Einkaufs Liste

Some things I need to buy as soon as I get home:

• All of Mark Schultz's albums


• A pair of adidas Predator Pulsion or Pulsado


• A cell phone, maybe a Motorola V400 with Fido? Definitely not Sony-Ericsson or Siemens, but Fido doesn't have any decent Nokia phones... and Rogers' reception sucks on campus

Secrets

This is a CBC: The Passionate Eye documentary, originally aired March 21. Based on and inspired by Health Canada's 2002 Canadian Youth, Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Study, it explores today's Canadian teenagers' sexuality through several case studies.

The three primary case studies included: 1) Two girls, 14 and 13, who are close friends and in grade 8 together; 2) 15-year-old bisexual boy and his girlfriend; and 3) a boy and a girl, both 17, who dated for six months before giving each other their virginity.

I found the documentary both tragic and disturbing. Here are these teenagers talking about sex not only outside of marriage, but outside of an emotionally-involved relationship altogether. Young people who no longer value their own virginity, who no longer respect their bodies, or their partners, or future spouse. The sanctity of sex, along with the institution of marriage, has been desecrated in this country.

Two questions are posed to the Christian church: 1) What can we do to reach out to teens who've already sinned sexually, to guide them to Christ, and to help them lead pure, holy Christian lives, without fear of judgment and shame? And 2) What can we do to protect our own teens, to prevent them from sinning sexually and defiling God's temple that is their bodies? Because, believe you me, these problems are much, much closer to home than you might think.

P.S. I guess Wilson put it best in a 7th Heaven episode ("Who Knew?"), when he said, "Some mistakes are like jumping out of a plane: Once you do it you can never take it back. It stays with you forever."

Originally Posted: 15:34 April 25, 2005

Thoughts on Anti-Japanese Actions

As far as news go, there aren't much bigger these days than the ongoing anti-Japanese demonstrations which broke out earlier this month when the Japanese government gave its approval to a junior high history textbook that, according to its critics, "downplays the 1937 'Nanjing massacre' in China, ignores the sexual slavery of women for Japanese soldiers, and presents Japanese actions as aimed at liberating other Asian countries".

Latest developments:
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking today at the Asian-African summit in Jakarta, reiterated former PM Tomiichi Murayama's 1995 remarks, stating, "In the past, Japan through its colonial rule and aggression caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations. Japan squarely faces these facts of history in a spirit of humility and with feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology always engraved in mind." [CNN.com, zaobao.com]
Close to 170 Japanese Diet (parliament) members or their aides visited the infamous Yasukuni Shrine this morning in observance of the annual spring festival. The Yasukuni Shrine is, of course, home to over 2.3 million Japanese soldiers who died in World War II, including over a dozen class-A war criminals. This visit is sure to spark further conflicts between China and Japan. [CNN.com, zaobao.com, asahi.com]

And of course, we already know about the battle of wills being staged in the General Assembly of the United Nations, with Japan, Germany, Brazil, and India bidding for permanent seats in UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's proposed model A reform to the Security Council, and the U.S. and China - both currently permanent members of UNSC - opposed to Mr. Annan's "artificial deadline" set for September. I'm not particularly interested in this piece of drama, since it is chiefly a political matter.

Regarding the history textbook in question, here are some "facts" I found:
Though given away for free, the textbook is used in only 18 of 11102 junior high schools in Japan.
Denounced by the leading national teacher's union.
Supposedly well right of mainstream opinion.
Of its 236 pages, only 20 are devoted to the buildup to and the period of WWII, a span of 25 years marking the height of Japanese expansionism and militarism.
The aforementioned 20-page section defends Japan's military action as a last-resort solution to their lack of resources, as well as an "attempt to liberate Asia from western colonialism".
Makes no mention of front-line brothels or the hundreds of thousands of Korean, Chinese, and Taiwanese women forced into sexual slavery.
Refers to the invasion of China as "a request for passage", and to the Nanjing Massacre as "an incident causing the deaths of many Chinese".
Japanese officials claimed that the text screening process is only intended to eliminate factual errors and unacceptable interpretations; it does not mean the government "agrees with everything on every page".
[CNN.com, zaobao.com]

While reactions to this deplorable textbook have been understandably riotous, there is no need to resort to violence, whether in destroying Japanese storefronts or causing them personal harm. If you feel boycotting Japanese products will send a message and force the hands of those in charge of right-wing corporations sponsoring the publication of this textbook, I say go right ahead. But threatening the safety of others will not help your cause, and only gives the Japanese government an excuse to turn down any requests. Now it's Japan's turn to demand an apology from the Chinese government for organizing (or at the very least permitting) anti-Japanese demonstrations.

As anyone who's ever been in a relationship should know: the easiest way to fish for an apology is not through stubborn protest, but sincere humility to meet the other halfway. Even if China had every right to demand an apology for Japan's war crimes, their barbaric actions against Japanese civilians have stripped them of said rights.

The Balance of Power

My friend had suggested on numerous occasions that I should take charge of the situation, and regain control of my life. While I vehemently disagree with the notion that I can still do something about the relationship, or that there still is a relationship to do something about, I'm starting to understand what it might mean to take control of what's going on. It should start with reclaiming ownership of my emotions. If it means cutting off all communications, so be it. I shall refuse to be affected by whatever happens or does not happen between us. You shall no longer have any effect on my emotional state. Because letting you affect me means, in essence, that you still wield power and control over me. I just can't allow that. You do what you want with your life, and I'll do what I want with mine. They may have intersected and intertwined in the past, and while nobody can see beyond the next bend in the road, I shall enjoy my solo drive while it lasts, wherever it takes me.

Double Red for Reds

After big Duncan Ferguson got away from Rio Ferdinand to head home the lone goal, Manchester United lost their heads, lost the plot, and ultimately lost the game. Frustrated at every turn by a stubborn Everton defence, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes both saw red in the second half, leaving United to finish with nine men.

While Wayne Rooney continued to be a threat running from deep, Ruud van Nistelrooy once again failed to leave his mark on the game. Nevermind his brace in the FA Cup last weekend, tonight he rarely got in good positions in or around the box. Although he held the ball up well when United broke upfield, he managed precious few chances at goal, the best one perhaps coming near the end when he completely mishit a volley on the turn from 15 yards.

Scholes wasted a golden opportunity moments after restart when he was played in by Rooney, but left-footed the shot straight at keeper Nigel Martyn. Rooney himself had a couple shots from just outside the area, and another one just inside the box when he bulldozed past three blueshirts before sending his shot the wrong side of the post.

Sir Alex Ferguson seemed at the end of his wits when, down 1-0, he sent on Mikael Silvestre for Wes Brown. To compound his problems, Neville earned himself a straight red for kicking the ball at spectators while the substitution was being made. Nevertheless, with Alan Smith and Quinton Fortune on the bench, one would like to have seen Sir Alex take a more positive approach. Instead, minutes later, Darren Fletcher was taken off for the more defensive-minded John O'Shea.

Cristiano Ronaldo had another subpar night on the wings, the tricks coming few and far between, the crosses wayward, and generally lacking the end product to his running. He had a chance near the end to at least smash in the shot on a cutback from just inside the area, but instead chose to dwell on the ball and ultimately fall on the first hint of contact in search of a penalty. Referee Phil Dowd was having none of it, showing him the yellow card.

With United desperately seeking an equalizer in added time, Roy Keane was pushed over from behind by a backtracking Kevin Kilbane as he brought the ball out of his own half, and Scholes lashed out at Kilbane with a kick landing near the groin, earning himself a second yellow. Just about sums up United's evening.

By the way, I was able to catch the live action at the Mr. Pickwick Pub in Baden. Can't believe I didn't realize I could watch live football there. You'd think with it being an English pub I could put two and two together and get four. Apparently some Keegan math was at work.

Final Showdown

Arsenal and Manchester United booked their places in the FA Cup Final 24 hours apart this past weekend, guaranteeing a mammoth end-of-season showdown between the rivals on May 21. The Premiership season opened with the two clubs playing for the Community Shield, which Arsenal won 3-1. Form, however, is definitely on United's side, having done the double over Arsenal in the league this season (2-0 at Old Trafford, 4-2 at Highbury) and knocking them out of the League Cup.

The magic number for Chelsea is 8, the number of points they need to be proclaimed Premiership champions. Arsenal is currently second, 11 points behind Chelsea with six matches to go. A combination of points gained by Chelsea and points lost by Arsenal totalling 8 will confirm Chelsea as winners. After the 1-1 draw with Birmingham last weekend, Chelsea will not reach a century of points this season, but this week's 6-pointer against Arsenal could see them get one hand on the Premiership trophy.

NHL Eastside Hockey Manager 2005 Beta Demo

Sweet mama I haven't had something take my breath away quite like this in years. Maybe my ex-girlfriend once or twice, but that doesn't concern me anymore. Hockey fans starved of NHL action should definitely check this out. This is the second generation of Sports Interactive's NHL Eastside Hockey Manager series, officially licensed by the NHLPA and promising to be a huge step forward from the first release, which was based on an aging Championship Manager 3 engine.

A knock against the initial NHL EHM release I have is the fact that, while you're supposedly just the General Manager of the hockey club, you can micromanage the club down to the coaching level, which defeats the purpose of hiring a coaching staff. With football clubs, the manager is basically the head honcho for all aspect of the club, right down to team selection, tactics, and training. This is simply not true for the GM of a hockey club, whose duties are limited to personnel management. Let's see how SI, known for their CM (now Football Manager) series, tries to bridge the differences in NHL EHM 2005. Perhaps they ought to allow players the options of becoming a GM, a coach, or even dual-role a la Darryl Sutter.

Album Version 2 - April 15 Update

The latest version of the Flash MP3 Player has a volume slider and a continuous-play mode. I also added more songs. Still have to add the position slider and maybe a shuffle function. Feel free to make a suggestion if there is a feature you feel would be useful. I'm no expert in Flash but I'll see what I can do.

Sweet, Sweet Dreams

Hey it's been a good week for me. Bugfixes by day, sweet dreams at night. Finally fixed the major bug with reporting we've had for months. Incredible satisfaction. And I've been having decent dreams a few nights in a row. Dreamt about playing football last night. Does it get any better than that?

Costume Fetish

A lot of people have certain obsessions with regards to girls in uniforms and costumes. Nurses. Policewomen. Firewomen. OL's. Bunnies. Fishnets. Sailors. Schoolgirls. Nuns. Car babes. Waitresses. Soldiers. Cheerleaders. The list goes on and on.

Me? I'll settle for a cutie decked out in a long-sleeve football kit one size too big.

Chelsea Hang On, Milan Derby Hangs

Chelsea are through to the semis of the Champions League - the final piece of their treble puzzle - after withstanding a late rally from Bayern München, losing 3-2 on the night but winning 6-5 on aggregate. They'll be watching tonight's Liverpool-Juventus quarterfinal closely, as they'll meet the winners next round. Liverpool currently hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg, but they head to Turin with a whole host of injuries, including skipper Steven Gerrard, who is out with a groin problem and has been left out of the squad. We could, however, see Xabi Alonso and Djibril Cisse, both just recovering from injuries, make cameo appearances should Liverpool require something extra.

The Milan derby was halted with 19 minutes remaining when Milan keeper Dida was struck in the shoulder by one of many flares thrown by Inter fans. Milan had been leading 1-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate, so they will likely move on to the semis regardless of UEFA's decision today on whether to replay the second leg, finish the 19 minutes, or abandon the match outright. Shame on them flare-throwers who continued their antics despite pleas from their own players.

A final thought on Liverpool, whose tenacious display against Everton kept their hopes of snatching 4th place in the Premiership alive and also impressed yours truly. The tough tackling in midfield and the quick pace in attack that are lacking from Manchester United can be found in abundance in the Liverpool side led by Gerrard, who epitomises both qualities with his battling midfield work and visionary passing. The sheer pace of Milan Baros stretches and pulls defences, and scoring from outside the box is an eventuality when you have Gerrard, Dietmar Hamann, and John-Arne Riise in the side. Harry Kewell and Luis Garcia use their quick feet to maximum effect on the wings, while Real Madrid outcast Fernando Morientes provides a target man for crosses and long balls. Even from freekicks, one would rather bet on Gerrard, Hamann, or Riise to score than Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Wayne Rooney.

Simply put, apart from the rambunctious Rooney, I'd much rather watch Liverpool than United at the moment.

MSN Messenger 7 Final (7.0.0777) Released

It's finally here: MSN Messenger 7 has officially arrived with all new features (which we've beta'ed for months... or at least some of us have... I found the beta too unstable for my machine) including winks, nudges, and handwriting.

Also released is MSN Spaces, which basically rivals Blogger and other blogging services by mimicking functionalities while inventing fancy synonyms to distinguish itself ("Recycle Bin" anyone?).

Album Version 2 - April 12 Update

So I've whipped up a decent-looking Flash MP3 Player to be inserted later into my webpage. For now, you can enjoy a few select songs whenever my computer is online.

Todo list:
Add volume slider
Add position slider
Add play modes

United Disgrace

While Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, Manchester United continued self-destruction with a dismal 2-0 defeat down at Carrow Road. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, and Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench, but all came on at various times over the course of the match. Somehow, they still failed to break down a Norwich defence which had shipped out 63 goals in 31 matches and had not kept a clean sheet since October 16 in a 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion. That's 22 league matches and two cup ties. With Arsenal earning three points over Middlesbrough at the Riverside, it looks increasingly likely that United will have to settle for third place and third qualification round in next season's Champions League.

Another Everton youngster makes the headlines with a record-breaking strike in the final minutes of their match against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Sunday. James Vaughan, on his senior debut as Everton's youngest player ever, came off the bench in the 74th minute and proceeded to become the youngest scorer in Premiership history. At the age of 16 years and 271 days, he beat the previous record of 16 years and 357 days, set by James Milner in December 2002. Comparisons to former Everton starlet Rooney are inevitable, especially with Rooney set to return to Goodison Park when United visit on April 20.

Elsewhere in Europe, the biggest game of the weekend took place at the Bernabeu between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Faced with Barcelona's 4-2-3-1, Real manager Luxemburgo went with a daring 4-3-3, which spared him the trouble of choosing two out of the three forwards at his disposal. This proved to be a masterstroke, as all three - Raul, Ronaldo, and Michael Owen - scored on route to a 4-2 victory. Incredibly, Barcelona more than doubled Real in terms of chances at goal, but with Samuel Eto'o stretchered off with a dozen minutes left and Real shifting into defensive mode with a trio of substitutions that saw three of the four goalscorers come off the pitch, they failed to claw back the two-goal deficit, allowing Real to come within six points in the league table. With seven games remaining, the two-horse race at the top suddenly got a lot more interesting. Further down the table, four points separate the five teams ranked 3rd to 7th, with Champions League qualifications still to play for.

Finally, a note on the England vs. Northern Ireland World Cup qualifier, which I watched last night. I had read about David Beckham's lack of tactical discipline in this match, which boiled down to his inability to stick to the wing and stretch the Northern Ireland defence. Indeed, Becks roamed too often into the middle of the park, but why complain when we ran out 4-0 winners and Joe Cole put in a solid performance on the problematic left side?

Czech's Ahoy!

Seeing the little blonde girl on the bus with her mommy and her littler baby brother pulled out a nearly-forgotten memory of my weekend in Prague.

While sitting, hunched over, on a bench in a Prague subway station, I lifted my gaze off the ground and was met with a pair of beautiful eyes looking back at me. Timid yet curious. Shy but sparkling. A cute little blonde head, peeking around her daddy's leg.

"..." she mumbles. I raise a brow at her.

Then, as if making up her mind, she steps out from behind her daddy and says, loud and clear, "Ahoy~"

Caught a little off-guard and not sure what to make of it, I smile and reply, "Hello~"

She persists, "Ahoy~"

I grin a little wider and keep pace, "Hello~"

Back and forth it goes. Now, normally, if a cute blonde "Ahoy~"s me in public, I'd probably be a) blushing all the way to my ears, b) looking away pretending nothing's happening, or c) running for the nearest exit. Of course, normally, cute blondes don't "Ahoy~" me in public. And, of course, in this case, the cute blonde is no more than three years old. I can handle three-year-olds, no matter how cute or blonde they are. But I'm sure I still looked pretty ridiculous, more like I was talking to a kitten than a three-year-old.

She's not giving up, "Ahoy~"

Well, I suppose if you were talking to a kitten, and she wouldn't stop meowing you, eventually you have to try something she might understand. For example, meowing back at her.

So I look her right in the eyes, and go, "Ahoy~"

She seems pleased and looks up at her daddy. He says something to her, then looks over at me. I smile back, sheepishly.

What's the point of this story? I don't know. Maybe there isn't one. Maybe it's just one of the many fragments of memories that slosh around in the puddle that is my mind. Or maybe I just really, really want to have a little cute baby girl of my own someday.

$100 Laptops

Don't get overly excited. This isn't about some hot deal at Futureshop or Staples (Price Match! Yeah!). This is about the folks at MIT trying to bridge the digital divide by mass-producing dirt-cheap laptop computers for children in third-world countries.

And no, I'm not here to discuss the problems presented by the digital divide. It's a fact, sad as it may be, that the third-world countries are at an increasingly extreme disadvantage when it comes to education and access to information. I'll let it rest at that for now.

What I really wanted to point out was one piece of this $100 puzzle. A most brilliant, most impressive, absolutely ingenious component that I think should come with every laptop. You guessed it: the hand crank-recharged battery. This has to be the brightest idea I've heard all year. Better yet, hook it up to a stationary bike and not only do you lower your electricity bill, but you get a decent workout to boot.

Disgrace and Title Race

With seven matches to go in the Premiership season, Chelsea have opened up a 13-point lead as Manchester United slipped once more, held to another 0-0 draw at Old Trafford despite Sir Alex Ferguson's plea for more clinical finishing from his strikers. Arsenal, in contrast, thrashed Norwich City 4-1, with Thierry Henry grabbing another hat trick to take his season tally to 30. So instead of pushing Chelsea all the way, United are now in danger of losing direct qualification to next season's Champions League.

To the northeast at St. James' Park, the most amusing incident happened as Newcastle took on Aston Villa. Newcastle already had Steven Taylor red-carded for a handball in the box when, with less than ten minutes remaining and the match effectively over after two Gareth Barry penalties took the score to three-nil Villa, teammates Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer got into a heated argument and proceeded to take swings at each other before being separated by players from both sides. The referee had no choice but to send them off, leaving Newcastle to finish the match with just eight players on the pitch.

The pair will likely be handed three-match bans, which would rule them out of the April 17 FA Cup tie with Man United. Even so, considering United's current form, I wouldn't get my hopes up.