Leaving for Hack in the Box Conference 2005

After much preparation and all the rushing here and there to get Cerberus setup, I am finally getting ready to go for the conference tomorrow in KL I must say all the rush should be worth it, especially when I gotten my namecards just now. I still have many letters and email to reply andsend, but I guess those will have to wait. Much will have to be put down until I get back I suppose.

So wish me luck and I will try ob log there if I can. BTW, there is a hidden aganda in this trip. Perhaps I will talk about it once I come back. There is nothing like a real site testing.

(正宗)重慶火鍋 Nightmare

Another restaurant just got blacklisted by me again. There are hundreds if not thousands of so call 重慶火鍋 or Chong Qin Steamboat. But of course we know there is no such thing as the REAL thing since we are in the southern tip of the asia continent.

This was one of the newer restaurant which came up near the rest of the so call 正宗 ones around it opposite Shaw Center. A big red sign saying its for $10 per head attracted my attention. I am always attracted to (CHEAP) good food. There were a lot of waiter running around and around and no space, so I approached the counter and ask for a table for 2. Well he say upstairs also full, but will arrange a table for me downstair inside, which I saw a few. Then there was no fan and etc.. so I approached a waiter to help. Boy, I have never seen worse attitude from someone since my SAF days. He kind pushes here and there then say you need to queue up again behind some people outside (where the queue did not exist when I entered the place). I took a quick look at the 2 miserable stands with well not really a lot of food and I walked straight out pass the waiter and pass the stall and almost across the street to eat Subway which I loved but of course my gf hated it and I had to knock that off. I wont be able to tell you if the food is food, but the bad attitude and the bad manners the waiter (served) really knock off any appetide I had. I didn't need to taste their food to know I will not had enjoyed it at all. I know people always say you pay for the food and not the service (tell me about gSt) but I simply refused to eat especially when I am not happy cos anything would had tasted like shit anyway.

So, want to know where I ate then? I walked pass the stall again, pass the waiter who either ignore me or give me that shitty face look which I believe mine wouldn't had been much better. The shops next door were like only $15 and cosy and air-conned and lots of space... Well, not a lot, but have space. But I just could eat then cos was too full (of anger) then. Walked past Pivador there which I dined many time and I highly recommend for a full course western at $15 and very good environment. I ended up at Terre in Bugis. ITs $10 for a full course western as well and you can even get Steak at $12.80 there. Heaven kind of service and I believe we were eve nbeing served by the boss lady. Anyway, the meal was great and happy in the end. Actually to think of it $10 is not so cheap even since I had taken $8.50 steamboar in AMK before too.

Just want to say, they lost 2 customer that day and I bet their closing down offer should be around the corner if they keep up that kind of f up attitude.

PAV Updater V1.5.0

With the released of updated batch file, the Win32 version has been updated as well and the bug patched as promised. No auto extraction available yet in this version though. It will be available in the next version.

Changes :
V1.5.0Changed the CDWriter software from SCDWriter to BurnCDCC
Changed the download of Sophos web_ides.exe to web_ides.zip
Patched the incorrect naming of bootiable.img to bootable.img
Changed final ISO name to pav.isoChanged download list name to pav.lst
Added XBlocker to Spyware section
Optimized and remove some unnecessary copying of unzip.exe and mkisofs.exe

Download :
http://rapidshare.de/files/5365455/PAV_Updater_1.5.0.zip.html

AA Uploader V1.1.0

Was digging through my archives and I found this nice small application that can work with Accellion Attachment Outlook/Notes without the email client. Basically this tiny appz takes your file and get it uploaded and return you back the link which you can paste anywhere you want. I wondered why this appz was never released while I was working in Accellion, but anyway since I am no longer working there and I am not even sure if this even works as well. Here is the tiny appz which I recompiled. If anyone out there is using AA and it works let me know.

http://rapidshare.de/files/5351150/AAUploader.exe.html


Again I must stress that this appz is not in anyway related to Accellion and of cos comes with no warranty whatsoever.

爱似神仙 ~ 王蓉 ~ 专辑：多爱

风中残花
飘落在眼前
它为谁不屑上青天
素女织锦
为谁守空颜
又为谁在铸金鞭
窗外的孤雁依然依然出现
相思中奉候泪满脸
只盼会梦中等待他出现
看见归来的铁骑踏白烟

爱情是什么神仙
让人哭让人笑
让人看不见
我愿化作一盏灯
永远守在他身边
与君畅饮再征战

曾为清贫
富贵笑中谈
月光中重影舞双剑
只因忠孝
自古难两全
无奈独对清冷渊
枝头上残月依然依然出现
路相隔千尺思万千
山若有情听见我呼唤
为君再奏那曲琵琶怨

爱情是什么神仙
让人哭让人笑
让人看不见
我愿化作一盏灯
永远守在他身边
与君畅饮再征战

爱情是什么神仙
让人哭让人笑
让人看不见
我愿化作一盏灯
永远守在他身边
与君畅饮再征战

我愿化作一盏灯
永远守在他身边
与君畅饮再征战

PAV Lite Updater V1.5.0 Mirrors

Added another mirror just in case. BTW, if there is anyone who would like to host these files for me, I will be more than happy.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NEWNS5ZB
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FH2SQPMK

PAV Lite Updater V1.5.0

I noticed there was a bug in the previous version I released with the filename of the boot image. It was looking for bootiable.img instead of bootable.img. I will be releasing a patch and update with it soon in V1.5.0Meanwhile, here is PAV Lite V1.5.0Lite in short only contains the bootup DOS mode scanner and nothing else in order to cut down the size. You will need the following files. Read the readme.txt inside PAV Lite Updater.

http://rapidshare.de/files/5285933/PAV_Lite_Updater.zip.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/5286452/pavlitecd.zip.html

GWA Again

Just got back from holiday and tried to updated my Windows as usual. WTF? How come need to download the ActiceX for GWA again? This is really getting on my nerves. I just cant be bothered. Anyway, just found that they installed a new version of the LegitCheckControl.DLL dated 29 Aug 2005. Heck man, I am going to upgrade like a few machines and plus a few more virtual machines and you expect me to download and validate all that? No way man. Pick up the patcher, change the code for the new file and walla. Works again. Hell man, I hope I did not have to do this every month. Its a plain waste of time. Imagine poor people who can only download using 56K modem. Its terrible. Anyway, I figured they probably patched the BHO block as well as the Javascript? Ha, Yes? No? Emm... Let me know. I have better things to do.

Public AntiVirus Updater V1.50

I had made plans for a update for PAV Updater. Basically I found an excellent extractor which I can automate the extraction of the ISO before the patching. I will replace unrar and unzip with this as well I guess since it is a universal unpacker. Emm, I also wondered if I need to ask the author for permission for include it in the package.

Oh, ok I guess I forgotten totally to explain what this is. Basically in short, Public AntiVirus has stopped support in Apr 2005 and as such the virus definitions and its arrays of program has not been updated. Antivirus which is not updated is as good as none. Public AV uses freeware Antivirus which are available and creates a bootable CD which you can just pop in and bootup the system for scanning. It has its merits because this means it does not boot into your OS which can had been infected. Moreover if the infection involves some stealth viruses then its very unlikely you can even find them at all once you are in the OS.

Anyway someone came out with a Batch file updater which downloads some of the updates and programs. Along the way, more tools where added and it also includes some Antivirus installation and scanners as well now. However the size has grown and its became difficult to download the packages using the Batch file as it stopped or maulfunction sometimes. So I had came out with my own Win32 Updater which splitted the download phase out. You can simply download at your leisure time using any downloader you prefer and then you can run the patching after you had finished the download. Once patched it also helps you build the ISO and you can burn the CD image using any burner you like.

I strongly supported this project because I felt that everyone should have an antivirus and if you choose not to pay at all this is one of the choice. So you should have no excuse not to have an antivirus in your computer from now.

Anyway, I am still looking for support and if anyone had tested it, please leave your comments here and I will try and improve on it.

Public AntiVirus Updater V1.10

Just spend the date making this Win32 Updater for Public AntiVirus. PAV is a CDROM based bootCD which contains FREE antivirus programs for scanning system at bootup. I will talk about why I needed this, but anyway I found it interesting and created my own updater for this.

PAV Updater V1.10
http://rapidshare.de/files/4866976/PAV_Updater_1.0.zip.html

Original PAV Updater
http://www.aptv38.dsl.pipex.com/RescueME/UpdatePublicAV.htm

Download PAV
http://www.slashbomb.com/download/pafiledb.php?action=category&id=2

Support Support hor. If you test it let me know. BTW, the Docu sucks now and I figure 60% of the people who have a clue what this do anyway. But I am dead tired now. I will write some proper stuff tomorrow.

Nochnoy dozor 1 AKA Nightwatch 1

I had been a big fan of foreign movies I must say. I had watched quite some and some which I did not even know the name. Nightwatch is one of them. Until recently, I happened to see the trailer on a bus and I go "Ah-ha, haven't I watched this somewhere before?" Actually I did not even regconized the poster of the UK release with a pair of glasses showing the battles scenes.

Firstly, I must say I didn't I did not watched the trailer before the movie. I suppose if you did, you might be quite disappointed with the show as the trailer has probably the best part inside already. But then I felt, this is only the first in the trilogy, I would give it a chance. Basically, for this show, if I still remembered correctly, there are 2 main plots going on and they do not seems to link at all until almost the end of the show. Throughout you will wonder why they bothered to show this and that and such. The main characters are linked in one way or another. Well, not as good as it is in Magnolia or other shows, but its part of the story. The only thing they had fail to project was the idea of the prophecy of the Watcher who will walk from the light into darkness. I know why many people will want to compare this with Star Wars now.

Anyway, I am not here to write a full length review, but if you had watched and still are interested on how the story will go from here, look out for Nochnoy dozor 2: Mel sudby or Nightwatch 2 : Daywatch

http://www.canmag.com/viewwmv.php?clip=19
http://kino-express.ru:80/Video/ND2-teaser.avi

Bad Day at Quiet Ramen Ten

Was at Far East today collecting my Philips CoffeeMaker which came free with the Philips DECT phones I bought a few days back. Oh, I wanted to write about the phones, but heck this is not hte articles about it. Anyway, I was at this Ramen Ten at Far East Plaza at a weird lunch time when not much people are around...

I knew I ate there before. However the impession was not clearly remembered. Either its was super good, or really super bad. Took my chance today. Ordered and waited for a while... Was with there with J and I finished my Ramen (goodness knows whether it was good or not, I was damn hungry). Then more people came and they ordered too and more and more... then waited and wait... J's rice never came. Other people's rice, noodles, FCS even Ice cream came and go... In the end, I was so pissed off I cancelled the ordered and just paid for whatever we (I actually) had taken. I wanted to talk to the manager actually, but nobody obvious was there... All ofthem dressed the same and I guess I cant be bothered anymore since J is probably very dead hungry like I was before... We have to rush off for another appointment and out of choice, we entered the nearest fast food available.

That was the day I found KFC at least had a decent service level and they even let me choose the pieces of chicken I ordered. That was not what I expected at all. Today, I felt like I had just taken a walk in the Twilight Zone.

Winston Avalon's HP 1997

I don't believe it. Just a brief search and I found... My 1997 schooldays page. This is a mirrored site, but as far as I checked the internals are still there... I just dun believe it... And I can see my leonis address and my old and forgotten stuff there... Well the power of search engine nowadays. I wonder what I can do with all these bits and pieces I had left around... We can call these cyber junk or kinda I guess very much like space junks where they are lost and forgotten.

Anyway, if you want to see that aweful pages :
http://members.fortunecity.com/sakurako/

Ah! My Goddess Fan Page Ultra

You know its very surprising that someone just email me and reminded me that I HAD a Ah! My Goddess webpage... Well, as hard as I tried the page is no longer around. However, I found my very long ago guestbook is still alive. Amazing...

Ah! My Goddess Fan Page Ultra Guestbook :
http://two.guestbook.de/gb.cgi?gid=3949

Well, perhaps I should go look around and see if I can find some more of my legacy...

Microsoft Certified Professional

My MCP Cert and welcome kit finally arrived. I almost thought it will take forever. Well, it says Bill Gates on the signature. :P This will be the first and many more to come signed by him I guess. I only hope I have the chance to take them quickly because I had been tired up by many things recently. What? Thats a secret. The time is not right yet to talk about it.

Where is the Life Jacket?

Just a thought here...
On board the 747-x00 Commerical Plane, when the air stewardess demostrate how to wear a life jacket... How many of us actually listen? Well, does it have to depend on how pretty the air stewardess is? :P

Anyway, we were always told the life jacket where under our seats. Did anyone actually check and know how to open the cover etc? Probably not. Guess we will have to spend a few minutes figuring that out when it comes to that. Along with the dropping of the air mask which we will probably be struggling to put on and for your partner as well if he/she is not in the stage to do so. The air stewardess will probably be passing out papers and everyone else asking if you have a pen or pencil... Well, its doesn't really matters unless they keep your note inside the indestrutable blackbox which is probably somewhere all the way in front at the pilot cockpit. To make it worse, the luggage compartment will probably be opened by now and everything dropping all over the place. You probably can't stand up and shout "How the hell do you open the cover to get the life jacket??", can you?

Well, its a worse case scenario anyway. Hopefully whoever is reading this doesn't have to worry too much about it. Btw, I read somewhere that the seating at the tail (where away from the wings which connects the fuel and the front which probably take the impart head on) has the higher chances of survival. And the middle row (if you are in a 747+. 737 only has 2 rows) or as near the center as possible also increased your chance of making through all these. I can't pull where the articles is, so you probably have to trust me on this one.

AhAh, Megami Sama! S1

After a 2 weeks break, I am finally back from Thailand. Managed to finished watching Ah! My Goddess TV S1. I must say it bring back some fond memory. Although its is slow pace, but I guess its easy to enjoy it especially since I had followed this series for a long time. The Seiyu are the same which is what I really loved. IF they were changed, many things would not hadbeen the same. My japanese sucks, but I guess I could still live though all that and hopefully improve :) Anyway if you do not know or has not watch this anime, you are out man! :) I wont go about telling the who and what it is about but I would really like to know which character people really loved. I used to love Skuld a lot, but somehow hen she keeps getting in the way, I cant agree anymore. In fact, in some way, I think i like Ula a bit more now... But none of cos will surpass Balldandy. She is so cute (except for one epi where she is really sexy). Anyway, I cant wait till the S2 start and come to the episode with the travelling whale and Skuld. That in my opinion is one ofthe most touching story.

More info:
http://www.tbs.co.jp/megamisama/

Wellget Downloader

There were the days of NetAnts. GetRight (still around I think and they had an SDK), Jetcar (which now is GetFlash) and so on... Many of these still works actually, but are hardly updated anymore. There is one small problem... These are not free technically.

Take for example Flashget which I was using. There are adwares inside. IF you registered it, it will disable the ads, but it will not delete the registered DLL away. IF you us MS Antispy or something similar, you will find the adware there. Hate it don't you. Anyway, that is more than enough a good reason to get rid of it.

Here, I am going to introduce Wellget to you. Its FREE for a start. I just got it today. Ok, I know I am slow... Hei, but there are still lots of other people who hasn't. Tested it a bit. Looks and feel like the rest of them. This can even do streaming. Well, I am going to test this one out and uninstall Flashget. Grab it at http://www.wellget.com and let me know if you like ot dislike this one.

What Codec?

Yeah, I know... Need to play Divx and Windows does not have it build-in. What? Need Xvid too... OK, then? OGG as well, and so on... You can visit hundreds of sites to go fetch each codec. OR do something like I did. Download a Codec Pack. There are lots out there...

How to choose? Well, they ranges from 5MB to 150MB. In general, you probably do not need the "Extras" cos they are Enocders for people who encodes. If you use things like DVD Shrink, edit DVDs etc, you probably need the encoders. Well, I had used quite a few codec packs before.

K-Lite Codec Full was not bad. Played most of what I needed. But kinda confusing to install becos DirectVoB is not by default then and still is I think. DirectVoB enable subtitles. New version out at http://www.codecguide.com

Storm Codec. WAS great. V3.05 I think. Then came some betas and guess what? They installed some spyware along with it. Althought this codec uses the latest Real and Quicktime, but I simply cant have my IE keep popping ads for no reasons. Removed the spyware (which require manually since its not a well-listed one) and removed the codec as well.

K-Lite Mega Codec. I know K-lite makes you think of Kazaa. I don't know what this has anythingto do with Kazza. But heck with it. This codec works for almost everything around. I am still using this as of today and a new version is out as well at http://www.codecguide.com

All-in-One Codec. Never really tried. Saw the list and its far from ALL in one I think. I still stick to K-Lite becos its has Media Player Classic and the Real and Quicktime Alt inside. IF you had tried this one, let me know.

Ace Mega Codec Pro. Was pretty great, other than 100+MB download. Very comprehensive, but was not updated for a damn long time. Thus, making the codec pretty outdated. I must say if only it was updated, I might had stick with this.

Well, in case you did not know there are alternative to Quicktime and Realmedia which for some reasons are not the fav thing to install. Check them out at http://www.codecguide.com

My CISSP Cert

It finally arrived. And as I expected, my MCP Welcome kit is not even here yet.
Anyway, there is a offer to buy a framed, some buttons, the cert, my CISSP card and a letter to login. Well, no bumper stickers or T-shirt. :)