Well I have had a decently busy playing with the RAID controller that arrived on Monday.
I indeed have run some IO meter tests with 1, 4, 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 outstanding I/O per second (IOs/IOps). I stayed with the 128k stripe for the ICH9R southbridges 'software' Intel Matrix RAID. For the 3ware 9650SE-2LP, I have tried 2 different stripe size (64k and 256k). I am somewhat disappointed with the lack of stripe size choices (only 16k, 64k, and 256k were available - WTF).
As expected, the ICH9R edges 3ware's 9650SE in HD Tune.
Here are 9650SE results for the 3ware 9650SE-2LP:
64kb Stripe
256k stripe
CPU usage is already lower for the two Hardware RAID results. Also, it would be worth noting that performance on the hardware RAID controller is a lot more consistent whereas the RAID via Intel's ICH9R tapers off.
I will be working on the various results for IOmeter. I can however say this, on high load (256 IOs), the software RAID controller (ICH9R) chewed up ~60% CPU utilization for one of the tests consistently (repeated). That is simply unacceptable under those conditions for any PC user. The RAID controller really shines in that aspect. By comparison, mundane apps like the built in calculator takes up way more than 1 IO (to give perspective on what kinda 'load' 1 IO is). Also, I snuck in a game test (loading a Crysis save file) and the RAID controller loaded it up nearly 2 seconds faster... :o
Stay tuned for graphs as I compile the data from 168 spreadsheets (automated results spit out by IOmeter).
This is really the first time that I am testing a Hard Drive / Controller. Before that it was just a simple run of HD Tach (which doesn't work in Vista - I have a BSOD to prove it too LOL) to see my godly RAID 0 speeds. My forte still probably remains in CPU/GPU/Cooling though.
In the process of researching what type of controller would be ideal for me, I have significantly read up a LOT on the intricacies of the workings of storage.
Initially, I set out to run some simple tests (low level tests using Winbench99, HD Tune, and a tad fancier IOmeter - of which I have never used).
Though I had to ditch some things (again, in the previous post), I think it is time to revise my methodology. Primarily this has to do with the (to me) uncharted domains of IOmeter.
I initially set to test out some results using both Sequential and Random Read and Writes (take a minute to digest - public service announcement) of two Transfer sizes which are 4KB and 512KB sizes. This is mainly to find some congruence with the currently established TechARP testing methodology (if I can have a better understanding and conjure a more 'thorough' test - I will - still a WIP) but at the same time, I threw in a different mix. I chose to use two levels by manipulating the number of Outstanding I/Os. Low level benchmarks (such as HD Tune and HD Tach) utilize a single I/O request and that doesn't really show all too much load. So I decided to run two versions of the test. One with 1 outstanding I/O and the second with the max number of outstanding I/O per second - 256 (which simulates a heavy load situation - the 3ware hardware RAID controller should shine very well in this regard).
Some explanations of the jargon (mumbo jumbo): http://www.storagereview.com/articles/200003/20000313OSandBM_5.html
So as is, I will run some tiers tomorrow (hopefully my younger brother will forgive me as I totally dominate his PC again for the better part of the day).
Tentitively, the tiers are as below (# of Outstanding I/Os): 1 -done? 4 16 32 64 128 256 - done?
I will double check my results tomorrow as well as test various things (if the length of testing has a difference or not).
Now if there are any of my audience out there (imaginary or otherwise) who would like to chime in, I am all ears/eyes. :)
If you've read my previous post, you'll know that my POS mobo's ICH9R southbridge refuses to play nice with SATA II drives in ACHI or RAID.
My younger brother happens to have the same chipset on his mobo (P35 + ICH9R) and guess what? RAID 0 WORKS! God damn ASUS.
Well, I took the chance to capitalize and run some benchmarks (to set as a baseline). I ran HD Tune and IOmeter (as Winbench 99 won't run on x64 environments - all is forgiven since it is almost 10 years old!).
Now I am still playing around with the IOmeter results (difference between a linear single outstanding I/Os vs a heavy load of 256 outstanding I/Os.) but here is the result from HD Tune.
RAID 0 with a 128k stripe size.
Mmm.... Tomorrow I will take it for a spin on the ICH10R southbridge (courtesy of my Dad's P45 mobo) and put that through the wringer.
Also once I figure out the IOmeter results, I will make some purdy graphs (and also it will probably lead to a full fledged article/review on TechARP).
Truth be told, I blame the games. :p Other than that, I am getting a lot more guitar play time (as I nurse my re-emergent thumb injury - timing I know!).
Other than that, my PC is finally getting some loving in the sense of new hardware. I have long wanted to replace my somewhat old Raptor X (and its 10,000 RPM SATA 150 fury). Main reason being that I am simply running out of space (it has 150GB unformatted). The obvious solution would be to simply get a 300GB VelociRaptor. Truth be told, I almost jumped on it thanks to Newegg's smashing deal (with the VR being priced at 220USD plus a nice Mail-In-Rebate to sweeten it some more).
But I posed a question. SSDs are fast maturing and with the capacity increasing and the price per Gigabyte steadily dropping (as well as the Godly performance of Intel's SSDs that they are championing and pushing heavily), would spending that much on a VR be worth it in say 6-12 months? My long standing position on SSDs is that I would migrate to them once Cost/GB matched that of a VR and that time may come pretty soon.
So as such, I decided to look for cheaper alternatives. I started looking around the various offerings and I pretty much decided on a WD Caviar Black or a Samsung SpinPoint F1 series drive. I didn't really need too big of a size (2TB+ on the Server) and they are pretty much the best at 7200 rpm consumer drives.
Or were they?
I decided to expand it a bit and wanted to see what viable RAID options are there out there? Specifically, RAID 0. I am not worried about redundancy as I have WHS to save me in my time of need (backups are done daily and the last 3 day, week, and month interval are kept on the server). I just want raw performance. So I tried looking at the WD Caviar Black and SpinPoint F1s in RAID 0. From there, I found my gem. The Western Digital RE3 SATA 3Gbs Enterprise drives. RE stands for 'RAID Edition' and this is WD's third iteration for this series of Enterprise class drives (thats server/workstation usage for you normal people). Simply put, the RE3s are basically Caviar Blacks (and their dual processor goodness) that have been extra tested for reliability (warrantied for 5 years at 100 duty cycle - aka full load for 5 years) and has been given some optimizations. Optimizations you say? What optimizations? Well, since they are RAID Edition drives, they have been optimized for Mult-Disk usage (aka RAID Arrays!). And my do they fly...
So coolness. I got them (well more like asked for them) for my B-Day (T-minus 10 days as of writing). When they arrived, I was so excited, I tore out my drive cage, dumped the Raptor X (though never wiped it - you never know!) and installed my new two RAID gems. Made some necessary changes in the BIOS and started up the Intel Matrix RAID screen to build my RAID 0 Array. Then when I tried to install Windows Vista x64 (was waiting for new hard drives), I started getting RAID errors and BSODs. WTF? Apparently, my lovely motherboard has a wellknownissue when it comes to SATA II drives when used in AHCI or RAID. Asus support was abysmal as always (wanted me to do an RMA but even I know the revisions do nothing and I have tried everything already). So here I am, 2 B-Day present RAID hard drives that won't run RAID (can't tell which is worse - a b-day present you can't use or hardware that you can't use).
Just great. WTF ASUS! SERIOUSLY! Strike two for this mobo (it has already murdered 6 sets of 2x1GB OCZ Reaper PC 1066 ram previously). Good thing I haven't nuked the contents on the Raptor X.
The only choices I have at this point is 1) Buy a new mobo or 2) Buy a RAID Controller card. Door numero uno is a no no (puns puns) as I know full well that I will be upgrading to Core i7 in a few months (or finding employment - whichever comes first - yeah still jobless - pewpy economy). So a RAID controller looked a lot nicer and I went with it. I made it a point, if I was going to get a RAID solution (and spend money), I might as well get a 'true'Hardware RAID Controller.
Why a Hardware RAID? The ones that are included on the motherboard (usually via the Southbridge chip) are not 'true' hardware RAID. Why? Well they utilize the system's CPU cycles and use the system's RAM. Hardware RAID will have its own dedicated CPU and cache to minimize the dependency from the host system's resources. Therefore, there is usually a difference in performance with Hardware Controllers. Also they aren't reliant on software on getting stuff done (software gets corrupted, hardware doesn't - they just break haha). Also system migration will be a lot easier. I won't have to do a full reformat (at least in theory) when I migrate to Core i7 as the HDDs are on an isolated system. Probably just need to reinstall drivers and everything will be dandy. The fact that the drives are on an isolated system has quite a few benefits. Any instability (*cough* Overclocking *cough*) from my system will have a reduced chance of corrupting my hard drives, any system slow downs won't impact the drives, etc. I will fully explore these as time goes by.
So what did I get?
Meet the 3ware9650SE-2LP. It has a 500MHz PowerPC processor and 128mb DDR2 ECC RAM on board and uses a PCI Express x1 connection (way more than enough for 2 drives). I didn't really see the need to get more than 2 ports as I just need some RAID 0 action and I don't need huge amounts of space (or else the storage I will need on my WHS will increase as well... :| ). Once I get the bad boy, I will slap it on and get my Array and Vista x64 installed. It will be fun to play and experiment.
Rest assured, I will update on this on Monday as that is when my RAID controller arrives. Fully expect some benchmarking (HD Tune, Winbench, IOmeter) between my Raptor X and the 9650SE-2LP + WD RE3 combo to see just how much 'objective' performance I will be able to squeeze out of this.
Stay tuned my gracious readers (if you guys exist that is). You may now collect the melted brain that has been undoubtedly oozing out of your ears in the due course of this blog post.
PS: Looking back at this post, I think it's safe to say I made up for some lost time huh? :p Typed non-stop in one sitting (didn't really take too long - my 80wpm typing FTW!).
I have read about this guy for quite a while but I never bothered to listen to any of his stuff. The wondrous sonic mayhem that I have been missing!
Wikipedia excerpt: "Although a multi-instrumentalist, Buckethead is best known for his electric guitar playing. Guitar World voted him number 8 on a list of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time". In addition to guitar, drums, piano, organ, mandolin, and banjo, Buckethead is adept in the art of nunchaku."
NUNCHUCKS?! WTF!
Well more on that later. Apparently (for those who don't know) he has a big list of credentials (including a 4 year stint with Guns N Roses). He plays a custom built Gibson Les Paul as well as a Jackson Flying V (haha two guitar types that I love).
Though interestingly, not a whole lot is known about him. He wears a mask and dons a KFC bucket (trying to send a message about the mass chicken genocide by fast food joints). While eccentric, his guitar skills are undeniable. Perhaps the thing that brought the most attention to him on my part was an interview with Dave Mustaine that I was reading about. He stated that Buckethead is a better player than him and Slash combined (Slash agreed in a seperate interview). So needless to say, I was curious!
And what did I find?
This.
Apart from this type of music, he is insane at 8 finger tapping (better than what I've seen before), he is really good with the kill switch, and well he can play his guitar like a banjo. A very versatile guitar player.
Oh yeah.
He's kicks ass at doing the robot and can probably stuff two nunchucks up your ass as your jaw drops.
I would just have to re-iterate how much I love having a full Gigabit network (that's 1000Mbits/second). I just love how PC to PC transfers are almost as fast as drive to drive transfers (I/O bottleneck instead of network now). I love seeing 60-70% network utilization during a ripped album (in FLAC) takes a few seconds from my desktop to my server. The bandwidth is amazing. Me likies.
I used to think that Gigabit was a waste of time but now my everyday over the network stuff is so much better. Transferring contents of one hard drive to another PC (to shuffle hard drives around) are sooo fast. I guess it beats Ethernet Bonding (and no point in bonding Gigabit since there is an I/O bottleneck as is anyways - unless if I start doing some crazy SSD RAID action - but even then, its not worth it haha)...
That and I still have a big box of Cat6 in my bedroom.... :o
The title of this post is one that is thought provoking. They are two separate lenses that can pretty much be applied to tons of things. However in this humble post before you, I will hold it in the spectrum of Causation.
The United States of America. She is a wonderful gleaming epitome of the 'desired' state of being. No other country comes close in the unity of its people, wealth and technology, and good old spirit. I personally was born an American. And God, am I proud about it. I was born an American, and I will die an American.
The United States of America is on the verge of a transformational change. The start of this new Millennia, the United States was led by a president. President George W. Bush. His term is coming to an end. November 4th will ultimately decide who will replace him as President of this wondrous country and as one of the world leaders.
Never in my young 25 years of my life have I felt that the new President holds a very important (and daunting) task ahead. The new President needs to combat elements not only on the miltary front (obviously), but also the economic and world's perception front as well. That's right my esteemed readers. The world's perceptions on us Americans. And that is the basis of this little piece of writing.
I had a very important luxury that most of my fellow Americans did not have. I grew up (spent half of my life) in a foreign country. Though not as an American 'foreigner', but as a native inhabitant. There, I experienced life on the 'outside'. I experienced two sides of a coin. Both the expressed admiration of America as well as the dislike of the various actions that were taken by this great nation. For all of the admiration, I reinforced them with my experiences, and for the negatives, I dispelled inaccuracies (given as much as a child and later on a teenager was able to) and sought to correct wrongs that unjustly tarnished my country. But already echoes that partially struck chords of truth back then (in the 90s). Americans are aggressors, bullies, police of the world. I pointed out that we act as liberators and assist humanity where needed. We help in the light of catastrophe no matter where in the four corners of the world it may be. Regardless of race, religion, and background. The SAME things that ALL Americans are extended by their country.
But how is it now? Where are we now? I can no longer defend my country effectively in my own way. Not when some of her own people provide the fuel for the flames.
Given that does not speak for the whole nation (heck not even the majority of the nation), but it is a voice. But at least some with high standing are still able to see clearly.
Now the thing I would like to take from that clip is General Powell's question - "What if he is? Is there something wrong? No, that's not America." And it really is not. Why is it even being made an issue by some of America's great people?
Here is the picture that was mentioned by General Powell. Yes, Muslims fight and die for our honor as well. Since when? Well for quite a while. Malcom X is another famous (albeit downplayed) example (Muslim as in Sunni/Shiite Islam). Our American Patriots consist of Americans regardless of race, religion, and background and they continue to fight for so much domestic and abroad.
More towards the end (4mins onwards). General Powell outlines a few things currently happening that is being seen at the world stage. He reminds us what Americans are (and I have always had tons of respect & admiration for him). We have deeply rooted history as being a melting pot of various nationalities and beliefs. We have not always been the best at it, but we have had the most experience in fighting for it. We are going so far as to promoting it around the world and lending a shoulder to those who believe in the same will but are unable to stand on their own. But we have ruptures from within. Again, I know it is not the sole voice (I would even go so far as it is not a sentiment shared by a majority of Americans), but it is worrying that such perception exists. Agendas must always be fought for, but there is a correct way to light a fire. Wood on the Trees.
Actions are always the cause of ripples. The surface of water will stay still unless one touches it to start them off. But it would be woefully short sighted to start them without thinking where the ripples would go.
So lets step out. Trees in the Woods. How does the world see us as now? I spoke earlier on causation. How do the things that are conjured and indoctrinated within us as well as the things that leave our expressions affect us as a whole? With that in mind, can we proudly stand up to people who watch the news around the world, that we are not the real tyrants? Can we still be the ideal people and the ideal land in the world?
Yes we can. We must live, breathe, walk and act like Americans. Just, true, diligent, brave and most importantly, united. The world is watching. We have only great things to accomplish. The world is broader then our "Sea to Shining Sea". Take some time to learn and understand. Go out and see the world. Only then will you catch a glimpse of what some people have seen on the outside. Only then can we truly step into this new age and continue to lead the world on every aspect.
PS: I have a number of areas that I would like to add (though could not fit in the confines of the above article).
The United States of America is NOT a Christian, Jewish, or Muslim country. This wonderful nation is Secular (read and re-read the First Amendment - Separation of Church and State). This in my humble opinion is the way to go for my country. Everyone is free to practice what the believe and it bears no holding on the people's governance. Mixing two of them together increases the chances of things going FUBAR. Our founding fathers were wise well beyond their time and I truly believe this wisdom will stand true for eternity.
The enemy of this great nation, are the Terrorists. Not Muslims. Terrorist are oppressors, provokers, and examples (apart from Al-Qa'ida) are/(were) the IRA (it's various remnants and splinter cells currently), the ETA (Basque Separatists). Terrorism is something that has nothing to do with any religion (although usually used as a facade). They fight a War of Attrition and by having some people act as how they would like, they have victory. Discord and disrupting peace and unity are usually their targets. Muslims on the other hand are good people who are taught peace and humility (keyword is 'taught').
Vote. Vote for who you think is right. Vote and support the candidate that will uphold our values. That will improve all 3 fronts that we as a nation face. I have my own inclinations. You should to. Do not let anyone decide for you.
If this has stimulated some thought (a 'HMMM...' will do just fine), then my writing has not been in vain.
Now not really trying to put any persuasion on which party to vote for but this interview really does sum it up.
While I have no qualms about having a Female nominee (gender neutral here), do I really want the country in the hands of a Soccer Mom? Foreign Policy != what you can see. The COMMANDER in CHIEF of the world's ONLY super power needs to know more than just a few views and a few folk sayings. The candidate must stand up to more than just a news anchor's prodding (the world stage is far more vicious and less forgiving). What scary things may lie in store...
Before we get into the nitty gritty, there are things you know. Note only this applies to CPU/RAM Overclocking.
Overclocking is an art. It is also a simple to do yet complex art. The reason why?
Multipliers.
Biggest source of screw ups to beginners. A bunch of bus speeds and operating frequencies are derived from the Front Side Bus (known here after as "FSB"). Let's do an example (hey I did say this blog might utilize brainpower - this is a rare occurrence). Somethings to know is that a PCI bus speed is 33MHz, the old AGP is 66MHz, MOST modern motherboards have this thing called a PCI lock so this should not really matter (BUT CHECK!!!!). :o
For the purpose of simplicity, allow me to base it off of my set up.
CPU: Intel E8400 'SLAPL'. 3000MHZ, 9x CPU Multiplier, 333MHz physical CPU FSB. FSB x Multiplier = CPU speed (333x9= ~3000MHz). Ram: OCZ PC8500 1066MHz (RAM capacity is a mute point for this). Now ram is DDR (Dual Data Rate). So 1066 divided by 2 = 533MHz (physical speed). How do we get the speed off of the FSB? By a ram divider. So 333MHz (CPU) using the 8:5 ram divider (1.6) we get the RAM speed of 533MHz. 333 x 8:5 (or 1.6) = 533MHz (DDR = 1066).
The RAM speed is the variable that you probably need to pay the most attention to. Why? Well most people are so fixated on cranking up the CPU speed, they don't really pay too much attention to the RAM speed. The thing about RAM is that they can OC decently well (depends on if they are binned highly or not). But the fact of the matter is that you will reach the ceiling on RAM a LOT faster than on the CPU.
So what do we do?
Well my approach is to keep bumping up the CPU speed and when the RAM speed hits its stock or just above, drop the divider down. My setup, at 3000MHz (300 FSB) via a 8:5 ram divider, my ram can run @ 533MHz (1066MHz effective DDR). At the same time, at 4000MHz (444 FSB) via a 6:5 divider, I can run @ 533MHz as well.
So keep this very important thing in mind when overclocking.
Next time, I will go over the steps on how to overclock (for real this time LMAO).
For those that may or may not know, Overclocking is a fine art that pushes a specific hardware component to exceed its 'rated' performance setting.
Any single piece of silicon is usually binned for performance as no two pieces are ever the same (even if they are cut from the same batch/wafer). These parts are binned to increase yield (by making the pieces incapable of meeting high end requirements for example, to be turned into lower priced components). (there are MORE criteria to binning though such as TDP, voltage requirements, etc so this is a VERY GENERALIZED look). However, even in the process of binning, the manufacturers must set an acceptable speed that the binned tiers can be guaranteed to run properly at.
What does overclocking do? It pushes the hardware above the guaranteed speed to fully maximize that piece of silicon. That's right, it allows it to maximize its potential. For example, my current processor (Intel E8400 - SLAPL). Stock speed is 3.0GHz at stock voltage. However, I pushed it all the way to 3.8GHz without even touching the voltage. 800MHz improvement right out the door.
So how come everyone doesn't just do this? Well overclocking as I mentioned, is a fine art. The moment you push it above and beyond, you no longer enjoy the safety net provided by the manufacturer (that it will run appropriately under all normal operating conditions). With that in mind, instability among other things (including outright hardware failure) becomes a very real threat (though there are ways to avoid and safely do this).
So why do people do this? Well, for a variety of reasons. I personally embarked on this art by wanting to have more performance so I could game better. At the time, I was still budget oriented (I still am to a certain extent). But at the current levels that I am at, budget oriented really is not a factor (I spend hundreds on cooling alone). I no longer really care about performance gain (well apart from increases in gaming that is). I just want to overclock the mofo (excuse the term). So it is more of a need I guess. A yearning/longing. I get itchy when I have a CPU/GPU/RAM in my system that is running at stock speeds.
Next I will write a bit on how to safely overclock. :)
I am the type of person that would devour a whole book in one sitting. I read reasonably fast too (not skimming).
I hate it.
The thing with gaming is that (like reading) it occupies my idle time. BUT, I can stop on a dime (well after I save that is LOL) and not worry about it. With a book, all I can think about is opening it and reading some more. I become involved and obsessed.
And that has just been the fact for the past two days. I have devoured two books. First one was the Slash book that took me ages to finish (occasional toilet reading only previously). I consumed 2/3ds of the book immediately yesterday. And today, I devoured my new-but unread Anne Rice novel, The Mummy. A VERY good book. I couldn't put it down. I barely used the computer (only used it to reply to my professional resume writer's email). No gaming. No nothing. Well until I finished the book that is.
Man, good thing I don't really have anything else that needs reading (apart from my Guitar World magazine). PHEW!
Well since I am a woefully single overly kind and humble (but commited) geek, I am not very good on pick up lines (heck I think the act of picking up itself would creep a girl out).
BUT!
I have just ran across some A-Class hilarious ones.
Allow me to share (and no I was not looking for pick up line examples - ran across them by chance. Psh... :p ) (and no, they do not represent my perception towards woman - try me :p ).
"you must wash your clothes in windex, cause I can see myself in your pants" "Hi. I'm Barack Obama. What's your name?" "Hi. I'm Michael Phelps. What's your name?" "So, how do you like your eggs?............ Fertilized" "Excuse me. Do you know how much a walrus weighs? No? Just enough to break the ice. Hi, my name's Barack Obama. What are you listening to?" "Hey do you like potato chips? I am Fri-To-Lay!" <-- BAHAHAHAHA " Girl your father must have been a baker because your buuns are driveing me crazy". " Hi, I can lick my forehead" "whats your myspace?"
It's hard to quantify yourself. Especially for me as I don't like to toot my own horn. But unfortunately, that's what a resume is. It is hard as you may have had a pretty hard and demanding job, but since it is your job, you don't think anything of it. A good buddy of mine (Abe) came by to help me out with my resume and as I would explain stuff that I did, he'd go wow and where the fuck (well not quite that word) is that on your resume? :o
But it is good to have a good friend (family cannot really cut it on somethings) who has a fresh and objective (hence why family is excluded) view on things. A complete outsider to help suggest things (not write the freaking thing for you) to put on your resume.
Though another option that I am considering is have it written (for a hefty sum).
We shall see. :)
All I know thus far, is my old resume is shit that is vague and would be better off as toilet paper. I have the buff and horsepower, just not the ticket for the ride. :\
Stock voltage (825MHz OC on stock volts - not shabby).
I have let it run through 10 grueling passes on IntelBurnTest. Now I am baking it overnight via Prime95 (FULLY expect it to pass as IntelBurnTest is far more rigorous).
Stay tuned to see how far I push this bad boy (4+GHz is looking to be a reality soon).
Ramadan is here! Along with it's glory, is some changes. Namely me being jobless. LOL!
After a 13 month stint, I am now out of a job. If you are looking for a PC Hardware nut who has a strong business aptitude with vast and in depth (and passionate!) knowledge on PC Hardware (and the industry) and consumer electronics, do let me know. I am used to working long and hard on things. Muahahaha!
So now I am left wondering wtf I want to do with my life. I love operations. I love supply chain. I love efficiency. But most of all, I love computers/tech/it. However, it seems that these are either 1) Hard markets to penetrate for a non-tech 'background' (even though I could probably smoke most people with my hardware knowledge - off the back of my hand) or 2) I need to make more friends on the operations side of things.
Supply Chain/Inventory Management/Logistics seems to drift away from my overall goal of ending up in corporate business.
I have toyed with the idea of running a small business. Mainly because I am sick of applying for jobs.
Probably doesn't help that I am listening to something pretty depressing (though it really is how I feel)...
Though on a side note, I have been given some advice to vastly improve my personal life (in 30 days or less LOL). I regard her as my 'older sister' haha!
But me being me, I am actively taking steps on both fronts.
So I was trying to get my Xbox 360's wifi adapter to work yesterday.
Decided to do a routine firmware flash on my reasonably pricey router. So downloaded, and as I was flashing, an error message popped up... "Flashing are failed". Aside from the atrocious grammar, I was pissed. Firmware fuck ups only mean one thing. Dead hardware. Period.
True enough, it was dead. DHCP wasn't working at all. BLEH!
Warranty period should still be up but I wonder if it will cover it. Regardless, I loathe the fact I will have to spend a better part of an hour with a tech support call center in India that treats me like a nub. :\ (please sir, can you click, start, and click run - I interject: Type in cmd, enter, ipconfig/all, bla bla bla...)
So yeah, I'm on my spare Linksys WRT54G and it works fine right now. Will have to find time to call later-ish I guess...
On a more pleasant note, my Xbox 360 can now access the network using its wireless adapter...
Anwar Ibrahim in an interview with Time magazine in June 1996:
Democracy is a gradual process that comes when society matures. We have to reach a stage where people must be given the rights and confidence that come with democracy. . . . It is not fair to insist that we mature in a few years. So you ask me, are we a complete democracy as understood by some countries in the West? Then I would say no. But if you say therefore that democracy is alien to Asia, I would certainly say no. Because the issue of human rights -- fundamental differences, freedom -- is very much in our religious teaching, be it Islam, Christianity or Confucianism. So to consider democracy as something alien to us is in my mind unacceptable. . . .
I think Islam teaches enough tolerance and understanding. But one problem with Islam is the prejudice of the West against it: anybody who practices Islam is a fundamentalist. Islam in Southeast Asia is a unique experience. If you are a good practicing Muslim in Malaysia, you are a democrat, you are tolerant, you try to learn and understand other cultures and religions. You don't need to force Islamic laws on others.
Now if people could actually understand the true meaning of tolerance. If one could have everyone dispel their xenophobic ways. If we are to get anywhere as the 'Human Race', this is an obstacle we will have to overcome. Everyone needs to improve. Not just one side of the coin.
People of the Book in general, are not very different. The only difference we have is culture. There is no Islamic fundamentalists. Just terrorists. Terror is not a fundamental of any religion(no religion teaches killing of innocents). With that, neither is it a teaching of any religion to be imposing on others. Coercion, and belief have no ties what-so-ever. This goes for those without a belief or those who believe in something else. Everyone in their own way. No one tells the other what is right or wrong because right and wrong (apart from the general consensus) is subjective to culture and person.
Fear and hate come natural. Learn about your neighbor. And do not be quick to judge. Go out into the world. It is a lot bigger than you think.
In the end, we are all brothers (and sisters) in the human race. No one better than the other, instead, one is as bad as all others (a more humble view - if you will - strive to be better).
That was one hell of an AWESOME show. Trent Reznor performed NON-STOP for 2 hours plus. The audio was spectacular (deafening - key arena shook from the outside on the opening act - I was lining up to buy NIN swag... :p ).
I bought the tickets through a pre-sale on nin.com that was extended to members. These tickets gave me REALLY good seats. Also what I didn't know was that there was a special entrance for people who bought the tickets through nin.com. One that did not have any line at all (I was worried coz the general entrance already had a HUGE line). Instead the nin.com members had their own dedicated entrance with no waiting at all. Tickets were also real purdy too (this one is definitely a keeper).
NIN tickets
The opening act was Crystal Castles. Haven't really heard of them. They seem to be a mix of Thrash, House, and Punk-ish. The screaming parts were so so, but some of their songs was REAL nice. Check out the song Crimewave on their player on their myspace page. I will definitely be checking out their CD.
The lighting was spectacular. Words can't describe the visuals, sonic attacks, and the pure quality of the show. Trent Reznor is really talented. He played multiple instruments throughout the performance. I will DEFINITELY go again if he comes to Seattle (or near Seattle).
Everyone who knows me knows that I tend to be obsessed with somethings from time to time. My current one is the lovely little world of Gundam. Gundam is a series of anime and manga that are hugely popular around the world and has a very strong following of plastic models. My younger brother has always been a fan and has tons of models that loves to build and paint. I have always enjoyed them too but usually from the sidelines.
Well no more. I have just bought 2 Master Grade models (2 large ones at that) with plans for at least 3 more to come very soon.
Also I am watching 2 series right now (Zeta Gundam and it's continuation, ZZ Gundam). Zeta Gundam is 50 episodes and ZZ Gundam is 48 episodes. Yeap. No life for this young single man (wait wait, I had a life?)... :p
I'll post up pics of the two models I have (younger brother just finished air brushing one of them), that is, if I can pry myself off of the monitor.
Ran across this when I was reading about the AMD/ATI 4870 X2 graphics card.
"As a result, the X2's 1600 total stream processors have a peak computational rate of 2.4 teraflops. That's, erm, considerable—beyond the obvious graphics applications, that's the sort of computing power that may one day enable men to figure out what women want."
Yesterday, we had people come in and install some in wall LAN cables. For this purpose, I supplied some Cat6 cables, the 8P8C connectors that are spec'd for Cat6 as well as Cat6 modular plugs.
For those who knows, all of this is for Gigabit Ethernet. Since we wanted to lay cables in the wall, I figured we might as well. Plus I have the Windows Home Server which really does benefit from Gigabit Ethernet especially with multiple computers accessing it at the same time!
But at any rate. We have some (actually a lot) of extra wire (kinda bought a 1000ft spool of Cat6) so I figured I would make patch cables using the (tons of) spare Cat6 cables.
In order to do this, you have to crimp the cable once you sort it out based on which arrangement you want to use. But the Pain In The Ass (PITA for short) part is inserting the arranged wire into the modular plug to be crimped.... Somehow, the wires tend to get everywhere and sometimes not even lining up correctly when in the connector. The Heartache!
And this is one of the rare times that I mean it both literally as well as figuratively. :o
I have been spending waaaay too much lately. The latest cause of cash expenditures? PC/Cooling upgrades... :s
Things I just bought for my setup: 1) 850w UPS (had a nasty brownout the other day, scared me shitless) Has my PC, Server, TV and consoles hooked up to it (though can't run em all at once due to overload LOL). 2) PC Cooling galore. New rad ($$$ Thermochill - stupid British Pounds to USD forex), new Pump (MCP655 - 1200 Liters per Hour, 50ft of Head Pressure - AWESOME!), 3 quieter powerful fans (tired of feeling like my room is in a Boeing 737), tubing (expensive Tygon). 3) PC Hardware interim upgrade galore. New CPU (Core 2 Duo 'Wolfdale SLAPL'), new ram kit (2x2GB PC8500 ram).
And that crap was only the major stuff I bought last week!
It is a cool kinda suckage (if there is such a thing).
Kinda lets me start fresh. No crap. When I left my apartment, I had like 2 mounds of crapola that was destined for the dumpster.
Yet it sucks coz of the down time (I was deprived of Internet for over a week!). No Air-Conditioning (YET!) so my PC had to stay off to prevent internal combustion of my room due to high heat (no I do not need 400+ watts of heat from my PC - yes it is a space heater). That and my idle temperatures were way too high.
My PS3 was my sole confidant throughout all of this (again with no internet connection).
We did some semi-massive renovations. My brothers repainted their rooms (though I did tell them that the purple pink combo and the all pink walls suited both of them), we have to replace/cover up drywalls, mounted my dad's 52' LCD HDTV, we still need some A/C (eventhough the temperatures have tapered off - I made a point that it's pointless to feel like shit in your own home - even if it is just for a few months of the year), we need some Cat6 LAN cables laid into the walls so that the PCs can enjoy gigabit ethernet (what can I say, there is a resident computer geek in the house - that and a Windows Home Server), and some random little things here and there.
Anyways, PICS! Side view of the house. Note Apple Tree and view of my 'Man Cave'
Front shot of the house with all the cars in the drive way
The Playstation 3, is my absolute most favorite piece of electronic hardware ever! Never has a console been so versatile, so user friendly, so powerful, and so feature rich!
It has been over a year since I've had a PS3 (left it behind when I moved out here). And my how much has changed! There are more features added.
Among my favorite is that the PS3 now detects Windows Media Servers. In this case, it detected my Windows Home Server and from there, I can stream my MP3s and watch my movies through the PS3. Awesome!
The Playstation Store has been revamped as well. I can't wait to try stuff out and play around with Remote play... :D
My family is here, we moved all the way from Kansas to Seattle, WA in pretty much a non-stop drive. Crazyness.... 1800+ miles non-stop.
Today, the parentals just signed on for the house so we are the official owners. We will be taking possession on Monday and now I have already started moving some of my bills over to there.
The family's Earthly possessions are all on a truck thats going around the country. All we know is it will be here in ~2 weeks.... Yeap... Slow...
Moving sucks.
I am know also pretty much broke. Kinda went nuts this month. Bought a new axe, bought a MGS4 80GB PS3 bundle, and all the costs inbetween (lost wages due to flying - and the cost of air fare itself). Tight! Next month doesn't look to be too nice either. Hoping to buy a MesaBoogie combo tube amp and I suddenly have the itch for the Epiphone Slash Signature model (this time with selling my Ibanez off though... :p ). Argh. I need to stop spending...
I really love this thing to bits. So comfy, crazy sustain, distorts real well, sounds real good clean. Makes you want to just play all day (which I pretty much did - trying to figure out this one song).
I thought Vs sucked in the past but man I really love mine!
Man this is such an awesome axe! The action (distance between the strings and the frets) is real low and it has a very slim neck. A real shredder's guitar right here.
The pickups are nice because even though they are active pickups, the range is very good (so it can play more than just metal!). :)
The sustain is GODLY! Man! I can just hold a power chord and it could go on almost forever (well good enough LOL!). I think it's a glued/set neck. Not a bolt on. It has a Mahogany body and neck and an Ebony finger board (real premium woods right there).
It comes with a very nice case (a case that I think is heavier then the guitar itself... o_0), strap locks (it has flush mount straplocks - so no pegs), and the latest Megadeth CD, United Abominations.
Me likies... Very appropriate for me to continue learning my favorite song - In My Darkest Hour (another favorite is A Toute Le Monde).
This bad ass axe uses Dave Mustaine's Seymour Duncan Livewire Active pickups. From what I have read, this is a 'Active' version of the Seymour Duncan 'Hot Rodded' pickups (that I have installed on my Ibanez RG). The guitar is super light and somehow, playing with the 'V' design by holding it in between my thighs is remarkably comfy. The action is SUPER LOW!
This equally awesome guitar was built to Slash's exact specs. The maple top is always a nice welcome thing for me (I love the finish). It uses Seymour Duncan Alnico II pickups and with gain and some Overdrive, one can replicate the distinct Slash sound. This is a limited edition Les Paul and the local GuitarCenter has two of them.
Both of these bad-ass axes come with a case, straplocks, and a strap. Both cost $999. Dilemma!
But in all honesty, I am leaning heavily towards the VMNT1. I promised myself that I would buy a 'Gibson' Les Paul. The Epiphone Les Pauls don't use the Gibson pick ups. The Slash Signature is an exception though because it uses the awesome Seymour Duncan pickups.
I guess I will find out on Monday (when I sell of Ms Ibanez for either one of these - Memorial day sale?).
First and foremost, I have been away for the past 5 days visiting the family in KS. Good times. Did some DIY crap, gamed a lot, got a brother a new guitar (a freaking Les Paul at that - God dammit!), and bumpy flight back.
Let's start things with a bit of gaming.
GTA IV I finished the 100% completion on Saturday. Did not sleep that night at all. I arrived at 2am Saturday, bro's graduation started at 8am so we had to leave @ 7:15am (aka 7:30am Scott Standard Time), so I hooked up the Xbox 360 and started playing at 5:30am and I started. At 7am, I achieved 100% completion! Just in time for me to take a shower and get ready! Needless to say, I was a zombie but I have met the contest requirement. I rock! I have no life! WEWT!
Guitar I now have this impeccable urge to buy a new axe... My youngest brother just got an Epiphone (Gibson's budget brand) Les Paul Studio. DAMMIT! I played on that awesome axe all weekend and weekdays (that I was there). Now I am dying for my very own Gibson/Epiphone. Though I am abandoning my previous desire to get a Floyd Rose equipped guitar (I down tune far too much and it would be a royal Pain In The Ass).
Lexus GS450h My oh my. I love that hybrid. I drove from the airport. First thing I did, flip it on to 'Power' hybrid and 'sport' suspension (I know my way around the car as I have test driven the GS430 and IS350 previously). Needless to say, I floored it (aka Pedal to the Metal) onto the highway. WHOAH! Thats FAAAAST for a luxury sedan. Good job Toyota utilizing the 100% torque of an electric motor in conjunction with a V6! And just think! The cars I want to get have faster 0-60 times! I can't wait!
So yeah, I'm going to the guitar store....
Will it be an Epiphone Slash Signature or a Gibson Explorer or an Epiphone Les Paul?!
Who knows! Gonna bring Ms Ibanez and her coffin along for a possible trade in. Stay tuned!
So yeah, Rockstar games had this one contest that initially ran the course of the first week following the launch. Whoever beat 100% of the game would get a custom made key to the city.
I gave up and didn't play the game at all for 5 days. Last monday (6 days after I gave up), I found out that it was extended.
DAMMIT! 5 wasted days!
Now I am rushing to complete crap. Might not be able to finish it tonight so I will have to lug my console with me to Kansas to finish (flying there tomorrow for my brother's graduation).
Which car should I chose? (bear in mind I want a "bachelor's" car - or a sports car - not just a dinky old two door sporty looking wannabe)
I have pretty much made up my mind to probably not buy a Lancer Evolution X MR. I mean dropping $40k right now. Probably not a really good idea (unless if like 0% interest LOL!)
I can't say how much this car gets my juices flowing. I love it to bits. And the noise that the VG30DETT makes will make you drool.
While browsing around, I found one that I really really like. Great deal. Lovely interior. Low miles (though bear in mind, the car is 16 years old). They still turn heads and say what you want but it is still a 300hp twin turbo 3L V6. Cost? $16k. Very do-able (maybe even cash - or 1 year loan). Still would have to take a small loan (but will wipe it out by end of the year easy).
Now I figured, let's bump it up a notch.
How about a Honda (Acura) NSX? It costs a bit more (~$30k or so) but affordable when I factor in monthly payments (definitely need a loan lol).
Now thats a fully fledged exotic car. It was so good that Gordon Murray put the NSX as one of the cars to beat in terms of ability to live with it while developing the McLaren F1.
This car is all aluminum. From the body panels, to monocoque, and suspension. It truly is an automotive feat. Ultra tight tolerances too. Suspension was developed with the help of the legendary late Aryton Senna. The chassis was so rigid that a mechanic that I knew who had one said when it was jacked up on the shop hydraulic jack, the car would slowly teeter as the chassis refused to flex and 'rest' on the jack points. Though a good friend of mine just told me he knows of a mechanic that had to spend a whole afternoon on his belly changing an NSX's timing belt. :o
This car is an MR (Mid-Engine, RWD) and ultra light (though I would probably weigh it down some LOL).
Pros and cons below.
Z32 TT pros: - Cheap - less debt. - FORCED INDUCTION! - Able to tweak more (boost controller, programable ECU - the one I'm looking at has one anyways). - Cheaper to maintain maybe? - I could park it on the street and not worry (not too much at least - just hide all the toys inside). - One of my favorite V6 engines of all time. - Spare parts a plenty (still great after market support).
Z32 TT Cons: - Maintentance? Turbos (needs replacing at intervals)? - Ultra crammed engine bay. - More stuff to tweak = more stuff to go wrong?
NSX Pros: - Exclusivity. You don't see a lot on the road. - A 'real' exotic car for relatively cheap. - Ultra good handling. - Renown reliability (provided out of snap ring failure range). - N/A VTec powah! - Superb engine note.
NSX Cons: - Would have a hard time parking it in the street (or a car lot) without checking on it every other minute. - Maintenance could be even more expensive? - Fully expect insurance to be killer (though will ask for a quote for both soon). - Repair costs are supposed to be very expensive. - No stock forced induction. - More money.
It's a tough one. I really don't know which way to sway. I can definitely afford the monthly payments and the costs to maintain it (I will DEFINITELY baby which ever one I end up with). For the NSX, its the non-monetary cost of owning it (scared shitless to park it in public). Both are reliable enough for daily driving. Both will definitely be dollops of fun. Both are ultra reliable if maintained properly (I am religious in this aspect).
And no I will not pick up chicks in it (I'm not that shallow mmkay?). Well at least not actively. LOL!
Nine Inch Nails. They are the massive driving force behind Industrial music.
And they are one of my favorite bands of all time (well I guess Trent Reznor as he is pretty much a one man band - apart from his live band - kinda need that for concerts).
NIN caused some heads to turn as Trent was always critical of the music industry. He later managed to leave the labels and immediately followed up with Ghosts I-IV. Ghosts is a 36 track instrumental and it took a different departure from Radiohead's In Rainbows. It gave the a few tracks for free and offered to sell the album in whichever format the customer/fan would like it (from virtual MP3 copies, to CDs and virtual copies, to some Vinyl, cds, and virtual copies). This sold real well and I personally have never seen a site go down faster short of a DDoS attack (NIN became overloaded with the amount of people wanting to download and order stuff).
Today, they releasedThe Slip through multiple formats. I personally downloaded the FLAC for my music player and 24/96 WAV for listening at home.
He also left a comment on their front page.
"(thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me)"
Right on! Keep sticking it up to the recording industry!
They also have a concert in July here in Seattle @ Key Arena. Tickets go on sale on the 7th. Needless to say, I am very inclined to go. I promised myself that I only really have the desire to see two bands in my whole life. Megadeth and NIN.
Hopefully one of them will be fulfilled real soon.
One of my 19s died a while back so I was relegated to a meager single screen. For those on single screens who can't comprehend having two, all I can say is you will not know until you have two, and once you have two, you can never go back. ;) Multi-tasking made easy pretty much.
I finally made the jump to some bigger (and higher quality panels).
Behold! The dual HP w2207s (thats right bishes, 22 inches!). Do pardon the clutter (haha my guitar slide is still there btw).
Muahahaha!
And what would new dual monitors be without a new wallpaper? :o
That picture is the Epiphone Prophecy Futura FX (basically a Gibson Explorer with a Floyd Rose Tremolo and EMG active pickups) of which I fully intend to utilize my second tax rebate (the $600 'stimulus' one) on. Should be 'injected' into my account on May 9 (based off SSN). Guitar comes out this month so it should all be good. And no, I didn't finish my first rebate (all of it has been put towards "PsY's Evo X MR & Education fund").
I finally beat it. Has to be the longest GTA thus far! :o
Already dumped 42 hours this week into it. So I had no life this week. :p
My Analyst (Brian) at work was surprised I actually held down my work (and was productive too LOL).
I'm pooped. Finishing up the side missions though I doubt I can make the 100% contest that ends tomorrow night. The rest of the world gets an extra day (LIES!). My completion rate is at ~70% right now and thats with the main story down. Seems the last 20+% is the hardest to earn (stupid 200 pigeons, unique stunts, etc etc etc).
Blah.
But I had fun.
I'll post more about GTA IV but it's attention to detail was mind blowing. Thank you Rockstar Games. The small things do add up.
Finally pics of my Special Edition GTA IV (with awesome license plate)!
I was supposed to get my two brand new 22" HP monitors yesterday. Came home at 3:20pm. Waited and waited. At 6:30 I was kinda curious what gives. Looked up the tracking number and status was delivered at 3:12pm @ 'FRT Door' (front door). Nothing was on my door step. Usually, I will get a note pasted on my door if they tried to deliver but ended up dropping it at the office. I didn't get one so I thought it had not delivered yet. Hopefully it was delivered to the apartment office. If not, I will be CRAZY pissed if my $555 worth of LCD panels went AWOL on me. I will find out soon enough later in the day.
Second time around. My copy of GTA IV. I spent extra to get 2 day shipping but now its going to take three days to get here. Nice UPS. Keep it up. Hopefully nothing arrives mushed up.
EDIT: Monitors were at the office in good order (don't really know the insides though due to some GTA going on).
Grand Theft Auto IV is launching tomorrow (at the strike of midnight actually). Though you will not see me in line at such an ungodly hour (I kinda have to be up at 5am). This game will most likely be a game of the year candidate (there are still a few blockbuster titles coming out though). How much of a blockbuster you say? A pretty good one.
Grand Theft Auto is a game series of which I am a devout follower of. I have been playing (and continue to play) most of the games in the series multiple times. The Grand Theft Auto series is no stranger to controversy. Undoubtedly, this time around, there will most definitely be something of contention as well. In fact, before it launched, there was already some sort of sparks flying around. In all honesty, I really do not see what the ruckus is about. It's a game...
The thing I love most about Grand Theft Auto games is its humor. There is a lot of satire in the game. The missions are nothing short of hilarious. In the past, graphics wasn't really a selling point. Just the merits of the game.
But that will change now. This new installment will feature a beautiful new graphics engine (R.A.G.E). It also features a very unique style of physics called Euphoria. This is very different than the traditional rag-doll effects.
I am crazy stoked. I hope I get mine as soon as possible. I game a lot, but I have NEVER pre-ordered a game in my entire life. GTA IV is an exception to that. I dished out money for the Collector's Edition. This is one game I have been waiting for a long time and I am sure it will not disappoint.
Direct breakdown of 'Wan Cho' Wan = Aunt Cho = Eldest
Given that, she is my Mom's eldest sister. Wan Cho is someone very dear to me. A wonderful person who is one of the very few joys of my life. She never ceases to bring brightness in anyone's day. While I am a person of great humor, this wonderful dear old lady is one of the few who jives with me. As such, our meeting at the airport (when I went to pick her up) was filled with a crazy amount (and volume) of laughter which has not ceased since (well now she's taking a nap - poor thing didn't sleep on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to here at all - though I will limit it so she can adjust to the timezones).
A few years ago, she was pretty strict. Me in my crazy rebellious nature didn't quite strike the same chords as her. As I matured, I felt bad because of all the bullshit I put her through (and my late Malay Granny) and she has since mellowed down a lot. Now we are crazy close and there is nothing but laughter and bigheartedness in the air.
My Wan Cho is a wonderful person that speaks her mind and laughs her heart. Very sincere and woefully kind. Very akin to my late grandmother. In fact, I dare say that is a family trait (I think or at least I would like to think I am similar).
She will be here until tomorrow afternoon of which I will send her off to catch a flight to Wichita, KS to where my parentals (and my brothers) are at. I will then see here in a month or so when the family makes the big move here. Should be good times.
If I had it my way, I would just have here stay here and not go back home at all. She really is someone very special us and we all (my family that is) love her dear soul to itty bitty bits.
On Sunday, I mozied over to DQ to grab a yummy strawberry cheesecake blizzard and decided to grab their 'all beef' chili dog. Holy crap that was good eating. So last night while I was building Abe's new PC, it was late so I suggested we go on over to DQ so I could get a repeat order. So we were at the drive through and Abe was like 'Hey, it says the Chili Contains Pork'. WTF?
I looked closely at the drive through and it had a big star saying 'All Beef' inside of it, but with small font at the bottom it did state that the Chili contained Pork. Bastards. How the hell do you 'proclaim' its 'All Beef' and then write below it '*Chili contains Pork'. Anyone else see the disconnect? I mean who the heck puts pork in Chili.
I'm a strict Beef guy. Beef, it's whats for dinner.
Feel free to laugh at me in person. I never get tired of it myself.
A good departure from my usual weekends. Friday night played Halo 3 in one sitting. Saturday morning slept in till noon. Lazy (and groggy) the whole day. Did nothing but some cleaning and laundry. Saturday night, I hung out with friends, had dinner. Sunday lazy and gaming with laundry. Sunday night, had friends over for some hot dogs (yum!) and ice cream. In all good times. It is good not being a hermit at times.
Alas, all things must come to an end and I have to drag my ass off to bed. Poo....
I promised this a post or two ago. :) So here it is! :)
The top 10 things that piss me off the most (usually almost instantly). But before you read on, please know that I have the patience of a saint (cool as a cucumber baby!). I am very accepting and not all of these will set me off immediately. My instant is not as abrupt as 'normal' people's. Let's just say that it is the only time you will see my composure affected. I don't generalize or give blanket situations. With that said, here they are in no particular order.
1) Ignorance I am a firm believer that ignorance takes effort. Mistakes are fine. Shit happens. But being ignorant requires some effort from the party involved. Why one would devote resources to being a fucktard is beyond me. People like this proves that natural selection does miss some people.
2) Improper parking Nothing pisses me off more than a car that can't freaking stay in it's own box. Jeez. At least have some freaking consideration (aka concept of other people). I love how they park like a moron, look at me and then get out like nothing is wrong. Again relate to #1. Kindly take a long walk off of a short pier.
3) Cruelty You don't deserve to be called a human if you treat other living beings like crap. Being mean I guess I can understand. But it takes one hell of a vile blackened heart to be an absolute monster to everything. Do us a favor and kindly stop breathing.
4) Indecisiveness Wait which want did you want? What? Where? How? Who? When? Can't make up your mind? Kindly dispose of it kthx. I am a man of conviction. Though I do have my lazy moments, I stick to my guns always and carry things out.
5) Power Trips / Supremest Just because you have a shred of power over another, suddenly you are king. Hah. Experience has shown me you will never climb very high. I chose to be humble in everything.
6) Forcing / Coercion I react with a LOT of hostility when I am 'forced' to do something. This stems from my free spirited nature. I tend to willfully and purposely ground myself to somethings (in the past to a GF - to de-horn me so to speak). Freedom is something I value, but bounds is something I stay within. If ever there is anything, ask me. Don't try and be a douche and order me. I always respect authority, but I dislike Authoritarians (there is a stark difference). I would surprise you with my knack of making every single thing from that point onwards a royal pain in the ass. Bottom line, you couldn't make me do anything. Like I said, ask me. I am super duper nice. Most often then not, I would comply if you ask me. Start out trying to force me? Well I will make your efforts a living hell. :) Also for the love of God, do not try to commit me to something on your behalf ("Oh I promised this person that you would help them out so go help them" - go stick something up where the sun don't shine). A better approach would be "Oh I know someone that could help you, lets go ask him". More often than not, I would be more than thrilled to help (I love being nice and I love helping out!). So yeah. Ask me to help and I probably will, make me help and no.
7) Respect (lack of that is) I am very respectful of everything/everyone. While I am a firm believer that respect is earned, not given, for people who are still neutral in my book, they still receive a lot of it from me.
Though the notion of respect doesn't only limit itself to the topic of people. It is also with one's belongings. When I borrow or use someone's belongings, I treat it better then if it was my own. While I never impose my ways on others, I do at the very least hope that people who use my stuff to take good care of it. Many times have I lent my prized belongings to others only to have them returned in a less then subpar standard.
8) Punctuality I am a very punctual person. Now in today's hustle and bustle, keeping to schedules on a daily basis is hard. That I know. But it's not the short falls that makes a man. It's what he does to correct it. If I am late I will do my best to notify the other party at least three times. First when I know I will be or could be running late. Second is when I am already late. Finally is when I am late and about to arrive. Each occurrence is updated with an ETA. Why do I do this? It's called courtesy. I always set expectations.
There is this one term I hate with a passion. Amongst our ethnic group (well at least half of my bloodline) they jokingly call it a 'promise'. In that context, it is an admission and expectation that people should always be late. That I hate. Mention that to me when I am the waiting party and you will get me riled up. It is one thing to be late but it is another to say it is to be expected. It is also another all together to not show up and say nothing of it.
I can't think of any more right now. Haha! Not a lot pushes my buttons so to speak. :p
Someone once told me, I tend to bite my lip if something is bugging me. Warning sign! LOL jking.
Here are 9650SE results for the 3ware 9650SE-2LP:
64kb Stripe
256k stripe
