Thursday, December 8, 2011
Comics this week
Villains For Hire #1- The #0 of “Villains For Hire” was great and I was looking forward to this miniseries. However before the issue came out, Marvel announced that the series would be cut from 5 issues to 4. Maybe that’s why #1 seemed a little rushed to me. The idea behind Purple Man putting together a “Villains For Hire” group is sound and writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have fun with the C-list villains that made up the team. However readers were thrown into the action without any background. Even when the background was given, it was rushed and felt false as the normally cool Purple Man explode in anger and started ranting for no reason. Artist Renato Arlem's work is also mixed. His background work is great as the scenes look good but his action sequence could do with some work. The fight between Scourge and Crossfire looked ridiculous and Tiger Shark looked like a giant in some of them. Still the premise of the series looked promising so I’m hoping for better to come.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
R.I.P
If there’re any doubts that the Kyoto Protocol belongs to the dustbin of history, the latest fiasco of Canada should end it. Canada has announced that it will not renew its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, no matter what.
For years, various Canadian governments had ignored their commitment to Kyoto claiming that it is useless to follow it as the top polluters in the world (China) had refused to cut their greenhouse gases emissions. However this year, China has indicated that Beijing would be willing to sign if everyone, the European Union & the developed nations, signed on as well.
Canada is the first country to say “No” to China. It’s highly likely that China offered the deal with the full knowledge that other countries would baulked at it. If this is true, they were right!
Kyoto is DEAD!
For years, various Canadian governments had ignored their commitment to Kyoto claiming that it is useless to follow it as the top polluters in the world (China) had refused to cut their greenhouse gases emissions. However this year, China has indicated that Beijing would be willing to sign if everyone, the European Union & the developed nations, signed on as well.
Canada is the first country to say “No” to China. It’s highly likely that China offered the deal with the full knowledge that other countries would baulked at it. If this is true, they were right!
Kyoto is DEAD!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Price Increase Non-Event
Singapore's largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro has raised taxi fares and, as is usually the case in Singapore, this means other taxi operators will soon follow suit. This means it will cost more for commuters to take taxis from now on.
Price rises are never a good thing but to me…I don’t see why Singaporeans are so unhappy about it. Personally, I always thought taxis are something you take once in a blue moon as the public transport system in Singapore (buses, MRT) can get you practically in Singapore.
The price increase is for taxis, not buses. If Singaporeans are truly that unhappy about it…take the bus!
Price rises are never a good thing but to me…I don’t see why Singaporeans are so unhappy about it. Personally, I always thought taxis are something you take once in a blue moon as the public transport system in Singapore (buses, MRT) can get you practically in Singapore.
The price increase is for taxis, not buses. If Singaporeans are truly that unhappy about it…take the bus!
Monday, December 5, 2011
The No Slut "SlutWalk"
Over the weekend here in Singapore, a few hundred people gathered at the Speakers' Corner as part of the global "SlutWalk" movement. To those who do not know, the "SlutWalk" movement started in Canada when a law enforcement officer was quote as saying that women should not dressed provocatively to avoid being victims of sexual assault.
Personally, I thought it was sound, common-sense advice. However some women took offence to the statement as they say regardless of what they're wearing, women should not be blamed. I don’t think for a moment that was what the Canadian officer meant but the global "SlutWalk" movement was born.
Now I have no problem with having a "SlutWalk" in Singapore but the "SlutWalk" over the weekend isn’t really a "SlutWalk". From the picture I saw in the papers, women arrived at the "SlutWalk" in long-sleeve T-shirts and jeans. Yes, I know the organizers said that the idea was not to be provocative or “vamp it up” but to protest against violence against women. If that’s the case, then they shouldn’t use the name "SlutWalk".
If you are going to have a "SlutWalk", then you need to, you know, dress like a slut. The first “SlutWalks” in the U.S. and Canada had participants marching in lingerie with the word "slut" painted on their bodies. Now I’m not saying we need the same thing here but being provocative is the very idea behind the "SlutWalk".
Even the name "SlutWalk" itself is provocative, and it’s deliberately so! If you don’t intend to be provocative, then you shouldn’t use the name.
Personally, I thought it was sound, common-sense advice. However some women took offence to the statement as they say regardless of what they're wearing, women should not be blamed. I don’t think for a moment that was what the Canadian officer meant but the global "SlutWalk" movement was born.
Now I have no problem with having a "SlutWalk" in Singapore but the "SlutWalk" over the weekend isn’t really a "SlutWalk". From the picture I saw in the papers, women arrived at the "SlutWalk" in long-sleeve T-shirts and jeans. Yes, I know the organizers said that the idea was not to be provocative or “vamp it up” but to protest against violence against women. If that’s the case, then they shouldn’t use the name "SlutWalk".
If you are going to have a "SlutWalk", then you need to, you know, dress like a slut. The first “SlutWalks” in the U.S. and Canada had participants marching in lingerie with the word "slut" painted on their bodies. Now I’m not saying we need the same thing here but being provocative is the very idea behind the "SlutWalk".
Even the name "SlutWalk" itself is provocative, and it’s deliberately so! If you don’t intend to be provocative, then you shouldn’t use the name.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
EU Debt Crisis
Europe's debt crisis has been an ongoing saga for over a year and still shows no signs of ending. Things are so bad that even signs of action by European leaders are a cause for celebration among investors.
The latest signs by European leaders hoping to end Europe's debt crisis was a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel who wish to push for stronger rules against overspending by European countries. In theory, this is good. Overspending by European countries like Greece, Ireland etc was what caused the debt crisis so new, stronger rules against overspending is sound.
However, it is also not what Europe needs.
Europe don’t really need new rules on overspending, it already has them. What Europe needs are rules to punish countries who break the rules! Currently Europe don’t have these rules and this is what Europe need at the moment. More importantly, the EU needs an agency to enforce these rules and punish countries who break them.
Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy all overspend and…nothing! Germany has to bail them out and by then, it’s too late. The damage had already been done. As it stands right now, there is nothing to stop EU countries from committing the same mistakes in 10-15 years time.
So forget new rules against overspending; what the EU needs is an agency to enforce these rules!
The latest signs by European leaders hoping to end Europe's debt crisis was a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel who wish to push for stronger rules against overspending by European countries. In theory, this is good. Overspending by European countries like Greece, Ireland etc was what caused the debt crisis so new, stronger rules against overspending is sound.
However, it is also not what Europe needs.
Europe don’t really need new rules on overspending, it already has them. What Europe needs are rules to punish countries who break the rules! Currently Europe don’t have these rules and this is what Europe need at the moment. More importantly, the EU needs an agency to enforce these rules and punish countries who break them.
Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy all overspend and…nothing! Germany has to bail them out and by then, it’s too late. The damage had already been done. As it stands right now, there is nothing to stop EU countries from committing the same mistakes in 10-15 years time.
So forget new rules against overspending; what the EU needs is an agency to enforce these rules!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Review of Warrior
Directed by Gavin O'Connor and starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte, Warrior is a surprising solid movie about a family involved in the sport of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts).
The film starts slowly with Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte), a former alcoholic going home from his church. When he arrived home, he see his son Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) waiting for him.
It was not a happy homecoming as Tommy still held resentment due to his father's former abusive behavior. A few days later, Tommy enters a gym where he knocks a professional MMA fighter named Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes (Erik Apple) unconscious in a brutal sparring bout. The fight was filmed by a spectator who uploaded it to the Internet where it went viral.
Meanwhile, Paddy’s other son Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), is struggling financially and his home is facing foreclosure. Brendan is a high school physics teacher as well as a bouncer but even with his wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) working as well, they are still unable to pay off their loan with the bank. Faced with little choice, Brendan takes part in an amateur MMA tournament for the prize money. A former professional fighter with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), he easily wins the tournament and convinces his wife this is the best and only way to get the money they need. Brendan then hook up with his former trainer, Frank Campana (Frank Grillo), to get in shape and begins to win a series of MMA fights.
As the gods have it (aka the scriptwriters), there is a US$5 million winner-takes-all MMA tournament called Sparta that has attracted massive media attention. Unknown to the two brothers, both Brendan and Tommy entered the tournament for the prize.
First off let me get this off; you really need to see this movie!
In many ways, Warrior is this year’s “The Fighter”. It is a gripping movie about the different paths 2 brother took in their life and how despite their differences and flaws, they are still in the end, a family.
However in many ways, it is also superior to “The Fighter”. Warrior takes an unapologetic look at the effects and emotional aftermath of alcoholism. Even when the alcoholic father had cleaned up his act, forgiveness from his sons isn’t a given. In fact unlike “The Fighter”, even at the end of this movie, it is still an open question whether the Conlon’s estrangement has been resolved.
I especially loved the way the actors threw their all into their roles. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton truly looked like professional fighters and the fight scenes were very well-staged. In the cinema where I saw the movie, there were a couple of times when guys pumped their fists up in the air during the fights and there was even a cheer for one of the characters.
It was that intense.
However the cream of the actors is Nick Nolte. The veteran actor had the meatiness role as the recovered alcoholic father who was unable to make amends with his sons, and he proved up to the challenge. His Paddy Conlon was a man haunted by his past and who knows he has no right to ask for forgiveness. I heard that Nick Nolte may be up for “Best Supporting Actor” for this performance and if he is, it is something he richly deserved.
Of course, there are some flaws in this movie. In many ways, Warrior is a clichéd sports movie. As well made as it is, there is nothing here that you won’t find in other movies like Rocky, The Fighter etc. Originality isn’t the movie’s strong point.
Also director Gavin O'Connor kept viewers at a certain distance from the movie. In what I believe was a deliberate move, O’Conner tried to keep viewers from being too focus on any one character by keeping a distance from them. There were very few close ups and this created some problems in the movie. Certain scenes did not have the impact they should (Paddy’s visit to Brendan’s house/Tommy and Brendan’s confrontation on the beach) due to this.
However, these flaws are minor as on the whole, this movie is excellent. It’s a story of redemption, reconciliation and the difficult path to them. It also didn’t take the easy way out as it was an open question at the end on whether the characters did manage to reconcile. Watch this movie; IT’S GREAT!
The film starts slowly with Paddy Conlon (Nick Nolte), a former alcoholic going home from his church. When he arrived home, he see his son Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) waiting for him.
It was not a happy homecoming as Tommy still held resentment due to his father's former abusive behavior. A few days later, Tommy enters a gym where he knocks a professional MMA fighter named Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes (Erik Apple) unconscious in a brutal sparring bout. The fight was filmed by a spectator who uploaded it to the Internet where it went viral.
Meanwhile, Paddy’s other son Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), is struggling financially and his home is facing foreclosure. Brendan is a high school physics teacher as well as a bouncer but even with his wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) working as well, they are still unable to pay off their loan with the bank. Faced with little choice, Brendan takes part in an amateur MMA tournament for the prize money. A former professional fighter with the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), he easily wins the tournament and convinces his wife this is the best and only way to get the money they need. Brendan then hook up with his former trainer, Frank Campana (Frank Grillo), to get in shape and begins to win a series of MMA fights.
As the gods have it (aka the scriptwriters), there is a US$5 million winner-takes-all MMA tournament called Sparta that has attracted massive media attention. Unknown to the two brothers, both Brendan and Tommy entered the tournament for the prize.
First off let me get this off; you really need to see this movie!
In many ways, Warrior is this year’s “The Fighter”. It is a gripping movie about the different paths 2 brother took in their life and how despite their differences and flaws, they are still in the end, a family.
However in many ways, it is also superior to “The Fighter”. Warrior takes an unapologetic look at the effects and emotional aftermath of alcoholism. Even when the alcoholic father had cleaned up his act, forgiveness from his sons isn’t a given. In fact unlike “The Fighter”, even at the end of this movie, it is still an open question whether the Conlon’s estrangement has been resolved.
I especially loved the way the actors threw their all into their roles. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton truly looked like professional fighters and the fight scenes were very well-staged. In the cinema where I saw the movie, there were a couple of times when guys pumped their fists up in the air during the fights and there was even a cheer for one of the characters.
It was that intense.
However the cream of the actors is Nick Nolte. The veteran actor had the meatiness role as the recovered alcoholic father who was unable to make amends with his sons, and he proved up to the challenge. His Paddy Conlon was a man haunted by his past and who knows he has no right to ask for forgiveness. I heard that Nick Nolte may be up for “Best Supporting Actor” for this performance and if he is, it is something he richly deserved.
Of course, there are some flaws in this movie. In many ways, Warrior is a clichéd sports movie. As well made as it is, there is nothing here that you won’t find in other movies like Rocky, The Fighter etc. Originality isn’t the movie’s strong point.
Also director Gavin O'Connor kept viewers at a certain distance from the movie. In what I believe was a deliberate move, O’Conner tried to keep viewers from being too focus on any one character by keeping a distance from them. There were very few close ups and this created some problems in the movie. Certain scenes did not have the impact they should (Paddy’s visit to Brendan’s house/Tommy and Brendan’s confrontation on the beach) due to this.
However, these flaws are minor as on the whole, this movie is excellent. It’s a story of redemption, reconciliation and the difficult path to them. It also didn’t take the easy way out as it was an open question at the end on whether the characters did manage to reconcile. Watch this movie; IT’S GREAT!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Comics this week
DC Universe Online: Legends #18- After a few issues where the focus were on Brainiac, the Green Lanterns and the Sinestro Corp, writers Marv Wolfman and Tony Bedard moved the story back to Earth. In Brainiac’s absence from Earth, Lex Luthor and the Justice League are scouring the wreckage of his ships for clues on his location. Now it is good to see action back on Earth again but this issue was terrible. Individually, the story and artwork are okay but together, they just do not jell. For example, there was a scene when a character commented on the gigantic army Brainiac assembled, and I had no idea what he was talking about. The army in question was never shown! This is not a one-off incident, it happened several times in this issue.
FF #12- This issue starts with the top 3 floors of the Baxter Building translocated to Latveria along with the children of the Future Foundation. Personally I have no problem with writer Jonathan Hickman’s idea to spilt FF with the Fantastic Four. The children are interesting enough to hold their own but Marvel need to get another artist. I don’t know if artist Juan Bobilo is a stand-in or if he is going to be the regular artist, but his work in this issue was terrible. The facial expression of his characters made the children all looked the same and his Richard Reed looked old and wrinkling. His Nathanial Reed looked younger than his Richard Reed! Change the artist, and Marvel might have an unexpected hit on its hand.
FF #12- This issue starts with the top 3 floors of the Baxter Building translocated to Latveria along with the children of the Future Foundation. Personally I have no problem with writer Jonathan Hickman’s idea to spilt FF with the Fantastic Four. The children are interesting enough to hold their own but Marvel need to get another artist. I don’t know if artist Juan Bobilo is a stand-in or if he is going to be the regular artist, but his work in this issue was terrible. The facial expression of his characters made the children all looked the same and his Richard Reed looked old and wrinkling. His Nathanial Reed looked younger than his Richard Reed! Change the artist, and Marvel might have an unexpected hit on its hand.
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