As noted all over the 'net, the CPU wars that were kindled by Apple's G5 announcement rages on. First there was Apple's benchmarks, then a criticism, and now, an Apple VP responded.
Now, I think arguing over a friggin CPU is rather pointless. If it makes any of you PC zealots happy, here, I'll say it: the G5 may or may not be faster than P4s and Xeons. Happy? Now let's get on and talk about other things in life. Like, you know, um uh... that thing about, well... ah crap. Nevermind.
UPDATE: Pixar is apparently measuring demand for a G5 port of RenderMan. Heavy-duty 3D rendering is probably one of the places where the G5's 64bit architecture would really shine, and if/when Apple releases affordable G5 based xServes, perhaps we would see some G5-based render farms.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that we don't have a cable subscription, we seem to be getting one channel: Fox. Needless to say, a certain roommate of ours has been watching TV, and I, having a weak mind and soul, was lured into sitting in front of that damn glowing box. And so it was that I came across a preview of the new Fox show: Banzai.
Okay, I'll be blunt. That show is offensive. It's offensive to all Asians, even though it seems to be attempting to mimic dumb Japanese shows (although, from what I've seen, it seems like Jackass with an all-Asian cast). If you ask me, it should also be offensive to all non-Asian Americans as well.
In case you don't get it, it's offensive for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most obvious reason is the name: Banzai. Banzai, in Japanese, literally means "ten thousand years old" and was used during the first half of the 20th century to imply "May the emperor live ten thousand years". The emperor, on the other hand, was the symbol of Japanese militarism, and for many Asian victims of Japanese aggression (as well as American troops in the Pacific), "Banzai" would've been a chilling war cry heard from a charging enemy. For many, "Banzai" would've been the last words heard before being dismembered, disembowled, stabbed, raped, and mutiliated. In short, historically, Banzai would be the Japanese equivalence of "Heil Hitler".
The show goes beyond simple mockery of an entire group of people; it's also an ultimate symbol of American ignorance, arrogance, racism, and cultural insensitivity. If there is any sense left in this country, the show should be banned, and Fox held liable for being racially derrogative.
If you want to do something about it, there's a forum for the show, and here's info on filing complaints with the FCC (I couldn't find contact info for Fox). If you're a blogger, writing about this in your blog might help too.
