A challenge, accepted.

“Someone should write an article about the boy schools”- azuresque

Well, I will.

DISCLAIMER: The following post was penned at ten past midnight, a time when the writer is notoriously asinine.

Without further ado, here goes.

I’ve thought a long time about it, and here’s my decision. I will never force my sons to join the Anglo-Chinese family of schools. I have no other reason apart from the fact that I simply don’t believe it’s the duty of any parent to choose the “right” school for their children. Yes, not even their primary schools.

While it is no secret that Anglo-Chinese boys tend to be perceived as arrogant upstarts with a large pocket money fund and an even bigger attitude problem, that is hardly the reason why I would not encourage my sons to go there. And it is definitely not because ACS is an academically mediocre school compared to the other top institutions. Neither is it the automatic stereotyping atrributed to one who admits he is from ACS. Nor is it because of our affinity for the colours Red, Blue and Gold (though one must admit that these are mighty fine colours indeed).

I wouldn’t force my son to go to an AC school simply because there is no reason for him to go.

He is not Methodist, nor can I trust that he has the strength of character for the school to mould. And there is simply no way I can be assured of a well-paying job to afford his high school fees and all the extras that come with being a member of the Family.

This doesn’t mean that I’ll make him wear an all-white uniform should he prove to be academically qualified for the “big time”. Simply put, an ACSian does not send his son to Raffles Institution. It is just not done. I have met all kinds of male Rafflesians. They come from all backgrounds and cultures, but there is an innate confidence, usually a muted one, shelled by a cool, collected exterior. They are as level-headed as ACSians are brash, although there are times when the two might as well be one.

But I would not encourage my son to pass through the portals of RI. He has no reason to.

He does not have anything to prove to me, nor can I trust that he will not be severely disappointed should he fall short of his high-flying classmates. And there is simply no way that I will have my son grow up in that Bishan campus. The place simply scares the beejesus out of me.

Well, he could keep the all-white uniform, and don the badge of the top Catholic boys’ school in Singapore. The Josephians I’ve come into contact with are all wonderful people who have only the Lord in their hearts and serving Him in their minds. They are morally upright, steadfast in spirit and loyal friends. But there is no doubt that they are but the creme of a very varied crop, and though I would love to see my boy grow up among such peers, I cannot be assured of this.

And there’s the fact that, once again, an ACSian, even a Catholic one, does not send his son to St. Joseph’s Institution. The rivalry between the schools is an old one, but the legacies still live on. It would not be fair for an ACSian progeny to enter the hallowed halls of SJI, not with the likelihood of his father’s background weighing heavily upon his head.

So where then?

Good question. I’ll get back to you on that.

In defence of the RGS girl…

On Friday, at the top corner of the Life! section of the local newspaper, runs a suspiciously subtle “anti-RGS” teaser for a Sunday Lifestyle column. Today, I flip furiously looking for that particular column and discover it to be no longer than a quarterpage, plunked disrespectfully at the bottom of a page, located off-centre and generally being rather unnoticeble. Nonetheless, the damage has been done.

“Less marriageble”, “assertive” and “competitive by nature” were just of the few traits that the columnist, herself an alumni of the school, brought to light. It was in the context of not sending her “hypothetical” daughters to the same school she came from. In comparison, Methodist Girls are “gentler” and “more feminine”, while Singapore Chinese Girls “marry well”.

Having met alumni from all three schools, I will admit that I still like Rafflesians best. GEPpers aside, those hailing from RGS have struck me as making their “less marriageble” traits the very thing that makes them attractive and appealing. I believe that the ideal mate is someone who would challenge me (but not to the point of contadicting me 99.9% of a time) and be there for me in whatever I do. I might feel threatened by her successes, no doubt, but in the end, one can only be proud of achievements. And I will always be proud of whoever I marry.

Anyway, you can find the article here. I want to hear starfish’s comments.

Jack me in…

It’s been what, four years now? Time passes so quickly when you’re fighting a war. I still have nightmares of the day when I awoke in Machine City, my naked body enclosed within this horrible gelatinous goop. The machines ejected me almost instantly when they discovered me, their systems were that efficient. The fear couldn’t stop pounding in my head, my freedom had not registered in my brain and to tell you the truth, I was just going along for the ride.

They called me Switchback. Rather appropriate since I never did pick up the ability to pilot any of Zion’s ships. Always taking too long, some said. Doesn’t know where he’s going, said others. I don’t really care what they say, anyway. I know I’m a good gunner, and that’s just about all my Captain and I really care for.

The Sentinels and I, we have an agreement. They don’t come near my ship, and I don’t blast their sorry asses back to their maker.

Ah heck, I’d blast them anyway.

“I wanna take you on a roller coaster… –Lunatic Calm

Can you tell I’ve watched Revolutions again?

And in other news…

Ready to commit at least 45 minutes of your time and brain power? Click here.

What’s YOUR Matrix codename?

Call me Switchback.

For some reason, I find it very difficult to create a backstory for a guy named Switchback.

I’m thinking it would be cool to see how many different names this little online community can come up with. Just answer the questions seriously and truthfully. There are as many names as there are combinations of answers.

An open letter to Life!

I refer to Mr Tay Yek Yeak’s Monday (November 10th) article titled “Smack down the flesh and blood”.

It is hard not to disagree with him. Yes, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has gone from bad to worse as it strays away from its original realm of sports to what it considers “entertainment”.

The aforementioned episodes of necrophilia, sadomasochism, French-kissing and “swearing in rhyme” are all valid points brought up by Mr Tay, who obviously is a big fan. Even his worry about the “effusive display of blood” cannot be dismissed easily.

However, I wonder exactly what the real issue is here.

Highly acclaimed drama C.S.I. (shown on Wednesdays, Channel 5 at 11pm, and on AXN Starhub Ch 19 at 9pm) depicts equally gory scenes of assault and death, with some scenes going all out to depict (in slow motion, no less) exactly how a brutal murder is committed. Issues like incest, drug running and rape are discussed almost non-chalantly by the main characters of the series, though the moral integrity of the show is impeccable.

Scantily-clad women are not new to the small screen. Even the much-replayed Star Wars Saga this past Sunday at 7pm on Channel 5 included a rather extended scene depicting Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in a harem outfit. And don’t even get me started on the amount of French-kissing that has more than permeated both our entertainment and our lifestyle.

No doubt, these shows pull off controversy with a generous helping of panaché. But other than the quality, very little serves to differentiate them from the WWE product.

The perennial question would be: Are there double standards in the suggestion that wrestling shows be pushed to “even later hours”? The reason given by Mr Tay, “think about the children”, is hardly valid any longer. With the advent of relaxed censorship laws, it should no longer the responsibility of Mediacorp, SPH Mediaworks or Starhub to ensure that “adult-oriented” shows are not viewed by a younger audience.

Rather, it remains up to the parents to guarantee that their children understand what they watch. Wrestling, in particular, has not been a show targeted at children for the past seven years. The days of Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior are long past.

Singapore media would be taking a step backwards should it head down the same road it took in 1997, when the WWE was banned altogether for its relatively less racy content.

Peter Lin

And just to prove I’m a child of the 80s…

Let’s talk about…

Oral sex. Did I get your attention yet?

No! That’s not a place for a young woman’s face to be - Gary Coleman, Diff’rent Strokes

How can you not respect a guy who says something like that? Although, I will admit that it can be a turn on for most guys, myself included (then again, the slightest suggestion of sensual pleasure would get the hormones flowing, anyway). Whatever the case, I hold firm to my belief that it is one of the most degrading acts known to humanity.

After necrophilia, beastiality and running for Congress, of course.

Oh, and since everyone’s doing it anyway…

P.S. This quiz, not oral sex.

You are mRNA. You’re brilliant, full of important,
interesting information and you’re a great
friend to the people you care about. You may
have sides to you that no one understands. But
while you understand more than most people,
you’re only half-there most of the time.

Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

My thoughts… on Revolutions

So a group of my close friends and, in most cases, their significant others, went to catch the third installment of what I hoped would be the biggest trilogy in film history. After watching Matrix: Reloaded earlier this year, I hailed the Wachowski brothers as being the George Lucas for the new millenium.

Now, on hindsight, I think I was right in some aspects. Both creators have churned out a whole new cult world for its fans and the story will continue to be told and retold, over and over again.

If people bother to, that is.

But let me start with the good points:

Once again, I’m a stickler for the way they named their characters. While the biggest question, “Why is she called Trinity?” still remains, it’s nice to see less-than-subtle nods to film greats like Japanese samurai actor Toshiro Mifune, Aryan mythological hero Prince Rama, Indian poet Kamala Das, firearms manufacturers Mauser, Colt and AK. Names like these give an added richness to their characters, giving them a depth of understanding even before the character opens her mouth.

However, I was disappointed that, other than a Smith-possessed Bane, and a disgruntled Cipher in the original movie, no one else in Zion even harboured thoughts of going renegade and giving in to the machines. Some of you may remember my belief that, in the spirit of his Biblical namesake, Councillor Hamann would become the third traitor, proving once and for all that the machines may not always be the greatest enemy. Why name him Hamann then? (Hindsight: Unless, of course, it was a tribute to German philosopher Johann Georg Hamann.)

I find it most disappointing too, when I look back on the film and all I can go is “the APUs were SO cool!”. The Armored Personnel Unit first appeared in Reloaded as part of the Docking Bay’s patrol defence. In Revolutions, the whole APU Corps. are deployed in a valiant attempt to prevent the machines from overrunning the Dock. I still think it’s amazing that the whole batallion of APU were designed solely for this last stand against the Sentinels.

Once again, the show came off more a story about the love between Trinity and Neo, as well as a bonanza of special effects, many of which were created for the sole purpose of this movie. Unfortunately, while every step was meticulously planned to ensure that each and every scene was flawlessly produced, Keanu Reeves and Hugo Weaving have more chemistry together than Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss. Which is pathetic, considering the way the movie progressed. It was a pain to see them speak of love (seventeen times at last count) and not be able to pull it off.

I think what happened was the Wachowski’s forgot the numero uno rule in making movies: Make a movie. The Matrix Trilogy is groundbreaking on so many levels, but as a movie, it fails.

To sum it up, one reviewer said it best. If you liked Reloaded, you’ll like Revolutions.