The “TV + Film + Fiction Books” Detox

I have never been to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting before. Obviously, since I am still under aged and legally not allowed to drink alcohol. That’s fine with me, I don’t want to drink anyway. People do crazy things when they are drunk, or at least that’s what people tell me. But I am addicted to something. Nothing as unhealthy as drugs or whatever teenagers do or take when they’re bored. I am addicted to films, TV shows and books (or more specifically, fiction novels). I am hooked bad!  Normally, these things are just hobbies, things you like to do in your free time. They don’t hurt your health or are against the law. In fact, the media pushes us to subscribe to these small things in life. The BAD thing is that if you go a bit overboard, they tend to take up a huge part of your day, if not the entire day. And for those who know me, they’ll agree that when I start watching something, I get really cranky if someone disrupts me before I am done, the same goes for the books.

I grew up with a love for films, the books and TV came a bit later. I remember being proud of being able to watch 1 season a day. That’s about 24 x 45 minutes. I usually got the DVDs and so, no commercials. Now, I don’t think of it as an accomplishment, but as a sad thing. That day could have been spent on doing something productive and instead, I used it to watch some show that I scarcely remember now. 

“Day, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent.”
Ambrose Bierce

I do not want that for me any more. There is a time in everybody’s life when enough is enough. Okay, I am being a bit over-dramatic. What can I say? It comes from watching way too many shitty films and shows. My point is that from this moment onwards I am pledging to go for what I’d like to call The “TV + Film + Fiction Books” Detox. Basically, I will not watch anything except the news and will not read anything besides my school books (though I really don’t like them) and non-fiction books. (Reading Non-fiction will lessen the amount of books that I will want to read drastically). This detox will go on for the next 8 months, or until 01 Jan 2013. (Well after my finals)

I will admit that I am scared. I don’t think that I’ve ever been that long without watching something, anything. The films on my to watch list like the “Dark Knight Rises” or “Amazing Spider-man” will have to be watched in DVD 😦 But I am determined to stop this downward cycle of watching too much. This detox will not include Musicals though, they don’t take much time. Besides, a ticket to one show is worth well over $100, I won’t be financially solvent if I watch too much. So, here’s to the rest of the year… 

Motivational Posters

Since my previous post was quite wordy, to make up for it, I wanted to post pictures. I made these posters on http://wigflip.com/automotivator/

Enjoy 😀

What Motivates You?

After taking my exams, I felt relieved and free. It was a gruesome week, filled with late nights and really early mornings (which makes it doubly worse since everyone knows that I am not a morning person.) I was so physically and mentally drained that I went to bed and slept the moment I reached the house. Going through that week of sleep deprivation and constant studying, I realized that my main motivation for this examinations was to beat a classmate of mine who has, at turns, been irritating, annoying and too competitive for my and all my other classmates tastes. (The Chinese term, according to Google Translate is 很怕失去.)

Whenever we get back test papers or reports, she’d be the first one to ask me what my mark was (too bad for me, she sits right next to me). In fact, I think she is the only one who asks. I know that there is nothing wrong with asking people what they got to a test, but the way she asks never fails to get on my nerves. So, I decided that for all future examinations, I will do my very best to always get better marks than her. So far, my quest has been well. The ratio is 4:1 (4 wins for me and 1 for her.)

Then, I read the book “Drive” by Daniel H. Pink. (Don’t make fun of his surname, all my friends have done so already. Not that funny -.-) He argues that currently, people are motivated by their employers, teachers and even parents using the “Carrot and Stick” Method. Extrinsic Rewards such as money, benefits and objects are used to spur people to work harder (Carrot). Meanwhile, the threat of being punished scares them into working (Stick). I have to say that this is the method all of the famous dictators have used to rule their respective countries. Think Hitler and Stalin. Back to    the point, Mr. Pink argues that while these may work for the short-term, it will bring about more harm than good for the long-term.

Rewards, like alcohol and drugs, are addictive. For example, once you pay your niece to take out the trash for say, $5. She will most likely never take out the trash again for free. Furthermore, as she grows older, she will demand more money for the same task. In other words, you pay more for a task that could have been done for free. He also argues that while the “Carrot and Stick” method is becoming more and more outdated, there is another, and cheaper, way to motivate yourself and the people around you. It’s intrinsic motivation, fueled by autonomy, mastery and purpose. People who have control of their time and task are more productive. Similarly, a person who has a goal of constantly being better at something is more productive than a person who works for money. Purpose is basically something that helps you sleep at night, though it really does help 🙂

Looking back, I realize that while I was revising the content being tested, I was dragging my feet about it. Studying for the sake of beating someone else was tedious. While I felt great about it at first, the feeling eventually went away. I ended up being tired and sleep deprived without anything to show for it. Now, I want to study for myself, to continuously improve and upgrade my knowledge. (Beating her again would just be a bonus) At the same time, I want to try something new and explore further into the fields that currently has my attention. Some of the most successful people, like Warren Buffett and Oprah, are motivated intrinsically. And I, hopefully not being tooooooo ambitious, would love to join their ranks one day. 😉

So, What motivates you?

People Should Listen to Me More Often!!!

While I’d admit that being the youngest in the family has its perks, nowadays, it has become quite a nuisance. It seems that my parents can’t take me seriously enough to listen to whatever it is I’m saying. Is it because I am young? Do they think me incapable of logic? Whatever it is, they seem to have it in their heads that what I say is not applicable to the situation.

For Example,

There has been some issues with the driver. He has been with our family for over a decade now and he seems to have some emotional or mental thing going on that has decreased his efficacy in doing his job. I informed my parents about this, and they just shrugged it off. However, when my eldest brother told them about it, they quickly saw the error of their ways… Hello?!?!!? I said it first.

It’s not about taking credit or anything, I am only pointing out that they should listen to me more often. They should hear me out and see if whatever it is I’m saying has any point…

Sometimes, being a kid has its perks but sometimes, it sucks… >.<

Is it time to grow up?

Today, I watched the last film of the Harry Potter Franchise. I watched it today rather than tomorrow, which I had originally planned with my sister (even bought the tickets already), because of other school commitments.  The movie was good, though a bit cheesy here and there and some rather awkward kissing scenes, the overall conclusion was worth the S$14 for the 3D Ticket. I won’t make a review of this film because if I do then I’d have to rethink the whole movie and I’d rather just enjoy it as another person would.

What got me thinking at the very end of the film was the fact that it was ending. Foolish and silly, I know but I can’t help it. I am not really a big, you know, Gigantic fan but I practically grew up watching these films. I was about 6 years old when I watched the first film, and to have finished this series means that I am a decade older, (gosh am I really that old?) but not necessarily wiser. Funny thing is that I have always perceived myself as mature for my age but since I started studying here in Singapore, I decided that a change in scenery means a change in lifestyle and so, I chose to be more laid back. But now, with evidence that I am old enough, Is it time to grow up?

Another thing that baffles me is what really constitutes growing up? I know many people consider the real world as the world after high school or after you get a degree. Some would say that growing up means working. However, these are just the physical aspects of “growing up”. What I am scared and confused of is whether I have been molded enough to society’s standards that when I “grow up”, I think of it as some sort of rite of passage into the “real world” rather than actually growing up. I don’t want to even consider a life as a pencil-pusher in some big-shot company when I know that life offers so much more. Maybe I’ll start my own company someday or even produce my own film.

I guess this has always been the reason that I’ve been scared of picking a particular course to take for university. Once I choose it and graduate, it’s a done deal. That’s what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life, what if I choose wrong? Were you in my shoes, would you not feel the same? Think about it 😀

Movie Review: Green Lantern (2011)

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan.

Hal (Ryan Reynolds) is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

My Comment:

Good News or Bad News, first? Since I want to kick off my review for the Green Lantern on a high note, I shall start with the good news. Wow! They know their special effects. You can see even the smallest details in their effects and the artistry of the effects will blow you away in every scene. Well, that is about all the good things I can say.

On the other hand, the Bad News may take a while.

Plot: The problem with the story line and script is that there are some conflicting events. There were parts in the film when the event or scene is so irrational or different from the character’s behavior that you will feel that they just placed it in the film for the sake of putting it in the film. I shan’t give examples because I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

Structure: I feel that there was too much build-up and too little climax. There is no  synchronization between the plot and the action scenes. Basically, there is too much talk in the start of the film and plot development but the action scene at the end of the film is very much lacking and not satisfying.

Acting: If you have watched the film, you will agree with me that the actors did not hit their cues well. Sometimes, the reaction a late or the joke isn’t even funny because of the bad timing. Also, I don’t think that Ryan Reynolds is meant for a superhero role.

Characters: I feel that some characters were just placed into the movie just for the sake of doing so. The “Mini-Villain”, Hector, was practically useless. Just like the film, too much build-up on his character but not enough action in the end. Hal’s character in the film was not developed well in the story. They hinted at some internal conflict but apparently, after a small talk with Carol, he becomes the green lantern. Very rushed.

There are some other comments, but I didn’t want to take too long 😀

My Rating:

5.5/10 – If you’re a big fan of special effects, you should watch it. If you care for a good plot, don’t watch it. 😉

Eating Disorders in the Fashion Industry…

Today, I wrapped up the speech that I am going to say in front of the entire class. I decided to upload it, so tell me what you think and what areas I can improve more on.

Eating Disorders in the Fashion Industry

Have you ever starved yourself or threw up on purpose? I do hope not. But the fact of the matter is the fashion industry, today, is getting a lot of heat from the international community because they believe that it sends the wrong message and image to the general public. Models represent beauty, or at least the fashion industry’s definition of beauty. Why else would the top-notch designers pay these models a lot of money to wear their creations, their product, especially since high-end dresses costs the average person thousands of dollars. The problem with models being generally accepted as the representation of beauty is the fact that they are unbelievably thin. The average female model’s height ranges between 5’8 (173 cm) – 5’11 (180 cm). Moreover, their average weight ranges between 100 lbs. (45 kg) – 125 lbs. (57 kg). In addition, the ideal measurements are 34-24-34 (86-61-86 cm). Thus, their average BMI (Body Mass index) is about 16.3 which, according to the BMI Value Chart, are underweight.

Over the past few years, this has become a worldwide social issue because as the embodiment of beauty, people today strive to attain these models’ figure, their weight or measurements. At the same time, by embodying the fashion industry’s idea of beauty, their looks, bone structure, height, weight or measurements are considered what is beautiful. If one does not reach the very high bar the models have established in terms of body figure or face, one is not considered beautiful. Hence, people nowadays strive to attain what they think is beautiful by wearing extremely expensive clothes, by going to the gym 7 days a week to lose weight, by starving themselves, or even by going under the cosmetic knife. It’s amazing and a bit disturbing the lengths that people are willing to subject themselves to just to be considered beautiful.

I am not talking about women alone. Yes, the female population has been subjected to the world’s discriminatory eye since many centuries ago. Yes, they are expected to look a certain way. But No, they are no longer the only ones being subjected to this type of treatment. As the world evolved and societies progressed to be more open-minded, in most nations today, there is gender equality. Therefore, women nowadays have the right, the will and the means to choose with whom they interact with, with whom they socialize with and with whom they have relationships with. So, today’s men are expected to be better groomed. The image of the ideal man, in today’s society, is very much alike to the Greek god, Adonis. He must have flawless skin, no body hair, a classic “V” shaped 190 cm frame (torso) and has to be tall, lean, muscular and athletic as well as handsome. Some men who do not fit the bill develop what is known as the Adonis Complex, where they do not think they are buff enough or handsome enough that they sometimes go to the extreme, which is similar to what women undergo. For example, everyday visits to the gym to build muscle mass, buying cosmetic products and even going under the knife. Ever heard of pectoral implants? (male version of breast implants.)

Several governments have taken actions to promote a healthier image for the models and subsequently for the people. A fine example of what I’d like to call an “eye-opening” experience happened at the 2006 Madrid Fashion Week. It made headlines not for the clothes but for the size of the women wearing them. The Madrid Regional Government enforced a ban on underweight models. The Unprecedented move to promote a healthier image sent shock waves throughout the fashion world and the whole world in general. Over 30% of the models who appeared on the previous year’s fashion week would be eliminated according to the new weight guidelines established, and that included top and supermodels such as Kate Moss, Carmen Kass, Fabiana, and Esther Canadas. There has been mixed opinions worldwide. Many applauded Spain’s bold move, but some shows still stuck with the status quo of not having any bans or healthy guidelines for the models.

After years of speculation of having anorexia, Italian heiress – actress and major stockholder, Allegra Versace (niece of Gianni Versace, founder of the Versace Group) and her mother, Donatella Versace made a joint public statement that she is, in fact, being treated for anorexia in March 2007. If the major stockholder of a worldwide, multinational fashion empire which is worth billions of dollars suffers from anorexia, it just shows that anyone can be a victim of such a disease and that even with the half-hearted efforts that the fashion industry has been putting in motion, more and more people will fall ill, more and more will become victims because of the idea of beauty.

In the United States the number of eating disorder sufferers has more than doubled since the 1960s, according to the Washington-based American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, with an estimated 10 million girls and women and 1 million men affected by anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating and other eating disorders. Forty-seven percent of U.S. females in fifth through 12th grade say they want to lose weight because of magazine pictures and 60 percent say magazines influence their ideas of desirable body types, according to the Philadelphia-based Renfrew Center Foundation. Eating disorders drive many sufferers into isolation, overcome by feelings of deficiency in the single-minded obsessive pursuit of perfection. To allay the ensuing loneliness, many young people turn to the Internet where scores of Web sites are devoted to their friends “Ana,” “Bella” and “Mia,” cyberspace nicknames for anorexia and bulimia. So, not only will they grow ill with a 15 to 20 percent fatality rate in the long haul, they also might become a tad bit mentally ill.

Joke 😛

Source: http://womensenews.org

Growing Up Too Fast…

I’ve read an article today regarding a young Singaporean girl, aged 9, giving birth to a baby boy. I was stunned speechless as it was beyond me. Where would an 8 year old kid find a guy to fool around with, a place without parents or friends to fool

My friend told me that when she was 6 years old, she knew about searound in, and why would she do it in the first place? This led me to think about kids today, about how fast they are maturing and about the consequences of it.x. When I was about that age, I also knew about sex, but I was never compelled to try it out nor did I know any real details about it. I just knew that adults did it all the time or at least when they felt like it. However, maturing too fast is not all about how early the child knew about and had sex, it is also about being deprived of the joys of being a child.

Some of my teachers likes to tell stories of how it was when they were younger,  of how they didn’t have any video games, computers or TVs and how they climbed up trees just for the fun of it. Whenever they tell the stories, they sound like the poster boy/girl of the Anti-Modernization Era. Now, sad to say, I see their point.

As cliche’ as it may sound, the media has indeed deprived us of our childhood. Too much information taken in all too soon, I guess. Just think about it, when was the last time you played with your friends, excluding video games, just good old classic games such as “Tag”? When was the last time you spent a week without opening either a music player, a TV, a laptop or anything electronic (excluding house appliances, of course)? Have you ever, since getting your cellphone, spent a day without using it?

But that’s not all. The pressures of living in the modern era are also to blame. Too much work leads to no time for play. Too much pressure to be cool and to fit in leads to depression, to the establishment of the social hierarchy, to not being able to be oneself and thus, making no real friends.

Growing up too fast can be beneficial as well as harmful. It gives children insight to the “real” world but it can backfire, just like the case of the 9 year old mother. I guess it really depends on the person how to use that insight.

Movie Review: Something Borrowed (2011)

Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin) is a talented attorney at a top New York law firm, a generous and loyal friend, and, unhappily, still single—as her engaged best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson) is constantly reminding her. But after celebrating her 30th birthday, perpetual good girl Rachel unexpectedly ends up in the arms of the guy she’s had a crush on since law school, Dex (Colin Egglesfield)… who just happens to be Darcy’s fiancé.

As one thing leads to another in the frantic weeks leading up to Darcy’s wedding, Rachel finds herself in an impossible situation, caught between her treasured friendship with Darcy and the love of her life.

My Comment:

It is always hard to make a well known and loved book into a film. Though I haven’t read the book (by Emily Giffin), I can assume from the story line that there are a lot of emotions and internal conflict within each lead character, well… maybe except Darcy (Kate Hudson). Sad to say, those emotions are missing in the movie. Oh.. the cast made hints that they were guilty or that they were in a tight spot, but none of them hit the mark. Similarly, those hints of emotion are very evident in the film, it is as if they were trying to ‘say’ that they were feeling to the audience. Any good screenplay, cast and director will be able to blend a perfect mix of whatever needed so that the audience would be able to get the point. This character is feeling this and thus, the audience will be empathetic to that particular character. That,  sadly, was lacking in the film.

I am not too happy about the editing or the directing either. I mean, could you be any cheesier? There were so many moments in the film when I would think, “What the heck?” or “Dude, seriously, just kiss/tell her already” The background music was too dramatic and add that to the already ridiculously cheesy (not to mention predictable) movie lines, and we have got ourselves a winner for this year’s Razzie Awards.

Lastly, The Story itself had some problems (not the book since I haven’t read it yet, but the movie). The lead guy seemed like a douche, stringing poor Rachel along and Rachel seemed more often than not pathetic. This problem was worsened by the movie lines and so on and so on. The acting was okay, they just didn’t have enough good material to work on.

My Rating:

3/10 – Not worth watching in  the cinema. Wait for it to show on HBO. Use the money for something else 😉