Google maps you to Mordor
Dec
21
Don’t you just love google’s eastereggs?
Here’s another:
Go to Google Maps, get walking directions from “The Shire” to “Mordor” and you get a very good piece of practical advice.
Oldspice guy is… MANta Claus!
Dec
20
Oldspice guy is back as MANta Claus to spread the Christmas cheer, and he has made up a list to gift to all 7 billion of us!
Because he is that awesome.
Some special gift recipients include Australia, Shanghai commuters, French-speaking ladies, Ellen Degeneres, and Jimmy Fallon.
And of course, to end on a great note, he gives his last gift to who else, but all the women in the world!
What a player.
Kim Jong Il – 1942 – 2011
Dec
19
Kim Jong Il, the mysterious and reclusive Great Leader of North Korea, was reported to have died on 17 December, 2011 by state media.
Although seen by the rest of the world as a repressive and cruel leader, he was apparently highly regarded within the borders of North Korea, almost to the point of deifying him.
His birth in 1942 was reportedly foretold by a swallow announcing the coming of a general who will rule the world, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow over Baekdu Mountain, as well as the birth of a new star.
A great leader he may have been to the people of North Korea, but to the rest of the world (other than heads of state), he was little more than comic relief in an otherwise insane world.
To be honest, I know next to nothing of him, and what I know, I gleaned from Team America: World Police.
Here’s Kim Jong Il in Team America singing “I’m so ronery”
Another source of information I get about this legendary character, is from this tumblr collection of Kim Jong Il looking at things.
Credit: http://kimjongillookingatthings.tumblr.com/
As we all know, the internet moves at ten times the speed of light, so in light of his death, a similar site has already been set up for his heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, to erm, look at things on behalf of his father.
Kim Jong Il had also allegedly kidnapped a Korean film maker and his wife in 1978, placed him under house arrest and forced him to direct films in order to build up the North Korean film industry, and to produce propaganda films.
A very strange man indeed. May here’s hoping there will be no negative repercussions on relations between North and South Korea, and the world at large, when his son Kim Jong Un officially steps up to the throne.
The state of our transportation systems today
Dec
17
This is all one big conspiracy I’m telling you. Recently, Singapore’s transportation systems have failed, one after another.
First, a series of train disruptions caused trains to be stuck in tunnels with the air-condition and lights turned off. This resulted in someone taking a fire extinguisher to the window to keep ventilation going.
Then this morning, the bridging bus service broke down while ferrying stranded passengers from the MRT stations.
And earlier today, an incident happened at Sengkang MRT. Apparently, a ceiling slab fell and hit a man. It looks really serious, and I hope the man will turn out fine.
Lastly, a few days back, while walking home, an overturned taxi greeted me.
Is this all a giant conspiracy to tell us to get our own damn cars? But COE is so high! Looks like the holy trinity of SMRT, LTA and the Minister for Transport are in for a rough last few days of 2011!
*update: apparently, the man fell from height while cleaning the area outside the mrt station.
The Ides of March
Dec
16
Politics is dirty business, and you have no idea how dirty it is until shit hits the fan, and the plotting begins. Its the coming-of-age story of a young and upcoming junior campaign manager Stephen Meyers played by Ryan Gosling, who is trying to help governor Mike Morris (George Clooney, who also directs) clinch the presidential nomination for the democrats.
Young, idealistic and optimistic, Meyers journeys into the convoluted path of politics armed with nothing but his smarts and chiselled good looks. However, nothing worth fighting for is ever smooth sailing.
Events and dramatic turns involving an intern crops up, and Meyers must struggle to contain himself, as he discovers the treachery, backstabbing and double-dealing that routinely happens in politics.
And although, at the end of the day, Meyers comes out of it relatively unscathed, he seems to ask himself
“at what price?”
A small but entertaining thriller.
This is George Clooney’s fourth directorial effort, but the first one i’ve seen, and i’m pretty impressed. I’d compare him to Ben Affleck, another actor turned director who seems comfortable sitting on the director’s chair.
The Ides of March also stars Marisa Tomei, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood.
Rating: 7/10
Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?
Dec
15
No wonder Bane gets to break Batman’s back… Batman was using a Nokia Lumia windows phone. And nothing good ever happens to people still using Nokia and/or windows phones.
Picture: slashgear
Still, the packaging is damn neat. And Nokia’s being a total cocktease by making this a truly limited edition phone. Apparently only 40 pieces of “Dark Knight Rises” Lumia 800 will be made worldwide.
Damn, I wanna get my hands on one of those!
I wonder if it has a “batvoice” synthesizer? You know, so we can sound like a bat-ass!
Spider-webbed Trees in Pakistan
Dec
15
National Geographic
In the 2nd half of 2010, Pakistan experienced some strong monsoon rains that resulted in a huge area being flooded. It was estimated that the floods affected 20million people, with close to 2,000 deaths. Damages to structures were estimated at about USD 4 billion.
In the aftermath of the flooding, these photos reveal the impact the flooding has had on the insect population. As flood waters rose, it drove thousands of spiders and other insects up to higher ground, including trees.
With the flood waters slow to recede, the spiders had no choice but to do their thing right up there on the trees, making for these beautifully haunting photos.
Another plus to this story: in areas where the spiders have scaled the trees, there have been fewer reports of malaria spread by mosquitos.
Either that, or Andrew Garfield’s been practising his web spinning chops over at Pakistan.