Saturday, August 29. 2009
As you may know, I generally dislike cellphones. Talking on a cellphone while driving is even more concerning. However, texting while driving takes it to the next level, and I'm disturbed when I see that happening.
In either case, I came across a game simulation from the New York Times that measures how well you multitask while driving and texting. It's called, " Gauging Your Distraction."
Every time I come back to Victoria, I get a little shocked when I see people on their cellphone while driving because this practice has been banned in California. Then, a couple seconds pass, and then I remember that it's legal here.... for now.
Enjoy.
Friday, August 21. 2009
Just came across this awesome photo of this year's Pokemon Card Champions. Enjoy.
Monday, August 17. 2009
This story on Yahoo! News entitled, " Hamas crushes challenge by al-Qaida-inspired group" caught my eye today. It said that Hamas attacked a group that was even more radical than they were. It's quite something when extremists even admit, whoa, that's too extreme, even for us.
Hamas crushed an al-Qaida-inspired group in an hours-long standoff that came to a fiery end when a large explosion killed the radical Muslim group's leader inside his Gaza home on Saturday.
The fighting was sparked by a rebellious sermon by the group's leader, and his dramatic death put an end to the greatest internal challenge to Hamas' rule since it took control of Gaza two years ago.
In all, the fighting claimed 24 lives — including that of a senior Hamas official who Israel says masterminded the abduction of an Israeli soldier. It was the highest death toll in the territory since the Israel-Hamas war earlier this year.
The crackdown targeted Jund Ansar Allah, or the Soldiers of the Companions of God, one of a number of small, shadowy groups that are even more radical than Hamas. The decisive confrontation, in which 95 group members were arrested, solidified Hamas' iron rule in Gaza.
The radical groups have sought to expand the Palestinians' battle beyond Israel to include the Western World as well. And in Gaza they have tried to enforce a strict version of Islamic law to which Hamas has not agreed. They have also attacked Internet cafes and wedding parties over behavior they consider improper.
The crackdown highlights Hamas' desire to limit its struggle to the Palestinian cause and to distance itself from militants espousing al-Qaida's ideology, though the United States, Israel and others consider Hamas a terrorist organization.
The fighting broke out late Friday when Hamas security men surrounded a mosque in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on the Egyptian border where about 100 members of Jund Ansar Allah were holed up.
Their leader, Abdel-Latif Moussa, provoked Hamas by declaring Gaza an Islamic emirate during a Friday prayer sermon and warning its leaders against invading his mosque.
The Hamas forces raided the mosque, setting off a fierce gunbattle. Flares lit up the sky and the sound of machine gun fire echoed throughout the night.
Moussa escaped with some bodyguards to his home where another standoff ensued. Early Saturday, an explosion went off as Hamas was trying to convince Moussa to surrender, said Ihab Ghussein, a Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman.
"The so-called Moussa has committed suicide ... killing a mediator who had been sent to him to persuade him and his followers to hand themselves over to the government," Ghussein told The Associated Press.
It is unclear whether Moussa detonated the explosives vest he was wearing, or whether it was one of his bodyguards.
Sunday, August 16. 2009
This weekend, I went and saw District 9. I have to admit that I went into the movie with fairly high expectations, and even then, the movie exceeded my expectations. Don't worry, no spoilers.
I think the director did an excellent job of portraying this story as realistically as possible. I'm often skeptical when I see science fiction movies showing humanity suddenly cleaning up its act when it makes first contact with aliens; on the contrary, District 9 shows a very ugly side of humanity. The movie does an excellent job of highlighting some very real problems that humanity still struggles with such as racism, corporate greed, corruption, war, black market trade, trafficking, unaccountable private military, media control, etc.
I also appreciate that the movie didn't require any big name actors to carry the movie. The story is just so immersive and rich that you really don't need big actors. It was reported that this film cost $30 million to produce, and most of that went into the visual effects which were absolutely stunning. This was considered a small budget film especially when you consider Terminator Salvation, and Transformers 2 cost $200 million each. For $30 million, District 9 has a lot of bang for the buck. By the end of the movie, I found extremely satisfied even though they've barely scratched the surface of the story.
I am declaring this the best movie of the summer. Two thumbs up, way up. Definitely go see it in theaters. I'm glad that there are already talks of a sequel.
Monday, August 10. 2009
I saw this awesome clip on Conan O'Brien where he discovers that Sarah Palin's ramblings are infact, beautiful free verse poetry. William Shatner reads them out Sarah Palin's tweets. Enjoy.
Sunday, August 2. 2009
Well, this last week has been an emotional roller coaster at work due to the Yahoo Microsoft deal. I have to say, the night before the deal was announced, I was reading the rumours from various tech websites, and I didn't like what I was seeing. There was obviously some anxiety over how much longer I would be able to stay in Silicon Valley, and whether my job would still be here. The idea of becoming a Microsoft employee wasn't very palatable either.
Day break came, and the deal was announced super early in the morning (4:30am ish?). My immediate reaction was, oh my goodness, the stock price is sinking like a rock. I should have seen it coming though, speculators were piling into the stock, driving the price up to $17/share which wasn't sustainable. When the deal finally came, these people were piling out of the stock. It seems like investors in general didn't like the deal because Yahoo didn't get cash upfront for the deal. I have to admit that the deal is fairly complicated. The next two days, I spend several hours sitting through meetings that explained the deal, and its implications. I understand what the deal entails now, but the merits of the deal were definitely not apparent at first glance.
In either case, I was glad to hear that my job wasn't going to be transferred to Microsoft. I will continue be fighting on the side of Yahoo, and my job should be safe. My team should be unaffected by the deal, so I thank God for that.
Anyway, I'm still digesting this deal, and pondering what the future holds, and what change shall come.
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