now i find it weird.......
why dun watch manufacturers offer shorter/longer straps for their customers at the point of purchase...????
now we are all made differently........ some have huge wrists...... some puny..... it could range from 6 inches to ...... i dunno how big it could be.......
so let's say u are buying a panerai watch with a leather strap....... and u have an BIG wrist and the supplied strap doesnt fit......the only choice is to get a longer one at your cost........ shouldnt the boutique/AD be ever ready to replace the supplied strap with a longer one as a replacement at no cost?
who do i have to visit the service centre or get the AD to order a strap to fit me at extra cost? i dun want an extra strap..... i just want a fitting strap and the AD can take back the supplied strap........ in the end i need only one strap........
a watch on a bracelet is more straightforward........ for links can be removed or added....... for a leather strap, one cant just add on inches to a strap........... :P
i think something should be done......
Monday 31 December 2007
Saturday 29 December 2007
a lament.....
witnessing tragedies before my eyes as plots and conspiracies unravel....... history repeats itself as sons and daughters perish just like their forefathers did......
politics: ....... some wanna FIX others...... some offer and dangle carrots before you ......issues like rubbish, lifts and elevators were used as "weapons"............. a whiff of money politics here and there ........ some kill and eliminate their opponents....with bombs/guns/bullets or pen/paper/law where others sue until another is wasted...... some lie through their teeth and got caught ........ some brandish weapons and call for blood........ many broke their promises...... some come out of their barracks in the name of GOODNESS but.... sigh.....
are leaders interested in serving the ppl or serving their own interests....?????
politics: such a dirty game.......
politics: ....... some wanna FIX others...... some offer and dangle carrots before you ......issues like rubbish, lifts and elevators were used as "weapons"............. a whiff of money politics here and there ........ some kill and eliminate their opponents....with bombs/guns/bullets or pen/paper/law where others sue until another is wasted...... some lie through their teeth and got caught ........ some brandish weapons and call for blood........ many broke their promises...... some come out of their barracks in the name of GOODNESS but.... sigh.....
are leaders interested in serving the ppl or serving their own interests....?????
politics: such a dirty game.......
time to be flashy.........
earlier from the internet news releases, they now have the maxi marine diver in orange and red....... indeed in bright orange and red......
although there is a new ladies diver, i suspect that most female customers might just opt for the maxi as bigger watches are in vogue...
at a recent visit ...... managed to catch the latest range of UN maxi marine divers.........
was quite surprised that they have it in bright yellow too...!!!! dial, bezel and rubber strap in bright YELLOW....... more choices really......
red is cool........ haha
the surprise, however, is the camo dial shown below...... were there any news about it? i may have missed it........ maybe the SAF shd make this a standard issue ............ how about that? instead of splashing so much money on F15 strike eagles with structural weaknessess?
pics copyright of original owner.....
although there is a new ladies diver, i suspect that most female customers might just opt for the maxi as bigger watches are in vogue...
at a recent visit ...... managed to catch the latest range of UN maxi marine divers.........
was quite surprised that they have it in bright yellow too...!!!! dial, bezel and rubber strap in bright YELLOW....... more choices really......
red is cool........ haha
the surprise, however, is the camo dial shown below...... were there any news about it? i may have missed it........ maybe the SAF shd make this a standard issue ............ how about that? instead of splashing so much money on F15 strike eagles with structural weaknessess?
pics copyright of original owner.....
Friday 28 December 2007
say no to suicide bombing....!
sigh..... why do some ppl resort to violence to settle disputes...????????
say NO to suicide bombing......!!! say NO to terrorism...!!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
did u catch crime watch on ch8 this evening.....????
after much babbling about what they did to improve road safety for motorcyclist...... the only new thing i saw were signboards put up at so-called danger spots....... the rest? enforcement and education? nothing new at all........
instead of just "STARING" at what motorcyclists do on the roads...... how about some enforcement action on drivers who are just as bad..... or even worse in causing danger to riders.......
say NO to suicide bombing......!!! say NO to terrorism...!!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
did u catch crime watch on ch8 this evening.....????
after much babbling about what they did to improve road safety for motorcyclist...... the only new thing i saw were signboards put up at so-called danger spots....... the rest? enforcement and education? nothing new at all........
instead of just "STARING" at what motorcyclists do on the roads...... how about some enforcement action on drivers who are just as bad..... or even worse in causing danger to riders.......
Thursday 27 December 2007
resting thursday....
it's a day of sleep, rest and recuperation hehe.......... feeling very lethargic and a state of calm welcomes me when i am doing absolutely nothing .... :)
anyway some sneak peak.....
one of the much anticipated JLC range of compressor divers has arrived in singapore....
anyway some sneak peak.....
one of the much anticipated JLC range of compressor divers has arrived in singapore....
the master compressor diver gmt...... limited to 1500 pcs in titanium.......(all pics copyright of jaw from horomunid.com)
first impression upon seeing the watch is how sleek it was....... dressed in brushed titanium, it's dedicated functionality was obvious: this is a watch made for the seas..... made for the trials underwater.....
i like the simple dial..... and the familiar hands from the master compressor series is also used for this diver...... never will the owner feel any burden when wearing this as the titanium is so much lighter than stainless steel used for most dive watches......
while the gmt function is useful for travellers, it may not be such a significant feature that is required in a diver....... does anyone dive across 2 time zones? hehe...... however bearing in mind that many ppl now demand watches to suit their many lifestyles, this watch is a good choice for travellers/divers alike......
list price is S$13300............. a very reasonable price
but if u prefer something more fashionista, then look to the ladies divers....... they are just as delicious......
Wednesday 26 December 2007
tiring day....
went for my annual fitness test this morning............. it's always tough when one did not train for it.....
first station was 4 x 10 m shuttle run....... usually this is quite a stroll but i think the tester was up to some mischief..... noticed that he only stopped the timing after one's last heel has crossed the line..... that's cheating...... and he should be shot
after which was the standing broad jump........ this challenge is all about technique.... over the years in school and army, i have seen the fittest of men crumble at this station..... pretty weird huh.... so far so good all was ok for me..... these first 2 stations need no training.....
for chin-up, i did the minimum to pass for my age group........... since i have been lazing around for the entire year, cant expect myself to pull anything close to my usual standard........ well a pass is pass and was glad haha......
the last static station was sit-up and i also had no problem.........
hehe no matter what, the greatest challenge is still the 2.4 km run...... always a headache for lazy bums like me..... every year after a test, i would tell myself i must train for the coming year and history would repeat itself...... haha....
6 rounds of the 400 m track on a sunny morning............ first round was pretty ok, 1 min 30+ seconds...... but the pace began to slow with every step........ by the 5th round, it was about 10 mins 30+ secs...... and only the thought of coming back for a retest made me pull through the 6th and yeah managed to pass .... again..!!!!
thank u so much.......... and i shd train for the next one OK???
first station was 4 x 10 m shuttle run....... usually this is quite a stroll but i think the tester was up to some mischief..... noticed that he only stopped the timing after one's last heel has crossed the line..... that's cheating...... and he should be shot
after which was the standing broad jump........ this challenge is all about technique.... over the years in school and army, i have seen the fittest of men crumble at this station..... pretty weird huh.... so far so good all was ok for me..... these first 2 stations need no training.....
for chin-up, i did the minimum to pass for my age group........... since i have been lazing around for the entire year, cant expect myself to pull anything close to my usual standard........ well a pass is pass and was glad haha......
the last static station was sit-up and i also had no problem.........
hehe no matter what, the greatest challenge is still the 2.4 km run...... always a headache for lazy bums like me..... every year after a test, i would tell myself i must train for the coming year and history would repeat itself...... haha....
6 rounds of the 400 m track on a sunny morning............ first round was pretty ok, 1 min 30+ seconds...... but the pace began to slow with every step........ by the 5th round, it was about 10 mins 30+ secs...... and only the thought of coming back for a retest made me pull through the 6th and yeah managed to pass .... again..!!!!
thank u so much.......... and i shd train for the next one OK???
Tuesday 25 December 2007
christmas wishes......
a sincere wish: good health to our loved ones......
was at the nearby coffeeshop in the early afternoon........ and there was an accident involving 2 vehicles at the traffic junction.......... 1 nissan latio and 1 honda odyssey..... not too sure what happened but the latio ended up facing on-coming traffic and the odyssey hit a zebra-crossing post...... very likely that one vehicle did not give way when turning......
sigh everyone shd drive carefully ..... on christmas day i believe everyone would have left home happily......... and not expect such things to happen.....
everyday i see drivers using mobilephones while driving..... drivers who do not fasten seat-belts..... drivers who day-dream............. drivers who road-hog.......... drivers who dont observe lane discipline.......... countless and countless of such bad behaviours..........
i wish in the coming year: there are less less accidents on the roads.......... let's not lose any innocent lives on the roads...... be it pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists/pillion riders and etc.........
everyone must play a part............. drive carefully (does not mean slowly ok?.... too slow is just as dangerous)........ and reach home safely.......
was at the nearby coffeeshop in the early afternoon........ and there was an accident involving 2 vehicles at the traffic junction.......... 1 nissan latio and 1 honda odyssey..... not too sure what happened but the latio ended up facing on-coming traffic and the odyssey hit a zebra-crossing post...... very likely that one vehicle did not give way when turning......
sigh everyone shd drive carefully ..... on christmas day i believe everyone would have left home happily......... and not expect such things to happen.....
everyday i see drivers using mobilephones while driving..... drivers who do not fasten seat-belts..... drivers who day-dream............. drivers who road-hog.......... drivers who dont observe lane discipline.......... countless and countless of such bad behaviours..........
i wish in the coming year: there are less less accidents on the roads.......... let's not lose any innocent lives on the roads...... be it pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists/pillion riders and etc.........
everyone must play a part............. drive carefully (does not mean slowly ok?.... too slow is just as dangerous)........ and reach home safely.......
wishing all a merry christmas.....
today is christmas day......
so gotta take a break........ :)
cheers to all
so gotta take a break........ :)
cheers to all
Sunday 23 December 2007
i too have a russian watch...
here's my el cheapo vostok russian watch............ closer to S$60 - $70 at about 4 to 5 years ago....
still ticking........ and i mean ticking strongly.....
the lume dots are also pretty effective in the dark........
i chose the dial design simply bcos i like the russian flag.............. there are many other designs like submarine, paratroopers, tank etc......
cheap and good..... they are reliable tools.... and can be found at cheap prices at flea markets and also the internet......
Saturday 22 December 2007
curious .... at what price?
so at what prices are rolex milgauss watches trading on ebay...???
out of curiosity, so i jumped over to the auction site to take a look....
ok the first one, a 116400 black dial...... is asking for US$9950 (S$14483)....... which is way over list price......
the next 116400 black dial is much more reasonable... @ GBP4299 (S$12410)...... well of cos it's also more than list price .....
another seller is asking for 6900 euros each for the black and white dials......
but the biggest surprise is reserved for this..... a US$15000 asking price for the 116400 GV, the green crystal anniversary edition............. haha.... US$15k?????
no thanks.....
out of curiosity, so i jumped over to the auction site to take a look....
ok the first one, a 116400 black dial...... is asking for US$9950 (S$14483)....... which is way over list price......
the next 116400 black dial is much more reasonable... @ GBP4299 (S$12410)...... well of cos it's also more than list price .....
another seller is asking for 6900 euros each for the black and white dials......
but the biggest surprise is reserved for this..... a US$15000 asking price for the 116400 GV, the green crystal anniversary edition............. haha.... US$15k?????
no thanks.....
Friday 21 December 2007
concord c1
saw this new chronograph at cortina watch paragon.......
pictures of the c1 have been splashed on many magazines and websites for some time...... the pictures of the watch were good and looked much better that way......
somehow i am a little disappointed with what i saw.....
the rotating disc to display the seconds is a nice touch..... so is the lug-less design..... and especially the crown, very cool..........
i dun quite fancy the bezel though..... in all, the watch is less than the sum of its parts........... that's my opinion....
but this is the watch concord is banking on .......
festive browsing.......
it was a blazing afternoon.......... HOT and HUMID......
typical of the afternoons in singapore but made worse by the heavy traffic on the roads.......
once we found the comfort of shade, we headed for a convenience store to grab a drink..... and then hopped over to our first destination: rolex service centre at tong building, orchard road....
purpose there was to send a watch in for regulation.............. for a friend's 16710 was running just a little too fast for his liking..... so handed the watch to a lady at the counter and while waiting, we sat at the couches overlooking the service area.....
unfortunately the latest A4-size catalogs are not available yet...... they did have the booklet there but already i have one.....
from the vantage point, i observed the watchmaker at work....... firstly he removed the bracelet ...... then placed the watch on the vibrograph...... the readings must have told him that the rate was out cos he went over to the next bench to open the caseback.......
next was the crucial step of using the microstella wrench to adjust the balance..... once he's done, he would replace the caseback and again using the vibrograph, check the timing of the watch..... after twice adjusting the balance, he looked satisfied and the caseback was screwed back firmly ....
ok job done and thank you........... over the next few days, we will know if the regulation was successful...
typical of the afternoons in singapore but made worse by the heavy traffic on the roads.......
once we found the comfort of shade, we headed for a convenience store to grab a drink..... and then hopped over to our first destination: rolex service centre at tong building, orchard road....
purpose there was to send a watch in for regulation.............. for a friend's 16710 was running just a little too fast for his liking..... so handed the watch to a lady at the counter and while waiting, we sat at the couches overlooking the service area.....
unfortunately the latest A4-size catalogs are not available yet...... they did have the booklet there but already i have one.....
from the vantage point, i observed the watchmaker at work....... firstly he removed the bracelet ...... then placed the watch on the vibrograph...... the readings must have told him that the rate was out cos he went over to the next bench to open the caseback.......
next was the crucial step of using the microstella wrench to adjust the balance..... once he's done, he would replace the caseback and again using the vibrograph, check the timing of the watch..... after twice adjusting the balance, he looked satisfied and the caseback was screwed back firmly ....
ok job done and thank you........... over the next few days, we will know if the regulation was successful...
Thursday 20 December 2007
russian....
45 mm in diameter, this watch is produced in a limited run of 500 pcs...... iirc, there is a barracuda mechanical watch and there is a barracuda mechanical chronograph......
a pity that i omitted to take a pic of the caseback, for its design is quite unique and interesting.....
u can see the caseback at http://www.smirs.com/product_info.php?products_id=563
not a surprise that the watch comes with a sapphire crystal for denissov is one of the better made russian watches...... they also command a higher price than vostok europe, poljot etc.....
check this out at red army watches if you are interested.......
Wednesday 19 December 2007
a new watch for a new movie......
to accompany will smith in his new movie, we have a new watch from hamilton..... the sunset........
thick and strong, this is what i like about the strap........ and the buckle has a double hook for the holes....
with panerai leading the market with their patented crown protector, other brands are following this trend of muscular protection devices..... for the sunset, a special wire-loop system is used...... i am not quite sure how it works and would love to try it when the watch is at the shops.......
WR to 200 m and equipped with a sapphire crystal, this watch is also capable of recreational diving.....
haha but i am not sure if the ability to display the sunset timing is essential or useful.....
Monday 17 December 2007
hard luck....?
when one worked harder..... does not mean one get the desired result.........
sometimes luck is against you.......... tough luck
sometimes luck is against you.......... tough luck
Saturday 15 December 2007
my new rolex wall calendar.....
got this from my AD........
as usual, it's in GREEN colour.....
pretty nice............. i like it..!!!!
i was looking for a desktop calender..... but to no success so far.....
hot news?
from a local user's posting in timezone: the rolex milgauss is in singapore.... !!!!
let's head out to the ADs nowwwwwwwwwww........ :)
let's head out to the ADs nowwwwwwwwwww........ :)
kovalainen confirmed...
HK is a mclaren driver for 2008.......... and will be partnering lewis hamilton in the coming season........
looks to be a potent pairing............ but i think raikkonen and massa are just as potent haha.....
i look forward to season 2008.......... and of cos welcome F1 to singapore......
looks to be a potent pairing............ but i think raikkonen and massa are just as potent haha.....
i look forward to season 2008.......... and of cos welcome F1 to singapore......
Friday 14 December 2007
sometimes it is better to leave it alone....
i have always like the VC overseas range of watches........... the dual time and chronograph are beautiful watches....
now VC has launched a special edition of the overseas chronograph.... us edition.......... limited to 100 pieces....
to me, this is a step backward.......... placed next to the regular overseas chronograph, no way i would choose this us edition.....
rolex milgauss
pic copyright of hannes
i must say the white dial rolex milgauss looks very very good indeed............. for sure the attention and demand are on the anniversary green sapphire edition..... but pls dun ignore this one....
it is just as beautiful.............. simple but very eye-catching.....
when is milgauss watches coming to singapore.... ?????????????
another taxi story
now now this one is not a usual taxi story........
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/12/12/schumacher-turns-taxi-driver/read
michael schumacher, 7 times F1 world champion, hailed a cab to bring him and his family to the airport............ as they were running late, he ended up driving the cab himself.... and reached his destination in time....
no mention of how fast he was driving...... do u think he was within the speed limit??? haha
i wonder how the cab driver felt....... hmmmm
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/12/12/schumacher-turns-taxi-driver/read
michael schumacher, 7 times F1 world champion, hailed a cab to bring him and his family to the airport............ as they were running late, he ended up driving the cab himself.... and reached his destination in time....
no mention of how fast he was driving...... do u think he was within the speed limit??? haha
i wonder how the cab driver felt....... hmmmm
Thursday 13 December 2007
been busy............
yeah yeah..... been slow on updates cos i was kinda busy these 2 days...........
went to play football in the evening today............ now so tired....... here ache there ache........ haha cos have not been having regular exercise for much too long......... well after that i really need 100 plus....... a nice cold drink.......
a nice shower is also just the perfect thing to have............... or how about a soak in the bath-tub.....
yesterday went to see watches again............... a few gems we fondled at the store.....
rolex dj turn-o-graph 116264............ ss watch with white gold bezel..
rolex dj tog 116261......... tt watch in everose gold
hublot big bang 41.5 mm in black ceramic case and bezel.......... it's kinda nice but just a little on the side of small..... once u have seen a 44 mm big bang, u cant take the smaller one...
the highlight of the day was the chance to see, touch, feel and try on the 2 AP watches.......
AP team alinghi in forged carbon ........ list price S$39,900........
AP team alinghi in rose gold and forged carbon ....... list price S$83,900
Wednesday 12 December 2007
limited places...... found a job yet?
haha........ i knew renault will not renew fisichella's contract...... but i certainly didnt expect them to let kovalainen go......... didnt heikki more than redeem himself in the later half of last season..???
so alonso is back with the french team.......... and his new partner is nelson piquet jr........ son of a former f1 world champion......... now we all know alonso can drive.... but can renault give him a winning car?
i suspect the above arrangement would open up the way for heikki to join lewis hamilton at mclaren.....
there are a few more places left.............. i wonder who can get a job still.... cos ralf schumacher seems to be out of f1 next season.....
so alonso is back with the french team.......... and his new partner is nelson piquet jr........ son of a former f1 world champion......... now we all know alonso can drive.... but can renault give him a winning car?
i suspect the above arrangement would open up the way for heikki to join lewis hamilton at mclaren.....
there are a few more places left.............. i wonder who can get a job still.... cos ralf schumacher seems to be out of f1 next season.....
Tuesday 11 December 2007
finally Bell & Ross updates...
the one i wrote about a few days ago....??? yes it's the one who a military dial.........
so complicated
why is the cab fare structure so complicated in singapore...???
they have the city area surcharge...... effective from 5 pm to midnight (monday to saturday) for any trip from downtown.....
then there is a late night surcharge.... ok this one is quite straightforward cos after midnight u simply pay more....
another one is peak period surcharge......... now this one is not so straightforward cos from monday to friday it's effective from 7 am to 930 am..... and then from monday to saturday it's effective from 5 pm to 8 pm......... hmmm
there's more ...... like the airport surcharge........ i have heard of the singapore expo surcharge and i think that's not all............ not too sure what other surcharges they have......
u also have to know about the booking fee if u call for a cab........... flag-down fare is pretty standard ...... and of cos not forgetting the distance-related charge....... and waiting-time charge....... too long a wait at a junction will cost u too.......
sigh.... so complicated....... might as well take the bus or train............ but then that's another can of worms.....
haha.... forget it..... might as well ride a bike....... cheap and fast...........
they have the city area surcharge...... effective from 5 pm to midnight (monday to saturday) for any trip from downtown.....
then there is a late night surcharge.... ok this one is quite straightforward cos after midnight u simply pay more....
another one is peak period surcharge......... now this one is not so straightforward cos from monday to friday it's effective from 7 am to 930 am..... and then from monday to saturday it's effective from 5 pm to 8 pm......... hmmm
there's more ...... like the airport surcharge........ i have heard of the singapore expo surcharge and i think that's not all............ not too sure what other surcharges they have......
u also have to know about the booking fee if u call for a cab........... flag-down fare is pretty standard ...... and of cos not forgetting the distance-related charge....... and waiting-time charge....... too long a wait at a junction will cost u too.......
sigh.... so complicated....... might as well take the bus or train............ but then that's another can of worms.....
haha.... forget it..... might as well ride a bike....... cheap and fast...........
Monday 10 December 2007
it's been raining for the entire day..!
can u believe this?
it's been raining for the entire day..! the entire monday.......
no incidents of flooding around the island so far......... but way too much water has been dumped on us....
makes one lazy enough not to wander out of the house...... such days are also tough for outdoor eateries and al fresco dining...... business is down down down......
particular tough are delivery riders who gotta meet the demands on the evening/night....... i think more people will call for food and riders pls be careful....... ride safe...
it's been raining for the entire day..! the entire monday.......
no incidents of flooding around the island so far......... but way too much water has been dumped on us....
makes one lazy enough not to wander out of the house...... such days are also tough for outdoor eateries and al fresco dining...... business is down down down......
particular tough are delivery riders who gotta meet the demands on the evening/night....... i think more people will call for food and riders pls be careful....... ride safe...
football: weekend review
quite a whirlwind weekend where liverpool, arsenal and man city all lost.......... haha
only man utd picked up the pieces to advance and reduce the points difference
for the champions league, arsenal, man utd and chelsea have all qualified for the knock out stage...... liverpool is facing a make-or-break final match day away to marseille....
keep my fingers crossed...... anything can happen.... :)
btw do you follow the South-East Asia Games...???
today is another WET stormy day..... not suitable for football at all...... will our game continue? i hope not, i dun wanna wait for another day....
only man utd picked up the pieces to advance and reduce the points difference
for the champions league, arsenal, man utd and chelsea have all qualified for the knock out stage...... liverpool is facing a make-or-break final match day away to marseille....
keep my fingers crossed...... anything can happen.... :)
btw do you follow the South-East Asia Games...???
today is another WET stormy day..... not suitable for football at all...... will our game continue? i hope not, i dun wanna wait for another day....
Sunday 9 December 2007
Another AP LE......
pics copyright: SC from purists.com
now if u dun like blue......... then how about yellow..????
this one is another limited edition in Titanium........ 100 pics only.......
short name is JBB....... full name Jalan Bukit Bintang..... for the AP boutique in Starhill Gallery, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur......
presented with bezel screws are BLACK and hour markers in yellow......... i think the yellow strap is an excellent choice.......
someone who prefers to keep a lower profile might wanna stick to the black strap......... to me yellow is a KILLER.....
AP limited edition........... how do u like this one..???
a special editon created for the paris AP boutique............... haha
not too sure if i like the colour combination......... white hornback strap is nice of cos but the blue/red stitching is so......
and how about that matching blue dial.....???? i think i like something more subdued..... :P
better show proof.........
the recent events in malaysia are worrying.............. and the malaysian government is upping the stakes.....
we read claims by govt leaders that HINDRAF has terrorist links.............. and hear of threats to use the Internal Security Act against the leaders of the group.....
some latest news...
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20071208-40212.html
now one of the leaders from HINDRAF has filed a police report against Prime Minister of Malaysia, the AG, the IGP and some others for claiming that the group has links with LTTE.....
now someone must show proof....... or be prepared to be called a liar....
it's not nice when someone important is proven to be a liar....
we read claims by govt leaders that HINDRAF has terrorist links.............. and hear of threats to use the Internal Security Act against the leaders of the group.....
some latest news...
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20071208-40212.html
now one of the leaders from HINDRAF has filed a police report against Prime Minister of Malaysia, the AG, the IGP and some others for claiming that the group has links with LTTE.....
now someone must show proof....... or be prepared to be called a liar....
it's not nice when someone important is proven to be a liar....
Saturday 8 December 2007
Bell & Ross - new model?
saw at Watches of Switzerland a new b&r br-03 watch...... very different from the models launched so far......
this one has a black coated case..... but a grey dial with a military type marking......... so new that the b&r website has nothing about this..... list price S$5100...... keep a lookout cos this one might be limited......
i have subscribed to the b&r newsletter but did not receive any news about this ..... weird
also went to see rolex DJ turn-o-graph watches.......... winning features are the BIG gold bezel and that beautiful bracelet................ if u like 36 mm watches, this one is a strong contender..... RG is slightly more expensive than YG.......... haha looks like rolex is passing the cost of the platinum of their RG mix to you....... but u can be sure that many years down the road, rolex rose gold will look the same as its first day.......
this one has a black coated case..... but a grey dial with a military type marking......... so new that the b&r website has nothing about this..... list price S$5100...... keep a lookout cos this one might be limited......
i have subscribed to the b&r newsletter but did not receive any news about this ..... weird
also went to see rolex DJ turn-o-graph watches.......... winning features are the BIG gold bezel and that beautiful bracelet................ if u like 36 mm watches, this one is a strong contender..... RG is slightly more expensive than YG.......... haha looks like rolex is passing the cost of the platinum of their RG mix to you....... but u can be sure that many years down the road, rolex rose gold will look the same as its first day.......
stock take.....
visited my friendly watch dealer on fri.....
new stocks arrived.......... for AP, there are the themes ROO on bracelet and leather strap...... very nice but i prefer to wait for the rubber clad ROO..... the ROO on strap retails for S$30,800 and the price remains the same from 5% to 7% GST.......
there are also many more roger dubuis watches on display ....... i quite like the easy diver watches but RD watches are quite expensive........... so good to look at but dear to own one........ and more corum watches too...... especially the golden bridge range...... which features a skeleton movement.....
also saw the JLC extreme W-Alarm (non-LE version)........... with red accents........ although not as nice as the rossi LE version, this one is much more affordable...........
managed to pick up a rolex wall calender and a new booklet-sized rolex catalog........... the catalog is printed in singapore .... so its distribution may be limited to our small island.......
new stocks arrived.......... for AP, there are the themes ROO on bracelet and leather strap...... very nice but i prefer to wait for the rubber clad ROO..... the ROO on strap retails for S$30,800 and the price remains the same from 5% to 7% GST.......
there are also many more roger dubuis watches on display ....... i quite like the easy diver watches but RD watches are quite expensive........... so good to look at but dear to own one........ and more corum watches too...... especially the golden bridge range...... which features a skeleton movement.....
also saw the JLC extreme W-Alarm (non-LE version)........... with red accents........ although not as nice as the rossi LE version, this one is much more affordable...........
managed to pick up a rolex wall calender and a new booklet-sized rolex catalog........... the catalog is printed in singapore .... so its distribution may be limited to our small island.......
Friday 7 December 2007
time's up....
finally the car is almost 3 years old....... time for the first inspection .....
went to vicom kaki bukit......... first u pay S$62 for inspection fee......... then the technician will bring your car through a series of test....
and it went through the usual brake test/side slip test/headlights tests........ they also use a optical reader to test the light transmission of window films........... failed the headlights test but then i have never seen any vehicle passing this test......... and i wonder how do one make sure that the vehicle passes the headlights test......... final results: passed.....
also renewed the road tax at vicom........ damage is SS425.50 for 6 months....... that's for a 1.6 litre car.....
went to vicom kaki bukit......... first u pay S$62 for inspection fee......... then the technician will bring your car through a series of test....
and it went through the usual brake test/side slip test/headlights tests........ they also use a optical reader to test the light transmission of window films........... failed the headlights test but then i have never seen any vehicle passing this test......... and i wonder how do one make sure that the vehicle passes the headlights test......... final results: passed.....
also renewed the road tax at vicom........ damage is SS425.50 for 6 months....... that's for a 1.6 litre car.....
weird ppl.......
back from a concert........
and there were a few weird ppl there..... they may be very well dressed but somehow they fell short of the mark....
1. eating potato chips at a concert..........??????? yeah it happened...... perhaps they thought it was a cineplex......
2. taking photographs of the performance with a flash camera.......???? yeah THAT happened .... many times in fact..... dun they know the flash is not effective at such a distance..????? one can get better pics if he used a higher ISO setting and a slower shutter................ and where are their manners...????
3. there was a man away to the restrooms for more than a few times......... ok ok maybe he's not feeling well..... but that was very disruptive.....
4. my fren told me someone else was falling asleep.......... gosh..... utter disrespect......
5. a lady complained that she cant see.............. kept complaining......... maybe she needed a child booster seat...... or a phone book....
god save us....
and there were a few weird ppl there..... they may be very well dressed but somehow they fell short of the mark....
1. eating potato chips at a concert..........??????? yeah it happened...... perhaps they thought it was a cineplex......
2. taking photographs of the performance with a flash camera.......???? yeah THAT happened .... many times in fact..... dun they know the flash is not effective at such a distance..????? one can get better pics if he used a higher ISO setting and a slower shutter................ and where are their manners...????
3. there was a man away to the restrooms for more than a few times......... ok ok maybe he's not feeling well..... but that was very disruptive.....
4. my fren told me someone else was falling asleep.......... gosh..... utter disrespect......
5. a lady complained that she cant see.............. kept complaining......... maybe she needed a child booster seat...... or a phone book....
god save us....
Wednesday 5 December 2007
some piece of crap
this crab posted somewhere that he found it too much that people were posting pictures of their watches in the forum........ despite the certain wrist shot days...... weekend days blah blah.....
everyday could be special watchday for someone else........... either a happy occasion, upon receiving a gift or an extremely difficult acqusition....... so why should there be any limit to when it is ok to post...... when is too frequent.........??? who should dictate when is ok or when is not ok...?????????
well he can jolly well skip the posts he aint interested in.......... right...??? it's a free world and there is a choice..... CHOICE>>>!!!! a choice not to read.......
and he went on to proclaim that there's a limit to his patience ........ HAH...? what joke....... who cares for his patience.....
dare to put forward his thoughts in writing ...... then take the criticism....... or whatever..... and trying to play the morale high-ground and self-elevate his command of english...... makes me kinda sick.....
if there's too much of something on the TV..... what do u do? ...... haha u can either kill the tv or kill yourself.....
everyday could be special watchday for someone else........... either a happy occasion, upon receiving a gift or an extremely difficult acqusition....... so why should there be any limit to when it is ok to post...... when is too frequent.........??? who should dictate when is ok or when is not ok...?????????
well he can jolly well skip the posts he aint interested in.......... right...??? it's a free world and there is a choice..... CHOICE>>>!!!! a choice not to read.......
and he went on to proclaim that there's a limit to his patience ........ HAH...? what joke....... who cares for his patience.....
dare to put forward his thoughts in writing ...... then take the criticism....... or whatever..... and trying to play the morale high-ground and self-elevate his command of english...... makes me kinda sick.....
if there's too much of something on the TV..... what do u do? ...... haha u can either kill the tv or kill yourself.....
talking about DOGS...
u shd read about this.....
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/5/nation/19666897&sec=nation
"KLANG: All he wanted to do was deliver a bouquet of flowers to his friend. He ended up getting 10 stitches on his scrotum after a dog bit him."
OUCH OUCH OUCH.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fortunately it was a mongrel that bit the man.......... imagine a rottweiler............... OUCH OUCH OUCH....!!!!!
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/5/nation/19666897&sec=nation
"KLANG: All he wanted to do was deliver a bouquet of flowers to his friend. He ended up getting 10 stitches on his scrotum after a dog bit him."
OUCH OUCH OUCH.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fortunately it was a mongrel that bit the man.......... imagine a rottweiler............... OUCH OUCH OUCH....!!!!!
some interesting news.........
so the AVA has decided to take action against the owner of the 5 rottweilers........ a foregone conclusion right from the start......... since the matter was brought up, public sentiment will be a major consideration in influencing AVA's actions....
question: will the dogs be put down?
i hope not, the 5 dogs are innocent............... just because the owners were negligent does not mean the dogs are to be punished....... they managed to rush out as the maid left the gate open......
as someone who had a rottweiler, i must say they are wonderful companions...... but my family had only 1 at a time........... never 5......... so i have no idea how they would behave in a pack of 5..... could be dangerous..... i cant say for sure.....
let the owner find an alternative home for the rest.......
a warning for any homeowner who keeps dog(s), make sure your gate is locked at all times.... make sure u leash the dog in public........ and for dangerous breeds, muzzle them in public at all times.... if not the govt will hurt your wallet......
subaru in action............
this could have happened right after the corner near city plaza........... sure it is challenging at high speed ... but then cant really say what happened ....
could be driver's error...... but to crash into a bus stop 70 m down the corner? he could have lost control way before he reached the straight......
rex is a pretty tough car huh........... the driver was ok.......... good lord most important is safety first.....
question: will the dogs be put down?
i hope not, the 5 dogs are innocent............... just because the owners were negligent does not mean the dogs are to be punished....... they managed to rush out as the maid left the gate open......
as someone who had a rottweiler, i must say they are wonderful companions...... but my family had only 1 at a time........... never 5......... so i have no idea how they would behave in a pack of 5..... could be dangerous..... i cant say for sure.....
let the owner find an alternative home for the rest.......
a warning for any homeowner who keeps dog(s), make sure your gate is locked at all times.... make sure u leash the dog in public........ and for dangerous breeds, muzzle them in public at all times.... if not the govt will hurt your wallet......
subaru in action............
this could have happened right after the corner near city plaza........... sure it is challenging at high speed ... but then cant really say what happened ....
could be driver's error...... but to crash into a bus stop 70 m down the corner? he could have lost control way before he reached the straight......
rex is a pretty tough car huh........... the driver was ok.......... good lord most important is safety first.....
super wet wednesday..........
there was no post yesterday as i decided to take a break......... hehe.... sometimes there were multiple postings for one day so why not take a rest........... for me and for you.....
anyway i was trying to finish up some work at the office .....
another storm is brewing and lashing right now in the eastern part of singapore......... i suspect the whole island is raining but i cant confirm this......
football rants............
can u believe this..............? alex ferguson was making noises about ronaldo being targeted by referees ????? surely he was happy when ronaldo clearly dived and won a few penalties....... so why not make noises then but now........?
a player that dives should live and die by the DIVE........ good if he wins a penalty...... in the event he gets booked for diving, well that's part and parcel for diving ...... u win some u lose some..............
BD rant.......
amazon is offering, for a limited time and for limited titles, a one-for-one promotion............ get it while u can........ :)
and i hope sony can update ps3 to output uncompressed digital audio in bitstream format soon............. haha.....
lately the release of samsung BD-S1400 has added excitement into the local market...... and the offers at SITEX were very attractive.......... too bad i bought my ps3 a few weeks earlier.....
well, that's the price to pay for being an early adoptor..........
anyway i was trying to finish up some work at the office .....
another storm is brewing and lashing right now in the eastern part of singapore......... i suspect the whole island is raining but i cant confirm this......
football rants............
can u believe this..............? alex ferguson was making noises about ronaldo being targeted by referees ????? surely he was happy when ronaldo clearly dived and won a few penalties....... so why not make noises then but now........?
a player that dives should live and die by the DIVE........ good if he wins a penalty...... in the event he gets booked for diving, well that's part and parcel for diving ...... u win some u lose some..............
BD rant.......
amazon is offering, for a limited time and for limited titles, a one-for-one promotion............ get it while u can........ :)
and i hope sony can update ps3 to output uncompressed digital audio in bitstream format soon............. haha.....
lately the release of samsung BD-S1400 has added excitement into the local market...... and the offers at SITEX were very attractive.......... too bad i bought my ps3 a few weeks earlier.....
well, that's the price to pay for being an early adoptor..........
Monday 3 December 2007
rolex milgauss.....
this highly anticipated watch has yet to arrive at our shores......... but delivery has started in many countries, UK, USA and HK etc.......
many users have posted beautiful pictures of this anti-magnetic watch....... and now is the time to share it with everyone.......
i hope the watch will come to us in december..... but i shiver at the thought ADs will ask for premium premium pricing...... even for the non anniversary model as shown.....
pics - copyright of original owners
packaging is the usual rolex standard............. u get the white outer box and the green storage box .... for a newer product, it also comes with the warranty card.....
the plain ss bezel is pretty thick as the watch case is 40 mm in size........ dial is in matte black as opposed to what others think is a gloss finish....... the jagged arrow seconds hand is a main selling point and i like it quite alot
placed next to the ss daytona, one can tell the relative size of the milgauss.......... it has a bigger dial than the daytona of cos...... and the twinlock crown is kinda big too......
the caseback is engraved and is quite tall......... almost as tall as a seadweller...... the watch comes with a oyster bracelet, not the oysterlock that comes with most oyster professional watches..... and of cos no more hologram on the caseback
many users have posted beautiful pictures of this anti-magnetic watch....... and now is the time to share it with everyone.......
i hope the watch will come to us in december..... but i shiver at the thought ADs will ask for premium premium pricing...... even for the non anniversary model as shown.....
pics - copyright of original owners
packaging is the usual rolex standard............. u get the white outer box and the green storage box .... for a newer product, it also comes with the warranty card.....
the plain ss bezel is pretty thick as the watch case is 40 mm in size........ dial is in matte black as opposed to what others think is a gloss finish....... the jagged arrow seconds hand is a main selling point and i like it quite alot
placed next to the ss daytona, one can tell the relative size of the milgauss.......... it has a bigger dial than the daytona of cos...... and the twinlock crown is kinda big too......
the caseback is engraved and is quite tall......... almost as tall as a seadweller...... the watch comes with a oyster bracelet, not the oysterlock that comes with most oyster professional watches..... and of cos no more hologram on the caseback
a professional job..... at anfield
job done......... liverpool 4 bolton 0.......... and the reds are 3rd in the table as of now.....
the game started very well for liverpool and crouch almost scored from 3 yards if not for a goal-line clearance by michalik
first goal was from a set piece...... hyypia's header gave jussi no chance at all.....
i love the 2nd goal........... by fernando torres..... he made it looked so simple.......... he waited and waited for jussi to commit .. and then chipped the ball over the keeper from a challenging angle....
which was followed by a penalty (steven gerrard) and a tap-in by ryan babel......
give credit to leiva lucas for playing well in the middle of the park.......... young lad but good stuff ..... with more games he surely can improve his passing and become stronger.....
good job.....
the game started very well for liverpool and crouch almost scored from 3 yards if not for a goal-line clearance by michalik
first goal was from a set piece...... hyypia's header gave jussi no chance at all.....
i love the 2nd goal........... by fernando torres..... he made it looked so simple.......... he waited and waited for jussi to commit .. and then chipped the ball over the keeper from a challenging angle....
which was followed by a penalty (steven gerrard) and a tap-in by ryan babel......
give credit to leiva lucas for playing well in the middle of the park.......... young lad but good stuff ..... with more games he surely can improve his passing and become stronger.....
good job.....
Sunday 2 December 2007
festive goodies.... what to get..? look to DUNHILL
i received the latest dunhill catalogue through the mail recently....
and there are some good stuff just waiting for guys to bring them home hehe.....
i especially like the sentryman carbon fiber rollerball .............. pity that i dun need to be in office wear at work and i seldom use a pen nowadays..... if not i might get a nice pen...... about S$900 for this...... and quite a piece of art and the carbon fibre grain is most perfectly done....
another nice accessory are dunhill lighters............. always classy and immaculately designed..... these are precision instruments to light a flame hehe......... although one can buy a plastic lighter for 20 cents, a luxury lighter is not exactly the same thing right????? there's one particular model in carbon fibre trim....... just the thing a man needs.......even if he does not smoke..... :)
they have a range of cashmere sweaters....... made from pure mongolian cashmere........ not the cheapest knitwear around but relative to what other luxury brands charge, i think S$600++ is still reasonable huh....... comeon it's dunhill........... not redhill ......
extremely attractive are the suede jackets but these are expensive at over S$3000 ..... if not pick up their denim jeans at S$400....... or leather shoes for over S$800..... you can also shop online 24/7...... !
time for your christmas shopping......
slow sunday.....
no more toys today............ sunday is rest day so no shopping no toys..... :)
maybe i will spend the evening listening............. all the toys bought recently has been a revelation to system performance........ making old cds sound good and new ones even better.....
tonight liverpool is playing bolton wanderers............ after beating man utd last week, i am sure bolton is looking to scalp liverpool too.....
torres was HOT in midweek so i hope he is HOT tonight too hehe......... another win will be very welcomed.....
now am browsing the rewards webpages to redeem credit card points........... most useful are fuel vouchers....... i like fuel vouchers best........ with such high fuel prices, might as well use the points to offset my expenditure.....
actually cashback is a good way to offset spending ....... but the percentage of cashback is meagre and miserable haha...... as good as nothing.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
for a budget of S$20k+, would you choose an AP ROO or the JLC Extreme W-Alarm....?????
one is an AP.... and the ROO is one of THE luxury sportswatches..... i always prefer ROO on a strap and i dun find it nice with that chunk of a bracelet..... rubber/leather is very nice...... incidentally, most current model ROO uses a base movement sourced from JLC haha.....
although a chronograph, i suspect most owners dun use the function too often....... i have another chronograph and in fact i seldom use it..... i just happen to like the look of a chronograph.......
fortunately the AP is available at a good discount even though the watch is highly sought after..... the ROO is all stainless steel and my fav model is the rubber clad i.e. rubber bezel....
the JLC is all new and a limited edition of 946 pics............ discount is almost negligble but the watch is indeed a gem...... dial is beautiful....... able to track world time... has a mechanical ALARM!!! and that bright yellow seconds hand......... ouch ouch so nice.....
hmmmmm headache....
maybe i will spend the evening listening............. all the toys bought recently has been a revelation to system performance........ making old cds sound good and new ones even better.....
tonight liverpool is playing bolton wanderers............ after beating man utd last week, i am sure bolton is looking to scalp liverpool too.....
torres was HOT in midweek so i hope he is HOT tonight too hehe......... another win will be very welcomed.....
now am browsing the rewards webpages to redeem credit card points........... most useful are fuel vouchers....... i like fuel vouchers best........ with such high fuel prices, might as well use the points to offset my expenditure.....
actually cashback is a good way to offset spending ....... but the percentage of cashback is meagre and miserable haha...... as good as nothing.....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
for a budget of S$20k+, would you choose an AP ROO or the JLC Extreme W-Alarm....?????
one is an AP.... and the ROO is one of THE luxury sportswatches..... i always prefer ROO on a strap and i dun find it nice with that chunk of a bracelet..... rubber/leather is very nice...... incidentally, most current model ROO uses a base movement sourced from JLC haha.....
although a chronograph, i suspect most owners dun use the function too often....... i have another chronograph and in fact i seldom use it..... i just happen to like the look of a chronograph.......
fortunately the AP is available at a good discount even though the watch is highly sought after..... the ROO is all stainless steel and my fav model is the rubber clad i.e. rubber bezel....
the JLC is all new and a limited edition of 946 pics............ discount is almost negligble but the watch is indeed a gem...... dial is beautiful....... able to track world time... has a mechanical ALARM!!! and that bright yellow seconds hand......... ouch ouch so nice.....
hmmmmm headache....
Saturday 1 December 2007
more toys............
visited one of our usual hifi haunts this afternoon............ listened to the usher be-718 driven by a tube amp (octave v70) this time....... talked about hifi tweaks and cables..... and of cos the music....
also wanna find out more about acoustic revive products...... sounds pricey but feedback has been nothing but excellent...... some of the more affordable tweaks are out of stock..... well next time maybe......
in the end came home with these:
a carbon fibre cd mat........... very thin very light...........
2 cds..... another butterfly lovers violin concerto....... hehe.....
and this cantonese album......
also wanna find out more about acoustic revive products...... sounds pricey but feedback has been nothing but excellent...... some of the more affordable tweaks are out of stock..... well next time maybe......
in the end came home with these:
a carbon fibre cd mat........... very thin very light...........
2 cds..... another butterfly lovers violin concerto....... hehe.....
and this cantonese album......
Friday 30 November 2007
fruitful friday......
first stop: sitex at singapore expo...... the annual year end computer and electronics show.....
quite many people were there.... some were lugging lcd tv cos a few brands offered only cash and carry......... while some retailers were kind enough to deliver for free ......
major manufacturers are represented....... samsung, LG, sony, sharp, panasonic, toshiba and so on.... and pioneer of cos..... the kuro range of plasma tvs look really good............. i especially dig the panel's black level.......... simply delicious .....
for blueray disc players.... i think only sharp, sony and pioneer have actual products for sale...... LG displayed their BD/HD-DVD player...... panasonic BD for display/show only......
i didnt stay long..... it's too much of a market for me.... :)
2nd stop: JLC boutique raffles hotel.....
finally the extreme world-alarm is in town............. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
boutique manager was very friendly and made us feel right at home in no time.....
was greeted by a massive 46 mm diameter watch case......... the w-alarm looks way way way better than any pics could be...... and the case is THICK!!!! and i mean THICK....! if u think the EWC is thick, wait till u see this one.....
fortunately the Ti makes the watch light enough .......... the bright yellow rubber strap is also fabulous and a perfect match for the dial............ it comes with a tang buckle while the alligator strap works on a friction-fit deployment buckle....
it would take quite awhile to learn how to use the watch....... especially the alarm function....... btw the alarm sounded pretty good too............ and there's a silent mode which can vibrate.... cool huh....
this is a piece that i seriously wanna get............. but let me think over...... cos not a small amount of money is involved ..... prudence prudence ..... no no impulse ok???
as i am writing...... i can feel the effects of the subwoofer firing downstairs cos my sis is watching a dvd..... not too bad at all haha....
quite many people were there.... some were lugging lcd tv cos a few brands offered only cash and carry......... while some retailers were kind enough to deliver for free ......
major manufacturers are represented....... samsung, LG, sony, sharp, panasonic, toshiba and so on.... and pioneer of cos..... the kuro range of plasma tvs look really good............. i especially dig the panel's black level.......... simply delicious .....
for blueray disc players.... i think only sharp, sony and pioneer have actual products for sale...... LG displayed their BD/HD-DVD player...... panasonic BD for display/show only......
i didnt stay long..... it's too much of a market for me.... :)
2nd stop: JLC boutique raffles hotel.....
finally the extreme world-alarm is in town............. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
boutique manager was very friendly and made us feel right at home in no time.....
was greeted by a massive 46 mm diameter watch case......... the w-alarm looks way way way better than any pics could be...... and the case is THICK!!!! and i mean THICK....! if u think the EWC is thick, wait till u see this one.....
fortunately the Ti makes the watch light enough .......... the bright yellow rubber strap is also fabulous and a perfect match for the dial............ it comes with a tang buckle while the alligator strap works on a friction-fit deployment buckle....
it would take quite awhile to learn how to use the watch....... especially the alarm function....... btw the alarm sounded pretty good too............ and there's a silent mode which can vibrate.... cool huh....
this is a piece that i seriously wanna get............. but let me think over...... cos not a small amount of money is involved ..... prudence prudence ..... no no impulse ok???
as i am writing...... i can feel the effects of the subwoofer firing downstairs cos my sis is watching a dvd..... not too bad at all haha....
blancpain..... do u like this...???
the other half of the 2 iconic dive watches of the world....... the other one? of cos the rolex submariner...!
new for this year, the fifty fanthoms is 45 mm in DIAMETER.... and that is big...!! but i cant imagine the size just from looking the picture.....
well i'd got news that the watch is in singapore..... and i am going to catch a look....... :)
Thursday 29 November 2007
thursday's buy.....
3 cds......... all chinese imports
nowadays i seldom rarely very unlikely would purchase local or imported cds..... why? well since the chinese imports are freely available at close to half price, why should i spend double to get the same music???
i want only the music..... i dun need dvds of music video, i dun need fanciful packaging, i dun need gifts/posters etc...... give me the music that's all i need.....
record companies need to understand...... give the consumers a choice..... give them what they want...... not give customers what the record companies think they shd produce...... no frills is good....... ok???
first pick: a-yue latest album.......... and i am listening to it as i write..... always like his music cos he writes what to him and me are interesting...... simple fare for simple people... down to earth people...... rarely can find an album whereby most tracks are good...........
this is one good album..... his vocals is soothing and captivating........ and most importantly sincere and genuine............
something about a-yue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_Chen-yue
2nd pick: stefanie sun's against the light...... have yet to listen so no comments.... :)
3rd pick: na ying's the best album........... one of my fav female singers and yet this is the only album i have.... haha
nowadays i seldom rarely very unlikely would purchase local or imported cds..... why? well since the chinese imports are freely available at close to half price, why should i spend double to get the same music???
i want only the music..... i dun need dvds of music video, i dun need fanciful packaging, i dun need gifts/posters etc...... give me the music that's all i need.....
record companies need to understand...... give the consumers a choice..... give them what they want...... not give customers what the record companies think they shd produce...... no frills is good....... ok???
first pick: a-yue latest album.......... and i am listening to it as i write..... always like his music cos he writes what to him and me are interesting...... simple fare for simple people... down to earth people...... rarely can find an album whereby most tracks are good...........
this is one good album..... his vocals is soothing and captivating........ and most importantly sincere and genuine............
something about a-yue: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang_Chen-yue
2nd pick: stefanie sun's against the light...... have yet to listen so no comments.... :)
3rd pick: na ying's the best album........... one of my fav female singers and yet this is the only album i have.... haha
another amazing night at anfield.....
half the job done as liverpool beat fc porto 4-1 at anfield...... it was a MUST WIN game and the reds did their job....
a double strike from torres, a converted penalty by steven gerrard and peter crouch rounded off the night with a header from close range....
surprise surprise, besiktas came through 2-1 against marseille and the group is now OPEN.... all four can still qualify......
match day 6 will be something to look forward to......
kudos to liverpool........... may not have the best but it was enough to do the job......
a double strike from torres, a converted penalty by steven gerrard and peter crouch rounded off the night with a header from close range....
surprise surprise, besiktas came through 2-1 against marseille and the group is now OPEN.... all four can still qualify......
match day 6 will be something to look forward to......
kudos to liverpool........... may not have the best but it was enough to do the job......
Wednesday 28 November 2007
wet day.....
quite a storm in the afternoon right...??
WOWOW torrential rain in many parts of singapore...... for such days, i expected accidents to happen on most roads and expressways too..... the way singaporeans drive, they cant handle even their car when there were no obstacles, let alone on wet roads....
fortunately i am off work today..... so it was still a relaxed atmosphere for me...... to enjoy the cool breeze brought by the rain....
went to play football on a waterlogged pitch............ hehe was quite enjoyable though...... and we won! quite unexpected cos the other team was supposedly stronger.....
let's hope liverpool can do their job this morning...... beat porto first and worry later.....
WOWOW torrential rain in many parts of singapore...... for such days, i expected accidents to happen on most roads and expressways too..... the way singaporeans drive, they cant handle even their car when there were no obstacles, let alone on wet roads....
fortunately i am off work today..... so it was still a relaxed atmosphere for me...... to enjoy the cool breeze brought by the rain....
went to play football on a waterlogged pitch............ hehe was quite enjoyable though...... and we won! quite unexpected cos the other team was supposedly stronger.....
let's hope liverpool can do their job this morning...... beat porto first and worry later.....
Tuesday 27 November 2007
tuesday's listening.....
today i gave up on tv and went straight to listening......
to warm up the system, i popped in a kitaro cd and sat down to clean some other cds with finyl...
using a piece of cotton, i wet each cd carefully....... taking note not to apply too much pressure so as not to scratch the fragile surface..... using small circular motions from the centre to the outer edge...... once the cd was dry, i then used a clean piece of cotton to buff it clean..... some cds get far too dirty over time..... haha a little maintenance goes a long way....
2nd disc is another "butterfly lovers" violin concerto (marco polo 8.223488).... by czecho-slovak radio philharmonic orchestra.... violin by takako nishizaki, i think she needs no intro for she's quite famous...... quite a different rendition and slightly a less polished performance than the philips cd i wrote about yesterday...... i like the close-miking technique for the lead violin but the rest of the performance was not as integrated as the central chinese orchestra..........
haha that's another 25 mins, not too bad as the system was making music..... good enough to keep me occupied..... and not distracted..... not losing focus
decided to switch to new age music.... and this one is something special (xrcd 1006)..... track 1 still clouds and a solitary crane was made famous when it was included as a track in the ISSE 05 LPCD (track 4)........ the synthesiser bass shook many rooms when audiophiles who did not hear of this cd first played the LPCD......
the xrcd sounded quite different to the LPCD....... dryer, tighter and faster...... the LPCD, in contrast, was more gentle..... a little mellower......
if u like new age, i think you will like this......
this cd will give your woofers a good workout.....
to warm up the system, i popped in a kitaro cd and sat down to clean some other cds with finyl...
using a piece of cotton, i wet each cd carefully....... taking note not to apply too much pressure so as not to scratch the fragile surface..... using small circular motions from the centre to the outer edge...... once the cd was dry, i then used a clean piece of cotton to buff it clean..... some cds get far too dirty over time..... haha a little maintenance goes a long way....
2nd disc is another "butterfly lovers" violin concerto (marco polo 8.223488).... by czecho-slovak radio philharmonic orchestra.... violin by takako nishizaki, i think she needs no intro for she's quite famous...... quite a different rendition and slightly a less polished performance than the philips cd i wrote about yesterday...... i like the close-miking technique for the lead violin but the rest of the performance was not as integrated as the central chinese orchestra..........
haha that's another 25 mins, not too bad as the system was making music..... good enough to keep me occupied..... and not distracted..... not losing focus
decided to switch to new age music.... and this one is something special (xrcd 1006)..... track 1 still clouds and a solitary crane was made famous when it was included as a track in the ISSE 05 LPCD (track 4)........ the synthesiser bass shook many rooms when audiophiles who did not hear of this cd first played the LPCD......
the xrcd sounded quite different to the LPCD....... dryer, tighter and faster...... the LPCD, in contrast, was more gentle..... a little mellower......
if u like new age, i think you will like this......
this cd will give your woofers a good workout.....
monday's listening.... and oyaide
a short nap later i was well-recharged..... been itching to find some time to enjoy my stereo....
it's getting late but i could steal some time to do it....
first disc was a male basso hifi test cd........... sound quality is the usual high standards one can expect from modern MIC audiophile recordings..... music arrangement is all new and has a jazzy touch.... some may like it some may not..... there are some classic oldies which i enjoy very much...... since this is my first time with the cd, it's more like a ice-breaking session.... haha
2nd cd into the tray: cai qin lao ge........... by this time, the system components have warmed up nicely and everything was falling into place.... high frequencies were extended and sweet..... soundstaging was realistic and the emotion was coming through...... a very communicative and touching performance......
the recent enhancements have really made a BIG difference..... especially the oyaide r1, this thing is amazing.....
last disc for the night was "selected orchestral works by He Zhan-Hao"..... track 1: violin concerto "butterfly lovers" aka LIANG ZHU is my favourite piece...... this recording is by philips classic featuring the central philharmonic orchestra conducted by Han Zhong-Jie.... if u didnt know, this violin concerto "is a single movement programmatic work based on the well known trafic love story of Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai" ............ 3 most important moments in the story were covered, the love of the hero and heroine; the rejection of their proposed marriage and the transformation of the lovers into butterflies after their death...... a moving story indeed......
total track time is 25:40 mins..... to listen one track for 25 mins straight is usually something i dun do.... cos i am quite impatient hehe.......... but this time was different..... the violin, the cello and the rest of the orchestra combined so well making the track so addictive and enchanting that i was stucked to the couch...... of cos the system played its part, i have never heard a more touching performance of this violin concerto ......
awesome....!!!
it's getting late but i could steal some time to do it....
first disc was a male basso hifi test cd........... sound quality is the usual high standards one can expect from modern MIC audiophile recordings..... music arrangement is all new and has a jazzy touch.... some may like it some may not..... there are some classic oldies which i enjoy very much...... since this is my first time with the cd, it's more like a ice-breaking session.... haha
2nd cd into the tray: cai qin lao ge........... by this time, the system components have warmed up nicely and everything was falling into place.... high frequencies were extended and sweet..... soundstaging was realistic and the emotion was coming through...... a very communicative and touching performance......
the recent enhancements have really made a BIG difference..... especially the oyaide r1, this thing is amazing.....
last disc for the night was "selected orchestral works by He Zhan-Hao"..... track 1: violin concerto "butterfly lovers" aka LIANG ZHU is my favourite piece...... this recording is by philips classic featuring the central philharmonic orchestra conducted by Han Zhong-Jie.... if u didnt know, this violin concerto "is a single movement programmatic work based on the well known trafic love story of Liang Shan Bo and Zhu Ying Tai" ............ 3 most important moments in the story were covered, the love of the hero and heroine; the rejection of their proposed marriage and the transformation of the lovers into butterflies after their death...... a moving story indeed......
total track time is 25:40 mins..... to listen one track for 25 mins straight is usually something i dun do.... cos i am quite impatient hehe.......... but this time was different..... the violin, the cello and the rest of the orchestra combined so well making the track so addictive and enchanting that i was stucked to the couch...... of cos the system played its part, i have never heard a more touching performance of this violin concerto ......
awesome....!!!
Monday 26 November 2007
sleepy monday....
was on vacation leave for the past few days...... coupled with the long weekend, i had a good break from work..... so much so that my sleeping hours were totally out of sync....
couldnt get to sleep until the wee wee wee hours of the morning....... almost cant wake up this morning..... the alarm was SOOOOOO unwelcomed.....
after dinner, i am again so sleepy.... i need a nap.... :)
couldnt get to sleep until the wee wee wee hours of the morning....... almost cant wake up this morning..... the alarm was SOOOOOO unwelcomed.....
after dinner, i am again so sleepy.... i need a nap.... :)
brave souls....
i am surprised to learn that more than 10,000 indians participated in the rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia........
10,000!! when i first read about the rally, i never expected more than 1,000 would come.... beyond my expectation.......
10,000 brave souls, despite knowing that police action would be harsh, gathered to lend support and to lend their voices so that their rest of the country and the world know their plight......
illegal their gathering it may be....... but what other ways do they have.....??
tear gas and water cannons, all very potent stuff, were used on these people............. u certainly dun wanna know how tear gas feels like.....
read more at
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_GEN_MALAYSIA_INDIAN_PROTEST_ASOL-?SITE=ASIAONE&SECTION=SPECIAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-25-01-44-05
on a related note, read the following report to find out what a joke it is....... without filing the proper papers, how can one let the charge proceed..??? and still need to post bail?
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Frontpage/2092503/Article
10,000!! when i first read about the rally, i never expected more than 1,000 would come.... beyond my expectation.......
10,000 brave souls, despite knowing that police action would be harsh, gathered to lend support and to lend their voices so that their rest of the country and the world know their plight......
illegal their gathering it may be....... but what other ways do they have.....??
tear gas and water cannons, all very potent stuff, were used on these people............. u certainly dun wanna know how tear gas feels like.....
read more at
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_GEN_MALAYSIA_INDIAN_PROTEST_ASOL-?SITE=ASIAONE&SECTION=SPECIAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-25-01-44-05
on a related note, read the following report to find out what a joke it is....... without filing the proper papers, how can one let the charge proceed..??? and still need to post bail?
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Frontpage/2092503/Article
Sunday 25 November 2007
man city: how did they do it.....????
another win??? a perfect record at the city of manchester stadium....????
how did they do it.....?
a last gasp winning goal against reading in the 93rd minute...... these are moments i though exist only in fairy tales haha.....
anyway they are doing well.... and seems like sven is having a honeymoon at city.....
who will take a point or all 3 points at city? let's see.....
how did they do it.....?
a last gasp winning goal against reading in the 93rd minute...... these are moments i though exist only in fairy tales haha.....
anyway they are doing well.... and seems like sven is having a honeymoon at city.....
who will take a point or all 3 points at city? let's see.....
JLC boutique.... @ Raffles Hotel
i walked past on thursday..... the boutique is open for business........ small but a very cosy setup, right beside the hour glass.....
and today (as on saturday) there was an advertisement in the straits times by JLC......
so at raffles hotel, there are the blancpain boutique, JLC boutique and the hour glass.... quite a watch haven.....
with the opening of this boutique, THG raffles hotel also relinquished their rights to retail JLC watches.... :)
and today (as on saturday) there was an advertisement in the straits times by JLC......
so at raffles hotel, there are the blancpain boutique, JLC boutique and the hour glass.... quite a watch haven.....
with the opening of this boutique, THG raffles hotel also relinquished their rights to retail JLC watches.... :)
good saturday.....
good news for me.....
liverpool outplayed newcastle to win by 3 goals to nil at st james park......
man u puffed and huffed at the reebok but could not produce the breakthrough .... lost by 1 goal to bolton wanderers.....
amazingly arsenal continues to win hehe....... they never know how to stop huh.....
liverpool outplayed newcastle to win by 3 goals to nil at st james park......
man u puffed and huffed at the reebok but could not produce the breakthrough .... lost by 1 goal to bolton wanderers.....
amazingly arsenal continues to win hehe....... they never know how to stop huh.....
Friday 23 November 2007
another attempt
another attempt to play around with colours.... is that all they can do?
an identical effort to the orange, blue and phantom versions, this is another ploy to milk the maximum out of simple changes to the colours used.....
a different colour and selling as a master stroke to ask for more dollars from the consumers...... nah no thank you.....
WOW.....
this is no joke....
rolex's new model........ a gmt master 2 in pure bling...... fully encrusted with diamonds.....
simply awesome...... whoever can afford it should get one........... it will impress the heck of everyone at your prom night/dinner and dance and other functions..... :)
rolex's new model........ a gmt master 2 in pure bling...... fully encrusted with diamonds.....
simply awesome...... whoever can afford it should get one........... it will impress the heck of everyone at your prom night/dinner and dance and other functions..... :)
never overstay.....
so england lost 2-3 at wembley.............. despite coming back from 0-2 down.....
so steve mcclaren insisted on staying......
and so he was "terminated"...... i.e. sacked......
so pls dun overstay your welcome......
so steve mcclaren insisted on staying......
and so he was "terminated"...... i.e. sacked......
so pls dun overstay your welcome......
Thursday 22 November 2007
facing difficult customers......
had a conversation with a friend who deals with computers......... so he related a case with a difficult customer who demanded more for his laptop.....
A says:
i saw customer more siao than you one lor....or rather damn siao one lor.....just that haven take magnifying glass out nia
ohlins says:
haha...... what did he demand
A says:
those stupid things....... how come sticker not paste properly..... the guy said, the black colour screw got a slight silver mark.... does that means this system have been open before? i want a new one.............. the sticker is human paste one mah............ sometimes not paste properly then a bit of bubble...then he wanna new set
ohlins says:
i know.... i mean if the sticker not paste properly.... then tear off lor.......haha
A says:
yah lar............. thats why i say he siao...... he stay in woodlands..... terrace house........ router at 2nd floor....
ohlins says:
hmm..... like that is crazy...... i different i reasonable haha
A says:
then bring laptop up in 3rd floor.... asking why at 3rd floor some area the connection better some area so low............... he f***ing unreasonable
ohlins says:
haha ask him put booster lor
A says:
until my colleague donno how to handle then last week come back and tell me............. then in the end i kena go to attend............ keep demanding for a new set....... crazy f***er
ohlins says:
record n put on u tube
A says:
i feel like lor...... hahah
ohlins says:
anything wrong with the set in the first place?
A says:
of cos no lar............ he just wanna a different model............ i told him unless there is something wrong with this model .......... if not i will not change to another model for him
ohlins says:
so in the end how?
A says:
then he keep telling me this one old set...... say screw got people screw before............ knnz i told him.................if screw no one screw before... then how the f*** we assemble the laptop?
ohlins says:
haha yalor
A says:
then he replied..... ok i accept that.... but then wireless is not stable.... i said to him wireless is never stable.... if stable then people don need to sell access point liao...... he don agree....... he told me about the 3rd flr some pklace high and some place low
ohlins says:
then what he expect....?
A says:
i told him ... sir... simple..... you take your phone out of the house...... stand still.... just turn your body 180 degress..... you see your phone the network always same bar or same reception or not.............he said.... you cant compare phone with wireless mah...... they are different..... then i told him drive a car to b1 carpark radio also got no reception lar.... and some parts of the b1 carpark also got reception also can hear and also cannot hear lar............... then he said again...you cant compare a wireless and a radio....
ohlins says:
haha..... then compare with what
A says:
then i challenge him lor..... you go get any laptop... if you can find any wireless that can have stable frequency........ tell me and prove it to me... then i refund you back..... then he bring his sony laptop....... and show me.... worst,.... 3rd floor cannot detect wireless.... ...........haha..... then lan lan lor..... then until now no hear from him
sigh.............. weird customer is he...... hhmmm
A says:
i saw customer more siao than you one lor....or rather damn siao one lor.....just that haven take magnifying glass out nia
ohlins says:
haha...... what did he demand
A says:
those stupid things....... how come sticker not paste properly..... the guy said, the black colour screw got a slight silver mark.... does that means this system have been open before? i want a new one.............. the sticker is human paste one mah............ sometimes not paste properly then a bit of bubble...then he wanna new set
ohlins says:
i know.... i mean if the sticker not paste properly.... then tear off lor.......haha
A says:
yah lar............. thats why i say he siao...... he stay in woodlands..... terrace house........ router at 2nd floor....
ohlins says:
hmm..... like that is crazy...... i different i reasonable haha
A says:
then bring laptop up in 3rd floor.... asking why at 3rd floor some area the connection better some area so low............... he f***ing unreasonable
ohlins says:
haha ask him put booster lor
A says:
until my colleague donno how to handle then last week come back and tell me............. then in the end i kena go to attend............ keep demanding for a new set....... crazy f***er
ohlins says:
record n put on u tube
A says:
i feel like lor...... hahah
ohlins says:
anything wrong with the set in the first place?
A says:
of cos no lar............ he just wanna a different model............ i told him unless there is something wrong with this model .......... if not i will not change to another model for him
ohlins says:
so in the end how?
A says:
then he keep telling me this one old set...... say screw got people screw before............ knnz i told him.................if screw no one screw before... then how the f*** we assemble the laptop?
ohlins says:
haha yalor
A says:
then he replied..... ok i accept that.... but then wireless is not stable.... i said to him wireless is never stable.... if stable then people don need to sell access point liao...... he don agree....... he told me about the 3rd flr some pklace high and some place low
ohlins says:
then what he expect....?
A says:
i told him ... sir... simple..... you take your phone out of the house...... stand still.... just turn your body 180 degress..... you see your phone the network always same bar or same reception or not.............he said.... you cant compare phone with wireless mah...... they are different..... then i told him drive a car to b1 carpark radio also got no reception lar.... and some parts of the b1 carpark also got reception also can hear and also cannot hear lar............... then he said again...you cant compare a wireless and a radio....
ohlins says:
haha..... then compare with what
A says:
then i challenge him lor..... you go get any laptop... if you can find any wireless that can have stable frequency........ tell me and prove it to me... then i refund you back..... then he bring his sony laptop....... and show me.... worst,.... 3rd floor cannot detect wireless.... ...........haha..... then lan lan lor..... then until now no hear from him
sigh.............. weird customer is he...... hhmmm
hail LG.....
the panel was showing patchy and cloudy effects............. especially the lower right corner... it was very distracting during dark scenes.....
called up LG last week to arrange a technician to come down today......... they can actually respond in a couple of days but i prefer to do it when i am around ......so made it this week.....
2 guys came..... we swtiched on the panel and one of them acknowledged there was problem....... he tried to scroll through his master remote to see if he could adjust the backlight..... but there was none i.e nothing to adjust.... kinda weird right? why cant we adjust the backlight....
ok since we cant do anything about the backlight..... the LG guys decided to change a new panel for me..... he took a picture for verification.... and we took the TV down and they began to take the TV apart....
they brought a spare lcd panel...... firstly took the bracket then the rear cover....... next removed all the wires and connection panels......... unscrewed the bezel and viola, old panel was OFF......
the is how a bare panel looks like (from the rear)....
in no time, the new panel was mounted........... we switched the TV on and everything looked fine (for the moment)...............
thanked the guys...... and i continued to test the panel with tv broadcast and dvd....... so far so good..... but i noticed that, after 30 mins, the panel dun look so even after all........ haha.... there was already a slightly brighter patch on the lower left corner.........
well let me monitor for a few days........ i guess i have to accept this as an inherent problem of lcd panels?????
hopefully not.....
Wednesday 21 November 2007
hummer h3....
if u watch csi maimi..... u will know what is and who drives a hummer......
saw the car in person today........... well huge it isnt but surely u know what is there..... very typical of american designs.... :)
it's hugely expensive in singapore (over S$200k) and also reputed to be a fuel-guzzler............. so watch out if u buy one..... on the other hand, if u can afford one, you probably cant care less how much a litre of petrol cost......
more at http://www.hummer.com/#/
http://www.cybercars.com.sg/cars.aspx?M=HUMMER
saw the car in person today........... well huge it isnt but surely u know what is there..... very typical of american designs.... :)
it's hugely expensive in singapore (over S$200k) and also reputed to be a fuel-guzzler............. so watch out if u buy one..... on the other hand, if u can afford one, you probably cant care less how much a litre of petrol cost......
more at http://www.hummer.com/#/
http://www.cybercars.com.sg/cars.aspx?M=HUMMER
Monday 19 November 2007
AP ROO: amazing collections....
Ap, saw these 2 pics posted on the internet not so recently............
so many AP ROO watches!! my gosh......
the collections are simply awesome......
Orchard Road, TA RG, JPM, Sincere, two Scuba, Polaris, two RB2.... ouch ouch ouch!! ...... :)
takes alot of money to own these babies.......
which one will u choose? my personal fav is the RB2......... the ceramic bezel is a tough nut..... on the other hand, the tantalum orchard road is also quite a prize at 100 pics LE......
so many AP ROO watches!! my gosh......
the collections are simply awesome......
Orchard Road, TA RG, JPM, Sincere, two Scuba, Polaris, two RB2.... ouch ouch ouch!! ...... :)
takes alot of money to own these babies.......
which one will u choose? my personal fav is the RB2......... the ceramic bezel is a tough nut..... on the other hand, the tantalum orchard road is also quite a prize at 100 pics LE......
Sunday 18 November 2007
a lifeline....... !
amazingly russia was beaten when they looked to be going in for the kill............. 2-1 to the israelis....
so now the english is given a lifeline !!!.......... get a point against croatia at wembley and they qualify for euro 08.....
how quickly things can change............. hmmm
steven mclaren saved his a**, oooops i mean job, for the moment......
no rooney no owen no terry no ferdinand..... but the english have luck on their side so they might just scrape through
so now the english is given a lifeline !!!.......... get a point against croatia at wembley and they qualify for euro 08.....
how quickly things can change............. hmmm
steven mclaren saved his a**, oooops i mean job, for the moment......
no rooney no owen no terry no ferdinand..... but the english have luck on their side so they might just scrape through
consolidation....
found some time to rest at home.... and also took pictures of what i have done up for the living room.....
last but not least......... mj acoustics ref 100 mk 2 subwoofer....... next project: to put a MK plug on my spare power cords to use on the MJ......
saturday 17th of Nov ....
ok didnt visit ISSE today cos one day is enough.......... it's usually so crowded that no one can have a quiet moment to listen attentively.... and i dun think i have much things to buy for now(unless i strike lottery haha)..... hhmmm if budget is not a concern, then i have many things to buy :P
sigh i have overspent in nov haha............ spent so much on the home theatre stuff and hurt my watch budget....
woke up .... prepared 3-in-1 coffee... read papers...... had lunch at coffee shop..... did my laundry (i handwash polo t-shirts and those more expensive t-shirts...... dun kinda trust the maid or the machine cos these need gentle loving care).....
visited my friend........... had a short listening session at his place.... the jm lab 816s getting not bad not bad.... haha.... most importantly he passed me a pair of speaker stands so that my surround speakers can have a good foundation....
drove carefully cos any quick change of direction will send these heavy stands flying haha...... i seldom drive like that but just gotta take my time..... gave myself much much more braking distance............. once i parked the car, wasted no time to replace the flimsy ikea stands with these heavyweights.....
sat down and watched the rest of casino royale............. picture is great sound is good...... i did not compare the DD 5.1 and the uncompressed PCM version... ....... i listened solely to the PCM version..... better to leave it in "mutichannel mode" than to apply THX settings..... sounded better that way........
now looking to order BD from amazon.com............. they have a 1 for 1 offer ....... limited to selected titles only...
sigh i have overspent in nov haha............ spent so much on the home theatre stuff and hurt my watch budget....
woke up .... prepared 3-in-1 coffee... read papers...... had lunch at coffee shop..... did my laundry (i handwash polo t-shirts and those more expensive t-shirts...... dun kinda trust the maid or the machine cos these need gentle loving care).....
visited my friend........... had a short listening session at his place.... the jm lab 816s getting not bad not bad.... haha.... most importantly he passed me a pair of speaker stands so that my surround speakers can have a good foundation....
drove carefully cos any quick change of direction will send these heavy stands flying haha...... i seldom drive like that but just gotta take my time..... gave myself much much more braking distance............. once i parked the car, wasted no time to replace the flimsy ikea stands with these heavyweights.....
sat down and watched the rest of casino royale............. picture is great sound is good...... i did not compare the DD 5.1 and the uncompressed PCM version... ....... i listened solely to the PCM version..... better to leave it in "mutichannel mode" than to apply THX settings..... sounded better that way........
now looking to order BD from amazon.com............. they have a 1 for 1 offer ....... limited to selected titles only...
Saturday 17 November 2007
ISSE continued...
i wont be going room by room.... cos if i do that, i would have to forgo my sleep haha
might be more straightforward if i just touch on the equipment that caught my attention.......
henry audio: featuring wooden tuning cones and wooden super tweeters..... the guy was trying to demo the efficacy of his tweaks..... but since my fren and i were not in the sweet spot, we cant tell any difference..... his cables also look pretty interesting ....there are many wires terminated with crocodile clips and connected here and there until i was also confused...... other unorthodox items i saw was a audiolab equipment without its knobs...... haha very chim
LG: good prices for these commercial LCD panels...... a 42 inch full HD LCD TV at S$3299... plus S$500 NTUC voucher.......... making it a very affordable HDTV..... effective price is less than S$3k...... i think that's a very good offer...
first time ultralinear is here, IIRC........... they are having an offer at S$15k for krell dvd player, int amp and isophon speakers..... out of the range of my wallet.... but good music they are making..... i didnt stay long enough to appreciate more.....
audionote: the best i have heard from the avantgarde...... why is that so? no idea..... the remiyo front end is quite a visual spectacle................ in the other room, the totem are pretty impressive too....
x audio: the vivid loudspeaker sounded pretty good here...... so are the usher be-718..... i have heard the 718 at their bukit timah showroom as well as at audio basic..... this is a pair of very high quality loudspeakers..... the cabinet, the veneer, binding posts, drivers are all top-notch..... not forgetting the beryllium tweeters too...... have a listen to these babies...... they may be bookshelf speakers but they ROCK.. !!!
jay audio: they are playing the jm lab electra 1027be...... good loudspeakers but were being played at too high a volume.... what a waste..... i have heard the speakers perform better at asia sound..... when driven by canary audio 80 wpc tube amp......
dynaudio: a special pair of loudspeakers were in this room....the dynaudio sapphire............. very good very good with plinius electronics......bass was deep and solid.......... the veneer and cabinet work are the usual high standards u expect from the danes...... didnt ask how much haha ....
merdeka: this room is all about lelong and cheap sale.... we were greeted with big signs showing 50% off........... and indeed most things inside are 50% off.......... extreme good deals are the psb speakers...... the platinum range is their flagship model, all at 50%...... good value is the psb image series..... NAD amps, ATI amps, parasound amps all at half price...... dun miss this if u like their stuff.....
monsoon: good deals for oppo dvd players........ at S$400+ u can get a machine capable of sacd playback and dvd upscaling to 1080p..... they also showed the new B&W speakers.....
i think that's all.............. the rest not so interesting....
this is also a good time for anyone who is in the market for a HD projector..... deals for mitsubishi at 4999 (with free sony ps3)........... optoma at 4999....... benq at 7999.......
might be more straightforward if i just touch on the equipment that caught my attention.......
henry audio: featuring wooden tuning cones and wooden super tweeters..... the guy was trying to demo the efficacy of his tweaks..... but since my fren and i were not in the sweet spot, we cant tell any difference..... his cables also look pretty interesting ....there are many wires terminated with crocodile clips and connected here and there until i was also confused...... other unorthodox items i saw was a audiolab equipment without its knobs...... haha very chim
LG: good prices for these commercial LCD panels...... a 42 inch full HD LCD TV at S$3299... plus S$500 NTUC voucher.......... making it a very affordable HDTV..... effective price is less than S$3k...... i think that's a very good offer...
first time ultralinear is here, IIRC........... they are having an offer at S$15k for krell dvd player, int amp and isophon speakers..... out of the range of my wallet.... but good music they are making..... i didnt stay long enough to appreciate more.....
audionote: the best i have heard from the avantgarde...... why is that so? no idea..... the remiyo front end is quite a visual spectacle................ in the other room, the totem are pretty impressive too....
x audio: the vivid loudspeaker sounded pretty good here...... so are the usher be-718..... i have heard the 718 at their bukit timah showroom as well as at audio basic..... this is a pair of very high quality loudspeakers..... the cabinet, the veneer, binding posts, drivers are all top-notch..... not forgetting the beryllium tweeters too...... have a listen to these babies...... they may be bookshelf speakers but they ROCK.. !!!
jay audio: they are playing the jm lab electra 1027be...... good loudspeakers but were being played at too high a volume.... what a waste..... i have heard the speakers perform better at asia sound..... when driven by canary audio 80 wpc tube amp......
dynaudio: a special pair of loudspeakers were in this room....the dynaudio sapphire............. very good very good with plinius electronics......bass was deep and solid.......... the veneer and cabinet work are the usual high standards u expect from the danes...... didnt ask how much haha ....
merdeka: this room is all about lelong and cheap sale.... we were greeted with big signs showing 50% off........... and indeed most things inside are 50% off.......... extreme good deals are the psb speakers...... the platinum range is their flagship model, all at 50%...... good value is the psb image series..... NAD amps, ATI amps, parasound amps all at half price...... dun miss this if u like their stuff.....
monsoon: good deals for oppo dvd players........ at S$400+ u can get a machine capable of sacd playback and dvd upscaling to 1080p..... they also showed the new B&W speakers.....
i think that's all.............. the rest not so interesting....
this is also a good time for anyone who is in the market for a HD projector..... deals for mitsubishi at 4999 (with free sony ps3)........... optoma at 4999....... benq at 7999.......
Friday 16 November 2007
ISSE part 2....
ok before i go on to say my piece about other rooms..... just to let u know the new toys i bought today.....
1. a pack of 10 rca cap.... bought from this taiwan company venture audio.... according to the guy, they are 20k gold plated...... not sure if it works but buy to try lor....
2. TAOC SBL-13MT ....... a set of 4 tuning disc.... wanted to try the tuning slab sold at audionote but that cost S$275?? ok lah didnt wish to spend so much so i bought the TAOC... anyway i like their stuff......
3. a CD....
there are more than 10 rca outlets on my adcom preamp.... so i gotta pick and choose which ones to put on the cap... haha....
for the TAOC discs..... one on the preamp, hydra 6 and the pair of power amps....
total spent for the day? less than S$200.... :) and yes that's including the S$12 entrance fee
1. a pack of 10 rca cap.... bought from this taiwan company venture audio.... according to the guy, they are 20k gold plated...... not sure if it works but buy to try lor....
2. TAOC SBL-13MT ....... a set of 4 tuning disc.... wanted to try the tuning slab sold at audionote but that cost S$275?? ok lah didnt wish to spend so much so i bought the TAOC... anyway i like their stuff......
3. a CD....
there are more than 10 rca outlets on my adcom preamp.... so i gotta pick and choose which ones to put on the cap... haha....
for the TAOC discs..... one on the preamp, hydra 6 and the pair of power amps....
total spent for the day? less than S$200.... :) and yes that's including the S$12 entrance fee
ISSE 07: i.e. hifi show (in plain text)...
today is first day of the annual ISSE..... usual spot @ le meridian.... haha did they sign a long term deal with shi ting yi shu (a local hifi magazine in chinese)???
wanted to take the bus (direct bus ... no need to look for parking) but ended up driving as i was running late...... alas took me 30 mins to find a parking lot along killiney road... sigh.....
haha sorry for keeping my fren waiting..... anyway visited the ballrooms first...... pioneer stuff: their range of plasma KURO...... nice but super expensive BD player in cool slippery glossy black...... and how about the super nice but super expensive EX range of speakers...... the centre speaker alone is a monster.... didnt stay long in the dark room cos my pocket is not deep enough haha
local boys creative is also onto the scene..... with a new active loudspeaker and preamp equipped with an ipod dock.... not bad at all.... sound is pretty good too...... under show condition, i consider it as a good start..... i didnt pay notice to their computer speakers.... hehe.... not that i am snobbish but i dun give much damn about computer speakers in the first place....
had a brief look at the thiel 3.7 and bel canto stuff..... but the set up was so narrow ....such that not "inviting" to listen at all..... they are more keen to show their JVC dila projectors which i didnt go in to see..... wanna listen to thiel? better to visit the showroom .......
there were many setups selling CDs and LPs... almost like the a wetmarket ...... i heard someone saying that this is a CD show not a hifi show haha...... well what is hifi without good music right? both goes together....... just how good wine should be shared among good friends......
high end research showed off top level ARC source/preamp and power amps...... all their reference series products.... the speakers used are sonus faber stradivari homage....oops shd be sonus faber elipsa (thanks to an alert extremeplace guy rc5al for pointing this out).. a pair at S$30k (IIRC)...... these mighty components look delicious enough to kill for haha..... too bad the music was boring..... so i didnt stay long...... i was back towards the end and it was much better when they played the hong shao xuan LE CD..... my fren bought a copy and surely will ask him if it's good.......
next room saw boulder equipment...... which is another line of out-of-this-world-prices marque....... however i saw a halcro preamp on the table....... is halcro coming back??? that will be good news ..... also burmester stuff.... big big loudspeakers......
ong radio shut their door ....... full house for their HT demo.....there were static displays outside the room though so saw the mc1000 preamp and the new mc2300 tube preamp too......... tubes are illuminated with a soft green light..... nice touch but the key attraction are the blue meters... :)
lexicon/mark levinson/revel joint up to present "transformers" the movie...... dunno why didnt like the setup.... maybe they were playing too loud...... i am not deaf and loud is not more impressive or better.....
surprisingly, absolute sound came out in full force this year...... they used to be kinda reticent .... a big room was showing meridian, magnepan, naim, roksan, esoteric...... yeah room is big but not conducive to listening...... end up like pasar malam........ one setup was interfering with another.... everyone is a loser here.... haha.....
ok let me take a rest before continuing.... :)
wanted to take the bus (direct bus ... no need to look for parking) but ended up driving as i was running late...... alas took me 30 mins to find a parking lot along killiney road... sigh.....
haha sorry for keeping my fren waiting..... anyway visited the ballrooms first...... pioneer stuff: their range of plasma KURO...... nice but super expensive BD player in cool slippery glossy black...... and how about the super nice but super expensive EX range of speakers...... the centre speaker alone is a monster.... didnt stay long in the dark room cos my pocket is not deep enough haha
local boys creative is also onto the scene..... with a new active loudspeaker and preamp equipped with an ipod dock.... not bad at all.... sound is pretty good too...... under show condition, i consider it as a good start..... i didnt pay notice to their computer speakers.... hehe.... not that i am snobbish but i dun give much damn about computer speakers in the first place....
had a brief look at the thiel 3.7 and bel canto stuff..... but the set up was so narrow ....such that not "inviting" to listen at all..... they are more keen to show their JVC dila projectors which i didnt go in to see..... wanna listen to thiel? better to visit the showroom .......
there were many setups selling CDs and LPs... almost like the a wetmarket ...... i heard someone saying that this is a CD show not a hifi show haha...... well what is hifi without good music right? both goes together....... just how good wine should be shared among good friends......
high end research showed off top level ARC source/preamp and power amps...... all their reference series products.... the speakers used are sonus faber stradivari homage....oops shd be sonus faber elipsa (thanks to an alert extremeplace guy rc5al for pointing this out).. a pair at S$30k (IIRC)...... these mighty components look delicious enough to kill for haha..... too bad the music was boring..... so i didnt stay long...... i was back towards the end and it was much better when they played the hong shao xuan LE CD..... my fren bought a copy and surely will ask him if it's good.......
next room saw boulder equipment...... which is another line of out-of-this-world-prices marque....... however i saw a halcro preamp on the table....... is halcro coming back??? that will be good news ..... also burmester stuff.... big big loudspeakers......
ong radio shut their door ....... full house for their HT demo.....there were static displays outside the room though so saw the mc1000 preamp and the new mc2300 tube preamp too......... tubes are illuminated with a soft green light..... nice touch but the key attraction are the blue meters... :)
lexicon/mark levinson/revel joint up to present "transformers" the movie...... dunno why didnt like the setup.... maybe they were playing too loud...... i am not deaf and loud is not more impressive or better.....
surprisingly, absolute sound came out in full force this year...... they used to be kinda reticent .... a big room was showing meridian, magnepan, naim, roksan, esoteric...... yeah room is big but not conducive to listening...... end up like pasar malam........ one setup was interfering with another.... everyone is a loser here.... haha.....
ok let me take a rest before continuing.... :)
Thursday 15 November 2007
update for thursday....
ok here's the little fellow in ceramic white.....
comes with 1 controller oni..... which btw is white too..!!! ....... surprised? haha...
well compared to the 80 gb version, this one is a cut-price product..... but then it's the cheapest BD player in town..... retail price is S$559....
sony style has only black colour..... so i went elsewhere to see the whitie.... black components are far too common.... followed by gold, silver...... white is kinda unique :)
to set up the ps3 is fairly simple.... cos i using the hdmi connection only......... one gotta set the display resolution (1080p for my case)...... and then the network settings...
if this fellow can play dvd for all regions.... that would be wonderful right...??
so here's the latest setup..........
playing casino royale in full HD (1080p 24Hz)...... the sound is mighty good also....the bass response seems so much more than a normal dvd......is that normal?? .......
now looking forward to collect a few more BD movies....
btw those vases and decorations are not mine........
comes with 1 controller oni..... which btw is white too..!!! ....... surprised? haha...
well compared to the 80 gb version, this one is a cut-price product..... but then it's the cheapest BD player in town..... retail price is S$559....
sony style has only black colour..... so i went elsewhere to see the whitie.... black components are far too common.... followed by gold, silver...... white is kinda unique :)
to set up the ps3 is fairly simple.... cos i using the hdmi connection only......... one gotta set the display resolution (1080p for my case)...... and then the network settings...
if this fellow can play dvd for all regions.... that would be wonderful right...??
so here's the latest setup..........
playing casino royale in full HD (1080p 24Hz)...... the sound is mighty good also....the bass response seems so much more than a normal dvd......is that normal?? .......
now looking forward to collect a few more BD movies....
btw those vases and decorations are not mine........
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