FIGHT CLUB: Blu ray Cover Art Review

And I thought the previous cover art versions were nifty? Another "Fight Club" cover art comes along, for their 10th year anniversary, now in Blu ray that has got me really excited and in fact, made me want to reminisce the movie again. "Fight Club" is a story of a boy, a man, of fights and of clubs. We all know it is more than the details I've mentioned. People who watched and understood the film will say that this is one hot movie that leaves a fingerprint in pop culture while not failing to incorporate the story with intelligent remarks and exposes on current consumerism.

The previous art covers include a pic of a pink soap with the lead characters nameless narrator, played by Edward Norton and Tyler, played by Brad Pitt. Another version is a sleek pic of a package, presumably packing the infamous "pink soap." But what makes the new art cover appealing is that it really does its best to outdo the previous covers and in a weird way does. There are many versions of the new release but I've picked my fave (the large one). The gritty black and white paper cut slash photocopy-esque rendition of the nameless narrator with a neon pink, spray-painted movie title overlay definitely caught my eye. Added, in a white graffiti-like font, is a wildly favorite quotation of mine from the movie "YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL." Well, maybe not but this new cover art truly is...

I CAN DO ANYTHING...but what do I really want?

This is going to be quick. I was typing in Yahoo this phrase: "how to know what you really want" and I stumbled upon this amazing article and a fantastic site. Now, I just want to share this with you...

What Do You REALLY Want?

December 7th, 2007 by Editor, Pick The Brain

The statement, “You can do anything you put your mind to,” leads us to believe that all you must do is imagine what you’d like to accomplish, set your mind to the task, and wait for success.

To a certain degree this is true. Focused intention combined with action is a powerful force. But the statement is misleading because it fails to mention the difficulty and necessity of focusing your mind on a specific goal.

Most of us don’t know what we want. We think we do, but we really don’t. We only know what we don’t want. We don’t want a boring job. We don’t want to be poor. We don’t want to disappoint our loved ones.

Knowing specifically what you want is much different than knowing what you don’t want. When you only know what you don’t want, your intentions aren’t focused. Consider this example.

Pete doesn’t want to be poor. He’s sick of earning less than his friends, and he’s determined to raise his status. To accomplish this goal, Pete could take many different paths. He could train for a high paying profession, such as doctor or lawyer. He could start his own company, go into real estate, or do many other things that would lead to acquiring wealth.

But Pete isn’t sure what he wants to do. He doesn’t know which path best fits his skills and personality, so he doesn’t resolve to follow any particular path.

Hoping to answer this question, he investigates a dozen possibilities, but as soon as he runs into adversity he decides that path isn’t for him and moves on to a new solution.

Pete’s actions aren’t focused. Although he works very hard, his efforts don’t build on each other. Rather than building one giant impenetrable sand castle, Pete has built twenty smalls ones that are easily toppled. He ends up confused and discouraged. Ultimately Pete’s lack of focus leads to failure.

Now, what if Pete had chosen a specific path? Suppose he decided on the law profession. His actions would have been clearly defined:

• Get a high score on the LSAT
• Attain letters of recommendation
• Get accepted to a good law school
• Decide on a field of law
• Earn a law degree
• Find a high paying job with a good law firm

A set of specific goals is much easier to achieve than a vague end goal like becoming wealthy. Being focused on a path gives Pete a logical set of actions to follow. Each accomplishment is one step closer to the final goal.

I think we can all agree that committing to a clearly defined path, regardless of which one, gives Pete the best chance of becoming wealthy.

But how can he choose a path if he doesn’t know what he wants? Maybe money isn’t his only goal. Maybe he wants to do something he loves at the same time. Maybe he can’t afford to go back to school. Reality is complicated, and Pete doesn’t want to commit too soon.

And that’s why he fails.

But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Most people don’t fit neatly into a predefined path. Forcing yourself into one may lead to success, but it probably won’t make you happy.

This is the point. If you want to be conventionally successful, to attain wealth and status, you need to choose a specific path (preferably something mainstream) and follow it to the letter.

On the other hand, if you aren’t particularly concerned with wealth or success, you can take your time searching for that perfect niche.

Just don’t wait too long to decide. Each moment you deliberate, your already committed competitors sprint further ahead.

But, then again, maybe life isn’t a race, and maybe the most interesting people follow a path all their own.

- from http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/you-arent-getting-anywhere-because-you-dont-know-where-you-want-to-go/

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...And the other site I'm talking about: http://www.thewaytohappiness.org/#/videos

The site's title and tagline totally rocks: The Way to Happiness: A Common Sense Guide to Better Living.

Random FAVE things

I LOVE: (Part 1)

1. Britney Spears and most of her upbeat songs. People say she's an entertainer. I say she is, only plus genuis. I don't know why I like her so much. I am very picky with movies. I criticize the half-hearted and formulaic films that are so predictable. But with music, I love pop songs, dance songs, songs that doesn't require me to think much. Fun songs. This blog ain't really about her so I will stop now. I just love her and it is something I can never fully explain. Maybe it's the entire package. Ok, stopping now.

2. Pixar. I worship all of their movies. So excited to see the short "Partly Cloudy" (currently downloading).

3. Social Networks especially Facebook.

4. Friends and Family (God, I miss them. Di pa gyud ko kauli X-mas.)

5. Madonna, God of Pop. I have witnessed her reinventions and evolution. Say she's old but as the old adage goes "old doesn't mean irrelevant." She's the epitome of relevance.

to be continued...

THIRST: poster review

Why are Koreans very very good in poster designs? Will you take a look at this "Thirst" poster? It is very simple yet extremely striking. What better way to create a poster for a vampire movie than this? Plus, it comes in black. Minimalism at its best. The movie was fantastic as well. Watch out for my review of the movie.

The Gossip Generation

“Haven’t you heard? I’m the crazy bitch around here,” declares the ever famous or infamous Blair Waldorf to Georgina in The CW's hit teen show Gossip Girl. I am now an official fan of the show after I rejected it in its first season saying it’s just another teen drama mechanized by Hollywood T.V. moguls. Little did I know that the show had some style and zing and the cast ensemble is ridiculously good-looking and talented.

The show is about the residents from the upper-east side of New York and this gossip central powered by today’s myriad of technology: cellphones, internet and other gadgets that keep you connected all the time. Elite teens, adults and people around them live lives full of fun and zest. Of course, as the title suggests, this show has generated a lot of backbitings, sex, lies and of course gossips. Critics are saying it’s too lewd or it’s over glamorizing the residents in upper Manhattan. Well, in fairness to the show, I think I have seen some improvement from the first season to currently, its third season. Characters are more matured and fleshed out and there has been a balance of bitchiness and blessed moral values. And the interconnection of stories? Preposterous at times but it’s a ton of fun. How can I complain?

I can say that although most of us are not inhabitants of the eternally energetic New York City, the show reflects our lives and how much time we sometimes consume discussing about other people’s lives. Enter the gadgetry we have today which aids us to communicate to almost anyone at anytime of any day. Social Networks are sprouting everywhere in the web and we are forever attracted to socialization that is why we always sign up to these sites. I myself have a Friendster, Flickr, MySpace, Blogger, Twitter and Facebook account and to think I was maybe one of the three unsociable people in High-school. Now, I am highly sociable and very expressive, thus, I have a plethora of social networks, mostly established in the web. These networks help me see more of the world and of course, contact my friends and family. Sometimes, hard for us to admit, we abuse the net by talking about other people and situations they are in. There are already so many victims of social network misuse. These felonies range from petty crimes such as posting something bad about a person on Facebook or something much worse like killing just for some comment posted on the web. I would like to think I have learned my lesson well from this and wish that we all use these hi-tech social systems for the good…but a little fun and gossip wouldn’t hurt now, would it? Then again, maybe yes.

Yes, contest all you want, but we are the gossip generation. With no epic war or no life threatening issues similar from past generations, we sometimes channel ourselves into anything that will not wrap us up in ennui. I myself had been caught up with my lies and deceit and had a fair share of backbiting and volcano-erupting quarrels. It gets tiresome in the end though. At the end of the day, all you really want is peace. After all, you blame others for ratting you out but at one point you’ve also told secrets you shouldn’t have. We are all the same. As long as we always reset our moral compasses then everything will be all right.

You might ask “Who is Gossip Girl?” In the show, Gossip Girl is a cute, little, bitchy voice over. During one episode, almost every character wanted to get even with her and take her down. But they then realized that they were Gossip Girl. The accumulation of all the gossips they’ve sent to Gossip Girl gave her a life of her own. So they all make up, make peace and make something more fruitful in their lives. Or so I would want to believe. And don’t you ever say that Gossip Girl is just a girl. Even G-Dragon from Big Bang proclaims “Pay attention please. I am Gossip Man.” XOXO!

Facebook Please!!!

It is no longer a surprise that I adore the social network "Facebook." I am one proof that some people do get mature and become more socially capable and inclined. As a Filipino teacher in a small city in Vietnam called Dien Bien Phu, I really love to keep things in perspective in order for me not to get bored. I often say that the internet is our only true window to the world and I believe this statement's "significance" is incontestable. Every time I miss something from my life in the Philippines, I rely on the memories that keep me positive and happy.

Fortunately, with the advent of texting, calling, voice and video chat, and social networks, we are able to get the closest thing to being physically unified with our friends and family, people that matter the most in our lives. It is no wonder that me and my Pinoy friends here in Vietnam are in utter dismay as problems occurred in Facebook in the past two days. "We are doomed," I uttered exaggeratedly. But aren't we? I mean as I've mentioned a while ago, the net is our window to the world and as of this moment, Facebook has been my clearest window to the world. I just hope that Facebook will return to its sanity soon before we lose ours. I've resorted to using my old Friendster account and opened a Twtter account to channel all my need for connecting with people. Still, Facebook is special and is irreplaceable for me at of this moment.

"Breathe in. Breathe out," I mindset myself as I believe that soon enough, everything will be all right. After all, they say that when life closes a window, it opens a door. Or was that the other way around?