The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug Review

Do not go comparing or setting your standards for The Hobbit with The Lord of The Rings. Else you will be dissapointed.

The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings are never the same in terms of storyline. One is a journey and adventure. Another one is a quest and a battle against good and evil.

The Lord of The Rings are split so perfectly because from the start the author has canonized the whole story into 3 books. So when it comes to making the movies, I think Peter Jackson had an easier time and clearer picture on when to split the movie into 3 parts with good connectivity.

The Hobbit itself is a book. It was not as concise and thorough compared to The Lord of The Rings. So yes there are difficulties into putting an end to a movie part.

I personally thought An Unexpected Journey started and ended quite well, very very much like how The Fellowship of The Rings performed. 

My thoughts on The Desolation of Smaug is: (MINI SPOILER ALERT!)

1. The starting was okay. We can see the effort of trying to relink the audience to what happened in the first film, where we see some unseen plot that builds up the whole story. But the "12 months later" was quite unacceptable as I expected something better (what happened in The Two Tower was it started off with Gandafl battling the Balrog inside the Mines of Moria, falling down into the dark abyss, just until Frodo woke up from the nightmare he had. Simple and classy).

2. I know there are more to come in the 3rd movie There and Back Again. But the ending for The Desolation of Smaug was too cliffhanging. You see the dragon flying towards Laketown and then, movie ends. Too cliffhanging and its like hitting a low note on the verge of an orgasm (sorry for my choice of words)

3. My favourite scene would be Bilbo Baggins inside Erebor, meeting Smaug. The Desolation of Smaug has its fair share of action and fight scenes, but it is nothing compared to the epic battles that have been waged in The Two Towers.

So yes, I admit that I set the bar too high for The Desolation of Smaug. :/

But overall on its own, the 2nd film is nonetheless a prelude to the epic finale 

My 2 Cents Worth on Moyes

Moyes. Meddling Moyes. My goodness what's wrong Moyes.

Manchester is red. But there are 2 shades of red at the moment. One still holding faith to Moyes. Another half condoning him.

I think most United fans have given up hope for at least this season to defend the Premier League title. Admit it. Moyes is no super coach. He's not Guardiola or Mourinho. He just isn't the kind of manager who performs miracles.

Given his reputation and achievements at Everton, I would say he is an average coach, BUT with the ability to pull out surprises once in a while (like every staggered season?)

He isn't the kind of manager where you would expect greatness and glory. Yes I'm making assumptions. Yes it's even barely one season. But think back: Mourinho came out of nowhere, lead Porto to greatness, then Chelsea too. Guardiola made Barca the best team in the world, now Bayern are somewhat a shadow of the late Barca.

Yes Moyes is given the chance and liability to tinker with the squad and tactics. But it is definitely unacceptable for taking over the team, which has plenty of talent and yet failing to pick up even mundane wins.

I accept that it would be impossible for us to get any silverware at the start of the season. But never would I fathom that we would be languishing outside a Europe competition standings. This is just too much.

I'm not trying to convert every United fan around the world to hate Moyes. I just don't think that he's the right man for the job.

Don't go comparing Sir Alex with Moyes. Sir Alex started building his squad FROM SCRATCH. Moyes took over United like manager mode on FIFA 14.

It is not proven that 100% of trust and time given will pay dividends. I wonder how long will the loyalty towards Moyes last? After ending up relegated? After one season?

The moment United can't even manage top 6, I know this man is very well incompetent of his job.

And don't get me started on his choice of selection. Dammnit!


P.S. Go to google and google Moyes. Look at the top 5 choices. Moyes OUT!

September 1752

Apparently this is real.

On September 1752, our calender lost 11 days.


It is said that on this day, England shifted from the Roman Julian Calender to the Gregory calender (i.e. the calender we are using now).

A Julian year is 11 days longer than a Gregorian year. So the king ordered 11 days to be wiped off.

New Year was in April according to Julian date. Many people were not happy or contented to give up the old customs to celebrate New Year on April. To counter measure that, the King finally issued a royal dictum; which stated that those who celebrated 1st April as the new year's day would be labelled as fools. From then on, 1st April became April Fool's Day. 

How true is that? I don't know. 

But the part where September 1752 had 11 days wiped off is definitely real.

Believe it or google it :P

Source: Wierd World

Begin With The End In "Mind"

The second principle of Stephen R. Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

Begin with the end in mind. Foresee what you would like to achieve at the end of a chapter or mission. Visualize.

And I have a direction. Of where to step next. On where to go next.

Just need some time before taking action.

Time to buck up and prepare.

Interests

Recently I found myself losing that passion for one of my interests - music.

Gone were the days when a good song hit me hard, so hard that I visualize it in piano arrangements, and I would try playing it out on the piano.

Not that I'm some music prodigy or what so ever. It's just that it used to feel so so soooo good when you're able to figure out the chords, then the rhythms, then voila, a basic rendition by yourself, which is certainly very very rewarding, if you're passionate about music.

Now ever since I start working, my life starts taking it's toll. I only exercise during the weekends. And apart from reading my ever growing reading lists, playing some games here and there and catching good dramas and movies, I realized that the urge to play a song on the piano doesn't crops up as it used to.

Nowadays I last barely 5 minutes on the piano. Gone were the perseverance where I would sit down for half an hour or an hour, playing the songs that I used to know or practiced learning those that I tried so hard.

Yes this is the real life. Working takes up a whole big chunk of your life. All in the name of money. Because without money, you can't live. You'll have nothing to eat. You'll have nowhere to stay. You'll be.. hopeless.

But deep down inside me, I yearn to roll back the days that I once had. Playing the piano because I have the luxury to do so. Spend the whole afternoon reading the books that takes me to another place. Have that 1 hour gaming, and that hourly dose of daily exercise.

Ahhh... I must be dreaming too much...

Musical binge, please come back. Cause without you, I am not Ong Joo Parn...

Shingeki No Kyojin

The fandom and the reviews spread. From Japan. To around the world. To my peers and relatives. To me.

I heard recommendations and reviews to try this anime out. They say it was awesome. Much much more awesome then SAO.

I've already watched SAO and I know how awesome it is. I needed no more persuasion than to start.

But the thing being "much much more awesome then SAO" really set my standards high.

Nevertheless, if someone asked me now, I would gladly justify that it is indeed better than SAO a little (don't get me wrong. I like both.)

I think one of the main reasons that made me love SnK (Shingeki no Kyojin aka Attack on Titan) is, how I see things through Eren's eyes - how I am able to take something fictional and see that it applies to the reality.

In case that you guys don't know about the story (please watch the anime or read the manga.), its about how a young boy living in a world terrorized by Titans (or giants if you may please.). Good thing for the humans in the story, they're living in cities protected by high rising walls, protecting them from the Titans.

What would you do if you were one of the humans in the story? Stay inside the city, live happily without even bothering what is outside? Stay as normal as possible?

Not for Eren. To see what the world is outside, he has to purge the Titans of their existence. He needs to avenge the death of his mother by the Titans. Even if it means his own death.

Coming back to the reality, most of us are complacent of having a normal life, spend their whole life trying to climb up the corporate ladder, spending their life trying to clear debts...

But not me. Just not me.

I yearn to be different. I want to be different.

I will be different. 

Grandpa

Sometimes you wished you have done something abit earlier...
When he was troubling you, when he asked for companionship in the middle of the night...
At least at that time, he can still talk...

 Now...
He isn't talking,
Nor eating.
You see him growing thinner and thinner day by day...
Weaker and weaker day by day...

Come this Friday,
Might be the last day I might see grandpa for the last day he's alive...
His days are numbered...

I still remember him drafting out Math questions after dinner everyday...
From summations, subtractions to multiplications and division,
Or playing badminton with him every afternoon,

Yes I have been cold towards him,
And I think most of us were cold too,
Just perhaps not as cold as me I think,
Then he stopped asking for companionship,
Stopped asking for someone to talk to...

Now when all hope is lost,
I seek my best to earn back the time that I have so easily forsook,
So eager to turn back the clock,
To the days I visited his shop excitedly,
Asking him for a bottle of F&N beverage

Ahh... Nostalgia...
Even though I may have more than what I had in the past,
I would still turn back the clock
Go through all the pain that I have went through,
To give Grandpa more love,
The love that he had showered me while he could,
And to repay for the love that I am desperate to return...

Come this Friday,
I hope to let my love flow through my tears,
As this is the only way I could repay the love,
Grandpa gave to me since I was born till now...