Well, here we are, another post.. i dont know if i should even be posting this, i mean, i just restored my pc to factory settings for the second time, i still have to install a ton of programs AND do homework..

thank God flock allows me to blog without actually using blogger.com. much easier, lighter, faster, and all that. flock is web-browser
it is a hybrid from Mozilla Firefox, and Netscape Navigator, it has lots of new accessibility features geared towards quick media access and communication, enough of that, its good enough to stand on its own without me sucking up to it

now, what happened is the following: i got a laptop, see?
bundled with the laptop is the ever-lovingly crappy Windows Vista, to top the crap i didnt even get one of the "good" Vista editions (Ultimate or Business). i got stuck with Home Basic. pfft.

Few weeks in and Vista is already crashing and freezing, i give it one hard shutdown (take out the power) and BOOM. no more windows. crap crap crap crap.

so naturally i went and installed Ubuntu one of the most popular (and stable) linux distributions out there..

problem was, amongst all the myriad combinations of hardware which can cause problems with ubuntu, i had the worst!

now dont go around accusing me of being stupid, not researching my hardware choices first and all, i did exactly that, for Windows AND Linux. however, some recent updates since i came here got my hardware blacklisted and thus my problems..

1- video driver is not recognized, so a generic version is used, and thus decreased capabilities.
FIXED. see below

2- ditto for sound driver, meaning there was no sound.
FIXED. simple thing really, just change the driver, put in a few configuration commands, restart, and we have SOUND!

3- there was a lingering problem which i had known about for a while, if you dont put a certain fix, your new harddrive dies in under one year because your motherboard likes windows better.
FIXED. simple.

back to video: there was nothing i tried that could give me satisfactory results, right about the time i was giving up, i read about the new experimental version of Ubuntu, which was 100% compatible with all my hardware and thus HALLELUJAH!

however, it was still in testing phase, the final version ships out 24th of April. will download it then!

why do i insist on using Ubuntu Linux inspite of all the problems above?

because it is simply better. safer. faster. and for 99% of the time, infinitely easier to install and use than windows.

its completely legally free.

oh and the hundreds of people who provide free detailed technical support online actually know the stuff they are talking about, and they dont put you on hold while they deffer your call to India, like a couple of friends of mine.

a brand new installation takes about 20-25 minutes in which you can continue to use the pc to browse the net and listen to music etc.

i predict, and mark my words: that in the next 5-10 years, Linux will be THE operating system of choice in all major venues all around the world. i just hope i can be on time to catch the wave!

so anyway, after testing it out, i decide i dont want to TEST it out, i want to get the complete end result, so i removed linux completely, and restored my pc to factory settings, which has taken FOUR hours till now, and am still not done. sigh.

anyway, try Linux out, you dont have to install it, just get the cds for free (either download them, or if you dont have a fast connection you can have the genuine Ubuntu cds DELIVERED to your doorstep COMPLETELY FREE anywhere in the world within 2-3 weeks) go to Ubuntu.com for more details

you can run Linux from cd, try it out, if you like, install, if not, then just restart and take out the cd, no harm done!

yeah, thats how much i love the thing, i am literally obsessed with it!

--

on the other hand, i dont reckon i told you about the time the Shaman dude from ****did the hula dance around me while showering me with minty spittle?

no?

well, i've been suffering from a cold, still am, kind of..
Hot spike between my eyes and a running tap in my face, you know the kind

so here i am in **** all zonked out on cold medicines and allergy pills, i notice Scott (thats him) trying to say something.. i turn round, tell him sorry man, am out of it so excuse me if i dont focus and all..
he says: "Wanna feel a little better?"
*uhhhhm.... ulp!*
"Yeah, why not?" i answer..

so he says: stand right HERE, takes out a small vial, swallows it, and starts waving his arms around me, and SPRAYING me with what turned out to be menthol extract, in the form of SPIT!

now this is the part where even i am beginning to notice EVERYONE is looking at us, i dont blame them really, it WAS a sight to see!

so i ask him: "what exactly are you doing?"
and he goes "just fixing up your aura, it was all bunched up and all that"
"aha.."

OHHKAY..

it was fun, mind you not everyday you get the chance to be the center of a supernatural (natural??) ritual!Blogged with the Flock Browser

well, as you may know already, i was placed in C group, which is the second highest group. problem is, being in C means everything and nothing at the same time: you can get in C if your Swedish is good, OR you can get in C if you just tell them you've had schooling for over 12 years! so as you can guess, we are a group with mixed linguistic aptitudes!

i swear to God, the first few days were exactly like the show Mind Your Language, in fact, sometimes it still is, the teacher absolutely refuses to talk in English, so we have to figure out what she is trying to say in Swedish, then group the words we caught together, and comprehend the sentences we thought we heard so far i've been doing well, the language itself isnt all that different from English, it has the same basic structure, but with some quirks to it, for example:

English Swedish

He is well. Han är bra.
They are well. De är bra.
I am well. Jag är bra.

Is he well? Är han bra?

and so on and so forth! as you can see, its the little quirks and such..

the weirdest thing here is telling the time at half past the hour! for example:

4:30 is NOT four thirty, nor is it half past four, its half TO five!

so you can imagine trying to tell the following time:

2:37

so thats 7 past half to three!

or Sju över halv tre!

weird. still you can get used to it if you try!

ok, now i gotta do my homework, actually its ****work for monday, but i thought of solving it and gloating to everyone about it come monday

I've had this in queue for a LOOONG time, based on a recommendation by Mix Max (someone who REALLY knows his Sabbath)
i love Dio.
you can't like metal if you don't love Dio.
if you don't, then you are one of those people who listen to Linkin Park/Evanescence. 'nuff said.
i respect your choice, alternate life choices and all that.


ANYWAY:
------------

short version:
GET THIS NOW. DL it, love it, then go buy it LEGALLY. anything, just whatever you do, GET IT NOW.

bit-longer version:
this is a musical compilation, a journey through 4 albums of solid, delicious heavy metal.

16 tracks / 1hour 20 mins almost:
the last three tracks were written fresh for this album, and let me tell you if there is something other than wine that gets better than age, there are TWO:
Dio
Tommi Iommi (on Guitars)

this is heavy metal. if you want to introduce someone to heavy metal, give him/her this.
if you disagree, then do what you please, just keep the damn child away from Linkin Park.

Highlights of the Album:

1- Neon Knights : Dio goodness! Tommi Iommi does some crazy Satriani **** before Satriani himself knew how to do it!

3- Heaven and Hell : damn this song. damn this song to hell. the lyrics are ugh'ish but you'll be too busy going "Heaven and Heeeaaaaallllll" with Dio.

14- The Devil Cried : tears of joy, after hearing this song.

16- Ear in the Wall : perfect Black Sabbath.


-just in case you are wondering how come everything i review is Excellent, Great, and Must Have Or Die, its simply because it IS. I DON'T REVIEW CRAP-



i'm just addicted to the pure unadulterated devil'ness that is this evil, horrid little man, Ronnie James Dio.





if you want to know what's all this fuss about, i recommend you to listen to two tracks (available FREE and LEGALLY thru yahoo! music)

1- Holy Diver
2- The Last in Line

and Then Some!

 

 

 

That's the new DreamTheater Album.. out in June (June 5th)



In an interview with Tama.com, drummer Mike Portnoy described the album as "Heavy and technical, powerful and dynamic - all of the elements that people kind of expect out of a Dream Theater album. All of the **** and sounds are intact, but we wanted to make it a real sonic explosion. It's very dramatic and aggressive."
AMEN.
so anyway, i got it yesterday, listening to it still.. i'm yet to form an opinion, but i'm 4 tracks deep and it all feels like a mish-mash to say the least.. a delicious mish-mash YES, but still a little bit of everything..


01- In The Presence Of Enemies: the first and last tracks sound a lot like something out of LTE 1 (they are actually ONE song split in two, placed at the beginning and end of the album cuz of "Studio Pressure") that said, love the guitar tone: overdrive, not so sharp, this tone is so fat its obese.



02- Forsaken: is good ol' typical DT goodness. lovin' every note of it: also, Petrucci steals from Wylde, Batio, and Malmsteen and plays it all with a WD40-coated guitar.



03- Constant Motion: seriously sounds like OLD SCHOOL heavy metal: not just the song structure, but even the very chunky guitar tone Petrucci's using..



04- The Dark Eternal Night: exactly the kind of song that would come out if Dave Mustaine sang/played a song with Antrhax.. oh, and whatshisface, Pantera's drummer, (Vinnie Paul?) he's on board too whoa, the second half of the song, and all bets are off! this is LTE2 all over again! OHHH LOVE THAT HARMONIC PINCH! Petrucci is doing something illegal to that guitar! )



05- Repentance: hmmm.. now where have i heard this song before? it begins like a copy of "THIS DYING SOUL" DreamTheater-Train of Thoughts '03. **** IT EVEN BEGINS WITH THE FIRST LINE! damn they did it again: the first time was in the "Root of All Evil", in Octavarium. they also stole a couple of lines from this song. what's the deal??



06- Prophets of War: now THIS is a royal f*ckup if i ever heard one: this is so progressive its RETRO: you've got sounds straight out of Jarre, Duran Duran, Ace of Base (the whispering voice in All That She Wants), and i'm still half-expecting Devo to Whip It anytime now.. (now that was serious badass) 7 words: this is a song for tree-huggers.



07- Ministry of Lost Souls: hmmm.. the first half is melodic LSD. Petrucci tunes in to some Soundgarden tones, Iron Mike is less than inspiring here, bass is driving, keyboards.. well, Rudess IS an alien, and therefore can do no wrong. La Brie is fresh. really good. SECOND HALF: here comes the cavalry! pick slides, palm muting, bleepbloopbleepbrlbrlwrrrl its Soloville! HALLELUJAH its '92 all over again! Rudess phoned home in the first half, and now the mothership came a'calling! Iron Mike demonstrates why he's called that, IRON Mike Portnoy!


you might wonder why i spoke little of Johnny Myung: well: he's ALWAYS reliable, the poor guy, no matter who's screwing with what around him, you can always be sure he's there, keeping it steady and strong. a big hand to John Myung!
so far, this album feels like LTE2, mixup of everything, written with emphasis on guitars, trying too hard to surprise. so far its working, mind you this is only the first impression, i'm betting i'll be hooked in less than 48 hours. still, nothing can top Images and Words. ( except Metropolis pt.2 )

AAAAAAAARGH NOOOOO WHYYYYYYYYY

 

 

Heavyweight bout:

Gabriel Gonzaga defeated Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović via KO (Head Kick) at 4:51 in Round 1.

i jinxed him. i just know i did

"BAGHDAD - U.S. soldiers are building a three-mile wall to protect a Sunni Arab enclave surrounded by Shiite neighborhoods in a Baghdad area "trapped in a spiral of sectarian violence and retaliation," the military said.

When the wall is finished, the minority Sunni community of Azamiyah, on the eastern side of the Tigris River, will be gated, and traffic control points manned by Iraqi soldiers will be the only entries, the military said.

"Shiites are coming in and hitting Sunnis, and Sunnis are retaliating across the street," said Capt. Scott McLearn, of the U.S. 407th Brigade Support Battalion, which began the project April 10 and is working "almost nightly until the wall is complete," the statement said.

It said the concrete wall, including barriers as tall as 12 feet, "is one of the centerpieces of a new strategy by coalition and Iraqi forces to break the cycle of sectarian violence" in Baghdad."

found HERE

seen below is a picture of a Shi'i militia leader who regularly comes in to hit Sunnis:













seen below is a proposed diagram of how the wall around A'adhamiya (Azamiyah my ass) will protect the denizens from this evil, evil man. with the help of security personnel (also present in the diagram) posted along the wall:











WHAT THE F*CK IS THIS?
FIRST SOME IDIOT THINKS OF A MOAT (the previous baghdad security plan)
and now THIS??

i am having an insightful future reading moment now: allow me to share with you:

this plan will fail horribly as did the ones before it. why? because they are not going after the real "headS" of the snake, those hiding behind official positions and titles.

however, i also predict one successful outcome of this wall plan:
it will make life even more miserable for the inhabitants.