No this isn't a bitch fit shouting I can't do this and that. But I just can't wait till October when the movie adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are premieres.
As noted previously in my blog, last year I couldn't wait for Watchmen as well. It proved not disappointing at all, but I reckoned the conclusion of the story actually felt more epic reading than watching it.
On another note, as had once been mentioned in this blog about the same series, I thought some outstanding stuff has been happening in Britain's Got Talent. Props.
Back to the gym today (some Fitness First in KL), one difference that struck me was the dumbbells' weight unit. It's finally in metrics. I mean c'mon, we were once a British colony, not American's.
Now those people can't say they're lifting 60 (lbs.) anymore 'coz it's only 27.5 (kg) now. But it reminds me of times back in uni.
Back more than one year ago, any new post written right about this hour on a weekend was possibly a not-so-sobre one. I'm domesticated not because I'm affected by the economy, but by my own age.
My topic this time relates to a phenomenon that I had (unfortunate enough) to witness, however.
In July, oil price peaked at $147. Technically speaking (you can skip this) that of course refers to price per barrel for futures with delivery the next month from that date quoted.
At time of writing, oil price has retraced almost two thirds of that level, now standing at less than $50 per barrel. Now those are just statistics. But not merely statistics. They created hoo-hahs everywhere. First with the government cutting its subsidies on oil, then a flurry of cost and price issues hurting us, the consumers, hard. Here is my experience.
I once frequented this uncle's stall for lunch almost every weekday. He had the stuff I wanted and his prices were reasonable. My diet was still strict (relatively) then, which made me not only sticking to a regime, but to a provider that consistently had what I needed.
On one occasion, prior to announcing the price he was gonna charge me for my lunchbox, he said, hey look, it's gonna be expensive this time around. I said alright. He charged me 8 bucks, but returned 3 bucks as change when I handed him 10.
Subsequent lunches were fine. Reasonably fine.
Then came this second time that he disclaimed the hike in price again prior to accepting my note. I smiled and accepted that, for I should at least try to emphatise his position a little. But why should I? This time around, he thought he had to justify the hike. He told me the story of prices of poultry rising. Fine. But when I heard him saying that he would cut back his prices when prices of poultry come down, that put me straight into doubt. That kinda doubt resembling that beep in the radar when you detect bullshit.
After raising prices, who would really cut them?
Well my point is, prices are sticky downward. Or sticky up there. Bus operators now even demand a raise in fare despite the worsening oil position.
My solution? I just hope I'd be one of those successful speculators that would earn more than enough to survive should there be another rally/plunge of any sort in the market. Be it commodities, forex, etc. Because speculation is what it was all about. Fuck the China-India fundamental explanations. Look what the naivety has brought upon us.
Watchmen is probably, well, one of the only 2 and a half graphic novels that I've read. Still can't help but to say the trailer looks epic (with a Smashing Pumpkins soundtrack). You'll probably appreciate more if you read the graphic novel though:
I grew up going to the church almost every Sunday. Enough for anyone to quote the Bible or religion when trying to influence my decisions. Against or for, but usually the former.
The problem, though, is the selective quoting from such a source. Completely neglecting "the word of God" when they are happy doing what they are. But only quoting from such a source when they have personal agendas. Reminding you that the countless hours you spent in church every God-blessed (or damned) Sunday mornings taught you that and people there would agree the same.
Enough with this bull. I've been good enough a fellow church-goer to thank God when good things happen, and not to blame Him when bad things do. But I now find life much easier without religion. I have seen enough to spot hypocrites.
If I need examples, I will find through secular means. If such a person happens to be from a certain religion, I will respect that.
But in the meantime, I don't see a point of "abstaining" and all just to preserve myself a seat (room, suite, etc.) in this place called Heaven, when the existence of such a place is not merely subjective, it cannot be proved and most importantly too restraining to the point that there is not much purpose of life on earth if I were to believe and submit.
A pair of the world's biggest religions were established at almost the same period in world history. Religion then suited the citizen's everyday life as a divine guidance of sorts. In fact, humanity and stability could hardly been imagined to exist at all without this divine teaching.
Life and the world has progressed enough and we're fortunate enough to be born at this small dot in the world history timeline, that I (at least) should focus and appreciate more worldly things and live my own liberal life. Free from people quoting from "divine" scriptures when they themselves cannot prove the existence of God and Heaven but only able to prove themselves to be the worst examples even among the so-called Atheists.
