A-Track
~~~ Pinback - Fortress ~~~

B-Track
~~~ Hoobastank - Same Direction ~~~
~~~ Head Automatica - Brooklyn is burning ~~~
~~~ the Notwist - consequence ~~~

Best Put

Relaxing is for the other guy. I may be sitting in front of the TV, but I’m not watching it unless I think there is something I can learn from it. I’m thinking about things I can use in my business and the TV is just there.

I could take the time to read a fiction book, but I don’t. I would rather read websites, newspapers, magazines, looking for ideas and concepts that I can use. I spend time in bookstores because 1 idea from a book or magazine can make me money.

I’m not going to go to dinner with you just to chat. I’m not going to give you a call to see how you are. Unless you want to talk business. Other guys play fantasy sports. I fire the synapses to get an edge.

That’s what success is all about. I’ts about the edge.

It’s not who you know. It’s not how much money you have. It’s very simple. It’s whether or not you have the edge and have the guts to use it.

The edge is getting so jazzed about what you do, you just spent 24 hours straight working on a project and you thought it was a couple hours.

The edge is knowing that you have to be the smartest guy in the room when you have your meeting and you are going to put in the effort to learn whatever you need to learn to get there.

The edge is knowing is knowing that when the 4 girlfriends you have had in the last couple years asked you which was more important, them or your business, you gave the right answer.

The edge is knowing that you can fail and learn from it, and just get back up and in the game.

The edge is knowing that people think your crazy, and they are right, but you don’t care what they think.

The edge is knowing how to blow off steam a couple times a week, just so you can refocus on business

The edge is knowing that you are getting to your goals and treating people right along the way because as good as you can be, you are so focused that you need regular people around you to balance you and help you.

The edge is being able to call out someone on a business issue because you know you have done your homework.

The edge is recognizing when you are wrong, and working harder to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

The edge is being able to drill down and identify issues and problems and solve them before anyone knows they are there.

The edge is knowing that while everyone else is talking about nonsense like the will to win, and how they know they can be successful, you are preparing yourself to compete so that you will be successful.

- M. Cuban

Avenue A and 11th Street?

#define private public

A-Track
~~~ Phoenix - Too Young ~~~

B-Track
~~~ Straylight Run - Existentialism on Prom Night ~~~
~~~ Head Automatica - beating heart baby ~~~

Moving from city to city in the past 2 years is starting to make me lose grasp of reality. Any one of those temporary settlements could have very well been a dream or just another fragment of my memory.
Returning back to Seattle from spring break felt weird. I guess thats when I realized being on the move so often makes you feel this way. Everything feels surreal.

Spring break was awesome. But I look forward to the next couple weeks just as much.

Gish

Gish isn't your average hero, in fact he's not your average anything...Gish is a ball of tar. Life isn't easy when you're a 12 pound ball of tar...

This is one of those games in which the developers lived with nothing but a vision to complete. Respect. Gish is an indie old school platformer game with some very innovative game design. The heart of the game (or programming) is the character Gish itself. Gish possesses the ability to stick to surfaces, slide in between cracks, and make small jumps. Gish is hard to control, but not impossible. The ball of tar is incredibly well balanced and acrobatic-like leaps can be pulled off. Momentum is key in this game. Although subtle, any true gamer will find this piece of art a pure pleasure to play and master. Just don't come and tell me this game is no good until you reach at least world 4.
I gladly payed $20 for it. If anybody wants the full version of the game, let me know.

Not just another from the Series

Make no mistake, another installment from these series doesn't automatically mean they aren't worth your time...

|| Gran Turismo 4 ||
|| Devil May Cry 3 ||
|| Resident Evil 4 ||
|| NBA Street V3 ||

Media to Share

+++ www.artpad.art.com +++ Record and share your paintings
+++ www.fraps.com +++ Make videos of your own desktop
+++ www.ofoto.com +++ Printing those millions of pics on your PC
+++ www.number27.org +++ Concept Art & Technology

Listen.

A-track
~~~ Audioslave - What you are ~~~
~~~ Papa Roach - Scars ~~~
~~~ Azure Ray - November, If you fall ~~~
~~~ Jet - Rollover DJ, Cold hard bitch ~~~
~~~ Wilco - Jesus, etc ~~~

B-track
~~~ No Motiv - Independance day ~~~
~~~ AFI - God called in sick today ~~~
~~~ Hoobastank - Remember Me ~~~
~~~ Modest Mouse - Float On ~~~

Studies show that frequent video-game players have more "lucid dreams" (in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming) than non-gamers. Often, the dreamer can even manipulate the action or observe it in third-person, much like a video game.

Issues

Sometimes I'm so conflicting I don't even believe it myself. I often feel what I want is not who I am. My values, beliefs, and needs do not sum up properly. Sure, I can reason my attributes, all of them being extremely logical deductions, but they aren't a wrap. Either I'm just an another 21 year old trying to find himself, or maybe just simply psychotic.

I've always wished to be killed unintentionally. I wish a meteorite would drop on my apartment and headshot me tomorrow morning. If that day ever turns up; feel happy for me for it was truly what I've wanted. I would be glad to be knocked out for good. Call me a jaded soul...for I know that is who I am. But I don't think its something I decide for myself either. I don't consider myself a very pessimistic person (I am at times very optimistic), I just think life sucks. Or to better clarify that, I know life sucks. Its because of who I am and not what I have.

I live a lot of things many would aspire to have. I could be wrong, but having had the opportunity to grow and live in comfort, travel around the world at a young age, and graduate with what we call a ‘prestigious degree’ at 20 is a lot of blessing. You can think I’m a fag here for whining, but realize what I have/had has nothing to do with my state of mind everyday. All these things I have is a consequence of my dad having worked his ass or my hermit-like existence at my work desk. And when one gains, one must sacriface something else to give it balance. I can't say for my dad, but I sure don't fully know how to enjoy life for what it is.

On another note, I now realize why punk is dead.

Help Me. Pls Help Me.

A-Track
~~~ Third Eye Blind - Motorcycle Drive by ~~~

Stuff

Following the Super Bowl, I watched a preview episode of 'American Dad' (the new series by the creator of 'Family Guy'). Maybe I was just drunk (or high!?) off my ass, but it was hilarious. I soooo can't wait.

Sometimes I really wonder who I am. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong. Theres so much behind me and so much more to live for. It gets to my head, and prevents me from enjoying the moment...enjoying life. Is there really all that to prove? Is there? I need to learn to take it easy. Maybe what I want is not how I think it is accomplished.

I need inspiration. I've been trying to write songs for my band (we don't have a name yet). But nothing close to satisfiscation dribbles out. I'm not very good at combining the melody (vocal) and the riff together....Help.

Comment Me!!

Its time to introduce reader comments to my blog. Something I've always wanted to include, but somehow never got to.

So here we go. Please leave comments. Whether to tell me you like my entry or should just shut up... Say something. Anything. Let me know you are there, and give me a reason to write more crap.

We have a Winner

Yes. I am here to talk about the PSP (playstation portable) handheld again. I guess I just can't stop mentioning the potential of this 'premium gagdet' taking upon the world near us. If there is anybody that will stop Apple from dominating the portable media device market, Sony will be it.
Sure, $250 retail in the States is not exactly a budget price, but I believe Sony decided on this because it has the power to do so. It would have killed all competition (aka Nintendo's dominant gameboy market) if it had decided to retail it at $200. Sony knows even at $250 a pop, the first million shipment of PSPs will sell out in March (it is already sold out as I speak today). 800,000 units were sold out within the first couple hours in Japan on December, and I don't see any reason why it will be any different half way across the world this time.
I never thought the DS and PSP were competitors because they targeted a different audience. But my predictions are that unless the Nintendo gets its act together (such as dropping the price as soon as it can), the DS will get knocked out before it knows it. Its not that the DS is an incapable machine, its just that the games for it right now are close to worthless. Not to mention round 2 of games are just as much sleepers as of those it started off with.
While on the other hand, the PSP has around 24 games lined up for launch(5 of which will be ready to be played online through a hotspot, and ~4 of them worth buying). Not to mention the device also acts both as a video/mp3 player. Seriously, $250 is equivalent to an iPod-Mini, I'm a music freak but would still choose the PSP instead.

Then again, this is all just a bunch of my speculation. My vision is that the PSP will be a sure fire hit in the next 2+ years or so. It will change portable gaming forever. Oh and yeah, I already pre-ordered 5 PSPs.

Settling Down.

Its been a great week. Things are starting to come together up here in the northwest. Considering everything here, I think I'm going to love it. Maybe this is what I've always been looking for...

Things that Matter Most

We live in such a sad world. If anything, I believe the demise of human existance would be a manifescation of our own. I want you, and you want this. It never ends. Why can't we live peacefully? Why not more ideal? At the rate we're going, the later we are born down the road...the more miserable life gets.

Anyways, my point is there are many things which matter a lot to me. Many of them I probably don't stress enough or any at all. Every so often, I lose perspective of my values, and I don't quite come across the way I would want to in the long run.

I hate myself when I am: cocky, arrogant, ignorant, cheating, stupid and not smart enough, immature, not taking care of myself, mean to my family, lying, moody, selfish, criticizing, obnoxious, not understanding enough, talking too much, etc...
I still have a lot to improve on.

Slacking Off.

I realized its time to start labelling the music I recommend. From now on, the easier to listen to stuff are called 'A-tracks', and the 'B-tracks' are for hardcore people like me.

A-Tracks
~~~ Nelly - My Place feat. Jaheim ~~~ Played out, but I like.
~~~ Lenny Kravitz - Lady ~~~ Only cuz my guitar is in the video..haha..
~~~ David Tao - Fated ~~~ New album for the fans.

B-Tracks
~~~ Alpinestars - Burning Up ~~~ Not for everybody.
~~~ My Chemical Romance - I'm Okay (I promise) ~~~
~~~ Death Cab for Cutie - Title and Registration ~~~
~~~ Hawthorne Heights - The transition ~~~ Punk/Emo i've been into recently

Maybe I'm just not the average video gamer...

I don't want to come up here and recommend just another game thats on the top-seller list (unless its well deserved of course..heh). Its what I think makes me different from the typical gamer. I like games like 'Bejeweled'. Its original, quick and addictive. From a marketing perspective, a super low budget game like this could succeed very well. The reason for that is because even some inexperienced programmer (such as me) could write a polished version in a week or so. Thats a miniscule input compared to the games we see and play today. Just compare the price of 'Bejeweled' (if you choose to install it) and any average game on the shelf at the game store. And if you say, who would pay for 'Bejeweled'? HAha. My mom would. I mean it.

Recently, I've spent a lot of time in search of bright game ideas. Mostly just asking others what their dream game would be if they could make anything (hehe...soo much easier you know). For the most part, I hear of the same already existing genres but with a different scheme/setting. I don't normally tell them, but in most of these cases, the scheme/setting mentioned have been developed before already. They just never made it big, and hence, wasn't heard by too many. Why? I think its obvious. I do, however, find it contradicting that the consumers aren't revealing a lot. Could it be because they are happy with what already exists?

Ideally, I'd love to develop something brand new or original. Haha, I have been told that thats such an 'Erik' comment. But yeah, when I say something original, I don't mean games that fall into the misc. category of games (such as Wario Ware, Katamary Daimacy, blah blah). I meant something genre breaking. Or to better put it, the birth of a genre on its own.
I don't quite have 'the idea' yet. But I do have ideas. I've already previously mentioned the potential of multiplayer, portable, wireless gaming. The birth of that realm, thanks to the PSP and DS, is screaming for ideas. Its just like the internet, not many could have envisioned Google, Blogs, Ebay, etc... Other ideas include balancing the pace of games. It can change a game significantly, an example I love is 'Counterstrike'. It remade the pacing in FPSs; through short 5-10min action packed battles, it made the player wait if they died. This in turn, glorified stats, incorporated more teamwork, made the player play safer (much more realisitic...we are shooting each other...), etc... I mean, to think about it it is where the term 'camping' originated.

Time to go. I shall continue next time, eventhough I know its most probably not going to happen.

Downtempo for the Masses

Downtempo/Groove (many of which I probably may have already named):

~~~ Air - All I Need, Playground Love, La Femme D'argent ~~~
~~~ Bent - Irritating Noises ~~~
~~~ Blackenized - 360 'vibe'rations ~~~
~~~ dj Food - gold in my pocket ~~~
~~~ Royksopp - Poor Leno, eple ~~~
~~~ Telepopmusik - Breathe ~~~
~~~ Tosca - Honey, suzuki ~~~
~~~ Destiny - Spinning, Destiny ~~~
~~~ Mr. Scruff - cheeky ~~~
~~~ Kruder Dorfmeister - Orozco ~~~
~~~ Royksopp - Poor Leno ~~~
~~~ Lemon Jelly - Life of King Rahm, In the bath ~~~

Ok. Here are some non-downtempos:

~~~ Lifehouse - Only One ~~
~~~ Lostprophets - last summer, make a move ~~~ Soo good.
~~~ Chromeo - Needy Girl ~~~
~~~ Phoenix - Run Run Run ~~~

More moments of inspiration

Knowing that I'm all about the band sound, my (anime junkie) little brother introduced this new anime called 'Beck' to me. I can really relate to it: the love for modern rock music, the guitars, the riffs, finding band-mates, etc... It inspires me to find my own sound. Play in my own band. Get into the scene for myself.
I'm super jealous band music is huge in Japan. I recall visiting numerous music shops and listenning to plenty of jap indie band records when I visited Tokyo last Christmas. Oh yea, and of course, was fortunate enough to be brought to a gig too. Something I would not have been able to do if it weren't that China brought me =).
But yeah, the music industry in Japan is something a guy like me would die to live in. To say the least, I can at least enjoy such animations such as 'Beck'.


~~~ Amber Pacific - Always You ~~~
~~~ Beck - Wheres it at ~~~
~~~ Taking Back Sunday - A decade under influence ~~~

Prelude to Eden

Michel Gagné showed up at my school today. Definitely an individual I respect. He's not exactly what I want for my own life & career, but I could definitely learn to apply the same attitude of pushing oneself to make things evolve or happen. Check out his 'Prelude to Eden' animation.

Over the past couple of days, I've been settling down here in Bellevue/Redmond for the most part. Furniture shopping, starting services, looking for a band-mates (Heehee), getting into the groove of school, and other errands.

Speaking of school, I realized I haven't spoken much about it on my blog. I think it may be because I'm really still trying to decipher it myself. My video game school 'DigiPen', aka 'Nintendo U', is not exactly as cool and fun as it sounds. Other than the plaques of articles from every magazine you can name/find on the walls, nobody would be able to distinguish it from any other tech school.
And so this brings me to the part that creeps me out slightly: all the students seem so uptight. Yes, I know I am too, but still. The students, which typically come across as a mixture of weird, hippy, or geek (HAHa. Sounds so me!), seem so disciplined. Meaning they are all focused on getting a job in the industry? Hmm..I can't say for sure.
But anyhow, the halls and classrooms at my school are dull, white, and no fun.

Starting New

Its been a hell of a week.
Moving into my new apartment, starting school, and coping with jet lag at the same time has definitely been a mission. I'm glad to say things are working out nicely though. If anything, I'm most happy about the area I reside in now. Its nice and quiet at Le Chateau in Bellevue, but also at the same time I'm 5 minutes away from a mall, a cinema, and a variety of cuisines (and I mean a huge variety!! Including Vietnese, Japanese, Thai, Jamba Juice, Coldstone, blah blah blah....hehe).

Speaking of food, here is my late new year resolution: I will eat a maximum of 2 or 3 fast food (high cholestral and fatty foods) meals a week. Yep, it'll be an intelligent 2nd step after my previous goal....which was to get food into the stomach as often and consistently as I can. So I suppose now that I have access to a variety of cuisines as I was mentioning earlier, I have no excuse. Haha.

Its going to be a relaxing semester. Two or three CS classes, one Math (oh dear... --; ), and one computer animation class. Should be ok. Hopefully I'll be able to make something out of the extra time I'll be supplied with. I tend to think life (not only school) is a learning process. Its what you make out of it every minute.

+++ http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/weblogs/story/0,14024,1388466,00.html +++ Haha. Watch what you say in your blog.

The DVD Monster

I swear I'll catch it one day. And on that day, I will burn it alive in triumph for all the trouble it has given me. I've wasted way too much time looking for those lost dvds of mine. I will not forgive it.
I bet it lives up up at the attic or something. Sniggering while munching on those dvds it has stolen from my family and I. You will pay! And if for anything, especially for taking the Family Guy season 3 stuff!

~~~ Dragon Ash - Under Age's Song ~~~ Their first hit single way back.
~~~ Coheed in Cambria - Blood Red Summer ~~~ Punk.

Welcome to 2005.

~~~ Lostprophets - Last Train Home ~~~ One of those songs that hit me hard

So many things have changed in the past couple of weeks. It feels like as if my life spun around. And all of a sudden, I'm heading towards a direction completely different than I was originally. My goals seem so much clearer to me now. My doubts are finally behind me. I'm extremely happy about that.

I'm not hoping because I know only good things are to come in the future.

Home

"In Hong Kong, there are 105.75 mobile subscribers for every 100 inhabitants."

Hong Kong is an dynamic and eccentric city. I believe most of my family and friends here would concur. There is no other asian city as extravagant as this. And definitely no replacement (sorry, but "whatever" to Taipei and Shanghai).
Hong Kong is deep. It may be physically small, but the thought behind the many communities here are very knowledgable and realistic. In fact, its very intense and in your face. I would never compare it to other metropolitans like Manhattan which is probably a lot broader and varied, but Hong Kong is definitely not just another city. Hong Kong is crazy and I love it. Its where I grew up and call home.

~~~ Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People ~~~

Flip Flap Inspired Morning

I finally got my own Flip Flaps. Hehe. I got the orange, blue, and white one. Its something about the charming plastic bold colored scheme that has me. They remind me of the old Mario Bros. backgrounds. Those 8 or 16-bit flowers that only move back and forth in the background as you play. I plan to place mine by my desk to accompany me while I program hardcore next year..haha.

+++ http://artpad.art.com/gallery/?i8uglfpswcs +++ My ridiculous homemade Tomy Flip Flap Ad.


+ Others +
- Oh yeah. I'm already in Hong Kong. And Tokyo for Xmas!
- My modded Xbox has been banned on Xbox live....sigh...