a record of thoughts

I never thought this would happen. While having breakfast in a cafe near our office’s building, a customer sat in front of me reading the same book I’m reading, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead. The same paperback version. I never thought that with the few different people I see in the cafe, I would find someone reading a philosophy novel. I often see people reading Sheldon’s or Brown’s or other contemporaries, but I never thought I’d see someone in front of me reading Ayn Rand, and the same title needless to say. (more…)

It’s Independence Day weekend and for those who will be staying home (like me) during the long weekend, I am recommending the films below. They are all foreign films (not if you’re Japanese or Korean). I have them as part of my tiny DVD collection. They aren’t new. They’re about at least 3 years old already and I’m guessing that most of my readers have not seen them yet. I’m a huge fan of martial arts films especially the ninja and samurai. That’s not the only reason why I’m recommmending them, however. These films possess deeper meaning. I have found those meanings in my own perception. It’s up to you to find for yourself.

I will recommend more films later on. (more…)

The theme that’s inherently present in the world is rebellion. There is no perfect system. People will always criticize and change a system. Usually a group would confine themselves into one goal in changing a system, but once that system is changed, another group within that new system will breakthrough to change and it becomes a never ending chain of changes. (more…)

On my way to the office today, I passed by a Romanian Festival. They have the festival annually. I bought lunch at the festival – an expensive but fulfilling lunch. I had an Italian sausage on a hero and a stick of shish kebab. Last year I had gyro, so I didn’t want one this year. (more…)

I can’t let an entry pass without writing about “He Was A Quiet Man”, a psychological film from Frank A. Cappello starring Christian Slater, Elisha Cuthbert, and William H. Macy. The film is about the resistance of the weak against the bullies. Bob Maconel (Slater) is an employee who keeps a six shooter in his drawer, but never had the right timing to cause an onslaught on his six predetermined victims until one day when a co-worker did it and he became a hero after killing the murderer. This is where I got lost because the ending showed that it was him who did the killing.

I think the movie failed me, however, Slater’s acting was super-excellent. I’m a big fan of Christian Slater, but he’s really grown into a better actor. Recently I also saw Anthony Hopkins’ mind boggling “Slipstream” and Slater also played a semi-psycho. If “Quiet Man” had more substance, Slater would have been a good candidate for an Oscar. I agree with the critics’ statements about Christian Slater in this movie. This is by far the best acting he’s ever done.