Bits of Nostalgia (Amongst other things)...

Well whaddya know, it turns out that one of the series that I want to actually follow up on (金田一 Kindaichi) was actually screened back home, like waaaaaay long ago. Back when the television station was still named Channel 8. That's a nice surprise.

Anyways, how much would you pay to go accompany this girl to the Superbowl (on your tickets)? She's a Chicago Bears fan and was trying to sell the chance to provide Superbowl tickets to her on Ebay.The going bid was 1.8K USD before the bids got ridiculous. And in the end, she got tickets from Axe (the deodorant company) and there's a now competition to see who gets to go WITH her (flight, accoms and food not provided). Shows you what kind of reversal of fortunes a cute face and a great body can get you... Now if only...

Edit: Re-sized the image to a (hopefully) more manageable size.

What Time is it?

In times past, the proper answer to the titular question would be "Tiger Time!" and the appropriate amount of hip wriggling and bad "ah-beng"-ish clothing. However, we shall not ponder on yesteryear's bad jingles that I bet are ringing in your head right now, but consider a new answer to the posed question.

I present : ADVENTURE TIME!! ALGEBRAIC!! And if you didn't understand that, just take a look at this video. Everything will be come clear (kinda).



Very mathematical right?

パっンク

The following clip is from the Japanese TV equivalent of Gotcha or something. The way the mob just overruns the poor saps is quite hilarious, especially the very first prank they attempt, where they completely missed the dude. In the last prank, the crowd yells "Danger!!" before squatting. Just so the non-Japanese inclined can get a little more understanding. =D

Laundry Power Rants...

Bears-Colts Superbowl!! I don't know who to root for, but I do suspect my neighbours might have been freaked out by the random cheering and hoots from a certain apartment in the estate when the Colts (FINALLY) made Bill Belichick suffer the "Disgusted & Stunned" syndrome when they rallied from 18 points down (21-3) to top the Patriots 34-38. Awesome game. But I can only confess to watching the 4th quarter only as I had semi-given up on Manning & Co when I saw the depressing 21-6 halftime score...

Now that I've gotten the good things out of the way, it's time to indulge in the title rant. The one really super thing about having a private washer/dryer in your apartment is that laundry NEVER goes missing. That sock that you thought got chewed up by the machines will turn up in the next load, you can probably afford a couple Mcdonald's Happy Meals with the loseloose change you can find during the once a month "check-the-washer/dryer" inspection. I had that luxury during my last year in college and I can honestly say that I really miss those good times...

On the flip side, now that I rent an apartment that has a common laundry facility, according to Murphy's Law, the rate of disappearing laundry is proportional to frequency of washing to the power of some yet to be determined constant... As a result, the MIA list of my laundry has been creeping at a more or less steady pace. However, today, when I did my laundry, those monsters consumed 2 socks (from 2 different matching pairs!). AT ONE SHOT!! I believe I will have to re-evaluate the constant in that equation. It seems to be a moving value, but I have insufficient data to make a concrete analysis.

What I do know is that I have to go and get more socks. Which really sucks on a day both teams you root for make the Superbowl... Argh...

もうすぐ怒りそう。。。

なんで返事しなかった？出来るか、出来ないかどっちでもぼくに返事してくれよ。もし出来なかったらぼくは怒らないよ。でも今長く返事しないことこれまで返事しないと、ぼくゼッタイ怒るよ。だからオネガイ、ぼくに返事してください。。。

Quick Puns

I really should be in bed by now, but I figured I'd finish these 3 jokes I've heard during my time in the office. The jokes may be embellished a little but are all true. I heard them all from friends and colleagues. They are all puns so you have been warned. Let the groaning commence.

1. Q: What did one Jap rocker say to the other?
A: Konnichiwassup

2. Q: How do you call an elevator in Portuguese?
A: Press the button

3. After an abysmal season, the Miami Dolphins have just hired a new coach from China.
What was his name? Win Wan Sun.

Okie with that, I bid you good night.

Rhythm is a Dancer

DDR, Donkey Konga, Guitar Hero. All these are games that aren't really in the Super Mario genre or the Doom first person shooter games but are nevertheless awesomely fun when you get down to it. Today, I present a few other ZOMG fast fingers in 2 other rhythm games.


Beatmania, which is a DJ kind of game with a faux disc that you can "spin".


Pop 'n Music, which is kinda like the Japanese version of Beatmania, but it looks like it was designed for people with really big or really fast hands.

Lastly, here's a link to travel tips from Yahoo. You can go check it out if you're interested. It might be of some help.

Birthday Alert!

Happy Birthday to ZhenZ. I hope that as you turn 24 25, that others can more easily understand the mysterious workings of your mind such that there will be less situations where I have to respond with a "Huh?". Other than that, I'm pretty sure turning 24 can only bring you much better stuff than what happened as 23 24 ended. Cheers mate!

Edit: Doh. Messed up the age. So 2006...

2006 in Review

Well I have to send my bro back home tomorrow so I'll try to make this brief.

For me, 2006 was a year of ups and downs. I'll try to recap the highs and lows here so we can laugh together at the good times and laugh at my bad times.

1. The Shanghai Girl thing didn't work out. I guess the 默契 just wasn't there. Next...
2. Realizing that having 9 credit hours in a semester meant a lot of slacking time. And time for a lot of video games.
3. Become a semi-pariah due to said semester workload.
4. Trying to cherish the last few months with friends that I might not ever see again in my life. Although I believe that in the end, 有缘相见, we will met again.
5. Rushed and jumbled through my final semester as a semi-lazy bum. Nearly died due to a lot of bad luck and misjudgment on my research. Which has taught me to always do your best. 做事要认真.
6. GRADUATION. Finally, after approximately 100K USD, 3 years, 20kg of caffeine, countless brain cells and about 2 solid months spent in the library lounge, I was pushed into the world. Kicking and screaming about how I didn't want to leave my friends and school. But if there's anything I learnt from previous graduations, it's that good friends tend to stick around. And I get the chance to get bragging rights to be the first to earn USD amongst the Fubar gang. Haha.
7. The frantic summer time search for gainful employment. I didn't have the foresight and doggedness of some of my classmates and I paid for it during summer. 20 applications a week for a total of around 100 netted me 4 interviews (phone & physical) which landed me 1 job offer. All in all, I consider myself lucky that I could land a nice job on such long odds. And now I had the bragging rights in the bag.
8. First job jitters. I went to work so nervous I forgot to remove the size sticker on my brand new khakis. (I'm sure Ebof will find that story familiar, haha). When I first started out, I was working from the conference table in the middle of the office. Now I have my own desk! And I have a monitor and keyboard to go with my laptop! Definitely moving up in the world... To top it off, I got my own phone! That means I don't have to hijack my colleagues' anymore.
9. First plant trip. The sights!! The smells!! And I think the smell is what will remain with you, even longer than the sights... The smells!!

And that was 2006 for me. I wonder what 2007 will bring but I'm pretty confident that I'll have more good than bad. How was 2006 for you guys?

I'll post my 07 resolutions another night. I need to hit the sack. Cheers!

Xmas Decadence...

So I hope everyone is enjoying/enjoyed their Xmas vacation. A couple of people I know are/were vacationing in rather exotic locations like Hawai and Kenya. A few others managed to get steals to vacation hot spots like New York and LA. As for me, since I have nobody to spend the money on but me, and nowhere to go but here, I decided to go on a shopping spree. And a makeover of my computer accessories.

So I have a new Garmin 350 Nuvi on the way. Hopefully this will cut down (significantly) all the desperate "Hello, do you have internet access?" calls some of my friends will be getting.

Also, now I've installed a wireless router in my house so that my bro (who lazes around the house all day long since he can't even drive...) can enjoy the internet without disturbing my surfing/gaming sessions. Setting the whole thing up was a lot easier than I imagined. And I just needed to make only 2 tech support calls in total. And Zee, I can now play Mario Kart DS on the Wifi. What's your friend code?

Lastly, I revamped my internet security since my Norton Suite, which was included in my Lenovo, expires in 2 days. I tried to purchase another year's license but the procedure was so confusing, I gave up and went hunting for freebies online instead. What I came up was the Comodo Firewall (free means free) and AVG Free Anti-Virus. The reviews look good and I'll update if they work okie or not.

So all in all, it wasn't a fantastically meaningful holiday but I'm not complaining. Any chance to rest while getting paid is a good time in my books.

May your New Year's Party be more happening than Christmas'. Party safe people!!

Happy Holidays!!

So, it's the weekend before Christmas and to me, it signals the end of the working year. WooTz. Cos my boss decided to let the whole office off till next year, it means that I have a full week of vacation that just appeared out of nowhere. Truly an awesome welfare move.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful year. Personally, the year represented a major shift in focus and life for me and I'm still treading very gingerly into the new year. But I'm pretty sure with hard work and some luck, things can only go up from here. May the new year bring more joy and happiness and moolah to all my readers.

Honestly, I wanted to work in 1 more post about drivers and noobs on Battlenet, but my blood pressure rose too much for me everytime I started thinking about it. Instead, I present a post about what Japanese kids want for Christmas, taken from Japanprobe.com. Enjoy and Happy Holidays Peeps!

Ironic

It's like raaiiinnnn.... On your wedding day
It's the freetixstoWicked when you've alreadymadeplanstogohomeforCNY....

Ah, the delicious irony of freebies when you've already have plans. The best laid plans indeed do often go astray. But anyways, at least I still have the dinner near Wicked that I won along with the tickets at the Christmas party last week. That was an awesome party. It was the first time I saw a salad that had descriptions 4 lines long. High class stuff indeed. The parking was already 41 dollars per night... In any case, a memo to my peers - during parties with people who are your elders, it pays to know retro (mambo) music since thats what they know. The music selection last Friday was very WednesdayNight@Zouk-ish. With hits like "Staying Alive", multiple songs by Belinda Carlisle and the occasional Ricky Martin tune. Unfortunately, no "Square Rooms".

Oh well, at least the weekend was kind enough to give me a free dinner coupon, the goodwill of a fellow colleague, and a treat from a graduate(d) friend. That would be a good weekend in anyone's books I should think.

To end it all, check out this flash animation. Me and my bro couldn't stop laughing for quite awhile after watching it. Unfortunately, I think non-Singaporeans won't fully understand its concepts but its still a good parody.

Wiisome!!

Why the Wii is awesome? Let me show you 3 videos. If they can make more games like these, I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a winner. Raving Rabbids For The Win!! I especially like the 3rd video, smacking crazy rabbits. Everyone should dig smacking rabbits.







Also, there's another video for Warioware. The player has to imitate all the motions with the Wiimote (the white coloured thing) and the game has the irresistible appeal of smacking, not rabbits this time, but your butt in time with the music. Brilliant!!



そして、きみさいきんげんき？なんであうときあまりげんきがしなかったん？いまなにがこまってるか？もしメンドウやふあんなことがあったら、ぜひぼくとはなしてよ。だまっていてはだめだよ。しているだろ。”きみ”というのはいったいだれだ。じゃ、もしネートであえないなら、ぼくにメイールしてよ。

B4 Pple KB Mii Again...

So it's coming to the end of the exam period, hope everyone did reasonably well for finals. Just a FYI kinda update tonight.

1st up, is this post from Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, talking about his view about success and how to fight your battles. He's always an interesting read and this is doubly so as he's imparting lessons to the readers.

2nd thing is, new (as in, never before posted) pics are up. They can be found here,here and here.

Lastly, enjoy the Christmas parties people!! And try to stay sober... Tell next time.

LENOVO (IBM)'S DUBIOUS BUSINESS PRACTICES PART II

So I called Lenovo regarding a problem I have with my CMD prompt. Everytime I type any command in the RUN prompt, the DOS window opens and then immediately closes. Anyone has any tips/hints?

But anyways, as I was chatting with the service rep, they tell me that my warranty expires next year, 2007. I was shocked as I thought that when I purchased my laptop in Sept, that I paid extra for a warranty extension option. But apparently, I read wrongly again... I had purchased a warranty service upgrade, but no extension of service. WTF... I guess my next laptop isn't gonna be a Lenovo. As if I needed further persuading after that previous fiasco...

Making People Famous I

Well, with the proliferation of websites like Youtube, Google Video and Toudou, the self-made household superstar has hit it big. It has never been easier, nor cheaper to do an original production and attempt to promote it to the masses. However, what I am doing today, is not that. I have no ritzy self-promotion video to show you, but instead, would like to show others at their (questionable) best.

First up, please watch the koteh in the backrow, 3rd from the right. Notice his deadpan expression and distinct lack of displacement that so brings out activity of the rest of the band. After that, you can look at all the Asian mei mei's, if you're so inclined. They are the TrebleMakers, NU's only Chinese ACapella group. The song is “听妈妈的话“

It's a nice song, unfortunately, my camera can't record indefinitely, so it kinda gets cut off at the end. Here are the lyrics.

小朋友是否有很多问号
为什么别人在那看漫画
我却在学画画
对着钢琴说话别人在玩游戏
我却靠在墙壁背我的abc
我说我要一架大大的飞机
我却得到一只旧旧螺旋机
为什么要听妈妈的话
长大后你就会开始懂得这段话
长大后我开始明白
为什么我跑得比别人快
飞得比别人高
将来大家看的都是我画的漫画
大家唱的都是我写的歌
妈妈的辛苦不让你看见
温暖的事都在她心里面
有空就得多握握她的手
把手牵着一起梦游
听妈妈的话别让她受伤
想快快长大才能保护她
美丽的白发幸福中发芽
天使的魔法温暖中慈祥
在你的未来音乐是你的王牌
王牌谈个恋爱
而我不想把你教坏
还是听妈妈的话吧
晚年再恋爱吧
我知道你未来的路
干嘛比我更清楚
你因为太多学习的同学在这块写东写西
但我建议最好听妈妈我会用功读书
用功读书怎么会从我嘴巴说出
不想你输所以要叫你用功读书
妈妈交给你的毛笔你要好好的收着
因为不知道是我要告诉她我还留着
对了我会遇到我(周润发?)
所以你对跟同学炫耀赌神未来是你爸爸
我找不到你写的情书
你喜欢的要承认因为我会了解你会在操场上牵她
你会开始喜欢唱流行歌
因为张学友开始准备唱吻别
听妈妈的话别让她受伤
想快快长大才能保护她
美丽的白发幸福总发芽
天使的魔法温暖中慈祥
听妈妈的话别让她受伤
想快快长大才能保护她
长大后我开始明白为什么我
跑得比别人快飞得比别人高
将来大家看的都是我画的漫画
大家唱的都是我写的歌
妈妈的辛苦不让你看见
温暖的事都在她心里面
有空就得多握握她的手
把手牵着一起梦游
听妈妈的话别让她受伤
想快快长大才能保护她
美丽的白发幸福中发芽
天使的魔法温暖中慈祥

So Many Things, So Little Purchasing Power...

So it's finally December. That means that it's the festive season and sales abound. That also means it's the season for many impulse buys, cos there are so many things to buy... But I can't, not really, since I'm saving my moolah to go back and spend time with friends and family. And to have fun with friends in Japan along the way as well.

Yeap, I just got the tickets today. Feb 11 Japan, Feb 16th Home!! Now I gotta get me's a countdown timer or something... Maybe I'll kop (steal) one from my 学妹...

The Mac & the Sexy

After watching this, I have the inexplicable urge to randomly burst out in "Big Mac... Big Mac..." But it's a pretty cool thing to try. Perhaps someone could come up with a local version?


And as promised, the sexy. And if you didn't find that sexy, you're either gay (but definitely not lesbian) or a eunuch...

Holiday Consumerism

So, I changed to the beta version of Blogger and I can't see any difference at all in the service. Can anyone out there enlighten me of the new tricks one can do with Blogger Beta?

Anyways, before I start the post proper, I would like to say a "banyat (typo?) terma kasih" to Abang for the postcard I just received today. Hope everything's going well for you in Egypt! And use more English/Chinese in your blog!! Banyat tak faham!!

Okie, so the last post was before the Thanksgiving holidays and I know some of my readers have been getting on my ass about not updating (You know who you are...). Hence, I will talk about my Thanksgiving break.

So there was a pleasant surprise on Wednesday, the company's office hours were till 15:30 only. However, if the boss doesn't leave, a rookie can't have thick enough skin to leave either right? So I stayed till around 16:15 before leaving, hoping to beat the Chicago traffic, for my bro's place. Maybe it's cos I'm still new to the area, but every time I think I have the timing for Chicago traffic down, it screws me all over again. This time, I entered Chicago very very smoothly. Normally, it takes about 40-50 minutes for me to hit downtown Chicago from my workplace, but I made that journey in like 25 last Wednesday. Unfortunately, that means I was trying to leave Chicago, on Thanksgiving Eve, during the "5 o'clock everyone clusterf*cking on the expressway" jam. Normally,i.e. on a normal Friday evening, it takes me about 1.5 hours to reach my bro's place from work. Last Wednesday, I reached his place at like 18:30, even after I shaved 15-25 minutes off the going into Chicago route. Traffic was horrible.

Anyways, so we had dinner and then celebrated Thanksgiving by sleeping and playing WC3/Dota. On Friday, I woke up early (2:30) to get ready to go to the post-Thanksgiving sales at Aurora. I went there with a friend and I think we certainly did our part to stimulate the American economy. I got a pair of deerskin gloves from Timberland and a leather jacket from CK. My friend... well, let's say I still don't get female fascinations with shoes... and bags...

Oh well, I guess she wasn't the only one to go home feeling broke. Ah Seng has to starve till he goes back home and I think Bob has to start pimping on the streets again.

So that was my Thanksgiving story. Anyone has their story to share?

P.S. I just realised that it's only been 8 days since my last post. Talk about impatient readers... Haha.

P.P.S. Also, new pics are up. These are some of the pics from the Singapore Associations Winter Formal. There are more, but I don't have them...

Princess Leia!! In a Bikini!! Dancing!! ZOMG!!

And I just can't stop laughing at this video. Lolxorz!!

And as a side note, I believe this comic very succinctly sums up the Wii (Last Sunday) & the PS3 (Last Friday) launches.



Hmm... Seems like there are technical difficulties with embedding the video. But here's the direct link.