Tis basically where I dump my daily rubbish (peppered with the occasional worthy entries) on an imaginary audience who appears once in a while to amuse me.
Feel free to do whatever you want here. It's anarchy for the win.
Tis a shoutout to ma brutha, yo man we hangin. This fo real ya'll, fur sho.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUNK!!
I don't think he's gonna see this but I'mma doin' it anyway. Whee! It's like a family tradition now to have dinner at Swenson's every time someone has a birthday. Simply because of the free main course promotion. Lawl. Typical Chinese parents? Nah, just that both of them do economics in their minds all the time. -.- Anyways, my brother is officially 13 years old. = TEENAGER. That means I need to get ready for a few years of angst, rebellion, shouting, more angst, emo, sullen faces, vertical challenges (in terms of height) and lots of arguments. Sooooo looking forward to it, I even got a preview today. Naaaaaasty.
Beyonce's new album is helluva addicting. It's called "I am... Sasha Fierce" and contains two discs that embody the alter-egos of Beyonce Knowles; one normal Beyonce, and the other this sexy vivacious aggressive onstage persona called Sasha Fierce. I loled at the "fierce" part... so blatantly obvious. Why can't she have a more subtle name or something? I dunno.
Anyway, I started to think it was all some smart-ass marketing gimmick until I took a listen on imeem and was seriously impressed. The "I am..." disc basically consists of ballads and they are soooo good. It's on loop non-stop since this afternoon. And the "Sasha Fierce" side is not bad as well. Though I didn't finish it cos the "I am..." songs kept luring me back. She is one great singer; I berate myself for not paying more attention to her in the past.
There's just so much soul in her voice, especially in the rising chorus of "Halo"; it just lifts you up. "Halo" by the way, does not refer to the popular Xbox game franchise but the thingy on top of an angel's head. It's a pretty awesome song so take a listen (2nd track). Written and produced by Ryan Tedder, wonderboy who brought us stuff like "Bleeding Love" and "Apologise", vocalist and creative genius of OneRepublic, prodigy of Timbaland and all round cool guy, you know it's definitely going to be a hit. His style is slowing coming out and you can recognize his brand of music characterized by the Timbaland R&B beats (yes, that's a brand now) coupled with lovely melody and rhythmic arrangements. Anyway, "Halo" is so going to be number one once it's released and I think, maybe the best of her career is this song. Check it out.
I put good money on it being the future "Bleeding Love".... maybe even better because Beyonce > Leona Lewis. Lewis is like a machine that strings together beautiful melody with words; Beyonce is this human that adds soul on top of the beautiful melody with words. See? Difference. Ah-haaah. And I so want Napoleon and Tabitha to choreograph to this song next season. Something like this season's "No Air" by Katee and Joshua, or "Bleeding Love" by Chelsie and Mark. I bet they'd totally do it though cos this song is SO GOOD. Ryan Tedder you genius you.
The other tracks on this disc are awesome as well. I love her volume control in "If I were a boy" and "Ave Maria", although not an official cover, is a very sincere and fresh interpretation of the song. If I had to use one word to describe all the songs, it would be 'soulful'. She's just R&B soul, a great mix of Rihanna and Leona Lewis. Oh. Kanye West's album is out as well, so is Britney's. Not going to touch the latter though, after listening to the whole thing on imeem one afternoon in the library. I got sooooo sick of her voice and for a few days, stayed away from all girls who sounded remotely like her. It's quite bad.
Ok, I think I sound really wonky in this post. Tis because it's late at night and I have a flight to catch tomorow and I HAVEN'T PACKED YET! Egads. I'll be gone for a week on family duty so don't call or sms unless you want to waste money (by all means go ahead but it'd be better if you just GIVE THE MONEY TO ME :) thx). I'm contactable by email (if I have reliable internet access lol) and by shouting. But that's only for Margeret cos I swear I can hear her everytime I step into the science canteen.
(Not the psych exam I just took, which was mostly common sense questions. And I mugged so hard for it! D: Wasted my precious resources. Should have used them for econs. Opportunity costs OPPORTUNITY COSTS!!!)
... Yes, I relieve stress by posting (disgusting) gory icons on my blog. Mwahahahha. Believe it or not, the first part of the gif is a pretty accurate depiction of me working on my Philosophy paper. ... Or any other paper as a matter of fact. The second part doesn't really happen to me though. Obviously. -.-
Edit: Once I get sick of the icon (which is very soon), I'll remove it. Or when enough imaginary people complain about it. Whichever comes first lol. -------------> REMOVED!
I apologize too, for the apparent lack of updates lately (other than that disgusting angst + emo post written on a whim). Apparent because I actually did blog (about LOTS of stuff), just that I didn't publish them ie. they're stuck in draft format. Ever since I realised blogger publishes according to the date of the advent of the post, I've been leaving all my entries unfinished because of the option of going back and editing it without causing the date to change.
It's the epitome and ultimate manifestation of procrastination! See, I procrastinate even when I'm doing something that is categorised as procrastination. That is, I procrastinate even when I'm procrastinating! Eh? Eh? :D ..... Dope.
Ok. Times up. I'll probably (PROBABLY) finish those drafts and publish them when the exams are over. My nightmare begins after the exams end though, fyi, so dark and dangerous times lie ahead. Wish me luck as I proceed on the perilous journey towards Mount Doom the year 2009 and make sure I destroy the ring survive until then. Yipeee!
The rain has just stopped; I wish it hadn't. It could have served as some form of company for my melancholy.
Melancholy.
There's no other word to describe my mood right now. I'm completely wrapped and drapped in it. Like an ancient Roman toga.
Just watching or even hearing about it has forced me to drag up the dark and dank past. The dregs I don't exactly want to remember, the ones I chucked to the back of my head, reasoning with myself that it's some kind of phase I've gotten over and done with.
Turns out I haven't. Not really. Not completely at least. It's been years now and I'm still raw, still naive and still vulnerable about it. I guess it won't ever leave you huh. It's always creeping around in the background, hiding from your consciousness, plotting to catch hold of a single crack, a single chance to break through and overwhelm you, effortlessly reducing you to a crumbling mess once again.
But I don't want it to leave though. I don't. It's like an old friend who knows you so well. You welcome it with open arms and then berate yourself later for doing it. You try to shun it, to stay far away but you can't help it. It tempts you to talk, to relive what happened and to wonder what will happen now if nothing had been done to stop it.
Stay with me. For awhile at least. You won't be coming back for quite some time (at least not until I decide to watch it) so might as well sit here and think about the past, the history. After all, it was such a traumatic period; I'm sure we'll have a lot to chat about.
It's exactly a week till the Election Day, and to commemorate today, amidst all the paper writing, project completing, mugging, memorising, math cursing, stressing about the finals, I've decided to introduce Sarah Palin as the President of the United States (if the Republicans win and John McCaine dies in 4 years, which is all too probable... she's seriously a heartbeat away!) and exactly what would happen to the White House office, first of all, if she takes that seat.
Check it out, PalinAsPresident has this interactive feature that depicts satirically what Palin's Presidency would be like. It's too funny not to share - provided me with half an hour of sheer entertainment and lots of LOLs. Seriously, I had so much fun moving my mouse around and clicking stuff. Make sure the sound is ON though and turned to the largest volume. (I still can't get her "MAAAVERICK" out of my head. And her "something-stan" is just too funny.)
The website updates every day till the election, so keep checking back. Awesome stuff.
NOOOOO!! I violently protest this meaningless merger! WHY?!? No way am I going to say "Hi, I graduated from RI(JC). You?" It's awkward and disgusting (no offence to RI guys but YEAH.) Why can't RJC stay RJC? And here I am thinking how unlucky the HC people are when this horrible fate has befallen on us RJ peeps too! And it's worse! We've downgraded to the secondary school name! We may have the same school song and badge but other than that, we're two totally different entities! There's a reason why we called for independence 26 years ago; why join back again?
A plague upon both your houses! RAWR!
Yeah, I know how all human beings are resistent to initial change but they'll get used to it blahblahblah it happens all the time blahblahblah however I can't help but oppose this delta! It's like a certain lose of identity, almost like a dear friend being ripped away from you. I bet they're going to change all the letter heads and replace them with "Raffles Institution (JC)". I gag. Really. Rly? Rly.
Sidenote: In case anyone of my imaginary readers start thinking that this blog is becoming intellectual, I assure you that that's not the case with this post. It's about my personal life, thank you very much. I may muse occasionally (or maybe often, take your pick lol) about heady stuff but that's just me. Basically, I muse about everything. EVERYTHANG. So this blog is actually full of random rubbish, if you haven't realised yet ahaha. Anarchy ftw yo!
Today was a lousy LOUSY Monday. Didn't help that I'm stressed out by my test this Saturday, a concert on Friday, getting back my paper, cancelled driving lessons, laptop spazzing out on me... BLAH. And I lost my thumb drive! #&@$)&# So yeah, UGH. Horrible day.
But Einstein/Quantum Mechanics lecture appeared in the form of a saving grace though. I have got to say: quantum mechanics is really weird. Like seriously, the weirdest thing I've encountered since forever. And it being a serious science made it even more freaky. It's like all those strange philosophical questions answered and confirmed. Everyone please go and check out Schrodinger's cat. In a funny way, it makes a hell lot of sense. And Bell's coloured socks. Lol, I'll always remember them because Dr. Phil wore them mismatched today! Purposely! And in a rare comedic moment at the end of the lecture, shows them to us and ties it up neatly with what we're learning! Hurrah for crazy mad science man!
And a peice of good news for me in this dreary day is yay for Facebook! I'm now friends with Katee, Mark and Courtney! :D FYI: they're my favorite SYTYCD season 4 dancers. Whoppeee! Lol, I know it's kinda juvenile but hey, fangirl's gonna take what she's got (and throw it into your face) haha!
I really can't seem to get used to the American way of spelling. I have no idea why Universities use it. Why put a z when it's supposed to be an s? Huh? The z looks totally yuks IMO. Gah. Americans.
Realised I've been listening so much more to the beats, bass and percussion lines of songs now instead of the melody or accompaniments when it used to be mostly accompaniments. Hmmmm, I blame hip hop and SYTYCD. But I especially love those slow R&B songs with sick beats. Soooo good to pop to. Oh yeah, hard-hitting hip hop does it for me too. Funny how Hip Hop usually helps me relax while classical music like Debussy and gang puts me on an edge because I think too much.
And I ask Mr. McCain. So Arabs are not decent people?!? Now we know who's sowing these seeds of racial hatred around town. Isn't that what the 'concept of America' (Pax Americana) is fundamentally against?
Just because the candidate's an Arab then he shouldn't be voted for? And that he's dangerous? What kind of shitty racism is that? Even if Obama is a Muslim or an Arab and not a decent CHRISTIAN (I'm looking at you, McCain), that is an entirely fallacious thing to say. Not all Muslims in the world wants to kill you, you stupid American. Ever heard of the mother in the Arlington National Cemetery weeping over the loss of her 20 year old son in the Iraq. "His tombstone didn't have a cross or the star of David. It had a cresent and a star symbolic of the Islamic faith". This soldier was 14 years old when 9/11 occurred and he waited until he was old enough to serve "his" country.
Edit:Here is the newest NYT article linking to the Muslim-American soldier, Kareem Khan.
It's times like this when I fret over what the free-world's most impeccable representative has become. Or perhaps it is like that since it's advent. Has America always been so characterized by ignorance, narrow-mindedness and to an alarming extent, stupidity? Especially in today's increasingly globalized world where bigotry should be tossed out of the window and inter-racial harmony embraced to allow for progress, this is clearly not the way to go. It's unhealthy for America, as a world superpower, and for the world/humanity as well. At this rate, I seriously worry about the fate of USA in the near future. Puhlease, take your long overdue bigotry somewhere else and snort it out of yourself. There's no place for "I" or "ME!" in this world right now and that makes it even more crucial to appoint a leader who is cosmopolitan, empathetic and demonstrates understanding towards the wide variety of cultures around the world in order to ensure success. That is why Barack Obama is the better choice to go with this coming Nov.
So please, the world is watching, America. Show everyone, as the assumed leader of the free-world how things should be done. One false step and the game that has gone on for centuries could be broken/lost. It could be the beginning of the end, or the beginning of a new beginning. So please, choose wisely. Don't let stupid wool (ie. ego) mull your vision for your country. It's time to show everyone exactly how grown up you are.
Obama08.
< / rant >
Ok, I know I just totally 'endorsed' Barack Obama as the next President of USA. Which is surprising for some because I used to be an avid Hillary Clinton supporter. When she wasn't selected as the Democratic nominee, I shifted my attention away from the elections, partially because it's not really interesting anymore. But Sarah Palin spiced it up again with her appalling lack of general knowledge and the race kicked into high gear. Then McCain the MAVERICK basically disappointed me, and a lot of people, with his selection of VP and his acidic, vicious spew of negative, untrue 'facts' about Barack Obama. At the same time, Obama totally stole the show in Berlin and the Convention. It also doesn't hurt that McCain's policies eerily echoes that of George Bush's. So in all, the race is Obama's to lose. Because McCain is in the midst of committing election suicide. The only problem is whether the bulk of America realize it or not. Sometimes I feel like chortling them.
Still, even if the odds are extremely favorable for Obama, the Bradley effectcould kick in at full scale and he can easily lose the election. If that's what America decides to do, then everything she preached about incessantly -- equality, nil racial discrimination, freedom, liberty -- to the world would be total bullshit because her people won't even take the best chance to practice what they preach.
If I've said there's more after the jump, click here! If not, ignore this template blip.
Ahhhhhh, little cute girl(Nina) + speaking Japanese = win. I was like "kaaawaaaaiiiiiiiiiiii~ kawaii ne~" throughout the whole thing. She's just soooooooo adorable! :D I mean, yeah, I was surprised to hear smooth (albeit kiddy) Japanese out a of caucasian looking kid - I know, I'm a stereotypical bitch but she's so cute! And Japanese is adorablest language on earth. Combo of the two = I don't really mind now if I drop dead of cuteness overload. Seriously, totally made my day. Awesome.
For more Nina goodness, head over here. I like it better when she starts speaking more Japanese ie when she's getting older. But she's awesome too especially when she attempts to speak English by imitating how it sounds. Poor Dad lol. I love it how she clearly understands her Dad's English but needs to think a bit before replying. From a developement psychological point of view, it should get very interesting looking what happens after some time in this lopsided bilingual environment where one parent speaks mostly English while the other mostly Japanese. You can already chart the progress from the videos posted. I think it's fascinating too, how the family interacts with each other; not just parents but the grandparents as well. ...Opps, ok, I'd better stop before I sound like some stalking peodophile. Lol.
In other news, midterms are officially over. Did pretty alright, at least above expectations, considering how much I studied haha. Now to plunge on till the end of the year. GROAN. No break at all; I'm reading and reading and reading every hour and don't think that's enough still. So many things to know, to understand, to explore. It's never enough. The library is my new home. Which is actually not bad cos there're so many things to devour. Not literally of course.
Don't you just hate it when someone's phone rings supremely loudly in a tomb-like library? Especially when the receiver takes his/her own sweet time picking it up (to be exact, >7s). What? You expect me to jump on the table dance to that? Sheesh, pick it up quick man.
If I've said there's more after the jump, click here! If not, ignore this template blip.
?!?!? Oh PUH-LEASE. Of all the issues to focus on in an election, this is what you choose??! You're kidding right? Absolutely immature! (They should have focused on the cover title story instead) Seriously, I'm sure this is what Americans are worried about right now -- how pretty their politicians look on magazine covers. -.-
Excuse me, politicians are not like super-models that need re-touches to appear on news magazines. Their purpose is to serve the nation, not to look good on TV or wherever. And isn't Palin supposed to be this down-to-earth (crazy) hockey Mom with common flaws like everyone else cos she's 'one of us'? Then what's wrong with a little wrinkles and blemishes? She's still prettier than half the women in United States. Hell, she's even better looking than Hillary Clinton! Duh! And that video! Gosh, total bigotry. I guess that is what happens in America all the time huh. Typical Fox news, siding all the way with Republicans again. Boooo.
Cut the crap, Republicans. The more you smear, the lower you sink. McCain is turning out to be the most un-mavericky person ever and I sometimes question Palin's sanity. It's funny how Palin repeatedly claims that she's an expert in foreign policy because she can see Russia from her state. Hello. I can see Malaysia from my house - does that make me a even better candidate in foreign policy? Sheesh! She just spouts rubbish sometimes doesn't she.
And because of the theatrics, comedians are getting the whole truckload of materials for parodies and spoofs. It's political satire galore! I think the best impersonation was Tina Fey's Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. She was absolutely spot-on, on the money. The look, the Alaskan accent, the behavior, body language, facial expressions -- totally nailed it. Fey's best work yet, I think. Here are some hilarious videos of the parody.
Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton
"And I can see Russia from my house!" LMAO.
The Vice-Presidential Debates and that disastrous interview with Katie Couric
I like how SNL uses exact quotes from the interview. Awesome.
AAAHHH!! My Katua kissed each other on the lips! @ 0:03-4! Omgomgomgomgomg!! Spazzzzzz!!! And so close too! Awesome seats!
Ok, I'd better explain. So You Think You Can Dance Tour footage! Doing Hip Hop! Y'know, that boyfriend-going-off-to-war-tis-the-last-day-before-he's-leaving dance (refer to my Top 20 post). Josh was supposed to kiss Katee on the forehead, as per choreography, but he kissed her on the lips! OMG us Katua fans are just spazzing all over the place right now. Lol, I bet Joshua was jealous with Twitch for making out with Kateeeveryothernight during that 'Mercy' dance. :D Ahaha. Josh, just ditch your girlfriend and hook up with Katee! You'll make thousands of people happy. Plus, you'll have SUPER awesome dancing babies!! :D
Woosh, yay that's my guilty pleasure from now till December at least -- So You Think You Can Dance Tour 2008 now ongoing in the States! Me = rabid fangirl, is trying to watch all available tour dance clips on Youtube every other night. It's like daily stress reliever/therapy for the midterms lol. I'm always ambivalent when I do that though, cos I'll be getting so excited and spazzing in my chair before realising I won't ever be able to go down and watch them live. Tour started in Tacoma, WA on the 20th and I think just finished performing in San Diego a few hours ago. I'm sooooooooo jealous of friends in America! :( They can just purchase tickets from ebay and pop by somewhere to watch. And I sooooo desperately want the tour booklet! alkdsjladnklho dfjs;gvosuv a;fkepisldkcg. Anyone free to help purchase one? Willing to pay for all shipping/transport/food/micellanous fees! Yes, I'm that desperate.
In other tour news, Chelsie kicked the briefcase off the stage during her and Mark's 'Bleeding Love' routine!
Lol, around 0:40. I'm glad someone ran over and put it back on the stage before it ended. This routine rocks everyone's socks off btw. Oh yeah, Mark's fanpage is full of awesome. Check it out!
I'm frustrated. The mid-terms and papers are sucking whatever of a life I have left away. Far far away.
That is why I can't go downtown for a fix of the world's first F1 night race. I can't go and watch these million dollar high tech machines/babies scream (their heads off) across Anderson Bridge, roar onto Esplanade Drive and basically blast off into the outer space at the speed of light.
I caught a glimpse of it yesterday night on TV though and suffice to say, it was awesome beyond words. The lights were crazy, the sound was good and the race was pretty exciting. I may not be an F1 fan but my adrenaline was pumping quite a bit when Fernando Alonso beat Lewis Hamilton's fastest time during the last few minutes of practice. And when Felipe Massa clocked the fastest time for two sections of the race. Awesome stuff. And now everyone is lauding Singapore for the efficient organizing, a challenging track and great lights. (BBC is cute doing that :D)
Hip Hop is proving to be a fix for my anxieties. It's mind-zoning stuff; I just focus on the beats and nothing else. Takes my mind off everything. Right now, I'm listening to Nelly's album 'Brass Knuckles'. Ha, considered an oldie but he's a darn good rapper compared to some of the newbies.
Time for some shameless pimpin' again! :D Lots of wonderful movies showing this fall. The funny, the serious, the indie and a whole truckload of Academy Award material just waiting to be nominated. Definitely something to cheer for. Let's go down the list of the films that I'm dying to watch. (Title links to the trailers, guys. Cos I don't wanna clog up my post.)
First up, we have Revolutionary Road. A movie many people anticipate because it reunites Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet for the first time since Titanic. Remember? They starred in the most money-making movie of all time. :O Yes. All time. 10 years later, they're back with this project directed by Oscar winning Sam Mendes (Winslet's husband) of American Beauty fame. The movie is an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel by Richard Yates, tells the story about a married couple in 1950s America who lives in suburbia. It's a really emotionally complex story -- those that you can chew on for days to come. I got scared watching the trailer. Not because it was, like, scary, but the context and plot of the movie frightened me. A lot. Of how it can go wrong so easily. Which is why I will definitely catch it when it opens in December.
A warning to all LeoKate fans -- this is going to be a freaking far cry from Titanic and anyone expecting this to be a continuation of the 'What if Jack didn't die" will be sorely disappointed. Firstly, the time continuum is wrong. Film takes place in the 1950s. Jack died in 1912. Duh. And the story is absolutely different. Read: dysfunctional suburban couple. So yeah. Highly recommend to watch it still because it could very well snag up lots of Oscar nominations.
And then, there's Valkyrie, a WWII epic (?) starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy. Film's basically a real story about a group of high-ranking Nazi officers plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler during the height of WWII. Of course we knew he was unsuccessful, duh, but it's interesting how it went because we seldom have movies that are shot from inside the German Reich. Usually it's all from the Allied point of view. I'm not very impressed with Tom Cruise lately but it could be extremely awesome here if he nails this one. Question: Why must most movies he stars in have his face as the only face on the poster? Think Vanilla Sky, MI123, Last Samurai, Collateral... yaddayadda.
Tom is a Nazi pirate! Arrrgggh.
The trailer looks like helluva movie though. Bryan Singer directs! Apparently, there was some conflict with the German government on the filming in actual locations and using swastikas (which are currently banned in Germany). Shrugs. I'm going to catch it anyway. Love these war blockbusters.
There's also that film, Australia, with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Basically a big-ass 1930s love story set in ... I don't even need to say it out loud. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, it's going to be a spectacle for the eyes. And Hugh Jackman! I'm swooning already. Expect a whole lot from this because two awesome Australian actors = Australia represent. I'm hoping it'd be like "Out of Africa".
Rugged FTW.
No movie poster though cos Jackman is good enough for everything. :D Ok fine, IMDB didn't let me grab any and no official posters are uploaded yet.
James Bond movie ahoy! Quantum of Solace. It's Daniel Craig as James Bond. 'Nuff said. I haven't read the novels by Ian Fleming yet though... should get round to it soon.
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett reunite too in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I'll actually not say anything here because it won't do the concept of this movie any justice. Watch the trailer instead. I got goosebumped by it. Imagine if it was for real.... that would be so freaky.
A movie I really wanna watch is Mama Mia!. Which is out already! Caught the theater version when it came to Singapore some years ago and kind of loved it so definitely will catch this one. Basically, it's a huge ball of romantic fluff rightly touted as the "feel good movie of the year" by several newsgroups. Word. Looking forward to Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and gang doing their thing.
And last but not least -- The Duchess. Which has opened in cinemas already too. The film is about the life of (the real) Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (played by Keira Knightley). Funnily, she seemed to have many uncanny parallels with Lady Diana's life. Not just in the events, but also in personality and milestones of their lives. It doesn't diminish the appeal when you learn that Lady Georgiana is, in fact, an ancestor of Lady Diana. Whoosh! Talk about comparisons. Going to watch this one just for the kicks.
Of course, these are not all the (good) movies coming out this fall. Lots of awesome stuff in the cinemas. Just that these are the ones I've read about and wanna watch. I also wanna watch the following movies releasing later, ie without trailers still.
1. Twilight (inner fangirl going :D I haven't read the latest book though so don't spoil me! There are many trailers here actually. Too lazy to post them all lol. Trap you say!)
2. Max Payne adaptation (Max = Mark Wahlberg makes me cringe)
3. Defiance (Haven't really read much but Daniel Craig's in it. Pretty big shot WWII movie. Oscar material)
4. The Reader (starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes in an adaptation of the novel by Bernhard Schlink. WWII film. More Oscar material. Again.)
5. Righteous Kill (where Robert De Niro + Al Pacino!!)
6. W (Chronicles George W. Bush's life from his Yale days through the Iraq War. Just for the kicks too.)
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (it was supposed to be released this November but postphoned to next year. Grumbles, so we all have to wait. -.-)
There are much much more actually. Appaloosa, Changeling, Body of Lies. Much anticipation. Except for HSM 3 though. I can't believe the tween industry is so freaking huge and sustainable.
Wow, there's a lot of buzzon Kate Winslet (of Titanic fame) winning the coveted statuette in next year's Oscars. Apparently, famous fashion designers are already wooing her so that she'll wear their gown to the ceremony, and win. Winslet is starring in, dig this, two Oscar-potential Oscar-ish movies -- The Reader and Revolutionary Road. And she's totally tipped for one, if not two nominations for Best Actress Award, and getting it, finally. (She's the youngest person to receive 5 Academy Award Nominations. Ever.)
Funny thing about it is that right now, the two films are not even out yet. And everyone's saying "Oh, she's going to win it. For sure!" And I'm like, -.- , they're not even showing yet guys, way to jump the gun. Not that I doubt her acting ability, but huh? That's just not logical. ... Crazy Hollywood people.
Having said that, I still really really hope that she'll be able to win this time. Totally deserves it, if not for her current work but also her past achievements. She's one of the few actors that really draws me in with her acting; she entirely embraces the character and flushes them out properly, nuancing everything as she goes along. Yes, I'm a big fan and I'll be cheering for her next March.
I am not happy that Jay Chou's new album ("Capricorn") is coming out soon. Not happy at all because I'm fighting these battling feelings of ambivalence -- should I buy it? Or should I not. I wanna get his new songs and hopefully be musically enlightened. At the same time, I'm terrified of disappointment, a la his last album. But I'm really excited! It's magically themed and we all know how proficient Mr. Chou is in magic. I quote from some forum -- "Jay Chou has also written a "magic" song in his new album, there's also a song about the "joker", the two songs even reveal the exciting interaction between the magician and the joker, it's very dramatic." So perhaps there will be outstanding arrangements and amazing lyrics. Having said that, the last time he tried something new, ie the cowboy song, it turned out disastrous.
Argh.
Ok. I shall risk my already fragile impression of Jay Chou (refer to my previous Jay Chou post) and just go get that album. It's been less than a year since his last one and I guess I'm willing to take the plunge. Not that it would be a make or break thing, but opportunity costs, opportunity costs.
That's what future generations of people will say when they refer to the financial conundrum we are in now. Because it's apparently worse than the Great Depression in the 1930s! :O
I can see parallels and similarities between the two and why it's considered worse but I cannot seem to believe that I'm living through it now. Hmmm, maybe I romanticize it too much. But it's scary all the same and frightening to the financial industry, regardless what country you're in.
Lehman Brothers has collasped, bringing with it many companies who are shareholders and have purchased bonds from Lehman. And it's shocking, to say the least, watching a major bank -- a huge player in the financial world -- file for bankruptcy protection overnight. The modern financial system is shaped such that when one key domino falls, everyone else will be affected, with a variety of detrimental effects. Likewise, when that key player makes money, everyone will be affected, in this case, positively.
So with AIG (thinks of Man U! Lol.) presumably is quite a big shareholder (I haven't checked!) of Lehman, it is undergoing a huge crisis now. The (Bush) government has refused to bail it out and the Wall Street companies are desperately trying to save it. Because the consequences and complications of it collapsing are unimaginable. AIG = one of the, if not the largest insurance company in the world. Bah, even my family has AIG insurance. And not to mention a large percentage of the American people (life insurance, health, car, house, etc). So the effects will launch the markets into a maelstrom. It's quite scary actually. And I'm sure the American government has not done anything to prevent this from happening since the BearSterns collaspe! Gah! Stupid Republicans in the stupid White House. The next 24 hours till Wednesday are crucial for the survival of AIG apparently. ... I wonder if anyone will pick up the phone if I call and ask stupid questions? Ahaha.
Funnily enough, I have a feeling all this rubbish can be elegantly attributed to human greed. See, we learnt our mistakes in the 1930s and increased risk management and financial controls of banks after the Great Depression. But soon money calls and everything is abandoned gradually, resulting in the full-scale catastrophe that is laid before our eyes. (cue dramatic music) It's a cycle that goes on and on I think. So in 70 years time, we shall see another one of these grace the Earth.
Ah, humanity. The irony. .... Someone must be laughing at us from outer space or something.
OH yeah, these are just my rantings/musing btw, don't take it too seriously. They're fairly simple, naive and somewhat childish. My mergre research on this is still very preliminary so maybe not everything I say is true. Lol. Go read! I think it's a pretty rare thang happening here.
I am spectacularly astounded by Myrika's Personal Library. Truly. It turns me on in ways that only erudite and academic people know of. How wonderful it would be to have a personal room like this, where I can spend hours at a time just buried in some book, any book and leave the rest of the world behind. And her organisational system almost made me squeal. Lol, ok I just love her splendid room. I wannnnt a room lyke zis twooo!
Ok. Cut that nerd speak. Lol. I know I'm freaking some people out. Can already hear the shocked gasps of "When did zj turn into a nerd? Omg what happened to her?". Frankly, I have never ever been called a nerd before. Until I came to University that is. In primary school, I was known as the loud brassy tomboy who played soccer with the boys. In lower secondary, I was a rebel with an unorthodox hairstyle, whom the teachers all hated btw. In upper secondary, I cleaned up my act. A little bit. And still touting a hairstyle that got me into lots of trouble (I blame my conservative school). In high school though, I basically became a full-fledged, extremely low-profile average rjcian. Yes, I've been labeled with a wide variety of types before but haven't come within a hundred light years of 'nerd'. (sorry for casting stereotypical molds. it's an inevitable evil.) And now, after a month in a new environment, already quite a few people have come out and commented about me being pretty nerdy . What the hells? I'm academically inspired okay. Euphenism ftw.
Lately, I've been re-listening to some Chris Brown and came to a shock realization when I was listening to "Forever". Chris Brown employs relativity in his songs! :O
Basically, the very first few lines of the song goes like this.
It's you, and me moving at the speed of light into eternity, yeah.
And if you are familiar with Einstein's general relativity theory, you'll know that when you travel at or close to the speed of light, time will pass slower and you'll age slower. So when you travel at the speed of light, time moves so slow that it's practically constant, creating this "forever" feeling, which is what the song name is and hence what the song is about.
!!!! Chris Brown is a genius!?! Lol, or at least his producer is. I think it's amusing, at the very least. Academia in Hip Hop! :D
Of course, a more technical person can argue about the perspectives thing. An observer on Earth would see, in terms of his time, them travelling forever. But to the couple traveling at the speed of light, it feels as if they're proceeding at normal time. Hmmm. So it actually dosen't work out that neatly in the song. Heck, we'll never know whether Chris Brown really understands relativity or not, and who gives a hoot. He's sexy enough for everyone.
I know what you're thinking: Einstein must have gotten to her brain! ... It has! For many hours a week, I breathe, eat and sleep Einstein. He's such a genius! Once every century probably. And you can feel his spirit when you study his work. Awesome. I'm just singing with academic wonder. Thanks to Professor Phil and his neverending passion for this course.
Lol, for all those who don't want anything to do with Einstein, I highly recommend this song to you anyway, if you like Hip Hop. It's got sick beats and instrumentation that gives the whole song a sleek futuristic feel and add in Chris Brown's melting vocals, you get an exceedingly sexy song. Great to dance to because of the alternatives the beats present. Dave Scott chereographed to this song for Comfort & Twitch on So You Think You Can Dance Season 4 and it was seriously the best conventional Hip Hop routine of the whole season. It got picked up as a Judges favourite for the finale too and Comfort and Twitch were just sick in both Top 8 and the finale. Totally SICK. Haha, now you know why my mp3 has it on eternal loop these days. Just can't get enough of the song, and routine. Awesome stuff. Watch it!
That was the dance itself during the Top 8 performance show. Now the finale, which was danced cleaner and better.
And here's the full original song itself, courtesy of Chris Brown (I love him!). Get addicted, yo.
I stumbled upon this video of the Presidential Elections and laughed my ass off. It's pure, pure satirical gold. A surprisingly fair and even commentary on all the major stars of the elections. Totally worth a watch, even for those who don't really follow the elections.
The video is pretty brilliant. I love how they depict Obama riding a (pink-maned!) unicorn in his rhetoric rich disney-esque world (with bouncing friendly woodland animals and everything) and McCaine as a war-mongering general who's about to drop dead. Of course, not forgetting Hillary whacking Bill with a frying pan with Lewinsky watching (because of how he ruined her campaign?).
Ah, great video to mark the start of major campaigning that Obama/Biden and McCaine/Palin will embark on from now till November 4th. Meanwhile, I'll watch in anticipation (and evil glee) how Americans will once again decide on who to be the most powerful person in the world. Let's hope they don't screw up like the last two times. Though kudoes to McCaine, true to his maverick style, for making the race much more interesting by introducing Sarah Palin into the game. I'm not sure whether American women will fall for his little trick to get their votes. Governor Sarah Palin may be a strong, spirited and pretty woman but she is certainly no Hillary Clinton. Far from it. You don't really want a 2 year old governor of Alaska to be the vp of a country like USA. But it's hard to criticize her lack of expertise when on the other end, you have someone named Barack Obama running for top office. McCaine has just set a little loop trap for his opponent and we shall see whether it works or not. I just hope die-hard Clinton supporters would not swing to McCaine just because a woman is on the ticket. Can't you see through the clumsy attempt to get your votes? Seriously, Hillary's so going to run for 2012; so in the meantime, conserve your votes for her.
And to complicate matters more, Hurricane Gustav is coming and how Bush reacts to this major disaster will, once again, play an important role in the election. The coming months will be exciting for America, and the world, so let's sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.
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,.. Not up close of course. With a telescope duh. But still...
Momentous occasion! I just saw Jupiter through the telescope! YES I DID! It was a part of my Einstein course. :D Ecstatic. Despite being small, quite insignificant and only by squinting can you see it's moon, it was magnificently beautiful. Just beyond reason. Beautiful.
Hello~! It's one of the things we've been studying for ages! Who hasn't been made to memorise the solar system order of planets since kindergarten? Who hasn't looked at the milky way and wondered what the planets really look like up close? Who hasn't pondered about life on other planets? Who hasn't dreamt of being an astronaut, traveling into space (and for some people, meeting Obi-Wan Kenobi)? The planets are so close to our hearts, yet so far from us. They're held in such revere, totally untouchable, and yet we've known them practically our whole lives. (I was sad when Pluto was demoted. ) It's almost like seeing an old friend again after so many years.
And looking at Jupiter like that, albeit through multiple lenses and mirrors, was almost surreal. Like, I'M LOOKING AT JUPITER OMG!! THAT SHINING ROUND THING IS JUPITER!! AAAH OMG I'M SEEING JUPITER! YES I SEE IT! WOW. I SEE THE BANDS ON THE SURFACE! OMG! AAHH THAT LITTLE DOT IS THE MOON?! THE ONE THAT GALILEO MISTOOK FOR A BACKGROUND STAR?!? ZOMG WTFBBQ!
In fact, because everyone wanted so much to see it, and only one telescope was powerful enough for a clear image, there was a looooong queue. So I had to queue up to see Jupiter, so to speak. In typical Singaporean fashion. "We're queuing up to see Jupiter!" Haha, Jupiter = some famous idol basically.
Again, AH-MAE-ZANG, in the words of Mia Micheals. It's been 50 years since we stepped on the moon and even after unveiling so many of its secrets, the galaxy still mesmerizes us in profound ways. Now I know why the planets are named after ancient Gods; they are cosmic. Simply cosmic. Only names of Gods are deserving for these creations. Looking at Jupiter is almost like looking at one of the Greats and you feel as if you're part of something immense, something wonderful, something unworldly and totally out of our existence. It's quite a profound feeling. Hard to explain. You'll get it once you see it.
And I love listening to Dr. Phli Chan talk about Einstein and his theories. It's refreshing to be taught by someone really passionate about his area. You can see him come alive when he starts explaining them. Einstein is, truly, a genius btw. People like that don't come by once in a thousand years even. I feel honored just by studying his work. And reading his book. If only I can fully understand the maths, that'd be awesome.
Hurray! I've just made-over my blog! ... Ok, fine, it's more of a degrading makeover. I seriously think my previous template was more attractive. That is, more aesthetically pleasing while this new one looks plain dull. But it's so much more organized and I'm prefer the comments function to the tagboard. Plus, it's more mature. ... Oh great, this comes from a person who doesn't want to grow old. You can't change the winds of fate, young grasshopper. Oh wells. But hey, I'll change it back to the old one sporadically from time to time, if I feel like it so no biggie. ... Who in the world would intentionally uglify their blog anyway.
And in a rare statement, I'm guessing imaginary people (person?) are wondering what the hells happened to my So You Think You Can Dance recaps. Ok, so basically I was under a bout of laziness (when was I not) and burnout from SYTYCD. It's Nigel's fault, really. Plus, my life got a whole l0t busier. And shittier so don't throw stones at me. But now that I have a new found motivation - more than one SYTYCD fan reads my blog! (Hi Simone!) - I shall start posting them again! Even though the season has already ended about a month ago lol. Just a warning though, entries won't be regular (when have they ever been regular anyway) and I'll probably take longer than I should. Ahaha. Please anticipate.
I realised I haven't posted anything to do with my life for quite a few months. Ever since my RSAF interview. And I've been bugging overseas people for blog updates on their new life. Hypocrisy at it's very best, ladies and gentlemen. Lol, don't worry, a GIGANTIC BIG-ASS update will be coming very soon. Imaginary people will just have to wait some more ahaha. But really, it's like TITANIC and you'll probably take about half an hour reading it. Meanwhile, I shall make a conscious effort maintaining this author-forsaken blog by making frequent updates about my life now.
In other news, Barack Obama has chosen Biden as his running mate. Which is not at all shocking, given Biden's record in foreign policy and his honesty = change. Frankly, I've taken my eyes off the Presidential Elections for some time now. Obama vs McCaine is just not as exciting as Obama vs Clinton. But I'm still rooting for Obama though. Although McCaine is indeed an unconventional republican, he's still George Bush 2.0 under Republican pressure so I'm definitely not rooting for him. Not to say that Obama is perfect though. He has his flaws. But I really really want someone different to take the seat this time. Someone with a true cosmopolitan view of the world. I'm not just sick of George Bush. I'm sick of the tirade of US presidents parading their ignorance. The people of a country takes after their leader and I hope Americans will become more like Barack Obama. Change we can all believe in. Yes we can.
Now that the Democrat candidate has been decided, it's on to the Democratic Convention, where efforts would be made to unite the party after a bruising primary between two juggernauts.
And Day 1 woo. Michelle Obama is fierce! Great speech at the opening day of the Democrat's convention. She is such a strong speaker. The whole day was almost like a one-two knockout punch by the Democrats. First was emotional flabbergaster for Kennedy and then a solid Michelle Obama re-illiterating and reshaping of her husband's image for us, since many Americans still think they don't know much about the Democratic candidate. Anyway, on to the second day.
Oh Hillary Clinton, I shall laud you for your wonderful speech. Filled with sartorial soundbites, it was enjoyable to watch/read. It was also, more often than not, filled with grace and humility -- I guess she's got to plan for 2012 eh? Still, I regret her not being the nominee when I read this. Here stands such an amazing woman who opened so many doors for us. Not just for women but for humankind.
"... see another Republican in the White House squander our promise of a country that really fulfills the hopes of our people. And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months or endured the last eight years to suffer through more failed leadership."
No way, no how, no McCain." (best punchline of the night)
"I will always be grateful to everyone from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the territories who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush administration. To my supporters, to my champions, to my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits (lol!) , from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you, because you never gave in and you never gave up. And together we made history."
I want you -- I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me, or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him?Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that young boy and his mom surviving on "the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?" (Great way to change the focus of her speech and to change the mindset of her supporters)
"Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats. And if we do our part, we'll do it again with President Obama and the Democrats."
"Now, with an agenda like that, it makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities, because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart."
"My mother was born before women could vote. My daughter got to vote for her mother for president. This is the story of America, of women and men who defy the odds and never give up."
And other pretty cool things she said. Just read the speech first before watching it. Her delivery is still quite stiff and flat compared to Obama's.
Too bad Hillary Clinton is not the democratic nominee, she is not the future vice-president and she is no longer in the running for President. History will record her as the juggernaut who fell before the maverick. In the end, 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling still could not break the toughest one of all. She did play with the big boys and almost won. But ultimately, although she serves as a wonderful inspiration, there is still no female commander-in-chief sitting in the White House. I guess this just show's how hard the fight for humanity really is. We're inching along, bit by bit, hoping that what we do will make a difference, but not knowing for sure what it would be. Let's just keep chipping away at the stone and hope that we find something amazing at the core.
So for the first 2 days of the Democratic Convention in Denver, we caught a glimpse of the 3 most influential political dynasties (as of now, that is) in America. The Kennedys, the Obamas and the Clintons. It's quite amusing to see how the most democratic nation in the world fall to the irony of political dynasties. I guess Power is still a heady thing.
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Argh. This rant has been stuck in my head for days! Get it out get it out! I don't really care now whether it makes sense or not. Just, out!
I hate how the Western media insults China, how they use innuendos and sarcasm with ease to mock Chinese victories. It started with the scintillating reports on the Opening Ceremonies and have now made their way into the various sporting events.
Take this New York Times article for example. After reporting (unbiasedly to the best of her ability) on the Chinese win, the author goes into a long rant about how bad the gymnastics system in China is. How impoverished the gymnasts are and how hard their life is because of the centralized system. Even subtly hinting at the lack of human rights in the sports schools by making them sound like pseudo-prisons. It's almost like saying "Hey, they won! But they didn't win it the right way! Ours pwns them totally. " It so reminds me of a sore loser trying to poke holes or look for minute chinks in the victor's shiny armour. You lost. Fair and square. Your athletes simply made more mistakes on the floor routine and beam routines (yes, I watched the whole thing). Granted, you did achieve the highest score of the tournament on uneven bars (which was beautiful, btw) but you made pure mistakes. It wasn't because of a subjective opinion on the routines or anything. They were standardized deductions for falling off the beam, for stepping out of the boundaries, for falling flat on your butt and then on your back after a tumble etc. The Chinese gymnasts were simply more careful, more graceful and more technical than you. If you want to use this opportunity to pick at China, fine. But do not take this victory away from any of the young Chinese gymnasts. Don't soil the experience for anyof them. You've said so yourself; they've worked like slaves for this gold medal for practically their whole lives. Let them enjoy this gold medal thoroughly. Don't diminish their deserved victory and glory with your sour grapes, please.
And I am really disappointed at BBC. For so long, it has been sole bastion of impartiality in the Western Media; I always look forward to their news reports because they do just that - report only. Aaand their opinion pages have been fabulously filled with all kinds of rational comments by the public that offer a sort of check and balance effect for the article itself. Now it's image is kind of ruined by the bits of partiality littered around the site about Olympics. Sighs. So much for the hope of honest journalists.
< / rant >
I'm sorry if I came across as really defensive or anything. I'm just so sick of the bias in these Western media reports recently. I feel for China and her people. Their hard work, their pride, their relentless pursuit of acceptance by the world community (sometimes so desperate that it goes over the top), despite the numerous flaws in the country. Let's not pepper this wonderful, once-in-a-century moment with dreaded politics and accusations that take attention away from the people who are the rightful stars of the present -- the athletes aiming for excellence.
Hello imaginery readers! I'm going to bore you again with a recap of SYTYCD Top 16 show. OH wells, I'm trying something new this season so please bear with me here as I record down the notes I've written during the show. Videos of dances are posted so feel free to jump to them. If you're bored at work or at home, follow the Youtube video links (to the person who posted them) to watch the whole show and enjoy one of my favourite television shows of all time. Don't forget to visit Leee's blog where he recaps (hilariously) the latest episode. .. And yes, I am blatantly selling SYTYCD off. :D
Ok. Here we go. In my opinion, today's show is the best so far this season.
Show starts off with Cat introducing the judges. We have Nigel (hope he's not high like last week) and Mary (not human, cos she's 90% botox) and Adam Shankman in da house! I love how Cat calls Shankman Shankers with that British accent. Their interactions are so fun to watch. :) ("Official" shipping names in brackets.)
Twitch and Kherington (Twitchington) - Hip Hop
They're doing a Hip Hop this week! Kherington and her shopping problem! And Twitch laughs like a bear! (I agree!) And LOL at Twitch "America, if you see her at the stores, say 'Kherington, put the shoes DOWN.'" I loving him more and more each week. And he's totally FAB in the routine! Kherington was not bad too, though I think she only stepped up one notch, not the two that Nappytabs wanted. Btw, I so dig the prison break concept. It was fun and entertaining, especially the lift thing he did at the end. If Kherington had been hitting it as hard as Twitch, then I think it would be awesome. Overall, it was good, but I'm not sure whether it's good enough, looking at how amazing all the routines are tonight.
Napoleon and Tabitha officially = Hip POP. Not Hip Hop. There's so much popping in their routines! I kind of miss Shane, despite some of the rubbish he threw at the contestants last week (ie Danny and Sara, Sabra and Neil). Too bad he's on America's Best Dance Crew, where, I admit, he truly belongs.
Sidenote: OMG did Adam just kiss Mary? WAHAHAHA to stop her from screaming I think! Lol.
Gev and Courtney (Gevney) - Rumba
The Rumba? Now they're totally channeling Dominic and Sabra. I shall laugh at Nigel's unsubtle attempts to create Dombra II. Too bad they aren't working that much for me. They're really cute together but their chemistry is a little lacking. Watching this routine, I can't help but compare it (unconciously) to Dominic and Sabra's Rumba and sad to say, this falls short of the fabulous one last season. It's hard to point out what's missing for this routine but it just didn't have the magic that Dombra's had last season. Although no denying that the routine was definitely HOT. Basically Courtney + half a dress = hotness.
Having said that, I think it's really hard for them to be living in Dom and Sabra's shadow now that it's really apparent that the producers are trying to create another Dombra. Tough luck cos Gev is just not as entertaining or charismatic as Dominic and the dynamics of the relationship between Gevney is completely different from that of Dombra. Dombra II? Far from it.
Chris and Comfort (Chomfort) - Jazz
Tyce Diorio = Tasty Oreo! Jazz! African warrior Jazz! Well, I think it was a great effort. The starting was pretty cool and I was sincerely hoping for this to be a great number but after that it just died down. Not earthy enough, not primitive enough. And the music was so strong that they kinda just lost to the track. Plus, Chris just can't seem to get mean! Not with Krump, not with Jazz either. His mean face is laughable and quite pathetic. I guess rosey cheeks = school boy innocence. Comfort, on the other hand was bringing it but they didn't feed off each other's energy so I guess B3 again this week. Still, it was better than the Krump last week.
I guess everyone knows now that Chris = tree. But I didn't know that he's a personality blackhole as well - seems to be sucking away Comfort's personality week after week. Not cool.
Will and Jessica -- Disco
Haha! I love Will's "I Will..." shirt! Seriously, this dude is crazy good. Like CRAZY good. And very attractive. :D They are doing disco by Doriana Sanchez! And it turns out to be pretty good IMO. I love Will's popping-like movements at the beginning and his Travolta pose is so cool! He is just AMAZING. Word. And I've never seen a more spectacular aeroplane lift that goes UP and DOWN! ZOMG. More crazy lifts! Thoroughly enjoyed the whole routine. I have to say again: Will is MAG. Magnificent. Look at his movements throughout the whole routine! Makes everything look effortless! He's so sick that Jessica is like living perpetually in his shadow. She's good, but Will is just too amazing. Together, they make a nice and cute couple but if the judges keep flaking Jessica, then I have a feeling she's going to go home soon. They clearly don't want her in the competition. :(
Matt and Kourtni (Mattni) -- Contemporary
LOL at Matt. Hello! That's a balaclava! -.- They're doing Contemp. done by Sonya Tayeh. BTW, Sonya = COOL. That's got to be the looooongest Mohawk I've ever seen in my life. Plus, I LURVE the concept and her chereography. Comic book characters! And they executed it really well too.. very technical so I can't say much. Matt is cute! Although Mark definitely > Matt in this kind of quirky routines. I can see him doing it already. Great job anyway, not sure whether people will appreciate this type of chereography.
Chelsea and Thayne -- Quickstep
Thayne is starting to look more and more like Benji. But his smile irritates me though. ... Stop smiling so much! Haha! And Chelsea is a flower theif! Lol so cute! Quickstep is generally known as the kiss of death on the show and for this couple it definitely is. I don't know whose fault it is, could be both also, that everything is not together. The dancing awkward and not solid enough during the close hold sections (omg look at me with ballroom terminology!). The music didn't help either. I found myself yawning halfway through. And I got pissed at Thayne's contemporary frame. That look. He just can't get rid of it no matter what he does. Same goes for Will and Marquis. Whenever they do ballroom, the contemporary frame comes out and I just don't quite like it. I miss real ballroom guys! Especially Russians. :(
Mark and Chelsie (Marksie) -- Hip Hop
I think Chelsie really dosen't like Mark/Mark repels her. Outside of dance that is. On stage their Chemistry is fire but during the video pakages, Chelsie really seem to genuinely not like Mark. Plus, she seems like a stuck up teenager sometimes. Opps, not digging her personality. Having said that, I'm starting to love Mark more and more! Mr. Kanemura! :D --> Jap!
They're doing a lyrical Hip Hop routine by NappyTabs and it turns out to be FABULOUS. My notes say "SO FAB OMG THE ROUTINE!!!" which dosen't sound like I'm sane at all but trust me, it means awesome. It's about the relationship between a workaholic and his wife and the music is Leona Lewis's overplayed "Bleeding Love". Lyrical Hip Hop needs dancers to bring emotions across and Chelsie did just that. Her pops in the manipulation part of the routine were so good and you can 'feel' each of her chest pops. Though Mark was not exactly doing Hip Hop. His movements were not hard enough and seemed more contemporary + his own quirky style. Actually I guess the whole chereography wasn't really Hip Hop if you scrutinise it... it was more like Lyrical. But I dunno whether it was these two not hitting it hard enough or NappyTabs made it more of a Lyrical to help them.
It is inevitable that comparisons will be drawn between this and first week's No Air done by Joshua and Katee. Both chereographed by NappyTabs and fall under Lyrical Hip Hop. Personally, I prefer No Air cos it's more of a legitimate Hip Hop dance. And boyfriend going off to war > boyfriend loves his work. :) Oh, and I realised that Katee's too bright lipstick colour during the first week was probably a reference to Vietnam and the 70s. Dumb of me not to get that.
Joshua Katee (Katua) -- Samba
I told myself not to crush/ship on any couple this year cos it would distort my judgement/viewing pleasure. But I just can't help loving these two guys! They're so so cute together! :D Especially Joshua. I love his smile! And Katee too! Definitely one of my favourite couples. The video packages help in their appeal too (unlike Marksie's...). Haha! Katie screams like a boy! Lol, hilarious. Just love the Joshua and Katee interactions.
On to the dance. It was so effing HOT! Really sexy! I remember loling at Josh's expression when he taps her in the beginning and then HOLY SMOKES her kick is so HOT! And from then on their chemistry was sizzling and the rest of the dance was just plain SEXY. And entertaining too. Both of them knocked it out of the park when everyone thought they were going to fail at ballroom. Although their technique wasn't really there but they faked it really really well. The video package helped a lot, IMO. I'm loving Joshua's booty too. And Katie's new haircut! It's funny how bangs gave her more personality. Best routine of the night! Again! That's like 2 best routines of the night so far! And 3 stellar performances in a row! Seriously, one of my favourite couples, if not my favourite. (I'm also loving Mark and Chelsie, but only on the dancefloor -- they have 3 consecutive brilliant performances too!)
Sidenote: Tony's shirt says "Quick Quick..Slow". I love it! It's like ballroom mantra. Oh, and I love Mark and Katee. Spread some Asian love! :D
Sidesidenotes:
Mary Murphy says Murphy proverb = her ear-bursting scream. I wonder what Murphy family reunions are like. Hmmm. And while Shankers provides some real encouragement and postitive critic to the show, sometimes he's just too chatty. This time he prompts Nigel to say "Carry on, Adam, we'll be preparing bed and breakfast for the audience" or something like that.
Soooooo, great show tonight. Leee did this funny peice about Katee's Awkward Dance. Please check it out. It's spreading.
Results Show
Group routine is a Contemporary peice by Mia. She is mad. I'd really like to go in her head and take a look around. Crazy! It's like goth + Alice in Wonderland + Tim Burton all ground up together! A simple explanation would be a circus deprived suffering unloved children, where Mark is the ringleader ie the most deprived and unloved one but Leee puts in a better explanation.
"Mia's routine was not so much Cirque du Soleil, because what grotesquerie as this could exist under the warm light of day? Visible only because of the luminescent moonscape of the stage harshed them into our consciousness, no, this was an unreal Cirque de la Lune occupying the liminal fringes of civilized living, a shadow society replete with its ritualized customs that dressed in the clothes of daylight civility, then broaching all good taste: the ringmaster and his court, resplendent in dubious pageantry, initiating their progress with screams and the rhythmic pounding of their staves, the lost, infantile naif absorbed into this tattered outcast family..."
O_O
Ok. Gotta say though, Mark totally shined in that one. And Comfort was not bad also. Love me some Mia.
Quest's performance was lacklustre in a sense that it didn't thrill me as much as their AI performance. A chemistry song did not help. AT ALL. Then comes the solos. Kourtni was fantastic, and Comfort was fab, albeit a little one-dimensional. The rest were all right, standard contemporary stuff that didn't impress. Matt and Thaye dance too graceful and soft for me. On to the eliminations, Nigel does a Sabra and tosses Chelsea aside quick as a lightning. WHAT?! .. Oh well, I was sad to see her go cos she had a so-called great personality but it was between her and Comfort so I guess it's a no-brainer for stupid old fart Nigel. On the other hand, it is definitely, without a doubt Chris's time to go. He's just not bringing anything to this competition although he really is a sweet guy. Splitting couples up is really sad for them. I was moved by the way Comfort ran up and jumped on Chris to hug him and how Thayne was embracing Chelsea. Now it's Thayne and Comfort. We'll see how it goes.
This was shown last week, when I was still in Malaysia so I'm only blogging about it this week. Took down notes while watching it so should still remember some of what happened. My last post for SYTYCD was pretty watered down because not many routines impressed me except for Joshua and Katee's Hip Hop, Mark and Chelsea's Contemporary and Twitchington's Broadway, the former of which was posted up as a Youtube video.This week should be much better because the dancing standards have generally increased and well, I basically just need a place to record my notes down before they get lost. Plus, I'm not half-asleep when I'm posting this time.
Show starts with the usual introductions. We have Nigel, Mary and my dear (awesomely bleached) Mia Micheal's as our, in Cat Deeley's words, jidges for the night. They talk, blahblahblah, and the show starts off with Thayne and Chelsea.
Thayne and Chelsea
Does anyone think that Thayne looks a lot like Benji? Especially when he smiles. But it sort of feels like he's mugging for the camera a bit too much. I'm still a little scared of Chelsea's abs - I think she can easily crush a full grown man between her pacs - and her general physique reminds me so much of Martha. Craaaaazee gal this one. They're doing a Jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore, with the concept of a King and his hidden lover. It's intriguing and got me excited, but surprisingly, I was pretty much let down after seeing the dance. It wasn't atrocious but I just didn't buy the concept from the execution. I can see where Mandy Moore is going with the choreography but Thayne and Chelsea couldn't pull it off. Thayne moves a bit too.. sissy for the part of a King. I love Chelsea's hair though. Fab. Their dancing couldn't match the hard music so I guess this is going to be a bottom 3 routine. Next!
Mark and Chelsie
Another Chelsie! Wahaha. They're doing Argentine Tango! I've got a feeling that outside of dancing, Chelsie is not really digging Mark. Finds him too weird or something. The routine was pretty hot and I daresay technically better than Allison and Ivan's first Arg. Tango. It was truly a war of the feet. Chelsie is just fabulous with her kicks and swings and turns but although she's technically superior, she felt a bit cold maybe cos Mark was bringing all the passion and feeling in his movements. And he was leading so well as a partner so the whole thing was actually swaying more in Mark's favour for me. But overall, really good. You can watch it here.
Will and Jessica
Hip Hop! Well, I thought it was ok actually. Will was great, as usual. I think all blacks, be it contemporary or ballroom or hip hop dancers, can do fab hip hop. It's almost as if it's in their blood or something. If you look at Jessica without Will, she's actually doing a really great job for a Contemporary dancer. But if you put Will The Great together with her, she pales in comparison and becomes a so-called inferior dancer. I think the judges are giving her too much flak. It's really hard to step up to Will The Great and I just hope she pulls through to Top 10 so that she can change partner and get the chance to excel properly. Their chemistry together, both onstage and off is fabulous though, one of the two couples I feel this season that have great chemistry together.
Matt and Kourtni
I think Kourtni looks so exotic. And a bit weird actually. Her eyes, hair and face. Matt was right when he said you can just fall into her eyes when you look at them. They're doing Foxtrot this week! And in my opinion, they did great. I couldn't keep my eyes off Kourtni! Though, Matt's arms and shoulders during the whole thing just spells out CONTEMPORARY DANCER. (How I miss having ballroom guys that know how to do really partner people. Sighs.) But other than that, I think Matt did a great job too and I loved the whole old school Hollywood shindig. So elegant and graceful. I've always enjoyed watching Foxtrots but it's weird that no matter how well you do it, the couple usually ends up in the bottom 3.
Gev and Courtney
Do they intentionally line up same name ppl back to back to confuse us? Anyway, Gev and Courtney has got Contemporary with Mandy Moore this week! Their chemistry was pretty awesome onstage. (Gev has crush on Courtney!) I absolutely LOVED the routine... and I almost cried. Courtney was brilliant and Gev really good for a b-boy. Is it me or is the producers trying to channel Sabra and Dom through these two. The dance reminded me so much of their contemporary last year. I sort of get what Mia was trying to say about organic dancing but to me it felt like she was nitpicking a bit. Nonetheless, the choreography was fab, execution was great and I heart Mandy! :)
Joshua and Katee
I think no one expected what an awesome pair these two would make when they were put together by the producers. They have so much positive chemistry together! I think expectations were really high on them this week after the superb war Hip Hop item they did last week, which was easily the best routine of the night. Broadway! By Tyce Diorio, or Tasty Oreo according to Cat. Well, I thought it was great! So much fun to watch. Katee's actions were not big enough for my liking but her technique was really good and she brought grace to her character. Joshua was just mag. I didn't expect him to bring it this week but he broke every one's expectations. And he's so cute too! :D I'm so loving this couple now. Woots! Especially after Katee overwhelmed incredible odds against her to do so well. I love unexpected underdogs. Plus it's awesome that they're doing top three routines consecutively for 2 weeks.
Sidenote about the judges: Is Nigel Broadway deprived or something? And Mary's tra-la-la in her heart place? ZOMG. But I lol how they went "A POPPER?!? POPPER? A POPPER?!? POPPER!!!!"
Marquis and Susie
I think no one liked Susie when she got into top 20. A high school teacher? zOMG. Kelli Baker would make a much better contestant. But honestly, I think she and Marquis have started to grow on me, especially after the beautiful waltz last week (although Marquis' partnering was more Contemporary). Especially like how they interact in the video package. Susie looks much better without hooker makeup and is actually turning out to be quite pretty. Sadly, the Salsa they did was not good at all. It looked as if they were trying too hard at some parts. Alex Da Silva was pretty mean, with that tone he took when he complained about Susie being a street salsa dancer. Total confidence booster. But Susie did disappoint I guess, with the routine being specifically the genre she said she was specialising in. A pity, cos I was starting to like this couple.
Twitch and Kherington
There's a bit of controversy over choreography that has personal meaning in it, ie Mia Micheals' Time routine. It's more emotional than usual, hard or sometimes impossible to criticize cos you'd be discrediting or disrespecting the feelings and what happened to the choreographer. No one can tell whether it's really good dancing or just mediocre because of the drama surrounding it. But getting a routine like this is a sure way of staying out of the bottom 3. And a big boost or pressure for you to dance all you can. Twitch and Kherington definitely did that. Although Twitch's extensions were stunted and his footwork not satisfactory, both of them brought so much emotion to the stage. Add that to a Celine Dion song, people are bound to cry when they watch this. It's so sad that two amazing dancers (Jean-Marc and France btw) have a child that cannot do what their parents love doing all their life. I have a new appreciation now for the both of them.
I think Mia's being nitpicky about Kherington smiling though. It can be interpreted both ways. And it's weird how Kherington's dancing a waltz barefoot... first time I seen that. I think it's the second consecutive week she's barefoot while dancing! I hope she won't be next week. Anyway, I love Twitch! :D
Chris and Comfort
OH man. Chris still has the personality of a tree. It's even worse when he's next to someone who has the personality to fill a whole forest. They do Krump this week and I have a bad feeling about Mr. Rosy Cheeks. I was right. He so totally cannot pull off gangsta. Not his face, not his movements, not his attitude. Not ever. I disagree with the judges though. Comfort is not not good tonight; she's just bringing it down so that Chris dosen't look so white-boy. But it didn't work. I guess Chris is just too white he can't even touch Comfort's whitest attempt. Ugh I'm sorry about the colour connotations here but that's the only way to put it. Fully expect him to go home after this routine. It's quite obvious that the choreography was also trying to support Chris by taking out the solo parts but didn't work I guess. Chris is really sweet but just ain't cutting it. Comfort and Chris's Krump = Comfort's Krump.
SO.
Not a bad show. At least better than last week's. Now for the results.
Results Night
Shane Sparks Hip hop!!! :DDD 'm so glad Shane is still choreographing group numbers this season. His brand of hip hop is just so different from NappyTabs'. Even though Marquis and four of the hip hop dancers were showcased during the dance, Comfort totally stood out for me. Nigel was not bluffing when he said she's the best female hiphop dancer he's seen. She even pops better than some of the other hip hop guys. Watch her in action below.
After Comfort and her background dancers had finished performing, the cuts began. I think the bottom 3 was expected. What I didn't expect was Marquis going home so early. Marquis's solo was the best of the night I think aside from Comfort's rocking FAB solo... or maybe the others' were a bit more mediocre. Anyway, I knew Susie was going home when the 3 of them stood there, no surprise. But what shocked me was that Marquis was sent home too. I totally wanted Chris to go home cos he wasn't doing anything for the show at all and Marquis's solo was awesome. Don't get what Nigel and gang were saying about tricks - Neil did lots of tricks last year and look where he got. Danny too, was all tricks even until the end of the season. And I think Marquis and Comfort would have made a great pair. Oh wells. Reality TV. You never know what the producers are thinking.
