Sector Lima

Annual Winter Classic Airsoft Game

2012-03-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

I keep telling myself how much I hate the cold and yet I keep going to games that put me in the cold. This time, its Zeon's Annual Winter Classic game at Flag Raiders. Two weeks before the game, weather predictions looked quite favorable to me. As the days got closer, the temp kept dropping and the night before, wind storms developed along with some rain. This continued throughout the day of the game. But just because the weather was miserable, doesn't mean that I can't dress smart.

I wore two insulating layers and a layer of GoreTex underneath my BDU and that actually worked quite well for me. It kept me warm and kept the wind and moisture out. So long as I kept moving, the cold did not bother me at all. This was also the first time I fielded the CIRAS given to me by Colin. I must say that the vest fit like a glove. I felt like a superstar all day.

Myself and Stephen assaulting towards Saigon.

The games were standard Flag Raiders fare as well. In the first half of the day, we did a mini milsim which I really enjoyed. The objective was simple and the shooting was intense. Due to the unpredictability of the high winds, I managed to score several kills simply by laying cover fire and not aiming at anything in particular. In any case, a kill is a kill.

After lunch, Colin took hosting duties as Zeon had to take care of some personal matters. We played a series of short skirmishes and I still had fun. They day was great because we had the whole field all to ourselves without a single paintballer in sight. I have always felt that FR was the best when I can get the whole place to ourselves.

All in all, I had a good time despite the less than favorable weather. I got to test out a new piece of gear, stayed relatively dry and somewhat warm, had bacon jam for the very first time and got to roll around in a muddy field with the rest of my teammates. What more can a player ask for? The upcoming season of airsoft is off to a good start for me. I can't wait to be out shooting again.

The first team picture of 2012. This is an exciting year for the GHOSTS.

South Korean Presidential Bodyguards Training Drill

2012-03-01T17:23:00.001-05:00

Found these picures on the interwebs of supposed presidential bodyguards from South Korea demonstrating their capabilities. Wearing suits and sporting H&K weapons, I could not resist saving some of the pictures.

This guy is stylin' with the sexy MP7.

Different guy but also stylin' with an MP7.

Pop open the roof and air out the trunk monkeys. Mp7 and UMP goodness.

Fuck guns if you can do a Taekwondo flying kick.

My CIRAS

2012-02-26T13:16:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Colin who gave me his CIRAS, I now have a complete plate carrier that I can game in. Up until now, I have been using a Blackhawk RRV as my main battle gear but I always wanted a CIRAS for a different look. After taking it home last night, I immediately configured it to my size as Colin is much smaller than I am. Today, I spent a bit of time taking off some pouches from the RRV and mounting them onto the CIRAS. I am now very eager to hit a game after seeing Act of Valor and now having a new piece of kit to run in. Next week cant come soon enough, Lets home we get some nice weather as well.

Act of Valor

2012-02-26T10:20:00.001-05:00

Last night, I was able to go see the newly released Act of Valor movie with some friends. The place was packed and we ended up sitting in two separate groups. I was actually looking forward to this movie for a while until I researched this movie a bit. Then my expectations lowered considerably and I went to the theatre expecting a horrible movie. As an airsofter, I still wanted to see it for the gear porn factor alone.

Billed as a war movie starring active duty US Navy SEALs, i expected big things from the movie. The plot was a bit weak in my opinion. It started as a rescue mission of a CIA operative in South America led the team to places all over the world as they unravel a plan by a terrorist group to attack America. I would go as far as calling this Call of Duty: The Movie.

Once the action started, I just place the plot behind me and just concentrated on the visuals on the screen. I looked at all the gears used by the team and particularly the way they conduct their movements through the many CQC environments. I must say that I was not let down at these parts. I thoroughly enjoyed them and felt that these action sequences were very real and was done by men who trained for these during their every waking moment.

One major let down for me was how bad these guys act. They read their lines like a robot but these guys are soldiers first so I guess I can understand that. Also, as much as I like MultiCam, I question their use during greenside ops.

So to summerize, here are the things I liked about the movie:

Lots of gear porn, This is why I went to see the movie and I was not disappointed.
Realistic action sequences and lots of them.
The use of only semi-auto fire and magazine reloads. Its refreshing to see this in movies.

Here are some things I didn't like:

Weak plot and acting.
Some scenes were made to look like a FPS video game. I guess to appeal to the younger COD kids.
How this particular team of SEALs was tasked with all of these missions, where in reality there would be multiple teams that would be sent out.

Overall, I was expecting a horrible movie but it ended up being a not so bad. For anyone who wanted to see some realistic action and lots of explosions, I would recommend it but leave the thinking outside the door.

My New Phone

2012-02-19T11:37:00.002-05:00

On Friday, I was able to pick up the newly released Samsung Galaxy Note. At the same time, I switched carriers from Telus to Rogers since they provide the corporate plan for my workplace. What drew me to the new plan was the fact that the regular plan is only $18 and for another $30, I was able to get a 6GB data plan. With my old plan from Telus, I was paying $100 a month.
On to the phone itself. As many are aware, this is the biggest hand phone on the market today, thanks to the 5.3" Super AMOLED HD screen that runs at 1280x800 resolution. This phone is massive and one cannot properly operate it with just one hand. But thanks to the larger screen, I find that typing is not as difficult as I am not pressing the wrong keys as often as I used to. The above picture gives a good idea as to the size of the phone compared to my old Galaxy S and the iPod Touch.

Coming from an Android phone, the jump was not too surprising for me as my old phone was already loaded with Gingerbread. I was already familiar with Samsung's TouchWiz skin and going to the new phone was quite smooth and painless. I did notice a few small differences though such as the browser, certain icons, and scaleable widgets. The biggest difference I noticed is the speed at which the phone operate. A dual core 1.5GHz processor certainly helps.

I have not played with too many apps as I just downloaded certain apps that I already had from my old phone. Among them are the TD Bank app, PowerAMP music player, Kindle app, Google Translate, and some of the paid games like Tetris and Game Developer Story.

Media playback have certainly been a joy as whatever I threw at the phone would run smoothly. I inserted a 32GB MicroSD with all my music and my media transfer was complete. I will certainly use this to watch more movies during my travels to and from work now. The massive screen is so nice to look at that I may as well show it off.

My only downside is despite the larger battery, the new phone is still an energy hog. It is understandable as a dual core processor and a giant screen will tend to consume more power. I will have to be careful and make sure that I don't deplete the power before I get home from work.

Overall, despite my short period with this phone, I am loving it and I can't wait to show it off.

Season 2

2012-02-16T09:25:00.001-05:00

I am eagerly awaiting the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones mini series. I enjoyed the first season so much that after the first episode, I bought all the books and read them all back to back. Fans of the series are also eager to find out what HBO will do with the battle of Blackwater. April 1 cannot come soon enough.

Samurai Airsoft Armor

2012-02-13T20:10:00.002-05:00

I would game it.

Yummy Sunny

2012-02-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

So I have mentioned about Girls' Generation before on this blog but I have never posted anything about a single member from the group. So here is a short clip of Sunny, my favorite from the group. I don't know which TV show this is but I think I would like to watch more of it.

From the desk of Sean Connery

2012-02-04T16:20:00.001-05:00

Slow News Day

2012-01-30T17:31:00.001-05:00

I have been running out of things to post for a while so have a picture instead. Completely unrelated to anything really, just that I would love to know the story behind this picture. I wonder if this is even real.

New SRU Recruits

2012-01-28T01:42:00.000-05:00

Another Friday night and another fun night at TTAC3. This time, Shawn was kind enough to grace us with his presence. This was also the first time that we came out in our SRU impression from the TV series Flashpoint. We had talked about this for several years but it was not until recently that I managed to find a place that sell the gray pants we needed to complete the look. I am hoping that several more team members would join us in this impression *cough* Colin *cough*.

Surefire M952

2012-01-23T17:55:00.001-05:00

My Surefire M952 finally came in the mail today. After having my old M951 shot out at TTAC3, I had the option of sending my old one to Surefire or purchase a newer light. I fully intended to get my old one repaired until I saw this light for sale at $200. I could not resist as these lights retail close to $500 brand new. This light is brand new so I was more than happy to pay the price.

The light came with an eye scorching 260 lumens LED and a standard P60 bulb. The LED is currently installed in it right now but I think I will swap it with the P60 bulb seeing as I will not be able to use the IR filter with the LED. I tested the LED with the IR filter and the result was quite disappointing. I should have known anyway seeing as LED bulbs do not emit much IR light anyway. Besides, the outdoor night games are still several months away.

As it is now, I am very happy with this purchase. I will take care to not get my light shot out again. The light will not go on until the game require it. Even then, I will have to use it sparingly as players tend to shoot at light sources anyway. Besides, my old light found a new home with Jason, my team mate as he had been looking to get a light for a while now.

Eight Skilled Gentlemen

2012-01-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading the final book in Barry Hughart's chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox. The last book in the three book series, I am so far enjoying it. I have read the two previous books, Bridge of Birds and The Story of the Stone. The series was introduced to me by my friend Peter who is an avid reader.

As I have read through half of this book, I am sad that this tale is coming to an end as I quite enjoy the characters in this series. Unfortunately, the author only ever wrote these three books and credited his incompetent editors and publishers for his stopping.

Man-Purse

2012-01-20T10:56:00.001-05:00

My latest order from LAPG have finally arrived and I could not be happier as it brought me the item that I wanted for a while now, my man-purse. Actually, it is the Active Shooter Bag made by Maxpedition.
Despite my intention of getting the khaki version, it was currently out of stock so I settled for the foliage green color. I did not like the OD version as the MOLLE bands seem to be of a different color. As can be seen in the picture, the bag itself is not too big, but i think it is sufficient for going about the city or to an airsoft game to carry small odds and ends for the field.

My intent with the bag is to use it when I travel abroad to carry small items such as my camera, a bottle of water, and whatever else I decide to bring with me. I can also use it to bring things onto the field in a game where a 3 day pack is too much such as a bag of BBs and loader and spare magazines.

At a closer inspection, the bag is made of two compartments that closes using oversized zippers. MOLLE panels covered the front and sides while the back has a belt loop and a belt as another secure point of attachment to the person. Athough there is a clip in the shoulder strap to the bag itself, it is only on one side so the shoulder strap cannot be taken off completely.

The insides of the compartments are covered with Velcro, seeing as Maxpedition makes small pouches, holsters, and organizers meant to attach to their various bags using the velcro method. I have yet to use this bag for anything but so far, the only downside to this bag that I can see is the oversized zippers being made of plastic. Time will tell how sturdy these will be but I hope that they are.

Man-Jammies

2012-01-14T01:05:00.001-05:00

Airsoft for 2012 kicked off with a bang at TTAC3 tonight. With a full house of solid shooters, the games were fast paced and a great time was had by all. As usual, I decided to go against the norm and went with my set of what is referred to as man-jammies. In actuality, it is my impression of a CIA SAD operative in Afghanistan. It is quite hard to find reference to them seeing as they are the CIA and all, but a quick search on YouTube for Qala-i-Janggi will show what I mean. This was when a prison revolt in said area took place where many Taliban fighters were held and the CIA was there to interview them.

In any case, I always have fun wearing this impression, though most people, even seasoned airsofters would just say Taliban. Plus it gave me an excuse to use an AK as well.

Disturbance in the Force?

2012-01-07T23:20:00.002-05:00

Perhaps it was my close brush with death, or too much jjajangmyun in my belly but the night sky looked kind of odd. Was it a rip in the space-time-continuum or a sign of the end of days, I cannot say for certain but WTF!! The sky should not look like that. The picture may not be too clear and do it justice but I had two other witnesses with me.

The scientist in some of you will say that the picture was taken close to 6PM and as the days are getting longer again, it is possible for the sky to have a heavy cloud cover simulating night time conditions but a small break in cloud cover showed the actual blue sky. I would have to see your credentials before I can take your word for it.

Running Man

2012-01-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

I am completely addicted to this Korean variety TV show. The premise is simple, the show's large cast and the weekly special guest(s) must perform certain tasks in order to have better chances of getting out of the punishment at the end. The tasks are always different and usually result in many funny moments throughout the show. This is also greatly helped by the diverse permanent cast and how they interact with one another. In all the segments, there is always the running man aspect where teams are formed and tasked with eliminating the other teams, hence the title of the show. This show also takes place over various famous landmarks and locales around Korea. For special events, they have even traveled to Thailand and Hong Kong.

Give it a shot. A search through YouTube will reveal many clips and if one is so inclined, sign up at iSubs' website and download the show, completely translated into English.

My Collection So Far...

2012-01-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

As I was cleaning the closet where I store all my guns, I decided to take a family picture. Seeing as the guns were piled neatly in the living room anyway.

Here are the orders from left to right:

TM G36C
Systema PTW 2007
Cyma AK74S-U
Cyma AK74
CA P90
CA MP5
RS Dragunov SVD
RS Type 56-1
RS Type 56
RS Type 56-2
Echo 1 M14 SOCOM

Not pictured are my pistols, a TM 226, Desert Eagle, 1911, and a KSC Glock 19. There are actually several more weapons that I would like to add to the collection, such as a support weapon of some kind, and a few more pistols such as a Glock 17. And of course, more AKs. One cannot have too many of those. And an RPK. And a PMK.

Boxing Day Purchase

2011-12-31T02:18:00.001-05:00

This was my one and only purchase for this year's Boxing Day. I was actually unable to find this in the stores so I resorted to ordering it online at Amazon.ca. I must say that even with free shipping, I managed to receive this item in two days. I plan to marathon this trilogy during New Year's day as I have nothing planned anyway.

To be honest, I did went shopping for a laptop today but as luck would have it, my two selection was sold out. So rather than settling on a laptop I wasn't planning to buy, I decided to just walk away. Looks like I will have to look for one another time. In the meantime, I really should get a BluRay player since my PS3 died several months back. Otherwise, how would I actually watch the movies.

Ranma 1/2

2011-12-24T12:50:00.002-05:00

I felt like I was 16 again when I watched this movie last night. Ranma 1/2 is a live action remake of an anime I used to watch when I was much younger. The martial arts/comedy story revolves around Saotome Ranma and his family, acquitances, friends, rivals, and fiance as they battle through many interesting situations while trying to improve their fighting techniques. The only catch is that some of the cast would turn to animals when splashed with cold water. They can revert back with hot water to their former selves. Ranma on the other hand, turns to a girl. Many hilarious situations ensue as they come to terms with this problem.

My only gripe is that not all of the characters made it to the live action transition. Many of my favourites were missing, such as Shampoo. She is a young girl who was promised to be Ranma's wife while they were both very young and have followed Ranma all over the place. When wet, she turns to a pink cat. Ryoga, Ranma's life long rival did not make an appearance either. I guess it was understandable as they need to squeeze eight seasons worth of anime into a two hour movie. Regardless, even a short cameo would have made me happy.

Fun Night at TTAC3

2011-12-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Last night, Stephen and I attended the final session of indoor airsoft of 2011 at TTAC3. We both had a ton of fun as the action was fast paced, and it gave me a good workout. Fortunately, I did not receive any bad shots although Stephen seem to take the full brunt of it. I also picked up five PTW mags from Stephen and it was almost as if I was running a brand new gun when all my mags fed well without any problems.

Unfortunately, a good night of fun came at a price when I noticed that the glass on my Surefire was shot out. I will try to contact Surefire directly to see if it can be replaced. Otherwise, I may resort to getting a new, and expensive light. Let's hope it doesn't have to come to that.

Nightwish

2011-12-13T17:39:00.000-05:00

I have been listening to this particular CD quite a bit recently. Usually grouped under the sub-category of symphonic metal, Nightwish is a band that my brother originally listened to but I never got into it until I heard their cover of The Phantom of the Opera. I was too lazy to go through their entire discography, so I decided to just pick up their Greatest Hits album. Its a two CD set and included their more famous tracks with a mix of the heavy stuff and the softer ballads.

The Last of the Year

2011-12-10T16:45:00.001-05:00

It is now safe to say that today was the very last game that I could attend for outdoors airsoft in 2011. The weather started out cold and stayed that way when we left the field around 1PM. It was just too cold and too windy to even play properly. The little time we spent there was still very much enjoyable.

Skyrim

2011-11-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

For the last several days, I have been fully immersed in this game. I purchased it for the 360 and despite my thoughts of my console breaking down, it seems like it was actually my copy of MW3 that kept making the system freeze. I have yet to experience a single system problem with Skyrim. It is great because I am completely hooked in this game. I am still learning many things regarding this game despite the amount of hours I have spent playing. At the moment, I am content with exploring the gigantic world and enjoying the awsome soundtrack of this game.

Airsoft Wish List of 2012

2011-11-20T22:31:00.001-05:00

As 2012 draws near, I began to look at my airsoft collection and decided that I should try something different with regards to my purchases for the next year. Rather than just buying things randomly, I will start to implement a list so as to stay focused with my purchases and in turn may save me from buying things that are not needed. If all goes according to plan, this would save me money and keep track of my purchases throughout the year. The list will exclude such things as BBs, batteries, and propane as I need them to play anyway.

To start with, I would list things that I must absolutely get . These items would be the essentials.

Mags: there are two AEGs that needed mags. The PTW and the SVD.
Boots: a new set of Oakley desert boots to replace the pair I have now.
Gun bag: to add more gun carrying capacity than what I currently have now.

The items below are things that I considered buying, assuming I have the extra money for them.

Woodland BDU pants: to replace the one I threw out since it was quite worn.
A CIRAS type plate carrier in tan: as I never had one and I would get one if the price is right.
New GBB: undecided at what type but probably another 1911 or a Glock 17.
Combat light: I need one that is infrared capable, assuming I can source one in eBay.
Gloves: to replace my Oakley Assault Gloves because they are stylish
Tactical man purse: to carry things onto the field where a 3day pack is not needed.

The above are what I could think of at the moment and since the year is not yet over, I can still adjust this list. I will try to keep the non-essential part short.

FlagRaiders

2011-11-19T18:42:00.001-05:00

Today, myself and some of the Ghosts attended an airsoft game hosted by Zeon. In attendance was around 40 players and I saw much action. Since this was to be my last outdoor game this season, I was very pumped to give it my all. I prepped myself by going to the gym from two weeks before. I pushed myself and my body is paying for it now.

The day started out very nicely with the sun out and just a little cold. After lunch, the wind really picked up and carried a chill and just made me cold the whole time. The winds were so hard that it was very difficult to hit targets as the BBs would be flown off course. That did not prevent us from having fun though.

Stephen, Colin, Jason, and Eddie went with their MultiCam but myself being a cool guy that I am went with my Russian Gorka. I knew that when the teams were divided, that I would end up opposing my teammates and that was the case. At every round they were gunning for me the entire day. I thought this would be fun at first but by lunchtime, I knew what a huge mistake this was. I am very familiar with how they all play as individuals and as a team. But being on the other side, I was constantly the odd man out. I did not know what I should do and ended up by myself most of the time. Many times I would rush forward and I would realize that I was the most forward guy from my team and that my team is all huddled behind cover far behind me. Sorry guys, I would never leave you guys again.

My highlight of the day where the scenario was for my team to intercept a VIP and assassinate him. While my team was busy engaging the opposition, I noticed the VIP with several bodyguards went quietly the opposite way. I followed them and took out all the bodyguards. While the VIP was occupied with some other matter, I managed to snuck up to him only for him to suddenly turn and pulled out a foam sword. Scared as I was, I managed to kill two guys from my team before finally killing the VIP.

In the end, I had a lot of fun and I really played aggressively today. Much more than my usual self. I was glad I made it out.

The Expendables 2

2011-11-19T05:44:00.001-05:00

OMG! That is all.

XBox 360 Woes

2011-11-13T09:48:00.001-05:00

After initially thinking I bought a defective copy of MW3, it seems like it is my console that is having problems. This comes after my PS3 break down a few months ago. Perhaps this means that I should get off my ass and give up gaming for now. As it stands, if the 360 does crap out, I don't think I will replace it right away. I have yet to replace the PS3. I'd be stuck with a Wii and you all know how much I use that.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

2011-11-11T15:17:00.001-05:00

I was able to finish the single player campaign last night. I am now enjoying the solo Survival mode. Despite all these, I am having trouble with my copy of the game. I kept getting a disk error message. It takes at least five tries before I can actually play the game. Sometimes, I would get the error during game play. I will have to take some time and exchange this game sometime soon.

Infrared Glo-Toob

2011-11-07T17:21:00.001-05:00

With the arrival of my infrared Glo-Toob, I finally have all the accessories for my Ops Core helmet. At the moment, I am trying to figure out a way that would allow me to attach said Glo-Toob onto the helmet. There are a few ways that I can think of but I need to make sure that once it is attached, it is actually secure.

Pictured above are two German soldiers with Glo-Toobs attached on the left side of their chest. The guy on the left is using an amber one and the right guy is using the infrared one. As can be seen from the picture, these things are not that big and my thought is to use some velcro on it to easily take it on and off the helmet. The only problem is that with so little space to put the velcro on, the tube will not be attached securely. I have some thinking to do.

On the other hand, enjoy the nasty looking desert Flactarn camo and the sexy MP7 on the left guy.

2 VS 2 @ TTAC3

2011-11-05T02:03:00.002-04:00

Tonight at TTAC3, Brian ran a 2 vs 2 competition. I persuaded my longtime partner (no homo) and teammate Shawn to come out for this and we entered as a team. The picture above is the result of our kick-ass partnership as we came in first for the competition. Thanks to Carl from Airsoft Innovations for donating the Tornado Grenade. This was truly unexpected. We came out to have fun and fun was had along with a surprise prize. It was very intense at times and I must also thank the other teams for participating and making it a great night.

Look What the Mailman Brought

2011-11-04T17:04:00.000-04:00

It's like Christmas today as I opened my packages from TAD Gear and LA Police Gear. I love the morale patches from TAD, especially the QR Code one. And finally, after a few weeks, LAPG was able to restock the Princeton Tec helmet lights and promptly shipped them to me. Now my helmet is almost complete. All I have left is my infrared distress beacon to come in and I shall post more pics.

Halloween at Work

2011-11-01T06:56:00.001-04:00

Just a bit of fun at work during Halloween. Since I spent so much for my gear, why not use it for the occasion. The ladies loved it. I overheard one lady said "Oh, I just love you. I wanna take you home!" My coworker who had been walking behind me had a disgusted look on her face when she heard it and said, "That lady is so old!" The rest of the people wanted to take pictures with me or of me. They especially loved it when I had all my lights blinking since I had several on my helmet and some more on my vest.

V-Lite Substitute

2011-10-27T22:16:00.002-04:00

Thanks to Stephen for pointing out the Night Ize lights being sold at MEC, I decided to pick up several of them. Upon my surprise when I took the light out of their casing, they looked just like a V-Lite. Although a little more naked. In the meantime, I mounted one on my helmet using electrical tape, thanks to my ShoeGoo who decided to glue its cap permanently. I will have to do a proper velcro treatment to the helmet and the light once I get a new adhesive.

My New Project

2011-10-24T20:51:00.000-04:00

It has been on the back of my mind for a while but I think I made up my mind now to proceed with this. I would like to go ahead and build my very own Proton Pack from the Ghostbusters movie. I started with reading and researching at gbfans.com for much of the resources. This is still early and I am just mulling over the details. Supposedly, some of the plans can be created with around $100 and overnight. I will post my progress as I make them.

Sword of the Stars

2011-10-23T19:32:00.000-04:00

I might be a few years too late for the party but I just found out about this game. Seems like my type of game. Thanks to another game, Sins of the Solar Empire, I have become a fan of explore, expand, exploit and exterminate type of games. With a selection of four races to choose from, I would have adversaries for some time to come. At the moment, this game is on sale for $5 on Steam, including all the expansions. Also, the sequel is scheduled to come out this month. Hopefully I can play the sequel once I get my new laptop. At the moment, I will be content with the original running on my netbook.

Op Deadfall

2011-10-17T16:53:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, Stephen and I decided to attend the annual Operation Deadfall airsoft game. This year, the 24 hour military simulation game took place in Muskoka. We opted to arrive on Saturday morning so we could take the second half of the game. For myself, I could not take the Friday off from work. In any case, I did not feel like doing the whole game anyway since it is much too cold for my taste. Besides, I have done several of these games in the past and I know my limit.

Upon our arrival, we linked up with our team and we were posted as sentries to our base. This gave a chance for the people already there to go do other things. That was when I found out that our opposition had gone off the field at night to go sleep in their cars. This kinda defeat the purpose of doing a 24 hour game but I suppose I cannot comment on this since I only arrived for the second half.

The base took sporadic attack throughout the day but never at my spot. As the day grew, it began to rain heavily. Then I realized that it had been quite some time since we had been attacked. It looked as if the weather had taken care of our enemies for us. By the time we proceeded to do our final mission, we saw no opposition except for a lone guard who did not even bother to trouble us and we went unopposed to our final destination and thus winning the game.

I was disappointed that the game ended early but this is how it goes sometimes. There was also some complaints regarding certain aspects of the game from players but these came mostly from new players who never bothered to read the rules when they signed up. They were not ready for what was in store for them, be it the game or the weather. In any case, I am looking forward to being out again, this time a Halloween game at the Picton facility. The 29th can't come soon enough.

The Devil's Rain

2011-10-13T19:33:00.002-04:00

The Devil's Rain is the newest album from the horror/punk band the Misfits. It has been eight years since their last release, Project 1950, a punk remake of oldies songs. That was a pretty awsome album as I still listen to it from time to time. The Devil's Rain from my initial listening seems to follow their usual sound although I still need to listen to it some more to see how much I like it. So far though, it seems pretty good so far. The album art is pretty awsome too.

One Step Closer to Skynet

2011-10-10T22:05:00.001-04:00

A University of Tokyo and Technische Universität München robot named PR2 was recently upgraded with a new semantic search capability. When it was asked to fetch a sandwich, the robot went to the fridge to look for one, could not find one, so it took the elevator down, went to Subway next door, ordered a sandwich, and brought it back. That is pretty cool.

On another note, rather than preparing for the zombie apocalypse, maybe I should switch to a robot apocalypse instead. It will be only a matter of time before they rise up.

A Package Has Arrived

2011-10-08T13:05:00.001-04:00

There seem to be a package for me. I wonder what it could be.

I see. A new jacket and pants. Oh happy day!

The jacket is the 5.11 Sabre Jacket in Coyote and pants is Blackhawk in OD. Both bought from LA Police Gear. Next weekend will be the field test for these new apparel as I will wear them at the annual Deadfall airsoft game in Muskoka. I know of several people who own the jacket but none ever tried the pants. It is very interesting to see that there are MOLLE panels on the back of the pants and inside, there seem to be a strip of rubber, presumably to keep the shirt tucked in the pants.

Dark Souls

2011-10-05T16:47:00.001-04:00

I picked up this game for the XBox 360 yesterday because of my love for the first game, Demon Soul. The premise is simple, the player explore the realm while the game kicks your butt over and over again until you succeed in whatever challenges the game presents. All the while you collect souls as you defeat your foes and use the souls as currency, among other things. From the several hours spent on this game, I can tell you that it is difficult. Rage inducing, throw the controller to your TV while swearing at the top of your lungs difficult. I love every minute of it.

My Old MP3 Player

2011-10-03T18:48:00.000-04:00

Pictured above was my very first MP3 player, the Diamond Rio 600. Purchased back in 2001, this baby was packing 32MB of storage. It was small, it was light, and I could carry around 10 of my music files. At the time, I thought of this as the best thing ever. Up until then, I was carrying around a portable CD player that I continually break. I decided to get a new device when I left my CD binder on the subway. I used this for a bit until one day when I saw a Sony CD player that actually play MP3 files. Then that became the best thing ever. Then I caught wind of the iPod. The third generation iPod came with the touch scroll wheel and 10GB of storage which at the time was actually larger than my desktop HD. That thing is still with me as it held many sentimental value. It is the only Apple product that I kept after my Apple meltdown.

Dragon Age II

2011-09-28T10:14:00.002-04:00

I am pretty late to this but I was finally able to play and finish Dragon Age 2. I really enjoyed the first game and although many people were displeased with the second, I find it still pretty enjoyable. Going into this, I was worried that this game may go the Mass Effects 2 route where the game was severely dumbed down by removing much of the options going into the sequel. In DA2, much stayed the same but there were many things that changed, thankfully not as drastic as the Mass Effects series.

Right from the beginning, DA2 only allow the player to play as a human where the original gave a selection of races from a human, a dwarf, and an elf. Though the class system is still there. I did my initial play-through as a warrior. Equipping your party members have also been changed. There are now no more secondary weapons that players can switch with quickly. Armor cannot be freely changed but rather must purchase a specific piece from merchants or see some minor changes through developments in the story. These are just some changes that really stood out for me.

The game itself felt shorter and more constrained compared to the first one. Players are limited to one town, Kirkwall, and a few areas outside it. I enjoyed the exploration aspect of the original but felt that the sequel was lackluster in that aspect. I believe, all these changes were made to attract the casual players so it would appeal to wider audience. Thus it alienated to players who enjoyed the original who felt the sequel was dumbed down. This was the case with Mass Effects 2 as well, I felt.

Overall, I enjoy this game enough to start my second play-through as a Rogue class. I hope the next game in the series will go back to its origin and create a more meatier experience rather than cater to a casual audience.

Faster Than Light

2011-09-23T11:11:00.002-04:00

What am I reading? I do not understand. Anyway, the scientists at CERN have clocked a neutrino that traveled just slightly faster than the speed of light. Do they know how they did it or did they divide by zero? Who knows as I don't understand a single thing in their press conference. Einstein's theory of relativity says that nothing can go faster than the speed of light. What this means for us is unknown at this point. Time travel? Warp travel? Probably not. I'd say this is the key to opening a transdimensional vortex that would release hellish demons upon the earth. Kinda like in Doom.

Revision BATLSKIN Helmet

2011-09-19T22:46:00.001-04:00

Painting my Ops Core Helmet

2011-09-18T17:01:00.001-04:00

It's Sunday and I was bored so I decided to paint my Ops Core helmet. Took a few minutes to cover the velcro parts with masking tape and tucked away the straps and covered the inside with newspaper so I would not get paint inside the helmet. As for the paint, I went with 3 cans of Krylon camo paints; tan, dark brown, and olive green.

First, I coated the helmet with the tan paint. I then proceeded to get a few dry branches from a tree to give some texture to the helmet and break any plain flat surfaces. I sprayed the dark brown paint over the branches. Just a few light coatings at various random parts all over the helmet.

I then did the same thing but this time with the olive green paint. Sprayed a few light coats of green over the branches at different parts of the helmet. I try to make even the branches subtle so that it wont be too noticeable.

Above is the finished product. Velcro parts are occupied by some of my patches that I have collected over the years. Thanks to Stephen for giving me the 'Fun Meter' patch. The helmet will be its permanent home. At the front is my PVS-14. Thanks to Brayden who gave me an LIF and the Sacrificial Lense too. My next step for the helmet is to acquire some sort of small light. I have some research to do.

FlagRaiders Skirmish Day

2011-09-18T14:03:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, I attended my first airsoft game in three months. It felt good to be back out and seeing all the team members again and shooting too. I had a lot of fun and my body is paying for it today. My muscles are sore, my joints hurt, and my my bones are cracking. All in all it was a good day. Colin (pictured above) was a gracious host and the day had gone without any problems.

I did however encounter some small problems with my brand new gun. At several times, I found my gun to seize and the trigger locked itself. Happened twice during the day which is quite alarming. Also, one of my mags seem to not be feeding well in the new gun where I have never had problems with any mags when used with another gun. These problems aside, when the gun seized I managed to get some sweet kills with my pistol which is rare in an outdoor game.

At the end of the day, Stephen and I went to treat ourselves to some milkshakes from MacDonald's which we refer to as victory shakes. It is only victory shakes when it it enjoyed after an airsoft game. I really enjoy weekends like this and I am looking forward to going out and play again.

Real Sword Type-56 Family

2011-09-09T22:23:00.001-04:00

I have finally took the plunge and bought myself a Real Sword Type 56-1. With this final purchase, I can say that I am now the proud owner of all the Type 56 models. In the picture from left to right is the SVD, Type 56-1, Type 56-2, and Type 56. I am a sucker for anything AK and I just could not resist the full steel and wood construction of Real Sword's products. These babies are heavy and rugged.

I have yet to game the 56-1 but I have fondled it quite a bit. One big disappointment from opening the box was the high capacity magazine that came with the gun. I hate hi-cap mags. Other than that, everything that is supposed to be is in the box. Looking closer at the mag, it is a Real Sword branded mag, but these days, depending on where you acquire the item, it could come with either a low-cap or a hi-cap. Oh well.

The other thing that was unexpected from a handling perspective is how difficult it is to grip the foregrip when the stock is folded in. My hand could not get a proper grip over the folded stock. It is doable, but not comfortable. When the stock is fully extended, there is a bit of play but not so much that it bothers me. I was hoping I would be able to run it with the stock folded in but that does not seem to be the case anymore.

I will have to game with it to fully form my opinion on the gun but I can already tell that I will like it just fine. I will also think of acquiring several slings and a few more mags.

100% Complete

2011-09-08T17:47:00.001-04:00

My Master Grade Hi-Nu Gundam is finally complete. All the pieces are in place, and all the decals have been applied. Please excuse the bad lighting of my pictures, as my light box was accidentally thrown out. I had to make due with my room's inadequate lighting. Overall, it was a pleasant change and I was glad to get back into building one again. I had been almost two years since I last built one. I am hoping to tackle a simpler kit next time but I will have to see what is available at the store.

Gundam is done.

2011-09-06T17:25:00.001-04:00

My newest Gundam kit is finally done. All that is left to do is complete the weapons and add the decals. Perhaps I will continue the work tomorrow.

13 Assassins

2011-09-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity over the long weekend to watch this movie that I had for a while now. 13 Assassins is a Japanese samurai movie based on real events that took place in 1830. It tells the story of a government official who attempted to assassinate a Shogun's son before he takes office. A vicious and sadistic man, Matsudaira Naritsugu is set to take a high ranking position after he makes his annual pilgrimage home. The first half of the movie showed how the sadistic nature of Naritsugu as he kills and mutilates on a whim. The task to kill him fell on an old samurai named Shinzaemon.

At over two hours long, I thought that initially the movie was very slow to begin with. Things quickly picked up when Shinzaemon began to recruit members to help him with his task. The movie became epic after the halfway mark and is followed by non-stop samurai action all the way until the end as the 13 would be assassins attempt to take down Naritsugu and his 200 followers.

Give it a watch. I highly recommend it.

Gundam is standing

2011-09-05T12:59:00.001-04:00

I have just completed this Gundam. It is now standing and ready for decal application. All that I have left to do is construct its pack and weapons. In all, I would say I am just slightly over 50% complete. Decal application is something that I don't look forward to as sometimes, the tiny markings are very difficult to orient and apply. But it cannot be helped as it really add to the detail of the kit. Luckily, this particular model does not appear to have too many.

Gundam Under Construction

2011-09-04T23:27:00.000-04:00

Construction of my newly acquired Gundam model kit is proceeding smoothly. Pictured above are some of the blue pieces ready for painting. The nubs have been trimmed and sanded. I chose Brilliant Blue as the color which is just slightly darker than the blue the parts are molded in.

Here is what the partially completed torso looks like. The middle part is the cover for the cockpit which can swivel up to reveal the inside. As of this writing, I have completed the head, arms, torso, and feet. I have not kept track of the hours spent so far but I would guess between eight to ten so far.

Back to Gunpla

2011-09-03T20:06:00.001-04:00

After almost two years since I last made a kit, I went and bought one today. This is a way for me to cheer myself up over the long weekend. I have nothing planned and since I am staying home, I might as well do something with my time.

I went to Pacific Mall to get this and at $130, this kit is not cheap. The Hi-υ Gundam, as it is called is one of the largest Master Grade kits that I will attempt. At the moment, I am contemplating the color scheme that I want to apply and whether I actually have the right paints for them.

As opposed to most expert modelers who uses an airbrush to color their creation, I opted for the simpler spray cans. Though I cannot do as much as someone who uses an airbrush, I get by. In any case, I just don't have the money to remodel a room in the house with the proper exhaust system to have a painting workshop.

Stay tuned for my progress with this kit, as I attempt to update my creation on this blog.

One final piece to complete the puzzle

2011-08-14T10:51:00.000-04:00

After a long career in airsoft, it has come down to this. One final rifle to acquire that would complete my Real Sword Type 56 collection, the Type 56-1. A Chinese manufactured derivative of the iconic AK 47. As an owner of the Real Sword Type 56, Type 56-2, and the SVD, I have been spoiled by the real steel and wood construction of these rifles. It is just a notch below owning an actual one.

My dogs being dogs

2011-08-13T19:26:00.000-04:00

Going Back to Gunpla

2011-08-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

I have yet to play airsoft for two months and with no certain date for my return, I have contemplated going back to building Gundam model kits to pass the time. It has been almost two years since I last built my last model, so I am quite eager to get back. I always find it relaxing and I could spend several hours cutting and sanding without realizing it. There are several new kits that are quite expensive that I want to get, but I may go with an older and cheaper kit to get kinks out first.

RoboCop Figma

2011-08-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

I have been a fan of RoboCop since I saw the movie in the theaters as a wee lad of eight. When I first saw pictures of this toy, I knew right away that I must have it. I was quite surprised that it was a Japanese company that made this and even stranger is the toyline that this came under.

Figmas are famous for their female character toys from famous anime. Hopefully, RoboCop would be one of many future action figures from this toy line that is not related to anime. Toy collectors were delighted when Revoltech branched out and made figures based on movies such as Aliens, Predator, and A Nightmare Before Christmas.

Many retailers are taking pre-orders of this figure with a release date of August. At close to $60, it is not cheap but I really do want it. I will not pre-order, but I will try to get one shortly after release. Who knows, I may even stumble on one somewhere in Toronto.

Replacement Kindle

2011-08-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

My replacement Kindle arrived today via UPS and I can finally resume my reading. All I have to do is wait for the email from Amazon so I can send the defective one back to them. I will also need to check my credit card to make sure that they refund the second Kindle. As can be seen in my blurry picture, the one on the right is the broken one where the top 2/3 of the screen is stuck on Agatha Christie and the bottom 1/3 is the working screen. Had it been stuck on Emily Dickinson, I would probably declare it haunted and not touch a Kindle ever. I hope the next update will allow users to customize the screensaver images.

Lie to Me

2011-07-21T21:17:00.000-04:00

I have been pretty sick for the past week so I have not been doing anything at all at home. Since I cannot go to the hospital for a visit either, I decided to watch a Korean drama titled Lie to Me. I have been waiting for the subtitles to be completed and my method is usually a marathon of episodes. Too bad work got in the way, otherwise I would have finished it.

In any case, I am really enjoying this drama so far. Of the 16 episodes, I have watched up to 11. It follows the typical Korean drama formula of using the first half of the series to build the characters through comedy and follow the second half with the more serious stuff. Besides, the leading lady is very nice to look at.

My Ops Core Base Jump Helmet

2011-07-17T09:09:00.000-04:00

So my helmet came in a few weeks ago, but I only managed to post this now. What a relief it is to not use the Protec with my broken mount anymore. I ordered the urban brown version, although once I have the time, this helmet will be painted. At the moment, I don't have any fancy gadgets to put on the helmet other than the PVS-14. Realistically, that is all I need, really.

Despite having this for several weeks, I have yet to actually use it in a game. Due to some unfortunate circumstance, I may not be able to use this for many months yet. I have been walking around the house with it and I can tell you that it works much better than my Protec set up. This helmet is light and the nvg mount is molded onto the front of the helmet. With the nvg, it is still front heavy but thanks to the superb chin strap and the Head Lock system, the helmet stays in place much better than the others I have used.

As for additional accessories, I currently only have an infrared patch on the back of the helmet, as can be seen in the second picture. I have contemplated getting a helmet mounted light but there are so many that I will need to research them a little more.

T-ara's Roly Poly Music Video

2011-07-08T15:39:00.000-04:00

I have been enjoying the latest single release from Korean pop group T-ara. Posted above is the music video of the song. Titled Roly Poly, the song is a catchy pop song with a touch of disco to it. This is the title track from their latest mini album titled John Travolta Wannabe. The mini album consisted of two new tracks and five remixed tracks from their previous mini album, Yayaya!

My Kindle

2011-07-07T18:02:00.000-04:00

My Amazon Kindle 3 finally arrived today via UPS. I was quite happy to read using my smart phone on my way home from work on the subway until I got into the Game of Thrones and its subsequent novels. I realized that I may go blind before I could read all seven of them. That and it was actually quite bothersome reading in the hospital room with my phone tethered to its power source.

Setting up was actually quite painless. I plugged the unit into my laptop using its included USB cable and slid the power switch. That began the charging process. I then activated the WiFi function and the unit automatically registered itself and synched my reading material. Within moments, the last page I read on my phone is now on my Kindle.

From my brief initial experience, I am quite happy with my purchase. All I have to do now is to acquire a case for it.

Zelda 3D

2011-07-06T10:02:00.000-04:00

To cheer myself up from the events of the last several weeks, I decided to buy the newly released Zelda game for the 3DS a few days ago. I thought it would be a good distraction for my long stays at the hospital. Besides, the 3DS has been in neglect ever since I finished the game I bought with the system's release, Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars.

Ocarina of Time 3D is pretty much the exact same game from its first release 13 years ago. I remember finishing the game on the N64 then. The only difference is the newly added 3D effect for the new game and the completely new textures in the game. Polygon count and build looks about the same, except they models are now wrapped in sharper textures.

I am pretty happy with the purchase so far. I am getting pretty far along in the game, although it seems to be a little more difficult. I think it could be the smaller form factor of the 3DS compared to the N64 controller, as it feels cramped at times, especially during combat. The new textures look nice and the 3D effects are actually nice, though I tend to play with it off most of the time.

New grips on an old pistol

2011-06-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

Here is my 1911 with a set of new grips courtesy of Bernie of Nierbee Custom Grips. He does beautiful work and this one is no exception. It's a little different than the norm of smooth wood as grips. I like the texture of it. In any case, if anyone feel the need of a new set of grips for whatever pistol you have, give a shout to Bernie.

One More Weekend at Picton

2011-06-13T21:44:00.001-04:00

Another weekend means another night of airsoft at Picton's Craig Complex. This time, it is just a plain old game without fancy rules and one hundred plus players. Chris was again the host for the game and he just wanted to run some simple scenarios. There was over twenty players in attendance and half of them were Ghosts. I am the one with the skull balaclava with Colin on the left and Patrick and Tom to the right.

My favorite moment of the night was when Chris divided us four units and took us to different parts of the field. He then came to my group and told us that we were robbers and we are to hold up inside the middle building with our hostages and try to make our way out once the cops arrive. I must say that my fellow robbers and I played the part well as we took charge of the room. Hostages were quickly bound and gagged while we herded them in a central location.

Brayden's tow truck provided the flood lights and police lights and that really added to the atmosphere. Hostages were quickly lined up on the windows as the police slowly moved in towards the building. There was a quick banter between the robbers and the police when I noticed one of the hostages tried to make a getaway. I told Stephen to drop him and like a cold blooded killer, Stephen responded with "I already dropped him."

Alas, all good things must come to an end when I was shot in the back by the SWAT team as they entered through the rear of the building.

All in all, I had a really great night and I can't wait to be there again. Operation Rhino cannot come soon enough. And this time, I will not forget my helmet, or my Rhino arm. :D

Ops Core Helmet

2011-06-09T19:35:00.001-04:00

After several weeks of mulling it over in my head, I went ahead and ordered the Base Jump Military Helmet by Ops Core. I came to know this product through another airsoft player and fell in love with it when I tried it on to size it. It was extremely light and the strap system is quite innovative. After further procrastination, I went with the urban tan color. I intended to order black initially but after a while, the tan started to look good too.

As some of you may know, I have been playing airsoft several times with my PVS-14. I have also been using a plain Protec helmet to mount the nvg. To my disappointment, the Protec helmet just doesn't provide a proper way for the helmet to stay put with the weight of the nvg hanging off the front of it. The helmet kept sliding forward and therefore would keep pushing my goggles down my face.

Word around town is that Ops Core is currently back ordered and quite badly at that. The average wait time is around 8 to 10 weeks. I don't have much problem with that since that just gives me enough time to come up with $239US to pay for it.

So Much Rain

2011-06-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

After I finished work today, the sky took a turn for the worse and I know that a downpour was not far. The wind picked up quickly and I can see flashes in the distance. I managed to get inside just moments before the first rain drop fell. After that, I could see lightning strike every few seconds for several minutes. Then everything just stopped.

Forecasters predicted a long and dry summer but with all these rain we have had lately, I would tend to disagree. But then again, I am not a meteorologist. I am a little worried as to how much airsoft we can do with all these rain. We have been unfortunate these past few years as most of our day games had rain. If this weather trend continue, I may just have to start snorkeling lessons.

New Console Revealed

2011-06-07T20:25:00.000-04:00

So there you have it, the new Nintendo console, revealed this morning at Nintendo's E3 press conference. Not too much was revealed though. Some of the information speculated before the reveal was confirmed, such as the 1080P output and its actual name. The Wii U. Yup, that is the name. Seriously, Nintendo. Wii U? Really?

And the image above is the controller. I really don't know what to say about this. In any case, very little was actually shown and no specs was revealed so for now, speculations continue. There was also no games shown, and what was shown in the demo reel was thought to be the PS3 and the 360 versions. Several tech demos was presented but I have come to not trust tech demos. I am waiting to see some actual software running on the hardware before I can make judgement. It was also revealed that the system is backwards compatible with the Wii and all of its accessories and controllers.

Zombie Game of 2011

2011-06-05T19:53:00.000-04:00

Finally, after an all nighter, I am back safe and sound and I think I've rested enough to properly write. Saturday night, I attended a zombie themed airsoft game at the abandoned Picton hospital. The game was hosted by several of my teammates. I spent the whole night running away from the zombie horde while low on ammo, only to finally join the undead ranks. Overall, the aches and pain all over my body meant that I had a good time.

If I recall correctly, the game started just after 9pm. I was tasked to be one of the close protection detail for the battle commander of the soldiers who must stay alive while being hunted by the undead. From what I was told, the game was attended by 100 players. Two zombies at the beginning did not sound too bad for the 100 armed soldiers, but it was not long before others fell. Command's first task was to distribute the very limited ammo to each of the sections. We then proceeded to clear rooms, buildings, and the surrounding areas as darkness descended.

Missions slowly tricked in through the battle net and the comms were jammed with so many communications from the different sections all over the field. Throughout the whole night, the most ammo I ever had on hand was no more than twenty. As the hours went on, many of our numbers fell to the cold hands of the brain eaters and I eventually joined my fallen comrades sometime after 3:30am.

As with any game with this size of attendees, problems were bound to happen. To me, it seems like many players signed up and never bothered to read the rules or even familiarize themselves with what this game is about. As a result, we had reports of players abandoning the game after they became zombies. With the missing numbers of the undead, the flow of the game was actually stunted somewhat.

Despite some of the drawbacks, I still manage to have fun and I am sure this will not be the last zombie game for me. I do hope for the sake of future games that the players who do not want to be zombies to not show up to these type of games.

Ready for the Weekend

2011-06-02T19:00:00.000-04:00

I am pretty much packed and ready for the weekend. Very excited for this as I will be heading to Picton again for a night zombie themed airsoft game. Pictured are my gear and equipment essentials that I will be bringing, although I swapped the Desert Eagle with a classic look of the 1911 as I do not have a proper holster for the unwieldy hand cannon.

I actually don't know much going into this game, other than over one hundred players have confirmed for this event. We will all start out as humans and must fulfill objectives while trying not to turn into the undead. As with many of the previous zombie games, the odds are stacked against the humans. Hopefully with my night vision equipment, I will have a small advantage over the other players and maybe survive the horde.

PS3 Woes

2011-06-01T22:15:00.000-04:00

After several years of collecting dust, my PS3 is finally starting to crap out. It seems like the HDMI port is no longer putting out a signal. It functions normally when hooked up using S-Video, although the loading indicator LED seem to keep going on the whole time. I actually bought the system mainly as a BluRay player rather than a gaming machine as I only have five games for it. I prefer to use my 360 for gaming since I feel more comfortable with its controller. The PS3 controller feels too cramped for me.

At the moment, I am using my brother's spare PS3 as his went down a week before mine did due to an unrelated malfunction. Until he asks for his system back, I will just continue to use it. The thought has occurred to me to buy another one, but at $299, I may just hold off. The last time I used my PS3 was probably two months ago, when I watched Revenge of the Fallen out of boredom. A stand alone player may not be out of the question either since I have a Best Buy coupon for any Samsung electronics.

I had never played online, so the whole time PSN was down, my system was never turned on to begin with. In any case, if you want a free phat PS3 that only works on analog, just let me know. :)

New Listening

2011-05-29T18:36:00.000-04:00

This week have been quite uneventful for me. I am still trying to make the dozens of mosquito bites disappear and work have been surprisingly quite tiring for some reason. On the upside, I came across two bands that I have been listening to the whole week. The first one is Krypteria, a metal band from Germany. I don't know too much about them except that I like their sound. The music is quite heavy and is also very symphonic and fronted by a female vocalist who is very talented as well. I have been listening to their latest album, All Beauty Must Die. All their tracks are sung in English, except for one in Latin.

The other band that I came across is called Chthonic, a death metal band from Taiwan. I do not know much of them either but unlike Krypteria, this band sang in classical Chinese with the Mandarin pronunciation. The music is very fast and brutal but what drew me in was the use of the traditional Chinese instrument, the erhu in most of their tracks. In any case, I don't understand a word being said, but good music is good music, despite whatever the language is. I have been listening to their 2009 album release, Mirror of Retribution.

Anyway, these are quite the opposite of my usual fare of Japanese and Korean pop listening, but then again, the one band that got me into music in the first place was Metallica, and I have kept up with them to this day. I guess I never lost the taste of metal after all.

I Saw the Devil

2011-05-24T19:27:00.000-04:00

I SAW THE DEVIL is a shockingly violent and stunningly accomplished tale of murder and revenge. The embodiment of pure evil, Kyung-chul is a dangerous psychopath who kills for pleasure. On a freezing, snowy night, his latest victim is the beautiful Juyeon, daughter of a retired police chief and pregnant fiancée of elite special agent Soo-hyun. Obsessed with revenge, Soo-hyun is determined to track down the murderer, even if doing so means becoming a monster himself. And when he finds Kyung-chul, turning him in to the authorities is the last thing on his mind, as the lines between good and evil fall away in this diabolically twisted game of cat and mouse.

I was quite stunned when I saw this movie the other night. Very brutal in its depiction of violence, yet every single scene was beautifully shot that I cannot turn away. This is unlike movies such as the Saw series where violence is the main draw. Violence is there, but this movie is so much more than that. With many twists in the story, one cannot help but be drawn by the main character's sorrow and his descent into darkness as he vowed to catch a monster, even if he had to turn to one himself.

This is not the type of movie that I normally would watch but after seeing it, I can only wholeheartedly recommend this for anyone looking for something interesting to watch. At first, I was drawn by the actor Choi Min-sik, who was great in Oldboy, a great movie in its own right. I had no idea what I Saw the Devil was about except that it was highly recommended by my friend. Those who saw GI JOE will also recognize Lee Byung-hun who played Storm Shadow in it.

Operation Werewolf

2011-05-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Another year and another Muskoka game for the history books. Colin, Eddy, and myself departed Toronto at 11:30am on Friday and arrived at 3:00pm. We immediately unloaded all our equipment and quickly geared up. We were in-game by 5:00pm and my section, Bravo 1 was tasked to secure the area that was to be our Forward Observation Base for the JOTF (Joint Operations Task Force). Bravo 2 and 3 followed a short time later and our FOB was set up and running in no time.

JOTF was tasked with the rescue of three prisoners and the elimination of the command structure of an armed group called The Sword of Jihad in a fictional country of Arcadia. I was given command of Bravo 1 and our task at the base was to man the northern perimeter until we have enough intel for the rescue operation. Foxholes were dug and my section manned them for 17 hours for an attack that never came. We guarded, ate, and slept in our holes, all the while being eaten alive by black flies and mosquitos.

What came in the morning was the seven months of planning and training that resulted in just a few minutes of firefight. This is the stuff that military simulation is all about. The whole of JOTF, some fifty something strong, all lined up just inside the tree line behind the enemy camp early morning ready to assault. Bravo 1 was given the honor of initiating the attack and that we did. What came next was chaos, confusion, and death within the enemy ranks. The scene of enemy soldiers scrambling in their camps, some even without weapons was like something out of a movie. There were smoke, gun fire, and screams as the prisoners were rescued and extracted to the safety of our base. The enemy forces did not know what hit them and they never fully recovered to properly mount an offensive to reclaim their prisoners and avenge their fallen leaders.

Off to Muskoka

2011-05-19T14:35:00.000-04:00

I have everything packed and I am going to be off to Muskoka for a 24 hour military simulation. I will be spending the night at Colin's house and we will depart sometime around noon on Friday.

My revised NVG mount

2011-05-18T17:19:00.000-04:00

The hook strap that I posted before decided it didn't like my helmet and decided to break apart. I was at first surprised, then sadness kicked in. How would I now game my newly acquired NVG without the helmet mount? As I was going to sleep that night, an idea dawned on me to just tie the mount to the helmet. So the next day, I took a lace from and old boot and went to work.

As can be seen from the picture above, the lace sat atop the helmet just like the once intact hook strap. It seems to work. I have been wondering the house with the goggle mounted on the helmet and the mount doesn't even budge. Satisfied with my McGuyver skill, I proceeded to spray paint it black to take away the shine from the plastic. An Ops Core helmet this is not, but this will make due until I can actually get one.

The above pic is what the helmet originally looked, complete with the hook strap. The strap is the piece of green nylon strip and the plastic bit on the back half of the helmet.

Finally, a new MP3 Player!

2011-05-16T20:17:00.000-04:00

I finally gave up this Saturday past and bought an MP3 player. I was out with some friends and they decided to drop by a Best Buy store. I browsed through their small selection of players and saw that the 16GB S Series Walkman was on sale for $129.99 CAD, rather than the usual $149.99. I had originally intended to buy the smaller E series but when they were both the same price, I decided to go for the bigger one. The only difference between the two is the LCD screen size and the built in speakers for the S Series.

I have owned many models of the iPod players and many other brands of MP3 players and none have ever been perfect. My newest one is not perfect either but for a straight forward music player, it gets the job done. Upon opening the packaging, I started to load a small number of music files into the player. The task was simple enough, as I just dragged and dropped the files from my computer and into the player's music folder. What I wanted to test was whether the player is able to make a playlist on the player itself. To my disappointment it doesn't. The process required the playlist to be made on the computer but it was simple enough that I made one right away and does not require any additional software.

So far, I am quite impressed with the sound quality, and with a battery life of over 30 hours, I suspect that I should only have to charge this one every two weeks or so. It does have the ability to play video files and pictures but I think I will use this new player as my music only device.

A day of shooting at Flag Raiders

2011-05-15T16:58:00.001-04:00

Colin hosted a newbie friendly game at Flag Raiders in Kitchener today. Stephen was also kind enough to get me to and from the game. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the game was attended by over 20 players, some of them getting their feet wet (literally) for the first time at this game. The day was pretty much just random skirmishes at the various locations on the field and Colin kept the action going without the useless game stops that some hosts tend to do. He gave us just enough time to reload our mags before we were back out onto the field again. Thanks Colin.

Despite the very wet day, I was pretty much dry thanks to my initial investment in some GoreTex gear. Late last year I decided to buy a set of Stealth Suit and GoreTex socks. The suit is composed of a top and a bottom made of GoreTex fabric and is intended to be worn underneath the BDU. Those who play airsoft in my team know that for the last three years, pretty much every game we attended have rained. We were certain that the airsoft gods have forsaken us.

In the picture, my teammates Stephen is on the left and Jeremy is on the right. All we had was a piece of small tarp that I thankfully brought to keep our stuff dry from the rain. Flag Raiders at this location does not have an indoor facility to accommodate players outside of the field. There are basically picnic benches and the frames for a shelter but without the covers.

Despite the less than desirable weather, I had fun as usual and spent pretty much all by bbs that I brought. All my gear have been laid out to dry and now I am just getting ready to rest and I plan not to wake up until tomorrow to go to work.

Music Beta by Google

2011-05-10T21:50:00.002-04:00

Google today announced Music Beta, a music streaming service for web browsers, and Android devices. The idea is for users to upload their music onto this cloud based service and then enjoy it anywhere on a Flash enabled device. It is also capable of playing it offline by accessing the most recently played music stored in the cache. Seems to be quite simple, by going to the website, users can first apply for an invite, upload their music, and then enjoy them by getting the Android app. Users will also be able to create Playlists or use the Instant Mix function.

Unfortunately, this service is currently only available in the US at the moment. I am very eager to test this service but I will have to wait until its available in Canada. As some of you who know me personally, I am always with my music and I am always ready to try new devices and services that would allow me easy access to them.

Upon further reading, I found that Google had intended for this service to offer music for sale by partnering with major music labels, on top of the cloud storage. Towards completion of the project, the labels withdrew from the deal and Google decided to proceed with just the streaming service. At the moment, this service is being offered for free but for how long is still unclear.

Thor

2011-05-08T23:23:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I went to see Thor with some friends after wondering around trying to find something to do on a Sunday afternoon. My friend Oliver who had just returned from Halifax for his first leave from the navy treated us to our favorite Korean food and then he decided to see the movie afterwards. I normally would decline seeing a movie as I find them too expensive these days but I can never say no to Oliver.

To be honest, despite my fascination with Norse mythology, Thor as a comic book character never appealed to me. I was not expecting much going in to this but I quite like this movie. We went to see it in 'Real 3D' with the glasses and this was actually my very first 3D movie ever. The 3D effects was alright but I think I would be content with a traditional showing.

There was not too much to the plot and thankfully the romance aspect was kept at a minimum. There was plenty of action and also some humor that I enjoyed. I will not spoil any of the plot here but I was surprised that this movie was directed by Kenneth Branagh. I associate him with Shakespeare but the I guess the Asgardians speaking with an English accent works.

If you are looking for an entertaining action movie, go see Thor.

In need of a new MP3 Player

2011-05-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

I am in need of a new MP3 player once again. I have been mulling over a few items for the last couple of weeks but I still have yet to decide on which one to buy or if I should buy it at all. Currently, I am using my phone, the Samsumg Galaxy S Fascinate as my default music player. With a 32GB microSD, I have plenty of music in there but my only gripe with the phone is how quickly the battery drains over a typical day.

So as you can see from the picture, I have been leaning my decision on the Sony Walkman E Series. I have used many models of iPods in the past and the 5th generation iPod Nano was my favorite. A slim design, great battery life, and an ability to capture movies and play them back was a plus. Alas, my dislike for Apple these days have made me give away my last two iPods, a 2nd gen Touch and 5th gen Nano to my cousin.

In my research, the 16GB model is cheapest at Sears, with a retail price of $109.99. These same models are $129.99 at both Future Shop, Best Buy, and The Sony Store. There have been sales that dropped the price down to $99.99 and I still think that I can find a better deal elsewhere. In contrast, the newest iPod Nano with the same capacity is selling for $189.99.

As of this writing, I am still undecided if I should get one. Many sales have come and gone but with everything being more expensive these days, I will probably just wait some more.

My PVS-14

2011-05-04T19:04:00.001-04:00

I have finally received the final pieces to mount my PVS-14 onto a helmet. Ordered from two different sellers on eBay at two different times, it was pure luck that the items arrived together. I waited for many weeks to receive the Rhino arm, strap mount, and the J-arm.

For those who are unfamiliar with the above terms, a PVS-14 is a military grade night vision monocle. The strap mount and Rhino arm are two pieces of equipment that allows the monocle to be attached to a helmet while the J-arm is the small piece of plastic that attaches the PVS to the Rhino arm.

A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

2011-05-03T19:33:00.001-04:00

After two weeks of procrastination, I decided to splurge and buy the Kindle edition of this four book bundle. At $17.80 CAD on the Kindle Store, this bundle comes with A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows.

I have enjoyed two episodes of HBO's A Game of Thrones mini series and I still have the third one to watch. I hope to skip the whole waiting a week to see the next plot by getting the books and get a head start on things. I am still without a Kindle ebook reader but have been making due with the Kindle app on my phone. I have grown accustomed to reading on the small screen and the only drawback is the battery drain on my phone. I am still planning to get a Kindle in the future but for now, the phone is a sufficient substitute.

Bullet Earphones

2011-05-01T20:27:00.000-04:00

I came across this completely out of nowhere while bored and browsing randomly. This is a real product produced by a company called Munitio. Constructed of copper and is 24K gold plated with kevlar lined wires, these do not come cheap.

The cheapest on their site is $159US. There are also many technical things that are meant for audiophiles. Anyway, I am not sure if these are cool or not. Many sites across the web seem to think that these will make the user look like an idiot.

Anyway, here are the rest of the features:
* 9mm speaker drivers with earth neodymium magnets for superior dynamic range and quick recovery
* Machined copper alloy housing, plated in 18k gold providing unmatched sound purity, natural noise cancellation and durability
* MUNITIO’s proprietary BassEnhancingChamber™ engineered to produce the tightest, most accurate bass without distortion
* Custom-tuned AccousticSoundFlowSystem™ for the smoothest mid to high frequency response while minimizing ear fatigue
* SiliconeHollowPoints™ with noise isolating technology designed for secure comfortable fit, resulting in lower volume levels and better sounding music
* Kevlar® reinforced fabric cable combining light-weight with high strength to protect the premium copper wire from stretching and shorting
* 24k Gold plated 3.5mm stereo plug providing exceptional audio signal transfer

Mr. Taxi

2011-04-29T16:38:00.001-04:00

It has been a slow week and very uneventful. I am glad its Friday. Enjoy the latest release from the Korean pop group SNSD, or Shoujo Jidai as they are called in Japan. This is the music video from their Japanese single called Mr. Taxi.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

2011-04-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

I bought this game back with the Wii on launch day, some five years ago. Up until now, I have never actually finished the game. I have tried two different times before this, but in reality, the Wii waggle controller really turned me off from the game. Well, the third time's the charm, as they say.
With the impending release of two Zelda games, I decided to actually man up and finish this. I almost gave up when this game would not work with the classic controller. I am only a few hours into this game, but I have been down this road before. Twice in fact. I think I usually gave up around the halfway point, according to my previous saves.

In any case, the first of the two new Zelda games is Ocarina of Time for the 3DS. It is actually the same game that came out on the N64 but with redesigned graphics to take advantage of the more powerful hardware of the 3DS. Many consider this to the the best in the series. The later one is Skyward Sword for the Wii. I don't know much about this game, but I bet there will be lots of waggle and it will not work with the classic controller. Oh well, I will probably get both anyway.

Project Cafe

2011-04-25T16:57:00.002-04:00

Nintendo had announced earlier today that their upcoming console, code named Project Cafe will be unveiled and playable at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. This mystery console, the successor to the Wii is scheduled to be released sometime in 2012.

There are currently not many information regarding this console other than it will be considerably more powerful than the current PlayStation 3 and XBox 360, and that it will be able to output in 1080P. The other interesting tidbit is the fact that this console will not be equipped with a similar controller like the Wii, but rather, a tablet like controller with a six inch touchscreen. Supposedly, the system will be able to stream the images on the television screen to the controller.

Nintendo have not revealed who they will partner with for the construction of this new console but according to IGN, AMD will supply the graphics chipset. IBM will supply a custom version of their PowerPC chip for the CPU. Also of note, this console will be manufactured by Foxconn of Taiwan, who is also the manufacturer of Apple's products. AMD and IBM had been long time partners with Nintendo and have supplied the Big N with chipsets to their Gamecube and Wii consoles.

It will be interesting to see how the competition will react to this announcement when both Sony and Microsoft have said many times that they expect their respective consoles to have a ten year life cycle, rather than the usual five. Last year, both console makers released their own versions of motion controllers in order to prolong the life if their systems. Sony's version, called the PlayStation Move looked to have exactly copied the Wii controller. Microsoft on the other hand, spent many millions to develop the Kinect to allow users to use their whole body's movements to control the game.

As a long time Nintendo fan, the buzz surrounding the impending launch of a new system is always a magical time. I am anticipating what Nintendo will be able to offer their long time users. As for the Wii, I had purchased the system on launch day but have sat mainly unused, and I have taken most of my attention to the 360, and to a lesser extent, the PS3. I am a long time gamer, so the fact that I have to be actively moving my arms to control the action really did not appeal to me and quickly went to the competition for a more traditional method.

Stay tuned for more as the the upcoming weeks leading up to E3 will be full of surprises.

Terminator Terrorized Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T20:22:00.000-04:00

A single T-800 unit was reported to have appeared at a Resistance Easter festivities. After moments of confusion, Resistance fighters was able to repel the attack and after several hours of fighting, the intruder was destroyed.

I spent Saturday night along with a group of airsoft enthusiasts at The Old Craig Complex, an abandoned psychiatric hospital, located in Picton. The weather was perfect and the action was intense. The premise of the Terminator themed airsoft game was simple, two teams of players fight over an objective while a single terminator terrorized both teams. The terminator cannot be killed, only disabled momentarily by shooting at a specific spot on the terminator's body. The catch is that only the terminator knows where that spot is.

Resistance fighters gearing up

The game started just after sunset and kept up until about an hour after sunrise. A little background about the facility, Craig Complex is a decommissioned military psychiatric hospital located in Picton, Ontario. Currently, the place is operating under a paintball field but sometimes is used by the military and law enforcement for training. This is evident by the breaching holes in the walls.

During the day, parts of the facility can still be very dark, but at night, most of the place is pitch black and absolutely, downright creepy. My team decided from the beginning that we would stay together, and to go back together to the respawn zone together with the dead players so we would not be separated and wonder the facility alone.

Wondering in the dark was not too troublesome for my team as some of us are equipped with Gen. 3 night vision equipment. Yours truly being one of them. :D With these, we made short work of the opposition, despite being outnumbered three to one. At one point during the night when the firefight took place at the front lawn of the complex, I was able to walk to several of the enemy, tapped their back and told them they are dead because they ran past my position without realizing I was prone to the ground. The looks on their faces was priceless as they realized what had just happened.

The night became quite cold, as can be seen by the heat coming out of a fellow player, FlyGuy. The temperature during the day was quite warm at 19 degrees celcius, and at night dropped to around four degrees celcius. After a whole night of intense action, we all made it back safe and sound and I am now currently resting. My body is somewhat sore, but a good time always come at a price.

Jumong - Prince of Legend

2011-04-22T21:13:00.000-04:00

Over the last several months, I have been hooked on a Korean historical drama titled Jumong - Prince of Legend. A production of MBC, it aired from May of 2006 to March of 2007 with 81 episodes. The drama followed the story of Jumong, a prince of Buyeo, a country located in present North Korea.

According to legend, Jumong was hatched from an egg after his mother was impregnated by sunlight. MBC took elements of the original story and spun a more down to earth origin and life of the historical character. The story followed Jumong's origin from a careless prince inside the palace walls to his struggle to stay alive from the pursuits of his brothers on to his creation of a new nation while fighting the rule of the Han empire of China.

I have made it to episode 61 so far. The story thus far is filled with battles, plot twists, love triangles, and kidnappings, often during a single episode. There is definitely plenty to keep one entertained for 81 episodes. What drew me to this drama was my fascination with history. I love looking at how society, architecture, art and even warfare is conducted in the past. Especially one that I am not familiar with.

Game of Thrones

2011-04-21T10:06:00.001-04:00

I was able to watch the very first episode of HBO's new mini series titled Game of Thrones the other night. I went into this not knowing anything regarding the origins of the series except that it was based on a series of novels called The Song of Ice and Fire.

I am a huge fan of some the series that came from HBO, such as Rome, Band of Brothers, Generation Kill, and to a lesser extent, The Pacific. So far, the first episode of GoT follows the others with a high production value and great acting from the casts. I can't wait to see the rest of this series.

I have been known to follow up the screen version with the original printed version right after completion but at seven books, A Song of Ice and Fire might prove to be a considerable investment. Perhaps I should just start anyway. Time to check the Kindle app for new reading material.

Old Man's War

2011-04-20T11:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Peter who recommended John Scalzi's Old Man's War for a great book to read.

I am not one to look for sci-fi when I need some reading material but the book was very well written and I was totally absorbed in the story. Upon finishing Old Man's War, I immediately went to the two sequels, The Ghost Brigades, and The Last Colony. I fully recommend these three.

Just for additional Information, I bought all three through Amazon's Kindle service and read them all on the Kindle app on my phone. I had originally intended to purchase a Kindle but I think I may just stick with the app for now.

My Nintendo 3DS

2011-04-19T18:15:00.001-04:00

After several weeks with my 3DS, I think I have spent enough time with it to give my thoughts of the system. I purchased the system along with Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars several days after the release of the system from an independent game store.
At $250 for the system and $39.99 for the game, the combination was not cheap. Despite what some may say regarding Street Fighter IV as a system showcase, I chose the Ghost Recon game since its a turn based strategy game, and the fact that I'm terrible at Street Fighter.

On to the system itself, I chose the Aqua Blue version and to my shock, it is actually more green than blue. The one nice surprise upon opening the box was the charging cradle that came with the system. I stopped using the cradle since the battery life is quite short for the system, at only 3 to 4 hours of use with the 3D effect turned on. It was more convenient to have the charging cable plugged into the system.

I have yet to try the bundled software in the system such as Face Raiders and the augmented reality game since I am concentrated on Ghost Recon. All I have done with the system was play the game, inserted a 16GB microSD card with some MP3 files to test its music capabilities, and used it as a step counter to see how many steps it took me to walk to my local Metro supermarket. It counted 3300 steps for my round trip. I have also done a single system update, supposedly to fix the black screen of death problems that some users have experienced. I am eagerly waiting for the update to allow the online game shop to be activated.

Overall, I am quite happy with the purchase. The price was a bit steep I find but the system have functioned perfectly and the game was not bad either. I may still pick up Street Fighter as there are no games in the near future that I am interested in, until Zelda that is.

Under Construction

2011-04-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned. Check back in a day or two.