a little light that shine

save me...

2007-12-03T00:10:00.001-06:00

we had a little emergency in the kitchen. flour bugs emergency that required a throwing away all flour/dry snacks/any dry cooking material to the nearby condo dumpster where my parents live and i used to live.

to my surprise while i was out throwing all the stuff, guess what i found. the least likely place to get me a new pet. a parakeet. still alive in her cage under a cardboard box. inside the dumpster and it's 25 degrees Fahrenheit outside without the wind chill. i heard wings flapping inside the box and as i moved it, the sound became more apparent and after moving the box away, a birdcage half way covered with towel was what i saw with a bird inside it.

i dont even know what to say. i've heard worse news than an abandon parakeet in a dumpster. i've heard babies abandoned in a dumpster. so, im not gonna be a peta spokesman on how cruel we human can be.

well, i hesitated at first. should i take her home? or just leave her there. i saw the main window was opened, but i guess the bird was just too cold or afraid or confused or whatever to even attempt to go outside the cage.

i just don't have the heart to leave her there, knowing that she would eventually be trapped inside her cage and died slowly of the coldness or got crushed by the dumpster truck the next morning. so, i took her home. don't know what to do with her yet. but, i think ophelia will be just fine from now on. yes, i named her ophelia which means 'help'. well, i think shes a female, by the beige to brownish color of her beak.

my gf doesn't know about her yet. we'll see whats her reactions gonna be.

the coolest thing about this was when i was driving home with her in my warm van, i started whistling and she answered right away, as if to say 'thank you for saving me..'
maybe its just my imagination.

7lbs in 7 days...

2007-11-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

yes thats my new diet motto or prgram or wahtever. pretty good huh? except thats how much i gain instead of lose. this could be a new documentary (just like supersize me), the get in my belly program. youll get a round belly sooner than you think.

but seriously, i dont think its really that bad. well of course the shirt helps camouflage the true color i mean shape. then again, for as long as i can remember i have never had a slim abs. id like to say its genetic. i have a more mesomorphic to endomorphic body type or in english is simply fat.

according to william sheldon's somatotype theory, there are 3 types of body:

ectomorphic, the typical body of a basketball player. slim, long limbs, and restore very little fat.
mesomorphic, heavyweight boxers come to my mind with this body type. more stocky, muscular, and better body proportion.
third and certainly not least is endomorphic, just one word sumowrestler. ok its two, but they can absolutely fit double size.

so to prove my assumption that i cant never have a six pack killer abs because of my heavy body type, i have a long lost picture that my cousin gave to my girlfriend so the world can see how beautiful that zebra's ass is.

oh, btw check out the belly. not much different there after over 2 decades. and i dont drink either.

im on a binge...

2007-10-31T00:47:00.000-05:00

its called martabak manis. sweet thick crepes/pancakes like snack. its a bundle of artery clogging sweetness wrapped in an advanced level of cholesterol-producing dough. mon chere.. you are not living your life right if you havent tested one of these baby... devil's food got nothing on it.

as you can see, im working on my second batch right now. i emptied the first one in a couple of days. and as if right now, only 2 pieces left on the second batch. i think the whole thing won't last longer than this weekend. yes.. get in ma' belly!!! all 14 lbs. of them. and dont be surprise if my next blog will be 2 months from now about my multiple bypass heart surgery :)

thanks to my wonderful and equally sweet gf (and her parents) who made all this possible thru her generosity and efforts. ur the best.

mejor, rapido, barato

2007-10-26T12:06:00.000-05:00

i finally had the chance to fix my old-raggedy minivan. so, what was worng with it? actually the i first noticed the problem some few months back when every time i started to drive slow I can hear a sound metal clinking from the back of van. I thought it was just some metal that got dragged under the it. but i couldn't seem to find any metal or loose parts that could possibly make that noise.

until just a week ago i heard to noise getting louder. and finally i decided to take the hubcaps out and voila i found out my source of annoying sound. 3 broken screws/studs inside the hubcaps hence clanking noise against metal rim.

so all this time i was just driving with only 2 screws attached to the studs. i reckon that God must have heard all my prayers all along. i cant imagine if this puppy stray away while i was driving.

well, its alright now. see the 3 clean studs?

but, i wont take all the credit. i got a lot of help from my old mexican friend daniel. the hardest part was to take the drum out of the whole brake structure. well, its easy actually if you know that there is a little poking hole behind the it that you can poke around with a screw driver to release the hand brake handle.

anyways, george lopez is right. these people do everything better, faster, and cheaper.

french toast

2007-10-25T18:37:00.000-05:00

must be my lucky day today. double egg yolk for my french toast.

i developed a taste for french toast since my journey to the jailhouse rock (im saving that story for another time and blog). im thinking im gonna find me the perfect ultimate french toast recipe. i really think its all about the bread and my journey is to find that inimitable bread. such a big word for a french toast.

bumper stickers that crack me up

2007-10-23T22:45:00.000-05:00

Lawyers have feelings too (allegedly).
WWJD (Who Wants Jelly Donuts?)
Just say NO to negativity.
Squirrels - nature's speed bumps.
Dyslexics Untie!
I'm still a hot babe, but now it it comes in flashes.
If God is within, I hope he likes enchiladas!
Don't believe everything you think.
Fishermen don't die, they just smell that way
Help your local Search & Rescue. Get lost!
The control key on the keyboard does not work.
Forget world peace; visualize using your turn signal.
Jesus loves you! Everybody else thinks you're a jerk.
People like you are the reason people like me need medication.
Every time you open your mouth, some idiot starts talking.
Use the best: Linux for servers, Mac for graphics, Windows for Solitaire.
I plan to live forever. So far, so good!
Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. So study hard and be evil.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.
I had the right to remain silent, but I didn't have the ability.
To err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.
Practice safe lunch: Use a condiment.
I have a degree in Liberal Arts - do you want fries with that?
I'm always late. My ancestors arrived on the Juneflower.
NyQuil - The stuffy, sneezy, why-the-hell-is-the-room-spinning medicine.
Quoting one is plagiarism. Quoting many is research.
Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
If you are what you eat, I'm fast, cheap and easy.
Warning: Dates on calendar are closer than they appear.
I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood for 30 years.
Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you weren't asleep.
I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.
Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
How do I set a laser printer to stun?
If you want breakfast in bed, sleep in the kitchen.
I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.
Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye opener.
My mother is a travel agent for guilt trips.
I used to be schizophrenic, but we're OK now.
I'm going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes.
A day without sunshine is like night.
First things first, but not necessarily in that order.
If going to church makes you a Christian, does going into a garage make you a car?
Some people are only alive because it is illegal to shoot them.
You're just jealous because the voices only talk to ME.
So you're a feminist. Isn't that cute?
I need someone real bad. Are you real bad?
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.
The more you complain the longer God makes you live.
I R S: We've got what it takes to take what you've got.
Hard work has a future payoff. Laziness pays off now.
Out of my mind - back in five minutes.
Without ME, it's just AWESO.
As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools.
Your kid may be an Honor Student, but YOU'RE still an idiot.
I took an IQ test and the results were negative.
Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
I don't have a license to kill. I have a learner's permit.
Keep honking while I reload.
If you can read this, I can hit my brakes and sue you.
Sure you can trust the government! Just ask a native American!
Alcohol and calculus don't mix. Never drink and derive.
Stop repeat offenders. Don't re-elect them!
If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0!
All I ask is the chance to prove that money can't make me happy.
Karaoke bars combine two of the nation's greatest evils: people who shouldn't drink with people who shouldn't sing.
I drive far too fast to worry about cholesterol!
I doubt, therefore I might be.
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

venus trap plant

2007-09-09T23:38:00.000-05:00

i have been so lazy to post..
but today, i witnessed something really cool! super cool!

we bought a venus fly trap plant at walmart. just because...

well, we kind of thought that sometimes we see bugs flying around the house and that this pet-plant maybe a good natural solution for that.

so today i saw a fly hovering in the house. then i trapped the fly with a plastic bag (a thing that i learned long time ago when i used to play around the dumpster :).
next thing i put the plant inside the plastic bag with the fly inside. less than 5 minutes making noise in the bag, i saw the fly started walking on top of the plant and before i realized it, with my own two eyes i saw one of the trap close. whoa!

yes, that dark shadow is the fly inside the trap. that was the coolest thing ever. who would ever thought this nasty wild carnivorous cruel plant would end up as a decorating plant in many houses. unbelievable.

as you can see, the wing is still visible.
fascinating. it was a very big fruit fly but it's going to experience a slow death and provides a good nutrition for the plant.

haiku

2007-08-19T02:56:00.000-05:00

red crescent moon
when dusk greets g'night
smile, we hold hands

im feeling nerdy

2007-08-12T05:12:00.000-05:00

sunday.
its too early in the morning.
i just finished a nerd test my friend sent me.
it turned out im a less nerdy person. i got 54% result. i thought i was gonna score more but i guess im just a geek wannabe. :)

my gf is trapping me into going to pottery barn class... again!
i did went there once. it wasnt that bad, just boring.

as you can see almost all of them females and a few losers uh i mean men were there. accounted me of course :)

but, i made the most of it.
there was this one lady who kept asking whatever questions.. i can picture it, always sits in the first row, teachers pet, the first one to raise hand on everything, etc. and not that she doesn't know the answers of the questions already. just to show off if you ask my opinion. but nobody asking rite. however, as a class clown i had to ask a question. just to veer all the attention from her. and of course it worked. or so i thought.

see no class clown is a nerd.

hairy torcher

2007-08-05T23:07:00.000-05:00

i was going to make a blog about how my girfrienld fooled me into going to a 'color coordination' class at pottery barn. but, she beat me to it. she stole my thunder! no soup for you!
but, then again the bottom line is im just too lazy lately to write blogs.

however, i just have to share this one picture.

the hairiest man in china yu zhenhuan. in this picture he's trying to become one of the torch runner for the next olympic in china.
the irony is that guy is going bold. the place where hair should always intact.
good luck for your bid buddy!

4th of july john mayer concert

2007-07-06T16:06:00.001-05:00

finally we were able to watch john mayer in concert and the best thing of it was a free taste of chicago concert.

we had to wait for three hours under direct scorching summer afternoon sun. i can just feel it by looking at the pics. but in the end it was worth it. look at the nice chicago skyline picture with john mayer playing in the big screen.

and the coolest part was when he came back to the stage for encore and played blues ridden tunes gravity with buddy guy and to top it off they did a sweet home chicago jam session. i gotta say buddy has better voice quality than john.

we didnt stay for the fireworks. but it was a very nice day. a much needed break from all the hassle of moving to a new place.

cicada love

2007-06-09T15:48:00.000-05:00

went cicada hunting. took some pictures of them, my gf so really afraid of them. but, its once every 17 years. these are the longest living bug in the world and they only come 'miraculously' from the ground every 17 years in bunches.

scrap paint

2007-06-06T23:36:00.000-05:00

ok, first problem with the house. she wanted to repaint the main bedroom. no big deal right? nooo.. at least not until we found out that the previous owner didn't use primer to paint the wall with the silky satin smooth glossy maroonish purple paint finish. that thing doesnt stick to the wall, thats why you need primer so it sticks! so, instead of painting we ended up peeling the paint off the wall.

but, luckily my gf is the little engine that could, although she gets carried away with scrapping those old paint. i mean, honey just peel the paint off not the drywall. you don;t have to use battery acid to cure a mosquito bite rite?

but, its all good. can't wait to actually move in and start living there.

new house

2007-05-30T22:32:00.000-05:00

yes, today is official.
for the next 30 years (hopefully less) we will be giving our money to the lender, just less than half a million with all the finance charge.
but, we have a house.

6306273303

could you help the girlscout pls..

2007-05-25T13:22:00.000-05:00

i finally gather all my will to write a blog, just because out of the blue at 1 pm today somebody's knocking at my door. and i live in a condo, not too many times a got a knock on my door. usually people buzz me from the main entrance. so, surprisingly i opened the door and found this skinny 14-15 years old girl politely talking to me about her dream to go to Paris. ... huh?

here we go. she said that she could win a contest to paris, if she collects enough points or something like that. she asked me three innocent questions, if i were a candy, what candy would i be? i said m&m's because i'm sweet, colorful, and you can't have just one. well, i didn't really say all that, just because i like them thats all. cool. second question, if i could live besides here in chicago, where would i live? i said someplace warm and she quickly went to the third question what are two of my hobbies? and i said, i like to play my guitar and the other one would be sports.

now the catch, to collect points she has to sell magazines subscriptions to people. and today i'm those people. alrite... i had to be a bad guy today, not just because its not good enough cause to help 'her material dream' to go to paris. but, also i just don't see it as a good reason to help those magazine make more money. well, they should make more on the ads than subscribers but they need more circulation to attract more bigger ads. i dont care.. but i have to say, she talked very nice and fluently like a seasoned salesperson. kind of pushy, looking every button to push to make people guilty not helping her and using her innocent looking teen face to get what she wants.

not this time kid. i have enough organizations sending me 'donation bills' and it just started from 1 to 'whoknowshowmany'. i have all kind of animal organization from pig, horse to seals asking money for their sake. what ever... not today

bass pro shop

2007-04-29T23:05:00.000-05:00

i can't believe earlier today was the first time i went to a bass pro shop. they just opened a second store in illinois and it's like five minutes away from where i live. it's a big store and has a lot of stuffed animals in there. not the soft, smooth and cutey kind of stuffed, but these are the real taxidermy stuffed rough, rugged, and scary animals.

actually there is a new mall just recently open in the area and we went there to check it out. i knew about this store, but never really pay attention coz i thought it's all about outdoor fishing and hunting or stuff. and it actually is. but i was overwhelmed once i got inside the store, they decorated it very nicely with a lot of game hunting accessories. they even have an actual area aquarium for variety of fishes that are native to illinois.

they sell all things fishing hunting related and in my opinion a part of americana. this is hardcore outdoor-living-cowboy-life in walmart style and price. my gf asked me how can they afford this big gigantic store with all the decorations by selling cheap hunting and fishing gears? then after a short pause she said, 'china! made in china. thats why!' well, no arguing there.

i'm just glad this new mall is very close to my place. coz we are thinking of buying a house in the area. with the housing market is a bit down maybe now is the time to get one.

you can say it's da bears!
monsters of midway! speaking of bears, the bulls are worth mentioning after their first playoff win since you know who still the sheriff in town (hint #23). they beat last year champ miami 'not so' heat in four, get out the broom! these ain't no baby bulls no more.

no fire! no fire!

2007-04-28T04:49:00.000-05:00

4 o'clock in the morning. and the alarm sounded. it was the fire alarm. no fire, just the alarm and 4 a.m thank you very much.

surprisingly not a lot of people even bother to come out. or maybe i just didn't care to look around. i didn't even have my coat with me. and now one hour later, can't sleep just blogging. well, at least the bulls, cubs and sox all won. a good night for chicago sports. specially the bulls, they aren't just winning they grab the miami heat by the throat and slam them in to the wall like a freezing cold front from lake michigan! global warming what?!

im trying to go back to sleep now. but i'm hungry mother, i really am...
(too much 101 dalmatians)

google joke

2007-04-26T23:37:00.001-05:00

this jokes been around for a few weeks, but try it.
go to Google map and type Washington DC to London.
read the direction carefully.

Top Internet Crime

2007-04-26T22:38:00.000-05:00

auction fraud is the #1 crime on the Internet yes, it's called eBay. Do you know how many fees eBay has for a seller? it's a crime!! Just some samples:

$1.00 for Bold Feature of the title

$3.00 for Borders

$5.00 for Highlights

The fee could go well over $100.00 if you want your item appears on eBay's homepage. And all this not including Paypal's fee. I don't know what to say. I think eBay and Paypal are behind all the Internet crime and fraud.

Luke 17:
28"It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
it's the end of the world as we know it.
IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT AND
I FEEL FINE.

secret places

2007-04-26T00:19:00.000-05:00

today while i was driving, i listen to bunch of sports radio personalities talking about 'the best place to hide "something" in your house.' yes, i love listening to talkshows, sports, podcasts, audiobooks or even sermons. it drives my gf crazy coz i always listen to am radio and my ipod filled with podcasts of people talking.

anyway, many of the callers revealed where is the best place to hide their 'stuff' from (usually) their spouses. Here is a list of places suggested that i can remember:
- old boots (seasonal boots) or old tennis shoes. reason: pretty obvious, no girl would come near them stinky footwear.
- under the garbage. reason: the caller's wife never take the garbage out.
- folded sweaters. reason: its nicely folded she won't touch it.
- undergarments. dirty ones.
- spare tire in ur car. reason: u're the only who would use it. if she has a flat tire, she would call you to change it.
- heat duct/vent.
- inside the toilet.
- diversion safe. such as book or tape diversion safe. there's a lot of them on sell on eBay i suppose.

of course, if you want to hide your valuables or money in your house from thief or burglars, remember to tell your spouse about it, just in case anything happens to you. and don't hide something in an item that later you would or could sell like a computer.

the devil wears prada

2007-04-24T11:26:00.000-05:00

this is probably old news, but it's just too funny!

i'm curious why do their outfits are so glamorous, outlandish, and ironically very gayish.

101 questions

2007-04-22T21:41:00.000-05:00

my gf always asks me why do i always watch sports all the time? even when my favorite teams are not playing? it's not even the bulls she always yell at me.
the path to wisdom is asking the right question according to a buddhist-monk look alike in comcast cable commercial. so, i'm gonna answer the question with a question. why do you always watch the same cheesy chick flick on tv when you already own the dvd? at least my sports is live broadcast and you don't know what's gonna happen next.

but, i have to say she's fair though, she let me watch 'planet earth' (a discovery channel special) after she 'politely urge' me to watch 101 dalmations with her earlier today.
i always like most of disney movies anyway. so, no biggie. it's kind of funny about that movie, i think the writer(s) also founded PETA. that'a how i spend earth day (april 22) by watching tv about planet earth! bad..

30 and it's downhill from now

2007-04-17T23:14:00.000-05:00

My birthday cake my mom made me

My vegetarian birthday dinner courtesy of my girlfriend

A new t-shirt I think it's from my dad: Jackie Chan stuntman Team

Chicago 2016

2007-04-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

Man, i really thought that Chicago already won the bid to host the 2016 Olympics! Turned out, it was only the bid for U.S representative for the final world selection to host the Olympics.

Here is a list of possible Chicago's contenders:

Rome.

Do you realize that The Colosseum is half ruin?

Prague, Czech Republic.

Another old city...

Doha, Qatar.

huh? Olympics in the middle east? are you kidding me?!

Tokyo

I think they got the idea from Fast and Furious Tokyo drift.

St. Petersburg, Russia.

Sister city is Los Angeles. The other, for some reason, is Lansing, Mich. Anymore question?

Madrid.

Half of Chicago speaks Spanish so??

Monterrey, Mexico.

No way, Jose..!

Rio de Janeiro.

This one is the toughest opponent. But come on, statue of Jesus looking over a beach full of people with bikini wax?

Foreign object in my eye

2007-04-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

I learned a very amazing fact about human eyes.
Yesterday, somehow a tiny piece of glass got in to my right eye. As you can see in the picture, that piece of glass is quite big. And it just flew in there while I was cleaning a broken window.

At first, I was scared coz I can feel this object inside of my eye but somehow it didn't really do anything to effect my eye to function properly other than just annoyed me so bad. After a few minutes I can't even feel it's in there and I went on with my cleaning business while it stayed there for more than 2 hours. But, in the mean time I tried to keep on yawning to keep my eyes watery and wet. I really thought that it went all the way to the back of my eye into my brain and I was afraid that it might cause a brain tumor or something.

I kept on doing my fake yawning, I really felt sleepy afterwards and did yawn a lot (real yawn). And I couldn't even feel with my finger the object from outside of my eyelid. But, the yawning produced a lot of tears. As I was cleaning up the tears from my eyes and did a cleaning-your-eye-wax motion, there it was that annoying thing somehow ended up on my index finger.

Wow! the first thing that came into my mind was how amazing our body is. Even more, how wonderfully designed it is. I don't believe for a second that evolution coincidently created such a great clean up system of a very delicate component of a larger complex body.

Windows XP with Vista interface

2007-04-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

Im just trying this Vista transformation pack for Windows XP with Google sidebar.

Not so bad, it makes my laptop a bit slower than usual though. And I have seen a much cooler Vista interface that really looks like OS X.

But make sure you have the latest SP2 for XP so that the transformation can be done smoothly.

I love eBay! But, my Dad doesn't get it..

2007-04-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

This post is about my dad again.

It's kind of hard to explain it to him about eBay. I went to the post office today to send an LCD monitor to a buyer in California. He asked me, "How much is the shipping?" I said $20. He was surprised, expensive he said. I know, USPS charged too much for that with UPS ground it will be much cheaper almost half the price. But, this guy only gave me a PO BOX address and UPS don't do PO Boxes. Well, I tried explaining it to my dad about the difference of UPS and USPS. He seemed to understand it.

But, after a short silence he started to speak again, "How come this guy in California is buying stuff from you here in Chicago? Don't they have it over there? They must not have a complete selection there. I know, I have been to the stores in California and I think here in Chicago we have more selections."

And I just took a deep deep breath... and inhaled.

I said, "Yes. I do think the same way."

Well, I guess he likes to make a conversation with me 'coz I'm a 'good listener' and a "yes-siree-bob-kid"

April showers bring May flowers

2007-04-02T18:53:00.000-05:00

Spring is in the air. You can smell the rain, baseball season is on the way, and you can see all the Easter decorations usually at the shopping center and malls.

The weather is nice when it's not raining, but then it's allergy season and my nose is itchy all the time. Never had this problem before.

And when i was about to write about how summer is just around the corner, winter comes back with a vengeance and after all those 60s and 70s the temperature drops back below 30 what a lovely spring day in Chicago.

It has been a bad week. My gf told me that this year is a bad year for me because of my Chinese zodiac snake is not compatible with pig (this year's sign). I don't really buy into that. I just don't like the idea that my life has been predestined even before I was born. Although, I could write pages about it, which by the way, according to the paper-table-cover in the Chinese restaurant is one of the best well-suit business dealings for me or people with snake sign.

So far, I still survive with my vegetarian diet. But, I just realized that I can't eat crab rangoon anymore. It's not been a week yet, but so far so good. Well, actually I eat cheese and eggs. So not exactly a Vegan diet but it's a step forward. And I really appreciate my gf supporting me with my decision and even want to try to reduce her meat consumption. And also, I just heard that this guy in the right (Ruben Studdard) went vegetarian. Click the picture to read all the interview on how he lose 40lbs.

exercise time

2007-03-30T03:12:00.000-05:00

i hesitated to put this video, but there it is. you gotta give her a credit! and she almost touches the floor with her hands.

two strikes and...

2007-03-30T02:13:00.000-05:00

devastating news i got today. i have been denied again for my pr adjustment process. for those who know me, i have been waiting for this piece of my life puzzle for a relatively long time.

the main reason was because i failed to register nseers.

what i feel: disappointed, a little numb, and somewhat sad.
how do i cope: so far, i slept a little bit because i felt really tired. but now i'm wide awake at 2.30am
what's next: i got two strikes now, not out yet, but my last resort is to appeal to a judge

and the funny thing is, i made up my mind that i want to become a vegetarian. well, at least i'm not gonna eat meat. but im still gonna eat eggs, cheese, and cookies. maybe a lot more cookies now.

warm weather flu

2007-03-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

Another record breaking temperature days we're having in Chicago. I slept half-naked last night and it felt good. I got picture to prove it.
Well not exactly my picture, but just to make my point that summer is just right around the corner, even the mannequins are having a good time. Although, in Chicago it is a four-season weather and sometimes you can have them in just one day.

But, what really concerns me right now is filing for my income tax. And instead of doing it I choose to do this blog, what an effective way of spending my time.
Whatever I am just enjoying the nice weather right now, just like most people who has the 'warm-weather-flu' and call in sick for the day.

P&G, 666, Satanism, Amway

2007-03-22T00:40:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but growing up in the 80s i heard a lot about this urban myth rumor that Procter and Gamble supports Satanism. What do you know, after more than 20 years of battling this defamation, US District Court jury found a group of Amway distributors are responsible for starting all these accusations.

The origins of this accusation are apparently based on a passage from the Book of Revelation in the Bible, stating: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." And the old P&G logo perfectly fit this description. They also claimed that the number 666 could be seen from the inside of the logo.

However, the company states that the 13 stars are a tribute to the first 13 of US original states and the 666 pattern in the logo just pure coincident.

Amway, which sells the same household products as P&G but with multi-level marketing strategy says that they will provide assistance to their former distributors if they opt to proceed with an appeal to the court's ruling.

Btw, the ruling is for $25 million in damages against the four former distributors. I hate Amway, and their aggressive yet very very tricky persuasion to get people to sign up for them. I fell victim a few times. Well, the latest was involving Internet marketing. I think they changed their name to quixtar as a leading Internet company that will rule the world.
I'm having a Bush moment, fool me once shame on who? whatever...

Bingo: The Winning Musical

2007-03-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

I went to see "Bingo: The Wining Musical" last night.

It was Ok for a free show. My friend told us that we can get comp. tix if we call the Apollo theater box office.

I'm not sure if they let us take any pictures, but I didn't see any signs that say otherwise.

The story line is ok at best, I don't understand one character (Patsy) who seemed very superstitious because God told her to be like that? Just another way to mock Christian. But the interesting thing is in the middle of the show they let the audience play the real Bingo game and even win real money($3, $5, n $10) and a $50 voucher.

Girls night out not really lights out but it was entertaining enough for a night in the city.

sanjaya vs geico caveman

2007-03-14T23:29:00.001-05:00

im gonna be a little rude here. but, why is he still doing in american idol? and can you see any similarity or is it just me?

don't shave! or shave?

Pills or talk?

2007-03-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

Growing up I never heard terms such as ADD, ADHD, teenage depression, anxiety disorder, panic attack, etc.

I think all of these are marketing ploy to sell more drugs and to get more people dependent on drugs legally. All the pills that come with the treatment Ritalin, Xanax, Zoloft, Prozac etc. And you would be surprise to know how many teens are on these medication.

But, then I realize that growing up now is a lot harder than ever.

Look at all the distractions. I don't have all these growing up and not to mention the thousands of channels, the playstations, DVDs player, and when you're on the go, they all come with portable. Even your cellphone now has all these in one.

But, are the pills and medication really necessary? Can you just talk about it? Could it be that we become so modern, sophisticated and tech savvy but all of that actually make us more isolated and lonely?

I personally am hooked on my technologies and so far they don't make me depress yet.

Poor Coyote

2007-03-12T01:47:00.000-05:00

The day after wally ball was a mess. My thighs really sore and hurt. This is evidence of my idleness during winter I think. But, went to the mall and walked for another few hours without resting. Because every time I try to sit down or up, it really hurts in my thighs.

But, moment of the day was when we got back and in front of my gf apartment we have a wildlife visit from Mr. Coyote. My girlfriend was so concern about it, coz as you can see he seems a little bit daze and confuse about the whole situation. Maybe he got lost, but he was eating something when we took this picture.
He quickly disappear into the bushes around the apartment complex. We should have called the forest preserve, but really at that time I couldn't think of anything else but take the picture, take the picture!

I hope she/he could find way back to the forest. And didn't get shot by some obsessive hunter who feels that this is a good opportunity to practice his skill and protect the neighborhood from an intruder (according to my girlfriend). Well coyotes are known for snatching 'lil doggy or puppy from their owners for fourth meal.

Wallyball night

2007-03-10T23:49:00.000-06:00

went to play wallyball today. It's just like volley ball but played in a racquet ball court, so it has walls hence the name wallyball just google it to find out more about the game. and as a weekend warrior, i played hard with all my heart and gusto. but, the body has just been rested a little too long during winter time. so, as expected, actually this is worse than what i expected. i didnt wear any knee pad my knees and thighs are sore, and on top of that today is the start daylight savings time. that means we are going to lose 1 hour of sleep.

but, it was fun! we might do it again. i forgot to bring my camera so no pictures. but, afterward we took pics of my gf's hands.

i feel bad, coz at first she felt that i set her up to come to the game. but, shes being a good sport and actually liked the game too! as you can see, she has bruises in her hands and in part because she kept wearing 2 bracelets that she said she hasn't taken off for more than 5 years. and i said why? are you gonna set a record for that? well, she finally took it off after all the bruises and redness. bless her heart, shes really being a good sport about all this. the pic is not too clear, but thats the whole purpose :)

Faith vs Evidence

2007-03-10T00:55:00.000-06:00

Faith doesn't require evidence, faith is the evidence of what we believe (things that has not seen). Why do Christians look for evidence in science? If we look at the history lots of scientist, philosophers, and mathematicians based their study on the bible. Because at one point, it was regarded as the pinnacle science study (some still think it is). Many of them were proven wrong or when they were right, they were persecuted because of heresy. But my point is, it's only natural that humans look at science to satisfy their curiosity and also to confirm their faith and glorify God (for those who believe in God).

It's like we are born with the capability to learn and grasp the concept of language, but which specific language is determined by cultural and environmental influence. The same with religion, humans are born with the desire to have faith in something greater and bigger than their existence. You may argue that you don't believe in God, but do you cross your finger and wear your good-luck-charm jersey while watching your favorite baseball player performs his superstitious routine before throwing the ball and hoping that 'knock-on-wood' he doesn't served a home-run ball?

Whatever you may call it, religion, superstition, or stupidity (remember Einstein), I think it is embedded in our gene. I don't have any prove but a lot of studies are on going to understand that desire of ages. Why? Perhaps because once we are born, we are on a conveyor belt of humanity that ultimately face the grim fate of death. And this is where Christianity (Jesus) comes in and promises everlasting life (John 3:16). Yes, it has created many wars and inhumane persecutions, but those are due to corrupt leadership, greed, power and free-will. Communism, which of course supported atheism and science as the only explanation, also faced the same problems. And the last time I checked the Soviet Unions are now many different nations.

So, whether we eat and breath from the same tube is a poor quality design or, we backward evolve from a PERFECT human being, who suppose to only eat seeds and fruits -Genesis 1:29- degraded into a disease-laden-prone-to-accident-sinful-nature being is a question of faith. (most of choking incidents are due to meat products, drugs/alcohol influence, neurological deficit or anatomic difficulty with swallowing). http://www.aemj.org/cgi/content/abstract/13/5_suppl_1/S49-a

Both sides can argue that all the evidence pointing to one's conclusion. Just like why do we evolve to stand up right? We are the only mammals that stand on two feet. It makes us slower, easier target to predators, and funny looking! http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/060221_unertanfrm.htm

But who cares right? We don't know for sure what make humans came out of the jungle to savannas. Or were there really any savannas? Just like the case when men prefer women with bigger breast, evolution teaches that it is because of bigger breast means more fertile. But, an alien from Jupiter might observe that bigger breast means a better economic value or anything but reproduction. Just look at all the ads. Filled of women.

I think I better stop. It's starting to drag (long time ago).
Thank you for reading and God Bless!

Buddhism and Christianity

2007-03-08T21:39:00.000-06:00

I recently found out that there are a lot of similarities between the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity, especially in the area of what is known as Sila/Pali('morality', 'behavioral discipline', or ethics in general).

Here is the teaching of Buddhism:

I undertake to abstain from taking life (both human and nonhuman).
I undertake to abstain from taking what is not given (stealing).
I undertake to abstain from all sexual activity.
I undertake to abstain from telling lies.
I undertake to abstain from using intoxicating drinks and drugs which lead to carelessness.
I undertake to abstain from eating at the wrong time (the right time is after sunrise, before noon).
I undertake to abstain from singing, dancing, playing music, attending entertainment performances, wearing perfume, and using cosmetics and garlands (decorative accessories).
I undertake to abstain from luxurious places for sitting or sleeping.

As a Seventh-day Adventist, I can say amen to the first seven precepts of the Buddhist good moral behaving life. I can honestly say this is like reciting my baptismal vows. Well, except for not eating after noon. Hmm...

The interesting thing is the number 8. Abstain from luxurious bed? My girlfriend think that this is just a way of saying not to live a luxurious life. But, maybe there is more to it. Look what I found browsing CNN website:

Is a good night's sleep worth $50,000? <---Click for link

They are talking about a bed that cost a whooping $50,000!! My condo didn't cost that much before!! So, I don't know. It says in the article that mattresses are big booming business right now. Maybe there is something more to the 8th precepts. People are so depressed with their life and they think that if we could just make the bed more comfy, softer, and bigger then they could sleep better. Not to mention that every few commercials on TV you would find an ads for sleeping pill. You all well know that it's not the bed it's the 'guling' (long hugging pillow:)). So, I think I can say amen to #8. Amen

Just to compare it with the Jewish/Christian Ten Commandments:

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Cows Gone Wild

2007-03-08T15:55:00.000-06:00

An interesting story i read yesterday. a calf that stalked and ate chicken at night just like a predator would.

It happened in a village in West Bengal, India where cows are considered sacred animal, a man named Ajit Ghosh suspected that the neighborhood dogs were eating his farm chickens. But, then eventually was surprised after seeing at one night that one of his cow calf headed to the hen coop and started gobbling up his precious chicken one at a time with precision.

Here is the thing, most people would say the behavior is unnatural and exceptional. But, if humans can eat practically anything, why not cows? maybe this is the 'evolutionary' process that one hundred thousand years from now will change grass-eating-gentle cows to a meat-eating-predatory cows. wouldn't it be cool?

'In God We Trust' is missing!

2007-03-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

Late last month the U.S mint officially release the new $1 coin bearing the likeness of George Washington, the first President of the U.S. The interesting part of this coin is that, it has an inscription on the edges of the coin that says 'E Pluribus Unum', 'In God We Trust', and '2007' that usually embedded on the side of the coin.

However, lately many people found out that some coins are missing the inscription on the edge of the coin, which include 'In God We Trust' phrase.

It is unknown how the mistake could happen or how many are these golden colored coins circulated. So, if you happen to have the new $1 coin check the edge for inscription, you might struck a real gold for yourself.

jakarta

2007-03-07T23:04:00.000-06:00

Pictures courtesy of Jan Boonstra

Back to Jakarta

Lottery tickets

2007-03-07T16:28:00.000-06:00

Two tickets were sold as the winning lottery number for the record breaking $390 million in NJ and Georgia.
The winning numbers: 16-22-29-39-42, with the Mega Ball 20.

It was just been announced that the winner in Georgia WAS a truck driver.

The odds of winning that lottery was:
1 in 176,000,000

OK, now just for fun here is the list of other things that you might have a bigger chance to get than the lottery:
Chance of dying from SARS in the U.S:
1 in 100,000,000
Chance of contracting the human version of mad cow disease:
1 in 40,000,000
Chance of dying from a mountain lion attack in California:
1 in 32,000,000
Chance of dying from ignition or melting of nightwear:
1 in 30,589,556
Odds of becoming a saint:
20,000,000 to 1
Odds of becoming president:
10,000,000 to 1
Odds of spotting a UFO today:
3,000,000 to 1
Odds of being killed by lightning:
2,320,000 to 1
Odds of drowning in a bathtub:
685,000 to 1
Odds of getting a royal flush in poker on first five cards dealt: 649,740 to 1
Odds of dating a supermodel:
88,000 to 1
Odds of being considered possessed by Satan:
7,000 to 1

My question who did this calculating?

Second class citizen?

2007-03-06T16:50:00.000-06:00

Went to the consulate general of Indonesia in Chicago today to extend my expiring passport. I thought it was going to be a less-than-an-hour-in-and-out thing. Then i realized that I have been living in the U.S too long. Recently i just got an interview for my green card and everything went so fast and smooth.

But, this was ridiculous! First you have to fill up two long applications which have similar questions of which you can find the answers in the old passport or license/ID card. Then, one of the officer said that they are out of the passport books so, what they would do was to just issue an extension seal in the old passport. I thought great, this should be even faster. Wrong! they still required me to submit two 4x4 photo and they don't do picture taking in the spot anymore like they used to do. So, I have to go to the nearest CVS to get my photos taken which is like a few blocks away and by that time, it's siesta time for them. And the funny thing is, you don't need any photos for an extension unless your passport is replaced with a new one. So, actually all those four hours of waiting was just for a seal and signature. A seal and signature! It could have been done in 5 minutes. All the time I was there, only a couple more people came for a quick pick-up and one other thing I couldn't remember.

Oh well, at least i saw something funny when i was there. You would think that Chicago is a Bears town, but not literally. This guy was wearing something that looked like a fur maybe. He looked like a bear running loose in the city. Well, maybe not running, mind you I don't want to offend any real bears out there because they really can accelerate up to 30 miles per hour if they want to. Not this guy though.

lost tomb of jesus part 2

2007-03-05T22:18:00.000-06:00

after watching the lost tomb of jesus documentary last night, i realized that i couldnt make fun of those guys who were trying to create a big buzz to undermine the very essence of christianity. its been known that jews hate christians. i dont exactly know why, maybe because of the antisemitism sentiment that some christian have towards the jews. so, i guess they would have jumped in every chance they got to dismiss what christians have established for the last 2000 years.

the program itself was entertaining and claimed that it didnt challenge any of the christian faith that jesus was crucified, died, and raised again in the third day. although, it really doesnt make any sense because the the whole movie was about proving that jesus didnt leave the earth and that his skull and bones are still here. anyhow, what i found interesting is the show tried to overwhelm audience with numbers by playing the statistical probability to prove the point. the dna test was just a filler addition to the flavor that already a hot issue to make it more credible.

with that in mind, im not sure what is the real message of the show. if its trying to prove that christianity is wrong well, a lot of people have tried that and its still growing strong even after 2000 years. so, i dont think any true christian would stop short of their faith because of the 'archaeoporn'(borrowing the term used by one of the panelist after the show discussion) show by some hollywood jews.

archaeoporn, that is funny and very twisted. and actually, simcha (the director of the show) had a very good comeback with that insult. he said that he never watch porn and in that statement itself he implicitly saying that the guy who said it must have watched porn and i think he is a priest or theologian or some sort. someone hear hypocrisy ??!! and to me that was a very bad witness of christianity by that guy. i cant remember his name.

in conclusion, faith is believing something that you dont have any prove of. and as you can see all over the program, it tells that even jesus' brothers died a martyr death! for what? just to cover up a lie? most of his apostles tortured and died alone in different places far away from each other and they still stick to their stories. if you think the story of jesus is far-fetched then thats what faith is all about.

manado love song

2007-03-03T18:25:00.000-06:00

i kinda 'hate' my dad right now.
because, i tought him how to use a computer, internet and more recently how to search on youtube.com (mind you he's 72 years young and he come from a small little island in celebes sea or sulawesi)
if you see the dots in the map next to the words celebes sea, he's from on of those dot, pick the smaller one. time seems suspended if you visit that place.

anyway, now he got hook with that and always trying to find video clips or karaoke clips of songs from that area. the worse part, he plays it over and over again with the volume turned all the way up. so, every time i was there thats what I would always listened to whether i like it or not. and those songs got stuck in my head!! and thats why i 'hate' him. but, im happy that he found a new hobby and very enthusiastic about it.

heres a sample:

the lost tomb of jesus

2007-03-02T18:10:00.000-06:00

discovery channel will air a special documentary about the finding of the tomb of jesus this sunday 8pm ct. another da vinci code controversy is brewing once again. supported by executive producer james cameron this documentary already is creating buzz in the christian community. not a good one i suppose. and according to many reviews that i have read so far, this documentary is vague yet detail enough to raise questions that could test the very nature of christian faith.

simcha jacobovici the director of this documentary is well known for his other jewish related documentary, such as the exodus decoded and quest of the lost tribe.

anyhow, i try to watch the show this sunday night. but, since my cable was cut i'll just have to watch it in my gf apartment or maybe not.

just like the rain

2007-02-27T13:05:00.000-06:00

now, i don't know whether you still have to pay to get in the toll way.

wierd phenomenon

2007-02-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

Something funny just happened. Since yesterday actually there were lot of short black outs. But today I was in front of my laptop, the tv was on and all of the sudden the lights flickered. And from the corner of my eyes I can see something green filled the dark clouded sky out there from the window and followed by a strange noise sort of electrical buzzed. This green light appeared in an instance and gone the way a lightning would. I didn’t really pay any attention at first, but it happened again the second time and this time I knew for sure the green light was there for a split second. And the lights flickered again and this time the tv stopped receiving any signals everything became black and white dots and all the channels were gone.

I looked outside from the 7^th floor of an apartment building where I stay for the night and didn’t see any green light. However, I saw from afar an orange silhouette, like those burning house or bon fire from the distance. I took my camera and recorded it for 12 secs. And I said I got to zoom it! But then after resetting my camera, that light source became dimmer and dimmer and gone. The tv still out, I’m confuse of what just happened, and my little brain started to compile all the data and looked for an explanation! But, no there is no explanation! This is not supposed to be some kind of weird phenomena. In this condition of wintery storm, snow, rain, hail, and windy, a lot stuff could happened that could’ve effected the power distribution. But, my the little guy that operates my brain said, “After UFO sightings recently in Chicagoland area could you accept this common sense explanation?? Don’t! This is just like a movie setting where the bad guys are doing something evil to destroy the world with his new invention and all of the sudden a superhero saves the day without the world realizing it.” Yeah, I wish there is something more to it. And I was the only person who recorded it, and then I can sell it to the highest bidder just like the paparazzi make money out of Britney’s bold pictures.

Anyhow, I don’t have any prove to all that nonsensical nonsense. All I have is a tv without any broadcasting channel and a laptop without the internet! What a vain! A laptop without the Internet??!! What a useless piece of junk this thing turns out to be. What shall I do with this warm-bottom black plastic box of nothingness?

Luckily, I have my iPod around, so I can start watching to my collections of Donald duck or listening to pastor Doug Batchelor’s sermon about the vanity of my urban, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, and isolated with electronic junks life. Btw, I use my internetless laptop to write this before uploading it to my blog site. Thats why no pictures and link this time.

‘Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions’ – Ecclesiastes 7:29

Internet explorer 7 and windows media player 11

2007-02-22T02:08:00.001-06:00

for those of you who doesnt have a genuine windows operating system and want to upgrade internet explorer 7 and windows media player 11. heres a few tips, btw you need windows xp service pack 2 to install these.

to upgrade to windows media player 11:
1. download this file wmp11-windowsxp-x86-enu.exe -click for link-
2. if you have winzip or winrar or any data compression program, just right click on that file and extract it to a folder using that software.

3. after you extract them, open the folder and look for this file wmfdist11.exe, then run the program (double click on it). Go through steps and when you finish, restart or reboot your computer.
4. go back to the same folder and look for this file wmp11.exe, run it again. when finish restart again your computer and you all done.

to upgrade to windows media player 11:
1. download this file IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe -click for link-
2. now, you have to download this file iecustom.dll -just click on it-
3. last one, download this file normaliz.dll
4. now, upload the IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.exe file with any compression program that you. have like winzip to a created folder named IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu.

5. now extract the file iecustom.dll that you just download to IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu\update. (there is a folder name update in IE7-WindowsXP-x86-enu folder, put it there!) if you are asked to overwrite, click yes.
6. run the program update.exe in the update directory.
7. after you done just before restarting your computer, extract the file normaliz.dll to c:\windows\system32\ then restart your computer.
8. then run the xmllitesetup.exe file in update folder.
9. restart your computer when done.

hopefully this will help you.

inconvenient idol

2007-02-22T01:13:00.000-06:00

i just watched Albert gore's the inconvenient truth. i think that guy is smart, dedicated, and i cant believe that he lost the presidency to bush. he actually was living up to his title as mr. boring in that movie by presenting his concern about global warming in a lecture that he did over and over again all over the places. but, i think he was funny and the presentation was very entertaining and educating at the same time. it was filled with easy to understand stats and animations that clearly showed he really did his homework before making all this accusations about global warming and presenting it as a challenge to all of us to act bold accordingly and not fall asleep with all the lullaby sung by a small number of leader who wanted us to believe in all the lies that had been perpetuated just to maintain the status quo. kudos to al! after watching this movie, i really believe he invented the Internet. -click pics for link-

well, in a lighter note, i watched ( forced to) american idol preceding al's movie. it was fun, but i just sighed after knowing that some of the very qualified contestants were church choir singers that wanted to become mainstream and go after the fame and fortune. im not trying to judge anyone, but then again there are so many examples of wasted talents and lives because of this leap of faith. just to name a few, elvis presley, whitney houston, and even britney spears all used to sing in church choir. i just hope they will make good decisions in their life.

tinkerbell

2007-02-19T01:01:00.000-06:00

went to disney store earlier today, and found out that tinkerbell has gained weight and has cellulite.

nothing against those things but, i just think it was funny. coz, i have never seen or imagined tinkerbell like that (on left) before. all my life tinkerbell is always this tiny little dragonfly-like fairy who sprinkles pixie dust.

inspired

2007-02-18T10:21:00.000-06:00

i watch pursuit of happyness last night because it was recommended by my friend and when it was first released i thought its gonna be a very nice movie portraying a relationship between a son and his dad.

as it turned out, little disappointment for me. i came in with high expectation for this movie to be really touching and filled with high standard moral issues. but its just another hollywood movie. this guy is actually smart (he dreamed to be a doctor) and really have a great people skill. just so happened he was in a bad situation, mainly because of his bad investment of portable bone density scanner. so in order to get out of that hole, he gambled all of his life to become a stockbroker instead of taking the safest way of getting a regular blue collar job and be poor all his life like most people would do. he succeeded! was it a good move? well, he is a smart and strong willed person so i guess it was a good move for him. i have to read the book, i think its much more inspiring.

well speaking of inspiration, this is the guy you cant miss. william hung!
i recently found videos of him. this guy is so funny without being funny at all! he is the ultimate asian stereotype which all asians want to break out from. but one thing for sure this guy has personality and he has gotten so big.

googe?

2007-02-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

something funny on google site yesterday. what happen to the L?

my girlfriend said that the little stem of the strawberry is the L. i wish somebody can explain it to me.

2007-02-14T01:31:00.000-06:00

this is just in, about the right time for valentine's day:

vasectomy may put men at risk for dementia!

so, no
carving, chip, chop, cleavage, cleft, dissection, fissure, f urrow, gash, graze, groove, intersection, kerf, laceration, mark, nick, nip, notch, opening, passage, penetration, pierce, prick, rabbet, rent, rip, scarification, sculpture, section, slash, slit, slot, snip, stab, stroke, trench, trim, wound, abort, anticipate, cut off, cut short, put the kibosh on, stymie, chaw*, chomp*, gob*, itch*, laceration, nip, pain, pinch, prick, smarting, sting, champ, chaw*, chew, chomp*, clamp, crunch, crush, cut, eat, gnaw, hold, lacerate, masticate, munch, nibble, nip, pierce, pinch, rend, ruminate, seize, sever, snap, tooth, wound

down under!

oxymoron

2007-02-11T23:15:00.000-06:00

list of oxymoron that i really like:

microsoft works; government organization; pretty ugly; educational television; harmless sin; holy war; job security; jumbo shrimp; recorded live; living fossil; low tax; peace in the middle east; mild pms; nothing much; non-alcoholic beer; non-denominational church; original copy; 110 percent; one choice; peace force; pure evil; priceless junk; politically correct; quite storm; resident alien; smart blonde; summer school; sound of silence; grateful dead; thinking out loud; veggie burger; weather forecaster; we're alone; white chocolate; war games; unbiased opinion; sensitive guy;
female driver; guest host; plastic glass; dangerously safe; diet ice cream; polite salesman; honest lawyer; computer security; rap music; least favorite; (irish/italian/african/etc) american; boneless ribs; extra time/extra money; extra virgin; friendly fire; freezer burn; family vacation; graduate student; head butt; honest crook; modern history; reality tv; act naturally; software documentation; american english; cubs win; calculated risk; cheap gas; classic rock; constant change; customer service; curved line; days night; deafening silence; divorce court; family vacation; free with purchase; buy one get one; gourmet sandwich; government aid; eternal hell; happily ever after; home office; legally drunk; lean pork; law enforcement; limosine bus; love affair; married life; metal board; minor crisis; mobile station; mud bath; old news; pop art; hollywood love; science fiction; silent alarm; social security; sure bet; elevated subway;

resolution

2007-02-10T00:34:00.000-06:00

ok, i said it last year that i will postpone my new year's resolution till chinese new year. and in about a week the year of the pig will kick in, so i think i will make my resolution. but, just for the record, i think pigs are cute and although my snake chinese zodiac dont go well together with the pig sign, i dont eat pig. its an unclean meat according to the bible and in comparison to other meats, pork is comparatively less pure because of the scavenging and slothful life style of the animals from which it comes. ok, maybe i exaggerate a bit, but who cares this is my blog. :)

back to my resolution, this year im going to donate more to organizations that i care most including the humane society. the one thing that makes america the greatest country in the world is that the people (not government) are so generous. americans give more per capita than any other country in the world. or maybe not. but, thats what i commit myself to do more.

im not sure why, but lately if you mention the name indonesia, its synonymous with the word disaster. tsunami, volcanic eruption, landslide, missing ferry/airplanes, earthquake, and now flooding. its a well known fact that indonesia is one of the most corrupted country in the world. does it have anything to do with the disasters that happened lately? well, of course yes! punishment from god? i dont know, but if you can bribe the government to do whatever you please including mowing down all the vegetation to hold off rivers and canals from overflowing, yes disaster is directly correlated with corruption. if the people who run the government are too busy to enrich their pockets and ignoring to create a better infrastructure for slowing down the impact of natural disaster and build better warning system to alert people before it gets worse, yes disaster is directly correlated with corruption.

giving is directly correlate with blessing. the more we give, the more we will get back in return.

gone fishing

2007-02-09T01:56:00.000-06:00

the big news today, anna nicole smith passed away and guess what in less than 24 hrs, eBay sellers have already put up auctions advertised with the deceased anna to attract more buyers. well, if you want to sell anna nicole related stuff i think now is the right time.

anyway, after learning the death of anna nicole from my gf today and watching reenactment of columbine shootings in history channel, i just realized that there are more important things in life than all the unfortunate events i complaint about yesterday. i am living in borrowed time and i have to use it more wisely. she worked so hard to be where she was (even marrying an 89 years old dude?) and all ended in vanity. what good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (matt 16:26) this bible verse just jumps off my mind. those kids who died in vain at columbine high school in the hands of a kid who wore a 'natural selections' t-shirt. i mean, what kind of hope do you have if you teach your kid that you are nothing but a product of natural selection and will all eventually die anyway? actually that was the actual quote from one of the kid who launched that cold mass murder 'we are all gonna die anyway.' there has to be something better in this life.

in response to my gf blog, yesterday the bad gollum showed up in my lil dim corner mind. he terrorized me, accused me as the weakest link, that i let my guard down and look what happen, i shouldnt have listen to nobody but him. i think we all have our own bad gollum in ourself. and he appeared whenever we are down and in loss of our faith. so, when you said i wasnt myself yesterday, you were right. that was just an emergency auto-pilot that i try so hard to overrule with my jesus. i pray the next time i have that 'one of those days', you would see Him rather than gollum.

lame week and its not even wednesday yet

2007-02-06T17:38:00.000-06:00

what a way to start a new week.
a court ruling that could be settled last year just bit me in the back and gave me the same ruling that couldve been settled last year. that means more $$$ for the lawyers.
i got towed after parking for 5 minutes at my gf apartment, no it was not downtown chicago, a suburb at an apartment parking space in the middle of the day with plenty empty parking space around. that means $$$ for the towing company. i think they are the most ignorant people in the world. except for those who park illegally of course.
now, its snowing, cold like antartica, well not really but close, once you reach -10 fahrenheit and windchill -25, do you really care anymore? guess what my furnace just refuse to blow some warm air inside my apartment. the fan is not working. that means $$$ for the heating service company, well this one i wont complaint too much.

so, considering all that, plus i have to late register for special registration that had been abolished 2 years ago, but still exist for those who didnt register that means me, i think my week just getting better. oh ya, did i mention the bears lost? that too kinda lame.

down go da bears!

2007-02-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

the bears lost. im dissapointed, but i had prepared for the worst, so i guess there will be next year.

i stopped watching after the interception which resulted the last td for the colts. we ended up doing karaoke.

nothing else to say...

superbowl eve

2007-02-04T00:13:00.000-06:00

we went to chicago last night to meet this couple that we befriend with, very nice couple and we have a lot of in common with them. actually at first the guy was working in the same office with my girlfriend, but we hang out together sometimes and we really really appreciate their friendship now.

however, it is right now -6 degrees fahrenheit outside! without windchill! and we really looked forward to capture the city lights that show bears pride! but mother nature didnt give us enough courage to stay outside our car to take more pictures of the scenery chicago skyline the night before the big superbowl game.

here is just one sample, the real pic is much better, i just streched it to give the panoramic effect of the real scene in this picture.

the helmets actually a little to small, so they had to resize them to make it fit a week later. but, dont u think they look gorgeous?

i miss the dinosour infront of the fields museum which wears #54 urlacher jersey. but overall, it was a good day for us. after a nice sushi meal, we embraced the minus zero degress + windchill just to take these pictures. unforgettable night, we dont know when we will have this opportunity again to do this.

181 Things to do on the Moon

2007-02-03T01:29:00.000-06:00

in case you find yourself somehow wake up the next day in the moon, nasa has released a list of what to do things in the moon.

most of them are to me a bunch of giberish that i wouldnt ever do or understand, but i tried to read thru and see if i could find something interesting that i can try. here goes:
1. Make precise measurements of the Moon's position to test Einstein's theory of general relativity. - i thought i could do this just because i share the same name w/ mr. e.
2. Detect and monitor Near Earth Objects (NEO) to discover threats to the Earth and Moon.
- this is just like monitoring UFO, so i think i can do it, but then again i never see any flying objects except when my mom....uhmm nevermind.
3. Perform lowfrequency radio astronomy observations of the Sun to improve our understanding of space weather.
- does walkie-talkie count?
4. Create solid Earth, topography, altimetry, tomography, and vegetation map.
- this will prove whether you can see the great wall of china from the moon or not.
5. Monitor Earth's "hot spots" to detect and monitor volcanic activity.
- i usually monitor a different 'hot spot'...
6. Study meteorite impacts on the Moon to understand the early Earth history and origin of life.
- i thought the apollo 8 astronauts were clear to quote genesis 1
7. Understand the fundamental biological and physiological effects of the lunar environment on human health and the fundamental biological processes and subsystems upon which health depends to understand the longterm human response to the lunar environment.
- i definitely can do this, n we'll see what a couch potato will become in the moon.
8. Understand the impact of extreme isolation on individual psychological health and group dynamics to ensure the long-term health, safety, and productivity of crews.
- i think my gf would like this one.
9. Study mammalian reproduction in different gravity environments to understand the impact of gravity on reproduction.
- umm... mile high club?
10. Provide leisure activities to support the psychological health of those living on and visiting the Moon.
- umm... mile high club?
11. Implement a secure, reliable, robust, interoperable and scalable telecommunications capability to support expanding telecom needs of exploration operations.
- satellite tv
12. Establish highbandwidth communications that support public engagement activities.
- Internet, will al gore claim he invented internet on the moon also?
13. Establish tracking capabilities to assist vehicles in cislunar space and mobile surface systems in determining their position and velocity.
- gps
14. Engage the commercial sector throughout lunar strategy development to embed them in all current and future aspects of lunar activities.
- eBay
15. Sell tourist trips to the Moon to generate revenue.
- fly me to the moon, and let me live among the stars

well, thats as far as i can read it. its just overwhelming, but who knows its a new frontier, perhaps the pioneers will be the next rockefeller of the moon.

2007-01-31T22:03:00.000-06:00

i have a dry skin condition and i think it is effecting my eyebrows! im losing my eyebrows! help!
the dry skin is causing the hairs in my eyebrows to recede.

i just hope it will grow back fast!

decompress blog

2007-01-31T19:43:00.000-06:00

i just came back from the movies. me n mygirlfriend went to watch the departed. she has the idea to watch all the oscar nominated movies so that she could make an educated guess which one would win the oscar. actually, we went like an hour earlier and had the chance to watch part of another movie, it's a foreign movie, pan's labyrinth.

so in that light, after we got back, i just have to write a blog, just to decompress my brain from watching the departed.

the departed in my opinon is not worthy of oscar nomination and specially the fact that it is an adaptation of another movie, to me it's just ocean's twelve meets the godfather III. im not really impress with all the contrast life between the rats in the cops squad or in the mafia circle. or how the corrupt nature of a police department is never going to get reveal because just like the mafia, this ''organized crime' fighter' would rather kill each other rather than going out to the public to clear the names. in other words, they are the biggest mafia.

however, pan's labyrinth was quite alright. the fairy tales about the faun creatures integrates really well with the main story line. it served as an escape route for the little girl who was trapped in a war situation, a little bubble she created to justify that 'goodness' still exist in a world full of bad-wicked evil doers fighting to fullfil their own selfish motives. the creatures in the movies are originals and i really like the special effects when the captain has to sew his own mouth. the characters also very realistic in that movie. overall, i recommend this movie over the departed.

nigerian scam 419

2007-01-26T22:10:00.000-06:00

i fell victim to the famous nigerian scams. this person won an item that i listed on ebay. i couldnt stop him from bidding because i wasnt watching the end of bidding time. i knew it right away once i saw the winner, and sure enough he expected me to send a used laptop to nigeria because he owns a japanese company that has a business partner in nigeria. he would give $180.00 more for the 'used laptop.' i even received a letter from 'paypal' confirming the payment, which of course never occured in my real paypal account.

here's my bit. i became aware with this scam about 3-4 years ago and never fully pay attention about it. but after my real 'experienced' with it, i started to research about the scam. to my surprise, these are not a new thing (nothing new under the sun, right.) this scams have many variations from advance fee scam to romance scam and dates back as early as 1920s, which at that time was known as the 'spanish prisoner' scam. basically this scams promise you a large amount of money if you could pay it forward the 'fee', 'comission', 'bribe' or whathaveyou in order to smooth things up and fasten the process of transfering the fund.

however, i wonder why havent any of the goverment agencies REALLY get wet and dig deeper in the mud of west africa and catch those slimy, slick, and dirty scumbags? because, from what ive read, one scam could rack about 15 millions a year and international fraud is the nations third largest income source.

maybe im naive, but the first thing came to my conspiracy mind was these have to be organized crime. and behind them have to be godfathers. but who are the real godfather(s) behind these labyrinth work of shameful acts. and why cant they be brought down to justice according to the law? could it be that they are above the nigerian laws or the international laws and they are protecting these operations and making sure they flourish as long as greed keeps biting the feeding frenzy baits they put out in this specially vast ocean of information era we call Internet?

all im saying is, these people feed on greed. what makes it any different than donald trump selling his book how to become a millionaire? the reason we buy that book or paying an advance fee scam is the same, we want to be rich. they advertise the same, its easy! if i can do it, you can too!

what if i make an assumption that the money is being used to fund the so-called terrorist organizations and they use it to 'attack our freedom?' which is not a far cry considering 50% of nigerias 130 million population are moslem. does it change the perspective now to go down dirty and clear things up over there?

have you ever thought that by agreeing with the scammer you actually helping those poor people in nigeria put bread on the table? those computer operators who send scam emails all over the world are pawns! they dont harvest all the money, they are subjects to the big fish. thats the $1 million question who is the big fish and how can this organized crime become corporate capitalism? or is it the other way around? well, 50 cents declared that he is a self made successful millionaire and learnt the only business model he knows while he was being a drug dealer! could it be capitalism is actually a crime to humanity blankets with more jobs to people and better economy for the nation? it cant be true! socialism, communism are so 80s we won the cold war! rambo killed all his enemies!

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Timothy 6:10
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrew 13:5

bears to the superbowl baby!!!

2007-01-21T22:07:00.000-06:00

bears goin' to miami!

Rex Grossman celebrates Cedric Benson's touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Brian Urlacher shows off the George S. Halas trophy to an adoring throng.

tasteless, but its really funny.
pics courtesy of chicago tribune.

snow, frostwire, and donald

2007-01-16T01:00:00.000-06:00

i just downloaded a few donald duck disney classic cartoons (from the 50s and earlier probably?) it was very comforting to watch those short 5-8 minutes animations that i used to watch when i was younger. it looks so old now, compare to what we have now in computer animated movies. but in my mind they are still the best.

btw, i tested frostwire in my laptop and very satisfied with the result. it seemed to work better than shareaza, at least in my laptop. its free just like shareaza, no commercials or ads, and installation was swift and simple without any confusing questions about routers, firewall, or network related problems.

well, since snow is back in chicago, frostwire actually warms up my laptop download after download.

the world abides forever

2007-01-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

watched blood diamond last night.
solomon which means peace, is the only character that is pure in heart. all his intention was to save his family. from a fisherman to a spokesman for the world to hear (hmm sounds familiar.)

for what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

that which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
...that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

'vanity of vanities,' says the preacher; 'vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'

the vagina building

2007-01-11T17:48:00.000-06:00

interesting thought. tired of all the chicago skyscrapes that resemble the phallus as symbol of male chauvinism, a female architect decided to design a building which correspond with the female genitalia.
can you guess which building am i talking about?

it is the diamond shape smurfit-stone building.

i p o d - phone.

2007-01-10T01:53:00.000-06:00

so steve jobs announced the new ipod phone, big deal! i still think ipod overrated. i own ipod video and used to have ipod photo. but, i dont like the acc format. i think its a hassle if you have avi files, wma files, or flv file and have to convert it to acc or m4p in order to play it in your ipod.

although, these conversions are needed for security purposes, to my opinion its wasting time. iTunes shouldnt be allowed to be the only softwares to operate ipod (with the recent lawsuits it could happen.)

however, apple set the standard for mp3 players, even so the trickle down industries of ipod accessories are just unbelieveable. and with the arrival of ipod phone, it proves once again microsoft is behind in this battle for music player (plus). though, never underestimate the power of bill gates. (even xbox now is a great competitor for playstation.)

for now, i just have to be satisfied with my ipod video. the new ipod phone only holds up to 8Gb and with all the videos i have in

the compact

2007-01-07T01:06:00.000-06:00

for some people recycling isnt enough.

a group of people in bay area decided to stretch it even more. they vowed not buy anything new in 2006 except for food, health and safety items and underwear. instead, they would look for alternative ways to get the stuff they want from thrift shops, craigslist, freecycle.org, eBay and flea markets, as long as the items are secondhand (reminds me of my mom).

the compact -- named after the revolutionary credo of the mayflower pilgrims -- proved immensely popular and quickly increased its membership.

although, a popular term for this behavior is called 'cheap', i rather apploud one of the member who was on cnn not to long ago when asked about the reason why they would do this. she simply replies that this way she can donate more to her select charities.

you can say whatever about america. but here is the most generous country/people in the world. not oprah, not bill gates, nor any kind of charity foundation. but the people, the regular john and jane doe.

god bless america

new(s) year in a week

2007-01-06T22:42:00.000-06:00

the inventor of instant ramen noodle cup died yesterday because of heart attack at the age of 96.

i have to thank you the late Mr. Momofuku Ando for his great invention. i used to wonder who invented instant noodle. its genius! in my opinion its comparable to bottled water. so simple yet nobody would've thought about it.

well, one less life mystery solved i guess.

on the other side, i went to grocery store with my gf today and cought a glimpse of the weekly counter magazine and saw oprah donated more than $40 million for building a school in africa.

although one could question what is the real motive of this trend of celebs donate or adopt kids from africa, but here is an interesting quote from oprah, "I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod or some sneakers. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

hmmm...what happen to 'though shall covet' is good for the economy?

ufo at o'hare airport?
i love conspiracy theory. well, this hasnt become a conspiracy yet but i would just love to hear the connection between the ufo and the wtc building collapsed. who knows some magical event would someday decide the fate of our life.

hey, even presidents have their own astrologer counselors...n you think im nuts?!

warm weather in january in chicago!
this is more like spring thanks to el niño or global warming (who cares, right? i do my part i recycle my papers & aluminum cans:). no complaints here, ...ummm maybe from al gore.

n about my new year resolutions? postponed until the chinese new year (2/18/07) hows that?

midas

2006-12-29T18:48:00.000-06:00

last friday for 2006. next week will be next year. all come too fast. i have a lot i want to write, but couldn't remember any of it. but, this i remember. while shopping for christmas present, i couldn't help wondering about a $19.99 cashmere sweater. huh!?

yes! less than $20 cashmere sweater. unbelieveable! and as if like an answer to my question, the chicago tribune ran a series of articles which basically states that everything china puts a hand on would become gold... right? no, no, no! this ain't no midas touch. everything they touch will infact become CHEAP!

clothing? hardwood floor? electronics? fresh flowers? even shrimp!

all things that onced considered luxury and only for the privilege like cashmere now are easy to get and available to us commonners, thanks to the most recognizeable brand in the world, "made in china."

all this come with a price. china is consuming all the resources in the world faster than my eating a box of chocolate chip cookies, no surprise when you try to satisfy the appetite of the big giant garbage disposal of consumerism of america.

enough said, im happy with my christmas gifts. given or taken, courtesy of the people's republic of china.

xie xie

my dee dee dee! stupidity..

2006-12-14T04:10:00.000-06:00

finally i was able to change the turn valve in my bathroom. after miserably failed my first attempt to change it using solder to connect the valve and the pipe (due in part of my first-timer-overconfidence-without-research self a.k.a STUPIDITY), i unbelievably have done it. with a lot of prayers and research this time my lesson to learn is 'use compression valve!'

for those of you d.i.y guys, let me tell you something. if you haven't done any soldering, research a lot and practice at least once. it will save you a lot of headache and anxiety.

see, in my case, i have to do it in the middle of the night (2 am) so that i can shut off the main water pipe in my condo building. it was awful, i had the pressure to finish the job before everyone else woke up and started wondering what happen to the water supply? after probably half an hour soldering, turned out my soldered connection had uncovered hole, coz water were spurting all over from the connection. i had done a poor soldering job. had to cut open the pipe again and panic over what to cover the pipe from the outcoming water. never underestimate the strength of water pressure. un-be-live-able! nothing worked, until i had to stuff wine cork all the way inside the pipe and pressure wrapped it with a lot of rubber gloves. it stopped the water finally.

but my second time was a lot faster, less than 1 hour i was able to finish the job without further damage. once again thanks for compression valve. easy, fast, and clean. but, not without the jittery feeling what if i fail again and have to endure the same painful experience of stuffing water pipe with cork and water still keeps on coming flooding the floor and carpet? with that in mind the whole time i was putting the valve i could only just pray in my heart when the moment of truth arrived. drumrolls please....

....no water appeared to be coming from the connection. whoa! what a relief, my shaking knee could relax a bit now. praise the lord!

i can enjoy the rest of the night or morning just writing for my blog.

How to solder

$$$

2006-11-24T23:26:00.000-06:00

i dont like the new tv commercial for visa credit card. for those who haven't seen, it features somewhat like a mechanism of people moving around in a merry-go-round cafetaria where everybody knows what to order, where to go, and who to get it from. and it seems everything works like a clockwork so neatly, so tidy, so fast, and so joyful to watch. added by a very uplifting jingle song which soundeded like 'the theme from the dwarf's workshop.' at the end of the line, the movie shows you that all these are possible to happen because everyone there is using a visa credit to pay their meals and somehow it keeps the wheel spinning around and around.

until one guy, who instead of using his visa card, grabbed and reached for the green paper. the moolah. dinero. $$$. and disrupt the nice little big-brother-is-watching ecosystem.

they made him look like the little moron and everyone else is cool.

what?? now its cool to be a robot??!! why dont you just put the rfid tag in the heads and not to worry about nobody having nomoney nomore.

Cool Robot

powliz

2006-11-18T01:11:00.000-06:00

whats up with police badge!?
how do we know if its real or fake? coz lately ive heard too many stories about criminals using fake police badge. from kidnapping, assaulting, and just plain trying to manipulate peoples natural fear/hate of police.

but i like gatorade, oh well

2006-11-16T09:50:00.000-06:00

does anyone know if gatorade has aspartame in it? i dont see it in the nutrition facts at their website. but, i read a few articles about how bad aspartame (phenylalanine) is.

and the fact that the fda approved it under the consent of president reagan is beyond belief. well, actually it makes sense if you look at it that donald rumsfeld was the chairman of Searle (the chemical company that holds the patent to aspartame) and was ronald reagan's middle east personal representative.

even though aspartame is a carcinogen, well, somewhat like msg, its still widely used specially in soft drinks like pepsi and mountain dew.

dont worry its for the greater good, a few people die because of it but it creates millions of jobs and trickle down industries, which means more jobs and more money to spend

..for the rich.

two of a kind turd

2006-11-15T16:53:00.000-06:00

for those who thinks you're off the hook now that republicans have lost control of the congress, think again!

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2005 (HR2662) or the anti-hate bill is basically will pass (it didn't before because the republicans congressional backing blocked it) and that means the end of freedom of speech.

Pastor sentenced to jail for preaching against homosexuals

and keep on sleeping people! you just don't realize what have happenned, do you? they have taken away all of your rights! bill of what? who cares right? as long as britney breaks free from k-fx.

for those patriots who support the patriot act and think that its only for those "dirty-smelly-goat-terrorist." oh, im not a terrorist, i'm a true american. i love jennifer anniston.

Mid-flight sexual play lands US couple afoul of anti-terrorism law

what is more american than joining the mile high club?? and still you dont think this will effect your life. thats ok at least they take it little by little and when one day i wake up there is totally no freedom, huh, who cares? its not gonna be only me. im still cool coz im with the crowd.

btw, you won't find the article in headlines like that anymore. they cut out the patriot act part so it would look like just another lewdness of people. of course, its not the perverted big brother trying to censor anything from the media.

c-7070

2006-11-11T03:19:00.000-06:00

this is the first time i gain appreciation from a tech product. it surprised me when i checked ebay for olympus camedia digital camera c-7070, it actually more expensive now than when i bought it about 2 years ago. and its not just by a few bucks but about $150 more.

well i have to admit that when i first laid eyes on this camera and called several vendors who claimed to have it on their website, most of them said they were out. until eventually i found one thru ebay. at that time i paid a little over $400 from the $380 price tag i first thought i was gonna pay for this kind of camera.

maybe i was just got lucky considering the $799 us msrp it has when released.

happy voting

2006-11-07T20:24:00.000-06:00

good luck democracy!

Hacking Democracy

false christ

2006-11-06T15:30:00.000-06:00

jose luis de jesus miranda claims that jesus fused with his body in 1976. "i am jesus christ the man," he announced himself. he wears rolex, drives bmw, and has about 100,000 members in 300 congregations.

some of his teachings are:

there is no sin
the devil does not exist
all other religions are wrong and bad
and you can live however you wish without concern for eternity

he told the miami paper, "my purpose is to close down every church so the true church can begin." his members march in the streets, hold portests, take over companies, and are reported to be violent at times. they wear t-shirts sporting "god has come" slogan. even though this god has to pay $300,000 a year to have a team of body guards protect him.

it is written,
"At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." - Matthew 24:23-27
"At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time." -Mark 13:21-23

"Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." -Revelation 22: 7

big brother bush

2006-11-04T07:05:00.000-06:00

"Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder."

Military Commissions Act

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." - Rev. 13:11-12

big brother britain

2006-11-02T22:47:00.000-06:00

LONDON (AFP) - Britain is becoming a "surveillance society", where CCTV cameras, credit card analysis and travel movements are used to track people's lives minute by minute.
The 140-page document, produced by academic group the Surveillance Studies Network, warns that by 2016 people's lives will be monitored even more than they are now by the government, the public sector and big business.

Read here for full article

"Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." - Rev. 13:11-12

im innocence

2006-11-02T12:03:00.002-06:00

i heard this on the radio the other day, "money problem is not your fault! a lot of people has the same problem" it was for one of those credit/mortgage consolidation ads.

and i was just stunned. how could you say that having a financial problem has no direct correlation of our financial decision, spending behavior, or money saving wisdom? having a multitude of people that share the same problem doesn't make it less our fault either.

you could say that some people are just not as lucky as others who were borned rich and privilege. and you could argue that the system makes it so hard now for the people to be able to even live out the simple american dream. to own a car, a house and raise a family these days you have to work two jobs and sacrifice the weekend. at the end of the day you still left with nothing but a bunch of credit cards which give you a false assurance that you will be alright with your nice car, bling-bling, high def television, gadgets and other toys to distract you from reality that none of that even matter or could give you the true sense of happiness. how can you keep up with all these so called modern thing that would go obsolete after a few months?

but you cant use these as an excuse to be reckless, careless, and irresponsible. using common sense is a big help. dont spend more than you earn. dont be greedy for a high-risk-get-rich-quick scheme. educate yourself before take action. take responsibility of our action.

i have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - john 10:10

bullish season

2006-11-01T01:56:00.000-06:00

the bulls tip off the season with authority blowing past the defending champs miami heat 108-66. thats a 42 points spread baby! the worst lost by a defending champs on opening night before was only 15 points.

i dont think this is really any indication of how bad miami is. but, dismantling the champs on the night they received the ring is a good feeling honey! well all they have to do now is doing it 81 times more.

what a season for chicago sports. the bears are 7-0, the sox got their rings last year, the bulls is very much promising as a real contender, and also the cubs... uh, nevermind.

kublai khan in heaven

2006-10-29T23:50:00.000-06:00

i was surprised the first time i heard it. but, it turned out that he was very interested with christianity when first introduced by the polos (marco and his two uncles maffeo and nicolo). he even asked them to ask the pope to send christian missionaries to teach christianity for his people. however, because of the turmoil between the cardinals at that time to elect a new pope this missed opportunity forever failed to change the face of the eastern civilization. Instead they only sent two and both of them were unable to finished their journey.

can you imagine if it wasnt for the politics, the chinese civilization could have become a christian world! couldve.. shouldve.. wouldve..

"And so I shall be baptized, and when I shall be baptized all my baron and great men will be baptized, and their subjects baptized, and so there will be more Christian here than there are in your parts. " - k.khan

halloween trip

2006-10-29T03:12:00.000-06:00

we went to indiana dunes.
the wind was gusting so hard, the sand was all over our body inside out.
we went to the state park and it was so creepy with all the wind, the big waves from the lake crashing onto the beach and the dim light just before dusk. it felt like something was watching our every step in the forest and beach. no one else was there except the two of us.
the road to that state park was even scarrier. dark green swamp on each side and so many wind-blown-fallen trees all over. we felt like frodo and sam wandering the middle earth.
but, at the end of the trip we got a little consolation price from a little bambi that came by our car and stayed there for a little bit. she tried to get a pic of bambi, but didnt turn out too great (first pic).

un-satisfy my soul

2006-10-28T02:18:00.000-05:00

its weird, i was sleeping and in that sleep i was dreaming that i was talking to my gf about something i dont remember but when i was about to fully woke up from my sleep because of the sound of her typing the computer keyboard, this is what i had in my head as if i was still talking to her in my dream:

"what a low-blow if you are a cubs fan! in back-to-back years your two biggest rivals won the world series."

yes its not a dream, its a true fact, that last year the chi-white sox won the pennant and just last night the st. louis cardinals won it over the pine-tar-cheating-pitcher kenny rogers and the detroit tigers.

however, it gives me the push to write my blog again.

i have been hiding from reality. i want to hide from my realization that i have become a cultural christian, which means i live a secular life with only one day out of a week i go to church as only an old habit hard to break. for most population, this way of life is very sufficient. i dont think it will satisfy my soul.

tv program

2006-09-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

im addicted to tv. but not the regular tv. this is actually a ministry and you have to Watch it thru satellite dish or the internet.

3ABN: Three Angels Broadcasting Network
Hope Channel

"Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who Watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."
-Rev. 16:15-

newsweek cover for this week

2006-09-25T23:49:00.000-05:00

well actually, the one in asia is different. but you got the message.

eminent domain abuse

2006-09-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

i think more and more evidence we can see that we are being stripped away of our freedom. the latest is eminent domain abuse. It is the inherent power of the state to expropriate private property without the owner's consent, either for its own use or by delegation of the taking power to third parties who will devote it to "public uses," the most common examples being public utilities or railroads.

Link to fighting EDA

The Supreme Court ruled that local governments may force property owners to sell out and make way for private economic development when officials decide it would benefit the public, even if the property is not blighted and the new project's success is not guaranteed.

Article

first your house, then what? your right to vote? which by the way is being replace with hackable electronic voting machine anyway. religous freedom?

this is america! not some third world country!! or maybe i am wrong, maybe this country is as corrupt as those under developed countries but because there are so much money around and everybody seems to get a piece of the cake. so nobody would complaint or even bother to stand up for their rights.

wake up! life in america is not always about fame and fortune. the american dream is not only to make as much money as you can or to have sex with as many men, women, or creature as you want. it is about living a life that you are comfortable with. even if its only a small house by the beach. or to pray to whomever you want to pray to.

e.r

2006-09-23T17:42:00.000-05:00

i took my dad to er last week. that was quite an experience. he has pain in his pelvis area. he tried to get rid of it with his arthritis medications. however, after 3-4 days taking the medicine, the pain still linger around. couldn't handle the pain anymore, he asked me to take him to hospital. make a long story short, a team of doctors there found out that his sodium level was very low (hyponatremia) and they would like to find out why.

first possibility and the prime suspicion is that he took too many anti-inflammatory medicine for his pain combined with his high blood pressure pills and it made his kidney did not function properly and not able to absorb any sodium for the body. everything just flushed out with the urine. but, being in a state-operated hospital with a lot of intern house staff, i think they saw this as an opportunity to explore further posibility of what would cause the hyponatremia.

they did x-rays and ct scan and found a little nodule in his lung and a little nodule in his thyroid (both could also be the source of his hyponatremia).

furthermore, they wanted to do biopsy to make sure those nodules doesn't turn out to be cancer. but, my brother-in-law, a cytologist, told my mom to decline the biopsy but rather opted to do another ct scan after 3-6 more months because he concerned that the one who would do the biopsy would only do this for practice not as a qualified specialist doctor.

this freaked my dad out. he became worried and delusional in the hospital. all he wanted to do was just to go home. his condition actually worsen after gaining back his sodium level to normal and had steadily maintain it for a few days in there.

i finally told the doctors of what happened and asked permission to be discharge from the hospital. they let us go, with high concern and strong recommendation for him to follow up his condition.

all my family members are probably in denial and took all this so lightly. my self, i just think it is a coincidence for my dad which is 71 years old, to develop cancerous nodules in a small amount of time prior to his one and only check up. or this could be a miracle performed by God for my family to be able to catch developing cancer in a very early stage in what suppose to be a treatment for pain in the hip joint.

btw, the pain in the hip still there and no other complications but an inflammatory muscle pain.

so, we'll see whats gonna happen next.

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.
voltaire

infallible pope?

2006-09-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

well, i thought the pope is infallible? so how come he apoligized to the moslem world? did it mean that he admitted that he could be wrong and he was wrong?!

The Most Amazing Prophecy

live longer

2006-09-13T12:55:00.000-05:00

loose change google video 911

2006-09-12T19:15:00.000-05:00

Click here to watch Loose Change Documentary from Google Video

do you really think this is just another conspiracy theory?

are you angry yet?

2006-09-11T17:05:00.000-05:00

messy blog

2006-09-11T07:20:00.000-05:00

six billion humans living in this earth and could you imagine if in less than a hundred years we all disappear from this planet? i think it is a very possible scenario. after all the great civilization vanished before. Babylon, Greece, Rome, Egypt, Maya, Inca, and even the ones in asia didn't last forever. So, what makes us think this great modern western society of ours will endure the test of time? History tells us it's just a matter of time.

This trend also true in the animal kingdom, we never truly know what caused the extinction of dinosaurs and we are totally not responsible for their extinction. Many species were build to survive any conditions but well they didn't. We also have our shares of making species dissapear. It happened to passenger pigeon for example. there were as many as five billion estimated in the us and were hunted into extinction in the early 1900s. 5,000,000,000 to 0 in less than 100 years.

do we blame ourself? or is it just earth's way of getting rid passenger pigeon by using human? do you ever think that maybe we are part of earth's plan to get rid of all the animals and vegetation to make way for a new kind of life? and after she has done with us human, she would simply use natural disaster perhaps to clean up herself from human just like noah's ark (remeber tsunami).

you would say i'm crazy to think this way but check this out. we only explore about 1% of the deep ocean, i mean it's so deep it's hard to fathom :) and there we actually found ecosystems, i mean living communities of organism totally independent of the sun which originally thought the only source of life here on earth. no, no, no! life also can derived from methane and sulfide.

i dont know why i write about this stuff, i was actually gonna write about 911 five years later. but, im just so tired watching all the specials about it.

freedom what?!

2006-09-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. -voltaire-

God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh. -voltaire-

long distance

2006-09-09T08:50:00.000-05:00

a friend of mine called today, she lives in boston. but, just recently has to go long distance with her husband in long island. not an uplifting news.
so, here are some tips i got from about.com regarding long distance romance.

Establish some ground rules.
Get everything in the open, so no one feels they’re sneaking around. Talk about whether you can see other people romantically, how often you’d like to speak to each other, and if there are special occasions where the two of you must see each other in person. (rules meant to be broken)
Snail mail is an inexpensive way to stay in touch.
The recipient can keep the letter and read it any time they need a burst of love. Of course, you can send more than letters. You could send a taped message, a CD that alternates between your message and some favorite songs, or even a blank jigsaw puzzle that you write on and send a few pieces at a time. (just make sure ur dirty vidoes safe)
Arrange to watch a TV program together.
That way, you can experience the enjoyment simultaneously, even though you're miles apart.
Don't fight over small problems.
Because you can't talk as often as you like, everything becomes magnified. Therefore, make a decision that you won’t fight over small problems. All couples fight some of the time, but when you are in an LDR, save the fighting for the really important issues.
Accept uncertainty.
When you do see each other again, things might seem initially tense. You may wonder, “Do I still love him?” or “Is this relationship still worthwhile?” Those thoughts are normal. They’ll pass. And if they don’t, you should consider breaking up.
If there are problems, tell them.
If you see the relationship breaking apart, don’t keep it from the other person. Tell them. Don’t leave that kind of message on an answering machine or throw it in an email. Get the other person on the phone. They deserve it.
Plan a surprise trip.
At times, phone and email won't cut it. The best thing to do is see your loved one in person. (also to make sure he/she ain't a cheating)

stop! in the name of law!

2006-09-07T23:32:00.000-05:00

i almost got a ticket today for disobeying a stop sign. i was going home and i didn't usually take this route but once in a while if my regular route is a little bit jammed, i just took this shortcut to save time. however, as i turned my car without stopping at the stop sign, there it was a police car came from the other direction and he looked right into me and said, "there is a stop sign over there!"

i stopped and must have looked like a racoon got caught digging your dumpster in the middle of the night. "pull to the side, im gonna pull you over," he said. after i showed him my license, registration, and proof of insurance, he told me that he didnt usually charge people for disobeying a stop time unless its really bad. and it was really bad. i didnt stop at all and just rolled thru and turned right into his unbelieving eyes.

nonetheless, a small miracle happened when he asked when was the last time i was charged for traffic violation? i said, "i dont remember." then he said, "ok, if it has been awhile, im just gonna give you a warning instead." a little bit of hope, i assured myself, but dont get it to high. afterall, cops always let me down.

after an agonizing 7 minutes of waiting his decision. he came by my window and said, "this is just a warning!" i can actually hear the angels sing, "hallelujah! hallelujah!"
well actually, it was the sound of a passing train that deafened me and made my heart screamed, "praise the lord!" :)

this actually restored a little bit of dignity i have toward our brave law enforcement force.