Zombies, zombies, everywhere!
There was actually not much to do today at work, so I decided to go see Land of the Dead in a small theater nearby. It was so-so; I liked Dawn of the Dead (the remake that came out last year) much better. In Dawn of the Dead, the characters were a bunch of 'normal', everyday kind of people, so it was exciting and suspenseful to see how they cope with the zombie outbreak; there would be at least one character that you could really relate to. But in Land of the Dead, it felt like 95% of the characters were macho men who really love their guns, so when one of them dies, it kind of leaves you feeling indifferent ("Oh, so he's dead? Meh.").
I was also eating my lunch while watching the movie, which probably wasn't the smartest thing I've done, since the sight of rotting zombie brains getting splattered all over the place made my sandwich taste a lot less appetizing.
One part of the movie which I found amusing yet absurd was the part when the main character, Riley, says that he plans to go up north where there'll be no zombies ("Canada?? There's nothing up there!" says one guy. "Exactly," Riley replies). It's amusing to imagine that if there's a global zombie outbreak, Canada will somehow be zombie-free, or at least have less of a zombie problem. The infestation will stop RIGHT AT the border, and not go an inch further, lol.
Over-preoccupation with beauty
I was checking out oprah.com, and they had a show titled "Hooked on Plastic Surgery at Age 28", the 'hooked' person being the woman in this photo. Apparently she's had 26 plastic surgeries. My first reaction upon seeing this pic was to gasp in surprise and disgust. She looks so...fake, so plastic. Freaky, even.
She said that she first started getting surgeries when her then-husband was criticizing her appearance; but after each surgery, she found something else to feel ashamed of, and was bent on fixing that, too. A psychologist who appeared on the show said that she probably suffers from a condition called "Body Dysmorphic Disorder"; that's the first time I've heard of that condition, but in a way, I'm not surprised that it exists. I read on another site that, contrary to popular belief, BDD is not "new", but rather it's been around for a long time; it's just that now that plastic surgery has become easily accessible, people suffering from BDD see surgery as a solution to their negative image of themselves.
It's really sad how the media and popular culture are constantly advertising their view of what the 'perfect body' is, making scores of people feel bad about their own appearance. It pisses me off. A low point was reached when that reality show "The Swan" came out, where "ugly duckling" women get a crapload of surgery in order to make themselves look like pageant girls, and get a "second chance in life". A "second chance in life"?? Um, right, 'cause goodness knows your life isn't worth living unless you're beautiful (*SARCASM*).
I guess I'm not really against plastic surgery itself, but rather the way the media promotes it as being a quick-fix way of solving all your life's problems, and the "You're flawed! So go under the knife and fix yourself!" attitude that has become so widespread.
I'm just so annoyed with society's obsession with beauty, and the way the "imperfect" people are ridiculed and looked down upon. And hey, I'm definitely not immune to the insensitive judgement of others, either. There were many times when I was convinced that if I wasn't so ugly, people would respect me more and I'd have more friends. I'm trying to shake that mindset, but it sure as hell isn't easy.
*sigh*
Official Katie Leung pic
I recently discovered that this is the first official pic of Katie Leung, the young actress who's going to play Cho Chang in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I don't know what those Anti-Katie low-lifes are complaining about; she's absolutely beautiful, and if she managed to beat 4,000 other girls to get the role, then she must be a good actress, too. I'm still really angry at all those jealous girls who have been posting up hateful websites against her, and trying to discredit her. Like my friend Siberia said, they make our gender look bad.
It seems that Emma Watson (the girl who plays Hermione) also faced a lot of animosity from girls who were jealous that she got the coveted role. I'm not sure if this is true, but I heard that when the cast was attending the premieres, she's the only one who's accompanied by bodyguards, because of the threats that have been directed towards her.
Maaaaannnnnn, it's so stupid how, with all the troubles in the world, the jealous teeny-boppers out there are focusing all their hatred on one harmless actress playing a harmless role. Come on, no matter how hard you wish, neither Harry Potter nor Daniel Radcliffe are going to come and marry you!!! Another thing that's really frustrating is the possibility (or should I say, probability) that other people see this behavior, and get the impression that all female HP fans (or females in general) are shallow, superficial nitwits who bicker over the most redundant things and go into jealous fits when they can't get the guy they want. It's behavior like this that slows the advancement of women in society to a snail's pace; how are we supposed to earn our proper place in the world when most women can't even get along and work together? Sheesh.
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HP 6
I just bought my copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. And, stupid stupid stupid me, I looked at the end, and now I know which character dies! lol, this is a REALLY bad habit of mine, peeking at the endings of books! I can't help it, though; it's right there, tempting me, saying, "This is the big thing that everyone's been itching to find out for months! Come on, one peek! It's that easy!" While another little voice is saying, "Don't do it! It'll spoil the fun! Don't flip to the end! Stay your hand! Stay your ha- oh, nice going, you moron."
Well, I still don't know HOW the character dies, so it's not
completely spoiled.
I'm not sure when I'll have time to read it; I'm so bloody busy with all the lab work, my research project, and not to mention having to worry about applying for grad school and scholarships. I guess I could always read it during my hour-and-a-half long commutes to and from campus. Though unfortunately Harry will
still have to wait until I finish reading those scientific articles on nitrous oxide production and emission from boreal peatlands ;p.
Speaking French
While I can read, write and understand French fairly well, my spoken French could use a lot of improvement. For one thing, my accent sucks (I sometimes sound like an anglo struggling to speak French), and another problem is that I have to translate my thoughts from English to French before speaking (so I pause a lot, probably giving the other person the impression that I'm dim-witted and slow or something). Like many non-Francophones, I have trouble pronouncing Rs in French (btw, I checked out 'French Pronounciation' on Wikipedia, and I found the following bullet point at the end of the page: "There is a different, perhaps older, r sound used in some parts of southern France and in Québec made by tapping the tongue on the alveolar ridge." Tapping the tongue on the alveolar ridge? WTF?).
I haven't taken any French classes since high school, and I'm pretty sure my French has deteriorated; I once came across one of my former high school teachers on the bus, and after we were chatting a bit (in French), she said to me, "I guess you haven't spoken much French in years, have you?" Damn, that was embarassing.
Another really embarassing incident was when I was talking with a francophone Quebecer at this christian group thing; at one point she asked me, "So when did you come to Canada?" (!!!) Oh God, is my French really that bad, that she thought I was fresh off the boat? lol! When I said that I was born and raised in Montreal, she had this look on her face like she really didn't believe me.
But if I manage to master French, I'd rather develop the France-French accent rather than the Quebec-French accent. No offence to Quebecers, I don't have anything against them, it's just their accents I can't stand (note: the accents around Montreal aren't bad, but if you go further north, and into more rural areas, their accents get REALLY hard to understand!). I've spoken with a few French (as in, from France) people, and they said that they can't stand Quebec French accents, saying that they're hard to understand, and annoying.
Hmm, would you look at this...
It seems that there are quite a few people in Montreal who believe that Karla Homolka was sincere when she said that she regrets her crimes, and who are ready to accept her. However, the article (see below) is horribly one-sided; there was, after all, a huge commotion and plenty of opposition when her father said that she was planning to move to NDG; the mayor of NDG himself said that she wasn't welcome in the area.
Homolka finds sympathetic audience in Montreal for her plea to be left aloneLES PERREAUX
Tue Jul 5, 4:30 PM ET
MONTREAL (CP) - Karla Homolka's calculated appeal to French Canada appeared to hit her target audience Tuesday, with many francophone Montrealers ready to give the sex killer a second chance in her adopted province.
Homolka may be one of the most despised figures in Ontario and the rest of English Canada, but many Quebecers say they see a repentant woman who is clearly haunted by her crimes.
The ex-convict went on Radio-Canada on Monday with a French-only plea for the breathing room to start a normal life a few hours after completing her entire 12-year sentence for manslaughter.
Homolka helped her ex-husband, Paul Bernardo, rape and kill Leslie Mahaffy, Kristen French and her own sister, Tammy Homolka.
She got a sympathetic audience in downtown Montreal, where most people had seen at least part of the interview.
Jeff Dobeau, a pierced and tattooed man in his 20s, predicted an easy transition for Homolka, who has a competent handle on the French language.
While doing her time, Homolka even picked up elements of a working-class Quebecois accent mixed with her anglophone pronunciation.
"I don't know Toronto, but I think we Quebecers are more ready to accept her," Dobeau said.
"There is an openness of spirit. We forgive more easily. But at the same time, we remember. And I know it's a bit strange to say, but I find her French charming."
Waiting at a bus stop, retiree Pauline Benoit said people should just leave Homolka alone.
"She looks repentant to me, I think she wants to do better," said Benoit.
"But they must leave her alone. Right now they're running after her, everyone wants her. We have to stop hunting her."
Homolka's release and the five-day vigil outside the prison by news organizations - mostly Ontario-based - were the subject of curiosity more than anger in Quebec and Montreal, the city where Homolka has said she wants to live.
In Quebec, the bigger outrage of the week was the perceived attempt by Ontario to steal the new Shriners children's hospital from Montreal using a campaign of slander against Quebec's biggest city.
While the rest of Canada analysed Homolka's release and first televised interview, Quebecers rejoiced collectively Tuesday at winning the hospital battle.
Sociologist Jean-Marie Tremblay said Quebecers are simply less outraged by crime than most Canadians.
Studies have suggested Quebecers believe in rehabilitation and dismiss the get-tough approach that is more popular outside Quebec.
When westerners lobbied for harsher penalties for young offenders, Quebec demanded an approach that concentrated on reintegration.
"First of all, the crimes were committed in Ontario, not here, so it makes sense that the reaction is stronger in Ontario," said Tremblay, who teaches at a junior college and runs a large sociology online library.
"But Quebecers have a different mentality when it comes to crime. They're always more favourable to integration rather than incarceration."
Tremblay dismissed a suggestion Quebecers might be inclined to accept a woman just because she has been shunned by her home province of Ontario.
"I don't think that's a factor," Tremblay said. "If people in London are denigrating Montreal to get a hospital, that will make Quebecers dance in the streets when they win.
"In the case of Madame Homolka, it's all about attitudes toward crime, not so much politics."
The Quebec press council denounced English media coverage of Homolka's release, particularly the desire of some news organizations to follow Homolka. The council said it demonstrated ethical differences between Ontario and Quebec news organizations.
Council president Raymond Corriveau said every person has a right to privacy no matter how they achieved fame.
French papers gave Homolka a similar volume of coverage as did their English counterparts, but she received a more mixed treatment.
Quebec has hosted its own media circuses, most that don't travel very far in anglophone Canadian press.
Entertainment impresario Guy Cloutier's recent conviction for sexual abuse provoked a storm that eventually led a TV network to pay $100,000 to a charitable foundation to get an interview with his victim, former child star Nathalie Simard.
Karla Homolka Part II
I just read my good friend Siberia's response to my previous post, and a few minutes later I came across an article by the
Canadian Press, where Bernardo insists that it was Homolka who planned, and carried out, the murders of the schoolgirls, while he planned to let Leslie Mahaffy go free. This reminds me of something I heard in an interview with a writer a couple of weeks back (I forgot the guy's name, but he wrote a book about the Bernardo/Homolka crimes); the writer said that while Bernardo had the twisted desire to rape and torture the girls, it was Homolka who was afraid of getting caught for the crimes that her and her husband commited, and she's the one primarily responsible for the murders, since she wanted to 'silence' the girls and make sure they can't go to the police and identify them.
Now I'm getting even
more creeped out that this woman is out of prison and possibly settling in Montreal.
Karla Homolka and her crimes
There has been a HUGE amount of media coverage in the past few weeks (especially during the last several days) regarding Karla Homolka's release from prison. For the non-Canadian bloggers/blog-readers out there, Karla Homolka helped her then-husband Paul Bernardo kidnap, torture, rape and kill schoolgirls, one of whom was her own 15 year-old sister (although they apparently did not intend for the sister to die). She managed to get away with only some manslaughter charges, receiving 12 years in prison, by agreeing to testify against Bernardo; she claimed to be a battered wife who reluctantly assisted in the murders to protect herself and her family, but videotapes (filmed by the pair) of the crimes revealed that she was a willing participant, but by that time the 12-year sentence deal was already made and couldn't be changed (much to the outrage of many Canadians).
It's been said for several months that Homolka was planning to live in Montreal. Following her release yesterday, she did an interview with the TV station RDI; she said in the interview that she regrets the crimes she commited and doesn't want to be viewed as a threat anymore. I'm not sure what to make of it; I would like to think that she genuinely regrets what she has done in the past, and that she has indeed changed; but then again, it's possible that her 'remorse' is merely a result of her fear of vigilante justice. If there was little media coverage surrounding her release, and she managed to slip back into society anonymously, would she still have felt remorse? Ten years from now, when the public has calmed down and everything is 'back to normal', will she still feel guilt over her crimes and continue her vow to live as a good citizen? These are questions that may never be completely answered.
On the other hand, it may very well be possible that she's only dangerous if she associates with dangerous people, like when she was with Bernardo. Some people believe that she wouldn't commit such crimes on her own.
But either way, it still is really scary that these crimes happened in the first place. I read about the Homolka/Bernardo crimes on a website called Crime Library, and it's really shocking how ANYONE could do anything so evil. Even though I always held the pessimistic belief that humanity was inherently bad, I couldn't imagine that anybody was capable of evil to THAT extent.
It gets rather discouraging. You'd think that as a 'civilized' society, we'd have moved past such barbarism, but in fact it seems like we've made no progress at all.
On a lighter note, Happy Canada Day!!! WHOO!!!
Harry Potter and the Campaigns of Hate
I read a couple of articles on the Net about the jealousy and hatred that has been directed towards Katie Leung, who will play Harry's crush Cho Chang in the upcoming Goblet of Fire movie. It's quite shocking how vicious and cruel these Harry Potter fan girls can be; there are slogans such as "I hate Katie" and "Katie is an ugly bitch" pasted all over HP message boards and on "Hate Katie" websites, girls have been hurling racist remarks at her (apparently so vile and nasty that they couldn't even be printed in the article I read), and (what I find to be absolutely horrid) some people have been trying to discredit Katie Leung by posting up pornographic (or near-pornographic) photos of a young Asian woman and claiming that it's Leung, hence falsely branding her as some kind of a slut.
It's just so ridiculous how all this hatred is based on nothing more than jealousy. Think of it: none of them have actually seen her acting skills yet (so who are they to say that she sucks); there are only two photos of her on the internet (candid photos at that, where her face is partially concealed by a cap; and besides, people rarely look good in candid shots) and yet scores of girls are saying that she's ugly and unfit for the role of Cho; they don't know nor ever met her, etc etc etc. My diagnosis: jealousy. Plain and simple. They're jealous that this girl will be acting alongside their precious Daniel Radcliffe instead of them.
It's also really creepy how obsessive some people can get. Harry Potter is fiction, entertainment, a delightful story that takes us to incredible places and encounter fascinating characters. And yet these girls get so obsessed with Harry (and let's all remember, he's a fictional character! He's not real!) that they will stop at nothing to ruin the reputation of any girl that gets too close to him, sinking as low as posting fake lewd pictures of the girl in question.
I guess this all goes to show how vicious some girls can get when they're jealous. They may argue that this is a free country and they are exercising their right to free speech, but this isn't free speech, it's harassment. And the fact they are getting riled up over something as harmless as the casting of a movie role serves as proof of the senselessness of their hate.
