jonmarklim.

Dear Liverpool.

2009-05-17T03:34:00.001+08:00

Dear Liverpool and all their supporters,

I'm sure you would feel hard done by this completely surprising title sweep by Manchester United. I understand your concerns and emotions wholeheartedly. In fact, I do feel some sorrow on your part for the fact that you didn't win the title you deserved to.

I mean, who could have predicted that the only two players in your team capable of doing something decent would have been so untimely and unfortunately injured at your most crucial time. It was unjust that you were penalized based on your incompetent financial planning and spent your bulk load of your transfer kitty on a player you sold back to the club he came from for a 8 million pound loss. I mean, it's not your fault you didn't buy a real player that could have helped you win the league. It's not your fault you had to hinge your entire team on two individuals. It really isn't.

And for you to beat the Champions away by 4-1, that really proved that the title deserved to be yours. It really did. Let's be frank, you whipped a team you lost to 3-0 last season by 4 goals. The FA should have just hosted the celebrations and handed you the trophy the moment the final whistle blew. After all, the league is won in one game right? Clearly a victory of such dignity would merit an immediate reward in the form of the league title. How unjust and unfair. You deserved to be champions based on that single fantastic showing of mind-blowing, world-shocking, galaxy-shattering football. We all had 30 orgasms watching Vidic get sent off.

It's not your fault you unjustly drew 11 times out of 36 games and lost twice. It's not fair that you had no teeth or threat in scoring goals. It's not your fault you failed to score to Villa, West Ham, Boro, Fulham and Stoke (twice). They are all reigning European supergiants who were unfairly pitted against you and demonstrated a level of football far beyond your class. It's just not fair that you had to face teams of such quality and depth. Your failure to score a single goal against all of them really didn't merit United winning the title instead of you.

Of course, it's not your fault you lost 2-1 to Tottenham after taking the lead in the 3rd minute. I mean, ALL teams just randomly implode on occasion. It's not fair you lost 3 points against the massive Middlesbrough. You didn't deserve to lose! The ball just oddly found its way to the back of your net without any reason, twice!! The 4 goals you conceded against Arsenal wasn't bad defending, it was mere luck. Also, forget that you lost 2 points on that game, you earned a kazillion points based on "team spirit" and "effort" to score 4 goals against the team that depended on Mikael Silvestre to save their ass. Those kazillion points would have definately won you the title by a mile, had the FA remembered to tally them in.

It's not your fault your team didn't have any depth in the squad, and it's not your fault that you were constantly on the end of bad refereeing decisions. Refs just hate Liverpool. All of them. It's not fair all the refs were against your team in all the games, all the time, in all the occasions. It's not your fault you lost the title to the world's best team. It's not your fault you lost the title based on your own demerit. It's not your fault that you succumbed under the pressure of a year-long league. It's not your fault the EPL isn't won based on a single 4-1 result. It's not your fault, Liverpool. Don't cry over it. Robbie Keane isn't. You shouldn't too. After all, Rafa will never admit defeat and the Kop flag will keep flying high...as long as things remain fair, of course.

You'll never walk alone, Liverpool. You have the other 18 losing teams to walk with you.

Change.

2009-02-26T23:15:00.000+08:00

Quoted wholesale from another blog:

Imagine this:

You're on an airplane, sleeping with your head against the window, your heart set on being home this time three hours from now. All of a sudden, something goes very wrong. The plane stops moving across the air and instead starts falling through it. The lights are flickering and the movie is skipping. The plane dips hundreds of feet in seconds, and the yellow cups fall from the ceiling. They're a brighter shade of yellow than you remember, because unlike the demonstration, these cups have never been handled before. "Flight attendants take your seats now", you hear, the pilot's voice trembling over a cacophony of alert tones. You get that smell in the bridge of your nose like you've just been hit with a football. That's what the fear smells like. The plane is going down.

Four more drastic drops in under a minute. People are crying. For all the folklore about how your life flashes before your eyes, you're remarkably fixed on one vision - your parents. They're sleeping at this very moment, in a bedroom so quiet they can hear the clock in the kitchen. And you can see them, clear as can be. You wish you could see a playground or a first kiss, but all you can see is your parents sleeping. Huh. Well, that's that.

Several long minutes go by. Then, all at once, the lights come back on and the plane somehow rights itself. Some people cheer, but most people cry harder. The plane lands about an hour later, and as soon as you feel that touch down - hell, even when you were within 50 feet of the ground and could still technically survive a fall - you realize that however you brokered the deal between you and God worked; you've just been granted life in overtime.

Here's the question: what do you change? Whom do you call that you haven't spoken to in years? Whom do you realize has been toxic to your heart and drop with surprising ease? What trips do you cancel, and what trips do you book? What can't you be bothered with anymore? What's the new you like?

Think about that, and then ask one more question. Why not just change it all right now?

(Working on it...)

On Depth, Space, and Soul.

2009-02-22T15:26:00.001+08:00

I'm an avid music lover, that's for sure. Every time I hear a song anywhere, I jump straight to the technicalities behind the layers of the song. I'm an avid musician too. And one of the biggest challenges I face when leading the band are these layers. Often times, I feel like the music being played is almost two dimensional, like a sheet of paper. There's only one view to it, from the top. It's flat, thin and fragile. Music shouldn't be linear, it should have depth.

Depth. That's the missing element to one too many ameteurish bands around. Instead of every instrument being played on a singular plane, there needs to be a way to expand the sounds into multiple layers. Instrumentation is the hardest thing to pull off, as the rules to it aren't exactly rules to start with. There are so many ways you can arrange music, so following the bloody CD although is a great tribute to the song and arranger, is an insult to your own creativity. Most bands vomit and regurgitate out what was being played to start with, which is not what music covers are about. They are about an honest respect for the original artist, whilst contributing fresh integrible ideas to the existing piece of work. And when these new additions are lacking, more often that not, the depth is lost. The soul of the music has been replaced by a copycat clone. Like a photostated page of a thick book, the full context is lost!

Another area of much concern is on space. Okay; depth, space, time, continuum...I'm not going into a quantum physics lecture. Although this analogy has been used a million times, imagine the total music as a pie, every musician/vocalist has a share of it. Eat too much, you eat up someone else's portion. If everyone eats too much, the pie will be too big: music too cluttered. If everyone just had their portion, the balance would be great. But the problem in question is, in what areas do we eat less?

We musicians are funny people. We love making ourselves heard. It's our dutiful obligation to contribute some riff, some melody, some rhythm to the music being played. We just have to add something! Give a guitarist a guitar. Tell him to hold the fretboard, but not to play. Then try to play a song with everyone else playing but him. It's impossible for him to resist. He'll probably mute his amp and play on his own, but he'll still play! And this is the part where all of us have to learn. Sometimes, we're just not needed. Heck, it'd be nice if you could belt out a 32-bar solo on frets 16 and 17. But it'd be great if you just shut up.

And that's the thing about music. Often times, why it sounds so good, and why it cuts through the soul is because there are emotions behind them. The emotion we need to cut out here is the ego. Accepting that not all 3 verses are for the glory of your shredding skills is hard. I feel good acoustic guitarists are the ones that have the wisdom and the art in them to know not just what to play, but when to play it. Space is a rare commodity in a bunch of teenage boys rocking their amps to the max, all playing their 'parts'. I once too was like that, but I'm glad to say, after much shooting myself in the foot, I've learned space.

But on the contrary to even that, there's the golden rule beyond any rule in music: sound good. One reason why John Mayer astounds me with his music, is that he probably broke a lot of these rules. His solos come way too often, his riffs way too complex for such a simple song, and he lives on 3 minute interludes with every guitar on stage ringing away on the blues scale. A disaster on paper, a masterpiece live. So, if ever you were to nail a record label, and entertain a half dozen thousand strong crowd while playing crazy ass licks, whatever. Just sound good. Sometimes, and I repeat: sometimes, throw depth and space out the window. What we need now is soul.

Thanks for reading, I'm out. =)

Airports. (The Wheel)

2009-02-21T00:55:00.000+08:00

I love them. I adore them. The spacey terminals, large glass observation platforms, giant monitors announcing the flight schedules, pentatonic chime ringing before a PA announcement, I love them all. It's been a childhood favourite to visit the airport. The shops looks astonishingly more attractive, the toilets seem cleaner and you have this sense of "airport-ness", for the lack of a better word. However, I think one day, the airport will be the most dreaded place to be in. One day soon. I was listening to a song that inspired this post. Quoting a few lines from them would be a necessity in trying to get my point across tastefully.

Airports are such an odd place. It's where the world just goes by, figuratively and literally. People from different nations transitioning across a common medium, people at different points in their lives. Some find the traveling to and fro a common event. Business as usual, they say. Nothing fancy about touching down in a country 5000 miles from home, to be greeted by gently falling snowflakes. Others find the mere thought of getting onto an airplane a sublime adventure. Losing their virginity of flight and being airborne would be an enthralling prospect.

Nonetheless, it's almost as if these emotions are swept by by the sheer scale of how many people are indeed transitioning at a given time. In that sense, what may seem like a grand and pompous moment for a young boy stepping past the customs, is drowned out by the normality of the three other thousand people in the terminal. How can emotions so deep be felt in a place so stale, so flat and cold? Like a crowded sidewalk in the heart of a city, it's so easy to overlook someone's moment of joy or pain when there are people streaming past everywhere. A significant moment is unfairly overpowered by normality.

"And airports see it all the time
Where someone's last goodbye blends in with someone's sigh
Cause someone's coming home; in hand a single rose."

"And that's the way this wheel keeps working now
That's the way this wheel keeps working now
And I won't be the last
No I won't be the last,
To love her"

A splendid expression of how diverse feelings can exist in such small proximity. The heart wrenching experience of watching a loved one draw further and further away, never to return, can be felt in the heart of one, while simultaneously, the anticipation and relief of seeing a loved one walk through the arrival gate, bags in hand, skipping towards opened arms is experienced in another. And that's the macroeconomics of life. Every sorrow we go through, will encounter just as big a joy, only in time. "That's the way this wheel keeps working now". It spins round and round, giving everyone their share of life's emotions. So, look not in vain whilst someone leaves through the dreaded door. The same dreaded door will bring you the equal amount of happiness when the wheel turns full round.

Nothing.

2009-02-20T14:41:00.003+08:00

So here I am, on my bed, a hangover from a morning that lasted all afternoon. It's the kind of feeling you get on a Friday, the toil of the week is nearing its end and you just want it to all come sooner. Is wasted time wasted time? The time you spend alone in solace, doing nothing but watching clouds go by, hearing the running sounds of your neighbour's fountain. Would that be called wasted time?

It's irony because in that perfect serenity, you find a little space in your mind with blissful peace. But yet, hardly contemplating on it, you brush it off, hurrying and stumbling away to attend to the more 'important' business of the day. It's almost as if the enjoyment of doing nothing is a guilty pleasure. A pleasure only for the lazy, or the jobless, or the brokenhearted. Why do people in the city live in such trauma when they find themselves not doing something, something contributing to 'the bigger picture'?

Amazing how it is that if we just tried to sit still, and clear out every single thought from the corners of our minds, we just can't. There needs to be something active, something in motion, rolling towards a higher cause, a bigger goal. Contradicting as it seems, on our death bed, it may finally seem that the pieces in the puzzle of out life that seemed so grand mighty are the ones we traded for the comfort of letting it all go. Funny when we wish we were back in the day where we lay on a playground slide staring into the void of the blue sky, yet brush it off as unimportant. How can something you miss, and dear for, be unimportant?

Doing nothing is not wasted time; doing nothing out of the sheer laziness to do something else you should be doing is. In the commotion of the day in motion, with tasks in and out, almost dictating the life of an average guy waiting for his break, hoping to get by, how does one retreat to a place of solitude and nothingness? Nothing beats doing nothing. It finally gives you a chance to appreciate what you're doing when you're doing it.

Level 19.

2009-01-15T16:52:00.003+08:00

In every video game, there will almost be certainly some form of "leveling-up" or "gaining XP points". For RPG games like Final Fantasy, it's about upping your skills and levels, getting stronger items, moving to more dangerous locations and fighting bigger bosses. Or in FIFA , it's about winning more trophies, climbing up the table, transferring better players and managing the bigger teams. It's no wonder some people can remain fixed on a single game for hours because it's just so addictive to keep getting better in the game. It's almost like "Let me just reach this next level or buy this next item, then I'll stop".

Extending from video games, it applies to nearly everything we take as leisure. Even foosball, you want to improve your shot, read passes better, learn fancy tic-tac skills and even try out audicious moves. In dancing, you want to learn harder steps, dance to faster songs and improve your stamina/flexibility/whatever dancers need to improve. In music, you want to learn to hit that high note better, belt out a better solo, or maybe, even get better gear. In everything in life, it's about harder, faster, better, stronger. We strive so hard to improve everything: our cars, houses, clothes, health, career.

Despite such fallable human mentality, why is it that we only seek to take it to the next level with materialistic things? If life were a video game, really, what level would we be at now? Would we be prancing around level 1, learning to manuever, or challenging the greater "bosses" in life with the experience we have gained from the other levels below? Before I go on, perhaps it'll be good to take a guess at what exactly life's game is all about? After all, the highest level is death right? Why bother playing?

On the contrary, life's game isn't all about material game? Why not, take it to the next level in terms of personality traits or getting over weaknesses? Invest effort into "upping your xp points" in compassion for others, or improving anger management. Get to know more people, learn the art of communication, make more friends, more worthwhile friends. Level up relationships with family and friends, purchase items such as knowledge and wisdom from the elders of the game. There are countless ways to level up your game in this life, but sometimes we just miss the entire point of the game, don't we?

When we stock up useless items or short-term items in our "inventory of life", will we find the right one to use when we meet bigger challenges? Will our inventory be full of versatile tools like patience, understanding, or wisdom when we meet problems such as a family crisis, relationship strain or conflict of interests between individuals? Or will we end up with nothing in our inventory that is useful in getting us through emotionally difficult times?

I reach my so-called level 19 this year and I have yet to say I have anything in my inventory that will last the test of the further levels I'll face. In retrospect, sometimes it's so easy to overlook the areas where we deem unimportant or "can wait" in exchange for leveling up in other areas not worth it. Hopefully, this year, I can "take it to the next level" in the areas of the game where it really matters.

All The Small Things.

2008-11-25T14:45:00.002+08:00

All the small things are definitely no less important than the big ones.

My lecturer gave a lecture on the oral cavity a couple of weeks back and he illustrated how the things we take for granted would change our lives forever if we ever lose it. The tongue for example, how often we misuse it, saying things we should not be saying and speaking words we might regret (and kissing things we might regret, too). To lose the ability to speak or to taste would leave us drastically affected, and if we were to get our tongue back, we would certainly be more cautious with out words.

Or the lips. How often we consider the prominent parts of the body as replaceable. Think of life without lips. As funny as that may sound, really, how on earth are you going to enjoy the pleasures of eating? Food would be gushing out of your mouth at every chew and you would look a monster.

Extending from anatomy, small, weenie things in everyday routine prove costly if taken away. You've been in that situation when you may have a thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife. Or when you may have a thousand beds when all you need is a pillow. Or a thousand pair of pants when all you need is a con.. nevermind.

The idea is simple, but how important. You may have a billion dollars when all you need is a friend. You may have a thousand friends but who you really long for is a lost parent. You may sleep with a hundred girls but all you want is the one you love. If the small things we tend to take for granted really were small, the difference would be unnoticable when you lose them. Truth is, we'll never be able to appreciate everything and anything in life. Human beings just aren't like that. We're like a dog with a bone, once we get a new one or a bigger one, the old is forgotten. However, I'll be trying to keep an eye out for the bits in life I never notice, but can't live without. Maybe you should too. =)

The Perfect Moment.

2008-11-06T21:34:00.002+08:00

Our lives comprise of tens of thousands of days. Every day is different. And although some might consider some days to be a total waste of time, if one day really were to be missing in your life, then your life wouldn't be your life anymore. You know, the 'domino effect'. One day affects another, and that second day affects the third..endless cycle. Taking out one day would alter every other day, regardless of what you did in it.

Anyways, apart from the laws of time and space, despite every day being 'significant', some are more so than others. Which day would you choose to repeat, second for second, in your life? You can't make any changes, you just 're-live' or spectate the entire day as it was.

For me, I wouldn't pick the so-called 'best moment in my life'. The cliched moment where you feel elated and everything feels great. There is no such moment. You could score the winning goal in the World Cup final and your life may still be in a mess with drug abuse and divorce. Or you could open your results slip to see you made the Dean's list, but you still could be lonely in your quiet dorm. Or you could be celebrating the birth of your first child, but the lingering worry of your financial problems remains at the back of your mind.

Is there a perfect moment, with sheer and pure bliss? The one where we could throw our lives to the wind in reckless abandon, knowing that there would be no other quantum of time that could replace the current? I suppose, some people experience that. For me, I would choose the day where I don't want to end. The day without the aftermath or conclusion. For example, there is no point in scoring the goal in the final unless you hear the final whistle, or hear your name sung out loud by the thousands of fans. There's no point in watching the birth of your child, unless you see him grow up, and help him do so. There's no point in getting great grades unless there must some reward behind it.

For me, the best moment would be the ones where you cherish with your friends. There does not need to be an aftermath. There's no 'aim' of having friends. You don't need friends to fulfill something, neither do you need to fulfill something to have friends. Friends are for the now and present. Get what I mean? You enjoy the moment now, and the next, and the next. And that's an interesting proposition because it's so...silly.

Because there IS an ending to that as well too. Your friends move on. They change. You change. And that blissful balance where you find yourself in the company of security is over. What am I talking about? I have no clue myself. Okay, to sort of summarize, my point is: there's no moment in your life that's perfect. Every moment, created by an achievement or a special event, bears zero significance, because it needs other things to make it so perfect. The company of friends, that make you feel great inside, is perhaps the closest thing to the perfect moment, because its independent, not relying on other factors to make it great. Even then, the company of friends can change, thus ceasing its ability to make our lives feel special all the time.

With that said, I'm very sure none of you have any clue what I am rambling on. Thanks for reading anyways. I'm just reminiscing and trying to find my 'one day' which I would repeat. And I'm sure it has to do with friends, and not with superficial achievements. Acheievements are nothing unless celebrated with company anyways. Once again, thanks for reading, and have a great week, whoever and wherever you are.

Bravo, You're In Med School.

2008-11-02T22:41:00.004+08:00

Hooray, I'm back. No, it's not that I'm too busy in the overflowing schedule of my hectic life. It's just that the urge and interest to pen down undirected thoughts in my minute corner of the virtual realm hasn't been top on my list lately. So here I am, journalling what would be the experiences so far in the long and daunting life in medicine.

1. It ain't that daunting! I started off a long time back thinking that med school would be a breeze, like every other course. You know, study abit, pass finals, graduate. This was a very very long time ago. Maybe when I was a naive (still am) Form 2 boy. Then the harsh reality of a crazy 5 years of non-stop, suicidal endurance test of studying and cramming hit me. Oh, medicine ain't that nice anymore. Of course, enlightenment here and there into the world of medicine opened my eyes to what would be a more real view of a doctor-to-be's life. And finally, I got here and settled down, and realised, hey, there is still time to have a life. It's not all play, and it'll get less as it goes along, but there's still opportunities to slack and get away with it. =)

2. You learn cool stuff. Ever heard of testicular elephantitis? No? Me neither, till last Friday. And guess what, it's hilarious. It's when edema (fluid accumulation) occurs in the most tragic of locations. I saw one image of it and immediately broke out into spontaneous hysterics. Imagine like a good 300ml of fluid trapped in your balls. Yes, 300ml. Thats like half a coke can. Bahahahahahaha. Okay, I'm not the nicest of potential doctors to amuse myself with prolonged laughter on someone else's misfortune. But, dude; its giant balls. Give me a break. And a laugh. Hahahahahahaha. =D

3. 2 hours of lecture isn't exactly a great life. Yes, I only have 2 hours of lectures per day (2.5 actually). When I mention that to someone, the first reaction is, "Wow! What a great life you have! You must really be enjoying yourself with so little to learn!". Bollocks. So little to learn? You can listen attentively for 2 hours straight and attempt to absorb everything the lecturer is saying, and sometimes you just won't get it. Why? Because it's just so much! Nothing is repeated by the lecturer, and you have to play catch-up as he or she goes on and on. They mention something while showing a slide of an image of anatomy, and while you're scrambling to locate where the object the lecturer is referring to is on the slide, they've moved on. And of course, they break out into fits of spurting jargon in every phrase, leaving you more confused than when you came in the hall. Worst of all, they love to bring you on some random tour on a certain aspect of physiology for a good 15 min, and make you listen so attentively at everything said, only to be told 'But that's not important.'. Gah.

So why is 2 hours so difficult? Because listen or not in that 2 hours, you have to study your ass off for a good portion of the day to fully absorb what the lecturer has said. And then you repeat the process the next day. By the end of the week, there's no way to retain what was taught on the first day. And before you can revise and catch up, you move on to the next subject on Monday. I have yet to sit for any exam, but I really do wonder how I'm going to pull off studying everything and everything.

4. Med students aren't retarded. We have lives just like everyone else. We don't study 24-7 (despite the hardships of education we endure as mentioned in point 3 above), no one can. There are definately some more kiasu than others, studying at every chance they get, as if the world depended on it (which is true to some extent, as your lack of competence in medicine may end up costing someone's life, but that's irrelevant for the time being). But generally, we all complain about the dread of studying, and even deny the fact we study (but of course we do). All of us have interests outside medicine, and that's why it's crucial to maintain social relationships with the world outside med school. 'Cause if not, all you'll do is surround yourself with fellow med school mates and drown in the pitiful world of cramming knowledge into that brain of yours.

I guess I've rambled alot on what I've got so far (in practical, lifestyle terms) of my life in uni. So I guess I'll stop here, and return to filling my brain with anatomical jargon and work my gluteus maximus off before the next round of lectures begin. Perhaps in between sessions of toiling through the all-famous colossal anatomy book called Marieb's, I'll take a peek at testicular elephantitis just for kicks. Till next time, toodless!

P.S. Liverpool, Loserpool. Oh Anfield, where is thy sting? Title challengers? Maybe in my children's era.

Equilibrium.

2008-09-19T22:27:00.004+08:00

Its been like, a month in uni, and once again, it's an entirely new playground to explore. So much adapting to do. I'm not a person that embraces change easily. I like stability and routine in life. Should change come, I find it difficult to get out of the old shell and build a new one. I say build, because it takes work, and it takes time. Nothing is built overnight.

And when we as human beings adapt, there are really diverse reactions we may have. Some are like bulls. They charge into a new scenario head-on, attack-stance and ready to rumble. Others are more timid like hedgehogs, hiding and seeking shelter every possible moment, taking time to adapt. In my new uni, there are alot of bulls. And I, surprisingly, am a hedgehog.

So we get into a new environment, and then, just like chemical reactions or see-saws, we look for the equilibrium : the state of stability. And there are a few ways to go about that. First, is a stable routine. If you do the same stuff repeatedly, duh, you get used to it. You learn the system and how it operates, you settle down. Second, and for me, very importantly, is you find your cliques.

Cliques aren't comprised of acquaintances, but people with something in common and are comfortable with one another. Most of the time, I would say cliques are formed by either social status (wealth perhaps?), interests (foos? music? football?), personality (loud people love to cling together) and all sorts of other stuff I can't think of. Cliques enable us to be ourselves, without the worry of having to 'behave'. It's amazing how much release you feel when you're with people you click with. Everyone always says, mix outside of your clique, meet new people! I think that's fantastic and noble and all, but we can have a million acquaintances and still feel lonely.

I do wonder about this a lot: in 30 years from now, when you've achieved most of your life's accomplishments, what will be your equilibrium? The stability of finances, the health and wellbeing of your family, the influence you possess, the friends you have? I don't know. And who will be your cliques? The close companions you can rely and trust on; family? Will our decisions now parallel the ones we make in the future, and will our style of adaptation now change? I guess time will tell; the future is ours to write.

Disney Long Gone.

2008-09-08T23:17:00.003+08:00

Anyone growing up with at least a speck of Western influence since the dawn of film will always have some memory of Disney movies.

Disney has come a long way from painting the entire Snow White movie, to producing Wall-E, the most complex animated feature film to date. Technologically, maybe they've grown better. But how we yearn for the movies that Disney used to produce? The ones where we can remember vividly even years later, and how they made fairytales come to life!

Perhaps the closest fairy tale movie we've had in recent times was Enchanted. But it was more of a comedy-romance movie than a real proper prince-princess sort of thing. If everyone named their fav Disney movie, I'm quite sure only a minority would come from movies produced in the 2000s. The real great stuff was back in the 80s/90s, when all the nice stories were yet to be used, and they didn't have to resort to making movies about talking cars or robots. Yuck.

Pocahantas, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Hercules were some of the movies I would remember as classic Disney. Monsters Inc, Incredibles, Cars..not so much. But I would pin down 2 movies as the greatest Disney movies so far.

First up would be..Aladdin! A childhood favourite, the story behind Aladdin seemed so believable despite it being in a fantasy world. It's kinda like, small time guy meets big time girl and things don't sort of match, until a change of luck happens! It's the exact kind of dream anyone has, to achieve more than you can imagine, to change your destiny. There are SO many movies that try to portray this message, but none with the beauty of Aladdin. The setting, the characters and the screenplay were top notch.

And if the 'all the good fairy tales are taken up' excuse is used, then allow me to present my second fav movie, The Lion King! Absolutely no background children's story, or book, Lion King is regarded as Disney's masterpiece. An original story with original characters, but perhaps the best score for an animated movie ever (Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Circle Of Life, Hakuna Matata) and the most memorable animals (Simba, Timon, Pumbaa anyone?) make for the perfect family movie. If there was one movie I'd show my kids one day about 'the-good-ol-days', it would be The Lion King. Haven't watched it for awhile, but an IMAX release would be great!

So hopefully Disney will buck up big time, after flops like Cars and Meet the Robinsons. We want a classic memorable beautiful movie, even without the spectacular graphics! I do hope the magic of Disney can come back again!

I'm On Sentata Sports.

2008-08-25T23:11:00.002+08:00

If you love Mourinho, you'll love this. Poking fun at football, Jose, Avram and of course the unforgettable Sven-Goran Eriksson.

This is just the first episode, keep watching newer ones! It is directly related to the current football news. Enjoy! =D

The Toilet Seat.

2008-08-24T23:06:00.002+08:00

Females complain guys never leave the seat down. But as I was going about my business today, I realized that there are a few steps to the whole toilet procedure, specifically the excretion of your excess urea and blood cells.

Guy:
1. Lift toilet seat up.
2. Blablabla

Girl:
1. Put toilet seat down.
2. Blablabla.

So why do girls complain that we don't do THEIR job?? Unless they rather us pee on the seat, I think it's fair that each gender does their share, right? As opposed to the sterotypical husband-wife-tolietseat argument, I think this makes perfect sense.

Hooray!

2008-08-05T21:35:00.001+08:00

Ecto works!

*Ecto is an offline blogging application for my Mac! Now I don't have to use the stupid BuggerBlogger.com

The Hidden Stories in 'The Dark Knight'

2008-07-27T15:49:00.004+08:00

Awesome, awesome movie. Although there are some aspects of the show I tend to disagree with (*cough* Rachel Dawes *cough*), overall, it lived up to the hype of Ledger's stellar performance, and the fantastic screenplay and plot. For those who have yet to watch the movie (you sad, sad folk), below contains SPOILERS to the movie. So, get some balls and watch the movie! You won't regret a bit of it.

Essentially, most people think its a chase between the Batman and the Joker, with one trying to stop the other; a never-ending pendulum. Oh, and of course, we have that love triangle thrown in there just for kicks, and a "betrayal" plot, just like any other movie.

But there are a few themes overlooked due to the scale and length of the movie, that each itself is worth a movie on. These subplots make the plot less linear than it seems, and adds the zest to the movie: the stuff that people highly acclaim it for.

1. Integrity.

The main theme of the whole story besides escalation, the weight on the movie still hinges on the traditional scales of good and evil. The Joker is so admired by because of the complexity of his character. In fact, there is zero complexity: his equation is simple - PURE EVIL. He has no sense of right from wrong, his logic makes sense to him alone. Ledger pulled this off brilliantly, because he portrayed the Joker as a sadistic yet tragic genius, with little motivation but to introduce anarchy.

Batman on the other hand, is the exact opposite. His character is motivated by the belief that integrity is a valid value in a world where dog-eat-dog is the accepted behavior. His act of destroying the sonar machine to prevent even himself of becoming a monster showed his every faith that good alone held the key to peace. And there's the man with deformed integrity, Harvey Dent. Just like Batman, who had pure beliefs on the word, tragedy he couldn't explain by good-vs-evil terms made him into a man who saw both integrity and corruption as invalid, preferring 'chance' to settle life.

2. Lies.

Almost every character lies in the movie. The Joker deceived Batman about the location of the his two captives, resulting in the formation of Two-Face, his 'successor' of chaos. Inspector Gordon faked his own death to get his own on the Joker. His forged demise brought the Joker out into the open, believing he was one step closer to winning his war. Alfred indirectly lied to Bruce about Rachel's true desires. Bruce believed that Rachel would indeed choose him over Harvey, if Batman were to retire. However, the intended letter to Bruce, which was deliberately burned by Alfred, stated otherwise: Rachel truly loved Harvey, more than she ever did Bruce.

And finally, the biggest lie of them all. Batman himself, stages a public deception, claiming himself to be the sacrificial lamb. He and Gordon lie about Harvey's final acts of evil, and blame them on the Batman. This statement gives Gotham hope that there are indeed truly righteous people in the world, like Dent, who died a hero upholding justice. Their faith in such a man is rewarded, while the real truth behind Gotham's white knight is hidden from everyone. The truth that their hero himself was a villain.

3. Trust.

The mob had trusted the Joker that he would restore their power in Gotham, eliminate Batman and bring the city back to 'normal'. Their trust in him escalated the fight against crime, with things getting rougher and more drastic. However, Joker two-timed them, in the end burning all their money and even killing some of their counter-parts, to take control of the city himself. The mob were put out of business in the end, having to rebuild their empire from scratch.

The citizens of Gotham had put their belief in their new and seemingly-pure District Attorney. They believed in him and his methods of fighting crime. His brave acts to prosecute the mob leaders and round them all up in prison brought high acclaim to his name. Instead of trusting the dark vigilante Batman who did not have a face to be recognized, they held hope with the new symbol of justice: the face of Harvey Dent. How ironic, as it was his face that was split in two and brought terror to his victims later on. Yet, they left Dent's funeral with a sense of hope, not knowing their trust had been misplaced.

Its been a long post, so thanks for bearing with me (or scrolling right down to the bottom). These hidden themes are what makes the movie so great (to those who think it is, at least). Rather than viewing a movie on its surface, a journey beneath its skin would be as rewarding as its car chases. =)

Batman Is My Favourite Superhero.

2008-07-21T16:10:00.010+08:00

With the release of the highly anticipated movie 'The Dark Knight", Batman once again steps out of the shadows and into the limelight, just as he did with 'Begins' in 2005. 'The Dark Knight' perhaps is more famous for the villain, the Joker, who is played by Heath Ledger, who died shortly after the filming of the movie was completed. But to me, the star of the show is still Batman himself.

When asked who is your favourite superhero, hardly anyone says Batman. Usually the more "superpower-enabled" heroes such as a certain red-spandex-underweared dude, or a bloke who can climb walls. Heck, even the Powerpuff girls gets more response than Batman!

The usual reason is because Batman is helpless. He's not from Krypton, nor did he get "accidentally" exposed to radiation, or was he a byproduct of an experiment gone awry. He's just a rich guy trying to fight crime with gadgets. And to me, that's the best part.

I hate it so much when superhero stories get the extra twist of aliens, or crazy superpowers, or ghosts and vampires and all that nonsense. What I love about Batman is it is realistic. They focus more on the in-depth nature of character quirks than physicial quirks.

For example, the Joker. He's not any more superpower-enabled than Batman. Yet, he has to be THE prime archenemy of the superhero. If you were to name Superman's ultimate archenemy, who would it be? Oh, come on, Lex Luthor is a baby. They need some drastic mega-alien to match Superman. And that takes away the credibility of the story because it becomes too far-fetched.

Point is, Batman's stories relies on inner conflict rather than brute force. Batman is more of a stealth spy than a brute warrior. He relies on stealth, agility and brains rather than laser eyes and freeze breath. Sure its fun to watch Superman punch and punch all day long, but really, it gets boring.

Batman's ability to win situations where he isn't the favorite is what makes him such a superhero. His gadgets are still secondary to his wits. And when he needs to fight, he sure does it.

Batman's alter-ego is another thing that's different about him. Take a look at Superman, Spiderman, Hulk, Catwoman. All of them are LOSERS in real life. Only when they don their suit, do they become the hero they are. Let's face it, Clark Kent is a nerd, and Peter Parker a geek. Even Hulk lives a poor life when he isnt green.

But Batman is a playboy in real life. he's rich, powerful, and owns half the city. He is a hero and an icon whether or not he's dressed in the cape. Just like Iron Man, another of my favorite heroes, Batman can Bruce Wayne in broad daylight, and still have all that power.

So, next time people say that Batman is a hopeless loser with no superpowers, think again. If there really were to be a superhero in the world today, it'd be Batman, not some alien in underwear who's allergic to a rock from his home, or a boy who can climb walls and give really really corny punchlines. Batman FTW.

The Gift Of Life.

2008-07-17T03:31:00.005+08:00

With my birthday around, it made me kind of think of how I adored presents when I was younger. How great the birthday was, was measured by how many presents you get and the scale of your party. I've been to plenty of birthday parties, and seen many kids get the coolest toys. So, I've always looked forward to my special day of the year when I was younger.

It's the day where you are the king. Where the day belongs to you, you know. I still remember my 6th birthday when I was "crowned" king of the day with a plastic golden hat. I felt proud as a 6-year-old, and special, because people cherished my mere existence, and that I could be for once, the most important person in the world. I guess at 6, you always think you are, but for one day, you're right.

There was this one birthday, I think I was 8, I had this massive party. I had school friends, neighbours, cousins from both sides of the family, aunties and uncles and all sorts of acquaintances. It was a massive party, and I garnered so much attention I didn't know what to do with it.

As I grew older, parties got smaller, and I started to favour a small group of selected special people instead of the whole town in my backyard. I began appreciating that smaller things in life are sometimes more important than the big bedazzling ones.

And even more recent, I think that the best present you could ever get for your birthday, is the fact you can be celebrating it. What is more special a gift than life? And who can be the better giver than God? Think of the many people, who suffer on their deathbeds or wheelchairs or lie alone in orphanages. Are we not to be thankful for the smallest and biggest comforts we have in our so-fortunate lives now? The ability to live, eat, walk, talk, see, hear, speak? The family we have? Friends? Money and shelter?

The best gift one can get on a birthday is that he or she has lived another year, a life of fullness and fulfillment. No one will always remember the toy car he got when he was 8, or the handbag she got when she was 16. But the fact that you're alive and well can never be forgotten. This time around, I like the life gift the best.

Everybody Loves Football!

2008-06-24T18:06:00.009+08:00

I'm gonna do 3 consecutive posts on..football! Cause its football season! And everybody loves it! Well at least ALMOST everybody.

Its that time in 2 years again, The June month of every even numbered year (2004,6,8,10,12..) where a major football tourney hits the shores and everybody goes wild.

And then suddenly, when the 'major international tourney' fever hits, alot of things change.

For instance, children, who did not like football before, begin to don replica kits with hero names on the back, as if they really knew how lousy Beckham is. And they start waking up at ungodly hours to watch a sport they barely know the rules to, when they can't even wake up early to go to school!

Women as well! Screw the EPL, its the Euros and the World Cup they care about. Almost like an extinct species coming out from hiding, females awkwardly manifest a sudden interest in the beautiful game for 3 weeks. They show initiative to finally get to know who the players are, their names and what they look like, and even start to take note of who are the good teams!
Best of all, they even want to learn to comprehend the illusive offside rule. But don't bother, they'll never get it.

Women and children aside, even some men who don't watch football (what a sin.) have no choice but to learn the acquired taste of watching 22 sweaty men, chasing a ball and 1, blowing a whistle. They have no choice because if they continue to live in celibacy, they shall be shunt by their male compatriots and have little chance for companionship, bar the women who aren't hit by the football craze (the worst kind.) So they gather their friends, head to the pub and grab some beers to find out what's so beautiful about the beautiful game.

And men, who live and breathe football, even they start behaving oddly. Firstly, real men, sleep at 5am everyday during Euros. Yes, 5am. Any earlier, you're a whimp. And any earlier than 2, you're a woman. The only valid topic of conversation is football, and suddenly everyone's spending a good 300 quid on the temporary national kit jersey. Worst is, suddenly no one talks about club football anymore! Who won the Champions League again?? Old news!

So, football season is almost like a disease. It affects populations as dense as KL city or as sparse as a kampung! But all is not lost, on the 30th of June at 5.00am in the morning, the world we be at peace again, and will live to survive the next 2 years before the next fever hits.

Forgive my sexism in this post. =)

Untitled

2008-06-18T23:24:00.002+08:00

There are a few things I do when I'm angry, upset, disappointed, worried and confused.

1. Be left alone.

2. Listen to John Mayer.

3. Watch South Park.

4. Take a long walk.

5. Keep it all in.

I just did all of the above.

Adulthood.

2008-06-18T00:28:00.002+08:00

Exactly, at what age does one become an adult?

In some cultures, boys have their "coming-of-age" ritual when they're 12. So, adulthood is basically adolescence.

In modern contexts, 16 may be considered the age of adulthood, you know, sweet sixteens and all, and 16 is when you can start working full-time, or have sex, and in the States, smoke.

Or maybe 17? Where you can go to war? And can hold a driver's license?

Or perhaps, 18, when you are, by law, no longer a minor, and can smoke, drink, drive, get married...

Or is it when you are 21, when you are able to participate in deciding the country's political future? And adopt a child? Or sell alcohol?

Maybe it's when you graduate,

Maybe it's when you earn your first paycheck?

Or when you get engaged?

Or married?

Or when you have your first kid?

I guess everyone has different opinions on when someone becomes an adult.
If adulthood means maturity, then I suppose age isn't the right benchmark to be used.

No conclusions here, just pondering on something a lot of people don't have the answer for.
=)

30 Things To Do In An Exam You Know You'll Fail Anyways.

2008-06-16T03:13:00.004+08:00

Hooray, a random post.
But really, hilarious to say the least. Picture it in your mind as you read. =)
Attempt at your own risk.

Those I found exceptionally funny, in red.

1. In the middle of the test, have a friend rush into the classroom, tag your hand, and resume taking your test for you. When the teacher asks what's going on, calmly explain the rules of Tag Team Testing to him/her.

2. Talk the entire way through the exam. Read questions aloud, debate your answers with yourself out loud. If asked to stop, yell out, "I'm SOOO sure that you can hear me thinking." Then start talking about what a jerk the instructor is.

3. Fake an orgasm. When interrupted, apologize, and explain that question #__ moved you, deeply.

4. On the answer sheet find a new, interesting way to refuse to answer every question. For example: I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it conflicts with my religious beliefs. Be creative.

5. Run into the exam room looking about frantically. Breathe a sigh of relief. Go to the instructor, say "They've found me, I have to leave the country" and run off.

6. 15 min. into the exam, stand up, rip up all the papers into very small pieces, throw them into the air and yell out "Merry Christmas." If you're really daring, ask for another copy of the exam. Say you lost the first one. Repeat this process every 15 min.

7. Come into the exam wearing slippers, a bathrobe, a towel on your head, and nothing else.

8. Come down with a BAD case of Tourette's Syndrome during the exam. Be as vulgar as possible.

9. Bring things to throw at the instructor when s/he's not looking. Blame it on the person nearest to you.

10. As soon as the instructor hands you the exam, eat it.

11. Every 5 min. stand up, collect all your things, move to another seat, continue with the exam.

12. Turn in the exam approx. 30 min. into it. As you walk out, start commenting on how easy it was.

13. Get the exam. 20 min into it, throw your papers down violently, scream out "Screw this!" and walk out triumphantly.

14. Arrange a protest before the exam starts (ie. Threaten the instructor that whether or not everyone's done, they are all leaving after one hour to go drink.)

15. Show up completely drunk (completely drunk means at some point during the exam, you should start crying for mommy).

16. Try to get people in the room to do a wave.

17. Come to the exam wearing a black cloak. After about 30 min, put on a white mask and start yelling "I'm here, the phantom of the opera" until they drag you away.

18. If the exam is math/sciences related, make up the longest proofs you could possible think of. Get pi and imaginary numbers into most equations. If it is a written exam, relate everything to your own life story.

19. Comment on how sexy the instructor is looking that day.

20. Bring some large, cumbersome, ugly idol. Put it right next to you. Pray to it often. Consider a small sacrifice.

21. During the exam, take apart everything around you. Desks, chairs, anything you can reach.

22. Puke into your exam booklet. Hand it in. Leave.

23. Take 6 packages of rice cakes to the exam. Stuff at least 2 rice cakes into your mouth at once. Chew, then cough. Repeat if necessary.

24. Masturbate.

25. Walk in, get the exam, sit down. About 5 min into it, loudly say to the instructor, "I don't understand ANY of this. I've been to every lecture all semester long! What's the deal? And who the hell are you? Where's the regular guy?"

26. Do the entire exam in another language. If you don't know one, make one up!

27. Bring a black marker. Return the exam with all questions and answers completely blacked out.

28. Order catering. The catering company should come in about halfway through the test, and should include at least three waiters, eight carts of food, and five candelabras.

29. Make Strange noises... get people to stare... look at the person next to you as if heshe did it.

30. After you get the exam, call the instructor over, point to any question, ask for the answer. Try to work it out of him/her.

I love school. =)

Worry.

2008-06-15T22:36:00.003+08:00

I know, dead blog. Just haven't found anything to blog about lately.

But I kind of forced myself into blindly typing down this, so at least some progress will be made.

I think I worry a lot.

I worry about things that will almost never happen as well.

Don't we all?

And I have a sort of theory, that worrying is like inflation.

Everyone knows how inflation works right, its like...

1. People speculate on rising prices.
2. So in an attempt to save money, they buy alot of that something before prices rise.
3. So demand increase, supply decrease.
4. Price goes up.

Inflation, is caused by the worry of inflation.

And I wonder, when we really worry about something, does it speed up the thing we're worrying about?

For example, I'll use the same 4 steps to demonstrate a simple situation.

1. You worry you fail the test.
2. So, in an attempt to avoid that dreaded fear, you think alot about it, hoping it would change something.
3. You lose focus, and do stupid things.
4. You fail your test.

Haha, far-fetched when I read it again. Just a theory, I know.

But of course there are somethings that won't apply to these 4 steps.

1. You worry you'll have a sudden urge to go to the bathroom during a 5-hour drive to 1u (jams nowadays, who knows)
2. You think alot about pissing.
3. You piss.
4. Oh, damn.

Nah, no sense.

I AM BEING TOTALLY INCOHERENT HERE.

Haha, I don't have a clue what I'm rambling about.

I just have a gut feeling that worrying makes a problem worse, but I don't know why!

Isn't worrying like the first step to the problem, acceptance? And doesn't it act as a catalyst for action? If so, then why is worrying so bad? And why do people do so stupid things when they worry?

Maybe it's because we don't know where to focus our worry. Is it on the problem, or the consequence, or the cause? Maybe we think too much. I believe worrying is good to a certain extent. Like in the exam scenario, all Malaysian students know the worry and fear of not performing is probably the ultimate motivation, rather than self-gratification.

But then again, like any other word I've written on this post, I don't know.

This is probably one of the first posts I've written where its so open-ended and I can't draw a definitive conclusion to what on earth I am talking about.

At least it's an update! =D

Thank you for reading (or scrolling) through this nonsense of words, but it's my blog, and I'll crap if I want to. =)

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics.

2008-05-21T20:57:00.003+08:00

Its about 10.58PM now and we're 3 and a half hours away from what would be a 3rd European Cup to United's name.

Not feeling overly confident because Chelsea are in top shape and have the grit it takes to win a one-off match. No offense, but I think I'd fancy playing Liverpool in the final rather than Chelsea, since we thrashed them 3-0 at home recently.

But if there was one thing that cheered me up was ANOTHER Real Madrid conspiracy.

Now, Real Madrid are the 'kings' or were the kings of the European Cup. They've won it an insane 9 times. But recently, a trend has been going on. The curse, or the blessing, of Real Madrid.

In 2003, Juventus knocked Real Madrid out. Milan beat Juventus. Milan Champs.

In 2004, Monaco knocked out Real, Porto beat Monaco. Porto Champs.

In 2005, Juventus knocked out Real. Liverpool beat Juventus. Liverpool Champs.

In 2006, Arsenal knocked out Real. Barca beat Arsenal. Barcelona Champs.

Anyone spotting a trend here??

In 2007, Bayern knocked out Real. Milan beat Bayern. Milan Champs.

And the part I'm most excited about!!

In 2008, Roma knocked out Real. Man Utd beat Roma. Man Utd...Champs?

And if that's not enough, United are playing as the HOME team. Its a formality rather than anything, as they get to choose the jersey colours, home dressing room, home bench, and all the nicer stuff that comes along with the home team.

Who cares, you say? Recently, in all the CL finals played, the team playing HOME has won the cup. Porto, Liverpool, Barca and Milan.

So, maybe, just maybe....

Before And After Marriage.

2008-05-16T18:24:00.000+08:00

Before marriage:

He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
She: Do you want me to leave?
He: No! Don't even think about it.
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and over!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: No! Why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get.
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes.
She: Darling!

After marriage:

Simply read from bottom to top.

How One Acoustic Guitar Can Make A Sean Kingston Song Sound Decent.

2008-05-15T00:31:00.005+08:00

Well, that was the longest title I've ever given to a blog post. And it sort of sums up what this post is about.

Sean Kingston. He's fat. He's rich. He's young. Oh, and he's talentless.

How can a song about being suicidal because of another person's beauty possibly be a #1 hit in the UK and US? I have no clue.

How can this dude attract such rave reviews and huge crowds at his concerts in KL recently? Colbie Caillat is far more worth watching, and I regret not doing so now.
(I read one comment that said, "i like sean kingston...best voice since akon". That'll be great, if only Akon could sing to save his life.)

Well, when I thought 'Beautiful Girls' was hopelessly uninspiring, a band I've been eyeing on, Boyce Avenue, did a cover of his song. It's not tremendously stellar, but with just one guitar, it made me want to listen to more. Compared to the full pumping bass, 60s drum beat and fat dude version of Kingston, Boyce Avenue sure did a good job.

Here's the vid. Don't expect too much, just a dude and a guitar.

Amateurish yes. Bad sound quality, yes. Good voice, hell yes.

They also did covers of Umbrella, With You (much better than Archuleta's rendition), Keep Holding On, Bleeding Love, What Hurts The Most and my personal fav, Lovestoned.

Now keep that Kingston dude off the airwaves!

Plan B.

2008-05-05T21:07:00.013+08:00

Well, no points for guessing what my Plan A in life is. I've always admired doctors and the respect they garner for the work they do. I mean, who doesn't love being a hero? Saving the day and a life, being a champion and getting respected for it. I guess this is one of the reasons I chose my future career. Definately not the most important one, but one of the reasons nonetheless.

But with Plan A figured out, I'm left to wonder what would be of my future, if Plan A fails halfway, or before launch. I worked out a few considerable options.

1. Be a pharmacist or some pharmaceutical chemist.

Closest to being a doctor, and definately an area of my interest, why not? 9 to 5, opportunities for both the industry and my career to expand, and interesting. And no macroeconomics. Yay.

A bit of a straightforward choice, so maybe I'll look at the more adventurous prospects.

2. Be a pilot.

I've always liked planes and airports. There's never been a flight I've been on that I've never looked forward to. Forget the trip or the destination, but the flight alone makes me excited. And airports, they're big, grand, sometimes buzzing, sometimes silent. I have fond memories of airports and they always seem special to me. And besides, who wouldn't like to say, "This is your captain speaking, 749 of your lives and now in my hands alone. Muahahaha." Every kid dreams of being a pilot, flying around the world.

3. Be a musician.

Music is cool. Everyone loves music. And music can speak. And I can play music. So, I guess, if all else failed, and I didn't have the privilege of furthering my studies, then playing music for the rest of my life would have been ideal. Its fun, creative, you get to meet lots of wacky people, and could possibly earn big bucks if you make it up there. One for consideration. The downside is, I'm no where near as good as any of the big guns. But who cares anyways?

4. Be a businessman.

Business is an incredible line of work. It encompasses every single career on the planet, because at the end of the day, its all about the money. And business can be as boring and lifeless as you can make it, or as fun and versatile. Come on lah, every Chinese is clever at making money. And sometimes you make money off other people's brainwork (Bill Gates) and sometimes you make (or waste) money by buying a football club (Roman Abramovich) and sometimes you make money just by just working up the corporate ladder (Donald Trump) and then make a reality show out of it. Business, business. Nothing like it.

5. Be a politician.

Hey, now anyone can make money just by speaking utter crap.

The Wonder Of McDonalds.

2008-04-30T23:53:00.006+08:00

When you were 3 or 4, I'm sure your parents would have taken you to your first McDonalds trip. And being 3 or 4, you probably wouldn't have cared much, and wouldn't remember.

But somehow, the colourful place, nice small toys, yummy food and nice cold icecream would have gotten to your underdeveloped brain, and you would have thought of McDonalds as one of the best places to eat.

So every time when asked where to eat, a kid will probably answer McDonalds, or some other fast food joint.

Then you get older, and you realize there are a lot better attractions than small action figures of Toy Story. And that the 'playpen' isn't that fun anymore. And Ronald McDonald. Well he's just weird. And most certainly, deep fried flour chips aren't the tastiest things to eat. And heck, its not worth my 10 bucks. McDonalds, isn't just the 'McDonalds' anymore.

McDonalds is just like so many other things we used to cherish, and then began to take for granted, forget, or grow out of. Like cartoons, or toys, or video games. Or even more, dinner nights out or movies at the cinemas.

So, I guess we should cherish, all these things before we lose the wonder of them.

Milkshakes and fries anyone?

Dumb, Dumb Blonde.

2008-04-23T21:24:00.005+08:00

The post below is completely taken from a friend's blog, who in turn took it from a website. I found it too good to pass out on. Enjoy. =)

A Blonde's Year in Review

January
Took new scarf back to store because it was too tight

February
Fired from pharmacy job for failing to print labels...HELLOOO!...bottles won't fit in printer.

March
Got really excited...finished jigsaw puzzle in 6 months....box said "2 - 4 years"

April
Trapped on escalator for hours...power went out.

May
Tried to make Kool-Aid - wrong instructions... 8 cups of water won't fit into that little packet.

June
Tried to go water skiing - couldn't find a lake with a slope.

July
Lost breast stoke swimming competition...learned later, the other swimmers cheated, they used their arms.

August
Got locked out of my car in a rain storm...car swamped because soft-top was open.

September
The capital of California is "C", isn't it?

October
Hate M&M's - they are so hard to peel.

November
Baked turkey for 4 1/2 days...instructions said 1 hour per pound and I weigh 108 !!!

December
Couldn't dial 911- duh - there's no eleven on the stupid phone.

Tag.

2008-04-13T14:20:00.003+08:00

Instructions: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.

1. At what age do you wish to marry?
Errr...before 30 if possible!

2. What is your most favourite thing to do?
Not too sure..hanging out with friends?

3. If you have a close close close close friend since childhood who loves to take away whatever you like, including guys/girls, and he/she always wins, will you still consider him/her your friend?
If they did that, why would they be my close friends?

5. If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
I'd have superpowers. (and where's number 4?)

6. Do you believe you can survive without money?
No.

7. What are you afraid to lose the most?
Myself.

8. What do you feel like doing, right now?
Sleeping. As always. Maybe foosing.

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Depends on my mood, timing and my mood. I said my mood twice, because if I'm in the right mood, then most likely that's the right timing.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Sara - sweet, kind and fashion-conscious
Colin - human, alive and male

11. What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Easy-care. Haha!

12. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Liverpool fans. Haha, kidding. JonSG can be half-okay sometimes.

13. What is the colour of the underwear you're wearing?
Grey.

14. What is the thing that will make you think he/she is bad?
Bad is so ambiguous. Perhaps if the team he supports is Liverpool or Arsenal.

15. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Friends.

17. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
Insensitivity, maybe..Pride...

18. Who is the person that you can share all your problems with?
All? No one, I think.

19. How do you see yourself in 10 years time?
With superpowers. Refer to 5.

20. Do you think you get hungry because you’re cold, or cold because you’re hungry?
I just get hungry. Haha.. (Sara's answer was too good to miss)

Safety In Numbers

2008-04-12T10:55:00.003+08:00

You know, when you're not sure about something, and could be persuaded by almost anything, we tend to pick the thing that most people opt for. If say, anything goes wrong, there's safety in numbers, you won't be the only one in trouble.

But then again, whether or not you're the only one, you're STILL in trouble anyways. So does that mean that safety in numbers in merely communal suffering?

If so, why do we still use this as an excuse when making decisions? Don't come to me with the whole peer pressure thing, sure that's an issue. But, when making life decisions, I doubt anyone uses peer pressure as their compass. We make our own decisions, and then rely on the hope that there will be people with you when things go wrong, if they do.

Don't know where I'm getting here, but I believe the reason why people believe in safety in numbers, is that, there is hope that you can get out of the situation, "just like everyone else".

Ironic, though.

But, nonetheless, when you're in company, you tend to gain the extra motivation you need to pull through a tough time or situation, you have someone that understands the stuff you go through, you have someone to forget your problems with. I suppose safety in numbers just means the assurance of friends, and how important they are, in numbers. I mean, there's no safety in a whole lot of strangers. Its the friends that count. (no pun intended)

So, IS there really safety in numbers? You do the math. (pun intended)

Falling. In Love.

2008-04-09T22:09:00.001+08:00

Missing my AUSMAT mates, I was thinking of one occasion when we all went for a day out after our finals. After a movie and lunch and window shopping for grad night in One U, we headed to Subang for a foos time. After foos at Racks, Kin Foong led us to this small restaurant for dinner.

We were talking about AUSMAT and our futures; courses and careers.

Then suddenly we entered the topic on how girls change a guy's life. Limiting his freedom, taking up time, and even breaking his heart. Of course, some defended the pluses of a relationship and so on and so forth.

Then I proposed that no one would want to be in love deliberately, actively seeking what you get in the end. For what you get in the end, is merely a bunch of coincidences thrown together and a fateful and random twist of chance; presto: love, or so we call it.

And that is why I called falling in love, 'falling' in love. No one wants to fall down. It happens accidentally.

So imagine a guy walking along the street of his life, and he suddenly just drops into a hole into the ground called 'love'. That's how I imagined it at least. Izul was very defensive on the fact that these holes only serve to hinder a guy's life.

But all of us admitted to falling into one of these holes at some time or another. Except Matthew.

He proposed that to avoid falling in love, meant avoiding all things that could lead to such a hole, or ignoring the world around him until he had enough fun with his selfish life. Not that that's bad..nowadays, its called 'protecting ourselves'. Hogwash.

So it seems, the only solution to not fall in love, is not to walk. Brilliant.
What do you think?

Confucius Says.

2008-03-28T02:30:00.005+08:00

Confucius says...
Man who sneezes without tissue takes matters in his own hands.

He who eat ice cream in car is a Sundae Driver.

Butcher who back into meat grinder get a little behind in his orders.

Man who piss into strong wind gets wet.

Man with no legs bums around.

Two wrongs not make right, but two rights make U-turn.

When man he bring wife flowers for no reason, there usually reason.

Man who read woman like book, prefer braille.

Crowded elevator always smell different to midget.

Man who take sleeping pill and laxative on the same night wake up in deep shit.

Man who live in glass house, should change in basement.

He who sniffs Coke drowns.

Man who sits on stool smells like shit.

Man who have last laugh, not get joke.

Man who put pea in soup very unclean.

Women who go camping, must beware of evil intent.

Man who run before bus get tired.

Man who run behind bus get exhausted.

Man who scratch ass should not bite fingernails.

Confucius said it.
(Taken from an app in Facebook)

Words.

2008-03-22T23:52:00.002+08:00

I recently read my friend's pretty interesting post on how we use the words 'I Love You' in such a cheap manner, when its meaning is really more profound than we profess.

So, my mind began to soar as I was on my bed, thought linking to thought on how cheaply we treat words, by saying simple sentences we don't really mean.

Let's start with the words 'I Promise'. It's like, you ask your girlfriend to go out with you on a certain date, pre-set before. In the midst of a busy setting, she quickly dishes out the magic two words "I promise" so that she can be left alone in peace. You take those words and you take them seriously. Does she show up? No. Did she promise? Well she won't say she did. These words are just like tools to help us escape a situation we don't like.

Okay, so what do we say when we don't to commit to something? Hmmm..maybe a line like this would work.

"Tomorrow want to go foos?"
"I don't know la, but I'll try."
"Rrrrreeeeeeaaaaaaaallllly?"
"Serious la". End of discussion.

"Seriously" or "serious". The next misused words. By right, the word serious means well, that you're serious! You mean it. But now the word seems to be used as the punch line in a prank.

"Wei, Samy Vellu became Prime Minister laaa."
"Don't play with me la... You think I don't know you're bluffing arr?"
"No la..Samy Vellu..news just came out..TV3."
"Stop playing la."
"Serious!"

So then, what do we say when we're not THAT serious? How about "I'll try"?

"Eh can you help me with this question?"
"Err...I'm not sure myself la"
"Please la, you so geng (terror [chun-tet {good} ] )"
"Okok, I'll try" *walks off*

Then what if you really don't know? Say "I don't know" right?

Mother: I'll be waiting in the car for you and dad.
Boy: uhhhh. *busy texting*
Mom walks off. Dad comes.
Dad: Have you seen mom? Where is she?
Boy: *busy texting* I dunno.

Why do we even bother to have language anyways?

Love is like a pendulum.

2008-03-17T22:29:00.008+08:00

Different people say love is like different things.

One girl said love is like a butterfly. It goes where it pleases and pleases where it goes. It makes no sense, and that butterfly sounds like something else to me.

Another smart guy said love is like a Rubix cube. There are countless numbers of wrong twists and turns, but when you get it right, it looks perfect no matter what way you look at it.

Love is like fire.
Love is like a hurricane.
Love is like a book.
Love is like a rose.

But I think love is like a pendulum. You know, those things that swing sideways constantly, until it runs out of energy. I'm sure all of us have tried one of these mechanisms in physics class some time or another.

Love is like a pendulum because? Imagine you're standing on one side of the pendulum. And the little ball swings your way. Eventually, it will obey the laws of physics (Newton's 3rd law to be exact) and by cause and effect (and momentum) swing back to where it came from.

So? What on earth does that have to do with love?

Imagine the ball to be love. And we're talking about boy-girl love. (And boy-boy in Colin's case) If you're unattached, then you may feel the ball is moving away from you. But sometime or another, it will come your way. Unless of course, you don't want to grab at it.

Or if you're already in a relationship, then at one point or another, things may feel to be drifting away from you. Misunderstandings, disagreements, arguments, and maybe pure irritation may make you wonder if there is any wonder in love at all? The ball moves away.
And yet at other times, things seem so blissful and perfect that the ball seems to be right in front of your face.

The point here is that love is consistent. It goes away, it comes back. Just a matter of time.

Another point of note is the strength of which it comes.
In a pendulum, the harder you swing the ball, the faster it goes, the further it moves. So, if say you're in the biggest load of crap you've been in. The ball may be really far away, but by laws of cause and effect, it will swing your way just as hard in due time.

Same goes with relationships I presume. The more hurt you feel today about something, the same amount of joy will come around some day? I don't know.

What do you think love is like?

John Mayer

2008-03-10T14:04:00.003+08:00

1. Choose a band / artist and answer ONLY in titles of their songs.
John Mayer

2. Are you male or female?
Man On The Side

3. Describe yourself:
Message In A Bottle

4. How do some people feel about you:
Clarity

5. How do you feel about yourself:
Bigger Than My Body

6. Ex boyfriends/girlfriends:
I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)

7. Current boyfriend/girlfriend/crush:
Comfortable

8. Describe where you want to be:
City Love

9. Describe where you live:
Home Life

10. Describe how you live:
Something's Missing

11. What would you ask for if you had just one wish?
Waiting On The World To Change

12. Share a few words of Wisdom:
Belief

13. Any general advice:
Come Back To Bed XD

14. Share a favorite pickup line:
Your Body Is A Wonderland

15. And if that one doesn't work:
I'm Gonna Find Another You

16. What secondary school do/did you attend:
My Stupid Mouth

17. Pepsi or coke:
Split Screen Sadness

18. Any pets?
Vultures

19. Favorite food:
Neon

20. Do you drink?
No Such Thing

21. Say goodbye:
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

I tag:
1. AmyHo!
2. Jeremy Toh
3. JonSG
4. Aiman
5. ColiNgeow
6. Kenny Sia
7. Jeff Ooi

Fads.

2008-03-05T13:59:00.011+08:00

Like it or not, we've all, at one time or another, been 'into' a fad. A fad is like a temporary rave about something otherwise ordinary. A fad is similar to a trend, only that a fad appeals to only a smaller group of people, usually a city society of a particular nation.

Fads have been going on since the 1920s! Of course, they're nothing like the fads today in the millenium, but in the 20s, swing dancing, outrageous red lipstick, radio shows and believe it or not, mahjong!, were the hits of those days.

But lets concentrate on the fads of today, or recent times.

One fad that has become so popular, people (or at least I) have thought they've existed forever is tattoos. Sure, even Popeye had em in the 50s, but they never did gain general societal appreciation since the 90s, when driving heavy metallic substances piercing through your fragile skin into your bones seemed the most awesome thing to do. This fad is far from over.

The Power Rangers were another 90s wonder. Kids raving over how 5 teenagers in tight colourful spandex body suits managed to defeat the endless flow of monsters with pathetic ultraabilities. Why was this so popular? I have no idea. But everyone recognizes the term 'Power Rangers' today, demonstrating how big this show really was in the 93-96 era.

Then, another fad came, Tamagotchis. These adorable little virtual pet were in the pockets of almost every child in KL! Why all the kids were so badly needing to feed, clean, and satisfy every need of a little round machine with a smiley face remains a mystery. But heck, I loved it too. I guess when you don't have a real pet, a few monocoloured dots on a pink keychain with buttons's screen seems like the best you can get. Not to mention, soon the Digimon came out, capitalizing on the enormously successful concept of the Tamagotchi. Now, kids could even fight with one another's keychains. How incredibly delightful.

When the Tamagotchi following began to die down, an incredible fad arose, one I still wonder how it got so popular. The Yo-yo. Soon, every child had a yo-yo, or Pro-Yo as it was called. People were buying all sorts of yo-yos. Some were the non-branded China brand ones, some were the slightly higher ranged Pro-Yos, some were the Bumble Bee edition that made a weird buzzing sound when the yoyo was spun, and even others had the Yo Hans signature ones! Tricks like 'Around the World', 'Sleeper', 'Rock The Baby' and all sorts of other nonsense were practiced everywhere, and the kid that could do the best tricks was godlike.

During the Yo-Yo era, the Pokemon emerged. Japan does have a habit of creating silly child games that capture the modern world by storm. Pokemon was first the GameBoy game, and then became the all-popular card game. And then heck, why not make a movie, TV show and stuffed toy franchise to make some more money on these unwitting kids? Pikachu was known by everyone as the weird little..er...thing? that sleeps in a red and white ball. Okay. And kids would spend hundreds of bucks buying cards. Okay. Why was this a hit again?

Well these were the fads I experienced in the primary school years. What about the secondary school years?

Shopping By Sexes.

2008-01-28T16:00:00.000+08:00

Recently, I had the divine opportunity to experience first-hand the dynamics, psychology and sheer disorientation of a female shopping outing.

I've once heard that the ultimate rule in the universe, the only thing that is for certain, and the most solid thing to rely on is:

'Never give a woman your credit card.'

Suffice to say, this is how terribly men view women shopping. But one must ask, why? What is so unforgivably diverse between the two genders when it comes to purchasing a simple item of clothing from the store?

Well, that statement itself says quite a bit. 'A simple item'. The quantity of what is bought. Let us get back to that later. What are the 'fundamentally' different aspects of shopping by sexes? Dissecting a simple shopping trip will provide some answers. Now, I am not fully siding males here, both genders may have something interesting to find out about the opposite sex.

1. Before the trip
Before even arriving at the mall, a guy already has what he wants to buy in mind.
Some questions such as..

-What colour do I want it in?
-Fitting/loose?
-Price range
-Occasion to wear for?

...help make the decision. And also gives a good idea of where to get what you have in mind from.

Females on the other hand, with blatant and careless bliss waltz into the mall, without a clue, hoping to find something special, by divine appointment.

They thrive on the reliability on randomness.

Thus, they leave out even the most basic questions unanswered.

-How many am I buying?
-Who and what am I buying for?
-Do I have money?
-WHAT AM I BUYING?

So, with this in mind, what happens AT the store?

2. While shopping

So upon arrival, girls will take the nearest store, or the store they frequent most.
Guys, will head straight to where they think they can find their ideal purchase.
Now remember, the guy knows exactly (and thats the problem) what he wants. The girl has no clue in the world.

The guy
So the guy heads over to Gap to buy a pair of jeans. Now two scenarios can arise:
1. He finds what he wants. Gets in, gets out. Done. Go home.
2. What he wants is out of stock, too expensive, not existent.

In scenario 1, the clouds open, heaven rejoices and angels serenade the elated bloke back to his car with symphonies of joy. The lucky chap can now go home and have a couple of beers before snoozing his afternoon away on the living room couch.

In scenario 2, all hell breaks loose, the sky turns dark, and the guy is faced with the ultimate question. Where do I go next??

After many hours of searching, exhausted and depleted, he settles for the next-best alternative, something that is not what he wanted to begin with.

This is the primary reason why guys don't like shopping. Its too tedious to have something in mind, and then search the entire mall for it, without it blowing our budget. Having a set mindset proves disastrous.

The girl
With her ~~herd of~~ companions, they ~~stampede~~ ~~catwalk~~ stroll to the nearest store.

Then she finds something she likes. Once again, a reminder that the girl has no clue of what she set out to buy. So 'liking something' is vague and completely irrelative.

With that something she liked bought, the next ~~victim~~ store is headed for. And the same thing occurs again! She eyes something she likes, tries it, then buys it.

EYES -> TRIES -> BUYS.

So THAT is why women (not all, just those with little thrift and discipline) spend like mad.
They buy on compulsion, with nothing in mind beforehand, and everything in hand afterhand.

Anyways, moving on to after the trip.

3. After the shopping trip

Upon arrival home, the guys curses his luck because he wasted 5 hours in the mall, without buying anything, or buying something he didn't set out for.

The girl instead has bought plenty of useless things, left to hang in the wardrobe. Not only that, she finally has an epiphany that she has exceeded the budget she never set out in the first place, and has to cut back on other expenses for the month.

The moral of the story?

EYES-> TRIES-> BUYS-> CRIES.

Life on shuffle.

2008-01-23T03:23:00.000+08:00

Okay, so I'm into weird tag thingys now. But heck, this is cool!
Found this off a blog somewhere.

Very simple actually.

Put your iTunes on random mode, and for every question below, the answer is the title of the random song.

Lets see how I did. =D

1. Describe yourself.
Crayons Can Melt On Us For All I Care [Relient K] - Hmmm...maybe.

2. How has the past 17 years been for you?
Unstoppable [The Calling] - I guess we can't really stop time.

3. Whats going on in your mind lately?
Forever [Vertical Horizon] - I'm not too sure what this means.

4. What has been a great influence to you?
Predictable [Good Charlotte] - WHAT? Haha...makes zero sense.

5. I am currently....
The Beginning of the End [Nine Inch Nails] - That is very very sadistic.

6. I want someone who is...
Not Myself [John Mayer] - How very very true. It'll be so awful being married to yourself, seeing your same old face, arguing with yourself. Best answer so far. Haha.

7. I can't stand people who are...
Stay Home [New Atlantic] - Haha..yea, I don't really think much of home schooling people, or losers with no life. (wait, I've been staying home the past few days.....)

8. What is better to do than to blog now?
You're Beautiful [James Blunt] - Why thank you.

9. My blog is all about...
Son Of A Gun [Tommy Emmanuel] - LOL!! I mean, Kin Foong's not that bad...

10. 10 years from now, I might be...
The Stone [Dave Matthews Band] - Haha..yea man! I will so ROCK!!

11. Shuffling is...
Again I Go Unnoticed [Dashboard Confessional] - Exactly. Shuffling is for losers, who go unnoticed. Haha...

12. Foosball is
I Need You [Relient K] - My iTunes DOES know me!!!!!!

13. I love..
No Such Thing [John Mayer] - Oh cmon! I do have a heart!! Well, sometimes at least..

14. Whats your best pickup line?
Re-offender [Travis] - I don't get this one.

15. Where did you put my wallet?
Cry [James Blunt] - I don't know!! *cries*

16. What do you do when you see your ex pass by?
Open The Eyes Of My Heart [Delirious] - LOL!

17. If I could turn back time, I would..
Golden [Switchfoot] - ???

18. When you're at the movies, and the couple behind you is making obscene noises, you would turn around and say...
The Beauty and The Tragedy [Trading Yesterday] - Haha! I assume the guy's the tragedy.

19. What are your preference on girls?
Do Me A Favour [Arctic Monkeys] - Please interpret wisely.

20. Your favourite food at 12 midnight.
Us vs Them [LCD Soundsystem] - ???

21. For the people out there who read this, I'd like to say...
Me, My Yoke, And I [Damien Rice] - What does that even mean?

22. Describe your college life.
Dreamland [Paul Van Dyk] - Awesome dude. =D It was like a dream..

23. If you could say one last word to your loved one, what would it be?
Bite My Tongue [Relient K] - Wow, I must want to go to heaven THAT quickly.

24. What would you want for your next birthday present?
New Season [Building 429] - Yea, a fresh start to life is good!

25. I totally dislike...
Thank You [Simple Plan] - Thats right!
(A: Please pass the potatoes
Jon: Here you go,
A: Thank you.
Jon: Shut up you pathetic moron, fool!)

26. Favourite slogan...
Can You Feel The Love Tonight [Kenny G] - Oh cmon guys, you jolly well know I'm not THAT kind of person!

27. I am going to...
Green Eyes [Coldplay] - Oh man, back to randomness.

28. After you've played a game of football in the mud, you yell to your opponents..
Picture Perfect [Tyler Hilton] - Lets take a group picture?? Random..

29. If your life was was written in a book, the title of the book would be..
Shout C'mon [PVD] - Oh Really...I would encourage all the readers to shout at first glance at my life...

30. Describe your iTunes library.
Get Stoned [Hinder] - Haha...yea..music IS good.

31. Diet Coke is bad for health because..
Geek In The Pink [Jason Mraz] - ??

32. Whats your opinion on PDA (public display of affection)?
Heaven Sent [New Amsterdams] - Haha! My iTunes said it for me.

33. If someone you've been longing to talk to, brushes you off when you call him/her, what goes through your mind?
What the World Will Never Take [Hillsong] - ??

34. Why are you not studying now?
Get Up [Quietdrive]

35. If a girl kisses you, how would you feel?
Dismantle Repair [Anberlin] - Ain't that sweet...

How bout YOUR life on shuffle?

Between your legs.

2008-01-21T03:54:00.000+08:00

Facebook is really awesome. And this is another reason why. Boy, is this funny.
This was found on one of my friend's superwalls, and I must say, its pretty creative.
So here's the post, word for word.

Everybody.. lets get this started and see what creative movie titles we can come up with.. here's the rules.. think up a movie title(ANY movie title), and add "Between Your Legs" to the movie title..ill get it goin...continue to forward this!!!

Gail :- Gone in 60 Seconds Between Your Legs

Cindy :- Rush Hour Between Your Legs

Patrick :- Gone with the wind Between your legs

Carl :- Finding Nemo Between your legs

Damian:- Mad MAx Between your legs

David:- Armageddon Between your legs

Andre: - 300 Between your legs

Trace: - Dirty Dancing Between your legs...

Amy: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure Between Your Legs

Jordy: Midnight Express Between your legs

Joshua: Training Day Between your legs

Callie: Cruel Intentions Between your Legs

Tom: Final Fantasy Between your legs

Garrett: The Abyss Between your legs

Ji; Dirty dancing Between your legs

Belinda - Fast and Furious between your legs

Zac- Finding Nemo between your legs

San-Dodge ball between your legs

Norman - The Phantom Menace between your legs

Jazz - The city of lost children between your legs

Aileen - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon between your legs

Pik Choo - READ between your legs

ChrisC - MAN ON FIRE between your legs

Candle - THE WARLORDS between your legs

KP - The Kingdom Between Your Legs

Ung Soh Fong - There's Something About Mary Between Your Legs

Yvy - Lord of the Rings Between your legs

eelynn - UNREST between your legs

Mei Yun - Top Gun between your legs

Phyllis - National treasure between your legs

Jir - The Thing between your legs.

Funny eh? =)

Question.

2007-12-15T10:23:00.000+08:00

If A is 0.

And B is 1.

What is C?

C = 3.

Because its the third.

The death of CGI films.

2007-11-21T00:43:00.000+08:00

Animated movies are really becoming a phenomenon. But, a dying one.
Why? Directors are running out of ideas, so practically anything can be digitally transformed into a box-office smashing, blockbuster busting and chart-topping character (which of course opens floodgates of money into the open arms of a delightful GSC)

Let's see how it all began.

In 1995, Pixar and Disney collaborated to make the first CGI animated film, Toy Story.

It was a sensation. It ranks 100% on Rotten Tomatoes! And that's very,very rare. It recieved one Academy Award and two Golden Globes! What a start for Pixar and CGI. Okay, I'll admit it was a pretty good show.

Film-makers, capitalizing on the huge potential of CGI films that was yet to be tapped, decided to cash in on the computer animation franchise.

Antz was the first attempt by Dreamworks at CGI, and was overshadowed by another bug movie, A Bug's Life.

So, okay. Bugs was the deal for 10-year-old kids at the moment, and it did take a fresh perspective at the microscopic world we hardly see. But ideas just went down from then on.

Monster's Inc. came out, hardly a movie I remember about.

Surf's Up was another failure. Far from the standards of Toy Story.

Neither was Ice Age nor Robots or even Madagascar! I don't see any kids nowadays talking about Robots the way Toy Story was a hit.

Vain attempts like Cars were just downright disappointing.

Others like Over The Hedge were just downright stupid.

There were some exceptions though. Shrek and Finding Nemo were pretty good.
But Hollywood HAD to make more money. So they made SEQUELS.

Toy Story 2... Shrek 2... Shrek the Third... Ice Age 2... Ice Age 3... Toy Story 3... Madagascar 2... Shrek Goes Fourth... Shrek Goes Fifth...Shrek Goes Insane!!

It'll never stop! I'll provide some ideas to the dying Pixar.

A Bug's Death... Hiding Nemo... Toy Story 4: Kids Grow Up... Cars 2: The Curse of the Killer Mechanic... Madagascar 3: Animals Face Extinction... A Bug's Reincarnation... Finding Nemo Again...

You get the point!

And even then, they still love makig movies about random objects and animals.
Cars, Robots, Toys.

Ogres, Bugs, Tigers, Sharks, Fishes, Mammoths, Racoons.

But the CGI animal disaster I have lately seen was...

It did sound promising at first.

I mean, who wouldn't love a bunch of animated flying insects that can speak, attempt to save the world by pollinating the flowers, suing humans in a human court (in which apparently, a bee is very educated in the dynamics of lawsuits and court affairs) and making the world a beetter place.

Very promising. But it got so bad when the lead bee started to "fall in love" with a human.

Then I lost it.

ARGH!!!!

It was a downright, inspirationless movie.

Soon, there'll be a movie about worms, germs, plankton, trees, grass and seaweed.
Oh, not to mention tables, chairs, roads, lamps, sticks, and hey! why not make a computer-animated movie about computers!

There is no end to the madness.
(By the way, Kung Fu Panda is coming soon, boy, can't wait to see that one...)

(Prepare for awesomeness. Wow.)

Only time will tell, which poor species Pixar will pick on next.

An album art speaks a thousand words.

2007-11-02T19:51:00.001+08:00

Ever since iTunes made Cover Flow, I've been kind of obsessed with album art. Album art is basically the cover of the album. Album art's been around for a really long time but no one really paid attention to it until it wad glorified through iTunes and iPods, and now, iPhone. Even Microsoft implements album art in WMP 10!

Ok, enough about that. Lets get on to business. Most of the time, the album art speaks volumes about the album.

For example, you know the album's gonna be cheesy and lovey when its album art looks like this.

At other times, you can sort of guess that screaming is an understatement when an album art looks like this.

Ok, you get the point. So if a picture speaks a thousand words, what does these album arts tell you? I warn you - BE PREPARED. (not for the faint hearted - and definately not for the straight). Lets start shall we? Remember - a pictures speaks a thousand words.

Jim Post - I Love My Life
(I'm sure you do)

ManOWar - Anthology

Tino - Por Primera Vez
(look at those elephant thighs!)

Prince - Self-titled
(No wonder the black music industry wasn't thriving.)

Boneo - Up At The Crack
(I must admit, this is pretty good, but I don't see it become a chart topper anytime soon, or for that matter - anytime.)

Wolf - Selftitled
(Talk about inspiration.)

Hernie Mann - Push Push
(No...)

And finally, the worst album art I have EVER seen.

Orleans - Waking and Dreaming

Who needs a thousand words when I can use one?
GAY!

To-morrow and to-morrow and to-morrow.

2007-11-01T19:25:00.000+08:00

Ah, screw Shakespeare. But I cannot believe it. I just can't. My externals are..TOMORROW! Orientation felt like yesterday man! I can still remember sitting in the MPH and thinking, 'This is gonna be one longggggg year'. Boy, was I wrong. Its like college just flew by me while I was sleeping. Maybe it did.

" classes..labs..foos..eat..classes..ee1...sem break...class..foos..foos..class..foos...ee2.. you get the drift."

But honestly, I'm not prepared to leave AUSMAT (or Malaysia, for that matter), and I'm certainly not prepared to walk into the externals hall! Can't I just go back to say somewhere in June where EE2 just finished and life was carefree and sometimes, careless. I guess not.

And although I hope not, I think the friends I made in AUSMAT are just gonna be one-hit-wonders (like the Plain White T's! lol) or rather one-year-wonders. We'll see how it goes, I guess.

Man, I am SO hungry.
Later.

Hello world.

2007-10-31T23:58:00.000+08:00

Guhhdangg!
My first post.

Colin's already posted 2 posts, so I better get moving! This blog will probably cover lots of random stuff. So be patient with me.

Man, externals is tomorrow! This is insane, no where near as prepared as SPM, but no where as stressed either. My 'theory' is that the more you study, the more you realize the less you know, and so, the more you panic. Moral is? Forget studying and live in reckless bliss. You'll be fine! -at least till your results come out.

I'm spam studying Econs now even though the paper on the 2nd is Chem. Plan to spam study chem tomorrow and brush up on everything else tonight. Have been studying for 3 hours already (minus time spent on spamming Colin's cbox!) so I guess I can chill for awhile.

Later.