Films and Movies based on Real Life Events

 

Apparently there are lots of films and movies based on real life events. The ones listed below are just some that I find interesting and thought that everyone should check it out. They are totally worth looking into.

At First Sight
Lets not start with what the movie is about. Please feed your curiosity by clicking the title above.

What I find interesting in this movie is that, Virgil the main character is loosely based on Shirl Jennings, and Amy the girlfriend is Barbara Jennings. Virgil who can't see since the age of 3 remember very little about what image is and what seeing is. When he gain sight, he didn't know that he could see. He couldn't connect the images or rather don't know how to connect and translate what he see into useful information to the brain.

When he first took off the bandage after the operation, he had to close his eyes and use his touch senses to identify a can. He doesn't know what is mirror. He doesn't recognize his sister until he hears her voice. He couldn't differentiate between picture and the real thing. He doesn't know what perspective is so he had some trouble moving out of harms way (For example he can see that a car is coming but he doesn't know that the car can hit and cause pain to him). He doesn't have any sense of distance, probably everything look 2D to him instead of 3D. Also, obviously he couldn't read.

And studies has shown that this is true. These are the symptom of a person who is blind but then gain sight. There is even a case where the person is a sight person (term for us who is not blind) but got into accident and lost his sight. After 5 years, he went through a surgery and restore his sight, but he had to take some time to adjust to being able to see again. He had to relearn to use the eyes.
Okay, for more info just click here: Recovery from blindness.
Here is some case studies (Wikipedia version)

Lorenzo's Oil
This is another inspirational stories. Again please click here to go to IMDB page for the introduction.

    

It is really amazing what parents would do for their children. They would do anything just to make sure that their children receive the best of what the world can offer. And this one family: a mom and a dad even contribute further to the world by providing the cure to his son's disease 'Adrenoleukodystrophy'.

Imagine if the parents were not motivated enough, would we have the cure? Thousands of people around the world is grateful for that particular parents and off course Lorenzo.

Gracie's Choice
I watched this movie on the Hallmark channel years ago and love the film. The main character is played by Kristen Bell - who I know from Heroes but didn't recognize her at the time.

What's amazing is that, she maintain a dean's list student while working as a restaurant manager (I think) and while taking care of her siblings (can't remember how many). Other than that, she is the legal guardian for her siblings and won it through fighting in court. It's one of the first few cases where an older child can fight for custody for the younger child. So, basically a parents can lose custody of their children to their own children. How ironic (",)

The movie was inspired by an article from Reader's Digest, based loosely on a 19 year old Amy. Movie does not follow exactly on Amy's life, but the main thing were there; the struggle, the court battle, the long hour of work, being an excellent student. I feel so motivated to know that Amy use her 100% of time, she literally does not have time for herself. If she can be busy all the time but still manage to be an excellent student, then why can't I? In one way the story push me further towards my limitation and I am glad it did.

Homeless to Harvard: the Liz Murray Story
About the same story with the one above, it is the true story of Liz Murray. And as the title suggest, she went from homeless at the age of 15 to a being a Harvard student with a scholarship (not many people can do that even with a good environment). She is also known for her book 'Breaking Night' which is the source plot for the movie.

Now, already graduating from Harvard, she started a company called Manifest Living teaching people on how to do extraordinary thing. Extra info on her.

credit to HyperionBooks Video's

Public Enemies
This one is not inspirational as the other and I just love it. I watch it with no idea that this is based on a real life character of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson, expert criminal in bank robbery. Excellent potrayal by Johnny Depp and off course Christian Bale.

It is such a beautifully made movie that I even cried at the end where an agent is passing John Dillinger's words to his lover Billie. Why I cried is still a mystery, this is not a sad movie but i guess i feel the love of John Dillinger to Billie. Yup I know, weird (-_-) .

The movie is long and unless you like history you would get impatient. There are some historical inaccuracy to the movie as opposed to the real life event, but the inaccuracy are made up by the great-great stories.

Catch Me If You Can
Another criminal based movie. I like how different criminals think compare to general people. Remember how we made up irrelevant excuses when are in trouble? How we get creative and direct the blame toward others?

Off course the main attractions of the movie is Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, but the story is good also. Now, Leo is known to act in several other reality inspired movie like The Basketball Diaries and The Aviator and Titanic perhaps some other titles that I've missed. Tom Hanks also, who can forget The Terminal? Both are just superb actor, I can't compliment them big enough.

Back to the story, its the real life of Frank Abagnale Jr., a really successful con artist. He once was a pilot, doctor, lawyer (imagine all the professional job) and at least other three profession, and all this was before reaching 21 years old! Talk about confidence. I really admire his courage and creativity in working out to get whatever he wants although his way of getting the job done was not strictly speaking legal. What do you expect? He is just 16 years old when he started out as a "criminals". Okay I'm not saying that it is okay to trick other people (I've been trick myself once and if I found the ****** that trick me, I'll make sure he pays for what he did to me and my family) but at that age we all are trying different sorts of thing to find our place in the world (does this make sense?).

Anyway, now he is a security consultant which is kinda sarcastic, aren't people worried that he might pull a scam? hehehe just kidding. He off course make contributions  too especially in the area of banking.

Okay, some of other famous titles to check out;
1.   The Social Network
2.   127 Hours
3.   The Pursuit of Happynes
4.   Coach Carter
5.   Find Me Guilty
6.  World Trade Center
7.  United
8.  Escape From Alcatraz

Sleepy? Bored? Tired? Stress? Then try this!!!

One day when I was blogwalking, I stumble upon this great exercise to get rid of your stress or sleepiness, at work or anywhere-else. The exercise is from Leypark.com and I suggest you guys try this exercise, it's fun and refreshing (",)

Firstly, the warm-up session. This is a wake-up call.

Begin with releasing the 'burden' you carry on your shoulder and let your arms go loose.

Post like a star because you are one (hehehe)

Step number four is to move your body right to left

Repeat the steps (I know you like it)

Still sleepy and not feeling well? This step will freshen your mind and body (please seek advice before performing to avoid any harm being done)

After that step, you will feel like your flying through the air and this is normal

To come back to 'real life', please do this step (no skipping of the step)

Better? Now get aggressive...

You are a star for performing all of the steps, so post like one.

We're getting to the end, last call to get rid of all the sleepiness, tiredness, boredom, stress etc

Share with your friends and Have a good day (",)

Tiny Houses and Small Homes

Continuing from Small Homes and Tiny Houses, today I would like to share some of the coolest video's on youtube with regards to the title.

1) A Tiny Apartment Transform into 24 Rooms

credit to JellyWoo1014

Previously only a studio-like apartment, he install slides shelves that function as partition for new room with new function. The partitioner slides to reveal shelves that will transform the room to a new one such as a library, a guest room, a kitchen, a bathroom with a bathtub and many other.

2) Designer Builds Home Out Of Shipping Containers - Hatteberg's People TV

credit to Larry Hatteberg

It's energy saving / efficient because they recycle used shipping container (the real one that travel on the ocean back and forth from one side to another side of the world). Off course the one in the video is taking massive modification that it doesn't really look like one, but it is really practicable recycling it to a better use. And its pretty cheap to as I heard someone can get it for free! (who doesn't like free stuff?)

3) 10 x 10 x 10 feet cube house

credit to hypnoguy1

Its a 3m x 3m x 3m tiny house, everything is pack inside and kinda like those tiny house on wheels except smaller.

4) Amazing NYC Apartment - Transformer Style..Storage in Disguise!

credit to Rob Monahan

The video is full off space-saving ideas. Cool (",)

5) Home Care Cottage Tour- Little House on the Trailer

credit to LHOTT1

Another design of tiny houses

All of this video-watching makes me want to grab some tools and wood and start making my own tiny houses. Only problem is I don't have the spaces and the budget. Probably in the future.....

Small Homes and Tiny Houses

If one think about small, it is natural to associate it with tiny, less, little or even unimportant. However, small is also synonym with cozy, easy and more often saving. I found a documentary video on youtube about small homes that really open my eyes and my mind to new perspective, just like the old saying less is more.

The documentary titled "We the Tiny House People" was made by Kirsten Dirksen for her channel on youtube (i think its for the channel, don't know if the documentary was for TV somewhere). And I find her channel very interesting where she covers the life of all this people who live in tiny apartments/homes and how they manage that. She also have a websites here.

Previously, I had an entry where I talked about a Lego style Apartment, turn out its from her channel. She also got tons of other video with the same theme.   I've list some of the episode which I think is more interesting than the others.

1. Maison garage: old parking as tiny home in Bordeaux, France

 From a garage, it is turn into a small yet cozy home. It has everything, even a patio.

2. 16 year old builds tiny home to guarantee mortgage-free future

There's no doubt that he is thinking of his own future, so his parents must be relieved. Do you remember what we did when we're 16? I do - play all the time and not worry about mortgage or anything. It's really amazing what this kid is doing.

3. Simple life Manhattan: a 90-square-foot microstudio

90-square-foot is roughly the size of an MPV (motor power vehicle). Imagine that cramp with your stuff - bed, closet, desk, 'kitchen', bathroom - its hard right? Well this girl has done it.

4. Tiny, Portable, Prefab Cube Shelter

Look at the adorable little house. Serves perfect as hotels or homestay-like house for tourist or whoever wants. I am falling in love with the small and tiny houses like these. Aren't they cute?

Extras:

5. A downtown live/work dream house

6. House in a Suitcase

7. Bus as a House

8. Tiny Home Cube: Bathroom + Kitchen + Closet.

9. Living on a Boat

10. The use of different level Platform

11. Bathtub under a bench

12. Toolshed as Homes

13. Shipping Container Homes

So, thats that. There are lots of others scattered on the internet, feel free to search about them. I''ll probably write again something similar to this in the future. So stay tuned (",)

Japan's Apartments / Nihon no Apato

Do you know that apartments in Japan are superb, yes tiny but wonderful at the same time. I wish there are small apartments like that here in Kuala Lumpur. I find them very practical for a single tenant, you don’t have to search for housemates (which often lead to various problems because you don't really know them). But off course it’s only an opinion from one person, others may find the small space a ridiculous thing.

Basically, there are different types of tiny apartment or apaato as they called it; 1K, 2DK, 2LDK and probably some more that I don’t know. The number signifies rooms, K means kitchen, D means dining room and L means living room. Want to know more about the different types of apartment, go here.

So basically 2DK apartments are 2 bedroom plus kitchen plus dining room (no living room, but I think the room can doubles as both). The shower room is separated with toilet because that’s the culture (very much same to Malaysia but modern houses nowadays combines them both). Most apartments also come with a fridge, a microwave oven, stove, washing machine, internet access and closet (sometimes TV).  Here are some pictures and videos, enjoy;

Key for the apartment, a very strange one in my opinion

Then you have Genkan which is a place where you take off your shoes because Japanese culture do not wear shoes inside the houses (same like Malaysia)

The basic Hallway that lead to your room. Most of the apartment layouts are toilet and shower on one side and kitchen, washing machine, closet/storage on the other side.

Among the cool thing about the toilet is the fact that a sink is placed on top of the water tank for the convenience of washing your hand after you're done and recycling the water for flushing, ain't that green?

Also a cool thing is the dryer in the shower which are meant to dry clothes. Just hang it and turn it on to the setting you want, it's that simple.

These are different interior that I found (it's not limited to only these). Personally prefer the top-left, seem so much bigger than the other. Here a tour video, credit to the owner (",)

Also, I find that apartment in Korea shares similar styles as these tiny apaato. Comparing the two, Korean use keypad thingy to replace key which are useful if you left your key in the apartment), the shower don't have tub, kitchen area is not in the hallway but integrated as part of the room, some have loft for sleeping area and some don't have specific sleeping area at all. Also, they have floor heat system which is important I guess. Whatever the differences, I love both Japanese and Korean apartment (",). Here is one video I found on youtube;

Furniture of the Future

Cool title right? So today I want to talk about some really cool furniture design that I found on youtube (off course, where else?) and I’ve been kinda obsessed about them these past few days. These are absolutely amazing furniture, some made by companies, some by individuals. Without further ado, lets take a look.

Resource furniture

A New York based company that have been around for more than 10 years, provides the solution to tiny spaces problems with a stylish design. According to the president of the company, his furniture serves double and sometimes triple purposes instead of conventional one purpose furniture. What I like about them is that they are very useful and practical and modern and maximize space at the same time. Check it out.

A coffee table transform into a dining table. Neat right?

 A desk which elevates when the hidden single bed opens

 A two seat sofa that later be revealed as bunk bed (I honestly didn't see that coming)

An end table doubles as extra dining table for guests or it could double as your work table, you choose

Hiddenbed
A company specializing in designing furniture that always transform into bed, usually a single bed. Everything stays on the desk while you pull the bed from the back.

Christy Oates

These are just plain awesome. The design concept totally blow me away. See for yourself. The pictures alone don't do justice, you need to see the video here to be totally amazed.

From the wall to a desk

The stool did come from the painting too (is it a painting?)

Yep, it doubles as a nice looking coffee table (how cool is that?)

I can obviously see that this is going to be hot item if it ever be marketed

Expandable table

Using some mechanism of gear i presume, it expand the square table which come in handy when you want larger table space.

With black glass top finish, you really can't complain

If that’s not enough, here some extras;

* Folding Bed 

* Folding Chair

* Folding Table

* Eco-furniture

* Portable bookshelves

The furniture are also eco-friendly and portable too! 

Although most of the stuff is not available in my country, I just want to appreciate just how creative one person can be and I am jealous by their thinking and creative ability. I hope someday I can contribute some useful ‘thing’ to the world like they had no matter how small the contribution is.

Nilai Syiling Lama

Hari ni nak cerita lagi pasal duit lama, buat yang baru singgah blog ni, apa kata gi ushar dulu post ni Duit oh Duit. Post tu pun pasal duit lama jugak – duit syiling.

Saje nak update info, dalam post yang terdahulu tu saya hanya bagi nilai UNC (Uncirculated) untuk semua duit syiling secara amnya, tapi dalam banyak-banyak syiling lama atau syiling 1^st series, ada yang mencecah ribuan ringgit. Yup, jangan tak percaya pulak. Syiling yang mana satu? Mari kita tengok sama-sama.

Okay, untuk maklumat yang lebih lanjut mengenai 1 sen 1976 (ini bukan syiling 1 sen yang biasa, jangan salah faham), dinasihatkan melawat web lunaticg. Beliau ada menceritakan tentang bagaimana duit 1 sen tersebut boleh bernilai hampir 3600 kali ganda dari nilai sebenar. Kalau kamu semua nak tahu, sebenarnya, lagi sikit keping syiling yang dihasilkan bagi tahun tersebut, lagi berlipat gandalah nilainya.

Daripada jadual tu, semua mesti perasan ada yang beratus ringgit kan? Semua tu ada kisah disebalik nilai tinggi diorang tu, nak tahu lebih lanjut mengenai sejarah atau cerita panjang lebarnya, sila klik link yang kat bawah ni. 

Syling 10 sen 1971 = klik sini 

Syiling 50 sen 1967, 1968, 1969 yang tiada benang sekuriti (atau garis keselamatan)= klik sini 

Syiling 50 sen extra dot = klik sini 

p/s = Cerita tu bukan saya yang punya, jadi hanya boleh letak link.

Justin Bieber Look-A-Like

Justin Bieber has doopleganger all around the world. Let’s take a look into some of the famous one.

1) Dani Shay
She is a 22 year old from Florida, USA. She has her own youtube account where she post video of her singing covers and also her own original song. The singer caught national attention when she went to America’s got Talent as per video below. She also has an active website which is here if any of you want to check out.

Credit to AmericanBestTalent

Dani on the left, JB on the right

2) Alejandro Avilez

He is a 17 year old singer from Peru. Also has his own website (its in Spanish but we always have google

translate (“,)) . The Bieber look-a-like starts off with performing the star's song but later wants to have his 

own songs and be more than a clone. Good for him. For more info, go to this website.

Alex on the left, JB on the right

3) Jamie Laou

From Sydney Australia, the 17 year old Jamie used to tour around Australia before the real Justin Bieber’s 

just to pump the heat. He have his own youtube account where he wants to make people laugh. He also 

have an official blog but there’s nothing but just one photo.

Jamie on the left, JB on the right

4) Theo Cavalcanti

The 18 year old guy is a pride of Brazil because of his Bieber resemblance. I am not sure if he sings or not 

but there’s a playlist in youtube about him.

Theo on the left, JB on the right

5) Other infamous Justin Bieber doppelganger

Kalia, a winner of a Justin Bieber look-a-like contest. More info here 

Don’t know anything about him. Found him here 

Justin Bieber impersonator, found him on a website offering  shows and performance service.

MicroExpression

Lately, I’ve been indulged in the body language reading in Lie to Me (click here if you don’t know about it). Is it for real or is it a hoax? I don’t know for sure but it’s a shame the show didn’t get renewal for a new season.

One of the focus of the show is Micro-expression (click here for the Wikipedia explanation). So, basically micro-expressions are involuntary emotion express by someone in a matter of less than a second. We cannot control it because we didn’t realize we are expressing the emotion at the time it happened, and by the time we realize it (if we ever) the emotion is already gone.

Now, in my understanding, no matter where or who we are in the world, we tend to express emotions in the same way. If we’re happy = we smile, if we’re sad = we cry or at least the eyes will show you are sad. So the micro-expression is true for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sex because we are from the same species =homo sapiens aka human.

There are a lot of emotions to cover, but these are the one that I found on the internet (credit to google images). Also, there are seven universal emotion; anger, disgust, fear, sad, happy, surprise and contempt.

 

Something extra;

1.   Apparently there are extensive studies regarding Micro-expression. (click here for the brief history)
2.  Want to know if you have the ability to detect these micro-expressions? Take these test = Facial expression test