This is from the NY Times, an excerpt from an article concerning bribery in China. Thought it was amusing.
----------------------
With the public increasingly aware of government corruption, there has been talk of creating a national register to track the family assets of all government officials, in the hopes of weeding out bribe-taking relatives.
The problem is that officials in China appear to be addicted to European luxury brands.
In January, a land confiscation official in the southwestern city of Chongqing was sentenced to 13 years in prison for accepting kickbacks. The government confiscated 200 pairs of luxury shoes, 100 luxury suits and a luxury car.
At his sentencing in January, the official, Ding Meng, expressed no remorse about his expensive tastes.
He even scolded the prosecutor for her poor taste in fashion. “You’re a woman and you don’t even wear better luxury shoes than me,” he sniped. “Maybe you can spend $25 and buy a tube of shoe cream.”
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Why I am glad that I am not a woman
Men hunt, gather, sleep, fuck, and eat. It's been so for 50,000 years. With women, it's alot more complicated.
First off, there's menstruation. From 13 to 45+ (an entire generation), women bleed for a week every month. How annoying and inconvenient! To add insult to injury, they get cramps and bloat. Once my ex-gf, had such severe cramps that I almost ended up calling an ambulance because she was in such pain. It was really shocking. To further add to the injury, as if that isn't enough, the hormonal impact on their emotions is equally taxing to them. It's basically a week of toruture every month. (Fortunately, there are now birth control pills that alleviate this situation. But not all women are or will be on it.)
Secondly, a woman's worth in society is primarily based on their outer beauty. It shouldn't be. But in general, it is. This observation of social dynamics is not a prescription but a description. Outer beauty is, however, perishable and has a very short shelf life. And I think that women, instinctively understand this primitive but realialistic condition. This is why they worry so much about how much they weigh and demand perfect high and lowlights for their hair. A proper shampoo and conditioner are a must also.
Third, the biological clock. Women have them; men don't. Without a single exception, women who I have known start to act alittle differently starting around the age of 28. They become obsessed with marriage around this time. Is this a generalization? Yes, in general, from my experience, this is the case. Are generalizations bad? Yes, if they are without merit or evidence. But as cliches contain kernels of truth, generalizations are not always bad because they are generalizations as long as there is some truth to the generalization. So, women feel the press of time more than guys. The only pressure that guys have about time is regarding death. But this happens only after a man is about 50 whereas for women, the fear of time catching up to them occurs at 28. They start thinking, "Oh my god, I'm almost 30 and I'm going to be an old maid!" It's a near death experience.
Many women nowadays, distract themselves from this fear by focusing on their career. But that only delays the fear until they are around 34-35 when they too (as VP of Marketing, etc) realize that love, marriage, and children are more meaningful than the rat race. They obtain status and have people working for them and have arrived at power. But then, they, quite rightly realize, that all of that is meaningless compared to being a loving (and beloved) wife and mother. Tick toc tick toc tick toc... the meter is running.
Now, even when one gets married, there's a fairly significant chance that they'll get screwed over. The more powerful (in looks, status, or money) the man who she marries, the more options that the man has in every sphere of life. The divorce rate is about 40%. So, if a woman happens to be one of the 40%, that's a bad scenario. She is no longer 25 and because she has been busy raising kids, her resume is 15 yrs. old. Very difficult to get back in the workforce and it's a completely different lifestyle from changing diapers and watching daytime soap operas and going shopping vs. 9 hrs. of work and dealing with corporate politics. Fck!
[There are some women who are 'successful' no matter what (e.g. Oprah, Martha Stewart, JK Rowling, Condoliza Rice, etc.) But exceptions do not make it a rule.]
I'm glad that I'm not a woman. We have to work our asses off like a mule at times. But the alternative, that is, being a woman, is much harder.
I adore women and my life is richer because I'm with them and they with me. They appreciate and notice details, care more about others' feelings, are more responsible than guys, and just as intelligent or more so than guys are because they have a higher sense of intuition. But damn, it's tough to be a woman especially in the 21st century. More opportunities now, yes, but biology stays the same.
The meter keeps running.
[On a positive note though more women than ever before can have and are having a more fulfilling life and can have it all-- a first rate education, a job or a business that engages them, a wonderful husband and a great family.]
First off, there's menstruation. From 13 to 45+ (an entire generation), women bleed for a week every month. How annoying and inconvenient! To add insult to injury, they get cramps and bloat. Once my ex-gf, had such severe cramps that I almost ended up calling an ambulance because she was in such pain. It was really shocking. To further add to the injury, as if that isn't enough, the hormonal impact on their emotions is equally taxing to them. It's basically a week of toruture every month. (Fortunately, there are now birth control pills that alleviate this situation. But not all women are or will be on it.)
Secondly, a woman's worth in society is primarily based on their outer beauty. It shouldn't be. But in general, it is. This observation of social dynamics is not a prescription but a description. Outer beauty is, however, perishable and has a very short shelf life. And I think that women, instinctively understand this primitive but realialistic condition. This is why they worry so much about how much they weigh and demand perfect high and lowlights for their hair. A proper shampoo and conditioner are a must also.
Third, the biological clock. Women have them; men don't. Without a single exception, women who I have known start to act alittle differently starting around the age of 28. They become obsessed with marriage around this time. Is this a generalization? Yes, in general, from my experience, this is the case. Are generalizations bad? Yes, if they are without merit or evidence. But as cliches contain kernels of truth, generalizations are not always bad because they are generalizations as long as there is some truth to the generalization. So, women feel the press of time more than guys. The only pressure that guys have about time is regarding death. But this happens only after a man is about 50 whereas for women, the fear of time catching up to them occurs at 28. They start thinking, "Oh my god, I'm almost 30 and I'm going to be an old maid!" It's a near death experience.
Many women nowadays, distract themselves from this fear by focusing on their career. But that only delays the fear until they are around 34-35 when they too (as VP of Marketing, etc) realize that love, marriage, and children are more meaningful than the rat race. They obtain status and have people working for them and have arrived at power. But then, they, quite rightly realize, that all of that is meaningless compared to being a loving (and beloved) wife and mother. Tick toc tick toc tick toc... the meter is running.
Now, even when one gets married, there's a fairly significant chance that they'll get screwed over. The more powerful (in looks, status, or money) the man who she marries, the more options that the man has in every sphere of life. The divorce rate is about 40%. So, if a woman happens to be one of the 40%, that's a bad scenario. She is no longer 25 and because she has been busy raising kids, her resume is 15 yrs. old. Very difficult to get back in the workforce and it's a completely different lifestyle from changing diapers and watching daytime soap operas and going shopping vs. 9 hrs. of work and dealing with corporate politics. Fck!
[There are some women who are 'successful' no matter what (e.g. Oprah, Martha Stewart, JK Rowling, Condoliza Rice, etc.) But exceptions do not make it a rule.]
I'm glad that I'm not a woman. We have to work our asses off like a mule at times. But the alternative, that is, being a woman, is much harder.
I adore women and my life is richer because I'm with them and they with me. They appreciate and notice details, care more about others' feelings, are more responsible than guys, and just as intelligent or more so than guys are because they have a higher sense of intuition. But damn, it's tough to be a woman especially in the 21st century. More opportunities now, yes, but biology stays the same.
The meter keeps running.
[On a positive note though more women than ever before can have and are having a more fulfilling life and can have it all-- a first rate education, a job or a business that engages them, a wonderful husband and a great family.]
Friday, February 27, 2009
$28.3 Million Chair
Oh, totally worth every penny. NOT. FYI- It's from the YSL estate auction by Christie's last week.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Perniciousness of Religion
I'm gonna stick to Christianity alone for this one. But all religions except Buddhism and it's derivatives (e.g. Taoism, Zen), to me, are pernicious (i.e. dangerous).
Firstly, what is the core dogma of religion? Faith. What is faith? It's the suspension of reason and it's stead, belief becomes fact. What happens when belief triumphs over reason? Well, for one thing, you get appx. 700 years of the Dark Ages when human progress actually stopped and people went back to the stone age and later, people who said that the Earth rotated around the Sun were burned at the stakes or excommunicated. You also get the Taliban who will not allow girls to goto schools and behead those who are infidels. [You also get George W.]
Second, this whole Christianity business is NOT new. Horus, an Egyptian god (centuries before Christ), was born in Dec. via virgin birth, had 12 disciples, had his trials in the desert, died and was resurrected on the 3rd day. The same for Mithra, a god (a derivative of Sol) that the Romans worshipped right before Jesus came on the scene. It goes on and on. Btw, none of the New Testament gospels (aka God-spells) were written by an actual eyewitness and all of the gospels are different from eachother. The earliest one having been written roughy 30 years after the death of Jesus, and the rest, about a hundred years after. Continuing on... Why do we have bunnies for Easter? It's because the Persians celebrated the Goddess of fertility named Ishtar and the bunnies represent the fertile return of Spring during their Spring festivals. It goes on and on. I once took Graeco-Roman religion class at college and the professor kept saying, "during the Jesus movement..." so and so happened. I was offended by his description of the only son of god. But then after a few years of my own personal study and research, I realized that he was right. This whole resurrection and salvation business came long before and many many times before Jesus.
Third, can anyone in their right mind believe in a talking snake, putting on all of the animals on a boat before God wiped out the human race?, a man inside a big fish, bringing down the walls of a fortress by blowing on bugles, etc. What's the difference between these stories vs. mother goose, jack and the beanstalk, and Santa Clause.
Forth, many of our founding fathers thought that religion was pernicious as well. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, etc. all considered religion to be dangerous institution that stunted the minds of men. They even wrote about it. Heck, even George Washington, when he was sworn in laid his hands on the Masonic Bible vs. the King James Version.
I heard the most shocking survey recently that most Americans (about half) do not believe in evolution because God created Adam and Eve, not monkeys that became human. We were one of the very few industrialized nations that has such high percentage of people who reject a scientific fact such as evolution.
Fifth, there is no concept of the original sin in the Bible (anywhere). It was created by the Catholic church to scare people into joining the church so that they can have more people to control and to collect more revenues for their pompous institutions including for their wardrobes, palaces, ceremonies, lifestyles, etc. Btw, the Pope, there's nothing in the Bible that requires a Pope. Peter was 'the rock,' the foundation for the movement (per the Book of Acts). But that's it. The ten commandments: the first 3-4 commandments are to love the Biblical god and no one else, "for I am a jealous God." What a jealous God? I don't get it.
Anyway, I understand why people need to believe in a God. It makes life simpler for them (they don't have to think. The Church can think FOR them). Plus, afterall, is this life all that we have? Surely, there must be something beyond this life! Something more sublime, meaningful, and just! So, it's comforting as well.
So, a Jew, 2000 years ago comes to Earth on a suicide mission and dies for our sins so that we can goto heaven if we believe in him (and no one else) and if we are 'born again' through Baptism. Hmmm. Well, I was Baptised twice. So, I guess I'm good. My name is on the list when the door guy up on the pearly gate (I think his name is Jesus or Michael? Don't know who'll be working the door that nite) asks me, "You on the list?" I can say, "Yup. Frederick Kwon. I RSVPd twice!" Response: "Yes, I see your name. Come right in." I'll ask, "How is it in there?" He'll say, "It's awesome! You get to pray and sing to the Almighty all day and nite forever. Believe me, the whole virgin pussy thing that the Muslims get at their place... way over-rated."
P.S. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't discount the slim possibility of a deity of some sort or conscious energy that organizes life and death and the Physics of 'sin' (i.e. one's bad deeds eventually come due for payment and bites one on the ass) and I don't believe that everything is coincidence, afterall, the universe is so vast (actually, infinite) and at the same time, so infinitesmal, that there has to be some room for, dare I say, even 'intelligent design.' Moreover, I do love what Jesus stood for, that is, compassion and love, and I especially like the Surmon on the Mound. But all the rest of it... the fish stories (i.e. Jonah, multiplying fish and bread for the masses), Armageddon, talking snake, a god who makes a bet with satan and makes his follower suffer through murder of all his children, gives him boils then says, "hey kimosabe, we're chill now, OK?" (Book of Job), etc. etc.
... please.
Firstly, what is the core dogma of religion? Faith. What is faith? It's the suspension of reason and it's stead, belief becomes fact. What happens when belief triumphs over reason? Well, for one thing, you get appx. 700 years of the Dark Ages when human progress actually stopped and people went back to the stone age and later, people who said that the Earth rotated around the Sun were burned at the stakes or excommunicated. You also get the Taliban who will not allow girls to goto schools and behead those who are infidels. [You also get George W.]
Second, this whole Christianity business is NOT new. Horus, an Egyptian god (centuries before Christ), was born in Dec. via virgin birth, had 12 disciples, had his trials in the desert, died and was resurrected on the 3rd day. The same for Mithra, a god (a derivative of Sol) that the Romans worshipped right before Jesus came on the scene. It goes on and on. Btw, none of the New Testament gospels (aka God-spells) were written by an actual eyewitness and all of the gospels are different from eachother. The earliest one having been written roughy 30 years after the death of Jesus, and the rest, about a hundred years after. Continuing on... Why do we have bunnies for Easter? It's because the Persians celebrated the Goddess of fertility named Ishtar and the bunnies represent the fertile return of Spring during their Spring festivals. It goes on and on. I once took Graeco-Roman religion class at college and the professor kept saying, "during the Jesus movement..." so and so happened. I was offended by his description of the only son of god. But then after a few years of my own personal study and research, I realized that he was right. This whole resurrection and salvation business came long before and many many times before Jesus.
Third, can anyone in their right mind believe in a talking snake, putting on all of the animals on a boat before God wiped out the human race?, a man inside a big fish, bringing down the walls of a fortress by blowing on bugles, etc. What's the difference between these stories vs. mother goose, jack and the beanstalk, and Santa Clause.
Forth, many of our founding fathers thought that religion was pernicious as well. Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, etc. all considered religion to be dangerous institution that stunted the minds of men. They even wrote about it. Heck, even George Washington, when he was sworn in laid his hands on the Masonic Bible vs. the King James Version.
I heard the most shocking survey recently that most Americans (about half) do not believe in evolution because God created Adam and Eve, not monkeys that became human. We were one of the very few industrialized nations that has such high percentage of people who reject a scientific fact such as evolution.
Fifth, there is no concept of the original sin in the Bible (anywhere). It was created by the Catholic church to scare people into joining the church so that they can have more people to control and to collect more revenues for their pompous institutions including for their wardrobes, palaces, ceremonies, lifestyles, etc. Btw, the Pope, there's nothing in the Bible that requires a Pope. Peter was 'the rock,' the foundation for the movement (per the Book of Acts). But that's it. The ten commandments: the first 3-4 commandments are to love the Biblical god and no one else, "for I am a jealous God." What a jealous God? I don't get it.
Anyway, I understand why people need to believe in a God. It makes life simpler for them (they don't have to think. The Church can think FOR them). Plus, afterall, is this life all that we have? Surely, there must be something beyond this life! Something more sublime, meaningful, and just! So, it's comforting as well.
So, a Jew, 2000 years ago comes to Earth on a suicide mission and dies for our sins so that we can goto heaven if we believe in him (and no one else) and if we are 'born again' through Baptism. Hmmm. Well, I was Baptised twice. So, I guess I'm good. My name is on the list when the door guy up on the pearly gate (I think his name is Jesus or Michael? Don't know who'll be working the door that nite) asks me, "You on the list?" I can say, "Yup. Frederick Kwon. I RSVPd twice!" Response: "Yes, I see your name. Come right in." I'll ask, "How is it in there?" He'll say, "It's awesome! You get to pray and sing to the Almighty all day and nite forever. Believe me, the whole virgin pussy thing that the Muslims get at their place... way over-rated."
P.S. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't discount the slim possibility of a deity of some sort or conscious energy that organizes life and death and the Physics of 'sin' (i.e. one's bad deeds eventually come due for payment and bites one on the ass) and I don't believe that everything is coincidence, afterall, the universe is so vast (actually, infinite) and at the same time, so infinitesmal, that there has to be some room for, dare I say, even 'intelligent design.' Moreover, I do love what Jesus stood for, that is, compassion and love, and I especially like the Surmon on the Mound. But all the rest of it... the fish stories (i.e. Jonah, multiplying fish and bread for the masses), Armageddon, talking snake, a god who makes a bet with satan and makes his follower suffer through murder of all his children, gives him boils then says, "hey kimosabe, we're chill now, OK?" (Book of Job), etc. etc.
... please.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Amazon Speed
Forgot to blog this earlier. A few days ago, I purchased a couple of items from Amazon. And being pound foolish but pennywise, I of course picked the Free Shipping option with delivery window of 5-9 days which from my experience has been actually about 4-5 days from order to delivery. Well, this time, the sucker arrived the very next day. I was amazed when my doorman said, "Fred, you have a package." I said, "Really? I'm not expecting any packages today." Then he pulls out a box with an Amazon logo. I said, "This can't be. I ordered something mid-afternoon yesterday and I didn't do next day shipping." I was puzzled.
I opened the box when I got upto my apt. and lo behold, it's the stuff I ordered less than 24 hrs. ago! So, I checked the receipt to see if I accidentally pressed the wrong delivery option. Nope. Free delivery.
I couldn't believe it. Cheers to Amazon. I'm glad that I've purchased from Amazon since the year of their inception. What a wonderful American company.
I opened the box when I got upto my apt. and lo behold, it's the stuff I ordered less than 24 hrs. ago! So, I checked the receipt to see if I accidentally pressed the wrong delivery option. Nope. Free delivery.
I couldn't believe it. Cheers to Amazon. I'm glad that I've purchased from Amazon since the year of their inception. What a wonderful American company.
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