Only in America Part III

I guess ignorance is bliss.



In other news...



LOL Cleveland!

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.

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.

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).

We Have Arrived!

Big-O's checklist on who to thank:

1. Family
2. Supporters
3. The People

...for obvious reasons.

4. George W. Bush

...if he didn't do such a craptastic job in the last four years, Obama wouldn't have won so convincingly.


Hooray!

World's Worst Tourists

No longer are Americans the world's worst tourists. Sadly, China has taken the cake in this category. A French travel website surveyed 4000 hotel staff whom reflected that the worst tourists are those from China. India came in a distant second, and the French came in third. You can read about it here.

I guess this isn't really news. I have experienced the ignorant Chinese tourist first hand, and it is not pretty. Let's take away the spitting and squatting, since it's kind of a cultural thing. However, the lack of manners and lack of respect are actions I just don't understand. It is sad to see Chinese people (including many Hong Kong people) acting so selfish and disrespectful while in a foreign country.

Don't worry, things haven't changed completely. Americans were still voted as the loudest.

Self Imposed Handicap

I caught a prison documentary on TV the other night. It isn't news that prisons are a problem: life in prison, managing prisons, managing prisoners, keeping a balance between prisoner's rights and keeping them in check, etc. One thing I never understood is why prisons have weight lifting equipment. Violence is a major issue in prison. So wouldn't it be easier to subdue weaker, out of shape inmates, rather than have to deal with inmates who have been bulking up and getting strong all-day?

It makes no sense. Prison guards are the people who should be working out, not prisoners. In fact, they should feed inmates a near vegetarian diet to keep them from gaining too much weight. At some prisons, all the inmates do is lift weights all day, everyday. Why not give them books to read instead? Make sure they're paperback books, so they won't use them as weights to workout.

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).

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.

Only In America Part II

Judge sues dry cleaners for $65 Million over a pair of pants

The American legal system strikes again. This time, the victims are owners of a mom and pop dry cleaning store. The idiot offender is, believe it or not, a judge in the District of Columbia. A dry cleaning store misplaced the pants (which were found 3 days later) of Judge Roy L. Pearson Jr. He later denied that the pair of pants was his, and is now suing the poor owners for USD65 Million. He came up with that number through reasoning that makes zero sense:

• Included two years' cost of rental car for travel to different dry cleaners: he somehow thinks dry cleaning is a right and not a privilege.
• Denies the found pants are his despite the matching size and receipt number.
• Suing them for "satisfaction guaranteed" sign: they found his pants, they offered him enough money to buy 10 suits. What more does this moron want?

Why is this case even being take seriously? The VP of Common Sense would have thrown it out immediately. Oh wait... judges are supposed to be VPs of Common Sense. With Judges like Pearson, common sense does not exist!

...Only in America.

Bonus! Sherman Joyce offers to buy this slimeball a new suit. Seeing as to what a cheap bastard Pearson is, the suit should cost no more than $200.

$1,000 Pizza

New York City: home of the $40 burger and the $100 omelet, is now home to the outrageous $1,000 pizza.

You heard that right! The 1K Pizza, created by the owner of Nino Bellisima, is probably more a publicity stunt than anything else. A pretty good ploy: everyone in America has heard of his ridiculous pizza, and of course they've also heard of his restaurant's name as well. Spend a couple grand making sample pizzas for the press and customers has gotten Nino Selimaj some pretty cheap nationwide advertising. Not bad for a day's work.

Onto the pizza: it has creme fraiche, chives, four different kinds of caviar, 4 ounces of thinly sliced lobster tail, salmon roe and Japanese wasabi horseradish. No cooking is required, but an order must be made 24 hours ahead of time.

Is it worth it?

Not even close! Without trying it, I can already tell you that $85 for a small slice is way over the top. Forty dollar burger? I can understand that. Best quality beef plus truffles, and I can imagine it costing $40. Hundred dollar omelet? Crazy, and out of my league, but feasible! I can envision an omelet costing that much if you put enough extravagant items in it.

I don't blame Selimaj. All he's doing is promoting his restaurants. I blame those people who will actually spend a thousand bucks on this pizza. No point in elaborating, but my advice is spend one tenth of that money on a regular pizza and donate the rest to charity... please.

Only In America Part I

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

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

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

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

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

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