'Songs from the Big Chair'
'Songs from the Big Chair' [Original Gold Master Recording]
'Songs from the Big Chair' [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]
'Songs from the Big Chair' [Deluxe Edition]
The Australian beef is splendid, easily comparable with some of the better steaks I have eaten in the Asia Pacific region.
I observe that the cliente consisted mainly of the Chinese business elite and Caucasian business people, likely British, Americans and other Europeans.
Do I recommend this place? Well, it really depends on what you like. After all, if you were in Shanghai and you enjoy Shanghainese crusine, I suppose you should go for that rather than Western fare.
No. I don't have photos of the place. I'm not a blogger-journalist and I have no desire to be one. Heh.
Pergamon, Logos, Hyperborea
Due to Andrew Glazebrook* mentioning Logos earlier, I pulled out three Tangerine Dream albums from that period and started listening to them again.
This is, of course, the period where Tangerine Dream comprised of Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Johannes Schmoelling. The Tangerine Dream of the early eighties. 'Pergamon' is my favourite from this period.
*Do visit Mr.Glazebrook's blog. He has created an amazing collection of spaceships, planetary surfaces, aliens and more. Breathtaking work.
The sole came off. Oh well. Pity about the run. I had 7.75 more rounds to go.
On a related note, I have won out more than three pairs of combat boots throughout the years.
*SAF - Singapore Armed Forces
Shanghai may not be Beijing with its vast palaces, gardens and its history, but Shanghai does have a museum with seals, coins, bronze artifacts, stone artifacts, costumes of the minorities, Ming porcelain, Ming and Qing Dynasty furniture. Some of the bronze artifacts displayed date back to several thousand years.
Britannia
Strangely enough, as I typed this entry, a woman from Beijing called. She was from a government business bureau and she wanted to confirm my company's information. She was able to speak Mandarin and English well. How times have changed. If Mao Zedong were still alive, I wonder how he would have regarded the vast changes sweeping China. From a strict communist, 'egalitarian' state to a free-wheeling capitalist state.*
The New World building. Look at the Samsung sign there. Amazing.
DuneMUD
Yes, it was freezing cloth. The complex is a various labyrinthine place. Corridors upon corridors of such shops. I was staggered.
Drafts!
Depeche Mode Limited Edition Live Recordings
Dungeon & Dragons Online Cancelled!
Hello Shyue Chou,
Initial Impressions of Erasure's 'Union Street'
1. Walk (Infusion Mix) -- Cure
2. Situation (Richard X Remix) -- Yaz
3. Lips Like Sugar (Way Out West Remix Edit) -- Echo and the Bunnymen
4. Need You Tonight (Static Revenger Mix Edit) -- INXS
5. Shake the Disease (Tiga Remix) -- Depeche Mode
6. Little Respect (Jaded Alliance 'Electrospect' Remix) -- Erasure
7. New Song (Peter Black & Hadrock Striker Mix Edit) -- Howard Jones
8. Forever Young (Hamel Album Mix) -- Alphaville
9. Bizarre Love Triangle (Crystal Method Extended Mix) -- New Order
10. White Lines (Don't Don't Do It, Elite Force Mix) -- Grandmaster & Melle Mel
11. Girl U Want (Black Light Odyssey Mix) -- Devo
12. NoWhere Girl (Adam Freeland Mix) -- B-Movie
13. Boy (DJ Irene Rockstar Mix) -- Book of Love
14. Suedehead (Sparks Remix) -- Morrissey
Initial impressions? Well, I will only speak for the singles that I care for, namely, tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 13. The remix of Yazoo's 'Situation' is alright, nothing extraordinary. The vocal track has been preserved. Likewise, the vocals of Depeche Mode's 'Shake the Disease' is preserved though the mix seemed somewhat disjointed. Erasure's 'A little Respect' has a slow bouncy repetitive beat beneath the intact vocals. These three remixes are just okay. Passable.
Like the previous mix, Howard Jones' 'New Song' incorporates a bouncy, stumbling repetitive beat which seems to sap some of the original vitality of Jones' simpler beat. However, this mix is somewhat better than the precious one which is some sort of a house mix. At least, it clocks at 3:26 rather than 6:31 of the previous one. The mix of Alphaville's 'Forever Young' is by far the one of the most promising of the bunch preserving the melody with thumping background. And no, it is not merely a speeded up mix. There is additional production work. Excellent. The Crystal Method is a big name and their remix of New Order's 'Bizarre Love Triangle' is on par with the Hamel one of 'Forever Young'. It's hard to describe as it is made of many disparate elements. Finally, the remix of Book of Love's 'Boy' has added production work incorporating guitar work, giving it an edgier feel instead of the original candy pop feel.
There has been suggestion of a second volume which I hope to see. All in all, this is an alright collection but I would advise one not to pay too much for it.
Burger King Far East Plaza
In 1984-85, this was the hang-out place for teens. It was a period when Wendy's, then the third largest hamburger chain in the world, occupied this spot. I could remember that they served 'Frosties', a thick milkshare of sorts, and three-decker hamburgers!
Today, Wendy's is no more, being replaced by a Burger King joint. It didn't last long in Singapore, like Hardees, Jack in the Box, and a few others. Strangely enough, A&W, which was the first fast food joint to make it to our shores in the early seventies, ceased operations recently.
Today, Far East Plaza appears to have re-captured its former allure for teens. I think it is the leading shopping place for the younger set again.
*Image taken from boardgamegeek, contributed by the famous Lawrence Hung.
Instead of 'Hammer of the Scots', we chose to play Friedrich. Wow! It was an experience.
01.04.2006 - Saturday
Game 1
Prussia/Hanover: David
French: Timothy
Austria/Imperial: Chris
Russia/Sweden: Shyue Chou
The game started with the dastardly Prussians advancing south with three armies. In the northern front, an army was allocated to watch over the Swedes while another guarded the eastern borders.
Three ponderous Russian armies approached the single Prussian army but were stalled. At that point, I simply did not have the right hand. I had only one of that card in hand (Spade). This impasse was to continue throughout the game. I had divided my armies into the following:
Army 1: strength = 2
Army 2: strength = 6
Army 3: strength = 2
Army 4: strength = 6
Meanwhile, the French armies steadily advanced while the Hanoverians staged a careful retrograde movement.
By turns 2-5, in South Prussia, the Austrians finally met and engaged the Prussians in a few indecisive battles that resulted in the Austrian armies reeling with minor casualties. The armies involved were engaged in a war of manouvre threatening their respective supply trains.
In East Prussia, the ravaging Russians captured three cities but were unable to take the last one for the lack of a card to destroy the opposing lone Prussian force. The two small Russian armies had to contend with a holding role. The other Russian armies approached Prussia proper but was again strangled by the lack of a particular type of card. I had gone through the whole game missing two types of cards, I received them once in the whole game! I was quite passive and didn't accomplish anything which suited me fine as I was quite lethargic that hot afternoon.
The Swedish army was practically fixed for want of the correct card type.
The inconsequential battles in South Prussia did not avail to much beyond holding the unyielding Austrians in place. At that point in time, around turn 6, the aggressive French armies finally engaged the Hanoverians in a large bloody decisive battle which largely wiped out the Hanoverians. That was followed by a quite occupation of all the victory point spots, thus resulting in a shattering French victory.
Congratulations Timothy!
Game 2
Prussia/Hanover: DavidFrench: TimothyAustria/Imperial: ChrisRussia/Sweden: Shyue Chou
David, in his little dingy palace in Potsdam demanded a re-match after that swift crushing game.
Thus, we took up the same roles again.
The opening of the second game is not dissimilar to the first.
The Prussians led by their insidious leader began by committing the bulk of the armies against the Austrians and Imperial armies. The Austrians responded by advancing north. In the east, in a few uncharacteristic moves, the Russians quickly sent four armies into East Prussian. I had the same army dispositions. And the initial card draw was a card of each type. And I began drawing spades which was what I needed. And I wanted to force battles.
Army 1: strength = 2
Army 2: strength = 6
Army 3: strength = 2
Army 4: strength = 6
I engaged the Prussians in a large battle until I ran out of cards and I was forced to do a retreat with minor casualties (strength 1 or 2 lost). However, I had depleted a large number of cards and so had David. He was definitely weakened. I was able to use two armies to fix his lone army later when I had one card of that type. Of course, he was rather happy to hold my two armies. It had accomplished his objectives.
Meanwhile, the Austrians had engaged the Prussians in a series of indecisive and inconsequential battles while in Hanover, the Hanoverians were cleverly denying the French battle while retreating.
Turns 1-6 were a series of manoevres. However, when it came to the event card draw after turn 6, the first card reduced the Prussian hand by two cards. That immediately forced a change in the Prussian strategy. The interminable battles against the Austrians had depleted the daunting Prussian hand. Suddenly, the Prussians were forced to avoid battle totally. And even in unavoidable battles, the previously strong Prussians were forced to retreat.
Turns 7-10 saw advances made into virign Prussian and Hanoverian territory. Thus, the Austrian advance in south Prussia became one of titanic clashes between the large armies that resulted in heavy attrition. The Prussians could not afford that and lost a few battles. Soon, there were four Austrian armies facing one Prussian army.
In East Prussia, the sole Prussian army was finally eliminated after being constantly engaged and reduced. Strength, 4, 3, 2, 1.. The Prussians had thrown in the towel. I had started shifting two of my armies west after losing a battle there with minor casualties. I bluffed with one card and David simply gave up letting his army go. He decided that he could not afford the distraction. Again, I had one of one type of card. And I have a lot of Diamonds and Hearts cards for some reason. I could bluff and I did. Most of my game was bluff, some of which were effective while others were inconsequential. David had managed my armies well.
In Brandenberg, the Swedish supply train occupied Berlin while a Swedish army rampaged before it was eliminated. A turn later, a reconstituted Swedish army invaded Brandenberg again.
In the mean time, the Hanoverians were cleverly retreating and then threatening the French supply lines by reoccupying territory. The French armies could not advance and hold at the same time.
Turns 11 and so forth. In Hanover, the French finally eliminated a small Hanoverian army while pursuing a larger one. The French army was also holding off one or two Prussian armies. Timothy had a fabulous hand of cards with four reserve cards! There was one victory point spot left to occupy. This could only be occupied if that remaining Hanoverian army was destroyed.
The four Russian armies had managed to occupy all the victory point spots with the exception of one.
The Swedish army attacked a Prussian army near Berlin and was repulsed.
Things were looking grim for Frederick and his Prussians. (Hey, it's like history.) At that point, an event card draw saw the Imperial army switch over to the Prussian side. And that area was practically deserted. The Imperials could win in three to four turns. An Austrian army promptly came over and prevented that.
In south Prussia, four Austrian armies eliminated the sole surviving Prussian army and thus ensuring the occupation of all objectives. Victory for the Austrians!
Well played Chris! Good aggressive play with great manoeuvring. Good play, David. Pity about the event card draws.
Observations: There were quite a few clever touches in the game design. The turn sequence has the Russians move after the Prussians. Through that, it will ensure that the Prussian hand is usually not depleted and the Prussian armies will nearly full-strength assuming that the Prussians don't lose. This can make for very bloody battles which actually happened in battles (for instance, Zorndorf) between the Prussians and Russians. We thought that this was a clever touch on the part of the designer. Another clever design touch was the card types and supply train that allows battle to be shattering and yet restrictive. This has forced armies to be circumspect at times. All in all, the wargame did capture a field of Frederick the Great's campaigns. The eventual depletion of the Prussian card hand also reflected the exhaustion of the Prussian armies in the later years. Again, a clever historical touch.
The Prussian player, obviously had the hardest task the game. Historically, the Hanoverians were able to manage the French well. And after Rossbach, the French were essentially out of the picture. In this game, there appeared to be a constant crisis in Hanover.
Sadly, I didn't take any photos of the positions which is a pity.
I recommend 'Friedrich'.
Note: If you spot any mistakes here, factual or grammatical, please let me know, I'll correct them. My memory is rather hazy as I was sleepy throughout that afternoon and I was pretty much a shadow of my usual self.
Addendum
Richard S. has kindly pointed out two rules mistakes regarding the Imperials and the armies of
allies blocking. We also made another two rules mistakes in our games, one of the nature of retreat and another of the nature of reinforcement.
Regarding this report, I put it up to share with everyone. Please freely quote or re-use in full in other instances (ie print, review, website, blog, etc) if required. You do not have to ask me or notify me.
