Film is Forever

Call it fate. I don't really know how else to describe it. Its like the stars magically align themselves in pushing me to a certain direction. I've been toying with the idea of getting a lomo camera for some time, but never really acted upon that desire. The idea of sending film to the photo lab to develop and print never really appealed to me. The last time I shot with a film camera (my dad's Minolta SLR) was when I climbed Mount Kinabalu in 2007. I never got around to finishing that roll of film and even if I did... sending it to process was a hassle for me. My nearest photo lab doesn't deal with film anymore so I have to drive further to find one that is willing to develop.

Recently this idiot (sorry but there's no other way of calling him...believe me, I've tried to think of some) started posting on my facebook wall about scanning film with the DSLR in addition to sending me messages on MSN asking me to google the topic. I did. There were some interesting techniques and the results they got weren't too shabby.

In addition to that, another friend visited me in Kota Kinabalu a few days ago after he climbed Mount Kinabalu. That reminded me of my roll of film still sitting in my camera. I knew I had to finish it off quickly so I can try the above technique.

I downloaded a flashlight app for the iPhone recently - didn't know it will come in handy this soon. What I did was unroll the film, place it over the screen with the flashlight on and the took a picture with the DSLR.

After that, it was just the routine photoshop work.

It may not look great, but suddenly having a lomo camera made sense. Heheh.

This is from the Blackbird, Fly camera. Still getting to grips with using it, but will do a full review on it soon.

3G-Sutra

Ever since I've gotten my hands on the iPhone, it has allowed me to access the web in many locations that I wouldn't normally be able to. And I mean it. I do not have to be stuck at a desk but I can take advantage of the gadget's size and bring it with me during my morning routine on the throne.

However the more I use it, the more I realize that the internet speeds differ at different locations of the house. Naturally, since this uses the phone provider's 3G services, it is akin to getting better phone reception at certain places. Surfing on Safari is a joy because of its almost instantaneous loading times... but if the 3G services are not living up to their billing it can be equally as frustrating as using dial-up.

This led me to do a test to find out the best spot for internet surfing. I had a stopwatch and used Safari to load 3 pages one after another at different locations - Facebook, Soccernet and my blog.

The first most obvious location was the couch on the living room. It took just under 2 minutes to fully load those 3 pages. Not too bad actually. I then moved a few steps away to the dining area and got half that time.

The toilet got a similar time to the living room but the bedroom was the worst with 3min and 20s. There is one thing I observed when I did this test - that in all those areas, 3G services were very intermittent. If it kicked in, the page loaded very fast - and if it didn't then tough luck. When I did the toilet times again I found that it varies quite substantially.

There is one place in the house which excels at this test and posts consistent times of under 1 minute every single time. It is also a place in which there is uninterrupted 3G coverage. I must say I discovered it by accident...

The best spot! - On the railing at the top of the staircase

I don't really know how it started, but it must have been a time when I was waiting for the page to load while I was shuttling between rooms or the toilet and just left it on the railing. Whatever it was, I definitely struck gold!

Well, I've stopped looking for better locations now because it seems that even if the results can beat the 50+ seconds benchmark it would mean having to sacrifice my comfort. What if I get a 30+ second result for this test under the fridge? Or beside the water tank in the roof? Nah... I don't want to find out and then go through settling for second best.

$h!t!

Everybody swears. They all do. Even the most docile of characters have some swear words lying dormant within them - ready to be utilized if sufficiently provoked. Now the World Cup is about to kick off today and we already have some odd news.

Wayne Rooney will find his temperament under even greater scrutiny in England’s opening World Cup fixture on Saturday.

It emerged last night that the match officials have taken a crash course in English swearwords as part of a crackdown on abusive language.

Rooney has already been warned about his temperament by Fabio Capello, the England manager, and by Jeff Selogilwe, the South African referee who booked him and accused him of using foul and abusive language during the final warm-up match, against Platinum Stars on Monday.

Now the temperamental striker will be alarmed to learn that Carlos Eugênio Simon, who will referee England’s first group C match against the United States in Rustenburg, and his assistants have been given a list of 20 English profanities to clamp down on.

Hahah! I mean seriously? Referees already have many things to worry about during the game and the last thing they need is to reach into their pockets for a small flashcard and worrying about translations.

I'm not one to pepper my speech with profanities, but I do recognize their place in popular culture. Consider this exchange between two actors in a particular movie.

J : You used this towel?

V : Yeah, to dry my hands.

J : Didn't you wash them with soap first?

V: I did. But its hard to get it off.

J : I used the same soap you did!

Not very interesting is it? 'No kick' as they say. That was from the movie Pulp Fiction and featured a conversation between Jules and Vincent who were cleaning their blood-soaked hands. Somehow I don't think Pulp Fiction would have been as iconic as it is had it been censored to such a degree. Here is the colorful version in its full glory...if you're interested. - LINK

It is said that Wayne Rooney's passion for the game has often been misunderstood as anger. It is just an outlet for him to release his frustrations on the pitch. Well its definitely better than head-butting an opponent in the chest... and here's where he can learn from us Malaysians.

We are a multilingual society - and that means we are capable of cursing in more than 1 language or dialect. Fabio Capello should teach his players to swear in other languages so they do not risk losing. I mean if the players cannot vent their anger in their normal ways, it will definitely affect their performance. All that rage within them will turn them green like Hulks. Unless its Rooney - then its green like Shrek. They've been training for 4 years for this one moment (swearing all the way through their qualification I'm sure) and now you ask them to change the night before? Impossible!

Sobering Up

It was quite late in the evening when this man approached the counter. You can smell him from quite a distance away... he had been drinking quite heavily. Either that or he had been soaking in a jacuzzi full of beer.

Uncle : 'Gi-gi-give me this...er....what is it...you know...the one for flu? Wh-wh-white colour one, quite big tablet, not sleepy wan.'

I showed him Clarinase.

Me : ' This one? Clarinase?'

Uncle : 'No-no-no. Not this one. This is Clarityne. I don't want Cl-cl-clarityne. I want the other one for flu. The bi-big round one.'

Me : 'You sure its not this one? This is not Clarityne, its Clar-'

Uncle : 'Yea yea, not this one. I'm ve-very sure. Hang on let me ca-call... call my wife.'

I left the Clarinase with the box on the counter and attended to another customer while he made the call.

Uncle : '(After the call) Yea my wife said its the big, white round tablet...'

Me : '(Pointing to the box of Clarinase that was still on the counter) Is this the one? Clarinase?'

Uncle: 'Yes! This is the one! Clarinase!'

So... two facts.

Fact No. 1 Alcohol messes up with the brain's cognitive abilities and renders it ineffectual. Its like a train that pulls up a few metres short of the station - no one can get on or off to make use of it.

Fact No. 2 Nothing sobers a man more (and/or faster) than a conversation with his wife.

Sore Loser

I've had my PSP for a couple of years now and it has entertained me through the many ups and downs in my life. A game in which I have logged a considerable amount of time on is Winning Eleven (or Pro Evolution Soccer).

Initially I started with the easiest level available in the Master League setting and then when I started winning by at least 5 goals in each match, raise the difficulty by one level. Winning on a higher level may be difficult at first, but with time and patience, you can beat the machine (As opposed to playing against another human where more is required. You must always be wary of dirty tactics - like your opponent messing with your controller when you are about to score...not that I do that kind of thing).

On the subject of playing with another human gamer, there are also emotions to consider. Like if you constantly leave your gaming partner eating the dust in your latest duel. There are people who thrive on this kind of challenge, they resolve to get back at you and make you eat humble pie. And then there are also people who are sore losers... eventually you'll have one less gaming partner because they will be very reluctant to play with you.

Recently my PSP started acting like a human.

I've been playing at the 5th highest level of difficulty (out of 6) for some time and have been winning a bit too comfortably. After this current Master League season I'll probably start playing one level higher. Then Mr Pee-Ass-Pee started pulling this stunt.

Each time the ball is in my possession, it will somehow revert to the Quit Menu. Even worse - the game doesn't pause itself! What a low blow. Main belakang ni...

The Quit Menu can only be accessed by pressing the HOME button on the bottom left corner of the screen and as you can see in the video my finger was no where near it. I had to press the HOME button again to get out of the menu.

To say its irritating is an understatement. There are few things in this world that are more annoying than Justin Bieber and his songs but I'd rather put a mop on my head and sing 'Baby baby baby ooooh~!' than be unjustly cut off when Gerrard is about to score from 30 yards out. But I guess I'd better let it win once in a while. After all you know what happen when you try to call someone who is very bad at losing over for a game. They ignore your call and messages or make up excuses. One day Mr PSP may not turn up for the game at all.