Filed under: posts | Tags: cars, economics, Fang Datong, Fast and Furious, happiness, Nintends DS, Rhythm Heaven, Shanghai, sights & sounds
A few things going on right now, the most important of which is an agonizing wait for the results of of my final round interview with a leading economics consulting firm. I feel I did fine during the interview and case, but who knows? These things tend to have a way of surprising you.
(This next paragraph is for those who are interested in the otherwise boring on-goings of economics)
My thesis which is about the One Child Policy and its Effects of Women’s Education, is coming along daintily. I have found a newer, more trustworthy dataset, but it will limit my usage of certain statistical methods. I will have to check in with my advisor to make sure it’ll work. I am getting a nice self-led crash course introduction to SAS though. 
On the entertainment front, a few items of note.
Fast and Furious was good. It wasn’t deep, or intellectually stimulating, but from a auto-head POV, it was pretty sweet (minus that atrocious MY2009 STi). I really liked the beginning which paid homage to one of the forgotten greats in American muscle history – the Buick Grand National. These turbo’d Regals are in my mind, still the epitome of no frills American power.
Of course, this movie featured a lot of great cars, including a whole myriad of American classics as well as an awesome scene with an R32, R34 and GTR Nissan Skylines. Honestly, I even thought the fighting scenes weren’t half bad. If you can get over the cringe of a few typical F&F lines, then go watch it!
Rhythm Heaven (リズム天国ゴールド) for the Nintendo DS. With the release of the “new” Nintends DSi, recently released games have not been given the spotlight they deserve. I recently started playing this gem of a game and it is wonderful. It’s like a good mix of Warioware with Elite Beat Agents. It is a collection of rhythm-based mini-games that are all very original and clever. This is the kind of game the DS was made for. Hours of boredom assassination! Check the quick vid of the mini-games in action:
Khalil Fong, a.k.a. 方大同 (Fang Datong). Mr. Fong here (courtesy of my wonderful Serena) has answered my prayers for some different Chinese music. Born in Hawaii then moving to Shanghai (yes!) when he was 6, Khalil possess a less prototypical sound. He a stronger idea of bass and rhythm than his peers and I personally think he sounds Mraz-ish. An added bonus is that his English pronunciation is native, so when he adds that English phrase between the mandarin, it doesn’t add all that cheesiness.
Here are few songs of note:
(1) Love Song from the album Wonderland
(2) Singalongsong (English) from the album Orange Moon
(3) 三人游 (pinyin: san ren you) from the album Orange Moon
Whew. That was a good, long post.
‘Tis all.
I was up in Tahoe last weekend with my girlfriend, her sister, her sister’s friend (who was celebrating her birthday) and some random people who are now friends.
First of all, I improved my snowboarding abilities. I can now create large, slow S’s down a green-level mountain. Yep. I did have a nasty fall where tumbled a bit and strained my left shoulder, but no long-term harm done. I am painfully sore however. On the mountain, with adrenaline, wind chill and fear, you don’t realize how much energy you are exerting but boy does it hit you the next day.
In other news, I have a Chinese Economics Midterm tomorrow. The professor is this badass who decided to tell us nothing about the midterm other than that it would be fair. I am a bit worried about the vagueness of that information, but since I know a bit about China and have been following the lectures, I don’t think I will epic fail.
On a totally unrelated note, I was walking to class today and had forgotten both my keys and my wallet. As luck would have it, these two women pulled over and asked me if I could spare two bucks because they were empty on gas. I looked at the driver straight in the face and told her I was sorry,but I did not have my wallet on me.
She shot me this look which can only be described as pure mistrust and hatred. Her passenger just looked despairingly at me. The driver asked me:
“Are you Christian?”
Me: What? (A truck just passed by)
Driver: “I said, ARE YOU CHRISTIAN?!”
“No.”
They drive off. The fact that I was not Christian fended off what was surely to be a series of guilt-provoking lines about responsibility and such. I think people should really reconsider using religion as a means to attack people. It really doesn’t give off the right message.
Now, I could be totally off-base and she was only going to give me a free bible, but her eyes told me otherwise. Anyways, that was the most eventful part of my day – plus my unexciting A-/B+ first paper for my public policy class. Damn, that paper was bad – I’m pretty lucky getting what I received!
Okay, that’s all I gots.
‘Tis all.
Filed under: posts | Tags: Before Sunrise, economics, fall 2008, job search, Obama, Prop 8, sleep
I just finished my Econ 182 problem set. It took four hours. I was on a roll on the first two questions, but then was owned by the last two involving liquidity traps and other nonsensical riff-raff.
Anyhow here’s a breakdown of how things are (!):
Good: L.A., Korean BBQ, test scores, pancakes, rain, family, health, Obama
Bad: job search, job search, job search, consulting deliverables, proposition 8, job search
In the short term, life is gonna rock. In the long term, some changes have to be made! All in all, not bad.
LIke this:
“The answer must be in the attempt.”
‘Tis All.
Filed under: posts | Tags: AP English, Berkeley, economics, everyday, Midterms, risk, school, sights & sounds, Tim Minear, tirade, Waiting for Godot, Wonderfalls
So today I took my econ midterm. It was a stressful as hell experience. In an hour and twenty minute class, the professor gave us four problems, each with at least three subsets. But there’s more! Those subsets had subsets. It ended up the equivalent of thirty some odd questions. Needless to day, I think I made some careless mistakes about signs and explanations, but hopefully, nothing too serious. Thank God it is the first of two midterms – with the second being worth more.
This post needs a cut-off.
So i’m taking a break from reading this:
Today was a relatively awesome day. I had almost forgotten that I had switched my morning section so I rushed to find 20 Wheeler, which turns out, is in the catacomb-like belly of the building. After that section, I realize now the GSI team and Prof. Delong really mean it when they say we are “guinea pigs” for this class.
After a harrowing Chinese oral presentation and surprisingly understandable Econ discussion, I went to the dreaded money hoarding bookstore. At this monetary hell-hole, I sacrificed 247 bucks for two measly books, a study guide (because my French economics professor does not explain slides) and a really crappy stapler. From the business standpoint, I can see why they include no staples, but from a good-will to the customer standpoint, WHY!?!?!
I then jumped on my bike and raced towards home. Two seconds into my daily downhill extravaganza near VLSB, the bottom of my jeans catches the chain-guard. My leg is then trapped with the whirling motion of the pedals and I wildly swerve to gain balance again. The result is a nice sized whole in my jeans (repairable!) and a really scared me. I’m going to have to go invest in one of those pant-leg-velcro-reflective-bands so I don’t die.
Oh, and tonight, I made some fried rice with egg and minced pork. To my surprise, it was absolutely delicious. I coupled it with some Miso soup with tofu and I had a fine meal. I’m proud of my housewife abilities (as Chris would call them).
Before I get back to Keynes, here’s a interesting snippet from my reading so far:
Praise, therefore, the beauty of the flame he wishes to touch, the music of the breaking toy; even urge him forward; yet waiting with vigilant care, the wise and kindly savior of Society, for the right moment to snatch him back, just singed and now attentive.
Amen, Keynes, amen.
‘Tis all.
Both ideas are possible, but both are so against the current path that they might as well be impossible. Unless I get a lobotomy from a blind, rabid ape, its not going to happen, just as China can not commit to these changes unless there is tremendous social upheaval.
Here’s China’s priority list:
- 1. “Mao’s generation” government’s legitimacy
- 2. Economic development (see above)
- 3. Deny that China invented fortune cookies
- 4. Scare Taiwan with random missile tests over their island.
- 5. Finally, they would also like economic development. Oh, my bad.
More nationalist propaganda after the jump. (Source)
