eric insight

don't assume, part 2

2010-09-08T11:10:00.005-04:00

Probably one of my least favorite words has to deal with the rather pretentious connotation when using such a word in everyday language, a weak attempt in trying to have a sophisticated vocabulary. The very definition of the word already suggests a flaw in general logic, so a dependency of can make any topic into trivial, pointless matter. The pronunciation of such a word sounds unappealing, and it has one of the worst combination of letters in the spelling. I mean just look at it: ass-u-me. It just makes everyone look bad.

I try to avoid using this word as much as possible, but since it has been incorporated so much into most conversations, I hate myself just a little bit more when it accidentally slips out of my own tongue. So when other people use it, especially in that "I'm assuming this because I know oh so much" tone, it almost makes me want to punch a cat. In those situations, said person actually knows very little, which becomes increasingly frustrating as they continually precede each of their "facts" of information with that word.

So after hearing that word at work being tossed around so much like cake at a fat kid's birthday, I figured I would stop participating in any sort of intellectual conversations with coworkers since it would inevitably lead to hearing already flawed concepts of thinking and complete and utter nonsense. I rather not waste time talking to people if they are just going to use "assume" as their primary basis of how "right" they are. I rather be punching cats.

a poem for the morning

2010-07-29T12:52:00.002-04:00

Wake up and see that a new day has arrived,

but there lies the uncertainty of running out of time.

The feeling of wanting to be stuck in bed,

instead of getting up and moving ahead.

The problem of progression, a lost sense of direction,

is it so easy now to find that ideal destination?

And when you do discover that treasure you seek,

how can you be sure it is not the trash from the weak.

Determine if that partcular past is worth letting go,

An answer to a question that you really must know.

So strengthen your heart, be bold and true,

for the path in your quest has already been laid out for you.

sans-serif and other changes

2010-06-17T10:11:00.004-04:00

Considering different colors. Testing out the templates. Figuring out the other fonts.

Or maybe I am really looking for methods to make a new me?

word

2010-06-09T11:11:00.004-04:00

Recently I have discovered another venue where I can explore my writing capabilities; Yelp. Though I am not or claim to be a food/restaurant connoisseur, I like the option of being able to share an experience at a certain location, where others can read and also share their thoughts. It also helps to have an objective in writing, and to write a review really helps in achieving that. So be sure to check out echou.yelp.com, I will be running around town and writing about it more often now.

Although I realize my reviews may seem biased, judgemental, or not portraying a "fair" attitude, I am not that concerned over such trivial matters. Which is probably why I guess I can justify writing a review or anything in general in the first place, because it is what I think and people just happen to read it. If they like it, that is fine and good news for me. And if they do not, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

What does concern me is the content and style of my writing. I hope that when I write something it encourages people to think and maybe share their thoughts with me, hence the main reason why I write. I hope people who read my material take something from it, good or bad, but at least something and not find it meaningless. I believe words, written or not, are something everyone can relate to and understand.

Words are frighteningly powerful. They can encourage, relax, or scare someone. They can calm an angry disposition, or fire someone up. They can cause riots or bring peace. They can give you the best laughs or the worst tears. The right words can bring you joy, the wrong ones will put you in the doghouse. The misunderstood ones are a gamble, and the words you bet on will help you win or lose. Words are a dangerous curse, a wonderful blessing, and everything in between.

To any readers out there, thank you for taking the time to read all of this. I think that is what society really needs now, for people to share words with each other. I am hoping to be more open about myself in the future, to my friends and family especially, and I hope others will feel comfortable about sharing words with me. And so, if the right moment occurs, write about it!

avast

2010-05-27T11:36:00.002-04:00

Now that I have finished one stage of my life, I find myself thrown into the vast ocean of possibilities. At the moment, the waters seem like a treacherous and unforgiving place, and the choice to sink or swim is either a priority or predicament. I am constantly checking myself for cuts, because I am afraid even if I bleed just a little the merciless sharks will come, and will feast on whatever strength I have left. I want to show no sign of weakness, but constantly treading the water and deciding what to do is starting to take a heavy toll. There is no lifeguard, there is no rescue boat, there is only me because this is the journey I have to do alone.

I need to swim, and I know it requires all the determination and discipline possible, but the problem is that all I see is more water and nowhere to land. The eye sees the horizon and it seems like the same thing from all directions. It would just be nice to at least find a small island where I can rest or start building from scratch. What I am most afraid of is sinking, down into the dark depths, where the creatures of the deep reside and keep me bound in their aquatic prison. So now I just swim, albeit with some strategy, but really to find a safe haven.

Sink or swim. Why do I feel like this is the only choice I have? It would be nice to just look up and fly away forever.

a poem for the mirror

2010-05-05T20:50:00.005-04:00

If I close my eyes I guess the bleeding stops

falling down and slow like weak raindrops

from dark clouds, look in the sky above

a black dove, is it war or is it love

Because you can't trust what your eye sees

can't pretend what your heart believes

to understand the basic concept of materiality

face the rationality, face the harsh reality

Stare into the disillusionment of your fantasy

glare into the mistake and suffer your penalty

despair and realize your mentality is nothing but a scheme

an excuse to daydream, an end to suffering

A way to justify the means, a solution for what seems

to stop the killing of your weak physique please

take a break, take a breath and I will bet

when you open your eyes it won't be over

almost done

2010-04-08T12:44:00.002-04:00

Just one more month, and I can finally finish this chapter. It has been an interesting read, but it would be nice to start a new book.

Time to do my best and make this a good ending.

what is fake

2010-03-30T11:03:00.002-04:00

Last night I was doing my usual rounds of mindless browsing on the internet when I discovered a very interesting video called "Scarface School Play". The video was recently uploaded and had about 300 views when I first saw it. Basically it had a bunch of kids re-enacting some very famous scenes from the incredibly graphic and violent movie "Scarface" and substituted it with a huge pile of popcorn instead of cocaine, various Nerf and toy guns, and use of the word "fudge". The colorful arrangement of letters that spelled "The World Is Yours" in the background was definitely a nice touch as well.

I did not think too much about it and just laughed at the sheer absurdity of the entire thing, but then my curiosity got the better of me as I read some of the comments for the video. Of course, I knew there would be people who would be offended at such a video, and there would be people who would ridicule the people who were offended, and there would also be people who would criticize the people who would ridicule others, and so on and so forth. But what caught my attention were the comments that quickly determined the entire display to be "fake".

Now some interesting things to note. The video was uploaded 22 hours ago by an account that was created 4 days before. Currently the views have climbed to an incredible amount of 258,000 in that short amount of time. The profile of the account is apparently a mother of 6 children, her kid featured in the video is named Jaydon, and her favorite book is "Going Rogue" by Sarah Palin. That should have been an obvious red flag, I mean what kind of book is that?? Come on!

Then I realized I could just simply Google the answer and found out it was "fake" after all. And by that, it was directed by some guy who also did Lady Gaga's "Pokerface" music video. That explains so much! Not really, but now people should know it was not actually staged at any elementary school, and was meant yet again to test the capabilities of viral marketing.

In this society, I think people will find almost any reason to keep them entertained and occupied. And as the market for this kind of demand increases at an exponential rate, people will be continually bombarded with situations that seek to test their ideals and opinions on everything. With so many unknowns and predicaments, it becomes just as difficult to see anything for what it actually is or what it is supposed to be. So some people may be quick to declare something "fake", but what happens to the people who think it is "real". What if people want the "fake" things to be "real" for them, because that is what they originally thought and they are now just too scared or too prideful to change. Not just gimmicks like advertisements or Youtube videos, but what if our relationships with people or our understanding of anyone was determined to be "fake". What would we do to change that, or would we even bother.

What does it all mean.

forced creativity

2010-03-29T21:29:00.002-04:00

Why do brief moments of inspiration come at the inconvenient times? Right before I fall asleep for the night is perhaps the most common scenario when I suddenly come with up something and think to myself "Hey that sounds like a good idea to write about!", but then I pass out and forget what it was.

Methods to improve such inspiration tend to involve looking around and thinking about various situations I find myself in. However, my internal process of filtering through the long list of ideas that my brain rapidly stormed up involves harsh elimination of redundant and unoriginal topics. Combined with the necessary requirements to prepare a mental outline of my topic, the usual end result is that I find myself just staring into the blank space of the paper.

My favorite dreams involve two things. One of them is a secret, but the other I will share. There is a piano, but like all instruments it lies dormant until someone takes the chance to make it come alive. In my dream I suddenly have the ability to improvise incredibly, with any key at any rhythm. I share this phenomenon with my closest friends and complete strangers, and we all have an incredible time in my imagination. I find myself happiest during these moments, and it even feels real for a mere moment. I hope that when I awake I can replicate the magic, but my actual attempts at improvisation is pathetic in comparison to the intensity of the ones I can do subconsciously.

When my mind wanders I hope it discovers something worth sharing, and let my words know about it.

work rant, please ignore

2010-03-25T15:37:00.005-04:00

I currently work part time at a doctor office, doing odd jobs like data entry and defrosting freezers. I only started doing menial tasks when my boss realized that I was not able to clock enough hours verifying insurance payments and papers, and when he subsequently hired a bunch of other people to essentially do what I used to do. Coincidentally, all the other people he hired turned out to be young, pretty girls who also work part time, and also frustrate me to no end.

The office is a small one, composing of basically a waiting room area, reception area, three patient examination rooms, two business offices, some bathrooms, a small laboratory, a kitchen, and storage room what we call "the dungeon". I work in the dungeon, and it is cold, unpleasant, and I may have developed some minor claustrophobia. I have my own desk and computer to work on, but there is no window and it is filled with boxes, containers, and other random things people just decided to throw in here. Because the dungeon is a corner room and is connected to other rooms and other offices in the building, I continually hear voices from beyond the walls and water as it rushes down a pipeline.

So now to explain my current frustration. The first two patient examination rooms are located near the front, and usually they are filled up first. The third room is near the back, next to the dungeon. As a courtesy to patient privacy, the first two rooms are closed when they are occupied. But for some reason the third room near the back, next to the dungeon, remains wide open when a patient is waiting inside. Instead, some of my coworkers and boss decide they need to close the door to the dungeon, trapping me inside as the voices and sounds resonate off the walls and grow louder, as the cold air and poor ventilation continue to drop the temperature, and the combination of these negative forces test to keep my sanity in check. Why would they do that. Is the patient in the third room so important that they get an open door, and I a closed one? Am I just another piece of garbage that can be ignored and no one wants to look at? Your comments taunt me as that door creaks to a close, your arrogance just cause me to be more aggravated, you all think you are above me because I have to do the work you do not want to do. Why would I think these things, what is wrong with me.

The door is shut. I sit here quietly and contemplate at how I made such a mess at my life, and if I only took better care of myself I would not be in such a miserable situation. I feel as if I can hear people quietly mocking me and my failures, but it is only just an excuse to feel bad. The realization is that there is nothing I can do to change the past.

The only thing I can do is look forward to tomorrow.

a poem for the sol

2010-03-24T19:58:00.004-04:00

Oh the sun, how fun it would be
to see that glare, so bright in the air,
to feel that warmth upon your face,
a race, to chase that light so high in the sky.
Oh my, if you could see,
the possibility, the shine in your eye,
as you look, and wish you took,
another chance, another dance.

It's your time to shine, my friend.

"sweet dreams"

2010-03-22T22:16:00.003-04:00

An imaginative whisper said to himself, the slight comfort he needed before his slumber.
Eyes closed and a deep sigh as he prepared to end the day with uneventful sleep.
With the lights out and curtains drawn, the moon and stars take their rightful place among the black sky,
And all is quiet, but not for long.

In his slight unconscious state, he trembles because he senses something approaching.
Paranoia and anxiety slowly creep toward his mind, filling it with irrational thoughts and impractical scenarios.
Dark demons laugh manically as he loses control, as he watches himself relive distorted, yet painful memories from the past.
And the monster he most feared was revealed to him, and the monster was actually him, and it wanted more.

With a final strength of will he startled himself awake.
The sun and the clear skies reclaim their place for the day, and a peaceful resolve washed over him once he realized it was over.

But not for long.

interpreting pop songs

2010-02-04T10:34:00.003-05:00

Back in the day, pop songs used to have some sort of meaning or story to go with it. The relatively simple lyrics and catchy verses made them memorable enough to become mandatory repertoire at a karaoke bar. These tunes would also hold significance to certain people as they relate their situations to a story within the song. Though the majority of these pop songs often covered the topic of love, dreams, desires, or some other romantic variation, there were also songs that had political statements, encouraging messages, or personal revelations to any casual listener.

Unfortunately, pop songs and their interpretations have become relatively simple as of late, and can now be summarized into two words: booty call. Take these sample lyrics from currently popular songs for instance.

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now. Said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control and I need you now. (booty call)

Babe, pick a night. To come out and play. If it's alright. What do you say? (booty call)

Forget about your boyfriend and meet me at the hotel room, you can bring your girlfriends and meet me at the hotel room. (booty call)

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah! Roma-Roma-ma-ah! Ga-ga-ooh-la-la! Want your bad romance. (possibly a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America*, or booty call)

The problem is not that all current pop songs have become ridiculously similar in their interpretation, but that they have inadvertently chosen "booty call" as their central theme in the message of their music. It is kind of a frightening and disturbing suggestion that popular culture has placed a large emphasis on the communication of engaging in immediate and intimate physical intercourse. Considering that the demographic most likely to listen to these pop songs are generally young teenagers and kids, to have these songs blatantly suggest that "booty call" is an acceptable means to contact someone and satisfy your late night libido, and you can dance to the beat with it, is just plain messed up.

The solution to this dilemma would simply be to expose these kids to other great music that is available. However, any sort of music such as Beethoven, the Beatles, or basically anything not in the top 40 radio would just be deemed "old people" music and any kid caught listening to that stuff would just be ridiculed. In the future, I predict that the central theme to most pop songs will either be "young love" or "the apocalypse".

*that was actually what the song "Hotel California" was about, but people are free to interpret songs any way they want!

new email

2010-01-19T19:31:00.002-05:00

I created a new and more "professional" email address for future purposes, because having a "hitman" prefix to my name might seem a bit strange to some people. Though probably not as strange as not coming to this realization much earlier, but I suppose it is a good thing I finally took notice.

Anyway, when I imported all old emails from my old account into the new one, I was definitely surprised by the sheer amount of communication I used to do with various friends, as the bulk of these emails were Facebook notifications. I also never realized just how much I actually used the word "monkeys" in my more personal emails.

To revisit my memories of the past through these old emails is a strange and fascinating experience. I noticed that most of my conversations suggest that I immediately wrote what I was thinking, without too much care about choice of words. Now, I spend possibly too much time carefully considering what to say next when talking to someone via texts. I used to keep in contact with almost everyone I knew, but now I barely make time for my closest friends. I used to be very compassionate or ridiculous in my writing, but now it is probably more reserved and less personal. What exactly happened to me.

I wish I remembered how to talk to people.

life

2009-10-21T22:35:00.002-04:00

My grandfather, 97 years, accomplished many things.

From what I have gathered, he had four sons, and a lot of grandchildren. His family respected him, and he cared very much for them. Growing up, I did not see my grandfather as much as my cousins did, probably because they were all living in Taiwan and I was being raised in the U.S. My grandfather was always interested in what I have done back in the states, particularly if it involved me performing music. Whenever I had conversations with him, he would always try and give me advice in Chinese and some English. Because my Chinese comprehension was so poor, it was difficult to understand exactly what he was saying, but I think he inadvertently helped train my ear to notice voice variations and certain significances during speech.

The time I spent with my relatives that live overseas were rare. When I started college, my life suddenly became very busy with many things. As I hopefully near the end of the school year, many people have asked what I would like to do when I graduate. I always responded that I will go to Taiwan to see all of my relatives again. I was not sure why I was determined to go over there and visit my other family members, but to me it was important to share this milestone with all of them. Now that my Chinese has improved and my hearing a bit more fine tuned, I could now probably enjoy a good conversation with my grandparents.

A few days ago my parents had to make a sudden trip back to Taiwan because my grandfather was hospitalized. A few hours ago I found out my grandfather passed away in his sleep.

I never had a chance to talk to my grandfather about how I have been doing. I didn't get to tell him that I stopped taking piano lessons, but instead was playing for the church choir, my friend's band, and also teaching it to kids. I was too preoccupied with my life and school, work, errands, and finding free time to do things I wanted to do, instead of just taking a few mere minutes to talk with my grandpa. It is too late to wish for things I should have done, I can only continue based on advice he gave me.

My grandfather once told me that to have a good life, you must first have a healthy body. If you do not take care of yourself, how can you live? My grandfather was a smoking addict, quit when he realized it was bad for you, and lived to be 97 years old with pretty good eyesight. But to also have a healthy body, you must be happy. If you are constantly sad, frustrated, or worried about things, how can you enjoy life and what you have? Family and friends are important, and to build better relationships with people you have to be a better person.

In sadness, I miss my grandfather and regret many things and wish I could be there with my family. When the sun rises tomorrow and I wake up to a new day, I will become a better person and live a better life. And start exercising as well.

r.i.p. grandpa

don't assume

2009-10-09T10:31:00.003-04:00

If you are bored at work a lot like me, chances are you probably have a Twitter account. There you can satisfy many hours of procrastination just reading random tweets from the "trending topics" section. This morning I was feeling bored, so I decided to do just that and found two topics that caught my attention: "Moon" and "Dear NASA". I was quite amused at what I read.

On my way to work, I was listening to the news radio and heard about how NASA sent a rocket to deliberately crash on to the moon's surface, in an attempt to discover water and collect other information. However, there has been an outrage (at least on Twitter) about "blowing up the moon" and NASA trying to "destroy it" when the community found about such an experiment this morning.

This is why the general public can be pretty dumb. It is similar to the game "telephone", where you say one message, and as you pass the message to the next person and they to the next, it somehow gets misheard into something else by the time it reaches the last person. In this case, somebody heard "NASA crashes a rocket into the moon" and it gets distorted into "NASA blows up the moon". And with the power of Twitter, the message just becomes more absurd and more people post their version of the misinterpretation.

I think situations like these just continuously makes me lose respect and faith in society. People are always striving for attention and want to be heard, even if it means making outrageous claims about things they barely understand. The sad part is most of these people will start to defend such claims, because once you tweet that "NASA is a terrible organization and wasting tax money on destroying the moon and stars", then you better back it up! I hope they don't though, I can only take so much foolishness from one person. I won't even be surprised if people start suing NASA by the end of the week.

To clarify for all the people who possibly do not know how to actually find information on their own or are simply dumb, please don't "assume". It just makes an ass out of you and me.

how to make a kid get a flu shot

2009-09-19T09:52:00.003-04:00

Here comes the fall season, and everyone knows what that means! Back to school, climate getting colder, and another chance at that diet before Thanksgiving dinner. Combined with the scare of getting sick, that also means it's time for a flu shot!

For some reason, kids hate going to the doctor's office if they do not feel sick. They don't understand what they are doing in a room full of coughing/sneezing people when they should be watching cartoons. Also the fact that they have to get a needle poked into their arm by a stranger doesn't help either. So kids will do whatever they can to convince everyone surrounding them that they do not want a flu shot. They will cry, look angry, maybe throw a chair at their parents, all in an effort to avoid approximately 2 seconds of minimal pain that can reduce their chances of getting the seasonal flu.

So how do you get a kid to finally calm down and stop their squirming so you can finally shoot th...I mean give them a flu shot? Well, here are some tips that should be effective (theoretically) in saving that ungrateful child's life from some viruses.

1. Tell that kid to "SHUT UP"

Two powerful words, that could yield two very different results. Best case scenario is that the kid takes these words seriously, and if you delivered them in a certain manner, they will also stand still! The shock of being told to be quiet in a public setting will shock them so much that they won't even notice the pinch in their arm from the flu shot. Unfortunately, if you didn't give it a 100% "SHUT UP", kids will detect it and will just start crying again. You will also get disapproving looks from other people in the room, because you essentially just failed at telling that kid what to do.

2. Do not offer them candy.

I don't know who came up with this ridiculous tactic. Apparently, offering a kid some sweets to bribe them into doing something is supposed to work. In my experience, this has never worked for more than 8 seconds, which is coincidentally the amount of time it requires to give that piece of candy to the kid and have them put in their mouth and start misbehaving again. DO NOT EVER offer them candy. Especially since kids are so spoiled now, they just happen to only like the one type of candy that you don't have.

3. Just ignore them.

Seriously, kids just want attention and will use any excuse or methods to get it. Don't give them the satisfaction that you are aware of their crying, pouting, or screaming and that you condone their actions. Eventually the kid will just tire themselves out and stop their nonsense. If they keep going and you get disapproving looks from other people because they expect you to do something, just ignore them too.

4. Reverse psychology.

Usually kids will never listen to what you tell them to do. Don't touch the stove because it's hot? Next thing you know you got a kid with a burnt finger. Make sure to be polite when visiting other people? You honestly did not know where that kid learned that kind of vocabulary. So next time if a kid is like "Why I do have to get flu shot? I don't want one! Why do I have to? Why???" you should respond with "Well you don't have to get one." And if the kid asks why they all of a sudden don't have to get one now, just say something equivalent to "Well I got a flu shot because I don't want to get sick and die". That kid will practically roll up his shirt sleeve himself.

5. Make them feel bad

The most difficult to pull off, this is a combination of the previous tips, and only for the most practiced of disciplining kids. If a kid is whining about how they don't want a flu shot and they don't want to be here, tell them to "stop being a pansy" and "man up". Essentially you want to make the kid feel so bad, they will start getting upset at their own incompetency and forget about why they were upset previously. Make the kid feel so bad that it makes them cry on the inside, and then you can hurry up, get that flu shot, and get them out before the tears start overflowing and the kid really starts making a scene.

That's all for today, happy hunting and stay healthy!

what i was doing

2009-09-11T09:43:00.004-04:00

Eight years ago, I was in my high school orchestra class playing the string bass. We just finished our rehearsal and spent the remaning few minutes talking to our friends before our next class starts. As I wander around, I notice a lot of people crowding around the television.

Everyone is confused.

We watch together, and no one knows what to say. The bell rings, but no one moves. The crowd gets bigger as more students come into the room and wonder what is going on. The bell rings again, but we are all still here, staring in disbelief. We decide that we might as well make our way to the next class and figure it out later.

I sit down in Spanish class, and everyone will not stop talking. Theories, opinions, concerns, prayers are heard throughout the room. The teacher is doing her best to address the questions but has no idea what to say. Finally the announcement comes on through the intercom: ALL STUDENTS REMAIN SEATED. DO NOT TURN ON THE TV. DO NOT LEAVE THE CLASSROOM. WE WILL HAVE FUTHER INFORMATION.

The classroom erupts. Some students become angrier, and some become more scared. They shout that the system is unfair to us, that we should know what is going on, that we have the RIGHT TO TURN ON THE TV. Or at least listen to the radio someone managed to have in their backpack. And then the annoucement comes on again, telling the entire school that because of certain events happening, these list of students were given early dismissal.

It is a long list of students, and as the intercom reads the names, I wonder why these certain events happening in a completely different state would make parents pull their kids out. Perhaps they are worried the same thing will happen here, or they panic and want their children to be close, or their children just want to go home. I wonder why these certain events will cause so much paranoia and what the rest of the country, or even the world, is possibly thinking.

This morning, I think about what happened eight years ago. And I just hope things get better.

music and memories

2009-08-18T14:46:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I had the unique opportunity of playing piano for this band called Select Start up in Orlando. My friend invited me because their original pianist was out of the country and needed someone to fill in. Although I agreed, I was nervous about performing with a bunch of people that have played together for many years when I have only received the music less than a week before. Also, I'm pretty bad at piano.

After many hours of driving, rehearsing, sleeping on the floor, drinking alcohol, talking to new people, and sitting around (not in that order), it was time for the show! We played, they cheered, and I got a free beer. That was about it.

Honestly, I do not remember much of our performance because I was trying my best not to mess up and miss my cues, which I still did perfectly anyway. It was still a lot of fun playing with the band though, and having the audience clap, cheer, and get excited while we were performing was great. I was surprised to see this kind of reception for a classical type chamber group that plays music from video games. Then I realized this was perhaps one of the nerdiest things I have ever done.

All the people I met there shared a similar passion: video game music. My entire weekend conversations with them was just about the amazing games they played and the amazing music those games had, like the Final Fantasy series. Actually there was a brief conversation one time during lunch about murders and messed up people in Japan, but I guess I will pass on that. Anyway, it was interesting to see them get excited when sharing their memories of sitting in front of a tv and pressing buttons on a machine, and how they enjoyed each scenario with the appropriate soundtrack. I guess there was more to Mario than jumping around and getting big on shrooms. These people were so appreciative of this band and what they did, that they were willing to stand in a crowded cafe just to listen to the Tetris theme. There was a girl who went up to one of our violinists and proclaimed that she cried when listening to us play Aeris' Theme (the song was so sad it actually started raining outside, no joke).

This past weekend, I met a lot of people who used to think they were the only ones who liked to play video games and the kind of music some of them had. I am glad to hear their stories and have this experience, because it shows that whatever you are interested in, there is bound to be other people who enjoy the exact same thing. Whether it be video games, sports, or doing drugs, to find friends in your hobbies is always worth having. And to be able to play their kind of music just for them makes it all worthwhile.

favorite drink

2009-08-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

Last evening I enjoyed a nice, cold beer.

Since I am such a good brother, this type of conversation usually occurs before I start to drink.

Me: Hey fatty, you want a beer?

Sister: No, beer is gross.

Me: How about you fatty?

Brother: uh....

Mom: *glares*

Me: *gulp*

Sister: Why do you like beer??

Well, first of all I do not like all types of beer. I definitely prefer light beer over dark, and some brands I think just taste awful in general. Also, I do not drink all the time. There was a time when I used to drink all the time, but I don't really remember much of that. And beer is just something nice to have on some occasion, like cream soda (something I drink once every few months). The ability to just sit, relax, drink a beer, and not worry about anything is such a rare, enjoyable moment that I would like to have more often.

While eating dinner with my family, my sister asked us what our favorite drink was. I thought about it for a few seconds, while my sister told us about how she used that question as an ice breaker for a small group she was leading, but they all answered with a boring "water". Asking them what their favorite brand of toothpaste would probably have been a better idea. Then I started thinking about something completely random like mowing the yard when my sister asked me again what my favorite drink was.

People who enjoy drinks, alcoholic or not, enjoy them because of particular taste. And they might be thirsty. People who want to get drunk will drink just about anything, alcoholic or not. My initial thought on my favorite drink was something in the beer category. If someone asked me "Why do you like this beer?" I would reply "Because it tastes good. It's light, refreshing, and makes fried chicken taste even better". And one beer is not going to make you drunk. Unless you want to get drunk, then just a sip and an incredibly low tolerance and self-esteem level will do. Beer is something I like to have once in a while, when the situation calls for it, or if there is fried chicken. But for a favorite drink to be a "favorite", I think it would have to be something I could drink everyday and enjoy it every time.

If I ever find myself in a small group and everyone answered "water" to "what your favorite drink is", I think I will just go ahead and break the ice with: tequila.

some thoughts about some facebook notes

2009-08-03T11:12:00.001-04:00

1. I screwed up xx% of my teenage school life

It is amusing to see this "check this box if applicable" type note being filled out by kids who must have just recently added a "-teen" suffix to their age. I assumed that the percentage of how much they screwed it up would be lower than 50%, which seems to be the case for all the ones I have seen so far. First of all, at 13 years old your teenage school life would probably start around 8th grade, ending with 19 being your first or second year of college. Throughout those years, your percentage will increase due to mistakes, decisions, or any other happenstance, so it is really silly for kids who haven't even gone to their senior prom to figure out how much they screwed up, when they are only at the beginning. What I find most amusing are the comments with each note.

Young kid #1 wrote a note "I screwd up 36% of my teenage school life"

Young kid #2 commented: wow, I only screwed up like 20% -_-

Older kid in his 20s commented: 87% lol

Every other young kid: OMG Older kid that is A LOT you were screwed up!

Well, no "older kid" is not screwed up, he is just simply older.

In general, this note is a relatively tame version of what kind of screwed up things you could possibly do during your teenage school life. Do not even bother to fill it out now if you are just entering high school. Do not even bother to fill it out when you are in college because seriously, do you not have better things to do in college?

2. 25 things

Apparently people do not have better things to do in college, because this is by far the most popular facebook note I have seen. Originally it was 16 things, but because of the increased demand for a multiple of 5, it went up to 25. Essentially you write about whatever number of things you want to share, such as thoughts, secrets, whatever. And then you tag your friends to harass or give them the excuse to write their own stuff. What is interesting is I have wasted countless amounts of work hours just reading up on my friends and then forgetting all about it during lunch break. This was just a nice method to see how other friends are doing and whether they remember you or not, by way of tagging. So if you did not get tagged, they don't remember you.

3. 100 truths

Ridiculous. Basically it's a short answer and "yes/no" questionnaire, and consists of retarded questions like "do you believe in yourself?" and "last time you checked your blood pressure". I mean seriously, WHO CARES. The probability that someone took that much time to fill this out AND filled out every other type of note is very high. If you know someone like that, they must be pretty boring. If you are like that, do yourself a favor and GET OFF THE COMPUTER.

coming up next: the OVER 9000 questions facebook note.

howdy

2009-07-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

Startin' over from scratch. Reckon it's time for something different.