Month: November 2004

Indices

In index news, the cost of the Twelve Days of Christmas Index is up 2.4% over last year, counted individually; the weighted index, counting the drummers drumming in a 12 to 1 ratio to the partridge in the pear tree is only up 1.6%. Amazingly, you can buy everything over the Internet for a $10,000 surcharge over the approximately $17,200 “retail” cost.

Of course, you have to remember the Economist’s Big Mac Index. Look for the third column to see which countries have more bang for your buck when the dollar is at historic lows.

According to Slashdot, The English version of Chosun says that SMS and instant messaging has overtaken email as the perferred method of communication in Korea by “young people”. Slashdot writers make fun of SMS’s ghetto spelling. The “older people” in Korea apparently sue book publishers for defamation of Confucius.

Freeplay Music, royality free soundtracks, had their 2 millionth download. I’ve used a few for some work projects; I think I’ve heard a few of them on some commercials.

P- and I saw The Incredibles on Saturday; they were no. 2 after National Treasure, the DeVinci Code wannabe movie. The Incredibles had an interesting premise: if everyone is special, does that mean no one is incredible?

New York Bar pass rate for July 2004 was a dismal 67.5%. Next July, the pass mark will go up from 660 to 675. That may just make it a 50-50 proposition.

Would you believe? Number of Asian American law school deans: 2! : Wayne State’s 37-year old Frank Wu and Yale’s Harold Koh.

Post-Thanksgiving Day

Work was tedious Friday. I held down the fort, but couldn’t escape that sense of boredom.

This week’s “Star Trek: Enterprise” – like I said earlier week – is there a reason why an Enterprise captain is always making history and changing the course of development of a society? (in this case, Vulcan) — or, to paraphrase Commander Riker in the pilot episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” – there’s something about the ship called “Enterprise.” Or, something like that. Why oh why Captain Archer is persisting in his effort…? Somehow, he’s the Chosen One, yet I feel like there’s a catch, there just has to be a catch to this. Plus, it’s kind of strange how Archer’s prejudice against Vulcans keep cropping up at the worst of times. But, Scott Bakula’s acting is still pretty decent stuff (always helpful to have beefed up writing).

Oh, and it’s funny how Ambassador Soval, the biggest pain in the neck Vulcan diplomat ever, has really grown to be an interesting character (the actor, Gary Graham, is pretty good too – his previous sci-fi tv acting work was in the FOX show, “Alien Nation”).

Plus, the villain Vulcan of the arc, V’las – well, apparently, he succeeds Soval as the Biggest Vulcan Pain in the Neck (or Pain in the Ass, to be more accurate). Eerily, his acting recalls his previous Trek work as Admiral Leyton, the nasty Pain in the Ass Starfleet admiral in “Deep Space Nine” who more or less took over Earth security on the basis that he knew best on how to protect Earth/the Federation from the enemies abroad. (and thus establishing the less-than-stellar view of Starfleet admirals in general, with the pleasant exception of Admiral Forrest on “Enterprise”). (Heavens knows, when that actor made his “Enterprise” appearance last week, I had the automatic thought, “Oh, this is going to be nasty. He cloaks his sinister intentions with a pompous respectability… It’s Deep Space Nine all over again or Star Trek: Insurrection…”).

Anyway, this particular episode of “Enterprise” had all the lovely references to the current events’ messiness (a.k.a., the War Against Terrorism, and the whole pre-emptive strike matter with Iraq and so forth). Very curious to see how this will all resolve… (if resolution will occur)…

Ok, enough of my Star Trek references, which are bound to fly over people’s heads. Go shopping this weekend. It’s good for the economy. (but not necessarily for your pocket book).