Zoos and museums

Zoo is a place where city folks can observe live animals living in a controlled environment. Depending on the scale of the zoo, the sizes of the occupants' habitat varies. But basically, all the animals lost their freedom after being captured and were fed by the zoo from then on. The animals are removed from the ecology system.

On the plus side, the zoo tried to save the endanger species, and protected the animals from poachers. On the negative side, the wild animals were kidnapped from their natural habitat and were caged till they died.

"Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society." Museums of history and culture can be an exhibition of bandits' loots from around the world.

Some claimed without the preservation of the museums, ancient cultural artifacts might have been lost through wars, thief, or mishandling. Fair enough. It also seemed like once the artifacts were removed, they were adopted for good and would never returned to their origins. Some historical decapitated statues might found their heads sitting as a permanent exhibit in the world largest museum 10,000 miles from home.

Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso is a daring movie. Giuseppe Tornatore made quite some movies afterwards, Malèna was sure sexy, but Paradiso is still his best movie to date.

Ennio Morricone's musical score of this movie was haunting. It added the kind of texture to the visual of this film that made it stayed in your memory long after the movie was over.

There are 2 versions of this movie out there: the 123-minute international version and the 170 min director's cut.

Longer doesn't always mean better. I watched the 170 min version on a Tartan VHS long time ago (now it's on DVD). I like the 123 min version of Cinema Paradiso more. Thanks to the film editors, I found this version of the movie more absorbing than the long version. Some characters through the branched plot development lost their purity and becoming less likable in the extended version. Some things are better left unsaid/ unknown - if you know what I mean.

Again, it's just my personal view. Everyone has the right to view the full monty and judge it themselves.

Merry Christmas

Christmas means different things to different people. Many songs were written for the holiday seasons, I like these 2 the best.

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.

The Christmas Song
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.

They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.

And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
A very Merry Christmas to you

Yule Log

Yule log is a Christmas traditions. No shops open on Christmas, and there is not much better to do than to stare at the burning flame and get that warm, cozy feeling.

Since not everyone has a fireplace, the good WPIX televises burning yule logs so we can see the light, hear the noise, and feel some heat when placing our hands close enough to our virtual fireplace.

WPIX also provides a portable version for iPod users to carry around. Now we can feel the warmth whenever and wherever we want.

Itami Juzo (1933-97)

Itami Juzo DVD collection - Woman

Saw this beautiful boxset when I was in Japan last year. Bought it in a Hong Kong discounted store for almost one-tenth of the listed price this April.

This DVD collection (Region 2) included 5 Itami Juzo directed 'no onna' movies, starring Nobuko Miyamoto (Itami's wife):

1 Marutai no onna (1997)
2 Sûpah no onna (1996)
... aka Supermarket Woman
3 Minbo no onna (1992)
... aka Minbo - or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion
4 Marusa no onna II (1988)
... aka A Taxing Woman 2
5 Marusa no onna (1987)
... aka A Taxing Woman

The best Itami Juzo movie was 'A Taxing Woman'. The sequel was still strong. By the time of Marutai no onna (Acting Woman), it felt like Itami was running out of steam. That said, Itami's movies were still highly watchable in comparing to what's playing in the Japanese cinemas now.

The acclaimed The Funeral and Tampopo were part of the Itami Juzo DVD collection - Man. However, the 'Man' collection was not available at the time of purchase.

Little children

Standup comedians are the modern day philosophers. One guy from Winnipeg said, "Love is blind, marriage is eye-opening." How true it is.

I watched "Little children" last week. I think this is one of the best made movies this year. Our bodies betray us by giving away our age from the way we look. For the most of us, it's the same mind we possess since our consent. The mind doesn't age like the body.

Good things come in three. J is almost 60 years strong and last summer he decided to separate his wife after 2 failed attempts to run away with his lovers. Like in "Moonstruck", the easiest to validate your existence when you are close to the other end is to fall in love, possibly with someone who's younger. Everyone has the rights to look for love and happiness no matter what age one is. J, in some ways, is very brave in expressing himself regardless of what others think, and I sincerely hope he will find what he wants.

Little children, ain't we all?

PS3

MSRP of PS3 is US$600. 200,000 units were sold in the states during launch. It is estimated that Sony is losing $250 on every unit it sold. The lost can be recovered from the selling of software and accessories.

PS3 launch has generated enough hype. Customers lining up/ camping in front of the stores in order to get the limited quantity of available units. People were fighting, and stepping on each others while rushing in to the stores..

There are over 22,000 PS3 listings on eBay at the moment. Starting bid can be anywhere from $0.01 to the $10,000,000. All the exaggerated closing numbers you heard in the news, that were so close to winning a lottery, were real, but they were more just book numbers.

In the eBay community, the most difficult part is to get people to pay. Look into the details of those listings and you will realize most of the winning bidders does not have any legitimate trading history on eBay. Which means it is very likely that the seller won't get the gigantic sum they were hoping.

To me, even $1,000 for a PS3 is way too much. The PS3 units they are selling is not a limited edition, or the last batch that is going into production, they are just the regular units that Sony is going to market for the next few years. People may be paying more for scarcity, but if the information that Sony will have at least 4 more shipments of PS3 before Christmas is true, then there is no real shortage of supply of the game console. The extra money people paid are just the price for earlier admission.

The world is changing. So does the value system. Our desires control our spending patterns. But Alfred Marshall's supply-demand model still holds true. Customers are willing to pay a premium as long as the supply is lower than the demand.

http://www.ps3news.ca/11172006/14/dont_believe_the_ps3_ebay_hype

mix 1206

I did another mix today. Just a bunch of older songs to get ready for Christmas.
The usual suspects:

01-Chris Bell - You And Your Sister
02-Martin Stephenson - We Are Storm
03-The Pale Fountains - Longshot for your love
04-The Pretenders - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
05-John Eddie - Inbetween Days
06-Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt.1
07-James - Out To Get You
08-The Killers - Read My Mind
09-Silent Poets - What Is (This Thing Called Right_)
10-Martin Stephenson - You Really Had A Heart
11-Razorlight - Pop Song 2006
12-The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (Resung And Club Mix 86)
13-Modest Mouse - The World At Large
14-Billie Holiday - Don't Explain
15-Michael Buble - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
16-Gipsy Kings - Hotel California
17-Saint Etienne - Soft Like Me
18-Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Romance
19-Sarah Cracknell - Ready Or Not

Fifth Element

The fifth element is the perfect being that is sent from outer space to save the earth from Armageddon.

The perfect being exceeds the capability of all human around it. It is knowledgeable and can perform highly accurate analysis. Its speculations and decisions must be seriously taken and followed closely. If there is one right in this whole world, it must be the perfect being. It knows it represents absolute truth/ power and therefore all others who don't obey its words are wrong. Praises to other humans are forbidden, for it is the only existing that deserves all the good words like a black hole. It is the origin of anything worthwhile, worth-noticing, it is clearly the center of the universe. Without the fifth element, the whole universe collide.

The fifth element knows its importance, and understand our insignificance. But it is so noble and almightiness that it does not mind wasting some of its precious time to save us useless sinners.

Oh, adorable perfect being. I feel so small with you even in the same room. Since you are immaculate and indestructible, I would like to crush myself so I don't have to continue with my tiny, miserable life with you around.