The All Seeing 'I'

THE TAKE HOME CHEF IS COMING TO TOWN

2010-10-04T22:11:00.001+08:00

Australian celebrity chef, Curtis Stone, will be at The Fullerton Hotel on the 5th of November. He will be part of a very special dinner event, treating guests to his favorite dishes from the program that made him what he is today - Surfing the Menu.

Rated one of the Sexiest Men Alive in 2006 by the People Magazine alongside George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Stone has hosted many cooking programs, most notably, as the Take Home Chef on Discovery Networks' TLC.

He started his professional cooking career at the age of 18 at the Savoy Hotel in London. Soon after, he began cooking alongside the legendary Marco Pierre White at The Cafe Royal and Mirabelle. He then became head chef at Marco's Quo Vadis before moving on to the prestigious Restaurant 301.

Stone will be in town on the 5th of November for the Singapore Sun Festival's Surfing the Menu with Curtis Stone. He will be cooking up a storm, treating guests to some of his favorite dishes from Surfing the Menu.

He will also join local chef Samia Ahad, host of The Food Bachelor for a special cooking class on the 6th of November: East Meets West in the Kitchen. Both chefs will come together to create dishes using the same produce and ingredients, but with their own individual styles.

SURFING THE MENU WITH CURTIS STONE
Friday, 5th November
7:00PM
The Straits Room, The Fullerton Hotel
S$228++

Booking Details:
(65) 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg

EAST MEETS WEST IN THE KITCHEN
Saturday, 6th November
11:00AM - 3:00PM
Coriander Leaf Restaurant, 3A Merchant Court
River Valley Road, #02-03 Clarke Quay
S$208++

Booking Details:
(65) 6732 3354 or info@corianderleaf.com

Time

2010-09-06T22:19:00.000+08:00

Got home late... looks like I'll be posting another day. I foresee a busy 2 more days. I really want to clear up all the pending issues I have at work before I leave. Especially since there won't be another intern to pickup after me for a whole week after.

Running Bread-cake Thing

2010-09-06T00:07:00.003+08:00

Some of you may know that i tried my hand at bread making today. and those who follow me on twitter would also know that that didn't go too well... but it's been a long day, including waking up at 6AM for the Singapore Yellow Ribbon Prison Run, which didn't go too well either, at least for me.

But more on both tomorrow. for now, i can barely stay awake. Such a long and tiring day. Will blog soon! with lots of pictures. i went out of my way to snap them for these posts (Y)

I'm on the Night Train!

2010-08-29T03:13:00.002+08:00

It's finally done! I've finished it, and here it is, my cover of Nightrain by Guns N Roses, and my first time trying Multi-Track recording. I have 3 tracks in this cover, 1 Track for Izzy, biased 30% to the left, 1 Track for Slash, biased 30% to the right, and 1 track for extra FXs, smack center, which you'll know when you hear it. Put on your headphones, and less talk, more rock!

Audacious!

2010-08-29T01:28:00.001+08:00

So I was trying to put together a nice little music track to put on this post. It was all going so well too, I just finished putting it together in Audacity and recording the little 'Extra' bits to play over the existing tracks, and I was doing the final master, just making some parts a bit louder, and some parts a bit softer, etc. Just as I was amplifying a short portion of a track, Audacity crashed. AUDACITY CRASHED. AUDACITY CRASHED.

I just sat there in shock for awhile. I didn't save my progress at any point. D:

I'm trying some recovery tools, but it's not helping very much... It doesn't preserve the channels, tracks, or even the sequence. Looks like I'll have to rerecord it... my poor fingers.

Yogurt Basil Chicken, 'Grilled' Leeks & Herb Roasted Potatoes

2010-08-22T23:26:00.001+08:00

I made dinner!

The theme for today's dinner was for everything to be easy to cook, cheap, and healthy, and of course, with great flavor and texture.

I prepared three dishes, from left to right:

Yogurt Basil Chicken
Herb Roasted Potatoes
'Grilled' Leeks

And I think they all turned out okay! I'll tell you a bit more about them, just keep in mind that this isn't a how-to or a guide, just a short expository on my experience preparing these dishes. I'll provide a recipe if you really want it though!

Yogurt Basil Chicken

I've always wanted to cook with yogurt. It always looks so cool and refreshing when you see it on TV. It's also smooth, creamy and with that great semi-sweet tangy flavor.

This is actually the second time I've prepared this dish, but I think it was better the first time, largely because this time I accidentally procured dark meat instead of white meat /:

I started with my chicken 'marinade' of sorts; I mixed my yogurt with Basil, Lime Juice and some Lime zest. then I just tossed my chicken about in it and put it in the fridge while I took a shower... It was a hot day.

This is really a simple dish to prepare. Out of the fridge and into the frying pan... but because I increased my portions this time, I tried it with a Wok...

It was only okay. I still prefer my frying pan. but because the Wok retains so much of the liquid, I ended up doing some boiling/broiling thing, haha. The plan was to sear it first, then slow cook it.

All that liquid is the juice from the chicken, and the yogurt separating.

I didn't see so much liquid the last time so I panicked a little. After letting the chicken cook abit more, I chose to drain the liquid and fry/grill the chicken on my good ol' frying pan.

Yay!

Back to normal! The chicken was looking right again:

At this point, the chicken was almost done. so I brought my heat down and poured in the remnants of my marinade, which I'd added more yogurt to. This cooked down really fast, and really developed a sweet and sour flavor I've come to love. It took on a tasty color too:

This sat on low heat under a metal cover for awhile, then I just plated it up and garnished with some fresh parsley.

Yogurt Basil Chicken!

And that was it! It didn't really get the same flavor as the last time, because dark meat isn't as ready to soak up flavor the way white meat does. It was really tender though.

Grilled Leeks

Leeks are great. They're a low-calorie, fat-free food offering a handful of important nutrients, including folate, iron, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. They also cook down to have a smooth buttery texture and have a great flavor. It's also a great way to ease onions into your diet, because leeks taste like a milder, meatier onion.

Cooking them was even easier than researching for that last paragraph. haha. First you clean your leeks, then you cut your leeks.

Butter in the pan, throw in some garlic: Garlic and leeks work well together. Just a quick toss about, then pour in some vegetable stock; just enough to cover your leeks.

Simple as that. just pop a cover over that and put your heat down to a medium low flame, just enough to simmer.

That'll sit there obediently for the next half hour, and when you open the lid again, most of the stock would have been boiled off or absorbed by the leeks, and you'll have smooth-as-butter, tasty veggies that taste like you labored over them for a good 20 minutes!

Herb Roasted Potatoes

This is my favorite dish for tonight, its the first time I'm trying this, and I sorta made it up as i went along. I only thought to take photos after they were in the oven though... ):

But this was another easy dish, in a large baking tin, I just threw in my potatoes, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley, some oregano, garlic, and olive oil. I tossed them about and then decided I could throw in some leeks too. then tossed them some more, added more olive oil, salt and pepper, then straight into the oven.

Just drizzle some olive oil every now and then, and that's rock n' roll.

When the potatoes look nice and crisp, and a fork should be able to pierce to the bottom of the tin without any resistance, you know they're good to go. Again with the fresh parsley, and done!

Am I going overboard with the parsley?

Quick and easy dinner for 5. It was fun to do too! Again, if you want a more precise recipe just drop a comment and I'll try and draft out a recipe card, but these are so simple, I'm sure you'll have no problem after reading through! Till next time!

Life is Pretty Awesome Today

2010-08-19T00:03:00.008+08:00

It's been an interesting 370 days since my last post. I'm now in my last few weeks of internship, i'm doing an internship with Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific. It's the kind of thing where you wake up at 7AM, be grumpy because it's 7AM, but then count your blessings and realize how lucky you are on the way to work. That is, unless the commute is particularly rude that morning.

It's been really fun so far. The team is great fun to work with, and while the workload can get heavy, it's very varied, so I seldom find myself bored, and everything I do feels important, and that's really important for an intern - the worst thing would be to feel completely useless; cheap labor. That can get really demoralizing.

I've had the opportunity to produce UpNexts for DTL. Those are 15 second spots that go something like this:

Next...

He's the man who brought Gordon Ramsay to his knees.

And now, these contestants face the heat,

For a shot at owning their very own restaurant.

Marco Pierre White's Chopping Block... Next.

It's really fun. Haha. I've also had the opportunity to meet Ian Wright, Olly Steeds, and even Bobby Chinn.

Bobby Chinn Rubbing His Chin.

So that's what I've been doing for the past few months. That's not all though, but the rest, I'll leave for later posts. Look forward to more posts about my culinary adventures... and misadventures. Hopefully more of the former, though the latter may be pretty entertaining.

Oh! Whoever can guess the inspiration for the post title gets a cookie!

Back in... White?

2010-08-17T01:23:00.002+08:00

So I came home today and just suddenly decided to post up on to my blog... First thing i noticed was: I forgot my log in details!

so did some snooping around. a fair bit of straining, staring at the ceiling looking for inspiration, then I decided to check my history... MY LOGIN DETAILS ARE STILL IN MY HISTORY. I really need to clean up my web browser...

Anyway. got in, took a step back, and wow. Blogger sure has improved since the last time I posted. new posting interface, (Which I haven't started using yet... let's figure out how to walk again before we run, shall we?) new template design interface, and PAGES! I really want to use the pages feature, but I'm not sure what I should do with it; I've got a few ideas though, have a look through the pages, let me know what you think.

Next thing. I should probably chime in with an update on my life as it's been since August 2009. But, that's for a later post. Lots of interesting things have been happening, both good and bad. I've gotten into some new traditions, drifted away from some traditions, discovered new values, and most importantly, i've learnt so much in the past year. But more on that in the near future. for now, you can continue surfing the internet in disbelief, that I'm back and ready to continue this blog.

Got quite abit of housekeeping to do though. look out for:

Standard Tag System
Regular Returning Articles (Kind of like a Column in a newspaper)
Multi-media tie in (Saving for a HDCAM!)
More pictures
More Interactivity

I know I have, as a blogger, let you down before. But the only way I can keep this thing going is with some good Author-Reader interactions, so lend me some sugar - I am your neighbor! I've got lots planned for this blog, but I need you to help me make it work.

I'm so excited right now I'm going to go to sleep! Check back before the end of the week!

I'M BACK.

2010-08-17T01:19:00.003+08:00

After a 1 year coitus... i mean hiatus, I've been suddenly overcome with the sudden urge to post something!

I'll fill you in on what's been happening since I last chimed in to this web log, but first! I want you to help me write this story! I've started like this, leave a comment on what you want the next part to be about and i'll continue it before the end of the week:

"He awoke to the hiss that could only be produced by marrying cold market bacon to a hot, cast-iron pan; to the subtle vanilla-cinnamon perfume of freshly made pancakes, and the tangy, sweet aroma of fresh syrup being boiled down. There was no doubt that..."

I hope this is the start to something big, when everything's done, hopefully a month or 6 later, i'll post up the final product, the short story you all helped to write. Just leave a comment explaining to me what you want the next part to be about and i'll take the most original idea. of course, it needs to flow with the whole scheme of things, but that hasn't been established yet so go wild!

Oops

2009-08-13T01:48:00.004+08:00

i think i missed one week. haha. forgive me, it was a busy week. but finally all the submittable ICAs are done. abit late in updating. haha. there's been alot of Team Fortress 2 lately. and now its exam period.

i realize i'm not consistent in TF2. sometimes my aim is true 90% of the time, and i make all the right decisions and become a very valuable member to the team. sometimes i can't hit the enemy at all, and become useless to the team. i think its 60-40. 60% Fail 40% Win. i wonder what makes 60% fail. once i figure that out i think i can bring it down.

Beef Goulash

2009-07-26T03:20:00.004+08:00

Made Beef Goulash for dinner tonight. It's supposed to be a soup but i added more tomato to make it chunkier and thicker so i could serve it as a gravy with rice.

apparantly i can't upload pictures because the 'upload pictures' button doesn't do anything. i wonder what's wrong. haha i took a whole bunch of pictures, but it seems i can't share it. if and when the blogger image uploader comes back, i'll share it.

it was fun to cook. here's a link to a picture online of someone else's beef goulash. its done right, without the tomato paste, so you can see the soupyness.

Beefy Goulash Goodness

error

2009-07-25T04:23:00.002+08:00

my post editor seems to be screwing up. i don't get to format or add images etc. ah well

anyway, we went jamming today. marion, keith, kenneth and I. was okay. wasted alot of time until kenneth arrived late. jammed like 1 and a half song and we had to leave. haha.

BEGIN SARCASM
34 dollars well spent.
END SARCASM

though after that we went to the nearby subway for dinner. was fun. keith kenneth and marion seem to click really well. i think they were talking something about pigs or something. i was zoning out. worrying about work haha. though things are coming together nicely. apart from multicam being really really rushed, everything else seems to be coming together okay.

wanted to post about something else here but i completely forgot what. i hate it when that happens. anyway. its night time for me and i'm headed to bed. haveat.

WORK WORK WORK

2009-07-20T02:39:00.004+08:00

WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK. WORK.

yeah that about sums up our time for the rest of the month. since school started its been ICA after ICA. not that its not interesting or we don't learn anything, its just really tiring. i've learned alot about doing surveys by writing my fail MMR report. so i may get a poor grade for this but at least i now know how to avoid that, haha. its just that i've been working at school work since my weekend started. haha how fun is that.

awesomeface helps alot though. haha. she keeps me sane and without her, i would probably have given up on some projects long ago. thanks for that, baby. (:

so me and shahrum are just putting the last touches on today's part of the MMR report. tomorrow i'll work on the executive summary and conclusion/recommendation. ATM i just can't really think much so haha.

on a side note, its nice to know that my readership is starting back up again. i promise you, at least a post a week from now on. keep reading, awesome people.

14 Days

2009-07-08T23:37:00.005+08:00

These 2 weeks, this and the next, srsly needs to loosen up.

JW ICA3 is really tough, there's a language barrier for me, i need to interview a senior citizen who has not had the good fortune to retire. he or she is still working to make ends meet. unfortunately i've exhausted all my contacts and they all seem to be quite well off. then there's the fact that most of them speak only chinese dialects. and the fact that my chinese = fail, not to mention cantonese/hokkien/etc. anyway i'm heading off. GOOD DAY SIR.

P.S. my eye aches in a way eyes should never ache.

P.P.S. I SAID GOOD DAY.

WCG/Back to the 70s

2009-07-05T13:40:00.004+08:00

Yesterday was a pretty interesting day. it started out with meeting baby at city hall for WCG.

someone got my hopes up in that there would be a halo 3 open category but there wasn't. but it was still awesome anyway. we met darren there and kenneth came later. finally got to see rainbow road in RL. me and marion thought he'd look like my brother, what with being the same age and everything but no, he doesn't look half as gay. hahaha.

i think we all had quite abit of fun, haha. its not so much the event but who you spend it with, really.

so WCG was interesting, spent most of the time sampling games, watching games, and laughing at fail cosplayers. was fun. haha

after that i went home and left for event no.2, Dominic's Birthday Party, themed as 'Disco Divas', everyone there was dressed as some cliche from the 70s.

Pictures probably on my mom's blog haha. so everyone had fun, but my cousins and i had to leave early: they had church tomorrow and we carpooled. but my mom stayed behind.

I'm Back!

2009-07-04T02:10:00.006+08:00

Back in the New York Groove;

Hey look, i updated this dusty old thing. Though i doubt websites can actually get dusty.

If you're looking for an explanation for the 4 months of nothingness, you won't find one here. I'm probably going to be updating this quite frequently again. No promises, but have a little faith. don't think I'll bother with the reviews and such, maybe once in a while. they were horrible biased anyway. ha ha.

I hate the red underline when you're lazy to capitalize your 'I's when you type 'I'll', and i hate that 'ha[no space]ha' isn't in the English dictionary.

Anyway. today we celebrated Samuel 's birthday. [apparently Samuel[Aposthrophe(wtf i spelt{wtf 'spelt' is the past tense of 'spell'} that correctly)]'s' is not allowed either. I give up.

So today we celebrated Samuel's Eighteenth Birthday at Cha Cha Cha in Holland Village. More red lines. Mexican cuisine is awesome. All round we had Burritos, Fajitas, Tacos, and Margaritas; all perfectly acceptable words according to spell check. I had a ground beef burrito, personally i taste that its better than the hard shell ground beef tacos. A lot less messy too. I'm not sure what was had on the other end of the table [Kenneth Ang, Kenneth Kan, Javin and Keith], on our end we had Long, Yu Sheng, Samuel and Me. Huiwen and Tzuling kinda came together and were seated near center.

er. Picture 4 square tables together in a 2-Dimensional Column, then seats at every exposed face. Starting from the top, which is toward the street, away from the kitchen, and going clockwise, we have:

Kenneth Ang Ken Ji
Javin Soh Jing Ye
Kenneth Kan
Long Jun Hong
Tay Yu Sheng
Samuel Tay Kai Wen
Bezner Lim
See Huiwen
Lim Tzu Ling
Keith Heng Sheng Yuan

Note, the conversations at the table were had in two separate halves. the top two table chatted amongst themselves and the bottom two tables chatted amongst themselves. this lasts until after dinner.

So. after that incredibly detailed explanation of the seating arrangement, which really isn't important to the post at all, i guess we'll move on to the drinks. We had 4 jugs of margarita to go around, 2 at a time. 1 jug wasn't enough for 10 decent glasses all round apparently. so 2 jugs with enough for 5 people to refill once.

first round was 2 jugs of lime margaritas; my half of the table got refills. second round was 1 jug of lime margarita and another jug of strawberry flavored margarita. Some people got refills.

So here's the interesting thing. Interesting observation of the placebo effect in play today. [placebo pronounced play-see-bow]

First a short definition/explanation of what placebo effect is:

the tendency of any medication or treatment, even an inert or ineffective one, to exhibit results simply because the recipient believes that it will work

Watch this for a quick and fun example [HD is awesomer]:

so what happened was, i think after the first round of drinks, the barkeep decided that we weren't quite ready to be drinking so much, and the second round of margaritas were really weak. it was like a $40 pitcher of slurpee.

surprisingly though, it seems that a lot of them still got drunk. They were doing weird and crazy stuff under no influence of alcohol. ha ha. its all in the mind.

i think long, yu sheng and sam were like falling around and being all crazy, i didn't really see javin at all the whole night ha ha. and keith could only talk about jamming. it was so weird. 7 kids who thought they were drunk. at least we had fun, haha.

okay. so after that, we decided to walk to town. we kinda walked about 2 bus stops then took 165. everyone went off at thompson for some LAN gaming, they're not going home tonight; but kenneth and me went to hougang to head home, where i took a bus to get home and kenneth walked.

planning to go to WCG tomorrow but i gotta wake up at 8. So yeah. first of many posts. hopefully. haha. enjoy the video and the visualization.

Halo once more.

2009-03-12T03:37:00.004+08:00

HALO WARS

had a taste of the Halo Wars demo for the xbox360. i know i'm a wee bit behind schedule, but budget's been tight, so games aren't a priority right now. however, i must say, halo wars is looking like a good game.

This is a covenant base. the graphics are pretty clean.

videos on youtube and demo gameplay really make me want to get the game, though i think i foresee that the game will have quite a low replayability. lots of scripted events in campaign mode means that playing levels again will result in the exact same game play and outcome.

Notice the Tauren Chieftain and the Brute Chopper

anyway, playing halo wars, with all its references to the original halo series [halo wars is not made by bungie], really makes me want to play halo again. like. i just played through a good half of the halo 3 campaign again on heroic.

and now its like a halo frenzy. i really want to do like a halo marathon [haha, 'marathon']. like halo 1, halo 2, halo 3. see how long it takes. or maybe invite some guys over to co-op. though... i don't have a working copy of halo 1 for the xbox anymore. if anyone has it i'm willing to pay a bit.

tastes

2009-03-11T00:07:00.004+08:00

its been awhile. so whats new: nothing. i have not been doing anything much. i just finished harry potter's books 6 and 7, after re-reading books 1-5. its a great series, can't wait for the movie.

Marion's 18 too, and now she's in Spain on holiday. that means i won't be seeing much of her until the 26th, maybe plan something nice on the 27th. haha

i've found a recent gravitation towards blues rock in my musical endeavours, nice 12 bar blues improvisation. with some of my own variations. pretty fun. good stuff.

thats about it for now, till i can think of something special. haha.

p.s there's going to be more posts like this to come.

p.p.s what's xoxo?

How I Met Your Mother

2009-02-26T00:40:00.001+08:00

Recently been on a How I Met Your Mother Spree. its an awesome show. go check it out

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Now playing on iTunes: Jason Steele - Put a Banana In Your Ear
via FoxyTunes
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Its Clobbering Time.

2009-02-18T17:58:00.003+08:00

so its only a few more days to the end of the week. tomorrow is a free day before the last exam on friday. i already have it all planned out.

waste time till thursday night, study till midnight, go for test on friday, partay. woo. haha

so yeah. okay. to complete this post i now need to add some form of media. hang on.

guess where this place is!

Yummy, Yummy.

2009-02-15T22:36:00.001+08:00

Forgive Me. haha

Saint Vee's Day

2009-02-15T03:11:00.006+08:00

So. today was Saint Valentines on a budget. Its really horrible how this festival is over commercialized. you have to pay a premium on everything just because its the 14th. well i've managed to avoid all that so far, spent the day at the barrage by the marina, [marina barrage sounds queer] picnicked on the green roof.

comments about the establishment.. i think the concept, and photos are much nicer than actually being there. the cafe and the restaurant are tourist traps, you pay almost double what you pay outside, its all really pretty and nice on saint vee's, but otherwise. its a large patch of grass. its windy though, so kites fly. but yeah. in hindsight its abit overrated. fuck i can't decide if its pretty or not. haha.

well its a nice building, but its very very plain. the building shape is really really cool, the curvy thing and the rooftop garden, in theory, its really nice and cool, but when you visit, its all really plain. its not carpet grass like it looks like in the picture. [i really wanted carpet grass] its some muddier version of savannah grass. but even so, since its so near the ocean, there's this eternal breeze of sorts. the barrage itself is a kind of bridge with pavilions:

so its cool to hang out abit. another thing to note, the views of the city are really really nice, with the inherent problem being that cranes kinda block the view everywhere. they're hard at work on the IR. haha.

So yeah. it was a great day, haha. [I find it rather difficult to refrain from placing that smiley all over the post]

I'll Take That One

2009-02-12T02:44:00.000+08:00

It Finally Happened.

There are no words.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

2009-02-11T03:23:00.009+08:00

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway

What is it:
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is the third entry in the Brothers in Arms series of video games which follows the men of the 101st Airborne Division (502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment [PIR]).

He looks fat in this screenie.

In this uh. entry. You follow Staff Sergeant Matt Baker [As in the first game] through the events of Operation Market Garden: The largest airborne operation of all time. it also happened to fail quite badly. The game sticks to history really closely, so you might think spoilers aren't an issue. we'll get to that later.

You, and characters from the previous game are reassigned to the unit before the drop into the Holland. The game follows the 101st's assault and securing of Eindhoven, and the subsequent defense of the surrounding area from German counterattacks, which in turn leads to the countless deaths of your squad, since you know the plan to end the war by christmas didn't go so well.

Why Its Great:
Okay i want to point out this thing. Many people think most WW2 shooters don't have much of a narrative because its a retelling. thats not true. this is especially the case in this game. BIA:HH is awesome on account of an excellent narrative. It maintains a very good balance of historical detail and character development.

The main characters are fictional, though you take orders from a few notable historical figures, including Lieutenant General Robert Sink.

The game tells a very very good narrative. with some drawbacks i'll mention later.

Point 2: The game is really fun. the formula is no different from its predecessors: you have a gun, you can shoot nazis. you also have 1-3 squads of 2-3 soldiers who also have guns. you can tell them to shoot nazis. some squads have bazookas to blow nazis to bits, and some squads have Machine Guns to shred nazis to bits.

Some Squads have Bazookas to blow nazis to bits.

Point 3: New squad types, i cannot stress the awesomeness — bazooka and MG teams — both ratchet up the carnage and make things feel more realistic. After all, the war was not won with the M1 Garand alone, especially when the Allies had tanks and bunkers to eliminate. The new destructible-cover system also makes these battles more authentic, as you can mow down Nazis behind wooden cover…or get dropped yourself if you tuck into the wrong spot.

You can cut these fences [and the nazis behind it] with a M1919A4 L.M.G like a hot knife cuts through butter.

The A.I. enemies seem more evolved, too, repositioning in response to your actions and generally not sitting around like target-practice dummies. The AI has been improved. it glitches though sometimes.

Why It Sucks:
Glitches. Bugs. Checkpoint Save Shenanigans. So many times i had to have my playing interrupted because some of my team mates decided to fall through the floor and get stuck. this level written in stone also had a checkpoint saves a checkpoint before you reach it, making it unreachable. its hard to explain. it only happens sometimes. but yeah.

sometimes the AI glitches. i dropped quite some motionless Germans who might as well have been holding up a “Shoot Here” sign. But even worse were the times your bazooka squad fired anywhere but where you told them.

I couldn't find a motionless german. here's a not so motionless american. =p

what else... oh right the story. its really confusing at the beginning, and if you never played the previous few, you will have no idea at all wtf is going on. until really late into the game. i think. well it depends on how retarded the player is. you won't get alot of the flashback scenes that reference the previous games but you'll get the gist of the story. and its a good story.

last thing. replayability. this is a big factor for me, because i don't like finishing a game in like 2 days then leaving it to rot somewhere until the sequel is released. after i finished the campaign, there was just nothing left to do. nada. zilch. okay well there's multiplayer. lets face it. the new BIA multiplayer is horrible. its okay. i don't know. i never tried it.

This isn't exciting a second time. or third. or fourth.

Either way, they took out the much loved 'skirmish' mode, a single player or cooperative mission whereby you tackle an objective not necessarily related to the main story. it could be capturing a bunker and holding it, or etc. really good fun in Earned in Blood, [i never played hill 30], completely non-existent in Hell's Highway. the main story isn't much fun to replay either. the game dynamic means that the same nazis appear at the same time in the same place. so its boring a second, maybe third playthrough.

Should You Get It:
hmm. Depends. I wouldn't recomment buying it, but borrowing it from someone who has it, or renting it, if you're outside my country of residence. i don't know a game rental service in singapore. Its just not worth 70 bucks. or 60. i can't remember how much i paid. but yeah. you have to try it at least. blowing up nazis is fun.

Oh so fun, especially in a TANK.

My Rating:

Thats it. 2.5. its fun to play. once. it really disappoints me that after 3 years there are so many bugs in it, i appreciate the work done on the destructible cover and new squads, but the removal of skirmish is just sad. and co-op!

There are pretty good graphics, though thats kinda standard in this day and age of gaming.

Where You Can Get It:
Any Video Game Store. not the internet. stay legal. lol. I'm leaving you with this image. click to enlarge goodness.

Just Tag Yourselves.

2009-02-02T03:40:00.004+08:00

Rules:
It's harder than it looks! Copy to your own note, erase my answers, enter yours, and tag ten people.

Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real...nothing made up! If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name question.

[For Extra Fun, I decided to google images and put the first one i found. if the first doesn't work, the second, and so on...]

1. What is your name : Bezner

2. A four Letter Word : Barn

3. A boy's Name : Ben

4. A girl's Name : Becky

5. An occupation : Baker

6. A color : Beige

7. Something you'll wear : Belt

9. A food : Baked Ribs

10. Something found in the bathroom: Bathtub [that was easy lol]

11. A place : Berlin

12. A reason for being late : Bus ran me over. =p

13. Something you'd shout : Banned! [not really]

14. A movie title : Babe? [can't think of anything else ATM]

15. Something you drink : Berry Juice [lol]

16. A musical group : Black Sabbath

17. An animal : Boar

18. A street name : Bugis Street [don't really like that place though]

19. A type of car : Beetle

20. The title of a song : Back in Black - AC/DC

The Edge of that Reflective Surface

2009-01-27T00:09:00.007+08:00

Just got Mirror's Edge for 'mah PC.
Seems to be pretty nice. jumping around, albeit repetitive, is still really fun.

for those who don't know, in mirror's edge, you play faith, and you're a parkour artist. a free runner.
there's some background and narrative, but i won't go into it. anyway. whats unique is that the whole thing is done from a first person perspective, making you feel like the one doing the running and jumping and vaulting etc.
so yeah. i'm going to go ahead and complete it first. see ya'll soon.

...just thought you should know.

SOTFL[R]

2009-01-17T00:28:00.005+08:00

There's this one golden rule they put on escalators all over Singapore. STAND LEFT, WALK RIGHT. For Retards that don't know what the fuck that means, let me clear it up for you.

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO FUCKING WALK. STAND ON THE FUCKING LEFT.

It really annoys the shit out of me when i miss my train because some FUCKING RETARD decides to stand on the RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ESCALATOR, and BLOCK THE FUCKING WAY.

When its the goddamn rush hour, most people want to go places FAST. There are some who don't. Most of them are retards. WE HATE RETARDS. The retards are the ones who DON'T FUCKING THINK. they will go to the narrow escalator, notice everyone crowding around on the left side, and realize THEY'RE ALL MAKING WAY FOR THEM SO THEY CAN STAND ON THE FUCKING RIGHT. then this BIGASS crowd of Annoyed Commuters builds up behind them, AND THEY DON'T FUCKING NOTICE.

SOTFL[R]. STAND ON THE FUCKING LEFT. [or right, if you're reading this in some other part of the world]

okay. i'm happier now. (:

what's eating you, is eating me

2009-01-08T00:29:00.003+08:00

I Still owe a post about italy. hm. give me a few more days. Patience is a virtue. haha. anyway, you should check out this band, by the name of Airbourne; if you think you share the same taste in music as me, you'll like em. very much like AC/DC.

Go look around, then buy the CD. review up when i get my paws on their CD.

----------------
Now playing on iTunes: Airbourne - Blackjack
via FoxyTunes

Whole lotta heart

2009-01-05T22:57:00.002+08:00

It started so well
you had it laid out.
you've got what you wanted
right there

You stayed by her side,
through the best times you've had
you thought you had made it
back there

Then something stupid found its way to your head
too late now, but now you know:

All it takes
Is just a minute of your time
A small change in the wind
To make the biggest mistake, you'll know.

All it takes
Is just a whole lotta heart
cuz you'll lose so much
To face the pain of your choice, alone.

You took what you wanted
You took what you could
You gave nothing back
in return

You said it was over.
You gave it away.
You cast her aside and
you threw her away

You felt triumphant, it got to your head
too late now, but now you know:

All it takes
Is just a minute of your time
A small change in the wind
To make the biggest mistake, you'll know.

All it takes
Is just a whole lotta heart
cuz you'll lose so much
To face the pain of your choice, alone.

TBC

New Year Post

2009-01-04T20:46:00.007+08:00

Was catching up on things that happen on blogs and i stumbled upon this, so i decided, what the hell. so here you go, 2009 Post. More to come.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I experienced a romantic relationship

2. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Well. 'That I lacked in 2008'. 2008 was crammed full of stuff. Hm. I guess I still haven't gotten that new guitar yet.

3. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
O Level Result Collection Date, Poly in General, and the 27th of June and September

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
This is where I smile and say: 'O Levels and a GPA of 3.5 for Semester 1'

5. What was your biggest failure?
Prefer not to answer

6. What was the best thing someone bought you?
Trip to Italy, Courtesy of Mom.

7. Where did most of your money go?
Starbucks, Guitar Fund and Food. In that order.

8. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Prefer not to answer.

9. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Exactly Now, Not as Happy
b) fatter or skinner? I've no idea.
c) richer or poorer? Definitely poorer.

10. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Holding Back

11. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Everything I guess. 2008 was too fast paced. What's that song…

Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast

12. How do you plan to spend Christmas?
This year? Definitely not like 2008. we had Christmas in the air. How's that. I think most likely Christmas Morning would be spent half dead and wasted with some of my closest friends all over the living room. Good times. haha

13. What was your favorite TV program?
Not much of that this year, hm. Well. I guess if you count Most Watched, it would be Mythbusters. But I barely watch TV anyway.

14. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I'm sure there's someone, but I just can't seem to remember any names.

15. What was the best book you read?
I quote huiwen: 'Nothing particularly stood out.'

16. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Guns and Roses, Motley Crue, Velvet Revolver. In that order. A bit of explanation on discovering GnR in 2008: I never really listened to them so much prior to 2008, but I had like welcome to the jungle and sweet child in my playlists, for some reason in 2008, something happened and my playlist became the Appetite for Destruction album, for 6 months straight.

17. What did you ~~want~~ need and get?
Life Experiences.

18. What did you want and not get?
Prefer not to answer

19. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Dark Knight I guess.

20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On my Birthday, I had a bunch of friends over, and we ate soil from a pot. It was delicious. Haha. I was pretending I was 18.

21. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
As huiwen said: 'More time with my friends. And more cash. Haha.'

22. What kept you sane?
Whoever said I'm sane?

23. Who do you miss?
No one must know.

24. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008?
Be careful what you wish for.

Pasted, then edited, from http://swirlsandtwirls.blogspot.com/

Epic Fail

2009-01-02T00:44:00.001+08:00

TO DO LIST:
BLOG ABOUT ITALY
BLOG ABOUT NEW YEAR
REVIVE BLOG

Stay Tuned, and have faith.

A Night Out at Tosto's

2008-12-03T01:43:00.004+08:00

[ Edit: I Promised. :) ]

TOSTO'S

What is it:

Tosto's is… well I'm not sure what it is. I guess you'd call it a café, though I'm not used to having so much food at a café. Either way. It serves you your coffee, espresso, or any latte macchiato concoction you might consider having.

Either way, I've just reached home, from a interesting experience at Tosto's, apparently, Tosto's, along with Nuance Watson, Body Contours, and The Creative Department, had hosted a aptly named 'Blog Party'.

At the 'Party', they had invited a group of bloggers for dinner, to sample the food, and to take part in the sandwich making competition. The winning sandwich makes it to the menu. So. I didn't win, but if you do get there, I believe the two winning sandwiches were Prototype Fish and Diving Dancers… or something and other.

ANYWAY. On with Tosto's.

Why Its Great:

So Tosto's is a café, as consumers, we expect from them:

Coffee
Good Coffee
Lots of Latte

As Tosto's, they give us:

Coffee
Good Coffee
Lots of Latte
A slice of Italian Coffee-Related cultures
Healthy and Tasteful food

So naturally, that’s good isn't it. ha-ha

First Up: The Coffee

Anyway. At the event, I myself had sampled the Latte, which for non-coffee people is basically espresso with milk.

So I was abit apprehensive, I'm used to my Iced Venti 3 Pumps Vanilla 2 Pumps Hazelnut Latte at Starbucks, which is a tad bit sweeter than a standard latte; naturally, when I order a latte, I expect it to be bitter, boring, and unfinished at the end of the meal.

This was not the case. It’s a good cup of latte. I don't remember putting any sugar in, but the latte was not too bitter for my tastes, which says something. There's that rich taste of the espresso, with the milky frothy substance which I learnt to be known as La Crema [Crème?].

La Crema on Expresso

So that’s the coffee, then there's the food.

If you're there, you MUST try the Mandarin Duck thing. Not sure what its called exactly, but when you're there, and you see the menu, you'll know it. Mandarin Oranges and Duck never tasted so delightful. There's this sweet tang, with the oriental-ish duck breast, making it tangy and refreshing.

Mandarin Duck Thing

Follow that up with a perfectly constructed Ricotta Cheesecake, then a nice cup of latte, or freshly brewed coffee. Before we move on, More pictures of food:

Next, the Ambience.

I don't know a place in Singapore where I can get coffee in a more Italian way than at Tosto's. The espresso machine RIGHTFULLY has its BACK facing AWAY FROM THE CUSTOMER. That’s the way you do it. And at Tosto's, they know their coffee. I should know, they were telling us so much, it felt like a classroom. ['okay class. This is Arabica coffee. This is robusto coffee. Can anyone tell me the difference?'] But I learned lots a new stuff, so no complaints.

Why it Sucks:

Sorry Michael, but I got to do this.

So. Tosto's is great and all, but well, lemme start with the small things, the not so important.

The Menu. Sure, you got good content in the menu, but it’s a folder. It’s a folder with pieces of paper slipped in. I don't know, maybe its just me, but your décor is all classy and exquisite, but your menu is just shabby. So yeah.

The Ambience.

So yeah, its classy, and there's the Italian Culture, until you head to Italy and see what its really like there. Here, you only sit for your coffee, and I was offered cappuccino! At Night! But yeah. Not important.

We Didn't Win.

I guess what really sucks, was that we didn't win. Nah. What was abit of a problem was perhaps the location. Its at the arrival halls of Terminal 3 and 2, at Changi Airport. Not only is it hard to get to, its difficult to enjoy a perfectly crafted cup of coffee with all the hustle and bustle and noisy greetings all around you.

But I like the airport. ):

We didn't even have to pay for the stuff we ate, but I don't know, gut feeling tells me its going to be pricey. So for youths that live off their parents like me, I think this sounds like something you go to barely once a month? I can't say for sure, I had no look at the prices. But then again, I go to Starbucks weekly, so who am I to say?

Should You Get It:

Hmm. Well. Depends I think… no scratch that. I was going to say, if you liked coffee, but no. now I think I might understand why they have so much emphasis on food there. You should go there. I recommend, a Breakfast with your family, on a Saturday perhaps. Even if you don't appreciate good coffee, you'll find the food delighting and worth the trip. I think the first time I was there, I didn't even have any of the coffee. I had the duck orange mandarin wrapthing. And it was all good.

My Rating:

Its good, but the location really sucks, for me really. I don’t know. People of my demographic, headed from school or even home all the way to the airport. Sounds too much of a chore. But say, class gets cancelled, and you're let off school after 2 hours. Tosto's an option.

Where You Can Get It:

As mentioned, currently the only place you can get it is at the Airport, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, in the Arrival Hall. That’s B2 for Terminal 3 and Level 1 for Terminal 2. I'm not sure if they plan on expanding, but at the moment, you're only going to find them there.

Paintball Party

2008-11-19T00:36:00.001+08:00

Who's interested. looking for 10 or more people including myself. Sounds fun?

http://www.weplaypaintball.com/typicalday.html

PING ME

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Halloween

2008-11-16T20:36:00.008+08:00

Slash Smashed

Self-Explanatory Michael Jackson

Kenji: '...leave me alone...'

NSFW!!!

Kenji's Self Inflicted Scars

Time to Leave these two alone...

----------------

Now playing on iTunes: Queen - Killer Queen
via FoxyTunes

Sure Fire

2008-11-15T00:37:00.002+08:00

How to Get Flamed on the Internet:

#0032: Write an article that compares under and over rated products, like Vista and XP.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/151402/the_10_most_overrated_products.html

For great lulz. More to come. haha

Baked Ribs with BBQ Onion Sauce

2008-11-13T20:21:00.001+08:00

Baked Ribs with BBQ Onion Sauce

You'll Need:

MasterFoods' BBQ Base
Worcestershire Sauce [I like MasterFoods]
Ketchup [I like Heinz]
Mustard [I like MasterFoods]
Vingiarette, Salad Dressing or Balsamic
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Basil
2 Onions
2 Racks of Ribs [QB FTW]

Making the Sauce:

A Bit Of:

Ketchup
Worcestershire Sauce
Vingiarette

A Smaller Bit of:

Mustard
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Basil

A Shit Load Of:

BBQ Base

Stir Well. You need 3 small bowls full of it.

Prepping the Ribs:
IMPORTANT: There is a thin membrane on the inside of the ribs, you need to RIP it off. this may prove challenging, but its satisfying.

Take one small bowl of the BBQ sauce you prepped, and RUB it into the Ribs. Really get it in there. If the ribs are coated and you still have sauce left in that bowl, rub some more or just pour it over the ribs. stuff that into the fridge for awhile.

Prepping the thing-that-goes-over-the-ribs-while-it-cooks-that-i-don't-have-the-name-for:
You have 2 onions. chop em into rings.

Take a large saucepan. put just a wee bit of oil, so the sides are slick. Heat it up till its pretty hot.

Throw in them onions, and if there are any rings still stuck in each other, try to split them up unsuccesfully with your spatula. Almost immediately, throw in one bowl of the sauce you prepped and saute the mixture.

Don't undercook it, The onions will be too stiff and spicy, but don't overcook it, the onions should not be soggy. You just need to saute it until its well mixed and the onions are coated and smell awesome.

Final Stretch:
Ribs are ready, take em out of the fridge. [preferably been there for an hour. i only gave it 5 minutes the last time]

Let the onion mixture cool off a little and the ribs warm up a little, WHILE you begin to preheat the oven to 220 C.

Pour that onion mixture under and over the ribs, then stick the ribs into the oven

it should stay there for 40-50 minutes, depending on how well done you want it.

About 5 minutes before you take it out, you want to stick in the last bowl of BBQ sauce to warm it up so you can use it as a dip.

Serve:
Take the ribs out and the sauce, place on the table, and get everyone to the table. eat while piping hot.

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Aimless

2008-11-13T15:42:00.001+08:00

4 Songs, Significant This Month:

November Rain - Guns and Roses
Somebody to Love - Queen
Don't Cry - Guns and Roses
Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crue

10 Random Facts

I'm doing my ICAs now because i actually have nothing better to do. [Epic Fail]
Mayonnaise is a freaking awesome condiment for your fries
BBQ sauce goes good on a big mac in the right proportions
Flock is convenient
I can't remember all the random facts i wanted to put in
Halloween party is coming soon
I should do a cover of Queen's Killer Queen. Sounds pretty fun.
I'm running out of facts
Kenneth's gonna kill me for taking this from him.
He took it from me first though...

5 Random Things on my Table Now:

My Laptop
My Handphone
Shahrum's Laptop
Malcolm
McWings [Shahrum's]

3 Random Things that i happen to be doing now:

Creating a format for each ICA to expediate my completion tonight
Thinking
Listening to Somebody to Love

1 Random Person on my mind:

Okay back to work. Hope you like my lists. take em if you must.

Motor Oil

2008-11-06T17:57:00.001+08:00

Just as Aston Martin symbolizes James Bond, this Aston Martin in particular pretty much sums up what i thought of Quantum of Solace:

Quantum of Solace

Not exactly what i had expected. This is perhaps the first review that gets less than 3 out of 5 stars from me.

What is it:

James Bond - The Quantum of Solace is the 22nd 007 Movie. It promises to be a relaunch of Casino Royale, continuing the story. And continue it does; as soon as the movie starts, it picks up right where it left off, Bond running from henchmen, with Mr. White in the boot of the car. Right into the action.

What Makes it Great:

Intense Action Scenes. This is probably the movie's strongest point. At least 50% of the movie time was spent in some sort of a gunfight.

and jeez. i really can't think of anything else. its that bad.

i guess the motor oil. haha. you'll have to watch it for that.

Why it Sucks:

The plot was straightforward and predictable. I expected some twist somewhere to add another 30-45 minutes to the show, but no. everything went as smooth and as plain as butter. it only lasted 1 hour 45 minutes. which should say something about the content.

The Sunday Times review noted that "following Casino Royale was never going to be easy, but the director Marc Forster has brought the brand’s successful relaunch crashing back to earth — with a yawn"; the screenplay "is at times incomprehensible" and the casting "is a mess." The review concludes that "Bond has been stripped of his iconic status. He no longer represents anything particularly British, or even modern. In place of glamour, we get a spurious grit; instead of style, we get product placement; in place of fantasy, we get a redundant and silly realism."

There really was no point. here. i'm going to type out the movie's plot:

[Begin Spoilers]Bond kills alot of people.[End Spoilers]

Another thing i didn't like of the movie was the utter lack of bond-ness. No cool gadgets, the aston martin gets like 90 seconds of screen time, before being utterly wrecked. there's no smooth deceit and spy action. And most shocking of all, nobody betrays bond.

The only real bond to bond-girl relationship in the movie is Bond and M. which is quite sad really. and no. craig doesn't screw judi.

My Rating:

Thats it. this room is cold. lol. okay yeah thats all i'm giving it. its disappointing. i expected alot more from this movie. and a bond movie should never disappoint.

Should You Watch It:

No. I wouldn't recommend that you do, there's nothing that sets this bond movie apart from another lowbit action movie. If you're looking for a mindbending plot, smooth sleek bondness, sexy aston martins and ingenious improvisation, this is not going to satisfy.

Where You Can Watch It:

Any Cinema should have it, so that's your problem solved. [jeezus this room is cold]

YouTube Stuffs

2008-11-02T02:00:00.002+08:00

Okay this is hella cool. youTube has been implementing some really cool stuff of late. first is this:

Yeah. youtube really put it in. how cool is that?

another is this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7g0Ox-2c3M&feature=related

sure cheesy but check out the comments. apparantly you can now hyperlink 0:39 in your comments. its like. you used to have to slowly seek through the video, and it didn't always work at that exact time, so you had to watch abit more than you want to get to that time.

now you just click the link! hella awesome! [i sung along]

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Walkabout

2008-11-01T01:04:00.002+08:00

the sunglasses went on first. thats for sure

the wig followed shortly after

the wristband wrapped around and buckled.

the lanyard was hooked to the belt

and then lastly, the top hat.

Its Halloween, and i'm slash.

we did the walkabout today. not much of one. more like a 'travelling' than a walkabout.

[dapper]

Started from the usual friday night rendezvous point, had dinner. i then geared up and we all left for one fullerton. i was slash. keith was chris martin, kenneth went as the guy who doesn't want to dress up, and huiwen was 'the only girl in her class who knew what "dapper" meant. or the girl that turned "dapper" into a seemingly foreign word'.

Was pretty fun, but it kinda sucks that not many Singaporeans about don't seem to appreciate halloween. or maybe that all of them got invited to parties.. ah well. one guy did recognize me, or rather... acknowledged... that he recognized me. he turned at me and said...

"Hey Axl!" and \m/ed

i just said "Hey!" and \m/ed back.

at least he tried. lol.

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October 31st Walkabout

2008-10-26T22:24:00.001+08:00

Alright, i'm planning a walkabout on halloween day. its prolly gonna entail meeting somewhere, travelling via mrt to a central, crowded area like orchard, and then walking around, entering starbucks etc, all in costume.

everything depends on how many people we can get. its like 5 days away so you guys who have your gear please join up yeah. contact me!

other readers are welcome to join too, email me @ insomnia.1014@gmail.com. will be fun.

QUICK, TIME IS RUNNING OUT

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Halloween Party Shenanigans

2008-10-20T23:57:00.001+08:00

alright folks, remember The All Seeing 'I': ate-y?

Well, i hope you guys are hyped up about it, because i am. but i got bad news. we've got to postpone it to the 15th of november. so the halloween party will happen two weeks after halloween. uh. yeah. and at the same time we'll be celebrating not one, but 2 birthdays at the party as well. care to guess?

so yeah. i apologize for needing to push this back but yeah. either way. you guys still contact me on MSN maybe we can organize a walkabout or a get together on halloween night, could still be fun, Contact Me!

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HAT UPDATE

2008-10-12T01:27:00.004+08:00

Lets follow up.

STAGE 3: Coloring and Texturing

No Text, lazy, haha.

AND THE SMALL ONE:

Top Hat

2008-10-11T02:59:00.002+08:00

If any of you have ever tried doing slash for halloween, on a budget, you'd know how hard it is to find a suitable tophat. that flare at the top, the nice bendy up rim thing, and the conchos, well. i got fed up of searching. so i decided to make my own. with some metal wire and lots of duct tape.

so. i drafted 4 stages

STAGE ONE: Framework

here you can see the wig that dad got from the states [thanks dad!], and the frame of the hat coming to shape. i used 3 rings of wire, started from a base ring, then made 8 slightly bent struts jutting out. it was messy at first, then i added another smaller ring, to hold it in the center. then it started to take shape. the final ring made it rigid, and made it stop looking like a crown. all held together by tape.

here i cheated a little. that styrofoam crown you see was originally meant only for measurement and forming. then i decided to stick the metal 'tube' onto it, turning it into the rim of the hat. how's it look? haha

so i brought all that, the wig, the hat, the accessories, down for friday night starbucks, where we wore it most the night. haha

STAGE 2: Covering

so here i added more tape to the inside, to cover it up in a complete layer, excluding the top. i intend to get black tape, maybe electrical tape to texture the outer layer. so now the outside is sticky and ugly. just wait and see. but first, hat with wig:

so thats where it is right now. tomorrow i'll move on to stage three, texturing and coloring, and then stage 4, final touches.

anyway there's this too:

which was inspired by:

Karma

2008-10-08T01:29:00.005+08:00

Something's happening. i'm doing alot of things wrong. today was shit. i refuse to comment. this must be karma. i'm messing up all the small things slowly, one day at a time and eventually the shit will hit the fan.

there's this invisible line i walk around, and suddenly i realize its far far behind me. someone help me, i'm on the wrong side.

need to find a way to redeem myself for today. will see what happens.

Alike

2008-10-02T00:52:00.004+08:00

I SWEAR THEY LOOK ALIKE

DAVID COULTHARD:

DAVID HASSELHOFF:

DAVID COULTHARD: [ignore cheeks. i mean seriously, wtf.]

DAVID HASSELHOFF:

...just saying.

Singapore Grand Prix

2008-09-29T00:59:00.015+08:00

Singapore GP

Singapore hosts their first F1 race. i feel like doing an article. but with no photos or on site interviews, i'm gonna take material from other places. but not now. first, the highlights. crudely put. i'll quote the commentators to describe the incident, with an accompanying image.

NELSINHO PIQUET'S CRASH [Renault]

"...got a faster car, lewis'..."

"OH BIG CRASH. That's Nelsinho Piquet!"

Following this crash, the safety car came out and two cars incurred penalties, as they were forced by lack of fuel to pit, when the pits where closed. this is the crash that would change the entire race.

MASSA PIT INCIDENT [Ferrari]

"...took more fuel in there, and tak..."

"OH NO THAT'S A BIG MISTAKE, MASSA'S GONE, NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, FERRARI'S LIGHTED SYSTEM ON THEIR RELEASE... HE'S TAKEN THE HOSE WITH HIM AS WELL I THINK, THEY'VE GOT THE SPARE HOSE READY AND THAT IS THE RACE LEADER, FILIPE MASSA WHO HAS MADE A CATASTROPHIC MISTAKE, HERE IN SINGAPORE, AND IT MAY WELL COST HIM THE GRAND PRIX... FERRARI! A touch on the tires, in frustration. Its happened again, for ferrari."

"Well, Massa's down, if they take the fuel hose off..."

Massa was in first position when he entered. apparantly, the indicator lights told him to go, but the fuel hose was still locked in. Massa had to stop at the end of the pit, while he waited for the pit crew to run to him and yank the fuel hose out, which was, dramatically, jammed. Massa rejoined the race in last place.

amidst the chaos, hamilton had fallen from 2nd to 8th place, and Rosberg was leading the race. Fernando Alonso, who was most promising during the practice and qualifier sessions, had moved from his starting position of 15th to 5th.

The complicated scenario saw Toyota's Jarno Trulli in the lead on lap 28 but without having pitted with Alonso second, Rosberg third and Hamilton charging in sixth.

With Trulli taking his first pit stop soon after Alonso amazingly found himself in front just after the halfway mark with a 4.9 second lead over Rosberg.

When David Coulthard pitted soon after, he too drove off with the fuel pipe attached, knocking over a mechanic who was stretchered off with an injured ankle.

ADRIAN SUTIL AND MASSA ON TURN 18 [Force India]

"... and Massa pulls... OH"

"OH"

"Water on the track there, and what happens is those safety barriers, the crash barriers there, tend to get water in..."

Massa slides into the crash barrier prior, and sends a bit of water on to the track. as massa pulls away, adrian sutil comes in and misses the turn, losing grip slightly, crashing into the barrier. the car's front brakes catch fire, but the flames are quickly extinguished. a safety car is dispatched, and this brings alonso's 30 second lead down to less than 5 seconds.

FERRARI GETS ELIMINATED AT TURN 10 [Kimi Raikkonen]

"...Ferrari team driving away with the fuel hose attached; the reason for that, if you're just joining... OH"

"OH ITS THE WALL"

"Right into the wall"

"Goes the Ferrari, of Kimi Raikkonen, from 5th place, so its gonna be no points for Ferrari here."

"He caught those curbs, those concrete chunks on the curbs. Put him into the air slightly. He really hit them badly, just launched off the final one..."

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari's last hope of scoring anything on this track, crashes into the barrier with only four laps to go. at this point, with massa far behind, Ferrari's hopes for this race have been crushed.

ALONSO WINS SINGAPOREGP [Renault]

"...his first victory of the season, and Renault's first win of the season, and the twentieth, of the man's career... Fernando Alonso coming through, to take the checkered flag and claim a very, very well deserved victory in formula one's first ever night race. Second is Rosberg..."

And thus ends the Singapore GP.

Now, the scores.

sigh. poor Massa. the internet will show him no mercy. poor ferrari.

also, david coulthard looks like david hasselhoff. just saying.

[EDIT: Edited 'Gran Prix' to 'Grand Prix']

wtf session

2008-09-21T02:11:00.006+08:00

meet the author of metallic-stains.blogspot.com

and then a little bit later:

then WAAY Later:

bumpity bump

2008-09-20T04:33:00.003+08:00

this is a shameless bump. much like one in a forum, when you want to keep your thread at the top of the page. this is where i put a post to let you guys know that i still want to continue the blog and need my readers to stay. so i basically just bullshit my way through.

so stuff went through the head. namely, the word 'must'. what is it? its not exactly a verb is it? i mean. a verb would be like: "I ran quickly to the other side"

but then you don't put two verbs together. you don't say: "I ran jumped quickly to the other side"

see it doesn't work. so i'm sure you all know 'be' is a verb. so, consider the following:

"I MUST be hungry"

in bold is the word in question. in italics, the verb. so there. you CAN'T put two verbs next to each other. doesn't work. so i have proven that MUST isn't a verb.

'MUST' IS NOT AN ADVERB

An adverb is a word that describes a verb. For example: "He ran quickly past the armed guards"

"Must" does not describe a verb. while it provides condition, you cannot do something 'mustily'.

'MUST' IS NOT A NOUN

though it may seem like, with colloquial sentences such as: "This is a MUST"

must is not a noun. a noun describes a being. tangible or intangible. you cannot grasp a MUST. even so, the context of must used in the above scenario does not match our own.

one of my msn windows just told me that it may be a subjunctive.

subjunctive is a new word for me.

a google, a wikipedia, a wikitionary and an altavista later, i gathered that a subjunctive is a type of verb. therefore, it does not work. [i feel like saying Q.E.D, but it would not mean anythiing here]

look it up yourself. my fingers ache.

and then there's how 'must' isn't an adjective. and i'm too tired to carry on. i just finished artemis fowl and the lost colony. i just got it earlier in the night. [20:00? 23:00?]and its 4:47 am here.

phooey. lol my bump is something else now. [he muses at the thought]

Jack Ass

2008-09-14T15:23:00.003+08:00

Get this. you guys know jackass right? i just watched Jackass 2.0 last night. it was uh. nice. not gonna do a full review, just some thoughts i had on it.

so yeah. it was fairly disgusting, it was fairly interesting, but it was fucking funny. hahaha. it will make an awesome party movie. imagine that. 10 drunk teens watching other drunk people do stupid, painful, humiliating stuff. imagine the chaos.

so yeah. anyway after which i did some research into the show [i do that after every movie] and i found out an interesting tidbit. get this. apparantly this guy sued jackass for plaigiarism. he claims that jackass stole his name and used it for their own profit. guess what his name was.

Jack Ass.

haha. he had it changed because he drunk drived and got someone killed i think. can't remember the details. so he changed his name to Jack Ass. i'd laugh but thats just mean.

of wind and darkness

2008-09-13T14:32:00.006+08:00

okay a few things with this post.

1: Hurricane Ike
2: The appeal of late nights.

one thing i need to get off my chest, and one thing to keep you guys interested. alright. lets begin, if i may.

HURRICANE IKE

since we're in singapore here, i don't know how many of you know about hurricane ike right now. at this very moment its ripping into the houston bay area, it just hit inland on galveston. i'm sure most of you know the calm area in the center is the eye. now the winds around that eye are probably the strongest. have a look:

this is the current situation in galveston. i wasn't even paying attention to what they said just see the winds that are hitting the place. the eyewall hasn't even hit yet. earlier this morning [for GMT+8] the water was rising and winds were picking up but now the bulk of is over it.

this was what we were seeing last night. [GMT+8 again] this was before the hurricane hit hard. people were still evacuating. and by the way, its unlikely but if anyone is reading this there and can't get into CNN [heavy traffic, some can't connect]; CNN has told people to stay in their homes. at this point, closer up to sugarland, it is now safer to STAY IN YOUR HOMES than try to evacuate. the house will hold up better than your car. the hurricane is at this point in time moving at 12 mph. winds are 110mph. i have relatives there in sugarland, including my dad. we [edit] just made [/edit] contact.

one more thing. thats clearlake. my old home is supposed to be there. the hurricane isn't even there yet. the floods are already up. sigh. okay.

THE APPEAL OF LATE NIGHTS TO TEENS

so i was thinking about this awhile back. so many people i know like to stay up late at night, and wake up late. and alot of people i know also believe this is bad. the trend is that those who like staying up tend to be 15-25, and those who don't are usually older.

so teens like to stay up late at night to do stuff. why? alot of us just stay up without really acknowledging the true reason why we stay up late. so a few showers and i've come up with this. i think we are attracted to the freedom of staying up late. no one is around to tell you to do anything.

in the day, you could be trying to do something like, research for a blog post, playing a video game, finding out information, and you're more likely to be interrupted. go do the dishes. come help me with this. stop spending so much time infront of the computer.

at night its different. your figure of authority is most likely asleep. you are alone. you get to do whatever you want. game for hours on end. surf the net. for hours. midnight, to even 5am. i know many. the appeal of late nights: freedom.

so there you have it. haha.

more to come. i'm not leaving this blog to die. [readers please come back?]

that feeling

2008-09-11T21:41:00.004+08:00

why hello there.

you know that feeling, like. when you haven't heard for someone for so long that you're so close to thinking that they've fallen down a well in the middle of nowhere, then suddenly they text you sayin 'hey, remember me? how've you been?"

can't remember where i got that from, but lol. just texted an old friend, saying EXACTLY that. lol.

anyway. unamedproject01 is not giong smoothly. the team has yet to be assembled. sometimes its so difficult to find quality team mates. its almost cryptic. but eitherway, the current team is still going strong. we've managed to push good into our first project. pretty much got most of the layout and structure down. just need to make it beautiful and refine some stuff. so i got to make sure we get a placing for the location, gonna get more done soon.

i doubt anyone of you knew what i just said and hence cannot relate. hahaha. something interesting coming soon, i promise. lol. i'm NOT dead

An overview for the night

2008-09-03T03:37:00.001+08:00

Okay. its uh. the morning of September 03, 2008, 01:38AM, and i'll be doing 4 posts today, uh tonight. uh morning. whatever. anyway, all these posts are gonna be wordy, and it'd be great if you really read all of it. so if you're tired or anything i don't recommend you read this now.

just a picture here to keep you interested [PSA building smack in the center. (:]

i've been told to blog about my flying experience, just to say first, don't expect too much from it, lest you be disappointed by my post.

just read kenneth's Hysteria's call part one and two, and its come to my mind to write a spinoff narrative, to tie in nicely with his. a fun contrast. in my own style.

i've got one old narrative i found lying around, which i'll be posting up for your perusal. i never finished it. maybe you can convince me to. haha.

and then there's this overview post i'm writing right now. hm. i think i'll post this last so you guys are aware that there's more than one new post written below. haha. okay then. time to get started.

Taxi, Part 1

2008-09-03T03:33:00.005+08:00

Just read kenneth's Hysteria's call and felt i needed to write something. i'm not happy with it at all. i hate following work and this is a horrible piece of writing. so don't judge me based off it. i don't know how many of you will find it readable or interesting, but i think what you really really want to read is at the 02:00PM mark. thats where it ties up. so yeah. i kind of forgot about the kids later on and ran out of things to say. about at the 09:50AM point i'm bored and just want to get to the 02:00PM mark haha. meh. well here you go.

[divider here]

Images of peacefulness and bliss were shaken from Hassan’s mind, as the incessant vibrating of his cell phone alarm shook him awake. The urge to hurl it out the window quickly passed as he thought about the countless hours he had spent working overtime to get it in the first place.

Work!

He looked at the time. 6:30AM. Perfect. The kids would be up anytime soon, the wife had already left for work at the docks down south, and there was no breakfast on the table.

He cursed quietly as he pulled on his one presentable pair of clothes, and prepared two peanut butter sandwiches, literally with all 4 of his limbs.

6:50AM.

He did some last checks, food on the table; check. Kid’s bus passes, check. Lunch boxes prepared, check. Taxi keys in pocket, check. Everything was good. And so he left the children, locking the door to his single bedroom apartment; if you count the living room as a bedroom.

7:00AM.

He pulled the ignition and eased the cab out of the tight space. Parallel parking in New York City was never pleasant. A train shot past overhead, upon the rail system that practically created a roof over the entire avenue.

He pulled out of the lot just in time to have his bumper nicked by a beat up Trans Am.

‘Sigh. Life is never great for an immigrant,’ he mumbled to himself. He pulled away quickly, leaving the two heavy-set African American men no choice but to let him go.

8:00AM.

Now away from the tight confines of the Brooklyn transport system, he found himself looking up at the dark clouds amassing up above.

“Looks like it’s going to rain hard today huh?” he said, trying to make conversation with his first fare.

He was obviously disinterested.

“Won’t do much good for traffic either,” Hassan said, quietly now.

Not much could happen to change the state of traffic over the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a constant cacophony of car horns and angry interns. He checked his watch. 8:15AM. He needed to be at the pizza parlor by nine. He sighed as he leaned out his window.

“C’mon! Let’s get this traffic moving huh?! What’s the freaking hold-up?!”

9:15AM.

“Ah Saddam or Husain or whatever… It’s 9.15, next time you don’t want your job call in advance so I can get Sanchez or whatever here to do it, Okay? We have a schedule you know?”

“Its Hassan, I’ve told you that before. And it’s just 15 minutes, c’mon. Alright what have you got for me?”

“3 Pies; Big building in the center of Broadway and Seventh.”

“Just say Times Square”

“BROADWAY AND SEVENTH.”

“Yeah, whatever. So it’s the police post in the center of Times Square right?”

“It’s BROADWAY AND SEVENTH! Now GO!”

He took the pies and left. He worked full time as a cab driver, but he delivered Pizzas for an ‘Uncle Italiano’s Pizza Parlor’ for extra cash on the side. At the same time he was a telemarketer, making calls while driving. But that was only on weekends.

The skies unleashed their torrent of rain just as Hassan entered his cab. He was in Lower Manhattan near Seward Park. He turned a sharp right to face North East, in the direction of Uptown Manhattan and stopped to pick up a fare.

“ABC, Times Square, and make it fast”

Hassan smiled; He was a big believer of something he called Signs. Anyone who took a ride in his taxi would know. He believed that everything happened for a reason. He believed that his man going to Times Square proved that the pizzas were going to be good.

“Yessir. Have you heard of signs sir?”

09:45AM.

“3 Pies. That’ll be fifty big ones.”

The cop mumbled something and coughed up fifty dollars flat.

“No tip?” Hassan asked. The door shut.

“What kind of weirdo eats pizzas in the morning anyway?” He spoke, more to himself than anybody else.

Alone in his cab now, he started practicing his English.

“Moist carpets and frayed curtains fringed the interior of the small café.”

It wasn’t as if it wasn’t great already: he had near flawless vocabulary, great grammar.

“Moist carpets and frayed curtains fringed the interior of the small café.”

Probably the only problem was his accent. He had a strong Middle Eastern accent.

“Moist carpets and frayed curtains fringed the interior of the small café.” He repeated.

The rain had grown stronger. He started to worry abit for his wife. The south piers were prone to flooding.

His train of thoughts stopped with the cab, to pick up another fare.

“Hi good morning sir. Whe-“

“Wall Street.”

“Yessir. How do you think your day will turn out?”

“Horrible. Can you just drive?”

“Maybe it’s a sign sir?”

01:30PM.

5 Fares and 4 Pizzas later, Hassan pulled over on a road within central park. He had been frantically trying to call his wife. The radio had confirmed reports of flooding in the south piers, and his wife had not answered her phone.

Before he could begin to really worry about it though, an old lady hiding under an umbrella had started knocking on his window, at the same time clutching tightly on to a large clear plastic bag full of what appeared to be dried leaves.

He massaged his temples quickly and looked at her smiling. Always look good for your customers.

“Hi good afternoon ma’am. Can I help you with that?”

The old lady hefted the large bag of leaves onto the cab. It was quite obvious she went to great lengths to keep them dry. Duct tape sealed all but one cut opened. It was clear her objective was to get the leaves in a nice dry place.

Hassan was obviously curious, but he didn’t pry.

“Where are you going ma’am?”

She didn’t say anything much, instead she took out a postcard and poked repeatedly on the ‘wall street’ sign with her stubby finger.

“Yesma’am. Can I tell you about some other kinds of signs ma’am?”

02:00PM.

He left the lady behind, but the stench of dried leaves stayed.

‘Now that is gonna be hell to clean,’ He thought to himself.

Driving slowly now, he gave up trying to call his wife. Radio news had reported cuts in communication in the area. No one really knew what was happening but the rain was really screwing things up everywhere. He was about to head back to pick up more pizzas when he spotted another fare.

The man looked important, in a business suit with red tie, and looked slightly pale as he got in.

“There’s a Starbuck’s next to this pizza store in Lower Manhattan.”

“I know the place. Going out in this violent storm, sir?” Hassan smiled to himself. The signs were good.

The man didn’t reply.

"I hear that the south pier has flooded from all this rain and people are trapped. Communications have been cut off and people are stranded. I sure hope my wife brought her cell phone with her, been trying for ages to call her."

The man kept really quiet as he fiddled with his coat and adjusted his cuffs.

“Maybe it’s not such a good idea to be out with the weather like that. Maybe it’s a sign you know.”

The man was obviously not interested, but Hassan went on anyway; business as usual.

“Like how sometimes things just keep getting in your way, maybe you’re just not meant to do something right?”

Hassan turned a sharp turn and the engine fizzled to a dead silence.

Ah shit, not now!

“I’m very sorry sir; I can fix this right now.”

The man ignored him, shoved a 50 dollar note in his face and left the cab.

“Sir, wait! Remember the signs!”

It wasn’t far anyway. It was about two blocks down. The man rallied his umbrella and walked in the direction of the café, away from view.

Hassan looked at the meter.

$8.40.

Then back at the $50 note in his hand.

Shrugging to himself, “Ah maybe is not so bad sign after all.”

He pulled out an umbrella and climbed out of the cab to diagnose the problem.

[-END-]

So there you have it. enjoy. haha. again, no intention to continue it, but i'm interested to see one from the Leaf lady's P-O-V. i was thinking maybe the plot could be not about any of these people but about the storm. but that all depends on Hysteria's Call part 3. so yeah. we'll wait and see.

Cessna Skyhawk

2008-09-03T02:10:00.004+08:00

okay. the flight. i don't have much to say. about it. hm. lets see. lets just say this. flying a plane isn't rocket science. but that doesn't mean just anyone can do it. lets just say that it didn't feel like i was doing much. the laws of physics pretty much flew the plane for me. i could go into detail but that'd be boring and no one wants that. haha.

so okay. for me, flying the plane was very much like for my mom and wesley. it was kind of like sitting back and sight seeing. i don't know. you can just leave a plane to itself and it'll just go straight and level. just a few tweaks and a bit here and there. details details. haha. of course you got to set the defaults and stuff that.. that. thing i don't know what its called. ergh. pilots will know what i'm saying. that thing that keeps the pitch of the plane set to a certain degree so that you don't need to continually hold the uh. steering wheel? joystick? thing pulled back. haha.

so yeah. with the experienced darshan there, everything was smooth and fun.its quite difficult to describe what it was like to fly. for those who use simulators, lets just say its almost EXACTLY THE SAME. the only thing you don't get is that rush of excitement when the wind rushes into the cockpit, when the plane hits the ground. when the plane banks for a turn [30-deg ftw] its indescribable.

most of the experience is on my mum's blog, so check it out. i've got nothing much more to say. pictures and all are on my mum's blog, video of the takeoff and landing [must watch the landing at least haha] are there too. can't upload on this side cuz i don't want to hog bandwidth.

[NB: picture has abit of NYP in it! top right corner!]

we traversed singapore alot faster than any car. everything was so damn insignificant lol.

Longest, Part 1

2008-09-03T01:42:00.004+08:00

okay, i found my stash of writings and narratives while cleaning up for the party, and found something i wrote that i'd like to show off. its only the first bit and i never continued it. maybe you can convince me to.

here goes:

[divider here]

Sam walked along the street, his leather jacket zipped up against the cold. His long face was drawn and pale. His big eyes were as black as the jeans he wore. He walked in a fast striding motion.

The street ran from Heidelberg Road down to the Yarra river, which lay at the end of the street, snaking its yellow way to the bay. Plane trees' last leaves clung to the branches. The crisp tan leaves that had fallen lay in the deep gutter waiting for the rains.

A heavy wind blew down the street., its howling sonata a bidding warning to Sam; Whispering, persuading him to return.

A cat awakens, gray, dishevelled: startled by Sam's footsteps. It looked upon him disapprovingly for a moment, sizing him up. Quickly losing interest, it returned to its deep slumber.

At last. Sam sighed heavily as he looked upon the house. Was he doing the right thing? Sighing again, he stepped forward and put his finger to the bell.

There was no turning back now.

He depressed the switch.

The door opened just a crack, letting in a thin beam of light: a stark contrast against the dark corridor beyond. A small head poked through the gap. Her eyes were red and her make-up had run.

"How're you holding up?" Sam asked.

"Not too good." She shifted, opening the door.

"Come in, its cold out."

And Sam crossed the threshold.

"Can i get you anything to drink?" She asked softly, turning to head to the kitchen.

"I'm fine. Does Shawn know yet?" Sam pressed.

"No. I can't tell him."

"Why not?" Sam asked, at the same time observing the discarded bottles of hard liquor and wine strewn across the kitchen floor.

"I... I can't. We both know what'll happen."

A moment of silence. She looked longingly at another bottle of gin.

"You shouldn't be drinking so much."

The words were lost to the wind as she opened the bottle and took a large swig. She looked fragile and helpless to Sam then, as she cringed from the burn of the alcohol. Even so, she was still beautiful. She always had been. From the time they played together in the neighborhood playground, to their time spent in higher education together. A dull ache returned to Sam. The more he thought of it, the more he hated himself for not being able to "man up" and admit that he was in love.

A sharp gag brought sam back to the situation at hand. She was clearly not a drinker, it was obvious how drastic the situation was.

"C'mon. lets get you somewhere else. Away from all this alcohol." Sam said. Pulling her up and to the door.

"No. No... Sam," She pulled her arm free.

"Just leave me, I'll be fine."

Sam wasn't convinced. "No. Come on. Just a while."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, just... Just come on. You'll thank me later." He forced a smile, a futile attempt to lighten the mood, as he pulled her out the door.

[-END-]

There you have it. I couldn't help but do some minor editing while transcribing it. grammer, etc. there was alot of brands mentioned in the original which i took away. some minor sentence removals and additions, made it alot easier to continue if i wanted to.

just going to say on a side note, if you were looking for some form of closure anywhere from tonight's posts, you won't get any. haha. i have no intention of finishing anything tonight. as in. i'll be starting stories but you won't get the end. and stuff. eeyurgh. haha.

oh shit i need a title. lets see... lol. "man enough" came up for awhile. nono. lets see. there seems to be alot of regretting in the story. but regret is a horribly cliched name. remorse is too. sigh. hmm. longest. how's that. it kinda describes how i expect this story to turn out. i don't expect much though. its turning really cliche, like one of those channel 8 dramas. not looking forward to continuing it. but meh. we'll see.

One Hundred Posts

2008-08-31T21:12:00.001+08:00

An answer for every post i have accumulated.

1. Who was the person who last called you, and why?

My mum. Wanted to know where I was. I told her I was still on the bus.

2. Do you ever turn your cell phone off?

Nope.

3. What happened at 10.00am today?

Er. I think I was in Azhar's class, furiously typing out notes.

4. When did you last cry?

Prefer not to answer.

5. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?

By itself. Mm. even better if its toasted.

6. What do you want in your life right now?

EPIPHONE BLACK BEAUTY \m/

7. Do you carry an umbrella when it rains, or just put up your hood?

I keep my umbrella in my bag. It never comes out. When it rains I try to walk in shelter.

8. What's your favorite thing to do before you go to bed?

Double check and see if there's anything else to do.

9. What are you wearing right now?

Mayflower Sec 2 edventure camp T-shirt, its maroon. And Mayflower PE Shorts. [I always wear the PE shorts at home. Just so happened the shirt came out from the wash cycle so yeah.

10. What does the nicest text message in your inbox say?

"…I realize that I put your bracelet and the necklace in the pocket cause I couldn't wear them…" The rest is up to your imagination.

11. Do you tend to make a relationship complicated?

Is that a good or bad thing?

12. Are you wearing anything you borrowed from someone?

Not right now, no.

13. What was the last movie you caught?

Bowling for Columbine. Unless you mean really watched, like really, really watched and remembered. Harold and Kumar. [bottomless parties wtf?]
14. What are you proud of?

You. My guitar. Many more.

15. What does the oldest text message in your inbox say?

"Um, lentor. You definitely have time to go cheers."

16. What was the last song you sang out loud?

This.. Is going to be sad… …Together Forever - Rick Astley.

17. Do you have any nicknames? What are they?

AfroToast. That’s the one I use now. But otherwise, I remember it started with General Ash, then The Ultima, then 1ns0mn14, then Korbius, then BurntToast, then Toast, and now AfroToast. Yeah. the old screen names are stupid, I know. Alternatively, MSV? (:

18. What does the last text message you received say?

"Tomorrow's lesson is in ltd2 at 930 til 11. Please forward this message to your respective groups." I didn’t forward it.

19. What time did you go to bed last night?

Uhh. 2AM.

20. What makes you happy?

You. Alcohol (: . Guitar. Video Games [not as much anymore]. Bragging Rights [Good Grades]

21. Who gives you the best advice?

My dad, you, my mum. I guess. In that order.

22. Do you eat whipped cream straight from the can?

I hate whipped cream.

23. Who did you talk to on the phone last night?

Last night… hm. No one. [night for me is 12AM to 5AM so yeah]

24. Is anything bugging you right now?

Its too damn early to sleep wtf.

25. What/Who was the last thing/person that made you laugh?

Ran Ran RUUUUUUUUUUUUU!

26. Do you wear toe socks?

Nope. And proud of it.

27. Who was the last person you missed a call from?

Mum. Exactly 18:42. she also happens to be the one I missed the most calls from. [42 times since June 25th]

28. What's your favorite fruit?

No favorite. Fruit Combos I like. Strawberry orange, watermelon banana. Want nice fruit smoothies, come to me.

29. What annoys you most in a person?

It depends really. It has to be a certain mix of different elements that come together in that horrible way. Its like love, just completely different. If that makes sense.

30. What do you admire most in a person?

Completion.

31. Have you ever done cocaine?

Nope. Joke about it often enough though.

32. What is the color of your room?

Earth Tones through and through.

33. Would you kill someone you hate for a billion dollars?

Well. I hate the guy, and it’s a billion dollars. Of course wtf? Billion dollars. More than enough to evade penalties.

34. Do you believe in the saying 'talk is cheap'?

Depends on who's saying it.

35. Who was the last person to lay on your bed?

Me. I just made sure of it.

36. Who was the last person to e-mail you?

Er. I don't quite know. Haven't checked in ages. The last I checked it was me. I e-mailed myself some documents to print on another PC.

37. Did anyone see the last person you kissed?

(:

38. Do you have a life?

Yes, very much so.

39. Have you ever thought someone died when they really didn't?

Err. Like seriously? No.

40. What is the reason behind your profile song?

Profile Song?

41. Who was the last person you saw in your dreams?

(:

42. Last time you smiled?

Now. I made sure of it.

43. Have you changed this year?

Awesome much.

44. What are you listening to right now?

My typing. But the last song I heard was Aerosmith's Janie's got a gun.

45. Are you talking to someone while you're doing this?

I was. But I stopped at around question 12.

46. Do you walk with your eyes open or closed?

Open. I admire jughead for doing so closed though.

47. Is there a quote you live by?

Nope. There used to be. From my dad but yeah.

48. Do you want someone you can't have?

I already have. (:

49. Have you ever played an instrument?

Guitar, recorder, Trumpet, Bagpipe, guitar, Clarinet, Hands, did I mention guitar?

50. What was the worst idea you've had in this week?

[I feel like saying "what does this button do?"] worst idea… to demonstrate what www.smouch.net/lol is to someone by visiting the site. Go on, you know you want to.

51. What were you doing last night at 11.00pm?

Arriving home. Lol. No srsly I was.

52. Are you happy with your love life right now?

(:

53. Do you like receiving flowers?

Never tried it. Don't think I'll appreciate it much though. [c'mon I'm a guy]

54. Are you gay?

Nope. Why, are you?

55. Who are the people who always make you laugh?

Me, http://metallic-stains.blogspot.com, http://swirlsandtwirls.blogspot.com, many more. The person doesn’t have to be funny to make you laugh. Its all about good company.

56. Do you speak another language other than English?
I'm horrible at Chinese. I like to believe I know French but I don’t, I speak good American.

57. Are you blonde?

AZN! No I'm not.

58. What's your middle name?

Dubble yew Jay. Srsly. W.J. [once again, I felt like saying something else. "danger is my middle name"]

59. What are you doing tomorrow?

Going to school. Meeting you, getting school done, b'day celebration for shar, and for the rest, surprise me.

60. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

ROCK FREAKING GOD.

61. Who will you choose to die with?

Darren says "No one, don't wana drag anyone down with me." and I guess I can agree with that.

62. Where have you been today?

My institution of higher learning, your heart, my bus, YCK MRT, Cheers in YCK MRT, home.

63. What game do you play often?

GTA4? STARCRAFT!

64. Who are you missing right now?

You. (:

65. If you were to choose between friends and love, who will you choose?

Darren said "Who says you can't have friendships without love?" and I'm not gonna edit it away. [yes Darren I copied the quiz from your blog]

66. What are you doing right now?

This quiz, avoiding my mum's nags.

67. Which primary school are you from?

Ang Mo Kio North and Anderson

68. Name 3 colors that you like.

Why 3?

69. Name three of your favorite fashion designers.

Uh. Gibson, Fender, Epiphone?

70. What is life to you?

A chance to influence everyone else's.

71. If you have something troubling you, what will you do?

Roll it over and analyze it until an answer hits me, whether as a result of reasoning, or just plain out of the blue.

72. Who did you last chat with in MSN today?

(:

73. Who do you admire most?

I normally would go with slash, but suddenly someone else comes to mind. (:

74. Which month are you born in?

August.

75. What are your favorite movies?

Der Untergang. Gangs of NY. Uh can't remember anymore. The Godfather.

76. What is the time now?

2305.

77. Where are you now?

In my lair. [that’s geekspeek for in my room]

78. What color did you use to dye your hair?

Never did.

79. Why are you doing this test?

Need something to do so that I don't need to sleep so early.

80. What do you do when you're moody?

Make Music, Listen to music that's already been made, make more music. Then play music that’s already been made. If all phails, game.

81. At which age do you wish to get married?

When the time is right. [need to mature up a bit more first]

82. Which is more important to you, family or friends?

Politically correct: "I find both equally important."
What I currently think: "friends"
What I suddenly realize: "I'm screwed. Mum don't kill me"

83. Do you think you have enough confidence?

Nope, but I've been working on it, I've boosted it quite abit. And You (: have boosted it a lot. (:

84. Who is the person you trust the most?

The most? I only have people I trust. And I wouldn't tell you. It ruins the suspense.

85. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after a rain?

Scientifically proven, and yes. Seen it before, as Darren said.

86. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?

ROCK GOD.

87. What is your goal for this year?

No idea really. RFK. And good grades. You (:

88. Do you believe in eternal love?

There's no such thing as eternal, but I still can't say I don't believe in it.

89. What feeling do you love most?

Achievement Unlocked.

90. Do you believe in global warming?

Isn't it happening? I just don't do anything to stop it. We deserve it lol.

91. What feeling do you hate the most?

Yeah, same as Darren. Guilt. And. That strange ache you get in your chest whenever you've been crossed, whenever someone betrays your trust. What was it? Heartache?

92. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?

Not all my friendships are real.

93. Do you believe in God?

Never liked to. But even if there is, so be it. One life, live it, not spend it preparing for something you never know for sure will happen.

94. Who cares for you the most?

You (:

95. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?

Making a difference, being different.

96. What'll you bring when you fight?

A gun.

97. What have you regretted doing in your whole life?

Being a fucking loser. Still makes me mad.

98. Coffee or tea?

Omg Darren said "Coffee. Starbucks please." for me?

STARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCKSTARBUCK

99. What would you do if your significant other cheated on you?

The opposite of love is indifference. That’s what I'll do.

100. What do you want now?

Sleep. Or. Actually post this on my blog. But I can't, cause I just had another post. So yeah I'll put it up another time. That means as you're reading this, I typed this out a long time ago.

[singing]
Together forever, and never to part
Together forever, we two.
[singing]

What? Together Forever is catchy! Its not my fault!

ntniytnnhei.

2008-08-30T04:28:00.005+08:00

you guys MUST check this out:

www.weffriddles.com

gogogo and see how far you get. i just finished batch 2. started August 29th, around 2200 ish. finished qn41 August 30th, 0417.

so yeah. i've got up to there. leaving the rest for tomorrow. gogogo and try it. if you need help you can go to me or hwen. FREAKING EPIC, MAN.

[the title is a caesar's box. google is your friend]

[EDIT]Batch 3 started August 30th, 1200, Finished: August 30th, 1530 [/EDIT]

The Rich Just Don't Get It

2008-08-21T20:49:00.002+08:00

"Okay go get what you want. Hurry. I have a dinner appointment."

"Yes, father,"

The boy walked across the showroom.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"What, the black beauty? Dude, you've been staring at it for months. When are you gonna get it?"

"I don't know man. I've got cash flow issues."

One of a group of college students reached out to grab the guitar. He sat down and strummed a few chords. He took his pick out of his back pocket and started belting out improvised solos and a few Guns and Roses covers.

"Sigh… $950... One day. One day, baby, you will be mine."

The boy at the other end of the room gazed into the Gibson LE room. Shortly joined by his father.

"That one looks nice, father."

"Huh. Go get someone to help."

And the boy wandered off.

The students had drifted behind to the acoustic section. They were now having a sort of mini jam session. It was all in good heart. Acoustic covers and random chords. The air of creativity and friendship.

"Hey, you're thinking of getting into guitar right? This is a good one to start out with. Its cheap, its easy to use, and it has everything you need to start"

"How much is it?"

"Err. Lets see. Where's the price tag…"

The father was standing outside the custom shop, looking at the Slash Limited Edition Studio Les Paul. He looked back at the kid. He was coming back with a sales manager.

"Which one?"

"This one, father"

"How much is it?"

The salesperson came in at this point;

"This is one of Gibson's Limited Edition Slash series of Les Pauls. It comes in at $4,500"

"Ah. Found it. Er. Its $450."

"Shit that's quite a bit isn't it?"

"$4,500? That’s not so bad. Why don't you try it out?"

"But...?"

"Go try it out."

"Yes, Father."

The Salesperson hooked it up to a nearby amp and the kid started to play some simple scales.

He then played a very rough cover of Guns and Roses' Knockin' on Heaven's Door.

"Shush! Stop strumming!"

"What? Why?"

"Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Knocking on heaven's door!"

"Huh?"

"Just come on!"

And they rushed out to see the kid play.

The sound of the high-quality guitar attracted the patrons to the source. Really quickly, a small crowd was forming.

The boy started to get nervous. He knew his playing was sub-par. He did not enjoy it at all.

"Alright, I'm getting it. Where's the lady?"

"She's behind there, father."

"Go get her."

"She's already coming."

"Oh my god."

"What?"

"That's the Slash Custom!"

"Oh…"

"AND ITS A GIBSON!"

To be continued...

Point of View

2008-08-13T02:45:00.008+08:00

So I just caught this movie, really awesome piece of work. its kinda like.
uh.
i don't know. but its novel and interesting.

Vantage Point

hm, re-reading that. the picture is somewhat anti-climatic. but hey, it was good enough to leave me gasping for air, I'm sure it can afford to look frumpy. okay. how am i gonna review this. seem familiar? read back to my first review if you don't get it.

WHAT IS IT:

Okay lets start the drill. What it is: this movie is a movie. it is a moving picture. its from columbia pictures, and its listed as a mystery thriller. its a big who dunnit with twists and turns everywhere you go.

It stars Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker with Sigourney Weaver, Édgar Ramírez and William Hurt, and it was released on February 22nd, 2008. i got the dvd, so yeah.

WHY ITS GREAT:

okay this is actually going to be pretty tough to do. don't want to ruin anything. alot of other reviews out there give away the narrative feature of the movie, which i think would be better kept secret, so here i'm leaving it as a spoiler. those who watched the movie will know what i mean. anyway. the movie is great. It tells a very elaborate story, and leaves the audience guessing. who did that? what did he see? did i see something? and the occasional OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JUST HAPPENED WHOAAAAUHGEHUH!

the narrtive technique involves repetition, and while most movies don't pull it off well, and end up creating a very boring and mundane sequence, this movie pulls it off perfectly. each repetition is perfect and refreshing. the same oomph you feel when you see it the first time is the same each time you see it. [that doesn't mean you'll watch the movie over and over... maybe once more, when you know exactly what happens.]

Every aspect is well thought out, and the combined skill of pete travis [director] and barry levy [writer] leads to a very intense, whodunnit packed with more than enough high octane action.

WHY IT SUCKS:

okay so the suck part. i've been through alot of reviews online to give you as much coverage as possible, but the thing i noticed is that. every review is so different. what one review thinks is good, another review thinks its bad. i guess that'll be left to your own judgement. its kind of like cloverfield. you either love it or hate it.

personally, i believe its shortcomings mainly lie in the liberties the screenplay takes to 'enhance' the viewing experience. sure, surviving a car accident here or there is okay, but gee, sometimes the guy just can't die. some points get a tad too far fetched, and the action sequences are confusing. some of them just aren't good enough and i find myself thinking can you stop shooting the air around that guy and get on with the story? STOP BEATING HIM I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. yeah.

okay. for your benefit, i'm going to quote one other review i kind of agree on. Michael Phillips, of the Chicago Tribune said of Vantage Point and Stuart Baird, "Editor Stuart Baird must've been paid by the cut: Simple five-second action beats are often sliced into three or four separate, panicky shots."

true, but then again, fast shots lead to the tension. [sigh, azhar.] but i guess he may have over did it abit. [oh look! its person a! no wait now its person b, oh now woman c, wait back to person a, oh is that person b? omg explosion is that a plane? omg ambulance?! pineapple???]

AND ONE MORE THING:

PRODUCT PLACEMENT. SONY! EVERYWHERE! the laptops, the camera, the phones. EVERYWHERE. hahahaha

SHOULD YOU GET IT?

hmm. lets see. get it only if you are receptive to new things. its a very subjective thing, from what i observed. everyone around me seems to like it, including me, so i guess, if you like the stuff you think i like, go for it.

MY RATING:

this is something everyone who can should try. its not as extreme as cloverfield, but like cloverfield, you should at least experience it once.

SO WHERE CAN YOU GET IT?

well. DVD store near you. of course maybe also your occasional friend who rips dvds and passes them around the people around him/her. everyone has one of those. if you have lots of friends but none of them rips dvds and passes them around, then you must that friend.

Wouldn't You Be Happier If You Did?

2008-08-11T00:54:00.001+08:00

Waffles
Belgium or potato waffles.
Look in front of you now.
Do you have a waffle?
Wouldn't you be happier if you did?

I'm talking waffles.
Belgium and potato.
All kinds taste great oh yes they do.

Cause they are waffles
Invented by Gandhi.
Why not keep some for handy.
For moments when you need

Waffles.
Waffle-waffle-waffle-wa-waffles.
Waffle-waffle-waffle-wa-waffles.
Waffles
Waffles
Waffles

I'm talking waffles.

Over 9,000!!!!!

2008-08-02T22:20:00.010+08:00

9000+

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3,100,860

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$9000.00

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45%

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9000% Geek

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Over 9,000

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2008-08-01T01:50:00.000+08:00

late nights and fiery eyes

c, g, c, am. half step. emphasis on that scale you found. memorize.

Quiz thing

2008-07-30T00:14:00.007+08:00

Make Your Own Future Band
1) Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random. The title of the first Wiki article you get is the name of your band.
2) Go to http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3. The last 4 words of the last quote on the first page is the title of your first album.
3) Go to http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/. The 3rd picture will be your album cover.

so. here are my shits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zazid
http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/37957.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13916789@N06/2701067496/

and then i put them together. lazy work cuz i'm rushing a presentation now but yeah.

then i got so into it, i decided to do a few more.

then i realized i shouldn't be wasting time on this. so i'm back to my presentation. but now i'm refreshed and ready to face it. (:

Survey Time!

2008-07-27T01:01:00.004+08:00

EDIT: Survey has been submitted, THANKS to all those who participated.

Boom-de-Yada

2008-07-19T03:42:00.003+08:00

this is just awesome. just so awesome. it kinda makes me want to...

...make one myself?

...yeah.

boom de yada. boom de yada. boom de yada. boom de yada.

okay no seriously we should. who's with me? i need a team and someone with a camera. i've got premiere pro.

[EDIT:] The above video is idealistic. this is realistic:

sigh. [/EDIT]

Gates vs. Jobs

2008-07-17T02:08:00.005+08:00

Hot Dog

2008-07-15T17:43:00.003+08:00

I'm sitting here at the library cafe now, right after finishing my hotdog with chilli and mustard. i hate the stuff. it is against my moral fiber to consume a whole hotdog topped with sweet chilli and cheap mustard. okay. and the thing is this. i didn't order it that way.

this is just another example of the GLARING INCOMPETENCE of foreign workers, of which country of origin, i shall not say here. we ordered 3 hotdogs. my two buds wanted chilli and mustard, of which i gave up trying to change, but i specifically said ketchup mustard. it was

"chilli mustard"
"chilli mustard"
"ketchup mustard"

VERY CLEARLY. and she looked at each of us as we said it. following which, she went on to apply sweet chilli onto the goddamn hotdogs, ALL THREE OF THEM. and then the mustard, before i could stop her. i then emphasized, I SAID KETCHUP MUSTARD. then she stared at me for awhile, COMPLETELY CONFUSED. after a while, it clicked and she offered to fix it, not by scrapping the hotdog and replacing it, but NO. she wanted to fix the problem by adding MORE KETCHUP OVER IT. what, did she think she could neutralize the chilli? she gave me such a stupid stare, that i just took the hotdog before she could make it any worse. i could argue with her but i am COMPLETELY SURE she would NOT understand what i was shouting about ANYWAY.

cheap labor is NOT a good thing. i swear the only english words she knows are ketchup, mustard, and chili. before i left, i gave her a look of PURE RAGE, right into her eyes.

and you might think i'm petty, "its just one hotdog," you say, but no. its not about the hotdog anymore. i don't want to pay for something i don't want. i don't want to be at the losing end because someone messed up.

if this were something outside of school. i would immediately vow to boycott them. but no. hotshot cafe is the ONLY cafe in the school library. there's nothing i can do but share my views.

as an afterstatement, i'm quite proud of myself. i managed to edit away all my 'fucks'...

...oops.

Anyway, the next time i buy a hotdog from them. she better not be the one applying my condiments.

That Colored Crate

2008-07-12T09:52:00.007+08:00

okay yeah. there's been some hype about this game for a while among my small group of poly friends. so yeah. i decided i'd do a review on it. i know i said i'd edit in, and here it is, albeit a bit late. so yeah.

[blank space for redundant suspense]

The Box That Happened to be Orange

like seriously. why orange? and why box? why not call it, uber cd that installs software that downloads 5 games for you?

anyway.

What is it:

The Orange Box is the much awaited "sequel" to Half Life 2, that comes packaged with Team Fortress 2 and Portal, two awesome games that are worth more than it seems.

Installing it puts in the Steam engine [GG, Valve] and allows your computer to download the games. [skill not included]

Why is it great:

For comparism:

Halo 3 on the XBOX360 - $74.90
The Orange Box on the XBOX360 - $69.90

No. of Games on Halo 3 - 1
No. of Games on The Orange Box - 5

also consider the PC equivalent:

F.E.A.R on the PC - $48.50
The Orange Box on the PC - $39.90

No. of Games on F.E.A.R on the PC - 1
No. of Games on The Orange Box on the PC - 5

Need i say more?

actually yes. i'm not saying you get more games for a lower price and its good, but i'm saying that you get more EPICFUNUBERWIN games for a lower price. its just that worth it. as IGN.com puts it:

"The best deal in videogame history."

and i could just go into detail and review each game in there because there's just so many. there's the experimental portal, there's the team based TF2, there's the immensely single player Half Life 2 and its extensions. enough to keep you occupied for forever.

and they're all great games too. [this will be long if i get into it, so i won't]

Why it sucks:

um. uh... i really don't see how. okay let me think...

ah. okay first off, you want a relatively high end computer to actually have an enjoyable time playing this game. for example, you don't want to be HWguy bait because you lag when he spams bullets at you. you don't want to lag when you look into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal into a portal. you get the point. even though it ensures compatibility with all types, you still stand to lag on low end computers.

and secondly, it takes up space. lots of space [now i'm just making excuses]

[edit:] Thirdly, all 5 games are FPS, that means First Person Shooters, for non gamers out there. this also means that the variety isn't all that great. eventually you'll find yourself straying off to another game. [/edit]

Should i get it:

Yup. get it. join us in TF2, talk about portal tricks, forget about the real world when you start on HL2.

but wait. does getting this game mean you need to spend a few hundreds upgrading your computer? then maybe not. get the xbox one, i have both, GamerTag is Ins0mn14. oh wait. do you have an XBOX360? cuz if you buy the game without the console, you're just stupid [Darren and Yi Ci, say it with me: "epic phail" Yi Ci, don't forget to raise the loser flag.]

Where can i get it:

well, i think i mentioned before where I get games, and if you missed it, thats funzcenter.com at AMK Hub. the .com is part of the name, so yeah.

otherwise, for the rest of you who don't want to go to the best place availiable to buy games, you can go to any other videogame store to buy this game. get both, PC and xbox.

My Rating:You Probably expected that I would give this game a better rating, but yeah. i don't give perfect scores unless its absolutely flawless. and by the way i give so much thought into making sure i have content for good and bad, that 5 out of 5 isnt coming soon.

anyway. its a great game. to sum up, Great Value, Great Quality, HOWEVER Requirements [System] are rather high.

there you have it. Orange Box reviewed.

Not so fast

2008-07-11T00:33:00.001+08:00

sorry guys, i know i said i'd post up the thing, but yeah. i figured i'd leave it for a more oppurtune time, like when i need a post but can't think of one. yeap. thats a good enough excuse. =) lucky you though, i'm lazy to edit the tags, so you get to stare at them.

i'm watching you.

Ants on a Train

2008-07-09T21:58:00.002+08:00

no. the title isnt a snakes on a plane [hehe soap] spoof. [yes it is]

anyway. i counted 27 ants on the LRT today. of which, 12 had wings. honestly, has ANYONE ever seen ANTS, on a TRAIN? or any other insect, on a goddamn train in SINGAPORE. [annoying people don't count as insects]

okay. this made me realise something about those no eating and drinking rules. while it might seem to inconvienience us so much, take today as an example. we had a quarter of our seats open, cause no one would sit on them. why? cuz there were ANTS on a SEAT. [lol snakes on a plane reference]

and why where there ANTS on a SEAT? cuz someone ATE on a TRAIN. and for these people, while i used to be one of you, i have only one thing left to say to you.

I am tired of these motherfuckin ANTS on this motherfuckin TRAIN! [geeks rejoice]

RAN RAN RUUU

2008-07-09T00:45:00.000+08:00

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Requests

2008-07-07T22:36:00.000+08:00

I got tagged by Huiwen, and here it is.

a) Answer the questions below, do a Google Image Search with your answer, take a picture from the first page of results, do it with minimal words of explanation.
b) Tag 5 other people to do the same once you’ve finished answering every question.

1. The age you’ll be on your next birthday:

2. A place you’d like to travel to:
3. Your favourite place:
4. Your favourite food:
UGLY CHICKEN PUFF WOO.
WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE \m/

5. Your favourite animal:
The Siren

6. Your favourite color:
Yes, its a color now.

7. Your favourite piece of clothing:
8. Your favourite song:
No looking at the file name and cheating, you have to play it out.Have Fun
No looking at the file name and cheating, you have to play it out.Have Fun

9. Your favourite tv show:
10. First name of your significant other / crush:
Nothing like her, but ah well, rules are rules.

11. The town in which you live in:
I couldn't resist when i saw "TOWN" hahaha

12. Your screen name / nickname:
couldn't find anything distinctive. they all link back to my blog and my friends/family's blogs. funtimes. i love being unique.

13. Your first job:
Yup.

14. Your dream job:
\m/

15. A bad habit you have:
16. Your worst fear:
Make a smart guess, considering i love coffee.

17. The one thing you’d like to do before you die:
ON THE FUCKING STAGE.

18. The first thing you’ll buy if you get $1,000,000:
By my count, $1,000,000 may not be enough.

I tag:
Marion
Kenneth
Yi Ci
My Mum
uh.. adeline?

the eighty third

2008-07-07T21:50:00.003+08:00

okay. my internet is back. had some temporary problems with connectivity and stability, so blog was on hold.

okay first off. i see Han has commented on my blog, if you like stuff like this, i strongly, strongly suggest you visit "Do You Believe In The World?". Its a blog chock full of the stuff. most people i know can't stand to read half his posts but hey. you seem like the kind.

second, to eunice, sorry i didn't stop to talk that day at YCK MRT Station, i was kinda in a rush, not being proud or anything but hey, guys just wave and move on anyway =p

Third, to all my readers, i apologize for the long break.

okay. now that you guys know i'm not dead? lets get on with it shall we?

Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!

you

2008-06-29T00:32:00.001+08:00

I had closed the door upon my heart,
And wouldn't let anyone in.
I had trusted and loved only to be hurt,
But, that would never happen again.

I locked the door and tossed the key,
As hard, and as far as I could.
Love would never enter there again,
My heart was closed for good.

Then you came into my life
And made me change my mind,
Just when I thought that tiny key
was impossible to find.

That's when you held out your hand,
And proved to me I was wrong.
Inside your palm was the key to my heart,
You had it all along.

this poem. is. epic.

Why do we look at a flower and decide that it is beautiful?

2008-06-26T00:09:00.001+08:00

Why do we look at a flower and decide that it is beautiful? Perhaps it’s because we have a sixth sense for things that are aesthetically pleasing; or perhaps because the media says so. For example; what, today, is classified as hot?

Don’t tell anyone, Keep it to yourself.

Now, what made you think this way?

Are you thinking of a popular icon?

Are you thinking of plunging necklines and short skirts?

Or are you thinking of bell bottoms and corsets?

Now share with your friends.

What do they think is 'hot'?

What do they think is 'hot' or beautiful?

It’s all the same isn’t it?

We are all led by one mind; Media. Media influences what we perceive as beauty. Media tells us that beauty is this. Therefore beauty is indeed 'this’.

What led the evolution of trends?

‘Twas the media.

In the 1960s, you wore tie dye shirts, miniskirts, and bell bottoms. Hippy was in. Hippies. They got media coverage, instantaneously people caught on. People started following the trends.

In the 1970s, you wore full length dresses, and flared, flower printed clothes. The Osmond’s. Jackson 5. David Essex. All the media influences. Film starts to have a greater influence on people.

In the 1980s, you wore shoulder padded suits and traditional culture looks. People wore legwarmers and that was the biggest popular trend. Everyone wore parachute pants and people wore shiny jackets. They were called satin jackets. They buttoned down from the front. What influenced you? Princess Diana. Madchester. Tom Bailey. All significant people in the media, all influencing people’s perceptions of beauty.

Today. People today wear different types of clothes. Most people wear designer clothes, such as Ecko, Baby Phat, Rocawear, G-Unit and Sean John. People wear different types of clothing. But they’re all based on the media. You look around and you think you see something different. Oh wait. It’s just a Goth rock wannabe. Oh wait what’s that. Nope. Emo trend. Hmm is that..? Nope. Standard rapper gear.

This is my conclusion.

Beauty doesn't exist anymore. It is merely a facade. It is something you wear to fit in Fitting in, being like everyone else: that is beauty.

This is my perception of beauty.

[thanks to marion for the topic]

ate-y

2008-06-20T01:20:00.004+08:00

halloween party this year. we need this. it'll be at my place. this is my idea.

the theme is MUSIC. let me explain.

i want to see people dress up as KISS, i want steven tyler in the house. i want an old bald guy in a bikini carrying a plastic baby doing drugs thinking (s)he can still sing. i want a emo punk rocker in the house. like. like. you'll come to my place dressed as a punk rock superstar. doesnt even need to be a real celebrity, just clearly defined dressing as part of a certain genre. PROPS ARE ENCOURAGED. mikestands, gold markers for autographs, guitars, razors for your wrists, plastic babies, drum sticks, etc. like picture this.

you walk in to the party [banner says WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE], you see steven tyler playing pool with britney spears [bald guy]. you go to greet your host, slash, and then find your bandmates, kyle patrick and joey something/kenneth; then suddenly rick astley/wesley comes up to you and rick rolls you [never gonna give, never gonna give (give you up)]

it'll be awesome! dibs on slash. YI MING NEEDS TO BE AXL ROSE SO WE CAN BEAT EACH OTHER UP, CELEBRITY DEATH MATCH STYLE.

CDM WOO.

Nice Wrasse

2008-06-09T00:51:00.003+08:00

Manhattan Fish Market

This is a fancy little place we went to for lunch one day, because we could. it was about 3 and it wasn't crowded so we just went in. i saw this little survey form, that feedback thing. filled it up, then wrote my blog address on the back. so. if i want them to visit. the least i could do is review them right?

What it is:

Manhattan Fish Market is not a market. it isn't a grocery store for you to buy fish either. no. Manhattan Fish Market is a restaurant. they sell fish. fish and chips, baked fish, etc.

Why its great:

Okay first off. it's well worth it. its pricing is just right, if not awesome. it was um. 9.90 for a pacific dory fish n chips, and you can add 4.90 for a soup of the day and a iced tea. its not too costly, and us as students can easily afford it for some social gathering.

Secondly, the portions are large. they are large. thats a lot of fish they're giving you there. nuff' said.

Thirdly, the quality of the food, it is indescribable. your fish and chips is delivered to you, you smell the fragrance from the batter, you see the juicy lemon butter and the crispy golden-brown batter, you put your knife to the fish, and you hear the outer crust crack and break apart, you feel your knife cut through the soft fish with little resistance. you drive your fork into the fish. you smother it with their excellent not-just-tartar tartar sauce. you put it in your mouth. and you bite down. your teeth going through a whole myriad of sensations. the batter breaking apart, giving the nice crunchiness, the fish just giving way, tender and warm, all coming to taste just perfect with their tartar sauce, blending perfectly together.

chew, swallow, repeat. =p

Why it sucks:

first point, the servings are large. i know that can be a good thing, but sometimes, for a food like fish n' chips, after a while, you just get tired of the same taste over and over again, and you just can't go on. there's no variety, you order fish and chips, and you get fish and chips throughout. like for example. that paragraph with the formatting above, try reading that 50 times over. that's my point.

second point...

..i don't have a second point.

Should you try it?

I don't know really. i guess, for a restaurant, its personal preference. if you like fish, go ahead. fish and chips isn't the only thing they have. heck, if you like seafood, go ahead. if i know you like seafood, i'd ask you to go there.

Where can i find it?

There are at the moment, 2 outlets in singapore. there is one in Plaza Singapura [Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station], and one in central [Clarke Quay MRT Station (and you can go clubbing later)]. i was at the one at central, and personally i think its less crowded there, even during dinner/lunch rush.

My Rating:

As usual, with everything, it has a large number of pros, but also has a few shortcomings here and there that block it from the elusive 5 star rating.

seeteefee

2008-06-07T03:01:00.001+08:00

i've been finding a lack of motivation to post recently...

..i wonder why.

Not Happy

2008-06-01T02:54:00.004+08:00

http://afrotoast.blogspot.com/2007/12/10-random-things.html

see this?

apparently, it took off. its now a quiz thing floating and flying around blogs. for that, i'm happy.

POINT NO. 1 MADE

BUT. the quiz is in HORRIBLE SHAPE.

IT WASN'T EVEN A QUIZ TO BEGIN WITH. C'MON.

http://freeflying-eagle.blogspot.com/2008/05/random-facts-quiz.html

thats where it is now. i'm happy its spreading. but if you want rules, TELL ME SO I CAN ADD THEM. DON'T ADD THEM YOURSELF AND BRING IT TO SUCH A STATE. i bet people keep changing it. that means i can't blame any one person. grr.

OKAY. first.

ITS NOT A QUIZ. I LISTED 10 things. ITS A FREAKING LIST. do it like a list. MAKE A LIST.

second.

CLEARLY TITLE YOUR FACTS.
read what i did. its clear and easily seen

third.

MORE INFO COME ON.
I gave you at least a paragraph. NOW ITS DEGRADED TO ONE LINERS

fourth

WRITE ABOUT THE PRESENT. not about something that you've always been aware of. WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING THATS HAPPENING NOW AND ONLY NOW. like. MOST RECENT. its not a personality thing. its to make your readers AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL QUIZ.

fifth.

MAKE IT IMPERSONAL.

sixth

RANDOM FACTS? WTF. RANDOM. JUST RANDOM. RANDOM THIS. RANDOM THAT. NOT FACTS.

a random fact can be one thing in your list. but i don't want 10 random facts about you. i want 10 random things around you.

seventh

if you're unsure, DONT ATTRIBUTE IT TO ME. I DO NOT WANT TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO POOR WORK.

okay that's out. i'm not going to make another list. cuz that would be two blog chain post in a row, and that would be violating rule #34 of blogging.

Rule #34:
Never post two similar things consecutively.

so. there you have it. i'm not arrowing anyone in particular. but i expect all my readers to know. ESPECIALLY THE ONE WHO SCREWED UP THE WHOLE THING.

with reference to the original post,

okay bye now.

Fun to try

2008-05-30T01:55:00.004+08:00

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, ETC on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag 5 people to do it
6.Put this on your blog.

** [artist name/lyrics] either that or my own comments

1. If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?
Do You Want To? [Franz Ferdinand/ lol]

2. How would you describe yourself?
Alpen Rose [Ragnarok Online OST/ sounds gay lol]

3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
Wishmaster [Nightwish/That’s right. She must make my wishes come true. Or something lol]

4. How do you feel today?
1000 Miles per Hour [OkGO/fast paced much?]

5. What is your life's purpose?
Do What You Want [OkGO/how true lol]

6. What is your motto?
Flash [Queen]

7. What do your friends think of you?
Fell in Love with a Girl [The White Stripes]

8. What do you think of your parents?
Mosh [Eminem/lol that’s right. Its time to mosh.]

9. What do you think about very often?
Ghost of You [Good Charlotte]

10. What is 2 + 2?
1-02 Balamb Garden [Nobuo Uematsu]

11. What do you think of your best friend(s)?
Smells Like Teen Spirit [Nirvana]

12. What do you think of the person you like?
Do ya think I'm sexy? [Rod Steward/ I swear I never knew I had this in my library.]

13. What is your life story?
The Invisible Man [Queen/LOL. I'm the invisible man.]

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Irresistable [Jessica Simpson/ haha. Unexpected.]

15. What do you think of when you see the person you like?
I Don't Like Mondays [Bon Jovi/ nope I don’t.

16. What will you dance to at your wedding?
Sweet Child Of Mine [Guns and Roses/GG. EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING LOL]

17. What will they play at your funeral?
First Act VW Ad [Slash/ yup and I want the guitarist to stand upon my coffin playing the song as I'm being lowered into the ground. Too bad the song isnt slower lol]

18. What is your hobby/interest?
All The Small Things [Blink 182]

19. What is your biggest fear?
The Invisible Invasion [Ragnarok Online OST/Its coming I know it.]

20. What is your biggest secret?
Dirty Little Thing [Velvet Revolver/was hoping for Dirty Little Secret to come out but ah well.]

21. What do you think of your friends?
We Will Rock You [Queen/\m/]

22. What will you post this as?
The Invisible Man [Queen/ lolwtf?]

My 5 people:
http://metallic-stains.blogspot.com/
http://augtoberspectrum.blogspot.com/
http://swirlsandtwirls.blogspot.com/
http://watery-shitt.blogspot.com/
yi ci [your blog privacy is protected lol]

TWENTY

2008-05-23T12:09:00.002+08:00

A) People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs & replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

B) Tag 8 people to do this quiz & those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by & cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

#0 Who?
http://watery-shitt.blogspot.com/

#Why?
"cause that'll be interesting" fiiine.

#1 If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
No idea. but nothing i'll regret later on.

#2 If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
ROCK LEGEND

#3 What will your dream wedding be like?
There's a Rock Band in it. aand. hm. i'll address this at a later date.

#4 Are you hungry?
fucking.

#5 What's your ideal lover like?
hm. no idea.. time will tell

#6 Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
i guess both?

#7 What was the last song you listened to?
Bohemian Rhapsody. Playing right now.

#8 If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
I wouldnt like the person that way in the first place.

#9 Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?
um. my mum woke me up at 12:30 in the afternoon just now?

#11 Is being attached fun?
i have no idea.

#12 How do you see yourself in ten years time?
i would be.. 27. i would be. um. maybe.. no. um. yeah.

#13 Who are currently the most important people to you?
pansy, faggio, and gigantor. =p

#14 What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
someone who's prolly pissed because i forgot to visit her blog last night. lol

#15 Would you rather be single & rich or married but poor?
no idea. depends on who i'm married to. like. you dont want to be stuck in an arranged marriage and be poor at the same time.

#16 What's the first thing you do every morning?
go back to sleep.

#17 Would you give all in a relationship?
perhaps.

#18 If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
not possible.

#19 What are your friends usually like?
STARBUCKS

#20 What type of friends do you dislike?
people who are oblivious to the fact that i really dont like them and yet crowd around so much.

The eight persons that I have dragged down to do the quiz are:

(This is gonna be hard)

1) http://augtoberspectrum.blogspot.com/ (because everyone is asking you to, lol)
2) http://flamingwetsponge.blogspot.com/)
3) Yi Ci. (cause that would be interesting)
4) http://metallic-stains.blogspot.com/ (that would be interesting and im running out of people who havent done it.)
5) hmm.
6) Can't
7) Think
8) of anyone else.

Quickie

2008-05-23T03:29:00.004+08:00

doing some last minute blog-surfing before i sleep. okay. first on my agenda...

http://augtoberspectrum.blogspot.com/

i still can't believe doreen's become a die-hard catholic. ah well. just a little getting used to on our part i guess.

okay whats next

http://swirlsandtwirls.blogspot.com/

haha, i'm going to have to answer this question even though you didnt ask me to.
#16 What's the first thing you do every morning?
- Go back to sleep

okay what else do i need to update myself with...

http://flamingwetsponge.blogspot.com/

Yes. Savin' Me is a nice song.
nice. um. rainbow colored "muscley man". its a bit God of War ish.

http://qwe-koob.blogspot.com/

ಹವೆ ನಂ ಬ್ರೈನ್ಸ್ಸ್ಸ್ಸ್ಜ್ಜ್ಜ್!!! ್ಟ್ ಈಸ್ ಇನ್ ಜರ್ಮನ್. ಯಾಯ. ಒಮ್ಗ್.!!

okay. then there's

http://metallic-stains.blogspot.com/

WORK is a GIFT. WORK is a GIFT. WORK is a GIFT. WORK is a GIFT. WORK is a GIFT.

whats next...

ah. a few blogs im not at liberty to name.

then there's www.ctrlaltdel-online.com [hehe. i'd watch 'will it launch'] and www.explosm.net

:-O

hm and xkcd.

okay. im done. its now..

...3:50 AM. and im going to go to sleep. but first,

..checking MSN address book...

... excellent. huiwen has already logged out and presumably went off to sleep. [i beat you again]

it is now.. 3:51 AM and i am going to sleep.

ICA1 submission, BM0601

2008-05-18T03:59:00.004+08:00

Gamer Girl
BYLINE: AfroToast

DUNGEONS, Dragons and Damsels in Distress: Common elements of a young boy's imagination, all of which expressed in video games of today. But is this a field forever to be dominated by males?

Mandy Chan (not her real name), from Nanyang Polytechnic's Diploma in Digital Media Design, needs no male chauvinist to come to her rescue.

While gaming may not be considered unique by most, female gamers, colloquially referred to as gamer girls, often draw extra attention due to their rarity.

We managed to catch her in an online chat room to ask her a few things about her unique hobby.

Gamer girl of only sixteen, she believes that the female population should have a say in the gaming scene. Flashing a cheeky emoticon, she revealed:

"Guys tend to be more lenient on the girls when gaming, which is a HUGE mistake. Amrite? =p"

But not all guys are lenient. There are the occasional few who go overboard, and are overtly snobbish. Mandy tells us, after getting herself a soda, of common people she encounters online.

She classifies them into three different categories. There are the ‘annoying ones’, who basically claim that ownership of the internet belongs to males. These are the ones who tell people like her to ‘stay off the internet’ or ‘go play with your dolls’.

Then there are the ‘immature ones’, who have difficulty believing in the existence of female gamers.

“They usually assault me with sick requests like ‘pics nao’ (pictures now), or ‘omg a/s/l?’ (oh my god, age/sex/location)”

This leaves the ‘cool ones’, who accept that female gamers are just like any other gamer, looking to have fun and chill out.

Mandy speaks for all gamer girls when she says that she just want to be respected as a human being, and that she just wants to play the game like any other male without being harassed, ridiculed, or discriminated against in any way.

“But yeah, I generally just pwn (gamer slang for dominating or humiliating an opponent) them all, haha.”

Sitting in front of a flat screen and smashing buttons all day long may not sound appealing to most of us, but that’s what people like Mandy do on a daily basis.

She usually spends at least 4 hours a day in her living room, in a world of her own. However, with the reopening of school, she has been greatly limited to a measly 5 hours a week.

These 5 hours are not wasted, however, as she spends them playing mostly role-playing games, mostly from the Fantasy sub-genre. A role-playing game, or RPG, for short, is a game that has no winner or scorecard. It is a game where the player assumes the role of a character in a story, and has to play through the game to reveal elements of the story, beating the game only when the story is completed.

Role-Playing Games are usually characterized by their highly customizable environments, where a player is free to build his/her character in almost any way they wish.

Most players generally favor a more agile and stealthy build, and the same can be said for Mandy.

“It’s the thrill of the hunt. We live for the adrenaline that goes through us when we stalk our victims. Then we press a button and we unleash all of hell upon him - pure satisfaction!”

Games from the Final Fantasy series, and even their online counterparts, like Ragnarok, all fit in this category. They are all a part of Mandy’s extensive video game library. Even beat-em-ups like Super Smash Brothers' Brawl and River City Ransom are not spared, all beaten countless times by our avid gamer girl.

Every tree has its roots, and the same can be said here. After a bit of persuasion, we found out when she first started, and what made her into who she is today.

Since she lived in a relatively backward neighborhood as a child, computers were rare. As such, when she saw her first computer, it fascinated her. A curiosity was sparked and she found herself drawn helplessly to the virtual world.

"It all started with everyone's favorite, Pac Man, in 1997. Then I moved on to bigger fish, like computer gaming, and then I got my first console, the Sony Playstation."

Final Fantasy 7, perhaps the most popular title for the series, was one of the first console games Mandy has graced. In this role-playing game, the player assumes the role of the reluctant leader of a group of adventurers as they battle a powerful mega-corporation called "Shinra", which is draining the life of the planet (Mako) to use as an energy source.

While cliché, the story of the game was well set enough to pull her further into the world of gaming. The story was told so well that it was almost believable and left players wanting more. Mandy attributes her love for role-playing games to this particular game, and it made her search for more similar games and more video games in general.

Even with the past in mind, Mandy's only true ambition is to be able to stay young at heart, and play games all day long. While most gamers aim to compete in WCG (World Cyber Gaming) championships, Mandy believes that gaming should be about having fun and should not be a laborious exercise where one has to train and pit their skills against each other.

She hopes that in 5 years time, she would still be equipped with the latest and the best in video gaming technology, and she still plays hard. Her only true fear is that she loses touch with her gaming side due to work.

In the words of the gamer girl herself, "If I ever stop gaming, shoot me. D:"

WOOHAA

2008-05-15T01:02:00.005+08:00

Achievement Unlocked! Flawless Victory! Finish Him! You Win! No Way! Holy Shit! Beyond Godlike!

So many ways to put it. but the bottom line is. i did it. 956 words. WOOHAA. i did it. haha as soon as i get my interviewee's approval, i'll publish it. that is.. after i hand it up. who knows how many people out there dont respect intellectual property. lol. anyway to sum it up,

the bottom line is this: WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS. NO TIME FOR LOSERS, CUZ WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

1000 word feature article.

2008-05-14T23:35:00.002+08:00

"Your story should be between 900-1000 words."

lets see. microsoft word... word count... lets see... 488 words.

nice.

HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO HIT THAT ELUSIVE 1000 WORD MARKER?

What is wrong?

2008-05-12T16:52:00.001+08:00

Something to chew on. Consider the following.

Take for example, somebody who likes eating at subway. Lets call him A. So.

A walks up a flight of stairs. He's with his classmates. From downstairs he hears somebody say loudly: "I feel like eating subway". Naturally, a connection is made. A feels associated with subway fanatic #2, whom I'm going to call B. A then feels an urge to make the connection known. A wants B to know that he, too, is a fan of subway. So A shouts back: "I feel like eating subway too!"

Something interesting has happened.

But lets stop for a minute here.

Obviously, at this point, it is established that A is no NORMAL human being. Let's see the scenario again, but I'm going to change A into a 'normal' human being.

A walks up a flight of stairs. He's with his classmates. From downstairs he hears somebody say loudly: "I feel like eating subway". Naturally, a connection is made. A feels associated with subway fanatic #2, whom I'm going to call B. A then feels an urge to make the connection known. A wants B to know that he, too, is a fan of subway. Then A looks at his classmates, who are completely oblivious to the burning desire in his heart. A looks down the stairs to try to catch a glimpse of B. A reasons that B has already left the area, and he carries on with his day.

Nothing interesting has happened.

Now it is normal.

Everyone has a desire to stand out. EVERYONE. But most people also have a desire to fit in, so as to not be ridiculed for being different. But why? Why should people be afraid to be themselves? Which social norm states that you cannot talk to someone you don't know? Is smiling at strangers considered a social faux pas?

What is wrong with people?

Kenneth. I'm looking at you. I expect a 1000 word essay on this. And for my readers, go visit http://metallic-stains.blogspot.com/ Its Kenneth's blog. He does argumentative essays. Its wordy, so be prepared.

Also, tag boards. I AM NOT PUTTING UP A TAGBOARD. I DO NOT WANT TO PUT UP A TAG BOARD. STOP PUSHING ME TO PUT UP A TAGBOARD. PUTTING UP A TAGBOARD MAKES PEOPLE IGNORE THE COMMENTS. IF YOU WANT TO TALK, USE THE COMMENTS. COME ON.

There. I got that out. I'm not scolding anyone. I just don’t like being pushed.

gta4gta4gta4gta4gta4gta4gta4gta4

2008-05-11T01:41:00.002+08:00

gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4 gta4

oh my god.

Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Long, Overdue

2008-05-09T19:56:00.008+08:00

It's time for another review.
thats right

IRON MAN

From MARVEL

What is it:

Iron Man, is a movie based on the 1963 comic by Marvel, or more importantly, Stan Lee. The comic was originally released as a spin-off for the "Tales of Suspense" series, but it has since come a long way with its independent comic and loyal fan base.

this 2008 superhero movie gives due respect to the original comic book and if you were a fan of the original comic, or a marvel follower in general, you would watch and enjoy the comic.

What makes it great:

It pays homage to the original comic and does its due. you cannot go wrong with its graphical effects. it would make a grown man weep. everything there is just so believable. similar to Jumper, the movie makes you feel like building your own mark 3 once you leave the cinema. you'll want to fly i swear.

The action scenes are nice and plenty, but the bulk of the awesome is the humor injected into the movie. tony stark's I'll-do-whatever-i-like attitude is infectious, and you want to emulate him. only to be stopped by your bank book.

There is also a very nice build up where you see stark make his improvements and additions to the armor. oh. and there's the scene where stark sends his little "fuck you" rocket to the tank for shooting at him. awesomeness.

Also, the customary Stan Lee cameo will fill any fanboy with glee.

Why it sucks:

The action scenes. while they are "nice and plenty", they are very poorly thought out and choreographed. everything you see in the trailer, thats all the nice action there is in the movie.

WHILE NO MARVEL FAN WILL EVER BE COMPLETE WITHOUT WATCHING THIS, people who don't follow marvel will NOT ENJOY THIS MOVIE AT ALL. its a boy's show and i quote huiwen, "robert downey Jr isnt even hot." therefore i conclude that only BOYs will watch this movie. and some grown men too.

Should you watch it?

Well. it depends really. if you're a guy, follow your heart. if you're a girl, do you think Robert Downey Jr. is hot? there you go.

My Rating:thats right. 3 stars. after all that hype and stuff, it really isnt all its meant to be. the movie is nice for a movie, but its not epic. even though, if you see me on the streets and ask me about it, i'll thrust my hands in the air and smile, screaming IRON MAN! but to be fair, its only really worth 3 stars.

Where you can watch it:

any movie distributor. no dvd yet though. gg paying $10.50 for it though.

---------------------------------

So there you have it. Iron Man. now. back to GTA4 on my XBOX360. ha. im looking at you, keith.

So you think you know the media?

2008-05-05T20:12:00.002+08:00

Okay try this. This is the entry level test for my BM0620 - Introduction to the Media Industry Module. I needed to get 50% or better to qualify for it. It worked like this. The lecturer would flash these questions one at a time on slides, 10 seconds each question, 20 questions. Lets see if you can do better. Ready? 10 seconds per question. Ready? Go.

Name the government board in charge of film censorship.

What does M-I-C-A stand for?

Name any two publications under Mediacorp.

Name two top American television networks.

Name any one local production house.

How many free to air local TV stations in Singapore?

How many local radio stations?

Who is the minister for information, communications and arts?

Who directed 881?

Name the director of Lord of the Rings

Which is the longest running television sitcom

Which country has the highest cinema attendance In the world?

Name the first local English language sitcom

Which film won the best picture 2008 Oscar?

What is the real name of WWE wrestler the rock?

Who is the CEO of Temasek holdings

Who wrote the Da Vinci code

What is the nationality of Borat

Which season is American idol

Name the controversial short film by Geert Wilders

So. Do you qualify for my course?

Scheduled Posts

2008-05-02T14:28:00.004+08:00

Blogger has announced scheduled posts. THIS IS FREAKING COOL. its like. i want to make you all believe i stay awake really late and schedule a post at that time, and in that post talk about what its like to stay up late. then i'll sleep at like 8pm and at like 2 am blogger will publish my post for me. ITS SO COOL.

okay. honestly i dont think i'll use it much. not practical for me. ANYWAY. my original reason for posting.

MY READERS. I WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE. you could be from anywhere, germany, france, let me contact you, i want to know you guys. my email is... hm. how am i gonna do this without getting spam. sigh. um. AH. i'll create an alt. brb for 5 minutes

okay i'm back. that took longer than 5 minutes but you'll never know. to you as a reader, that was like 2 seconds. but it could have been an hour. or maybe it was 2 seconds. maybe i already HAD an alt. HA. or did I? was i gone for 10 minutes? mmm.

i created afrotoast@gmail.com i also hope to use it for myself so try not to spam it. but yeah. EMAIL ME. I WANT TO KNOW YOU.

Offensive Technology

2008-04-29T15:57:00.003+08:00

Diploma in Offensive Technology

Modules Taken in First Term:
OT0860 - Explosives
OT0800 - Firearms
OT0812 - Social Stealth
OT0888 - Hacks and Cheats in Real Life
OT0813 - Getting Away With It
OT0857 - Introduction to the Offensive Technology industry

Course Description:
NYP's Diploma in Offensive Technology, located within the new underground campus will equip students with the abilities and skills needed to meet the standards of today's special operation elites and assassins and will give students an insight into a relatively unknown yet important sector of every nation's industry.

OT0806 - Explosives
ICA1: Student demonstrates ability to obliterate and/or completely disable a laptop using explosives
ICA2: Student demonstrates ability to obliterate and/or completely disable a group of students using a set amount of explosives
ICA3: Written Test
ICA4: Student demonstrates ability to obliterate and/or completely disable a rival school using a set type of explosives.

OT0800 - Firearms
ICA1: Student demonstrates ability to Assemble and reassemble a set firearm blind folded within a set amount of time.
ICA2: Student attains 80% accuracy with a M249 Para.
ICA3: Written Test
ICA4: Student demonstrates ability to obliterate and/or complete disable a rival school with only one clip of ammunition

OT0812 - Social Stealth
ICA1: Student demonstrates ability to conceal an explosive for 7 full days
ICA2: Student demonstrates ability to conceal two firearms for 7 full days
ICA3: Written Test
ICA4: Student is able to obliterate and/or complete disable SBM's internet infrastructure without getting caught.

OT0888 - Hacks and Cheats in Real Life
ICA1: Students to give a 5 minute presentation on cheats and hacks in real life and their applications
ICA2: Students is able to make it to a medium of news as a result of usage of cheats and hacks in real life.
ICA3: Written Test
ICA4: Student is thrown into an impossible situation whereby he must use cheats and hacks to escape.

OT0813 - Getting Away With It
ICA1: Student is able to rob a laptop from an accounting student and get away with it
ICA2: Student is able to destroy and/or completely obliterate a lecture theatre and get away with it
ICA3: Written Test
ICA4: Beat up and completely cripple 10 police officers and get away with it.

OT0857 - Introduction to the Offensive Technology Industry
No ICAs, Examinable Module

Conditions for Entry
As long as the student demonstrates knowledge and ability to locate and sign up for the course, he/she will be granted immediate entry. Student must also be able to acquire this flyer.

Everything i say here is true

2008-04-24T10:40:00.005+08:00

The time is 5:40 pm, and i'm going to begin observing my surroundings.

There is conversation in the air. Business men sitting everywhere. Of course. This is Raffles City. A lady in yellow approaches the door. Will she walk in..?

No, not today I guess. She decides to move on. I wonder if she wanted to come in. Did the green and white Starbucks™ logo tempt her at all? I wonder where she's rushing to. Has she been in here before? A couple is walking out now. One young man and an elderly lady both Caucasian. Now two ladies, about twenty-ish. I wonder who they are. Perhaps the Caucasians were mother and son, stopping by to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, perhaps they're running late. Ah. Ben Elton's "We Will Rock You" is showing tonight at 8. Maybe they are heading for dinner before they attend the concert. Maybe.. Oh. Two business men just walked out. I think they're headed for home. Its been a long day of work no doubt. I like how they come to Starbucks to unwind after a stressful day.

Hm. A barista is walking out. And a couple comes in with a stroller. There is a couple seated at the table next to me but I believe their relationship is purely professional. I see on their table… a printed presentation, a plan. Pictures of recycling cans. A photo negative. I think she hired him as a photographer. He has a padded bag, proudly labeled in red, "Canon".

I hear a blender. Somebody ordered a Frappucino. I wonder who it was. A man wearing a red sweater blocks my view of the counter. The sweater says '29' and 'Atlantic City' like a jersey. He's seated with a plump lady. I think he's dating her. He seems nervous. She seems bored. He's talking a lot. I pity them both. The date isn't going so well. She's probably regretting saying agreeing to meet him. But then again, could they just be colleagues?

The barista that walked out looks solemn. She's having a conversation with someone in a purple blouse. The purple blouse lady is gesturing a lot. It seems the barista's being scolded. I wonder what she did wrong to deserve this. She looks deserving of sympathy. No one around seems to care.

Its 5:57PM. I'm trying to listen to some conversation but the music is too loud. It sounds exotic, yet, it sounds like bag pipes. Its fading out. I think the track is changing. Too many people are talking at once. I can't single out any one conversation to focus on. The music starts back up.

So many people are using laptops here. A tall Indian man just walked in. I wonder how his day has been. He looks thoughtfully at the cakes and pastries displayed in the shelves. Maybe he's thinking of a loved one, perhaps a simple slice of cake to celebrate some… My phone rings. It interrupts my train of thought. Sigh. My mother calls.

The time is 6:01 pm. Its time to leave.

epic win

2008-04-21T08:24:00.003+08:00

here's an awesome snippet from http://swirlsandtwirls.blogspot.com
i think its a poem. i hope she wrote it.. anyway.

In an effort to get people to look
into each other’s eyes more,
the government has decided to allot
each person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it
to my ear without saying hello.
In the restaurant I point
at chicken noodle soup. I am
adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long
distance lover and proudly say
I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn’t respond, I know
she’s used up all her words
so I slowly whisper I love you,
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.

epicwin.

EDIT: BTW!

Bezner --

[noun]:

A master of storytelling

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Hit me like a train

2008-04-19T01:28:00.009+08:00

WHY TELEPORTATION AS A REPLACEMENT FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

There are a few factors to this. first, we must analyze what makes our current public transport system so effective.

THE CONCEPT AT HAND

we must understand that for a public transport system to be effective, revenue must be gained from its use. therefore,

cost to operate < total fares collected

REALITY CHECK

let us take a look at a real world example. how much does it cost to operate the MRT system in singapore?

lets say $2 million daily.

how much is earned daily?

well, lets assume the average fare to be $1.50; according to wikipedia, the average daily ridership is 1.435 million. that means, $2,150,500 worth of fares are collected daily. thats a $150k profit daily. thats $4.5 million in revenue, monthly.

conclusion. Public Transport Systems, (PTSs) exist when revenue is generated. revenue is generated when ridership is high. ridership is high when capacity is high.

greater capacity = more people = greater income

now, on to the matter at hand.

TELEPORTATION AS A PTS

Teleportation will NOT take off as a PTS as, hypothetically, the running cost of such abstract technology should be at least $100 per trip. that would mean each traveller must pay a fare greater than $100. this makes teleportation a highly unpopular form of travel, as it is impractical to spend $100 a trip commuting daily. this is assuming each teleportation trip has a capacity of one person and luggage.

However, there are two ways to solve the issue at hand.

Reducing the operational cost.
Increasing the capacity per trip.

1: REDUCING OPERATIONAL COST

considering the breaking down and reassembling of molecular mass to be highly abstract technology, this solution will be difficult to implement and will likely only come with time.

2: INCREASING CAPACITY PER TRIP

this is the more practical solution, but may increase operational costs. however it is important to note that, even for a fare of $10 each, 10 people must be able to commute at once, and only to the same place. the cost to increase capacity to such a scale may not be practical

CONCLUSION

Teleportation as a Public Transportation System will not be successful nor implemented in the near future, unless as a government initiative.

FEEDBACK

if you have any points to argue, just leave a comment and i will try to address it.