Animal Cruelty

It is recommended that you watch the video on this link before reading any further.

Animal Cruelty

Majority of the people would turn this video off after 2 minutes or perhaps even less. Granted, this video was extremely difficult to watch and I was tempted to close it. However, I reminded myself that it would be simply cowardly to avert my eyes from the supposed truth. No, I am not a vegetarian. Yes, I will still continue to eat meat. Why? Because even though this horrible video did question my moral conscience, I still came to my own conclusion of how things work.

The whole point of this post is to tell people that people need to face reality. Rather than looking away and pretend how some things didn't happen, people need to accept how things are. Which side you stand on is not as important as that you make a decision because only then will you truly know yourself. It is often easy to make characterizations and statements about yourself but not quite as easy when faced with a true obstacle that questions those judgements.

In Bruges (2008)

Easily one of the best dark British comedies I have seen, "In Bruges" effectively blends humor and a theme of serious drama. The only reason why you won't laugh out loud at most of it's comedy is because of it's context. Unlike most comedies, "In Bruges" is not a light-hearted film, it focuses on a rather serious theme on civilized assassins and warped ethics. People who enjoy subtlety will no doubt enjoy the effort that "In Bruges" displays. There is a varied use of symbology in this film which works well in delivering irony. This film warrants multiple viewings in order to fully grasp its hidden significance.

"In Bruges" opens with two assassins arriving in a preserved medieval town, named "Bruges", to hide after carrying out a job. Upon arrival, the film slowly shows the contrast in both the assassins' livelihood tastes. Ray (Colin Farrell) openly expresses his dislike for Bruges while Ken (Brendan Gleenson) finds himself captivated by the historical features of the town. Essentially, the two assassins were to hide in a hotel and wait for further instructions from their boss, Harry (Ralph Fiennes). However, many complications arise when Ken receives his next assignment while Ray, still haunted by the bloodshed in his previous job, seeks closure for his misdeeds.

Mixed with a clever script and excellent directing, "In Bruges" is a perfect example for satirical works. This film kept me enthralled with sharp curve balls being thrown rapidly but never too fast or too many. The soundtrack, which is something I would readily commend, enhances the entire experience with near-perfect symphony. There is a fair amount of violence in this film which might put off some people. Other than that, there's almost no reason why anyone shouldn't watch this.

9/10

Homo Idiotus: A personal experience

My personal experience with this Homo Idiotus is actually an ongoing experience. The pain of dealing with him daily is nearly insufferable. Fortunately, he will be departing soon, from my camp I mean (although it'd be more beneficial to the world if he departed entirely.). There is no greater sign that the person next to you is an Homo Idiotus than the inadequacy of his or her grasp of language. The distinctive lack of proper speech is probably the most noticable thing about this "fellow colleague" of mine, other than his decaying front teeth that is. Oh, and he also has a unique ability which allows him to defecate from both his rear end and his mouth.

Although it is not uncommon for the Homo Idiotus species to be unhygenic, this particular creature is among the extreme. He does not brush his teeth, dismissing it as a "chore" and instead, uses only Listerine before he sleeps. His teeth is one particular sight that would haunt you for all eternity. His front teeth has decayed so badly that portions of it are black (yes, pure black, not brown) and everytime he drinks any colored beverage, it'd enhance the grotesque monstrosity of what is left of his "teeth". Watching 10 men get decapitated is easier than looking at his teeth and this might actually be an understatement. His teeth is, unfortunately, not the only "unclean" thing about him. Not only can you smell his pungent body odor from a mile away, his breath could kill a healthy bull with merely one whiff. The rate at which he smokes could probably rot your lungs in 2 seconds. If there was one thing you should be grateful for, it would be that you don't have to inhale his filthy presence like me and my poor camp mates do.

Not all ends here, however, for there is still many things about this creature that would shock you. For one, this creature scored only 99 for his PSLE and sincerely believes that education, which is essentially the root of our society, is entirely unimportant. The relevance of his arguement to anything can only be measured in galactic distances. His reasoning so warped that it's only purpose serves to violate your poor ears and brains. If this wasn't enough, his terrible speech impairment in all his 3 languages is almost equally excruciating. Everytime he spews his unintelligible garble, the only rational response would be to ignore it. However, he would just be extremely dissatisfied and press on, forcing you to give up your dignity with his incomprehensible waste.

Yet with this much of an intellectual handicap, he persists in expressing complete confidence in his own intelligence and physical dominance. He constantly reminds us of how good of a fighter he is when, in reality, he is nothing more than a shell of pretentious courage. In fact, his own unique way of expressing his rage is to beat up inanimate objects, which purpose clearly serves to demonstrate his physical prowess. His obvious delusions about himself provide him with plenty of false ego, easily shrugging away criticism and insults. This appalling excuse of a "man" also takes out his pitiful frustrations on an obvious weaker being, who is also not much of what I would consider a "man".

As mentioned in the previous post about the Homo Idiotus species, these creatures breed like hamsters because they ignore the consequences of having sex. It is very evident in this particular creature's case since he has a shotgun marriage. Truly a classic example of inconsequential thinking. I sincerely pity his offspring as I can already foresee the principles that will be imparted upon this poor child. It is terribly sad to know that this vicious cycle of stupidity spins tirelessly. Fortunately, not all will be lost if somehow this child manages to break free from his father's intellectual capacity.

I have no fear that this creature will stumble upon this entry as even if he did, he would not understand a single word of it. Of course, he will first have to learn how to operate the computer. Besides, what could he do? Even if by some miraculous chance he manages to operate the computer and even more stunningly comprehend this entry, all in all, he is merely a coward wearing a tiger's skin. He is neither physically fit nor capable of any true intellectual thought. Ironically, he is the perfect example of the direct opposition of perfection. This creature is truly an abomination in our society that needs to be weeded out.

Homo Idiotus

A recent study has discovered a new type of Homo (genus) called the Homo Idiotus. This species of Human has successful masked itself as a Homo Sapien (what most of us are) over the years so as to remain undetected by us. Although their appearance are similar to ours, they also bear a resemblance to monkeys. The greatest difference between us and the Homo Idiotus species is what we term "intelligence". Although somewhat similar to monkeys in terms of capabilities, the Idiotus species possess only a slightly higher level of organized thought. The Homo Idiotus species can only be found in Singapore. These species are, in slang, called "Ah Bengs".

Much like how a body louse infests our body, the Homo Idiotus species infests the Singapore culture with it's intellect. Members of the Homo Idiotus behave irrationally because of their small brain which effectively renders them completely impervious to the realistic forces of reasoning. This makes them a very volatile breed. However, there is no need to fear as majority of the Idiotus species are only aggressive at face value, very much like a dog with a lot of bark but no bite. Two common behaviorial characteristics of the Homo Idiotus are the pretentions of courage and intelligence, when in truth they really have neither. According to study, these breed of Homos have no desire to progress, very much unlike us. Their sole purpose of existence is to survive. If there was one thing the Idiotus species are good at, it's surviving. Like weeds, they will simply sprout out more when you stomp one. The reason for this is their innate carnal desire to have sexual intercourse with basically anything that moves. With no regard for the consequences or the desire to have babies, their engagement in intercourse is based off the sole reason of enjoyment. Their offspring is simply the aftermath of the deed.

As mentioned earlier, the Homo Idiotus are capable of some organized thought. Majority of these Idiots have clans, or "gangs" as they call it, fighting over territory which, in reality, does not truly belong to them anyway. These clans that they form hold rules and conduct governed by a political concept called "Idiocracy". As they are ultimately incapable of organized thoughts, they resort to their instincts to gather the basic commodities which results in what we humans call "crime". With no regard for laws or rules, they simply take what they want when they can. Should there be an obstacle of any sort, their first option would be to usually run straight at it, hoping that somehow they can physically dominate it. (E.g. Running straight at a law enforcement officer who is pointing a gun straight at him.)

The Homo Idiotus phenomenon is a thriving epidemic that is detrimental to Singapore's welfare. What make these parasites so dangerous is the grotesque ability to infect our young with their mentality. It is vital to note that your child has been infected when he tells you that he has a 大哥 or "Big Brother". This means that somehow one of these horrendous mutations of the human species have actually convinced your child to follow his steps. This will devolve your child into a Homo Idiotus member when he grows up. The best approach for treatment would be to quickly eradicate all beliefs instilled into your child by this distorted species of human beings. The next step would be to ensure he is properly sufficed with an education. The best repellant against the Idiots is a strong foundation of rationality.

The Sad Cow

This picture is not done by me. I am just sharing it as I think it's a really good photo.

Mystic River (2003)

Mystic River is a difficult movie to digest. The climax is also the anti-climax. Its conclusion provides you with no closure. This is a movie you will either hate or like. Unfortunately for me, I didn't like it very much. Yet when I went to read some opinions on it, a lot of things occured to me. Perhaps I was too focused on disecting the mystery during the movie that I missed out the important things. The acting was also equally distracting, Sean Penn was bad, it seemed like he was trying too hard and Marcia Gay as the terrified spouse just came off as annoying. The movie is focused around pedophilia, even though during the course of the movie, it isn't talked about a whole lot. Instead, it provides a back story on an act of pedophilia and goes on about the events that ensue. The movie also uses some subtle references, you have to pay careful attention to the dialog to catch them.

The lives of 3 boys were forever changed when one of them was kidnapped and sexually abused. Even though the 2 other children were unaffected, their lives were intertwined because of a tragic incident. Dave (Tim Robbins), the boy who was sexually abused, became the center of a crime that involves the murder of Katie, Jimmy's (Sean Penn) daughter. Sean (Kevin Bacon) is the cop who tries to solve the murder. The events that unfold becomes the crux of the story.

The ending made a lot of people dislike the movie because it dropped a huge dosage of realism that does not sit well with a lot of people. Having a happy ending is one thing, but having no ending is another thing. It's like telling you the Cinderella story but after she runs from the ballroom I just end it there. The conclusion ended with a lot left to interpret. This was actually ok for me if the movie was like "No Country for Old Men", where the entire point of the movie was that things just happen as they do. The problem I had with this movie was actually not all about the ending, the ending would have been fine if the body of the movie wasn't so boring. It could be like, an extra point. However, the movie focused too much on solving the mystery of the crime rather than what it was talking about, the act of pedophilia that caused it all.

To be fair, there could be another way of looking at it, that even though Dave suffered a terrible tragedy in his past. He didn't find closure or a happy ending like how most movies would paint out such an event. Instead, he received more damage and ultimately died. I guess that could be the point of the movie, that the world isn't very fair. It wasn't very clear on this and this is actually just pure speculation on my part which is why I don't like the movie. It didn't manage to support its points very well.

There was barely any soundtrack in this movie, there was like one theme song and they used it throughout. Usually it would be ok but the song was used so inappropriately that it came off as really strange. As I mentioned before, some of the actors did a bad job but not all of them did poorly. Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins and Laura Linney still managed to maintain their high standards. In my opinion, 6/10.

The Man

He walked into the crowded room and immediately attracted the attention of all. The crowd was instantly hushed by his divine presence. Not even the softest whisper was uttered. As he made his way to the stage, his stride exuded grace and pride with every meticulous step. His majestic presence emitted an overwhelming aura. His physical form captured the heart of every woman. Everyone's gaze fixated on him, all silent with profound admiration. The ladies smiled sheepishly, sincerely deluded that they have fallen in love. The gentlemen nodded their heads, approving of him with the deepest admiration and respect. With his destination reached, he adjusted himself appropriately and parted his perfectly shaped lips, momentarily pausing before speaking. The ladies gasped softly, completely mesmerized by his charisma and charm. He stood on the stage with a perfect posture. Each spoken word taken as universal truths and wisdom. He finished with a gracious bow. The crowd, completely awed, applauded with great and heartfelt appreciation.

Unforgiven (1992)

I rarely ever watch western films and most of the ones I have seen are just bad in my opinion. In fact, before "Unforgiven", I have only ever really liked one western film, "The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford". Instead of talking about the value of a life like most films do, "Unforgiven" studies the different perspectives on the value of a life. It's a very realistic movie that doesn't glorify killing or shootouts yet even so, this movie still manages to inspire feelings of fear and respect for the protagonist.

William "Bill" Munny (Clint Eastwood) is the anti-hero who reformed from a stone-cold killer to a small time rancher. He has earned a very big reputation for killing people without any hesitation and for his nerves of steel. 3 years after his wife has passed on, William gets a visit from a kid who wants to collect on a bounty. Through his own moral justifications and for financial reasons, William looks up an old friend (Morgan Freeman) and decides to join the kid on his quest. The bounty involves two cowboys who cut up a prositute's face, which sets off a chain of events. The deputy sheriff, Little Bill (Gene Hackman), tries to settle it by ordering the cowboys to give some horses to the pimp for compensation. Unsatisfied with the justice served, the prositutes issue a bounty for the two cowboys. When Little Bill learns of this, he is adamant on protecting his authority and self-served justice. An inevitable clash of violence ensues...

There is a lot of contrast in this movie. The eager kid who desperately admires William's reptutation wants to make a name for himself but ultimately decides against it when he realizes the burden of killing a person. William and Little Bill has their own set of morals that they live by, they are not portrayed as bad people, but just regular people with different ideals. William believes that he was wrong to have killed all those people before but in the end, he kills mercilessly again. It was in his innate nature to be a killer, he didn't care whether the people he killed truly deserved it or not, it was just personal revenge to him.

"Unforgiven" also talks about myths and legends, especially larger-than-life western legends. William is considered a legend, almost everyone knows who he is because of his notoriety. He is described by many to be a stone cold killer with incredible gun slinging skills to match and a man with no weaknesses. Yet in reality, he is a man just like any other who gets scared and sick. The movie constantly reminds us of this contrast. Everytime William is seen experiencing difficulty, his reputation reminds us of what he is capable of. At the very climax, he threatens people not to shoot him or he will massacre their families and even though he was vastly outnumbered, nobody dared to shoot. He was merely a man but he was viewed as an incredible legend by everyone and this obscured his weaknesses and flaws, their fear was equivalent to the question "How can you shoot the Devil in the back? What if you miss?".

"Unforgiven" is all in all a very good movie, it talks about a lot and the climax feels really epic. A 9/10 in my opinion.

Feng Shui

The credibility of Feng Shui is regarded by many to be skeptical. Most people believe that Feng Shui relies heavily on unproven chinese methodologies with no scientific background. This is only true to a certain extent but the public cannot be blamed as Feng Shui has been defamed by many so-called "Masters" of the art. The research put into Feng Shui is far from small, it is actually rather extensive. The main concept of Feng Shui actually deals with astronomy. Feng Shui is under the main belief that our physical and mental existence is related with the universe. As such, our physical placement controls significant forces still unknown to us.

Personally, I think too little is known about Feng Shui for it to be established as a functioning science. Although I do believe that it does exist, I also believe that what we think it is and what it actually is could be actually entirely different. My opinion on current successful Feng Shui "Masters" is that they don't actually employ true Feng Shui methodologies, but rather psychological methods that toy with the human mind. Having a good Feng Shui is, in short, perceived to having good fortune. Luck, in my opinion, does not truly exist. It is a perceived fantasy created by people to fool themselves. For me, someone having "good luck" is just seeing the positive side of things. For example, a teenager who falls down but finds $10 on the ground. The positive side is that he found $10 because of the fall and the negative side is that he fell and hurt himself. My take is that these "Masters" exploit on this factor and lead their clients to believe that they have "good luck" by making them see the positive side of things. I guess this is not necessarily a bad thing, as being positive has it's advantages.

Another take on it would be that a Feng Shui "Master" creates an relaxing ambience for his client. Such as placing a fish tank in the middle of the house so the client will look at it whenever he moves about his house. The idea behind this would be to create an ideal scenario for the client, such as removing obstructive furniture or placing objects of interest in frequented places. This would increase the user's mental well-being. In a sense, these Feng Shui "Masters" would be considered architects, but one that tailors his structures to the client's psychological needs rather than a standard architect that constructs based on practical purposes.

Feng Shui is actually an interesting but defamed science, yet the defamers are not without credit. Although they don't actually sell what they advertise, which is "good luck", and most would consider this as a con, they create a healthy mindset for people. I still disapprove as I think they should sell their skills for what it is, rather than mask it to increase their market audience.