Monday, July 31, 2006

things to do

things i've gotta do today include:

1. Collecting my new passport!
2. Making sure my visa doesn't get cancelled!
3. Delivering a lens to a customer
4. Get a new ICC (International Calling Card)
5. Get well (I dont know... been feeling so sick lately?)

I can't wait to see my new passport! I've been hanging on to my reallie old one - the red one with gray pages where there are holes punched through the pages? Okay, some of you might remember that one. Well, I'm getting a spanking new printed passport today! Yippie!!!

Yesterday, I went swimming with my youngest bro, Jeremy and a whole lot of other guys from church~ Was reallie fun :) Extremely - only that today I'm aching all over - my arms and chest especially, because of all the swimming and threading of water. *ouch*

Kaes! Gotta go now! ttfn!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Thats my gurl Doca!! chatting with her online... miss u so much ca!!!

Kitten dismembered Sims Drive

Thanks to the SPCA for the photograph and a fellow ClubSNAP member who brought it up... this poor little kitten was brutally murdered and cut into pieces by some heartless fellow! I'm so sad to see that there are people like that who can't appreciate the beauty of creation. It also shocks me that this person would want to cut it up in to pieces even after killing it!! DO YOU Even HAVE A HEART!? :(

I'm leaving some buffer space when this page loads cos the image is VERY GRAPHIC....





































Sunday, July 23, 2006

jobs~

landed me a job today frm 12-5pm... taking photos for SMRT~ woo :) excellent! had heaps of fun! Doca had her hair cut too! Well, she said he had her hair done... not cut much i think, but she got some curls!! WOoOooOO :D

Friday, July 21, 2006

yays!

yays! yays! yays! I'm heading back to Singapore today! My flight's late at night, but I'll be heading up to the airport early cos... I'm KIASU! At the library now just doing sum stuff - internet yah... hehehe~ Hope to see everyone soon! tata!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Flying around

Well... i'm back in Thailand and i'll be back in Singapore on friday! Woohoo :) Flying around... i actually enjoy flying. Anyone here who doesn't? Its a tad bit expensive, but it's fun!!!

Creative got back to me and it was such a i dunno... they said that i shouldnt have bought my Creative MP3 player outside of my own country... i'm from SINGAPORE... and i bought it from SINGAPORE... :S *doh* oh well... sighz... hope to change it for a Zen Vision M. I don't know how... but i'll try~

Monday, July 17, 2006

Dedicated to Benedict :)

This post is dedicated to Ben (Da Doctor) who just turned 21 on the 14th of July 2006! Woohoo! Pictures of your 21st birthday Ben! Lots of love - Nathaniel

Ben's turned 21! A man? hmmm... yeah!!


At church, on Friday (14th) church friends gather round in the social hall and announce his birthday!


There's Ben on the left, standing as the prayer goes on... wooo 21!!


Mom and Dad (with the help of Pengkong) light the candles!!!


More hands make the job quicker... See those hands? See the flames! woo!


The birthday cake! - Made by dear mommy! With 21 candles too! WOOOOO!!!!


The music is starting and Ben's getting excited! hehehe - see the grin on his face?


Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Benedict... happy birthday to you!


Ben's in dream land... haha... dunno what he's wishing :P


He's out of his daze and he's smiling at the 21 candles!!!


Ben takes in a DEEP breath and gets ready to blow out the candles!


He actually managed to blow em out in 2 tries! Bravo!!! So many! haha... okays, now for the cake cutting. Estimating where to cut from...


He starts from the center.


And cuts to the edge...


The cake was cut and then... Ben was in the hot seat! Mascara, Lipstick and geez... look at his face! haha Everyone drew on him!!! (model?)


A first look


A second


The guys then prepared themselves for Ben to take the leap of faith (see if any of them will run away)... hahaha He instructs them to catch him properly... or face the consequences! hahaha


He goes!!!!!!!!!!


And everyone reaches out for strength to not let him fall~!!! see the smiles? so fun!


The girls do it this time.... can they do it? they actually manage too! Way to go Ben! U were brave enough to trust the gurl-powwa! haha


Straight teeth, beautiful smile and definite happiness! Happy birthday Ben :)


Sunday, July 16, 2006

PPCP Tripod reviewed on ClunSNAP!

The PPCP Tripod (www.perfectpixelcameraparts.com) was reviewed by a member from the ClubSNAP community!

First Impression : PPCP Professional Tripod Series


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1-Introduction

I had the great opportunity to be the first to get my hands onto the new tripod that PPCP (http://www.perfectpixelcameraparts.com/) just launched. Just as curious as me and you here who wondered why the tripod that seems so good but yet so affordable, i decided to write a mini review here to answer all your answers.

Firstly, why a tripod? How important is your tripod? Very important if you want to maximize depth of field and image sharpness at low speeds with any camera. Landscape photography without a tripod is pure disaster. Night shots with tripods are almost a must, plus with the upcoming fireworks display nearing our national day celebrations, a good and lightweight tripod will surely make your day a wonderful one.

2 - Detailed Look at the PPCP Professional Tripod


The PPCP Pro tripod is made of machined alloy aluminium and has 4 leg sections operated by quick release levers. It has a maximum height of 165cm and a minimum of 50cm. One first look at it gives me a very professional feel and it seems like it is well made.

Also, the PPCP Pro tripod comes standard with a ballhead mount and a quick release plate for your camera mounting. Operating of the mount allows the user to quickly mount and remove the camera in one swift pull of the lever. The top of the quick release plate is lined with cork, and thus protecting the base of your camera from any scratches or damage. The screw mount is made of metal, not plastic in cheaper models.

The tripod comes with sponge like grips on each leg called leg warmers. It also makes it easier for the user to carry them. It can also do low angle shots, a feature found in only the top range of other branded tripods (which costs alot too ) The tripod has 3 different locking heights for the legs and is easily set by pulling out the mechanical switch and settign the leg to the desired height and then pushing it back in to lock it hard.

Another feature that really amazed me is that the PPCP tripod came with dual function tripod feet (rubber with changable spikes). The spikes are useful when using the tripod on soft ground like carpeted floor and the rubber feet are great for normal usage on tiled or hard grounds. You can change the rubber feet to spike anytime by turning the rubber upwards.

3 - Complains

The PPCP tripod would be the ultimate professional tripod if it has come standard with
1. built in level bubble
2. carrying hook at the bottom
3. carrying bag
4. carrying sling

However, in my opinion, this are minute things that will not undermine PPCP Professional tripod being one of the most value for money tripod out there in the market.

Also as told by PPCP, this things mentioned can be bought as accessories from their product lineup at their website.(http://www.perfectpixelcameraparts.com/)

4 - Conclusion

The PPCP Professional Tripod is a wonderful tripod with capabilities which extend what most tripods can do. It is definately value for money, and now with its one time early bird promotion of only $110, i seriously think it is a bargain deal. Even with the complains mentioned, the price that you are paying is surely worth it. I strongly recommend it to all who are planning to get a tripod for your snapping hobby.

Thank you for taking your time to read this review

Terry

a very unhappy nat

i'm unhappy. i just got back to mission college, thailand after a bad start to the day. i arrived at the airport with my pal lyndelle and we were told that our flight was delayed (by two hours). he and i then sat down and killed time... we walked around too... T1 and T2... so boring. upon reaching thailand, it was raining... we went to the van station... it was 34 degrees IN THE SHADE... sweating like crazy. the van took off at 6:30pm thailand time...

i was happy for a while - listening to music on my NEWLY REPLACED creative zen microphoto. i reached back to my dorm, met my gf who greeted me with an uber big smile and hug (ahh... highlight of the day). i came back to my room... mp3 player still playing music. i plug it into my computer to add some photos and... UGH!!! the same problem that came with my original set (that was 1 day old and replaced the next day) surfaced... is God playing some cruel joke on me? *ugh*

- disgruntled -

so now i have a paperweight that's valued at a grand $339... how nice. scratch resistant white/gray paperweight... even my $100 512mb brandless mp3 player doesn't die or hang like this... i am so *amused* right now at what technology brings us. ahhh.. nate's a very unhappy customer.

- uber disgruntled -

plane

i'm leaving your town, again.. and I can see your house from here... if the plane goes down, damn... - lyrics from a song by Jason Mraz entitled "Plane". So many ppl told me not to listen to that song before I fly... but... haha it's stuck in my head! Gosh!

Well, here's to Benedict (my bro) who's turned 21 over the weekend! *yay* And lotsa hugs and kisses to my family. I'm blogging from Singapore - Budget Terminal at Changi. Flying off soon. My flight got delayed... oh well *shrugs*

Back to school again~ *sigh* All good things come to an end. I guess this is the end of one good thing - glad it's only temporal~ heehee

nate

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

bloggie

guess what? i havent blogged in a while! news is that I'm back home in Singapore with my two bro's... yes we're all back home! Whee! hehehehe

I got myself a TRIC case (a new SUPER light guitar case) yesterday and it should solve all of my travelling problems (with the old case that weighs at abt 6.5kg without the guitar).

Short blogging. haha :D

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

The big speech examination

This is the class that I decided to challenge. What's that? It's basically submitting a form saying that you've taken classes or have experience in the topics covered in a certain class and asking for permission to challenge the class and just take the examination without having to attend the classes.

The final examination is TOMORROW *gasps* and I'm revising... did my notes at the library and now I'm gonna type it all up here! *yay* For those who are interested... these are the basics for speaking in public :D

------------------------------------

Guidelines in preparing Visual Aids
- Avoid using the chalkboard
- Display VA (visual aid/s) where your listeners can see them
- Avoid passing the VA around during your speech (it distracts them from your speech)
- Display the VA only when discussing them
- Talk to the audience - not to your VA
- Practice your speech with the VA
- Explain the VA clearly and concisely

Types of informative speeches
- Objects
- Processes
- Events
- Concepts

Guidelines for informative speeches
- Don't overestimate what the audience knows. Explain the details that you are putting forward.
- Relate the subject directly to the audience. Be creative, tie the audience into your speech.
- Don't be too technical. Not everyone will understand the jargon that you're dishing out. Layman's terms would be fantastic!
- Avoid abstractions. Use vivid descriptions to send a clear message across.
- Personalize your ideas. Make the ideas relate to the audience.

The ethics of persuesive speaking
- Maintaining a bond of trust is a must
- Be honest in what you say
- Study the topics thoroughly so that you won't mislead the audience
- Be accurate with facts
- Build your speech on firm grounds of logic before appealing to the emotions of the audience

What makes a persuasive speech successful?
How well you tailor values, attitudes and beliefs strategically to win the audience

Persuasive speeches on Questions of Fact
- What - These are questions that have absolute answers. eg. How far is my home to town?
- Speeches on questions of fact are usually topically arranged

Persuasive speeches on Questions of Value
- What - These are questions on moral values. eg. About worth, morality etc.
- Speeches on questions of value are usually topicall arranged

Persuasive speeches on Questions of Policy
- What - These speeches question if a specific course of action should/should not be taken. There are 1. Speeches to gain Passive agreement. 2. Speeches to gain immediate action.
Analysis:
- Need (is there a need from current policy?)
- Plan (is there a plan to solve the problem?)
- Practicality (will this plan solve the problem?)
- Speeches on Questions of policy are organised as such:
- Problem-Solution order (main point is problem. second deals with the solution)
- Problem-Cause-Solution order (main point is problem. it is then analyzed. a solution is offered)
- Comparative Advantages order (main point explains why the speaker's method (solution) is the preferred choice
- Monroe's Motivated Sequence (1. Attention 2. Need 3. Satisfaction 4. Visualization 5. Action)

What makes a speaker credible?
- Competence (intelligence, expertise, knowledge of the subject)
- Character (sincerity, trustworthiness, concern for audience)

Types of credibility
- Initial - credibility before the speech starts
- Derived - credibility attained during the speech
- Terminal - credibility attained at the end of the speech

How to use evidence
- Use specific evidence - statistics, examples, testimony.
- Use novel evidence - cite well-known facts and new evidences
- Use evidence from credible sources
- Make clear the point of the evidence brought forward.

The kinds of logical fallacies
- Red Herring - an error in reasoning that introduces an irrelevant issue to divert attention from the subject matter under discussion
- Ad Hominem - an error in reasoning that attacks the person rather than dealing with the real issue that is in dispute
- Either-or - making the audience choose one of two alternatives when there are actually more than just two
- Bandwagon - an assumption that because something is popular, it is good, correct, desirable
- Slippery Slope - an assumption that taking a first step will inevitably lead to subsequent steps that cannot be prevented

How to generate an emotional appeal
- Use emotional language
- Develop vivid examples
- Speak with sincerity and conviction

YAY :D




Amazing!

It's totally out of this world... my song "All I Want Is You" is #3 on the CCM Charts and at #14 on the POP charts! It's PHENOMINaL for my first song of course! haha :) I'm so elated! Hopefully my next release will move up the charts the way this is going... wheeeee!

This is what I saw today...


CCM charts


POP charts


WOOHOO!! :D

-n

Monday, July 03, 2006

SHOCKED

"I am not getting married"

"It's too late for me..." (he's only 26)

"Too busy, a lot of things to do"

"Too much responsibility"

"Maybe arranged marriage"

- wah...... those were taken frm my friend - just. I am in shock... and i don't believe a word.

*faint*

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Up to #18 today!

Da song has moved up to #18! Wow whee!!! i wonder how far up it'll go...... *thinks*

http://www.soundclick.com/nathanieltan <-- leave me some messages on my message board!

Sadness...

England lost on penalties... again... quarterfinals... again. The game felt like it was going into penalties and it did... kinda felt that England was gonna lose when Beckham was substituted out early in the second half. The subsequent red-carding of Wayne Rooney summed it up.

Have to give credit to England for playing well and holding out despite being a man down. They rallied on and almost scored on 2 occasions despite the loss of their captain and their chief striker. Portugal played against a 10-man side that seemed like 11 men on the field. Way to go!

I was sad when the penalties were missed and saved by Ricardo of Portugal... ugh... England just doesn't have luck with the penalties :(

On to a slow, sad day for me...