absolutum dominium

I just finished watching Stanley Kubrick's 1971 movie version of "A Clockwork Orange". I'd always found the novel by Anthony Burgess highly compelling, and had always wanted to watch the film version of it (especially coz it's a Stanley Kubrick production), but had never had the chance till tonight.

And without giving away too many spoilers about the movie, I recommend tt you watch it. I highly enjoyed the movie. Even though it was 2 hours and 15 mins long, it feels a lot less, and it's very watchable. And the issues arising out of the novel's language pose much less of a problem here coz there is visual stimuli to accompany the language, so you don't have to scratch your head to decipher what Alex is trying to say to us. Oh, but man am I up for a bit of the old ultra-violence right now. ;)

Note: For a 1971 film, it is definitely controversial. I rem when I read the novel, Burgess mentioned some displeasure with the movie itself as it was incomplete (i.e. missing the final chapter), but still, I think this movie is VERY worth watching.

And in other news... Today I didn't do much. Yes yes yes. My body clock is officially screwed. I can't seem to sleep before 4.30am and wake up before 12.00pm. And these few days coz of the mood swings I'd been feeling like an emotional savage (AAARRRGGGHHH!!!), and today in addition to some of the other complications tt I had expressed to closer friends *big sigh*, I was disproportionally affected by the last-minute cancellations of my trip up to Whistler this weekend. Usually, stuff like this doesn't affect me. It really is supposed to solicit a "whatever" kind of reaction. But today for some reason no matter how I tried to look on the bright side of things, I found myself irritated.

And I think this irritation became full-blown pissed-off-at-the-world during my Psychology and Litigation class. I *hate* Canadian lawyers and the goddamn legal system. I fully support the Innocence Project and I do believe tt too little allowance is being made for wrongful convictions within the Singapore criminal justice system. But even so... must you keep MEDDLING in the goddamn affairs of the law enforcement agencies just so tt you can ensure tt innocent people are not convicted (even if this means tt 1) the criminal justice system is greatly slowed down and rendered more inefficient; and 2) that more guilty people/criminals are free to walk the streets), such tt law enforcement officers look more like a JOKE to me coz their hands always seem tied by all these goddamn Charter rights and what-not. WTF. As far as I'm concerned, your right to claiming the Charter ends the moment your fist lands on your neighbour's nose. And even though you may still have access to Charter rights as long as you have not yet been proven guilty... why the FUCK do police officers have to tell you tt you have the right to silence and/or counsel before conducting their interviews (Miranda v. Wisconsin)??? What would the point of trying to extract a confession out of you be if you can choose to shut up or have some smarmy criminal lawyer smirk his way around the law? Although I wouldn't mind accepting the Miranda judgment if adverse inferrences may be drawn from both. Muahahahaha.

But yes. Suffice to say today was "pissed off day". By the time I'd walked out from my class I wanted to kill someone. I wanted someone to give me an excuse to kick him in the balls or punch him in the face and gut. I didn't even feel like eating dinner coz I'd really qi4 bao3 (which is a first coz everyone who knows me know tt I never pass over food for anything). I went over to Koerner Library to join Diana and try to do my readings coz I didn't want to go back to my room knowing tt I wouldn't do anything except the usual time-wasters and end up getting more irritated (probably with myself too).

Not tt I did very much studying in the lib. I ended up blasting Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana and Linkin Park into my ears, so tt pretty much means I had no concentration. And I was acting like a sulky petulant kid as well. *sigh* Admittedly I do feel a bit awkward and a bit left out around the current SEP group. I guess it's mainly my fault coz I don't often join them for outings and stuff, so it's no wonder tt I'm not tt comfortable with them and vice versa, and it does get awkward sometimes coz I just don't know what topics we can click on (if you haven't noticed, I don't click easily with people). I guess tt was one of the things tt was bothering me, but it was a bit more affecting during this period. But like Andy says, what you can do, you do. What you can't do, fuck it. So there.

Anyway things got better. Food is the universal cure. Managed to drag Diana and Ben (after his lesson) to the Village to eat Chinese food with me. Second time at the restaurant in 2 nights. Wahaha. No wonder the owner is treating us better and better. 3 of us shared 2 combo dishes and 1 long of har kau, and it was pretty good food. Haha I am actually glad I am eating more Chinese food. I think I am finally getting sick of burgers and fries. Wahaha. But yeah, dinner was comfortable. And we were discussing Wrexler and Fundamentalism. For some reason, Ben needs sleep tonight coz he needs to psychologically prepare himself for Wrexler's class, coz every time after class he becomes so depressed tt he can't go for his next class after tt.

As for me, I don't need to prepare at all coz I don't even have to *think* during tt class. You come out of it feeling like you've learnt nothing at all. Which was exactly what made Ben depressed - tt he was learning nothing. And according to Diana, tt Wrexler was a loophole in the system. Ben thinks he will actually contribute more to society sweeping the floor. Wahaha.

Ended our evening with me buying a large cup of hot chocolate ($1.50) from McDonald's. And then it was back to watch A Clockwork Orange. I'd actually wanted to stop by the gym to pulverise the punching bag, but the food and the conversation had mellowed me quite a bit. Which is a good thing. I think tt even though I have toned down more now in terms of violent tendencies, when I do get them they're still as strong and as vivid as the used to be. In the past I had Taekwondo as an outlet. Well. At least now the punching bag is still accessible. :) But even then, tonight I just went back to watch my movie.

And now, at 3.00am, it's a little earlier than my normal sleeping time, but I shall try to sleep. Hopefully I can wake up earlier tomorrow. Say around 11.00 am?

And you. Go listen to Radiohead or something. Diana likes the "Fitter Happier" track from OK Computer. It reminds me of Trainspotting's "Choose Life" monologue. Kind of. Well, or go listen to Karma Police. We all like Karma Police, don't you?

KARMA POLICE
- by Radiohead

Karma police, arrest this man
He talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge
He's like a detuned radio

Karma police, arrest this girl
Her Hitler hairdo is
Making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party

This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get when you mess with us

Karma Police
I've given all I can
It's not enough
I've given all I can
But we're still on the payroll

This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get when you mess with us

And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself

For for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
For for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself

In the early version, the first verse went:
Karma police arrest this girl
She stares at me
As if she owns the world and
We have crashed her party