Wandering thoughts in a Beautiful World.

Well, it’s almost upon us. The Year of the Rat, and 2008. This year i’m thinking that perhaps i should do something different when she arrives on Christmas Eve, instead of the usual dinner/dance/movie. She’s hinted a little at what she wanted for the coming year, and i’m certain i can give it to her. So perhaps, and jus perhaps, this year will be the best year of them all.

Last couple of days have been a major rush for me. On Top of EOY 2007, which turned out to be a very interesting event, i’ve also decided to replace the old Ro-guardians forum, which had been hacked and deleted,before being restored back to August. Not that i care in the least sense, since the last administrator played shadow games with the whole lot of us. In any case, here’s the link to the new Official Ro-guardians at www.ro-guardian.org. well anyways, on to other stuff, I’ve made arrangements for christmas eve, as well as with m folks being out of town, it’s time to party a little more, in my own way. Pictures will be posted up soon, and i’ll be making at least 1 more entry on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. So watch out for them!

Christmas is around the corner, have you prepared?

It’s that time of the year again, when all the decorations come out in full force. Since last month, almost all the shopping districts have been running to the tune of “jingle bells” Personally, this particular year is going to be rather hectic. Let’s list it out..

1. Final Year Project Presentation to Land Transport Authority. Dec 18th

This particular one will determine whether i need to repeat 1 semester, or 1 year in the damned school. So, I’d better make sure i pass this.

2. Social Calendar:

Dec 16th E.O.Y- Promised a friend who is going to cosplay Sakura from Naruto

Dinners with a whole bunch of friends.

Entertaining Guests in the House.

This one is the real killer. Lots of late nights when i can’t spare em, and other things such as helping to cook stuff/keep them entertained ain’t easy.

 Well, doesn;t seem like  a lot does it? Still, guess i should look for a job soon, or else i’m going to have some major league crimps in my plans. And Thank God, i get a three week break from school( Actually 2., since 1 of the weeks will be used for my FYP.) Time to try lose some weight on the Gamer’s Diet. Dota anyone?

Anyway, let the picture rampage begin!

Have a happy holiday!

Finally thought of something else to write other than the simple anime and slice of life comments, Music~!

Recently, it seems like my music tastes have gone from simply j-pop and anime-influenced OP and ED themes, to old schol rock and pop songs forgotten by many.  Furthermore, most of my music has been obtained through popular sharing website esnips. However, the site recently changed it’s policy, after some original artists made some complaints for their content to be removed. Now, if you want to download music, you’ll have to hope for an uploader to mark it as downloadable content. However, music lovers who can’t afford to buy originals, don’t despair. You can still get your music through esnips, it’t just a matter of how you do it.  I’ll list three ways of how to go about this.

1.FireFox-tan:

This popular browser has long since overtaken Internet Explorer as the premier browser. And this new roadblock has added a new reason for users to switch.  Firefox has a free plugin that allows you to download from the website called downloadhelper. Just activate Firefox, go to tools, and get the extra plugins.

 2. Temporary Internet Folders:

This one is quite simple if you want to go through a little more trouble, but don’t want to convert to firefox. Although i wouldn;t recommend this for anyone with a hell lot of cookies in different forums and sites.  Just go My Computer-> :C drive->Documents and Settings-> the user u use-> My Documents-> Local Settings-> Temporary Internet Folders. Clear this out, go to esnips, stream a song ( just play it till it’s finished.), and then jus go back to the Temp. Internet Folders, and just Move it to your Music Folder.

 3. Do according to the screenshots(Click to open to another window and folllow em.)

Step 1:Search for the song you want:

Step 2: Right click on the Windows Media Player Embedded on the page and select Properties

Step 3: Copypaste the URL shown in the red box into the Address bar of your IE/Firefox, and Save.

 There, all done.

Recently been busy, both acquiring the titles i want, as well as looking for some work part time. Unfortunately, only having success with one.  And besides, i think it’s time to start on the current list that i have of To Acquire animes as well as the completed list…

To- Acquire :

Dual! Parellel Trouble Adventure

Detective School Q

Detective Conan Series( and yes i mean ALL of them.)

Cooking Master Boy ( also known as Chuuka Ichiban)

Sakura Taisen ( another ALL )

Shadow Skill

Silent Moebius

Sol Bianca

Spirit of Wonder

Rurouni Kenshin ( ALL)

The Vision of Escaflowne (ALL)

Cowboy Beebop (ALL)

Yu Yu Hakusho

Zoids: Chaotic Century

Zoids: Guardian Force

Slam Dunk

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad

Baccano!

Ex-D (ALL)

El Hazard ( ALL)

Get Backers

Hanaukyo Maid Team

Howl’s Moving Castle.

School Rumble

Lunar Legend Tsukihime

It’s been a slow morning, and I feel myself slipping into nostalgia and other random thoughts, so let the pictures come flowing in~!

This saga is seriously getting more twists than in a 70’s era Disco.  

Well, just when you think that Odex had learnt it’s lesson from engaging in a protracted War with fans, things got a lot more hairier. Apparently, Odex suddenly decided to go Global in it’s campaign to send love letters. ( According to press releases in the New Paper, BayTSP was the one responsible for kicking up the beehive…but like they say, there’s no smoke without a fire, so Odex must have had some kind of diabolical plan to take over the global anime scene…) 

Here’s the report from Singapore’s Moderated Tabloid, The New Paper.

Well, seems like BayTSP messed this one up, with serious consequences for Odex. Especially since originally, the global anime community simply lamented about the fate of us singaporean fans, now they have a legitimate beef to actually be angry at the firm. Another interesting fact is that BayTSP also sent a C&D letter from odex to a user who actually never even set foot in singapore before.

Link here

If only PacNet’s lawyers would simply ask him to come down to testify for them in the ongoing court case, which is taking forever, they would be able to wrap this case up tighter than saran wrap, since from the general way the case has been turning out, the key point in Odex’s Defense is showing BayTSP’s accuracy.  I liken it to the Pedra Branca issue that the ultra-conservative “Unbiased” SingaporePressHoldings( Which has been trying to keep the odex saga quiet by not publishing any news/letters from readers about this.)is raving about in the Straits Times. Where Singapore(PacNet) has already broken down Malaysia’s claim(Odex) to the point it is clear who the winner is( or will be).

Also, on another note, it seems Odex’s Website was hacked into… DarkMirage elaborates….( I’ve bolded the parts which is the hacker’s own words.)

The domain odex.com.sg now redirects to a webpage hosted on a Pacific Internet server odyssey.pacweb.net.sg. If you cannot view the page because the DNS has not propagated yet or because it has been fixed, I have mirrored a copy of the page here.

This server was fully hacked because the things ODEX are doing are just completly wrong!
So I hacked them due to my deep abominate against this company.

The stupidity of the organisation can not only be seen in the quality of their products or in the disingenuousness of their actions, but also in their skills of web design, compatibility and programming.

You can see that by the fact that the server is now hacked.

Now, I don’t like to stereotype, but the hacker sounds Singaporean… I guess he wasn’t quite pleased with the latest development. (Even though it turned out to be a mistake.)

The colour scheme of the page also leaves much to be desired. That said, his command of English and aesthetic sense aside, I approve of his XHTML coding. He has the proper doctype defined and he uses <br/> as required. Too bad he made a typo (</head> instead of </title&gt or the page would’ve validated.

It’s good to know that some people out there care about W3C standards, although I have a feeling that this particular individual will probably be behind bars soon.

Well, I have to agree with him, although i hope it doesn’t actually happen.

*sigh* seems like a year passes so quickly, you barely notice.  Even with people like me who tend to live every other day filled with things to do and think about, the year seems to have simply blown past in a flash.  Anyway i digress. Finally finished Shadow Hearts II: Conveant. Though i’d say that i did a good job of basically running right through it within a week of grinding through the game consulting FaQs, it was still one hell of a game to play through. Game mechanics and plotline were great, though the “good ending” left me a little confused and disappointed. Won’t spoil it for you chaps who haven’t played it yet. Now it’s time to start on something else, maybe Dirge of Cerebus…

 On another note, as someone who dislikes the PS2 controller because it has a lot of buttons and no triggers for FPS games, it seems like i’m getting pretty good at ‘em.

*sigh* for the last two weeks, it’s been a mix of hell and heaven. Hell mainly for all the wrong reasons.(quarrel with mum, school starting at the end of the week sort of mood.) and Heaven that i managed to finally get my hands on Shadow hearts II, albeit a pirated copy downloaded and burned into a DvD. now it’s hell all over again because i’m left grinding my teeth at how to get the best equipment for the characters, with a number of FaQs not helping me by not giving specifics. *sigh*, oh yeah and Odex has recently presented their case in the courts again, with another news blackout after a teeny weensy New Paper Report. I certainly hope that a morning paper won;t come with the screaming headliner: ODEX WINS: NIME DOWNLOADERS ARE THROWN INTO HELL.  because if that happens, i will immediately fly to Japan, cancel my singapore passport, and to hell with everything and everyone there.

Well, i guess i ought to be planning out several items on the list of To-Do’s while there for a month( although i’d like to stay for two, but still… *sigh*.) Here’s my main steps in planning a trip.

1. Finances

Well this is one of the key things that i need. Money is certainly an issue, and looks like i’ll have to apply for a normal bank card over there, despite there being foreign Atms around. Also, best is to carry some cash over, preferably about perhaps 10-12k sgd exchanged into yen.

2. Travel Security

Gotta make sure to get a travel insurance policy from a relative of mine who works at NTUC Income… not to mention seperate copies of passports,travel documents etc.

3. Finding a Travel Agency:

Shop around for the best deal on plane tickets..( Economy class of course…) no need to apply for a tour, since i’ll be having my own personal guide..

4. What to Bring:

Always important, extra changes of clothes, some emergency food( best is dried foods.)  a 3g-enabled phone..( damn, gotta get that Nokia Prism.)  proper maps of tokyo and other cities to be visited, laptop and charger/ac adaptor/international adapator, as well as the guidebook i bought.

5. What to do:

Well,  there is pretty much a lot of stuff i can and want to do there again, like visiting some Ryokans( hot spring inns) i’ve heard some good reviews about, as well as the staple hundred yen shop, sightseeing of tokyo etc, as well as visiting some old friends and start building up more contacts for a new revamped version of my old anime-finding business.  This will be the last thing i do on the list since i need to get the finances and other things in order.( passport has been re-applied for and i’m waiting for the thing to be done.)

Finally, here’s a bunch of images to share on some Ryokan and Rotemburo that i’d be planning to visit during that trip~

Kotan Onsen in Hokkaido

Daiichi Onsen in Hokkaido