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.