Movie 2013.01.20 - The Soloist

L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez bumps into homeless guy Nathaniel Ayers who turns out to be a musical savant who dropped out of Julliard. He drums up some publicity and gets him a cello and tries to get him to check into a homeless shelter. He pulled a few strings to get him to play a recital at Disney Hall, too. Didn't work out very well because Ayers is schizophrenic and does things his own way. In the end, he got tired of being responsible for Ayers every step of the way, so he got the sister (Ayers') to come and take over.

At least that's how I remembered the story, as every scene is dragging and drawn out, and I dozed off a couple of times. Makes for an interesting column in the papers, but probably not meaty enough for a movie.

New Maps for Old TomTom

Took some time out to update the maps on my Tomtom One V3 PND. First thing you gotta do is check the compatibility charts, as different map versions come with different features. Best place to check is the GPS Underground forums. Personally, I only need the IQ Routes and ALG (Advanced Lane Guidance) features. Download the appropriate map versions and safety cams files from the usual places (Mobilism, GPS Underground, Navitotal, etc.) Use FastActivate to, um, "enable" the maps. Of course, you need to have the proper meta entries before the maps can be identified and activated. Again, get the meta codes from the forums.

In my case, FastActivate found the safety cam files, but can't see the map files. Tried patching ttsystem again, but that didn't work. Turns out that Fast Activate is using its own meta.txt file (an old copy downloaded from a remote server), and not the updated one I supplied. Quick solution is to locate this meta.txt file (in \users\\AppData\Local\) and update it manually. After this, the maps were activated successfully. Recent destinations were lost, and need to be entered again manually.

Darling Harbour Day Out

Having bought the Merlin Pass just the other day, now's the time to start using it. Went into the city early to catch the early bird parking at Darling Quarter Wilson Parking. Entry before 9:30am and exit after 3pm for $14 whole-day parking. Book a bay online and the rate goes down to $10. I reckon the summer special promo is very popular as the online slots are all booked out. We spent some time at the playground, then off to see the giant yellow rubber duckie. The 5-storey high "sculpture" by artist Florentijn Hofman is part of the Sydney Festival which opened on January 5. After a few pictures, we headed for the Sydney Aquarium.

After the renovation, it's now called the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. Protip: Instead of joining the queue for entry tickets, just go to the gift shop and buy them there. Anyway, that's where we got our personalized Merlin Passes. The aquarium is interesting enough that we spend a couple of hours there. We even bought the $35 photobook that they are upselling to us. Yup, that's where the photos at the entrance went. By the time we got out for lunch, there's a long, loong line for aquarium tickets. Didn't know it's that popular.

Next stop is Madame Tussauds wax musuem. I expected the place to be kitschy, but I came away impressed with the displays/sets and the quality of the wax sculptures. Everyone seems to be having a good time taking pictures with the personalities. Ah, the things you could do to them here, and still get away with. Last stop is Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Having been to Taronga Zoo, nothing here excites me. One good thing is that their photobook costs only $10(?).

Movie 2013.01.07 - 미녀는 괴로워 (a.k.a. 200 Pounds Beauty)

Another Korean romcom tearjerker. Movie is about this fantastic singer whose only fault is being 200 pounds heavy, so she can only be a ghost singer and a part-time phone-sex operator. She doesn't have to work the phones lines, but that's how she got to know a plastic surgeon, who's her regular customer. So she blackmails the good doctor to give her the works. You know where this is going.

She has the voice, now she has the body. She goes back to the music promoter who previously admitted that he's just using her, and together they are a force to be reckoned with. During her first major concert, a disgruntled "singer" exposes her as a fraud. She breaks down on stage, makes a tearful confession about the plastic surgeries, acknowledges her mentally-challenged father, and sings her way back to the audience's hearts.

Although the plot is pretty cliched, it makes one think about the pros and cons of plastic surgery. The performances from the actors are quite good and convincing, especially Kim Ah-joong. Hot!

Movie 2013.01.05 - The Scapegoat

One of the more engaging movies I've watched lately. Mr. Standing, who teaches Greek, was recently laid off. He meets his doppelganger Mr. Spence in a pub. The two drank and talked until late. Next morning, Mr. Standing was awakened by George the chauffeur, and everyone seems to think that he's Mr. Spence. Out of curiosity, he allows himself to be driven back to the manor. What follows is a tale similar to The Prince and the Pauper, but with a twist.

Turns out Mr. Spence was supposed to go to London to negotiate a deal to save their glass foundry, but he didn't or wasn't able to do so. Standing goes along with the charade, so now he has to deal with the failing business, the nagging matriarch, the neglected wife Frances, the angry sister, etc. Now, there is actually money to save the business, but it is locked up in a trust fund - only to be released when Frances produces a male offspring or if she passes away.

While Standing was out hunting with some friends, Spence came back and convinces Frances to OD on morphine. Standing uncovers this plot in time and manages to revive her. At the foundry, Spence forces Standing at gunpoint to exchange clothing with him with the intent to kill him off. A fight ensues and Spence was accidentally killed. Standing goes back to the manor to continue on with the charade. To be fair, he did plan on simply disappearing, but a suspicious family friend called him out and asked him to stay.

Movie 2013.01.02 - Les Misérables

Didn't preview the trailer before watching the movie. Had no idea the actors would be singing their lines and performing all the songs in full. Had I known, I would've watched the actual musical itself.

That said, the movie is quite good. There are some things that can only be done well in cinema (and special effects), and not on stage. Am impressed with the actors with their acting and their singing prowess, especially Russell Crowe (Javert) and Anna Hathaway (Fantine) and Amanda Seyfried (Cosette). Who would've thought these guys could actually sing?! Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter (Monsieur and Madame Thénardier) are very much in their element. Quite impressed with Daniel Huttlestone (Gavroche). Cheeky kid.

Only complaint is the incessant sniffling and crying from the audience towards the end of the movie.

Buzz Lightyear Light Chaser Toy Battery Change

Son got a Buzz Lightyear toy with spinning lights and laser gun for Christmas. Battery's a bit low already, and I can't figure out where the battery compartment is. With the help of Google, I determined the batteries are hidden behind the jet pack, but no instructions as to how to replace them. Hence this post.

Lots of Buzz Lightyear toys out there. The one I'm talking about is a Disney World exclusive with three "tentacles" coming out of Buzz' helmet, which spins around and lights up when his legs are squeezed together.

Basically, you need to pop off the jet pack. There's a top hinge and a lower tab. Press the lower tab in, and use a screwdriver to pop out the jet pack. Be careful, as you might break off some plastic part. Hopefully, the pictures will help you.