E'Clair D'amour

2010-01-02T19:24:00.003+08:00

Fine fine , I'll update . First of all , happy new year to one and all ! =) . I guess I should start with my 2010 resolutions and hopes - which I just thought of the moment i typed this .

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1 ) Hope to play FFXIII ( Final Fantasy 13 , for you non-RPG gamers ) , whereby the English version for the game will be out on Xbox 360 in 2010 !

2 ) Buy and play Starcraft II ( Once again for you non-gamers , it's like the toned down version of Warcraft III in terms of graphics ) . It's due to be out in 2010 , and may be the new platform for DOTA in the near future .

3 ) Aim to get a gold for NAPFA ! ( The last time I got a gold was probably in P5 or something =_= )

4 ) Get into one of the Junior Colleges' that I hope to get into!

5 ) Learn to play the guitar ! ( May need to engage the help of my siblings and friends who know how to play it )

6 ) Learn Taekwondo ! - Cause it's just cool and is self-defence ( Influenced by JUMP , which I watched in September 2009.

7 ) -Something that I have achieved in 2009 so that I can console myself that at least I completed one of the resolutions I set out to do ! -
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Actually I'll rather this year be 2012 instead of 2010 . At least there is something to look forward to in December xP .

2009-09-17T20:31:00.002+08:00

YAY! The prelims is over ! Ole . * Side note : The o level is coming in about 30 days * Ahhh, just finish prelims but then the o levels start already =.=!ll. Anyway, the good thing about exams is that we get to go home early , and seems much less tiring as opposed to the normal school days which end at about 4pm . =D . Wonder if there will be going to be structured remedials in the next few weeks . Bleh , only after i looked at the exam schedule that i realised how close the o levels really are.

Sigh , for some reasons all the papers seem to be killer papers , in particular the a.math paper 1 ( Darn , obviously set by Mrs Goh ) . Hopefully i can still secure the A =D . Chemistry paper 1 was , as expected , difficult ( it was set by Mdm yaw after all ) . Some of the questions seemed to have ambiguous answers which people argue about , for example the last question , Q40. Biology paper 1 and 2 was a scam, a scam!!! Hope could so many of the questions come out from the prelim papers that Ms Diana compiled for us . Of course , I am complaining about this because i didn't do the last few prelim papers =.= . Groan.

Last friday , i went to Suntec to watch Jump! The taekwondo that they did was amazing - their flips defying all laws of gravity and spins . At the same time , it was a non-verbal comedy with many jokes . The crew even asked one Singaporean , which they called " Singapore master " , to go up on the stage and "fight" one of the actors there by emulating what they do. Darn , i have the autographed ticket of the Jump! admission ticket but i can't seem to find a camara around ( no , my handphone does not have a camara cause it is the most high-class handphone ever ) . =( .

Good luck to all for the prelim results and the upcoming o levels ! Hope all the people who are retaking Chinese who will get the results they want.

2009-09-05T12:05:00.000+08:00

Friday : Okay ... The A.math paper was really bad . Think i timed myself wrongly ( only had about 5-10 minutes to check the last question ) . During the paper , when i asked for paper from Mrs Goh ,she showed me 3 papers and asked me to choose one ( went like BLEH like that also have to choose ) . Only later then i realised that it was because many people asked her for graph paper to redraw it . Anyhow , I got the last question wrong( A and B wrong answer ) so probably i have lost 10+ marks for that. It's like deja vu since i got the quotion rule wrong in SA1 . My only strand of hope left is in A. Math Paper 2 , until i heard from someone ( Zhi Ting if i'm not wrong ) that the Paper 2 is even worse . Thanks , that would make the one week holiday a plesent one.

After that , some of us went to the Kou Fu in westmall to eat . As usual , I had my 饺子拉面 which was nice as always . Their noodle 很有弹性，又 Q ! We met Leonard , KT and a few others there as well. Looks like many people were eating from the ramen store . Then , we went bowling at the CSC nearby . Sigh , i got 75, 75, 76 . Low standard deviation and low mean score . People one the left had scores < 100 ( An hua , Hoe xian and I ) . People on the right had scores > 100 ( Derrick , Shao lun and Jia Zhe ) . Maybe our lane has this " bad luck aura " =( ! Nonetheless , we went to Derrick's house after that . Played dota with Clarance ( Note : With , not against ) , and managed to , somehow , clinch a victory . xD . There was this fighting game at his house called Tekken and there are little to no special techniques in the game . One thing is for sure though , the finger ache that comes with it ( mostly the left thumb ) . Don't really feel like typing so much so I'll end here, since there isn't anything else to write about anyway . :D .

2009-08-21T21:19:00.000+08:00

YAY! I got an A2 for Chinese Mother Tongue and a Distinction for oral ! That's way better than i expected it to be ( B3 or less ) . Guess the examiners at MOE are less strict as opposed to LCL :D! Actually , I didn't believe it when i first heard it and started to think that a letter from MOE would come and tell me that my score is printed wrongly @.@!~ Luckily , that's not the case .

Friday : Our classroom seats had to be rearranged in preparation for the upcoming Prelims. Wow , prelims are but just 3 days away . Fast huh ? Anyway , good luck to those sitting at the corner of the classroom ; the ventilation there is simply atrocious due to the newspaper curtains and lack of fans in that area. Ms Lau said that we effectively only have 1 more week of lessons with her as the rest of the time is devoted to the prelims and mock examinations . Wow , the o levels are really approaching at a fast but steady pace . Anyhow , all the best to all the sec 4s who are taking the prelim !

In the afternoon , I went to Eunos with Derrick , who needs to go there to get his mouse repaired since his mouse is still under warranty. The address that Derrick obtained from a forum is false ! ( well , partially correct ) This caused us to walk meaninglessly for 1 1/2 hours , just to find that the building we were looking for was one that we walked pass previously the first time we got there. =.=! Anyway , its okay . Just take it as a mini amazing race where teams get lost and ask around for directions . :D! Anyway , when we reached there , Derrick managed to get his mouse changed after numerous tests were conducted on the mouse . They gave away free rubric cubes though , which had an extremely stupid design where you can't tell the difference between the sides as they all look the same ._.!ll . Why can't they just use 6 colors for the rubric's cube instead of all the designs ? I bought a $5 headphone from the secluded service centre which is on the fourth floor of one of the many buildings in Eunos . Surprisingly , although it only cost me a mere $5 , the sound quality is not too bad !

Additional information : I love Derrick's " cable spliter " thing . It allows two headphones or earphones to be plucked into his iPod at 1 shot ! :D

2009-08-14T23:33:00.000+08:00

Bleh , the Chinese O level results were released . I feel like I got cheated so many times ! Firstly , it was supposed to be on Tuesday , but no announcement was made , so it was assumed that it will be released on Wednesday . Then , LCL went to our class and said that the results were to be released next Wednesday ( which is also the day when our English Listening Comprehension is on ) , so I was like arghhh. For some reason , there were messages saying that Ms Jasmine Tay said the results will be released on Wednesday ( which is probably fake since she’s a math teacher anyway ) , but the glimmer of hope was still there! Nonetheless , it was said to be released at 9.00am so at 9.00am there was an announcement , which asked classes who hadn’t handed in their attendance sheet to the General Office . Cheated yet again . So it will really be released next Wednesday . Gambatte! Hope I can get an A2. :D
The fan –which happens to be behind the screen – is my best friend today ! With the visualiser thought to be malfunctioning and the fan in my direction , for once , I felt “cool “ . Of course , the fan did not stop the paper curtains from flying all around , which coincidently helped me regulate the amount of light shining on my table just about every 5 minutes . Thanks a lot! With the week coming to an end , the prelims are slowly but surely creeping in , not to mention the O levels .
Anyhow , today ( Friday ) I went with Derrick , An Hua and Shao Lun to Jurong Point to eat Long John Silver . The $4.40 value meal – which consisted of three chicken pieces and fries , which can beat Mcdonald fries hands down - was great . Hurray for Singapore’s birthday and all the little perks and discounts along with it! Derrick was constantly harassed by two females from the lower secondary , who constantly talk about him and *blank * . Anyhow , one of them was really lame ! Wakaka . Maybe I should 拜她为师。 >.< . We went to Popular to look for books and stationeries . For some reason , we ended up looking at the A level Ten Year Series. Not easy I assure you , having to write a 25 mark essay with the question only spanning a bit more than 1 line . It’s so unfair , examiners type out one sentence and us as candidates for the paper have to write an essay . Sigh. Anyhow , after much thought, I bought a Biology topical TYS by Dyna Publishers – who is infamous for giving incomplete answers . Figured I could do it during the September holidays as a revision for the Biology prelim. After awhile , we all went to Derrick’s house . As always , he asked me to play CS with him and I lost . Sheeesh . Always lose to him in that game . After a few rounds , we went ahead and tried to play in the public server . I am proud to say that the two “less pro people” (Shao Lun and I) died without any kills :D. For some reason , listening to people talk through the mike beside their com and complain about how they died and someone is hacking . It rocks since you can listen to people scolding Person X and hurling vulgarities in dialects and yet still be safe behind the screen of your computer :P . A rare opportunity indeed.

Random note : I really wanna see a fat Tamagotchi again . I think the fat Tamagotchi is so much cuter than the thin one . Maybe I should get Leonard to feed them peanuts :P.

2009-08-07T20:23:00.000+08:00

Hm, we had a "National Day Celebration " today , although it will probably be better off had it been a school day instead . =/ . I was just chatting the entire time and playing with different friends' handphone , such as chess ( which I lost to Jia Zhe during one of the match. Arghhh the phone application does not accept " castling " so i was checkmated ) and Pacman ( Which I broke the high score =D ) . We supported our class during the match against 4N1 ( if I'm not wrong ) but they lost 2:1 during the match. =/ Nice try anyway . Chemistry was supposed to start at 10.00am but Madam Yaw came at only around 10.45am since she took awhile longer to go through the November 2006 paper with 4E1 . As always ,being the most democratic teacher , she gave us the option of staying and waiting for her to finish or go home and forget about it . Not much of a choice if you ask me . She's a good teacher though no doubt - being able to inject humour and sarcasm in practically every lesson.

Shucks , netball isn't that easy , with no backing like the basketball stand . My sucess rate of shooting the basketball into the netball hoop is about 3% or less. Congratulations to Leon for finally shooting the basketball into the hoop ! * Applause *.

At Jurong point, I bought a cool wallet from the wallet shop! (To me at least) The meal at Jurong point was satisfying, since I hadn't eaten for about 20 hours (6.00pm to 2.00pm). Ouch, the hydrochloric acid in my stomach was pain. After I ate, I felt so bloated and could hardly walk since I requested for more noodle -_-!ll . Both ways seem equally bad. We then went to Derrick's house where we played CS (Counter Strike) and the PS2 (PlayStation 2). YAY I won Clarence in the soccer match when I used some unknown team from South Africa and he used Real Madrid with a score of 2:1. The last 4 minutes of the game (about 3 minutes in reality) hogging the ball and wasting time! Yahoo! Another amazing feat is that I lost to Derrick with the score of 9:2 (Usually its X: 0). Fair enough, surpassed my previous score by quite a bit. After we left, Clarence, An Hua and I went to the basketball court near Derrick's house. For the first time, I played in half a court with 5 basketballs being shot. (5 groups of people, presumably). Every time someone goes below the hoop, they must be careful of balls that may have strayed off course. One girl who was there got hit by a basketball three times. Ouch.

P.S.: I'm quite scared about the Chinese O level results release. Chinese is my Achilles heel.

2009-08-04T17:59:00.002+08:00

:D 5 more days to National Day and I am happy to say that I have yet to hang the Singapore flag . Too cumbersome ya know . Today we did the N.E. Quiz ( with plenty of propaganda no doubt ) ; darn it should have done all the 3 stars first . At least I managed to get an Expert builder rank , unlike Person X who managed to get a Junior Builder >.< ! This year's national day song is weird - the lyrics , the singer and all - although it isn't that bad to me . =/ . Sigh ,I find myself always wanting to sleep all the time nowadays . Simply too many things to do , and so little time .

P.S. : I can't get the " Insomnia " song out of my head now .

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My MINI PC Guide

- This guide is meant to help those with little understanding of computer parts.
- It is very brief - please contact me via MSN to know more.
- This guide contains personal opinions and may not be taken seriously.

With regards to recent inquires on which computer to buy / get or build, I shall have the honour of explaining the pros and cons of the computer builds.

DIY OR NON-DIY

I would say DIY for more variation, creative touch, personal touch and better functionality for cost-performance ratio.
However, non-DIY computers save you the trouble of building one from scratch.

CPU: INTEL OR AMD

With both being major CPU chips making companies in the world, it does take a while to decide on which you prefer.

A brief overview:
AMD - Better price/performance ratio, for average performance and cost. Inferior to Intel in performance.

INTEL - More expensive compared to AMD for similar range of processors, but at a better performance which may be at least 1.5X more superior. Best for computer enthusiasts and
those seeking to overclock their computers.

CPU: Processor type

You might probably ask - Dual core or Core 2 Duo? Is there any difference?
Yes, there is.

Both cores utilises 2 cores to process data - one cpu but 2 processors inside, but Core 2 Duo has a faster threading speed, thus doing work faster than Dual core processors, given the same clock frequency (e.g. 2.6Ghz)

However, currently, Quad-Core (4 processors in one CPU) and Core i7 are also out in the market. The prices are different significantly, hence depending on your usage, choose wisely.

Dual Core/Core2Duo - Standard work, normal gaming
Core2Quad - Performance gaming, video rendering
Core i7 - Enthusiasts, everything else possible

CPUs come in various clock frequencies, like 2.0Ghz, 2.5Ghz...
It does not necessarily mean that the higher the better, it is better to look at the processor type first than the clock frequency.

An example -
Core 2 Duo at 3.0Ghz ($289)
Core 2 Quad at 3.0Ghz ($789)
Pentium D at 3.0Ghz ($89)

Note the difference in prices?
Although all of them are clocked at the same frequency, all of them are very different in the speed at which they process data.

Motherboard

This is the most important part of the machine. It is the circuit board which different parts are connected and work together.

It is best to choose a suitable motherboard that suits your processor.
AMD motherboard is not compatible with Intel processors and vice versa.
Usually, processors and motherboards are sold in a bundle for cost and compatability issues.

Be sure to check out the following when buying:
- RAM slots (Best if 4 for P45 architecture mobos, or 6 for X58 mobos)
- USB slots
- PCI-e slots
- CPU socket

Optional
- Beauty
- Lightings

Graphics Card

This is important for playing games, and the rendering of images onto your computer screen is determined by your graphics card.
It is difficult to go in depth into graphics card explanation hence I will just highlight the important points.

Latest graphics cards usually play the latest games, but at a cost. I recommend medium-budget graphics card as technology always changes and changing graphics cards will happen biannually.

Do not pick graphics card as and how you like. Decide between AMD/NVidia depending on your motherboard.

For more information about it, contact me via MSN.

CD/DVD drive

Buy this if needed.
If Blu-ray reading/burning is not needed, do not buy blu-ray compatible drives.

Power supply

Another important asset of the computer which is occasionally overlooked.
When buying a powerful computer, make sure the power supply is capable of providing enough power for your computer.

RAM

1 GB is the bare minimum these days, normal computers run at 2GB. Gaming computers running Vista run at 4GB RAM.

Choose a RAM module that is compatible with your motherboard.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Gaming system
CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9550 +
Motherboard: Gigabyte EP45-UD3R ($534)
Graphics Card: Palit GTX 285 ($499)
or (CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE) ASUS ATI Radeon HD4850 ($229)
RAM: Corsair XMS2 DHX PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL4 4GB (2X2GB) ($99)
HDD: Western Digital 500GB 32MB Black ($100)
PSU: Corsair HX520W PSU ($150)

Hardcore system
CPU: Core i7-975 Extreme Edition ($1499)
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage II EXtreme ($450)
Graphics Card: ASUS ENGTX295 GeForce GTX 295 ($899)
RAM: HyperX DDR3-1600 triple-channel kit (3 x 1GB) ($99)
HDD: Western Digital Blue 640GB ($199)
PSU: Any 1000W PSU (~$249)

Do not forget to add on a casing which will cost between $50-$200, and monitor for about $200 and Operating system (if you need) for about $200.

OTHERS

Extreme
Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition & ASUS Rampage II Extreme ~ $2170
Corsair DOMINATOR TR3X6G1600C8D DDR3-1600MHz 6GB (3X2GB) Kit~ $508
Palit HD4870 X2 CrossFireX ~ $1600
or Dual Leadtek GTX295 ~ $1558
SSD 160GB - 320GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB for Storage ~ $168
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Corsair HX1000W PSU ~ $385
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400

Total ~ $5XXX

Intel Core i7-950 & ASUS Asus P6T Deluxe ~ $1356
or Intel Core i7-950 & ASUS Asus P6T-SE ~ $1195
Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 Classic DDR3-1600MHz 6GB Kit (3X2GB) ~ $408
Palit HD4870 X2 CrossFireX ~ $1600
or Dual Leadtek GTX295 ~ $1558
or ASUS HD4890 Voltage Tweak CrossFireX ~ $738
SSD 160GB - 320GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB for Storage ~ $168
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson MT8 AD-M800A2 800W PSU ~ $215
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400

Total ~ $4XXX

Intel Core i7-920 & ASUS Asus P6T-SE ~ $772
or Intel Core i7-920 & Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R ~ $797
Team Elite DDR3-1333MHz 6GB Kit (3X2GB) ~ $148
ASUS HD4890 Voltage Tweak CrossFireX ~ $738
or Gigabyte GTX275 SLI ~ $758
SSD 64GB - 128GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB for Storage ~ $168
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson MT8 AD-M800A2 800W PSU ~ $215
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400

Total ~ $3XXX

High-End Systems

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3R ~ $691
Corsair XMS2 DHX PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL4 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $99
Palit GTX285 ~ $499 or ASUS HD4890 Voltage Tweak ~ $369 or Gigabyte GTX275 ~ $379
SSD 64GB - 80GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB for Storage ~ $168
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Corsair HX620W PSU ~ $174
Cooler Master ATCS 840 ~ $400

Total ~ $2XXX

Mid-Range Systems

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3R ~ $534
Corsair XMS2 DHX PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL4 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $99
or AMD Phenom II X4 955 & MSI 790FX-GD70 ~ $591
Kingston ValueRam DDR3-1333MHz 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $98
Palit GTX285 ~ $499 or ASUS HD4890 Voltage Tweak ~ $369 or Gigabyte GTX275 ~ $379
Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB ~ $168
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Corsair HX620W PSU ~ $174
Cooler Master CM690 ~ $129

Total ~ $16XX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3R ~ $534
or AMD Phenom II X4 955 & DFI LANParty DK 790FXB M2RSH ~ $528
Corsair XMS2 DHX PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL4 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $99
PowerColor HD4870 1GB ~ $259 or Leadtek GTX260 Extreme+ ~ $299
Western Digital Caviar Blue 640GB ~ $95
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Corsair HX520W PSU ~ $146
Cooler Master CM690 ~ $129

Total ~ $12XX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3LR ~ $475
or AMD Phenom II X4 810 & DFI LANParty DK 790FXB M2RSH ~ $470
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
ASUS HD4890 Voltage Tweak ~ $369 or Gigabyte GTX275 ~ $379
Western Digital Caviar Blue 640GB ~ $95
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Aerocool E85 550W PSU ~ $139
Cooler Master CM690 ~ $129

Total ~ $12XX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3LR ~ $475
or AMD Phenom II X3 720 & DFI LANParty DK 790FXB M2RSH ~ $430
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
PowerColor HD4870 512MB ~ $229 or Palit HD4850 Sonic ~ $159
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G530W PSU ~ $79
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $11XX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 & Gigabyte EP45-UD3LR ~ $475
or AMD Phenom II X3 720 & DFI LANParty DK 790FXB M2RSH ~ $430
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
Palit HD4850 Sonic ~ $159 or Palit HD4850 ~ $139
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G480W PSU ~ $65
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $9XX

Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 & MSI P43 NEO3-F ~ $321
or AMD Phenom II X3 720 & Biostar TA760G ~ $310
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
PowerColor HD4870 1GB ~ $259 or Leadtek GTX260 Extreme+ ~ $299
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G530W PSU ~ $79
Cooler Master CM690 ~ $129

Total ~ $9XX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 & MSI P43 NEO3-F ~ $400
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
or AMD Phenom II X3 720 & Biostar TA790GX A3+ ~ $399
Kingston ValueRam DDR3-1333MHz 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $98
Palit HD4850 Sonic ~ $159 or Palit HD4850 ~ $139
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G480W PSU ~ $65
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $8XX

Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 & MSI P43 NEO3-F ~ $321
or AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE & Biostar TA760G ~ $259
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
Palit HD4850 Sonic ~ $159 or Palit HD4850 ~ $139
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G480W PSU ~ $65
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $7XX

Intel Pentium E6300 & MSI P43 NEO3-F ~ $259
or AMD Athlon II X2 250 & Biostar TA760G ~ $230
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 4GB (2X2GB) ~ $70
Palit HD4850 Sonic ~ $159 or Palit HD4850 ~ $139
Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB ~ $82
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G480W PSU ~ $65
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $6XX

Budget Systems

Intel Pentium E6300 & Biostar G31-M7 ~ $189
or AMD Athlon II X2 245 & Biostar TA760G
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 2GB ~ $35
Palit 9600GT ~ $139
Western Digital Caviar® Blue™ 320 GB ~ $70
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Andyson G480W PSU ~ $65
Cooler Master Elite 334 ~ $59

Total ~ $5XX

AMD Athlon II X2 245 & Biostar TA760G ~ $195
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 2GB ~ $35
Palit HD4670 Super ~ $129
Western Digital Caviar® Blue™ 320 GB ~ $70
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Casing ~ $40
Cooler Master 390W ~ $55

Total ~ $5XX

Entry Level Systems

AMD Athlon X2 5200+ & Biostar TA760G ~ $175
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 2GB ~ $35
Western Digital Caviar® Blue™ 160 GB ~ $58
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Casing ~ $40
Cooler Master 390W ~ $55

Total ~ $3XX

AMD Athlon X2 5200+ & Biostar TA690G ~ $155
Kingston ValueRam PC2-6400 DDR2-800 1GB ~ $23
Hitachi 80GB ~ $50
Samsung SATA 22X DVD Rewriter ~ $31
Casing ~ $40
Cooler Master 390W ~ $55

Total ~ $3XX

Source : Derrick's blog
Written by : Derrick

2009-08-01T12:01:00.000+08:00

:P The newspaper article on today's ( as in today , not Today newspaper ) life section , the one above the comics section is rather disturbing yet hilarious. It talks about how this guy was using Twitter during the Singapore vs Liverpool match and how the " live chat " goes , as well as how its a completely different ball game ( soccer is a ball game ) altogether .

Anyhow , yesterday there was also this show on AZN on " Breaking the Magician's Code " which reveals some of the tricks - no, illusions - that magicians in the past and present use . As many know , the unspoken rule amongst magicians is to :
1 ) Not reveal any tricks
2 ) Not to expose any other magician who is doing a trick

As such , to protect the guy from getting whacked by magicians , be it through magic , illusions or their fists , he wears a mask . * Wonder where he paints it * I feel so scammed after watching it ! Everything seems to have a little gimmick which allows a person to slip away quickly . My father said " Anything with thickness , you can be assured that there is something going on there " , which is quite true . Sometimes i feel like whacking the commentator on the show . In one case , the masked magician was doing this trick involving the use of a handkerchief and supposedly " catch a spirit " . The lame commentator said that there must be some " hanky panky " going on there -_-!ll . Of course , there are other instances where he uses these jokes .

Random fact : Smurf is actually an acronym for Small Man Under Red Father O.o!

2009-07-28T18:05:00.000+08:00

Wow , isn't it strange that only when Michael Jackson dies due to the over dosage of some drugs ( so they claim ) does his album sell like hot cakes ? Maybe it suddenly dawned unto people that such a person actually existed , or opportunist feel that this is a good time to grab the Michael Jackson limited edition album so that it appreciates in value in the future.

Today's PE lesson was fun - played floor ball . It's super tiring despite how simple it sounds , can't remember when was the last time I was so tired. The effects of rapid global warming can be felt as the heat is simply unbearable . I guess in the future, indoor sports like bowling will be the in thing :P . Note to school : Please do not put the secondary four students on the 6th floor . Having to climb 5 stories before the sun even rises and having to climb up the same 5 stories right after P.E. lesson is no joke .

P.S. : "Emo " now that i saw Leonard's sweet smelling bread tear into two .

2009-07-25T16:02:00.000+08:00

I just realised that "stomp.sg " is a wonderful place to get information and get a good laugh . Some of the comments made and " Singapore seen " are simply hilarious in the stupid way .

Weird fact : You can actually get fined in the MRT for drinking water . Imagine if you just came back from work and want to drink water but fear the fine =.=!ll . Singapore truly is a fine city .

2009-07-23T18:06:00.002+08:00

Hurray successfully finished our Chinese presentation without much scolding ! ( Which is quite rare by the way ) We should have taken the last chapter though ; high chance of not having to do it since the o' level results are said to be released after National Day . Anyhow , I hope to secure an A2 for Chinese ! That would be exceeding the expectation of LCL ( who predicts that I will get a B3 ) . Good luck to all WHO I KNOW sitting for the exam ( if everyone does well , there will be moderation and I will score lower ) .

Wow the prelims are really coming soon , in about 1 month or so ! Hope I will not have to resit Chinese ... ... ...

2009-07-21T17:57:00.003+08:00

Monday :
Okay ... Oral English today was weird ; of all topics , a topic about grandparents ( whom I do not know that much about ) . Anyway , somehow managed to wriggle my way through the oral despite the numerous bombardments Mrs Toh were hurling. The Chinese lesson was over quickly as she wanted volunteers to help out or bring stuff for the next day( Racial Harmony Day ) . Mrs Goh seems so nice , asking us to spend less time on Math and concentrate on other subjects . Speaking of which , she's the only person who doesn't really accuse us of doing other subjects during her lesson ( probably because we're always doing math to other subjects ) .

Tuesday :
Hmmm... We had to do NE quiz on our school for half the lesson . So many of the questions seemed so dumb , such as : " I like my school " ( on every other page ) , and some questions which deserve a "Strongly Disagree" such as " I like to do Project work " ( Ref. Chinese project work ) . Overall ? Half the questions were given a "disagree ".
Even to date , Electromagnetic induction is still so confusing to me for some reason .(which is probably why it's the last chapter of the Physics textbook) . Mr Pu let us try 4 MCQs but i only know how to do about 2 of it @.@!~ . At least I learned about the difference between the " Left hand rule " and the " Right hand rule "

Anyway , tomorrow is the Chinese Listening Comprehension examination ! All those involved remember to bring your Entry proof ( Yellow paper ) and your IC / Passport .

2009-07-19T15:59:00.003+08:00

Friday:

School began as usual, except that we have about 7 periods to the usual 8 on the other weekdays. :D Went to eat at KFC with Jia Zhe , where we met Leonard , Aloisius , etc . Ruth bought a chicky meal, and she passed us the toy (in which case was a set of masks along with a couple of markers and crayons)! : P There was this cute elephant which had 2 trunks (mutation?). Anyway, the chicken at KFC is really nice (thus the name), although I didn't get to eat my nachos there. (They wrote add 50c for a trade-up but later they said it only applies for the Bandito pocket =.=!ll ) .

After school ended for the day (4.30, not 12.30), I went downstairs to see my beloved juniors who were playing captain's ball for their recreation. I joined them for awhile and kinda felt nostalgic since I was once a sec 1 as well. Anyhow , Jia zhe and I sat next to our seniors - who are 2 years older than us ; once our tormentor - and listen to our juniors shout . At least i didn't have to do that when i was secondary 1 , imagine having your classmates hear you shout in the middle of the basketball court . @.@ !

After 1.5 hours of doing nothing at the basketball court , Derrick , Shao lun , An hua , Leonard , Clarence and I went to westmall . As usual , when we are walking to the 941 busstop , the bus will be behind us , so we have to run to catch the bus . Genius Shao Lun told me to continue walking since Derrick was only a bit ahead of us , until derrick ran at least . At westmall , I ate my favourite kani mayo sushi ( it means crabmeat for those non-sushi lovers ) before meeting Mr pu and the others at the theatre . Darn , we wanted to go to the Value dollar shop and smuggle something inside but there wasn't enough time . Sigh .

The movie was relatively okay , although too much "bgr" ( boy-girl relationship ) in it . Derrick looked blur throughout the movie though , since its his first time watching Harry Potter . As such , I tried to explain or identify who is who in the movie . They were categorized until the " bad guy " and the " good guy " , Draco Malfoy obviously falling until the " bad guy " category . Well , he was obviously confused since Tom Riddle is the young Voldemort , and everyone in the movie probably looks alike . Ah well , many people said the movie makers left out a lot of content which can be found in the book but i suppose due to time contrictions they have to leave it out . From the movie , Harry Potter seriously seems lousy , knowing only one spell and reusing it for every occasion he deems fit . I want to visit the magic store though ( the one which sells love potions and all ) . So many cool stuff there !

After the movie , we bumped into my seniors again ! How coincidental! Anyhow , Mr Pu talked to them since they were his ex-students while we headed to subway ( new love ) . I ate the $5.90 deal which gives you a 6-inch bread along with 2 cookies and a drink . As always , I ordered the Parmesan oregano bread with Onions , Tomatos along with the sweet onion sauce ( which was recommended to me by a staff in subway once ) . Yum !~ Although its more expensive to the Mcdonald meal , keep telling yourself its healthy and it seems more worth it :D! Hope theres a subway even closer to our school soon ( beside Mcdonalds or something ) . At subway , we met Aloisius , Qin Li , Kel Lee and Vin Nee , although only aloisius sat down with us to talk . Since this blog entry seems really long i shall not elaborate further .

The 173 bus service at night is really "ghostly " . There's only 1 other person on the bus along with you and that person is the driver . The view en route is very nice though , seeing the empty bus stops and the moon :D . Fatigue got the better of me eventually . (I still stayed up until about 12.30am to watch anime.)

2009-07-18T23:27:00.002+08:00

Test test ! After spending 2 hours , the basic format is finally up ! Yay !