How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made

YouTube Link

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first animated feature film produced by Walt Disney in 1937. The video above is a documentary made one year later on how Walt Disney made Snow White and his other famous short films.

Web Trend Map 2007

The folks from Information Architects Japan created the amazing Web Trend Map 2007. 200 of the most successful websites on the web, ordered by category, proximity, success, popularity and perspective are plotted on a modified Tokyo metro map.

(via Strange Maps)

When celebrities look like normal people

"Hi. I am David Bechkam and this is my lovely wife, Victoria. Thanks to the Photoshop genius at PlanetHiltron.com, now both of us can finally look like normal (ugly) people just like all of you. Hooray!"

Sexiest Ladies of The Simpsons

I swear this is not the reason why I watch The Simpsons season after season. Really! The real reason is because I love both Homer and Bart Simpson. The sexy girls? Nah.

(Thanks GeekGod)

Animation Treasures

I've just added Animation-Treasures, a delightful blog started by Hans Bacher into my feed reader. Over the years Hans has collected so many treasures from the animation past that he thought it is time to share some of it with the world. If you are an animation student or just a fan of classic animation like me, you will fall in love with his blog the moment you read it.

Update: Link above is now working. Sorry. For some strange reasons, the dude decided to change his url all of the sudden.

Faceball: Your Face, Our Balls

Faceball is a new game created by some dudes from Flickr that involves two people hitting beachballs at each other's faces. According to the site, at a deeper level Faceball is a vehicle for the release of personal animosity and the Shaming of the Weak. Great. Sounds like my kind of game.

The Items We Carry

Take a look at The Items We Carry, a Flickr pool where people post pictures of the items they carry in their pockets, purse, bags, etc. The items have to be the essentials one need to function daily at a basic level. Go take part!

(Thanks zinc)

Anigao Girls

YouTube Link

Anigao Girls are perfect for those of you who have a fetish for anime babes. Why settle for 2D when you can hire a real life version complete with the cute anime face! More videos here. I think this is just pure madness but errrm, I do find her strangely attractive. Gosh, I think I need some help.

The Simpsons and Me

Guess who's the odd one out? D'oh! Not me of course. It has to be Bart. He's upside down! Don't forget to catch everyone's favourite dsyfunctional family in The Simpsons Movie this weekend aye. Film reviews here (may contain spoilers).

Darth Vader reads Harry Potter

Even the Sith Lord reads Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Picture from the The Real World: Darth Vader set. I guess like everyone else, he is really interested in the ending.

(Thanks T.C.)

Japan's Hello Kitty Cat Humiliation System

Japan wants to turn all lovable cats into Hello Kitty lookalikes with the Hello Kitty transformation set. Crikey! The set includes hat, bib, collar and a carrying bag. God help us all.

The Simpsons on drugs

Those of you who have been watching The Simpsons for years would have noticed that the show relies heavily on drug humour. Yay! In the show, the likes of Homer, Bart, Lisa and even members of the Springfield community have had their drug encounters. Watch the 6 trippiest scenes in The Simpsons here. Remember kids. Don't do drugs.

Make Love Not War

I must say that Make Love Not War (aka the Terminator Kamasutra) is a brilliant Flickr photoset. Two T-800s from the Terminator film in various love making positions. Each photo also comes with a binary code thats stands for the name of the position. Link may not be safe for work but who cares aye? It's just two robots having sex. W00t!

Paris' new bike transit system

Paris' new bike transit system is really neat! Called Velib' (site is only in French), it allows anybody in the city to pick up and drop off any of the 10,648 bicycles throughout the city at 750 locations. The city expects to have a Velib’ station approximately every 900 feet for a total of 1,451 locations and 20,600 bikes by the end of the year.

To access the Velib' bikes, you can select a one-day card for 1 euro, a weekly card for 5 euros or an annual card for 29 euros. After the purchase of an access card, riding for the first half-hour is free and a supplement of 1 euro will be charged for an additional half-hour, 2 euros for another 30-minutes and 4 euros for every addition half-hour after that.

Each Velib’ parking station will be equipped with muni-meters to purchase one and 7-day passes and to pay any additional charges once the bike is dropped off. The Velib’ meters will also provide information on other station locations.

(Thanks Antoine)

Spider-Man vs the Prodigy

Spider-Man fights the Prodigy, a crazy alien who wants teenagers to start having sex so that they can bear him babies to be used as child labour on his planet. The strangest Spider-Man comic ever!

My blog is like caffeine!

Lillette, a lovely old friend of mine was just talking to me on MSN Messenger. She is at the National Library now, presumably checking out some cute guys there. Ha!

Lillette: IZ, I'm so sleepy now.

IZ: You should go read my blog mate. Might wake you up a bit aye.

Lillette: Oh I did. I had to. It's like caffeine for me.

IZ: Ha! Caffeine! I hope it's all good then.

Lillette: Good and bad.

IZ: Oh?

Lillette: Good because it kept me awake. Bad because it gets me addicted.

Ok, if any of you are reading this from the National Library now, do me a favour and look out for this really hot chick with glasses. She's with her laptop. Go and say hi to her aye. Don't worry. She won't bite.

Design-A-SIMPSONS-HOME Contest

As part of its promotion for The Simpsons Movie (now showing!!!), Golden Village is holding a Design-A-SIMPSONS-HOME Contest. Winner gets to win The Simpsons life size standee! From GV:

Transform your own living room into the most innovative and creative SIMPSONS home look alike before 17 Aug and stand to win LIFE SIZE SIMPSONS standee & exclusive THE SIMPSONS MOVIE hamper.

1 x STAR Prize includes THE SIMPSONS MOVIE human size standee: 9ft x 12ft.

*Top Winner will have to provide own transportation upon collection of prize.

1 X Top Prize and 5 X Grand Prize to be won!

1 X Top Prize includes PVC lunchbox, table coaster set, baseball cap, kids t-shirt, directors chair, popcorn maker & home movie kit.

5 X Grand Prize includes i-pod sleeve, family movie kit, adult t-shirt, movie poster and exclusive donut maker.

Some tips for you here and here. Good luck!

(Thanks Shy)

First book ever written using mobile phone is published

Here's another use for your mobile phone. Use it to write a book! That's what Italian author Robert Bernocco did. He has amazed the literary world by publishing the world's first book written using a mobile phone. Bernocco published it on Lulu.com, the online marketplace for digital content.

Bernocco took advantage of his idle time while commuting to and from work by train, writing his 384-page science fiction novel, Compagni di Viaggo (Fellow Travelers is the English translation), on his Nokia 6630 phone, using the phone's T9 typing system. The T9 system provides a predictive text function and can be found on many mobile phones.

By dividing his manuscript into short paragraphs, Mr. Bernocco wrote his novel in perfect Italian, not your typical text-message shorthand, and saved the paragraphs on his mobile phone. Mr. Bernocco then downloaded them onto his home computer for proofreading and editing. The book took him 17 weeks to write.

"Only a few years ago I would have struggled to find both the time and the publisher to enable me to create this book," says Bernocco. "Thanks to my Nokia and Lulu, I am now proud to be a published author."

His novel can be found here.

How to make out and other top "How to" searches

Hitwise amassed a list of over 130,000 unique "how to" queries for the four weeks ending July 21, 2007. It then compiled a top 10 "how to" list that includes how to have sex and how to tie a tie. From TIME:

Top 10 "How to" Searches in the U.S (4 weeks ending 7/21/07)
1. How to tie a tie
2. How to have sex
3. How to kiss
4. How to lose weight
5. How to write a resume
6. How to levitate
7. How to draw
8. How to get pregnant
9. How to make out
10. How to make a video

It's obvious from the list above that a lot of people have no clue on how put on a tie. We can also tell that there are a lot of curious sex knowledge seekers out there but what surprised me most is "how to levitate" coming at number 6. Now that's really strange. Maybe they've been watching too much David Blaine.

Japanese Wooden Car

A furniture manufacturer in Japan made this wooden car that can reach 90 km/h! That's impressive but can it transform? Guess not.

(via Boing Boing)

Oscar the death predicting cat

Oscar, a cat in a nursing home in the US has become real popular for its ability to predict when patients will pass away. From WebMD:

"I first heard about him from the nurses on the unit," says Dosa, also a geriatrician at Rhode Island Hospital and an assistant professor of medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I. "It came to light that he was spending time with patients as they were becoming terminal."

The cat, Dosa says, seems to snap to attention when he senses a patient is about to die. In the essay, for instance, Dosa tells of Oscar arriving at the room of a woman and curling up beside her for more than an hour, purring and paying attention to the patient as the family arrives and the priest gives last rites, then quietly taking his leave minutes after the woman passes away.

"As people would pass, the question [among staff] was always, 'Was Oscar at the bedside?'" Dosa tells WebMD. "And the answer was invariably 'yes.'

So how did Oscar do it? Sixth sense? Is it its ability to pick out a death scent? No one knows for sure but I surely won't want it to be lying on my bed when I sleep at night.

Interplanetary Revolution

YouTube Link

This is a 1924 Soviet propaganda animated short about Comrade Cominternov, the Red Army Warrior who flew to Mars and vanquished all the capitalists on the planet!

Rose & Camellia

Rose & Camellia is definitely the bitchiest flash game ever invented! Don't believe me? Try playing it. To win the game, you have to out-slap the bitch. Have fun. Now, I need my revenge.

(Thanks Miko)

Singapore Airlines auctions A380 seats on eBay

Singapore Airlines will be accepting bids from passengers who would like to be the first to fly on the new A380 aircraft. It will auction the seats on eBay. Proceeds will be donated to charities. From Singapore Airlines A380:

Bids will be invited for seats on this history-making flight, and winning bidders will know that every dollar they pay will go to worthwhile charities. All customers will receive a personalised ceremonial certificate confirming they were part of the first-ever commercial A380 flight.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Chew Choon Seng, said the Airline wants to acknowledge the widespread interest in the entry into commercial service of this all-new airplane, and to use the opportunity to benefit worthwhile charities.

“The first commercial A380 flight will be a moment in aviation history. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel.

“And while we will celebrate the event, we also wish to remember the people who are less fortunate and can be assisted by the charities to which all the proceeds will go,” Mr Chew said.

You can pre-register for notification on auction details here.

(Thanks Steff)

Frisbee. A collective. Interactive.

Frisbeecollective.com has an impressive collection of frisbees promoting world championships, television programs, movies, tournaments, food items, music, etc. I like this Oreo frisbee the best because it looks like a real Oreo cookie!

Zero Hour Jackets and Bags!

Yesterday, I posted some photos of the new Zero Hour T-shirts that are now available in Singapore. Today as promised, here are the photos of some of the cool Zero Hour jackets and bags.













Jackets cost S$65.90 each. Leather bags and cloth bags are priced at S$45.90. PVC ones are $35.90.

Check them out and more at the new Zero Hour shop by San Street at Suntec City and also at Queensway Shopping Centre. Locations here.

(Disclosure: I'm the Brand Ambassador for San Street, the distributor of ZeroHour, Action Ladfigure Inc and Extreme in Singapore. San Street is also a main sponsor of this blog.)

Previously: Zero Hour T-shirts in Singapore!

Ben & Jerry's special Simpsons movie flavour!

My favourite ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has announced that they will be making a special ice cream to celebrate The Simpsons Movie premiere. From Burlington:

Ben & Jerry's Homer homage is called "Duff & D'oh-Nuts," and according to a news release from the ice-cream maker is an "extremely limited, one-time and one-day-only flavor" that's "a combination of chocolate and cream stout ice creams with glazed chocolate donuts." Duff is the brand of beer featured in "The Simpsons" television series, and doughnuts are Homer's culinary raison d'etre.

In another nod to Homer, Ben & Jerry's will for one day rename its Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor "Chocolate Chip Cookie D'oh!" in reference to Homer's famous exclamation.

D'oh, too bad Duff & D'oh-Nuts will not be available here in Singapore. Beer plus donuts plus ice cream is a fantastic combination!

(via Junk Food Blog)

Spanish Movie Posters

This is such a neat little Flickr photoset containing 71 Spanish movie posters scanned using an Epson scanner. I think all of them are real vintage stuff.

(Thanks edgy31)

Emotibuds

Emotibuds are cute accessories that clip on your earphones. You can choose from four different Emotibuds to portray the mood you are in. I like the Koala ones. No idea what emotion it symbolises but I guess it has to be happy.

(via thepinkbelly.com)

Anderson Junior College Kiss pic gets Digged!

Someone posted on Digg a link to a class photo showing two girls kissing in front of their classmates and teacher. The story (You Gotta Love Japanese Class Photos: The two girls in the front prove how awesome Japan is. Thank you Japan, thank you.) then got to the front page of Digg, gets digged more than 2300 times and now has more than 230 comments!

The photo is not from a school in Japan but Singapore's very own Anderson Junior College! It was taken in 2004 and it even made the local news back then. I found the following story by The New Paper on a forum. From talkgeek2me.com forums:

In a rash moment, these two girls from Anderson Junior College (AJC) locked lips for the camera - all for a wacky class photo.

They pulled off the joke under the noses of their form tutor and their classmates, when posing for an informal memento at the annual photo-taking session.

Now, the former Year One Science students say they did not mean it and are sorry for what they did.

However, it has caused unnecessary embarrassment to the college, their tutor and their parents...

AJC's principal of five years, Mr Tan Tiek Kwee, told The Y Scene that the photo of the kiss was not a result of some fancy digital trick, as some suspected at first.

It was just a result of a 'silly prank', he said.

The 'fun' pose, captured by a photographer from AJC's Photographic Society, was for the class to keep.

As the photographer said 'One, two, three', the girls kissed on the count of three.

Zero Hour T-shirts in Singapore!

Just a selection of the Zero Hour T-shirts now available in Singapore.











Here's a pic of me modelling the T-shirt pictured second from top.

All Zero Hour T-shirts are priced at S$32.90. You can get them at the new Zero Hour shop by San Street at Suntec City and also at Queensway Shopping Centre. Locations here.

I will post pictures of their jackets and bags tomorrow.

(Disclosure: I'm the Brand Ambassador for San Street, the distributor of ZeroHour, Action Ladfigure Inc and Extreme in Singapore. San Street is also a main sponsor of this blog.)

Harry Potter and the Big Funnel

The made in China Harry Potter and the Big Funnel novel. No, it is not written by JK Rowling. Really.

(via Boing Boing)

Related: The ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Thriller performed by Filipino inmates

YouTube Link

Video showing 1,500 plus inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines practice their Thriller routine. I have no idea what they are practicing for but what a great choice of song aye. Michael Jackson's Thriller rocks! Oh and I sure hope these zombie inmates don't get loose. Having them terrorising Cebu and other parts of Philippines is a really scary thought.

The end of Weekly World News

This is sad. My favourite wacky tabloid Weekly World News is no more. From FishbowlNY:

R.I.P. Weekly World News. The imaginative tabloid, which gave the world Bat Boy, Ed Anger and a woman celebrating her 7-year wedding anniversary with a space alien, is no more. They're shuttering the publication in August. No reason was given.

...the tabloid's circulation sharply declined over the past five years and there's also speculaton that publisher American Media's financial troubles might have something to do with it.

I do hope that they can still continue publishing - maybe just do an online version via their current website. They can make it into a blog. Worth a shot guys!

Sonic Chair

The Sonic Chair provides a unique audio experience, allowing you to sit at the very centre of a sound system - it's like sitting inside headphones! The integrated satellite speakers of the Sonic Chair are precisely adapted to your ears. The speakers are encased in a carefully crafted body that creates sufficient volume for powerful bass tones, while a specially developed body-focused sound membrane serves as backrest and further augment the lower frequencies – creating the feeling of a live performance. You can also enjoy your music at full volume without disturbing others.

Amazing used games store in Tokyo

Pictures of an amazing used video games store in Tokyo. What a gamer's paradise! I have no idea exactly where in Tokyo this store is located but it sure does give me another reason to go to Japan.

(Thanks GeekGod)

Kevin's Farewell Party @ Oosh

I don't usually attend blogger gatherings (too shy) but when my man Kevin organised a farewell party at the beautiful Oosh on Saturday night, I just had to go. I think more than 15 people showed up - mostly bloggers. I did not get a chance to talk to everyone there (sorry) but I had a jolly good time and I'm sure everyone else did too. Here are some pics from Kevin's camera.


The man of the night - Kevin! Have a safe trip back mate and all the best in what ever you do.


Here's Brennan (with that sexy pose of his) and me. Brennan is a long time reader of this blog, way back during its Tripod days. It was really nice meeting him. The boy is going to enter the army soon so wish him good luck as he makes Singapore safer for all of us.


Also met and talked quite a bit with Preetam. This pic was taken just after he was explaining to me how he mobilized several hundred students in China to beat me in a blog award some time ago. Damn it. Other than that, he is a very nice bloke with a fun job- he teaches lecturers how to waste their time blogging.


Finally, the LG Shine bloggers - the very hot Veron, me and our lovely LG Shine mobile phones. Read her LG shine review here.

There are more photos over at Kevin's Flickr set.

Haunted lighthouse for sale

Who wants to buy a lighthouse in the US for just US$1? Oh, ghosts included. From Boston Herald:

For sale: $1 property surrounded by Long Island Sound off the coast of Fairfield. Must be able to cope with possible haunting.

The U.S. General Services Administration is seeking a buyer for the Penfield Lighthouse, built in 1874 about 1.1 miles from Fairfield Beach. It is said to be the site of strange occurrences following the drowning of lighthouse keeper Frederick Jordan in 1916.

Geee. I've always wanted my very own haunted lighthouse. Maybe I should put in a bid.

(Thanks finatiq)

Australia is slowly being eaten up by Singapore

Here's something that most of us (Singaporeans and Aussies) do not know. Singapore owns more of Australia than the Australian government. Crikey! And some Aussies are starting to worry if it may cause tensions in their country. From The Age:

Planes, child-care centres, shopping centres, department stores, satellites, hotels, power lines, gas pipelines and mobile phones: the Singapore Government owns all that and more in Australia yet this is barely mentioned in public debate.

Does anybody else out there feel a little uneasy about this phenomenon, especially given the secretive, autocratic and undemocratic tendencies of the Singapore Government?

Australian companies, let alone our Government, would never be allowed to buy equivalent assets in Singapore. And all this investment didn't even give us the leverage to save Van Nguyen from the gallows.

Superman never says yes to a cigarette

YouTube Link

An anti-smoking public service announcement by Superman. He never says yes to a cigarette. Here's another clip.

The ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

The wait is over. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final (thank god!) book in the Harry Potter series is out in bookstores. I've watched all the Harry Potter movies including the one currently showing in cinemas (it's so boring that I can fall asleep) but I have yet to read any Harry Potter book. Really. But this being the last book in the series, I thought I should go and find out the ending for you guys. What really happened at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? Well, are you guys ready? Here goes...

Voldemort: Dumbledore didn't tell you who your real father is?

Harry Potter: What are you talking about?

Voldermort: Harry, I'm your father!

Harry Potter: No!!!!!!!!

Both Harry and Voldermort then blast each other to death with their magic spells.

The end of Harry.

Yay!!!

Ha! Ok that's not the real ending. Although it sounds very familiar, doesn't it? Hehe. Here's the real ending. From Fool45.com:

# Albus Dumbledore is really dead. But it was all part of his plan.
# Severys Snape dies while fighting opposing Voldemort.
# The centaurs and giants fight for good. Grawp and the giants fought for Voldemort.
# Mrs. Weasley kicks ass! Enough to defeat Bellatrix Lestrange.
# Voldemort was defeated when his own Avada Kedavra backfired.
# Nineteen years later, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley are seeing their three children off. James, Albus, and Severus all board the Hogwarts Express. So are Rose and Hugo, the kids of Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
# Draco Malfoy is also there with his son Scorpius. He and Harry Potter make eye contact, and nod to each other.

Damn it. I want Potter dead! Grrrrr.


Update: Harry Potter's Wikipedia page has already been updated (Thanks heather, GeekGod):

Harry witnesses Voldemort killing Snape, but before he dies Snape hands over memories that inform Harry that he, Harry, must be killed by Voldemort, because he constitutes a seventh Horcrux that Voldemort isn't even aware of. Heavy of heart, he slips off on his own to do so. However, the "death" he is dealt is not permanent, due to the bond between him and Voldemort, but his willingness to die triggers strong protections on the people of Hogwarts similar to the protections he received as a child from his mother's sacrifice.

Another battle ensues, Nagini is killed, and Harry is now prepared to finally kill Voldemort. Unbeknownst to Voldemort, the Elder Wand, which he has stolen from Dumbledore's grave, does not obey the wizard who wields it, but the wizard who owns it; and Harry has become its rightful owner. It thus refuses to execute the killing curse on Harry, and the curse rebounds on Voldemort, who finally dies.

After the end of the battle and the requisite fete, Harry slips away to visit the portrait of Dumbledore. He plans to keep the cloak, but to take the other two Hallows out of circulation—one dropped in the forest and the other returned to Dumbledore's grave. Dumbledore approves.

Top 10 weirdest Japanese condoms

I think no top 10 list of the weirdest and funniest condoms in Japan is complete without the Gundam Condoms. Check out the illustration of the Gundam robot on the package of the condom. I'm not too sure but I think it is wearing a condom!

A Guy's Relationship Chart

Dude documents every intimate relationship he has ever had in this amazing chart. The data spans 23 years! Now that's what I call great information design. I'm tempted to do one just for fun but then again, my poor exs won't be too happy to see them listed on the chart for all of you guys to see aye.

(Thanks Trisha)

House made from matches

Learn how to build a miniature house from matches and then go impress your friends. The evil in me just wants to light up those matches and see the house burn in flames. Wahahaha!

Steam buns with pork flavoured cardboard is a hoax!

Remember I blogged about the Chinese steam bun seller who was caught trying to rip his customers by stuffing pork flavoured cardboard in them? Apparently the story was a hoax done by a temporary employee of Beijing Television who felt pressured to produce a story for the station. But still, I'm not buying food from any Chinese street stall! From Xinhua:

Under the name Hu Yue, Zi twice went to the No.13 courtyard inside Shizikou Village, Taiyanggong Township of Chaoyang District, and asked four migrant workers who had been preparing breakfast there to make meat buns for other migrant workers at a construction site.

The four meat buns makers were identified as Wei Quanfeng, Zhao Xiaoyan, Zhao Jiangbo and Yang Chunling, all from Huayin, a city in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Zi allegedly invited a friend to act as the boss of the construction site, and bought pork and flour from a market in Chaoyang District and brought the materials to the courtyard.

In order to film the process, Zi is alleged to have instructed Wei and his fellow villagers to make "baozi" or meat buns by soaking and crushing discarded cardboard he had collected and mixing it with pork. The baozi were said to have been fed to dogs.

Zi used a home DVD camera to film the entire process and turned in his report after he edited it.

Previously: Steam buns filled with pork flavoured cardboard!

The Simpsons and Linda Evangelista Fashion Spread

The Simpsons go to Paris with Linda Evangelista is a cool fashion spread illustrated by Julius Preite. It features them in various designs from Fall 2007 collections. I dig them in the Versace and Chanel clothes. Oh, and Linda E is hot!

Silent Home Appliances

Have you ever wondered how it feels to use your food blender or vacuum cleaner without all the noise that it generates? For her thesis project, design student Lise Levebre created acoustical skins that wrap around noisy home appliances to drastically reduce their noise. Her thesis explores the potential of sound as a criterion for design and the subsequent effects it could have on the look, feel, texture and overall experience of an object. Direct link to pictures here.

The Vader Project

"Luke, I'm your father. It's me, Darth!" Darth Vader goes all artsy at The Vader Project. Check out some of the other Darth Vader helmet/mask redesigned by professional artists.

(Thanks Joshua)

Thou shall not start an office romance

Not being a team player, conducting personal business on company time and starting an office romance are some of the mistakes that one can make to kill his career. From CNN:

6. Starting an Office Romance

Unless you're in separate locations, office romances are a bad idea.

If you become involved with your boss, your accomplishments and promotions will be suspect; if you date a subordinate, you leave yourself open to charges of sexual harassment. And if it ends badly, you're at risk of everyone knowing about it and witnessing the unpleasantness.

Transformers collection sold for US$1M

Any Transformers fanboy (or girl) will surely get excited by this Transformers collection: 275 Tranformers from the '80s (101 Autobots and 81 Decepticons!) and 92 licensed products. Lady who owns this collection sold everything on eBay for US$1 million. Crikey! It's an awesome collection but I don't think it's worth US$1m aye. Oh well, congrats to the person who bought the collection. Mmm. Can I be your friend?

Odex vs Singapore Anime Fans

Odex, a Singaporean company that licenses and releases anime here, has started to take action against people who download anime fansubs of series from Japanese companies that it represents. The letter threatens legal action. Here's a copy (PDF). I understand that several letters have been issued to downloaders since June this year. One of those who got the letter is this anime fan. From Lawliet Shi Hao:

Oh god. I feel so guilty now.
My mum called AVPAS ytd.
They say that if my mum admit guilty now.
They will settle it out of court.
And yeah, this has become my mum's case. Cause she was the one that signed for the internet line. I feel so sorry for her. Cant really express my feelings well now.
Anyway if she admits guilty, it would be depend on whether the japan anime company wants to charge her.
If yes, she might have to go to jail, and pay a fine of near 10k.
Shit, god please dont make this happen. Please.
Anyway if i admit guilty i will have a high chance of going boys home.
Either way it sucks. Having really bad thoughts on life now.
I still want to take my exams peacefully and go up to poly all these one leh.
Dont want to have any record in my life...

And for all the sgreans here. Tell you something.
Its totally totally not worth it. Please stop dling anime now.
Now i dont even dare to ddl. Cause i have no idea what odex will do to contact with several ddl provider.
Its hard its hard. But please try to curb your anime addiction.
And if you think that "ah ya wont so suay kana me one la"
Please just dump your mentality into the rubbish bin.
Cause thats what i thought, and i got owned now.

So far, Odex's crackdown is directed at people downloading anime using Bittorent. Here's how Odex caught these people. From Darkonlore:

We(referring to the anime community) has noticed that the ones caught are all using bittorrent. This is due to the fact that each bittorrent client keeps info of who it is connected to (IPs), and is easily accessible by anyone who use the same .torrent file. There are also trackers that would list the IPs of users who are currently connected to it. So just take down the SG IPs and ask the ISPs for their info. Encryption of data in that aspect is pointless.

Odex's actions have created a furore among the anime community in Singapore. Anime fans feel that by preventing people from downloading fansubs, Odex is slaugthering anime in this country. Many also said that they have no choice but not to buy Odex VCDs because they are of a very poor quality. From MavericK:

Well, let’s see, ODEX basically has almost monopolized the distribution of anime in Singapore, so we kinda have no choice but to go to their goods. But what do they do in return? Lousy resoultion/quality, seriously bad dubbings (though they’re in dual-sound), and exorbitant prices. How exorbitant, you say? Let’s see, S$29.90 for a vcd box…which contains only around ~10 episodes. That’s like $3 for an episode. Is it worth the money then? The resolution is so bad, you dun wanna maximise to full-screen when watching them on your computer. The dubbing, the hell, you would RUSH to set the audio to the original Japanese before the characters start to speak.

I'm not a hardcore anime fan (I do watch a few now and then) but I just had to highlight this after reading that so many people are furious with what Odex has done. Yes, piracy is wrong but I don't think we can include downloading anime fansubs in the same category as downloading a movie or music. Most anime titles are not well known. It is only through fansubs that people in Singapore will watch them. By preventing the downloading of fansubs, the chances that people will go to a video store and buy a new title or series are slim and that means in the long term, Odex will suffer. Now that Odex has infuriated the small but closely knit anime community in Singapore by threatening them with ridiculous fines or even jail term, many people have decided to boycott the company. Who's going to buy your poor quality VCDs now Odex? Smart move? I don't think so. Lawliet Shi Hao, the guy whose mum has settled his case with Odex out of court, said it best in his post:

BUT STILL. I NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER WILL BUY ANY PRODUCTS FROM ODEX.

Good luck Odex.

Beep Beep! It's the Road Runner!

It's things like these that make me love YouTube. Beep Beep! Darn. There goes my Wednesday afternoon. Anyway, don't you guys pity the Coyote? It keeps trying and trying but never seems to be able to get an upper hand over the Road Runner. Poor Coyote.

The 50 Greatest Muppets

I love the Muppets so much ever since I was a little boy so it's an extreme joy for me to read this list of the 50 greatest Muppets (part 1 and part 2) compiled by the folks at Progressive Boink - especially when my favourite, Kermit the Frog is at number 1 on their list. "Kermit the Frog is number one because we love him, and we always will." Sweet!

HTTPanties

HTTPanties by ThinkGeek are ideal for the discriminating woman who would prefer a web-savvy and somewhat-direct approach in the romance department. For example, if you wear a "403 Forbidden" it means, "no, you can't have me for the night".

(Thanks GeekGod)