Keith Soon's Laman Web

I have browsed through the WP free themes...These are the one that I like:

• Modularity Lite
• Greyzed - I like the speech bubble comment & notepad look :)
• Adventure
• Mobius - I like that it is built for viewing on both PC and mobile devices.

Which one shall I use?

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WP is much more powerful with lots more features than this novice web-builder editor. Another reason I am migrating is because with WP, I can post blog entries via my iPhone!


My web address, www.keith.soon.name, no longer exist. My Internet real estate address can now be access via keith.soon.name without the www!


Ohkay...I give up. I have logged a service request with my hosting provider. Hope to get a reply & fix soon.

In the meantime, I am going to browse through the WP theme library before bedtime. Nite!

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As 2009 is drawing to a close, here we are again - the time to review our year's accomplishments.

What did we achieve this year?  Hmmm...time for some reflections on all fronts - self, family and work.

I know what I want to do. And I do hope that the rest of us will also take the time to celebrate our own achievements this coming holiday with merriment and moderate stupidity. :P

As the end of December 2009 draws nearer, here's my must-watch-in-cinema movie list...
Something light...Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Something fantastical...The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which stars the late Heath Ledger.

Must Watch Cerebral Movies, alas it is only showing in 2010
The Lovely Bones - Jan 2010 in MY cinemas. I think I will try to look for the book too.
Up In The Air - March 2010 in MY cinemas.

Must Watch for the effects and make-up, also in 2010
Wolfman - showing Feb 2010 in MY cinemas.
Alice in Wonderland - showing March 2010 in MY cinemas.

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For this November dive trip, I am taking the PADI Enriched Air Nitrox Diver course or commonly known as Nitrox (EANx) Diver course. It is a speciality course which needs you have at least 10-20 logged dives already under your belt. If I am not wrong, it is also the first step towards technical diving, which I don't have the intention to pursue further...maybe the next course I will take is Rescue Diver.

WHY?
I am diving with kiasu divers with cameras who are not satisfied with their NDL bottom time, and having to come up early. To put it simply, they want to stay underwater longer.

It is a two day course with knowledge reviews, using the dive tables again, and EXAM...yes there's an exam to take. Need to score at least 85% correct. Thought I have seen the end of exams since school/college days. Nope, no such thing as no more exams after school. Kakakaka!

You must be wondering...breathing Nitrox? Well, did you know that there's about 21% oxygen concentration in the normal air we breathe? The rest is nitrogen (79%). Yes, we are all breathing nitrox, and not all oxygen. So, in diving, the Nitrox here refers to a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, with a higher percentage of oxygen in the tank. The oxygen concentration in the tank will be higher, either 32% or 36% concentrated oxygen.

WHY?
Scientists found that if they increase the percentage of oxygen in the air we breathe, it can help reduce the amount of nitrogen our body absorbs during a dive. So, less nitrogen in our body, we can stay underwater longer and shorter surface time intervals between dives.

Happy Diving!

><(((º> - . _ . - ¯`- . _ . - ¯`- ><(((º>

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The cheapest Bluray all-in-one drive and gaming console...

 

Unboxing Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition (PC)...

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It's here! It's here!

My pre-ordered Dragon Age: Origins (DA:O) Collector's Edition has finally arrived. WOW! I am impress with the packaging. Instead of the usual cardboard packaging that comes with most games. The game comes in a WOODEN BOX! Hmmm...I thought according to Bioware website, the Preorder Collector's edition comes in metal case.

Here's what I got...

• Sliding Wooden Box
• Pre-Order Exclusive:
  • Red-foil print T-Shirt
  • Memory Band
  • Feral Wolf Charm
• Bonus DVD including:
  • A making of documentary
  • Soundtrack
  • Trailers
  • Wallpaper
  • Concept art video
  • Strategy tips
• Cloth Map
• Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning in-game items: Adventurer's Handbook and Skaven Skin Cloak
• 3 pieces of exclusive in-game content:
  • Bergens Honor
  • Grimoire of the Frozen Wastes
  • Final Reason
  • The Fury of Shale
  • Blood Dragon Armor for both Dragon Age: Origins & Mass Effect 2

I guess the Asian CE comes in a sliding wooden box instead of a metal tin. Anyways, unboxing photos to follow soon.

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Good, good, I have checked my PEN-KUL flight times, there's no changes. I am still flying at 9pm on Friday, Nov. 20 2009.

DOH! The flight to Manado rescheduled yet again! We are now flying from KUL to MDC at 1250hrs on Saturday Nov. 21 2009. Thank goodness, I didn't opt for an early flight from PEN-KUL on the same day! What a memorable dive trip this November is going to be!

><(((º> - . _ . - ¯`- . _ . - ¯`- ><(((º>

I got myself a new electronic gadget last month! Hehehe! I got myself a Bluray player plus gaming console. The cheapest Bluray ever...

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I was also busy with upgrading my PC with the latest Microsoft Windows OS:

Since my OS system partition is separate from my data, I performed a clean install. Clean install is great cos I get to clear out all those add-ons I have installed over the years. Hahahaha!

Backup my important profiles like Outlook, and Firefox, boot from the disk, select the partition, format, install. Once the new OS is up and running, it is time to re-install all my apps and games. That task took up another day since I have to to download the Windows 7 compatible versions.

Everything is working fine except that Windows 7 is not playing nice with my mobo's on-board JMicron JMB36X(JMB363) Controller, which my external WD MyBook is attached to via the eSATA cable. It seems that whenever my WD MyBook is idle, it will disappear from device manager. I have to like power-off MyBook and power-on again, run a scan in device manager, and Windows 7 My Computer will see it again.

Arggghhh! This is so so annoying. I have yet to find a solution for this apart from having to connect via USB, which this symptom doesn't seem to appear.

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I will be returning to North Sulawesi to dive this November. It's next month! WooHoo! This dive trip has been planned, booked and paid since Feb 2009 - only the flight ticket-lah! Zero-fare, mah.

It's October. The dive group discussion has started in the emails. By pure chance, Mr Long went to check our Air Asia group booking, it was booked 8 months ago, so it is wise of him to check now. Guess what! Air Asia not only moved our departure times and return times, they have also shifted the flight day...our return flight day and time! It's being rescheduled from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1!!! That's an extension of 2 days! So...Mr Long had his wish of either extending the trip or going early granted! LOL! But that kinda screw up our dive trip plans - number of days, budget and of course, that also screw up my connecting flight, PEN-KUL-PEN.

Goodness! The email thread is so so so long on this matter. First thing first, we had to agree on our options...Thank goodness, that didn't take long, especially among a large group of 11 -12 people! With that out of the way, Chooi had the headache of planning the number of dives, cost and getting the best deals out of the resorts. Thank goodness, I am not the dive planner, it is such a nightmare to plan.

As for myself, I have to get my flights changed without additional cost. Must be my lucky stars shining brightly, Air Asia was kind enough to change all our flights FOC. That's nice of them.

So, I am now leaving for KUL on Nov. 20, Friday night and will not return until Nov. 29., Sunday night. Arggghhh! This trip kinda screw up my budget though...now I have to spend more. We are not only diving Lembeh Strait, but also get to dive Bunaken with Tasik Ria Resort, Spa & Tasik Divers (TRR) from Nov.21 to 24. From Nov.24 to 28, we will be diving with Nomad Adventure Divers (NAD), which will be a new to me since my last visit was with Lembeh Resort, which you can read all about it here.




I really hope it's well worth every $$$ spent with good diving and company...and no further unplanned incidents. I hope to return with a splendid dive trip blog entry with lots of good photos :P

><(((º> - . _ . - ¯`- . _ . - ¯`- ><(((º>

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Goodness! What a day...err..make that Friday night to start a long Raya weekend.

This past Friday, TGIF it was not. As the day winds down with a heavy downpour, coincidentally, also the last day of the 7th Lunar Month aka Hungry Ghost Month, happily I was playing FB and MMO, the power went out! Nada, no electricity! I thought it was only our home, but nope, it was the entire street.

No powa...back to basics, out with the candles but that killed my gaming session. Not only it killed my gaming session, but also my ability to download...yes BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM is finally available for download from Steam. SiiiGGGHHHh!

Anyways, after lighting the candles at all the strategic locations in the house, I went out to the front porch to have a look, well not only I did that, but the neighbours too...Lo behold, not only are we having a blackout, but the streets are flooded too. Check out the photos below:

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What a blessed day! Nature gave me bright sunshine and by midday, just after lunch, rain to cool the hot afternoon. From my family, I got a card reader from Dad, angpow & two shirts from Mum, SMS @ 3AM from ML, that crazy woman! She must have gotten her time mixed up cause I was on FB around after midnight (my time) asking her to harvest, harvest, harvest...Hahaha!

 
PC Game from Wongkee, which will only be released in October via Steam.

Lots of wishes ranging from phone call, SMSes and FB wishes from friends near and far.

I spent the eve setting up my mum's new table-top-all-in-one PC. Her previous PC will be relocated to the common area for KSB guests to use. That reminds me, I need to get a wifi card for the PC...if not, no Internet access. Kakakaka!

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It has been 5 months. The first 3 months was wonderful. Finally a competitor has arrived to challenge "Screamyx". Browsing was speedy gonzales. Watching YouTube was a wonderful experience...

However, today, 5 months down the road, the wonderful service I have enjoyed has degraded to a point where browsing is painfully slow. Webpages keep loading and loading and loading...MSN Messenger timed out, actually, it can't even connect...Trying to get my mails from my POP mail servers becomes painfully slow...Strangely, Skype is OK...The wonderful experience of watching YouTube...well, the illusion is gone. At night, after 10.30pm, you can forget about a smooth Internet experience. It doesn't exist! "Screamyx" has become faster and more reliable.

@P1...if you are reading, is this how you treat your pioneering customers?

I feel cheated into subscribing a 24-month contract. Help! I don't have a way out without paying the penalty.

Thank goodness I didn't end my "screamyx". Whew!

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Chocolate by the late Yasmin Ahmad With English subtitles

The Making of Chocolate

After watching...Faham? Understand?

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I made a boo-boo and my PSP died on me. I could switch it on, but na-da, blank screen and the dreaded green power light.

Thank goodness for my ex-school mate, actually, my ex-classmate who runs a console shop in Prangin Mall. Cheers to Seang Aik who has resurrected my PSP, with new firmware too! My PSP has a new soul now. Yaaaay! That taught me a lesson to be careful with firmware upgrades. Thank the console gods, that it was nothing serious.

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I am taking positive environmental action around the world by joining. I am now a Level 1 Campaigner.

By joining this virtual activism, you will be awarded with different types of stamps in your virtual Passport, depending on the actions you have taken. Each stamp carries a different value based on the effort the action requires.
 
When you first start campaigning with Passport, you’re a Level 1 Campaigner. When your points tally goes above 100, you move up to Level 2. Earn over 200 points and you're at Level 3 and so on.

So what are you waiting for - Join Me by joining...click the image-lah!

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Whew! I have finally archived all my 2008 entries and created the links & cross-links in the archived page. What a tedious chore it was! When I first started in 2006, there's no "blog" widget available on this Internet host. I hope with this new "blog" widget, maintaining a blog will be easier. Time will tell...

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That is my excuse for neglecting my website cum personal blog for so long. It has been months...let's see...GOODNESS! I have not updated since November 2008!

No worries, I have return!

Whoa! The tools provided by my web host have improved by leaps and bounds. I have the power to post blogs now with ease. Yippee!

So..take this as the first blog post from me after a long hiatus.