College Icon 2005 Finals

The final round in which nearly manage to compete in took place at Zouk last Friday. Thanks to Roshan And Faruqi being caught in the biggest traffic the universe has ever seen, they picked me up late and arrived way too late. The bouncers won't let anyone in, even with a ticket. But somehow some guy pointed at me and got me in. My reputation precedes me.

By the time I got in, all the performances are over. That was the last regret I ever had in the entire College Icon experience this year. Apparently they all blew the crowd away. I did manage to catch a few pictures as I may never see these talented people again.


Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/29/2005 10:30:00 AM

Today's Tech Tip - Zip File Opening & WinRar

Old Windows versions require an installed application to read .zip files. Just go search 'zip' at www.download.com. With Windows XP, you don't have to do that; the OS can open it for you quick and easy. But things are different to those who installed WinRar. You may have unintentionally set WinRar as the default app upon installation to open .zip files as well. Some of you downloaded WinRar to read .rar files and nothing else. I recommend that you stick with Windows XP's quick and easy way. To reset the default program, follow these steps:

1. Open up any normal folder, My Documents will do
2. Tools >> Folder Options
3. Go to File Types tab
4. Scroll to the bottom of the box, and highlight ZIP
5. Look at Details for ZIP extension. Make sure it says 'Opens with: Compressed (zipped) Folders'
6. If it does not, click the Change button.
7. Select Compressed (zipped) Folders and click OK. Then click close.

You're done; you can now access your .zip files in a window like accessing normal folders. Note: copying and pasting with .zip files is slightly harder, so it is best to extract the desired files first.
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/28/2005 09:52:00 PM

How To Be A Malaysian Idol

A step by step process of how to get some of that limelight on yourself. Its simple, really.

1. First, lose some weight till you're 40-50kg. You gotta be slim slim slim!

2. Get a REAL Ah-beng haircut. For maximum ah-bengness, your hairstylist himself must be real ah-beng WITH a real ah-beng haircut.

3. Then dye it! Brown, blonde, streak, highlight, anything! Just make sure its not original color.

4. Sing a Josh Groban song in front of your mirror. Not sure if you can reach the high notes? Great! You're all set!

5. Time to audition. But do not audition in KL. I recommend Penang or Ipoh, preferably Penang; And if you're not from there, just pretend that you are. Use an English first name that Chinese-speaking people can easily pronounce. Eg. Vick, Andrew, Daniel, etc.

6. Present yourself well. Wear something an ah-beng would wear to the mall. Buy accessories from any pasar malam. By now, you should look something like this:



7. On the day of audition, keep calm and collected. No sudden movements, loud noises, or over-the-top facial expressions. Just keep cool. Do not do anything to draw too much attention to yourself. Blend in.

8. Choose a song that you like to sing. If asked why, just say 'because very nice' or something. Be sure not to sing too much, stop at the right time. And right after that say something innocent. 'Sorry very nervous' would be near perfection.

9. Before you know it, you're in KL sitting around with the top 100. You must behave and speak like an ah-beng. For reference, observe Victor and Daniel on video or stalk them yourself, whichever you prefer.

10. Sing your favourite songs and put a very absorbed look while you're at it. Pretend that you're really into the song. Closing your eyes is a must, depending on the emotional level of the song.


Ah-beng songs are usually emo, so close your eyes more. In fact, when it gets climactic, pull all your muscles around your eyes.

11. Don't look now, but you're already in the top 30. By this time, your hair MUST be different. Trim it, re-color it, make it funkier, anything. Again, sing your favourite songs that 'touches your heart' or 'move your spirit' or whatever.

12. No matter what the judges say, just mutter a 'thank you'. Unless, of course, they ask a question. Then you must think before you respond. Ah what the heck, just say 'yeah'. When Paul Moss says something like 'Ah, anyway, all the girls will love you', it is a REALLY good sign.

13. Whoa, being top 10 seems to be a surprise for you. Remember to get all huggy and teary-eyed when the news breaks in.

14. Your performances from now on must be up to mark. That is why you must sing in a Chinese accent. Let the whole world think that you never learned English till you were fifteen.

15. Whenever Jien gives you a chance to say something, always thank your 'fans'. Thank your voters like you're in love with them.

16. Always smile! And whenever you bow, don't to it professionally. See how Robbie Williams does it? Don't imitate him, his showmanship is good.

17. IMPORTANT: Pretend you're modest.

18. Sing your way up to the top 3. By then, you don't have to worry about singing anymore. You just have to make the audience love you because of your flaws or hate you because other people love you. Either one will be fine. A mix will be good.

19. Watch with pleasure when Paul Moss gives a resigned look, wondering why the guy he keeps shooting down lasted this long.



20. Congratulations. You are now the next Malaysian Idol. If you ended up second or third, it means that there is still a bit of Western influence left in you. Oh well, you still get to sell albums with your name on it.

There you are. 20 easy steps. Here are some top-class graduates.


Daniel, the Malaysian Idol himself. Aww. don't you just 'love' him?


Vick, who passed with flying colors. Just feel his ah-bengness oozing from him.


Victor, who has so much potential. Picture says it all.


Andrew, not a perfect example but did great anyway.

Oh, I forgot to mention that you have to be a Chinese lad for best results. Hmmm.. in that case, please vote for me if you see me on TV. Nyeks..:P
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/25/2005 04:42:00 PM

Jobless at court

On the 23rd of September 2005, our dear Pauline Ngiam has officially become a court lawyer. As part of the elaborate installation process, there was a thing called a 'long call of the bar' or something like that. It was an event where a few newbie lawyers present themselves and the judge will accept and officialize it all. Friends and family of those lawyers can attend to show support.

This is where a bunch of jobless roadies come in.

Roy, Winston, Sarah Teo, Edward Soong, Yee San and myself arrived at Masjid Jamek LRT Station at 8:47am.


We took our seats at the back of RKKK1, whatever it stood for. Pauline's roadies took so much space the family members of the other newbie lawyers (sorry, I don't know the proper terms) did not all get to sit. Marcus, Paik Yang and Joliana arrived a little late. We met Pat Woo outside the room, around to show support to Pauline. With quick tactful movements, I slyly manage to take a picture from inside the court.


One by one, the ten newbie lawyers rise from the bench and some veteran lawyer representative guy (again, poor with the terms) will read his/her resume-like speech for them. When the three seemingly important lawyers sitting in front each mention that they have no objections, the judge will announce the installation. I can't remember what she said, but every one of them began with 'Dengan kuasa yang diberikan kepada saya'. After that, another seemingly important lawyer-guy will rise and put a big-black-robe thing (I suck with my terms, I'll never be a lawyer) on the specified newbie lawyer. With that, he/she will return to the bench.

After the long call ended, I slyly took another picture while pretending to speak with my accomplices.


Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/24/2005 10:14:00 AM

To build highway on your lawn

Talk about dumb. Another reason to hate the government.
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/22/2005 11:02:00 AM

One post to rule some of them all..

I haven't blogged in a while, plus I have so much stuff to 'cover'. I shall chuck them all in one grandioso of a post.

Start off with last friday, 16 September 2005: my birthday. *Thunder & Lightning* (only without the thunder).
I rushed all the way to college for group discussion which I thought I was late for, only to find that I wasn't needed there. Thanks Laily. I made Yi Lin wait when I'm supposed to meet her.
Ah well, fastforward to MY FIRST PAINTBALLING SESSION EVER. It was like totally awesome, though I kinda sucked at getting my bullets to land on a specified target. So much for tactics, John Lian actually ramboed me knowing well that he would be shot at like rainfall. Phan moved like a sloth when shooting and hiding behind a barrier. Christopher had a seemingly foolproof strategy that is to move ahead before the enemy does, but due to lack of the 'moving ahead' part we kinda lost. Sin Wah fought bravely and lasted long. Tan Kok Earn had a pretty bad bruise from a point-blank shot by John the rambo. Junn Yeong displayed veteran skills by lying on his chest to shoot. Weng Leong even rolled himself to safety. Wai Lim's determination has landed him some success. John Lian's friend, a girl, shocked us with her underlying combat accuracy. Kishan yelled a warcry after the ref told him that I ran out of bullets, a fact that I did not realize until after I died in a final desperate assault. Its a good pastime, try it if you have fifty bucks lying around. Oh, and my next-door neighbor had an Indian funeral.

Moving on to Saturday 17th Sept 2005. Took part in a little competition in my church called 'The Preacher'. The title is self-explanatory. I don't how I won, but I know it didn't mean I have the knack for giving a sermon. That night we crashed Pauline's place for a invite-only barbecue. Thanks, Wins! Click here for Wan's account. The roasted weiner-and-crabstick on a stick topped with thick mayo was simply delicious. Learned a game called Snap, which I lost to Yu Jin on my first try, and his, too. Was this close to being dragged and dumped into the pool with my jeans on. I was smart enough to grab hold of my phone with my unpry-able hands. My birthday was the day before, too late for two strong men to displace my pitiful self onto a body of water.


Moving on to Sunday 18 Sept 2005. Realized that I was pretty wide awake in the morning although I only had five hours of sleep. This discovery is a milestone to the day when I can finally figure out how to unstone. Finished all my homework due Monday. ADP is no joke when it comes to coursework; no homework, no marks. End of story. Spent the rest of the day bumming and watching Bleach. Kurosaki Ichigo had one too many near-death expriences.

Monday came and went like a passing plane. It felt pretty good having to pass up my homework knowing that I actually finished them on time. Now I have to tackle a fifteen-page short story, a much-fussed-over psychology lab report and a literature research document all to be done by mid October. Now that I think about it, I shall scream. ARRGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. End of scream.

Tuesday, tuesday, tuesday. Ephraim and I impromptuly went to Dota at MMORPG, the home of Blueserver 3. He borrowed Roshan's car to get there and he got pulled over by a cop for not wearing the safety belt. Tsk tsk tsk. Ef and the cop reached an agreement that he will drop the summons for an admin fee of RM20 (It's a bribe if you don't get it). Ef gave RM50 and guess what, the cop came back with RM30 change.

Wednesday, today, 21st Sept two double-O five. Learned about classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Both involve having to associate an external stimulus whether neutral, positive or negative to a feeling (emotion or anxiety) or the learning of a desired action from the subject. Psychology is complicated. For dinner, I met up with Roy, Yee San, Winston, Choi Wan and Pauline. We talked about things: blogger conspiracies, local movies and TV, gay bars and their strange names, courtroom judge assassination, the significant roles of Malays in this nation, and other things that escaped my memory for now. Roy will leave for UK this Saturday morning. But Friday we will have an adventure at a court session brought to you by Pauline Ngiam, lawyer lawyer.


Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/21/2005 11:28:00 PM

Coldplay X&Y Album Art Generator

Coldplay fan? You might realize that the funny shapes and colours on their latest album's cover actually stands for 'X&Y'. You too can create a similar image using any letters of your choice. Check it out.


Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/16/2005 10:23:00 AM

Harry Gonner and the Half-Nerd Prince - #1

This is the official launching of my new series of the above title. To better understand the humour in it, you should have at least watched any of the original Harry Potter movies or read any of the books, preferably The Half Blood Prince. Enjoy.

It was a dark and stormy night, only because too many people like to start off a story that way. Harry Gonner sat by the window of his cramped-up room, waiting in anticipation. His pet owl, Hedbig, had already fallen asleep at the corner, which is illogical considering that owls are nocturnal creatures. Taking another sip of his Mocha Frappucino™ that he magically conjured himself, Harry scanned the horizon once more.

Due to lack of space in his room, his smaller possessions were placed on the ceiling using magic. The fact is that Harry is gotten so lazy, his dependancy on magic to do things have very much increased. While the usage of magic is forbidden outside the magical realm, Harry has managed to elude expulsion by simply bribing the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to his dead father's immense fortune, he can perform magic anytime anywhere anyplace. He has bribed the ministry so much, his name appears in every annual budget report, which he receives regularly.

A car arrived and stopped right at the front door. Harry's headmaster had finally come to take him away from the dump in which he lived. Without moving an inch of his butt, he waved his wand saying 'Pack my things'; everything in the room started floated into a luggage and arranged themselves. Harry had decided that muttering gibberish to cast magic is lame, hence he gives direct orders to his wand to do his bidding.

Downstairs, Uncle Vermin answered the door, furious because it was the middle of the night. Professor Dumbndumber stood at the doorstep, clad in a full black suit complete with a black tie. He was trying to impersonate a government official but his huge thick beard was a dead giveaway.

Dumbndumber: Good evening, Mr. Wursley. I am here to pick up Mr. Harry Gonner.

Uncle Vermin : Who are you?

Dumbndumber: I am er.. (looks at cue card ready in his palm) Jack Johnson from the erm... (looks again) gov-err-ment.

*Wizards have never heard of the word 'government' before. Dumbndumber picked up a muggle dictionary.

Uncle Vermin : And what kind of business did that boy got himself mixed up with??

Dumbndumber: He is now under the custody of the gov-err-ment in the process of transferring him to a legit foster family. I hope you have no objections..

Uncle Vermin : Well no, none at all! Please, take him away! He scares the family with his magic and made slaves out of us!

Dumbndumber: Is that so? Well now, you no longer have to put up with him. Ah, there he is now.

Harry trodded down the stairs with his luggage dutifully floating behind. He stepped out, joining Dumbndumber as Aunt Petunier and Dudbag peeped timidly from the kitchen. Uncle Vermin closed the door before anyone could utter another word.

Dumbndumber: Come now, step into my kick-ass car.

To be continued..

View next episode
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/13/2005 11:06:00 PM

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children released

As the title suggests, the long-awaited video-game adaptation has already been released. I have not watched it yet, I am still downloading it. You can download it here. For now, lets look at the preview I wrote some time ago.

Yes, people. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children will be released on September 14, at the US at least. There is no mention of this film screening on cinema, though, just in the form of DVDs. I recently downloaded a four-minute trailer off BitTorrent, it made little sense to me. The background music of the entire trailer is taken from the final boss fight in the original FFVII, only this time with real instruments and a real choir (Think Duel of the Fates from Star Wars Episode 1).

Take a look at how realistic the visuals are. Click on the above image, and I have proven my point. It's hard enough to produce still images this realistic, imagine an entire film, 70 minutes in all. Gasp, only 70-80 minutes? Yeah, I am disappointed for how short it is. But then I think about the awesome detail in its graphics and how flashy and intense the fight scenes are going to be. Hence, I will watch it twice. In fact, I watched that trailer twice in a row.

As for the story, the trailer made little sense to me, like I said earlier. All I can figure out is that something 'big' is going to take place and Cloud, of all people, have to stop or counter it. (Sounds like a familiar plot?). Here, we have new characters: three men with silver hair, aptly named 'The Silver Haired Men'. Go figure. Incidentally, the villain from the game was also silver haired. I actually mistaken Kadaj, a new character, to be Sephiroth in the fight scenes. Only later I found out that Sephiroth did not appear in the trailer at all.

Aside from new characters, which includes a white-robed guy on a wheelchair, we see some familiar faces, this time having a million more pixels on them. We get to see life-like recreations of Vincent Valentine, Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockheart, Yuffie, Red XIII, Cid Highwind, and even the Turks. To me, the most realistic of them all is Tifa; since when is she so beautiful?? Well, Cloud's face is also very real, but his hair is still ridiculously yet stylishly anime-character-ish. Also, we have Vincent, who now proves himself to be more than just an optional character.

All in all, this should be a good watch, especially for die-hard final fantasy fans. Mouth-watering eye candy plus a solid storyline here will produce at least decent reviews. I just hope that it would not flop like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within which I put so much faith on before its release.

'I think... I want to be forgiven.' - Cloud Strife

Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/12/2005 11:09:00 PM

College Icon 2005 semifinals

It was a clear Sunday morning, as early as eight thirty the contestants assembled. The entire morning was spent for sound checks, and last-minute pre-show stage preps. 1:30pm, the event begins, with none other than Joey G as emcee.


One by one the 20 contestants performed their 3 challenges: a scenario acted out, a song sung, and an extra talent performed. Most of them did great, I was the only one who screwed my song.


A total of 11 was picked to proceed to the finals to take place at Zouk 23rd September. I will be there, nevertheless, to support my once-were peers. These extraordinarily talented people deserve the the top ten spots. I, however, will settle for top 20.



Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/11/2005 07:44:00 PM

One number per identity

Our proud little country of Malaysia is finally taking a step towards mobile number portability for its wirelessly wired citizens. View the full article here. Such a development would be very much welcome in this land where its all about convenience and stinge. Yes, this piece of news will delight many, including myself even though I do not plan to switch numbers. But I wonder, what's in it for the government itself? If its nothing much , then I guess I can finally commend the parliament-dwellers for a wise decision.

Looks like we're not the first in this world to implement this feature (why am I not surprised). This is one addition to the pieces that makes up the great endless puzzle that is the social implications of technology. Knowing one's number means being capable to contact that person from anywhere at anytime, a leap from the traditional telephone, which is a leap from postal services. Now that you never have to change your mobile number, it has become very much more associated to your very identity. Of course, to a certain extent it already was but think of how far it will bring itself.

I imagine that fifteen years ago the idea of a number being this attached to a person's name was unfathomable. In the same way, how elaborate communication will become in the future is wow-worthy. Exactly how it will turn out I do not know; but think of the possibilities. How much a part of your identity a number will become? Will people keep that very number for an entire lifetime? Will that number be placed next to your name instead of under your name? Will it replace your name?

If there will come a time when one is stuck with a number for good, wouldn't that number be used in permanent records? As a result, that number is likely to be integrated into other systems such as banks, am I right? When this kind of identity-association gains enough credibility, it is plausible that a massive compilation of personal profiles will be created and made available for public access. Seeing that the internet grows in significance by the year, this concept of an accessible global identity database might just be possible. Connecting with other people has been taken to the next level.

Of course, everything will be perfect if it weren't for crime and corruption; here meaning the improper use of life's technological wonders. Spam, identity theft, viruses, pornography, privacy invasions and fraud, for example. Everytime a new kind of medium is invented, somebody is bound to misuse it; SMS spam had just begun. Prepare yourself to protect your identity, the darkside of technology looms.
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/07/2005 09:43:00 PM

Mission Trip 2005

Here is a DETAILED account of how I spent my last weekend:

Sarah Liew's perspective

And here is a SUPERDETAILED account of how I spent my last weekend:

Winston's perspective

And here is mine:

Last weekend I went to Penang lor..
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/07/2005 12:56:00 AM

Movie review: Casshern

The Japanese: among which thrives a breed of exceedingly innovative individuals, whether in art or science. It was them who created Casshern: the most capturing and emotionally enchanting sci-fi fantasy ever put together on film. Nevermind the unknown director and actors in the eyes of western entertainment, nevermind the troublesome but necessary reading of English subtitles, Casshern is a refreshing breath of air for Anime-lovers and sci-fi fans alike.

Kazuaki Kiriya, director, had employed the use of striking filming techniques which are relatively new and slightly experimental. Layered in thick renderings of CGI and heavy filtering, the scenes were shot in styles and angles familiar to Manga of serious action adventure genres. The entire movie is photo-realistically picture perfect.

Armed with a flawless storyline, Casshern unfolds its plot scene by scene with minimal predictability. Elements include life and death, man and machine, hope and despair, peace and war, as well as love and hate. Set in a post-apocalyptic future (which is by now a bit common), mankind waged war between themselves, drying up the Earth to the last blade of grass. In the face of a growing health crisis due to excessive pollution, Dr. Azuma answers the call with a discovery of a miracle cure.

Upon nearing the completion of his research as funded by the military instead of the health board of the Great Eastern Union, disaster strikes. Rising from the depths came the mutants who became a bigger threat than everything else. It is now up to Tetsuya son of Dr. Azuma, who unintentionally became the only person strong enough to possibly end the war. No other live-action flick to date has a moving ending like Casshern's; when humanity itself is questioned.

The contents of the movie is obviously far more meaningful than what I have just described. Even though the story may not impress as many viewers, the captivating visuals and concepts will. Casshern will be released in the US sometime 2005; when it does, it will set a brand new benchmark for mainstream portrayal of fictional world-saving acts in moviedom. Buck up, western film-makers.

Rating: A+
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/06/2005 10:37:00 PM

Your blog Beng-ified!

How will your blog look like if you are a pure Ah Beng?

Bengi-fy your blog here

Your text will be converted to Ah Beng language. Hold on to your socks, it could get nasty.

Check out my blog in Benglish

You can try this out on other blogs and sites as well, but I would rather spend my time on something more productive.. like downloading whole seasons of TV shows and watch them in my room for hours.

Kenny Sia: genius.
Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/02/2005 10:22:00 PM

Dubai, a developing desert

I dug up an old English assignment of mine; I thought it might deserve a spot in this blog.

Dubai, one of the seven emirates of U.A.E, has proven itself to be a growing haven of trade and tourism in the region. With insufficient oil to compete with its neighbors, the founding fathers of Dubai have decided to establish a centre of trade and business. Setting up offices and marketplaces, the government develops rented real estate while still owning it. The city’s infrastructure is a mark of strategic planning, maintaining power supply and greenery, despite of the expensive water.
Here, government paperwork is comparatively quick, which is a feat that should be mirrored by other developing nations. Dubai has achieved a well-deserved status of modern city life, embracing western cultures that some Islamists may not approve of. In the horizon, a curious traveler can see an array of high-rise structures and steel office buildings. Boutiques stock themselves with branded goods to be tended by women, and video games to entertain children as well.
Thanks to remarkable progress through investments, Dubai became an exotic name in the ears of eager tourists around the world. The luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel is recognized for its sail shape in a picture-perfect background, better painted with a twilight sky. Among the places of interest is the Jebel Ali tax-free port and business zone, along with Dubai Internet City, the largest information technology in the Middle East. Tourists can delight in the many duty-free spots, shopping at the Deira City Mall and spoiling themselves with the pleasures of life.
Also, opening 2005 is the ambitious Palm project, a five-kilometer length man-made sand island cluttered with villas, apartments and hotels. With such an impressive description, it is without doubt that Dubai has earned a rightful place in the world of travel and commerce.

Source:
Ringle, Ken. "Dazzling Dubai" Reader's Digest July 2004: 60-65

Another piece of Justin Wong's mind at 9/02/2005 12:08:00 AM