The first-ever Singapore Toy & Comic Convention was held over the weekend (27-29 June 2008). This inaugural event – a platform made by fans for fans - featured a host of toys (general and designer), comics, animation, gaming, design, licensing and Cosplay from creative minds from all over the world, serving up an eye-popping visual feast and unprecedented variety and innovation in all the closely-related industries.

As I had so thoroughly enjoyed myself last year in the Games Convention Asia 2007, I just cannot miss this mouth-watering event with universal appeal of pop-culture and to celebrate with fellow fans our passion for toys, comics, animation, game.

Exhibitors I saw included global players like Hasbro, Ban Dai, LEGO, Animax, DC Comics, and home-grown brands like Dollz Inc and Play Imaginative, to name a few. Join me as I journeyed through this fun-filled event that promised to bring out the best East and West have to offer.

View more pics at my Flickr set.
Take a video tour of the event and take in the sights and the sounds.

This video shows a heck of an awesome exhibit any self-respecting Star Wars fans should not miss!

Now that Euro 2008 is over, I’m sure the fever will gradually subside. I can go back to my normal routine (in everything) and it’s time to head back to the office with feelings of freshness and ready to do battle!

Good weather was forecasted in Vienna last night, no rain, no lightning and no thunder-storm was expected. But "El Nino" struck the Ernst Happel Stadion in the 33rd minute of the Euro 2008 final and swept the Germans off their feets which they never recovered.

With a devastating turn of pace and a sweet strike of his right boot, Fernando Torres - nicknamed El Nino , secured victory for Spain and also banished the devil, who for 44 years had held Spain to ransom, denying them their rightful place at the summit of European football.

This final was billed as a clash of Germany’s efficiency and might versus Spain’s creativity flair and tiki taka. The Spainish "red tide" played with such flair, finesse and determination to overwhelmed the German machine, they thoroguhly derserved  to lift the Henry Delaunay Trophy and ended 44 years of underachievements at major football tournaments.

The conclusion of this match will bring the curtain down to my Euro 2008 armchair coverage over the last three weeks. Let me sit back and enjoy a well-deserved beer (only the official beer will suffice) and savor another dose of Somos los Campeones !

The final will be contested between pre-tournament favorites Germany and perennial underachievers Spain later this evening. It’s the German efficiency vs the Spanish flair. Who will emerge Champions?

The Germans have pedigree and big match experience but the Spaniards have style and depth in their team and after after getting a few monkeys off their back in this tournament, they are ready to banish 24 years of hurt and underachievement. I’m backing them to life the trophy tonight.

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This semi-final was touted to be the most intriguing re-match of the tournament after the way Russia recovered themselves since the 4-1 drubbing by Spain in their opening game some 16 days ago. In the end, the supposedly in-form Russians revealed not a glimpse of the way they peeled the Oranje apart and left it to Spain to show they are still 3 goals better than Russia.

The Russians contained and matched the Spaniards stride for stride in the first half, which ended all square. It was after David Villa got injured that his replacements, Cesc Fabregas came on to provide the inspirations and the killer passes which led to all 3 goals!

The momentumn is surely with the Spanish now. After beating Italy in 88 years and breaking the peanlty shoot-out curse of June 22, and they must surely believe that they can go all the way. Bring on the Germans!

Germany beat Turkey 3-2 with a 90^th minute winner on Wednesday to book a place in Sunday’s EURO 2008 final.

Despite being decimated by injuries and suspensions, Turkey took the game to Germany, and was clearly the better side throughout. The very least Turkey deserved was a draw to take the semi-final into extra-time after their dominant play but their fairy tale run was finally undone by Philipp Lahm’s late goal in Basel.

Turkey, playing in their first Euro semi-final, had captured the imaginations of the neutral with their never-say-die attitude and staging remarkable come-from-behind victories in their previous three matches to light up the tournament.

The story of Turkey is one of true grit and determination. Every true football fans will agree this Turkish team has earned respect and admiration for the way they won everyone over at Euro 2008.

]]> http://www.betshopboy.net/2008/06/26/lucky-germany/feed/ http://www.betshopboy.net/2008/06/24/the-net-fools-june-birthday-bash/ http://www.betshopboy.net/2008/06/24/the-net-fools-june-birthday-bash/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:38:57 +0000 Betshopboy http://www.betshopboy.net/2008/06/24/the-net-fools-june-birthday-bash/ Jim, the author/administrator/founder of The Net Fool Dot Com is celebrating his 19th birthday, which happened on 14th June, by running the June Birthday Bash where he will be giving away a Brand New Flip Video Mino and a $50 MLRewards Card .

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Before this, Spain have been forced into a penalty shoot-out on 22 June in quarter-finals at major tournament and their nerves had failed them on those occassions.

Those three painful penalty losses:

• To Belgium at the 1986 World Cup;

• To England at Euro96;&

• To South Korea at the 2002 World Cup.

In the end, Spain progress into the semis against exciting Russia. They will have the chance to lay to rest another ghost as Russia’s coach Guss Hiddink was in charge of South Korea, the team that did them in at the 2002 World Cup.

Russia’s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink risks being public enemy number one in his homeland after pulling off his latest masterstroke to eliminate the team who were tournament favorites after emphatic wins over continental heavyweights Italy and France in the ‘Group of Death’.

The result is the third time in as many quarter-finals the pool winner has been knocked out by the team finishing second in their respective group following Portugal’s defeat to Germany and Croatia’s elimination at the hands of Turkey.

The disappointing defeat will be the swansong for Edwin Van der Sar’s Oranje career, and also coach Marco Van Basten who incidentally was the player who scored what was deemed as the best goal ever in the 1988 European Championship Finals when the Dutch won against the former Soviet Union.