People! The Fall semester is almost over, and, for some, graduation is looming. Are you guys thinking of grad school?

I attended the Diversity Forum of Graduate Education hosted by UC Santa Cruz last Saturday. It held workshops covering the basics of applying to grad school and the options we have as applicants. It was helpful, but not fully enlightening. Although I now know a bit more about what grad school's all about, I can't help but wish that this information was made available much earlier. Now I know that I need letters of recommendation. Well, it's a little late to be making nice with the lecturers, isn't it? Now I know it's not all based on grades. (Well, I did know this beforehand, but not how heavy a role it plays.) *head-desk*

Oh well. It could always be worse. At least I still have some time to get things moving. And I guess it's my fault for not trying to find out more earlier. Not that I was 100% sure what I wanted earlier....and of course it was always a juggling act with my undergrad plans. But still.

Anyways...on a much, much lighter note, the keynote speaker at the event was inspiring. Managing to retain his sense of humor through the projected grindstone of grad school is a feat in and of itself. And more amazingly, he expressed that humor through comics even as he worked his way through grad school. Right now, he's a mechanical Ph.D. and a renowned cartoonist. Awesome!

He shared some of his humor at the forum, and this piece was my favorite.

Newton's 3 Laws of Graduation
#1 - "A grad student in procrastination tends to stay in procrastination unless an external force is applied to it."
#2 - "The age, a, of a doctoral process is directly proportional to the flexibility, f, given by the advisor and inversely proportional to the student's motivation, m."
#3 - "For every effort towards graduation, there is an equal and opposite distraction."

Geeky humor? Yes. But don't all grad students have an inner geek? XD By his lead, I will laugh - for life goes on whether you laugh or cry.

Random word #1: wallah [ - a person who is associated with a particular work or who performs a specific duty or service]

Sneakily, the red man tiptoed across the courtyard. Except, it wasn't truly sneaky at all. The moon, though not full, was bright enough to cast shadows upon the lawn, and was certainly bright enough to illuminate the incongruous redness of the man. The shadows did not help; they were too thin to shade the man's wide girth. Still, undaunted, the man pressed forward. He may even have been softly humming a jaunty tune.

And then, an obstacle. Two security wallahs were joking with each other in a guard-booth. The man paused. Then, sighing, he set to work.
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In the morning, excited squeals could be heard from the main house.

In the guardhouse, the guards stretched and prepared to go home. Their employers' family may have already begun celebrating, but their respective families were still patiently waiting for them to come home. Though it had been a typically quiet night, the guards were thankful.

Suddenly, they heard the surprised voices of the guards from the next shift. Opening the door, they saw the guards holding two brightly wrapped packages. Two more sat on the stoop, glinting cheerily in the morning sunlight.
---------------------------------------------
Many miles away where it was still night, the red man continued humming his jaunty tune as he sneaked across many other courtyards. And streets, and dunes, and valleys, and sewers. Of course, there were still the traditional rooftops and proper functioning chimney places, but they were becoming rarer by the year. Times were changing, and even myths have to learn to adapt.

Note: Erm...now that I've finished, I think I may have swerved way off what a prompt is supposed to be. This piece really hasn't much to do with the word 'wallah' beyond containing it. ><......Oops? Oh well, just look at it this way - Santa is a present wallah. Kay?

P/S: The future is freaking me out. Writing this pulled my mind away for a bit.

. // _.-"""""'//-'""""-._ .', , , , : : ` ` ` `. / , , \'-._ : :_.-'/ ` ` \ / , , :\(_)\ /(_)/ : ` ` \ | , , , \__//\\__/ . . ` ` | | . .:_ : : '--`: : . _: ; :| | : : \\_ _' : _: :__// , , | \ ` ` \ \/ \/\/ \_/ / , , / \ ` ` \_/\_/\_/\_/\/ , , / `._ ` . : : : , , _.' `-..............-'

Happy Halloween folks! Here, have a grinning pumpkin. ^__^ (Note: not mine.)

Other updates.....

[1] It lives! My camera has been resurrected and is happily running on the new battery. *grins* Just in time for the Halloween gathering tonight.

[2] I'm proud to say that I've finished the HTML and XHTML course over at W3Schools. Right now, I'm halfway through XML, with plans to tackle CSS next.

[3] My profile has been updated. (About time!) Nothing much has changed, really, since I couldn't get the HTML coding to work the way I wanted it to. External HTML testers all verified and rendered my HTML as I pictured it, but the LJ bio renderer seems to be working on a different tangent. =.= Still on HTML 3.2 maybe? *sigh* Oh well, I'm happy with what I could get.

>< The keylogger is still popping up. It only reappears with every reboot though, so after deleting it, I'm safe up till the next start-up. Still, this is slightly worrying, as it means the source is still hiding somewhere in my computer system. *sigh* At least it's just a privacy risk, not something that will crash my computer. Privacy I can safeguard, system malfunctions....I'm less ready to handle.

Something good did result from all this though. Thanks to this rigmarole, I ended up with 2 more nifty programs to add to my 'gauntlet'. They may not have been able to eradicate my problem completely, but they're helping to compensate and may be instrumental in the ongoing cyber-battle.

The concept behind KeyScrambler is pretty neat, if it works, and so far I haven't had a reason to doubt the producers' claims. Basically, the program acts as a filter between your keyboard and your computer system. It scrambles whatever you type, before decoding it and sending it on to your system. The keyloggers, who work somewhere in between, just get the coded jumble. The Personal version is free, but only covers what one types in web browsers. If you can't afford the Pro/Premium version, this is well enough in terms of privacy protection. Think email, online transactions, etc. Of course, you then still have to be careful of what you type offline and away from web browsers, such as on MS-Office documents and on chat servers.

SnoopFree Privacy Shield intercepts spyware programs, catching any program that tries to initiate contact with your keyboard, screen, and unowned window (whatever that is). I've read reviews that say you can't stop it from running at startup unless you do a complete uninstall, but from what I've seen so far, I wouldn't want to turn it off anyway. It a very lightweight program, and runs quietly in the background where you hardly notice it. It might be a bit of a bother the first time you run it - it's sensitive and catches all the sundry programs that need to connect to the keyboard, hazardous or not. It caught a whole host of my startup programs which I knew were safe - such as Google Desktop, Lingoes, and the newly installed KeyScrambler - prompting me to block/allow access, but it remembers all options selected and won't ask again on the next boot. Initial bother or not, I was impressed by its thoroughness. And better yet, it's free too.

Check them out if you have any computer privacy concerns. ^__^

It was but yesterday when Ad-Watch picked up some suspicious activity on my computer. A tracking cookie called 'atdmt.exe' had been blocked. Now, I had no clue what the cookie wanted to do. Nevertheless, caution is never wrong. I started running all my miscellaneous laptop protection programs, which ideally would be the ‘gauntlet of no mercy’ for any malicious cyber-bits.

Much scanning later…..

Alert! Somewhere, somehow, I had picked up a malware downloader and a keychat logger. Nasty pieces of work from what I could glean from their descriptions. No worries - click, click, click – problem eliminated. I was pleased…..for all the span of one day. First thing I did this morning was to run the gauntlet again, and lo and behold, the keychat logger was back. WTH?!

While running the gauntlet yesterday, I had googled ‘atdmt.exe’ to see what the cyber community had to say. Apparently, it’s a pretty common problem. Quite a few sites toted miraculous solutions, but responses from the public forum implied that many users were less than impressed. What I got was: No one really knows the source of the virus, regardless of their claims, and no one really knows a perfect solution to the problem. *head desk* Right.

There were some interesting theories though. Such as the well-worn Microsoft conspiracy theory. Some claim that it’s something embedded in a Microsoft update in their ever-expanding quest to invade user privacy. Erm….okay. Really? I’m not too crazy over Microsoft myself – they could afford to explain their policies and all new ‘required’ updates more - but any big corporation tends to lose some aspect of transparency in their dealings. Still, it could be something they included which they thought was harmless, but would seriously piss off the privacy-conscientious. Bottom line is, I don’t particularly suspect Microsoft over this recent scare, but I’m not completely dismissing the possibility either.

That said, it doesn’t really matter where the thing came from. I want it gone. SpyEraser has cleared it up again, and I hope it stays that way. *fingers crossed*

Ok, I have to get over this notion that something monumental has to happen for me to blog about it. That notion can more often than not account for my long refrainment from any posts whatsoever. Reading Yun's blog has driven the point home to me - readers of a personal blog don't mind trivial details and info, they read because they want to know what's happening in the footnotes. Big news will invariably be circulated, blog or not, but minutiae, such as feelings and quirky observations, tend to fade into the woodwork unless one blogs about it.

That said.....what do I have to say today?

[1] - Just bought a NP20 camera battery from Amazon to replace my dead battery. Note to self: Make sure to keep it constantly charged this time round.

[2] - I've been working on a story....well, actually, multiple poems and stories for as long as a year, but I've always been better at starting things than ending them. >< I'd like to share them someday, but not now, as it wouldn't be fair to leave a reader hanging. I've experienced enough perpetual WIPs to not want to inflict the same upon others.

[3] - 'Gokusen' is awesome. I'm talking about the live action drama here. Yun, you might want to check it out. Jun Matsumoto has never looked better, and the characters are all lively and prone to comedic shenanigans. Of course, there is the requisite values and lessons to be learned from the show as well, as per most seinen growing-up manga plots.

[4] - Keeping my fingers crossed for the 2011 DV-lottery.

[5] - Happy Birthday to all those having an October birthday! I've tried to email/Facewall all of you, but I'm not foolproof, and I'm pretty sure I missed some. (ML, did I email you? I just can't recall; that week was just insane. ><)

Finito. Over and out.

Today's presentation is a blur in my mind. 80% of the time, I had no idea what I was saying. My carefully planned notes swam before my eyes, my prepped spiel hid in the terrified recesses of my brain, and I really wasn't feeling well. But surprisingly, according to Adrian (a classmate), it was good. He said I was all mellow and cracking jokes, making him crack up. Erm....ok. Guess EY was right, I'm better at cruising than I thought. XD

And so we enter the week of doom. Which has actually become less doomsy due to some propitious rescheduling. Now, I only have 2 more exams to go for this week. And that I can handle. ^__^

On a completely unrelated note, I'm currently hooked on this song:

I'm oh so easily influenced when it comes to literature. It's a good thing; I learn to love whatever my lit teachers are covering and remember the contents better. Right now, we're covering sonnets, which I thought I knew, but class is showing me that I never really knew it much at all. Right, I'm definitely going to try my hand at the sonnet again sometime soon.

In the meantime, here's a sonnet we went over in class [can I say ♥?]:

[1] I've been getting blank looks recently when I say 'Where do you stay?'. Never really knew what was wrong until one guy replied 'Oh, you mean where do I live?'. >< O....k..... note to self: use 'live' from now on.

[2] Joy! I found another college Neopets player. XP In my circles, those are rare.

[3] Right now, this is the proverbial 'calm before the storm'. I shudder to even think about the first week of October a.k.a. the work-week of DOOM.

[4] I really have nothing witty to say right now. Nor any wise words to impart. Till next time.

=.= I've been trying to find my keys all day, worrying and fretting, wondering where the heck they could be. Guess where they turn up? In my pocket. *head-desk* Fail.

Um...people? I'm not dead. Just so you know.

School's just started, and things have been crazy. Fortunately, most of the craziness I'm experiencing is due to the steadily growing pile of homework, assignments, and presentations....and yes, I did say 'fortunately'. Because, on the other side of the fence are those who are scrambling for the merest potential class. The budget cut has hit, and it has hit HARD.

Somehow, the entire fiasco has passed me over - I didn't have any problems getting the classes I needed - beyond the sudden scare in July over a similarly sudden increase in fees and the corresponding 'PAY UP NOW OR LOSE YOUR CLASSES' email.

Some of my friends are not so fortunate. As international students, we need to maintain a minimum of 12 units. And right now, the basic 12 units is a lot to ask for. My friends have been crashing classes like crazy, and have more likely than not ended up with classes they don't really need.

That's enough of the heavy stuff. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the amount of work due this semester, so excuse me if I am slow on replies - LJ, email, Facebook or otherwise - and try not to miss me too much. XP

Over and out.

1] Anyone who reads fanfiction will have had experienced the suffering of really, and I do mean REALLY, bad writing. What I'm referring to has gone way beyond simple typo errors or the odd grammatical blunder, and into the realm of 'OMG what were they thinking?!!'. You know, kinda like when someone insists they can really sing on American Idol when they really, really can't.

But! Do not despair! With a little work, bad writing can become a kickass crack-tastic piece of work. Observe:


I am not at all familiar with this particular fandom ("Half Life"), but fortunately, familiarity is not required to appreciate the insanity. My fav: 'and the pants were dead'. LOL.

2] Ok. No offense to any 'Twilight' lovers out there, but the hype over the franchise is frankly becoming a little ridiculous. Case In point: [Note: This link became known to me via faithwood, and I suggest anyone below 16 years old NOT click on it.] >> The Vamp

This morning, my first thought upon waking up was 'Have to turn off the air-con'. I didn't actually move to do it, but it took me a while to remember that I'm stuck with the cold back in San Fran.

The focus always seems to be on leaving home for the first time, about how hard it is......but I think leaving home for the second time is actually harder. Although there is much more uncertainty the first time, there is also a sense of excitement, of adventure, that buffers the initial leaving. This time round, I know more or less what I'm headed for and, more importantly, what I'm leaving behind.

This is not to say that I had no sense of separation the first time, but going back helped (if you could call it that) put things into perspective, bringing subconscious aches to the conscious. There are just so many little things (or perhaps even big glaring things) that we take for granted, things so seemingly routine that we can't even really recall what's missing when they're gone, only registering the void of loss they leave behind. Well, the trip back home filled in those voids, and leaving again left me with the outlines.

Knowing precisely what you miss is not very helpful - a vague feeling of emptiness is easier to brush off than a fully visualized longing after all.

Oh well. Life goes on. School starts in a week.

If cars could speak, I wonder what the red car I reversed into on Sunday would have said? Perhaps something like this....?

From my eyes, there seemed to be nothing wrong with either my car or the other fellow's car. Not unbelievable, considering the slow speed I was moving at - come on, I was just beginning to reverse from a complete standstill.

The other fellow's eyes must have been sharper though, pointing out that the hood of his car was now slightly off, requiring him to go whip it back into shape. Oh, and this whipping requires RM100. Really? Oh yes, by his own account, he was already being generous by accepting a mere RM100 for a fix-up that would easily cost RM200.

Being that I was in the wrong, and that I really really have almost zero skills in bartering and negotiations, I just paid up. I had no real idea how much his alleged fix-up would cost, barring the point that I didn't even see anything fix-worthy in the first place. My parents were incommunicado (on a plane) , and all my other possibly useful contacts were still happily whiling away in my old phone. Right, here you go. Now begone and become a piece of the past.

Still, I can't help but wonder.....


But to be fair, it could just as well be saying....

[1] Heard of the song Take 5 before? It's a jazzy piece I'm learning now. Very cool.

[2] Anyhow, it's been a pretty quiet weekend, what with Ma and Pa off for a twosome vacation. Yep, I was mistress of the house for the weekend! ...well, not like there was all that much to keep my eye out for.

[3] Totally hooked on watching Ki play Left-4-Dead and Prince of Persia right now. He'd tell you I have a really odd obsession with the Witch zombies - I can't help but wonder why they're crying. *muses*

[4] For a change, I've been looking for good Naruto-centered fanfic. Sadly, the pool's not as deep as for HP. Or maybe it's just because I always go for the weird pairings....XP

Words: 419

( Why must every story have a beginning and an end? )

Man, where did the time go? Just like that *snaps fingers*, and it's almost the end of the month. Gah. Don't you just wish you could pause time sometimes?

Here's some random stuff:

[1] What is the first thing that pops into your mind when someone says 'two thousand two' or 'one thousand eight'?

My bro and I got into this whole discussion the other day when Dad asked us to do some division for him. Our answers were constantly clashing since we perceived the numbers differently! To the above question, Bro would get 2200 and 1800, while I would get 2002 and 1008; see the problem? (FYI, Dad was on the same wave-length as Bro.)

Now, I don't know if this is something I picked up in the States (what with them going the path of 'twenty-two hundred' and 'eighteen hundred') because I don't really recall how I would have perceived these numbers in the past. Is Bro's way the Malaysian way? It interests me: can something this common and basic change so subtly that you don't even notice it? Hmm.....

[2] Oiled and cranked up my rusty writing gears for Sis - she wanted a choral speaking script for her school team. (You know, I think choral speaking is another purely M'sian thing; I haven't seen/heard of it elsewhere before, and my relatives living in the States had no clue what it was prior to Sis' explanation.) *cringes* This was my first time trying my hand at this type of script, so I think it seemed a little awkward. Sis seems to like it though, now we just have to see what her teachers and peers say.

(For those interested, I'll probably be posting up the finalized version. It's good for some laughs or sweat-dropping if nothing else. XP)

Scrounged off Aprilius ~

Enjoy (or sweat-drop, if you wish XD).

I never knew how lonely I was in San Francisco until I came back. I also never noticed how much I missed my family, both nuclear and extended, until I saw them again, or perhaps I just never dwelled on it. In any case, it's great to be back.

Besides the maintenance procedures this past week, I've just been enjoying the company of my family. So much so that I don't feel a rush to be doing much of anything else. As long as I have some company, all's good. *grins* Mom's been somewhat worried that I might be getting bored, but I can honestly say 'fat chance.'

It's been a lot of fun to connect with my siblings again - discussing mathematical conundrums and random theories with my brother (most of which just sails right over my lil' sis' head XP), having girl-talks with my sis, and playing those classic games we love (namely, Boggle and Cho Dai Di). Oh, which reminds me, this week has been extremely productive in terms of gaming. XD I've taught my siblings and my cousin a newly acquired Jap card game called 'Daifuon', and learned a card game in return from said cousin called 'Bridge'. (And yes, I know that 'Bridge' is a waaaay old card game already, but it is one I did not know. =P) *sigh* There's just no one else like siblings to share your interests with. For me, at least.

Excuse me while I bask in a M'sian family environment again~ ♥

Yay! There's noticeably higher functioning internet today, and there will be for a few days yet, if my brother is to be believed. Something to do with the monthly bandwidth limit being renewed and all. Still, I don't see it lasting long with four people draining it almost daily. =.=

Anyway, I shall take this window of functionality to unload some of the promised info backlog. ^__^
 
( school-related backlog )