I was perturbed while reading some of the things he said in a newspaper article. They pertain to his latest music video which hints at the presence of casual sex. He claims it is meant for adults but what prevents youths from gaining access to it, with the advanced technology they have at their fingertips? They would think that casual sex is not bad. He claims the video is for lonely adult singles but doesn't this imply that casual sex alleviates loneliness, a potentially harmful message? What about the hurt and unwanted pregnancies that result from the act?
What I don't understand is this. Since he found it awkward to film physically intimate scenes with his female co-stars, why did he change the direction of his music videos? Is it to keep up with the rest of the singers who film such scenes in theirs? If true, isn't this reason rather conformist? Perhaps I am the problem here. I am not used to his new image.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Twitter IS of no use
Jill Alphonso has decided to delete her Twitter account and I condone it. How can the evocative thoughts of our daily events be reduced to a maximum of 140 alphabet letters? That is clearly not doing justice to the very essence of the human mind.
She also spoke on keeping in contact via letter writing. I love pretty stationery like note papers, books and pads, envelopes, cards and stickers. I was happy to read from Jamie Yeo's blog that there is a shop selling all these in Ion. I hope to go there. I still send good old-fashioned Christmas cards to my friends.
I feel that the art of handwriting somewhat reflects the sender's personality. I also feel that it shows more sincerity than a typewritten email. My choice of stationery used is also based on my impression of the recipients. I even keep the handwritten letters and cards people give me :)
She also spoke on keeping in contact via letter writing. I love pretty stationery like note papers, books and pads, envelopes, cards and stickers. I was happy to read from Jamie Yeo's blog that there is a shop selling all these in Ion. I hope to go there. I still send good old-fashioned Christmas cards to my friends.
I feel that the art of handwriting somewhat reflects the sender's personality. I also feel that it shows more sincerity than a typewritten email. My choice of stationery used is also based on my impression of the recipients. I even keep the handwritten letters and cards people give me :)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
A book that evoked this blog entry
Diary of A Taxi Driver is written by a cab driver who chronicles the different customers he meets everyday. I browsed this book and found it interesting.
I am a regular cab customer due to my physical condition and met three cab drivers who made my rides more outstanding than the rest. The first one gave his take on the customers of the different races; Chinese, Malay and Indian. The second one saw me as a food expert on the stalls in Chomp Chomp, since I have lived in the estate for more than thirty years. He wanted to know which stalls were the original ones and I gladly shared my knowledge with him. The third one discussed with me the hawker food in the estate as well.
I am blessed to have encountered all cab drivers who have been nothing but nice to me. I cannot fathom why people warn me against them. I know that this is a gift from my dear Mother Mary. She also answers my urgent prayers for a cab when I am running late. Thank you, my Mother!
I am a regular cab customer due to my physical condition and met three cab drivers who made my rides more outstanding than the rest. The first one gave his take on the customers of the different races; Chinese, Malay and Indian. The second one saw me as a food expert on the stalls in Chomp Chomp, since I have lived in the estate for more than thirty years. He wanted to know which stalls were the original ones and I gladly shared my knowledge with him. The third one discussed with me the hawker food in the estate as well.
I am blessed to have encountered all cab drivers who have been nothing but nice to me. I cannot fathom why people warn me against them. I know that this is a gift from my dear Mother Mary. She also answers my urgent prayers for a cab when I am running late. Thank you, my Mother!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Pride and Prejudice variations
I saw 2 sequels to P&P in Times at Plaza Sing. Pride and Prejudice by Ann Herendeen and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds have made a powerful impact on me.
The former is one of repulsion. There are forbidden lovers included in the story. Darcy and Bingley are gay lovers and there are descriptions of gestures that indicate their relationship with each other. The mutual consent given to allow the contact is implied.
The latter is not so bad but it still causes a negative reaction in my mind. The story explores the possibility of Darcy and Lizzy marrying after his first proposal but it is different in terms of how the proposal was done. He included sexual advances in his proposal and before she could even reject them, Colonel Fitzwilliam saw them. Darcy immediately claimed that she had accepted him and in order to protect her family's reputation, she did not dispute that. However, her married life with Darcy is far from blissful. She feels stifled as Darcy is always with her, and when she is finally by herself, she feels lonely.
These sequels are definitely deviant from the original plot. I can never bring myself to read the former. As for the latter, it makes me appreciate the real story even more. The visit to Pemberley was probably the climax for her change in perception towards him. Thus, when they married after his second proposal, and after being a guest there, as well as confiding in him Lydia's misdeed, the marriage was meant to be and their life ahead was more than perfect. :D Thank goodness though, the second book still ends happily for the married couple and they learn to truly love each other :)
The former is one of repulsion. There are forbidden lovers included in the story. Darcy and Bingley are gay lovers and there are descriptions of gestures that indicate their relationship with each other. The mutual consent given to allow the contact is implied.
The latter is not so bad but it still causes a negative reaction in my mind. The story explores the possibility of Darcy and Lizzy marrying after his first proposal but it is different in terms of how the proposal was done. He included sexual advances in his proposal and before she could even reject them, Colonel Fitzwilliam saw them. Darcy immediately claimed that she had accepted him and in order to protect her family's reputation, she did not dispute that. However, her married life with Darcy is far from blissful. She feels stifled as Darcy is always with her, and when she is finally by herself, she feels lonely.
These sequels are definitely deviant from the original plot. I can never bring myself to read the former. As for the latter, it makes me appreciate the real story even more. The visit to Pemberley was probably the climax for her change in perception towards him. Thus, when they married after his second proposal, and after being a guest there, as well as confiding in him Lydia's misdeed, the marriage was meant to be and their life ahead was more than perfect. :D Thank goodness though, the second book still ends happily for the married couple and they learn to truly love each other :)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Laptops banned during classes in US unis
Facebook has been one of the tremendous sources of distraction for students during their lessons. They are tempted to go on it instead of diligently taking notes on their laptops, as the lecturer speaks. Is there thus a problem with the banning of laptops?
I am glad that some unis and lecturers have actually implemented this. What is wrong with taking notes using pen and paper? Personal handwriting is very telling of a person's personality and is an expression of elegant beauty in its strokes and curls. Granted, paper is wasted and trees are cut down to be made into paper. The reason why this method has to be resumed is really because the students themselves are at fault. They choose to do the wrong things instead of focusing on what the lessons require. I do not blame a professor who destroyed a student's laptop as a warning to the rest. I think he had probably been driven to the edge.
A 20-year-old student gave the excuse of the lecturers being unable to comprehend the importance of technology to the students. That is a poor one. I am glad she has been proven wrong by a professor who carried out a study on the grades of students who flit between these distractions and the taking of notes during their lessons. Their grades were really low. Also, I am glad that there are students who understand the reason behind the ban. They acknowledge the right of the lecturers to implement it and the importance of education to the students.
I am glad that some unis and lecturers have actually implemented this. What is wrong with taking notes using pen and paper? Personal handwriting is very telling of a person's personality and is an expression of elegant beauty in its strokes and curls. Granted, paper is wasted and trees are cut down to be made into paper. The reason why this method has to be resumed is really because the students themselves are at fault. They choose to do the wrong things instead of focusing on what the lessons require. I do not blame a professor who destroyed a student's laptop as a warning to the rest. I think he had probably been driven to the edge.
A 20-year-old student gave the excuse of the lecturers being unable to comprehend the importance of technology to the students. That is a poor one. I am glad she has been proven wrong by a professor who carried out a study on the grades of students who flit between these distractions and the taking of notes during their lessons. Their grades were really low. Also, I am glad that there are students who understand the reason behind the ban. They acknowledge the right of the lecturers to implement it and the importance of education to the students.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Crime fiction - input leads to a desire for output
I was having a whale of a time today at Borders, Parkway Parade. I went to the crime/thriller section to look at the books. That was the second time I checked them out in detail ever since I started on them in Kinokuniya, Bangkok.
A flow of thoughts assailed my mind as I did that. I wondered how I got started on crime fiction and realised that it had been implanted in me when I discovered Famous Five and Secret Seven books as a child. Then I went on to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, which I still do read :) Those earlier fiction preferences have influenced my present ones.
I have discovered so many gems in the section of those two bookshops. There are crime cases chronicled in the setting of food outlets or craft shops, amongst others. Other cases are based on the protaganist's job, for example, an antique collector or a food writer. Even literary writers have been 'misused' to be admired anew as detectives. There are books portraying Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen as mystery solvers. It would be an experience reading their logical musings, despite the fact that the thoughts are fictional in nature, instead of solely their literary thoughts.
I could not resist buying a book with Pride and Prejudice's signature couple, the Darcys, as its main characters. The plot does not exclude their strong love for each other and even includes characters from Austen's other novels. It goes on to make the mystery paranormal by having an element of the supernatural within it.
I then toyed with the idea of writing my own crime series. I started thinking of possible settings to place my cases in. What about a singles' or a book club? The daunting aspects came into my mind too. The length of a novella is too long for me and so I thought of short stories within a novel, similar to Arthur Conan Doyle's books on Sherlock Holmes.
My mind then recalled the personal ambition I have: to publish a book of poetry by the age of 40. I had decided to give it up a few years back due to the fact that I felt that some of the poems were too personal and I could not include them. With this, the remaining poems would be too few. With this catalyst from the crime fiction I read, I now feel that it would be a waste to give up on this dream. If I feel a certain topic is too personal, I can expand my horizons to include others in my range of poetry. After all, anything around us can spark off creative musings. Therefore, I think I will focus more on my poetry than on this new idea.
I ended off my stream-of-consciousness with the desire to leave a legacy of such formalized literary output for people when I have gone back to my true home. It is not to show off my creativity but to share it with them. I am aware that this is probably uttered by the existing authors in the market and so there is an element of being cliched within it. However, I will leave it to my readers to judge the degree of sincerity it entails. Through it all, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. There are so many things to do in life. I do hope I can fulfill this desire...
A flow of thoughts assailed my mind as I did that. I wondered how I got started on crime fiction and realised that it had been implanted in me when I discovered Famous Five and Secret Seven books as a child. Then I went on to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, which I still do read :) Those earlier fiction preferences have influenced my present ones.
I have discovered so many gems in the section of those two bookshops. There are crime cases chronicled in the setting of food outlets or craft shops, amongst others. Other cases are based on the protaganist's job, for example, an antique collector or a food writer. Even literary writers have been 'misused' to be admired anew as detectives. There are books portraying Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen as mystery solvers. It would be an experience reading their logical musings, despite the fact that the thoughts are fictional in nature, instead of solely their literary thoughts.
I could not resist buying a book with Pride and Prejudice's signature couple, the Darcys, as its main characters. The plot does not exclude their strong love for each other and even includes characters from Austen's other novels. It goes on to make the mystery paranormal by having an element of the supernatural within it.
I then toyed with the idea of writing my own crime series. I started thinking of possible settings to place my cases in. What about a singles' or a book club? The daunting aspects came into my mind too. The length of a novella is too long for me and so I thought of short stories within a novel, similar to Arthur Conan Doyle's books on Sherlock Holmes.
My mind then recalled the personal ambition I have: to publish a book of poetry by the age of 40. I had decided to give it up a few years back due to the fact that I felt that some of the poems were too personal and I could not include them. With this, the remaining poems would be too few. With this catalyst from the crime fiction I read, I now feel that it would be a waste to give up on this dream. If I feel a certain topic is too personal, I can expand my horizons to include others in my range of poetry. After all, anything around us can spark off creative musings. Therefore, I think I will focus more on my poetry than on this new idea.
I ended off my stream-of-consciousness with the desire to leave a legacy of such formalized literary output for people when I have gone back to my true home. It is not to show off my creativity but to share it with them. I am aware that this is probably uttered by the existing authors in the market and so there is an element of being cliched within it. However, I will leave it to my readers to judge the degree of sincerity it entails. Through it all, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. There are so many things to do in life. I do hope I can fulfill this desire...
Monday, February 8, 2010
Local viewers' unfair grouses
Some television viewers are simply ludicrous in their perspectives towards two variety shows focusing on loving help and generosity towards the needy. Suffice it to say that I love watching Life Transformers, but some of them are simply devoid of understanding towards the underlying objective of the show.
An episode evoked some viewers' disgruntlement towards the production team's choice of family on the list of needy recipients. The living conditions were noticeably in need of an improvement for the sake of the children, and yet these viewers chose to dwell on how the husband's parents treated his wife. They have no sensible reasons to protest against the help anyway, since the neighbours of the family shared the same view as the team. It is ironic how the show maintains very high ratings despite such nonsensical rantings. Perhaps these very viewers watch it to continue noting trivial areas for them to complain about?
Other viewers question the lower value of given furniture as compared to that of another show. They obviously based it on the superficial appearance since the cost of the furniture is not stated. Thank goodness both shows have the same executive producer and she clarified things.
I am impressed by the reply given to the two senders who had expressed their concerns over the episode about the hearing-impaired couple. It addressed their concerns and clarified them so completely, without any tinge of unhappiness or arrogance. This goes to show the importance of diction and how it can assure its readers. The senders should let their case rest after reading the reply.
An episode evoked some viewers' disgruntlement towards the production team's choice of family on the list of needy recipients. The living conditions were noticeably in need of an improvement for the sake of the children, and yet these viewers chose to dwell on how the husband's parents treated his wife. They have no sensible reasons to protest against the help anyway, since the neighbours of the family shared the same view as the team. It is ironic how the show maintains very high ratings despite such nonsensical rantings. Perhaps these very viewers watch it to continue noting trivial areas for them to complain about?
Other viewers question the lower value of given furniture as compared to that of another show. They obviously based it on the superficial appearance since the cost of the furniture is not stated. Thank goodness both shows have the same executive producer and she clarified things.
I am impressed by the reply given to the two senders who had expressed their concerns over the episode about the hearing-impaired couple. It addressed their concerns and clarified them so completely, without any tinge of unhappiness or arrogance. This goes to show the importance of diction and how it can assure its readers. The senders should let their case rest after reading the reply.
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