Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Matins: Psalter Week III - Wednesday Morning

Psalm 85 (86)  
A poor man's prayer in time of trouble 
Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.  
Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me,

  for I am poor and destitute.

Keep my life safe, for I am faithful;

  O God, save your servant, who trusts in you.

Take pity upon me, O Lord,

  for I call to you all the day long.

Make your servant’s heart glad,

  for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.

For you, Lord, are gentle and mild:

  you are kind to all those who call on you.

Let your ears hear my prayer, O Lord!

  Turn to the voice of my pleading!

In my time of trouble I call on you,

  for you, O Lord, will hear me.

No other god is like you, O Lord,

  and nothing compares with your works.

All people – all nations you made –

  will come and worship before you;

  they will give glory to your name.

For you are great, you work wonders:

  you alone are God.

O Lord, teach me your paths,

  and I will come to your truth.

Make my heart simple and guileless,

  so that it honours your name.

I will proclaim you, Lord my God,

  and give you praise with all my heart.

I will give glory to your name for ever,

  for your great kindness is upon me:

  you have rescued me from the deepest depths.

O God, the proud rise against me,

  in the meetings of the powerful they seek my life:

  they do not keep you in their sight.

And you, Lord, are a God of compassion,

  full of mercies, patient and true.

Look upon me, have mercy upon me,

  give your strength and protection to your servant:

  your servant, the child of your handmaid.

Give me a sign of your goodness,

  let my enemies see it and be confounded;

because you, O Lord, have helped me and given me comfort.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.  
Make your servant’s heart glad, for to you, O Lord, I have raised it.  

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

WHEN THE WORLD WANES...

We dont often think about how the world changes around us. Sometimes, we think of these changes over eras, like the 1980s, or 1990s, in relation to music, fashion, presidents and such. Some changes have been so acute and rapid as well as ubiquitous that it hardly seemed possible to imagine the world or life without it: I am thinking of the Internet, personal computer and smart-mobile phone. Apart from these three key appliances, some of the other great advances we have taken for granted a couple of generations earlier was piped potable water into our homes, 24-hour electrical supply and thereafter, television and telephones. But by now, some of us have become grandparents and parents, uncles and others more prematurely, passed on.

With the world economy apparently bottoming out from a near collapse, we may think in terms of an imminent recovery of sorts. Political and economic scientists have held their sway and split over exactly what inflationary or monetary medicine is needed. In real terms, personal wealth have all but diminished. Personally, what we have experienced in the past nine months is that Achilles Heel of the global economy which is wound up and running on a great deal of lending and intent to pay. When the crunch came, it became clear that only the fastest could move to save more of their wealth, and in this play, the smaller you are, the worst off you would be. Ultimately, in the financial markets, it is disposed that the richer are going to be better off, until they themselves are scammed big time by even bigger crooks like Madoff. But that is more or less isolated to investors who played into his hands. Yet, the eventual market collapse is more telling about the same sort of relentless lending that is brokered to create an series of tiered markets from what used to be basic business activities. The auditors said these were not against any regulations and that gave way for the financial Tower of Babel. Stock markets and those who operate in, for the most part, was designed for sharing of wealth and opportunity for those with extra money to generate more value in the economy. With all the forces that have operated to create the market highs and now, the nadir as well, you realise that the old word ideal of ethics is all past and gone. There is a new world order in deed, and the people who operate its many cogwheels are not bound by the ideas of ethical boundaries. It is all the case of who gets hit first, who gets away fastest, and whom is most lucky to get all... The Old World is gone. When I get back to slogging at the sweatshop, there will have to be a new sense of awareness and approach. You know what: you cannot trust anyone like you may have used to, especially those who are less experienced. Less experienced folks at work overcompensate for their lack of ability or knowledge by playing the victim and using their own weaknesses as the basis for manipulating sympathy. Nothing more than blackmail. The world wanes...

Monday, June 15, 2009

Terce (Mid-Morning Prayer) - Monday, 15 June 2009

Introduction O God, come to my aid. O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Alleluia.
Psalm 119 (120) Longing for peace
I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.
I was in trouble, and cried to the Lord; and he answered me. Lord, free me from the lips of liars, from deceitful tongues. What will be given you, what will you receive, deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows from the warrior, hardened in the flames. Alas, I am an exile in Meshech; I dwell among the tents of Kedar! My soul has lived too long with those who hate peace. I am for making peace; but whenever I spoke, they attacked me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
An amazing meditation and prophetic as well: when I think of my previous staff members who were all junior in experience, and their behaviour towards my direction of their work, this seems very true. Unfortunately, instead of focussing on learning and applying what was taught them, they constructed a scenario among themselves of how hard it was to work under my supervision, and wherever possible, justified this perspective under their own imagining, never once thinking about their own professional inadequacy. Then they began to spread these to influence others outside the department, and eventually towards my own supervisors. Despite my advice to them to be careful in their conduct, to uphold truth and abide by established ethics, these junior executives decided that the way they shape their own perspectives collectively was more important, and this bred a sort of lie they began to subscribe to and believe in. Now, I feel very vindicated when I hear about how each of them fare; there is Divine Justice at work when you lift yourself up to the Lord of Truth, so that those who lie and conspire to benefit from these lies they propagate will someday come to know the light of truth - that what they have done was unnecessary harm and perhaps grow better out of these mistakes committed. One can only pray for them, and forgive them. It is good to move on with the confidence that the Lord protects those who trust in Him and obey in His ways.

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen set for Fall 09 release of debut album with Jive Records

The news released on 8 June 2009 confirmed American Idol winner Kris Allen has signed with 19 Entertainment for a debut album to be released this Fall with record label Jive Records. This is the same label which saw David Archuleta and Jordin Sparks sign with, indicating the AI winner will be targetting a similar youth market segment of screaming young girls across Asia and the US. Certainly Allen's image appeal is closer to the younger female set than say, Daughtry or Cook, or for that matter Adam Lambert. There seems to be some hue and cry lingering over "adult male" fans of AI that cling on to Lambert being the real winner. Perhaps that minority segment hasn't realised one of two things: that the pop market in the US and globally is dominated by young female consumers and married mothers, and that listenability is a key quality - which is why Queen or KISS is still niche compared to the appeal of Kelly Clarkson or Celine Dion. Why Joel McHale thinks Lambert is a winner is no surprise either; but I can empathise with his musing that Adam is lucky NOT to have to record "No Boundaries" is met with concensus. For that song, I think Kris Allen needs to get it re-arranged as a gospel rock anthem and leave it as that. Moving on, no matter what the young Idol fans may rant online about how "cute" he is, it remains to be seen if his album will appeal to the adult pop market - which will be more important to this career as an artiste in the long run - because the "little girls" will buy the album and vote for it on MTV for just the few "sugary pop tunes"; as a real artiste, he needs to get his first album to show maturity and sophistication without having to impress with silly high note leaps which the singing competition had a skew towards simply for entertainment shock value. That Adam kept doing those falsetto chord leaping high notes may be impressive vocally; but many professional singers have trained to do just that especially for theatrical performance. It's just not something you want to hear over and over again on the radio, Joel McHale ("The Soup"); but if that's the sort of chronic tinnitus is what he and the Lambert clan fans want, they are welcome to permanently damage their sense of hearing and musicality.

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Weird and Wonderful? Mental health of the aged a concern

When my mother was alive, she might come back from some community grassroots or church ministry meeting and relate an incident in her usual candour, and even haphazard manner. Then referring pointedly to a character in the dramatis personae, she may add "Aiyah (a local slang expression akin to "oh well anyway") that person is just psycho!" I would tease her and say, "Mum, may be that person is saying the same thing about you!" It is easy to develop a perception that all the retired men, elderly housewives and enthusiastic fired-up Christians mingled together might produce a melting-pot of personalities. And within that psycho-drama is a wide spectrum of idiosyncrasies, phobias, neuroses, psychoses etc. with the healthy minded as well as those who may be borderline mentally ill. No wonder it takes God's goodness and Spirit to allow anything to work and get done! When you look at Greenpeace and other non-Church affiliated interest groups, the same sort of psychological spectrum seems to emerge. May be among volunteers there is more openness to embrace people seeking to "belong" and to develop a greater sense of "affirmation and identity". In that sense I can understand St Paul's proposition that as "much (as) sin increased, grace was always greater" (Romans 5:20). Maybe I should substitute the word "sin" for the more generic "weakness" or "flaw" or "fault", to be politically correct. Just this morning, as I was seated at McDonald's at Block 109, Lorong One, Toa Payoh, to access the Internet via the public wi-fi network and enjoy my Boncafe coffee, one of the elderly neighbours appeared. His name is Patrick Ng. A retired gentleman who was formerly with OCBC Bank, he was retired earlier in his career and this may have resulted in some deep and unresolved bitterness. But he affirmed himself in his faith and is very visible in many church liturgies and apostolates, particularly those that appealled to his intellect as he is very educated. He plays being modest for the most part but he is easily irritable and has no tolerance for other people's foibles or ego. Sure, while he aware of his own ego, he makes no excuse for the absurd behaviours of others. He is aware of his own arrogance and may admit to it, but will stubbornly not make any accommodation to soften his own manner towards others. That would be condescending to his mind, a compromise, and to justify his stance, he would quote from all sorts of sources from St Bernard to the Gospels. At first I was always respectful and dignified towards him, and would accomodate him. Now, after five years, I have tried never to bear down on his hypocrisy, simply because he was elderly and the sort of conceit that comes with age encumbered with a great deal of repressed history begs one to be kind and unjudging. This morning, as I bought Patrick a cup of hot Lipton tea at McDonald's, his behaviour seemed to be unusal. He always spoke very loudly; in fact, in church, he would bellow more than sing, and everyone in the congregation might know he is present and whereabouts he is. He would sit in the pew reading something else while the Mass is underway, and at the places where the "people respond", he would bellow the verse or prayer out loudly without the slightest interest. Of course, he may debate this behaviour and retort: "I don't care what other people say, but I know what I am doing." This echoes very familiarly the same attitude and idea my father has of his own foibles and manners. It is a very blinkered view which seems to have been fostered by a particular colonnial influence when Singapore was governed by the British. I think the word is "elitism" maybe. What the real reason, Patrick would always speak loudly, or "projecting" his voice as he would put it. When he is irritated or upset, he would take a more belligerent tone and assault his victim with his grandoise vocabulary and command of the English language. Every now and then he would entice me into one of his matches which I would edge back from, conceding to the use of a concise word or a well-known phrase to avoid aggravating him. What was unusal today was Patrick's more odd behaviour, an increased irritability, slight forgetfulness, but I could appreciate that his mind was actively at work, trying to maintain relevance and coherence, at the same time cognizant of his need to be dignified. The effort he takes to maintain that dignity is almost like a struggle against the rising tide. As I reflect on his behaviour, it becomes more apparent that he may be aware that his faculty of mind may be diminishing, but at the same time, his personality may be more uncontrolled. He was more verbally aggressive because of his increased irritability, and I wonder if he might lose it someday altogether and end up talking to himself and become delusional. This is different from the type of neurosis I see in my own father, which stems from a history of stoic repression and a particular brand of upbringing and circumstance. Such men in the days of Mountbatten may be admired, but today, they are mired down and ignored. Society at large seems to have evolved standards as to what makes for healthy minds among the greying population. When I visited my European friends and sat down with their elderly parents in their living room on a Sunday afternoon, the sort of conversation that takes place quickly informs you that the family is connected at a deeper level, and that their father's mind is still active. Lately, I have heard that Alzeihmer's have struck the old man, and his sense of perception and ability to acknowledge his surroundings has deteriorated, although his general quality of life remains quite good. Patrick's quality of life is no doubt excellent, given his health and mobility, alertness and irascibility. But somewhere between all that is fine, something new loomed large today: it was nothing demonic although there was a hint of wickedness and stubborness if there's any devil there. It seemed like he was tweetering over and soon may be quite likeKing Lear in his madness. I fret to think that there are more and more elderly people who are less and less connected with the world around them, like Patrick. And, like my own father, the fault may be in their own upbringing and belief-system which is entrenched over a life of circumstance and personal bigotry repressed and white-washed. The mental health of the elderly is real concern: those who are not self-aware become more stubborn and hardened in their ways. There is nothing to fight about, or try and change. The saddest thing is that dealing with them based on your personal life history results in a whole palette of issues to be put up with. It is easier not to disturb anyone's peace and remove these issues altogether. I find it wisest and best to avoid any engagement. I think death can be physical or psycho-emotional. In some ways, we all are either best as children or orphans. Now, as I become more aware of my maturation, I can see that there can be peace after a beloved parent dies, and when that happens, it is a defining event in one's life. Not that my mother's recent passing defines me that way: rather, that after her loss, I better understand life as being more completed.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

BEWARE Jehovah Witness' cultic nonsense...

In your three-tape set, "I Escaped from the Watchtower," the former Jehovah's Witness being interviewed recommended a book entitled The Finished Mystery. What is the book about, who wrote it, and why is it important? Leonard Chretien, an ex-witness who spent 22 years as as official in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the Jehovah's Witnesses), recommended The Finished Mystery because it is an example of the bizarre metamorphosis of Watchtower theology over the last hundred years and is useful in showing Witnesses the problems and contradictions in their religion. The Finished Mystery was the seventh and final volume in Studies in the Scriptures, a series of books written by the sect's founder, Charles Taze Russell. It is a hodgepodge of false prophecies, rambling discourses on the interpretation of Scripture, and the obligatory rantings against the Catholic Church. The Finished Mystery was printed posthumously in 1917 and was touted as an unanswerable critique of "Christendom." As the years passed, and as elements of its theology changed, the Watchtower trumpeted a series of bogus prophecies concerning the date of Christ's return. To its embarrassment, the Watchtower was unable to reconcile either its new theology or its more recent spate of failed prophecies with Russell's book. In an understandable act of damage control, the Jehovah's Witness leadership withdrew from circulation all volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. Most Witnesses are unaware of the existence of Russell's books, and for obvious reasons the Watchtower is careful not to allow the rank and file access to them. But you can get a photographically reproduced copy of the book from Witness Inc., an Evangelical apologetics group that focuses on refuting the errors of the Watchtower (P.O. Box 597, Clayton, CA 94517, [415] 584-3838). As with all Evangelical apologetics organizations, however competent they may be in their particular field, there is always the problem of faulty Protestant theology being offered as the "solution" to the errors of the "cults." You need to read around this Protestant bias. The organization's research is still helpful because of their expertise in documenting the errors and contradictions in Watchtower publications such as Awake! and the Watchtower, as well as in many out-of-print works. ------------------------------------------------------------- Excerpted from the May 1993 issue of This Rock magazine. Copyright © 1993 Catholic Answers.

Five Don'ts for Dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses

By Joel S. Peters It's Saturday afternoon, and you're going about your household chores. You notice as you pass the front door that two people are coming down the street. Since you're not expecting anyone, you peer out from behind the curtains. The two individuals turn down your walkway. They're nicely dressed and wielding attachés that you will discover later are loaded with publications from the Watchtower Society, the parent organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses.Even though your mind is occupied with mundane thoughts of dirty laundry, overdue bills, and vacuuming, you will soon be thrust into a dialogue on a far higher plane-a dialogue about world violence, the devil's control of all government systems, or a future earthly paradise. If you are like most people, you feel ill-equipped to solve humanity's woes on your doorstep. So you consider pretending you're not home. Too late-they've seen you. So you take a deep breath and reluctantly open the front door.This scenario is played out untold times in the homes of average Americans across the country. And while most people consider a visit by a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses to be a nuisance at best-and a rude intrusion at worst-the experience need not prove distasteful.Having dialogued with a number of Witnesses—at my door, via e-mail, in Internet discussion groups, and even in their own Kingdom Halls (their equivalent of a church)—I have learned some dos and don'ts of talking with them. Based on my experience, I would like to propose a list of five "no-no's" for a typical encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses.You don't have to be a skilled apologist to practice these guidelines. They are intended for the average Catholic who has no formal theological training. 1. Don't slam the door in their faces. This simple point could mean the difference between the loss of the souls of your Witnesses or their salvation. Please stop for a moment and take this thought to heart. I say this because the difference between slamming the door or choosing to be cordial and speaking to them could mean the difference between affording the Witnesses a moment for God's grace to operate through you-or losing that moment forever. I find that a typical response to Jehovah's Witnesses who are canvassing a neighborhood is to be brusque with them and then slam the door in their faces. I have even had some of my high school students recount with pride such actions taken by their parents when Witnesses come knocking at their doors. Not only is this approach uncharitable, the Witnesses expect it.You see, the Watchtower Society drills into the heads of all its followers that at some point in their door-to-door witnessing they will suffer persecution for proclaiming "Jehovah's message." The Watchtower points to Jesus' own words as proof of their claim: "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:11-12). The fact that the Watchtower belief system bears almost no resemblance to Jesus' actual teachings does not come into play here. The point is, Witnesses are told by their organization to expect harassment and harsh treatment. When they get it, it only reinforces their loyalty to and belief in the Watchtower for having predicted such behavior. Instead kill them with kindness. Be as charitable and hospitable as you can, because long after they may forget what you said to them, they will still remember how you treated them. 2. Don't argue or debate specific doctrines with the Witnesses. The fact of the matter is that slinging Bible verses back and forth with a Jehovah's Witness to prove a doctrine is unproductive. He has been conditioned to accept only the Watchtower's interpretation of Scripture. From the Witness's perspective, you are not debating the meaning of the biblical text so much as the religious authority behind any given interpretation. Since he is conditioned to accept the Watchtower as God's "sole channel of communication" on earth, your ability to wield biblical Greek will likely count for naught. The Witness will merely resort to the party line for any passage being discussed.He is more than perpared to confront you on major doctinres, with special emphasis placed on Jesus' divinity and the Trinity. These two doctrines are also where Witnesses have spent the most time and effort preparing to verbally thrash you into doctrinal submission with a string of Bible passages they quote out of context and completely misinterpret. Believe me, the average Jehovah's Witness has spewed forth these passages so often that he could quote them effortlessly while dangling in midair. Unless you are quite familiar with these passages (John 1:1, John 8:58, John 10:30, Acts 20:28, and Romans 9:5, to name a few) and have a proper understanding of them, the Witnesses' interpretation of them will sound convincing. Jehovah's Witnesses salivate at the prospect of debating these two doctrines, so do not meet them on their own turf-this gives them the home court advantage. What should you do if they bring up one of these topics? Read on. 3. Don't let the Witness get through his rehearsed presentation. Remember that the well-scrubbed disciples at your door have had extensive training and experience conducting encounters like this. You need therefore to derail them, so to speak-pursue a topic where their stock answers, memorized Bible passages, and pre-packaged presentations will not work to their advantage. I am not suggesting being rude to your guests or cutting them off or monopolizing the conversation. I am saying that you should tactfully redirect the discussion to another subject. For example, you might ask them how they came to be associated with the Watchtower or if they were members of another denomination before becoming Witnesses and, if so, why they changed over. Ask them to tell you in a concrete way how being a Jehovah's Witness has improved their lives. Get them to tell their stories so that for once they are relating on a person-to-person level rather than regurgitating Watchtower beliefs. Regardless of how much indoctrination the Watchtower has done, it cannot remove the Witnesses' humanity, so make a connection on that level.Once they have shared something about themselves, you do likewise. Tell your own story about how you have encountered Christ through his Church. Tell them about your own faith journey. Talk about how Christ is real to you. Your words don't have to be fancy or highly theological-sincerity goes a long way. If nothing else, such a witness on your part will demonstrate to the Jehovah's Witnesses that even though you practice (from their point of view) a belief system tainted with paganism, you are still in touch with Christ in a real, tangible way. That will give them food for thought. 4. Don't allow the Witnesses to bring up multiple issues and get you sidetracked. One of the cardinal rules of dialoguing with Jehovah's Witnesses is to deal with one theological topic at a time. It is said that there are only two unavoidable things in life-death and taxes. Actually, there is a third: If the Witness at your door is losing any ground in the conversation, you can bet your bottom dollar that a subtle shift in topic will occur. I would even venture to say that the Witnesses themselves might not consciously be aware of it. It's just that their training is so effective that it becomes second nature for them to make this switch when the prospective convert is gaining the upper hand. It is imperative at this point for your brain to send up a red flare and alert you to the switch. (Think of the robot from the old TV series Lost in Space that would always flail its arms and shout "Danger! Warning!" when something bad was about to occur.) In my encounters with Witnesses, this switching of subject matter has occurred in virtually every instance. Watch for it. It is an indication that you are being effective at presenting some kind of difficulty, so stay on target. When it happens, let the Witness finish his or her train of thought, then politely point out that, while you are intrigued at the prospect of discussing another issue, you will agree to do so at another time. This approach has the added benefit of ensuring a return visit from the Witnesses, enabling you to further dialogue with them (if you are so bold) and continue to gain ground. It will also buy you time to do some research on the particular topic which has been raised (or the one you had been discussing). 5. Don't go by the Witnesses' version of the Bible, the New World Translation. By producing its own Bible translation, the Watchtower Society is able to keep its doctrinal thumbscrews tightened on its members. The text has been altered-one might even say mutilated-so that it supports many key Watchtower doctrines. What the average Jehovah's Witness probably doesn't know is that the New World Translation was produced by a committee of five high-up Witnesses, four of whom had no training in biblical languages. The fifth studied Greek for only two years in college. Any reasonable person would conclude that such "translators" are woefully lacking the education and skills needed for such an important task as translating Scripture.Witnesses will swear up and down that the New World Translation is free from a doctrinal bias (and in good faith they really believe this), but you need to know that this could not be farther from the truth. Without ever having to be versed in biblical Greek, you can still at least raise some doubts in the minds of Witnesses about their Bible version. For example, when the Jehovah's Witness reads a passage from the New World Translation, you could say something like, "That sounds different from my Bible. May I ask what version you are using?" When the he identifies it as the New World Translation, you could then pursue a series of questions about the reliability and scholarship of this work.Armed with the knowledge about the translating committee, ask questions like: "How do you know that this particular rendering is correct?" "How important is it for a Bible translator to know the biblical languages?" "Would you trust a translator who had little or no training in Hebrew or Greek?" (For this question you could use the analogy of whether or not to trust a surgeon who was about to operate on you but who had little or no experience doing the particular procedure he was about to perform. How much more important, then, it is for people entrusted with our spiritual well being to be highly trained and experienced in their field?) Your goal here is to raise doubts in minds of the Jehovah's Witnesses about the reliability of the New World Translation. However, don't attack their translation. A few carefully and strategically placed questions will produce far more fruit than a full frontal attack on something the Witnesses cherish. I would like to offer one final insight for these five no-no's. Keep in mind that they are not a foolproof method wielding magical powers to sway your Jehovah's Witnesses on the very first encounter. You will not likely undo in 15 minutes on your doorstep what the Watchtower Society has been doing for years in the minds of your guests.But these guidelines can serve as a starting point. They can arm you with something useful and practical when that unexpected doorbell ring comes. Keep in mind also that converting the hearts of Jehovah's Witnesses is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit-and that you and I are greatly blessed to be used as his instruments in that process. --------------------------------------------- Joel S. Peters is a high school teacher. He writes from Mahwah, New Jersey.

One Saturday afternoon two Jehovah Witnesses came aknocking

It is Saturday 30 May and I was just done with the laundry and after concluding my Morning Prayer. Earlier, I responded to an SMS from a church ministry friend to prepare the scripture text for the Liturgy of the Word for Trinity Sunday, which Catholics will celebrate on Sunday, 7 June. It was a refresher on the doctrine of the Trinity as revealed through Jesus before his ascension into heaven, and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and through the missionary teaching of the Apostles. Then I find two Jehovah Witnesses at my door. I welcome them in, if they wish to refresh themselves, or share their own joy. I knew in my heart that I would only listen out of respect if they respected my own faith in Jesus as the Divine Son, fully God and Man, and have nothing to do with the Arian heresy or the mutilated version of their bible (New World Translation). As they spoke, in particular from their prepared presentation and quotation, it came across as a hard pitch at their own theology and despite my indication that she should not proselytize under my roof and welcome out of respect of my beliefs, she continued. I finally told her: "The spirit of God is peace, and what you say is very disturbing to the peace I know in my God. I ask you to stop. You can speak if you choose to speak peaceably, but your doctrines I do not need to hear. We can praise God in psalms and scripture without you telling me what you have chosen to believe in, as I have my belief in Jesus as Lord and God as sacred Truth. That is an obstacle to you, not to me. If I respect you for your beliefs, you are welcome here as long as you respect mine; do not say to me about what you have chosen to believe as that is your choice. Otherwise, you will have to hear me about my belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, according to the scripture I present to you." What I have learnt is that: 1. if you can, welcome them as guests to refresh themselves, but decline to hear them preach their beliefs to you; 2. when they try, tell that you are not interested, even if what they begin with seems very agreeable - their scripted approach begins with the Old Testament about God's name being Jehovah or YHWH, and progresses to a strict course they have prepared. This is pointless because their translation of the bible is wholly inaccurate to all Christian editors (see my next blog entry extracts, and links); 3. avoid letting them quote scripture off their bible and their text or getting into a line-by-line debate even if you feel like you need to clarify with them their inaccuracies; these followers have chosen to wholly submit themselves to the beliefs of their founder and they are not interested in appreciating your effort to share with them historical fact and basic Christian Truth; 4. appreciate the fact that they twist and distort a great deal of accepted Christian tenets - they call themselves Christian because they say that they follow the teachings of Jesus as Christ; but in fact, they are not as they define Jesus as some being exalted between angels and the highest of men, but do not recognise his Divine nature - hence the connection to Arian heresy; The best thing to do when meeting Jehovah Witnesses is not confront them with any of their beliefs. It takes a certain type of person to accept a set of beliefs that is so distorted and to want to be a minority sect or cult. Cults appeal to the psychology of some individuals and these same people usually have a persecuted mentality which responds with an aggressive sense of survival and self-righteousness. This means: they just can see the reason and sensibility which others may espouse. It is simply "them" against a "world against them", and this means they do not share the same open heartedness to listen to fair-minded words or plain truth. So, the best thing when you meet these Jehovah Witnesses at your door, don't be fooled and let your true Christian hospitality be taken in. Note fairly and well, what St Peter cautions: " Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

Friday, May 29, 2009

TERMINATOR SALVATION - Relearning what makes us human

I caught Terminator Salvation - sneak peek - on digital format and have to say that I was satisfied. It was not Christian Bale's wooden protrayal of John Connor as the conflicted and angst-filled prophet of doom in post-apocalyptic Judgement Day earth that made the film watchable. In fact, his guttural grants and grimaces do nothing to build up the John Connor character after we last saw Nick Stahl play the young man - although I prefer Edward Furlong's protrayal best. Anton Yelchin hits amazing notes playing the youngest Kyle Reese, originally played by cool-dude anti-hero Michael Biehn in the first Terminator movie. That was the real "horror" flick which none of the sequels could ever surpass. It did not depend on as much EFX or absurb science, and that simplicity made it very effective in its prospective horror and doom. In Terminator Salvation, it is relatively unknown Australian-born actor Sam Worthington that steals the show. He is no Arnie nor Bale, definitely, but just like Biehn, the sort of anti-hero you end up empathising and rooting for. He plays Marcus Wright, a condemned killer who is executed by lethal injection but persuaded by his sister to donate his body to science. Next, he awakes in a SkyNet dominated world with a cybernetic organic host implanted into his system, as well as having major parts of his anatomy replaced. Because he plays a resurrected man who thinks he knows who he is, he doesn't notice how he has already changed as a person, with more skills and knowledge in electronics than before. I like that he gets rescued by Kyle Reese trying to earn his stripes. I like that it takes gorgeous Blair Williams to work up his heart-rate and snuggle up to him for body heat while they flee back to base after a foiled rescue attempt. I like the way he is strung up on a railcar axle completely unaware of his torn-apart body revealing his prosthetic innards until John Connor peels off his head restraint and he looks down into his own torso. I liked it when Christian Bale describes how Marcus Wright completely believes in his own humanity. In the end, John Connor is fatally hurt and it takes the Wright hybrid to donate his heart to save Connor's life. It is cheesy somewhat but necessary sometimes in morality tales to press a point: what does it take to make us human, we hear Connor ask rhetorically at the end. It is the ability to love, to care, to sacrifice. The end of the film leaves open follow-up plotline, where perhaps it will be Marcus Wright's cybernetic memories and brain which will be cannibalised and used by Connor to send the second Terminator back to protect his mother and himself. Maybe that, even if that Australian accent became warped into an Austrian twang along the way. But after this, we will definitely see Sam Worthington make it big as celebrity. He played himself opposite a rather boring Christian Bale, and as a result, looked ever the more appeal character onscreen and human. Christian Bale was quite wasted in this plot - he seems to be reduced to a hollow stereotype after "Reign of Fire" and "Batman Begins/Dark Knight", particularly post-apocalytically bland as he was in "Equilibrium". Whatever happened to that brilliance we first saw in "Empire of The Sun" or "Little Women". Perhaps, he outgrew his appeal. But Sam Worthington played a straight character that lost his humanity as a cold-blooded killer, only to be made part-machine and then rediscover his humanity all over again - that redemption is to be the sub-text to this Terminator Salvation. It was not just about saving the future by saving Kyle Reese who would be the father of John Connor; it was also about how in War, we all cross sides and some times even bond - care for - those we are supposed to destroy. What makes us human? The ability to put ourselves in another person's place: empathy.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Overheard: Evangelical Prophets discussing American Idol

One: The millenial apocalyse has been delayed it seems? Two: It is a misreading. We did not take into consideration that JC was born in April 6BC, or that he died around 33AD. So in fact, the Christian Era actually started in 33AD-6BC = 27AD, which means that the real Millennium is 2027 and not 2000. One: Gee, I mean, Gosh. That sounds right! Two: Consider the new Idolatry that is emanating in popular culture. Heard the news last week? One: Yeah, you must be talking about the terrible upset on Fox's American Idol? The punting prophets were predicting Adam's win? Two: Yes, it was the sign of the Times... [now, a third joins them in their ride on the LA bus towards the modern EMMAUS cafe next to the Nokia Theatre] Third: Hi there. You heading near West Hollywood? Might I join your chat? Two: Sure. One: Of course, where abouts are you from? Third: Just arose from the East, and decided to come down. Town seemed awfully quiet. One: Are you kidding? Where on earth have you been. You must have been buried these past week, dude! Two: Haven't you heard all the buzz about what has happened all over America? Third: Oh, you must mean about President Obama's controversial address at Notre Dame? One: That was nothing, dude. No one really cares about abortions or embryonic stem cell discussions: that sort of thing does away after a while. Two: Tell him, dude! One: We were discussing real news, man. About American Idol's results and the upset win! No one saw that coming. Even after Danny Gokey got kicked off! Who could have predicted any of these things. Two: I sure lost my money on that! After Dan, the prophecy was all off. How do you explain that. He was really good, you know, wife was Sophie - that was Greek right, for "wisdom" or something? Third: I see. Why did all these events surprise you? Was it all not according to the old prophecies? One: Well, that was what the elders taught but the results - what happened - just too upsetting. Adam was meant to win! Two: Yeah, you know - Simon, the Rock of Rockstars, Idol-maker, even believed in Adam. One: Even Paul-la, you know the evangelist to all things Gentile, sort of proclaimed she was a fan of Adam's forever. Two: Yeah, even the other two - Gioguardi - what John, the guardian? - kinda of like a woman in bikini that ran off stage at the results show, also said she was a follower of Adam's. One: Yes, even that man, Jack-Son, with the first name of R-Andy - I thought he was related to Andrew or John, right, said Adam was always "in the Zone", up there, right in the lights and hazy cloud, descending in a white garment that was just dazzling as he sang out with a booming voice those lyrics from Tears For Fears. Very emanating, man! Two: I think that Gioguardi person called Adam "Rock God". He even sings like the "Sound of Gaudi", eclectic shrieks and all... Third: I thought you said that Simon was the Rock? Two: Yeah, but Adam was a Rock God, totally. Third: Any chance you want to hear what I think? One: What you have got to say, buried-and-risen Man From The East? Third: You almost got me there! How did you guess? Well, here's what I think you forgot to consider... Two: Speak man! Third: Well, a season ago, you must remember that it happened to pass, in the heavens of new Pop Stars, the conjunction of two Davids - the Cook and the Archer-letta (ie. small archer) - in the Finale, right? One: Yeah, one David was a bar-tender, and the other a schoolboy or something - Two: Yeah, he was from the Salt Lake, a follower of the angel Moroni. He sings with a dead "C". Third: Er, well, okay. But the two Davids were meant to signal that the Time has Come. That the final battle would occur after another season. One: What you mean, now? Third: Did you know what Malachi said, or Eye-shy-Yah, or Jerry Meyer? Two: The famous prophet, you mean - "I-Sigher", who said: Out of Jesse, a young shoot? Third: Sort of; that indicated that after the season of David, the next would be the trial of the Great King. One: Wow, that's an idea. How does that fit in between Danny, Kris and Adam. Adam was still meant to win, right? Third: It had seemed so. Adam was the Original Choice, as Simon the Rock had assumed. But all Judges had failed to consider the Apocalyse of Daniel regarding the appearance of the Son of Man, as victor in the end. Two: You mean, like when Danny sang "Jesus Take The Wheel" as everyone as drunk with liberty, freedom, and gay marriage rights and only the J-Man was left as the designated driver of humanity Fate? But the J-Man left the scene. All we had heard after that was that Rock was in and Gospel was out. One: Yeah, Rock on! Third: Wait a minute, guys! You folks were just standing on the wrong Rock and did not see what you were standing on. That Son Of Man Danny the prophet sang about, before he got voted off, was inspired by Wisdom - you know, his wife as she was called in Greek, Sophie? Wisdom inspired Danny to prophesy: it would be a battle between the Kingdom of Old and the Kingdom of New. One: I don't get it. Two: No, I think I see. You are saying that according to Simon the Rock, it was expected that Adam the Rock God, Original Man designated by All to Win, would emerge the winner, but... Third: But there would be a new Man, a Christ, or called Kris, of a new order. It would be not about the old theatrics, not about shrieking kings of old dressed in drag and wearing eyeliner, with men kissing men on billboards or hitting high notes like Eunuchs in paradise. What was to come, according to the Davids and the Daniel, would be a naked Kris, plain and unadorned, who would be bethrothed even before he would be known to all, to that which is "Pure", which in Greek is called Katy. One: So, this Kris, would be a pure Man? Like Simple, Humble, Honest, guy-next-door sort of way? Third: Yes, Christ would be espoused to all that is Katy, or Pure. Two: Wow. You have a great imagination, man! Third: Yes, that is pretty Creative, or how else could we have all this diversity in the Universe? One: That is so true, dude! I like you. Tell us more! Third: Well, Idols in America is not new, as you know. Young Americans have already abandoned what they call the old way for the Rock Gods, of which Adam represents the Original Concept. One: Like sin? Two: Like sin! Third: Rather, "they like sin". One: Oh, wow. It's all becoming clear to me. Two: You shed some light, man! Tell us more! Third: So, after Danny had been cast out by vote, out of the pan into the fire (where he met his other friends), the battle for the crown would be between Adam - the Anti-cipated Idol and Rock God and Kris - whose surname Alan or Allen in Breton means "small rock", similar in Latin to petrus, like Peter. Danny "go-key" surely passed those votes off Simon, who did not take those "gold keys" as seriously as he should have. One: Really! Third: So, it was meant to pass that unknown to all, Kris The Small Rock, who came from Little Rock, Arkansas, would be like that pebble David would use in his slingshot to fell the Goliath - you know, the Giant of the Philistines - the heathens! That is what New Life is all about, that is what it is "With The Way", con-way, you know. Or as they say in that University of Central Arkansas campus, "Chi Alpha" - which is Christ the First, for short in Greek: that Kris would be first, or the "winner"! Two: Amazing man! Third: Amazingly grave! This Kris would rise up, unexpected, from his humble Origins, Pure and seemingly unworthy, to throw down all of America's expectations and strike at the heel of the Rock God's Ironclad stronghold. This same Kris The Small Rock would replace Adam as the First Born of the new Creative soft Rock scene. It is, was it was written, as it was meant to be. One: And herald in a new Age? The Science was all there, all along! Third: He may bring out the Finale to American Idol by smashing once and for all what the Idol stands for, contradicting Simon's cowing from beneath his cowl and all cowering about Adam. Kris will be Katy - I mean Pure - and like an unblemished Lamb, renew all of Creative hope, with soft singing instead of shrieking and grinding of teeth. Here, let me share this tune from Kris... One: "Wastin' Time"? Third: Totally. But I don't mind. Two: "Brand New Shoes"? Third: Only for Simon to step into; he'll have to review what it means to be a fishin' for new Divos after this. One: "Beautiful Moon"? Third: Okay, what I meant to share was "To Make You Feel My Love", "Come Together"... One: "Ain't No Sunshine...." tonight! Two: (I think I am...) "Falling Slowly" Third: Be "Fearless"... One & Two [Together]: It is you! "How Good It Is To Be Loved By You"! Third: I have to go now... One & Two: No, stay. Don't go, please don't go. KC. We'll be your Sunshine Band! [the third gets off the ride and quickly disappears from their sight] Two: Man, didn' you feel really weird? One: Yeah, while he was speaking, I felt my hair stand on its end. It was like the softest rock being sung, soothing, listenable, likeable and totally calming! Two: Got a fire burning in me for more! One: Made me think of "The Way You Look Tonight". Two: Chilling. One: No, I meant like "What's Going On?" Two: Whoah! I think we better head back to tell the others! Let's check first with Ryan John Seacrest... One: Did you know Ryan was born on 24 December 1974? Two: Boy, you mailto:#@%21% me not! Look, there's the man... One: OK: hey, Ryan - secrets' out!

Terminator Salvation - Twisted Timelines (again?) for New Storylines - Why Bother?

Ever since HG Wells' The Time Machine, we have been fascinated with the idea of using technology to manipulate our sense of time. Like clocks and cogwheels churning forward, or Don Quixote whincing at windmill billows spining over hillocks, our sense of time is determined largely by the progress of events. Or, of energy expended. Like a flame consuming a matchstick. Or, on a cosmic scale, of stellar energy fizzling out in supernova and creating new forms of matter from its debris. While the most speculative forms of physics and cosmology can hypothesize what the nature of Time is, our own human experience and common sense will tell you that Time is just the sequence of matter deteriorating. Consider this proposition: before the Big Bang, before this current material cosmos existed, there was no "Time". Even in the earliest micro-moments after the Big Bang, the laws of Physics were so condensed that the current state of matter as we know it did not yet form. When matter did coalesce and expand, immediate the state of energy deterioration - or transformation - began, and the Four Forces began to exert its formulaic influence over the cosmos. Matter is transformed into energy and energy is constantly expended and the sequence of transformation is what "creates" Time. Time is observed as velocity, as acceleration, as consumption and explosion, as evolution and deterioration. And even is what was aflame is extinguished and rekindled, the new flame may resemble what was previously observed, but it is a new phenonmena, similar to what may be witnessed in a previous moment but it is in essence, not the same flame. This is what happens even if science were to "reverse" a material event by recreating the same material substance eg. destroy matter and reconstruct it: the new material may resemble the atomic structure of what was destroyed, but in essence, it is not the same as what preceded the destruction event.
So, I postulate that Time Travel is purely fantasy. And rightly so: the only universe where Time Travel backwards has ever occured yet is just past the "Writers' Block", the familiar old lame avenue where fiction writers and cliched Hollywood screenwriters have re-visited too frequently. In STAR TREK, the new writers wanted to stay within the established mythology and create a whole new timeline of events from the very beginning of James T Kirk and his history with the USS Enterprise NGC-1701. For the JJ Abrams 2009 version, they have old Spock (now lamely called Spock Prime) return to a pre-Borg/post-The First Contact universe and streak off a new series of events that will re-write histories for the Enterprise crew. The same unimaginative treatment was saved for Terminator Salvation. Ah, with Christian Bale (post-re-imagined Batman of course and as well). It is as if it was important for the studio or producers to try and retain the interest and support of the franchise fandom. I think that most of the people who fancied the Austrian muscleman as the Terminator or cute-faced Nick Stahl as the young John Connor (dead-ringer for American Idol Kris Allen, you say?) are a generation removed from today's Blu-ray audiences. Even the robot effects of T3 look phoney by today's EFX standards. But whether the re-shaped storyline of the 2009 Terminator will be better than a Transformer-meets-Alien format will depend on whether audiences just want action and explosions per second, versus what was originally a morality tale about nuclear holocaust and an over dependence on computer networks. Both have been neutralised as threats in a post 1980s world: comets came and went as fashionable catasphrophes and gay marriages are more talked about than tsunamis. It is time for another plotline in popular culture: perhaps the next new threat even after Da Vinci or Angels & Demons is no longer the old religion but common sense.

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Kris Allen Strikes A Chord with homecoming tour

Imagine being half the way around the way and we are watching local FOX 16 station coverage by the hour on American Idol Top 3 Kris Allen's homecoming tour to Little Rock and Conway, Arkansas. This is really weird, too. He's been considered the underdog in the line up and "dark horse" by the judges, who notice his technical perfection in his music. But for some reason, Simon Cowell has been particularly pointed, insinuating (actually explicitly saying so) that Allen did not deserve to be among the Top Four. At the results show, host Ryan Seacrest seemed to have been cued to let Simon Cowell revise his position (albeit too late) before the bottom three were to be identified, and Simon said, "Kris, you deserve to be right there." I don't know if folks watching notice that the "humble" boy-next-door and hero of Arkansas does not hide his feelings well, and he was clearly demoralised from the moment Simon Cowell bluntly praised Danny Gokey's singing ability as being the better of the two in the Rock duet performed this week. Whether it affected his subsequent performance is moot. Cowell evaluates the performers much from their potential to haul in sales. As a result, his comments in the past have been brutally honest to a fault: consider how he revised his personal remarks towards David Cook at the Finals, etc. The thing which Cowell does ignore - even as a businessmen - is that it is not just the singing ability that will sell, but the sort of album that will eventually get produced. Adam Lambert has the punters all rooting he will win; I think "so what". He may cut a Rock Fusion album that is part Broadway and part Klingon for that matter, but on the Pop charts you are not likely to want to hear his tunes over and over again. Are his songs going to be very listenable for high repeat play? Danny Gokey's got terrific singing ability, except for those really high notes that trip off the scale. He does the lower register much better and if anything, when it comes to pop tunes, he is rather boring. What makes Kris Allen so different - part from all the hype online among his fans about this humility and so forth? Well, honestly, it is his approach to his songs and the arrangement/interpretation. Soulful, personal and with a story to tell. That makes for good listening ability and popular appeal. I cannot imagine Cowell being ignorant of how many albums this guy will sell, whether he drops out the next round or not. Besides, he's 23 and very accessible as a young pop star with gut-renching versatility. How accessible will Adam be? And Gokey doesn't have that popular sex appeal at all. It will be a real stunner if Adam get's booted off next round and shock the heck of the whole world with a showdown between Danny and Kris, the two Christian "worship leaders" so to speak and I can't imagine if it will be a pop-Gospel soul hit that will be belted out at the Finals! But I think if America is going to be judging these three singers as to whom they want to believe in, based on the whole "new America" milieu, it will be really anyone's guess. Indeed, all three have proved to be the most talented as of the past eight seasons to make the Finals. But in the end, the ones who do the best after Idol are the ones who have been versatile and very hardworking. So, the money will be in not just the talent but whom will prove to have that matchless ability to develop their musicality into a substantive expression - I think what many of the Finalists, not necessarily the Winner per se, have been successful achieving - whether we look at Michael Johns or Jennifer Hudson, and so forth. Kris Allen deserves the win not for being humble; he deserves it because he has grown through the season very significantly. Now, he needs some really good, professional PR advice to polish up what he says in his interviews and how he says it, and work on enhancing his overall image to drop that "college-boy drop-out" look. He needs to surprise the Gokey and Lambert supporters to give them a chance to consider him worthy of their attention, too. Sure, his career as a music artist (maybe even producer/actor?) may be a done deal, but this has first to be about winning. Someone with professional know-how really needs to give him some solid advice to boost his confidence so that he does that"Ain't No Sunshine" magic again, and again, and not repeat his "Kick. Awesome!" (blooper which sweetly became an adopted motto among his fans).

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Star Trek (2009)

The much anticipated film of 2009 perhaps, at least among sci-fi-natics and Trekkers/Trekkies alike. I count myself as a long standing Trekker and have made it a point to follow the ins and outs of the Star Trek mythology from its original series, the studio noise and thoughts of the eventual shapers of that universe such as Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. Now, I have followed Shatner through his TJ Hooker days to Boston Legal, and inbetween also paid heed to his love of breeding horses - which I think he once appeared on Oprah about...
But Shatner (and I am the proud owner of a music CD he produced called "Free Enterprise") is even more vocal and prankish than ever. If you follow his video blog The Shatner Project where his daughter is sometimes offscreen as the intrepid interviewer, you get a terrific sense of his wit and humour, which may be too spicy for some yet. But he is brilliant as an actor and what a wise-crack! If you have watched some of his interviews in the Star Trek film DVDs, you realise that he does sometimes act up and say things that leave you wondering if he's teasing or not (he usually is...) And as such, I wonder about the enduring friendship between Shatner and Nimoy - they don't see much of each other these days. But in the mythology, these two men are the epitome of strength in unity, etc.
In the JJ Abrams movie (my reaction to the film which I blogged immediately is linked here), both Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, as well as the whole cast, under the astute direction of JJ, pulled it off spectacularly. It is quite a phenomenon. The credit must also go to the writers who put a script together that is both intelligent as well as progressive, in terms of how we have witnessed the mythology play out over five decades.
But I liked Chris Pine as the young Kirk. You can't separate Kirk from Shatner, really - just as having another actor play Spock in any way is just absurb if Nimoy is around. But Quinto is both intelligent and particularly bright in his approach, and credible. We will probably get to experience a whole new Spock in this timeline, and for diehard fans, it would be a trip while new Star Trek fans will probably not appreciate the possibilities played out. Back to Kirk, the only thing I had a sense of disappointment was that young Kirk gets a headstart on how the fact that two of them will eventually great friends. In the ice cave Kirk runs into for refuge from a spider-like predator hot in pursuit of him, he encounters the Spock Prime. Here, I only wished JJ had slowed the pace down somewhat. But he seemed in a hurry to try and introduce the ensemble cast and bring them together before the last quarter of the film.
In the famous scene - never seen but somewhat famously referenced within the Star Trek mythos - is cadet Kirk's "cheat" in his exam, which was programmed by Commander Spock, where the only way was "death". Kirk adverted "death" by entering some subroutines into the simulation computer which resulted in a new, favourable result and no "deaths". As a result, he was suspended, and the stage is set for a Spock versus Kirk rivalry. The turnabout of this relationship midway through the film is a test of credibility for good writing; because we know how that relationship became so iconic in cinema and within the mythology. So, in some ways, the audience is already pandering inside for the two to pair up (some how). Logic, it seems, prevails, and more importantly, coincides with what the heart so much desires.
The best thing about this film is its return to the innocence (or naivete) with which the original series exuded much of, although in almost a literary sort of way (as John Cho/Sulu notes in an interview). Here it is accentuated by serious action and very effective special effects, thanks to the way cinematic magic has evolved since tin models in string and a smoking incenser was the standard.
There is a stylistic inference to the 1950s in the speech styles, perhaps as tribute to the original cast as well. In a way I am glad that Shatner did not make a cameo appearance; it allows us to move into the way the ensemble works without his overpowering presence. Even Spock Prime had to be somewhat muted in his role, but cleverly, Vulcans are perhaps more succinct. I am certain Bill Shatner will be back in someway to grace the new timeline, particularly since we never found his body within the Nexus in Star Trek: The Next Generation. But how will Bill appear? Maybe it will be via a young Uhura intercepting a sub-space transmission of Boston Legal?
I still enjoy following Bill Shatner wherever he's got something to say. I have enjoyed Chris Pine and am just glad that he's been rescued (permanently) from the dumpster of romanic comedies (Just My Luck, Blind Dating...) and will definitely have a whole new future ahead. In his interviews with his pal Zachary Quinto, Chris retains very much his own smart, brash, genuine - "I think and say it as it is" aka Bill Shatner approach. But Zach is all Spock: composed, articulate, intelligent. It is life imitating art imitating the life created those characters, and like it or not, it is happening.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Redefining Purpose

We are surrounded by influence of all sort: we grow up moulded in some way by what culture we adopt and believe in the values exerted around us. You can not claim to escape from any sort of influence, whether these give you a sense of being freed from something or another. Ultimately, our mind and spirit is a battlefield of influence, and the idea that you are independent of the forces that surround us, in the physical environment and what might be metaphysical. Just the mere thought and reflection, awareness and consciousness, brings us into a matrix of signs, symbols and ideas which form our basic language of understanding, essential for an exchange of perceptions and feelings, and this immediately limits our sense of individual freedom. Whatever our argument about the sensation and desire for freedom, there is just no escape from the influence of some idea that pre-existed before us, and exerts itself in our current reality. What is left which is original, to be discovered, is named and defined by some one and then enters into the universal threshold of our common language, creating its own gravity and effect on the intellect, and immediately aggregates and tugs at the minds of those who reflect the idea itself. We are immediately drawn towards it, and if we want, have to breakfree from its gravitational pull to fall towards some other idea or thought in the cosmological heaven of the mind. But the intellect is trapped inside this cosmos, which is not so readily defined by ourselves but by grander egos before us. The only brave might be the mad. The ones whose minds have warped around their own universes, and nothing else in this commonly shared universe matters to them. Not nakedness, not life itself, not how we (the others) live it. Nothing matters except their own reality. I feel this awareness; this otherness. But I can't quite trapeze over, my own being simply too familiar with the present gravity of this reality. You want to let go and flip over, and be completely free from the weirdness of this world, but it takes too much. Like the separation of body and soul; no, body and soul, which seem so knitted together that tearing it apart is like the uncanny possibility of forcing anti-matter and matter to coexist in the same spot without annihilation. All this makes for redefining the fundamental about what influence should indeed let be dominant in one's life, one's consciousness, one's being. Do we really chose, or we become and believe we can be free from all influence. Influence, like a breadth in itself, is something we need to have - like air - in order to enjoy the physical experience. You need to overcome the gag reflex from carbon dioxide building up in your apnea-world so that you can free-dive through life, one without breadth. It is a daring feat. To be free from influence: then, what will be so passionate about, after achieving this nirvanic emptiness?

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

My favourite Mouse just died

Are we are designed to just get used to things? It may not matter if we did not like it at first, but as we "get used to it", the habit of frequent use makes things comfortable and easy. Well, I liked my TravelPac Viper Laser mouse from the moment I saw it. It had everything I wanted on a mouse including cool looks and 3200dpi laser quality resolution, as well as sleek ergonomics and best of all, two rubber grips at the side. And, it blinks with a cool white light that makes for a perfect child's night light companion... Silly, right. But definitely endearing. Best of all, it worked so well. And then, while blinking normally and still able to scroll and its buttons (all five of them) worked, the laser optics just "died". It hasn't even been two years. And no rough and tumble use which it was designed for, such as gaming. So, what can I say about its demise. I like it so much I want it replaced, but the fact that it was my favourite was because it worked so well, except it did not last nor worked when I needed it, and all without any tell-tale sign. It was just like discovering your pet whimpering and you can't help it, knowing it will slip into some sort of catatonic state and eventually die. But this mouse is in a coma, functional only to scroll and click, but not point. No point.
I guess that says it all. But like all favourite things, it gets consigned eventually to "Hold Heaven" where things are hoarded for a grieving period before it heads into the recycling bin. For now, I have to contend with the Acer laptop's built-in Synaptics touch pad. It all seems nice and I am fine with the re-adjustment to "my life after Mouse". I think I don't want to get a replacement. But just then, I notice that my Synaptics touchpad sometimes like to leap like a frog to odd places onscreen. Did I just substitute my mouse for a frog?

Friday, April 17, 2009

The American Idols - Season 8 Top Bets

I don't know if you ever bother about that popular culture phenomenon known as the World's Greatest Talent show, but it makes for some great entertainment. The reason I enjoy it is that over the past six weeks or so, you would have noticed just how these contestants in the "greatest singing contest on earth" have grown, and besides that, if you range your observations over the past eight seasons, you would also notice that this season's group of eight finalists are particularly close knit. It's almost as if they don't care so much about the competition as they do being with each other and getting a chance to sing and entertain each week. Perhaps the fact that non-finalists of American Idol have already achieved greatness with their own music careers, not to mention that finalists like Jennifer Hudson have since won an Academy Award (for her supporting role in "Dreamgirls") and a Grammy for her first album... their singing careers are likely to be hugely boosted just by being among the Top Ten. Just recently, Alexis Grace performed at Ellen Degeneres' show at the Warner Brothers lot and you know what, she did a great job, sounding even better than when she was competing. There's something about being part of a competition that magically lends contestants both experience and confidence to be even better. This was also true for me when I did my first (leisure) competitive events and I understand fully now what this can do for anyone to develop a healthy self-respect and at the same time appreciate the achievements of other people.
I am prepared to bet that Allison, Adam and Kris will be this season's top three. Adam is incredibly talented vocally; Kris is a genuine self-taught musician who is set for some great work ahead writing and singing. Allison is all set to grow and enjoy the great career looming ahead of her in the life she's decided to be all about music. If you really want to feel something about what this competition means to the contestants, just listen to Kris Allen's heartbraking cover (Studio version) of Falling Slowly from the indie movie "Once".

I am now on Twitter

Just had to try it now where I use "BeironTay" as my user ID. It's good fun, and totally mindless. But if you want to stalk someone like Anderson Cooper, there's really no better way than following his tweets. I mean, you know when he's up and when he's having flashbacks on a small plane... so it's like keeping tap on a best pal. Also, the breaking news from CNN and/versus FOX is fun. Both networks just had a spat over the Tea Parties "anti-government" coverage which was what the CNN reporter labelled it, referring to FOX's conservative coverage making news out of a molehill.