A Flick I Won't Be Watching

"Look at the cast: Cage and Voight and Helen Mirren and Ed Harris and Diane Kruger and Harvey Keitel and Justin Bartha and Bruce Greenwood. You could start with a cast like that and make one of the greatest movies of all time, which is not what happened here." --Roger Ebert, in his review of National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Yeah, in case you were wondering, I'm not seeing this movie. The first National Treasure movie came out shortly after DaVinci Code, but I still managed to catch it on the plane. It turned out to be crap anyways. From the trailer, this sequel seems as preposterous and boring as the first one; plus, Nicolas Cage is in it.

I'll pass.

The War on Sales

I mentioned a while ago how I used English to win in the meaningless war on sales. Well, I'm still winning, but I found that once in a while there's a brave soul who tries to fight the power by attempting to sell me something in English. Usually when these sales people discover I "don't speak Chinese", they pretend to have called the wrong number (kind of funny actually. Why would someone bother to ask if I spoke Chinese if they called the wrong number?).

One time, upon discovering I was a "foreigner", this guy responded by reading his sales pitch from a written statement. I decided to listen on and see how bad he butchers it. Normally, if you say you're not interested, these guys might make an attempt to convince you otherwise. This time, the guy read his pitch, and just politely hung up when I said no. It was like pressing the easy button.

Unfortunately, there is also collateral damage in the War on Sales. Sometimes I'll get a call from my bank, or my mobile provider, or a restaurant I made a reservation at. Though these calls are legitimate, they don't immediately identify themselves, so I naturally give them the "no Chinese" treatment. When I find out who they really are, its too late to turn back. I can't say "oh ha ha just kidding I actually do speak Chinese". So we both have to suck it up. The service rep has to use often broken English to try and convey the message to me, while I have to focus really hard to understand what he/she's trying to say. Collateral damage.

The Year in Review Meme

Includes invisible commentary. Highlight the commentary after the sentence to read it. This entry is John's idea.

January
January First Two Thousand and Seven marks the day Hong Kong banned smoking in most indoor public places. (Finally!)

February
My first time on the slopes was a blast. (This was to be the first of many vacations I took this year.)
March
Oscars 2007 came and went. (...and all I cared about was Al Gore's film about the environment.)
April
Doesn't it seem like so many of China's internationally recognized people are in prison? (The Chinese are punished for exposing their nation's flaws.)
May
Sports journalist Gary Thorne alleges that Curt Schilling's bloody socks in 2004 during game 6 of the ALCS and game 2 of the World Series were fake, meaning the blood was painted on. (...and Thorne does this for a living, how?)
June
6.4 不忘

July
Back from a relaxing weekend in Bangkok, followed by a hectic yet enjoyable week in Singapore. (Another vacation... unbelievable.)

August
First it was Randy Moss, then Kevin Garnett, and now Eric Gagne. (Yeah, Gagne turned out to be a really good acquisition, not.)
September
Just got back from a relaxing trip to Hokkaido. (I'm a bum... a bum that goes on vacation.)
October
I think its really dumb how Chinese people are superstitious. (How has superstition contributed to society? Ugly buildings? Unnecessary spending?)
November
It seems strange calling the Patriots underdogs in the match-up against the Colts just a couple hours ago. (Pats still going strong. I won't jinx them by announcing the record.)
December
I was shocked to discover last weekend that the "Ramen Street" in Causeway Bay has turned into an electronic shopping mall. (Even more shocking as to how this sentence has become the centerpiece for December.)

Alex Roy: Hero or Menace

Alex Roy just last month announced that he broke the record for travelling across the United States. He achieved this by using every bit of modern technology available to man (see video). This includes having a friend fly a plane above him to scout ahead for speed traps. Ambitious? Perhaps insane is a better word to describe this young, racing enthusiast. Enthusiast is perhaps the perfect word to describe Roy, as he is well known for participating in semi-illegal rallies such as the Gumball 3000. Roy is also known for his hilarious antics during the rallies. He is easily recognizable from his car (mostly the BMW M5), which he dresses with labels and paints and sirens identical to the elite traffic police cruiser of a certain country (different every time). He even dresses in full uniforms of the corresponding country's law enforcement to complete the look. Enthusiast indeed.

HSBC: Armchair Quarterback

The World's Bank? Maybe. The People's Bank? Certainly not. By attempting to raise the minimum ATM withdrawal limit in Hong Kong to HKD300 (almost USD40) last week, HSBC demonstrated that it is utterly oblivious to the lives of Hong Kong people. What they didn't understand is how much $300 is actually worth to the lower class of society. Furthermore, they didn't understand the value of $300 to the middle class.

For Hong Kong's low income workers, $300 could be 10% of their pay. Just think about it in that sense. If you made USD50,000 per year, would it be reasonable to ask you to withdraw USD400 each time at the ATM? You'd have to crumple those twenty $20s into a gangster roll and hope that you don't get mugged. As for the middle class folk, its not that withdrawing 300 dollars would inconvenience them, but they still value that amount as too much.

Despite all the information HSBC had (ATM records, bank account statements, credit card statements), they were unable to foresee the public strongly vetoing this move almost immediately. Why? Because it was a business decision to cut cost via shortening ATM lines (a higher minimum withdrawal = less withdrawing = shorter lines). HSBC probably never for one minute considered the thoughts, feelings, and habits of their most important asset: their customers.

Childish China

(Because of fools like Tsang, no one can take China seriously)

Indeed, the world has been forced to recognize and respect China as a superpower. Yet, despite all of China's success, why is she still looked down upon? Why can't the world take China seriously?

When China gets mad, it reverts to the behavior of a 13 year old. No kidding. Look what's happened in just the last two months. China turns away USS Kitty Hawk at the last minute for no apparent reason. Wu Yi storms off after Peter Mandelson criticized shoddy Chinese products. Tsang Tak-sing spouts rude nonsense during a legislative meeting because he's pissed off at anything non-China.

Why can't China hold her temper?

With the Kitty Hawk, it was rumored to be in retaliation for Bush meeting with and honoring the Dalai Lama. Why this pisses off China is a whole other story (I personally think China has bigger fish to fry than the friendliest, most famous Buddhist monk in the world, but oh well). However, punishing the US by not allowing the Kitty Hawk to dock at the last minute was an extremely childish behavior. This was not like a quarrelling teenage couple skipping out on a movie at the last minute. This was a nation rejecting the aircraft carrier of another nation after meticulous arrangements had been previously made. China decided to derail months of planning ahead because they were pissed at the US. The actions of a high schooler at best.

Wu had a spat with Mandelson because he criticized China's food safety issues. At the time, this seemed like quite a valid comment. Yet, whether it made sense or not, Wu shouldn't have pouted like a child. Being a top Chinese state official, she should have kept her cool. Instead, she acted like a whiny teenager.

After Anson Chan was elected to the Legislative Council, Secretary for Home Affairs (and extreme left winger) Tsang, decided to insult her during a Legislative meeting by calling her "suddenly democratic" and "suddenly caring about the people" in a snide and sarcastic tone. I don't know whether Tsang was bitter about Chan getting elected, or whether he was bitter about his imprisonment in 1967. Either way, his name calling during a Legislative meeting from someone of his stature was completely inappropriate. It caused an uproar among the Hong Kong people to such a degree that the media is still talking about it one week later.

I guess my questions are, what happened to China's composure? What's with all this immaturity? How does China expected the world to take them seriously when they treat international level issues with a child's demeanor? Someone needs to send out a memo telling the Chinese government to please grow up.

All Good Things...

I was shocked to discover last weekend that the "Ramen Street" in Causeway Bay has turned into an electronic shopping mall. The "street" is actually an indoor food court of some sorts. It had five or six restaurants. Most served ramen, and they all served Japanese food. Each shop had its own style of ramen. The most popular being the "pork toro ramen" shop.

Its disappointing how many restaurants that I feel comfortable going to are closing one by one. It is my own undoing, as I'm not very adventurous when dining alone. I'll find places I like, and simply won't go anywhere else... most of the time. Which is also why I don't look forward to people asking me where to eat. The answer for me is simple: I'll always suggest the places I like and always go to. However, that answer is unlikely to satisfy the person asking. "***** again?", is usually the response.

So all I'm left with are memories of some above average ramen and a now useless 20% off discount card, which I often forgot to use.

A Sad Day for Hong Kong

It is sad how pro-China politicians skewed Martin Lee's comments in hope of defaming him and the Democratic Party. What's even sadder is that they did it by purposely mistranslating his Wall Street Journal article. I won't bother listing the details at this moment. The "wrong" and real translations are all over the net.

Everyone thinks that Hong Kong's Democratic Party is a group full of radicals and activists, who just argue and don't reason. The reason for this misconception is all due to Liberal Party (don't let the word "Liberal" fool you) and DAB (don't let the word "Democratic" fool you either) propaganda. These pro-China lapdogs will try to smear the Democrats and democracy any chance they get.

The worst atrocity is them claiming Lee committed an act of treason. They also mistranslated his words to make it sound like he was saying "everyone should boycott the Olympics". By reading his original WSJ article, you'll discover that is far from the truth.

New Gym Character: Smelly Guy (you knew this was coming)

(On a lighter note...)

Yup, that's right folks. Every gym has to have its "smelly guy". There's always a guy in the gym whom you have to wipe down the machine after he uses it. My gym is no different. The smelly guy here is a pretty tall Asian dude who wears glasses. He looks kind of dopey. I don't know much about him. I don't even know what machines he uses. The reason is that when he heads toward my general direction, I sprint for the basketball court to shoot some hoops instead. I put my whole workout on hold because of this guy. That's some awesome power. With great power comes great responsibility... this guy needs some deodorant (or does he?).

What could be the cause for his stench? Let's take a look:

• Shower? I don't think this is the issue. I've seen him in the locker room, and I know he takes a shower. Unfortunately, he smells just as bad after the shower.


• Deodorant? Don't think this is the reason either. The guy uses a pretty strong smelling chrysanthemum deodorant (don't ask), but it doesn't work. It just doesn't.


• Laundry? I think this is a possibility. If you don't wash your clothes, or you let bacteria set in, its hard to get them to smell so fresh and so clean again.

I guess some people just naturally smell bad. But wouldn't he want to fix this?

Where are the Mythbusters when you need them.

In the Name of Progress...

We would all like to imagine that in this day and age, people would progress the proper way. Through science, technology, and experience, we'd like to say that we're doing the best we can for our people and our world. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

In the name of progress (or shall I say in the name of the RMB), companies are transforming villages in order to build factories. Clearing out the vegetation is bad enough, but these factories kick it up a notch and carelessly dump their untreated waste. This has created these "cancer villages" that are spreading across China. The villagers have no choice but to breathe unclean air and drink toxic water. They complain to authorities, but they are given no response.

A woman at the village decided to write her own diary about the conditions in the village. This diary has slowly evolved into a "deathnote". It records all the people who have died in the village of various cancers. Their illnesses and deaths are a direct result from the surrounding pollution. Despite this obvious correlation, the corrupt government is doing nothing.

People are suffering right before our eyes, and there is nothing being done. In the name of progress, they say.

Thoughts on why "Chinese People Suck Again"

I was browsing through the blogger tools and came across one of my posts from April 2006 that had a whopping 11 comments. Turns out some people commented a month after I posted it, and another person commented just last month. Quite a surprise. I need to read those notification emails more carefully!

Here is the entry.

The reason it received these late comments is the touchy and direct title, "Chinese People Suck Again". I found it interesting because it seemed like the readers thought that I was not Chinese (despite me saying "my people" in the last line of the original post). Some boneheaded reader proclaimed that I was racist. That's quite intriguing to me because for the first time I'm pondering whether its possible for me to be racist against my own people. It was interesting to see people dismiss this as being a racist post, and assume that I was not Chinese. They then felt compelled to "educate" me as if I were an ignorant foreigner, butchering the Chinese way of life. Anyways, I'm going to respond to those comments here:



LOL, this guy's a winner. However, I must thank him/her for introducing the notion that I may be prejudice towards my own people.



I don't understand. Show some respect for whom? The family that bought a ton of souvenirs and attempted to take over my storage space? The two girls who violated airline rules to be the first to exit the plane? The people dumb enough to not be able to form a line? "These people live like that". Well, I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and let's just say that I have a little higher expectations for my fellow HKers. I certainly don't believe that this type of behavior is our "way of live". I was "bragging"? How so? Also, I fail to understand the analogy of people laughing at someone who walked barefoot. If you want my respect, please earn it.

I'm glad this guy agrees with me "portionally"(sic), but pulling out the "atrocities" card is a bit much. It has absolutely (and I don't use this word often) nothing to do with my post, except for the fact that there were both Japanese people and Chinese people involved (like WWII did). If this guy's excuse for Chinese impoliteness is WWII, then I have nothing else to say. There is no relation, and it makes no sense. We all know that Japanese people aren't perfect, but for the most part, they respect people, they respect cleanliness, and they respect their land. A majority of Chinese people have trouble doing that.

Finally, someone with a more civilized comment. He or she is Chinese, and that's fine and dandy and so am I. I'm going to assume this person was trying to say that because Hong Kong is overcrowded, so we should excuse them for pushing and shoving and not respecting the space of one another. As a Chinese person, I cannot accept that, nor can I respect people for acting this way. I also think that our friend, modo, has the wrong idea. I'm not asking people to say please or thank you or make small talk. I'm asking them to simply show some respect. If you want that job, you run instead of walk, but you don't break the rules. If you don't want to "lose a meal", wake up earlier, but don't cut in line.

I don't buy the idea that China is an "impolite country'. China is perhaps the oldest civilization in the world. I don't accept that they are so behind other developed nations in terms of politeness. China has such a rich cultural history, it is inconceivable that they missed the session on "how to be polite".

Here's the thing: being truly polite and respectful comes from the heart. Right now, most Chinese people are polite only when money is involved. If Chinese people want the world (or even their own people) to respect them, they have to adopt a positive mentality, not just play the role.

Spineless or Clueless?

All I can say is that I'm truly disappointed in US tech firms, for not knowing when to take a stand. What do these people believe in? Is it really all about the dollar sign? If they somehow have some hidden agenda of taking over China's internet, then becoming ethical when their roots are established, that would be great. Perhaps that is just a distant dream... my hope of an alternate reality.

A bit at a loss. Will there ever be free speech in the Mainland? Will Hong Kong have free speech in the future? I have no answer for that. I don't even dare speculate. The answer is too frightening. When you have some of the biggest American corporations bending over backwards for the Chinese government, the future certainly looks grim.

Censorship, yes, at this moment it is somewhat expected in China. I'm uncomfortable with the tech firms promoting censorship, but it is a price they pay for breaking into the market. When it comes to protecting the identity of users and the preventing innocent (perhaps not so innocent in a totalitarian government) people from going to jail, I expected more from the Googles and the Yahoos and the Ciscos. I expected them to grow a spine and put their foot down. I expected Jerry Yang to apologize to the Chinese government (for being unable to reveal private user information), rather than apologize to the mother of Shi Tao (for basically putting her son in jail).

Go Team Go!

After a season of ups and downs, some disappointing acquisitions, awesome rookies, and a combination of clutch performances, the Sox have plowed through the Colorado Rockies to win another World Series title. The truth is, the Sox were dominant since April. Despite the roller coaster season, they never relented the lead of their division. Despite all the talk of failure, and the "see you in 2090" idiot talk, the Sox dominated and dominated and dominated and dominated. They won their division, won the ALDS, the ALCS, then the World Series.

After years of disappointment, this team charged through the season and never took their foot off the pedal. People ask how it feels to have your beloved baseball team win their second series in 4 years. Here's the difference:

2004
This win was surreal. You almost didn't believe it was happening. It was a dream come true. It was a life changing experience. I get the chills, goosebumps, and start tearing up every time I see the Dave Roberts steal, or one of Big Papi's walk-offs, or Foulke tossing the ball to Mientkiewicz (I can't believe I spelled his name right) for the final out. There were so many magical moments.

Sox fans had to go to hell and come back for this championship (and that's after coming back from 86 years of purgatory). People outside of New England simply didn't understand what its like for your team to come so close to the holy grail so many times, only to lose it at the final moment. They didn't know what it was like to have a rich arch rival with one foot on your shoulder as you tried to climb that arduous mountain. For the 2004 team to break through, not only beating the Yankees in the ALCS, but coming back from being down 0-3, then steamrolling through eight games straight to win it all. Hell and back, my friend, hell and back.

After 86 years of heartbreak, the 2004 team finally found all the pieces and glued them back together. The final piece being the final out that sealed the deal. Sounds great, yes. Was it all peachy? Definitely not. Every pitch was a nail biter. Every out (in some instances every strike) was a minor victory. Sox fans really had to grind through the Series and ALCS. I was nervous until the last out, and though overjoyed, the journey to victory took a toll on my mental energy. I'm sure the rest of Red Sox Nation went through the same if not more.

2007
Of course it was different this time around. We started the season a brand new team. We had a whole bunch of expensive starters, and some promising new young stars. Soon enough, we found out who was good and who wasn't, but we were still dominant. Schilling was still good, Beckett had a new game plan and had reached Ace status, Paps resumed his solid closer role, a bunch of guys (Pedroia, Okajia, Lowell) ended up being big surprises despite some initial mishaps. We were winners. We were winners who had won before.

Though he said it at the end of the season, Manny put it best when he said that losing isn't the end of the world. I think that was the feeling of Red Sox fans. Though losses were still disappointing, not winning the Series wasn't the end of the world. Losing to the Yanks sucked, but it really didn't mean much in the whole scheme of things. I know I cringed as our lead over the Yanks diminished in August, but I was still very relaxed and upbeat. I had no doubt that we would make the playoffs.

Would we win the WS? I've seen a lot of good teams crumble before. There are no guarantees, but this time it wasn't do or die as Bill Simmons put it. I admit that I cried over our ALCS loss in 03, but this time it wouldn't matter. Not winning it all this year would just be a speed bump instead of a brick wall. Why? The main reason was that we had 04. Other than that, 08 looks great! In 2008 we will still have plenty of young talent and seasoned veterans. Pitching, hitting, bullpen, coaching, speed, you name it.

This year's series was just as exciting as 04, but there's less of an aftereffect. I'm still happily clicking MLB.com for WS Champion gear, still checking Boston.com for new articles about the series, but as said, the win wasn't (and no win ever will be) as huge as 2004.

Right now I feel content. Seeing that 2007 World Series banner next to the 2004 one makes me feel prouder and more giddy than ever. The Red Sox are on a roll, and I can't wait for next season to start.

Imbecilic Revolution

Wynn calls Mao's rule 'imbecilic'

By DANIEL
SORID

LAS VEGAS

Billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn criticized former Chinese leader Mao Zedong on Monday, telling more than a thousand investment advisers at a conference that the communist revolutionary's "imbecilic" Cultural Revolution "almost ruined" the country.

The chief executive of Wynn Resorts Ltd., which operates a casino-resort in the Chinese special administrative region of Macau, spoke during a question-and-answer session at the Charles Schwab IMPACT 2007 conference. Most questions were about the political and business climate in China.

"That imbecile Mao Zedong almost ruined that country," Wynn said.

Later, Wynn clarified his remarks, saying: "I said the Cultural Revolution almost ruined the country. It was imbecilic. I didn't call him an imbecile, I said it was imbecilic."

"I said that Deng Xiaoping was the father of modern China, and then I went into a long dissertation about how well I thought they managed their affairs."

In most of his speech, Wynn praised the Chinese government for the country's economic growth and its efficient bureaucracy. He spoke some Mandarin, a language he began learning after attempting to do business in the country several years ago.

While Wynn's view of the violent 1966-76 Cultural Revolution is widely held, he acknowledged his comments could ruffle some Communist Party members in China.

Wynn said he wasn't aware reporters were in the audience, but that wouldn't have altered his presentation.

"The hard line Communists might not like it, but the facts are pretty clear the Cultural Revolution was pretty damaging to the country," he said afterward. "They haven't turned their backs on communism, but the more repressive measures of the Cultural Revolution have been abandoned, and I think everybody in China thinks that was the right thing to do."

In 2002, Wynn won one of the coveted licenses to develop casinos in the former monopoly gambling enclave, and he opened the $1.1 billion Wynn Macau in September 2006. The company later sold a sub-license for $900 million.

The company plans to add an upscale 400-room Wynn Diamond Suites, costing as much as $600 million, in 2010. It also said in August it was awaiting approval from the government of Macau to develop a separate 52-acre site.

During his talk, Wynn also waded into other controversial topics, saying that if the Dalai Lama were to visit China it might cause some unintended disorder, and he named terrorism as the biggest threat to global business.

"The biggest threat to commerce and every other institution in this world is the insanity of terrorism and fundamental jihadist Muslim lunacy," he said.

Wynn also addressed China's relations with Taiwan, which broke away from the mainland after a civil war in 1949.

"Taiwan is like Maine, or Washington. It was theirs (China's). And it got taken away. It's like Hawaii. And they want it back. And most of the people in Taiwan want to go back."

Taiwan's elected president, Chen Shui-bian, has said he is against reunification with the mainland and has claimed China aims to take the island by force by 2015. China
considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory.

Wynn said his comments about Taiwan were prompted by his conversations with businesspeople who operate in both jurisdictions.

"Taiwan will join China ... on some terms yet to be defined," he told the conference. "There's an amateur opinion from a casino operator."

When he's not running casinos, Steve Wynn isn't afraid to speak his mind. Agree with him or not, its a good thing. Rich, powerful people are often too afraid to speak their minds, fearing they might step on the wrong toes. Its good to see Wynn isn't afraid of doing that.

They're Back!

It seems strange calling the Patriots underdogs in the match-up against the Colts just a couple hours ago. The Pats, who in years past had dominated the Colts, had lost three straight games to them, including most recently, the AFC title game. A tough loss. With both teams undefeated, the Pats came out winners: scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defense also stepped up and stopped Peyton Manning in his tracks in the Fourth.

I didn't stay up to watch the game, but maybe I should have. Last night I didn't sleep well at all. I had dreamt about the Pats winning four times. I dreamt about discovering the Pats' win in four different scenarios: 1) opening up ESPN.com, 2) friends excitedly SMSing me, 3) hearing the result on the radio on the way to work, and 4) having a colleague reveal the result in person. The last two scenarios are pretty unrealistic as the Hong Kong media would not pick up the results that quickly, and none of my colleagues have any idea what American football is. Facts aside, it just goes to show how much my mind was on this game.

I had a strong feeling the Pats would win, but football is the type of sport where you just never know. All the pieces have to come together. Every player has to do their job in order for the team to succeed. Football is the ultimate individual team sport. You must do your job as an individual in order for the team to succeed. Your job may seem insignificant or that it doesn't affect your teammates directly, but it does. In fact, the effect is immense. Football is also a team sport where every player on the field is always doing something. If you're not throwing, you're moving, blocking, trying to break free, get through, or cover your defender. If you're able to do exceptionally well, and if you can elude or overpower your opponent, you may be able to help the team gain some yardage.

A lot of people don't like football. That's fine. I understand how it may not appeal to everyone. However, from my experience, the people who say its boring usually don't understand the game. If you don't know what's going on, it just looks like a whole bunch of guys running towards each other. Its the same with baseball. There's so much more going on than just the pitch and the hit. You have to know the game and pay attention in order for it to be interesting.

Wealth

Is it a surprise that Chinese people don't look up to their wealthy peers? Corruption is so rampant, that even slightly educated people know what's up. They either A) try to get a piece of that corruption pie, or B) learn to despise the wealthy, and instead look up to wealthy athletes like Yao Ming.

More Foo for You

For most people, the Foo Fighters have been this band that is always around. They're pretty good, but not great. You've got ex Nirvana member, band leader, and showman, Dave Grohl. You've got some slow melodies and mean fast tracks. Oh, and you've got a lot of great live performances. So in general, critics and casual fans always enjoy some Foo, but probably won't list them as on their top ten all-time list.

For me, the Foo have always been great. They've always been pumping out songs that I like. I've loved their slow ballads and also their super heavy stuff as well. Funny thing is, contrary to the norm, every time I hear a new Foo song, the more I like this band. Every time I see a Foo performance or Dave Grohl monologue, the more I love this band. THIS is the new punk rock. Its a band with guys who have real punk roots churning out tunes that have a message, and they're not afraid to try new things. Just look at their Skin and Bones Tour, a completely acoustic performance. Grohl is funny, entertaining, and has always stayed true to his roots. Their music videos are some of the best around.

Check out "The Pretender" video from their latest album: Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace. Pretender is a monster of a song, and this video compliments it very well. (Beautifully done at -1:12.)

Greatest band ever? Well, they're my greatest band ever.

Toya

Toya is a small little town in Hokkaido. It doesn't have much, which is kind of nice. What it does have is a huge lake, an active volcano, and a bear farm (meaning a zoo).

The lake.

Active volcano.

View from the mountain top.

The bears know how to ask for snacks.

Tetsuohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I'm not a big (or even small) fan of Kanye West. I've barely heard of his name let alone his music. However, anyone who makes an Akira themed music video for his latest hit song is pretty cool.

Hakodate

A neat city in Hokkaido that was really more than meets the eye. A lot of old, well preserved buildings leftover from other nations that came to the Hokkaido island back in the day. It also has one of Japan's best views.
(Click to enlarge photos)

View from Hakodate Tower. Not many tall buildings in Hakodate.

Personal outdoor onsen.

View from the room.

The Japanese style hotel we stayed at.

Night view of the city from Hakodate mountain. The two shores form an hourglass shape.

Superstition

I think its really dumb how Chinese people are superstitious. Normally, I'd ignore this stuff. I mean, if a few water grown plants and well placed coins put your mind at ease, then by all means do it! What bothers me is when it causes people to make irrational decisions and when superstition gets in the way of everyday life.

Because in Chinese the number four's pronounciation closely resembles "死" (death), China's Hainan province is taking that number out of their car license plates. All that work in the name of superstition. The obsession with the number eight is also baffling. Mainland Chinese will mindlessly purchase stocks that IPO with a number "8" in the price.

Its madness I tell you (but mostly just stupid).

Note: this entry is posted late... nearly a month late. Its not that I forgot by any means, but I was debating on whether I should post it or not. This blog is rarely this personal, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to stray off like this again. Well, then I went on vacation for 10 days, and to a couple weddings, and then decided that I'd post it. Had a couple of the usual drab lined up, but didn't feel like posting anything until I'd figured this out. It sounds like a big deal, but its really not I guess. Very little drama was involved. The small decision making process was more like a mental exercise for me.

(Oh, and yes, I'm back from the month's absence, thanks).

As September 18th rolls around again, I find that pain arrives at sporadic moments. It hits you not like the jab button in Street Fighter II, but more like an earthquake that comes with its own after tremors. Its no surprise that my deceased best friend, Kiki, still visits me after dark (via dreams). However, recently there was a dream that hit me ala earthquake style.

I had dreamt that I was five years old again, but with all the knowledge and experience of a 27 year old. I was basically living my life over again. My first reaction was how I could change the future, and most importantly, somehow prevent the death of my friend. Thoughts raced through my mind on how I would play out my life and what changes would be made. More impotantly, whether I would tell him the truth and somehow convince him not to get into his friend's SLK that night in September 2003, or would I simply blend in to his life and persuade him to do something else that night without revealing I knew the future. Still in the dream, I made plans to be in LA during that time, and I was super anxious to get through the next 17 years of growing up. Saving Kiki was the only thing on my mind, then *bloop*... I woke up.

The pain and disappointment hit me, and then came the tremors in waves. By waking up, I almost felt as if I had ruined the opportunity to make a difference.

Well, as they say, life goes on. So cheers brother, wherever you are. I will drink to you tonight.

What a Load of Crap

China's safest city is Hong Kong. Well... duh. I wouldn't expect anything less. Also, I'm totally unsurprised that Guangzhou was number 13 on that list. I wouldn't say GZ is a dump, but security/safety wise, its the pits. In fact, I'm wondering why it isn't lower than 13. Same goes for Shenzhen. Why is it 11 on the list? These two cities should both be something like 95.

What really tickles me (in a really negative way) is the list of most beautiful cities in China. They actually dared to put Shenzhen at third place on the list. Describing it as "青春都市美" (Young Beautiful City) on the "美態定位" (Beauty Position). Uhh... what? Chinese love to make up stupid bullshit when describing things. Plus, anyone who's been to Shenzhen knows that nothing there comes even remotely close to the word beauty. It is dirty, polluted, run down, and nothing close to beautiful.

Its almost like they make this shit up just to force people into believing these cities are actually somehow beautiful. Its so ludicrous and far from the truth, I get a headache as I'm typing this.

公道?

富 家 子 偷 竊 改 判 罰 款

【本 報 訊 】 國 際 速 遞 公 司 DHL 大 中 華 區 總 裁 許 克 威 的 兒 子 ， 去 年 五 月 被 指 於 名 店 Louis Vuitton （ LV ） 中 環 旗 艦 店 內 ， 偷 竊 兩 件 共 值 8,300 元 T 恤 ， 被 判 偷 竊 罪 成 入 獄 九 星 期 。 他 不 服 定 罪 及 判 刑 太 重 提 出 上訴 ， 高 等 法 院 昨 維 持 其 定 罪 裁 決 ， 但可 獲 減 刑 ， 改 判 罰 款 一 萬 元 。

26 歲 上 訴 人 Hsu Andrew Huang 曾 從 事 基 金 經理 工 作 ， 去 年 12 月 判 罪 成 後 准 保 釋 等 候 上 訴 。 法 官 昨 認 同 ， 上 訴 人 沒 有 案 底 ， 非集 團 式 偷 竊 ， 故 判 入 獄 九 星 期 確 明 顯 過 重 ， 遂 改 判 罰 款 。

Rich boy steals $8,300 t-shirt. He's sentenced to nine weeks in prison. Not happy with the sentence, he appeals and the judge decides to impose a $10,000 fine instead of the prison term. Now how is this fair? $10k barely covers the price of what he stole. At least tack on nine weeks of community service to go along with the fine. It should be obvious to the judge that $10k is pocket change to these people. How are people supposed to trust in a justice system like this?

Heroes

Anita Roddick 1942-2007

Dame Anita "Queen of Green" Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, was a hero of the environment. She started recycling and promoting environmental protection before it became fashionable. The difficult part about promoting green to the masses is that its not always fun and attractive. Roddick was able to achieve that. She made recycling, banning animal testing, human rights, and supporting third world countries fashionable. She was able to promote the causes she deemed important, while creating a great brand of cosmetics.

You will be missed, Anita.

Re: In Response...

Hey folks, see the original post and its responses here.

Re: John

Everyone I've talked to is excited about China's rapid development, and their "becoming a superpower", and "overtaking the US" mentality. I'm not excited. Can't stop development, but as China grows, they should really consider patching up its gaping problems at the same time.

I doubt the Olympics will fail more than it failed in Atlanta eleven years ago. I guess I hope they succeed, and at the same time shine a huge spotlight on the nation's issues. But does the world really care about starving Chinese kids in rural villages? A lot of China's problems are far from "global". Will the world care?

Re: Edith

Of course the US elections play a role. However, I think the problems I'm more focused on are China's own issues that the US deep down does not care about. I mean, is corruption in China really that important to the rest of the world? The people who ultimately suffer are Chinese citizens.

When someone tells you whether your market is free, then I guess its not really free.

Re: Joe

Thanks for the history lesson ;)

China is still considered by most of the world as a "Communist State"; hence my mistake. I'm no expert, and I don't claim to be. I just tell it as I see it.

Moving Rubber

Say what you will about men using hair product. I'd rather do without it, but on most days I need it to not look like an untidy loser. Having soft, thin hair doesn't help either, since hair has a mind of its own, and mine is always asleep or getting there. Hair product to the rescue.

Back in the 80s and early 90s, men used gooey gels and hair spray. Useful, but often too sticky and gross. It also made you look like you had just got out of the shower, all day long. Gels and sprays always smelled funny. A mix of alcohol and glue. Pretty disgusting stuff. Then some good people invented creams and clay to style the hair. Its so revolutionary, that many people wonder what they did before clay was invented, much like mobile phones.

Now you could make yourself presentable, without looking like you were trying too hard (read: Vanilla Ice circa 1990). Choose different levels of control and shine and a type of clay that suited your hair type. (Sure this sounds very metro, but just remember that women dig a well groomed man).

The whole point of this entry is to mention that I've found a great line of hair stuffs from the Japanese maker, Gatsby. They made six or seven types of hair cream/clay, and gave them a very Japanese name: Moving Rubber (pronounced "moo-bing laaba" in Japanese). At first it really looked like a marketing gimic, but they've made some good stuff! The wide array of clays is also very thoughtful on their behalf. Check it out, here.

Kimura is moving rubber.

Greetings from Sapporo (again)!

Just got back from a relaxing trip to Hokkaido. The weather was perfect: cool and dry. Summer really is the best time to visit Hokkaido. The food, the weather, and the natural beauty are just right. We spent the first afternoon doing some shopping, and had dinner at a izakaya style restaurant.

The next day was also spent in Sapporo, which included more sightseeing and shopping. Above is the shrine we visited. Below is the Sapporo Beer Garden.

Misuse of Office Resources

You hear stories about people stealing pens and paper and various office supplies for home use. Some companies even search the vehicles of employees upon exiting company grounds.

This case is a bit more extreme in terms of the misuse of company resources. CSI Ann Chamberlain tests her husband's underwear and finds another woman's DNA. Problem is that she tested it in the lab she works at (police crime lab, no less). She brought this evidence to court, and she was fired soon after.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2309780.ece

Think about it next time you decide to photocopy that encyclopedia on the office copier.

Oh, the irony

Its interesting to see how ideas and stances change in ten years. Was Cheney betting that everyone would forget what he said back in 94? Probably. How could he predict that over a decade later, his interview and clear stance on Iraq circa 1994 would be on YouTube, in plain view for everyone to see.

There's really no need for an explanation for this video, because the irony is so potent. Even back then when it was perhaps a better and easier option to invade Iraq, Cheney states that its not worth the casualties. Him stating that "for the 146 Americans who were killed in action and their families, it was not a cheap war". The number "146" seems so minuscule in relation to the Iraqi occupation casualties today.

Mix and Match

You've just heard about "Superman" and "4Real", but have you heard of the latest sensation in China? Yes, its naming your kid with both Chinese and English characters. So you could very soon meet someone named "陳誠S", or "黃A如". But that's not the end of it! Some people are going as far as using symbols. So if you're lucky, you'll meet someone named "王%$#".

Again, in my humble opinion, its a murder suicide waiting to happen (or perhaps just a name change).

Lumosity

http://www.lumosity.com/iq_tests

See what your "LumosIQ" is with this three part test. I recommend playing through it once first to see what the games are all about. The first one really confused me. Above is my score from my second "round". Sadly, it turns out that I am not a genius.

Superman is 4Real... yo.

Don't mean to be cruel, but this is a murder suicide waiting to happen. Why? Because when this kid grows up, and realizes what his parents did to him, he'll want to kill them.

See BBC article here.

New Zealand couple Pat and Sheena Wheaton attempt to name their son, "4Real". That's right folks, no typo there. This silly couple wanted to name their son 4Real, but it was rightfully rejected by the registry in New Zealand because it began with a number. So instead, these attention whorish dimwits decide to name him Superman instead. However, they continue to refer to him as 4Real.

The law also advises parents to avoid names that could cause their child to be teased or made fun of.

My thoughts exactly. How much shit is this kid going to get in school? The possibilities are endless. By no means is 4Real the weirdest real name ever (don't believe me? Check out this site, it will blow your mind), but it certainly sounds like the dumbest. Being named Superman is bad enough, but when the kids catch win that his "real" name is 4Real, there will be hell to pay.

In the past they have had to intervene to stop parents naming their offspring Satan and Adolf Hitler.

Why am I not surprised. Child abuse prevention, your tax dollars at work. Good grief.

In Response...

Below is the response to the comments for yesterday's entry.

Re: Robert

First of all, wow, I'm glad I got you guys to finally leave a comment. Now on to the nitty gritty.

Not sure where all this "US vs. China" comparison is coming from. Because it is definitely not coming from me. I did not once mention the US in my entry, and I don't recall initiating the use of the US as a comparison point during dinner. I won’t try to dissect communism, but I will judge their actions. This entry was supposed to be more about human rights and lack of fairness/freedom. I (perhaps mistakenly) tied in all of China’s issues which made for a much broader topic.

Healthcare. I never said that China should emulate the US system. In fact, the US system is the system that I hate the most. What I support is universal healthcare, and I also think that would suit China the best. Implementation and regulation are issues that I believe China is completely capable of dealing with. That is the “beauty” of communism: decisions can be made, and they are usually met with little resistance. I agree that we shouldn’t compare the US to China (which I did not), but I disagree when you compare China to India. Why compare yourself to a nation that is a failure? The two nations are similar, but China should be looking at their positive possibilities. With their recent success (and surely more to come), China should be looking at their upside potential and not compare themselves to India, or Russia, or Indonesia.

Yes, its great that China spends more of their GDP on healthcare than India, but all I care about are results. Numbers like that don’t give me much of a hard-on. All I know is that right now in China, if you have money, you can go to the hospital (emergency or not). If you don’t have money, you are literally left to die. There is such a thing as “fake ambulances” in China. You can call for one of these illegitimate “emergency” vehicles and go to the hospital… after first paying the driver. Again, I don’t support the US system, nor do I think China should adopt the current US healthcare model. 270 million. Sure, the US has one quarter of China’s population, but it costs a lot less to educate, feed, house, and heal a person in China. Chinese people don’t have high demands like they do in the US. It may be a less daunting task than we all think.

You know, I really do think it is about money. When Hong Kong businessmen can donate cash to have a school built, it gets done. In fact, it is all about money in China now. Chinese people are only motivated by money and very little else. Okay, maybe some are motivated by Andy Lau, but that’s it!

I don’t expect China to get this done overnight, but I hear of NO progress, and NO plan. The only policy changes you hear about are relevant to business and the economy. I want the government to throw us a bone. Let us know that steps are being taken to progressively improve education and healthcare. Right now we’ve got nothing. And though I don’t expect overnight change, I do expect it to happen quicker than it took the US and other western nations. Being the 21st century, I expect China to be able to have quicker and more efficient development.

To be completely honest, I laughed when I saw that whole rocket deal in China. I suddenly felt like the world regressed 30 years. Do you think anyone outside China was remotely impressed? I don’t see how a space program can help the economy at this point in time. If China needs help putting satellites in space, they can ask their buddy, Russia. China might want to develop a space program in the future for those purposes, but I feel that there are more pressing issues at hand. And no, I don’t agree with NASA and/or Bush wanting to send crap to Mars. I’m not comparing the two space programs because that would surely be like comparing a Chevelle to an Enzo

Stricter labor laws are great, but everything is for a purpose. When the government wants to push business out of a certain area, it CREATES and enforces tougher labor laws for that region only. Believe me when I tell you that these “labor laws” are far from universal. The central government changes the rules and regulations as they see fit. Its certainly not for the benefit of the people.

I never said we should sacrifice Chinese people for the economy, but that looks like what China is doing. I like democracy, but obviously China is not there yet. Of course not everyone in the US is happy, but I’ll bet that a majority of their problems are trivial when compared to the impoverished people in China.

“Give me fairness, give me freedom…” sounds like sweeping comments, but it is truly what I and many others value the most. Right now in China, you may not even be able to have a fair, open, and honest discussion without being censored by the government.

Re: Jamee

I’m not comparing the US to China. See above.

Again, all the answers to your questions seem to be: money and communism. In terms of social welfare, I’m only asking for education and healthcare. You don’t have to feed a billion people, but you do have to get them started on feeding themselves. I do have ideas on how to employ these people, but I’ll save that for another time.

Again, all I ask for is freedom and fairness. These two things are virtually free, so no, I cannot cut China a break. Not when innocent people are in prison, and not when my words are censored.

Why are you comparing China to a failing country (India)? Why stoop to that level? No one in China is comparing themselves to India. Its like saying my 81 Honda Civic is faster than your 75 Toyota Corolla. Big fuckin whoop.

I criticize the US as well. Please see my “Only in America” entries. Small but growing.

The US shot rockets into space in the 1970s in order to compete with the Soviet Union. It was much different then because they were actually COMPETING. Space was the new frontier and the two nations were on equal footing to see who could one up the other. Thwart Soviet aggression? Fine. What’s China’s excuse? I believe there are better ways to give hope and increase patriotism. The Olympics are a good example. However, what saddens me is that we actually have to worry whether the now clean streets of Beijing will become dirty again after the Olympics leave town. Is our government really so “spur of the moment”? Do they have a vision? If so, tell me what it is.

There is no doubt that the US poses a greater threat to global peace than China. Which is why I think China should cut their military funding and spend it elsewhere. China's biggest threat is its economy and its tainted food/consumer products.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part VII

During dinner the other night, a couple friends asked me what I have against China. That question led to a discussion on what was right/wrong with China, and whether they're headed in the right direction.

To make a long argument short, I stand firm on my opinion that China's economy is growing too quickly. While big cities flourish, smaller rural areas remain stagnant and people there suffer.

Some argue that in order for China to become successful, sacrifices need to be made. Grow now, and take care of your people later.

I'm not saying China should abandon their economy to take care of their people, but their negligence towards poverty and corruption is absurd. Plus, in this day and age, I think it is plausible to expect a nation to do both. We have technology, we have transportation, we can see the big picture.

Then there's the silly argument of national pride. The Chinese have been stepped on for so many decades, that its time for them to show off a little with their booming economic prowess, and their ability to sent a little rocket into space. To me, this is soooo high school. If China had just a little bit of foresight, they would see that by building strong base, their success can only be prolonged. The opportunity to show off will be endless. Why blow your wad now?

I have high hopes for China. I don't want them to fail. I want China to succeed. However, their current actions don't even meet my lowest expectations. Political prisoner, journalist, and patriot, Ching Cheong has now been in prison for 837 days on trumped up charges of spying. While we discuss wealth and China's success, many innocent people are rotting away in Chinese prisons.

Give me fairness, give me freedom, then we'll talk. So sorry, but China isn't even in the same league as its western counterparts.

Whoa Boston...!

First it was Randy Moss, then Kevin Garnett, and now Eric Gagne. Boston teams are loading up on talent, and in my memory, its the first time that all three relevant teams are looking to be contenders.

The Pats

Even during the three Superbowl years, the Pats didn't look this dominant. With Randy Moss, Troy Brown, and Dante Stallworth (plus others), Tom Brady finally has the WRs he deserves. With a much healthier lineup, the Pats look like a super team this season and may finally shed the role of underdog (Ha!).

The Sox

Their giant lead slipping away as the Yanks are finally playing like they should be, the still pretty dominant Sox get Eric Gagne for Kason Gabbard (had some quality starts) and David Murphy (CF prospect we don't quite need. See: Jacoby Ellsbury). I guess the lingering question is, how good is Eric Gagne today? Aside from a low K count, Gagne's numbers are not much worse than those of Jonathan Papelbon; not too shabby. Instead of two dominant closer type pitchers, the Sox now have three. A huge difference from last year's one. Comparing last season's entire pitching staff to this season's, the front office has done a tremendous job in creating both more than solid starting pitching, and a dominant bullpen. Despite a couple minor speed bumps, it is amazing how the offense and defense just came together this season.

The Cs

The biggest story of the three. Just as it looked every Celtic fan was about to slit their wrists over the Ray Allen acquisition, the Cs somehow are able to get KG while giving up Al Jefferson. KG and Pierce alone would have already been a dominant force. I hesitate to say that Ray Allen is complimenting them because he himself is fully capable of carrying a bad team. Suddenly, the Jordanesque Flymaster is looking to shine even brighter, no longer having to be the only good player on the team. Its a 270 degree turn for the Cs. It was all about putting right minded players with the same maturity level together. They still need to build a solid supporting cast, but what a change! Long gone are the days when Pierce and Antoine Walker are expected to lead this team into the playoffs.

The 11th Hour

Who's the Loser?

See this article from ESPN (watch the video too).

This is a perfect example of poor full of shit "shock jock" type sports journalists who aren't funny or entertaining... but they think they are. So news breaks that China is a definite no on whether Yi can play for the Milwaukee Bucks. So these stooges decide to downplay Yi's skill, make fun of his workout videos, and compare him to Darko.

My question for them is, if he's so bad, why was he picked 6th overall (and projected at 5th if not for the Boston trade)? If it was a big Bucks mistake like the Darko pick, then shouldn't they be grilling the Bucks for making a lousy pick? Just because Yi isn't allowed to play in the US, they turn on him and downplay his value as a player.

They also make fun of China and their "reasoning" for not allowing Yi to play for the Bucks. Is this even news? China already said they want Yi playing for a big city team from the beginning. For some reason, the Bucks continued to choose Yi, and now they have this mess on their hands. Why are these dumb sports jockeys even remotely surprised? I suspect that they just have nothing better to say.

Okay. The last couple paragraphs were more rant than reason. On to the more important part of this entry: who's the loser?

BUCKS: they took a big gamble in taking Yi at sixth overall, but it wasn't that big of a gamble in my opinion. I could totally see Yi playing for the Bucks. They have a great young team that is in contention for the playoffs. I thought the Bucks had a good chance of convincing Chinese officials of letting Yi play in Milwaukee. Even now, the Bucks didn't really lose that much. Yi's potential is unknown, and they still have a decent team. Not the loser.

CHINA: they already have Yao as their global icon (despite him being a disappointment NBA wise). Yi would probably take attention away from Yao Ming, and if Yi turned out to be a disappointment, China would see that as a negative. In their eyes, it may be a good thing that Yi's not going to the NBA. Not the loser (this time).

YI: poor guy never had a say in this decision. I'm sure he would have loved to play for the Bucks and make his millions, even if it was just for a couple years. Who knows, he might have busted out and actually become a decent NBA player. For now, we just don't know. Yi has lost his NBA opportunity and its not his fault. Unfortunately, Yi is the big loser.

At least Yi is a player on the Chinese national team. He'll get treated well whether he joins the NBA or not I guess.

Fun with Chemistry

Another experiment gone err... well, perhaps it wasn't so bad.

In hope of making my ice coffee stay cold longer while avoiding dilution by ice cubes, I froze some milk into cubes and put that in instead. Results were... interesting. The milk melted into tiny little pieces that resembled milk that had gone bad. What actually happened was that the high fat content in the milk caused it to separate while freezing. So the little chunks of milk fat floated out first.

In the end, it turned out great, but perhaps a better way is in order. Until next time.

I Win! (in a meaningless war)

We all hate telemarketing. In an attempt to prevent robots from taking over the world, Hong Kong passed legislation last year to outlaw automated telemarketing. This is a small victory for the people; however, human telemarketing is still allowed in full force. So if a person calls you instead of a robot, then its okay. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for robots is staggering.

I still get a marketing call about once every couple days. When I pick up, I refuse to be impolite unless they call when I'm roaming (because telemarketers should be smart enough to hang up when they hear the roaming ringtone). So instead I just pretend that I can't speak Chinese, and they usually hang up immediately. Thankfully my English is good enough to pull it off, but even if my English was shoddy, what could they do? Claim that I'm lying? Heh.

Anyways, even if they did attempt to sell me crap in English, I could probably outmaneuver them easily by using difficult SAT words. Yes, it is mean to step on someone for their loose grasp of a language, but then again they didn't have to call me in the first place.

Excellent Combination

Two recent discoveries:

1) The Palm Treo 750's camera sucks. I'm not picky about camera phones (kind of an oxymoron as it is), but with a sticker price of HKD6000 (relax, I didn't pay nearly that much) I expect something a little better than 1.3 megapixels.

2) Avocado goes really well with ponzu sauce.

I first saw people eat avocado this way in the late Juzo Itami's The Funeral. They basically cut the avocado in half, add a little soy sauce to where the seed used to be, and spoon it out. Not sure if that's how all Japanese people eat avocado, but it looked great.

A couple weekends ago I decided to try it with ponzu instead. The result was delightful.

So next time you get a ripe avocado, instead of making guacamole or a salad, try this method instead.

Cheapness Comes at a Price

The Hong Kong Jockey Club hands out free souvenirs on the final race day only to cause another near riot.

Another Jockey Club debacle? Who's responsible this time?

Just don't ask the Jockey Club, because the only answer you'll get is that its not them. Excuses like, "the people lost control", and "the police didn't do enough", are only two reasons JC is using to skirt responsibility.

A similar incident happened two years ago when 精英大師 souvenirs hats were handed out, causing a riot and twenty people injured. Can't the JC simply learn from their mistakes? Here's the real reason for both mini "riots": the JC only prepared 4000 souvenirs for 20,000 people. If you're going to give away stuff to only one fifth of the people, why even bother...? If you're going to hand out souvenirs to attract attendance, then at least take responsibility for your actions.

Back

Back from a relaxing weekend in Bangkok, followed by a hectic yet enjoyable week in Singapore. I can't say that my batteries are fully recharged since the Singapore trip schedule was so jam packed. When you try to mix work and play, you have to minus a considerable amount of sleep time.

Anyways, I'm back.

我們的祖國... 唉 Part VI

Sometimes stories about China make you laugh, sometimes they make you cringe. With this story, I'm not sure if I should cry or get mad.

Click here for an update on the ShanXi slavery incident.

Brick factories kidnapping kids into forced labor is the latest embarrassment in the Mainland. It is very sad to hear about the individual stories of fathers looking for their children who were abused and starved in these horrific working conditions. Children as young as 8 years old were forced to work in inhumane conditions: forced to work in still hot kilns to speed up production, not given medical treatment despite life threatening burns and wounds, some of the injured were even buried alive.

You hear about China's rapid economic growth, the 2008 Olympic games, and the modernity of Shanghai/Beijing. Then you hear about regions like ShanXi plagued by ruthless slave owners and human traffickers, you wonder whether it is the same country. A nation starving for growth can't be bothered to take care of its own people in the outermost regions.

What happened to cracking down on corruption? I can't stand see lines like "central government leaders shocked at news", cause its just bullshit. They know very well what goes on. They just choose to allow it to happen.

Another Happy Couple

My buddy Philip got married last weekend. Congratulations! A sarcastic thanks to Philip for the idiot ring fiasco!

www.flickr.com