January 28, 2013
Hey Seven, Where's The Beef?!
Didn't cook over the weekend so I had to resort to 7-11 bentos for lunch. That's not quite as terrible as it sounds since Taiwanese 7-11s is a combination of Japanese combini technology and Taiwan's largest food conglomerate. So there's...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:14 PM
February 22, 2012
If An RSS Feed Falls In The Forest
Despite efforts from Apple, Yahoo, Google, Mozilla etc., the RSS syndication system has always been just a little bit too geeky for the general public. That doesn't bother me, as I've built up my own little news-reading workflow over the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:01 PM
October 13, 2011
Pludging
The term "pludging" is Ars Technica forum's memetic term for applying MacOS updates, a particularly misspelled forum post title that stuck. There's always the comedic hyperbolic posts about doom and destruction following the installation of some innocuous point-update, but in...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:31 PM
May 16, 2011
Is It Safe To Eat Anything In China?
Don't answer that. Rhetorical question. One does wonder, though, when even the government mouthpiece Xinhua can't come up with new excuses for the repeated food safety scandals. 2011/04/26 "China vows greater efforts to safeguard food safety" 2011/02/15 "China vows...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:04 PM
December 16, 2010
Losses
All figures in Hong Kong Dollars: GameWins/LossesCasino Blackjack-1000President's Casino Sic Bo-1000The Lisboa Sic Bo-500MGM Grand Blackjack-1000MGM Grand Sic Bo+800MGM Grand Blackjack-1350MGM Grand Sic Bo-1500Golden Sands Baccarat-650Venetian Blackjack+400Venetian Sic Bo+100The Plaza In Macau, the blackjack dealer doesn't deal a face...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 01:57 PM
July 18, 2010
Prison Break
I commute and travel just enough to make easy-to-use portable entertainment a big deal for me. I've been a loyal iPod user ever since the original 5GB, Mac-only, no-wireless, less-space-than-a-Nomad, lame version. But when the iPhone came along, the attraction...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:19 PM
Prison Break
I commute and travel just enough to make easy-to-use portable entertainment a big deal for me. I've been a loyal iPod user ever since the original 5GB, Mac-only, no-wireless, less-space-than-a-Nomad, lame version. But when the iPhone came along, the attraction...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:19 PM
April 05, 2010
I Never Thought It Would Happen To Me
My first home computer was a 512KB Fat Mac, and I've stuck with Macs as my main computer through three processor architectures, running Systems 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and X. The latest of which now powered by...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:18 PM
June 04, 2009
Wide Open Spaces
Uncle originally bought his place in the newly developed east-Taipei because of its proximity to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall park which offered a nice space for the grandparents and the kids. Thirty years later, the area is now...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:57 PM
April 24, 2009
Sun Set
To be honest, I probably could've just sent this out as a 140-char tweet and let it fade away into the Internet aether. On the other hand Oracle's acquisition of Sun Microsystems marks the end of a significant chapter...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:14 AM
February 06, 2009
Hard Times Please Help
With the pending arrival of the baby, mom and wife have made sure that I do as little as possible to minimize the possibility of me screwing up something important. So I have been assigned the task to search...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:38 PM
January 16, 2009
iPhone Killa
Just like every other Apple product, the iPhone gets panned by the geeks for lacking this feature or that feature, but continues to sell to the general consumer by the boatload. Like the quixotic folks over at Anything But...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:38 AM
iPhone Killa
Just like every other Apple product, the iPhone gets panned by the geeks for lacking this feature or that feature, but continues to sell to the general consumer by the boatload. Like the quixotic folks over at Anything But...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:38 AM
November 13, 2008
The Death Of A New Medium
...has been greatly exaggerated? How ironic that Wired, the poster-child of the .com era, would be the one to stand up and be the one to claim that blogging is dead. All that work going into picking out your...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:44 PM
October 06, 2008
Emergence Of A New Medium
No sports-talk radio in Taiwan to speak of, since there isn't much sports to speak of. Hard to keep up with the games in the States from Taiwan due to the time difference. Thankfully, ESPN has provided a way...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:05 PM
August 22, 2008
Just Peachy
We had a good time at Zuni Cafe on our last trip back to SF. The food was a bit pricey, but for the atmosphere, service, and food we received it felt like a fair value. Unfortunately we were...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:02 PM
July 17, 2008
Medical Miracles
Sam snagged a couple of prestigious fellowships to fund him for his research years. Hello there, Macbook Pro. Pancreatic cancer must be the hot research topic nowadays, for all the agencies to be throwing money at it. And why...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:34 AM
May 28, 2008
How I Bagged Chicks
Back in the day... Not that my technical skills stood out any at nerd central, so even that didn't work so great....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:48 AM
April 21, 2008
Rich Kid, Poor Kid
Some high-school kid asked the Mobile01 photography board whether he should buy a $1700 lens for his $5000 camera because he's poor and he doesn't want to ask the parents to buy it for him. This when his lens...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:27 PM
February 26, 2008
Why Japan Is Awesome, Reason #38019
Flew into Chubu Central International Airport near Nagoya for our Chinese New Year vacation trip. Needed to buy train tickets to take us into Nagoya and there was a long line at the ticket window, so I decided to...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 07:59 PM
November 14, 2007
Get A Real Job
Fast Company put up an article praising Apple Stores' employment practices, especially compared to other retailers. Who better to write such an article than a guy who got his hands dirty down in the trenches, so to speak? In...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:59 PM
October 02, 2007
Flavor Combinations
It's 中秋節 time, which means moon cakes for everyone. Unlike the infamous Christmas fruit cake, there's definitely more than one box of moon cakes being passed around, and they reproduce like polyamorous rabbits. It's standard business practice to send...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:30 PM
September 09, 2007
Signs of Intelligent Life
Over time, Slashdot has sunk to your standard level of Internet discussion, i.e. One of the worst parts was Ask Slashdot, where the editor put up obvious questions where answers can be found on Google in 10 seconds, or...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:41 PM
September 01, 2007
Pack The Fanny
The flight to Hong Kong was full with multiple tour groups and the business-folk commuting to China. As we shuffled off the plane onto the jetway I noticed the lady ahead of me had a large fanny pack hanging...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:15 PM
August 15, 2007
Mathematical Certainty
It isn't often that facts regarding male-female relationships can be reduced to a concrete mathematical proof. Kudos to the NYT to bringing up one such example. In study after study and in country after country, men report more, often...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:15 PM
June 06, 2007
Country Inns
Since nobody actually manufactures anything in Taiwan anymore, the government's been encouraging more leisure consumption and service industries to drive the economy. As ugly and polluted as the cities may be, Taiwan has plenty of gorgeous scenery in the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:05 PM
April 17, 2007
We Suck
First heard of Joshua Bell on the NPR All Songs Considered podcast, which usually features song excerpts from indie musicians and never features classical music. But in this case they were so impressed by The Voice Of The Violin...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:34 PM
March 29, 2007
Sign of Spring
The office ladies breaking out their parasols to shield their pasty white skin from the sun's evil UV rays....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:25 PM
January 28, 2007
Supply Chain
Went to visit/audit a few of our suppliers due to some potential quality issues which had escalated to the end-customer. Drove down to the big industrial area in Jongli about 40 minutes away from Taipei. It's a mixture of...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:19 PM
January 08, 2007
We're Number One!
Once again, Caltech is at or near the top of a college ranking. Namely, the percentage of Asian students amongst top-tier American universities....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:03 AM
September 10, 2006
I Feel Nostalgia For A Time Yet To Come
Went to the little bakery across the street to pick up some bread for breakfast. As I browsed the selection of pastries fresh from the oven, I spied a big old cockroach scurrying across the floor. Was too polite...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:04 PM
August 24, 2006
Who The Fuck Is Olivier Theyskens
And why should we worry whether there's a place for him? When he took over at Rochas, which was established in 1925, the house was known, if it was known at all, for a perfume that arrived in a...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:46 PM
July 12, 2006
The Rest Of My Life Is So Hard
It's a street in a strange world I would like to inform my loyal readers (plural optional) that it is very hot and humid in the summer in Taiwan. Perhaps if I had spent more time in Florida I...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:35 PM
June 13, 2006
China.biz
Sam&Michelle forwarded a request from a friend working at a Web 2.0 content-aggregation company. He noticed a Chinese site bearing an eerie resemblance to their own and he needed a Chinese-reader to check it out. Turned out that the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:49 AM
May 23, 2006
On The Road
Seen on the road: a Corolla taxi, with a big, black carbon-fiber spoiler bolted to the trunk hood, along with digital TV and CB-radio antennae. It's a Corolla, I don't think downforce is the biggest handling issue on the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 01:20 PM
April 30, 2006
Owies
The GF took a hard spill on the rain-slicked pavement on the way to work. She was still feeling pains in her backside and lower back after a day, and sitting in an office chair all day didn't help....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:18 AM
April 24, 2006
Stupid Frosh
It's that time of year again, when the best and brightest young people across the land step cross the threshold of adulthood and embark upon their journey of self-discovery by deciding on the college they will attend. I was...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:55 PM
March 27, 2006
Downtime
The Penny-Arcade Forums are down. Now what am I suppose to do at work? Obviously the addicted hordes must be hounding the sysadmin for updates. So he's turned the placeholder page into a Downtime FAQ. Okay, update on progress....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:33 PM
December 29, 2005
Unhappy New Years
More evidence that America is turning to shit since I've been gone. Imagine an Arbor Day with no trees. Or Valentine's Day without the color red. Or Easter without Jesus. That's the feeling that most Americans will have this...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:03 PM
November 22, 2005
Fothermucker
Personal Dork is now back on the air. Fuck yeah. Forgot to update my contact info when I moved away from San Diego, and the old webhost finally noticed, and locked my account immediately. Nobody cared or noticed. Not...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 07:36 PM
October 19, 2005
Warm Bubbles
And I thought Bay Area housing was nutty. At least there it's more a matter of limited supply, with less emphasis on building out. Compare that to Shanghai: This year alone, Shanghai will complete towers with more space for...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:38 PM
September 26, 2005
Suck It, Bitch
Them: We always like to award XXXXXXXXX with major share but it seems XXXXXXXXX never cost down on your own initiative. Hereby, we ask for your requotation for some key parts used in YYYY server projects. Us: After checking...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:15 PM
November 26, 2004
Apocalypse Later
A fascinating view into the cogs of global trade from the eastside point of view, care of the New York Times. Kinda cool how they design the container ships to exactly fit through the Panama Canal's locks with not...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:10 PM
November 07, 2004
So I Hear There Was An Election?
It was amusing to watch the Internet Echo Chamber effect in action as we ramped up to Election Day, to see the hope and dreams crushed once again. The Democrats didn't win any upsets, and their record in national...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:15 AM
October 25, 2004
The Other IT
Can't but feel sympathetic for those poor souls who don't finish grad school. So I'm all for the happy-happy advice that the Salon columnist provided to the flunk-ee in question, especially since she was a casualty of Caltech grad...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:04 AM
September 15, 2004
River Runs Through
The cynical among us knew that some folks would have to be sacrificed at the altar of progress for China to raise its overall standard of living. We were okay with that, as long as it was for the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:47 PM
August 29, 2004
Turning the Corner
Here are the news, just in time to support the President's favorite campaign catchphrase. Older Investors Jittery as Markets Dissappoint But even with her long-term outlook, she has found the market's recent performance unsettling. And so this month, Ms....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:36 PM
August 05, 2004
Road Rules
Sometimes Taiwan seems like it can't get anything done without having it turn to shit. On the other hand, sometimes it's kinda amazing how fast things can happen around here. Headed in to work on Monday and hopped on...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:03 AM
July 24, 2004
Coma Toes
The synopsis on The Obscure Store seemed like a perfectly heartwarming story. A dad promises his kid a new Corvette if he wakes up from his coma. Guy wakes up, gets sweet car, everyone lives happily ever after. The...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:50 PM
June 28, 2004
Advertising Slogan
A computer reseller is trying to capitalize on the anti-outsourcing backlash by promoting their non-outsourced operation as "supporting America." At a time when most companies are choosing to outsource to other countries, we're keeping our staff right here. Of...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:35 PM
June 09, 2004
Outsourcing Extreme
Taiwanese companies have been making a living as Original Equipment Manufacturers ever since Taiwan was a third-world speck of an island gluing together shoes and plastic toys. They've climbed up the value chain ever since, until they've become high-tech...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:46 PM
June 02, 2004
Can't Go Home Again
With the troop rotation under way, many soldiers are finally returning home after a year (or more) of serving in Iraq. But after a number of returning soldiers killed their wives at Fort Bragg, the army is now enforcing...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:33 AM
May 23, 2004
Bubblicious
Holy fuckin' mother-of-god, the median price for a house in the Bay Area just broke the $500,000 mark. Personally I would've guessed high 300s, but I guess there were enough high-end sales to drag even the median up into...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:00 AM
May 16, 2004
Realidad Política
Nasty stuff going on in Colombia, as outlined in this LA Times article. Of course, nasty stuff has been going on in Colombia for a long time, ever since folks down south figured out that the Gringos love the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:29 AM
April 21, 2004
I Know What You Did Last Summer
"This is just sick," said Bruce Poch, dean of admissions at Pomona College in California. "I can't imagine how it's going to help, and it sounds like such a ridiculous waste of money that it distresses me that parents would be so obsessive-compulsive."Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:02 PM
March 31, 2004
Corporate Largesse
As the economy recovers, it's imperative for corporate managers to squeeze as much out of their employees as possible. Remember, salary and benefits are cost centers, to be slashed down like noxious weeds. The high priests of capitalism are...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:06 AM
March 01, 2004
Wealth Creationism
"A lot of people simply don't believe that things like truth, selflessness and altruism exist," said a government researcher in Beijing. "We have a very cynical population.
Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:52 PM
February 26, 2004
Moronicity (iPod Mini Bureau)
Let's not even count the hordes of nay-saying nabobs that came out of the woodwork when the Mini was announced. So what's the first thing you do when you debox your $250 (before taxes) toy? Rip it apart, of...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:48 AM
February 04, 2004
Bad Example
Yeah, this economic recovery still ain't generatin' any jobs. Even then, the jobs that are being created are usually the infamous McJobs or WalJobs that don't pay as well as the jobs that were lost. Salon jumps on the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:09 PM
February 01, 2004
The Other, Other White Meat?
The true-blue conservatives are bitching and moaning about all the pork-barrel spending by the administration. On the other hand, one man's wasteful spending is another's critical mission. They all complain about the $50K for shiitake mushroom research at the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:24 AM
January 31, 2004
Euphemism
eu·phe·mism: The act or an example of substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. Just in case you thought it's now perfectly mainstream and normal to be an anime fan, there's ADV's...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:06 PM
January 29, 2004
Happy Days
You know the economy is going good when there's a homeless vet on each corner of the busy intersection next to the VA Hospital....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:38 PM
January 21, 2004
The New (Year) Economy
The Contrary Investor has a nice roundup of the pitfalls in the US economy for this coming year. There are the obvious caveats about one-shot tax rebates, record low interest rates which can only go up, and the craziness...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:09 PM
January 11, 2004
Loser of the Week (Slashdot Edition)
"I feel your pain with running wires. You should see my basement. It's a disaster from all my computer-related wiring. My parents aren't too thrilled, but they don't say much because they know if I don't have my network, I'll become a *very* unhappy camper."Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:10 PM
January 01, 2004
Welcome Home
Still adjusting to the time difference. Got up today just in time for the Rose Bowl. Looks like I picked the right day to fly home, as it rained the day before, and today after I got in, but...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 07:16 PM
December 10, 2003
Second-Grade Analysis
Joan Ryan rocks, and Abercrombie&Fitch sucks, and I'm not just talking about their November same-store-sales either. The Gap stores might be a little too ubiquitous and the designs a little too sterile, but at least there was an SEAsian-looking...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:27 AM
December 07, 2003
Baaaaaaaaa
Combine clean American design, Japanese brand worship, and human herd instinct, and you get The Longest Line, a mini-movie commemorating the opening of Apple's flagship Ginza store. I'm sure they sold a buttload of iPods that day, among other...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:35 PM
December 01, 2003
Ad Copy Of The Day
As seen on a billboard at the 80-101 merge on the way back from the airport: Chevy Malibu: More fun to drive than a Camry Sure, the Camry is a popular car and a great daily driver, but it's...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:39 PM
November 26, 2003
An Apt Comparison
Got up at home this morning and decided to do a Berkeley yuppie breakfast run. Went down Arlington to Peets for a half pound of the Holiday Blend, then went down Cedar St. to Acme Bread for baked carbohydrates,...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:47 PM
November 19, 2003
Marketing Backfire
Now, I'm all for the gratuitous use of LEDs, but of all things to model your computer heatsink/fan after, a jet engine is possibly the worst choice imaginable. Unless you're trying to launch your computer off the deck, of course.Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:17 PM
November 18, 2003
Be Careful
What everyone wanted for the new-new economy was a solid base of low taxes, low inflation, low interest rates, high productivity, and globalized trade. Well, here it is: The You-Asked-For-It Economy. Sure, goods are cheaper thanks to more efficient...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 08:21 PM
November 17, 2003
Nobody More Deserving
Righteous indignation aside, how hot is it to have a Chinese woman who knows the waiver rules cold? Too bad she's a Yankees fan working for the Dodgers. It would never work.Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:10 AM
November 04, 2003
Wannabes
Does the term "dork" carry any substantive weight if people like Alicia Silverstone and Freddie Prinze Jr. lay claim to being (former) members of the club?Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:34 AM
October 29, 2003
All Kinds of Wrong
Random news courtesy of The Obscure Store: 20-year-old man burglarizing an apartment pried open a tackle box and found nude photos of young girls, including his little sister. At least the burglar had the balls to turn himself into...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:12 PM
October 22, 2003
Laboring
Southern California supermarket workers are on strike, primarily for their health care benefits. As a former member of the United Auto Workers, I'm happy to support my union brothers by staying away from Ralphs and Vons. Still gotta eat, though, so there's 99 Ranch Market with their non-union ethnic employees, Whole Earth Foods with their non-union, non-ethnic employees (with the prices to compensate for the cute white checkout girls), and the farmers' market with no employees at all.
Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:09 PM
October 09, 2003
Descending
As Slashdot has become more popular, inevitably the quality of the average poster (on a site supposed "for nerds") decreases. Some of them are a little slow, some can be a little strange, and some are just plain lame....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:33 AM
October 06, 2003
Holy Moly
It's no secret that I waste way too much time on the IntarWeb. It's useful for casual information on just about anything, and I pick up a lot of useless knowledge that way, but it's like a blue whale...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:20 PM
Just Wrong
New Krispy Kreme stores have been drawing big crowds all over the place. Is it possible to take expansion too far? The first KK store in Europe, complete with donut-making machine is going into the Food Halls in the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:43 AM
September 05, 2003
Axis of Evil
Looks like mainland Chinese hackers have been attacking government computers in Taiwan. Of course, there's been so many computer worms and trojans going around that it could just be a coincidence. Or it could be evil Taiwanese government propaganda,...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:00 PM
April 18, 2003
My One Wish
In this cruel and desperate world, all I want is a package of madeleines that doesn't make any reference to Proust at all. Too much to ask? Maybe I should just settle for world peace, especially if it lowers...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:19 AM
Giving in to the
Giving in to the supersizing trend, Peets eliminated their 8oz. cups and reshuffled the names such that the former Medium is now Small, the Large is Medium, etc. Frankly, the only difference is some extra steamed milk. At least...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:17 AM
April 14, 2003
I usually hate pretention
I usually hate pretention more than anything else, but one does have to admire the chutzpah (not to mention the credit line) of someone who makes reservation for five three-star Parisian restaurants in five nights. I'm beginning to think...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:40 PM
March 19, 2003
For Fuck's Sake
If you're going to make a movie about a woman who always gets dumped on by creepy guys, don't cast a tall, gorgeous former model in the role. Makes it a little difficult to be sympathetic, you know. Good...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:11 PM
March 12, 2003
You're a Winner!
More evidence that geeks ruin everything: My mom has told me to get rid of all of my headphones except for the freebie stock came-with-Walkmen types... The truth is, I will never be at all satisfied with those cheapies....
Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 02:40 PM
February 25, 2003
Blimey
Now that the Sopranos season is over, I have to find some sort of justification for keeping HBO. No, Shallow Hal isn't it. I do like (some of) their late-night movies, though. With the brainless action B-movies, obscure indie...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:16 AM
February 18, 2003
More Insensitive Blather
More wordy self-pity for the Slashdot crowd. We graded them from A to E. A tables were full of football players and cheerleaders and so on. E tables contained the kids with mild cases of Down's Syndrome, what in...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:35 PM
February 07, 2003
I love a good
I love a good meal as much as anyone else. Reviews by folks on the web can really help sort out the good places from the bad. But how big of a prick do you have to be to...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:55 PM
January 23, 2003
In Other News...
Commercials featuring busty blonde twins helps to sell beer to young men. Actually, the busty ladies don't have to be twins. We don't mind. "Every time I see it, I cringe," says Laura Ries, an image guru. "It's explicit....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:17 PM
January 18, 2003
Your Boss is not your friend
Hasn't Bill Simmons ever seen The Player? Just because your boss invites you over to his house, "featuring a 100-foot big screen with accompanying 42-inch, widescreen plasma screens on either side," to watch some football ("with people coming and...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 03:15 PM
November 12, 2002
Hey, I love animated tentacle
Hey, I love animated tentacle rape of (almost) underage girls as much as anybody, but I don't try to attribute cultural significance to it. Well, I could, but that would be lame and pathetic. Lame and pathetic anime fans? Enter...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:56 PM
November 04, 2002
You've Gotta Be Kidding
The Sports Guy is leaving Boston? To work in Hollywood? Hollywood! Writing for Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show on ABC? Jimmy Kimmel! To anybody aware of mid-brow American culture, "late night talk show starring Jimmy Kimmel" is one of those ideas...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:44 PM
August 26, 2002
Yuck
I'm usually supportive of free trade and all that, but sometimes the plans of the corporate conglomerates must be stopped! Damn it, you can't call it "soy sauce" if you didn't use any soy beans in it. No, "hydrolyzed soy...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:54 AM
August 17, 2002
Sellout?
Caught the new Jaguar ad on the radio. It's the London Calling campaign, with the song and everything. How wrong is it for The Clash to be selling luxury cars? Although the low-end Jag is pretty much a fancy Taurus...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:08 AM
August 16, 2002
Turn of Phrase
In rememberance of the .com era: "Rejuvenated by a stint in bankruptcy..."...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:50 AM
August 13, 2002
Ack
Mind-numbing, brain-sucking, waste of time....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:43 PM
August 05, 2002
Dumbass
The 120mm L1A pushes 69 CFM at 30dB and the 92mm L1A pushes 42 CFM at 27 dB. I have both and the 120mm is noticibly noisier, but not annoyingly so. okay... so its definitely noticeable.... hmmm... I really...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:07 AM
August 03, 2002
What's this world coming to? #291022
"It's not dinner unless it's Domino's." Complete with images of kids ignoring their mothers' call to dinner and stampeding toward the pizza instead. Papa John's pizza is better, anyway....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 05:17 PM
July 06, 2002
You know...
The Fox baseball announcers are idiots when they talked about Rob Nen's "filthy splitfinger." What a maroon. It's not as if the guy's some unknown rookie throwing a new pitch. The ESPN crew wouldn't make that mistake. Putting footage of...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:48 PM
June 20, 2002
Take advantage of your Bank of America credit card for a fast, convenient and easy way to obtain cash!
So promised the BofA mailing with the "convenience checks" linked to my credit card. If I can use the extra cash, I can deposit or cash one of the checks now. "It's an easy way to keep funds on hand."...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:03 PM
June 11, 2002
OMG Die Die Die
"If i were to pay for the cable version of radio i would want to get: techno, goth, industrial, anime and RPG soundtracks, and J-pop" —Slashdork...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:47 PM
May 02, 2002
Worst Pick-up Advice Ever?
Not that I'm the expert on this sort of thing, but... "If you're attracted to someone, pant." �Rick Steves' Europe Through the Backdoor 2002...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:33 PM
May 01, 2002
So Jason X (a.k.a. Friday
So Jason X (a.k.a. Friday the 13th in Space) is in theaters now. Who the hell decided to greenlight this one? It must've taken some serious chutzpah to pitch this angle to the Hollywood bigshots. Or maybe they just sucked...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:42 AM
April 20, 2002
This is the first time
This is the first time I've ever been tempted to buy anything from Abercrombie and Fitch, simply as a monument to stupidity. I suppose that it's brave to introduce "edgy" products without any focus groups or market research. On the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 12:34 AM
March 14, 2002
How low has my faith
How low has my faith in humanity fallen? I was actually quite impressed when the dude taking my beef-veggie bowl order could recalculate change on the fly when I found a quarter in my pocket, so he had $5.25 to...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 06:37 AM
February 19, 2002
This is the first time
This is the first time I've ever seen somebody espouse PowerPoint as a sign of technological progress. At a baseball arbitration hearing, of all places. I guess I'm not surprised that PowerPoint does pass for a technological marvel at MLB....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 04:08 PM
February 15, 2002
Is it just me or
Is it just me or is men's doubles luge the gayest sport ever, in more ways than one?...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 10:23 PM
February 04, 2002
A Walk to Remember just
A Walk to Remember just showed up on the local movie marquee. If movies didn't cost so damn much these days it'd be worth seeing just for the camp value. It's yet another example of sick and twisted media synergies....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 01:07 PM
February 02, 2002
This P2P stuff is way
This P2P stuff is way overrated. Everything takes forever to download and half the downloads just sit there aimlessly making zero progress. If I'm going to be pirating, I damn well expect the downloads to be filling up the pipe....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 01:46 PM
February 01, 2002
There's a decent little curry
There's a decent little curry place in the local mall's food court, and I went by to pick up a Tandoori Combo Plate for dinner. There was a "Coming Soon" sign plastered outside an enclosed storefront for abercrombie. Notice the...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 09:39 PM
January 31, 2002
It's kinda funny to see
It's kinda funny to see Cartoon Network censor their anime. The whole Tenchi gang was sitting around the table drinking what CN dubbed as "tea." Of course, everyone was turning red in the face and keeling over. The euphemistic "tea"...Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:14 PM
January 10, 2002
What a bunch of wankers.
What a bunch of wankers....Read the full entry...
Posted by mikewang at 11:43 PM