water tennis

Ever since my brother went for his obligatory 2 year National Service term, I've been lamenting the lack of a tennis partner during my holidays. Of course, this only happens when I'm not too lazy myself ^^;

So, what does this have to do with a picture of the world no.2 tennis player Rafael Nadal doing a delicate balancing act on water? Nothing of course - except for the fact thats it on bloody water!

Sony Ericsson Open Unveils World's First Game of Tennis on Water

I simply cannot imagine how the game was played out. From my experience of playing tennis in the rain (don't ask -_-"), the ball would soak up all the water and its ability to bounce would be close to zilch.

Just leave it to the creative brains of Sony Ericsson to come up with something as outrageous as this..

crisis core

Yeah, I know I know, I've been neglecting the blog for quite a while lately, but I have a bloody good reason (or excuse however you want to put it ^^;) :

Final Fantasy VII - Crisis Core

Basically this PSP game's been sucking many many hours of my time ever since I've begun spending my out-of-job life this week.

Sure, it's one of the many money-spinning offshoots that Square's been using to milk the beloved franchise dry, but make no mistake - this is probably the most anticipated piece of work to enrich the already fascinating world of FFVII after Advent Children.

Taking place 7 years before the events of the original game, the main protagonist this time around is Zack Flair, with many other familiar and unfamiliar characters thrown into the mix as well. Gameplay-wise, CC plays much like an Action-RPG - which means to say nothing like FFVII at all. I'm not going to go into an in depth review of gameplay mechanics, something which many game sites have already done, but what I can safely say is that even though you might need some time to get use to it at the start, the game becomes a blast to play once you do.

Having been a devout fan of FFVII from the moment I played it on my PC with the 4 CDs I 'borrowed' from my friend (no PS for me ^^;), CC brings back all the nostalgia and feelings I had since then. Because the game is basically a prequel, you sort of already know how things will end up, but that does not detract it from serving up a great storytelling experience complete with mind-blowing CG cutscenes and solid soundtrack. Above all, it provides an opportunity to flesh out the events which culminated in the original game and it does this with aplomb.

At the end of it all, I guess I just like to thank Square for actually seeing this game to production and providing fellow FFVII fans around the world another avenue to immerse themselves in the vivid world of Gaia.

Now for the inevitable FFVII remake, I might just get a PS3 if it actually does come out.. ^^;

stating the obvious

Well, somehow I always find something funny on Mondays :D

ad lib ad

If only the ads in the 'Classifieds' were this funny, I would probably start reading them everyday - along with 'Sports' of course ^^;

torrential tardiness

I woke up to a very wet morning today, and for once it was still raining when I was trying to get to work on time.

For some unfathomable reason, it's been raining every single day of the week since March started. For convenience sake, I'd put the blame on global warming because I'm too darn lazy to think of a logical reason while evading puddles of water on the way to the office.

To my credit, I got there only 5 minutes late. On the other hand, my colleague didn't fare too well since his bus was moving as fast as an aging AC Milan player during their last night's incredible loss at home to Arsenal in the Champions League.

But I digress.

At least he didn't try to land a plane in town, since he would most likely be mistaken as Mas Selamat and shot down by the RSAF, unlike this fellow below :

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Man lands plane on golf course so son wouldn't be late for tennis lesson

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, March 5, 2008 7:51 AM | permalink

Police might arrest an Illinois man who landed his plane on a golf course so his son wouldn't be late for a tennis lesson. Police came to the Marriott Resort Crane's Landing Golf Course, at 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire, around 1:50 p.m. Saturday for a call that a plane had landed on the course.

Robert Kadera of Lake Villa and his 14-year-old son, Isaac, were standing outside the aircraft, a 1949 Piper Clipper, which was sitting in the middle of the golf course about 20 feet south of the retaining wall that separates the golf course from Route 22, police said.

Kadera said it was not an emergency landing, but rather, the boy was late for his tennis lesson at the Lincolnshire Club across the street from the golf course on Route 22, police said.

Original Link

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I think he would have better luck if he tried a helicopter. Bummer.

impossible is nothing

So now that I have a steady temporary job to spend my time away during the day, I usually try to find ways to entertain myself when I get back from work - like watching insane fellas jamming to insane tracks in Guitar Hero on Youtube. I swear I'm as amazed at the ability of the guy as at the durability of the guitar controller.



More Guitar heroes over here for your jaw-dropping pleasure ^^;

headbanging headache

Or I might like to add, in case your PC crashes all of a sudden and there seems no way to revive it.

Yeah, that happened to me, yours dearest.

On second thought, if a crowbar was really on hand I probably would have smashed the monitor on the gazillionth Windows reinstallation attempt which failed badly.

Thankfully, the guys over at GooGoo (where I ordered the PC) provided some swift tech support and by Saturday morning, the CPU had made a trip to their workplace and back to my home in a span of 2 days, working as good as new. Yeah, by 'new' I mean that the data that was on board before was wiped out as well, but luckily the important documents were saved on a portable HDD already - a lesson learned from a previous crash. Oh well ^^;;

coolness redefined

Here's another lol moment to brighten anybody's day ^^;

Singapore to host 2010 Youth Olympics

Just thought I'd share the good news for Singaporeans (me!) all around.

Nicely done I would say ^^



Picture taken from sgyoutholympics.com, which is 'an online campaign to support Singapore's bid for the Youth Olympic Games 2010'.

windows music mash-up

And here I thought I was sick and tired of hearing the same old SFX from Windows, and viola - I stumbled upon this genius of a work.

Composed entirely of sounds from Windows 98 and XP, the end result is nothing short of amazing. Yeah, its that good.

Kudos to SomethingUnreal for creating something great out of nothing ^^;

(uuu uuu uma uma)^100

Ok ok, I admit it shows nothing but a guy shaking his hips and flapping his hands to a wacky song for a whole 2.5 minutes, but I just can't stop being highly amused throughout.

Gimme a sec while I go watch it again ^^;

Original Link from dannychoo

i believe i can fly

Dwight Howard's Superman dunk O_O

scintillating rout : Man Utd 4 - 0 Arsenal

No Ronaldo? No problem.

To be honest I did a double take when I first saw the line-up, but boy did those doubts fade away as fast as Arsenal's resistance.

And now for French giants Lyon this mid-week. Exciting.

Oh, and if you haven't noticed by now - I'm a Man Utd fan btw. So sue me lol.

no more villains

Looks like not all video game baddies like their day job after all ^^;



Original link from BoingBoingTV

flashy painkiller

Ok, I admit I don't play COD4 online but the single player campaign alone was probably the most immersing FPS I've ever played in a long long while.

Still, I never knew that you could kill someone with a flashbang if you threw it hard enough. Ouch.

give that bear a coke

Well, I'm certainly not a Greenpeace-supporting activist, but there's something about seeing a polar bear waving from a boat in the middle of a pond that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Must be that damn global warming.

where in the world is osama bin laden?

Seems like I'm on a roll with the whole movie trailers thing, but trust me - its probably worth spending a few minutes of your life watching.

"We don't know whether he's in a cave with the door shut, or in a cave with the door open."

Absolutely hilarious.

to infinity and..

I'm feeling a tad lazy to post nowadays, even when I'm bumming around the house having nothing to do before Chinese New Year. Somehow having nothing to do makes me want to do nothing else. Yeah, it's that sort of feeling.

Anyway, I just spied a new Wall-E trailer that aired during the Superbowl spot which was pretty cute. This, along with Iron Man and the Dark Knight, are now in my ever-growing list of movies to look out for in 2008 ^^;

edit : I added the new Iron-Man trailer too. Looks sweet.

WALL?E Superbowl Spot (in theaters June 27, 2008)
Uploaded by WallEMovie

Iron Man - Superbowl TV Spot - HD
Uploaded by gonzaguedambricourt

cheerleading

Since soccer is the most watched game in sunny Singapore (and anywhere except the US for that matter), I'm not a particular fan of the NFL or the upcoming Superbowl this weekend.

However, what did catch my eye was this site.

Heck, it would probably catch any straight guy's eyes for that matter ^^;

this is your captain-to-be speaking

Any wannabe-pilots for the A380 can get their first shot at the cockpit with this pretty awesome interactive website.

Still worth a look even if you haven't once dreamed of having your callsign as Maverick ^^;

godzilla sticky men

I'm sure anyone who has walked along Orchard Road recently has seen them - peddlers selling a basket full of 'sticky man' toys. Well, today I just found out they are actually called Wacky WallWalkers (the power of wikipedia ^^;), but thats besides the point. The thing is, some wacky Japanese actually recreated a live-sized sticky man and let it loose on a building. Unsurprisingly, the results are hilarious, even if they aren't too successful to begin with but who cares anyway? XD





To be perfectly honest, I much preferred the 1st clip where it made a hole in the roof ^^;

Original Link

old boys

I just came back from a reunion dinner with my secondary 1/2 classmates from RI at Brewerkz. No, not that type of Chinese New Year reunion dinner, but one where we could meet up after almost 6 years of not seeing each other.

I guess I could say the turnout was pretty good - 13 of us out of the original class of 34 were present while some others were overseas or just too busy to come. Some of us did change physically: growing longer hair, having growth spurts, slimming down and what not, while others (myself included ^^;) just stayed and looked the same.

We talked about many things over the overpriced dinner and smooth beer such as former teachers, old classmates, National Service and even forgotten register numbers (my friend kindly reminded me I was no. 31 lol) Everyone was feeling nostalgic and sheepish at the same time as we relived the old memories, whether good or bad - but mostly good I guess.

Plans about the present and future were discussed as well, with everyone getting a sit-rep from everyone they haven't seen in years. Laughter was traded, smiles were given and friendships were rekindled as the night went on.

As for me, I just felt pretty damn happy.

Because I just remembered how much I miss you guys.

code geass R2 trailer

Well, what can I say? Pretty short but it does capture the imagination I suppose. 3 more months to go ^^;

VR-Wii FTW!!!

Now here's another reason to get a Wii and start playing around with it.



Pretty mind-boggling no? It kinda reminds me of this cop game I saw at the arcades where the player actually has to stand on a mat holding a light gun. It plays exactly like Time Crisis but to hide you literally have to move your body downwards, making for some more intense gameplay - or more hilarious scenes depending on whether you are the player or not ^^;;

me, myself and I

I recently stumbled upon this really unique Japanese game while getting my usual dosage of gaming news from Gameaxis. Named Cursor * 10, this flash applet basically has you literally moving your mouse cursor from one level to the next while its life counts down to zero at the bottom right of the screen. When your cursor does 'die', you start all over from level 1 again - but this time you have a little help from your ghost which does exactly the same thing it did. Sounds downright bizarre but - well, you just have to try it for yourself ^^;;

to beyond and infinity

I guess everyone has folded and thrown a paper aeroplane before - be it at your friends during school or just to kill some time and trees in the process. Well, here's something you probably haven't done and would never get to do ever :

Origami spaceplane to launch from space station

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have teamed up with members of the Japan Origami Airplane Association to develop a paper aircraft capable of surviving the flight from the International Space Station to the Earth’s surface.

The researchers are scheduled to begin testing the strength and heat resistance of an 8 centimeter (3.1 in) long prototype on January 17 in an ultra-high-speed wind tunnel at the University of Tokyo’s Okashiwa campus (Chiba prefecture). In the tests, the origami glider — which is shaped like the Space Shuttle and has been treated to withstand intense heat — will be subjected to wind speeds of Mach 7, or about 8,600 kilometers (5,300 miles) per hour.

A large spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle can reach speeds of up to Mach 20 (over 15,200 mph) when it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere, and friction with the air heats the outer surface to extreme temperatures. The much lighter origami aircraft, which the researchers claim will come down more slowly, is not expected to burn up on re-entry.

No launch date has been set for the paper spaceplane, but Shinji Suzuki, an aerospace engineering professor at the University of Tokyo, is thinking ahead. “We hope the space station crew will write a message of peace on the plane before they launch it,” says Suzuki. “We don’t know where in the world the plane will land, but it would be nice to send a message to whoever finds it.”

*Click on the title to get to the original link*



Japanese researchers sure have a lot of money on their hands to design a high-tech paper spaceplane just to throw it back to Earth. Heck, I thought it would come with GPS or something - those peeps don't even know where it'll land!

coin-op marching band

Hmm, it's been awhile since I last posted but that's to be expected because *drum roll* - I've finally got my new Viewty! I've been eyeing the phone for quite awhile now since my 3-year-old K750i was finally giving up on me. Even though I'm not a huge fan of LG phones since my friends all told me they suck, the Viewty somehow managed to lower my sense of skepticism (must be that 3-inch touchscreen lol). Anyway, that's that - it feels pretty good to finally own a new phone after two years of national service where cameras are not allowed due to the possibility of a security breach. Yeah right.


Speaking of drum rolls, these guys could probably do it better :



Being a avid gamer myself, this performance sure brought a smile to my face. Now, if only I could get the school bands in Singapore to do something like this..

vanishing into thin air

Ok, not quite, but the newest Macbook Air would be pretty much the thinnest laptop around at 0.16-0.76 inches (the device is tapered). This, in addition to a weight of a mere 3 pounds (1.36kg), has catapulted it to the top of my 'want-to-buy' list ^^;

That aside, I figured it should be high time I get a laptop from one of the PC shows since university classes would finally be starting in the later part of the year. I haven't been much of a Mac user though, so I'm still divided on whether to splurge on a Macbook or to just get a run-of-the-mill one for less than a grand. Hmm, decisions decisions..



Video taken from Wired. Original link here.

ultra HD anybody?

Just when the world is looking on at the unfolding HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray drama, this rabbit gets pulled out of the hat :



Mon Jan 14, 12:53 AM ET

TOKYO (AFP) - The Japanese government will begin a joint project with private companies to develop technology for next-generation ultra high-definition video, a daily newspaper report said Monday. The communications ministry also aims to begin broadcasting with the system in 2015 and internationally standardised the Japanese technology, the Yomiuri Shimbun said without citing sources.

The technology, to be called "Super Hi-Vision", could show images of about 33 million pixels, 16 times more than the present Hi-Vision technology, a high-definition TV technology developed by public broadcaster NHK, it said.

The ministry was expected to spend 300 million yen (2.7 million dollars) on start-up research starting from the fiscal year in April, it said.

No comment on the report was available from the ministry on Monday, a public holiday in Japan.

Original Link

Looks good no? No, I meant the TV of course..

tokyo dance trooper

Hmm, ever wanted to see a stormtrooper dancing in Tokyo? Now here's your chance! Video is courtesy of dannychoo.com, which is where I usually get my daily otaku news fix ^^;

Code Geass : OMGWTFBBQ!!!

Yup, that was what went through my mind when the ending credits of the series started rolling. Having finally finished the day's work of mindless brain-numbing data-entry, the allure of some fine mecha action at the end of the day was too difficult to ignore.

And alas, disappoint me Code Geass did not - the final few episodes had an intensity unlike any other of its generic brethen. Plot twists were wild and unexpected while blood flowed by the spades - but nothing was as surprising as seeing how much of an asshole Lelouch had become. I won't spoil anything for potential viewers, but I just can't see what C.C. sees in him that makes her continue to stay around him after all that's happened. Probably some contract thingie I guess, but I digress..

Anyway, enough of ranting. For those of you still wondering whether to take the plunge into the world of Geass or not, hesitate no further - you'd be taken on a hell of an emotional ride once you've reached the end of the final 2 combined episodes. And, when it does pull the rug out from under you when it ends, you'd be left clamoring for much much more. If you as so much call yourself even a decent mecha fan and have not touched this series yet, you deserve to be shot - yeah and I'd probably recommend it done by that poor bugger up there ^^;;




From what I've gathered so far, Season 2 starts in April 2008, alongside the excellent Macross Frontier if I'm not wrong.



3 more months.



I can't wait.

how to win Guess Who in one move

I guess nobody plays Guess Who nowadays, with the advent of TVs, computers and what not, but it's still a pretty nifty trick IMO - provided your opponent's character is Anne of course.

Original Link

code geass : addicted

Today, I had half a mind to finish the remaining 8 episodes of Code Geass : Lelouch of the Rebellion. On second thought, I would rather slowly savour the series while it lasts.

What can I say? Neat mecha designs, a twisted anti-hero with an out-of-this-world ability and a kick-ass soundtrack makes for an offering any decent anime fan cannot afford to refuse.

Speaking of the soundtrack, I totally dig ED2 - and thats why I'm sharing it ^^;;

p.s. youtube only though, the full version, though much nicer, was too much a hassle to upload lol

Vee Are All Rockstars

Sitar Hero anybody?

literally cool

Only found in Japan of course, but it's not as if it would have much use in hot-as-hell-all-year Singapore -_-"

happy 2008?

A new year calls for a new start - at least that's what I thought when I started this blog. Blogger tells me the last time I blogged about my existence was way back in 2006. More accurately, I stopped when via found out about some unsuitable content in one of my posts. I guess I didn't expect me finding an avenue to vent and voice my thoughts and reflections to cause so much trouble to both of us.

Anyway, that's that. This blog, though created on a whim, shall not be any different. Heck it's not even the first day of the year anymore. But better late than never they say. Who's they anyway?

Today marks the start of my efforts to source for an income source. Not that I didn't do anything beforehand of course, but nothing as proactive as the 3rd of January. Flipping to the Recruit for the first time, I felt like I was venturing into uncharted territory. Via did a lot of groundwork for me yesterday - enough work for me to feel guilty about my identity as a male, but make no mistake that I'm really grateful for all her efforts.

My first interview was at this run-down building in Aljunied, which seriously gave me second thoughts when I saw it. Throwing caution to the wind (I guess?), my destination eventually led me to this events-planning company which has probably too few personnel to be even considered one. Heck, I had to call the phone to get the receptionist out when I was already at the reception. Talk about first impressions. The manager was a improvement, fortunately, and after listening to the details, I've become interested to say the least. Nevermind the fact that I have to work on Saturdays and that the pay was slightly below average, I was actually slightly excited by what new experiences were awaiting me. Time would tell whether I would be right when I return for a 2nd interview next Monday at 8.45am.

Somehow all this job-searching has made me pause after I got home. A part of me longs for the carefree and dare I say slack lifestyle I've been enjoying for the past 2 months since the end of my 2-year NS liability. Heck, all the anime I've watched since then has made my life more interesting than the past 2 years combined - and I've just started on Code Geass, which although isn't as absurd and awesome as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, is still pretty much kick-ass in its own right. Something about giant mecha duking it out with the world at stake is attractive. Not that via cares mind you - I tried explaining to her the difference between the genre and Power Rangers to no avail. But that's that I guess.