Debt
Margaret Atwood once said you can tell a lot about what's going on in the world by looking at ads in the subway. She pointed out a particular ad she saw of a woman holding shopping bags and on those bags spelled the phrase, "Oops I did it again." It was an ad about solving debt problems.
I saw that ad on the subway this past weekend. I looked around at the other ads of the subway and sure enough, there were many more ads about debt. I even get those annoying unsolicited voicemail messages that start off with, "Do you have debt problems?".
Debt is what got us in this whole mess. From irresponsible lending to misplaced trust, the world's economy imploded over the past year. It isn't just financial debt either. Debt and credit make up a huge part of human culture and religion.
We owe people personal favours from time to time and we seek redemption. We sometimes find it hard to unconditionally forgive someone and hold within our hearts resentment as we expect some form of payback while the other person remains indebted and burdened. Lose-lose situation.
Anyway, I could ramble on about life's examples but I guess I'm hoping that as I live within this system, I don't find myself chained to debt, constantly borrowing what I can't pay back and never experiencing true freedom. Yet I still don't see a way for me to avoid the issue right now. It has become an accepted part of modern life.
Yes Man and Doubt
Yes Man was alright. I give it a 3 / 5. Some scenes worked and some didn't when it comes to making me laugh. The overall point about saying "Yes" to every opportunity that presents itself has some major flaws but that was addressed in the movie at the end. (SPOILER ALERT - do not read the rest of this paragraph) Indeed, the whole point about saying Yes to everything at the beginning is because he said No to everything and it was to get him started to actually want opportunity. Then he started saying Yes to important issues that required careful consideration and commitment, which lead to him being insincere and hurtful. So the moral of the story is to actively seek out and accept opportunities that present themselves but only if you want to? Wut.
Doubt was probably very interesting to some people but it wasn't for me. The performances byMeryl Streep as Sister Aloysius and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Brendan Flynn carried the movie. Without them, I think the movie would have sucked. (SPOILER ALERT - do not read the rest of this paragraph) There are some witty moments such as the scene between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius where Flynn decided to give a sermon about "intolerance" after hearing Aloysius depiction of Frosty the Snowman as heretical. Anyway, the movie has some majorly complicated themes and I really don't want to get into the whole bit about whether Flynn is guilty or not. I originally wrote points about why he's guilty or innocent but the whole point is that you're never sure based on what's shown in the film. It was never revealed with certainty (e.g., caught in the act). And that is what Doubt is. I'll just stop here.
For people who know me, I can be analytical when it comes to movies ('cept for movies where I know I should leave my brain at the door) and my personal entertainment value factors into that analysis. It just wasn't that entertaining to sit through. I guess I'm not the kind of guy who can sit through over an hour and a half of dialogue. I give Doubt a 3 / 5 as well.
Song of the Week #31: The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home
Now, this song came out back in 2007 and it was one of the first songs I bought from iTunes. It was featured on a Grey's Anatomy episode back then and to hear the reprisal to this song, "That Home" on last week's episode was very fitting. The writers brought back plot lines from last year's season that fell into limbo due to the WGA strike and I could see how characters have changed and developed compared to last season. I watch this show cause of its masterful art of storytelling, character development, and cinematography - not cause of the medicine.
It's much better than the cesspool of character inconsistencies and plotholes that is Heroes. Tim Kring intended Heroes to be driven by character development and simple storytelling - too bad it has been anything but for the past two volumes. Though, the coming episodes should show some improvement as the episodes written by those that got fired have been aired already and Bryan Fuller, who worked on part of season 1, is taking the helm. Maybe Caitlin will finally be rescued from the voided future timeline - yeah, right. That plothole is irreconcilable at this point. They plan on calling Volume Five "Redemption". Do you see what they're doing there? I see what they're doing there. 
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Lyrics to "To Build a Home":
There is a house built out of stone
Wooden floors, walls and window sills
Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust
This is a place where I don't feel alone
This is a place where i feel at home
And I built a home
For you
For me
Until it disappeared
From me
From you
And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust
(Instrumental)
Out in the garden where we planted the seeds
There is a tree that's old as me
Branches were sewn by the color of green
Ground had arose and passed it's knees
By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top
I climbed the tree to see the world
When the gusts came around to blow me down
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
I held on as tightly as you held onto me
And I built a home
For you
For me
Until it disappeared
From me
From you
And now, it's time to leave and turn to dust
Yes, but…
The "Yes, but" game that people play. This is from a textbook of a compulsory course:
Step 1: Ask for help.
Step 2: Refuse the help that's offered by giving a condition that makes said help incompatible.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 for ALL help that is offered until the person trying to help gives up in defeat.
Step 4: Complain that the person did not help you.
Example:
GF: I can't seem to manage my money.
BF: You should spend less.
GF: Yes, but I don't buy anything I don't need.
BF: Maybe you should work extra hours.
GF: Yes, but that would cut into my free time.
BF: You could get a job that pays more per hour.
GF: Yes, but I really like the people where I work now.
BF: You could save a lot by packing lunches instead of buying them.
GF: Yes, but I'd have to get up earlier.
BF: Then I don't know.
GF: ZOMGWTFBBQ! You didn't help me! You're, like, teh worst boyfriend EVARRRRRRRR!11!1 RAWR.
It's funny when I look in hindsight how many times I was on the receiving end of this crap and was made to feel bad or guilty because I couldn't "help". And then I realize I pulled this same crap at times, too. Mind games I tell you. Girls and guys and the mind games we play on each other!
Though, I've recently been guilty of the "Mine is worse than yours" game. That's another story. At least the important thing is, I'm learning. Never stop learning.
Now, enjoy your next moments of self-conscious thought till something more interesting comes along.
How to Lose Friends and Alienate Countries
The douchebaggery that is Fox News continues...
116 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan. The week 4 more bodies return to Canada and they broadcast this ignorant garbage.
Remember, this is Fox News and a panel of idiots - not Americans in general. I've met some really nice Americans. We must not attack an entire nation for the actions of its few. "It's this kind of extreme nationalism that has cost the lives of many innocents in the past."
By the way, the apology the host of Red Eye gave after was weaksauce.
Asics Kayano 15
I had the opportunity to finally test out the Asics Kayano 15 I bought for $140 + tax ($200 regular, SPC 30%-off day FTW!) and I must say they are totally perfect for my feet. I have somewhat flat feet which causes me to overpronate. After about 30 minutes jogging on the treadmill (I'll never take these outdoors), there was no pain or discomfort. The shoes are extremely light and provide just the right balance of cushioning and stability. The gel on the heel really takes away the hard impact. The shoes' design really corrects my overpronation by quite a bit. I'm sliding left and right a lot less on the treadmill. And goodbye painful feet! Too bad you won't find me wearing these in public outdoors. They just aren't stylish with what I wear.
I have another pair of Nike Shox Experience+ shoes I wear for everyday dry use outdoors. I've been a fan of Shox cause of the way they look - long before House started wearing them. But man, wearing them after working out in the Asics, the Shox felt like crap. Okay, "crap" may be too strong of a word. They just weren't as soft and comfortable as the Asics. Alas, I got use to wearing the Shox eventually. The plus side is that I can wear these in public. Kudos to House for wearing them too.
"Hugh Laurie of Fox's House is said to have 37 pairs of size 12 1/2 Shox that he wears on the show, and off set."
They're good for two things though - hard landings and general working out. Granted, the elevated heel position on the Shox would worsen injuries. However, - and this may the endorphin rush talking - in my quest to be a super-agile quick Asian that outruns anybody with parkour tricks, the first technique I should learn is the "safe fall" - cause I'll be doing a lot of that starting out. Those Shox lessen the initial impact and with proper rolling technique, one can turn spread that vertical deceleration into horizontal deceleration. My internal organs would like that.
Ok, that sounded ridiculous. I'm just going through a silly phase. But really, the elevated heel position is great for weight-lifting.
Anyway, I'll end with some shots of House wearing shoes I like:
Asics Gel Nimbus VIII (lightning black copper)
and the Nike Shox 2:45.
Song of the Week #30: Metric – Blindness
Edit: By the way, I think their new album is awesome. Preorder at ilovemetric.com for bonus tracks. They're also streaming the album there.
Send us a blindfold, send us a blade
Tell the survivors help is on the way
I was a blindfold, never complained
All the survivors singing in the rain
I was the one with the world at my feet
Got us a battle, leave it up to me
Find us a trap door, find us a plane
Tell the survivors help is on the way
I was a blindfold, never complained
All the survivors singing in the rain
I was the one with the world at my feet
Got us a battle, leave it up to me
What it is and where it stops nobody knows
You gave me a life I never chose
I wanna leave but the world won't let me go
Wanna leave but the world won't let me go
I was the one with the world at my feet
Got us a battle, leave it up to me
Leave it up to me
Diversity
From the bars dominated by Caucasians seeking Asian girls to the libraries filled with studious intellectuals who enjoy filling their minds with knowledge...
From the night clubs filled with loud music, bodies bouncing, and drug-induced highs to the LAN parties of fragging and raiding into the wee hours of the morning...
From the wilderness that provides such a beautiful view of the stars and galaxies to the moonlit urban architecture that is also beauty in its own right...
From helping out at a community level in hospitals and homes to helping out at an international level in regions of widespread devastation...
From a night of debauchery in a strip club to an innocent night in a bubble tea shop...
From the awesomeness that is The Dark Knight to the atrocity that is Meet the Spartans...
And from the fun and excitement found in a large group of others to the peace and quiet found in either solitude or with a significant other...
I find myself in these "worlds within worlds", each with their own peoples and their own stories. Some move from world to world and some are content to stay within their own. Some share their stories and some keep to themselves. And yet...
In all these years of life, the feeling of belonging and purpose still eludes me. But the furthest thing from my mind right now is to settle. With the hope of many years ahead of me, there is still so much more I want to see, learn, and experience.
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Soundtrack to this post (brought to you by the shuffle function): Imogen Heap - Can't Take It In
It couldn't be any more beautiful - I can't take it in.
Previously on 24…
Jack Bauer can throw a screwdriver hard enough and accurately enough to kill someone wearing Kevlar armor. And then he can use that same screwdriver and steal a truck with it.
Jack Bauer can use a computer and send an e-mail (with attachments!) while driving.
True story.
(Ok, Kevlar isn't that great against sharp objects on a perpendicular path to the armor. But it looked to me it was a dull screwdriver. He also precisely hit a vital organ from that distance. And forget the hot-wiring technique we see in every other show, lets all go MacGyver and have Jack jam that screwdriver into the ignition slot and steal the truck that way!)
Don't get me wrong, I love 24. I just need to remember to suspend my disbelief.
Another Nice One
Sometime in the not too distant future...
The MIT student part of me is inspired. Lightwave, Maya, 3D Studio Max, Photoshop, After Effects, AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Deconstruction reel:
Nothing is real anymore. Haha.
