Things I Want or "Hello, 2009, look what you can give me since my birthday is in about a month"; Part #2 of 3

The Implausible
Cause let's face it. Even if anyone got me anything from this list, I'd have to return it on account of it's just way too much. But this doesn't stop me from putting this up just to show how materialistic and greedy I am.

1. Nikkor R2D2 Home Entertainment System

"It can project images up to 80in wide in 800x600 pixel resolution. It has an in-built DVD/CD/MP3 player, FM radio, speakers, outputs for hooking up to surround sound systems, a USB slot, memory card reader and – if that’s not enough – a pop-out iPod dock." ...Gizmodo

So what if I don't have an iPod. I'd at least like the option to put it in, you know?


2. i-Roomba

It's a vacuum cleaner that is programmed to find dirt and suck it by its own. That means, no more lugging out big ass vacuum and stashing it away later. Also, hello, Arrested Development much?


3. A Segway
If you haven't guess by the iRoomba want, I am very very lazy. So a Segway to transport me from my house to my car or my kitchen to my living room would on the sweet side of awesome and then some.


4. Pentax 10-17mm Fish Eye lens

This is the sex.


5. Full set of Battle Royale manga

It annoys me that I still haven't finish this. So a full set would be superbly awesome.


6. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

unfunfunf


7. Canon Selphy ES1

It makes printing pictures a breeze. Just stick your SD card in, select and print. I totally want one of course.



8. Suzuki Vitara (discontinued model)

I've been in love with this car since way back I was in high school. They don't make this model anymore so if there ever was a perfect time to buy one for me, it'd be now. I'd drive it, squeal, and then return it to you.


9. Watchmen: The Graphic Novel I love you, Chaz.

Or any other graphic novels by Alan Moore would be good too.


10. The boys of Friday Night Lights

Zach Gilford, Taylor Kitsch and Kyle Chandler. Please and thank you. (No guarantee that they will be returned in the same form they were first received in)



10. Bodhi Safety Pin Bag

Retail price: US$ 748


11. Icon Watch

Retail price: US$ 82


12. Issey Miyake for Seiko

Retail price: US$ ???


13. Frank Gehry Postive/Negative Watch for Fossil

Unfortunately this watch was from 2 years ago. You can't find it on anywhere but eBay anymore, much to my chagrin. And even then they always go for so damn much!


14. Miu Miu Nappa Bag

Retail price: US$ 1385


15. Proenza Schouler PS1 Bag Retail price: Over US$4000



16.Triple Backseam Charnos tights

Discontinued. Much to my displeasure.



17. These posters

The photoshopped Arrested Development/Star Wars poster. I find it absolutely hilarious, and hey, check out that segway in the bottom right corner!


This isn't even a poster. I have it labelled as a 'poster card'. Whatever that means. This one poster card makes up for the shitty "yippies!" we all had to sit through with Jake Lloyd.



Oh, Gary Oldman. Perhaps revealing the true extent of my fondness for Harry Potter, I really do want this poster. If not cause it stems from my favourite book in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, is because I may or may not have come up with the most brilliant viral marketing plan for one of my products at work. Whatever the reason you choose to believe, I want it.


I care a bit too much movie poster designs more so than the average pop culture enthusiast, I think. This is one I want to own and pet.


I am a big fan of Polish movie posters. What are they? In a bid to prevent America culture from spilling into their streets in the 1980s, the communist government made it a rule that movies from America had to have a Polish-made poster. Hence, Polish movie posters. This one is for Star Wars. It was made by Michal Ksiazek.

/true movie geekiness.


This is the Polish poster for The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. 'Ptaki' translates to 'death'. Created by Bronislaw Zelek.


Polish poster for To Sir, With Love. Created by Maria Ihnatowicz.


Oh, come on. I even went to watch that stupid ass X-Files 2! I at least deserve a poster for sitting through that steaming pile of shit.

And for you, dear reader, I want Blogger to create a Livejournal type LJ-cut feature so that posts like this that you could care less about you can be scrolled over easier. Don't say I never think about you. I'm nice that way.

Things I Want or "Hello, 2009, look what you can give me since my birthday is in about a month"; Part #1 of 3

The Impossible

1. World peace
No, but really.

2. For people in power to stop dicking around the people without power
I was just kidding about Impossible Want #1, but this I'm totally serious about. I think the tiny idealist in me, and we're talking like really tiny - a googleplex even, refuses to give up to reality and can't help being a hippie bohemian. I really do think that the world would be a better place if everyone was just nicer to each other, or even by paying a good deed forward (the schmaltz though, is really unnecessary). It starts with a bully choosing to give up his tormenting ways, to a kid who's got a new reign on life after realizing the torment ends, and so on and so forth. I don't have to paint you a picture, baby Haley Joel Osment and his baby blues have done a good enough job.

Why it is imposible: Because when you're on top, very few will care to look down, let alone care for the route up there.

3. For people all over the world to be self-confident and self-assured
Insecurity is a terrible thing. It causes people to think that being thin is worth puking away their boobs or that eating a bullet is better than living. Again with the hippie bohemian act thing but self-confidence is sorely lacking in today's population, and if people would just start believing in themselves I think real change can happen. Hell, there doesn't even need to be a drastic world-altering change. I'll settle for people finally being happy. Sincerely and truly.

Why it is impossible: People are too easily influenced and persuaded. A fact advertisers and marketing folks use to make a buck out of.

4. For all my loved one to be in the same country for a recurring extended time
Preferably, forever would be better. But I'm trying to be as realistic as I can about this list and so this is my compromise. I want to be able to gather up everyone I love and meet them every two months for a length no shorter than 4 days. Even then, this is impossible. I hate isolated nation states.

Why it is impossible: Because the logistics of it are beyond mind-boggling.

5. Perfect healthy skin
I was angry for such a long time at the injustice of being saddled with shitty skin. And in a deluded attempt to help cheer me up, people always tell me, "Why it's not so bad. At least you don't have psoriasis." Please by all means, discount and make light of my eczema while I scratch and draw blood. Sure, physically eczema sufferers may be faring better, but mate, the psychological damage is already done. Wearing a baju kurung in blazing hot sun during school would not have been my attire of choice if I didn't have anything to hide, ya dig? Anyway, fast forward and I'm a lot less bitter. Most months I actually get along quite well without even sparing a thought about the condition of my skin. But next to that hidden idealistic hippie bohemian lies one very bitter girl. She doesn't rear her head much around these parts but everytime I see the first star or catch a fallen eyelash, she's the one making this wish.

Why it is impossible: Because try as you might, you can change your boobs, your hair, your butt, but you cannot fuck around with genes.

6. For Katy Perry to die in a fire
If you're going to be hogging up all the space on radio airwaves, at least have a smidgen of talent. By Katy Perry, I'm actually referring to people who can't sing a note to save their lives being forced on me. So to borrow and alter a quote from Mean Girls, "Music honchos, stop trying to make Katy Perry/Simple Plan/Avril Lavigne/The Simpson sister/Family Guy happen!"

Why it is impossible: Because the media is high selective and if you come in an easily marketable packaged, you're the one they're going to go with. I mean, Britney isn't exactly Aretha Franklin material, capische?

7. For 'random' and 'emo' to die out from people's daily vernacular
What the hell is 'emo' anyway? People have use it to describe a dog, a state of mind, an expression, a music type, how they feel about their homework and yet it remains this stupid piece of meaningless fluff that doesn't have any real meaning to it. Here's a tip: sad, depressed, unhappy, sorrowful, dejected, morose, bitter - these are the words you probably refer to whenever you use 'emo'. Oh good lord, if you dare say or think "What is she getting all emo about", I will cut a bitch and reign terror down on you six ways from Sunday and then perhaps you will really know what 'emo' is. Ditto random. I will accept the bastardization of the English language in text or Internet speak, but I draw the line when one pathetic word is used to describe a myriad of emotions.

Why it is impossible: Because there will always be 16 year old kids in this world.

8. For the Malaysian film censorship board to get real
The reality being that people have sex, kiss, curse, are gay, are racists, die (some more gruesomely than others), and wear provocative things. You can try to hide it by cutting out or forbidding such scenes, but your archaic way of thinking and acting isn't doing anything to prevent it from actually happening. What you're just doing is annoying the shit out of paying audiences who are severely chagrined by your already shitty film quality to begin with as well as proving your utter fuckwit-ness.

Why it is impossible: There is no freedom of speech here, so how can there be freedom in celluloid entertainment?

9. For no more money politics in our government
I wish the fall of Badawi, our current Prime Minister who was once ironically dubbed 'Mr. Clean' at the start of his tenure for weeding out corruption, would be indicative of changing times, but as long as we continue to have such little transparency within our local politics, the buying of votes for favours is simply impossible to stop. It is so incredibly pathetic and shameful that every Malaysian citizen knows about the rife corruption going on here. It starts from paying out cops to avoid getting a ticket and snowballs to ministers exchanging projects or favours for cash. I don't even have to name names. I'm sure at the point at least three instances have already popped into your head. How utterly depressing is that?

Why it is impossible: See Impossible Want #2. Also, very few people actually like change. It's the Malaysian way to complain the shit out of something and not actually be proactive and make change happen.

10. For contests to stop resorting to 10 words or less slogans as a judging method
I'll make it clear to you: 'This is incredibly annoying, asshole.'

Why it is impossible: Because making you work for free gifts seems like a better yardstick for judging contests when really, everybody knows pulling a name out of the hat is much easier and less aggravating on contestants.

The difference between

Moving back to a place I merely formally consider 'home' has been a very strange process. In the five years I've lived away, I have grown both mentally and physically and it feels like there exists this unbridgeable chasm between the mature adult and the teenager that remembers life differently (simpler). I will be Malaysia-based until further notice and I am gradually acclimatizing to the different living/social conditions here. While that's working out, I can't help but point out some traits that I find uniquely Malaysian:

1. Restaurants pile on the ice before pouring in the drink which leads to a cup of very diluted Coke after two minutes. Perhaps it's got to do with the warmer weather here, but man, 3/4 cup full of ice seems a tad extreme to me.

2. Of all the places I've traveled to, only in Malaysia do official forms require you to state your race. Given Malaysia's history, the topic of race is undoubtedly highly contentious. I have to wonder if there are ulterior motives for making the public divulge this little tidbit of information apart from census reasons. Which brings me to my next point.

3. It's a well-known fact that corruption is rife among our local government here. The fact that that is an undeniable fact, and not mere speculation or conspiracy theory trips me out muchly. People here are very passionate about bitching about the state of things.

4. I completely forgot how Malaysians mix other languages nonchalantly in their everyday conversation. Honest to blog, I don't know how that little Malaysian quirk slipped my mind considering it's so prevalent. It's rather amusing to have a conversation where one party is speaking in Cantonese while the other is answering in English.

5. In unrelated news, I actually detest the term 'honest to blog' which if you can't remember originates from Diablo Cody's Juno. I like the show well enough but I have to admit that the first 15 minutes annoyed me greatly with it's new-fangled hip lingo (observe: "That ain't no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can't be un-did, homeskillet." ????!!!!?!?!?!?) and twee Moldy Peaches soundtrack to the so-cute-I'm-a-diabetic-now credits. Eeek.

6. Moving back on topic, the speech patterns and local slang here are definitely one-in-a-kind. I get called out for acting pretentious when I speak English, when really the only difference is I accentuate different parts of a word. I've never really used the 'localized' English commonly known as Manglish (Malaysian English) much, and I don't fancy being called a snob just because I refuse to ruin the English language in order to fit in. As if I don't get enough flack when speaking English, I also get called a banana when attempting to speak Cantonese/Mandarin and a poser when whipping out Bahasa Melayu. Sometimes I just can't win.

7. Malaysians like their brands very much - clothes, bags, cars. Is it a curious fact that snatch theives and robbers operate highly efficiently here?

8. I also forgot just how passionate Malaysians are about their food. We will drive to the other side of town for good satay or risk contracting food poisoning for the best seafood that is located at the dingiest ports. Hell, they'd probably drive all the way to Melaka to talk politics over a plate of chicken rice.

9. I suppose the last thing that stumps me about Malaysia is the fact that the international movies screened at local cinemas follow no certain order here. Australia follows the US quite closely in terms of new releases and being aware of the seasonal movie offerings in the States you learn to expect certain things. Like summer season in the States (June/July/August) means fun, frivolous movies for the fun seeking people on holiday. That means lots of comedies, kid-friendly flicks and mindless fluff, eg Tropic Thunder, The Dark Knight, Mamma Mia etc. while fall might mean more serious flicks, Oscar contenders and the like. The system in Malaysia seems not to acknowledge any of this. Wall-E and The Mummy 3 is out but so is Deception and Penelope, the former which bombed in Australia and the latter which doesn't even have a release date yet. I am so confused. This messes up everything.

10. And I'm not even going to start on movie censorship in Malaysia. All I will say is there is no point rating your movies if you're going to cut out all the cuss words/sex scenes/violent bits regardless of classification anyway.

Daily Internet Rituals

stolen from Sophia.

Wherein I tell you my favourite haunts on the Interwebs, regardless of whether you wanted to know in the first place.

1. ONTD_twatlight.
Currently, this Livejournal community is my biggest time waster on the Web. It's a community that's devoted to mocking and bagging the hell out of the most craptastic book since the time of A.D. The book is called Twilight, the community is _twatlight and the members are lovingly called twatfaxers. It's basically one big inside joke and it brings the LOLs in massive amounts. It's great to be part of a community that have little baggage and awesome personalities. And gosh, the inside jokes... I now smirk at the mention of the weather, maize, bacon, duct tape, sous vide, umbrellas, Chris Hansen and a zillion other innocuous things. This site has also completely won me over the prettiness of Robert Pattinson, whom I pic-spammed about two posts ago.

2. ONTD.
ONTD is the best gossip site in existence. It's just a fact. There's no draggy add-on life story like PinkIsTheNewBlog, and neither does it promote inbred-neanderthalness as exhibited on PerezHilton.com. Because all the contents are user generated, you get celebrity news from members who come from all over the world. Add to that magazine scans, newspaper articles, and industry insight, it adds up to a really comprehensive coverage of news from the celebrity realm, all for your easy access from one site! If you google "best communities on Livejournal", this site is the first one on the list. Yes, seriously.

3. Pajiba and by association, Webster's Is My Bitch.
Pajiba is my favourite and most trusted movie review website ever. The reviews are usually spot on, the comments very clever and the snark and wit invokes the essence of Television Without Pity, but without the excessive bitchiness. Webster's is a subdivision of Pajiba, or more accurately the gossip arm of the parent company. I really like the format they use in presenting posts, where they utilize a word or phrase and explain the meaning as well as attach it to the celebrity gossip. See for example, the explanation for the word worthless, and the phrase, I've made a huge mistake.

4. AV Club.
The AV Club deals with all things pop culture-related. Music, TV, movies, art... their articles are well-written and covers a very diverse range of topics. The only thing that shits me up the wall about the site are the commenters. Commenters on pop culture sites as a whole, are generally predisposed to having an inflated sense of self-worth that often translates to bitchiness and wit that run the gamut from genuinely funny to bucketloads of fail. Go ahead, ask me how I know this. For whatever reason, the AV Club seems to be the proverbial trailer park for the trailer trash of the commenting world. Although to be fair, their trashniess doesn't even come close to the commenters found at IMDb.

5.. Gala Darling, Fashion is Spinach and Fops and Dandies.
I've put these three blogs together because they mostly talk about the same subject, fashion and to a lesser extent, lifestyle issues.

6. All the links on both my blogs and my Livejournal friends-list, which is basically made up of communities and Sophia.
I might not always comment, but please know that I'm lurking in the corner watching every post you make. Wow, I sound about as lame-stalker as that reads.

7. Quaintly.net.
I don't remember how I stumbled across this blog, but ever since, there's been no regret and constant lurker action. Su Ann is a really intelligent girl who writes like a dream. She describes her feelings very succinctly without relying on flowery prose and the impact is that much more overwhelming because of the underwhelming way it's been conveyed. Does that make sense? Probably not. Just know that she is very, very ridiculously articulate and her command as well as usage of the language makes for a fantastic read.

8. Karen Cheng.
Look Sophia, I read her too! I'm not usually a big fan of 'mommy-bloggers' because most of the time, I'm not nearly as fascinated as they are about their self-described cute kids who also most of the time, are about as cute as a new born pug, which is to say, not very cute. At all. Holy run-on sentence, Batman! (I really need to stop doing that). Anyway, Karen bucks the trend, not simply because we share the same first name, or because she's got two very adorable sons, but because she conveys the ups and downs of being a stay-at-home mum with lots of grace and dignity. Often times we get hints of her frustration, but there's always an awareness of her good fortunes with the life she's chosen.

That concludes the top 8 sites I frequent everyday. I'm a little ashamed to admit that I don't go to news sites much, but I read the paper and watch the 6.30 pm SBS World news, which for me, is sufficient consumption of daily news.

Number 9 and 10 shouldn't technically be included because they've both shut down and stop producing new material, but back when they did, I was a constant visitor to the sites. Even now, I troll the archives re-reading the articles. Please know that if I had my way, they wouldn't have stopped and instead lived forever, thus making themselves number #1 and #2 respectively on this list.

The would-have-been number #1 but now is number #9: Stylus.
Stylus was this beautiful slice of perfection when it came to news reporting from the realm of popular culture. There was the obligatory coverage of movies and music, but what sold it best was the diverse topics Stylus wasn't afraid to cover. Unlike one certain music website that is all about the hipster wankery music -rolls eyes-, Stylus didn't shun popular music and often wrote really introspective articles of the state of pop. The movies reviewed covered art house flicks, cult movies, foreign films and big Hollywood blockbusters. Discussions were passionate but never rude. And the Staff Top 10 lists as well as features, were always an excellent read. It's a shame this site had to die for I have yet to find an equal to it.

Would-have-been number #2 but now, number #10: Fametracker.
Fametracker was the absolute shiznit when it came to talking about celebrities. I believe it's from the same people/company who brought you Television without Pity, so there was the inbuilt snark from the get go. Their 'Hey! It's That Guy!' feature covers the plethora of actors who you often find yourself saying, "Hey! It's that guy from _____". To put it simply, the site was complete and utter brilliance.

---

When I am really, really, really bored and am looking to waste more time on the Internet, I go to eBay and Flickr. I also stalk famous people on the Internet, namely James Gunn's MySpace blog, Jason Mraz's blog and the people who run and work or created College Humor.com. Well, I did say "waste more time" and I never do a half-assed job if I can help it. I also go to Cracked for the occasional laughs. Oh, and Nintendo 8 to play old-school Mario and Galaga.

I suppose it's easier to say that the Internet becomes a free for all when I'm looking to kill time.

---
Sites that I loathe
1. Perez Hilton
Ugh. The shameless self-promotion, the childish picture scrawling, the irrepressible need to plaster his goddamn ugly mug on every third post.. How do I loathe thee, let me count the ways. I honestly lose respect for people when they say they frequent this site. True fact. I overheard this one girl in my tute talking about it in a tone that wasn't derogatory and we never became friends. I don't think it's my loss.

2. TwoP
I used to go to TwoP a lot but the insane amounts of fanwank got to me after a while. Look, the third season of Veronica Mars sucks. It really does. Accept it and deal with it. No amount of explanation or fanwankery will make others see otherwise. Fuck, season 2 wasn't even all that great. Blame CW all you want, but ultimately Rob Thomas CHOSE to subvert the formula that make Season 1 such a critical success. He chose to end season 3 without a proper ending knowing full well, that there was a very big chance the show won't be coming back. Get over it or I'll sick the wahhhmbulance on you.
/end rant.

Honestly, I still frequent the Mondo Extras bit. It's content that would have ended up on Fametracker anyway.

3. IMDb
Ditto for IMDb. It's very hard trying to present an articulate argument because whatever you say, asswipes are just going to come back with a "If you don't like it, get the fuck off the boards" type comment. And regardless of how you tell them you're just trying to have a discussion, they call you a troll and the whole boards deteriorate into a name-calling session. Goddamn wankers. These days I get my information off Wikipedia. It's a lot easier and makes me less prone to stabbing people with a blunt fork.

4. Pitchfork
I sincerely want to smack every self-congratulatory bastard on this site for their self-deluded thoughts on being music maestros of the music universe just because they frequent this oh-so-exclusive website. Wake up and smell the green grass, because there's so much more to music than Indie Rock. You're so much worse than those 14 year old die hard My Chemical Romance fans, because they at the very least, do not have age and experience on their side. Fuck you for giving the genre a bad name with your self-wankery.

---
This post ended up a lot longer than I expected. Sorry, Sophia! And as a treat for reading all that, here is a great interview by Complex magazine with both James McAvoy and Common for the upcoming movie, Wanted. Yes, that's the actor from Scotland and rapper from USA. It's a bizarre match but both of them seem to have a good rapport and the interview is a fun read. Here's a snippet:

Common: ...I was just excited to work with James. I seen James in Last King of Scotland, I’m one of them people like, if I see somebody and I think they got something, I become a fan and follow they stuff. So when I seen James, after that, what was that movie you did with “ten?”
James McAvoy: Starter for 10? I can’t believe you watched that.
Common: [Laughs.] I wanted to see that just because I liked James. So I was excited to work with him. Going back to the whole classical training, whatever he was bringing was just right, and he’s like that in every movie I seen him do.
James McAvoy: Thank you, man.

Part 1.
Part 2.

via, where else, the fabulous ONTD.

Things that have crossed my mind lately

- I hate shopping sites that don't readily put out the price of their products and only reveal it during the check out bit. Price plays a big factor in my decision to purchase something so not having the price readily available annoys me muchly.

- My grammar and spelling is deteriorating at a shockingly high rate. I wonder if that has anything to do with my growing fluency at Net speak.

- Consequently, what are the odds that future employers would be impressed if I added 1337 and LOLcat to 'languages I speak' in my resume?

- Thanks to Net speak, the term 'serious business' elicits giggles that confounds my conversation partner. Trufax. I had to explain to someone about the importance of the correct brand of toilet paper and he said not ironically, "This is serious business." I guffawed like a donkey on fire.

- Additionally, Zoolander made me forget that the correct term for 'investigatory journalist' is actually really 'investigative journalist'. The former came out in conversation the other day and I was completely stumped as to what the correct term was till Google informed me.

- Why is it that movies seem to run much longer than they really should these days? Indy Jones 4 was 2 hours and 2 minutes of total abomination and 21 could have been 21 times better if 21 minutes was cut from its total length of 2 hours and 3 minutes (clap, clap, clap). What happened to exercising some control in the editing room? Tighten up the script and cut the flab, script writers! Which leads me to my next thought.

- What could possibly go on in the Sex and the City movie to warrant a run time of 2 hours and 22 friggin' minutes?! I imagine the movie is made to stoke the fire of fangirls all across the nation but Christ on a stick, that's one long exercise in movie masturbation for a series that frankly wasn't all that good that people made it out to be.

- SatC is one of those things that people confess to liking as a guilty pleasure. Or if they like it, they'll say they like it best because of the strong friendship between the four leads or the fashion. Kind of like Gossip Girl. And how people only like it because of the relationships and wardrobe eye-candy. I have nothing else to add to this observation. I think there's something worth investigating there but it's not immediately obvious and I'm in a couldn't-be-arsed mood to think or formulate some kind of theory.

- There is this guy I know who I introduce as my cousin. We share the same last name and were born on the very same day a year apart. He too is a middle child and we both lack 20/20 vision. Character wise, we're as polar opposites as positive and negative come. One time, a mutual friend said, "Call your cousin to come out with us." And I was all, "What cousin?" I'm starting to forget which person I've told the lie too which is bad. We're now trying to push the fraternal twins angle because we roll that way. Stay tuned for more mischief and mayhem of the LAME-you're-the-only-one-laughing kind.

- I used to wonder why people believe the bullshit I make up. Every other person I meet I call cousin and depending on where people guess my (non)accent is from, I create a fake identity accordingly. Then I realized that it's because when we first meet people we take everything they say at face value. We don't stop to question their name and true identity because we assume they're telling the truth. This realization made me feel terrible for abusing people's trust, wonder how many people lie as well and what this compulsive lying says about my character. I think I'll stop lying when telling people that I'm Betty from a town called Riverdale, California stops being amusing. Which should be about, oh, never.

- A while ago I told Chaz that before I die, I would want to get blazed out of my mind with illegal substances so that I can experience the high without the consequences. Now, I think I'd be happy to go out in an edible orgy of egg-related food items. Bulls-eye, hardboiled, scrambled, hard boiled, cheese cakes, brownies, souffles, omelettes, chawan mushis... ahh. I'd be the most swollen and blotchy cremated body ever, but it would be complete and total eggstacy (clap).

Bolded = truths

It's like updating, but without the typing and thinking of new stuff to write about!

Appearance
I am shorter than 5'4".
I think I'm ugly sometimes. - is that egotistical not bolding that? (I've got a lot of self-confidence.)
I have many scars.
I tan easily.
I wish my hair was a different color.
I have friends who have never seen my natural hair color.
I have a tattoo.
I am self-conscious about my appearance.
I have/had braces.
I wear glasses.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.
I have more than 2 piercings.
I have piercings in places besides my ears. - had/going to.
I have freckles.

Family/Home Life
I've sworn at my parents.
I've run away from home.
I've been kicked out of the house.
My biological parents are together.
I have a sibling less than one year old.
I want to have kids someday.
I've had children.
I've lost a child.

School/Work
I'm in school.
I have a job.
I've fallen asleep at work/school.
I almost always do my homework.
I've missed a week or more of school.
I've been on the Honor Roll.
Within the last 2 years I failed more than 1 class.
I've stolen something from my job.
I've been fired.
I've skipped school.

Embarrassment
I've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.
Disney movies still make me cry.
I've peed from laughing.
I've snorted while laughing.
I've laughed so hard I've cried.
I've glued my hand to something.
I've had my pants rip in public.

Traveling
I've driven over 200 miles in one day.
I've been on a plane.
I've been to Canada.
I've been to Mexico.
I've been to Niagara Falls.
I've been to Japan.
I've Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
I've been to Europe.
I've been to Africa.

Experiences
I've gotten lost in my city.
I've seen a shooting star.
I've wished on a shooting star.
I've seen a meteor shower.
I've gone out in public in my pajamas.
I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
I've kicked a guy where it hurts.
I've been to a casino.
I've been skydiving.
I've been an abuse victim. - by the hands of one manager from Maccas, hell yeah
I've gone skinny dipping.
I've played spin the bottle.
I've drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
I've crashed a car.
I've been skiing.
I've been in a play.
I've met someone in person from the internet.
I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
I've seen the Northern Lights.
I've sat on a roof top at night.
I've played chicken.
I've played a prank on someone.
I've ridden in a taxi.
I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I've eaten sushi.
I've been snowboarding.

Relationships
I'm single.
I'm in a relationship.
I'm engaged.
I'm married.
I've had someone cheat on me.
I've gone on a blind date.
I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
I miss someone right now.
I have a fear of commitment.
I have a fear of abandonment.
I've cheated in a relationship.
I've gotten divorced.
I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.
I've told someone I didn't love them when I did.
I've kept something from a past relationship.

Sexuality
I've had a crush on someone of the same sex.
I've had a crush on a teacher.
I love to flirt.
I've been kissed in the rain.
I've hugged a stranger.

Honesty/Crime
I am a terrible liar.
I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.
I've snuck out of my house.
I have lied to my parents about where I am.
I am keeping a secret from the world.
I've cheated while playing a game.
I've cheated on a test.
I've run a red light.
I've been suspended from school.
I've witnessed a crime.
I've been in a fist fight.
I've been arrested.
I've shoplifted.

Drugs/Alcohol
I've consumed alcohol.
I regularly drink.
I've passed out from drinking.
I have passed out drunk at least once in the past 6 months.
I've smoked weed.
I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.
I'm a stoner.
I've snorted cocaine.
I've eaten shrooms.
I've popped E.
I've done hard drugs.
I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
I can't swallow pills.
I can swallow about 5 pills at a time no problem.
I have been diagnosed with clinical depression.
I shut others out when I'm depressed.
I take anti-depressants.
I'm anorexic or bulimic.
I've slept an entire day when I didn't need it.
I'm addicted to self harm.
I've woken up crying.
I've cried myself to sleep.
I see a therapist.

Death and Suicide
I'm afraid of dying.
I hate funerals.
I've seen someone dying.
Someone close to me has attempted suicide.
Someone close to me has committed suicide.
I've attempted suicide.
I've written a eulogy for myself

Materialism
I own over 5 rap CDs.
I own an iPod or MP3 player.
I have an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga.
I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.
I own something from Hot Topic.
I own something from Pac Sun.
I collect comic books.
I own something from The Gap.
I own something I got on e-bay.
I own something from Abercrombie.

Political/Social Attitudes
In general, I don't like people.
I'm a feminist.
I'm outgoing.
I listen to political music.
I'm Democratic.
I'm Republican.
I'm liberal.
I don't like Bush because he is dumb.
I don't like Bush with my own reasons to back it up.
I am for Bush.
I'm religious.
I dress fairly modestly.
My attitude is, "If you've got it, flaunt it."

Random
I can sing well.
I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
I open up to others easily.
I watch the news.
I don't kill bugs.
I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for the sake of being able to rhyme.
I curse regularly.
I sing in the shower.
I am a morning person.
I paid for my cell phone ring tone.
I'm a snob about grammar.
I am a sports fanatic.
I twirl my hair.
I have "x"s in my screen name.
I love being neat.
I love Spam.
I've copied more than 30 CD's in a day.
I bake well.
My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, red or blue.
I would wear pajamas to school.
I like Martha Stewart.
I know how to shoot a gun.
I am in love with love.
I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
I laugh at my own jokes.
I eat fast food weekly.
I believe in ghosts.
I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
I've not turned anything in and still got an A in a certain class.
I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
I am really ticklish.
I love white chocolate.
I bite my nails.
I play video games.
I'm good at remembering faces.
I'm good at remembering names.
I'm good at remembering dates.
I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.

My Kind of Romantic Films

In my deluded attempt at 'working out' yesterday I now have burning biceps. Biceps.. what a word. I have a sneaky suspicion that any muscle I ever had in my body has de-evolved into fat due to my long inactivity, even if that goes against any existing scientific theory. It started with an (abysmal) run and degenerated into me playing at the horizontal bars. I'm quite proud that I can still do the same tricks I learned in primary school. Not like that's going to earn me any points in any fitness books but still -pats self on head-, it's good to know.

I watched Paris Je'Taime yesterday. I had a lot of fun trying to match the segments with the directors. Out of eighteen, I got one right. Christopher Doyle's was pretty much a given though. And I was so sure Wes Craven had directed the story involving Elijah Wood too! If you watched the movie you might be apt to think so too. Anyway, the movie really made me think about the best romantic movies I've seen. Yep, you guessed it. Here's yet another movie list by me! With commentary, as per usual.

My Most Favourite Romantic Movies As Of 2007

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joel (narration as Clementine acknowledges him by raising her coffee mug): Why do I fall in love with every woman I see who shows me the least bit of attention?

I got so spooked out when I first heard that line and briefly wondered if Charlie Kaufman was looking into my life cause it needs to be said that that one line is in essence, my love life. Replace the woman with a man and that is just me all over. Sucks to be me. Personally I think Jim Carrey is one of the most versatile working actors in the industry. I always tell the disagreeing majority to watch this film. What usually follows is, "What the hell is a eternal sunshine of the what what?" Tsk. Lousy inbreds.

2. Casablanca
Rick: Here's looking at you, kid.

Actually that's not my favourite line in what is probably the most quotable movie in the world. But it carries the most emotional weight. This movie is probably one of the best romantic movies because both males who are vying for the attentions of Ingrid Bergman's character are real great guys. Unlike say, Reality Bites, where Ethan Hawke is a schlub next to Ben Stiller's nice guy and then Winona Ryder ends up choosing the douche anyway. Christ, I hate that overrated wallowing-in-faux-90s-pretentiousness movie. So as I was saying, you find yourself rooting for both of them alternatively because both of them need Ilsa in completely different ways. And both of them have their redeeming qualities so in the end when she goes off with ____ the grace with which the other guy handles the situation just adds the needed gravity and beauty to the love triangle.

3. Amelie
This movie is quite literally the celluloid encapsulation of the phrase joie de vivre. It isn't just about finding romantic or platonic love, it's about being in love with life and all its minute pleasures. How to fault it on any level?

4. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Mr. Darcy: Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you... I had to see you. I have fought against my better judgment, my family's expectations, the inferiority of your birth by rank and circumstance. All these things I am willing to put aside and ask you to end my agony.

Best wedding proposal ever. That's how real men propose -thumps chest-. Heh. For real though, the final scene between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the marsh in the early light of dawn is an absolute killer. And Darcy's second proposal is much improved of course.

5. The Village
I think I know why it did so badly in the movies. M. Night Shyamalan because of his past fare has built himself a certain reputation and unfortunately at the same time painted himself into a corner. Because of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, everyone expects a twist to happen and when it does and doesn't deliver they hate it on the film and go onto IMDb and rant. The Village suffered because the trailers painted it as a horror film. Everyone watched it expecting one. When it turned out to be about a character study in love and grief, they went ape shit.

I never saw The Village as a horror film. I went into the movie expecting a twist, sure, I mean I read the internet forums, but once the film started I was sucked into the love story between Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard. To me the film was all about their relationship. Because I am quite a tactile person by nature, the incredible cinematography (it helps that the lead character is blind) with scenes like this:


had me enraptured.

6. Lost in Translation
Key scene: the karaoke scene with Scarlett Johansson singing 'Brass in Pocket'. In one fell swoop a million men lost their hearts when ScarJo sang the 'I'm special' line in the song.

Later when the credits are rolling and you're mulling about all the missed connections in your love life you'll understand why this movie is so damn good. The endless possibilities and 'what ifs' presented throughout the film, especially the final scene between ScarJo and Bill Murray will haunt you in your loneliest hour and you'll wish you had a Charlotte to your Bob.

7. City of Glass
The story of soulmates and undying love. It's a bit like The Notebook without the excessive schmaltz and dementia tangent. Off topic but this was the very first movie I saw Daniel Wu in. Even with the horrible Cantonese and floppy hair, it was celluloid love at first sight.

8. Peter Pan (2004)
I am endlessly fascinated by the concept of first love. Parents scoff and demean the idea by labelling it 'puppy love' but I am a strong believer that love can exist within children. It's the most pure kind of love for it is untainted by the baggage that comes with adult romances. Which is why I rank this film in my top 10 romantic films. The film might not have mean to come off that way and I might actually just be projecting my own issues, but the subtext between Wendy and Peter I found to be very bitter sweet.

9. Brokeback Mountain
Fave scene:


I am so tired of explaining to my mum how this is so much more than 'that gay movie' so I don't want to go into it again. Suffice to say that I always end up sniffing back tears at the end of the movie every damn time. For the last time, it's about love between two individuals who happen to be men not homosexual love, mum!

10. Moulin Rouge + Romeo and Juliet (both directed by Baz Luhrman)
I put them both together because they're quite similar for fairly obvious reasons. On a sidenote, how awesome is John Leguizamo in both of them? I actually didn't realize he was the midget in Moulin Rouge till much later on in the movie. I'm too lazy to find a screencap of my favourite scene of R+J, which is when Romeo first meets Juliet at the fish tank. The obvious but playful attraction that happen between the two are crucial in sealing the chemistry for the rest of the movie. Apart from this movie, Claire Danes will prove that her decision to leave My So-Called Life for a movie career was an unwise one due to her incredible sucktitude.

11. A Very Long Engagement
While I found the movie to be overly convulated at some parts and brain numbingly slow in others, when laid down to its bare essential- the relationship between Mathilde and Manech, it is very successful in creating a love story of hope and endless faith. It also helps that the two leads Miss Amelie Poutain herself, Audrey Tautou and Gaspard Ulliel, are incredibly pretty. In fact, lately the pretty stakes have been on the side of Ulliel. Google Image him, the boy is hot. A Very Long Engagement is another film that leaves me sniffing back tears at the end of it. You'd have to have a heart of ice not to.

12. The Princess Bride
Let's take a moment to remember the incredible hotness of Cary Elwes before the harsh years of thirtysomething life hit him. [beat] Right then. I think the great thing about the film is its fairy tale-like quality. Not unlike Peter Pan that has quite fantastical elements, it never gets bogged down by the larger than life premise or characters.

That just about ends the list. Can you believe not one Sandra Bullock or Hugh Grant film made the list? Crikey. I barely can. How will that validate their career that is afterall made up of romantic comedy schlock?

For good measure (and cause I'm on a roll), here are some scenes that I like in films that I didn't like enough to make the cut.

- the "Can I keep you?" scene in Casper. It's just absolutely gold considering it's a CGI ghost talking.

- the Keira Knightley segment in Love Actually. As a whole the movie doesn't do it for me with it's unrelenting schmaltziness but the unrequited love segment with Keira Knightley and dude-with-the-placards is quite sweet in it's inevitable hopelessness.

- alright here's one for Miss Bullock. I thought her character in While You Were Sleeping was adorable. I haven't watched the film in a long time after my mum confessed to thinking Bill Pullman was hot (ruined Independence Day for me too). I've never been able to look at him in a proper light after that life scarring confession. Thanks, mum.

I end with this quote by Ryan Gosling in an interview he did with OK! Magazine recently.

Interviewer: Many guys say they cry when they watch The Notebook.

Ryan Gosling: [Smiles] Sissies. What's the matter with them?

Heh.

And one more for the LOL road.


Got to give mad props to this guy for trying.

My extremely belated Top 3

Well, as it turns out I threw out all my past year ticket stubs under the impression that mid-February was a wee bit too late to rate the top 3 movies of 2006. But then comes Thursday, March 15 and I'm in need of a distraction so hell, here's my extremely belated top/bottom 3 movies of the past year going on memory. Yeap, this is going to be THE BEST LIST EVER.

My Three Favourite Films

1. Brick
This, to me, was the best movie of the year not simply because of the Joseph Gordon-Levitt factor, but because the idea, execution and delivery of the film was perfect on every tactical and technical level. Rian Johnson's decision to write the script in old-school mystery noir style was very ambitious and potentially fatal to the success of the film. Pretentiousness, overreaching, unrealistic.. these were some of the words attached to Brick. Luckily the majority of the movie world embraced the film with a grousing applause. It's hard to be critical about the dialogue when it flows so smoothly and adds an extra dimension to a world of thugs, drugs and murder, that is, get this, set in an urban high school. It might seem implausible but then film was never meant to perfectly resemble real life. The ensemble cast was simply exceptional and delivered above and beyond what I expected from largely no-name actors. Highly recommended to anyone who is willing to venture out of their comfortable pop culture grounds.

2. Blood Diamond
DiCaprio proved his role in The Departed was no one-trick pony with his excellent follow-up performance as the morally ambiguous black-market diamond trader in Blood Diamond. If you ask me, I'd say DiCaprio is far more engaging here as evidenced in his constantly toeing the morally grey line. Political messages aside, this film was an emotional powerhouse, Djimon Hounsou being the proverbial dynamite to the exploding show. The pacing was consistent, visuals, exciting and action, unrelenting.

3. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
No, I'm only kidding.

The real no. 3: She's The Man
Seriously though. STM is very entertaining for a teen genre flick. Plus, if you ever wondered, I base my list on shows that are not only my favourite of the year but also flicks that I wouldn't mind re-watching again in the future. So that's why The Prestige isn't taking this spot. It's fantastic and all but I doubt I'll re-watch it anytime soon.

My Bottom Three Movies

1. My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Hard to believe that the lame female lead is the same person who tore up screens a year ago on a bloody rampage as the Bride.

2. Date Movie
It was pretty bad. But Epic Movie is worse. In fact, I'll just declare this up front. As of March 2007, Epic Movie is my chosen worst movie of the year. It's kind of hard to top that disaster of lame and unfunny gags.

3. John Tucker Must Die
It's not so much putrid as horribly generic. Which is actually enough to make it pretty damn bad. So there.

Also, just since I'm on a roll and all..

My Three Favourite 'Horror' flicks

1. Slither
Yeah, I'll admit it. Besides the incredibly gross (=awesome) visuals and FX, the main reason why it's number one has a lot to do with the Nathan Fillion factor. Also, I think I'm a little bit in love with writer/director James Gunn, brother of Sean 'Kirk on Gilmore Girls' Gunn. It's a fun ride this one is.

2. The Hills Have Eyes
Did you know that the same guy who was the father of the baby plays flame-boy Pyro on X2 and X3?

3. The Descent
That scene with the night vision camera and the cave dweller had me stopped chewing my potato chips mid-bite if I remember correctly.


My Three Favourite Comedies

1. Borat
"It nice!" has entered the international lexicon of all things funny, yes?

2. Clerks 2
The humour doesn't really hold up with repeat viewings but you just can't go by the witty pop culture-laced dialogue.

3. Jackass 2
Funny, but for all the wrong reasons.


The Three Biggest Disappointments

1. Lady in the Water
Oh, M. Night Shyamalan. I tried to ignore the critics and the reviews and it worked. But when I watched the movie myself, it was hard to keep paying attention what with the lagging pace and the plodding dialogue. Also, I hate Paul Giamatti so that didn't help any. Still love your visuals though.

2. The Illusionist
I was all prepared to love this show more than The Prestige, after all they had the same 'magician in trouble' premise. While Edward Norton was amazing as per usual, the combination of Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman takes the whole damn bakery. While the visuals were pleasant and the plot easy to understand, it just lacked a lot of the punch Prestige had. Take a bow, Nolan.

3. Babel
The more critical acclaim this film gets, the more I hate it. While each individual plot was engaging, the movie as a whole lacked cohesion and at the end of the movie, I was left with a "urmmmm.. was that all?" feeling. I don't know.. maybe I just expected too much from it. Whatever the case is I'm pretty glad it didn't win best picture at the Oscars.