Still Being Random

So I went out and bought myself a new graphics card. Nothing too flashy. Just the NVidia 9800 GT. Pretty inexpensive at about RM569, I think. Only thing is it requires a bigger power supply as my current one is only running at 350 watts. The card needs at least a 550watts power supply. So I'll do that tomorrow.

I also got a 2Gb RAM so my pc is currently running on 3 Gigs of RAM and a 4Gb Kingston thumbdrive. It was pretty and I do need one to replace my old yellow mini fun thumbdrive which died on me last week. It was also on sale at RM69. The original price was RM119, if I'm not mistaken.

I did manage to test the new graphics card but didn't dare try it out for too long. I was worried about the power supply. But the weird psychedelic colours and strange Sims in black and white are not due to the card. I do believe now it's because of the missing data from the installation process. So I'll wait until my original copy arrives tomorrow and try it again.

Oh, I met Alvin and Jerome at Saberkas and when I told them about the Sims 3 I'm getting, Vinnie asked what language it was in. I told him that since it's an original, I could most likely find the language pack somewhere if it turns out to be in a Middle Eastern language and not English.

As of today, I have officially become a supporter of and contributor to Electronic Arts.

After much texting to my youngest sister in Dubai, she finally messaged me and said my mom bought me an original copy of The Sims 3. Even after I told her that I had bought a dubious copy already to test my system with. But since they've already got it for me, I guess I can now sign up at the website and download stuff. Yay! A perk!

As for my system, it works on my pc. However, I had an error message while installing it. One of the date files won't install so it crapped up my game. The game loads fast, plays well EXCEPT that I can't see the colours to some objects and my Sims are all either black and hite only. So I presume that's part of the data that went haywire.

However, just to be safe (and to stick to my tradition) I'm going to get a new graphics card tomorrow and then install the game on Tuesday when my parents get back from Dubai.

And then we'll see.

And, as a testament to her parents' obsession with games, Athena loves the Sims and keeps chuckling at the characters in the opening sequence.

I have been waiting for The Sims 3 since last year. Despite knowing how Americans write their dates, I was excited enough that I once got fooled by someone into thinking it was coming out in February instead of June.

I am serious enough about Sims that I am prepared to buy the original game. Not pirated, not copied. I figured since I love it so much, I should at least get one original version before I or it died. So I'm going to do just that.

And true to my tradition, I am going to upgrade my graphics card just for The Sims 3. Tomorrow.

I also (why, oh why?) downloaded a PDF of The Sims 3 Prima Guide. Why am I moaning? I am suddenly being reminded why I really, really want this version. Since I've completed by evil empire on Evil Genius, I can now make my own evil genius on Sims.

Either that or create a blonde, blue-eyed vegetarian cutie with a mean streak of evil in him/her.

How morbid is that!

ETA: I just saw this!!:It might be a bit small but you get the idea. I can create a kleptomaniac! Wow! I'd love to see that one at work.

When Shook came home for a break this last week, he showed me an episode from the show Deadliest Warrior. It was the Green Beret vs Spetsnaz episode. I found it very interesting. I'm not sure if they've ever had a face-off in real life but on the show, they did. This was episode 6. There has been about 9 or ten episodes so far. I've only watched the Green Berets episode and the Yakuza vs Mafia episode.

I don't know much about the Green Beret or the Spetsnaz but I do know about the Prohibition-era Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza. As far as I am concerned, this match-up makes more sense than a few of the others in the show. Mafia and Yakuza are very close in terms of purpose, methods and armament. They might differ in terms of refinement and profile but that's about it. So, for them to go head to head is acceptable even if I did find it very testosterone overloaded. I'm not sure if it was for dramatics or real but at one point in the show, the two younger members from both sides looked like they were about to go into an impromptu brawl right on the set. The older guys, being veterans of the 'game', held back. And I was impressed that both the older guys were real soldiers of their organisations. The mafia guy was the cousin to Joe Bonanno. All Mafia fans know Joe Bonanno - head of a Mafia family in the 1950s/60s, I think he was shot while at the barber's. The Yakuza guy was also a real member. They listed him as a Yakuza descendant who openly said it was a way of life for him and his family. His brother's in it, his son's in it. Notice how he used his brother's and not his brother was or is.

The only problem I had was the situations for some of the tests. One example was where they tested the Yakuza ceramic grenade against the Mafia Molotov cocktail. The ceramic grenade was tested in an open area with 3 dummies situated at varying distances form the grenade which is tied to a string. It is then triggered and the computer calculates the distances, affect and power. The grenade does what the Yakuza wants it to - basically injure, disorientate or confuse the people it is aimed at. Then, tested against this is the Mafia Molotov cocktail. However, the situation given is that it is thrown into a car with two dummies in it and then the effects are measured. Do you see my problem with this? One is in an open space while the other is in an enclosed space. The premises/aims of the two are not taken into account. Is it to cause fatal injuries, is it to just scare or is it merely to distract?

Then later, they test the short range weapons; the Mafia sawed-off shotgun against the Yakuza Walther P53, I think. I can't get my head around it. How do you test a shotgun against a handgun?! Granted I was very impressed with the Walther. The Yakuza guy (who was pretty hot, by the way!) let off one shot through the test skull's eye socket and the bullet blew the back of the skull off. The Mafia guy went in pointing his shotgun and blew half the test dummy's body off! Again, what was the point? As far as I am concerned, you want to get the job done but don't have any skilled shooters, yes, the shotgun works. You only need to aim at the body and the pellets do the rest. It's also noisy. You want low profile and finesse and skill, you go for the Walther.

Then they tested the Yakuza nunchakus against the Mafia baseball bat and the Yakuza Sai against the Mafia ice-pick.

After each test, the simulator expert will key the results into his computer and then run a simulator programme at the end of the show. The programme will show the events and the results of a face-off between the two sides.

I enjoy the show because I love to see how each weapon fare against each other. Then the simulation at the end is like watching a little fight which might/might not have happened. I'm just wondering what premises they use when they decide which warriors fight against each other. Is it like economics where all other matters remain constant or do environments and situations play a part? Some of it don't seem very fair or logical.

So far they've done Apache vs Gladiator, viking vs samurai, spartan vs ninja, pirate vs knight, maori warrior vs shaolin monk, William Wallace vs Shaka Zulu and IRA vs Taliban.

I don't understand half of the pairings. Like spartan vs ninja. It makes no sense. Ninjas are stealth while vikings depend on brute force and scare tactics. I would have paired the Vikings with the Pirates as they both depend on their vicious reputations to precede them as well as their seafaring skills. I would also have pitted the Apache against the ninja as they both use stealth, gladiator against the spartan and samurai against the knight.

But that's just me. However, I do enjoy the show. If you can, try to catch the show. But only if you're a history nut or a weapon freak or both.

I went to watch Terminator Salvation yesterday with Shook. I've been planning to watch it this holiday anyway so yesterday we took time out from Athena and went.

All I can say is that the fourth movie in any series tend to get to me. I used to watch movies a lot with my father so movies like Terminator, Predator and Rambo were the norm.

When I watched Rambo 4, I cried at the end. It is sad when you think about it. Worst if you watch them all continuously. John Rambo's only thought in the first Rambo was to go home. And he only reached home in the fourth movie which took place almost twenty years later.

Then you watch Terminator Salvation and you think about the first Terminator movie. Especially when Kyle Reese meets Sarah Connor for the first time and tells her what she is meant to do and the son they both create. Then you watch Salvation and there is the adult John Connor whose one thought is to save his father who is a teenaged Kyle Reese at that time. It kinda boggles the mind. Even without watching the Sarah Connor Chronicles on TV.

So following these movies like I do, it's no wonder I can get emotionally involved. Some people may not understand as they most likely don't think this genre of movies can evoke any real emotions. But if you pay attention and you give them a chance, these movies make more sense and have a better storyline than a lot of dramas out there.

One thing has been bothering me the past few days. Well, I read about it last week and have not seen anything else about it. I hope this means that someone has been shown the error of his statement and has been asked to be realistic about it.

For years now, we have nicely called the Mat Rempits as Mat Rempits. Basically, they are motorcyclists who race illegally on the streets usually at night. At first, I admit, they were impressive and fun to watch. Then, like all youths or very immatured people, they got big-headed and started showing off. They also got dangerous.

Generally, if they are only dangerous to themselves and killing each other, I won't give a rat's ass what happens to them. Less stupid people on the road, as far as I am concern. But, what they did was get dangerous for all road users.

Imagine this scenario: You are driving at night, maybe to get home from work, maybe to meet up with friends, maybe even just out for a drive with your family. Then you hear loud vrooming noises. Suddenly, some youths on motorcycles, a few with pillion riders, come zooming by. They're not moving in order. In fact, they are zigzagging in front of you, behind you while yelling out, probably making obscene gestures. Some of them are not even sitting in their seats; some are lying on them! You dare not swerve out of their way because they are everywhere. You evade one and you might run into another. You might consider honking them to warn them or remind them you are there, but they might take it the wrong way and gang up on you. Even worst, if you're a girl driving alone or even a few girls in the car, you definitely don't want to attract their attention. You'll be lucky if all they do is smash up your car and beat you up. Imagine being terrified for your safety, for your family's lives. Imagine having grown up watching about Hell's Angels in an American movie and this looks like one of the scenes. Imagine realising how this seems like a nightmare you cannot wake up from.

Then imagine people telling you that Mat Rempits are the good guys. That they should not be called street gangsters. That they should be renamed Mat Cemerlangs. That funds should be allocated to their well-being and enjoyment; funds which could be used in education, rural development and social welfare. Imagine how such acts of terror should be condoned and applauded and immortalised in movies. Imagine all the accolades for the illegal street racers, who are a menace and a danger to society, coming from people who are surrounded by bodyguards, who never drive on the roads themselves, who never look up to see the dangers their drivers need to drive through for them, who never experienced being on the road at night and in danger of meeting these gangs of motorcyclists.

Imagine all that and see how you feel about these people. See whether you sympathise with the police who have to tolerate the people who make the accolades as well as face the terrors on the streets. See whether you don't feel that something is wrong here and that something realistic has to be done.

See if, just this once, the police might actually be right and the lawmakers might just actually be wrong.

P.S: One rumour I've heard is that these Mat Rempits usually bet on their pillion riders, who tend to be female. In the 1950s ( and maybe even now), street racers in America used to race for pink slips (ownership of the cars). But in Malaysia, Mat Rempits race for the right to have sex with the female pillion riders. Rather hypocritical to think of them as the good guys then, isn't it? Yes, very Cemerlang they are.