Weekend Bouts

Today's weather has been great. It's a shame I've spent all day couped up inside, working on homework, gaming, and breathing the odd breath of fresh air through an open patio window/door. It's days like this that really make me want to put the breaks on everything and just go take a nap under a tree or something of that romantic fashion. Of course, that will be next to impossible with my huge load of homework and my PJ's still on. (heaves a big sigh) A few more months and I'll be free from school. Then I can... well, then I can not go to school. Until then, I'll just have to watch the kids play outside in a non-pedophillic kind of way.

Disturbingly Cool

I've had a PSP for awhile now. Most people don't believe me when I tell them that my dad was the one to want it first--I just have fun with it whenever he's not using it--but it's true.
Having played with it on and off for many months now, I think I can give a pretty good summary of the sweet package. My PSP is a white one which hails from Hong Kong. Before you write it off as a fake, I assure that it's the real deal. It's made in Japan and thus, has a Sharp screen (as opposed to the Samsung screens used in models made in China--that is, the ones available state-side). I remember it cost my dad about $150 CDN when he bought it a month or so after it was released here in NA.
My favourite part about the PSP is its screen. The screen's beautiful. It's sleek, wide where it counts, and views beautifully even from the side (I'm still talking about the screen you pervs). I remember having brought it to some event night at church and watching Advent Children on it while almost four children crowded around to join me. Everyone go a piece and no one go the dreaded side-glare that some devices (like the backlit GBA SP) give off. And all this is important, especially if you don't buy into Nintendo's BS that graphics don't matter, and if you plan on watching movies off your PSP. Really, if I'm going to shoot a zombie's head off, I want to see ALL the splatter effects you can conjure up.
Anyway, without going into any more detail, here are a few pics of my baby running Tekken and her pretty backside.


For the more... gadgetsexual ones out there, here's a pretty interesting picture I found on Kotaku the other day. I've been dying for a chance to post this.
NOTE: I think today I accidentally stumbled upon a second (that's right, a second) PSP in my dad's room. That's just like him to go buying electronics without anyone else knowing (I'm sure my mother would go nuts if she found out... He pulled this same stunt with GBA SPs too, which explains why I have two). But get this: this fabled second PSP is neither black nor white, it's silver. I'll sneak some shots of it the next time both my mom and dad are out. >_O

info @ the P.Pole 04.16.07

5 things I wish I could do better:

• sleep: I've started to run into some trouble falling and staying asleep at night, and I can't figure out why. Perhaps it has something to do with a lack of quietness in my head. I realize this may sound a bit out there, but I've got a lot of noise inside in the quietest settings--especially so when I'm lying awake at night.
• work: I'm not someone who generally works too hard or too little, but I do think I could stand to pay a bit more attention to what's going on. Some people think I enjoy the feeling of slacking off and finishing up stuff at the last minute but that's just the opposite of it all. I don't like to rush--who does?!
• kill: I've got a thing for driving the bird at the net when I clearly have the chance to kill it... I mean, when I get the chance to make the winning shot, I usually choke and manage to screw it up. Not only does this piss me off, this pisses off Henry (the Greatest Partner** I've ever had) too. Oh the woes of not being able to finish.
  
• move: Whether on or off the court, I'm pretty sluggish when it comes to moving or being moved. My parents will testify to this. Let's just say motivation isn't really something I... Oh you finish this sentence.
• conclude properly: Need I say any more?

**I played with a terrible doubles partner/player today. Playing with someone of this caliber really helps to put things into perspective. Like Henry playing with Dennis as his partner, I wanted my "normal" partner back so badly I almost refused to play with this other guy. It seems we always treasure something more after/while its gone rather than when we've actually got it. Henry, don't go anywhere. You complete me in a completely un-homosexual/literal way. And I'll leave it at that.

Opera Hates Me

There's been a lot of buzz about different web browsers (Firefox, IE, Opera, etc...) and after having checked what this page looks like from a friend's Opera install, I'm thoroughly disappointed. My precious time spent coding my pretty pretty sidebar menu seems to have been wasted as far as Opera users are concerned, since they don't render properly--I'm sure it's probably got to do with my coding rather than Opera's capabilities but nevertheless, boo.

Of course, they pan out perfectly from Firefox (if from nothing else--IE you're just as screwy too). After all, I did code it for Firefox.

I'm not too concerned about this issue, though, since, well, Opera users are few and far apart and I'm sure anyone using Opera would know to just, you know, look up the page source for all the linking goodness otherwise lost. Still, I wonder why there must always be such inconsistencies from one platform to another. Can't we all just play nice?

info @ the P.Pole 04.11.07

7 Firefox extensions I couldn't do without:

• Greasemonkey - Absolutely the most useful extension there is for Firefox, GM lets you download/install lines of codes (from sites like Userscripts.org), allowing for more control over Firefox and opening up a world of new possibilities. You can change the way (specific/all) pages are displayed, change the appearance of some sites (notably Gmail.com with Gmail Air), and say, insert Gmail's inline mp3 player beside mp3 links (with the aptly named Inline Google Player script). There are extensions for skinning Gmail but why install that when I can just use GM.
  
• Gmail Notifier - Being an avid Webmail fan (Gmail, I love you) and web goer, I have a need for something that keeps me up to date/ minute/ second (actually more like minute, as I've got it set to check once per minute... man I'm paranoid) with my mail. Gmail notifier's one of those extensions Firefox really should just come standard with. It's clean and simple, just customizable enough, and does its job well.
• Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer - As someone who is extremely neurotic and paranoid (just look at how many back-ups of back-ups of back-ups of... ad infinitum that I have), as well as someone who frequently switches from Vista to XP and back, as well as having a terrible memory for URL addresses, something like FMBS is a must have. Foxmarks lets you manage your bookmarks and back them up onto remote servers under your account name (passworded of course). When you make changes to your list, you can automatically (or manually) update those changes to make sure nothing is lost, as well as importing your lists from their servers onto other computers/partitions. Win win for the little schizo in you.
• Session Manager - In continuation of my back-up theme, here is an extension that records and remembers the state of your Firefox tabs open every X seconds (your call) so that, in the off chance you accidentally close FF or your computer crashes, you can simply restore your last session and continue working. It even saves the text entered in fields on sites (even though Greasemonkey also has a script for that). It's wonderful as I've a habit of closing stuff accidentally with the following extension (it's not the extension's fault though, I just don't think before I stroke).
• All-In-One Gestures - The basic premise surrounding mouse gestures is that you can perform repetitious and simple (or even very complicated if you're 1337) tasks by 1) holding down a key/ mouse button and 2) performing a "gesture" with the cursor (for example, I drag my mouse down while holding the right-mouse button to close my current tab). AIOG speeds up browsing (since I can, say, go back or forward a page by dragging left or right instead of going up to the history forward and back buttons) and improves control over navigation in Firefox in general (you can assign a gesture for a crap load of common or not so common tasks, making life much easier). I just hate it when I close my window (which I can do extremely quickly with a simple down-up drag) prematurely or when I go use a computer not mine/ IE and I find myself clicking and gesturing stuff without response. Honestly, almost makes me want to use another gesture.
• No Squint - As someone who does a load of reading of blogs and web pages, my eyes tend to get very strained and tired. No Squint is lovely since it allows me to set default zoom levels for text, as well as customized, page-specific zooms as I please. This means two things: 1) I can read stuff without having to reset the text zoom every time I go to a different page and 2) I can read a lot more (leading to a need for thicker and more robust glasses). The only I don't like about this extension is that pages don't exactly zoom perfectly sometimes, meaning the placement of images and whatnot can be pretty screwed up sometimes. That's not the extension's fault though... Just web designers.
• NoScript - This is pretty much the most standard extension for Firefox that I'd suggest to anyone who gives a damn about their security. What NoScript does is, as the name implies, javascript blocking. There are many sites out there that have malicious scripts that can do God-knows-what to your machine and so, if you're paranoid like me, you'll want to protect yourself from most sites/ untrusted sites. Of course, you can set a safe list of sites you do want to allow. The only problem with NoScript (or is it the page designer's fault for using javascript?!) is that some/ many pages will not display or function correctly without javascript, forcing you to choose between safety and access to whatever it is on that page you need to read/ see/ submit.

And that is that. As you can tell, I'm a definite Firefox fan. I've heard (from Herman) that Opera has something akin to Greasemonkey that allows for scripting by the user, but seeing as how I am neither 1337 enough for that or willing to learn how to script such stuff at the moment, Firefox will do. I'm also wary of trying out alternatives to Firefox (I've grown quite attached and fanboy-ish) so I doubt I'll be switching any time soon (not that I even see a need to).
Everyone, if you haven't already, download Firefox.

The Theory of Context

So today I've been writing my Theory of Knowledge IB paper on the topic line: "'Context is all' (Margaret Atwood) Does this mean that there is no such thing as truth?" It's been a fun... oh, eight hours of on and off working with some fragging mixed in. Seeing as how I essentially flunked my last ToK paper (68% or 17/25, and that's with my teacher being nice and not deducting 3 more points for mistreatment of topic), I'm not gunning to suck again (and I better not, seeing as how this essay is the huge final paper worth the bulk of my ToK mark).
I used a simple algebra geometry example to illustrate a counter argument to my position (that truth is completely contextual in nature) and Garry helped me out with the customary disassembly thereof (that is, me shooting it down, countering the counter). I'm thinking this piece is turning out pretty damned solid, but again, with philosophy, anything goes.
Speaking of math, it seems I work exceptionally well/diligently after failing at first. I already posted about how I blew a math quiz the other day and how that thoroughly upset me. Well, the latest math test I remember reviewing for in my head the night and morning before and I ended up doing very well on that. Plus, my mark actually went up with the crappy quiz, so maybe I ought to die on quizzes more often. Sure works towards keeping my head level, a task of mammoth proportions in itself.

Overdue Blackjack

I honestly had no idea. This does somewhat explain why I have a knack for trudging through Pride and Prejudice though...

Coach's Wine

Alright, so if you read about me getting a new pair of shoes (badminton shoes) over the weekend, you'll understand why I'm currently totally pissed (I believe the Chinese word is "mung as bloody hell") about my coach. You see, we were supposed to have a team practice today after school. Not only was it canceled, it was 15 minutes from the end of the day. I happened to be totally psyched to get to play today and try out my kicks. Because of Ms. Lam and _________ (whatever she thought took precedence over coaching a planned and regular practice for twenty or so people), I won't get this chance until tomorrow afternoon. Sure, it sounds selfish of me to expect the coach to actually be around for practices that she scheduled and whatnot, but hey, I thought it pretty frustrating to find out about the cancellation 15 minutes before we were supposed to start. Why not let everyone know in the morning along with the rest of the announcements?! At least I wouldn't have said to myself, "Alright, this class is boring, but at least I've got practice today to look forward to." Man, I sure whine a lot... But damn it, I wanted to play! I suppose this is what I get for... Wanting to practice?!
Anyway, I'll be swimming after dinner to blow off some energy and boredom. I sure hope hockey on Friday won't be canceled for any reason short of something tantamount to the Second Coming.

info @ the P.Pole 04.02.07

5 things I really don't like:

• wet socks: there's no arguing it, having soggy socks sucks, especially if you're someone like me who hates the feeling of moisture in such confined places as in my shoes
• when it rains into my coffee: I don't drink coffee often, but when I do, I'd rather not have it watered down with rain and the stuff coming out of your car
• being told what to do: it's not so much that I can't handle being given objectives or goals or tasks, I just hate being told how or when to achieve them or work
• reiteration: I hate having to say things more than once, especially when other people should have heard me or been listening the first time around; obviously this works the other way around too: I don't like asking for clarification either
• wet grass: damp or muddy grass results in a crappy game of Ultimate Frisbee since it's less springy (which is bad for players like me who rely on big take-offs) and more muddy (which is also bad for players like me who tend to sprint and cut a lot)

The UF season is almost here at Vic Park and I can't wait. Very soon we'll be tripping over ourselves in ecstasy as we partake in what ought to be one of the greatest games ever invented by human minds. I've been itching to play ever since it was warm enough for shorts. There's nothing like the feeling you get after leaping over 3 defenders and landing a left handed catch in the end zone for the winner. Makes me feel like driving a Lexus.

EDIT: This was the 444th post. w00t for superstitious Chinese numbers.

EDIT2: You can add people who walk on the wrong side of the sidewalk/ hallway as part of this list. Jerks.