StonedEwok's Xanga

Monday, April 14, 2008

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:58:44 GMT

Thanks to the creative genius of Rob Chiu (aka Choff on Xanga circles), I tried the highly recommended "Animal Kingdom(c)" burger from McDonalds.

How to order: Double Beef and bacon burger plus McChicken and Filet 'o fish patties on top.

Result? A glorious fusion of the most important edible animals in one burger.

Naturally the two 15 year old staff on my register utterly freaked out and so did the burger-maker. "Err, so do you want to throw out the beef patties and replace them instead?" "No, I want ALL of them". Like duh.

I may have to post a picture of this gastronomical delight in future.

Next suggestion to try: The cheeseburger / McChicken smash up. Once again thanks to Choff, lol.

NOTE: I am usually a staunch anti-McDonalds type, but when a challenge like the Animal Kingdom is thrown down, all bets are off. What can I say, I'm a sucker for dares. Unfortunately for me, it actually tasted quite nice...there goes the 2 year streak of no mickey dees.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 23:28:07 GMT

Important thoughts for today:

Is Nestle's Maxibon the greatest ice-cream ever invented?

On which side should you begin eating said Maxibon?

I must be bored if I am writing on this blog again.

plus something else which I've now forgotten...

{edit}: Craziest name ever? (Meow-Ludo Disco Meow-Meow http://meow-ludo.blogspot.com/ )- this guy does exist, we actually served him here at UNSW. He is officially known on our database as that full name! lol funny times...

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Sun, 20 May 2007 10:51:50 GMT

Woah. So how does this work again?

I really don't know if people still read this blog, but if you've managed to read this post...hats off to you oh faithful reader!

I'm not sure what caused the big blog drought. Some say it had something to do with global warming, some say it was caused by solar winds...others gesture that it was pure laziness and lack of creative inspiration.

That's not to say I haven't had a "that would be a cool thing to blog" moment since December 2006...it's just that I haven't bothered putting it down on paper so to speak.

The whole idea of blogs divides people. It's all an exercise in the most loathesome type of vanity and verbal diarrhoea...or it's simply an outlet to express and to record one's thoughts (albeit to a potentially worldwide audience) in a timeless and semi-permanent manner. I do see merit in both opinions, but the optimist in me leans towards the latter.

Enough with the drivel though. I think I may have just lost half my audience. So for the one reader that's still left, it's all for you buddy.

Let's bring it back to my original topic of passion: films. I have seen two films quite "recently" which I thought deserved a mention.

First was "Sunshine" by Danny Boyle. Second was "Children of Men" by Alfonso Cuaron.

These were immensely enjoyable and stimulating films from two very talented and interesting directors. One having directed Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, while the other being of Harry Potter and Y Tu Mama Tambien fame. It really doesn't get more eclectic than a list like that!

Sunshine really came out of left field for me. There was no real marketing for it, except a brief trailer I saw which made me go see it. I'm glad I got to see it at the cinemas as it has some of the most spectacular shots which can be truly appreciated on the big screen. Besides being a gorgeous looking film, it did have a very interesting (and surprisingly well-researched) story, this is thanks to the original novel written by Alex Garland (The Beach). The cast was wonderfully varied and understated, which really connected with me as a viewer. Each of the characters brought out a range of emotions; they actually made you care. Unfortunately it really falls apart towards the end, which is a huge shame because it really had a lot going for it. Still, I loved it...and Michelle Yeoh is just fantastic.

Children of Men I would dare say is almost a flawless film. It really is ridiculous to make a comment like that, but I just loved the film THAT MUCH. Every now and then a film really knocks me off my feet and justifies all the crap I unwittingly end up watching. This was one of them. This film reminds me why I love going to the movies. Just why is it so good?

Well for one, the film is shot and directed in such a fresh and engaging way that you almost have to take a step back and think about what you've just watched to realise you've experienced cinematic magic (and genius). There are a handful of scenes which are nothing short of amazing. Secondly, the acting is top-notch. I have the utmost respect for Mr Clive Owen...even though he already has been quality in most of his other films to date. Julianne Moore also makes a brief but glowing appearance. The film does hinge quite a lot on Clive Owen's performance and he definitely comes up trumps. Finally, the film has an intelligent and captivating storyline, not unlike Sunshine. I've always thought that [film] fiction is one thing, but to close the gap between fiction and reality, and actually make it plausible and watchable...that is a whole different ball-game. Sunshine and Children of Men really hit the mark and make for great viewing.

Ok, time for an abrupt ending...it's late and I have work tomorrow. wah wah wah.

Thanks for reading...don't know when I'll be back again...

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 08:06:30 GMT

{edit}

At work I answered an email from a student called HE MAN. What an awesome name. Greyskull rawks!

Wow, long time no blog.

I think my absence is due to two things: laziness and uneventfulness (is that a word?)

There have been a few times where I've thought "Hey, I think I'll blog that when I get home...", but me being me, I end up watching Prison Break or playing Fifa instead.

So in a nutshell I guess you could say that since the last time I posted (a month... Gee whiz, some kinda record for me), nothing much has happened. Kinda sad really, but life goes on. Besides, I figured why I have a blog in the first place. It's not just because I'm egotistical and I love myself (well maybe just a tad, lol), but it's to document moments in my life which I can access anytime, any place. I'm really no good with written journals, although I really dig the concept. So here it is, my online written journal. Woot.

Things that come to mind when I try to remember the past month:

Borat, The Prestige, seeing Mona, Angie and Doreen off to various international locations, redlining/ pinging my GTI, boy meets girl stuff.

And while I'm at it, upcoming events:

16th December, CP11 Carols night (Violet St, Croydon Park)! Come one, come all. Our church, CP11 (Croydon Park @ 11am), is hosting a carols evening which easily rivals the overrated Carols in the Domain thingo. There'll be a free BBQ at 6:30pm and we'll kick off the evening with songs and skits from 7:30pm. Oh btw, I'm gonna be an Angel (literally!) that's worth the price of admission alone! Which incidentally is...freeeee

25th December, STOP SPAMMING ME GOD. CP11's Special Christmas Day service. Not your regular Sunday morning gig, this event will be filled with great music and drama on top of a great talk by Sam Chan, who is probably one of the most entertaining speakers, like, ever. If you're a once-a-year celebrity (ie. you rock up to church come 25/12), then scoot over to Violet St, Croydon Park- just off Burwood Rd. If church could be cool, we be it yo.

1st-7th January, Kids Camp, Fitzroy Falls. Spending a week hanging out with underpriveleged kids (welfare, foster homes, etc) and sharing the gospel...while having heaps of fun with activities like Ping Pong War (300 ping pong balls, one pool, madness!) and building coffins...no joke...

15th- 20th January, KYLC, Katoomba. A week of learning and teaching from the bible with hundreds of Christians. Intense. Fun. Immense possibilties.

Well as you can see, it's a busy 2 months ahead for me, which is definitely a blessing!

I think I've gone on long enough, so until next time....

bye.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:04:03 GMT

Another picture post...proudly brought to you by StonedEwok

Sculpture By the Sea

One glorious Saturday afternoon after some last minute planning, we decided to head out to Tamarama to check out the sculptures...

The weather could not have been more perfect and major props to Mo for a) Spotting the ranger and moving his car 10 seconds before it was about to be booked (we saw the tickets...$180 for a bus zone, poor sods)...b) Finding the best free spot about 100m down Marine Drive...woot

A few piccies from the day...

Weird headless/faceless busts fencing off the beach...

Religious...political...architectural...? Intriguing nonetheless!

It's all about the corny shots, lol. Couldn't resist this pose when I saw the opportunity...(L to R) Joyce, Yunita, Me, Nate, Dan.

Cast iron birds...some were cut out and some were stuck on to give a weird textured effect...

Interactive traffic-light thingo...the lights change colours when you press the button...

A mess of wires, taken from the right angle it looks downright trippy...and much more interesting than from above...

more...or less. Clever yes? (taken front on and side on)

Chillin' on the hill...'n. (L to R) {edit} Dan, Nate, Gav, Mo (hiding at the bottom of the hill there!), Joyce

Don't try this at home kids...for those that have cliffs and oceans in their backyards, yeah...(thanks to Dan for taking this shot!).

A fun day out in the sun beats being stuck inside any day! (sorry to all those unfortunate uni students cramming for finals, my condolences)

All capped off with authentic pho for dinner, thanks sunshine. lol

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:50:00 GMT

Getting it off my chest, yo...

1. Since when did Halloween become such a big deal in Australia? I always thought it was a stupid "day of celebration" to start with...but why oh why did we have to follow the yanks on this one? It's such a meaningless exercise in wasteful decoration. It was funny seeing kids last year trick or treating in deadbeat costumes though, lol. "Here you go dude, some stale candy....rip it up!"

Cmon, what's next...Thanksgiving?!

2. Job hunting sucks. It's always a matter of getting so close...yet so far. Oh well, chin up. There's always next year.

3. When are you UNSW students gonna leave the campus / go on stuvac / meltdown for exams? For goodness sake, getting a parking spot is impossible! Just leave already...stop posing on the library lawn pretending to study.

4. I've driven 1,700kms in a month. I think that's a record for me...over-reliance on my automobile, having fun with my new toy or utter hatred for public transport (and exercise)? hmm maybe a little bit of everything...

5. I like making lists when I'm bored.

6. Sorry for all you Firefox users out there...my page comes up a little messed up in FF browsers, and you still have to live with the xanga ad banner on top. Solution: use IE :) lol

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:24:20 GMT

JAGSHEMASH!

I would kill to be at this press conference! Although I'll never forget the round table with Joss Whedon, awesome.

Visit the SMH site here

Stay in Touch

The daily planet: What should we ask Borat?

It's the media's fault, part three. Borat may not be going to Kakakhstan, but he is coming to Sydney. The character created by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who has infuriated Kazakh politicians by suggesting they're in the habit of drinking horse urine, will visit us on November 13 to promote his movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Twentieth Century Fox sent this announcement yesterday: "Media wishing to RSVP to attend the Sydney press conference at the Opera House are asked to submit a list of questions for approval. As slots are limited, your participation will be approved upon receipt of your questions.'' Quick, give us suggestions on questions to ask Borat, and your theories on why he wants prior approval, here ...

We welcome your comments

Posted by Stay in touch
October 26, 2006 11:45 AM

Monday, October 23, 2006

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:12:09 GMT

GREYS . . . WHATEVS.

Ok, so I was told to try and watch Greys Anatomy tonight because it would be a "good episode"...and because I'm always "unfairly" bagging it out.

Well I watched it. And I still don't like it.

Tonight's episode in particularly was supremely irritating. I'm sorry if anyone has a fondness for this show...but I don't see its appeal. The characters are all unbelievably narcissistic and self-indulgent for people who are supposed to always be ethically, morally and fair-minded. The selfishness that was abundant in this particular episode was somehow justified because it was done in the name of that which is most virtuous...love. There were just so many examples that I can't be bothered naming them all. The compassion shown by the medical staff extended as far out as the people that were important to themselves only...yet as one doctor ironically stated "there's a lot of sick people in this hospital"...hmmm right.

Another example of hard hitting dialogue from Meredith Grey herself : "you can't help who you fall in love with"...which is why they can intentionally cut someone's life support in order to place him at the top of the list for a heart transplant (and in the meantime take the heart away from another needy paitent who had a family and kids).

Crap like that makes me want to throw things. (Incidentally, I hope the patient dies and Izzy gets kicked out of the hospital...bitter much? lol)

In addition, I don't think the acting is all that great either...and when all the characters are so self-absorbed it's not suprising that there's a total lack of bond or chemistry (in my opinion). If there was one redeeming feature, and I was REALLY TRYING to find one, it would be the interesting story ideas. But that would be about it.

I mean, even Izzy isn't that good looking anymore, lol (talk about nail in the coffin) so even on a total superficial level...this show is ugly!

2 stars from me. peace out.

p.s. sorry if I offended anyone who loves this show (Mangles, lol you told me to write a review!). Go watch Arrested Development instead...or if you must watch a medical drama, go watch House. It seems like quite an intelligent show from what I've seen.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:23:27 GMT

I was talking to a guy called "C" last night at SHUM.

I've gotten to know him these past 3 weeks as the guy who watches a lot of movies (he's got an insane DVD and video collection).

So I find out last night that he's done jail time. Ok, so have a lot of the marginalised folk down there....no biggie. Then he tells me he was charged with murder in 1996.

...

BOMBSHELL?! How do you react to something like that?

After the initial shock and hesitation, I found out more and more. Without going into too much detail, after a bungled investigation and insufficient trial, the charges were dropped from murder, then to manslaughter...and when even that didn't stick he was eventually charged for "wilful disposal" (of the body). Right.

Thing is, I don't see him any differently than the DVD guy I knew 2 weeks ago. But I can see he's a troubled individual. He has no remorse for what he did and he said he'd do it again (under the same circumstances).

It's going to be interesting talking to him next week. Pray for me and him if you can!

Peace out.

{edit} p.s. did anyone watch Lateline tonight? There was a fascinating interview with Communications Minister Helen Coonan regarding this whole saga over cross media laws and the PBL sale. She mentioned that the media landscape would be going through some big changes in the next few years...now that should be interesting! Realistically though, one wonders what kind of deal Coonan did with the devil, aka. James Packer!

Tony Jones : "God forbid in a nation of obese people that we have people watching TV on their mobile phones" LOL.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 07:49:25 GMT

Dear Xanga,

todayiwokeupat7ambutihitthesnoozebuttonandwentbacktosleepforanother6mins. itookawhiletodecidewhattowearanddidsomequickironingbeforeijumpedintotheshower. Soonafteriwasoutthedoorwithapearinmyhandasbreakfast. Igottochurchreallyearlyforsundayschool,whichmeantigotareallysweetpark,woot. Icouldgoonandonabouthowmydaywentbutthisisnotonlyannoyingtoread,butannoyingtowrite!

To the few people who were at Star Buffet @ Bankstown tonight, this blog is dedicated to you.

Oh btw, Star Buffet = all you can eat goodness (inc mussels, sushi and tempura) for only $18.50. BARGAIN! Located @ Bankstown RSL, lol.

p.s. go see Little Miss Sunshine! Winners will watch it, losers won't.