working for that bragging right

whoever thought that putting "achievements" in games is a good idea? was xbox the 1st to start?

in the past, games only had perhaps 3 level of difficulties. easy normal hard. nowadays, on top of just beating the game, some of them have achievements (something like scout badges) where you do certain stuffs certain way in the game, you get a badge of sorts that tells you (or anyone who wants to know) that you have managed to "kill 14 soldiers with their own bullets".

some achievements are downright stupid. some are really challenging. I can understand that its a good way to make players go back to the game more and earn that bragging right. but for some of the perfectionists (with bad hand-eye coordination) this is almost going to be a scar in their gaming life.

"I rescued the princess but I didn't get ALL the 1-ups in the game. I doomed to fail in life!"

sure I'll be happy to try to get most of it. but if it requires anything more than "hold my breath for 10 minutes", then forget it. I can let that one slip. I don't need to "catch 'em all".

driven up the wall

went for the re-training for class 3 in ssdc woodlands, the multi storey driving centre that has a sheltered driving circuit.

have to take the course because of 3 indiscretions on the roads (not to mention a bunch of warnings), resulting in 24 demerits. why the course and what's it about?

because now that I'm liable for 12 weeks of suspension from driving class 3, I may choose to take this 1 day course to get "refreshed" on the road theories and practical. after the course, my suspension period MAY be reduced to 4 weeks. after which I have to conduct myself properly and not get 12 demerits for 12 months, twice (meaning a probation of 2 years of 12 points each), before I can have my suspension record wiped off and become 24/24 again.

the course covers some theories which is a bit like basic and final theory but heavily condensed and the emphasis is of course, the common traffic rules people flout. there's even a 20 MCQ test which is really easy for anyone with more than half a brain.

the practical driving is pointless but mandatory. I even told the instructor, all of us here not because we want to learn driving. but we are here because we broke the rules and were caught for them. to which he just smiled because he knows what I'm talking about.

I think the main punishment would be the inconvenience of it all. having 1 sunday burnt just to do this. at $75 too, on top of those fines already paid. not to mention serving that 4 weeks.

I have learnt my lesson. just don't know how to break this news to my employer aka father-in-law.

trust lost

22 days into the month, an sms with just "can re verify xxxx?". then came threats and saying that all blow jobs to be given out to relevant authorities.

what a dumbass.

what the flood?

water. rain. siao.

"eh I know I ordered this many but can bring back or not? rain leh."

lol. if everyone like that then I how? eat grass?

boogie robots!

and freeze gun, shrink ray, fart gun!

despicable me in the cathay, song fa bah kut teh along new bridge road, trip to jurong west. nice end to a rainy and sore-eye friday.

shooters!

although I consider myself a strategy games (real-time or turned-based alike) junkie, I would play the occasional shooter, if its hyped up enough.

of course I have played some of the famous ones like doom, quake, unreal, half life and by extension, counterstrike. my all time favs would be quake 3 and unreal tournament. the last completed one was borderlands and now playing half life 2 from the orange box package.

quarter way thru and so far its fun with the air boat to pump up adrenaline and mowing down zombies with the gravity gun etc.

but. I kinda missed the borderlands mindless fragging. the best part for me about these shooters is not the fantastic story which half life 1 and 2 have, but the fact that I can shoot enemies with an array of weapons even though its virtual.

of course I would finish up the game (and hence the story) not just for the sake but to really have a bit of zombie fun. while waiting for the terrans to arrive and frag zergs and protoss in the starcraft universe. yum!

am I on some sort of crack?

as in some sort of drug that is caffeinated? I haven't drank too much coffee today and yet I'm still up and about despite not sleeping much the last 2 days.

I wonder why and really hope I won't feel too sleepy this whole week.

and spain is the new world cup champs!

can't help feeling sad for the oranje tho because both side fought equally hard.

a match full of vicious tackles and fouls (as a result, more yellow cards than corners), and tons of missed chances, this game was watched by millions of fans and punters worldwide.

some to see which of them will finally dirty their hands on the cup. some others to see if paul was right (and he is! albeit in extra time). and the remaining just to soak in the once every 4 years sports fiesta.

and now back to sleeping properly. *yawn*

the worst birthday eve, ever!

1st the whole day clouds and rain dampened the outdoor plans. then, the dinner wasn't good and the usual safe favourite (satay) was relatively uncooked. please don't let us have late night toilet runs....

lastly, the albicelestes are kicked out of the world cup embarrassingly by the germans with not a single reply to the 4 goals.

but it's ok. messi & co will be back with a vengeance in brazil.

happy independence day america.

the cruel game that is called football

while parts of the world are still "shocked" by the brazilian exit from the world cup last night, the rest of the footballing world are more shocked at the hand of suarez that indirectly allowed uruguay to progress further in the tournament, setting up an odds-wise david vs goliath between holland and uruguay.

of course we all know that david was the victor in the story but will uruguay do what their "stronger" south american brethren couldn't? why didn't the referee award that goal anyway? why couldn't gyan suck it up and convert?

football, more drama than korean sobs.