Somewhere in the background is my Alcatel Speedtouch 510, whose modem has died.
Now I am back online at home with my new Belkin N+ Wireless Modem Router 8635! After a harrowing 9 days offline I am back. I usually blog about computer stuff I buy so I can refer to when I bought it by searching my blog.
Thanks Neo for the recommendation – lifetime warranty with 1-to-1 exchange is a major dealbreaker!
If you’re wondering why my hair looks kinda flat now, it is not because it knows it is going to be cut for charity.
It is because I am concealing… cornrows!
From the side, I look kinda cyberpunk or Predator-like. And I like it.
The first person that came to mind when I got this, was Chuck Mosley, original vocalist for Faith No More. Then the long mohawk was quite Anthony Kiedis-like. There was definitely something 80’s and quite metal-ish about this (or maybe it was my face!)
From the back. I originally wanted a typical basketball/globe projection design but Tony the hairstylist said my head was not round so it would not suit that style. And so, it was parted in 3, with the hair in the middle untouched so I could do whatever I want with it (a mohawk, or cover my cornrows!)
I love the ability to hide my cornrows to avoid questions and girls following me home who cannot stop saying how cool it is.
(Credits to Waifon for taking this picture.)
The hair was parted in many ‘combs’ and each ‘comb’ was then braided very close to the scalp. Yes, it was painful at first! However once it gets to the end of each comb it becomes a regular braid.
(Credits to Pin Pin for taking this picture.)
Here you can see the individual braids hanging out, unfinished.
It also hurts to have your neck in that position, more than it does when the braiding happens!
Finally, the individual braids are combined into one big braid, which forms one of two major trunk lines, which are then secured with a hair band each. (Refer to the back view above.)
I now have major respect for anyone with cornrows and dreadlocks – the process of getting it hurts!
69 GET! (Liquified in Photoshop.)
I got my cornrows done at C’Cut Hair Salon, Lot 85, 5th floor, Berjaya Times Square. This is certainly not your usual salon as you’ll see when you enter. 😀
For all the other pictures I shall thank smashpOp and his Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan lens at 210mm F11 for a perspective that will bring out the hair.
And yes, I am still going bald this 28th of March 2010 so please do donate to the cause! It was my hair’s last wish to get funky (I originally kept long hair with the intent of making it dreadlocks but it was too socially unacceptable so I settled for cornrows.)
I present to you a new high definition image resolution on my blog – 720×480 pixels! What better to start it off than with Moonshine: A Homemade Music Show, a certain 10th of December 2009 ago.
This new resolution is due to Facebook finally supporting 720 pixels on my account, for all of you who like to take my pictures and post on your Facebook profile (but keep the watermark yeah! If you insist on removing the watermark, make sure to credit me in the text.)
This also marks the first time I have broken compatibility for 640×480 screens (explains my previous 600×400 image size.) Well at least it’s still compatible for 800×600 screens!
Zalila Lee, the funky songmeister.
This shot of her made it to the birthplace of the Moonshine show – No Black Tie.
Spot my picture in the calendar!
Somebody’s had a long night.
Next up, Monoloque! Loque of Butterfingers on the left.
There was just something about his expressions which were so funny!
Loque’s Dahlia.
Keys all over the left, and electronic drums all over the right.
Closeup of the Roland V-Drums.
Kadak of Butterfingers on bass…
…and keyboard. Er, how many keyboards were there again?
Kinda makes a fretboard look underdressed.
Then came a surprise in Jack The Shredder’s usually long hair…
…for the all-time crunchy progressive modern rock purveyors Tempered Mental.
Jimmy!
Do you Recall?
There was a Beat It solo in between songs, which was way cool.
Next up was big ska band 40 Winks!
I don’t think I ever remember the dude on the left without shades.
I cheated on this – put in some barrel distortion to make the center guy bigger in scale.
“How you all doing in the back?” asks the energetic Faiz Rosli.
My favorite shot of the night. I had begun to appreciate 24mm more on full-frame (and this on the Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5(D), which would be too dark for this place.)
I’ve not cut my hair since the 11th of October 2004. (Credits to smashpOp for taking this picture.)
On the 28th of March 2010, I will cut my hair – all of it. I will go bald!
That would make a 1994 day streak of uncut hair (I did shave though.)
This is for WorldVision Malaysia‘s Operation Botak. Its aim is to raise funds to build a learning resource centre and equip a mobile library; I quote the site:
“Over half of Sabah’s population is scattered amongst isolated rural areas. We hope to raise RM100
26th December 2009: Rock The World 9 at Bukit Jalil! Here’s the sweet-voiced Liyana Fizi. Sadly I missed Take It Slow and any possible dedications. 🙁
Disagree. Zahid gives everybody a big hug for coming for Rock The World 9!
Ajin those glasses are too cute man!
This is, of course, Brainhead.
Azlan & The Typewriter with a familiar Lan (formerly of MeetUncleHussain!)
And then it was time to Rock And Roll, Rock And Roll with the very infectious…
…rock-and-rocking Couple!
This is the new pop – Love Me Butch! Well no not really, they keep it real.
Stonebay keeps it locked down in the 90’s.
Ridzuan of Seven Collar T-shirt shows us his favorite pick to make haunting melancholic rock with.
So who was on vocals for MeetUncleHussain then? Was it this guy…
…or this guy?
A most interesting battle ensued.
Emcee Harooooon! also told us this band used to be called Meet Saddam Hussain. Interesting.
One Buck Short on stage, and on the speakers.
Bittersweet, who also had a new vocalist. Still very much Brit!
Pesawat besar.
Bunkface ended the night past midnight.
I hope all of you who stayed past the LRT’s closing time, managed to get home!
More pictures here:
Rock The World 9 Part Four!
Rock The World 9 Part Three!
Rock The World 9 Part Two!
Rock The World 9 Part One!
Here’s a quick reference, for anybody who has the Sony HVL-F56AM/Minolta 5600 HS(D) and Sony HVL-F58AM flash.
To enter the Custom Function menu on the HVL-F56AM:
– hold down the Select button for 3 seconds
– press Select to cycle through the Custom Functions
– press – or + to change the options of each Custom Function
The Custom Functions are:
1) Wireless channel WL CH-1/CH-2/CH-3/CH-4
2) Flash range units m/ft
3) Time to auto power off 4 minutes/15 minutes/60 minutes/– (none)
4) Time to auto power off when using wireless flash 60 minutes/– (none)
5) Recording modes in which manual flash and multiple flash may be set M/PASM
Those in bold are my recommendations.
To enter the Custom Function menu on the HVL-F58AM:
– hold down the Fn button for 3 seconds
– press left or right to cycle through the Custom Functions
– press up or down to change the options of each Custom Function
The Custom Functions are:
C01 – HSS on or off
C02 – Channel 1 or 2 or 3 or 4
C03 – CTRL1 (CTRL+ to trigger F42/F58 on A700/A850/A900) or CTRL2 (CTRL to trigger F36/F56/F42/F58 but only on A850/A900)
C04 – PASM or M (means you can use Manual Power flash even if your camera body is not on Manual Exposure mode)
C05 – TestM (strobe for 4 seconds when you press Test) or Test3 (3 strobes) or Test1 (one strobe)
C06 – Power Saving 30 minutes, 3 minutes, 0.5 minutes or off
C07 – Power Saving when in Wireless 60 minutes or off
Due to heavy rain we went for a second TT session and after that, we hung about the KLCC Park.
Cheeky!
Who would have known?
Somehow I like how this turned out.
Cautiousness.
Going home.
This is a continuation from:
Streety TT, Part 3
Streety TT, Part 2
Streety TT
Our initial plan was to walk past this little skater-popular area to head to Zouk. Shot with the manual focus Opteka 85mm F1.4!
But the rain came, and so we stayed within the periphery of KLCC. Also Opteka. The rest of the shots are with the Minolta 50mm F1.4.
Hot day.
What makes people decide to have a conversation out in the middle? This is one of the shots that Szetoo would’ve probably shot wider and closer (I used the 50mm for this.)
Alert eyes.
Then came the rain again!
This is a continuation from:
Streety TT, Part 2
Streety TT
Now, for some street shooting, not necessarily of the street portraiture variety!
I came, I saw.
A tribute to Cyanide & Happiness!
Shaded. (Click image for bigger version.)
farex and I ended up taking a detour through Sultan Ismail, coming to the front of Hard Rock Cafe. The Opteka 85mm F1.4 is nice to street-shoot with although I do feel like I cheated because it is tele. (Click image for bigger version.)
The target destination was Dang Wangi LRT station. (Click image for bigger version.)
Finally, the view I was looking for! Vivitar 24mm F2.0 at F2.0 because I could not set the aperture.
This is a continuation from:
Streety TT
28th February 2010 a bunch of us were down at Signatures Food Court at KLCC for some geeking out!
Left to right: Peleng 8mm F3.5 circular fisheye (M42 mount), Samyang 8mm F3.5 diagonal fisheye (A-mount, APS-C only), Minolta 16mm F2.8 diagonal fisheye.
Here’s my Opteka 85mm F1.4 on the left (which is really a rebadged Samyang) and the Samyang 8mm F3.5 diagonal fisheye with the lens hood.
Peleng 8mm F3.5 circular fisheye on the Sony Alpha 900. Click picture for bigger version!
Samyang 8mm F3.5 diagonal fisheye on the Sony Alpha 900. The lens hood forms the APS-C coverage rectangle. Click picture for bigger version!
And then, we went for Szetoo‘s Introduction To Travel And Street Photography Talk!
I have to say her pictures looked even better projected for some reason. Inspired, we set out to go outdoors to street shoot (but that will be in another post.)
Iqbal through the Minolta 50mm F1.4.
farex (sorry didn’t get your real name).
It rained heavily so we resigned to another Teh Tarik session. Click picture for bigger version!
Left to right: A300/A350? with imitation A300 battery grip; A300/A350? with Sony VG-B30AM battery grip; A550 with imitation A550 battery grip; A700 with Sony VG-C70AM battery grip; A900 with imitation A900 battery grip.
And of course, the shot you guys have been waiting for! Click picture for bigger version!