Man i miss the Cathay Cinema musical introduction for the previews with those words scrolling below. :P The GV stuff just doesn't feel classic.
Well, up next on my movie reviews:
The Maid.
Those of u guys who read my blog should know how much I love horror movies. I am so looking forward to this one, though I must admit, that the acting by the maid looked rather stiff from the trailers. And the voice introducing the film (esp the english one) sounded real crappy. Kelvin Tong is the director, who did "Eating Air". I personally didn't really like that one. Falls into the "got skills no story" category. I hope this 5-year absence will mark an improvement. :) ...
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Father of the child responded - case close?
Hmm ... one sided Tristefemme u think?
Seems like the father has emerged to offer the other side of the coin.
Go read it at yuhui's blog where he posted a comment
http://yuhuibc.blogspot.com/2005/08/about-pregnant-girl.html
Seems like Tristefemme's adventure was a hot hot topic recently. I still hope that these 2 will resolve it somehow amicably. Yeah i love to dream. :P
Now instead of talking about each of their story, let's talk about the bloggers' reaction for a change.
Just assuming if LX published his story before Tristefemme, how would the reaction from the blogging community be? Would Tristefemme and her mother seem like they are evil ones instead? Would LX be more sympathized? Really this is not a discussion on their credibility, but a question about the behaviors of the reporters and readers.
Vandice (a fellow blogger) did ask me to remove references to the stories, and I didn't. I can understand where Vandice is coming from, but I have set a rule of non-censorship and open discussion on my blog. But when we say that these talk about the father and the mother is not good for the baby, do we even have the right to decide? If reporting on a news event would hurt someone's feelings, does it mean it shouldn't be reported? Maybe tomorrow.sg should remove all instances of the reference too to protect the baby? I honestly don't think that would happen. But then again, who's to decide for the child? If the mother was vindictive, do you think we bloggers could have made things any worse by reporting what she did to destroy LX's reputation?
I personally think, it would be good if LX also sets up a blog to counter Tristefemme's accounts. And the only justice we would do for both of them (and the child) would be report (objectively) both sides of the stories as they appear - and not to censor anything. Of course if they both decide not to say anything anymore to the public (which I also agree would be best for the baby), we could then do good by not harping on it anymore. What is blogging about anyways? It is about personal opinions on personal-societal-other people's matters. And these are just my humble personal opinions on this one. :)
Seems like the father has emerged to offer the other side of the coin.
Go read it at yuhui's blog where he posted a comment
http://yuhuibc.blogspot.com/2005/08/about-pregnant-girl.html
Seems like Tristefemme's adventure was a hot hot topic recently. I still hope that these 2 will resolve it somehow amicably. Yeah i love to dream. :P
Now instead of talking about each of their story, let's talk about the bloggers' reaction for a change.
Just assuming if LX published his story before Tristefemme, how would the reaction from the blogging community be? Would Tristefemme and her mother seem like they are evil ones instead? Would LX be more sympathized? Really this is not a discussion on their credibility, but a question about the behaviors of the reporters and readers.
Vandice (a fellow blogger) did ask me to remove references to the stories, and I didn't. I can understand where Vandice is coming from, but I have set a rule of non-censorship and open discussion on my blog. But when we say that these talk about the father and the mother is not good for the baby, do we even have the right to decide? If reporting on a news event would hurt someone's feelings, does it mean it shouldn't be reported? Maybe tomorrow.sg should remove all instances of the reference too to protect the baby? I honestly don't think that would happen. But then again, who's to decide for the child? If the mother was vindictive, do you think we bloggers could have made things any worse by reporting what she did to destroy LX's reputation?
I personally think, it would be good if LX also sets up a blog to counter Tristefemme's accounts. And the only justice we would do for both of them (and the child) would be report (objectively) both sides of the stories as they appear - and not to censor anything. Of course if they both decide not to say anything anymore to the public (which I also agree would be best for the baby), we could then do good by not harping on it anymore. What is blogging about anyways? It is about personal opinions on personal-societal-other people's matters. And these are just my humble personal opinions on this one. :)
"Ass Tee" Crackdown update
Did some research into the Singapore's Copyright Act. We have a "Fair Dealing" clause that is fairly similar to the US's "Fair Use" Section.
From the Singapore Copyright Act http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/ (Search under Copyright Act "Fair Dealing")
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
36. A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made.
109. —(1) Subject to this section, a fair dealing with an audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item.
(2) The purposes for which a dealing with an audio-visual item may constitute a fair dealing under subsection (1) shall include research and study.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the matters to which regard shall be had, in determining whether a dealing with an audio-visual item, being a dealing by way of copying the whole or a part of the audio-visual item, constitutes a fair dealing with the audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall include —
(a) the purpose and character of the dealing, including whether such dealing is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;
(b) the nature of the audio-visual item;
(c) the amount and substantiality of the part copied taken in relation to the whole audio-visual item;
(d) the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the audio-visual item; and
(e) the possibility of obtaining the audio-visual item within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
110. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of the first-mentioned audio-visual item, another audio-visual item or a work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio-visual item is made.
Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news
111. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if —
(a) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio- visual item is made; or
(b) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news by means of broadcasting or a cable programme service, by any other means of communication to the public, or in a cinematograph film.
As you see, "fair dealing" only applies mainly to a "literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work" or "an audio-visual" item. It states nothing specific about a national newspaper's works or articles that are published. Can these works be constituted as "literary" works? If I suppose bloggers are writing a critic or review on Ass Tee's "literary" works, then we're free to quote them as long as we make sufficient acknowledgment. However, if a company's website quotes from Ass Tee, I'd say good luck. Better start working on cleansing your site or feel Ass Tee's Wrath!
Then another question arise. If a Blog is sponsored or money making, would it be considered a commercial site or a private site? And would it be targeted by Ass Tee's team of lawyers? Or as long as it is in a form of a review/critcism, it will be ok?
Then finally, if companies just change their articles to a "review"/"criticism" form that talks about the reviews/articles/writeups about them by Ass Tee, and would this avoid all the trouble and thus be free to quote all they want? A review or criticism piece about reviews/critcism/writeups by others. How messy ....
From the Singapore Copyright Act http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/ (Search under Copyright Act "Fair Dealing")
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
36. A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made.
109. —(1) Subject to this section, a fair dealing with an audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item.
(2) The purposes for which a dealing with an audio-visual item may constitute a fair dealing under subsection (1) shall include research and study.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the matters to which regard shall be had, in determining whether a dealing with an audio-visual item, being a dealing by way of copying the whole or a part of the audio-visual item, constitutes a fair dealing with the audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall include —
(a) the purpose and character of the dealing, including whether such dealing is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;
(b) the nature of the audio-visual item;
(c) the amount and substantiality of the part copied taken in relation to the whole audio-visual item;
(d) the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the audio-visual item; and
(e) the possibility of obtaining the audio-visual item within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
110. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of the first-mentioned audio-visual item, another audio-visual item or a work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio-visual item is made.
Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news
111. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if —
(a) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio- visual item is made; or
(b) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news by means of broadcasting or a cable programme service, by any other means of communication to the public, or in a cinematograph film.
As you see, "fair dealing" only applies mainly to a "literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work" or "an audio-visual" item. It states nothing specific about a national newspaper's works or articles that are published. Can these works be constituted as "literary" works? If I suppose bloggers are writing a critic or review on Ass Tee's "literary" works, then we're free to quote them as long as we make sufficient acknowledgment. However, if a company's website quotes from Ass Tee, I'd say good luck. Better start working on cleansing your site or feel Ass Tee's Wrath!
Then another question arise. If a Blog is sponsored or money making, would it be considered a commercial site or a private site? And would it be targeted by Ass Tee's team of lawyers? Or as long as it is in a form of a review/critcism, it will be ok?
Then finally, if companies just change their articles to a "review"/"criticism" form that talks about the reviews/articles/writeups about them by Ass Tee, and would this avoid all the trouble and thus be free to quote all they want? A review or criticism piece about reviews/critcism/writeups by others. How messy ....
Monday, August 15, 2005
"Ass Tee" crackdown!
I was just informed by a close friend of mine who works at an IT training firm as a IT/web kinda personnel, that their company has been sued by a Major English local newspaper with a name that sounds vaguely like "Ass Tee". Apparently they are slapped with coupla thousand dollars fine for references to the paper on their corporate website.
From what I know so far, these references include mere mention of the newspaper's name, as well as inclusion of quotes on articles that mention the word "Ass Tee", and even on articles that were commissioned and paid for by the IT company themselves. Some of these articles date way back to as far as 3 years ago. Even when references has been made (like "taken from Ass Tee, on XX Date Month Year"), those are counted as a copyright infringement as well. This local newspaper has further reiterated that any articles referenced must be no older than within 3 days of its publishing, if not it would be considered illegal.
Also included in the "fine", was the investigative charge that was chargeable to the firm that was sued, for the effort needed to scour through their site for such evidences. Narbey cheebye .... this is daylight robbery. It's as if calling the police via 999 (or 911 in US), and u have to pay toll fees after they have taken your report. Why don't they put up a form for people to submit information on who they can sue next, and then pay the informant for his/her "investigative work"?
I will be following up with this friend about this issue and report back. Apparently another of my friend also have received similar threats .. ahem .. warnings, about these crackdown from Ass Tee themselves.
I seriously wonder how this thing works? I never heard of other papers like CNN or NY times going after companies for quoting or even mentioning their names in their articles or papers. For instance, when News.com claim that Washington Times reported such and such, do they have to pay Washington Times for even mentioning that?? I seriously wonder how far "Ass Tee" is going to pursue this copyright infringement thingy and how it will affect the local blogging scene.
Update: Decided to keep updating this post as opposed to placing a new one on my site all the time. Makes easier reading/tracking by the readers. Here are the consolidated updates as per below.
"Ass Tee" Crackdown update
Did some research into the Singapore's Copyright Act. We have a "Fair Dealing" clause that is fairly similar to the US's "Fair Use" Section.
From the Singapore Copyright Act http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/ (Search under Copyright Act "Fair Dealing")
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
36. A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made.
109. —(1) Subject to this section, a fair dealing with an audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item.
(2) The purposes for which a dealing with an audio-visual item may constitute a fair dealing under subsection (1) shall include research and study.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the matters to which regard shall be had, in determining whether a dealing with an audio-visual item, being a dealing by way of copying the whole or a part of the audio-visual item, constitutes a fair dealing with the audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall include —
(a) the purpose and character of the dealing, including whether such dealing is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;
(b) the nature of the audio-visual item;
(c) the amount and substantiality of the part copied taken in relation to the whole audio-visual item;
(d) the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the audio-visual item; and
(e) the possibility of obtaining the audio-visual item within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
110. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of the first-mentioned audio-visual item, another audio-visual item or a work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio-visual item is made.
Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news
111. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if —
(a) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio- visual item is made; or
(b) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news by means of broadcasting or a cable programme service, by any other means of communication to the public, or in a cinematograph film.
As you see, "fair dealing" only applies mainly to a "literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work" or "an audio-visual" item. It states nothing specific about a national newspaper's works or articles that are published. Can these works be constituted as "literary" works? If I suppose bloggers are writing a critic or review on Ass Tee's "literary" works, then we're free to quote them as long as we make sufficient acknowledgment. However, if a company's website quotes from Ass Tee, I'd say good luck. Better start working on cleansing your site or feel Ass Tee's Wrath!
Then another question arise. If a Blog is sponsored or money making, would it be considered a commercial site or a private site? And would it be targeted by Ass Tee's team of lawyers? Or as long as it is in a form of a review/critcism, it will be ok?
Then finally, if companies just change their articles to a "review"/"criticism" form that talks about the reviews/articles/writeups about them by Ass Tee, and would this avoid all the trouble and thus be free to quote all they want? A review or criticism piece about reviews/critcism/writeups by others. How messy ....
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
"Ass Tee" Crackdown Details
Well, seems like my friend responded in the comments section of the original post. I'll place it here as an update:
"Anonymous said...
Hmm.. well... lets just say no warning letter was given prior to that instead a registered letter titled Reproduction of Published Articles came in the mail.
In it, it printed out the entire company website + cited the articles were reproduced. It also included charges for purchasing the articles and cost of their field work investigation of S$640.
It also include the costing of their licencing programmes,etc...
I have since wrote and enquire if I still need to pay the $$ if i remove the articles immediately. WAiting for their reply....
On sidetrack, one of our local U kenna big time from similar incident. Not just the papers are doing it. Since last year, one of the maps company started issuing letters and a lot of schools and corporations kenna too."
I have now a few questions on my mind regarding this issue:
1) If we're not allowed to place articles (scanned, quoted, referenced) which reported about us, how about the countless businesses out there who does? To name some examples : restaurants like NYDC, who places copies of newspaper articles framed in their premises; cinema ads which quoted critics; insurance firms who uses articles from newspapers to reflect economic data etc ... Is "Ass Tee" planning to go after them too?
2) Why did a reporter (I shall not place names yet) from Today's newspaper (mediacorp), tell me that they do not pursue such incidents as long as they are properly referenced, but "Ass Tee" is doing such?
3) If "Ass-Tee" is on a crackdown hunt right now, why is it not announced or warned?
*Update* 30 August 2005
Got news back from my friend. After trying to reach them twice by email over a week, "Ass Tee" finally responded. They said that as an act of goodwill, if they would pay for the articles, "Ass Tee" will waive the $640 investigative charges. Also, if they pay for the articles, they will get to use it on their site for ... 1 WHOLE YEAR!! WOW! ... how generous *cough* cough* ... Ok, now to be fair to "Ass Tee", they do have a right to do what they are doing. But in my own humble opinion, they are just being an absolute Ass in the way they are handling it. Firstly, it is prevalent (lemme re-emphasize that with a capital "Pee"), repeat PREVALENT, that companies, restaurant etc uses newspaper clipping, articles etc in their course of business. Examples like insurance agents showing you their portfolio of "newspaper industry reports", and restaurants like NYDC with clippings framed up in their restaurants for "publicity". If these actions are infringing in the copyright act, then by all means, for god sake, send out a freaking WARNING!! You get warning on piracy everywhere, cos it is prevalent. If this act of clipping newspaper to put on a company website is illegal, freaking warn us about it!! Why am I so bothered by this again? I run a freaking restaurant, and after i heard about this incident, I removed all the "references" to articles which wrote about us for fear of offending the "Almighty Ass Tee" from my website! Please .. if "AssTee" are on a crackdown, they should let businesses know what is illegal before slapping a fine!!
For people who runs businesses and have a website and you quote from newspaper articles or place clippings of articles that talk about you or your company, you have been warned!!
From what I know so far, these references include mere mention of the newspaper's name, as well as inclusion of quotes on articles that mention the word "Ass Tee", and even on articles that were commissioned and paid for by the IT company themselves. Some of these articles date way back to as far as 3 years ago. Even when references has been made (like "taken from Ass Tee, on XX Date Month Year"), those are counted as a copyright infringement as well. This local newspaper has further reiterated that any articles referenced must be no older than within 3 days of its publishing, if not it would be considered illegal.
Also included in the "fine", was the investigative charge that was chargeable to the firm that was sued, for the effort needed to scour through their site for such evidences. Narbey cheebye .... this is daylight robbery. It's as if calling the police via 999 (or 911 in US), and u have to pay toll fees after they have taken your report. Why don't they put up a form for people to submit information on who they can sue next, and then pay the informant for his/her "investigative work"?
I will be following up with this friend about this issue and report back. Apparently another of my friend also have received similar threats .. ahem .. warnings, about these crackdown from Ass Tee themselves.
I seriously wonder how this thing works? I never heard of other papers like CNN or NY times going after companies for quoting or even mentioning their names in their articles or papers. For instance, when News.com claim that Washington Times reported such and such, do they have to pay Washington Times for even mentioning that?? I seriously wonder how far "Ass Tee" is going to pursue this copyright infringement thingy and how it will affect the local blogging scene.
Update: Decided to keep updating this post as opposed to placing a new one on my site all the time. Makes easier reading/tracking by the readers. Here are the consolidated updates as per below.
"Ass Tee" Crackdown update
Did some research into the Singapore's Copyright Act. We have a "Fair Dealing" clause that is fairly similar to the US's "Fair Use" Section.
From the Singapore Copyright Act http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/ (Search under Copyright Act "Fair Dealing")
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
36. A fair dealing with a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work, shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the work if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of that work or of another work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the work is made.
109. —(1) Subject to this section, a fair dealing with an audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item.
(2) The purposes for which a dealing with an audio-visual item may constitute a fair dealing under subsection (1) shall include research and study.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the matters to which regard shall be had, in determining whether a dealing with an audio-visual item, being a dealing by way of copying the whole or a part of the audio-visual item, constitutes a fair dealing with the audio-visual item for any purpose other than a purpose referred to in section 110 or 111 shall include —
(a) the purpose and character of the dealing, including whether such dealing is of a commercial nature or is for non-profit educational purposes;
(b) the nature of the audio-visual item;
(c) the amount and substantiality of the part copied taken in relation to the whole audio-visual item;
(d) the effect of the dealing upon the potential market for, or value of, the audio-visual item; and
(e) the possibility of obtaining the audio-visual item within a reasonable time at an ordinary commercial price.
Fair dealing for purpose of criticism or review
110. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if it is for the purpose of criticism or review, whether of the first-mentioned audio-visual item, another audio-visual item or a work, and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio-visual item is made.
Fair dealing for purpose of reporting news
111. A fair dealing with an audio-visual item shall not constitute an infringement of the copyright in the item or in any work or other audio-visual item included in the item if —
(a) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news in a newspaper, magazine or similar periodical and a sufficient acknowledgment of the first-mentioned audio- visual item is made; or
(b) it is for the purpose of, or is associated with, the reporting of news by means of broadcasting or a cable programme service, by any other means of communication to the public, or in a cinematograph film.
As you see, "fair dealing" only applies mainly to a "literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, or with an adaptation of a literary, dramatic or musical work" or "an audio-visual" item. It states nothing specific about a national newspaper's works or articles that are published. Can these works be constituted as "literary" works? If I suppose bloggers are writing a critic or review on Ass Tee's "literary" works, then we're free to quote them as long as we make sufficient acknowledgment. However, if a company's website quotes from Ass Tee, I'd say good luck. Better start working on cleansing your site or feel Ass Tee's Wrath!
Then another question arise. If a Blog is sponsored or money making, would it be considered a commercial site or a private site? And would it be targeted by Ass Tee's team of lawyers? Or as long as it is in a form of a review/critcism, it will be ok?
Then finally, if companies just change their articles to a "review"/"criticism" form that talks about the reviews/articles/writeups about them by Ass Tee, and would this avoid all the trouble and thus be free to quote all they want? A review or criticism piece about reviews/critcism/writeups by others. How messy ....
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
"Ass Tee" Crackdown Details
Well, seems like my friend responded in the comments section of the original post. I'll place it here as an update:
"Anonymous said...
Hmm.. well... lets just say no warning letter was given prior to that instead a registered letter titled Reproduction of Published Articles came in the mail.
In it, it printed out the entire company website + cited the articles were reproduced. It also included charges for purchasing the articles and cost of their field work investigation of S$640.
It also include the costing of their licencing programmes,etc...
I have since wrote and enquire if I still need to pay the $$ if i remove the articles immediately. WAiting for their reply....
On sidetrack, one of our local U kenna big time from similar incident. Not just the papers are doing it. Since last year, one of the maps company started issuing letters and a lot of schools and corporations kenna too."
I have now a few questions on my mind regarding this issue:
1) If we're not allowed to place articles (scanned, quoted, referenced) which reported about us, how about the countless businesses out there who does? To name some examples : restaurants like NYDC, who places copies of newspaper articles framed in their premises; cinema ads which quoted critics; insurance firms who uses articles from newspapers to reflect economic data etc ... Is "Ass Tee" planning to go after them too?
2) Why did a reporter (I shall not place names yet) from Today's newspaper (mediacorp), tell me that they do not pursue such incidents as long as they are properly referenced, but "Ass Tee" is doing such?
3) If "Ass-Tee" is on a crackdown hunt right now, why is it not announced or warned?
*Update* 30 August 2005
Got news back from my friend. After trying to reach them twice by email over a week, "Ass Tee" finally responded. They said that as an act of goodwill, if they would pay for the articles, "Ass Tee" will waive the $640 investigative charges. Also, if they pay for the articles, they will get to use it on their site for ... 1 WHOLE YEAR!! WOW! ... how generous *cough* cough* ... Ok, now to be fair to "Ass Tee", they do have a right to do what they are doing. But in my own humble opinion, they are just being an absolute Ass in the way they are handling it. Firstly, it is prevalent (lemme re-emphasize that with a capital "Pee"), repeat PREVALENT, that companies, restaurant etc uses newspaper clipping, articles etc in their course of business. Examples like insurance agents showing you their portfolio of "newspaper industry reports", and restaurants like NYDC with clippings framed up in their restaurants for "publicity". If these actions are infringing in the copyright act, then by all means, for god sake, send out a freaking WARNING!! You get warning on piracy everywhere, cos it is prevalent. If this act of clipping newspaper to put on a company website is illegal, freaking warn us about it!! Why am I so bothered by this again? I run a freaking restaurant, and after i heard about this incident, I removed all the "references" to articles which wrote about us for fear of offending the "Almighty Ass Tee" from my website! Please .. if "AssTee" are on a crackdown, they should let businesses know what is illegal before slapping a fine!!
For people who runs businesses and have a website and you quote from newspaper articles or place clippings of articles that talk about you or your company, you have been warned!!
Land of the Dead - 78%
Yup Mr Romero is back to taunt us with more of his pals from the grave. And this time, they have a leader! :P Somehow, this film reminds me of one of the episode of the "Planet of the Apes" series, where Ceasar, was leading the rest of the "slaves" apes to rebel against the humans. Here, we have another case of a smarter of a breed leading the rest of the not-so-smarties.
It is not so brooding actually and it felt more like an action-drama than a horror flick. But as usual Romero-faire, he does have some social commentary. The rich is controlling the society and the poor will always be the 2nd class unless the upper class allows them in. This is sad but true. Money rules. It even keeps our high paying politicians in Singapore from corruption! :P
So what's good about this movie? It is not like the commonly used survival setup. This one is much more a human+zombie struggle against the rich and powerful than the usual humans against the zombies gorefest. Rather refreshing setup compared to what I am used to seeing in most horror movies. Interestingly, in most aspects, this movie is not scary at all. It's good to see Romero having the guts to change the rules around the genre he popularized. And I am glad to report that it works.
And Dennis Hopper is the MVP in this movie. :P He's pretty funny actually. :P
It is not so brooding actually and it felt more like an action-drama than a horror flick. But as usual Romero-faire, he does have some social commentary. The rich is controlling the society and the poor will always be the 2nd class unless the upper class allows them in. This is sad but true. Money rules. It even keeps our high paying politicians in Singapore from corruption! :P
So what's good about this movie? It is not like the commonly used survival setup. This one is much more a human+zombie struggle against the rich and powerful than the usual humans against the zombies gorefest. Rather refreshing setup compared to what I am used to seeing in most horror movies. Interestingly, in most aspects, this movie is not scary at all. It's good to see Romero having the guts to change the rules around the genre he popularized. And I am glad to report that it works.
And Dennis Hopper is the MVP in this movie. :P He's pretty funny actually. :P
Bewitched - 58%
Now this score is hard to give ... I LOVE Elizabeth Montgomery. I LOVE the original "Bewitched" TV series. I LOVE SAMANTHA! And I was so looking forward to this at the cinemas. I followed it all the way from when the rumors surfaced almost 2 years ago till the time the trailer started appearing last year - I was a fan. But if there's any movie I would call it 1)a rental, or 2) purely for the fans only - this would be it. I think so many people believed in the idea that Bewitched will be a hit, including those that were involved in the production, that they totally overlooked the fact that this script was a little too underwhelming. In a way, it tries too hard.
The movie went to great lengths to appeal to the nostalgic, but there's nothing to appeal to the non-fans. I think the movie was done in a way that it couldn't have pleased very many "non-fans". It tries so hard to appeal to the fans, it fails to realize, that the older fans will watch it either way. And the newer folks does not have anything to go for. One of the main character Jack is played by Will Farrell. It was an arrogant and rather obnoxious character - but hilarious as hell. Nicole Kidman plays a pampered witch who is playing the new actress who is playing Samantha. Now this is a movie within a movie. Isit complicated? I suspect this new "setup" was to have a refreshing take on the original, but I somehow feels that it may actually alienate some fans in the process. But like i said before, if they are fans, they'll gonna snap it up anyways. Problem is, this new setup doesn't work that "magically" and the movie basically failed to charm like the original.
There were many references to the original series, which was a feeble attempt to stir up some nostalgia, cos it didn't work that well on the fans (or at least to me), and it wouldn't work that well on the newbies either. I guess the movie would have fared better if they didn't try so hard. Argh!!! .... Still ... i love Will Farrell's performances .. that guy is the only reason to watch the show. Ironically.
The movie went to great lengths to appeal to the nostalgic, but there's nothing to appeal to the non-fans. I think the movie was done in a way that it couldn't have pleased very many "non-fans". It tries so hard to appeal to the fans, it fails to realize, that the older fans will watch it either way. And the newer folks does not have anything to go for. One of the main character Jack is played by Will Farrell. It was an arrogant and rather obnoxious character - but hilarious as hell. Nicole Kidman plays a pampered witch who is playing the new actress who is playing Samantha. Now this is a movie within a movie. Isit complicated? I suspect this new "setup" was to have a refreshing take on the original, but I somehow feels that it may actually alienate some fans in the process. But like i said before, if they are fans, they'll gonna snap it up anyways. Problem is, this new setup doesn't work that "magically" and the movie basically failed to charm like the original.
There were many references to the original series, which was a feeble attempt to stir up some nostalgia, cos it didn't work that well on the fans (or at least to me), and it wouldn't work that well on the newbies either. I guess the movie would have fared better if they didn't try so hard. Argh!!! .... Still ... i love Will Farrell's performances .. that guy is the only reason to watch the show. Ironically.
Friday, August 12, 2005
May be too cold ...
Recent spat of this unwanted pregnancy stint with this girl at http://tristefemme.blogspot.com (it has since been taken down - dunno why), spurs plenty of responses and replies from all sectors. Many other blogs started spreading and commenting about it. Just like a rollercoaster. What I really enjoyed reading more actually, was the responses from different people.
There are the skeptics (Yuhui), supporters, and also those who think that the girl is trying to create trouble. I took and step back and look at the entire scene of Singapore blogging on the whole. You noticed that it is those who are not afraid to be who they are, and speak freely, and not being politically correct and all, that are the most popular. It shows that blogging is an avenue that allows many Singaporean to be who they want to be, who they truly are, and truly feel free in the sense of the word. It has become the virtual Hyde park that the government cannot control and impose "registration rules" to. These people who blogs share one common trait in what they do : Passion in life. With passion, you take sides, and let your emotion rule over your brain - a little ... With blogs, it allows people to speak their view and take their stand. What i find, is that those who don't, and try to be as politically correct as possible, may come across as cold and unfeeling.
When it comes to the recent "unwanted pregnancy" thingy, the girl in case has obviously chosen a side, and open up her side of the story. Those who chooses to be a skeptic, and wants to be a devils advocate, will certainly come across as cold and unfeeling. I guess it is not their fault, but given the sensitivity of the issue, by appearing not to sympathize, automatically places you in the "cold as a snake" category.
This is a problem i see pervasive in Singapore's society. In Singapore's society, those with the best example of being the most "fair" are the government ministers and politicians. How did they get such rep? Through all the court cases they have won and their ability to argue their way to winning - which is the fairest way of winning one might say. But the issue some of our "neighbours" have with our leaders are the fact that we are always "by the book" and never known to show anything called human emotional traits. Everything is about being "fair game" and "numbers driven". Our nation's leaders act this way, and this filters down to many of our scholars and intellectuals (future leaders I might say) who also behave the same way. Our present leaders obviously would choose people to run the country who share similar traits as themselves, and thus the cycle goes on and on. Actually as politician, it is good to be fair. I applaud a fair government. But taking it to the extreme may result in being construed as "inflexible, unfeeling ... cold". I worry that if too many Singaporeans behave, think and live this way, will grow and result in an unfeeling, cold and selfish nation.
I am a huge proponent for the arts and innovation. And living in a country with too many of these "politically correct" people will seriously stifle the creative minds. I hope more of these "passion driven" people will come to change the mindset of the policy makers, and help them be more flexible, less unfeeling, and less cold. Maybe then, our arts scene will truly flourish, (as opposed to only importing foreign artistes), and innovation in other aspects of the economy will also grow.
There are the skeptics (Yuhui), supporters, and also those who think that the girl is trying to create trouble. I took and step back and look at the entire scene of Singapore blogging on the whole. You noticed that it is those who are not afraid to be who they are, and speak freely, and not being politically correct and all, that are the most popular. It shows that blogging is an avenue that allows many Singaporean to be who they want to be, who they truly are, and truly feel free in the sense of the word. It has become the virtual Hyde park that the government cannot control and impose "registration rules" to. These people who blogs share one common trait in what they do : Passion in life. With passion, you take sides, and let your emotion rule over your brain - a little ... With blogs, it allows people to speak their view and take their stand. What i find, is that those who don't, and try to be as politically correct as possible, may come across as cold and unfeeling.
When it comes to the recent "unwanted pregnancy" thingy, the girl in case has obviously chosen a side, and open up her side of the story. Those who chooses to be a skeptic, and wants to be a devils advocate, will certainly come across as cold and unfeeling. I guess it is not their fault, but given the sensitivity of the issue, by appearing not to sympathize, automatically places you in the "cold as a snake" category.
This is a problem i see pervasive in Singapore's society. In Singapore's society, those with the best example of being the most "fair" are the government ministers and politicians. How did they get such rep? Through all the court cases they have won and their ability to argue their way to winning - which is the fairest way of winning one might say. But the issue some of our "neighbours" have with our leaders are the fact that we are always "by the book" and never known to show anything called human emotional traits. Everything is about being "fair game" and "numbers driven". Our nation's leaders act this way, and this filters down to many of our scholars and intellectuals (future leaders I might say) who also behave the same way. Our present leaders obviously would choose people to run the country who share similar traits as themselves, and thus the cycle goes on and on. Actually as politician, it is good to be fair. I applaud a fair government. But taking it to the extreme may result in being construed as "inflexible, unfeeling ... cold". I worry that if too many Singaporeans behave, think and live this way, will grow and result in an unfeeling, cold and selfish nation.
I am a huge proponent for the arts and innovation. And living in a country with too many of these "politically correct" people will seriously stifle the creative minds. I hope more of these "passion driven" people will come to change the mindset of the policy makers, and help them be more flexible, less unfeeling, and less cold. Maybe then, our arts scene will truly flourish, (as opposed to only importing foreign artistes), and innovation in other aspects of the economy will also grow.
Unwanted pregancy
Just read about a friend who is undergoing some shitty situation now.
Please visit this site and offer some support if u could. For those from University of Michigan, you might have a clue who that asshole is.
http://tristefemme.blogspot.com/
Please visit this site and offer some support if u could. For those from University of Michigan, you might have a clue who that asshole is.
http://tristefemme.blogspot.com/
Thursday, August 11, 2005
欠扁问答题
These are in Simplified Chinese. Please click comments to see the answers :P
1）小白兔加小白兔等于？
2）大白的弟弟小白 。。。
1）小白兔加小白兔等于？
2）大白的弟弟小白 。。。
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Goofin .... somemore
Peter and I .. we go back way long time .... and Chun Kiat ... another cool dude whom i haven't had time to hang out with enough :) ....My bad my bad :P
Where have all the flowers gone ...
Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls picked them, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone to young men ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone to soldiers ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
(Pete Seeger/Joe Hickerson)
Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls picked them, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the young girls gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone to young men ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the young men gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone to soldiers ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the soldiers gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time passing.
Where have all the graveyards gone? Long time ago.
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, ev'ry one.
When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?
(Pete Seeger/Joe Hickerson)
Seven Swords - 69%
This is a movie which I hate to score lowly, but I'd explain why. It disappointed me in too many areas which I do not expect Tsui Hark to. What I was happy to see, is that Tsui Hark has a relatively better story than his previous works (the horrible Vampire crap). However, this is story does have some reminisces of "The Seven Samurai", and it does bother me somewhat. That aside, the story seems to be its only redeeming factor - which isn't saying a lot since it didn't feel all too original for me.
The Bads: Terrible editing. Granted, some are the censors' work (f@$# the censorship board), but many others are obviously not. It brings back memories of Chinese Martial arts movie made in the early 90s, like "Wong fei hong", which means technically, it feels like something shot in the past. Or shot by someone living in the past.
Bad framing, bad shots. I can't believe Tsui Hark uses so many "close shots" of fighting that does not appropriately showcase the action sequences. Why why why?? There was only 1 memorable fight scene that was shot in a tight corridor where both fighters bounce between the tight walls, but the crappy editing and shots diluted it. The rest of the fighting scenes were nothing compared to, let's say those in "Flying Daggers" (a movie i loved for its technicality but hated the story). Considering that Zhang Yimou never started off as a fighting director, he outleaped Tsui Hark by leaps and bounds in just a few attempts (Hero, Daggers).
The fancy costumes in this film, also does not serve to improve the movie's look and feel. There was a female/lesbian killer with a funky hairstyle, who seemed to be given quite a bit of screentime/attention throughout the movie, but who eventually didn't serve any purpose to deepen the story. Her character was totally redundant. Nothing to say where she is from, no development on her character, and then suddenly killed.
Is this one of the better Tsui Hark movies? Yes actually it is. But compared to his peers, he's still living in the past. He needs better collaborators to bring a more modern look to his flicks. This is so frustrating, because Tsui Hark has his share of fans, worldwide (including myself), who would love to see him break out with a great masterpiece again. But his recent works just seems like he couldn't break out of his own mould. Very Frustrating ....
The Bads: Terrible editing. Granted, some are the censors' work (f@$# the censorship board), but many others are obviously not. It brings back memories of Chinese Martial arts movie made in the early 90s, like "Wong fei hong", which means technically, it feels like something shot in the past. Or shot by someone living in the past.
Bad framing, bad shots. I can't believe Tsui Hark uses so many "close shots" of fighting that does not appropriately showcase the action sequences. Why why why?? There was only 1 memorable fight scene that was shot in a tight corridor where both fighters bounce between the tight walls, but the crappy editing and shots diluted it. The rest of the fighting scenes were nothing compared to, let's say those in "Flying Daggers" (a movie i loved for its technicality but hated the story). Considering that Zhang Yimou never started off as a fighting director, he outleaped Tsui Hark by leaps and bounds in just a few attempts (Hero, Daggers).
The fancy costumes in this film, also does not serve to improve the movie's look and feel. There was a female/lesbian killer with a funky hairstyle, who seemed to be given quite a bit of screentime/attention throughout the movie, but who eventually didn't serve any purpose to deepen the story. Her character was totally redundant. Nothing to say where she is from, no development on her character, and then suddenly killed.
Is this one of the better Tsui Hark movies? Yes actually it is. But compared to his peers, he's still living in the past. He needs better collaborators to bring a more modern look to his flicks. This is so frustrating, because Tsui Hark has his share of fans, worldwide (including myself), who would love to see him break out with a great masterpiece again. But his recent works just seems like he couldn't break out of his own mould. Very Frustrating ....
Chocolate Factory Tour - 85%
Watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory over the last weekend, and yeah it was a Blast! Tim Burton style definitely, and his love for the "fantastical" and "magical" shines very brightly for this movie. Kids will enjoy it as a colourful and wild ride through an incredible world of Willie Wonka. And just like the rest of the characters in the movie, the audience becomes one of the "privileged few" to visit the Factory. The setup of the film gets everyone psyched about the product, and its creator. Everyone wants a piece of the Willie. And it is here that you see a slight reference to Michael Jackson, where his personality becomes sort of an enigma, and everyone wants a piece of him. Just look at the crazy media coverage his recent child molestation case received - it is mind boggling.
So, this movie is like taking a journey through the eyes of a child, and for the entire show, you stand fascinated with all the sights and wonders, and the adults in the audience gets transformed into a little child too. I was eagerly anticipating the end of the show so I could go grab a Wonka bar, but alas! This is nothing but a fairytale. And like any good fairytale, this is one great masterpiece that is brought to life by Tim Burton that will be watched by generations to come. Bravo! What a Wonka-ful movie!
PS. Johnny Depp is one of the best actor of our generation, and I hope he gets an Oscar someday. He is not just a pretty boy for looks for pretty roles - he's able to transform himself into the character he plays. And it is a great joy to see him play Willie Wonka - a whacky, but memorable performance.
So, this movie is like taking a journey through the eyes of a child, and for the entire show, you stand fascinated with all the sights and wonders, and the adults in the audience gets transformed into a little child too. I was eagerly anticipating the end of the show so I could go grab a Wonka bar, but alas! This is nothing but a fairytale. And like any good fairytale, this is one great masterpiece that is brought to life by Tim Burton that will be watched by generations to come. Bravo! What a Wonka-ful movie!
PS. Johnny Depp is one of the best actor of our generation, and I hope he gets an Oscar someday. He is not just a pretty boy for looks for pretty roles - he's able to transform himself into the character he plays. And it is a great joy to see him play Willie Wonka - a whacky, but memorable performance.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Sin City - 91%
Short stories intermingling with one another, a format that is much used recently as seen in Crash, Magnolia ... heck even Ju-on uses a similar format. I just hope it doesn't get misused or overused, gets too boring. Sin City, thankfully, does not hinge its success on this format, though it uses it. The strengths are in its scripts, set designs, artistic direction, the performances of the actors and the characters.
Set Design and Artistic Direction
This is a gorgeous movie. And to think that everyone was acting against a blue screen, it makes the performances of the actors even more applaudable. Sky Captain used the same style of filmmaking, but this one takes the method and flies with it. The way the shots are framed follows the comic style very closely. You can imagine the director probably took the graphic novel used as it as a guide for his storyboard.
Script
Marvelous writing from Frank Miller on the novel. The script was supposed to be taken wholesale from that graphic novel. Wise decision
Characters
The characters in the movie are very nicely written. They are so colourful (forgive my pun) and creative. Or at least to movie goers not familiar with characters from these dark brooding comic books. It is refreshing to see how they so nicely preserve the comic books' feel into the movie. If there's any great comic to movie adaptation to mention, I will vote this to be the best I've ever seen.
Final Verdict: 91% Please please do not miss this piece of artistic achievement. If you hate gore though, stay away. This one comes in pails and pails of it.
Set Design and Artistic Direction
This is a gorgeous movie. And to think that everyone was acting against a blue screen, it makes the performances of the actors even more applaudable. Sky Captain used the same style of filmmaking, but this one takes the method and flies with it. The way the shots are framed follows the comic style very closely. You can imagine the director probably took the graphic novel used as it as a guide for his storyboard.
Script
Marvelous writing from Frank Miller on the novel. The script was supposed to be taken wholesale from that graphic novel. Wise decision
Characters
The characters in the movie are very nicely written. They are so colourful (forgive my pun) and creative. Or at least to movie goers not familiar with characters from these dark brooding comic books. It is refreshing to see how they so nicely preserve the comic books' feel into the movie. If there's any great comic to movie adaptation to mention, I will vote this to be the best I've ever seen.
Final Verdict: 91% Please please do not miss this piece of artistic achievement. If you hate gore though, stay away. This one comes in pails and pails of it.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
My Past Life?
| In a Past Life... |
 You Were: An Arrogant Monk. Where You Lived: China. How You Died: Natural causes. |
Now I know why I am so horny in this life .....
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Goofing around
Woo ... I didn't know i could add pics to my blog ... here's testing it ... hope it works
What does my birthday tell me?
| Your Birthdate: June 21 |
| Being born on the 21st day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life. The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental. There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, "couldn't care less" attitude. You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression. Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing. You are energetic and always a good conversationalist. You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too may superficial matters. Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about. You are affectionate and loving, but very sensitive. You are subject to rapid ups and downs. |
REVIEWSSSSSSS
Ok guys and girls .. time to update my blog .. and why was there a drought?? .. well ... there was supposed to be one 2 weeks ago .. but i forgot to save .. and lost like one of the longest movie review i had written ... ARGH ....
Well .. finally gotten over it so here i am gonna start again .... but i have watched so many movies since ... so i am gonna just do a quick 1 paragraph intro of each ... plus a percentage rating ....
1) Brazil (Director's Cut) 90%
Wildly imaginative. Though it will seem dated for today's audience, it's twist on the take of an alternate 1984 was brilliant and overflowing with creativity at every moment. The screenplay brims with an operatic feel, and its mix of joy and grim seem all so ironic and yet familiar at the same time. An Instant Classic.
2) Dark Water 75%
For what it does, it does so well. The movie is made all the more believeable with the main character's believable troubles. She's trying to win the custody of her daughter from a broken marriage, she's trying to find a job to boost her credibility, trying to find a nice apt, she's trying to make sure that she picks up her daughter from school everyday ... while trying to not have a nervous breakdown. So while having to deal with all these earthly troubles, she's being disturbed by some unearthly beings. Not a good situation to be in. Worthy of mention is the little girl's performance. She's good. The problem with many horror movies (esp Asian ones) is that they sometimes linger at the edge of reason and may even seem ridiculous at times. There were some moments like that in this movie too, but the credibility of the movie was enhanced by the realism of the characters - and thus made the whole story a bit more believable.
3) Ju-on 2 55%
Ok. This movie is ludicrous. The first movie could have worked because it was only 1 movie. After more than 10 deaths obviously related to the house (from part 1 -2), I find it strangely curious that the government, secret police, FBI, and paranormal experts are not swarming to the house to do their investigations ... or tear the damn thing down.
4) The Manchurian Candidate 75%
A good psychological thriller. This is a remake of an old flick of the same name, but updated for today's audience. The movie would have been just mediocre if not for Denzel Washington's performance. That said, I also felt the material was not very compelling, but the performances by the actors were commendable. The obvious references the screenplay tried to make to the current state of affairs in US are there, but I am not sure many people would be swayed by it's message - they've already been brainwashed.
5) Bourne Identity 82%
Ok, I obviously have some catching up to do with my movies. I didn't read the novel, and I always believe that movies should be judged upon independently from the books that they are based on. A book can convey so much more than a series of pictures can, for instance, many a times, you read about what a character is thinking about, but with movies, you'll need to find other ways of expressing it. Furthermore, to shrink 1000s of pages of information into a 2hr movie is not an easy task - there will be many things to re-write or edit and if a bookfan is not too understanding, he'll never be satisfied. Well, nuff of my talk about how movies and books shld each serve their own medium. This movie is entertaining, and convincing (I delayed watching this movie because I can't picture how Matt Damon could be an action hero) enough to win my vote. I don't know why but it conjured up the feeling I got when I was watching the TV old series of The Incredible Hulk, where the hero just keeps moving from one place to another, to avoid being caught, and never knowing when or how it will end. The pacing was great and the character's journey was exciting enough that you'll want to know what comes next. At least it's a somewhat happy ending.
6) Bourne Supremacy 80%
To resurrect a movie with a happy ending, you need to destroy the original happy ending. Though the beginning of the film felt somewhat forced, the rest of the journey more than made up for it. As we discover the complexity of the character's dark past, the movie grew more interesting as a result. The movie was well made and I am not gonna miss out on the 3rd episode should there ever be another.
7) Crash 86%
This is a movie I truly loved, yet i am reluctant to give it anymore than what I would give the movie that i was reminded of so much - Magnolia. For the record, I would rate Magnolia a 90%. For those who haven't watched this, please import it from Amazon. I have yet to see any Singaporean DVD shops carry it. Ok, back to Crash. It is a movie about a bunch of different people, somewhat connected, yet unrelated, having their lives affected by a series of miscommunication, misunderstanding, uncontrolled fits of anger and inconsiderate actions all resulting from stereotyping and racism. The dialogue written are brilliant and are so real you'll find them so eerily familiar. That's because we all suffer from the same flaws of the characters that is being represented on screen. We see them happen, sometimes we are the ones who make them happen, and the movie shows how simple it is to decide how you want to behave, yet the consequences often do not reflect directly. In a way, this a movie about retribution, though you may not see it directly from the result of your actions. But it is also about redemption and hope, but I guess they might not know that they are redeeming themselves even when their actions are.
8) Born on the Fourth of July 82%
Oliver Stone delivers, and Tom Cruise shine. This movie rocks. It is unflinchingly sarcastic to the powers who control the nation, and though this movie was made to reflect the Vietnam War, it sets people thinking about the arrogance of the current US administration with respect to the Iraq War. It was the war against communism then, and it is the war against terrorism now. But they both used "freedom" as an excuse to further their military purposes. Americans should be wary of extremists not just outside their country, but how their own government is using it to further their own goals. By the way, the character played by Tom Cruise is a real person.
9) Thirteen Days 80%
Another military movie. This is about the Cuban missile crisis. Another movie using history to send a message to the current Bush administration, on being prudent when it comes to military actions. Apparently, people in the white house do not watch too many movies.
10) The Island 70%
Ok ... reviews all over the place are blasting this movie to bits. I didn't feel it was too bad, and did find it rather entertaining. There were some typical Michael Bay moments which I hate (characters joking and talking cool when the situation was obviously not suitable for that, totally destroys credibility), but thankfully not as plentiful as his previous works (Pearl harbor and Armageddon). This time, most of the humor and its story does apply rather suitably so I will not harp too much on it. The setup was great. I sorta wish the trailer wouldn't give away everything, and I might have liked the movie even more if I didn't know that the "Island" was fake.
11) Fantastic Four 68%
This is an entertaining movie, if your sense of logic is thrown out the window. If there weren't the likes of X-men, Batman Begins and the excellent Spiderman movies, this movie wouldn't have been so badly rated. I guess the issue I have with this movie is, it felt like it came up short in so many areas that it ends up not "satisfying enough". Well, it performed admirably at the box office and so I think a sequel would probably be on its way. I just hope they give the characters a little bit more depth the next time round.
12) Home Run 78%
This movie I have resisted to watch as well because I loved the original Iranian movie that it was based on. Homerun was based on Children of Heaven, and the setup was also similar - a boy lost his sister's shoes, and then he goes for a marathon so that he can win a pair shoes for his sister. Homerun succeeds in areas where it nicely adapts the setup into a Singaporean context, and does it rather well. It uses conflicts between some of the kids to reflect the recent water squabbles between Singapore and Malaysia. Jack Neo's weaknesses however, were his tendency for sappiness and his inability to use subtleties to reflect his messages. His endings are usually too "unnatural" as well. This results in some rough edges in his film. This is his fifth (??) attempt at movie making and I sincerely wish that he improves in these areas of his writings for his future works for these are the same problems I see in his previous works too.
13) White Noise 50%
Ok ... too much holes ... too much time wasted. I feel sorry for the character's son, as well as the little boy who acted as the son. What's your purpose? When Keaton read the script, did he not wonder how people would be interested to see a man watch white noise on TV screens, scenes after scenes. If you did catch the film, please explain to me how he could get worked up watching those blank screens when there's nothing there? If you haven't caught it, please don't
Well .. finally gotten over it so here i am gonna start again .... but i have watched so many movies since ... so i am gonna just do a quick 1 paragraph intro of each ... plus a percentage rating ....
1) Brazil (Director's Cut) 90%
Wildly imaginative. Though it will seem dated for today's audience, it's twist on the take of an alternate 1984 was brilliant and overflowing with creativity at every moment. The screenplay brims with an operatic feel, and its mix of joy and grim seem all so ironic and yet familiar at the same time. An Instant Classic.
2) Dark Water 75%
For what it does, it does so well. The movie is made all the more believeable with the main character's believable troubles. She's trying to win the custody of her daughter from a broken marriage, she's trying to find a job to boost her credibility, trying to find a nice apt, she's trying to make sure that she picks up her daughter from school everyday ... while trying to not have a nervous breakdown. So while having to deal with all these earthly troubles, she's being disturbed by some unearthly beings. Not a good situation to be in. Worthy of mention is the little girl's performance. She's good. The problem with many horror movies (esp Asian ones) is that they sometimes linger at the edge of reason and may even seem ridiculous at times. There were some moments like that in this movie too, but the credibility of the movie was enhanced by the realism of the characters - and thus made the whole story a bit more believable.
3) Ju-on 2 55%
Ok. This movie is ludicrous. The first movie could have worked because it was only 1 movie. After more than 10 deaths obviously related to the house (from part 1 -2), I find it strangely curious that the government, secret police, FBI, and paranormal experts are not swarming to the house to do their investigations ... or tear the damn thing down.
4) The Manchurian Candidate 75%
A good psychological thriller. This is a remake of an old flick of the same name, but updated for today's audience. The movie would have been just mediocre if not for Denzel Washington's performance. That said, I also felt the material was not very compelling, but the performances by the actors were commendable. The obvious references the screenplay tried to make to the current state of affairs in US are there, but I am not sure many people would be swayed by it's message - they've already been brainwashed.
5) Bourne Identity 82%
Ok, I obviously have some catching up to do with my movies. I didn't read the novel, and I always believe that movies should be judged upon independently from the books that they are based on. A book can convey so much more than a series of pictures can, for instance, many a times, you read about what a character is thinking about, but with movies, you'll need to find other ways of expressing it. Furthermore, to shrink 1000s of pages of information into a 2hr movie is not an easy task - there will be many things to re-write or edit and if a bookfan is not too understanding, he'll never be satisfied. Well, nuff of my talk about how movies and books shld each serve their own medium. This movie is entertaining, and convincing (I delayed watching this movie because I can't picture how Matt Damon could be an action hero) enough to win my vote. I don't know why but it conjured up the feeling I got when I was watching the TV old series of The Incredible Hulk, where the hero just keeps moving from one place to another, to avoid being caught, and never knowing when or how it will end. The pacing was great and the character's journey was exciting enough that you'll want to know what comes next. At least it's a somewhat happy ending.
6) Bourne Supremacy 80%
To resurrect a movie with a happy ending, you need to destroy the original happy ending. Though the beginning of the film felt somewhat forced, the rest of the journey more than made up for it. As we discover the complexity of the character's dark past, the movie grew more interesting as a result. The movie was well made and I am not gonna miss out on the 3rd episode should there ever be another.
7) Crash 86%
This is a movie I truly loved, yet i am reluctant to give it anymore than what I would give the movie that i was reminded of so much - Magnolia. For the record, I would rate Magnolia a 90%. For those who haven't watched this, please import it from Amazon. I have yet to see any Singaporean DVD shops carry it. Ok, back to Crash. It is a movie about a bunch of different people, somewhat connected, yet unrelated, having their lives affected by a series of miscommunication, misunderstanding, uncontrolled fits of anger and inconsiderate actions all resulting from stereotyping and racism. The dialogue written are brilliant and are so real you'll find them so eerily familiar. That's because we all suffer from the same flaws of the characters that is being represented on screen. We see them happen, sometimes we are the ones who make them happen, and the movie shows how simple it is to decide how you want to behave, yet the consequences often do not reflect directly. In a way, this a movie about retribution, though you may not see it directly from the result of your actions. But it is also about redemption and hope, but I guess they might not know that they are redeeming themselves even when their actions are.
8) Born on the Fourth of July 82%
Oliver Stone delivers, and Tom Cruise shine. This movie rocks. It is unflinchingly sarcastic to the powers who control the nation, and though this movie was made to reflect the Vietnam War, it sets people thinking about the arrogance of the current US administration with respect to the Iraq War. It was the war against communism then, and it is the war against terrorism now. But they both used "freedom" as an excuse to further their military purposes. Americans should be wary of extremists not just outside their country, but how their own government is using it to further their own goals. By the way, the character played by Tom Cruise is a real person.
9) Thirteen Days 80%
Another military movie. This is about the Cuban missile crisis. Another movie using history to send a message to the current Bush administration, on being prudent when it comes to military actions. Apparently, people in the white house do not watch too many movies.
10) The Island 70%
Ok ... reviews all over the place are blasting this movie to bits. I didn't feel it was too bad, and did find it rather entertaining. There were some typical Michael Bay moments which I hate (characters joking and talking cool when the situation was obviously not suitable for that, totally destroys credibility), but thankfully not as plentiful as his previous works (Pearl harbor and Armageddon). This time, most of the humor and its story does apply rather suitably so I will not harp too much on it. The setup was great. I sorta wish the trailer wouldn't give away everything, and I might have liked the movie even more if I didn't know that the "Island" was fake.
11) Fantastic Four 68%
This is an entertaining movie, if your sense of logic is thrown out the window. If there weren't the likes of X-men, Batman Begins and the excellent Spiderman movies, this movie wouldn't have been so badly rated. I guess the issue I have with this movie is, it felt like it came up short in so many areas that it ends up not "satisfying enough". Well, it performed admirably at the box office and so I think a sequel would probably be on its way. I just hope they give the characters a little bit more depth the next time round.
12) Home Run 78%
This movie I have resisted to watch as well because I loved the original Iranian movie that it was based on. Homerun was based on Children of Heaven, and the setup was also similar - a boy lost his sister's shoes, and then he goes for a marathon so that he can win a pair shoes for his sister. Homerun succeeds in areas where it nicely adapts the setup into a Singaporean context, and does it rather well. It uses conflicts between some of the kids to reflect the recent water squabbles between Singapore and Malaysia. Jack Neo's weaknesses however, were his tendency for sappiness and his inability to use subtleties to reflect his messages. His endings are usually too "unnatural" as well. This results in some rough edges in his film. This is his fifth (??) attempt at movie making and I sincerely wish that he improves in these areas of his writings for his future works for these are the same problems I see in his previous works too.
13) White Noise 50%
Ok ... too much holes ... too much time wasted. I feel sorry for the character's son, as well as the little boy who acted as the son. What's your purpose? When Keaton read the script, did he not wonder how people would be interested to see a man watch white noise on TV screens, scenes after scenes. If you did catch the film, please explain to me how he could get worked up watching those blank screens when there's nothing there? If you haven't caught it, please don't
Monday, July 11, 2005
Initial D - not too bad ... if not a bit flat .. 71%
Watched Initial D over the weekend. I went in with zero expectations. I have never read the comics. I am not a car fanatic. I didn't really plan for the movie until a few friends wanted to watch and asked me along.
Well, simple story. This kid is the son of a car racer legend. He turns out to be better than his father. And the along the way he fell into love, and out of love. But 2 characters who stole the show, are the father "Bunta", and his best friend, Itsuki" who brags too much. The kicker of the movie are the racing scenes. They are very compelling, and really cool to watch. But somehow, the focus on "drifting" seems to have been over emphasized, that makes it seems like who ever can drift better will win the race. The races are well choreographed and considering that the story is running around 1 single track, and the fact that they can make it interesting enough for more than 1 hour is quite an achievement already.
But how about the flaws? I am not sure about how the actual character is supposed to be, but watching Jay Chou's interpretation, it seems like Takumi's a rather boring dude, who really doesn't have much way of expressing his own feelings. Like I said, I didn't read the comics, but while there are overacting seen in actors, he's a case of underacting. I didn't understand how the girl could get so excited over him for? And it wasn't explained what she sees in him. Also, she mentioned that she has known him for years and they always talked, until recently. Why? Did the main character go through something that turned his personality into the passive, quiet type?
The father "Bunta" played by Anthony Wong is the character to watch. He's dynamic and it seems like he's having fun playing the role. Same for Kenny Bee, but he's not having the most screen time. "Itsuki", played by Chapman was the usual, having all the loud talking always seem by him in other movies, maybe he's chosen because he is ultimately just natural at being a loud mouth brat.
What I learnt, Initial D was a Japanese Comic that got translated into Chinese and then made into the movie. What I would truly like to see, is whether the script was written originally in Japanese, then translated and localized, or was it the other way around. I would wanna watch the Japanese dubbed version to see how it works out. It would be kinda weird to see a bunch of Chinese acting as Japanese - if I were a Japanese. And the fact that those "gang" members who are so blatantly "lineless" just made the movie kinda flat to a certain extent. The inability of the main chinese characters to interact with the rest of the obviously Japanese team members (for instance, the relationship between "Ryousuke" and his gang") is strikingly obvious.
Well, simple story. This kid is the son of a car racer legend. He turns out to be better than his father. And the along the way he fell into love, and out of love. But 2 characters who stole the show, are the father "Bunta", and his best friend, Itsuki" who brags too much. The kicker of the movie are the racing scenes. They are very compelling, and really cool to watch. But somehow, the focus on "drifting" seems to have been over emphasized, that makes it seems like who ever can drift better will win the race. The races are well choreographed and considering that the story is running around 1 single track, and the fact that they can make it interesting enough for more than 1 hour is quite an achievement already.
But how about the flaws? I am not sure about how the actual character is supposed to be, but watching Jay Chou's interpretation, it seems like Takumi's a rather boring dude, who really doesn't have much way of expressing his own feelings. Like I said, I didn't read the comics, but while there are overacting seen in actors, he's a case of underacting. I didn't understand how the girl could get so excited over him for? And it wasn't explained what she sees in him. Also, she mentioned that she has known him for years and they always talked, until recently. Why? Did the main character go through something that turned his personality into the passive, quiet type?
The father "Bunta" played by Anthony Wong is the character to watch. He's dynamic and it seems like he's having fun playing the role. Same for Kenny Bee, but he's not having the most screen time. "Itsuki", played by Chapman was the usual, having all the loud talking always seem by him in other movies, maybe he's chosen because he is ultimately just natural at being a loud mouth brat.
What I learnt, Initial D was a Japanese Comic that got translated into Chinese and then made into the movie. What I would truly like to see, is whether the script was written originally in Japanese, then translated and localized, or was it the other way around. I would wanna watch the Japanese dubbed version to see how it works out. It would be kinda weird to see a bunch of Chinese acting as Japanese - if I were a Japanese. And the fact that those "gang" members who are so blatantly "lineless" just made the movie kinda flat to a certain extent. The inability of the main chinese characters to interact with the rest of the obviously Japanese team members (for instance, the relationship between "Ryousuke" and his gang") is strikingly obvious.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
the Box that will be ....
EDWARD (To BRUCE WAYNE)
Why be brutalized by an uncaring
world? My RES Box will give Joe Q
Public a realm where he is king.
(sultry)
Not that someone like you would need
it. Someone so intelligent. Witty.
Charming. But for the lonely, the...
STICKLEY
Paranoid? The psychotic?
EDWARD
(didn't miss it)
...The Box can change their lives.
(looking around)
Our stock coupons will spike.
Edward turns, actually CLAPS Stickley on the back.
EDWARD
Hell. Might even bring old Stickley
here a few extra bucks. Huh, Fred?
STICKLEY
Fred?
Bruce takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes in vague
disbelief, cleans the lenses.
EDWARD
Wayne Enterprises will spearhead an
entertainment revolution.
Later in the movie
RIDDLER (EDWARD)
"How fitting that numbers lead you to me. For numbers will crown me king. My Box will sit on countless TV's around the globe, mapping brains, giving me credit card numbers. Bank codes. Safe combinations. Numbers of infidelities. Of crimes. Of lies told. No secret is safe from my watchful electronic eye. I will rule the planet. For if knowledge is power then tremble world, Edward Nygma has become a God."
TAKEN FROM "Batman forever" (1994)
1994, Riddler (Edward) aimed to take over the world with his little green TV boxes.
2001. Gates did the same with his hugeass Xboxes.
Why be brutalized by an uncaring
world? My RES Box will give Joe Q
Public a realm where he is king.
(sultry)
Not that someone like you would need
it. Someone so intelligent. Witty.
Charming. But for the lonely, the...
STICKLEY
Paranoid? The psychotic?
EDWARD
(didn't miss it)
...The Box can change their lives.
(looking around)
Our stock coupons will spike.
Edward turns, actually CLAPS Stickley on the back.
EDWARD
Hell. Might even bring old Stickley
here a few extra bucks. Huh, Fred?
STICKLEY
Fred?
Bruce takes off his glasses, rubs his eyes in vague
disbelief, cleans the lenses.
EDWARD
Wayne Enterprises will spearhead an
entertainment revolution.
Later in the movie
RIDDLER (EDWARD)
"How fitting that numbers lead you to me. For numbers will crown me king. My Box will sit on countless TV's around the globe, mapping brains, giving me credit card numbers. Bank codes. Safe combinations. Numbers of infidelities. Of crimes. Of lies told. No secret is safe from my watchful electronic eye. I will rule the planet. For if knowledge is power then tremble world, Edward Nygma has become a God."
TAKEN FROM "Batman forever" (1994)
1994, Riddler (Edward) aimed to take over the world with his little green TV boxes.
2001. Gates did the same with his hugeass Xboxes.
Long Live Blogs
"A strong and confident government may not like its critics, but it should be able to withstand a robust public debate. The right to be who you are and express what you feel is one of the most fundamental of human existence, and governments who lock up dissenters are showing contempt for all their citizens.
Freedom of belief and freedom of expression are far from universal. But in the words of the Declaration of Human Rights, they are the 'highest aspiration of the common people.'"
Long Live Blogs :)
Freedom of belief and freedom of expression are far from universal. But in the words of the Declaration of Human Rights, they are the 'highest aspiration of the common people.'"
Long Live Blogs :)
Bush's stance on Global Warming
Finally ... after rejecting that Man has any role to play in warming up the planet ... he has finally given in ... a little bit ... this time .. the answer is "to a certain extent"...
"I am sorry ... US economy is more important ... the rest of the world will just have to burn in hell with the warming issue, we can't fix the CO2 issue if we can't make mo' money"
So .... let the selfish leaders of the world decide what's more important. Money or the Health of the planet. Yes, money can help to heal the planet to a certain extent ... but there's one thing it can't buy .. Time ....
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-warming5jul05,0,7451975.story?coll=la-home-headlines
"I am sorry ... US economy is more important ... the rest of the world will just have to burn in hell with the warming issue, we can't fix the CO2 issue if we can't make mo' money"
So .... let the selfish leaders of the world decide what's more important. Money or the Health of the planet. Yes, money can help to heal the planet to a certain extent ... but there's one thing it can't buy .. Time ....
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-warming5jul05,0,7451975.story?coll=la-home-headlines
Monday, July 04, 2005
MJ
Man i love Michael Jackson. Recently I have been going through some sort of a MJ renaissance, going around looking for his CDs and snapping up the old discs that I missed. Listening to his music again suddenly brought back memories of my teenage years when I was so crazy crazy over him. Yes, yes ... I admit i did practice the moonwalk behind my closed doors. :P I bought every single, and taped all the TV shows with his appearances .. and of course, I went to his concerts. :)
Now, again looking through the collection of all the MJ stuff I have, I am suddenly amazed again at how wonderfully talented this singer is. He's lived his entire life providing entertainment to people, and if you think about it, it is a very scary thought. I mean, I hardly remember anything from 5, 6 years old, but that is when he started. For 4 decades. 4 freaking decades. His life is like a movie played out 40 years for people to watch. The recent trial was probably one of the biggest thing in his "History" when one looks back from the future. I just hope that his musical/entertainment journey doesn't just end here.
Here's hoping to many more years of Jacko's Wackiness, and great music. :)
Now, again looking through the collection of all the MJ stuff I have, I am suddenly amazed again at how wonderfully talented this singer is. He's lived his entire life providing entertainment to people, and if you think about it, it is a very scary thought. I mean, I hardly remember anything from 5, 6 years old, but that is when he started. For 4 decades. 4 freaking decades. His life is like a movie played out 40 years for people to watch. The recent trial was probably one of the biggest thing in his "History" when one looks back from the future. I just hope that his musical/entertainment journey doesn't just end here.
Here's hoping to many more years of Jacko's Wackiness, and great music. :)
Are Singaporean pampered?
My observation, would be "yes", and I didn't realize that about myself too until I have spent a few years overseas. It is funny how we cannot see our own faults until we step into other people's shoes. It is always tough to take criticisms, but it is like bad tasting medicine - they are essential to making us better.
But another problem with Singaporeans (generally speaking, again), is that, they want to rebuke, explain, and use excuses to justify their actions, without first considering why the criticism are raised. They are too eager to offer a response, that they refuse to look at things from the critics' perspective.
Back to the pampered issue. Why do I say so about Singaporeans? Well, we're too sheltered, having the system spoon feed us in every way, always having rules to control our behavior in the society, etc ... these in one way or another, resulted in a parental disciplinary kinda of attitude the government has towards us, the children. And as a result, this kind of attitude gets filtered down to the kind of upbringing we're subjected to - the parents who never allows the kid to do anything unless permission is given, in a way to protect the kid - thus the kids will grow up teaching their kids the same thing. A vicious cycle. They see that the kind of "sheltered upbringing" is keeping them safe, and prosperity. They see that by believing what the government tells them to do, our economy will prosper, our children would be safe, and everything would be great.
The system works, so everyone in their own comfort zone, learn to obey the rules and see everything else (outside Singapore) as not as good as what you got at home. "We are Singapore. We are Singapore. We're a nation strong and free forevermore" sings the children. "We have the best airport, busiest port .." as we are taught. The system has instilled in all of us a sense of elitism that we close our minds to the fact that "we're not No.1 in everything".
But reality now comes back to bite us. We are not as dynamic as we should be in a slump of the economy. The people are inflexible. Now the pampered Singaporeans who follows the rules are realising that following the old rules doesn't seem to pull our economy back on its feet ... and the now a few crazy ones wants to revolutionize and make things better. But the "crazy ones" are the, minority. But they are ones who wants to create, and inject changes - something the pampered system would resist.
However, the system understands that it needs the crazy ones to work with and improve the system, and not to shut them out entirely. The system understands that it is the crazy ones who will create new markets and new opportunities.
But the crazy one says ... "I am a quitter. I can't fight the system alone. I will leave and find my opportunities elsewhere". So the system will have to find a way to work with, and not fight the crazy ones. Or the system might one day drown in its own delusional elitism.
But another problem with Singaporeans (generally speaking, again), is that, they want to rebuke, explain, and use excuses to justify their actions, without first considering why the criticism are raised. They are too eager to offer a response, that they refuse to look at things from the critics' perspective.
Back to the pampered issue. Why do I say so about Singaporeans? Well, we're too sheltered, having the system spoon feed us in every way, always having rules to control our behavior in the society, etc ... these in one way or another, resulted in a parental disciplinary kinda of attitude the government has towards us, the children. And as a result, this kind of attitude gets filtered down to the kind of upbringing we're subjected to - the parents who never allows the kid to do anything unless permission is given, in a way to protect the kid - thus the kids will grow up teaching their kids the same thing. A vicious cycle. They see that the kind of "sheltered upbringing" is keeping them safe, and prosperity. They see that by believing what the government tells them to do, our economy will prosper, our children would be safe, and everything would be great.
The system works, so everyone in their own comfort zone, learn to obey the rules and see everything else (outside Singapore) as not as good as what you got at home. "We are Singapore. We are Singapore. We're a nation strong and free forevermore" sings the children. "We have the best airport, busiest port .." as we are taught. The system has instilled in all of us a sense of elitism that we close our minds to the fact that "we're not No.1 in everything".
But reality now comes back to bite us. We are not as dynamic as we should be in a slump of the economy. The people are inflexible. Now the pampered Singaporeans who follows the rules are realising that following the old rules doesn't seem to pull our economy back on its feet ... and the now a few crazy ones wants to revolutionize and make things better. But the "crazy ones" are the, minority. But they are ones who wants to create, and inject changes - something the pampered system would resist.
However, the system understands that it needs the crazy ones to work with and improve the system, and not to shut them out entirely. The system understands that it is the crazy ones who will create new markets and new opportunities.
But the crazy one says ... "I am a quitter. I can't fight the system alone. I will leave and find my opportunities elsewhere". So the system will have to find a way to work with, and not fight the crazy ones. Or the system might one day drown in its own delusional elitism.
Friday, July 01, 2005
War of the Worlds (2005) - 75%
Yes, finally caught it. Like many of Spielberg's movie, there were so many of his signature shots in there. He loves to do long continuous shots of conversations and do the panning around the characters maneuver. You see quite a number of these in War of the Worlds 2005. Actually I only noticed this style of his from his last film "Minority Report" and I realise that he has repeatedly used this again and again here.
One scene one might not notice, is the shot of Cruise and kids in the car for the first time, and u see how the camera is flying around them while the entire conversation is taking place. Awesome awesome awesome ..... For those who didn't notice, watch the show again and discover this. It is totally impressive.
Ok, enough of the technical stuff. How about the story? It is basically the same as what novel and the previous movie were about. Aliens arrive, aliens attack, people run, people die, people go crazy, then aliens die. Nothing unexpected, but the effects are very very impressive. There's a very simple setup, and within 15min, the action started to roll. And it is a rollercoaster ride all the way from start to finish. It is intense, and unforgiving. No holds barred aliens bent on human extermination. This is not a kiddy movie, and it does not serve to explain why things happen the way they do. It is like a documentary of what happened in the history of mankind in a few crazy days. As a result, you leave the theater with lotsa of unanswered questions. But the movie reminded the audience, that in the heat of emergencies and destruction, it is the people around you that matters. Basically, you do not stop to think, for you may die if you do, you'd just run and survive first.
The references to war are also there. Or at least if you bothered to make the references. To me, it didn't matter if it was the aliens who attacked or not - survival was all that mattered. "I don't care if you hate me .... think of your sister ... I love you", said Ray, the character played by Tom Cruise, to his son in a pivotal moment in the movie. It is the sacrifices you're willing to make to protect the ones you love, and what truly mattered or not in war. Or should I say, what didn't matter, when all you got to lose, are all the loved ones around you.
So does the ending suck this time? Hmm ... it is basically still the same as before, but I thought in light of how the movie is setup (no explanation how/why things started), it is alright that they ended with no full explanation. Maybe there will be a documentary in that world that would show on their History channel few years after the events that happened in the movie, that would explain what they found out. But we will have to satisfy with at least the scenes of how the events unfolded - and leave the rest to our imagination.
One scene one might not notice, is the shot of Cruise and kids in the car for the first time, and u see how the camera is flying around them while the entire conversation is taking place. Awesome awesome awesome ..... For those who didn't notice, watch the show again and discover this. It is totally impressive.
Ok, enough of the technical stuff. How about the story? It is basically the same as what novel and the previous movie were about. Aliens arrive, aliens attack, people run, people die, people go crazy, then aliens die. Nothing unexpected, but the effects are very very impressive. There's a very simple setup, and within 15min, the action started to roll. And it is a rollercoaster ride all the way from start to finish. It is intense, and unforgiving. No holds barred aliens bent on human extermination. This is not a kiddy movie, and it does not serve to explain why things happen the way they do. It is like a documentary of what happened in the history of mankind in a few crazy days. As a result, you leave the theater with lotsa of unanswered questions. But the movie reminded the audience, that in the heat of emergencies and destruction, it is the people around you that matters. Basically, you do not stop to think, for you may die if you do, you'd just run and survive first.
The references to war are also there. Or at least if you bothered to make the references. To me, it didn't matter if it was the aliens who attacked or not - survival was all that mattered. "I don't care if you hate me .... think of your sister ... I love you", said Ray, the character played by Tom Cruise, to his son in a pivotal moment in the movie. It is the sacrifices you're willing to make to protect the ones you love, and what truly mattered or not in war. Or should I say, what didn't matter, when all you got to lose, are all the loved ones around you.
So does the ending suck this time? Hmm ... it is basically still the same as before, but I thought in light of how the movie is setup (no explanation how/why things started), it is alright that they ended with no full explanation. Maybe there will be a documentary in that world that would show on their History channel few years after the events that happened in the movie, that would explain what they found out. But we will have to satisfy with at least the scenes of how the events unfolded - and leave the rest to our imagination.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Come on, help me out
Ok guys who are reading this ..
I have a friend's wedding coming and I wanna do a special stag night for him. Been to those typical KTV, health center, Pubs, transvestite shit .... now I am looking for a "Thai-girl show" equivalent in Singapore. Where can I find such?? Anyone heard of anything like that locally?
I have a friend's wedding coming and I wanna do a special stag night for him. Been to those typical KTV, health center, Pubs, transvestite shit .... now I am looking for a "Thai-girl show" equivalent in Singapore. Where can I find such?? Anyone heard of anything like that locally?
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
War of the Worlds (1953) - 72%
Now that the War of the Worlds 2005 is upon us, let's do a quick review of the original 1953 Classic.
When the original 1953 was released, it was a sci fi megaton. The special effects (then) were groundbreaking and the "forcefield" effect they did with the miniatures were very impressive. The scenes of people going chaotic and crazy trying to flee the city and how looting started occurring when the city was under attack, were done pretty realistically. I realised that you as an audience, would just watch the chaos unfold, but you never question why people would turn mean and uncivilized the moment foreign attack was upon them. And in a way, we understood, that human nature is in its very roots, selfish and cold.
And had I watched this film earlier, I would have noticed all the references made by the movie "Independence day" to this classic. One scene blatantly ripped from the original was how nuclear bomb was unleashed upon the enemy but to no effect. It goes to show that in more than 4 decades, the nuclear bomb is still the lingering threat that exists in all the major superpowers' crackheads. I guess in these recent years, terrorism is the new threat, and I'd be interested to see how the new movie would play to exhibit that.
The original story was written by HG Wells, with a political reference to the British Imperialism in the 19th century. The movie in 1953, was obviously a knock on US's then "superiority" with their Nuclear bomb. I guess in these recent years, terrorism is the new threat, and I'd be interested to see how the new movie would play to exhibit that.
What to expect from the 2005 version?
Now the original 1953 classic was groundbreaking in the special effects department. The movie also garnered an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. So I would expect this 2005 version to be visually impressive as well. What I didn't like about the original was its ending. Maybe I shouldn't give it away for those who hasn't seen it, but let's just say that it felt like they had ran out of ideas or budget to kill the aliens so they made one pretty lame excuse for it. "Independence Day's" ending was pretty damn ridiculous too. So was "Mars Attack", but at least they made it funny. I hope they would make this ending a satisfying one.
When the original 1953 was released, it was a sci fi megaton. The special effects (then) were groundbreaking and the "forcefield" effect they did with the miniatures were very impressive. The scenes of people going chaotic and crazy trying to flee the city and how looting started occurring when the city was under attack, were done pretty realistically. I realised that you as an audience, would just watch the chaos unfold, but you never question why people would turn mean and uncivilized the moment foreign attack was upon them. And in a way, we understood, that human nature is in its very roots, selfish and cold.
And had I watched this film earlier, I would have noticed all the references made by the movie "Independence day" to this classic. One scene blatantly ripped from the original was how nuclear bomb was unleashed upon the enemy but to no effect. It goes to show that in more than 4 decades, the nuclear bomb is still the lingering threat that exists in all the major superpowers' crackheads. I guess in these recent years, terrorism is the new threat, and I'd be interested to see how the new movie would play to exhibit that.
The original story was written by HG Wells, with a political reference to the British Imperialism in the 19th century. The movie in 1953, was obviously a knock on US's then "superiority" with their Nuclear bomb. I guess in these recent years, terrorism is the new threat, and I'd be interested to see how the new movie would play to exhibit that.
What to expect from the 2005 version?
Now the original 1953 classic was groundbreaking in the special effects department. The movie also garnered an Academy Award for Best Special Effects. So I would expect this 2005 version to be visually impressive as well. What I didn't like about the original was its ending. Maybe I shouldn't give it away for those who hasn't seen it, but let's just say that it felt like they had ran out of ideas or budget to kill the aliens so they made one pretty lame excuse for it. "Independence Day's" ending was pretty damn ridiculous too. So was "Mars Attack", but at least they made it funny. I hope they would make this ending a satisfying one.
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Crime fears.
Straits Times. Home Section. June 25, 2005.
Debate in court over accused's access to lawyer.
A recent brutal murder case has rattled the island. In case you're not aware, a 22 yr old lady from China, is found dismembered - body severed into 2, upper and lower torso wrapped in plastic bag, head severed, feet still missing. The suspect, her supervisor at work, is arrested while investigation is still undergoing.
The case is definitely gruesome and disturbing. The suspect, in almost every certainty at this point, looks to be the most likely killer in this case. However, no matter how the case at hand is going to unfold from this point, the suspect is still unconvicted, and dare I say, innocent until proven otherwise. That's why he's named, a suspect. He's in custody, and arrested based on suspicion. He is not yet convicted.
What boggles me is why the question of him having access to his lawyer is even mentioned. Why should he not be given access to the lawyer, and most intriguingly, the block was done by the DPP (Deputy Public Prosecution) and even more surprising, upheld by the Distric Judge.
The DPP's reason for the block was that the police had to expend much time and resources to locate and verify parts of her body. DPP Koh told the courts yesterday "the scope of an order of investigation necessarily excludes any external meetings or conversations". Honestly, I do not understand what the hell that means nor does it seems like it made any justification for blocking an accused access to his lawyers.
The Judge said that the court has a duty to balance the rights of the accused and the obligations of the police. Why would the rights of the accused to have access to his counsel be in danger to or jeopardize the obligations and the investigative work of the police? Makes no sense to me, and if anyone who is a lawyer could help enlighten me, I'd truly appreciate.
District Judge also says "I am also aware of the view that the interests of the accused will not be compromised by the lack of access to the counsel at this stage". This puzzles me even more. His rights as an unconvicted accused to a lawyer is being compromised, and why wouldn't his interests be?
Debate in court over accused's access to lawyer.
A recent brutal murder case has rattled the island. In case you're not aware, a 22 yr old lady from China, is found dismembered - body severed into 2, upper and lower torso wrapped in plastic bag, head severed, feet still missing. The suspect, her supervisor at work, is arrested while investigation is still undergoing.
The case is definitely gruesome and disturbing. The suspect, in almost every certainty at this point, looks to be the most likely killer in this case. However, no matter how the case at hand is going to unfold from this point, the suspect is still unconvicted, and dare I say, innocent until proven otherwise. That's why he's named, a suspect. He's in custody, and arrested based on suspicion. He is not yet convicted.
What boggles me is why the question of him having access to his lawyer is even mentioned. Why should he not be given access to the lawyer, and most intriguingly, the block was done by the DPP (Deputy Public Prosecution) and even more surprising, upheld by the Distric Judge.
The DPP's reason for the block was that the police had to expend much time and resources to locate and verify parts of her body. DPP Koh told the courts yesterday "the scope of an order of investigation necessarily excludes any external meetings or conversations". Honestly, I do not understand what the hell that means nor does it seems like it made any justification for blocking an accused access to his lawyers.
The Judge said that the court has a duty to balance the rights of the accused and the obligations of the police. Why would the rights of the accused to have access to his counsel be in danger to or jeopardize the obligations and the investigative work of the police? Makes no sense to me, and if anyone who is a lawyer could help enlighten me, I'd truly appreciate.
District Judge also says "I am also aware of the view that the interests of the accused will not be compromised by the lack of access to the counsel at this stage". This puzzles me even more. His rights as an unconvicted accused to a lawyer is being compromised, and why wouldn't his interests be?
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
HDB owners??
Recent survey shows .... 2.84 million singaporeans live in HDB flats (CNA report 21 june 05, HDB Household Survey). That's up 5.2%. The report does not show how many percent of the Singaporean population is that, but using 4million (2000 survey) as an estimate, it would make it about 71%.
Now the report also says ""buying" beat "renting" hands down - an overwhelming 95.6 percent of households interviewed prefer to own rather than rent a flat. ".
My question now would be:
1) How many of these people actually think that they "own" their 99 year lease hold flat?
2) How many of these people actually know that they are actually "renting" these HDB flats from the government, and not "buying" them?
3) Or are these people voicing their unhappiness that these flats are "leasehold"?
If they fall into (1) and (2), that means they need to be educated about how stupid they are, thinking that they "own" these flats. Thus more than 70% of Singaporeans are not home owners. And if we look upon houses as assets, then 70% of Singaporeans do not own any assets. Gulps ..... that truly sucks ....
Why HDB is a scam?
- They are 99 leaseholds.
- "lease" n. definition: A contract granting use or occupation of property during a specified period in exchange for a specified rent. Go read your HDB contract, you are a "leasee" and HDB is the "leasor".
- Assuming they cost between $200-$300,000 for an average unit, and assuming you are using 0% loan (only assuming) you are paying rent of $210 per month for a unit costing $250,000. In fact there are the new HDBs that costs more than $400,000 to "lease", so the monthly rent is even higher. But hey ... no one lives for 99 years, and in fact, I don;t think anyone even buys a HDB until they are at least married or 35 if you're single. So if u take that into account, the effective rental for the HDB per month goes up even more considering that you live there for only 30 to 40 years!! And at the rate of 30-40 years, the rental rate of a $250,000 zooms up to at least $500!! Assuming you'd still have to pay about $200 per mth for carparking, you're paying more than $700 for rent.
- I pay $500/mth for rental of a condo unit, with free parking and gym and swimming pool facilities. Compare that with the numbers above.
- Oh yes ... you are supposed to pre-pay your 99 year rent to the HDB for "leasing" their unit. I mean, the banks have to lend you the money to pay the HDB for renting their place! If you don't call this a scam I don't know what is?
Wait a minute? ... Isn't this supposed to be government property? And if it is, it is paid for by the tax payers money? So the government basically takes our money, builds some apts and we have to pay to use it somemore?
Food for thoughts ....
Now the report also says ""buying" beat "renting" hands down - an overwhelming 95.6 percent of households interviewed prefer to own rather than rent a flat. ".
My question now would be:
1) How many of these people actually think that they "own" their 99 year lease hold flat?
2) How many of these people actually know that they are actually "renting" these HDB flats from the government, and not "buying" them?
3) Or are these people voicing their unhappiness that these flats are "leasehold"?
If they fall into (1) and (2), that means they need to be educated about how stupid they are, thinking that they "own" these flats. Thus more than 70% of Singaporeans are not home owners. And if we look upon houses as assets, then 70% of Singaporeans do not own any assets. Gulps ..... that truly sucks ....
Why HDB is a scam?
- They are 99 leaseholds.
- "lease" n. definition: A contract granting use or occupation of property during a specified period in exchange for a specified rent. Go read your HDB contract, you are a "leasee" and HDB is the "leasor".
- Assuming they cost between $200-$300,000 for an average unit, and assuming you are using 0% loan (only assuming) you are paying rent of $210 per month for a unit costing $250,000. In fact there are the new HDBs that costs more than $400,000 to "lease", so the monthly rent is even higher. But hey ... no one lives for 99 years, and in fact, I don;t think anyone even buys a HDB until they are at least married or 35 if you're single. So if u take that into account, the effective rental for the HDB per month goes up even more considering that you live there for only 30 to 40 years!! And at the rate of 30-40 years, the rental rate of a $250,000 zooms up to at least $500!! Assuming you'd still have to pay about $200 per mth for carparking, you're paying more than $700 for rent.
- I pay $500/mth for rental of a condo unit, with free parking and gym and swimming pool facilities. Compare that with the numbers above.
- Oh yes ... you are supposed to pre-pay your 99 year rent to the HDB for "leasing" their unit. I mean, the banks have to lend you the money to pay the HDB for renting their place! If you don't call this a scam I don't know what is?
Wait a minute? ... Isn't this supposed to be government property? And if it is, it is paid for by the tax payers money? So the government basically takes our money, builds some apts and we have to pay to use it somemore?
Food for thoughts ....
Monday, June 20, 2005
I LOVE it :)
This was a great weekend .... mainly cos I finished a wedding DVD for a friend and it was one of the prettiest. Man .. the look on their faces when they saw the DVDs, the packaging, the designs, the menus ....man I LOVE it ...
That's why i love doing wedding videos. Yes it is pretty good money ... but it is also pretty hard work.
I hope I can keep doing this until I die.
There's this movie called "The final Cut". About an unknown future, where people can implant a certain chip in their brains (or their child's brain) and then at their death, have it reedited by a "cutter" into a "rememory" for friends and family to watch. Or even have it on their grave for people to watch. Very interesting, and me doing wedding videos for people, makes me feel like somewhat a "cutter" of some sorts. :) nothing morbid about weddings of course.
I am helping people to "rememorize" their weddings :)
That's why i love doing wedding videos. Yes it is pretty good money ... but it is also pretty hard work.
I hope I can keep doing this until I die.
There's this movie called "The final Cut". About an unknown future, where people can implant a certain chip in their brains (or their child's brain) and then at their death, have it reedited by a "cutter" into a "rememory" for friends and family to watch. Or even have it on their grave for people to watch. Very interesting, and me doing wedding videos for people, makes me feel like somewhat a "cutter" of some sorts. :) nothing morbid about weddings of course.
I am helping people to "rememorize" their weddings :)
Friday, June 17, 2005
Power of inaction
Deep thoughts of a Singapore Critic
When people do not act, the power is given to those who do.
Quote by? Yours Truly :)
Grammar fixed :P
When people do not act, the power is given to those who do.
Quote by? Yours Truly :)
Grammar fixed :P
Thursday, June 16, 2005
I promise
I promise .... these coming weeks. .... less play .. more rest ..
I will say with great resolve ... that I shall sleep more this week ....
I promise ....
I will say with great resolve ... that I shall sleep more this week ....
I promise ....
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
MJ is aquitted
Well ... Wacko Jacko is aquitted. I am really not surprised. In fact if he was guilty, I'd be very surprised. I guess those who followed the case closely wouldn't be surprised either. I was a fan, but even I had my doubts. But as the case unfolded, the prosecution just didn't have a strong case. They had no evidence, only witnesses and their accusations. And the defense attorney did a spectacular job at gunning down every single one of the accusations raised, either through clever cross examination or introducing witnesses that destroyed the accusations of the prosecutions witnesses.
In the end, i guess, MJ did finally cleared his name, but at the same time confirmed a few details:
#1: MJ was stupid and gullible to pay those money to those blood suckers
#2: MJ is still weird
#3: MJ is really black by birth, but will probably die a white man.
#4: MJ is probably bankrupt by now
In the end, i guess, MJ did finally cleared his name, but at the same time confirmed a few details:
#1: MJ was stupid and gullible to pay those money to those blood suckers
#2: MJ is still weird
#3: MJ is really black by birth, but will probably die a white man.
#4: MJ is probably bankrupt by now
Batman ... finally begins ...
Last night ... Batman Begins premiere ...
Finally .... after all the injustice served to the fans (and creator) of the comic book Batman with the circus acts named "Batman forever", "Batman & Robin", this is a proper tribute to the Dark Knight. This is how Batman should always have been.
Batman was supposed to be a detective, with a dark brooding emotional baggage, with great acrobatic (and kungfu?) skills, and also, a great businessman.
For the Tim Burton and Joel Shumacher's outings, he became a "star", no longer mysterious, and worst of all "showy" ... Batman became sorta like a fantasy superhero version of James Bond, with big names like Val Kilmer and George Clooney all vying to be the "sexy lips with the black cape". But Batman was never supposed to be about the lips.
Batman Begins is a return to form, back to basics. Most importantly ... this movie had a solid storyline to back it up. Yes, there were holes, but not too glaring, and at least it treated the character seriously, never allowing him to become ridiculous. Bruce Wayne was a man that felt real.
The Marvel comic Heroes have been kicking the DC comics' butt, because they took their characters seriously. We're talking the success of Spiderman and X-men, making the fans and the critics rave about them. While the DC comic heroes were making a fool of themselves (Superman 3 & 4, Batman & Robin and Batman Forever), the Marvel ones were making cash. So what is Warner, with a load of DC franchises in hand gonna do? Give the respect back to the characters .... here's we've seen how they did it with Batman ... next change ... Superman Returns. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Finally .... after all the injustice served to the fans (and creator) of the comic book Batman with the circus acts named "Batman forever", "Batman & Robin", this is a proper tribute to the Dark Knight. This is how Batman should always have been.
Batman was supposed to be a detective, with a dark brooding emotional baggage, with great acrobatic (and kungfu?) skills, and also, a great businessman.
For the Tim Burton and Joel Shumacher's outings, he became a "star", no longer mysterious, and worst of all "showy" ... Batman became sorta like a fantasy superhero version of James Bond, with big names like Val Kilmer and George Clooney all vying to be the "sexy lips with the black cape". But Batman was never supposed to be about the lips.
Batman Begins is a return to form, back to basics. Most importantly ... this movie had a solid storyline to back it up. Yes, there were holes, but not too glaring, and at least it treated the character seriously, never allowing him to become ridiculous. Bruce Wayne was a man that felt real.
The Marvel comic Heroes have been kicking the DC comics' butt, because they took their characters seriously. We're talking the success of Spiderman and X-men, making the fans and the critics rave about them. While the DC comic heroes were making a fool of themselves (Superman 3 & 4, Batman & Robin and Batman Forever), the Marvel ones were making cash. So what is Warner, with a load of DC franchises in hand gonna do? Give the respect back to the characters .... here's we've seen how they did it with Batman ... next change ... Superman Returns. I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Good laws .. bad laws ... episode 1
Just as there are good people and bad ones .... there are good laws and bad laws ....
This was something that was said by Gandhi and how very true. When there is a government that straddles on extremism, you get laws that tries to cover every corner possible to give them any excuse to allow them to do anything they wish. In other words, unreasonable laws.
We have quite a number here in Singapore. Here's one:
Please note the definition of "film" in the "Film Act":
"film" means —
(a) any cinematograph film;
(b) any video recording, including a video recording that is designed for use wholly or principally as a game;
(c) any other material record or thing on which is recorded or stored for immediate or future retrieval any information that, by the use of any computer or electronic device, is capable of being reproduced or displayed as wholly or partly visual moving pictures,
and includes any part of a film, and any copy or part of a copy of the whole or any part of a film;
Licence for carrying on business of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films
6. —(1) No person —
(a) shall carry on any business, whether or not the business is carried on for profit, of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films unless he is in possession of a valid licence; or
(b) being the owner or occupier of any place shall allow the place to be used by, or let the place or otherwise make the place available to, any person who is not the holder of a valid licence for the purpose of carrying on the business of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than $10,000 but not more than $40,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Here's another:
Films made in Singapore to be deposited in approved warehouse
12. —(1) The owner of any film made in Singapore shall, within 7 days after the making of the film, deposit the film in a warehouse approved for this purpose by the Board.
(2) Any person who fails to deposit the film in accordance with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
Penalty for possession, exhibition or distribution of uncensored films
21. —(1) Any person who —
(a) has in his possession;
(b) exhibits or distributes; or
(c) reproduces,
any film without a valid certificate, approving the exhibition of the film, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
(i) in respect of an offence under paragraph (a), to a fine of not less than $100 for each such film that he had in his possession (but not to exceed in the aggregate $20,000); and
(ii) in respect of an offence under paragraph (b) or (c), to a fine of not less than $500 for each such film he had exhibited, distributed or reproduced, as the case may be (but not to exceed in the aggregate $40,000) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
[10/98]
(2) Any Censor and any Deputy or Assistant Censor and any Inspector of Films may at all reasonable times enter any place in which any film is kept or is being or is about to be exhibited and may examine the film, and if on such examination he has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under this section has been or is about to be committed in respect of the film he may seize the film and any equipment used in the commission of the offence.
(3) Any film and equipment seized under subsection (2) in respect of which any person has been convicted under this section shall be forfeited and shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct.
(4) For the purposes of this section if any film is altered in any way after it has been approved for exhibition under this Act, the film shall be deemed not to have been so approved.
So these are just some abstract from the "Film Act" of Singapore. Boys and girls. If you're reading this and you possess any Digital camcorder, and had made any home videos, travel videos, wedding videos or any kind of videos of any sort, you'd better send it into the censorship board to be inspected, and get ready some cash to pay for the licenses. If not, get ready to hide them real well, or may the government have mercy on your soul.
Amen. Amitaba ....
This was something that was said by Gandhi and how very true. When there is a government that straddles on extremism, you get laws that tries to cover every corner possible to give them any excuse to allow them to do anything they wish. In other words, unreasonable laws.
We have quite a number here in Singapore. Here's one:
Please note the definition of "film" in the "Film Act":
"film" means —
(a) any cinematograph film;
(b) any video recording, including a video recording that is designed for use wholly or principally as a game;
(c) any other material record or thing on which is recorded or stored for immediate or future retrieval any information that, by the use of any computer or electronic device, is capable of being reproduced or displayed as wholly or partly visual moving pictures,
and includes any part of a film, and any copy or part of a copy of the whole or any part of a film;
Licence for carrying on business of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films
6. —(1) No person —
(a) shall carry on any business, whether or not the business is carried on for profit, of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films unless he is in possession of a valid licence; or
(b) being the owner or occupier of any place shall allow the place to be used by, or let the place or otherwise make the place available to, any person who is not the holder of a valid licence for the purpose of carrying on the business of importing, making, distributing or exhibiting films.
(2) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than $10,000 but not more than $40,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
Here's another:
Films made in Singapore to be deposited in approved warehouse
12. —(1) The owner of any film made in Singapore shall, within 7 days after the making of the film, deposit the film in a warehouse approved for this purpose by the Board.
(2) Any person who fails to deposit the film in accordance with subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
Penalty for possession, exhibition or distribution of uncensored films
21. —(1) Any person who —
(a) has in his possession;
(b) exhibits or distributes; or
(c) reproduces,
any film without a valid certificate, approving the exhibition of the film, shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
(i) in respect of an offence under paragraph (a), to a fine of not less than $100 for each such film that he had in his possession (but not to exceed in the aggregate $20,000); and
(ii) in respect of an offence under paragraph (b) or (c), to a fine of not less than $500 for each such film he had exhibited, distributed or reproduced, as the case may be (but not to exceed in the aggregate $40,000) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.
[10/98]
(2) Any Censor and any Deputy or Assistant Censor and any Inspector of Films may at all reasonable times enter any place in which any film is kept or is being or is about to be exhibited and may examine the film, and if on such examination he has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under this section has been or is about to be committed in respect of the film he may seize the film and any equipment used in the commission of the offence.
(3) Any film and equipment seized under subsection (2) in respect of which any person has been convicted under this section shall be forfeited and shall be destroyed or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the Minister may direct.
(4) For the purposes of this section if any film is altered in any way after it has been approved for exhibition under this Act, the film shall be deemed not to have been so approved.
So these are just some abstract from the "Film Act" of Singapore. Boys and girls. If you're reading this and you possess any Digital camcorder, and had made any home videos, travel videos, wedding videos or any kind of videos of any sort, you'd better send it into the censorship board to be inspected, and get ready some cash to pay for the licenses. If not, get ready to hide them real well, or may the government have mercy on your soul.
Amen. Amitaba ....
In light of all the violence ...
It saddens me to see how the wheel spinners at the White house still tries to claim "we're making good progress in Iraq".
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."
-- Mohandas K. Gandhi
"I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."
-- Mohandas K. Gandhi
When u got nothing to write ....
When u got nothing to write .. point your readers in the direction where there's something to read ...
And read this u must dear readers .. before it gets pulled or sued .... :)
http://www.yeocheowtong.com
And read this u must dear readers .. before it gets pulled or sued .... :)
http://www.yeocheowtong.com
Monday, June 06, 2005
Death
My friend of 16 years passed last week.
Fell from his apartment on the 8th Storey.
Accident.
Grief.
Funeral.
Tears.
Memories.
16 years.
Fell from his apartment on the 8th Storey.
Accident.
Grief.
Funeral.
Tears.
Memories.
16 years.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Night Safari
We have a cool theme park in Singapore ... the name? Night Safari.
This is one thing about Singapore that I am mighty proud about. This is one tourist attraction that I do not feel like it is a trap, and that it is not trying to rip me off.
Why? It is professionally designed, and conceptualized. It is a theme park that trusts its customer who will behave even given the closeness they can get to the animals. They dare to think big, and they dare to execute. Not like many other places where corners are cut to save costs, they are willing to spend to polish the place, and trust that the higher fee that they charge will justify its exhibits. They do not make you feel like they are ripping you off because you enter the place and you feel like it is worth every single cent you put in.
Do you hear people complaining about Disneyland being a rip off? Yes they are expensive, but once you've entered the place, you can literally do anything you want without fearing that you'll be subjected to other "hidden" costs. Night Safari is very close to replicating that "not being ripped off" feel.
I've been there thrice .. and I would love to bring more people back there again - Singaporeans and tourists alike.
This is one thing about Singapore that I am mighty proud about. This is one tourist attraction that I do not feel like it is a trap, and that it is not trying to rip me off.
Why? It is professionally designed, and conceptualized. It is a theme park that trusts its customer who will behave even given the closeness they can get to the animals. They dare to think big, and they dare to execute. Not like many other places where corners are cut to save costs, they are willing to spend to polish the place, and trust that the higher fee that they charge will justify its exhibits. They do not make you feel like they are ripping you off because you enter the place and you feel like it is worth every single cent you put in.
Do you hear people complaining about Disneyland being a rip off? Yes they are expensive, but once you've entered the place, you can literally do anything you want without fearing that you'll be subjected to other "hidden" costs. Night Safari is very close to replicating that "not being ripped off" feel.
I've been there thrice .. and I would love to bring more people back there again - Singaporeans and tourists alike.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Complaining about bad service?
We got lotsa customers complaining about bad service. We appreciate that most of the time. Being in the restaurant business myself, I need these feedbacks to see how we should improve our operations, products, services etc.
But then .. there are those customers i wish i could strangle them, tell them off, burn them at the stake .... but being the civilized me and always having the "customer is king" attitude, I endure, smile ... But anyways, the complaints are always the same. Food is slow, Payment is slow etc.
It is very sad about some simple observations about many Singaporean customers, ask anyone who runs a restaurant and they will agree with you :
1) They expect to be treated like Kings and Queens
2) They think "I am paying money and service charge, of course I expect nothing less than what I demand"
3) They think their money is BIG DEAL
4) Even if they are told they have a certain waiting time for their foods, they still complain.
5) They finish their foods, then they complain - when you couldn't do anything to resolve the issue by then.
6) They can't put themselves in other people's shoes.
7) You apologize, give them discounts, and they will still want to give you a hard time. Should I retract my apologies and discounts then, because if they are not pleasing to you, what will?
(I had even given customers free meals before and they are still angry. HUH???)
If there are any of my customers who are reading my entry and had experience bad or slow service at my restaurant, I apologize, and I would also hope that, you guys be more forgiving. I am just asking Singaporeans to be more understanding, forgiving and gracious. We're trying to make a living, by selling you our foods and providing a nice ambiance.
Stop thinking spending your money at restaurants will mean you can start treating people like they are your slaves. The next time readers, when you eat at any restaurants please keep the following in mind:
1) We're just humans.
2) To you, you're just waiting for your food and paying up when you're done. To us, we have to do the following:
- Send you to your tables, send you your menus, explain to you about the menus if necessary, take your orders, send your orders, prepare and make your drinks or salads and soups, send you your bill, collect and process your bills/cards, return your change/receipts, and clear your tables, and set the tables for the next customer.
3) And we do not have 1 service staff to attend to each customer, typically, it is 3-4 persons, doing all the above (and other things as well) and serving 70 of you all. Think I should hire more? Are you will to pay more?
4) Ever waited long for your payment? The bottleneck could be the credit card machine. OR if multiple customers wanted to pay all at the same time, you'd have to wait your turn. More machines/staff to process payments? I'll ask again, are you willing to pay for them?
5) Look around and see if we're trying to slack on our work. Seriously. Does it look like we're not trying our best to serve ALL of YOU??
All I am urging, is that customers do not just ask and complain why services suck. But they should also ask themselves, am I being reasonable or gracious at the same time? If you want to complain, we'd be happy to hear them, and accept criticism, but also let us offer you a way to compensate you, in a form of a discount, replacement or whatever. And please please please, appreciate it.
PS. A friend recently asked "Is there a place where I can place complaints abt bad restaurants and all?" Most restaurants allow you to channel your feedbacks via a form or something. Why not go direct? Instead of complaining and destroy other people's reputation via a blog, maybe you could help by giving them advice or feedbacks to help them improve directly?
Remember, you're not really helping anyone by being nasty.
But then .. there are those customers i wish i could strangle them, tell them off, burn them at the stake .... but being the civilized me and always having the "customer is king" attitude, I endure, smile ... But anyways, the complaints are always the same. Food is slow, Payment is slow etc.
It is very sad about some simple observations about many Singaporean customers, ask anyone who runs a restaurant and they will agree with you :
1) They expect to be treated like Kings and Queens
2) They think "I am paying money and service charge, of course I expect nothing less than what I demand"
3) They think their money is BIG DEAL
4) Even if they are told they have a certain waiting time for their foods, they still complain.
5) They finish their foods, then they complain - when you couldn't do anything to resolve the issue by then.
6) They can't put themselves in other people's shoes.
7) You apologize, give them discounts, and they will still want to give you a hard time. Should I retract my apologies and discounts then, because if they are not pleasing to you, what will?
(I had even given customers free meals before and they are still angry. HUH???)
If there are any of my customers who are reading my entry and had experience bad or slow service at my restaurant, I apologize, and I would also hope that, you guys be more forgiving. I am just asking Singaporeans to be more understanding, forgiving and gracious. We're trying to make a living, by selling you our foods and providing a nice ambiance.
Stop thinking spending your money at restaurants will mean you can start treating people like they are your slaves. The next time readers, when you eat at any restaurants please keep the following in mind:
1) We're just humans.
2) To you, you're just waiting for your food and paying up when you're done. To us, we have to do the following:
- Send you to your tables, send you your menus, explain to you about the menus if necessary, take your orders, send your orders, prepare and make your drinks or salads and soups, send you your bill, collect and process your bills/cards, return your change/receipts, and clear your tables, and set the tables for the next customer.
3) And we do not have 1 service staff to attend to each customer, typically, it is 3-4 persons, doing all the above (and other things as well) and serving 70 of you all. Think I should hire more? Are you will to pay more?
4) Ever waited long for your payment? The bottleneck could be the credit card machine. OR if multiple customers wanted to pay all at the same time, you'd have to wait your turn. More machines/staff to process payments? I'll ask again, are you willing to pay for them?
5) Look around and see if we're trying to slack on our work. Seriously. Does it look like we're not trying our best to serve ALL of YOU??
All I am urging, is that customers do not just ask and complain why services suck. But they should also ask themselves, am I being reasonable or gracious at the same time? If you want to complain, we'd be happy to hear them, and accept criticism, but also let us offer you a way to compensate you, in a form of a discount, replacement or whatever. And please please please, appreciate it.
PS. A friend recently asked "Is there a place where I can place complaints abt bad restaurants and all?" Most restaurants allow you to channel your feedbacks via a form or something. Why not go direct? Instead of complaining and destroy other people's reputation via a blog, maybe you could help by giving them advice or feedbacks to help them improve directly?
Remember, you're not really helping anyone by being nasty.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Do Singaporeans complain too much?
Singaporeans complain too much. We read reports and people talking about this ... I am sure we're familiar hearing about how the government (man heard it from so many sources i am not even sure which government person who said it) saying that Singaporeans should not criticize if they've got no concrete suggestions or solutions to come forward with.
Really .... personally, I feel Singaporeans should be allowed to complain, and criticize ... even if they've got no solutions to boot. Why? Because I firmly believe in the power of the people. I firmly believe that enough Singaporeans have gone through enough education to learn to differentiate what is senseless bashing versus nonsensical babblings. I believe the government should let the people decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
Well, if the people can't do that efficiently all the time, we should still allow them to learn from their mistakes. Maybe a government who acts like parent will have to learn to accept the fact that the children has grown up. The parent's guidance is important is instilling the right values for the kids when they are young and growing, but when they have grown up, it is time to let them make their own decisions and learn to take responsibility from their own actions.
So getting back to the issue of complaints. There are constructive complaints and criticisms, and there are the senseless ones ... and usually it is the constructive ones that will result in one thing - discussion. We should promote discussions as much as possible, among the people, and between the state and its nation. Actions to discourage discussions (like the use of fear tactics and lawsuits etc) can result in conformity and the lack of innovation. The Singapore economy is in dire need of creative and innovative ideas to push for the next growth, and the state should do all it can as a start, to promote active, healthy and most importantly, FREE discussions. Let the market run itself ....
Really .... personally, I feel Singaporeans should be allowed to complain, and criticize ... even if they've got no solutions to boot. Why? Because I firmly believe in the power of the people. I firmly believe that enough Singaporeans have gone through enough education to learn to differentiate what is senseless bashing versus nonsensical babblings. I believe the government should let the people decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
Well, if the people can't do that efficiently all the time, we should still allow them to learn from their mistakes. Maybe a government who acts like parent will have to learn to accept the fact that the children has grown up. The parent's guidance is important is instilling the right values for the kids when they are young and growing, but when they have grown up, it is time to let them make their own decisions and learn to take responsibility from their own actions.
So getting back to the issue of complaints. There are constructive complaints and criticisms, and there are the senseless ones ... and usually it is the constructive ones that will result in one thing - discussion. We should promote discussions as much as possible, among the people, and between the state and its nation. Actions to discourage discussions (like the use of fear tactics and lawsuits etc) can result in conformity and the lack of innovation. The Singapore economy is in dire need of creative and innovative ideas to push for the next growth, and the state should do all it can as a start, to promote active, healthy and most importantly, FREE discussions. Let the market run itself ....
Thursday, May 26, 2005
concerns about criticism
Yesterday I had this conversation with my friend.
ywchai says: (6:08:17 PM)
i wanna start writing on my "singaporecritic.blogspot.com"
says: (6:08:37 PM)
you better get out of the country first .. seriously
says: (6:08:51 PM)
i really believe they will come after you.
The fact that I have to be worried about voicing my concerns about my own country boggles me ... i mean ... this is a perfect example of how Singaporeans are so scared about saying anything ... ANYHING at all about the system ... even in general ....
i bet if they had a machine that can read minds ... the migration rate and suicide rate of Singaporeans would explode
ywchai says: (6:08:17 PM)
i wanna start writing on my "singaporecritic.blogspot.com"
you better get out of the country first .. seriously
i really believe they will come after you.
The fact that I have to be worried about voicing my concerns about my own country boggles me ... i mean ... this is a perfect example of how Singaporeans are so scared about saying anything ... ANYHING at all about the system ... even in general ....
i bet if they had a machine that can read minds ... the migration rate and suicide rate of Singaporeans would explode
Revenge of the Sith?
Now I might be reading too much into this .. but watching the Revenge of the Sith .. made me think about how similar it was on Mr Bush's self righteousness on what he believes is the correct thing to do ... to push for war in Iraq.
Same thing .... Anakin never thought what he did was wrong ... even up to the point he was facing his wife and Obi-wan ... he believes the Jedis are staging a rebellion to betray the Republic ...
Bush refers to the soldiers of US as on a "crusade" .... and uses religion to back up his war .. and keeps saying God is on his side (US side) .... well how about Allah? Is there a difference? He uses false intelligence to go to war and even when it was proven that those information were wrong, he still thinks the war is justified.
Shouldn't he be put to trial by the UN?
Oh no ... the "emperor" shld never be questioned. :) the Empire is already under his control ... there is no senate .....
"Tum tum tum .. tum tum tum ..." (The Imperial March theme plays)
Same thing .... Anakin never thought what he did was wrong ... even up to the point he was facing his wife and Obi-wan ... he believes the Jedis are staging a rebellion to betray the Republic ...
Bush refers to the soldiers of US as on a "crusade" .... and uses religion to back up his war .. and keeps saying God is on his side (US side) .... well how about Allah? Is there a difference? He uses false intelligence to go to war and even when it was proven that those information were wrong, he still thinks the war is justified.
Shouldn't he be put to trial by the UN?
Oh no ... the "emperor" shld never be questioned. :) the Empire is already under his control ... there is no senate .....
"Tum tum tum .. tum tum tum ..." (The Imperial March theme plays)
A*STAR incident
I am sure everyone has read about this ..
Mr Chen Jiahao ... 23 year old ... blogger ... wrote about A*STAR and Mr Philip Yeo ... supposedly about some "defamatory" comments about A*STAR and Mr Yeo himself ("supposedly" because it was never stated which were the defamatory comments). So, Mr Chen got threatened with a vague lawsuit that did not specify which were the bad statements, and he eventually gave in and took down the ENTIRE site, with the exception of an apology.
I have a few thoughts ... very deep concerned thoughts about the whole situation. This is getting rather disturbing. I am living in a country where the Govt threatens with the all expensive lawsuit against a student, when he basically made some comments that the Govt found offensive OVERSEAS, in blog hosted on a FOREIGN server.
What was the Big Brother so worried about that made them go to such extent? If the purpose was to prevent further discussion about the comments, their actions had definitely resulted in the opposite. Many many more sites now spring up in discussion on about the comments, but about concerns of how ridiculous the actions of the Mr Yeo was.
Sorry Mr Chen, you were never meant to win. You probably didn't even wanna win anything, but they struck you down anyways. They know you (or any Singaporeans to begin with) would not be able to afford the time and the money to fight the case. You're already guilty before you could fight it. They accused you of defamatory, when they did not even specify how you did it. You could have resisted, and they could then have you jailed for not giving into their demands to remove your blog.
I am wondering, if I started saying how I hated Microsoft in my entire blog. Or dedicate a special blog just to bash how i dislike their products or Bill Gates. Would Mr Gates come after me? Probably not. Why? Because if it was baseless, unfair accusations and comments, no one will give a shit and some people might even leave comments to bash me. There are "invisible" market forces who will balance the comments out and readers will decide for themselves if what I write make sense.
But the Singapore Government apparently do not yet have the same level of trust for its own people. They do not trust the people to make up their minds on what is right and what is wrong. I had spoken to some people who supports the Singapore government's harsh treatments and strong arm tactics to keep the country at peace, and use that as a reasoning why we should trust the government to know what's best. That is a very dangerous proposition. It is a same situation to having Microsoft controlling 90% of the browser market and you see how they had slacked in their product development of IE. I am sure both Microsoft and the Singapore Government will go explain why they still are the innovators, while at the same time destroying those companies and people who threaten their dominance.
What is the eventual result of using "fear" as a tactic to ensure peace in Singapore? The younger generation become subdued and content with what they have. They do not question, and accept all decisions by the government with little actions to resist. These Singaporeans are not those who would like to concern themselves with the way the government runs the show. They just want to make their living and make stay happy. They are probably not interested to give actions to make the country better, just their own lives because it is "not their problem". If these are the type of Singaporean that the government wants to groom, I'd say they've done a mighty job. But what I think, is that the Singapore Government wants something else.
Singapore Government wants entrepreneurs, they want talents and they want a nation that loves its country. They are trying to sell us songs that make us feel that "This is my country, this my flag, this my family, these are my friends, We are Singaporeans". But the opposite is happening. The foreign talents who come in do not "love the country", they love "the money". The younger Singaporeans who love the country feels that they can't do what they want, say what they want, and they leave. Like a feeder school, Singapore is breeding young Singaporeans they wish to keep , but they can't stay loyal. Those who stay and can't do/say what they want, are constantly looking for ways to "get out". Singapore wants to have a nation of young entrepreneurs who takes risks and think creative, but at the same time, Singapore also wants control.
So ... what do you want Singapore? What do you want? If you want change, you have to let go. Just when I thought I see signs changing, like the relaxing of the censorship laws to allow more uncut movies, and our very own "speaker's corner", things like the A*STAR incident totally destroys my faith in the Government. The Govt says something and does another. They claim to promote freedom of speech, yet they do not execute all the way. They claim they hear, but they do not listen. You want to make a speech at the "speaker's corner"? Sure, as long as you head down to the police post to register. I know changes are hard. But if you want changes, you should not execute it in a crippled manner and then use it to support your future claims for the lack of interest in it.
I love to see a better and freer Singapore. But the day is not today ... and from the looks of it, we still have a long way to go.
Mr Chen Jiahao ... 23 year old ... blogger ... wrote about A*STAR and Mr Philip Yeo ... supposedly about some "defamatory" comments about A*STAR and Mr Yeo himself ("supposedly" because it was never stated which were the defamatory comments). So, Mr Chen got threatened with a vague lawsuit that did not specify which were the bad statements, and he eventually gave in and took down the ENTIRE site, with the exception of an apology.
I have a few thoughts ... very deep concerned thoughts about the whole situation. This is getting rather disturbing. I am living in a country where the Govt threatens with the all expensive lawsuit against a student, when he basically made some comments that the Govt found offensive OVERSEAS, in blog hosted on a FOREIGN server.
What was the Big Brother so worried about that made them go to such extent? If the purpose was to prevent further discussion about the comments, their actions had definitely resulted in the opposite. Many many more sites now spring up in discussion on about the comments, but about concerns of how ridiculous the actions of the Mr Yeo was.
Sorry Mr Chen, you were never meant to win. You probably didn't even wanna win anything, but they struck you down anyways. They know you (or any Singaporeans to begin with) would not be able to afford the time and the money to fight the case. You're already guilty before you could fight it. They accused you of defamatory, when they did not even specify how you did it. You could have resisted, and they could then have you jailed for not giving into their demands to remove your blog.
I am wondering, if I started saying how I hated Microsoft in my entire blog. Or dedicate a special blog just to bash how i dislike their products or Bill Gates. Would Mr Gates come after me? Probably not. Why? Because if it was baseless, unfair accusations and comments, no one will give a shit and some people might even leave comments to bash me. There are "invisible" market forces who will balance the comments out and readers will decide for themselves if what I write make sense.
But the Singapore Government apparently do not yet have the same level of trust for its own people. They do not trust the people to make up their minds on what is right and what is wrong. I had spoken to some people who supports the Singapore government's harsh treatments and strong arm tactics to keep the country at peace, and use that as a reasoning why we should trust the government to know what's best. That is a very dangerous proposition. It is a same situation to having Microsoft controlling 90% of the browser market and you see how they had slacked in their product development of IE. I am sure both Microsoft and the Singapore Government will go explain why they still are the innovators, while at the same time destroying those companies and people who threaten their dominance.
What is the eventual result of using "fear" as a tactic to ensure peace in Singapore? The younger generation become subdued and content with what they have. They do not question, and accept all decisions by the government with little actions to resist. These Singaporeans are not those who would like to concern themselves with the way the government runs the show. They just want to make their living and make stay happy. They are probably not interested to give actions to make the country better, just their own lives because it is "not their problem". If these are the type of Singaporean that the government wants to groom, I'd say they've done a mighty job. But what I think, is that the Singapore Government wants something else.
Singapore Government wants entrepreneurs, they want talents and they want a nation that loves its country. They are trying to sell us songs that make us feel that "This is my country, this my flag, this my family, these are my friends, We are Singaporeans". But the opposite is happening. The foreign talents who come in do not "love the country", they love "the money". The younger Singaporeans who love the country feels that they can't do what they want, say what they want, and they leave. Like a feeder school, Singapore is breeding young Singaporeans they wish to keep , but they can't stay loyal. Those who stay and can't do/say what they want, are constantly looking for ways to "get out". Singapore wants to have a nation of young entrepreneurs who takes risks and think creative, but at the same time, Singapore also wants control.
So ... what do you want Singapore? What do you want? If you want change, you have to let go. Just when I thought I see signs changing, like the relaxing of the censorship laws to allow more uncut movies, and our very own "speaker's corner", things like the A*STAR incident totally destroys my faith in the Government. The Govt says something and does another. They claim to promote freedom of speech, yet they do not execute all the way. They claim they hear, but they do not listen. You want to make a speech at the "speaker's corner"? Sure, as long as you head down to the police post to register. I know changes are hard. But if you want changes, you should not execute it in a crippled manner and then use it to support your future claims for the lack of interest in it.
I love to see a better and freer Singapore. But the day is not today ... and from the looks of it, we still have a long way to go.
Can I say whatever I want?
Can I say whatever I want in a blog? This is a tricky question ... recently apple sued some bloggers for releasing some confidential information that were supposedly not to be released under NDAs. I guess that would be not right due to the fact that there were some legal bindings to the information concerned.
How about regular ramblings and criticism about things in general? Do we have to watch what we say? Is it due to the fact that blogs are public, we have to be extra careful about what we write? I mean ... do you have to justify your criticism or complaints in your blog? Do you have to think about what your thoughts are before writing them out? Isn't that almost like censorship? But if blogs are personal thoughts and opinions .... why should it need to be subjected to journalistic integrity?
Eg. Do I have to justify if I dislike someone's face?
If I have to watch everything I say on my blog in fear of offending anyone .. and be politically correct about all the things I blog about .... I'd rather not blog anymore ....
How about regular ramblings and criticism about things in general? Do we have to watch what we say? Is it due to the fact that blogs are public, we have to be extra careful about what we write? I mean ... do you have to justify your criticism or complaints in your blog? Do you have to think about what your thoughts are before writing them out? Isn't that almost like censorship? But if blogs are personal thoughts and opinions .... why should it need to be subjected to journalistic integrity?
Eg. Do I have to justify if I dislike someone's face?
If I have to watch everything I say on my blog in fear of offending anyone .. and be politically correct about all the things I blog about .... I'd rather not blog anymore ....
Singapore Critic
I will be changing my blogname to Singaporecritic ... since I realised that many of my blog entries are about my thoughts and criticisms about many issues, movies .. and every damn thing that bothers me ... well ... guys please update the blog URL ..
http://singaporecritic.blogspot.com
http://singaporecritic.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Too many blogs ..
Too many blogs .... I had started sonysuxx.blogspot.com, nintendoplay.blogspot.com etc ... but my time is limited ... to see myself updating 3-4 blogs everyday is tough ... very tough ...
but at the same time .. if i talk about every damn thing i am interested in my blog ... it will also lose its focus ....
well heck it .... to me a blog is like a diary ... i will not keep multiple diaries to keep track of different things ....
so .. here i am gonna stop updating elsewhere and continue to blog here ....
how ... i am gonna change the name of my blog soon .. so guys ... hang in there :) i'll keep u posted
but at the same time .. if i talk about every damn thing i am interested in my blog ... it will also lose its focus ....
well heck it .... to me a blog is like a diary ... i will not keep multiple diaries to keep track of different things ....
so .. here i am gonna stop updating elsewhere and continue to blog here ....
how ... i am gonna change the name of my blog soon .. so guys ... hang in there :) i'll keep u posted
Sunday, May 15, 2005
For the Love of the game
My love for TV console gaming has sort of seen a resurgence in the past few years. And there's one gaming firm I love. Nintendo. So here's a new blog dedicated to my favourite underdog.
http://nintendoplay.blogspot.com
http://nintendoplay.blogspot.com
Friday, May 13, 2005
boys will be boys and girls will be girls
u girls will never see the value of us boys going gaga over boxes that you deem unworthy of the hundreds we put in .. and we boys will never see why you women will plunk down hundreds for a piece of mass produced sewn handiwork
Customer is King
I run a restaurant ... and assuming most who reads this blog are my personal friends, you should know. My restaurant's main target group are young working adults ... Yuppies? Rich, well paid executives? Ok ... you get the picture ... And in the past year, i've seen many of them come and go in my restaurant ... and fair to say that most of them are rather civil. But there is an annoying pattern I have noticed among this group, and luckily they are not the majority. But I do see quite a number of them.
Behaviors:
1) They think they should be given seats even if we're full.
2) I said "sorry I can't give you an estimate of how long you have to wait". "Are you telling me to leave?". Do they have to be angry and make it sound like we're out to offend them? I mean, why get so short tempered?
3) They expect to be treated like Kings (and Queens). "Why do i have to wait to pay?" "Sorry sir, as you can see, we have to clear other people's bills that came before you." "you should have someone handling this what?!" ???
4)" Can I sit there?" (pointing to a 4 seater). "Sorry madam, the table is for bigger groups and we expect a crowd tonight". "But I don't see anyone now what! And the 2 seater is so uncomfortable!"
5)"Do I get a discount with any credit card?""Yes sir, UOB""Can I use this stamp card to redeem my free meal too" Sorry sir, you can't combine offers""So? I am sure you can make an exception!!" (after much haggling, my manager took the card, then realised, the stamp card has expired 1 mth ago) " Sorry sir, the card has expired". "So what? I want to see your boss""Sorry my boss is not around tonight, I am the manager in charge here. I am sorry I can't combine the offers""I am not coming back here again!"
I really wish I could talk back and scream at these idiots. "Have you ever ran a restaurant?""Are you fucking blind you can't see there are 4 persons serving 75 of you fuckers?""You think I should hire more staff? Are you gonna pay for them?""If we've told you the wait for the food might be long, why are u complaining?""I have said sorry and have taken the item off your bill, why do you still wanna make a big fuss? What do you want? Kowtow?""Can you be more considerate?? Why take up table for 4 when you have only 2 persons??"
All these bad arrogant spoilt brats, taught me to truly appreciate those understanding ones. I channel my anger to treat the good customers even better than usual. And why isit that always those who say "Don't worry, I can tell you're busy", are those foreigners? This is not a stereotype ... this is unbiased observations. Singapore still have a long way to go before we become a gracious society.
Behaviors:
1) They think they should be given seats even if we're full.
2) I said "sorry I can't give you an estimate of how long you have to wait". "Are you telling me to leave?". Do they have to be angry and make it sound like we're out to offend them? I mean, why get so short tempered?
3) They expect to be treated like Kings (and Queens). "Why do i have to wait to pay?" "Sorry sir, as you can see, we have to clear other people's bills that came before you." "you should have someone handling this what?!" ???
4)" Can I sit there?" (pointing to a 4 seater). "Sorry madam, the table is for bigger groups and we expect a crowd tonight". "But I don't see anyone now what! And the 2 seater is so uncomfortable!"
5)"Do I get a discount with any credit card?""Yes sir, UOB""Can I use this stamp card to redeem my free meal too" Sorry sir, you can't combine offers""So? I am sure you can make an exception!!" (after much haggling, my manager took the card, then realised, the stamp card has expired 1 mth ago) " Sorry sir, the card has expired". "So what? I want to see your boss""Sorry my boss is not around tonight, I am the manager in charge here. I am sorry I can't combine the offers""I am not coming back here again!"
I really wish I could talk back and scream at these idiots. "Have you ever ran a restaurant?""Are you fucking blind you can't see there are 4 persons serving 75 of you fuckers?""You think I should hire more staff? Are you gonna pay for them?""If we've told you the wait for the food might be long, why are u complaining?""I have said sorry and have taken the item off your bill, why do you still wanna make a big fuss? What do you want? Kowtow?""Can you be more considerate?? Why take up table for 4 when you have only 2 persons??"
All these bad arrogant spoilt brats, taught me to truly appreciate those understanding ones. I channel my anger to treat the good customers even better than usual. And why isit that always those who say "Don't worry, I can tell you're busy", are those foreigners? This is not a stereotype ... this is unbiased observations. Singapore still have a long way to go before we become a gracious society.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Geeky over Tiger :P
Just installed a copy of the new Macintosh OS on my powerbook .. and man am i impressed ...
It boots much much faster.... and dashboard .... so damn cool .... u windows users should really check out dashboard .... it makes your computer... much more gadgetary .... funny how on windows, users hate spyware and mini bots installed in their computers .. this dashboards to me, are like little trinkets of virtual gadgets that u install .. and can have them pulled from a drawer anytime u wish ....
then this spotlight feature which i didn't think much of ... turns out to be a life saver for me on more occasions than one ... think of it as google for the desktop ... u type in a keyword and even before u finish typing the word, matches start appearing .. it is that fast .... and the word can appear anywhere ... incl a word doc, an email message .. damn .. this thing finds anything anywhere ... u gotta see it to believe it
ichat? .. man this new baby is cool too ... I have my ICQ, AIM, Jabber and .Mac users all one 1 list ... I just wish they could allow me to add MSN and yahoo users too .... then it would be IM nirvana :)
YW
It boots much much faster.... and dashboard .... so damn cool .... u windows users should really check out dashboard .... it makes your computer... much more gadgetary .... funny how on windows, users hate spyware and mini bots installed in their computers .. this dashboards to me, are like little trinkets of virtual gadgets that u install .. and can have them pulled from a drawer anytime u wish ....
then this spotlight feature which i didn't think much of ... turns out to be a life saver for me on more occasions than one ... think of it as google for the desktop ... u type in a keyword and even before u finish typing the word, matches start appearing .. it is that fast .... and the word can appear anywhere ... incl a word doc, an email message .. damn .. this thing finds anything anywhere ... u gotta see it to believe it
ichat? .. man this new baby is cool too ... I have my ICQ, AIM, Jabber and .Mac users all one 1 list ... I just wish they could allow me to add MSN and yahoo users too .... then it would be IM nirvana :)
YW
Dark water ...
Last night .... got a call from Colombia .... a supplier called to tell me their CEO's visit had to be brought forward and will be arriving right the next day. I was grateful for that call. Yes, not just for the notice .. but for waking me up. I heard a weird noise coming from the kitchen. It was like someone erected a fountain or waterfall at the back of the apt.
Well ... close enough ... the kitchen was flooded ... apparently in the back room behind the kitchen which houses the washing machine, a water pipe broke and it was like "the day after tomorrow" happening there. If I had not woke up earlier .. it could have been wetter ... and the waterbill could have been even worse ...
Well .... I am glad I got woken up in the middle of the night ... for once. .. :)
Well ... close enough ... the kitchen was flooded ... apparently in the back room behind the kitchen which houses the washing machine, a water pipe broke and it was like "the day after tomorrow" happening there. If I had not woke up earlier .. it could have been wetter ... and the waterbill could have been even worse ...
Well .... I am glad I got woken up in the middle of the night ... for once. .. :)
Updates ....
ok .. it is time for more ramblings....
I am so thoroughly tied up with so much work it is not even funny. I am gonna make myself a promise now ... I will update this blog as often as i can ...
often pple stare into the crystal and wonder .. waht do i see in the future ...
I find it even tougher to look back the past few weeks and ask .. wat do i see? ... man my memory is definitely failing me ..
random things that hit me:
1) Spending too much time with my Nintendo DS .... completed this game called PacPix ... damn it is good .... but way too short ... finished it like in 3 days .... basically u draw a pacman .. it comes to life and it chomps up things on the screen. well it really is not as simple as it sounds .... but it is real fun .. :P while it lasted .. Now I am wearing a minish cap wondering around the land of Hyrule :) .... Zelda rocks ...
2) Ok .... been counting down to E3 .. was so excited about the new Xbox 360 ... until all the leaks basically revealed every damn thing there is abt it .... and the announcment is still at least 2 days away .... MS still has a lot to learn from Apple and Nintendo .. even at keeping secrets ... Sony Ps3 somehow doesn't get me as excited as what is coming from MS and Nintendo ... Revolution is just way too mysterious and it is generating some serious hype purely due to speculation .. damn they are good at keepi ng their mout shut. And one thing i can't wait for? Nintendo Online ... it is free :P .. eat that Xbox .... but well .. the Xbox is looking like the coolest piece if gear ... now unless PS3 blows me off this E3 announcement, my money is going to Mr Gates this fall.
3) Star Wars on the horizon. Well .. the 3rd one ... and reviews coming in are all positively better than the first 2 .... What more can I say .... May the force be with everyone ....
4) I am undergoing lotsa personal changes this past few months .. I have explored things i never thought i would .. and I am implementing changes in my life that i never thought I would .. some of them actions do conflict with my previous stands on certain issues .... now ... this is cryptic ... just as a lot of my personal posts .. but hey .... let's just say that I am learning to let things loose .... and not be so stubborn and anal when it comes to handling problems..... let go ... and not be so hard on myself ... i have been suffering many mental disturbances .. and i am actually improving my mental health in the process ....
Well ... here's the first post of many to come ...
hang on to your boots readers :P
YW
I am so thoroughly tied up with so much work it is not even funny. I am gonna make myself a promise now ... I will update this blog as often as i can ...
often pple stare into the crystal and wonder .. waht do i see in the future ...
I find it even tougher to look back the past few weeks and ask .. wat do i see? ... man my memory is definitely failing me ..
random things that hit me:
1) Spending too much time with my Nintendo DS .... completed this game called PacPix ... damn it is good .... but way too short ... finished it like in 3 days .... basically u draw a pacman .. it comes to life and it chomps up things on the screen. well it really is not as simple as it sounds .... but it is real fun .. :P while it lasted .. Now I am wearing a minish cap wondering around the land of Hyrule :) .... Zelda rocks ...
2) Ok .... been counting down to E3 .. was so excited about the new Xbox 360 ... until all the leaks basically revealed every damn thing there is abt it .... and the announcment is still at least 2 days away .... MS still has a lot to learn from Apple and Nintendo .. even at keeping secrets ... Sony Ps3 somehow doesn't get me as excited as what is coming from MS and Nintendo ... Revolution is just way too mysterious and it is generating some serious hype purely due to speculation .. damn they are good at keepi ng their mout shut. And one thing i can't wait for? Nintendo Online ... it is free :P .. eat that Xbox .... but well .. the Xbox is looking like the coolest piece if gear ... now unless PS3 blows me off this E3 announcement, my money is going to Mr Gates this fall.
3) Star Wars on the horizon. Well .. the 3rd one ... and reviews coming in are all positively better than the first 2 .... What more can I say .... May the force be with everyone ....
4) I am undergoing lotsa personal changes this past few months .. I have explored things i never thought i would .. and I am implementing changes in my life that i never thought I would .. some of them actions do conflict with my previous stands on certain issues .... now ... this is cryptic ... just as a lot of my personal posts .. but hey .... let's just say that I am learning to let things loose .... and not be so stubborn and anal when it comes to handling problems..... let go ... and not be so hard on myself ... i have been suffering many mental disturbances .. and i am actually improving my mental health in the process ....
Well ... here's the first post of many to come ...
hang on to your boots readers :P
YW
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Straitstimes subscription based now
Straitstimes .... arguably the most biased newspaper in the world ... and the only paper in Singapore where u can get all the politically correct news (to none other than the PAP) is now subscription based only. WOW!!!!
Lemme count how many papers out there in the world does that? .... NY times was the first to start a "free registration" thingy and almost every major online newspaper followed suit (incl. Straitstimes) .... Now ... Singapore straitstimes wants to be the leader .... to be one of the first *ahem* "mainstream" newspaper to go subscription. We'll see how well it does ...
I have stopped reading the local govt propaganda brainwashing newspaper for a while already .. but started to read up the online version ... now they want me to pay .... ok ... I'll stick with my usual Google news, NY times and BBC, India times etc .... and if there's any Singapore-worthy happenings? I think it shld appear there .... but I seriously wonder .... who cares ...
Lemme count how many papers out there in the world does that? .... NY times was the first to start a "free registration" thingy and almost every major online newspaper followed suit (incl. Straitstimes) .... Now ... Singapore straitstimes wants to be the leader .... to be one of the first *ahem* "mainstream" newspaper to go subscription. We'll see how well it does ...
I have stopped reading the local govt propaganda brainwashing newspaper for a while already .. but started to read up the online version ... now they want me to pay .... ok ... I'll stick with my usual Google news, NY times and BBC, India times etc .... and if there's any Singapore-worthy happenings? I think it shld appear there .... but I seriously wonder .... who cares ...
Thursday, April 07, 2005
This is a funny funny ad!!
http://www.adforum.com/creative_archive/2005/lastweektop5/reel_detail2.asp?ID=47391&TDI=VDszE1LD&PAGE=2&BSHOP=&ta=2779
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