Interestingness Rediscovered

Moving up and down

I enjoy watching the actor credits in movie advertisements, especially to see who stands out, who is embedded in the "others", and who is forgotten at all. Oh yes, to see the stars of the yesteryears gets bumped down to the lower ranks.
If they have accumulated enough credits, the movie producers show some mercy by adding "With" or "And" before the name.
But what if that person is in the "nowhere to go" level - quite famous to get noticed, but lost most of the money-drawing power, and not quite old enough to sit in the retirement position?
That's the moment. The point is, is he/she still in the movie poster?
Example 1: Val Kilmer
The Saint

But in Deja Vu

Even though he has the third most important role...

Other examples:
Christian Slater
Broken Arrow vs. Windtalkers
Elizabeth Shue
Hollow man vs. Hide and Seek 

The Simpsons again

I am playing the Wrecking Ball game embedded in the Simpsons official website.
Here is the high score sheet. Mine is 33.72.

These guys are NUTS.

The Simpsons are coming to town

The Simpsons movie opens this weekend. Initially I decided to ignore the hype, since it has almost been a decade since the golden age of The Simpsons has passed.

Swarn Sahni, who owns the 7-Eleven franchise in Burbank, CA that now displays the Kwik-E-Mart signage, told the newspaper, "The Simpsons fans are spending money like crazy. ... I usually sell 800 hot dogs a week. Now I'm selling about 3,000 a week." He also said that the store had sold 57,510 "Sprinklicious" doughnuts since the campaign began.

But one thing is indeed intriguing. The user rating is showing a whopping 9.0 now.

Is this just a massive attack from the die-hard zombie fans, or genuinely the sign of a  kick-ass movie? The trailer is not particularly funny (compared to the best seasons), so I am still for the former.
But what if...?
Well, I must admit the website kicks ass.

There he goes

The transaction fraud become more international (or localized in my case, living in Taiwan). Different names, same method. Should we embrace their lack or creativity?

OFFER FROM...
Dear Friend,
My name is Mr Yung, I work with Taishin International Bank, Taipei Branch, Taiwan.
I have a Business Proposal of Forty Four million Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only  ( $44,500,000.00 ) for you to handle with me in my bank.
This is a legitimate transaction with no risk involved if we work according to as planned.
I will need you to assist me in excuting this Business Project from Taiwan to your country.
I need to know if you will be able to handle this with me before I explain to you in details ?
If you are interested , do contact me via :
ccyunn_51@yahoo.com.tw
Kind Regards
Mr Yung.
ccyunn_51@yahoo.com.tw

Should I return "Hi, what a coincidence, I live in Taiwan...?"

A film doomed to flop

I Know Who Killed Me

The still photos already tell us everything and more about what could be expected.

And what is the main actress doing?

          The Associated Press is reporting that Lindsay Lohan was arrested a block away from the Santa Monica Police Department early this morning on two misdemeanor charges of suspicion of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license, and two felony charges of possession of cocaine.

If this is a part of publicity stint, I would restore her status as an "actress". So believable.

Things I wish I'd known when I was young

A great list that hits the bull's eye.
Here are the ones that hit me personally:

• The greatest source of misery and hatred in this world is clinging to past hurts.
  Yeah, they actually GROW by paying attention.
• Waiting to do something until you can be sure of doing it exactly right means waiting for ever.
  About this blog? Becoming an entrepreneur? Getting married?
•  You can rarely, if ever, please, placate, change, or mollify an asshole.
  You/Asshole can be men/woman or women/man.
• However hard you try, you can’t avoid being yourself.
  Sxxt, I have bought too many expensive shirts.

What happened to the surname "Hitler"?

I have been wondering what would it be like to have the infamous surname. Looks like other people were also curious about it.
The Guardian comments:

What did Hitlers change their names to after the second world war?
...A look into the electronic telephone book shows no Hitler in all Germany, but 24 Hittler and still 3 Hiedler. So, possibly, the addition of another "t" (which doesn't change pronunciation) might be the answer to the second question...

Okay, they changed their names. So does this make an interesting case that a surname has been artificially wiped out?

Some people not only maintain the surname but also the given name:

Adolf Lu Hitler R. Marak is a politician in the state of Meghalaya, India.
It may be noted that his name is not particularly curious within Meghalaya, where other local politicians are named Lenin R. Marak, Stalin L. Nangmin, Frankenstein W. Momin, or Tony Curtis Lyngdoh. Hitler Marak told the Hindustan Times: "Maybe my parents liked the name and hence christened me Hitler... I am happy with my name, although I don't have any dictatorial tendencies."

Muy curioso.

Harry Potter synergy

So the final Harry Potter book is out there. I haven't read any of the books. Some love them, some hate them, some try to steer away from the hype, but overall we can't ignore their magic.

Ursula Le guin:

Her credit to JK Rowling for giving the "whole fantasy field a boost" is tinged with regret. "I didn't feel she ripped me off, as some people did," she says quietly, "though she could have been more gracious about her predecessors. My incredulity was at the critics who found the first book wonderfully original. She has many virtues, but originality isn't one of them. That hurt."

Stephen King:

I'm having a day of mixed feelings: happy because I'm reading the manuscript of a novel that's full of magic, mystery, and monsters; sad because it will be finished tomorrow and on my shelf, with all its secrets told and its surviving characters set free to live their own lives (if characters have lives beyond the end of a novel — I've always felt they do).

Box office guru:

Falling down one spot to the runnerup position was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which grossed an estimated $32.2M in its sophomore session. Down a steep 58%, the Warner Bros. release lifted its 12-day cume to a stunning $207.5M. Second weekend declines are typically large for high-profile tentpole films. Phoenix's drop was a bit smaller than the 62% for both Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End which each debuted on a Friday in May. However, it was larger than the drops for fellow midweek openers Live Free or Die Hard and Transformers which witnessed sophomore declines of 47% and 48%, respectively.

The new Potter film had to compete with the arrival of the seventh and final wizard book on Saturday which appealed to the exact same audience and probably kept many away from the multiplexes.

Being an affiliate

I hear plenty of stories about people getting rich off Google Adsense and Amazon affiliate. Now that Typepad also is on the bandwagon, I wonder if our sense of guilt/morale/fairness has shifted fundamentally. Is making money in a stealth mode (not telling the users/clients/friends that they contribute to your financial wealth) already an accepted behavior?
Or is that we now acknowledge every click, every view might directly or indirectly make somebody richer?
I am not sure if the current trend is good or bad, I just have this itchy-weird feeling that people behave like nothing special has happened except for natural change, despite something has fundamentally shifted.

The Darwin Award

...is an excellent read when I get bored, feeling slow, tired..

Rodney was jet skiing around Lake Washington, enjoying the sun and the power between his knees. After a few runs on a lake, he noticed that his battery was beginning to fail. He idled over to a dock near Juanita Beach Park and tied up his craft and ran to the car for his battery charger.
When he returned, he plugged the charger into a 110-volt outlet and jumped onto his watercraft holding the booster cable.
Sizzle. He was found floating facedown beneath the dock later that evening.

There is a film version.

Title for the information architect

Information Architecture for the World Wide Web describes in detail what the so-called Information Architect must do in his daily job. Title alone cannot provide food on the table. A vague definition = must wear lots of hats (or nowhere to go).

But what if they actually make it? What would be the new title?

• Graphic design - Chief Graphic Designer - CGD

• Interaction design - Chief Interaction Designer - CID

• Usability engineering - Chief Usability Engineer - CUE

• Experience design - Chief Experience Designer - CED

• Software Development - Chief Software Developer - CSD

• Enterprise architecture - Chief Enterprise Architect - CEA

• Content management - Chief Content Manager - CCM

• Knowledge management - Chief Knowledge Manager - CKM

• Information architecture - Chief Information Architect - CIA

Will the last one, if ever exist, will become common enough to replace the original?

How to use YouTube

Youtube
YouTube
The "T" in the latter is supposed to be pretentious but it works. One of the easiest way to cool up the brand.

I use YouTube as the jukebox with the MTV. Recently the Big Brother has been tightening up the resource - last week I found out the entire Queensryche music video was deleted. Shame. Still we have the amateur videos where they use the songs as the BGM for their attempt to create yet another piece of modern art. Looks like it is a gray zone that the Big Brother hasn't decided what to do.

Second, the YouTube is a great source for watching old movies - which, despite being classic, have not being given proper attention (= no DVD)
Here is an example. Galaxy of Terror

What, it IS a masterpiece.

Third, for lazy bum - let's suck all the juices and leave the dull part

But it might be like watching only climax in porno movies goal scenes from World Cup

Fourth, TV skits. Some classic MadTV clips have been online, like this The Sopranos parody.

How many variations of the name John are there?

Wikipedia is invincible when doing this kind of research. Looks like there are infinite number of variations. Now I know John is originally from Hebrew, and it means "God is gracious".
Familiar variations:

• Johnny
• Johan
• Hans

Didn't know, but kinda understandable

• Jack
• Yohanna
• Jan/Janes/Janoz
• Jean
• Jon/Joao/Jovan
• Hansel
• Juan/Juanni

Shouldn't they be completely different names?

• Jack
• Evan
• Giovanni
• Ian
• Sean/Shaun/Shawn

Female version

• Jane/Jana
• Joan/Joanne
• Ioana
• Janice/Janet
• Sinead

What's this?

• Eoin
• Ion
• Yohani/Yohanes
• Giuan

Has anybody done a scientific research?

• Why women need shoes
• Why nobody fixes Donald Trump's hairstyle
• Why Uwe Boll can afford to shoot movies
• Why Spanish verbs make student's life miserable to an insane level

Alone in the Dark from Uwe Boll is one of the greatest movies which succeeded in pushing the limit and establishing a new standard. This one gave the phrase "movie that sucks" a refreshingly new definition. I watched this film when I was feeling low, and after watching it, I became suicidal. Nice job.
The trailer does a good job of covering up the messy parts, though.

Nameplate

The City Hall MRT station platform serves as a miniature modern art of museum. What makes the collection even better than the usual museum is that 1. they are totally cryptic - nobody understands what they are about 2. we can touch them freely and 3. they blend in well with the crowds.
This particular one has served as my virtual station staff for a long time. Despite doing nothing to help us (not even telling the subway direction - the statue design is pretty multi-direction), we always salute him.

Then finally I found out his ID.

A small plate separated from the statue basement shows everything. I have been using this MRT for more than 2 years and never realized the nameplate. Guess it's not considered part of the artist's job.

I didn't spend time to read any of the information. Once nameless, always nameless.

7 wonders of Western food restaurants in Taipei

Overall they provide excellent price/taste ratio. As shown below, some aspects are localized; again, in general to make things better (especially the golden rule of what is included in a course)

• Pork knuckle is a standard dish. Any Western food restaurant has it on their menu.
• But no signs of other (supposedly) German cuisine
• "Course" always includes toast, salad, main dish, sweet, and drink. Appetizer is a bonus.
• When they serve the food, clean the table, bring the bill, always Bu hao yi si (不好意思 = Excuse me)
• English tea is part of the drink options, but Chinese tea is not
• Definitions of Rare/Medium/Well Done are flexible. "50%" may range from bloody rare to well done. "70%" goes between rare and overcooked. Generally I enjoy the varying degrees, but am not sure if I should try something like "30" or "100".
• Garlic is a fundamentally required ingredient. Maybe ordered by law. Get used to it.

Good movie titles

In general, the longer the more catchy.

Punch-Drunk Love
great movie with great music and great acting. Philip Seymour Hoffman rocks.

So I Married an Axe Murderer
unfortunately the movie sucks. The title song is memorable.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
with Bill Murray. Enough said.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
The absolute best. I haven't seen this yet - heard the Steve Zissou movie ending is a homage to this film)

...but overkill is an overkill.
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

Articles usage in English

Sometimes makes me crazy. Too many exceptions, too many "it depends".
Let's see how inconsistent the articles rules are. Reference: Exploring Grammar in Context

• The Amazon but Lake Placid
• Mount Everest but the Himalayas
• Taiwan but the Netherlands
• 75 Trent Road but the M56 (route)
• The Guardian but Time magazine
• I prefer radio to television. But Turn on the radio and the TV.
• I play golf. But I play the piano.
• I go to school. But I go to the church.
• The United Kingdom but northern England

These are only the beginnings. I think an entire semester in a university could be spent on article usage (and plurals). It is a long way to go. Sigh.

Some idea for unusual mobile phone ringtones

We are already getting tired of listening to sudden bursts of top40 songs or their melodies.

Let's look for something more intriguing.

• Dog or cat's voice - looks like it is already available
• Dog or cat's voice during mating season - now it is getting a bit exciting
• Rants from nationalists - creates a virtual shopping mall in a Sunday afternoon
• Belch, fart, cursing words - maybe too cliche
• Songs from an American Idol contestant - or a critique from Simon Cowell?
• The most memorable quote from the movie Storytelling - no comment...
• A sweet message from wife/husband/gf/bf - why nobody is trying this?

Additional thought - I guess today's moms are starting to use the cell phone ringtone for their babies' wake-up call.

Symbols in the fonts

One of the small ways of killing time improving the joy in work of tacking with documentations are finding out funny shapes hidden inside the fonts. Even the dullest fonts of all, Times New Roman has something in its sleeves.

Symbol fonts are more off-limit, as in Wingdings (part of standard Windows package).

Custom-made fonts are much better, as in AssortedComputerStuff.

Safety Standards

...are to which I devoted a couple of years of my work life. To see what the standards are about, trace the power line of your laptop. A bulky, square block, AC-DC converter, sits in the middle - which converts the raw AC electric line into a smooth, lowered and tampered DC power line for the fragile laptop components. In the back of the converter block we see several icons and instructions - all explaining with courtesy what a electrically dangerous environment we live in, and how they assure the dangers are eliminated.
According to my experience, these standards do help making the device safer:

• Make sure that the wires do not touch a sharp metal.
• Make sure you use only certified components (hopefully from us) for power-related circuits.
• Make sure that the device does not explode after being exposed under extraordinary heat for several hours

But we all know that when things go worse, it does. The news might even get amplified and hurt the business. But the "safety standard" compliancy was never discussed.
Previously, I thought the importance of these little "safety standard" signs were undervalued. Now it looks like they are getting irrelevant.
I still support some kind of safety rules, but that battery incident showed that the current scheme is not doing enough (at least for us). Otherwise those little icons are there for no purpose. So were my two years.

IMDB surfin: people working together

One of the fun part of clicking the IMDB is to find out the (hidden) connections between celebrities. Charlie Sheen offers a great example. Go to the trivia:

• Accidentally shot then fiancée Kelly Preston in the arm. Soon after that incident, she left him and married her formerly platonic friend John Travolta.
• Was the one who drove Ben Affleck to Promises Rehabilitation Center in Malibu, California last August, 2001 for alcohol abuse.
• On 3rd August 1990 (his father's birthday), his family made an intervention to try to get him to control his drug and alcohol abuse and enter rehab. He entered rehab for 30 days and ended up staying sober for exactly 366 days. His main goal was to make one year, and after making it, he drank the very next day at Nicholas Cage's home.
• Dated Robin Wright Penn (Sean Penn's wife).
• Was in attendance at Chris Penn's funeral (Sean Penn's brother).

"My father gave me some pretty bad advice - keep it honest, which I did. People ask, why am I so honest with the press? I don't have an answer. I suppose I'm honest everywhere else. Why should it stop here? Most of my shit sounds like lies. But all my stories are true, and that's the problem. They call me the last honest man in Hollywood. But I care what people think, we all do."

Global warming

...was the topic of today's Chinese lesson.
Looks like hot debates on who is going to be blamed are ongoing, which is entirely missing the point. Maybe Al Gore told us the truth, or not, but let's face it - the ugly reality is that the climate is changing in weird manners for whatever reasons, and if there is something we can do, we have to, otherwise there will be too few ski resorts (or too many), too little fish (huge blow to a sushi-lover), too many typhoons (not always bad - schools&offices out), or too many summer fashions (not bad at all).
I support warmer climate; why can't we all be happy under the shiny, sunny days? But the side effect, the unpredictable climate change, cancels it and does much more harm.

iPhone

The only question is - is it easy to type in?
Nobody denies that iPhone is one of the most beautifully designed mobile phones on earth today. Those who oppose it attacks the lack of humane "clickness" that allows us to interface with such small gadgets. Those who support it diplomatically ignore or play down the point.

If people find out that typing the text is (a) irrelevant (b) not a pain in the back or (c) no more necessary, then iPhone, or iPhone philosophy, is going to rule the world.

Judging from how high the aim is, I think if Steve Jobs haven't become a corporate executive, he must have been running an evil empire trying to dominate the world. Good for us.

Thoughts on the new Transformer movie (spoilers)

• The most boring hyper-tensioned 2 hours of moviewatching.
• That guy doesn't look like a nerd. No, he definitely must be a bully.
• That girl doesn't look like a teenager. Maybe she is actually a temp teacher who was ordered to relearn everything. Or an FBI agent trying to migrate into students. Time for DVD outtakes.
• Why doesn't this scorpion bot just kill everybody in 2 seconds? That definetely hit on my nerve.
• Who thought this CD player bot would be funny? Kill it, smash it, melt it.
• Literally tearing off the body in half (the best scene) - but isn't this movie family-oriented? Another scene - cutting off the head is a nice way of finishing off the villain too. Do them in the night and the movie becomes Friday the 100th. Do them in the daytime and the movie becomes SawXXI. Do them with robots and voila, you have Transformers.
• And nobody's mourning over that poor two-pieces guy?
• If they can choose the machine, why don't they all become fighter planes?
• Why don't they mimic each other, to add a nice doublecrossing plot?
• Where are the female bots? Aren't they supposed to target hormone-boiling teenagers?
• Why did Hugo Weaving have to voice Megatron? Where is the justification? Where is "Miiiisssttteeerrr Anderson?"

HTML swamp and Word

From Head First HTML

To the W3C, for saving us the browser wars and for their brilliance in separating structure (HTML) from presentation (CSS)...And for making HTML, CSS, and XHTML complex enough that people need a book to learn it.

Indeed it's a complex world, since now I am preparing my own website, but essentially it is a history of web specialists trying to become lazy by screwing up tuning up the standard. Let's put all the garbage in the nuts and bolts, since we can directly reach the higher levels - who cares about the novice designers trying to wade through the swamp of garbage?

Since I have been using Word to create document templates, the HTML and CSS concepts are exactly like the contents and styles in the even more messy world of Word. Try create something decent using Word first, then you'll halfway through becoming an HTML/CSS expert with enhanced tolerance, ignorance, insensibleness, desperation.

5 cover songs that sucks / doesn't suck

The 5 cover songs that sounds better than the original (IMHO).

Stop in the Name of Love by The Hollies
Nobody's Child by The Traveling Wilburys
Viva Las Vegas by ZZ Top
Different Drums by The Pastels
Funky Town by Psuedo Echo
The Prince by Metallica
Dream Person by Faye Wong
Hazy Shade of Winter by The Bangles

The 5 cover songs that shouldn't have existed (but I listen to them anyway)
Fuel by Avril Lavigne
Tom's Diner Remix by DNA

Admittedly I haven't heard some of the original songs. And the time is up before reaching the magic number 5.