Dr. House: Do you have some... ethical problem with what I'm doing that you can express in a unique way, which might actually make me think that I'm wrong, eventhough I'll never admit it?
Dr. O'Shea: Yes.
Dr. House: You ARE funny!
Dr. House: Hallucination. That's a brain thing, right?
Lucas: Oh, the guy doing manual labor can't have an opinion?
[pause]
Lucas: I might be a genius who just happens to have uh.. a passion for fixing coffee machines.
[pause]
Lucas: No. I'm obviously not but that's rude making assumptions about people.
Dr. House: Because I wanted to find out what you guys found out before I find out what he found out. So I can find out if I NEED a private investigator.
Dr. House: Say it...
Dr. Foreman: You were right.
Dr. House: God! That was petty of me.
Lucas: Have you never seen an after-school special? That is part of the pleasure of friendship. Trusting without absolute evidence, and then, being rewarded for that trust.
Lucas: Your type doesn't care if you're right or wrong. Coz they've hired me to investigate the wrong person.
Lucas: You want me to check out Wilson..
Lucas: ... You want to find out if he's pining. You want to find out if there's something about him that will tell you he's gonna come back. Or something you can use to make him come back...
Dr. House: Is there?
Dr. House: ... Placebo effect. People have confidence in doctors. They've confidence in diagnosis, confidence in medicine. Sometimes they get a little better just because they think they will. And that can make us think that the wrong answer is the right answer... which is very bad.
Apple: So, you do have proof that it's cancer, but.. you can't tell me because it might affect the way I react to the medicine?
Dr. House: If that we're true, I would surely make sense. Do you think I can tell you that it's true? (Followed by exagerated wink.)
Apple: The doctors told me that my life is gonna be SO better once I get to see. I would date. I would dance... But uh... the guys I hated dancing with before I hated dancing with after. My parents were still dead. I'm still alone.
Dr. House: You're fun.
Apple: You don't seem all that different.
Dr. House: I haven't given up.
Woman: Are you following me.
Dr. House: No.
Lucas: No.
Woman: Are you lying.
Dr. House: No.
Lucas: Yes.
Dr. House: Lesson one. Commit.
[After House presses on emergency button. Nurses rush in.]
Nurse: You ever hear of the boy who cried wolf?
Dr. House: Never really bought that. I don't care how often the kid cries he's being eaten by the wolf. Moms gonna come running.
....
[House presses on emergency button again. Nurse rushes in again.]
Dr. House: Just proving a point.
Dr. House: ... What I DO know is that you're not seeing what everyone else is seeing.
Apple: And now? Things are gonna be... beautiful?
Dr. House: Things will be what they are.
[House removes the gauze over Apple's eyes.]
Dr. House: How do I look?
Apple: You look sad...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
China Milk Scandal - Recalled products in Singapore
While the US is facing economic struggles, the rest of Asia is alarmed with the Milk scandal in China.
In case you've been disconnected from the outside world for the last month, you would know that many milk / dairy products from China have been tainted with melamine, which is said to cause tumors or such. And in recent weeks, traces of this substance is found in many products from China.
The following is a list of some products which have been recalled in Singapore in light of the melamine scare. (Note that this is best effort only. If anyone has a comprehensive list, let me know):
1. M&M
2. Snickers
3. Mento's Yoghurt Bottle
4. Dove Chocolate
5. Oreo Wafer Sticks
6. Dutchlady Sterilised Milk
7. Wall's all natural mango
8. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
9. Magnum Ice Cream
10. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
11. Mini Cornetto
12. Youcan Ice Cream
And just earlier today, Cadbury will be pulling their products from the shelves after melamine traces have been found in their products. See the news here.
Personally, I'm shaken by the recall of Snickers, which is my favorite snack. If it's not that expensive, I might have bought a whole pack and ate it myself. Anyway, the only shining ray of hope for me is with Guardian where I found Snickers but are manufactured in Australia (I think). Still, I'd likely stick with the wheat bread for the next few months...
In case you've been disconnected from the outside world for the last month, you would know that many milk / dairy products from China have been tainted with melamine, which is said to cause tumors or such. And in recent weeks, traces of this substance is found in many products from China.
The following is a list of some products which have been recalled in Singapore in light of the melamine scare. (Note that this is best effort only. If anyone has a comprehensive list, let me know):
1. M&M
2. Snickers
3. Mento's Yoghurt Bottle
4. Dove Chocolate
5. Oreo Wafer Sticks
6. Dutchlady Sterilised Milk
7. Wall's all natural mango
8. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
9. Magnum Ice Cream
10. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
11. Mini Cornetto
12. Youcan Ice Cream
And just earlier today, Cadbury will be pulling their products from the shelves after melamine traces have been found in their products. See the news here.
Personally, I'm shaken by the recall of Snickers, which is my favorite snack. If it's not that expensive, I might have bought a whole pack and ate it myself. Anyway, the only shining ray of hope for me is with Guardian where I found Snickers but are manufactured in Australia (I think). Still, I'd likely stick with the wheat bread for the next few months...
Shake It - by Metro Station
Not sure exactly what happened but for a few months earlier, I could no longer listen to RX 93.1 online. :(
Just out of the blue -- since I've finished off most of my assigned tasks -- I tried again, and voila! Rx93.1 is back! Not sure for how long, but thank God they're back!
Anyway, there's one fairly old song that got stuck in my head after hearing it one RX: Shake It by Metro Station. Too bad they disabled the embed feature for this youtube video. Here's the link.
I guess it's one of those upbeat, feel-good songs for me.. :)
Just out of the blue -- since I've finished off most of my assigned tasks -- I tried again, and voila! Rx93.1 is back! Not sure for how long, but thank God they're back!
Anyway, there's one fairly old song that got stuck in my head after hearing it one RX: Shake It by Metro Station. Too bad they disabled the embed feature for this youtube video. Here's the link.
I guess it's one of those upbeat, feel-good songs for me.. :)
SHAKE IT
Metro Station
Let's drop!
Yeah, come on
I'll take you home
If you don't leave me at the front door
(Leave me at the front door)
Your body's cold
But girl, we're gettin' so warm
And I was thinking of ways
That I could get inside (Get inside)
Tonight you're falling in love
Let me go now
This feeling's tearing me up
Here we go now
Now if she does it like this
Will you do it like that?
Now if she touches like this
Will you touch her like that?
Now if she moves like this
Will you move her like that?
Come on, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
Your lips tremble
But your eyes are in a straight stare
(In a straight stare)
We're on the bed
But your clothes are laying right there
And I was thinking of places
That I could hide
(I could hide)
Tonight you're falling in love
Let me go now
This feeling's tearing me up
Here we go now
Now if she does it like this
Will you do it like that?
Now if she touches like this
Will you touch her like that?
Now if she moves like this
Will you move her like that?
Come on, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
I saw you dancing
And I couldn't get you off my mind
I could tell that you could tell
That I was taking my time
But I was thinking of ways
To get you to stay tonight
Body's shaking
Tell me off so I can turn off the lights
Now if she does it like this
Will you do it like that?
Now if she touches like this
Will you touch her like that?
Now if she moves like this
Will you move her like that?
Come on, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it
Shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake it (x4)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
House M.D. - Season 5 Episode 1 Quotes
With the start of a new season, here are some quotes from the season premiere:
Dr. House: I thought she said "I am suddenly and irrationally defending the patients strong career even though in reality she's just a glorified grunt because I'm trying to convince myself that it's okay not to have a life because I don't have a life because I have been tested for Huntington's and my lifespan's been cut in half. [pause] Been waiting two months for her to say that.
Dr. House: My patient is still fighting in effeminist trenches but the war is over. Yesterday's sluts are today's empowered women. Today's sluts are celebrities, if that isn't progress...
Lou: You're making excuses for me?
Dr. Hadley: I'm just saying it's understandable..
Lou: Only have to understand something if it needs an explanation. I have needs. I met my needs. End of explanation.
Dr. Wilson: I'd need a flowchart to explain all the ways in which that was ridiculously insensitive.
Dr. House: People get what they get. It's got nothing to do with what they deserve.And this is nothing to do with her genitalia and everything to do with your genetics.
Dr. House: People DIE. You, Amber, everyone. Don't act like you just figured that out... I gave you a diagnosis. You don't like it, there are exits on every floor.
Dr. Hadley: ...We can have anything..
Lou: No we can't. We can aspire to anything, but we don't get it just because we want it. I would rather spend my life close to the birds than waste it wishing I had wings.
Dr. House: I like you better now that you're dying.
Dr. House: Almost dying changes nothing... Dying changes everything...
Dr. Wilson: You spread misery because you can't feel anything else. You manipulate people because you can't handle any kind of real relationship. And I've enabled it. For years, the games, the binges, the middle of the night phonecalls...
I should have been on the bus, not... You should have been alone on the bus. If I've learned anything from Amber, it's that I have to take care of myself.
Dr. House: I thought she said "I am suddenly and irrationally defending the patients strong career even though in reality she's just a glorified grunt because I'm trying to convince myself that it's okay not to have a life because I don't have a life because I have been tested for Huntington's and my lifespan's been cut in half. [pause] Been waiting two months for her to say that.
Dr. House: My patient is still fighting in effeminist trenches but the war is over. Yesterday's sluts are today's empowered women. Today's sluts are celebrities, if that isn't progress...
Lou: You're making excuses for me?
Dr. Hadley: I'm just saying it's understandable..
Lou: Only have to understand something if it needs an explanation. I have needs. I met my needs. End of explanation.
Dr. Wilson: I'd need a flowchart to explain all the ways in which that was ridiculously insensitive.
Dr. House: People get what they get. It's got nothing to do with what they deserve.And this is nothing to do with her genitalia and everything to do with your genetics.
Dr. House: People DIE. You, Amber, everyone. Don't act like you just figured that out... I gave you a diagnosis. You don't like it, there are exits on every floor.
Dr. Hadley: ...We can have anything..
Lou: No we can't. We can aspire to anything, but we don't get it just because we want it. I would rather spend my life close to the birds than waste it wishing I had wings.
Dr. House: I like you better now that you're dying.
Dr. House: Almost dying changes nothing... Dying changes everything...
Dr. Wilson: You spread misery because you can't feel anything else. You manipulate people because you can't handle any kind of real relationship. And I've enabled it. For years, the games, the binges, the middle of the night phonecalls...
I should have been on the bus, not... You should have been alone on the bus. If I've learned anything from Amber, it's that I have to take care of myself.
After a long hiatus... again
Not much to say here, except that I've been busy. I guess my bosses are making sure that they squeeze everything they can from me before my last days in my current job. Yep, I'll be leaving my company and I am currently on the lookout for another job.
Anyway...
Everyone -- well, almost everyone -- here in Singapore is looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend. I don't think I'll be going there to watch the event live; I'd settle with just watching it from home. Or better yet, we'll not just watch it at all.. :) Sorry, not really a big Grand Prix fan.
It's already September and, for me, it means a couple of things. First, it's the start of the Christmas season already! Weather is becoming cooler, and everyone has started putting up Christmas decors. I miss Christmas in the Philippins; way too different here, being a country of multiple races and religions.
Also, September means a new season for many US shows! I'm looking forward to all of them. I just watched the first episode of House season 5. Damn great show!
Oh well, I got that so-called mental block again. Can't think much right now. I guess I'm still jaded with this job. Hehehe :) Can't wait to look for a new one!
Anyway...
Everyone -- well, almost everyone -- here in Singapore is looking forward to the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend. I don't think I'll be going there to watch the event live; I'd settle with just watching it from home. Or better yet, we'll not just watch it at all.. :) Sorry, not really a big Grand Prix fan.
It's already September and, for me, it means a couple of things. First, it's the start of the Christmas season already! Weather is becoming cooler, and everyone has started putting up Christmas decors. I miss Christmas in the Philippins; way too different here, being a country of multiple races and religions.
Also, September means a new season for many US shows! I'm looking forward to all of them. I just watched the first episode of House season 5. Damn great show!
Oh well, I got that so-called mental block again. Can't think much right now. I guess I'm still jaded with this job. Hehehe :) Can't wait to look for a new one!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Update after a two-week hiatus
Just found sometime to post something here after two weeks of absence. It's been a busy two weeks for me. It's my "duty" month, which means I am on call 24/7. And the last two weeks have been anything but quiet. :)
So anyway, what the hell have I been doing the last two weeks?
My TV rants
The Olympics coverage here in SG is very thorough, with StarHub dedicating about somewhere around seven channels for the Olympics. I just watched last night (that woulkd be Sunday here, SG time) the Women's Team Table Tennis Finals. I think this is one of the more significant matches for Singaporeans, as many posters here show the picture of Li J. W. She is one of SG's hope to bring home the Gold. Unfortunately, though she gave her best effort, team China was just that a bit better, taking home the gold for both the Singles and Team Women's Table Tennis match.
Anyway, aside from that, I haven't really been keeping tabs on the Olympics. Not a big fan, sorry to say. It's just not my thing.
Aside from that, I've been continuously struggling with the different LSS (Last Song Syndrome) from the Disney channel. The two-year-old David, my godchild and our housemates' kid, is always watching Disney channel shows. That's the only decent channel we have here that is "safe" for a kid.
So let's see, the latest ones that I have are "You/ are my/ bestfriend/" (I think from Little Einsteins) and "tivotivotivotivotivotivo" (from Tivo the Gift Dragon). Perpetual Favorites are of course the ones from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Hotdog, hotdog, hotdiggidy-dog...) and My Friends Tigger and Pooh (Hmmm... How does that "Think" song go again?)
Hrrmmm... Okay, I think I should move on....
My readable reads
I've also been catching up on my reading about Marvel's latest crossover event, the Secret Invasion. I've purposely been holding back on reading, at least until I can get a copy of at least five comics titles included in this story arc... Reading just one issue of a great story arc at a time just leaves me hanging and I just can't stand it. I would rather re-read the earlier storylines I have completed than to be left hanging like that.
So while waiting for the five latest Secret Invasion comics titles, I've been reading the Dragons of a Fallen Sun, volume one of the War of Souls trilogy. Admittedly, I stopped reading Dragonlance novels after reading the original trilogy, Twins trilogy, and the Dragons of Summer Flame. But, hey, I bought the book for a very good bargain price, so I might as well read it...
Money Watch
We've been also monitoring the SGD to PHP exchange rate. After an all-year high of PHP33 to SGD1 about a month ago (see related post here), the exchange rate dropped to just PHP31 to SGD1. If we were looking for a good time to remit to the Philippines, that was it. Anyway, while skeptical about the exchange rate to return to the PHP33-level, we're still hoping to get a slight increase. Perhaps just about PHP32, in order to maximize the remittance value. :)
Uh-oh. Something came up again. :( Damn 24/7 support! Oh well, at least I was able to get this far. I'll just have to postpone the rest of my posts for now.
So anyway, what the hell have I been doing the last two weeks?
My TV rants
The Olympics coverage here in SG is very thorough, with StarHub dedicating about somewhere around seven channels for the Olympics. I just watched last night (that woulkd be Sunday here, SG time) the Women's Team Table Tennis Finals. I think this is one of the more significant matches for Singaporeans, as many posters here show the picture of Li J. W. She is one of SG's hope to bring home the Gold. Unfortunately, though she gave her best effort, team China was just that a bit better, taking home the gold for both the Singles and Team Women's Table Tennis match.
Anyway, aside from that, I haven't really been keeping tabs on the Olympics. Not a big fan, sorry to say. It's just not my thing.
Aside from that, I've been continuously struggling with the different LSS (Last Song Syndrome) from the Disney channel. The two-year-old David, my godchild and our housemates' kid, is always watching Disney channel shows. That's the only decent channel we have here that is "safe" for a kid.
So let's see, the latest ones that I have are "You/ are my/ bestfriend/" (I think from Little Einsteins) and "tivotivotivotivotivotivo" (from Tivo the Gift Dragon). Perpetual Favorites are of course the ones from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (Hotdog, hotdog, hotdiggidy-dog...) and My Friends Tigger and Pooh (Hmmm... How does that "Think" song go again?)
Hrrmmm... Okay, I think I should move on....
My readable reads
I've also been catching up on my reading about Marvel's latest crossover event, the Secret Invasion. I've purposely been holding back on reading, at least until I can get a copy of at least five comics titles included in this story arc... Reading just one issue of a great story arc at a time just leaves me hanging and I just can't stand it. I would rather re-read the earlier storylines I have completed than to be left hanging like that.
So while waiting for the five latest Secret Invasion comics titles, I've been reading the Dragons of a Fallen Sun, volume one of the War of Souls trilogy. Admittedly, I stopped reading Dragonlance novels after reading the original trilogy, Twins trilogy, and the Dragons of Summer Flame. But, hey, I bought the book for a very good bargain price, so I might as well read it...
Money Watch
We've been also monitoring the SGD to PHP exchange rate. After an all-year high of PHP33 to SGD1 about a month ago (see related post here), the exchange rate dropped to just PHP31 to SGD1. If we were looking for a good time to remit to the Philippines, that was it. Anyway, while skeptical about the exchange rate to return to the PHP33-level, we're still hoping to get a slight increase. Perhaps just about PHP32, in order to maximize the remittance value. :)
Uh-oh. Something came up again. :( Damn 24/7 support! Oh well, at least I was able to get this far. I'll just have to postpone the rest of my posts for now.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
R4DS Initial Setup - UPDATED
The initial setup of the R4DS has been posted in one of my earlier posts here.
However, thanks to an anonymous reader who left a comment, it has come to my attention that some of the required files that are supposed to be downloaded from specific sites are no longer available.
Hence, for the convenience of everyone, this post serves as (1) a guide to properly install the R4DS from scratch; and (2) as a "proxy" for downloading the required files.
Required Files:
Before proceeding any further, please download the files listed below:
Hotfile Links:
MediaFire Links:
Required Hardware:
Well, there's no point reading this if you don't have these things with you.
Ensure that the microSD is empty and that you have backed up everything first before proceeding further.
Procedure
I hope this updated guide is useful.
Thanks for reading!
However, thanks to an anonymous reader who left a comment, it has come to my attention that some of the required files that are supposed to be downloaded from specific sites are no longer available.
Hence, for the convenience of everyone, this post serves as (1) a guide to properly install the R4DS from scratch; and (2) as a "proxy" for downloading the required files.
Required Files:
Before proceeding any further, please download the files listed below:
Hotfile Links:
MediaFire Links:
Required Hardware:
Well, there's no point reading this if you don't have these things with you.
- Revolution for DS (R4DS);
- Your microSD - 2GB or below; received news that 4GB may not work (haven't tested though, since I don't have one yet; sorry);
- USB reader for the microSD (either using the mirco-SD to SD adapter and USB card reader or the MicroSD USB reader would do).
Ensure that the microSD is empty and that you have backed up everything first before proceeding further.
Procedure
- Install the R4DS kernel file. Either download the kernel file from above English-1.18.rar, or the latest one from http://www.r4ds.com/, if it's up already (it's been down for quite a while now).
- Unzip the contents of the kernel file. You should end up with _system_ folder/directory, _DS_MENU.DAT, and _DS_MSHL.NDS.
- Connect your R4DS into your PC via your card reader.
- Copy all of the files, into the microSD.
- Update Moonshell You'll be using the moonshell171p1_with_dpgtools131.zip file (or get latest version from http://mdxonlinemirror.dyndns.org/moonshell/files/) to update the moonshell. Do the following:
- Ensure that the microSD is plugged in to your PC;
- Unzip the moonshell zip file into a temporary directory;
- Run setup.exe in that temporary directory; it would automatically detect the drive assigned to your microSD
- Click OK
- Configure the moonshell as follows:
- Configuration files: Select moonshl.ini (full) is copied.
- ROM Files: Select R4TF R4(DS) - Revolution for DS only.
- Other configs: this is up to you :)
- Click OK then wait for the setup to Finish
- Verify that the microSD has the MoonShell_R4TF_M3Simply-R4DS (MicroSD Card).nds and moonshl folder/directory.
- Copy the NDS Game Roms I would suggest that you create a new folder/subdirectory, say, named Games and then each ROM would have its own directory. This is entirely up to you. I suggest the above just for easier organization.
- Install DSOrganize DSOrganize is one of the most popular homebrew organizer application for the Nintendo DS. It provides a calendar, drawing pad, todo list, address book, and web browser. Almost like a PDA, but not quite. You will need the DSOrganize file and the custom exec_stub.bin file. You can download both from http://www.dragonminded.com/?loc=ndsdev/DSOrganize or you can use the DSOrganize_3_2.zip and es_r4m3.zip above.
- Unzip the DSOrganize zip file into your hard drive;
- Unzip the exec_stub.bin file from es_r4m3.zip.
- Replace the exec_stub.bin file in the DSOrganize/RESOURCES directory.
- Copy the entire DSOrganize folder and DSOrganize.nds file into the root directory of the microSD.
- OPTIONAL: Customize Theme First, it is important to know how the images in the NDS are mapped to which files first. So here's the rough description:
- logo.bmp - Bootup top screen image;
- icons.bmp - Bootup bottom/touchscreen image (i.e., "Play", "Media", or "Slot2");
- bckgrd_1.bmp - the browser top screen background image;
- bckgrd_2.bmp - the browser bottom/touchscreen background image;
- gbaframe.bmp - the border used for GameBoy Advanced (GBA) games (slot 2).
- The files should be copied into the _system_ folder;
- The image size should be 256x192;
- The file format should be a 24bit Bitmap (BMP).
I hope this updated guide is useful.
Thanks for reading!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Chistian the Lion video
One of the latest hits in Youtube is this touching story about the reunion of Christian the Lion and his former owners.
In 1969, John Rendall and Athony "Ace" Burke bought the then 16kg lion cub and named him Christian. Just like any lion, he soon grew large, too large for the two to keep in their home. So they decided to put him back into the wild through the wildlife sanctuary in Kenya.
Christian adapted very well to the wild and soon had his own pride. The former owners, hearing about this, decided to visit him one last time. Although they were told that he may not recognize them because he's back in the wild, they went for it anyway.
Then.... well, let the video show you exactly what happened, okay? :)
With Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You in the background, this video charmed millions of internet surfers everywhere!
Christian hugging his old owners shows he remembers them really well. These animals are smarter and more intelligent than what we give them credit for.
It's nice somebody found this clip and posted it in YouTube. :)
In 1969, John Rendall and Athony "Ace" Burke bought the then 16kg lion cub and named him Christian. Just like any lion, he soon grew large, too large for the two to keep in their home. So they decided to put him back into the wild through the wildlife sanctuary in Kenya.
Christian adapted very well to the wild and soon had his own pride. The former owners, hearing about this, decided to visit him one last time. Although they were told that he may not recognize them because he's back in the wild, they went for it anyway.
Then.... well, let the video show you exactly what happened, okay? :)
With Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You in the background, this video charmed millions of internet surfers everywhere!
Christian hugging his old owners shows he remembers them really well. These animals are smarter and more intelligent than what we give them credit for.
It's nice somebody found this clip and posted it in YouTube. :)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Dark Knight - an alternate review
It's been a very busy week for me but we finally managed to squeeze in The Dark Knight in our tight schedules! And I must say.... WHOAAA!!! Perhaps the best (or sickest) Batman movie of all time! (Or at least, the best so far!)
I've been watching all the reviews lately about the Dark Knight and almost always we go down to the comparison between Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. Perhaps fuelled by Ledger's death, I actually see more "Joker" hypes and reviews rather than Batman. Hmmm... Anyway... Personally, I don't think they should be compared, with one actor being better than the other. They did the best they could for what the movie calls for. It's not just because of the actors, but the movie themselves; you cannot say one movie is better than the other simply because they are totally different movies.
Years ago, when the first Batman movie hit the bigscreen, Nicholson's Joker was a bad-ass and perhaps the best villain movie character during that decade. Joker's agenda was a bit simplistic, but Nicholson's portrayal is appropriate for the tone of the entire movie. This, in part, makes the 1989 Batman one of the timeless and classic superhero movies.
Almost twenty years later, came the Dark Knight. The world has gone through a lot of changes. The Middle East crisis, killer tidal waves, 9/11, and so many others. The people's world view was forever changed. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, they do. Yep, it seems times were simpler back then. So Dark Knight (and Batman Begins), in a way, reflects our world view. Hence, we see a darker, mob-ruled, criminal-infested Gotham, with its sicker villains, mob-controlled cops (which are quite prevalent in the later movies, not commonly seen in the older Batman movies), and the twisted agenda of the Joker -- robbing banks, ruling the city, controlling mobs just doesn't do it anymore; dubbing himself as an agent of chaos, he wants nothing more than total chaos and anarchy; total annihilation of established order. Whatever you want to call it.
Anyway, enough comparison... They're both good anyway... :)
Seeing Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, I now understand why some critics are expecting him to win some awards. He's damn scary! He leaves no doubt as to why this psychopathic criminal genius is one of the best (if not the damned best) archvillain of Batman.
Now, aside from Heath Ledger, there are other reasons why The Dark Knight is a great movie.
I really like the cool new gadgets provided by Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). From the new armor, to the Batcycle ejecting-from-the-Batmobile. And don't forget about his sonar mapping thingamajjig; converting all cellphones in Gotham city into a kind of a sonar mapping device, then feeding all of the info to a central device that only Fox has access to. With this contraption, Batman can "see" the entire city, enabling him to track down the Joker as soon as he started broadcasting. Of course, this was a bit too powerful for one man to possess, so Fox had to destroy it in the end.
Alfred (Michael Caine) is a fully revamped character in the last two movies. He is not just your ordinary English butler; he's an English butler slash medic slash veteran bounty hunter slash wise old man slash father-figure of sorts. He has a bigger role here than in any of the other previous movies. He fully understands what Batman means to Gotham. What Batman needs to be to Gotham. That Batman doesn't need to be a hero; he needs to be something more. He's role is significant to Batman's transformation into the Dark Knight. Best quote in the movie that in a way sums up the movie is the one said by Alfred:
And with that, Batman made the choice; to protect what Gotham has gained through the work of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) before he became Two-Face, Batman will become the villain, the target, the scapegoat. What the 28 Laws of Power calls the Cat's Paw, if I remember correctly.
Harvey Dent, as District Attorney, worked hard to clean the streets of Gotham. He was what Batman was waiting for; the "beacon of light", the "white knight". One who is just and uncorruptible -- well, at least before the accident and how Joker pushed him. I guess that's the problem when everything is dependent on the reputation of one man. One blemish, one mistake and poof. Everything will go to waste. Realizing this, Batman made that choice and took the blame for everything that Two-Face has done. Dent must remain pure and perfect. Never got his hands dirty. Damn! I really love that part! Making the hard choices. The defining moment of being more than just a hero. :)
Dang! I guess that's it for now. It's been quite a long post already. All in all, I love the Dark Knight. One of the best movies of all time.
I've been watching all the reviews lately about the Dark Knight and almost always we go down to the comparison between Heath Ledger and Jack Nicholson. Perhaps fuelled by Ledger's death, I actually see more "Joker" hypes and reviews rather than Batman. Hmmm... Anyway... Personally, I don't think they should be compared, with one actor being better than the other. They did the best they could for what the movie calls for. It's not just because of the actors, but the movie themselves; you cannot say one movie is better than the other simply because they are totally different movies.
Years ago, when the first Batman movie hit the bigscreen, Nicholson's Joker was a bad-ass and perhaps the best villain movie character during that decade. Joker's agenda was a bit simplistic, but Nicholson's portrayal is appropriate for the tone of the entire movie. This, in part, makes the 1989 Batman one of the timeless and classic superhero movies.
Almost twenty years later, came the Dark Knight. The world has gone through a lot of changes. The Middle East crisis, killer tidal waves, 9/11, and so many others. The people's world view was forever changed. Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, they do. Yep, it seems times were simpler back then. So Dark Knight (and Batman Begins), in a way, reflects our world view. Hence, we see a darker, mob-ruled, criminal-infested Gotham, with its sicker villains, mob-controlled cops (which are quite prevalent in the later movies, not commonly seen in the older Batman movies), and the twisted agenda of the Joker -- robbing banks, ruling the city, controlling mobs just doesn't do it anymore; dubbing himself as an agent of chaos, he wants nothing more than total chaos and anarchy; total annihilation of established order. Whatever you want to call it.
Anyway, enough comparison... They're both good anyway... :)
Seeing Ledger's portrayal of the Joker, I now understand why some critics are expecting him to win some awards. He's damn scary! He leaves no doubt as to why this psychopathic criminal genius is one of the best (if not the damned best) archvillain of Batman.
Now, aside from Heath Ledger, there are other reasons why The Dark Knight is a great movie.
I really like the cool new gadgets provided by Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). From the new armor, to the Batcycle ejecting-from-the-Batmobile. And don't forget about his sonar mapping thingamajjig; converting all cellphones in Gotham city into a kind of a sonar mapping device, then feeding all of the info to a central device that only Fox has access to. With this contraption, Batman can "see" the entire city, enabling him to track down the Joker as soon as he started broadcasting. Of course, this was a bit too powerful for one man to possess, so Fox had to destroy it in the end.
Alfred (Michael Caine) is a fully revamped character in the last two movies. He is not just your ordinary English butler; he's an English butler slash medic slash veteran bounty hunter slash wise old man slash father-figure of sorts. He has a bigger role here than in any of the other previous movies. He fully understands what Batman means to Gotham. What Batman needs to be to Gotham. That Batman doesn't need to be a hero; he needs to be something more. He's role is significant to Batman's transformation into the Dark Knight. Best quote in the movie that in a way sums up the movie is the one said by Alfred:
Endure. You can be the outcast. You can make the choice that noone else will face: the RIGHT choice.
And with that, Batman made the choice; to protect what Gotham has gained through the work of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) before he became Two-Face, Batman will become the villain, the target, the scapegoat. What the 28 Laws of Power calls the Cat's Paw, if I remember correctly.
Harvey Dent, as District Attorney, worked hard to clean the streets of Gotham. He was what Batman was waiting for; the "beacon of light", the "white knight". One who is just and uncorruptible -- well, at least before the accident and how Joker pushed him. I guess that's the problem when everything is dependent on the reputation of one man. One blemish, one mistake and poof. Everything will go to waste. Realizing this, Batman made that choice and took the blame for everything that Two-Face has done. Dent must remain pure and perfect. Never got his hands dirty. Damn! I really love that part! Making the hard choices. The defining moment of being more than just a hero. :)
Dang! I guess that's it for now. It's been quite a long post already. All in all, I love the Dark Knight. One of the best movies of all time.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Takashimaya's 12th Craziest Toy Sale!
As part of the Great Singapore Sale, Takashimaya is having their annual toy sale, dubbed "12th Craziest Toy Sale". Well, it really is crazy in more ways than one.
Prices are really really really low.... Or at the very least have a very large discount. Items that would normally be sold at SGD 50.00 have been cut to just SGD 12.00! Big savings if you are doing your early Christmas shopping (like what we did)!
Don't expect too much though. There are very few excellent items there. Sure, there is the occasional Shaider action figure and Limited Edition Winnie the Pooh Vans (scale 1:36), but these unique items are very few and far in between. For these items, you may want to grab as many as you can afford if you really are an avid collector. I should have told this myself the first time. I really wanted another
Shaider but when we returned, it's gone. :(
So aside from those "rare" collectibles, you have a large selection of items ideal for "gifts". So, our inaanaks (godchildren) come to mind.
Anyway, the sale sure is enough to make you crazy. After finishing there, people are really staring at us. You want to know why? Observe the picture below....
What you are seeing here is a picture of six (6) large baskets overflowing with toys that WE WERE GOING TO BUY!!!! Yep, that's not a stacked up discard pile at a corner. Those are ours!
I know, I know.... But I've reviewed our spendings here. I mean, we are going to buy for our inaanaks anyway for Christmas or when we return to Manila for a vacation, whichever comes first. Wemight as well buy now to avoid the Christmas rush later this year.
Oh well, I hope I can get some more of those rare stuff there when I drop by again. :)
Prices are really really really low.... Or at the very least have a very large discount. Items that would normally be sold at SGD 50.00 have been cut to just SGD 12.00! Big savings if you are doing your early Christmas shopping (like what we did)!
Don't expect too much though. There are very few excellent items there. Sure, there is the occasional Shaider action figure and Limited Edition Winnie the Pooh Vans (scale 1:36), but these unique items are very few and far in between. For these items, you may want to grab as many as you can afford if you really are an avid collector. I should have told this myself the first time. I really wanted another
Shaider but when we returned, it's gone. :(
So aside from those "rare" collectibles, you have a large selection of items ideal for "gifts". So, our inaanaks (godchildren) come to mind.
Anyway, the sale sure is enough to make you crazy. After finishing there, people are really staring at us. You want to know why? Observe the picture below....
What you are seeing here is a picture of six (6) large baskets overflowing with toys that WE WERE GOING TO BUY!!!! Yep, that's not a stacked up discard pile at a corner. Those are ours!
I know, I know.... But I've reviewed our spendings here. I mean, we are going to buy for our inaanaks anyway for Christmas or when we return to Manila for a vacation, whichever comes first. Wemight as well buy now to avoid the Christmas rush later this year.
Oh well, I hope I can get some more of those rare stuff there when I drop by again. :)
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