Heroes of Might and Magic IV

My favorite game since I was in college. It’s an old game but I still play it until now.
Things I love about Heroes:

• The game using “turn”, not real time game. You have enough time to think & move for optimum result. You can take a break whenever you feel thirsty, wanna go to toilet, hungry, etc.
• Lots of creatures with unique abilities and graphics. Many mythical creatures exist in Heroes such as Minotaur, Medusa, Titan, Cyclops, Phoenix, Hydra, Centaur, Cerberus, etc. I love anything connected to Greek Mythology! One day I watch “Lord of The Ring”. Wow, some creatures in that movie is similar with Heroes coz you can see Ghost, Monk, Dragon, Sprite, Dwarf, Orc, Elf, Halfling, etc. I think Frodo is a Halfling, the 1st level creature (low level).
• Various artifacts you can find to increase Heroes ability.
• High Score feature to record your achievement. The exciting one is you can compete with your friends to have the highest score.
• Best result can be gained by setting your heroes abilities. This is the best part. The right combination of artifacts will give you the optimum result.

Thank you Gus, you taught me Stealth ability to my Hero. I was a truly warrior before take advantage of Stealth ability. I choose Fire Guard class for my hero, a combination of strength and magic. Until one day I got a migrant on my right, coz I think too much for combat. I don’t want to loss my troops, one single troop. Even it’s a 1st level creature.

Stealth makes your hero lose pride coz it changed the hero to be a theft. Stealth is effective only if the hero wanderer without any troops. At the beginning I feel this is not me. I wanna a combat to win.

And then I got a perfect strategy.
I change my hero type become Ranger, combination of strength and stealth/scouting. You can steal best artifact and many experience to increase your level rapidly. Then you can fight in melee or range. By bringing many “Immortality potion”, you cannot easily die. The most important thing is you don’t have to worry about losing a troop coz you fight alone (a single fighter)!!! I love this game. My favorite troop was Black Dragon but not anymore..... I work on my own now. It brings me top scorer. I used to compete with Agus, my master game.

Suddenly, he sent sms to me and told me that he beat my score. It’s impossible...I have done my best. No map can be played to get the higher score. Apparently, he used expansion map of Heroes IV!! And I don’t have any expansion maps at all. I don’t need the expansion package just the map file with file type *.h4c. I wish he sent me the file I needed through email. I’m still waiting for your generosity, Gus..... :).

Actually, you can find/use free map on the internet created/designed by people. But it’s not so good. 3DO, the Heroes creator, is the only one who knows very well to create a map coz every detail of its map has a meaning and purpose. Not just placing artifacts or creature here and there...

Beach or Mountain?

It’s just a question for fun, to kill time, without really caring about the answer. “O, you like Beach! Ok. Whenever there’s a chance. We’ll go on a trip to the beach instead of mountain”. But as time goes by, I see the pattern. Someone who prefers Beach is an extrovert, love to go around with people, talkative, friendly. He/she will become a good host, considering the host is not stingy :).

And for someone who prefers Mountain, they’re in the opposite site. They introvert, love peacefulness, analyzing, and don’t bother to be alone. I’ll bet they like reading.
If people like both beach and mountain then these people must have split personality. This is a joke. Please, forget it :).

Once ,we go to the mountain to see the crater from distance. One of my friend said to me, “Are we going up? Does it take time? Coz I wanna go to the beach. It’s fun”. Boom! Beach or Mountain question pops on my mind. Yeah... all the criteria for the Beach’ers are on him.
That’s why he didn’t enjoy Mountain View at all.

What about me?? Well, who cares? Beside I have split personality. :D :D It’s a joke!

All we need is Transparency!

Lots of disappointment and protest rose from our citizen. It's about Civil Servant Recruitment in Indonesia. We know the testing paper is checked by machine (through computer process). But how we can be sure the “list” on the announcement board is valid? Are these people purely passed the test?? No collusion, no bribery.

I just heard from the radio the topic about how to make Transparency in Government Administration regarding to Civil Servant Recruitment. Actually, I prefer music channel than news channel. Since my father drove the car and I’m the passenger, then I have no choice :). Some audience gives input such as:

• Beside the list, government must show the testing paper. (Comment: officer must stick 3000 testing paper on the announcement board. This officer will ask pay raise soon after he/she finished the job).
• Testing and the result announcement must be in the same day. (Comment: the officer needs to set time dimension which is 1 day = 168 hours)
• The testing paper must be checked by officer on the other province. Switch testing paper among provinces. (Comment: still the result can be manipulated).

So I came up with an idea, too.
Why don’t we include intellectual & critical people in the system? Let’s say the university student, the young idealistic human beings. Just like the juror in the court.
Find two of them for each area in the well known university. Active on organization and senior will be great. Announce their assignment on the media. Give them the schedule of recruitment activity from testing until the announcement. They must participate as an overseer in every activity stated in the schedule and make a report about what’s going on there. They attend testing day, checking day, listing day, until announcement day, in every aspect! The list must have their acknowledgment.
As an idealistic and critical people, it will be hard to bribe them. It is their honor & intellectual that is at stake. If still there is collusion and bribery is found on this procedure. Then citizen will know that government and intellectual people is THE SAME!!

University students are not just a bunch of people who do demonstration on the street.
Give them responsibility and let’s see do they perform their job well in government administration? Welcome to the jungle, young man. :)

How To Save the Planet

Human civilization has made serious impact to the world we live. From the first time Homo sapiens exist, about 200k year ago until now, we bequeathed the green carpet of the earth with pollution, acid rain, ozone hole, and the last but not the least is global warming.
I’m not gonna be a member of Green Peace to save the whale from extinction. But since I am the part of this limited biosphere, I try not to exploit Mother Nature with simple actions such as:

• Turn off the light and TV while you’re sleeping
• Buy soft drink in bottle package instead of can
• Turn off water faucet when you lather the dishes
• And I plan to have less kids, 2 children would be great.

It looks very very.. common and simple. It just like you do nothing. Hey, someday when we got energy crisis, this simple action will be a public policy totally supported by government! Dinosaur won’t give you crude oil forever to meet your needs.

Let’s take one step ahead. Nowadays, information and knowledge is a must. And I am the person who just wanna give my children a better place to live. In term of Saving the Earth, which one is better? You access information through internet or still do conventional way which is buy a book.

• Buy a book, means lots of tree must be felled. Forest is the yummy target. Without tree with its roots, the land will become infertile. It can lead to landslide, flood, and loss of animal & plant habitat. Beside, how many energy must be provided to turn a piece of wood become a book.
• Use internet, means attached to electricity. Even though, there is wave technology, still we must turn on the server by electricity. Electricity is the father of inefficiency. So much energy spent to make electricity. Beside, how many energy must be provided to turn a metal and plastic become a computer. You know how hard to recycle plastic.

So which one is the better way? I still use both of them based on my needs with nothing to worry about. But someday, we will be forced to think and to be wise.

Or do you have any alternative idea?

The 78th Academy Awards

I have been waiting for this prestigious award for a week. The excitement turns to be unbelieving situation. The truth is, I am disappointed with Oscar! Best Picture, the main award (that’s why they announce this award on the last session) goes to Crash. “Crash” has crashed down “Brokeback Mountain”. Oscar committee shows how conservative they are in appreciating movie industry. They choose safe topic such as intolerance, racism, and prejudice instead of controversial human feeling.

What happen to audience opinion? Brokeback has been talked by people around the globe. This movie awaken us to broad our horizon, our point of view about love, sensitivity, honesty, and tolerance. To open our mind beyond our thought. Is it too hard to admit the truth? I don’t think this movie disgrace cowboy nobility or the American strength. This kind of story can strike us at anytime and anywhere.

Another thing ruin me is that none of the cast win the Oscar! Best Actor (H. Ledger), Best Supporting Actor (J. Gyllenhaal), and Best Supporting Actress (M. Williams). Brokeback has the most nominations. But they only got Oscar for “behind the scene” category: director, scoring, and adapted screenplay. I just can’t believe this. It’s so obvious that Oscar committee is not serious in giving an award. This pattern is not merely coincidence, right?
They make this film as if the preparation is good but the presentation is suck. We, the audience, will be more excited if the actor won the award cos we connected directly to them and most of us know nothing about movie technique. I don’t even know why the screenplay is divided into original screenplay and adapted screenplay.
Well, award is just an award to me. Good thing I’ve learn is that I know more about Film appreciation and stuff.

Second Child Theory

As a matter of fact, the thought about second child theory crossed my mind a couple years ago. I think in the most situations (not all the time), the second child of the family had the best appearance in a physical way. We can say, has a good looking face compared with her/his sibling. Or.... if they don’t have the face, they become a friendly & extrovert person so that everybody loves to be with them. They’re more popular. I don’t have any scientific explanation. I don’t know what chromosome involved, just based on instant observation in daily life. Perhaps any expert can give me a hand to do some research if they don’t have anything to do :D.

The last time I saw this phenomenon in January when I have a light dinner with some friends. We order instant noodles with cornet and roasted banana with cheese, milk, plus chocolate. Mmmm.. yummy! There is a family sit beside our table. This parent comes with their three boys. I know exactly which one is the second child based on their posture. It’s clearly visible. And my weird theory matches to this family :D. Then I told the theory to my friends. Some of them seem agree with me though, not 100 percent. Some of them just smile, don’t know how to respond. I decided 2 friends are in my side and the other 2 choose to finish their meal. Three versus two. Statistical result would be 60% agree with the theory. Ok, my sampling method might be biased. I need more data.

What do you think? Does this phenomenon run in your family?

Brokeback Mountain

"Love is a force of nature "

Started on 1963, when two young cowboys herd the sheep somewhere in Brokeback Mountain then they got accidentally in love. This complicated love went on for such a long time without anybody knows. Honesty means death but the force of nature cannot be hid. There’s nothing they can do but Brokeback Mountain, the only place they got.

I never watch movie that is so deep till haunt me. It’s different from any other Hollywood movie especially about the story and the characters. This movie has collapsed some of my criteria to rate movie. Even though, my criteria are completely irrational and subjective to movie critic. For example, I would give good point and worth watching to the film played by my favorite actors such as Johnny Depp, Edward Norton, Ben Stiller, Kevin Bacon, etc :D. Look at Heath Ledger, the leading actor in Brokeback, I never intended to buy his movie when I was hunting some DVD. His face is not on my list. Too masculine I guess. I don’t even realize that he’s the guy who played in “10 Thing I Hate About You”. Or Jake Gyllenhaal, the rodeo man who loved by H. Ledger, once I saw his face on pile of DVD covers somewhere in Glodok or Ambasador Mall and I never paid attention who he is or what is the title. Maybe I saw him acting in some movie I watch but just don’t realize. And know it turns 180 degree. Heat Ledger, you’re so cool with your unique voice. Jake Gyllenhaal, I can’t wait to watch your next project. :D

Back to Brokeback, this is not just the guy relationship but pure love story toke in wrong time and place that last forever. Though, in the beginning I want to watch this movie because of its controversial story. As far as I know, long term relationship or commitment is not the thing that you can expect in guy community. It’s all fun, it’s all about physical. Well, that’s man nature. Free as a bird. Encourage your self to watch “Queers as Folks” ;D.

The most stunning scene in Brokeback is the arguing scene when Jack Twist (Gyllenhaal) very disappoints heard news that Ennis Del Mar (Ledger) cannot join him on the next fishing & hunting meeting they already done for 20 years because Ennis have to work hard to support his 2 daughters. He doesn’t have time off. That’s not the point. The point is that they actually can have a good live together, run the ranch to their own. But Ennis didn’t want it. Because he knows 2 guys cannot live together. (Homosexual is a sin people on that time. It can risk your life). How bad this condition gets by Jack. On the other site, Jack is more concern about his feeling. He’s not like Ennis can live easily and meet each other only twice a year to kill ox in the forest. Jack can hardly stand it. So what they only got now is Brokeback Mountain. My emotional come out. How miserable and ironic thing are. Ennis is a homophobic and a person who cannot express himself but he knows that there’s something he cannot hold or deny which is in love with Jack. Well,.. My eyes are tearing :D. If you have the DVD, watch this scene again then you will know exactly what I am saying. Glory to the power of love!

Thanks to Ang Lee as a director of this cinema. Asian Director (Hong Kong, Chinese, Korea, Japan, India, Taiwan) know well how to make an emotional deep movie to audiences. I give standing ovation for the great performance of the actors. What a great package. I have one input though. It would be perfect to have a scene, Ennis Del Mar show his emotion (little bit tears on his eyes in telephone box, maybe) after heard shocking news from Jack’s wife that Jack Twist is dead. Just want to show to the audience that he has lost the one he love. Anyway, the overall rate for this masterpiece is 10/10!!

I never understand to some people who have time to watch a movie more than twice, moreover, some people memorize the script! For God sake, as if all DVD sellers & vendors are kidnapped by aliens. But now I know why. I will let this phenomenon alone. I mean everyone has their own way to appreciate something.