OK, so the blog-skin update hasn't happened YET, but I'm working on that little detail.

In the meantime, check out the following URLs:

1. Wikipedia's description of Trouble Windows

2. Trouble Windows Translations

3. Now, if the above manga was made into an anime....^_^;;

...and you'll understand what's currently interesting me at the moment. Since I've got Windows XP, guess which OS-tan (OS girl) I've got? ^_^;;

Anyway, that blog skin change WILL happen - once I figure out the code, that is.

EDIT: Well, you obviously noticed the background. That's due to the Blogskin code I got. Credits go to Anissa and her friend RiverWanderer.

Nice phoenix there, you two. I owe you one.

Now to get on with the rest of the blog-skin code.

Yesterday was great. We went to Hulu Langat, in the thick of Selangor. Lots of trees, and not a single petrol station in sight.

Why, you might ask?

Because our Uncle Jaafar had invited us (my family and a few friends) over to his HUGE fruit orchard (7 acres of fruit trees, according to my parents) for a fruit-fest. And to sweeten the deal, just after we had brunch (around 10:30 a.m. Malaysian time), he pointed out the river just a few metres away from his house, and we wasted no time in changing our clothes and going for a dip in its cooling waters.

Or LONG soak, in my case. Along with my first brother, his girlfriend, and a friend of mine, whose name will be withheld for the moment...^_^;;

Oh, and don't forget my 2 younger brothers. Busy fishing, and getting their feet wet, although the aforementioned people above gave them quite a soaking! Heh heh.

Also of note was the heart-shaped durian that we picked off from the trees on the other side of the river. It really looked like a Valentine's heart. Quite odd, indeed.

But notably, the orchard itself was immense. Lots of fruits. Just great.

In fact, we even brought some home, especially the lemons. They're good for lemonade, and seasoning for some dishes, too...yum!

Also, later that night, we celebrated Father's Day at a restaurant a few kilometres away from Bukit Jalil, and that's when Mimi (yes, that's my earlier friend there) and I gave Dad the presents we had decided to buy for him.

He was quite happy, I must say. And I'm glad that he was. He's the best father anyone could have.

Thanks, Papa.

Creamed. BADLY.

Round One went to the FYP Assessor. Must not lose the last round next time.

But at least the assessor was kind enough to point out my misses. Mr Nolan (nolan AT apiit DOT edu DOT my), I owe you one. Thanks a lot.

Now at least I have some idea on how to hone my aim. Need to do a lot of interviews, and more research. Anyone know of any successful game developers I could talk to?

Elsewhere in the world, our old friend Raed is having trouble in Iraq. Life after Saddam is STILL no cakewalk.

Sometimes, I wonder how I manage to paint myself into these corners....

1. One GUIW Project.
2. One OT Final Exam.
3. One Final Year Project Midpoint Meeting.

And my moonlighting as a part-time businessman.

Heh. Guess it's proof that I need to mature a bit more quickly than I normally do.

Some of you might be wondering whether I happen to have a few girl-friends around or not. Well, most of them are normally just friends. Never had a romantic relationship in my life for real, although I've had something that felt like one.

Both sweet and bitter at the same time. I would've wished for us to be together, but there are many twists and turns in any love story, and mine ended a bit abruptly. Sort of.

But whether I can find love again is entirely up to me. I mean, a few online romances are a good start.

Getting back to the real world, I'm busy on a certain Java project, and I could use some specifications on MIDI. Musical notes never appealed to me; I normally play by ear.

Well, does anyone have a clue?

EDIT: Forgot to add my current music....and a new link to the Frequently Accessed Zones. Check it out there, or in the Current Music entry.

Current Music: Rush 'n Attack - OverClocked Remix (original composition from OverClocked Remixes)

We picked up on an old friend.

Nasyrah, a.k.a. Narusegawa Naru.

A-hem, in case you were wondering, a pseudonym's in use here, but this girl shares the same initials, minus the STRONG punch the real one did.

Of course, if she was just as harsh as the real Naru, I'd be in Jupiter's orbit in 5 seconds flat...^_^;;

Anyway, I've got a lot of things to do. GUIW tutorials on one side, OT progress unknown, DIM assignment OWED (RATS!)...and don't forget that Final Year Project Midpoint Meeting...argh!

Maybe I SHOULD get a punch from NN here. A trip to Pluto would be great around now...^_^;;

Current Music: Obsession - (Seiken Densetsu 3 - Track 2-19, from the SPC set picked up from SNESMusic.org)

You need WinAmp 2 and the SNESAmp plug-in (plug-in's from the above site), or you could try WinAmp 5, though I'm not sure if the plug-in will work for that version. Good luck.

A few things occurred within the past few days. Here's a rundown:

1. While I was on holiday at home for 4 days (from 30-4-2004 to 4-5-2004), my Nigerian friend, Asa, fell ill. Fortunately, he managed to SMS me in his condition, saying that he had a fever and he couldn't move his legs. I returned to my apartment with my Mum and some medicine in tow, and found him much sicker than the SMS mentioned. After passing him some medicine, we managed to take him to a hospital far from my apartment.

And the diagnosis? Viral fever. And RM60 as consultation, gone.

My verdict? Another friend, who accompanied us to the hospital (and gave us directions there) said that it seemed like malaria, and was quite furious when the doctor mentioned that it was just viral fever. Actually, it wasn't just because of the diagnosis, but because of the prescription: Paracetamol VS my Dad's Ponstan. The latter is much more effective than the former, by the way. Also, the fact that her Medical Certificate was not made out for 3 days, but only for 1.

However, we took the other doctor's drugs, but we told Asa to only take the Vitamin C tablets from the other doc, and Ponstan from us. Thankfully, he recovered fully within 2 days. But his story does not end there.

2. On the morning of Friday, 7th May 2004, Asa LOCKED himself out of his own room by accident; he only realised that he did only after he took a shower.

So it was quite a joke to see him sitting on the couch, in a towel, waiting for help to come. I came to his rescue again. I called up APIIT (our college) and asked them if they could send for the back-up keys. They said that we'd have to wait a while. Called up a 24-hour locksmith, and ALMOST said "Yes, we need help," until I heard his RM60 price-tag.

Ouch.

So...an hour later (and a class gone for poor old Asa), APIIT 's emissary of hope came round, and unlocked the door.

Asa learnt TWO important things that day:

i. Always make a spare set of keys, and keep it someplace nearby JUST in case you lock yourself out of your room. Or anyplace else.

ii. Never put your cupboard too close to the door, ever. As it happened, Asa pushed the door back against his cupboard, inadvertantly locking the door in the process (push-button locks are a bit RISKY), and when he closed the door, voila! Instant humiliation.

I did feel sorry for the poor guy, but that second incident WAS avoidable. So, I got in a few cheap laughs while I was calling APIIT.

So, I hope this little lesson helps those who're about to end up in a similar fashion. Trust me on this.

GemWing's back, comrades. In truth, I never really lost her; it's just that I kept her presence deep down within my heart.

I guess that since she is a part of my personality, I can never truly lose her, UNLESS Fate decides to make me forget about her completely. I hope that never occurs, for I might be less than complete if I lose her.

Thinking about others is always a difficult task to perform, and thinking in two personalities is even TOUGHER.

Anyway, for the support that some people have shown during those trying times, I sincerely thank you all.

I'm not out of the woods though; there's still a lot to worry about. Wish me luck.

Oh, and on an unrelated note, Dhora's birthday is coming up soon, so do wish her a Happy Birthday. (and yes, Miss Dhora, many regards of the day to you, once it comes, I mean....^_^;;;)

Seems that since GemWing has lived without me for a brief amount of time, I now have to cope without her by my side. And all I had to do was merely isolate her for a brief moment.

Seems also that my desire for living has also diminished to a certain extent. It seems much more difficult to awaken my mind from the deadening pull of jadedness. And I've wasted too much time doing useless things; too much activity, not much PRODUCTIVITY.

GemWing's advice, counsel, and discipline are what I may need to stay focused, and SURVIVE. Assuming she returns in time.

Saviour-V falls to his knees, his head in his hands, as an alarm sounds out the following warning:

TIMER SET. MIND DETONATION WILL OCCUR ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2004.

As you will later observe, I have added a new link. The Castlevania Dungeon is where I've picked up my new music.

Planet Mega Man has been cutting albums off its site to conserve bandwidth.

And what about me, you might ask? Well, I'm a bit swamped with that Final Year Project, but I'm still alive to tell the tale. Hope I stay that way...^_^;;

Current Music: "Cross A Fear - Stage 2'" (Dracula X: The Rondo Of Blood - Track 05, Disc 1). This tune never made it to the Konami's SNES hit Super Castlevania V, a.k.a. Dracula's Kiss. Quite an interesting theme, this.

Age is one thing that keeps catching up to us. Unless we make the most of it, we are the ones who'll ultimately lose to it. So don't cherish your birthdays for too long; another year's just passed you by, and another one's just started.

That aside, my own birthday's coming up. I've gotten a few things prior to it though - a new Acer notebook and a 128 MB memory stick. Those items should help me immensely with my project work, and a few extra things on the side...^_^;;

Insya-Allah, things should improve a bit round here.

Oh, and if anyone's interested, I'll be 24 this March 7th. Well-wishes and presents are welcome, everything else, well....we'll see.

OK, gentlemen, if you will now direct your attention to the left-hand side of this blog, you will now see a set of links.

Miss Ayshy is going to get rather angry at me for stealing her code...

Saviour-V grins as he twirls a floppy disk on his right index finger...

...but I have my reasons. In other words, I haven't touched HTML in quite a while, but the nature of the Net allows me to pick off anything I lack. Knowledge is power, and there are many ways of acquiring it...^_^;;

And as you can tell, Blood Phoenixes are a rare lot. Rare in terms of blogging, and rarer still in the information that they may possess. You never know what you might obtain from them. But ask wisely, and your requests may be granted.

Current Music: "Our Blood Boils - VS Sigma 1st" (Rockman X7 Original Soundtrack - Track 18). Blame it on Nitro's pseudo-rock image...^_^;;

Still in Bukit Jalil at the moment. Trying hard to figure out Java from the lecturer's faulty code...^_^;;

And there's less than a week before that assignment, another one, and a Project Proposal Form, are all due.

Tough run, this. But, I've got to get through it, no matter what.

Current Music: "Code Crush", by Rina Aiuchi (Rockman X7 Theme Singles - Track 2). The intro to the Japanese version of Mega Man X7. Good music, not so good game, unfortunately....>_<;;;

The usual place for this tune, and MORE!

I have returned.

Previously, GemWing informed you all of my previous absence from this place.

In truth, each of us has a certain reason for living, but there are times when this reason (which later becomes a conviction over time) is shaken by its roots, which forces us to question it.

That is what occurred. Thankfully, the situation is more or less resolved, thank Allah.

Of course, I can't let my guard down; I'll have to increase my efforts to make this year a very good one.

To those who commented in my Tag-board, I sincerely thank you for the encouragement. To the one who talked to me, your words were chosen wisely, and I thank you for them. To my parents, I hope Allah blesses you both, and I also hope that He will allow me to continue receiving your valuable lessons on life, whether specific or general.

To those that have previously doubted, scorned, or insulted me, directly or indirectly, I thank you. For your words may have a ring of truth to them, but even if they do not, at least I know how NOT to address your needs. If you meant well, may Allah bless you; if not, may Allah forgive you.

After all, we only have ONE life on this Earth, and there are no specific manuals on Life itself, so we just have to live our lives by the day, for today, for our future.

GemWing teleports in...

Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse Saviour-V for not showing up today.

At this very moment, he's trying to answer a few questions concerning his life, and his true reason for living. For the past few nights, he has been searching for that reason, by going online, but even I know that he may not find it.

He has confided to me that he is worried about losing his sanity, and in the process, me.

I'm worried about him. I hope that he remains intact.

For if he fails to realize that reason, he may not be able to continue life as effectively as he should.

Oh, and to Miss Dhora, although I'm a bit jealous of you and him, do find some time to counsel him. Perhaps that could help him.

GemWing teleports out...

Just about leaving APIIT's computer labs now. Want to know why?

This is why.

This will effectively remove 10 years off your life unless you know how to get out of the place.

Good luck!

Still intact after today's affairs. A bit loopy, but intact.

Sometimes, loopiness helps. Take the second post below this one, for example. You've got a call for awareness round there. A sort of wake-up call, for those willing to listen.

And sometimes loopiness can have NASTY results. The post just below this one is one such example. At that, you'd think I'd know better than to post on things like that.

But I think that both posts illustrate the parts of my humanity. What makes me human. In as much as I would like to be an equal to God himself, I realize that only He has the right to his position.

He created us with certain strengths and weaknesses, to allow us to understand ourselves before attempting to understand others and Him Himself (that's no typo, there). If he created us with full perfection, we would not learn much from that.

He created us to be human. Neither angels nor animals. However, depending on our actions, we may either be able to surpass His angels, or be MUCH WORSE than animals.

Although we humans have a tendency to disregard God for material science and proof, at the end of the day, we cannot run from the realization that He is always around. And yet, some of us still try, but these attempts are futile. For NO one can disregard the presence of God (regardless who you believe in), no matter how much we attempt to deny His existance.

Current Music: "Ciel's Memory _ Truth of Hero" (Rockman Zero: Remastered - Track 22). It's a drama track this time. Think of Rockman Zero as an anime this time.

Add-on to the previous post:

Check this link:

The Guardian's 2003 Blog Awards.

...and check out the entry on a certain Belle de Jour (CAUTION: EXPLICIT CONTENT!).

Everyone's got a story to tell, a standpoint of life seen best from a different / skewed point of view.

Because we humans are unique, and uniformity can be quite BORING...^_^;;

Current Music: "Spark and Shadow ~Power Plant Stage~" (Rockman X Arranged - Track 7). Not too bad on the relaxation factor, this.

Go here:

The Rockman / Mega Man Soundtrack Archive.

First round of lectures for today.

Developing Interactive Multimedia, by Mr. Sugumaran (I met him a long time back), and Object Technology, by Mr. K.T. Yew.

Mind seems to be strangely empty today. As if there's absolutely no feeling in me.

As if I'm a spectre, haunting the Earth, not fitting in with anyone, for they CANNOT see me.

Or it could be the fact that I didn't eat anything much for lunch.

In other news, I saw a HUGE crowd in front of the Bukit Jalil Stadium, around 7:35 a.m. At first, I thought it was for the Asian X-Games, which incidentally starts today, until I noticed the "Program Khidmat Negara" banners all over the place. Oh, and those banners were meant for Malaysia's National Service.

Obviously, a lot of people were going places, and fortunately (or unfortunately? You decide.) I wasn't.

Still, I wonder if I would've fared better in another place, instead of here in Malaysia.

Looking at some aspects, we've got a lot to do. And sometimes, we're not even sure if we can get everything done in time.

In other cases, religion has become an object of satire and hatred. I've been to a few places where religious issues are debated heavily to the extent that name-calling, threatening, and much worse, killing, occur.

And you don't really have to physically kill a person nowadays; stiffling his or her thought processes by abolishing conscious thought is almost commonplace. Plus, there are other ways, which may be beyond the scope of this discussion.

Which brings up one question: WHAT THE HECK IS HUMANITY DOING TO ITSELF?

They're destroying themselves, for lack of a better word.

Saviour-V wheels round to find GemWing, resplendent in all her finery...

And there are times we don't even realize it. GemWing, what do you think?

I'd say that we can only advise others against acting this way, even though we risk being hated by all parties involved in this NASTY mess.

There's a limit to advice, though...

And are you going to give up because no one will listen, Saviour-V?

I KNOW YOU'RE BETTER THAN THAT!!

Saviour-V is momentarily stunned for a moment, as GemWing continues...

You see, Saviour-V, the words of such people are merely the words of the minority that thinks it's the majority, when in true fact, they're only the minority of an even GREATER majority. There will be people who WILL listen; give humanity its time, and we'll make it, I'm sure.

I hope you're right, GemWing...

Saviour-V sighs exasperatedly...

...because we're practically exterminating ourselves if we allow that minority to pervail.

Remember WHY you're here, Saviour-V. You've got a mission that you must fulfill, and you WILL fulfill it, no matter what others say.

Then, it's up to me, and people like me, to ensure that it stays fulfilled, I believe.

Precisely.

GemWing winks at Saviour-V for a moment, before teleporting out...

There are times I wonder if all our efforts will be enough.

Just reviewing the previous two posts. Corrected them a bit.

And looking at the "Yu" Kanji (Chinese character) below, it reminds me of a true hero, strangely enough.

The Kanji for man, otoko, makes up the lower half of this character. That's the part starting from the "crossed window" and ending with the ka that makes up the bottom half.

The upper half reminds me of either a crest or halo, somewhat.

Now, does anyone here speak and write Japanese well enough? Do drop a comment with your knowledge on the whole Kanji, if you can. I'd really appreciate it.

Besides, I still have to learn a LOT of Japanese...^_^;;

Current Music: "Blazing Internet - Fire Man's Stage" (Mega Man: Network Transmission)

See the previous post below for the URL that leads to the MP3 archive where I found this.

Just got back from a quiz, and here's the result:


Heroic Courage: You are a very brave person who
puts others before yourself, believes in
helping those in need. People would consider
you noble and caring, and someone to always
count on.


Which Characteristic From the Samurai Code Matches You Best? (You may find out your best trait)
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmmm, I never knew. Unmei, ka? (Is it destiny?)

Current Music: "Legendary WWW Area - Pharoah Man's Stage" (Mega Man: Network Transmission)

It's located at the following URL: Rockman / Mega Man MP3 Archive.

And IMHO, it's got a bit of the old music I used to enjoy from Rockman 4...^_^;; Nice pseudo-Egyptian-techno feel, somewhat.