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 LaFerrari, 918, 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.  

Passive aggressive - 10 things i think

MANY THINGS I THINK: SCOTTSDALE SPRING TRAINING EDITION

1. Scottsdale is much smaller that I’ve recognized from looking at it Google Maps. One can literally walk from one side of town to the other in about 20 minutes. The group I was traveling with probably needn’t had hired a car for the trip - everything was absolutely within walking distance. 

2. The Arizona sun is so intense that you cannot venture outside without sunglasses. The brief moments I took mine off to wipe away sweat was enough to sear my retinas to oblivion. 

3. When you travel from bastion of liberalism that is San Francisco, it’s fun then to play the game ‘how you know it’s a red state’ when you visit Arizona. For one, plastic bags are free and available in every store. It’s amazing. 

4. It’s an incredible phenomena for a San Franciscan to see people driving on the freeway in a leisurely pace of 80 miles per hour. Back home that’d be considered highly speeding. Also, nobody on the road is aggressive, and always willing to provide space for other cars. Oh, you want to change lanes in front of me? Here, go right ahead. Take your time. 

5. The word ‘Waterfront’ holds completely different meanings in Scottsdale compared to San Francisco. Their version of a waterfront is simply a tiny man-made canal that cuts through the town. 

6. Scottsdale are is so dry that there’s no use for a hair-dryer: five minutes post shower your hair is already moisture-free. Body-lotion is a must, and lip-balm is best applied on a bi-hourly basis. For someone so used to having moisture and humidity in the air he breathes, the incredible dryness of Arizona is just about the only thing that I wasn’t overly fond of. 

7. Insert your typical amazement at cheap gas prices once you’re away from the San Francisco Bay Area. 

8. Arizona’s obviously got an abundance of land, so parking is never an issue. Plus, it’s usually free, too. You’ve no idea how much of a juxtaposition that is to San Francisco, where parking is never free, and you’re expected to circle round for better parts of an hour simply to find an open spot. 

9. Let’s talk about weather. 90 degrees in Arizona is called warm, while once the mercury drops to the 50s, that’s considered cold. In contrast, I’m used to 90 degrees being unbearably hot, and 50s is just right. Obviously, it’s all about getting used to the climate, though I’m not sure anybody can ever acclimate to over 100 degrees every-single-day during the summer months. 

10. Housing prices in Scottsdale - an upper-income town - is about a third of the cost in San Francisco. That figure is enough to make you weep at night until you succumb to slumber. 

11. Scottsdale tap water is undrinkable, even once you’ve boiled it (there remains an odd mineral-like taste). Stock up on bottled water, because the air is so dry you’ll be drinking lots of it. 

12. It’s difficult to have a bad dining experience in Scottsdale, provided you avoid the obvious national restaurant chains. I ate so well that I gained two pounds over the four-day vacation. I know it isn’t water weight, because it’s so fucking dry there. 

13. The beauty of spring training games is that no matter where you sitting, the stadiums are so comparative small to their major league counterparts that you’re so close to the players and the action. Game results obviously don’t matter, you’re just there to to enjoy the atmosphere and watch your favorite team at such an up-close distance that you’d need to fork over four-figures to do the same at the regular ballpark. 

14. Avoid sitting in the outfield grass sections of these spring training ballparks, unless you really enjoy a dark tan (or a wicked sunburn) and the gnarliest sun-drunk feeling you’ve ever experienced. 

15. Baseball players are generally much bigger in size that they appear on the television. 

16. Concession prices at spring training stadiums are just as jacked-up as they are in major league ballparks. That 16 ounce beer is still going to cost a ridiculous eight dollars.  

17. Arizona is the only state in the Union that doesn’t observe daylight savings time, for very good and obvious reasons. Personally I’m not the biggest proponent of DST (and neither is John Oliver), and wishes California would join Arizona is abolishing the practice. Having to adjust your internal body clock for arbitrary reasons (it’s not like you’re traveling anywhere) is quite inane and stupid to me. 

18. Once you’ve experienced the atmosphere and culture of Scottsdale and the greater Phoenix area, it’s very easy to recognize why the place tend to skew towards conservatism. 

Talking body - 10 things I think

10 THINGS I THINK

1. Agent Carter absolutely deserves to have more series made. The brief first series of eight episodes was spectacular, and of course I adore the performance of Hayley Atwell as the titular character. I'd be extremely disappointed if it gets cancelled, not the least of which television would lose one of the scant few female-led shows. 

I think the short episodes run rather than a full 22 episode order works well for Agent Carter. The story was quick and concise, and there was more value to each episode. I'd be quite alright if future series maintains it's position as the stop-gap between fall and spring halves of Agents of SHIELD. 

2. Speaking of Agents of SHIELD, it'll return next week, and I'm quite excited. Inhumans are likely to get introduced for the first time to the MCU, and how will the world of AOS tie in to the upcoming Avengers film? I'm glad the producers decided to split the season into two halves: there shouldn't be any weeks off for the show from now until the end of May.

3. Turbocharging and hybrid power is slowly enveloping the sports car world, leaving those of us who lust for high-revving atmospheric engines in fetal positions, awaiting for the inevitable to arrive. You know the moment has come when Porsche and it's preeminent sports car icon the 911 will soon feature turbocharged engines exclusively throughout its range, sparing only cars with a GT3 badge at the rear. 

As an owner of a turbocharged engined car, I understand very well the benefits: the power you can extract from relatively displacements, and the low-end torque that is so wondrous when punching it out of a slow corner. Manufacturers are turing to turbos because of emissions: scavenging exhausts gases that would otherwise be wasted energy is simply more efficient (read: more miles to the gallon, less expelled pollutants.) 

4. Enthusiasts' gripe with the turbocharged engine is the sound, or lack thereof. When you place turbines in the route of the exhaust tract, engine noise is naturally going to be muffled as well. It seems the majority of automakers have yet to figure out (or bother with) how to properly tune the exhausts of a turbocharge engine to make it not sound like a vacuum cleaner. 

And that's the key: turbocharging is inevitable, therefore manufacturers need to allocate the appropriate research-and-development funding towards sound engineering. The sort of noise a car makes is one of it's defining characteristics; it's why people are so drawn to the rocky, gargling roar of a small-block Chevy V8, or the high-pitched screaming howl of an LF-A V10.

Engine sound - real, actual engine sound - simply can't be ignored by sports car manufacturers any longer (looking at you, BMW.) 

5. I used to poke fun at Derrick Rose and his propensity to get hurt, but now with the news of him needing yet another knee surgery, it has gotten quite sad. I genuinely feel bad for him, and it's a great shame because Rose's cranky knees stole from us a great talent that was bound for many great things. Now, we may never find out. 

Warriors fans must be ecstatic that Steph Curry's ankles are no longer a concern as they once were. 

6. Honda has fired its CEO, Takanobu Ito, due to the whole of the Takata recall fiasco (amongst other issues), and I applaud it greatly. As an auto enthusiasts, I was happy to see Ito go because for the longest time he absolutely gutted anything remotely sporting or innovative within the Honda conglomerate. 

Acura had a rear-wheel drive platform, a brand-new V8 engine, and a V10-powered NSX replacement practically production-ready, but those programs got the knife. There were never a successor to the wondrous S2000 roadster nor the RSX coupe, and the present Civic Si is a shell of it's former high-revving glory. Instead of a company run by engineers, it was overrun by accountants. 

The incoming CEO needs to take a page from their rival Toyota and inject some sport back into their product lineup. The new turbocharged 2.0-liter four, the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and the soon-to-arrive NSX replacement is a good start. Time to keep it going. 

7. I take great offense to Apple's new skin-tone emojis. The one that's suppose to represent Asian skin-color is simply too yellow. We are NOT THAT YELLOW. Heck, I'm can be so pale at times that I'm a lighter shade that a few of my white friends. If my friends use that particular emoji when texting, I'm going to assume they've got jaundice and they need me to take them to the emergency room immediately. 

8. It's taken over a decade, but Bugatti has finally sold it's final copy of the Veyron hypercar. 450 cars in all, each carrying the hefty price of well over a million dollars. 

In contrast, it probably took Ferrari less than a month to sell out all 499 copes of its LaFerrari hypercar, each, like the Veyron, also costs around a million dollars. And buyers don't even call Ferrari to purchase one; Ferrari will contact you if it deems you qualified.

The power of the Ferrari brand. They truly are the automotive equivalent of Apple. 

9. The Oscars may have run a bit long, and NPH was out of its elements as a host (he's not one for comedy, I'm sorry), but the speeches salvaged the show. Patty Arquette's rousing speech for women's pay, John Legend and Common's passion for equal justice, Graham Moore's succinct "stay weird, stay different" rally cry, Alejandro Iñárritu's plea for fair treatment of undocumented immigrants, and Meryl Streep's heartfelt introduction to the In Memoriam segment. Those were all spectacular proses, and highlights of an otherwise dull award evening. 

10. Finally, Mayweather will fight Pacquiao on May 2nd, and I'm very much looking forward to it. It's our generation's Ali v. Frazier, one I'm definitely not going to miss out on as a sports fan. It will be the first instance that I'll be paying good money for a pay-per-view event. 

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.