Sunday, June 17, 2007
What a Sunday, I spent some time at home to repair the old AMD2000xp computer, after several hours of work, I finally transferred all the components from the old Zhong casing to the new CT-430 casing.
All the components are working just fine, the old AMD 2000+ XP processor and Abit K7 motherboard, only thing that was faulty were a 80mm fan and the motherboard southbridge fan, so I got the stock Abit fan replaced with an ATi copper cooler! Finally got it all up and running smoothly! =) A nice new more pleasant looking casing than compared to the old beige box. All up and running nicely now.
New ATi copper southbridge cooler, on the right is the old CoolerMaster copper cooler with dual heat-pipes
Clear side window
All powered up. Cooling with 3 120mm fans
8:40 AM
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Scams at Audio HouseToday I went shopping with mom, it's a very rare occasion that I go out shopping with my mom, but since no one else wishes to go shopping with her, I am the best person in the house for her to go shopping for IT electronics.
She wanted to go to Audio House to get a cheap DVD-recorder for herself following their active advertisements in the papers. However, when we got there, it was all one big scam, the advertisements splashed all over the media screamed "50% off for all products", so we thought we could get the $499 dvd-recorder for half the original price, which amounts to about $250 for a 60gb DVD-HDD recorder and that's quite a steal.
BUT ONLY IF YOU CAN GUESS THE LUCKY DRAW NUMBER OF FOUR DIGITS THEN WILL THEY GIVE YOU BACK A REBATE OF 50% OF YOUR PURCHASE.
Essentially, NO DISCOUNT. It's all a scam. All the "50% OFF" posters lying about all the place is all fake, essentially because you won't be able to stand at the counter and say "Oh the number is XXXX" because you don't know. Wtf. I got quite pissed when the salesman tried to bluff his bloody way out.
Not only was he incompetent, he was fat, sloppy, definitely lazy and couldn't be bothered with customer service, doesn't know nuts about the systems he was supposedly promoting, and just couldn't be bothered with us, preferring to continue chatting with his colleagues, what #$%@ service it is, moreover, when I took a closer look around, all the products were exorbitantly expensive! A $109 512mb Mp3 player?! Who the hell will spend over a hundred bucks for a 512mb made-in-China mp3 player?! I've never even heard of the brand before.
So in the end, we left the place without buying anything, nor buying the DVD-recorder, if I hadn't gone with my mom, she could have gotten cheated by Audio House. Word from FX. Don't go there.
Nevertheless I suggested that we go over to SLS, and my mom bought a new Panasonic Lumix FX10 camera for herself, it was on impulse but it was a good steal, we spent about $399 (inclusive of GST!), got the camera, plus a 2500mAh lithium battery on top of the original Panasonic 1150mAh battery, a 1gb SD card, casing and the usual stuff.
Highly recommended by FX. The Panasonic FX10 camera, all the usual goodies of my good 'ol trusty FX-7 but with better battery life and other new functions. I also bought a new casing to replace my old AMD2000 xp, it's a nice $60 casing with 2 led-lighted 120mm fans thrown in and a clear-acrylic side window. Got a copper ATi southbridge cooler as well before heading for home.
Ending statement? Don't go to Audio House, or Soong Brothers, they're out to cheat your money. Trust me. FX's word.
8:22 AM
Friday, June 15, 2007
Ocean's 13
Today I watched Ocean's 13.
Synopsis:
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and the gang would have only one reason to pull off their most ambitious and riskiest casino heist—to defend one of their own. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the original Ocean's eleven - Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) - Danny and the gang team up one more time to see if they can break “the Bank.”
FX Review:
It's the 3rd installment to the Ocean's series, yet not quite the charm as the first movie managed to bring across. This time it's about revenge. When one of Ocean's pals, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould) gets royally screwed like so many former (and current) Vegas players when Willy Bank (Al Pacino) robs Reuben of his share of their new casino, The Bank (a clever play on Steve Wynn and his mega-casino, The Wynn). Reuben's heart is so broken that he suffers cardiac arrest and his loyal pals return to Vegas to get some revenge.
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his team put into play the most elaborate scheme you've ever heard of, is a plan to sabotage the opening of Bank's casino in every possible way, including rigging games for high rollers to win and ruining Willy's chances at another coveted 5-diamond award.
The scheme involves infiltrating a dice factory in Mexico (an absolutely hilarious subplot with Casey Affleck), a fake nose for Matt Damon, the seduction of Bank's right-hand woman (played by Ellen Barkin), an "Irwin Allen," and even a fake earthquake. Recapping exactly how Ocean and his gang plan to get revenge on Willy Bank would take the length of an entire review - it's complicated, yet hilarious.
Everyone on camera in Ocean's 13 looks more at home in these character's shoes than ever before. None of the excellent cast phones it in, like a few actors in other recent three-quels could be accused of doing. One interesting thing about the Ocean's movies is, while they were all good in the first film, everyone involved has become a better actor over the years. Damon, Pitt, and Clooney, in particular, have found a rhythm for these characters that works every single time they're on camera and Scott Caan and Casey Affleck have never been funnier (Bernie Mac is the only one who could be called underused in this installment).
What you come to appreciate about Pacino in this movie is how he makes this guy quite human as he runs around making sure everything is ready for opening night. The mechanics of the job are predictably and comically ornate,
The whole movie involves a scheme that borders on incredulity and impossibility, there were many scenes of ridiculous heist plots such as creating an artificial earthquake but the movie manages to mix hilarious scenes quite seamlessly together.
The breezy way Clooney and Brad Pitt (virtually a married couple at this point, going for patient walks together and finishing each other's thoughts) is quite addictive, even without understanding what exactly they and the rest of the crew are up to.
Don Cheadle , English accent still in hand, hangs out way beneath the casino's bowels . Bernie Mac runs a sham gambling charity. Casey Affleck , wearing a great big moustache, infiltrates the Mexican factory where the casino's dice will be loaded. Eddie Jemison tries to rig the blackjack machines. Shaobo Qin impersonates a Chinese high roller. And Reiner impersonates the man responsible for rating the casino, while the actual reviewer (David Paymer ) is put through a nonstop wringer of humiliating pranks . And Matt Damon , as the most hapless member of this crew, finally gets to spearhead his own very important assignment, while wearing a prosthetic beak of a nose.
But once the gig gets under way, this "Ocean's" begins to work. It may be complicated, but the pace picks up, and in slight moments the film is funny. Ultimately, if you give yourself up to its manufactured charm, it all becomes comfortingly familiar.
Overall, not too bad, but falls short of the original Ocean's 11 adrenalin rush, better than Ocean's 12, which was a complete flop. But it's all enough to make "Ocean's Thirteen" a reasonable movie. And probably enough box office to ensure there'll be another "Ocean's" just like it in the near future.
FX score: 3.5/5
6:43 PM
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Today I went to watch:
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER
Marvel's first family of superheroes, The Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet in FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer, comes to Earth to prepare it for destruction. As the Silver Surfer races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy, Dr. Doom, before all hope is lost.
FX Review:
Other than nice special effects (such as the Silver Surfer's sleek silver body) and the torch on fire. There is nothing much commendable about this movie. Even still, the special effects weren't very new either, (remember the T-1000 in "Terminator 2"?) He's got a silver body as well and that movie was years ago. Fire effects aren't very new either. The story hasn't very fulfilling, still it was a commendable effort to put the Silver Surfer into the Fantastic Four story, the movie was quite faithful to the original comic book story and you gotta give them points for that.
After the movie, the silver surfer didn't die, but instead was imprisoned on earth forever by Galactus, never to leave the Earth's atmosphere.
The movie attempted to input hilarious moments, like Sue Storm imprisoning Mr Fantastic in her force field, Mr Fantastic having fun in the club, Johnny Storm exchanging powers with the others etc. But all in all, the story lacked some oomph. Special effects are okay, nothing new, just eye-candy. The wedding fiasco etc. Nothing to set this movie apart from other comic-book adaptations and special effects.
And entertaining movie to watch if you are looking for something to watch. Not a must-watch, but a "watch-it-if-you-can"
Final score, 3/5.
6:28 PM
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
RSAF Dining-In
Today is our RSAF Dining-in! It's a ceremony and a fine dining dinner to commemorate the fact that we are new officers being invited into the RSAF community Officers Corp.
Though it wasn't held in a hotel because of our small cohort, the Officer's mess in the RSAF museum was decorated very nicely and lavishly. Reception went smoothly, and when the generals arrived, we had the mixing of the RSAF spirit. Then went up to the mess.
There was fine-dining decorum to be followed, no sloppy eating, or uncouth behavior during the dinner, and we were entitled to wine and port wine. The whole thing was a 6-course dinner, an appetizer, a soup, followed by bread, then main course and dessert.
The steak wasn't nice though, but the ambiance and company amongst your fellow once-cadets-now-officers is very nice, moreover, the waitress who served our table was very pleasant and nice.
After the dinner, we had the "Kangaroo Court" where each of us will try to charge someone else for something really stupid and trivial such as turn-out and bearing and improper behavior during the dinner.
The wine served today wasn't very good. I got the wine correct, but I got the year wrong, it was a cheap Merlot 2001 wine. I thought it was a Merlot 2004, but then again it was just cheap wine. A very nice ambiance, lots of photos were taken before the dinner ended and we left for home.
Pictures for your viewing satisfaction.
The RBS70 guys.
A Fennec helicopter
Hey, that's a hawker-hunter plane and a air-to-air missile I'm resting on.
5:05 PM
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Symbol of officership
1:41 AM
Saturday, June 09, 2007
65/06 COMMISSIONING PARADEToday is our big day! This Commissioning Parade is like a wedding, you only get to go through it once in your life! Not only that, marriages have become rather superficial in this modern world, but however, you can never be decommissioned and commissioned as an officer again. Commissioning is only once, and it's a moment filled with pride and honour. If you have been decommissioned, it's out of disgrace.
Not everyone will have the chance to go through a commissioning parade. Only the best of the best get into OCS, out of a annual cohort of 25,000; only the top 10% get in and even then, several have fallen out along the way. We've been training so hard for the past 3 weeks or so just for this very day!
Prior to my enlistment I have never dreamt of something like this in my NS life. I know I wanted to go to OCS and was already elated when I found out I got in, even going to the Air Force has already exceeded my personal expectations! I thought I'd just breeze through and try to keep my head above the water throughout OCS in the Army, I never expected I'll go over to the Air-Force. Now that we've gone through 9 grueling months of training, all just for this day, no time to be complacent! Gotta keep working harder!
Today is the day that we've been looking forward to, today we are finally commissioned as an Officer of the SAF.
Take out my white backing for peak-cap and beret, no longer a cadet anymore!
Pictures speak a thousand words, but there's no harm adding a few more ain't it?
The Marching-In
Marching in of the Senior Colours
Forming up
Minister's Inspection
March-Past!
Oath taking
My parents putting on my 2LT rank after the declaration of Commission =D
Hey that's me!
Tossing of caps - Presenting our newly commissioned officers!
The whole parade went very smoothly, save for the lousy performance by the Junior colours, but everyone was just plain happy and glad it is finally all over.
The two RSAF Sword-Of-Honours and me.
So after all the hype and happiness, I celebrated at home with my family by opening a hundred-over dollar bottle of Moet and Chandon Champange!
Today has been a great day =) I want to thank all my friends, loved ones and all those who sent me well wishes today, I want to say, without all the support and encouragement from my friends and family I will not see this day. An officer is nobody without his loved-ones, friends and those whom he loves and those who loves him =) To all that I love and care for, thank you for seeing me to this day! I couldn't have done it without you =)
FX
10:29 PM
