Modern World.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
It's just too sad; the world and deaths we couldn't foresee and prevent. Life is short, literally. It's hard to say what can happen the next minute of your life. We have the will and power to make a difference to our lives this minute but this ability can be taken away from us at the very next. I know this is madness, but well, this is life. Death is because of life, isn't it?
Anyways, I was very saddened by the deaths of 5 National team dragonboaters in the frace in Cambodia. If I'm not mistaken, all 5 bodies were recovered, but only 2 were claimed by family members. I think the reason they're dead is because they weren't made to wear life jackets, which was non-mandatory (but not in Singapore, of cos).
They have been identified as 20-year-old Chee Wei Cheng, 24-year-old Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, 31-year-old Stephen Loh Soon Ann, 23-year-old Reuben Kee En Rui and 27-year-old Poh Boon San.
I think one of them is an NJC PE teacher. Poor souls, have a good afterlife. ¶ 9:00 PM 1 Comments
Anyways, I was very saddened by the deaths of 5 National team dragonboaters in the frace in Cambodia. If I'm not mistaken, all 5 bodies were recovered, but only 2 were claimed by family members. I think the reason they're dead is because they weren't made to wear life jackets, which was non-mandatory (but not in Singapore, of cos).
They have been identified as 20-year-old Chee Wei Cheng, 24-year-old Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, 31-year-old Stephen Loh Soon Ann, 23-year-old Reuben Kee En Rui and 27-year-old Poh Boon San.
I think one of them is an NJC PE teacher. Poor souls, have a good afterlife. ¶ 9:00 PM 1 Comments
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Oh Goodness
I just woke up from a 5h sleep, think I'll go back to sleep in a couple of hours.
Anyways yesterday was so much fun! After the paper which was omg-ly difficult, we went to Zion to play LAN. CS seriously is too challenging for me la, like walk around for 12 secs and some moron shoots you from an unknown angle. If you're lucky, maybe 16 secs before you die. But it is fun when you play with your friends, very entertaining.
Some of us went for karaoke at Teo Heng (I know, it's like "what? huh?!") haha. I swear I've never heard of the place before, let along been there. Anyways, my first feeling was "wad am I doing in this sordid alley-alike place which is the meeting place for drug traffickers, prostitutes, and all the depraved stuff". Nah I'm just kidding, it's not that bad. It was really cheap actually, 18 bucks/room.
Man, I keep thinking about our class chalet on the 28th. Bet it's gonna be loads of fun!!!!
I'm going to like find some stuff to do right now.............. ¶ 1:26 AM 0 Comments
I just woke up from a 5h sleep, think I'll go back to sleep in a couple of hours.
Anyways yesterday was so much fun! After the paper which was omg-ly difficult, we went to Zion to play LAN. CS seriously is too challenging for me la, like walk around for 12 secs and some moron shoots you from an unknown angle. If you're lucky, maybe 16 secs before you die. But it is fun when you play with your friends, very entertaining.
Some of us went for karaoke at Teo Heng (I know, it's like "what? huh?!") haha. I swear I've never heard of the place before, let along been there. Anyways, my first feeling was "wad am I doing in this sordid alley-alike place which is the meeting place for drug traffickers, prostitutes, and all the depraved stuff". Nah I'm just kidding, it's not that bad. It was really cheap actually, 18 bucks/room.
Man, I keep thinking about our class chalet on the 28th. Bet it's gonna be loads of fun!!!!
I'm going to like find some stuff to do right now.............. ¶ 1:26 AM 0 Comments
Monday, November 19, 2007
You know the movie Catch Me If You Can (2002) starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks? I didn't know it was based on a true story till recently, after I've re-watched it. I was like WOAH, seriously? Then I did some googling and wiki-ing:
Frank William Abagnale, Jr. (born April 27, 1948) is a former check con artist, forger and imposter who, for five years in the 1960s, passed bad checks worth more than $2.5 million in 26 countries. During this time, he used eight aliases — even more to cash bad checks. Currently he runs Abagnale and Associates, a financial fraud consultancy company. His life story provided the inspiration for the feature film Catch Me if You Can, nominally based on his ghostwritten biography of the same name.
He actually had a book on it! I'm so gonna get my hands on it!
And he actually appeared on a TV show back in the 70's "To Tell the Truth".
To Tell the Truth: Frank William Abagnale
Posted Jan 02, 2003After doing his time for impersonating everybody from a stock broker to an airline pilot, Abagnale went on the hit TV game show To Tell the Truth and was fingered by the judges!
This was actually a scene from the movie itself, but of course with Dicaprio playing his counterpart. He himself actually had a small role as a French policeman in the film. Now, how interesting is that?!!
This is Dicaprio and Frank Abagnale himself!
Apparently he was too smart to be kept in jail; so he was recruited to fight against check forgery and fraud for the FBI as his atonement for his sins. ¶ 2:59 AM 0 Comments
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Yes!
I was reading some previous posts and realised everytime a new post starts off with me saying I haven't blogged for a long time blah blah so I shall spare myself the pain of repeating myself - Gosh, it's been a long time! Haha
Anyways, since A's are almost over (20th Nov 9.15am I'll be freed from these hideous shackles) I need to find a new direction in life, quick; if not I'll no longer feel the impetus to lead a meaningful life after slacking for too long after A's, I need a job, a new interest, just somethings to do!!
Contemplating for a while now, I think I might go into teaching? I've been talking to Liu Bo and some others about it la but I'm not sure if I can do it. I mean, I don't really know what I can teach, for starters. Econs? Hmm not so sure if they will even consider me. See, I'm not like Denis-smart or whoever topped the list for Bite-me-cos-I'm-just-smarter-than-you. Wells, if I don't go into teaching, I could go into giving tuition.
Then I can screw up the lives of some teenagers and tell them, well, that's a lesson learned - don't trust your education to an 18-year-old, (thinking of my bad qualities .......................... still thinking ................. oh God, I don't seem to have any ..................... oh ya, got it.) who is mostly impatient, mildly arrogant and ridiculously handsome.
Haha, putting aside all the facts of my life, there are some movies I've been DYING to see. Reason being, I refuse to miss any show by Oscar-winning actors (and actresses). Hit the box office, I'm not sure if Rendition is still on! Sucks! Cos it came out during the midst of A's so I couldn't go see it. But yes, it's on the Iraq War (yet another one) blah blah. The exciting part is that Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon are in it! Both have won Best Actress and I can't wait to see them, and of course, Jake Gyllenhaal (is that how you spell it) too.
The thing about political thriller is that it often leads to relatively extreme critics; some love it to death, others hate it. I haven't seen this show so I don't think I can make much comments but from what I've gathered, most reviews were less in favour of it. Honestly, I doubt anyone can come up with anymore interesting revelations about the War in Iraq; I mean, it's so overused, over-emphasised and at the end of everything, it's just reflective of the same conclusion - We hate the War, We could have done somethings differently, We (Americans) want our troops back, We feel so so sad about the situation.
If it's not the current US-Iraq War, it's gonna be the Vietnam War, or previously, the WWI/II. I mean the politics of war are complex and therefore intriguing, but once filmmakers start to capitalise on the production of such films, leading to an overwhelming state of self-pity and endless reprimanding of the state, it becomes meaningless, purposeless, and detestable. Regardless, I still want to see this for I believe the casting is tooooooo impossible to miss. I WILL buy the DVD haha!
On this topic, there's another related show "Lions for Lambs". I found this from the Internet:
The term ‘Lions for Lambs’ is derived from a comment by a German officer in World War I about the bravery of British soldiers (the lions) who were sacrificed in futile attacks on deeply entrenched German troops while their commanders (the lambs) sat in the safety of their bunkers, drinking tea.
- From At The Movies with Lim Chang Moh, the longest running newspaper column in Malaysia.
Anyways, this show is ALSO about the Iraq War (yawns). From the compelling theory I've presented before, there seems no reason to watch this film. But, again, Meryl Streep's in it! I'm a sucker for great acting (who isn't). I will catch it nonetheless!
See NYT review for this show.
Critics pointed this out:
The problem isn’t whether this assertion is true; the problem is the film reflexively embraces it, much as it does every single other cliché, without inquiry, challenge or a single ounce of real risk. It tells us everything most of us know already, including the fact that politicians lie, journalists fail and youth flounders. Mostly it tells us that Mr. Redford feels really bad about the state of things. Welcome to the club.
Well, go figure.
¶ 12:10 PM 0 Comments
I was reading some previous posts and realised everytime a new post starts off with me saying I haven't blogged for a long time blah blah so I shall spare myself the pain of repeating myself - Gosh, it's been a long time! Haha
Anyways, since A's are almost over (20th Nov 9.15am I'll be freed from these hideous shackles) I need to find a new direction in life, quick; if not I'll no longer feel the impetus to lead a meaningful life after slacking for too long after A's, I need a job, a new interest, just somethings to do!!
Contemplating for a while now, I think I might go into teaching? I've been talking to Liu Bo and some others about it la but I'm not sure if I can do it. I mean, I don't really know what I can teach, for starters. Econs? Hmm not so sure if they will even consider me. See, I'm not like Denis-smart or whoever topped the list for Bite-me-cos-I'm-just-smarter-than-you. Wells, if I don't go into teaching, I could go into giving tuition.
Then I can screw up the lives of some teenagers and tell them, well, that's a lesson learned - don't trust your education to an 18-year-old, (thinking of my bad qualities .......................... still thinking ................. oh God, I don't seem to have any ..................... oh ya, got it.) who is mostly impatient, mildly arrogant and ridiculously handsome.
Haha, putting aside all the facts of my life, there are some movies I've been DYING to see. Reason being, I refuse to miss any show by Oscar-winning actors (and actresses). Hit the box office, I'm not sure if Rendition is still on! Sucks! Cos it came out during the midst of A's so I couldn't go see it. But yes, it's on the Iraq War (yet another one) blah blah. The exciting part is that Meryl Streep and Reese Witherspoon are in it! Both have won Best Actress and I can't wait to see them, and of course, Jake Gyllenhaal (is that how you spell it) too.
The thing about political thriller is that it often leads to relatively extreme critics; some love it to death, others hate it. I haven't seen this show so I don't think I can make much comments but from what I've gathered, most reviews were less in favour of it. Honestly, I doubt anyone can come up with anymore interesting revelations about the War in Iraq; I mean, it's so overused, over-emphasised and at the end of everything, it's just reflective of the same conclusion - We hate the War, We could have done somethings differently, We (Americans) want our troops back, We feel so so sad about the situation.
If it's not the current US-Iraq War, it's gonna be the Vietnam War, or previously, the WWI/II. I mean the politics of war are complex and therefore intriguing, but once filmmakers start to capitalise on the production of such films, leading to an overwhelming state of self-pity and endless reprimanding of the state, it becomes meaningless, purposeless, and detestable. Regardless, I still want to see this for I believe the casting is tooooooo impossible to miss. I WILL buy the DVD haha!
On this topic, there's another related show "Lions for Lambs". I found this from the Internet:
The term ‘Lions for Lambs’ is derived from a comment by a German officer in World War I about the bravery of British soldiers (the lions) who were sacrificed in futile attacks on deeply entrenched German troops while their commanders (the lambs) sat in the safety of their bunkers, drinking tea.
- From At The Movies with Lim Chang Moh, the longest running newspaper column in Malaysia.
Anyways, this show is ALSO about the Iraq War (yawns). From the compelling theory I've presented before, there seems no reason to watch this film. But, again, Meryl Streep's in it! I'm a sucker for great acting (who isn't). I will catch it nonetheless!
See NYT review for this show.
Critics pointed this out:
The problem isn’t whether this assertion is true; the problem is the film reflexively embraces it, much as it does every single other cliché, without inquiry, challenge or a single ounce of real risk. It tells us everything most of us know already, including the fact that politicians lie, journalists fail and youth flounders. Mostly it tells us that Mr. Redford feels really bad about the state of things. Welcome to the club.
Well, go figure.
¶ 12:10 PM 0 Comments
