March 17, 2004

Priceless :: Spending squeezed limited time with my 2 bro and my lil sista....

Call :: I've got a call from my father regarding my granma who was hospitalized due to her internal stomach problem. She's waiting for her turn for an operation, maybe on Friday or saturday. I myself was bz with the video thingy and askd both my sisters for their time to be in Malacca just before the saturday afternoon where i'll be shooting back to melaka.

Departed :: On the saturday afternoon, after some incidents, I shoot back to malacca and arrived there at around 2 o'clock. Went for the prayer in the mosque and napped. Then search my way to where did my family have their lunch and lepak. My father was telling everyone that myhair was like 'Sakai'. Hehe.. My other auntie asked me to cut short my hair and i was just as usual, giggles and smile.

Visit :: My granma was then out of the operation and placed in the ICU. Visited her, I was so happy that there are so many people who still care and love each other. She's showered by love from all her children and relatives. She's not alone in this world. Then I went back to Senawang and have my good rest there....

Sunday :: Woke up late and found out that my father went out early in the morning and left for malacca. I and my mom went out to buy groceries and things to cook for lunch. Then my father called and we are needed in Malacca as soon as possible. Went in for the afternoon visit and, been there for 2 hours and went back

Jusco :: As we were not having our lunch yet, we went to Jusco and have lunch there.. After lunch.. gosh .. it was raining..

PRICELESS ART :: We were having lunch at the Mc Donalds and my sister was so happy about it.. We went up to the gaming zone later and i fighted my bro in the DAYTONA game, lose a few times but aboslute winning was my last game. I won over him.. But he was so happy we spent on the gaming.. yeah, in fact every body was happy.. I seldomly have time for them...

State of the ART :: I went back home with the happy feeling. I'm really happy that day cause i made my bro and sista happy. that's kewl.. The onyl thing was, sometimes the moment you will enjoy will not be planned. Thanx to god for the rain. Otherwise we will just went back home sleepily without doing anything happy. Even tho spend a lot of money, happiness cannot just be bought just like that.. I love to see Farah enjoy her food and especially when she tried so hard to finish her beef burger.. woo.. I'm touched.. She has never been like that. I love to see her face when she finished up her burger. And I love to see my brother walked away out of the gaming zone with long smile across her face. We're back to our younger days.. when I was still 17,18,19.. I was there.. and now I'm a bz man.. Spending that time is the most precious time I had ever for this week. Love ya guys.. love ya farah.. wan.. izzat.. and i miss u guys so much too.. :D

Video Format :: How to convert from WMV to VCD format???

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March 11, 2004

Digital Video Cam :: How to get the best quality

Event :: I went to Desaru a few weeks ago for an event with Uncle Bob, Cik Sam, Aboy, and Baing. There we met with Malek and few of his guys, having meeting with the people from the ministry regarding the project we're goin to do. I was asked to record the activity during the event using the Panasonic Digital Camera. I made a mistake anyway, suppose to set it to slow mode which can do 1.5 hours, instead i set it to fast mode that can only be used for only 1 hour. Since we've got no player to play the tape, i leave teh tape in Desaru and a week later, Bob retrieved it from Man in Desaru.

Early Attempts :: Bob has ben asking As and his brother to get the tape to be transferred to the PC to be processed. They seem to be failing all the test. Bob called and talked to me about it on last Sunday, just after I went back from PD. I was so sleepy, so I promised him to come to his house on the next day.

First Day :: At nite, I went there and we started with a cable that has 1394 port and USB port head. I was thinking that there's no way we can transfer or transmit the video data from the tape to the PC. The only thing can be done at that time was to transfer the taken digital pictures from the memory stick to the PC. All of a sudden, ROsman was playing around with it while I was playing around with the Image Mixer Software on the laptop, suddenly a stream of video picture appeared on the USB capture program. I was so happy at that time, and thru experience, capturing video would take a lot of hard disk space. I removed the Linux Partition and reboot. OUCHHHH!!!.. The Laptop cannot be started and I was panic. Trying my best to get it up and running and later we called it a nite. Sent Rosman back and I went to sleep with tending to fix the laptop tomorrow.

Second Day :: As mentioned in the previous Blog, I was trying to get it up and running. Yeah managed to get it up and I as usual went back to Bob's house and start capturing thru USB streaming. Unsure about the quality it might produce, I just split them up to 3 portions which each portion contains 20 minutes of captured video. As expected, it was not well synchronied (but the pictures was quite damn good). Then we tried to get it on smaller chunk, the synchronization problem still occur. Then we decided to buy the cable which have 1394 port head on both ends. So we also decided to use Windows Movie Maker for composing the video. We tried it but it's not the version that I'm so used to. Wondering why, I decided that it might be the wring version of XP so I did installed XP Professional and just leave it. I and Rosman went downstairs and talk about so many things till 6 at the morning. We went upstairs and actually the installation failed and I started it back again and fell asleep.

Third Day :: As a result of sleeping early in the morning, I went late to work. We decided to get a new CD Burner to be used at home and I wanted to buy Bob's PC a Network card so that the data can be transferred to Bob's PC as we are gonna burn it on his PC. At muamalat, I tried to burn the WMV format to the CD using Windows Media Player but actually, it only takes the audio and make it into an Audio CD. So, still stuck on how to use WMV to be put on CD. In the afternoon, after went back to my office, I went to Low Yat Plaza near Imbi to find the CD Burner, Cross Network Cable, Network Card and any software that can manipulate the WMV format to be encoded to any other format such as MPEG, so that the movie can be burned into a VCD, I found one. Later back at home, the CD was unusable. Bob manage to buy the cable we desired for and I started capturing the movies.

The ART :: As I plugged in the Firewire cable to both camera and Laptop, we can control the camera from the software. Just click capture and it was stored in the hard disk. As easy as that. Wow! Impressive and incredible. The picture quality was so fine and there's no sign of missynchronization. It was kewl and so easy. I manage to capture some part that I still can remember and then went to sleep. Rosman do the rest.

The State of the ART :: Use the right tools for for a job. Using tools that is not compatible or not suitable will result bad products. As in this case, the right tools had made it much easier for us, and we have no worries about the quality. We've the best quality video being captured in our hard disk.

Technical :: So what are the correct tools for this case; to capture video from a tape to hard disk :-
1. A Sony Digital Camera with Firewire port.
2. A laptop with Firewire port
3. Microsoft Movie Maker Software Version 2
4. A firewire cable with 1394 head at both ends.
To capture the software, click capture movie from the file menu, and select the DV-AVI PAL quality, which is giving us quite the best quality with smaller disk space being used. Use Windows Movie Maker 2 to edit them, it's so easy using it. And to deal with the WMV format, actually the movies can be saved back to the Tape inside the Digital Video Camera (and this is why keeping the finest quality became so imprtant) and later, capture the video back using any of other software than can straight away convert it as MPEG so it can be burned onto CD as a VCD. That's it. Happy Editing your own video!!! :wink:

March 8, 2004

Windows XP :: How the hell to get it running again!!!

Bob :: Was calling me all the way since Friday, then I told him that I was about to go to Port Dickson that nite. We were trying to transfer the video we've taken in Desaru to VCD format to be presented to the MOA Inc. Well, I guess they can do it by themselves there. Yeah...

Me :: Went to the Port Dickson, have fun there. With my cousins, enjoying the sea, boat riding, canoeing... Fooh.. tiring.. And on that Sunday night, I went back to serdang quite late because I was so tired and get to bed early. Bob called me again, anyway this time Rosman was talking but I was so so so sluggish.

Monday :: First day of the week going to work. Yeah boring. Yann as usual asking for so many things. Boos on leave, he's sick. hehe.. and me.. going here & there have lunch coming late as usual, doing nothing, and finished browsing thru my blue emails at 8. Get out of the office and reached Taman Desa at around 8.30. Looked at some rooms I'm gonna rent then. Went to Bob's house. As usual long talk, brainstorming and we only started to face the notebook at around 12.00 o'clock.

Problem :: Notebook was short of hard disk space. In order to do that, i just erase the whole linux partition. We manage to find a way to stream the Video through USB cable and get it appear on the video capture screen. Yeah. I rebooted. Oh NO!!!!! Grub console appeared and seems like nothing can be done. And I go sleep. And this morning till the lunch time I was struggling to find a way on how to boot the Windows XP, other than using the CD.

The ART :: Yeah, I called Wira, asked him to take me to Mid Valley, find the pirated Windows XP Installation CD, went back to the Office and TADA!!!! Windows XP is back running!!!

State of the ART :: I'm used to be a person who always bring my backup CD everywhere I go. Since I no longer deal with PCs maintenance, installation and customization now, I'm no longer a PC techie. But, ya know sometimes we were so comfortable with what we have and so relying on other people who has done our job but once we were on our own, we were never ready for the obstacle that might happened. In this case, I was stucked from transferring the video from the camera to the notebook. So, just spare yourself for some unnecessary necessities (in this case the XP CD) to face the unexpected obstacles (e.g the umbrella to face the rain, or a pack of tissue when u suddenly heard ur bf died, or a knife to stab the guy who went out with your gf) in your life

Technically for XP :: Ok here we go. Boot your computer with Windows XP Bootable Installation CD, wait till everything is done and when it ask for repair, type R and enter the Administrator password. In the command prompt, just type fixmbr and later fixboot. You'll get your windows XP up and running again as usual.

Slash Rose

Singing::How does an idiot become a Karaoke star!

Intro :: As me and Emie were always going out together nowadays, we've always been talking about latest songs and what are good songs for karaoke. Once I've heard she sang a song, I just thought that she had a wonderful voice and good singing capability. And at this one time I was telling her I wanted to sing a song named 'Sampai Hati' (which had helped me to won the 2nd prize in a Karaoke contest which I just dropped in without planning sometimes ago). She asked me how does it sounds, i was trying to sing it but accidentally I was way out of tune and she laughed.. oh yeah.. she laughed.. hahaha...

Singing Background :: I can sing. In proper tune and proper pitch, it is just that i cannot use my original normal voice to sing high pitch song, and I'm limited to certain note, depending on my health. If i'm on flue, of course I can't reach even the F# note and sometimes it's hard to control the tone. Hard to breathe caused me to lose control in pitching out the lyrics.

Historical Background :: I like music, very much. I want to make music my living (hahahahaha.. william Hung again, the return of of the hung go to http://www.williamhung.net) I was kinda attracted to all kind of musical instruments since I was a kid. I like to sit on the bench that was placed under a piano.. and look at it. and touch it. Music has always been my desire of lust when i was a kid.

Singing ability :: My mom always noticed that I always like to record myself in the radio singing songs from Francesca Peters (she was my favourite). I started with recording myself reciting azan, singing kid songs and reading news to the old radio (yeah I was kinda a DIY phreak when I was small, I would open and fix (or ruin)just any electrical device). Until when I was in standard 3, my music teacher asked me to join the choir team. Ya know, in the primary school, we will be asked to sing 'LA', by following the tone played by the teacher. I really enjoy doing it by giving my best sound I could. She (a chinese female teacher, kinda sexy) said I've got a good soprano voice (yeah I was a kid, so beat my high pitch screaming sound)

Choir Team :: Have u ever heard of Azian Mazwan Safuan? Yeah I was in the same school as hers. Since we were in the same choir team, she always asked me to join her and her mates doing things (yeah, when I was a kid, I was kinda cute too and of course I was in the soprano line, she was in alto, so being in the soprano was KEWL, even a friend of my mom was so jealous at me cause her daughter who happened to know more and learn about music could not get a place in the choir soprano line). We achieved a lot of success, and I just won't forget the moment we won the 2nd place for the whole Terengganu choir competition when i was in standard 4. The 1st place won by a christian chinese school (which was truly marvellous, with a solo singer playing around with his voice just like the niggers do). Azian did hugged me (hehe) when the result was announced. Indeed, there are some other senior girls who were like holding my hands and kissing me (haha again, hey I'm not like William Hung) but for a kid, those mean nothing than just showers of love given by those around me. Hmm.. my mom didn't know about this... hehe..

The EVENT :: Me, Emie and Sheyna went to karaoke. Emie was so eager to listen to me singing. Yeah.. she sang first.. hmm... haha.. guess she'll read this but I can say she can sing, but need to be polished up a bit with better voice-shiver control, and voice projection technique. Sheyna can sing but some times, they were out of tune. She got a better voice projection. Haha.. myself? You should listen for your self.

The ART :: I was showing off by singing some of my favourite song with the need of voice control. Yeah.. hehe.. No need further explanation as this will just made everyone to vomit.

State of the ART :: Learn from the basic. Learn how to sing the same tone as what you listen to. Learn how to sing Do Re Mi properly. Learn what is minor and major are. I thought music is still being thought in school nowadays but they aren't. Learn how to slide in your harmonic voice to a song. Its easy for me. And the most important thing, learn to ACCEPT CRITICISM from other people, who are much better than you. Do not be like those in American Idol, which I think they're obviously bad in singing but still want to stand that they can sing. Oh gosh.

My thoughts :: I could say, in Akademi Fantasia, only vince can sing properly as he does have all the basic about music. He knows on harmonics. Ask the others. Can they? Haha..

March 4, 2004

Memory :: Does it related to your eye sight?

My right eye was red :: Due to nothing, my right eye was so red on Tuesday. I could still recall that I've removed my contact lens and keep it in the case caredully the nite before. In the morning, I remembered the uncomfortable feeling caused by my right eye lense but i was like ignoring it since i do think it's such a normal thing to happen. It happens almost everyday. I went to work early and do things as usual. In the afternoon, a colleague told me that my right eye look irritative to him as it was so red. I said I don't know why maybe it's normal. Then I was out with Liza to KLCC, to actually watch the movie. We were at the Chilli's at first, loitering there watching pool game while enjoying the refillable food there.. My right eye were getting very much irritating. Went to the toilet and it was.. wow I'm a flaming red-eye ghost!

The next day :: I slept in Serdang the nite before. As my eye were still red, I don't dare to put it on. Yeah, it was funny to have a monoscopic (single eyesight) view. I hardly estimate the distance, i've to drive slowly, hardly change the driving lane. Wow. Now I understand how hard it is being a goat or cow (as they do enjoy monoscopic eye sight as I do now hehehehe). I stop my car as early as I could, as it is still far ahead and feel funny about it. Maybe I have to have a single eyesight to be a good driver. Mannnn.. i was real careful...

Art :: ?????
What do I remember :: Hmm this is even funnier. I hardly remember things i do, things i saw, people i met. Why? Does this one eye sight does effect my memory as well? I hardly remember things I do.

The next day :: I wore both contact lenses. What a relief!!! Then I starting to remember things

Friday :: Gggrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! I lost one of my contact lenses. I'm a one eyed man again!!!!
State of the ART :: This may apply for those who have bad eyesight or nearly blind like me. If you want to have a bad day, or you want to forget things happened in a day, or maybe u wanna know nothing about the day you're going through, just let one of your eye to be able to see and let the other just like that. It's much more difficult to look at things rather than by seeing with one eye.

sign :: slash rose

March 2, 2004

Food::Where to eat like all you can eat?

Me :: Has become quite less eating nowadays. I must have something done to me to trigger my self to become an eater like i was. Food has become so boring since i haven't cooking for quite a while. I do enjoy my own cooking since I know how it's gonna taste. Eating outside was just to fill up the hunger of my tummy.

Nana & Tina :: I was brought to this kewl place named Chilli's by Nana and Tina.. i guess last year. Me, being a conservative person (i was working in Telekom R&D with small salary) who'd prefer eating at cheap places like stalls and so on. They brought me there (of course I'm paying), ordered 3 glass of lemonade and a sandwich burger. Kewl but still nothing urged me to like the place..

Emie :: She has always been good about places. Places to eat. Places to karaoke. Places to buy cheap things. Places to whatever. Gals. I guess they just know places, better than the males do. I was thinking that I know good places but was surprised there are more good places exist, even in KL.

Mid Valley :: A place I rike to go. Got Chilli's there. Got Sushi King there.. Coffee Bean as well (which I'm now rarely goes).

The ART :: Emie was planning to treat me for dinner. And suggesting chilli's. I wonder what's good to eat there as I myself seldomly goes to such places. She suggested me the Jack Mushroom and Fruit Juices. She herself ordered the Chips and Iced Lemon Tea. And guess what. The chips, juice and the pita bread (the one I ate with Jack Mushroom) all can be refilled. Gosh!!!! (Some of you might think that I'm a stupid dumb a**) This is heaven!!!

State of the ART :: Go out with girls. A lot! hehe.. Guess they know good places. People like me just headed to normal places. Gal nowadays are very much more adventurous (I was but am getting older, and I was adventurous in the sense of doing idiotic and dangerous things). Yeah you know, gals were like buying new clothes every single month, at least a pair of shoes. Of course they've spotted where to go to get the best they can squeeze the best from what they have (and i'm not the only person who maximizely squeezed my resources, everyone does!!!

Dos' :: That's just one place. This is the reason why i befriend with a lot of gals. They have a lot of information. lately, I just knew abt rotiboy. Liza told me abt it earlier but I didn't put attention on what she's been saying. Only when emie brought me there then only i remember liza told me. Just like the case of Tina & Nana brought me to the Chilli's. I know nothing cause I was thinking about some other thing.

Don'ts :: Never ignore what they say, or ask. Because as a male. we have to admit that we are sometimes idiot and stupid. Nothing is wrong if the gals know better than you. :p

March 1, 2004

On Fuel Again::Minimizing the usage of your car propellant

Case :: Me went to Desaru, last Tuesday, it was so tiring. Half day leave on Tuesday and whole day on the wednesday weren't enuf for me to do things slowly and careful. Everythin was at pace. I was driving with Aboy, Bob's nephew. We're havin Maggi that afternoon (which the case was we're about to save expenses on almost everything since everyone has squeeze everything they have to ensure this event to be successful)

Scientific Explanation :: It was hot, and saving fuel would not be as easy as it sounds. Daytime heat will cause more force to be used as the heat will actually heat up the tyre, causing the tyre to grow bigger a little bit and more surface of the tyre on the road. More surface of the tyre on the road means the tyre will bite the road MORE. In this case, tyre grip is better but car acceleration is slowered down as the tyre grips the road better. (In other case, it's better to loosen up the grip :p)

Drawback :: I was still ambitious of saving on my fuel even I was given extra money by Bob. I was expecting the expenses would be just on myself but even if you got extra, why don't we just be pathetic and try to squeeze the most out of what you get? We shuttled first, guess we were 30 minutes in front of Bob when we were just entered the highway. I was driving slowly.. real slow at around 70-95 km/h. It would be boring but it's fun.. Given we have a lot of activities, such as singing by the player, lookin at chicks and cars as well. Reached somewhere I started to lose control, was chasing a car that was not so fast, but just myself that felt my arrogantness has been teared off so we end up reaching desaru with my fuel gauge indicated nearly 3/4 of the tank content had been burnt out. At the end, Bob was an hour and 5 minutes in front of us. We rested in a good bungalow (guess what, a whole bungalow complete with TV, karaoke set in the hall, dining room, kitchen, BBQ set, a separate place for reading and 3 rooms with attached bathroom to each of it, just RM100 a night!!!!!!!), and prepare for the event the next day.

The ART :: As everything went fine and very well, the event was a successful one. I myself decided to see my parents in JB, which is just 1.5 to 2 hours of driving from Desaru, they were so near so it's something I cannot miss. They were so near but I didn't see 'em (in fact I miss them so much as I actually see 'em every single week). So everyone agreed to join me to JB for the dinner. We went to Singgah Selalu Restaurant (this restaurant is kinda famous) enjoy the food while me playing with my lil sista, Farah, and drive off back to KL. It was 10 o'clock and I reach KL at 2.15 am with my fuel tank gauge indicated that my fuel was still 3/4 unemptied.

State of the ART :: I was driving real SLOW! And it was at night. 10 o'clock till 2.15 am. And I poured in Shell gasoline. We call this minimize the fuel consumption and maximize the mileage. The reason why I do everything above was as below:-
Drive real SLOW :: I was driving a proton car (1.5 Injection Manual Wira). The optimized speed per fuel usage as advertised was 8.9 liter per 100 km/h at the speed of 90 km/h. I was wondering whether this is true, well I did better than that with various speed!!!

It was at Night :: Less heat at nite. Less heat - less grip - less burden = better acceleration + less fuel consumption.

10 o'clock till 2.15 am :: The more important thing is less car - less braking - constant speed + less acceleration = less fuel consumption again!!!

I poured in Shell gasoline :: Very well known as the most effective gasoline for more mileage with less fuel consumption beside Projet. I dun believe in Petronas. Sometimes I'd use caltex for Highway use but shell provide better acceleration. Shell is still the best (I know it's an american Oil & Gas company but I'd opt for better value for my money and time).
ps :: Sorry for the late update. Somebody asked for simple English. Yeah.. The article now becomes longer :p

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