Thursday, February 28, 2008

While all you schoolkids were sleeping soundly I worked madly away at the computer, constructing this skin. It's actually very simple, so most of the madness came from my head.

I'm sorry, Mika might have to wait again. We will come to him eventually, but for the moment, Nouvelle Vague's Dancing With Myself occupies much of my inspiration. The song kinda reminds me of a quiet burlesque house, like when the night is still very young and it's not even the peak hour yet, and all you see is just one pathetic, but pretty showgirl doing her small but insignificant number to entertain what little guests that may have chose to show up early. And she's dancing with herself.

Why, you might ask, is the song named Dancing WITH Myself and not Dancing BY Myself? Because, my dear friend, the song is talking about masturbation.

Not that this irrelevant piece of trivia will be of any impact on the way you interpret this song. I, for one, choose to stick by my story of the lone showgirl performing for an off-peak audience.

The girl with the umbrella. A photography series by George Marks.

Originally I wanted to use pictures from The Sims 2. So I set the game to debug mode, built a studio, plonked down some full-length mirrors and put the model in the room full of reflective surfaces. Zoinks! I forgot that a 3D animated game really only has 3 dimensions. So instead of the countless images of the pin-up bombshell, all I got was the girl standing between two reflections. How awful. Photoshop can't save me either simply because I'm still an idiot when it comes to Photoshop (and that is coming from someone who is due to pursue a diploma in FSV). Nearly wanted to kill myself. Until Getty Images came to the rescue! My long-forgotten friend! Woe betide your shit-ass watermark, but I can forgive you for the plethora of images you have in store!

So, ladies and gentlemen, just put up with that shit-ass watermark from Getty Images, and in the meantime, please remember, it is still a blog, and the main attraction is ME! WooHoo! WaaHaa! WeeHee!

Dancing with myself
Dancing with myself
Well there's nothing to lose
And there's nothing to prove
And I'll be dancing with myself!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

I will be needing a new blogskin, by the way.

Some thoughts to pin down for the moment.

1. I was blog-hopping a while ago and I realise how much progress people have had in their lives when I haven't accomplished anything... yet. Of course a nice long break is nice but you know what I'm like, once we're past the halfway mark I start to get impatient and wish everything was over.

2. I have been posted to Film, Sound and Video at Ngee Ann Poly but I won't know anything else until early April when NP sends me an information package. In the meantime all I do is wait. Wait, wait, and wait until my brains rot and my intelligence fades and all that is left is not even enough to get me through the first module.

3. FSV had better be fun, exciting, useful and enriching, otherwise I'd end up wasting my time. Even after reading through the module synopsis I still can't visualise what will really happen, which I guess can only be understood through first-hand experiences. And I really hope I can survive the course because, what if years and years of mundane toiling in the monotonous academic world has left me devoid of the kind of skills required for the course? What if I'm actually just a stupid idiot who can neither comprehend theories nor carry out practicals? Could it be that I am just a wastrel of the earth, stuck in her own world of imagined drama and surrealist dreams? What if one day I meet with so much opposition from the people around me that I end up being unable to do what I want to do? Do you know I have a feeling that one day I might fall out with my family because there are too many things I want to do, most of which are in direct conflict with their mindset and values? If you were a traditionalist, will you ever want a daughter who likes tattoos, loves music, wants to play in a rock band, dreams of a career in almost everything music, theatre, film and art, who would kill to get tattooed by Chris Garver or Kat von D, who'd die to be on the road, who'd do anything for canvas, paints and an easel, who wants to do what she likes and not what she's told? Do you know I will not care to stay in this damned country? Do you know that there's really nowhere I want to be at all? I just want to exist. Just be.

4. A part of me wishes I could be sharper, quicker, more ruthless and less sensitive. Then I can tell everybody the truth about them and me. I want to address all the mistakes I spot in others and stop them from repeating. I want them to realise they are wrong. I want them to know I am right. All the time. Everytime I think I'm wrong, it's just not true. The way everything is; the way they act; the way they talk and behave and think, they are all wrong. Their ideas are so warped, so full of prejudice that I wish to be the bad guy that exposes all their crime to the world, make them repent and change. Even if it means they will hate me. I wish I didn't care if people hated me. But unfortunately,

I care when people hate me, I care when people talk about me, I care when I don't look my best, I care when I say something wrong, I care when people say something wrong, I care when they hate what I like, I care when they like what I hate, I care, I care, oh man do I really care!

And yet,

I don't care when circumstances are right. I don't care if you diss me superficially, I don't care when you make ungrounded claims about what I like and what I hate, I don't care if I look ugly to you as long as I think I look awesome, I don't care, I don't care, oh I don't bloody care.

5. My joints hurt.

Just as an update, it's Minor Hand Injury Week over here in my household.

1. My mom had her index finger caught in a hole-puncher.
2. While retrieving a piece of toast the back of my hand came in contact with the metal surface of the toaster oven. Hurts like shit. Really. Don't touch a hot toaster oven.
3. A dead crab took revenge on me by scratching my index finger while I was cracking its pincer open. I shall never eat crabs. Ever again.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

LOL. Thanks to Depperte for the screenshot!

When I saw the screenshot I just had to add the captions. Yay for lol-V!

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Lee family welcomes the newest member, Christel Lee.

Parents: Quentin and Deena Lee
Grandparents: Dave and Lena Byron (Quentin does not have any parents as he was once an NPC)
Uncle: Jake Byron
Generation: 3rd
Personality Sign: Gemini

From now on I must start making records of my Sims' genealogy. Sucks when I don't remember anything about so-and-so's great-grandparents etc.

Christel was born in early Spring in Springfield (in TS2 zodiac signs DO NOT correspond with time of birth but rather the inherited personality of a in-game born child from its parents, or assigned by the player upon creation in Create-A-Family), and was one of the easiest babies I have ever had in the game. She rarely cried, her parents were attentive without over-reacting (in other families a baby can be fed five times in a row by different family members queuing up to give it a bottle!) and her parents were not overworked from juggling their careers and caring for her as well. As you can see from the picture, she has brown hair (from Deena) and brilliant green eyes (from Quentin). She Grew Up to be a rather hyperactive toddler who learns Skills rather quickly, hence Quentin and Deena managed to Teach her the three important skills Sim Toddlers should Learn before transitioning to the Child stage: Walking, Talking and Potty Training. Along the way she also picked up 2 Logic, 2 Charisma, 2 Body and 1 Creativity skill points.

During late Summer Quentin and Deena threw a small birthday party for Christel's transition into Childhood. The party was attended by grandparents Dave and Lena, uncle Jake and his girlfriend Cecilia Salvado. Christel Grew Up Well with Platinum Aspiration and got to forge very good bonds with her grandpa over the party!

So that's all about Christel!

Friday, February 15, 2008

I don't think there is a need for me to keep emphasising how aimless my life currently is. I will know my "calling" by Feb 19 I think.

So maybe I shall make a boring wishlist to bust the boredom.

WISHLIST OF ITEMS WHICH I MUST EARN LAWFULLY THROUGH LEGAL MEANS (i.e. no stealing, no shoplifting, no receiving of gifts, no buying with stolen money, etc, you know the deal.)

1. MacBook: It may seem like a splurge but it's out of need actually. I will need a laptop if I'm going to NP. Actually I wanted a MacBook Air, but looking at the specs and the price I realised I would end up paying only for the fact that it's, well, MacBook Air. Due to the lack of USB hubs, drives and stereo speakers (the built-in speakers are mono speakers. WTF?), I'll wind up having to buy a lot of peripherals just to own a MacBook Air. Apple, you could've done a nicer job, really. After all, your CEO is Steve JOBS.

2. Every Single Expansion/Stuff Pack Under The Sims 2: This can come true only on two conditions - if I have enough money and if computer games weren't so fucking expensive. S$25 for just a damned Stuff Pack is daylight robbery!

3. Easel, Canvases and Art Supplies: I want to live my dream. Well, one of my many dreams.

4. Nicer Walls: Because living with revolting pink walls for the past seven years is a complete nightmare. Every morning, when I open my eyes, MAJOR NIGHTMARE!!! Every day, when I stroll around my house and step into my room, MAJOR NIGHTMARE!!! And if that's not enough, every time I try to sleep, I lie in my bed, flip on my side, face the wall, MAJOR NIGHTMARE!!! I'm starting to resent my past as a girly girl and I want to shake off this image NOW.

5. Guitar Classes: I want to stop being a guitar poseur who owns a guitar but does not play it.

6. Minarik Inferno: It's so fucking expensive but once I'm out of the guitar poseur stage, gain access to my bank account and start rolling in the cash, I shall OWN IT! MUA HA HA HA HA!! I wonder if they could custom make a lefty one for me?

7. But for the short-term, I would settle for this: Fender Stratocaster, Left Handed.

Well enough ranting about what I don't have 'cause I'm supposed to be a fortunate rich spoiled and useless person with nothing worth complaining about.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

A quiz from Sherilyn!

Comment and I'll give you a letter; then you have to list 10 things you love that begin with that letter. Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

The letter which Sherilyn gave me: G.

Woah... G is kinda difficult for me... >.<

Okay...

1. GIORDANO: Good quality basic clothing at a very reasonable price.

2. GREEN TEA: Drink of choice at Japanese restaurants.

3. GEORGIA: One of my favourite fonts.

4. GREY: Favourite colour of the moment.

5. GUITARS: They look lovely, they sound awesome, they're essential to nearly every type of music we listen to, what's not to love?

6. GUYS AND DOLLS: The funniest Broadway musical number I've ever heard.

7. GOLD COAST: A beautiful awesome place which I may even consider migrating to.

8. GRANT IMAHARA: Most darling Mythbusters build team member ever!

9. GROUNDHOG: CUTENESS OVERLOAD.

10. GARVER: MOST AWESOME TATTOO ARTIST ON EARTH!


Woah. It took me 50 minutes or so to finish all ten slots.

Monday, February 11, 2008

I've been living in a vacuum, rotting away from all the nothingness in my recent life.

Living like this does make me appreciate the little things in life actually. Like buying four T-shirts for less than $30 and appreciating the wonders of watching a Sim grow from babyhood to childhood, to teen-hood, to young adulthood, to adulthood, to elder-hood, and to death...-hood.

But a life like this is also very pointless and useless. It just makes you feel like you're just an extra in the world, an extension. A resource-waster who breathes the very air that so many others fight to breathe, consuming the food which many others elsewhere in this world die for and using consumer items made from slave labour. You almost feel like you're siphoning off this world with nothing to give back with. Taking, taking, and taking.

I hope my life wouldn't be that useless once school starts in April. Or so I heard.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Once again, I've found something amazing in the most unlikely place.

I BOUGHT AT WAR WITH THE MYSTICS BY THE FLAMING LIPS.

AT SEMBAWANG.

AT JUNCTION 8.

WTF?!?!?! SRSLY??!!?!!

You didn't get me wrong. Sembawang in Junction 8.

I thought I'd have to head down to HMV or whatever to find it.

Turns out they do have it in SEMBAWANG.

However it's the only Flaming Lips album in the entire neighbourhood - the next copy and the rest of their 25-year discography would probably be somewhere in HMV. Or Gramaphone. You get the deal.

And as I was uploading it to iTunes, I found a very massive problem - well it'd be massive if you're a visual person like me - I CAN'T MODIFY ALBUM ART! The same problem also occurred with Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion. And having reached my trivial-matters' boiling point, I Googled and found the solution. The problem? The WAV format. I converted it to MP3 format, voila! Now I can have the two prettiest album art in my iTunes and iPod! YIPPEE! (c'mon, Wayne Coyne is an awesome artist, it'd be such a waste if I can't have his artwork in my iPod!)

And this skin was hence created to celebrate this wonderful incident. However the Flaming Lips kinda... overrided my previous decision to make a blogskin dedicated to Mika. I promise, the next time round we'll get Mika, okay?

Let's see.

My first blogskin over at the Old Blog was for Project Runway. Austin Scarlett in particular. It was a gift from my best friend. The HTML code is currently in the old computer.

My first self-made blogskin was dedicated to Andrea McArdle. In my opinion, she was the most brilliant child star in Broadway - I heard her sing Tomorrow from Annie and was instantly mesmerised by the power of her voice, and mind you, she wasn't even 12 then. At this point I've had the first blogskin for ages and the Project Runway fever was also wearing off. So yes, I bravely asked for help from the same best friend and Kristy and there you go, a Broadway-themed blogskin.

The second is by far the most disastrous, and I should be glad if nobody has any memory of it. It was so gross I don't even know where to begin. Colour scheme maybe. PINK. Header maybe. THE SIMS 2 FREEZER BUNNY. Okay the Freezer Bunny is cute. Except the blogskin isn't. What was it for? Valentine's Day of course. No, it didn't help me score dates.

The third was one of the cutest. The picture I used was a production sketch of Dory the Blue Tang from Finding Nemo. Look, I know how much people hate the movie, but you've gotta admit the animation was awesome. Plus I like Dory and Squirt. So armed with that picture I went on to create the first blogskin with those clickabomb-thingofabombs whereby you click a button and it takes you to different sections of the blog. Oh and first time I used a jazz-inspired song to go with - Beyond the Sea by Robbie Williams. This skin, I had Clarice's blogskin for reference so it wasn't tough at all.

At this point I can't remember everything but there are some highlights of course. For instance, the first time I used an LP song. I think it was Session. I didn't do it justice at all 'cause the graffiti effect was like shit and I haven't properly mastered Photoshop. There are some which I really loved. The Corpse Bride-inspired one was one of my best Photoshop attempts. I discovered brushes, channel mixing and alternative fonts. And I discovered Michael Buble. So naturally, I paired Victor and Victoria with Michael Buble's duet with Laura Pausini, You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine.

Andrew Wyeth's Albert's Son paired with Fort Minor's Where'd You Go taught me to appreciate two things - simplicity and overall mood. Do you know I almost cried the first time I browsed through the blogskin with the music playing. I guess that meant I captured the melancholy well enough.

The previous blogskin which doesn't have any dedication in particular was a first in almost a year of skinning hiatus, due to O-levels and the lack of proper tools. O-levels was over; I got Photoshop in the system with much help from Weijie; I managed to revert to Classic Template with the help of, once again, Weijie; the first blogskin for this current URL was fugly enough; do I need any more reasons why I should revamp this baby? So I did. What came out was pretty simple but pretty pretty. And pretty sad-looking too, even though I didn't really intend to make it all sad and depressed-looking. But since it already looked so sad and depressing, I decided to use an equally sad and depressing track - My December by Linkin Park.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Another band to fall in love with!

The Flaming Lips!

So far:
Favourite song: Free Radicals (A Hallucination Of The Christmas Skeleton Pleading With A Suicide Bomber)
Favourite album art: Oh My Gawd (1987)

I just hope this list will keep expanding! They have a really awesome sound. You have to give them credit for being able to survive so long in the music industry. I think, through the evolving discography of the Flaming Lips, I can better understand why LP went with the different sound in Minutes To Midnight. If they stick to the same formula throughout they'd sell out pretty soon, no matter how good they started out.

And hence, I pronounce a new genre of music be added to my weird collection: PSYCHEDELIC ROCK!

(FYI the genres I already love are alternative rock, hip-hop, pop (more specifically, the middle-of-road kinda pop, a la The Carpenters), electronica, easy listening, jazz, big band, latin and pop (this time, the experimental kinda pop, a la Mika). The most problematic bit, however, is I only like one act from every genre, save for some of the broader ones like jazz and easy listening.)

Saturday, February 2, 2008

I come bearing cuteness!


Remember the Penguin? Yeeeaaahhh. He talks to the snowmen about peace...

prison...

and sunny side-ups! n_n

It's so cute, even Marc can't resist giving it a nice pat on the head. You will later see why it's a bad idea to go out in the snow clad in nothing but a pair of skimpy little speedos.

Marc, incidentally, is a narcissistic, self-loving DJ-cum-Rock God (that's his title in the Music career!) who happily puts his name up in pink neon lights for the world to see.

And it was after he finished interacting with the penguin before we caught it waddling into Marc's apartment and peeing on his nice darkwood parquet! Poor hygiene, but SO CUTE.
(If you haven't noticed, all organisms in The Sims 2 pee... blue. Weird I know. But I swear I SAW the penguin PEE on the floor in Marc's living room!!)

Another thing I discovered in the game: you can get caught in the snowstorm and freeze in there! Remember he was hanging around the penguin in his skimpy speedos? Now he's in full winter get-up but still...he shivers....

and WHAM! Suddenly the ground got real close to his face. Later he unsticks himself from the ground and I direct him to somewhere warmer and safer.

The Sims 2 Seasons is the most awesome EP EVERRRRRR!!!

It's FEBRUARY?!

It IS February! And it's the SECOND DAY OF FEBRUARY ALREADY!

You know one of the biggest problems of slacking so hard is you kinda live in a vacuum and you stop noticing what day it is.

It wasn't until at least yesterday did I realise Chinese New Year is actually next Thursday. Hence reunion dinner will be next Wednesday. I mean, yeaaaahhh, I know it's coming, but I don't really have the faintest idea EXACTLY when it is.

So. What have I been doing other than slacking.

Shopping, of course.

For all sorts of New Year Shit.

Including clothes.

Speaking of clothes. I just cleared my wardrobe. And realised just how much my dress sense changed over the years. It really speaks a lot about the changes in my character. For instance I used to wear just any kinda shit people didn't want to wear, so I had clothes that looked like they should've been on a grandmother instead of a kid. I already had that anti-trend vibe in me but you can say I was going a bit too far, 'cause I wore really really WEIRD clothes. Weird even by my standards. And you know what a weird asshole I am. I am so weird, even a weirdo like me thinks I'm weird. Sorry for the confusing analogy, go figure that out later once I'm done talking to you.

So. I realised. Clothes that I'm actually fine with wearing today only make up 30-40% of the entire wardrobe. So I did the best thing possible: I threw out the 60-70% that was pissing me off with their mere existence. You know, sometimes I really don't get myself. Why was I such a bloody weirdo? Why am I STILL a bloody weirdo?! Why am I so willing to KEEP ON being a weirdo?!?!

Because you know why.

Weird.

Is the new. WEIRD.

That's why.

Irrelevant post.

But who said you have to read?

HAHA.

SO.

On a happier note.

I bought a shirt I really love.

That one bloody shirt I really love.

Actually one of a few selected shirts in this world that were ever unfortunate enough to be loved by me.

It's red.

It's plaid.

It's wrinkly.

It's buttony.

It's long-sleeved.

Most important, IT'S CHEAP!!! <$15 for that puppy. Original price was like $20++, WTF.

AND. I got a new pair of jeans to go with it! For the first time in my life I got a pair of jeans that isn't blue or black. It's GREY. Yay.

I'm sorry. I can't help it. I have this dumb obsession with greyscales even though I'm not a bloody emo. I only found out recently from my best friend that black is a Capricornean colour. I mean, yes, I tried to embrace bright bursts of colours but seriously, the only bright bursts of colours I'd really wear are bright red, navy blue and other miscellaneous muted colours. I'm happy, you know. I really am. I'm just not into international happy colours a la cheesy M&M's advertistments. Which, by the way, are complete eyesores in the MRT tunnels. Actually those bloody M&M's are already eyesores. Tasty, tasty, eyesores. I close my eyes and eat them. And open them if I happen to eat a brown one.

Can I talk some more about my other obsessions?!

Another obsession I have: autumn/winter looks. I. LOVE. COATS. JACKETS. SCARVES. HATS. I JUST LOVE THEM. And I'm so bloody vain that I will refuse to take my jacket off even if it's 30 degrees out there and I'm melting. I'd rather die in my lovely black hoodie or my piratey brown coat than in. SURFWEAR. *shudders*.

WHY THE FUCK DO PEOPLE WEAR SURFWEAR EVEN WHEN THEY ARE MILES AND MILES FROM THE NEAREST BEACH?!?! WTF. It wasn't so terrible seeing surfwear in Gold Coast because, come on, these folks at Surfers' Paradise live next to the beach! Plus, they live in SURFERS' Paradise. I had to be a bit sunnier than usual even though I'm not like woaaaahhhhh super-summer-sunshiney-look-at-me-I'm-so-fucking-happy-and-hyper-I'm-clad-in-pinks-and-yellows-yippee-aye-ay kinda person.

BUT PLEASE. In the most urban of places like Orchard Road. Like Shenton Way. Even at family gatherings NOT HELD AT THE BEACH. PEOPLE STILL WEAR SURFWEAR. STOP ALL THE BLOODY BILLABONG THINGOFABONG NONSENSE! Can you at least have the decency to separate them and remind yourself they are meant for the beach. If it calls for smart casual, WEAR SMART CASUAL. If it's a black tie affair, WEAR BLACK TIES AND SUITS. For ladies please wear at least, at least a plain frock. Why are people so stupid and wear Billabong Roxy OP whatever crap to EVERY SINGLE DAMNED EVENT.

Another brand I want to bitch about: MYUK. They are so fucking stupid. Who the fuck wants to announce to the damned world whether you "look like you freaking care?"! Seriously, nobody does, and you probably should LOOK like you don't "freaking care" and shut the fuck up. Your face and gestures will say it all. Don't need to carry blatant statements just to announce to the uncaring world that you, like the rest of those darned conformists, "DON'T FREAKING CARE". Oh and don't ask me if I care if you really don't care. If you don't care you'd have closed the browser the moment you see this page, if you don't care you'd have continued wearing those I.Q.-reducing articles of clothing and accessories. Tell you what, if you care, I will tell you too: I FUCKING CARE ABOUT MY SANITY, okay?

The perfect fashion world in my opinion:

NO FUR
NO LEATHER
NO "RULES DON'T APPLY TO ME" SHIRTS
NO MYUK
NO BILLABONG ROXY OP QUIKSILVER WHATEVER SHITTY SURFCRAP OUTSIDE OF THE BEACH
NO NEWURBANMALE
NO HAVAIANAS SLIPPERS. ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE NATIONAL FLAGS ON THEM.
NO BRAND NAMES ON CLOTHES. SAVE FOR THE CARE INSTRUCTIONS TAGS.

Yup. That's all. Very simple to follow, right?

Oh dear. Sorry. For a moment I thought I was in charge of running the universe.

Back to reality, I'm just a insane narcissistic maniac who ultimately just wants peace and equilibrium! Yippee!

*feels irrelevant and walks away*