Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Will be away for a while...

Guess that means no blog updates, here, or in my other blogs (taiji and fishing). I will be back in the middle of September.

DAZ 3D

Found a new 3D software called DAZ 3D today, available for free. The starter pack is free till 31 Aug 2007, if you are interested. I had some problems trying to download it, though... those who succeed, do let me know.

GIMP in Japan

I don't think GIMP is that popular in Japan. After all, the visit to the bookstores came up with only 2 books on GIMP. Most of the books on graphics design and digital image editing focused on Photoshop and other commercial software.

Then again, a visit to a Singapore bookstore turned up with ZERO books on GIMP.

To get a book on GIMP in Singapore, the most efficient way is to order it online. And besides the high cost of the book itself, you will need to pay for shipping.

Compared to this option, Japanese books on GIMP seemed much cheaper. They are affordable, cheaper compared to those in English. I am not sure about shipping charges to Singapore, though. But if you visit Japan often and understand Japanese, this may be a cheaper option.

Second Life in Japan

Apparently, Second Life is big in Japan.

A visit to the local bookstore came up with about 5 books (in Japanese) related to Second Life. These were either books introducing the online game, or those discussing the economy/business side in more detail.

At the local computer store, in the computer books section, there were about 5 more books on Second Life as well, different from those found at the local bookstore. That makes a total of about 10 books on Second Life, all in Japanese. I don't think there are that many English books on Second Life, even though Japanese may not make up the majority in the Second Life population.

No more guys

One of the sites that I like to visit is Japan Today. And here is an interesting article on how mice were reproduced without the use of sperms. Guess that means the end of having us guys around... I guess it is only a matter of time, since females give birth, not males. We probably have more chance getting two females to reproduce, than trying to make two males reproduce.

Bye bye anti-piracy dogs

Malaysia has been using dogs to help catch copyright pirates selling illegal VCDs, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. Guess it is goodbye to them now. See this article here.

But then, if there are sighs of piracy going back up after these dogs are gone, I am sure they will be brought in again. I haven't been to the Causeway for some years now, and so I haven't seen these dogs in action before, but I heard that they have busted a few cases before.

Email - Stress at work

Someone shares my view. In fact, not just one person. But many.

In a recent study, email has been identified as a cause of stress at work. Read this article if you want to find out more.

Home

Today is Singapore's National Day, the day which we commemorate our independence, gain on this day in 1965. This year's parade was done on a floating platform, with elaborate displays both on the platform and surrounding waters. While I still think that the gesture is too elaborate, the National Day Parade never fails to show the commitment we have as a nation, one which is young and still trying to find its footing in a fast changing world.

Singapore is home. The songs we have written each year brings out the patriotic feelings that I have for my country. Every time I arrive at Changi International Airport from another country, the "And to all Singaporeans, welcome home" greeting reminds me that this is a place that I can truly call home. We may be a small nation, we may be a young nation, but that is our beauty. Yes, we are not perfect, we have lots to learn (and sometimes our pride gets in the way) but give us time and we will show that we can become a country with class, not just empty pride.

Yes, I may have lots to say about my country, and most of it can be very critical, but deep down, I love my country. And the reason why I am critical is because I deeply wish for my country to grow and become a better place for everyone. And when we have mature into a country able to take criticism, then we know that we reached the next level in our country's development.

Too elaborate a gesture

National Day is coming. And like all National Days in the past, we will have a big celebration in Singapore with the traditional National Day Parade. Only that this year, it will be in a different location (over water). There will be so much more displays compared to the past, where we had military contingents marching, and people performing mass displays. This year, there will be other, more spectacular performances taking place over the water.

Now, are we putting too much effort and money into this? Yes, being able to hold such a parade each year speaks well of the coordinating and organising abilities of our military and the nation as a whole. It is a deterrent in itself. But must each year be better than the last? When do we stop pushing ourselves? When will it become a waste of resources rather than a show of ability? How much bigger must our National Day Parade be before it becomes a costly show for the sake of being a show better than the last one?

Is there a need to outdo ourselves each year? Or should a parade just be a parade, and once it has shown that we can do it, stop at that?