⇒ leaving today!

going to VIETNAM TODAY!

I hardly slept last night--you know my body rhythm's off. Anyhoo, delivered all 3 projects--2 pretty good, the other is one of my worst ever. Worst EVER. Many reasons: I ran out of time; I didn't care for the subject; I didn't feel motivated at all for the whole year; I was overcomitted to other activities such as work; I just can't do it anymore. At least not right now.

But enough about that, it's VIETNAM TIME! Plane leaves @ 1430. Ciao!

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⇒ project#3

had project#3 presentation tonight...went alright...i think?
no point in worrying about it now...2 more to produce on time!

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/22/ubisoft-on-assassins-creed-art-direction/
http://features.cgsociety.org/story_custom.php?story_id=4292&page=1

http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/23/epson-touts-all-in-one-lcd-touchscreens/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/23/toronto-to-add-photo-surveillance-to-public-transit-vehicles/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/23/nasas-third-space-elevator-challenge-falls-short/

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⇒ infinite crisis

status report:
brother humiliated and wronged for no reason. Little Chicken shit punk ass no-hoper in 86 pegged his precious a water bomb at his noggin. How dare he!?!? Theo's the goddamn future of humanity, and that little shit desecrated him for NO REASON. I was so steamed I was ready to storm that bitch's hole he calls home with my steering wheel lock (which actually isn't mine, it's dad's). Fuck man! I'm so fired up, I'm still thinking of ways to burn his punk ass. Plans to get him dropped in juvenile school where he can get his ass owned by some other fuckwit...get housing commission on his ass...psychologically burn him...my wrath knows little restraint. And yet soft-handed parents want to back off. It's little things like this, which have led to the collapse of society. You can't let ANYONE get away with little things--no matter what age or status. These things escalate and soon enough, the crime becomes a way of life...

both parents still icy with me.

uni major project due in: 7 days

s h i t . . .

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⇒ free & strange

read:
http://photoshop.weblogsinc.com/2006/07/13/tips-for-mocking-up-a-web-page-in-photoshop/
http://photoshop.weblogsinc.com/2006/07/13/free-stock-photography-resources/
http://photoshop.weblogsinc.com/2006/07/13/animated-plane-flying-through-clouds/
http://www.cinematical.com/2007/10/13/cinematical-seven-non-horror-movies-that-scared-the-crap-out-of/

uni:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/12/new-tachikoma-spider-robot-on-the-loose/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/12/u-tsu-shi-o-mi/

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⇒ projected outcomes

these are some clips which I will draw ideas from for my projects. The first clip really amazes me in terms of naturalistic style; the entire production feels documentary like, yet we know it's science-fiction and unnatural. The director filmed it in such a manner and with such respect that the whole thing feels very 'real' and possible.

Neill Blomkamp's Alive in Joburg. A short film he made as a demo(?). He was recently attached to the proposed Halo movie (which is now defunct).
Read more »

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⇒ a dull boy...

read:

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/design-a-fallout-3-perk-win-notoriety-and-gaming-gear/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/03/joystiq-hands-on-gears-of-war-pc/
yessh! don't need a xbocks 360 to play the hotness...

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/02/a-galaxy-of-mario-galaxy-videos/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/04/post-a-phone-the-no-frills-mailable-landline/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/03/diy-wooden-keyboard-kit-brings-out-the-carpenter-in-you/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/04/artificial-corneas-could-save-eyesight/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/04/the-solar-trees-of-vienna-a-lovegrove-if-you-will/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/april-fools-8-bit-tie-now-available/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/zero-punctuation-reviews-halo-3-hates-it/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/05/todays-trickiest-warthog-jump-video-halo-the-three-towers-re/
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/04/gametap-thursday-agent-47-causes-an-emergency/


http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/04/uruguay-reportedly-set-to-buy-100-000-olpc-xo-laptops/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/04/mit-conjures-up-algorithm-for-neural-prosthetic-device/

all work and no play...

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⇒ project planning

due this sat 6th!

what am i thinking of? well i don't want to do a parallel universe story because it's too impossible--it's close but since it never happened, it never will (at the given point in human history again). So I've decided on an abstract time story--kind of like the way Star Wars is a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..., yet people still mistake it for futurism. I've been looking at alternate forms of technology, but there only seem to be 3 major forms of sci-fi novella: cyber, bio and steam. And that's not considering paradise/doomsday scenarios which should have befallen our successors, whether they be robo-uprising, nuclear holocaust, alien annihilation or exhaustion of resources; I'm trying to think of something that hasn't been done before, or at the very least done in that way.

Anyhow, here's some of the research I've been doing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Industrial_Revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk
http://www.crabfu.com/steamtoys/diy_steampunk/
http://bigredhair.com/robots/
http://www.steamwars.com/
http://steamtrek.blogspot.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopunk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postcyberpunk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro-futurism
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/30/suzukis-pixy-ssc-concept-thrives-in-post-nuclear-wastelands/

Labour day forever!!!

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⇒ swimmin

gymmed yesterday. overall disappointed with performance. but i did manage to bench 60 a couple of times. that's among the handful of other times i've ever done it. nice...swim felt good...poor performance, but the water felt cool, not cold.

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/28/wii-sports-tops-2007-bafta-nominees/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/panoramic-gigapan-images-to-hit-google-earth/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/visa-rolls-out-paywave-enabled-micro-tag-key-fobs/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/27/longest-ever-space-tether-fails-to-deploy-flings-capsule-toward/

pour uni:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/robot-museum-in-nagoya-japan-our-first-and-last-visit/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/air-driven-robotic-legs-hop-skip-and-jump/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/takara-tomys-i-sobot-gets-reviewed-videoed/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/28/brandos-palm-phone-jammer-kills-gsm-calls-dead/

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⇒ links

KillaCycle crash http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/33853/113/
basically, the world's fastest(?) battery powered motobike's creator can't handle the beast he unleashed and crashes (natch). This beast does 0-60MPH in 0.97s!!! I've taken more time to blink!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/14/zicplays-microkey-mp3-player-is-barely-there/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/13/robots-robots-robots-and-other-stuff-at-nextfest-2007/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/14/nintendos-wii-continues-to-be-a-smash-with-seniors/
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070913/D8RKI2F80.html

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⇒ uni post

has anyone else noticed that scientists may have a 'God complex'? With all the robotic creations and manipulation of unnatural 'lifeforms', doesn't anyone else see this as a power-mongering desire to be God? Has anyone seen Robocop? Try to look past all the violence--there's a surprising number of spiritual references. Just a thought...

Three Laws of Ugobe Life Forms (as follows).

* A (robot) life form must feel and convey emotions
* A (robot) life form must be aware of itself and its environment
* A (robot) life form must learn, develop, evolve over time

from http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/04/ugobe-defines-its-own-three-laws-dooms-us-all-to-future-of-robo/

and new laws proposed for autonomous US kill-bots here

60% of uni marks here:

2] Writing a science fiction essay that explores a very near possible future scenario. This essay is about developing a critical narrative that addresses new relations of agency and power, produced and propelled by the emergence of new technologies, and the changing nature of traditional relationships and new forms of culture and society these new power relations evolve. 30% of final mark.
[3] Developing the concept for a digital interface (beyond the screen). This can take on the form of a (digitally augmented) performance, an interactive installation or computer game that engages the (possibly networked) participant or player in the issues explored in your essay (assignment 2). The concept has to be presented in form of a short brief (250 words), an installation scheme, prototype images, and images of related projects 30% of final mark.

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⇒ pour uni

http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/robot-with-human-soul-explores-remotely.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/robots-mate-and-evolve.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/brilliant-minds-forecast-next-50-years.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/dark-energy-dates-back-to-young-days-of.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/better-than-blood.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/childcare-gets-robotic.html
http://evolvehappy.blogspot.com/2006/11/science-of-web-begins.html


und pour funne:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/07/messaging-toaster-burns-notes-into-your-breakfast/

http://view.break.com/362761 - Watch more free videos
R A M B O !
not as good as the first preview, but still awesome!

awesomely blunt review of bioshock--at times his accent and vocal speed overwhelm me and I don't follow what he just said but overall a very cool clip and a very incisive review.

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⇒ iGym

very sore after gymming yesterday! my lats and shoulders especially. I don't know if it's new muscle coming in or that cramping I felt while swimming. But it's all good--no pain, no gain...

for uni:
http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2007/08/29/thoughtful-criticisms-of-second-life/
http://www.secondlifeinsider.com/2007/08/29/akela-answers-your-questions-senses-working-overtime/

robotics and stuff:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/27/kogoro-kurata-working-on-a-giant-mech/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/29/winter-the-dolphin-gets-fitted-with-prosthetic-tail/

hella cool t-rex models and stuff:
http://www.f-favorite.net/dinosaur/shopping/item.cgi?mode=detail&file=skull&code=70324
http://www.f-favorite.net/dinosaur/shopping/item.cgi?mode=detail&file=skeleton&code=70295
http://www.f-favorite.net/dinosaur/

Gunpla engrish site:
http://www.bandai-hobby.net/english/bakuc.html

"Gime? What's a Gime?
Oh! Gime"

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⇒ projects delivered

masters update: Rendered, printed and submitted my 3DMP assignment today. About 20" ahead of time. Really, I had about 3 hours left over (sort of) but you can't change much in three hours and show it (re-rendering can take up to 4 hours!)
link to my deliverables here
I spent well over 40 hours on it, but I think I needed even more time--some things which were taught to us in haste should've been the focus of the course, such as how to achieve really interesting effects with textures. We only got 1 throwaway tutorial and the rest were mostly modeling based (because that's what the tutor's good at). Anyhoo, that's it for another semester...

tablecloth visualization. I can't believe it's been a whole year since the Artos Visio debacle... | concept electric car: ZAP | XBX360 Blue Dragon ad campaign wins Cannes ad awards. This outdoor visualization looks pretty familiar to me...I'm pretty sure I've seen it over a year ago in DECO studio |
Chunners in SSFIITHDRZOMG!

RC Plane + 5MP Camera phone = personal satellite view. Now I wonder if this thing can feed video? | USB aquarium. Where do I get one?

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⇒ projects: 2 out of 4 delivered!

emailed sheloian my live link, report and php file. The site is up! The site is up! I spent a crazy about of time the last few days getting it done. The biggest problem was slicing and resizing, along with CSS and background design.

Homepage HERE | Crisp white blog here

I can already see the far superior redesign. It will be magnificent. With the flash, php, xml, oh my...

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/philips-research-shows-off-dandy-lumalive/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/20/swarovskis-led-couture/
wearable 'displays'

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/19/megatechs-avion-indoor-r-c-plane-defies-laws-of-logic/
http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/20/levis-intros-shiny-new-cellphones/

awkward prime http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/toyfare/004902727.cfm?popup=22
http://www.amazon.com/Converse-Mens-Star-Double-Upper/dp/B000MFC1QY

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⇒ cold and wet

jiminny-jollickers! the pic speaks for iteself!

I haven't made much progress project-wise in the last 3 days; I've been too rained-in/sick/exhausted/cold to do anything but for the next 10 days, the word is progress. Web design project and report due in 4 days...3DMP due in 7 days...I can succeed--I believe that I still retain the willpower to refuse to succumb to failure. I lost it for a while but it's slowly coming back to me.

this is the phone--this is the rant: f#cking sony! they always always come out with some proprietary file/memory/storage format which eventually proves:
1. useless and 2. redundant in a few short years. For example 'Memory stick'--that's just their f#cked up way of forcing you to buy other overpriced sony bullsh!t to use with your heavily overpriced sony memory shitstick. What's worse is sony's blatant admittance that their first-party sh!t is overpriced--buying a brand new sony ericsson phone, imagine my shock when in the box was not a sony memory stick, but a sandisk memory stick. Sony's too cheap to even fork out on their own products. Further evidence of sony's cheapness (by that I mean extreme expensiveness) and admittance of redundance and stupidity: their latest camera phones sport yet another memory format-M2. wtf? Didn't betamax, minidisc, memory stick and 'memory-stick-pro-duo-turbo-mad-gear-wtf-title' hammer the message home? Apparently so, cause these new phones also support SD cards. HA!

Ok, I'll give sony props for making sweet cellys.

Industrial strength robo | O2's coccoon. Slick design but 2MP? Come on, that was commonplace 18 months ago! To be with the game, it's gotta be 5MP now.

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⇒ projected projects

projects: in 9 days: 3D is due.
in 12 days: website design is due.
sh!te!!!

. If I pass I'll reconsider deferral. If not...I think it's time to leave uni...

tennis update: mens final: Federer-Nadal shodown, womens final: Ivanovic-Henin shodown. exciting stuff. I don't think Rafa's dropped a set yet...

bruce lee gallery | wooden computing gear |

Bruce Lee's training regimen at 24 (unconfirmed):

The weight training program that Lee used during a stay in Hong Kong in 1965 at only 24 years old placed heavy emphasis on his arms.
-Bicep curls at a weight of 70 to 80 lbs for three sets of eight repetitions, along with other forms of exercises, such as squats, push-ups, reverse curls, concentration curls, French presses, and both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls--6 to 12 reps (at the time) This method of training targeted his fast and slow twitch muscles

Lee believed that the abdominal muscles were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist, since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting the ribs and vital organs.

He trained from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., including stomach, flexibility, and running, and from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. he would weight train and cycle. A typical exercise for Lee would be to run a distance of two to six miles in 15 to 45 minutes, in which he would vary speed in 3-5 minute intervals. Lee would then ride his stationary bicycle for 30-45 minutes at full speed immediately after running. Next, Lee would do some skipping rope for 800 jumps non-stop.

south park episodes online! schweet! | awesome dreadnought clip | Intel's V8 platform | SSFIITHDR Akuma images unveiled. Come on CAPCOM, rollout SFIII:3SHDR--you know you want to! | Parallels 3.0 for MAC | Guyver special original soundtrack

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⇒ projects underway! And way under!

still very far behind with all my projects. I fell asleep in lecture again but that's excusable (it was the last one). Seems I got an extension on the web assignment--til' the 20th! Come on--if you're gonna give an extension, make a real extension which actually extends the time some usable amount!

talking paper! | Reactive facial on a robot. LMAO--I'd get one just to crack up at its goofy-lookin faux emoting. The pic is below | ASUS' wooden laptops. BTW, Apple upped the specs on MacBook Pros. The 17-inch mofo is now HD capable! | e-Wear for the crazy | Alexitimia sweating bot. Combine this with the emoting robot and other attempts at playing God...are you alarmed? | Here he is! The emotional humanoid robot | Down the line with consoles... | Sony's enviro friendly tech wares. Looks purdy | Sleek new Dell laptops | strange watch | Printable RFID | CPR teddy. This is a good idead--fun and educational! |



holy sh!t this is funny! In a kind of guilty way...I swear, try to restrain yourself from giggling like an idiot--it's impossible!

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⇒ project update: video upped!

finally uploaded a clip to YouTube. It's my 3D project from 2005.

I was fairly proud of it then--it's still pretty alright now. The ideas are there--but my execution could've been better--that's just me being a perfectionist.

Anyhoo here's the link and embedded below!

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⇒ destination: homeland

so in a semi-spur of moment decision, I've secured myself a seat on a flight to VIET-F#CKIN-NAM! That's right, I'm headed for the motherland in a few months. Better start savin' so I dollas to throw around like a snobby tourist! Yowza! Countdown will begin when I've figured out how many days are left between now and leaving on a jet* plane...

The Masters projects...well they're coming along...I really really REALLY need alot more consecutive time off...

purdy indie game Aquaria

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⇒ concentrate! twice as hard!

X-HTML5 vs. X-HTML2 article | X-HTML and the future of web | 10 websites killed by legality |

logitech speakers I've upgraded to here. Went from the x-230 to x-530 yowza! cost difference of only $10! | lil' bastard kills a half-tonne pig-God here. Nothing heroic about this. Killing anything with a pistol ain't nothin' but chicken sh!t. Jeez, what a prick. Also managed to kill a deer when he was 5. Quickly on his way to becoming the next Dubya

Empire's star wars covers

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