Being hailed all over the world as the most addictive game on facebook, Packrat’s influences were horribly damaging. I got hooked back onto it 9 days before my exams all because I discovered that I could actually combine lower level cards to create rare high level items. This was a crucial key to the game. Avoid compounding the cards and it will be impossible to finish any set unless you are an extremely lucky person. If you are one of the blessed souls, I suggest you stop playing and start buying 4D instead.

Previously, I stupidly vaulted multiple low level stuff or random rares that I salvaged from the rats; Then lost interest since it was so frustrating to finish any one set until that fateful discovery which almost ruined my examinations. Packrat is a greed based collection game where the objective is to steal and vault pretty cards and complete sets. A simple enough concept, yet so fatally addictive.

There are a few ways to play the game. The first is FFA (Free For All) which was how the game was originally designed to be played. Competitive style forces the players to lock their items and break locks of their fellow packrats in order to steal and complete their sets. I, for one, absolutely hate this method of playing.

The second most popular is Co-op (Cooperative) where minor communities are formed and help is given freely within the group to aid “members” in completing their sets. Some FFA players join under the cover of being Co-op and unscrupulously rob their friends blind. I’ve seen so many complaints on the forums. So far the solution is to create blacklists and swap them among the communities to deter such “crimes”.

The third style is what I’m going for - Hermit. I basically have very few friends. Anyone who does a FFA with me without warning is automatically being defriended. No offense to real life contacts I’ve deleted but there’s always friendster if you still want to stay connected.

Upon completion of any set, the player will receive a “Feat of Wonder” card. My very first set I completed was Ancient Realms which, not surprisingly, is my favourite.

The Feats of Wonder text were interesting to read. So far, Sugar Rush is the funniest:

Flapjickety! No more low-fat, low-cal, sugar-free desserts for you! Congrats on finishing the Sugar Rush collection. Grab a big spoon and a bowl of your favourite ice cream, sit back, and admire your shiny new “I’m an Anti-Dentite” card.

For newbies, here’s some useful resources for the game:

Card Recipes and Guides
Trading Post - Specifically for Retired Sets
General Trading Post - Found within the app itself

Enjoy!

This is so cute! Seems to be fan-made but it’s so well done. *envious*

Characters in order of appearance:

1. Miku Hatsune - ミク初音

2. Rin Kagamine - リン鏡音

3. Ren Kagamine - レン鏡音

4. Kaito - カイト

5. Meiko - メイコ

6. Neru Akita - ネル亞北

7. Haku Yowane - ハク弱音

The first song is Kurutto Mawatte Ikkaiten.
The second song is Caramelldansen (speedy cake remix) by Caramell, a danish band.
I managed to acquire both songs so if anyone wants, just drop an email
Characters are from the popular voice synthesizer Vocaloid made by Yamaha. It’s basically a software that can sing a song requiring only the user to type in the lyrics and the melody. It takes a lot of skill to use the software it seems. I’ve seen really bad jobs.

Below is a vid of one of the best works done on Vocaloid.

Pretty interesting program. I wouldn’t be able to tell that it’s a digitized singing. Then again I don’t have very good ears. Despite having a few voice sets around, it seems like Miku Hatsune’s voice set (the very first Vocaloid released) is still the most popular.

I don’t need to be a technical support officer to experience the headache of trying to teach someone over the phone or IM how to accomplish something and trying hard not to swear at the person on the other side. I realise that tech support officers will have it worse since they have to do this for a living. Seriously, they should be paid more for the amount of blood pressure pills they need to pop or will be popping.

Came across a site that has a collection of some really funny stories. This were my favourites.

Start… Run

"This is the mother of all. There was a customer, when I said click on start and run he did. Then guess what, he clicked on start and then he was running away from his system and I could hear the wavy voice because he was running. He asked me how far should I run?"

Customer: I have problems printing in red…
Tech support: Do you have a color printer?
Customer: Aaaah…. thank you.

Customer: My keyboard is not working anymore.
Tech support: Are you sure it’s plugged into the computer?
Customer: No. I can’t get behind the computer.
Tech support: Pick up your keyboard and walk 10 paces back.
Customer: OK
Tech support: Did the keyboard come with you?
Customer: Yes
Tech support: That means the keyboard is not plugged in. Is there another keyboard?
Customer: Yes, there’s another one here. Ah…that one does work

Tech support: “Okay Bob, let’s press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter “P” to bring up the Program Manager.”
Customer: I don’t have a P.
Tech support: On your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: What do you mean?
Tech support: “P”… on your keyboard, Bob.
Customer: I’M NOT GOING TO DO THAT!!!

More stories here and here.

Previously, I posted t-shirts as a gift idea for geeks. Those were from thinkgeek.com and some other sites but they don’t ship to Singapore most of the time. My solution was to custom print one which I did, not for myself of course.

Here’s more geeky quotes that I think are T-shirt worthy:

Microsoft: "You’ve got questions. We’ve got dancing paperclips."

1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d

If at first you don’t succeed; call it version 1.0

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

I’m not anti-social; I’m just not user friendly.

Life would be easier if I had the source code.

The box said ‘Requires Windows 95 or better’. So I installed LINUX.

Roses are #FF0000
Violets are #0000FF
All my base
Are belong to you

My software never has bugs. It just develops random features.

When life gives you questions, Google has answers.

Failure is not an option — it comes bundled with Windows.

A Life? Cool! Where can I download one of those?

Girls are like internet domain names, the ones I like are already taken.

That’s a PEBKAC problem. (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair)

A lot of anti-Microsoft jokes floating around the internet, especially regarding Windows. Ironically, they have the biggest user base as well.

Wow, Hady won?! I’m sorry but I’m stunned speechless. Not in a good way.

SINGAPORE : It was a win that brought him to his knees, but if you look at the road to success for Hady Mirza , you can see the signposts that brought him there.

He wasn’t pegged as one of the male favourites but the 27-year-old from Singapore emerged as winner of the Asian Idol competition that pitted six Idol winners from India, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia last Sunday.

"Did you think I would win? I didn’t. Not even for a moment," he told TODAY on Monday morning. "This is not for my personal glory, but for Singapore."

Hady’s journey to this "Singapore glory" began as a schoolboy at Beng Wan Primary School. Born Jan 28, 1980, his earliest musical memory is of himself as a seven-year-old singing Toto’s I’ll Be Over You during the 10-minute walk to his Serangoon Road school. And at his grandmother’s house, he’d be "flanked by a guitar-wielding uncle on one side and a Madonna-crazy auntie on the other".

The Siglap Secondary School alumnus got his first taste of performing when he joined hip-hop groups while in National Service, but that experience did not last.

While still in NS, he hooked up with Taufik Batisah and fellow local artiste Adib for a set at Hard Rock Café, which he has described as "one of the most memorable gigs I’ve ever done".

But it was only after his NS stint in 2002 that things started rolling. He auditioned — and got — the singer’s spot with Raw Energy, the resident band at the now-defunct Manchester United-themed Devil’s Bar.

"Taufik also came to audition," recalled Dennis Foo, the man behind Devil’s Bar, and now the CEO of St James Power Station. "Of the two, I had to pick one, so I picked Hady.

"Last year, when Hady won Singapore Idol, he SMSed me, it was still ‘Thanks, boss’," joked Foo.

"Now it’s just ‘Thanks, Dennis!’ He’s easygoing, you know? When you call someone, ‘a real cool guy’ — that’s Hady. He’s soft-spoken, he won’t talk too much, but he delivers everything vocally onstage."

Hady showcased his stuff at Devil’s Bar six nights a week, wowing the crowds with a diverse range — from sweet soulful sounds, to all-out rockin’ tunes — before the opportunity to appear on Singapore Idol 2 came early last year.

His emphatic victory — he garnered about 70 per cent of the votes — led to a debut eponymous album, which achieved platinum status in four days and won him Most Popular Artiste (Singapore) and Most Popular Song (Singapore) at Anugerah Planet Muzik 2007, a yearly Malay music award show that celebrates music from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

"Singapore Idol changed me a little bit, but I try to go through my day as normally as possible," he said.

"Normal" includes spending as much time as possible with his family.

"Most of the time we do normal family stuff, like makan (eat), just be together."

He used to help out with the family stall at Geylang Serai during Ramadan, selling roasted meat.

"We would start roasting the chickens from five in the afternoon until 2am. I can say that for the entire 30 days of fasting, my body reeked of smoke."

But of course, those days are far behind. Where does he go from here?

"I hope that one day, Hady will hold his own concert in the Indoor Stadium, " said Foo. "If you see 8,000 or 10,000 people turn up for Hady Mirza then you’ll know he’s really made it."

Source: TODAY

I did not watch when the show was telecasted but when the win was announced on television, I heard many disgruntled comments being passed around. Most were betting on Vietnam to win.