Cellphone Menagerie

Combating cheating.
Cellphone Menagerie grows.
New vectors appear.

Kim Jong-il

Some choice quotations from the article:

"Pyongyang observers said that Kim Jong-il's death will not result in turbulence in the DPRK and they discounted the possibility of any conflict or escalating tension between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK)...Kim died of a heart ailment on a train at 8:30 am on Saturday due to 'great mental and physical strain' during a ' high intensity field inspection'..."

"Members of  staff at Hae Dang Hwa, a famous Korean restaurant in Beijing, were unaware of the news when a China Daily reporter sought their reaction. Upon being told the news [sic] waitresses broke down in tears and the restaurant closed."

"As for the missile launch, Jin said the move aimed to send a clear sign of deterence, telling the ROK and the US not to take any risky moves that might trigger conflict."

SOPA

In case you haven't heard, a particularly  insidious piece of legislation is working its way through the house. SOPA is a piece of legislation with the stated purpose of reducing online piracy. Don't be fooled though, this piece of legislation is a rusted scythe, not a shiny scalpel.

The RIAA and MPAA are collective organizations that include the most powerful companies of the music and movie industry. These two groups have lobbied congress for years for stricter intellectual property laws and harsher penalties for infringers. While congress seems to have bought their schlock, the public has learned a heartbreaking alternative lesson: representatives and senators are most attentive to money rather than facts and evidence.

Today's hearing only drove home this point. The Washington Post has a great summary of the hearing. Needless to say, the reps didn't understand and didn't care to understand. If you plan to pass legislation, you should at least seek to learn about the ramifications. The EFF has been following the issue extensively and has a wonderful overview of the impact of the bill.

Of course, you don't have to take the EFF's word for it. There is also an open letter from a host of prominent internet engineers. Still not convinced? How about Google co-founder Sergey Brin?

Frankly, anything that resemble the level of censorship employed in a number of countries throughout the world has no justification. The internet is a new beast. It brings with it both costs and advantageous. However, there is no justification for us to push back the future so a a few companies of the past can take one last gasp of life.

P.S. If you don't think this bill will be abused, consider the fact that my video of the Hyatt Tree Lighting was flagged for copyright violation...

How to choose a gift.

While completing some errands today, I found my mind drifting to the imminent holiday season. In case you are oblivious (and likely not in a western country), Christmas is fewer than two weeks away. That means for those of you who procrastinate, the time to finish preparations is now (as an aside, Friday will likely be a thorough post all about procrastination). If you continue to dawdle, you may find your gifting season extending into January or even March!

The difficulty of properly preparing for Christmas often stems from an inability to choose the perfect gift for someone you know. First, let go of the expectation of choosing something that will be a cornerstone in their life and except a less ambitious criteria for success. For example, choose something that acknowledges one of their interests or hobbies.

Second, consider Hacking Asia's trademarked gift-o-meter. Extensive review and research has led this blog to conclude that age is directly correlated with the optimal type of gift. Observe.

When people are young, they typically have an excess of time that they must fill. This is coupled with minimal resources. So, for children, the best gifts are those that are able to take advantage of and consume that time. Play guns that make noises and allow children to fantasize about killing aliens, 60hr+ video games (a la Skyrim or Final Fantasy), and book series are all great examples of gifts that devour time.

As children grow older, they gradually have less and less free time. Studying, boyfriends/girlfriends, jobs, other pursuits, and eventually families consume greater and greater amounts of their free time. During this transition, gifts that require large time investments increasingly lose their value. Instead, a shift is made toward gifts that augment their current reality. That is to say, gifts that improve their usual routine hold greater value. For example, a doctor who frequently hand-writes prescriptions may appreciate a quality fountain pen to replace her disposable BIC.  Likewise, buying a new pair of shoes for gym teacher could be a pleasant indulgence that they normally would pass-up but greatly enjoy when it is given as a gift.  Thus, Hacking Asia heavily advocates approaching gifts as augmentations rather than additions.

Impatient readers may already be asking the question: "What about those who are retired and once again find themselves with extensive leisure time?". For them, we suggest deferring to their years of acquired habits and tastes. That is to say, don't try and introduce a new love for wine in a whiskey drinker or a love of impressionist paintings in a person that would rather go camping. Instead, take a more conservative route and stick to focusing on ways to improve their routine. However, because they do have more time available, this group may enjoy the addition of new hobbies closely related to their activities. For example, tying flies for fly fishing or a home brewing kit for beer lovers. A non-fiction tome about their interests can also be a great gift to consider.

Scarcity is one of the other key factors in considering gifts. When money is limited or the receiver seems to have everything, consider what item you could contribute that would be difficult to obtain without your assistance. Perhaps you have access to some awesome local alcohol, logo-ed apparel, hand crafted chess pieces, or old photographs. Scarcity does not necessarily mean expensive, it just means it is something they would be unlikely to come across and it is a wonderful approach for gift giving. For example, instead of trying to buy the scotch lover in your family a "good" bottle of scotch; instead, buy them a brand that is unique to your region.

Of course,  a favorite standby on Hacking Asia is a book gifted with a personal note written inside the cover (this is a wonderful example of a small addition greatly adding to scarcity). Further, as the world increasingly converts to digital, an enduring hard copy gains more appeal each year.

Best of luck with your last minute gifting. Stop procrastinating and finish it up!

Fashion Brands in China

Shopping is always enjoyable in China. Whether it is seeing girls push guys out of the way to serve the foreigner or finding strange names/products.

I'll leave the possible commentary of this sunglasses brand to you.

 

The Farmer and the Snake

一个寒冷的冬天，北风呼呼的刮着，冻得人直打哆嗦。一个农夫在回家的路上，发现了一条冻僵的蛇。农夫很可怜它，便把它拾了起来，放进自己怀里。

蛇得到温暖后，慢慢地苏醒过来。它马上恢复了恶毒的本性，对着农夫的胸口狠狠地咬了一口。农夫中了蛇毒，很快就奄奄一息了，临死前，他后悔地说：“唉，我真该死，我不应该去怜悯一条毒蛇的。”

A liberal translation:

One cold day, when the northern winds were blowing particularly hard, a farmer was walking home along a road. Off to the side, he noticed a poor little snake shivering and nearly frozen solid. The farmer, taking pity on the snake, decided to rescue it and take it home where it would be warm and comfortable. So, the farmer bent over, picked up the snake and continued walking home.

Once he arrived, the farmer set the snake near the fireplace. As the snake began to warm, it became more and more awake and its natural venomous instincts also began to return.

When the farmer returned to check on the snake, the snake sprung at him and bit his arm. The man let out a yell and as he slumped against the wall dying he mumbled to himself, "I should have never taken pity on a venomous snake!"

The End

This was a story in a children's book I am currently reading. The lesson? Clearly, no matter how cute, innocent, or harmless something appears...never take pity. I was foolish enough to think the snake and farmer would become close friends and share many adventures together. Sadly, this was their first and last.

I imagine the snake went on to feign helplessness on other roads slowly killing entire villages. He is truly a devious creature talented in his craft.

Timeout from Productivity

Ready to lose a few minutes of your life to mindless entertainment? It is Friday in America; so, yes.

LMFAO's "Shuffling" mashed-up with SpongeBob Squarepants' "Steppin' on the Beach"

Warning: this may haunt you for hours in your head while driving, walking, or shuffling around town.