How The Hell Did I End Up Here? Scotland To Singapore.

Recently I made the decision to leave Scotland, where I've lived my entire life, to move to Singapore. “What a daring and bold decision!” you must be telling yourself. You’d be sort of right. Singapore isn't completely foreign to me.

Welcome to Singapore

Time To Be Less of A Blogging Slob

So I haven’t posted any updates on this blog for months now, how awful of me. I have some 'free time' now and I have things I want to write about. I’ve also just moved to Singapore and my core audience size has increased by two (you know who you are). So I’ll start by posting at least one blog entry every week. I’ve just downloaded Shadowrun Returns, so once I complete it I’ll post a review. Sadly I only have time to game on the weekends so it may take me a while to review subsequent games, assuming I even get the time to play them in the first place. Additionally I’ll be posting my experiences of life in Singapore, as well as short movie reviews; like Pacific Rim (BEST MOVIE EVER).

This increase in blogging activity is totally not about getting attention and driving traffic so I make some money off Google Ads. I think I only need to hit like 100k views a day to live off the blog anyway…

Not A Game Review: Darksiders 2

Genre: Hack and slash/RPG
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Release date: 14/08/12

Developer: Vigil Games

In Not A Review I won't be delivering my final verdict, only my limited impressions of the game. Why? Because I grew bored of the game before I completed it.

Darksiders was a highly derivative game, with combats mechanic ripped from franchises like God of War and Devil May Cry and dungeon crawling straight from the Legend of Zelda. Despite the whole not being greater than the sum of its parts, Darksiders was none the less enjoyable, if uninspired.

Thus when Darksiders 2 was announced, I eagerly anticipated how the developers would improve the sequel and make a product of their own creation and imagination. While Darksiders 2 is certainly more unique than its predecessor, it still suffers some of the same problems while the new additions have their own set of issues.

So before we get any further I need to state I haven't completed the game. As of writing I've played about 15 hours (recruiting the 3rd undead lord for the bone king). So this is not a review, merely a summation of my thoughts so far.

Sweden Trip: Photos

During July I was in Stockholm doing a 3 week corporate finance course. It was a fantastic experience, so here are some pictures.

More Japan Photos

Mum's Japan Trip Photos

For my 16th birthday I went to Japan for a week and it was brilliant. We visited the usual tourist spots, unfortunately at the time I didn't realise what a nerd paradise Akihabara was, so I missed out on all kinds of cool merchandise. What I enjoyed most Japan was just being in a different culture, that and the food. Anyway my mum has gone to Japan and took some photos, which reminded me of my time there.

Short Guide To Weight Loss: Calorie Restriction

The previous post was a more generalised guide to weight loss. If you are relatively slim already, or those tips aren't working then you may need to calorie restrict. Calories are the most commonly used units of energy in relation to humans, joules are the better but less used alternative. Your body needs energy for its physiological functions, not enough energy long term = you die. You get this energy from food and drink. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you store it, primarily as fat. If your body doesn't get enough calories, your body uses its own energy stores (primarily fat). Calorie restricting is simply reducing your calorie intake, below what your body requires. This forces your body to use its fat stores (though there may be some lean mass lost).

For some terminology and referencing points 1 Cal = 1000 cal or 1k cal. 1 cal = 4.2 joules. 1 kcal is the energy required to heat 1 kilogram of water, by 1 degrees Celsius. 100 grams of chicken leg = ~ 240 kcal, 100 grams of broccoli = ~34 kcal, 100 grams of butter = ~717 kcal.

When calorie restricting the first thing to do is work out how many calories you burn in a day, which is commonly referred to as basic metabolic rate (BMR) or total daily energy expentiture (TDEE). TDEE is a more accurate estimate as it takes into account the physical activity you do during the day. There are a variety of ways of working out your BMR or TDEE. You can figure it out manually, using formulas such as in this BodyBuilding.com thread. Alternatively you can use one of the many free applications on the internet, on sites such as FitDay. Its important to note that whatever figure you come up with, is an ESTIMATE only and should be used as such. If you want a more accurate figure then you'll need to go a physiology lab or medical facility.