Multi-machines and fanfiction stories

Going to the hardware store today, I've realized something.

We have machines that do just about anything.

We have a juice maker, a bread maker, a toaster, a coleslaw maker, coffee machine, tea machine, oven, calculator etc.

One must wonder whether all of it is necessary. I mean, how much work can people actually not do? Think about it. We've striven to build literally every manner of device just to shirk doing work. You have a bread maker because you don't want to knead dough. You have a coffee machine because you don't even know how to make coffee. You have a calculator because you're too lazy to think. You use a computer to find information instead of going to the library. Well, that's actually a good point, really.

And if all the work was done by machines then what are people suppose to do? Sit in front of the telly and PC like zombies? (which by the way we and you and I are all doing now)

It gets so outrageous that the first thing we would most likely have robots do is to help us dress like in the movies. You'd literally be spoon fed and drinking out of a straw. Reminds me a bit of the humans in Wall-E.

*****

I read fanfiction.



People that know me (mostly) know that. If you hadn't known you know now. Though, you probably don't need to know. Confusing? Not like some fanfiction stories I've sifted through. I'm seriously contemplating quitting reading. Finding stories of good quality is like finding a needle in a haystack. Hard work and back breaking and sometimes doesn't pay. Mythbusters had to create wacky machines. I have to stare blankly in horror at the computer screen. I think I drew the short end of the stick there. It's more fun to build wacky devises.



But I digress.



There used to be some really nice fanfiction stories out there. There still more likely is. However they are getting increasingly scarce. The nicest stories I've read were all written years back. Looking for new material that rival is hard. Even worse, is that all the good ones that are NOT finished STAYS unfinished. Some good writers have been dropping their pens for unknown reasons. If it's because you're unsatisfied with your work, go read the story with the summary 'XY and XX go down for some luv XD first ficcy, R&R much more interesting than it sounds' with strange capital punctuations here and there.



I think what I read from one author comment is right. If you want good stories you have to write them yourself. Just that I'm downright lazy. There are some little bands of writers that ahve strived to maintain quality. Artemis Fowl fanfic for one has an archive. But the bad news is like all the good things it has been stagnant for a while.



Really though, what must one do just to read some nice fiction online? Rob a bank?






To those that have no idea what I have just ranted about, don't worry. You do not need to know. Instead enjoy some cello. This is from the movie 'Okuribito', the winner of the Foreign Film Award for this year's Academy Awards. If you haven't watched it, do so. It's pretty heartwarming.



This is by Joe Hisaishi. I think I'm going to look for other of his compositions. Best to listen to on a nice quiet night.

I have a polyp in my nose
or so it is supposedly :(

Ah yes, the sweet taste of freedom and yet-to-come-boredom

Today, I rejoice for my new found one-and-a-half months worth of freedom.

A week later, I'll more likely be so bored out of my wits I'd WISH there was something like school. Just so that I can run off to Angsana and go bug Ke Li, Yi May, Audrey and Jeremy and play Monoploly with them. Or play Monopoly Deal with Kelly, Hui Min and Em while they crash in the library-turned-office(we have a photocopier and a tank of fish for now) that has no space for a library.




Though maybe not by next week.

After all, I'll still have to go to school for debating, even though I may not speak. And then there's still some librarian work to sort. And that outing with my friends.

Then I may crash over at a friend's place to play video games.




Or my part time job plan will fall through.

Or I end up debating the entire holidays.




Heaven knows.

So maybe not next week.

***

Really though, what is one suppose to do during holidays when you don't go around the world every year?

Rot at home as your brain wastes away?

Not exactly, since I have options.


Sometimes I question the need for holidays longer than two weeks. If two weeks are long enough for the brain to turn to goo, man i pity American kids. After three months without school, seeing the school halls would be like seeing a whole different alien planet all over again.

The teachers would most likely go, 'Boy with the name XXX, do you understand me? Take me to your MIND.'

It's most likely why they have summer camps.



Though it is kind of like, what we are hoping for all year long(holidays, that is) we can't seem to appreciate it.

It's like we literally forget what we're doing, and why we're doing it.

And speaking of what we're doing, didn't I write something similar to this last year's hols?

(Checks. Stones)

I did.




I seriously need a topic and a life.

***

And while I'm complaining about all this, I just realized I have a mock exam for english literature tomorrow.


Do I look like the studying type though?


In this case, not really.




I definitely need all the right moves. Onerepublic, I like :D

At the VMAs

At the VMAs 09 in NYC, I learned:

That Kanye West is a jerk. Some words that are said should never be said. When they are they can never be taken back. Especially when those words are about Taylor Swift(not that I particularly like Taylor, but). Dissing Taylor was definitely not a star moment for him. Now everyone is giving him the 'love lockdown'. (excuse the pun)

At the VMAs 09 in NYC, I learned:

That Russell Brand is now worthy of an entrance with a Queen's song(courtesy of Katy Perry). His comments on wordly-matters are - enlightening at best. British Humor, I can't see it well otherwise. There were moments.

At the VMAs 09 in NYC, I learned:

That quick-change is a skill properly highlighted by Lady Gaga. Three different costumes(four if you count the one she performed in), all different and unique in their own rights, all in one night is a feat. Truly I've never seen a star that's so 'gaga' over clothes like those.

At the VMAs 09 in NYC, I learned:

That firefighter trucks and London buses work as doubles for limousines. Pink and Cobra Starship really now how to make a choice on using utilitarian vehicles. I wonder where Taylor Swift got the carriage. The pumpkin farm would have a lot of customers.....

At the VMAs 09 in NYC, I learned:

that there are people who love their hometowns. Case point, Jay Z and Alicia Keys. That was the nicest song I heard sung by Jay Z and about a hometown. And here it is :)





Yes, this was an excuse to play this song :)

for all djians

happy holidays and

good luck for the exams

sejarah is a torture :(

Rain, God d^#% it......

It's hot.

It's sweltering.

I think my brain got fried.

There's a ton of work due that's not done.

And I'm using the computer without my mother's permission.

Life's just 'heating up', isn't it?

I wonder where all the rainy nights and afternoons went.

If any of you can hear me, please note that the PJ area is in need of a serious shower. Bring all the rain, acid rain, pouring rain, as long as it's not a drizzle. Even a storm will do.

As long as it is strong, pounding RAIN.

if I were cliche, I'd add a song by Rain(you know, the korean singer that people actually get hyped about? Yes that Rain) but since I don't listen to Rain, nor do i intend to, well.

Mirror Reflection

In physics the other day(those that absolutely hate physics may roll their eyes now and plead boring teachers) we learned that the distance we and the mirror are apart is well, mirrored by the mirror. That means if I'm 15 meters away from the mirror, it would look like I'm very very far away from the mirror. So actually it would look like I'm 30 meters away, so to speak.

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Not understanding where this is all going?

Well, let's say you are the pink(or purple) car in that mirror. From this mirror, up close, it looks like it's quite far back. That's the actual distance.

But what if you're looking from the PINK car INTO the mirror FROM that distance?

He would see the himself there as freakishly far away.

It's double, if you think about it from the scientific point of view.

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Still don't get a clue what I'm driving at yet with this?

Then forget the huge mumbo jumbo scientific nonsense for a minute. That's not what I'm getting at.

Let's take the mirror as the point in our life - our goal so to speak. The job we want, the love we pine for, the feeling of freedom of dream of, or just being able to see the daylight of tomorrow.

Take the distance as whatever hardship you could face in your life(pick one from your nice long list)

Our goals have the habit(like the mirror) to reflect the distance we have to travel, to make it twice as long as it is. It becomes longer, looks harder to traverse and seem like there's too much work to be done. Just the sight of ourselves in the mirror, standing far, far away is enough to terrify us. To make us unable to move.

And the distance remains.

But maybe if you can look past the fact that the hardships are merely doubled and overly exaggerated, and that if you work, if you move closer to that goal.......Then, like walking closer to a mirror, the you in the mirror seems more and more absurdly closer. And before you know, you're touching the mirror, the reflection of yourself blending oh-so-well with one another.

End moral of the story?

It's not that long. The length is magically created by your mind. So since it's magically created, it will magically poof away when you move your butt. It's not that hard as it seems to seize a goal.

Thus, seize it.

now where did i put that mirror of mine?

Withdrawal Syndrome

I think I going through a withdrawal syndrome.

Like I don't want to think about stuff I used to think about a lot because I feel like something's gone horribly wrong. With what I don't know.

I don't feel like doing the things I used to do because I feel like I've been following the routine for too long.

I don't feel as sociable and cheery and confident as I used to.

I wasn't very like that in the beginning anyway. It just somehow feels like its gotten worse.

It's like I'm getting the yips all over again.

Like I'm afraid of something.

I just don't know what.

Or maybe I'm not admitting to myself what I'm so afraid of.

I'd rather not admit it to myself.

After all, who likes to wake up one day from a paradise and learn that in reality it is the end of the world?

Well, my case isn't THAT drastic.

It just feels like I want to stay in my ignorant, carefree shell for just a while longer.

I know that if I stay in there any longer I'm going to face hell once I come out. But I'd rather live with just a bit more of unjustifiable, selfish calm before having to face the dragons and lions and all that are baring their teeth at me.

I want to live for just a while longer feeling like there's nothing to worry about.

Because I deserve a little shred of unjustifiable calm as well.

I fervently wish though that when i come to my senses all in the world is righted without me having to lift a finger, but it's all just wishful thinking.

But then, everyone wish that the world will be alright the day we wake up, don't they?

I need a change of pace

and a thunderbolt to strike me awake

The PC and me

I've recently went through several heart palpitations over the hunk of metal called my PC. Installing a new graphics card has caused both me and Tien Yi much heart ache. And now after some research over some problems I've been having with the PC (another round of heart stopping events happened that I'd rather not go into-something to do with pci.sys and 'PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA), I've finally found out my RAMS could be well busted(faulty in techno terms). I don't know whether or not I wan't to spend money(RM 40) for RAM tho. Sad la, my RAM is a low yah one(a DDR version for those that now ur PCs).

I wish for a new CPU, but that would mean losing my info and not getting a digital camera (finally!). Only if the motherboard crashed for good or the hard drive ran its last laps can I ask my mum for a spanking-new CPU(we've had ours since 2000 i think).

I didn't finish my literature homework this afternoon like i planned.

Instead i slept the entire afternoon away again.

I'm having a mental slump somewhere in my brain.

I don't dare go upstairs to get my pen drives because I'm afraid of the PC dying on me all over again.(It loves to die on me now when I'm not using it for more than half an hour)

And now my hand is starting to ache because of the 100-push-up-exercises we did in karate.

Life's just simply peachy isn't it?

I wish i struck gold

(about RM2000 actually)

so I can get a new CPU and a new digital camera.