Carnival of Rust

Poets of the Fall’s hit song just got itself a remastered music video. This is a must see. Don’t forget to choose the HD version and full-screen it.

-Marc

After much beer, we saw a Vertical Horizon

Beerfest Asia ‘09 was great for a number of reasons. It was great because I was there with with some of the best friends anyone could have in the world. It was great because there were just so many kinds of quality beer to be had for cheap. It was great because we had VIP seats that were blessedly spacious and populated with all manner of good-natured, fun loving people.  It was great because our seats were right in front of the stage. This last reason was particularly important because…

Yes Virginia, that last reason went directly from great to AWESOME when Vertical Horizon stepped up there and began to belt out song after song. Old favourites like ‘You’re a God’, ‘Grey Sky Morning’, ‘Everything You Want’ and songs from their older albums to new offerings like ‘Save Me From Myself’ from their upcoming album. Frontman Matt Scanell was at his charismatic best, interacting heavily with the crowd, and we lapped up all he had to offer.

Special mention to Jack & Rai and the E.I.C. Singapore’s a tough crowd to play to, but you guys did well. Splendid job opening the night, you guys had us completely psyched up for more.

Pictures are up in my gallery and I’ve posted more samples below. I’ve disabled full-size images in this album till I figure out what’s wrong with my watermark module but the standard-sized ones ought to be large enough for your eyeballs.

-Marc

Atten-hut!

For those of you who don’t know anything about Team Fortress 2, your education begins here.

It’s a slick multiplayer-only game from Valve that runs on their Source engine. Players are divided into two teams (RED and BLU) and can choose from 9 distinct classes in order to complete map objectives. Most maps have both teams working directly against each other in game-modes that ran the gamut from Capture the Flag, Capture and Hold (command points) and Assault-Defense. There’s even one in which teams take turns to escort a huge ticking bomb on a truck to the enemy’s base.

The whole game is executed in a brilliant, cartoony style that is all its own and each of the classes is immediately recognisable, even from across the map. Furthermore, the classes themselves are infused with their own personalities: the Soldier is a psychopathic killing machine; the Heavy-Weapons-Guy is a beefy Slavic man obsessed with his chaingun; the Demoman is a drunken black Scottish cyclops (his melee weapon is a whiskey bottle); the Sniper is an australian bloke complete with slouch-hat and incomprehensible obscenities; the Medic is sarcastically German; the Scout is a young man from Boston with no shortage of ego; the good ol’ Engineer is a laid back Texan; the Spy is disgustingly French; and the Pyro… well, no one knows what the hell he’s saying through his gas mask. I just can’t think of another game with this much style and panache outside the RPG genre.

The off-kilter humour pervades the entire game world. Here’s a promotional clip called “Meet the Soldier”. There’re also clips up for Demoman, Engineer, Scout, Heavy so go look at those if this one makes you chuckle.

-Marc
“He says: I found another fish in the sea…”

The Problem with Dustbins

Here’re the opening paragraphs of a short story (emphasis: short. Damn lecturer only gave me 2000 words to play around with) that I wrote for my PC1325 - Einstein’s Universe module.

“S’x’lchi scuttled back and forth across the length of his office, mandibles clicking away nervously.
 
It took a lot to make S’x’lchi nervous, really. After all, he was the Prime Proctor of the Teilaxu Department of Religious and Sundry Affairs and, ever since the Altairian Coup four years ago, the de facto Prophet of the Ministry of Science too. With positions like those, if he were to command the entire Empire to jump in the air, even the Royal Hive Family would respond by meekly asking “how high?”

 

If you feel inclined to read the rest of it, the link’s right here.

I’m planning on expanding the story beyond the word limits. I feel that currently, the transition of focus from a scientific/religious conflict to one that’s purely religious is too abrupt and should be reworked. How? I don’t know yet and I’m open to suggestions. I’ll post the reworked story up here once it’s done.

I’ve to also train myself to be less expository. Perhaps its the hubris of being a teacher,  but I never feel quite right unless I’ve explained away every single niggling detail and plot element in my stories, which probably would make them as sterile as an Enid Blyton novella. Not that I hate Enid or anything, but fully exposited fiction should only be found in the children’s section. Adult fiction ought to have a few holes and ambiguities which the readers can use to forment debate or to draw their own conclusions from.

I’ve tried to do that here, especially when talking about events and other races besides the Teilaxu (which the more astute of you would have noticed is also the name of a bunch of Islamic zealots from the Dune universe. I liked the name and the religious zealotry just resonated. Was going to apostrophyizingzangize it to T’lx’u but forgot) but I’m not really sure if I succeeded. I also have to work on my tenses when giving a 3rd person account (present? present perfect? past? garrgh).

Now I know why so many writers either turn to drugs, alcohol and/or razor-blades. The ones that transcend it all end up as Gods. Like Gaiman. And Pratchett.

By the way, I have to thank the great John Scalzi for giving me much inspiration. And, if you can guess who I’m paying tribute to with the ending line… let me know and I’ll give you a cookie.

-Marc
“show me the way…“

Momentum

The practice of cutting scenes from anime and re-setting the scenes to music is pretty widespread among die-hard fans of Japanese animation. Sad to say, most efforts fail to do more than fall flat on their face. Yeah bonzo, as if 99.99% of the viewers out there give two tugs of a dead dog’s cock about your selection of trashy metal and your near-naked obsession with animated japanese girls.

There is one particular editor whom I’ve been in awe of ever since I watched one of his videos in 2004. Koopiskeva hails from Random Variable Studios in Chicago and never fails to put out work that.. well shit, drives me near to tears. Here’s one of his latest pieces, entitled Momentum.

The song is Awakening by MAE, and the video is taken from 5 Centimeters per Second. The phrase is a metaphor for how humans, like cherry blossoms, inevitably fall away from each other as they find their own paths through life.

I have the high-res video. Contact me if you want it. The MP3 of Awakening is available for those who’ve figured out the secret behind my sigs.

-Marc
“when I close my eyes to this paradox place…”

Vienna Teng…

…is the shit.

Gravity

Harbor

She has a few songs up for free download on her site. Go get them if you’re interested. Can’t find her CDs here in Singapore but I have friends coming back in June who’ll be happy to buy them for you.

-Marc

Gleep

An update with the Bailamos party; I’ve been invited to put up a cross-uni shines performance with Tze from SMU and Jared from NTU and 2 other chaps who’ve yet to confirm their participation (hence the withholding of their good names).

Obviously, I’m quite chuffed at the opportunity. I’ve a great deal of respect for Tze as a dancer (he’s one of my inspirations to keep improving) and Jared has footwork that’s so fast he’d give Wong Fei Hong a run for his money. The other 2 gents are no slouches either. This is gonna be a blast.

So please! If you’re even a little curious about what Latin Ballroom and Street Latin dances are like, come to the party! Now you have the added incentive of watching me sweat buckets under the spotlights.

Juggling work and tuition and dance is beginning to take its toll. I’ve had trouble getting out of bed in the mornings for the last week or two. Not trouble waking up; trouble getting up. Its like trying to crank a starter motor with an almost flat battery and I don’t enjoy the feeling.

Hopefully things’ll get better with the CNY weekend for me to recuperate. I won’t be visiting much since my mom’s off in Thailand with my brother so I’ll be able to sit at home and do some much needed stoning.

My birthday party on Saturday’s going ahead as planned. I’ve already ordered the beef and gotten the hotplate for the teppenyaki and with the poker gang down there’ll be no shortage of atmosphere. I’ve yet to decide on the brand of beer to buy so give me suggestions if you’re into that sort of thing! I’m very partial to Corona but I know that some like their alcohol to come with more of a punch.

One last thing: A very dear friend of mine, Grace, is about to scale a 14505 ft mountain to raise funds to organise outdoor activities for underprivileged kids. Please do visit her Facebook group >here< and donate if random philantrophy or focused outdoorseyness are your sort of thing.

-Marc
“Watch your words spread hope like fire..”

Salsalicious!

Warning: pure salsa post ahead!

First and foremost, shameless plugs for my friends!

1. Attitude Dance Studio is putting up a pair of events this weekend, 26th and 27th of January, to celebrate their anniversary. Yes folks, that’s Saturday and Sunday.
   • Saturday’s event is a rather posh-posh party at the Upper Club at CHIJMES. My friends on the ADS team will be putting up performances and there’ll be lots of chances to social. Something different from the rather dark and drab confines of Union Square, and with Gupson around you can be sure the music’s gonna be sizzling fast.
   • Sunday’s event is the essential opposite of Saturday’s. It’ll be held at DXO and will feature performances from various dance studios around Singapore as well as a shines competition. I know a few of the people taking part in the competition so I can assure you that they’re the cream of the crop and will be a joy to watch.

Here’s the event website: http://www.asiasalsa.com/highlights.asp?id=4

2. SMU’s Caderas Latinas has a party/performance on Thursday, the 28th of February, also at DXO. The event, Bailamos en la Calle (Dance on the Streets) will showcase performances put up by the latin dance teams of many of Singapore’s Tertiary Institutions. Confirmed institutions include NTU, NUS, RP and, of course, SMU. I feel compelled here to tell something to my single male friends: the girls from Caderas are hot and most are still single. -grin-

Social dancing sets will be interspersed between performance sets (phew) and there’s a workshop by LADC’s Lionel Araya at 8pm.

Here’s their event website: http://www.danceonthestreets.com

Alright, now some news on the Young NTUC Salsa Team’s anniversary bash last saturday. The Salsa Labour Movement saw many people coming dressed as their favourite professions. I saw a bangladeshi worker, a judge, a tennis player, a nun… goddamn, if there’s anything funnier than a woman in a traditional, face-exposed-only habit doing a double turn I have not seen it yet.

The food was alright and so were the performances. Admittedly I wasn’t blown away at any point but none of the performers are seasoned or professional in any way. Most have only been dancing for a few months. So, kudos to them for having the guts to go up on stage and doing their choreos without freaking out :)

-Marc
“Como se lo explico la corazon…”