I Am Back...! And This IS Why I Am Away For So Long

Aside from studies and stuff, I have been trying out a couple of stuff on PAINT.net.

And I thought that changing the blog design will be a good idea as well.

Enjoy the new cover!

Meanwhile, I need to catch some sleep...the overall effort is too tiring for me...ZZZ

15 June 2012 -- A Dark Twist To The Tale -- Snow White & The Huntsman

Fairy tales have always fascinated and entertained us when we were young, hence remakes of these classics would undoubtedly lead to many comparisons. We have already known for quite some time that there would be two remakes of the classic fairy tale Snow White in 2012, Mirror Mirror (which was released on March and was supposed a light-hearted take of the story by the Brothers Grimm) and Snow White & The Huntsman (which was released this month).

I missed out on watching Mirror Mirror, partly because I am not a frequent movie-goer. However, my friend recommended watching Snow White & The Huntsmen during a get-together session, so I proceeded to watch only my 2nd movie within the last one year.

In all honesty, I was skeptical of how the movie will turn out, particularly when Kristen Stewart was cast as the female lead Snow White. I am not picking on the casting of the Twilight starlet, because I think she is a pretty good actress but she needs to work on her facial & emotional expressions. (Fanboys don't bash me, please. :3)The movie also features Charlize Theron, who portrays the evil stepmother/queen, as well as Chris Hemsworth, who decided to leave Mjölnir in Asgard and is here as the huntsman. 

Unlike the original tale, this incarnation takes on a darker theme but basically follows the same story arc. Snow White's mother died when she was young, leaving her under the care of her father, who is the King. When Ravella (Theron) married the king and murdered him in cold blood on their wedding night, everything changed. Snow White was held captive in the North Tower for years but managed to escape when the evil Queen, in her pursuit of beauty and power, decided to kill her. She made her way into the Dark Forest but was tracked by the huntsman. The huntsman however decides to join forces with Snow White to overthrow the evil Queen's reign, a la Joan of Arc's style.

On the whole, the movie was not too bad, but was not exactly an entertaining 2 hours as I would have hoped. Charlize Theron's powerful performance as the evil queen Ravella was, in my opinion, one thing that stole the show. One can really feel the hatred and embitterment in Ravella as her pursuit for beauty and power (which includes sucking the lifeforce out of virgins and flowers) drove her to insanity and eventually became her undoing.

Chris Hemsworth also did a good job as the huntsman with a traumatic past, providing scant reminder of the hammer-wielding demigod he is now famous for in the Marvel franchise. On the contrary, Stewart's potrayal as the title character somehow pales in comparison, but nevertheless still a convincing one. Unfortunately, as we all know (and should have figured)...

When Snow White is scared, =.=

When Snow White is angry, =.=

When Snow White is happy, =.=

When Snow White is in a coma, ... =.=

While Snow White & The Huntsman may be the most entertaining flick I have watched, it does offer a welcome alternative to movie-goers. Don't give it a miss! :)

FIFA 13: Finally, no Rooney on the cover photo! :P

After the considerable success of FIFA 12, which introduces many new features that enhance gameplay, it is now time to put our focus on the next instalment of the FIFA series, FIFA 13. FIFA 13 seeks to capture all the details of real-life soccer, and has announced a couple of innovations that serves to further improve on the already impressive features of FIFA 12. This includes Tactical Free Kicks and 1st touch control. As to how these features really influences the gameplay, we would have to wait until further details have been released.

And yes, for the first time, Rooney did not feature on the cover photo (although this requires confirmation) and Messi takes over as the poster boy! Not that I dislike Rooney, but he has been on the game covers since FIFA 06. Surely a change would be welcome, wouldn't it? :)

EA Sports has thus far released a trailer of the highly anticipated game, and here's a tongue-in-cheek review of the trailer by KSIOlajidebt. Don't take the jokes too seriously though. :P

Replay! -- Games Worth Re-Visiting! :)

I admit I am bored to death.

Yes, I remembering writing about me giving a review of "The Avengers", but in the end I decided not to. Sorry. :3

Anyway, I thought of revisiting some of the games I have played before. Man, they brought back so much fun memories. Among all, two games really stood out for me. So...here we go!

1. Robot Unicorn Attack

I played this game back in 2010, and it was indeed great fun. Unfortunately, it got monotonous after a while and therefore I stopped. Robot Unicorn Attack was released as a online video game in February 2010 by Spiritonin Media Games. Basically, the user controls the movement of a unicorn and the objective of this game is to last as long as possible without crashing into any obstacles (something linke Nyancat or Techno Kitten Adventure). The game gets increasingly difficult as the its pace gets faster, making it more challenging to get past the obstacles. The players has three lives (or "wishes", as it was referred to in the game) and the total score is tallied from all three turns.

Fast forward 2 years, and I am playing its remake of the original - Robot Unicorn Attack Evolution. While gameplay is identical to the original, the fun aspect of the remake is that the Robot Unicorn evolves into other robotic animals after a certain number of stars broken in a row.

Other than the excitement of finding out the subsequent evolutions of the robotic unicorn, as well as the fun of dashing past obstacles as the game picks up in pace, this game is attractive due to its looping soundtrack. As you play, the soundtrack "Always" by the British band Erasure keeps playing until you crash and burn. You know the one that goes:

"Always, I wanna be with you

And make believe with you

And live in harmony harmony oh love~"

Yup that's the one. In case this does not ring a bell, allow me to present you the video of this song! :P

In addition, there are also two other remakes of the game, namely "Robot Unicorn Attack: Heavy Metal" (featuring the song "Battlefield" from German metal band Blind Guardian) and "Robot Unicorn Attack: Christmas Edition". Try them at your own leisure. :)


2. Facade



Not something you
should say during a visit to your
 friend's house...

Unlike Robot Unicorn Attack, Facade is an artificial-intelligence based game created in 2006 by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. In this game, the player will reprise the role of  a close friend of Grace and Trip, a couple who recently invited the player to their home for cocktails. This pleasant gathering, however, is somewhat damaged by the clear domestic confrontation between Grace and Trip upon the player's entry. Hence, the objective is to interact and "speak" with the characters, and thereby solve their conflicts, or driving them mad (and risked getting chased out of the house).

The huge selling point of this game, is definitely its natural language processing features and other advanced AI routines involved to provide and enhance a real-life experience for gamers. This also meant the scenario will play out randomly & differently every time users play the game.

However, being a naughty little brat 6 years ago, I would exploit the system and do/"say" wierd things to get them irritated. Nearly every time, I would get chased out of the house beacuse I was deemed "rude and vulgar". However, I did succeed in completing the story once, but I shall not spoil the good ending - it's up to you to find out. :)

2 Weeks, 2 Gatherings! :)

It's been a pretty busy two weeks! Despite such a packed schedule, I was glad to find time to get together with my friends!

5 May - The Ultimate Sports Session!

We had the first of our gathering within 6 days at HomeTeamNS @ Bukit Batok. Honestly, after a long hiatus from gym work, I felt inflexible & was severly lacking fitness. My thoughts of whether I can still survive a badminton match without getting floored were quelled when I seemed to have regained A BIT of my touch. Unfortunately with the awfully hot temperature and poor fitness, I was exhausted after a while. T.T Nevertheless, it was fun as we get to talk and play at the same time.

After two hours of badminton, 4 of us proceeded to play bowling while the remaining two went for swimming instead. I wasn't able to play bowling, but it was still fun to see the rest pit their skills against each other. (In truth, only one of us really knew how to play, but that mattered little as we all were so exhausted from 2 hours of badminton that we can barely focus.)

The three macho men who are bowling (includes diva pose).

Our final scoreline, not surprising since everyone is beat -.-

So 6 days later...

11 May - The Ultimate Makan Session

So after spending so much energy 6 days ago, there is no doubt we should gain back what we have lost! :D

So the 4 of us (me, Zhi Hui, Huay Peng and Eunice) gathered at J-Cube (which is fast becoming a popular among youngsters) to have dinner. Dian Feng came slightly later as he was working overtime. We had dinner at Nando's before going to watch the highly anticipated "The Avengers"! :)

Spot the difference(s) between the signs above and below!

Sitting at a table near the skating rink...and seeing them spin circles (and fall) in front of me. @.@

Shopping spree before the movies! YEEEEAAAAARRRGH!

That's it for now. I guess I'll write about my thoughts on "The Avengers" in my next post. In the meantime, remember to watch this space! :)

So, I Heard You Guys Talk About Salt Lamps...

Recently I have been hearing a lot about salt lamps, particularly from some of my friends. Hence, I decided to check out what it is.

So, what is a salt lamp?

A Himalayan salt lamp is basically a lamp carved from a large colored salt crystal, with an incandescent bulb or a candle inside. These lamps emit an attractive glow and are often used as nightlights or to as ambient mood lighting. Largest producers of the salt lamp are located in places like Poland, Pakistan and Iran.

Prior to understanding more about salt lamp, all I know about Himalayan salt, or Halite to be more precise, was that it is used as a food seasoning, for example the Bolivian Rose salt. Compared to using normal salt, Himalayan salt can better enhance the flaour of the food and brings out a more natural taste. Therefore, using Himalayan salt as a light source is a pretty new concept to me (you may find me a bit ignorant, but then and again, there may be others who still do not know about this. :P).

Note: Some things, for instance the salt lamp, may not work for you but may work for others. Everyone is entitled to their views and opinions. In short, to each his own.

How does the salt lamp work? All we know is that it leads to negative ions in the surroundings, but how? A quick search does provide some information, although not all are entirely true.

There were a couple of websites that the heating of the salt would lead to the release of ions. This is not true, or at least my chemistry knowledge tells me so. Sodium chloride, or NaCl is a ionic compund in which the Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are held together by strong ionic bonds in a ionic lattice. To recall, the size of both  Na⁺ and Cl^- ions are relatively small, thus the ions are closer together and the ionic bonds are stronger. Hence, large amount of energy is required to overcome the strong electrostatic attraction. Thus, the idea of heating of the crystal salt to release ions is not possible.

I am more inclined to think that this has nothing to do with the breaking of ionic lattice of sodium chloride. Rather, it's due to the ability of the salt crystal's ability to absorb moisture in the air (the polar water moleculars get attracted to the ions due to ion-dipole reaction, as the O end of H₂O) Due to the heat of the lamp, the absorbed moisture retained in the crystal will evaporate, and the evaporation of water may have led to the production of negative ions.

The main attraction of the Himalayan salt lamp is perhaps its therapeutic properties. Firstly, it acts as a natural air purifier as the anions released will help remove dust particles in the air. Research has shown the flow of negative ions collide with the dust particles, hence giving the suspended particles a charge as well. The charged particles then bind together, and eventually these clumps precipitate out of the air. The cleaner air also leads reduced susceptibility to sinus, migraine headaches allergies and hay fever and asthma attacks. Henceforth, this also explains the basis behind the invention of air ionisers. While electronic ionisers cost around the same as their natural counterparts, it has been linked to the release of ozone which has detrimental effects on the human body. The Environmental Protection Agency's report on the the effects of ozone determined that a marked level of cellular damage was observed after only four to five days of exposure. According to reports published by Spiritual Endeavors, an online health advocacy and information resource, ozone has been shown to stimulate the body's production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which can cause cancerous tumors to develop from seemingly healthy body tissue.This could possibly be one reason why many would opt for the natural salt lamp instead.

Secondly, the Himalayan salt lamp has been linked to improvement to mental & physical health, allowing users to feel more alert and relaxed. Scientific studies conducted have supported this claim. Our living environment today has far more sources of positive ions than in the past, causing an imbalance in the atmosphere. Most notably, electrical appliances such as television sets, radios and computers are the greatest sources of positive ions, which is responsible for the deteoriation of our physical and mental well-being. The biological impact of cations was revealed in a research done in 1976, when researchers measured the metabolic changes in mice in response to changes to ion charges. When exposed to cations, the rats showed increased aggression and shorter lifespan.

Another experiment was further conducted in Germany by researchers at Goldstein and Lewin Dept of Medical Research to substantiate the claim. Similar to the experiment in 1976, rats exposed to cations showed a spike in their norepinephrine level after a while, but as time passed, a state of exhaustion can be observed in the form of a lowered norepinephrine level. (Norepinephrine is a hormone that triggers the fight-or-flight response, which in turns causes vasodilation and increased heart rate.)

As such, the negative ions released by the Himalayan salt lamp would help balance out the positive ions in the surrounding air, allowing users to have greater sleep quality and greater vitality. It works the same way as taking a refreshing breath of the sea breeze during a walk along the beach!

Another explanation as to why the salt lamp can improve our mental health could be due to the light emitted by the salt lamp. Its warm glow provides an ambient mood, allowing used to feel more relaxed and comforatable with their surroundings. (Although this is not scientifically proven, but this is most likely why salt lamps can also be found in message and therapy spas.)

21 Mar 2012 -- Like A Boss! Episode 04: Cubes and Chevrons

After our last gathering a month ago, we decided to have another one at JCube this time. Unfortunately, Kwang Yueh was unable to join us this time due to work commitments... T.T

Anyway, JCube is the latest shopping centre located at Jurong East. Most people will perhaps remember its predecessor, JEC (Jurong Entertainment Centre) as it featured the Fuji Ice Palace, one of the only two ice rinks in Singapore. However, it was demolished in 2008 and finally made way for JCube after 4 long years. JCube was officially open on 2 April, and he current shopping mall now consists of 5 floors , as well as a rooftop landscaped plaza.

Before, it was the Jurong Entertainment Centre...

Now it has evolved, into JCube!

In addition, the ice rink has been refurnished and expanded to a bigger size, making it Singapore's first Olympic-size skating rink. For moviegoers, JCube seeks to provide you with one of the best movie experiences as it is now home to the first IMAX theatre in the suburbs.

Anyway, we had lunch at Manhattan Fish Market before exploring the shopping centre. We were amazed by the size of the skating rink. It is really, really HUGE! Unlike the previous ice rink which was much smaller and occupies one floor of the building by itself, the new skating rink is now surrounded by two levels of shops and restaurants. As the skating rink was closed on the day we were there, we were unable to get into the rink to play. Hence, all I got were pictures from outside the rink...

After exploring the mall for around nearly two hours, we went off for our next part of our gathering -- Karaoke at The Chevrons! This was a bit unplanned though, so we got a bit lost trying to find our way to Chevrons by foot (although we had fun along the way, doing funny things like taking random pictures etc.). After walking for half an hour (which was much longer than expected as my GPS said we should have reached within 10 minutes) and 1.1km later, we reached The Chevrons.

Inside the Aviary KTV, we were in for a surprise as we were told that Joshua's and my dress code was improper -- no short pants allowed. We had to rent pants for $3 each. T.T

Still, we had fun singing for two hours. Due to a sore throat, I was able to sing a lot, and it didn't that they were picking a couple of Aerosmith songs. So I had to make it up by doing a horrible imitation of Abracadabra and Bubble Pop, to everyone's "approval" (no pictures though, sorry.).