Blasted iPhone... I've now joined the ranks of a bazillion other iUsers. Sigh..
The problem is not that it's a status phone. It's that truth be told, as a convergent device (phone, pda, music & video player, web surfing and entertainment) it does the job remarkably well..
I'm not even seated in bed typing this post with heated MacBook on lap. I'm doing this via iPhone :)
The surfing experience is bar none and I look forward to the kindle app & eBooks. More on stress tested battery life tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Breaking News: Terminator Salivation REDUX
Check out the orgasmic goodness of Terminator Salvation- 21 May 2009. TERMINATOR SALVATION!!
I've been cheated by trailers before (ahem Star Wars episodes 2 & 3- GO TO HELL LUCAS) but Terminator Salvation seems to be the real deal!
The Scourge of Nigerian Scammers
I salute these guys :)
Taken From Ars Technica- Click title for original article. Excerpt below:
Taken From Ars Technica- Click title for original article. Excerpt below:
When your hobby is baiting 419 scammers (also known as Nigerian scammers or advance-fee fraudsters), a death threat isn't cause for concern—it's a trophy worth bragging about to your friends.
Scam baiters are the vigilante enforcers who come together to waste hours, weeks, or months of 419 scammers' lives for nothing more than the satisfaction of knowing that they are distracting them from real victims. Though the world of 419 scams has existed since long before the Internet, people continue to fall for scammers in droves—certainly, scammers are making millions of dollars every year by promising money, goods, and romance that they never deliver on. That's part of why scam baiting has actually become a somewhat popular pastime online, with thousands of users flocking to scam baiting forums to share stories and ideas on how to string along more scammers. And hey, why not? Most of us end up spending too much time screwing around on the Internet anyway—these folks just use that time to make scammers miserable.
But when you hear stories like this, it makes you wonder. "I get death threats on regular basis," a student who goes by -C- told Ars. "Death threats are not uncommon and are actually considered achievements: they are a testament to the fact that the baiter managed to annoy his/her scammer nicely."
Monday, May 11, 2009
Star Trek and a review of Inadequate 23rd century tactics
Twenty-third century warfare isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You’d think that weapons and tactics would have progressed in 200 years. But the new Star Trek movie shows that the United Federation of Planets has a lot to learn about warfare.
A military analysis of young Cadet Kirk’s War isn’t easy. Director J.J. Abrams‘ frenetic rock ‘em, sock ‘em style can be tough to follow. But here is Star Trek’s vision of future warfare. (Warning: all sorts of spoilers ahead.)
From Wired.com. Click here to read more.
That said, Star Trek was a rocking good movie sans plot and moralistic introspection (not really a bad thing). Die hard Trekkers will dislike the giant continuity problems that will ensue as a result of MASSIVE history altering events (hint: the United Federation of Planets suffers loss of a homeworld of one of its founding members) and the non-Trekkers will find the movie a good reason to look up "continuity" Trek TOS (original series) and TNG (Next generation).
The latest incarnation of Star Trek is Star Trek:Nemesis on crack. Nemesis was action focused but as usual, attempted to slide in a cautionary tale on evolutionary biology, cloning and whether the actions of ones' clones are a reflection of the original.
This "reboot" turns Trek history on its head with the death of James T. Kirk's inspiration to join Starfleet- his father. George Kirk takes command of the USS Kelvin for 12 minutes and successfully enacts a holding action against a vastly technologically superior time-traveling Romulon Mining Ship (why a mining ship is so heavily armed is a mystery to me.. but then again, they're Romulon..), saving his wife, newborn son and 800 others. And that's where history splits, Jim never joins Starfleet till a chance meeting with Christopher Pike (first commanding officer of the constitution class Enterprise. NERD ALERT: Robert April is the first CO.. but it's a reboot..).
Commander Spock rises swiftly through the ranks and is actually given Captainhood of the Enterprise when Pike has to meet Nero face to face, Pike's last orders assign Kirk to Spock as First Officer.
The movie will continue to place die-hard "OMG continuity" Trekkers in a very uncomfortable position- the joy of watching their boyhood hero grow to fill the Captain's chair and the inevitable pain that comes from watching a founding member's homeworld go kablooey.
But nevertheless, watching my girlfriend ooh and aah at the spiffy updated constitution Enterprise bridge controls and phased laser point defense systems, I was under no doubt that this was the Trek movie that would turn previously non fans, fans.
JJ Abrams has tastefully included the bridge sound artefacts from the original series (whee.. whee.. whee..) and finally proven the purists that- THERE IS NO SOUND IN SPACE with a viscereal 10 minute combat sequence that cuts from "pew-pew-kabloom" ship exterior to ship interior at the precise moment where a bulk head explodes, flushing a crewwoman into the silence of dark space.
Overall, it's a mast watch (nautical joke). 4.5 out of 5 stars.
P.S. I might catch it again. The sound FX and soundtrack are worth every penny.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Nessun Dorma - Britains Got Talent 2009 Ep 5
Click the title. Seeing is believing.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bible Thumping
You can read the inspiration for this post here.
Definitely not a pro-pornography post (but hey, like any hot blooded male, I do enjoy a voyeuristic romp), but just some simple thoughts on those that use the Bible to condemn all manner of behavior.
Please have a read through on the typical "evils" of pornography
(not my opinions btw)
Catholics can be depended upon to mind their business, their relationship is between God and themselves (the Pope being the exception as he continually shoots his mouth off. He speaks for the religion but not for the majority of practicing Catholics).
Back on point- It's my opinion and experience that increasingly Christians around the globe have taken to "bible thumping". In this instance, they've targeted pornography. Not too long ago, Singaporean Christians set their sights on homosexuality- Be aware of MORONS in Aware.
Firstly, I've mentioned that marriage as an institution is no longer as sacred as it used to be. Secondly, as a biblical foundation, marriage was something instituted by the Catholics (Vatican council) to be precise. For those of you who are family with King Henry VIII, his conflict with the Holy See over marriage and divorce essentially led to the splinter from Holy Leadership in Rome and gave birth to the Church of England (Anglican Catholicism). My point is that the man-made foundations (decided by men; females weren't involved in the decision making) for this institution is the reason for its high failure rates.
Through the ages, marriage success is and continues to be a major factor in how we are judged. People are pressured into marriage even today by social norms and mores. In the local context of Asian Singapore- there's a greater emphasis of "waiting for the right time (e.g. after graduation)" rather than "waiting for the right one."
As a student of human social dynamics, it's my opinion that marriages are failing, because it's not natural. And the failure rate is compounded when many (particularly Singaporean females) pressured into finding someone and as a result don't take the time to find the right one.
Raise of hands, those of you who are familiar with the following statements:
And in the end, Singaporean hen-pecked men resent their wives, Singaporean women, hate their unromantic unwitty husbands (enter the Ang-moh), do you really think this is all because of porn?
Now think about how many people have been duped into believing that they must go and make it "official".
Some have claimed that the bible is a highly flawed book and when the entire institution of marriage is based in the bible, where does that leave us?
Biblical "Marriages"
They would see a priest (one from the tribe of Levi) to get permission and blessing. the man would do this. then he would go to the woman's family and buy her, of course she was only acceptable if she was a virgin.
It's only a marriage after it's been consummated. This is where the whole "tradition" of "you may kiss the bride" arises. In days of old, the village or village elders are present at the consummation to stand witness to the virginity of the bride, the evidence: Blood on the marital sheets.
Bible refers to post-marital sex as "and he knew her" so when a man knows this woman, by having sex, she becomes his wife.
Biblically (Christian, Torah & Quran), a man could do this with as many women as he could afford to keep. Solomon had 700 wives, and 300 slave women.
This was cool with God. All the key people in the bible had more than one wife; I've looked it up, you should too.
Having read the basis of marriage, reconsider the hypothesis that Porn is the reason for divorce. For all intents and purposes, the Bible tends to describe sex/sex with multiple women as an amazing thing (Songs of Solomon) even if it's paid for. In a way it's always paid for, even from the beginning, a man had to buy his virgin wife from her parents.
Now think about our Nanny State and all the taboos of sex/talks of sex and how the government continually bemoans the lack of babies. We have essentially tabooed sex itself!
And if we never talk about it openly and talk to our children the responsibilities of this profound and amazing act, how will we as a society and as individuals ever achieve maturity in our thoughts and feelings regarding the issue? On a more personal note, I've noticed that a bout of amazing sex solves more arguments that cold facts and logical reasoning, it is therefore, a logical assumption that the nitty gritty of the course of marriage might run a little smoother with semi-regular exchanges of bodily fluids no?
Definitely not a pro-pornography post (but hey, like any hot blooded male, I do enjoy a voyeuristic romp), but just some simple thoughts on those that use the Bible to condemn all manner of behavior.
Please have a read through on the typical "evils" of pornography
(not my opinions btw)
Around 10 percent of all adults (not statistically proven) who engage in viewing pornography feel that they are addicted. These are self-reports of men and women who cannot stop viewing pornography. The consequences of pornography addiction (dependence) may not always be clear, but let me list a few consequences:I find this situation rather typical in present day interactions with a typical christian. In this instance, when I say christian, I'm excluding Catholics (though we're part of the same family).While many argue that pornography is a matter of freedom of speech, they are missing the point. Pornography hurts people. Do you really wonder who it hurts? It hurts marriages. It hurts the individuala who become addicted. Those caught in this addiction are likely to be depressed and feel out of control. They will not be as focused in their relationships with other halves.
- Separation and divorce
- Being unavailable to children
- Job loss
- A fiance ending the relationship
- An increased tendency to argue
- Lack of trust in relationships
- Sexually acting out
If you aren't anti-pornography - you might want to consider the social implications that pornography is having upon all of us. It is time to wake up and realize that pornography is destroying far too many good men and women's lives. "
He then went on to quote the bible, to back up what he was saying.
Catholics can be depended upon to mind their business, their relationship is between God and themselves (the Pope being the exception as he continually shoots his mouth off. He speaks for the religion but not for the majority of practicing Catholics).
Back on point- It's my opinion and experience that increasingly Christians around the globe have taken to "bible thumping". In this instance, they've targeted pornography. Not too long ago, Singaporean Christians set their sights on homosexuality- Be aware of MORONS in Aware.
Firstly, I've mentioned that marriage as an institution is no longer as sacred as it used to be. Secondly, as a biblical foundation, marriage was something instituted by the Catholics (Vatican council) to be precise. For those of you who are family with King Henry VIII, his conflict with the Holy See over marriage and divorce essentially led to the splinter from Holy Leadership in Rome and gave birth to the Church of England (Anglican Catholicism). My point is that the man-made foundations (decided by men; females weren't involved in the decision making) for this institution is the reason for its high failure rates.
Through the ages, marriage success is and continues to be a major factor in how we are judged. People are pressured into marriage even today by social norms and mores. In the local context of Asian Singapore- there's a greater emphasis of "waiting for the right time (e.g. after graduation)" rather than "waiting for the right one."
As a student of human social dynamics, it's my opinion that marriages are failing, because it's not natural. And the failure rate is compounded when many (particularly Singaporean females) pressured into finding someone and as a result don't take the time to find the right one.
Raise of hands, those of you who are familiar with the following statements:
- He was nice so I stay with him lor.
- He was persistent. Always chasing me, so I gave in.
- Together 7 years already, get married lor.
And in the end, Singaporean hen-pecked men resent their wives, Singaporean women, hate their unromantic unwitty husbands (enter the Ang-moh), do you really think this is all because of porn?
Now think about how many people have been duped into believing that they must go and make it "official".
Some have claimed that the bible is a highly flawed book and when the entire institution of marriage is based in the bible, where does that leave us?
Biblical "Marriages"
They would see a priest (one from the tribe of Levi) to get permission and blessing. the man would do this. then he would go to the woman's family and buy her, of course she was only acceptable if she was a virgin.
It's only a marriage after it's been consummated. This is where the whole "tradition" of "you may kiss the bride" arises. In days of old, the village or village elders are present at the consummation to stand witness to the virginity of the bride, the evidence: Blood on the marital sheets.
Bible refers to post-marital sex as "and he knew her" so when a man knows this woman, by having sex, she becomes his wife.
Biblically (Christian, Torah & Quran), a man could do this with as many women as he could afford to keep. Solomon had 700 wives, and 300 slave women.
This was cool with God. All the key people in the bible had more than one wife; I've looked it up, you should too.
Having read the basis of marriage, reconsider the hypothesis that Porn is the reason for divorce. For all intents and purposes, the Bible tends to describe sex/sex with multiple women as an amazing thing (Songs of Solomon) even if it's paid for. In a way it's always paid for, even from the beginning, a man had to buy his virgin wife from her parents.
Now think about our Nanny State and all the taboos of sex/talks of sex and how the government continually bemoans the lack of babies. We have essentially tabooed sex itself!
And if we never talk about it openly and talk to our children the responsibilities of this profound and amazing act, how will we as a society and as individuals ever achieve maturity in our thoughts and feelings regarding the issue? On a more personal note, I've noticed that a bout of amazing sex solves more arguments that cold facts and logical reasoning, it is therefore, a logical assumption that the nitty gritty of the course of marriage might run a little smoother with semi-regular exchanges of bodily fluids no?
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Breaking News: Old AWARE Exco triumphant
The women have spoken and the vote of no confidence has been passed on Dr. Thio and her ilk, the new AWARE Exco.
It's 8.20 pm SGT and they've said they'll take 5 minutes to decide whether to resign.
Being women, I assume the same 5 minutes my girlfriend uses to get dressed and put on her make-up.
Enough time for me to finish watching Dances with Wolves.
It's 8.20 pm SGT and they've said they'll take 5 minutes to decide whether to resign.
Being women, I assume the same 5 minutes my girlfriend uses to get dressed and put on her make-up.
Enough time for me to finish watching Dances with Wolves.
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