[kpop] best rookie groups 2012

This very biased selection is based on quality of members–mostly dance and singing, but looks are considered as well, debut track(s), and live performances.

EXO was easily the most anticipated group to debut this year. Though not of epic proportions, their tracks are slickly produced and the groups are well-balanced with many talented individuals in each. At any rate, their debut was more solid than f(x), Super Junior, and even, SNSD. If SM plays their cards right, 2013 could be a very large year for EXO.

NU-EST played their cards extremely well, despite holding a few weak cards. A well-written debut song, one of the first to capitalize on the ‘new’ europop invasion, and including one very intriguing member, Ren. Dancing and lives are unspectacular though, and the shock of a pretty face will not last forever.

Regarding true singing talent, Lunafly and Busker Busker, in this respect, are both promising.

I hesitate to include BAP, but I see way too many BAP fans around me to think of them as a minor rookie group. They did have a nice, unified concept in debut; but alas, their track to me was stuck in the 2005, way too brassy and heavy, trying out a 2PM concept that barely fit.

A.cian‘s whole debut album is a beautifully crafted imitation of europop. That’s about it. Due to the constantly changing nature of kpop, I doubt they will release a europop album like this next time– if there is a next time.

Like A.cian, Cross Gene delivered an amazingly crafted imitation of europop for their debut. The facts that they have Japanese, Chinese, and Korean members and released simultaneously in Japanese and Korean are very nice bonuses. Another great bonus? Their live singing is A-OK (but please hire another choreographer).

Rounding out the last of the europop imitators, we have A-JAX. Someone fetch them a new stylist.

[lifestyle] pro tips: how to look Korean even if you aren’t Korean

(1) Look at least vaguely Asian. Sorry, I know this precludes a lot of people, but if you are Asian(-looking), then people will have a much higher chance of perceiving you as Korean; you just probably come from a far-away province with funny genetics.
(2) Have pale to lightly tan skin. If you are tan, forget about it. They can so tell you do not use BB cream religiously.
(3) Wear bold glasses. The bigger, the more hipstery, the better.

While in China, I have gotten a lot of questions about my ethnicity. I always am mistaken as Korean or perhaps Japanese. Here’s how the conversation goes:

Michelle: “Why did you think I’m Korean?”
Person: “It’s your glasses.”
Michelle: B(

crazy idea

Maybe I should start blogging in Italian. I’m too lazy to open up another blog.. so I would write on here, in Italian.. I’m not sure if I want to do a split thing, where I write in Italian and then provide an English translation underneath.. that strikes me as very inelegant, both for reading and translation. This is a fine hair to split, but I don’t translate from English to Italian. I write/speak using an Italian mindset, and then I translate to English if neccesary, so my English translations of Italian are always so awkward and choppy because the original text is written with the Italian language in mind, not English.

Then again, I’m not sure about this craht-zee idea, because I sure as heck would rant in Italian about kpop and most people read English here..

Of course, once I start regaining my written fluency in cinese (in Chinese, goodness the Italian is already slipping out), I will also consider writing posts in Chinese as well. Multilingualness is so ignored in the United States– of course, I feel like I’m belittled by people who speak five different languages every day at college but for people at less-than-elite places of higher education, not the case. This is worrying, since business is increasingly conducted in countries that don’t speak English or hold much stock by it.

I’ve already resolved to tweet in Italian and also write tumblr posts in Italian. For every tweet in English (automatic Tweets don’t count), I’ll write one in Italian.. part of this is triggered by my fear I’ll forget Italian.. this coming school year will be the first year in 8 years I haven’t taken Italian. So.

This crazy idea just might take hold.

Quest’idea pazza forse applicherei.

a funny G+ and Facebook gif for your time !

[world] infographic: Chinese provinces compared to countries

Budding-economist-porn! Despite so much growth, there are still pockets of China struggling to become industrialized. It’s mindboggling that the world’s second largest economy can have regions as poor as Libya. Yet, on the bright side, China still has quite a ways to convergence, which means people who aim to work in China or work with China will definitely have jobs for the next few decades.

I’ve always found it interesting that while China is trying to hold back the pace of development and slow inflation, on the other side of the world, the US is panicking about inflation when there really isn’t any (just political baloney and hoo-hoos by Republicans), and trying to speed up development (despite Republican hoo-hoos about smaller government).

Click here for an interactive version.

(via The Economist)

[tech/politics] Google and the government.

Executive Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt

“Don’t be evil” is the informal slogan of Google, which is an amazingly nerdy statement.  And naive.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt recently talked at the Washington Ideas Forum, and said, “It’s shocking to me to see how hard it is to take on any incumbency” while Atlantic editor James Bennett riposted by saying Google is one of the most incumbent companies in America (i.e. its huge market share in search).  Schmidt continued to say that it was “shocking” how laws are actually written by lobbyists (if you go to Opensecrets.org, you can see Google’s own personal force of $100 million lobbyists, and how much they donate to candidates). Google is still a relatively young company, and it still has these cute ideals while being a total self-contradiction itself.  Google has clashed with the American government before, especially on the issue of Chinese censorship, which the Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, gave an impassioned speech in support of Google.  Google’s recent brush with the FCC and net neutrality has shown Google’s willingness to challenge and shape governmental policy.

Google has a huge potential to mobilize people, but to actually effect changes in government requires heavy duty lobbyists and pushing candidates that support the positions.  Unless Google can change the Constitution of the United States, there will always be interest groups and candidates to be given money.  There will always be lobbyists.  Lobbyists write the laws the Congressmen are too lazy to write.  Lobbyists are the staff who gather research and information and process its salience.  Lobbyists are the ones who take the views of the people and funnel it down into applicable laws.  Lobbying is an integral part of Washington, and contrary to Google’s idealistic view, they are not all malignant. That is the problem.  Google is growing into its heady teen years, thinking it’s invincible, and that it doesn’t have to play the game.  Google has to play the game, and to effect any real change, Google has to play hard.