Jian Rong's Blog

Grammys 2010

2010-02-01T02:08:00.001-08:00

The first Grammy Awards of this decade boasted some of the best performances ever in the history of Grammys. There were as many medleys (string of short songs) performed by various artistes as there ever had been in its 52 years history. In case you did not already know, R&B legend-to-be Beyoncé bagged the most awards (6) including the coveted Song Of The Year for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). Taylor Swift, who scored her first nomination two years ago (only to be beaten by soul sensation Amy Winehouse), finally realised her dream with one, two, three, four Grammys- and she's only 20! Ms. Knowles' husband Jay-Z only did half as well as his wife, as so did Black Eyed Peas and Kings Of Leons. The most unsurprising surprise was that A.R.Rahman, who is well known for his work on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, scored two Grammys for his work on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Anyhow, I extend my sincerest congratulations to all the talented musicians and artists who were recognised and awarded for their hard work. (You guys are a huge source of inspiration to all music lovers worldwide, including me!) Anyways, let's briefly review how this year's Grammys really turned out.

Tribute in 3-D

Everyone saw it coming. The only question was 'how'. It was a magical moment from start to end. Five outstanding artistes from four different genre sang along with Michael Jackson's super awareness Earth Song. Ballad Queen Celine Dion, though well past her prime, provided some nevertheless superb vocals; R&B crooner Usher showed off his gospel-worthy tenor; Carrie Underwood proved that country singers do have powerful voices; Jennifer Hudson, though visibly smaller, assured us that she still has that big kickass tune in her; the softer Soul legend Smokey Robinson blended in well in what was a befitting tribute to his one time protégé. However, none of the above gifted performers could outsing The King himself. Even though gone, his unique voice haunted every viewer, nailing the song's intented Earth-saving message into our ignorant brains. Kudos to the organizers for succeeding in reminding us that a dead pop icon's impact in music and humanity was and is and will be greater than five best-selling artistes of three different generation from four different music genres. All hail Michael!

Borderless

Back in 2006, hip hop, alternative and Brit pop were fused into one when Jay-Z and Linkin Park teamed up with Beatles great Sir Paul McCartney. This year's ceremony was full of such instances (C-O-L-L-A-B-O-R-A-T-I-O-N). Attention-drawing Lady Gaga woke us up with an inspired duet with Elton John, who need no introduction. Skipping the non-collaborative performances (Green Day's musical interpretation of 21 Guns deserves a special mention), comedian cum movie star cum R&B singer Jamie Foxx united with autotune archtypal T-Pain to give a rather frantic rendition of 'Blame It', which ended epicly with a signature Slash (Guns 'n Roses, Velvet Revolver) solo rift. Zac Brown Band then entertained us with three songs of which the only one I have in my playlist is 'Chicken Fried' with a very cool looking Leon Russel, who is one of those amazing folk veterans. Taylor Swift then delighted her diehards with a pure-country style performance of hit singles 'You Belong With Me' and 'Today Was A Fairytale' and reintroduced the world to aged rock chick Stevie Nicks. After the sacred MJ tribute, Bon Jovi made us relive their moments of glory with the globally unknown Jennifer Nettles. The legendary David Foster teamed up with the legendary Andrea Bocelli and Mary J Blige in a Haiti earthquake charity performance that left Mary J. overwhelmed by the stunning Italian tenor (when Bocelli takes stage, no one else but him is singing!). Maxwell made his Grammy debut with Roberta Flack while the man who revolutionised the guitar world, the late Les Paul, was honoured by Jeff Back and Imelda May in the brilliant 'How High Was The Moon'. The shows finale was presented by rap's next big thing Drake along with two of the best mainstream rappers, Lil' Wayne and Eminem, while Travis Barker barely sweated it out on the drums that backed 'Drop The World' and Kanye-missing smash hit 'Forever'. This year's collaborations were really sweet and 'dope', and they were unlike any other award shows ever (apart from Adam Lambert at the recent AMAs).

Country Music The Biggest Winner

Taylor Swift may be pinching her skinny arms to feel the reality of her phenomenal and well-deserved achievements, but it was country music that emerged as the night's ultimate winner. Previously, country music was stereotypically associated with 'banjos', 'midwestern', 'cowboys', 'folk' and even 'redneck'. Thanks to Taylor Swift, country music is now ranks the highest in play counts in playlists among tweens and teens. The Grammys kinda up Taylor Swift's fame by one notch, and now she has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in music history, with what's left is experimental, non listeners-orientated music. Of course, many would argue that Taylor Swift's music is miles away from true country and sounds a lot closer to contemporary pop that many would admit, but who would complain? Country music has regained its status as 'in' music and I bet people are now frantically searching for Zac Brown Band or Carrie Underwood or even Lady Antebellum and will be pondering if they sound 'Taylor Swift' enough to be on their playlist. I am prepared to bet that in the next two to three years, they will probably add another award or two to the country music category. Taylor Swift may be the heroine of every teen girl's (and boy's) heart, but that night, she was the heroine of country music.

A Music Awards Show Or A Popularity Contest?

Forgive my harshness, but I'm afraid this years Grammy awards were decided based on popularity more than merit. When the nominees for the various awards were announced a few months back, it was apparent that the nominees were selected on the basis of chart performance and marketability rather than musical performance. For instance, Record Of The Year saw Halo, I Gotta Feeling, Use Somebody, You Belong With Me and Poker Face competing with each other, all of which were chart toppers. Now, I'm not saying that any of the songs did not deserve their nomination, but one cannot help feeling that the all of the nominees selected were mainstream to increase viewer ratings (though I'm glad Use Somebody won). Why were all the contenders for the top honours (AOTY, ROTY, SOTY) from the Billboard 100? Why not include Michael Bublé or Bruce Springsteen or even Steve Martin? Last year, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss defeated the likes of Coldplay and Neyo to wrest the top honours, and they were commercially the least successful nominees. This year, it is the overplayed and overdownloaded that are recognised instead. I am happy for the artistes that have won as it was totally deserved, but I do hope the Grammy Awards would banish the 'chart-topping' criteria and give the less featured but equally deserving artistes a chance.

Federer- A Class Above The Rest

2010-01-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

A particular sport becomes particularly interesting when there is a confident sports figure who appears out of nowhere and starts beating everyone and wins almost everything there is to win within a relatively short period of time.
Roger Federer is a fine example of a confident sports figure who appears out of nowhere and starts beating everyone and wins almost everything there is to win within a relatively short period of time.
Yesterday, he totally thrashed a very shaken Andy Murray to clinch his 16th championship title, i.e. the Australian Open at Melbourne. Now, tennis is one of the most demanding sports that will not directly kill you, and to be able to win any title in tennis is already considered a considerable feat. Federer, who is not the tallest or the fastest or the strongest or the meanest, has set a standard so high that it eclipses those of other sports as well. His skill is exquisite, his determination is second to none. And to top it all, he is down to earth and does not has any known enemies. All these make a true champion, a champion that sounds too good to be true, except that it is true. I refuse to comment on Federer's unrivalled way of playing, because somehow, you can never describe it concisely. You just have to see to believe. Anyhow, Federer is the best role model and source of aspiration anyone can ask for. My only hope is that he'll be around long enough so that we can fully assimilate all the right attitude and sportsmanship that Federer exudes without any pretence whatsoever. Roger Federer, I salute you.

The newest heir of FREAK music- Ke$ha

2010-01-30T03:01:00.000-08:00

The current in trend pop icon needs an extra element to hit the top: the element of FREAK.
Britney Spears revived her career by portraying herself as the ultimate freak: a circus FREAK
Lady Gaga may have an ear for catchy melodies, but it was her FREAK fashion that got everyone noticing her. (and no to mention her FREAK music as well!)
Pink at times behaves like a FREAK, but she is a damn apt representation of modern women.
The Black Eyed Peas, the most successful hip-hop group since Destiny's Child, took a gamble and changed their Monkey Business style of music into the FREAK-ish futuristic The E.N.D, which yielded two no.1 hits that are notorious for their chart longevity.
Rihanna does has a FREAK side of her, as we've seen in MVs like Disturbia and Russian Roulette, but of course, for her phenomenal success, she has her producers and co-songwriters besides her unique voice to thank for.
And as for the most successful artist of 2010 so far, her music sounds like a fusion of Spice Girls, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson (obviously Ms. Clarkson would own her vocally), Cher (her Believe album), Fergie (London Bridge, anyone?), Lady Gaga (who is also influenced by everyone too) and another 90s girl group whose name I can't remember as well as many other artists whom I can't remember. No shit, she is none other than the previously virtually unknown Ke$ha! She does look a bit like a FREAK, her music is FREAK-ishly hot and makes people wanna dance like FREAKs! And the thing is, she's pretty damn good! Her entire Animal album is packed with infectious night-to-dawn music that will kick off the insomniac in you and make you shake you head like a hyperactive rattlesnake. As for how talented she is, she writes all of her songs on her own (with many co-writers)and does not rely on featured artist to boost her although her hit single Blah Blah Blah does briefly features 3Oh!3, which is another artist that relied on itself to break out. So hell yeah, bring on the decade's latest FREAK!

Resurrection

2010-01-30T02:55:00.001-08:00

Now that my major exam is OVER, I can now write whatever I want on this blog.

A Land Called China

2008-12-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

So I'll be visiting the People's Republic of CHINA and won't be back till some time later. I heard it's gonna be freaking cold but that's exactly what I need. Too much exposure to the cursed sun has turned me charcoal and I could use some winter shelter. I don't really no much about one of the world's largest nations aside from its mixed industrial reputation as well as its Olympic dominance. Hope I'll be able to learn some new stuff there and enjoy the trip... I also kinda hope there'll be snow. I'm bored of fake, wet, un-powdery snow (try Genting's phony and you'll see why). Humidity has been overwhelming back home and those dark, ugly clouds that blanket the sky every evening have to go! Hopefully, China will be a bit more arid. Well, looking forward to whatever experiences China has to offer!

Ownage In Online Poker

2008-11-15T02:12:00.000-08:00

I don't gamble. I rarely gamble. I never gamble... money. I've gambled a lot, but when it comes to money, I never do so. However, I do love playing gambling games as long as the bets are not on money. Some of the gambling games (usually online ones) I enjoy playing for the sake of fun and integrity are blackjack, roulette, slot machines, Big 2 (dai di), poker... Yes, poker!

So recently, I got hooked on to online poker, Texas hold'em style. After doing a bit of background research on the various strategies and techniques favoured in a typical game, I decided to pit my skills and luck against computers and people from around the world. First things first, computers are pure dumbasses. Their artificial intelligence is so shallow that they even fold before the first three cards are shown (which is stupid, since forced bets are already made and folding is equals to throwing the game away). Anyways, I defeated the computer in an average of 2 minutes or less. It's that simple, especially on instances when the A.I. went for the 'all in' since it had a 'triple J' while I had a straight. Hell yeah, the screenshot below captures the finale showdown of my saccharine victory against a very confident noob A.I., which by the way, is of the 'hard' level.

Above: The computer player foolishly went for the 'all in', not knowing that I had the best possible deal yet. It would take a full house for him to win, but in the end, my straight was enough to defeat his double pair of 'Kings' and '9s'.

As for the real players, admittedly, some of them were quite good and exceptionally damn lucky. Luck, however, is never constant and eventually skills will help any player a great deal. Having not been playing the game for a long time, I can only count on what I have read about and have been taught of. Without much prior experience, I entered the fray expecting to put up a real struggle. Little did I know, my opponents were kind of gullible, inexperienced or just simply not used to rely on anything more than sheer luck, especially in a mano-a-mano poker game with blinds inflation. There was an instance where I had a '5' and a '6', and out came '8', '9' and 'J'. Foolish it may have seemed, I stubbornly raised the bets by a mere '30' and my opponent called. However, when the next card was revealed to be an 'A' of spades, I immediately rose the bets by '200' and, without any hesitation, my opponent folded instantly. It was a huge risk and had my opponent played on (his decision to check on his 1st turn before mine indicated his cards sucks), he probably might have won the round on a high card. The bluffing technique was immensely effective and my opponents (all of 'em fell for it almost everytime!) never got the chance to catch me in the act. At those times when they decided to play on, I was on a roll and my beautiful card combinations trashed 'em badly. The two screenshots below shows the perfect timing when my opponents carelessly decided to play 'all in' while I had the major upperhand.

Above: My oppenent was getting desperate and tried to scare me off by declaring 'all in', which didn't work. When two bluffers clash, the one with an 'A' usually wins the round.

Above: My adversary uncovered my bluff schemes after losing a huge sum and tried to annihilate me, only to be crippled with a late '9 pair'. When he went for 'all in' and I called, both players were to have their cards revealed as the round plays on. He must have thought he had won as he owned a '6 pair' whilst I had nothing, until the final card miraculously turned out to be a '9'!

They say lightning never strikes twice, but my little bit of cheap trickery has won me many rounds of the addictive game and still counting. The best thing is, they can't even read your facial expressions! It is just too much of a waste if you're too chickened out to bluff, cuz poker's all about being adventurous. It could go another way if money was played, but since these Texas hold'em versions are financially risk free, why not 'all in'?

P/S: The Texas Hold'em online game shown here is of http://zone.msn.com. The screenshot is taken by me and is also uploaded by me (kinda lame here). There are other great websites where you can play online poker too, but I prefer and recommend http://zone.msn.com 's version for its convenience, efficiency and hassle-free gameplay.

I'm Back On Chess

2008-11-14T07:16:00.000-08:00

I first learnt the ways of chess when I was 7 and has been engrossed in the game since then. However, a lack of practice in 2006 saw my chess skills deteriorate to a fightening level of noobiness. I went from school player to school loser.
But it is partially my fault as I got fed up with the low marks I've gotten for Chess and I quitted the club for good.
Last year, I was seated in with a few classmates who play the game. Intially, one of em made a portable chess set. And in no time, we were hooked on. I spent 60% of my school hours playing chess while listening to my teachers' lectures. It was a year of madness.
This year, I barely touched a chess piece and once again, isolated myself from the game.
11 months passed until now, November, where I got so bored in school since my exams have passed that I decided to bring my chess set to class. And instantly, I'm back in the game.
The standard of Chess has risen drastically and I feel like I'm losing out. I've been constantly battling other players in online chess, but I'm struggling to crawl my way back into the mentally-torturing game, but it's worth the effort as it cures my boredom.

President Obama- Congratulations and Expectations

2008-11-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

The timing could not have been worse. Senator Barack Obama’s maternal grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had lost her battle to cancer at 86 (my condolences to Obama and his family). And less than 24 hours later came the election. At the end of the nationwide ‘America Decides’ day, the senator from Illinois was confirmed as the 44th POTUS elect and ended the Republican party’s relatively long-standing dominance. Cyberspace that day was confined to the unpopular sites as everyone surfed for the dig on the historical event, but I managed to watch a delayed upload of his victory speech in front of thousands some time after the announcement. Never mind how he articulates every syllable of spot-on with pride or how he commiserates his Republican rivals with a perfect balance of modesty and panache, the reaction and jubilation of his supporters were kind of worth the watch. And amidst the adulation and post-election frenzy, he addressed the world live with these magical words to begin with: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer..."

It took 43 great white leaders to reign before we were finally prepared to embrace the reality of America’s first ever African-American President. Senator Obama’s victory over Senator McCain to the President’s elect was symbolic, revolutionary and revelatory. His triumph was his supporters’; his win was the people's- The people’s vote for Obama was not merely a leap of faith, but a striking message that shone brightly in the razzmatazz of the election fever. It is change they wanted, or rather, we wanted. Change was so desperately desired that the tradition of electing a white guy for the White House is no longer viable in deciding our next President. People are sick of witnessing their loved ones sent to Iraq only to hear about them getting blown up or about them blowing up innocent compatriots and foreigners, when those wanted are still at large. Of course, Obama’s rise to Presidency will by no means stop the battle instantaneously, but it is a unanimous stand that the violence has to go. Even so, I’m certainly not implying that Obama won by having a better claim on the Bush administration’s Middle East assault, neither am I inferring that everyone is against the extremely controversial operation. But for the moment, it is undeniable that the attack on Afghanistan and Iraq has caused more sorrow and chaos than reaping any significant benefits, thus further raising the ambiguity of the patriotism and heroism in sacrificing for the country. The threat of a third World War may seem inchoate for now, but with nations such as North Korea and Iran stocking up and upgrading their nuclear weapons, it may very well happen in the near future. There are talks of Obama to pacify the incensed tension between the West and the East through actions such as peace talks with the enemies, but would it even be deemed reasonable, let alone effective? Plus, the global economic crisis arrived with a bang and already people of all classes are borrowing money, mortgaging properties, claiming insurances etc. The $700 billion pumped in by the government to cure the economical cancer that is damn close to its terminal has been dubbed as a 'painkiller' by skeptics and critics alike, and a convincing solution has yet to come. When January arrives, President Obama will face arguably the toughest challenges any President-elect will ever have to deal with immediately after taking helm at the White House. The task would be as difficult as any and Obama may be forced to sacrifice all of his campaign promises for the sake of national security. As TIME magazine quoted it in the best possible way, ‘Running for President often involves making big promises. Being President often means stepping back from them’; would the people’s joy be short-lived or would President Obama stay true to his pre-election promises? Will he refine the unsatisfactory way of governing in America or will he merely polish its façade? Alaska Governor Sarah Palin may be able to catch a glimpse of Japan from her house, but will President Obama be able to observe and address the pressing issues of his country and the whole world (of which whom he had preceded had overlooked) from the White House? He seems like a really inspiring and honourable American leader, but as far as everything goes, only time will tell.

McCain’s Unconvincing Presidential Campaign

2008-10-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

My knowledge about the election fever in The States is limited to the news, online reports, whacky Youtube videos and TIME articles. After the nomination of each party’s VP candidate, the contest for the position of the most powerful man on Earth has been singeing and smoking more than ever. But as far as I am concerned, Republican’s Presidential Candidate- Senator John McCain seems to be fighting a losing war to Democratic rival Senator Barack Obama… and it might not even be a close one.

The Internet/Media Factor

With all due respect, McCain is an impressive figure in the world of politics, with a remarkable history as a US patriot and a typical all-American family. His vast experience, if measured in wealth, would see him way richer and more affluent than Mr. Obama and his portfolio would leave aspiring politicians begging. Undoubtedly, there could be no better Republican to stand up against the spirited Democrats and perhaps lead the world’s most powerful nation in. Yet, it is no secret that McCain’s campaign has been a downright disappointment, partially attributing to its main failure to seize dominant control of cyberspace and the amazingly influential media. Instead of the boring verbiage that McCain dictates in his rallies, appearances and interviews, it would have been easier and more convenient to have a clear, summarized version in the form of catchy videos and clever promotional sites. Not that there aren’t any around, but Senator Obama’s team has already pioneered in the alternative world of information- the Internet sooner before McCain’s team manifested their own online strategies. The Net has already been proven an extremely effective promotional medium as seen in Malaysia’s 2008 General Election, where the Opposition enjoyed a landslide victory in several states, largely owing to online speculations and questionable slanders. Of course, that triumph would have been hardly anything compared to Obama’s, especially if he manages to completely woo over fence-sitters and peace activists. But then again, the self-confessed semi-technophobe admitted he can’t even handle the simple E-mail mechanism, which would be seen as an insult to the ever-expanding online community. Meanwhile, while I don’t watch much American TV, I’ve seen enough to tell that Obama is the stronger favourite and is constantly featured more in news interviews, primetime talk shows and televised forums. Team Obama’s utilization of the mass media may prove crucial in diverging and affecting the thoughts of many US citizens, which McCain’s team has not done so that excessively.

The Essential Image Factor

Personally, I am against the recent wars in Iraq. I am not a pacifist, but the war US waged is like trying to burn down a forest to kill some mice- and it doesn’t make any good news knowing that the mice are still at large. McCain’s campaign fails to convince the people that his administration will not accept the bloody baton of President Bush’s war operations, making it a huge negative in his promises. The campaign also fails to highlight the problems of global warming and eco-destruction, something that modulates the goals of many great scientists and entrepreneurs around in the 21st century. Plus, I heard that the liberty of homosexuals is thoroughly ignored and even discouraged and this will probably not go down particularly well with the increasing gay community. Although honesty is the best policy (or so they say), the lack of consideration in the people’s desire and expectation in a new government has deemed McCain’s campaign unconvincing and uninviting. His lack of temperament in the much-anticipated debate with rival Obama did not help much at all. And whatever Obama’s potential government has to offer, his campaign has been well-packaged and stands out everywhere. Even Brit actor Russell Brand, who hosted the MTV’s VMA 2008, declared his support for Obama on international TV, which is sure to enrage McCain supporters. Obama’s family connects better with the public than McCain’s all-grown-up children. Despite his African-American parentage, he is more popular among the middle-class American families to a certain extent, whether Whites, Latinos, Afros or Asians (although a majority of the whites are still not prepared to embrace a President of a different race). A healthy image is a key factor when it comes to winning over people, and Obama’s is stabler and more concrete than McCain’s.

The Sarah Palin Factor

Perhaps in recent months, the nomination of Alaska governor Sarah Palin for VP has revolutionized the general perception and reception of McCain’s controversial campaign. She is well remembered for her tresses tangled in an easily recognisable hairdo, unique glasses and the fact that she is a woman, giving her the publicity edge over Democrat Biden. But the huge publicity she enjoys has been for all the wrong reasons. She’s to be called ‘Granny Palin’ as her teen daughter got knocked up not too long ago whilst her alleged abuse of power has grabbed nationwide attention. And the worst of all, her political knowledge is miserably shallow for a running VP candidate and her responses to challenging and thought-provoking questions hurled at her are appallingly pathetic, ranging from gibberish to utter bullshit (go read and hear it youself!). Comedian Tina Fey’s renowned mockery of her (I thought it was spot-on) has further tarnished her reputation. Yeah, it might have been for some ‘comic relief’ in such a heated showdown, but it was nothing but clownish. The question of whether one can take the Republican candidate seriously arises in the nature of the goofing around. Besides, the intended plan to attract female voters has backfired horribly, with women exclaiming their disgust at such a distracting representative on online forums and polls, some going as far as accusing her of “disgracing the female race and integrity”. McCain’s selection of secret weapon Sarah Palin has been sort a one-sided Kamikaze as the choice indirectly dented his campaign and handed a great advantage to Senator Obama’s team, who will be laughing their way to the bank when the elections are over. Maybe I am wrong about Palin... Maybe she isn't that bad and it's the crazy media that has degraded her image unfairly. I'll still give her the benefit of doubt... Now, anyone seen a pig with lipsticks on?

McCain’s pledges through his rather unconvincing and reserved campaign has left many confused and misunderstood about his true intentions. Palin’s equivocal speeches and credibility accompanied with Obama’s stranglehold in the Worldwide Web has no doubt been significant to Obama’s rise and may leave McCain to bite the dust. While McCain tries to sweet talk his way into acceptance among millions of Americans with asperity, Obama will be clearly a few steps ahead of him and his campaign has wiped out any doubts that he may be the real underdog. The society is maturing into a colour blind one, and in spite of the large amount of support that McCain gathers from those who refuse a Black President, Obama’s down-to-earth policies and greater awareness of concerning global issues may outshine the former. The recent economy hit an all-time worst (at least this decade) and it'd be a useful opportunity for both candidates to demonstrate their leadership qualities by suggesting solutions and packages to resolve the crisis. But in the best interests of the US citizens and everyone else in the world, may the best American win.

The Downfall Of MapleStory

2008-10-10T02:44:00.000-07:00

Since two years ago, I've been occasionally playing a random yet highly popular Korean online MMORPG called MapleStory. Created by Wizet, it is one of the many addictive games that boasts breathtaking artwork, seductive gameplay and retarded leveling systems that requires constant grinding (repetetive training for exp gain) and a hell lot of energy and time. Consisting of 5 jobs (inclusive of the recent Pirate in Maple Korea), players get to experience the Maple world through cute Anime-styled characters and do about everything there is to do in a typical online game- kill madly spawned monsters, get killed by bossy bosses, slave away on screwed up quests, earn money and fame (literally), obtain godly equipments, explore imaginative places, upgrade and level up after 24 hours of training...

In late 2007 and January 2008, Maple released the long awaited 4th job advancement and the Horntail boss in Maple SEA and Global respectively. Regular players and game enthusiasts went berserk over the new updates and were eager for a whole new 'adventure'. Maple peaked as never before and enjoyed a saccharine success. In-game channels were packed and the game lagged severely. People were rushing to Leafre to be promoted and many others were absent-mindedly killing tipped monsters, hoping for rare skillbooks. Meanwhile, a crazy pioneer group of people took a trip to Horntail for the first time and rumouredly took it down in five hours, then succeeded by others in record times. Maple was the 'in' game and no one longer dared to call it 'childish' or 'amateurish'.

Like nearly everything in cyberspace, MapleStory's 'meteoric' rise to the top of the gamers' list, however, was very much shortlived. Since the very unfair Monster Carnival and Mu Lung was unleashed, the number users plunged greatly and by early July, the server was less than half-full on 'primetime' Saturday night, something uncommon even by unusual circumstances. In Maple SEA which I play, the only crowded maps based on my nosy observation conducted over the span of one week were Skeles, Dukus (new SG extension), Wyverns, Mong (Himes), Ghost Ships, Zakum and Monster Carnival. The once space-deprived maps of Night In The Forest, Aqua Road (Squids), Ludi PQ and HHG are now left beggin for visitors- completely deserted at most times. It was evident that MapleStory was losing a significant number of clients and the Free Market was full of desperate quitting sales. People were annoucing their 'retirement' openly and uttering final goodbyes as if Maple was going to be a historic nostalgia. The only numbers going up was probably the prices of rare equipments (especially for Thieves and Mages) as well as scrolls (for Overalls, Shields, Claws and a few others) since the demand exceeded the flow of trades. Noobs became financially challenged and even pros needed some belt-tightening, causing even many more to quit. The Story is losing its appeal and people were searching for other MMORPGs to satisfy their gaming addiction. Ironically, MapleStory is also losing out to another type of competition created by their former own users and supporters- Maple Story private servers.

The presence of MMORPG private servers is nothing new. But the slow and demanding levelling with low in-game income forced many users to opt for a easier and whackier alternatives. For those who have no idea what private servers are, a private server or server emulator are internet servers which the borrows the files of the original MMORPG but is modified and reinterpreted in many ways to create an altered experience, environment etc. These servers are anything but official and are well-received by gamers that are frustrated with the original. The servers provide elevated exp-gain (from 2 to 2000 times!), drop-rate, money-flow as well as convenient transportation system, Nexon products that can be bought using mesos (in game currency) instead of real money, unique player privileges, improved skills and many other exclusive goodies that the real Maple failed to reward hugry gamers with. Reaching fourth job used to take months and years now can be done in an hour or less. Enticed by the sensation of newfound powers, many first-timers on private servers have banished Maple and resurrected their Maple life on these phonies. Even though one can get bored sooner on private servers than the original Maple, the invigorating thrill of becoming something that needed months of hard work or slaying hour-long bosses in seconds prevailed in the minds of many. Nexon has tried to halt the 'theft' of private servers and managed to close down a few via legal actions, but there are currently too many of them and are increasing at a creepy rate as time passes.

Maple has recently tried to reduce the sting of such daylight robberies by coming up with a few neat promotions... The world of Ariant was launched not too long ago and its PQ was designed to help weaklings. In Maple SEA, an exclusive Malaysia map with superb drops and meso-exp rates was implanted in conjunction with the nation's National Day in August. More than frequent events and 2x sessions were held while catchy cash items were on sale. All these seemed an obivious act of desperation to restore its once raving mad popularity, but whatever schemes and deals for gamers they have created, the private servers outsmarted them and were always a step ahead, rendering them too little too late.

A revival may come when the Pirate job, available in Maple Korea, is properly released into Global and SEA. The Pirates use either guns or knuckles, both sounding equally cool and powerful, although guns will probably overtake as the popular one. Sadly, Pirates are actually painfully weak and are unable to stand up against the likes of Heroes, Bowmasters, Arch Mages, Night Lords, Paladins, Shadowers... Sure, the Captain can fire projectiles about possibly the speed as Bowmasters, but without critical and low weapon attack, it takes many, many shots to match an arrow or a throw of a BM or NL respectively. They rely heavily on tokenistic summoning skills and boosts. Vipers have some really good AOE and buffing skills that many classes lack, but cooldowns and need of skill points may require patience until their true colours are shown. 'Transforming' is a special feature which allows the Viper to utilize some impressive abilities, but some of them are only available during the rare 'transformation' and others are usable outside them. Plus, Viper are melee, making them extremely vulnerable to hits. Even Warriors are not that prone (owing to their high damage which allows knockback and slightly ranged-off skills like Brandish and Crusher). In short, the Pirates are cool to use but lose out vitally on damage.

The Pirates' heat will spark another Renaissance which may last for another few good months. But after that all the jobs are done with, all the upgrades maxed out. Apart from trying out different characters and builds, Maplers will have exhausted most of their options and choices. At most, another few fancy maps with weird-looking monsters will be used as a gimmick to lure quitters and fence-sitters. But how long will Wizet be able to sustain MapleStory? Will they be able to squeeze out a new gaming plan out of their head (there's surely no 5th job advancement) which will draw back even the most resilient quitter? Other than the flashy Pirate soon to come, I seriously doubt it. Just look at the screenshot below, which says it all!

P/S: Private Servers are offering Pirate jobs. These 'illegal' unlawful emulators have robbed Nexon easily millions of dollars in revenue and now the pre-available Pirate in their machine will definitely not improve the situation!

Not So Lovely Guru

2008-10-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

I’m really thankful that I did not take the unnecessary trouble to get to a cinema to watch this supposedly ‘romantic’ comedy, because there was hardly anything romantic about it (at least most of it). Perhaps it was the title gave us a false impression that this would be an aptly produced funny cum intimate film for a couple of lovebirds. Sadly, the moment The Love Guru rolls, the unsuspecting couples would be treated to some sheer anticlimaxes. Alright, either I am being really harsh or I have a really good reason to ‘slate’ this cleverly-promoted (think MTV and American Idol), cleverly-casted (think Justin Timberlake, Jessica Alba and Mike Myers himself) and cleverly-themed (there are many who love a comedy that mocks foreign culture) fluke. Yes, it is more of a fluke than a flop. It is a fluke that such a crappy, un-snappy blind shot even made it within the top-5 in the American box office during the week of its release; a fluke that this film could rake in 30 million dollars in The States and Canada alone thus far; a fluke that I finished the entire movie and even stayed until post-credits (the gags of lousy humour just would not stop). It may be a flop to those who haven’t watched the film and yet expect it to soar, but for me, every slightest bit of success The Love Guru has scored is every bit a fluke.

I’ll just run through the general, innocent-looking plot (spoilers alert for those who plan to waste one and a half hour of their life!) at full speed. The renowned Guru Pitka aims to become the no.1 but loses out to another famous guru, Deepak Chopra and settles for second best. Meanwhile, an ice hockey star of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) loses his wife to Jacques ‘Le Coq’ Grande (Justin Timberlake), causing the team’s performance to enter a slump or a ramshackle condition or whatever you call it in the world of ice hockey. Pitka is ‘hired’ by team owner Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba) to fix Roanoke’s love problem in hopes of reviving the team’s meltdown. Pitka sees this as a publicity opportunity to share the ‘great story’ of his eventual success on The Oprah Winfrey Show and then overtake Chopra to the number one spot. After some horribly dubious methods and schemes, Pitka managed to save Roanoke’s marriage and the Leafs’ Stanley Cup in which Roanoke scored the winner after a series of absurd and completely flummoxing events. Guru Pitka realizes his desire for Bullard and gives up his goal to be no.1. Myer’s cheesy comedy ends in cheesy fashion- Pitka celebrating his happy-ever-after with Jane in a mock Bollywood style. Other crazy subplots include Pitka’s resolution of the Chasity Belt forced upon him by Guru Tugginmypudha (Ben Kingsley) and the conflicts of the raving mad commentators of the ice hockey games.

The film relies heavily on countless references to pop culture and sexual jokes along with some very cleverly-disguised puns that would incite parents and youngsters alike in separate ways. In his prior appearance at the American Idol finals, Pitka had failed to entertain us by stupidly predicting that the winner of the competition would be David. In film, his humour and anecdotes are twice as lame and the only people laughing would be the on-screen characters. Speaking of characters, the acting was fairly unreal and when in the need of some seriousness to provide comic relief based on the already thin hilarity of the situation, the characters would behave in a highly un-phlegmatic way. I admit Justin Timberlake is a multitalented artiste, but if his acting skills were to be solely judged on his accounts in The Love Guru, he could easily be rated as one of the worst actors in Hollywood. Timberlake made his character unconvincing whilst his goofy behaviour and artificial accent were uninspired and nowhere near the class of a basic comedian. Likewise, despite his overwhelming charm and charisma, Mike Myers tries too hard to turn unlikely material into a dose of philosophical humour and instead becomes the joke himself. His unsuccessful resurrection of dead, clichéd or rejected substances into legendary laughable stuffs had us begging for the dearly-missed presence of the magic of Austin Powers and Shrek (not The Third!). Jessica Alba is a sweet knockout in many films but her attractiveness and sensuality backfired severely and entailed awkward moments followed by hardly funny surprises. Alas, even the guest appearances of stars like Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, Mariska Hargitay and Val Kilmer failed to brighten the barely theatre-friendly flick. As for the international audiences, some of the lame pop-culture jokes won’t go down well with everyone as not all moviegoers are magnetic to the happenings and topics of celebs in Hollywood and the East Coast while Hindu followers would be scandalized by the downright obscene mockeries of the sacred religion. The heavily sexually-influenced sketches would also not be well-received by the not-so-open and reserved people of Asia as more obscenity means less ribs-tickling for many.

The movie shares certain similarities and common ground with the ‘Movie’ format comedies (Scary Movie series, Date Movie, Epic Movie, Superhero Movie etc.) and has the same degree, if not more, of obscenities in it. The scenes range from random to outright ridiculous (Pitka’s elephant banging a female one in the middle of the hockey pitch?) and the jokes even more so. We know what Mike Myers and his crew are capable of at their prime but Myers’ antics in The Love Guru fell far too short of my expectations. I might have watched it on DVD, but I can assure you that the disc did not compromise the already inferior quality of the rowdy, slapstick comedy. From what I felt after the movie credits, ‘disappointed’ is an understatement.

My Rating: 2/10

Rain, Rain and Mosquitoes

2008-10-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

So I visited the capital of Malaysia not too long ago and thank god everything seemed normal. No wild protests, no haze, traffic jams and of course rain.

Although this was entirely expected, the rain clouds hung high over Kuala Lumpur everyday, threatening to spoil someone's meticulously planned parade. Sometimes it rained at night and mostly in the evening. The rain was devastating even after it had stopped- the field was so damn soaked I could hardlly lift a football of the ground without getting water into my waterproof shoes. It's not like I'm playing pussy and am chickened of a little rain, but when thunder is audible, you know sports in open ground is tempting fate (i.e. lightning strike).

At the very least, the thunder(s) were not as deafening and dramatic as those were last year, which could easily have belonged to a tiger's screech or taken from a certain movie. Staying indoors watching the rain scenery was boring as the sight of unprepared pedestrians who would not bother to arm themselves with a weightless umbrella was far too common and boring. The smell of acid rain bombarding the surrounding buildings to me would be like the smell of fresh onions to someone who peels onions for a miserable living. Everything seemed well-rehearsed and clichéd. The Astro would lose its already weak connection to some raindrops; the dogs (if there were any) would bark fruitlessly at their owners for not letting them in for shelter; the mosquitoes would take advantage of our inactivity to dracularize us.

Ah yes, the most common animal in KL apart from ants, humans and flies- mosquitoes. They are everywhere. Even with the repellent on, mosquitoes would show off their immunity to it by buzzing around your ears, clothes, limbs, food... Screw these cursed insects! They contribute nothing to our ecosystem apart form satisfying a couple of pesky lizards and they kill us off with dengue, malaria and God knows what disease. They are filth that should not even exists and yet you can find them at every single corner in Kuala Lumpur... even 40-storeys high buildings! Yes, they came up through the lifts. They, along with cockroaches, are the very ancient creatures we detest and I hope they'd be wiped out from the face of our Earth forever (though that's very much impossible). Anyways, scientists wouldn't let that happen. They'd be telling us how important these pygmy parasitic pests are and that we must preserve their existence.

Melamine Menace- Who's To Blame?

2008-09-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

China, birthplace of every single commercial product known to men, has taken its well-known notoriety of unnoticable consumer poisoning to the next level. The tainted milk, in mega plural, has caused a widespread uproar after being responsible for the death (reported) of 4 infants and leaving tens of thousands more experiencing kidney-related ailments. Of course, this news is as stale as the mould-empire bread and any staler you'll have to blog it yourself. But as far as most stale news are concerned, this one is remains largely unresolved despite the fact that we've determined the culprit of the mess- melamine.

As we all know, melamine is an organic chemical substance used fairly widely and now in addition to its range of products- foam, plastic, glue and so on, we have melamine in milk! For the record, I was never at once alarmed about the presence of such chemicals in China milk because it's... China! But after learning that melamine and milk are a poor combo thorough the 'outbreak' of kidney problems (though common sense would have told you that), the first step is to prevent (too little, too late), and the next is to cure (bit late but still better than none), and then mourn (deaths, finacial loss, reputation, future etc.) and finally blame. Yes, so it's prevention>> cure >> mourning >> blame game. An accelerated progress in advancing from cure to blame China has done. And so far, many suppliers and Health Officials were sacked and even more arrested. Naturally, when the blame is dropped onto someone the public would be at ease knowing that they can point a finger at a certain party regardless of innocence. So in spite of the severe but latecomer action the Chinese government has taken to defend its reputation and multiple industries as well as to soothe the public, the question still lies ahead of the solution- who's to blame?

It's been a long time since milk has became a worldwide source of panic-mongering amongst the public. After analyzing the blame chain, the almost-endless spinning wheel of blame eventually and predictably had the needle point onto the farmer/supplier sector and now everyone is giving them the cold shoulders, whether they did enrich milk with melamine or not. But can one really blame them or even anyone else entirely for further damaging the health and nasty reputation of China's role as a global supplier of everything that's crap and cheap? Evidently no. The farmers have laboured their ass off only to have their milk rejected due to low protein content. Dejected and desperate, they'd turn to a 'milk messiah' who'd offer them the perfect yet affordable way out- melamine. An end to all their woes! This substance that resembles a bag of concaine in apperance can be either fed to the cows (in grass) or just added directly to fresh milk to falsely elevate protein readings.. Many of these farmers are not exactly rich people who change cars like clothes and in fact some of them are nearing third-world living standards. Do they care the impact of melamine on people? No, if it means a better life. Do they even know the aftermath following its mass consumption? Surely not. No, it is a cut-throat world out there- either kill or be killed. In China, the rich can only get richer while the poor otherwise. The government has not done a satisfactory job on reducing the wealth-gap and reducing the startling numbers on the poverty line. The way of life for many civilians is rather austere and the farmers among them.

The strict and cautious approach that China has taken recently to ensure that the food products are at the very least edible and non-fatal is shortlived and has slackened considerably as the Olympics have long gone and the tourist-magetism has weakened. The melamine threat is one of the many tragedies to strike following such a lax approach to China's food. The 'once bitten, twice shy' theory will hardly be effective given the gigantuous population of Asia's second largest country- where even the slightest odds of disaster would garner at least a few hundred unlucky victim for the next poison apple. Sure, the numbers can be reduced, but will the cases of food contamination ever evaporate? Based on the social crisis of the people of the Republic that many are unaware of and the need to survive, not a chance.

Harsh yet ridiculously stupid

2008-09-27T22:42:00.001-07:00

All right...
So once upon a time when I was in class, I was given homework to do by a certain teacher.
But before even beginning, she lectured us on all the bullshit we should write, which was perfectly normal for a teacher to do so.
But here's when things get a little... twisted.
She lectured our class with a horribly-tuned voice until 90% of the pointless lesson was up, and with a few minutes left, she expects us to complete the tedious work and hand it in.

So I began to think a bit (unless you're copying off another's work, you need to think on what kinda shit to write as so not to be ticked off) and that alone burned up a few mins. And when I finished, the bell had rang and the unreasonable weasel, I mean teacher, had left.

So anyway, I took the courtesy to risk an illegal walk to the staffroom to hand in my slightly overdued work which failed to be completed within the deadline of a few mins. I salmoned my way past a crowded staffroom (it was so damn bloody packed) and found her inconspicuous seat at last and guess what? She did not accept my work and threatened to tear it off! She wouldn't mark, she wouldn't even accept the undeserving apologies I reluctantly gave her.

And so, I went back to the classroom. Ok, if you can't bargain with bitchy teachers like her, it's not that you're poor, just unlucky.

Anyway, two days later, she discovers my work was not marked or checked and accused me of not doing her work! What the hell?! And then she deducts my 'merit marks' by 3 and starts taunting me. So not only I did my work, but I got punished for trying to hand it in. I know that sometimes things don't go your way, but that bitch has gone too far!

Just hope that I won't have to deal with unappreciative scumbags like her ever again.

Everyone LIES

2008-09-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone lies.

That's one of the more famous quotes from the FOX heavyweight drama House M.D. as repeatedly repeated by the titled character himself.
So is it true that everyone, even the most innocent freak on Earth, would not leave this Earth without uttering an effortless lie?
Yes... unless you count unborn foetuses as life on Earth that died a tragic early death.
The moment you are though what is a lie, you'd probably have lied, whether intentionally or not.
So this brings us to a general conclusion: In this world where no one is truly honest as everyone lies, TRUST NO ONE.
That's the simple truth.
And that's the simple reality that makes the world, not a better place, but a certainly more intersting one.
Of course, even babies lie- they lie down, don't they?
But jokes and technicalities aside, everyone does lie.
Why am I saying all this nonsensical theories?
Because I have been lied to during my time of ignorance and now a little self-awareness has sparked a revelation in my mind that everyone does lie. I could even be lying right now, but frankly, why should I?

Cheesy Template

2008-09-26T09:00:00.001-07:00

So far I've managed to find this cheesy template, but anythings better than some of the lame ones Blogger.com has to offer. It's a bit too... flashy and trashy. But heck who gives a shit?

The revolution begins!

2008-09-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a experienced on and off blogger
As having abolished 3/5 of my previous blogs due to inactivity and controversy and the other two for references, this one is just another blog project.
This is my first blog using the new XML format file, so it's freakin annoying.
Time for a bit of experimenting.