I just finished Korean drama: Ballad of Suh Dong. It may also be spelled "Ballad of Seo Dong." FYI, according to the drama, "Suh Dong" is a person who sells yams on the street (poor commoners) back in that period of Korea.
This was a period drama that went a long 55 episodes. Every period drama I watch is long and at times arduous, but has been quite rewarding every time. It was about some guy who rose from peasanthood (but still possessing actual royal lineage) to become a ruler of the Baekjae kingdom. This was back when Korea was split into the 3 kingdoms of Goguryo, Silla and Baekjae. At this point, according to the drama, Japan was not yet claiming some of countries as being part of their country/history.
I must say that even tho this drama got harsh reviews and unfair comparisons to Jewel in the Palace, this was a very good drama to me. I was very much consumed by the drama for quite some time. The protagonist/antagonist relationship was just so captivating to watch.
------------------------------
Well, since that drama is done, I'm starting a new drama....this time a present day based drama that are usually much shorter in number of episodes than period dramas.
This one is called Times of Dogs and Wolves (aka Time Between Dog and Wolf, Time of Dog and Wolf, etc.) I recently read on a Korean entertainment blog that the ratings of this drama have been rising due to the great storyline/script so I had to give it a try. It also starred a couple great actors: Lee Joon Ki as Lee Soo Hyun (pretty boy supporting actor from My Girl and the from movie, The King and the Clown), Nam Sang Mi as Seo Ji Woo (from Bad Family), as well as Jung Kyung Ho as Kang Min Ki.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Korean/ Japan Breakdancing vids
Thx to AsianOffbeat for providing the links.
In this first one, a Korean team and a Japanese team face off on a Japanese TV Show:
^^ I personally liked everyone except for that gay little short guy with the skateboard helmet on the Japanese team. All he freakin did was spin on his helmet!!! The Korean team was good espec at the beginning but the Japanese came on strong at the end.
In this next one is a Breakdancing Battle in Korea in 2006:
In this first one, a Korean team and a Japanese team face off on a Japanese TV Show:
^^ I personally liked everyone except for that gay little short guy with the skateboard helmet on the Japanese team. All he freakin did was spin on his helmet!!! The Korean team was good espec at the beginning but the Japanese came on strong at the end.
In this next one is a Breakdancing Battle in Korea in 2006:
Taken from AsianOffBeat:
23.8 Percent Koreans Get First Job at Over 30
Lee Hee-san, 31, recently got his first job at a construction company. He had taken English language training in Canada, did internships at corporations and studied current affairs every day to get the job. 'I never expected the whole procedure to take this long, of course, now I feel compensated,' he said.
He is not the only one to get a first job at a relatively older age. In his ``study group'' there are several more people his age waiting to be hired.
As getting a job becomes more difficult, the average age of new employees is getting higher.
According to research by recruitment Web site Incruit, 23.8 percent of 1,081 people over 30 answered that they got their first job at over 30 years of age. The figure has doubled since the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
These days, studying for each company's employment tests, English examinations and getting field experience to stand above competitors takes at least a year. According to the National Statistical Office, it takes an average 11 months to get a job after university graduation.
As the age level goes up, the portion of people getting jobs before the age of 24 has halved from that of 1998. Only 11.3 percent were able to get a job before 24 years of age, and 65 percent got jobs between 25 to 29 years of age. The figure means than women, who usually graduate from universities at 23 to 24 years of age, wait about a year to be hired.
The average age of those who got their first job was 28.5, for women 27.7, while it was 28.8 for men. All figures increased since the pre-Asian financial crisis.
The hike in age affects lifestyles of people. Young people tend to marry later. Another national statistic shows that men marry for the first time at 30.9 and women at 27.7.
Oh, a stock analyst, got his first job at 30. He said there were so many things he had to prepare for just to get the job and that he had spent about two years preparing. Now that he has worked for his company for two years, he said he could finally think about marriage as he has some savings. ``But I haven't got a date. May be few years later will do.''
``The fact that doors are open to people who are in their 30s is quite encouraging,'' Lee Gwang-suk, the head of the recruitment company, said. ``But the reason for the aging new employees is because there isn't enough jobs for everyone, and that is a big problem.''
Source: Koreatimes
| 26/07/2007 In: Too Weird |
Lee Hee-san, 31, recently got his first job at a construction company. He had taken English language training in Canada, did internships at corporations and studied current affairs every day to get the job. 'I never expected the whole procedure to take this long, of course, now I feel compensated,' he said.
He is not the only one to get a first job at a relatively older age. In his ``study group'' there are several more people his age waiting to be hired.
As getting a job becomes more difficult, the average age of new employees is getting higher.
According to research by recruitment Web site Incruit, 23.8 percent of 1,081 people over 30 answered that they got their first job at over 30 years of age. The figure has doubled since the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
These days, studying for each company's employment tests, English examinations and getting field experience to stand above competitors takes at least a year. According to the National Statistical Office, it takes an average 11 months to get a job after university graduation.
As the age level goes up, the portion of people getting jobs before the age of 24 has halved from that of 1998. Only 11.3 percent were able to get a job before 24 years of age, and 65 percent got jobs between 25 to 29 years of age. The figure means than women, who usually graduate from universities at 23 to 24 years of age, wait about a year to be hired.
The average age of those who got their first job was 28.5, for women 27.7, while it was 28.8 for men. All figures increased since the pre-Asian financial crisis.
The hike in age affects lifestyles of people. Young people tend to marry later. Another national statistic shows that men marry for the first time at 30.9 and women at 27.7.
Oh, a stock analyst, got his first job at 30. He said there were so many things he had to prepare for just to get the job and that he had spent about two years preparing. Now that he has worked for his company for two years, he said he could finally think about marriage as he has some savings. ``But I haven't got a date. May be few years later will do.''
``The fact that doors are open to people who are in their 30s is quite encouraging,'' Lee Gwang-suk, the head of the recruitment company, said. ``But the reason for the aging new employees is because there isn't enough jobs for everyone, and that is a big problem.''
Source: Koreatimes
Friday, July 27, 2007
New 9 Girl Korean singing group debuting soon
The name of the group is So Nyuh Shi Dae/ So Nyeo Shi Dae...translated as either Era of Girls, Time of Girls, Girlhood (I personally prefer one of the first translation). They are set to debut in August 2007...which is a long awaited debut. I personally have taken a liking to this group from their looks and their dance ability....and the nice song I heard.
If you go on YouTube.com, you can find individual mini intro vids for each of the 9 members made by their label, SM Entertainment.
Here is the Wikipedia page they have. Many of the girls are apparently recognizable in Korea already since they've been backup dancers for other SM Ent singers/groups and models for products and CM's, etc.
They haven't had any televised performances yet, but did have one on Mnet Countdown. The song is called "World Meets Again"....(thx Wikipedia). Below are 2 videos of the same perf recorded by fans at that concert.
Here is a little vid showing all of their faces and names:
If you go on YouTube.com, you can find individual mini intro vids for each of the 9 members made by their label, SM Entertainment.
Here is the Wikipedia page they have. Many of the girls are apparently recognizable in Korea already since they've been backup dancers for other SM Ent singers/groups and models for products and CM's, etc.
They haven't had any televised performances yet, but did have one on Mnet Countdown. The song is called "World Meets Again"....(thx Wikipedia). Below are 2 videos of the same perf recorded by fans at that concert.
Here is a little vid showing all of their faces and names:
Monday, July 23, 2007
Taken from AsianSexGazette.com:
Vietnam: Porn takes to the sky
July 15, 2007
Hanoi - Watching pornographic videos came in second as the favourite way for Vietnamese to pass the time on long-haul airline flights, according to an online poll published on Thursday.
The news website VNExpress conducted the poll after reporting that two Vietnamese businessmen had to be ordered to stop watching a porn film on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Paris last month when their female French seatmate complained.
"The sound and picture of the movies were so disturbing that a French girl sitting on the same row had to raise her voice," the article said, adding that the men refused to turn off the video until security officers intervened.
The website published the story as an oddity, but an online poll it ran with Thursday's article seemed to indicate the men's behaviour wasn't surprising to some Vietnamese frequent fliers.
The poll asked: "What do you normally do on long-haul flights?" and by Thursday afternoon 2 712 readers had responded.
Watching "sex films" came in second with 20% of the respondents, while reading books and newspapers was most popular with 47%. Watching "decent films" came in third with 15%.
Vietnam Airlines spokesperson Trinh Ngoc Thanh would not comment specifically on the incident, saying he didn't know the details but said he wasn't sure if the passengers had violated airline policy.
"Vietnam Airlines doesn't have any regulation on what kinds of movies passengers can watch on the plane with their computers," Thanh said by telephone on Thursday.
"Airlines do require passengers to turn off mobile phones and other electronic devices during take-off and landing," he added.
|
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Cutest Goddam Shemale/Hermaphrodite I've Ever SEEN!!!!
| Most Beautiful Thai Ladyboy: Treechada Petcharat |
| 19/07/2007 In: Faceoff |
Have a look at these pictures of Nong'Poy-Treechada Petcharat, and you may think that she is one of the cutest Thai girls you have ever seen. Some even say that she looks like Korean movie star Kim Tae Hee. However, we have to remind you that she is not a girl at all!! Actually, she is a ladyboy! Yeah, that’s true. And she has a boyfriend! Enjoy her pictures brought to you by Asianbite.
Thai Actress Close Up: Treechada Petchara
Cool info on Treechada Petchara, including pictures, videos, news, biography, photos, stats, and pics.English Name: Treechada Petcharat
Nickname: Nong Poy
Thai Name: ตรีชฏา เพชรรัตน์
Career: Actress, Model
Award: Miss International Queen 2004
------------------------------------------
(Taken from Asianbite.com)
Alright, I don't give a dam what you guys think.....he/she/it/them is Cute as a MOFO!!! I'm secure enough in my unbridled perverson to say that about he/she/it/them. And you're fkin LYING if you say otherwise....look at he/she/it/them's face!!!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
I Became An Uncle Last Tuesday
"Alrght, I've been awake for about 10 seconds now, time to go back to bed."
"That's right, I'm drooling....so what!"
"Dang this pimple on my eye....ruining all my hospital pics!"
"Huh?...What the hell do you want, this time!"
Proud Parents!
Yup, at 9:02 am last Tuesday, on 7/17/07, my niece, Fiona K. Huynh was born.
She looks eerily like my oldest brother (the father) and even has his freakin slanted-lip smile. Next thing you know, she'll be asking if I wanna go get some Wonton Noodles with her...after she just ate 1 hour ago!!!!! Like daughter like father!!!!!
It kinda sucks right now tho....you got a baby u wanna play with but she can't do a dam thing right now besides, sleep, lie down, cry, and poop/pee. Its like trying to play with a dog that would rather just sleep on the rug and piss in the corner. Kinda just something to look at. Guess I gotta wait a few months till the baby can sit up by herself at least.
My parents are happy as hell tho. My mom told me that she if she could, she'd go visit the baby EVERYDAY! My dad's never looked happier in years either.
On a side note, work was nice and slow last week, with the baby and all....I think Huy must have turned down a few assignments.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Just opened my WAMU Checking Account.....
Alright, let me set the scenario up here.
The reason for me opening an account was mainly to track how much money I was getting through my appraisal work, which I'd be keeping separate from any other deposits I had with Wells Fargo. Also, I pretty much don't like Wells Fargo all that much as I know first hand that they can be quite shady. As I speak, they're nickel and diming my parents with their business account. I mean, wtf is a "cash deposited fee"??? But I signed up with them cus they had an ample number of ATM's across the Bay Area and many shopping malls, etc.....and...well, their bank tellers were prety cute at the time. But sadly now, many of the cute agents have left and many weird, sometimes unpleasant tellers are working at branches where I usually like to go. So much so that I just opt to deposit via ATM now....even cash at times. (I'm fucking talking to those bastards at the StonesTown branch.) And man, it fking takes FOREVER for these fools to cash a check or do the simplest things....fk. And I've also noticed a rise in the level of stuck up attitudes in there.....they got some egos in some branches man....seriously.
It was either them or BofA at the time....I chose the lesser of 2 evils.
But now I've decided to try WAMU since they have more locations from back then. I also like the fact that they dont charge you an additional fee for using other banks' ATM's.
First I tried to open my account online without the hassle of dealing with agents and weird personalities and being sold shit here and there. Everything was going well but at the last step, they couldn't verify my identity/account with WF which I was transferring $1.00 from to open the account. So I was like, fk it, might as well just go in and bite the bullet.
And so I walk into the branch on Noriega today and go to a teller and tell her that I want to open a checking account. She was an oldish Chinese lady with an accent. She slides a post-it notepad to me and asks me to write my name and social. So I do so very neatly and big, and then like I fucking wrote in Alien script or something, she duplicates exactly what I wrote onto ANOTHER post-it note (but much sloppier).....and I'm thinking, "Why the fuck are there now 2 pieces of paper that have my name and social on there???" So she calls on the phone to an agent across the room at a desk that I want to open an account and then tells me to sit over near her and wait till she's done with a current customer.
So I wait a few minutes and when it's my turn I just go up and hand the Asian female agent the note....and she looks at it like it was totally unnecessary for me to have written that and takes a second to realize its my social security number thats on there. I'm thinking, "Why the fuck do I have a duplicate note in my wallet right now cus of that old hag teller? I gotta tear this up good when I get back to my bro's place." So during the setup process, of course she tries to offer the WAMU credit card, the savings account add-on, online banking (which I of course wanted). She has to ask me what job I have, if I own/rent a house, whether I intend to save up for a major purchase like a car. She also says that I look young and if I'm still in school....yada-yada-yada....ALL I FUCKING WANT IS FOR YOU TO OPEN MY ACCOUNT LADY....ENOUGH WITH THE 20 QUESTIONS!!!!! And then, with my luck, she has this 10-15 min period where her printer gets jammed up and she tries to get the help of a White male agent who is busy with a customer and he looks UBER annoyed by her request. And I sit back watch this mess go on, with her asking for help, getting brushed off, trying it herself, he finally giving help, her thinking the problem is all over but still has a problem, she knowing he doesn't wanna help and so keeps trying herself, and he finally being the HUGE JERK that he is, finally come over and fix it and give maybe the 10th annoyed facial expression towards her and leave....WOW. Did I need to be subjected to that mess of employee relations? Seriously....thats why I love dealing machines instead. What happened to putting on a good face in front of customers....wtf?
So she finally prints out the paper and I sign it verifying the account information and setup my check card PIN, type in my online account login info that I want, etc.
FINALLY, THE HELL IS OVER!!!!!!
What a pleasant banking experience....remind me to stay away from the big white agent dude AT ALL COSTS...he doesnt even seem that thrilled to deal with customers...not having once smiled while I was near him. I'm still fucking worried my agent didn't dispose of that post-it note properly with my name and SSN. Oh well.
Now I can wait for my check card and deposit my appraisal checks via ATM, just I do with WF.
---------------------------------------
A side rant about an experience I had at the WF branch I went to in Daly City by the Serramonte mall.
I walk into this branch because my check card had been damaged and I just wanted to ask for a replacement to be sent in the mail. I was going to Asia in a little less than 3 weeks and wanted to do it now before I left so I would 100% that it would work with the overseas ATM's. I dont know what I was thinking, I should have just called the hotline, but I figured since I was in the area I'd just go in and ask.
I initially wanted to ask a teller to help me out an agent intercepted me and asked what I needed. I told her I wanted to order a replacement card and so I sat down with her so she could input the order and I could leave. BUT...instead, she asks me literally 10 fking questions to UPDATE MY FKING ACCOUNT....all the while me wondering why she needed so much info...but I was willing to give it to her anyway, as long as I got the card in the mail before my departure date. Over the phone in the past, I never had to answer so many questions. So at the end, she said she put in the order and I'd get my card. And I left befuddled wondering why the hell it took so long and why all the Q's.
In the end....did I get my new check card?.....HELL NO!!! It NEVER showed up. Luckily my old one still worked in Asia otherwise I would've been in big trouble.
A few couple weeks after I got back home, I called the WF hotline and asked abt my card and the operator told me no such order was on record.......AAAWWWWW. I wanted to go back to that agent in DC and fkin throw her to the ground by her hair.....AAAAWWWWWW.
Fuck.....I hate dealing with people in banks.
The reason for me opening an account was mainly to track how much money I was getting through my appraisal work, which I'd be keeping separate from any other deposits I had with Wells Fargo. Also, I pretty much don't like Wells Fargo all that much as I know first hand that they can be quite shady. As I speak, they're nickel and diming my parents with their business account. I mean, wtf is a "cash deposited fee"??? But I signed up with them cus they had an ample number of ATM's across the Bay Area and many shopping malls, etc.....and...well, their bank tellers were prety cute at the time. But sadly now, many of the cute agents have left and many weird, sometimes unpleasant tellers are working at branches where I usually like to go. So much so that I just opt to deposit via ATM now....even cash at times. (I'm fucking talking to those bastards at the StonesTown branch.) And man, it fking takes FOREVER for these fools to cash a check or do the simplest things....fk. And I've also noticed a rise in the level of stuck up attitudes in there.....they got some egos in some branches man....seriously.
It was either them or BofA at the time....I chose the lesser of 2 evils.
But now I've decided to try WAMU since they have more locations from back then. I also like the fact that they dont charge you an additional fee for using other banks' ATM's.
First I tried to open my account online without the hassle of dealing with agents and weird personalities and being sold shit here and there. Everything was going well but at the last step, they couldn't verify my identity/account with WF which I was transferring $1.00 from to open the account. So I was like, fk it, might as well just go in and bite the bullet.
And so I walk into the branch on Noriega today and go to a teller and tell her that I want to open a checking account. She was an oldish Chinese lady with an accent. She slides a post-it notepad to me and asks me to write my name and social. So I do so very neatly and big, and then like I fucking wrote in Alien script or something, she duplicates exactly what I wrote onto ANOTHER post-it note (but much sloppier).....and I'm thinking, "Why the fuck are there now 2 pieces of paper that have my name and social on there???" So she calls on the phone to an agent across the room at a desk that I want to open an account and then tells me to sit over near her and wait till she's done with a current customer.
So I wait a few minutes and when it's my turn I just go up and hand the Asian female agent the note....and she looks at it like it was totally unnecessary for me to have written that and takes a second to realize its my social security number thats on there. I'm thinking, "Why the fuck do I have a duplicate note in my wallet right now cus of that old hag teller? I gotta tear this up good when I get back to my bro's place." So during the setup process, of course she tries to offer the WAMU credit card, the savings account add-on, online banking (which I of course wanted). She has to ask me what job I have, if I own/rent a house, whether I intend to save up for a major purchase like a car. She also says that I look young and if I'm still in school....yada-yada-yada....ALL I FUCKING WANT IS FOR YOU TO OPEN MY ACCOUNT LADY....ENOUGH WITH THE 20 QUESTIONS!!!!! And then, with my luck, she has this 10-15 min period where her printer gets jammed up and she tries to get the help of a White male agent who is busy with a customer and he looks UBER annoyed by her request. And I sit back watch this mess go on, with her asking for help, getting brushed off, trying it herself, he finally giving help, her thinking the problem is all over but still has a problem, she knowing he doesn't wanna help and so keeps trying herself, and he finally being the HUGE JERK that he is, finally come over and fix it and give maybe the 10th annoyed facial expression towards her and leave....WOW. Did I need to be subjected to that mess of employee relations? Seriously....thats why I love dealing machines instead. What happened to putting on a good face in front of customers....wtf?
So she finally prints out the paper and I sign it verifying the account information and setup my check card PIN, type in my online account login info that I want, etc.
FINALLY, THE HELL IS OVER!!!!!!
What a pleasant banking experience....remind me to stay away from the big white agent dude AT ALL COSTS...he doesnt even seem that thrilled to deal with customers...not having once smiled while I was near him. I'm still fucking worried my agent didn't dispose of that post-it note properly with my name and SSN. Oh well.
Now I can wait for my check card and deposit my appraisal checks via ATM, just I do with WF.
---------------------------------------
A side rant about an experience I had at the WF branch I went to in Daly City by the Serramonte mall.
I walk into this branch because my check card had been damaged and I just wanted to ask for a replacement to be sent in the mail. I was going to Asia in a little less than 3 weeks and wanted to do it now before I left so I would 100% that it would work with the overseas ATM's. I dont know what I was thinking, I should have just called the hotline, but I figured since I was in the area I'd just go in and ask.
I initially wanted to ask a teller to help me out an agent intercepted me and asked what I needed. I told her I wanted to order a replacement card and so I sat down with her so she could input the order and I could leave. BUT...instead, she asks me literally 10 fking questions to UPDATE MY FKING ACCOUNT....all the while me wondering why she needed so much info...but I was willing to give it to her anyway, as long as I got the card in the mail before my departure date. Over the phone in the past, I never had to answer so many questions. So at the end, she said she put in the order and I'd get my card. And I left befuddled wondering why the hell it took so long and why all the Q's.
In the end....did I get my new check card?.....HELL NO!!! It NEVER showed up. Luckily my old one still worked in Asia otherwise I would've been in big trouble.
A few couple weeks after I got back home, I called the WF hotline and asked abt my card and the operator told me no such order was on record.......AAAWWWWW. I wanted to go back to that agent in DC and fkin throw her to the ground by her hair.....AAAAWWWWWW.
Fuck.....I hate dealing with people in banks.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Guess where I'm not going to buy at anytime soon....
Report: Cardboard key to Beijing street food
State TV report on steamed buns highlights country’s food safety woes
Customers line up to buy food from a street vendor in Beijing, China, on June 5. | |
Elizabeth Dalziel / AP file |
Slide show |
Most Popular |
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Updated: 3:55 a.m. PT July 12, 2007
BEIJING - Chopped cardboard, softened with an industrial chemical and made tasty with pork flavoring, is a main ingredient in batches of steamed buns sold in one Beijing neighborhood, state television said.
The report, aired late Wednesday on China Central Television, highlights the country’s problems with food safety despite government efforts to improve the situation.
Countless small, often illegally run operations exist across China and make money cutting corners by using inexpensive ingredients or unsavory substitutes. They are almost impossible to regulate.
China Central Television’s undercover investigation features the shirtless, shorts-clad maker of the buns, called baozi, explaining the contents of the product sold in Beijing’s sprawling Chaoyang district.
The hidden camera follows the man, whose face is not shown, into a ramshackle building where steamers are filled with the fluffy white buns, traditionally stuffed with minced pork.
‘It fools the average person’
The surroundings are filthy, with water puddles and piles of old furniture and cardboard on the ground.
“What’s in the recipe?” the reporter asks. “Six to four,” the man says.
“You mean 60 percent cardboard? What is the other 40 percent?” asks the reporter. “Fatty meat,” the man replies.
The bun maker and his assistants then give a demonstration on how the product is made.
Squares of cardboard picked from the ground are first soaked to a pulp in a plastic basin of caustic soda — a chemical base commonly used in manufacturing paper and soap — then chopped into tiny morsels with a cleaver. Fatty pork and powdered seasoning are stirred in.
Click for related content |
Soon, steaming servings of the buns appear on-screen. The reporter takes a bite.
“This baozi filling is kind of tough. Not much taste,” he says. “Can other people taste the difference?”
“Most people can’t. It fools the average person,” the maker says. “I don’t eat them myself.”
The police eventually show up and shut down the operation.
Aww Fuck....the Asshole suing for pants is BACK!!!
$54 million pants lawsuit still not ironed out
Customer: Judge who threw out case against dry cleaner should reconsider
Administrative law judge Roy Pearson, who lost a $54 million lawsuit against a dry cleaner over a missing pair of pants, leaves court on June 13. | |
Jacquelyn Martin / ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Updated: 5:14 p.m. PT July 12, 2007
WASHINGTON - A customer who sued a dry cleaner for $54 million over a missing pair of pants has asked the judge who threw out the widely mocked case to reconsider, saying she committed a "fundamental legal error."
Roy L. Pearson, a local administrative law judge, argued Wednesday that District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff failed to address his legal claims. Bartnoff had ruled that the business owners did not violate the city's consumer protection law by failing to live up to his expectations of a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign once displayed in the store.
"The court effectively substituted a guarantee of satisfaction with 'reasonable' limits and preconditions for the unconditional and unambiguous guarantee of satisfaction the defendant-merchant chose to advertise for seven years," Pearson wrote. "That was a fundamental legal error."
If Bartnoff rejects Pearson's motion, he could take the matter to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
The motion comes less than a week after the South Korean immigrant owners of Custom Cleaners asked the judge to order Pearson to cover $83,000 in legal fees.
"(The) Plaintiff's motives have been clear — quite simply, to harass Defendants and to attempt to utterly destroy their lives," attorney Christopher Manning wrote.
Pants went missing in 2005
The case, which drew international attention, began in 2005 when Pearson became an administrative law judge and brought several suits for alterations to Custom Cleaners.
Click for related content |
A pair of pants from one suit was missing when he requested it two days later. A week later, the store owners said the pants had been found, but Pearson denied that they were his and decided to sue.
Pearson's suit, which originally sought $67 million, was based on a strict interpretation of the city's consumer protection law. It also included damages for inconvenience, mental anguish and attorney's fees for representing himself.
E3 Day Two: Nintendo
Nintendo unveils Wii Balance Board, zapper, wheel; dates 2007 lineup
This morning's Nintendo press conference in Santa Monica, CA served to underline what we all knew about the Wii: it's setting its sights firmly on expanding the appeal of video games to older people and women, and it's lining up a portfolio of cool new toys to help it achieve just that. Chief among them, and unveiled today by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, is a novel Balance Board controller together with a purpose-designed fitness game that aim to help Wii owners lose weight.
Nintendo's Balance Board, a slim, wireless white pad that looks more like a set of bathroom scales than a conventional videogame controller, does more than just measure your weight (although it does that, too). It can detect the exact position of your body's center of gravity, and measure how it shifts as you move your limbs or lean.
How's that going to help you shed the pounds? Wii Fit, a new Nintendo title that'll ship with the Balance Board, tracks your body mass index over time, and offers over 40 minigames that look guaranteed to get you sweating. Fils-Aime showed the Balance Board being used for yoga, step aerobics, balance training, and raw strength exercises like push-ups. No release date was mentioned, but it's sure to sell like hotcakes -- and you though the Wii was hard to find right now.
Fils-Aime also showed off a brace of Wii remote attachments that'll be bundled into games releasing later this year. One, the Wii Zapper, turns your Wii remote and nunchuk into a lightgun-like controller, and will release with zombie shooter Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles - while the other, a small plastic wheel, will launch along with Mario Kart Wii.
Hang on, what was that? Yes, in a move sure to put smiles on the faces of longtime Nintendo fans, the Mario Kart series is coming to the Wii. Only shown in video form, it's scheduled to release in the first quarter of next year, but will include online play with an as-yet undisclosed (but presumably large) number of simultaneous players. "This is not your father's Mario Kart," Fils-Aime said.
In another move that'll please Wii owners looking for a deeper online experience, Nintendo announced the Wii version of Medal of Honor will include an online mode supporting up to 32 players. It'll support the newly-announced Wii Zapper, too
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
| Jackie Chan Leaves Half of His Fortune to Charity |
| 09/07/2007 In: News Buzz |
Jackie Chan announced Wednesday he has bequeathed half of his fortune to charity, saying he looks up to philanthropists like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
The exact amount involved, however, wasn’t clear, because Chan declined to reveal his net worth.
Chan revealed the terms of his will when asked about tycoon Warren Buffett’s recent US$37 billion (29.44 billion euros) dollar donation at a press conference on a tiger conservation campaign.
Buffett said he’d give away the bulk of his stock holdings in the company he runs, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., with five-sixths of the shares earmarked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the fund set up by the Microsoft chairman and his wife.
“I admire the efforts by Buffett and Gates to help those in need a lot,” Chan said. “Like Buffett and Gates, I want to help people, but I don’t have as much money as they do,” he said.
The 52-year-old action star said the portion of his fortune reserved for charity would go to his own Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, which was launched in 1988 to help needy Hong Kong youngsters but has since branched out into disaster relief, medical donations and supporting the performing arts.
The exact amount that the fund would receive remains unknown, because Chan refused to disclose his net worth.
Comparable stars make millions of U.S. dollars each year, according to estimates. Will Smith earned US$25 million (19.89 million euros) in the period from June 2005 to June 2006, and Jennifer Anniston made US$18 million (14.32 million euros), Forbes magazine has reported. Chan’s earnings may be lower because he primarily works out of Asia, where pay levels are generally lower in the entertainment industry.
A significant source of Chan’s income comes from his Hollywood films like the “Rush Hour” series. The actor has said he can fund entire movies made in Hong Kong with his Hollywood paychecks. His last Hollywood film was “Around the World in 80 Days,” released in 2004, but Chan is due to start filming “Rush Hour 3” late this summer.
Earlier this year, Forbes named Chan one of the world’s 10 most generous celebrities. As for the remaining 50 percent of his wealth, Chan said his wife may get 25 percent but the amount wasn’t fixed. Chan also has a son, actor-singer Jaycee.
Wednesday’s press conference aimed to raise awareness of the endangered South China tiger, which now numbers fewer than 100.
All I can say is that this guy is truly generous....man. Not everyday do you hear about this kinda philanthropy going on.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Japan: Sexaholics let it all hang out
By Masuo Kamiyama
July 5, 2007
About two years ago, 29-year-old Asuka Hisamoto, who describes herself as a "completely ordinary" housewife, developed an irresistible itch for coitus.
"I wanted to do it every night," the Hyogo Prefecture resident relates in Uramono Japan. "It got to the point that my husband couldn't stand it any longer and began sleeping on the sofa.
"As a woman, I found that insulting. So I had no choice but to turn to masturbation. Before long I was doing it constantly, bringing myself to orgasm like, uh, 15 times a day.
"But it wasn't enough to satisfy me. I eventually turned to prowling encounter sites on the Web looking for a man who could do me properly."
But that wasn't as easy as it seemed. Hisamoto continues:
"I figured one guy would be enough to satisfy me, but wound up doing it with about 30 guys. Multiple times too. Must have come to 300 or 400 all together."
Hisamoto consulted a physician and after undergoing a battery of self-administered tests and consultations, was informed by the doc that she suffered from full-blown sex dependency disorder.
She was prescribed an antidepressant, but the medication didn't have any dramatic effect. Thinking some group therapy might be beneficial, the doctor advised her to attend a meeting of "Circle X."
Last February, Hisamono relates in her Uramono Japan monologue, 16 of them -- young, old, male and female -- got together in Osaka for a group therapy session. Seated in a circle, they began to relate their tales of woe.
From the topics they discussed, this group of sexaholics might have been more appropriately named "Circle XXX."
"My name is Acchan and I'm from Kobe," the first man, eyes cast downward, mutters in the way of self introduction. "I was so hooked to adult sites on the Internet that I'd spend all day in net cafes, and never go to work."
"When I turned 60, my wife divorced me after I forced her to attend a swapping party," a second confesses.
"I was sentenced to do time in prison for procuring underaged teenage hookers," another one admits. "I did it with 80 of them."
As Hisamoto sat there, transfixed, the tales of sexual woes became increasingly extreme.
"I procured porno videos and women's erotic manga by the hundreds," weeps a 19-year-old youth. "Their accumulated weight became so heavy it nearly caused the second story floor of my house to collapse."
"I'm gay," confesses a 24-year-old employed at a night club. "My lifestyle was so promiscuous I developed a prolapsed rectum and it eventually became malignant."
Some participants found it excruciatingly hard to get their problems off their chest. Understandable, perhaps, in the following case.
"I ... I ... I ... have always liked animals ..." a middle-aged male of short stature stammers. But try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to get to the root of his rooting problem, as they say in Australia.
"Come on," another member exhorts him. "It's all right. We're all together on this. Give it your best shot."
"I ... I screwed ... a ... fish!!" he finally blurts out. "A Prussian carp. And other species."
His listeners' jaws slackened in amazement. You could have heard a pin drop at that moment.
Thanks to the group therapy sessions and support from her understanding hubby, Hisamoto tells Uramono Japan that she's on the road to both psychological and physical satisfaction.
Wait a second, did she say "satisfaction"? And suspiciously, the word "recovery" appears to be lacking entirely. Er, madam, can you be a little more specific about that reference to satisfaction?
Oho -- it seems that Hisamoto hooked up with one of the hornier male members of Circle X, and the two of them have discovered that their perennially horny condition can be alleviated by mutual therapy, between consenting adults in private, as it goes.
So for the time being, at least, Hisamoto and her newfound friend are having too much fun fornicating to seek a further therapy.
Copyright 1999-2007, Mainchi Daily. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced in whole or part without written permission. Please contact us via the link below for re-print and syndication policies or visit Mainchi Daily at http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/ for more information on Mainchi stories.
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Sex Trafficking Issues in Macau
US presses Macau over human trafficking
By Robin Kwong
July 5, 2007
Macau may face US economic sanctions if it fails to take concrete steps to tackle human trafficking within the next 12 months, according to a senior state department official.
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The department's annual Trafficking in Persons report, released last month , placed the casino boom town on its "tier 2 watch list" for the second consecutive year, just one rung above the bottom tier 3 category that includes the likes of Sudan, Iran and Burma. If relegated to tier 3, Macau could face US sanctions.
"The chance of Macau being on tier 3 is significant if it does not take steps [to improve before next year's report]," Mark Lagon, director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, told the Financial Times. Mr Lagon visited Macau last week, where he met the territory's chief executive, Edmund Ho.
In 2005 the US relegated Cambodia to the bottom tier and imposed sanctions in a bid to force the enactment of anti-trafficking laws. After Cambodia did so, its ranking was improved.
According to the state department, Macau lacks a set of comprehensive anti-trafficking laws and often fails to investigate or prosecute cases. It also criticised the Macau government for not recognising it had a significant trafficking problem.
"There has been minimal progress in the past year," Mr Lagon said.
Attitudes in Macau, however, may be changing. Mr Lagon said Mr Ho admitted the territory had not done enough and "expressed a will to address [the problem] within months".
"It was a marked change in rhetoric," Mr Lagon said. The Macau government declined to comment.
The rapid growth of Macau's gaming market, now the world's largest, has buoyed growth but exacerbated social problems in the territory of 500,000 people.
As with Las Vegas, prostitution is legal in Macau. Many saunas and massage parlours, however, operate illegally as thinly disguised brothels and employ women from mainland China, Thailand, Russia and Mongolia.
"There is going to be a magnet for sex trafficking when there is a booming sex industry," said Mr Lagon.
Sister Juliana Devoy, whose Good Shepherd Sisters have operated a crisis centre in Macau for 17 years, said it had only dealt with a few victims of sex trafficking.
"The main problem is that we don't know how to contact the victims and the victims don't know how to contact us," she said. "They are not free to just walk around on the streets."
The Financial Times
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Me and the guys enjoying some cigars
This is before I received my 20 cigar sampler in the mail, so I bought these from the local convenience store on Taravel, which surprisingly had some major brands. We went out to the beach 2 weekends ago and enjoyed these fine stogies. I forgot the exact kind, but B and I had some Arturo Fuentes and H had a Romeo Y Julieta. I admit, they could have been a bit more moist than they were, but its okay considering they were right out of the box.
Kudos to H for having the best picture.
Kudos to H for having the best picture.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Just got back from work.....
Hmmm....what should I say.
Well, doing appraisal work still sucks and is slow going when receiving payments for them....which makes me even more irritated when doing this crap. I thought it was already irritating having to pester/beg Huy for the goddam money he owes me...but its like 5x more degrading having to call people and ask THEM for the money they owe.....fk!!!!!!! This fkin profession is full of shady ass bastards....Huy seems to be somewhat of a push-over when it comes to this aspect of business....people are walking all over his ass and neglecting to pay him....and now he acts like its the NORM!!!...WTF!!!!! If I ever get to that point, then I KNOW its absolutely the time to leave this business.
I seriously have almost no incentive to finish these reports in a timely manner anymore....FK EM ALL!!!!!!
Also, it seems like at work, they've become all about the numbers now. They won't let a single full time worker get overtime anymore and theyve demoted/terminated numerous managers whose numbers (employee hours/pay) are high and costing the company. Oh well.
I tried one of the new cigars I bought in the sampler pack of 20 that I really like. Its a "full bodied" cigar (strong) call La Gloria Cubana....Corona size, meaning abt 5 inches long and a 50 ring (50/64 of an inch thick...they always count it out of 64). This one is gonna become one of my regulars....incredibly smooth and flavorful. I didn't get to finish as much as I wanted since it was gettin really cold outside my house after work.
Hmmm....what else now.....I've been watching more J-dramas on Crunchyroll.com....and thats about it I guess.....besides the constant searching of and downloading of porn....but that goes without saying.....hahaha.....I found some really nice ones tho.
Well, doing appraisal work still sucks and is slow going when receiving payments for them....which makes me even more irritated when doing this crap. I thought it was already irritating having to pester/beg Huy for the goddam money he owes me...but its like 5x more degrading having to call people and ask THEM for the money they owe.....fk!!!!!!! This fkin profession is full of shady ass bastards....Huy seems to be somewhat of a push-over when it comes to this aspect of business....people are walking all over his ass and neglecting to pay him....and now he acts like its the NORM!!!...WTF!!!!! If I ever get to that point, then I KNOW its absolutely the time to leave this business.
I seriously have almost no incentive to finish these reports in a timely manner anymore....FK EM ALL!!!!!!
Also, it seems like at work, they've become all about the numbers now. They won't let a single full time worker get overtime anymore and theyve demoted/terminated numerous managers whose numbers (employee hours/pay) are high and costing the company. Oh well.
I tried one of the new cigars I bought in the sampler pack of 20 that I really like. Its a "full bodied" cigar (strong) call La Gloria Cubana....Corona size, meaning abt 5 inches long and a 50 ring (50/64 of an inch thick...they always count it out of 64). This one is gonna become one of my regulars....incredibly smooth and flavorful. I didn't get to finish as much as I wanted since it was gettin really cold outside my house after work.
Hmmm....what else now.....I've been watching more J-dramas on Crunchyroll.com....and thats about it I guess.....besides the constant searching of and downloading of porn....but that goes without saying.....hahaha.....I found some really nice ones tho.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Golden State Warriors update - draft and trades
We'll miss you J-Rich!!! You were our work horse and a passionate player on our team. I hope you kick some ass in the Eastern Conference and help elevate the play of the Charlotte Bobcats. Too bad we only play against you twice a year now. Best of Luck!!!
This guy, Marco Belinelli looks like he can really help us out with his great shooting. Lets hope he adjusts to life in the NBA fast and can keep up with the game, particularly on the defensive side. We just have to trust in Nelly that he can teach this guy.
I don't know much about this guy besides that he's a pretty solid player down low in both ends of the court. Great footwork, fast....I'm not sure if he has a good jump shot though. Let's hope he's tough so we can battle with the other Western Conference teams with quality big men.
Well, last Thursday, the Warriors made a big move in my opinion to further improve our team with a big trade and a decent looking draft pick.
First, we drafted Marco Belinelli, a 21 yr old Italian League player who is said to be a sharpshooter, which would help our style of game from the 3 point line and mid range. He's played for the Italian World Championship team and been in their league for a handle of years now. He looks like an awesome shooter on the videos I've seen, draining 3's from just a little bit of room the defender gives him. But I've read that even though he's quick, he doesn't go to the rim much and of course defense is an issue....but maybe Coach Nelly can help him with that. I'm excited about having him!
The other big headline of that day was our trade for the Charlotte Bobcat's #8 draft pick out of North Carolina, Brandan Wright, a 6' 10", 210 lb power forward (kinda lenky but big). The Warriors needed big men who could score, run the floor and defend....and this guy seems to be competent in doing that.
BUT, in turn for Brandan Wright, we traded away fan fav, Jason Richardson to the Charlotte Bobcats in the Eastern Conference. The trade had 2 purposes.....1) to get a big man in return so that we can be a more all around team and do better against teams with good power forwards and centers (aka, Utah Jazz who killed us) and 2) clear salary cap room so that we can retain some players....we couldnt afford to pay and keep them all (J-Rich had 4 yrs left and a LOT of money left to pay on his contract)
Japanese Teenage Girls Popping 'Morning After Pills' Like Candy
| 29/06/2007 In: Too Weird |
Reika who making her living through illicit sales of Morning After Pill to Japanese minors, is fairly shocked by the way lots of teenage Japanese girls treat the issue of pregnancy.
"Even if you teach them the right way to take the morning after pills, they'll take them all at once and collapse, or in the case of the Morning After Pill, only take one instead of the two they're supposed to and then complain that they won't stop bleeding," Reika tells Spa! magazine.
Reika says teenage girls definitely have a preference for the Morning After Pill.
"You get fat when you go on the morning after pill, so they all hate it. Many of those that do go on the Pill end up taking other drugs so they can lose weight. It's unbelievable," Reika says. "I'm getting out of this business because recently a lot of gynecologists have started prescribing the Pill to minors even if they don't have a health insurance card or permission from their parents. Lots of guys buying sex from these girls will also sell them the Morning After Pill and some women use online billboards for used clothes to advertise sales of the pills to minors.
"There's this drug called Cravit that's selling really well now. It works the same as the Morning After Pill, but it also clears up chlamydia, so the girls can't get enough of it."
It's become common, apparently, for some pregnant minors to perform self abortions by consuming large quantities of the high-dose Pill.
"I often hear of girls going around bragging that they fell pregnant, but got rid of the baby by taking a huge dose of the Pill," Reika says. "Some girls tend to think of a pregnancy as nothing more than an extension of a mild case of the clap."
Reika says that many minors circumvent requirements to present health insurance certificates by simply forging them, a practice spreading through word of mouth. A gynecologist, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirms the practice.
"There are many hospitals that will perform an abortion on a minor even if they know they have submitted a fake health insurance card. But it's 100 percent out of humane consideration that they do this. If they call up the girl's parents and start telling her off, there's a chance she might run away and it'll be too late for an abortion by the time they find her," the physician tells Spa! "Some of these doctors are accused of being baby killers, or merchants of death, so to avoid that, they perform the operations almost on a volunteer basis. If a doctor offers treatment to someone they know is using a fake health insurance card, the doctor can be liable to prosecution, so they do the abortions for free. If they do charge, it's the same as normal, but they allow for partial or delayed payments. You can only find these hospitals in Tokyo or larger cities, though."
Piruya Reika says a lot of Tokyo gynecological hospitals will perform abortions on minors with no questions asked. She says it's easy for girls to find out where to go, courtesy of mobile phone sites that list the places that will willingly terminate pregnancies for girls. But Reika adds there are risks involved.
"Some fraudsters get on the sites and offer to give abortions without health insurance or permission from parents," Reika tells Spa! "But then they demand half the cost of the operation to be paid up front and then vanish once they get the money."
Source: Mainichi
Basic Info of Morning After Pill (in Japan):
To get the morning after pill in Japan, you need to ask a doctor specifically for it, and you may need to insist. The side effects should be less traumatic than an abortion. However, you only have 72 hours after the "accident" to take the morning after pill - after that, it rapidly becomes ineffective.
Japanese CM with Yuri Ebihara and Yumiko Cheng's Nip-Slip
I decided to post this since one of my friends is heading off to Hawaii.....and this vid has is one of those girls running along the beach type of thing.
Also, I dont know this Catonese singer very well, but its always interesting when a celebrity has a nipple slip, and has no idea its happening....hahaha. If you wanna get to the part that it happens, skip to about the 2 min mark and watch from there....you can see 2 little raisins peeking over the top of her Tube Top and then by the end, you almost see the entire right nipple (her left).
If you pay attention, I think there's a chick in the crowd yelling, "Oh My God!" but then again, she could be saying something in Cantonese.
Also, I dont know this Catonese singer very well, but its always interesting when a celebrity has a nipple slip, and has no idea its happening....hahaha. If you wanna get to the part that it happens, skip to about the 2 min mark and watch from there....you can see 2 little raisins peeking over the top of her Tube Top and then by the end, you almost see the entire right nipple (her left).
If you pay attention, I think there's a chick in the crowd yelling, "Oh My God!" but then again, she could be saying something in Cantonese.
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