The Kose (we are harvesting contacts?) email

I just received an email from Kose saying their free Mask White is out of stock.

Frankly, I do not know if this is a genuine free sample promotion or just a gimmick to harvest consumers contacts information??

Next time, I would think thrice before falling for such marketing gimmicks again.

Lets see when they would start spamming those idiots (me included) who submitted our personal information.

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Dear XXX,

We would like to express our appreciation for your interest in KOSÉ’s events and products.

We regret to inform you that the KOSÉ Mask White sample is out of stock at all KOSÉ counters due to the overwhelming response.

We would like to offer our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Thank you for your kind understanding.

Kindly visit our website at www.kose.com.sg for exciting information on our upcoming products and events.

Regards,
KOSÉ Singapore

Death of a Golden Boy

No, I dun personally know Allan Ooi. In fact, I was not even aware of his existence till 6 march 2009, when I saw his name and photo splashed across the papers.

Allan was what some of us would termed "triple threat" or what others would called "triple blessed"; good looking, rich and smart. A lethal combination of the perfect guy. He was the crème de la crème of high society.

But it seemed that he was also unhappy and depressed.

He seemed to have everything going for him until his tragic death.

The papers wrote that he was found dead under a bridge in Melbourne. Suicide? Murder?

Suicide, more likely? Since he went AWOL from work since last October and did not contact his family or friends since then. Running away? From life? Work? Family? Relationship?

Was it stress? Depression? Work? Relationship? Gambling debt? Did he contact some terminal disease?

Who knows?

I have been reading online about the conspiracy cover-up theory regarding David, the dead foreign student in the NTU stabbing.

What about Allan? Maybe there was some conspiracy somewhere out there?

Maybe he was abducted by Aliens and zapped to Melbourne? Or maybe he joined some religious cult?

Allan was a SAF doctor. He was working for the government military. Maybe he discovered some dark apalling secrets and ran away. And.........make your own conspiracy theory.

Blah! Some of things are just conspiracy theories. Created by people who could not believe that Allan would do the tragic thing he did. People trying to explain what could have happened. People trying to make sense of the final days of a beloved, trying to piece together using what knowledge they had of him.

But frankly, only Allan would know what really happened from Oct last year to Mar this year.

What could drive a seemingly perfect guy over the edge?

If someone like Allan Ooi could ever be depressed and unhappy despite all that he had, in spite of what he was, then what hopes did we mere mortals have?

I am not just talking about Allan Ooi materialistic wealth, background and possessions. He was also said to be charming, charismatic, sociable, intelligent, brilliant and humorous. He was also sporty and competitive. Everything every man wanted to be and the man every woman wanted to be with.

Did you know Allan Ooi has 563 friends on Facebook? How could some one with 563 friends on Facebook, not have someone close to talk to in real life?

Not even 5 close friends in real life that he could confide in? That's only about 1% of those friends in Face Book. Were they really his friends or just blind stats figures in Facebook? Did he really personally know, met or spoke to all 563 friends before? Or were more than half, just strangers and acquaintances?

Frankly, whats the use of so many friends in Facebook then, if you not find even one to really talk to?

Personally, I have only about 5 % or even less number of friends on face book compared to Allan. If someone like him could not find someone to turn to, what hope did I have with less 10 friends on facebook?

Again, I say, if someone like Allan Ooi lost hope at times, what hopes does it hold for mere, ordinary mortals like us out there?


I was depressed once. In fact, more than once. I attempted suicide a few times. I just couldn't shake it off.

An elderly fellow once told me after my suicide, "Please do not be stupid anymore, and please dun do any more of those stupid things."

So suicide is stupid? Frankly, I felt that he could not understand. If you feel that suicidal thoughts and the very act of suicide itself are just plain stupid, then you definitely DO NOT really understand what I was going through. The pain. The emptiness. The vast sadness. All inside, eating you up.

Few people could understand THAT kind of internal pain. Pain and sadness that permeate the very being of life existence, down to the very pores and right into the minute cells. Unless one went through similar things before.

I could said to also have a cushy life, but I just could not drag myself out of the deep hole of abyss I was in then. It took me years and years to just shake that sadness and emptiness off. Till now, I am still haunted by that indescribable feeling of pain sometimes.

So yeah, I may not be in the same league as Allan the doctor, but I could sure understand SOME of the things he could have been through. The sadness, the depression, the thoughts of death, the pain etc.


Rest in peace, Allan. I hope you are at peace finally.

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The Straits Times
6 Mar 2009

SAF doc dead in Melbourne

Body under a bridge; he was absent without leave from SAF from Oct

By Jermyn Chow

A 27-YEAR-OLD Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor, absent without official leave since last October, has been found dead in Melbourne.

The body of Captain (Dr) Allan Ooi was found under the Westgate Bridge in the south Australian city on Tuesday, police from the state of Victoria told The Straits Times.

The 2,600m long bridge across the Yarra River is a vital link between the city centre and Melbourne's western suburbs.

A police spokesman there said the young man was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am that day, and that the police did not believe anyone else was involved in the incident.

She added that witnesses were still being interviewed and that a report was being prepared for the Coroner's Court.

Capt (Dr) Ooi had not been to work since last October and the SAF had been trying - unsuccessfully - to get in touch with him, said Mindef spokesman Colonel Darius Lim.



Capt (Dr) Ooi was believed to have been in Melbourne all this while, though it is not known where in the city he was, nor with whom he was staying.

In a statement issued to The Straits Times from Melbourne, his brother Adrian said: 'He was a gifted doctor and a kind and respected friend. But to us, he was and always will be our beloved son and brother.'

It is unclear when the family will be returning home with the body, but Adrian said the family hoped to 'celebrate Allan's 27 years of achievements and life with us with very fond memories of a remarkable person'.

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The Straits Times
6 Mar 2009

An all-rounder, go-getter

AN ALL-ROUNDER who excelled at everything, the death of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) doctor Allan Ooi shocked all who knew him.

The 28-year-old was found dead below a busy bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday. He had disappeared for months, including having gone AWOL (absent without official leave) from the army since October last year. The SAF had tried unsuccessfully to contact him, according to a spokesman.



A friend who went to medical school with Capt Ooi, speaking to The New Paper on condition of anonymity, said that Capt Ooi was the 'most brilliant' person he knew and 'excelled at everything he put his mind to'.

He recalled that Capt Ooi picked up the popular game 'Warcraft' really quickly, and in a short time, became one of the top 10 Warcraft players in Singapore and was among the top 100 in the world. The friend added that, unlike most medical school students he knew, Capt Ooi had a 'rich life' outside of school. 'He was a sportsman - he swam competitively, and was an excellent pool player. He was also really funny, with a great sense of humour,' the friend added.

An alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Capt Ooi was a school water polo player and swimmer. TNP reported that he was a go-getter who also took part in pageants such as the International Man Singapore pageant where he was crowned Mr Continents in 2001, and the Mr Singapore pageant, which he won the same year.

Capt Ooi also emerged near the top of his cohort in Officer Cadet School and then Medical Officers Cadet Corps.

It is believed that Capt Ooi had suddenly left home and flown to Melbourne, but it is not known who he had been living with there.

A family friend, who declined to be named, said it was known that Capt Ooi had been unhappy at work 'for a long time'. He had been serving his bond with the SAF and left friends and family bewildered when he left without a word. It is not known how many years of his bond he had served.

Melbourne police are still speaking to witnesses and are preparing a report that will be sent to the Melbourne Coroner's Court, TNP reported. A spokesman for the Melbourne police said Capt Ooi was seen getting out of his car on the bridge before 4am on Tuesday.

'Allan had a magnetic personality and loved his family deeply,' said a friend. A poignant statement, as his family is in Melbourne, making arrangements for his body to be flown back to Singapore.

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The New Paper
8 Mar 2009

S'PORE DOC FOUND DEAD IN MELBOURNE

He was stylish, well-connected

SAF captain was popular with high society

HE WAS featured in society magazine Singapore Tatler and was said to have dated celebrity blogger Dawn Yang.

By Crystal Chan


HE WAS featured in society magazine Singapore Tatler and was said to have dated celebrity blogger Dawn Yang.

Then, Singapore Armed Forces doctor Allan Ooi Seng Teik, 28, went Awol (absent without official leave) and left for Australia.

Captain (Dr) Ooi, who was found dead under the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne on Tuesday, came from a family of doctors and had friends in high society.

One of his friends, who declined to be named, told The New Paper that she was shocked to hear about his death.'I knew him and his brother, Adrian,' she said.

'I can't believe he died so suddenly. He was always cheerful when I saw him.'

She got to know Capt Ooi through mutual friends and often saw him at parties.

In 2007, a Singapore Tatler writer approached CaptOoi.

Said the friend: 'The magazine was looking to feature good-looking and stylish personalities and he fit the bill. He was quite 'on' about it as he had an outgoing personality.

'During the interview, he was asked about his relationships and he said that an ex-girlfriend had let him down, but didn't elaborate.'

She described Capt Ooi as a metrosexual who dressed in Paul Smith and designer clothes.

She said: 'He certainly looked like a rich boy, a stylish guy. He drove a Mazda MX5 then and liked Calvin Klein clothes.'

Around that time, there were several postings on Internet forums which claimed that Capt Ooi had courted Ms Yang, 23.

The friend said: 'I sent Allan an SMS, asking if the rumours were true but all he would say was that he knew Dawn.'

Capt Ooi's account on social networking site Facebook lists Ms Yang as one of his friends.

Ms Yang, who is studying in New York University, could not be reached for comment.

Allegedly unhappy at work

The last time the friend was in touch with Capt Ooi was late last year, when she sent him an SMS asking after him.

She said: 'Before that, he had asked me to go clubbing, but I didn't as I'm not into it. He was an avid clubber and often went to Zouk.'

Capt Ooi had told her that he was unhappy at his job in SAF.

SAF had given him a study award that required him to be bonded after graduation.

She said: 'He talked about leaving SAF but he didn't say why.

'Even then, I didn't think there would be any problems. Even if he wanted to break the bond, he could have easily paid it off as his family is rich.'

The friend does not know when and why CaptOoi went to Melbourne, but said he had friends who work there.

Capt Ooi's Facebook account lists four friends who studied at the RMIT University in Melbourne.

Former MTV veejay Nadya Hutagalung and rapper Sheikh Haikel were also listed as Capt Ooi's friends on Facebook.

It is not known how many years of his bond CaptOoi had served.

Capt Ooi's father, Dr Alex Ooi, 58, is a well-known gynaecologist and former president of the Tanglin Club.

His mother, Dr Lucy Ooi, 56, was a vice-president of the Society of Aesthetic Medicine and founding president of the Association of Women Doctors (Singapore).

Capt Ooi's elder brother, Adrian, is a doctor at the Singapore General Hospital.

His friend said he enjoyed card games and played bridge and poker with his friends.

One of his friends, Dr Elaine Neo, daughter of Dr Lily Neo, a Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC, was too distraught to talk about her friend's death when The New Paper called her.

All she would say was: 'It's not the time to talk about this.'

But there was apparently another side to Capt Ooi.

Some of his friends said he also played poker for money.

A clip on video-sharing website YouTube showing Capt Ooi losing money to one of his friends after a poker game has been removed.

Capt Ooi's untimely death has prompted some bloggers to pen entries in his memory.

Mr Garry Huang, who was in the same basic military training (BMT) batch as Capt Ooi, wrote: 'It was quite a shock when I read in the papers today about the Awol and demise of Allan, especially in such unusual circumstances.

'He was a good pal in BMT, and very hardworking and promising. Frankly, he was quite an inspiration - I wanted to be like him in many areas.'

He added: 'I don't know why you went Awol, or why your body was found under the bridge in Melbourne, but I hope the answers will be found soon.'

A spokesman for the Melbourne police said evidence is still being gathered and will be presented to a coroner.

Dr Adrian Ooi declined to speak when The New Paper called him yesterday.

He said: 'I'm sorry, but it's a very bad time for my family. We're trying to arrange a lot of things.

'We're hoping Allan's body will be back within the next week.'

Honours grad supervise grass cutting

Read this from a forum I frequent sometimes. Not linking to the actual posts in the forum cos I am not promoting the forum and also cos I dun really like that forum.

The thread starter is some one with a honors degree whose core job responsibilities is supervising grass cutting.

Frankly, SO was in a similar position. And now he is senior management! So he's probably the boss of the boss of the boss of someone like thread starter.

And SO has been in the job for over 14 years. And he has only low class honors. Oops! Lower class honors.

Frankly, the TS is a bit pathetic.

Sometimes it depends on one's perspectives. Whether one sees the job as a challenge or a chore. For example, if the boss gives you a project, do you whine "Gosh, more work, more overtime!!" or do you see it as a opportunity to learn something new or that the project is given to you cos the boss thinks you can do it well?

Figure it out.



I got more to say about this when I am not sick, so come back a few days later....


-------------------------



Wetcalamari

Mar 4 2009, 07:43 AM

I graduated from NUS with an honors degree in 2003, and did some early work in a ministry. It was a typical admin job, preparing reports, writing minutes, etc. that didn't develop really useful professional skills.

Currently for the past 3 years I have been working in a stat board, where I .... supervise grasscutting everyday. It's a core duty. I make sure grasscutters leave grass no longer than 2 cm tall, and also ensure they empty rubbish bins daily. Needless to say, you don't need an honors degree for this. So for the past 3 years I haven't developed useful skills that are sought after in any company at all.

The thing is, I'm getting old, and with this lack of professional skills (i only have admin experience) it is very very hard to get a job that is not entry level. Most of my friends are already managers and directors, and I'm still supervising grasscutting.

What is the way out?

And do private sector jobs place more emphasis on developing useful skills in people? In my jobs so far the courses I get sent for are very generic, like 'handling difficult people', 'speed reading', 'national education', 'being a good wits suggestor', etc.

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Mar 4 2009, 07:04 PM

That's the problem. Whenever I tell people I supervise grasscutting the immediate reaction is to laugh at me, thinking I'm joking. But when they realize I'm serious they cannot believe it.

The thing is, I'm also not being developed in any useful way here,. so I don't have skills that other companies want. I was recently sent for a course in.. operating a crane! This kind of stuff is done by foreign workers and I, with an honors degree, am doing it now. It's not those PSA-type cranes. It's that small bucket thing behind a truck.

So some might say, at least it's a useful skill. Yes, if I want to be a laborer. But which company wants to pay honors degree holder pay to a laborer?

And so we have an incredible paradox here.

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Mar 5 2009, 08:14 AM

Actually, I had been looking for a new job since my 2nd week there. I sent out more than 30 applications in 2008 and only got called for 2 interviews. I realized the job sucked when on day 1 I was in the blazing sun for 5 hours. 1 month later it was still the same... 1 year later too. And it's been the same almost everyday since.

So far for 2009 I've sent out 10 applications so far, only 1 interview as of now.

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Mar 5 2009, 08:20 AM

Anyway my degree is in biology. 2nd class upper.

The rest of the people in my workplace all have diplomas in horticulture.
But the bosses didn't tell me that when I applied.

In fact the interview for my job was so difficult, you'd think it was some kind of elite position. Did 2 interviews for other positions in the same organization, didn't get past the first interview. Then months later got this interview, was interrogated about all my skills for more than an hour, spoke about my IT project management, my background in the quasi-medical field from my previous jobs, etc.

And now I supervise grasscutting and listen to complaints about leaves falling into peoples houses, cats from the wild going into their house, this tree too tall, grass too long, that tree ugly, "i don't like the color of this tree you planted", etc.

Naturally this is not my place.

Lustful men, proud women - 7 deadly sins

The Straits Times
Feb 20, 2009

Lustful men, proud women

Vatican report lists their different vices

VATICAN CITY: Lust leads men to sin. For women, pride is their biggest downfall.

This, according to a new Vatican report, is how the sexes struggle differently with the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth.

The report was based on a study of confessions carried out by a 96-year-old Jesuit scholar, British media reported.

Pope Benedict XVI's personal theologian has backed the report. Monsignor Wojciech Giertych said there was 'no sexual equality' when it came to sin.

'Men and women sin in different ways,' he wrote in L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper.

Pride ranks only at No. 5 for men, who are likely to have indulged in so much lust and gluttony that they are too slothful to feel angry, proud, envious or avaricious, the Times of London said.

Women are not averse to lust, but are primarily occupied with pride, envy and anger. Sloth does not set in until after gluttony and avarice, the British newspaper added.

'When you look at vices from the point of view of the difficulties they create, you find that men experiment in a different way from women,' Monsignor Giertych said.

His own observations had confirmed the survey, an analysis of confessional data carried out by Father Roberto Busa, 96, a Jesuit priest celebrated for his computerised study of the works of St Thomas Aquinas.

He said: 'Diverse cultural contexts generate diverse habits - but human nature remains the same.'

Monsignor Giertych said that human weaknesses could 'purify faith' provided that they were 'admitted and offered up to God'.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the seven deadly sins, which carry the threat of eternal damnation, can only be forgiven by confession and penance, the Daily Mail said.

However, 30 per cent of Catholics no longer considered confession to a priest necessary, and 10 per cent even said that it 'impeded their personal dialogue with God', the Times report said.

Many believers accept the broad seven deadly sins or 'capital vices' laid down in the 6th century by Pope Gregory the Great and popularised in the Middle Ages by Aquinas, and by Dante in The Inferno. These are:

# Lust: Excessive thoughts or desires of a sexual nature.

# Gluttony: Over-consumption of or overly indulging in anything to the point of waste.

# Sloth: The failure to utilise one's talents and gifts.

# Anger: Inordinate and uncontrolled feelings that can manifest as vehement denial of the truth or self-denial, or generally wishing to do evil or harm to others.

# Pride: The desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to compliment others and excessive love of self.

# Envy: Resentment of another person for having something one lacks, and wishing the other person to be deprived of it.

# Greed: Excessive acquisition of material goods.

Last year, the Vatican added seven new ones: genetic modification; human experimentation; polluting the environment; social injustice; causing poverty; 'financial gluttony'; and taking or selling drugs.

Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican body that oversees confessions, said that two mortal sins which continued to preoccupy the Vatican were abortion and paedophilia.

The latter had even infected the clergy itself, and so had exposed the 'human and institutional fragility of the Church'.

Pope Benedict, who reportedly confesses his sins once a week, last year issued his own voice of disquiet on the subject.

'We are losing the notion of sin,' he said. 'If people do not confess regularly, they risk slowing their spiritual rhythm.'

Free Kose Mask White sample!!

Just got this from another blog. Kose is giving out free Mask White samples!

This is actually a black peel off mask. A full tube retails about $38.

The mask is supposedly able to remove impurities and whitens the skin.



So just fill in your name, NRIC, email and contact number, print out the redemption form which would be sent by email and collect the free sample.

Collection is at various KOSE outlets.

http://www.kose.com.sg/maskoflove/?ch=56&pg=70

And Oh ya, WHILE STOCKS LAST and limited to one per identity card.

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Updated 10 Mar 2009

Dun bother trying. I went down to Kose at Taka with my printout and was told that the samples have been fully redeemed! Same with other locations.

Damn! Dun think I would believe such things again.

Wasted my paper printing for such "freebies".

NTU Stabbing

I was discussing this with SO.

What a waste of a young life? What happened to make a maths genius go bonkers?

Frankly, if I was him, and I really want vengeance or something, I would have stabbed the other person a few more times and deeper, since after all, I would be dead a few mins later, by suicide, by jumping.

I was nearly there and thus I understand the feeling of almost losing everything in life.

Maybe that's what he felt? That his life was over? That desperation? That loss? That drove him over the edge?

I am no psycho but there were times I really feel like stabbing someone. That great was my rage.

But that was when I was younger and angrier. Some years back.

These days, very few things can ruffle my feathers to the extend that I would want to kill someone.

I suppose that age mellows a person.

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Channel News Asia
2 Mar 2009

Singapore's NTU stabbing incident leaves one dead and another injured

SINGAPORE: A final-year engineering student at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) jumped from a campus block after stabbing a professor on Monday morning.

The professor was in his office at the engineering faculty when the student stabbed him in the back with a knife, leaving him injured.

After stabbing the professor, the male student - who was in his 20s - slit his wrists and jumped off a five-storey building.

Police said they received a call about the incident at 10.35am, and arrived to find the student dead at the bottom of the engineering block.

Eyewitnesses had also told Channel NewsAsia that a person had been stabbed, and that a student, believed to be an Indonesian-Chinese had slit his wrists before jumping off a building.

An NTU spokesman later confirmed that a final year student from the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering was involved in the stabbing.

It, however, did not name the two people involved, and only said that their next-of-kin had been notified.

The student is said to be 21-year-old David Hartanto Widjaja and the professor is believed to be Chan Kap Luk, who was left with injuries on his back and arm.

Widjaja was a former president of the NTU Electronic Sports Club.

Professor Chan, a Singaporean in his 40s, was sent to the National University Hospital for treatment and is said to be in a stable condition.

The professor has been with NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering since June 1992.

Professor Chan, who is Deputy Director of the Biomedical Engineering Research Centre at NTU, is said to have been the supervisor of the student in a project.

NTU's president, Su Guaning, pledged to help the families of the professor and student and has mobilised its counselling professionals to help. He also said the matter will be investigated thoroughly.

"The university is deeply shocked and saddened by what has happened... The university community will rally together at this difficult time and do our utmost to help the student's family, the professor and his family, and those traumatised by the incident," added Dr Su.

Speaking to the media at the NUH in the evening, Dr Su said Professor Chan might be discharged in a few days. The stab wound in the professor's back was "deep" but no vital organs were injured. His arm was also not "too badly hurt".

It is understood that at the time of the incident, Widjaja was discussing his final-year project with Professor Chan, as he had difficulty obtaining a pass grade.

Dr Su said Widjaja was a "very good student" whose grades had slipped recently, but he was still considered above average. He said Professor Chan had expressed regret that he could not help his student earlier.

The NTU president said he hopes to prevent such an incident from happening again. "I think it's an overall pastoral care system that is necessary. We've already set up such a thing, with the Student Affairs Office, many counsellors keeping an eye on students with problems.

"Unfortunately, the student never showed that he had problems. ... We would like to review the system to see how we can pick out better students who have such problems, even if they don't communicate with others."

- 938LIVE/CNA/sf/ir

Animated Wonder Woman trailer

I saw this animated Wonder Woman trailer some weeks back. Looks promising.

This animation movie even has its own Facebook, Twitter and Myspace page.

Wonder Woman here was voiced by Keri Russell (Waitress, Felicity). Yeah, the big hair girl from Felicity. I dun recalled her having a very assertive voice. Wondering if she could pull this off?

The cheesy Wonder Woman trailer

I was searching for the animated Wonder Woman trailer when I came across this video in youtube.

Gosh it was so cheesy that it was beyond cheesy. The trailer was created by this fan of Joss hedon and she wanted to be that unknown to play the part. So she created this audition trailer.

Rather than hurt her feelings and posting my comments on youtube, I would rather post my comments here.

Well, the trailer was simply too corny for words. That fan did took some effort to create this audition trailer, but frankly, she is just not that pretty enough to play Wonder Woman.

In certain parts of the trailer, Wonder Woman looked like a drag queen and she has this sort of longish, horsey face. Too much make up?

PUSH trailer

SO was looking forward to this trailer when we went to the movies yesterday. However, it was not shown there.

And boy, he was pissed when he found out I saw the trailer on TV some days back.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer

Just saw this movie trailer while I was watching American Idol.

I certainly did not know the movie was completed. Frankly, I thought it was still in casting or production stages.

Awesome! Looking forward to the movie!