No, I Did Not Delete You
Long story short, I deactivated my Facebook. That is all. No drama against anyone, haha. I am "a man filled with radical notions", seeking perspectives.
The next time I will be back on will be strictly professional. This next time could be a very long time or a relatively short time if everything falls into place.
"Oh vanity of vanities!"
Oh, the Onion
A small grain of truth to education...
...especially when it comes to courses you MUST take.
Song of the Moment #62: Linkin Park – The Catalyst
My prayers go out to the 33 Chilean miners who must endure months underground in hot and humid darkness. I cannot even fathom enduring those conditions of not seeing daylight or breathing fresh cool air or physically seeing family members until Christmas (or worse, after). May a strong camaraderie keep each other strong-willed and counsel those who are about to break.
My condolences to those who have lost loved ones during the Manila hostage crisis. I, too, am outraged at the police and the appalling lack of strategy and tactics. The primary goal of the police in these kinds of situations was to safeguard against the loss of life. Not only did they fail in this primary directive, they contributed toward this failure by arresting the gunman's brother on live television, which was shown in the bus! This incident brought to light the police incompetence that runs from the top down.
My thanks to... well... I chose this song because I heard it in the trailer for the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot, which is set in the Middle East (Afghanistan specifically), which aims to give insight into the life of a soldier today. There are people out there, deep cover or not, fighting to keep the weapons of terror (e.g., nuclear) out of the hands of the Taliban and other religious/political extremists. They are the unsung heroes and the sad truth is that because their contributions are unrecognized, they and their families are protected. For example, if it weren't for the low-profile work by CSIS, Parliament would have been bombed this week by a Canadian Idol contestant (in all seriousness). The same goes for that key informant in the Toronto 18.
The video and lyrics are after the cut. As WWII veterans fade away into history with each passing day, this is a new war we are fighting now. Oh, and I wrote some thoughts about what's going on for me at the end of this post as well.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
From the director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, this movie has some of the most original and innovative cinematography and editing I have ever seen. There are some crazy transitions to keep the fast pace and comic book style going. My favorite shot is whenever the big "Vs." comes up, telling you an epic battle is coming up. It's too bad the movie has not performed as expected in the box office. Such is the life of the hipsters, being creative and ahead of the times.
Of course, I like how it's set in Toronto. I saw Honest Ed's and Pizza Pizza among the locations. And beyond all the special effects, the characters were all relatable. They were in their 20s and like most 20-somethings, we have our baggage and our damages. And we wish to run away from it all and be free to see the world, living on our own. At least, I do.
As someone who grew up with video games, of course I liked the movie. The references were everywhere (e.g., Final Fantasy!). The whole movie was like Link (Pilgrim) fighting through dungeon bosses (Evil Exes) for Princess Zelda (Ramona) with Ganondorf (Gideon) getting in the way. 5/5
Half-Step
Today, I was a half-step from ending up on the hood of someone's car (or even worse, being dragged under). This is the second time this has happened in my lifetime. The first time was when I was a kid.
It was funny seeing his "Oh shi-!" face when he turned his head slightly left to see me standing staring down at him so close with my WTF face, even for a brief moment as his car sped by.
Meh.
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"Situational awareness": My eyes wander but that doesn't mean I'm not paying attention to you!
Public Album
Hey all, I have created a public album in my gallery that contains the random pictures I have taken with my camera (currently a Panasonic Lumix LX5, which I really really like over my old Canon S90). You do not have to register to see this album. I am still learning the basics of photography so go easy!
Enjoy!
Oh, I am currently in the market for something like a Steadicam Merlin. The actual thing itself is way overpriced in terms of materials used to make it, even though it does a really good job. Budget-minded people on RedFlagDeals is pointing me towards the Hague MMC. Hmmmmmmmm.
EDIT: Fixed the permission for the root folder. Guests should be able to see it now. My bad.
The Wayback Machine
I went to archive.org and used their Wayback Machine on this site. I must say, the results are... chilling. I see things I have not seen before or have long forgotten. It even has some of the old ShoutBox convos from high school archived there. Wow, I totally disappeared and changed when university hit.
I'll just say: I was a blind fool. Even now I am still blinded. I can try to fix things, but with a growing list of responsibilities as we all get older, there is only so little time.
"Driving down a one-way road, some courage and the radio, we'll drive until our eyes can see."
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...and back to the now to shape a brighter future.
Rock and Revy
I've finished watching Black Lagoon a few days ago, and this is my favourite scene. Watch out, there is lots of swearing. I watched it in Japanese but I must admit, the English dub is pretty decent. It is at this scene Rock lays down some truth and Revy shows some humanity. Two different worldviews collide here: a man who escapes his routine subordinate life for adventure and a woman who has known nothing but crime, violence, and money. And in some twisted way, they are each other's remedy.
"My life had become the rush hour commute, the fake laughing, lowering my head, risking my life to score points - and all of that was fine as long as I had a place to drink after work and a batting cage nearby. And then, just like that, none of it mattered anymore. The one person who shook me awake, the one who invited me in, it was you, Revy."
To be honest, ever since I've returned to this big city, I'm feeling a lot like Rock, in both how he has been treated and how he views life. And Rock is right, do not selfishly play the tragic hero/heroine. Suffering is everywhere for everyone at some point. But I guess me not wanting to burden others has made me reluctant to open up as well.
That cigarette "indirect kiss" scene at the end - that kind of "tension" has been unresolved to this day. Oh my.
Memory Lane (Gallery)
Gallery is slowly coming back up. From 2010 all the way back to 2000, this is going to take a while. Gallery3 wasn't working out so I'm using Gallery2 for now.
This is because I find myself with a lot more time now to do a little soul-searching. And to pick up some life's skills that I never really had time to practice when I was studying.
Two albums up. More to come gradually.
The Old House
She took care of me as a child, changing my diapers, giving me candy, and throwing me up in the air and catching me. She enjoyed watching Adam West's Batman and Wheel of Fortune. Now 102 and recently taken a fall, it seems there is not much time left.
There are some fond memories in that old house I grew up in and there are some I still like to forget. I was there today and I saw an old man . He looked a lot like me. When he was younger, he was scary. Now, after over 12 or so years - I lost count - he still scares me, but for a different reason.
One quote from Inception came to mind when I made eye contact; I saw "an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone." His eyes, in a head full of gray hair, said it all. It was a scary sight for I saw myself in them. After all this time not teaching me anything, sadly by virtue of being, he does teach me one thing: how not to be a father.
Realizing the old adage, "like father, like son", is my fear. It is nurture versus nature. Surrounding myself with people that brings happiness, learning about everything to build a solid moral foundation, and enduring when the going gets tough - without these things, the only thing to go by would have been nature.
Even now, the going is tough. But I won't let regret, hatred, and bitterness overpower me. The vicious cycle ends with this generation.
=D