An interesting anecdote in “Dare to change: An alternative vision for Singapore” by Chee Soon Juan.I discuss what I have learned of Singaporean values with a local journalist. “What is the ‘national interest’?” I ask. “Peace, happiness, you know. That sort of thing.” “How do you find it?” “Shopping,” she reveals, lighting another Winston. “I… Read More »
Just so you know, there will be a Banned Books Week from September 23-30. Observed since 1982, this annual event celebrates the freedom to choose or express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular. Hence, it stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all… Read More »
The Best War Ever is about a war that was devised in fantasy and lost in delusion. It highlights the futility of lying to oneself and others in matters of life and death. And it offers lessons to the current generation so that, at least in our time, this never happens again. In this book,… Read More »
So, the Manila city council has passed a resolution banning “The Da Vinci Code” in all cinemas in the city because the movie “is undoubtedly offensive and contrary to established religious beliefs which cannot take precedence over the right of the persons involved in the film to freedom of expression.” In a phone interview with… Read More »
I was reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis and it suddenly dawned on me that the choice of Christian Bale as Batman in Batman Begins was, to put it in Ellis’ term, “premeditated”. In the chapter titled “Nell’s” (page 206, Vintage Contemporaries, paperback), there is a paragraph that goes: “Daisy! And Patrick, you devil!”… Read More »
Published by Creative O Pte Ltd, Chaotic Thoughts From the Old Millennium reads very much like an ego trip by the Creative Technology founder. Worse, fillers suspiciously ran the course in this book. Although the author tried to justify the liberal dose of amateurish babble disingenuously passed off as Philosophies & Theories (“Marriage Is Like… Read More »