Pete's Write

John Carter movie review

2012-03-18T23:29:00.003+08:00

John Carter movie review The current lack of a big TV has forced me to explore the cinemas more, and it was with some initial reluctance that I decided to go, especially with the new price increases, but it turned out to be a good experience. Firstly with a friend's discount, I got a cheaper ticket and the show we picked turned out to be a nice show.... The actors in John Carter are no A-list

Some links on buying a TV...

2012-03-18T15:25:00.000+08:00

Just sharing a post I made about choosing a TV: 1 - have a budget, and use this link to see what are the actual prices others have paid: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/house-displays-226/please-post-your-purchase-prices-here-thread-2183485.html#post65013321 Then see the stickies in Hardwarezone, on LCD vs Plasma Vs LED for the pros and cons of each technology. Places to buy: http://

Budget 2012: More help for the needy, less foreign workers in the future

2012-02-18T05:57:00.000+08:00

Budget 2012: More help for the needy, less foreign workers in the future http://www.asiaone.com/print/Business/News/My%2BMoney/Story/A1Story20120217-328643.html Budget includes greater spending on healthcare and public transport as well as higher grants for poorer Singaporeans. -Reuters, AsiaOne

Scarpa Terra GTX

2012-02-16T20:16:00.000+08:00

Just got a pair of these for my Nepal trip:Designed to excel in rugged terrain, the Scarpa Terra GTX hiking boot provides ultimate comfort and support when you're traversing the trails. Made from premium quality full grain leather, this classically styled boot features a waterproof GORE-TEX® (Performance Comfort Footwear) lining for sensational breathability and comfort. Additionally,

Drive - movie review

2012-02-16T08:39:00.003+08:00

Drive - movie review This was another flight movie and sitting in the dark cramp cattle class seat, it helped me focus on this movie. It brought mixed feelings for me, watching it just after Valentine's day as I crossed continents... Ryan Gosling does well to convey the spectrum of emotions as a driver for hire, who can flip a car with the ease of someone flipping his pancakes, and he is asked to

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - movie review

2012-02-10T20:28:00.003+08:00

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy Just saw this on a flight.... This is a classic Brit show, and if anyone is expect another Bourne Identity, they will be sorely disappointed... Although the pacing is faster than the Alec Guiness show, which was a mini-series, it will not be for those demanding a car chase, explosions or even a fist fight. Instead, it is a journey into the minds of a few men,

The Debt - movie review

2012-02-05T23:28:00.001+08:00

The Debt This was a spy thriller, which provided a distraction for a quiet Sunday night - free on cable... The Israeli themed story of the hunt for an infamous Nazi war criminal is not unlike another Israeli theme spy show (Munich). Helen Mirren leads a cast of very capable actors who flesh out this movie in a time-shift fashion, going back and forth between the younger versions of the

The centre speaker

2012-02-01T23:56:00.001+08:00

Just a quick note on the use of the centre speaker.It has already been mentioned countless times that one should use a speaker with the same drivers as the front pair, or at least the same tweeter as the fronts.As for how to place it, some basic principles:- it should be on a stable, non-resonant surface. That means that if you are using some Ikea console, or a sonorous Queenie glass / metal

Johnny English Reborn

2012-01-23T10:24:00.000+08:00

Mr Bean talks, and he also shoots, goofs up and gets the girl... Johnny English isn't just about Rowan Atkinson as a talking Mr Bean spy... it's a barrel of laughs, and he spoofs a few spy movies along the way, whilst giving us visceral (and testicular) humor ala D Craig in Casino Royale, throws in a Bond actress (Rosamund Pike) and a female boss (in the form of the still delectable

The Veteran 2011 - film review

2012-01-19T23:28:00.001+08:00

The Veteran... This is a small UK production, which might have slipped under the radar, and runs against the vein of the usual summer blockbusters. Toby Kebell (he played one of the princes in Prince of Persia) is a veteran who has return from Iraq and Afganistan to UK to a drug and crime ridden neighbourhood. He faces a life in which his skills in war are no longer prized and he gets

The Socerer and the White Snake - Jet Li

2012-01-02T23:07:00.002+08:00

The Socerer and the White Snake - Jet Li A modern spin on a classic tale, and the emphasis is on modern... Those expecting a Jet Li Kung Fu special will disappointed, as most of the action is CGI... There is plenty of action, the surround effects and bass are very decent and there is a 7.1 soundtrack. In addition, there is loads of eye candy, and you could get diabetes by

Shopping in Shenzhen & HKG + China's obession with money...

2012-01-02T09:50:00.000+08:00

Had a recent trip to China and Hong Kong. Some notes on going to HKG from China. There are many entry points. Some have the China and HKG customs one after another, so you clear them almost simultaneously. Others need you to re-board the bus again. The bus ride is usually around an hour, and there are many options, and usually cost <$50 RMB or HKG per trip. The ferry costs $110 but goes

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

2012-01-02T08:34:00.000+08:00

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen The plot is a fantasy tale of a young writer who travels to Paris with his fiance, her parents and gets transformed into the 1920s. It's a simple plot, but explores the mind of the writer as he expresses his unease with his fiance's attraction to anther man, just as he struggles to finish his novel amidst less than encouraging comments from his potential

Time to upgrade?

2012-01-01T20:54:00.000+08:00

Now that you have the setup for a while, slowly but steadily, you seem to crave more and after a visit to a hi fi buddy's home, it finally got to you. It's time to get something else.Now unlike spouses, it's a rather easy step to do this, and you can undo your mistake, or get another if the first does not suit. The main thing is how to maximise your buck.Firstly, you have to look long and hard

Mitsubishi HC 4000 review II

2011-12-25T20:15:00.001+08:00

This is my first venture back into projector after an initial period spent with an Infocus 4805 in 2005 in a small apartment in Westmead. It was loads of fun and proved size does matter, and I had dozens of people come by at our little gatherings to gawk at the image, which was simply projected into an empty white wall. It was the time of DVDs and component video, and no one was complaining

"10 Things I hate about you" - DVD review

2011-12-22T00:17:00.001+08:00

I haven't been writing as much - renovations for my HT pad just finished this week...But I managed to squeeze in an old show, which I had in my closet for a while:"10 Things I hate about you" starring the late Heath Ledger, and Julia Stiles. This show will showcase a few young stars and also propel them to great heights later on. Basely loosely on a Shakespeare play "The Taming of the Shrew",

Rhythmic FV15HP review

2011-12-18T22:47:00.001+08:00

Just putting up some basic info first on this new purchase, which will reach me sometime in mid Jan 2012, to replace an older SVS PB12+ Reviews: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/speakers/subwoofers/rythmik-fv15hp Specifications DS1510 driver + H600PEQ Amplifier Seamless aluminum cone with Santoprene edge “Direct-Servo” amp design allowing for micro-fine tuning of system output

Speaker placement really matters

2011-12-11T20:02:00.000+08:00

The dust is settling on my new place, and now I can get down to getting that whizzing bullets past me, and all the surround ambience I had in the old place, and reproducing that in my new and larger den. After a period of setting up and calibrating and speaker movement, I would to share some points. Firstly, ceiling speakers are an aesthetic compromise. They are fine if you just want some

The ideal Home Theatre console design

2011-12-03T22:17:00.000+08:00