Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Pirated Vs. Original

Saw a news article on The Sun yesterday. The article with the heading "People Must Reject Pirated CDs", states that the government would want us (the public) to help in decreasing the demand for illegal products. And to be honest, I would love to help support original… IF they could give me enough good reasons why I should.

Let's weight it out:

1. One original CD cost around RM45 to RM50. Album from Japanese or Korean artiste can cost up to RM60! Whereas pirated CDs are only RM6 to RM10. If you're a smart consumer, which one would you choose? Besides, music listeners these days are the younger generations, which have lesser income. For them to afford one original CD means they will have to sacrifice (more than) a whole week of their allowance!

2. Another fact that ticks me off about original CDs is that they always have a second version of the same thing released not long after. Take Mariah Carey's "Emancipation of Mimi" for example. The first release was a normal 12-track album, then came a Deluxe Edition not long after, which includes a couple of music videos. And now there's an Ultra Platinum Edition! Same album!! Different versions! If you support original, have you any idea how much you're gonna be spending?!

3. Original VCDs are mostly movies that are expensive, censored and badly subtitled. Pirated VCDs are cheaper, uncensored, and you have an option to choose between subtitled, and non-subtitled. (Talk about choices!)

4. Original DVDs are even more expensive than anything else, still badly censored, and comes with an option of laughable subtitling. Though Pirated DVDs subtitles are also laughable some times, it has been improving drastically. The price is still way cheaper compared to original, and the best part is: it's still uncensored!

Don't give me bullshit excuses about pirated movies being unclear and the irrelevant theory about pirated CDs able to spoil your player. Those excuses are just plain absurd! You might as well just come out and say that pirated CDs can make your players explode! For al I know, most of the pirated DVDs out there have better quality pictures than what GSC is showing us, and minus the annoying ringing of cell phones during the movie.

I can still remember, a few months back, doing my duty of being a supportive fan, I bought an original CD while I was in KL. And guess what? The CD was defective! To make things worse, when I went back to the shop to exchange, 9 out of 10 of the CDs the shop have are also defective. The last CD they gave me, the last track can't even be played! And I paid RM40+ for it!! I can assure you that this will NOT happen if I'm buying a pirated CD! Even if it did happen, and IF they are unable to find a non-defective CD, I will get my money back! How many original record stores can guarantee us (the consumer) that?!

The day that I would buy original is the day that they STOP censoring movies and START giving us good services. Every time I walk into a record store, the sales people stares at me like I'm going to steal their stuff! Whereas when you walk into a pirated CD shop, all they give you is great service! As a consumer, which one would you want to walk into: One that gives you bad service and charge you truckloads of money for it? Or one that gives you good costumer service and sells cheaper goods, and also comes with a loyalty-costumer discounts?

Don't tell me pirates would spoil our music industry. Only quality movies and albums will be pirated. If our ALL our local artiste are as reputable as like KRU, and Jaclyn Victor, then yes, you will see their pirated albums out in the market. If you don't see it, it doesn't mean that you're good in keeping those pirates off your album. It means that your artist is NOT WORTH pirating!

Same goes for movies. Only good reputable movies will be pirated. And the last time I check, there are NO Malay movies being pirated into DVDs. Why? Because they're not even worth pirating, that's why. The only widely sold pirated Malaysian movie that is available in the market is Yasmin Ahmad’s "Sepet"! Why? Because it's good quality shit! Our own Malaysian pride and joy, that even our own Malaysian government censor, but it's now available on pirated DVD!!

Question Time: Between a censored version and an uncensored version of "Sepet", which would you support?

My take on this whole pirate versus original issue is that: If our government wants us to support original, they themselves will have to start by showing us a good example of keeping all the movies and music original. Stop chopping them up! If you want to chop them up, you might as well not show it! It's like "The Schindler's List". Either you show it in full, or not show it at all! And don’t give us that B.S. about what you think is good or bad for us. I think we Malaysians are smart enough to think for ourselves.

It's not that the public don't want to help; it's just human nature to want what they think is best. And all avid movie or music fans would know that The Best is something cheap and uncensored. Until the day the government can offer us that, the war against the pirates will not end.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

What I Want On TV

I was watching “Survivor” on Channel 5 last Friday, and during the commercial, an ad for “Fear Factor: Thanksgiving Special” came up. Seeing snippets of them eating all those disgusting stuff really makes me think: is it really worth it, going through all those torturing to “win” the money? I say, you friggin’ deserve the money the minute you dip your hands into an aquarium filled with tarantula!

However, no matter how they flip and turn and fill the show with twists, it’s always the same: In “Survivor” people get cast away on some supposedly deserted place, and they all try to kick one another out of the game; In “Fear Factor”, the contestants do something gruesome. The loser gets humiliated, and the winner gets to eat more worms, or century eggs. It all seems so cliché these days.

What I would really want to see is all the big names from reality television on “Survivor”. They can call it “Survivor: Reality Show Special”. Gather all of the big names from reality shows like Jeff Probst (“Survivor”), Simon Cowell, (“American Idol”), Phil Keoghan (“Amazing Race”), Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol”), Joe Rogan (“Fear Factor”), David Letterman (“The Late Show”), Roslan (“Malaysian Idol”), Donald Trump (“The Apprentice”), Martha Stewart (“The Apprentice: Martha Stewart”), Janice Dickinson (“America’s Next Top Model”), Carmen Elektra (“Manhunt”) and of course: Mark Brunett (the creator of “Survivor”).

I can just see the tagline: “12 reality show celebs, marooned on an island, will they survive?” (I highly doubt it.) The show can be hosted by that bitch from “Survivor: Outback”, Jerri.

Then, right after that season ended, we can have an episode of “Fear Factor: Reality Show Host Special” where Joe Rogan (“Fear Factor”), Donald Trump (“The Apprentice”), Simon Cowell, (“American Idol”), Roslan (“Malaysian Idol”), Jeff Probst (“Survivor”), David Letterman (“The Late Show”), Phil Keoghan (“Amazing Race”), and Mark Brunett. The show can be hosted by any winner from the “Fear factor” series. Now it’s his, or her, turn to make those reality show hosts suffer.

Now that’s what I call quality TV!

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Que Chinga?!

I was trying to apply for leave this December to go back Kedah, so that I can spend the upcoming Winter Festival with my grandparents. As I was filling up the form, I notice one column that says:

State Reason: (please produce proof)__________

I can understand the “State Reason” part, but “Produce Proof”?? What the fuck?!

Here’s my question: How the fuck am I going to produce you proof that I really am going back to visit my grandmother? Take a picture with her and send it back to you?! So what happens if my reason is “To spend a weekend with my boyfriend”? Give you our used condoms? This is totally absurd and makes no sense.

Whoever that came up with this form is really a mindless fuck!!

Friday, November 18, 2005

"Motivational Speech" My Ass!

Let me start by saying that I hate churches because of all the preaching. No offense to all those who are Christians… it’s just that I don’t like people to tell me that “their” God is better than others. I respect all religions, but just don’t come tell me why I should follow yours.

Same goes for direct selling. Yes, you’re a successful Platinum, or god-knows-what rank, distributor. Just don’t come preaching to me how you’re actually “sharing” the “good stuff” with me. If you’re really just “sharing”, then why are you charging me for that freaking expensive product anyway? Sharing = no money involve, you dumb ass!

Working for a direct selling company, I knew the day would come where I have to listen to all those show-offs brag about their achievements, which is still ok; I mean, since I work for this company, they won’t ask me to sell their product anymore, and I can stay away from those brainwash-like seminars. Well, I was wrong to think that.

We were called for a meeting earlier today, and a speaker was to give us a “motivational” speech. It turns out that the dude was actually here to preach about the company. In other words, a semi-brainwashing session.

They lost me after we were told us that someone is going to give us a “speech”, so I wasn’t really paying attention to who the heck that was. Then this dude said something that caught my attention: “we shouldn’t ask what the company can do for us, and give us. This is not about the salary; it’s about what YOU can do to make the company grow.” Yeah right… try NOT paying all of us, and see if you will still see us here listening to you. Or since you’re “sharing”, why don’t you just give your products out for free?!

Okay, that did kinda tick me off a little. But it was nothing big. I guess all stingy Chinese bosses made that statement every now and then. So I lost interest again.

Then just when I thought I was about to dose off, he made a statement that completely pisses me off: “Useless people (like that) don’t deserve to live!” Okay, I wasn’t really paying attention to who he was referring to, but that still doesn’t gives him the right to say who “deserves” to live, or not! In fact, no one has the right to even say that!

I decided that I’m pissed at this person no matter who he was. Yes, I found out his identity after the 3 and half hour of his not-so-motivational crap-talk. And I was shocked to the core that someone like him is saying things like this to his subordinates! And this was supposed to be a “motivational” talk?!

You know what’s the freakiest part? I’m actually motivated after hearing all that crap! I’m actually suddenly motivated to change job before I get brainwashed into thinking that “useless people don’t deserves to live”!

Friday, November 11, 2005

Dear Diary...

It’s been a crazy week.

Still trying to recover from the holiday boredom, this week started out perfectly insane like all after-holiday working day: a lot of emails to reply, a lot of pending work waiting to be finished, a lot of bad writing to be proofread... it was hell.

Things sort of went back to “normal” after Wednesday: I managed to finish all my work for the week, found my ex-housemates in SS2 a new housemate, did some extra editing for some friends, killed a couple of my freelance writers… Yeah, I was really looking forward for the weekend where I can sleep in late and waste the whole two days away doing nothing.

Then on Thursday night, Luke (my housemate) told me that he was going to be admitted to the hospital on Friday morning. It turns out that there’s a lump in testicles, and the doctor advise him to remove it immediately. “It” as in the lump, not his testicles. (Yes guys, laugh all you want… it wouldn’t sound so funny if it happens you.) He was told by the doctor that it’s just going to be a minor surgery involving some laser technology and it’ll be over in about half an hour and he can go home by evening.

So his boyfriend drove him to the specialist center early in the morning, and stayed with him till he was wheeled into the OR. Boyfriend then went for a quick breakfast and returned to the OR after. He waited outside for 45 minutes and still no sight of Luke. Thinking that he must have missed Luke while he was away for breakfast, Boyfriend went back to Luke’s room to check. Not there. Boyfriend then checked with the nurse. It turns out that Luke is still in the OR!

Luke was only wheeled out of the OR after TWO AND HALF HOURS! And this was supposed minor surgery? It turns out that the only “laser” part of the whole thing was to cut through the skin. Everything after that was nothing laser. And guess what? It was painful, poor Luke was shivering when he regain consciousness. He couldn’t even stand up until late evening and was shivering the whole time, claiming that it was cold in the room when it was hot like an oven and the air condition was off. Then doctor told him that he needs to be warded for observation for at least two days. So much for a “minor surgery”!

There I was telling him not to worry about that “minor surgery”, and he will be out in a jiff, when in reality he was somewhat conned by the doctor into doing the surgery. Is there a law on this where we can sue the doctor for giving false information and tricking his patient into doing a surgery? Sigh… Anyway, the lump was said to be sent to Singapore for further analysis and the results will only be out in a week time.

I guess things always happen to a friend of a friend of friend. But when something like this happen to someone we know it’s really shocking. The worst is to know that you can’t even trust doctors. Yes, he was right that the lump needed to be removed, but to tell you false information about the surgery? Scary…

Monday, November 07, 2005

Me vs. Reality Show

Reality TV series are now blooming like mushrooms after the rain. Every channel you flip there one there. From the ever-famous Survivor, to Fear Factor, to Biggest Loser, to Playing It Straight… they’re everywhere!

The way I see it: the most important thing in being a reality show host, on TV, is that you need to know how to count. Take Fear Factor for instance, what this guy did is just stand there, watch the contestants do all the gruesome stunts and go: “now there’s four of you left…” or “two of you left”… There’s no fun in this show after the first episode. I wanna see this host do ALL the stunts and not just standing there!

In The Amazing Race, this guy goes to the pit stop, and waits there for the suckers that’s been running all over the country and goes: “Congratulations, you’re the first (or second…) to arrive.” He doesn’t even have to say the “Welcome” part! There’s even someone else hired to say it!

On America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks shows us that models can count too. “There’s six beautiful ladies standing in front of me but there’re only 5 pictures in my hand.” Then she takes a minute to count: so six minus five is… “One of you will be leaving tonight, while the rest of you will be one step closer in becoming America’s next top model.”

In Survivor what this guy does is that he goes to the supposed deserted place with the other castaway. Packed with food, he gave some of his leftovers to the contestants every week in a reward challenge, where the contestants will happily kill each other for it. And the lines he needs to remember throughout the show are: “Survivors ready? Go!”, "Now it's time to vote", and also “The tribe has spoken”.

Then in The Apprentice, we have Donald Trump “hiring” a couple of people to be on the show, which I assume he doesn’t pay them anything to be on the show in the first place. Then he gets them to do things for him for free and help him make money, so that can fire them one by one. And as the week goes by, the task given gets harder and harder. All he needs to do is sit and wait till the end of every week to say “You’re fired” (sucker)! And still get all his jobs done… for free! I say he’s the smartest guy on reality television history!

In my opinion, reality TV series are a waste of time. You watch it, you get all excited and what do you get? Nothing! In the end, it’s the winner of the competition who walks away with the money, not you!

The way I see it: the best and the longest running reality show that’s been around since forever, is porn! It’s on high demand in each and every part of the world, the actors and actresses are all naked, you get to see everything that they do, there are no annoying hosts to show you how well they can count, there are no hard to understand dialogue, and the best part is there are no winners in porn! And you’ll also get to learn a thing, or two, that might come in handy someday!

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Me Vs. Festive Season

First it was Halloween, and it’s going to be Thanksgiving this weekend, then Christmas is just a few weeks away. And soon, it’s going to be 2006! Sigh... how time flies.

I’m never a fan of the festive season: crowded buses with sweaty people, children running around everywhere like animal on the loose, ugly people everywhere out to shock the world, taxi drivers hiking up their rates to earn a quick buck, underage girls dressed like underage hookers, all the aunties and uncles catch up on the latest family gossip when family gathers together with everyone pretending that they like one another but is actually cursing deeply in their hearts hoping that the other person will just drop dead… life just can’t get anymore pretentious than this.

But over the past three/four years, I came to like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I’m starting to learn to appreciate Chinese New Year more.

Thanksgiving
Honestly, I really don’t know a lot of people who celebrates Thanksgiving here in Malaysia. Come to think of it, I don’t know nobody who celebrates Thanksgiving in Malaysia… at all. Thanks, in no small part, to my PJ housemates, last year I celebrated we had our Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. Mushroom soup, stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, margarita, Yule log… we really had everything going. Ash said grace, Sid (who looks uncannily like The Grinch) carved the turkey, Jacque had his Christmas outfit on, everybody was pissed drunk at the end of the night… sigh… I really miss that.

Christmas
(I think he probably wouldn’t even remember this by now, but...) I think it was about 3 years ago? I spent Christmas Day with Darrel and his family. The reason why I remember it was the lunch we had that day. It was nothing fancy, just something simple. There wasn’t even any present involved, partly because we’re kinda broke at that point, but I remembered it because of the warm Christmassy feel to it.

Chinese New Year
This is the worse of all festive seasons: Families gather together pretending to like each other; all the nosy relatives will get together and try to dig out dirt from other families so that they can feel good about theirs; as if kids running around like wild animals is not bad enough, the parents equip them with mini-explosives so that they could throw it at unsuspecting cats, dogs, or relative… provided IF the thing don’t explode in their face first.

Anyway… two years ago, I decided to spend CNY Reunion Dinner with my mother’s side of the family, and it was the first time I’ve ever had a proper CNY Reunion Dinner in 25 years! No kids running around, no mini-explosives, no gossipers… It was just a normal sit and dine event, where all us cousins make our grandparents laugh like mad. The table was definitely way too crowded for all of us, and our parents, but it was something to remember.


(In Memory Of Jacque – May he be happy wherever he is right now…)