rey's ramblings

Today's Resplendence is Tomorrow's Decadence

Plug-in: A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me" - Fall Out Boy

Exams around the corner, the celebration of esther's birthday yesterday with joel,
charisse, vanessa and marcus was more of a hushed affair. However, it still being
esther's birthday after all, we still had quite a lot of fun. The birthday lunch at Olio
Dome in Suntec was followed by a bout of shopping around the marina area, although
we hardly bought anything since the approach of exams and heavy studying doesn't
really give one that kind of "shopping mood". We parted ways to go home after
passing esther her "eclectic" bunch of presents. =)

The stress stemming from the exams has been multiplying at a quicker rate as they
continue to beckon. A Math is one of the biggest worries as most other people sitting
for the mid-years would agree. A lack of substantial teaching so far and the promise
of a high-difficulty paper doesn't help. The other subjects shouldn't be too much of a
brain pain but a LOT of revision is needed.

Ever wondered what on earth Paula Abdul is saying? Well now you can give a shot at
deciphering her garble in a specially-made Montage! x)

The time has come once again for the annual summer Hollywood blockbuster season.
Here are some of this summer's highlights:

Mission Impossible III, the third installment from the franchise and also the directorial
debut of J.J. Abrams, famed for TV hits Lost, Alias and Felicity. Secret agent Ethan
Hunt has to bring down his latest arch-enemy Owen Davian, an international weapons
and arms dealer. Stars Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers,
Keri Russell, Lawrence Fishburne, Maggie Q, Ving Rhames and Michelle Monaghan.
Trailers + Film Clips + TV Spots

Poseidon, a remake of The Poseidon Adventure (1972), directed by Wolfgang
Petersen of Troy and The Perfect Storm fame. About how a group of passengers
on a luxury liner struggle to survive after their ship is capsized by a rogue wave.
Stars Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum and Richard Dreyfuss.
Trailers + Film Clips

The Da Vinci Code, the film adaptation of the famously controversial best-selling novel
of the same title. Stars Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Jean Reno, Paul
Bettany and Alfred Molina.
Trailers + Film Clips

X-Men: The Last Stand, rounding up the trilogy of X-Men movies thus far, under the
new direction of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 1 & 2, Red Dragon). Stars Hugh Jackman,
Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammar, Famke Janssen, Anna
Paquin and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.
Trailers + Film Clips + TV Spots

Cars, the latest big-budget animated feature from the highly successful Pixar Studios.
Voiced by Paul Newman, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, Bonnie Hunt and Tony Shalhoub.
Trailers + Featurettes

Superman Returns, the long-awaited sequel expected to revive the almost-dead series.
Stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey.
Superman Returns

The Devil Wears Prada, adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name about
the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses. Stars Meryl Streep,
Anne Hathaway.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is the first of two back-to-back sequels,
the final installment tentatively due on May 25, 2007. More swashbuckling adventure
with Captain Jack Sparrow and gang, as he gets into deeper trouble this time round.
Stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Bill Nighy.
Trailers + Behind-the-Scenes

Other movies >>
The Lake House - Trailer Starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock
About: An ill-fated romance between two people who fall in love with each other whilst
taking a break at a lake house away from the city. The catch? They are living in different
time-zones, seperated by exactly two years.
Miami Vice - Trailer Starring Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx and Gong Li
About: Two cops who get too deeply entangled with the dangerous underworld of crime and
drugs in Florida.
Click - Trailer Starring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale
About: Adam Sandler plays a guy who is trying to cope with the demands of family life: his
wife and his kids. He finds this universal remote control that allows one to alter and manipulate
time, with much glee. But problems start to arise when the remote control goes haywire.
Over the Hedge - Trailer + Film Clips Voices of Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Avril Lavigne and William Shatner
About: A group of animals wake up from a long winter's nap to discover that a hedge has
sprung up in the middle of their home and humans are now living on the other side.
The Break-Up -Trailer + TV Spots Starring Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn
What happens when a couple breaks up? Find out in this anti-thesis to the romantic
comedy genre starring Aniston, fresh from her own divorce saga too.

Sequels, trilogies, the perennial disaster flick and another likely box-office car-toon hit
from Pixar. Basically sums up this summer's blockbuster giants and bears somewhat
a resemblance to 2004's summer season which also had sequels (Spiderman 2, Shrek 2).
Check. Trilogies (Harry Potter 3). Check. A disaster flick (The Day After Tomorrow). Check.
The aforementioned animated hit that turned rival studios green with envy. Check. And
the quintessential adaptation of a book that features a social politics commentary. 2004's
being Mean Girls.

Ah well, Hollywood.

I crossed the bridge at 3:01 PM

Monday, April 17, 2006

When Opposing Doctrines Clash

Plug-in: Dani California - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Read: The Da Vinci Code Decoded by Martin Lunn
Watch: The Gospel of Judas on National Geographic

"The question confronting the Church today is no longer whether the man in the
street can grasp a religious message, but how to employ the communications media
so as to let him have the full impact of the Gospel message" - Pope John Paul II

But it didn't seem that the late Pope could have anticipated that the communications
media would have been, equally enough, a bane to the mainstream Church and the
Gospel message alike.

In many occasions over the past few years, devout orthodox christians have denounced
the communications media for the increasing spread of material that opposes or challenges
the current beliefs of Christianity. Undoubtedly, the greatest blow to the community came
in the form of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code and currently, it's soon-to-be-released
blockbuster adaptation starring a line-up of A-list Hollywood stars such as Tom Hanks who
ironically enough, happens to be an orthodox Catholic.

On a side note, majority of orthodox Catholics are going to have a field day this coming
summer blockbuster season for several reasons. The theatrical release of MI:III, the
latest installment in the Mission Impossible series, for which Tom Cruise not only
resumes his lead role but also sits in the executive producer chair. Which can basically
translate into it being a Tom Cruise vehicle. Tom Cruise, you see, is one of the most
zealous followers of the Scientologist faith which the Catholic community vehemently
opposes to (this inclusive of course, the parents of his 'abducted' fiancee Katie Holmes).
With all the recent claims that he brainwashed Holmes, who was formerly a Catholic,
into becoming a Scientologist, majority of hardline Catholics aren't too delighted that
she's going to have a Scientologist's birth either. Besides MI:III, there is also of course,
The Da Vinci Code as earlier mentioned. It seems the Catholic community isn't exactly
going to be flocking to the theatres this summer.

The Gospel of Judas, currently airing on National Geographic, is raising more than just
a few eyebrows with its controversial findings, hypotheses and certain debatable truths.
Despite this, it can still be merited for its focus on detail and its dogged determination at
ascertaining The Gospel's authenticity. Its rapid pacing which highlights the importance
of the subject matter at hand, skillful use of authentic-looking 'Passion of the Christ-like'
re-enactments and witty narrating made it a highly interesting documentary regardless
of the content at hand. Personally, I am not wholly convinced that the Gospel of Judas,
which was one of many unpublished obscure gospels known as gnostic texts such as the
Gospels of Mary Magdalene and Thomas, was completely accurate but I do believe that
there are a few truths that are ingrained into the Gospel, especially its recount of The
Last Supper. Well, who's to say that other Gospels are 100% accurate either? They were
never written by the people they were named after and only surfaced a few hundred
years after they died. Most of what we believe in are the writings and interpretations
of religious scholars that are later put together in the Bible. It isn't really right to quickly
judge that the Gospel of Judas is totally different from the 4 other mainstream ones.

According to what was written on the historically-authentic
Gospel of Judas, Jesus had a closer relationship to Judas than
the other disciples and it also claims that Judas was chosen to
betray Jesus and that it was necessary so as to lead to his
crucifixion. And so, what more different is it than from what
we believe in? Modern Christianity has also acknowledged that
Christ's suffering and crucifixion at the Cross was a good thing
and that he helped save mankind. After all, "For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." So the
Gospel of Judas actually makes sense when it claims that Jesus's
crucifixion was planned, as God was the one who gave his Son, not
Satan. So, if we still believe that Satan sent Judas, then how
exactly could Satan have ended up doing a good thing? If it was
Satan's plan for Jesus to be crucified, then what was God's plan?
As one religious expert claims on the show, "the Gospel of Judas
is meant as advanced learning for those who have already
experienced Christ". So, before coming to quick conclusions, watch
the documentary before determining between fact and fiction.

'Gospel of Judas' by National Geographic

Faith-challenging controversies aside, the 'Queen' round of the latest American Idol episode
was quite an improvement over the previous one. Although there were disappointments
such as Ace Young's poor imitation of "We Will Rock You", there were highlights such as
Kellie Pickler's show-stopper 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and Katharine McPhee's powerful
rendition of 'Who Wants to Live Forever'.

The elimination of Mandisa in the previous episode not only left some critics puzzled but also
signalled that anyone could easily leave in this season, with what many term as "inconsistent
voting". Luckily, this round's elimination of Bucky Covington wasn't much of a shocker, but
it may still be disheartening to know that only one out of the promising bunch of individuals
remaining this season will be eventually crowned as the American Idol.

stadium arcadium

I crossed the bridge at 1:24 AM

Monday, April 10, 2006

Analog of a blog

Plug-in: Hips Don't Lie - Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean
Read: Free Expression in the Age of the Internet: Social and Legal Boundaries
by Jeremy H. Lipschultz

The recent furore in China about the freedom of blogging, most notably of which
was the infamous parody of critically-slammed The Promise made by Chinese
blogger Hu Ge and whom is now being currently threatened to be sued by the film's
director Chen Kaige as a result, coupled with yet another public apology this morning
by a student blogger for his malicious remarks raises an important question about
the freedom of speech on blogs.

Just what are the boundaries that we are not allowed to cross? For example, the
threatening to sue the creator of The Promise parody has sparked a public debate
amongst Chinese bloggers and politicians. Most politicians denounced the alteration
of media for mocking purposes even if it was done without harmful intentions and,
might I say, in good taste. The blogger community, however, argued that the sole
intended effect was for entertainment and regardless, that it was merely a parody
and should not have been taken so seriously.

Well, their arguments did hold weight. After all, take a look at the U.S. Almost every
day, magazines, newspapers and tabloids will be littered with jeering caricatures of
George W. Bush and the stupid quotes he makes everyday along with dozens of other
forms of political and celebrity ribbing. But is any form of severe action taken? Surely
not. On the other hand, it has developed more into something of a genre, spawning
such hits as Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Tonight Show
with Jay Leno along with tons of similar programming along the same lines that think
up ingenious snide comments and jokes about politics and the entertainment industry.
If so much as a rude jibe made by a local China publication at their own communist
party were to surface, it would be given a serious drubbing that would most likely
cause it to end up bankrupt.

But let's not get too far out of the topic. Personally, I feel that one has the right to
blog what they feel so long as their expressions are established properly and are
backed up with concrete evidence, especially if they intend to comment or make a
case against others. Otherwise, of course, they are unjustified and are clearly in
the wrong for making baseless remarks about others. Even if it is something bold
and controversial, it should be given a chance and deemed whether it can be an
accepted statement. After all what could be more appropriate than what is found
on the front page of the Blogger website, telling us to publish our thoughts. Discussion
should always come first before action. But that is just my stance.

Unfortunately, the world is nationalised into different countries all with their own
political agenda. And censorship is something that is taken to be highly crucial to
many governments nowadays, especially the more conservative ones. But it is not
only the governments that cut the voices, sometimes other institutions such as schools
will also see the need to enforce what is 'selective thinking'. It just boils down to greed.
Everybody wants their ideas to be the right one and being told off is just something we
all find hard to face. Perhaps for now, the only easy solution is that those who are outspoken
and liberal but reside in conservative nations have no other choice but to repress their
expressions of thought and in turn, those who are naturally conservative should also learn
to be more receptive if they are living in a liberal country.

Well, until they manage the opportunity to migrate to their preferred countries where they
would feel more comfortable, that is.

ideas may be bullet-proof but censorship is thicker than kevlar

I crossed the bridge at 11:11 PM

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Politically Incorrect

Plug-in: Cry Me a River - Julie London
Read: Newsweek!

With our nation's General Election just around the corner, the sudden influx of public
appearances, we're-doing-something-for-your-GRC! booklets, budget surplus giveaways
and a sudden thousand and one proposed plans for new hospitals, shopping malls, parks
and elderly-friendly facilites are obviously the latest bunch of ploys to garner support in the
upcoming elections. But honestly, does the PAP government really need to go to such lengths
to secure votes anymore? After all, it has sustained a continuous monopoly on Singapore's
political system and state control.

Which brings up several questions: whether the PAP really deserve its unanimous support,
or in other words, whether we have really found the perfect embodiment of a political party?
And will there be a risk of creating politically apathetic generations in the future? Politica
apathy tends to arise when the conditions are peaceful and things are going well as most
people don't see the need in being politically involved if the government is politically stable
and if their interests are not at stake. However, there's a danger in believing that we will
always have a stable and effective government. I'm not doubting the PAP's capabilities in
nation-building but I'm quite sure they'd agree that anything can happen a few decades
down the road and that there are dangers posed if the majority of Singaporeans are
politically unaware when political instability erupts.

Speaking of political instability, Thailand's premier Thaksin Shinawatra is facing much
pressure from opposition democratic parties to step down. Chances are he'll be out of
office by the end of this week. The ironic thing is that these "democratic" protesters
contradict themselves by using un-democratic measures like holding mass street rallies
where they threaten to use violence and disrupt the daily way of life. So, if the premier
steps down, that's more likely going to be a blow for democracy.

Didn't go to school on monday and tuesday because I was down with the flu virus, passed
on by some irresponsible classmate who decided to come to school on friday even though
he looked as if he should have been hospitalised. Obviously being confined in a freezing cold
air-conditioned class didn't help matters much. But nevertheless, the past two days were a
wonderful reprieve from the exhaustion of school. And I discovered things, like how being
under the effects of medicinal drugs helps a lot when doing math. Starts to make me wonder
what brilliant mathematicians like Nash took with their coffee.

3 more weeks til the mid-years

food for thought

I crossed the bridge at 10:57 PM

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