Free Will

News like this make me stop watching news in the first place.  Our economy downturn has no end in sight.  The educational system is shot to hell and back.  Health care is a mess.  People got kicked out of their house and live on the street.  Kids in third world countries become child-soldiers or starve to death.

If you are so worry about life in the first place, improve the living condition first, take care of the kids that are ALREADY in the system with proper adoption/ foster situations before emotional blackmailing people about non-viable fetuses...  The LAW states that fetuses are not considered human beings until when they can actually draw breaths by themselves.  Follow that law and the principle of separation between church and state, one shouldn't be encumbered by preconceptions.  By the way, before you say anything else about the founders, America was founded by freedom of religion.  What you believe and practice does not dictate that I have to follow the same.

This proposed law is comparable to beating a person for "their own good" because they might go out and cause harm to other people.  Yes, making the women having children they are not emotionally prepared, financially equipped or even having a support system in place to take care of the kids.  If you even think people shouldn't have sex unless they are ready for a child then I guess you only eat when you are famished?  So chocolate and cookies makers shouldn't even be in business.  Cars and bikes shouldn't be allowed since you have legs to move around with.  Oh, what else?  I don't know... greeting cards, coffee, beds, ... I mean you can survive without them just FINE.

Condoms break.  Pills might react with hormone levels.  The body might repair a vasectomy without prompting from the man.  What do we get from this?  Contraceptives are not fool-proof, 100% effective.  If you think at the end of the rainbows are pots of gold, there is nothing I can do for you.  But by applying your beliefs on other people's lives, are you saying you're better than the God you worship whom had decided to give humankind free will?  No matter what religion you practice, I hope your God talks about free will.  You know, that concept that allow you to take a nap, eat some fries, make a friend... ?  The principle is the same no matter what you wish to apply the concept to.   You can either say free will or fate, it doesn't matter since the end result is the same.

Life is what the individuals make of it, how they view the world and themselves changes things from a person to the next.  Yes, those decided on abortion might suffer in eternal hell but they are there because of a decision that they chose.  You are not their creator to choose for them.

Don't Write Me Off Just Yet

Here is the ultra romantic song sang by Hugh Grant, not the best singer on the world but he got the job done ^_^

Best Buy NOT Best Service

So, after a REALLY long time trying to find Princess Blade with English subtitle on DVD in store, I ran across this DVD pack last month at a local BestBuy. Without hesitation, I bought it as a Christmas present for my family, thinking we'd have a great time with it.
However, when we opened the DVD last week to watch, it turned out that the DVD of the Princess Blade only has bonuses along the line of NGs, Gallery, Making-ofs, and interviews. NO MOVIE.
I tried to play this DVD on different players and computers, thinking it's a flux, but none of them worked. Unhappily, I took the DVDs back to the same BestBuy store, hoping to exchange them for another version of the same movie at least.
After asking and debating the matter among the salespeople, the person at Customer Service told me that "That's the way the movie was made, and since you've opened the DVDs, we cannot accept them back." So, I asked again, "But I don't want to return it, I want THIS movie, and without opening the movie, there's no way I could find out the DVD doesn't have the movie on there." And the girl just shrugged, "there's nothing I can do."
After this, I asked the media supervisor (?) of the store, he looked the title up on the computer and said, "This movie is now only available online, so we can't exchange it for you. And it looks like there's an online review here on our website that said there's a similar problem with this product." Now, all I can deduce from what he told me is that

1) I should've gone online to check the reviews before buying the movies in the store.
2) Even though this DVD was sold in the movies section and there's nothing on the cover indicating that it only has Special Bonuses and NGs, DO NOT EXPECT A MOVIE from your purchase.
3) So, you've bought a DVD, expecting a movie, all you get is a bonus-filled DVD and no movie, you cannot take the disk back to return, because now, it's an opened DVD.
4) Just swallowed your loss since there's absolutely nothing the store can do for you, even if you bought the DVD from them, in-store.

So now, I don't expect to come back to the store again, taking my $5000 purchase-a-year to Target. At least they're more understanding and take responsibilities better than what I got at BestBuy.

Bento, anyone?

So, lately I'm obsessive about the cute, portable cutlery sets. They comes in a small, cutely decorated box and has (most likely) a spoon, a fork and a pair of chopsticks, all have the cute designs on them to match the case. You take them to places with the bento-like lunch and/or snacks. They're way cute, convenient and make a statement (That you are a fluffy bunny inside that steel cage)

I only have a set with chopstick and a spoon so I'm looking for a complete set. Even though I'd at best use it sporadically, but I'd have an option, "To bento or not to bento?"

Oh, btw, the link will lead to a website where adult products are available... yadayadayada...

Nostagic

So, I remember this song tonight, so sad and melodic...



This is Vietnamese Version of Final Fantasy X's Suteki Da Ne, the title is Dieu Do Khong That Dep Sao? by Thanh Truc (~ Isn't it beautiful?)

Have you notice that most of the posts lately start with a "So, ..." ?

Death and Religion

So, I found a Youtube link of the Boondock Saints Courtroom Prayer scene... Make me wanna pay $30 bucks for the "deluxe" tin boxed version. Btw, I'm a sucker for the accent.

A New Start

So, I'm back after a really long time... It's not like anyone actually care about this blog in the first place, right?

Now, I'm thinking of keeping an actually blog (ie. update it at least semi-frequently) like my own Xanga place where I kept track of media (book, movie, music) I came across. Well, there's nothing better than jumping right in right?

First item is the extremely anticipated remake of the Korean movie "My Sassy Girl". It'll be good exposure for the movie and the genre in America. BUT I'm wondering about the culture aspects of the original and how the producers translate that to fit the American taste.

Think about the very traditional (meaning borderline abusive) relationship between the guy and his dear old mother. Seriously, I'm wondering what the average Joe watching the mom sitting on the son and beating him with the heavy wooden bread roller (?) on the big screen would think. Or the very frown upon but frequently used love hotel and its social ramifications. Or the Korean (and most of Asia) obsessive belief on matchmaking dates arranged by families and consultants (people pay big money for this).

Put all those doubts aside though, I would love to see this movie in the theater and a remake of Windstruck too. Word on the net is that it's been picked up by a studio and they might be waiting on how successful this version of My Sassy Girl before committing to Windstruck. Then again, I wish they'd say something affirmative for once.

Here is the obligatory English-subtitled music video for "My Sassy Girl", the song is "I Believe"



And here is the also English-subtitled trailer