Long-form

Long-form blog posts and editorials. Topics cover both personal and the world at large. 

What up - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. April Fool’s Day has become a major annoyance due to the advent of social media and the Internet. Before all of that stuff it was simply small pranks and harmless jokes with a few of your friends. Nowadays, everybody - including major Brands - have to get in on it. Therefore, browsing social media timelines on the day of is akin to an inane game of minesweepers, with the pranks and fake news being the mines.

I use my twitter feed to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world, but every year on April 1st I’ve no idea what’s real or what’s fake. The solution that I came up with is quite simple: I don’t check social media - or even visit my regular blogs and websites - for an entire day.

That said, I’m still pissed about In-N-Out Burger pranking us last year about adding bacon to their burgers. If that were real if would’ve been just the best thing ever.

2. I’m happy about Trevor Noah’s appointment as Jon Stewart’s successor on The Daily Show. Even though he’s only done three segments thus far on the show, I’ve come to really enjoy his brand of comedy. Perhaps I would’ve preferred the heir to Stewart’s throne be Jessica Williams, but I’m very excited to see what Noah will do at the main chair.

3. Whose idiotic idea was it to have Wrestlemania start at 4PM PST when the thing was held in a west-coast venue? The entire event was practically held under daylight, which absolutely ruined the ambiance in my opinion. Undertaker’s legendary entrance just doesn’t have the same panache and circumstance when the lights go off and you can still see everything.

4. It was lovely to see a rosso Ferrari car on the top step of the podium at the end of a Formula One grand prix. What a race in Malaysia! There were so much overtaking, great driving, and amateur-hour all in one afternoon. It’s been an immensely long time since we’ve heard the German national anthem followed by the Italian anthem at the podium ceremony. Michael Schumacher would’ve been proud if he were awake to witness it.

5. Fuck you, the governance in Indiana, for passing the anti-gay bill. Not only will I never visit Indiana, I’ll make sure to go around it if I were to ever drive across these United States. I’m glad my city and my university have come out not only to harshly denounce the bill, but also barred its employees from doing business with the Hoosier state. Good riddance.

6. So I’ve recently bought yet another Apple product (11.6 inch Macbook Air). I might need an intervention soon, friends of mine.

7. The gods lamented the departure of Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear by making a member of One Direction quit. Fair trade, wouldn’t you say?

8. Currently, I don’t own a single piece of machinery capable of playing a music CD (aside from the unit in my car, but like I’m really going to purposely go to my car every time I want listen to a CD), yet I still make a point to purchase a few each year. I feel it’s important to support the artists you like, especially the ones who are independent and not signed to major labels - they really need the profit from CD sales. Extra points to artists that put in thought to how a CD is packaged and the quality of the accompanying booklet.

What artists should do though, much like how movie studios are doing with their DVD releases, is include a voucher for a digital copy. That would make life so much easier for me my friend who otherwise has to pirate it off the Internet.

9. So after four years of unprecedented drought conditions, California has finally enacted mandatory water conservation mandates. None of the restrictions really affects me personally, because I don’t own a golf course, nor does my place have any real grass to speak of (I wouldn’t want a lawn anyways - less labor for me.)

My problem with the restrictions is that it’s not really going to solve anything, is it? Residential water use is only four-percent of all water use in California - the majority of water goes towards the state’s robust farming industry. Now, I’m not saying we should decrease our farming output; rather, we should examine how to grow crops at the same level as it is now, but use less water in doing so. Efficiencies found in the farming sector will assist tremendously in curbing our state’s thirst in midst of a devastating drought.

10. Though honestly, I’m fairly sure we can all live without almonds and pistachios. Growing those crops in California (or anywhere else) takes an enormous amount of water. I love pistachios just as much as the next person (I’m intensely allergic to almonds so no lost there), but not at the risk of wringing our state dry. 

No 관심 in that bag - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. It’s official: the mighty BBC has sacked Clarkson from Top Gear due to what has been humorously categorized as a ‘fracas’. It’s absolutely an end of an era for the venerable motoring show. Hammond and May are both likely to follow Clarkson to whatever he does next.

All good things must come to an end, right? I positively grew up on Top Gear, and it’s quite the melancholic moment when the news broke. I’m likely to still watch whomever the BBC choses to replace the three hosts, but deep down, long-time fans of the show all understand that it will never be the same. 

I still want that LaFerrari918, and P1 track battle, by the way. Make it happen, BBC. 

2. It was my understanding that you’d have to be born in these United States to run for the presidency, so someone will need to explain to me how on earth is Ted Cruz - born in Canada - is campaigning for the Republican party nomination. Actually, don’t bother; he’s got zero chance to win the ticket anyways. 

3. It’s a damn shame that with a reigning German world champion constructor, a German driver fighting for the title, and Seb Vettel in a rejuvenated Ferrari car, the German Grand Prix got cancelled for 2015. Worse, it’s position on future F1 calendars is very much in doubt. I join the chorus of F1 fans that lament the continuing lost of ‘tradition’ European races on historic and classic circuits, in exchange for far-flung, uninteresting circuits in oil-rich countries that no one cares about. 

4. After watching John Oliver’s brilliant takedown on the NCAA evil empire, I refrained myself from filling out a March Madness bracket this year. I also did not watch a single game. Call it a boycott, call it having got something better to do than sit in front of the television the entire day, watching sports that ultimately have to effect on my life many years from now. 

5. They never said it was going to be cheap: I just had the first major service done on my WRX STI, and it most certainly wasn’t kind to the wallet. It’s what happens when on top of being a high-performance car, it’s got one extra set of axles more than the typical car (being all-wheel drive and all). The dealership change practically all the fluids in the car: engine oil, coolant, brake, gearbox, and three differentials. They would’ve even washed the car too, but I instructed them otherwise. 

Some of you might ask, why don’t you simply do the work yourself and save a bit of coin? The answer to that is simple: I value my time, plus the fact I live in an apartment complex that hasn’t got the requisite space to perform vehicle maintenance (it also violates the lease agreement). I much rather pay the few hundred for a certified dealership to take care of servicing the car, all the while I’m at work earning. Besides, having a paper-trail does well to the resale value - if I do decide to part with the WRX. 

6. The first weekend of May is going to be absolutely spectacular: the much anticipated second Avengers movie comes out in theatres, and that particular Saturday night is the showdown fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. I’m so looking forward to it. 

7. Of course I want one those slim and shiny new Macbooks, but I reckon at it’s current first-generation state, it’s just a bit underpowered for what I need. Much like the genesis Macbook Air, it’ll take some time and evolution before the new Macbook can be a machine fit for general consumption. That’s why I’m likely to acquire a Macbook Air in the near future instead. The 11 inch version is arguably more portable anyways.

On other hand (no pun intended), I’m completely uninterested in the forthcoming Apple Watch. I prefer my timepieces to be mechanical, hand-crafted, and exquisite, thank you very much.

8. Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors on their Pacific Division championship. It won’t be long until the time is ripe for me to jump on the bandwagon. Hashtag no shame.

9. I wonder if Meghan Trainor prefers a man with bass and no treble. Something tells me it’s likely the other way round. Her hit song isn’t about confident body-image, it’s about I’m fat and I’m to lazy to loose weight but love me anyways because I’m awesome.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

10. As a person well into his 20s, I tend to take it as flattery when I get carded at bars and clubs. Oh, you think I look young enough to be 21? That’s so awesome! 

However, recently I got carded while purchasing tickets at the cinema to a rated R movie. Apparently, I look younger than 17 to the ticketing person, and that I actually find quite insulting. I’m not sure why that is as it’s but a four year difference from 17 to 21, but I guess as a full-fledged adult, you never want to be accused of still looking like a teenager.