Archives For Rants

an Asian-centric place?

I seem to complain a lot about the West lately. I dunno if you’ve noticed. I’ve noticed, and my parents have noticed. The four featured articles are Asian topics (kind of, since YAM005 has Yu LOL), I listen to a lot of music from Asia, watch a lot of films from Asia (though I’m also watching Mad Men Season 1 at the moment – actually on Ep08) – Everything seems Asia.

What the heck.

Have I opened my eyes to something I had never known before? Oh how I wish I had been so Asian when my grandfather was alive, maybe he would’ve been proud. I’m sure he’d be thrilled I’m all over Chinese music (I still got six albums to listen to xD), and maybe I’d be speaking Chinese by now instead of just fraking around.

So when did this happen? Why did this happen?

Is it because American music sucks? Is it because American celebrities suck? Is it because British music sounds the same? Is it because everyone on this side of the world looks and sounds the same? Or am I just tired of hearing how evil China is because that’s what they keep telling me on the papers and online news. Perhaps all the negative propaganda makes me like Asia even more.

Or is it the Anti-American “ideas” of everything American sucks? Because that’s what people think, right? But I don’t think so, I don’t have a problem with the American people… maybe their music industry, and their movie industry… and their media… or how the media portrays anything. No, scratch all of that. I have a problem with people in general. People suck, and I’ve become very anti-social. I don’t like western media, because that’s what I get to read since it’s all I can understand. I would probably hate other reporters and writers in Asian language if I could properly read what they write. But as it stands, I hate the media I get to hear and read about. The so-called defenders of the truth and objective point of views. I have given up on objectivity on television, but they keep shoving it in my face.

So yeah, it seems this blog (and YAM for that matter) is turning more and more towards an Asia focus because I’m getting more and more fed up with the West. For anyone else out there who find themselves only focus on Asian (or only Japanese, only Korean, only Chinese) Entertainment, why did it happen? How? When?

Tokyo Film Festival 2009The Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF, not to be confused with Toronto LOL) has just announced that Mexican director Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu (Amores Perros, Babel) will be presiding the 22nd edition of the festival to be held from  October 17 to October 25th this year.

Also… like I’ve mentioned before, the Tokyo Film Fest, alongside the Shanghai Film Fest are quickly turning into the most important in the region.

Anyway, as all things West media… when you search for the news, you get the articles talking about how dolphin documentary The Cove wasn’t allowed to open the festival. With titles such as “Will Tokyo Film Fest man up and show The Cove?” or “Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is Tokyo Film Festival.”

That is why I was so disappointed that our film, after winning awards in the last 13 film festivals it had entered, was rejected by the Tokyo Film Festival, whose theme this year is green. Not that it is that much of a shocker, but the main goal for making the film was to shut down the cove in Taijii, Japan, where 2,300 dolphins are killed every year.

Remember that time when Hayden Panettiere got in trouble in Japan for eh… I dunno, swimming with the dolphins?

But you know, dolphins are cute this is why it deserves a documentary (and it will probably win an Oscar for it if the cuteness continues). Penguins are cute too, I admit it (and they also won an Oscar, LOL). But cows aren’t. This is why cows don’t get a documentary, and we all get to eat meat regardless of how they are slaughtered.

I’m usually not a big fan of this one-side documentaries, because I’m pretty sure they won’t show how Taiji sees this as a way to sustain its town. And it will be all about saving the dolphins… and the people saving them. – I’m looking at you Panettiere. xD – I wonder if they give an alternative to sustain the town’s economy, as well as ranting about how people kill dolphins. You know, it’s fine to show the problem, but it’s not much use without a solution. So we stop hunting them, then what? How would they survive? Please, they’d better not suggest “Dolphin Watching” or I’ll shoot myself. As far as I’m concerned, we shouldn’t be allowed on “x-animal watching” ever and allow the disturbance in their habitat.

Anyway, this has turned into a rant instead of reporting. LOL

I love eating. I love meat, I can’t live without it. A meal without meat feels not done.

One of the reasons I can’t be a Buddhist – I tried a Buddhist meal once in Hong Kong. So good, but gone so fast. Had to eat again 2hrs. later. Perhaps, I can suggest watching Departures? Things sometimes need to die for you to survive.

Here’s The Cove website.

Here’s a bit more on the Film Festival timeline~~~

Also, when I was 17-ish… I used to sort of look up to PETA, now I just think they’re pretty annoying. Perhaps they should try to change the way they preach. It seems like they just lost something along the way. Like their sanity.

Crap! Now I’m really in the mood for some Sirloin. T-T

Tsk, Tsk~ Photoshop…

August 17, 2009 — 2 Comments

I am a geek!
I use Photoshop like crazy.

Nowadays, I take loads more photographs than my student days, but to be honest, I hate re-touching photographs to get rid of wrinkles… or how I like to call them, expression lines.

I love funny faces, big smiles… but then again, I also delete minor things like distracting marks (if it’s too distracting) and choose over-exposed for light purposes, as well as soft light to decrease the hard shadows that make wrinkles pop out~ after all, women don’t like to see their wrinkles

black and white also works wonders~

one of the reasons why I love this photo of Heidi Klum, though this photo of Marion Cotillard is also a good one of a different type~ and just for the sake of crazy good looking faces, here’s Carmen Kass.

and Greta Garbo during her 1945 days~ I’ll love you forever, Greta xD

Anyway, what’s up with this post you say?

Well, photographer Peter Lindbergh speaks a bit about on this article by The New York Times – Smile and “Say No Photoshop” –  and I have some pics to illustrate his views… of not-retouched models! *legasp!*

“My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today,” Mr. Lindbergh said in an e-mail exchange. “Heartless retouching,” he wrote, “should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of this century.”

Cindy Crawford by Peter Lindbergh

Continue Reading…

Today’s Updates~

August 17, 2009 — 1 Comment

My monitor is screwed up, and I dunno what’s wrong with it.
If it’s either the screen, the connection or the CPU~

Every time I shut down the system, it takes ages for it
to recognize the monitor again… so the screen goes on power save mode.

Also, as you may have noticed… or not~ “Featured” space is changed,
though that’s created its own problems… looks good on my browser,
but how about yours?

I’m attaching a screencap of how it looks on my browser,
so you can see how it’s supposed to look, if it doesn’t look like that~
please screencap, and let me know what browser you are using.

I am cheating on Internet Explorer (compatibility button on)
, because frankly I haven’t used it
in such long time, and you shouldn’t either. LOL

Firefox 3.5.2

Screencap - Firefox

I.E 7

Screencap - Explorer

Aug 14

Oh, eBooks!

I think finally someone over at Cnet has caught up with what I’ve been saying
tsk tsk…

the only thing missing is that distributors are probably greedy bastards~
just saying…

I would also buy more digital content (eBooks, etc) if it were tagged at $2USD

Anyway… here are some of my suggestions~

MP3Sale.ru – price-tagged by song duration.
MovieBerry.com – with DVD, DivX HQ, DivX and iPod versions.

any book site suggestion?

Sexy Schoolgirls~

August 12, 2009 — 1 Comment

Oh, you love them. I know you do. LOL

It didn’t start with Britney, but I’m gonna pick on her just because I don’t want to search and post common photos of Denise Richards back in her Wild Things days. LOL

Britney Spears - Baby One More Time

There’s an article, by a dude that talks about this… again. Is it misogynistic? Regular fantasy? Wrong, right? Where do you draw the line? Continue Reading…

More busy… busier~

August 11, 2009 — 2 Comments

Hmm…
no news? No news worth spazzing, fuming, fangirling…

loads of design stuffs to do, though.
slides, web… pdf~~~
YAM is coming!!

Rants?
Teen Choice Awards were on Sunday or something…
Pole-dancing Cyrus… that’s what parents support now?
Ugh, my poor cousin. I hope she’s not turning out like that…
I wonder what my uncle thinks of Cyrus pole-dancing abilities~~~

People keep sucking.

That I don’t longer really support Western music?
After all, one might risk being sued even for sampling work before thinking of buying.

I mean, you do get a drive before you get convinced of getting a new car.
I can, after all, also ask for my cousin’s car for a drive…

I admit it. I don’t buy as much stuff as I used to, but can you blame me?
I was a 17-year-old with my parents’ credit card access…
I bought a lot of crap. A lot of crap that I don’t use anymore, but keep
because it’s money. So do you blame me for not wanting to buy more crap anymore?

What did I just get? Three albums, and one DVD (two, if you count the one that comes as extra)
All Asian products. These cost more than regular American stuff
so I need to cut back even more on stuff I get. LOL
so only top-rated or fan stuff make it~~~ xD

From the things I just got, it’s two Faye Wong albums which I downloaded last year.
DOWNLOAD. Now I’ve bought them as imports. Cost even more money. LOL
However, they’re very awesome albums, and worth buying.
I’m also looking for a copy of To Love, and almost lost money
while trying to purchase from eBay.
Then… the crap I’m not buying and people are suing for? Not so much.

I also bought Bibi’s Time album that comes with mini PB and DVD~
that’s loads of extras for the price of a regular album almost…
also… I’m a fan of Bibi… after I DOWNLOADED her music.

I also bought Don’t Laugh at my Romance on a HongKong Region DVD
that comes with English subs… Japan version doesn’t…
I saw the film as a DOWNLOAD.
I’m also a fan of Yu Aoi after I DOWNLOADED her films.

got the trend?

Yes. Downloading music (or films etc) and profiting from it is wrong. I don’t buy piracy.
Yes. Saying you’re a fan of something you’ve never physically supported is wrong,
but not as wrong… sometimes, people just can’t. Though they should find a way…
opening a fanclub… spreading the word it’s at least something…
No, downloading music is not like stealing a car. Downloading music is like asking your
cousin if you can use his car, just like he asks if he can take your bike out for a ride.
I might end up buying a car, or not… just as he might get a bike, if he finds it useful.

But this industry wants me to buy crap. I’m not buying.

Who’s Jane Zhang?

She’s 2nd runner-up to the Super Girl contest, back when Chris Lee (Li Yuchun) won, and Bibi (Zhou Bichang) placed 2nd. Meaning… Jane was just behind Bibi.

I don’t wanna start anyone’s fire. Don’t want to attack the fans, but some of Jane’s fans online had been very vocal on Chris Lee even calling her “man-woman” – I can’t take that. While Li Yuchun fans are happy-go-lucky… after all, they did win. LOL’ – Some of Jane’s fans can’t keep their comments down.

Yes, I get it. Chris Lee is not the best vocalist. I know that.
But she doesn’t suck, you know who sucks at singing? I do. LOL

First time I heard Jane Zhang was on the Lee Hom Wang album, and I thought her voice was very generic Chinese pop idol. My friend happened to ask if I had heard of her, which led me to find out she’s sung in different languages. I admit, it got me interested… she’s sung Contigo en la Distancia!

[iframe width=”480″ height=”390″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/fzA5QrlDhec?rel=0″]

Regardless of understanding her Spanish… tell me you did not just see Christina Aguilera’s gestures there? An interesting comment about her accent being and English Spanish accent, instead of a Chinese Spanish accent – because she obviously took the song from Aguilera, and not let’s say… Luis Miguel, or Caetano Veloso.

Continue Reading…

Everything I know or get from product photography, I “got” as a kid watching Discovery Kids when they showed a clip of how the photoshoot for a sandwich – complete with pinned-lettuce, strategically placed ketchup, soaking-wet cheese, raw-yet-well-done-cold burger and silicon-sprayed buns – and of course~ the ice-cream cup which was filled with silicon squares, and a some other squishy-plastic-like product… so the ice-cream wouldn’t melt, you know?

I also did some “product shooting” in my school days, but really… wasn’t my thing.

But look at this! It’s almost so SO real, except the fries… but still.
O.O CRAZY!

Is product shooting going extinct?