How ironic that it takes a DaySpring e-card to really make me feel like it’s Christmas today.

To the person who sent it to me (who probably doesn’t read this blog), thank you for this great gift.

Experience it yourself here. Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh hear, the angels’ voices!
O night divine! O night, when Christ was born.
O night divine! O night! O night divine!

Adeste fideles, laete triumphantes,
Venite, venite in Bethlehem.
Natum videte, regum angelorum.

Venite adoremus.
Venite adoremus.
Venite adoremus Dominus.

Just thought I’d plug this hilarious flash on Forum Etiquette.

… but I just never do justice to it.

I mean, what is love? An emotion? An experience? A lifetime commitment? A one-night-stand? What is love, but the driving force for everything from superhuman acts of heroism to insane crimes of passion? What is love, but the reason for everything – a career, a goal, a legacy – and yet the reason for the very destruction of some of the oldest institutions in society – marriage, chastity, filial piety.

What is love? All I know is that it lifts people up, far above themselves, allowing them to be more than they ever thought they could be, giving them hope for a better world or a better age. I also know that it crushes, wrenches, disappoints, stabs deeply, causing permanent social wounds and painful emotional scars, depresses, nullifies confidence, makes you cynical. What is love? The source of strength, of determination, of tenacity, of a willingness to give yourself for the sake of another. What is love? The font of jealousy, of regret, of ‘What if’s and ‘If only’s.

What is love?

Love is who we are. Love is what defines us, whether it be a love of material possession or the love of another. We are nothing if we do not love something.

Amo ergo sum, and in just that proportion. – Ezra Pound

*grumble*

400 more spam comments today. Add that to the 7900 that Direcow so graciously removed for me… and that’s way too much damn spam for one small blog like this. Anyway, I’ve decided to moderate all comments, so don’t worry if your comments don’t appear instantly.

UPDATE: Okay, let’s hope that Direcow’s advice works. We’ll see how it goes.

Okay, that’s about all the enthusiasm I can muster.

Wrestlers flare up ahead of World Wrestling Superstars Challenge, by Patwant Singh

Normally, I would be overjoyed at this news. Seeing independent wrestlers (that is, not contracted to the WWE) live has been a dream of mine ever since I took a vested interest the the pro wrestling world. Getting a chance to see them go all out, not hindered by the infamous “WWE style” was something I could only hope for. And here, on December 16th, was my opportunity.

Even when I realised the line-up was filled with has-been and cannot-make-it wrestlers, I still jumped at the chance to see them live. Until I saw the ticket prices.

S$150, S$100, S$80, S$60, S$40

Now hold it just one second… they’re actually cheaper than last year’s WWE tickets! Indeed, I can now get a ringside seat for the same amount I paid last year. The difference? I’m guessing the crowd will be no where near the size we saw last year.

Many might remember the Honky Tonk Man – after all, he is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time or the Powers of Pain – those Legion of Doom/Road Warriors rip-off. But who remembers the One Man Gang? Or, for that matter, Curtis Hughes? Heck, I’d be surprised if any one still remembers Gangrel (although, arguably that was one of the more recent creations of the WWE). Then there’s Wrestlecrap gimmicks like Doink the Clown making an appearance, and WWE rejects like Bull Buchannan (formerly known as B-squared).

No offence to them, but m0st are past their prime. Some never had a prime to begin with.

The only thing going for the whole show… is that this is the climax of their Malaysia tour, and it’s going to end with WWE hopeful Navajo Warrior going 1-on-1 against an unknown wrestler in a Indian Cage Deathmatch. In other words, lots of gore, lots of blood and many many sick spots. I hope. Because if they don’t bleed, then there’s no entertainment, since Navajo Warrior has been reported to be worse than the worst the WWE has currently employed.

Did I mention that there’s also going to be women’s wrestling? Proper women’s wrestling? Between the 11-year veteran Lady Victoria (not to be confused with Lisa Marie Varon, aka WWE’s Victoria) and rookie Venus? Apparently there’s also unknowns Venom and Charr Star. Whoo-pee-doo.

If the wrestlers were expecting a huge Singapore crowd, then they’re going to be disappointed. Most people have already spent all their parents’ money voting for Singapore Idol.

UPDATE: Apparently the show has been cancelled. Oh well.

I wasn’t sure whether to blog this or not. Reason being, the fact that everyone who watched these two movies with me came out with vastly differing opinions. Which, obviously, makes me the minority. But I get ahead of myself. Let’s begin with Saturday night.

12 youth from my parish (including myself) were on their way to watch Alexander, the much critiqued film by Oliver Stone. For some of us, we had just attended Mass, which kinda skewed my thinking coming into the cinema. For the better. Let’s put it in perspective: I thought Titanic was boring. I thought The Ten Commandments was boring. I thought Gospel of John was boring. But Alexander kept my interest for the next 180 minutes and never let me breathe. I even had to lean forward during the credits just to bring some circulation to my back.

So you can imagine how miffed I was that no one else seems to have shared that emotional rollercoaster with me. What made Alexander work for me included: Angelina Jolie — She takes every role by the horns and surpasses all expectations. The excellent cinematography — Every scene is rich with colour and life, putting you right in the midst of every single event. The brilliant, brilliant score — Vangelis does it again. Check it out at http://www.alexandersoundtrack.com/. And finally, Stone’s brilliant move re: homosexuality.

I figured I might as well touch on the most controversial theme of the movie, and it is this: That truly, there can be a real, palpable love between two men. Colin Farrell’s Alexander (looking very depressed half the time) becomes twice the man he is when he is buoyed by the support and presence of his long-time friend Hephaistion (Jared Leto). More so than the two other love interests of the Greek conqueror portrayed in the movie: his first wife Roxane (Rosario Dawson) and exotic dancer – in all senses of the word – Bagoas (Francisco Bosch). With the latter two, the lust is overtly portrayed. The relationship is purely in the realm of the physical. With Hephaistion, however, one sees something starkly different. The two men, in the whole realm of what is seen in the film, never kiss. They hug – most unchastely – and they do share a closeness that is hardly bearable to watch… but there is no lust.

And then, comes the true tragedy, the crux of the film – that despite all his exploits, his wealth and his success, Alexander is no more than a man who trusts no one but his childhood friend and lover.

I will discuss the Sunday flick – the manga-based Casherrn tomorrow morning.