Iron Man.

Iron Man.

picture from http://blog.ugo.com/images/uploads/ironman_teaser.jpg

no, it is NOT spelled "Ironman". its Iron Man. with a space in between. similarly, it isn't "Spiderman", it's Spider-Man.

that aside, i just came back from watching the Iron Man movie.

it's 2 hours long - but the story progression's smooth to the point one won't notice the time passing. the camerawork's good - and so are the effects.

not being a very big fan of Iron Man, i initially dismissed the character as simply "a guy with heart problems in a tin can". don't get me wrong, i still think he's a guy with heart problems in a tin can, but the character's well fleshed out - Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Junior.

Picture from http://www.robert-downey-jr.com/images/Robert-Downey-Jr.jpg

the movie had its good and bad points - good or bad may vary on the viewer's ability to understand in-jokes of the Marvel universe. granted, not many have heard of nick fury or jarvis (whom they tragically turned from a butler into some computer system), but one should still get the idea when watching the show.

the humor was nice, but not laugh-out-loud kind. more like smile and "aww that's so cute" kind.. aside from the slapstick stuff.

half the time when Tony Stark talks about the Iron Man suits, its all fictional technical mumbo-jumbo - don't worry about missing any of it. other than that, the dialogue's clever and the characters well played.

one thing i liked about the movie is that the name "Iron Man" isn't even mentioned until the end, and only a passing reference is made to the Iron Monger.

as in all marvel films, the character's girl is introduced: this time in the character of Pepper Potts, played by Gwyneth Paltrow.

picture from http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2007/08/07/gwyneth-paltrow-picture-1_6376.jpg

the story has been tweaked since the conception of iron man; fitted nicely into the modern context - he fights terrorists initially instead of the Mandarin and his asian croonies.
ironically, the symbolic representation of racism against chinks (and the fight against communism) is replaced by American propaganda (and the fight against terrorism).

the development of the suits is well woven into the story, especially the first part when he builds the Iron Man (Mark 1) armor.
in the interest of people who haven't had the chance to catch it, i can only say that although the first part tugs at your heartstrings, the emotional parts soon fade away as the film progresses.

marvel jargon occasionally pops into the story and dialogue, especially when a running gag is finally revealed somewhere near the end by the friendly secret agent fella.
there is a little part after the credits, but unless you're a marvel fan, you probably won't understand it - don't waste your time watching the credits. go rush for the toilet or the last bus or something.

and again, as with all super hero films, the film always ends with a fight between the hero and the villain - for a moment i was having a flashback to Michael Bay's Transformers: the Movie. two giant robotic figures slamming each other around and beating each other up.
it looked remarkably like bumblebee fighting barricade, actually - with the footfalls and all. it even sounded like Transformers.

the twist at the end would be unexpected, but yes, this is kinda like how it happened in the comics.

the visuals are tried-and-true. make something look shiny and make it move around it a really stylo-mylo metal way and it's guaranteed to keep people's attention on the screen.. kinda like moths to a flame.

the animation's well done, the camerawork's decent, and the actors and actresses play their parts well enough - it's a movie worth the ticket price.

but i still don't like the character..
Iron Man lied to Spidey. =(


the part after the credits came. i was remarking that it's Samuel L Jackson in the shadows as Nick Fury.

some sad nerds stayed back to watch the part after the credits too - and this fella saw the figure in the shadows and shouted loudly "ITS CAPTAIN AMERICA!"


then the fella got scolded by his frens for being stupid - "The fella say its samuel l jackson already right! still say captain america! nick fury lah stupid! you think captain america's black?"

i chuckled.












sometimes, certain bits of info are meant to be kept under wraps - but loose lips sink ships. my little paddling canoe just sprung a leak.

Loose lips sink ships
how truthful a statement is this?
one keeps what one has to keep
ignorance is bliss

trust invested
trust wasted
the mark an arrow does not miss
unneeded remarks
hit the spot
off me it does piss.

written on 30th April.

Butterflies.

i saw a butterfly today.
it was flying against a glass panel above my head.

visualisation:

X = Glass Panel
B = Butterfly
M = Me.

xxxx
b
xxxx

M

it was desperately trying to fly to freedom.. but all it did was push itself again and again on the glass panel - the invisible barrier between the butterfly and the flowers it was born to fly around.


how often do we push against the barrier to freedom - resisting against problems we cannot see when all we have to do is simply look where the answer has lain all along - underneath our noses.

how often do we ignore the solutions that are so simple but are yet ignored by us in favour of one's supposed determination and hope that we think will break the barrier?
harsh reality has to be accepted before one can come back to earth and fly through the open air to where we were meant to go..




question is, does one have the courage to admit defeat and see the barrier through which one cannot break alone?

"Look, Daddy! A Butterfly!" - I Am Legend (2008).

The Forbidden Kingdom

pics from wearemovielovers.com and the wikipedia entry for The Forbidden Kingdom.

awesome movie posters aside, there was some bad hype about The Forbidden Kingdom, mainly because "the critics said it was bad..". living in our sunny island, where the media is king, one naturally would feel disinclined to watch the movie.. as i was.

however, upon watching the show, i was struck by one thing:

the AMAZING visuals.

landscape upon landscape - the fusion of western cinematography and beautiful eastern scenery result in a treat for the eyes.

speaking of visual treats - here's one:

picture from http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/35538445_83a85fb5a3.jpg

Liu Yifei, who plays "Golden Sparrow" in the movie. ;)

the storyline's a little far-fetched, but how hard is it to believe the storyline as compared to the world of magic in the Potter series?

taking the story with a pinch of salt, i was impressed by the developments of the story and the twists and turns it took. it takes some deep thinking into several characterisations - like how Golden Sparrow refers to herself in second-person - and more that shall not be revealed.

the use of both english and chinese in the film has drawn some unfounded harsh criticism where people (especially our ever-lovable chinese race) think that the movie is stupid and refuse to watch it due to the use of both languages.
shallow mindsets are to be left aside when watching such fantasy shows, no?





and who could resist seeing an ang-moh do kung fu?


this is easily one of the better shows to watch in cinemas due to the show's backdrops and scenery - it makes the experience seem even better.
of course, the show itself is awesome when watched with an open mind and not expecting that it would suck.

a show highly recommended to catch before it goes out of cinemas.













i just got my X-Mini Capsule today.

picture from http://www.electronicsnow.com.au/cart/images/XMINI-XMCSB-SPK.jpg

i'm enjoying the sound as i type this - though small (its only about 6cm tall and 5cm across) it has great sound for a speaker of its size and its easily portable. vocals sound especially good on the speaker for some reason. (it's a singaporean product by the way.)

it can also be compressed like so:

http://pan.fotovista.com/dev/1/7/00039671/s_00039671.jpg

into an even smaller size for more portability.


it takes only 2 hours plus to charge and it can easily run for near 6 hours depending on usage.
and of course, it looks good too.

it cost me about $27.90 but i got a lobang - it costs about 35 at harvey norman/challengers. it's value for money though.

a word of caution: pirated versions of the X-Mini Capsule speakers have already been popping up around our sunny little island. always check the brand - looks can be duplicated. it even costs around $30 but it has REALLY bad sound.

for more info, visit http://x-mini.com/XminiHome.html





goodness, what will they come up with next? ;)






by the way, my hit counter does not register hits from my com - so don't think i visit my blog just to up my stats. haha.

Dave Feinberg
The Square Root Of Three

I’m sure that I will always be
A lonely number like root three

The three is all that’s good and right,
Why must my three keep out of sight
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine

For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic

I know I’ll never see the sun, as 1.7321
Such is my reality, a sad irrationality

When hark! What is this I see,
Another square root of a three

As quietly co-waltzing by,
Together now we multiply
To form a number we prefer,
Rejoicing as an integer

We break free from our mortal bonds
With the wave of magic wands

Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed

this is wrong yet it seems right.
this is right, yet it seems wrong.

should i be entertaining these thoughts?
should these thoughts be entertaining me?

is it even possible?
possible, isn't it?

awkward yet strangely nice.
nice yet strangely awkward.




smiles go a long way.
a long way ahead needs smiles..

"Do not judge a warrior by stature or action until you truly understand that which drives him.."

second day of orientation..


pics once again.


the bus stop was filled with sweaty, smelly freshies. and i had to skip 2 bus number 8s before boarding the third one.



who wants to be cramped in a bus with sweaty smelly freshies?
such irony.

the freshies don't smell fresh..

Temasek Poly Business School Orientation: Day 1.



some of the nicer pics:








an emo duck. (OR HOR IAN USED THE WORD EMO AND MUST REPENT FOR THIS TERRIBLE TERRIBLE HEINOUS CRIME.)



emotional duck. happy now?





and a very nice butterfly that landed at my feet.
what a happy little fella.
he landed at my feet.. i stared at him and felt all warm and fuzzy inside.


the new batch of cmm students seem half dead..
so many lians and gender-confused people..
sigh.









....
















but got cute XMM also. ^_________^

CHEVY!

My new friend:

Chevrolet Aveo "Autobot Swerve"

pics from http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-images/toys/Universe/Autobots/Swerve_Chevy_Aveo/

this little fella was part of a collaboration between chevrolet and hasbro (the american manufacturer of transformers). he's based on a real-life chevrolet aveo.. but just a little smaller.

a limited run of transformers (to around 2000 units worldwide), Swerve is one of the rarest transformers around - simply because one has to buy a real chevrolet aveo... before getting him free with the car.

one can otherwise get one through the chevrolet webbie and watch the costs pile up like mad.




either way, he's fun.. and cool.
its a joy to get a new toy..

this roughly translates to more than 35 years of waiting..

"FeiZai" has been offline for quite some time now.

but yet conversations have been initiated with people by someone under the moniker of "FeiZai". how queer.

why has "FeiZai" not been appearing online?









one has to wonder: does the Dark Knight ever appear in the public eye?
who is the Dark Knight, one asks?

sourced from "All-Star Batman And Robin #1"

it's raining now..
the earth is washed clean.
old wounds in the dirt are covered up.


how long will it take before the ground is scarred again?










the notion of being replaced was previously unclear..
but now a public statement has been made.
one has to look just a little closer to see.


the bridges have been burnt... the connection is dead.
the impassable abyss between the two rockfaces has been defined.


one can only hope that the other side is taken care of.





i wish i could care again.
i want to love again.
but it's hard..

sometimes caring too much is a waste of time.
maybe some people have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years before they get to see the light..

heh.

A Tale.

Once there enthroned a kingdom governed by three;
the Bard, the Knight, and the Brawler.
their Master had entrusted to them the care of this kingdom;
each carved his own niche and guided the flocks
Their work was complete, their work was simple

Alas peace is never long
Strife soon ensued;
for reasons unknown
the Brawler left the three
and the Bard and the Knight remained.
and for a while, it was good.

Problems arise
and things were not to be;
the Knight, in his unquestioning duty
fell under the shadow of the Bard
and as such, the Bard was left to his own devices.
an uneasy stifling peace
but for a while, it was good.

Things changed as time passed
the Bard's rule went unquestioned;
his decisions backed by the Knight
and the people flocked to hear the Bard's tales.

Words like honey flowed from his mouth;
enthralling some and drawing all to his side
in name, the following of the calling of their Master
they now pledged allegiance to the Bard.

Marvelled and bejewelled their eyes be
they followed in the Bard's every decree
the unquestioning minions they yearn to be
and so it was; and so it be

There was one called Jiron;
He was as a dummy made of straw
empty inside, unseeing;
Easily blown like dust in the wind

One night, a messenger approached Jiron
He was told a story; a tale
In an unknown language, a joyful tune
Only Jiron could hear
only Jiron could fathom

He was told of the Master;
reminded of his duty that he had long forgotten
the Master, Jiron's Lord
had a message for him.

"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty,"
the messenger declared
"Who was, and is, and is to come."

Jiron fell on his face;
awestruck by the Majesty of the Master
long had he forgotten, and now he remembered
Jiron was embraced by a familiar warmth he never before knew

his heart was broken before the Lord of Hosts
and he, too, declared;
"Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come."

things like scales fell from his eyes
and he realised for the first time he had been blind
the Lord had shown him his true role
now he could see things for what they were.

Jiron thought of his brethren;
and it was made known
some of his brethren were of the unblind
but they knew not the others like them

Jiron was given a task;
to remind the people of their role; their part; their facet in the puzzle
the Master had entrusted to each and every one of them
and yet he was burdened.

"Why," Jiron cried
"Why me, Lord?"
and it was impressed upon him
ask not why, but how - and so he did.

Jiron thus began his journey
His task was not to begin a rebellion
what the Bard and the Knight were responsible of
the Master would deal with Himself.

His task was simple;
to remind the people of their true colours;
the dreams and their entity
to tend to the flocks of the Master
to keep the flocks safe and sound

He was burdened and convicted;
and for the first time in his existence
he was released
and thus his journey began.










all material in this post is the property of the author (Cheng Liang Hui, Ian) and editor John (names have been changed in the interests of privacy) and is to be seen for what it is - a tale and nothing more. it may not be edited, copied or reproduced in any way and may not be twisted into accusations and the like. permission must be sought if this material is to be reproduced in any way. infer at your own risk.

after a few incidents over the past few days i have wondered to myself:

in days like this, does one worship David or His Lord?



sure, David performed miracles; He protected his flocks from lions and bears, and even slew Goliath - all when he was a boy, and even went on to become a king.
but did his people do things to please him or out of the fear of the Lord?
similarly in this day and age; does one do things out of the fear of the Lord or simply a fear of authority?

does one revere the one performing great feats and miracles or does one worship the Lord who empowers that particular individual?




there -is- a difference between respecting authority and worshipping it.

as one cheers for a worship band that appears on stage, does one cheer for them - their name, their rep - or does one cheer for the God that is behind them Who empowers what they do?
when one is asked to jump during worship, does one jump for the sake of jumping? or does one jump out of joy for the Lord?

simply put - when one is asked to do things or behave a certain way; does one think about one's motive - to please man or to please God?




one cannot follow blindly;

2 Timothy 2:15
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
approved unto GOD - not unto MAN.

peter knows this full well -

Acts 10:25-26
25 "And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. "

Acts 14:8-18
8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.

9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed

10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:

15 "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

16 In the past, He let all nations go their own way.

17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

humility must be present - one cannot bask in the glory of a anointed person, nor can one bask in the glory of the people whom God sent for one to lead - Peter has clearly demonstrated that.

one has to bask in the shadow of the Almighty.


is whatever you do done with the intent of pleasing man or pleasing God?
does one worship David or Peter - people who were empowered - or the one that empowered them - the Lord God?

waaaaaaaaaay back in the 90's there were a few great cartoons that will always bring a warm fuzzy feeling into the hearts of those who fondly remember them.

presenting:

The Tick


Big Guy And Rusty


90's Batman The Animated Series


Swat Kats


classic cartoons never fail to impress.
;) ah, the memories.
do tell me if you got any more to add to the list! (via tagboard duh)

Big guy and Rusty lyrics:

Watch the skies, coming at you!
A hero of metal hue!
He locks horns with disaster for the red and white and blue!
Then was born a boy robot
Miracle of Science
Ready to battle large monsters
Supercharged and quick on the draw
Pretty darn good but he needs help
The Big Guy he's a big deal!
Heart of gold and fists of steel
Clobbering evil entities, with Rusty at his heel!
Now they're a mighty team
Boy robot lives his dream
To be a legend in history
The Big Guy and Rusty!

it's amazing how fast one can get replaced.

trust is such a strong thing; yet it gets eroded so quickly..



i suppose it's like food. when better tasting food comes along, one chucks the old food aside and likes the new food better.
similarly, when someone better comes along who is more capable of taking care of you, someone who has more charisma, has the looks and more $$ to spend on smses to you, obviously one wouldnt want the older person incapable of fulfilling these things.

someone wise once told me: "when one gets into trouble, one automatically searches for the one whom one most trusts, even though someone else is supposed to be the most trusted."
(to that person: you didnt sound so wise but the idea is there. stop grinning LOL)




now i know how my transformers feel like when i get one that is totally awesome.


it's sad, really.
NMNHNBLM.

Batmannnn!

this is very awesome. one of the many Viral Campaign for the upcoming batman movie, this got to be the coolest.

this is what u have to do.

go to http://www.acmesecuritysystems.com/delos/ and enter your name (any name), your country and your phone number, e-mail (any e-mail).

then u will receive a call on your phone (yes they will really call u!) and u will hear an anouncement asking you for a password. speak clearly the word "needle" and you will hear a message.

After your call is completed, your page *should* (it doesn't work for everyone), change to a red screen that says "Identity Captured."

try it out.

source - http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=1922258


trust me, it works. i got the call.
ian cheng cant be so stupid right?





dont answer that question.

Toys..

the significance of toys - "why are they so precious to you?"
many have asked me this question.

toys are a symbol of one's childhood - the innocence, the simplicity, even the memories. some say toys are a waste of money and that one is childish for buying/collecting them.. but they know not the reasons behind them.

toys are like a kind of friend: much different from the ones in the real world. they never talk back, they never get angry with you, they smile when you smile, cry when you cry; and best of all: they NEVER leave you.

give a child a toy - you can keep him happy for quite a while. children are innocent - so much so that friends are a very-good-to-have, but not a die-die must have. later on in life when one progresses from childhood, one leaves behind his toys and has friends as companions instead.

adulthood is very very very much different from childhood - every child is born not knowing how to commit crimes and how to do other nasty things; the factors present in most kids' upbringing teaches them how. (that is a different argument altogether.)
fact is, childhood is simple - friendships are uncomplicated. "maturity" is unheard of - life is simple and good.
and then the worldly desires and emotions overcome the child - things become complicated, friendships are political.

friends can and will leave somehow or other at some point in time - but toys don't. they are ever-listening, ever ready to give you a hug or be there when you cry or smile.
a friend sometimes fails to do so.



"what a loser," some might say - "got no friends then make some new ones lah! so childish still play toy.. haiyo!"



facing the issue - some people aren't good at making friends. sometimes a friendship which is taken lightly by others can be very precious to such people - and when the said friendship fails somehow, it hurts.

the intricacies of one's upbringing and the environment they were raised in come into play. what makes cheese so different from milk?
milk adapts to its surroundings easily. it takes the shape of any container it is put in - similarly, some people can adapt better and change faster when their environment does.
cheese is solid - it can hardly be shaped unless it is mashed up or softened.

but both started out as the same thing; why then are they so different?
why do different people have different needs and interests?

personalities are shaped by the factors involved in one's upbringing, and personalities are what makes or breaks friendships - and it determines how easily one interacts with the outside world. granted, change -is- possible. but a caged eagle will never soar; a tethered dog will never run free.
such a thing is confusing to them; they never knew what it felt like - and probably never will. not because they CANNOT, it is simply because they have no idea what said activities are like.




making new friends, doing sports, and interacting with the outside world; these things are present in every person's life in various degrees. some are even almost nonexistant in some lives..
but everyone has had toys once - and thus felt the joys of childhood and the emotions that drive it.
and toys never do leave you - only you leave them.



they provide a whole new world for you to explore; new people to meet, new adventures every day. nothing ever stays the same.. every day has something new in store. the outside world, its hurts and pains and the horrible, horrible politics all cease to exist. a child is happy in his own little bubble.


THIS is why childlike faith is so powerful - it is pure and untainted; uncomplicated by the outside world.
this is why i love my toys.


as the saying goes: you stop playing not because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.











being a kid is a blessing.