Eight persons the world needs to meet June 25, 2009
Posted by Wilz in Entertainment, Society.add a comment
A brilliant performance, not only due to Sarah Jones’ talent with accents, but due to what each character has to say.
Fantasy is not Sci-Fi! June 13, 2009
Posted by Wilz in Entertainment.5 comments
Title on book: “Arthas: The Lich King.” Title on shelf:”Science Fiction.”
Is it really that hard to understand that fantasy stories and science fiction are two different things?
I used to think that some bookstores are just too small to carry too many of either genres and therefore just lump them together on the same shelf. But big bookstores seem to do the same. Yes I’m looking at you BORDERS @ The Gardens MidValley.
Even if you want to lump them together, couldn’t you call it “fantasy & sci-fi”? Argh.
Watermelon Buns June 12, 2009
Posted by Wilz in Personal.1 comment so far
Willie : you can has read email pls now thx k
Sent an email to William, asked him to read it. The purpose of this post is to… introduce watermelon buns to the world.
Willie : you can has read email pls now thx k
William : familiar name
Willie : yes he r
Willie : you may replai email nao kthx
William : can i reply here
Willie : no
Willie : the other two (including the shmuck) must sees
William : haet
Willie : or i can i guess quote you or somethins
Willie : but i’ll put ‘watermelon buns’ next to each line
William : wtf are watermelon buns and how can i get some
Willie : just the sound of em are awesome aint it
Willie : they will only surface once the moon kisses mars where the star (which is not the sun) sheds it’s tears
Willie : and you know that’s not happening for a bit
William : damn them stars
Willie : replai wru?
William : sent you big doodoo
William : ah rats i sent it to you only
Willie : WHATANOOB
Willie : WHAAAAAT AAAAAAAAAA NOOOOOOOOOB
William : i hate yahoomail
Say NO to Shark Fin Soup March 21, 2009
Posted by Wilz in Environment, Personal.add a comment
I actually wrote this in my drafts two years ago (around November 2007)
A couple of months ago, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry announced that it and its agencies will stop serving shark fin soup at all functions. Now if only the billion or so Chinese, actually more like the hundreds of millions who can afford it, start doing the same.
I’ve stopped taking Shark Fin Soup during Chinese New Year. It can be weird at the reunion dinner table, especially if your family insists on serving that dish. Last year I asked my parents not to buy shark fin when they went out for CNY shopping. They went ahead and bought it. They cooked and served it, I didn’t eat it. I think they got the message.
I wonder if they’ll insist on buying it again this year.
The happy news is that my family has been shark fin soup free for two years!
The unhappy news is that… there’s a lot of Chinese people, they’re getting richer (in the long run), and they’re a bunch of hard-headed blind culture-worshippers who won’t listen to Yao Ming.
We’re That Country December 11, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Society.14 comments
Oh… my… teapot… we’re that country! We’re that country that puts “God” into the SCIENCE textbook.
It’s SCIENCE you dumb fucks SCIENCE. I promised myself to try not to swear on this blog not knowing who else might be reading this. But you DUMB FUCKS it’s called SCIENCE for a reason!
Seeing that little ancronym “KBSR” on the top right of that textbook, my hope for an intelligent next generation just faded by a factor of several hundred. Only the internet and its free inquiry can save them now…
P/S “can be seen with naked eyes.” Looks like the idiot (ok he was likely pressured by politicians) who wrote this textbook needs to learn some English too. “can be seen with the naked eye.” Fixed kthx.
Images/info originally appeared and obtained with permission from my good friend “Lich King“. Even the undead gets pissed at shit like this.
Life and Computer Games October 7, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Gaming, Society.7 comments
This video, and the video the speaker shows about halfway through the talk, perhaps expresses best my own thoughts about computer gaming right now. The strongest comment from his student that jumped out at me was his comparison between real life and game violence.
As creativity, curiosity and joy in learning is ’school-ed’ and ‘examination-ed’ out of our children and youth, and as their interest and sense of relevance for life, society and the environment is pushed further and further away through the ridiculous levels of book and classroom schooling they are forced through even at tertiary level, what surprise is there that the virtual world becomes the most comforting getaway.
Perhaps it is only fortunate that geeks are inherently chaotic good in alignment. For so far, most games I know of lean towards the same.
SPORE: Intelligent Design or Evolution September 5, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Astronomy, Environment, Gaming, Society.2 comments
I’m getting my copy of Spore on Tuesday next week! Woot! One of the ironies behind this game has been what it is trying to promote. In a lot of his presentations, Will Wright (the creator) have referred to the game as an excellent method through which one can explore and be familiar with the scientific concepts such as evolution, planetary properties and their balance, and the science of deep space exploration/travel. Spore’s logo by itself does a good job of making the spiral galaxy a ‘familiar’ image.
However, the ironic part (which is pointed out happily by many a religious nut) is that although the cell gene collection thing represents evolution, the actions of the cell (and later the creature and creatures) are controlled by an intelligent being, which is the player. In other words, even if it was evolution doing the work, it was still guided by intelligent design.
What a load of bull. Anyways, I made some quick lists to support the idea that;
the game is pro-science / evolution:
- The game portrays the evolution of a single celled organism into a complex creature.
- The game portrays how the creature grows into intelligence and civilization (much like our history).
- The game respects many scientific principles (injecting CO2 into the atmosphere raises a planet’s atmosphere, etc).
- The creator of the game says he loves science and wants to use Spore as a means of promoting it.
the game is pro-intelligent design (no, it’s not a science no matter how many papers you write) :
- There is a ‘guiding intelligence’ that is controlling the being/beings (The player is God).
- There is a trailer which sounds very much like it’s promoting intelligent design.
the game is just a bloody game:
- Well if the game supports any kind of intelligent design, it probably supports polytheism/milliontheism more than monotheism. The creatures/civilizations in the game were created by millions of different players, whose creations are seamlessly downloaded into your client as you’re playing. So many Gods om-G!
Therefore the conclusion is, what Spore truly represents is, are you ready for it – an alien conspiracy theory. Yep. A bunch of aliens powerful enough to affect things without actually being noticed by the creatures, manipulating everything for some sick purpose. They’re only as powerful as demigods, coz they can’t change the laws of space-time. They have only one power, to directly control the actions of their own species.
Oh wait that would make our CPU the proper God since it is creating and maintaining the universe, and running the AI of all the other creatures. But then again it connects to a server to donwload creatures so that would make the server some kind of God nexus… and since Maxis runs the server, they would be a multiple-staffed Godhead? Will Wright would be the equal but supreme member of the Godhead? OMG is model accurate for real life? Maybe a gaming company runs our universe! Nvm.
Can’t wait to play the game!
Here in My Home, Malaysia May 17, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Entertainment, Personal, Society.3 comments
Best, Malaysian, Song, Ever.
Can you feel the wave of change that’s sweeping all over the nation? Malaysia’s all growing up. /tears
Anyways do check up the site. It’s full of delicious fruits. Just don’t eat the guava. The geek bites. (I know she said she doesn’t, but it’s scary nonetheless).
Why not watch it later? May 6, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Entertainment, Environment, Society.1 comment so far
I’ve fielded this question twice already so far. If the materials in the films to be aired on Pangea Day are so great and powerful, why not just watch it later? Why not download the shows say, a week later, and sit alone in your room and watch it? Why stay up at 2-6 a.m. (GMT +8) on a Sunday morning to watch the show with millions of other people all over the earth (who are physically sitting down at the exact same moment)?
Because at exactly 2-6 a.m., millions of people around the world will be saying, “I want to know.” I want to know about everyone else on this earth, I want to understand them, I want see what they see, and feel what they feel.
Because at exactly 2-6 a.m., millions of people around the world will be saying, “Let’s stop.” Let’s stop this relationship based on fear and lies and misunderstandings. Let’s stop stereotyping and assuming. Let’s escape our narrow mindsets.
Because at exactly 2-6 a.m., millions of people around the world will be saying, “Let’s begin.” Let’s begin changing our minds if not ourselves, let’s begin spreading the love and the understanding. Let’s begin making the world a better place for all of us.
Because on Monday, or Tuesday, or the week after that, those 24 short films will be just short films. And the reason anyone will be watching the show after that, will be because it was recommended all at once by those millions of people, who will be sitting down this Sunday, at 2-6 a.m. (GMT +8). Watching it after that by yourself will be like, as one of my friends put it, “sitting your ass watching some inspirational stuff and doing nothing.” Well the doing’s on this Sunday guys. We’re doing so much more than making a statement, but we are definitely making a strong one. We’re saying, ALL of us, collectively, that we care.
4 hours. 24 films. A new way to see the world. May 6, 2008
Posted by Wilz in Entertainment, Environment, Society.add a comment
This Sunday (11 May) at exactly 2.00 a.m. (GMT +8), millions of people around the world will be sitting down together at the first ‘global campfire’ in the spirit of unity and peace, to watch 24 short films made by the world, for the world.
Starting at 02:00 a.m. locations in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro will be linked for a live program of powerful films, live music, and visionary speakers. The entire program will be broadcast – in seven languages – to millions of people worldwide through the internet, television, and mobile phones.
The 24 short films to be featured have been selected from an international competition that generated more than 2,500 submissions from over one hundred countries. The films were chosen based on their ability to inspire, transform, and allow us see the world through another person’s eyes. Details on the Pangea Day films can be viewed here.
Myself and Ugendran are organizing the Pangea Day event for Multimedia University Melaka Campus. More information about our local event is available at http://pangeadaymelaka.blogspot.com. All staff, students, and alumni are invited! Please RSVP to us at pangea@mmu.edu.my so that we can keep track of how many people are coming.
Wilz
zhiyuan
William