Merry Christmas!

Yes, happy holidays dear friends and loyal readers. This Christmas came and went so quickly. The busy work schedule makes the holiday time go by so fast. I spent a full day and a half shopping (something I almost never do) for gifts. Maybe that's where all the time went. I spent all of the 23rd in Causeway Bay and Central. I'm glad to say that I did all my shopping and gift wrapping within the allotted time limit. Unfortunately, I didn't quite get to enjoy much of the weekend.

Speaking of gift wrapping, I am known within my family to be somewhat of a cheapie. I wrap all my gifts with old newspaper instead of proper wrapping paper. Wrapping paper is nice, but I always get this heart wrenching feeling every time I tear it all up when opening gifts. Though beautiful and creative, store bought wrapping paper is such a waste of our precious resources. A couple of years ago, I decided to use newspaper instead. The results have yielded some pleasant surprises! The key is to find front-page type pages with big pictures. Check out two of the gifts from this year. Keep in mind that the wrapping is old newspaper!

A front page clipping from some quirky article.

An article on some new local film.

So if you haven't done so already, consider using old newspaper to wrap your gifts next year! ;)

Language Homocide

What a joke! I guess for Hong Kong's low ass standards, Tseng's mandarin is "good".

Shut Up and Sign Already!

Scott Boras is full of shit!
See why here.
Baseball isn't just about money...

Only In America Part I

Just to be fair, I'm starting a running segment called "Only In America". It is sort of a parallel to the popular ongoing "我們的祖國... 唉" entries. Through the OIA entries, we will see how America is just as ridiculous as the dumb shit that goes on in China. Arguably the two strongest nations in the world right now, are equally as screwed up.

Rabbi threatens a lawsuit if a Seattle airport doesn't add a menorah to their Christmas trees. The airport responds by taking down all the trees completely. People whine, Rabbi gets death threats, and the trees are eventually put back up... Only in America.

I can't believe that someone would threaten to sue over a Christmas decoration; or maybe I should believe it. Crap like this happens in all the time. Americans go to court over the most absurd disputes. Common sense doesn't always apply either. Like this case where a guy tried to sue Michael Jordan because he looked like him (for $832 million by the way). Then there's the infamous McDonald's Hot Coffee case, where the woman successfully sued McDonald's because her hot coffee was too hot.

Anyways, back to the case at hand. This guy's got it right when he uses the phrases, "hyper-sensitive" and "hyper-cautious". However, I disagree of him accusing the airport for being "hyper-cautious". The airport was just fed up with the silliness of it all. They probably didn't want to deal with litigation over something so petty and nonsensical.

At the same time, what was this Rabbi thinking? By threatening a lawsuit, all he's doing is giving himself and his religion a bad name in a country already filled with so much prejudice.

Chill out, its Christm... err... the holiday season!

My Favorite Jack

Jack as in the fictional Tom Clancy character, Jack Ryan. Though I have enjoyed my fair share of Clancy novels, I am referring to the three Jacks in the four Clancy films.

Patriot Games/
Clear and Present Danger
Clearly the most accomplished actor of the three, and likely to be the favorite Jack amongst the general public, Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. I'll admit that I liked both of these movies. Action, politics, mystery, suspense, etc. Clear and Present Danger even had a cool Black Ops team sent to Colombia to disrupt activities of drug cartels, with Willem Dafoe as the commander, John Clark. Admiral Greer played in both films by James Earl Jones.

Certainly an above average effort by Ford. However, I didn't like him as Jack. He was a older, seemingly wiser, yet so naive. Like all of Ford's other acting roles, he was the goofy, handsome guy, who always did the right thing. Not much fun to watch, really.

The Sum of All Fears
Good Will Hunting and perhaps Chasing Amy were the only two watchable films this guy was in. Yep, Ben Affleck played a somewhat Twilight Zone-ish, parallel universe type Jack Ryan. The film sort of depicts Ryan as a rookie analyst for the CIA. He meets Greer for the first time, this time played by Morgan Freeman. John Clark appears again, this time played by the awesome Liev Schreiber.

He basically plays this loud, reckless, unthoughtful Jack. Fears is not a good film, and it is completely unwatchable because of Affleck. Bad acting, ho-hum action and storyline. I find everything Affleck pretty unwatchable these days, and I'm not on any sort of bandwagon. I just don't like his acting.

The Hunt for Red October
Brilliant! Just brilliant film with a top caliber actor in Sean Connery as Captain Ramius. Alec Baldwin plays my favorite Jack. This was the first Tom Clancy film I saw, and I can rewatch it any day of the week. The submarine tactics and operation is very well done. This is the kind of movie that you pick up something new everytime you watch it. I probably first saw October when I was 10 years old, and I'm not even sure why I liked it back then. Thinking back, I barely understood it. It was a pretty complicated movie in terms of politics and defection, and Cold War stuff in general.

The reason why I liked Jack this time, was that he fit the role pretty perfect. Again, a bit naive, but Baldwin at the time appeared young and earnest enough to pull it off without looking stupid. There wasn't all that yelling and screaming like in Fears. Instead it was a lot of reasoning and scenes of tense decision making. Jack (Baldwin) really looked like he wanted his target to understand and be convinced; Affleck in Fears just looked like he was shouting all the time. Ford looked clueless throughout most of his Clancy films, more like a happy go lucky guy fighting terrorists and drug cartels.

At the time when October first came out, I thought Alec Baldwin would be huge... then I heard about his brothers. Alec is pretty huge these days. He plays his roles to near perfection. He can do comedy as well as drama. Also check out The Cooler, Outside Providence, and his performance in Along Came Polly. Alec Baldwin is classic.

CIA guy says: "Stay away from acting, Ben".

Rudeness Breeds Rudeness

Why are people in China rude?

I've heard a lot of comments from friends and colleagues about how poor the service attitude is in China. It seems that waiters in China are just not service oriented. Personally, I have found some truth in this. Waiters in China are pushy. They force you to order tea (which costs extra), and more expensive dishes (like seafood and steak). If you don't follow their recommendations, they make their disappointment known via body language/attitude. Orders are never perfect. If you order five dishes, there's a good chance that one of them won't show up. When you complain about the absent dish, you will once again be met with disdain.

However, its not always like that. One very peculiar thing I noticed is that when foreigners are present, some waiters will suddenly "light up". Good manners all around. The waiters are suddenly attentive, laughing at their loose grasp of the English language, replacing chopsticks with forks and knives, ready and waiting with soda and beer. Why this sudden change in attitude?

Most foreigners are polite. Still don't understand?

Most of the Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese who dine in these same restaurants are very rude to the staff. They never give any thanks to their servers. A nice "thank you" is never met with a "you're welcome". They also never say "please" or "excuse me". Servers have gotten tired of customers not giving any gratitude. They get nothing in return for being polite, whether that be a simple thanks, or a monetary tip (tipping is not customary in China).

Foreigners on the other hand not only tip (out of habit), but they're also very polite (again out of habit). Servers treat foreigners better because foreigners treat them better.

It is that simple. If Hong Kong people are more polite to their Mainland counterparts, they will find that China may not be as impolite as they think.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part V

China 101
Bigger fist = More Power
(Click picture to read article)
See here for the online version

Hunan County government big shot attaches army license plates to his car in order to bypass routine security checkpoints. Local checkpoint traffic cop gets suspicious, and stops big shot's car for inspection. Big shot gets pissed, and calls his army-related thugs to beat up the traffic cop.

Would this hapen in your country? This would be like Senator John Kerry riding in an Army Humvee in attempt to avoid paying his toll on the Mass Pike. If a state trooper stopped him, what is the likelyhood that he'd call the National Guard to come beat up this Statie?

1. Very likely
2. Likely
3. Not likely
4. Very unlikely
5. None of the above

Well... I think I'll pick number five, none of the above. The answer is yes, if hell freezes over.

This blogger has a different take on the situation. Our big shot, Liu Hua (劉樺) is simply a crappy politician. Read the article here.

Luckily, this incident was caught on video. I am quite sure that unfair incidents like this happen all the time. None of them ever see the light, as the victims are likely threatened and tend to keep quiet. I certainly hope that this will signal the end to Liu Hua's political career. Let this be a warning to future Chinese officials. Using your political power in the form of brute force will not be tolerated. How is this different from a street gang? Liu Hua is a thug, and he should be allowed nowhere near a position of power (as with many other Chinese politicians).

More articles on this ridiculous incident: here, here, and here.

A Bit of Control

Last time I was in China, I noticed something different. I could view my blog! That's right folks. Blogger blogs were suddenly visible in the Mainland. I don't know if it was a hole in the system, a glitch in the Matrix. It makes me slightly giddy.

Recently in the news, Google was criticized by the world for allowing China to impose censorship with Google dot CN. I have a couple of thoughts on that. Why is Google catching all the flak, when all the other search engines are also abiding by this communist rule? Do they really have a choice?

I think the main question is: would the world be better off with Google not being available in China? The answer is no. For China to break loose from the communist wrath, they must have access to Google. It is a small first step in breaking away from censorship. Why? Because in a decade's time, when Google becomes indispensible to China's education system and economy (like it has become in the U.S.), they will have control over China and not the other way around. Google will slowly but surely remove the censorship facade from China. Chinese people will be free at last.

Lets just hope communists aren't reading this... ha ha. Even if they are, what can they do? Who can refuse the vast resource called Google? Then again, will Google become the next China? Afterall, they will be in control of what we search for and what we cannot.

The Real Reason for a GST

Yes yes, one of the most debated topics this year is the possible introduction of a Goods and Sales Tax (GST). Pretty much everyone in Hong Kong, including all political parties are opposed to having a GST. Tourism and the poor are the two groups that will be hit the hardest by this tax. Please feel free to Google it and read all about the details.

What came to the public's attention was a leak last week about the Government's plan to purchase a fleet of the Volkswagen Phaeton. These cars will replace the current fleet of BMW 7-series luxury sedans, purchased back in 1997. Their excuse was that the BMWs were close to 10 years old, have around 200,000km on the odometer, and it is "about time" to replace them.

Meanwhile, a lot of questions are being asked (see article on the left): why so soon (referring to 10 years)? The old BMWs still run great. How did they manage to rack up 200,000km? A lot of non-work related use would be a good guess (so high mileage is not a good excuse). Why the Phaeton? Why not a cheaper, more environmental car?

This comes as quite a shock to Hong Kong people after they heard our Financial Secretary, Henry Tang, brazenly ask the question, "Where is the money to come from?", referring to the need for a GST.

Well, I can't tell you where the money will come from, but I guess I know where its going.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part IV

Just returned from a four day trip to China. Naturally, you don't read about the embedded shit about the country until you return to "civilization", where free speech prevails most of the time.

In the fourth installment of this ongoing series, we get a glimpse of how Chinese people have soiled the English language, just as they soiled their own language by creating simplified characters (but that's another story).

In preparation for the 2008 Olympic games, it appears that China is overhauling its signs that display english translations. Tourists will no longer think that Chinese people have sex with fruit, among other misconceptions, due to atrocious translation errors.

In the end, it all stems from laziness. Whoever did the translation was too lazy to see whether they did it right. This sign in particular has been on the internet for quite some time. Its just that people were too lazy to make the correction until now.

Policy Address

Hong Kong's most gutless man strikes again!

After that anti-smoking cop-out he pulled last year, the master of Chinese cheek-kissing is back this year with another gutless cop-out; this time he's backing out of setting up minimum wage legislation. Of course we all remember his false promise to improve the environment. What has this guy done?! What is his purpose? To go around shaking peoples' hands and asking them whether they've eaten lunch yet?

I bring up that point because that's exactly what he did. Tsang went around local neighborhoods asking residents who were on their way to work, whether they were on their way to work. He asked people who just finished lunch, whether they had lunch yet. Do something already! I can't stand how he pretends to be a politician. Don't we have any good politicians in Hong Kong? Perhaps China only approves of the silly ones, because they are easy to control. From now on, his nickname is no longer "Bow Tie", its "The Puppet".

Puppet Tsang (PT for short), is continually protective of the business circles (工商界) in Hong Kong. Every time the people want something whether it be anti-smoking legislation, environmental improvement, or minimum wage legislation, those bastards of business always get in the way. With the help of PT, they always end up getting their way, too. I don't know what PT is so afraid of. Even our Mainland brethren have a minimum wage policy. Perhaps he's afraid of angering big business, which is possibly his meal ticket after his term in office ends. Is this idea so preposterous? A good number of politicians in Hong Kong have moved on to big business after they retire from politics.

This time around, he says non-legislative policies will be suggested, and the possibility of legislation will be reviewed in two years... TWO YEARS?! Unbelievable. Instead, he throws out some chump change used for "determining whether the improvement plan is successful". What kind of bullshit is that?

Meanwhile...

Turns out the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (食環處) pays its workers less than government issued welfare. So the question is, would you rather work your ass off sweeping the streets and cleaning the toilets, or would you rather kick back at home and pick up an even bigger check? Hong Kong would be a nice city if it weren't for corruption, unethical practices, and a shoddy government.

阿扁發脾四

So yesterday was Taiwan's 10-10 celebration. As planned, the Anti-CSB (Chen Shui Bian) folk went forward with their "天下圍攻", and surrounded the Presidential Palace among other places. Any type of planned celebration was disrupted.

Despite the chaos, resilient Chen strapped on his bullet-proof vest and braved the stage. Cries of protest drowned out the canned cheering and applause. Protesters managed to sneak on the stage, holding up an Anti-Chen banner behind the President as he spoke.

Well, in the end Ah Bian got frustrated and announced that next year's 10-10 celebrations would be cancelled. I found that hilarious. He's basically trying to cancel the nation's (wait, Taiwan's not a nation) birthday party. Is that even possible? Its like he had a senior moment, and did something that made absolutely no sense. I don't think anyone has the right or power to cancel the country's birthday celebration... Unless you're a dictator.

That's a slight peek into Ah Bian's mind. He subconsciously thinks he's some sort of dictator. Then again, if he were an actual dictator, these protests would be violent, and he'd have troops shooting these people. Sze Ming De would be assassinated, and China would intervene, and it'd be a big friggin mess. Someone needs to make a movie about that.

Therapy is...

Another summer, another season of baseball ends. What went wrong this year? August was horrible. I still miss that awesome 2004 team that worked out so well. I don't doubt Theo Epstein and his scouting team. Heck, one of the guys (Galen Carr) went to my high school (Class of '94) and lived on my floor as a teacher one year. They know a lot more about the players, and certainly know a lot more about baseball than I do. However, I must question at least a couple of their moves they made this year.

• David Wells - Why bring this guy in? Schilling, Beckett, Clement, Wakefield, Arroyo. Where would Wells fit in? Sure, the decision looks horrible now since he missed nearly the whole season, but I questioned this move the day it was made. He is a big time pitcher who I felt didn't fit in our lineup.
• Bronson Arroyo - Another move that looks horrible in hindsight, but that's not the point. This guy was a Red Sock. He loved being on the team, and trusted the team by not asking for a no-trade clause. We repay him by trading his ass before the season started. Wily Mo Pena is a decent young bat, but its hard to replace a solid SP.
• Josh Beckett/Hanley Ramirez/Coco Crisp/Andy Marte/Cla Meredith/Josh Bard/Jon Lester/Craig Hansen/Manny Delcarmann/Kason Gabbard/Jonathan Papelbon - This is more of a curiosity rather than a criticism. Getting Beckett seemed necessary at the time. Though Hanley "The Other Ramirez" Ramirez nearly led the league with 26 errors, he had a phenomenal rookie season. Crisp was horrible as our new lead-off hitter. Andy Marte was not spectacular as a rookie. Pitching showed some ups and downs. Lester was decent, Papelbon was insanely awesome. What I'm wondering, is whether we're sticking to our prospects as Theo said, or giving them away for veterans. Which is it? Also, what made us give away Ramirez when we needed a speedy shortstop? What made us trade Marte for Crisp? Cla Meredith? Josh Bard? I'm not asking for trades or big moves. Just want some reassurance for the guys already in our lineup. Especially those who did poorly last season.

One thing we did was accomplish the goal of bolstering defense, at the expense of offense.

Therapy is...

Coming home after a long day (or night), and falling asleep to Game 4 of the 2004 World Series (choose games 4-7 ALCS if you're in a Yankee hating mood).

Katamari = Need Insurance

Ad sort of based on a videogame that I haven't played, but really should have long time ago. It is an interesting ad on its own, but ten times funnier if you've played or seen the game Katamari Damacy.


The actual PSP game.

I Miss You, Fat Bastard

When Kiki saw this picture, he said, "I look like a fat bastard". He was sort of right. My horrible hair plus his expression of "fatness", made for a pretty bad picture. Yet, this ugly ass photo still sits in a frame on my bookshelf among others.

This arrival of this September means that I've been at this blog for a year. It also marks the month that my best friend Kiki permanently departed from this world. Hate to sound like a broken record, but I still think about him everyday. Occasionally, I'll have a dream about him either still being alive or somehow becoming reanimated. Waking up from those dreams isn't so much shocking as it is disappointing. I am almost used to that feeling now: waking up disappointed that it was just a dream.

Meanwhile, my life continues to move forward. There's so much I want to say, and so much I want to share. I miss you Brother. Hope to see you again soon.

Re: Now You've Done It

In response to Alex's comment:

Alex said...
I understand you totally. But then what can we really do about it? Not turn on the AC? That would be lethal in the summer. Or maybe we should starting limiting the number of cars allowed in the city, just like those taxi license

I understand what your saying. It can be difficult having zero A/C during summer in Hong Kong. I just wanted to point out this article (see below). It is an interesting take on the use of A/C, experimentation, and a change in habit. Perhaps its time we all reassess our needs.



The story is basically about a guy whose habit was to flip on the A/C before bed. It was a ritual that had lasted for as long as he could remember. Then one day he got sick, and decided to sleep with just the fan. He slept great without A/C. Suspecting that his good night's sleep was due to him being sick, he tried later on to sleep through the night sans A/C. The results were the same: great night's sleep. Since then, the guy sleeps with only the fan on.

I'm not saying that everyone should sleep without A/C. However, I do encourage people to experiment with different ways to carry out daily tasks. See if a certain energy saving way might work for you. I tried sleeping without A/C, and it worked for me. Though I can understand how it might not work for everyone, the author of that article didn't think he could sleep without A/C until he actually tried it.

In the end, it all comes down to what we are accustomed to. Can we break the cycle and get used to different conditions?

Now You've Done It

Hong Kong is become less and less attractive to foreign companies. The reason is not as obvious as it seems. That's right boys and girls, its the environment. That overwhelming cloud of aerial pollutants that blocks our beautiful harbor view is driving away foreign investors. Nobody wants to work in this environment. They're paying a premium for office space that is surrounded by smog. Here's what the pie charts say:

If the quality of Hong Kong's environment remains the same...

The attractiveness to foreign investors will:
Get Worse 79%
Get Better 8%
No Change 14%

Will cause foreign companies to relocate away from Hong Kong:
Likely to very likely 59%
Unlikely to very unlikely 41%

Funny and Unfunny of the Day

Funny

"I got some good news earlier today before the show. Thanks to Alex Rodriguez, I am no longer the most overpaid disappointment in New York City."
-- David Letterman

Unfunny

China's Priorities

Okay, I know this is old news, but the article is interesting. A demonstration of how China operates, and what it values.

The short version:
Reporter A reveals that China sent troops to Vietnam. He receives a jail sentence of 15 years.

Reporter B reveals the contents of a Jiang Zemin's report one week before its scheduled to be released. He receives a jail sentence of life imprisonment.


Like the author states: "who would have thought that revealing military secrets were less severe than some report".
Hmm...

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is something new to me. I've heard stories of Mainlanders coming to Hong Kong for quality medical treatment, and I've heard of Hong Kongers going to China for cheap medical treatment. However, this is the first time I've heard of people actually trying to promote "medical tourism" as a selling point.

Basically, Mainland Chinese will come to Hong Kong for medical treatment at private hospitals as tourists. They will be allowed an extended stay for their treatment. I guess running a hospital has long become a business rather than a service; I just didn't realize it.

Are private hospitals in financial trouble? Do they need patients from China to fill beds? Kwong Kwok-hay, assistant medical superintendent of the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital said that the hospital is in short supply of nurses, and it is already at 90% capacity. He also brought up a very good point: what are they to do in the case of an emergency? They cannot send the "vacation patients" to a government hospital.

It is a shame that China cannot even take care of its own people's medical needs. Every time I see this type of incompetence from the Mainland, I think of all those people boasting about how great Shanghai is, and how it has overtaken Hong Kong in wealth and modernity. My response to that is, so what? China has such a poor infrastructure and social system. Crime and corruption is rampant. The rich are too rich, and the poor are too poor. Those rich have to come to Hong Kong for health care on a traveler's visa because their own government can't take care of them.

China's "free" Tours

Recently, there have been more and more reports on "zero fee" or low cost tour package groups visiting Hong Kong from China. The problem with these tours is that they are low cost, so tour agencies must make their money through commission from local shops that they take the tourists to. If the tourists make no purchases, the agency makes no money.

This policy has caused much confusion and unpleasant behavior among the tour groups visiting Hong Kong. A tour of Hong Kong has now evolved into one big shopping trip. Tour buses bypass famous landmarks, instead making stops only at overpriced jewelry and electronic shops. The trouble starts when tourists decide that they don't want to spend money.

A prominent case is when a tour group was forced to wait for 3 hours on the street for their tour bus, this was supposedly in retaliation for the group not making enough purchases at designated shops. Some opted to return to the hotel on their own, only to find out their hotel room key cards no longer worked. Naturally, arguments ensued and police got involved.
As it turns out, this type of behavior has happened many times already. Tour agencies threaten to confiscate hotel rooms if tourists don't spend enough money. The designated shops often jack up product prices in order to make enough for themselves and the tour agency. There have been many cases of tourists discovering their purchases are fake or not as promised.

As travel agencies in the Mainland continue to use "zero fee" as a selling point, Hong Kong agencies are getting fed up with having to deal with tour groups that don't make any money. Both sides are at fault. China tour groups should not keep pushing "zero fee" tours. Hong Kong agencies should not even accept this type of business unless it is absolutely clear that the tourists know the "rules" of the tour. They are wrong to put all the blame on agencies in China. The unwritten policies now are unethical and dishonest. The term "zero fee" is false advertising.

Get rid of the ambiguity, and people will start loving Hong Kong again.

He walks the walk... and that's about it

I'm beginning to wonder who is worse: Donald Tsang or George W. Bush. At least Bush doesn't bow down to communists.

Last night's "Lights Out" protest was considered a failure. I personally consider it a success, because it clearly showed us who really cares about the environment, and who does not. The result? The general public does, and the big corporations do not. Oh, and despite his claims to support the environment and clean air policies, Donald Tsang actually does not care about the environment.

Like the ignorant chunk of Hong Kong, he only cares about his own future and economic prosperity, blah blah. I can't believe this guy's approval rating actually went up 0.8%. Oh wait, I just realized that its from all the talking he's done in the past year. People support him because they're anxiously waiting for him to actually do something.

"I am determined to ensure that this standard will be complied with by the power companies. It is important".

This was Tsang's claim about a week ago. Hong Kong saw one of its worst weeks of poor air quality. So the good ol' crowd pleaser comes out to talk the talk as he usually does. However, when it came down to when it really mattered, Tsang refused to participate in the protest. He even went as far as refusing to postpone a light show scheduled for last night.

Yup, go ahead Tsang, just go do what you normally do. Go back to China and kiss some more communist ass. Hong Kong doesn't need you around to make false claims and put on a fucking show.

The King Responds

After not finding "grill marks" on my airport burger, I wrote a complaint to the company that franchised Burger King in Hong Kong. What I got was a prompt and detailed response. Let me share that here with all five of my readers.

The response was sincere, and I have no reason to doubt that BK does char-broil their patties, except for the fact that my burger lacked grill marks twice already. I believe that their airport branch is simply too busy at times, and they have a bit of a quality control issue. I have taken up on Sammy's meal voucher offer, and I hope to give BK a favorable report next time. Below are the photos (click to enlarge) that came with the email.

Give me grill marks!

I am a frequent airport visitor, so naturally I have tried all the restaurants at the Hong Kong International Airport. One exception would be Popeye's Chicken, because my fried chicken eating days are over. The food is all overpriced, as expected. The biggest disappointment however, is that Burger King's burgers are not char-broiled.

How is this possible? My impression was that BK prided themselves on serving their meat with grill marks. That tasty burnt carcinogenic flavor just goes well with beef. They basically took away the only reason anyone would choose BK over McDonald's. Oh well.

On to the price. I recognize that its airport prices, but lets just take a look at how outrageous they actually are:

McDonald's Double Cheeseburger = $8.00
Burger King Double Cheeseburger = $29.00

My regular MD meal consists of two double cheeseburgers and an order of corn = $29.00. At the airport, my meal is cut in half, plus I get no veggies. I feel bad for the people who work there and half to make this overpriced junk their daily intake.

(click to enlarge at your own risk)

The New Cool

I have to admit that stepping into the theater, I had lowered expectations for Miami Vice. The theatrical trailer made it look like an MTV style action flick full of unintentional cheesy dialogue. Well... after seeing it, all I can say is that this film went beyond my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Before we get into what I liked about Vice, lets set a few rules for watching it:

1. Try your best to ignore the plot. Why? Because its not all there. These days its hard to create an original cop story, and writers sometimes try to get too creative. I enjoyed the plot, but I can totally see how people would get confused or feel cheated by all the "unanswers".
   
2. Do your homework. If you're not already a fan of the original Don Johnson/Philip Michael Thomas hit TV series, do yourself a favor and get to know the background. The movie doesn't explain how Crockett and Tubbs became agents, and for good reason! I am very happy that this movie isn't three hours long.
3. Treat all the drugs, money, and reasons for the "mission" as MacGuffins. It is a bit confusing, and it is ultimately unimportant. In some movies you just have to ignore certain plot devices that move the story forward. I hate it when critics overemphasize on story and plot in action thrillers.
   

Okay. I liked the new Vice because it was beautiful, the action was exciting, and it was so damn cool. I haven't seen a movie this cool in a long time. I have seen Jamie Foxx in Any Given Sunday, and he was not cool. However, in this movie he is the epitome of cool. Despite the 80s hair style, Colin Farrell plays a very smooth Sonny Crockett.

It must be said though that Vice is very much a man's wet dream. From the fights, to the gun fights, to the cars, planes, boats, and "hard" dialogue, I can see how men would enjoy this film right off the bat. A lot of the "coolness" comes from material objects. Everything from the condos, to the man toys, to the clothes, all look expensive. Women may have to look for appeal elsewhere, such as in the actors, or the beauty of each scene.

Speaking of beauty, Michael Mann and his crew did an excellent job of making each and every scene just exquisite. Whether its a scene with action, actors and dialogue, supercars racing on the street, or racing boats cruising at top speed in open water, they all look fantastic. They really know how to make something good look even better.

The music in the film is well done. I'm sure Mann was trying to keep with the formula that made Vice successful in the first place: the MTV style. Back in the day, it was Jan Hammer's opening theme, and background music by various hit bands that made the TV series so popular. Mann did a decent job of compiling a good soundtrack and inserting those tracks at the right moments in the film. Two disappointments: 1) Jan Hammer was not invited to do a track or two, 2) Mann made no effort to recreate the most famous scene from the TV series, despite putting a modern cover of the Phil Colins song, that was integral to that scene, in the end credits. Missed opportunities.

Perhaps what I enjoyed the most was that it was a darker, higher budget version of the 80s TV series. Not only did it bring back memories, but the movie did an even better job of portraying how slick Vice was. I feel I've said enough. If you go see this movie, watch it for what it is, and perhaps you'll enjoy it too.

Hack Digest

Recently, my ball has been going all over the place. I just couldn't manage to hit the ball straight! Even when I did hit it straight with my wedges, it would still be slightly off target. That is not what I expect from those shots within 130.

Anyways, I have found the solution to my spraying it all over the course: don't swing so hard! I guess I have to face the music and admit that I'm a short hitter. Sure, on a good day I can roll the ball to probably 270-290 yards, but most of the time the ball is either in the junk or lost. I end up hacking it back onto the fairway and lose a stroke or two anyways.

Next time I'm out on the course, I'm going to try hitting it soft. Perhaps my drives will barely carry 200 yards, but at least they'll go straight...



On Tiger Woods winning the British Open...
I thought it was great seeing him dominate with iron play. A couple of years ago, when his drives were all over the place (like now), I always wondered why he didn't just tee off with a one iron. My guess is that he could have probably belted it out straight and close to 280 or longer. Then show the folks some stellar long iron play to score.

Anyways, that's pretty much what he did at Hoylake. A lot of people said it was boring to watch Tiger not use his driver. I on the other hand cringe every time he pulls out the big stick. Why? Because I just know that its going to be a huge gamble to have it stay in the fairway. Hitting all those long iron shots helped Woods get comfortable with them. His GIR (green in regulation) numbers were well over 80%.

Now that's the kind of golf that I want to be playing. Dominate with the long irons, and only use the driver when necessary. Distance off the tee is overrated.

More Tiger

Bush kills people, not embryos

Spam 2.0

In the past few months, email users have been receiving "anonymous" stock tips via their inbox or spam box. Spam is what it really is.

This nouveau spam makes a weak attempt at fooling the recipient into purchasing a stock. How does this work? Is this supposed to be a scam? Did these idiots really expect me to go out on a limb and buy this stock because some random email says to "check it out tomorrow morning"?

I'm curious as to who are the target victims of this scam. Who would be foolish enough to open an eTrade account, or to run to their broker to buy these dummy stocks? You have to be pretty foolish, desperate, or bored to become a victim.

However useless this type of spam may be, it has unfortunately been able to penetrate spam filters because of its "trade alert" headline. Many people who work in the finance industry have to sift through their inbox to separate this crap from legitimate news/tips. So more than anything, this new type of spam is causing congestion.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part III

Man sees robbery. Man tries to stop crime. Man is threatened. Man tries to call police. Man discovers police are incompetent.

The man who reported the crime was on a bus, and he tried to report the crime in english as to not alert the criminals. Unfortunately, the emergency line operators hung up on him FOUR TIMES because no one could speak english.

Authorities claim that there isn't much need for english speaking operators. This makes no sense. They should at least always have one english speaking operator on duty at all times. The point of an emergency hotline is to help people when they need it most. This incident is just more of China's stupid mentality at work again.

They cut corners on all the wrong places. Its like a car owner saying: oh I drive mostly during the daytime, so I'm not putting headlights in my car. A more extreme case would be: oh the car goes forward most of the time, so I'm taking out the reverse gear to save money. The strive for excellence just isn't there, and it is sad.

Lets just hope we don't hear a flood of these kinds of stories during the Olympics in 2008.

Later folks...

Out of town this week. That means no updates. Heh.

That's Shady

What do people have against optical defense? It seems like every time I wear sunglasses on the street, I get these awkward looks from strangers. I am quite sensitive to bright light. My eyes feel much more comfortable in darker conditions. So I like to wear shades everywhere I go. Unfortunately, people look at me like I'm an alien.

I find that in Hong Kong, the only people who wear sunglasses (purposeful sunglasses, not that trendy crap with yellow or purple lenses) are foreigners. Hong Kong people only wear proper shades when they do sports. Otherwise, you find them wearing ones with colors that bear less protection to the eyes. Perhaps they are worn to block out the air pollution, which actually makes sense.

So I've narrowed it down to a few reasons why people give my shades the puzzled look:

1. They're thinking... "If he's blind, where's his cane?".
2. They're thinking... "Those shades look horrible on that guy".
3. They're thinking... "Is this The Matrix? Is this guy an agent?".

Does wearing shades carry a hidden stigma that I don't know about? I remember Annika Sorenstam and David Duval used to get strange comments from Golf publications about how they always "hide" under their Oakleys or Ray-Bans. Even that idiot President guy made a silly joke about a reporter who wore shades while asking him a question. Turns out that the reporter is legally blind, but Idiot President Guy didn't know it at the time.

To clear things up: Idiot President Guy didn't purposely make fun of, or insult the blind reporter. He certainly didn't know that the reporter was blind while he made those comments. It just sounds really bad when the headline, "President insults blind reporter", surfaces all over the internet.



I view it more as a "what was the point of that" kind of situation. I think a smarter President (or any public figure for that matter) would always think twice before making sly comments or attempts at humor in any situation. Idiot President Guy, aka The Resident, seems to just let words flow from his mouth without giving much thought.

Anyways, I like my shades.

Technology is beautiful

I was listening to a podcast of my favorite show, PTI, and they were talking about how Gary Matthews Jr. robbed a homerun from Mike Lamb. They were showing the amazing footage that of course I couldn't see. I was just thinking... damn, I really want to see that play. Lo and behold, 5 seconds later I was watching the video via You Tube. See for yourself:



Pretty unbelievable. Ten years ago, there is no way I would be able to do this. In 1996, I was reading USA Today and trying to catch Sportscenter for my only source of sporting news. Internet access had just begun at my school, and streaming video was... ha ha... light years away.

Technology has taken over our lives.

The Great Firewall... cracked!

The fight against communism continues... here.

And then there were four...

In the blink of an eye, World Cup favorite Brazil is out of the tournament. Surprise? Disappointment? Not for me. I don't want to say I saw this coming, because I wasn't even remotely emotionally invested in any of the matches. When I said the Red Sox would come back from 3 games down to win the 2004 ALCS, I meant it. When I said France would beat Brazil last weekend, I meant it, but it was a casual comment at best. I also thought Portugal would beat England, but I didn't expect it to be a penalty shootout.

For the sake of the four miserable countries this week, lets mourn the losses...

BRAZIL
The heroic France victory is easy to explain. Brazil has had it easy since day one of the cup. They were a team of overachievers, and it showed in the first round. They won every match without even trying that hard. France was the underdog among the elite. Zidane was too old, Henry sucked in international play, blah blah blah. That may have all been true, but it motivated the French team to grind through the first round, then crush a powerful, young Spanish team. Against Brazil, they had nothing to lose, except for a chance to silence their critics. Henry's mid-air goal off the foot was awesome. Brazil woke up when it was too late.

ENGLAND
What can you say? You don't score, you have a stubby hothead on your team, you miss three penalty kicks... you lose! England played well after Rooney's red card, and they deserve credit for that. I suppose this team was plagued from the getgo: Rooney breaks his leg, comes back, gets red card, Owen injured, Beckham injured, etc. It's a bit much I guess. I don't want to use the C-word, because I might get an arse-whoopin' when I decide to visit the UK... oh wait, no one reads this blog anyways. Yeah, do I smell a curse?

ARGENTINA
Another PK shootout. It was a very exciting match, and it could have gone either way. Argentina was unlucky with their goalie injured. Not only did they lose their main goalie for the PKs, but they also weren't able to bring in Messi for a last ditch attempt to score a golden goal. Too bad...

UKRAINE
A pretty one sided loss. I didn't even bother to watch this match. A middle of the road team: they weren't bad enough to be a surprise candidate for the elite eight, but they weren't good enough to be considered to have a chance at the final four. Good job in getting to the Elite Eight, but better luck next time for Ukraine.

The news today was all about how Hong Kong fans are coping with England's loss (pride, I suppose), and Brazil's loss (gambling debts). Once again, I don't get it. I don't understand the passion Hong Kong fans show for the English team. There are guys who have been on the English bandwagon all their lives for no apparent reason. Perhaps they miss colonialism. Maybe they were given free opium back in the day and are still grateful. I don't know.

I had a fun albeit awkward time cheering for Portugal last weekend. Got plenty of evil gazes from the masses everytime Portugal did something positive. There was this one guy who looked at me and silently mouthed some words when I loudly proclaimed that Beckham was a wuss (it was just a joke). He was probably saying something like, "nice pants", but that's just my guess. Naturally, no one was drunk enough or had enough sack to cause any real trouble. My conclusion is that the place I went to had too many pseudo fans.

There were too many front-runners to count, but the most atrocious example was a girl decked out in yellow and green (I kid you not). She also had the Brazilian flag painted on her cheeks. Okay, perhaps she is a displaced Brazilian who speaks Cantonese. Maybe her great great great great ancestor had lived in Brazil for a weekend to get a tan. Then I overheard that she chose Brazil because they won last time, but that she knows nothing about football. Ladies and gentlemen... we have a winner.

Too Much World Cup

Wow, this guy takes his hatred for smoking (or his girlfriend's smoking) to another level. Complaining is one thing, but having a near death experience is another.

While watching World Cup elimination match, Sweden vs. Ukraine, this guy gets into an argument over his girlfriend's non-stop smoking. She gets pissed and locks herself in her room. He proceeds to climb out of the kitchen window onto a rickety laundry rack; risking death to continue their argument. Long story short: police arrive, everyone lives.

Perhaps the girlfriend needed all that tobacco tar because she was nervous watching the game. The guy was probably too tense after watching the game, which prompted him to induce a near death experience. Either way, please watch the World Cup with caution. Here's what to do for the remaining matches:

If you are...

• German - Your country is filthy rich from hosting the Cup. Klose is amazing, your chances are great. Relax and enjoy the game.
• Argentinean - your team is young and brilliant. If you lose this time, you'll most definitely have next time. Relax and enjoy the game.
• Italian - Okay, your team hasn't won in quite some time being the powerhouse that you are, but you're playing Ukraine next, with a great chance to exact revenge on Brazil for your '92 defeat. Relax and enjoy the game until then.
• Ukrainian - Well, looks like your World Cup chances aren't super great considering your lack luster performance against Sweden. Not much pressure here, just relax and enjoy the game.
• English - Well... you've waited 40 years already. What's another 40? Red Sox fans waited 86 years, surely you can wait 80. Better relax and enjoy the game.
• Portuguese - Think you can eventually get past Brazil? This ain't no Nike commercial. Just relax and enjoy the game.
• Brazilian - Tons of talent, your team is on a groove, and everyone is on your bandwagon! If you don't relax and enjoy the game, perhaps there's something wrong with you!
• French - You should still be high from winning and hosting the Cup eight years ago. Henry is lazy, and Zidane is running on fumes. Be happy, relax, and enjoy the game.
• Asian - You belong to none of elite eight countries. You have no reason to be passionate, unless you have money on these games. Gambling is bad, so just relax and enjoy the game.

Clutch Veterans Perform

It is elmination time in the World Cup tournament. Do or die, now or never. The young and inexperienced Spain has fallen to France. Netherlands unexpectedly loses to Figo's Portugese team. The pressure has increased as World Cup veterans show their stuff when it matters most.

David Beckham
Say what you will of Mr. Prettyman, but that free kick goal against Ecuador was nothing but awesomeness. Number seven is often criticized for umm... pretty much everything! However, it is difficult to deny how good he is with stationary kicks. When a guy is that good at what he does, I don't see how he can deserve criticism.

Zinadine Zidane
Crappy since 98? Difficult to convince someone of that after last night's body contorting header. Lets see what Zidane's got left for Brazil.


Ronaldo
Overweight? Hot wife? Save that kind of gossip for Maradonna, because this ex-Mr. Football is not done yet. Crossover against the goalie is a classic Ronaldo move.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part II

As mentioned before, China's growth is rapid, but they do run into snags now and then. Fraud and corruption are two major issues that drive away investors, and may be the ceiling to China's growth.

When is China going to realize that in order to become a major economic power, they need to be running a clean ship? Again, the government sees and recognizes this problem, but not enough is being done. China is growing fast. Authorities are too slow in employing standards to curb the trouble that comes with rapid growth.

A reader left a comment mentioning that perhaps communism suits China best, and that they are not ready for capitalism/democracy. I see where this is coming from, but I disagree. Communism is like a whole bunch of people standing in a very straight line. Anyone who steps out of line is removed from the picture. That is what China looks like right now. They act like robots: sure, they can make sound decisions, but they are inflexible. There is no opposition to keep the current authorities in check.

Being the only communist nation left in the world, China probably feels like they are being rejected by the rest of the world. Rejection can lead to stubbornness. Perhaps China is slow to change in reaction to the pressure imposed on them by the rest of the world. At the same time, there is no one within China to suggest they do otherwise. Besides, if the economy is booming, and people are getting rich, what's the point in doing the extra work? I'm guessing that some Chinese officials think like this.

So how can communism be defeated? It will take either a revolution, or an economic meltdown to initiate change. As we have seen in the past, even a large scale protest will not affect China's politics. It doesn't look like China will face any economic woes in the near future either. What a daunting task.

World Cup Disappointment

I have been waiting eight years for the 2006 World Cup! Okay, maybe not that long. I've been waiting eight months for the 2006 World cup! Why? Because I would finally get to watch it in Hong Kong at semi-regular hours, and everything would just be non-stop World Cup. The booze would flow, sleep at 5, wake up at noon. That's right folks, World Cup: 晚九朝五!

Turns out I had it all wrong.

The first round group matches end after tonight. So far, I've only watched a whopping four live matches. A huge disappointment. I can attribute this to a few reasons:

The group matches and final 16 matches have been bought up by Cable TV, which I have no access to. Like many other Hong Kongers, I'm forced to watch it from a location other than my home such as bars (everywhere has a cover, and rightfully so I suppose), malls, or public outdoor screens.

Unlike the good old days of 1998, I now I have to work. I really cannot afford to sleep at 5 every morning and expect myself to wake up at 7. I end up watching highlights of the previous night's matches on the local channel.

I'm just not excited anymore. There are so many matches I wanted to watch, but could not. I know the players, but I'm not particularly attached to any of the teams. For me, the World Cup has lost the glamour of yesteryear.

Hong Kong ranks 25th in courtesy poll

A Reader's Digest "courtesy test" shows that Hong Kong is ranked 25th in terms of courtesy. This news was all over the local papers, and many were shocked to discover that Hong Kong was so low in the rankings. Reactions from street interviews and the media felt that Hong Kong people were pretty polite, and the low ranking was not warranted.

I am not the least bit surprised with Hong Kong's low ranking. Hong Kong people are simply not that polite when compared to modern western civilizations. Those who think Hong Kong is polite enough probably have not experienced much foreign courtesy, or they just have low expectations.

Okay yes, on rare occasions I may experience acts of courtesy. However, most of the time I see of lot of cutting in line, fighting for space, and plenty of selfishness. Even courtesy comes with a price. When I do receive aid from a stranger, they sometimes give me this look like I owe them something, or that they are reluctant to help me out. I'm not sure which is better: helping with resentment, or not helping at all.

Courtesy must come from the heart. I hear way too many "lazy thank you"s from salespeople or restaurant employees. Sometimes an act of kindness isn't met with thanks. In Hong Kong, helping people might not reward you with gratitude. Instead you may receive a look of suspicion. Our culture has trained people to be suspicious of things that come without a price, and I suppose a helping hand is one of those things.

I'm pretty used to the rudeness that embodies Hong Kong, and it is sad.

New gym character: Unenthusiastic Fit Guy

That's right boys and girls, a new gym character has arrived!

This guy is not new to the gym. I've seen him around for quite some time already. Recently, I only see him when he's with his trainer. Unenthusiastically Fit Guy is quite fit, as his name states. What I've noticed is that his attitude is pretty lethargic when he's with his trainer. The scene is quite amusing.

The whole time UFG's trainer is trying to pump him up. UFG on the other hand is being a bit whiney about the whole thing. When he's lifting, you can tell its not easy, but he's not really trying that hard. The trainer tells him, "okay two more reps!", and UFG replies, "uhh... I don't think so", and puts the weights down. You can tell the trainer is a bit disappointed, but the guy is so nice that all he does is smile. The trainer tries to mix things up a bit and introduces new exercises to UFG's routine. When this happens, UFG unthusiastically says, "uhh... what's this now?".

The strangest thing was that the guy looked so fit. His demeanor didn't reflect his physique. There are two reasons why people hire a trainer: 1) They need instruction on how to do the exercises, develop a routine, and maybe get some eating tips. 2) They need someone to motivate them while exercising.

I don't know... I think trainers are a waste of money unless you're a professional athlete or bodybuilder. Us regular folk should be able to learn how to use the machines, and buy a book or read some magazines to develop a routine. It seems silly to pay so much money for someone to push you. Would your boss hire you to make him do his job? Instead, get a friend to go with you, or befriend someone similar (so you don't have to keep changing the weights) and workout together. You can motivate each other.

Update on annoying gym regulars:
Talkative Asian Duo These guys haven't showed up since they became a trio. Awesome! No more loud macho banter, no more hogging the bench press, no more lack of re-racking.

Orgasmic Situp Girl Haven't seen her in a looong time. Perhaps she has found a new way to orgasm. Unfortunately, her coach/partner still shows up on occasion. He still manages to leave his crap all over the place.

Tall Mean (Nice) Dude As mentioned in a previous post, Tall Mean Dude is now Tall Nice Dude. He is still nice the last time I saw him. Must be on Prozac.

Unfortunately, there have been new annoying people popping up at The Edge. Don't worry folks, they'll show up on these pages and receive the verbal bludgeoning they deserve soon enough.

Here are links to the previous gym posts:
I need my own gym
Welcome new idiot gym character!
Peaceful gym... sort of

我們的祖國... 唉 Part I

I've been hearing this phrase a lot lately. The literal translation is "our home country... [sigh]". What it always refers to, is China.

Because so many bad things happen in China, many people from Hong Kong have simply lost faith in the motherland. Censorship and sketchy human rights policies have always been there, so that's not the biggest issue (though every new incident continues to disappoint). The latest big issue has to do with China's rapid development in the past few years. The nation is showing exponential growth financially, but morally, it is still way behind the rest of the world.

Read this article if you can:

(click to enlarge)

If you can't read Chinese, let me briefly explain what it is all about.

The author starts off by speaking of quirky and sometimes humorous incidents that happened in China that she experienced or read about. These include: a guy on a highway chasing a "runaway tire", Chinese tourists "throwing" their kids over the fence at Disneyland, oxygen suppliers selling hospitals industrial use oxygen instead of oxygen suitable for patients, a Nanjing hospital "selling" (transfering for money) their patients, plus endless stories of fake products (fake eggs, fake oil, fake soy sauce made of hair, fake baby formula, etc.).

Some of these stories will draw a chuckle, others are downright scary. China's focus has been directed entirely towards financial growth. They have achieved this goal, and the quality of living in China has gotten better. Despite all this, the quality of Chinese values has not improved at the same rate. Law and order, the value of life, human rights, and the elimination of corruption have been swept aside to make room for financial growth. People who attempt to make amends to these issues are not only ignored, they are put in jail if their actions stand in the way of growth.

"大陸係咁架啦"
Unfortunately, many have come to accept these unfair and uncivilized happenings in China:

• Robberies and scams are rampant in the Guangdong province.
• Frequent travellers to China fear for their lives just doing everyday things. When you get in a cab, you're not 100% sure that you'll be safely taken to your desired destination.
• Fake items are not limited to Rolex watches and DVDs; they have expanded to items like food, cleaning products, and cars. It has been reported that 80% of the items in a Chinese supermarket are counterfeit.
• Corruption is still reluctantly expected when doing any sort of business in China.
• A good chunk of people still spit, piss, and shit wherever they please. Trash is an even bigger issue.
  

The sad thing is that authorities have the power to make things happen, but they choose not to. The laptop of a famous professor, who is an expert on SARS, was stolen via drive-by motorcycle theft. He immediately reported this to the police, and after turning the entire Guangzhou upside down, his laptop was found. If this man was not an expert on SARS, his laptop would have never ever been found. People get robbed everyday with many incidents caught on video, and no action is taken. The police only act upon more serious crimes, like if a murder is involved.

Despite all this, China is rich and the future only shows that it will get richer. What is the limit? How bad does it have to get before people start realizing that culture is just as important as wealth?

Vertical Woes

So I went to my brother's high school graduation. The whole thing ends, and everyone meets in the cafeteria for refreshments. As soon as I step into the horde of people, I notice something right away: I'm the shortest dude in the room...!

I'm not sure what kids have been eating in recent years, but it has made them progressively taller. Five feet eight inches was considered normal in Hong Kong. Now I think the average height of kids is more like 5'11". Perhaps it is my imagination. Maybe everyone was always tall, and I was always short. Perhaps all those years in Boston gave me the perception that it was normal for me to be short, and I expected something different back in Hong Kong.

Normally, I feel pretty normal in and around Hong Kong. It was just yesterday when I walked into that school where I felt so dwarfed. Then when I think about it, every time I go (not often) to one of those trendy clubs (*cough* Volar *ahem*), I feel like I'm one of the shortest people there (girls included... okay okay half of them are models). Kids these days are just tall.

Sure, its not the end of the world by any means, but it did occur to me that my height is one aspect about my physique that I can never ever change no matter what. I can eat tuna all day, and lift weights until I'm 200lbs of pure muscle. I can get plastic surgery until I look like [insert trendy Hong Kong artist of the month]. I can get a tan, bleach my skin, shave my head, grow it out, get botox, implants, even a bigger penis (according to all those emails), but I still can't permanently increase my height.

There's a limit to everything, and since the age of 16, I've been vertically limited to 5'8". There's a ceiling or maximum potential for everything. Everyone has the potential to do certain things, but everyone for the most part doesn't make an effort to reach that potential. A lot of people easily have the potential to bench press their own weight. A lot of people simply don't strive for that goal and fail to reach it.

With height, we always reach that potential. If I'm 5'8" at the age of 26, no one is going to tell me that I have the potential to be 6'3". Instead they say, that's tough kid, you're a hobbit.