Pros going at it, at Starcraft

30 minute youtube video of pure poetry! Prepare to be humbled, awed, and inspired!

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Kang Min a.k.a. Nal_rA (born March 15, 1982) is a professional South Korean StarCraft player (Protoss, KTF clan). Nicknamed "Dreamer" for his gaming style, as he can cancel some buildings during the match or use weird and risky strategies.

He is one of the few progamers who still use a ball mouse, and is often seen cleaning it before televised matches; his keyboard is the Samsung DT-35 Black. (how cute!)

During a live match, he suddenly asked the game observers to pause the game. The problem with Kang Min was that he had to blow his nose and asked for a tissue. Not surprisingly, the commentators laughed out loud because of this incident. Ever since that incident, he has been affectionately known as 'Snot Toss'.

Here's a link to his fansite.

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"Lim Yo-Hwan, known by the pseudonym SlayerS_`BoxeR` (usually shortened to Boxer), is one of the most successful players of the real-time strategy game StarCraft to date. He is the most popular Starcraft player with a fan club of more than 600,000 members and a DVD compilation of his greatest games released in South Korea.

Lim had an impressive record with 500 wins and 336 losses in his professional career. This success has brought him the highest salary of professional gaming, exceeding an annual income of $300,000 US Dollars per year, excluding the 90,000 dollars contributed in endorsements. In 2004 he was voted the greatest gamer of all time by readers of ESReality, one of the most popular western electronic sports websites, and in June 2006 he was included in an MTV list of "The 10 Most Influential Video Gamers Of All Time."

Boxer's international fansite.

Boxer's Korean fansite. (He's adorable!)

All of the above, obviously stolen from Wikipedia! Sue me. Yes, sue me. Please!

Click on the big, red, words to open up a hyperlink.

Only in Saudi Arabia

My friend sent this to me via bluetooth awhile ago. I thought it was hilarious, and I still do.

100th Post = 100 Things About Me (Only Took Me About 3 Years)

1. I'm vehemently against racism, and prejudice!
2. My dad is my hero!
3. On November 27, 2006 I became an aunt.
4. I seriously suck at math. Basic math, even.
5. My curfew is 10:00pm. If I'm late by 5 minutes or more, I get grounded.
6. I have no sense of direction, and get lost easily.
7. Extremely low thresh-hold for pain. A tiny papercut can break me.
8. Potty mouth :P
9. I <3 80's music.
10. Been to 3 highschools (UAS, ASK, KNES).
11. Fell into Lake Evian (yes, that's where they get Evian from) fully-clothed (evening-wear) complete with a blow-out, and makeup. I fell off a paddle/pedal boat :P
12. I've been to castles in Austria, (walking on cobblestones in heels, stupid move), ancient monastaries in Cyprus' mountains, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty (chipmunks kawaii), Pyramids, Mont Blanc... blah blah blah Nothing, but nothing, has moved me more than Umrah at Mecca. I saw things... that made me gape in awe. I was humbled. All those people... It felt... I can't explain it. If you've been, then you know. If not, then when you go, you'll know :)
13. My favorite movies are B-list movies, horror movies, and cult classics.
14. I live for anime, manga, and rpgs.
15. Girl-gamer! From Atari 2600 (whose joystick pwns all other controllers), NES (8-bit, red and white, never got tired playing Super Mario Bros), Sega Saturn (Nights Into Dreams = my all time fave video game!), SNES (grey, Chrono Trigger!), PS, Dreamcast (Crazy Taxi = another favorite of mine), Nintendo 64, GameCube, PS2, Xbox, Xbox360, Nintendo Wii, to PS3. Oh and Game Boy, and Game Gear. All those hold a special place in my heart.
16. I spent hours whoopin' a$$ at "Street Fighter "(Yata!) and "Mortal Kombat" (Sonia. Wins.) at "Shrimpy" (I think it was called Dana Restaurant... at some point?). I spent lots more, playing arcades at Showbiz. Actually, at Showbiz, I spent most of my time there, inhaling helium balloons and then chatting with an Alvin and the Chipmunks voice, with my friends who happened to be doing the same thing.
17. I also have vague flashbacks of playing "King of Fighters" (KOF) at Sanaa Center (no clue what/where that is?) when we'd come back from the '6uba3iya Chalet...I also remember that there used to be a huge screen... on the way back from the chalet... or am I confusing it with "Cinema ill sayaraaat?" Oh well. I've spent the most amount of time on DDR in "Luna Park", right next to McDonald's in Limassol, Cyprus.
18. After my Game Gear got stolen in Egypt, after I left it in our hotel room (fuckin' Nile Hilton lol), I lost all interest in handheld consoles. Now, I won't so much as look at a Nintendo DS or PSP.
19. I've also never ever been back to Egypt since, but that's because of other reasons.
20. When my mom was carrying me in her tummy, pops bought an apartment in Limassol, Cyprus. We've been going there every summer without fail, ever since.
21. I have a thing for Paddle/Pedal Boats. I swear to God it was long before Grey's Anatomy and the Ferry Boat thing.
22. Space Bowling (Glow-in-the-dark, baby!)
23. Still into "Space Toons" -_-
24. I have no domestic skills, whatsoever.
25. Fave ride is the "TAGA DISCO" or "The Tambourine".
26. Rode it over, and over again, somewhere around the *Jet d’Eau Fountain in Geneve, Switzerland (with M. Al-Q's daughter, her 1,000,000 boyguards, her entourage, and their 1,000,000 bodyguards)
27. Then again in Dubai, right across Al-Ghurair Mall on Riqqa Road but it's an empty lot now. I know. I checked. This January.
28. I lost my favorite silver hoop earrings by Freedom, at the "TAGA DISCO" ride at Khiran Resort.
29. I consider myself very lucky, because a girl who was wearing a tube top got her "stuff" exposed. Then again, I wasn't wearing a tube top at a pretty physical carnival ride so...
30. Grew up going to '6uba3iya/Dubaia Chalets every Wednesday through Friday.
31. When they finally opened a freakin' McDonald's next to us... pops decides to sell the place on the grounds that we no longer go there, and that there's not enough room for everyone.
32. Our new chalet is in Khiran. Granted it's got enough space for immediate family, plus extended family, plus guests, but it's aint no Duba3iya :(
33. Bitching'n'Moaning is an art form, with me :)
34. That said, I've very grateful for... well... everything, really.
35. Also, verra' thankful.
36. Texas hold 'em-, I keed. I keed. Hend/Hand(?) is actually my fave card game.
37. I'm currently trying to learn how to play backgammon so I can beat all those old guys who play it (so I can feel better about myself) :P
38. I gots' me some issues.
39. Addicted to buying lipglosses, and tanning stuff.
40. My obsession with the above two began when I was 14.
41. I hoard my lipglosses in my vanity table's drawers, hoping that in time they'll pro-create and multiply into even more lipglosses!
42. I'm a fuckin' genius!
43. Honestly, though? I'm pret-ty funny.
44. Unfunny people annoy me, though.
45. I use the word though, alot.
46. I also abuse the words "Seriously", "Madry Lesh", and "Fo' sho'"
47. Fave quotes, obviously the one on the sidebar, and"Behraneeee" (House of Sand and Fog), "Ly ty" (Passion of the Christ), and most recently "This is Spartaaaaaaaaaaaugh!" That's not counting the obvious ones like "Ruhn Fo-rayst, ruhn! (Forrest Gump). Watchu' sayin'? That's played out? 'imma smack you! Swear to Jah!
48. God, this list thing is getting tedious.... my name is Dana (not pronounced Day-nuh)
49. Fave Disney Movie was "The Little Mermaid". Now it's "Mulan".
50. Used to adore Telenovelas (Spanish Soap Operas) dubbed into Arabic. Lo2lo2a al sowdaa2, Maria Mercedeze (Benz), and Antonella. haha
51. Not punctual. Very. Not.
52. I always take my sweet time.
53. If I'm rushed, I'll pout for the rest of the day... or at least about all 5 minutes.
54. All parents love me (not adore, love). It's cuz I've got such great manners, but it could just be because I'm so adorable. I dunno... *shrugs*
55. At one point (when I was in ASK... I think) I had hot pink highlights in my hair.
56. My mom is an honest-to-goodness natural blonde, as in real blonde, not that light brown that kuwaitis call "ashgar". She's naturally white (no question about it), and she's got gorgeous green eyes. All natural, mashalla.
57. I on the other hand, dye my hair (currently multi-colored blonde), and wear bright green contact lenses (on occasion) in order to be mistaken for her daughter :/
58. My skin color is neither olive-skinned (which I'd kill to have 'cuz it's so easy to choose makeup that compliments olive-skin tones), nor white (I could so work the Geisha look if I had white skin). I don't know what the color of my skin is, but I can safely say, it's neither normal, nor very appealing. Light pink eye-shadows, on my skin? Appears as lilac. It's 'effed up, I tells ya.
59. My parents insist that if I catch some of the sun's rays, and drink some water, I'll turn white. I'm not a goddamn flower :(
60. ... But I've tried it, and it's it's true! It works!
61. I go through a very specific routine when I shower.
62. I don't feel "clean" unless I go through the whole thing, very specifically.
63. Firm believer that a "loofah" must leave you red and raw. Otherwise, you 'aint clean, sugah!
64. I enjoy trying out "exotic" eats.
65. Love/Hate relationship with the camera. I love it, but apparently it hates me. I'm not photogenic. At. All.
66. Street-racing is uber-cool!
67. Drifting? Ditto!
68. Currently, driving a rental ahaha
69. Don't take myself seriously.
70. Don't take anyone seriously, really.
71. Dumb down my english when talking to my teachers at college.
72. I do it so they won't feel intimidated. (I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. This way, there's no problems.)
73. At 22, I still can't get a good night's sleep unless I've got my teddybear in my arm. (Yes, I know, "issues")
74. The dark still scares me...
75. Heights scare me. A peek out of the second story building oughta' do it.
76. Bugs gross me out. Especially, butterflies.
77. Good music moves me.
78. When meeting someone for the first time, I don't worry that they might not like me. I worry that I might not like them ;)
79. I can't understand people who say "I don't know what to blog about" or worse, the ones that say they've got "Writer's Block!".
80. On more than one occasion I've been told "intay mo bas 7ilwah, intay jameelah, bas mat3arfeen 7ag nafsich" which is starting to get on my nerves.
81. I don't do "buff" (back-combing) hairstyles, drag-queen makeup, or head-to-toe designer brands.
82. I've got my own "style". High-Street + Designer = My thing.
83. Fave bag = Blue Suede Messenger Bag from Accessorize
84. Fave top = Black Long-Sleeve Shirt with a hot pink logo on the back from Stradivarius (pop that colla', yo! Obviously I've got identity issues :P I think I'm black)
85. Fave cap = Hot Pink Baseball cap from Puma
86. Fave dress = A gorgeous orange, and pink floaty ensemble from Marella
87. No such thing as a favorite pair of jeans. They're all my babies. Same goes for shoes. I love 'em all equally!
88. I tear out pages I like from my magazines. I actually do that so I can glue 'em to a notebook, to make a "Lookbook"
89. When flipping through a magazine, I also make a list of stuff that's interesting.
90. Unless it's Hawaiian print, I abhor floral prints.
91. I have control issues with the remote control. No matter who, is hanging out with me, in the living room. The remote has to be in my hands.
92. The same goes for the car. I have to control the music. Even if I'm sitting in the back seat.
93. I can go for months w/o checking my e-mail!I can go for even more w/o updating my blog.
94. Currently, I've got 3 e-mails. Which means I've got several different password, which I'm always forgetting, which makes trying to comment on other's blogs pretty arduous.
95. I take celeb breakups personally. When J-Lo and Ben Affleck broke up, I felt uber-bad for her. Right now, I feel bad for Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz... Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt on the other hand are a perfect match, so they've got my blessings (ee ee they needed it, shino 3indikum?)
96. My emo phase (dressing like I just stepped out of a "Hot Topic" catalogue, listening to emo music, and cutting) didn't last long. I was the emo-kid for about all three months, at the end of 9th grade. Then it became too tedious to keep it up.
97. I replay conversations that've happened eons ago, in my head, and still feel guilty over stuff that I've said. Not healthy.
98. I have a theory, that people with a specific shade, of a certain eyecolor, look a certain way, "evil". Unfortunately, I happen to have that specific shade of a certain eyecolor :(
99. Sometimes my mobile gets lost in my room for days. Do I panic? No! Do I care? No! If it's important, than you'll prolly call me at home (landline). If you don't have my home number, then you're not that important, which negates whatever you have to say, anyways :D
100. I am blessed!

*They were totally trying to copy Kuwait's Dancing Fountain! AKA Nafoorah Al-Raqi9a or summat'.

Pachelbel Rant

Personally, I kinda' like Pachelbel's Canon in D. Actually, it's one of my favorite classical pieces. Honestly, I adore mostly anything that has a decent violin melody. Anyways, back to the video, the dude is funny!

Tales of the Abyss

Long story short, this game sucks!!!! Shame on you, Bandai Namco!

• It takes forever to load. The loading takes longer than the battle itself, and I'm talking normal battles, not boss battles. (Man oh man, do I feel like a major geek right about now).
• The battle system is retarded. Seriously.
• The overworld map is confusing. (Okay, maybe this says more about me, than the game itself...).
• There are like zero anime cutscenes in Tales of the Abyss, not including the intro. (The main reason I bought the freakin thing was I got suckered in by the the intro. I blame YOU, gamespot people.
• The cooking part? Doesn't even count. Star Ocean 2? Suikoden II? Now those had cooking segments. (If you're not into RPGs, why oh why have you even read this far?).
• Finally, the story itself is quite boring. Young boy gets forced into saving the world. I aint complainin' about the "saving the world" part. When done correctly, that's actually a pretty successful formula that's proven itself, time and time again. The problem is with this specific story. Phonic Arts? Scorers? WTF? I've gone through alot ,and I mean alot of rpgs, a zillion times more complex than this one, but they've never left me quite as confused.

One fine day, I handed Raju 20 KD and told him to go to Rihab. He usually goes to Gamecenter and gives me a call once he gets there. Then he hands the phone to someone (Sha3ban was it?... or 3abdilbaa9i6) and we talk shop. So, imagine my surprise when I get a call from someone new. I play it cool, cuz I'm the queen of cool (not really but anyways).

"Salam"

"Salam"

"Shlonkum?" (I use shlonkum to keep it neutral)

"Himdillah"

"Sha3ban mowjood"

"Sha3ban saafar"

(Crap! Crap! Crap!)

"Inzen. Fee "Dawn of Mana"?

"Mafee"

"Fee "Shining Force"?

"Mafee"

"Shino fee RPG jadeed"? (I know. I know. It's "condescending" to speak broken arabic. Spare me.)

"Final Fantasy."

(imma kill him!")

"Hatha qadeem. Mo jadeed... o 3indiyah." (I add on as an afterthought... as if he really cares what I've got and haven't got)

"Mafee."

(ok, this isn't going anywhere)

"Inta yigdar wadee ana sayig hag tanee mahal fee rpg jadeed?" (yes, please lead a customer to the competition... I know, I'm pushing it.)

" HARO, DANA!"

"Raju! Cham marah agoolik, latgool ismy hnaak."

"Shino moshkil?"

('imma keel you!)

"Raju. Abeek itroo7 itdawir thanee ma7al mal playstation. Goolah, inta fee RPG?"

"Jayn. Jayn. Inta sawee telephone baad dageega, ana mafee cardu."

"Baba tawa ma36eek floos it7i6 kart."

"Inta fee cardu 10 dinar, ana fee cardu 5 dinar."

(I can't believe he's arguing with me right now)

"zen asaweelik telephone ba3ad digeega."

(I honestly have no leverage, whatsoever. Sad, really.)

I call him up.

"Salam"

"Salam"

"Fee rpg?"

"Sino?"

"R-P-G. Laaba maal playstation 2"

"Hada maktabah"

(Goddamn you, Raju! He knows perfectly well that this is NOT a store that sells console games.)

"Inzen, mashkoor."

"HARO! DANA"

"Raju, latgool-..." (why bother?) "Raju. Abeek itroo7 ma7al yibee3 RPG."

"Laaba mal playstation?"

"ee"

"jayn"

I call him.

"Salam"

"w'3alaykum ill salam" (Kuwaity this time, and a kid at that, or at least sounds like. He's probably in another wrong store.)

"Low sama7t, abee RPG?

"Ay RPG?"

"Ay RPG yideedah"

"Mithil Shino?"

"Dawn of Mana"

"Layl7een manzalat."

"Imbalah"

"Malat Square-Enix 3adil?"

(ooh I'm impressed! Seriously)

"ee"

"Tanzil 22, 5"

(You know what?... I think the kid might actually be right... my bad)

"Inzen fee Shining Force?"

"Hathee qadeemah. Giltay tabeen yideedah"

(smart-ass)

"Mowjooda?"

"La '7aal9a. Tabeen a6libha 7agich?"

(Once I get my rpg fix, I want nothing more to do with you!")

"La..... Shukran. Fee Artonelico?"

"Kanat mowjoodah, special edition bas '7ali9at. Tabeen a6libha?"

"madry... ee! ok! Inzen, fee Rogue Galaxy?"

" tawha '7aal9a"

"Tales of the abyss?"

"Ee, mowjooda."

"momkin ta36eeh 7ag ill sayig? ill li3ba ib 18 9a7?"

"20"

"i7na zabayinkum min zimaan"

(I'm totally taking advantage of this kid... I feel quite proud of myself)

"Awal marah achoofa sayigkum hnee."

(Drat. The little brat is on to me.")

"Inzen- (I'm about to concede defeat. I don't really care either way. Just practicing my "haggling skills" cuz I could never do that in real life. Oh my God! What am I talking about? This is real life haha Well off the phone, I mean.)

"Yalla mo moshkilla 18", he cuts in.

"ya36eek ill 3afya o'7oy."

(Wtf? Screw my "haggling skills". I need to brush up on my arabic skills. Ya36eek ill 3afya o'7oy? What am I? A guy?)

...and that, my friends, is how I've come to be stuck with this sad excuse of an rpg. That said, I'm only 5 hours into it :D

Yet Another To Do List...

Wear : Something Yellow (Plastic Bangles from Forever 21)

Watch : Top Gear (Japanese dude drifting whilst most of his body was out of the car was truly amazing! I'm totally inspired!)

Read : Shopaholic and Baby

Listen : Krwling - Linkin Park featuring Aaron Lewis from Staind (can't get enough)

Call : Mom (I miss her...)

Go To : College (really, truly pushin' my luck by skippin'...)

Smell : Something with Ylang-Ylang (found some candles at A-Z the other day)

Stop : Getting spooked for weeks on end after watching a horror movie involving "spirits". (Saw "The Messengers" at Laila Gallery... somehow watching it, wasn't as scary. Actually, I was pretty dissappointed. Actually, that movie sucked! Actually, I'm pretty scared right now, and it has nothing to do with that silly movie except for the fact that there were "spirits", is all. So... yeah.

Drink : A&W Diet Root Beer (UAS, 2nd Grade, Mr Nelson made us drink this stuff (of course it wasn't diet) in Art Class and I became a fan ever since... although, he was a gym teacher so what was he doing in the art class? Was it even a Mr Nelson? I just remember it was a big dude who sorta' looked like "Whitey" from One Tree Hill. Hmm...)