polictically correct & just for the hell of it

So I have finally seen The Last Airbender. I give it a 6 out of 10. Not as bad as some of the reviews out there for it. It was just really slow. They spent too much time doing martial arts moves than using the bending to fight. The thing that really pissed me off was they way they pronounced the main characters names. Uung instead of Aang. It really sounded lame and stood out like a sore thumb. Sure he did things like made sure there were fireballs around so the fire benders had somewhere to draw their fire from in a fight - why not Katara has a water bag, earth benders have it below their feet and Aang our Air Bender well thats all around us, but in the show their never was really a source of fire for the fire benders, it was all drawn from the chi which is what made them so strong and able to conquor the four nations. However M Nght decided to put this into the first movie and have it that by the 3rd they wouldnt need a source as they would be using it from their chi. That was fine, not a problematic change at all, I also got over the fact that they used americans when clearly the cartoon makes you believe that Water Benders are of Inuit Decent, Air Benders Buddist, Fire Benders and Earth Benders very much seem of Asian decent. I got over that because the actors they chose tured out well in looks and act. The whole racebending was really a sticky issue with avid fans. But at the end of the day its a made up cartoon and a made up world so MNight can make up the race of his characters. Would of been nice to stick to it closer. But the pronounciation rather bugged me while watching it. MNight says: M. Night Shyamalan: Now, the other big change is the pronunciation of some of the names. Now this is, for me, because, at the end of the day a South Indian guy directed the movie. It’s a personal thing. So “Aang” is not [like Tang] but “Aang” [like Tong.] It’s “Ang Lee.” See, my first name is Manoj [as Man-oh-j] and everyone mispronounced it in school and butchered it as “Man-ahhj.” So, this is coming from a specific place, from a multicultural appreciation.
Jordan Hoffman: But how would you say it with a Philly accent? (bring that MNight lives in Philly)
M. Night Shyamalan: Wooter! Wooterbending! Okay, so there are four words that are effected. "Aang" is one. Also, it isn’t “Avatar” like aaah, it is “Avatar” like “Of-Atar.” That’s a subtle difference, though. I don’t want it said with an Indian accent – you know, it is a Sanskrit word – but I want it with a gentle accent. So that one is blurred. We had a linguist come in to discuss all this, by the way, this isn’t just me doing all this.
Jordan Hoffman: Gotcha.
M. Night Shyamalan: The other changes: “Sokka” [pronounced Sock-Ka] is pronounced “Soh-ka” (“soh” as in “sew”) and Iroh, Uncle Iroh, isn’t “Eye-Row” but “Eer-Row.” Everything else is the same. Iroh comes on the screen and says “My name is Iroh, and you have my word.” And the first thing Shaun Toub, the actor playing him, asked was, “why is it pronounced this way?” because Shaun is Persian. And I’m like, “Dude, I’m on it!” Because this show, this film, is inspired by these cultures. And most directors wouldn’t care, but this is something I’ve been living with my whole life, this is really important to me. But not just the names, the caligraphy, the drapery, the machinery, this all creates a world that is specific and personal and resonant.”
Jordan Hoffman: Is one of these other choices paring back the humor?
M. Night Shyamalan: Hopefully there is enough that you will still see characters that you love. But there is so much latitude with an animation that you don’t get with live action. I mean, look at Up, which is fantastic – if you had a little girl pop in and say “You wanna join my club?” it wouldn’t work the same way it works in that movie.

These changes, of course, are minimal compared to the controversial casting that has been dubbed, by some, as "racebending."


I think its a little stupid really for MNight to get so specific in pronoucing the names supposidly correctly when he couldnt even get the race correct for the show.  When Gareth and I first heard Zuko talk (without seeing the actor on screen) we thought the actor had the voice nailed. It really sounded like the tv show guy. Like why would you get a linguistics guy in and try and get all these names pronouced correctly when the show is clearly a childrens show and a little 8yr old that goes and watches the movie is not going to care that avatar or aang is pronounced "correctly" - that kid is gunna be like why dont the names sound like what I hear on the cartoon show?  But I am not MNight so I dont fucking know, he seems to be adamant to get some things right but not so worried about getting other things correct. Anyways if thats the things Im most annoyed about with the movie well then it was good enough for me. It was a good enought movie that I enjoyed it, I am also looking forward to the second and third movies. Im looking forward to meeting Toph. Im also seeing it again with my lil sister as she hasnt been to the movies in ages, never seen anything in 3D and well we havent hung out together just the two of us in a wee while

Life has been reasonably cruzy lately with no car and all. Although I managed to get it back the other week so I just gotta take it down to the mechanic on Friday after pay day to see if I can warrant and register it. Cross ya figers for me as I really wouldnt mind getting back on the road again. I miss seeing Nikki, Jo, Shell and Katie. I brought a back pack the other week as well. A Kathmandu jobbie and luckily I had signed up to the Summit Club and things were on special as the thing cost me $340 instead of $600. Here is a pic of it:

Except mine is black. Still pretty cool. Lany is getting me a previously chosen toiletry bag from Kathmandu as well. I purchased a universal power adapter. Now all I need are tickets, sleeping bag, bumbag, swiss army knife and a few other tidbits. I dont want to take too much but I dont want to find Im missing something. Its rather scarey to start thinking about these things but incrediably exciting all at the same time. Cant wait. Downloaded the application to renew my New Zealand Passport and saved the link for the future. I should save a link for when I need to renew my British Passport.That will be a little while though. Ooo random notes once my car is fixed I hope to get out to my storage unit and finally put what books I have out there into those bags that they suck all the air out of. And I also have to find out what I am going to do about this addiction to my pillow. I might take it but I think I will chat to my Doctor about it when I go into talk to him about vaccines or anything needed. Well thats all there
Anyways I found this on a website & decided I'd copy & fill out:
Three names I go by:

1 - Ri
2 - Monkey
3 - Reese
Three jobs I have had:
1 - Receptionist at Rebel Sport & Briscoes Head Office
2 - Commercial Cleaner
3 - Temp at Telecom - did a few tasks
Three places I have lived:
1 - Henderson
2 - Massey
3 - Te Atatu Peninsula

Three favourite drinks:
1 - Coffee
2 - Water
3 - L&P with Rasberry
Three TV shows I watch:
1 - True Blood
2 - The Vampire Diaries
3 – American Dad

Three places I have been:
1 - Brisbane
2 - Sydney
3 - Rarotonga

Three places I would like to visit:
1 - South East Asia
2 - Europe
3 - Africa

Three people who text me regularly:
1 - Dad
2 - Shelley
3 - Lany
Three favourite old TV shows:
1 - Roswell
2 - Charmed
3 - ER

Three favourite dishes:
1 - Fajitas
2 - Nachoes
3 - Moroccan Lamb

Three things I cannot live without:
1 - Internet
2 - My Cameras
3 - Music
Three things I'm looking forward to:
1 - Spending time with family on 17th October
2 - Shelley & Mark’s Circus Party
3 - My OE
Three favourite cuizy songs:
1 - Swimming - Florence and the Machine
2 - Chocolate - Snow Patrol
3 - Bloodstream - Stateless
Three favourite dance songs:
1 - I like that - Static Revenger & Richard Vission ft Luciana
2 - Discobitch - C'est Beau La Bourgeoisie
3 - Get Shaky - The Ian Carey Project
Three favourite rock songs:
1 - Eulogy - Tool
2 - Under the Bridge - RHCP
3 - Prison Song - System of a Down
Three favourite bands:
1 - Snow Patrol
2 - Tool
3 - Florence & The Machine
Three favourie solo artists:
1 - A Fine Frenzy
2 - Imogen Heap
3 - Elvis
Three favourite movies:
1 - The Crow
2 - Tropic Thunder
3 - Tremors
Three favourite books:
1 - Time Travellers Wife
2 - Cross Stitch Series
3 - The Name of The Wind

Thats all I can think of. I added a bunch myself. Incredibly exciting stuff huh?

I have been reading a pretty awesome book lately called My Name Is Memory is about a guy who has the gift of 'the memory'  - its the ability to recall past laives and recognise the reincarnated souls. There is a girl that he 'Daniel' is in love with that he keeps trying to be with through each life. But she 'Lucy' doesnt remember past lives while he does. Also becuase of the way life is often their lives cross but unfortunate things happen, the first time he met her he set her house on fire. Later on she was married to his evil brother who hit her, he was a child on the streets and she was a princess, he was a weakthy man and she was a child on the streets who was dying from infection as her arm was cut off, he was in hospital dying and she was the nurse. I havent read the whole book yet getting through it but its really nice. I am quite enjoying it. Ann Brashares is the writer, she does delve into other things a bit like certain things that follow you from one life to another, your ability or love of music, a birth mark on your arm now was where it was cut off in the past, problems with your throat can mean you were strangeled in the past, a keen sense of smell. Although thats really well done and very informative, sometimes I wish she would just get to Lucy and Daniel. But this is what sets her apart from other "love story" books. She doesnt spend every single page circling around the two lovebirds. Which is nice. But Im just over halfway through and they still have not been together long enough. O well the ending might be amazing.

I have been gathering stuff to do decorations for my cousins circus party. And I am going to get to gluing those moustaches to the sticks today. Then its a matter of making various other things. I need to gather some nice paper for the flags. And get the labels for things printed. I printed some things earlier in the week but I never resized some of them. So some will be rather too big. But we have plenty of time before the party so all should be well with the world.
Oh so now the moustaches have been glued to the sticks, I have rings for the hoop toss, wafers for eating & looking good. Getting there with the decorations all so Yay all is going good.

Anyways this is all I can be bothered to write for now. Birthday is in like a day and a half eeek my last year in my 20's. And I need to wake the boy so I can clean the kitchen and vaccum.

Enjoy x

Jack Houston