10GB paging file on it. Read on gaming forum that having the paging file on another hard drive instead of the system hard drive can give a performance boost.

For the other geeks that would like to do this, this is where to do it on Windows XP: Control Panel > System > Advanced > Performance - Settings > Advanced > Virtual memory - Change

Oh, my new gaming machine is called SoulBot-IV. And yes, it's for GAMING. =)




This entry is written and posted using my new gaming machine, which still has no game installed thus far, so I am going to fix that! =P

It's just a shirt, really

It's so rare that I get commented on what I wear except the "urgh, you look ridiculous/hideous/horrible in that attire" variety so when it happened today, it warrants an entry.

There should be no doubt that I have no fashion sense whatsoever, I just don't.

It would be nice to say I got complimented (*gasp!*) for the shirt I was wearing today but that would not be true, think I will stick with "my attire today garnered a few comments".

Wifey actually said I look good in the shirt before I left home this morning, she's my wifey so she is bound to say something nice to give me a cheerful start for the day. I supposed.

But then three different colleagues commented on my shirt, and didn't sound like the "urgh, ridiculous" variety so I guess it must be something.

The gist of their comments were:

"Oooh, is that a new shirt?" (Note: it's 'oooh' instead of 'urgh')

"You look young and cute in that shirt" (Argggggh! Cute*! The horror! >.< Okay, this might be the "urgh, ridiculous" variety)

"Are you really CK?" (since CK has no fashion sense, I am taking this as a good thing!)

* wanted to write about this 'cute' thing for a while now, but I need some images to go with the entry and am too lazy to look them up. Yay slacker point +1! =P

Not sure what to make from these comments, but the fact that the shirt actually attracted attention is blog-worthy enough for me.

I would love to claim that it's me who picked the shirt that prompted 4 comments (record!) but then it would be lying. See, though it's a new shirt for me, it's not a newly bought shirt. It's a hands down from my brother-in-law. =)

So all credits to him and I remain the guy with no fashion sense. ^_^

On a totally unrelated note:

Saw a motorcycle with PAN8888 number plate on my way home today. Wonder how much more did the vehicle registration number cost compared to the motorcycle?

Holiday Stress?

Thought I would sleep better after coming back from KL.

Nope.

Last three days I finally went to sleep between 05:00 and 07:00 hours, simply couldn't fall asleep before then.

Besides the insomnia, these two days I am also feeling antisocial, suffering from IBS, day long tiredness, constant depression, generally irritable and down.

In other words, I am experiencing signs and symptoms of stress.

But I am in holiday leh, for goodness sake!

Lousy holiday. My gaming machine died for the n-th time. Didn't get my QuadCore built because the computer shop I frequented was closed for the week. Didn't get my annual comic set bought because QueensBay was so packed I turned around when I saw the queue for parking. So no gaming, no comic. =(

I ended up watching movie on the work laptop, sad sad sad.

Since no matter what I did I couldn't revive my gaming machine, I went the "kacang solution" of reformatting the hard disk and rebuilding the system. Took me two days for all the patching and reinstallation of essential softwares. Well at least my gaming machine is up again. For now.

If only I was not so tired and restless most of the time I might actually enjoy a game or two.

Meh!

Home

Home from Chinese New Year trip to KL.

Traffic has been good on both journeys to and fro, was able to cruise at 110 km/h most of the time (okay okay, 115 +/- 5 km/h). Couldn't say the same for those heading towards KL from the north today, good thing I was going the other direction.

There were a few idiotic drivers on the highway driving recklessly. I hope they crash and burn and die painfully, at some remote place of course so they won't cause jam on the highway and continue to be a nuisance to the others even in death.

Sorry for saying such suay thing in Chinese New Year, but I simply do not have any mercy for reckless drivers who endanger other road users. We are all better off without them.

Anyway, days in KL were spent in good company and good food, but little sleep. Light sleeper should not sleep in the same room with two babies, really. =P

For no apparent reason I got fascinated with the Rubik's cube, spent most of my first and second day just playing that thing. Still couldn't get more than one face done. Yea I know, I suck. =\

My brother-inlaw unhooked me from the Rubik's cube. He did that by hooking me onto Phantasy Star Portable on the PSP, heh. Darn, now I miss my Gunmaster. =)

Parents-inlaw busied me with Mahjong every night and taught me Gin Rummy yesterday night. I didn't know how to spell Gin Rummy so I looked it up, which resulted in a little finding.

Apparently the "Gin Rummy" I was taught and was playing, is in fact another variation of the Rummy called the Penang Rummy, or Si Rummy, instead of the actual Gin Rummy. Wah lau, Penang Rummy lor, didn't know that even though I am Penangite.

Anyway, either Mahjong or "Gin Rummy", my role is still the same, I am the 'water fish' there so the other players can win easier! =P

Alrighty, home sweet home, bed sweet bed, I am going to sleep like a pig tonight and do NOT wake me up.

I will bite, seriously.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Wishing you a roaring great year of the Tiger.

For those sexually active people, may your partner be wanting it everyday*! =P

* Malay for tiger = harimau, give it a stretch to sounds like hari-hari mahu (want everyday)!

She's in My Pants

Lady friend was in my pants, all sweaty and panting heavily.

Wonder if she enjoyed it? Hopefully no skin was rubbed off.

Think I best explain this in case some people are thinking in some funny way, I don't want to get kicked out of my house or get myself murdered. =P

Lady friend wanted to play badminton but didn't bring her sportswear, I happened to have two sets handy so I lent her my spare pants.

So lady friend got to enjoy the badminton session, in my pants instead of her own.

Ever considerate, I asked if the pants fit her:

"So, are they too tight?"

Very tactful CK, very tactful... not.

*facepalm*

Luckily I didn't get slapped.

Guys, don't make my mistake, always ask a lady if a piece of clothing is too loose instead. Except bra, but it's not like I have any bra to lend. =P

Anyway, lady friend is supposed to return my pants today but she pulled a disappearing act.

Why lar, why want to runaway with my pants?

Pandamen

By sheer chance I watched the first episode of Pandamen (熊猫人) on 8TV a few days ago, as it's on 20:30 hours right after the Mandarin news.

That is, I watched the first 10 minutes of that television series before I decided there are better things to waste my time on.

Diehard Jay Chou fans will tell you how fantastic the series is, how the acting is Oscar worthy, blah blah blah. Jay Chou directed and acted in the series.

Good thing I am not a diehard Jay Chou fan, and I am telling it from my perspective: it's craptastic.

It couldn't even hold my attention for more than 10 minutes.

Today, I decided to not be overly harsh and give it a second chance. After all, I had bored myself half dead reading through The Hours (the horror!), surely I can tolerate some crap TV series.

It's the 5th episode today. I didn't made it past 5 minutes.

Forget it, it SUCKS.

Honestly, I have nothing against Jay Chou, I like his unique blurry-pronunciation singing. One of my favorite songs is his 珊瑚海 (driect translation: Coral Sea, Coral Reef?). He gave us many nice songs, really.

His acting though, is non-existing. His movies are not all bad, nothing spectacular, but not all bad.

This Pandamen however... sorry man, el-sucko-big-time-o!

Sudden Brainwave

Was clearing my work e-mails on this Saturday night when the thought hit me...

Forget work.

Play. Sleep. Live life.

Hell yea.

Leave the Edible Happiness Alone

Heard from news today that Cadbury is the target of a (hostile?) takeover by Kraft.

I am praying that no matter what's the outcome of this whole thing, they don't go and change my favourite Cadbury Dairy Milk.

Like add cheese in it or something equally disgusting. =\

*vomit*

Cadbury Dairy Milk is like edible happiness. Really it is.

image source

Yummy! I am going to take a big bite out of the one I bought as soon as I am done posting this.

Chocolate = happiness. =D

Disclaimer: Cadbury did not pay me to write this, I wish they did though. I will settle with a lifetime supply of Dairy Milk. =P

Gender Equality

Heard from MyFM a few days ago that the Brits are going to let the fathers have up to 6 months of paternity leave.

I say it's about time someone did something about that gross gender inequality!

It's not always about the women you know? We men need loves too. =)

Apparently gender equality has a nifty icon:

image source

See, symbols of both genders are used yet almost everyone think only of the women when gender equality is mentioned, so unfair. =\

With (up to) 6 months of paternity leave, fathers all around the world would finally have a more levelled playing field to bond with their newborns as the mothers.

So we fathers could have an equal chance of witnessing the many "first" as well as exert equal influence to our newborns so they utter "papa" first instead of "mama".

Hey, these are bragging rights, okay? =P

If only Malaysia was also practising equal length of paternity and maternity leaves, then companies would have no basis of bias (openly or secretly) for either gender and employ solely based on skills and credits. The stupid racial quota notwithstanding, of course.

Not to mention it would have saved me a month of salary by not needing to hire the confinement lady and helped out my wife myself instead, hfft!

Yea, confinement lady makes as much money as I do. >.<