Mummy 3

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh

Directed by Rob Cohen

It is decidedly a bad movie. If it is not set in China with Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, it will be a complete waste of time and money. The plot shamelessly copied Indiana Jones. The whole movie emphasized way too much on special effects and missed story telling and acting. Even the fight scenes, what Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li are supposed to be good at, are not impressive at all. Funny that Michelle’s English is far better than her Chinese.

I did not realize how important was Rachel Weisz until I saw that Mrs. O’Connell is not her. Brendan Fraser’s funny goofy became just plain goofy without her. The Lin character could have save it, but just wasted.

I probably won’t even recommend for rental.

Posted in Books & Reviews | 2 Comments

A Long Weekend


1:40am, the nurse unlocked the door of Adobe Animal Hospital and let us in. We made an appointment 6 hours ago from 380 miles away. It was a long drive; I made sure not to drive too fast. Monty lay on our laps most of the time. Adobe is his hospital. He met his first vet here 6 years ago. We signed up for his obedience class next door. I learned Monty’s ferocious love of string cheeses in the class; his baby teeth left quite a few marks on my hand.

The hospital has a bit Stephen King movie atmosphere. A golden retriever’s humanoid pack members cuddled him. Cyber coughed blood earlier. A cat, in the carrier, had trouble breathing. A woman was in uncontrollable tears outside an exam room. Monty was oblivious and pretty much just rest on daughter’s laps, waiting patiently, as he always. Cyber needed to stay over-night. The doctor asked if CPR should be administered if the situation requires it. We dreaded the same question when he suggested that Monty stay the night. But he did not. Monty was not in morbid danger.

Monty’s bane was in our minds when we started the journey from San Jose 19 hours ago. We heard that Monty puked all over the places last Saturday. After 3 days of intermittent vomit, his care-taker took him to a vet who prescribed antibiotics and potassium. That did not help. He stopped eating and grew weaker. On Friday, we decided to bring him back to Adobe if he can endure the ride. At 3pm, we arrived LA. At 7pm, we started the return trip with Monty in the car. A round-trip to LA takes 14 hours of driving, mental preparation, and several pain killers along the way.

Adobe confirmed that Monty lost 20% of his weight in that week. Imagine that. We had a bit trouble falling asleep, although extremely tired after the long drive.

Sunday moved through its normal rhythm but always with a conscientious awareness of Monty. We would jump at the phone whenever it rang and check our cell phones for missed calls. After about 12 hours of electrolytes, via IV, the vet decided to ultra-sound his abdomen. The phone rang quickly, “We strongly recommend a surgery to extract an object.”

More waiting ensued. Finally, slightly passed 11pm, “We found a peach pit. It bruised, but not ruptured, his intestine, moving slowly toward the end. He has woken up from the surgery. We will keep him here until he eats. We expect full recovery in a week or so.”

Suddenly, the air seems lighter and the TV became more interesting. “This must’ve costed me,” I thought to myself as I fell asleep.

Epilogue: Monty is back home Monday afternoon. He is a bit weak and slow, but happy, lazy, and hungry. Like always.

Yep. It costed me.

Posted in Witness to my life | 2 Comments

大业系列之三:体育酒吧

先看基础篇,再往下读。记住:成功不在点子,而在执行能力。全世界都能看这博志,你赢在更好地执行能力。没错,别妄自菲薄。再去读一遍基础篇。如果你准备好了,你一定行,也一定会赢。

什么是Sports Bar?啤酒,下酒菜(油炸,土豆,大块肉),大营幕电视,几个大厅,台球。 要热闹,但能聊天。啤酒要凉,菜要热,椅子要舒服,电视要看得到但听不到。不必低价,但不能贵。服务员要有个性,有礼貌,动作快,不必美丽,但得可爱。

是的。这是专对男士的市场,但女性同胞不能被排斥在外。另外,得有个卖点。这卖点,看个人巧思。我有一招可供参考:自助啤酒。

进门每人发一电子卡,入座后自取杯子,自选饮料,续杯一切自助。

Posted in China, Get Rich in China | 1 Comment

WALL-E

Wall-E

Directed by Andrew Stanton

27 June 2008 (USA)

Light hearted semi-sci-fi that is really about human characters. Pixar actually make us feel the emotions from animated robots that do not speak; I did not anticipate that. This movie is surprisingly touching and entertaining.

The playwright did not even try to make it scientifically credible. If technologies exist to sustain a large vessel that carries a large population for 700 years, how did it ruin earth? If the vessel has the technologies to restore earth after 700 years (clearly without much innovations during those years), how did those people who had more resources 700 years ago failed?

But it is not for the engineers in you to watch. I enjoyed it and did not think about it too much after.

Posted in Books & Reviews | 1 Comment

Conversation with 3 Sun VPs

Based on true conversations or email exchanges.

11am
VP #1: Sin-Yaw, some of them are very not happy at you?
SYW: Who are “they?” And why?
VP #1: You know. What you wrote and what you said recently?
SYW: ?!?!

4pm
VP #2: At this point, it is best that you refrain from contacting anyone from ERI.
SYW: You wish me to erase 3 years of my life? You also believe that I am the cause of all your troubles?
(VP #2 stopped communicating.)

8pm
VP #3: Sin-Yaw, hell is breaking loose in Beijing. Many think it is your fault.
SYW: How so, I left 3 weeks ago.
VP #3: Exactly. Had you not left, this will not happen.
SYW: I see it is entirely my fault.
VP #3: Had you not left, they wouldn’t have the chance to make wrong decisions. And you would have kept it quiet anyway.
SYW: So they want me back?
VP #3: Hell no. It is all your fault, why would they want you back?
SYW: …
VP #3: Oh yes, the attrition is also your fault.
SYW: I guess my career at Sun will be quite limited now.
(VP #3 laughed so hard we have to end the conversation.)

Posted in Witness to my life | 9 Comments

Programming in the Large

Smart people thought of this question long and hard before. Companies after companies tackled it with years of patience and large amount of resources. Books and consultants profit from it for decades. There are even computer languages designed just for this environment.

So why would another company try to deal with it again?

Read more here

Posted in Peek into my mind | Leave a comment

大业系列之二:知青下乡

先看基础篇,再往下读。记住:成功不在点子,而在执行能力。全世界都能看这博志,你赢在更好地执行能力。没错,别妄自菲薄。再去读一遍基础篇。如果你准备好了,你一定行,也一定会赢。

假设你有IT的背景,有协调的能力,有点组织能力。中国的农村,是你最佳的空间。农村是集体共有的资源,平均教育水平低,没有什么资讯系统可言,生产力低。从另一个角度看,管理,组织,IT能带来最大的生产力提升的空间。美国的农民生产力,是中国的20倍。如果你找到一个农村,提升他们的生产力10倍,你能赚多少钱?

首先,农民们得信的过你。最简单就是你的同乡。中国人乡土情深,你说同一种乡音,分析给他们听,才能走下一步。感情及信任,是一切的基础。

做什么呢?最简单的是产销链。一样的作物,农民拿多少?市场卖多少?中间到哪去了?如果好好经营,去掉中间人,缩短产销链,大家都有好处。

再来是专业化及个性化。一村种一种庄稼,和全国每一村都不同。这庄稼要好好选:以自然条件为主,农民知识为辅。市场需求和经销,是下一步的工作。大家种大米,这村种香米。大家种桃子,这村种水蜜。

当然最赚钱的是新产品。农产品需要几年才能获利,不能全村一下转种。要有计划的更新,一亩一亩,一家一家,大家有组织的做。几年后就成了个产业。然后往下个村推行。

比较有魄力的做法是把整村租下,改种新作物。现成的农民,成了你的员工。他们的地,就是新的工厂。只是不制造,而是耕作。农民的收入改成工资,而不是卖农产品。既然决定权在你,资金由你出,成本风险在你,将来的收益也是你的。农民担心的是你倒了这么办?你必须给他们个保障:银行里一笔保证金,如果公司倒了,农民不会一无所有。盈利分红更是激励士气,降低成本的好办法。

这是个十年大业。没有决心,不要进来。这也是最有意义,最赚钱的事业。

Posted in China, Get Rich in China | 1 Comment

æ°´æµ’ PodCast

其实我是要学PodCast怎么做。但第一步是要有材料,我这没什么创造力的人,去那里找材料呢?在北京时,买了套评书CD。那时就转成MP3,放在iPod里听。想想就用它吧。自然会考虑产权的问题。但我的CD还在海上,看不到许可的细节。记忆中,没有任何许可。也就是说,那些CD是我的,如同物理财产。等我拿到CD时,如果我无权分布,那就得把这些撤下喽。


I was to learn the mechanics of podcasting, but having contents appears to be the necessary 1st step and I don’t have any. While I was in Beijing, I bought this audio book and quickly ripped them into MP3 so that I can listen to them on my iPod. Seems like perfect contents, only I don’t know the licensing terms. If I remember right, there was not any. For CDs bought in China, this should means I own those CDs (instead of licensed the contents). Those CDs are on their way from China to US. I will search and read the license, if I ended up not having the rights. Well, this link will have to go down.


Enjoy.

Posted in China, Witness to my life | Leave a comment

成大功,立大业,发大财:基础

这系列是我对中国这代人的期许。尤其有高校资历,又在北京,上海,深圳的外企做了5年左右的年轻人。会介绍些创业的观念。我认为成功率颇大,但没有一步登天的。

你得有高校资历,至少5年工作经验,最好10年包含2至3年的管理经验。不然也得有协调沟通的能力。

你得有点创业冲动,也愿意做些牺牲:优越的待遇,大城市的生活,一呼百诺的威风,悠闲的假期,等等。不必也不该全丢,但总要舍几个。

找一二个伙伴。路是很远的,需要有伴同行。不能用配偶,可以是朋友。创业伙伴最重要的是能同甘共苦。平日留意个性相投的人,观察他的为人处事。时间到了,看能不能共襄盛举。不要被背景财力迷惑,那是能补足的。性格是不大能改的。

中国没有健全的退场机制。创业的后果:倒了,卖掉,或继续盈利。上市的机会不大。也就是说,要做好长征的打算。可以一二年没赚钱,不能把将来退休的本赔进去。自己人已经投入了,不能把家人在拉进去。

想好自己的能力,经验,及性格。能力是出身,知识,学问,或训练。经验是上场实战的刀疤。性格是待人接物的风格。这些是别人无法取代的,也是你竞争的本钱。

中国人讲“谋定而后动”。我常告诫年轻人:“武功没练好,一下山就被人杀了”。再回头读一遍,你准备好没?

Posted in China, Get Rich in China | Leave a comment

Tips for Travellers


When travel via air, carry-on are restrictive, but checking-in comes with the worry of lost or, worst, being looted. They are so vulnerable. What if a stranger reaches in? Are my jewlery safe? They may touch my underwear!

TSA may cut off locks for random inspection.

The humble cable ties are pennies per pound. The smallest one withstands the strongest fingers, yet yield to the least threatening cutting tool. It is basically temper-proof, also colorful as an identification device.

Throw a bunch into the hand-carry bag. Tie your check-in luggage at the counter and board with a peace of mind.

Posted in 100 Words, Witness to my life | Leave a comment