The Unit

Recently picked up a new TV series called The Unit. It is an action drama based on Eric L. Haney's book, Inside Delta Force. The TV series tells stories of the US Army's most elite special forces units. It involves their missions, their lives at home. One constant background story is the problematic task of keeping the unit and it's operators' identities secret.

I first discovered The Unit after watching David Mamet's Spartan, starring Val Kilmer. That film had Val Kilmer playing a Black Ops operator, and it was done in the typical Mamet style that I very much enjoy. The authenticity of the film came from Haney, who was the technical consultant for Spartan. The Unit was created by Mamet, and heavily influenced by Haney and his book.

I like The Unit for its authenticity and the extremely high level at which these unit members operate. They are very competent and versatile. Not only are their strength and skill top notch, but they also display an extremely high level of intelligence. They are the most elite soldiers in the world, and you can totally imagine them being successful in whatever profession they may have otherwise chosen. Actually, they aren't just elite soldiers, they are elite human beings.

These guys are the real Jack Bauers, but without all the bullshit that comes with 24. I'm sick and tired of Bauer's unlimted strength, unlimited luck, and his endless stupid yelling and screaming. However, if you did indeed like 24, then perhaps you'll be delighted to find out that Dennis Haysbert plays the extremely cool main character in The Unit.

I don't suppose The Unit is for everyone, but if you liked Black Hawk Down and/or books about the most elite soldiers in the world, check it out.

Countdown to Extinguish-ion

Sadly, due to my ignorance, I failed to notice that the blanket smoking ban for indoor areas which was supposed to take place January 1st, 2009 had been postponed to July 1st, 2009. When I found out about the delay in January I was very disappointed. Two years isn't a long enough adjustment period? Bars and saunas were obviously stalling. It didn't matter how much of a grace period they were given, they were refusing to comply with the smoking ban.

That said, I was still willing to give them an additional seven months if it meant permanent cleaner air in bars.

Then in May, bar and sauna workers/owners came out to protest again, stating that the poor economy and swine flu were reasons (read: excuses) for again delaying implementation of the smoking ban. Fortunately, university students also came out that day to protest the possible delay of the ban.

Bars and saunas really have to shift their attention to their jobs at hand. They are not selling cigarettes. They are selling beer and massages. Instead of worrying about the potential loss of customers, why not instead think about how they can improve their product to attract more business. Yes, there will be an adjustment period, but people will still want to drink and people will still want their massage. It is stupid to think otherwise.

Anyways... 8 days to go.

New Gym Characters

Okay, there really isn't much to say about the latest gym characters. They're pretty nice guys. Let's just say they are highly related to the following video.



Happy Friday.

YouTube: Bottom of the Barrel

We've all seen cool stuff on You Tube, but it's not all cool. The above is one of the worst videos I have seen. I am not even sure how I came across it (probably searching for something related to sausages), but it must be the worst video I have ever seen that has come out of Hong Kong. Upon seeing the title, I actually thought it was introducing an innovative way of cooking sausages. Umm... no. This ridiculously silly woman spends nearly 8 minutes "cooking" a tiny piece of sausage with a lit piece of paper towel.

It is stupid to begin with, and the video can be ignored entirely. However, upon further inspection, it appears that this woman is making a career out of this, and that she is actually semi serious. I just can't believe there are dumbass people using awesome technology to create idiotic content, and are actually earning money... and she actually has supporters.

Wow, just wow.

Financial Services Sector run by Gambler

From The Standard

Lawmaker shows winning hand for advice

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Financial services sector legislator Chim Pui-chung may not have been a god of stocks over the past year, but he has been a god of gamblers.

Chim has turned over the tables in Macau by winning more than HK$200 million in 10 months playing baccarat, according to The Standard's sister magazine East Week.

To celebrate his success at the Wynn and MGM casinos, Chim offers would- be gamblers six tips:

Have a clear mind, understand the banker's role and how it operates;

Know your strength;

Let the profit run;

Stop once your luck runs out;

Bet as much as you can when you are winning; and

Set a stop-loss and stop-profit point.

Chim said gambling is not a form of entertainment and should be seen as a business. The legislator, who claims to be one of the world's 10 biggest gamblers, is considering publishing a book, entitled Chim Pui-chung Winning Bible, which will include his secrets to winning and detail his extravagant stays at the best casinos around the world.

You have got to be kidding me... the Financial Service sector legislator of Hong Kong is "one of the world's 10 biggest gamblers". Unbelievable.

This gives even more reason to do away with the Functional Constituency seats in Legco currently occupied by lazy fat cats not elected by the general public.

TSM 20th

The TSM anniversary has come and gone. There have been countless blogs, editorials, and articles about the 20th anniversary and what it means. So I'm not going to talk about the people who are still suffering from the incident, the ways China has been trying to hide the truth, or the way some have gone as far as attempting to deny the incident actually took place.

Simply, to me it was and still is as devastating as 9/11. TSM hurts more than 9/11 because the TSM has not yet been resolved. No one has taken responsibility for the death of (official death toll still not confirmed) the student protesters. Most protesters are still to this day forbidden from holding a job, receiving social benefits, entering the country, or have been jailed. What makes me angry, sad, and helpless is the fact that in 20 years, nothing has changed.

Pro Beijing folk are preaching forgive and forget, when the almighty Central Government won't even show the tiniest bit of forgiveness for the dead, those who try to mourn the dead, and the protesters who for the most part were trying to quash corruption and not fight for democracy.

I believe this is another misconception of TSM. Many believe that the students were dead set on making China a democratic nation. That is only partially true. The students pushed for democracy because it was a method of defeating corruption. Officials chosen by the people would have to be accountable for their actions. I know a lot of people are out there speculating whether China could have achieved today's success with a democratic system in place (in other words, if the students had gotten what they wanted*). Not to say that their arguments aren't relevant, but they don't mean that much to me. The stem of the problem then was corruption, and that fact has not changed: China is still extremely corrupt, and the people are suffering because of that.

The main concern of the students who protested are the same concerns I have for China today. Most of the students and disgruntled citizens had no intention of forcing democracy upon China. They were simply fed up and felt disenfranchised due to rampant corruption.

I don't believe that the TSM is the only outstanding issue facing China today. Heck, it isn't even one of the more important ones. Current issues corrupt officials, land ownership, secret police, freedom of speech, human rights... the list goes on. However, I feel it is necessary to remind China and the world that no one has forgotten about the TSM. It is necessary to remind China that killing unarmed students in cold blood is not acceptable, and no amount of national or economic success can erase this fact.

Physical Damage

WRC and NASCAR too? Gran Turismo is again looking to be the all-in-one racing game. This is one of those series that I will snap up without giving it any thought. GT has proven it's worth in my gaming library.

This time it looks like there will be car damage involved. Fans (and critics) of the series have been waiting ten years for this type of addition to the game. When I saw NASCAR involved, I couldn't imagine them not including damage as that's a big part of what makes NASCAR exciting.

The graphics, the amazingly inclusive and realistic drivable car encyclopedia, the variety (rally, oval, road race) make it a game I'm highly anticipating.

The Home Team

In a sea of red, Ohio still believes the Cavs can comeback and win it in 7.

Hey, with Lebron James on your team, a game 7 Cavs win isn't out of the question.

Moden view of video games

A couple months ago, there was a case of bickering between the so called "Kong Boys" and "Kong Girls". The whole issue has sort of died down now. The boys and girls have expressed their opinions and they have come up with their desired stereotypes. In essence, they have vented their anger towards those members of the opposite sex who embody the worst stereotypical "Kong" traits.

Personally, I agree with some of the accusations, disagree with others, and simply have to dismiss a majority of them because of the absurdity. What sort of annoyed me was how video games is always used as the number one sin that the "Kong Boys" commit. I agree that when people over-indulge or become addicted to video games, it is most definitely a bad thing. Yet, how is being addicted to video games any different from being addicted to television? Isn't staying up all night watching Lost or Gossip Girl the same as staying up all night to play World of Warcraft? Why are games given that extra evil stigma?

Toys

The unfortunate truth is, that video games are still considered to be toys (for kids) by most people. So video games = for kids, and TV shows = for adults. Would you rather spend a couple hours playing Guitar Hero rather than vegging out on the couch? Most of the stuff on TV is pretty immature and unproductive. With games becoming more advanced, challenging, and aesthetically pleasing, people should see that value in games is growing.

Everything in moderation

Every form of entertainment is healthy until you make it unhealthy. Addicted to WOW? That's bad. Addicted to infomercials? That's bad too! Yet, watching TV all night seems like a more "mature" thing to do. Gambling is healthy until you lose your kid's college tuition at the Venetian. The same goes for eating, shopping, working, dieting, and even exercise. It bothers me that video games are immediately vilified as something immature, when they are probably much more complex and rewarding than something like The Amazing Race season 13.

Video games aren't evil, and the people who play them are not losers. If you abuse games, then it's a whole other story.

As for the video... The discussion could have been interesting if the attention whorish, egotistical host, Cheng (鄭大班) didn't open his mouth every 30 seconds to interupt his guests. Cheng has obviously already made up his mind about video games and other forms of modern entertainment. I don't see the point of trying to explain it to him.

RE5 and Race

Resident Evil 5's issue of race has ballooned to internet wide proportions. Now every game journalist, podcaster, and forum junkie has had their say on the issue. The argument is about whether RE5 has been insensitive to race. Big, white anti-terror agent Chris Redfield goes to Africa to gun down a boatload of "infected" Africans. Read more about problems with RE5's imagery here, here, and here.

I can imagine what sort of problems people might see with RE5's imagery, but I'd be lying if I said I felt the same. The truth is that RE5 doesn't bother me at all. When I play the game, I feel it's just RE4 taking place in a place where the people happened to have dark colored skin.

Regarding RE5's controversy, Newsweek writer, N'gai Kroal said, "this imagery has history". He was referring to the issues mentioned above, and also how the Africans in the game were protrayed as savages. The game dehumanized them by making them mindless attackers, and with the lack of a background story.

In an attempt to try and put myself in the shoes of others and determine whether RE5's controversial imagery bothers me, I changed it up a bit. What if Chris Redfield went to a poor, remote village in China and started slaughtering "infected" Chinese people left and right? To take it even further, what if instead of being white, Redfield was Japanese? Would I be offended? No, but China's Fenqing (angry youth, or often times shit-youth) would be up in arms. A Japanese person going to China to slaughter Chinese people (even though they're infected "zombies")? Some people would certainly blow a fuse.

Some who downplay the questionable imagery claim that Resident Evil is "just a game". I do not agree with them. Video games aren't "just video games", as movies are never "just movies", and although many people still think video games are still toys and only for kids, those people are sorely mistaken. I don't think that RE5 is "just a game", but I do realize that I'm playing Resident Evil. The skin color of those zombies, and how they're relevant to history does not bother me. OK, perhaps I can see how it might bother some people. It is Capcom's fault for not being able to forsee this controversy.

I'm disappointed. Disappointed at Capcom for not being more sensitive in this day and age. We look at games of the past where these types of mistakes were made, and we can chuckle at that ignorance. Nowadays that type of ignorance appears to be unforgivable. I'm also disappointed at those who blindly label RE5 as racist, and those who blindly proclaim that RE5 is "just a game". Both sides should try to understand each other.

Is Resident Evil 5 insenstive? Yes. Offensive? No. Am I bothered by RE5? Other than not being able to run and shoot at the same time, the answer is no.

Get what you pay for

No plans for PS3 price drop, says Sony.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3173503

If this is true, then kudos to Sony for sticking to their plan. I'm not a "fan" of either the PS3 or 360, but I feel that the PS3 is definitely built at a higher quality. For starters, it is quiet compared to the jet engine-esque noise the 360 makes when the disc drive is spinning. The 360 has been found to have fatal errors (just google Red Ring of Death) that are covered by the warranty. When the warranty is up, you're on your own. You can tell that Microsoft did a lot of cost saving even before this console hit stores. On the other hand, the PS3 is a console for adults, and it comes with an adult price (USD499-599).

You have to hand it to Microsoft for devising a business plan that was purposely designed to defeat the PS3. They knew Sony's gameplan and made a cheap machine with a lower price point to initially sell more units. Brilliant plan really, since the money is made from games. With more consoles in more households, the likelihood of someone choosing a 360 game over a PS3 game is high. PS3 in turn can play Blu-Ray DVDs. This will boost their unit sales, but will it make Blu-Ray DVD users buy more games?

No Tube for You

YouTube blocked in China? It was only a matter of time. Am I surprised this happened after promises of a more "open" internet? No. China makes few promises, and has a problem with keeping them. Lies and contradictions are common place. Its these contradictions and lack of clarity that drove away the faith I had in this country years ago. Not that I don't have well wishes for China. I really want to see China do well, but not in the way that most people consider to be "well". Responding to the YouTube blockage, China had this to say:

"Many people have a false impression that the Chinese government fears the Internet. In fact it is just the opposite," the official, Qin Gang, explains. "China's Internet is open enough, but also needs to be regulated by law in order to prevent the spread of harmful information and for national security."

Another "Chinaism", another disappointment.

(Read more here)

Real Crooks

Who are the real thieves? Bernard Madoff admitted his crimes. He was a nasty con artist, but at least he is finally owning up to his deeds.

On the contrary, these stubborn finance folk have seriously lost their way. They are stubborn to a point that outsiders simply cannot understand. A bonus should be a reward for a job well done. So even under normal circumstances, the bankers that caused this economic turmoil, have failed in their profession. Hence, they should not receive a bonus. It is simple logic: fail = no bonus. Compound that with the current situation, where taxpayer dollars were used to save the company and their jobs. Should that money be used to give out a reward for a job not done?

Some argue that the bankers are the only ones who can get us out of this mess, and because of that they should be treated well. That sounds almost as if the finance industry is now holding the world hostage. If we don't pony up a juicy bonus for them, they'll throw the economy into further turmoil.

This makes no sense. The real thieves of America have shown their faces, and people certainly have the right to be mad about it.

No to free publicity?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7933565.stm

Why does YouTube have to pay artists to post music videos? Can someone explain this to me? I guess there must be a reason. I'm all for artists getting paid, but isn't having your MV on YouTube the equivilant of free advertising? Artists and record companies should be thankful there's a medium such as YouTube to freely spread their product.

Since when did people start saying no to free advertising?

Build Quality

The stuff we buy just keeps getting worse.

I finally upgraded to a wireless keyboard and mouse at work. I chose this Microsoft combo because it was reasonably priced. I like Logitech's wireless stuff better, but I already had a set of that at home, and didn't want to spend anymore money.

I guess you really get what you pay for. This Microsoft set sucks. They keyboard is mediocre, but not really much worse than your average everyday keyboard. The mouse is really bottom of the barrel though in terms of quality. The optical mouse works on very few surfaces. It doesn't work on the mouse pad that I got for free from the store which I made this purchase, and it doesn't work on the old mouse pad that I was using. It only works if I put it directly on my desk. The battery life sucks compared to my Logitech wireless optical mouse at home, despite it turning itself off every couple minutes to save power.

Right now, I'm recharging the two AA batteries for the mouse, so I have reverted back to the trusty old Microsoft optical wired mouse I've been using for the past eight years. It is better in many respects. Not only does it feel better in your hand, the buttons have a better build quality, and it works on almost any surface. I don't understand how technology can move backwards, but apparently, that's what's happening to Microsoft.

From now on, I'm sticking with Logitech.