Did You See 99 Red Balloons Go By?

VH1 Classics will air Nena's "99 Red Balloons" repeatedly for one hour on March 26, 2006, between 2-3 PM EST, both English and German (99 LuftBalloons) versions.

link here

My generation associated with two of it's best songwriters talking about personal angst (Ian Curtis ending the 70's and Kurt Cobain launching the 90's) gapped rarely by occasional gems of songwriting, representing a fraction of the one-hit wonders spanning 80's mania of new romantics, synthesized music....

...and Cold War fight songs (thanks Bono et. al.)

One "99 LuftBalloons" surely made an impression thanks to a danceable round-and-round beat, assertive German female vocals, and a cute touch of irony about the East-West Wehrmacht (I like to translate it as 'war machine'), especially when the English-speaking world got a loose translation: "99 Red Balloons" by Nena.

Ninety-nine red balloons in the sky, triggers a military over-reaction, leaves the world in ruins, when all she wanted was to think of you

lyrics here

The song never remarks on the use of balloons. So does this person who paid $35,000 for an hour's worth of back-to-back-to-back balloons (I figure 1,485 total balloons). Perhaps after its all been done, we'll know why we need this much dose of helium. It does sound like it mocks the post-Katrina relief efforts. It may be anti-administration. And I don't know if the video itself holds a clearer message.

Not odd that the commotion is here and now, on the web, on blogs, even before the event. Like a Michael Mann production where the climax is somewhere far from the end of the film.

Certainly makes me want to buy it off iTunes 'cause I don't have it in my digital collection.

Ultimately, I am set to pause....... and let it play. I am not the one sending a message that day. I'll find you and I on the other side a red balloon to let fly.

Deal Or No Deal

Low IQ game show. Wheel of Fortune is at least anchored by Jeopardy in the prime-time hour on ABC, where brain exercise is followed by brain drain. There, you come out even.

Deal or No Deal? Crap.

Then, I played the game. It's addictive crap.

Play it here: http://www.boredatwork.net/link/deal-deal/

Adagio for Tiesto

Like he needed more ways to put a rave under his spell, DJ Tiesto does Barber's "Adagio for Strings." Search the net and see his live set.

See how tranced the crowd danced.
Right arms raised in consent
or perhaps just a show of hands
marking where they struggled to stand
testing the climax before the Adagio ends.





And they hail Tiesto while Samuel Barber turns over in his grave. Bunch of arse!

Cheney's Got A Gun

Dum, dum, dum, honey what have you done
Dum, dum, dum, it’s the sound of my gun
Dum, dum, dum, honey what have you done
Dum, dum, dum, it’s the sound,
it’s the sound...
Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney’s got a gun
Whole world’s come undone
From lookin’ straight at the sun
What did daddy do
What did he put you through
They say when Cheney was arrested
They found him underneath a train
But man, he had it comin’
Now that Cheney’s got a gun
Ain’t never gonna be the same
Cheney’s got a gun
Dog day’s just begun
Now everybody is on the run
Tell me now it’s untrue
What did daddy do
He jacked the little bitty baby
The man has got to be insane
They say the spell that he was under
The lightnin’ and the thunder
Knew that someone had to stop the rain
Run away, run away from the pain
Cheney’s got a gun
Cheney's got a gun
Dog day’s just begun
Now everybody is on the run
What did daddy do
It’s Cheney’s last i.o.u.
.....

Nokia 6111 - Valentine's Gift

How can you go wrong with this on Valentine's Day? I didn't.


It's a girl!

All I Want for Christmas!

USB darts for my desktop. Aim with the mouse. Shoot the boss.
But marksandspencer.com (UK) won't ship it to me here in the US.

Ricky Gervais

No, this is not a tribute. He's not dead or sumthin'.

Amazon.com today, I find out, recommended me "1 Pregnancy Test Strip" because I bought BBC's "The Office" DVD a while back.

This sitcom mock-umentary master stroke from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, packed with laughs, couldn't offer any more pleasing commentary of the powers-that-be, like that within my Silicon Valley cubicle life ("the office," get it?), than it could in its sweet and perfect two-season run. Then, some power-at-be at Amazon.com had somehow managed to rally up some holiday cheer with an out-of-this world correlation that 'I may be pregnant, check it with these strips' because I bought the DVD.

Or perhaps they may be on to something?

Isn't it not conceivable that watching David Brent (Ricky's "watch me, I'm funny" head-of-The-Office persona) mislead a cast of honest-living, working class paper-salesmen through the ups and downs of corporate life, have an effect on the viewers' living habits? May viewers cap the day with extra-curricular activities before bedtime, after having watched episodes of the show?

It is a comedy. Just a comedy. It's set-up like a documentary through an office space of very nice people, less the dysfunctional middle-management topped by Brent. It is rather extremely funny:

David Brent, during one philosophical exchange: "If you want the rainbow, you've gotta put up with the rain - do you know which philosopher said that? Dolly Parton. And people say she's just a big pair of t***.

It had a very **spoiler alert** tear-jerking conclusion (The Office Special). Perhaps that'll do it.

OK. OK. Enough of this. If I go on, you might think I'm trying to sell my DVDs for the best bid.

But, remember this: Nine months after one big New York City blackout, there was a baby boom. I may have heard the same story regarding the San Francisco Bay Area after the Loma Prieta quake. Not sure about 9/11.

But, really, I was paid to advertise "The Office." Not from NBC, but from the BBC. I look forward to Rick and Stephen when I finally get DVDs of their next effort, "Extras." Cameos of your celebs, like Ben Stiller, questioned about his conquests:

Ben: I've kissed Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore! I've slapped Jennifer Aniston's a**!
Interviewer: Yeah, in films.
Ben: It still counts! It still counts...


- Mic.

Disclaimer: My choice of quotes does not always include bleep-ed out words.

iPod Video - what would I download?

I got nothing much else to do with my new 5G video iPod that I haven't done before with my 40GB brickpod. Ahh...video.

But for now, iTunes has got for me episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, and some sitcom. And Music TV. And upcoming movie trailers????

Crap. Bunch of arse. I'll be visiting the hack-ze-ipod forums for some value-add.

I'm looking for hard-to-find gems like Miami Vice's Calderon blowing up Tubb's girlfriend to Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight." Tour of Duty's Assault on Firebase Alpha. Magic Johnson's 1980 NBA Championship Game 6. The A-Team's opening sequence. Mitch Hedberg. The Twilight Zone where aliens threatened to wipe out earthlings, and in an act of desperation, earthlings created a plan for peace, only to be told that the aliens were actually looking for warriors. Dumb peace-loving earthlings. And if I knew the episode's name, I would have made this post shorter. But...sorry, dumb earthlings.

Sweet screen. Nice little thin package. White. Fifth-generation indeed. Scratch-resistant. I lie 20% of the time.

No carrying case or sports strap available yet. If you want a review, check forums elsewhere.

Lastly, why don't you have an iPod yet?

My review of Aphex Twin's "Flim" (1997)

Nah... I don't make reviews of anything. Just smart-ass comments...

But while listening to "Flim" this afternoon, coming to a stop light along Steven's Creek, someone compliments me next lane with "Who's that in your CD player?"

" Aphex Twin's 'Flim' "

Grandma in her red Ford Escort happily drove away, no doubt to check it out on Amazon.com. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hooked up Ms. Daisy with a sweet little instrumental ambient beat. I'm sure she'll be shocked when she sees the CD artwork.

To save yourself the trouble, check it out on iTunes.

(This space has been paid for by Amazon.com, Apple and Aphex Twin)

Nokia 6680

Brought this back from Hong Kong.

My Travels - Shanghai, 2005

Three cities in two weeks, late summer 2005---Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong. Unmistake-ably Chinese, yet different in many ways. Three modern cities forming a triangle over the Taiwan Strait can't be more different. But that goes for a lot of cities between US coasts, I guess, so I'll let it be.

(Three logs in a series...starting with Shanghai)

A tourist would profess to seeing a strong Western influence in Shanghai. I tried to stay away, checked-in outside of downtown, at the western side around the Changning district where my morning jogs sporting my bulging 40GB iPod brick marked me as a non-local. Because nobody jogs in the morning. And, yeah, because they prefer nano music players. Not the Apple Nano, but nanotech--nanopackage, nanostorage, nanoweight, nanoprice.

Visited one of the many high-rise homes that dot the city map. Imagine 20+ story buildings not for commerce but for dwelling. And lots of them. I guess in our US cities, a lot of us have suburbs we drive home to. Shanghai, and Beijing, which I also visited last year, people's commutes include an elevator to go back up home.

God bless the sun. Its free drying for laundry. You can't miss it in Shanghai as each home unit is plush with colored banners of clothing. Up to the 25th floor.

Staying off the beaten path has its benefits. Dinner didn't reach US$5.00 per person. Dynasty, an exclusive chain that exemplifies grandeur (royal facade, ballroom dining, multi-level venues, and yeah, good food) wouldn't choke me with a US$30 bill per seat. To compare: Ever been to a Chinese banquet, like for a wedding reception? Take that same feast but three times less. I won't forget Ajisen Ramen with all the noodle variety and bistro dining.

Haircut, shampoo, head massage, styling and pampering = US$5.00. No tipping needed, apparently, but I only learned afterwards. Do bathe at the hotel but leave shampoo and styling for the salon. Daily, if preferred, since you can afford it.

Venturing in...Gubei Road offered higher prices. Main Nanjing Road mirrors California shopping and prices. Southward, Huai Hai Lu (Road) offers an alternative to shopping and dining. And cheap goods galore at Xiang Yang public market where I got my dollar DVDs last year. Get your "cheap" North Face gear, Nike Shox, LV purses and the like, but I already got my 'cease and desist' warning before I even hit Customs. Pack skillfully. But 2 blocks off Huai Hai Lu, into Xin Tian Di, is California dining! One restaurant (I can't say "Chinese food." Its just "food" around there) was up to NorCal prices. Clientele markedly business elite subsidized by cost-conscious motherships back home.

Afternoon tea at the Grand Hyatt Cafe up 54 floors of the Jin Mao Tower. Fifth highest in the world up to its 88th floor. Overlooking the HuangPu River. Add the Oriental Pearl TV Tower to complete the Shanghai skyline.

The subway and taxis make the city accessible. But do have your hotel information when taking the cab. You might find wallet-size hotel business cards with the Concierge.

Had my PSP with me just so that I am linked wirelessly (wire-less-ly is such a noobie word). Turns out there's not a lot of free networks, yet. ChinaTel offers wide public wireless coverage but requires some amount of commitment, and it seems longer than a week. Perhaps a monthly subscription? I wasn't able to confirm. Starbucks obviously doesn't have T-Mobile's service. No luck at the airport either. But I enjoyed an hour at a cafe for US$2.00. Free at the Grand Hyatt.

Overall, a 9.

I'd like to thank my friend who grew up in Shanghai for the backroads experience.

My Travels - Taipei, 2005

(Second in a three-part series)

Approaching a major city provides an entertaining clip, for me personally, as the flat horizon surrenders to suburbs, taller and taller structures, welcome signs, the inevitable toll booth crossing, the neon-works and gentlemen's clubs' weekend guest stars in bright lights.


From Taipei's International Airport, you get a 40-minute transition from paddies to pavement (well, not too rural, really). But early, when a semblance of a city looms ahead, you'd wish it wasn't Taipei just yet. 'Cause it's un-inviting to the city tourist. No imposing skyline.


Well, you're not there yet.

When one finally spots the city, two landmarks jut up from afar with a vast even-ness in-between. Two lone monuments defining a backdrop where towering structures ought to be. Are we really there yet? Uh...yes. To the right, the Topview Taipei Observatory. To the left, further in, the tallest building in the world (2005), Taipei 101. Between them, was my hope for a nice time.

Its not a tourist hotspot like San Francisco or Paris (shopping, yes). The highlights of Taiwan extend out of Taipei. My short stay allowed no such countryside trip and I stayed within:

While Shanghai streets were busy with pedal-bikes, I found it an upgrade being swarmed by motorscooters, which, with the power difference, allowed them to share the street lanes with four-wheel traffic, along with taxi drivers cruising to a slower beat, unlike Shanghai. And while Shanghai had foreign names for car models, Taiwan sported mostly the same US names as Corollas, Civics and 330's and A4's.

It had to be the city of people with the best looking hair. Upon further observation, every block seems to have three salons. That's just street level. Look up higher and you find one or two more. And that's just for those who's names you can read in English.

Les Suites - Taipei, the little hotel that could. Only about 50 rooms and an alley for a front entrance, I got the luxury I wanted: full Western and Oriental breakfast, internet access with at least 8 personal laptops, wireless access up the floors, a trio of cardio-equipment, and elegant living.


Taipei 101 towers like Chinese take-out gift boxes stacked one over the other, up to that box of the last shrimp in your banquet table that everyone humbly declined. The first 5 floors was a mall with a grand atrium. Found 'Page One' better than the biggest Borders bookstore around. The 89th, an observatory. They'd shoot you up for a 32-second ride for US$8, free headache and all. The 88th floor would have been free, same view, but I'd have to walk up.

Branded and expensive, 101's district isn't the only highlight of Taipei shopping. A subway ride west of the city finds Ximen Ding and the youth of Taiwan, driven by trendsetting stores from Japan, HK, Korea and the US. A one-stop shop landmark for everything Sony, Sanrio, Nike, Shiseido, Pizza Hut, Giordano, an afternoon salon appointment, boba lai cha, squid-on-a-stick, a minor recording contract---that being: Taiwan Idol, TRL-style, second floor glass-walled studio, karaoke scream-fest, overlooking revellers below, perhaps hoping for a music exec in the crowd).

At the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial...

...I remembered.

Again, a disappointing shortage of access points for my wireless PSP.

My Travels - Hong Kong, 2005

The photoblog will do for now...

Astronaut

Mic to Ground Control...
Can't establish link on last fly-by. Please confrm you still got me on your screens. Over....
Switching to blog channel...