Are there words to be said? Yes, oh yes. But a blog might not be the most appropriate medium. Blogging is not the same as writing, imho. And with the minutes I snatch out of each day, I would like to be writing instead of blogging.

Heard about Screen Singapore yet? 31 days of Singapore film! :D

Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho) can be considered a great explorer, and the STB has set up an exhibition based on Gavin Menzie's questionable book 1421 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Zheng's first voyage. This is just the first of many events planned -- including the reconstruction of "Dragon's Teeth Gate" (Long Ya Men) an ancient rock formation blown up in the 1880s that Zheng He might have seen, and whose actual appearance no-one can be certain of.

Doesn't anyone find it culturally absurd that we're commemorating an explorer who has almost no link to Singapore whatsoever other than that he passed by and might have used us as a resupply point?Xinhua carried an article on this -- bet the China Chinese are amused.

Singapore's 1st Fantastic Film Festival is over. We never got the response we weren't expecting, but we forgive all the people who went to watch Initial D instead. To everyone who did turn up -- a big Thank You! Your support mattered (and umm... we're still friends right?).

And now for the post-festival paperwork. And bills. Ugh.

There's a good amount of paperwork to do after the festival

Now, why didn't I read this before agreeing to work with Dave? So, You Want To Start a Film Festival - Don't.

Hello :)

You realize the sun don't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world
Spinning 'round

Faster Talk: Apple in Their Eyes

Six companies talk about how they're building products to rival the iPod. All of them agree that just copying Apple is a bad idea, and all six have different strategies to tackle the market leader. Well, four actually since the Sony and Dell representatives say nothing useful whatsoever -- skip those. Sim Wong Hoo from Creative weighs in at the end; he's the only one who laments Apple's multi-million dollar marketing budget.

So the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favour of Big Media in MGM vs. Grokster:

"We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties," Justice Souter wrote.

But there's a fine silver lining, as noted here: Hollywood triumphs in piracy fight.

Eric Garland, the CEO of file-sharing tracker BigChampagne who has followed the Grokster case closely, said Hollywood & Co. was looking to the Supreme Court to rule that peer-to-peer technology is illegal because it's used mostly for illegitimate purposes.

But the court, said Garland, sidestepped the issue in Grokster by focusing instead on how Grokster and StreamCast marketed themselves to potential customers.

"The entertainment industry really needed this to be about the technology. What they didn't get was a decision that said 'tools that allow people to exchange files freely on the Internet, without permission, are illegal,'" said Garland.

Not all is lost.

BBC's In Our Time is running a poll for the "Greatest Philsopher" . The Economist also weighs in. Don't let Marx win ;D

As Belle & Sebastian sing softly in the background, I'm making up a story. This is a tiny part of my work for now.

I'm being reminded of how good it feels to be writing something fictional.

The appeal of Star Wars is really a reflection of society's uneasiness about geeks, scientists and techies? Neal Stephenson on Star Wars: Turn On, Tune In, Veg Out.

Time travel has always had a major loophole -- that a time traveller going back in time can change the present such that he/she wouldn't have to go back in time to begin with. Researchers suggest a solution -- New model 'permits time travel' -- but it all smacks of Baron Munchausen to me still :p

Well, as a sticker on a door in my old dorm read, "Wherever you go, there you are."

Bought a PSP 2nd hand over the weekend, with 3 games: Wipeout Pure, Ridge Racers and Minna no Golf (Hot Shots Golf). I can see how Minna no Golf can be interesting -- it's like a golf RPG with chibi characters that you can customise, but I'm not a fan of golf at all. Although every review out there says that Minna no Golf is plain fun it just doesn't appeal to me. Maybe I should play it a little more?

As promised, the scan of the 1st Singapore Fantastic Film Festival brochure cover. Kudos to Don Low for the visually-arresting art! If it doesn't look as great as it should, that's my scanner's fault and not Don's :)  

Margaret Atwood on why we need science fiction: 'Aliens have taken the place of angels'

Thus, the utopia and the dystopia, which have proved over and over again that we have a better idea about how to make hell on earth than we do about how to make heaven.

Inspired by the folks at DVZine, I'm trying to touch-type in Dvorak. The layout is more intuitive than the Qwerty one, but the learning curve is still steep. Wish me luck.

Brochures for the Singapore Fantastic Film Festival are out, and they look bloody awesome. That little picture on the SFS website does not do justice to Don Low's gorgeous artwork. The all-colour layout's a joy to behold too! Pick up your free copy at Library@Esplanade, GV Marina and The Substation. I'll see if I can put up a scan.

From The Nation: a slightly rambling commentary on the literature concerning Billie Holiday. The writer also talks about Holiday's colourful life, the people who knew her, her music and of course, Holiday's unforgettable voice.

The Nation -- "The First Lady of Song"

Wired magazine discusses the OECD report on digital music -- Wired News: Come On Music Biz, Embrace P2P. The OECD report finds that there isn't a clear link between piracy and falling revenues in the music industry, contrary to what that industry wants you to believe. Moreover, it also affirms the potential of P2P networks for legitimate uses. Lastly, it exhorts record companies to adopt online technologies instead of trying to ban them right away.

Read the report for yourself. .

Royksopp's new music video: Only This Moment.

Oh, and I got Tomorrow-ed yesterday! :D

Presenting Singapore's very first Fantastic Film Festival - SF^3, a celebration of the versatility of the human imagination. Sci-fi, horror, fantasy, and all the good stuff Hollywood won't touch with a 10-foot pole. We also have a character concept design workshop, and a showcase of work from local filmmakers.

So do something different. Do something Fantastic. 23 - 28 June 2005
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