Now I'm on the outside - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Baseball is back! San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers reported to spring training today. After winning three championships in five years, I've got zero expectations for this year. I'm merely going to enjoy the games I get to watch and/or attend. Can't wait to head down to Arizona in a little over a fortnight's time.  

2. With John Oliver locked down at HBO for the next three years and Jessica Williams removing herself from the running for host, I'm not exactly excited now about the future prospects of The Daily Show after Jon Stewarts departs.

3. Still haven't yet had the time to watch the nearly three hours of SNL40 show, but that Celebrity Jeopardy sketch is everything. Will Ferrell as Trebek, Darrell Hammond as Sean Connery, Kate McKinnon as Justin Bieber, Alec Baldwin as Tony Bennet, Norm McDonald as Burt Reynolds, Taran Killam as Christoph Waltz, and Jim Carrey as Matthew McConaughey; the whole of them absolutely nailed it. 

4. Even when you don't plan for car shopping to take up the entire day, even when you've done all your due diligence and the negotiations was a cinch, you'll still find yourself at the dealership until the sun goes down. I'm so glad when I bought my car I did it all through email; I merely had to sign and pay the down-payment when I went to the dealership to pick up the car. 

5. Those of you who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, I wholly recommend BMW of Mountain View for all your Bavarian motor shopping needs. On the same token, I my regard cannot be lower for the inattentive and mannerless pricks over at Peter Pan BMW. 

6. East coast is seeing record snow and well below zero temps, and meanwhile me the asshole here in San Francisco is complaining about mid-70s weather in the middle of February. 

Typical San Franciscan, right? 70 is to hot, 50 is too cold, and 60 is just right. You know what though, we certainly pay for the privilege to complain. Those of you who live in places with harsher climate extremes, spare me your consternation. 

7. I've zero patience to sit through adverts at the beginning of videos online. If you want me to watch your product/show/clip you need to show me something first before bombarding me with useless pander. What ever happened to placing the ads on the sides of the webpage?

8. Articles about how unhealthy Chipotle really is have been popping up lately, and I couldn't care less. I'll still eat there every chance I get. Being Chinese my body is accustomed to a sodium-heavy diet so it's no consequence at all that a typical Chipotle burrito has got enough sodium to satisfy an entire daily intake. The point is, sure that burrito bowl may contain 1,500 calories, but when I eat one of those the only other meal I have for the day is a light dinner or breakfast. That's it. Of course you'll get fat if you eat at chipotle and have two big square meals along with it. 

Law of thermodynamics, folks. It's really that simple. 

9. I rather America build the Keystone XL pipeline than risk having to carry oil from Canada on freight trains that's got to travel through communities, towns, and cities. Such a volatile substance should not be carried in large quantities on a mode of transport that is prone to accidents. 

10. I don't subscribe to the notion of "spend money on experiences, not things." I say, why not spend money on both? Deeply trenched materialism is awful yes, but there's nothing wrong with purchasing a few things if it does indeed make you happy. The key is to properly use the items you buy; a $3,000 Mac Pro that you only use to surf the web and watch youtube videos is a tremendous waste. 

Keep calm and carry on - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Sad news yesterday of Jon Stewart announcing he is to leave The Daily Show some time in the immediate future. It absolutely is the cliche end of an era; I literally grew up watching Stewart on The Daily Show, and his retirement from the show hits right in the childhood. Late night will never be the same, and the coverage of the 2016 election won't be, either.

My personal wish for the person to replace Stewart is John Oliver, but unfortunately for him, unless Comedy Central send a blank check to HBO, his hands are very much tied (I do adore his HBO show, though). Kind of sucks for Oliver in a way: he missed out of replacing Colbert by a few months, and now, he won't get the opportunity to replace the venerable Stewart. 

2. Spider-man is finally (and rightfully) reunited with his Marvel brethren! Sony made a deal with the Marvel Studios empire to have Peter Parker join his pals in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a fan of MCU movies I am beyond overjoyed. The thought of see Spider-man fighting alongside the Avengers against big bad Thanos in The Infinity Wars movies is simply orgasmic. 

Of course, Sony wouldn't have made this move if the latest slew of Spider-man films weren't so bad at the box office. They saw Marvel basically printing money with their films and Sony wanted a piece of that action. Kevin Feige is a genius and will only elevate the Spider-man franchise to new heights. I cannot wait. 

Sadly for Andrew Garfield he is out as the reigning Spider-man actor. Marvel should definitely bring back Tobey Maguire; they've not going to do origin story again (at least we hope not) so it'll be perfect to insert Maguire back into the Marvel universe. 

3. Call me a terrible Asian but I just cannot get behind the Fresh off the Boat sitcom. I very much enjoy the homages to immigrant Asian life in America but overall the show just lack substance to me. It's overtly done with caricatures and the jokes felt cheesy and forced. I was hoping for something akin to The George Lopez show for Asians but FOTB is disappointing far from that. 

4. I was at IKEA recently having a meal (as you do) and sat next to a couple on the same table. Practically the entire time, the couple did not chat with each other but rather stared intently into their respective phones. Now, unbeknownst to me they could have a great relationship, but their actions at the table made me feel sad and discouraged. People can't communicate anymore, even when you're with arguably your most favorite person in the world. 

Put the phone down. Say something. 

5. Kudos to dish for inventing SlingTV. I stopped my cable subscription years ago due to the costs, but have always missed watching the crown jewel of live sports: ESPN. With SlingTV I can now watch ESPN anywhere I want on any device with an Internet connection, for $20 flat. That's a price I'm willing to pay for, and the fact I get other channels like CNN, TNT, TBS, Travel, and Food is simply a bonus. 

Plus, I can cancel anytime. Brilliant. 

6. Thank you, FCC: the revolutionary Internet should absolutely be regulated as an utility. Just like power and water, it's fair to say the web is something nobody in America can live without. We all remember the last time the Internet went down (damn you, Comcast!) and we didn't know what to do with ourselves. 

All kidding aside, it's about leveling the opportunity for everyone of have access to the information wealth that the Internet provides. I just hope congress doesn't screw it up. What am I saying, of course congress with screw it up. 

7. I don't get why Sports Illustrated is getting all the applause for having a plus-sized model in its latest swimsuit issue. First of all, the placement of that particular model was paid for by an outside company - SI wouldn't have done it otherwise. Secondly, you can't call her a plus-size model! She just merely weight a bit more than the skinny models that usually appear on the magazine. The plus-size model is still incredibly beautiful, incredibly hot by most standards, so you people have to quit acting like SI put a "normal" girl in its pages. 

8. McLaren: move to Honda engines they said. It'd be fun they said. 

Just once, one more time, I want to see Fernando Alonso drive a front-running car. The man is the best driver on the grid and unless he moves to Mercedes next season, he's simply not going to get the opportunity any time soon. 

9. I thoroughly detest restrooms that only offer an electric hand dryer and no paper-towel dispenser to speak of. I'm all for saving trees, but what if I wanted to wipe my face? What if I spilt something on myself? They do know toilet paper crumbles with moisture, right? 

10. My mom always say, if there's one thing America hates the most, it's liars. It's no surprise then to see what is essentially the downfall of Brian Williams. And what did his altering of facts about his experience in Iraq, affect really? 

It's much easier to just be honest at all times. 

I can't stop saying bro, bro - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Yesterday was an absolutely glorious day for automotive enthusiasts: Ford announced the much anticipated Focus RS all-wheel drive monster, Porsche announced the long-rumored and much pined-for Cayman GT4 purist masterpiece, and Ferrari announced the 488GTB, the successor to the critically acclaimed 458 Italia. 

The frequent murmurs of performances automobiles having already had its golden-era can finally be put to rest. My god it's a great time to be a petrol-head. 

2. Formula 1 kicked off the 2015 season with preseason testing in Jerez, and to be honest my interest for the 2015 campaign is not all that great. The formula hasn't really changed much from the previous season, so suffice to say, it'll be the two Mercedes works drivers battling for the championship. 

Still, it's infinitely better than just one guy winning everything.

3. It's still hard to fathom just why on earth did Seattle not run the ball at the closing moments of the Super Bowl. I and everybody thought for sure they were going to punch it in once they got down to the New England one-yard line. When you have arguably the most physical running-back in the game, it's monumentally inane to put the ball in the air and count on your mediocre-at-best receivers. Marshawn Lynch could've simply fell forward and would've gotten that single yard. 

And I'm far from being a fan of Seattle.

4. The media reports over the return of measles due to parents not vaccinating their children is incredibly maddening. I strongly believe parents should have the freedom to make decisions for their children, but when said decisions have negative effects towards the general population (or endangers the child), then governments have a civic duty to put a stop to it. 

Don't want to vaccinate your child? Fine; said child should not be allowed outside in public.

5. Word on the street is the San Francisco Giants will introduce yet another alternate jersey for the 2015 season. I so hope it's the all-black one from the early naughts, but I'm not holding my breath. My money is ready if and when you do, Giants. 

6. I really want make it to Le Mans 24 hours race within the next few years. The LMP1 class is getting very competitive and exciting indeed. Nissan's new front-engine, front-wheel drive LMP1 challenger is an absolute stunner considering all other LMP1 cars are mid-engine, rear driven. Innovative technology and engineering is why I love and watch motor racing so much. 

7. Missy Elliot was the lone bright spot in the Super Bowl half-time show, and she simply killed it. When the beat dropped to "Get UR Freak On", it was straight gully from then until she bowed out from the stage. Kids these days don't know nothing about that good music from the early naughts.

8. It'd be perfect if the _Celebrity Jeopardy _skit makes a return during SNL's 40th anniversary show on the 15th of this month. Will Ferrell is scheduled to appear, and Darrell Hammond is already the show's announcer; the timing is ripe. I simply need to have Hammond's Connery tell Ferrell's Trebek he'd just fornicated with his mother. 

9. The entitlement mentality most certainly isn't just a psychological disease exclusive to millennials. As I've recently encountered, people of all age brackets are afflicted with the progressive disorder. I simply cannot stand people who refuses to take any personal responsibility. 

10. That Carls Jr. super bowl advertisement featuring the gorgeous Charlotte McKinney is everything.

I'm here so I won't get fined - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. You'd think after nearly a decade of driving I should've got down the whole placement of the feet in relations to the pedals. Unfortunately, turns out I've been doing it incorrectly this entire time. Instead of placing the heel of my right foot in between the accelerator and brake pedal, I placed it to the left of the brake pedal.

No wonder often times I feel like I don't have enough leverage in operating the go-pedal: I had to overextend the pivot every single time. Now that I've corrected this ergonomic mistake, it's like discovering the joy of driving all over again. 

2. Bicyclists need to figure out exactly what they want to be classified as: a mode of transport akin to a motor vehicle, or something more akin to walking pedestrians. It seems most would prefer the former, in which case I say all bikes should follow the same rules as cars. That means you, the cyclists, don't get to take shortcuts at red lights, nor can you forsake completely the right-of-way system. 

Bicyclists want to be treated like cars with full rights to the road, they must then act like one, too - at all times. 

3. In some ways I'm quite pissed the MK7 Volkswagen Golf range garnered all sorts of accolades from the North American automotive press. It seems everybody had forgotten that Americans got our hands of the MK7 Golf some year and a half after our cousins over in Europe. There's no reasonable explanation the largest automotive market on the planet essentially got the MK7 Golf last. I don't think Volkswagen should then be rewarded for it with all the awards.

4. I'm so excited about Top Gear UK's return to the televisions after a year hiatus - and a 10 episodes series at that. Sundays are going to be an absolutely blast for the next nine weeks. I'm most looking forward to the one where Richard is absconded on some remote Arctic mountain up in Canada, and the only rescue due to arrive is Jeremy and James in American pickup trucks.

5. I wonder the logic and brain machination that went on in the head of the person who first decided it would be an excellent idea to go racing for twenty four straight hours. It must have been absolutely brilliant - and quite bonkers, for sure. The ultimate test of machine and man: the likes of Rolex 24, Le Mans 24, Nurburgring 24, and Spa 24. It's on my personally lists to attend one if not all of those races in the future. 

6. Tax time is the only time I'm fiercely Republican. Why is the government trying to take my money?! Alas, I can only take solace in the fact capital gains are only taxed at 15%. 

7. Klay Thompson scoring 37 points in a quarter has got to be the ultimate "is this real life?" situation ever. Heck, not even in the easiest of modes in the 2K game can you shoot and score like he did in that game. I've been watching basketball for almost two decades and that performance was something spectacularly never before seen.

On a side note, how did the Warriors end up with the two best-shooting guards in the league and they're both the lightest skin brother you'll ever meet. It's hilarious. 

8. Why don't Japanese automotive marques offer Japanese delivery on their cars that are manufacturers there? European marques have been offering European delivery for the longest time. I definitely would have opted for it when I purchased the STI if the choice were available to fly to Japan, pick the car up at the Gunma factory, and drive round/sight-see the island country for a few weeks. 

Opportunity lost for the likes of Nissan, Toyota, and Honda is what I see. 

9. I'm kidding when I say the news of SkyMall closing down operations is the first instance I've heard of the name SkyMall. The only mall in the sky I patronize is the wonderful Amazon.

10. Looking back at pictures I took during 2013 and 2014, I've come to the realization that for those two years I've been incredibly... lazy. I don't know what happened, but the motivation to do anything substantial seemed to have been completely sapped from me. A person should only sit in front of the television for so many straight days.

Lethargy is a heck of a thing.