Kenny's Cafe Corner
Friday, May 28, 2004
Finally, chewing gum in Singapore
When in Singapore, don't chew gum...Get yourself a hooker then have a smoke afterwards...it's easier.
When in Singapore, don't chew gum...Get yourself a hooker then have a smoke afterwards...it's easier.
Wristwatches, Growing Fat and Turning Uncle
Woke up this morning...usual routine, got into my car, started the engine, glanced at my wristwatch and it's 2.30AM! Not really AM coz it's an analog so you can't tell if it's AM or PM. And no, i didn't wake up *too* early...the battery ran out on my wristwatch. It's not even my favorite one! Though it looks better than my dear Casio...the Casio being an outmoded digital and all.
Well, i guess i'll have to stick to old dependable Casio then...it's more than 10 years old and i've only changed it's batter once...last year...Been with me forever now it's all scratched but all its features still work! It's also a stopwatch, alarm, has a light, could tell the date and day-of-week from it. Sure it's all standard features but my analog can't do that...and it costs more too! So yeah, i love my digital watch...i'm a geek, bite me!
This whole topic of wristwatches got me thinking partly because last night's 'Good Morning Miami' sitcom enlightened me on what giving someone a watch as a gift means...It means you wanna spend some 'time' with her ;) Of course the Chinese would take it as a bad omen but a wristwatch ain't a clock exactly, right? And besides, nothing impresses like an expensive watch huh? I've seen it done before, guys giving gals watches hoping for some 'poon' in return.
LOL
In other news, i've grown fatter apparently. Some of my friends told me so and i'm not in the least surprised. Gotta swim more often...if only the pool isn't so yecchy...the rainfall past few days really brought down all the pollutants.
Might as well i grow fat...it's kinda inevitable really seeing as everyone else my age usually look like uncles and aunties. But i'm determined not to let this go any further...not while i still have time to exercise (benefit of not having a gf)...
Spending more time with my sis nowadays...i drive her to church sunday mornings so we get to talk over breakfast. Lately the discussions been about her getting married and having kids. I relish the opportunity to teach my nephews/niece things their parents don't want them to know! *snicker* I told my sis i'm gonna get Barbie dolls for her sons and toy guns for her daughters. Gonna teach them how to play the piano, program the computer, fart whenever they feel like it and watch South Park cartoons. Of course she said she's gonna kill me if her kids come home blurting out the F*CK word.
I'm gonna be a terrible uncle...oh yeah! :D
Woke up this morning...usual routine, got into my car, started the engine, glanced at my wristwatch and it's 2.30AM! Not really AM coz it's an analog so you can't tell if it's AM or PM. And no, i didn't wake up *too* early...the battery ran out on my wristwatch. It's not even my favorite one! Though it looks better than my dear Casio...the Casio being an outmoded digital and all.
Well, i guess i'll have to stick to old dependable Casio then...it's more than 10 years old and i've only changed it's batter once...last year...Been with me forever now it's all scratched but all its features still work! It's also a stopwatch, alarm, has a light, could tell the date and day-of-week from it. Sure it's all standard features but my analog can't do that...and it costs more too! So yeah, i love my digital watch...i'm a geek, bite me!
This whole topic of wristwatches got me thinking partly because last night's 'Good Morning Miami' sitcom enlightened me on what giving someone a watch as a gift means...It means you wanna spend some 'time' with her ;) Of course the Chinese would take it as a bad omen but a wristwatch ain't a clock exactly, right? And besides, nothing impresses like an expensive watch huh? I've seen it done before, guys giving gals watches hoping for some 'poon' in return.
LOL
In other news, i've grown fatter apparently. Some of my friends told me so and i'm not in the least surprised. Gotta swim more often...if only the pool isn't so yecchy...the rainfall past few days really brought down all the pollutants.
Might as well i grow fat...it's kinda inevitable really seeing as everyone else my age usually look like uncles and aunties. But i'm determined not to let this go any further...not while i still have time to exercise (benefit of not having a gf)...
Spending more time with my sis nowadays...i drive her to church sunday mornings so we get to talk over breakfast. Lately the discussions been about her getting married and having kids. I relish the opportunity to teach my nephews/niece things their parents don't want them to know! *snicker* I told my sis i'm gonna get Barbie dolls for her sons and toy guns for her daughters. Gonna teach them how to play the piano, program the computer, fart whenever they feel like it and watch South Park cartoons. Of course she said she's gonna kill me if her kids come home blurting out the F*CK word.
I'm gonna be a terrible uncle...oh yeah! :D
A Guide To Springfield USA
It's a detailed map of Springfield, the town of everyone's favorite dysfunctional family...The Simpsons. See if you could find their house 742 Evergreen Terrace. heh
It's a detailed map of Springfield, the town of everyone's favorite dysfunctional family...The Simpsons. See if you could find their house 742 Evergreen Terrace. heh
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
The Star interviews Sarah McLachlan!!
Finally, some recognition on the M'sian side! Sarah M's music had a deep impact on the events of my life so far....So please please please come here and sing for us Sarah! I mustn't miss such a concert.
Finally, some recognition on the M'sian side! Sarah M's music had a deep impact on the events of my life so far....So please please please come here and sing for us Sarah! I mustn't miss such a concert.
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Convocation Time
Just got the letter from college inviting us to the Degree convo. Gosh, i have to take leaves just to get this business done...
See some of ya guys tomorrow...and Happy Birthday Stan!
Just got the letter from college inviting us to the Degree convo. Gosh, i have to take leaves just to get this business done...
See some of ya guys tomorrow...and Happy Birthday Stan!
My GMail First Impressions
I've been using the beta GMail service for the past week so i thought i'd put in a word or two for the good folks at Google. FYI: GMail is a free web-based e-mail service offering 1 Gigabyte of storage and slew of features. So far so good, it's not bad but neither is it in-yo-face impressive. However this is *just* a first impression as i haven't really tried out all the features yet.
The 1 Gig of online space is handy. Currently planning on using the account as a sort of online 'warehouse' or 'hard disk'. At the office, I attach files (zip archived) in an email, send it to my GMail account via one of my other webmail accounts and describe the attachment in the header or mail body. The idea is that later on, I may do a Google search for these files stored in GMail. And then choose to download it at home.
There's been a lot of hoo-ha about losing your privacy to Google but i think it's all overblown. As far as i'm concerned, all of us *already* lost our privacy! Don't they know that privacy is the commodity of modern living?!
Everyday and everywhere we trade our personal information for convenience and little freebies. Want free webmail, webspace or weblog? Sign up, sell your soul... Want free mp3s? Sign up, sell your soul...Want a free newsletter from Jaya Jusco, free magazine, free cosmetic sampler etc. etc.? Sign up and sell your personal info!
Google's been a nice kid so far and i respect that. Therefore i wouldn't mind giving them my info.
Besides, I live in a country where nobody complains about losing their privacy rights to a smartcard implementation of a national Identification Card. It's supposed to be an über card of sorts, ID, passport, ATM/bank card, credit card, Touch-N-Go(stored value card) etc...All in one! We give something up for convenience, see?
It's easy to imagine a future when every citizen of Malaysia will be required to carry an 'enhanced' RFID that will be able to track you in real-time. How much e-cash you carry, what you just purchased, for how much, GPS-locate you, your body temperature, heart beat and a whole lot of other personal data. I could also think of how useful and convenient it'd be. But i digressed...
The GMail interface is too 'noisy'! IMHO an average human could only handle 4 to 5 items or choices at a time...be it visually or conceptually. It's a handy design rule. GMail has too many features and choices at one screen. Furthermore, everything is laid out chaotically and appears haphazard.
On my dial-up net account (yeah yeah, i couldn't afford broadband yet) the pages don't appear to load on-screen any faster. Which is strange 'coz i thought the major point of having text-only ads is to avoid loading huge file-sized graphics. At least there were no pop-ups and the lack of graphics also mean no annoying blinking and distracting banner ads.
Still, i wish the layout of all that text gets more organized and easy on the eyes.
I'm intrigued as to how GMail will handle the spam problem...we'll see...once the mail traffic gets heavier. In the meantime, i'll try to keep my account spam-free, which is why i've decided not to post the email address here even if i'm gonna add extraneous characters to it. (In the hope of foiling spam-crawlers.)
For those lucky few who already received an email from my GMail account (don't you feel special? LOL!), please don't sign my GMail addy up for online services..ie. birthday alarm services or whatever. Here, use this email instead:
**cnihtknecht@email.com**
Remove the asterisks when you type it in ok? I check this account everyday too.
I was gonna discuss my fascination with the Mozilla Firefox browser but this blog's gone on far enough. Maybe later...sorry, i'm a bit distressed right now that's why i write so much. Haven't you noticed my sudden frequency in blog updates? Not sure i wanna talk about it here though...you may email me ...*nudge nudge wink wink!* *cough* GMail:)
PS. btw, I absolutely love the new www.Blogger.com design. It's clean and easily accessible! Hats off Google folks!
I've been using the beta GMail service for the past week so i thought i'd put in a word or two for the good folks at Google. FYI: GMail is a free web-based e-mail service offering 1 Gigabyte of storage and slew of features. So far so good, it's not bad but neither is it in-yo-face impressive. However this is *just* a first impression as i haven't really tried out all the features yet.
The 1 Gig of online space is handy. Currently planning on using the account as a sort of online 'warehouse' or 'hard disk'. At the office, I attach files (zip archived) in an email, send it to my GMail account via one of my other webmail accounts and describe the attachment in the header or mail body. The idea is that later on, I may do a Google search for these files stored in GMail. And then choose to download it at home.
There's been a lot of hoo-ha about losing your privacy to Google but i think it's all overblown. As far as i'm concerned, all of us *already* lost our privacy! Don't they know that privacy is the commodity of modern living?!
Everyday and everywhere we trade our personal information for convenience and little freebies. Want free webmail, webspace or weblog? Sign up, sell your soul... Want free mp3s? Sign up, sell your soul...Want a free newsletter from Jaya Jusco, free magazine, free cosmetic sampler etc. etc.? Sign up and sell your personal info!
Google's been a nice kid so far and i respect that. Therefore i wouldn't mind giving them my info.
Besides, I live in a country where nobody complains about losing their privacy rights to a smartcard implementation of a national Identification Card. It's supposed to be an über card of sorts, ID, passport, ATM/bank card, credit card, Touch-N-Go(stored value card) etc...All in one! We give something up for convenience, see?
It's easy to imagine a future when every citizen of Malaysia will be required to carry an 'enhanced' RFID that will be able to track you in real-time. How much e-cash you carry, what you just purchased, for how much, GPS-locate you, your body temperature, heart beat and a whole lot of other personal data. I could also think of how useful and convenient it'd be. But i digressed...
The GMail interface is too 'noisy'! IMHO an average human could only handle 4 to 5 items or choices at a time...be it visually or conceptually. It's a handy design rule. GMail has too many features and choices at one screen. Furthermore, everything is laid out chaotically and appears haphazard.
On my dial-up net account (yeah yeah, i couldn't afford broadband yet) the pages don't appear to load on-screen any faster. Which is strange 'coz i thought the major point of having text-only ads is to avoid loading huge file-sized graphics. At least there were no pop-ups and the lack of graphics also mean no annoying blinking and distracting banner ads.
Still, i wish the layout of all that text gets more organized and easy on the eyes.
I'm intrigued as to how GMail will handle the spam problem...we'll see...once the mail traffic gets heavier. In the meantime, i'll try to keep my account spam-free, which is why i've decided not to post the email address here even if i'm gonna add extraneous characters to it. (In the hope of foiling spam-crawlers.)
For those lucky few who already received an email from my GMail account (don't you feel special? LOL!), please don't sign my GMail addy up for online services..ie. birthday alarm services or whatever. Here, use this email instead:
**cnihtknecht@email.com**
Remove the asterisks when you type it in ok? I check this account everyday too.
I was gonna discuss my fascination with the Mozilla Firefox browser but this blog's gone on far enough. Maybe later...sorry, i'm a bit distressed right now that's why i write so much. Haven't you noticed my sudden frequency in blog updates? Not sure i wanna talk about it here though...you may email me ...*nudge nudge wink wink!* *cough* GMail:)
PS. btw, I absolutely love the new www.Blogger.com design. It's clean and easily accessible! Hats off Google folks!
Friday, May 21, 2004
Reliving my Childhood
This is cribbed from some slashdot post. Reading it reminds me of why R2D2 is my favorite droid, heck, favorite robot of all time! :-)
Ep4 ANH
1. Shot by Jawas
2. Survives encounter with sand people where luke and c3po get the crap beaten out of them
3. Fulfills mission for good guys by gettin message out, unlike leia
4. Eludes storm troopers
5. Not afraid of a wookie
6. Knows that the princess is in the death star and her exact location
7. Stops trash compactor from making luke sandwich
8. Knows the ins and outs of the death star and where to hit it
9. Survives being shot by LORD VADER
Ep5 ESB
1. Monster tries to eat him. R2 force jumps out of belly
2. Yoda TRIES to beat him up. R2 still more powerful
3. R2 levitates
4. In cloud city, lord vader knows he cant face R2, closes door to elude capture
5. Survives electrocution
6. Creates smoke screen outta thin air!
7. Opens doors
8. Fixes hyperdrive when NO ONE else could
Ep6 ROTJ
1. R2 not afraid to tell off Jabba
2. R2 could sense on Jabbas ship that he would free the others and that they are in no danger
3. R2 carries a lightsaber. Luke lost his. R2 doesnt need it cause hes that good.
4. Uses force lightning against rat
5. Saves leia
6. Can sense when people are coming
7. Freed everyone from net when others couldnt
8. Uses force lightning again when encounter with Jawa
9. Comes up with ANOTHER plan to free "the heros" by using Jawas as target practice against stormtroopers
10. Survives being shot by stormtrooper
Ep1 TPM
1. The only one that could go outside while flying and get shields back up
2. Hates Jar-Jar and shows it continuously
3. Fixes annie's pod
4. Has layout of city and comes up with battle plan
5. Do you really think it was a KID that flew into the spaceship, ACCIDENTALLY fired torpedos and blew up the ship?
Ep2 AOTC
1. R2 wisely choses to be aboard fighter knowing what is going to happen to large ship
2. R2 lets jedi know that he senses something in Senators room. Its R2 that is guarding the Senator, not the jedi.
3. Annie and Padme have no worries R2 is with them!
4. R2 uses the force to make sense of the transmission sent by Obi
5. Rescues padme by FLYING halfway across droid factory
6. R2 freely goes into the arena battle unscathed, repairs c3po, and none of the droids notice
This is cribbed from some slashdot post. Reading it reminds me of why R2D2 is my favorite droid, heck, favorite robot of all time! :-)
Ep4 ANH
1. Shot by Jawas
2. Survives encounter with sand people where luke and c3po get the crap beaten out of them
3. Fulfills mission for good guys by gettin message out, unlike leia
4. Eludes storm troopers
5. Not afraid of a wookie
6. Knows that the princess is in the death star and her exact location
7. Stops trash compactor from making luke sandwich
8. Knows the ins and outs of the death star and where to hit it
9. Survives being shot by LORD VADER
Ep5 ESB
1. Monster tries to eat him. R2 force jumps out of belly
2. Yoda TRIES to beat him up. R2 still more powerful
3. R2 levitates
4. In cloud city, lord vader knows he cant face R2, closes door to elude capture
5. Survives electrocution
6. Creates smoke screen outta thin air!
7. Opens doors
8. Fixes hyperdrive when NO ONE else could
Ep6 ROTJ
1. R2 not afraid to tell off Jabba
2. R2 could sense on Jabbas ship that he would free the others and that they are in no danger
3. R2 carries a lightsaber. Luke lost his. R2 doesnt need it cause hes that good.
4. Uses force lightning against rat
5. Saves leia
6. Can sense when people are coming
7. Freed everyone from net when others couldnt
8. Uses force lightning again when encounter with Jawa
9. Comes up with ANOTHER plan to free "the heros" by using Jawas as target practice against stormtroopers
10. Survives being shot by stormtrooper
Ep1 TPM
1. The only one that could go outside while flying and get shields back up
2. Hates Jar-Jar and shows it continuously
3. Fixes annie's pod
4. Has layout of city and comes up with battle plan
5. Do you really think it was a KID that flew into the spaceship, ACCIDENTALLY fired torpedos and blew up the ship?
Ep2 AOTC
1. R2 wisely choses to be aboard fighter knowing what is going to happen to large ship
2. R2 lets jedi know that he senses something in Senators room. Its R2 that is guarding the Senator, not the jedi.
3. Annie and Padme have no worries R2 is with them!
4. R2 uses the force to make sense of the transmission sent by Obi
5. Rescues padme by FLYING halfway across droid factory
6. R2 freely goes into the arena battle unscathed, repairs c3po, and none of the droids notice
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Make Your Own Snowflakes
This one's a way cool Flash site. You can 'cut' out your own paper snowflakes, post it online and even download it for printing later. Mine is #3495576. Yep, it's totally random and not as impressive as some you see there...show offs!
This one's a way cool Flash site. You can 'cut' out your own paper snowflakes, post it online and even download it for printing later. Mine is #3495576. Yep, it's totally random and not as impressive as some you see there...show offs!
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Random Quotations
"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony."
- William Henry Channing
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4:6-7
"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common--this is my symphony."
- William Henry Channing
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
- Philippians 4:6-7
More Pop please!
Currently listening to Geoff Byrd from the pop section of garageband.com. You can't get any more pop than his songs. Also, Sci-Fi Lullaby is cool...it's pretty melodic for electronica/alternative.
I can't believe they're givingg all these mp3s out!! If i see any of these albums at Tower Records, i'd buy...whatta pimp i am! LOL!
Currently listening to Geoff Byrd from the pop section of garageband.com. You can't get any more pop than his songs. Also, Sci-Fi Lullaby is cool...it's pretty melodic for electronica/alternative.
I can't believe they're givingg all these mp3s out!! If i see any of these albums at Tower Records, i'd buy...whatta pimp i am! LOL!
Monday, May 17, 2004
KEO satellite Time Capsule
Ever planted a time capsule just for fun? In the movie 'Amelie' an old man re-discovers the tin box containing his precious toys and tidbits from his childhood and was touched to live whatever is remaining of his life even more fully.
Well, now you can participate in the KEO project, a 50000 year time capsule! Apparently some French artist convinced the UNESCO to fund this project. Everyone on this planet (all 6 billion+ of it) is invited to enter a message to be stored on a satellite that will only be returned to Earth 50000 years later to be opened. For more details on the contents and launch date check out the website.
I'm gonna write something for my descendants...if any...but i'll need time to really think
what i wanna say first...
Definitely NOT, "Hi! How are you doing? Enjoy the polluted planet we left ya? Bye!" !!!
Ever planted a time capsule just for fun? In the movie 'Amelie' an old man re-discovers the tin box containing his precious toys and tidbits from his childhood and was touched to live whatever is remaining of his life even more fully.
Well, now you can participate in the KEO project, a 50000 year time capsule! Apparently some French artist convinced the UNESCO to fund this project. Everyone on this planet (all 6 billion+ of it) is invited to enter a message to be stored on a satellite that will only be returned to Earth 50000 years later to be opened. For more details on the contents and launch date check out the website.
I'm gonna write something for my descendants...if any...but i'll need time to really think
what i wanna say first...
Definitely NOT, "Hi! How are you doing? Enjoy the polluted planet we left ya? Bye!" !!!
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Garage bands are cool.
I've been listening to the www.garageband.com mp3s lately. Mostly pop, pop/rock, punk, jazz, funk, alternative and electronica. How refreshing it is compared to the banality of the stuff they play on radio. So much so i found myself going to the office early (even on saturdays) just to get my fix of the day...ah, the confessions of a pop junkie...
Anyway, bands i like: International Pop Overthrow, LUZER, Sci Fi Lullaby, Jet Pin Army, Peter Adams and so on...There's so much to discover and i'm quickly running out of hard disk space :-( Truly need a keychain drive but i'm kinda dry right now. Just thinking of the bills i've to pay after half-day work today bums me out already.
So, if you haven't already...DO log-on to www.garageband.com. I love this site and would do whatever bit i could to spread the word of mouth 'bout it!
I've been listening to the www.garageband.com mp3s lately. Mostly pop, pop/rock, punk, jazz, funk, alternative and electronica. How refreshing it is compared to the banality of the stuff they play on radio. So much so i found myself going to the office early (even on saturdays) just to get my fix of the day...ah, the confessions of a pop junkie...
Anyway, bands i like: International Pop Overthrow, LUZER, Sci Fi Lullaby, Jet Pin Army, Peter Adams and so on...There's so much to discover and i'm quickly running out of hard disk space :-( Truly need a keychain drive but i'm kinda dry right now. Just thinking of the bills i've to pay after half-day work today bums me out already.
So, if you haven't already...DO log-on to www.garageband.com. I love this site and would do whatever bit i could to spread the word of mouth 'bout it!
Rasputin's Legacy...GAG!
Scroll down this site for an interesting mystery about Rasputin's pee pee. The rest of the website's very interesting too...if you like P.T. Barnum freak shows that is...
Guess what? They found his gigantos...it's in Russia...hmm and so is Hitler's...They like storing these kinda stuff there don't they?
Scroll down this site for an interesting mystery about Rasputin's pee pee. The rest of the website's very interesting too...if you like P.T. Barnum freak shows that is...
Guess what? They found his gigantos...it's in Russia...hmm and so is Hitler's...They like storing these kinda stuff there don't they?
Friday, May 14, 2004
Astrobiology
An interview with a Vatican astronomer(!) I guess they learned a thing or two from the Inquisition eh? Way to go Galileo!
The interview talks about some interesting subjects...such as E.T. and terran religion. Of course they conveniently left out discussions of the possibility of aliens converting us to their religion. :P
An interview with a Vatican astronomer(!) I guess they learned a thing or two from the Inquisition eh? Way to go Galileo!
The interview talks about some interesting subjects...such as E.T. and terran religion. Of course they conveniently left out discussions of the possibility of aliens converting us to their religion. :P
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Campeche UFOs
The link above just brings you to a discussion forum. Topic: The latest 'officially' released UFO video footage in Campeche, Mexico. I saw it on the tv news last night and discussed it with Stan. We both agreed it looks eerily like the UFO lights from Spielberg's "Taken" miniseries. These things are a dime a dozen in Mexico really...what's interesting is the pilots claimed the UFOs were invisible to the eye and the video was taken with an infra-red camera. Try this: set your Sony handycam to low-light or light enhancement mode...Have a friend hold a tv remote or anythingg with an infra-red LED...stand in a dark room and have her 'shoot' the remote at ya while ya record on the camera. Instant home-made UFOs! Too bad really...I WANT TO BELIEVE...
Last night's news was really interesting in a morbid Jerry Springer sorta way...First the UFO reports, then the US hostage getting his head sawed off and the Oz paedophile diplomat caught having sex with two boys in Indonesia...He shouted 'bastards! you bastards!' when his sentence was read. Later he hung himself in jail...Who needs fiction when you have the news! :}
Kavitha Siddhu was visibly depressed as she read the news...thank goodness she was all smiling after the adverts as she read the coverage of the Malaysian Idol auditions in Penang. Some cute girls there....and great acting Ms. Siddhu! no really! REALLY! It's a change from all the apathetic glum expressions by CNN anchor folk...let's see if you could hold it up...go on...read more news...heheheheh!
The link above just brings you to a discussion forum. Topic: The latest 'officially' released UFO video footage in Campeche, Mexico. I saw it on the tv news last night and discussed it with Stan. We both agreed it looks eerily like the UFO lights from Spielberg's "Taken" miniseries. These things are a dime a dozen in Mexico really...what's interesting is the pilots claimed the UFOs were invisible to the eye and the video was taken with an infra-red camera. Try this: set your Sony handycam to low-light or light enhancement mode...Have a friend hold a tv remote or anythingg with an infra-red LED...stand in a dark room and have her 'shoot' the remote at ya while ya record on the camera. Instant home-made UFOs! Too bad really...I WANT TO BELIEVE...
Last night's news was really interesting in a morbid Jerry Springer sorta way...First the UFO reports, then the US hostage getting his head sawed off and the Oz paedophile diplomat caught having sex with two boys in Indonesia...He shouted 'bastards! you bastards!' when his sentence was read. Later he hung himself in jail...Who needs fiction when you have the news! :}
Kavitha Siddhu was visibly depressed as she read the news...thank goodness she was all smiling after the adverts as she read the coverage of the Malaysian Idol auditions in Penang. Some cute girls there....and great acting Ms. Siddhu! no really! REALLY! It's a change from all the apathetic glum expressions by CNN anchor folk...let's see if you could hold it up...go on...read more news...heheheheh!
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Don't Be a Victim!
Sigh! I remember a gentler time when the Internet was almost all text-based. Looking at Web pages through the eyes of a 'Lynx' was exhilarating compared to the rag-tag of techonologies on offer. I wasted hours of my life reading through Telnet's rec.humor.org, searching for binary goodies on anonymous log-in FTP servers and reading every single Gopher menu of Malaysia's sole net presence at that time: MIMOS.
Anyway [wipes a tear off], the Internet today is a badlands of sorts full of danger and annoyances. So if you're reading this(ergo, you're online), and still don't know what a Worm, spy/adware or Trojan is...smack the ignorance out of yourself already! Once, when i told a friend she had a Trojan installed on her PC she said, "what?! i don't have condoms in my computer! I kept them all in my purse...here have one." btw, we don't get Trojan rubber here in Malaysia, so FYI-->
Trojan Prophylactics
Thankfully, most of my friends are L-IT-erate and if you are on of those geeks, please skip the rest of this article now. ;-)
Otherwise, especially if you're a Broadband user...PLEASE read-on...STOP propagating schitt on the Internet!!
Here's what you can do to make your Windoze PC a little bit safer from the big bad Internet.
First a disclaimer: this is NOT a definitive guide to MS Windoze security, therefore i'm not responsible if your computer blows up in your face, or still contracts a virus/trojan/worm/spyware/adware/malware/chlamydia/syphillis/gonorrhea/AIDS...etc.
Tip 1: Install an Antivirus application and use it correctly. This means doing manual scans of folders and files on your hard drive. More importantly, *update* the friggin thing constantly! I caught a variant of BackOrifice sent through ICQ once even though I scanned the file before executing it merely because I didn't update Norton Antivirus. Being on the receiving end of a cyber-buttfuck is no fun, trust me. :( Ah the illusion of security...
Here's a popular free Antivirus for ya to download and install --->
AVG Antivirus
Tip 2: Install a spyware remover. Becareful of all the *FREE* stuff you download from the Net. Some freeware or shareware games/utilities might install spyware/adware behind your back. Well, not really behind your back coz they told ya they're gonna take partial control of your PC in the License Agreement before you install it. But you don't read those tiny long-winded lawyer text do ya? DO YA?! Well, if you do you need to get out more often...:-) So here's another download for ya...
Spybot Search & Destroy
Tip 3: Use a better WWW browser. Pop-up ads are running out of control and you stand such a high risk using MS Internet Exploder from ActiveX and JavaScript nasties. If you must use IE..then let it be the latest version with all the patches and updates...I was gonna recommend installing the Google Toolbar in IE but lately pop-ups still appear and Microdick's gonna release a pop-up killer version soon anyway.
Who the hell can wait for MS anyway? Use something else with built-in pop-up killing instead...do it..do it now! :>
There are several browser alternatives out there but my fave is the open sourced Mozilla. If you're thinking of going for Netscape, forget it...use Mozilla...it's the same thing except it's open sourced. :) I'm using the Mozilla Firefox flavor but it's beta so...hey, choose whichever you like!
Mozilla browser
Tip 4: Check for open ports and suspicious net traffic. Ok, so what follows is a bit technical for non-techs but i'm gonna let this enlightening article explain it for me...it's easy to follow...i hope -->
Netstat tutorial
Tip 5: Install a software firewall. These wonders are quite effective at clamping on a kind of chastity belt on your PC. No more promiscous computer sex! Note to gamers though, this makes playing LAN games much more inconvenient.
Again, there are several free for home user firewalls out there...so here's one for your convenience...(Am i not nice? LOL) -->
ZoneAlarm firewall
Tip 6: Don't use P2P-file sharing apps!(KaZaa, Morpheus, FreeNet etc.) Don't let instant messenger services run in the background at all times! Don't do IRC! Don't simply run executables, batch files, .COM etc. Don't check out hacker sites and pr0n!
"Really?" you may ask...no, not really! Heh! I know it's not easy giving up these things...we all need our illegal Naruto/mp3 downloads, gossip and dirty pics...heh!
"Really?" you ask again....no, not really...:D ........*SMACK* ouch!
And that's it. I'm sure i left out other really kewl security tips so if anyone reading this has any to share i'd be grateful if you email me. Ciao baby and happy surfing!
Sigh! I remember a gentler time when the Internet was almost all text-based. Looking at Web pages through the eyes of a 'Lynx' was exhilarating compared to the rag-tag of techonologies on offer. I wasted hours of my life reading through Telnet's rec.humor.org, searching for binary goodies on anonymous log-in FTP servers and reading every single Gopher menu of Malaysia's sole net presence at that time: MIMOS.
Anyway [wipes a tear off], the Internet today is a badlands of sorts full of danger and annoyances. So if you're reading this(ergo, you're online), and still don't know what a Worm, spy/adware or Trojan is...smack the ignorance out of yourself already! Once, when i told a friend she had a Trojan installed on her PC she said, "what?! i don't have condoms in my computer! I kept them all in my purse...here have one." btw, we don't get Trojan rubber here in Malaysia, so FYI-->
Trojan Prophylactics
Thankfully, most of my friends are L-IT-erate and if you are on of those geeks, please skip the rest of this article now. ;-)
Otherwise, especially if you're a Broadband user...PLEASE read-on...STOP propagating schitt on the Internet!!
Here's what you can do to make your Windoze PC a little bit safer from the big bad Internet.
First a disclaimer: this is NOT a definitive guide to MS Windoze security, therefore i'm not responsible if your computer blows up in your face, or still contracts a virus/trojan/worm/spyware/adware/malware/chlamydia/syphillis/gonorrhea/AIDS...etc.
Tip 1: Install an Antivirus application and use it correctly. This means doing manual scans of folders and files on your hard drive. More importantly, *update* the friggin thing constantly! I caught a variant of BackOrifice sent through ICQ once even though I scanned the file before executing it merely because I didn't update Norton Antivirus. Being on the receiving end of a cyber-buttfuck is no fun, trust me. :( Ah the illusion of security...
Here's a popular free Antivirus for ya to download and install --->
AVG Antivirus
Tip 2: Install a spyware remover. Becareful of all the *FREE* stuff you download from the Net. Some freeware or shareware games/utilities might install spyware/adware behind your back. Well, not really behind your back coz they told ya they're gonna take partial control of your PC in the License Agreement before you install it. But you don't read those tiny long-winded lawyer text do ya? DO YA?! Well, if you do you need to get out more often...:-) So here's another download for ya...
Spybot Search & Destroy
Tip 3: Use a better WWW browser. Pop-up ads are running out of control and you stand such a high risk using MS Internet Exploder from ActiveX and JavaScript nasties. If you must use IE..then let it be the latest version with all the patches and updates...I was gonna recommend installing the Google Toolbar in IE but lately pop-ups still appear and Microdick's gonna release a pop-up killer version soon anyway.
Who the hell can wait for MS anyway? Use something else with built-in pop-up killing instead...do it..do it now! :>
There are several browser alternatives out there but my fave is the open sourced Mozilla. If you're thinking of going for Netscape, forget it...use Mozilla...it's the same thing except it's open sourced. :) I'm using the Mozilla Firefox flavor but it's beta so...hey, choose whichever you like!
Mozilla browser
Tip 4: Check for open ports and suspicious net traffic. Ok, so what follows is a bit technical for non-techs but i'm gonna let this enlightening article explain it for me...it's easy to follow...i hope -->
Netstat tutorial
Tip 5: Install a software firewall. These wonders are quite effective at clamping on a kind of chastity belt on your PC. No more promiscous computer sex! Note to gamers though, this makes playing LAN games much more inconvenient.
Again, there are several free for home user firewalls out there...so here's one for your convenience...(Am i not nice? LOL) -->
ZoneAlarm firewall
Tip 6: Don't use P2P-file sharing apps!(KaZaa, Morpheus, FreeNet etc.) Don't let instant messenger services run in the background at all times! Don't do IRC! Don't simply run executables, batch files, .COM etc. Don't check out hacker sites and pr0n!
"Really?" you may ask...no, not really! Heh! I know it's not easy giving up these things...we all need our illegal Naruto/mp3 downloads, gossip and dirty pics...heh!
"Really?" you ask again....no, not really...:D ........*SMACK* ouch!
And that's it. I'm sure i left out other really kewl security tips so if anyone reading this has any to share i'd be grateful if you email me. Ciao baby and happy surfing!
