Lights

In a moment,there will be noise and light.It's past 11,I can't be bothered to check the time,people are chanting in this place where there are trees with large trunks looming ominously over us,and the faint trace of blue lights reach the curious spot where I stand-I think it's a park somewhere,a meeting place of somekind.Airy,open,I feel like an organ-a heart,beating nervously and close to self-imploding-exposed,lying amidst shredded skin and pretty spits of red.My legs move forward in response to someone calling my name and my eyes dart across the crowd-previously more segregated in small groups,now closer together as they rush towards something obscured from my sight by two tall men in bright-coloured jumpers-but my mind's elsewhere,a location I can't exactly pinpoint,yet the feeling it gives is familiar and requires no official name.Someone reaches for my left hand and pulls me,I look towards her-this girl throws me an angry face,then smiles coyly and starts muttering in a language that is lost behind an overpowering profile-her face contorts elastically to almost every word,her head sways every now and then-I pay attention for a few seconds,before the vertigo and incomprehension forces me to look away.I look back shortly to muster a smile,a peace offering.There are stomping sounds now,some jump up furiously and as they land they press their feet to the ground with a monstrous energy to elevate the chaos and give rise to this hell of noises.And then there are fireworks,or maybe a bunch of magical fishes that escape out of ears to glide gracefully into the heavens where they belong,lines of electric fire that shoot high into the air and burst to bits of spark that die out too fast-the cheering grows louder,more explosions invade the night skies,illuminating their gloomy presence and ours with brief glimpses of shapes and meanings previously undisclosed,but it's all too quick for anyone to take notice.The noise and lights first play with the short hairs on my arms,twisting and blowing,before reaching into my chest and pulling me apart-I am weightless now,only of lights and sounds-and then I am floating away,this shapeless mass of grey-from where I am,the sight of this large crowd slowly diminishes to a few black and yellow dots,shivering and shaking,finally there is only one a towering darkness,a great obsolesce,one last explosion of fiery hot light erupts and it passes right through what's remains of me and I begin to disintegrate,shatter,break,become.
.....

Happy Merdeka,Malaysia.

Serene

Took a long walk in the evening to Princes Park & Carlton Gardens-today was simply surreal,unlike the usual chaos and noise of Tuesdays,the atmosphere was wonderfully serene and the weather couldn't have been any better.Mucked around with my digicam,experimenting with the manual settings like a child with a brand new gadget-most of the 100+ pics which came out were hideous,and only a handful turned out acceptable though not exactly what I imagined,but hey,it's a start.

I actually intended to post 5 up here,but Blogger refuses to cooperate.Ah,well.

Hearts

Veronica: You have broken my heart Mr. Burgundy,you have broken my heart.

Adam McKay's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,2004.

Dialogue

Few hours back,online.

Al: Omg I look like an alien in your display pic. I look like ET. ET call home doot doot.
Azuin: Hello pizza hut.
Al: Oh I thought this was Madam Bambina's house of whores.
Azuin: Sorry,we only have pepperoni.
Al: Is she Asian?
Azuin: She's half-filipino and half-German.
Al: Extra cheese please.

Well,nothing's nearly as funny as the stuff they post up on Overheard in NY.Check out the site if you haven't,they update it daily and it's useful if you're looking for a couple of easy laughs.The following is taken from today's batch:

Dude: I fuckin' love you.
Chick: I love you, too.
Dude: I will always love and respek you.
Chick: [Coos.]
Dude: You were born into this life to be a woman, to be a wife, and to be a motha.
Chick: [Bats eyes.]
Dude: And I am going to make you a motha.

HAHA.Hilarious.

The weather's been perfect,finally I can go out for walks without having to worry about freezing my nose off-and I've miraculously managed to finish both my essays although I still have heaps of catching-up to do for everything else.Have a lovely Sunday,peeps.

Operator Please - Get What You Want

If you recognize the song,it's been playing over new Virgin Blue ads.Their breakthrough was presumably having Perez Hilton declare them as the new 'it' thing couple months back,since then their new EP's been making waves on Itunes and they were the opening act on Arctic Monkeys' Aus tour.I personally think this is the best Operator Please track,it's not as rushed or heavily laden with violin as the others,and though the drums are a still a bit sloppy and the bass sounds a bit out of sync with the rest,it's a great track and a great follow up to their crazy debut single 'Just A Song About Ping Pong'(which I'm still trying to get out of my head:"CHEATER!,LIAR!")

I'm Not There

AH! The first trailer for I'm not There is finally here,after months of anticipation!It looks great,go watch!(Click here for it)-via AICN.

The image above is allegedly the first poster,apparently leaked in June and various movie blogs including Cinematical posted it,but approached it with much scepticism.The poster looks amateurly constructed,with the images slightly blurry but the whole 60's boxy design of the poster reminds me of those made for old Audrey Hepburn films,and also of Woody Allen somehow.The film's co-written and directed by the guy behind Safe & Far From Heaven,the latter which I found forgettable only because of Dennis Quaid.He's the male equivalent of Julia Roberts,just plain annoying to watch.

Anyhu,the film's all about Bob Dylan,his character played by a couple of A-list actors including Cate Blanchett,Heath Ledger,Richard Gere & Christian Bale.A rich choice of actors no doubt,but what personally excites me is the fact that Michelle Williams & David Cross are in it.Michelle Williams was unforgettable in Brokeback Mountain,and as for David Cross,I'll support anyone who was committed to all 3 seasons of Arrested Development (even if this means going through another disastrous season of Nip/Tuck only to see how they've managed Portia De Rossi's addition to the cast-link to that news here).

I was first interested in Dylan when I watched his very brief part in High Fidelity (in which he played Most of The Time-oh man,that song is so romantic),and now I have three of his albums-Blonde on Blonde,Highway 61 Revisited and Modern Times,but my fave Dylan song would be Mr Tambourine Man,found in 1965's Bringing it All Back Home.It was Knockin' on Heaven's Door couple years back,before Avril Lavigne came with her faux-hipness to fuck it over.Anyhu,it's the kind of music I listen to when I feel a bit down and need something uplifting,and also to forget a bit and just dance with eyes closed for a while.

"And she aches just like a woman,but she breaks just like a little girl"

Just Like A Woman

"How does it feel,
to be on your own,

with no direction home,

like a complete unknown,

like a rolling stone?

When you got nothing,you got nothing to lose,

You're invisible now,you got no secrets to conceal"

Like a Rolling Stone

"With all the memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves,

let me forget about today until tomorrow"

Mr Tambourine Man

Also worth watching,trailers to the upcoming Apatow-written film Walk Hard (Jenna Fisher!Ah!) & Cassandra's Dream,Woody Allen's coming soon.

Surfaces

Doctor: What are you doing here,honey? You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets.
Cecilia: Obviously,doctor,you've never been a 13-year old girl.

Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides, 1999.

Donnie Darko

Finally got around to watching Donnie Darko this past weekend.

Richard Kelly's 2001 debut feature with Jake Gyllenhaal in the lead role tells of a troubled teenager who constantly visions a haunting figure in a bunny-costume who tells him to murder people and do other destructive things.It initially opened to lukewarm response,but has developed a cult following over the years especially after the Director's Cut of the film was released.

The thing that's so interesting about this film is how it gets many things right,but gets few of the essentials very wrong.The atmosphere is suitably chilling,it goes deep under your skin-Gyllenhaal plays his part confidently and is convincing most of the time,the direction and music are both perfected to create a mood that's best described as a creepy and disturbing serenity,one that doesn't require screaming teenagers,outpours of blood or anything showy to work.

Which is why one element stands out so painfully obvious like a sharp prick.The story is just so weak.For a large part of the film I had no idea what was going on-the script is written in away that it retains this incredible amount of secrecy for a frustratingly long time-until,wa-la!,this huge bomb of an explanation abruptly arrives and unravels within a few minutes at the end of the movie.Even after the explanation,the plot still doesn't make sense and does little to justify how contrived,pretentious and confusing it really is.If only for the visuals,atmospheric quality and very small interesting subplots about it's supporting characters (none of the supporting characters get much screentime,but a few of them are very well-developed without their subplots sidetracking the main story),the effect the poor story has on the film as a whole is significantly minimised.

Similarly,2004's The Machinist,which featured a terrific and unforgettable central performance by Christian Bale and also created that creepy atmosphere perfectly,had a story that was extremely convoluted and relied on too many twists and secrets that the film itself was unsubtantial and thin.Also,Jim Jarmusch's Broken Flowers,which I felt mastered that kind of adorable quirkeness without seeming too smart or unrealistic,suffered from a story that was utterly pointless and made up of a bunch of small good comedy sketches that amounted to very little in the end.

Well,there you,I've made my point.Three films that I feel were legendary in their creation of the right tone,mood or atmosphere,but were ultimately brought down by weak storylines.In other film news,EW's compiled a list of their fave Movie Endings-and they've recently added a second one too!My easy favourite would be the ending to Lost In Translation-yes the film itself is absolutely incredible and I've watched it close to a dozen times,but without the perfectly-executed ending it wouldn't have worked.Here's the full clip of the ending,be sure to keep your ears wide open for the song playing in the background-J&M's wonderful "Just Like Honey".

To cap this,here's a link to a clip of a Battles video.If you haven't heard of the band-they're one of the pioneers to the emerging genre of math rock,something that takes a bit of getting used to I think.Anyhu,their songs are all crazy good and it's all I've been listening to for the past few days.

Flower

It's a song that's dirty as f,but somehow maintains this honesty about sex and desperation that beats layering it up with sick,whiny pop shit that has the same amount of sincerity as a politician's pre-election promise.

"Everytime I see your face,I think of things unpure unchaste".

Time Traveler's Wife

Submitted both my assignments this morning and I'm taking this huge break I deserve,partly to tell you about this book I recently read.An international bestseller with an intriguing idea for a plot,it was the book's inclusion in Pajiba's list of 15 Generation-Defining Books that got me really interested.Prior to The Time Traveler's Wife,I had impulsively purchased Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections (also listed there) to see how well this list and I go together.Also listed were two books I had read prior to discovering that list,The Lovely Bones & Everything Is Illuminated,two books which I thought were enjoyable.The three aforementioned books were terrific reads,which is why I find the inclusion of The Time Traveler's Wife in the same list somewhat odd and contradicting.Okay,here's the gist of it-it's the story of Henry DeTamble who suffers from a rare genetic disease which causes him to time travel involuntarily (and this is explained very unconvincingly,but it's not a sci-fi novel so I'll let that pass)-so there are different versions of himself,of different ages,constantly travelling in and out of different years.On one occasion early in the story an adult version of himself stumbles upon Clare Abshire,who at that time is only a child-and eventually they meet more often,and form a relationship that becomes takes the book's centre stage.Clare doesn't time travel,only Henry does,so althroughout her life she meets different versions of Henry-and being a woman with dreams for herself,she accepts the nature of their relationship,that Henry is constantly disappearing at the most inopportune times,leaving her lonely and needy,but she desires a typical life with babies and all that.Now that we've got the story out of the way,let's get to the book.I have so many complaints about it I don't really know where to start.Firstly,the story mostly glides over a couple of different events (how Clare loses her virginity,how Henry often finds himself in awkward situations) but establishes no real emotional core or engages in any real emotion-it claims to be a romance but there's nothing remotely genuine or believable about the main relationship,the conflicts,subplots and events feel superficial and relies too heavily on coincidence,overall it's awfully detached,cold and just fucking unsatisfying to go through.And as if the lack of real emotion wasn't jarringly painful enough,the writing style is exceedingly frustrating-countless times the characters (the main culprits would of course be Henry and Clair,but their friends Gomez & Charrise not excluded) try to sound all smart and witty-churning one agonizingly pretentious,unfunny comment/joke after another,the "humour" was so unendurable that at times I just felt like digging a hole and burying the book.Plus it doesn't help that at times the characters talk in a way that no real person would-it's all just so fucking ridiculous,and the dialogues so deplorable and dumb the long moments when the characters didn't talk were times of relief for me (although those were torture instruments by themselves,but not nearly as lethal as the dialogues-like there are a couple of dream sequences which are supposed to be metaphorical or representative or whatever,but it's as if they were written by a 5 year old on weed and totally clash with the entire book,steering here and there,into fantasy,then realism,then some bullshit doctor story,bla bla bla until it's practically everywhere-argh,so bloody unfocused!).And even when the book ends,Henry and Claire both remain paper-thin and completely one-dimensional,despite the large amount of time investing in them-the characters never take the shape of any genuine character,there's nothing real,relatable,pitiable,or interesting about them.The author chooses to stick to character types,and does little to give them individual personalities-like how Claire's this lonely wife,and Henry's this poor guy who can't control anything.That's pretty much how they are,flimsy and dull.The other characters don't get much either-Gomez is a smart-ass with a secret,Charisse mostly hovers in the background (her presence holds hardly any significance),then there's the Korean maid with bad grammar and loves to cook,and who's also very motherly and shit.Henry's father is one tormented by his wife's passing,he's also an alcoholic and unloving towards most.See what I mean?They're these basic ideas for characters,put into a book and hardly re-imagined or developed,only created for the sake of them being there-as characters they're absolutely worthless and disposable,mere pawns to start and end a lousy shitpiece of a story.And it's not that I don't enjoy the genre-I've enjoyed most of the Danielle Steel books I've read,and I pretty much read everything from Grisham to Lemony Snicket to autobiographies and so on,because I believe quality's never confined to any single genre or category.Thing is,when I start a book,I have to finish it no matter how bad it is (except with one book years ago,which I just couldn't bring myself to finish)-because I hate to judge a book before finishing it,and many books which start off badly manage to pick up the slack at some point and/or have redeeming qualities (i.e.:interesting plot turns,good humour),but Time Traveler's Wife was pure agony right to the last word.

+IMDB's got some juice on the film adaptation,starring the hopelessly lethargic and uncharsimatic Eric Bana as Henry,and the wonderful Rachel McAdams as Claire (which makes sense,sort of,cos' the screeplay's being written by the guy who adapted The Notebook),and apparently Jen Aniston & Brad Pitt (presumably back when they were still going) bought rights to the film rights to the novel even before it was released (under trivia at IMDB).McAdams would be perfect for the role,but I was hoping for Claire Danes,or maybe Chloe Sevigny or Nicole Kidman if they chose to focus on the later parts of the book when the character was older.As for Henry,I think James McAvoy would fit the role well.Well,film adaptations are usually disappointing,but anything that isn't the book itself would be an improvement.

Clue

Blogger's having their time of the month-when they go all soft and stupid,and just refuse to post up pics properly.Which is why the pic I intended to post up here,has now shrunk to that miserable asshole size-well,try clicking on it,you might get a larger version who knows.If not,get some magnifying lens and go all Nancy Drew.It's been a frantic,busy week-two assignments due Friday,which is why I've been pretty out-of-the-zone.But here's a puzzle for your entertainment,it's something real and tangible no doubt (the answer to this)-but I don't wanna give it out just yet.I'm afraid I might jinx it,or something bad might happen if I do.I will eventually,but for now let's keep things this way.

Incase the pic doesn't enlarge-I'll just jot down the essentials for your convenience-the last caption reads "Mysterious Green Bucket".Update:Clicking it does enlarge it!Go,click!

Overpowering

"I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you'd return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)"

Sylvia Plath's Mad Girl's Love Song.

Small

Susan: Aww,I wish I was an ant.Aww,they're so shiny.
John: You're shinier than any ant darlin'.

From Spike Jonze's Adaptation, 2002.

Watch Us Work It

It's an ad that's been playing on US airwaves for quite sometime now,and I assume it's never going to reach Aus shores.Which is a poor shame,because the song in this vid is too fookin catchy (Devo's "Watch Us Work It").There's the dominant Daft Punk feel to the song,but the guitars are distinctively old school and there's a definite trace of Rolling Stones in the vocals.Well,take a listen,the song's gonna get you tapping.(via Stereogum)

Stations

Lindsay: You know not everybody in this world has to go to college.You know who didn't go to college? Einstein.Thomas Edison.
Mr. Rosso: Frank!
Lindsay: Frank who?
Mr. Rosso: The dude who pumps my gas.

Freaks & Geeks episode 'Carded & Discarded'.
...

Dolls

I've been surfing around various websites searching for part-time job vacancies,so far none of them sound particularly appealing and since most of them offer average rates,I'd prefer a job I'd enjoy.But hearing from others of their first jobs-most of them gruelling,some fantasy-like,some outright lies-I'm not expecting something enviably exciting and/or immensely satisfying,but I won't settle for a mere time-filler and wage-giver either.

I found some of the ads extremely intimidating,a few lines I picked up:

BRILLIANT English Required.

Are you energetic and friendly?Wallflowers need not apply!

The Melbourne Uni Psychology Dep organizes a lot of research and experimental activities,those welcoming outsiders to participate for a mere $10.I'm not saying $10 is a small amount,but,actually yes that's what I'm saying.$10 for an hour is dirt for a one-hour commitment where you have to subject yourself to the exploiting of curious psych students (no offence to anyone) and onlooking bystanders.Other research departments,some of private companies-offer up to $150 for you to take some tests and fill in a couple of surveys.But I'd personally do something actually interesting for much less,than do something like that.Yes,I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who's never been subjected to poverty or true financial hardship in his life-I intend to keep things that way,and will only take on shitty jobs if I'm desperate.Which is why I have to get this bloody degree and make something out of my life,so I don't end up buried in debt and desperate enough to accept a job I can't stand.

Enough about that,let's talk about Friday.The week ends on a beautiful note thankfully,nothing significantly huge happened to ruin my mood today.The winds were strong and so were my spirits,so the stuck-up British pair in my BGE tut group who usually make me furiously annoyed were noticeably acting very low-key and pretty untalkative today,and I bumped into a couple peeps and managed a few interesting small talk sessions.A lot of people are sick,and when I blow my nose they turn and ask "Are you Sick?",I answer "No,it's just a running nose".My nose has been like that endlessly,running on like a broken sewage system-especially in Winter when it's all chilly,and now I've forgotten the point of me writing this so let's hop off this train.

The trailer (click for link) for Michel Gondry's (of Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind) new film came out couple days back.I have very low expectations for this film-I didn't even bother seeing his last one,The Science of Sleep,because for one thing,I know none of his films can be better than Eternal Sunshine (therefore everything onwards is regarded as a disappointment,something predictably inferior to Eternal Sunshine),and he's missing the key ingredient that made Eternal Sunshine work-Charlie Kaufman.Sure you can go ahead and make more quirky films based on intelligent and refreshingly unique concepts,but without the writing talent it all amounts to nothing much worth fussing about.

A few other film trailers,of upcoming films I definitely want to watch:
Superbad (starring the object of Syaza's constant praise-and I don't blame her,seriously folks,Cera's the next big thing,look out for him-,and the incredibly funny Jonah Hill).And forget that annoying (no seriously,he's really annoying) Justin Long (also known as the Mac Guy in the Mac/Apple commercials),he's the young Robin Williams-a complete has been who's been typecasted to death.The trailer is fucking hilarious ("I met a man-lady who's legally named 'fuck'"),oh and it's R-rated in case you're a nun or something.Here's an extra interview vid for anyone interested,via AICN.

Rocket Science,it's been getting a few good reviews since premiering at Sundance (and not just by any reviewers,but some of my favourite-Dustin Rowles said something like "The movie ultimately questions:Why does love have to be rocket science?").It looks like it's got a tough heart at the centre,and realness to it.It's about a boy who's real nervous and stutters,who joins the school debate team (!!) to win over a girl.Everyone,except maybe perfect people and deluded dreamers,know how it's like to feel inadequate,and how we sometimes take measures to hide our flaws just to seem more normal in another's eyes.Arrives in aus early Nov,while waiting I'll need to find time to rent his 2002 film,Spellbound.

I have to prepare to go out for dinner soon.

One last thing,during econs tut-when the tutor was busily explaining the 'menu costs' concept,hands in air and all passionate about it-one of my group mates went "HA?",her ha was almost completely drowned by the tutor's voice and I think only our table heard it-she was completely ignored and had this clueless face with mouth agape,and it was all crazy funny.I couldn't stop laughing-you know how I find banal and ridiculous things like this so inexpicably amusing-for a long time,and had to resort to thinking about sad things (oh there's never an empty well for this) just to stop myself from laughing anymore.Oh,and our tutor has this funny accent which we really shouldn't make fun of-she's Aboriginal (I'm guessing),and is middle-aged.While taking attendance.

Tutor: So,this is your name (pointing to sheet).
Ab: Yes,but you can call me Anabell.
Tutor: Oh,I have a doff named Anabell.
Ab: A dog?
Tutor: A doff.
....
Minutes later,once the tutor went to the other table.

Ab: She has a dog by my name?
Me: I think she said 'doll'.
Ab:Oh.
Kev: That's even creepier.
....
Have a terrific weekend!

Trampoline

Today was a terrific day.I write this post with glowing optimism and an awkward,rare feeling of almost total content,with sincere hope that the feeling spreads to you.Good things are worth sharing.

Well,waking up at 7am was difficult as usual but I somehow managed to drag my ass into the shower and make myself a cup of coffee with enough sugar to induce diabetes in the most malnutritioned,and lazily walked my way to uni for the 9am Econs lect.

Three hours and countless listens to Third Eye Blind's 'Semi-Charmed Life' (this song is friggin' TIMELESS,I never get bored with it),my mood improved and lunchtime was incredible,though the crazy crowd in Union House left my head fuzzy for a few minutes.Now that I'm actually recalling today's events and trying to find something significant to tell you,something important that might've been responsible for my current mood,I can't seem to find anything.As a matter of fact,nothing special happened today,and now I'm left wondering why the fuck I'm so happy.Did someone put some dodgy pills into my food?Did I get my head hit somewhere?Well,the why doesn't matter.If I'm retarded and happy because I'm retarded,well,I don't really want to be retarded so let's forget that thought.

Yesterday I saw a guy who looked like Andy Warhol-shaggy,unkempt hair,slightly obscuring the forehead and eyes,loose and discoloured suit over a plain T-shirt.Then today,as I was entering the library-I overhead a girl exclaim loudly to her friends: "But she's Fergalicious!".Two minutes later,on the second floor,I was searching for my seat when I saw that the guy walking ahead of me was wearing a green jersey with Fergie written on the back.And today I also bumped into the same guy twice.Thing is,the guy's blind and both times he was the one who bumped into me (and no way am I cruel enough to actually blame him)-the first time was during lunchtime,outside Union House and the second at the library as I was entering the men's room.He has soft-looking blond hair,wears black all the time (today's not the first time I've seen him),and walks around guided by his walking stick.And both times it happened,both of us said sorry.You don't have to apologise.I want to help you.I want to say those things,but I'm afraid they might sound condescending or hurtful,or just plain offensive,so I say nothing and simply smile kindly.The second occurence took place at the library just before I was about to leave for my 4pm Finance lect,and on the way I couldn't help but cry.Well,not really crying but more of-wet eyes and mellow face.It happens to me a lot,I can't help it (plus it's winter-the season practically made for wet eyes)-sometimes I just feel so sad for certain things-like I wondered how often the blind guy bumps into people,how life is without sight,and so on,and can't help but shed a tear or two.Or five hundred.

Anyways,my point is.The universe is trying to give me a message,with all these signs-but I can't seem to find any logic in them.Wadya guys think-random coincidences that mean absolute nothing,or something more?Am I destined to be a popstar a la Fergie-should I immediately drop uni and pursue my true fate,to become the next Fergie?Bwahah,any of you come of with that kind of silly prophecies I will knock you head twice.Once for good luck,the next to take it back.

So I sat through my Finance lect thinking about all sorts of morbid and depressing things,but then something happened around 530pm which returned my mood to normal.I can't remember exactly what that was.Fast forward a couple hours later and I'm high as a kite,having spent an hour plus at the gym and the endorphins giving me that feeling it gives.Then On calls to tell me there's a free bbq downstairs,to which I immediately go to.There weren't many people there,probably around 15-with one odd Asian sticking out like a thorn within the crowd,but they were all friendly and chatty.

BBQ guy: Would you like a hotdog?
Me: Are those veggie patties?
BBQ guy: Yea,but to have those you have to take a hotdog.
Me: Huh? Ok.

So he returns my plate with 4 hotddogs and 3 veggie patties on them.This is guy is either a)being really generous or b)thinks I'm a huge fat-ass and that 10 hotdogs would merely be an appetizer for a godzilla like me.Either way,I get more food so it's all good.But I only wanted the vegie thingies so I dumped the rest onto On's plate.Forget saving animals and all that shit,I would turn vegetarian JUST so I could eat more veggie patties.Those things are incredible-like tiny circles of heaven,with all sorts of goodies stored in such an unsuspecting small piece.Potatoes,bla bla.I could only taste the potatoes,the rest tasted like fake meat.And I won't even contemplate how ridiculous 'fake meat' sounds.

I really want to watch The Simpsons movie.Well,cross out 'really',since we're being honest and putting it all on the table.Yes,I love you too,let's have us a baby.Yes,I think adopting is trendy and we should get us a Korean cutiepoo.Where am I.Oh Yes.Well,I've never been a big fan of Simpsons-while the characters are interesting occasionally and the episodes usually feature stories that are well thought out,the humour's a big problem for me.I just don't find it funny.I don't find Bart or Homer funny,well,maybe sometimes.And I prefer the old eps-you can tell they're old cos' of the dubious,grainy quality-but I do find some things very entertaining.I don't know details or character names-but that "ha,ha" kid and the "exxzzzziittting" fella with a bendy neck's kinda funny,and I love how Marge's always having to look out for Homer.Not really for the last one,actually I find it kinda annoying.And the tv show with the cat who's always doing gruesome things-where's the appeal?Plus the film's been getting good reviews all around,if only tickets were cheaper.

I have to shower than prep myself for Brat Camp.The show.It's really good.I urge everyone to see it.It's really good.Did I say that already?Well,it's a must-see.There you go.Sealed nicely like a fortune cookie.

Be happy,people.If you're not,call me and we'll find a way somehow.Melbourne's always inviting,and the possibilities are endless.Think trampolines and candies,and maybe the gym.

Roller

Monica: Okay,I have to talk to you guys.
Phoebe: Wait,I think I'm having a deja vu!
Monica: Erm,anyways.I have to talk to you guys.
Phoebe: There it is!
...

Today was not a good day,but Tuesday's generous and overflowing good vibe helped me get through today.On Tuesday,numerous good things occurred-I got a couple free packs of Continental soup as some brightly-uniformed people were distributing them in sets of 3 at Fed Square.Being the naturally kiasu person I am,I went to three of them and managed to score myself about 15 packs-with the 2nd person I said my family and I are thinking of starting an all-soup diet,so the clueless bugger gave me about 6.

It's crazy how one day can be so exciting and enjoyable,whereas the next can be dark and depressing-maybe it's an early sign of some kind of bipolar disorder,but I doubt that.It's probably just teenage angst and frustration.So much for embracing adulthood.When I shared my worries with a close friend,she enquired if I was feeling any stress and I said No,I don't get stress.Of course I do,but it's just not stress.Maybe it's my diet,or maybe just the fact that I'm thinking about it too much.Yes,that's it I bet.Let sleeping dogs lie.And eventually they'll cease to exist.



Ahah,silly cat.

In my finance tut recently,one of my classmates went berserk as she informed us that the intrest rates rose about .25% (or something) this morning-sure our lecturer had encouraged that we follow the rise and fall of interest rates (as they are quite pivotal to economic performance),but this crazy bitch was seriously overdoing her act.She was panting a bit,and looked slightly paranoid.Get a grip.Frankly my dear,I don't give a damn.Is that how the famous quote goes?Oh well.I hope Miss Economist doesn't pass out one day because of this.

Matt Damon's here to promote Ultimatum,and if only I could find one other person desperate enough to hunt him down at one of those big press events.I don't care too much for Damon,although he's an incredible actor,but it's director Paul Greengrass I want to see in flesh and skin.Mr. United 93,folks.Back to actors,usually out of movies they lose that mystical quality and come off as nothing much than celebrities,except maybe a select few I'd love to hunt down if they ever set foot in Melbourne-like Cate Blanchett,Christian Bale,Charlize Theron.All amazing people who take what they do seriously,and are best at their game.

The week's a day closer to being done,and with every second that passes a tiny part of me pieces back together.

Fury

I'm feeling extremely furious right now,but I refuse to let such a silly little thing bother me that much.So I'll go into it,while keeping the explanations scant and images vague-because honestly this travesty that has befallen me calls for a bit of discretion,suffice to say it's a tad embarrassing.But it's got nothing to do with relationships,in case you were speculating.

Ok,I did something I wasn't supposed to and as a consequence I've been punished-my initial reaction was blind fury,directed at those bloody assholes behind computers trying to dictate my freedom.Okay,there are computers involved,and that's as much juice I'm handing out.Thing is,I'm starting to think that we,have become overly attached to immaterial things that might not matter that much.Computers,gadgets,technology-the inanimate,the cold,the silver.So I say bring on the silly punishments,you can be unjust and unfair to me-because it really isn't unjust or unfair if those things don't really matter to me,so go ahead and abuse your power over me by stripping off certain rights and things I don't need from me,I can take it.

Started a scrapbook today-I feel that as the course progresses and subjects become dryer and therefore less interesting,it's up to me to ensure that my creative side doesn't die out from idleness.I'm also in the process of picking up other new hobbies,I really need to keep my soul alive if not I'll end up becoming another silly businessman without anything much to set him apart from everything else,eternally bound to a life of emptiness,one unbeknown st even to himself.Really,it's not that dramatic so don't take the exaggeration too seriously.

Had a bloody good weekend-but as they say,even too much of something good can be deemed excessive and bad.It's like if I'm too high up in the clouds,I know in my heart something's just not right-the tiny bit of misery helps keep me grounded and sane.

I look forward to tomorrow.And I haven't been this optimistic or contented in a long time.It's probably the scrapbook-sometimes I get so immersed in it,I totally lose track of time and everything else.It's another form of escapism-one of hundreds.

Bleak

Selena: Do you want us to find a cure and save the world or just fall in love and fuck?

Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, 2002.

...

Freefall

Narrator: And then, something happened. I let go. Lost in oblivion. Dark and silent and complete. I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom.

David Fincher's Fight Club, 1999.

...

Is Is

I'll try to make this short and sweet,like a first kiss.Except without the accidental erection.

In between lectures,I took the chance to rush off to the city to finally grab a copy of the new Yeah Yeah Yeah's EP,Is Is-I bought it for $9.99 at HMV,and basically it's a 5-track compilation,and I'll go ahead and give my two shits about the album as a whole,after a song-by-song disection by yours truly.

Try as you might

Track 1: Rockers To Swallow

This song is just insane.It's sick,savage and it absolutely boils my blood and gets my heart pumping like a beatbox-let's backtrack a bit:the YYY's have released two albums so far,2003's Fever To Tell was like going to a party where everyone was pissed drunk and the entire earth was shaking mad and it didn't matter that you didn't know your bearings or that the guy you were fucking shamelessly was really just a nightlamp.But then in 2006 Show Your Bones came along,it was a fantastic album,packed with memorable tunes-but that sound of otherworldy craziness the previous album had obviously vanished,substituted by a much neater,more controlled and cleaner sound that was enjoyable,but not as satisfying.So we arrive to the here and now,where Rockers to Swallow brings back all that wild animal thrashiness the first album introduced-it's by far the best song in the EP,and possibly one of the best efforts by

the YYY's.

you'll never

Track 2:Down Boy

Starts off melancholy with a single extended note on the keyboard,later layered with a punk-ish drum beat and finally the guitars come in,make a whole lot of noise in the chorus-but gradually the chaos dies down again,for the song to maintain it's ominous,spacy and slightly calm atmosphere.It contrasts nicely with the heavier tracks on the album.

be nearly as

Track 3:Kiss Kiss

This track has appeared before,but not on any of their two albums nor their 2001 EP-but I've a downloaded live version,which is full of background sound and it lacks focus-the live track I have begins with Karen O screaming at the cheering audience "Someone get me a fucking beer",so I guess that explains a why it's all messy.Thankfully the version on this EP is so much tighter and effective,and it's close to being bloody perfect.

good as

Track 4: Isis

I get the image of a nuclear bomb about to explode,it's the end of the world and people are running hopelessly in all directions-hear the guitar on this song,and you'll see what I mean.This is one song where the instruments and natural sound itself is given centre stage,while the vocals simply compliment it (plus,there aren't much to the lyrics either)-it's not trying to reach a meaning through words,but with sound alone a million messages are conveyed in Isis.

me.

Track 5: 10 x 10

Probably the most experimental song by the YYY'S-this song is constantly shifting shape,starting off as a nursery tune type,then venturing a bit into pop but then the trickling sound of the electric guitar playfully comes along to phase that out,and so on.But it retains a certain balance despite sounding a bit indecisive at first listen,and it gives a definite glimpse of hope for upcoming albums-while they're willing to be loyal to their roots,they're also taking steps into new territory but very cautiously.

Space
As mentioned about a billion times before,I'm an enormous fan of the band-and for this 5-track ep I would've paid a maximum of $50 for it,because I knew even before listening that it was going to be worth more than that.This EP's managed to keep to the true YYY spirit,but it's also a more solid sound,something that sounds much more personal,intimate and as a whole simply electrifying.A definite must-have for all YYY fans,and I desperately urge anyone else who's been a rock fan to just try this out for a chance.

is

Other albums I've downloaded/bought which have also passed the test:

the question

Spoon-Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

It's selling here at a pretty expensive price of $22,but I downloaded it few weeks back.Very nice use of percussions,and a lot of the tracks here are catchy to death.One of the best albums of 2007,so far.

to this solution.

Liz Phair-Exile In Guyville

Okay,so it's from the time when most of us were still asking questions like "Where do babies come from?" and,it's pop (I can see you cringing in disgust) despite what most say.But it's a fucking incredible album,and if you're not too much the Britney/Christina/Madonna kind,this is a whole other part of pop you'd definitely want to hear.It's pop,but with heart and lyrics adventurous beyond break-up woes (she talks about guys having big toungues,prostitution and so on,but don't be turned off).

nothing more

The Beatles-Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Whoever thinks The Beatles is uncool or unhip,has definitely not heard this album.The sound is just so pure.Just take a listen to 'With A Little Help From My Friends',and you'll stop wondering why our parents were all crazy for The Beatles back then (and even now).

than a pointless

Jimi Hendrix Experience-Are You Experienced?

I'm no hardcore Hendrix fan-I can't hardly give a crap for their history,biography or anything else.But you don't need to know shit to enjoy this album,to appreciate how timeless it is.For anyone looking for a good point to start worshipping this album,I'd say start at 'Purple

Haze' (listen for the escalating guitar sounds in the background,and tell me you don't feel it).

Illusion.

So there goes the short review planned.Ha.Ha.

Somewhere above lies a cryptic message in pieces,and it's solely meant for ONE person-and if you're nice and not a bastard,it's highly unlikely it's not you.

Tee hee,I love fucking around with this pretty white font.

The weekend's here people-when nightfall arrives on Friday,we'll all become heroes destined for wonderful tragedies.

The Corrections

It's been a while since we had a "heart-to-heart" session Doctor Oprium,but after the awkward incident last time during which you attempted to mentally fondle me with lies and fantasies,only for plays' sake so you could feel powerful as the puppet master-took me aback for a while,but now I'm ready to trust you again,willing to forgive and possibly ignore the fact that you have an incredibly dangerous and unstable mind.That last fact even makes you look less like an imaginary psychiatrist or a figment of my imagination,and more like an actual human-with flesh,bones,flaws,skeletons to hide.

World,meet this fella.He's a handsome bloke,terrific in bed and don't blame me that I find his resemblance to Perez Hilton (also,traces of Dwight from the office and the guy who's Felicity Huffman's hubbie) a turn-on.He's my new lover whom I met through Craiglist,we both adore President Bush and agree he has some sort of weird fuckability factor despite the fact he has the iq equivalent of a toddler-and this common ground we've established officially elevates us from being mere friends,to soul mates.

Yes world,I'm in love!

Well,not really.He's Jonathan Franzen,author of The Corrections-for some weird reason none of the pictures of the book cover I try to put up appear,so this tiny pic of the author will do.The reason I haven't been talking much about books or literature for the past few months is mainly because I haven't come across a really good book,one worth mentioning and recommending,during that extended period of time.The last good book I read was Kiran Desai's Inheritance of Loss (the recent Potter book was mediocre,and I'm glad it's all over),which I read somewhat hastily and intend to re-read one day.Rarely do I actually find myself attached or truly sympathetic towards the characters an author invents in fiction,the extraordinary thing about my experience with this particular book-is that when the/a character finally dies at the end of the book (which I won't spoil for you,because it's a really good book and worth the read),the sense of remorse I felt was genuine and real.The characters actually feel human and very,very real-and while many authors are able to write fantastic stories which are compelling and absorbing,I find that most of them prefer to skim through a story without delving into the core or taking the effort to develop a real heart at the centre of the story.Franzen's highly focused and glued to the story,with a handful of characters and situations he's determined to build a story that's solid as stone,one that gripped me by the neck and demanded that I pay attention.The characters felt incredibly real and while it tells about a dysfunctional family and their insolvable problems,it's really amazing how every character has been properly fleshed out and constructed well-when I finished the book,I felt like I knew and recognized these people,this impossibly sad family.Highly recommended.

I started on The Time Traveller's Wife few days back,postponing my original intention to read White Teeth in favour of something light and easy for a change.I'll talk about the book more once I'm done possibly,for now I just want to say that the two main characters,Clare & Henry-are (in my tortured shithole of a mind,at least) Chloe Sevigny or Rose Bryne,and either Ryan Gosling or James Mcavoy as Henry,though I'm preferring the latter cos' Gosling's at risk of being typecast as the male romantic lead character.I'm also considering Jake Gylenhal,but I'll take some time to try and detach my memory and perception of him from the horrendously tedious bore that was Zodiac.Okay,I'm rambling.

"They don't do random".

Hah.This couldn't be more random.A quote from The Bourne Supremacy,when Julia Stiles goes on about how agents have everything planned out and never make mistakes or succumb to random choices.Guess this means I'd make a pathetic agent.But if I do become one (if the Malaysian government can hire idiots to rule the country,they can sure be trusted to hire idiots like me as an agent),I'll talk like Horatio on CSI Miami talks-goddammit doesn't it annoy anyone else how he talks?The way he's constantly looking at the floor,murmuring something under that repulsive breathy voice of his-we should all gather up and start praying that his character dies,or at least stops trying to act like a fucking douche.

Spoon-Black Like Me
Ryan Adams-Come Pick Me Up

Biggest laugh I had today:

On Thank God You're Here,when Rebel Wilson is asked how she got into acting (the following is not word for word)-"I should've done something serious-like law,or politics,or ballet".Hope you got the joke.

If not,laugh anyways.Laugh like you've never laughed before.Laugh until your heart explodes and your pants are wet-because sometimes life can be so bleak and dark,that if you don't laugh at something for the sake of laughing,you'll turn out evil and villainous like Darth Vader,who only looks good in black.Imagine having to wear black all your life.It'd be like you've just wandered off the set of Schindler's List,or arrived from an era of deep,deep misery.