I submitted a blog entry to realFASS and it was published!
http://realfass.blogspot.com/
check it out! It's called 'It's all a mind trick'. Going to be writing more stuff in the future probably. :)
Friday 25 February 2011
Thursday 17 February 2011
Since I've started Uni
Since I've started Uni,
I've learnt how to write in APA style
I've become sure I want to major in Psychology
I've gone for 2 camps
Ive gotten attached
Since I've started Uni,
My sinus has got worse
My quality of sleep has plummeted- 10hrs and I can still feel like crap
I occasionally get insomnia, specifically not bein able to fall asleep, and also waking up and not being able to go back to sleep
Since I've started Uni,
I tweet alot more, use Facebook more, even more so now after my iPhone ( this post is being composed on my iPhone because i can't sleep)
I've made alot more friends
I've drifted from some friends
Since I've started Uni
I haven't exercised much, I'll probably fail 2.4p
Km if I run it now
My prospective memory (remembering to do things) and trivial memory (remembering simple things ppl tell me like they are going to Peru tomorrow, what module they are taking, etc) have both plummeted to startling levels
Have I mentioned I can't really sleep?
I've learnt how to write in APA style
I've become sure I want to major in Psychology
I've gone for 2 camps
Ive gotten attached
Since I've started Uni,
My sinus has got worse
My quality of sleep has plummeted- 10hrs and I can still feel like crap
I occasionally get insomnia, specifically not bein able to fall asleep, and also waking up and not being able to go back to sleep
Since I've started Uni,
I tweet alot more, use Facebook more, even more so now after my iPhone ( this post is being composed on my iPhone because i can't sleep)
I've made alot more friends
I've drifted from some friends
Since I've started Uni
I haven't exercised much, I'll probably fail 2.4p
Km if I run it now
My prospective memory (remembering to do things) and trivial memory (remembering simple things ppl tell me like they are going to Peru tomorrow, what module they are taking, etc) have both plummeted to startling levels
Have I mentioned I can't really sleep?
Saturday 12 February 2011
Ray Allen and his 3s
For those who follow my Twitter account and keep track of NBA news (yes, all zero of you!), you will know that recently the Boston Celtics' guard Ray Allen has just surpassed Reggie Miller for 'Most 3 point field goals made' mark, with 3 3 pointers made against their match against Lakers.
I'm going to copy a few things from the NBA website, all these are from this link:
How Ray Allen became master of the 3point shot.
That was before he broke the record. It's madness! It's like over 800 more than the 3rd ranked person.. and Ray Allen can probably go for a few seasons more.
And if you DO watch Celtics games, you should know that Allen has one of the best, prettiest, and quickest shooting form the league has ever seen. I saw this shooting camera thing that showed that from the time Allen catches the ball to the time he releases it, barely a second has passed. ONE SECOND average per shot that's freaking fast.
And one thing that most people overlook is the amount of RUNNING he actually does before he gets his shot. Why is he always so open and can get a clear shot? Because he runs. ALOT.
The article I linked above has a nice video that shows the numerous ways which Ray Allen gets his shot - I'm just going to paste it here:
(There's a video in the link I gave, watch that one! Reading the descriptions only no kick must see it :D )
Over the course of 14 ½ seasons, Allen has learned how to read his defender pretty well. So when he starts to see his man jump to the top of the screen, he flares to the corner for the open look.
Play 4: Off the dribble
Though most of his threes are assisted, Allen is still dangerous when he puts the ball on the floor. In this play, the Celtics' primary options have been denied, so Allen and Kevin Garnett ad-lib with a simple ball-screen, and when Dwight Howard doesn't contain Allen, he pulls up for another open three.
Play 5: Cross-court screen
Here's where the Celtics get creative. It looks like Allen is going to run off a back-screen from Glen Davis, but instead he heads to the other side of the floor through another screen from Garnett and flares to the corner.
Play 6: Misdirection
More creativity from the Celtics. Allen sets a ball-screen for Rondo, who looks like he's going to get the ball to Shaquille O'Neal in the post. But instead Rondo turns and delivers the ball to Allen, who runs off a double-screen on the weak side.
Damn nice la. I like Play 5 the best you see he actually sprints across the court and Garnett steps up for a second to slow down his defender, and you can see Ray Allen glance down to check if his feet is behind the 3point line, then swoosh. Quick and efficient. :D
There's another nice video that runs through the career of Ray Allen showing how he has been making 3s since the start of his career, and my favourite quote from the video (also on the website)
MY . IDOL. NUFF . SAID.
I'm going to copy a few things from the NBA website, all these are from this link:
How Ray Allen became master of the 3point shot.
| Most 3-pointers, NBA history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
And if you DO watch Celtics games, you should know that Allen has one of the best, prettiest, and quickest shooting form the league has ever seen. I saw this shooting camera thing that showed that from the time Allen catches the ball to the time he releases it, barely a second has passed. ONE SECOND average per shot that's freaking fast.
And one thing that most people overlook is the amount of RUNNING he actually does before he gets his shot. Why is he always so open and can get a clear shot? Because he runs. ALOT.
The article I linked above has a nice video that shows the numerous ways which Ray Allen gets his shot - I'm just going to paste it here:
(There's a video in the link I gave, watch that one! Reading the descriptions only no kick must see it :D )
Play 1: In transition
The first priority for any defense is getting back in transition and protecting the basket. But when you're playing the Celtics, you have to find Allen immediately, because if Rondo finds him first, you're in trouble.
Play 2: Simple down-screen
It's a staple of any offense. The wings take their defenders down to the baseline and then run off screens by the big men. And if you can't stick with Allen through one of these, it's going to be a long night.
Play 3: Down-screen flare
Play 4: Off the dribble
Though most of his threes are assisted, Allen is still dangerous when he puts the ball on the floor. In this play, the Celtics' primary options have been denied, so Allen and Kevin Garnett ad-lib with a simple ball-screen, and when Dwight Howard doesn't contain Allen, he pulls up for another open three.
Play 5: Cross-court screen
Here's where the Celtics get creative. It looks like Allen is going to run off a back-screen from Glen Davis, but instead he heads to the other side of the floor through another screen from Garnett and flares to the corner.
Play 6: Misdirection
More creativity from the Celtics. Allen sets a ball-screen for Rondo, who looks like he's going to get the ball to Shaquille O'Neal in the post. But instead Rondo turns and delivers the ball to Allen, who runs off a double-screen on the weak side.
Damn nice la. I like Play 5 the best you see he actually sprints across the court and Garnett steps up for a second to slow down his defender, and you can see Ray Allen glance down to check if his feet is behind the 3point line, then swoosh. Quick and efficient. :D
There's another nice video that runs through the career of Ray Allen showing how he has been making 3s since the start of his career, and my favourite quote from the video (also on the website)
Ray Allen: "They use the phrase 'The ART of shooting'. What most people don't see is the work put into that shot. THAT's the art of shooting to me. Just consistently shooting, consistently shooting. When the game comes, it's easy, it's second nature."
MY . IDOL. NUFF . SAID.
Wednesday 9 February 2011
rant on group work
Ok I have to blog this. It's a long rant and may not be coherent so.. up to you if you want to read on. I'll spare you with a page break.
I hate group work.
I've never been a fan of group work since JC. When I did my Project Work in JC, I was pretty much a passive person and let the leader of the group take charge and just assign me my job. Back then, I was still passive, and didn't really know how to work in a group I suppose.
After I went through army, I guess it brought out the leader in me and I developed my hidden leadership skills (haha) No seriously, I became alot more proactive and willing to lead and speak in a group kind of thing in army. People often say army is a waste of time. Well, though I don't refute that point, army was a period of self-discovery for myself.
ANYWAY that is a topic for another day. My point is, I became more assertive, more directive, and more confident in leading something, anything.
With that in mind, why am in a dilemma often when it comes to group work?
On one hand, I have experienced people who have no initiative at all - everyone just sits around and waits for something to happen. And if you know me, I'm the kind of person who HATES that. I can't stand procrastination it drives me crazy. I'll want to get things done fast so I can rest / play after that. Not the other way round.
Thus in all my groups I'm usually the person who sends everyone SMSes, goes 'hey guys, our deadline is like, erm , tomorrow, let's get off our butts and do something now". No wait, I'm ALWAYS that person. Why?
I want a group where I can just sit back and let someone else kickstart things.
On the other hand, having people who are too assertive is a problem. Imagine a group discussion:
Me: So how about we do this this this.
X: No but I think that that that is better
Y : How about this that this?
Z : But I think That this That that is better!
Do you see how it is a problem. Some people in army have termed this the 'JC Student' phenomenon - JC students tend to want to discuss everything instead of just doing it, hence wasting time.
In group discussions like these, there needs to be someone to be directive and in a sense LEAD the discussion. That person has to help everyone come to a consensus, to create compromises for everyone, and more , to help the discussion progress.
And I'm always this person!
Not that I don't like it, I've developed quite some skill in it if I may say so. I can get everyone to settle on an idea, on one route, while being able to make it seem to them like THEY were the ones who came up with the idea (or supported the idea) by incorporating bits of their contribution in. Aiya basically, it's man management la I just put it in a very negative way haha.
You know what the problem is? I can't NOT be that person. Because when I have an idea, I'll be reluctant to let it go and do something else. So if someone else steps up and says 'hey lets do this instead' ill be quick to rationalize why mine is better, etc.
And this is not being defensive of my own ideas, sometimes my 'idea' can be simply to support someone else's contribution. And I'll vehemently stick to it.
I think so far it has been working for me because none of my groups has that same 'power' person. I'm not saying noone else has the 'leadership ability' that is something entirely different. I'm talking about having that stubborn persistence about my personal beliefs, and the desire to influence others to conform to it.
If ever I have a group with such a person, I think I'll fail that project.
Thus, I prefer to just work alone. Working alone, I decide the course, I decide the workload .
OH talking about workload, another annoying thing about groupwork is this tendency to want to have division of labor. While a division of labor is good, sometimes it is counter-productive.
A simple illustration:
Me: "Ok, we need to send this file to the prof"
Eager-to-divide-workload-member: "OK OK erm alan you type the title, then you send to me, then i type the group number, then i send to X, then X compose the email, then Y send the email to prof ok!"
...
Basically, some tasks are actually much better (and possibly quicker) when performed by an individual (or fewer people) , but because of the mindset that workload has to be divided, sometimes this tasks are unnecessarily divided.
Case in point, I was having a discussion with one of my project groups tonight and while discussion, I was typing up the proposal which was basically what we were discussing. Basically, multitasking la. Then we finish discussing I was almost done with it (It's a short proposal, not a long one) then someone asked
"Ok shall we now divide the workload?"
Me: " ??? I'm almost done"
And they were all like omg alan why u do everything etc but the thing is COME ON it's just a small portion it's not like I took 29387 hours to write that 1 page of what we have been discussing for the past 2 hours. There's no need to split everything -_-
OK this is a very long and incoherent rant and if you have read to this point you are either very free or you are very free. Happy valentine's day eve eve eve eve eve
I hate group work.
I've never been a fan of group work since JC. When I did my Project Work in JC, I was pretty much a passive person and let the leader of the group take charge and just assign me my job. Back then, I was still passive, and didn't really know how to work in a group I suppose.
After I went through army, I guess it brought out the leader in me and I developed my hidden leadership skills (haha) No seriously, I became alot more proactive and willing to lead and speak in a group kind of thing in army. People often say army is a waste of time. Well, though I don't refute that point, army was a period of self-discovery for myself.
ANYWAY that is a topic for another day. My point is, I became more assertive, more directive, and more confident in leading something, anything.
With that in mind, why am in a dilemma often when it comes to group work?
On one hand, I have experienced people who have no initiative at all - everyone just sits around and waits for something to happen. And if you know me, I'm the kind of person who HATES that. I can't stand procrastination it drives me crazy. I'll want to get things done fast so I can rest / play after that. Not the other way round.
Thus in all my groups I'm usually the person who sends everyone SMSes, goes 'hey guys, our deadline is like, erm , tomorrow, let's get off our butts and do something now". No wait, I'm ALWAYS that person. Why?
I want a group where I can just sit back and let someone else kickstart things.
On the other hand, having people who are too assertive is a problem. Imagine a group discussion:
Me: So how about we do this this this.
X: No but I think that that that is better
Y : How about this that this?
Z : But I think That this That that is better!
Do you see how it is a problem. Some people in army have termed this the 'JC Student' phenomenon - JC students tend to want to discuss everything instead of just doing it, hence wasting time.
In group discussions like these, there needs to be someone to be directive and in a sense LEAD the discussion. That person has to help everyone come to a consensus, to create compromises for everyone, and more , to help the discussion progress.
And I'm always this person!
Not that I don't like it, I've developed quite some skill in it if I may say so. I can get everyone to settle on an idea, on one route, while being able to make it seem to them like THEY were the ones who came up with the idea (or supported the idea) by incorporating bits of their contribution in. Aiya basically, it's man management la I just put it in a very negative way haha.
You know what the problem is? I can't NOT be that person. Because when I have an idea, I'll be reluctant to let it go and do something else. So if someone else steps up and says 'hey lets do this instead' ill be quick to rationalize why mine is better, etc.
And this is not being defensive of my own ideas, sometimes my 'idea' can be simply to support someone else's contribution. And I'll vehemently stick to it.
I think so far it has been working for me because none of my groups has that same 'power' person. I'm not saying noone else has the 'leadership ability' that is something entirely different. I'm talking about having that stubborn persistence about my personal beliefs, and the desire to influence others to conform to it.
If ever I have a group with such a person, I think I'll fail that project.
Thus, I prefer to just work alone. Working alone, I decide the course, I decide the workload .
OH talking about workload, another annoying thing about groupwork is this tendency to want to have division of labor. While a division of labor is good, sometimes it is counter-productive.
A simple illustration:
Me: "Ok, we need to send this file to the prof"
Eager-to-divide-workload-member: "OK OK erm alan you type the title, then you send to me, then i type the group number, then i send to X, then X compose the email, then Y send the email to prof ok!"
...
Basically, some tasks are actually much better (and possibly quicker) when performed by an individual (or fewer people) , but because of the mindset that workload has to be divided, sometimes this tasks are unnecessarily divided.
Case in point, I was having a discussion with one of my project groups tonight and while discussion, I was typing up the proposal which was basically what we were discussing. Basically, multitasking la. Then we finish discussing I was almost done with it (It's a short proposal, not a long one) then someone asked
"Ok shall we now divide the workload?"
Me: " ??? I'm almost done"
And they were all like omg alan why u do everything etc but the thing is COME ON it's just a small portion it's not like I took 29387 hours to write that 1 page of what we have been discussing for the past 2 hours. There's no need to split everything -_-
OK this is a very long and incoherent rant and if you have read to this point you are either very free or you are very free. Happy valentine's day eve eve eve eve eve
Sunday 6 February 2011
Why my iPhone rocks.
(this post was written on 5th Feb)
FINALLY.FINALLY.
After 21983721 years and 1298372 months and 91284712 days and 9128312 minutes and 12937123 seconds.... I have got my iPhone!!
Was supposed to get it on Feb 3rd, which was my recontract eligibility date, but because of CNY all Singtel shops are closed! zzz. Thus, I could only get it today, when Singtel shops were open once again.Ok I'm going to rant here for quite abit, to skip it just skip over the blue text and proceed to the more interesting part.
I was quite lucky that the first shop that I asked was the hello! shop at Bugis, and they told me that they restocked everyday. Every other shop that i've been to all said 'no idea when restock'... useless. Either they are ultra popular and so they get funneled alot of iPhones or their store manager has some tactic like store iPhone don't sell all till soldout so that everyday can 'replenish'.
So this faithful day of Feb 5th, I went to Bugis at 10+, since the shop opened at 11, I figured I'll go earlier and can confirm myself a quick spot. I reached there at 10.15, and there were already 6 people in line!! Ridiculous. And by 11, the queue was like 20+ people long. Lucky I went early!
So anyway the salesman managed to persuade me into signing a MioTV home plan... but it's mathematically sound I swear! We sat there for at least 30 minutes calculating and letting me think and re-calculate and I don't see how it's not beneficial. I'm lazy to show you the math here so you can ask me about it.
OH YA I also only found out then that if you re-contract your line, you have to topup $300 to buy the iPhone! Ridiculous. He said it was since last year October implement -_- I thought only $100.(which was the case last time) And apparently by signing the new Mio home plan, I don't have to pay this $300!
Ok the rest of this post is about WHY I wanted the iPhone so baddd.
1) Combined MP3 + Phone
No more having to carry 2 separate devices and feel the bulge in my pockets! Super convenient!
2) AWESOME GAMES
 |
| Henhouse! |
 |
| Angry Birds! |
 |
| Cut The Rope! |
And there are many more games that I've played like Plants vs Zombies, UnblockMe, Anterim Escape, Cause of Death (fun ! wanna play volume 2!) and i have like at least 5 new games that i've DLed via iTunes that I've yet to try!!
Ok I realized that all my games were reset so I've to play everything again! zomg. I don't think I can play through Angry Birds all over again >< Yea don't think I will unless I'm REALLY bored. It's not THAT fun it's just for achievement and I completed it already so I've achieved it before so yea.
Ok I realized that all my games were reset so I've to play everything again! zomg. I don't think I can play through Angry Birds all over again >< Yea don't think I will unless I'm REALLY bored. It's not THAT fun it's just for achievement and I completed it already so I've achieved it before so yea.
3) Easy access to Twitter!
 |
| Can Tweet alot more and easily! |
It's super convenient I tell you, you can just take a picture from your iPhone and immediately tweet it. Don't need to upload to any site, shorten the URL or anything - The app does it for you! You can even upload videos!!
4) Easy access to Facebook
Haha same thing la, can upload stuff super easily, when take photos can immediately upload on facebook already! win win .
I'm so gonna be a social networking whore from now on. Well, I won't camp Facebook la I'm not that kind. Probably SPAM Twitter/FB more like it hahaa. fun fun fun.
5) HD recording + clear pictures
The camera is just 5MP, but the pictures it takes are pretty good! And video as well! Ok this video was not uploaded in HD, I'll try that next time! Anw this video is just to thank pewi haha
6) Next bus!
No more not knowing how long bloody 10 is going to take! With the next bus app, i'll know exactly how long the bus is going to take to come! Awesome much!
 |
| SG Nextbus - one of the apps that tell you how long more a bus will take to arrive |
7) Battery information
Ok I've been a long-term user of Nokia... I think out of the.. 6? or so phones I've had, only one was a Sony ericsson (C902, which i LOVED. but .. lost it. ) and the rest were Nokia.
One well-known bug/problem that Nokia refuses to fix is the battery display - It always stays at 100% for very long, then when it starts dropping, it drops very fast.
If you didn't understand what that meant,
Time spent at 100% - 4 hours
50% - 2 hour
25% - 1 hour
Something like that. So the actual situation is like when it's at 100%, it may actually be at 80% or less already.
That makes it super irritating la! But the iPhone more or less accurately displays your battery information! So you will know exactly how long more you have left (Well not EXACTLY, because how fast your battery life depletes also depends on what activity you're performing, but ROUGHLY la ok.)
And one random thing I learnt while doing my pre-purchase research - You know when you buy a new phone then you'll receive the conventional advice of 'your first charge should be 6-12 hours' (actual number varies on whoever gives you the advice)
Guess what - this is extremely outdated advice.
Here's a link to an article that explains very clearly why you DON'T have to do so with Lithium-ion batteries, which have been around for quite a long time already. Let me quote the most important part:
You do NOT have to charge your phone for a longer time for the first charge. YUPP.
And I found out that you can actually charge the iPhone anytime you want, don't have to like wait till the battery drains out then charge (to try to prolong batt life or whatever) because that's just the way Lithium-ion batteries work! This info is from Apple's website so it's official and credible. You don't believe I can link you.
__
Eh ok la I tired already and you're probably tired of reading so HAHA k bye. Oh ya if you play Words With Friends add me ! My nick is crAzerk
That makes it super irritating la! But the iPhone more or less accurately displays your battery information! So you will know exactly how long more you have left (Well not EXACTLY, because how fast your battery life depletes also depends on what activity you're performing, but ROUGHLY la ok.)
And one random thing I learnt while doing my pre-purchase research - You know when you buy a new phone then you'll receive the conventional advice of 'your first charge should be 6-12 hours' (actual number varies on whoever gives you the advice)
Guess what - this is extremely outdated advice.
Here's a link to an article that explains very clearly why you DON'T have to do so with Lithium-ion batteries, which have been around for quite a long time already. Let me quote the most important part:
Lithium-ion is a very clean system and does not need priming as nickel-based batteries do. The 1st charge is no different to the 5th or the 50th charge. Stickers instructing to charge the battery for 8 hours or more for the first time may be a leftover from the nickel battery days.
You do NOT have to charge your phone for a longer time for the first charge. YUPP.
And I found out that you can actually charge the iPhone anytime you want, don't have to like wait till the battery drains out then charge (to try to prolong batt life or whatever) because that's just the way Lithium-ion batteries work! This info is from Apple's website so it's official and credible. You don't believe I can link you.
__
Eh ok la I tired already and you're probably tired of reading so HAHA k bye. Oh ya if you play Words With Friends add me ! My nick is crAzerk
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