2007 in Pictures

Go here for a slide show

www.flickr.com

Allei! Walah! Ci Bon!

A magical trip to Val Thorens in Savoie, France. Winter wonderland tucked away in the valley of 3 mountains.

Supercool

"If only everyone saw you the way your pet does"

Everyone's got to face down their demons

Third Eye Blind - "Jumper"


I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend 
You could cut ties from all the lies 
That you've been living in 
And if you do not want to see me again 
I would understand 

The angry boy, a bit too insane 
Icing over a secret pain 
You know you don't belong 
You're the first to fight 
You're way too loud 
You're the flash of light 
On a burial shroud 
I know something's wrong 
Well everyone I know has got a reason 
To say 
Put the past away

And I 
I want you to know 
Everyone's got to face down the demons 
Maybe today 

You can put the past away 

Everyone's got their own set of problems to handle presently and demons from the past to exorcise. It's almost as if we human beings aren't complete adults (in the mental sense - belonging to an age group does NOT make you an adult) until we manage to take control of our inner demons and move on to being a better person. Life is about challenges, living is about overcoming them.

So to anyone out there (does anyone still read this blog?) who feels like they are going under and that the effort to stay afloat is just too much: Don't. You're not alone. We all feel that way sometimes. Do what you have to do. Even letting go is doing something. Don't drown, because you never know what might drift along once you are over the crest of the next wave. Ride it and enjoy the journey it brings you on.



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Now playing: Third Eye Blind - Jumper
via FoxyTunes

I Go To Bed With Paul

Meet Paul, my bed partner. That's him there in his mini-waterbed. For the first time ever in my time in UK, I used a hot water bottle in bed. It was that cold. Sleeping with Paul started off pretty weird, but the warmth of him in bed just overrode the weird slushing and gurgling noises he made. Ahhh... beautiful warmth in bed. Blessed. I am so sorry that I ever banished Paul into a dark corner of a drawer 2 years back. We are going to make up for alot of lost time, Paul and I, in this final winter of mine. Especially since I don't have a heater in my room.

Stop Motion Stick Figure Body Art - Watch more free videos

Say It's Possible

How is this even .......

Saudi gang-rape victim is jailed

By Frances Harrison BBC News

An appeal court in Saudi Arabia has doubled the number of lashes and added a jail sentence as punishment for a woman who was gang-raped.

The victim was initially punished for violating laws on segregation of the sexes - she was in an unrelated man's car at the time of the attack.

When she appealed, the judges said she had been attempting to use the media to influence them.

The attackers' sentences - originally of up to five years - were doubled.

Extra penalties

According to the Arab News newspaper, the 19-year-old woman, who is from Saudi Arabia's Shia minority, was gang-raped 14 times in an attack in the eastern province a year-and-a-half ago.

Seven men from the majority Sunni community were found guilty of the rape and sentenced to prison terms ranging from just under a year to five years.

But the victim was also punished for violating Saudi Arabia's laws on segregation that forbid unrelated men and women from associating with each other. She was initially sentenced to 90 lashes for being in the car of a strange man.

On appeal, the Arab News reported that the punishment was not reduced but increased to 200 lashes and a six-month prison sentence.

The rapists also had their prison terms doubled. But the sentences are still low considering they could have faced the death penalty.

The Arab News quoted an official as saying the judges had decided to punish the girl for trying to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media.

The victim's lawyer was suspended from the case, has had his licence to work confiscated, and faces a disciplinary session.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7096814.stm

Tears Of Blood

Like a vampire of the night, I have not seen the light of day in ages. I grow weak in the living and strong in the dead pallid moonlight. I cry tears of blood. I am, undead.



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Now playing: 五月天 - 拥抱
via FoxyTunes

Remember remember, the 5th of November

Fireworks display at Plattfields Park

p.s. I love this new background song.

They Are Not Our Enemies

"Nature created them for a reason."

"Human beings are killing [sharks] like ... [we] don't care!"

"We can't live without them"

"Future generations are going to think of us as barbarians"


"On average, sharks only kill 5 people a year. And yet FIFTEEN THOUSAND of them are being killed EVERY HOUR so that rich people can eat shark fin soup. And for anyone who is cruel/stupid enough to think that sharks should be killed, this film explains how, if sharks were to no longer exist, there's a good chance that we wouldn't exist either."

Because Good Friends Are Hard To Come By

To my friends far far away, dedicating my 300th post to you. To those who stuck by me even when I said I didn't need anyone. Take care and I can't wait till we meet again.

002852你的号码
Hello很久没见你还好吗
Oh~我的天啊你又更胖啦
你的[摩都车]快坐不下

[新加坡]那边的天气还好吗
我的心情梅雨不断的下
很想听你讲个黄色笑话
拿起啤酒一起大声笑哈哈

(Oh) Friend
声音就在耳边
窝心的感觉像你出现
乌云都变蓝天

I will always be your friend
不管你有多远
只要真诚把心窗打开 看得见
就算地球多大 你都在旁边

工作不顺利跟女友吵架
车子被Ａ倒屁股也开花
钱包发觉被小偷拿走了
打个电话来哭诉一下

到那天80岁阿达阿达
想找个人喝杯茶哈啦哈啦
要记得你讲过那一句话
I'll always be your friend forever

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Now playing: 陶喆 - My Anata
via FoxyTunes

低头思故乡

I miss my family...




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Now playing: Muse - Invincible
via FoxyTunes

First of More To Come

As any Aerospace engineer learns, the true crux in designing any plane is in the optimisation of the design. Do you focus more on the aerodynamics for a truly flight efficient wing-body and thus sacrifice payload? Do you focus more on structural integrity and fly a plane that handles like a 18 wheel truck with no power steering? The list of compromises goes on endlessly amongst the Propulsion, Materials, Safety, Manufacturing and Payloads teams as well. Overriding all of these though, is the D.O.C : Direct Operating Costs.

That's right. No avoiding it. Even before a single bolt is turned or the first aluminium sheet pressed, there is an intense round of cost estimating and market research and analysis. In other words, "Will this aeroplane be a good sales pitch?" This is extremely important as every cent spent in this stage of the development could have repercussions of up to thousands of dollars in the later stages of the development and manufacture process.

So it should be no surprise that one of the top priorities of Boeing and Airbus would be to ensure customer's confidence in their products AND the company itself. Airbus, being a subsidiary company of EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) with BAE (British Aerospace) as a shareholder, is routinely upheld as a sparkling example of what the old world powers can achieve through co-operation. I.E. beat the Americans.

Underneath all the handshakes, smiles and pat on the backs though, it is evident that the joint national leadership of an essentially commercial enterprise just isn't working out. Issues like national security, pride and economical policies hinder what is already a very delicate production line for the Airbus A380. Look back into the company's history and you will see a direct correlation between the internal political strife and major delays and manufacturing bottlenecks. One can just imagine the English, French, German and Spanish CEOs arguing with each other, refusing to budge on their respective country's demands on the company, forcing everything into a standstill.

I have nothing against this gathering of minds from all over Europe. In fact, I applaud it. But please, get rid of the politics involved as well and run it like a real business. The way things are now, it's more like a family business that has been passed down the generations and now the extended family is just bickering over who gets what title while nobody really pays attention to the dwindling profits and business orders.

So get down to business already. Recent changes in Airbus and EADS have been encouraging, but please don't let it be just another façade and show for the media. Just do it already.

Singapore Airlines takes delivery of first Airbus A380
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 15 October 2007 1641 hrs

TOULOUSE, France: After two years of delays and internal problems, Airbus finally delivered the first A380 to Singapore Airlines in a glittering ceremony in front of 500 guests.

And while it may be years before it break even, the manufacturer is hoping that the plane's debut into commercial service will persuade a fresh wave of orders.

Orders dried up around the time the airliner's troubles started.

From the start of the ceremony, it was quite clear who the star of the show was.

But beyond the glitz, a lot is riding on how this first plane performs in commercial service later this month.

Singapore Airlines, which has been facing a capacity crunch because of the delay, is planning to use the A380 as the backbone of its long haul operations.

Could that mean new orders from a carrier that prides itself on a young, modern fleet?

Chew Choon Seng, CEO, Singapore Airlines, says: "We'll take it one step at a time. We've placed orders for 19 - they will take over from remaining 19 Boeing 747-400s that we presently operate and we'll move on ahead. So a lot is riding on the introduction of this place into service."

SIA is certainly charting a new course in aviation travel with suites that take first class travel to a whole new dimension.

And this may yet open a whole new market segment for the carrier.

As for Airbus, it will now have to focus on delivering the other orders on time.

Thomas Enders, CEO, Airbus, says: "We will have recurring deliveries first for SIA and then other customers but obviously there is huge challenge still ahead of us and nobody should be surprised because delivering one aircraft, delivering thirteen aircraft next year and then steeply ramping up production is presenting a lot of challenges."

Airbus also hopes to keep new orders coming in.

It has received orders for some 189 A380s so far - 165 firm and 24 on option - but that is below the 420 it said previously it needed to break even.

But despite all the problems, this is a plane that has captured the public imagination.

From the time the idea was first introduced at the turn of the century, the vast amounts of space available has led to all sorts of ideas from bars to casinos being on board.

SIA is hoping to get its fourth plane by April next year, ahead of the competition, and will fly to Sydney London and Tokyo.

Emirates and Qantas are next on the delivery list. - CNA/ch

Colour

Watashi Wa Nihonjin Ja Nai

Bella Que fa?
Bonita,
Bonita Que tal?
But Belle,
Je ne comprends, pas, francais.
So you'll have to speak to me,
Some other way.



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Now playing: Atlantic Starr - Always
via FoxyTunes

When Did You Last See Your Father?

When Did You Last See Your Father? is an unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, as Blake Morrison deals with his father Arthur’s terminal illness and imminent death. Blake’s memories of everything funny, embarrassing and upsetting about his childhood and teens are interspersed with tender and heart-rending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father, and their history of conflict, and learns to accept that one’s parents are not always accountable to their children

People buy things, make friends, look for love... Just to be a little happier in life

Cooler

If our fridge looked like this everday, Tat would be the happiest man alive. Note, that grey barrel you see on the bottom left corner is a mini-keg of beer.

Free Burma

Sweet Sputnik

Space travel turns 50 this month. Kicked off by the Russians with Sputnik I, the space race that ensued between USA and USSR has left us humans a legacy of Apollo Missions, the MIR and its successor the International Space Station (ISS). The old debate on whether space exploration is worth the hefty price tag when then money could be spent on helping the needy and underprivileged continues. There have , of course, been errors. However, space exploration creates real benefits and not just physical ones like satellite communication, weather forecast and nano-technology. What about the intangible sense of pride, the stirring of spirits? How about the innovations that came about and inspiring of young minds? Surely the farther mankind reaches into space, the more we will cherish Earth and try to make it a better place.

Some interesting facts:

Mercury - 1 Mission : 1 successful
+1 en route
+1 planned

Venus - 40 Missions : 26 successful
+1 planned

Moon - 80 Missions : 45 successful
+4 planned

Mars - 38 Missions : 18 successful
` +1 en route
+4 planned

Asteroids - 4 Missions : 4 successful
+1 planned

Jupiter - 8 Missions : 8 successful
+1 planned

Saturn - 4 Missions : 4 successful

Uranus - 1 Mission : 1 successful

Neptune - 1 Mission : 1 successful

Pluto (currently no longer a planet) - 0 Mission
+1 en route

Comets - 10 Missions : 9 successful
+1 en route

The furthest humans have gone to date is our Moon, though aspirations to send a manned mission to Mars still appear to be on the cards. Will we set up a colony there one day? Do we dare? Look at our Earth, ravaged by us in the relatively short time humans rose to be the dominant species. We must explore though, for that is how we as a species have always made new discoveries and achieved major advancements materialistically and spiritually.

To the heavens and beyond.

Not Funny.... meh?

Somehow, nobody else finds this comics funny. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?? :(

I find it hilarious. Don't you? Maybe I am a freak with a skewed sense of humour.



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Now playing: Dishwalla - Angels Or Devils
via FoxyTunes

Now, for the weather report.

Meteorologists in Singapore must have one of the easiest and most boring jobs around...

In The House

He's back! The best anti-hero of all time, Dr. Gregory House *rapturous applause*


House-isms:

"Everybody lies."


“Ideas are not soda cans. Recycling sucks.”


“No, if you talk to God you’re religious. If God talks to you, you’re psychotic.”


“Awesome. A sex fiend with a swollen tongue. Think of all the places I can make Foreman search.”


Cameron – “What are you looking for?”
House – “Same as you. Love, acceptance, a solid return in investment.”


Chase – “We’ve got an MRI scheduled in twenty minutes. Earliest Foreman could get the machine.”
House – “I teach you to lie and cheat and steal and the second my back is turned you wait in line!”


Cameron: Men should grow up.
House: And dogs should stop licking themselves, but it isn't gonna happen.


Dr. House: [talking to Wilson about a patient and quickly changing the subject as he sees Dr. Cuddy coming] —the cutest little tennis outfit! My God, I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Oh my! I didn't see you there - That is so embarrassing...
Dr. Cuddy: How's your hooker doing?
Dr. House: Oh, sweet of you to ask, funny story, she was going to be a hospital administrator, but hated having to screw people like that.



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Now playing: Maria Taylor - Song beneath the song
via FoxyTunes

The End To A Saga

This book was to be the one that finally provided an end to an epic story that has lasted over 2 decades. The grandfather of the science fiction genre, Frank Herbert's universe has kept countless minds enthralled in a reality where Sandworms were worshipped and spice was the currency. Where the noble Artreides and evil Harkonnen families feuded. Where politics always brought with it the danger of the poison tipped dagger. Frank Herbert made you fall in love with loyal Duncan Idaho and despise the twisted Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He made you admire the Fremen for their tenacity while living in the harsh deserts of Dune as well as awe at the ferocity of their Fedykin warriors.

When Brian Herbert announced that he had found a chest of notes belonging to his late father that hinted to how Frank Herbert wished to end the saga, fans of the Dune universe were electrified. They might as well have gone on holding their collective breaths. This book felt like it was going on forever, lost and without any direction, before reaching the last 10th and then realising it all has to come to an end it dropped all plots... before hitting you with a plot twist so big you could see it from chapter 2 of the book. It was a total waste of time. Such a shame, for the legendary Dune and its Sandworms to end on an incredibly weak note.

It was very nice for Brian Herbert to try to finish his father's award winning series. Brian Herbert is an accomplished writer in his own sense, having published a few novels and such. But this time, he might have stepped into shoes too large for him. Namely his father's.

One Never Forgets How To Smoke

Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess,
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.

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Now playing: Ingrid Michaelson - Breakable
via FoxyTunes

Miracle Beer Diet - More bloopers are a click away

A Fremen's Love Song

"Tell me of thine eyes
And I will tell thee of thy heart.
Tell me of thy feet
And I will tell thee of thy hands.
Tell me of thy sleeping
And I will tell thee of thy waking.
Tell me of thy desires
And I will tell thee of thy need."

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Now playing: Depeche Mode - Somebody
via FoxyTunes

Choose your poison

After a conversation with the bartender at Tribeca, she told me that Frangelico is actually quite a hard liquer to work with because of its strong and overpowering taste. Other than the usual suspects Baileys, Coke and Sprite, she didn't really know any other cocktails with Frangelico in them. This is also probably why most pubs and clubs don't carry Frangelico too.... much to my dismay.

Therefore, in an effort to spread the hazelnut love, I present a few recipes I've found online for everyone to try. Go suggest them to your friendly neighbourhood bartender the next time you visit!

1.Better Than Sex recipe:

1/2 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur

1/2 oz Haagen Dazs® cream liqueur
1/4 oz Grand Marnier® orange liqueur
1/2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1/2 oz cream

Pour the Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, Haagen Dazs cream liqueur, Grand Marnier and Kahlua coffee liqueur into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Float the cream on top, and serve.


2.Alaskan Polar Bear recipe:

1 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1 oz cocoa cream
1 oz chocolate syrup
1 scoop ice cream
1 1/2 oz whipped cream

Blend ingredients until of milkshake consistancy. Serve in a highball glass and garnish with whipped cream.


3.Heavenly Orgasm recipe:

1 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz Bailey's® Irish cream

Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with cracked ice. Strain into an old-fashioned glass 1/3 filled with ice cubes, and serve.(this one is definitely a girly drink...)


4. Cinnamon Nuts and Cream recipe:

1 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz cinnamon schnapps
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz cream

Pour ingredients into a stainless steel shaker over ice,shake until completely cold then strain into a chilled stemmed glass or Rocks glass filled with ice.


and lastly... one that's NOT creamy.


5. French Fry recipe:

1 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz triple sec
2 oz lime juice
1 dash pineapple juice

Pour the Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, triple sec, lime juice and pineapple juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a highball glass, and serve.


Alright, now go forth my underlings, and spread the word!

spiderpig spiderpng

What to do when you are locked in your own house and it's on fire? Call Spiderpng!

Oh Tri-Joy

Imagine my tri-joy! I now live 3 minutes away from Tribeca... Tribeca now carries my darling Frangelico... They are selling it for only 2 pounds as a shot or with a mixer of your preference. Oh the tri-joy!

The Definition of ROFLOL

It's the little things

It's always the little things and touches that count for the most, isn't it? Like how this glass potpourri defines the finishing touches to my new room. Remembering to wish people on their birthdays. Saying goodbye. It's these little packets of effort that reach the deepest and give the most warmth.

New Pad

Update your address books, this year I will residing at this location:

26 Sackville Place,
Bombay Street,
Manchester,
M1 7AT,
U.K.


Yes, I did choose this location because it is literally 10 seconds away from school and I am a lazy git. :)

Pngday

Schpng turns 24!

Thank you to everyone who made the effort to wish me well this birthday just past. All your warm thoughts and well wishes are greatly appreciated. Thank you. *bows*



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Now playing: Pearl Jam - Alive
via FoxyTunes

So I Read

你说, 我是你心底的一根刺，拔出来疼按进去也疼。
可是,你有想过吗?
你何尝不是我心底的一根刺呢.

但是,我从未想过要拔出来。

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Now playing: 陶喆 - Susan说
via FoxyTunes

In Singapore

Packing can be quite a bitch in Singapore's weather. Occasional thunder storms that drench everyone and everything do nothing to improve moods either. On top of that, I am leaving again in 3 weeks which means.... MORE PACKING.

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Now playing: Michael Bublé - Everything
via FoxyTunes

Last Mayflower Day

I just found out this: my empty room naturally has the acoustics of a concert stadium.

Tell me, this picket fences relationship you speak of, can I apply membership for it? Or is it an exclusive club just for the two of you?

Will I regret this decision to not come home in December?

My thoughts are scattered all over... I think I shall go hoover attack the dust I see on my floor.

On The First Day Of September...

Finally, something that I want to get for myself this birthday. No luck so far at Kino though.

"Death, Gunslinger. But not for you."

"Go then, there are other worlds than these."

And So The Little Prince Said...

"Grown-ups love figures. When you describe a new friend to them, they never ask you about the important things. They never say: 'What's his voice like? What are his favourite games? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead they demand: 'How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much does he earn?' Only then do they feel they know him.

To forget a friend is sad. Not everyone has had a friend. And if I do forget him, I might become like those grown-ups who no longer care for anything except figures



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Now playing: Finest Jazz Flavours - Stompin' At The Savoy
via FoxyTunes

Getting Lost in KL

Travelling up to KL was well worth it. Both Andrew and Kuan Ching were marvellous hosts for the period that Aaron and I stayed in Msia.

Maybe it's just me, but the feeling I got from hanging out with Andrew and co. in KL was that everything was very ... chill there (for want of a better word). There wasn't a sense of rush or the need to be somewhere at a certain time that seems to just exude from everyone in Singapore. I admit it might be a biased view as I hung out majorly with people from Manchester. That just means we Manchester people are a cool bunch!

Next up would be Hong Kong before I fly back to Manchester on the 11th. Travelling has done me very well this summer, it is probably one of the few reasons I managed to pull through. That and the support of friends and family of course. Onwards... Hong Kong!

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Now playing: Fergie - Clumsy
via FoxyTunes

Teochew "Hee", Hokkien "Guah"

Passing It On

Resting at Home

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

-Luke 6:37

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Now playing: 曾宝仪 - 没有人
via FoxyTunes

Pulau Tioman

One of the highlights of this summer break, the snorkeling trip with my bros left many great moments in my mind. Good company, food, weather, fun all around and these few moments stood out:

1. Being stalked by a pack of Barracudas. Seeing one of them snap its teeth right in front of us was quite scary.

2. We managed to manufacture our own hydrogen gas bomb.

3. finding out that clams come in blue, purple and even green.

4. proposing to the prettiest clam that turned bright blue as she held tightly onto the blade of leaf I presented to her.

5. going Ramly crazy

6. teaching the locals what is Nestum Ice/Milo Ice/Nescafe Ice "DINOSAUR"

Nineteen Twenties

Watched This

"People say to plan for the future, but do they realize that if all they plan for is the future, many things will be left behind?
Maybe it's because we are born with our eyes in front and ears by the sides that we can't see or hear the things we leave behind."

Last Frantic Burst

song : The Decemberists
mood: wanderlust
book(s)-in-hand: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

On the cards:

1. Tioman trip

2. KL trip

3. Hong Kong trip

4. Manchester.

Before I realised, the number of weekends I have left in Singapore amount to less than 5. The familiar routine or stacking things up mentally, preparing a checklist of tasks to complete and psyching myself up for the solitude once again.

Why is it through the frenzied activity, I still find myself thinking of her? Looks like I still have to constantly remind myself to move on. Chuga-chuga-chug-chug.

A truth that's told with bad intentions beats all the lies you can invent
~William Blake

Legal threats towards Singaporean fansub downloaders

sources: wikipedia, anime-source

As of 1 June 2007, Odex has sent letters to people downloading anime fansubs of series from Japanese companies that Odex represents. A copy of the letter may be seen here: [1]. The letter threatens legal action against its recipients. It is stated in the letter that the recipient is given a period of time to contact Odex for an out-of-court settlement, and if Odex is not contacted within the deadline, legal proceedings will be issued. It is unclear how Odex managed to obtain personal information of people that they suspect of downloading anime fansubs using BitTorrent programs, and information as to how many people have actually received such letters were withheld by Odex.

Odex first sent out a batch of 17 letters in May 2007. The success of the letter campaign prompted a much larger sending in June. Lawyers hired by Odex determine the penalties on a case-by-case basis with downloaders found guilty of willful and significant downloads facing possibilities of fines of up to $20,000 and up to six months in jail. So far, the youngest culprit caught is 9 years old [[2]].

However, general opinion holds that ISPs like SingNet, etc. were responsible for the disclosure of personal information. It is also believed that due to its poor sales, Odex has to resort to legal actions for revenue, as there is a large number of people who obtain anime online via torrents, whom at the same time due to the transparency of ISPs like Singnet, make easily legal targets for Odex.

However, it must be noted that due to its low marketing presence in the local anime market, many anime fans have never heard of Odex. Odex has also been attempting to encourage purchases of its anime VCDs/DVDs in place of original Japanese anime and anime produced by other English anime companies in order to beef up its sales. However, fans that have heard of Odex have criticized Odex for abusing its monopoly power to set prices that are even more than the American or Japanese counterparts.

Of important note is that Odex apparently has the legal right to commence legal action against people downloading anime fansubs of series that they do not sell, as long as they are produced by the Japanese companies that they represent, as Odex is under AVPAS directive to curb video piracy. However, many forums currently debate that the AVPAS is actually a ploy by Odex, thus not making it controlled by the Government.

The response on anime-related online communities and forums has largely been negative, ranging from sharp criticisms of Odex's video quality and business model, to impassioned outcries for a boycott of Odex or of the anime market. You can read an open letter from one of the anime community here.

Evergreen Classics

song : David Tao on repeat
mood: old
book(s)-in-hand: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman (final book)

Edit: on the guitar
[A] Now I miss you more then I missed you before
and now where I'll find comfort God [D] knows
'Cause you [A] left me [E] just when I needed you [A] most
[D] [A] left me [E] just when I needed you [A] most

Now most every morning I stare out the window
'an I think about where you might be [D]
I've written you letters that I'd [A] like to send
[E] If you would just [E7] send one to [E] me

Amazing

Just like that, it's almost time for me to head back to Manchester already. 4 more weeks and it'll be over a year before I am able to come back home again. And I don't feel like I've accomplished anything within these months.

Japan Hour

Because it took me an hour to get the settings for this right. Here goes... hope it works. Day 2 in Hokkaido =]

Oh yeah, to answer some people:

1) yes, I had to stip naked to enter the hot springs and communal baths.

2) no, the hot springs were not unisexual. It's a very relaxing and addictive experience. I can see why the Japanese do it so many times in a day (I once went down at 7am due to an early set off time for the tour and it was PACKED)

Rain On Me

This Is Your Brain On Anime.

Japan Minute

Japan was everything I thought it would be and more. The fresh products of Hokkaido island. Abundant seafood and summer weather was just exquisite. I already miss the practice of dipping myself into the onsen for up to 4 or 5 times a day. Pics will follow when I feel like I've more than a minute.

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A preview of what I had the fortune of eating in Hokkaido.


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Day 1:










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