Thursday 28 November 2013

#BOOKFILLER - OMG, seriously

So earlier today I was hunting for fantasy book recommendations because I realised that I needed to stop reading so much shoujo manga. I'm turning 30 and I need to stop escaping in a fantasy world where the girls will always be reed thin and even though they're Asian, will always look Pan-Asian. So went on to Good Reads to look up for new and interesting things and made note of it so I can hunt it down on Amazon later.

Anyway, I decided to try my hand at writing a review and one of them was Prince of Thrones. I read a couple of the other reviews and what is it with people actually giving a summary of the story in a review? I mean... that's just ruining the story for everyone. Though maybe that's how reviews are meant to be written and I'm doing mine all wrong but I don't really care because I would prefer to just talk and express my own experiences reading the book and processing everything after.

Couple of hours later I saw that someone liked my review via email. Went to check the site and saw this:



I'm like. Wow cool. Didn't even know anyone would bother reading my review. Then I sort of paused... why does the name Mark sound familiar? Could it be? Could it actually be who I think it is? But then I was telling myself, nah, can't be. Not that I have anything generally negative towards writers and all. Is it narcissistic to read and monitor what other people think of your works? I mean, wouldn't it always make you feel that everyone's just critical of your work? 

Hang on... then again. That is what it will always be like for anyone in that industry. I know I'd feel uncomfortable, nervous, anxious and overly-defensive of my work.

Anyway, being the busybody that I am, I decided to see who this person was.


Cue in my holy crap bananas face. Not entirely sure if liking the post meant he agreed with it... or if he does it with every review that's been written about The Broken Empire trilogy - be it good or bad.

Why am I even analysing this? Ok... going back to bed.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

#NEWKICKS - OMFG! DUNGEON KEEPER IS BACK!


OMFG! I grew up on this game and I loved loved loved loved it so much and now it's BACK!

And I can play it on my iPAD and oh my god, I'm so glad that I went and googled it to see what's the latest developments and saw that they FINALLY RELEASED IT!

Sure it's not going to be exactly the same as how it was so many years back (I was 15 then when I was obsessed with this game). Can't wait to try it out.

PURE HAPPINESS!

#FILLER - Lame TV shows

Whose past time isn't channel surfing?

The boyfriend and I were having an evening in and tuned in to Comedy Central. It's got good stuff, good fillers but there's this show called Ridiculousness which is, as its name suggest, absolutely ridiculous.

And it's crap.

The videos they show aren't funny and the guy who hosts it, just looks like he's trying too hard. So you take a bunch of videos from YouTube and have a bunch of celebs who watch it and laugh and how does that work exactly? The videos you choose aren't funny. You're not even hilarious as a host. In fact, the choice of videos can just be too painful to watch.

Class A douche-ism.

I don't know how you're able to laugh and derive so much humour and entertainment from watching people get injured and hurt. Sure... probably a lame spin-off America's Home Videos. But at least that has some non injury related video clips which are genuinely funny.

One final thing, does the guy even have rights to taking the videos off from YouTube and putting it on his show? 


Friday 22 November 2013

#LOVE


#WEEZERFANGIRL

So, while on the topic of music, thought I'd revisit a couple of bands that I listened to whilst growing up. I know Weezer isn't nerd rock, but I always thought them as so. At the point of time when my mates were all listening to Britney Spears and other random boybands (911, Code Red, Five, etc), I was listening to Rivers and his band do their thang.

Weezer was always one of my key music influences when I started my band (no, you will never know its name). We even covered Hash Pipe.

Weezer covering Foster The People's Pumped Up Kicks


Weezer covering Radiohead's Paranoid Android


This could be a hit or miss depending on the people. I know Rivers Cuomo can't hit the high notes but he made an effort and I guess, sorta added his own flavour and twang to it. The band did a really good job. Maybe, some argue, that they should make it more of their own than just really trying to copy the original. But the thing is, Paranoid Android is not an easy song to cover, let alone master, and I do believe it's more of paying tribute and acknowledging another great band in the industry.

But let's just end this off with my favourite song out of everything I listen to from Weezer.

Island in the Sun. Because it makes me happy and warm and sunny each time :)


#ANIMEGROOVE - Favourite anime music

There's something about the opening songs for new animes these days that just makes me skip quickly to the beginning of the show. They're beginning to take too long, cut into the episode and aren't as catchy as the ones I used to like. So to wash my brain and ears off the horrid audio flavour of those opening theme songs, I present my favourite anime music.

Tada!


Kacho Oji/Black Heaven - Let Me Go, Let You Go

I remember watching this anime a long time back and the opening theme song was so catchy. I think it was what inspired a couple of songs that my old band had come up with. Grunge rock and a little girl screaming (that would be me). But the best song was the one that was played in the last episode, it really brings to mind old school rock. The way music should be, not the crappy teeny bopper stuff you get on radio these days.

Then again, I am and oldie.

So hope you enjoy this. I think it was the music that made me enjoy the anime so much. Truth, that I would rewind back to listen to the opening theme song before watching the show.

Brilliant Green - Ash Like Snow


I never liked any of the Gundam series. Ok, maybe just one movie. But the rest weren't much to my liking. I think Gundam Waltz was what killed it for me. But when Gundam 00 came out, there was just something about it that really appealed to me. Perhaps it was the character development, the variety of personalities, the comic moments coupled with the more serious ones. I never cried watching an anime before till this one. And I even watched that episode again and cried, again.

Judy & Mary - Sobakasu (Freckles)


Ok so Rurouni Kenshin wasn't the first anime that I watched (it was Akazukin Cha Cha), but the opening theme song was just so so so catchy. Not to mention, it's meaning was freckles and I felt it was my theme song (because unlike the rest of my siblings) because I had (and still do have) freckles.

I also just like the general vibe of the song. Upbeat, lively, catchy. And well... I did learn the lyrics to the song but could never get to the high notes like the lead singer. Still, if you were a Rurouni Kenshin fan (not Samurai X please), I'm sure you'll remember and be able to appreciate this :)

Asian Kung Fu Generation - After Dark



And finally, the last anime song that I love. This was when I first found out about Bleach after having read the manga. By the way, same band also did the opening for Full Metal Alchemist (and that is one powerful kickass anime that you MUST MUST MUST watch!).

Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Rewrite



Honestly, sometimes I think AKFG is like the Asian version of Weezer.

Thursday 21 November 2013

#INGAME - DireTide


So this is something relatively new from the DoTA team. I don't know when exactly it went up because I haven't been playing much of it as of late (too busy trying to find that one perfect anime to end my boredom). It's something of a belated Halloween event and involves candy. Getting candy, feeding Roshan with candy and killing the enemy. I had so much candy at one point and then Roshan was chasing after me. I didn't even know how to give candy. But anyway, died. It was fun though.


I have to admit that it was really cute. Announcer voice was pretty sexay too (though I know it was Death Prophet, kinda apt eh?). Gonna try another game. It's hilarious and cute and I still don't know what the hell is going on nor what the hell I'm supposed to do. But better than being trolled by newbs who can't even compromise on buying a courier when they don't know how the hell to use their Drow/Sniper (yet fervently insists they do).

Tuesday 19 November 2013

#RANDOMFILLER - What the? I don't even.

Randomly googling (because yeah, that's what the interwebs is sometimes for) and I came across this term in the forums.

Weaboo.


The fuq is this shit?

Then I go and find out about it and:


Now... I'm just hoping that I'm not a weaboo or that I come across as one just because it's been awhile since I was hooked on to anime and seriously, I gave up on Naruto and Bleach. I don't want Inuyasha (is that blasphemy?) and I am predominantly a mecha-type of anime watcher, fan, enjoyer, whatchamacallit.

Ergh. Just don't call me a weaboo.

On hindsight, I might have been seen as one when I thought Code Geass was yet another Gundam Wing-esque kinda anime without having watched it and was rambling about it and so... maybe just at that point I may have been an ignorant douche-ish weaboo.

But now (and judging from my prior posts on anime) I think I've graduated from that oh-so-degrading class.

Please don't let me ever be associated with that. Ever.

Monday 18 November 2013

#GAMEFILLER - C'mon Sushi Cat!


I played Sushi Cat a long while back and decided to revisit it. Now I'm stuck at this stage (have been waiting for a pretty damn long time now) for the cat to get to the finish line. It's so fat, it just keeps bouncing around and past the barricades or is just being squished back in the middle.

Oh woe.

#firstworldsushicatproblems

Feel like some cat and sushi, click here.

UPDATE: OMG HE FINALLY WENT IN AND I WASN'T WATCHING DAMN IT!

Friday 15 November 2013

#MOVIEBREAKDOWN - The Internship



What I'm telling you is truth.

I turned 28 a few months back and I had been feeling a little demoralised. Hitting the big 3-0 and not really having much to show for in terms of my accomplishments. I had been job hopping, losing the drive and momentum in each, or even when I was doing well, there was just something going against me. I packed up and tried to find my own way, my boyfriend being my pillar of support and always encouraging me and telling me that I was special and one day I'll find my purpose in life.

I have to admit that I lost hope more often than not and each time I wanted to embark and start on a new project, I feared the imaginary rejection and failure that nothing was going to fly. That I was just going to tumble back to square one and basically not get anywhere.

Then we watched The Internship. The movie really struck me in more ways than one. I understood, knew how Wilson's and Vaughn's character was feeling. I was starting to feel as if I was no longer relevant in the world, unwanted and un-needed, slowly becoming obsolete. I knew I had years of experience in other things, remembered when it was that I knew so much and was able to share so much information, knowledge and expertise on things.

I may not be able to work in Google. I have zero coding knowledge. I can't do sales, well maybe I can, but no on the level as the two men do. What I did know was that I had knowledge and I came from the pioneer batch that first rode on the waves of social media. I was blogging and creating websites and layouts before all the wannabe bloggers sprouted up. I knew people from all across the world and hell, even one of my blog layouts got ripped off and you know what they say - imitation is the best form of flattery.

I may be old, but I have wisdom. Growing up and learning from past mistakes. Softening in some areas, growing a spine in others. I know what I want and I know that I can get what I want, provided I'm given the right kind of stimulus.

Right about now if the boyfriend is reading this, he'll be telling me "I told you so.".

So I'm taking that first step again. Taking the plunge. I'm ready to face failure and rejection, take it in stride and turn it into a strength. I'm ready to face the world.

Hollywood and its movies may be filled with half-truths and falsities. But it's built on an innate human desire to be reach out and connect to something, to its audience and this movie has done that for me. Back to the movie review, it's very typical in terms of plot and pacing. Even the conflict and crisis points are anticipated. The movie isn't mean to be very deep and complex, characters were fleshed out evenly and realistically enough. You know it's going to be predictable, that they're gonna win or get something good out of it in the end. 

It's got entertainment value and if you're a sentimental slushie like me, might appeal to you on the inspiring level. Wilson and Vaughn make a very good comedic duo and I did like Wilson's performance in this. Wasn't half as annoying as some others.

#BOOKFILLER - Witch Wraith


I'm about three-quarters through the book right now and as always, like every other Shannara book he's churned out, Terry Brooks has got me biting my nails down to the stumps. I love the way he paces the story, even when it's switching between characters and momentums. It's effortless, it's smooth and I just don't know how is it that he does it but damn does he do it so well.

Spoiler alert. At the bit where Railing Ohmsford managed to get his great grand mother from the Tanequil but the only problem is that she wasn't released as the Grianne Ohmsford at the end of the old book but as what she was known before - the feared Isle Witch.

I can't help it if I'm so biased towards Terry Brooks and the Shannara series, but it was the series that truly opened my eyes to fantasy books and changed the way I perceived fantasy books in general. It was how I got to know about Anne McAffrey, Mercedes Lackey, Trudi Canavan and more. Pratchett came much earlier but I considered his more satirical than true fantasy.

I still am a huge fan of Lord Vetinari.

Be back to update more and oh yeah, since I got bad beat in poker again decided to lay off it. Was getting annoyed with DoTA 2 but I did get back on the FarCry3 track and am making some progress (I finally figured out the stupid mistake I was making when trying to takeover one of the radio towers on Hoyt's island).

Tuesday 12 November 2013

#POKERFACE - Freeroll Tournament

I haven't been on Stars in awhile. Or that I have but lose interest. Mainly because it's been turning into a donk fest and everyone shoves with garbage hands. AA gets cracked by 10 6 offsuit. A high is beaten by an idiot who plays with 7 2 and hits a bottom pair.

So yeah. The game has been tilting me and making me re-evaluate how I play the game. Or rather, make me question if I even know how to play the game. 

Today I decided to take a break from DoTA 2 and the PS3 and play the well-known donk fest on Stars that's the $100k Privilege Freeroll. I was sitting out for awhile because cleanliness is next to godliness and my workstation was a mess. Came back and saw I was still alive (thought I'd been blinded dry) and sat back in. With just about 1k left, figured why not try my luck and shove. After all, I'd given up on ever cashing out or even lasting more than a few hands.

There will always be a Russian at the table and they'll always be the aggressive shovers. More often than not, it's with garbage and from past experience, they somehow get there with garbage. Decided that I should play their game and be a jerk. The following two BOOM! replays are against the same guy. 


After this, I think he was pissed and wanted revenge. So ok, let's try it again. He must have thought I was such a donk to be calling with garbage hands. This time, I had a legit hand. Usually, AK gets cracked, from several painful past experiences. This time, maybe Stars wanted payback on this jerk.


By the time he was playing his next few hands, which wasn't against me, he was realllllly on tilt. He kept shoving and shoving and then finally busted out. Hurrr. Right now I'm still in the tourney, not too sure if I'll last long, but we'll see if I can at least survive till the players wind down to 1,000k players or so. Total number of entrants is 12,460. I think I can chill for awhile and read kotaku.

Just another memorable hand for me before I log off. My past self would probably chicken out after I've seen the flop but somehow, I managed to grow metaphorical dinosaur balls and see this hand through. Fortunately, I was rewarded. On hindsight, maybe I should have played it as if I had the A. Would have made the other K6 think.

Never used to have the balls for this kind of flop.

UPDATE! 3hrs and 41mins later.

I'm still alive and we're down to 69 players. Had help and a lot of encouragement and advice from the boyfriend to go for this hand.

I rarely play with a small pocket pair. Unless I'm on tilt.

I was top 20 for awhile with 450k in chips but lost a big hand and down to about 100k. That's ok. At least I'm in the money (or ITM as they call it) and if I bust out now, I'll cash out $2. Not bad considering that I profit about $1+ as I paid $0.30 for an add-on.

Ok back up to 300k. Have to thank my boyfriend really for teaching me how to read the opponents, to not be afraid and have faith in my cards and to make the calls.

Love you baby!

FINAL UPDATE! 4hrs and 15mins later.

I'm finally out! Just happy to get it over and done with because (a) I was hungry (b) I can't multi-task that well (c) my bum was getting sore. But hey! I cashed out more than I envisioned myself to and I lasted longer than I normally would. It's given me just a little bit more confidence in the game but then, we'll see what happens at the next freeroll. In the meantime, happy little victory dance for me and I can finally finish up my dinner and watch my anime while I'm at it.

Gosh, I'm such a nerd.


Sunday 10 November 2013

#MOVIEBREAKDOWN - THOR: The Dark World



Sometime last week the boy and I went to catch Thor: The Dark World. Wasn't really expecting anything because I'm not a huge fan of Thor (gimme Tony Stark anytime yo!). The main selling point for watching this was of course, for Loki. Out of all the villains I can think of right now, Loki's perhaps the most charming one of all. Maybe because it's Tom Hiddleston who wore the crown and mantle so well, or that he was given such a deviously brilliant script and character to act out.

I don't know but I like his witticism and humour. Dark and always pulled off with a smile.

The movie in itself was kinda meh. Effects were awesome but well... it centers too much around Thor and Jane Foster (like duh, I suppose it is a show about them ultimately). Didn't quite like Natalie Portman's performance in this. Some bits were ok, the rest were just... I don't know. It felt as if she was a Mary Sue. Someone wrote her character like how Meyer writes Bella Swan. At least that's the impression I got.

Asgard looks beautiful though.

What my boyfriend thinks:
I thought it was rather amusing. I thought it was very entertaining, from the start till finish.
And then I asked him why?
Because I was watching it with you and nobody else. 
Boyfriend has a way with words, always trying to make me melt >.<

Friday 1 November 2013

#RANDOM - Falling Skies and every other apocalyptic show there is out there

I am a weird person.

I like watching shows when I'm having my meals. My family doesn't have the typical "let's all sit down together and eat" kinda family meal. If we do, it's usually because of some fancy occasion, like birthdays or celebrations or when my sister and her husband decides to drop in over the weekend. As such, I take my meals in my room and in front of my macbook. I know, super nerdy and classy right?

I found Falling Skies while browsing through sidereel. It's a science-fiction show that revolves around humanity's fight for its specie survival against alien invaders. Looking through the cast, I only remember one guy, who also happened to be the lead. Noah Wyle from E.R. Back then, so much younger and youthful looking. In Falling Skies, he sports a shaggy beard and even shabbier clothes. That's because washing machines and dryers and laundromats don't exist in the post-apocalyptic world.



It's an intense kind of show and the main plot twists a fair bit here and there to allow for side stories. I had to skip a couple of parts because at times there tended to be way too much dialogue - all the human need for interaction and bonding and reminding oneself that even in the midst of this despair there is some hope blablabla. The fight scenes against the aliens are incredible and realistic. They really do spark some sort of emotion in you, as if you feel that you too need to fight for your own survival.

Character-wise, each individual evolves and grows over time. Children grow up from being carefree to battle-hardened and wary. Upon finding out that the aliens are able to mind control, people start to be suspicious of one another. To add on top of that, even humans fight against one another. Brings to mind again about an earlier post I had written about how humanity needs to be able to survive in a community yet will still find themselves in conflict with one another even when that community is essential for every individual to have a chance to survive.

Liking It:

I kinda like most shows that are post-apocalyptic, within reason. In this case, it's succeeded in having a varied cast, an interesting and stable plot as well as good development - side plots and characters. It evokes emotion and makes you think and reflect about your own identity in the real world. In some shows where the deaths of others are not mourned as solemnly, Falling Skies seems to make it a point to remind its audience that death is important and that remembering those who have fallen, no matter the situation, is important. In an uncertain future, the only way to retain sanity and that desire to survive is to remember the better times and to be able to achieve that same stable better and happier future through this seemingly never-ending fight.

Not Liking It:

There were a fair number of boring chatty bits. Too much talk eating into all the time that's needed for action. I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't some Street Fighter movie and the human and inter-specie politics is every bit as essential in keeping in line with the main plot. Though I just wish they could phrase and package everything succinctly instead of beating about the bush.

Overall:

The fact that I'm waiting for Season 4 to come out and was so giddily excited when I managed to get and watch all the episodes for Season 3 must mean something. Each time the episode ends, it's with a cliffhanger and it drives me nuts to have my heart beating so fast knowing that something big is gonna happen.

Rating: 4/5 (would have been 5/5/ if not for all the chitty chatty talk)

#ANIME - Suisei no Gargantia


Suisei no Gargantia is an anime that starts off first in the future. Humans in mecha suits fighting against giant squid-like crustacean alien creatures. The synopsis for this anime on the website was a bit misleading.
The story begins in the distant future in the far reaches of the galaxy. The Human Galactic Alliance has been constantly fighting for its survival against a grotesque race of beings called "Hidiaazu." During an intense battle, the young lieutenant Redo and his humanoid mobile weapon Chamber are swallowed up into a distortion of time and space. Waking from his artificially induced hibernation, Redo realizes that he has arrived on Earth, the planet on the lost frontier. On this planet that was completely flooded by the seas, people live in fleets of giant ships, salvaging relics from the seas' depths in order to survive. Redo arrives on one of the fleets called Gargantia. With no knowledge of the planet's history or culture, he is forced to live alongside Amy, a 15-year-old girl who serves as a messenger aboard the Gargantia fleet. To Redo, who has lived a life where he knows nothing but fighting, these days of peace continue to surprise him.
So I thought it was a story about a young pilot who was thrown out of time and space into the future, not needing to fight the squid creatures and learning to live a happy peaceful life. Boy was I wrong about that. This is one of those animes where you find yourself expecting pointless episodes after another only to find yourself drawn by the twists and turns of plot development. There are of course, the episodes where everyone's all laidback and having fun with not a care in the world. But like new anime these days, happier moments slowly turn to something more grim and even shocking. I quite like the fact that this anime surprised me and had me wanting to see the next episode because the ending ends in a cliffhanger.

Liking it:

Mecha. I love mecha. Well, most mecha-related shows. It's a bonus because the character develops and grows over the episodes and there are some issues here that can relate to real-time and not just some future fantasy. Illustration-wise, I guess you can say that it's easy on the eyes. The characters aren't drawn too badly, the mechas look reasonable enough.

Not liking it:

Maybe I wish the villains were drawn a little less cuddly. I know they're squids and all but maybe a more fearsome-looking squid? Less like snails, more like the Kaijuu in Pacific Rim. Another thing that struck me as just a little dubious is how I don't know how a mecha that was designed to work in space would be able to function and fight underwater. That's two completely and vastly different environments. Wouldn't water get into the parts? I'm also unsure as to how this mecha is powered or what it is powered by. In the future where electricity and advanced technology seems sparse and difficult to come by, there has to be something that's needed for the mechs to be able to function and move. Then again, I don't think anyone else is concerned with the technicalities. So let's just focus on the plot.

Conclusion:

Having just completed the series I can say that the ending, though a little too convenient, did manage to wrap up the anime. The series isn't long, about 13 episodes long and managed to cover and close the main plot decently enough. There's a valid explanation as to why the lead is unable to return home and why he chooses the path that he does at the end. Following which, it also successfully managed to wean him off the dependency of a mecha (sad because I kinda liked Chamber's personality, even for AI) and eventually have him lead a normal life - one where he makes his own decisions and is able to satisfy his needs and desires.

Rating: 3/5

#EXAGENCYGIRL - Virgin America shows a new way to (enjoy a safety video)


I think the last time I saw a safety video or instruction was when Cebu airline had their cabin crew dance to Lady Gaga. Now Virgin takes a more stylized approach. With the help of Jon Chu who produced Step Up 2, they created a catchy song and video routine for the in-flight safety video.

I wouldn't mind the Singapore Girls doing her thang. In fact, would rather SIA stick to their usual stuff because I hate to see the SIA girl dancing and singing because it might just seem a tad bit cheesy. Now if we're talking about budget airlines - JetStar, Air Asia, Tiger Airways - then that's a different story. I would pay attention, it'd take my mind off the discomfort of cramped narrow seating and a bumpy ride.