Friday, April 27, 2007

The week of movies.

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So the missus and I went to see 300 last weekend. To be honest, I caved into the hype. I wasn’t really interested in it after watching the preview but after reading the rave reviews and constant recommendations by friends, I decided to give it a go. I think the thing that finally convinced me was that it is a movie adaptation of a comic book that won the Eisner Award, which is the comic book industry equivalent of the Oscar.

I thought the cinematography was awesome. Even though 90% of it was CGI, it was an enjoyable movie experience because of its life-likeness. The acting was a little full-on and the dialogue too zen-like but it’s forgivable since my brain has already digested the fact that it’s based on a comic book. I’d give it a 7/10. The second best movie I’ve watched this year behind Casino Royale.

A passing comment made by my wife after the movie was how great the Spartan army’s bodies were. She was all, ‘Gosh! What nice bods’, and I’m like, ‘Huh?’, while slamming down a thick shake filled with whipped cream. Wasn’t exactly doing my self esteem any good with a comment like that.

BLAST YOU C.G.I!!!

Those bulging pecks and biceps were computer generated right? Right???

To my colleagues:

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To the chef in my favourite Italian restaurant:

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Also watched The Reaping starring Hilary Swank on tight-ass Tuesday since Wednesday was a public holiday. The preview made out like it’s good but I thought the movie was garbage. It relied too much on cheap shock tactics like somebody pouncing out of nowhere and loud sound effects.

Next up Spider Man 3!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

CL: Man U v Milan

I haven’t watched a full football match on tv for a while. The last time I watched Man U play a full game, van Nistelrooy was still around. SBS, a local tv station here, used to show a live Premiership game in the wee hours of Sunday which I would stay up for but ever since Pay TV won the rights to air them, I’ve lost touch with English football.

Then yesterday, I caught wind that Man U was playing Milan this morning in the Champions League semi final and seeing that today is a public holiday (ANZac Day), it got the juices firing to get up at 4.30am for it.

MANNNNN! WHAT. A. MATCH!!!

I was totally glued to the tv. Getting to see the young guns like Ronaldo, Rooney and Kaka in action was relatively new to me. The last time I watched them play was at the last World Cup. I remember Ronaldo being a ball hogger then, with people screaming, 'PASS THE FUCKING BALL!!!' when I watched Portugal play in a public arena. Now, he’s still a ball hogger but much better at it I reckon. It’s amazing to watch him blow by 3 defenders with ease but I'm sure that everytime he loses it by trying to dribble pass the entire defence and midfield line-up, somebody in the stadium would have yelled out THAT phrase. They should really make a tee shirt out of it. The thing that capped the night was seeing the players from the United of my era play. Giggs and Scholes were still doing what they do best.

The funny thing was, when the scores were locked at 2-2, I kinda’ had a feeling that Man U was going to steal it cos’ they have a knack for doing that in big games. It reminded me of the United of old when they had Sheringham, Beckham, Cole and Yorke. That team pulled off some miracle finishes. The performance this morning was certainly reminiscent of vintage United. Ferguson really is a genius and a legendary coach. He's proven time and again that he doesn't need a team full of superstars to win matches.

3-2 United. To Milan and then, the finals.

Glory, glory Man United...

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Loyalty.

I was sent an email today by one of the partners requesting my opinion
on a client who has hit rough times and is lagging in paying our fees.

The question of loyalty popped into my mind in varying degrees.

I remember some of the funnier times when I was a wee teen growing up
with a pretty close circle of friends. From touring around our 'hood all day in our BMXs to hanging out at each other’s place for hours on end, we had a special bond going. This probably lasted until we discovered girls.

Slowly, you’d see information about members of the group being divulged to the opposite sex. Embarrassing details being regurgitated back to us in front of other females by someone the rest of us have only met for a few minutes. Details that could send the weak scurrying back to their mama’s teat. I’m sure almost every male has encountered such betrayal to what was once a circle of trust and loyalty.

Why?

As Morgan Freeman’s character in Edison puts it ever so eloquently –
‘Pussy’.

I’m not even sure if we knew what to do with those things at that age
but the point is, the female species can break any male to male bond that
in some cases takes a lifetime to build. There is always someone in a group that will crumble at the very sight of a female looking in their direction. If the girl winked, these guys would have a total mental blackout.

Ever had a friend disappear on you for months on end? Or how about a
friend that says he’s too busy to even grab a bite with you when you guys used
to hang out every other day? Why do they do it?

That’s right. Think Morgan Freeman.

The next thing you know, the girl your good friend was seeing has somehow
downloaded all known information about you from your friend. So, when
you meet and she says, ‘I’ve heard so much about you’, trust me. She has.

As I grow older, I sometimes begin to miss that bond. That feeling of
loyalty amongst friends when we were young, single and devoid of any
female distractions.

Man, that sounded so gay!

I don't think any of us seriously blamed each other for our loose lips (some looser than others) or that we cared, but it was pretty embarrassing and sometimes shocking when people mention details about you that you thought only a select few knew.

Loyalty and trust are two elements that are important in any
relationship. But in a business relationship, I rate loyalty more important than
trust because you can have trust without loyalty but you cannot have loyalty
without trust. Obviously, this has to be done with due consideration.

Either way, it's only right to be fiercely loyal to the people that have stuck by you
through thick and thin and I believe that you don’t actually know anyone until
you need help. That is when your true friends are revealed.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Shock.

One of my colleagues learned that her dad had cancer yesterday afternoon. I really feel for her. Imagine hearing the news at work? Man! She must have been devastated. Understandably, she left for the hospital immediately. The poor thing. Her dad just had a stroke and was recovering in hospital and now this. She was told that things are not looking good.

Certainly, changed the mood of my day. I'll definitely pray for her.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Holy Matrimony Batman!

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Ahhhh..weddings. Some people hate attending weddings but I must say that I quite like them. I am yet to see a groom cry during the ceremony but then again, I haven't seen an 'I don't' either. Maybe one day both will come at once. Hahahaha! I hope I won't see that day.

Tears of joy must be a girl thing. I've never cried on any joyous occassions no matter how great it was and I have never seen any of my friends cry when they're happy either. Where I was sitting, the bride's maid cried, the bride's mum cried, the grooms mum cried. MANNNN!

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As with most diy weddings, there were little things that showed how stressful it was leading up to the big day. For example, we got the invitation after the r.s.v.p date. At first I thought that being my brother-in-law's wedding, we were given the card just as a formality since we were expected to attend. Later on, I found out that a lot of people got their invites late too.

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It wasn't a restaurant reception but a location at Lane Cove where the whole place is catered for something like this. With a beautiful garden for people to mingle before dinner and a reception area to organise the guests, it was very pleasant to say the least. The 3 course meal was delicious and the string quartet provided the mood. All in all, a great night.

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The most memorable event of the evening other than the Merc. with the modified doors and of course the speeches, was when my sister-in-law (who volunteered to register guests and collect gifts on that night) asked this couple if they had any presents for the bride and groom. 'No', the woman responded rather loudly. There was this weird and uncomfortable silence that ensued for what seemed like an eternity. Both the guest and my sister-in-law felt embarrassed because there were like 8 people in the line with their gifts and I'm sure most of them heard it. I suggested she change the question from, 'Do you have any gifts or presents for the bride and groom?' to a more diplomatic, 'If you have any gifts for the bride and groom, you can leave it with us', to avoid any further embarrassments. We had a good laugh though.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

WTF! #3

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From slamxhype
Robot engineering doctor Sankai from Yamato house industrial corporation has revealed their Power Suit.

This prototype cost 2,000,000 Yen (AU$20,500) and expected to retail at 500,000 Yen (AU$5,100). Originally designed for the welfare institution this suit supports the body and helps the disable to move freely. Other application would include labour intense occupations to enhance their physical strength!


COOL!!!

Now that's what I call a Power Suit! They remind me of the Headmasters from The Transformers. I can definitely use one of these babies!

Friday, April 06, 2007

Good Friday 2007

Happy Good Friday people!

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Hot cross buns from Krispy Kreme. Sugar must be free nowadays cos', MAN! Were they sweet!!!

Assignment blues.

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Highlighter? Check.
Coffee? Check.
Jordan games for motivation? Check.
Mirror to check if bald spot's getting bigger? Check.

This is definitely one of the tougher units in the course so far. It's question based and there are no suggested texts to read (at least I don't have to blow another $100+ on a text book), just some legislations and a whole bunch of cases where I have to extract the relevant arguments and judgements to back my answer. There are 24 questions in the unit. We go through 2 questions in each lecture and there is an average of 10 cases for each question. 10 cases! 240 cases in the unit and it's a closed book exam! Maybe I should start tattooing some points on my arms like Michael Scofield in Prison Break. Anyway, a lot of the time, there are no right or wrong answers, just how strong one's argument is. Maybe that's what frustrates me so much. No wait, some of the language the 'Lords' used in like 1903 frustrates me even more! Was the word, 'fuck' invented then? Because after reading 3 pages of reasoning, I think what they're trying to say is, 'Thou art fucked'.

What looks like shit, smells like shit, tastes like shit and feels like shit should usually be shit! But if it goes to the court, shit can sometimes turn into wakami sushi.

Mmmmmm...wakami sushi...

Man! No wonder they say good lawyers are usually good bullshitters too.

One thing's for sure, I find that I've learned a lot in terms of logical thinking and deductive reasoning. Sometimes, it drives me nuts because you're in 2 minds with some questions and both arguments for and against the subject matter is concrete but you can only have 1 answer. There is no 'draw'. That's when I think I am about to develop some split personality disorder or something because one minute I might think that the decision should be this but the next minute, I'm sure that it's another. I definitely don't like it when there is no correct answer to a question. Unfortunately, that's where a lot of the world's problems lie. The grey area.



*Pic taken with Sony Ericsson K800. Not bad. Not bad at all.
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