RAABAD: Daddy at Home: July 2008

Thursday, July 31, 2008

R4DS Initial Setup - UPDATED

The initial setup of the R4DS has been posted in one of my earlier posts here.
However, thanks to an anonymous reader who left a comment, it has come to my attention that some of the required files that are supposed to be downloaded from specific sites are no longer available.

Hence, for the convenience of everyone, this post serves as (1) a guide to properly install the R4DS from scratch; and (2) as a "proxy" for downloading the required files.

Required Files:
Before proceeding any further, please download the files listed below:

Hotfile Links:

MediaFire Links:

Required Hardware:
Well, there's no point reading this if you don't have these things with you.

Revolution for DS (R4DS);
Your microSD - 2GB or below; received news that 4GB may not work (haven't tested though, since I don't have one yet; sorry);
USB reader for the microSD (either using the mirco-SD to SD adapter and USB card reader or the MicroSD USB reader would do).

Ensure that the microSD is empty and that you have backed up everything first before proceeding further.

Procedure

Install the R4DS kernel file.

English-1.18.rar

http://www.r4ds.com/

Unzip the contents of the kernel file. You should end up with _system_ folder/directory, _DS_MENU.DAT, and _DS_MSHL.NDS.
Connect your R4DS into your PC via your card reader.
Copy all of the files, into the microSD.

Update Moonshell

moonshell171p1_with_dpgtools131.zip

http://mdxonlinemirror.dyndns.org/moonshell/files/

Ensure that the microSD is plugged in to your PC;
Unzip the moonshell zip file into a temporary directory;
Run setup.exe in that temporary directory; it would automatically detect the drive assigned to your microSD
Click OK
Configure the moonshell as follows:
- Configuration files: Select moonshl.ini (full) is copied.
- ROM Files: Select R4TF R4(DS) - Revolution for DS only.
- Other configs: this is up to you :)
Click OK then wait for the setup to Finish
Verify that the microSD has the MoonShell_R4TF_M3Simply-R4DS (MicroSD Card).nds and moonshl folder/directory.

Copy the NDS Game Roms

Games

Install DSOrganize

http://www.dragonminded.com/?loc=ndsdev/DSOrganize

DSOrganize_3_2.zip

es_r4m3.zip

Unzip the DSOrganize zip file into your hard drive;
Unzip the exec_stub.bin file from es_r4m3.zip.
Replace the exec_stub.bin file in the DSOrganize/RESOURCES directory.
Copy the entire DSOrganize folder and DSOrganize.nds file into the root directory of the microSD.

OPTIONAL: Customize Theme

logo.bmp - Bootup top screen image;
icons.bmp - Bootup bottom/touchscreen image (i.e., "Play", "Media", or "Slot2");
bckgrd_1.bmp - the browser top screen background image;
bckgrd_2.bmp - the browser bottom/touchscreen background image;
gbaframe.bmp - the border used for GameBoy Advanced (GBA) games (slot 2).

The files should be copied into the _system_ folder;
The image size should be 256x192;
The file format should be a 24bit Bitmap (BMP).

http://www.ndsthemes.com/

I hope this updated guide is useful.

Thanks for reading!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Chistian the Lion video

One of the latest hits in Youtube is this touching story about the reunion of Christian the Lion and his former owners.

In 1969, John Rendall and Athony "Ace" Burke bought the then 16kg lion cub and named him Christian. Just like any lion, he soon grew large, too large for the two to keep in their home. So they decided to put him back into the wild through the wildlife sanctuary in Kenya.

Christian adapted very well to the wild and soon had his own pride. The former owners, hearing about this, decided to visit him one last time. Although they were told that he may not recognize them because he's back in the wild, they went for it anyway.

Then.... well, let the video show you exactly what happened, okay? :)

With Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You in the background, this video charmed millions of internet surfers everywhere!

Christian hugging his old owners shows he remembers them really well. These animals are smarter and more intelligent than what we give them credit for.

It's nice somebody found this clip and posted it in YouTube. :)

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Dark Knight - an alternate review

It's been a very busy week for me but we finally managed to squeeze in The Dark Knight in our tight schedules! And I must say.... WHOAAA!!! Perhaps the best (or sickest) Batman movie of all time! (Or at least, the best so far!)

I've been watching all the reviews lately about the Dark Knight and almost always we go down to the comparison between Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. Perhaps fuelled by Ledger's death, I actually see more "Joker" hypes and reviews rather than Batman. Hmmm... Anyway... Personally, I don't think they should be compared, with one actor being better than the other. They did the best they could for what the movie calls for. It's not just because of the actors, but the movie themselves; you cannot say one movie is better than the other simply because they are totally different movies.

Years ago, when the first Batman movie hit the bigscreen, Nicholson's Joker was a bad-ass and perhaps the best villain movie character during that decade. Joker's agenda was a bit simplistic, but Nicholson's portrayal is appropriate for the tone of the entire movie. This, in part, makes the 1989 Batman one of the timeless and classic superhero movies.

Almost twenty years later, came the Dark Knight. The world has gone through a lot of changes. The Middle East crisis, killer tidal waves, 9/11, and so many others. The people's world view was forever changed. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, they do. Yep, it seems times were simpler back then. So Dark Knight (and Batman Begins), in a way, reflects our world view. Hence, we see a darker, mob-ruled, criminal-infested Gotham, with its sicker villains, mob-controlled cops (which are quite prevalent in the later movies, not commonly seen in the older Batman movies), and the twisted agenda of the Joker -- robbing banks, ruling the city, controlling mobs just doesn't do it anymore; dubbing himself as an agent of chaos, he wants nothing more than total chaos and anarchy; total annihilation of established order. Whatever you want to call it.

Anyway, enough comparison... They're both good anyway... :)

Seeing Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, I now understand why some critics are expecting him to win some awards. He's damn scary! He leaves no doubt as to why this psychopathic criminal genius is one of the best (if not the damned best) archvillain of Batman.

Now, aside from Heath Ledger, there are other reasons why The Dark Knight is a great movie.

I really like the cool new gadgets provided by Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). From the new armor, to the Batcycle ejecting-from-the-Batmobile. And don't forget about his sonar mapping thingamajjig; converting all cellphones in Gotham city into a kind of a sonar mapping device, then feeding all of the info to a central device that only Fox has access to. With this contraption, Batman can "see" the entire city, enabling him to track down the Joker as soon as he started broadcasting. Of course, this was a bit too powerful for one man to possess, so Fox had to destroy it in the end.

Alfred (Michael Caine) is a fully revamped character in the last two movies. He is not just your ordinary English butler; he's an English butler slash medic slash veteran bounty hunter slash wise old man slash father-figure of sorts. He has a bigger role here than in any of the other previous movies. He fully understands what Batman means to Gotham. What Batman needs to be to Gotham. That Batman doesn't need to be a hero; he needs to be something more. He's role is significant to Batman's transformation into the Dark Knight. Best quote in the movie that in a way sums up the movie is the one said by Alfred:

Endure. You can be the outcast. You can make the choice that noone else will face: the RIGHT choice.

And with that, Batman made the choice; to protect what Gotham has gained through the work of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) before he became Two-Face, Batman will become the villain, the target, the scapegoat. What the 28 Laws of Power calls the Cat's Paw, if I remember correctly.

Harvey Dent, as District Attorney, worked hard to clean the streets of Gotham. He was what Batman was waiting for; the "beacon of light", the "white knight". One who is just and uncorruptible -- well, at least before the accident and how Joker pushed him. I guess that's the problem when everything is dependent on the reputation of one man. One blemish, one mistake and poof. Everything will go to waste. Realizing this, Batman made that choice and took the blame for everything that Two-Face has done. Dent must remain pure and perfect. Never got his hands dirty. Damn! I really love that part! Making the hard choices. The defining moment of being more than just a hero. :)

Dang! I guess that's it for now. It's been quite a long post already. All in all, I love the Dark Knight. One of the best movies of all time.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Takashimaya's 12th Craziest Toy Sale!

As part of the Great Singapore Sale, Takashimaya is having their annual toy sale, dubbed "12th Craziest Toy Sale". Well, it really is crazy in more ways than one.

Prices are really really really low.... Or at the very least have a very large discount. Items that would normally be sold at SGD 50.00 have been cut to just SGD 12.00! Big savings if you are doing your early Christmas shopping (like what we did)!

Don't expect too much though. There are very few excellent items there. Sure, there is the occasional Shaider action figure and Limited Edition Winnie the Pooh Vans (scale 1:36), but these unique items are very few and far in between. For these items, you may want to grab as many as you can afford if you really are an avid collector. I should have told this myself the first time. I really wanted another
Shaider but when we returned, it's gone. :(

So aside from those "rare" collectibles, you have a large selection of items ideal for "gifts". So, our inaanaks (godchildren) come to mind.

Anyway, the sale sure is enough to make you crazy. After finishing there, people are really staring at us. You want to know why? Observe the picture below....

What you are seeing here is a picture of six (6) large baskets overflowing with toys that WE WERE GOING TO BUY!!!! Yep, that's not a stacked up discard pile at a corner. Those are ours!

I know, I know.... But I've reviewed our spendings here. I mean, we are going to buy for our inaanaks anyway for Christmas or when we return to Manila for a vacation, whichever comes first. Wemight as well buy now to avoid the Christmas rush later this year.

Oh well, I hope I can get some more of those rare stuff there when I drop by again. :)

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Clinique freebies in Singapore

We were always a sucker for freebies and promo items. :) I honestly thought that since moving here in Singapore, our days of hunting for freebies are gone. Then came this promo...

CLINIQUE, one of the world's leading cosmetics and fragrance companies have launched a promo for the Clinique's 3-Step Skin Care System. When you signup on the online form, you will get a free 2-day supply of the Clinique 3-step Skin Care Kit, customized for your specific skin; the online form requires information about your skin tone, color, texture, whatever in order to customize the products for you.

FYI, the kit contains three Clinique products:

Classic Bar Soap OR Liquid Facial Soap

Clarifying Lotion OR Clarifying Moisture Lotion

Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion OR Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Although I may need it, I didn't actually sign up for this. You can thank my wife Che for that. :)

Well, freebies are freebies.

Oh, BTW, this is only available in Singapore. If you really want these freebies, you may want your friends and/or relatives here to signup on your behalf. Just be sure to give your relevant information beforehand.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The 'curves' of Miss Universe

Just got a few glimpses of the Miss Universe Pageant last night. It was broadcasted in the Hallmark Channel in cable, but it run in parallel with my favorite AXN shows, so I had to jump from channel to channel.

The 5'10" Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza, 22, gave perhaps one of the most memorable responses during the Q and A portion. What is the difference between men and women?

Men think that the fastest way to go to a point is to go straight.
Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves.

And with that, many would argue, she won the title. Now that's beauty and brains at its finest!

The 2008 Miss Universe pageant was held in Vietnam which, as can be expected from hosting countries, Vietnam is promoted heavily as a tourist destination. :)

One other highlight is Miss USA Crystle Stewart taking a fall during the evening gown section, similar to what happened to last year's Miss USA Rachel Smith.

Not sure why so many people are making a big deal about the trip. She tripped, okay? It happens to all people every now and then. And yet, she makes the front page of a newspaper! It's not a tabloid, mind you. It's a freakin' newspaper! A big picture of her sitting on her rump after falling down is hogging the front page. What? No other news to report about? Geez, get a life! :)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Blogging: Related Posts

I always wanted to include a 'Related Posts' widget at the end of each post item. Thanks to a short reprieve, I was able to finally implement this in my blogs in Blogger.

So let's start:

1. Backup the existing template. (In Blogger/Blogspot, it should be in Layout > Edit Html.

2. Within the page header (i.e., section enclosed in the <HEAD> and </HEAD> tags, insert the code below. I suggest inserting it right before the </HEAD> tag.

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
var relatedTitles = new Array();
var relatedTitlesNum = 0;
var relatedUrls = new Array();

function related_results_labels(json) {
for (var i = 0; i < json.feed.entry.length; i++) {
var entry = json.feed.entry[i];
relatedTitles[relatedTitlesNum] = entry.title.$t;
for (var k = 0; k < entry.link.length; k++) {
if (entry.link[k].rel == 'alternate') { relatedUrls[relatedTitlesNum] = entry.link[k].href;
relatedTitlesNum++;
break; }}}
}

function removeRelatedDuplicates() {
var tmp = new Array(0);
var tmp2 = new Array(0);
for(var i = 0; i < relatedUrls.length; i++) { if(!contains(tmp, relatedUrls[i])) {
tmp.length += 1;
tmp[tmp.length - 1] = relatedUrls[i];
tmp2.length += 1;
tmp2[tmp2.length - 1] = relatedTitles[i];
}
}
relatedTitles = tmp2;
relatedUrls = tmp;
}

function contains(a, e) {
for(var j = 0; j < a.length; j++) if (a[j]==e) return true;
return false;
}

function printRelatedLabels() {
var r = Math.floor((relatedTitles.length - 1) * Math.random());
var i = 0;
document.write('<ul>');
while (i < relatedTitles.length && i < 20) {
document.write('<li><a href="' + relatedUrls[r] + '">' + relatedTitles[r] + '</a></li>');
if (r < relatedTitles.length - 1) {
r++;
} else {
r = 0;
}
i++;
}
document.write('</ul>');
}
//]]>
</script>

3. With the "Expand Widgets" checked, under the 'Blog1' widget, look for the lines:

<b:if cond='data:post.labels'>
<data:postLabelsLabel/>
<b:loop values='data:post.labels' var='label'>
<a expr:href='data:label.url' rel='tag'><data:label.name/></a><b:if cond='data:label.isLast != "true"'>,</b:if>
</b:loop>
</b:if>

and replace them with the following:

<b:if cond='data:post.labels'>
<data:postLabelsLabel/>
<b:loop values='data:post.labels' var='label'>
<a expr:href='data:label.url' rel='tag'><data:label.name/></a><b:if cond='data:label.isLast != "true"'>,</b:if>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
<script expr:src='"/feeds/posts/default/-/" + data:label.name + "?alt=json-in-script&callback=related_results_labels&max-results=10"' type='text/javascript'/>
</b:if>
</b:loop>
</b:if>

4. Save the Template.

5. Navigate to Layout --> Add Page Elements, and add an HTML/Script element, name it as "Related Posts" (or whatever) which includes the following lines of code:

<script type="text/javascript">
removeRelatedDuplicates();
printRelatedLabels();
</script>

6. Return to Layout --> Edit HTML, check Expand Widgets, and look for the 'Related Posts' element you just added. It should be similar to the following:

<b:widget id='HTML13' locked='false' title='Related Posts' type='HTML'>
<b:includable id='main'>

<b:if cond='data:title != ""'>
<h2 class='title'><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<data:content/>
</div>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

7. Insert the lines in bold below. This additional two lines ensure that the "Related Posts" widget will only load when the user is currently viewing one post only.

<b:widget id='HTML13' locked='false' title='Related Posts' type='HTML'>
<b:includable id='main'>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>

<b:if cond='data:title != ""'>
<h2 class='title'><data:title/></h2>
</b:if>
<div class='widget-content'>
<data:content/>
</div>
<b:include name='quickedit'/>
</b:if>
</b:includable>
</b:widget>

And there you have it. Whenever you view your individual posts, you should be able to see the "Related Posts" widget somewhere in the page (depends on where you put it).

Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Must-see videos and movies wishlist

I guess I'm in that mode again in which I want to watch a slew of videos and movies. As of this time, these are the ones that I would really, really, REALLY want to watch...

WWE RAW, June 23, 2008 Episode

This is the episode when WWE conducted its annual draft lottery. That is, WWE superstars (i.e., wrestlers) go from one brand to another. I already know the results, which be read from the official WWE website, but I'd still want to see the action.

Well, believe it or not, I believe draft lotteries are rigged. That is, it is scripted and the results are already planned; the sole purpose of this draft is to shake things up, developing new storylines, new rivalries, etc. It's actually a good thing. :)

Of course in this year's lottery, I must say that nothing shook things more than Triple H being drafted into Smackdown! And of course, where Triple H goes, his favorite announcer, WWE Hall of Famer "JR" Jim Ross goes with him.

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to wait for re-runs to get this one. :)

WWE Night of Champions (June 29, 2008)

Okay, fine, another WWE video. What can I say? I don't get my weekly dose of wrestling video like back home. :) I always want to watch WWE Pay-Per-Views anyway, and this is no exception.

Same thing here. I know the results, but I still want to watch it anyway. :) Now that's a fan! Hehehe :)

Like the one before, I'll wait for reruns.

The Dark Knight, opens July 17, 2008

You have to be crazy if you do not want to see this one! Finally, the much anticipated sequel to Batman Begins (and the animated film Batman Gotham Night) will be showing next week.

You don't have to be a Batman fan to watch this, right? I mean this is the Batman franchise movie we've been waiting for. The Chrstian Bale Batman is the best Batman we've seen in years. (Yup, I'm not a fan of those George Clooney Batman flicks.)

Or for the more sentimental people out there, would you not want to see the very last movie starring Heath Ledger? Rumors in E!News and The Daily Ten (yeah, I watch those. So what? Hehe) indicate a stellar, Oscar- or Emmy-worthy performance by the actor. Based from the teasers, trailers and posters, Ledger's portrayal of Joker is the darkest and freakiest Batman villain I've seen. Definitely a favorite pick in the "Best Villain" category.

Not showing yet, so no choice but to sit tight until then.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

A good time to remit SGD to PHP

To all Pinoys working in Singapore: ever wonder when it would be a good time to remit your hard-earned SG dollars to Philippine Pesos?

Well, since October 2007 (when we first came here), I would say that now would be a good time to remit. According to i-Remit, as of 4 July 2008, SGD 1.00 = PHP 33.00! That's a lot of cash, compared to last Christmas season, in which the rate was only around PHP 27.00 to SGD 1.00.

For most people, the 7th of the month is usually the salary/sweldo day. You can expect a lot of people down in Orchard Rd in Lucky Plaza remitting to the Philippines.

Better take this opportunity to remit now. Once the Philippines gets a lot of remittance, it may cause the value of the peso to rise a bit, possibly lowering the exchange rate to PHP32.00. Just my two cents. :)

Monday, July 07, 2008

Online Storage: Saving Files on the Internet

With broadband internet connections quickly becoming the norm, many online file-sharing / storage services have come to play. Here's a review of some of them.

Windows SkyDrive
http://skydrive.live.com

This is Microsoft's own file-sharing service. As far as I know, you are required to have a Windows Live Messenger Account (i.e., hotmail ID, etc.) so you need to sign up first before you can use this. The total storage per account is 5GB, with a 50MB cap on the size of each uploaded file.

True to the Microsoft's way of doing things, you are working with folders. You have three types of folders: your Personal (only you can access), Shared (only you and selected users), and Public (accessible to anyone). You need to be familiar with the concepts of file permissions to get this done with less hassle (as I've had seen people who are struggling with this one).

As of the moment, since this is very, very new, you can expect a few bugs here and there and a lot of room for improvement. Maybe in a few weeks or months, after getting tons of feedback, we'll see some improvements.

Drop.io
http://drop.io

One of the newer services, with up to 100MB maximum storage free, or 25GB at US$10 per 1Gb per year. You can use it immediately to share files even without creating an account. Good for those quick file drops you need to share ASAP.

Aside from that, it is integrated with Facebook, so if you're a Facebook user, you should have no problems sharing files with other users there.

Lastly, you supposedly can add a Drop.IO widget into your website/blog, but I have yet to do this. I'm still going through the site's FAQs and stuff.

If you are not comfortable with the above, you can always just use the tried-and-tested filesharing services out there, such as RapidShare and MegaUpload and their variations (both having a total upload size cap per country/region, unless you have a premium account), MediaFire and YouSendIt.

Thanks for reading!

Saturday, July 05, 2008

House M. D. Season 4 Quotable Quotes (Part 2)

Here are some additional quotes from Season 4 of House M. D. You can check the other quotes from season 4 here.

Janitor: I'm not breaking into somebody's house... <pause> I got principles.

Dr. House: I got some loose change here says you don't.

Janitor: I'm not doing this... for less than a fifty.

Amber: Uhm, I watched this football game once. And I noticed something odd. The winning team was the happy one. I did the math.

Dr. House: Our patient's happy.

Amber: He's an idiot.

Dr. House: He's a happy idiot. That screws with your world view. There's something freeing about being a loser, isn't there? Why are you afraid to...

Amber: Mommy didn't love me enough. Daddy expected too much from me. Something! <pause> Let's assume that's true. I get how that can make me a screwed-up person. But how is my willingness to do anything to get the right answer bad for my patients? Or put in terms you can understand, how is it bad for you?

Dr. House: What makes you so sure that drugs are a mask for something else?

Thirteen: Drugs are always a mask for something else.

Dr. House: That's the dumbest thing I've heard in my life.

[Thirteen leaves. Dr. House sets 13's points from 100 to 102.]

Dr. Cuddy: Hire a woman too.

Dr. House: Hire two women.

Dr. Cuddy: You can have the one that gives a crap about people.

Dr. House: They both do.

Dr. Cuddy: Right. Hire "Thirteen".

<pause>

Dr. Cuddy: This was your plan all along...

<pause again>

Dr. Cuddy: Well, at least the games are over.

Dr. House: How long have you known me?

Thirteen: She’s not a liar.

Dr. House: Ok, this is gonna be a tough case. I have almost no knowledge of alien physiology.

Thirteen: Everyone lies but there’s an exception to every rule.

Dr. House: Actually there isn’t. That’s kinda what makes it a rule.

Dr. House: There’s a reason that everybody lies. It works. It what allows society to function, it’s what separates man from beast.

Dr. Wilson: Oh, I thought that was our thumbs.

Dr. House: You wanna know every place your mom’s thumb has been?

Dr. Wilson: I’m sorry I missed rehearsal. Am I taking the “truth is good” side? Don’t you usually take that side?

Dr. House: Lies are a tool, they can be used either for good… No wait, I got a better one. Lies are like children. Hard work, but they’re worth it. Because the future depends on them.

Dr. Wilson: You are so full of love… or something. When you care about someone...

Dr. House: You lie to them! You pretend that their constant ponderous musing are interesting. You tell them they’re not losing their boyish good looks or becoming worn out.

Dr. Wilson: I stand corrected and may I say, it’s been a real pleasure chatting with you.

Dr. House: Saint Nicholas?

Melanie: Patron saint of children.

Dr. House: Also seamen, merchants, archers, prostitutes, and prisoners.

<parts omitted>

Melanie: Prostitutes wear religious symbols?

Dr. House: I think they just like kneeling. [smiles] You don’t have the skin of a seaman, the fingers of an archer, the clothes of a merchant, or the attitude of an ex-con. So, just leaves one left.

Melanie: Mmm… Two actually. [gives him a flirtatious smile] But I’m not a child, am I?

Dr. House: [touches a finger to her lips and feels them] You do a donkey show? [a purposeful pause] I’m not curious. It matters.

Melanie: It’s a donkey or a mule… [gives him a knowing look] I can never remember.

Dr. House: Wow… That is a creepy smile. [cringes lightly] I bet the donkey’s is even creepier.

Melanie: [laughs lightly] Do I have to explain?

Jane: Mom… The doctors told me what’s happening.

Maggie: It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. [nods] I promise you. Doctors can be wrong. There’s still a chance I can be-

Jane: [cuts her off] You really believe that?

Maggie: [trying to be strong] I do.

Jane: [shakes her head] No, mom. You’re dying. Nobody can help you. It’s not going to be okay.

<House and Thirteen leaves the ICU room.>

Thirteen: That was cold.

Dr. House: Yeah.

Thirteen: This is a game? First we have to screw with our co-worker and now we have to try to figure out what you want us to say? This is insane. I'm not playing.

Dr. House: Right. You should've said this two days ago. Do not play games with me. Number one, you're going to lose, you're just not ready. Number two, the game was to force you to stop playing games. I need you to stand up to me. Challenge me. I need you to stop worrying about getting fired. Go pay for my cable.

<to be continued...>

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

SG Toy & Comic Convention '08 - Batman Gotham Knight

We were able to see the feature film Batman Gotham Knight at the last day of the Singapore Toy and Comic Convention 2008 (Sunday, June 29, 2008).

Apparently, there are not enough Batman fans here in Singapore.

There were only about 60 seats set up in front of the stage and were cordoned off; these seats are reserved for those who have tickets. For some reason, around 10 minutes before the screening time, there were only about 4 people (a family by the looks of it) seated. God knows where the rest of the ticket holders went.

The organizers then decided to let the people lined up outside of the cordoned area to take their seats. Still, we were not able to take our seats because there were just too many people there.

After the first of the six interlocking films, though, people started leaving. We then took that opportunity to talk to the organizers so that we could take the seats just vacated. :) So I enjoyed the rest of the film seated comfortably in front of the stage...still with that nagging question why did these people leave? Did they not like the film? Were they bored? Did it not suit there taste?

So let's see....

Chapter 1: Have I got a story for you
This chapter recounts how Batman is perceived by three kids. The film emphasizes how the children's (in this case, skater kids) wild imagination caused them to see Batman differently; one kid saw him as a living shadow, the other as a giant humanoid Bat (more bat than human,with claws, wings, and all), and another as a heavy robot of sorts.

As it turns out, Batman is still in pursuit of the villain and have reached the skating rink where all of the kids above are holed up. Batman (this time shown in his classic costume similar to the one in Batman The Animated Series), bloody and messy at this point and confused further by the smokescreen from the villain, was saved by one of the kids (i.e. the kid who missed all of the action earlier) by clubbing his skateboard at the back of the head of the enemy. The kid was understandbly stunned at his encounter with the real Batman and shouted "Man, have I got a story for you!"

It was towards the end of this chapter that people started leaving and that's when we took our seats. Judging from the number of people who left, I'd say they are not Batman fanatics for sure.

The story itself is okay, showing a typical Batman encounter through the eyes of several witnesses. Sounds cliche? Maybe. But the big let down IMHO is the artwork. Too much emphasis was given to how the kids in the story perceive Batman; the background is done well enough, but the characters are depicted using very simple drawings, big bodies with small disproportionate extremities, the style of which is something that you'd expect from a show on a kid's or baby's channel or something.

That's the bad news. The good news is, things can only go up from here.

Chapter 2: Crossfire
Batman delivers "The Man in Black" (presumably the same villain from chapter 1) to Lt. Gordon, who then instructs Detectives Cris Allen and Anna Ramirez to deliver him to the Arkham Asylum. After the delivery, while disputing about whether Batman can be trusted or not, they find themselves caught in the crossfire between turf / gang wars between the "Russian" and Sal Maroni. One rocket to the detectives' car later, Allen finds himself flung by Batman on top of a nearby building to save him from the explosion while Ramirez is knocked out on the street below. Batman then dispatches the remaining Russian gang members while Maroni held Ramirez hostage. Batman quickly disarmed the man who, perhaps out of fatigue or fear (of Batman), or both, stumbled and sat slumped on the ground. Batman then leaves the scene, apparently gaining the trust of the two detectives.

Nice thing about this is that it picks up right after the encounter in the first part. It shows the typical process of Batman's crimefighting: Batman looks for crook, Batman catches crook, Batman sends crook to the police. A "vigilante"of sorts tolerated and trusted by Gordon because of results; with more criminals jailed, Gotham is slowly and steadily becoming a safer place, one taken out crook at a time.

And this time, the artwork is certainly much better than the first one. Batman is now in his sleek, streamlined costume while the rest are (compare to chapter 1) better drawn and more realistic (no disproportionate limbs and bodies, or anything like that). Special effects are great, especially the explosion and the ensuing fires. Perhaps the most picturesque part here is when the ominous (almost devilish) outline of Batman steps out of the flames as he stares down Maroni.

All in all, great chapter two!

Chapter Three: Field Test
We find Bruce Wayne walking into the lab of Lucius Fox (i.e. the former research head and current CEO of Wayne Enterprises, played by Morgan Freeman in Batman Begins). Fox shows him a prototype of a shockwave sensor that generates an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) strong enough to deflect bullets. Bruce decides to test the shield when he dives into the Russian - Sal Maroni feud once again. A bullet deflected by his shield inadvertently hits one of the gang members whom Batman then sent to the nearest hospital. Batman decided not to use the shield. "It works too well. I'm willing to put my life on the line to do what I have to do. But it has to be mine. No one else's."

This part shows Bruce Wayne's morality goes. He is willing to risk his life but not willing to risk others'. Now we see the line that he is not willing to cross in pursuit of justice.

Artwork here and fight sequence is great as well. But I guess, it is just too "anime" for me. My problem with this one is how his face was drawn. Bruce Wayne is drawn in the typical anime-style shape; heart-shaped head, large Anime-eyes, with matching long hair to boot. But the voice doesn't appear to match well with the face. We see a young, clean, fresh, playboy-looking character but has a deep husky voice that we all know and love. (BTW, Batman is voiced by Kevin Conroy, the same one who voiced Batman in most DC animated series).

Aside from that, this is another excellent chapter in the film.

Chapter Four: In Darkness Dwells
Batman enters the sewers as he follows the trail of an 8-foot lizard man, Killer Croc, who abducted one O'Fallon down to the crypts, the sixth of the high-profile abductions this week. He eventually finds Croc and knocks him out, but not before being bitten by Croc and thereby infecting him with fear-inducing toxins; an intelligence report reveals that Croc is one of the subjects of the Scarecrow's fear inversion program. The experiments pumped Croc full of toxins making him more twisted and dangerous than before.

Batman then faced Scarecrow and his toxin-induced cronies to rescue O'Fallon. One methane gas explosion later, Batman finds himself on the side of a river dam. Gordon then shows up in a chopper to take knocked out O'Fallon. Although injured, Batman refuses Gordon's offer to help and jumps down to the river below as the chapter closes.

The story is fairly straightforward. No mystery here. Just follow the trails into the sewers, rescue the victim while pounding the bad guys. One good thing that it does is, with Batman being severly injured, it serves as a springboard for the next chapter.

Chapter Five: Working Through Pain
While Batman stumbles his way back through the sewers, we get flashbacks from a time when Bruce was trained by an exotic Indian woman, Cassandra, in order to deal with pain. She taught him for months on how to work through pain, how to put it in its place.

One night, after defeating men who tried to harm her, Cassandra sent Bruce away, since he has learned everything he wanted to learn, but also reveals that the pain that Bruce has is beyond her abilities; that his path is leading him down a path that he desires. Whatever. Quite the mumbo-jumbo, ain't it?

Back to the present, as Alfred came to the location where Batman is, he finds him his hands full of firearms found among the trash. And thus, hints the source, the true nature of Bruce Wayne's pain... And off to the final chapter.

Chapter Six: Deadshot
Bruce Wayne remembers the time when his parents are gunned down. He has held on to the firearms that he had found; he admired them although he has no intention of using them.

BTW, Bruce Wayne here, with such a very prominent chin, reminds me of that classic anime, Slam Dunk.

With the power of the crimelords declining, the Russian hired Deadshot to take "him" out. The leads fed to the police made them to believe that the target was Lt. Gordon, but Deadshot only used him as a pawn in order to lure out his real target: Batman himself. He eventually knocks out Deadshot after a short battle on the train.

Back in the Wayne Manor, Bruce reveals to Alfred that the fight with Deadshot was similar to the night when his parents were killed.

"It seems I've been trying to stop those two bullets all my life. It's a fool's dream, Alfred. Sometimes I think I should just be done with it."

"Perhaps, you are right, sir. But something tells me that you have a deeper purpose."

And with that, Bruce looks up into the clouds in the night sky glowing with the Bat Signal.

The end. Or rather, the beginning. Off to Dark Knight!

As much as I hate to say it, unless you like and/or familiar with the Batman mythos, you may find the movie lacking and could not appreciate the tiny things that have been put in place within the film.

Perhaps the sides of Batman that have been shown on this film will prove significant when the Dark Knight comes out later this month. I dunno (but I sincerely hope so). If so, then everything should come full circle, and we will have a trilogy of sorts (Batman Begins, Batman Gotham Knight, Dark Knight).

This film is not for everybody, as evidenced by the number of scowling faces I saw after the movie. :( Personally, I enjoyed the film, but hey, I'm biased; being the comic and movie collector that I am, I am inclined to like the film anyway.

Watch the movie, let me know what you think.

Blogging: Using Expandable Posts

I had some time to spare and I used to apply expandable posts on our blogs. For the meantime, I have applied the required changes both here and in Che's blog.

It took me a while to discover exactly how to do this. So in the spirit of sharing, I might as well include the how-to of expandable posts using the "new" blogger format.

Assumptions:
This is done using the new Blogger; hence this is not a "walkthrough" for other web publishing services, such as WordPress. Regardless of the publisher, when you get down to it, it is all HTML anyway, so while the steps may not exactly be the same (as you will see later on), the principle should be the same.

Outline of Steps:
1. Editing the Conditional CSS
2. Adding the "Read More" links
3. Adding Blog Post template

Important: Regardless of whether you are new to this or not, please BACKUP your current template. For Blogger/Blogspot, this should be in Layout -> Edit HTML, then click on Download Full Template.

Once everything is set, here we go...

Step 1: CONDITIONAL CSS

First of all, we need to define within the template the "fullpost" span class. The behavior of the fullpost class is simple: if it's an item (i.e., one blog post only), display everything; otherwise, do not display the text.

1.1. Locate the </head> tag.

1.2. Immediately above/before the tag, add / modify the following code within the <style> tags

<style>
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>
span.fullpost {display:inline;}
<b:else/>
span.fullpost {display:none;}
</b:if>
</style>

1.3. Save the template.

Step 2: READ MORE LINK

You are, of course, not restricted to use the words "Read more". You can opt to use something like "Click here to read the rest of the entry" or as short as "..."

2.1. For blogger users, click on "Expand Widgets".

2.2. Locate the line <data:post.body/>

2.3. Immediately below/after the above tag, add the following code:

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "item"'>
<a expr:href='data:post.url' target='_blank'>Read more...</a>
</b:if>

2.4. Save the template.

Step 3: POST TEMPLATE

Now comes the editing of the actual posts. Each post would have to include <span class="fullpost">. To make life easier, Blogger included the Post Template under Settings > Formatting, so that each new post would include the above tags.

3.1. Go to Settings > Formatting, then scroll down to Post Template.

3.2. Enter the following code:

Summary here <span class="fullpost">
The rest of the post here </span>

3.3. Save Settings.

Just be mindful of the placement of the fullpost tag within your next posts and that's it.

With this, you can highlight more of your most recent posts within the main page. I remember at one point in which I had to limit the posts displayed to five or below, depepnding on the length of my post. With this one in place, your main page will act as the "index", enabling the reader to browse through the contents of your blog without actually going through entire unwanted entries.

In case of questions, just let me know.

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