Finally caught the movie Young at Heart... a really inspiring and heartwarming film about The Young at Heart Chorus... a group of incredible singers ranging 73 to 89 in age... who refuse to give up their love for singing ^^x
If you watched tennis, in particular the Australian Open, you would have heard of the bizarre situation that occurred days back at the Hisense Arena...
and finally some comment on the issue =3
Weeks ago I watched and wrote up a post about the 2010 film House of Numbers... now.. I've finally caught the other controversial film in 2010... What If Cannabis Cured Cancer?
In an EW interview last year... Katy Perry had this to say about her hit "Peacock"...
'' I'm hoping it will be a gay-pride anthem... ''
Frankly, the early years of Scouting really rubbed off... and every now and then, there is that urge to wanna chill somewhere with a mini BBQ... however, most of the time, it is such a hassle... you need to get the aluminum tray, the grill, a box of charcoal (that you will probably end up throwing away half), and the dirty inconvenience of lighting it up...
Well, that's where I find the EZ Grill attractive.
Honestly, in an age of choice, I don't mind paying a premium for convenience (Regular size: USD $9.90, Party size: USD $15.50)... coz face it... I rather spend time chilling with my friends, than on all that preparation... being portable, we could store it in the boot of someone's car till use... its a great idea!
And an independent review of the EZ Grill seems to support its claims...
Well, I guess the only thing left is finding a shop in Singapore that stocks this =S... If you know of any, do leave a comment =3
Noticed a glitch over the week regarding the social media buttons at the bottom of the blog posts... appeared that they were linking to the entire blog, rather than the specific post... that has now been fixed =3
Months back, I posted the MTV for "Break Even" by The Script... well... this guy embodies the essence of the song.
Already an Idol to me.
In a cynical world, filled with realism... its thankful that poetic justice exists...
These two songs are the reason to me, why Moulin Rouge still remains my favourite musical... perfectly executed =3
aw.... =P
and it you want a list of the songs meshed up into the Elephant Love Medley... here they are...
"Love is Like Oxygen" – Andy Scott and Trevor Griffin
"Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" – Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster
"Up Where We Belong" – Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie
"All You Need Is Love" – John Lennon and Paul McCartney
"Wicked Game" – Chris Isaak
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" – Desmond Child, Paul Stanley, Vini Poncia
"One More Night" – Phil Collins
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" – U2
"Don't Leave Me This Way" – Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert
"Silly Love Songs" – Paul McCartney
"Heroes" – David Bowie
"I Will Always Love You" – Dolly Parton
"Your Song" – Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Gelivable:
adj. A Chinglish word, be able to excite, make someone feel cheerful. ge- in Chinese means give, li- means power, strength or energy.
Eg: Wow, China overtakes Japan as world's second-biggest economy, it is so gelivable!
Ungelivable:
adj. Same as "Ungeliable". Ungelivable is constructed by Chinese internet users to negate and adjectivize the word of "geli", which is translatrated from Chinese, literally meaning "forcefulness". It is used to express the feeling of unforceful, unsatisfactory, lousy, unpleasant, unfavorable, terrible.
Eg: WTF? Chinese soccer team lost again? against Japan? 0:8? That's too ungelivable!!!
The companion of the forgotten... after a long day in the lab... with really crummy results... its stories like this that keeps me moving on... I'm not as great a man as he is... but in my own way... if I can work towards better healthcare for those forgotten.. then its worth it ^^x
Having a cousin with a glass eye... I can say that these are really intricate items... truly a lost art in years to come =(
Jost Haas // The story of the last glass eye maker in Britain from Yatzer on Vimeo.
One man's food... can be disturbing to another =P
Yes, the acronym for Cheesy Chicken Bites... can be quite vulgar here in Asia
Years later, Galileo's Law of Fall still holds true =x
" Two wood boards are connected by a hinge. A small cup is mounted near one end of the upper board with a tee for a ball on the end. The board is lifted to a certain height, and when released the ball ends up in the plastic cup. This shows that the board has moved farther than the ball in the same period of time. "
You know that you are in much need of spiritual guidance... when you consider crafting a shrine for the Lab Gods... for daily offerings and prayers for good results =P
Interesting hip-hop piece introduced by Nick... light melody with heavy words...
Must say, this piece does sound alot like that of the late Nujabes
If you are a Dropbox user, you'll be pleased to know that Dropbox is holding DropQuest for the next 2 weeks
The Dropbox Content team proudly presents...
The Inaugural Dropbox Dropquest!
If you've been on the forums the past few weeks, you've heard all about rabbit holes, ponies and other assorted potential New Year's treats. That said, I'd like to now invite you to a magic quest through Dropbox and the interwebs in a test that will reward your craftiness, skill and effort. There are awesome prizes, too! Expect to earn some extra space for Dropbox along the way.
Sega has recently revealed that it will be testing Toylets at urinals around Tokyo... thus, harnessing the male competitive nature at a whole new level...
Typically a session in the guys toilet... is sacred and silent... involving lots of avoidance and staring into space... and definitely not like this...
One of the epic theme songs of my childhood...
A cool experiment that can't be done in Singapore =S
The Mpemba effect is the observation that, in certain specific circumstances, warmer water freezes faster than colder water.
Results were out tonight... not fantastic but whole-heartedly thankful that it got by... totally the worst semester ever... with me falling sick every other day, and even taking the exams while seriously sick... just glad its all over ^^x
Now it is just up to the FYP to see where my final grades lies then =3
With Hall Productions around the corner... I've been looking for more interesting ways to do props... stumbled across this idea on Design*Sponge that is awesome!
Mainly you will need single-faced corrugated cardboard... roll it up and glue down the ends... large rolls will form the main trunk.. while smaller rolls can be cut to form the branches.
Okay, this is a rather old article, but I decided to bring it up when DBS/POSB sent me a notice to inform that there will be a replacement of current debit and credit cards come February, to improve security.
Personally, I am not in computing sciences, so technical comments are limited. However, as a user of the cards, I must say that it is disturbing. And after watching much of the series Lie to Me.. I must say that the interview at the end of the segment, with Sandra Quinn of APACS, doesn't boost consumer confidence at all.
Remember, this research was publised in 2008... at that time, the team from University of Cambridge used a cloned card to process the fraud,... However, after informing the relevant agencies, the responses were as such.
Ingenico said,
"The method identified by the Cambridge University paper requires specialist knowledge and has inherent technical difficulties. This method is therefore not reproducible on a large scale, nor does it take into account the fraud monitoring used throughout the industry."
"We have seen no evidence from the Cambridge academic paper of anything we did not know or anything that presents a real-world threat to card security."
The finale of a really cool series on youtube... if you are a video game geek like me, and love to see how they are perform in reality... Immersion is the series for you ^^x
Love the detail put into this L4D2 experiment... especially the health packs before leaving the safe house... *haha* always forget that =P
Well, the tickets to Taylor Swift's upcoming concert in Singapore are all sold out... but 98.7FM has provided fans with a chance at those tickets and a Meet & Greet pass with Taylor Swift.
So here I am, trying to help a friend in her audition for those tickets ^^x Below is the video of her contest piece... if really like it, do help to vote for it on the contest site by liking it here... votes do play a huge part in this contest, so yeah ^^x Thankx a bunch~!
And this is my all time inspirational song from 2010.
Absolutely love the classic rock breakdown at the bridge ^^x really powerful song that interestingly turns the negatively associated "No" into a positive notion!
" ... We all fall short of glory, Lost in ourself...
... No, I'm not saying I'm sorry, one day, maybe we'll meet again...
... No, no, no, no, I will never forget...
... No, no, I will never regret...
... No, no, I will live my life ^^x "
Disclaimer: By no means is this an official list based on any references. This is purely a personal choice of songs that I really grooved to at the clubs/pubs over the past year =3
Chart ratings provided are from the 98.7FM Top 100 for 2010.
Taio Cruz - Dynamite (#5)
Love the hint of Benny Benassi's Satisfaction...with girls handling big tools =3
Flo Rida ft. David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me (#26)
The theme song for Step Up 3D... frankly, I felt that the MTV was more fun than the movie itself =x... and of course, who can forget the Indian version of the song? =3
Usher ft. Pitbull - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (#27)
2010 was a great year for Usher... another great song is OMG ft Will.i.am =3
Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand (#86)
The simplicity of this song just makes it epic... with just 2 words, it is a great song to chant along or mix at the clubs
Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs, DEV - Like A G6 (Not in Chart)
Interesting mix of auto-tune and a catchy tune... who cares what the Asian guys are really singing? Having similar success to 2006's Tokyo Drift by the Teriyaki Boyz... it's interesting that Far East Movement actually did a tribute to it.
Saw this on a documentary that I'll be posting up later... called the Roundabout PlayPump... its an innovative concept ^^x
An interesting observation is that humans tend to stray away from a straight line when walking blindfolded...
Recent research has ruled out a general explanation in terms of biomechanical asymmetries or other general biases... and instead suggest that veering from a straight course is the result of accumulating noise in the sensorimotor system..
And since we are looking at the fastest finishes in games... here is the fastest maximum break for snooker... an amazing 5 minutes 20 seconds by "The Rocket"
At the 2010 Premier League Finals... The 9 Dart Finish... the ultimate checkout in the game of darts... constituting a perfect game =O
Almost done with the template changes... the layout is more or less done, just left with some tweaking over the weekend =3
some changes include:
- Larger blog space for larger videos and images
- Brought back comments to the posts
- Added buttons for easy sharing on Fb, Twitter, Digg.
- Adding RSS (Working over weekend to tie it down)
- Changing the Labels for posts (Over weekend)
Thankx for the patience over the week. Hopefully over the weekend I can edit previous posts to settle into the larger template, and also host images on a 3rd party site.
And yeah, here is a cool video, with the simplest of plots, but still works great!
So, the first goodie of the 2011... Razer has unveiled the Switchblade
Frankly, after Microsoft released its adaptive keyboard... I've been waiting for Razer to turn it into a gamers' dream.
What Razer have now done is take it a step further... possible following Google Chrome's footsteps in venturing into netbooks... Razer is now looking to provide more than just gaming peripherals...
Personally, I really wish that Razer will still take this technology and transfer it to its gaming keyboards for desktops... reduces the clutter/need for a separate gamers keyboard/pad =3
Despite still being a concept design, it has been shown in "flesh" in a demo mode.
Personally, like any Razer device, the switchblade has great marketing and looks really sleek...
However, I do have these to say:
1) It is for hard-core gaming, but runs on Intel Atom Processor?
2) How is one going to hold onto the device, use the keyboard, and touch the multi-touch screen all at the same time for RTS and FPS games?
3) Even if its resting on a table, considering its dimensions, can you really play such games smoothly with the touch screen and not a mouse?
Dimensions:
Switchblade - 172mm x 115mm x 25 mm
Ipad - 243mm x 190mm x 13mm
For casual gaming, yeah. But hard-core gaming on the go? It might be a compromise.
Just caught Scott Pilgrim vs The World... and gotta say I really enjoyed it ^^x
Haven read the comics about it, so can't comment if its true to the rendition and all... but gotta say it is a fun ride... love how smoothly gaming lingo/puns/animation/moves are incorporated into the movie... really inspiring for my script ^^x
and really Kim Pine and her witty one-liners said with a straight face =3
And in light of newer games, I actually have my eyes set on Darksiders... the PC version was released close to exams, so didn't really have the chance to check it out then =S
Gameplay wise it looks like a mesh-up of God of War(sword), Zelda(puzzles) and Devil May Cry(guns), all of which are epic in my books...
True it might lack originality and fail on interactivity/storyline... but if its crams in the best of those worlds, why not? =3... mindless destruction is always welcomed... and he has a bad-a$$ horse!
Now just to wait till STEAM has another offer =3
Recently, I've came across some neat titles on Good Old Games.com... in short, it's similar to STEAM in that it allows games to be bought online and downloaded after payment... the difference is that the games are downloaded as an installer without Digital Rights Management(DRM), and thus, you can play the games, without the use of CDs/DVDs and even keep it aside for future uses, or share it with your friends.
The games sold on GoG.com are also old games... games that you probably played in your childhood... or maybe like me, with a crummy computer, and could only wished to play in your childhood but never did... well.. here is your chance! The games sold on GoG.com are fully compatible with even Windows 7 (32/64bit) without the need of an emulator/virtual machine.. so yeah its really simple ^^x... buy, download, install and enjoy!
There is currently a holiday period sale, and being the RPG geek I am, I've bought...
Myst: Masterpiece Edition (USD $4.19)
Riven: The Sequel to Myst (USD $4.19)
Baldur's Gate: The Original Saga (USD $9.99)
and yes, there are many other genres besides RPG, like Duke Nukem 3D, Heroes of Might and Magic 3, Moto Racer, Descent 1+2 and more ^^x
To understand more about the arguments on the use of Cannabis, one has to understand more about the effects of Cannabis in the body.. the film does touch briefly on this, as I will try to explain here.
The active ingredients of cannabis, like Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), mimic these naturally-occurring endocannabinoids and binds to CB1 and CB2. These reduces the amount of neurotransmitters released, and results in a decreased in sensory activity, thus the delayed responses and "stoning" effect.
In addition, cannabinoid receptors are present on GABA-inhibitory neurons, which inhibits dopamine release. THC is able to bind to these receptors and inhibit the GABA-inhibitory neurons, which in turn, removes the inhibition on dopamine release. This results in increased dopamine, and you get the "high".
The problem with cannabis, is that you have you have multiple forms of different cannabinoids within it... thus taking cannabis as it is, might have mixed results... an example is that THC, the main psychoactive substance in Cannabis, may worsen Schizophrenic cases, but CBD, another active ingredient in Cannabis, is actually an effective antipsychotic drug... so yes, there is an actual need to isolate and identify the individual cannabinoid for medical use.
Extensive research into cannabinoids have also shown that it has anti-cancer properties... and even has immunosuppresive qualities that could treat type II diabetes.. however, it is a holistic effect... treatment with THC can reduce cancer, but is psychoactive and immunosuppresive... so you might not die of cancer, but instead of the common cold.
So, my take is that research should still continue on cannabis, but it shouldn't be legalised... taken as it is, cannabis may help reduce the symptoms of cancer treatment, and even the cancer itself, but unsupervised, the patient might become psychotic and become a danger to the public and him/herself... the long term solution would be genetically modifying the plant, so that it only produces the cannabinoid of choice.. preferably non-psychoactive ones... only then, will it be safe for the public to start growing them legally in their backyard... at present, medicinal use of cannabis should be under a doctor's supervision and observation.
That being said, one should still avoid smoking the traditional rolled-up joints even for medicinal cannabis, as the incomplete burning process still produces carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs), which is carcinogenic. Instead, use a vaporizer or a "bong" for a cleaner burn.