Tuesday, June 29, 2004
I recently diagnosed myself with suffering from two crippling social illnesses.
First is the psychiatric couch syndrome. Whenever I visit someone, be it at his place or office, or even his car, I have the tendency to start jabbering away about myself. There is just something so comforting about a couch and a listening companion that it easily elicit much personal information (more than necessary) from me. Like seeing a psychiatrist, I will reveal everything that has happened to me within say the last 2 weeks, from what my professor said about me to my family's unemployment woes.
Second, I suffer from the late night talk show syndrome. If I am meeting a friend whom I havent seen for the past, say, 2 weeks, I will start acting like a guest on a late night talk show. I will initially lapse into that psychiatric couch syndrome, revealing personal events in an otherwise uneventful life. But here, I will be more judicious with the amount of information offered, and in addition, try to make these events sound as interesting and funny as possible. It is as if telling people about my family's mid-family life crisis is a punchline to something more significant. (Will talk about a mid-family life crisis some other time).
First is the psychiatric couch syndrome. Whenever I visit someone, be it at his place or office, or even his car, I have the tendency to start jabbering away about myself. There is just something so comforting about a couch and a listening companion that it easily elicit much personal information (more than necessary) from me. Like seeing a psychiatrist, I will reveal everything that has happened to me within say the last 2 weeks, from what my professor said about me to my family's unemployment woes.
Second, I suffer from the late night talk show syndrome. If I am meeting a friend whom I havent seen for the past, say, 2 weeks, I will start acting like a guest on a late night talk show. I will initially lapse into that psychiatric couch syndrome, revealing personal events in an otherwise uneventful life. But here, I will be more judicious with the amount of information offered, and in addition, try to make these events sound as interesting and funny as possible. It is as if telling people about my family's mid-family life crisis is a punchline to something more significant. (Will talk about a mid-family life crisis some other time).
Monday, June 28, 2004
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Through early morning fog I see
visions of the things to be
the pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see...
that suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
so this is all I have to say.
The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger...watch it grin, but...
A brave man once requested me
to answer questions that are key
is it to be or not to be
and I replied 'oh why ask me?'
visions of the things to be
the pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see...
that suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
and I can take or leave it if I please.
The game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
so this is all I have to say.
The sword of time will pierce our skins
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger...watch it grin, but...
A brave man once requested me
to answer questions that are key
is it to be or not to be
and I replied 'oh why ask me?'
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
The American Film Institute announced tonight the 100 Songs of American cinema.
23. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
22. "Everybody's Talkin'" - Midnight Cowboy
21. "Jailhouse Rock" (1957)
20. "Somewhere" - West Side Story (1961)
19. "Someday My Price Will Come" - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
18. "Cabaret" (1972)
17. "I Could Have Danced All Night" - My Fair Lady (1964)
16. "Evergreen" - A Star is Born (1954)
15. "Cheek to Cheek" - Top Hat (1935)
14. "My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic
13. "People" - Funny Girl (1968)
12. "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
11. "The Man That Got Away" - A Star is Born (1954)
10. "The Sound of Music" (1965)
9. "Stayin' Alive" - Saturday Night Fever (1977)
8. "The Way We Were" (1973)
7. "When You Wish Upon A Star" - Pinocchio (1940)
6. "Mrs Robinson" - The Graduate (1967)
5. "White Christmas" - Holiday Inn (1942)
4. "Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
3. "Singin' In the Rain" (1952)
2. "As Time Goes By" - Casablanca (1942)
1. "Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
23. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
22. "Everybody's Talkin'" - Midnight Cowboy
21. "Jailhouse Rock" (1957)
20. "Somewhere" - West Side Story (1961)
19. "Someday My Price Will Come" - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
18. "Cabaret" (1972)
17. "I Could Have Danced All Night" - My Fair Lady (1964)
16. "Evergreen" - A Star is Born (1954)
15. "Cheek to Cheek" - Top Hat (1935)
14. "My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic
13. "People" - Funny Girl (1968)
12. "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
11. "The Man That Got Away" - A Star is Born (1954)
10. "The Sound of Music" (1965)
9. "Stayin' Alive" - Saturday Night Fever (1977)
8. "The Way We Were" (1973)
7. "When You Wish Upon A Star" - Pinocchio (1940)
6. "Mrs Robinson" - The Graduate (1967)
5. "White Christmas" - Holiday Inn (1942)
4. "Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
3. "Singin' In the Rain" (1952)
2. "As Time Goes By" - Casablanca (1942)
1. "Over the Rainbow" - The Wizard of Oz (1939)
AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs
"I always used to tell Thomas Wolfe, there are three things you just can't do in life. You can't beat the phone company, you can't make a waiter see you until he's ready and you can't go home again."
- Bill Bryson, The Lost Continent
- Bill Bryson, The Lost Continent
Saturday, June 19, 2004
To anyone who scoffs at the science (or art) of town planning, here is another example of how evolved urban patterns, suburbian architecture and even traffic grid designs are studied, analyzed and criticized. (And to anyone who is smitten with the economical efficiency of a checkerboard grid system with road numbers increasing in a unidirectional pattern, commuting in the city is probably your least favorite activity).
More planner speak here....
lulu: locally unwanted land use
alligator: real estate scheme gone belly up
toad: temporary, obsolete, abandoned or derelict
ground cover: cheap, easily bulldozed buildings, often self-storage units, put up to generate income temporarily
nimby: not in my backyard
banana: build absolutely nothing anywhere near
nope: not on planet earth
boomburb: city in the suburbs growing at double-digits
zoomburb: city in the suburbs that is growing faster than a boomburb
snout house: dwellings with jutting, full-frontal garages (banned in Portland)
McMansions: you can figure this out yourself
The New York Times > Home & Garden > Design Notebook: Defining Sprawl: From A to Z
More planner speak here....
lulu: locally unwanted land use
alligator: real estate scheme gone belly up
toad: temporary, obsolete, abandoned or derelict
ground cover: cheap, easily bulldozed buildings, often self-storage units, put up to generate income temporarily
nimby: not in my backyard
banana: build absolutely nothing anywhere near
nope: not on planet earth
boomburb: city in the suburbs growing at double-digits
zoomburb: city in the suburbs that is growing faster than a boomburb
snout house: dwellings with jutting, full-frontal garages (banned in Portland)
McMansions: you can figure this out yourself
The New York Times > Home & Garden > Design Notebook: Defining Sprawl: From A to Z
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Portland, OR: A Planner's Analysis
The City of Portland, nestled amongst the Cascades Mountains and threaded by large rivers has been consistently voted as the most livable city in the United States. Compared to its wet and caffeine-addicted neighbor Seattle, Portland has a New England frosty charm that is appealing. And with no sales tax, the cost of living is arguable more affordable than many other cities.
The biggest success of the Portland story is its urban growth boundaries. Meant to keep track of the ever-expanding sprawl of American urbanization, Portland has managed to effectively curb its horizontal spread, partly through the presence of the natural riparian boundaries. It has resulted in a small size city with moderate vertical impositions.
And with its short city blocks, the downtown Portland has a comfortable pedestrian scale. Here, pedestrians take prominence over automobiles. Besides being small enough to transverse on foot, the sidewalks are proportionally wide as compared to the one-way streets. The sidewalks are also matched with adequate street trees and landscaping that is befitting of the enivronmental consciousness of its people. Excellent street furniture such as water fountains, wooden benches, large sheltered bus-stops, computerized parking meters and paved sidewalks make the pedestrian experience even more rewarding and intimate.
The presence of free public transport, in the form of quiet, non-invasive light rail and streetcars furthers the quaintness of the downtown, as they journey on-grade through park blocks and city squares at an extremely measured pace. The Courthouse Square, with its amphitheater seating accentuates the people-watching pleasantries of this city. Add to that the presence of neighborhood identities such as that of the old town/chinatown, the northwest and the waterfront districts, Portland becomes a vibrant and interesting compilation of distinctive locales.
While the major freeways are kept to the fringes of downtown, the 405 remains a visible and audible presence within the city. Severing the city from the bohemian feel of the northwest district, connectivity between the different parts of the city has greatly been reduced. Similarly, better connectivity between the downtown and the waterfront can be developed.
Nevertheless, Portland is a charming place with friendly people that are just waiting to be warmed up.
The City of Portland, nestled amongst the Cascades Mountains and threaded by large rivers has been consistently voted as the most livable city in the United States. Compared to its wet and caffeine-addicted neighbor Seattle, Portland has a New England frosty charm that is appealing. And with no sales tax, the cost of living is arguable more affordable than many other cities.
The biggest success of the Portland story is its urban growth boundaries. Meant to keep track of the ever-expanding sprawl of American urbanization, Portland has managed to effectively curb its horizontal spread, partly through the presence of the natural riparian boundaries. It has resulted in a small size city with moderate vertical impositions.
And with its short city blocks, the downtown Portland has a comfortable pedestrian scale. Here, pedestrians take prominence over automobiles. Besides being small enough to transverse on foot, the sidewalks are proportionally wide as compared to the one-way streets. The sidewalks are also matched with adequate street trees and landscaping that is befitting of the enivronmental consciousness of its people. Excellent street furniture such as water fountains, wooden benches, large sheltered bus-stops, computerized parking meters and paved sidewalks make the pedestrian experience even more rewarding and intimate.
The presence of free public transport, in the form of quiet, non-invasive light rail and streetcars furthers the quaintness of the downtown, as they journey on-grade through park blocks and city squares at an extremely measured pace. The Courthouse Square, with its amphitheater seating accentuates the people-watching pleasantries of this city. Add to that the presence of neighborhood identities such as that of the old town/chinatown, the northwest and the waterfront districts, Portland becomes a vibrant and interesting compilation of distinctive locales.
While the major freeways are kept to the fringes of downtown, the 405 remains a visible and audible presence within the city. Severing the city from the bohemian feel of the northwest district, connectivity between the different parts of the city has greatly been reduced. Similarly, better connectivity between the downtown and the waterfront can be developed.
Nevertheless, Portland is a charming place with friendly people that are just waiting to be warmed up.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
This is going to sound bizarre (and right out of a tv sitcom), but is true.
To all those who know me well enough and have seen my undressed and uncovered self will realize that I have a blackened toenail. Dating from the days of my playing squash in secondary school and junior college, it is an old wound with blood clots under the nail.
I recently got hold of a microbial solution from my neighborhood Walgreen's to try to cure that festering toe of mine. However, that bottle of solution soon disappeared off my bathroom cabinet shelf.
It probably happened around the end of my college spring semester, during the week of my pool party and gatherings at my apartment. I suspect that an invited guest of mine had gone through my bathroom and decided to help himself or herself to that solution of mine. I have no clues to who that can be, unless I inspect the toenails of all my friends.
To all those who know me well enough and have seen my undressed and uncovered self will realize that I have a blackened toenail. Dating from the days of my playing squash in secondary school and junior college, it is an old wound with blood clots under the nail.
I recently got hold of a microbial solution from my neighborhood Walgreen's to try to cure that festering toe of mine. However, that bottle of solution soon disappeared off my bathroom cabinet shelf.
It probably happened around the end of my college spring semester, during the week of my pool party and gatherings at my apartment. I suspect that an invited guest of mine had gone through my bathroom and decided to help himself or herself to that solution of mine. I have no clues to who that can be, unless I inspect the toenails of all my friends.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
A recent issue of Premiere magazine features a list of what the editors considered the 100 Greatest Movie Characters of all time. Avoiding bio-pics and remaining true to its commercial, American-centric cause, the list is an interesting read.
Here is a selected reprint of some of the highlights of the article.
100. Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects)
99. Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin in Home Alone)
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"
98. Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud in The 400 Blows)
97. Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
96. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas)
95. Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost)
93. Harry Lime (Orson Welles in The Third Man)
the cuckoo clock speech
92. Dil (Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game)
"details, baby, details"
90. John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)
"It's my heeeead!"
88. Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man)
87. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean)
86. Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren in The Birds)
84. Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones in Star Wars, 1977)
82. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson in The Shining)
"Here's Johnny"
81. Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment)
79. Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre in M)
77. Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in Misery)
76. Tony Manero (John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever)
75. Dr Strangelove (Peter Sellers in Dr Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)
74. Tony Montana (Al Pacino in Scarface)
68. Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange)
singin' in the rain
67. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther, 1964)
65. Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp)
64. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone in Rocky)
63. Carrie White (Sissy Spacek in Carrie)
62. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree in Shaft, 1971)
61. J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success, 1957)
60. George Bailey (James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life)
59. Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall in Apocalyse Now)
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"
54. Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet)
"Daddy wants to fuck!"
52. Howard Beale (Peter Finch in Network)
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore"
51. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund in A Nightmare on Elm Street)
50. Blondie (Cline Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
49. Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers in Being There, 1979)
48. John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi in Animal House)
47. Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft in The Graduate)
46. John McClane (Bruce Willis in Die Hard)
45. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins)
"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"
44. Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction)
43. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)
42. "Dirty" Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry)
41. Jane Craig (Holly Hunter in Broadcast News)
40. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
"I'll be back"
39. Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels (Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie)
38. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
37. Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson in Chinatown)
36. Alex Forrest (Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction)
35. Dr. Evil (Mike Meyers in Austin Powers)
"We shall hold the whole ransom for.... one million dollars!!"
34. Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde)
33. Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy)
"I'm walkín' here!"
32. Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's)
31. Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard)
"All right, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up"
30. King Kong (King Kong, 1933)
29. Daphne/Jerry (Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot)
28. Captain Quint (Robert Shaw in Jaws)
27. Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand in Fargo)
26. E.T.
25. Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas in Wall Street)
"greed is good"
24. The Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin)
23. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne in The Searchers)
22. Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver)
"You talkin' to me?"
21. Susan Vance (Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby)
20. Detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night)
19. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart in Casablance)
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"
18. Carl Spackler (Bill Murray in Caddyshack)
17. Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz)
"somewhere over the rainbow"
16. Robin Hood (Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938)
15. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs)
the chianti
14. Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
13. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird)
12. Charles Forster Kane (Orson Welles in Citizen Kane)
11. Margo Channing (Bette Davis in All About Eve)
"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night"
10. Gollum (Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings)
9. Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
8. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in Alien)
7. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
6. Annie Hall (Diane Keaton)
5. James Bond (Sean Connery in Dr. No)
4. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins in Psycho, 1960)
3. Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind)
2. Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
1. Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in The Godfather)
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse"
Premiere Magazine
Here is a selected reprint of some of the highlights of the article.
100. Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects)
99. Kevin McCallister (Macauley Culkin in Home Alone)
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"
98. Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud in The 400 Blows)
97. Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
96. Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas)
95. Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost)
93. Harry Lime (Orson Welles in The Third Man)
the cuckoo clock speech
92. Dil (Jaye Davidson in The Crying Game)
"details, baby, details"
90. John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)
"It's my heeeead!"
88. Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man)
87. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean)
86. Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren in The Birds)
84. Darth Vader (David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones in Star Wars, 1977)
82. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson in The Shining)
"Here's Johnny"
81. Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment)
79. Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre in M)
77. Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in Misery)
76. Tony Manero (John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever)
75. Dr Strangelove (Peter Sellers in Dr Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)
74. Tony Montana (Al Pacino in Scarface)
68. Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange)
singin' in the rain
67. Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers in The Pink Panther, 1964)
65. Edward Scissorhands (Johnny Depp)
64. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone in Rocky)
63. Carrie White (Sissy Spacek in Carrie)
62. John Shaft (Richard Roundtree in Shaft, 1971)
61. J.J. Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster in Sweet Smell of Success, 1957)
60. George Bailey (James Stewart in It's A Wonderful Life)
59. Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall in Apocalyse Now)
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"
54. Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet)
"Daddy wants to fuck!"
52. Howard Beale (Peter Finch in Network)
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take this anymore"
51. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund in A Nightmare on Elm Street)
50. Blondie (Cline Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
49. Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers in Being There, 1979)
48. John "Bluto" Blutarsky (John Belushi in Animal House)
47. Mrs Robinson (Anne Bancroft in The Graduate)
46. John McClane (Bruce Willis in Die Hard)
45. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins)
"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"
44. Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction)
43. Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)
42. "Dirty" Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry)
41. Jane Craig (Holly Hunter in Broadcast News)
40. The Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
"I'll be back"
39. Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels (Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie)
38. Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
37. Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson in Chinatown)
36. Alex Forrest (Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction)
35. Dr. Evil (Mike Meyers in Austin Powers)
"We shall hold the whole ransom for.... one million dollars!!"
34. Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde)
33. Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman in Midnight Cowboy)
"I'm walkín' here!"
32. Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's)
31. Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard)
"All right, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up"
30. King Kong (King Kong, 1933)
29. Daphne/Jerry (Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot)
28. Captain Quint (Robert Shaw in Jaws)
27. Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand in Fargo)
26. E.T.
25. Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas in Wall Street)
"greed is good"
24. The Little Tramp (Charlie Chaplin)
23. Ethan Edwards (John Wayne in The Searchers)
22. Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver)
"You talkin' to me?"
21. Susan Vance (Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby)
20. Detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier in In the Heat of the Night)
19. Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart in Casablance)
"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"
18. Carl Spackler (Bill Murray in Caddyshack)
17. Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz)
"somewhere over the rainbow"
16. Robin Hood (Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938)
15. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs)
the chianti
14. Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
13. Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird)
12. Charles Forster Kane (Orson Welles in Citizen Kane)
11. Margo Channing (Bette Davis in All About Eve)
"Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night"
10. Gollum (Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings)
9. Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn in Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
8. Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver in Alien)
7. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)
6. Annie Hall (Diane Keaton)
5. James Bond (Sean Connery in Dr. No)
4. Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins in Psycho, 1960)
3. Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind)
2. Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
1. Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando in The Godfather)
"I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse"
Premiere Magazine
Monday, June 07, 2004
sex is overrated
Saturday, June 05, 2004
.
The photo of an unarmed man, clutching only two shopping bags, standing in the path of a column of tanks in Tiananmen Square 15 years ago will forever be etched in modern history. Unnamed and unidentified, he is the image of an determined and courageous man, willing to stake his life for the wrong-doings of the political killing machine. Till today, that photograph remains banned in China.
The fight for democracy is an unending one. Similar fights are being waged across the world, even as China continues its slow path towards civil liberation. Singapore experienced a media blanket too of the Tiananmen incident, just as events of the Khmer Rouge regime were systematically ignored and removed from media coverage. For the younger generation, these events remain insouciant memories, figments of a forgotten past. However, the democracy movement must never forget its predecessors, and young people must similarly come to terms with the violent struggles for political and social freedom.
In remembering the tragedy of June 4, 1989, we say a prayer for the man before the tank, and countless others that have sacrificed their life in the name of democracy.
Tiananmen
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Drip, drip, drip, drip.
The AC in my apartment is broken, and the entire unit has to be taken away for repair. That was like 2 weeks ago. The repairman has been back twice, but can never figure out what is wrong with it. He should just chuck the old unit and get me a new AC. (Dad, I miss the Daikin at home.)
In the meantime, there is this big hole in my ceiling, and an exposed pipe appearing over the ceiling board. Drip, drip, drip. Water drips out of it every few minutes, and together with my annoying pigeons, are almost driving me crazy.
The dripping pipe reminds me of a Bill Viola experimental video, which has a close-up of a dripping faucet, in extreme slow-motion. Talk about avant garde. Interestingly, Zaha Hadid, an unconventional architect has won this year's Pritzker Prize. She is experimental for she actually doesn't have much work to show for. Most of her buildings are not built. She does have her hand in Singapore's One North masterplan, so at least JTC is willing to experiment.
Voila's video reminds me of my summer project. Also experimental in nature, I have to grapple with the functionality and aesthetic concerns inherent in the cinematic image. Documentation vs narrative film. Long takes vs intermittent cuts. Wide angles or telephoto shots? How much editing can I allow if I do not want to manipulate with reality? But how real and representative can my efforts be? What does a video clip of people at a bus stop offer?
Watching an episode of Seinfeld, I realise that they are a precursor of non-spaces. Besides their own apartments, the four looney friends spend most of their time in a deli shop or on the sidewalk. The rest of the time, they are either in their cars or waiting in line at the movie box-office. How amazing it is that most of their events take place at such non-spaces.
Interestingly, the sitcom Friends also spend an immeasurable amount of time at the ultimate non-space, the airport terminal. Almost every season, the sextet appears at the airport, where their innermost emotions and insecurities are unleashed. This aspect of the non-space can also be seen in the past year's romantic hit, Love Actually.
Come June 18, Hollywood spielmeister Steven Spielberg pays his homage to the non-space in The Terminal. After trying his hands at the clinical, polished anarchy of Minority Report, and a similar sterile, strangely unfriendly world of travel and transit(ion) in Catch Me If You Can, Spielberg's latest film looks set to be a polished masterpiece. Wonder when will I be having my next LAX adventure. Siempre es bueno llegar.
The AC in my apartment is broken, and the entire unit has to be taken away for repair. That was like 2 weeks ago. The repairman has been back twice, but can never figure out what is wrong with it. He should just chuck the old unit and get me a new AC. (Dad, I miss the Daikin at home.)
In the meantime, there is this big hole in my ceiling, and an exposed pipe appearing over the ceiling board. Drip, drip, drip. Water drips out of it every few minutes, and together with my annoying pigeons, are almost driving me crazy.
The dripping pipe reminds me of a Bill Viola experimental video, which has a close-up of a dripping faucet, in extreme slow-motion. Talk about avant garde. Interestingly, Zaha Hadid, an unconventional architect has won this year's Pritzker Prize. She is experimental for she actually doesn't have much work to show for. Most of her buildings are not built. She does have her hand in Singapore's One North masterplan, so at least JTC is willing to experiment.
Voila's video reminds me of my summer project. Also experimental in nature, I have to grapple with the functionality and aesthetic concerns inherent in the cinematic image. Documentation vs narrative film. Long takes vs intermittent cuts. Wide angles or telephoto shots? How much editing can I allow if I do not want to manipulate with reality? But how real and representative can my efforts be? What does a video clip of people at a bus stop offer?
Watching an episode of Seinfeld, I realise that they are a precursor of non-spaces. Besides their own apartments, the four looney friends spend most of their time in a deli shop or on the sidewalk. The rest of the time, they are either in their cars or waiting in line at the movie box-office. How amazing it is that most of their events take place at such non-spaces.
Interestingly, the sitcom Friends also spend an immeasurable amount of time at the ultimate non-space, the airport terminal. Almost every season, the sextet appears at the airport, where their innermost emotions and insecurities are unleashed. This aspect of the non-space can also be seen in the past year's romantic hit, Love Actually.
Come June 18, Hollywood spielmeister Steven Spielberg pays his homage to the non-space in The Terminal. After trying his hands at the clinical, polished anarchy of Minority Report, and a similar sterile, strangely unfriendly world of travel and transit(ion) in Catch Me If You Can, Spielberg's latest film looks set to be a polished masterpiece. Wonder when will I be having my next LAX adventure. Siempre es bueno llegar.
