Bags packed, stuffs ready. Off to tekong I go, first thing tomorrow morning.
Will miss my family, friends, my stuffs. New challenges ahead, I come!

We tasted of a world unknown
Surely there must be something better …
Something forever …
- Lifehouse

cya… for now…

Currently Listening: O-Town- These are the Days

In the light of our current situation, the reality of war against Iraq is kinda looming above our heads. Reading from the papers, many had protested against that: millions in Europe and thousands in Malaysia, In Singapore? haiz! the protestors are even arrested and sent for questioning even before they can raise their plycards!

Well, many of course will go against the action of war, its kinda common sense. But think deeper and ask yourself, is that the only way out of this? will peace really too be achieved through this form of peace? Personally war, is not my cup of tea too, but if sacrifices have to be made, well so be it. But too there comes to the question: is it worth it? I leave this to rest here.

Mmm, wish myself luck on my enlistment on tuesday.. got one more day… monday to party.. *sigh* Hope I will be able to book out by the secondth week.. keke

Random thoughts: We may define peace as the absence of war, but without war, will there be peace?

Well, though I am not the fastest, but hey! I’ve finally completed it (in three days, one days for each race)
Here are my general comments and tips on the campaign:

China
Best ground tanks in the game, the dragon tank being my fav, Firewall is DAMN good for base defense and clearing out cities and mobs. Do not worry bout defacing the city or cause massive global warming with this baby. Inch your way thru a city bit by bit (press F to burn area, stop and move abit, burn ahead in unseen areas again) and you will be amazed what the fire will even get everytime. The dragon tank, though the best all rounder tank against the GLA is weak against large armor (esp US), thats when the overlord tank comes into play 5 tanks (two with speaker towers for healing, 3 with mounted gattling chaingun) can easily flatten anything in their path and provide cover for the dragons.

GLA
This race will really define cheep and good to you. The GLA is also the easiest campaign in the game, just stick to the rule- mass technical and scorpion tanks, nothing will ever go wrong, add a few quad cannons into the mob against anti-air if needed and you can be called invincible if used properly. Ask me how I find out about this, and I can tell you “I dunno” LOL! – not being a fathead, but I just have this natural feel that this are the best and I did it, without much of a hinch too. Frankly speaking, to those people who always tech-rush, the GLA is a race not built for that- ignore the fancy scuds, marauder tanks etc… they are kinda slow wasteful to fit into the GLA’s main adavantage- hit&run (you can’t expect to win in a head on attack against US and China with this race) soo stick to that rule of thumb and you will be safe.. untill … well I can say.. till EA decides to tweak the game… Oh yea and lastly, don’t under-estimate the power of the angry mob, just give them those shiny AKs and they ARE very effective against tanks.

America
This race is one where everyone demoblises from the battle alive LOL! with medics, field repair bots.. etc- losing a unit may be hard!! Their tanks are all-rounder good with the good old “tank-rush” but heck, its expensive! the rush with the GLA technicals are even more fun! Also, they have the best air force in the game. Being a Commanche fan, personally its the best unit they have besides the long range Tomahawk tank. The sleath fighter is also so good, I completed the last USA campaign without even any ground units leaving my base!

All in hand, generals is indeed a nice game to have, firstly on the story- it reflects the current world situation against terror (don’t you ever wonder why US and China don’t go head to head in the campaigns?) Secondly, the graphics are really neat- far better than Warcarft3 in details. Though there are occansional visual bugs like units being able to “dig” into the ground and hanging technicals on the water canals, they are can be easily be fixed with patches. Lastly, being an old C&C boy myelf, I can say generals is really a very very easy game to play on normal, the standards of C&C are really dropping, not to mention the first old C&C campaign days, (now that IS TOUGH!)

Chaos and enjoy the game, hope you find this review useful. =)

Futuremark Corporation (formerly known as MadOnion.com had released the long awaited 3Dmark03! Get it here
Important New Features of 3DMark03

Full support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0
DirectX Vertex Shaders, including v2.0
3D Sound Test
CPU Test
Next Generation Lightning Model
Advanced Normal Mapping
Procedural and Volumetric Texturing
Real Time Physics
Frame Based Rendering Option
Advanced Image Quality Test Tool
Advanced Online Functionalities
Texture Filtering Test

Woot!

Not a bad game I say, starting the campaign missions, hope can finish it by the week.. lol!
*Carrys on playing game*

Wishing all muslims out there a very happy Hari Raya Haji tomorrow.

Yea, there will always come a time in Singapore where there guys kinda “leave” society for national service. My time is almost here, 18th February to be excat for basic miliary training (school 1) at tekong. And hey, many things are really happening and everyone is really kinda all out for me.. (literally) before I go. Its gonna be a very busy week.

Mon- Another Yu-sheng dinner with sec sch friends, outing later.
Tues- Collect C&C generals, lunch appointment with my mum.
Wed- Another class outing with my sec sch class.
Thurs- Movie and dinner treat with my cous.
Fri- Shopping, Dinner outing with my family.
Sat- Visit and help out at granny’s, lunch there.
Sun- Hopefully some rest and prepare myself mentally for NS.

And I haven’t packed anything yet! arghh!
And whew! this list is still expandable at any moment with any phone call, sms, icq message, tipoff.. etc *sigh*

Mmm, on looking at the list, looks like what I am missing out are outings with my JC friends, but hey! most of my friends are already in army since January! *duh*

Mon’s Dinner, River hongbao update:
Jus came back and yea baby, getting together with old classmates- it’s always very fun. Lucas came back from from his studies in Los Angeles had a good time catching back old times with him. The yu-sheng dinner was good, and most importantly, enjoyable and fun not to mention the babbler mouths when during tossing time *LOL* funny! Had the usual amusement park rides there.. Lester always raring to go.. lol and PJ always can’t stop screaming… Lastly, Desmond was very helpful in reaching out to his inner-wiseness in recommending me a good guitar and what to look for in purchasing one, he really kept going and going and catching up with him is a feat! really appreciated that DES!

Currently Listening: Darius Danesh- Rushes

Here I am typing this post in a room filled with only a strong smell of pizza and nothing else, tried turing off the air-conditioning and ventilating the room but don’t seem to help, looks I gotta to sleep with it tonight.. grrr

Oh yea, why this? jus say a party jus happened in my room, my sis gotta use my computer (because its the only one in the house with powerpoint installed) to do her school project her friends like, 4 of them to be exact, came too. So jus say I was kinda “locked” outta my own room for the whole afternoon-evening. And say… its also one of the few times where I get to appreciate my neighbourhood’s garden, my older computers and cable TV at home.. lol substitutes…. My mum was as hospitable as usual- ordered a family pizza meal from Pizzahut for them and what? they even ate it in my room! argh!, the crumbs, the pepsi, the garlic bread.. *duh* but lucky the keyboard and mouse are not oily.. lol!

So what I did today and why did I miss all the home happenings? well, I went to Swee lee music store at Bras Basah. Saw a nice Fender which I am interested in purchasing, (squier series, most prob). They have a set going at $599, and my mum “kinda” agreed to pay half of it, whoopi! , gotta start saving!

And yes, the dinner with my old secondary school friends will be on tomorrow, hope to see you guys there!

Currently Listening: 98 Degrees- My Everything

My ADSL connection had been screwing up lately, dunno what singnet, my ISP is up to now, always experience sudden unresponsiveness to the network, even when I am still connected. Dumb dumb dumb.

Thoughts: Me hope to save enough money to buy a new fender electric guitar and amp soon…

Currently Listening: Britney Spears- Dont Let Me Be The Last To Know