Inception

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zOMG

I'm not a fan of popular culture. You'll never catch me saying OMGWTFBBQ ( good lord what the hell is barbeque doing there ), or LMAO or, in this case, zOMG.

So Khalid and I were having a conversation and he used the term zOMG. and I, though I see it pretty often, never got to know the exact definition of the acronym. Was it a variation on the term OMG? Was it, by any chance, an animal of the reptile variety? Was it a noun, a verb or some form of punctuation? So, like any modern-day Einstein would do, I looked it up in urban dictionary.com

zOMG is a varient of the all-too-popular acronym "OMG", meaning "Oh My God". The "z" was originally a mistake while attempting to hit the shift key with the left hand, and type "OMG" Also used in all-caps, 'ZOMG' is generally used in a sarcastic manner, more often than not a humiliating fasion. It is also used as a device for stating the obvious.

Interesting. The frickin adjective was (popularised by Omar's status update but originally coined by me), a lovechild of a lousy keyboard and poor spelling. No.

Someone's fricking spelling mistake is used as a popular adjective internationally.

And you wonder why I'm not a fan of modern vocabulary. But I do like this definition!

ZOMG was the ruler of the planet XYRZON until 2451 AD, when he was overthrown by KFOP after the battle of SHMUR. the battle marked the violent end to ZOMG'S noble reign as ultra-lord. KFOP soon proved to be an incapable ruler of XYRZON, and the planet collapsed into chaos in 2453. Since that day, the residents of XYRZON have used ZOMG as a declaration, nay, an exclaimation of hope. Hope that one day peace shall return to XYRZON, on the shoulders of a truly worthy king.

Hasta La Vista Baby.

Crimson Tide - A review

Posting here before Ning because only within this pallid box can I find the vigor and spark of inspiration that drives me to write something great.

Leaders are not born, they're made. They define what society turns out to be. I really do feel that the role of leaders is to make decisions. As simple as that sounds in words, it is an ultimately complex and potentially traumatising role. Their job is to make decisions in place of the people under their charge (because they have proven themselves to be the most competent to do so) and these decisions will irrevocably discern the fate of these people and - in the case of Crimson Tide - the fate of mankind as we know it.

Decisions, decisions. I believe that that is what Crimson Tide is trying to bring across. The underlying power and emotional influence of decisions, determined by the extent of the repercussions. The movie is practically littered with decisions, from the most mundane like whether or not to tell Cobs to cut down on the cheeseburgers, to shooting a couple of rockets to end the world in a nuclear Armageddon, with trillions of lives at stake.

We, ourselves, were faced with our very own Sophie's Choice. Team Ramsey or Team Hunter (Damn it I hate the Twilight reference!) ? In my humble opinion, both Ramsey and Hunter were well-matched. Both characters had equally credible arguments, and although my sympathies were with Hunter (faced with the prospect of billions of deaths, it is best to err on the side of caution), I could understand the logic of the more senior officer. Ramsey, despite common opinion, is not a warmonger nor a mad dog. He is an officer, with the greatest amount of love for his country, so obsessed with protecting it that even an incomplete message meant something, just for him. I really could sympathise with him although in the end all roads led back to XO Hunter. It was my tough decision.

Personally, what I felt was the most compelling and heart-wrenching decision was not to send any missiles, but rather XO Hunter's decision to lock those 3 servicemen in the bridge. Objectively, it was either to send those three men to the gallows or risk endangering the entire submarine. When weighing the fate of 3 men, to the rest of the boat and potentially the world, the decision was absolutely obvious. Yet, we were forced to see one of the servicemen pleading at the top of his lungs for his friends to climb out of the bridge. He was begging them to save themselves. "PLEASE just climb out", he screamed coarsely.

Imagine what Hunter must have felt as he heard the difficult pleas of those men over the conn. It is inherently at these moments, when we actually see for ourselves the consequences of the XO's decision, when we look into the prayerful eyes servicemen and his doomed friends, that we realise how powerful decisions can be. Even deep in my heart, I too, was pleading Hunter not to seal them in.

That is exactly what define leaders. Their role is to make the right decisions with clearness and intelligibillity, and to sustain that clarity of thought regardless of what he himself feels. To know that despite killing 3 young men now, he saved countless of others in the future. They also have the added responsibility to inspire.

The idea of inspiration is embodied in both Hunter and Captain Ramsey.

Captain Ramsey is an advocate of inspiration in a more traditional sense. Through the use of profanity-laden speeches, he can pump adrenaline through the veins of thousands of men with mere words alone. He acts as the patriarch aboard the U.S.S Alabama, making the choices for everybody and coordinating efforts.

Hunter, on the other hand, is an inspiration in a much more personal sense. He looks into the eyes of his subordinates and tells them to do things they never thought they could do in a thousand years.

This is demonstrated in the "Captain Kirk-Scotty" scene aboard the Alabama where he demands the metaphorical Scotty to fix the damned radio or risk sparking of a "nuclear holocaust". ( "Use the Force, Luke! " - Obi-Wan Kenobi, Episode IV) Immediately, the communications engineer loses his despair and begins on the radio. That is the power of leaders: to motivate their people to do things beyond their wildest imaginations and in the case of failure or hopelessness, to drive them back on the right path.

A leader encompasses many things. In the words of Uncle Ben, "With great power, comes great responsibility". Leaders are the people with the greatest amount of power in the world. And henceforth, their responsibility is equally immense.

So who exactly did I find to have the most stressful job in the movie?

It wasn't Hunter, or Ramsey or even Cobs but Aragorn Lt. Weps as well as "Scotty" (I'm not sure of his real name! Besides, "Scotty" is so catchy! ) I feel that these two guys had the greatest pressure because at one point or another, these two brave men had the weight if the world on their tired shoulders. Their decision alone, would put a full stop on the fate of the world.

Weps' emotional and moral dilemma was expertly captured in the face of Viggo Mortensen a.k.a Aragorn from Lord Of The Rings, in the scene where Hunter pleaded for him not to aid the distraught Ramsey on his warpath. Again, a perfect example of a tough decision. Was he to listen to his long-time friend and sabotage Ramsey's efforts at launching nuclear missiles or dismiss Hunter's ridiculous claims and actually lock in those keys and at the same time lock those missiles onto Moscow? Either decision would decide the destiny of the Earth, the latter equivalent to death in the trillions. Trillions. When one is faced with deciding the fate of his world, with a gun pointed at his head, forcing him to choose within 3 counts, I'd imagine that would be pretty stressful.

After answering Mr.Kamal's questions, I would like to add on about why I fancy the movie myself.

Crimson Tide intrigues and compels me exceptionally. The thought of a nuclear holocaust sparked off by a single man's decision is dreadfully ominous. A nuclear holocaust. Words alone cannot fully cover the unbelievable repercussions of such an Armageddon. Mr.Kamal himself describes how we can all be obliterated ... at the speed of light. The sheer idea of such a possibility is disturbing and yet highly intriguing. Crimson Tide sheds light on the reality behind such a possibility. It's more realistic than we know.

I, personally, find bits of ecstasy in the minor references in the movie. I'm really just a geek beyond measure. The mere mention of Jack Kirby and the Silver Surfer is enough to ignite a nerdy "Marvel Comics" flame in me. Add that to Star Trek references to Captain James.T.Kirk, Montgomery Scott (Scotty), and special appearances by Aragorn from LOTR and HRG from Heroes, and I'm blown away like the Death Star in A New Hope.

That said, the movie, in general, is wonderfully striking. The mutiny-themed story is thrilling and absolutely palatable. It shows how adrenaline and intelligence can work seamlessly together. The film is also aesthetically fine, if only via its depiction of submarine containment as a rat's maze navigated only by the best and brightest U.S. soldiers. The camera pirouettes through the ship's bulkheads flawlessly.

There is an added luster of an amazing cast. Denzel Washington's silent, brooding yet riveting depiction of XO Hunter explains why Mr.Kamal constantly refers to him as the Alpha Male actor. In fact, my favourite character from Crimson Tide was actually General Ramsey. He is a wonderful creation - a genial, smiling fellow with more than a hint of menace in his eyes. He makes the air itself tense with his never-ending flow of implicit threats.

We sense a deeper more complex person through his subtle statements, "We are here to preserve democracy, not practice it". A coded EAM is received in our brains.

Overall, I generally like Crimson Tide but don't particularly love it. Partially due to personal reasons. (I gave "Kick-Ass" 5 stars) But it was indeed a good movie and really gave me an 1800 ft.-deep understanding of the Cold War and its dangers. Upon reflection, there are greater messages about leadership and decisions that Mr.Kamal made us look at. So ... a big thanks to Mr.Kamal !

So that's where my "Ning" stuff ends. Truthfully, if I were writing a real review, the paragraph on geekiness would be 22 times its size, and I would make petty insults at Jerome's narcissism hahaha. Gonna write a article on "Will video games ever be treated seriously?" later on. Hasta la vista baby.

The song with the blood

EDIT: I started on this last night, then inconspicuously fell asleep while watching Family Guy , so the continuity in the Lord of the Nic might be erroneous here and there

Good mother of the lord, I have been dying the blog for the past week. But I mean, who talks about the virtues of only using the computer on weekends, and fails to do so every Wednesday. Pfft, what a loser.

A woman of Indian origin made a a sinfully dreadful remark just today, as I returned from the opposite coffee shop after lunch. I believe she was a teacher in the school, in fact, the one whom Pooven hit on one fine History Elective Timed Practice, at which she replied with a comment about the existence of a certain. more attractive boyfriend. Oh what rapier sharp wit!

However, it does not bode well when she uses that fricking rapier to jab at my belief system. So Jerome, Adriel, Arvin and the other 4/1 dudes were attempting to cross the road ( the one in the school ), and a car was approaching. Instinctively, the rather ambiguous teacher exclaimed, "Hey, get off the road you sons of bitches ( or something along that line ) ". Then from her armpits emerged ten other arms and she grabbed all 6 boys and flung them into Nanyang Polytechnic. (Or something like that). Upon realisation that the 16-year-old young adults were relatively safe from an imminent car crash, she said, in direct reference to their class T-shirt, ...

"Hey, I know your T-shirt says your'e not geeks but don't behave like one"

So discriminatory! Totally crossed the line. The line is a dot to her.

EDIT: At this point, I wake up on a Saturday Afternoon, and seamlessly transit into the next part of General News.

In other news, The Things We Can Learn From Facebook.

Lesson Number One: Acronyms such as "jkjk", peppered with "XD" (apparently some depiction of a deceased male who is inexplicably smiling with the utmost glee ) ... do not, in fact, help to make nasty comments more palatable to the reader.

Example.

"I'm sorry Mr.Lim. The surgery was a complete failure. Your wife is now a vegetable and you have to take care of her for the rest of your life, with no real hope of her ever waking up.

Jkjk XD

She's actually dead. "

Nic's Non Sequitur Corner

So one day, a broccoli was sitting on a friendly armchair. And the broccoli asks the affable armchair, "If I'm here, and you're there, and Istanbul is somewhere in this general area,

Where is Deepak? "

Boomz

I'm telling you. Kristen Bell just blows my mind. Like *shapes his hand into a semi-automatic gun and promptly fires the hand-weapon into his brain, causing bits of his cranium and grey-white matter to spatter messily on his Chemistry textbook,

How ... in the name of fanboys ... can a woman be this hot ...

and be an advocate of fanboy-ism at the same time. It's seemingly and humanely impossible. and yet somehow ...

It's true.

Miracles do exist people. Believe.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Teaser

Damn, I actually posted this yesterday and it appeared on the Anderson NCC blog! I even added ultimate fanboyish comments i.e. "I had to be forcibly sedated after watching this".

Man! But I suppose even Mrs Poh or Mr Esfan would find this awesome. I suppose "awesome" is too mild a word to describe Ezio. At these moments, I'm really tempted to use profanities to describe the exceptionally explosive and awe-esque emotions that are sizzling in my blood right now. But after all, this is a family blog. Think of the kids!

Enjoy!

Ubisoft Singapore - A detailed research/ My thoughts on Video Games

You know what? I spent the last 4 hours researching about Ubisoft Singapore from all sorts of sources, primarily their Facebook page.

(http://www.facebook.com/notes/ubisoft-singapore/intern-blog-arvind/117675971696#!/ubisoftsingapore.)

Not once within this 4 hours did I even touch my homework and I don't fricking regret any second of it.

Ubisoft Singapore and Ubisoft-Digipen Campus

I've read blogs about the interns working there. I've read about the game creation process. Even that article on Digital Life regarding Ubisoft Singapore's role in the production of the recent games Assassin's Creed 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Did you know that our studio here in Singapore developed more than one-third of the Prince of Persia game?

I've also read a comprehensive definition and description of what it means to be game designer. The different disciplines in the video game industry can be broadly classified into programming, design, art, and the miscellaneous sectors like Human Resources and Finance.

You see, in the video game industry, design and art are relatively dissimilar. Game designers, under the guidance of the Creative Director or Lead Designer, will develop aspects of gameplay such as problem-solving, the thought process that goes into playing video games, the general user interface as well as the controls that the player will use. Artists, on the other hand, as more related to the visual aspect of the game, the general art direction and how visually-relevant the characters and the background are to the setting of the game.

After assessing my interests and skills, I thought that I'd be better suited in the position of the Game Designer, a position that requires a broader but less specific set of skills. Variations of creative designers include level designers, game designers as well as sound designers. The graphic designers include 2D artists, 3D artists and Environment artists, something I thought Shao Xuan could consider.

As much as the Economic Development Board would like Singaporeans to venture into the Interactive Media industry, scoring a job with Ubisoft Singapore isn't merely a walk in the park. From my readings, I believe that the company does possess and strict requirement criteria. However, upon landing a position within the company, it becomes evident that the company will go the extra mile to develop it's junior members into strong, creative individuals. This involves an all-inclusive program which involves sculpting classes (something very relevant to my love of toys and figurines), life drawing classes, lessons with senior members of the company and further programs to their main studios in North America and Europe to further hone your skills!

The locally-based studio holds meetings to discuss their development on video games, a platform for discussion as well as fun, for there is always a time for relaxation after the meetings held fortnightly. From this, I infer that the team of people are homely and warm and working there could be a pleasant experience. In fact, I really do believe that I could be genuinely happy working in such a place.

As a matter of fact, the studio hosts annuals events such as Halloween (a.k.a a chance to dress as Vader on a yearly basis) and frequent barbeque events.

The other impressive thing about Ubisoft is that it has intelligently collaborated with Digipen, a world-renowned institute for the development of game-oriented individuals. Though it is headquartered in America, the local government has fortunately convinced the institute to set up a campus here in Singapore. The Digipen-Ubisoft campus, though relatively new (its pioneer batch was in October 2009), offers courses on 3D animation, Game Programming and Game Design etc. We can see that the institute will indeed offer us the necessary and relevant skills to successfully break into the budding video game industry whether in America, Japan or right here in Singapore.

My experience with video games

In 2007, my parents purchased an Xbox 360 for my birthday. However, like many other Xbox 360-owners I know, I left it alone for the majority of the following year. Until one day, on the eve of June 2008, I made a quirky decision to buy a European gaming magazine. From the continued purchase of these magazines, my fascination with the entertainment medium grew exponentially. With a rapidly expanding fascination with games, the time and love I had for video games grew as well. And from this uncanny concoction, something beautiful blossomed: Passion.

I developed a passion for games because in them I saw many aspects of life that I really enjoyed. They possessed the heart and depth of a superb piece of literature and infused that with the all-encompassing sense of entertainment derived from watching television. The sense of control over an avatar in a world never seen before was enthralling and palatable. In the crossroads between technology and art, lied an amazing platform called video games. In it, I saw potential. And from it, I derived passion for something not mainstream yet entirely powerful and beautiful. At that precise moment in time, I knew, from the bottom of my heart, that I wanted to be in the video game industry.

Firstly, I strongly believe that when it comes to career choices, Passion > Economic Prospect. Perhaps it has to do with my upbringing or the fact that I never had to worry about whether I'm going to have a roof over my head or when am I going to have my next meal.

Secondly, I understand that the climate of the video game industry is just highly casual. Guys (or more rarely, girls) , in "Come to the dark side, We have cookies" or "I Heart Padme Amidala" T-Shirts. Everyday, as you enter the workplace, a giant statue of Master Yoda or Ezio Auditore from Assassin's Creed II will welcome you into your one true haven. Instead of stocks, you'll be discussing the easter eggs from the latest role-playing game from Bioware.

Thirdly, and most importantly, it's just really the passion. I quote the Code of The Sith.

Peace is a lie; there is only passion.

Through passion, I gain strength.

Through strength, I gain power.

Through power, I gain victory.

Through victory, my chains are broken.

The Force shall free me.

In essence, we are all beings of passions. Passion is what keeps us alive. To think us beyond the need of simple passions is delusional. Think about it. If we didn't have the passion to score well in the 'O' Levels, would we be doing our homework at all? If we didn't have the passion for a certain television show, would we even mention it in our blogs? If we didn't give a damn about our lives, would we do what we do to stay alive? Passion can lead to wealth. But wealth can never lead to passion.

I thoroughly understand that video games aren't something fashionable or the least bit popular with the general public. I know that video games have been commonly associated with obese, bespectacled middle-aged men living with their mothers. They have been thrashed by the media over games like Grand Theft Auto, which advocates crime and meaningless violence. It isn't something that is glorious to be associated with. To many of the people who aren't entirely familiar with the medium, video games are equivalent to the pastimes of adolescent boys. But I just want to say that they've evolved. Video games have matured - metamorphosed - from ugly little caterpillars to stunning, gracious butterflies.

When my parents realised that I wanted to make games in the future, they were entirely supportive because they are great parents. Yet, whenever we discuss about my future at our weekly dinners, I can look into their eyes and realise that they still hope that, one day, I'll become something glorified like a lawyer or a doctor. So they'll ask me, "What do you intend to do after NS?", and as much as I'd like to say Digipen, I would eventually blurt out something like, "Study computer science". Even my sister thinks I should join the SAF as an officer. And it's hurtful, it really is, to know that my dreams differ so far away from all of theirs.

Well, to end off today's post, I'd thought that I would post about a career plan, that I drew up upon finishing research about Ubisoft Singapore. I think that it's nice to have a goal and I refer to Tan Kuan Ting's latest post about "dreams" and despite being a grammatical failure and having some slips here and there, it is truly relevant to all our aspirations.

My Career Plan - Nicholas

Begin by scoring a perfect 6 points for my 'O' Levels

Get into a renowned Junior College - Preferably National Junior College

Score stellar results in the 2012 'A' Levels

Complete my National Service

Enter the University of Design and Technology - Computer Science

Undertake the 10-month PCP course on Game Design at Digipen-Ubisoft Campus

Based on my history with the campus and my passion for video games, send in an application to Ubisoft Singapore for the position of Junior Game Designer

From there onwards, the road should be clear.

:)

I don't rightly know exactly how relevant this blogpost is to you, but I guess it tells us about how impactful our central passions are to our lives, regardless of who you are. In reference to my earlier post on Fangirls, I think that we all should find out what we all love and really, really embrace it tightly. If you're looking for something to do in the future, I strongly suggest that it be related to something that you're real passionate about. Because this passion will only serve to drive you forward and inadvertently bring about success.

What do you guys think?

Neutron Star Collision

Damn, that 2-hour long conversation with the NCC guys on MSN thoroughly and absolutely disrupted my homework plan for today: complete 6 geography questions.

Anyway, I was reading the latest article by IGN about this investigative journalist called Tom Bisell and his latest book, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter. It is exactly these kinds of literature that I am just dying to read. Hence, it is really no wonder why it has propelled itself to the top of my reading list. Of course, I have the finish reading Fellowship first, and how in the name of Gandalf am I going to do that when I spend hours not doing my leftover Geography homework!

So really, the central theme to today's post is a newfound opportunity. My reading of the article on Tom Bisell led me to delve deeper into the ocean of the video game industry. There, I read even more articles about Peter Molyneux, Games Convention Asia ( now defunct ) and the video game industry as a whole.

Did you know that just last year, Peter Molyneux, one of my idols, visited Singapore at the 2009 Games Convention Asia to discuss about Lionhead Studios and venturing into the game industry? What a lost opportunity!

In 2008, the entire video game industry took in approximately USD$26.5 billion, coming in close to the film industry's USD$26.7 billion.

So anyway, I browsed through several prominent game developing companies worldwide e.g. Activision, Lionhead Studios, Electronic Arts, Bioware and Ubisoft. Alas, I realised that the iconic game developers behind stellar games like Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Far Cry and the Tom Clancy games, had their very own studio here in Singapore, aptly situated in the science and technology high-rise business hub Fusionopolis.

You see, for as long as I dreamed of making successful games, I have been looking for an ideal compromise. I wanted to be located here in Singapore, my only true home country. Yet, on the other hand, I wanted to be working in a high-quality and world renowned video game companies, which unfortunately, were primarily based in North America. The Singapore interactive media industry just wasn't ideal. You either had to be indie or be working in an office which was uncannily similar to a cyber cafe.

Ubisoft Singapore answers that eternal question of staying home or pursuing my dream. So its official. I have a new target. As much as I love Bioware, Ubisoft truly complements all my needs at this moment. Who knows, in years to come, Bioware might even set up their own studio here in Singapore! From their Facebook page, Ubisoft Singapore seems real warm and family-like. They even have their own training ground in the form of the university Digipen, also conveniently situated here in Lion City.

And I mean, who could ask for a better video game developer? I just really, really enjoyed the Assassin's Creed series. It infused several accurate historical aspects, with an astounding story and breath-taking gameplay. In fact, Assassin's Creed II ranks as my third favourite video game behind Halo 3 and Mass Effect. Plus, we can tell that I'm not the only one who thought it was awe-inspiring by Mr.Kamal's constant reminders of the parallels between answering tough "O" Level questions and Ezio's amazing ability to kick some serious templar backside.

One of their more prominent franchises, the Prince of Persia series, has inspired a blockbuster film starring Jake Gyllanhal and was a moderately successful film. If I wanted to work under a developer company, I'd want to work with a company like Ubisoft.

So there it is. A benchmark for what I hope to achieve in the days to come. I strongly believe that one day, when your child is playing his/her latest superb video game, he/she's gonna see the name "Nicholas Tan" emblazoned valiantly in the credits.

http://www.ubi.com/US/News/Info.aspx?nId=5116

http://www.facebook.com/notes/ubisoft-singapore/life-at-ubisoft-singapore/142841226696

http://www.facebook.com/ubisoftsingapore?v=app_7146470109#!/ubisoftsingapore?v=wall

http://www.facebook.com/ubisoftsingapore?v=app_7146470109#!/ubisoftsingapore?v=info

http://www.facebook.com/ubisoftsingapore?v=app_7146470109#!/ubisoftsingapore?v=app_7146470109

https://singapore.digipen.edu/dp-ubicampus/about/ubisoft-singapore/

http://www.creativeheads.net/Jobs.aspx?CompanyID=21076

5 words

Assassin's Creed:Brotherhood => Airborne Assassinations.

I'm literally weeping tears of joy right now.

Fangirls: Kristen Bell

Last Thursday, I walked into a video rental store located conveniently beside my tuition center. At that precise moment, I was completely enamored by a short clip of this woman playing on the Blu-Ray player they were exhibiting. It was truly a moment of revelation for she reminded me that some of the great things in life ... were still existent.

Well, this woman is Kristen Anne Bell, 29, and she is the paragon of the classic fangirl. She's exquisite, stunningly beautiful, quaint in the most charming manner and oh so cute. So cute is she, that she named her lazy eye "Smurfette", after the female cartoon character from The Smurfs . She's amazingly liberal and played dirty games with the cast of Fanboys. And also, look at that bloody picture and tell me that she isn't ridiculously hot.

However, I believe that the most marvellous aspect that defines Kristen Bell is her geek chic lifestyle.

You see, Kristen has been associated with the idea that "nerdy is the new cool", and I quote,

"What I like about nerdiness - geekiness - is that it doesn't really matter what you're into - it just means you're not a follower." - Kristen Bell

I really love this quote for it explains the heart of what it means to be a geek. Geeks know that being "a meaningless dot in a sea of people" is highly unsatisfying. I refer to the 87.9% of people who will coo, clap uproariously and most annoyingly, exclaim "aww" at every one of Mr.Kamal's movie screening.

It also explains why I really embrace the geek lifestyle, from the video games to the comic books to the in-depth knowledge about Darth Vader's helmet. I like having an identity and a central passion in my seemingly pathetic teenage life. The fortune of having friends that share this passion serves to catalyse the passion to mind-blowing levels. Major emphasis on the "mind-blowing" part.

"(Geeks are) people who like what they like and don't apologise for it just because it isn't mainstream." - Kristen Bell

Very true. Take me for example. I'm not one to betray who I am to be popular. I believe that "When you have no morals, you have nothing." So I'd rather be alone and geeky than be popular and betray my morals, which is sadly, the fact right now. (*shrugs it off with a casual "Haha" to hide my sorrow).

Inherently, this sense of individualism and finding who I really am, makes life very enjoyable. So ... a point for Kristen.

Moreover, Kristen's tantalizing roles in Veronica Mars, Heroes, as a video game character in Assassin's Creed and the titular female Star Wars fanatic in Fanboys have immortalised her placement as the golden-bikini-clad princess in the centre of the geek universe. She's cornered the market on losers like us.

But Kristen represents something greater. The actual existence of "fangirls", the female counterparts to fanboys. For every Bella, there must be a vegetarian vampire. For every Kuan Ting, there must be a bottle of Ambipur. Unfortunately, for every 1,000,000 fanboys, there is but one fangirl. EPF.

Fangirls are like rare gems. They're smart and funny. They're intelligently funny (Sound familiar?). They'd be able to enter an hour long discussion about the philosophical aspects of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. They'd probably be able to make a funny comment about one of my friends by referencing him to a character in Dragon Age. They could probably valiantly argue about who would win in a fight: Batman or Boba Fett. (Personally, I'd go with Bats) . To put it simply, a female, actually sexy, version of DH Omar Khalid. They're not only your best friend but also someone you love. In the end, doesn't that make them superior to any other girl?

The key to every relationship is common interests. I know that not by personal experience (*people begin making petty jokes about me and girls) but by people like Oprah. That is exactly what fanboys and fangirls share and what's more, their interest in a common subject is so strong that it reinforces the relationship tenfold and make them seem perfect to one another.

When nearly 97% of the world's females are concerned about their popularity or appearances, fangirls shine like supernovas. In essence, appearance plays second fiddle to pure passion when it comes to fangirls.

Sometimes, I'd see a bespectacled girl browsing through games at the game store and I'd be plesantly surprised. Only to realise moments later that they're just buying something for their brothers or their boyfriends. But I know that they're out there. And I'd thank my lucky stars if I ever get to meet one.

Fanboys assemble and share your opinions!

~Nic

Our love ... will be forever

Damn! The body clock is a dreadful thing.

Tomorrow's topic: "Fangirls" .

It was something that I really wanted to discuss today, but I guess I'll be leaving it till tomorrow. I can't give Kristen Bell her due when I'm this close (*positions his index and middle fingers closely together to demonstrate an exceptionally tiny space) to slumber.

I haven't had a University of New South Wales paper in a relatively long time. Today, I finally took one for English writing. Create a complication using "Penguins", "Your Cranium", "Istanbul" and "Racial Apartheid". Or something along the likes of those words. Well, I'd admit that narratives aren't really my strong suit. As much I love The Lord Of The Rings , my proficiency in the story-telling department just isn't stellar. I'm more of a argumentative fellow, and I attribute that to the ridiculous amounts of time I spend reading reviews about video games and well ... blogging. In fact, the highest I got for a piece of narrative was 23/30 in English tuition whereas my discussion about the validity of video games as an entertainment medium garnered a 27/30.

Anyway, my story went a little like this. The lame version: Girlfriend loses her (mobile phone) and the Caller ID (photograph) depicts her cheating on me. Then it morphed into something about white hot hatred and unspeakable felonies.

Jerome wrote carnivorous feline mammals pouncing on his girlfriend. Ti-gers pouncing on Thai Girls, get it ? As the beast feasted on his lover, he took a (photograph) of it and when it was done, he lent it his (keys) to his car, so that it could navigate its way back to the forests of Southern India. An obvious "distinction" story. Unless one of the examiners literally suffers a cardiopulmonary arrest while reading it.

Lots of people did enjoyable activities today. The guys from class went for a movie, which was Eclipse by the way. Deepak and Jerome went to kick some rubber spheres across green pastures. And I ... went home. In truth, I was very reluctant to do so. It is really, at these moments, that I feel really alone. As in "alone" alone. So I sat on my couch and stared at the television. As a matter of fact, I slept through the emotional pain. 4 hours of nap for the socially-troubled. But yeah, I got over it and read about how the "Fellowship of the Ring" was formed.

Enjoy the latest "Glee"-themed playlist !

Nic's Non Sequitur Corner

Q:How many muffins does it take to climb a tree?

A:Octopuses sweat to death.