Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Happy V-Day & Happy 4th B'Day!

Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Birthday K4L!

Kampua4Life is now 4 years old. Time flies eh, I could remember how noob this blog was when it was conceived back on V-Day of 2007.

Well like usual I'm not celebrating V-Day because there's 2 problem:
1) It's now haram or Islamically illegal to celebrate it for unmarried couples
2) Hello! I'm single!

Busy with work too on that day so I just let it go like any other weekday. Anywho I'm still on a waiting period for a lot of things. Waiting for ministry approval, waiting for a working prototype, and waiting for even more approvals from government and private sectors. Why? Because I'm experiencing this urge to find more sources of income to feel more secure and well established. I'm actually experiencing how money can corrupt one's mind and determination. Besides that after I've done much calculation on when I can be a millionaire after considering expenses and the current inflation and monetary value, I've pressured myself even more. I welcome myself to the RAT RACE!

That or maybe I'm tired of 'fishing' and wanna let the fish to come to me.

So there you go. Don't expect regular updates because it's physically impossible for me to sit down and blog nowadays. Time is a luxury I cannot afford. I finally understand why God said:

"By the declining day; Lo! Man is a state of loss!"

See you when I got the time. For now can't really slow down, because I have to be LEGEND-wait-for-it.... DARY!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Egypt in Conflict: Fun on TV

But not so pleasant if your family is in the conflict
Watching the news in anticipation of what the government can and will do.

This year's CNY eve was marred by the escalating conflict in Egypt. I don't have to explain what it is about as there's a whole Google for that topic. But if you've been hu-ha-hee-hee ing without knowing what's happening to the pre-apocalyptic world, the Arab Republic of Egypt is facing an uprising from its citizens who are unhappy with the way the old Mubarak's government is handling many things especially their silence on the Palestinian conflict (another long story, read this older post).

So anyways we have Malaysian students in Egypt trapped in the middle of the revolution to oust President Mubarak. News from them include food shortages, being looted, gun pointed to their heads, sleeping with knives and many expected news from a chaotic country. My cousin is one of the students in trapped in all that chaos. So basically I got a first hand experience of what's happening there and here in Malaysia.

Apparently the States and other countries have supplied planes to evacuate their own students but there had been almost no contingency or evacuating plan from Malaysia apart from sending a ship to transport the students to nearby Jeddah (through the pirate infested Gulf of Aden). One Malaysian student fled to Moscow and the rest scattered all over Egypt from Cairo to Alexandria with their friends to take shelter from the angry mob on the streets. Sadly not many students are rich and can purchase RM4,000 emergency flights back to Malaysia as many are sponsored.

So after a few days of planning (I think) Malaysia sent 1 C-130 (I think) military plane to bring the students home. AirAsia offered similar assistance and MAS followed suit. Sounds good, albeit a bit late, but it gets worst. Students are limited to carry 7Kg of luggage only. Heck, I came back from Australia with minimal 50Kg (mostly souvenirs). Laptop is already 2Kg, clothes maybe around 10 Kg so imagine the sacrifice the must do to get home. Hence some opted to go home via other airlines. Oh and some students may not have laptops as they were robbed off their electronics on the way to their airport.

But nonetheless I'm thankful my cousin and the rest of the students are on their way home from the troubled northern African country. Although still in chaos her lecturer told her there will be an exam on the 19th February and I guess she and her friends ditched it in favor of personal safety. Talk about job commitment.

While we wait for our students to arrive, let's just see how things in Egypt develop eh?

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Happy Chinese New Year 2011

It's the Year of the Golden Rabbit!

And also the year 4709 according to Chinese calender. Despite its festive nature, I don't feel the aura of a typical cheerful CNY mood. Could be the slumping economy or the new generation couldn't care less about it. Heck even the fireworks were meh and I didn't bother to take a snap the somewhat empty midnight CNY skies.

Anywho I'm being optimistic about this year. Gonna enjoy this year, work hard, get money, live happily and do some spiritual and physical balancing. If anyone got open house SMS me yeah or just drop me a message on Facebook. Wishing everyone a prosperous and bountiful new year! Huat ah!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Fallout New Vegas Review

The Future is SO Depressing :D Justify FullActually I played this throughout December 2010, and only got time to review it today. So here's a late review.

Fallout New Vegas or FNV is considered as a sequel to Fallout 3. FNV follows the traditional Fallout story about you as one of the survivor in a post-nuclear war world. In FNV most of the stuff and environment is Wild West and of course Las Vegas themed. Roughly 200 years after the nuclear holocaust (radiation lower and people started to repopulate) you play as a Courier who was shot in the head by a gang of thugs who stole the stuff you were delivering. But you were saved by a doctor. Now you're on a path of vengeance trying to find out who killed you and get back the package you needed to deliver to New Vegas (rebuilt Las Vegas).

The Book of Eli, I Am Legend, Apocalypse

The movie titles above inspires the game a lot, and the developers got that post-apocalyptic mood right. I do feel like I'm a lone wanderer in the nuclear wasteland filled with lunatics and optimists.
Yup, this feels post-apocalyptic alright.

This used to be somewhere I think. Now it's just a gloomy gigantic nuclear bombed crater.

Thank goodness post-apocalyptic people don't dress like Final Fantasy folks. And chicks dig guys with rusty ammo chains around his torso.

Factions:
One thing I like about FNV is the factions system and how your actions affect your relationship with them. For example lobbing grenades randomly in a small town will cause the townfolks to hate you and chase you out with Vermin Rifles. Helping a tribe with their quests will cause them to like you and aid you in whatever way possible. There are many factions in FNV, ranging from the militaristic group NCR, the Roman-inspired tribe Legion, some band of Gatling-gun-wielding supermutants, a bunch of zombies who believed they are destined to go to the Promised Land, crazed bandits, loose prisoners and many many more. They all make your experience unique (P/S: be nice with guys with guns).

I decided to be nice and join the NCR Rangers. Because red berets are cool!

Red beret. Cool innit? Oh this is my buddy Boone.

A Splinter Cell-ish attempt to spy on the Legion revealed a dull warrior culture made up of slaves and conscripts from conquered tribes. Just like the Persian army in the movie 300. Not really my cup of tea.

Karma:
Although it is an open-ended free roam game, the main storyline will lead to a final epic battle for the control of the Hoover Dam (SPOILER). Your actions or inaction will decide what the final outcome will be at the battle and after the battle. Helping a Boomer tribe get in touch with the girl he likes will give good karma and this will lead to the Boomers doing a bombing run at the dam (SPOILER). Abandoning or harming certain tribes will of course cause bad karma and somehow you'll feel the guilt in real life. Aahhh... I wonder what happened to the Bright Followers zombies with their crazy idea to fly to their Promised Land in their old salvaged rockets.

Karma: What happens after you whack a mutant Bloatfly with a sledgehammer.

Companions

You can have certain NPCs as your companions in your adventures in the wasteland. They can range from a NCR Ranger with a dark history to a Supermutant auntie with some nyanyuk or Alzheimer-ish condition. They help drive the story even deeper by revealing their own quests as the story progresses.
I introduced Boone to you earlier. Well, he got issues...

And this is my cybernetic dog Rex. He's 200 years-old.

Gore & Violence:
Let these pictures tell the story:
Meet my big f****** gun! (that I looted from a dead mutant)

Just enter the targeting mode and choose your desired target. I like heads.

Then blast your way to pure gory funness! Paint the ground red! BWUAHAHA!

Out of ammo? Go melee! Use your Power Fists and smash their skulls!

No Power Fist? Chainsaw your way to get to the Legion's boss Caesar! Then kill his bodyguards to get Power Fists THEN beat Caesar to pulp!

Rating
I guess everyone got their own unique experience in FNV. For me, I enjoyed mine and took over New Vegas for myself AND killed all other factions just to seal my place as the dictator of the Mojave wasteland. Hahahahaha!