Freedom of Speech

We really take for granted the freedoms we have in the Western world. With the click of a button, I can announce my opinions on various subjects to an audience of thousands. With the ever increasing advances in software, broadband availability and imagination of the public, my opinions can not only be announced through text, but also through audio (podcasting), pictures (online photo-albums) and even video (personal web-space as the only barrier). These sorts of freedoms, that we don't even think twice about, are not available in other parts of the world. Take for example Arash Sigarchi, an Iranian blogger who was arrested and sentenced to 14 years of jail time for criticizing (on his blog) the arrest of other online journalists. We look back at the Holocaust, or the Soviet Union, and think that brain-washing and propaganda is a thing of the past. It's going on as we speak in countries such as Iran. Accusations of espionage, and "insulting the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic" are being thrown around like they're nothing.

What's being done to fight against this? I guess you can say 'blogosphere vigilantes' such as Hossein Derakhshan who left Iran after his newspaper was shut down are taking this matter into their own hands. He is creating opportunities for other repressed Iranian bloggers to speak their minds. Although he is no longer at risk (you would think) in Toronto, he did make a trip back to Iran to cover the recent election.

So, although blogging, IM'ing and emailing seem like second nature to us, we really need to realize how lucky we are to have full access to them. Hopefully nations such as Iran soon realize how close-minded they are, and abandon their stagnant fundamentalist attitudes for something better. A society like ours? Maybe not. We are looking at two complete extremes here, and, as in all things, moderation is key.

Breakdancing

On my travels through Google I recently came across a few videos on Google Video. Now, most people know Google simply for their search capabilities and maybe their excellent e-mail service (Gmail). Beneath their simple surface are many projects undergoing vigorous testing, and just itching to be released. You can actually browse through their 'labs' and discover some of the innovative services they are working on. A few worth checking out are Google Maps (directions for the lost), Google Suggest (a live-searching website), Google Desktop Search (a tool to search your computer with Google technology), and Google Answers (have a question? Google's experts will answer it for a price).

Back to Google Video. I came across a few breakdancing videos, and one really caught my attention. WOW...I mean, I find it hard to believe that this is real, because these guys are actually defying the laws of gravity, physics and motion. Give me a break, is it really possible to do push-ups with only your hands on the ground? Check it out, I'm sure you'll be amazed.

Triple review

I must say I'm on a streak with Cinderella Man, Batman Begins and just recently Kingdom of Heaven. Those are the last three movies I have seen, and each one has failed to disappoint.

Cinderella Man

I hate having high expectations going into a movie, but I couldn't with Cinderella Man. The duo of Ron Howard/Brian Grazer (They brought us the touching story of A Beautiful Mind), combined with the acting talent of Russell Crowe was bound to be succesful. And, it definitely was- my expectations were far surpassed. Now, many people have gripes with Russell Crowe. Sure, maybe he's a jerk in real life, but his movies are great. Gladiator, the above mentioned A Beautiful Mind, and the under-rated movie Master & Commander, are among my favourite movies. Well, Cinderella Man sits up there with the rest, if not above them all. Honestly, I don't care what an actor who is not labelled as a public role-model does in his private life. If he performs in his movies, I like him as an actor. The powerful acting of Russell Crowe in this film, backed by stunning performances by Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti make this an unforgettable "cinderella" story that makes you cheer, laugh and cry within the 144 minute runtime. Definitely worth the $10 movie ticket.

Batman Begins

Another movie with high expectations which were exceeded was Batman Begins. Now, Christian Bale is a very powerful actor, as demonstrated in American Psycho, Equilibrium, and The Machinist. But, could he pull of the Dark Knight? Absolutely. I thought he was almost as good as Michael Keaton as Batman, and he pulled off Bruce Wayne like a pro! This movie definitely redeemed (if not, trumped) the existing Batman franchise, and plans of making it into a trilogy are under way. Director Christopher Nolan delivered a Batman story unlike any other, bringing in elements of his earlier works such as Memento, and Following. All-star veteran supporting line-up of Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman each brought a unique, yet strong performance to this movie. Definitely a two-thumbs up, and once again...go see it!

Kingdom of Heaven

And finally Kingdom of Heaven. Now, Ridley Scott has directed some fantastic movies, but Orlando Bloom? Personally I think he's a little "soosool" (as the Persians say) to play a medieval warrior. Well, once again, my expectations (although they weren't that high) were clearly surpassed. Not only is Kingdom of Heaven a great action movie, it also has a great story. A story of courage, honour, integrity and most of all faith is delivered to the screen beautifully. Once again, Liam Neeson adds a great touch to the movie, and Orlando Bloom is able to pull his own weight. What I really enjoyed about the movie is that the Crusades are depicted in a non-biased manner. It neither belittles the Muslims or the Christians, but seems to place blame on religious fanaticism and materialism on both sides. A wonderful movie, and once again: Faran recommends!

So that's it, my triple review. Now, quick preview...War of the Worlds, coming out on Wednesday, can't miss that! And, the one I am most anxious about is Peter Jackson's King Kong. The intense Jack Black, the lovely Naomi Watts, and the quirky Adrien Brody are bound to make this film as enjoyable as possible. The trailer debuted on NBC after Fear Factor on Monday, but it can also be found at this website. Keep in mind that CG (special effects) is the last thing to be worked on in a movie, and there's still 6 months before the release of King Kong. Will the creators of Gollum (WETA) disappoint and bring us some cheesy looking dinosaurs?? I think not!

Wishful thinking

Well, yes, it has been quite a while since I have posted on this blog. I don't know, maybe I got bored, maybe I ran out of things to say, maybe I got busy. Whatever the excuse, it's not a valid one. I'm back, and I am going to regularly update.

Anyway, just recently I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about our sub-conscious. Does it control more than just our emotions and thoughts? Does our belief system play a larger role in our physical body than we think? Can our state of mind actually lead to, or prevent physical malady? In certain cases, I definitely believe so. Although I have not done extensive research in this field (obviously), I definitely believe that our minds play a large role in how our body reacts to external stimuli. An example is a phobia. Some phobias are inherent, and some are acquired. If severe enough, they will trigger a physiological response (usually triggering our sympathetic nervous system- the fight/flight scenario). An arachnophobic who comes across a spider, or in severe cases even looks at the above picture, will have blood rush to their extremities, their pupils will dilate, their heart beat will increase, etc. Do phobias not originate in the mind? Can they not be cured (in certain cases) with non-invasive treatment (ie. not medication)? What does this say about the phobia? Is it a disease of the mind, or of the body?

Modern science seems to blame all diseases on genetics. Although this may be true to a certain extent, other factors definitely play a role. Dr. Bruce H. Lipton sits on the other side of the fence. Attempting to minimize the notion of genetic determinism, he instead introduces the concept of stimuli-driven determinism. His work can be found at this website, and is worth taking a look at.

So, can a headache be healed by "thinking" it away? Maybe. How about cancer? Can we blame a person who dies of cancer for not being in the right train of thought? I don't think so. Although I don't have the answers, I think this topic is worthy of discussion. Your comments are welcome!