I admit it; I am a nerd. I'm one of those guys that get called to come over and install some software, remove a virus, configure a firewall, or connect some new peripheral. I'm one of those nerds who never calls tech support or Geek Squad because we feel that we can do a better job of configuring our own electronics and thinks it is ridiculous the prices they charge for such services. To be honest, I enjoy helping others with their techie support issues.
And like most nerds, my interests extend well beyond just computer hardware and software, video games, and electronics. Oh yes, there's much more "nerd" under the hood of this nerd mobile. I also enjoy classic nerdy things like board games (Catan with its various expansions). I like some of the Japanese cartoons that have made their way onto American TV. It's no surprise that most of my closest friends share many of the same interests.
Sometimes I get so excited about some new piece of technology or some new gadget that I bought (like the Sony HDRCX500V HD camcorder, or the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard with LCD) that I just go on and on about it with my friends telling them about how cool it is and listing all of its features. Meanwhile, my wife just blankly stares at us because she is incredulous that I can't see how "nerdy" I am sometimes. Haha, she says that I'm "geeking out". I guess it's like the nerd equivalent to "rocking out" to a new hit song or something.
Like I said before, I'm proud to be a nerd. But sometimes, I read something so "nerdy" that I just have to stop and tell myself, "Wow! That was really nerdy!" One of those moments happened this weekend. One of my best friends, A.D. posed the question on his Facebook status, "Who would win in a fight? Goku or Superman?"
For those of you who don't already know, Goku is a fictional character and main protoganist from the anime series Dragon Ball. He possesses superhuman strength and practices martial arts. He has cool spikey hair that gets even cooler when get gets angry. He can transform himself into more advanced states such as Super Saiyan where he becomes stronger, faster, and can perform more special abilities. And everyone already knows what Superman can do with his superhuman strength, x-ray vision, and powers of flight.
Anyways, back to my friend's innocuous question. A bunch of his friends (myself included) with various levels of nerdiness provided their opinions on the subject. Some people felt that Goku would win because his devastating attacks would destroy Superman. Others contended that Superman would easily win because he does not take 30 episodes to perform an attack. This is a slight exaggeration to the fact that Goku would often charge up and then talk and talk while fighting an opponent. This process could easily span several episodes before actually performing a major attack. Back and forth it went. 27 comments later, there was still no clear winner.
That's when it struck me. "Wow! That was pretty nerdy!" Why are we arguing about two fictional characters from two completely separate universes? Does it even matter what the result is at the end of the day? *blink blink* *blink blink* I now know how my wife feels when she sees me "geeking out".
So I'm gonna have to rethink this whole "being-a-nerd" thing. You know how a new product gets released and it has a version number? The first iteration is usually 1.0. Then down the road, they come up with an improved version with some bug fixes and a list of new features and call it version 2.0. Well, that's why I consider myself a "Nerd 2.0". I'm a nerd but with some slight improvements. Let me explain.
When you think of a nerd (at version 1.0), the stereotype that comes to mind is a geeky guy with glasses and probably lives in his mom's basement. He's knowledgeable with computers, electronics, and other technology. He's up-to-date with the latest Internet memes and talks in l33t speak. He's fluent in both Klingon and Shyriiwook (Wookiee). His main weakness is awkwardness in social situations, especially in dealings with the opposite sex.
Well, that's why I'd like to think of myself as being a "Nerd 2.0". I can "geek out" with the best of them but I think I do alright in many social situations. I love having my friends over. I love following sports and even play a few of them. And no, Ultimate Frisbee is not a nerd sport! I sometimes leave the nerd cave and experience sunlight (i.e., hang out with my friends). I managed to get married so I think that automatically makes me at least "Nerd 1.1" or something.
So anyways, back to that original question: "Who would win in a fight? Goku or Superman?" Well, the answer is simple. It doesn't matter because whoever won would lose to my boy, Wolverine!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Maverick
It’s taken a few weeks but this will be my first post that I’ve typed with the new computer. In this post, I’ll l be writing about our other cat, Maverick or Mavi for short.
Two years around Valentine's Day, Tary was considering getting another cat. We weren’t really sure what kind of cat we wanted but we preferred having a kitten because everyone loves baby animals. We went to PetSmart and I saw this adorable little female kitten. She was super energetic and playful but Tary was concerned that the new kitten might get herself hurt like what happened to Gambit if she jumped around the house while we were away at work.
Tary saw another kitten that was a lot bigger because he was already 6 months old. I didn’t know what to think of him at first but Tary absolutely loved him so we filled out the paperwork and brought “Junior” home…that’s what they called him there. What’s up with the adoption shelters and giving horrible names to their pets? Anyways, sticking with the X-Men theme, I was originally going to name him “Cable” because “Cable” from X-Men has white hair. But he had an adorable little gray streak running along the top of his head. It reminded me of another character from the X-Men comics, “Maverick”. So goodbye “Junior” and welcome “Mavi”!
When we first brought Mavi home, we had to keep him in the cage for a little bit so that Gambit could get used to having a little brother. Mavi was fine with having a new brother but Gambit wasn’t as enthusiastic. We sometimes let Mavi out of his cage but kept him inside of a room while Gambit was in the rest of the house so that they could smell each other underneath the door.
A few days later, it looked like Gambit was a little less resistant to his new brother so we put Mavi in the cage and let Gambit come up and sniff Mavi. Things looked pretty good so we let Mavi out and surprisingly, they got along pretty well. Whew, what a relief.
So what can I share about Mavi? Well, he’s our cat-dog. What I mean by that is he has a lot of characteristics that are more normally associated with dogs. He actually comes to you when you call his name. He loves to roll over when you pet him so you can rub his belly. He even plays fetch! He’ll carry a little mouse or ball in his mouth and bring it over to you when he wants to play. He’ll wait for you to throw it but if you take too long, he’ll meow repeatedly until you play with him. Once you throw the ball, he’ll go chasing after it and he’ll bring it back. He’s adorable when he’s so playful but it can be tiring when he wants to play at 3 AM!
Mavi has a really cute but high pitched meow. The best way I can describe it is “gee-eww” in the highest possible voice you can make. It’s kind of weird but adds to his charm. It’s like he never really learned how to meow or maybe he never felt like he had to while he was growing up. I’ve found that if you call his name in the same high pitch that he meows with, he'll definitely come running over to you.
Like his brother, Mavi loves to stare out the window. He waits on the couch for me to come home from work. Gambit is a Momma’s boy but Mavi is definitely a Daddy’s boy. When I pull into the driveway, he jumps off the couch and waits by the door for me to come into the house. Then he jumps into my legs and waits for me to pet him.
You can tell that Mavi is just like his Daddy because he also snores in his sleep. Sometimes he’ll make himself comfortable on a soft blanket somewhere and you’ll start to hear the little guy snoring. It’s so adorable that I can’t help but go over there and start petting him until he wakes up again.
Mavi definitely loves being petted and physical affection. He’s definitely more outgoing than Gambit is so he’ll sometimes walk around the house when we have a few guests over. If you hold out your hand, he’ll probably come over to you and let you pet him. He kind of has a poor sense of body awareness so he’ll often do a little jump and turn his head toward you to let him pet him but he’ll do it too soon so you won’t be able to reach him without scooting a little towards him first.
Mavi absolutely loves to play. Like I said before, he loves to play fetch. He likes to jump around and chase after the feather teasers. Sometimes he’ll walk over to a teaser that has been left on the ground and hit it with his paws so that the bells on it would jingle. That’s his way of saying, “Hey Mommy/Daddy, come play with me!”
I think Gambit and Mavi play fight way too much. Or at least it looks too rough for my liking. Gambit is always chasing Mavi around the house and I think Mavi sometimes likes to goad him along. Gambit likes to be on the offensive while Mavi is usually the counter-puncher. Gambit usually tries to attack from all fours so he can only take swipes with one of his front paws. Mavi usually lies on his back so he can use both his front paws and sometimes even a back paw to retaliate with.
Another interesting thing about Mavi is that he loves ice from the ice maker of the fridge. If you are filling up a glass with some ice, he’ll stand on his hind legs next to the fridge until you drop a small piece of ice on the ground for him. Then he’ll start hitting it and chasing it around the floor like it’s a puck on an ice rink.
The last thing that I wanted to share about Mavi is that he’s probably the happiest kitty in the world. He’ll sometimes start purring for no apparent reason and start kneading something soft nearby. He’s not a lap kitty like Gambit is so he won’t stay on your lap for long but he’ll jump on it if you pat your lap. He likes to sleep on the corner of the bed some nights just so he can stay close to us. If he notices that I’m semi awake in the middle of the night, he’ll sometimes come over and then fall asleep on my chest.
Mavi is definitely the baby of the family and I know I spoil him like crazy. He’s about 2 and a half years old now (his birthday is in September). I wish I could bottle him up and keep him at this age forever. What’s kind of funny is that I’ve always wanted a dog when I was growing up. Now that I’m older and we have Mavi, I finally have that dog I’ve always wanted; I just didn’t know that it would be a cat.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
New Computer
I apologize for the lack of updates but as some of you already know, I was busy with the new computer. As soon as all of the parts came in, I stayed up all night putting everything together, installing the OS and some programs, and updating some drivers. Now that some time has passed, I can finally reflect a little bit about the whole experience.
About two weeks ago, all of my computer parts had arrived from their various retailers. I ordered almost everything from Newegg.com and of course, it all arrived before I could count to two (business days). I bought the CPU and SSD from Micro Center because the CPU was about $80 cheaper there and it was the only place that had the SSD in stock even though it was a few dollars more expensive than other sites.
I ordered the heat sink/fan from some 3rd party on Amazon to try to save a few bucks. Man, that was a huge mistake. I had to wait forever for it to arrive. Let me just say that USPS is the worst shipping method ever! It is sooooooo slow! The online tracking is a joke because they don't bother to update it. The package was supposed to have started in Nevada but I had no clue where it was along its journey. The next time I order something, I'm just gonna save myself the trouble and just buy it from Newegg.com.
While I waited for the heat sink/fan to arrive, I figured I'd order a new tube of Artic Silver 5 (AS5) thermal compound and a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) from Newegg.com. Surprise, surprise, this shipment arrived before the heat sink/fan did. The wait was killing me!
Anyways, the parts finally arrived a few days later and I started unpacking everything. The Lian Li case was simple in styling but is a very elegant case. I wasn't crazy about the blue LED fans but I guess it doesn't hurt to have the few extra horse power. I started with trying to open up the side doors on the Lian Li case. Things were pretty tight so it took a little bit of effort to get some of the screws to turn freely. After I took a peek at what was inside the case, I started to envision the layout of the devices and the cables.
I got started on the motherboard. I put the CPU in place and locked it into place. I put the mounting brackets from the heat sink/fan on the back of the motherboard. I installed the RAM next. No problems so far. I then spread a thin layer of the AS5 on the heat spreader of the CPU. Next came the heat sink/fan. Wow. That thing is a beast!
I then put the I/O shield on the back of the case. I slowly lowered the whole motherboard, CPU, heat sink/fan combination down into the case and wrestled to get the motherboard screws in place. In hindsight, it probably would have been easier if I didn't put the heat sink/fan until much later in the process. I got a ton of nicks and scrapes from trying to work around the fins of the heat sink. Did I mention how buff that thing is?
Anyways, I put the hard drives in next. The Lian Li case comes with some rubber dampeners and screws so that the hard drives just slide into the rails. That's such a nice feature. After popping out the topmost front plate, the DVD-ROM went in next and that was easy to put in with the case's quick latch system.
The PSU went in next followed by the GPU. I connected the power lines mostly along the bottom of the case to keep things as neat as I could. The only exception to this was the stupid EPS12V 8-pin connector which was too short to easily reach the connection on the motherboard. I tried wrapping the cable down along the bottom of the case, behind the motherboard tray, and then back up and around the CPU but it just wasn't long enough, especially in a full tower like this one. Sigh. I just gave up and strung the cable directly over the GPU.
I started wiring up the rest of the system and it went relatively smoothly. The SATA cables easily reached the hard drives. It was a little tricky getting a clean layout for the power cables for the case fans but it was easier when I used the full length of the case fan cables.
It was finally ready for its first power up. I connected my monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power cable to the computer and fired it up. Nothing. D'oh! I forgot to switch on the power switch on the back of the PSU. Okay, attempt #2. Fail again. I forgot to hook up another cable. Okay, attempt #3! Woo hoo! It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!!!
After tweaking the BIOS to run my RAM at its rated 1600 MHz, I started installing Windows 7 onto the SSD. After I finally got to the desktop, wow, this machine flies. It sure runs circles around my old system which I built about 5 years ago. Well, it better considering I spent about $2,000 on this thing! Windows 7 definitely feels pretty snappy on this machine. The load times are minimal thanks to the SSD.
Now onto gaming! Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta looks amazing on this machine. It's great to be able to play the game at its highest settings. I think the current beta has reduced quality textures so the final product should look even better when it's released next week. It's great to be able to play at higher than 1 FPS. I can see what I'm shooting at!
So what's next? Well, I still have a ton of old files that I need to sort on the new computer. I've already installed most of the programs that I think I need. I guess when I get some free time, I'll try to run some benchmarks and post some scores. Then it's time to push this system a little bit and see how far this system can overclock!
Oh, since the time that my parts have arrived, I added a few more gadgets to the system thanks to some coupons from Best Buy. My old Sennheiser headset was having problems with being too sensitive when I moved my head so I replaced it with a Logitech G35 headset. My awesome Microsoft ergonomic keyboard was replaced by the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard. It stinks to lose the ergonomic form factor but the keyboard's LCD, extra gaming buttons, riced out LEDs, and anti-ghosting features easily makes up for it. Tary definitely likes that the new keyboard is black because it now matches the rest of my system; My old keyboard was white. Lastly, I replaced my Microsoft Intellisense mouse with the Logitech G500. Let the games begin!
To finish, here are my current system specs:
Monitor: Samsung 930BF-BK
Case: Lian Li PC-A70F
CPU: Intel Core i7 920
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5
Heat sink/fan: Noctua DH-N14
RAM: OCZ3G1600LV6GK
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 5870
PSU: Corsair 850HX
Storage:
Intel X25-M 80GB SSD
2 x 1TB Western Digital Cavalier Black
DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc 24x
Speakers: Logitech Z-640 5.1 Speaker System
Keyboard: Logitech G15
Mouse: Logitech G500
Headset: Logitech G35
About two weeks ago, all of my computer parts had arrived from their various retailers. I ordered almost everything from Newegg.com and of course, it all arrived before I could count to two (business days). I bought the CPU and SSD from Micro Center because the CPU was about $80 cheaper there and it was the only place that had the SSD in stock even though it was a few dollars more expensive than other sites.
I ordered the heat sink/fan from some 3rd party on Amazon to try to save a few bucks. Man, that was a huge mistake. I had to wait forever for it to arrive. Let me just say that USPS is the worst shipping method ever! It is sooooooo slow! The online tracking is a joke because they don't bother to update it. The package was supposed to have started in Nevada but I had no clue where it was along its journey. The next time I order something, I'm just gonna save myself the trouble and just buy it from Newegg.com.
While I waited for the heat sink/fan to arrive, I figured I'd order a new tube of Artic Silver 5 (AS5) thermal compound and a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) from Newegg.com. Surprise, surprise, this shipment arrived before the heat sink/fan did. The wait was killing me!
Anyways, the parts finally arrived a few days later and I started unpacking everything. The Lian Li case was simple in styling but is a very elegant case. I wasn't crazy about the blue LED fans but I guess it doesn't hurt to have the few extra horse power. I started with trying to open up the side doors on the Lian Li case. Things were pretty tight so it took a little bit of effort to get some of the screws to turn freely. After I took a peek at what was inside the case, I started to envision the layout of the devices and the cables.
I got started on the motherboard. I put the CPU in place and locked it into place. I put the mounting brackets from the heat sink/fan on the back of the motherboard. I installed the RAM next. No problems so far. I then spread a thin layer of the AS5 on the heat spreader of the CPU. Next came the heat sink/fan. Wow. That thing is a beast!
I then put the I/O shield on the back of the case. I slowly lowered the whole motherboard, CPU, heat sink/fan combination down into the case and wrestled to get the motherboard screws in place. In hindsight, it probably would have been easier if I didn't put the heat sink/fan until much later in the process. I got a ton of nicks and scrapes from trying to work around the fins of the heat sink. Did I mention how buff that thing is?
Anyways, I put the hard drives in next. The Lian Li case comes with some rubber dampeners and screws so that the hard drives just slide into the rails. That's such a nice feature. After popping out the topmost front plate, the DVD-ROM went in next and that was easy to put in with the case's quick latch system.
The PSU went in next followed by the GPU. I connected the power lines mostly along the bottom of the case to keep things as neat as I could. The only exception to this was the stupid EPS12V 8-pin connector which was too short to easily reach the connection on the motherboard. I tried wrapping the cable down along the bottom of the case, behind the motherboard tray, and then back up and around the CPU but it just wasn't long enough, especially in a full tower like this one. Sigh. I just gave up and strung the cable directly over the GPU.
I started wiring up the rest of the system and it went relatively smoothly. The SATA cables easily reached the hard drives. It was a little tricky getting a clean layout for the power cables for the case fans but it was easier when I used the full length of the case fan cables.
It was finally ready for its first power up. I connected my monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power cable to the computer and fired it up. Nothing. D'oh! I forgot to switch on the power switch on the back of the PSU. Okay, attempt #2. Fail again. I forgot to hook up another cable. Okay, attempt #3! Woo hoo! It's alive! IT'S ALIVE!!!
After tweaking the BIOS to run my RAM at its rated 1600 MHz, I started installing Windows 7 onto the SSD. After I finally got to the desktop, wow, this machine flies. It sure runs circles around my old system which I built about 5 years ago. Well, it better considering I spent about $2,000 on this thing! Windows 7 definitely feels pretty snappy on this machine. The load times are minimal thanks to the SSD.
Now onto gaming! Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Beta looks amazing on this machine. It's great to be able to play the game at its highest settings. I think the current beta has reduced quality textures so the final product should look even better when it's released next week. It's great to be able to play at higher than 1 FPS. I can see what I'm shooting at!
So what's next? Well, I still have a ton of old files that I need to sort on the new computer. I've already installed most of the programs that I think I need. I guess when I get some free time, I'll try to run some benchmarks and post some scores. Then it's time to push this system a little bit and see how far this system can overclock!
Oh, since the time that my parts have arrived, I added a few more gadgets to the system thanks to some coupons from Best Buy. My old Sennheiser headset was having problems with being too sensitive when I moved my head so I replaced it with a Logitech G35 headset. My awesome Microsoft ergonomic keyboard was replaced by the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard. It stinks to lose the ergonomic form factor but the keyboard's LCD, extra gaming buttons, riced out LEDs, and anti-ghosting features easily makes up for it. Tary definitely likes that the new keyboard is black because it now matches the rest of my system; My old keyboard was white. Lastly, I replaced my Microsoft Intellisense mouse with the Logitech G500. Let the games begin!
To finish, here are my current system specs:
Monitor: Samsung 930BF-BK
Case: Lian Li PC-A70F
CPU: Intel Core i7 920
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5
Heat sink/fan: Noctua DH-N14
RAM: OCZ3G1600LV6GK
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 5870
PSU: Corsair 850HX
Storage:
Intel X25-M 80GB SSD
2 x 1TB Western Digital Cavalier Black
DVD Burner: Sony Optiarc 24x
Speakers: Logitech Z-640 5.1 Speaker System
Keyboard: Logitech G15
Mouse: Logitech G500
Headset: Logitech G35
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
I Love You
With Valentine's Day just slightly past us, I wanted to touch upon a subject that has been on my mind lately. I've been meaning to write about this topic for several weeks now and I have been saving it just for a slow blogging day like today.
I wanted to write about the words, "I love you." There are few words that are more beautiful or more meaningful when put together than the three small words, "I love you". However, one thing that has always bothered me is when people use phrases such as, "love you", "love ya", "i luv you", "i luv u" or their variants. By changing any one of the individual words, not only are you changing the meaning of the individual word, but you're also changing the collective meaning as well.
Let's break down each of the words one by one and see why each one is so important. The first word "I" is a pronoun, signifying the one who is speaking/writing or in this case, feeling. The word "I" lets everyone know who feels the love for the other person. By including the "I", you are proudly taking ownership of the love and letting others know that "Hey everyone, I am the one who loves you!"
Without the word "I", we have to assume who is feeling this love. The remaining words "love you" simply means that there is some feeling known as "love" and that it is directed toward you. In other words, someone loves you. And by someone, it could mean anyone. Your mother loves you. Your pets love you (unless you forget to feed them) . Your friends love you (unless you forget to feed them). By including the word "I", you remove all ambiguity. Without it, it merely speaks of platonic love.
The word "I" is one of the shortest words in the English language. To exclude it just for the sake of saving one keystroke (or two if you include the space that follows it) is just laziness when you consider how much meaning you lose by omitting it. If you truly love someone, then include it. They should be worth that extra letter.
Then it takes us to the word "love". When people spell it any other way (e.g., luv, lub, etc) than how it should be spelled, it's not the same "word". Love in its purest sense is the strongest emotional connection and feelings that one can have for another person. According to 1st Corinthians, 13:4-7:
"Luv" is not the same thing as love. "Luv" is what a teenager feels for their high school crush. "Luv" is what you feel when they think it might be love but are afraid to say it. "Luv" is what you feel when you are not ready to love someone more than you love yourself. As the quote from the Bible stated, love is not self-seeking. Truly loving someone means that you will put their needs and wants before your own. "Luv" is not ready for that kind of commitment or selflessness.
Love is so much greater than "luv" or its any of its cousins. I cannot state that more plainly than that. For you math majors out there, love > "luv". For you geeks, love = FTW while "luv" = FAIL. Love deserves to be respected so if you truly love someone, use the actual word to tell them.
Lastly, we have the word "you". "You" identifies the target of your love. You are clearly stating who you have love for. There are millions of things that you can love. You can love your family. You can love your favorite team. You can love your new computer that is really buff. But with the words "I love you", you are stating exactly who you love and not just what you love.
The word "ya" is a slang term for "you". It is informal. It is impersonal. The only place that "ya" appears somewhat useful is in a rhetorical question. Ya know what I mean? Ya catch my drift? Okay, I think ya get the idea.
So the next time you are on Facebook or on some instant messenger program and you have someone that you love, stop and think about this post. If you truly love them, take the time to write out those three small words, "I love you" and tell them how you really feel. Don't be lazy and try to save a few keystrokes. They'll appreciate the extra effort. They'll appreciate the extra meaning behind those words. And if you must be lazy, at least copy and paste the "I love you" from this sentence. :)
I wanted to write about the words, "I love you." There are few words that are more beautiful or more meaningful when put together than the three small words, "I love you". However, one thing that has always bothered me is when people use phrases such as, "love you", "love ya", "i luv you", "i luv u" or their variants. By changing any one of the individual words, not only are you changing the meaning of the individual word, but you're also changing the collective meaning as well.
Let's break down each of the words one by one and see why each one is so important. The first word "I" is a pronoun, signifying the one who is speaking/writing or in this case, feeling. The word "I" lets everyone know who feels the love for the other person. By including the "I", you are proudly taking ownership of the love and letting others know that "Hey everyone, I am the one who loves you!"
Without the word "I", we have to assume who is feeling this love. The remaining words "love you" simply means that there is some feeling known as "love" and that it is directed toward you. In other words, someone loves you. And by someone, it could mean anyone. Your mother loves you. Your pets love you (unless you forget to feed them) . Your friends love you (unless you forget to feed them). By including the word "I", you remove all ambiguity. Without it, it merely speaks of platonic love.
The word "I" is one of the shortest words in the English language. To exclude it just for the sake of saving one keystroke (or two if you include the space that follows it) is just laziness when you consider how much meaning you lose by omitting it. If you truly love someone, then include it. They should be worth that extra letter.
Then it takes us to the word "love". When people spell it any other way (e.g., luv, lub, etc) than how it should be spelled, it's not the same "word". Love in its purest sense is the strongest emotional connection and feelings that one can have for another person. According to 1st Corinthians, 13:4-7:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love is beautiful. Love is strong. Love is too wonderful to fully describe in words. For those who are blessed to have experienced true love, it is unmistakable. It is what I feel for Tary and what she feels for me. It's a feeling that cannot be bottled up. It is more than just an emotion. Love is something that grows each day.
"Luv" is not the same thing as love. "Luv" is what a teenager feels for their high school crush. "Luv" is what you feel when they think it might be love but are afraid to say it. "Luv" is what you feel when you are not ready to love someone more than you love yourself. As the quote from the Bible stated, love is not self-seeking. Truly loving someone means that you will put their needs and wants before your own. "Luv" is not ready for that kind of commitment or selflessness.
Love is so much greater than "luv" or its any of its cousins. I cannot state that more plainly than that. For you math majors out there, love > "luv". For you geeks, love = FTW while "luv" = FAIL. Love deserves to be respected so if you truly love someone, use the actual word to tell them.
Lastly, we have the word "you". "You" identifies the target of your love. You are clearly stating who you have love for. There are millions of things that you can love. You can love your family. You can love your favorite team. You can love your new computer that is really buff. But with the words "I love you", you are stating exactly who you love and not just what you love.
The word "ya" is a slang term for "you". It is informal. It is impersonal. The only place that "ya" appears somewhat useful is in a rhetorical question. Ya know what I mean? Ya catch my drift? Okay, I think ya get the idea.
So the next time you are on Facebook or on some instant messenger program and you have someone that you love, stop and think about this post. If you truly love them, take the time to write out those three small words, "I love you" and tell them how you really feel. Don't be lazy and try to save a few keystrokes. They'll appreciate the extra effort. They'll appreciate the extra meaning behind those words. And if you must be lazy, at least copy and paste the "I love you" from this sentence. :)
Sunday, February 14, 2010
I'm Such A Jerk
Today at Best Buy, I had to go to the bathroom so I went to the men's room in the back of the store. Seeing that the bathroom was empty, I took a few seconds to analyze the situation. There were two stalls, a normal one and a handicap-accessible one. Being that I was alone, I decided on the handicapped stall because well, they are much bigger and more comfortable to use.
I took off my jacket and hung it on the hook on the back of the stall's door. After wiping down the seat with some toilet paper, I sat down and was ready toplay some Bejeweled Blitz while I do my "thang". A few moments later, I heard a few people enter the bathroom. Just my luck, I hear a knock on my stall. I took a quick peek to my left to see if anyone else was using the other stall. It was unoccupied. Why didn't they use that one? I looked underneath my stall's door. Oh noes...the wheels of a wheelchair. To quote a famous philosopher, "D'oh!"
Extremely embarrassed, I immediately got up and flushed the toilet. I rustled around in the stall to pretend like I was hurrying to finish up. I opened the stall door and saw the annoyed look on the man who was pushing another man in a wheelchair. I tried to avoid eye contact. I could feel their eyes burning a hole in me. I sheepishly walked past them and took a bee line to the sink. I quickly (and needlessly) washed my hands and rushed out of the bathroom without further incident. Oh man, I am such a jerk. Another life lesson learned.
I took off my jacket and hung it on the hook on the back of the stall's door. After wiping down the seat with some toilet paper, I sat down and was ready to
Extremely embarrassed, I immediately got up and flushed the toilet. I rustled around in the stall to pretend like I was hurrying to finish up. I opened the stall door and saw the annoyed look on the man who was pushing another man in a wheelchair. I tried to avoid eye contact. I could feel their eyes burning a hole in me. I sheepishly walked past them and took a bee line to the sink. I quickly (and needlessly) washed my hands and rushed out of the bathroom without further incident. Oh man, I am such a jerk. Another life lesson learned.
We Are The World 25 For Haiti
On this past Friday, the remake "We Are The World" debuted during the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics. The song was recorded by a new cast of today's artists with the song's proceeds providing relief for earthquake-ravished Haiti. It was a valiant effort for a noble cause but as for the song, it fell well short of the original which was recorded 25 years ago.
When I first heard that "We Are The World" was getting refreshed, I immediately was interested. I'm a huge fan of the original which was co-written by my favorite artist, Michael Jackson. I missed the original broadcast because I was busy putting together my new computer. After I got the computer up and running, I logged onto Hulu.com and watched it there. I was so disappointed in what I heard and saw.
I was expecting the song to start off with a bang but my ears were greeted by what sounded like a 8-year-old boy. Then it quickly went downhill from there with artist after artist oversinging their respective parts. It seemed like everyone was trying to make their parts sound unique by altering the phrasing or adding needless runs. The original was wonderfully written but all of those extra notes in the remake just crowded the melody.
I have no clue what to call what Wyclef Jean was doing but I don't think you can call that singing. The use of Auto-Tune was prevalent and needed when people like Lil Wayne were singing. After that point, it seemed like they thought the "synthesized" voices sounded cool so they used it with everyone after that.
The rapping outro at the end was "okay" but it was a weak attempt to modernize this song. It was also a poor choice to include Kanye West in there. Actually there were a bunch of other questionable inclusions such as Vince Vaughn. Seriously? A crazy punk rapper and a comedic actor?
Overall, I think this remake was a noble effort for a great cause but fell way short of the original. The remake wasn't all bad however. It included some recordings of Michael Jackson from the original. Good thing they were wise enough to leave those parts intact.
When I first heard that "We Are The World" was getting refreshed, I immediately was interested. I'm a huge fan of the original which was co-written by my favorite artist, Michael Jackson. I missed the original broadcast because I was busy putting together my new computer. After I got the computer up and running, I logged onto Hulu.com and watched it there. I was so disappointed in what I heard and saw.
I was expecting the song to start off with a bang but my ears were greeted by what sounded like a 8-year-old boy. Then it quickly went downhill from there with artist after artist oversinging their respective parts. It seemed like everyone was trying to make their parts sound unique by altering the phrasing or adding needless runs. The original was wonderfully written but all of those extra notes in the remake just crowded the melody.
I have no clue what to call what Wyclef Jean was doing but I don't think you can call that singing. The use of Auto-Tune was prevalent and needed when people like Lil Wayne were singing. After that point, it seemed like they thought the "synthesized" voices sounded cool so they used it with everyone after that.
The rapping outro at the end was "okay" but it was a weak attempt to modernize this song. It was also a poor choice to include Kanye West in there. Actually there were a bunch of other questionable inclusions such as Vince Vaughn. Seriously? A crazy punk rapper and a comedic actor?
Overall, I think this remake was a noble effort for a great cause but fell way short of the original. The remake wasn't all bad however. It included some recordings of Michael Jackson from the original. Good thing they were wise enough to leave those parts intact.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Emergency Room - Part Trois
Another week has gone by and this one was just as eventful as last week. For starters, Tary and I were getting ready for bed on Monday night when Tary started feeling an intense pain radiating from the right side of her back. Thinking that it was just normal pregnancy aches and pains, she took a warm bath hoping that the pain would go away. Instead, it continued to get worse. She called her doctor and they told her to go to the ER. We hopped in my car and we rushed to LGH. That's 3 visits to the ER for those who are counting.
There were tons of other people at the ER. I never understood why there are always so many people there, especially at midnight when we arrived. It felt like forever for Tary to get admitted. The receptionist was taking her sweet time entering in Tary's information and getting her paperwork. Thankfully, someone from the maternity ward came with a wheelchair and brought Tary over to their area.
They had Tary change into a hospital gown and then hop on a table. The nurse attached several sensors to Tary's abdomen. One measured the frequency and probably intensity of contractions and the other measured the baby's heartbeat. Thank God that Baby Trinh was fine through all of this.
The nurse tried to take a sample of Tary's blood from her wrist. Fail. That left a bruise. The second attempt was more successful. They were checking for signs of an infection (e.g., elevated white blood cell count). Our ob/gyn came and performed some tests and hypothesized that it could either be a kidney infection or a kidney stone. Tary and I have no experience with either scenario so it definitely was scary.
The ob/gyn gave Tary a pair of Percocets for the pain. Fail. He then gave a dose of Dilaudid. Fail again. It didn't help much with the pain and I felt helpless as I watched Tary cringe throughout the night. The whole time, I sat in the glider next to the table. We had to wait until the next morning for an ultrasound to check for kidney stones. We tried to get as much rest as we could but it was a very long night.
The next morning, a nurse came and wheeled Tary down to the ultrasound area. I followed close behind. The ultrasound didn't reveal anything in either the kidney or the bladder. After the tests, the nurse wheeled Tary to another room which was larger than the one we had the first night. Back I went to the glider.
It felt like forever but they came back a few hours later. They moved Tary to yet another room but this time, she had a roommate. A new nurse came and tried to stick a needle in the back of Tary's hand to start an IV. Fail. It's a common theme, huh? And that left a bruise too. Smartly, the nurse knew when to call in more experienced hands so she grabbed another nurse. Nurse part deux took a look and immediately called for another person. Nurse part trois came and was able to get the IV started in Tary's forearm. They fed some fluids and antibiotics through the IV to help pass the kidney stone and to fight off any possible infections.
In the afternoon, I had to go home to feed the boys and to get my laptop. While I was at home, Tary called me with wonderful news that she had finally passed the kidney stone. She immediately started to feel better. I rushed back to the hospital and got to take a peek at the stone. It was pretty buff.
They had Tary stay another night just for precautionary reasons. My friends S.Y. and his brother came to visit and bring some dinner. It was nice to see them and I was glad that Tary was doing much better. I tried to stay as long as I could but had to leave for the night. I missed my wife.
Tary got to come home the next day. It was great having my wife back home and feeling good again. It was really the scariest thing we've ever been through and I thank God that Tary and Baby are doing pretty well. A nurse told us that compared to kidney stones, giving birth would be much easier. Obviously I can't vouch for that but for Tary's sake, I hope that she was right.
There were tons of other people at the ER. I never understood why there are always so many people there, especially at midnight when we arrived. It felt like forever for Tary to get admitted. The receptionist was taking her sweet time entering in Tary's information and getting her paperwork. Thankfully, someone from the maternity ward came with a wheelchair and brought Tary over to their area.
They had Tary change into a hospital gown and then hop on a table. The nurse attached several sensors to Tary's abdomen. One measured the frequency and probably intensity of contractions and the other measured the baby's heartbeat. Thank God that Baby Trinh was fine through all of this.
The nurse tried to take a sample of Tary's blood from her wrist. Fail. That left a bruise. The second attempt was more successful. They were checking for signs of an infection (e.g., elevated white blood cell count). Our ob/gyn came and performed some tests and hypothesized that it could either be a kidney infection or a kidney stone. Tary and I have no experience with either scenario so it definitely was scary.
The ob/gyn gave Tary a pair of Percocets for the pain. Fail. He then gave a dose of Dilaudid. Fail again. It didn't help much with the pain and I felt helpless as I watched Tary cringe throughout the night. The whole time, I sat in the glider next to the table. We had to wait until the next morning for an ultrasound to check for kidney stones. We tried to get as much rest as we could but it was a very long night.
The next morning, a nurse came and wheeled Tary down to the ultrasound area. I followed close behind. The ultrasound didn't reveal anything in either the kidney or the bladder. After the tests, the nurse wheeled Tary to another room which was larger than the one we had the first night. Back I went to the glider.
It felt like forever but they came back a few hours later. They moved Tary to yet another room but this time, she had a roommate. A new nurse came and tried to stick a needle in the back of Tary's hand to start an IV. Fail. It's a common theme, huh? And that left a bruise too. Smartly, the nurse knew when to call in more experienced hands so she grabbed another nurse. Nurse part deux took a look and immediately called for another person. Nurse part trois came and was able to get the IV started in Tary's forearm. They fed some fluids and antibiotics through the IV to help pass the kidney stone and to fight off any possible infections.
In the afternoon, I had to go home to feed the boys and to get my laptop. While I was at home, Tary called me with wonderful news that she had finally passed the kidney stone. She immediately started to feel better. I rushed back to the hospital and got to take a peek at the stone. It was pretty buff.
They had Tary stay another night just for precautionary reasons. My friends S.Y. and his brother came to visit and bring some dinner. It was nice to see them and I was glad that Tary was doing much better. I tried to stay as long as I could but had to leave for the night. I missed my wife.
Tary got to come home the next day. It was great having my wife back home and feeling good again. It was really the scariest thing we've ever been through and I thank God that Tary and Baby are doing pretty well. A nurse told us that compared to kidney stones, giving birth would be much easier. Obviously I can't vouch for that but for Tary's sake, I hope that she was right.
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