Today Palm announced its new smartphone, the Pre, and just as importantly, its long-awaited new software platform, WebOS. Reading the Engadget live blog on the announcement and watching videos on Gizmodo, I am quite impressed by what I saw. Not only is the hardware slick, the software is too. Wall Street liked it as well: …
Author Archives: Jimmy Lin
Chinese ‘classical poem’ was brothel ad
A respected research institute wanted Chinese classical texts to adorn its journal, something beautiful and elegant, to illustrate a special report on China. Instead, it got a racy flyer extolling the lusty details of stripping housewives in a brothel. Chinese ‘classical poem’ was brothel ad, The Independent (London), December 9, 2008 Thanks to Alex for …
An epic rickroll
This is the ultimate rickroll:
Raise the gas tax NOW
Now that oil has fallen to half of what it was in the summer, we should the gas tax should be raised now, while gas is still cheap. The federal gas tax was last raised in 1993, and California’s state gas tax was last raised in 1994. In California, we would need to raise gas …
Free goodies for voters… um…. everyone
There’s still time today to get a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, a free star-shaped donut at Krispy Kreme, and a free scoop of ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s. Originally, only people who voted were eligible for the freebies, but since that apparently violates election laws, the companies had to open it up …
Addicted to polls
I’m the guy who keeps explaining to friends that Obama doesn’t need Florida and Ohio to win, he just needs Virginia and Colorado. — Obama supporter Hank Kornblut The New National Pastime: Poll-Watching, Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2008
So that’s what that song is
Last night, an old song that I first heard in high school suddenly popped into my head. I didn’t know the name or any of the words, but I could distinctly hear in my mind the haunting melody and the clear singing but the indistinct lyrics. I also knew it was by the ’90s British …
The best Barack Obama impression
If you search for “obama impressions” on YouTube, you’ll get a ton of hits. But for my money, the best by far is by a comedian named Marlin Hill. Check out his appearance on a radio show in Milwaukee (part 1, part 2). Uncanny. Part 1: Part 2: (Updated October 13: added part 1)
Songs circulating in my head
Some songs that have been circulating in my head over the past few weeks (not all at the same time, thankfully): In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel Wonderwall by Oasis Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms Carnival of Sorts (Boxcars) by R.E.M. World (The Price of Love) by New Order Rock the Casbah by The …
The Beijing Olympics
After back-to-back party conventions, the Olympics seem like old news, but here’s my reaction anyway. They were clearly a triumph for China — all the controversies from denied protests to lip-syncing girls faded away, and the actual competition dominated the headlines. I was proud how well the Chinese people conducted themselves during the games, and …