rey's ramblings

We Took A Detour

Plug-in: Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
Watch: Commander in Chief

Another week swiftly past. I have to say that sometimes I find
people who post or update on a regular basis (for example, daily)
posts of substantial or meaningful value on their blogs really
admirable. They keep the whole sense and idea of an "online diary"
that more genuine and intact. And safe to say, I'm sure a majority of
them are really busy people too.

Hot new show this season would be Commander in Chief starring Geena
Davis, which debuted in the US earlier this year. This ABC network series
evolves from its pilot episode wherein the President of the United States
dies, leaving his female Vice-President MacKenzie Allen (Davis) who was
originally intended as a mere stunt to garner female votes, to take over the
reins. What ensues is an unlikely conspiracy between traditionalist political
rivals, both left and right wing (she's an independent), all whom aim to bring
her down. Her primary threat is the Speaker of House Nathan Templeton
(Donald Sutherland) who would have been the next in line to the presidency
if not for her and whom feels strongly against the concept of a female president.

As if there weren't enough on her back, she has to deal with volatile political issues
both domestic and foreign, and at the end of the day also has to resolve family
problems. Still, she manages to deliver promises, stand firm with her own decisions
and show a compassionate side without ever buckling under pressure.

Besides being the first political fantasy series of its kind, Commander in Chief
also has something that sets it apart from standard political fare seen on TV.
The inclusion of a soap drama element, which follows the impact on her family
members everyday lives as a result of her becoming the top man, or should I
say, woman in the country helps relieve the technicality of politics for those who
aren't as politick-savvy and opens up interesting, juicy side plots.

A unique twist on The West Wing series, Commander in Chief may indeed
seem to have a feminist agenda but at the end of the day, if you look closely
enough, its message covers a broader spectrum - that good presidents don't
always necessarily have to come in the form of a pure blood middle-aged
white man.

Crossing over to the global front, the situation doesn't look very sunny.
We are possibly at what is called the "brink" stage, the period of unease
and silence that occurs just before the storm. Many events that could
potentially explode or ignite something on a larger scale are occuring
globally. On one hand, we have the standoff with North Korea on their
missile crisis situation which as of now, Pyongyang is not responding on
the diplomatic front. Although the chances of a nuclear war anytime soon
are minimal, the fact that North Korea shows no sign of relenting is a cause
for worry. We also have the latest series of bombings and attacks on Western
interests in Iraq which could possibly leave the country in a permanent state
of dissolution.

Then of course, we have the avian influenza crisis which is almost certain to
spark off a global pandemic in the next few years, or even months.

But more pressing and immediate is the Middle East crisis between Israel and
Lebanon which could turn into a proxy war between Western powers such as the
US and the hardline Arab nations of Syria and Iran. If it does occur, the likely
would be a very messy war with far-reaching implications especially after the
supposedly "accidental" bombing of a UN outpost by the Israel military, which
could kill all hopes of international support or weaken ties with the global body.

Kim's giving me a headache...

It is no wonder then, that at the recent ASEAN ministerial meeting held at Kuala
Lumpur, the guest visitor US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wasn't exactly
cheerful and chose to accommodate the sombre mood by ditching the traditional
upbeat performance for a more foreboding number by Johannes Brahms which
she played on the piano.

Anyway, musings and political discourse aside, i had some time off after school
yesterday. Went for lunch at clementi with javier and had some good hawker-
standard chicken rice. Tuition shortly after in the evening was followed by some
late night shopping! As part of the STB's initiative to boost tourism, shopping
hours were extended til past midnight for yesterday and esther, charisse, joel
and I took the opportunity to have some crowd-free retail therapy. Met at Orchard
MRT and mutually decided to shop around Borders, That CD Shop at Pacific Plaza,
Tangs and Wisma Atria. Got myself a Neil Gaiman Sandman comic book that was
on discount at Borders.

Afterwards, we went to an islandwide famous prata eatery at Thomson Road for
late night supper. The prata and murtabak there is really good... crispy and not too
plain, and the curry dip was one of the more delectable ones i've tasted at such a
coffeeshop stall.

Common Test season now, not really conclusive because most of the topics are
quite scrapable except for Geography and Chemistry.

illogical futurescapes

I crossed the bridge at 10:30 PM

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Loyalty's no longer the currency

Plug-in: The Riddle (You and I) - Five for Fighting

The past week was pretty much a mobile and eventful one.

Took leave on tuesday due to a violently sore throat that almost
cost me my voice. Decided not to waste any time lazing around
though... so I met up with esther and joel for an afternoon studying
session at the esplanade library. Wrapped up the studying with some
delectable (herbal for me) yoghurt at Haagen Dazs.

Preliminary English Oral Exams took place on wednesday, the most
enjoyable oral assessment i've been through in secondary school
without a doubt. Was initially worried that my recovering voice would
affect the exam outcome. However, with the help of a herbal remedy
and lots of water, it turned out to be a lot less worrisome than expected.
Bonus marks must go to Ms Carrie Cheah for her excellent examiner skills
and a charming evaluation.

Went out to have lunch with javier at tiong bahru food centre on thursday
for a taste of famed char siew rice and prawn mee. Also went out the next
day, friday, for lunch at crystal jade lamianxiaolongbao at taka before going
to the cathay to catch pirates 2: dead man's chest.

The sequel to 2003's surprise blockbuster hit, which is currently trouncing
all previous box-office records now, is in many ways, one that is worth watching
but yet still suffers from a slight bout of sequelitis. The humongous set pieces,
shamelessly pricey special effects and cheesy dialogue are all in place - standard
cliched elements of highly anticipated follow-ups in a blockbuster franchise.
This is where 'Dead Man's Chest' suffers from too much ambition and pressure
from studios to impress technically and visually. As a result, the wildly original
concept and fresh antics of the first are lost in the mayhem of a rushed attempt
at box-office gold.

For a 150-minute long movie, the pacing is quite reasonable but a major gripe
is that the film gets off to an amazingly draggy start... only picking up speed
about one-third into its running time. Another clear desperate attempt made
by Pirates is the presence of unnecessary 30-minute sequences that should
have been 3 minutes long. An example is the cannibal island act, which although
is typically excusable crowd-pleasing fun, still qualifies as a filler scene without
any relevancy to the plot whatsoever.

This should point to the nearest shower for you...

The characters are still as campy and entertaining as ever. However, Johnny Depp
seems to have lost a bit of the magic that propelled him to A-list status in the first
movie. For an actor whose career relies on unpredictable roles and characters, his
first sequel spells doom for his creativity - he is for once, predictable. The infamous
(Captain) Jack Sparrow character icon that he moulded has lost a bit of its lustre and
it seems that the antics are becoming a tad too stale and overwrought. This time round,
Keira Knightley steals the limelight instead as the feisty Elizabeth Swann whose character
makes 180-degree turns and is performed with great comic effect. Her onscreen fiancee
played by Orlando Bloom has also matured slightly in this second installment with a bit
more of a central role. The villanious Davey Jones played by Bill Nighy (who if you realise,
doesn't really so much as lift a finger to fight in the movie) gradually loses his purpose
and by the end of the movie, is nothing more than a helpless cardboard character.

Overall, 'Dead Man's Chest' does not live up to critical expectations and is certainly not
as refreshing and exciting as the original. Perhaps the wow factor of Pirates is something
not sustainable for long. However, Disney still knows how to draw in the crowds with
a perfection of the summer blockbuster formula and proper marketing hype although
one wishes for a more dedicated approach to the storytelling aspect, something that
Disney by right should always have an advantage in. Still, 'Dead Man's Chest' riddles
itself with enough twists, betrayals, a quirky but amusing plot and unexpected cliffhangers
in order to sustain enough interest for the upcoming final chapter of its trilogy.

Film Rating:

3 out of 5 stars

I crossed the bridge at 12:24 AM

Monday, July 10, 2006

The Italians burnt the French out

Plug-in: The World at Large - Modest Mouse

In school matters, Chinese O Level Oral didn't go too well. The appointed
date for mine had the misfortune of a widely unexpected topic of
discussion that was a lot more unorthodox than the usual O Level topics.

The World Cup finals last night was, without a doubt, one of
the most controversial and memorable ones in recent history.
My initial expectations were that there wouldn't be too much of
a hoo-ha in the match proceedings or in other words, a relatively
uneventful final match.

But after a number of controversial penalties, flared tempers and
Zidane's headbutt, it looks likely that this World Cup final will not be
easily forgotten anytime. Plainly speaking, both Italy and France
were off to a good start with their early 1-1 draw by both Zidane and
Materazzi. However, as time passed, the match seemed to have grinded
to a halt with weak attempts at scoring and light dribbling of the ball.
With only ten minutes left of the extra time, something completely
unforeseen happened. Following what seemed to be a casual exchange
between Zidane and Materazzi, the former spun around and knocked
the wind out of the latter with his lethal, bald head. Ironically enough,
both of them also happened to be the only goal-scorers in the match.

Whatever it was, Zidane was red carded shortly thereafter, shocking both
viewers and fans alike. Although named the Fifa Best Player of the Tournament
subsequently (partly due to the fact that voters mainly casted their votes
before the match), his illustrious and honoured career was brought to an ugly
and abrupt end. Anger may have gotten the better of him in the end but
perhaps it may be wise to point out that deliberately provoked anger does
warrant an involvment of both parties.

In any case, the World Cup final match was much less a show of skills than
a grinding pot for tension and emotional behaviour.

bon partie les bleus

I crossed the bridge at 10:43 PM

Sunday, July 09, 2006

It Ends at Berlin

Plug-in: You'll Never Walk Alone - Frank Sinatra

In a few hours time, the world's undoubtedly biggest sporting
event will reach its grand finale and climax. It is without any
question why the World Cup is the most widely followed sports
tournament throughout the world, for both sports junkies and
non-enthusiasts alike. The reason why many, regardless of
their inclination to sports (let alone soccer), are glued to this
magnificent game is not just the technicality of soccer itself or
their fascination with it, but very likely due to the sense of
national pride involved.

This year's World Cup season has been fraught with many
controversies and shockers. It certainly didn't turn out the
way many others thought it would have.

Whether it'll go to France or Italy, it'll be hard to say. Despite
the odds going against France though, I'll still be rooting for
them. Their complete 180-degree turn from being nearly
kicked out in the group stages after having tied with relative
novices such as South Korea and Switzerland is astonishing.
Since then, they have silenced critics and rivals alike with
their tenacity and determination by blazing past powerhouses
such as Spain, Portugal and most notably Brazil.

It'd be just nice for Zidane to cap off an amazing career and
at the same time, make up for the embarassing loss in 2002's
tournament when the world champion team was kicked off in
the group stages without scoring a single goal.

se soutenir les bleus

I crossed the bridge at 2:57 PM

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Fireworks and Fanfare

Plug-in: Ragged Old Flag - Johnny Cash

Well this isn't very patriotic, but still... Happy 4th of July to
everyone!

Its mostly due to the consecutive launching of fireworks all
over the country that makes the United States very own
Independence Day one of the most beautiful and spectacular
national days in the world.

i love new york

[edit 6:15 a.m.] Germany just lost to Italy 2-0 a couple of hours
ago, according to morning news reports. A bit unexpected, but I
suppose Italy's superb defence got in the way. Well, there goes the
host nation and my uncle's bets. Next semi-final match will be
Portugal vs France. Can't really say who will win but I think my
gut will go with France this time round. And hopefully France will
trounce Italy afterwards.

I crossed the bridge at 12:18 AM

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