Edshugeo The GodMoor

Lai Ying used to be the spot I'd go to for my Hong Kong DVDs and VCDs in Manhatten's Chinatown. Every few weeks or so I'd make the one hour Long Island Railroad trip to the city and stock up on a handfull of HK movies, and this was the place to go. After years of buying bootleg VHS tapes at various places like a mall on Jamaica Ave. in Queens, and The Karate Center across from the Port Authority terminal as well as tape trading through the mail. A friend of mine hipped me to rental shops in Chinatown. I visited a few (owned by U.E. Enterprises, I think) and rented some tapes, but the trip for me made that option a little on the expensive side unless I needed to be in the city 2 days apart. My friend was working out there, so for him it was no thang.

About ten years ago as I prepared to purchase my first DVD player, I'd discovered a small string of video stores on The Bowery. I don't remember if by chance or if I'd read about them on alt.asian-movies (a usenet discussion group). Or maybe it was while I was searching for the last remaining (not for long) Chinese movie theatre in Manhatten, The Music Palace, which was also on the Bowery.

Anyhow, knowing that the VCD format worked on some DVD players as well as PCs, I started to build up a collection of VCDs, so I'd have a selection to play once I got a player, but could watch right away on my computer.

Lai Lai was the first store I became a semi-regular at. I'd tried a store closer to or on the corner of Canal and the Bowery, and felt like a complete foreigner there. While Lai Lai was a lot smaller, it was a lot less intimidating as well. I'm pretty sure that's where I first met Michelle, who had helped me out when I had to return the DVD of Tai Chi Master. Twice, I think. It wouldn't play, and then another copy was tried in-store and that didn't work either, so I opted for some other movie. I still don't have Tai Chi Master on DVD, and I won't buy Twin Dragons (the U.S. release), though I've seen it.

Lai Ying opened up next door and when I went there was surprised to see Michelle, who I guess was running this operation. Lai Lai might've been her aunt's shop, but I don't remember for sure. Lai Ying was the greatest place for movies for a while, and there was a dude selling HK comics in the back as well. These came packaged with toy swords, which were the main reason I was buying them.

Over time I visited with less frequency due to a lot of factors (the internet, not that interested in Jonhny To movies and the like, not enough new kung fu movies, less time for long trips to buy movies, etc.), but always expected it would be there for me, if I needed it. But no more. It's been razed to the ground by some bastard.

Swiped from Kaiju Shakedown:

The legendary Lai Ying in New York City has been HQ central for Asian film fans for years and years now. Run by Michelle, this DVD/VCD/CD store was located one door down from the Music Palace, one of the last Chinatown movie theaters in the US, near the corner of Bowery and Hester and it was the place to pick up the latest Hong Kong and Japanese movies. They had an extensive stock, would find anything you were looking for, and their bargain bin ran a "3 for $20" special pretty much non-stop. Michelle and her co-worker Paul really stepped up their game to help serve non-Cantonese-speaking fans and their prices were usually the lowest in town. They were also one of the few people to stand up to Tai Seng's "piracy" raids that were once the bane of Chinatown video stores.

A few weeks ago, the owner of the building in which Lai Ying was located told them that they had to move, despite the fact that they had a couple of years left on their lease. Given 15 minutes to vacate the store, Michelle managed to find a new location at 75 Chrystie Street around the corner. Two days later, however, the building owner reneged on his promise to Michelle to let her staff back in to get her inventory out and he had the building demolished along with her entire stock of DVDs and CDs. He told her to file an insurance claim if she wanted her money. On the one hand, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." On the other: holy cow! This is a massive blow to a small business owner, and Michelle has lost all of her money. More details in the next few days.

That... Is fucked up. I had read that they moved, a little while back at the Kung Fu Cinema forums, but this bit with the 15 minutes to vacate and later on all of her stock being destroyed like that...

RRrrgh!!

I'll have to make it a point to visit the new spot some time in the next few weeks.

Labels: bullshit, DVD, Heroes, kung fu, movies, odd

I just pre-ordered this muh-fug this morning. Now it's being recalled worldwide because some of the music contains readings from Islam's holy text. I think I'm gonna cancel my order.* I'll get the game eventually, perhaps when it's down to thirty or forty bucks. My purchase this morning was kinda an impulse, nudged slightly by Amazon's offer of a ten dollar gift certificate with the pre-order. Since I order from them all the time, why not? Now with the extra time it'll take to get the game, I think I'll just pass for now.

Sony needs to get it's act together. Right now the PS3 is getting its ass kicked here in the U.S. as well as on it's "home turf", Japan. Is it even fair to still call Sony a Japanese company? I wonder.

Little Big Planet does look like fun, though.

Anyhow, I still enjoy the machine as a Blu-Ray player and continue to order movies for it. I have Metal Gear Solid IV and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 as well as a few downloadable games for the PS3; Loco Roco: Cocoreccho, Pain, and Piyotama. I've haven't touched MGS 4 or Rainbow 6 and barely played the others, so it's not like I have to have a new game right now. Plus there are a few unfinised games for the Xbox 360 as well.


* October 20th, 2008 - I did cancel, but I changed my mind and I'm a gonna order it again (or buy it at or near the time it comes out).

Labels: bullshit, downloads, Islam, japanese, online retailers, PS3, video games

UN Classifies Rape A "War Tactic".
Maybe I'm just not understanding what this is about, but it seems to me, Rape (in this context) should be classified a "War Crime". War tactic sound legit.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, Fucking Idiots, politics, society, terrorism, World Affairs

This is fucked up.

These details are swiped from Electronic Village;


Villagers remember the horrific story of ten youths that forced their way into a Black woman's home in Dunbar Village housing complex down in Florida. For several hours,they not only gang-raped her repeatedly and viciously beat her young son, but they forced her to have sex with her own child. The teenage boys then placed the two of them in a bathtub and poured nail polish remover in her son's eyes, blinding him for a period of time. They attempted to set them on fire, but couldn't find a match. So instead, they violated them with ammonia and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone.

Only four of the suspects have been apprehended, there are six others on the loose. There is conclusive DNA evidence on at least one of the boys. There is no manhunt for the rest of the criminals, they are running around loose as you read this.


Fast forward to today. It seems that the NAACP and Al Sharpton's National Action Network (NAN) both refused to help this woman because it was 'outside the scope of their mission' ... however, both groups found time to send lawyers down to Florida IN SUPPORT OF THE RAPISTS. The lawyers are claiming that it is 'unfair' to not offer bail to these four rapists.

Barack Obama spoke on the rage that exists in Black America when it comes to race relations. That rage burns especially strong when sexual crimes are committed against Black women and children ... even if the criminals involved are Black!

I encourage all like-minded villagers to join in collective action against the NAACP and Al Sharpton's NAN as a result of their misguided criminal advocacy in the Dunbar Village case. Perhaps it is time for right-thinking villagers to stop fueling the NAACP and NAN with our money and our volunteer activism until they stop trying to hinder the successful prosecution of this heinous crime down in Dunbar Village.

Perhaps it is time to ensure that the safety of Black women and children are non-negotiable. Here are some specific steps you can take:

1. Share this post with others so they might have their conscience and concern raised as yours as been today.
2. Demand an explanation from your local NAACP and NAN chapter about the Dunbar Village case.
3. Cancel your membership to these organizations
4. Write a letter explaining that you will return when they prioritize the public safety needs of Black women and children.
5. Stop donating your time or money to these organizations; instead invest in other organizations that take the lives of Black women and children seriously.

Even if you do not belong to these organizations, call or write them to express your displeasure:


NAACP National Headquarters
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
(410) 580-5777

National Action Network
Rev. Al Sharpton
106 W. 145th Street
Harlem, New York 10039
(212) 690-3070

You can obtain more information about the direct action against NAACP and NAN from the Dunbar Village blog (BBR #494).

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, society, terrorism

Geert Wilders has had his website, which promotes his anti-Islam film, Fitna, shut down by it's host, Network Solutions. While I don't agree with some of Mr. Wilders views*, I don't like what's going on here. Of course, he can move to a different host, though they aren't the only providers with clauses about "hate speech".

What I like even less is this story (from January) that Network Solutions is registering domain names entered into their search site, to force interested parties into purchasing said domains from them instead of from a (less expensive) competitor.

However, when trying this myself with a couple of bullshit names (soundofnmnmnm, jesusisgoogly), both remained available after leaving and returning to the site. Either they've changed their tune, or have become good at filtering out bullshit names. The latter is unlikely since so many domain names sound silly to begin with (including my own).

Jesusisgoogly might have a couple of decent uses, but I'm gonna pass. As of this writing, though, it's up for grabs.

* www.fitnathemovie.info is still online and was linked above. It appears to be a mirror to www.fitnathemovie.com, though I never saw the offending site, so I guess I can't really say. Supposedly, the fifteen minute film will be viewable there.

Labels: bullshit, Islam, movies, religion, terrorism, World Affairs

I'm a little concerned about the way the media is playing the Obama/Clinton primary campaign story. Especially the polling by race stuff. To me that seems way more polarizing than anything coming out of the campaigns.

Are they just reporting what's there? Maybe, but I remember that nobody I knew gave a rats ass about OJ Simpson until polls revealed a racial split among those who thought he was guilty or innocent.

Labels: bullshit, politics, society

Okay, it's not terrorism, continuing assaults on our freedoms, or way out of control illegal immigration, but still.

Time Warner said on Wednesday that it was going to start testing a new rate plan in Beaumont that would limit the amount of bandwidth each customer can use each month before additional fees kick in. Alexander Dudley, a Time Warner spokesman, said that the exact terms had not been set, but that packages would probably offer between 5 gigabytes and 40 gigabytes a month. The top plan would cost roughly the same as the company’s highest-speed service, which typically runs between $50 and $60 a month.

read more....

Labels: bittorrent, bullshit, computers, downloads, media, technology

is really The Banquet which really sucks all kinds of ass just like The Curse Of The Golden Armor did. In other words, I don't recommend it.

Labels: bullshit, kung fu, movies

Sony wants to sell digital music via gift cards that you go to Best Buy to purchase. Then you take it home, scratch off to reveal a pin number and download your Thirteen dollar album. Huh? Like I can't do that with a CD, which I'd take home and convert into mp3? (though the music industry wants you to believe that ripping your own music is illegal - muthafuckers!) If I wanted just the mp3, I don't need the trip to Best Buy.

The angle that gift cards are popular presents doesn't wash in this instance either. Gift cards are generally used when one doesn't know what to get for someone. The card usually lets the user choose what they will spend it on, either at a specific retailer or a wider group of them. There have been such cards for mp3s for iTunes, and I think for eMusic and Rhapsody.

However it's good for surprising your loved one. When she opens it up and starts to think you got her a card to shop somewhere, imagine the look on her face when she realizes that you actually got her a card for the new (?) Backstreet Boys album. Not only that. Even though your dumb ass went all the way to Best Buy to purchase this one specific album, you didn't actually pick it up. You got the card so that she has to do the fucking work to get it. Brilliant!

So maybe Sony comes back in a year and go; "This DRM-free thing isn't working for us." Oh, yeah? No shit, you stupid fucking monkey! Well it's been working for me. I've been able to bypass your convoluted schemes and get your music just fine, and for free.

When you're ready to actually do business, call me.

Labels: bullshit, Fucking Idiots, music business, online retailers

The last time I noticed something like this, it was a projectionist who made known his opinion of some movie before it was widely released.

This time it's an editorial director at a gaming site I used to check out regularly. The firing may've been motivated by the huge amount of advertising on Gamespot by Eidos for their apparently not so great game, Kane And Lynch.

While this controversy shines an unflattering light on the Gamespot site, other sites could very easily learn the wrong lesson from this. Luckily, it's easier than ever to get opinions from fellow gamers, as well as playable demos to help guide the choices we make.

In any case, I won't be needing Gamespot, as there are a ton of other videogame news sites, and I certainly won't be giving any Eidos titles a benefit of the doubt. If Eidos actually makes a kick ass game, I'll probably check it out, though.

Labels: advertising, bullshit, comics, video games

Prince is being a dick, again. Is there no end to his dickery?

Labels: bullshit, Prince

Prince responds in song (recorded last night) to the shitstorm he started. And what a funky ass song it is. It seems he's still being an ass in the lyrics (or so it's been interpreted), but who cares? Listen.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, downloads, music, Prince

This is a bit disturbing. The BBC has posted a story about a woman who has been convicted (in the UK) of possessing terrorist manuals and writing Jihadist poetry.

She had posted her poems on websites under the screen name the Lyrical Terrorist, prosecutors said.

Malik said the poems were "meaningless", but prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said: "These communications strongly indicate Samina Malik was deeply involved with terrorist related groups."

Police said they had found a "library" of Islamist literature in her bedroom including The Al-Qaeda Manual and The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.

Sounds like guilt by association or consorting with witches. Not that I'm a big fan of Islamist groups, but I don't like this at all.

However... buried deep in the story was this little tidbit;

She also tried to donate money to a terrorist group.

That does seem like a serious charge and one worthy of jail time. The other stuff at best, should have inspired the authorities to keep a watch on her activities and those of her friends.

I just wonder if the other stuff was over played to generate more sympathy.

"She had the ideology, ability and determination to access and download material, which could have been useful to terrorists. Merely possessing this material is a serious criminal offence."

Hmmm. Or not.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, Fascism, Islam, media, politics

Prince is being a dick again. He has to be stopped.

Labels: bullshit, Prince

Hey, Douche-Bag! Please, piss off.

Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing has said that the 11 September attacks were "not that terrible" compared to the IRA's terror campaign.

"Some Americans will think I'm crazy... but it was neither as terrible or as extraordinary as they think," the writer told Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The 88-year-old added that "people forget" the IRA bomb attack on Margaret Thatcher's government in 1984.

Lessing won the Nobel prize, worth £763,000, honouring her 57-year career.

Five people died and 34 were injured when an IRA bomb exploded in a Brighton hotel where leading members of the Conservative party - including Mrs Thatcher - were staying for its annual conference.

'World calamity'

The author conceded that "many people died and two prominent buildings fell" in the attacks on New York's World Trade Center in 2001.

"They're a very naive people, or they pretend to be," she added of Americans.

Lessing, whose novels include The Golden Notebook and Memoirs of a Survivor, also branded President George W Bush "a world calamity".

"Everyone is tired of this man. Either he is stupid or he is very clever, although you have to remember he is a member of a social class which has profited from wars."

The writer also said that she "always hated Tony Blair from the beginning".

Lessing was awarded the Nobel Prize for her "fire and visionary power", and is due to collect her award at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December.

Labels: bullshit, Fucking Idiots

White people need to stop fucking with OJ.

Only thing I have to say is... Oh, no.
Not again.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, society

Cop gets busted on camera (mostly audio) tryin' to intimidate some kid.

Police harassment has never been an issue for me, but if it was, I'd be inclined to Wi-Fi my movements on a consistent basis. Being a pedestrian, I'd need a smaller camera, of course. I'm not sure what sort of wearable device is available for such things, but if they aren't, they will be eventually. Video blogging would be taken to a new level.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, funny-ass shit, independent film-making, society, solutions?

And still looks like a sickly old fuck.

He's got a new announcement coming out, on video tape. Apparently not hip to DVD yet, much less any of the Hi-Def formats. Anyhow, provided he hasn't committed any more mass murders by then, the new video, should it surface, might be worth a laugh or two.
Here's the BBC story about the new tape and the dyed beard.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, Islam, religion, terrorism, World Affairs

NBC has ended their deal with Apple, no longer allowing downloads of their programs from iTunes.
Apparently NBC wants the service to charge $4.99 an episode rather than $1.99.
Also, they seem to think that the DRM on iTunes downloads aren't strong enough.

"Among its aims are to stop pirated material from being uploaded to iPods."

Now, the only NBC programs on iPods will be pirated ones. Idiots!
I still think $1.99 is too much, but it doesn't matter. I don't have an iPod, nor do I plan on getting one. The DRM crap won't work on my PSP, and that's fine by me.

The program I use to convert downloaded (not from iTunes) and dvds for viewing on my PSP also converts them to the iPod, XviD4PSP. And it's a free program. So if you want to take the latest episode of Heroes to work with you, it'll show up on usenet (look it up if you don't know) and the other usual places about a day later. When the accountants explain to the knuckleheads the damage being done, you'll soon be able to go back to your overpriced iTunes downloads... if you still want to.

Update: You might not want to. I haven't tried this yet, but it's supposedly easy, using RSS and torrents. I think there are risks using torrents that aren't there with usenet, but usenet is complicated to explain (TimDoc can help) and finding exactly what you want there, isn't always easy. Read - TV Torrents: When 'piracy' is easier than legal purchase.
Thanks James Hudnall.

Labels: bittorrent, bullshit, downloads, funny-ass shit, online retailers, ripoffs, solutions?

Recently, some rare-ish (never before released on CD) 80's b-sides and extended versions from Prince were made available from 7digital (and iTunes?) in Europe*. Fans are expressing some disappointment that these tracks are badly encoded vinyl rips complete with audible scratches, pops and surface noise. Read here to see what one fan had to go through to get some of his money back.

Hold on to those bootlegs. They won't be obsolete for a long while.

*these may not be available in the U.S.

7 Digital sells DRM'd wma files, by the way.

Labels: bullshit, downloads, music business, Prince, ripoffs

The video of Mickey Mouse's terrorist cousin, Farfur being beaten to death at the hands of an "Israeli agent".
Funny and sick at the same time. I'd be less judgmental about it if it was a Palestinian sketch comedy show aimed at an audience older than 15.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, Islam, religion, society, terrorism, World Affairs, youtube

The BBC reports that the last episode of the Hamas "Mickey Mouse" show has their terrorist mascot beaten to death by an Israeli agent.

It's a children's show. I guess they wanted to end with a good triumphs over evil message. Maybe not, but all's well that ends well, or something.

Hope the beating shows up on YouTube.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, Islam, ripoffs, terrorism, tv, World Affairs

The reaction to the Knighthood awarded to Salman Rushdie.

...Comment by Pakistani Religious Affairs Minister Mohammad Ejaz ul-Haq;

"If someone commits suicide bombing to protect the honour of the Prophet Muhammad, his act is justified," the minister said, according to Reuters news agency.

The minister later clarified his statement, saying extremists could use it to justify attacks.

Here we go again with this bullshit.

Bitches.

By the way, shouldn't the term "Islamophobia" only apply to the pussies who roll over for these asshats?

Labels: bullshit, Fascism, Islam, politics, terrorism, World Affairs

Most commercial DVDs look great on my 38" LCD. About as good as the HDTV channels I get through cable, without the annoying pixelation during fast scenes. So until prices come down significantly, and there's a single format, I have no need to upgrade.

There's the chance I'll get a PS3 at some point. Then again, maybe not.

Labels: bullshit, DVD, HDTV

Some projectionist submitted a negative review of "Rise Of The Silver Surfer" and got canned after the studio (Fox) threatened the theatre chain. Most agree that if a confidentiality agreement had been signed (or otherwise consented), then fine. However that isn't apparent at this time (he denies it), and Fox's bullying tactics might not be the type of publicity they want right now.
I was already leaning towards not seeing this film until it was available in some digital manner. I disliked (didn't hate it) the first one, and didn't see how the same crew could do any better this time. So, the controversy, if it has any legs, is mostly a non-issue for me. I am interested to see what it leads to, if anything.

Speaking of movies, I attempted to see Knocked Up over the weekend with a friend, and found the screening sold out. If theatre attendance is really declining the way it's been described, then this sort of thing shouldn't be happening anymore, should it? Or is Hollywood only worried about their shitty movies?

Labels: bullshit, comics, downloads, movies

I kinda don't care one way or another. Not a fan. I defend his right to free speech, of course, and see no difference in how he's been exercising it between now and the last three decades. So, why now?

For me, the issue's the FCC and it's need to regulate speech on the public airwaves. I would prefer to do away with it, but that probably isn't happening anytime soon. Haven't listened to the radio in ages anyway.

I was looking for an old TV ad I remembered from the early eighties that featured Imus and station-mate Howard Stern apologizing to all of the various groups they've insulted, a long list that of course included blacks, gays, catholics, jews, etc., etc.

Couldn't find it, but I did find this one which delivered a similar sentiment.

For the hell of it, an eighties profile of Howard Stern, with a guest appearance from Don Imus on local TV station WOR (channel 9) and another channel 9 broadcast made in the aftermath of Stern being fired from WNBC.

For a recap on the recent controversy (including video), I direct you to Bol.

April 14th, 07 - Oops. FCC's got nothin' to do with this. I've mixed feelings about his being fired;
On the one hand, fuck him. On the other, where does this culture of outrage over bullshit end?

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, hypocrisy, media, nostalgia, politics, tv, youtube

when Anna Nicole Smith's name is mentioned on the news. On comedy shows, I pay attention.

Labels: bullshit, tv

That's the first and last time I'll be caught using that word.

Here's a video (up as of this writing) of Sean Hannity trying to ignite some kind of firestorm by pitting an outspoken NYC Councilman Charles Barron, naturally upset about the whole Sean Bell issue against infamous O.J. Simpson witness, Mark Fuhrman. The results aren't what one might normally expect.



Strange. I thought conservatives normally supported the rights of citizens to protect themselves, not only against crime, but against oppressive police actions as well. This would've been a good opportunity to bring up issues with both New York City and New York State gun laws. Hmmm.

Three of the officers have apparently been indicted. I don't know the details yet, but this simply means a case will actually go to trial.

But Michael Palladino of the Detectives' Endowment Association said the indictments sent a "chilling message to all New York City police officers".

"You can act in good faith and there is no margin for error," he said.

There's a margin, it isn't fifty bullets long, though.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, funny-ass shit, hypocrisy, politics, right to bear arms, tv, youtube

Some of these were obviously jokes:

"I find it highly unacceptable to have a family watching a sporting event only to find Prince stroking, manipulating and fondling his guitar behind the curtain. This image only made him look extremely large which made the rest of us feel small, and unable to perform this evening."


Some others, I'm not so sure of. Funny stuff, in any case.

These and more at The Smoking Gun.
Thanks Housequake.com.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, Prince, tv

This stupid; "...the PSP isn't well suited for homebrew." - Sony Worldwide Studios president Phil Harrison.

Labels: bullshit, funny-ass shit, PSP, video games

Prince's new song is up at 3121.com. It's called Guitar and it's a buck ninety-nine for a tune slightly over three minutes. I've made it clear that iTunes is too expensive at ninety-nine cents (cant use iTunes songs on my PSP anyway). There's no fuckin' way I'm payin' two dollars on an mp3, not even one by Prince. So I'll have to wait 'till I can "find" it. If it's on a new CD, I'll end up buying it, anyway. Sometimes, that man is not very bright.


Feb 4th, 2007 - Having heard the song a few times now, I rather like it. It's not great, but even if it was, I wouldn't pay two bucks for it. Looking forward to this evening's halftime show.

Labels: bullshit, downloads, music, online retailers, Prince, ripoffs

Swiped from the BBC (as usual)...

The Nazis hijacked the symbol from its Hindu origins

Hindus in Europe have joined forces against a German proposal to ban the display of the swastika across the European Union, a Hindu leader said.

Ramesh Kallidai of the Hindu Forum of Britain said the swastika had been a symbol of peace for thousands of years before the Nazis adopted it.

He said a ban on the symbol would discriminate against Hindus.

Germany, holder of the EU presidency, wants to make Holocaust denial and the display of Nazi symbols a crime.

Mr Kallidai said his organisation was writing to European lawmakers to highlight the issue.

The swastika has been around for 5,000 years as a symbol of peace, Ramesh Kallidai Origins of the swastika

Hindu groups in Holland, Belgium and Italy were also involved in the campaign, he said.

"The swastika has been around for 5,000 years as a symbol of peace," he said. "This is exactly the opposite of how it was used by Hitler."

He said that while the Nazi implications of the symbol should be condemned, people should respect the Hindu use of the swastika.

"Just because Hitler misused the symbol, abused it and used it to propagate a reign of terror and racism and discrimination, it does not mean that its peaceful use should be banned."

The group said banning the swastika was equivalent to banning the cross simply because the Ku Klux Klan had used burning crosses.

The swastika is already banned in Germany. A previous attempt to ban it across the EU in early 2005 failed after objections from several governments, including the British.

Germany took over the six-month EU presidency on 1 January.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember watching an old Shaw Bros. Kung Fu movie back in the seventies and seeing a Manji (what most would call a swatstika, but turned the other way, I think) in stone, on a wall at Shaolin Temple, and thinking, "Oh! I didn't know the Nazis got to China, too." Didn't know then what I know now. I've also seen the symbol on Chinese comicbook art and on the foreheads of characters who were supposed to be monks (Kinda like Charlie Manson during one of his probation hearings).

The point here is that this symbol doesn't belong to the Nazis and those who sympathize with them. Personally, I'd like to see this image and what it really stands for embraced by the mainstream. This isn't like the "N" word (profanity), nor like the confederate flag, which I believe symbolizes treason. It isn't about taking something negative and making it positive, but recognizing that it was positive to begin with. The Germans (as well as others in Europe) believe they can fight fascism with fascism, and they are wrong.

Doesn't mean it should be scrawled on peoples grave markers, on Synagogues, or anything like that, though. Just to make myself clear.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, Fascism, hypocrisy, politics, World Affairs

Great prices can be found on Nerds.net on a variety of items, but if you're in a hurry to get your stuff, I'd advise you steer clear of them. If you need a place for your money to hang out for a while, before (hopefully) being returned to you, these may be your kinda nerds.

My 20" RCA was new when Miami Vice was still on the air. It had seen better days, and I had been meaning to replace it for years.

My interest in getting a new TV perked up over the hype for the upcoming PS3, which was recently released (sorta). My enthusiasm for Sony's new gaming platform went from "No fucking way am I paying 600 bucks for that" to "hmmm, I dunno."

Considering the PS3 and the XBox 360 (slightly cheaper and available) got me thinking about HDTV. Prices had been coming down on LCD and Plasma screens and even the smaller models were looking attractive, so I decided I was gonna get one by years end.

At first I thought a 27" would be enough of an upgrade, but though the screen would be wider, it wouldn't be taller than the old 20". I think it would be shorter in height. So 30-32" made more sense to me. I considered a model from WalMart, but I'm a Teamster. I wouldn't like their labor practices even if I wasn't. Spending $600 there wasn't gonna happen for me, though I've bought 2-tin packs of Altoids for 3 bucks over there as well as other minor purchases. I did actually go there and check out a couple of models and almost rethought my hesitation over the 27" size. A Sanyo looked pretty good at that size. Better than the 32" next to it. I think it was the Ilo, but I don't remember for sure.

I soon came across this guy at Target. The reviews were mostly decent and the price wasn't bad, but I decided to check Pricegrabber.com to see if I could do better. The site lead me to nerds.net which had the LCD monitor at $518.99 at the time. The merchant reviews were mostly positive (4 1/2 out of 5 stars) though there were few negative reports. I bit the bullet and placed my order on a Sunday. I paid for overnight shipping so that I could get it that Tuesday and make sure I was home to get it. Nerds.net also charge a fee to expedite the processing of the order which I also paid. Something like $3.75. So on Monday, I get a call. My phone # was different from what was on file at the credit card company and the person on the other line needed confirmation. This was fine. it showed they were taking some effort to avoid fraud and whatnot. I also got a name and a phone extension, just in case I needed to contact somebody. I asked the guy would my order ship out that day, and he said yes.

That's not the way it worked out, though. I never got the order, because it never shipped. Not that I could tell at the time as it seems they don't like to give tracking numbers. I emailed them on Tuesday evening, saying they should at least refund the overnite shipping charge as it obviously hadn't been shipped overnight. Got a response the next day saying it would be looked into. Thursday was Thanksgiving and phone calls on Friday indicated they were closed for the holiday. I sent an email demanding a complete refund Friday night. Had it even shipped Wednesday via overnight shipping, it would've come Friday, but no. The email wouldn't have been read until Monday, but I couldn't wait till then to vent. I didn't want to log the experience here until I knew for sure what was going on.

On Monday, the 27th of November, a week after my order should have been processed, I placed a call to my contact to discuss cancelling my order. He wanted to find out what happened to it first. The "tracking system" had been down. I said fine, but I would be calling back once an hour, until I got an answer. I skipped an hour after the second call cuz I was washing my dreads. On the third, I was told they could ship my TV out that day. I said no. At that point I just wanted my money back and he said fine. No problem. I got an email later that day apologising for my inconvenience and now saying that they were out of stock on the item in question. Whether or not this was bullshit didn't concern me as the email also stated I would be getting my money back and that it would post to my account in 3-5 business days.

Guess what? On Monday December 4th, two weeks after I'd placed my order with nerds.net, they still had my money. I let the business day pass before sending yet another email. I decided to wait till morning to make another phone call. When I did, the guy (the same guy I always talk to over there) says they issued the credit yesterday (Monday). "Yesterday?" "Weren't you supposed to do this last week?" I wasn't happy, but I remained patient while quietly fantasizing about how I was gonna wage war on these assholes.

On Wednesday the 6th, Nerds.net finally gave me my money back. By the time this occurred, I'd already received my new 37" LCD HDTV from an Amazon.com vendor, Worldwide Distributors and was enjoying the hell out of it.

While I was wrestling with nerds.net to get my money back, I was looking at alternatives. I knew the 32" I wanted was available at Target and Amazon, but I'd now decided I wanted to go even bigger. This guy was 37" and included the NTSC/HDTV tuner that the model I'd previously ordered lacked. I don't think I actually need the tuner, but whatever.

I didn't like that "expedited shipping" doesn't necessarily mean next day or even second or third day (at least they tell you that), but I went with it anyway and got it in two business days. No tracking number here, either. Can't say I'm happy about that, but the delivery went well and the product is great.

One good thing about nerds.net is that they give you time to reconsider your purchase with them.

Labels: bullshit, HDTV, online retailers, ripoffs, tv

The Dutch cabinet has backed a proposal by the country's immigration minister to ban Muslim women from wearing the burqa in public places.

The burqa, a full body covering that also obscures the face, would be banned by law in the street, and in trains, schools, buses and the law courts.

Favorite quote;

"It is very important that we can see each other and can communicate with each other. Because we are so tolerant we want to respect each other."

Read the full article over at the BBC.

Labels: bullshit, civil rights, Fascism, hypocrisy, Islam, terrorism

Yes, it is...

Sony Issue Cease and Desist Order For Devhook

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The Japanese Site which hosts the Devhook application have been slapped with a Cease and Desist Order over the Devhook app which lets users use different firmware on their PSP.

From dcemu.co.uk

Labels: bullshit, downloads, PSP, video games