My dear friend and designer is now in the process of helping me to create a proper Content Management System for my site so that you guys would not have to complain about the lugubrious loading of the page. It would take time of course, and i need to go to the bank to get some transaction sorted out to enable the feature that allows such a system on my webserver *wink*

There were quite a number of things going on this week, and looks like I have to miss one of them, which is the launch of the Japanese Film Festival. However, I did manage to go for a free MPO (Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra) concert conducted by Gabriel Chmura who is now the Director for the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and there was a guest appearance by great Russian (now an American citizen) violinist Boris Belkin. The conductor was good, in the sense that he managed to inspire great tempo and sounds. However, he failed to inspire their spirit, as the performance was mostly beleaguered, though they started out rather well when performing Kilar's Krezesany (whom mine friend dislike as he finds it too bombastic and too much smack-in-your-face-showing off, another way of saying a lot of tones but no real poetic invocation, but it could be because of the way the orchestra has performed it, as not everyone shares the same complain.) but the very long performance of Richard Strauss's Ein Heldeleben went rather dismally. However, Balkin saved the day with this very fluid and enchanting rendition of Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, which came before Strauss's piece, so the whole event wasn't altogether terrible, despite being rather disappointing. It is a pity that the orchestra seems to go through the motions of displaying technique but little musicality or understanding of the pieces they were performing. This is the performanceI was talking about.
I wonder if anyone reviewed this concert.


Anyway, while looking through my emails today, I found this interesting link to an article from InformIT, telling you about the fineprint of licensing or privacy statements, most of which we never bother to read before clicking. Check it out here.

Have fun reading. (:

I am sure that most of you in Malaysia would know to go to Kakiseni.com do find out bout the latest listings in plays and events. Here are some of the other events coming up that I am posting here

..............................................................................
THE WEEKEND JAPANESE FILM SHOW
Saturday 05 June 2004
4.30pm
Mini Auditorium, Malaysia Tourism Centre

That famous TV program "Nodo-Jiman" (Amateur Singing Contest) is coming to town.
Amongst 4,000 applicants, there could be only 250 entries, for the preliminary contest,
and just 20 of them will make it to the final that is going to be held on Sunday.

Reiko Akagi is an enka (traditional Japanese pop) singer without much reputation.
She decides to make an entry to the Nodo - Jiman trial. Her manager objects to her
decision, but Reiko had already made up her mind to put an end to her career as a
singer if the qualifying bell does not toll.

Keisuke Araki is a married 40 year old man with 4 children. He is now unemployed but takes a crash course to
obtain a license for mobile yakitori (Japanese satay) shop. His only light of his life during his hardship is to
participate in the Nodo-Jiman trial, but soon finds out that his exam for yakitori license is held on the same day
as the preliminary.


COMING SOON: Japanese Film Festival 2004
Theme: Various Directors, Various Works

The Japan Foundation, together with Golden Screen Cinema (GSC) and Consulate-General
of Japan in Penang will be presenting a Japanese film festival at GSC Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur
and GSC Gurney Plaza, Penang from 17 - 27 June 2004.


Among the films to be screened are:

A Last Note (Directed by Kaneto SHINDO,1995)
*This film received The Golden Lion Award at 54th Venice International Film Festival in 1997

The Twilight Samurai (Directed by Yoji Yamada,2003)
*This film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 76th Academy Awards
It received 15 awards including Best Picture, Best Leading Actress, Best Director, Best Leading Actor etc
at the 26th Japan Academy Awards.
It was screened at the 53rd Berlin International Film Festival

Hana-Bi (Directed by Takeshi KITANO, 1997)
This film received The Golden Lion Award at the 54th Venice International Film Festival

Fancy Dance (Directed by Masayuki SUO,1989)

Check the Japan Foundation's website for the latest updates!


&


THe Modern Language Institute of Help Institute, a private education college in Malaysia is organising a film fest featuring films from Iberia and Latin America, Do click on the link below to read the poster of the event. The event begins from the middle of June
IberoAmerican Film Festival.doc

As immediate updates on events of public interest, especially that experienced firsthand by the blogger. (:

You can read the rest of my rants on the state of weblogs in my personal blog (I will include myself as among those of the guilty party)

Here is a powerpoint presentation on weblogs that is rather interesting