Sunday, November 23, 2008

A Pain in the DNS

Here's a picture of me doing something I don't normally do.


















Just in case you're wondering what I'm doing, I'll tell you.

I'M SNIFFING MY ROUTER! RAWRRRR!

WHY?????


Because it STINKS!!!!
















Okay okay, I'm not sniffing it BECAUSE it stinks, I'm sniffing it to FIND OUT if it stinks.

And YES! IT STINKS!!!! )(*$#%)($#&%**#$*)#$

Do yourself a favour and NEVER NEVER buy a Belkin router. It gave me endless headaches for a year, and even after changing it for brand new units a few times. Seriously, I don't know why I didn't go out and buy a new one any sooner.

Yesterday I got myself a spiffy new Linksys WRT54GL, which can be custom flashed with third-party firmwares! No more cheap stock firmware! DD-WRT, Tomato and the like!

Before I scare you off with too many technical terms, here are pictures to keep you happy.


















That's Tomato, the firmware thing I was talking about. And it comes in Pink, so it's less intimidating.
























That's the brand new Linksys, although I have to admit it's ugly (the bad kind of ugly, like Michael Jackson kind of ugly) next to the old Belkin.

edit: Proof that Michael Jackson is ugly.

I haven't sniffed it yet, but it's been working PERFECTLY since yesterday, and I haven't had to restart it since. Honestly, I've forgotten what it's like to stream a whole YouTube video without getting cut off and having to refresh the page a gazillion times over.

Say no to capitalism! Buy Linksys!

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!



Postscript:

This post was not endorsed by wither company in either way. However, if you are from Linksys reading this and are considering it, do drop me a message :D

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Emancipation

Edit:

I've had people complaining (in a nice way) that my posts are hard to understand because I use big big words. Sorry :(

If you think you might be one of these people, skip to the bottom of this post, where a simplified version awaits you.

Regards,

The Management Team
@hamnoj.blogspot.com





First things first - IB is OVER.

It was weird that of all sudden - IB was over, just like that. We walked out of the exam room after a horrendously difficult Math 3 paper and that was it; no more IB.

No more having to stay up to finish that darned World Lit Essay/Extended Essay/Internal Assessment ever again! No more friends staying over for 3 weeks just to study and study and nothing else for the upcoming finals. No more having to crack your brain about poem structures, onomatopoeia, or having to memorize what the electroweak gauge bosons are.

Yet, somehow, it didn't sink in that the exams were finally over. We sat there lamenting over the loss of the so-many marks from out Math paper, not fully comprehending what freedom lay ahead. It was like a harrowing ordeal you are suddenly sucked out of. To quote Brian Keenan, 'Freedom comes slowly at first'.

And it was the last day of school, so we went around snapping pictures of ourselves with various teachers/girls. Okay, maybe not with the girls after all.



















From right to left - A, Lee, Laoshi, Mah.




















Mr. Masukor, one of the coolest math teachers ever.

Then the great triumvirate (consisting of Riza, Winson and I - The Illustrious Aleemah) trudged to the chemistry lab. You see, the lab is a sanctuary of sorts, a haven for the weary and downtrodden. We breathed in the aromatic compounds (benzene, toulene, etc etc) in the chemical laden air and at last, felt some semblance of peace.



















Of course, and not forgetting to kick and abuse the skeleton. That's Mr. Lawrence (second from left) kicking the skeleton's non-existent umm, balls.


It was really calming, just sitting in the lab chatting with Mr. Lawrence as one would to friends. Our freedom was slowly returning. And after awhile, I quipped the age-old question.

'So. . . want to make a smoke bomb?'



















Boom, baby!


Anyway, we sat there for a few hours brewing our noxious ingredients. That beaker holds a LOT of potential little smoke bomblings.



















We had to watch it carefully lest it ignited, and risk the entire school being shrouded in a dense cloud of smoke. Not good for your rapport, at all.




















Mr Lawrence likes caramelized Potassium Nitrate very much, me thinks.


You know, the end products look remarkably like sticks of candy. Imagine that - Oh candy! Lick lick lick, KABOOBABOOM and smoke all around. Cue evil grin and evil music. Heheh.

Below is a short video, in which we ignited the piece of candy Mr. Lawrence is holding in the picture above.



We laughed and screamed with ecstasy at the large plume of smoke filling the sky. It was our way of release, our way of escape into freedom once more. Gradually, the smoke dissipated, and in that small way, I felt free.

Later on the three of us wandered aimlessly, not sure of what we might be doing next. It was a blessed reprieve; the very fact that we didn't have to plan ahead was consolation enough. Walk walk walk, never knowing where we're going. Walk into the unknown that lies ahead, never knowing, never sure of where you're going. But ah! that's the life we all share.

Our freedom takes its form in the very fact that you are given that opportunity to take that step.

You walk, and you are free.




Simplified version:
  1. Exams finished. Yay, whopee-do, happy happy joy joy.
  2. But Math paper very difficult. Sad, cry cry, boohoo-ness.
  3. Took pictures with teachers.
  4. Went to chemistry lab to make smokey smokey bomb bombs.
  5. We exploded the smokey smokey bomb bombs. (Watch the video)
  6. I feel happy again. Yay.
The end.