KENT NINOMIYA

Football and Martial Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:39:11 PDT

Studying tae kwon do can improve your football skills. Just ask Tae Kwon Do master Joseph Kim and the NFL. The Buffalo Bills just hired Kim to teach tae kwon do skills to their line backers and defensive lineman. It turns out that TKD hand to hand combat skills help linemen get their opponents off balance and help line backers make effective tackles. This link between TKD and football is not a bizzare fluke. Master Kim has also worked with the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins. Aspiring football players would be wise to consider tae kwon do training as an off season workout option.

No Excuses

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:53:26 PDT

Not only do active children and adults benefit from martial arts training, the elderly and physically challenged can thrive as well. Martial arts is all about using your strengths against your opponent's weaknesses. Each martial artist will have their own style based on their strengths, and will adapt their technique depending on the weaknesses of their opponent. Martial artists include paraplegics, the blind, and 90 year old grandmothers. Allow no excuse to stop you from indulging in martial arts training. It offers increased confidence, better health, and mental harmony.

Quality not Quantity

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:41:19 PDT

There is a wide variety of tae kwon do and other martial arts schools to choose from. A common mistake martial artists make is to latch on to a school that does not suit their needs. Big schools offer large facilities and plenty of varied partners, but can often neglect the individual lost in a sea of students. Small schools offer individualized attention in a more intimate setting, but might not have all the fancy equipment. Each martial arts student must ask themself why they are studying the martial arts. If the answer is to be part of a large social setting with other martial artists, then a larger school is a better choice. If the answer is to hone your martial arts skills, then you would benefit from the personal attention of a small school. The bottom line is that it come down to quality instruction. Good instructors train quality students. You are not getting quality instruction if you are left alone with someone without a black belt to supervise you. Only black belts are qualified to teach. If a school tells you otherwise, go somewhere else.

Martial Arts Wandering

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:19:38 PDT

The study of martial arts should ideally be done under the tutelage of a single qualified master. However, in today's modern society people move, schools close, and students get bored.
A lifelong student of martial arts may need to transition to several different martial arts programs in their lifetime. This can be incredibly difficult if you study a somewhat obscure martial art like hapkido. There are very few hapkido schools, so finding one when you move is a challenge. This is why tae kwon do is a good martial art to study if you plan to move a lot. No martial art is more pervasive in America today. The two largest factions of tae kwon do are the World Taekwondo Federation and the International Taekwon-do Federation. Their systems are somewhat standardized. If you study WTF or ITF tae kwon do, you should be able to find another school teaching pretty much the same way in another city. Your rank will also transfer to the new school. This allows you to continue your studies unabated.

What's in a Name?

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:26:57 PDT

I am often asked the differences between tae kwon do, taekwondo, taekwon-do, tang soo do, moo duk kwon, jhoon rhee, etc. They are all descended from Korean martial arts masters developing their own styles following World War II. These masters were influenced by Japanese karate, but decided to take their arts in their own direction. This evolution continued as tae kwon do spread to American and around the world. You might find several martial arts schools in your neighborhood teaching a variety of these styles. They are all essentially teaching the same thing. They may have different forms, techniques, and belt systems, but at the end of the day it is all about punching and kicking. This tae kwon do topic page strives to encompass ideas from all these styles and freely exchange ideas without judgement. It also strives to reach out to cousin martial arts such as karate, hapkido, and MMA. Tae kwon do sits somewhere between karate and hapkido/MMA on the martial arts evolutionary scale. Whatever you decide to study, make sure that it suits your interests. Also remember that you can study more than one style. Perhaps someday you will start your own martial art.

Karate Is Back

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:52:49 PDT

When Lyoto Machida won the UFC Light Heavyweight championship two weeks ago, he declared that "karate is back." Machida's martial arts training started at the age of 3 with instruction from his father, a shotokan master. Machita later branched out to sumo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and eventually mixed martial arts. He rose to the top of the UFC using a combination of his skills, but his technique remains dominated by the karate style he learned as a child. Tae kwon do and karate are closely related martial arts. You can see elements of these styles as you watch Machida fight. He is elusive. Machida never stands directly in front of an opponent, so rarely gets hit. He moves laterally with ease and strikes unexpectedly with remarkable precision. This karate style has frustrated opponents used to pounding opponents into submission. The UFC has long been dominated by submission specialists and heavy handed ground and pounders. Karate and TKD have long been written off as impractical for mixed martial arts. Machina is rewriting the qualifications for a mixed martial arts champion.

Tae Kwon Do Evolving

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 19:35:40 PDT

An 18-year-old second dan named Dakota Srigley just won the ITF tae kwon do Canadian nationals. When asked about his aspirations, Srigley stated that he plans a career in mixed martial arts.
This on top of his next project, appearing in an upcoming movie starring Pierce Brosnan and Uma Thurman. This points out an interesting trend in martial arts. Students are seeing tae kwon do as a springboard to other things. Any actor who wants to be an action star needs to know how to fight. Many actors study tae kwon do strictly for career development. Mixed martial arts is all the rage these days. Kids watch MMA fights on TV then head to the Dojang to try them out. Many move on to other martial arts when they realize that tae kwon do wont help them with their ground game. If this trend continues, it wont take long for the tae kwon do schools to adapt. We will see more hybrid programs and fewer pure tae kwon do schools. Could this be what TKD is evolving into?

Star Trek Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:26:13 PDT

I don't recall ever looking forward to a movie premier more than I looked forward to seeing the new Star Trek movie. Perhaps it was because it the formative television show of my youth. Perhaps it was because the release was delayed so many times. Perhaps it was those incredibly slick commercials flooding the airways. Whatever the reason, I enter the theater tonight with high expectations.

Star Trek has been reinvented countless times with new adventures starring the same actors, and new adventures starring new actors playing new characters. The watering down of the Star Trek universe with too many spin off series finally reached its limit with the series Enterprise. It barely lasted 3 seasons while its cousins Next Generation, Deep Space 9, and Voyager each lasted 7 seasons. The fans had enough. We found it harder and harder to fall in love with newly invented shallow characters in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek has finally come full circle. It cast new actors to play the beloved original characters. The hope is to reinvigorate the chemistry that made fans flock to Star Trek in the first place. It's like finding a younger woman to reenact the first time you fell in love. It's not exactly the same... but hell... why not give it a try!

OK... enough background. On to the review.

Star Trek starts off with visual splendor. The special effects are unprecedented. Star Trek fans gasped in amazement. The glimpses of the childhoods of James Kirk and Spock are wonderful. It showed us a part of the characters we never saw before. This is the kind of stuff Star Trek fans hungered for.

The movie moves at an impressive clip until about midway. True Star Trek fans start noticing flaws in the time line and character histories. They remember that Jim Kirk had a brother who is not mentioned in this film. They wonder why there is a bar full of Star Fleet cadets and Captain Pike in a bar in Iowa. They wonder why Spock's mother dies when she is alive much longer in the original series. They wonder why the entire planet of Vulcan was destroyed. They wonder why Jim Kirk is a mere cadet with Dr McCoy and Uhura as classmates while the much younger Sulu and Chekov are already commissioned officers.

Then the big head scratcher occurs. Kirk seizes command of the Enterprise. Not only is he a mere cadet, he is on suspension and grounded. How could the hundreds of superior officers aboard the Enterprise allow this to happen? Up until this point I was willing to let the other stuff go. This was too big of a suspension of belief for me.

I know that there is a time travel element in the plot. Though that itself is strange. Just because old Spock got sucked into a black hole he also time traveled? More explaination needed. Also, if they are going to explain away the discrepancies with time travel changing the time line, then all of the things we know and love about the Star Trek characters is also gone. I think that is a mistake.

Still, even a flawed Star Trek movie is pretty damn cool. All of the roles are well cast. The actors do a fine job being true to the characters, though the romance between Spock and Uhura is a bit much. As in the original series, there is not enough face time for all of them and not enough interaction. Hopefully in future Star Trek movies, and there will be more, the characters will be able to mix it up. After all... Star Trek was never really about space. It was always about great characters.

Binghamton Shooting Coverage Gets Racial

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:32:51 PDT

The all news networks covered the shooting of 14 people in the American Civic Association building in Binghamton, New York today with their usual enthusiasm. After all, it was breaking news and the whereabouts and identity of the shooter were still unknown. One of the inherent problems with breaking news coverage on an all news network is that they have to keep talking even when they don't know anything new. The anchors of CNN are usually pretty good at this since they do it all the time. However, today I was dismayed to hear them talking about very few facts and instead referring to the shooter over and over as merely an "Asian man."

Before you jump to the conclusion that I have a problem with this because I am an Asian American man myself... don't. I would have this problem with any label of any race. The CNN anchors had no idea who this guy was. They had heard through a series of unconfirmed sources that it was an "Asian man." So that's what they called him. Over and over and over again.

I wonder if they would have kept calling him a "white man" if it was suggested that he was caucasion? I would imagine that they would have the good sense not to keep calling him a "black man" if it was rumored that he was an African American. So why keep calling him an "Asian man?"

The shooter's race was irrelevant to the story. Framing the description of him as racial over and over did nothing to advance the understanding of the story. It only inflamed racial prejudices. Surely the people being shot didn't care what race the gunman was. There was nothing to indicate that the shooting was racially motivated. The American Civic Association holds classes for immigrants from Europe, Africa, and Latin America as well as Asia. Why not refer to him as an "immigrant from Asia who is believed to have taken classes there"? At least that would be relevant.

When Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, America was stunned because the gunman was Asian. The country was used to white men on shooting rampages with the occasional black man. Since the race of the shooter was unusual, some journalists wanted to make the story about his race. Cho's race was irrelevant to the shooting. He was clearly mentally ill and his victims included people of several races including many Asians.

The situation in Binghamton raises similar concerns. For all the big talk about being a melting pot and striving to be color blind, America still goes to great lengths to separate the ingredients. I am usually quite fond of the CNN daytime anchors. However today I was disappointed.

The World Baseball Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:20:40 PDT

Tonight I watched the World Baseball Classic ensure the future of baseball as a global game. Japan and Korea played one for the ages. These neighbors and bitter rivals have fought a back and forth battle for years. Japan won that last World Baseball Classic in 2006. Korea won the Olympic gold medal in 2008. Even though the teams started the WBC in the same regional pool, they both out shined all other competition to appear in the final game together. Along the way they played 4 times. Japan won 2 and Korea won 2. The championship was indicative of their back and forth struggle. Japan went up 1-0 then Korea came back to tie it. Japan went up 2-1 then Korea came back to tie it. Japan went up 3-2 and was one out away from winning it all in the bottom of the 9th inning only to have Korea come back to tie it. In the 10th inning, the most famous crossover player in both the Japanese and American professional leagues, Ichiro Suzuki, plays a cat and mouse game with the pitcher in a 9 pitch at bat. Ichiro won hitting a 2 out, 2 strike single right up the middle scoring two runs. Baseball is a game of heroes and Ichiro earned his immortality with that hit. The pitcher, Yu Darvish, who blew it for Japan in the 9th inning came back to close down Korea in the bottom of the 10th. Victory Japan.

You could not have scripted a more exciting game with a more dramatic back story. This was not some meaningless MLB game in mid-June where players are more concerned with their stats and staying healthy. This was the true drama of sport and beauty of baseball. The players are passionate about their national pride. This was a true world championship at stake. Sure... the World Series is called a world championship, but it isn't really.

Many Americans belittle the WBC claiming that the international players are inferior and the only reason Team USA does so poorly is because our best players aren't there. This is simply not true. Team USA is completely composed of major leaguers. Most of them all stars. The fact is, Team USA has not been able to compete with the international teams. This is because they play a different style of baseball.

This is what makes the WBC so exciting. The classic American sport of baseball is played in different ways around the world. The American game is all about power. The home run is king and players try to smack it out of the park at every opportunity. The Asian teams play small ball. They bunt and sacrifice to move runners. Everything is for the team effort. When was the last time you saw an American slugger bunt?

The bitterness many Americans feel toward the WBC is because the USA has not done well and they refuse to believe that any foreign team could play the all American game better than us. What they fail to realize is that the international competition is good for the game as a whole and makes the American game stronger. The WBC is creating fans all over the world. Those fans don't just worship the players from their home countries. There are Cubs fans in China, Mets fans in Italy, and Dodger fans in Venezuela. The best players from around the world gravitate to MLB allowing American fans to worship foreign players. There are Ichiro fans from Seattle to Miami to Maine.

There was a time, not too long ago, when baseball was in trouble. Scandals and strikes lowered attendance and people seemed not to care anymore. The WBC is a much needed kick in the pants for baseball. If nothing else, it reminds Americans that we had better care about our all American game or someone else will.

Kent Ninomiya

The Future of Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:59:56 PDT

We are entering a new era in journalism. The future belongs to the citizen journalist. Newspapers are shutting down all over the country. TV stations are downsizing or getting rid of news altogether. Magazines subscriptions are dwindling. Each of us now has unprecedented access to a worldwide audience through the internet. Anyone can write an article or shoot a video and have it viewed around the planet instantly. No longer does an affluent elite hold the reigns to the flow of information. A stampede of competing opinion is on the loose spreading long silenced voices across the globe for everyone to hear.

With this awesome new power comes responsibility. There is an unwritten code of journalism ethics. Like most ethics they are subject to broad interpretation. The spread of citizen journalism is making those interpretations even broader. Internet journalism is far more anonymous and brazen. Many so-called journalists are nothing more than gossips who represent blatant lies as fact. These people give all journalists a bad name and contribute to public mistrust of the industry. Real journalists seek the truth and only communicate what they can confirm as the truth at the time. As a journalist you are the gatekeeper of information. It is your duty to sift through it and distinguish verifiable facts from rumor and innuendo. A true journalists verifies facts through secondary sources, gets responses from all sides and has no agenda but to get to the truth. If enough of us stick to that mantra we will win the public’s trust because they know we are fair.

Experience must be your guide to determine what is right or wrong. There is a lot of grey area in news. In our zeal to get a story out first we often cut corners and get sloppy with details. Some of that has to be expected in a time sensitive industry but how much is too much? Every journalist has their own tolerance for ethics compromises and it often shifts from day to day, story to story, and throughout a career. The latest technology allows citizen journalists to upload articles and pictures effortlessly. That leaves less time for contemplation and that can get you in trouble. You can’t take back something once it goes out over the internet, airways or press. There is an inexhaustible supply of attorneys out there lining up to sue journalists. Say something that isn’t true about someone and they’ll go after you for liable, defamation or slander. Don’t let that scare you though. They can all be avoided if you understand how they are defined. Journalists also sue other journalists. Copy something someone else wrote and they’ll go after you for plagiarism. This too can be easily avoided if you are diligent and honest. Knowing the law will help you tremendously as a journalist. In fact, I advise aspiring journalists not to write a word for publication before researching the basics of media law. The most important things are to remember that you are a professional and to act like one.

Journalists are taking a lot of heat these days. From the tabloid hacks screaming half truths for your attention to the network reporters who said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the paparazzi blamed for Princess Diana’s death. Journalists are blamed for many of society’s ills. To a large degree this is a matter of “shooting the messenger.” The public has a voracious appetite for news yet reels in disgust when it doesn’t appeal to them. Despite what you may think, this is actually a good thing. This outwardly dysfunctional relationship between journalists and the public is what makes journalism such a noble profession.

Think of the old days before journalism. People lived out their lives knowing only the information others told them and views of an average person didn‘t spread very far or very fast. Then Johannes Gutenberg started printing books. Suddenly there was a reason to read and people with ideas started spreading them. People with opposing views started printing their opinions and spreading those. Journalism was born. The written word became the forum for conflicting views and outrage. It launched mankind toward enlightenment, introspection and social change. Journalists will never be loved by all, but they’re not supposed to be. If you are doing your job right then someone will be upset by your words. Journalists have a duty to bring facts hiding in the shadows into the light even if people don’t want to see what’s lurking there.

What kind of world do you think we would live in without journalists? Reporters wield the mighty power of public opinion. It’s been used to bring down the corrupt, no matter how rich and powerful they may be. Journalists strive to keep our leaders honest, businesses from cheating us and our world clean, safe and fair. Do you think all that would happen without journalists? We are a necessary part of a vibrant free thinking society.

To be a good journalist you must be multi talented. First and foremost you must be a proficient writer, but you also need to be able to identify a good story, understand how to dig up vital facts and learn the right questions to ask. You must also learn to listen. A lot of people talk but few listen. Journalists need to know when to stop talking and soak in what’s going on around them. Also remember that the news is not about you. A journalist is expected to have a stance and style, but objectivity is essential. Think of yourself as the conduit through which news flows, not the holy grail of news itself.

Media consumers are more savvy than ever these days. They can read between the lines and flush out a pretender. They may read the National Enquirer for fun but go to the New York Times for the truth. This has everything to do with reputation and history. People trust those who are honest with them over the long haul. It’s a relationship built over the years and through countless daily stories. As a citizen journalist, you must ask yourself if you want to be the Enquirer or the Times. Whatever you decide to do, do it well. Take full advantage of this amazing time we live in. Spread your words, views, voice and pictures around your community and around the world. Make a difference.

Kent Ninomiya

Japan vs China vs the Economy

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:46:29 PDT

As the United States struggles through a tough economic time, it's important to distinguish the difference between the economies of Japan and China. Right now, Japan is very much like the United States. Both economies are huge, established machines. The US is the largest economy in the world followed by Japan. As a result, the economic stagnation felt by the US over the mortgage crisis will likely impact Japan hardest among Asian economies. On Monday, the former Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Kazumasa Iwata said "the economy is at a difficult stage. Japan's industrial production and capital spending are flat and growth in corporate profits is slowing, though at high levels." He also pointed out that prices of oil and food prices continue to rise.Meanwhile, China marches on with impressive growth. Even if it falls off a bit from last year's 11.9% GDP expansion, it will still be relatively good. China's GDP for 2008 is expected to be a robust 9.8%. Japan doesn't have that kind of cushion. Any slowdown of Japan's economy will bring expansion of recent years to a standstill.The bottom line here for investors is to treat investments in Japan like you would investments in America. Be cautious. China is still very much an emerging market and strong growth is expected to continue.

The "C" Word

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:14:18 PDT

American sports broadcasters are being criticized for using the word "Chinaman" to describe Chinese sports stars. Last Sunday, Len Dawson of television station KMBC in Kansas City observed that Yao Ming attended the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race. Yao was there to raise awareness about the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province and to urge Americans to donate to relief charities. Instead of pointing out Yao's humanitarian efforts, Dawson, a former professional football quarterback, said "it's not every day you see a seven-foot-four Chinaman working on a car."
The term "Chinaman" is considered derogatory in modern American culture and is defined as an offensive racial slur in current English language dictionaries. It was used in the 1800's to describe men from China in an anonymous dehumanizing way. Chinese men had their names recorded as "John Chinaman" or simply as "Chinaman" suggesting that they were all the same and not important as individuals. Asian American author Maxine Hong Kingston has said the antiquated term is equivalent to the N-word for blacks. The term "Chinaman's chance" is a shortened version of "Chinaman's chance in hell" meaning no chance at all. The expression comes from pre gold rush days in California when Chinese workers were deemed expendable and used for dangerous work such as placing dynamite. The term "Chinaman's chance" refers to the odds of the man surviving.
The comment has American journalists debating among themselves about the severity of the racial slur. The TVSpy Watercooler message board for journalists was a flurry of activity in the days following Dawson's comment. Some suggested it is being taken too seriously. One wrote "Lighten up. If it were done on a continuous basis ... it would be very offensive. But, said once in that context .. a funny line- that's all." In response, another poster wrote "It doesn't matter if it's funny or not. The term "Chinaman" is a racial slur. If he had said 'Look there's an N-word working on his car' this conversation would be about Dawson being fired and whether he'd ever work in TV again."
Just last month, on April 11, CBS announcer Bobby Clampett referred to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as "the Chinaman" during the Masters golf broadcast. According to CBS spokeswoman Leslie Anne Wade, Clampett later apologized on the Masters web cast. Clampett said, "if I offended anybody please accept my sincere apologies." The apology itself came under fire. On the sports site Fanhouse, writer Michael David Smith said "the style of apology that begins with 'if I offended anybody' always rings a little bit hollow. The word 'Chinaman' is a slur, and it's the slur that should be followed up with an apology, not the reaction of being offended by the slur."
The reaction to the comment is also raising questions about a double standard. Are racial slurs against black athletes taken more seriously than slurs against Chinese athletes? In January, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks for joking that if young players want to beat golfer Tiger Woods they should "lynch him in a back alley." The "lynch" reference offended African American advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton because of America's painful history of mobs lynching black men. Sharpton led a public campaign urging the Golf Channel to fire Tilghman. There was no such outcry for punishing Clampett for his "Chinaman" comment. Clampett was not suspended like Tilghman. Likewise, Len Dawson has not been suspended by his employer and has issued no apology for his comment about Yao Ming.

Kent Ninomiya

Impact of China's Earthquake

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:05:40 PDT

The devastating May 12th earthquake in China's Sichuan province and multiple aftershocks has many investors wondering how the disaster will impact investments in the Asian country. The death toll is now at more than 62 thousand. Government estimates say the final death toll may exceed 80 thousand. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless and infrastructure is in shambles. If this was just about any other country the economic impact would be paralyzing. However this is China and Sichuan is just one region of a mighty economic giant.

Aide is pouring into Sichuan from all over the world. The Chinese government is taking pride in their comprehensive response to the crisis. All indications are the region will get the attention it needs to recover quickly. Robert Subbaraman, chief economist Asia Ex-Japan of Lehman Brothers, expects some inflation to result from the earthquake since Sichuan is a large food producing region. However, the food supply is being increased in other parts of China, offsetting the losses in Sichuan. In fact, China endured major snow storms last winter that were far more disruptive than the earthquake is expected to be.

Economists are predicting inflation will taper off in China toward the end of the year. Keep in mind that even bad news for China is still pretty good news. China's GDP growth is expected to fall from 11.9% last year to 9.8% this year. That's still very strong growth. In fact, there may be a silver lining to this disaster. Many fixed asset investments could end up benefiting from earthquake reconstruction and actually increase growth in China later this year. The Chinese government's handling of the crisis has also been a public relations bonanza. It has shown them in a humanitarian light throughout the world and taken the spotlight off Tibet. This can only help open up China to the world and improve investiment opportunities.

China Calling

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:12:41 PDT

Beijing is ordering six Chinese telecom companies to join forces to create three giant cellular phone companies. While this move may seem to be limiting competition in the booming cellular phone industry in China, it is actually intended to level the playing field. It is meant to foster "healthy market competition and prevent a monopoly by any," according to a joint statement, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information, Ministry of Finance, and the National Development and Reform Commission. Chinese officials say they want to boost the competitiveness of fixed line operators before the nation rolls out 3G high-speed wireless services. The network will require billions of dollars in investments for infrastructure.

China Telecom Corporation will acquire China Unicom Ltd's mobile-phone network and then merge with the company that controls China Netcom Corporation. That will help them survive against industry leader China Mobile Ltd. China Mobile already boasts two thirds of the cellular phone users in China. China Mobile Communications Corp., the state-owned parent of China Mobile Ltd, will take over fixed-line operator China Tietong Telecommunications Corpration. China Telecom is China's biggest fixed-line company. It will absorb Unicom's smaller mobile-phone network. China Telecom will also get China Satellite Communications Corporation's phone assets.

China already has more mobile phone and Internet users than any other country on Earth. The $105 billion industry has 583.5 million cellular phone subscribers. That's more than the combined populations of the US and Japan. There is also plenty of room for expansion. China is a country of 1.3 billion people. 6 out of 10 of them still don't have cell phones and 82 percent of the population still doesn't have the internet.

Mess in Myanmar

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:28:29 PDT

by Kent Ninomiya

We are just now realizing the epic scale of the disaster in Myanmar. A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar now says up to 100,000 people may have been killed by the devastating cyclone. About one million people are now homeless. Much of the country is under water and bodies float everywhere. There is stiff competition for what little food and fresh water is left. Disease and starvation will have a serious secondary impact. To make matters worse, much worse, is the military junta that runs the country with an iron fist. They are paranoid of outsiders and restrict the access of foreign officials and aid groups that are struggling to deliver relief goods. However, the scale of this disaster may force Myanmar's leaders to compromise. State television in Myanmar now says the government would accept aid from any country and that help had arrived Wednesday from Japan, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, China, India and Singapore. Could this be the beginning of real change for Myanmar? Could a major disaster be just what was needed to open up the government and perhaps spur a change in leadership? We shall see. One thing is sure. Myanmar will need a lot of rebuilding, and if their government allows it, foreign aid will pour in. Keep an eye on Myanmar.

Is it Time to Invest in Asia?

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:44:22 PDT

by Kent Ninomiya

Right now, the investment climate in Asia looks pretty good. The markets in the USA and Europe may have declined all they are going to in the near future. At the same time three of the best stock markets in Asia, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore appear to be pretty close to bottoming out. Talk now is that this bear market may have been far less scary than previous believed. Still, thing could change at any time so stay tuned.

In general, the economies of Asia are relatively stable compared to the free fall we have experienced here in the United States. That is not to say there aren't dangers investing in Asia. You just need to be smart about it.

Standard & Poor's released a report today saying "the general credit outlook for Asia's sovereigns is still predominantly stable in the current financial and economic crisis but risks loom as a few governments may lack prudence in addressing increased inflationary pressures."

That means some Asian leaders may sacrifice long term economic stability in favor of short term measures that make their people happy. This happens when it's an election year or there's social strife. There's a bit of that going around Asia these days.

The S & P report says, the potential negative effects from the United States housing and economic problems has the potential to reduce Asian exports, lead to a decline in foreign direct investment and lower corporate profits." At the same time, increased demand for food, energy, and workers combined with a booming demand for everything is increasing inflation.

Asian governments will need to decide whether it's more important to hold down inflation or encourage economic growth. People aren't happy when they're hungry. There are rice shortages all over Asia. In pursuit of quick fixes, some governments are introducing extensive and market-distorting food price controls and export rations. They could pay for that later.

So where should you invest? It depends. Here's the latest breakdown country by country.

Indonesia: experiencing fiscal pressure due to rapidly rising fuel subsidies

Vietnam: inflation of more than 20 percent. Concerns about economic stability here

Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan: governments seem hesitant to take many risks because of political situations

India: seems to be somewhat insulated from the slowdown in the United States. The Indian economy is pretty closed and doesn't trade much with the US.

China and Hong Kong: much better chances of economic reform and policy change here to address economic concerns. Chinese leaders aren't as swayed by popular opinion and their people are used to letting the government take care of things. Besides, it's also the region of greatest growth and demand in Asia. This region presents the best investment environment at this time.

No Such Thing as Luck

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:00:05 PDT

By Kent Ninomiya
So you watched the movie “21” and you think you’re going to strike it rich at the blackjack tables in Vegas. Well, before you empty your meager checking account and cash in those bonds Grandma gave you when you were a kid, there are a few things you should know. Here is the reality of casino blackjack from someone who played the game for 20 years. Benefit from my trial and error as I dispel the myths about card counting and slap you around with the cold, hard hand of reality. So listen up! Here’s the top 10 rules of blackjack.
The first rule of blackjack is: the house always wins. Let me repeat that. That house always wins! There would not be big gleaming casinos if they were losing money. They would not be handing out free buffets and cheap rooms if they were losing money. You would not still be living in your parent’s basement if it was that easy to take their money. You would be there right now living the high life. That said, there are ways to minimize the house edge, win you a little green, and have some fun while you do it. Read on.
The second rule of blackjack is: there is no such thing as luck. Human nature makes us remember our victories far more than our defeats. We tell our friends with great pride about that time we split aces twice and won three times our bet while neglecting to mention that you left the table penniless a few minutes later. If you are to win at blackjack you must take all the emotion out of the game. Don’t get too happy when you win. Don’t get too upset when you lose. It’s about the odds and the long run. If you play the odds you will do OK in the long run. If you make exceptions to the odds because you are feeling lucky, you will most likely lose in the long run.
The third rule of blackjack is: you must learn perfect play. Perfect play is exactly that. When you are dealt a hand in blackjack you must make decisions with the information in front of you. You know what your two cards are and one of the dealer’s cards. This determines whether you stand, hit, double down or split. For every combination of your first two cards and the dealer’s show card there is a predetermined action you should take. This is called perfect play and is well documented. You can find out what to do on the internet. Check out this link for a perfect play chart. You can even buy one of these credit card sized charts at the casino gift shop. The casinos don’t mind if you look at the card at the table while you play. They realize that even if you use perfect play they will still win slightly more than half the hands. That’s the way the game is set up and in the long run that means most people will eventually lose. They key is to work the odds in your favor and quit while you are ahead. More on that later but first you must master perfect play.
Perfect play can be difficult sometimes because it forces you to do some things that seem stupid. This includes hitting on a 16 or standing on a 12 in some cases. Just know that perfect play was determined by statistical research by people a lot smarter than you. They sat through all those lousy math classes so you didn’t have to. So trust them. Asking whether you would rather lose by busting or having the dealer beat you is like asking whether you would rather have crabs or the clap. Neither sounds good. They key is to avoid both as much as possible.
It feels bad to hit on 16 and bust. What you need to realize is a loss is a loss. Whether you busted hitting on 16 or had a 20 and got beat when the dealer drew to 21, it’s the same thing. By hitting on 16 when the dealer shows a 10 you at least have a chance of winning. The odds say the dealer will almost always beat a 16 when showing a 10 so you might as well hit. Always stick to perfect play and the odds. Leave emotion out of blackjack.
The fourth rule of blackjack is: pick the right table. It may seem like blackjack is blackjack but it’s not. Blackjack is like women. The games are different and the differences can be a bitch. Different casinos have different rules. Different tables in the same casino have different rules. Walk around and find one that benefits you. Written right on the table is whether the dealer must hit or stand on soft 17. This is important. A soft 17 is when the dealer has an ace counting as 11 instead of 1 to help their hand add up to 17. When the dealer hits on soft 17 it improves their odds of winning. Look for a table where the dealer stands on soft 17.
There is a little known casino rule called “surrender.” It isn’t advertised so you need to ask the dealer if they offer “surrender.” Essentially you can “surrender” your hand after the first two cards and get half your bet back. This is great when you have a 15 or 16 and the dealer is showing a 10 or ace. It’s far better to lose half your bet than hit on a 15 or 16. Surrender will save you a lot of money in the long run so use it.
Blackjack can be played with a single deck, double deck or in a shoe with 6 or 8 decks. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them. In single and double deck blackjacks pay 6 to 5 odds instead of 3 to 2. Also, you can only double down on 10 or 11, not soft hands with an ace. This limits your ability to capitalize on good hands. Most importantly, the cards are dealt face down making card counting much more difficult. If you are going to count cards you need a table that deals from a shoe. Also, avoid those tables with automatic shufflers that mix up the cards with every hand. They make counting useless.
The fifth rule of blackjack is: if you are going to count cards, do it right. If you think about it, counting cards isn’t really illegal. You are only using your brilliant mind and information that is right there in front of you. The problem is casinos are poor sports and don’t like to lose money. So like all poor sports they pout and take their ball home so you can’t play anymore. Actually they’ll ask you to stop playing blackjack and invite you to play roulette or craps or something else that will take your money. If they think you are a chronic card counter they will ban you from their casino and get all the other casinos to ban you too. They probably wont get their goons to rough you up, but you never know. They don’t like losing money in Vegas. The reality though is you probably aren’t big time enough to even be noticed. To win big money you must risk big money. Do you really want to hock your X-box and I-pod to put up the cash? I didn’t think so. Keep bets small and you will probably fly under the radar.
Basic card counting involves looking at every card dealt. You start the shoe with a count of 0. For every low card of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 you add +1. For every high card of 10, jack, queen, king or ace you subtract -1. You ignore the middle cards of 7, 8 and 9.
The sixth rule of blackjack is: bet without emotion. If you play perfectly the house will win slightly more than half the hands. Varying your bet with the count will tilt those odds in your favor. If you are playing at a table with a shoe you should change your bet when the count reaches +9 or -9. You should have a consistent stake bet, say $10 at a table with a $5 bet minimum. Play every hand at $10 until the count reaches +9 or -9. At +9 double your bet. At -9 cut your bet in half. You may want to press your bet even harder if you are at the end of the shoe and you have a big plus count. The reason for this is simple. When you have a big plus count the shoe is full of 10’s and aces. This improves your odds of getting a blackjack or big hand with your first two cards. A minus count means there are more small cards in the shoe. That makes it more likely you will need to take more cards and lose.
Despite what you see in the movies, big plus shoes don’t come around that often. Sometimes you will play all night and never get one. You must be patient. If you confront a big negative shoe get up and go to the bathroom or switch tables. Don’t play when the odds are stacked against you.
The seventh rule of blackjack is: if you count cards, don’t get caught. The pit boss is watching you like you used to watch Jessica Simpson in the “these boots were made for walking” video. When you are counting cards imagine you are checking out a hot chick but don’t want her to think you are a pervert. Look at the cards but don’t stare. Look around once in a while so it seems like you’re not paying attention. Don’t move your lips or hold up your fingers while you count. I’ve actually seen people do that. Find a system that works for you that isn’t obvious. It could be how you place your foot or stack your chips. Just don’t make it obvious. Cameras are everywhere in casinos and there are lots of people watching you.
The eighth rule of blackjack is: avoid gimmicks. A lot of casinos offer gimmick blackjack games. Examples include side bets for different combinations of cards or the option to play two hands and switch your cards. Don’t fall for any of these. These games would not exist if the casinos lost money on them. They are unpredictable and impossible to figure out the new odds. Stick to standard blackjack where you have some control over the odds.
The ninth rule of blackjack is: don’t play when you are not at your best. You need to be sharp to play blackjack. If you are tired, hungry or drunk you will make mistakes. They offer those free drinks at the tables for a reason. The drunker you are the more you lose. Save your binging for later. Tell your buddies to leave you alone when you play. Nothing makes you lose count faster than a friend who wants to chat. When you are at the table play. Do nothing else. Also, beware the temptation to increase your bet just so you can “break even.” More money is lost trying to “break even” than at any other time at the table. Betting more means you can lose more. Slow and steady wins the race. If you are down don’t make it worse by losing more.
The tenth rule of blackjack is: know when to quit. The casinos wont bother you as long as you are not walking away with thousands of dollars. If you play right you could make a few hundred a session. Don’t rub it in their face. It’s time to cash out and take a walk. Go to another casino. Play another day. Don’t get noticed. That will invite the security goons to eye you on the overhead video camera. Trust me, you don’t want that. Most importantly, don’t play with money that you can’t afford to lose. This is gambling after all. You can follow all the rules and still drop all your cash. You can play like a jackass and still win. However, odds are you will do much better if you follow all the rules without emotion. Since there is no such thing as luck, the odds are all you have. Oh… by the way… good luck!
*** Kent Ninomiya ***

Satori - Kent Ninomiya

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:31:56 PDT

by Kent Ninomiya

Satori is a beautifully simple yet infinitely elusive concept. This is especially true for the western mind that deals primarily in the physical realm. Yet I would argue that it is the western mind that is especially in need of attaining satori. Defining satori is as evasive as satori itself. Ask many experts on the matter and you will get many answers. None of these answers will tell you how to attain satori or even what to look for. There in lies the difficulty for the western mind that is used to following pre printed instructions.

My personal definition of satori is enlightenment attained by a seemingly unrelated event. One of the guiding principles of zen is that the harder you try to be enlightened the less enlightened you are. Only through purging yourself of desire can you attain all you seek. I know... it messes with your mind. A famous story about satori involves a monk who meditated for decades in isolation but never achieved enlightenment. One day he was sweeping his walkway when the sound of a pebble hitting a rock suddenly gave him satori. He then understood everything. All that meditating did nothing. The sound of the pebble broke through all barriers to his understanding. I know... it messes with your mind.

The word literally means "understanding" in Japanese. It's been said that satori is the reason Zen exists. Without satori there would be no Zen. I agree. However, you don't have to understand Zen or Buddhism or even enlightenment to appreciate this.

Here is a western way to look at it. Just imagine working diligently for many years on a task only to achieve modest success. This could be your career or sports or a relationship or anything. Suddenly one moment something unexpected happens where you suddenly realize you were looking at it all the wrong way. One moment before you knew nothing. Now you see the big picture clear as day and wonder why you never saw it before. That is satori. It is an unanticipated turning point we can all relate to. It is a gift of awareness and understanding.

*** Kent Ninomiya ***

Oil Culture Collapse

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:50:00 PDT

by Kent Ninomiya

We are in trouble. Really, really big trouble. Monster trouble that few of us think much about. It's all about oil. That stuff that used to shoot out of the ground is getting harder and harder to find, pump and refine while the demand increases by the day. Most people glaze over when the subject is raised. Our "oil culture" has been around all our lives. Since the 1970's we've been inundated with stories of gloom and doom, yet the oil still flows. Sure we pay more for gas and we gripe about it, but we still fill up our gas guzzling SUV's and drive around the block to buy a quart of milk. It's like we are in a societal state of denial. Denial of what you ask? Denial of these simple truths.

1) There is only so much oil in the ground. We are getting better and better at extracting it but someday it will run out.
2) Demand is exploding. Not just in the west but also China and India with more than 2 billion people between them. The International Energy Agency says oil consumption will skyrocket 35 percent by 2030! That will require an additional 11 billion barrels of oil every year! This isn't just gasoline for our cars. It impacts airplanes, electricity production and manufactured goods. Any economist will tell you that when you have a dwindling supply and hefty demand you get higher prices.
3) With the rising price of oil comes the rising price of everything. Just about every person on Earth needs oil to get anywhere. Just about every product you consume got to you on a truck, train or plane using oil. Just about every service you require needs oil to provide it. That means everything gets more expensive when oil gets more expensive.

Now visualize a world where you just can't get your hands on any oil at any price. That means prices of everything will skyrocket. People wont be able to get to work to make money to buy things that wont get to them anyway because there is no oil to ship the stuff around the world. Economies will collapse followed by societies, cultures and civilizations. Is this an exaggeration? Not really.

So how did we get in such a mess? About a century ago a relatively small group of people saw big bucks in oil. It improved human standard of living in ways we couldn't imagine before. Suddenly we could travel around the world, get exotic items from just about anywhere, and do away with countless age old limitations involving distance. A steady stream of cheap gas fed our habit until it was all we knew. Growing up in the suburbs, getting your own car as a teenager, hitting the highway as an expression of freedom... all became part of our culture. It is now who we are. Asking us to give it up is asking us to deny who we are.

We've known for a long time that oil pollutes the planet and that we would someday run out. Yet we have done remarkably little about that. Technology for wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal and other alternative energy sources have been around longer than oil in some cases. So why have we not done more to switch to those sources as we face our own demise with the end of oil? Conspiracy theorists will tell you the oil barons squashed alternative fuel technology to stay in business. While this may be somewhat true, it doesn't entirely explain how an entire species would buy into an oil habit that everyone agrees we will eventually have to go cold turkey with.

The answer is that oil was easy. Running out of it and the damage it did to Earth was a future generation's problem. We just didn't care enough to do something about it. Well... now we are starting to. We might not run out of oil in our lifetimes but we will certainly suffer for it. The pain we feel now paying higher prices is just the beginning. The strain on our currency, supply chain and way of life will become more and more pronounced. Larger and larger chunks of our household budgets will go straight to the oil industry. Care free days of driving to the store to buy the latest fashions or stock up at the supermarket are disappearing. What will happen to a society that defines itself by what it does with its cars? We shall see.

*** Kent Ninomiya ***

All Shook Up Over Nothing - Kent Ninomiya

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:50:16 PDT

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shakes the Midwest and you would think the Earth opened up and swallowed it whole. First of all, a 5.4 isn't that big. Yes, you can feel it and it might knock a few books off the shelf, but there were no deaths, injuries or damage of any consequence. That didn't stop local and national media from screaming that the sky was falling. There was wall to wall live coverage and non stop interviews of people saying it woke them up and they felt it. So? There was no video of destruction because there was none. It was an amusing talker, nothing more. The Midwest isn't used to earthquakes so they have every right to take note of that. I even understand the predictable sidebar story about the possibility of the "big one" hitting the New Madrid fault. However, journalists inexperienced in earthquake coverage made themselves look foolish by taking the shaking so seriously. They also tossed around the term "Richter Scale" because they saw it in a movie somewhere. Any reporter or anchor with knowledge of earthquakes knows that seismologists abandoned the Richter Scale decades ago because of its limitations. They developed other methods of measuring magnitude that take different equipment and environmental factors into account. The term "Richter Scale" was made up by reporters in the first place and only tolerated by scientists because reporters continue to use it. Most Midwest reporters were even unaware how Richter works. They don't know that it is a logarithmic scale meaning every full point represents ten times the amplitude and 31 times the release of energy. There was virtually no mention of the moment magnitude scale widely used by seismologists today. Journalists did viewers a great disservice by re enforcing false perceptions about earthquakes. No one died and no one was in danger of dying. The earth shakes all the time, even in the Midwest. It's just that most people don't feel it. The New Madrid fault has produced some of the biggest temblors on record but they are infrequent. People in California laughed at the coverage. They have real earthquakes fairly often. 1989 Loma Prieta quake magnitude 6.9, 1994 Northridge quake magnitude 6.7, 1906 San Francisco quake magnitude 7.8. Out there a 5.4 might be a B-block vosot. I am not condemning Midwest journalists for getting excited over an earthquake. They just should have done their homework when reporting on something they were clearly unfamiliar with. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Genetics and the Remote Control - Kent Ninomiya

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:33:59 PDT

If there was ever any doubt that there's a link between genetics and the remote control... I have the proof. It's a universally known fact that men need to control the remote. It's programmed into their DNA. Since man first stood upright he headed straight for the couch to sit on his ass and use his newly opposable thumb to channel surf. Various heretics out there might cluelessly claim this was a cultural behavior. Silly them. Today I watched my just past kindergarten son walk into a room where females were watching television, commandeer the remote control, and proceed to flip through the channels until he found a program with crashing cars. When his sister tried to wrestle the remote from him he exerted his dominance with the veracity of an alpha dog guarding a rib eye. Once the remote is in his grasp, it's his. I was never so proud of my boy. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:54:15 PDT

by Kent Ninomiya
Where in the world is Osama bin Laden? An even bigger question is... why isn't anyone asking that question anymore? It's been nearly 7 years since America was changed forever by 9/11. It sparked national outrage and was used as the justification for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. President Bush declared victory in Iraq and boasted about the removal and execution of Saddam Hussein. It is widely known that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for 9/11. It's universally believed that Osama bin Laden is. So why is it OK that we have not captured bin Laden and brought him to justice? The United States has more military and intelligence resources than any other country in the world. So why can't we find one guy hiding in the hills of Afghanistan? We knew it would be difficult, we knew it would take resources, we knew it would take time. Nearly 7 years though? There is no excuse. It is a collasal failure of our government that we have not found bin Laden. It is an equally collasal failure that the news media is not asking this question every single day. I would also like to know why the presidential candidates aren't pounding away at this question. Americans view 9/11 as an unforgiveable attack on our country. So why is the person who is universally believed to be responsible for it allowed to live freely? Why has our society accepted that we just can't find him? Is that American... that we just can't? Would we have let Hitler get away with his crimes? Why then are we letting bin Laden off the hook? President Bush's place in history will be judged by his handling of 9/11 and the aftermath. Can this be viewed as anything but a failure if the man responsible for attacking us gets away? Our place in history will be judged on how we handled this situation. Can our generation be viewed as anything but a failure if we let our leaders fail? *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Currency Karma - Kent Ninomiya

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:12:30 PDT

Right now is arguably the worst time in memory for Americans to travel overseas. The dollar is at record lows against many currencies around the world. Gone are the days when you could travel to “cheap” countries where the mighty dollar pounded the “monopoly money” of an economically weaker nation. America’s bully currency is now itself being bullied. The humiliation is humbling. I recently had to change an airline ticket in Europe. Even though I originally purchased the ticket in dollars, the airline demanded I pay the change fee in a more stable currency… Polish zloty. Business in third world countries often takes place in “hard” currencies instead of the inflation prone local money. Until now the dollar was the gold standard of hard currency. No more. I spoke to a friend of mine in Africa the other day who says no one wants dollars anymore. I remember back in the early 1980’s when a dollar was worth ten francs and nearly equal to the British pound. Americans ran off to Italy then Greece then Turkey chasing cheaper and cheaper sunspots where they could lounge on the beach while their dollars stretched further and further. If you believe in karma then this is just America getting payback. The euro came and did away with the lire and drachma. Southern Europe was no longer cheap. Our economy is now in the toilet and the United States is suddenly the travel bargain for international tourists, not the other way around. Could the day be coming when we have droves of Europeans talking loudly in our restaurants demanding to know why we don’t speak French or Hungarian or Swedish? If you believe in karma, it would only be fair. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Cellular Phone Scam - Kent Ninomiya

noreply@blogger.com (Kent Ninomiya) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:43:08 PDT

How many cellular phones have you owned in your lifetime? If you're like me you have no idea. When I got my first cell phone in the early 1990's it was the size of a brick, cost $500 and the calls cost 75 cents per minute. I felt cool carrying it around but was afraid to make calls fearing an outrageous bill. Fast forward a decade and a half and cell phones are like pants. Quite literally everyone has them. In fact I don't know a single person past puberty who doesn't have one. The once pricey phones are now given away "free" when you sign a contract and call minutes are conveniently packaged in monthly bundles for you. It would seem that we've made progress with cellular phones... but have we? Sure they're smaller and do cooler things, but we are paying more than we ever realized we would for something nearly all of us didn't have nor need 20 years ago. Cell phones are now a necessity of life. Even the eccentric families who don't have TV's have cell phones. The cellular phone companies realized that the key to raking in money was volume. Like the drug dealer on the corner, they started giving away the phones for "free" knowing you would be back for more and willing to pay for it. You see... cell phones are every bit as addictive as drugs and much harder to quit. You are encouraged to use them more and more with the minute bundles. When you don't think about the minutes that are ticking away, it's easy to forget you're paying extra for the convenience of a cell phone. Before you know it, a family is paying more than one hundred dollars a month on a cell phone bill. Multiply that by, well everybody, and you have a very lucrative business. Now the only thing the cell phone companies have left to do is fight over market share. They fight hard over that too. Once you are on the hook for a contract you can't get out without paying an outrageous penalty. Have you ever noticed that the cell companies push two year contracts but the free or discounted phone they gave you only lasts about a year and a half? It has happened to me and countless others I know more times than we can remember. When you call to complain they tell you the warranty expired at a year but they would be happy to give you a brand new phone... IF you sign a brand new 2 year contract. THIS IS THE SCAM! It is my hypothesis that the phones are deliberately designed to last less than two years so the cellular phone companies can trap you into renewing your contract. What do you think? Kent Ninomiya