Island Nation

So clever.

2009-12-17T20:22:24Z

Some differences between "No Country for Old Men", the book and the movie:

- Damn, Cormac McCarthy does not like punctuation. Still, highly coherent! The lack of punctuation gives little indication about the character's mood or tone of voice; instead, it is up to the words themselves to shape this, and a little sarcasm goes a long way. The book demands that you draw every bit of knowledge you have about Westerns and the South to give the dialogue as much or as little character as you want.

- In the same way, it's even more amazing the way Javier Bardem brought Chigurh to the screen. It was almost perfect.

- Sheriff Bell's italicized monologues, quite a bit more revealed about his character than in the movie. Also, the intense dialogue between Chigurh and Carla Jean is much longer in the book.

- No hitchhiker girl in the movie.

It's odd, but because the book is so sparse in terms of character development, the movie seems like the more intense experience. But, I wouldn't say I didn't like the book... I think it's one of the rare book-to-movie duos that work well together and each only enhances the other rather than detract.

-----
"The Neverending Story", the movie, is only about the first 100 pages of the book! xD

Reality nerfed!

2009-12-10T20:44:49Z

Missed a bunch of these commercials about "celebrities" who play WoW :O

Ozzy Osbourne as an Undead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OgYWLSrmlI
JCVD as a Mage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Xe2jyK3rM "Un mouton!!!" xD
William Shatner as a Shaman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyUNDbo2KMU
Mr. T as a "Night Elf Mohawk": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV0DtmxYFuE
"Mini Me" as a Gnome Mage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiOdCroJwx0
Vic Mignogna as a Warlock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ZqcW-xu5c rofl @ him getting smacked by his Inferno
Toyata commercial?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghANtP1JPPg

-----------------------------------------------------------
Must... stop... researching builds in WoW.... LoL @ Warlock guide on "generating [Delicious QQ Beverage]" xDD
-----------------------------------------------------------
Finally figured out Tinkerballa's use of "QQmore" ( she should've been a Warlock, not an Archer-class!)

QQ is an acronym often used in online communication to signify two crying eyes. It is usually used in the pejorative such as"QQ more nub" meaning "Cry more, newbie."^[1]

"QQ" has become a popular term, and can also be used to reply toa poster that the person thinks is whining. It is generally seen as trolling if the post only consists of QQ, for example:

Hunter: Why do hunters always get nerfed?
Reply: QQ

Within the context of World of Warcraft one will often see "less QQmore pewpew", meaning basically "try crying less and fighting backmore", for example:

Player A: Why do level 70s always gank? What's the point?
Reply: Less QQ more pewpew.

This term came from the Warcraft series. The quick way to exit ou tof the game and enter back into the chat lobby was to press alt then Q twice, hence QQ. It also vaguely resembles an emote of crying eyes.

It became a way of insulting noobs and telling them to get out or leave the game.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Reading WoW guides... With recent expansions, it has gotten a pretty steep learning curve >_<

There's also a character named Haris Pilton. XD

I r Procrastinatorrrr!

2009-12-10T04:21:47Z

Hot DAMN!!

WoW's 3rd expansion: Cataclysm!
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/media/?autoplay=true#video
It's fun just to listen to the narrator, if not for the love of the game. xD "Bastionn!"

So the Horde get a shorty race, and the Alliance finally get a beast race. I think it's truly remarkable how integrated these expansions are to the original Warcraft storyline. Still, the Lich King and Burning Crusade expansions are more mind-blowing than some dragon. The land devastation is neat though, great way to throw the players into turmoil... so that it really seems like the Land is Dying, we Must do Something!

It's also odd how the Alliance can go from slaughtering Worgen in Shadowfang Keep... to making them their allies?

The good thing is that I don't feel that familiar itch to play. There is just too much new content that this WoW is very much different from the WoW I remember. Plus the armour looks terrible, I see they're up to Tier 9? 10? Fugliness! Plus they're getting lazy, no more faction-spec gear... Although it could be a good thing, it lets you tell who's who and what. It's really not a good idea to figure out what the other person is according to what kinda spell they throw at you... >o<

Buuuuuut... if the forums are correct, and you can get 1-60 in 3 days, thennnnnn it might be worth the subscription... NOOOO ADA, STEP AWAY FROM THE GAME!!! X_X

I can has ingenuity.

2009-12-05T04:08:28Z

Well, this made me laugh and shake my head over my laughing:
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/11/29/equal-opportunity-pothole/

Duct-foon!
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/11/27/lesser-known-cousin-of-the-spok-is-the-duct-foon/

They should put this on t-shirts:
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/11/17/guess-his-arm-got-tired-of-doing-the-go-around-motion/

Rather adroit:
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/11/08/after-assembling-this-dad-owes-the-curse-jar-143-25/

AUGH!
http://thereifixedit.com/2009/10/20/thats-not-traumatizing-or-anything/

A real documentary.

2009-12-04T22:00:03Z

"Monster Camp": not nearly as embarassing as imagined! There were moments of honesty, coming from the lady in the wheelchair, the girl who made friends, the two brothers, one in his 5th year as a high school senior, and the now ex-owner of NERO Seattle. Also, I found it interesting how the documentary focused on the "real" aspects of the game: the massive preparation it takes to make fantasy feasible.

As a documentary that focused on only one LARP group, there wasn't much variety in terms of players and drama. Despite the explanatory black screens w/ white text (which were annoying), it never really dug deep into the nitty gritty: the mathematical aspect of calculating damage, how defense works, etc. Basically all the stuff I wanted to know, lol. I suspect it serves well as a general introduction into LARPing, for those who have never tried MMOs, MUDs, tabletop RPGs, and ran around as a kid pretending to be something else. If the documentary serves one function, it is to lessen the stigma surrounding LARPing. Which I felt did it justice; the documentary presented the players with dignity (except maybe for Matt, who was as bumbling as you could get, lol)

Besides, it's ok if hot girls do it too! xD http://th02.deviantart.net/fs50/300W/f/2009/285/d/6/The_Baroness_IV_by_orangeish.jpg

Grit in my underpants.

2009-11-28T08:31:34Z

After watching "The Road", real life seems so inappropriate. To come home at the end, to the luxury of clean, soft bedding, only serves to remind me of the film's forlorn setting. I must have taken a longer shower than usual, if only to feel warm water after watching another person's exposure to biting cold. And that quarter of a bagel, so liberally applied with mustard, tasted better and lasted longer on my tongue than usual.

"The Road" is so cold, but a little warmth sputters between the father and son, even though you feel saturated in the Man's hopelessness and constant stress (the scene in the bathroom, almost ready to shoot his son). The feeling of homeless-ness, of no belonging, to wander without a place to go, without a place to rest for long. To feel alien. Well-created by the alien landscape in the film: the great empty freeway, standing like a monolith left behind by an extinct people; an entire mountain covered in dead leafless trees.

And when they stumble upon an oasis of warmth and comfort, it is grotesque when it is torn away just as quickly. You wonder what they survive for, how they can go on after experiencing that richness. How self-abusive it would be to go back into that mire and struggle against the inevitable. But they do. And the misery compounds and threatens to drown you when before it had just been chin-deep. Sure, the movie's ending is optimistic; if you stay long enough, you just might hear the birdsong. But the ache stays bone-deep, leaving me feeling inappropriate, and heavy like lead.

Damn, if the movie makes me feel like this already, then the novel will probably make me vomit depression. Now, off to sleep in my comfy, cozy bed with soft Mimi, who will reside in a Ziploc bag in the event of apocalypse so that the ashes of our planet (and neighbours' cremated remains) may never touch her!!

Gwah?

2009-11-26T03:57:34Z

Hmmm, Lexmark's return cartridge program confuses me. I ordered one from the website, where I saw the price was 5$ off... and that 5$ was reinstated in shipping and handling fees...

On the new cartridge's box, it says "Return Program Cartridge". But it doesn't come with a return bag...

In the end, I saved 60cents.

o.O

Karaoke!

2009-11-25T22:19:49Z

Epica @ The Mod Club
Feb 01, 2010
7:30pm
$24.50 - $55.00

Constricted.

2009-11-25T21:59:29Z

The surface of this pedestal is narrow.

... Tesseract.

: )

Y'alllllll!

2009-11-25T04:19:50Z

If I had a nickel for every Western I've watched, I'd have 10 cents! (I gave 2.5 cents each to Three Amigos! and The Mexican, which pretty much tells you how familiar I am with this genre :D)

No wonder I was so fascinated by Appaloosa. Who wouldn't want as steadfast and heat-packin' a buddy as Everett Hitch (played with such cool by Viggo Mortensen), or as solid a leader to follow till you DIE as Virgil Cole (Ed Harris... why doesn't this man have an Oscar yet?!).

Nice, straightforward story-telling, with spurts of subtle humour, interspersed with dinky "Westerny" music that completely belies the serious mood. Well-paced, brought to a nice conclusion. Nothing flashy, just very well-acted, well-scripted, well-made.

Most memorable scene:
Allie is testing out a new song on the piano in Bragg's hotel... Bragg ambles through the doorway, nursing a glass of something, comes to stand beside her... rests his hand gently on her neck... Allie pauses a little, resumes playing... he leaves.

The neck is such a soft, sensitive place. You could almost feel the warmth of Jeremy Iron's palm, lol

Most memorable dialogue:
Allison French: Aren't either of you afraid?
Virgil Cole: Afraid?
Allison French: That you might get killed.
Virgil Cole: Oh, I don't know, Allie. Guess I don't think about it so much.
Allison French: Well, I'm afraid. But I'm afraid all the time.
Virgil Cole: Of what?
Allison French: Everything.
Virgil Cole: Like what? Hmm?
Allison French: Like being alone. Like being with the wrong man. Not having any money, a place to live.
Virgil Cole: I'll look out for you.
Allison French: For how long?
Virgil Cole: For as long as you need.

^ Sooooooooooooooo sweet, and so manly! *swoons* lol

Avatar touching.

2009-11-20T22:58:34Z

All right, "The Guild" is really good. : P I would say the reality will start hitting the fan in Season 3, when they go up against a rival guild. For now, it's very amusing and relevant!

Favourite parts from Season 2, ep1-4:

Clara having an alt and pwning Vork with it

Zaboo wiping his pitsweat onto Codex's pillow every day for the past week

Very handsome stunt guy (wow, what a charmer!)

Zaboo's only function is raid DPS, lol

"Wait... a T1 line?..." :O

Zaboo's pronunciation of "Lingerie"

Picture of Vork's grandpa

"Bag a douche" technique

Season Two Funny Quotations:
Zaboo: "Oops, I just dropped 8 gigs of RAM down my pants."

Codex: "No! Do NOT unpack my underwear! I will do it, Zaboo!"
Zaboo: "Not being pervy! Just doing inventory!"

Vork: "Warning! Women in general are short term returns. They are not a suitable vehicle for long term investments. Also in my experience, very low drop rate. All I can say is, have fun grinding."

Vork: "I'm about to ruin 72 cents worth of tater tots!!"

Codex: "You laminated my cycle?!"

Zaboo: (whispers while almost kissing Codex) "Zero.... latency..."

Zaboo: (while walking through ghetto) "No worries, I've played quite a number of console games in my day. I know how to navigate the urban landscape. (raises fist) Oh hey, black power!! And brown power!"

Vork: (gestures to door) "This is my bedroom. If you enter it, I will immediately call the police and have you charged with trespassing and aggravated assault!" (gestures to door on right) "Bathroom."

Codex: "I'm not an aggressive person. But I like killing things. But only in-game! I've been through it with my therapist, and I won't pretend it's not a form of sublimation. Bam, red check! Die, metre maid!"

Clara: (to 3 children and hubbie) "Bye my preciouses! Eat lots of cake for mommy!" (blows kiss)
Hubbie: "Ok, say bye bye to mommy! She's got lots of-"
(Clara slams door and plants a bottle of alcohol on table)
Clara: "Clara's ready to go!"

Season One Favourite Moments

Zaboo not being on in 39 hours! 39 hours!!

"Doorstepped", "Floorplanned" = new "owned"

Zaboo coming to the "physical realm"

"Netherhell"

Bladezz's "fag" macro

Vork constantly repeating "This is serious!"

Helm of +5 Sexterity

Codex and Zaboo's first fight

Vork's pack of cheese

Bladezz as retarded cousin of the guild. "Vork, the retarded cousin rides the shortbus. You don't let him drive it!"

"Oops. Woodied."

Maternal instincts of a woodchipper

Vagina loyalty

Babies in the cage

Zaboo hanging himself w/ an Ethernet cord

Seaason One Funny Quotations:
Clara: "Bella, Gabby, tomorrow Mommy is teaching you how to use the microwave."

Zaboo: "I just really think that... Ohhh my god."
Codex: "What's wrong?"
Zaboo: "I... gotta drop some kids off at the pool right now."
Codex: "What are you talking about?"
Zaboo: "I have to go poo."

Vork: "But we need a plan of action to deal with Bladezz and his behavioural problems. It will be more distracting seeing each other. And also... I don't wanna. :-("

Codex: "But, I was quick to establish parametres -- I started crying hysterically and then he put his pants back on."

Zaboo: "Hey guys wait up! Zabooooooooooo!"

Vork: "I want to grow my money, Tink! Not spend it on Cheese Gouging!!"

Codex: "You left your kids in the car?!"
Clara: "Whaat? I cracked the windows."

Zaboo: "So uh, now that the courtship's over.. I figured I could put my, uh, wizard's staff into your mana pool."

Clara: "But I guess Bella and Gabby have been feeding themselves. No wonder they smell like ham and crayons! Should I take them to the ER, or just wait for rainbow poo?"

Tinkerballa: "I want him homeless and logging on from a ditch!"

Tinkerballa: "Hey, get off our healer! She's squishy."

Zaboo: (about his mother) "Last week, I caught her reading 'Internet for Dummies'. If she finishes that book... I will have nothing!"

Bladezz: "Don't corrpse-camp that idea, it'll never rez."

Bladezz: (shock after his modelling photos are exposed) "That's a recipe for locker rape!"

Vork: "So what will it be, repent? -- Or RAPE?"

Bladezz: "Can't believe you newbs owned me. Gratz, this was a real-life teabag."

Zaboo: (about his mother) "Is she gone?"
Vork: "For now. But remember, every boss has a respawn timer."
Tink: "Speaking of spawn: Clara, where are your kids??"

Zaboo: "She dropped some loot for Codex!"

Mama Zaboo Quotations
"I'm like a mama cougar with her cubs. Mess w/ my baby, I rip out your spleen!"
"You can imagine how upset I was yesterday. I went to give Sujin (sp) his bath. He was gone. No note, he didn't answer his cellphone. It was like a hysterectomy all over again.:
"He better still be a virgin!"
"Can't you see? Your babies will be so ugly!"
"Your bald authority has no effect on me."
"How many unemployed ppl have you arranged to gang up on me?"

Mama Zaboo: "Come home with me. Don't abandon me like your father did..."
Zaboo: "Mom, Dad had a heart attack!"
Mama Zaboo: "Out of spite!"

Relating "The Guild" to experiences:
Starting chars are not sexy.
Sad, but true. It's just too easy when you can tell what level someone is by their clothes. Still, it does come down to how he uses his staff. Lotta high-level dorks out there. And one must always remember that starting characters may be funded by veterans. (Found out the hard way, lol) >_<

Non-paid guild masters must find sustenance creatively.
I have yet to meet someone in truly desperate condition (and that anal retentive). Most adults I've met were employed full-time, ranging anywhere from bankers, computer technicians, police officers. The only time where we've had problems was with our server host. A young man in his 20s, who worked tirelessly to run a server as bug-free as possible. We were greatly indebted to him, until he finally could not continue due to studies and cost, and had to pass the reins.

Bladezz farming for Tinkerballa.
Female characters do have some power over male characters, a fact which disgusts me. Which lead some girls to exploit guys... sometimes ending up in the guy sending her real presents. Shameless, if she is deliberately playing him (something I've seen again and again). My experience with that is when I was playing someone's male character, and I was asked to "take care" of this female character, 'cause I'd make a good "boyfriend" for her. I was flattered, but the "girl" had more going under her skirt than me, if you know what I mean.

On the other hand, guys just react differently to a female avatar, and it's not necessarily the girl's fault. Random gifts, guys being extra polite and looking out for you, giving rides and directions. Girls are treated like princesses, lol. Although guys generally bond with guys and trust them way more.

Winkie face as flirting??
Does it really? It's not a loaded emoticon. Often I just take it to mean "in confidence", as a small show of affection, or "Hey, I'm being sarcastic". Emoticons without actions are unfounded! lol

Tink's hostility
I find really aggressive girls usually come in pairs... they often find a best buddy in-game, and if you touch one, the other one comes for you. If you're lucky and befriend one, however, the other one will also trust you and you will have 2-for-1! lol
Other times, some girls act dead serious... and somehow that gets guys crazy. Go figure. lol

Rents = bossfights
No need to explicate here. xD

Gamer Parents
Everybody does think "negligent parent", can't hide that. However, I've met a few responsible parents, who play with their child in-game, or who let their younger ones sit on their lap as they play. They often have to leave the game to take care of their kids... and they level really slowly, so we know they're taking care of their kids. xD

Stuff I'd like to see them tackle:
Guild's day off: what would they do? Hang around by Lake Elvenfalls for a virtual picnic?
New Guild member? They don't have a hybrid/druid yet...
Where's the really creepy goth guy? Or the hyperactive anime fan? Where's the annoying real-life couple who's always talking about their life and not playing?

Shine-a you uppa slice of pizza!

2009-11-20T07:44:23Z

Delicious BBQ-brokered pizza tonight! :D Come on, it has to break a 7.5 out of 10. : P

Good thing it wasn't a one-shot deal... we had plenty of test pizzas to incinerate before tempering the right flame-to-pizza ratio, lol. This, of course, will be etched into our brainstems, for future references!

The good thing about roasting pizzas inside a BBQ was how gooey and stringy the cheese got. You can't do that w/ a convection oven...

Cheese in crust was interesting, we now know to bake that particular crust before adding the toppings, lest you enjoy burnt bottom and raw dough on top. :D

And for some reason there was a lot of saltiness going on with the olives... blame Loblaws and open-air olive bar for that one...

Definitely a good and easy meal for entertaining! A great alternative to BBQing, a break from all the meat roasting. : )

Sweet siren lullabies.

2009-11-20T07:35:15Z

EPICA, FEB. 01, 2010!!!

One of my faves, "Sensorium" (rather cruddy audio... argh):

They have terrible lyrics, LOL. Yeaaaah I get that they're from the Netherlands and all, but gahhh... what is it about European metal that makes the lyrics smack of bad high school poetry?! (some of it was good, so I mean the BAD kind, lol) xD Ah well.. it's cute how scrawny and pale all those long-haired dudes are. lol

Super Happy Music.

2009-11-20T07:21:51Z

Fell into deep like at first listen to Stone Sour's "Through Glass"; 2nd time I've bothered to look at this band (oh yes, I did do that pun!).

* I do like his blondeness, looks like Oskar from "Let the Right One In", lol:

Stone Sour's "Bother" made me feel reaaaal sad:

I wish I had a reason;
my flaws are open season
For this, I gave up trying
One good turn deserves my dying.

Who knew Ada would end up listening to Slipknot? xD

*edit: I do have two Slipknot songs! "Vermillion" and "Vermillion pt. 2". A little different than the 'knot canon, which is prolly why I have them, lol

I'm listening to some of their stuff right now... these guys have seriously good rhythm, multilayered. They have this... not sure how to describe it, but their music always seems to be on the edge, each verse and chorus seems to plummet off one plateau onto another. Slipknot is like 7 songs cut up and pasted strategically into one. I also cannot believe Imeem would recommend them as similar to Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit. @__@ I love their music too, but in a different way. lol

The sense of chaos controlled in Slipknot's music is strong, the way it rises to fever pitch... it's beautiful. Where have I been for so long??? Augh I apologize to Slipknot!! Fortunately, I have a Slipknot source to filch songs from~ I might have to acquiesce to his theory that Dragonforce is better than Blind Guardian though.. lol

So far digging "Tattered and Torn", "Liberate" (sounds like he's screaming "DIE! BANANAS!!" xD), the end of "Diluted".

-------
ArchEnemy is coming to Toronto. O_O!!! But I don't know enough of their music >_< It would be interesting to hear a female singer's death growl.

Faber Drive, Dec 16! (Can pretty much sing all their songs.. guilty pleasure, lol)

And of course, Neil Sedaka. xD

Head-on.

2009-11-16T05:09:32Z

3 essays, Monday + Tuesday. Eep!

But hey, I'm less angry this time around! It's kind of scary when you are writing an essay about a topic that you don't feel you have a firm grasp of... Not to say I haven't tried, because the problem lies in the topic itself: Dialectical materialism, and its usefulness. It's a topic where, if you decide to take it from one angle, it automatically requires 5 other things to be defined in order to make sense. Plus the iffiness of what "useful" really is. If you wanted comprehension, you'd let us do flowcharts!! D:<

Today's sermon was on procrastination as well. xD "Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson that ought to be learned; and however early a person's training begins, it is probably the last lesson he learns thoroughly." (Thomas Huxley)
*Ada avoids pastor's eye contact* lol

BUT! For the first time in my life, I had a dream where I finally killed the unkillable. I think God is telling me something. :D

Blase.

2009-11-14T07:15:15Z

"The Bridge" documentary:

The frightening part of suicide is not what extreme pains people are driven to; it's that, in the end, no one really cares, and life goes on.

Can't say much more without being horribly insensitive to the subject matter of (what I perceived to be) an incomplete documentary. There was show, but no tell. Several times throughout I found myself checking the time and wondering when it will be over. If indeed the director's muse was "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus", then congrats: I did feel disconnected. I'm inclined to believe the reason for this is because suicide is such an internal matter, that any attempts to bring it to light will seem thin or strained. Can't fault the director if he chooses to use that as his line of thought. He did a good job in that case, letting us know that we are just outsiders looking in without understanding.

Why so serious?

2009-11-13T23:22:40Z

Watched "Happy-Go-Lucky", 2008 Brit comedy-drama directed by Mike Leigh.

A very engrossing film, very finely balanced between fantasy (e.g. cartoon accompanianment music and the lifestyle) and reality (e.g. when Poppy surfaces from time to time and acts uncertain or scared). I suppose it is the excellence of the writers and actress Sally Hawkins' charisma that prevents Poppy's character from becoming extremely irritating (ie. driving instructor Scott's reaction), and which also keeps her from being "cheerleader-y" (e.g. preferring to die while laughing, best way to go). There was nothing wrong with her positivity per se... only that I began to feel like her constant bubbliness may be stemming from mental disorder rather than genuine joie de vivre. Poppy is witty, for sure; my favourite parts were the lightning-fast dialogues between her and Zoe, coworkers, etc. Another thing that made the movie enjoyable were the subtle touches: the stolen glances between Tim and Poppy; the fact that Poppy can not be summed up in a bunch of traits, that she isn't defined; Poppy's struggle in saying "no", and her silence when Scott asks her if that was her boyfriend. Maybe the last scene was not so subtle: gee, 2 ppl in a boat on a river, I wonder what they're trying to say. Finally, I like it 'cause it's 'whimsical' without the superiority; free-spirited but understated. I want more films full of innocence and happy, like Amelie (although j'aime Amelie much much more!).

Pained animal shrieks!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-11T03:01:14Z

$@#$%!#$%@#!$%!#$%!#$%!#$%!#$%!#$%!#$%!#^#^@$%&@%$%@$%@#$%!$%@#^%$&@$&$%^%@

Didn't. Read. Instructions. Lost. FIVE. Marks!!!

When I heard the TA mention that some people lost marks that way, I instantly felt my body drop in temperature because I KNEW I was one of them. Hand reflexively covering mouth. Curse word came unbidden (but unspoken) to my lips. I resigned myself to a 60, trying to condition myself to not react badly if it were worse than that. But the victory was hollow when I saw the 71. RIGHT on the class average. But I'm disappointed, this was such a stupid way to lose marks. *headdeskwithnails*

It's kinda funny: me being stupid is what the class average is. -________________________________-

Asian Invasion!!

2009-11-07T15:08:45Z

A rare Chinese song on my radar:

Raymond Lam - "Loving with no Regret"

(This vid's great b/c there's pinyin AND English translation! Yes, my rare Chinese song usually originates from TVB shows. XD)

This video, and many others like it, are one of the main reasons why I dislike Chinese pop music. It's all about heartbreak; the singers sound on the verge of tears, and it's very rare to find a singer who is also a songwriter. Parts of the video are invariably shot in slow-motion, take place in either a musty corner/sunlit bleached room, and have close-ups of the singer's thousand-yard stare. There is usually a male/female counterpart to the singer, and they act out little skits over the course of the video, depending on the song's content. You watch enough of this stuff, you'll feel like you're supposed to feel heartbroken all the time! And God forbid you start watching Taiwan/K-dramas... O.O Although I do prefer the cleanliness & naivete of Asian dramas, over the excessively raunchy and basically immoral American dramas.

You can understand how karaoke became much more popular in Asia first; the melodies are easy to learn, and easy to sing along to (kinda like Avril Lavigne songs!). Not saying this is a bad thing. Something has to be said about composing easily-digestible melodies that hook into your brain that have you humming them subconsciously...

Can't.. scrub song from mind!! Aughhhh! I need some level-2 psychic dissuasion!!

Homemade experiments.

2009-11-07T04:02:04Z

Notes for next burrito creation night!
- Ground beef instead + less beer&limejuice flavours!
- Store-bought tortillas, for sure...
- Cooked salsa (more flavourful, less raw garlic, gah)
- Somehow add more flavour to Mexican rice... I think tomato paste would taste yummy in it..

Not bad though! No stomach aches, no diarrhea :D

Can do in my kitchen on Fridays, when mom is out @ church group :]

--------------------------------------

Globus is EPIC rock!! Taking existing trailer music and fuuuuusing them w/ orchestral hair-raisingness! Complete with choir.

This music is amazing O______O

Stuff happens in November!

2009-11-05T06:32:44Z

Ada headlines today:
1) Exam time means baiting fellow students with notes, to take advantage of their skipping!

2) MUTINY!! I've decided, and am finally quitting WiReD.
For the last year or so, WiReD's recent articles have bordered on boring; although extremely well-written, the topics fail to inspire me the way they used to. No longer do I eagerly tear open the plastic wrapping, sniff the new magazine smell, and work my way solidly through from first page to the 'Artifacts from the Future' in 2 very extended sittings. So, as of I believe April next year, when no colourful, heavy papered magazine lands in my mailbox any more, I will feel a tinge of nostalgia every time I see a copy of WiReD on the bookshelves. It has been a beautiful and inspirational 3 years, WiReD~
Add: I did subscribe to SciAm Mind though. ;) Although that 6-month subscription will end about a month after I stop receiving WiReD... boy, I'm gonna get serious magazine withdrawal around springtime, lol

3) Apparently there's a film class before my Wed's class. Might come in early on those days... lol

4) Finally, my curiosity about the only part of Hart House I couldn't access has been satisfied: the Soldier's Tower opened, in anticipation of Remembrance Day. Magnificent, glowing stained glass, talking to an elderly lady who recounted that the poppies really do grow between the crosses... and seeing all those artefacts, imagining that they were treasured and held by once-living people.

Unsure.

2009-10-29T02:46:11Z

Exercise makes everything better. Sweat out all that frustration, worry, fear that's kept inside. : )

Brrrrr.

2009-10-28T03:55:14Z

Recalling a winter dream, to fit into Calvin's film project schedule : P

I am walking along a tubular underground tunnel, with someone familiar and comforting by my side. The brown brick walls absorb the sound of our feet; ahead of us, a bright, all-suffusing light. We come up and out of the exit... onto a resplendent winter field and hills. Snow drapes over all contours, softening them, turning them to plush padded ground. The sky is clearest blue; barren trees far into the distance, hedging this tranquil unspoiled land. It is not cold at all, no chilling winds, just a pleasant balminess. And the light: it is like the light of dawn, that diffuse brightening of the land... but also like the light that comes when it is snowing steadily, without wind. I turn, smiling radiantly, to the familiar person... he smiles back, and we gladly embrace. His sweater is soft, woven grey wool, smelling of soap; it tickles my lips. His face is no one I know in reality. In that unspeaking dream knowledge, I know he's brought me here to show me a secret place.

We walk a paved road, snow falling gently all around us. Black oil-burning streetlamps appear occasionally along the path, unlit. Unnecessary, really, the light is everywhere. We arrive at a frozen pond, and already he is skating, encouraging me to join with a joyous grin. My first steps are shakey... but soon enough, I am gliding along effortlessly (just like in real life! har har har). No fear of falling, the ice smooth as glass, no friction, just skating on this untouched pond, laughing out of pure enjoyment.

Then we are walking again. Another surprise, right around the corner behind bare branches. I know it is a child's playground, I see it in my mind before I see it in the dream. He smiles at me. The sky overhead is softest dove grey.

The end!

------

Another dream I had involving ice and snow... is rather ridiculous, lol

I am a panda, with 2 brother pandas. We are lost in a temperate forest, the air is bitingly cold and the muddy road we are following is frozen. It's growing darker and darker, the trees seem to press in, a tunnel around us. We are cold, and hungry... no food in this forest for us. :(

Then, off to the left of the road, we see a tunnel low to the ground, weaved from branches and leaves. It looks constructed, but it is shelter. We crawl inside, me in the lead... it is a bit warmer inside, but it is not ours. I feel like I shouldn't be in the tunnel, and so I push forward faster, reaching the end.

I come out, walking on hind legs... I've become a human, and the tunnel exited straight out of a wall of the underground of a shopping centre. Fortunately, the mall is empty and the exit came out in a secluded area. Again, I get the feeling that I don't belong, that I am trespassing. I turn to go back into the tunnel; I've lost my brothers already, and I crawl along slowly.

Suddenly, a menacing presence! The owner of the tunnel has woken up, smelled intruders and is following our scent, rapidly closing in! Crawling, scraping as fast as I can, the tunnel becomes snow and ice around me. Light from all directions, as if our tunnel were suspended in air. Desperately kicking back some of the snow scratched up by my paws to create a barrier. Reaching the exit, I burst out and slam the snow door onto the tunnel, and run into the temperate forest. The snow melts from my fur.

-------

Bah, I always feel odd when reliving dreams. It feels like nostalgia, that same heart-tug and almost-sadness, dislocation... Funny, because none of these places existed. And yet I feel like I've been there a lifetime.

Johnny Hollow.

2009-10-28T02:43:48Z

In the spirit of Halloween, scaring yourself and having fun:

http://www.johnnyhollowmusic.com/

Beautiful music...

Can't solve these 2 riddles:
Gone
Motherless Child

And ScuttleBuggery... Damnit, I feel like squishing those evil interfering bugs!! Increased rage at level 4!! D:

Burritosis - Part 2

2009-10-28T01:34:32Z

Conclusive Findings for Big Fat Burrito:

Middling amount of steak & a middling price (7.25$ for a regular).

Pros:
Lotta drippings (sauces, sour creams, bean hash, steak juice? I dunno, it was orange!) = one juicy burrito grenade.
Fresh peppers + tomatoes, and NO onions (my classmates, rejoice!).
Freshly cooked steak, hot off the metal sheet thingy.
Friendliest staff, by far!

Cons:
A tad smaller than both Mission Burrito and Z-teca.
Uh... odd to say this, but it doesn't taste like a burrito? LOL It tastes fuggin' good, but it's pretty much smothered in bean + juicy goodness. xD

Next up: Burrito Boyz - Must attempt this megalithic establishment of awesominity~ O___O