Speckled Green

This is something random, but I really want to work out why this is: Why do (most) guys insist on not reading instructions or maps, thinking and saying that they know how it works or is done, or where to go? I mean sure, if you’ve done it heaps of times and you’ve learnt it, ok, but so many times… I find it so stupid really.
The typical road trip, for example, with the guy driving and the girl trying uselessly to guide the guy, who insists he knows the way and isn’t listening, with the map. I mean come on…
Anyways, that was just something random that I wanted to rant about =] Oh, and I DO read instructions, and I DO read maps, and I DO listen to other people’s advice and such with things. You might’ve noticed that I’m not exactly a typical guy.

On Thursday 24th September, 2009, Year 9 students at Baulkham Hills High School started receiving their Lenovo netbooks. As I started writing this in a science lesson on Friday arvo in the library, I was talking to a friend in year 9 asking about them.

Aparrently, they have a program installed on them which prevents the running of exe files that haven’t been authorised (work around found within 2 hours of getting the netbook…). Internet Explorer 8 is automatically set-up to use the DET’s proxy server/internet portal. THEY HAVE RIGHT-CLICK ABILITIES (we at Baulko do not on the school comps…)!! They have (strangely) Windows Live Messenger installed on them already, but they aren’t allowed to use it… Office 2007 loaded in, and as far as I could tell, a fully licensed copy of Windows 7 Home Premium (I couldn’t tell if it was RC or not, but it looked like Retail…), Photoshop Elements 7, Google Sketch Up 7, and various other programs.

They get a free netbook and free software?! Grr… Anyways. The netbooks seem like pieces of junk compared to your usual laptop (13″, 14″, 15″, 16″, 17″ take your pick, they’re all better it seems), but then again, netbooks are meant to be ultra-portable, ultra-small, slimmed down laptops, so I guess that’s what you’d expect from them…

Talking about laptops, I wish Australia wasn’t so far behind the US with getting new hardware in computers. On Wednesday 23rd September (2009), Intel released the Clarksfield CPU, which is the mobile (laptop) version of the Core i7. At the time of release, Dell, HP, Asustek & Toshiba were the only people selling it. Dell immediately updated their laptop ranges, from Studio 15 upwards, to include the Core i7 as an option for the computers in the US. Australia? All we got was the top model of the Studio 15 and one of the Alienware laptops updated to include Core i7. I wonder how long till the other laptops get the new core… I’d like to my own laptop sometime in the next 4 months… But I need to study, so back to the science work (ARGH!!! SO MUCH STUFF TO REVISE!!!!)

From my first glimpse at it: AWESOME

From my first play at it: AWESOME

From my 2nd play at it: STILL AWESOME

I haven’t actually played it Solo yet, I’ve been playing it with my brother and one of his friends, Lee Kennedy.

And I’ve only seen half the game.

Firefight. Is. Awesome. And so is having Sergeant Major Avery Johnston as a character skin.

There have been many tweaks with game play, game engine, weapons and vehicles for the game (like now, Banshees can hover, they don’t just drift to the ground!!) including running with a detached turret is a lot faster!! I love the new Nav map. Too bad it’s in 3D. When you want to see a section that is under a looming building, it get blocked out =[

Still, for a quick play, it’s an awesome game. (Still can’t work out how an ODST can flip a warthog the exact same way the Master Chief does (it flips high into the air), or how they still do such a strong melee (then again, it’s a lot weaker than the MC, so I guess they did change it), or how an ODST can rip off a turret anyway.)

Love the soundtrack for Halo 3: ODST. It really sounds awesome. As usual, Martin O’Donnell & Michael Salvatori have done an excellent job.

I was going to write something positive, but I forgot what =P

Anyways, had to perform at the Orange Blossom Festival Band Gala today with the Senior Band. Too bad some people didn’t turn up (*glares at Bryan Ho & Karan B.*). It went reasonably well though. Mark has decided that the band’s problem is that we too nervous/afraid of performing in front of people, so he’s making us have to do solos (ie perform a solo piece in front of the band) at an undefined rehearsal. Much fun. I suppose now would be a good time to practise a random piece. Problem is, I don’t have any harder pieces, after giving up on exams and then not bothering with lessons with my tutor… I’ll turn up something, I’m sure…

Before I go on, I’d just like to mention that Spam is a canned pork product by the Hormel Foods Corporation. It is also many other things, like the previous post by Jazz.

I’d just like to say sorry.

Sorry for being boring.

Sorry for being annoying. Read more »

Really, how STUPID can you get?! 2 girls stuck down a storm water drain pipe, and what do they do? Use their MOBILE PHONE to go on the INTERNET to go to FACEBOOK to update their profile saying that they were stuck down a drain. STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID. Sorry for this, but what’s to say they were blonde?

WHY in the WORLD would you NOT use your mobile phone, which could apparently access the internet perfectly (which means you have perfectly good phone reception), to call 000, rather than hoping your friends on Facebook would? Geez, youths these days. I swear they get more stupid by the year… What do these kids do in school anyway? From Kindergarten onwards, what do they keep on teaching you to do in an emergency? Call 000… HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW THAT AT 12 YEARS OF AGE?! Ohk, I’m done being shocked at the stupidity of some people

Hopefully will get around to posting about tour tomorrow (need to do more work on science, geo & english)…

Anyways, I found it interesting that in the Dell Online store, it was cheaper to go for the more costly (starting price) Studio 17 laptop and customise it to what I wanted than to start with the cheapest Studio 17 laptop and customise that to what I want… odd, isn’t it?

Another thing for me to note is that I am STILL unable to fully fling myself back into working like I was before Band Tour. I miss being with my friends all day. I miss playing around more often. I miss playing at performances… maybe these band tours are too much of a great time =]

Anyways, bed time for me (or my mum will be annoyed with me big time), which reminds me of how on tour I would be the first to go to sleep in my room group (Martin & Sean coming in 2nd & 3rd seemingly)… but I’ll save all that for another day =]

“Doctor Halsey and her Spartans deserve the utmost respect, Colonel. And if you wish to keep your newly acquired position on the Security Council, you will show them that respect, or I will personally kick you from here to Melbourne. Those ‘freaks’ have more confirmed kills than any three divisions of ODSTs and have garnered every major citation the UNSC awards. Those ‘freaks’ have personally saved my life twice, as well the lives of most of the senior staff here at HighCom. Keep your bigotry in check, Colonel. Do you understand?!!”
—Lord Terrence Hood

Back from Band Tour peoples!!! Now, to catch up with stuff from school, write about tour, and point you to some photos of it on Facebook.

More later (when I’ve got time and I’m bothered)

Edit: I feel disorientated with life at home after tour… I believe that seems like a very weird thing…