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Monday, July 24, 2006

American's Hunger for More

Recently, I have personally come to a more clear understanding of the world in which I live. One life was before having money to spend, and the other life afterwards. It makes me sad in so many ways whenever I think about it, but life was so good when I did not have much money. Almost every meal would be home cooked. And to be honest, I enjoyed every meal despite what kind of odd vegetables my parents would cooked up. The bottom line is that five years ago, I was content and grateful for each and every meal. Today, life is different. Partially because of friend around me and partly because of the wonderful, yet expensive restaurants I have been to, a home cooked meal just is not as satisfying as it use to be. I yearn for delicious food during ever meal. But to go out of my way at the grocery store to buy fresher ingredients, a greater variety of seasoning, and higher end (like rib eye steaks) is more costly on the pocketbook. In addition, the extended preparation time of meals is a considerable difference. I just wish I could go back to the simple satisfying meals. The meals that were within budget, tasted decent, satisfied the body, and simile made me happy from five years ago. After all, food is food. It's main goal is to feed the body. Taste is a secondary goal.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Congratulation!

Today, my roommate and good friend Brian Chen and Rena Pontanares get married! Congratulations!

Friday, July 21, 2006

Frankie J - That Girl Lyrics

Mannie Fresh
The incredible drum patterns of ya dude
Ladies and gentleman, the most beautifulest girl in the world pageant, brought to you by (ha) Frankie J, Slim Thugga and Fr Fr Fr Fr Fr Fresh (Slim Thugga)

Slim Thug
I got my eyes on you baby from ya feet up to ya head
A perfect night itd be if I could see ya in my bed
I wont beat around the bush, Im a be real instead
You need a thug in ya life, is you down or you scared?

Frankie J
Everybody knows when I step in the club
Girls see me and they wanna show me love
I got my chain on, with my shades on
Rockin designer shoes and I sold a million
So many girls, but theres one that caught my eye
Pretty lady so fine she blew my mind, oh my, cuz shes the one for me

(chorus)
Ive been around the world, and seen so many girls
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl
She got a bill and a face like a supermodel
And her body built just like a coke bottle
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it snap!
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it bring it back!
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl

Frankie J
I think she knows that im tryin to get at her
Im a go ahead and try to put in work
Whats your name, whats your number can I hit you up
If you digging what im sayin let me know whats up
So baby let me know if I can take you home (take you home)
I just wanna be somewhere where were alone alone
Cuz youre the one for me

(chorus)
Ive been around the world (around the world), and seen so many girls (so many girls)
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl
She got a bill and a face like a supermodel
And her body built just like a coke bottle
But none can compare (none can compare) cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl (shes that girl)
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it snap!
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it bring it back!
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl

Frankie J
Welcome to Miami, ive seen so many mommys
Overseas the girls ive seen but none compare to you oh baby
Ive been around the world and back
Ive never seen a girl like that
Now its clear to me that
Your that girl for me

Slim Thug
Now I done been around the whole world played with the best of em
But by far baby girl got the rest of em
Shes so blessed from her back to her chest
Got a playa on the quest to try to get her out her dress
Yes, Im feelin like I just hit the lotto
A caramel model shaped like a coke bottle
Im a mack on attack like who the hell is that girl
When you leave im tryin to be where you at girl

(chorus)
She got a bill and a face like a super model
And her body built just like a coke bottle
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it snap! (come on come on come on come on baby)
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it bring it back! (come on come on come on your so sexy)
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it snap! (I love the way your body moves)
Shake it shake it shake it shake it shake it bring it back! (I love your sexy attitude)
But none can compare cuz I cant keep my eyes off that girl

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Wholesome Choice Market in Irvine, CA

Wholesome Choice Market, formerly Wild Oats Market, is a great alternative to other major chain supermarkets like Albertsons and Ralphs. Located in the plaza in the intersection of Culver and Michelson by Tenkos and Ace Hardware, the market is conveniently located right off the 405. They carry the freshest produce in the Irvine area at very reasonable prices. Their meats are also exceptionally priced. For those looking to eat a variety of healthy fruits and vegetables, Wholesome Choice is a one stop location to satisfy your health. Unfortunately, their great prices for produce and meats do not extend to manufactured goods like chips, cereal, or drinks. After grocery shopping, do not forget to check out Wholesome Choice's wide selection of ready to eat foods ranging from pizza, Chinese, Indian, Persian, American, Mexican, and Italian foods.

Address: 18040 Culver Drive Irvine, CA 92612
Website: http://www.wholesomechoice.com/
Hours: 7am-11pm Monday - Sunday

Psalm 3

1 O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him." Selah 3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head. 4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. Selah 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side. 7 Arise, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah
Psalm 3 explains many people who will try hinder our walk with God. Be aware of the lies, because those people are willing to say anything. But it is okay. A simple prayer is all that is needed to protect yourself. God will watch over and protect us. He is our shield. As a side note, the word "Selah" is a word that means silence or is used to indicate a pause. Selah is used throughout the book of Psalm.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Empty Box in Packed Freezer

For the past two years, I have been living in an apartment with five other guys. We are all able to look past the various little differences in our personalities and get through each and every day without much conflict. But some very odd behaviors spark my curiosity and lures me to imagine how that unique situation came to be. First, picture six guys living in one apartment and the mess that builds in the refrigerator. The moment space frees up, it is nearly immediately re-occupied. There is literally no space for anything inside the refrigerator. Yet, when I randomly sift through the freezer clearing out old forgotten goods, I come across completely empty medium sized boxes (that use to hold mini-pizzas) taking up valuable real estate. I then ask myself, "How lazy does one have to be to not remove an empty box after taking out the last mini-pizza?" I had once considered myself the laziest man on earth, but my throne may now be occupied by that mysterious roommate who leaves empty boxes in the freezer.

Psalm 2

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 "I have installed my King [c] on Zion, my holy hill." 7 I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery." 10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
This is a major warning to kings and rulers or otherwise those who control a great deal of power back in history. Today, it applies to presidents and dictators of not only nations, but organizations and corporations as well as individuals. The bottom line is that those in control are more likely to disobey God. More likely to play God in other people's lives. So if you direct many lives, do so carefully and do not use your position to take advantage of others. For God put you where you are today and can just as easily remove you from your position.

Those who are Blessed will receive power and control from God. In other words, God will level the playing field for everyone. Those who are blessed are like Men of God. They know what to do. And God will make sure that you are not taken advantage of.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Psalms 1 compares the blessed and the wicked. In verse 1, it is important to note the definition of counsel is guided. Therefore, I feel the blessed are free to walk with the wicked to one day bring them to Christ, so long as the blessed are not being "guided" by the wicked. The blessed read the bible and pray during all hours of a day. As for the wicked and the sinner, they will perish on judgment day. The great comparison is between the tree planted by the stream and the wicked who are like chaff. The tree planted by the stream will get a constant supply of water while the chaff is dried up and worthless.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

UC Irvine: Multipurpose Science & Technology Building (MSTB)

MSTB is located towards the southern quadrant of campus. To reach MSTB, one walks away from Aldrich Park from the Roland Hall area between a stretch of pedestrian walkway between parking lots 12A and 12B and look for a generic rectangular shape building that sits two stories high. Inside is a myriad of classrooms on the first floor and professor offices on the second floor. There is plenty of concrete block seating available right outside the classroom if you get to class early, however it is not considered a true hangout location. Because MSTB is further away from most other buildings, most loitering students are most likely just waiting for class. Additionally, there is plenty of bike racks located directly around the building

When one walks through the main entrance, there is very little information posted on the whereabouts of room numbers, so get to class early. Most if not all of the lecture halls are located in the middle of the building where there are no windows. Science labs are located on the sides and are lucky enough to have windows. Lecture halls are fairly upgraded with a pair vertically sliding chalkboards. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the building, the seats are all placed on level ground as opposed to stadium seating, so be sure to get to class early and find a seat in the front half. Sitting in the back means constant squirming to see of the sea of heads. Professor offices are upstairs along with the computer lab, TA office hours, and the Math tutoring center. The layout of the second floor is very confusing compared to the first floor. Often times, I'd go up and circle the second floor multiple times in search of a specific room number.

So overall, though MSTB looks like any other generic office building from an outside, it is an absolute horror to navigate through the inside. The key is to get there early on the first day to locate not only the building, but then

Friday, July 14, 2006

Sell Your Old Cell Phone at CellForCash

If you own one cell phone, then odds are that you have had an replacement cell phone, or are considering buying a new cell phone. That brings up the question of what to do with your old cell phone? Most people just keep their old cell phones as a paperweight on their tables or store them away in boxes never to be seen again. What most people don't know is that old cell phones are still worth money. All you do is send CellForCash your old phone and they will send you a check based on the popularity and current worth of your phone. To find out how much your cell phone is worth, select your phone from the drop down menus at CellForCash. Input your address and they will send you a pre-paid shipping box for you at no cost.

Some important things to remember before sending in your phone include erasing your address book, recent calls, missed calls, text messages of all sorts, pictures, and anything else personal. Though CellForCash does not check for that information, it's always a good habit to do that.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Fight Club Movie Quote

"The things you own end up owning you" -Fight Club

That phrase is true in every way, yet I've never noticed until I watched the Fight Club. In corporate America, it is easy to see that anybody with money is a slave to money. We are willing to do anything for money to buy luxury items that eventually end up owning us to. For example, one of the biggest commodities in the United States is the automobile. How many people buy luxurious cars simply to feel important? How many more people have dreams cars they will never find themselves behind? When out, drivers are careful not to scratch or bump their cars. What is worst is that when a new model comes out with minor upgrades, we automatically have the longing deep inside our souls for that newer model. What is wrong with the car you currently have? It still gets you from point A to point B, which is the main purpose of the car. This same theory works for nearly everything: computers, pets, alcohol, pornography, etc...

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

My College "Education"

As only a recent college graduate, I do not have much say in how education was prior to 2002, but my experience has been quite eye opening. The past four years has made me wonder where America will rank in terms of new development in the future against other developing and developed countries. I say this because my education experience has been disappointing. Almost everywhere, students are not doing their homework. With the rapid development and availability of the internet, anybody can simply Google their homework problems. This process secretly hurts students because it does not train them to fully understand course material. In turn, an education without a solid understanding of the major does not prepare college students for the global workplace. This in turn may be the reason why top-ranked companies put entry level works through a rigorous training process. Though I have only recently witnessed this in the college arena, I certain similar happens are occurring in high school and even middle school. Schools need to coordinate with their teachers and possibly parents to cut down on Googling answers to insure proper education.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Funny Birthday Prank

If you are looking for a fun way to play a prank on your friends birthday, then you have reached the right place. This “surprise” involves an item that is present at nearly every birthday party and therefore is never suspected. It will require some time to make and requires that a crowd be present to witness and laugh at the chain of events that unfold. Make a birthday cake! But not just any birthday cake, but one consisting only of a box and frosting. Usually, a Cheez-It box is just the right size for a small party, but select a box based on the number of people that will be present to “eat the cake”. The box should also follow the shape of a general cake. Next, completely cover the box with frosting so that it looks like a cake. Then, you are done! Bring it to the birthday party, gather friends around, and maybe even record it as it all goes down! Almost always, the birthday boy or girl will be confused. A friend even told me he thought we had got him an ice cream cake that was too frozen! Obviously results will vary depending on how your friend will react.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

"Atlantic Starr - Always" Lyrics

Girl you are to me, all that a woman should be,
And I dedicate my life to you always
The love like yours is grand,
It must have been sent from up above
And I know you'll stay this way, for always

And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me
Ooh your life is sun,
Chasing all the rain away,
When you come around you bring a brighter day
You're the perfect one
For me and you forever we'll be
And I will love you so for always

Came with me my sweet,
Let's go make a family,
And they will bring us joy, for always

Oh boy I love your soul,
I can't find enough ways to let you know
But you can be sure of course, for always

And we both know, that our love will grow
And forever it will be you and me
Ooh your life is sun,
Chasing all the rain away,
When you come around you bring a brighter day
You're the perfect one
For me and you forever we'll be
And I will love you so for always

Ooh your life is sun,
Chasing all the rain away,
When you come around you bring a brighter day
You're the perfect one
For me and you forever we'll be
And I will love you so for always

I will love you so, for always

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Can I Really Win in Blingo?

You may have heard about the site Blingo where searching through their site may win you prizes and may be asking yourself one of several questions. Is Blingo a scam (can I really win)? How can they give prizes away? Is a pyramid scheme? To start, it is very possible to win prizes and there are ways of increasing your odds. For one, you win prizes based on traffic. Therefore, prizes are usually awarded at certain almost predictable increments of time. Just make your searches around those times to increase your odds of winning with Blingo. Next, do not use Blingo as your main search engine even though it uses the Google search engine because it will only accept your first 10 searches for the day as opportunities to win. Blingo can afford to give away prizes by using advertising revenues to buy discount prizes to offer to their members. And no, Blingo is not a pyramid scheme. Sign up with Blingo for your chance to win!

Friday, July 07, 2006

Dollar Theatre in Irvine

Attention all Irvine (California) residents and UC Irvine students... If you are broke and want to get out of your dorm or apartment, head over to Woodbridge Movies. They specialize in mostly family oriented movies, but occasionally show action movies. Unfortunately, comfortable semi-reclining stadium seating chairs usually found at regular movie theatres cannot be found at Woodbridge, it is well worth the price. Movie ticket admission is $1.50 for normal viewing and $1.00 for matinee. Never pay $10 for a movie again!

Address: 4626 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604
Phone: (949) 733-0980
Find "Woodbridge Dollar Movies 5" Showtimes

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Hurt

Life sucks. Just when I feel like life is going well with my girlfriends, she says some of the most painful things I've ever heard. Something that just makes me cry. I ask myself what it is I've been doing wrong to deserve such words from someone I love so dearly. I honestly don't cry easily, and don't rant much. But the words, "What you wanna just do homework this Sunday, like every Sunday" just makes me feel like a failure. And I am now starting to understand why having a girlfriend or wife for that matter is so difficult. Love is difficult because you never fully understand what the other person is feeling. She may seem happy and content with the way things are, until it suddenly all comes out. I still love you.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

“Delta Force Black Hawk Down” Game Review

A great PC game created by NovaLogic lets you experience missions similar to those encountered by US Special Operations Forces in Somalia in 1993. Shoot from a helicopter, on top of a Humvee, or just command your units. This game is a single and multiplayer first person shooter. It has decent graphic, but nothing spectacular. Gameplay is very exciting the game emulates much of the radio chatter that may have actually occurred. The only downside is that the game is very stressful on the eyes because of the nature of the game. The enemies in this game blend into the scenery very well, and so you might find yourself focusing on the monitor for hours at a time trying to locate enemies to shoot. However, the game developers may have purposely made this the case to show gamers what life was as the US Special Operations Forces in Somalia. Overall, the single player mode was awesome!

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Basketball & Jammed Fingers

I recently entered the wonderful world of basketball. One thing I've learned that happens very often is jammed fingers. Whether they come from a pass, a steal, or a rebound, it happens all the time. My first jammed finger, which happened to be my pointer finger, from my point of view was a severe case. To make matters worst, I didn't take proper care of the finger afterward the game. What I should have done was ice it when I got home, but I figured it would be okay. Later that day, a red scab colored dot appeared under the fingernail of that same finger. It has been nearly a month now, and the finger is still a bit stiff, but doesn't hurt as much. The red scab colored dot is about to reach the tip of the fingernail. A friend has told me that the way I should take care of the finger now is to exercise it. Writing out the alphabet is the perfect way to achieve the entire range of motion.

A question for those who play basketball a lot. I was wondering if there were ways of strengthening all the fingers to reduce jammed fingers? I know that jammed fingers are inevitable in basketball, a injury prone sport. Perhaps an exercise that can be done to strengthen the fingers in my hand. So for now, I'll just take my chances.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Free Ad-free Website Visitor Analyzer

Every website on the world wide web has a single objective of attracting visitors to their website. How a site measures the number of visitors per day is another issue. Larger websites may have advance hosting features that allow them to install scripts to automatically track users as they enter. However, smaller less well funded sites have an equally great option. StatCounter.com is a free third party service that any website large or small can use to measure traffic. Major features include the option of including an invisible tracker on your website, or a tracker included with a counter. They analyze your traffic based on search term, search engine, IP address, and referral location all free of charge for your latest 100 visitors. They offer detailed graphs along with a global map indicating where your visitors are coming from. All webmasters need to do is include a short HTML snippet onto ever page of your website. This HTML snippet will not put advertisements onto your website. It will only gather data necessary to display visitor information.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Dirty White Rubber Gloves

Don't be deceived by people using white rubber gloves. Their hands may not actually be clean. Read on for a few not-so-crazy times I have seen those gloves become infected.

At the Costa Mesa Mitsuwa Marketplace's food court, I must have witnessed one of the most nasty moves ever. I'm usually not moved by such an action, but this was an unusual moment. My friend and I had ordered some Ramen noodles and had already found a seat. During our conversation, I periodically peer over to see if our food is ready. What I see is a man wearing a white rubber glove handling the food. What next surprised me was that he was playing with his face around his forehead and nose region. Within a minutes, that same waiter was handling our food with his not so clean glove.

The other incident involves a dentist. As you know, all dentists put on gloves before working inside your mouth. My question is, do they take off their gloves before they take notes with the pen. I have seen before when a particular dentist touches the same pen while wearing is gloves. Because he probably does this action with all his patients, and undoubtedly uses the same pen, there is some major bacteria transfers happening. The same thing happens with the light. It is often necessary to relocate the light in the middle of a session. How much bacteria is on the handle of the light?

This is just a warning that just because someone is wearing the white gloves, his gloves may not be clean. Often times, whenever I see those white gloves, I am tricked into thinking that their gloves must be clean. They're wearing glove. That just isn't the case.