Joined the Twitter Sensation
Hey all, looking at how long it has been since I have updated my blog I decided it would be much simplier to start doing micro-blogging or "tweeting". You can catch my "tweets" at the right hand side of this blog or alternatively goto http://twitter.com/DXPetti. I may decide in the future to make my tweets appear as blog posts but given the nature of most tweets (aka small and to the point, not very bloggish) at this stage they will stay in the sidebar!
Cheers!
Aus Government planning mandatory ISP level internet filtering
Yup thats right, our goverment is trying to implement filtering of internet content at the Internet Service Provider level. What does this mean for the humble internet user you ask? Slower internet, the most accurate filter which the government has tested slows down internet access by roughly 70 percent. Not only that but as a Network Administrator myself I know how easy it is to have false positives when filtering internet content. You could be simply searching for 4" screw and the filter might interpret that as something of sexual nature. Or maybe you are researching weaponary used in the Iraq conflict....smells like terrorism in the making to the ISP filter. The government does something controversial, you won't find it on the internet. Yup just like that your freedom to browse the internet 'as is' is gone. Its like the digital Great Wall of China all over again.
This not only has ramifactions on the general user but on the country as a whole? How can Australia compete on a global scale business-wise when they are at such a disadvantage (the current speed of Broadband in Australia is appauling in its current state but thats another issue for another time)?
You might ask "Surely they will let the user decide if filtered internet is for them?". Uh Uh, the filtering is mandatory though the user can opt for a "less filtered" option which has yet to described. Internet is modern freedom, its like when you first get your license, the world in all its shining light and dark shadows opens up to you. How can a government force everyone to not have that freedom!
You can do something about it though; NoCleanFeed.com has the answers. Head on over and help us fight the good fight!
Watch this space
Yarp, I am back after a short hiatus in between providers. Now DXPetti.com lives on Jumba Webhosting and I couldn't be happier. After restoring my SQL DB for me (for some reason I don't have permissions to restore .SQL files...weird) they even edited my Wordpress config files to reflect the changes. Nice chaps!
Anyhoo my 22nd B'Day has been and gone and out of it I have scored some nice camera gear to allow me to do some long exposures shots among other things!
So look out at my flickr page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/10867582@N08/) in the near future to see what I can produce using my new tools of the trade 
I am also looking for a suitable solution to particularly wide images being cut off due to my love of themes that have a set width instead of a flexible one. Hopefully I can implement that quick smart!
Thats enough from me, back to WipeoutHD/Force Unleashed on the Playstation 3
STI Spec C spotted, details seeping through
In Friday's CarGuide in the Herald Sun (Aussie Newspaper) they had a article detailing the new Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C. Little background; the Spec C version of the Impreza WRX STI was the race ready, lightened and tightened edition in which Subaru used to homologated (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homologation) their WRC car. These rules no longer apply but Subaru still make the Spec C to treat the fans to a limited version (along with other treats like the S20x series and the Type RA/RA-R).
Anyhoo back to the article; The new Spec C is focusing on lightening the body weight and improving handling rather than add anymore/much power to the existing STI. More details can be found http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1557819&page=3 (my post is at the very top).
It looks the goods and if it does infact hit Australia I will be definately getting one. By the time they hit I will be off my Ps and legally able to drive one too 
One last thing. Australia's current rating system for videogame is shall we say....crap. Its very outdated and does not reflect the attitude of the modern Australian. There are more gamers these days than there ever was. In fact there is a gaming console per 5 people in Australia. Thats pure consoles like your Playstation 3s and Nintendo Wii etc and not things that CAN play games like Personal Computers.
One man trying to change this is Greg Tannahill. He is running as a candidate in October in the Australia Capital Territory's state election. We wish him all the best and when you have a few minutes drop by his website @ http://amongthedust.blogspot.com/.
Quantum of Solace
Hey All,
Wow, long time since I have attended to this blog. Main Computer has been down for a long time (died just before I went away to Hong Kong; more on that later) and I have been focusing my attention on other things like my Cert 4 in IT (which I now have) and work in general instead of getting my main rig up but now its up and expect some more regular entries.
There are two very awesome movies coming out this year. In the not too distant future we have Batman: The Dark Knight but even further down the track a personal favourite of mine is getting a direct sequel for the first time...Bond, James Bond!
Entitled Quantum of Solace, the plot picks up directly where Casino Royale left the audience, with Bond wanting answers (from the elusive Mr White) after his only true love Vesper killed herself in an attempt to shield James from a organisation described as being bigger than any one could possibly fathom!
Check out everything QoS at http://www.007.com or have a play with the cool widget below!
Thats it for now, look forward to some articles about The Dark Knight, Hong Kong, Metal Gear Solid 4 and more in the near future.
Cheers
More e-friends :>
Just to let you know I have added two more sites to my blogroll/websites down the bottom. Lebon14 is a prominent figure over at Initial D World forums where much discussion about the anime and the associated music genre "Eurobeat" happens and his blog revolves around this. Scalegamer is another website from the creator behind Ducksinafire and Silentgeek. Scalegamer focuses on the ever growing market of UMPCs like the ASUS EeePC and gaming on these pint sized hobby laptops and features the latest news in the UMPC world as well as interviews with major players in the field!
Brain Asplode
Hey all,
wow it has been a while since I have posted here. Typical me everytime I think about it I make an excuse to say to myself and put it off another day, damn laziness. Anyhoo life is good at the moment. Back at work and being worked of my ass. Being regularly going it early and staying back late (7am starts and 5pm finishes) just to keep the workload demons at bay. Its funny, when I was a trainee in my mind I would be saying things like "why the fuck am I doing this, they don't appreciate what I do etc etc etc" but I don't know if its the whole new Principle thing (whom I might say is far greater than the previous one) or that I am now a SSO aka not a trainee anymore but working harder, putting in the overtime doesn't real bother me. In fact I really enjoy getting up early as the place is a ghost town and I can really focus. Not to mention the sunrise over the dewy grounds and seeing my Impreza just sitting there creates a massive grin on my face . Its a whole different world. In fact my co worker and I were discussing the possibility of flexible shifts instead of the same time for everyone. Like I start early aka 7am and leave at 3 (or 2 on a Friday) and he starts at 9am and leaves at 5 (or 4 on a Friday). Interesting idea and it might be worth considering.
On a similar note I have been lately reading up on Microsoft Certifaction and found out that MCSA (Microsoft Certified Server Administrator) which I planned on going for no longer exists for future Microsoft products like the recently released Microsoft Vista and Server 2008. In its place is the category MCITP or Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional and has subtitles of things like Enterprise Support Technician, Enterprise Administrator; both of which I will apply for. I spoke to the relevant people at work and it looks like I can get the Microsoft Press Exam Self Paced Kits which includes MASSIVE books full of information, practice tests & questions which is also supplied on the CD in ebook form. I really excited at the prospect of being Certified by Microsoft and deeply learning the inner workings of Server 2008 and having the knowledge to setup whole systems from start to finish. Wouldn't mind learning Powershell scripting either as that seems to be a powerful tool in the right hands for automating daily administrative duties.
I see that Subaru Australia have updated their website regarding the 2008 Impreza WRX STI. The base model starts at 59K where as the Spec. R package which includes Leather Bucket Recardo front seats and BBS forged alloys comes in at 65K. So the reports of 70K on road sound about right. It will be along time before I can own one but I'll be damned if I don't move heaven and hell to get one. I love my Subaru's and the latest one brings impressive levels of comfort and refinement to the interior which Subaru's have lacked over the years without sacrificing the great things about the STI. Yes its a hatchback but the bulging guards and STI badging erases that fact from my mind. Yes its expensive but its worth every penny. Plus the latest episode of Best MOTORing demostrates it whips the EVO X in a 400m sprint and 5 lap Circuit battle (cop that you EVO fan boys, back to the pavilion with you).
Nikon have released a new model DSLR and a few new lenses. I am quite interested in replacing my current Zoom lense with the new AF-S DX NIKKOR 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR (see here). Its the right zoom range for my kind of photography and the added VR makes it that much better. If its priced right I'll whip my current 55-200 on eBay and see if I can get a decent amount for it (might get it cleaned professionally).
Got another batch of Blu Ray's today. Arrived 2 weeks early which I cannot complain about . This time I picked up the Die Hard Quadrilogy, Oceans Trilogy, Pirates of the Caribean 3, Enemy of the State and Reservoir Dogs all from Amazon.
Lastly I am glad to here that people actually read this thing Keep on reading folks and don't shy away from putting down a comment or three
/goes back to waiting for my Play Asia order of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Devil May Cry 4 + Soundtrack, Eye of Judgement & Ratchet and Clank for the PS3
Adobe, Insurance Companies, Ace Combat 6, COD4 and more!
Wow, it has been a while since my last entry. Though I have my reasons. First of all look what they did to my poor car 
While driving up my street a neighbour was reversing out of his driveway and hit me on the way out Now first of all, I don't blame the guy, for a start the shubbery around this particular driveway shields it till its too late, secondly its very steep, like more than a 45 degree angle kind of steep so he would not of even seen me till the last second. This issue isn't just present for his drive way, its a common problem throughout our whole street it just sucks it happened to me and right near Christmas.
Now to my insurance company, who are a bunch of cock munchers. I say that lightly too as my hatred for them is deep. When I made the claim they said my 3rd Party choice for repairer would be chosen if they were competitive. So as they asked me I got one quote from a AAMI (my insurance company) partner and one more quote from somewhere else other than my 3rd Party prefered. In the end my prefered repairer was in the middle in terms of price and still it wasn't deemed competitive. The difference was 600 dollars in the end, and car parts/labour isn't cheap so 600 dollars isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things. But the assessor (who shall from now on be known only as "Jerk Off") wouldn't have a bar of it. Jerk Off wouldn't even let me see the quote from the AAMI partner which of course got the work. Basically they did all they could to get their "friends" the work despite my best efforts. All the Jerk Offs excuses were lame; the money for the job will come from GIO whom insurance the person who reversed into me so why should they give a damn if its not the most expensive quote?
Come January I will be changing from AAMI to Allianz whom are similar priced and give me awesome options like choice of repairer, no need for quotes just point the way and they will get the money to them, for a small extra fee per annum windscreen only jobs can be repaired excess free and not to mention you can nominate another driver who can be covered for if the car is damaged in their care for no price difference (in terms of excess or annual charge). So yes, fsck you AAMI, your a bunch of knobs who wanted to save another rival company 600 dollars and consequently lose near 2000 dollars a year and any future customers I can prevent from signing up. Well done Jerk Off, have a raise for your brillance.
Now onto another rant. Adobe, those pricks have discontinued my belovered Imageready which has been bundled with Photoshop for a number of years now. It was primarly a animation and web image tool and Adobe have decided to scrap it. Though they have implemented some of Imageready's features into Photoshop CS3 like the animation and image slicing stuff minus one very import bit, the ability to open .GIF files and have each frame as a seperate frame and layer. Now this was very important to make GIFs I had found into signatures but oh no Adobe decided to be assholes and remove that feature. What do they say in response, "Use Adobe Fireworks". Adobe get with the fsckin program, Fireworks is shit, is was when it was by Macromedia and it still is with a Adobe label stuck on it and I am not the only one that thinks so!
Finally I managed to pick up Ace Combat 6 the other day and by golley its awesome. The graphics, the sound effects, the gameplay, all very awesome. I am still coming to terms with playing AC on a 360 controller but I'll get over it. One thing does detract from the game and thats the main female in the (side) storyline. Is utter trollop and makes me want to throw up in a bag. Apart from that the game is fantastic. Haven't touched MP yet but I will once I have cleared the SP campaign once
Call of Duty 4, another fantastic game. So fantastic I think its the best FPS game I have played in along time. The storyline is something out of a 5 star movie, so dramatic and emotional. Infinity Ward (the creators) even went as far as to add a special level after the credits that pays homage to every terrorist on a plane sitation in many Hollywood flicks. Its a game that everyone should pick up; its even half decent on a console (not a easy achievement for a FPS). The multiplayer is fantastic too, with the ability to customise your load out with a very wide range of weaponary and abilities called "perks" it makes for some interesting game play.
I have good news on the PS3 front (I told you I would get their). A 40GB Ceramic White JAP spec PS3 is on its way from Japan as we speak and should arrive at work on either Thurs or Friday. Picked it up for $600 bucks including a second controller which is a Dual Shock 3 (not available in Australia or America for that matter till Q1 next year). Cannot wait to test out my Blu Ray movies of which the list as expanded with the arrival of Pirates 2, Apocolypto, Underworld 2 & Black Hawk Down. Unfortunately though it looks like Warner fscked up and Blade Runner on Blu Ray is delayed and probably won't hit on Dec 24th like they estimated
I think that is enough for today, more from my life shortly
Stay tuned!
Vista Musings
Okay now that I have played around with Vista some more I thought I would elaborate on my thoughts. A nasty thing happened where I changed the name of a account in the administration tools and when I turned off my computer Vista was making some major changes to the filesystem to accomodate so I walked away and let it do its thing. Come back to it the following morning and it was turned off so I thought all was sweet;hit the power button and up comes the "logging off" screen. This irritated me so I held the power button and force a shutdown. Come reboot I came to realise that because of the forced shutdown I had broke my RAID5 setup and it had to re-initilise the disks. This was a big issue as the 3 HDDs being 750gig each took a long time to reinitilise, close to 24 hours. Lets hope that doesn't happen again.
When I look back it really wasn't Vista's fault. I was the one who had the Power Settings to "enviromentally friendly mode" so as soon as I could I f**ked them off. No offence greenies but I don't have to waste time waiting for my HDDs to spin up or my LCD to power on if I am going back and forth from my PC and elsewhere (which I do quite often). Don't worry if I am not using it (aka downloading something) then its switched off during the night and quite often during the day unless the family is using it.
Anyhoo a few things I have noticed is IE is alot snappier, like it used to be images would load before IE rendered the page but now its the otherway around, IE renders pages in a snap and so see the images rendering infront of you. Though I guess after a few months of browsing I should have a suffiencet amount of pages/images cached for browsing the net to be truely stupidly fast.
The new filesystem layout takes sometime to get used to but I think in the long run is better. More users will be forced into learning the "tree structure" of filesystems. I find it mind boggling that many Windows users do not understand this concept and this becomes their undoing with many things (like backing up shortcuts to their documents instead of going to c:\users\username\ and backing up the files in there). I guess I am lucky to come from the MS DOS days and understand a bit more than your average computer user. I guess mechanics would say the same for cars and shake their heads at some drivers. Computers are that common place now I can make that connection, truely amazing.
I haven't noticed any improvement in speed in gaming yet** (I have only tried Counterstrike: Source) but the more DirectX 10 games and the more multiple core and 64bit optimised games come out I shall appreciate the strengths of my new OS and CPU in gaming terms.
Thats enough for me, time to watch Lewis Hamilton face off against The Stig!
Codebreaker
All I can say is thank god Jericho is back in the WWE. Bringing to the table which is otherwise stale some good entertainment wrestling. Check out Y2Js first punch, I don't care if its fake that sounded like it would leave a mark!