this,
into
THIS!
Gonna need a lot of luck...
Friday, October 28, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Word.....
"People who are trying to decide whether to create a blog or not go through a thought process much like this:
1. The world sure needs more of ME.
2. Maybe I'll shout more often so that people nearby can experience the joy of knowing my thoughts.
3. No, wait, shouting looks too crazy.
4. I know ¨C I'll write down my daily thoughts and badger people to read them.
5. If only there was a description for this process that doesn't involve the words egomaniac or unnecessary.
6. What? It's called a blog? I'm there!
The blogger's philosophy goes something like this:
Everything that I think about is more fascinating than the crap in your head."
---Scott Adams---
1. The world sure needs more of ME.
2. Maybe I'll shout more often so that people nearby can experience the joy of knowing my thoughts.
3. No, wait, shouting looks too crazy.
4. I know ¨C I'll write down my daily thoughts and badger people to read them.
5. If only there was a description for this process that doesn't involve the words egomaniac or unnecessary.
6. What? It's called a blog? I'm there!
The blogger's philosophy goes something like this:
Everything that I think about is more fascinating than the crap in your head."
---Scott Adams---
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Monday, October 24, 2005
Shadow of the Giant
This is the 8th of Orson Scott Card's Ender series.
1. Ender's Game
2. Speaker for the Dead
3. Xenocide
4. Children of the Mind
5. Ender's Shadow
6. Shadow of the Hegemon
7. Shadow Puppets
8. Shadow of the Giant
The first book catapulted Card into his present career. Warner Bros. has already optioned Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. If only they can make up their mind who to use to write the screenplay. Hopefully the guys who did Troy can deliver on this soon.
Ender's Game is the story of Ender Wiggin. A child prodigy, separated from his parents, brother and sister. Taken to Battle School, a space station where the brightest children on earth are schooled in military strategies and tactics.
Earth had discovered that they are not alone. It barely survived the first wave of alien assault, and are desperately preparing themselves for the next assault.
The children are driven to compete against each other, endure harsh war games, and learn how to command. Only the very elite graduate to the final wargame, led by Ender, pitted against the war hero of the last invasion.
It's Harry Potter in space. But without the diapers.
After Ender won the war, he was unable to return to earth. Without a common enemy, the world fractured back into war, and Ender himself is a weapon of war that will be a threat to all nations but the one hosting him.
Victory rewarded with exile. And the next three books tell the story of how Ender travelled through space, and how he atoned for the genocide of an entire species.
I was hooked to Card after reading Ender's Shadow. This is the story of Bean, a child even younger, and even more brilliant than Ender, who was with Ender in the final battle. It began with the story of how he survived the streets, as a toddler, by changing the rules of the jungle into one that empowered the young and weak, while taking away the advantages of the bullies.
Later Bean played an important support role in Ender's battles. The book is a re-telling of Ender's Game through another pair of eyes, one that looked deeper than Ender ever did.
The plot is extremely well thought out, and I've been hooked ever since.
I even have a book on fiction writing by Card.
From book six onwards, the stories take place on Earth. Of how Bean and Ender's elder brother, strove to unite the war-ing nations on earth, many of which are using their Battle School children as military assets to realise their long-held delusions of divine destiny through expansionist campaigns.
In these recent books, Card has become rather vocal about what he thinks of the mess in the Middle East. No doubt coloured by the events of 9/11.
"As long as ordinary Muslims believe it's their duty to kill any Muslim who tries to quit being a Muslim, as long as they think they have a holy duty to resort to arms to compel unbelievers to obey Islamic law - you can't liberalize that, you can't make it a decent system for anybody. Not even for Muslims. Because the cruelest, narrowest, most evil people will always rise to power because they'll always be the ones most willing to wrap themselves in the crescent flag and murder people in God's name."
---from Giant of the Hegemon---
Seriously no holds barred.
But asides from little comments like these where the author vents his opinions to the readers, the rest of the book is without propaganda. The books are a good read. Card's vision and imagination makes him one of the best sci-fi writers I know.
Bean is one of the most compelling fictitious characters that I've read. Standing proudly together with Fitz Chivalry (The Farseer Trilogy, Robin Hobb), and Sam Vimes (Discworld, Terry Pratchett).
But those are stories for another day.
Saruman and Michael Jackson
...oops... I mean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
I really liked this movie. What's not to love about a movie with so many trained squirrels in it?
I just watched the 2005 version. The one with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. But you should try to watch the 1971 version first. And perhaps try and get the novelisation of the movie too, here.
Johnny Depp is simply wonderful as Wonka. It's especially funny how Wonka went with the creepy, bleached-complexion, big dark-glasses look. Inviting children into his 'fun-land'.... How many times can you say Wackie Jackie?
Anyway, Willy Wonka is just wonderful. Less flambouyant than the '71 incarnation, more disturbed, and has more depth. Funnier too. But Gene Wilder had better lines.
The Oompa-Loompas no longer have orange skin, and finally have the African skin as Roald Dahl always intended. The new dance numbers are equally as disturbing as the original one with orange midgets. Seeing an army of identical Oompa Loompas was marvelous, in a weird kind of way. But the songs weren't as catchy as the '71.
I actually remembered watching Willy Wonka and the Chocalate Factory when I was very young. The few images I remembered best were the giant blueberry, the TV chocolate, and the Bubble Room.
They didn't bring back the Bubble Room for this one. Although curiously, they did spend a lot of effort to do the boat ride through the tunnel. But without the disturbing psychedelic montage of weird images. This is seen only in certain editions of the old movie. Kinda makes you wonder what the director was thinking when he put images of worms and chickens in a kid movie...
And the bit with the 2001: A Space Odyssey 's Monolith music was funny. Everyone saw that coming, right? Surely I'm not the only one geek enough to watch the Stanley Kubrik sci-fi?!
Am I?
The ending is more Hollywood now. With a daddy-hug and everything. But by the time the movie has already built up a healthy credit of well-being that I easily forgave it.
Publish this, and gonna watch it for the second time now.... Just fast-forward the first 30min, the movie doesn't begin until Wonka appears.
I really liked this movie. What's not to love about a movie with so many trained squirrels in it?
I just watched the 2005 version. The one with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. But you should try to watch the 1971 version first. And perhaps try and get the novelisation of the movie too, here.
Johnny Depp is simply wonderful as Wonka. It's especially funny how Wonka went with the creepy, bleached-complexion, big dark-glasses look. Inviting children into his 'fun-land'.... How many times can you say Wackie Jackie?
Anyway, Willy Wonka is just wonderful. Less flambouyant than the '71 incarnation, more disturbed, and has more depth. Funnier too. But Gene Wilder had better lines.
The Oompa-Loompas no longer have orange skin, and finally have the African skin as Roald Dahl always intended. The new dance numbers are equally as disturbing as the original one with orange midgets. Seeing an army of identical Oompa Loompas was marvelous, in a weird kind of way. But the songs weren't as catchy as the '71.
I actually remembered watching Willy Wonka and the Chocalate Factory when I was very young. The few images I remembered best were the giant blueberry, the TV chocolate, and the Bubble Room.
They didn't bring back the Bubble Room for this one. Although curiously, they did spend a lot of effort to do the boat ride through the tunnel. But without the disturbing psychedelic montage of weird images. This is seen only in certain editions of the old movie. Kinda makes you wonder what the director was thinking when he put images of worms and chickens in a kid movie...
There's no earthly way of knowing,
which direction we are going.
Not a speck of light is showing,
So the danger must be growing,
For the rowers keep on rowing,
And they're certainly not showing
Any signs that they are slowing...
And the bit with the 2001: A Space Odyssey 's Monolith music was funny. Everyone saw that coming, right? Surely I'm not the only one geek enough to watch the Stanley Kubrik sci-fi?!
Am I?
The ending is more Hollywood now. With a daddy-hug and everything. But by the time the movie has already built up a healthy credit of well-being that I easily forgave it.
Publish this, and gonna watch it for the second time now.... Just fast-forward the first 30min, the movie doesn't begin until Wonka appears.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
MirrorMask
Why isn't THIS MOVIE out yet?!
The only thing I can get on the torrent networks is the OST.
Nothing better to do in the meantime than to watch random movies like, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Grapes of Wrath and Mulholland Drive.
It's kinda cool to hear someone swear 'Sonova Bitch' in a cartoon movie. I wonder if that was intentional. It's hard to remember the days before the political correctness revolution.
And Grapes of Wrath harkens back to the days before anyone needed to spell out what's correct and what's not. Filmed in 1940, based on some great American literature. (I don't pretend to know what it's about, I kinda never got over Old Man and the Sea, and my reading selections have been geek ever since.) It's almost odd watching a film without flashy special effects, expensive CGI, blood & gore, car chases, explosions, guns (no wait, there were guns...), gratuitious sex scenes, big breasted women, over-emoting actors, etc.
It's a story of a family of farmers driven out of the dust bowl and drive to California to find work. About how tough times were during the great depression. All the actors deliver their lines with an expressionless monotone. A pity they were borned too early. Anyone of them could have been Keanu Reeves.
Can't even talk about Mulholland Drive. Almost 2hrs into it, and it's still not making sense to me. Typical David Lynch. It's all random clips and pieces that don't further the story at all. Like he's just putting to film the weird shit he dreams at night. Including the lesbian fantasy.
I'm done ranting. Back to reading Thud!, where Terry Pratchett satires the tension in the Middle East.
The only thing I can get on the torrent networks is the OST.
Nothing better to do in the meantime than to watch random movies like, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Grapes of Wrath and Mulholland Drive.
It's kinda cool to hear someone swear 'Sonova Bitch' in a cartoon movie. I wonder if that was intentional. It's hard to remember the days before the political correctness revolution.
And Grapes of Wrath harkens back to the days before anyone needed to spell out what's correct and what's not. Filmed in 1940, based on some great American literature. (I don't pretend to know what it's about, I kinda never got over Old Man and the Sea, and my reading selections have been geek ever since.) It's almost odd watching a film without flashy special effects, expensive CGI, blood & gore, car chases, explosions, guns (no wait, there were guns...), gratuitious sex scenes, big breasted women, over-emoting actors, etc.
It's a story of a family of farmers driven out of the dust bowl and drive to California to find work. About how tough times were during the great depression. All the actors deliver their lines with an expressionless monotone. A pity they were borned too early. Anyone of them could have been Keanu Reeves.
Can't even talk about Mulholland Drive. Almost 2hrs into it, and it's still not making sense to me. Typical David Lynch. It's all random clips and pieces that don't further the story at all. Like he's just putting to film the weird shit he dreams at night. Including the lesbian fantasy.
I'm done ranting. Back to reading Thud!, where Terry Pratchett satires the tension in the Middle East.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
A hearty breakfast and other meals
Yum! Ramli burger for breakfast this morning.
Caught a nice bargain at Ikea last night.
I trawl through the AS-IS (ex-display) section every chance I get to pick up bargains. Saw a sweet, sweet suede sofa (discounted more than MYR500) for just a bit less than my monthly salary. All brand new too. Will definitely make a fine addition to my apartment. Except that I still see no reason to buy an idiot box for the living room. And without that, there's just nothing for other furnitures to center around. Unless some interior decorators will like to give suggestions.
Thus, pass on the sofa. Instead, bought a very nice frying-pan.
Platinum Teflon. Cool metal handle. Thick steel base. Big!
There's just something about a big cooking utensil with a LOT of metal that makes it superior to those cheap, thin aluminium affairs that's so common nowadays. Aluminium pans are often slightly domed in the centre, which is probably designed to take metal expansion into account, and flattens out when the pan is heated. But even then, they still aren't as flat as I would like. Grease will flow away from the centre sweet-spot, and even eggs will flow to the sides so you end up with weirdly shaped fried eggs.
Nice beautiful round eggs just aren't possible with thin aluminium pans.
Another thing with more metal, is that the pan will have a higher heat capacity. Which makes it better for pan-frying stuff. You can get the pan all nice and hot, then release all that energy into your food in a split second. That's how chinese cooking often is.
And the new frying pan is also great for cooking burger patties. And that's what I had for breakfast this morning. Greased the pan generously with Australian butter, cooked the patty, and wrapped the patty with a fried egg, then sandwiched with lightly toasted Gardenia bread.
... Good God! Just realised that a long life of single-hood is making me increasingly domesticated! Help!!...
Well, at least I'm not using copper pots like those Queer Eye guys....
Hmm... still need to get a good cast iron wok. It's not a proper CHINESE kitchen without a cast iron wok. And you won't find those at super-markets. Have bought a couple of really crappy ones. Aluminium is hopeless. Cheap steel woks machined from a sheet steel is also crap.
Moving on.....
I've finished Anansi Boys. Quite enjoyable.
If you've read American Gods, you might remember Mr. Nancy, one of the old gods fighting alongside Odin. The one who told the story about Spider stealing Tiger's balls.
Well, this is the story of Mr. Nancy's boys. About Charles Nancy's relationship with his father; going to his father's funeral; discovering his long lost brother, Spider, who monopolised all the godly magic in the family.
It's fun to read. Love the writing style.
And after this, there's Orson Scott Card to read.
After hoovering almost everything Card has written, I had left him for a while to 'fallow'. Recently found that he's writing Ultimate Iron-Man for Marvel. Which I found kinda cool. And it suddenly occured to me to go back and check on the field.
Very pleasantly surprised to find Giant of the Hegemon, AND another new book, no less.
My first introduction to Card was Ender's Shadow.
What Gaiman is to the field of 'contemporary fantasy' and mythology; Card is to science fiction. Many of his short stories are simply amazing.
Perhaps his best known book is Ender's Game. This was written ages back. And to put it in a way modern readers can identify with.... It's like Harry Potter in space. There. It's as if Harry Potter was taken to Battle School in a space station to fight aliens, instead of going to Hogwarts to fight he-who-may-not-be-named. Except that Ender grows up.
There was talk of making Ender's Game into a movie. Not sure what has come of that. Chances are, some idiot producer can't see a good idea unless he shat it out himself.
Same thing happened to Jeff Smith's Bone. Some idiot producer killed it.
Anyway, there's enough to keep myself occupied in the meanwhile...
Caught a nice bargain at Ikea last night.
I trawl through the AS-IS (ex-display) section every chance I get to pick up bargains. Saw a sweet, sweet suede sofa (discounted more than MYR500) for just a bit less than my monthly salary. All brand new too. Will definitely make a fine addition to my apartment. Except that I still see no reason to buy an idiot box for the living room. And without that, there's just nothing for other furnitures to center around. Unless some interior decorators will like to give suggestions.
Thus, pass on the sofa. Instead, bought a very nice frying-pan.
Platinum Teflon. Cool metal handle. Thick steel base. Big!
There's just something about a big cooking utensil with a LOT of metal that makes it superior to those cheap, thin aluminium affairs that's so common nowadays. Aluminium pans are often slightly domed in the centre, which is probably designed to take metal expansion into account, and flattens out when the pan is heated. But even then, they still aren't as flat as I would like. Grease will flow away from the centre sweet-spot, and even eggs will flow to the sides so you end up with weirdly shaped fried eggs.
Nice beautiful round eggs just aren't possible with thin aluminium pans.
Another thing with more metal, is that the pan will have a higher heat capacity. Which makes it better for pan-frying stuff. You can get the pan all nice and hot, then release all that energy into your food in a split second. That's how chinese cooking often is.
And the new frying pan is also great for cooking burger patties. And that's what I had for breakfast this morning. Greased the pan generously with Australian butter, cooked the patty, and wrapped the patty with a fried egg, then sandwiched with lightly toasted Gardenia bread.
... Good God! Just realised that a long life of single-hood is making me increasingly domesticated! Help!!...
Well, at least I'm not using copper pots like those Queer Eye guys....
Hmm... still need to get a good cast iron wok. It's not a proper CHINESE kitchen without a cast iron wok. And you won't find those at super-markets. Have bought a couple of really crappy ones. Aluminium is hopeless. Cheap steel woks machined from a sheet steel is also crap.
Moving on.....
I've finished Anansi Boys. Quite enjoyable.
If you've read American Gods, you might remember Mr. Nancy, one of the old gods fighting alongside Odin. The one who told the story about Spider stealing Tiger's balls.
Well, this is the story of Mr. Nancy's boys. About Charles Nancy's relationship with his father; going to his father's funeral; discovering his long lost brother, Spider, who monopolised all the godly magic in the family.
It's fun to read. Love the writing style.
And after this, there's Orson Scott Card to read.
After hoovering almost everything Card has written, I had left him for a while to 'fallow'. Recently found that he's writing Ultimate Iron-Man for Marvel. Which I found kinda cool. And it suddenly occured to me to go back and check on the field.
Very pleasantly surprised to find Giant of the Hegemon, AND another new book, no less.
My first introduction to Card was Ender's Shadow.
What Gaiman is to the field of 'contemporary fantasy' and mythology; Card is to science fiction. Many of his short stories are simply amazing.
Perhaps his best known book is Ender's Game. This was written ages back. And to put it in a way modern readers can identify with.... It's like Harry Potter in space. There. It's as if Harry Potter was taken to Battle School in a space station to fight aliens, instead of going to Hogwarts to fight he-who-may-not-be-named. Except that Ender grows up.
There was talk of making Ender's Game into a movie. Not sure what has come of that. Chances are, some idiot producer can't see a good idea unless he shat it out himself.
Same thing happened to Jeff Smith's Bone. Some idiot producer killed it.
Anyway, there's enough to keep myself occupied in the meanwhile...
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