Why Would I Write

Category: Random

  • WordPress 5.0, Year Recap, Gig #116

    WordPress 5.0, Year Recap, Gig #116

    Since WordPress recently upgraded to version 5.0 I thought I’d give the new editor a shot and I’m pretty impressed. It’s one of the best looking WYSIWYG editors I’ve used in a while. Previously, I had been typing out my blog posts using the text only editor and they replaced it with this one by default. While I’m not too ambitious when it comes to the layout of my blog posts (let’s be honest, it’s just text, the rare photograph, and more text) so I don’t think I’ll be doing anything fancy now but who knows – maybe I’ll be a bit more creative in the future.

    We’re 11 days into December – the best month of the year (just because), and we’re getting close to the end of the year. Not that it matters. Let’s see how I did this year in terms of achieving my goals.

    From my post I wrote in January:

    What I intend to do this year:
    – finish my first game
    – record songs that incorporate keyboards in some way
    – play more sports
    – learn to play a Dance Gavin Dance song

    The End of a Season

    I didn’t finish my first game. However, I did take steps towards it: I’ve planned out my first game on paper. Now all I need to do is execute it. So, fail.

    I didn’t record any songs that incorporate keyboards but I did record songs that used virtual drums and electric guitar – something that I didn’t do before. I guess I still failed, since the whole point of recording something with a keyboard meant that I had to learn a new instrument.

    Play more sports – I did pick up cycling after getting a bicycle about a month ago (I guess I could write a post about it) but it’s not really considered a sport. I did try playing more CS:GO, does esport count? Nah, I failed in that aspect.

    I didn’t manage to learn a Dance Gavin Dance song but I did write a DGD-inspired song and I learned the intro riff to Cocky by Tilian. I guess I failed that too.

    Woot, a 100% on failure. Can’t say I didn’t try.

    What did I do that’s worth talking about this year then?

    I started a new job in a new industry, doing new things. That’s pretty rad I think. I’m also glad that I’m fitting in and able to deliver my work. Sure, it’s something that every working adult is expected to do but I’m happy that I found a job that fits me like a glove.

    I got back into gigging after a hiatus last year, and I’ve been consistently playing at least one show a month. It’s great to be back – I missed the stage.

    I started work on my first comic. It’s been a slow and gradual process, but Animal Bus is finally seeing the light of day. Over the past few months I’ve been drawing pages of the comic and while I’m nowhere close to launch (I intend to finish about 5 chapters before putting it online so I have a buffer for the next chapter), I’m happy with the progress I’m making.

    I did manage to write a few new songs this year, am close to finishing another one and have enough material to record a second EP.  Whether or not I’ll do it is left to be decided, but I’ll be playing them at my shows.

    I’ve managed to finish a few games from my Steam library – a huge feat considering the amount of time I spent playing Dota 2. I also attended the KL Major, which was great because Virtus Pro won. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend TI 2019 in China. That would be awesome.

    I tried and failed growing a beard, but at least now I don’t have to wonder anymore about the effects of Minoxidil on my face.

    What’s in store for 2019? I don’t even know myself. Probably the same goals, just that this time I’ll put more effort into carrying them out. We’ll see. In the meantime, do drop by the Poolside Open mic on Thursday for some chill beer and tunes.

    Poolside Open Mic #68 ft. Armand Tanzarian [Facebook Event Page]

    Time: 8 PM – 10:30 PM
    Date: 13th December 2018
    Venue: KL Journal Hotel [Google Maps]


    The Poolside Open Mic is our 3rd longest running open mic night which happens every Thursday evening right on TOP of The KL Journal! Each installation features one of our finest musicians, with this one featuring…

    ***ARMAND TANZARIAN***

    After a haitus as a failed international man of mystery, the busiest man on stage Armand Tanzarian returns with new and old songs. Using a guitar, a loop pedal and occasional woodwinds to build an epic wall of sound, Armand Tanzarian creates soundscapes and stories that wrap around the listener like a warm hug, and transport the listener to some place faraway.

    Follow him: https://www.instagram.com/armandtanzarianmusic/

    ***OPEN MIC***

    #* Rafiq & Izat
    #1 Wasif Hyder
    #2 Rachel Schlossman
    #3 RUFUS
    #4 2storeyheart
    #5 Fathee
    #6 Amr Mohsen

    To sign up for the open mic, email us@openmicmalaysia.org 😀

    ~

    Open Mic Malaysia is the brainchild of Shaneil Devaser, frontman of The Endleaves. Established in 2012 and currently operating in the Klang Valley, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Bahru, Open Mic Malaysia aims to create sustainable avenues for bedroom musicians, singer-songwriters and professional musicians to share their music and experiences with each other and the public, over evenings of wholesome indie goodness. In partnership with other like-minded musicians from across the country, Open Mic Malaysia aims to… Make Malaysia Great (for indie music) Again.

  • Gift Cards Are Worse Than Cash

    There’s something that I’ve been wondering about for a long time – why do people think gift cards are a great idea?

    Buying someone a gift card assumes that the recipient:

    1. still wants something from the shop you bought it from
    2. is willing to travel to the shop
    3. before the gift card expires

    You’re basically making your recipient do work for his or her own present – when you could have just given them the gift in the first place. So you say, you don’t know what the recipient wants – why not just give them cash?

    Cash is flexible – because it is not tied to a store, it can be spent anywhere and on anything – they don’t have to travel to an inconvenient or faraway location to purchase something. It doesn’t expire, so if the recipient doesn’t want to spend it, he or she can just save it for something else. There is no way a gift card can be better than cash. If a store offers discounts for people buying using gift cards – the recipient can just purchase those gift cards to get what they want since they’ll be going to that store anyway.

    Of course, gift cards can be used as jokes – i.e. giving a vegan gift cards to a popular steak restaurant – the recipient will either end up not spending it (wasting your money) or giving it away (which I guess is a good thing, since you gave them a present to gift for free).

    I can’t think of a situation where presenting someone with gift cards is better than giving them cash.

  • 7 months and done

    Last Sunday was a momentous date for me because of two things: I finally understood the feeling of rooting for a team and watching them win a tournament (all the other times I’ve felt like I’ve always cursed the team I supported by watching them). Virtus fucking Pro won the KL Major and I couldn’t be happier for them. FIrst Valve-sanctioned major of the season, and my favorite team ever since they put on a hero pool clinic at The Summit 7. That tournament turned me into a fan of the team. Anyway, I don’t want to bore anyone with the specifics, but they put on a great show and I hope to see them continue winning in the coming months. The best part about the event was probably walking around in a Virtus Pro hoodie because everyone at the venue seemed to be a Secret fan (there was a Malaysian player in their squad) – I enjoyed those salty tears.

    Secondly – I’ve finally finished my Minoxidil course. All six bottles. It took me seven months, but I’m finally done with having to apply liquid on my face twice a day. Feels good not to be burdened by a regiment anymore. On the downside, I see no significant improvement to the state of my beard. I guess you just can’t make hair grow when there were no hair follicles to begin with. Where do I go from here? Well, at least I know Minoxidil doesn’t work for me and my next course of action would be hair transplants so… yeah, I’m not that bothered or desperate enough – looks like I’ll just have to live my life with a patchy, unimpressive beard. Oh well. On the bright side, it is more facial hair than some of my friends can grow.

    Seven months ago, I also purchased my first Topre keyboard. The HHKB Pro 2 is still one of my favorite boards to type on. The sound, tactility, and layout – all amazing. I have yet to come across a better typing experience. Recently there have been rumors about an upcoming HHKB Pro 3, so I’m looking forward to that. Assuming there are significant changes to warranty an upgrade. My wish list? MX-compatible stems, built-in programmability. They could keep everything else the way it is and I’d be happy. I know people would like stuff like USB C (I’m not looking forward to having to buy more cables to replace the ones I currently own), heavier domes (an option would be nice, I’m not sure if I’d enjoy something heavier but I would definitely try them out), metal casing (I am honestly a fan of the keyboard’s plastic case – its sound signature and weight would be very different if it wasn’t made from plastic), and Bluetooth (a fine option as long as it’s optional).

    In recent keyboard news, my Planck has finally arrived (after a long-ass wait) and I’m personally not the biggest fan of it. I’ll definitely have to spend more time typing on it. I know it’s not a popular opinion but at the moment, I feel that learning to type using an ortholinear board seems way more trouble than it’s worth. It seems very likely that I’ll be turning it into a giant macropad or selling it off. Will give it a thorough chance before I do that.