Thursday, April 30, 2009

Computer technician who leaked Edison Chen's sex photos found guilty, faces jail time


Source: channelnewsasia



In Hong Kong, a computer technician who leaked sex pictures of disgraced pop idol Edison Chen with female stars, has been found guilty, and faces a maximum of five years in jail. Sentencing will take place on May 13.

The celebrity sex photo case was the biggest scandal to hit Hong Kong's entertainment scene last year.

24-year-old Sze Ho Chun appeared in Kowloon City's magistracy on Wednesday, and was found guilty of stealing, copying and distributing about 1,300 photos showing actor Chen having sex with at least half a dozen women, including several Hong Kong starlets.

In his defence, Sze's lawyer said that his client was being made a scapegoat by those hiding their involvement in the case. In particular, fellow co-worker Chris Tse and shop owner Terry Ip were both accused of being untruthful witnesses.

But Chief Magistrate Tong Man was satisfied with the evidence put forward by prosecutors, adding that jail time was inevitable, in view of the serious breach of trust.

The lewd images that Sze stole became widely circulated on the Web in late January last year, and he was arrested by police in February.

Chen was forced to quit showbiz and fled the country, going into self-exile in Canada.

Female celebrities including Canto-pop star Gillian Chung, actress Cecilia Cheung and singer Bobo Chan have also been keeping a low profile.


He'll probably get the maximum. He may be a scapegoat but it was pretty clear he stole the pictures and put them on the internet? What was his motive? Money? Fame? Stupidity?

I think he was dumb. If I had these pictures and wanted to make money, I'd have secretly called the tabloids and make a fortune. It's hard for celebs to sue tabloids and media always protects it's sources. Gotta strategize you know! Leak pictures slowly and maximize profit.

I don't understand this guy's thinking. What was the point of plastering 1300 photos on the internet for people to see for free? Maybe he'll smarten up in jail.

Asian Ripoff LV - Volare

Artist: Girls' Generation
Language: Korean

Not a full song but here is a cute Milk commercial from Korea.


Youtube Link

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Japanese crybaby now table tennis star

ai fukuhara

Source: Reuters



Japan's Ai Fukuhara, famous for bursting into tears on national television as a toddler, has been given top billing at the world table tennis championships before she has even pinged a ball in anger.

The 20-year-old brought practice to a standstill on Tuesday, spending more than two hours tossing balls high into the air to see how the lights at the arena would affect her serve.

Japanese camera crews tripped over themselves to film Fukuhara, who has little realistic chance of disrupting China's dominance at the April 28-May 5 championships in Yokohama.

"I was working out exactly where to throw the ball into the lights," Fukuhara was quoted as saying in Japanese newspapers on Wednesday. "I'm beginning to get excited about the championships."

Fukuhara will take centre stage, with one of the courts already being christened "Ai-chan's Court" (Little Ai's Court).

Once the darling of the Japanese media, Fukuhara appeared regularly on TV shows as a child where she would throw tantrums and wail out loud if she lost a point to celebrities.


I remember seeing her in the 2008 Beijing Games. She played so many games in the team competition because Japan play poorly early and had to going around the backdoor repechage to battle for Bronze.

In singles she played ok but got an unlucky draw and had to face the #1 seed from China in the last 16.

Here's some footage of the Bronze medal team battle against Korea


Youtube Link

Slumdog stereotypes?


Source: The Agenda



Slumdog stereotypes? International Herald Tribune columnist Anand Giridharadas on the negative reactions to Slumdog Millionaire in India.



Rags to riches stories always do well. People love the underdog. But why are people afraid that India is depicted in a bad way? There are slums everywhere. Pretty Woman is about a prostitute.. are we supposed to look down on the US because there are prostitutes in cinema? This movie does not degrade India.

The director has publicly stated that they tried to show India as it truly is (rich and poor). Movies should be about everything. If every movie was about nobility and class and the wealthy it would be very boring.

The Web Series "Lumina" And Seven Questions For Jennifer Thym

Source: Slant Eye For The Round Eye




Youtube Link

I got sent word about a new Web Series that's going to be coming your way this summer called LUMINA (check the trailer) which is chock full of Asian and Asian American talent including Chinese American Jennifer Thym (director/writer), producer Sommer Nguyen (Vietnamese American), actress JuJu Chan (Chinese American, and TVB's People's Choice Award for Miss Chinatown USA 2009), Michael Chan (Chinese Canadian, star of the YouTube hit viral Wall Street Fighter IV), and Vince Matthew Chung (Chinese American, winner of the Amazing Race Asia 3).

It definitely looks like it's going to be pretty hot and you can check out more about the series down at their site at http://www.luminaseries.com/.


Yes it looks very interesting. I'll keep an eye on it and post any previews and episodes here.


Also Seven Questions For Jennifer Thym

Monday, April 27, 2009

Clog show given boot in Hong Kong over feng shui

wooden shoes

Source: Yahoo!



One of Hong Kong's tallest skyscrapers has declined to hold a Dutch charity exhibition of clogs because of worries the clunky footwear will bring bad luck, a report said.

The Cheung Kong Center refused to host the show, which was organised by the Dutch consulate, because of feng shui, a diplomat told the Sunday Morning Post.

The tower's management said the wooden footwear show would cause bad luck, because the Cantonese word for shoes -- hai -- sounds similar to a sigh of exasperation, the English-language paper said.

"Cheung Kong Center rejected the exhibition because of the Chinese meaning of wooden shoes. I don't understand. It is difficult to explain as I don't know how to say shoes in Chinese," an unnamed member of staff at the consulate told the paper.

The exhibition, part of an effort to promote Dutch culture, which will raise money for Chinese children, is now being held at another tower in Hong Kong, the paper said.

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese system, used to enhance positive energy and good luck.

The system is still very influential in superstitious Hong Kong, and highly-paid feng shui consultants are often employed to advise on the location and design of new buildings, as well as give individuals advice on how to improve their luck.


So nobody in Hong Kong can wear shoes? Shoes are not fit to be worn indoors? I don't get superstitions.

A practical handbook for beating street vendors


Source: Danwei



Why are chengguan so brutal?

City administration enforcement squads (城管) have an abysmal reputation. Tasked with checking permits and keeping street vendors from setting up unlicensed stalls, their methods frequently result in violent altercations that sometimes land rule-breakers in the hospital or morgue. In the ongoing debate over how to pull these squads into line, chengguan are often depicted as uneducated, short-tempered brutes who don't know any better.

However, a textbook that has been the focus of considerable online attention over the past few days suggests that chengguan are being taught to use violence in certain situations when carrying out their duties. An article in today's Southern Metropolis Daily discusses the online controversy and speaks to the Nanjing-based chengguan who first posted images from the book online ..... more


This is typical in China. If you're a somebody the law is in your favour. If you're a nobody then the law is against you. The official handbook is just a cover.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

World Record Red Card

The dubious honour of the fastest ever red card in professional football history goes to Tokyo Verdy midfielder Tomo Sugawara. The J2 game between Verdy and Sagan Tosu was barely nine seconds old when the referee blew for a deliberate foul on a Tosu striker through on goal.

A paltry 3043 fans were rattling around inside the 50000 seater Ajinomoto Stadium to witness the professional football record of Giuseppe Lorenzo's have a couple of seconds shaved off. Lorenzo had seen red after just ten seconds while playing for Bologna in 1990.

Despite playing the entire game with 10 men, Tokyo Verdy won easily 2-0.


Youtube Link

Asian Ripoff LIV - Sway

Artist: Aaron Kwok
Language: Cantonese

An oldie :)


Youtube Link

Ding and Fu at World Snooker Championships

snooker
Both China's Ding Junhui and Hong Kong's Marco Fu made the last 16 of the 2009 World Snooker Championships.

I didn't watch the Marco Fu match cause it started at 3am my time and by the end of the first session Fu was already down 7-1 to Shaun Murphy! He ended up losing 13-3. Very poor performance.


Youtube Link

I watched all of the Ding Junhui match against Stephen Hendry and it was a classic. Ding rushed out to a 3-1 lead against the 7-time World Champion Hendry but Hendry came back to square the first session 4-4. Then Hendry went out to an 8-7 lead and here is the 16th Frame.


Youtube Link


Youtube Link





Down 12-10, Ding had a chance to make it 12-11, but...


Youtube Link



Related: Stephen Hendry turned on the style

The classic match they took over 7 hours. Best match of the tournaments so far.
Both Ding and Fu are out and there are no Asians left in the tournament.

Tournament favorite, defending champion and snooker badboy Ronnie O'Sullivan is shockingly out as well. So the tournament is now wide open.

Fluorescent puppy is world's first transgenic dog

puppy

Source: New Scientist



A cloned beagle named Ruppy – short for Ruby Puppy – is the world's first transgenic dog. She and four other beagles all produce a fluorescent protein that glows red under ultraviolet light.

A team led by Byeong-Chun Lee of Seoul National University in South Korea created the dogs by cloning fibroblast cells that express a red fluorescent gene produced by sea anemones.

Lee and stem cell researcher Woo Suk Hwang were part of a team that created the first cloned dog, SnuppyMovie Camera, in 2005. Much of Hwang's work on human cells turned out to be fraudulent, but Snuppy was not, an investigation later concluded.

This new proof-of-principle experiment should open the door for transgenic dog models of human disease, says team member CheMyong Ko of the University of Kentucky in Lexington. "The next step for us is to generate a true disease model," he says.


Wow a glowing dog! When do we get glowing people! I'd like to glow in the dark! :)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Japan Pays Foreign Workers to Go Home


Source: Yahoo



Rita Yamaoka, a mother of three who immigrated from Brazil, recently lost her factory job here. Now, Japan has made her an offer she might not be able to refuse.

The government will pay thousands of dollars to fly Mrs. Yamaoka; her husband, who is a Brazilian citizen of Japanese descent; and their family back to Brazil. But in exchange, Mrs. Yamaoka and her husband must agree never to seek to work in Japan again.

“I feel immense stress. I’ve been crying very often,” Mrs. Yamaoka, 38, said after a meeting where local officials detailed the offer in this industrial town in central Japan.

“I tell my husband that we should take the money and go back,” she said, her eyes teary. “We can’t afford to stay here much longer.”

Japan’s offer, extended to hundreds of thousands of blue-collar Latin American immigrants, is part of a new drive to encourage them to leave this recession-racked country. So far, at least 100 workers and their families have agreed to leave, Japanese officials said.

But critics denounce the program as shortsighted, inhumane and a threat to what little progress Japan has made in opening its economy to foreign workers.

“It’s a disgrace. It’s cold-hearted,” said Hidenori Sakanaka, director of the Japan Immigration Policy Institute, an independent research organization.

“And Japan is kicking itself in the foot,” he added. “We might be in a recession now, but it’s clear it doesn’t have a future without workers from overseas.”


Sad isn't it. Can you imagine if your parents weren't allowed to be a citizen of Canada or the US and lived off working VISAs? Then any day they could just pay you to leave? That's remarkable.

Maybe one should think twice about living in places like Japan that have such tight foreigner laws. We are very lucky to live in North America.

Suicide tops student-killer list

suicide girl

Source: China Daily



Universities will offer more help to young people suffering from depression after a report showed suicide has now become the No. 1 cause of death among students.

A study by Shanghai Education Commission released on Tuesday found 23 college students attempted to take their own lives last year, while 19 succeeded.

It put suicide ahead of acute diseases, traffic accidents and fires in the list of main causes of death.

More than half of those who attempted or died in acts of suicide had been suffering from depression caused by pressure related to studies, employment or a relationship.

"By releasing such a ranking, we aim to alert the public and raise everyone's awareness about mental health among youths," said Mo Fuchun, deputy director of the commission.

To help ease the psychological burden, colleges will now add mental health courses to the curriculum, either on a compulsory or selective basis, while the commission said it aimed to have a certified counselor for every 3,000 students on every campus by 2012.


Adding more courses? Will that help?

This is not a problem that is solvable unless the social strucure of the country changes and there is less pressure on kids to succeed.

Families are so poor that the only hope to get out of that situaiton of their kids to be successful in school. Some families will borrow money and work multiple jobs for their children to get into a good University and get a good job to pay the debt back. Some kids can strive in this immense pressure and kick everyone's ass in school, some cannot.

Those that cannot have nowhere to go. The school work piles up, the parents add pressure on succeeding and they have no one to turn too? Are they really going to go talk to a counsellor? What can they do?

There really is nothing the school can do. The University is very black and white. Here is our program, you pass these 40 courses in 4 years with good marks and you graduate. It's the parents and students that choose to enter this cauldron.

University isn't for everyone. Not everyone is a scholar. The more pressure you put on a poor student, one day that glass of water will overflow.

Is it a Car Show or a Pretty Girl Show?

car show


Source: chinaSMACK



Some pictures of the current 2009 Shanghai International Auto Show. Big shows and expos in China usually have many pretty models. If there are pretty models, then the media and many men will be there to take many pictures. If there are many pictures, they will be on the internet on many BBS forums. If they are on many BBS forums, there will be many men talking about them. This happens every year.



Youtube Link


Youtube Link

I know you can't have a Car show without hot models. But this many models? See all the pictures here!

Friday, April 24, 2009

Jackie Chan: Singaporeans have no self-respect


Source: Asiaone



Action star Jackie Chan did not only offend the Chinese living in Hong Kong and Taiwan, his "speech of freedom" that drew widespread ire recently also spoke badly about Singaporeans.

He had apparently said that Singaporeans have no sense of self-respect.

Chan, who spoke last Saturday at the Boao Forum for Asia, said that the Chinese have to be controlled or society would be "chaotic" like that of Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Local Chinese evening daily Shin Min Daily News reported that in the action star's speech, Singaporeans too, were not spared.

During the forum's question and answer session, Chan said in his reply to a question from the media, "When I go to Singapore, I realize that chewing gum is not allowed there. Why is this so?

"I found out later that if (Singaporeans) chew gum, they will dispose of the used gum on tabletops, on chairs, and (they) have no sense of self-respect."

According to the Shin Min report, he also pointed out that unlike the Americans and the Japanese, "they" do not have that sense of self-respect. And when this is lacking, the government will have to step in.

Should one be sensitive, the action star's words might be interpreted as him saying that Singaporeans are not as orderly as the Americans or the Japanese. Compared to the people in these two countries, Singaporeans thus have less self-respect and in turn, are not allowed to chew gum.

This was not Chan's only comment about Singapore in his speech. The actor also spoke about the country's laws.

"When you reach Singapore, you must obey its laws, if you are caught littering, you will go to jail right away."


Wow! Who's next? Is he going to insult everyone in the world? If he insults Canada I'm coming after him!

Japanese pop star Kusanagi Tsuyoshi arrested


Source: BBC



The career of one of Japan's biggest pop stars, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, appears to hang in the balance after he was arrested for being naked and drunk in a public park.

Japan's interior minister has even weighed in, describing the incident as "one of worst acts one can do".

Roland Buerk reports from Tokyo on a case that is gripping the nation.


Video report

It's a very big blow. As I had mentioned in a previous post. Reports suggest DiCaprio is considering casting famous male group SMAP as the leads in the live action Ninja Scroll. He is said to be intent to “cast with Japanese people” in the adaptation, which he acquired the rights to last year. That's definitely out the window now.

Naked and drunk in a public park? How does that happen? Years and years of hard work being the most popular band in Japan all thrown away in a single night. Now he's screwed himself and affected all those around him. Very sad indeed.

Related: Kusanagi's Arrest to Cost Billions (Japan Zone)
Related: Naked Japanese singer apologises (BBC)

Thursday, April 23, 2009

China Navy celebrates 60th anniversary

Source: CCTV



Some videos of today's 60th anniversary of China's Navy.


Youtube Link


Youtube Link


Youtube Link

If China ever wanted to gobble up Taiwan, now would be a good time. Nobody's paying attention!

Air Canada Commercial

Been seeing this commercial alot during hockey games.

Air Canada commercial with mostly Asian themes in it and fingerpainting!


Youtube Link

How many Asian people can you count? :)

Japanese Noodles with Shimeji Mushroom Recipe

MMMMMMMMmmmmmm (drool)



Source: Steamy Kitchen



7 ounces dried Japanese style noodles (udon or soba…or you could use spaghetti)
1/2 cup olive oil (or other cooking oil)
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces shimeji mushrooms, base discarded, mushrooms separated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons miso paste
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over a low heat and add the garlic cloves. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Turn up the heat and add the shimeji mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft. Lower the heat and add a ladleful of cooking water from the noodles, the soy sauce, and the miso paste. Stir until the miso is dissolved well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and seave the sauce to simmer.

Drain the noodles and add them to the sauce. Stir well to coat every noodle and serve with chopped parsley

Sumo Wrestlers Face Drug Testing


Source: CBS



The Japan Sumo Association began random doping tests of wrestlers Wednesday, following a series of drug-related scandals that have damaged the image of the ancient sport.

Several top wrestlers, including grand champion Asashoryu of Mongolia, were subjected to urine tests by Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corp., Japan's only institution certified by world anti-doping agency WADA. The results will be disclosed at a later date.

In January, second-division wrestler Wakakirin was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana, becoming the first Japanese wrestler to be arrested in a marijuana case and the latest to be thrown out of the sumo world.

Wakakirin was sentenced Wednesday to 10 months in prison, suspended for three years, after being arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana in January.

Wakakirin will avoid serving time in prison as long as he doesn't commit any crimes during a period of three years.

His arrest came after three Russians were dismissed last year over marijuana charges.

New anti-doping rules were set by the JSA in late February so that all of the association's members could be tested without warning.


Cheating in Sumo Wrestling? Is nothing sacred in this world anymore?

And how is marijuana preformance-enhancing? Can a man slap another man harder when he's high?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Asian Ripoff LIII - Peace Love & Ice Cream

Source: Slant Eye For The Round Eye



Artist: Younha
Language: Korean


Youtube Link

Very nice voice. I really like this version :)

ABC gives Zhang Ziyi the creeps


It's -35C behind these bars!

Source: Yahoo



Improvements have been observed in the English standard of Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi since she started dating Israeli boyfriend Vivi Nevo. However, an entire page of English script brings her nightmares.

The Horsemen, which will be opening in Hong Kong cinemas soon, is Zhang's third Hollywood film after Rush Hour 2 and Geisha. As opposed to the previous two films in which she acted as Chinese ladies adopted by American families and was not required to speak lengthy English, it is a great challenge for her this time round.

She said, "After all, English is not my mother tongue and I had many lines in this film. I had nightmares almost every night when I practiced with my teacher daily for three months. I suffered from psychasthenia (a psychological disorder characterized by fear, obsession, compulsions and anxiety)."

The Horsemen was shot in Winnipeg, Canada, during the coldest time of the year in the country when temperature was at -35 degrees Celsius.

"It felt like working in a freezer. We had to wear several layers of clothes to keep warm. In the scene where Dennis Quaid (the male lead) was chatting with me in the park, we were so cold that we couldn't even speak our lines properly. It was also hard to have any facial expressions. When I cried, the teardrops immediately froze to become ice."


Oh come on. Teardrops immediately froze to become ice? It's not THAT cold. I'm sure if a guy in Winnipeg goes out in -40C and pees, his urine won't freeze before it hits the ground. That's how we get yellow snow!

Here's the trailer for The Horsemen


Youtube Link

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Silence of the Lam


Source: CBC



B.C. NDP Leader Carole James says the party's former candidate for Vancouver-False Creek showed a "lack of judgment" over pictures displayed on his Facebook page.

Ray Lam resigned on Sunday over the photographs, one of which showed him palming a woman's breast and another with his pants down and two people pulling at his underwear.

"Ray felt that they were inappropriate. Certainly it shows a lack of judgment, and he made the decision to step down," James said on Monday. "He didn't want it to distract from the campaign, so we are moving on."

James said candidates had been warned something like this could happen, saying even though the pictures were posted on a private page, "once you become a public figure, everything is public."

"I saw the pictures on TV. I thought they showed a lack of judgment. It's his age, you know, we all recognize that, but when you're in politics and you are going to be a public figure, it's important that you recognize that," she said.


I'm not surprised. The dumbest pictures appear on facebook and this guy is 22 years old and he's NDP!

Ding defeats Liang at World Snooker Championships



Source: Times Online



Ding Junhui recovered from 8-7 down to beat Liang Wenbo, his Chinese compatriot, 10-8 in the Betfred.com World Championship yesterday, watched by an estimated television audience of 100 million in China. Helped by breaks of 111, 91 and 63, Ding secured the win he needed to safeguard his place among the top 16 in the world rankings. With his confidence boosted, Ding will play 7-times World Champion Stephen Hendry in the last 16.



I was watching it this morning and Liang was on a roll. Ding couldn't make anything. He didn't make a ball for over an hour. But the 16th Frame was the key frame that turned the match back into Ding's favour.

Here it is.


Youtube Link

A careless miss and he lost the match. The cute one is gone :(

Meanwhile Hong Kong's Marco Fu won easily and is into the 2nd round.


Youtube Link

Comedian Joe Wong on Letterman

Saw Joe Wong on Letterman the other night, was a very pleasant surprise!


Youtube Link

Loved it! For a newcomer to come to American and pick up comedy is wonderful. Immigrants make hilarious comedians because that's what comedy is about, funny observations. Immigrants run into strange situations and they're funny stories to tell.

This type of comedy reminds me of old Yakov Smirnoff skits.


Youtube Links

Monday, April 20, 2009

World Bartending Championship!


Youtube Link

In Hong Kong, Even the Dead Wait in Line


Source: Time



In Hong Kong, it can be hard just finding somewhere to sit down. In the fourth most densely populated place in the world, park benches are packed and strangers share tables at restaurants. But for the 40,000 people who die here every year, it turns out there's no respite from the crowds, even in the afterlife. While a land shortage forced Hong Kongers to give up on burials long ago — only 11% of bodies were buried in 2007 — the city has also run out of space for cremated ashes. By some estimates, that means roughly 50,000 families must store their relatives' remains in funeral homes and offices while they wait — often for years — to secure a 1-sq.-ft. resting place.

On April 14, the government began accepting applications for new cremation niches at its Diamond Hill columbarium, a massive nine-story building that stores cremation urns. The 18,500 new niches, the largest new public supply in almost a decade, compelled nearly 1,000 people to line up outside the columbarium office to personally submit their applications on opening day. "Hopefully this time I'll find a place for my father so he can finally rest," said Raymond Wong, who waited in line with his mother for three hours before turning in their paperwork. After his father passed away in December, Wong applied for a new niche at another of the city's public columbaria, but was turned away after the spaces quickly filled up. Says Wong's mother, Oi Tak Lo, "When we find a place for him, I will be at ease."

Though the government plans to release 37,000 new niches by 2012, that supply will only meet the demands of one year's cremations. By 2016, up to half of the people who die every year won't be able to find a niche in public columbaria or their pricier private counterparts, according to government estimates. While a limited number of used niches open up from time to time, the wait can last longer than four years, and there are already 9,500 people on the waiting list.

For wealthy families, burial is still an option. Permanent plots are scarce and can cost upwards of $30,000. For roughly $3,000, temporary plots can be rented from the government for 10 years, after which the family can renew for another decade, or exhume the remains and yield the plot to someone else. Jockeying for burial space has become so intense that last year, 18 cemetery supervisors were arrested for allegedly accepting bribes in order to exhume remains before they had fully decomposed. Families with overseas relatives have sent bodies abroad to bury, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, or looked across the border to China's graveyards, but the journey to visit such graves can be taxing for older relatives.


Even though I follow all the traditions, I always wondered the importance of visiting cemetaries on the correct days. I know it's important but I've seen these types of disputes tear families apart. Where to bury, division of funeral costs, who visits when, who hosts the death-anniversary banquet etc etc. Alot of times, when the parents are alive, nobody gives a shit about them, but when they die, there's this big struggle over how things are supposed to be done. Siblings who never talk to each other, will argue over how their parents are treated, WHEN DEAD!

For example, I know familes that have never been to a buddhist temple but when a parent dies, seeks out the temple for a proper ceremony and then critizes the temple for a poorly done ceremony. Well you never cared about the temple, why should the temple give you a spectacular ceremony?

Why is what happens after you die important? I have an aunt whose husband just died. The kids want to buy two plots of burial land so that one day they can bu buried together. Mom refuses, saying it's a bad omen. Kids say that they have to get the land together now or there's no guarantee that it will be possible to be together later on. What if she doesn't die in another 10 years. But mom refuses, can't buy land now and must make sure when she dies, they are buried together or she will come back and haunt the kids.

What do the kids do? Siblings start to fight or course, both with mom and with each other.

Seems so pointless to me sometimes.

Great Wall of China 'even longer'

great wall

Source: BBC



The Great Wall of China is even greater than previously thought, according to the first detailed survey to establish the length of the ancient barricade.

A two-year government mapping study found that the wall spans 8,850km (5,500 miles) - until now, the length was commonly put at about 5,000km.

Previous estimates of its length were mainly based on historical records.

Infra-red and GPS technologies helped locate some areas concealed over time by sandstorms, state media said.

The project found that there were wall sections of 6,259km, 359km of trenches, and 2,232km of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

The study was carried out by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping.

Barricade


Experts said the newly-discovered sections of the wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and stretch from Hu Mountain in northern Liaoning province to Jiayu Pass in western Gansu province.

The project will continue for another 18 months in order to map sections of the wall built during the Qin (221-206BC) and Han (206BC-9AD) Dynasties, the report said.

The wall, the world's largest man-made structure, was built to protect the northern border of the Chinese Empire.

Archaeologists had lobbied for the survey to be done to provide scholars with an accurate understanding of the construction.

Known to the Chinese as the "long Wall of 10,000 Li", the Great Wall is in fact a series of walls and earthen works begun in the 5th Century BC and first linked up under Qin Shi Huang in about 220BC.


I knew that the Ming Dynasty extended the wall but how did they not record over 3000 miles! As for archaeologists lobbying for the survey to be done to provide scholars with an accurate understanding of the construction, that's not very hard. It was built brick by brick using human force. And if someone died, they became part of the wall to save bricks!

Asian Ripoff LII - I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight

Artist: Don Ho
Language: Vietnamese

Been looking for this awhile since I watched it when I was younger :)


Youtube Link

Sunday, April 19, 2009

60th anniversary parade, Warcraft-style

Someone on Warcraft did a parade that will happen later this year on October 6!

Tried to embed but doesn't work.
Youku Link

Ip Man Tops Bill at HK Film Awards

ip man

Hong Kong director Raymond Wong (left front) and actor Donnie Yen (right front) celebrate with the trophy after winning the Best Film award for movie "Ip Man" at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday, April 19, 2009.

Source: CriEnglish



A Biopic of Bruce Lee's kung fu master won best picture at the 28th Hong Kong Film Awards Sunday, but a documentary-like film about a working-class neighborhood dominated the other top prizes.

"Ip Man," a profile of the martial arts teacher of the same name starring Donnie Yen, took top honors at the annual awards ceremony, but the low-budget "The Way We Are" took home prizes for best director Ann Hui, best actress Paw Hee Ching, and best supporting actress for Chan Lai-wun.

Best actor went to Nick Cheung, who portrayed a kidnapper who struggles to care for his wife in the action thriller "The Beast Stalker." Liu Kai-chi took home a best supporting actor award for his work in the same film.

The action-filled "Ip Man" describes how the kung fu master resisted Japanese rule in his southern Chinese hometown during the World War II era. Ip's most famous disciple was Lee, who studied with him for five years starting at age 13.

Producer Raymond Wong said he felt bad that Yen and director Wilson Yip lost in their categories but was pleased with the best film award because it "honors everyone involved in the movie."

But the sentimental favorite of the night was "The Way We Are," a rare, locally flavored film at a time when the Hong Kong industry is increasingly catering to the booming Chinese mainland market with historical and kung fu epics.

Its competitors were mainly expensive blockbusters, including John Woo's US$80 million "Red Cliff."

Paw - who in the film played a single mother raising a teenage son in Hong Kong's suburban Tin Shui Wai district - recalled how director Hui struggled to find funding.

"Such a great director faced so much pressure. She didn't have money or a big cast, but she used great passion and a serious attitude to make this movie," Paw said after collecting her best actress trophy.

She said expectations were low for the film, "we all just wanted to help Ann make a meaningful movie."

Picking up her best director award, Hui said: "When I was a student, I thought winning a prize at Cannes was the best thing. But I've matured. Now I realize that receiving an award from your own people makes me the happiest."

Woo's "Red Cliff," about an ancient Chinese battle, missed out on the major prizes but collected a slew of technical awards, including best visual effects and two art awards for art director Tim Yip.

Woo was seen chuckling after organizers showed a parody of his classic 1986 gangster film "A Better Tomorrow" that portrayed its iconic trench-coat wearing character using duck heads instead of guns to fire at his enemies. The parody was part of a lighthearted tribute to "Stealing a Roasted Duck," a short from 1909 that was the first Hong Kong-made film.

Director Wong Kar-wai presented a lifetime achievement award to veteran actress Josephine Siao, a best actress winner at the Berlin Film Festival for the 1995 film "Summer Snow."


I still haven't seen Ip Man yet. Now would probably be a good time to see it since I know it's won the Best Picture Award :)

Also: 28th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards Nominations

What Wrong With Wang? (Again)


AIYA! They're hitting everything!

Third outing of the season, at New Yankee Stadium.

Chien Ming Wang 1.1 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs.

He's now given up 23 runs in 6 complete innings for an ERA of 34.50!

His stuff was never electrifying. He just had the nastiest sinker in the world. He dominated the American League for two years with just one pitch. But now that pitch has abandoned him and hes getting rocked.

What do the Yankees do now? Will they send him out there for another start? Bullpen maybe? Or send him down to AAA to get his groove back?

Related: What's wrong with Wang?

Jackie Chan: Chinese people need to be controlled


Source: Yahoo!



Action star Jackie Chan said Saturday he's not sure if a free society is a good thing for China and that he's starting to think "we Chinese need to be controlled."

Chan's comments drew applause from a predominantly Chinese audience of business leaders in China's southern island province of Hainan.

The 55-year-old Hong Kong actor was participating in a panel at the annual Boao Forum when he was asked to discuss censorship and restrictions on filmmakers in China. He expanded his comments to include society.

"I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not," Chan said. "I'm really confused now. If you're too free, you're like the way Hong Kong is now. It's very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic."

Chan added: "I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want."

The kung fu star has not been a vocal supporter of the pro-democracy movement in his hometown of Hong Kong. Since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997, voters have not been allowed to directly elect their leader. Several massive street protests have been held to demand full democracy, but Beijing has repeatedly said Hong Kong isn't ready for it.

The theme at Saturday's panel discussion was "Tapping into Asia's Creative Industry Potential," and Chan had several opinions about innovation in China.

He said that early in his career, he lived in the shadow of the late martial arts star Bruce Lee. He said that during his first foray into Hollywood, he struggled to establish his own identity, so he returned to Hong Kong. After spending 15 years building his reputation in Asia, Chan finally got rediscovered by Hollywood, he said.

Chan said the problem with Chinese youth is that "they like other people's things. They don't like their own things." Young people need to spend more time developing their own style, he added.

The action hero complained that Chinese goods still have too many quality problems. He became emotional when discussing contaminated milk powder that sickened tens of thousands of Chinese babies in the past year.

Speaking fast with his voice rising, Chan said, "If I need to buy a TV, I'll definitely buy a Japanese TV. A Chinese TV might explode."


Pretty disgraceful. For all that Hong Kong, Australia and Hollywood has done for him, he's totally gone for China and become a goverment pawn now.

For a person who's been all over the world, he should be bringing all the good of the world to China. But noooooooo, he continues the government rhetoric and fears that the chinese would be crazy and out of control.

Hollywood really shouldn't hire him for anymore crap movies.

Edit: There is now some backlash.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Hello Kitty Drinks

Source: Hello Kitty Hell



You can get pretty much any kind of Hello Kitty Drink

Beer:
hello kitty beer

Coffee:
hello kitty coffee

Mineral Water:


Sake:

World Snooker Championships 2009




One of my favorite events, The World Snooker Championships, starts today. Thirty-two men will be battling in marathon nerve-wracking sessions. One of the annual events for skill, pressure, intensity and drama. I just love watching it. No Asian has ever won. Only one non-brit has ever won, Cliff Thorburn of Canada.

Defending Champion and number one seed Ronnie O'Sullivan is the heavy favorite to win it all but he can be really hot and cold. There are alot of challengers.

There are three Asians in the field.

Ding Junhui (China) (Seeded 11)


Youtube Link

Marco Fu (Kong Kong) (Seeded 14)


Youtube Link

Liang Wenbo (China)


Youtube Link

The two Chinese, Ding and Liang were drawn against each other in the first round. The Match will be on April 20. Liang's really cute! I'll cheer for him :)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Is 8ft Zhao Liang the world's tallest man?

tallest man

Source: Daily Telegraph



Zhao Liang, 27, entered the Tianjin hospital for an operation to relieve pain from an old muscle tendon injury on his left foot.

His height caused a stir among hospital staff who urged him to get measured properly.
They discovered that Mr Zhao is 8.07 ft tall (2.46m), making him 3.9 inches (10cm) taller than Bao Xishun, the current tallest man, who is 7.9ft (2.36m).

Mr Zhao, who lives in Henan province, had been training as a basketball player when he sustained the debilitating foot injury over a decade ago.

He was unemployed until 2006, when an art troupe in Jilin province enrolled him to perform magic tricks and play the saxophone and flute.

Mr Zhao's parents are of a more usual height, with his father measuring 5.9ft (1.8m) and his mother, 5.5 ft (1.68m).

Wang Keyun, Mr Zhao's mother, said he has a big appetite and can easily eat eight hamburger-sized steamed buns and three dishes for dinner.

"But I am so worried about his marriage, job and his health that my hair has turned white," she said.

Liu Yuchen, a surgeon at the hospital, declared the operation a success.

He said Mr Zhao will be able to walk normally two months after his surgery but advised against any intense physical exercise.

Dr Liu said he is in good health and has no complications related to his height.


Great. Another crappy Chinese player for the NBA.

Mum's catching up with with me ... on Facebook



Source: Asiaone



WHEN his mother added him to her friends' list on popular social networking website Facebook, SIM University student Chris Chen accepted the request readily.

But she soon discovered photographs of the Honda motorcycle he had secretly bought and things quickly changed.

Mr Chen, 22, had not told her he had learnt to ride a motorcycle, or that the money he saved from working part-time had been spent on the two-wheeler.

'She got really angry about it, so I blocked her on Facebook,' he said, matter-of-factly. 'I don't want her to see the offending pictures till she can come to terms with my riding a bike.'

Mr Chen's situation, though prickly, may not be such an unusual one. An Australian survey last month found that one in four children has his or her parents as friends on online social networking sites such as Facebook. Adults aged 35 to 54 using Facebook doubled from 7 per cent of its total users last year to 17 per cent in January.

A final-year project by a group of students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) found that parent-child relationships actually improved when they used networking sites like Facebook.

The study, funded by the National Youth Council, interviewed 20 sets of parents and children who were online friends.

Project member Lee Weiyi, 22, said parents read about activities and pictures their children put online to feel closer to them and to find common topics to talk about. But this works well only as long as the parents do not find objectionable content in their children's profiles.

'Of course, the children are generally more tech-savvy than their parents and know how to censor what they put online,' said Ms Lee.

Some youth, she added, delete images they know their parents will disapprove of, or prevent their parents from seeing certain photo albums by limiting access to 'safe' content.

Student Dew Low, 17, was amused, but not surprised, when her mother, Madam Dorrianne Yeo, sent a request asking to be her friend on Facebook. In fact, Dew's grandfather, Mr Eddie Yeo, 71, is also on her list of Facebook friends.

They use Facebook mainly to share pictures with relatives living overseas.

'It's a little unusual, but I think my mum is quite hip,' said Dew. 'I don't worry too much about what she'll see on my profile, since I only upload things I don't mind sharing publicly.'

Madam Yeo, 45, is not worried about what she might find in her children's online profiles. 'I won't intrude into their privacy. But if I see anything I am uncomfortable with, I would talk openly with them about it.'


If you're a good kid and have nothing to hide and then adding mom isn't a problem.
But we were never good kids were we? :)

Japan's $200 Mushrooms

mushroom

Source: Japan Guidebook



What's the most expensive mushroom in the world? The title belongs to matsutake mushrooms, Japan's answer to the black truffle. While prices are not quite as high as the most expensive truffles, who's rich flavor is sought in high societies around the world, top quality matsutake retail for a respectable $1,000 per pound.

Why are matsutake mushrooms so expensive?
One reason matsutake have become so expensive is that while Japan's household income increased exponentially over the passed 50 years, the number of matsutake mushrooms harvested in the country has decreased sharply due to the introduction of a bug that kills the trees they grow under. With more and more money to spend on less and less mushrooms, matsutake have achieved an almost mythical status in Japan.

More than just a mushroom, matsutake are related to the Japanese symbol for longevity. They are synonymous with the autumn season, and for many people in Japan, where importance has longed been placed upon the change of season, the mushrooms have become one of the defining characteristics of what it means to be Japanese. Another example would be sakura cherry blossoms in the spring.

Matsutake are often given as gift baskets to show appreciation or curry favor, and companies are happy to lavish the most expensive ones on high-end clients and business partners.


Wow that's pretty crazy. Anyone ever had one? Is it good? Or just a delicacy? I remember they had a mushroom battle on Iron Chef! That would have cost thousands of dollars!

Ichiro's Back!

Ichiro came back and played his first game of the year.

First he did this:


Youtube Link

Then he did this! (wait for it, it's a longish clip)


Youtube Link

Ho hum, just your average return :)

Paper CV no good anymore. Try Video CV

With the recent economic downturn, this year’s 1.2 million Chinese college graduates are struggling to find work, so some are becoming more creative than ever before to stand out from the crowd. This is a video CV posted on Youku by recent Chinese college graduate Ma Wen for a job related to video production


Youtube Link

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Awful KY Intense Commercials

These commercials are so dumb. Gotta have a bit more energy for arousal jelly! It's too quiet, needs a jingle or something. Maybe I just don't get the commercial.

I'm not sure what this arousal jelly is for. Do people really need a 'nudge' like this to get in the mood? I don't need THAT much more satisfaction!


Youtube Link



Youtube Link

God, those are boring. I wouldn't want them appearing in the middle an intense hockey game or something.

Asian Ripoff LI - Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You

Artist: Lui Fong
Language: Cantonese

Lui Fong was a great singer in the 80s. But he's not that well known. He had two things going against him in HK. He wasn't good looking and he sang in the golden era with many great singers like Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, the 4 Heavenly Kings and others.

He's got a real sweet voice.


Youtube Link

Maple syrup: Think outside the pancake


Chicken in Thai red curry and maple syrup with eggplants

Source: Montreal Gazette



Maple syrup has a complexity that sugar lacks. It is imbued with a more subtle sweetness, with a hint of smoke and caramel – echoes, perhaps, of the sugar maple grove from which it dripped and the long, slow boil over a wood fire that transformed it into this most quintessential trademark of Quebec.

Used in moderation, maple marries well with a panoply of other flavours. Its sweet flavour is a great foil in salty dishes. And it rounds out the edges of spicy dishes. Maple also tames the sour twang of lemon, lime or vinegar in a recipe.

But don’t take my word for it. Take your cue from a host of Montreal chefs who are maple maniacs. Au Pied de Cochon chef Martin Picard poaches eggs in it, then adds it to a duck and maple sauce that he slathers over foie gras. Laurent Godbout’s new bistro La Fabrique does pea soup with maple cream on the side. And – who knew? – there's maple syrup all over the place in the dishes at the trendy St. Laurent Blvd. Asian restaurant Soy.

Soy’s chef-owner Suzanne Liu says one of her restaurant’s most asked-for dishes is shrimp sauté with Thai herbs and maple syrup. It features seared shrimp in a sauce of maple syrup, coconut milk, Thai fish sauce, hot sauce and garlic, served on a bed of bean sprouts.

Liu also loves using maple syrup in a glaze for duck breast. She’ll sear thick slices of duck glazed with maple syrup, then braise the duck and its juices to allow the maple flavour to better penetrate the meat.

“Maple lends a smoother flavour than other sweeteners. It isn’t harsh like sugar,” she says. “It gives the dish a smooth feel, and it doesn’t add a bad aftertaste like sugar or honey can.”

Her customers are sometimes surprised to see maple syrup on an Asian menu. What’s that taste, they ask.


Hmmmm not sure about this. For example when you have dimsum you'd dip the shrimp and dumpling into soy sauce. Could we dip it into maple syrup? I think it's too sweet!

Hairdresser turns robber into sex slave

Source: Mosnews



A young hairdresser in Kaluga, Central Russia, locked a robber who tried to steal her money in the basement of the beauty salon. After that, she has brutally raped her hostage for three days. A court in Kaluga has filed criminal charges against both of them, the Russian website Newsru.com reports.

The robber, who has not been named, burst into the salon armed with shotgun at about 17.00 on March 14. He demanded money. There were two hairdressers and one client in the salon at the time. One of hairdressers, who was studying judo and taekwondo, disabled the robber with a smashing body blow. Then she carried the unlucky robber to the basement and bound him with a hairdryer cord.

The hairdresser told her scared colleague and the client that she would call the police. But she did not. After work, instead of calling the police, she made her hostage undress. The perverted hairdresser forced the hostage to take several Viagra tablets. She chained the unfortunate robber with pink furry wristbands and painfully raped him for the next three days.

After his release, the exhausted robber filed charges against the perverted woman. The frenulum of his penis was torn as a consequence of rape session.

“That’s ridiculous. We had sex just a couple times. I brought him brand new jeans. I fed him every day and gave him one thousand rubles ($25) before his release,” the hairdresser said.

In response, she filed charges against the robber.

The robber admitted that the hairdresser really did feed him royally.

“I actually don’t know what will happen to them. But it’s a pity that they could not meet in the cell. They would be a great couple,” one of the police officers said.


Wow! I wonder if the robber was good looking. That's one sex-craved gal. Sounds like a porn plot, you know the pizza guy comes to the house and meets a sexy lady... erm nevermind.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Grace Park - Azn Lifestyles TV



Source: Azn Lifestyles TV



The fine people at Azn Lifestyles TV caught up with the awesome Grace Park at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. She's turning into a wonderful actress.


Youtube Link

And here is a video of stuntmen training


Youtube Link

And if you don't know where "Be Water My Friend" comes from, then you are disqualified from being an Asian! Hehe Just kidding. It's Bruce Lee's famous philosophy.


Youtube Link

What's Wrong with Wang?


You're not going to be a pretty boy for long pitching like this!

What's happened to Yankees starter Chien Ming Wang? The Two-time 19 game winner (2006 and 2007) has had two disasterous starts to begin 2009. From 2006 to the beginning of 2008, until he got injured in June, he was a dominant pitcher. His sinker ball was so heavy would just die and he would break bats. It seemed impossible to hit the ball out of the infield against him.

In his two starts this year, he has given up 15 runs in 4-2/3 innings. That's an ERA of 28.96!! Shocking.

He's been throwing barely 90mph and his ball is not sinking. Could it be he hasn't fully rehabed from injury last year? At the major league level, he's going to get hit hard pitching like this.

Wang catches wrong kind of Rays

Wang's troubles not worrying Yanks



In other news.


Dice-K pulled by Sox with arm fatigue



It appears that Daisuke Matsuzaka's workload leading up to and during the World Baseball Classic has caught up to him.

The Red Sox right-hander labored through just one inning before being pulled from Tuesday night's game in Oakland with what the club diagnosed as arm fatigue.

Matsuzaka threw 43 pitches, only 22 of which were strikes. After being staked with a 3-0 lead before even throwing a pitch, Matsuzaka gave up five hits and five runs in that one inning, walking two and striking out none. He faced 10 batters. Despite 10 shutout innings from the bullpen, the Red Sox lost, 6-5, to the A's in 12 innings.



When was the last time you saw Dice-K give up 5 runs in an inning? Hard to imagine anyone having arm trouble in April but pitching for Japan was really stressful!