Finding Nemo Glass

A Finding Nemo glass printed with then Kodak's newly launched advertising campaign slogan "Share Moments, Share Life". Here are some excerpts I found on the Kodak campaign:

Consistently focusing on the many ways consumers can share pictures, the new advertising demonstrates that great pictures are just the beginning. The "Share Moments, Share Life" campaign creates a strong emotional link for consumers between pictures and memories, while visually demonstrating the superior products that enable better pictures and better sharing.

All of the commercials in the campaign demonstrate Kodak's innovative technology through powerful visual images. In addition to national broadcast advertising, the campaign will also include an extensive print advertising component. The "Share Moments, Share Life" campaign offers consumers new ways to do more with their pictures, proving that pictures are a way of sharing life for generations to come.

That was back in year 2001 when digital devices had only just started being developed and Kodak maintained a strong market presence then. Fast forward nine years to 2009 and it is a very different world now. We have our iphones, blackberries and bluetooth technology. We can upload with ease our freshly taken holiday pictures to Flickr for the world to see if we so desire. Fading pictures and aged-yellowed albums are now a bad memory of the past. Against the backdrop of digital advances, Kodak announced in June 2009 the sad news for the retirement of their Kodachrome film, once the widely popular film of choice for both amateur and professional photographers.

Terminator T2 Model in Town

On a cloudless and otherwise humid Thursday, I spied this magnificent 7 feet tall and amazingly detailed Terminator T2 model. You might expect to find this beautiful model as a much-admired centrepiece of attraction at an International Toy Convention. Or perhaps at a Comics Convention? Maybe. But that's not where this life-like model was standing guard, eyes glowing fiery red, right mechanical hand locked on the trigger of a menacing looking Big Gun that screams Don't mess with me!

The awe-inspiring T2 was at the most unlikely location, a place where you might never expect to find a life-sized replica of one of the most recognisable characters from a successful movie saga and TV series.

The Location: Suntec City Convention Centre.

The Event: COMEX 09 (IT and Consumer Technology Exhibition)

But what was Mr T2 doing there and where exactly was our "friend"? I found our battle-ready T2 standing guard at the Sony booth promoting Blu-Ray players! Huh? That's what I thought too! A Consumer Fair is no place for a battlefield! I know there is the much touted enhanced viewing pleasure that comes with a Blu-Ray player upgrade. I am not really interested. But if the folks at the Sony booth are willing to throw Mr T2 into the bundle, I would be a very happy customer indeed!

Finding Nemo Mousepad

This is a lenticular mousepad from the 2003 Disney Pixar animation movie Finding Nemo. I remember this movie enjoyed good box office takings and it was screened during the June school holidays. Many parents accompanied their kids to watch this family-oriented movie. But while this movie showed children good core values through its themes of love and friendship as any good Disney movie should, it also created an unexpected and undesirable situation. Well let me explain, before this movie, many children had no idea what a clownfish was. They might innocently squeal: "Clownfish? A fish that looks like a clown?" But after the movie started screening, adolescents who might otherwise find delight in pointing at the Golden Arches and excitedly mouthing the word "MacDonalds!!!" ad infinitum, added one new word to their limited vocabulary. The word? N-e-m-o. The cute clownfish from the movie had kids enthralled. Pet shops started selling clownfishes like hotcakes to impressionable kids with parents in tow. They had all watched the movie and everyone wanted their own "Nemo". I know a lot of parents indulged their kids and bought clownfishes to please their little ones. The problem was that these people were clueless on how to properly care for marine life and our poor delicate clownfishes were treated as mere toys. I can only imagine the sad fate that awaited these pets when the fad eventually died down and the kids invest their interest on the next popular cartoon character. I just wish parents could be more responsible for their actions and teach their children proper values. Fishes are afterall not inanimate toys, they have a life.

Limited Edition Titan AE Artwork from TCF

Almost missed out this Limited Edition Titan AE Artwork from TCF. This item I was lucky enough to win in a contest and the authorized artwork is in great condition, protected by the film of plastic it originally came with. My piece' serial number is 3073 out of a limited production of 5000. Hmm, maybe I'll try my luck with that number at the local lottery this weekend. Who knows, I may get lucky again!

Swordfish Movie Mousepad

A cool mousepad in my collection from the 2001 Warner Bros movie Swordfish starring hunky Australian Hugh Jackman as an elite but reformed hacker trying hard to get by in life without resorting to hacking computers. Nevertheless he still gets roped in by John Travolta, head of the counter-terrorist unit Black Cell to illegally access and steal government funds locked in mainframes secured by super-encryption.

Casting for this movie is great, John Travolta is suave and totally in his element playing the role of the bad guy, Hugh Jackman is almost believable as a super hacker and Halle Berry is pure eye candy playing the government mole sent to spy on the two. I am sure that particular scene where Halle Berry strips to her lingerie was written specially by scriptwriters determined to show off her slim and svelte figure! Overall I would rate this movie 9 out of 10 for pure entertainment value. As a matter of fact, I don't mind watching this movie again.

Volcano High Postcards

A nice set of 4 postcards promoting the 2001 Korean-made movie Volcano High. This movie did very well at the Korean and Hong Kong box office. Plot summary: It is about this school called "Volcano High" which is not really an ordinary High School - all the students have special martial arts skills and they are divided into different factions. It is to this hostile environment that our delinquent protagonist Kyang-Soo is thrown into when he is expelled for throwing a chalk to his teacher. The school has a dark secret, the Principal of Volcano High is hiding a "Secret Manuscript" with the secret to unparalleled martial arts skills. Kyang-Soo wants to be left alone but is unwittingly caught up in the students' fight to get the manuscript when he steps-in to protect the weak students against the school bullies. He awakens his dormant martial arts skills and realises his full potential just in time for the big fight at the end of the movie. There are parts in the movie with slow-mo effects reminiscent of "The Matrix". The fighting scenes are well-choreographed and I really enjoyed this movie. I think you would too.

Cool song from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Soundtrack

This is my current favorite song :-D

Lyrics
I remembered black skies
the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
as time began to blur
Like a startling sign
that fate had finally found me

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
the distance in your eyes

Give me reason
to fill this hole
connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide

There was nothing in sight
but memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
the ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
between where we were standing

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Across this new divide

In every loss
in every lie
In every truth that you'd deny
And each regret
and each goodbye
was a mistake to great to hide

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes

Give me reason
to fill this hole
connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide

Across this new divide
Across this new divide

James Dean Collectible Phone Cards

A mint set of collectible James Dean phone cards, each featuring a classic photo by Roy Schatt. These cards were produced by HT Technologies. I got these cards quite a number of years ago, dont know if they are worth collecting. Anybody can advise? To be honest, I don't know much about James Dean. I know he is an American actor who made the hugely popular movie Rebel Without a Cause back in the 1950s. He died in a car crash at an early age at the height of his acting career and achieved legendary status. If you have watched any of his movies, comments are much apreciated. Thank you.

A Bugs Life MRT tickets

A set of 2 MRT tickets issued for use in Singapore and promoting the 1998 animation movie A Bug's Life from Disney Pixar. I don't know how the folks at the studios do it, but they surely are a talented bunch overflowing with creative juices to come up with this totally amazing and enjoyable movie. Story is about ants on a particular anthill who had all along accepted their fate and submitted to a bunch of bullying grasshoppers. Every spring the ants would gather food and leave it for the grasshoppers to enjoy. One year, a bug named Flik by accident drops the seeds into the river. The grasshoppers give the ants one last chance to find the food by the next season. Due to a misunderstanding, the ants place their misguided hope in a bunch of misfit circus bugs for help in getting rid of the grasshoppers. But all is not lost as together they come up with a brilliant plan and succeed in driving off the grasshoppers and regaining their freedom. The characters are lovable and there are a lot of funny moments in the movie. Do watch this fine animation movie if you have not already done so, I guarantee you won't regret it.

Pan Am Carry-on Luggage Bag

No prizes for guessing which movie this item is promoting. You don't know? Ok here are 2 clues: Airline and Leonardo DiCaprio. You mean you still don't know the answer? Then you have obviously not watched the delightful 2002 movie Catch Me If You Can. Based on a true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. From nearly the beginning of this life of crime, he is pursued relentlessly by an FBI agent, Carl Hanratty played by Tom Hanks who is determined to get his man in this international cat and mouse game.

I am always ready to travel in style with my Pan Am Airlines carry-on luggage bag. Can someone direct me to the Pan Am check-in counter? Please???

More Star Wars Episode 1 MRT Tickets

I managed to find another 2 special MRT tickets in my collection. These were limited edition tourist souvenir tickets issued in Singapore to promote the Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace movie in 1999. Love the artwork and the montage of the main characters on the 2 cards.

Payback Movie Sunglasses

A pair of very cool pair of sunglasses from the 1999 movie Payback. This movie is great, starring a very mad Mel Gibson in the role of Porter, a gangster who is betrayed by his wife and best friend, shot and left for dead. Needless to say, our tough guy survives the hit and comes back to exact extreme revenge.

If you see me wearing these sunglasses on the streets, don't mess with me! I mean business! Serious!