wanderer

I actually like myself when I read what I recorded the summer of 2006. This is not a narcissitic statement. If I always examine my navel, there is no way I can make others like me; And I should like myself now, I keep all my promises so far. This only downturn is that I haven't surprised my boss, yet.

The guy who gave us a talk has had 340 publications during ten some years of span? that's discouraging. I shouldn't be competing that with them;

'I can see clearly now' (Jimmy Cliff) touched my heart this morning on the way to work, the white snow decorated every branches of trees. brutally beautiful;

How about a story by the title 'Revenge before they die'? Sounds griping. Melissa Williams mentioned a line when interviewed, 'success is the best revenge.' I don't know who she hates, but it makes sense to me. Luis Gonzales vented similar emotions when D'backs cut him off, too bad he failed to throw a counter-attack wearing a Dogers' uniform. but it should be a good storyline in every walks of life.

CCP is doing a shitty job on PR when Tibetans broke out.  The moronic propaganda mugs on press conference won no friends for China.

Organizing is fun. items, files, and brain.

I will keep rage and love in the meantime. That's my drive.

The media must love something shocking happens often. After Spitzer's sex scandal was disclosed, all the corporate media (note, not the bloggers) exerted their great effort to dig out more stuff that drew eyebrows. I am surprised there are so much more info than desired. First, New York Times identified the hooker and post her photos online. There were some quotes from phone interview; Then NBC's ranked show 'Today' interviewed a brothel boss and an ex prostitute (Meredith addressed her euphuistically 'call girl'), had detailed discussion how the business was operated, who the clients were, why it was justifed since 'nobody's hurt, the clients are happy, the girls are happy and I (the pimp) am happy.'  Yadda Yadda. MSNBC never wanted to be left behind and sent a journalist for a case study to the 'oldest profession'. The reporter sit down with a Nevada hooker, this woman was so pround of choosing her career since she's making money out of her own asset, her body. Once again, detailed information how the 'industry' is running, why the sex workers are so happy and charming, etc. In the end, much to the reporter's jealousy, he mentioned that candid and smiling prostitute netted more than half million dollars last year. It left me with an impression, Mr. Spitzer, it's really unlucky of you that you were accidentally exposed, you could've been beloved charismatic politician.

The info is on all levels. On my way drive to work, the local call-in radio show hosts were having heated discussion on patroning a call girl. A guy called in and told his 4-time soliciting whores story, expensive one in Vegas, cheap one in south town street here. The hosts, 2 old farts and one brainless woman, were so excited, the questions were placed on the choosing of girls, the bargarning tricks, the level of hotness of the girl, and what to request for the service, almost a complete tour guide to a sex trip. Maybe with the desire of showing their righteousness, the host asked the guy, 'why did you go?'. The guy said, 'curiosity.' 'Then why did you go for the rest three times?'. The guy's answer? 'still, curiosity.'

I'm not a saint, but hoestly, I'm sick of the media. It ain't right. That's not news.

New York state governor Eliot Spitzer was caught in sex scandal today, credit to New York Times. Funny part is that he's got an image of hard-on prosecutor on corporate crime and helped on several prostitution ring cases.  A powerful, wealthy, and politically promising, man got busted at his Achilles' heel, what an irony. On the video clip, his otherwise supposedly enraged, humiliated wife watched him making the annoucement, quitely from the side. During the short one minute, her eyes showed covered peace, as-usual admiration, and in the end, trace of disdain. How awkward the arrangement of a supporting role could it be. To me, Mrs Spitzer's face was the most unforgetable scene during the high-drama. But Gov. Spitzer is not alone, ABC news nimbly listed 13 political figures who were caught in assort of sex farces. Unlike President Bill Clintion, Gov. Spitzer just can't survive his incident, it's a matter of time he steps down.

my buddy ZW once spread an urban legend that CCP arranges courtisan service for officials with equivalent of gubernatorial ranks, undergroundly of course. Too bad Mr. Spitzer is in the US. 

What is he thinking? or are they thinking? They seem to have everything but just lack of strange intimacy? This is a good source of story. Unfortunately for a politician,  that is not romance at all. this sort of mistake is very costly for them.

What matters is the core, not the crust or the skin. This applies to all the buzzing stuff, glamous public image, resouding speeches, or hokey titles. Another article on NYT may sound totally irrelevant, but let me connect them anyway. I just love the general advice when facing decision-making, marriage, career or even a gadget shopping. Shut down all the temptations or options, only focus on what really matters, one might have a better result. Spitzer is serving a counter example for his poor judgement. He is very smart, yet he tumbled at unwise thinking. Sorry, Eliot, definitely you won't be eligible for future presidency.

mahjong       There must be sophisticated reasons that mahjong is the most overwhelming social and entertaining activity in China nowadays. Against my previous memory, people playing this Chinese game now are more comfortable at the result of losing or winning money, they are not shy of disclosing how much they lose/win, either. The number, though, usually sounds truly staggering to me. 'I won 5 grand one night.' my buddy smiled at me. Naively, I asked friends why they are so into it. 'Well, it's a good simulation of life.' one girl told me, 'once you pick up that last piece to form the perfect set, it's like a huge achievement, you feel so fulfilled that you finished a perfect project.' Yet, more often than not, mahjong gamers taste frustration, bitterness and the bad feeling of losing. Life is a game, I guess folks in Sichuan want something exciting out of the game, they want some extreme emotions out of their otherwise mundane or queit lives.  But it is  disappointing to me people rely so much on a gambling game to spare their time. There are so much more in life than that 3 or 4 people sitting together for hours exchanging their germs from hand to hand via the mahjong blocks, no matter you are in big cities or small town, there is always fun to diversify people's focus, for example, gardening, dancing, some workout or sport, excursion, community event, people now seem to forget what they can do when the goverment cracked down any forms of gambling. The communist party is darn too serious of controlling the TV and media, they didn't find a right way to gauge the activities after work hours, they are unfortunately partially responsible for the unhealthy addiction of massive mahjong fever.

KTV          Just like decades ago, Chinese pop songs are dominated by slow, easy tempo love songs.  Rock, hip-pop, rap,  R & B  and other genre belong to only some urbane hippies.  But in KTV, these love songs fit the mood perfectly. We are adults, our emotions are multi-faceted and multi-layered, we need some lines to express our subtle sentiment. During many visits to KTV with buddies, I experienced the moment the singing bee was so much into the song, he/she sang by heart. It is self-acclaimed performance,  a short form for soup opera. This is perfect for amateurs. The only part I was not thrilled about is, some guys like to put the speakers on high decibel, the music and singing are exploding into the ears, really a torture.  'Did someone ever tell you that I am so much in love with you...' one recent hit goes like this, 'did someone ever cry in your diary?'  I have no love to tell tonight, and I stoped my diary years ago, but I often recall those nights at KTV, my friends and I refreshed those past golden days with songs and beer, we showed our sentiment flamboyantly in the dime light, mixed with the smell of alcohol and cigarette,  it's an on-stage self-annoucement---I want to be myself as always, but I know I am acting in some way.  Singing in the light bears some peotic color, many songs, many faces are still surfacing on my mind like yesterday.