Kilo to Giga

There was a time not so long ago when I was introduced to anime and I was very quickly addicted to it. 

I would wake up super early to catch Pokemon and Dragonball Z on Cheeze TV.  I had to get my anime fix or else I went mental!

Love makes you mental.  My first anime crush, Shampoo from Ranma.

I went and saw every anime at our local video store (all four of them).  After I finished that I drove to a video store 15kms away.  After I finished that I drove to ANOTHER video store 30kms away.

I was hooked (I wonder why...) and I knew I had some sort of problem.

I tried to help myself by meeting with some like-minded folks.  I went to UWA on Fridays and Curtin on Saturdays to satiate my cravings for anime.  

But I think that just made it worse.

Thankfully, through them,  I did learn about the Internet and how it can endlessly supply me with all the Japanese animation I'd  ever need.

My dad wasn't so impressed.

Imagine downloading seven 120M episodes simultaneuosly....   

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on a 56.6k modem.

Yes that's right.  

I took over the phone line for days and weeks and was racking up huge phone bills because I had the modem on auto-reconnect when it timed out.  

Every time it re-connects it clicks 25 cents. On average it will time out about 15 times at night.  Multiply that my how many days in phone bill cycle.  

Hmm... now that I think about it, maybe I did go a bit too far.

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Download quota. 

That's a word that haunts me frequently.  

Last Sunday, I left the computer on for three hours and I downloaded the remaining 4Gigs of my May quota.  

So not good.  

And being shaped back to modem speeds is humbling reminder of what life back in the dial-up modem days.

So like any spoiled 28yo-teenager, I applied for additional quota today  :P

They processed it so fast, I got a confirmation approval this afternoon - happy days!

When I was completing the forms, I did reflect on a few things.  

Two years ago 12Gb was WAAAY more than enough, 

Eight months ago 25Gb was more than enough.  

But who knows? Maybe I'll eat my words when I apply for a 200Gb account next year  (No thanks to YouTube and Steam).

YouTube is a constant source of politically incorrect entertainment

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I'm reading about the new broadband plan the government is undertaking. 

Construction starts around September this year and will initially support speeds of 100Mbytes/s.

Its really exciting stuff because theoretically, the national broadband scheme can go faster than 1Gb/s!!  And that's a direct fibre optic connection to your house which means Internet speeds will not be affected by your distance to the exchange. 

Awesome to the max!!  K-Rudd gets extra brownie points for this.

(Not that kind of brownie!) 

How fast is 1Gb/s?  That's twice the speed of a USB(2.0) file transfer!

Or imagine downloading a Blue-ray movie or PlayStation3 game in under seven minutes?  

How about a DVD movie in less than 40 seconds?

Crazy insane!!!!  

With that kind of crazy transfer rates would you bother going to the video store and worry about  dirty or scratched DVDs (some people are just ferral!!) or returning the movie or getting mauled by the ugly black dog that's always tied next to entrance? 

Just download the movie already! (Legally of course!)

And with that kind of speed, I'd run out of my 200Gb quota in less than half an hour...

...which, I guess, is not so awesome.

Eve of being Ancient

Let me start this post with a question.

 

Which of these three is most appealing?

 

1) Novelty Rubber Chicken

2) 29-Year old version of me

3) half eaten ham and cheese croissants

 

If you found that selection rather weird, then you just got an insight of what goes inside my wonderful head.  

A universe filled with rubber chickens and ham and cheese croissant.

 

Now if you're patient enough to read to this part, then you might be patient enough to endure the rest of my rantings about turning a year older.

 

And no, this is not some flagrant post to tell people what I want for my birthday (*wink *wink). I wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

 

In a few weeks, I'll be coming to terms with turning 29. 

 

Its not so bad really.  Probably not as bad as having both digits change when you turn 30.

 

Nevertheless, for me, an age increment is an unavoidable reminder that I should be getting wiser (like Gandalf?) and more mature like... Parmesan cheese? Because when I was a kid, that was what separated 'us' kids and 'them' older folks.

 

But I don't feel I'm getting anywhere near being a Parmesan Gandalf.

 

And I MIGHT be in fact speedily going the opposite direction and clinging on to childish things like video games, my hentai animes and the green sausage pillow I cuddle to at night.

 

I guess what I'm really asking is, should something be happening when you turn a year older? Is there a milestone or height/weight requirement that needs to be satisfied before you can pass GO and collect $200?

 

Coz if there is, then someone forgot to send me the memo.

Alright.. waaaay too much Pepsi Max for me.

Car Envy

It seems like the financial crisis has not phased people at all!  

Everyone's buying new cars!  Its crazy stuff. 

Last week my brother bought a new car!  Then my brothers friend bought a new car.

And this week my dad's been jumping from one yard to another looking for his new set of wheels.

Owww how I envy them both!!

Maybe this new-car fever is contagious and I might catch it?

I wish.

*sigh*

But its an event long over due.  

My brother's 1995 Mitsubishi Lancer has clocked over 250,000kms and sounds like a chain smoker with a bad case of emphysema.  Its got chocolate and Coca-cola stains all over the tethered upholstery.  

And for some reason, the rear bumper hangs lopsided.  Oh yeah, and good luck getting it started during cold mornings.

My dad's car is even worse.  Its done over 300,000kms and reads 110km/hr when doing 70km/hr on the freeway.  And the lights are so dim!  Even on high beams, its just slightly  brighter than some cars with their park lights.

But I remember when we first got the 92 Toyota Corona, it was like a super luxury car coz it has power windows and central locking. Wooooow. Flaaashaaay.  

How times have changed. 

Maybe if my dad didn't use the Corona to haul mulch, maybe it would still be flaaashaay.  

And wouldn't smell so bad.

But even if I bad-mouth thesetwo cars, deep inside I really am quite attached to the rust-buckets.   So many memories, both good and bad.  

I can only be thankful that these cars have taken us to so many places safely and soundly.   They've done really well and its just a good time to move on.

Now...  if only dad will make an offer for that turbo-supercharged car...... *crosses fingers*

Geeks are People Too

We've finally finished watching Beauty and the Geek Season 4!

I really enjoyed watching this show.  I'm feeling a bit hollow now that I won't be seeing my geek friends anymore.   :(

Yes, that's right!  In the twelve or so episodes, I feel like I've connected with the geeks of this show!

Beauty and Geek is a reality TV show which pairs ten very smart but socially-defunct  guys with ten very attractive, but airhead-like young women.   

The social experiment hopes to make positive transformations of the contestants to more balanced individuals.

Jennifer the Cigar Model is quite familiar with balancing...

I've actually reviewed a previous season here.

Season Four's special twist was having a guy beauty and a girl geek!

Nicole and Metro Man Sam

I just love the show because I really do feel for the geeks.  

One of the geeks, Tony, is an Asian Biomedical Engineer. I was like - OMG its me!!!  

My girlfriend was laughing out loud when she saw him.  I think its her way of coping with the realisation that her boyfriend is a geek.   Then again, I did forewarn her that I'm a geek, trapped in a hunk's body.

In the show, I can very much relate to what makes the geeks happy,  their frustrations,  insecurities and weaknesses.  Like asking a girl to the prom or over analysing things or trying so hard and stuffing up in the end.  

And it just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when they triumph over their tribulations and inch one step closer to their goal of just being a normal guy.

But rather than bore you with episodic blow by blow and spoil the show, I'll instead share some interesting observations from the show.  

One of them is that geeks are very easy to go on power trips.  Sprinkle them with a little attention and suddenly they feel like the sun revolves around them.  

I recall a memory of my Year 7 camp.  The last night, we had a mini-disco and everyone was circling around me because I was the only guy dancing and I could do the running-man!  All eyes on me.  Imagine all that attention! 

I was glowing with pride.  I felt like I could conquer the world!  But it got to my head and for some bizarre reason, I was playing matchmaker the next day.  My dancing spectacle has apparently made me a Dr Phil.  

If I could only travel back in time and smack myself on the head.

Back to the show, my favourite moment was during the makeover episode.  

One of the geeks was going on about the price of their clothes.  Like me, the geeks were very price driven. Price over style they say.

"I can get six shirts for the same price" complains one of the geeks.  

The makeover girl returns with, 

"I dunno...   or just get one shirt and just look fabulous!"

And just like the geek, I was stunned by the simplicity and logic of the answer.  

There's so many other pearls of wisdom from the show.  But one that you should definitely take home is that if you really want to be something else, someone better, you just need to open your mind and do it.

Go the g33ks.

May Randoms

I'm loving this month of May.

I'm getting a very positive vibe with all the new things that's happening.

One of them things is getting my Krudd stimulus package :P  Happy days!  Nothings beats getting money for nothing!  

Needless to say, April was a shocking month for me.  Sickness crippled me and made work and home life very phlegmmy and miserable. 

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Food!!!

Salmon pasta @ Mulluloo Beach Hotel

Steamboat @ Shilla Korean BBQ

Pancakes @ Wild Fig

Totally loving the episodes of Masterchef.  I can't wait for an episode when someone cooks something and totally blows away the judges on how spectacular the dish with anime style reactions where they faint or fly or something hehehe.

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3Willings

1) Flo Rida feat Ne-yo - Be On You - Awesome song!! I remember playing it repeat five times. My favourite song atm.

2) Picross DS - This game is annoyingly mathematically ADDICTIVE! If you have a DS, this is a must!

3) Seoul Korean BBQ - Korean BBQ and steam boat!  I left this place looking 4 months pregnant! Just love wrapping Korean BBQ and lettuce and stuffing it in my mouth!