it might get loud

Is it just me or has the news in HK been getting more disgusting, as in “what the hell is wrong with the world?” lately?

I used to get that feeling watching news in LA everynight, then I moved to HK and it was a relief to watch the news and see huge deals made out of minor-ass crimes. “Ha HK cops must have it easy” I always joked. Tom and I always talk about how it’s so refreshing to know we can walk around in the middle of the night, alone, with headphones on blaring (we do that often cause he’s a hippie and I’m an emo)  and knowing that we won’t get mugged. But lately, in the news… choppings, acid attacks, murderous maids, grown men forcing little girls for sex, head-bashing bandits, assassination plots, what the heck?

In Jack Johnson’s words, “where’d all the good people go”?

Anyway, a bit of escape...so here goes

It might get loud

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl9iS2egnC0 I've seen Jack White live like 5 times. Each time was better than the last.

TEN best picture nominees for the Oscars next year.

Why the decision? Probably because they realized that The Dark Knight, Wall-E and The Wrestler not getting nominated was quite a travesty.

Ten nominations initially seemed crazy, but it makes sense. This opens up room for smaller indie flicks, animations, "mainstream movies", and foreign flicks. We'll get more movies that "come out of nowhere" and win everyone's heart, like Juno did in 2007.

And if you look back and apply this ten nominations rule to previous years--suddenly the race is alot more interesting. With TDK in the mix, Slumdog wouldn't have had been the overwhelming favorite because let's face it, 99.99% of people that walked out of TDK were blown away, and Ledger's joker has become a cinematic icon. If this same rule had applied in 2003, Eternal Sunshine would have gotten a nomination and word of mouth would have drove its box office up. Crash's surprise win in 2006 would happen a bit more often with ten nominations,

The only recent awards that wouldn't have been affected would be 2008, because No Country For Old Men is THAT MUCH better than everything else (things a fucking masterpiece).

It just opens up all the possibilities. With ten spots now, Up is a lock to get a nod. It's also good for business sense--more films up for the big prize means more rooting interest from people.

I went to the AsiaWorld Expo for a press con today and on my way home I took the bus. I always take the bus back from the airport because the ride is so relaxing and soothing--especially the part over the bridge. I was on the upper deck in the front, and as we were passing by the bridge, I was listening to Radiohead's Just.

There's a part near the end of Just, it's quite possibly my favorite segment of modern music. It's at the 3:18 mark of this video (3:04 mark of the original track). Allow me to describe: it's like the perfect divergence of singing, screaming, guitar riff, bass line, drum roll, distortion, palm mute, everything. It starts with Thom Yorke doing his falsetto thing, Johnn Greenwood making his guitar weep, then the "dun dun dun dun" bass line comes in while the guitar continues to cry. At the 3:33 mark, another riff comes in, followed by the drumroll, then every thing comes together. Everything in its right place.

But please wear proper headphones or use legit speakers if you're trying listening to the part.

So yeah, I was listening to that part right when we were crossing the bridge and I was like "wow". Yeah I like The Bends better than OK Computer, man.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4285489

Shaq to Cavs.

Shaq and Lebron together.

You know what's interesting? Shaq has played with Penny, Kobe, Wade and Lebron, four of the most talented swingman of all time. And Kobe, Wade and Lebron could potentially all finish in the pantheon (Kobe's already there. Lebron's a lock to get there, Wade is like 70% chance to get there right now)

Clark Kent stenciled on the walls next to a food stall in Sheung Wan. I think I wanna write a piece eventually on superhero mythology in mainstream Hong Kong culture. Some claims that movies like The Dark Knight or Spiderman brought superhero mythology to the mainstream, but naw man, it's always been there. Everyone is secretly a comic book geek, they just try to hide it.

I know there's that spiderman/Bizarro logo near Caine road, there's a Batman "I know I'm fighting a war I can never completely win" Alex Ross painting in Causeway Bay, and there are all these random Bat symbols drawn by our geeky designer from back in Feb...

Video: http://www.youtube.com/v/9zSVu76AX3I&hl=en&fs=1& I think Nike has got the greatest advertising/marketing team in the world. Remember that freestyle commercial, the one that was such a phenomenon it was spoofed by the Wayans Brothers (okay bad example, those two will spoof a youtube clip of a three legged cat)...but this commercial, another legendary Jordan spot that drives home a message.

Maybe this

maybe that

Or maybe you just making excuses.