New Year's in Montreal

I'm going to Montreal for New Year's, so I won't be posting...again. In fact, I've only been back to my Waterloo place for a few hours over the holidays, and that's where usually do my blogging. When I'm at home, I usually can't get much time on the computer, or I'm watching TV, or I spend it out. Too bad blogger doesn't have a feature that let's your prewrite entries and then automatically post them at a later date.

Anyway, it's the end of the year, so usually sites do year in review stuff. I don't have much to say, so I'll post BBC's 100 New Facts we didn't know the year before. What I do want to post about is Time Magazine's Person of the Year. I bought the magazine for the plane ride on the way back from my cruise and I just had a few thoughts about that, which I'll post when I get back.

So please tell me in the comments, which is better, Reuben or Schwartz's for smoked meat in Montreal? Either way, I'm taking pictures of it!

Internet on the cruise

I wrote a post on the cruise (not that Slate post that I wrote before the cruise), but the internet was so shitty there it didn't get posted. It cost $0.50USD per minute for internet on the cruise ship. Per minute!!!! The reason I decided to post was because I needed to check my work email.

It turned out to be a really bad idea. I got so pissed off at how slow and unresponsive the internet was on the ship, that I think I was yelling out obcenities for all to hear. I got so worked up and stressed that I was sitting in the air conditioning sweating. I ended up being only able to send one work email. It ended up costing me $17. What a rip. And it brought my stress level way up...unnecessarily. Anyway, I'm still pissed about it, so that's why I'm posting about it.

PS Does anyone want me to post anything about the caribbean cruise? It might be boring, but I'm not sure, so let me know either way....

My wii is broken [Update 1]

Good news is that my penis still works, despite the best efforts of Mike Lim who sacked me on the cruise. I got sacked twice on my cruise, once by myself on the rock climbing harness (note to self, do not lean forward while dangling) and the other time by Mike as I was sleeping on the beach, but I digress. The bad news is that my Nintendo Wii is broken. It's horrible timing too, since I'll likely have some free time over the holidays, but can't spend it wiiing (is that three i's or just two? The best answer is that I shouldn't be randomly turning nouns into verbs).

I went to turn on the Wii after setting up the HD antenna (it's powered/amplified one) for the TV. I had gotten it for my dad for Christmas. Mind you, I was turning on the Wii the day after Christmas. HDTV is mesmerizing when you first get it. I was watching crap shows/movies, just because it was in HD. It's surprising how much more interesting television news is in HD. Unfortunately I can only pick up five HD channels....CBC, CTV, CityTV, SunTV, Omni2 (WB/UPN from Buffalo cuts in and out). I was hoping for a few more, but I haven't fiddled with the antenna yet. Anyway, getting off topic again.

When I turned on the Wii the power light goes from red to green, but I get no video output on the screen. Discs can load and unload properly. But the most worrisome symptom is the fact that Wiimotes don't sync. This indicates to me that the Wii has bootup issues, likely pointing to a hardware failure of some sort or firmware corruption. Without opening the box, there is not much more I can do for diagnosis. I just bought a Wii component cable today, and I'll try that out to make sure it isn't some sort of video cable issue. Don't think it is though.

So pissed now. I finally have my component cable, some free time and I can't play. I've been waiting for the component cable even since it came out and I finally got my hands on one. I found it in an obscure EB Games shop in Kitchener as they were sold out in Toronto and most Kitchener/Waterloo locations. I was waiting specifically for the Madcatz ones because it only costs $25 as compared to the ASID ones, which cost $50 at FutureShop.

So I called Nintendo support today and will go through the repair process. They gave me the option of getting it repaired (and hopefully saving my save information) or getting a new unit (and losing my saved files). Unfortunately, the repair process takes 3+ weeks. The replacement unit method takes about a week (the time it takes to ship a unit to me). At least it's free, because it's still under warranty. They have a standard warranty of 1 year, followed by 3 extra months if you register (which I did as soon as I discovered the problem). Worse case is if my flash is corrupted and my personal data is lost as well.

We'll see how it goes with Nintendo. At least their customer service rep was friendly, efficient and informative. So to anyone expecting me to bring it around on the 29th, I won't be able to :(

[Update 1] speaking of getting sacked, check out the following video (thanks roz):

Merry Christmas!

Cruise over :(

I'm currently in the Apple store in Miami on Lincoln Ave Mall getting free internet. Just got off the cruise ship and getting ready to head back to normal life. It's really strange being in such a hot place, like Miami and seeing Christmas decorations. Anyway, hopefully there won't be any problems with flights and driving on the way back. See you soon!

Updated Links (Slate Edition)

Slate finally properly implemented RSS feeds for their site. I have added my favourites writers/columns to my RSS feed, as you can see to the right. Check them out (note all links are RSS feeds):

Dear Prudence: Not as good as before, but still pretty decent. Don't know why I like this stuff so much...

Explainer: Good explanations for questions you always wanted to ask, but didn't know whom to ask or where to find the answer.

Gaming: Just saw this one now...I'll add it to my "under consideration" rotation of RSS feeds and see if it works out.

Human Guinea Pig: Consistently a fun read. She takes ideas from readers about things people who like to try, but don't have the guts to. She has a good sense of humour as well.

Human Nature: Good summary of "health" related news. Usually wacky stuff.

Sports Nut: My favourite writer is Bill Simmons, but I'll give what Slate has to offer a chance.

Undercover Economist: Another one I just noticed...I'll see if it worthy to promote to my regular link rotation.

Almost Cruising

F*ck, our flight got cancelled. There is too much fog in New Jersey, our transferring point, so we'll have to wait until tomorrow. We're on a early morning flight (6 AM) for tomorrow morning, and we're currently stuck in a hotel room in Buffalo tonite. I hope everything goes well tomorrow and we make it on the ship!

Cruise Time!

I am away on a cruise for all of next week (this friday to next saturday), so no more updates, unless I get access to Internet in the Caribbean (at which time I'll probably be checking work email :( ). Anwyay, we're hitting up Jamaica, Haiti, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Should be fun...and should be nice and hot! :) Later!

Blogging is levelling off

According to the following link, analysts think that blogging will be levelling off next year. They say that most people who will blog have already tried it and there are a lot of people that have tried it and gave it up.

A choice quote: "a lot of people have been in and out of this thing. Everyone thinks they have something to say, until they're put on stage and asked to say it."

Considering the quality of some of my posts, sometimes I wonder whether I have anything worthwhile to say. Or sometimes, I get hung up on one topic and only blog about that (Can you guess what that might be?).

But my friend Kevin, just put up a nice post about why he blogs. He makes some good points which I agree with, especially about blogging for yourself. He also makes a good point about blogging vs privacy concerns, and how he "blogs about the things that [he] would tell [his] friends anyways". I strive for that as well. In fact I think I'll change my blog description....that's kinda cheesy, but I'll leave it up until I can think of something better.

Mean Girls

I happened to catch Mean Girls on the TV over the weekend...and hard as it is to admit it was ok. TBS always plays the same movie over and over again for a weekend, and I happen to start watching as I was eating dinner...then I stayed to watch the rest of it, even though I was hitting up a bar later that night. So I ended up being a little late, but I manage to watch the entire movie.

The movie was actually pretty funny and entertaining. (I can't believe I'm blogging about Mean Girls). I like the part where they go through the cliques and mention the cool and nerdy Asians. I was definitely in the nerdy Asian clique, if I was even in a clique (I don't even remember if I knew about the various high school cliques when I was in high school). Some the SNL cast members had great roles, like Tim Meadows and Amy Poehler. Tina Fey was good too, even though her major role was writing the screenplay...which is actually quality. Even Lindsay Lohan and Rachel McAdams do a good job in their roles. Kinda didn't like the ending, where she gets the guy, but a small complaint.

I didn't notice as I was watching, but they filmed that movie in Etobicoke! Yes, Etobicoke, the place where I live! A lot of the school scenes were filmed at ECI (Etobicoke Collegiate Institute) and the mall scenes were at Sherway Gardens (my local mall). I can't believe that I didn't notice. My sister pointed it out to me after the movie.

But really, by far, the best part of the movie is Kevin G. Most of you probably don't even remember him because he has a small role, but he's the captain of the Mathletes. Part of the reason why I find him so funny is because I would peg him to become a stereotypical cocky Waterloo Engineer. Everything about him screams "cocky Waterloo Engineer". I really enjoyed that character and for some reason I have trouble thinking of Tina Fey writing his part...I just don't see it happening. Turns out the actor for Kevin G. is from Toronto too...coincidence?

Anyway, I included the lyrics below of Kevin G's Christmas Talent Show rap. Probably doesn't mean much if you haven't seen the movie, but it's still funny:

Kevin G's Rap:
Yo Yo Yo! All you sucka MCs ain't got nothin' on me! From my grades, to my lines you can't touch Kevin G! I'm a mathlete, so nerd is inferred, but forget what you heard I'm like James Bond the third, sh-sh-sh-shaken not stirred - I'm Kevin Gnapoor! The G's silent when I sneak through your door. And make love to your woman on the bathroom floor. I don't play it like Shaggy, you'll know it was me. Cause the next time you see her she'll be like, OOH! KEVIN G!

PS Why didn't our school have Mathletes? boo...
PPS I can't believe I just wrote 500 words about Mean Girls. Yes, you can call me homo in the comments.

Artistic Direction

Even though most don't really notice it most of the time, video games require artistic direction. There are some really nice video games out there with unique artistic direction/style such as Zelda Wind Waker with it's cel-shaded animation or Okami with a water colour look.

But the one I wanted to mention today is for the graphically challenged Wii. Once again it's Rayman Raving Rabbids. Really the genius in artistic diretion is the character animations of the rabbids. Those wacky frenchmen at Ubisoft have really come up with some funny/wacky character designs. Check out the video to see what I mean:



And what is the point of art, if you can't cash in? j/k :)

I stopped by futureshop and they actually had component cable for the Wii. It looks like some local company put it together and started selling it for $50. Even at $50, it apparantly sold out really fast. Damn, I'm going to wait for some cheaper one.

Wii randomness [Update 1]

I may be coming down with something. I woke up with a bit of a sore throat, but otherwise feeling ok. I think I'll rest tomorrow and not go rock climbing and not go to the radical illumination thing (take pics guys and don't forget your tripods). Hopefully it'll just go away, because it doesn't feel very serious. I feel a little sore, but I think that's from working out on Wednesday, and it's nothing out of the ordinary. My workout schedule is so crappy. I'm trying to go at least once a week, and that doesn't do anything. From my peak, I think I lost about 10-15 pounds of muscle and now I'm a skinny *ss. I need Monty back as a workout partner...he was the best!

So now I have 3 Wiimotes + nunchuks and I've unlocked Rayman multiplayer. Mike Lim, Richard and I are suppose to be preparing for the cruise in two weeks, but I think Mike just wants to play Wii. So I'll be having people over on saturday afternoon 1PM-6PM. Feel free to drop by.

Just wanted to vent about a few Wii annoyances:

1. Component Cable:
      I can't find any at any retailer. Even though the best the Wii can do is 480p, I still want it. Madcatz recently made available a $20 component cable, but that sold out right away. Boo.
   
2. Battery Life:
      I've gone through 2 sets of batteries already. The first set I wasted when I transported my Wiimote with a button held down (stupid mii). The other one, I suspect died from use. That's really sh*tty battery life, even though it's being going through some heavy use the last 3 weeks. Looks like I'll need to get some rechargeables.
   
3. Need more controllers:
      If you take a look at the following chart, I will likely have to get more controllers to play other types of games. More money down the drain. I'm interesting in Super Smash Brothers Brawl and I heard that it doesn't use the wii-mote, so either gamecube controllers or classic controllers will be needed. And I'll likely need four of those as well.
   

[Update 1] Nintendo improved the Wiimote strap and I already own three of the old ones. That's what I get for being an early adopter. Haven't had any problems so far, so I'm not too worried...as long as people don't get too excited with it!

Wong Fu Productions

Apparantly Wong Fu Productions was in Waterloo recently....and I missed it...booo.

Anyway, on the off chance you haven't heard of them (ie you're white...or white-washed), they make entertaining, funny, polished videos and most importantly, they are asian.

So they made a promo video for their showing of their full length feature, "A Moment with You" in Waterloo. Check it out and see MC and DC (the social library) in the backgrounds:



If you were wondering about how their showing went, you can check out a video of their showing at UW. Damn, wish I was there. Tonite they are at Western for their last showing, so I missed them.



Perhaps their most notorious video was the one about "Yellow Fever". That's how I first got introduced to their work. I posted it below. Some of the effects and music come from an anime series names Jungle wa Itsumo Hale nochi Guu. This is the one anime series I have watched in my life, and it just so happens to be in this video. Anyway, enjoy!



PS now that I surfed over to their official site, I remember seeing them advertising that they are coming to Canada, but I totally forgot about it since I looked it up a long time ago. Crap it and boo to my forgetfulness.

Wii Videos

Yeah, I don't have much to post about...so I'll just post some wii related youtube videos:

The first one is an "extreme" video. You'll know what I mean when you watch it. Thankfully no one I know looks like that when playing.



A fan made commercial for the Wii, spoofing an earlier ps3 ad. Looks really polished for an amateur effort.



Colbert on the Wii. Is it just me, or has his show's rating gone through the roof since he did that President Bush Correspondence dinner?




Should I get Elebits for Wii? It's a hard to describe game, but one that seems to offer some unique gameplay. Check out the Japanese video. Anyway, that's it for now...

Wiikend Update

Another wiikend, and more Wii.

After work on friday, I drove all the way to Richmond Hill for some AYCE sushi and chinese/japanese buffet...at the same restaurant. It's a place called Wasabi and I think it opened fairly recently. The link has a lot of pics of the food at that place, so check it out. It's a little pricey, $22 on Friday night, but there's quite a lot of choice. Strangely enough, I think I'd prefer it if there wasn't so much choice, because my stomach was split between all that seafood (so much crab, yum) and buffet food versus the sushi. Still, both the buffet and the sushi was tasty...I also enjoyed the chocolate fondue fountain for dessert :)

(BTW, that food review site also just recently reviewed burrito boys (Official site), a recent discovery and a quick favourite).

Afterwards, we hit up Victor's house (like ten of us uninvited) and played Wii and Smash. Hmm, I mentioned that I was trying to be an ambassador for the Wii in one of my previous posts....how successful have I been in the past 2 weeks? I count over 35 people that I've introduced it to so far. Not too bad in a short amount of time.

Even though I haven't played it in a long time, Smash was really fun. Such good game design. I'm pretty bad at it, but it's still fun.... especially when it's 2v2 teams, and as usual I pair up with Pandemic with our favourtie characters, Zelda & Roy. I'm looking forward to the next iteration of Smash on the Wii....can't wait!

Saturday, I went to Bangkok Garden with Kitty. Expensive restaurant (aimed at white ppl...we were the only asian customers there), but nicely decorated and the food and service was good. Thai food that is expensive is oxymoronic, but I digress. Will came by after dinner (should have been before the show, but dinner took longer than expected) and dropped of a Wii-mote and nunchuk for me...that was really nice of him, thanks!



Afterward we attended the show Wicked. I'm not a huge fan of theatre, but this show was pretty good - definitely creative and clever. I think the reason it was so interesting was because you want to know how they tied all the characters into the original Wizard of Oz story. At the end, I took a picture of Kitty and myself and a usher came over to ask us to delete the pictures. Apparently the whole interior of the theatre is copyrighted and you're not allowed to take pictures...even if the picture has hardly any part of the theatre in it.

I also finished the story mode for Rayman Raving Rabbids this weekend. Once again I'd like to reiterate that that game is hilarious.

In summary, a fun Wiikend :)