Woot!

Rules must be followed:
Each blogger must post this rules.
Each blogger must start with ten random facts about themselves.
Bloggers that are tagged need to write about their own blog, ten things and post this rules.
Don't forget to leave them comments telling them they have been tagged and are to read your blog.

1. I like black
2. I like programming.
3. I am 3/4 of the way through writing a fantasy/sci-fi novel.
4. I love coffee.
5. I am eccentric.
6. I love violin pieces.
7. I enjoy RTS games.
8. I love to read.
9. I would love to earn money writing software, but writing as a job is fine too.
10. I am a proud cardist.

Now tag ten ppl to do this quiz (unfortunately, I will not):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1.Who's the person that tagged you?
- Sophia
2. Relationship between you and her?
- Unusually good friends
3. Three impressions of her?
- A little hot-tempered, cute, talented
4. If she becomes your enemy, you will?
- Bang head on wall
5. What will you say to the person you like very much?
- I probably did already
6. Characteristic i like about myself?
- Rationality
7. Characteristic i hate about myself?
- Rationality
8. For the person whom you hate, you say?
- Hi
9. What do people feel about you?
- Eccentric is a common adjective
10. Your crush?
- It's been mentioned

The rest, I won't do. Sorry :D


EDIT: Due to overwhelming demand from specialized demographics, I have decided to finish the quiz.

11. Pass this to 10 people:
1. Dalon
2. Jianyu
3. Xinyi
4. Fazli
5. Sophia
6. Ghim Siang
7. Kok Li
8. Weijian
9. Amirul
10. Weijie

12. If 5 & 7 were together?
- Unless something really strange is going on, it's not possible.
13. who does 5 like?
- Me.
14. What colour does 9 like?
- Not sure.
15. Say something about 8?
- Amusing.
16. Who is 2?
- Great friend.
17. Talk about 3.
- Hyper Girl.
18. Who is 10's best friend?
- No idea really.
19. Who's the sexiest among all 10?
- No comments.
20. What colour does 4 like?
- I have no idea.
21. Is 4 single?
- Yes
22. Your relationship with 1.
- Good friends.
23. Are 5 & 6 best friends?
- They don't know each other.
24. 9's surname?
- I'm not sure how surnames go for Malays, so too bad on that note.
25. 7's nickname?
- Don't know.
26. Say something to 8.
- Hello!
27. Say something to help 9.
- Dude, relax, take things less seriously.
28. Who do i admire?
- What?
29. Where does 1 live?
- Singapore.
30. 10 of them know who you like?
- Some do.
31. Say something to 6 when you see him.
- Hi.
32. 10's spouse?
- Don't know.



Anyway, on to topic.

I've gotten a few people asking about my novel. Asking to read it. Really, I Am Not Making This Up!

For any of those interested friends who just so happen to read my blog, here is a short description of the characters.

(Hahaha, bet you wanted the story summary at least ;D)

Name: Andre
Occupation: Student, soon-to-be discoverer of major scientific principle
Role: Narrator
Personality:
A Genre Savvy, sarcastic guy who tries to live a mundane life, but ends up as a Deadpan Snarker and an Action Survivor


Name: Sera
Occupation: Agent, with a cover identity as a student
Role: Protagonist
Personality:
A quiet, enigmatic girl, also a Badass Bookworm. That's all.

What? I said she was enigmatic!

Name: Callin
Occupation: Student, also part-time task-force manager
Role: Mr. Exposition
Personality: Cool-headed, perpetually sober, Andre's best friend and Sera's 'colleague'

Name: Sebilius
Occupation: Leader of opposing task-force only because it suits his agenda
Role: Full-time villain
Personality: An affably evil man doubling as a Magnificent Bastard

Awesome

Wonderful. I've hit 34 thousand words. Or so.

Still got a fair bit left to go. I think I should be able to finish the first draft by the end of the year.

60k words is my target at the least ;)

Writing

Wonderful. I've hit 20,000 words.
I'm keeping 6 backups in total.
Tinfoil hats haha.

Novelisation

A novelisation (is that a word? I hope it is) of a concept that I've had for a couple of years.

I've started to write a lot these past few days. Working on a science-fiction novel, I must say it's extremely challenging to make the physics all work together in a manner that's both interesting and plausible. Aside from that, I've always had a certain interest in what Literature would classify as character development.

Apparently, it is the crux of almost every story. Without developing characters, the story would not be captivating.

I've churned out about 13,000 words already since the beginning of the week. At TNR size 11 this reaches up to about 35 pages of writing.

It's exhausting trying to put all my ideas in words. Yet I can't help but enjoy it.

The main problem now is to organise all the events together into something coherent. After all, sometimes I write in a rather odd fashion: when it takes my fancy, if I suddenly have an idea for a section of the story, I'll just try and write it out. Even if its just a silly idea I have, I cannot toss it away.

Ideas are valuable. I remember how much I panicked when I corrupted my Word document by accident. Even though I had a copy at home, the file I had on my laptop was updated, containing about 3 hours of work.

One would think 3 hours isn't that much to make up for, and that's probably true for a fixed undeviating task.

However it's different for writing. Writing branches your thoughts out for every word you write. Each word takes you down a different path. And each word you put down indicates your approval of the combination of words. Isn't writing simply a reference to 'the right words in the right order'?

Losing 3 hours worth of work means losing a valuable combination of words that has been approved. And it is highly unlikely you will get it back again.

It's difficult being a writer.

Processing

I really am beginning to appreciate the power of multi-threaded processing.

Recently obtained a Quad Core 2.4GHz Intel CPU, and I must say I'm really enjoying the benefits.

Rendering an image takes a fraction of the time. Right now I'm running a batch video conversion job and a DVD conversion job in parallel, with a copy file operation from my hard disk to my SD card, with my antivirus running a scan, whilst opening up a crapload of Youtube videos, and my processor is handling them all without a sweat. No stuttering, no freezes, nothing.

Wonder what would happen if I threw a 3D render with maximum antialiasing, unoptimized volumetric lights and fog with the option of recomputing subrays enabled, into the mess of processes.

I get the feeling my computer wouldn't find it too much of a challenge.

:/

I don't know why, but it's kind of painful when I see them. The feeling is really strange. You'd understand why, right? :/

Tired out of my mind.

Personality Test

Scientifically proven personality test here:
Personality Test


According to the test, I am an INTJ (Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging) type. o.0

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

(section omitted, to be mentioned below)

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

Points of interest:

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

That is... unfortunately true. Far more accurate than I'm comfortable with. Also:

Rationals are the least likely types to remember important days, such as anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays. However, they do tend to be steadfast, being among the most committed. Their partners can expect intellectual stimulation, debating from multiple perspectives, and a lot of autonomy. Rationals are the most likely types to treat their partners as equal in adult status.

I hate the first sentence. That part always gets me in deep shit.

People also of INTJ type:
Isaac Newton
Niels Bohr
C. G. Jung
Michel de Montaigne
Michel Nostradamus
Ada Lovelace
Jane Austen (what the bloody hell, I'm doing her book Pride and Prejudice for Literature class)

Vista

No, not the Microsoft operating system.

The name of my newly done terrain piece, in dedication to the one who has supported me all the while. Thank you.



Render time: 18 minutes.

Rendered Resolution: 2400x1800
Hardware used:
Intel Core 2 Quad @ 2.4GHZ
NVidia 6600GT

Full view on my dA account. If you don't know what it is, too bad.

Nuggets

Hm. Nuggets.

I recall a theory about MacDonalds' nuggets. I believe I heard it from my cousin.

The Theory of the Typical McNugget Shape

Firstly, we postulate that McNuggets come in 3 distinguished shapes: the Foot (also known as the Boot), the Diamond and the Circle.

The Foot-shaped nugget looks precisely the way it is described, but is sometimes affectionately known as Italy (to be honest, wtf?). The Diamond-shaped nugget comes in the form of women's best friend, except it is shaped similar only in 2 planes (X and Y), with a relatively uniform thickness, and is generally considered to be infinitely more tasty, and infinitely less likely to break your teeth (this is a mere hypothesis; you are free to try your teeth on a real diamond if you wish). The Circle-shaped nugget approaches the shape of a circle, hence the very obvious name.

Statistical observation of this phenomenon may be executed by examining the contents of Chicken McNuggets boxes. 3 differently-sized boxes exist for this purpose: boxes designed for 6 nuggets, 9 nuggets and 20 nuggets. Using a pseudorandom number generator passed through a hashing function that will eventually hash any real number to either the integers 6, 9 or 20 (a modulus 3 function for example), one will find that as the number of randomly chosen boxes 'n' increases, the probability of any single nugget shaped like the above appearing will approach 33.3%, with a negligible number of anomalous shapes.

--

That marks the end of a basic postulation of the thesis.

Oh and, Wikipedia has something to say on the subject too.


WIKIPEDIA
--
A McNugget number is the total number of McDonald's chicken McNuggets in any number of boxes. The original boxes (prior to the introduction of the Happy Meal-sized nugget boxes) were of 6, 9, and 20 nuggets.

According to Schur's theorem, since 6, 9, and 20 are relatively prime, any sufficiently large number can be expressed as a linear combination of these numbers. They are relatively prime because 6=2*3, 9=3*3, and 20=2*2*5, making 1 the greatest common divisor. Therefore, there exists a largest non-McNugget number, and all numbers larger than it are McNugget numbers.
--

You are free to verify this on the webpage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coin_problem

Euphoria

You see... Everything's all right now.

Incredible

Some pretty big things have been happening. And I don't understand why. I feel like the legendary Caesar, when he was killed by his best friend, Brutus: "Et tu, Brute? (Even you, Brutus?)".

'Stabbed in the back', 'betrayal', 'conspiracy', all these words are always used. These things usually happen in television dramas, like those weepy Channel 8 ones you see from MediaCorp. Now I realize they aren't always fiction; they're often based off of someone's experiences.

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." - Shakespeare

Studying Shakespeare's Macbeth in secondary school paid off. Not sure if the quote is absolutely accurate, but I think it does get the point across pretty well.

So every life is insignificant, according to Shakespeare, but it appears to be of utmost importance to the people embroiled in the center of the maelstrom.

Perhaps its the same in my case. It appears to be very important to me, but since they are just.. distant observers, they don't see a lot. They don't feel what I feel. They probably don't give a damn either.

Quite like Einstein's Relativity really.

Haha, imagine applying science to social behaviour... ... which has already been done. Social sciences are there already. Hmm.

Why can't people be more like computers? When you code, if your compiler bitches at you, there is no way you can possibly say it's the compiler's fault, because it IS a machine. Its accuracy is far superior over humans. However, if a person starts blaming you for things, it could easily be your fault, or it could be hers, too.

That way, we can know who is in the right, and who is in the wrong.

Humans are too clever for their own good.

All this is of course to say, I feel cheated.

Random

A new meme.

1. There are 30 questions.
2. Next to each number, write only the name of the person who fits.
3. Answer one question with one name.
4. Don't tell the questions to anyone who isn't doing the meme.

1. Huimin
2. Amirul
3. Me
4. Xinyi
5. Xinyi
6. No idea
7. Xinyi again
8. lime
9. Sophia
10. My mother
11. Generally those who change partners faster than they change clothes
12. lolidunno
13. Huimin
14. Meelen (ambiguous questions get stupid answers)
15. WTF?
16. Jia Wei
17. Pravin
18. No idea
19. Li Yan
20. lime
21. Don't know
22. Don't know
23. None
24. Sophia :P
25. WTF!
26. WTF!
27. Tim
28. There's actually 2: Amirul and lime
29. Sophia
30. If I mention you here, it's because I really mean it. If you know the questions and don't like me putting you here...

Then fuck off.

Work, Friends, Life

A few problems in these areas these days. My mid-year results in JC were... all right, but somehow not quite satisfactory. 2 A's are not nearly enough. And right now, I've got a lot of work that I owe. Stress, damn it all.

And friends. It doesn't feel great to have a fair number of friends, but only a small number of good friends, and having one of them snub you, whether intentionally or not. Am I being too sensitive, or...?

Life. Really, it's not too bad. I'm thankful of my situation, that I have a goal in life, that I have interesting hobbies that keep me occupied (even if I still get a bit aimless sometimes), and that I'm doing pretty well in these fields. But those aimless times can get really horrible to pass. And my procrastination still gets the better of me.

All the time.

Another Quiz

#1 What's the connection between you & the last person that called you?
The last person who called me is my father.

#2 Do you ever turn your cell phone off?
Yes.

#3 What happened at 10.00am today?
I was at home, about to leave.

#4 When did you last cry?
-

#5 What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
Peanuts.

#6 What do you want in your life right now?
Talent, really. And a stable future.

#7 Do you carry an umbrella when it rains, or just put up your hood?
Umbrella.

#8 What's your favorite thing to have on your bed?
Me.

#9 What bottom are you wearing now?
Pants.

#10 What's the nicest text in your inbox say?
"No Messages."

#11 Do you tend to make a relationships complicated?
I sure hope not.

#12 Are you wearing anything you borrowed from someone?
No.

#13 What was the last movie you caught?
Final Fantasy: Advent Children. I caught it on my laptop; that counts, right?

#14 What are you proud of?
Being a cynic.

#15 What does the oldest text message in your inbox say?
"No Messages."

#16 What was the last song you sang out loud?
I do not remember.

#17 Do you have any nicknames?
I did.

#18 What does your last received text message say?
"No Messages."

#19 What time did you go to bed last night?
Around 2 or so.

#20 Are you currently happy?
Yes.

#21 Who gives you best advice?
Anybody who bothers to give me advice, gives me good advice.

#22 Do you eat whipped cream straight from the can?
No. I eat it on top of coffee.

#23 Who did you talk on phone last night?
-

#24 Is anything bugging you right now?
Yes.

#25 What/Who was the last thing/person to make you laugh?
I forgot.

#26 Do you wear toe socks?
No.

#27 Who was the last person you missed a call from?
-

#28 Have you ever had your heart broken?
No.

#29 What annoys you most in a person?
The inability to put things aside and think straight with an objective viewpoint.

#30 Do you have a crush on anyone?
No. I don't have crushes. I CRUSH YOU.

#31 Have you ever done cocaine?
No.

#32 What is the colour of your room?
Varying shades of blue, beige, black, red and green.

#33 Would you kill someone you hate for a billion dollar?
No.

#34 Do you believe in the saying "talk is cheap"?
No. Words have power.

#35 Who was the last person to lay in your bed?
Me.

#36 Who was the last person to hug you?
Don't ask :)

#37 What do you want to say to the person you have a crush on?
I want to say, "Piss off, imaginary friend"

#38 Do you have a life?
I'm trying to lead 4. Does that count?

#39 Have you ever think someone died, when they really didn't?
Yes.

#40 What is the reason behind your profile song?
I do not have a profile song. If I had one it'd be Lucidity by Kastoacha. If everybody paid Logic and Rationality a little more sense, instead of thinking with their hearts or testicles, the world would be a great deal better.

#41 Who was the last person you saw in your dream?
I rarely dream so I forgot the last one.

#42 Last time you smiled?
A minute ago or so.

#43 Have you changed this year?
Yes.

#44 What are you listening to right now?
The Dwarves Explore.

#45 Are you talking to someone when you doing this?
Yes.

#46 Do you walk with your eyes open or closed ?
Open.

#47 Is there a quote you live by?
"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." - Voltaire

#48 Do you want someone you can't have?
No.

#49 Have you ever played an instrument?
Yes.

#50 What was the worst idea you've had in a week?
Every idea has been equally bad.

#51 What were you doing last night at 11.00pm?
Chatting on msn.

#52 Are you happy with your love life right now?
Yes.

#53 What song(s) describe your love life?
To Zanarkand.

#54 Does the person know that you like him/her?
Who?

#55 Who always make you laugh?
Me.

#56 Do you speak other language other than English?
Yes.

#57 Are you blonde?
No.

#58 What's your middle name?
I don't have one.

#59 What are you doing tomorrow ?
Going out.

#60 What do you think you are like?
Cynical.

#61 Who will you choose to die with?
Nobody.

#62 Where have you been today?
My secondary school, my house, and BPP.

#63 What game do you play often?
Battle for Middle-Earth 2.

#64 Who are you missing right now?
Everyone who isn't with me right now.

#65 If you've to choose between friend & love, who will you choose?
If it comes to that, nobody.

#66 What are you doing right now?
Chatting on MSN, listening to music,

#67 Which primary school are you from?
Bukit Panjang Primary.

#68 Name 3 colours that you like.
Black, White, Grey. I live in a colorless world.

#69 What emotion you like to show?
Rationality.

#70 What is life to you?
An untidy cosmic accident.

#71 If you have something troubling you, what will you do?
Find someone to talk to.

#72 Who did you last chat in msn today?
Sophia.

#73 Who do you admire the most?
Dan and Dave. I can't tell between the two.

#74 Which month are you born in?
February.

#75 How are you feeling right now?
A little pissed off.

#76 What is the time now?
10:32 PM

#77 Where are you now?
My room.

#78 What colour did you use to dye hair?
-

#79 Why are you doing this test?
Sophia asked me to.

#80 What do you do when you're moody?
Talk.

#81 At which age you wish to get marry?
20+.

#82 Who is more important to you?
?

#83 Do you think you have enough confident?
Yes.

#84 Who is the person you trust the most?
Lalalalala.

#85 Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after a rain?
I've seen one.

#86 If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
War and suffering stop. Yadda yadda yadda.

#87 What is your goal for this year?
Get to J2.

#88 Do you believe in eternal love?
Yes.

#8 What do you love?
All that I love, really.

#90 Do you really think its Global Warming now?
Yes.

What, you want me to say it's cooling?

#91 What feeling you hate the most?
That I'm being irrational and stupid.

#92 Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?
Yes, some more so than others.

#93 Do you believe in God?
No.

#94 Who cares for you the most?
Someone.

#95 What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Someone.

#96 What'll you bring when you fight?
I'll bring my mouse and my computer an- oh wait...

#97 What have you regretted doing in your whole life?
Don't ask.

#98 How would you feel if everyone no longer cares for you?
Depressed.

#99 What if your stead two-timed you?
I'd feel it was good riddance.

#100 What do you want now?
End the quiz.

Mechanically Working

RULES:
1. Put Your itunes, windows media player etc on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name
5. Answer in this manner : Song Title - Artist

If someone says "is this okay?" you say,
Lucidity - Kastoacha

How would you describe yourself?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

How do you feel today?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your life's purpose?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your motto?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do your friends think of you?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think of your parents?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think about very often?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is 2 2?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think of your best friend?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think of the person you like?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your life story?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What will they play at your funeral?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your hobby/interest?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your biggest fear?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What is your biggest secret?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What do you think of your friends?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What's the next song?
Lucidity - Kastoacha

What a coincidence.

Incidentally, excerpts from the song itself:
"... the rainbow washed away..."
"our sanity shall survive in the chaos here beneath the sky"
"lucidity..."

Oh, the emo-ification D=

Quiz

Got tagged by Sophia.

Not a quiz per se, but yeah.

10 things about Myself:
1) Likes chocolate. A lot of it.
2) Loves to write.
3) Has a passion for cardistry.
4) Enjoys doing digital art.
5) Needs to get some sleep.
6) Is a nocturnal animal.
7) Likes writing obscure and meaningless programs.
8) Enjoys practicing magic.
9) LIKES PHYSICS.
10) LIKES MATHEMATICS.

This quiz stops here on my end.

Anyway, I'm designing a new website for myself, which I may be using as my main 'blog' so to speak. It probably won't be any time soon, since I'm busy as hell these days, but yeah.

I'll keep you guys updated.

An Extremely Long Quiz

The IPIP Neo personality test. Seems to be scientifically valid, so I urge you all to give it a go: personalitytest.net. Note: the following is NOT the whole report. There are more details.

Extraversion

Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.
Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extravert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached.

Domain/Facet........... Score
Extraversion...............32
Friendliness.............59
Gregariousness...........27
Assertiveness............26
Activity Level...........46
Excitement-Seeking.......14
Cheerfulness.............52
Your score on Extraversion is low, indicating you are introverted, reserved, and quiet. You enjoy solitude and solitary activities. Your socializing tends to be restricted to a few close friends.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others'. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.
Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.
Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

Domain/Facet........... Score
Agreeableness..............66
Trust....................25
Morality.................72
Altruism.................68
Cooperation..............82
Modesty..................34
Sympathy.................84
Your level of Agreeableness is average, indicating some concern with others' Needs, but, generally, unwillingness to sacrifice yourself for others.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.
Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society, but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term consequences. Examples include excessive socializing that leads to being fired from one's job, hurling an insult that causes the breakup of an important relationship, or using pleasure-inducing drugs that eventually destroy one's health.
Impulsive behavior, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person's effectiveness in significant ways. Acting impulsively disallows contemplating alternative courses of action, some of which would have been wiser than the impulsive choice. Impulsivity also sidetracks people during projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered, and inconsistent.
A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Intelligent activity involves contemplation of long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and persisting toward one's goals in the face of short-lived impulses to the contrary. The idea that intelligence involves impulse control is nicely captured by the term prudence, an alternative label for the Conscientiousness domain. Prudent means both wise and cautious. Persons who score high on the Conscientiousness scale are, in fact, perceived by others as intelligent.
The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Domain/Facet........... Score
Conscientiousness..........61
Self-Efficacy............72
Orderliness..............65
Dutifulness..............49
Achievement-Striving.....38
Self-Discipline..........31
Cautiousness.............89
Your score on Conscientiousness is average. This means you are reasonably reliable, organized, and self-controlled.

Neuroticism

Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.
At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a component of the Extraversion domain.

Domain/Facet........... Score
Neuroticism................13
Anxiety..................36
Anger....................9
Depression...............11
Self-Consciousness.......67
Immoderation.............2
Vulnerability............17
Your score on Neuroticism is low, indicating that you are exceptionally calm, composed and unflappable. You do not react with intense emotions, even to situations that most people would describe as stressful.

Openness to Experience

Openness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called Culture or Intellect. Nonetheless, Intellect is probably best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of education and scores on standard intelligent tests.
Another characteristic of the open cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual's specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical, or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.
Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales, and a number of service occupations.

Domain/Facet........... Score
Openness to experience.....67
Imagination..............36
Artistic Interests.......85
Emotionality.............20
Adventurousness..........24
Intellect................93
Liberalism...............87
Your score on Openness to Experience is high, indicating you enjoy novelty, variety, and change. You are curious, imaginative, and creative.

Yet another quiz.

I was tagged by lime. Oh well :D

1. What disappoints you the most?
Myself, sometimes.

2. Where will you go if someone sponsors you a tour ticket?
Las Vegas.

3. What's your favorite thing to do?
Practicing card flourishing and effects.

4. Do you think money can buy happiness?
Not quite.

5. If you can have one dream to come true, what would it be?
Shhh...

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
Certainly, as long as I have other resources.

7. What are the qualities you look for in your future partner?
;)

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
I'd donate all of it if it would stop idiots from magic exposure.

9. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you recently?
I can't quite recall. Then again, I've got a pretty thick skin.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you?
Very upbeat and optimistic
Encouraging
Good conversational partner

11. What makes you happy?
:D Someone, and my cards.

12. What type of person do you hate the most?
Hecklers.

13. Where do you see yourself 10 years down the road?
A software programmer, and hopefully a skilled cardist/magician as well.

14. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
To be able to do the impossible, to bring the art of astonishment to others.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
:)

16. What do you do when you're alone?
I emo in my room and slit my wrists with the various cards, using the Bleeder Crimp by Kevin. :D

17. If you have a chance, which part of your character would you like to change?
Be less rational and more emotional.

18. One word to describe yourself.
Asshole.

19. What was your most unforgettable experience in school?
I don't know, all of them were pretty unforgettable.

20. What's my sexy name?
Your sexy name? I don't know.

I am going to tag:

No idea who you want to tag.

But I will tag Sophia, Timothy and Amirul.

Quiz

1. What’s your ambition?
To be a professional card manipulator. That's too out of this world, so a more realistic one would be computer programmer.

2. Who is more important to you? Friends or girlfriend?
Make a guess.

3. Who is the person you trust most?
Myself.

4. Do you think you have enough confidence?
Yes, with plenty to spare.

5. Who is your idol?
Do Dan and Dave count as 1 person?

6. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
No. I'm a cynic. Then again, I've seen them, so...

7. What is your goal for this year?
- To pass my promo examinations
- To live up to expectations in the new cardistry group Jaspas inducted me in
- To make someone really really happy

8. Do you believe in eternity love?
No. I just believe in eternal love.

9. Have you broken someone’s heart that she/he tried to commit suicide?
No. Have you?

10. What feeling do you love most?
I love love.

11. What are the requirements you wish from the other half?
Happiness.

12. List some best moments in life?
Make MORE guesses.

13. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?
Yes. I would not be where I am now without them.

14. Between money and love. Which one ?
Love.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
My life, my love, my passions.

16. Do you love anime?
No, you anime-loving quiz-maker.

17. Describe the person who tagged you in 5 words.
Ace, funky, temperamental, smart, thoughtful

18. What have you done to please yourself?
Spending countless hours boomeranging cards.

19. IF you had one wish right now, what would you wish for to come true?
I would wish for my wishes to all come through.

20. What do you want most for your birthday?
A good solid deck of cards that never wears out.



I'm not one to force quizzes on others, so it stops here. :) If you want to do it though, tag me, and let me know.

Eons of non-posting...

And so I'm back.

A fair amount has happened recently that I haven't written about.

Finally I've started to meet up with the Singaporean flourishers. Been out of the loop for ages, and now I realize how much material I've missed, how much I need to learn, and how much I need to catch up on.

Flourishers I've met so far:
Leon (first guy I met, has a nice two card twirl flourish I want to learn)
Jaspas (some pretty good original material, has style to go along with it)
Ling Xuan (has a LOT of unreleased material)
Bowen (quite a cool person)
Ben You (very friendly guy, some nice flourishing eye-candy)
Kevin Ho (amazingly nice and sociable, comments on skill are unnecessary I think)

A fun clique to hang out with, I feel.

Bought a couple of Brown Wynn decks (going for 18 dollars) at Bugis, and picked up the new Split Spades Lions, red and blue from David Blaine there as well. Now just fooling around with the Clip Shift as demonstrated by the others.

And then there's this insanely visual color change, that is not only beautiful, but very, very knacky to pull off as well.



Check it out at 01:15 and 01;26. I found out how to do it, and good grief, whoever thought it up is clever.

I'm not even going to try learning this one.

Florida Substitute Teacher Fired, Accused of Wizardry

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

A Florida teacher may have to pull an unemployment check out of his hat after performing magic in front of students, according to reports.

Jim Piculas said he made a toothpick disappear and reappear in front of students at the Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes, Fla., Local6.com reported. He said he later got a call from the supervisor of teachers, saying he had been accused of wizardry.

"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue. You can't take any more assignments. You need to come in right away,'" he told Local6.com.

Piculas said he’s concerned the incident may prevent him from being considered for future jobs.

Just when you think the world can't get any dumber, it proves you wrong. I've given up on trying to prove the world is generally stupid. It tends to set out to prove it to you, most often in an aggressive manner than anything else.

Cardistry Collaboration Contest - Jaspas/Bowen and the Frenchmen ;D

Beautifully done; a wonderful display of skill and storyboarding. Nice synchronisation of audio/video.

Highlights

1min50sec: the flicking of Jaspas' nicely balanced Angel that freaked the girl out
1min55sec: Bowen's INSANE Tornado cut; at least 4 revolutions in less than a second


Fantastic film editing and storyboarding; a great deal of style; enough to make your eyes pop. Moves that are beautiful and original too. Excellent synchronisation of video with music. Casual, laid-back.

Highlights
1min45sec: Stunning card spin
2min24sec: A jaw-dropping dual card spin on both hands followed by a slick one on the thumb
2min57sec: Nice card balancing with a smooth card spin


Loved both videos a lot; can't stop watching them. Two absolute works of art. Nevertheless I have a preference for the video by Jaspas/Bowen because they're Singaporeans ;D

Keep the art alive, guys.


On to business. I know I haven't been active lately. Didn't feel like posting anyway, because there wasn't much to say. Admittedly I've been rather apathetic about my blog. Oh well. But I think I'll try and keep it alive. ;D

Seeing more and more flourishing in Singapore already. There's Bone Ho, named by some as a God of Flourishing, and then there's the Virtuoso, the team of awesome flourishers that I wish I could get a chance to meet. The art's been featured in the press in Singapore twice thus far, and I think with flourishing having a growing community, there'll be more features to come, I hope.

I'm obsessed, fine.

Programming, and other Interests

Just finished writing a little program in C++. After a while of painstaking research, I managed to finish this piece of code in under 2 hours.

Account.h

//Account Header
//This file defines the Account class, all
//of its member functions and data members.

#include // many apologies but there should be a "<" followed by "iostream" followed by ">". Blogger screws it up.

using std::cout;
using std::cin;
using std::endl;

int balance;
int accountBalance;
int credit;
int debit;

//Account Class
class Account
{
public:
//Constructor (creates an account with an initial balance)
Account( int balance )
{
setAccountBalance( balance );
}
//End Constructor

//setAccountBalance (associates balance with accountBalance)
void setAccountBalance( int balance )
{
accountBalance = balance;
if ( balance < balance =" 0;">> credit;
creditAccountBalance( credit );
}
else
{
accountBalance = accountBalance + credit;
}
}
//End creditAccountBalance

//debitAccountBalance (removes value from balance)
void debitAccountBalance ( int debit )
{
if ( debit <>> debit;
};

if ( accountBalance <>> debit;
debitAccountBalance( debit );
};

if ( accountBalance >= debit )
{
( accountBalance = accountBalance - debit );
};
}
//End debitAccountBalance
};

Account.cpp

//Account Code
//This code simulates the actions of an ATM machine.
//Due to my inexperience, I have yet to learn how to
//make the number of accounts and their names a
//variable controlled by the client. Hence, there are
//simply 2 pre-generated accounts, with transactions
//executing serially, first on account1, then account2.

//I have yet to learn to let the program verify the
//integrity of the type of input, only whether the
//input, if an integer, is positive or negative.

#include // many apologies but there should be a "<" followed by "iostream" followed by ">". Blogger screws it up.
#include "Account.h"

int main()
{
//Account1 Transactions Begin
cout << "Enter a positive integer to create Account1.\n"; cin >> balance;
Account account1( balance );
cout << "Account1's balance is " <<>> credit;
account1.creditAccountBalance( credit );
cout <<>> debit;
account1.debitAccountBalance( debit );
cout << "Account1's balance is " <<>> balance;
Account account2( balance );
cout << "Account2's balance is " <<>> credit;
account2.creditAccountBalance( credit );
cout <<>> debit;
account2.debitAccountBalance( debit );
cout << "Account2's balance is " <<>
//End Account2 Transactions

return 0;
}

Haha, at the very least, it works ;)

Blogger is screwing with the way my code looks and is munching on some of the important bits. Don't try and compile this. It's not going to work for you, unless you know how to code and can find and fix the errata. :)

I've been wondering. I've taken up so many interests now: digital art, programming, cardistry, violin... Can I handle them all? Coupled with school it's going to be a toughie, no doubt. But if I get into Computing in JC, then there's programming taken care of. And I'm in taekwondo in my school, so, that's done too. I suppose it will all work out. Hopefully.

Give me some encouragement, people :(

Sleights

This is gonna get technical, but I think that if you're reading my blog, by now you should probably have an idea of the way I write and hence are more tolerant of my writing style.

If not, get used to it :P

Just kidding. I just feel like posting a few insights I've gained with regards to sleights in the art of magic.

Magic. Or, as Paul Harris so aptly put it, the Art of Astonishment: the ability to bring the audience into a state of wonder and awe, and briefly into a dimension where reality and non-reality collide...

As magicians, the only method to achieve this is via sleight-of-hand. Many people think that sleight of hand is simply based on the principle "The hand moves quicker than the eye"; in other words, the sleight is performed extremely quickly, such that the casual observer is unable to spot it.

Unfortunately, it's completely wrong. Sleights are not all about speed. Not everybody can achieve the finger speed and dexterity that can defy the eye's gaze. Instead, sleight-of-hand is based almost wholly on technique and finesse. With the exception of a rare few sleights where speed is indeed a necessity, most simply rely on smoothness and confidence of execution to escape detection.

I am only writing this because I am currently reverse-engineering a sleight, and I find that it can only be done because it occurred to me how important each finger position is, in the execution of the sleight: whether the finger is placed high up HERE, whether it lies in the exact center THERE, or whether the finger movements relative to each other go like THIS.

Every finger has a purpose. Every gesture has a purpose. Every movement of the whole body has a purpose. Indeed, every word spoken has a purpose. Whether to execute the sleight, to provide cover for it, or to cause misdirection and draw attention away from it, all these play a key role in its execution. And therein lies the beauty of magic.

For only countless hours of practice in dedication and passion can achieve the finesse and perfection of coordination of the hand, body and mouth, that renders a sleight completely undetectable to the audience from any angle.

Next time, treat a magician with the proper respect he deserves. For in performing to an audience, he weaves the illusion of the impossible using naught but his hands, words and tools of craft. Should we not, at the very least, admire him for trying to delight and awe a strange, unfamiliar and possibly hostile audience?

Granted, not all magicians meet this lofty ideal. But most try. And the very least one could do as a spectator is to sit back, enjoy the illusion, and not blow him out of the water by calling out his every move.

Gosh, this essay is longer than I intended it to be.

OH DEAR GOD

Oh. My. Fucking. God.

http://heaveno.com/

I absolutely cannot believe this. Some kind of movement trying to revolutionize and change "hello" into "heaveno" just because "hello" has the word HELL in it.

HELLO! MY FRIEND! "Hello" is just a bloody word. It never did have any negative connotations. Its just a greeting.

I have just lost more faith in humanity.

Humanity minus 5 points. Idiocy plus 20 points.

Know how stupid the average man is. Then realize that half of the human population is more stupid than that.

School

Haven't been posting about school at all these days because I didn't really like it. Come to think of it, I don't really dislike it either, so there isn't much to go on about.

Nevertheless..

College is rather boring. Very, very different from secondary school, in rather more ways than one might guess. In the past students planted their bottoms in their classrooms, and teachers came to them, in the majority of cases. Now, the teachers sit comfortably in their lecture rooms and wait for the students to go to them.

Talk about retribution. Now its our turn to run all around the campus. Unfortunately I'm pretty much unfamiliar with the place. Was very nearly late for one lesson: English Literature.

Speaking of which, I haven't said anything about my subject combination. I'm taking MPE: H2 Maths, Physics and Economics, and H1 English Literature. I wish I could take H2 for Literature, but we evidently can't take 4 H2 content subjects just yet.

Maths is pretty dang boring. The stupid thing about this is that since we are a transition batch, we are assumed to have prior knowledge of Partial Fractions, which we have absolutely no idea about. And since the teachers are very aware of this, they printed a new set of notes. AND SINCE its not officially in the syllabus, they named it... Guess what?

Chapter 0: Partial Fractions

Duh. So it comes before Chapter 1.

Still, I finished all of the practice questions in the lecture notes before the lecturer even finished touching on all the essential concepts. And hey, I got it right. Extrapolation of concepts for the win, yay!

And Physics. We're learning about units. Bloody units. Units we learned about in Secondary 3. Mass, Length, Time, Current, Temperature... Probably forgot 1 or 2. Oh yeah, Luminosity. Great, just one more. I'll leave that alone.

Now its Economics. Hmm, somewhat an interesting subject. But I can't say much about it, since its new and I don't know enough to make an informed judgement. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

I'll probably talk about the rest later.

Portable Playground

Singaporean cardist Kevin Ho jams with DBsquared at the Getty Museum.

Quiz thingy

I am REALLY bored.

1. WHAT COLOR HAIR DO YOU HAVE?

[ ]Brown/Dark Brown
[ ]Red
[ ]Blonde
[x]Black
[ ]Other

2. OUT ON A DATE WOULD YOU WANT TO:

[ ]Go to a party
[x]Go out to eat

3. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR OUT OF:

[ ]Baby-Pink
[ ]Yellow
[x]Baby blue
[ ]Turquoise

4. PICK YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY OUT OF:

[ ]Talkinq
[ ]Singinq
[x]Takinq Lonq Walks

5. IF YOU COULD PICK A STORE OUT OF
THE FOLLOWING, WHICH WOULD IT BE?

[ ]Hollister
[ ]Old Navy
[x]Aeropostale

6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE OUT OF
THE FOLLOWING?

[ ]Hawaii
[x]London
[ ]Florida

7. IN THE SUMMER WOULD YOU RATHER GO
TO:

[ ]The Beach
[x]Somewhere cooler

8. WHAT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH?

[ ]January
[x]February
[ ]March
[ ]April
[ ]May
[ ]June
[ ]July
[ ]Auqust
[ ]September
[ ]October
[ ]November
[ ]December

9. WOULD YOU RATHER:

[ ]Chill at home
[x]Go out with friends

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE INSTRUMENT
OUT OF:

[]guitar
[x]electric guitar
[ ]Drums
[ ]The Trianqle


***************************************
*************

**ANSWERS**
1.
a. brown= sexy [5 points]
b. red = smart [2 points]
c. blonde= playful [4 points]
d. black= carinq [3 points]
e. other = wild [5 points]

2.
a. qo to a party = playful [2 points]
b. qo out to eat = romantic [5 points]

3.
a. baby-pink = cute [2]
b. yellow = loud [3]
c. baby-blue = cool [5]
d. turquoise = sexy [5]

4.
a. Talkinq = active [2]
b. Singinq = determined [2]
c. Takinq Lonq Walks = darinq [5]

5.
a. Hollister = tasteful [7]
b.Old Navy= laid back [2]
c. Aeropostale= stylish [5]

6.
a. hawaii = you like beinq around
people [2]
b. London You are quiet, and like the
cold [2]
c. florida = You like to party! [5]

7.
a. beach = tan, likes the sun [5]
b. somewhere cooler = pale and
oriqinal [2]

8.
a. January = popular [5]
b. February = lovely [5]
c. March = rebellious [5]
d. April = the person everyone
loves!!! [5]
e. May = happy [5]
f. June = chills a lot [5]
g. July = Adorable [4]
h. Auqust = ballin [5]
i. September = quiet [2]
j. October = out-qoinq [3]
k. November = pimpin it [5]
l. December = warm [5]

9.
a. home = quiet, romantic [3]
b. qo out with friends =crazy [5]

10.
a. quitar = cool [3]
b. eletric quitar = wild [4]
c. Drums = crazy [5]
d. Trianqle = simple [2]

SCORES

UP TO 17 = LOUSY GET A LIFE MAN

18-20 = OKAY

21-35 = Rather Cute!
No Cheatinq!

36+ = REALLY HOT~ CUTE!!!


My score: 41

Zzzzz..