The Year in Review Meme

I skipped this awesome activity last year. Again, credit to John. However, I didn't cheat like he did, heh. Rules are the same as last time: first sentence of first post of the month for each month of 2009. A bit of comment follows each sentence, but it is hidden text and you'll have to highlight it to see it.

January
As Hong Kong stepped into the new year peacefully, more injustice took place in the Mainland. (What else is new? Another civil rights activist was just sentenced to 11 years just last week.)

February
HSBC... again. (The "World's Bank" strikes again with high fees and low benefits. Banks very often forget that besides being a business, they are a service to the people.)

March
The stuff we buy just keeps getting worse. (Definitely holds true. Lower prices mean cheaper and shittier products. We ultimately lose as landfills pile up faster.)

April
Resident Evil 5's issue of race has ballooned to internet wide proportions. (I think these stories are overblown. Video games get enough negative press as is.)

May
A couple months ago, there was a case of bickering between the so called "Kong Boys" and "Kong Girls". (Ultimately, video games and pocketbooks suffered.)

June
WRC and NASCAR too? Gran Turismo is again looking to be the all-in-one racing game. (Another post about games? Daaayum! A nerd is me.)

July
Recently picked up a new TV series called The Unit. (Thinking back I didn't really enjoy the whole "life on base" dynamic. The Unit is still awesome though.)

August
Why why why why why am I not surprised. (That prostitutes are more trustworthy than politicians in China. Corruption, yo.)

September
I am for the most part a Firefox user when it comes to web browsing. (Ain't that the truth.)

October
This is so much better than the original. (Pomplamoose rocks!)

November
It has been a long while since I posted. (But the point is, Belichick is still our coach.)

December
Was down with the sickness last weekend. (A long two weeks with me being sick, then my girlfriend.)

Sick Day Movies

Was down with the sickness last weekend. Ended up watching four movies. Some new some old.

A Night at the Roxbury ** (out of 4 stars)

Old SNL humor from a decade ago. It was kind of funny ten years ago, but it seems to have lost whatever charm it once had. On the up side, it made my girlfriend laugh, so it was worth renting.

Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen **

The story and the action was pretty much exactly what I expected. Nothing new and nothing exciting. The only aspect of TF2 I liked was the "robo martial arts". The Transformer hand to hand combat was pretty interesting. Unfortunately, the "messy" designs of the Transformer robots made it difficult to watch. There were a ton of military equipment references in TF2, which might make it interesting for modern weapon buffs. Other than that, it was pretty ho hum.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra *

I didn't find any redeeming qualities in this movie. Perhaps the bits I did possibly enjoy are the nostalgia and nods to the old cartoon series. The action is over the top, but not creative or exciting. All the CGI looks obviously fake. The plot makes no sense, but that is to be expected. The characters are not memorable, and the constant flashbacks to tell the history of the characters is not done smoothly and became quite annoying. However, the absolute worst aspect of this action flick is the writing. The cringe inducing dialog is very cheesy and I don't think they did it on purpose. I will most definitely not watch the sequel to The Rise of Cobra.

The Game ****

This David Fincher gem from the late 90s starring Micheal Douglas is still good today. Douglas does a great job at portraying an asshole millionaire, then a whiny millionaire, then a helpless millionaire, then finally an ex-millionaire hellbent on revenge. He probably channeled some of his Falling Down rage for the last 15 minutes of the film. The story, soundtrack, and visuals are just the right amount of creepy. You'll see San Francisco in a light like never before. Just plain awesome storytelling.

James Bond, we have arrived

Many people (me included) use our mobile phones to tell time. A watch has become more of an accessory rather than a tool.

LG has come out with the geekiest of gadgets: a wrist watch that doubles as a mobile phone. Kids of my generation and earlier have probably dreamed about this type of gadget at least once in their childhood. Even as grown-ups, the wrist watch phone still sounds awesome. Science fiction is finally becoming reality.

As for the phone itself, reviews state that it works well as a phone, and comes with a pretty good microphone and speaker. You can use a bluetooth headset in case you don't want to look like a pretentious douche talking to your wrist, and the phone even has 3G connectivity. Curiously, the phone also has a media player.

The major downside is that this phone has a very short battery life. 60 minutes of talk time is the standard test result. With bluetooth it's even less than that. The size of the phone is small for a phone, but it is pretty big for a watch. This is going to look awkward on people with wrists smaller than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I'm afraid I have to ask why a media player is necessary. Also, why not make a 2G model to save power? That way a camera would no longer be necessary, and it could make more room for a bigger battery or even kinetic charging.

Anyhoo, nice work. Now have fun pretending to be a secret agent.

In Belichick I Trust

It has been a long while since I posted. There are multiple personal reasons for that which I will not mention here. There's a lot going on the world, but I'm going to get back on the horse with something a little on the lighthearted side (though some may take this subject a little too seriously).

Over one week has past, and the sports media looks like it has finally stopped talking about Bill Belichick's decision to go for it on fourth and two. The game last week against the Colts was perhaps the biggest game of the season for the Patriots. The chance to secure home advantage in the playoffs, the chance to dethrone the mighty Colts, robbing them of a potential perfect season. Sadly (perhaps luckily), I could not watch the game live. I only read about the decision after the game had ended.

So it's fourth and two with the clock running down. WWBBD (What Would Bill Belichick Do)? Bill Belichick went for it. All I have to say is that this guy won us three Superbowls in four seasons, and he nearly won a fourth in five. In my book, Bill has a free pass to do whatever the F he wants on the football field for the rest of his coaching career. As for the decision itself, I wouldn't even consider it bad. Belichick knows the Pats better than any fan or journalist out there. He has the most experience and knowledge at his disposal. He is the only person on this earth who has the right and who has earned the right to make that decision. As far as I'm concerned, Belichick made the correct decision regardless of the result.

And that's that (that's that).

Pomplamoose Music

This is so much better than the original.

Moving on without you

Looking towards an upcoming wedding, I realize that most of the brothers and groomsmen are now married. This is a vast difference from a couple years ago. Friends are having kids, starting families, or buying apartments. We're all growing up, getting old, moving on with life. At the same time, I feel like I'm leaving my friend behind. He's supposed to be the one who abandoned us, but as we get older, and Kiki stays forever young, it feels like we're the ones who are moving on.

It's been six years bro, but you haven't been forgotten. Boy is it a chore to go visit you every year. Though I'm glad it's so far out in the boonies. You've got fresh air and a great view. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to be in LKF for eternity, but then again you're actually forever 24. All the best.

Another Extreme Solution

Three Hong Kong reporters were beaten and arrested for dubious reasons in Xinjiang two weeks ago. The mistreatment and false accusations triggered protests and demands for clarification. Though I was angry and saddened by this incident, the first thing that came to mind was how to fight back.

As two of the detained reporters were getting beat up, the third reporter was able to record the incident with his camera. Unfortunately, the tape was confiscated during his detention. What to do?

Maybe the awesome TV show The Unit was still fresh in my mind, so I thought of covert operations. When reporters are in a sensitive area such as China, they should bring along a "covert reporter". This covert reporter will be outfitted with sophisticated spy glasses with a built in camera and microphone. If trouble arises, the covert reporter will spring into action and casually record the whole incident.

Regular TV stations can't officially release footage? I agree. The covert operation should stay secret. This covert operation must remain a secret for the sake of future missions. So instead of the TV station admitting it was their footage. First release it anonymously on a Chinese YouTube-esque website, then broadcast the video on the local news, claiming it was taken and uploaded by a random person on the scene. Let those violent keystone cops know that there's always someone watching.

Again, it's one of my bizzaro solutions to one of the world's troubles that will never happen. When you get beaten up and falsely accused of "inciting public disorder".

Common Sense 101

Thieving rich kids get a roasting - Two well-to-do University of Hong Kong students who stole a friend's credit cards to buy computers were slammed by a magistrate yesterday. Patsy Moy Friday, September 18, 2009 Two well-to-do University of Hong Kong students who stole a friend's credit cards to buy computers were slammed by a magistrate yesterday. The scolding came after Michel Yuen Sui-fa, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of theft, while his girlfriend, Li Chi-wah, 21, admitted two charges of obtaining property by deception. Acting principal magistrate Chan Kam-cheong lambasted the pair for their greed, saying he saw no financial pressure that could have driven them to commit the offenses. Yuen, who was raised in France, is a second year accounting and finance student at HKU and lives in a luxury flat in Kowloon with his family. Li is the only child of an engineer father and a teacher mother. Yuen was accompanied by his mother, and Li by her father when they appeared in Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court yesterday. The magistrate said the defendants were privileged enough to enter the city's top university. But he said they had failed to take advantage of the opportunity to study hard, resorting instead to dishonest tricks. "You should feel lucky to have these [caring] parents. Both of you come from relatively well-off families," Chan said. Yuen's theft took place on August 25 at the upscale Elements mall in Tsim Sha Tsui. He had invited the victim to see a movie and have dinner. Yuen suggested exchanging wallets with the friend "for fun," then removed the credit cards from her wallet and handed them to Li. Li took the credit cards to a computer shop in Sham Shui Po, where she tried to buy two laptops worth at least HK$20,000. When the shopkeeper became suspicious and asked for Li's identity card, she panicked and tried to flee. After a brief chase, she was caught by the shopkeeper and later arrested by police. Chan adjourned sentencing to October 2, pending probation and community service reports. Both Yuen and Li are on HK$500 cash bail.

All three of these kids (including the victim) should be expelled from Hong Kong University for being idiots.

Wanna be like Rog

Rafael Nadal returns to the Grand Slam tournaments from injury at this year's US Open tennis tournament. I couldn't help but notice the drastic changes in his appearance. Gone are the sleeveless t-shirts and capri-esque long shorts. Nadal is now sporting a regular collared polo type shirt with regular above-the-knee length shorts.

This is a drastic change for the man who arguably pioneered unconventional tennis attire. Yet more drastic is his hairstyle. Nadal always had longish hair that fell below his chin midway to the neckline. At the US Open, we're perhaps a bit shocked to see that Nadal's hairstyle and length is quite similar to... Federer?

That's right folks. Nadal's appearance appears to be identical to Roger Federer. His Nike shirt, shorts, and even bandana are the same as Federer's. The hair similarities just make things a little bit creepy.

We know Nadal doesn't need Federer's game to win, but adopting Federer's appearance an attempt to stay injury free?

Old vs. New. Still got the fist pump.






His barber finally has work to do.

"Chinese People Suck" Revisited

Original post can be found here.

Mandy said...

Chinese people have a self concept of being "polite and modest". This is their national identity anyhow. I do think this rather ironic at times.

I have trouble knowing what to say when they say to me "Chinese people are more modest than westerners" (many Chinese I've spoken to feel Americans are "opinionated"). For Westerners, sharing ones personality, ones likes and dislikes, are a sign of friendship and trust/ a willingness to engage enthusiastically. To them it is seen as arrogance. Misunderstanding? Maybe.

I think they feel extremely fortunate to be, as they see it, of a more morally and culturally superior culture (I am reminded of this often).

Chinese tell me about the racist Americans that made black people sit at the back of the bus, then, in the same breath tell me they "don't like Indians because they are too dark". (BTW I am not American). There are different rules regarding what is PC and what is not. Perhaps some westerners share these kinds of prejudiced sentiments but they are sure as hell not going to voice this! This is an amusing point.

You have to be so hard and tough in China. I am far too much of a softy and friendly person I guess. People at markets manipulate and force one into situations one doesn't want to be. They do not take "No thank you" for an answer. I feel very uncomfortable with being cornered. In these setting the Chinese can be uncharacteristically confrontational. Wow. I avoid markets now as it is traumatic and I feel bullied (although maybe this IS a cultural misunderstanding on my part, I'm try to be diplomatic!)

People are guarded and they fight for their territory (spatially on trains etc but during bargaining too). I think it is related to the trauma of the revolution and the fact that there are toooo many people (upping competitive/grabbing mentality). The people are not very trusting- not just with westerners but with each other too.

The public behavior is not very refined to the Western eye and the Chinese are FIERCELY practical people (hence the supposedly rough tone during speaking- not a true indication of attitude). When I think of things from this perspective I don't really take offense to being pushed out the way by charging people rushing to the seat on the subway.(-:

While I DO want to tear my hair out sometimes, I have developed affection for a lot of people here in China!

Keep engagements light-hearted is the key here I think.

SEP 9, 2009 1:15:00 AM

Re: Mandy
Wow! This piece was written over three years ago and I still manage to get a response about once a year. At first I thought the title might be a little too strong, but now I'm kind of glad I used it. Perhaps I have a new found respect for the word, suck.

I first wrote this piece out of anger and disgust. I was unhappy that my own people were such an embarrassment. It's been three years and I admit that I haven't mellowed out one bit. Something has changed though. Instead of getting angry, I'm getting even. Instead of avoiding people or trying to snake my way through crowds, I find myself bumping people and giving a helpful nudge now and then. Rest assured, not everyone gets this type of treatment. I never push women or children, and I only bump the people who are doing something blatantly wrong like cutting the cue, or blocking the way for no reason. Hey, I even forgive those people with lazy feet who are unable to walk in a straight line.

In these three years I've seen worse examples than my plane debacle. There is a lot of wrong in China, and there are plenty of Chinese wrongdoers. At the same time there are some examples of good, and despite the title I used I think it is obvious that not all Chinese people suck.

Anyhow, followers of this blog will realize that I have moved on from this subject, as there are much bigger fish to fry. Bad manners are the least of China's worries. Defeating corruption and taking care of the underprivileged Chinese citizen takes precedence.

Thank you for your insightful comment.

Back to Basics

I am for the most part a Firefox user when it comes to web browsing. My second choice is Google Chrome. However, there's always this rare (or outdated/poorly designed) site out there that requires me to dig out Internet Explorer once in a while.

I'm not entirely against IE. It's just that it is so damn slow. Both IE7 and especially IE8 run at snail speed. Is my computer too slow? Possibly. If that's the case, shouldn't the other browsers run slow as well?

I decided to downgrade all the way back to IE6. I remember first using the IE6 beta back in 2000. That's almost ten years ago. The downgrade process required me to delete the XP Service Pack 3, which took forever. I was left with a ten year old web browser that had none of the bells and whistles of Firefox or Chrome or Opera, but it ran smooth and fast. Though because of major security issues and Firefox superiority, I won't be using IE6 very much at all.

I appreciate new functions added to upgrade software, but I think developers should really make speed and usability more of a priority.

Another Fallen Hero: 譚作人

From the Associated Press.

Another China activist charged with subversion

(AP) – Jul 31, 2009

BEIJING — A Chinese activist who questioned why so many schoolchildren died in 2008's massive earthquake has been charged with subversion and will stand trial in mid-August, his lawyer said Friday.

Tan Zuoren's trial is to begin Aug. 12 in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province where a devastating earthquake last year left nearly 90,000 dead or missing, said lawyer Pu Zhiqiang of Beijing's Huayi Law Firm.

Tan is accused of inciting to subvert state power, but it was not immediately clear what evidence will be brought against him, Pu said by telephone from Chengdu.

Beijing routinely uses the charge of subversion to imprison dissidents for years.
Following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Sichuan, Tan tried to investigate the collapse of school buildings in the quake and the number of schoolchildren killed, estimating at least 5,600 students were victims.

Tan had hoped to complete his investigation before the May 12 anniversary of the quake, but he was detained in late March, Hong Kong-based activist network Chinese Human Rights Defenders said earlier.

In May, the government finally released its own count of students killed in the disaster, putting the official toll at 5,335.

Critics allege that corruption-enabled shoddy construction caused several schools to collapse while buildings nearby remained intact — a politically sensitive theory that the government has tried to quash.

Officials blame the sheer force of the quake as the main cause of the number of flattened schools.

Pu said the charges appear to be linked to Tan's quake investigation as well as essays he wrote about the 1989 student-led demonstrations in Tiananmen Square that ended in a deadly military crackdown.

China has always reacted sharply to any challenges to its one-party system, but it is also cracking down on any dissent ahead of a gala celebrating the communist regime's 60th anniversary on Oct. 1.

Subversion. That's what most of China's greatest modern heroes are often accused of. Why? Because our great nation is so corrupt and backwards and too proud/afraid/stupid to admit that they fucked up.

Prostitutes: 1 Politicians: 0

From the Hong Kong Standard...

Poll gives prostitutes a leg up

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Prostitutes are considered more trustworthy in China than government officials and scientists, a survey suggests.

Sex workers are considered trustworthy by 7.9 percent of 3,376 respondents, putting them in third place after farmers and religious workers, Insight China magazine said.

"A list like this is at the same time surprising and embarrassing," the China Daily said yesterday in an editorial.

"The sex workers' unexpected prominence on this list of honor is indeed unusual."

The list showed scientists and teachers ranked "way below, and that government functionaries, too, scored hardly better."

Soldiers and students were ranked right after sex workers.

The editorial found it "worrisome" that there was a "dramatic drop in government credibility ratings."

More than 91 percent of the respondents admitted "they would take government data with a pinch of salt," it said.

"Given the constant feed of scandals involving the country's elite, this is not bad at all."

It added: "At least the scientists and officials have not slid into the least credible category, which consists of real estate developers, secretaries, agents, entertainers and directors."

Why why why why why am I not surprised.

I understand that defeating corruption is a daunting task. I know that this is not a job that can be accomplished quickly, but when your people (if this were a truthful national survey, I'll bet the number would be higher than 7.9%) trust prostitutes more than they trust government officials... YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM!

My brainstorming...

Instead of using the media to their advantage, the government tres to conceal pretty much everything. Why not use the media to put pressure on corrupt officials? Why not purposely leak information to expose local government criminals? Yes, it is difficult for good China officials to go against the flow and risk being ousted by their corrupt peers. So perhaps covert operations are in order. Leak information to the press, give them the freedom to expose the most corrupt officials, give covert protection to reporters who face danger.

Instead of creating secret "police" to "maintain peace" (the government has unlicensed, unofficial, unlawful, brutally violent secret police that beat up citizens for minor infractions), the good politicians should create secret police that exposes corruption and protects the whistleblowers. Naturally, the high up officials must be able to cut all ties with these covert operators in order to not arouse suspicion among their peers. I think with covert operations, the press, and internet bloggers working together, it is possible to defeat corruption and regain the faith of the people.

Anyways, that would be my dream anti-corruption operation. I'm almost 100% sure it will never happen.

Can Jonas Blane and The Unit beat corruption?

Silly Old Man

I guess it's difficult to have an opinion these days in Macau. Apparently, having an opinion, and going against the majority is wrong according to the so-called "King of Gambling", Stanley Ho.

This stems from the recent farcical "election" for Macau's new Chief Executive. Fernando Chui received 282 out of 300 votes. He got a majority of the votes mainly because he was the only candidate. It's kind of like being a member of your own fan club. Four of the votes were not counted for unknown reasons, and fourteen votes were left blank. This led the old gambling hero of Macau to spew some nonsense, saying that those fourteen voters "made a big mistake", "aren't at peace", and "won't be able to sleep well". With Ho's alleged links to organized crime, one might even perceive that as a threat.

Chui still "won". I don't understand what Ho is bitching about. Why can't he just stick to casinos and restaurants.

Top Notch Service

Watami Casual Japanese Restaurant demonstrated to me that service doesn't require a high price or much effort.

Once upon a time ago (erm... last week), my ice coffee was pretty bland. I don't know if it was a cost cutting measure or an unfortunate mishap, but the color looked like ice tea, and it pretty much tasted like watered down milk. After I brought up the issue to my server, the problem was quickly remedied. This is the kind of service you should expect from all restaurants.

What lifted Watami to another level, was how they remembered me the next time I came (a few days later). They remembered the minute coffee return request from the last time, and as the latest ice coffee arrived, they reassured me that it would not be like "last time". I never imagined a HKD50 lunch set would include this high level of service.

Watami has always had good service, but this really put them over the top. It is certainly puzzling why other places can't do the same.

The Unit

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

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

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

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

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

Countdown to Extinguish-ion

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

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

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

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

Anyways... 8 days to go.

New Gym Characters

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



Happy Friday.

YouTube: Bottom of the Barrel

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

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

Wow, just wow.

Financial Services Sector run by Gambler

From The Standard

Lawmaker shows winning hand for advice

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

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

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

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

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

Know your strength;

Let the profit run;

Stop once your luck runs out;

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

Set a stop-loss and stop-profit point.

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

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

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

TSM 20th

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

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

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

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

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

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

Physical Damage

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

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

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

The Home Team

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

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

Moden view of video games

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

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

Toys

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

Everything in moderation

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

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

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

RE5 and Race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get what you pay for

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

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

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

No Tube for You

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

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

Another "Chinaism", another disappointment.

(Read more here)

Real Crooks

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

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

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

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

No to free publicity?

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

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

Since when did people start saying no to free advertising?

Build Quality

The stuff we buy just keeps getting worse.

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

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

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

From now on, I'm sticking with Logitech.

Cleaning up (one of) Bush's mess

Sometimes you there are things that simply make no sense. USD480,000,000 for a helicopter in this economy, and it takes a new President to put a stop to it.

Yes, money needed to be spent after 9/11, but this is beyond ridiculous. Radar jammer, OK. Shielding for electronic equipment (against an electromagnetic pulse), OK. Toilet and kitchen?! Uh... NO!

Americans living in excess brought them to where they are today. You'd like to imagine the government being smarter than that. Then you remember who ran the government in the past eight years and it all makes sense (or no sense).

The Death of Comedy

When was the last time you saw a quality comedy film come out from Hong Kong? The last funny film I saw from Hong Kong was Stephen Chow's Kung Fu. The Comedy is dead in Hong Kong.

Why you ask? There are little to no comedic actors left in the business. Film producers are not willing to take risks with new styles of comedy. Staying conservative, they stick with slapstick and mindless humor with actors who are actually singers by trade. The industry dictated this change, not the audience. I'll bet the Hong Kong audience is dying to see a serious, high quality comedy. Entertainment firms just aren't willing to take any risk. Instead, they come out with stuff that has worked in the past, shunning anything new or experimental.

Perhaps its the Hong Kong market that caused this situation. The market is too small, so in order for movies to make a profit, they have to be able to do well in China as well. Greedy firms may not see the value in producing a film only for Hong Kong, even if it does pay for itself. Touchy comedic material might be censored or unaccepted in China. Pirated DVDs are no help. Also, consumers (wrong as they are) will go for the pirated version, as they aren't willing to spend a lot of money on the current, rehashed, run of the mill comedies being produced today.

The vicious cycle continues, and thus brings forth the death of the comedy in Hong Kong cinema.

2 Legit 2 Quit!

I never thought I would blog about fashion, but this is too funny. MC Hammer's parachute pants are back! Fashion designers are shamelessly bringing back the old design and giving it a posh name: "Harem Pants".

I'm no fashion guru, and most pioneering fashionistas would call my style boring and conservative. All I'm saying is that I would have trouble dating a girl who wore harem pants, and I would try my best to not associate with people who wore these pants in public.

On the other hand they look pretty comfortable, so perhaps they'd make great pyjamas (or adult diaper concealers).

Funny Friday

Last Straw?

HSBC... again.

There are a lot more important things to blog about. Plenty going on in China (which I will get to), and certainly plenty of crap going on with our own HKSAR government (which is a bit too depressing to get to). But I'm going to blog about HSBC's credit card program.

Is HSBC's credit card offering horrendous? Not really. So far, they haven't done anything wrong per se. They have just sucked for the five plus years I've been in the program. The rewards sucked. It is mostly crap, and the quality has gotten worse over the years. They started off with Japanese brands, then they switched to Chinese brands. Now they're offering what's called "flexi-rewards", which in theory allows you to redeem a 50 inch HDMI television for 7 million + points. That might actually be plausible if the points didn't expire so quickly. Spend HKD7,000,000 and get a HKD20,000 television for free! Ha! You'd imagine they might give you something better than a 0.29% return for spending a cool mil (US dollars) with their card, but no.

The reason I thought of the good old money grubber, is that they've been pestering me recently (twice per month since August, by phone and by mail) to upgrade to their platinum card. For joining, I'll immediately get 10,000 crappy HSBC reward points, plus have the first year annual fee (about HKD1,000) waived (which would have happened regardless, with the amount I spend with the card). By spending another HKD15,000 (within three months) I can get 40,000 more crappy points given within the next five months.

I decided to give them a legitimate chance and checked what perks the card has to offer. The offers were quite disappointing. There are various discounts here and there, and a perk or two that look somewhat appealing. However, most come with a catch. For example:

15% off on food (not drinks) at H One. Seems like a decent deal, but then you see that it only applies if you spend HKD800 per person. It also does not apply to the set lunch menu from Monday to Friday.

$800 per person is quite a lot, and that doesn't include booze...

Some offers don't make much sense: 10% off the a la carte menu at Fook Lam Moon Restaurant. Not applicable to fruits, beverages, set menus, valet parking or service charge. Again, the restrictions. But what makes the least amount of sense is in the deal itself. People who dine at Fook Lam Moon would not give a rat's ass about a meager 10% discount.

Overall, these ho-hum 10-15% food only discounts make me want to just use another card and get airline miles instead. Which brings us to our next topic.

I thought of enrolling in HSBC's Asia Miles mileage reward program, only to discover that the reward ratio is HKD15 spending for one mile. That is pretty lame. HSBC also requires an additional enrollment annual fee of HKD150. Booooo...

So what might perhaps be the last straw? HSBC announced that in April 2009, bill payment with the classic and gold credit cards will not count towards reward points. Is it a big deal? It will be if you pay your bills with the card. The point is that they're slowly chipping away at the benefits that may have attracted customers to join in the first place. I am just annoyed at the consistent lame-ass marketing efforts they throw at me. I mean... I'll sign up for the platinum card. Just give me something more substantial, like a free phone or a couple bottles of wine.

Fallen Hero

廣東作家陳啟棠協助農民維權被秘密判刑

2009-01-05
曾協助南海山三鎮失地農民維權的廣東網絡作家陳啟棠，被關押一年多後遭秘密判刑兩年半。家人質疑審訊不公平。維權人士則批評中國政府以言入罪。（張麗明報道）

陳啟棠的妻子張月清向本台粵語組表示，她本周日致電法官，才得悉法院已於上周三開庭宣判，判處陳啓棠入獄兩年半。她仍未收到判決書，不能確定他被定罪是否被捕時所指控的招搖撞騙罪。她批評法院沒有通知家屬開審和宣判日期，令她失去與丈夫見面的機會，亦無法確定審訊過程是否公正。她說：我們一直都不知道。第一次開庭我已問他為甚麼不通知我們，他說他是成年人，不用通知家屬。他犯了甚麼大罪，可以不通知？

陳啟棠是於前年十月下班回家途中被公安人員帶走了，至今已被關押十四個多月。張月清說，在這一年多裡，家人一直無法與陳啟棠見面，完全不知道他在獄中待遇。家人原本聘請了律師為他辯護，卻收到陳啟棠的信件，表示他會自辯，毋須聘請律師。

張月清指，當局只允許陳啟棠寫信給家人，但信件都被監控，所以陳啟棠是否受到壓力才拒絕聘請律師，家人無從得知。她說：信是他寫的，但他是否受到壓力，我們不知道。寫信也只是家信，若談及案件或獄中情況，根本不能寄出。

張月清說，法官表示陳啟棠可於十天內提出上訴，若陳啟棠不提上訴，家人最快可於本周末安排與陳啟棠見面。她非常擔心丈夫的情況，呼籲國際社會關注，迫使中國政府儘快釋放他。

一直關注陳啟棠情況的廣東作家廖祖笙指責廣東當局，純粹因為陳啟棠發表文章和協助南海三山鎮失地農民維權而把他判刑。他說：肯定跟他寫的文章有一定關係。現在是暗無天日的時代，甚麼事情都可以發生。

陳啟棠是廣東佛山人，以筆名“天理”在網上發表文章，議論時政。前年三月，他和多名維權人士，包括郭飛雄和郭永豐等人，創辦《維權聯盟》，發放中國各地維權信息，協助公民維權。被捕前，他正積極關注佛山南海三山鎮失地農民維權情況，多名農民代表遭判刑，其中一人更在囚禁期間死亡。

本台周一曾致電佛山市中級法院和佛山市看守所，希望查詢陳啟棠的情況，但電話均沒有人接聽。

As Hong Kong stepped into the new year peacefully, more injustice took place in the Mainland.

On December 31st, activist Chen Qitang (陳啟棠) was secretly sentenced to two and a half years in prison on charges of impersonation and fraud. Chen is an internet writer in the Guangdong province, who was helping villagers in Foshan City resist land grabs. The charges made against him were likely falsified, as he angered developers and corrupt government officials for aiding the helpless peasants obtain justice.

When will this stop? With the internet and more brazen reporters, the whole world can see these injustices taking place. Does this incident only look funny to foreigners? Does the Central Government not see what's going on here? This is not petty crime. Chen's imprisonment stemmed from developers stealing plots of land from villagers to build multi million dollar structures. When will China decide that it has had enough of being the butt end of corruption jokes? Jokes aside, real people are suffering here. When they try to speak out, they are bullied and punished.

Again, China gets no respect from me until this blatant theft and injustice is put to a stop.