GetndCarVC

The San Francisco Public Park Experience

2006-08-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first and only day for being able to go to my church back in the Bay Area. I found that after lunch, it has become a tradition for the high school and college aged students to head over to the park to play a bit of friendly volleyball with the English pastor. Being my first time back in awhile, I just follow everyone to the park. To my amazement, the park was bustling with people from all walks of life. It ranged from people out to simply enjoy the warm rays of the sun, to another volleyball court set up in the grass, to elderly Asians getting their daily exercise with handheld drums. The park was nothing but a large section of green grass surrounded by some bushes and trees along the perimeter of the park. In the middle was a statue of Benjamin Franklin. After setting up our volleyball court, our group of about 25 ended up playing for about four hours. During the duration of four hours, six completely random stranger asked and joined us. Many others simply stood aside and observed us having fun. It was truly a great experience being in such an open minded environment where strangers are not afraid to talk and join activities with others.

The public parks in San Francisco (big city) compare nothing to the parks in Irvine (suburbs). Irvine parks are generally smaller, but having expensive play structures for kids. On the other hand, parks in San Francisco are larger, but more plain with simply a green field. However, the park in the city are more packed with activity. The parks in Irvine are unfortunately generally empty. If you are ever in a city and pass by a crowded fun park, be sure to check it out.

AIM Triton gets stuck on Validating

2006-08-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

If you are one of the many people out there who have problems logging in (stuck at validating) to your account using AOL's new chatting software codenamed Triton, there is finally a fix available! Direct your browser to the official AIM Triton Beta Test site. The question that has the solution is called "Q: I am hanging at the validating stage during the sign on process, what should I do?". This directs you to a link of a .reg file which will make some safe changes to your operating systems registry. Once this is done, restart AIM Triton and you should be able to seamlessly log in! This has worked for me, how has it worked for you?

Single Queue vs Multi Queue?

2006-08-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

The million dollar question is which type of queue line at a retail store has the best overall benefits? The single queue line or the multi queue line? My personal opinion was that single queue lines are more efficient, but probably less fair. However, my roommate strongly believes the multi queue line is more efficient. Which one seems more fair in the long run of a day, or even a week?

My theory is that because the single queue line does not connect directly to the cashier, the time it takes a customer to physically walk from the front of the queue line to a cashier is what makes the single queue line inefficient. Sure the walk is short if the cashier is located right in front, but anything further is wasting time. At Best Buy, we observed that it took a customer roughly seven seconds to walk from the start of the line to the furthest cashier. This may not seem like much of a difference, but over the course of a whole day, much time is wasted. In the case of a multi queue line, each line already connects, so the time between customers at each line is very short. For this reason, I believe the multi queue line to be more efficient, but less fair.

AIM Trition 1.5 Review

2006-08-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

AIM Trition has come a long way since the first beta version was released. Before, Triton was slow, bloated, and took forever to load which is why many people switched back to AIM Classical 5.9 version. Now, Triton runs much faster and smoother. Odds are that the Triton developers realized the problem and toned down many of the graphical features to meet user needs. One simple, yet amazingly powerful change is that the install process no longer forces you to install the AOL Browser, reset your homepage, or sign up with Plaxo. The Mail, Mobile, Talk, and Transfer features all work. They also have plugins, although they have not been fully tested, for you to use with Triton to provide further functionality. Click here to check out all the free AIM Plugins. I currently have a plugin installed that updates the song in my profile automatically as it plays in Winamp. Additionally, they have a plugin that logs your chats automatically. As usual, all the chat windows are now tabbed into a single window. If you haven't checked out Triton in awhile, now is the time to give it another shot! Go to AIM.com and download the latest version!

Health Nuts

2006-08-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Now that college is over, I have more time to do activities I really want to do. One important activity includes learning to cook healthy food and to avoid purchasing fast food for every meal. I am slowly beginning to understand how my health is more important than education. If I spend the past four years of my life studiously behind a book, and dedicate only little time for consuming healthy food, I may spend the rest of my life trying to repair the damages of eating unhealthy food. But this makes me wonder why I did not realize this as a freshman at UCI. The bottom line is that I just did not have the facts. I was not interested! As part of my curriculum, I took a health class to satisfy the breadth requirement. I realized that Bio 9a (Nutritional Science) was the class that I absorbed the most useful information that will directly impact my life the most. Did you know that your bones will stop increasing their stores of calcium in your mid 20s? After that, it remains steady before it begins to deteriorate. But why am I learning this helpful information when I'm 22? I strongly believe that students should be taught more about their health at a younger age. This way, kids will understand to avoid bad foods like soda, chips, candy, etc.

ewido Anti-spyware 4.0 Review

2006-08-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

My computer was recently infected with a whole variety of spyware and trojans. After hours of Googling questionable application running and visible from the Task Manager, I was able to manually remove all but one last hidden Trojan. However, this last piece was the most frustrating bit due to the fact that whenever I restart my computer, it would download more spyware. So I more thoroughly searched forums and came across a highly praised program called ewido Anti-spyware program. It comes with a free 30 day trial and runs real time removing any detected spyware or Trojan. After a full scan and a restart, my computer has been running fully functionally. If you are having problems removing spyware or trojans, I would highly recommend downloading the fully functional trial version to check for and fix if necessary problems on your computer. It has a great easy to use interface and automatically updates the signatures without bothering you, the user. As of today, it costs $29.95 for a years worth of updates.

American's Hunger for More

2006-07-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Congratulation!

2006-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

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

Frankie J - That Girl Lyrics

2006-07-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

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

Wholesome Choice Market in Irvine, CA

2006-07-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

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.

Empty Box in Packed Freezer

2006-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

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

2006-07-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

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.

Psalm 1

2006-07-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

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.

UC Irvine: Multipurpose Science & Technology Building (MSTB)

2006-07-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

Sell Your Old Cell Phone at CellForCash

2006-07-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Fight Club Movie Quote

2006-07-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

"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...

My College "Education"

2006-07-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Funny Birthday Prank

2006-07-10T08:46:00.000-07:00

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.

"Atlantic Starr - Always" Lyrics

2006-07-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

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

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

Can I Really Win in Blingo?

2006-07-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

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!

Dollar Theatre in Irvine

2006-07-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

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

Hurt

2006-07-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

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.

“Delta Force Black Hawk Down” Game Review

2006-07-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

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!

Basketball & Jammed Fingers

2006-07-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Free Ad-free Website Visitor Analyzer

2006-07-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

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.

Dirty White Rubber Gloves

2006-07-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

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.

Back up your DVDs

2006-06-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

A great program to rip and back up a dvd is a program is called DVD Shrink. What DVD Shrink does is makes a hard disc image of a dvd which can later be burned to a dvd via Nero or any other DVD burning software. Because of the long process of encoding and decoding, the process of making an image can take around an hour. A great feature of DVD Shrink is that if the DVD you are intending to back up is slightly larger in digital size than the average dvd, you can opt to not include certain languages to reduce the total size of the your backup copy. The program comes with NO spyware or junkware of any sort and is completely free! Check out their website at: http://www.dvdshrink.org/. To find more instructions on how to download the software, click the "Where" button at the bottom of the screen.

Memory and the Brain

2006-06-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

I ate dinner out at Wingnuts with friends the other day. One particular friend brought his textbook on psychology to the restaurant to study for an upcoming final. As we all finished up our wings and chips and waiting for the bill, I decided to thumb through the book. I stopped at a section talking about memory loss. Briefly, he told me that after 90 minutes after first learning information, you've already forgotten 50% of what you learned. After 4 hours, you've forgotten 90% of what you learned. Those numbers are staggering! I feel that if I had known this information before graduating college, I may have focused more on reviewing the material I learned right after class. The book said the key is repetition.

Another key aspect is how much multi-tasking occurs. The brain cannot handle switching between tasks. The information will actually become mixed up and more difficult for the brain to process. Therefore, if you are in a boring class, don't surf the web because you won't retain any of the information from class. However, we ran out of time before I was actually able to find out more on that topic. But this is very interesting and make me now wonder why I went for a computer science degree.

All in all, if you are still a student, just remember that after 90 minutes, which is the length of a college class and now some high school classes, you will forget 50% of the material you have learned. Secondly, don't multi-task while studying! Do one subject and finish it. Take a break, and continue studying.

Opening Day for Superman Returns

2006-06-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the day thousands if not millions of people have been waiting for. The opening of Superman Returns. For many of us, Superman was our television hero. We would come back from a long day of class, jump on the couch, flip on the tv, and watch Superman save the day. Today, Superman is on the big screens.

I can't say that I'm excited about the film, because I'm not the biggest superman fan. But I'm not saying that the movie won't be good. I'm actually looking forward to it because it seems like my kind of movie. But see for yourself. Check out the trailers at:

All I can say is I can't wait. Check out the reviews or write one yourself after checking it out!

Graduation from UCI

2006-06-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

Graduating brings forth a joyful feeling, but also a sad one at the same time. One one side, I get to see all the people in my life who care about me. Friends who graciously give up their weekends to spend a day in Irvine to congratulate me. Not to forget those who sent their best wishes, I also appretiate their good thoughts. However, more importantly to my family who has supported me through the hard times and good times in college. Home is a place I know I can always turn to should the situation turn sour. And of course to Grace. The countless nights of staying up late doing homework. I don't know how I would have done it without you. I love each and every one of you!

However, it is sad because there won't be any more tests. Probably less late night hangouts. And even fewer Alerto runs. Roommates are moving out as new one will eventually move in. Life moves on. No. Life Begins!

From High School, To College

2006-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

From personal experience, I hated my high school experience. I felt as if I didn't have that many friends, and found myself saying to myself, "I'm unpopular!", "I'm by myself all the time", "Nobody likes me!", "I'm a loser!", "I'm a loner!", "I have no friends!", "I'm a failure". I was often times demoralized to even begin to want to fix my social life. But once I hit college, everything changed for the better! I realized that those who were cool in high school are forgotten about. Life start had started over and I was given a second chance.

I joined clubs, went to church, and chilled with new found friends more. I've started to understand the idea of building a strong community of friends who are like brothers. Forget those superficial friends! Life starts over in college! My advice for incoming freshmen to college is to join a club. Heck! Join two or three! The more the better. Without a doubt joining clubs take away from precious "study" time, but education is only one half of the college experience. The other half involves building friendships that will last a lifetime. Friends who you can share your problems to, friends who know your every thought, and even friends who you will eventually for a study group with. And in college, there is a club for every possible thing. In the off chance that there is not an interesting club, form one! Take a leap out of your comfort zone.

Add a Command Line Prompt to the Right Click

2006-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

As a novice programmer at UCI, instructors initially taught Computer Science students to program without advanced development platforms. Instead, a simple program called TextPad was used to teach and learn programming in the labs. Unfortunately, TextPad is unable to compile programs. The only way to compile was to use the command prompt and compile it manually. Often times getting to the command prompt to the right step was a hassle. Locating and typing the next higher level directory is time consuming. Here is a simple tweak that can added to the registry to speed up that process. After applying the tweak, all you need to do is use Explorer and navigate to the right folder. Right click the folder and an option will appear to "Command Prompt Here". Simple insert the bolded code below into a text file (txt). Change the extension to the registry (.reg) extension. And double click to execute. Confirm adding the information to the registry. Reboot and you are all set.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command Prompt Here]
@="Command &Prompt Here"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Command Prompt Here\command]
@="cmd.exe /k cd %1 "

Living the Honest Life

2006-06-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Life in our capitalism driven world is difficult. Though we dismiss money as being one of our very top concerns, the bottom line is that making money is our top priority. We live in a dog eat dog world where we must take advantage of every opportunities as they present themselves. However, what if it could profit from a large group of 20 friends for $5 each due to an honest mistake? Would you be the one to announce the mistake, or secretly wait and hope that nobody finds out to pocket a small $100 profit for yourself at the cost of others?

I found myself in that situation where deep down, I really wanted just to keep the extra money. After all, it was not me who made the price calculation mistake, so why should I be concerned or even bothered by it. So I asked myself how would real world US companies handle miscalculated prices in their favor? Would they keep the money for themselves or actually tell their clients that a mistake has been made? I don't actually know the answer to that, but it is my belief that money is evil. Money issues can break all sorts of relationships whether it be a corporate deal or a friendship. I decided that I should just be honest and set the right example, even if nobody notices. Because I noticed, and that is all that really matters at the end of the day. Knowing I did the honest thing.

Dallas Mavericks vs Miami Heat

2006-06-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

Never in my life have I ever followed basketball more consecutively on television than this year. One of the main reasons for this sudden basketball fever is that the Dallas Mavericks have advanced to the playoffs, and have actually won enough games to advance to the finals. For some odd reason, I am naturally drawn to the teams in Dallas let it be the Dallas Stars for hockey, Dallas Cowboys for football, or the Dallas Mavericks now in basketball. And after watching now a countless number of games, many of the superstar names on Dallas have stuck in my mind. Obviously the most famous is Dirk Nowitzki. A giant monster with a shot from the outside! He straight up looks like a monster! As the finals series begins this Thursday (June 8th, 2006), I'm ready to see how Nowitzki stacks up against the all famous Shaquille O'Neal. I have not yet heard much about how is expected to win, but I am holding high expectations for Dallas! Maybe I can finally say that I'm a Mavericks fan!

Thanks to those who over the course of this NBA season tried to teach me what basketball was all about. It has also inspired me to get off my lazy couch and try playing (running) a game of basketball instead of doing what I'm best at on Xbox.

Sites with Coupons to Save Money

2006-06-02T02:14:00.000-07:00

A free site that contains user submitted coupon codes plus great deals is called FatWallet. Fatwallet provides users with the latest most up-to-date deals on threads in their expansive forum. Of all coupon sites, I feel that their site has the most information and best deals due to the sheer number of users gracious enough to post the precious information they have. Other users can then rate existing deals and coupon combos. The more positive ratings a deal gets, the hotter it becomes. I never considered myself as one to buy things online until I started reading up on their deals. I finally realized that buying online as opposed to through a bricks and mortar store (retail store you can walk in a browse at) can save a lot of money. You just need patience for the right deal to come around.

What is even more impressive is that if you buy products online through the FatWallet website, they will return a small percentage of what you spent back to you. When your total reaches the low $10 payout, they mail you a check or electronically send it to your PayPal account. That money can then be used again to buy more of your favorites. If you have never checked FatWallet out, I highly recommend you at least browse around. When you find a deal, just sign up for a free account. There are absolutely no strings attached and they don't spam your email. FatWallet is one of the sites I check on a daily basis just in case a good deal comes up for something on my wish list.

Yahoo! Mail Beta

2006-05-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since the release of Gmail, companies that have been providing free email accounts have seen their loyal users switch services. In an effort to regain that once loyal user base, all big name email providers like Yahoo and Hotmail have increased inbox storage space to max Gmail. Yahoo however has taken it a step further by re-writing the code behind their emailing system. Currently, they call it Yahoo! Mail Beta.

If you've ever used Microsoft Outlook, then you already know what Yahoo! Mail Beta looks like. It looks exactly the same. The only difference is that Microsoft Outlook is its own program while Yahoo! Mail Beta runs inside the browser. The screen is divided into three sections. The left hand column shows inbox, outbox, trash, and any other folders manually created. The top half of the right hand column shows available emails, for example in the inbox. Once an email is selected, the bottom half of the right column displays the body of the email. This is a noble attempt on Yahoo's attempt to create something to compete with Gmail, however it has several problems.

First, loading the system is slow. It idles in a loading screen for at least 5 seconds while the necessary information is loaded. This may seem like a trivial amount of time, but after the first week of usage, it becomes an annoyance. Next, accessing email is slow. Currently, the system only loads email subjects and headers as they are needed. So if your inbox has 100 plus emails, Yahoo! Mail Beta will only load the email headers when they are viewable. As you scroll down the list of email subjects, the email server must be accessed each time to retrieve new email headings. Overall, the system is slow and needs improvements before it is truly a perfect system.

Upsides to the system is that the page is very dynamic. This means that you only have to load the Yahoo! Mail Beta page once. From that point on, everything is updated without actually updating the page. That is one major improvement over the original Yahoo! Mail. And the new Yahoo! Mail Beta has a nice look. Its silver theme and smooth graphics make for superb eye candy.

All in all, Yahoo! Mail Beta is a good first step for Yahoo, but the system clearly still needs speed improvements if it is to compete with Gmail. And despite all the negative comments, I would still rate this system as the second best available browser based emailing systems followed only by Gmail. With a little work, this system will surely exceed Gmail and once again become number one.

Selfishness

2006-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

For small group last night, we had an off-night and decided to go to Boomers for a bit of laser tag and the batting cages. Laser tag was awesome, though I felt as if my gun was not working. But anyhow, my score at the end was zero. Batting cages on the other hand were crazy. If I did bad in laser tag, then I must have failed at the batting cages. I must have got 3 or 4 hits of 25 pitches in the first round. Utterly disgraceful. I wanted to redeem msyelf the next time around. So I ask for advice, swing the bat around a bit hoping to get the "right form."

Out of nowhere, a father and his little son asks us for extra tokens because his son wanted to hit, but the machines were closed for the night. Unfortunately, the person who had all the tokens was currently batting. But in my pocket, I was sweaty hands were gripping my one last token. The token I would use to redeem myself. Due to my selfishness, I couldn't give up the last token. Afterwards, I felt so bad. As if I should have just given it to the little boy without hesitation. This feeling stuck with me even till this morning.

So that was one incident that happened, but humans all have selfish desires. And so the question I ask myself is: Do similar occurences of selfishness occur in other aspects of my life that I might not notice right away? Now ask yourself that same question.

Entering the Kingdom of God

2006-03-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

This weeks service on the above passage was awesome. Some key words to focus on in the Mark 10:13-16 are indignant which can simply be translated as 'angry'. Another part that should be focused on is "I tell you the truth". This is a clear indication that something important is about to be revealed. Pay extra close attention to those words as your read the passage below:

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

As the most important part of this passage, to enter the kingdom of God, I must receive it like a child. Therefore, child must be defined. Chap Clark says that children have three main qualities. They are passionate, honest, and free.

Passionate
Children are passionate because they are always interested in trying everything new regardless of their performance. As an adult, the only thing I focus on is performance. So long as I make the grade. Whatever it takes, so long as my parents approve. So that my peers approve. Children on the otherhand are compansionate enough to want to try everything. Therefore, we as adults must strive to be passionate about what we do. Sanctifying success will not bring happiness.
Honesty
Children are honest. They don't know how to lie. As adults, we are deceitful. We live in a deceitful society, where we all must protect our own hearts. Nobody wants to be hurt.
Free
Children are free. They do as they please where we adults must hide our weakness with the hope that nobody make the discovery. Christians often time pretend, so they can fit in and not be found out.

Fear of Graduating

2006-02-22T07:56:00.000-08:00

My last eight years of education in high school, and then college have been quite a rollercoaster. Those older than 30 would probably not understand what I'm talking about. It is my belief that 30 years ago, one could easily apply to college, graduate, and find a well paying job. It seems that the most difficult task 30 years ago would be getting to school (treking through the cold snow), while the only thing on the minds of students today is meeting the grade. Competition is harsh in a global economy.

Seeing that I'm graduating in about a quarter and a half, I have to begin deciding what to do with my life after college. I've already decided, "No more school for me". Which leaves me no other option than to join the unemployed workforce of America and hope of a company to give me a chance to start my career. But for those already employed, do you have any tips on finding a job? You know and I'm about to find out how scary it is to be unemployed.

Good Friends

2006-02-09T23:46:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a relationship between a friend whom I have since grown distant. She attempted to befriend me nearly a year ago. Our friendship began to grow, but that came to a halt when I started seeing another girl (who is now my girlfriend) more. She then went overseas to study and I have not talked to her awhile. Since, I have found out that tension had grown. I didn't know why, and I'm still not sure exactly why she acts the way she does towards me. But today, I just about had it. I've tried to be nicer by planning outings with her, but when that didn't work out, everything went sour. Bottomline was, I was angry when she left. After consulting, I didn't know what to do. So I turn to my bible (something that hasn't been opened in a long time).

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

I read that, I realize that I can't give up. A friend should love at all time. Seek the mistakes I have made. Friendships were made to take on hardships, even if this hardship occurs between friends. I just pray that everything works out.

Amazing Cup Stacking

2006-02-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

During dinner of Chinese New Years, a very interesting random topic came to the table. One about Cup Stacking! I had no idea what he was talking about and kept thinking to myself, “How difficult could stack cups be? I bet I could stack cups taller!” He claimed videos on YouTube.com feature a young girl stacking cups into several pyramids at unbelievable speeds. What's more amazing is that this child even holds the record for fastest cup stacker! I was skeptical, believing it to be a prank! After dinner, he brought down his iBook and sure enough, the video existed! At first I couldn't believe my eyes, but he assured me it was real. To see this video for yourself, simply click to YouTube.com or your favorite video streaming website. Search for “cup stacking” and be the judge. Then, after you realized how real it is, amaze co-workers, friends, and family!

Learning Football

2006-01-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

For many people, watching the National Football League play makes the game seem trivial. We expect such football players to perform to the best of their abilities on every play without realizing the degree of teamwork required to achieve such feats. Just this past week, we had a friendly game of flag football between friends. I was a blocker on offense. Because our team had never actually played together ever before, coordination on the field was a disaster. On every play, I would block, expect my quarterback to stay in the pocket. Play after play, he would get nervous and leave the pocket without my realizing it. By the time I realized what has happened, it was too late.

This is just a simple example of how communication between players on a team need to be well understood, which is often times more difficult to accomplish than one can imagine. And once lines of communication have been established, a miscommunication can still happen. Football is not trivial, no matter what girls tell you.

Becoming a Better Person

2006-01-26T22:03:00.000-08:00

As my college days come to an end, it has been amazing in some of the many lessons I have learned. Some the easy ways, and other the difficult way. And I can say that I am happy where I am fairly happy with the place I am at today. Other than a few personal issues that have yet to be worked out, I have caring friends, my health, an education, and even a girlfriend. What more can I ask for these days in a world of greed and corruption. Despite all this, there still are thing I would like changed.

I want to be nicer, and less sarcastic. But as many of you sarcastic people may know, changing is a difficult task.
I want to rebuild some of the many friendships that have drifted apart over the years. The methods with which to attempt this are still unknown at this point, but I have realized that this is one of the many goals I wish to accomplish.
I need to be more dedicated towards my future. As I move out of the educational stretch of my life, I need to begin focusing on a career. A steady income to enjoy life.
Most importantly, I want to re-affirm my faith in God. I've recently been in a major dry-spell, which may be attributed from many factors.

Of course there are many more, but these are just some of the more important ones that have been on my mind. I have the patience and the discipline to work these through. Any tips?

Eminem - When I'm Gone Lyrics

2006-01-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

[Introduction]
Yeah...
It's my life...
My own words I guess...

[Verse 1]
Have you ever loved someone so much, you'd give an arm for?
Not the expression, no, literally give an arm for?
When they know they're your heart
And you know you were their armour
And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm 'her
But what happens when karma, turns right around and bites you?
And everything you stand for, turns on you to spite you?
What happens when you become the main source of her pain?
"Daddy look what I made", Dad's gotta go catch a plane
"Daddy where's Mommy? I can't find Mommy where is she?"
I don't know go play Hailie, baby, your Daddy's busy
Daddy's writing a song, this song ain't gonna write itself
I'll give you one underdog then you gotta swing by yourself
Then turn right around on that song and tell her you love her
And put hands on her mother, who's a spitting image of her
That's Slim Shady, yeah baby, Slim Shady's crazy
Shady made me, but tonight Shady's rocka-by-baby...

[Chorus]
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back...

[Verse 2]
I keep having this dream, I'm pushin' Hailie on the swing
She keeps screaming, she don't want me to sing
"You're making Mommy cry, why? Why is Mommy crying?"
Baby, Daddy ain't leaving no more, "Daddy you're lying
"You always say that, you always say this is the last time
"But you ain't leaving no more, Daddy you're mine"
She's piling boxes in front of the door trying to block it
"Daddy please, Daddy don't leave, Daddy - no stop it!"
Goes in her pocket, pulls out a tiny necklace locket
It's got a picture, "this'll keep you safe Daddy, take it withcha'"
I look up, it's just me standing in the mirror
These fuckin' walls must be talking, cuz man I can hear 'em
They're saying "You've got one more chance to do right" - and it's tonight
Now go out there and show that you love 'em before it's too late
And just as I go to walk out of my bedroom door
It's turns to a stage, they're gone, and this spotlight is on
And I'm singing...

[Chorus]
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back...

[Verse 3]
Sixty thousand people, all jumping out their seat
The curtain closes, they're throwing roses at my feet
I take a bow and thank you all for coming out
They're screaming so loud, I take one last look at the crowd
I glance down, I don't believe what I'm seeing
"Daddy it's me, help Mommy, her wrists are bleeding,"
But baby we're in Sweden, how did you get to Sweden?
"I followed you Daddy, you told me that you weren't leavin'
"You lied to me Dad, and now you make Mommy sad
"And I bought you this coin, it says 'Number One Dad'
"That's all I wanted, I just want to give you this coin
"I get the point - fine, me and Mommy are going"
But baby wait, "it's too late Dad, you made the choice
"Now go out there and show 'em that you love 'em more than us"
That's what they want, they want you Marshall, they keep.. screamin' your name
It's no wonder you can't go to sleep, just take another pill
Yeah, I bet you you will. You rap about it, yeah, word, k-keep it real
I hear applause, all this time I couldn't see
How could it be, that the curtain is closing on me
I turn around, find a gun on the ground, cock it
Put it to my brain and scream "die Shady" and pop it
The sky darkens, my life flashes, the plane that I was supposed to be on crashes and burns to ashes
That's when I wake up, alarm clock's ringin', there's birds singin'
It's Spring and Hailie's outside swinging, I walk right up to Kim and kiss her
Tell her I miss her, Hailie just smiles and winks at her little sister
Almost as if to say..

[Chorus/Outro]
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back
And when I'm gone, just carry on, don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice
Just know that I'm looking down on you smiling
And I didn't feel a thing, So baby don't feel my pain
Just smile back...

24, the TV Show

2005-12-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

During a well overdue winter break from UCI, I've been consumed with the TV show 24. Without doubt, I love the show! Ever since borrowing Season 3 from a friend and then obtaining Season 4 from my brother's friend, my eyes have been glued to the television set. Season 3 is the first season that I've watched continuously without interruptions. The storyline was phenomenal and had excellent character development. It wasn't until the end of Season 3 that I've realized the many negative messages hidden within the crisis.

For one, I've noticed how many people have been screwed over by Jack Bauer. How many CTU agents lost their jobs just to help Jack? I understand that risk is part of the job description, but could 24 be sending a message to fans around the globe that it is okay to step all over colleagues to accomplish a goal? If so, I strongly believe that this is a horrible message to be promoting. And as I continue watching season 4, Jack Bauer succeeds in ruining other great relationships with "friends" merely to turn himself into a hero. It is wrong on so many levels.

I understand that 24 is just a TV show, and realize that many viewers may have also stumbled upon this. However, there is also a small percent of American teenagers who find role models off television. And with the currently popularity of 24, this show could be subconsciously affecting fans, possibly even you. Sure I may be taking this too far, but it's just something that has been on my mind. 24 is a fun and exhilarating show on the surface, but also a show with numerous dark hidden messages. But because I’ve identified this darkness, I watch with caution. I still love 24

Merry Christmas

2005-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Mystere by Cirque Du Soleil in Vegas

2005-12-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Mystere at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, California performed by the world famous circus group Cirque Du Soleil had many amazing moments, but was not $95 worth to me personally. Though others I saw the show with expressed great approval, I was only somewhat satisfied. The most impressive parts of the show were without doubt off the wall crazy, but the rest of the show included many regular circus acts that I could have seen for free at Circus Circus. Also, the prep time in between major acts was a noticeably long, though they successfully entertained the auditorium with an "old man" that mocked fun at audience members. The "old man" made the show and the general vibe of the theatre that much more enjoyable.

In no way am I saying you should not check them out. I had many great laughs, and "Oh my gosh" moments. But instead, I'm saying that many of Cirque Du Soleil's other acts were better valued and if I had the option would rather pay for those shows.

Bellagio Water Show in Vegas

2005-12-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

One of many stellar attractions at Vegas is Bellagio's water show in their massive fountain directly in front of the hotel casino. Every half hour during the day, and fifteen minutes at night, there is a free water show for all to enjoy! Each show features water shooting in all directions accompanied with music. And everyone should wait and watch more than one show because there are many different shows with different water formations and music. The best spot to view the water show is the center facing the Bellagio hotel. And unless you have a high-end camera, the pictures come out best during the day in normal sunlight. Therefore, I would recommend checking out the water show both during the day for kodac moments and at night for your viewing pleasure!

Ne-Yo - So Sick Lyrics

2005-12-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Umm…
UmMm..

Yea
Do (8X)
Oh Yea

Gotta change my answering machine
Now that Im alone
Cus right now it says that we
Can’t come to the phone.
And I know it makes no sense
Cus you walked out the door
But it’s the only way I hear your voice any more

It's ridiculous
It’s been months
For some reason
I just can’t get over us
And Im stronger than this
Enough is enough
No more walkin' round wit my head down
I'm so over being blue
Crying over you

And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done wit wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So sad and slow
So why can’t I turn off the radio?

Gotta fix that calendar I had
Thats marked July 15th
Because if there’s no more you
There’s no more anniversary
I'm so sad up wit my thoughts of you
And your memory
And now every song reminds me of what used to be

And that’s the reason
I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done wit wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So sad and slow
So why can’t I turn off the radio?

Ooohh
Leave me alone
Stupid love songs
Don’t make me think about her smile
Bout having my first child
I'm letting go
Turning off the radio

Cus Im so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done wit wishing she was still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So sad and slow
So why can’t I turn off the radio?

And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done wit wishing she was still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So sad and slow
So why can’t I turn off the radio?

And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done wit wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs
So sad and slow
So why can’t I turn off the radio?
Why can’t I turn off the radio?
So wihy can’t I turn off the radio?

Can Google Survive?

2005-12-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

Born as a site specializing in lightning fast searches, Google has grown to become behemoth web portal now featuring dozens of online services. Many of the services were made possible after Google became a public company. Their stock soared which gave them a tremendous amount of spending capital. Google now makes a profit off their advertising network Adsense. Now that they've proven themselves, the big question is: Can they survive? Will Microsoft once again beat out all competition?

As unlikely as it seems, Google poses a big threat to Microsoft. Even though Google does not offer you an operating system, they offer more I even realized. If you've ever used a gmail account, you'll realize that the compose feature looks like a stripped down version of Microsoft Office. What would happen if Google offered an application similar to Microsoft Office for free or even per use charge? Currently, the new user price of just Microsoft Word costs $229. Would users who only occasionally use Word pay $229 or try another similar service for free or pay a per use basis?

The ever innovating Google has many services on the line that are sure to excite web users globally. But everything hinges on the fact that they can still be a profitable company. Only time will tell.

Firefox Browser

2005-12-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

If you don't have the browser already then you have definitely heard about it. In one quick sentence, it's "the free web browser that's challenging Microsoft's Internet Explorer". One might ask how such a browser run by an organization of free-lance programmers run up again such a mighty competitor? The answer lies in the fact that Firefox is an open-source browser thereby giving anyone access to the code behind the program (you could even see it if you wanted).

And Firefox is better than Internet Explorer in security, speed, and stability.

Firefox can ward off many of those unwanted adware programs simply because of default settings that prevent programs from being installed. ActiveX was the main component of Internet Explorer that opened the floodgates to spyware. Firefox doesn't even have the option of enabling ActiveX because of the damage that can be caused.
Firefox is much speedier than Internet Explorer because of more efficently written code. Internet Explorer has code that was written from when Microsoft was first conceived.
And it's stable because of the millions of times Firefox has been tested by open-source programmers all around the world. Everyone has access to the code which allows the Firefox to be run, tested, and debugged on various computer environments around the globe.

By default, Firefox is equipped with the bare minimum to surf the web. Via Extentions offered for free on the Firefox site, anyone can add-on features to customize their Firefox experience. And best of all, the look and feel of Firefox (by default) is exactly like Internet Explorer. So give Firefox a try!

Bonbardment of Advertising

2005-11-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

While driving around today, I realized that most Americans are surrounded by some form of advertising everyday. Whether it be actual audio and video commercials or the name-brand clothing your friend wear, we unconciously absorb it. And that's the power of advertisement. Companies spend billions each year to get their product out on the open market. And marketing companies are so sly about it that you hardly notice it. We are actually at a point where we at some point enjoy watching it. We can laugh at the funny ones and criticize the bad ones.

Places I enjoyed going to avoid advertising are quiet nature like places. In big towns, the only places to go are large quiet parks where you can hear the birds chirp and animals run around. Or the great national parks of the United States.

Beyonce - Check On It Lyrics

2005-11-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

(Slim Thug)
You need to stop playing round with all them clowns and the wangstas
Good girls gotta get down with them gangstas
Go head girl put some back and some neck up on it
While I stand up in the background and check up on it

[Chorus]
Ohh Boy you looking like you like what you see
Won't you come over check up on it, I'm gone let you work up on it
Ladies let em check up on it, watch it while he check up on it
Dip it, pop it, twork it, stop it, check on me tonight

If you got flaunt it, boy I know you want it
While I turn around you watch me check up on it
Oohhh you watchin me shake it, I see it in ya face
Ya can't take it, it's blazin, you rock me it amaze me
You can look at it, as long as you don't grab it
If you don't go braggin, I'ma let you have it
You think that I'm teasin, but I ain't got no reason
I'm sure that I can please ya, but first I gotta read you

I can tell you wanna taste it, but I'm gone make you chase it
You got to be patient, I like my men patient
More patience, you take my get you in more places
You can't be abrasive, has to know to pace it
If I let you get up on it, you gotta make a promise
That you gone put it on me, like no ones put it on me
Don't bore me, just show me, all men talk but don't please
I can be a tease, but I really wanna please you

(Slim Thug)
I'm checking on you boo, do what chu do
And while dance I'ma glance at this beautiful view
I'm keep my hands in my pants, I need to glue em w/ glue
I'm in a trance all eyes on you and your crew
Me and my mans don't dance, but to feel ya'll bump and grind
If won't hurt if you gone try one time
They all hot, but let me see this ones mine
Its slim thug and DC outta H town

Group Game "Punishments"

2005-11-21T10:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever hosted a group game and feel that your friends did not enjoy it? There was no real reason for to play your game because of a lack of rewards at the end. Well instead of ending the game with rewards, try ending them with "punishments". Now I by no means intend the punishments to be physically painful, but they should rather be more embarrassing. This way, your friends will play to avoid doing something they wish they could otherwise avoid. Below, I've listed a few "punishment" ideas for you to use.

Losers must write their name with their butts! Each losing team must use their behinds and write their names in the air for all to see. If you plan on using this one, don't forget to bring a video recording device! It will make for great memories!
Losers remove both socks off the winner's feet using their teeth! For example, the top three losers have to take off the socks of the winners using only their teeth! For this to work, tell your friends to wear socks, but don't tell them why! Also keep in mind that teeth occasionally rip socks.
Losing team has a cup of any drink (except water) such as iced tea. The losing must put the drink in their mouth with swallowing, and then spits the drink back into the cup. Everyone on the losing team must do this process. The catch is that the last person drinks it! (Beware: This is kind of disgusting, so use with only your best friends).

Each of these three "punishment" ideas should be used depending on how well you know your friends. For example, ideas 2 and 3 probably should only be using with close friends! Idea 1 would be ideal for any group.

Forgiving Others

2005-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

Forgiving others is a task that is without doubt one of the most difficult things in life. When a friend (or ex-friend for that matter) hurts you in a way that breaks up a friendship, it is easiest to completely cut that person off from your life and just start a new friendship. But now take a step back from all that madness. Think about all those good times you've spent playing and laughing while your friendship was growing. Can all that just be thrown away over one mistake? After all, your friends are hopefully all humans which means they have all make mistakes at one time or another. Depending on any individual and their current state of mind, the severity of that mistake may vary depending on many factors. Ask them about those factors! Find out the part you didn't know about the situation. I've recently been asking people, "What's life without a fight"? Make rebuilding friendships your fight. Just talk and embrace the power of forgiveness so that hopefully you can laugh with your friend once more.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review

2005-11-18T03:20:00.000-08:00

Not a particularily wild fan of Harry Potter myself (never read any of the books and only successfully watched the first Harry Potter film), I ended up going to watch the first showing with my girlfriend at the Irvine Spectrum. And because it was the first showing, people of all ages were yelling and cheering all throughout the movie. It did seem as if more humor was thrown into the movie, which based the movie less on magical enchantments. But don't fret, whenever magic was used, it was exceptional. Included is a whole new cast of characters does not seem to revolve around the original three main characters, rather it revolves around Harry Potter himself. Me myself not being a Harry Potter fanatic, I was unable to get into the movie, but it's easy to see that the crowd loved it!

Genre: Action/Adventure, Kids/Family and Science Fiction/Fantasy
Running Time: 2 hrs. 30 min.
Release Date: November 18th, 2005 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.

For more movie reviews, check out:

Chris Brown - Run It Lyrics

2005-11-17T22:36:00.000-08:00

Juelz Santana (Rap)
Okay
Check it, Check it, Check it out
It's Santana again
Steppin, Steppin, Steppin out
One of them Brand new big boy toys
I do big boy things
I make big boy noise cuz...
I know what girls want...
I know what they like
They wanna stay up , and party all night
so bring a friend

Chris Brown (Verse 1)
Let me talk to you
Tell you how it is
I was thinkin when I saw that body gotta get shawty
Tell her what the young boy gon do
Damn them chicks wit chu gotta be okay
Babe pretty thick wit the kick that's sick that need to be hit
So tell me what ya'll gon do

(Hook)
I got friends, and you got friends
They hop out, and you hop in
I look fly, and they jockin
The way you drop, drop makes me hot, hot

(Chorus)
Is ya man on the flo?
If he ain't...
Let me know
Let me see if you can run it, run it
girl indeed I can run it, run it(2x)

(Verse 2)
You'll see
Girl I can set you off
Don't believe my age is gonna slow us down
I can definitly show you things
that's gon have you sayin I can't be 16
Once I get in you won't wanna go
(and I...)
I'll have yo girls wishin they were you
(and I...)
I know your heard about me, but guess what's goin down if we leave

(Hook 2x)
I got friends, and you got friends
They hop out, and you hop in
I look fly, and they jockin
The way you drop, drop makes me wanna pop, pop

(Chorus 2x)
Is ya man on the flo?
If he ain't...
Let me know
Let me see if you can run it, run it
girl indeed I can run it, run it(2x)

(Breakdown)
Girl you feel right
(Feel right)
Make me feel like...
(feel like...)
I wanna do a little somethin
(do a little somethin)
Ain't no thing let you do it fo sho
Girl the way that your wearin them jeans is turnin me on
I'm the hottest thing thats in these streets so baby won't you rock me...

(Rap)
Make it drop honey...
Make it pop honey...
Whip, whop..
Tick, tock to da clock fo me
don't stop doin that
and shawty know I mean what I say so she won't stop doin dat
Plus I heard if you can dance you can bump
Well dance is up let's go, let's go(yup)
we can get it in...
we can gets some friends
do it like the ying yang twins
(Whisperin)
wait til' you see my....
wait til' you see my...
let me fall back
You ain't ready for all dat
have you sleep late
real late
yeah takin a long nap
you teel your friends...
to get wit my friends
we can be friends
switch and meet friends(switch)
we can do it all night long, and...
til' da clock hit mornin ya dig

(Chorus 2x)
Is ya man on the flo?
If he ain't...
Let me know
Let me see if you can run it, run it
girl indeed I can run it, run it(2x)

(Outro)
oooh, oooh, oooh, ooh

Music til' fade out...

Sewing A Button On By Hand

2005-11-17T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have so many people come into my shop saying something like

“I can’t even sew on a button”.

How sad it is that a whole generation has lost out on learning how to do just the basic skills of sewing.

Sewing buttons on to clothes doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact it will take you just a few minutes with my quick and easy technique.

Follow these steps and you will have your buttons on in no time at all.

1. Pull the thread from the reel and pull out to arms length

2. Now pull out another arms length of cotton. This means you now have a very long piece of cotton

3. Fold the cotton into two making sure that the ends are even

4. You now have a fold one end and two joins the other end

5. Thread the two joins into the eye of the needle. Lick the ends if necessary to moisten

6. You will now have four threads in the needle

7. Knot the end of the four threads. To make a knot I just roll the end of the cotton around my index finger and pull or roll the thread through the hole in the cotton. If you have threads past the knot, trim these off

8. Push the needle through the fabric going from the right side to the wrong side in the position that the button is going to be. This means when you sew the button on the knot will be underneath the button

10. Bring the needle back from the wrong side to the right side that the button will be on.

11. Put the button on to the needle and push the button down on to the fabric, covering the knot

12. Now put the needle through the opposite hole on the button and back through to the opposite side of the fabric

13. If you want to come back through one more time you can or you can knot off by putting the thread through itself and pulling the thread. Do this twice and cut the thread

Ok, so there you have it. A button has been sewn on to your garment and it will have taken you no time at all. Welllll. Maybe the first time took you a little longer than me, but hey, eventually you will become quicker at sewing on buttons.

Always keep your cottons, needles and pins in the same place. When you need to sew on a button quickly, its good to know where the items are, so you don’t waste a heap of time searching for the needle and thread.

By: Judith Turner

Virtual Case File (VCF)

2005-11-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

Description of the System:

The Virtual Case File (VCF) fiasco began in September 2000 when Congress approved $379.8 million over three years to develop a software project called Trilogy. Science Application International Corp (SAIC) based out of San Diego was awarded the Trilogy contract by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Trilogy project was broken down into three parts: The Information Presentation Component, the Transportation Network, and the User Applications Component.

The Information Presentation Component merely upgraded electronic hardware within the agency including upgrading to Dell Pentium PC’s, scanners, printers, and servers.

The Transportation Network would provide a secure local area and a wide area network that allows agents in offices or in the field to communicate securely with each other.

The biggest part of Trilogy was the User Applications Component, which later became known as the Virtual Case file. The Virtual Case File itself included the Automated Case Support System, IntelPlus, Criminal Law Enforcement Application, Integrated Intelligence Information Application, and Telephone Application.

The entire VCF system was intended to integrate data and eventually replace older investigation systems such as the Automated Case Support System. The Trilogy system would have allowed agents to obtain information on known offenders quicker while out in the field.

History:

In September 2000, the VCF project began with the goals of improving the flow of information between offices around the world and field agents. The project was to be finished and operational in 2003.

High turnover rate of agents was also a major problem. While SAIC was working on the project, there were four CIO changes along with fourteen manager changes. This made establishing a stable requirements document for VCF a challenge.

In September of 2001 when terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York, the FBI then made a major change. Focus of the Trilogy project was shifted to include terrorist profiles and activities. Because of this shift, the date for completion of VCF was delayed to 2004.

Today, the project has not been scraped, but the FBI is learning from their prior mistakes. Instead of having the entire system coded, commercially created software systems are being examined for use in the VCF.

Size of System:

The Virtual Case File cost the FBI and the United States government an estimated $170 million with over 200 full time employees. The project ran over budget by $120 million and was delayed for 21 months.

Causes of Failure:

A major cause of failure to the VCF project was the high turnover rate of IT managers. This made communication between IT managers working for the FBI and contracted software engineers difficult, for different IT managers have different perspectives and methods for implementation.

Another problem that branched off of high turnover rate of IT managers is the lack of an overall architecture of the VCF project. Had a detailed description of the system been made available, new IT managers may have been able to read what previous managers had opted for. This would have also helped ease communication problems between IT managers and software engineers.

A cause of failure that is very difficult for such large organizations to control is how employees adapt new processes. Though it is easier for new employees to use newer processes, more senior employees are more accustomed to using the older processes. Therefore, it was very difficult for employees of the FBI to actually use what portions of the VCF was available.

Lessons Learned:

Although the Virtual Case File is a complete failure, many lessons were learned. The most critical problem came not with the actual programming, but rather with communication between the FBI and the contractors. With so many changes in management, there were many misinterpretations between managers. The most important position that should have a zero turnover rate is the director taking charge of the entire project. The VCF should have always been striving towards the same goal from the start to the end, and this would have been easily regulated by a single director through the duration of the project. Overall, the main problem is that the FBI had an inexperienced IT group.

Another minor lesson learned with regards to system of such magnitude is to only deploy when the project is complete and has undergone through integration testing.

It was also made apparent in reports that the VCF was not allowed enough time to be fully tested. For that reason, due to the number of bugs present that were never addressed in the code, not only was the VCF scraped, but the code was rendered useless.

2005-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Wedding Crashers starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn is a must watch comedy. The duo make an exceptional pair with their witty remarks and the subtle treasures of laughter. With an exceptionally unique storyline, two males attempt to hook up with the ladies by crashing weddings. This movie is non-stop laughter that is for the 18 due to nudity in only the first five minutes of the movie. Other major appearances is Christopher Walken and a more minor role of by Will Farrell. And though I won't reveal their roles in the movie, you'll have to check out the movie with a bunch of your friends.

What Happened to Grokster.com

2005-11-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

During the month of November 2005, Grokster.com was official shut down by the United States Supreme court. Grokster was the home of a Peer-to-Peer program that was deemed illegal. Effective immediately, Grokster took down their emails. Here is a message of their final site:

The United States Supreme Court unanimously confirmed
that using this service to trade copyrighted material is illegal.
Copying copyrighted motion picture and music files
using unauthorized peer-to-peer services is illegal and is
prosecuted by copyright owners.

There are legal services for downloading music and movies.
This service is not one of them.

Grokster hopes to have a safe and legal service available soon.

The interesting part is that Grokster is the last part of the message. They are attempting to create a legal Peer-to-Peer program. The website is already up and located at Grokster3g.com. In my opinion, this will become another form of illegal download since there is no legal way to control P2P downloading applications.

However, this may be just a continuation of what is currently happening. One by one, major downloading sites are being shut down. The hundred dollar question for the future is if new P2P programs will sprout from where olds ones were buried. Will illegal downloading continue?

Spare-Dollars.com Review

2005-11-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

If you're into Paid to Read Email programs, this is an absolute hit. The webmaster has been persistently working on perfecting the functionality of Spare-Dollars.com. Currently, they offer no minimum payout. They don't charge any fees for requesting money. The catch is only one payout per month per member and you must be active one day per month. Just to test, I made about $1.11 cents after my first month and requested payout via PayPal. Sure enough, my PayPal account was credited for $1.11 cents.

Some things that Spare-Dollars.com does differently is they never send emails out to any third party email addresses. Instead, all email are kept directly on site. To check your email, you must log into the site. Their referral structure is small, being only one level at 14% with no downline requirements to be paid.

Spare-Dollars.com sends out on average eight emails a day, about 90% being .25 cent links and the last 10% being .50 cent links. I have yet to see a one or two cent paid email. They offer payout via PayPal, AlertPay, MoneyBookers, E-Gold, StormPay, and Gift Cards. All emails are individual, meaning they only contain one paid link.

As usual for most programs, you must be fluent in English and must about at least 13 years old to join.

Why Asparagus Makes Pee Smell

2005-11-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

Vegetables are difficult enough to eat on a daily basis. But asparagus can be worst for some people due to it's potent after-effects. Asparagus contains a sulfur-containing amino acid compound called mercaptan, which is also found in onions, garlic, and rotten eggs. When your digestive system breaks down asparagus, a uniquly horrendous smell released upon excretion. Luckily for some, not everyone has the particular enzyme capable of breaking down mercaptan.

Still, there are scientists who believe that asparagus pee is not caused by a lack of enzymes, but a different cause. Studies have been done where non-asparagus pee is recognized as asparagus pee by some. In other words, people believe that instead of genetic reasons, only some people are capable of smelling the asparagus pee.

Britney Spears - My Prerogative Lyrics

2005-11-05T09:03:00.000-08:00

People can take everything away from you
But they can never take away your truth
But the question is,
Can you handle mine?

They say I'm crazy
I really don't care
That's my prerogative
They say I'm nasty
But I don't give a damn
Getting boys is how I live

Some ask me questions
Why am I so real?
But they don't understand me
I really don't know the deal
About my sister
Trying hard to make it right
Not long ago before I won this fight

Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own descisions (oh)
That's my prerogative

That's my prerogative

(It's my prerogative)

Its the way that I wanna live
(It's my prerogative)

They can't tell me what to do...

Don't get me wrong
I'm really not souped
Ego trips is not my thing
All these strange relationships
It really gets me down
I see nothing wrong
Spreading myself around

Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own descisions (oh)
That's my prerogative

That's my prerogative

Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own descisions (oh)
That's my prerogative

That's my prerogative

Its the way that I wanna live

(It's my prerogative)

They can't tell me what to do,

Why can't I live my life?
Without all of the things that people say?

Ohh,

Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (tell me why)
I don't need permission
Make my own descisions (oh)
That's my prerogative

(They Say I'm crazy) Everybody's talkin' all this stuff about me
Why don't they just let me live? (tell me why)
(They say I'm nasty)I don't need permission
Make my own descisions (oh)
(ahhh)That's my prerogative

(That's my prerogative)

"Five Crowns" Review

2005-11-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Five Crown's Story:
"A beautiful replica of one of England's oldest country inns, Five Crowns is a place of candlelight and cozy fireplaces... where good cheer and warm hospitality invite you to leave your cares at the door. Since 195, our award winning food, exceptional service, and unique setting have made us one of Southern California's most sought-after locations for weddings and private parties. We take pride in making each of your visits to Five Crowns a special occasion."

Five Crowns, part of the Lawry's Restaurant family, is located in Corona del Mar right off of East Coast Highway. The environment inside Five Crowns is truly spectacular starting with the second you enter the restaurant. Waiters and waitresses clothed in English outfits present the menu by role-playing some of England’s finest servers. Five Crowns has the perfect atmosphere for any special occasion.

The specialty entrée at Five Crowns is a juicy and tender slice of prime rib bone in with creamed spinach Yorkshire pudding, and mashed potatoes. The slices vary from 10 ounce to 16 ounce cuts and vary in prices starting at $31 to $36. This may seem expensive, but this may honestly be one of the best cuts of beef you'll ever eat. Their mashed potatoes define mashed, leaving no chunks of potatoes behind. The creamed spinach is flavorful, but not overpowering. And though this restaurant is a bit on the pricy side, it would be a mistake not to dine at Five Crowns.

Address:
3801 East Coast Highway
Corona del Mar, CA 92625

Phone: (949) 760-0331

Website: Five Crowns

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends Lyrics

2005-11-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my fathers come to pass
seven years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

summer has come and passed
the innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

ring out the bells again
like we did when spring began
wake me up when september ends

here comes the rain again
falling from the stars
drenched in my pain again
becoming who we are

as my memory rests
but never forgets what I lost
wake me up when september ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
wake me up when september ends

like my father's come to pass
twenty years has gone so fast
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends
wake me up when september ends

Vista Del Campo at UCI Popularity

2005-11-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

Vista Del Campo, known to many University of California Irvine students simply as VDC, began accepting housing applications for the 2006-2007 school year a few nights ago (November 1, 2005). Because available housing is offered to new applicants on a first come first serve basis, there were literally hundreds of people lined outside the leasing office the night before on Halloween. Tents were pitches, couches were brought out, and sleeping bags were rolled out. Students sat in line on Halloween night to highten their opportunity of finding a spot at VDC. November 1st was clearly VDC's version of "Black Friday" for the retail industry.

The good news for college housing seekers is that most of those applicants had goals of living at the original VDC. Currently, Vista Del Campo Norte is being constructed and should be completed by Fall 2006. Although VDC Norte should be just as nice, the living space is less and it comes at a higher price. And though finding a spot at VDC Norte will be competetive, it will not be as competitive as the original VDC. At least not this year.

Young Jeezy - Soul Survivor Lyrics

2005-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Intro:
Convict
(Akon Singing with beat fills in background)
Akon and Young Jeezy
Tryin' to take it easy
Only way to go
And So...

Chorus (Akon):
If you lookin' for me I'll be on the block
With my thang cocked possibly sittin' on a drop (Now)
'Cuz I'm a rida (Yeah)
I'm just a Soul Survivor

'Cuz er'body know the game don't stop
Tryin' to make it to the top for your ass get popped (Now)
If you a rida (Yeah)
Or just a Soul Survivor

Verse1 (Young Jeezy):
(Let's get it) I can't sleep--we livin' in Hell (Yeah)
First they, give us the work then they throw us in jail (Ayy)
Won't trip ya--I'm trafficing in the white
Please Lord don't let me go to jail tonight (Yeah)
Who Me?? I'm a Soul Survivor
Ask about 'em in the street, the boy Jeez a rida (Jeez a rida)
A hundred grand on my wrist, yeah right (Ha Ha), Sups
Fuck the club, dawg, I rather count a million bucks (Ayy)

Chorus (Akon):
If you lookin' for me I'll be on the block
With my thang cocked possibly sittin' on a drop (Now)
'Cuz I'm a rida (Yeah)
I'm just a Soul Survivor

'Cuz er'body know the game don't stop
Tryin' to make it to the top for your ass get popped (Now)
If you a rida (Yeah)
Or just a Soul Survivor

Verse2 (Young Jeezy):
Another day, another dolla (dolla)-same block, same nigga, same part, same green
I guess we got the same dreams (Ayy)
Or is it the same nightmares (nightmares)
We let the Thugs do it for us--we don't cry tears (That's right)
Real niggaz don't budge
When Mail Man got his time he shot birds at the judge (Yeah)
I'm knee deep in the game
So when it's time to read up, I'm knee deep in the cane (Damn)
Real talk, Look, I'm tellin' you mayne (tellin' you mayne)
If you get jammed up don't mention my name
Forgive me Lord--I know I aint livin' right
Gotta feed the block, niggaz starvin', they got appitites (Ayy)
And this is er'day, it never gets old (Old)
Thought I was a juvenile stuck to the G-Code (Yeah)
This aint a rap song, nigga this is my life (this is my life)
And if the hood was a battlefield then I'd earn stripes (Yeah)

Chorus (Akon):
If you lookin' for me I'll be on the block
With my thang cocked possibly sittin' on a drop (Now)
'Cuz I'm a rida (Yeah)
I'm just a Soul Survivor

'Cuz er'body know the game don't stop
Tryin' to make it to the top for your ass get popped (Now)
If you a rida (Yeah)
Or just a Soul Survivor

Verse3 (Young Jeezy):
Gotta watch er' move 'cuz them eyes be on you (eyes be on you)
Gotta dry real cool when them pies be on you (pies be on you)
Just because we stack paper and we ball outrageous (ball outrageous)
Them alphabet boards gotta us under survalence (Ayy)
(Lock Downs) They lock us in cages
The same nigga that's a star when you put 'em on stages
I aint cheat--played the hand I was dealt
Tried to tax the grand pearl when I got it myself
(Let's Get It) No nuts, no glory (no glory)
My biography, you damn right, the true story (Yeah)
Set the city on fire, and I didn't even try (try)
Run these streets all day, I can sleep when I die (Ayy)

Bridge (Akon):
'Cuz if you lookin' for me you you can find me
On the block disobeyin' the law
Real G--therobred from the streets
Pants saggin' with my gun in my draws
Just to keep on movin' out
Just to keep on movin' out
Just to keep on movin' out
Just to keep on movin' out

Chorus (Akon) 2x:
If you lookin' for me I'll be on the block
With my thang cocked possibly sittin' on a drop (Now)
'Cuz I'm a rida (Yeah)
I'm just a Soul Survivor

'Cuz er'body know the game don't stop
Tryin' to make it to the top for your ass get popped (Now)
If you a rida (Yeah)
Or just a Soul Survivor

A Dual Monitor Software Program

2005-11-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

Whether you have two monitors for your desktop, or an external monitor connected to your laptop, the primitive dual monitor support software included with Microsoft Windows is useless. What you need is a third party software program to provide dual monitor features not included with Windows.

Ultramon is a great feature-loaded program. It has many features such as hotkeys for controlling virtually all features of the dual monitor. The most useful hotkey is one to turn on and off the secondary monitor. Different desktop features such as screensavers, backgrounds, and screen resolution can be separately assigned to each monitor.

The most useful feature is the “Smart Taskbar”. By default, windows will automatically display all open programs onto the taskbar on the primary monitor. Ultramon has the option of utilizing a Smart Taskbar that places one taskbar on both monitors. Each taskbar only contains programs located on that particular monitor. This may not seem like anything impressive, but it does make monitor organization effortless by eliminating the confusion of which monitor programs will open up in.

If you have never heard of Ultramon, visit http://www.realtimesoft.com/ultramon/ for more information. Additionally, a fully functional version of Ultramon can be downloaded and tested for free. If you like it, I encourage buying the program to support the programmers for possible future programs. If you've used Ultramon before, I'd like to hear your experience.

Traditional Chinese Funeral

2005-11-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

People from different background have different takes on funerals. Being a Chinese family with family from Taiwan, I assume the funeral was based around Buddhism. The night before the funeral, the immediate family could only eat vegetarian for dinner. Every light at the deceased home must remain on starting at the strike of midnight till the end of the funeral the next day (this means sleeping in bring lights). Leaving the lights on is an invitation for the spirit of the deceased. Additionally, the mirrors at the deceased home must remain covered until the body is buried. With mirrors covered, returning spirit won’t be scared away from the house.

The morning of the funeral, the immediate family dresses predominately in black, and nobody is allowed to "get ready". This means no brushing your teeth, no fixing your hair, no shaving, etc. This is an indication of mourning for the dead.

Later, there is a program at the funeral home where first the immediate family pays their final respects to the deceased before friends are given a chance for their last farewells. The immediate family also pays respect to visiting friends by bowing. There are monks at both the funeral home and the cemetery. Much of the program at the funeral home and cemetery may vary from funeral home to funeral home.

Kanye West - Gold Digger Lyrics

2005-10-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

[Jamie Foxx]
She take my money when I'm in need
Yea she's a trifflin friend indeed
Oh she's a gold digga way over town
That dig's on me

[Chorus:]
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
Get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
Get down girl gone head

[Verse 1:]
Cutie the bomb
Met her at a beauty salon
With a baby louis vuitton
Under her underarm
She said I can tell you ROC
I can tell by ya charm
Far as girls you got a flock
I can tell by ya charm and ya arm
but I'm lookin for the one
have you seen her
My psychic told me she have a ass like Serena
Trina, Jennifer Lopez, four kids
An I gotta take all they bad ass to show-biz
Ok get ya kids but then they got their friends
I Pulled up in the Benz, they all got up In
We all went to Den and then I had to pay
If you fuckin with this girl then you betta be payed
You know why
It take too much to touch her
From what I heard she got a baby by Busta
My best friend say she use to fuck wit Usher
I dont care what none of yall say I still love her

[Chorus:]
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
but she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head

[Verse 2:]
18 years, 18 years
She got one of yo kids got you for 18 years
I know somebody payin child support for one of his kids
His baby momma's car and crib is bigger than his
You will see him on TV Any Given Sunday
Win the Superbowl and drive off in a Hyundai
She was spose to buy ya shorty TYCO with ya money
She went to the doctor got lypo with ya money
She walkin around lookin like Michael with ya money
Should of got that insured got GEICO for ya moneeey
If you aint no punk holla We Want Prenup
WE WANT PRENUP!, Yeaah
It's something that you need to have
Cause when she leave yo ass she gone leave with half
18 years, 18 years
And on her 18th birthday he found out it wasn't his

[Chorus:]
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in Need)
But she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
(She takes my money)
Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger (When I'm in need)
but she ain't messin' wit no broke niggaz
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head get down (I gotta leave)
get down girl gone head

[Verse 3:]
Now I aint sayin you a gold digger you got needs
You dont want ya dude to smoke but he can't buy weed
You got out to eat and he cant pay yall cant leave
There's dishes in the back, he gotta roll up his sleeves
But why yall washin watch him
He gone make it into a Benz out of that Datson
He got that ambition baby look in his eyes
This week he moppin floorz next week it's the fries
So, stick by his side
I know his dude's ballin but yea thats nice
And they gone keep callin and tryin
But you stay right girl
But when you get on he leave yo a** for a white girl

Get down girl gone head get down
Get down girl gone head get down
get down girl gone head get down
get down girl gone head
(lemme hear dat bak)

Importance of a Personal Domain Name

2005-10-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of weeks ago, UCI held their quarterly career fair around ring road. I went totally unprepared, not sure what to expect. Fortunately for me, I was able to learn many things about job searching during that day. The biggest thing that stood out to me was what an employer mentioned about personal domain names. Simply put, every resume has several bits of information regarding contact information. It's an unspoken necessity to include your name, phone number, permanent address, and email.

The next important contact information that will become commonplace is a personal domain linking to your own personal website. This will give the employer a chance to get a first hand glance at what you're made of. Your interests, hobbies, past experiences are a valuable asset for employers, especially in technology oriented jobs.

Several online sites selling a domain name of your choice include GoDaddy, Yahoo, Doteasy, and many more. Just scour the web for more locations.

Tihomir Petrov for Math 6C at UCI

2005-10-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

In the beginning, Tihomir Petrov appears to be a professor who not only cares about teaching, but is good at it. He set out strict guidelines encouraging without forcing students to attend class. His handwriting is easily legible. Although he has a minor accent, it's wasn't a problem at all. He speaks slowly and always addresses questions immediately when they come up. Petrov definitely knows his Linear Algebra (Math 6C) and is capable of teaching it. Beware that since he can teach, he can also write mean difficult exams.

However, as the class progressed, the true nature of his self being came out. When midterm reviews came out, he seemed to enjoy picking at the self esteem of his students, by embarrassing his students up in the front of class. Overall, he is a great teacher so long as you can handle is obviously firm grasp of authority of his class. Personally, if I were to retake this class, I would try a different professor.

Movie Reviews Online

2005-10-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

With the recent ticket price of watching a movie on the big screens, many movie-goers want some form of insurance that the movie they hope to watch is one worth the money. A great free online resource that has movie reviews is RottenTomatoes.com. Every movie released is given a rating by RottenTomatoes based on both positive and negative reviews from major movie critics. The site itself does not write movie reviews. Based on both the rating and reviews, you yourself can decide to watch the movie at the theatres, or possibly wait and rent it later.

But if you're not a fan of the critic reviews, the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com) is a site that not only give a synopsis of almost every movie made, but also allows fellow movie watchers to voice their opinion. Read the reviews of your average moviegoer for almost any movie. And if there isn't a review yet, why not be the first to post one!

The internet is full of great free resources, and if there are any other awesome sites, feel free to drop a line to let us all know!

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together Lyrics

2005-10-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

(Ooh, ooh, sweet love, yeah)

I didn't mean it
When I said I didn't love you, so
I should have held on tight
I never shoulda let you go
I didn't know nothing
I was stupid, I was foolish
I was lying to myself
I could not fathom that I would ever
Be without your love
Never imagined I'd be
Sitting here beside myself
Cause I didn't know you
Cause I didn't know me
But I thought I knew everything
I never felt

The feeling that I'm feeling
Now that I don't hear your voice
Or have your touch and kiss your lips
Cause I don't have a choice
Oh, what I wouldn't give
To have you lying by my side
Right here, cause baby
(We belong together)

[chorus]
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Who else am I gon' lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh, baby baby, we belong together

I can't sleep at night
When you are on my mind
Bobby Womack's on the radio
Saying to me
"If you think you're lonely now"
Wait a minute
This is too deep (too deep)
I gotta change the station
So I turn the dial
Trying to catch a break
And then I hear Babyface
"I only think of you"
And it's breaking my heart
I'm trying to keep it together
But I'm falling apart

I'm feeling all out of my element
I'm throwing things, crying
Trying to figure out
Where the hell I went wrong
The pain reflected in this song
It ain't even half of what
I'm feeling inside
I need you
Need you back in my life, baby

[chorus]
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Who else am I gon' lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me on the phone
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh, baby baby, we belong together, baby

[chorus]
When you left I lost a part of me
It's still so hard to believe
Come back baby, please
Cause we belong together

Who am I gonna lean on
When times get rough
Who's gonna talk to me
Till the sun comes up
Who's gonna take your place
There ain't nobody better
Oh baby, baby
We belong together

Five Important Lessons

2005-10-24T00:11:00.000-07:00

1- First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain.

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.

Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..

It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, was one quarter, two dimes and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.

He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Review

2005-10-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

Check out Wallace & Gromit tonight on the big screens. But before I begin this review, let me give you my Wallace & Gromit background. I have never nor heard of Wallace & Gromit until a friend suggested I check it out. I had no idea it was a clay-mation until the first scene rolled around. And that sums up my history of Wallace & Gromit.

The movie was fun and refreshing. Through whitty remarks and a sly play on words, Wallace & Gromit had me and the entire theatre laughing out loud. And though the movie is very predictable for the older generation, this is a sure hit for children. The movie runs for 94 minutes, but there were many parts that felt as if the movie just dragged on and on without end. Overall, I really enjoyed Wallace & Gromit and recommend it to all, especially youngsters and Wallace & Gromit fans!

Official Site: WallaceAndGromit.com
Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy and Animation
Running Time: 94 min.
Release Date: October 5th, 2005 (NY/LA)
MPAA Rating: G
Distributor: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Resolving Conflicts Respectfully

2005-10-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

Conflict is an unavoidable frustration that affects people around the world. And because human personalities are different, everyone handle conflict in slightly differing way that may or may not exacerbate the conflict. Surprisingly, we are even judged by others on how well we as individuals handle conflict. There is the passive conflict resolution method that calls for no confrontation; to silently wait it out and hope for the conflict to disappear. Then there is the confrontational style of conflict resolution where one gets straight to the point. Which approach to conflict resolution do you follow?

I strongly believe that conflict resolution should not be passive. If there is a conflict, it should immediately be addressed to avoid further misunderstandings. Actively pursuing peace through respectful confrontation is essential. Trying to solve conflict through screaming and yelling accomplishes nothing. Another reason why conflicts are difficult to solve is our egos. We all have big egos that believe they are perfect all the time. But solving conflicts should not be about personal comfort; rather it should be about doing the right thing. Listen to what conflicting parties have to say, and reach peaceful agreements. Don't interrupt each other. Let both parties voice their side of the story. If necessary, find a third party mediator. But do what you have to do to reach an agreement, and do it peacefully.

To wrap things up, remember that respectful confrontation, with egos set aside, is central to solving conflicts.

Simple Plan - Addicted Lyrics

2005-10-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

I heard you're doin' okay
But I want you to know
I'm addic-
I'm addicted to you

I can't pretend I don't care
When you don't think about me
Do you think I deserve this?
I try to make you happy
But you left anyway

I'm tryin' to forget
But I'm addicted to you
But I wanted
And I needed
I'm addicted to you
Now it's over
Can't forget what you said
And I never
Want to do this again
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker

Since the day I met you
And after all we've been through
Still addic-
I'm addicted to you
I think you know that it's true

I'd run a thousand miles to get to you
Do you think I deserve this
I tried to make you happy
I did all that I could
Just to treat you good in every way

I'm tryin' to forget
But I'm addicted to you
But I wanted
And I needed
I'm addicted to you
Now it's over
Can't forget what you said
And I never
Want to do this again
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker

How long will I be waiting
Till the end of time
I don't know why I'm still waiting
I can't make you mine

I'm trying to forget
But I'm addicted to you
But I wanted
And I needed
I'm addicted to you

I'm trying to forget
But I'm addicted to you
But I wanted
And I needed
I'm addicted to you
Now it's over
Can't forget what you said
And I never
Want to do this again
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker

I'm addicted to you
Heartbreaker
I'm addicted to you
Heartbreaker
I'm addicted to you
Heartbreaker
I'm addicted to you
Heartbreaker

Advice on Waking Up in the Morning

2005-10-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ever since the start of college career, waking up in the morning has become a major challenge. In High School, six hours of sleep was more than sufficient. Now only a few years later, the minimum six hours has been raised to seven or eight hours. Though this may not seem like much of a difference, it makes a difference with busy schedules. If you're habitually late because of difficulties waking up, there are a few techniques that can help.

By far the most effective method of waking up is leaving the blinds open a bit to allow light into the room in the morning. If possible, position the blinds so that the light will shine around your face only during your desired wake up call. Once that bright warm sun begins shining on my face, it’s nearly impossible to sleep.

Another method is to position the alarm clock as far away from the bed as possible. Preferably somewhere that would force me to get out of bed. This only increases my odds of getting up and not returning back to sleep. Instead of merely swinging my arm, I have to force my body out of bed, walk over, and then swing the arm.

The last method I use is to keep my glasses close to me. Once that first alarm goes off, I put on my glasses even if I plan on falling back asleep. This way, the next time my alarm clock rings, instead of waking to a dreamlike blurry state, I'll be able to see clearly.

There are just some of the methods that I have used in the past that have significantly helped me wake up. Some may help you, some may not. But it by no means hurts to give them a try.

Poem: Do You Feel There Is No Hope

2005-10-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

In your times of deep despair,
Do you feel there is no hope?
As the darkness closes in on you,
Do you feel you cannot cope?

As you struggle on through every trial,
Do you say "When will it end"?
As you cry yourself to sleep at night,
Do you wish you had a friend?

When your body's racked with aches and pains,
Do you feel you are alone?
When you think about the future,
Do you fear the great unknown?

There is someone who really cares,
And He hears your every cry.
His arms are reaching out to you,
And on Him you can rely.

When things close in around you,
He sees your fear and doubt -
He wants to hold you in His arms,
And He will never cast you out.

As you stumble through the darkness,
He will be your guiding light.
He wants to wipe away your tears,
For you are precious in His sight.

Reach out right now to Jesus,
And let Him take complete control -
He'll take that heavy burden,
And He'll touch and make you whole.

He's reaching out His arms to you,
And He wants to be your friend.
Let Him take you in His loving arms,
For His love will never end.

[Author] Unknown
[Source] Unknown

Celebrate Columbus Day!

2005-10-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

For teenagers, Columbus Day is nothing more than a day off from school. Despite not being in school, American teenagers are not learning reasons behind celebrating this day. Mainly, this day is to honor Christopher Columbus's first voyage in 1492 when he and his crew discovered America.

In 1905, Colorado was the first state to celebrate Columbus Day. It wasn't until 1937 when President Franklin Roosevelt declared October 12 as the official day to celebrate Columbus Day. Nearly 60 years later, President Johnson declared starting in 1968 that every second Monday in October would be the new official day to celebrate Columbus.

Even though holidays are immediately seen as a day of celebration, there were many people who were also hurt by Columbus that must not be forgotten. The native inhabitants were ruthlessly pushed out by America’s push west from “Sea to Shining Sea.” Therefore, it is without surprise that many view Columbus Day as a celebration of conquest and genocide. To them, the second Monday in October is known as "Indigenous Peoples Day."

Eating Turkey Induces Sleepiness

2005-10-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

People everywhere strongly believe that eating turkey is the cause of sleepiness. This is because there is a specific amino acid present in higher than normal doses called L-tryptophan (pronounced el-trip-teh-fan). Amino acids are a chemical that the body cannot produce and are the building blocks that make up muscles and other essential body parts. When turkey is ingested, L-tryptophan from the turkey travels from the bloodstream to the digestive system, and eventually to the brain. The brain then transforms the L-tryptophan to serotonin, which is a well known natural sedative that calms us down and help us sleep.

However, there are more factors to turkey causing sleepiness. Because L-tryptophan can only make you sleepy on an empty stomach, without the existence of other amino acids in your stomach, it is impossible that turkey itself is the main cause of sleepiness. Most often, turkey is eatten on Thanksgiving along with many other high carbohydrate foods that also promotes sleepiness.

The bottom line is that turkey itself does not make you sleepy!

Doing the Right Thing

2005-10-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

Living in an apartment with five other male roommates can spell disaster for the kitchen. It only takes one person not to do their share of the dishes for everyone to give up hope. And once that happens, it’s only a matter of a few hours before the sink becomes a mountain of dishes, the trash overflows, and the counter gets sticky with leftover tidbits of food. Should I be the responsible adult and clean up the mess and attempt to keep the kitchen orderly? Or should I suffer the painful kitchen image each and every morning?

For a quarter, I woke up in the morning to do all the dishes left behind. To me, this was a great way for me to serve my roommates. It was not only a great way, but it was the Perfect way... that good feeling inside encouraged me to continue doing dishes for the rest of the quarter. Unfortunately, by the end of the quarter, I became fed up as it seemed more and more dishes were piling up. It was as if my roommates were taking advantage of the situation (though I'm sure that wasn't the case).

Today, after many roommate meetings on keeping the kitchen clean, things are pretty good, except for the occasional dirty dish left by the same person. The thing that surprised me most was when we had company over. The moment we finished the meal, I saw him behind the sink washing all the dishes! I was surprised! Even though he was doing these dishes for show, it still made me feel good that he was finally doing his dishes. This has now encouraged me to once again do random dishes left behind. That perhaps there is still hope in keeping not only the kitchen, but the entire apartment clean.

Windows XP: Clean Prefetch to Improve Boot Up Speeds

2005-10-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

One way to dramatically improve computer performance is to clear the system Prefetch folder. The Prefetch folder automatically loads all your previously opened application's data on Windows XP boot up. By periodically cleaning out this folder every three months, you will notice improved boot up speeds.

This folder is located by default at "C:\WINDOWS\Prefetch" and should contain many *.pf files. Simply delete every file in this folder (but not the folder itself). The next time Windows XP loads, only executable programs from that point on will be added to the Prefetch folder.

Simple Plan - Welcome to My Life Lyrics

2005-09-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don’t belong
And no one understands you

Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming

No you don’t know what it’s like
When nothing feels alright
You don’t know what it’s like to be like me

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked
When you’re down
To feel like you’ve been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one’s there to save you
No you don’t know what it’s like

Welcome to my life

Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With the big fake smiles and stupid lies
While deep inside you’re bleeding

No you don’t know what it’s like
When nothing feels alright
You don’t know what it’s like to be like me

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked
When you’re down
To feel like you’ve been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one’s there to save you
No you don’t know what it’s like

Welcome to my life

No one ever lied straight to your face
And no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I’m happy
But I’m not gonna be okay!

Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there
You don’t know what it’s like
What it’s like!

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked
When you’re down
To feel like you’ve been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one’s there to save you
No you don’t know what it’s like (what it's like)

To be hurt
To feel lost
To be left out in the dark
To be kicked
When you’re down
To feel like you’ve been pushed around
To be on the edge of breaking down
And no one’s there to save you
No you don’t know what it’s like

Welcome to my life

Welcome to my life

Welcome to my life

dc Talk - Let's Roll Lyrics

2005-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Blue, white and red / Red, white and blue
We stand together / As we carry you
Blue, white and red / Red, white and blue
We'll hold you high / One Nation true

Blue, white and red / Red, white and blue / With Liberty for all
Blue, white and red / Red, white and blue / We're indivisible

We stand Together (mercy, love, hope and truth)
Brother with brother (side by side, hand in hand)
Please grant us strength (dear God do grant us strength)
We'll shout your name (united as one)

Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world what's right
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light
Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world the light
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light

Now's the time / The time is now
To lift our soul / To remember how
We came to be / In God we trust
From sea to shining sea

Now's the time / The time is now
To revive the spirit / And the love
To revive the faith / We find in Him
In God we trust

We stand Together (mercy, love, hope and truth)
Brother with brother (side by side, hand in hand)
Please grant us strength (dear God do grant us strength)
We'll shout your name (united as one)

Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world what's right
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light
Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world the light
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light

Our Father, who art in heaven
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world what's right
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light
Let's roll, let's fight, let's show the world the light
Let's roll, let's fight, His Spirit is our light

Apple Computer's iPod nano replacement

2005-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Since the original iPod was released, consumers have always complained about faulty batteries that become significantly weaker right after the end of the warranty. Even then, Apple Computer Inc. refused to admit error and fix these products until massive internet campaigns via forums and films shorts caused a sizeable chatter among all MP3 player forums bagging on Apple. Only then was Apple willing to offer incentives to those with malfunctioning batteries.

With their second round of MP3 players, Apple now understands exactly what customer satisfaction is all about. In about two weeks since the release of the iPod nano, Apple has already issued a recall of iPod nano’s with cracked screens. It is understood that this issue concerns only about 1/10 of 1% of their entire inventory. It’s good to know that Apple has learned from their previous mistake, and are now taking good care of their loyal overpaying customers.

Lifehouse - You and Me Lyrics

2005-09-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

What day is it? And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause there's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words
You've got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause there's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

There's something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause there's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you
and me and all of the people with nothing to do
nothing to prove
and it's you and me and all of the people
and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it?
And in what month?
This clock never seemed so alive

Apple Nutrition Facts

2005-09-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

Calories: 81
Carbohydrates: 4
Dietary Fiber 5 grams
Calcium: 0%
Phosphorus: 10 mg
Iron: 0.25 mg
Sodium: 0 mg
Vitamin C: 8%
Vitamin A: 2%
Sugar: 16 grams

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Apples are the second most popular fruit, the first being oranges. Pectin, a soluble fiber that prevents cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls is healthy for the body. There are also insoluble fibers that help cleanse and move food through the digestive system. It is much healthier for one to eat an apple with the skin, for 50% of the apple's vitamin C is located directly under the skin. An apple is 25% volume air, which is explains why an apple floats.

During Colonial times, apples were called "winter bananas". Archeologists have traced apples back to 6500 BC. A fact many are unaware of is that apples are part of the rose family, but unlike roses, these apples are available year round. In the United States, half of apple production comes from Washington State.

Eminem - Mockingbird Lyrics

2005-09-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah
I know sometimes things might not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me.

Hailie, I know you miss your mom
And I know u miss your dad but I’m gone
But I’m trying to give u the life that I never had
I can see your sad
Even when you smile
Even when you laugh
I can see it in your eyes
Deep inside, you wanna cry
Cuz your scared
I ain’t there?
Daddy’s with you in your prayers
No more crying
Wipe them tears
Daddy’s here
No more nightmares
We gonna pull together through it
We gonna do it
Lainie, uncle’s crazy ain’t he?
Yeah but he loves you girl and you better know it
We’re all we got in this world
When it spins
When it swirls
When it whirls
When it twirls
Two little beautiful girls
Looking puzzled in a daze
I know it’s confusing you
Daddy’s always on the move
Mama’s always on the news
I try to keep you sheltered from it
But somehow it seems, the harder that I try to do that
the more it backfires on me
All the things, growing up
As daddy that he had to see
Daddy don’t want you to see
But you see just as much as he did
We did not plan it to be this way
your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don’t see us ever being
Together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course
Everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be
But it’s just something
We have no control over
And that’s what destiny is
But no more worries
Rest your head and go to sleep
Maybe one day we’ll wake up
And this will all just be a dream

Now hush little baby don’t you cry
Everythings gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up little lady
I told ya, daddy’s here to hold ya
Through the night
I know mommy’s not here right now and we don’t know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise, Mama’s gonna be alright

It’s funny
I remember back one year when daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
and stuck them under the tree
and said some of them were from me
Cuz daddy couldn’t buy ‘em
I’ll never forget that Christmas
I sat up the whole night cryin’
cuz daddy felt like a bum
See daddy had a job
But his job was to keep the food on the table for you and mom
And at the time every house that we lived in
Either kept getting broken into and robbed or shot up on the block
And your mom, was saving money
For you in a jar trying to start a piggy bank for you
So you could go to college
Almost had a thousand dollars
Till someone broke in and stole it
And I know it hurt so bad it broke your mama’s heart
And it seemed like everything was just starting to fall apart
Mom and dad was arguing a lot
So mama moved back on the Chalmers and the flat
One bedroom apartment
And dad moved back to the other side of 8 mile on Novara
And that’s when daddy went to California with his CD
And met Dr. Dre and flew you and Mama out to see me
But daddy had to work
you and mama had to leave me
Then you started seeing daddy on the TV
And mama didn’t like it
And you and Lainie were to young to understand it
Papa was a rolling stone
mama developed a habit
and it all happened to fast for either one of us to grab it
I’m just sorry you were there and had to witness it firsthand
Cuz all I ever wanted to do was just make you proud
Now I’m sittin’ in this empty house, just reminiscin’
Looking at your baby pictures it just trips me out
to see how much you both have grown
It’s almost like your sisters now
Wow, I guess you pretty much are
And daddy’s still here
Lainie I’m talking to you to
Daddy’s still here
I like the sound of that, yeah
It’s got a ring to it, don’t it?
Shhh, mama’s only gone for the moment

Now hush little baby don’t you cry
Everythings gonna be alright
Stiffen that upper lip up little lady
I told ya, daddy’s here to hold ya
Through the night
I know mommy’s not here right now and we don’t know why
We feel how we feel inside
It may seem a little crazy, pretty baby
But I promise, Mama’s gonna be alright

And if you ask me too,
Daddy’s gonna buy you a mocking bird
I’ma give you the world
I’ma buy a diamond ring for you
I’ma sing for you, I’ll do anything for you to see you smile
And if that mockingbird don’t sing and that ring don’t shine
I’ma break that birdy’s neck
I’ll go back to the Jeweler who sold it to ya
And make him eat every carat
Don’t fuck wit dad.
haha

Windows XP: Lock Your Computer

2005-09-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

This article describes how to manually lock Windows XP for both Home and Professional versions. By far the easiest way to lock Windows XP is to hold the [Windows Logo key] and [L]. That will immediately bring up the Unlock Windows Password screen. Another method is to create a simple shortcut. To create a shortcut, right click on an empty part of the desktop hover your mouse over New and select Shortcut. Enter "rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation" and select finish. Those are the easiest two ways.

Childhood of Mariah Carey

2005-09-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1970 in Huntington, New York. She is the third and youngest child of Patricia Hickey and Alfred Roy Carey. Mariah Carey was named after the song, "And They Call the Wind Maria" from the musical Paint Your Wagon. Morgan, her older brother by nine years and Alison, her older sister by ten years, were her only siblings. Because the Carey household was a multiracial family, they were met with racial slurs and violence from their neighborhood. Patricia and Alfred eventually divorced. Mariah and Morgan went to live with Patricia while Alison moved with Alfred. Mariah Carey had very little contact with her father.

Mariah Carey started singing when she was three. Her first public performance when she was six. By middle school, she was writing her own music. She attended and graduated from Oldfield Middle School and Harborfields High School. In 1988, she was the backup singer for Brenda K. Starr who helpped Carey create a demo tape. Starr was responsible for inviting Carey to a party where executive Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records heard and was impressed by Carey's demo tape. It would be at Columbia Records where Mariah Carey's career would begin to take off.

DHT - Listen to Your Heart Lyrics

2005-09-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

I know there's something in the wake of your smile
I get a notion from the look in your eyes, yeah
You've built a love but that love falls apart
Your little piece of heaven turns too dark

Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye

Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile
The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yeah
They're swept away and nothing is what it seems
The feeling of belonging to your dreams

Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye

And there are voices
That want to be heard
So much to mention
But you can't find the words
The scent of magic
The beauty that's been
When love was wilder than the wind

Listen to your heart
When he's calling for you
Listen to your heart
There's nothing else you can do
I don't know where you're going
And I don't know why
But listen to your heart
Before you tell him goodbye

Listen to your heart
Mmmmmmmm

I don't know where you’re going
And I don't know why
Listen to you heart
Before you tell him goodbye

Free Internet Browser Games

2005-09-10T09:40:00.000-07:00

A great place to play free browser games online is at Neopets. Although registration is required, it is completely free of charge (your email address will not be spammed). Once registered, you are free to play any of their games. Though most of their games are designed with kids in mind, the games are still entertaining for adults of all ages.

Neopet games are separated into three categories: Luck/Chance, Puzzles, and Action. From their, games as described by their category title are listed. With well over 100 games, everyone is sure to find a multitude of interesting games. Action is my personal favorite category, how about you?

If you want, deck out your account with your personal NeoPet, which you feed, educate, and even play with. Neopets is actually the most popular virtual pet site with over 70 million pet owners around the world. To care for your pet, play games to win Neopoints which can be used to buy items your pet. Taking this finally step can become an addiction. But sign up at Neopets, check out their array of games, and find out for yourself.

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams Lyrics

2005-09-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
and I'm the only one and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

ah-ah,ah-ah,ah-ah,aah-ah
ah-ah,ah-ah,ah-ah

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line
Of the edge and where I walk alone

Read between the lines
What's fucked up and everything's alright
Check my vital signs
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk alone

I walk alone
I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone

ah-ah,ah-ah,ah-ah,aah-ah
ah-ah,ah-ah

I walk alone
I walk a...

I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk a...

My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone...

Character = Integrity

2005-09-09T12:59:00.000-07:00

Without character, the puzzle of achieving success falls apart. It is most important of all pieces to life’s puzzle. Without character, you can make money. But it will be worthless to you and to those around you. Look out in the world today: drug dealers and con artists have money—but they lack character.

If you go to all the work of achieving success, you don’t want to mar it with a lack of character that will make people pity you as you age and become less than you were intended to be.

Character equals integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing all the time, even when no one else is watching. You don’t have anything to fear when your integrity is in tact, because you have nothing to hide. You experience no guilt and no fear. And without those two traveling companions, it’s much easier to climb higher and farther, faster!

What does this mean in a practical sense? It means that you will put the right philosophy (the golden rule) in to practice in all that you do. You will not step on someone else to climb the corporate ladder; you will not stack bodies in order to reach the CEO position that you desire. You will treat people with respect, honesty, and trust. You will behave towards others how you want (and expect) them to behave towards you.

You will be the model of “doing the right thing” in your office, even if it isn’t appreciated or understood. Chances are very good that if you’re the only one doing the right thing, you won’t last where you are, but you will find something better where your integrity is appreciated and applauded.

Character realizes that the most important things in life are not office - or work-based. They are family and a sense of responsibility to that family. Character will not sacrifice your family on the altar of “I’ve got to finish this project,” nor will it tell you children, “Maybe next time, hon,” when asked to play catch.

Your character will shine through as you put your family before your work, as you purposefully schedule time with them (and then keep those appointments you put in your planner), as you “date” your spouse and remember why it is you got married in the first place, and as you set an example that your spouse and children can be proud of.

The most important thing to remember as you consider character is that your children will grow up to be just like you. John Maxwell once said, “We teach what we know; we reproduce who we are.” So as a person who is full of integrity and character, you will reproduce those same traits in your children as you climb towards success in your life. And isn’t that really what it’s all about, anyhow?

By Joel Suarez

Development of Electricity Generating Backpack

2005-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Currently, the only available type of electricity generating backpacks is backpacks with solar panels attached. Though it does produce a constant flow of current with the help of the sun, nothing is produced in darkness. At the request of the Office of Naval Research, Lawrence C. Rome of the University of Pennsylvania has developed the "suspended load backpack" that produces power based on the up and down movement of the hip while walking. Connected to the frame of the shoulder straps are springs that cause the pack to bounce up and down. This up and down friction produces energy which can then be immediately used or stored for later usage. The heavier the pack, the more energy is produced with every step. Unfortunately, the current frame without the pack weighs in at around 10 pounds, but development is underway to reduce the weight to a target 2 pounds.

The pack was developed in response to the war in Afghanistan. The US Military is seeking ways for service members to carry fewer batteries for power thirsty electronics. Though the backpack does not generate a lot of energy, it does output 7 watts of energy. That is enough to power night vision goggles or a GPS system. For civilian use, 7 watts is enough to power a MP3 player, PDA, or even recharge of GSM cell phone. Since the development, Lightning Packs LLC has been formed to improve on not only the weight of the frame, but also an ergonomic pack. Both inventions are currently seeking patents.

A New Instant Messenger called Google Talk

2005-09-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Google is rolling out with a free instant messenging client for anybody with a Google account and password. Because Google Talk is still in Beta, features are limited to merely chatting and voice chatting. So long as your buddy also has Google Talk installed, he or she will be able to talk verbally to you for free. Like usual, the interface for Google Talk is very simple with the window resembling Apple's silver theme. From the main window, you can go directly to your inbox via your primary browser. Voice chatting was relatively clear.

Google Talk will definetely compete directly with Skype, which is currently the dominating voice chatting client. Will monstrous Google company overpower Skype? Everything is still up in the air. Check out Google Talk and Skype!