Coal Creek productions placed a very respectable THIRD today in Celtic Bayou Trivia with 57 points. This is a night worthy of remembrance and celebration! We were only 4 measly points away from First place! The night actually started on a low note as we weren't able to answer which Navy Captian signed the treaty with Japan in the 1800s (It was Perry). But then we were able to ride to victory, answering almost every single question on the list. Even Charlton Heston movie quotes category cannot stump us. Heck, one of us even knew lines from the movie "Soylent Green". Now that is surely a sign for our impending win! We answered every question in the assassination category except George Elser who apparently made an attempt on Hitler, but since he failed nobody remembered him haha. The bonus round was again #1 hits from today over the years. He always has this bonus round and we never remember to study for it but this time, our combined knowledge knew every single song! Did you know Before Sean Paul, there was Snow? a Canadian Raggae chart topper? crazy stuff you learn from Trivia hehe.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
some thoughts of media and Chinese government
This morning I was listening to our public radio station doing a piece on the current Tibet situation. Now I don't really want to get into the whole thing about Tibet since it is way too complex than I can understand but I did notice one thing. In the segment, the host interviewed the Spokesperson for the San Francisco Chinese Consulate on his opinion about the current riot and crackdown situation. and I was completely shocked about how bad his English is. You would think being a "SPOKESPERSON" he should at least be fluent in English. He also spent a large part of the interview basically regurgitate parts of some press release that he obviously memorized for this interview. You can tell because suddenly he would stop mumbling and stuttering and speak fluent perfect English for 10 sentences and then go back to sounding like an idiot. I was totally appalled at the unprofessionalism. How can he not sound like a mindless puppet if he acts this way during an real interview where he has the opportunity to get his view across?
Now that has got me thinking about something. The Chinese government and press has been yelling, nay, screaming for the whole week that the Western media is biased in its reporting about the Tibet incident. This is however, completely their own fault for not allowing journalists to be in Tibet and to be open about what is happening (good and bad). What do they expect? When you stop the flow of information, what can western media do but listen to whoever will talk to appease their readership? Now today when finally given a small chance on radio for the Chinese official position to be heard, the spokesperson completely waste it by sounding like an idiot.
Now I am not so naive as to think that American free press is unbiased and objective in their reporting (see Manufacturing Consent, the book read by all journalists graduating in U.S.) But one thing that the American government and corporation has learned to do over the years is how to "control the message". They have perfected the art of manipulating the press for their agenda. I mean the current presidential candidates each have a team of people whose sole purpose is to figure out ways to utilize the 24 hour news cycle to get their message out and block the opponents message. It is a fact of life over here that public relations is of utmost importance. One rule is that you NEVER EVER send someone out to talk to the media who can't get the message across cleanly and persuasively. But, in China, they are way way behind in this concept. Perhaps it is due to the lack of free press that they never have to deal with this issue and therefore are completely unprepared for the modern world of the Internet and 24 hour news channels. But they have completely antiquated concept of message control and PR. They still think that public opinion can be controlled by selectively broadcasting news. But in the Internet age, they are not fooling anyone, not even their own citizens. It just makes them appear guilty and unreasonable.
For example, if the Chinese government were a little more competent and savvy, they could have given exclusive but free and open access to Tibet during the aftermath of the riot to certain newspapers that are carefully selected, no bribery or intimidation needed. If the newspaper knew that they have exclusive access, they will automatically paint a more pro-government picture because they know if they don't, their exclusivity (and readership) can be easily given to a rival newspaper. This is a super simple way of getting the media to report something you want them to report (since the Chinese government is so paranoid about it) and appear reasonable and open in the world's eye. Now that opportunity is lost, and what is the point of organizing journalist tours as if they are touring Disneyland?
They have never learned how to do this in all these years of China bashing by the world so they have no one to blame but themselves if the public opinion is not shaping up the way they hope. In order to change perception of the world about them, they must learn how to integrate with the rest of the world's press. So really, the current Chinese government is not evil, they are just supremely incompetent and too afraid to let people know.
Now that has got me thinking about something. The Chinese government and press has been yelling, nay, screaming for the whole week that the Western media is biased in its reporting about the Tibet incident. This is however, completely their own fault for not allowing journalists to be in Tibet and to be open about what is happening (good and bad). What do they expect? When you stop the flow of information, what can western media do but listen to whoever will talk to appease their readership? Now today when finally given a small chance on radio for the Chinese official position to be heard, the spokesperson completely waste it by sounding like an idiot.
Now I am not so naive as to think that American free press is unbiased and objective in their reporting (see Manufacturing Consent, the book read by all journalists graduating in U.S.) But one thing that the American government and corporation has learned to do over the years is how to "control the message". They have perfected the art of manipulating the press for their agenda. I mean the current presidential candidates each have a team of people whose sole purpose is to figure out ways to utilize the 24 hour news cycle to get their message out and block the opponents message. It is a fact of life over here that public relations is of utmost importance. One rule is that you NEVER EVER send someone out to talk to the media who can't get the message across cleanly and persuasively. But, in China, they are way way behind in this concept. Perhaps it is due to the lack of free press that they never have to deal with this issue and therefore are completely unprepared for the modern world of the Internet and 24 hour news channels. But they have completely antiquated concept of message control and PR. They still think that public opinion can be controlled by selectively broadcasting news. But in the Internet age, they are not fooling anyone, not even their own citizens. It just makes them appear guilty and unreasonable.
For example, if the Chinese government were a little more competent and savvy, they could have given exclusive but free and open access to Tibet during the aftermath of the riot to certain newspapers that are carefully selected, no bribery or intimidation needed. If the newspaper knew that they have exclusive access, they will automatically paint a more pro-government picture because they know if they don't, their exclusivity (and readership) can be easily given to a rival newspaper. This is a super simple way of getting the media to report something you want them to report (since the Chinese government is so paranoid about it) and appear reasonable and open in the world's eye. Now that opportunity is lost, and what is the point of organizing journalist tours as if they are touring Disneyland?
They have never learned how to do this in all these years of China bashing by the world so they have no one to blame but themselves if the public opinion is not shaping up the way they hope. In order to change perception of the world about them, they must learn how to integrate with the rest of the world's press. So really, the current Chinese government is not evil, they are just supremely incompetent and too afraid to let people know.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
idol thoughts
So I keep forgetting to watch the actual show, so this review is done through proxy by Rickey.org :) This week's theme is Song From the year they were born. Since there are so many choices available (as opposed to two weeks of Beatles!), decisions on song choices become very important and it can really show which contestants are versatile and know their limit. None of the girls should pick rock songs now since none of them are rockers, and they are just going to butcher it. The guys need to change it up a little, they can only rock out for so many weeks (unless you are Daughtry!!!)
Good:
David Cook: Obviously, brilliant song choice, brilliantly sung. He made a wise choice and stuck to what he is good at. He gets extra points for that glory note at the end there. He is so mainstream, so commercial I can't help think he will be another Daughtry. Nothing wrong with that though, Daughtry is pretty successful.
Michael Johns: He is like a more mature, hardcore version of David Cook. He really showed he could rock out tonight and his singing is as always impeccable. Also a great choice of song. It is very exciting, familiar to the audience and shows off his range.
Mediocre:
David Archuleta: Bad bad song choice!! He did the best he could with it as his voice still sounded great. But where is the melody? this sucked!! and he is too young to sing lyrics like that.
Jason Castro: I feel like he picked good song choices. He does good with this sort of loungy soft rock song that doesn't require any vocal acrobatics. But I don't know how long he can keep it up without people getting bored. Hopefully he is just coasting a bit and will start to wow people in a couple of weeks.
Syesha Mercado: Very safe song, she sang it well but nothing spectacular.
Carly Smithson: I feel like this song didn't really suit her. She couldn't quite reach the high parts and it didn't have the right feel. I don't think any of the girls left are rockers now.
Brooke White: Really good song choice, she knows what she is good at. Too bad she kinda messed it up in the beginning. I feel kinda bad for her because her mess up is now going to be on youtube and be played til eternity.
Chikezie: Well, he is no Luther Vandross, he is not even Ruben but it is a safe choice. I felt like it was adequate singing but really lacked emotions.
baaad!;
Kristy Lee Cook: OMG, is she still here??? when is America gonna realize she can't sing? she butchered that perfectly nice song. Lets hope she is gone tomorrow
Ramiele Malubay: She made a bold choice but the song didn't really suit her. She is more of a pop song singer and she couldn't quite pull off the song. I think she is nervous too as her voice sounded really shaky. The producers probably thought so too since she had to go on first, always a bad thing.
So my predictions for bottom 3: Kristy, Ramiele and Syesha :D
Good:
David Cook: Obviously, brilliant song choice, brilliantly sung. He made a wise choice and stuck to what he is good at. He gets extra points for that glory note at the end there. He is so mainstream, so commercial I can't help think he will be another Daughtry. Nothing wrong with that though, Daughtry is pretty successful.
Michael Johns: He is like a more mature, hardcore version of David Cook. He really showed he could rock out tonight and his singing is as always impeccable. Also a great choice of song. It is very exciting, familiar to the audience and shows off his range.
Mediocre:
David Archuleta: Bad bad song choice!! He did the best he could with it as his voice still sounded great. But where is the melody? this sucked!! and he is too young to sing lyrics like that.
Jason Castro: I feel like he picked good song choices. He does good with this sort of loungy soft rock song that doesn't require any vocal acrobatics. But I don't know how long he can keep it up without people getting bored. Hopefully he is just coasting a bit and will start to wow people in a couple of weeks.
Syesha Mercado: Very safe song, she sang it well but nothing spectacular.
Carly Smithson: I feel like this song didn't really suit her. She couldn't quite reach the high parts and it didn't have the right feel. I don't think any of the girls left are rockers now.
Brooke White: Really good song choice, she knows what she is good at. Too bad she kinda messed it up in the beginning. I feel kinda bad for her because her mess up is now going to be on youtube and be played til eternity.
Chikezie: Well, he is no Luther Vandross, he is not even Ruben but it is a safe choice. I felt like it was adequate singing but really lacked emotions.
baaad!;
Kristy Lee Cook: OMG, is she still here??? when is America gonna realize she can't sing? she butchered that perfectly nice song. Lets hope she is gone tomorrow
Ramiele Malubay: She made a bold choice but the song didn't really suit her. She is more of a pop song singer and she couldn't quite pull off the song. I think she is nervous too as her voice sounded really shaky. The producers probably thought so too since she had to go on first, always a bad thing.
So my predictions for bottom 3: Kristy, Ramiele and Syesha :D
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Pillows Rock!!
My friend asked me if I liked Japanese rock band the other day. I replied I don't think I know anything about them. She said "me neither, so the Pillows are coming on Wednesday, wanna go??" I said "sure, what is The Pillows??"
So that is how I ended up at a Pillows concert last night. The Pillows, apparently, is this Japanese rock band. They are famous for doing the soundtrack for FLCL (I guess you anime people would know). The whole night started out wrong. First of all, one of my friend got lost to the carpool spot so we were late, and then there was really bad traffic across the lake (god I hate the bridges). Then the place we picked for dinner had really really slow service (and a Vietnamese old dude singing really badly on the keyboard) so we didn't end up at Club Motor until half an hour after the show was suppose to start. But we weren't actually late as they haven't even begin to let people in! so really, all that lateness meant nothing since we still had to wait half an hour just for the concert to start. Club Motor was kind of a dump too, it is just a big warehouse with some lights and stage using black sheets of paper as backdrop.
Then we found out there was 2, TWO!!! opening band. Stereo Future and Noodles. Stereo future is actually an American band, and they played some nice alternative music. I didn't like the singing though, I think they are more of a instrumental band. Noodles is this 3 girl Japanese band, very typical Japanese girl band I think. The songs were not bad but I hated the singing and it was really kind of boring. Their recording sounds much better than them live.
Ok, at this point, you must be thinking. gosh, you whine soo much! And you would be right, I was soo bored and my feet started to hurt. That is when The Pillows came out, and gave one of the most amazing concert I have ever been to. They were incredible! The lead singer was able to get the crowd of 500 going just by a look. With all their energy, they might as well be playing for a crowd of 10,000! we had some like 5 crowdsurfer going at the same time, which is not easy consider how small the crowd is. Everybody is jumping so much I was afraid the floor is gonna gave. (this is all from sober people too!, no alcohol allowed). They actually had to tell people to back up because the people in the front are moving the stage with their jumping lol. The lead singer was an awesome singer and a very good guitar player. They had such wonderful stage presence, as contrast to Noodles, to hear and see them live was 100 times better than can be conveyed on their recording. They just exuded energy and passion. They must played for an hour but I couldn't tell because it was over way too fast and totally worth the 3 hours I spent waiting on them lol . Now this is not usually the music I am into and I think the recordings on youtube are just ok. But live and in person, they are absolutely incredibly! I think I am a fan now :)
Here is some pictures taken by random people (found on Flickr)
So that is how I ended up at a Pillows concert last night. The Pillows, apparently, is this Japanese rock band. They are famous for doing the soundtrack for FLCL (I guess you anime people would know). The whole night started out wrong. First of all, one of my friend got lost to the carpool spot so we were late, and then there was really bad traffic across the lake (god I hate the bridges). Then the place we picked for dinner had really really slow service (and a Vietnamese old dude singing really badly on the keyboard) so we didn't end up at Club Motor until half an hour after the show was suppose to start. But we weren't actually late as they haven't even begin to let people in! so really, all that lateness meant nothing since we still had to wait half an hour just for the concert to start. Club Motor was kind of a dump too, it is just a big warehouse with some lights and stage using black sheets of paper as backdrop.
Then we found out there was 2, TWO!!! opening band. Stereo Future and Noodles. Stereo future is actually an American band, and they played some nice alternative music. I didn't like the singing though, I think they are more of a instrumental band. Noodles is this 3 girl Japanese band, very typical Japanese girl band I think. The songs were not bad but I hated the singing and it was really kind of boring. Their recording sounds much better than them live.
Ok, at this point, you must be thinking. gosh, you whine soo much! And you would be right, I was soo bored and my feet started to hurt. That is when The Pillows came out, and gave one of the most amazing concert I have ever been to. They were incredible! The lead singer was able to get the crowd of 500 going just by a look. With all their energy, they might as well be playing for a crowd of 10,000! we had some like 5 crowdsurfer going at the same time, which is not easy consider how small the crowd is. Everybody is jumping so much I was afraid the floor is gonna gave. (this is all from sober people too!, no alcohol allowed). They actually had to tell people to back up because the people in the front are moving the stage with their jumping lol. The lead singer was an awesome singer and a very good guitar player. They had such wonderful stage presence, as contrast to Noodles, to hear and see them live was 100 times better than can be conveyed on their recording. They just exuded energy and passion. They must played for an hour but I couldn't tell because it was over way too fast and totally worth the 3 hours I spent waiting on them lol . Now this is not usually the music I am into and I think the recordings on youtube are just ok. But live and in person, they are absolutely incredibly! I think I am a fan now :)
Here is some pictures taken by random people (found on Flickr)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
IPO woes
So, I decided I will try to buy some Visa Stock since it is going through IPO this week. I have an etrade account from ESPP but I really have no experience actually buying and selling stocks, and really I know nothing about them. So really my decision is not made based on any sort of research haha. So it was quite an learning experience this morning buying Visa stock on Etrade. I made a lot of mistakes I think but it is all part of the learning curve I guess. Here are some lessons I learned
1. It takes a really really long time for money to transfer to your Etrade account, like more than a week! good thing I started early
2. Never believe them when they say the secondary market will open on the 20th, because they will so open on the 19th just to spite you. It was a good thing I checked before I went to bed last night otherwise I would have missed the opening.
3. Never believe them when they say you can buy as soon as stock market opens at 9:30 EST because it really depends on when the CEO finishes his interview and the traders actually finish pricing. I got up at 6:30 am for nothing since I couldn't actually buy til 7:30 am
4. It really helps if you are not looking at 20 minute delayed information since you won't know what is the current price for buying. Thank god for message boards
5. This "pullback" thing is for real! As soon as the secondary market openend, all the actually IPO buyers dumped their stock for a quick profit so the price actually dropped $5 in the first hour before rising again. if only I was more experienced and had real time quotes I could have gotten in at a lower price.
Anyway, I wasn't trying to get in for a quick profit so I guess I just have to sit on it and wait now :) It was kind of depressing though this morning to watch the price drop. and also since I got to work at 10 am just to find they cancelled our meeing :(
1. It takes a really really long time for money to transfer to your Etrade account, like more than a week! good thing I started early
2. Never believe them when they say the secondary market will open on the 20th, because they will so open on the 19th just to spite you. It was a good thing I checked before I went to bed last night otherwise I would have missed the opening.
3. Never believe them when they say you can buy as soon as stock market opens at 9:30 EST because it really depends on when the CEO finishes his interview and the traders actually finish pricing. I got up at 6:30 am for nothing since I couldn't actually buy til 7:30 am
4. It really helps if you are not looking at 20 minute delayed information since you won't know what is the current price for buying. Thank god for message boards
5. This "pullback" thing is for real! As soon as the secondary market openend, all the actually IPO buyers dumped their stock for a quick profit so the price actually dropped $5 in the first hour before rising again. if only I was more experienced and had real time quotes I could have gotten in at a lower price.
Anyway, I wasn't trying to get in for a quick profit so I guess I just have to sit on it and wait now :) It was kind of depressing though this morning to watch the price drop. and also since I got to work at 10 am just to find they cancelled our meeing :(
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
worth watching
The media was in a frenzy the last two days over Barack Obama's church minister that said some pretty controversial things in one of his sermons that talked about black anger. So today, Barack Obama delivered one of the best speech on race that an American politican has ever given in my opinion. It was brilliant and moving and I think it is worth reading if not watching (its kinda long)
Complete text of speech
Complete text of speech
Monday, March 17, 2008
I am in Print!
Ok, so not quite but it was still pretty cool. While I was doing my masters, I had a temp job working as research assistant to this Urologist professor who is retired and wanted to write a book on God and its influence on people. SO I transcribed his recorded notes and did research for him and read some books too. It was just a semester and I thought nothing too much of it except it paid my rent. Last night, somehow I got around to read my old resume and I remembered about Dr. Saul Boyarsky. I wondered how he was doing and whether he ever finished the book. And guess what? he did!! Realizing God for the Future . I am very happy for him! And to my surprise, while I was browsing through it, I saw my name in the acknowledgement!! Now that is pretty cool hehe.
Friday, March 14, 2008
AI Review
Yes, it is that time of the year again. I have managed to avoid the pre auditions this time but I figure I have to check out our final 12. I watched all the videos from Tuesday on Rickey.org and here is my review:
General impression: This year's crop is generally very photogenic, very main stream. We've got some boy pop, some rockers, some lady crooners. There is a serious lack of vocal talents though in general. However, in today's main stream radio, good vocal talents is not as important as beautiful looks or a shady personal life so I guess AI is doing ok there. This season also wins the award for having the most instrument playing contestants, Almost everyone plays guitar or piano or something. And I was talking with Snoopy earlier about this, if you think about it, this year's contestants are mostly teenagers when the show started so they practically grew up with the show and I am sure have been preparing for years for it.
GOOD:
only in my opinion which is biased towards singing skills.
Brooke White: I really liked her, she seemed warm and friendly and unpretentious. It was a good song choice also for her voice. Which is kind of husky and deep.
David Archuleta: yes, he messed up the words big time and this song really was kind of boring, but he gets auto points for being cute. and you know the teenage girls will vote like crazy for him. I think he is pretty young for all the pressure so we will have to see if he can withstand it. If he can, he will be the next super pop idol, if not, he will just be another one of those pretty boys that didn't make it.
Chikezie: Rickey didn't have a video of him so just judging from the vocals, I thought he was brilliant, what a fun song! and extremely well done. I doubt he will win though because he doesn't really have the right looks unfortunately. but go Chikezie!
Jason Castro: He totally doesn't sound like he is from Texas lol. and despite appearing to be high most of the time, I really liked his voice, and his laid back attitude. He sang that song really well and with feeling. I am going to have a soft spot for Jason.
Middle of the Pack:
Carly Smithson: I already don't remember what she sounds like so that is not good. And anyway, she already has a record released, I don't think she need this show.
David Cook: The resident rocker boy. I kinda hates his hairstyle but he did a pretty good job with the song.
Michael Johns: very sweet voice but I feel like he is way too low key, he is not going to get enough attention to beat all the other people with interesting stories. Probably will get eliminated middle of season
Ramiel Malubay: Very very beautiful voice, and very beautiful girl. I don't have a feeling she can win but probalby will stay for most of the season unless she make crazy mistake.
Syesha Mercado: kinda forgettable is pretty much all I can say.
Ugly:
Kristy Lee Cook: Just wasn't very good I have to say. I didn't see her video either
David Hernandez: Kinda of a cute boy but the singing skill is just kinda sucky. I guess there is room for improvement if he gets a big fanbase going.
Amanda Overmeyer: I think she is a really interesting personality, seems like a crazy fun girl, but she really doesn't have a voice, and singing that particular rock style will only get her so far I think. Probably will get eliminated middle of the season
ETA: I wrote this before I saw the elimination result, I guess David don't have a chance for that fanbase now hehe.
General impression: This year's crop is generally very photogenic, very main stream. We've got some boy pop, some rockers, some lady crooners. There is a serious lack of vocal talents though in general. However, in today's main stream radio, good vocal talents is not as important as beautiful looks or a shady personal life so I guess AI is doing ok there. This season also wins the award for having the most instrument playing contestants, Almost everyone plays guitar or piano or something. And I was talking with Snoopy earlier about this, if you think about it, this year's contestants are mostly teenagers when the show started so they practically grew up with the show and I am sure have been preparing for years for it.
GOOD:
only in my opinion which is biased towards singing skills.
Brooke White: I really liked her, she seemed warm and friendly and unpretentious. It was a good song choice also for her voice. Which is kind of husky and deep.
David Archuleta: yes, he messed up the words big time and this song really was kind of boring, but he gets auto points for being cute. and you know the teenage girls will vote like crazy for him. I think he is pretty young for all the pressure so we will have to see if he can withstand it. If he can, he will be the next super pop idol, if not, he will just be another one of those pretty boys that didn't make it.
Chikezie: Rickey didn't have a video of him so just judging from the vocals, I thought he was brilliant, what a fun song! and extremely well done. I doubt he will win though because he doesn't really have the right looks unfortunately. but go Chikezie!
Jason Castro: He totally doesn't sound like he is from Texas lol. and despite appearing to be high most of the time, I really liked his voice, and his laid back attitude. He sang that song really well and with feeling. I am going to have a soft spot for Jason.
Middle of the Pack:
Carly Smithson: I already don't remember what she sounds like so that is not good. And anyway, she already has a record released, I don't think she need this show.
David Cook: The resident rocker boy. I kinda hates his hairstyle but he did a pretty good job with the song.
Michael Johns: very sweet voice but I feel like he is way too low key, he is not going to get enough attention to beat all the other people with interesting stories. Probably will get eliminated middle of season
Ramiel Malubay: Very very beautiful voice, and very beautiful girl. I don't have a feeling she can win but probalby will stay for most of the season unless she make crazy mistake.
Syesha Mercado: kinda forgettable is pretty much all I can say.
Ugly:
Kristy Lee Cook: Just wasn't very good I have to say. I didn't see her video either
David Hernandez: Kinda of a cute boy but the singing skill is just kinda sucky. I guess there is room for improvement if he gets a big fanbase going.
Amanda Overmeyer: I think she is a really interesting personality, seems like a crazy fun girl, but she really doesn't have a voice, and singing that particular rock style will only get her so far I think. Probably will get eliminated middle of the season
ETA: I wrote this before I saw the elimination result, I guess David don't have a chance for that fanbase now hehe.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
referrals?
So M has expressed an interest in touring Europe. I am trying to find a Chinese travel agency that does tours like that cause I figure she might be more comfortable with a Chinese tour guide. Do you guys have suggestsions of travel agency you may have heard of as good?
Monday, March 03, 2008
trivia report
So we were again the recipient of the coveted $1 pitcher prize as we were last place with 30 points. Although it was especially sad today because we actually thought we did pretty well considering the categories. There was the always feared "Authors" category. The "Cold War Movie Quotes" category (WTF!!), and the best of all, a Anagram category with no clue!! We completely failed that one :( Here it is for your solving pleasure:
DOLAMN
A TIP CHAOS
A MAMA CIDA
LEFT RIB
bonus: what is the theme of this group of anagrams.
Although we almost got every single question in the music category. I was happy as 3 songs played were songs Clay has sung haha.
THe most amazing thing of the night however, was that the first place winner, with 47 points after a tie breaker was a ONE MAN team. He won it all, all by himself. My hero!
DOLAMN
A TIP CHAOS
A MAMA CIDA
LEFT RIB
bonus: what is the theme of this group of anagrams.
Although we almost got every single question in the music category. I was happy as 3 songs played were songs Clay has sung haha.
THe most amazing thing of the night however, was that the first place winner, with 47 points after a tie breaker was a ONE MAN team. He won it all, all by himself. My hero!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
LOL
I think the writers should strike more often if these are the results.
Some background: Jimmy Kimmel has been publically dating Sarah Silverman for like 5 years. And Sarah made this video for him in January
and here is Jimmy's star-studded angry retaliation
ROFL!!! See if you can spot all the celebrities! And I have to say, objectively, Matt Damon was much much sexier and cute in his video.. ^_^
Some background: Jimmy Kimmel has been publically dating Sarah Silverman for like 5 years. And Sarah made this video for him in January
and here is Jimmy's star-studded angry retaliation
ROFL!!! See if you can spot all the celebrities! And I have to say, objectively, Matt Damon was much much sexier and cute in his video.. ^_^
Friday, February 29, 2008
I finally did it!!
So, I got the whim last night (My life is basically one whim after another without forethought sigh) to get rid of my Yahoo account and finally move over to the far superior Gmail where things don't work on a time delay. The operation kinda extended into today also since I have to basically dig up every single website account I can find and change my contact email. What a pain!! I guess the move will not be complete for at least a few more month as obscure websites I don't even remember pops up an email notification. But at least right now, I Feel happy. Yall can email me at the same address as this blog :D
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
whirlwind of a trip
New York Album
As you may have heard, I went on a whirlwind trip to New York City this weekend to see my most favorite idol Clay Aiken, who is playing Sir Robin in Mont Python's Spamalot on Broadway. This is a really fantastic moment for Clay fans everywhere since he is actually doing something cool after being completely shafted by his record company with the last album. My friend Regi and Sillygurl bought tickets as soon as the tour was announced so we got 2nd row center tickets. We had to pay an arm and teeth for them but it was all worth it for this once in a lifetime show.
I was actually overly ambitious in my plan as I didn't want to take any vacation so I thought I could do a red eye flight to NY from Seattle and arrive Saturday at 8am. Hang out with friends, go see the show and come back on a 4pm flight on Sunday. Now everything worked out perfectly but I was dead tired as I only got one hour of sleep on Friday night and I was having way too much fun to rest afterwards. So this is not highly recommended haha.
After I got to our hotel, the Westin Time Square, I found out that we got upgraded to an "exercise room", which means there is an exercise bike in the room, along with weights and a big rubber ball. Although i have no idea how you suppose to do anything with it since with the exercise bike there is barely any room to stand. I also have to comment on the amazing $200 shower head in the bathroom (everything in the room can be ordered by catalog). OMg, it was totally amazing, emitting just the most gentle yet totally satisfying stream of water that softly massages your body.... err i will stop now.
First Stop: Rockefeller Center
We made Rockefeller Center our first stop because Sillygurl really wanted to tour the NBC Studio which is located inside 30 Rock. I totally didn't know that so we were all looking forward to it. The NBC Studios offers an hour tour of the studio and some of the sound stages. We signed up for the 1:30 tour, since we still had about an hour to kill we decided to look around the conveniently located gift shop right outside the ticketing counter. Among Friends mugs and Heroes shirts I found this lovely cardboard of Matt Lauer.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures on the tour, but it was really interesting to see the inside of a TV station. The first thing we saw was literally hundreds and hundreds of coaxial cable wires running along the ceiling. I joked with Regi that if I sneaked up and cut one, it will take them days to figure out which one broke. Then I heard the people behind me say exactly the same thing -_-!! Then we saw the studio where Brian Williams does nightly news. Apparently he writes 90% of the news himself and he writes them down in order from last to first so that when he starts reporting, the first item will be fresh in his mind. We also saw people working in MSNBC studio, which of course has 24/7 news. The anchor desk actually rotates 270 degrees so people don't get bored watching the same background all the time. The news people working in there has two computer and a TV each, one computer to write their drafts, the other to keep constant watch on the Internet for any breaking news from the competitors, and they get TV feed from all the news channel running all the time just to make sure they don't miss a scoop. (come to think about it, 24 hour surfing sounds like a perfect job for me!!). We then went to the SNL studio and since it was Saturday, we were able to see the crew rehearse a skit. Tina Fey was there and it was very cool to see live TV in the making! Carrie Underwood was the music guest on Sat and they say she was actually in the building preparing! too bad we didn't get to see her. Lastly, we were taken to a green room (make up room) where they had a fake news desk and weather screen set up and they asked for volunteers. Regi and this kid volunteered first but then the kid was too scared and backed out and I seized the opportunity! So Regi got to report the news and I got to stand in front of the green screen and wave my arms. IT was so difficult because the monitor in front of me was not a mirror image but an real reflection so everything I did looked backwards. The guide walked me through pointing at New York, (I totally got it backwards the first time), then the west coast, and then pointing to various numbers on the screen like High, Low and Sunset time. After I got the direction down, he said "now, you gotta read the lines on the teleprompter AND do the pointing!" OH boy!! I was able to pull it through tho (thank god for multi tasking skills) and I only almost missed New York because I didn't realize when they say weather "here" it means NY hahah. It was loads of fun, too bad they didn't have videos for us, I would have totally paid for that!!
Second Stop: Ground Zero
The last time I was in New York was before 9/11 and I barely even remember seeing the WTC, so now that I am back, ground zero is a must trip. For some reason in my head, I had the idea that they had already built the memorial, but of course that is not the case, the area is still a hole lined with concrete and a small tent with a small display. It was still a very powerful experience, especially seeing the list of all those people that died. The lone guy sitting on the ground doing "Amazing Grace" on the flute really moved me.
Stop 3: Spamalot
Ok ok, I will spare everyone the details, Needless to say, Clay was amazing, the show was actually really awesome in itself. I highly recommended if you ever get a chance (it is on tour). Truly hilarious and silly stuff.
The only sad thing is that usually Clay goes out to sign autographs after the show. But this weekend he was sick so he didn't come out. and we will not get another chance sigh. But its ok, the show was totally enjoyable, as well as the Baked Alaska at Sardi's at our after show party.
A brief note about Sardi's, I have never been to a restaurant that is so fancy and old fashioned. When we sat down, they started handing out little plates and silverware, in anticipation for dinner. and then when we all sat down, we said we probably wanted desserts instead since it was late, then the waiter came and took all our plates and silverware away with perfect calmness. And then after we read the menu, Sillygurl decided to order an appetizer, then the waiter still perfectly calm, came back and laid the plates and silverware back out for her! Also you don't see the waiters running back and forth like in other restaurants, they almost have one waiter for every two tables. That is taking dinner procedure to the extreme!!
Stop 4: Canal Street
SillyGurl was determined not to leave NY without doing some shopping, so we headed out to the famed Canal Street, famed of course for its thousands of tiny stalls selling Chinese counterfeit everything. It was quite an amazing sight even though I am quite familiar with various flea market stalls in other parts of the world. I gathered from quick browsing that counterfeit Dolce and Gabbana bags are totally in!! I also saw counterfeit Burberry scarfs that were exactly the same as mine, this infused me with a brief feeling of superiority for having the real thing haha. Speaking of bags, it is probably one of the most fascinating things about Canal street. Because like I said before, all bags being displayed are D&G and you don't see anything else. But then you notice when you are walking, there are all these shady Chinese women sneaking up to you and whispering in your ear "do you want see hand bag?"., reminiscent of some other street peddlers of illegal product often shown on TV. if you say yes, they direct you to some back alley (soo sketchy) and take you into this little camouflaged door, go up these tiny narrow stairs into a windowless small room where you finally found out where all the "good" stuff is. IF you ask how come I know so much about this, that is because we did exactly this thing. We found ourselves in a tiny room that is filled with counterfeit Coach, DB, Fendi and Gucci bags all selling for $30 ish. They are pretty good counterfeit too. I was totally amazed at the secret operation that is going on. All the peddlers have walkie talkie and are in constant communication which I assume is to plan escapes in case the inspectors come. I didn't end up buying anything ( not really into designer bags) but that was certainly an experience.
After our brief encounter with the underbelly of the counterfeit handbag business, it was time to fly home. I had a really good time in NY, saw my favorite guy in one of his best roles in his career, hang out with wonderful friends and saw some truly amazing things. Not bad for one and a half days eh?
As you may have heard, I went on a whirlwind trip to New York City this weekend to see my most favorite idol Clay Aiken, who is playing Sir Robin in Mont Python's Spamalot on Broadway. This is a really fantastic moment for Clay fans everywhere since he is actually doing something cool after being completely shafted by his record company with the last album. My friend Regi and Sillygurl bought tickets as soon as the tour was announced so we got 2nd row center tickets. We had to pay an arm and teeth for them but it was all worth it for this once in a lifetime show.
I was actually overly ambitious in my plan as I didn't want to take any vacation so I thought I could do a red eye flight to NY from Seattle and arrive Saturday at 8am. Hang out with friends, go see the show and come back on a 4pm flight on Sunday. Now everything worked out perfectly but I was dead tired as I only got one hour of sleep on Friday night and I was having way too much fun to rest afterwards. So this is not highly recommended haha.
After I got to our hotel, the Westin Time Square, I found out that we got upgraded to an "exercise room", which means there is an exercise bike in the room, along with weights and a big rubber ball. Although i have no idea how you suppose to do anything with it since with the exercise bike there is barely any room to stand. I also have to comment on the amazing $200 shower head in the bathroom (everything in the room can be ordered by catalog). OMg, it was totally amazing, emitting just the most gentle yet totally satisfying stream of water that softly massages your body.... err i will stop now.
First Stop: Rockefeller Center
We made Rockefeller Center our first stop because Sillygurl really wanted to tour the NBC Studio which is located inside 30 Rock. I totally didn't know that so we were all looking forward to it. The NBC Studios offers an hour tour of the studio and some of the sound stages. We signed up for the 1:30 tour, since we still had about an hour to kill we decided to look around the conveniently located gift shop right outside the ticketing counter. Among Friends mugs and Heroes shirts I found this lovely cardboard of Matt Lauer.
Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures on the tour, but it was really interesting to see the inside of a TV station. The first thing we saw was literally hundreds and hundreds of coaxial cable wires running along the ceiling. I joked with Regi that if I sneaked up and cut one, it will take them days to figure out which one broke. Then I heard the people behind me say exactly the same thing -_-!! Then we saw the studio where Brian Williams does nightly news. Apparently he writes 90% of the news himself and he writes them down in order from last to first so that when he starts reporting, the first item will be fresh in his mind. We also saw people working in MSNBC studio, which of course has 24/7 news. The anchor desk actually rotates 270 degrees so people don't get bored watching the same background all the time. The news people working in there has two computer and a TV each, one computer to write their drafts, the other to keep constant watch on the Internet for any breaking news from the competitors, and they get TV feed from all the news channel running all the time just to make sure they don't miss a scoop. (come to think about it, 24 hour surfing sounds like a perfect job for me!!). We then went to the SNL studio and since it was Saturday, we were able to see the crew rehearse a skit. Tina Fey was there and it was very cool to see live TV in the making! Carrie Underwood was the music guest on Sat and they say she was actually in the building preparing! too bad we didn't get to see her. Lastly, we were taken to a green room (make up room) where they had a fake news desk and weather screen set up and they asked for volunteers. Regi and this kid volunteered first but then the kid was too scared and backed out and I seized the opportunity! So Regi got to report the news and I got to stand in front of the green screen and wave my arms. IT was so difficult because the monitor in front of me was not a mirror image but an real reflection so everything I did looked backwards. The guide walked me through pointing at New York, (I totally got it backwards the first time), then the west coast, and then pointing to various numbers on the screen like High, Low and Sunset time. After I got the direction down, he said "now, you gotta read the lines on the teleprompter AND do the pointing!" OH boy!! I was able to pull it through tho (thank god for multi tasking skills) and I only almost missed New York because I didn't realize when they say weather "here" it means NY hahah. It was loads of fun, too bad they didn't have videos for us, I would have totally paid for that!!
Second Stop: Ground Zero
The last time I was in New York was before 9/11 and I barely even remember seeing the WTC, so now that I am back, ground zero is a must trip. For some reason in my head, I had the idea that they had already built the memorial, but of course that is not the case, the area is still a hole lined with concrete and a small tent with a small display. It was still a very powerful experience, especially seeing the list of all those people that died. The lone guy sitting on the ground doing "Amazing Grace" on the flute really moved me.
Stop 3: Spamalot
Ok ok, I will spare everyone the details, Needless to say, Clay was amazing, the show was actually really awesome in itself. I highly recommended if you ever get a chance (it is on tour). Truly hilarious and silly stuff.
The only sad thing is that usually Clay goes out to sign autographs after the show. But this weekend he was sick so he didn't come out. and we will not get another chance sigh. But its ok, the show was totally enjoyable, as well as the Baked Alaska at Sardi's at our after show party.
A brief note about Sardi's, I have never been to a restaurant that is so fancy and old fashioned. When we sat down, they started handing out little plates and silverware, in anticipation for dinner. and then when we all sat down, we said we probably wanted desserts instead since it was late, then the waiter came and took all our plates and silverware away with perfect calmness. And then after we read the menu, Sillygurl decided to order an appetizer, then the waiter still perfectly calm, came back and laid the plates and silverware back out for her! Also you don't see the waiters running back and forth like in other restaurants, they almost have one waiter for every two tables. That is taking dinner procedure to the extreme!!
Stop 4: Canal Street
SillyGurl was determined not to leave NY without doing some shopping, so we headed out to the famed Canal Street, famed of course for its thousands of tiny stalls selling Chinese counterfeit everything. It was quite an amazing sight even though I am quite familiar with various flea market stalls in other parts of the world. I gathered from quick browsing that counterfeit Dolce and Gabbana bags are totally in!! I also saw counterfeit Burberry scarfs that were exactly the same as mine, this infused me with a brief feeling of superiority for having the real thing haha. Speaking of bags, it is probably one of the most fascinating things about Canal street. Because like I said before, all bags being displayed are D&G and you don't see anything else. But then you notice when you are walking, there are all these shady Chinese women sneaking up to you and whispering in your ear "do you want see hand bag?"., reminiscent of some other street peddlers of illegal product often shown on TV. if you say yes, they direct you to some back alley (soo sketchy) and take you into this little camouflaged door, go up these tiny narrow stairs into a windowless small room where you finally found out where all the "good" stuff is. IF you ask how come I know so much about this, that is because we did exactly this thing. We found ourselves in a tiny room that is filled with counterfeit Coach, DB, Fendi and Gucci bags all selling for $30 ish. They are pretty good counterfeit too. I was totally amazed at the secret operation that is going on. All the peddlers have walkie talkie and are in constant communication which I assume is to plan escapes in case the inspectors come. I didn't end up buying anything ( not really into designer bags) but that was certainly an experience.
After our brief encounter with the underbelly of the counterfeit handbag business, it was time to fly home. I had a really good time in NY, saw my favorite guy in one of his best roles in his career, hang out with wonderful friends and saw some truly amazing things. Not bad for one and a half days eh?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Juno
I went and saw "Juno" last night. It was a really sweet and funny movie, very irreverent. If you don't know the plotline, it is basically about how a highschool junior got pregnant and found this couple to adopt the baby. Juno is the main character, a slightly weird, very independent, totally reckless kind of a girl who decided to have sex on a whim and then when got pregnant by accident, picked her own adoption couple. Her whole family was a little off kilter and dysfunctional but they have lots of tolerance and love and affection for each other which is really all you can ask for in a family. I really respect Juno alot (well except for the sex education part she missed). She is quirky and cynical, and yet still full of optimism for love. She does what she wants and doesnt' care about anybody else's opinion. I wish I could be more like her in spirit. All in all, a great movie! Very deserving of the Oscar nomination.
P.S> my other sad thought is that I am so old i can no longer understand all the teenage speak anymore :( oh and American teenagers are totally scaaaryyyy...
P.S> my other sad thought is that I am so old i can no longer understand all the teenage speak anymore :( oh and American teenagers are totally scaaaryyyy...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Lunar Eclipse Tonight
http://shadowandsubstance.com/
There will be a total eclipse tonight around 7 pm PST (or your appropriate time zone). I am looking outisde and it has fogged up like Veliu's goggles on the slopes so I am giving up. You guys should check the weather!! :)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Obama Rally
My friend Om is a big Obama supporter who has convinced me that he will be a good choice for President. So I decided to go with him to the big Obama rally on Friday at noon at Key Arena. I have never seen him giving his speech in person and I wanted to check it out as I heard it is an incredibly inspiring experience. We heard on the radio that the doors will open at 11 am and Obama will probably start his speech an hour later. So we decided to leave from Campus at 11 am. This turned out to be a really bad idea. Because traffic was horrible when we got there at 11:30. We finally got parking, walked towards to arena. As we approached, we saw that there was a huge crowd outside. I wondered if they were the line waiting to get in. we grabbed a rally worker and asked him if this was the line to get in. He then looked at us with pity and said "no, the doors are already closed. The arena is full, these people are waiting outside because they are going to pipe out the speech on the loud speaker" !!??!! The arena was full? it seats 17000!!!. People are waiting outside? it is 40 degrees and raining!!. We were quite dismaybed but determined to stay til the end. After about half an hour of waiting and my hand has frozen over, Obama arrived amid thunderous applause and screaming. He was very nice enough to stop outside the arena and talked to us using a bullhorn. Thanking us for coming out and telling us that change is possible. He was able to whip the crowd into a frenzy with jsut a few words. People were chanting "Yes we can" and "Obama" over and over again. I have only seen this kind of united fervor at rock concerts. I have finally seen first hand the power he has to bring people together.
We stood in the cold and listened to his speech which had a theme of "Hope". He spoke about our nation's problems and the difficulty of solving them. But mostly he spoke of hope. Not false hope and optimism that everything will be ok. But hope that if we work together and towards a common goal we will be able to overcome the obstacles. One thing really made an impression on my mind. He mentioned that one of his goal is to work towards real "Peace in the World". I kinda snickered to Om and said "Peace In The World eh!!??". It was more like a joke. Om only laughed but this lady in front of me heard me, turned around and said "well if we all believed and worked towards it it can happen". I felt a little bit of shame for being so cynical but mostly I was impressed at the example of the kind of people he can bring together. People that believe in his vision, people who are practical but not cynical. In short, people that have conviction and hope. So I believe that if these are the type of people he can inspire to work for him. He can really accomplish things.
I found out that he won the WA caucus today, making him one step to the presidential nomination. I have nothing against Hillary actually. I think she is a very experienced and capable politician. Frankly, anyone would be better than some Republican in my mind. But I think there is something about Obama that are kind of intangible. If he gets elected in the general election, perhaps we will see some real difference in Washington. Time will tell!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
need ideas!!
so I am charged with the task of creating a demo game for the Game Developer's Conference next week. It is suppose to showcase our ability to take a media library and choose songs and play songs and show the album (think like Windows Media Player) but in a game form. So far all we came up with is a guessing game, where we will play a clip of a song, and then show you a bunch of choices and you have to guess which song is it or which album it came from. I will probably implement this first since of the time crunch, but can you guys think of any better idea of a more fun music game I can do?
Friday, February 01, 2008
Jump! Jump!
M watches TV every day in the morning before work. Mostly "Good Morning America" so sometimes she tells me news and stuff although usually GMA is much behind than the webnews. But there is some news that I can't really get from my net browsing. One of them is local concert news. So the other day M came by quite innocently and said "did you know that Riverdance is here??" I answered "no really? thats nice" absentmindedly. Then M said "They are only here for one week! next week! at the paramount!!". I stared at her for a couple of seconds and then got the hint and went to buy tickets. This is quite unusual for M because she is pretty typical Chinese lady in that would never actually go out and say what she wants.
imagine our dinner out conversations..
M: What should we do Sunday ??
Cat: well we usually go out and eat. do you want to go out and eat on Sunday?
M: oh ok, if you want to...
Cat: .. sure.. where do you want to go.
M: wherever you want to go...
Cat: what do you feel like eating
M: whatever you feel like eating
Cat: -____-!!!
Anywayz, this is pretty strong hint for her so in my infinite effort to encourage her assertiveness (except in cases where she is yelling at me =P ), I immediately went and bought tickets and we end up going last night. The theatre was packed with enthusiastic Riverdance fans. The dance troupe was quite excellent. IT always amazes me how incredibly insync 20 pairs of legs can be. Even though they are mostly Irish dancers, they also had a flamenco dancer and some Russian cartwheelers that was quite excellent as well. THe highlight of the show was a Dance Battle between two guys doing American street tap dance and 3 guys doing Irish tapdance. It was so hilarious as they would mock the other team's dance by doing it really badly. So definitely had a good time. Although I am still waiting for the day when I will be coming home and M was there and tells me "hey, I heard Riverdance is playing, lets go see it, I bought tickets today" :D
imagine our dinner out conversations..
M: What should we do Sunday ??
Cat: well we usually go out and eat. do you want to go out and eat on Sunday?
M: oh ok, if you want to...
Cat: .. sure.. where do you want to go.
M: wherever you want to go...
Cat: what do you feel like eating
M: whatever you feel like eating
Cat: -____-!!!
Anywayz, this is pretty strong hint for her so in my infinite effort to encourage her assertiveness (except in cases where she is yelling at me =P ), I immediately went and bought tickets and we end up going last night. The theatre was packed with enthusiastic Riverdance fans. The dance troupe was quite excellent. IT always amazes me how incredibly insync 20 pairs of legs can be. Even though they are mostly Irish dancers, they also had a flamenco dancer and some Russian cartwheelers that was quite excellent as well. THe highlight of the show was a Dance Battle between two guys doing American street tap dance and 3 guys doing Irish tapdance. It was so hilarious as they would mock the other team's dance by doing it really badly. So definitely had a good time. Although I am still waiting for the day when I will be coming home and M was there and tells me "hey, I heard Riverdance is playing, lets go see it, I bought tickets today" :D
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