Finally the iPod is Mine... Muhahaha

I have finally earned enough money (in the form of a supercertificate at Giftcertificates.com -- one of the perks of my job) to get an iPod. Now only one question remains: the iPod, or the iPod Mini? I have decided that if I am to get an iPod Mini, I will get a pink one, because pink is just the most awesome color and it's a solely women's color! But I haven't quite decided on whether I should just get the original iPod or the Mini. Someone please assist me in my dilemma!

Haemi is Outraged -- and it's Friday

I am outraged. READ THIS.

Americans! Listen up. Your leaders are the biggest bigots to roam the earth!

How can US diplomats travel to faraway lands to promote equality between genders (i.e. voting rights for women), advocate freedom of speech and right to happiness, and all the rest of the wholesome ideals of the democracy? You can't preach what you don't practice! What makes you think the world is foolish enough to listen and follow a bunch of hypocrites?

How can you call this the land of freedom, the land of free speech, the land of justice and equality, when you kick out people who don't adhere to your biased principles? Tariq Ramadan was outspoken about voicing opinions. He urged people to voice their opinions whatever they may be -- crucial in a democratic nation! And yet his work visa was suspended, revoked, cut off, on the suspicions that he may have ties to terrorists. He is a Muslim, who has denounced terrorism openly, even before the September 11 attacks.

"You should be able to express your own views when you think your government isn't doing something the right way," Ramadan said. "There is a difference between a strong voice and an extremist voice."

You, as an American citizen can strut down the streets proudly without fear. I, as a foreign national, must quietly scurry through, with a hunched back and introverted shoulders, eyes peering in fear, trying to be not seen, and most definitely, not heard. That does not sound like democracy to me.

The Debate

Political bloggers all over the nation will be no doubt typing up a blog entry as we speak. The first of the presidential nominee debate was on tonight. It was concise, and very rigid in format, and both candidates stood firmly and held their ground on where they stood. Personally, I think Senator Kerry had a smoother run for his arguments, as though they were written out previously! Incumbent President Bush stuttered at times, and he made pauses between words and it was a bit more difficult to follow his train of thought at times because of the silences that broke his sentences.

This debate gave me a clear view of what each candidate's view point on Iraq is. The topic of the night was Iraq and Homeland security -- I didn't hear much about the domestic policies, but heard more than I needed to know about Iraq. So it was a good debate.

All I recall President Bush saying was, "blah blah blah duty blah blah blah wrong war wrong place blah blah blah our duty blah blah blah new-kew-lur blah blah blah my duty blah blah blah." My, he certainly does like the word "duty." And I could not hold in the uproar of laughter when he said new-kew-lur. I guess you can shorten them and call'em "nukes." But it's not pronouced like nuke-you-lur!

I am really hesitant to voice my opinions in this matter, as they have no effect, as I am neither a voter nor a citizen. I can't even vote in the 2008 election, let alone 2004. It is my honest hope and wish that in 2012, I will be able to vote for a US president, and it is also my honest hope that when I do get to vote in 2012, my first vote can be directed at the first woman president of the US. Just my humble hope is all.

Catty Women of The Apprentice

Just saw a new episode of The Apprentice. This show has just captivated me in more ways that I imagined! I absolutely love it, and I spend my Thursday night class in suspense! Thankfully they are doing re-runs on Sundays, and this week, it was on Wednesday (tonight) instead of its usual Thursday nights.

Women are catty. It might be the biggest downfall. While it is not expected that everyone be infallible to succeed, some of the women on the show actually are reasons why women are still behind in the workforce. The men, whether they lose or win, refrain from being petty and childish or breaking into tears. Last season, I saw one woman break into tears in the boardroom, and on tonight's episode, another woman just couldn't handle the pressure, and broke down halfway through the job.

Women talk too much. Women compete too much when collaboration and cooperation are clearly more needed. They have a certain victim-symptom -- I don't know if there is word for it, but the feeling that they are always the victims of the business world, and they have to be more than just a type A personality to succeed -- in essense, they try to be double AA's. They talk louder, they refuse to agree, they never compromise, because they're always under a subconscious pressure to survive in a cutthroat environment. And while some of that pressure is valid, too much of it brings about each woman's doom on the show, and probably in real life as well.

I used to be a type A person. So I know the feeling. The rush of adrenaline you feel when you're tackling a big project that you just know that you'll do well, and you just have to do well and you'll do it the best. Since I've reached my twenties, I've become a lax type A. Possibly a type "a" rather than type "A." I still have a lot of ambition and drive, but the need to overachieve has gotten on the back burner. Probably because survival, literally, became a difficult task on its own, and I've become comfortable with just my daily accomplishments which attribute to the food that I eat, the clothes that I wear, and the roof over my head. My set of wheels that get me from place to place is just glaze over a donut.

I wonder if I can/will go back to being that type A personality. I'm a strange person, definitely, because I seek out personalities that I admire and try to be it. It isn't to say that I am unoriginal or a copycat. I know what I like and I do what it takes to results that I like. I've been really craving that perfectionist, control freak personality. I read an article in this month's "Allure" magazine about control freak women. I love it. I mean, they don't sit around on the couch drinking bloody marys and watching The Apprentice and the like, but they get so much done, and I've become such a slob in the recent years -- I really do need the equivalent of a bootcamp for domestic tasks.

Speaking of bloody marys. I love me some bloody marys tonight. Probably my only intake of vegetably vitamins! A tall glass of bloody mary mix on rocks, a shot of vodka, a dash of tabasco, yum. I was missing the lime juice and the provincial celery stalk, but it was good without them. Spicy~

I had a donut today. It was from Krispy Kreme's. Boy, those folks sure know how to make a mean donut. I think my donut's flavor was "heart attack." It wasn't just a chocolate covered donut. It was glazed; it was doused in thick white icing, and then covered with a smooth layer of chocolate. It had so much frosting, it could have served as a birthday cake had I plunked some candles in it! As it just melted by the touch of the tip of my tongue, it slithered down my throat, and I could just feel the sensually rich, artery-clogging, sweet chunks. Oh it was so good, but so evil at the same time. I had a Homer-Simpson moment -- I nearly drooled, and my chin dropped, leaving my mouth agape, with just slight moans drawing out of my vocal cords: "oooooohhhhhhhhhhhh doooooooooonut...."

I've been extremely tired in the last week or two, and I know it's just an excuse and it doesn't validate my actions, but my stream of consciousness stops flowing after 5 PM or so -- I'm pretty much on auto-pilot after that point. So now, I'm just typing outta my ass. It can make sense, or no sense at all, and I probably couldn't care less. It's my blog and I'll be a sloppy goo if I want to!

Now I have an on-line philosophy quiz (Is this a valid argument: "A ball is round. Therefore it cannot have any corners."). A lot of the class is on the internet, and we have these forums where we're supposed to make sound arguments about some topics -- many people do not make sound arguments at all. We only have to reply to one argument and start one thread, but everytime some freak writes, "the definition of marriage is the union between a man and a woman..." or "the bible says that marriage is..." I just can't help myself. The Bible is a book dammit! You don't have to capitalize it if you're writing in your blog and you don't give a damn, but you're writing something for an academic setting -- get it right retard! (of course, I'm not being very nice by calling someone a retard, but oh well, that's why this is my blog!) The legalization of gay marriage is just one of the many issues we have to argue on. And by argue, I mean to use logic that we learn in class, which means avoiding fallacies and making sure the premises support the conclusion and whatnot. Here's what one guy wrote:

Marriage is defined in the bible as the union of a man and woman in holy matrimony. Therfore just being gay would mean that you are sinning according to the bible. If gay people get married in a church it would be like contradicting the meaning of the church. If gay marriages are allowed, would that mean some time in the near future a 10 year old can get married to a 40 year old because they claim they are in love? [...](copied and pasted, word for word)

And this is what I said:

First of all, the Bible has no place in the legislative branch of the US government. Church and government are completely separate and independent entities in this country.

Second of all, there is no one place in the Bible where the definition of marriage is stated as you have. Each branch of Christianity has a slightly different interpretation of their religion as well as the Bible. And perhaps being gay in one branch would be considered a sin. But of course, the Bible doesn't determine the laws of this country.

If we want to use the Bible's definition of marriage for our laws, should we also not include other elements of marriage into our laws, as stated in the Bible?

How about this one -- A marriage is considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she will be executed. If a man accuses his wife of not being a virgin and she is found to be a virgin, then he will be punished, but they will still remain married, i.e. No Divorce!(Deut 22:13-21, I have paraphrased it)

What about this one -- Marriage shall not interfere with a man's right to take concubines, in addition to his wife or wives. (this one has many back-ups -- I Kings 11:3; II Chron 11:21, just two of many) If you're thinking of one of the Ten Commandments that prohibits adultery -- remember that adultery as intended in the Bible, applies to women only. Men were free to frolic around as they saw fit. King Solomon, one of the wisest men in the Bible, had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

The Good Book also says that a Christian cannot marry a non-Christian. (Gen 24:3; Num 25:1-9; Neh 10:30 -- take your pick)

And no, if gay marriages are allowed, it would not mean that some day a 10 year old and a 40 year old will be allowed to marry. Your premise and conclusion doesn't quite add up. A 10 year old, is a child. And in our current human condition as we know it, we have determined that a 10 year old cannot make such decisions for him/herself. But if you recall, during the Middle Ages and Renaissance and definitely other periods in history, people have forced youth, well under 18, more often than not girls, to marry older men. The Virgin Mary is speculated to have given birth to Jesus when she was a teenager, approximately at 15 -- should that validate all teen pregnancies in our current society?

I don't mean to ramble on and on about the Bible, as the Bible has no place in the US legal system, and I stand by it. One can honestly and earnestly believe everything that the Bible says and abide by its rules, but to inflict his/her own beliefs to another human being is not an acceptable behavior. The Bible was once used to validate slavery in the US, during the 18th and 19th century -- please don't use the Bible again as a tool to aid in civil injustice.

I think I was lashing out to the poor kid. For all I know, he could be an 18 year old kid who came from a foreign country and hasn't been in the US for more than three years or something. I was just reading so many posts talking about why gay marriage should be banned, and they were giving bullshit reasons (one guy said that if gay marriage should be allowed just because people want it, then soon statutory rape will be legalized because people will want that too, and so will prostitution. What is that?) and I got pissed. And I was at work. And I was already pissed enough this morning because the newspaper agency that was running our ad screwed up again and nearly messed up our budget. I was able to fix it barely because there was still a day left this month (tomorrow) and there was just enough time to work it out, but barely! So getting me pissed doesn't bode well at all, especially for poor kids who were just trying to do the school work and pass a class.

Honestly, this logic class drives me nuts. It's horrific. So mind boggling. But it is a lovely exercise for my mind and I love it. It is making me think in ways that I haven't utilized my brain before, so it's having a great effect on me. Except the rare occassions when the forums drive up my blood pressure. Oh crap~ gotta go take that quiz now. Buh-bye you loving people!

Review 4

Saw Dirty Pretty Things (2002). It is a film from the UK, and a good one at that. It's a must see, in my opinion. It is very well written -- I am loving the plot! Features immigrants/illegal immigrant in the UK. They have to fight to survive, and their situation reminded me of a life all too familiar -- then I realized that it is the life that I am still living. Of course there is more to the plot than just illegal immigrants trying to make it in London, but the setting and the characters -- if you want to see and feel what it is like to be an immigrant, an illegal immigrant, you should see this film. You might get just a tiny glimpse of what my life consists of, as well. Although I am much better off than the characters in the film, my life isn't too far from their situations. I give it two thumbs up. It's not the best film in the world, but it is the first one that I have seen that depicts life of an illegal immigrant in a developed country, and it's not half bad.

In other news -- I have been busy. In addition to school, work, and applying to colleges, I have the burden of disputing erroneous charges on my bank account, among other petty things. I need new clothes. I need another vacation.

Last night I had a night class. And I could barely keep my head up because I was so exhausted and my neck muscles were so tense and worn out. This morning I woke up to a major neckache and did not quite make it to my first morning class. I got up about an hour later and tried to go to my second class, and I really could've and should've, but didn't. I went to Borders instead. Borders here is much nicer than BN. I mean, BN is nice too, but the Borders is so much bigger with so much more things! And it was in the AM on a weekday, so it was pretty quiet and empty -- I had a good time browsing. Then I broke down and absolutely had to buy something. I bought a copy of The Other Boleyn Girl. I had promised myself to finish The Moor's Last Sigh before I buy another book. I went halfway through it, and then something happened midway, and I stopped. Now school had started and I have so much textbooks to read, and had to read The Taming of the Shrew in two weeks and now Much Ado About Nothing (both of which I will try to write a brief summary (at least) if not a review) and the newspaper comes everyday and I have to get my money's worth and read at least a few articles, and I get the TIME magazine weekly, and I have monthly magazines to read also on top of all that, and poor Mr. Rushdie got sent to the back burner and ignored. But not forgotten.

Just a week earlier I bought a copy of Anna Karenina (I had a copy back when I was in high school, and I read it halfway through it, until someone said, "isn't it so sad how she died in the end? Oh, did I ruin it for you?" And the book mysteriously vanished) so The Other Boleyn Girl is in the back of a very long line. I'm always ashamed that I read so little (for pleasure, I mean). All great people read a lot. I must put in more of an effort to read. I want to finish The Moor and do something about all the books that I read half of. I tend to read halves of books, leaving a lot of open ends. I'm going to have to tie up a lot of loose ends and get some closure. (I am shuddering by my memory of forcing myself to finish The Grapes of Wrath -- "Steinbeck is your favorite author dammit! You loved East of Eden, by golly, you will finish The Grapes of Wrath and you will like it!" -- as you can see I am just so masochistic like that. I did finish the book -- but I can't recall why grapes would be angry.) I probably will never finish One Hundred Years of Solitude -- I am content in seeing the movie if it is made. But other than that, I gotta close the book, literally, on things.

I should be doing some reading for school, but looks like I'm going to have to get to bed. Eek. I really need an extra hour or two in a day at least to get everything done.

P.S. I am working on a new blog template. I'm hoping that it would be my best work yet -- and it is an excellent excuse to put off from doing legitimate work (i.e. homework!).

Ju-On, Coming to a Theatre Near You

I have repeatedly said that the Japanese know horror best, and apparently I am not the only one! Ju-On, which is the most recent Japanese horror film that I have seen, is coming to the US. Sarah Michelle Geller is to play the main character, and I am eager to see how that goes. As you may recall, The Ring was the last Japanese horror film adapted for an US audience -- and it was a B movie at best. The original Japanese version, and even the Korean version, are quite chilling. Naomi Watts in the US version is comical, and there's nothing scary about the girl with the unbrushed hair. Why is it that US horror movies can no longer duplicate the same effects as the classic ones, while Japanese and Korean horror movies are getting artful by the year?If you have seen Japanese horror, you would understand. It isn't vulgar or messy as the Western films. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was good, as I have said, and I stand by it; but it is nowhere comparable to horror flicks of the East. In the Western films, there's gore -- blood is sprayed, and body parts are strewn about, and cacophonous chainsaws and whatnots. Something like Ju-On is just so clean cut -- I don't know if many Westerners agree. Perhaps it has something to do with the shared cultures between the Japanese and Koreans. There is just no need for excessive bloodshed to be horrific. One of the major differences that I see is the villain. The scary figure. The villains in Western films are psychopaths. Serial killers. People who are just mad. In the Japanese films, it is the dead who are causing all the uproar. And they're not zombies nor ghosts -- I suppose similar to ghosts, except they don't float around empty, dark hallways making ridiculous noises (boooo~).

I am sure each culture has their share of horror stories and legends. In Korea, they used to have wedding ceremonies for dead, unmarried people, so that they may find happiness with a partner in the afterlife. It was often feared that virgins who had died would go around seducing young men into death traps. Victims of drownings would crawl out of the water. And in those days, people didn't cut their hair -- so naturally, these un-dead figures are shown with long black hair, often unruly long black hair. Piercing eyes are a must. And they must come with their own stage lights, as they are almost always casted in blue shaded lights. (See boy on the above right.) The dead were buried in white, so that a character who has long, loose black hair and white clothing invokes fear in the audience.

This is not to say that Western films are all distasteful; I am a hardcore fan of many of them. The classic ones such as Halloween and Friday the 13th are excellent series. I love that there is a theme song that goes along with each series of film -- the sound track are so recognizable, and has the Pavlov's dog effect. I hear the music, and I am frightened in the same manner I would be when seeing Michael Myers on screen.

This is one of those situations where a collaboration of the East and West would make for wonderful, brilliant things. However, it seems to be easier said than done. I will have to see the US version of Ju-On. I hope their jobs are up to my expectations. I'm not ready for disappointments!