2008 RECAP

2008 RECAP

JANUARY
Went shopping for new shoes for the new year and loved these Puma sneakers so much I bought like 2 pairs in a row (not counting I was already wearing a 3rd pair... )

FEBRUARY
Fulfilled another of my childhood regrets... I solved the Rubiks Cube, with my own hands (and with the answers of course... thanks to the Internet!).
MARCH
Spent most of my time at In-Camp Training... more like having fun...
APRIL
Started working as an Events Executive... had a fun and learning experience.
MAY
Bought my 1st Nendoroid - Hatsune Miku~!
JUNE

My biggest project thus far... Beach Volleyball Court @ Velocity.

JULY
Fired my boss. I had my priorities straight, and I stuck by it.

AUGUST

Barely 18 hours after I collected my brand new car... some idiot smashed into it.
SEPTEMBER
Had fun painting my house! OCTOBER

Hard Water case closed. Rewarded with S$2,000 as compensation.

NOVEMBER

Trip to Ko Samui. Unforgettable experience.
DECEMBER

Had a MRI scan of my right knee. Ligaments are intact. Just a little swollen at the bone surface. Need more rest.

December 2008: Part 2

December 2008: Part 2

16 December 2008

Just a random photo of Pappy...

17 December 2008

@ HarbourFront Centre. Was invited to board the Azamara Quest cruise ship.

More pictures here.

Reached home by 5:30pm and helped mum with dinner preparation... mum overcooked the beef salami below... it dried up and shrunk in size. 18 December 2008
@ along Carpenter Street. Had a dinner appointment and reached the area early. Spotted this little building hidden from view of the main road - GAME HAVEN. The SAFRA logo above the building seems to indicate "very Govt supported". Lan-Games, Jackpots, PS3, Xbox, Restuarants inside. Gotta check it out some day.21 December 2008
@ Changi Airport T2's Sakae Sushi having dinner. Dad's back in town (so is TonicBabe), so Mum suggested dinner there. I always love Japanese Food.Dad brought back a huge box of birdnest. Fruits of his labour. About 550 grams in 73 pcs. Slightly underweight in terms of industry standard. Not enough moisture perhaps.22 December 2008
@ a Kallang Bahru warehouse...
Out with Dad to view goods. Towing Hook below. No buyer yet. KIV. @ Rowell Road. I always love this little row of shophouses here. If I am ever rich enough, I'll buy an unit here.@ Singapore Expo. Hopped by the Megatex to check out some laptops. 23 December 2008
@ HUB Hub. There with parents for lunch. Curiosity got the better of dad and he went to check out the show flats there. Yishun Dew. A BTO project. Dad kept absent-mindedly telling me to go get a flat. And I have to remind him that I have no partner at the moment, and I am yet 35 yrs old. Sheesh.@ YellowPages building. There to buy a booklet of the Commercial/Industrial guide 2008/2009.@ home... Dad was playing with Pappy. Thats a bull figure... the size of Pappy, and Pappy was so threatened he kept barking and retreating into my room.24 December 2008

Christmas Eve. Tonicbabe's CPU committed suicide. Accompanied her to Sim Lim Square to have it repaired.@ Woodlands. Xmas Eve dinner and gift exchange.
25 December 2008
Brunch. Roast Chicken Rice @ the coffee shop near my flat.26 December 2008
@ Giants Hypermart with Mum and Dad.Legendary Shark Fin melon!Mini Tangerines are on sale already! Bought 1 KG home. SWEET~!!! Every One of it.27 December 2008
Dad bought dinner home... Clams + Satay (Chicken, Beef, and Mutton) + Indian Rojak + Fried Oyster with Egg... Sinful combination~!
28 December 2008
@ Changi Coast Beach. Out for a stroll with Mum and Dad. Took Pappy out to the beach too!29 December 2008
@ Jalan Berseh. There with Dad to view some goods again. Stopped by the famous Laksa Store for lunch! Read more of it in my earlier post here. Later in the afternoon... the nostalgic Flower-shaped biscuits usually found on cakes... and where children will fight over that 1 flower everytime... I know where to get these... and I am not telling. =pAlso found this Tangerine Fruit Oil. Took me many years to find it. Many many years. Its like a childhood dream fulfilled. Goes superbly well with Ngor-Hiang. 30 December 2008
@ Battery Road. In the hearts of Raffles Place. Dinner appointment. Was waiting for a friend and took this photo through my car's moonroof. Fun. Thats OUB Centre, UOB Plaza...After dinner... heading home... stopped by Geylang Lorong 9 to buy supper for dad. The famous Lorong 9 Beef Horfun.

NENDOROID NAGI

NENDOROID NAGI

Via Sankaku Complex and DannyChoo

Also spotted at Comiket 75, this Nendoroid Nagi was a Photography-Restricted Nendoroid on display by GoodSmiles Company. GSC was pending final approval by the license holder regarding the design, hence the restriction. 

But some fella went ahead and snapped a picture anyways. 

Next on my pre-order list... (oh dear... am I buying too much? )

GLUCOSAMINE

GLUCOSAMINE
Also known as 氨基葡萄糖 (read: An Ji Pu Tao Tang), 

or for the chemically inclined: C₆H₁₃NO₅

Most of my friends might already have heard of this medicinal supplement, while some might even be consuming this as well. I do have some fortunate friends asking me what this is... so I thought I'd hijack some information off the Internet...Above: I couldn't find a proper picture of a doctor or nurse with pills or medicines, so I thought I'd just throw in a 3D nurse this time (Fan-service for the guy readers).

Via Wikipedia:

Description
Glucosamine is an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. It is commonly used as a treatment for osteoarthritis, although its acceptance as a medical therapy varies.

Oral glucosamine is commonly used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Since glucosamine is a precursor for glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are a major component of joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis. Its use as a therapy for osteoarthritis appears safe, but there is conflicting evidence as to its effectiveness. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found glucosamine sulfate is no better than placebo in reducing the symptoms or progression of hip osteoarthritis.

Usage
A typical dosage of glucosamine salt is 1,500 mg per day. Glucosamine contains an amino group that is positively charged at physiological pH. The anion included in the salt may vary.

Commonly sold forms of glucosamine are glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. The amount of glucosamine present in 1500 mg of glucosamine salt will depend on which anion is present and whether additional salts are included in the manufacturer's calculation. Glucosamine is a popular alternative medicine used by consumers for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Safety
Clinical studies have consistently reported that glucosamine appears safe. Since glucosamine is usually derived from shellfish, those allergic to shellfish may wish to avoid it. However, since glucosamine is derived from the shells of these animals while the allergen is within the flesh of the animals, it is probably safe even for those with shellfish allergy.

Alternative sources using fungal fermentation of corn are available.

Another concern has been that the extra glucosamine could contribute to diabetes by interfering with the normal regulation of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, but several investigations have found no evidence that this occurs. A review conducted by Anderson et al in 2005 summarizes the effects of glucosamine on glucose metabolism in in vitro studies, the effects of oral administration of large doses of glucosamine in animals and the effects of glucosamine supplementation with normal recommended dosages in humans, concluding that glucosamine does not cause glucose intolerance and has no documented effects on glucose metabolism.

Other studies conducted in lean or obese subjects concluded that oral glucosamine at standard doses does not cause or significantly worsen insulin resistance or endothelial dysfunction.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health is currently conducting a study of supplemental glucosamine in obese patients, since this population may be particularly sensitive to any effects of glucosamine on insulin resistance.

In the United States, glucosamine is not approved by the (FDA) Food and Drug Administration for medical use in humans. Since glucosamine is classified as a dietary supplement in the US, safety and formulation are solely the responsibility of the manufacturer; evidence of safety and efficacy is not required as long as it is not advertised as a treatment for a medical condition.

In Europe, glucosamine is approved as a medical drug and is sold in the form of glucosamine sulfate. In this case, evidence of safety and efficacy is required for the medical use of glucosamine and several guidelines have recommended its use as an effective and safe therapy for osteoarthritis. Actually, the Task Force of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) committee recently granted glucosamine sulfate a level of toxicity of 5 in a 0-100 scale, and recent OARSI (OsteoArthritis Research Society International) guidelines for hip and knee osteoarthritis also confirm its excellent safety profile.

References:
Via Wikipedia, please refer to the references there.

NENDOROID KUREHA

NENDOROID KUREHA

WANT~!!!
Sighted at Comiket 75~
Already on my pre-order list~  ( >__< )  can't wait~ 

Singapore Flyer Evacuation

Singapore Flyer Evacuation

We're pretty aware of the incident whereby the Singapore Flyer had a mechanical fault that left hundreds of tourists and locals alike stranded hundreds of feet above the ground... for hours.

I gathered a couple of photos and drew a red circle at a point I think is rather critical...

Think Murphy's Law: "If anything can go wrong, it will". Look at the diagram I drew up below... I leave it to your imagination. 

Some people can defend the rescue efforts as "no choice at that point of time", or "it should be safe".  

If it is your parents, brothers/sisters, children, or friends up there, can you accept such a standard? 

MANGA FIGHTER

MANGA FIGHTER
Free-to-play multiplayer-online game by GamesCampus:

I believe a couple of you have already heard me mention about this cute little (3rd-person)shooting game...

You get to choose from 6 different characters at the start of every game, each with their own unique strength and weakness:

Ken is the average all-rounder character - standard HP, Strength, and Speed.

Hana is slightly weaker in strength, but is highly popular because she has the nicest clothes.

MiuMiu is the fastest character in the whole game, and boasts the highest agility. However, its low HP means its at the losing end in a direct confrontation.

Kuma is the slowest character in the game, and also the biggest-sized, making it a walking target. But its weakness is compensated by its strength and HP - he can be equipped with the strongest and heaviest arsenal of weaponary and boasts twice the HP that of Ken.

Dr. Uru is the some-where in between. Higher than average HP and strength, he proofs lethal with launcher-type weapons and is generally advantageous in direct confrontations.

Sai is just Cute~ very cute~
Each account starts off with standard weaponary and some in game money called "DON". Drop by the Card Shop to upgrade your weapons from a wide selection of cute and interesting arsenal of Melee, Gun, Launcher, and Throwing Weapons!For the fashion-savvy, the Card Shop also sells a wide selection of beautiful clothes and accesories!
Did I mentioned Hana has the nicest clothes around?
At the Lobby, players get to select from many different "Rooms" created by other players. Some are already "In-game", while others are "Waiting" for more players to join. The game-modes are also prominently displayed - Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Protect Essence, VIP, Practice. In-game, this picture below is the "Dollhouse" map (notice that huge character above the sky?). Players shoot it out in this cute little doll house map, making good use of the terrain, doorways, and furnitures to hide, or take cover. Snipers take to the long corridor at the basement.
The maps allows for your creative juices to flow freely. Players can camp out at any location to their advantage. (taking higher grounds means being able to shoot any enemies in sight...)Here's a look into the view-find of the Sniper Cannon... zooms very far... takes a bit of practice to be able to shoot well.
Here's a video footage of the in-game tutorial:

Get the Game Client at the official Manga-Fighter site!