Swang needs

~ ѕтєρнн                ωαиg ♥      says (9:05 PM):
*i need girls

She needs girls.

Storage space

Going to save some quotes here.

"The longer the battle lasts the more force we'll have to use!" - Georgy Zhukov

"You cannot waste time on feinting and sidestepping. You must decide on your target and go in." - Otto Skorzeny

"Some goddamn fool once said that flanks have got to be secure. Since then sonofabitches all over the globe have been guarding their flanks. I don't agree with that. My flanks are something for the enemy to worry about, not me. Before he finds out where my flanks are, I'll be cutting the bastard's throat." - George S. Patton

"My men can eat their belts, but my tanks have gotta have gas." - George S. Patton

"A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later." - George S. Patton

"There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time." - George S. Patton

"Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man." - George S. Patton

"The U.S.'s major strength factor and weapon is its economy. If you cripple it, you cripple the military." - Chester W. Nimitz

"Klotzen, nicht Kleckern!" (Boot'em, don't spatter'em! i.e. Don't do things by half) - Heinz Guderian

"Der Motor des Panzers ist ebenso seine Waffe wie die Kanone." (The engine of the Panzer is a weapon just as the main-gun.) - Heinz Guderian

"Fahrkarte bis zur Endstation." (Ticket to the last station. i.e. Advance as far as possible) - Heinz Guderian

"If the tanks succeed, then victory follows." - Heinz Guderian

"It's simply our duty to save these people, and we still have time to remove them! But it's useless to sacrifice men in this senseless way. It's high time! We must evacuate those soldiers at once!" - Heinz Guderian

"Man schlägt jemanden mit der Faust und nicht mit gespreizten Fingern." (You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread. i.e. you should concentrate your Panzers for one mighty push in one direction and not distribute them over a large area.) - Heinz Guderian

"The true role of infantry is not to expend itself upon heroic physical effort, not to wither away under merciless machine-gun fire, not to impale itself on hostile bayonets, but on the contrary, to advance under the maximum possible protection of the maximum possible array of mechanical resources, in the form of guns, machine-guns, tanks, mortars and aeroplanes; to advance with as little impediment as possible; to be relieved as far as possible of the obligation to fight their way forward." - John Monash

Allied fighter-bombers

Allied fighter-bombers continued to attack not only front-line positions, but also any supply trucks coming up behind with food, ammunition and fuel. The almost total absence of the Luftwaffe to contest the enemy's air supremacy continued to provoke anger among German troops, although they often resorted to black humour. 'If you can see silver aircraft, they are American,' went one joke. 'If you can see khaki planes, they are British, and if you can't see any planes, then they're German.' The other version of this went, 'If British planes appear, we duck. If American planes come over, everyone ducks. And if the Luftwaffe appears, nobody ducks.'

D-Day, by Antony Beevor

Cherbourg

"As the Americans closed in on Cherbourg they encountered a greater density of pillboxes and weapon pits, as well as major forts. Each position had to be dealt with individually. Colonel Bernard B. MacMahon's 315th Infantry was faced with what seemed to be a major defence work at Les Ingoufs, with a garrison of several hundred. A Polish deserter led MacMahon and a reconnaissance party close to it. It looked as if the guns had been destroyed, either by air attack or by the Germans themselves. MacMahon ordered a newly arrived loudspeaker truck to be brought up. He then ordered forward some artillery and announced over the loudpseakers in German that a full divisional assault was about to be launched. They had ten minutes to surrender, then 'any part of the garrison not surrending would be blasted out of existence'. He kept repeating the message, 'feeling rather foolish because his talking seemed to have produced no results'. Suddenly, he heard yells: 'Here they come!' Large numbers of German soldiers could be seen advancing, some with white flags and the rest with their arms raised. But they represented only a portion of the garrison.
A group of five German officers appeared next, as delegates sent by the garrison commander. They asked MacMahon to have his guns fire one phosphorus shell at the position so that their commander could feel he 'had satisfied his obligation to the Fuhrer and surrender'. MacMahon had to admit that he had no phosphorus shells. Would 'German honor be satisfied' if five phosphorus grenaders were thrown? After discussion of this counter-proposal, the senior German officer agreed with more saluting. But only four grenades could be found in the whole company. There was more haggling, then these four grenades were thrown into a cornfield. The German officers inspected the results and agreed that they were indeed phosphorus, and returned to inform their commander that he could surrender the rest of the garrison and the field hospital attached.
MacMahon found that they had taken 2,000 prisoners."

From D-Day, by Antony Beevor.

QoTD 11/12/2010

"Friends, friends...I don't have any friends." - Hungy

HO ho ho. Two weeks to Christmas!

Problems?

9:11 PM - Kuroko: In the summer of 1916 General Mouret, the subsecretary of artillery, granted FCM (Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranée), a shipyard in the south of France near Toulon, the contract for the development of a heavy tank.
9:11 PM - Kuroko: how many problems can you spot in this sentence
9:11 PM - OrenjJews: 1: 1916
9:11 PM - OrenjJews: 2: General
9:11 PM - OrenjJews: 3: Subsecretary
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 4: Shipyard
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 5: France
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 6: France
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 7: France
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 8: Toulon
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 9: Contract
9:12 PM - OrenjJews: 10: Heavy tank

Hungy's LAN 18/11/2010

Quotes so far:

"Happy birthday. See you next year!" - Long, on the phone to some girl

Company of Heroes Online - Terror Commander

I'm going to detail below how I play Terror in Company of Heroes Online.

Currently level 20, Terror commander

Hero units
Headquarters: Field Pioneers
Wehrmacht Quarters: Fatherland HMG team, Durable HMG team
Krieg Barracks: Accomplished mortar team
Sturm Armory: (unused for now)
Panzer Command: (unused for now)

Army items
Base building upgrade (machineguns)
Pioneer defence
Panther defence
Panther sight
Panther accuracy
Ostwind sight
Sniper sight
(One slot free)

Base operations
Initial build priorities
- Straight away, build field pioneers (140 manpower) and a normal pioneer (120 manpower) squad from HQ
- Use the starting pioneer squad to start capturing fuel points and/or garrison crucial buildings near contested middle areas.
- Use field pioneers to capture points (level 1 gives +20% capture speed)
- Use final pioneer squad to build Wehrmacht quarters (220 manpower, 15 fuel)

Wehrmacht quarters
- Build Durable HMG team (260 manpower), use to support pioneer squads near middle
- Build Fatherland HMG team (280 manpower), use to support pioneer squads near middle

As soon as possible, Escalate to Skirmish Phase (200 manpower, 35 fuel)

Upon escalation, build a Krieg Barracks (220 manpower, 35 fuel)
- Build Accomplished mortar team (240 manpower), use to support pioneers and MGs.

Escalate to Assault Phase (200 manpower, 50 fuel)
- Build a Kampfkraft Center (100 manpower)
- Research Level 1 Tank veterancy (100 manpower, 30 fuel)

Escalate to Battle Phase (200 manpower, 65 fuel)
- Build a Panzer Command (260 manpower, 50 fuel)
- Research Level 2 Tank veterancy (200 manpower, 50 fuel)
- Build one Panther (600 manpower, 110 fuel)
- Research Level 3 Tank veterancy (300 manpower, 70 fuel)
- Build two (if you have a King Tiger, 1000 manpower), or three (if you don't have a King Tiger) more Panthers, plus two Ostwinds.
- Charge them hard and fast down one flank into one of the enemy Headquarters. You should be able to destroy 2 headquarters with this initial rush.
- This should be the turning point. Victory is assured. Follow up with further armored assaults on the remaining headquarters.
- Capture remaining Victory Points.
- Win.

Total cost of base operations (up to Level 3 Tank veterancy): 3,640 manpower, 460 fuel.

Field operations
- Early game, rushing a pioneer squad into a building near your allocated Victory point is a must. Automatically gives heavy cover, which means your pioneers can defeat any engineer units that approach.
- Use the field pioneer squad (+20% capture rate) to capture fuel and munitions points leading to the victory point, with strategic points as necessary to link it up (supply lines).
- Where possible, use your first machinegun squad to enter the same building as the first pioneer squad. It can cover your pioneers while they capture the point.
- Use second machinegun squad to support/cover flank approaches to the victory point.
- Once Victory Point is secured, use pioneers to build bunkers (150 manpower) at key locations. Upgrade with heavy machinegun (50 munitions) as soon as possible.
- Use mortar for long-range support of bunkers and machinegun squads, especially for counterbattery fire against enemy mortar teams.
- While initially two machinegun squads and a mortar team is a very effective defence, especially with bunkers built and upgraded, they will be unable to stop Greyhound armored cars, halftracks, and tanks. If necessary, stiffen your defence with PaK 38 anti-tank guns (310 manpower) from the Kreig Barracks.
- Ultimately, your aim is not to hold the victory point itself, but the resource points that lead to it. With a steady supply of resources, you will be able to securely escalate and attain Panthers earlier.
- Anything that you build extra to the stated build guide above will lengthen the amount of time it takes to reach Panthers.
- Remember, though, that flexibility is the key. It's no use finally building a lone Tier 3 Panther if the enemy has taken all the resource points that you were supposed to defend. You'll have lost the game at that point. If you need AT guns, build them. If you need extra bunkers, build them.
- While bunkers cannot move, they are the preferred anti-infantry defence as compared to heavy machinegun squads. Bunkers don't take up population, which means you can build more tanks.
- When using tanks, remember to micromanage them. Always keep their frontal armour pointed to the enemy. If you see blobs of Rangers or Airborne paratroopers with recoiless rifles sliding about your flank, use Forced Retreat (100 munitions) on them.
- When attacking American base buildings, your target priority should be as follows: Tank Depot, Motor Pool, then Barracks. Enemy tanks will hurt you the most, so prevent them from being built. After that, it's AT guns which will hurt you the second most, so prevent them from being built too. Nothing in the Weapon Support Center can hurt tanks, so ignore that. Take out the Barracks to prevent riflemen from using stickybombs on you.

Victory can be attained in the following ways:
- Holding on to more victory points than the opposition, until their tickets reach 0.
- Destroying all enemy base buildings, field headquarters and bunkers.
- Entire enemy team surrenders/disconnects

My style of play is designed such that all three methods of victory are viable. If your base-rush is successful, you can win by destroying all enemy buildings. If your base-rush is only partially successful, or it takes longer than expected, you still have ample time to capture all the victory points while the enemy is distracted.
Any one of these can, if overwhelmingly successful, induce the opposition to surrender.

To summarise
- Play defensive early and mid-game, using a few specialised infantry units to hold back the enemy while you escalate. Make ample use of commander abilities such as Firestorm and Forced Retreat, as they use munitions only.
- Build up a powerful armoured fist with which you can crush the enemy headquarters.
- Destroy base buildings.
- Capture victory points while enemy is off-balance.

Imogen Heap

The famous bit starts at 2:54.

Anyway, Imogen Heap was doing an interview regarding the inspiration for this song. And I quote:
"In a broad strokes way, it’s about losing something very dear to me and how much of an impact that person had on my life and about maybe how when something awful happens to somebody else, how other people react to it. It tied in with when I went to see Michael Moore’s Farenheit 911 and I remembered that image of George Bush being told and him completeley carrying on as if nothing had happened. And I just thought that was outrageous, if I was the president I would run out of there and fucking get onto the TV and say something amazing, and he wasn’t even reading his book and he had it upside down. And I was really horrified at how selfish and awful he was, and how emotionless he was and that kind of reminded me a little bit about somebody else behind this song."
http://www.barcodezine.com/Imogen%20Heap%20Interview2.htm

Are you stupid? Seriously? Just completely clueless? Let us run over Bush's reaction to being told of the September 11 attacks.
He's at a primary school surrounded by little kids. Instead of rushing out of there leaving every completely distraught and clueless and crapping all over the chance for the chidlren to show off in front of the President, he actually sits there and tries to listen and stay normal, for their sake. The fact that he did actually have the book upside down shows that he was indeed distracted by the events, but had to maintain a normal facade.
Not only that, but he's in front of a nation's media. If he simply responds to the first report straight away without a single moment to actually step back and consider the facts, he'll be labelled a rumourmonger.
He wasn't being emotionless. He was being very clever. And that, Imogen, is why he was President for two terms, and you're not.

Hua Mulan

My first ever Youtube upload! Perhaps my favourite scene from the entire movie, sad as it is...

Han Han 韩寒

思想品德不及格，总比没思想好。
(Ideological and moral failing is better than not thinking well.)

越小的官就越喜欢滥用职权。
(The smaller the government the more I like abuse of power.)

Quotes from Han Han (Chinese: 韩寒)

Perhaps the single most widely read blogger in the world.

Double entendre

So I was hanging out on MapleStory with these two randoms (both girls...I think). Anyway, our conversation involved in something like this:

Girl 1: We've started learning about female anatomy in Anatomy class now.
Girl 2: Learn anything new?
Me: I don't think so. She probably has about 10+ years of self-exploration under her belt.

Double entendre win? :D

Duty and truth

"Duty is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." - Robert E. Lee

What is duty?
Duty is the obligation you have to something. Everything.
Duty to your parents. Duty to your teachers.
Duty to your life. Duty to yourself.
Duty to your country. Duty to those you love.
Duty to those that you do not know, because they are human too.
Some of us are called upon by duty. For others, duty finds us.
To fulfil our duty is the ultimate calling in life.

"My intent is to tell the truth as I know it, realizing that what is true for me may be blasphemy for others." - Gerry Spence

As most of you know, I'm pretty opinionated about a lot of things. They're my opinions. Justified, in my mind, by fact from various sources. If you're going to disagree, disagree by trying to change my mind. Not by insulting me.

Water In The Cup

A group of working adults got together to visit their University lecturer. The lecturer was happy to see them, and conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
The lecturer just smiled and went to the kitchen to get an assortment of cups - some porcelain, some in plastic, some in glass, some plain looking and some looked rather expensive and exquisite. The lecturer offered his former students the cups to get drinks for themselves.
When all the students had a cup in hand with water, the lecturer spoke, "If you noticed, all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal that you only want the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you wanted was water, not the cup, but unconsciously went for the better cups."
Just like in life, if Life is Water, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. If we only concentrate on the cup, we won't have any time to enjoy the water in it.

- Claimed to be from various places, I obtained this story from a Reader's Digest collection of inspirational stories, titled "Life is a travel"

10/10/10

10th day of the 10th month of the 10th year past 2000. Pretty awesome, eh? And apparently in binary, it translates into the number 42, also known as the meaning of life :D
There's some shit going around Facebook about how it only comes once every 1000 years. Dumbfucks. More like once every 100 years. 10th of October, 2110, will also be 10/10/10.

~~~

Anyway, it was Linh's birthday today, so a bunch of us rocked up to Napier hotel out in somewhere near the city. Pretty awesome, food was lovely (for a pub), drinks were alright, company was good :D Whittled away a few hours, didn't get to open up Jason's bottle of wine though :P

~~~

On the train to the city, I saw one of the most gorgeous girls I have ever seen, and will likely ever see. Like, seriously, absolutely to die for. Probs never see her again, though, but meh. The knowledge that women like that actually exist gives hope :D

~~~

I have bands for my braces. Eating and brushing teeth are now insanely difficult without removing them. Teeth ache, but it's not painful. D:

~~~

Just finished the Sten series by Chris Bunch and Allan Cole. Excellent. If you're ever looking to branch into military sci-fi, this is a good place to start. Not out there enough to start doing your head in, but just different enough to be fresh.
I've been reading the Starfist series by David Sherman and Dan Cragg. Very nice military sci-fi, but there's only like 10 books or something in the series. :( Will start on the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett sometime soon.

Balls

Ωʝ says (12:17 AM):
*Hey
*Why are balls called balls?
- ♥ - [-Kureya-Chan-] says (12:17 AM):
*D;
     Ωʝ     says (12:17 AM):
*Like
*They're not very spherical at all
*D:
*TO THE WIKIPEDIA
- ♥ - [-Kureya-Chan-] says (12:17 AM):
*...
*EWWW
*WHAT THE HELLL
Ωʝ says (12:17 AM):
*...
*I meant like, AA ball
Ωʝ says (12:18 AM):
*WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING

~~~

aMANDA (: says (12:24 AM):
*LOLL
*OH
aMANDA (: says (12:25 AM):
*OHHHHH
*I GET IT NOW
*AHAHHAHAHAHAHAAH
*AHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
*AHHAHAHHAHHAHA
*HAHHAHAHAHAHHA
*ew.
*you derdy person implant derdy thoughts into otherwise innocent minds.

For if the Emperor is with me, who may stand against me?
And if the Emperor protects me, who may harm me?
And if the Emperor guides me, who may mislead me?
And if the Emperor forgives me, who may judge me?
And if the Emperor hears me, who may ignore me?
And if the Emperor is my cause, who may claim to be holier?

My ignorance is my faith.
My faith is my shield.
My armour is my contempt.
My hatred is my greatest weapon.
The Emperor's will is my torch.
His will be done.

For today, the Emperor is with me and I shall not fear.
By His glorious name, daemons and heretics will fall before us,
Sinners will fear the Emperor's wrath,
And all enemies of the Imperium will be driven back into the warp.
In the name of the Emperor, for Holy Terra, for blessed Mankind,
For the glory of the Imperium,
We will fight to the last man and the last round,
And in so doing, we earn our salvation.

~~~

Look there lads, over yonder hills,
Set down your games and cheap thrills.
The future beckons, boys,
No time for electronic toys.
As childhood years fly,
And teenage years pass by,
Onwards we march from security,
The slow march to maturity.

Thoughts 4

All those who claim that the path to a good life lies in living for the present, with no worries and no regrets, are but utter fools. Without tomorrow, what is today Tomorrow gives us motivation, impetus, hope, fear. Our life is a step-by-step accumulation of tomorrows. If today is all we live for, then our legacy, like our presence, will be for today only.
And a life with no regrets might well be no life at all. Without regrets, there are no hopes, no dreams. If we are not disappointed with the past, how can we have desires for the future? With no anchor for our happiness, no counter for the high, then it is nothing. Only in contrast does extremity exist.

~~~

I realised on the bus the other day, that if you stand in the Sun and look at your shadow, what you are looking at actually the back of your head.
Cool, huh? :D

~~~

Why am I up so late on a uni night? I...don't know.

Thoughts 3

What is Man's role? Well if our words and actions are to be judged, then it appears quite clear that our position on this planet is for the annihilation or enslavement of all lifeforms, including our own; the destruction of the natural resources that have clothed, fed, housed, enriched and advanced us for millenia; and to ensure that all who come in our wake will have us placed in museums as examples of special not-to-be's.

Note: 'special' as in 'relating to species', not as in 'unique'

~~~

I'm so sick. D: Went to bed at 1am, woke up at 2pm. Lay in bed playing with iPod for another 30 minutes. Then...did nothing. Head was pounding with CONGESTION D: And now drinking honey lemon water yay :D It's scaldingly hot, which is...perfect.

~~~

Not much as happened lately, I guess. Went to Passionflower, and it's fucking epic. Tastiest desserts ever. Expensive as all hell, though. Saw Amanda working xD
What else...oh, yeah, Henry's 18th. Disappointed that I only stayed for like an hour, but it was a damned fine hour. Suits are awesome.

~~~

Actions speak louder than words...but speaking is an action. (SIDE NOTE: I JUST RAN OUT OF TISSUES D: D: D:) (SIDE NOTE TO THE SIDE NOTE: STOLE THE LAST TISSUE BOX FROM THE PANTRY) If I want to support a friend, am I obliged to instantly go for the action-route, or should I accept that talking is just as important and try that first?

~~~

Finished the $1 book I bought from the 2nd hand bookstore on-campus. "From the House of War", by John Simpson. I don't think he has a donkey, though D: Commentary on the Gulf War (1990-1991). Very interesting insights that I didn't know about before, such as the widespread lack of genuine support for Saddam Hussein in the leadup to and aftermath of the fighting. Veiled hints as to widespread failures by the Allies and influential humanitarian groups.

Fucking hippies.

Thoughts 2

Corruption of the soul stems not from power, but from the abuse of power. Corruption is not the possession of power abused, but the abuse of power possessed.

Thoughts 1

Perhaps the problem is not that we are all thinking differently; rather, that we are all thinking alike. The less attention we pay to reality, the more we are able to see the world around us in a way that others cannot. A fresh approach. A new outlook. Yeah, maybe that's what the world needs.

Random observation 2

Observation of the day: Long hair is awesome for keep rain off head.

Stayed home today, first time I've ever skipped my lone Thursday lecture. Still sick.

Random observation 1

Observation of the day: Nobody says "leet" anymore. :(

edit: Happy first day of Spring, everyone. Still have that fething cold. D: Life sucks.

Rap?

So I'm strolling down the street with my Glock 18,
Hidden in my pocket with a full magazine,
Bullets made of brass,
I'll bust a cap in your ass!
Fill the air with lead,
Gonna make you real dead!

Out pops a ganger and I pop him good,
That's how I roll in my neighbourhood,
But his homie sees it and does a runner,
Bringing the boys, nothing could be funner,
Shots ring out as they're drawing near,
And I duck away 'cause my life is dear.

Hiding behind a wall as the rifles rattle,
Worf would be proud of this glorious battle,
One feels lucky and marathons around the corner,
And I think to myself that I'm a goner,
Shoves his gun in my face, fires, fails, made in China,
And I smile 'cause right now nothing could be finer.

Suddenly sirens ringing, choppers and SWAT,
And now my barrel's smoking and hot,
So I take a moment, a breath, a prayer,
Convince myself that it's just a childhood dare,
Reload, refresh, step out into the battle royale,
Time to join the Heavenly chorale.

It's a three-way fight,
Bullets coming thick and tight,
Simply move and shoot, duck and weave,
Try to ignore the bullet holes in my sleeve,
And then a round hits my chest,
So now it's time for me to rest...

Rap? Not really. I mean, it's rap-themed with the ghetto-ness and all that, and it rhymes, but there's no attempt at rhythm, and I'm Asian. I think it's more just...contemporary poetry. After all, wasn't Shakespeare merely the biggest rap artist of the 17th century? I think rap is a kind of poetry. It's got a message, a meaning, a rhythm and a rhyme.

In other news, my 6th week of Semester 2 just finished. 7 weeks to go, plus a week of midsemester break, then it'll be swotvac and exams. Seems to fast...but I can't believe we have 10 weeks straight before we get our midsem break. Makes no sense. 10 weeks on, 1 week off, 3 weeks on, 1 week off, exams? Blah.

Good day

As the title suggests, today was a pretty good day. Classes weren't too complicated, managed to wing through the History tutorial without having done the readings, saw plenty of people, didn't play any games at Uni at all. Then got home, cleaned laptop fan so now it doesn't overheat :D:D:D and then...chilled out!

Tomorrow's going to be shit, though. INT1020 500 word editorial due, which I haven't done. Why do we need 6+ sources, if it's meant to be opinionated and persuasive anyway?

I can't believe how quiet my laptop is right now. And it's been on for HOURS continuously! Let's walk through how I cleaned it...

First, I got a screwdriver. Took out the screws at the bottom rear of the laptop, removed the plastic cover. Momentarily bewildered by all the circuits and whatnot. Located fan, removed more screws, removed fan, proceeded to wipe grey muck off every surface. Layers of the stuff :( Cleaned, put it back together, voila! Life's awesome. I'm awesome. It's good.

I like mandarins.

I hate it when you eat a mandarin and then bite one of the seeds and it goes all retarded flavour. Mm, mental deficiencies. nomnomnom.

I just had another chocolate chip muffin.

I'm fat.

edit: Alien Swarm now has a Brutal mode. And Onslaught option, which means endless spawning. And hardcore friendly fire option too. Heh. 1014 friendly fire in a single round with three other people is my best, so far xD

edit edit: I hate Melbourne weather

edit edit edit: Stupid INT1020 assignment.

Triangular

Apparently, from a guy called "Nuwayhid". But yeah, pretty true right?

Alone

So I'm all alone waiting for someone to appear,
People I know, friends that are dear,
With nothing to do but wallow in fear,
But I think about you and I feel that we're near.

Anyway, enough of depressing poetry. Election was today. Voted. Australian Sex Party for Senate, ALP for House of Reps.
Came home and watched the coverage. Pretty disappointed that Labor didn't win, wondering about how the Senate seats are allocated, and nearly beside myself with rage that the Greens won Melbourne. Little shits.

Note to self: Make Brownshirts, attack Greens, win elections, become Chancellor, invade Poland.

Australian Sex Party

I shit you not, this is who I'm voting for this year.

http://www.sexparty.org.au/index.php/policies

Censorship

* Bring about the establishment of a truly national classification scheme which includes a uniform non-violent erotica rating for explicit adult material for all jurisdictions and through all media including the Internet and computer games.

* Introduce an R and X rating for computer games

* To overturn mandatory ISP filtering of the Internet and return Internet censorship to parents and individuals.

* We oppose the mandatory retention of all Australian users’ internet browsing history and emails by ISPs for at-will inspection by law enforcement agencies, and support strong judicial oversight over the ability of law enforcement to access individuals’ internet and email data.

Education

* To bring about the development of a national sex education curriculum as a first step in preventing the sexualisation of children.

* Development of a national internet education scheme for parents.

Equality

* To enact national anti discrimination laws which make it illegal to unfairly discriminate against people or companies on the basis of job, occupation, profession or calling.

* To bring about equal numbers of women in the Parliament through enabling the Federal Discrimination Act to have jurisdiction extending to political parties.

* To create total equal rights in all areas of the law including same sex marriage.

* Overturn racist laws that ban adults living in and visiting aboriginal communities in the NT from possessing erotic and sexual media.

* Ensure the sexual rights and freedoms of people with a disability and the elderly.

Health

* To enact national pregnancy termination laws along the same lines as divorce law — which allow for legal, no-fault and guilt-free processes for women seeking termination (more details)

* The listing of Viagra, Cialis and other drugs used to treat sexual dysfunction, on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

* Overturn restrictions on aid to overseas family planning organisations that reference abortion.

Protection of Children

* Convene a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in the nation’s religious institutions (more details)

* Develop global approaches to tackling child pornography which focus on detection and apprehension of the producers of the material.

Workplace Relations

* Ensure that the introduction of paid parental leave is fair and equitable for small businesses.

* Abolish sex slavery and sexual servitude by introducing non morality-based immigration policies that allow bona-fide sex workers to work legally in Australia.

Religion / Ethical Issues

* Establishment of a Royal Commission into child sex abuse in religious institutions.

* The public education system should be secular in nature and not provide for any religious instruction whatsoever.

* An Ethics course along the lines of the current NSW trial, developed by the St James Ethics Centre, to be incorporated into the national curriculum.

* Ending the tax exempt status for religions.

* Cessation of tax-exempt status on all but the charitable work of religious institutions.

* Supports stem cell research, including embryonic stem cell research, and maintains it is a vital medical issue, not a religious issue.

* Supports women’s rights to have an abortion if they so choose

* Calls for uniform state abortion laws and amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act to allow milepristone (RU486) to be imported and distributed widely in place of the highly restrictive and cumbersome Authorised Prescriber process which resulted from the “Harradine Amendments” to the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill 1996.

* Opposes a blanket ban on women wearing the burqa conditional upon it being the woman’s choice.

Drugs

* Decriminalisation, not legalisation, of purchase, possession and consumption of all drugs for personal use, such quantity to be defined as an amount equal or less than 14 day’s supply for one person.

* Infractions are to be treated in an administrative framework and not in the criminal justice system.

* Immediate cessation of the use of drug sniffer dogs in public.

* Legalise and regulate cannabis for specified medical uses.

* Trafficking and dealing in drugs to remain a criminal offence.

* Supply of any drugs to a minor is to be a criminal offence.

* Laboratory quality drug testing stations to be provided at all music festivals and the like.

* Subsidised and high quality drug testing kits to be made available through pharmacies, age restricted premises and mobile distribution centres.

* Legalise and increase the number of medically supervised injecting rooms

* Legalise the prescription of heroin to registered and habitual users.

Euthanasia

* Voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide for patients with a terminal illness and suffering severe pain to be decriminalised.

* In addition to the patient’s primary medical practitioner a second and independent practitioner would be required to confirm his / her agreement with the diagnosis and prognosis.

* Information about palliative care options must be given to the patient and having been given this information the patient must confirm to the primary medical practitioner that all other options are not acceptable and that he or she wants assistance.

* A seven day cooling off period must then be allowed for before assistance can be provided.

Abortion

* Uniform abortion laws across Australia.

* Full decriminalisation of abortion – removal from criminal statutes.

* Abortion to be treated as a medical matter not a criminal matter.

* All abortion providers to have authority to prescribe Mifepristone (RU486).

* Medicare funding for abortion at all stages of pregnancy.

* An abortion may be performed at any time with the consent of the woman and if a medical practitioner certifies that it is appropriate under the circumstances.

* Minors (under the age of 16) may obtain an abortion without the consent of a parent/guardian.

* Ensure abortion is a part of sex education in schools.

Good weekend

LOL FROM AMANDA (http://zzzultraviolet.blogspot.com/)
Love it. xD

Weekend was pretty good, all things considered. Caught up with some people, downloaded Photoshop and FL Studio. Going to delve into my artistic side :D

I think...that I might be falling for a girl. Woman. Young lady. But it's exceedingly complex and I don't want to think about it right now, especially with all the work that's flying around. Already a third through the semester, can you believe it?

Bio essay draft due in 22 and a bit hours. Haven't started. 1000 words to go.

And such is life...

Hey uptown girl, can you hear this downtown song? - Anberlin, "Uptown Song"

Well, Jonh's been telling me to update my blog. And now's a good a time as any, I guess...

My paternal grandmother died this morning. A stroke, from what I've been told. Her second one in a couple of months. I was over in China just a month ago, and she looked absolutely fine. Just goes to reinforce just how fragile life really is. She may not have gotten along all the best with my mother, but deep down, she really did care. Rest in peace, 奶奶.

And so now it comes to what happens after she's gone. The cremation is in two days. My father, as the eldest son, will be leading the funeral rites. As the eldest grandson, I should be there. It is my filial duty. But there's not a chance in Hell I can make it. I feel obligated to do...something.

I worry about my grandfather. He's always been a lot more sickly than my grandmother, and in many respects she looked after him, perhaps to at her own cost. And now he'll be all alone in that tiny apartment. If something does happen...how will anyone know? But all my relatives over there are too busy to be able to look after him all day. And the concept of a retirement home doesn't exist in China. I don't know. I hope he's alright.

Like raindrops falling through the air, life trickles away. How will you spend yours?

I've just spent 30 minutes looking for that book which had my paternal family tree. Can't find it. Realised how little I actually knew about my grandmother. Don't know her given name. Don't know her birthdate. Don't know anything. And now that she's gone, I regret not trying to get to know her better. She was family, and family is everything, after all.

奶奶
王？？
？？？？年？？月？？日 - 2010年8月12日

Stuck at home

So there's a LAN at Hungy's today. So why am I still at home? Well, it goes a little something like this:

Last night, I told my mother that I would be going to Hungy's today. Her first reaction was "Why didn't you go yesterday?". See, I had gone to St Kilda yesterday to pick up my Chinese visa for my upcoming trip to the Motherland. But since Hungy only came up with the idea of the LAN yesterday afternoon after I had already returned home, it would have been inconcievable for me to have attended a non-existant LAN yesterday. But irregardless of that, mother then decided that having me buy another Metcard just to go to Hungy's to play games would be a waste of money. Instead, she suggested that I stay home and play on the Wii. Apparently I'll get lots of exercise or something. Hahahahahahahahaha. I played Brothers in Arms. Sat there on the couch and blasted Nazi scum left and right. Yeah. Exercise.

The interesting point is that my mother continually insists that I get out of the house. I'm fairly sure a two-hour round trip on public transport to Hungy's is more outdoors than me sitting at home on the laptop/Wii.

On another note, I have a little black notebook with which I am supposed to take note of all the things I need to acquire in China. Mother wants medicine. She has not given me the box that the medicine comes in, nor the bottle which holds the medicine, nor the medicine itself, so I have literally no idea of what I'm supposed to buy for her. And yet somehow, "Write it down!" as if I ought to know already.

Sunday afternoon, mother's bringing sister home from North Shore. Doesn't have keys for some reason, so she stands at the back door and yells for me to open it. At that time, I'm running around the house closing all the curtains, because it's getting dark. When I finish, I go back to my room and put my headset on. At that moment, the back door slams open and mother storms to my room loudly denouncing my use of the headset and thus the inability to hear her.
Question 1: How the fuck am I supposed to hear you from the other side of the house.
Question 2: Why don't you get your facts straight before bitching about me.
Question 3: How the fuck did you open the door if you didn't have keys.
Question 4: Did you realise that even if I had been in my room, without my headset on, there would have been no way I could have heard you from the back door anyway.
Question 5: How about next time, instead of standing at the back door, actually walk 8 metres to my window and see if I'm there or not. Tap on the glass or something.
Question 6: Where the fuck was my sister during all of this? With your keys? I don't think so. Your keys only open the house doors, not the mailbox or anything.
And then last night, I hear her on the phone to one of her friends bitching about me. Yeah, well, fuck you too.

Stupid old stingy hag.

You know you've just been on bivouac when...

1. The odours you've produced have created another hole in the ozone layer.
2. Your hair has more oil buildup than the Gulf of Mexico.
3. All non-Cadet food tastes good.
4. All Cadet food tastes shit.
5. You wake up and run to the firepit, despite not having one in your house.
6. You prefer having your mother boss you around than your sergeant.
7. The absence of fire in your life leads to small acts of pyromania.
8. Having free time makes you feel guilty.
9. When you blow your nose, black globs from smoke inhalation come out.
10. Walking without needing to check your bearing on a map and compass is pure bliss.
11. You're thankful that there's no semen on the toilet seat.
12. You accidentally address older males as "Sir" and older females as "Ma'am".
13. You realise that there's food that doesn't come from a tin or a box.
14. Not having to get permission to get food or clothes or new batteries feels wierd.
15. You might not believe in God, but you thank Him anyway for not having to recondition your bedroom after you wake up.
16. Living in a structure not hold up by hutchie cord makes you feel godlike.
17. When you need to go to the toilet, you're happy that you can actually go.
18. You begin to kick the leaves and twigs away from your oven/microwave/stove when you start cooking.
19. Woodless fires amaze you.
20. You feel like a rebel when you put your hands in your pockets.
And as the Colonel always says, you "accidentally ask your mother to pass the fucking salt".

MHSCU Bivouac 2010 was awesome. Spent most of it with Ramsay, and it was heaps of fun. Wish I could go to Annual as well. Saw some real improvement in those kids while I was there, future in the Unit isn't so doubtful anymore. Will definitely go visit whenever I get the chance. Didn't sponge off the guys too much, I think...kind of acted as a spare NCO whenever they needed one. Solid performance from the NCOs and the officers. Learnt a lot, hopefully helped others learn a little. Had a good time. Thanks for having me over!

Pop culture reference 1

"The band The Flight of the Conchords references Jacques Cousteau in their song Foux du Fa Fa, when Bret holds up a fish- referring to Cousteau's study of the ocean."

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques-Yves_Cousteau#Pop_culture_tributes_and_references

Worst. Reference. Ever.

Seriously.

I mean, based on that, I could hold up a picture of the Sun, and be referencing Jaye Davidson. Exactly. Fuck you Internet.

A calculated insult

Ghandi may have said "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind", but better you and me without an eye, than me alone.

On that note, I think it's important that we tailor responses to fit the impetus that we're responding to. Capital punishment for murderers. Car impoundment for speeders. And if you exclude me from a conversation, you're damned sure I'll exclude you back somehow.

Friends' blog list updated (one removal).

Are you secretly a woman?

Well, obviously if you're female already this doesn't apply to you. Unless you're a female man.

I was showering earlier, and as I was getting dressed afterwards I thought about something I was told when I went to Thailand at the end of 2008. Or was it 2007? I can't quite remember anymore. Well, it was the time I kissed a transvestite. But that's a totally different story.

Thailand is quite famous for its ladyboys, that is, boys who elect to undergo sex changes, which feed its copious tourist industry.

Our tour guide told us of a method which families use to see if their young male children will grow up to be ladyboys. They watch how they put their clothes on after they wash. If they put the pants on first, they may show inclination to be a ladyboy. If they put their shirt on first, they probably won't show any inclination.

So. Are you secretly a woman? Do you put your pants on first after you shower, or your shirt?

Another Facebook event

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108761519170473

Apparently, because "1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 (US) a day.", Oaktree Foundation wants more people to join in. So for five days, they want people to try and eat for only AU$2.00 per day.

Now, not even taking into consideration basic economic principles, namely differences in purchasing power parity (PPP), this is another pointless event to...raise awareness, right? Perhaps Oaktree wants the money saved to be donated to them. Or maybe not.

"Why get involved?
-Lots of opportunities to meet other people (bonded by your hunger) including LAUNCH NIGHT on June 26th
-Think about all the money you will save! (and the weight you will lose?)
-Most importantly, it's a snapshot into the lives of 1.4 billion people around the world."

Oh joy. Reason number one: to be social.
Reason number two: save money.
Reason number three: Think about others.
Because that kind of thing can only be done by attempting to starve yourself, right?

Well, anyway, for a completely different reason I've been reading about the Big Mac Index (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Mac_Index), just as an example of PPP, basically the difference in the ability of different currencies to buy the same product in different countries. Now, perhaps it is true that there are 1.4 billion people today living on less than US$1.25 per day. In India, with a population of 1.18 billion, that'll buy you a Big Mac. It won't in any other country. In Tokyo, that same Big Mac will take the average worker 10 minutes to earn. In Nairobi, the average worker needs to work for 158 minutes to earn one.

The point of all this? $2 in Australia is very different to 11 yuan in China, or 77 rupees in India, or 31,000 Vietnamese Dong. You can't use an arbitrary value just to determine the living standards of people in different countries.

Get a grip, Oaktree. Or are you going to go the way of a whole host of other non-governmental organisations, down the aisle of purported 'evidence', fact-twisting and biased representation?

I'm so forgetful

Well! You see, before, I was studying. Okay, I lie. I was playing Runescape. And I looked at the clock and I realised it was 4:45. So I was like, "what do I have to do..." And then I remembered! So I went and downloaded "A Short History of Nearly Everything", by Bill Bryson. Looks like I'll be reading that for the next few days...apparently it's pretty heavily bio-oriented, so that'll be my Bio revision for the exam ^^ And then I had the feeling where you need to do something, but you can't quite remember what it is. So I sat there for a while. And a while longer. Figured it was something I needed to download, so trawled around btjunkie (the torrent site I use) for a while longer, to no avail. So somehow I ended up thinking about primary school. And then somehow, from there, to a random convo I had with a friend yesterday in which we went from talking about hot air balloons to WUUUUFFF to barking dogs to pewpew laser beams (which I was taught actually sound better as 'tsew tsew'), to plasma cannons, to Rattata, to Pokemon, to demotivational pictures, to Neutrogena, to out-of-context quotations, to me being a 'pulpy little bitch', to titties (I didn't bring that one up!), to richness, to soup.

I love rambling conversations! If I can ramble with you, then we're going to get along just fine :)

Then it hit me.

I needed to turn the ducted heating on.

Talking to you

I know these replies you're giving me. You don't really want to talk to me, but you're too polite to not answer. But that's alright. I've been in your situation before. Just never thought the tables would quite turn this way. Thanks for being awesome, and for being yourself (though I guess the two really are the same thing, right?). See ya.

As Alex quite rightfully pointed out, my blog really isn't all that "daily". I guess you could visit daily and reread my old posts, because they're that awesome right? :D But yeah, I don't know. I guess my blogs aren't really a place where I tell about what I did every day, more a place to share interesting ideas or things that I think of. So I'll try to think more often from now on. It's difficult though. Life's pretty mundane, I try to avoid thinking because it just makes my head hurt.

But I was watching Happy Feet, and I realised that it's actually a rather apt metaphor regarding the conflict that arises when the new generation faces the previous one, or when new theories challenge old. If you haven't seen the film, a singing Emperor Penguin colony faces starvation due to a fish shortage. After many adventures of a single mutated penguin who cannot sing, it eventually comes down to an epic showdown as the old guard sings against the new generation's dancing. It seems pretty even, until the arrival of the humans as predicted by the mutated penguin tips the tables in the favour of the singers. I think it just demonstrates the inevitability of the triumph of new over old. Although at the end, the colony is shown singing AND dancing, showing that perhaps synergy of both old and new is required to advance.
As I said, very apt. Maybe the only way for society to advance is to blend both old and new; I think all people can agree that the world as it stands now is not perfect. I'm sure we can all think of SOMETHING we'd like to change and make better. But maybe completely changing the whole world won't work either?

Things to think about, I guess

I think you're...

I think you're really really awesome. Yes, you!



Learned a new word recently. "Epikicity". Pronounciation is still in the works, but look at it. Bask in it's epikicity. That's right. "Epikicity" is itself epikicitic. Did I just make a new word? :O

Finished reading the main Honor Harrington story arc, waiting on book 12 (should come out some time in June/July, apparently). Also waiting on book 4 in the A Desert Called Peace series, no time for completion yet. Military science fiction, yay!

Have been encouraged to branch out from that, though. So...A Short History of Nearly Everything, by Bill Bryson, is at the very top of my 'to read' list. :) Thanks Janmay! Have also been meaning to have a look at Philip K. Dick, apparently he has awesome science fiction/fantasy/alternate history kind of stuff, definitely perks my interest.

On the music front, still going with the techno/hardstyle blend. MrChitotheHardStyler, on Youtube, has an AWESOME collection of his own stuff, and tracks from other artists. Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/user/MrChitotheHardStyler

My mouse broke recently. I think the frayed wires were shortcircuting my laptop whenever I plugged it in. So went and played Runescape for a while, using touchpad. Stole my sister's mouse today (yesterday). It's a piece of rubbish. Logitech, and PINK. The cord is way too short, and it'll often move the mouse to the complete opposite side of the screen that I'm trying to move it, for no apparent reason at all. Oh well. Mouse is better than no mouse at all. And it's a little less responsive, as I found out to my shock when playing Modern Warfare 2 today.

On that note, Modern Warfare 2. Had five harriers today, but not a single chopper gunner. I think I'm starting to lose my touch. I did manage to get to 10-0 at one point, until some lightweight+marathon knifer spawned behind me and knifed me. Sigh. Need that one nuke. Maybe I ought to stop sniping...pretty fun though. Highrise, Terminal, are now my two favourite maps. Quarry isn't bad either. Karachi and Favela are still the two maps I utterly despise.

Just a lonely lad

Just a lonely lad,
Just a sorry sad,
Just a mixed-up mad,
Just a fucking fad,
Just a has-been had.

First day of Uni he's a happy boy,
Fourth day of Uni he's some girl's toy,
Tenth day of Uni his life's sucked of joy,
Now everything he sees he just wants to destroy,
All your fault.

So he's doing things that his heart can't condone,
Trying to make up for the fact that he's alone,
Doing things that others have already outgrown,
Every night waiting for your call on the telephone,
It won't come.

He sees people he knows but he doesn't even wave,
Sometimes he smiles, just to be brave,
But underneath that front, he's ready to cave,
Inside his mind he's just rant and rave,
Never be happy again.

Surround him with people and he'll just withdraw,
Finds all the social chitchat a bloody bore,
And even when he finds himself at Hell's maw,
It's himself he'll rely on, his own personal law,
Doesn't even care.

He pretends to follow the latest craze,
Hides his thoughts behind a distant gaze,
Or maybe his mind's running through a maze,
Just making motions going through the days,
Staying alive for what.

He copes by buying games to play,
Just living his life from day to day,
If someone asks, he's doing okay,
Can't find a way to let out what he wants to say,
So he writes a rhyme.

- Oliver Jiang
2nd of June, 2010

Electronic music

I remember the day I first heard electronic music
I knew back then this illegal computer sound was gonna be my call
My heart got hooked on 4 by 4 beats
When house took his journey with Jack Chicago and Acid House

Now my heart is hooked forever
It's in my soul, in my veins
On my mind 24/7
I don't care if it's french-tek, hardstyle, hardcore, old school or jump

I don't understand people who are satisfied with ordinary pop music
They just listen to whatever radio stations decide they should like
Followed by an overkill of ring tone commercials meant for kids
And my god, they like it!

Some people even think that house clubs are for weirdos only!
Maybe they're right, maybe we are weird
Maybe this music is weird and maybe the clubs are overrated
But we're in this together, we're in this for the love of beats,
for the love of loops

If you're in the scene, being a DJ seems like a natural path to follow
Ha, and back in the days DJ's were weird people who liked music in a weird way
Back then you would have to be a nerd to become a DJ

Nowadays everybody wants to be a DJ
Nowadays everybody wants to be that nerd

It sickens me, I hate those smart asses who think that DJ is an easy way to get laid
Well... get a life!
If you're not in it for the love of the music, would you please fuck off!

-DJ Coon

Teenage violence

Apparently there was this 13 year old girl in Western Australia who physically assaulted her teacher. And all the guy could do was try to hide. If I was the teacher, I would have knocked her out. Seriously. If kids are gonna do that, that's an offence. You'd be perfectly justified in acting in self-defence. And if you say that it's not justified, well, pacifism is nice in theory and all, but when someone is punching you in the face, principles go out the window. Go on, hide. Do nothing. Pathetic.

kiss goodbye to MS

So apparently there's this event on tomorrow which involves girls (and boys, I guess) wearing red lipstick to raise awareness about MS (Multiple Sclerosis).

Heh.

Because, you know, MS doesn't already get publicity enough without the MS Read-a-thon (people would have noticed Bindi Irwin's shrill fakeplastic voice in the ads) and various other activities, right?

And judging from the event itself, it seems to be just another publicity stunt. I mean, explain to me exactly how wearing red lipstick is going to help MS at all? You're not raising money, you're not working for a cure...you're just wearing red lipstick. This is like Earth Hour all over again, but with even less real impact.

There are those that say that I'm too cynical. I disagree. Of course charity and fundraising is important; I am willing to admit that in some cases it is necessary and indeed beneficial that such activities take place. But this event appears to contribute nothing at all. How many of those people wearing lipstick tomorrow do you actually believe have any understanding at all of MS? Do they really even care about raising awareness (pointless task in my opinion; a newspaper advert would reach more people), or is it to them simply a chance to put on some makeup for a "good cause" that makes THEM look good?

Hungy's 18th

Well, apart from the failure that was Hungy forgetting to bring his keys with him when we left his apartment, resulting in two hours of Big 2 and Knives at Sante Buffet and KFC, it was an awesome night.

First, went to Hungy's place at around 4. Took the bus/train with Jonathan and Wong from Monash. We were on schedule. I think. :D
Got to Hungy's, played CoD. 10 killstreak, then some fucking lightweight knifer took me out while I was camping at the top of the stairs in Skidrow with a SPAS. Bastard. I want that nuke.

People arrived in dribs and drabs, then we had some fun with Mount&Blade...I demonstrated to Steve how to take on 126 enemies using a two-man army. He didn't win it but...well, at least he knows how to do it now. Right? :D

Left Hungy's at about 7, took the tram down to Crown. First 96 was packed. Minh, Wong, Dehan, Linh and Kegs walked down, rest of us took the tram. Somehow they got there ahead of us...(but I walked back on the way back, and found out how). Met Xile and Brian outside Crown, managed to get lost inside Crown on the way there, got to Sante Buffet, amalgamated two seperate groups of tables, and ate. A lot. It was awesome. Cheers to Hungy for paying half, too :D

Having discovered that he had no keys, Hungy then went and bought four packets of cards from...somewhere. Much Asian-ness ensued.

Went back to Hungy's at about 10:30, sat downstairs in the foyer playing Terrorist for a while. I somehow managed to get voted off while on the phone. Bastards.

Hungy's mum finally arrived, Belgrave/Lilydale boys went up and got their stuff, then headed for the train. Jonathan, Steve, Kegs, Wong, Victor, Chris Lee, myself. Victor and Wong got off on the way to BH, Steve and Kegs drove from BH, Jonathan picked up by his parents, Chris took the final 279 of the night. I waited (alone) till 12:30, mum and sis came to pick me up. Got home, slept.

All in all, awesomeness.

FUCK.

WHAT THE FUCK.

FUCK.

WHAT THE FUCK.

FUCKING FUCKING FUCK FUCK.

FUCKITY FUCKING FUCK.

My hands are cold.

MHS kids in CoD

I ran into a couple of current students in CoD today. It was so gratifying to see them hurl abuse at me.



Now, me being who I am, I wasn't going to stand for that. So I went and emailed Ludowyke:

"Principal Ludowyke,

As an MHS Old Boy of the class of 2009, I fiercely associate with the current students of MHS in the wider community, taking the opportunity to introduce myself whenever I see them in public, with words of encouragement mixed with reminscing of past school days. This courtesy extends to my, unfortunately, rather copious time spent playing computer games; whenever I see a past or present MHS student, I extend a greeting.

Within the past few days, however, I have noticed two distinct individuals who have responded to me with barely disguised hostility. Upon my questioning, they identified themselves as Will and Stewart, from Year 10. My own further research into their backgrounds (read: Facebook), have produced nothing, and I have long since realised that mere talk is cheap, so I do not wish to pursue the matter any further. I also realise that identities on the Internet can be very easily forged or faked, and so without firm proof of their exact identities it would be pointless to pursue a needless wild goose chase. While it does sadden me that I can imagine MHS students acting in such a manner, my own personal experience with certain students during my time at the school has resigned me to the fact that it is inevitable such students remain.

Attached is a picture of one particular incident.

Yours truly,
Oliver Jiang"

One more nuke!

Yep, that's right, got my 9th nuke of this Prestige today :) My fourth nuke on the map Afghan, my third playing Afghan Domination. Really starting to love that map :) Always play UMP (silenced) + shotgun + claymore + flashbangs, marathon pro, cold blooded pro, ninja pro. ^^

SO YES I WANT ONE MORE NUKE AND THEN IT WILL BE OVER OVER OVER.

Chem lab finished an hour and a half early today. Thought Film Club IGM was on at 2pm, so I stuck around. Turns out it wasn't on. :(

Definitely leaning towards going to Shanghai after exams...so yeah, no more job-hunting.

Thought of the day: Shining the light on others keeps you in the shadows.

Swimming against the current

Pretty good metaphor for Life, isn't it? In a way, I guess that's what we're all trying to do, in some way or another. Maybe it's acting outside the social norm, doing what feels comfortable to you, not caring about what others think. Maybe it's defying your conservative parents and keeping an open mind about things. Maybe it's that you're actually swimming against a current, in which case all the best of luck to you.

I'm at this point where I want to move forward, and yet there's just all these little things that keep holding me back. Sure, just one thing at a time, I could deal with it. But it's like I'm trying to kick a soccer ball out of a really really big ditch; little taps won't get it out, but I just can't find the strength to make that one massive effort required.

Coupled with a lack of sleep (averaging 5-6 hours a night), and I'm starting to stress out a bit. Can't focus in lectures, too worried about other things to really contribute in tutorials. I even managed to take a five day break in CoD without trying, and even when I did play again, I switched my Automatic Rifle kit from the ACR to the M4, because the M4 has a deeper heavier beefier sound to it, making it far more satisfying to fire. Plus the solid thunk of the SPAS, and it's about the closest thing to sex that I can imagine.

I feel so very alone.

It's cold.

I just want to hide under my blankets and never come out.

I might come out to read Honor Harrington.

It's a good series.

The weather sucks.

A Desert Called Peace

This is a military science-fiction novel by LTC Tom Kratman (ret.), and it's actually amazingly funny. Here's a few quotes...

"General speaking the rule had been: Republic equals republic. People's Republic equals dictatorship. Democratic Republic equals really oppressive dictatorship. People's Democratic Republic equals really oppressive and corrupt dictatorship, amounting to a family corporation, with genocidal tendencies."

"Crudely modified Volgan missiles. Even the unmodified versions were so inaccurate they had been known to miss entire countries before. The dictator, Saleh, would be more likely to hit the base around Mangesh if he hired a bunch of witch doctors from Uhuru and had them try to entice meteors down from space."

"When no attack materialized, they went back to their normal routine of shivering, freezing, and, if the Yezidi were to be believed, buggering [fucking] each other. In this belief Fahad and the Chaldeans seemed to concur.
They were still, so far as Cheatham could tell, buggering [fucking] each other when the frameworks for the Stollen began to go up.
Perhaps they had run out of lubrication-that, or they'd discovered that weapons oil was a poor substitute-when the layer of concrete was poured.
Supplies of less toxic lubricant must have come through, though, because they disappeared again when the Yezidi gangs began piling dirt atop the concrete. Still, so Cheatham and the Yezidis surmised, those supplies must have been limited. They were back again to watch as the dirt was covered with large chunks and slabs of rock."

"Everything you need to know about the Yezidi is explained by their conduct during and after the Oil War. We told them if they arose in rebellion, in other words if they helped us by drawing off some of the Sumeri troops, we would help them. They rebelled all right, but they waited until after we had stomped the crap out of the Sumeri army on our own. They only rebelled when it seemed perfectly safe to rise up in the vacuum we created, and after we didn't need their help any more. Then they whined when even the shot-and-bombed-to-shit rump of the Sumeri Haris al Watini was able to crush their chicken-shit asses. They will do nothing for themselves or for us. Trust me on this. Politically they're unreliable and militarily they're worthless."

"I've been in those mountains before. They practically defend themselves, at least as long as they're not being defended by Yezidis. Yezidis are a net minus to combat power."

""Arrest the motherfuckers as spies," Carrera commanded McNamara when told that a group of media types from the Global News Network had arrived in now-abandoned Mangesh. When told of a humanitarian medical group nosing around he had said, with equal vehemence, "Arrest them. Take them to the caves and inform them they will care for our wounded as well as any civilians. Make it clear that I am firing squad serious about that."
"Patricio," Jiminez cautioned, "do you really think it's wise to alienate the press?"
"Err...maybe not, Xavier," Carrera relented. "Though frankly I doubt it matters. The press is the enemy, as much as the Sumeris or perhaps more so. But...all right. We won't arrest them as spies."
"Instead....Sergeant Major, take the pressies and medicos into protective custody, confiscate their equipment and cell phones, and confine them to the field hospital cave where they'll help care for our wounded. Don't trust the bastards; strip search them. If any of them are women see if the good father can come up with some Chaldean women to do the strip search. And if they try to escape, shoot them as spies.""

Anyway, I just finished it today. It is a bloody fine book, and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. :)

Life without CoD

Okay, so this is my third day straight without playing Call of Duty. I now spend an inordinate amount of time camping Facebook, or MCAC chat, watching TV, or just reading books. Though Facebook camping today was pretty shit, since like, ASEAN Ball was last night and everything, so it's like, just amplifying the loneliness.

I need to find something new to occupy my time. Desperately.

Quitting Modern Warfare 2

It's been a while since I posted, but this post'll probably make up for it.

I'm going to quit playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

I know, I know. I've invested over 300 hours into that game since November last year. But the point is, it's gotten to the point where the utterly shit parts of the game just make it unviable to play.

First all of, my pet fucking peeve, are the marathon + lightweight + commando knifers. Seriously. Grow some balls and get a real fucking kit. Fuck off. Die. I hope a deranged lunatic comes into your house tonight and rapes you, then cuts off all your limbs and let's you starve to death. Seriously. Not even shitting around here. Wouldn't even shed a tear if that happened; I'd probably end up dancing and singing through the streets with a big placard. If all of you were crucified right now, I might even consider coming back to play. Seriously. That's how much I fucking hate you guys.

Second of all, game modes. Like Search and Destroy, or Sabotage. What the fuck are these game modes anyway. Search and Destroy is basically CS. If I wanted to play CS, I'd actually go and play CS. Fuck this shit. At least people camp properly in CS. Unlike in SnD, or Sabotage, in which they camp directly next to the bomb sites with perfect cover and fields of fire that cover literally every approach, thus making impossible for any opposition team to succesfully achieve the game objective. Sabotage is basically camp. Camp some more. Shoot people who are rushing. Camp. Walk forward one pace. More camping. Camp. Camp camp camp. Camp round draw, sudden death, everyone calls in their killstreak rewards.

Next is the absurd spawn system. What the fuck. Some guy dies on the other side of the map, and he just so happens to spawn literally next to me, so that as he spawns I'm moving directly through his field of fire. Give me a fucking break. If we're just handing out kills now, why not create a map in which the entire team stands in a line and tries to kill the enemy team as quickly as possible?

Next are the fucking claymores. What, sometimes they blow up three seconds after walking through them, and sometimes straight away? Make up your fucking mind. Pick one time, and stick with it.

Akimbo pistols (USP, G18s, all handguns or automatic pistols). No really, what the fuck. Stick Stopping Power and Steady Aim onto those things, and you've essentially created a long-range shotgun. Akimbo shotguns I can stand; that shit has a range limit. G18s are way too accurate. I'm sorry, have you seen the amount of spray they do? Pistols are simply overpowered in this game; a pistol does just as much damage as a rifle. Despite this being completely and utterly impossible.

Next off, what the fuck is with quickscoping. I'm sorry, perfect aim while not even looking down the scope, with the crosshairs not even pointed at the target? No, that's just stupid. And fucking retarded. Why the fuck is possible to fire while scoping. This makes no sense at all, and the insane accuracy that it provides is just imbalanced.

Hackers. Are fucking everywhere. And yet there's no kick option from the game. What a stupid piece of shit. Really.

Lack of dedicated servers really shits me. I'm sorry, did you think peer-to-peer connections would actually improve game speeds? Yeah, right, because like, the host computer obviously is always going to be able to cope with everyone connecting to them.

On that note, the entire match making system is flawed. I join a game. Host leaves, the room dies. Alright, I join again. Same thing. Over and over and over fucking again. Then when I do actually get into a room, it's got a hacker. So I leave. When I try to join a new game, it automatically puts me back into the game with the hacker. Over and over and over again. No really, fuck you. Maybe don't dedicate servers, but at least let me pick which game I want to join. Stupid piece of shit Infinity Ward.

Why the fuck does the RPG curve when it's fired. 'nuff said.

The entire game is console port. No, I don't give a flying fuck what you say, Infinity Ward, it's a console port. Wait, what? It has keyboard and mouse connectivity, plus the ability to change graphics settings? IT'S A FUCKING CONSOLE PORT. IF IT DIDN'T HAVE THAT SHIT, YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PLAY ON PC, PERIOD. The PC version of the game is EXACTLY the same as the console version, down to the normal console limits of 12 players per server, peer-to-peer connections, and other little shitty things like that. If you didn't have the ability to play with a mouse and a keyboard on the PC version, WHAT THE FUCK ELSE AM I GOING TO PLAY THE FUCKING GAME WITH?! And if I can't change the goddamn graphics settings, how the fuck are different machines going to handle the game? You stupid dumb fucks. Stop trying to sugarcoat shit. Really. It's just a console port.

So yes, I'm quitting this shit. Fuck it, fuck you, fuck Infinity Ward.

Holidays are over

It's sad, but true. I have a Biology essay draft, 700 words minimum due in 23 hours. I have written 30 words. That's the extent of my work this week. Fuck. Oh well, I'll do it later today.

So, my holidays. I've succesfully altered my sleeping patterns nearly all the way around. Current bed time: 6am. Current wakeup time: 3pm. Pretty sweet :) And I'm not the only one! Gotta love Anime Club for keeping me entertained and awake all night ^^

My dad is back in China from Japan. He's coming down to Australia for a bit in July, so yay! He bought me a camera in Japan. I can't wait for it. I really have this urge to take photos of things. Not like, TB photowhoring, but like, actual photography. I hope he didn't fail though; last time we told him to get a new laptop charger for my sister, and he bought a laptop battery.

M Magazine

Sam found this in The Age M Magazine on Saturday.

Q: I'm in love with one of my best friends at school. I've asked her out a few times, but was rejected because she didn't want to ruin our friendship. I started feeling sad all the time, as if I was going insane. A week ago, I asked her out again, telling her not to worry about spoiling our friendship, but she would rather be friends. I don't want to move on. She is perfect for me. I wrote her a song, but haven't played it for her yet. How can I make her love me? I am small, with acne scars and braces. Does that matter?

A: It is easy for older people to belittle young love. While all emotions are intense at your age, your pain is real.

The fear of spoiling a friendship can be very real, but it can also be a gentle excuse to try not to hurt a friend's feelings.

If you continue to put her on the spot she may feel that the only way to escape an awkward situation is to end the friendship, and that would mean losing everything.

There is no way to "make" someone love you, and you might lose her respect if you are too persistent. Do not play your song to her. She might not know how to react and could feel cornered. It would be better to record the song and let her listen to it privately.

I am not going to tell you to move on, or that you are too young and have met too few girls to know if she's "the one". You are experiencing real pain and are genuinely confused about how best to act.

You are more likely to have some success if you are able to maintain your closeness as friends, so try not to push her away from you by pestering her. Rather, focus on being a good friend by giving her space without demands or expectations.

As time passes, you will become a more and more invaluable friend. She will associate your companionship with fun, not embarrassment. She will look forward to seeing you, not feel that she wants to avoid you.

If love is going to blossom it will do so. Over time, she might start to see you in a new light, but try not to "make" this happen.

It is difficult to be patient and to take things slowly when you age young and impetuous, but this is a situation that will sort itself out over time. Meanwhile, be grateful that your friendship means that you can spend some time in the company of the girl you are so fond of.

As far as looks go, love is blind but these outward features can form an initial barrier to attraction. Yet again, time can help people to see past the superficial to the heart beneath.

If only I had read this earlier...

ISL

Ladies and guys

Ladies...don't change who you are. Never change. Unless it's for yourself. If a guy can't see that you're perfect the way you are, then he doesn't deserve you. Just don't be so picky with looks. Think of guys as a packet of oreos. At the end of the day, you don't really pay attention to the packaging except to identify that they are indeed oreos, packaging which ends up in the bin anyway. And guys crumble easily just like oreos. And oreos are made to be licked ;) Just don't twist us beforehand.

Guys...just take a chance. If there's a girl that you like, let her know. Don't just hint at it; while she may get the hints, unless she replies, there'll be that doubt in your mind that she might juts be ignoring your hints and thus doesn't like you. Just outright tell her. If she likes you too, well, congratulations. If she doesn't, just be her friend. She might change her mind, she might not. But if she's that awesome that you like her, friends is better than nothing.

Ladies...if you like a guy, tell him. Hints are useless. They aren't definitive, solid. Who knows, you might just be flirting. Yes. We really are so thick that we need you to lay it out for us. Much obliged. Much of what I said above for guys applies equally as much to you. If a guy likes you, and all he's doing is hinting at it (against my advice), actually reply. Not with more hints, but an actual yes/no kind of reply. Otherwise we just have this hope and it slowly eats away at us.

Guys...never go out with a girl who's friends with the one you like, just so you can spend more time with her. It's unfair to the girl that you're essentially using, and the girl that you like will probably assume that, even if you once liked her, you no longer do anymore. It's basically shooting yourself in the foot; a retarded idea in theory, and even worse in practice. If you date a girl, make sure it's because you actually like her, not because you like her friend/s.

Okay, I need to go to Uni now to study/Anime Club marathon + free Subway. Hmm.

ISL

Holidays so far

I didn't do any work today. I was supposed to. Going to Monash tomorrow to knuckle down and get some hard study done. Hopefully. Why does Anime Club Marathon have to be on tomorrow too? =="

Finished HAWX campaign on normal difficulty, now going through it again on Hard. Level 19 at the moment; need to level up faster so I can unlock better stuff. Anyone feel like giving me a legit CD key for it so I can play online? :D

Did a couple of Russian missions in Men of War. Was doing the Sevastapool siege one, and just as we get ordered to retreat to the second line of defence and the game starts autosaving, laptop freezes. FUCKING FUCKING FUCK. So now I have to restart the whole goddamn mission. Fucking hell.

Oh, and my laptop overheated overnight. When I woke up this morning, it wouldn't start up. I nearly shit myself. One of the panels on the underside of the laptop was all white and wierd. Nearly shit myself again. Took out the battery, replugged in the power cord, it was all good. Fuck me, never again. Well. Until tonight, that is. Need to download Season 2 of Merlin...and I should get around to downloading Big Bang Theory some time soon as well =/

I need CS. Steam-legit.

Followers

So, today, I doubled the number of blogs that I'm following! Yes, it increased from 3 to 6. Not much of an improvement in real terms, but I feel like I'm making a difference! ^_^ I mean, it's really quite inspiring to see that there are real live people who are following your blog! So I thought I might give some others that satisfaction too :)

In other news, I'm learning how to play LoL. Since it's free to play, and I actually know several other people actively playing, I'm really rather encouraged in my efforts to learn the game. xD How good I am is another matter entirely...

I have not done any homework yet. Well, okay, I did my MasterBio module 6 (24/25...0.4% of my semester grade lost in that single question wrong ><), but that's like, piddly.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is shit. Like, dedicated server ping is horrible, worse than Modern Warfare 2 with it's LACK of dedicated servers. And the graphics are so resource intense that it compounds the lag, makes the gaming experience completely and utterly useless. Unplayable. Definitely not on my shopping list.

On that note, ATI sucks balls. As does ASUS. This laptop is a piece of shit. Stop freezing. Seriously. Three times in two hours is just piss poor.

Easter

Alright, so, picture this. It's 7pm, I'm mowing the front lawn. As I hack away the grass, a small figure seems to appear. It's a mouse. It's dead. I've run it over with a lawnmower.

I slept from 3am till 2pm today. When I woke up, I was still tired.

Level 5 now in LoL. Laptop froze right when we were defending enemy push, and I was carrying the team. Nifty function of LoL lets players reconnect when they disconnect, so I logged back in just in time to see us lose. Fucking hell. I actually hate this laptop.
Battlefield Bad Company 2 also lags like shit when I play online. Fastest servers still give me 280 ping, and the lowest graphics setting still overworks my shitty ATI graphics card. Fuck my laptop.

LANP yesterday at Hungy's was pretty good, all things considered. After 4 hours, we still hadn't lanned anything, but then Minh, Dehan, Hungy and I played a few games of Men of War. Played some LoL, HAWX now works on my laptop...CoD2 didn't work.

Easter and all that. Doesn't seem to commercialised this year, but maybe I just haven't been watching enough television.

Things to do: HSY essay, INT essay, BIO essay, MasteringBio, Chemistry Blackboard test, Biology revision test, INT reading, HSY reading

Linh

Thank you for being such a, you know, prompt replier to all my emails and messages and shit. Fuck you. All I've ever done is tell you the truth, pure and simple. And all you've done had to reward that is with lies and treachery, or just downright silence. I no longer care about what you do or what you think. If you honestly believe fucking up your life is the best thing you can do, go ahead. I think I might just sit back and enjoy this particular car accident, when it happens.

I can't believe I wasted three years of my life pining for you. And for what. Heartache and bad memories and bitter outlooks? I was a fool. A gullible innocent lovestruck fool.

Anyway, I've deleted you from Facebook. If you do ever want to talk to me, and if I'm stupid enough to listen, email me.

Someone who reads this, let Linh know.

Fucking hell.

You know, I'm actually lost now. I mean, I liked this girl for the majority of my high school life. And now...I have nothing. Just this emptiness. So, like, if you're female, and I happen to make a pass at you in the coming days/weeks/months...blame Linh.

Probably will be more to come, as I think of it. Really need to just get this shit out of my system.

What have I been up to lately...

Well, I reinstalled Empire Total War last night. And stayed up till 5am playing it. British (my favourite) :) Tried to stay away from war with the French, but eventually got dragged into one by (of all people) Sweden. Defeated France, now at war with Denmark (all they have left is Iceland). Income just topped 30k per turn, with about 65% of that coming from taxes, 35% from trade. Four schools, so teching up pretty quick. Half the Carribean is under my control, as is Texas, and Louisiana. Took the Inuits and Newfoundland as well, should be moving against the United States soon (they have one region; formed when France disintegrated). Looking to expand operations out into India (Mysore should be easy pickings) within the next 5-10 turns.

The reason I'm playing again? I just finished reading three books from the Alain Lausard series by Richard Howard, set during the Napoleonic Wars, following a single squadron of dragoons within the Grande Armee. (Yes, I know there should be an accent on the first e. So sue me.)

Also been playing Runescape a fair bit. Went from 200k to 1.5 mill in a week, playing part-time, without even spending all my time smithing steel bars...went and fished 700 trout and 500 salmon for fun. Finally broke 1500 skill levels.

Just finished MasteringBio week 5, 25/25 again. I did get one of the practice questions wrong...bloody confusing genetics. It's really not that complicated, but the way they set everything out and then repeat questions endlessly is just annoying.

Should be getting a Bio prac report and an International Studies assignment back this week. Hopefully I went well!

Easter's coming. Seems less commercialised this year...or maybe I'm just not watching enough television.

My own little salute

Okay, so, you know how people have their own little distinct way of greeting/farewelling people...I've finally got my own.

Greeting: Right hand outstretched in front of body. Exact height placement depends on excitement at seeing person being greeted.
OR
The 'sup' headnod. Sharp jerk of head upwards by a few degrees, then slower lowering to neutral state.

Farewell: Right hand wave, fingers outstretched. Chest height.
OR
Right hand outstretched, palm facing inwards, middle finger touching right eyebrow.

The final gesture as the greatest significance for me personally. Similar in many respects to a military salute, not only does it display that my right hand is unarmed and thus unable to provoke aggressive action on the person being farewelled, but the palm of my right hand partially covers my right eye, blocking vision in my one good eye (as my left eye is lazy/shortsighted/something).

Things...

...are better. Stablising. Improving. There's hope. Maybe just a flicker, right now, but even the barest spark can start a bushfire. Branching out, but at the same time consolidating. Outcast, yet accepted.

Oddly, I've also been doing better in Modern Warfare 2 lately. Perhaps the two are linked? Is my better mood leading to better gaming prowess, or is my good scores leading to a better mood? This, I must ponder...

10 'oh shit' moments (for him)

1. When you're flirting with a girl and her boyfriend shows up.
2. When you wake up after sex, and your ass hurts.
3. When the girl you're making out with has an Adam's apple.
4. When you have sex with a girl, and find out she's your cousin.
5. When anything breaks.
6. When someone sticks Semtex to your riot shield.
7. When it's a trap!
8. When you ejaculate with your pants still on.
9. When you find out your girlfriend has a husband.
10. When you wake up naked, the girl next to you is naked, and your girlfriend is standing above you.

10 moments to rage (Modern Warfare 2)

1. You've just hit a 25 kill streak, and before you can hit '6' to activate nuke, your computer BSODs.
2. When you get claymored.
3. When you're spawncamped.
4. When you lose.
5. When you get knifed.
6. When you get tubed.
7. When you get camped.
8. When there's a hacker, who loudly proclaims his 'skill'.
9. When you die, respawn, then the guy that killed you first time marathons past and kills you again.
10. When you're defusing the bomb, and get killed, because your team is all camping on the other side of the map for some fucked up reason.

10 things I hate about binary

1. People understand it.
2. People don't understand it.

10 awkward moments (for him)

1. When she says she's pregnant.
2. When she says she loves you.
3. When you wake up in bed, naked, and there's a guy with you.
4. When you wake up, and people are standing around staring down at you.
5. When introducing two female friends to each other.
6. When the girl you're with starts chatting to friends you don't know.
7. When someone catches you jacking off.
8. The morning after sex/party/lan session.
9. When you walk in on people having sex.
10. When you're chatting up a hot chick you've met previously, and she doesn't remember you.

10 things that I hate

1. I hate it when the bus/tram/train is early, and you're late.
2. I hate it when the bus/tram/train is late, and you're early.
3. I hate it when the pearls in your milk tea clump together.
4. I hate it when I'm wrong.
5. I hate it when you're right.
6. I hate it when people "TaLK lYk dIs".
7. I hate it when people don't give up their seats on public transport to those who need them.
8. I hate it when people wear hats indoors.
9. I hate it when people say 10, but only give 9.

Ten types of people that I hate

1. People that put their feet on seats on public transport. I hope your feet fall off and then you have to walk around on stumps.
2. People of the Gothic subculture, with all the dark clothes and dark hair and eyeliner. Wierdos.
3. Greenies. Because honestly, those nutcases couldn't save themselves, let alone the entire environment. And they're also biased and unable to use any science/facts at all.
4. Email spammers. Seriously, get the fuck out of my junk inbox.
5. Ignorant retards who are proud of it. Really. Why are you proud of your stupidity? Especially when it comes to history or politics or military affairs. Go read a book or something. Or a newspaper. Or a self-diagnosis kit.
6. People who don't seed. I need faster downloads.
7. Noobs who camp in corners with a shotgun, getting like three kills and fifteen deaths a game. Seriously, not only does it piss off the few people you do actually kill, you're fucking retarded.
8. People who flirt even when they're already attached. Like, seriously, people like you don't deserve to breed.
9. Hackers. Like, fuck off and let the rest of us play a decent game. Not only do you completely lack any gaming skill at all, it also ruins the experience for everyone else.
10. Marathon + Lightweight + Commando retards. Yes, I know, I used that kit too. But only on Scrapyard, where it's actually useful. And I did cap points in Domination. If you're going to use it on like, Estate or something, you deserve to get tubed.

First day of uni

Well, what a day! First, I had to wake up at 6:30am. 6.5 hours sleep, not minusing all the time I spent tossing and turning. Saw Lina, Judy and Xinchin at Box Hill bus station, took the same bus out to Clayton.

First lecture: Biology 1011, South 1 Lecture hall, 8am-9am
Dude, this thing was PACKED. And for an 8am start, that's pretty damn impressive. I'd say...at least 400 people in there, with only the seats up the very back kinda empty. Just basic introduction stuff, nothing major.
People in this lecture: Judy, Lina

9am-10am
Lina's friend used her ID card to get us into the Advanced Science commonroom, for all the Science Honours students. They have poker chips, cards, and an automatic card shuffler in there! Plus computers and a fridge and a microwave and other amenities. Awesome place. Too bad guests are pretty much banned from doing ANYTHING. Got paper (The Australian is the ONLY way to go :)) and went to HAL for a while.

Second lecture: Chemistry 1011, Lecture room S5, 10am-11am
Same again, another full house. People were actually kind of awake now, but still just introduction stuff. Looks like there'll be quite a bit of physics coming up though...damn.
People in this lecture: Judy, Lina, Waruna, Payal

11am-2:30pm
Met the person selling me my Bio textbook, then went to bookshop to get my INT1010 book. God, that place was PACKED. Somehow managed to run into Fei and Danielle though :) Then went and sat on the lawn with them and another guy for a while. Got the bus to Box Hill for otho appointment. Bastards doublebooked my timeslot, so I didn't get in till 1:15. Took the 1:45 bus back to Monash, got to my Bio lab 30 minutes late. :( Damn it.

First laboratory: Biology 1011, Laboratory G04, 2:30pm-3:50pm
More introduction stuff, plus a very useful presentation from the learning unit staff. Since Aaron didn't save me a bloody spot, I'm now stuck with randoms as my lab group. Also saw Ivana at the very end, which was a very pleasant surprise! Haven't seen her since primary school, in fact. Finished early, so they let us out.
People in this lab: Aaron, Ivana

All in all, a good start to the year. Looks like the workload is going to pick up very quickly, but until then, going to enjoy it while I can :)

edit: I also found out that it's possible to fail Chemistry with a 89% overall mark. Labs count for 20%, but MUST be passed. Gay.

doubleedit: Which essay topic should I do?
3. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the application of biological control for arthropod pests.
8. Discuss the comparative evolutionary costs and benefits of parthenogenesis versus sexual reproduction.

What I want most...

What I want most out of the next big first-person shooter is a realistic reload system.

In Counterstrike and Call of Duty, whenever you reload, the remaining bullets in your current clip get automatically recycled back into your total ammo count, so that your magazines always come in full and ready. In Battlefield, whenever you reload, the remaining bullets in your current clip are automatically discarded.

But what should REALLY happen is a mix of the two. Whenever you reload with bullets remaining in your magazine, that magazine should be kept for later use, when you run out of full magazines. Then when you load that particular used magazine, it should have the number of bullets you left it with. Realistic, yes? And to make it even more realistic, occassionaly when you reload, you might accidentally mix up a fresh and a used magazine, so you might expect to pop out with 30 rounds, only to find your gun running dry after three.

Suicide

I hate it when I argue with my mother. The aftermath is enjoyable, though. I always dream of killing myself, just to spite her. The only reason I don't is because I wouldn't be around to see her reaction afterwards. How she'd feel when her firstborn killed himself...18 years of effort and dedication, gone, because of her. It'd be delicious to watch.

Do you ever get the urge...

Do you ever get that urge to shoot someone in the head with something high calibre, just to see their head explode? How about finding something really cute, and then stabbing it in the face? Or burning something really valuble, watching it go up in ashes. How about telling someone how you really feel, just to see how things will turn out? Strange, what we humans will do for love...I mean, I'd do the last thing up above, but I'd never do the first three. But they're all just as potentially self-destructive.

I keep telling myself that I should stop caring about girls, that none of it matters, that nothing'll happen anyway. But then there's this part of me that notices, that cares, what wants, that desires, that needs, that yearns for what it cannot have. And so every time that girl logs on, my heart skips a beat, my emotions spasm, and I fall over myself (electronically) to go talk to her.

We are human because we love. But love can dehumanise us. Why, then, should I subject myself to the whims of the Fates, when I can end things so much simpler?
Because I am human, there exists no other path. I cannot transcend my Earthly presence. And so, for here unto eternity, I am doomed to cherish but to never have, love but to never hold. The blessing of Life, but the the curse of Love.