"Whenever I feel the need to exercise, I lie down until it goes away."
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Secret Life of Bees
After stuffing 12 Chinese proverbs into my brain, I decided to treat myself a little by watching a whole movie. (Not that I don't watch TV but I usually watch the half hour series instead of the 2-hour whole movies during exam.) And yes, that was what I watched. Initially, I didn't expect to like it that much but I was proved wrong. It's the first movie starring black people that I actually love. Maybe it's because of Dakota Fanning. (God, I'm such a racist.)
Anyway, the movie is about a 14 year-old girl who lives with her abusive father and her kind housekeeper, Rosaline. The film opens with her mother trying to leave her father when he suddenly barges in. Her mother's gun fell to the floor and the little girl picks it up. "I killed my mother when I was four years old, that's what I knew about myself. She was all I wanted and I took her away. Nothing else much mattered."
On Lily's fourteenth birthday, she had a huge fight with her father, prompting him to tell her that her mother was going to leave her behind with him on the day she died. When her father is asleep, Lily leaves a note for him and left with Rosaline to a town called Tiburon where her mother had once lived. They were lead to the house of August Boatwright and her sisters, May and June after inquiring about the manufacturer of a honey jar belonging to her mother.
Lily lies about her being an orphan and that Rosaline is her nanny and they have no place to stay. The sisters took them in and they offer to help with the honey. At first, June is obvious with her hatred for white people but she soon warms up to Lily. She also becomes good friends with August's godson, Zach.
When Zach gets kidnapped by a racist mob, May, who is traumatized by her twin sister's death and gets upset easily commits a suicide. Soon after her death, Zach returns bruised and distraught but otherwise alright.
It is then revealed that August was once Lily's mother, Deborah's nanny. As August and Lily discuss Lily's mother, Deborah, Lily confesses that she, while trying to help her mother, wound up killing her. She also confesses her belief that Zach's disappearance was all her fault, as well, so she needs to leave, convinced it is best for everyone that she leave since she is unlovable and destroys all that she comes across. Lily breaks down crying and runs to the honey house.
Later on, her father comes to the Boatwright home looking for Lily. When he sees Lily wearing her mother's pin, he mistakes her for her mother for a second, and tells her she can't leave him. After August shows up to calm the scene, he unwillingly gives August permission to take care of Lily for as long as she wanted to stay there. As he drives off, he admits that the day Deborah left, she wasn't only coming back for her stuff, but coming back for Lily. When asked why he lied, he said, "because she wasn't coming back for me."
Lily's voice over states that she thought, as her father drove off saying "Good Riddance", he was really saying "Lily, you'll be better off here with all of these mothers."
Lily is shown writing the contents of the entire story into the notebook that Zach gave her, and she puts it in May's wall. She walks off into the honey house as the scene fades to black.
P.S. Oh yeah, forgot the warning. This is a major tear jerker. As in from start to finish. Prepare lots of tissues. And it's rated PG-13.
P.P.S. Also starring Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Paul Bettany(!) and Sophie Okonedo.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Autumn Cardinal
For the cry of dire portent
That would set the leaves
Aflame.
A thousand autumns would
Be inconsequent -
As if the celestial burning of wood
Is but
Her deliverance.
And the stiff twigs
Would not have cracked
Under her heels;
For all the lost days of autumn
Stacked up high
In her heart.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Frog Leprosy
Over the sleepy moon
Lulling and coaxing
Black asininity.
Frogs of the night
Caught themselves peeling
Off their leprous skin
And dumping
The gangrenous membrane
The gangrenous membrane
Into the little stream;
Where they floated
And drowned.
P.S. You know what, D.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Torture Devices - Part 2
Note: Continuing from previous post. Not for faint hearted.
1. Impalement
Driving a long stick from the anus to the mouth. This form of torture is particularly associated with Vlad the Impaler, else known as Dracula. At that time, he was actually known as a good ruler - feared and famous for the severity of his punishments. It came to a point that even thievery was punishable by impalement. The story that I liked most about him though, was his war with the Ottomans. (Fourth formers, Ottoman=Uthmaniyah) The Moslems were lead by Sultan Mehmed II who marched his army towards Wallachia. Instead of impaling the enemy, Vlad had impaled 20,000 of his own soldiers and had left their corpses to rot on the banks of Danube. When Mehmed's army encountered the putrid, decaying corpses, they were so sickened that they turned right back to Constantinople even though the outnumbered Vlad's army by three to one and was better equipped. Cool, huh? Oh yeah, and apparently, death by impalement takes days. Scientists initially thought this to be impossible but further research proved it to be accurate.
2. Catherine Wheel
Also known as the Breaking Wheel. The condemned were placed on a cartwheel with their limbs stretched out along the spokes over two sturdy wooden beams. The wheel was made to revolve slowly, and a large hammer or an iron bar was then applied to the limb over the gap between the beams, breaking the bones. This process was repeated several times per limb. Afterwards, the condemned's shattered limbs were woven ('braiden') through the spokes of the wheel, which was then hoisted onto a tall pole so that birds could eat the sometimes still-living individual.
3. Flaying
It means the removal of one's skin. And of course, since it's a form of torture, it's done when the person is still alive. In most cases, the executioner flayed off the facial skin first, slowly working his way down to his legs. Mostly, the victims die before they got to their feet.
4. Iron Maiden
The Iron Maiden, otherwise known as the Virgin of Nuremberg, was a device used from the XVI century to torture criminals. It stands 7 feet tall and can accommodate a large man. The victim was tied inside the Maiden and one of the two doors was shut, penetrating the victim's flesh with the strategically-placed spikes that didn't penetrate any vital organs. Additionally, the spikes blocked the wounds so it would take the victim many hours, or God forbid, even days to die. Sad.
5. Sawing
In Execution by sawing, the criminal would be hung upside-down and a large saw would be used to cut their body in half, starting with the groin, all the way to the head. Because the person was hanging upside-down, the brain received sufficient blood to keep them alive until the saw finally reached the main blood vessels in the abdomen and then they die.
P.S. I think impalement is the coolest. Not that I want to try. Dracula rocks the world.
1. Impalement
Driving a long stick from the anus to the mouth. This form of torture is particularly associated with Vlad the Impaler, else known as Dracula. At that time, he was actually known as a good ruler - feared and famous for the severity of his punishments. It came to a point that even thievery was punishable by impalement. The story that I liked most about him though, was his war with the Ottomans. (Fourth formers, Ottoman=Uthmaniyah) The Moslems were lead by Sultan Mehmed II who marched his army towards Wallachia. Instead of impaling the enemy, Vlad had impaled 20,000 of his own soldiers and had left their corpses to rot on the banks of Danube. When Mehmed's army encountered the putrid, decaying corpses, they were so sickened that they turned right back to Constantinople even though the outnumbered Vlad's army by three to one and was better equipped. Cool, huh? Oh yeah, and apparently, death by impalement takes days. Scientists initially thought this to be impossible but further research proved it to be accurate.
2. Catherine Wheel
Also known as the Breaking Wheel. The condemned were placed on a cartwheel with their limbs stretched out along the spokes over two sturdy wooden beams. The wheel was made to revolve slowly, and a large hammer or an iron bar was then applied to the limb over the gap between the beams, breaking the bones. This process was repeated several times per limb. Afterwards, the condemned's shattered limbs were woven ('braiden') through the spokes of the wheel, which was then hoisted onto a tall pole so that birds could eat the sometimes still-living individual.
3. Flaying
It means the removal of one's skin. And of course, since it's a form of torture, it's done when the person is still alive. In most cases, the executioner flayed off the facial skin first, slowly working his way down to his legs. Mostly, the victims die before they got to their feet.
4. Iron Maiden
The Iron Maiden, otherwise known as the Virgin of Nuremberg, was a device used from the XVI century to torture criminals. It stands 7 feet tall and can accommodate a large man. The victim was tied inside the Maiden and one of the two doors was shut, penetrating the victim's flesh with the strategically-placed spikes that didn't penetrate any vital organs. Additionally, the spikes blocked the wounds so it would take the victim many hours, or God forbid, even days to die. Sad.
5. Sawing
In Execution by sawing, the criminal would be hung upside-down and a large saw would be used to cut their body in half, starting with the groin, all the way to the head. Because the person was hanging upside-down, the brain received sufficient blood to keep them alive until the saw finally reached the main blood vessels in the abdomen and then they die.
P.S. I think impalement is the coolest. Not that I want to try. Dracula rocks the world.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Torture Devices - Part 1
Most of you probably know that I love gruesome history. Maybe I love history becauseit's always bloody. A few years ago, there's a documentary on History Channel on ancient torture devices and I got totally hooked. Seriously, it's like amazing how people can think of all those cool things to torture someone else.
Anyway, I made a list of the most horrifying ones as there are too many minor ones and it would take me forever to list them all out. And even then, I have to split them into parts.
Warning: Not for the faint hearted.
1. Brazen Bull
This one's a torture device that originated from ancient Greece. Perillos ordered a hollow bull made entirely of brass with a side door. The condemned would be shut in the bull and a fire will be set under it, heating the metal until it became red hot and guess what happens to the person in it? Yup. Roast human. Oh yeah, and apparently the bull's head was also designed with a complex system so that the poor victim's screams were converted into the bellowing of a furious bull and the bystanders got so high they actually cheered. Cool, huh?
2. The Pear of Anguish
Doesn't it look absolutely pretty, all gold with intricate designs? Whatever you do, don't put it in your mouth. You'll puke when you listen to the story behind it. This is a torture device designed for people who committed adultery, incest, heresy or get this: sexual union with Satan. Accordingly, it will be inserted into the victim's mouth, rectum or vagina and see that handle? Turn it, and it'll open like a pretty flower. If you're lucky, you survive with your dislocated jaw. If it was inserted into your vagina or rectum, chances of survival are minimal. And even if you do survive, you'll get infection and die anyway. (They don't wash that thing.)
3. Breast Ripper
Girls, ouch! This is for women who are condemned as heretics, adulterers, blasphemers, witches... And in case you didn't see the title, it's used to rip out women's breasts. Erm, advantage? No more complaints about sore breasts every month. If you survive, that is.
4. The Judas Cradle
Another Spanish Inquisition device also known as the Judas Chair or the Spanish Donkey. This thing intrudes where it really hurts. Man, ancients are big on BDSM, aren't they? You're supposed to sit on the tip of that metal thing, naked, with weights tied to your ankles. Wonder if there are any survivors. *Glances at the tip* Probably not.
5. The Heretic's Fork
With the four sharp points rammed deep into the flesh under the chin and into the bone of the sternum, the fork prevented all movement of the head and allowed the victim only to murmur, in a barely audible voice, “abiuro” (“I recant”, engraved on one side of the fork). If instead he still refused, and if the Inquisition was the Spanish one, he was held to be an “impenitent heretic” and, dressed in the characteristic costume, was led to the stake, but with the consolation of the sacrament if extreme unction; if instead it was the Papal Inquisition, he was hanged or burnt, without the benefit of the pretty costume but still with that of proper Christian rites. In short, it's not built to kill, only to torture.
Anyway, I made a list of the most horrifying ones as there are too many minor ones and it would take me forever to list them all out. And even then, I have to split them into parts.
Warning: Not for the faint hearted.
1. Brazen Bull
This one's a torture device that originated from ancient Greece. Perillos ordered a hollow bull made entirely of brass with a side door. The condemned would be shut in the bull and a fire will be set under it, heating the metal until it became red hot and guess what happens to the person in it? Yup. Roast human. Oh yeah, and apparently the bull's head was also designed with a complex system so that the poor victim's screams were converted into the bellowing of a furious bull and the bystanders got so high they actually cheered. Cool, huh?
2. The Pear of Anguish
Doesn't it look absolutely pretty, all gold with intricate designs? Whatever you do, don't put it in your mouth. You'll puke when you listen to the story behind it. This is a torture device designed for people who committed adultery, incest, heresy or get this: sexual union with Satan. Accordingly, it will be inserted into the victim's mouth, rectum or vagina and see that handle? Turn it, and it'll open like a pretty flower. If you're lucky, you survive with your dislocated jaw. If it was inserted into your vagina or rectum, chances of survival are minimal. And even if you do survive, you'll get infection and die anyway. (They don't wash that thing.)
3. Breast Ripper
Girls, ouch! This is for women who are condemned as heretics, adulterers, blasphemers, witches... And in case you didn't see the title, it's used to rip out women's breasts. Erm, advantage? No more complaints about sore breasts every month. If you survive, that is.
4. The Judas Cradle
Another Spanish Inquisition device also known as the Judas Chair or the Spanish Donkey. This thing intrudes where it really hurts. Man, ancients are big on BDSM, aren't they? You're supposed to sit on the tip of that metal thing, naked, with weights tied to your ankles. Wonder if there are any survivors. *Glances at the tip* Probably not.
5. The Heretic's Fork
With the four sharp points rammed deep into the flesh under the chin and into the bone of the sternum, the fork prevented all movement of the head and allowed the victim only to murmur, in a barely audible voice, “abiuro” (“I recant”, engraved on one side of the fork). If instead he still refused, and if the Inquisition was the Spanish one, he was held to be an “impenitent heretic” and, dressed in the characteristic costume, was led to the stake, but with the consolation of the sacrament if extreme unction; if instead it was the Papal Inquisition, he was hanged or burnt, without the benefit of the pretty costume but still with that of proper Christian rites. In short, it's not built to kill, only to torture.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
French Champagne
To: Armand. And Rachel.
Lying on crumpled, broken wings... a drunken mess in the midst of a city that never sleeps. The stagnant air smelled of spilt champagne and cigarettes. What sort of god would have allowed the devil himself to creep into the room of his faithful follower as he slept? I don’t know how long I watched from the shadows... not daring to make a sound lest I disturb his peaceful slumber. The minutes ticked by... painfully slow as I approached the bedside, gazing down upon his face for the very first time.
He was just as beautiful as I had imagined... this fallen angel.
His eyelids fluttered and a low, incoherent mummer escaped his full lips. I reached down to remove the half empty bottle that leaned against his chest, setting it quietly on the floor beside the bed as I moved to sit beside him. Dark hair spilled over the sweat soaked pillows and his head turned ever so slightly to one side granting me a perfect view of the vein that pulsed just beneath the taut skin of his throat. I leaned closer... drawn in by the heat of this mortal body so near to me. It would have been so easy.
My face was so very near to his that I had to fight back the urge to wake him... to jolt him out of his sleep for the sheer satisfaction of seeing the fear in his eyes when he realised that his personal demon had sought him out and that this perfect predator had been victorious in the first round of this dangerous game we played.
Instead, I lowered my lips until it touched his smooth, white neck; the blood throbbing in his vein almost palpable and let my fangs pierce a little hole into the perfect skin. Champagne and more champagne, the lovely bubbles and sweet, sweet delight. But I didn't plan on sucking him dry - not tonight.
Bold with my own devious little victory, I brushed my lips lightly over his. He tasted of defeat and expensive French champagne. His lips parted and he moaned softly as my fingers moved through his thick hair. I wondered if my gentle touch had stirred dreams of some lover from the past. Those very same pale, musician's fingers could have crushed his skull if I so desired.
Lying on crumpled, broken wings... a drunken mess in the midst of a city that never sleeps. The stagnant air smelled of spilt champagne and cigarettes. What sort of god would have allowed the devil himself to creep into the room of his faithful follower as he slept? I don’t know how long I watched from the shadows... not daring to make a sound lest I disturb his peaceful slumber. The minutes ticked by... painfully slow as I approached the bedside, gazing down upon his face for the very first time.
He was just as beautiful as I had imagined... this fallen angel.
His eyelids fluttered and a low, incoherent mummer escaped his full lips. I reached down to remove the half empty bottle that leaned against his chest, setting it quietly on the floor beside the bed as I moved to sit beside him. Dark hair spilled over the sweat soaked pillows and his head turned ever so slightly to one side granting me a perfect view of the vein that pulsed just beneath the taut skin of his throat. I leaned closer... drawn in by the heat of this mortal body so near to me. It would have been so easy.
My face was so very near to his that I had to fight back the urge to wake him... to jolt him out of his sleep for the sheer satisfaction of seeing the fear in his eyes when he realised that his personal demon had sought him out and that this perfect predator had been victorious in the first round of this dangerous game we played.
Instead, I lowered my lips until it touched his smooth, white neck; the blood throbbing in his vein almost palpable and let my fangs pierce a little hole into the perfect skin. Champagne and more champagne, the lovely bubbles and sweet, sweet delight. But I didn't plan on sucking him dry - not tonight.
Bold with my own devious little victory, I brushed my lips lightly over his. He tasted of defeat and expensive French champagne. His lips parted and he moaned softly as my fingers moved through his thick hair. I wondered if my gentle touch had stirred dreams of some lover from the past. Those very same pale, musician's fingers could have crushed his skull if I so desired.
I wished to whisper into his ear, voice so low it could've been his imagination, that the Devil isn’t real. That horned demon that tormented him as he slept is nothing more than a figment of a demented imagination. The hell he feared existed only within the boundaries of his own mind. I am the Prince of Darkness. There is no greater evil than that which I have shown him.
"Enjoy your bed of cold, damp stone, my love. And take comfort in the knowledge that the only creature out to steal your soul has already had a taste of it."
"Enjoy your bed of cold, damp stone, my love. And take comfort in the knowledge that the only creature out to steal your soul has already had a taste of it."
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Lorelei
The night shivers; dried leaves rustling in my ears
And all of a sudden the rain comes, floating
Like the furry petals of a dandelion
Diving headlong into the lake
As the fish shed their silver scales
And turned the lake into a glimmering sheen.
My ears are strained, eyes closed
Sifting through lapping water
For the pretty Lorelei, who
Called to me in my dreams
Submerged limbs, white
White as marble, white as the moon.
She was there. Petal lips
Trembling. Eyes vaguely luminescent, stared
From the depths of the water, staring still.
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