I apologize in advance if some of what I say you may not find particularly true, or if you cannot relate with what I am going to say. This is just some random observations that formed a semi-coherent thought. And that thought is actually continued in this blog post.
I am in a relationship, and I am bold enough to say, as a couple we've told each other our feelings, with this sacred, and sometimes harrowful words, "I love you.". Movies and books have revolved around those three simple words, none of which extend beyond on syllable, but mean SO much... depending.
Three phrases, each phrase containing the word love in it, "I love you.", "Love you.", and "Love". And each of those phrases can have very different meanings.
I'll start with the longest (3 words) phrase, "I love you.". "I love you.", such an easy phrase to say out loud, by yourself. Try it now, say those three words in succession with each other to form a sentence. It's not tough by any means, but guys (and girls) choke up, feel sick, or are rendered speechless when they hear those words or when they are trying to say them. That's how much that one single phrase impacts us. It's a big step forward in a relationship, usually an affirmation of feelings but also sometimes said in hope that a relationship will last longer. A desperate measure, used sometimes by men to try to hold onto a relationship. But the latter part is not what I am focusing on, just indicating the impact it can potentially have. They can be said anywhere; shouted out from the top of a cliff, or whispered softly into the ear of the one you love. Either way, it's a show of emotion.
You knock off the word "I", and you are down to "Love you.". This phrase is used often when you are simply reminding someone that you love them. This happens a lot in relationships that have been going on for some time (a year or two) and couples say it so frequent that it has gone from a term of endearment, to a everyday, couple-y thing to say to your beau or lover.
"-Love you! Bye!" *click*
Such a common phrase, if you didn't recognize it, it was the end of a phone conversation. Said often to friends and family, where an "I love you." is hardly ever appropriate, unless something tragic or emotional has happened, and the "I" is added to the phrase. But normally it is used to indicate your feeling to a friend or family. In the friend or family case, the significant of the phrase doesn't change drastically and is a common and easy thing to say. In a relationship it signifies the comfort level of the couple, among other things.
Then you have "Love". You mostly see this in emails and letters, as a farewell at the end of the message.
"Love, Noelle."
This phrase is often used as an indicant of the level of friendship between two friends. The "love" means "we're tight" or "we've been through a lot together". In a relationship, it shows that you care about that person. If he/she were to sign their name without the love, it doesn't mean much, but if they do sign with "love" I am sure you feel a lot warmer inside by reading it. They love you.
It's interesting to see how such small phrases can have such a different impact on peoples' lives. If I were to sign this blog with "Love, Kevin", the guys might think I was gay, and the girls might think it's a cute gesture. It's not 100% the case, but there is truth in the previous sentence. And it was just one word.
Do you have to say "love you" everytime you leave the arms of the one you love? No. "See you soon.", if said correctly, can have close to the same meaning as "Love you".
These phrases can be overused. Try not saying them for a while, or as often, and then when you finally do decide to say "I love you.", "Love you.", or "Love" you might find that the words have more meaning.
Ciao for now.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Happy Halloween
Yes! An excuse to eat candy to excess and scare little kids. What better holiday can there be? I've already dipped into the candy that is meant for the trick-or-treaters. Why shouldn't I? There are wonderful bags of chocolate, and there is no reason for me to eat some of it. I don't get to go trick-or-treating anymore, no longer can I go days without regular food, by eating all the candy I got, so I must gorge, I mean, satisfy my sugar needs by pilfering the hordes of candy that would normally get wasted on the kiddies. Plus, where I live, there won't be too many kids, except for kiddie train that comes by with 20 kids or so.
I won't be handing out candy this year, I did it last year, and all the kids at once is just too overwhelming... I can see it now... death by cuteness. An awful way to go.
I saw a movie or two this weekend...
Hitch - Funny romantic comedy, it got a little boring towards the end, as the plot had to be resolved. Watch it, you should like it.
On to some anime, I have to talk about it a little.
Wolf's Rain - I finally finished the series. I am a little disappointed, the ending isn't what I expected. It was no happy ending, but that is how a lot of anime is. This one was particularly depressing though. No spoilers, even though most of you will not watch it.
Suzuka - A good episode. Jpop star, Nana, who is a friend of Honoka, meets Yamato, and turns his relationship into swiss cheese, poking holes into a solid relationship he thought he had. Doubts are starting to arise in Yamato. We all know that he is meant for Suzuka, but how will he pull it off so that he doesn't look like a jerk, by breaking up with Honoka? And how will Suzuka deal with her feelings for Yamato and not look like some girl who is trying to steal a guy away? Mmm, Drama.
I won't be handing out candy this year, I did it last year, and all the kids at once is just too overwhelming... I can see it now... death by cuteness. An awful way to go.
I saw a movie or two this weekend...
Hitch - Funny romantic comedy, it got a little boring towards the end, as the plot had to be resolved. Watch it, you should like it.
On to some anime, I have to talk about it a little.
Wolf's Rain - I finally finished the series. I am a little disappointed, the ending isn't what I expected. It was no happy ending, but that is how a lot of anime is. This one was particularly depressing though. No spoilers, even though most of you will not watch it.
Suzuka - A good episode. Jpop star, Nana, who is a friend of Honoka, meets Yamato, and turns his relationship into swiss cheese, poking holes into a solid relationship he thought he had. Doubts are starting to arise in Yamato. We all know that he is meant for Suzuka, but how will he pull it off so that he doesn't look like a jerk, by breaking up with Honoka? And how will Suzuka deal with her feelings for Yamato and not look like some girl who is trying to steal a guy away? Mmm, Drama.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Look Both Ways
Most kids you know, were probably brought up to "look both ways before crossing the street". I know I was. You first look left, then right, then left again in case a car pulled out of a driveway or was going really fast. Then you crossed the street. This was done so that you did not get hit by oncoming traffic.
It was brought to my attention a day ago, that one of our fellow engineers was involved in a car accident. He got hit by a car. No names will be given, as there is no particular functionality to know the name. But for the sake of the story we'll call him Zak. Zak was a friendly guy, amiable, and always glad to be chatting with his engineering buddies. Everyone knew him. One day Zak had to go meet his Little somewhere. He ran out of the house and as he was in a rush, Zak did not bother to go to a crosswalk on a four lane road (with enough room for parking on both sides). In fact, Zak b-lined across the road, and being in a rush, he forgot his childhood lessons of 'looking both ways before crossing the street'.
Now, normally, if you forget to look, it's not a big deal, either cars will break to a screeching halt and the driver will start making obscene gestures and say other things to imply his obvious displeasure for you being a wreckless pedestrian, or you would get lucky and you'd play a successful game of Frogger and avoid getting hit, while maintaining forward motion, maybe getting some honks from cars. In either case, there is no lasting (physical) damage on both sides. Emotional damage is another story or if you have a heart condition you might not fare so well either...
However, in Zak's story, he was not so lucky. Either he did not remember how to play Frogger or he just simply had a bad roll of dice, but in either case, a car and Zak tried to be at the same spot at the same time. Zak is no Superman, so the car did not bend and crumple around his body. The roles were reversed, his body bent and crumpled to the shape of the car, effectively shattering a leg and providing a head injury from the impact on the windshield.
Considering the circumstances, he could have fared much worse... both legs broken, broken ribs, internal bleeding, coma, even death.
Physical recovery will take a lengthy amount of time, however emotional recovery will take longer, it might even become an emotional scar. Why? Because after getting hit by a car, you don't expect to get a fine. But Zak did get a visit from the men in blue, who gave him a $104 ticket, for jay-walking.
Moral of the story? Even if you are in a hurry, cars don't care, especially if you run in front of one.
It was brought to my attention a day ago, that one of our fellow engineers was involved in a car accident. He got hit by a car. No names will be given, as there is no particular functionality to know the name. But for the sake of the story we'll call him Zak. Zak was a friendly guy, amiable, and always glad to be chatting with his engineering buddies. Everyone knew him. One day Zak had to go meet his Little somewhere. He ran out of the house and as he was in a rush, Zak did not bother to go to a crosswalk on a four lane road (with enough room for parking on both sides). In fact, Zak b-lined across the road, and being in a rush, he forgot his childhood lessons of 'looking both ways before crossing the street'.
Now, normally, if you forget to look, it's not a big deal, either cars will break to a screeching halt and the driver will start making obscene gestures and say other things to imply his obvious displeasure for you being a wreckless pedestrian, or you would get lucky and you'd play a successful game of Frogger and avoid getting hit, while maintaining forward motion, maybe getting some honks from cars. In either case, there is no lasting (physical) damage on both sides. Emotional damage is another story or if you have a heart condition you might not fare so well either...
However, in Zak's story, he was not so lucky. Either he did not remember how to play Frogger or he just simply had a bad roll of dice, but in either case, a car and Zak tried to be at the same spot at the same time. Zak is no Superman, so the car did not bend and crumple around his body. The roles were reversed, his body bent and crumpled to the shape of the car, effectively shattering a leg and providing a head injury from the impact on the windshield.
Considering the circumstances, he could have fared much worse... both legs broken, broken ribs, internal bleeding, coma, even death.
Physical recovery will take a lengthy amount of time, however emotional recovery will take longer, it might even become an emotional scar. Why? Because after getting hit by a car, you don't expect to get a fine. But Zak did get a visit from the men in blue, who gave him a $104 ticket, for jay-walking.
Moral of the story? Even if you are in a hurry, cars don't care, especially if you run in front of one.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Watching People
Have you ever taken the time to just watch people, observe their actions, just to see what they do?
Every once and a while I like to observe people. Please note, that it's different from being nosy, because I really have no interest in what they are doing, I just want to see what's happening.
Psychology lecture is a great time to do that. It's a good sized, auditorium style, lecture hall. Not as big as Zimmer Auditorium, maybe a third to a fourth of the size. But, sitting in the back you can watch people, unobtrusively. It's a little early, about quarter till eight, when class starts, and most people come in around five till. But even now there is action.
College doesn't have a seating chart, people are not assigned seats, but people tend to sit in the same seat after a few classes, so if you pay attention you can recognize faces, just by their location. For instance, five rows down from me, there is always a group of people, one guy and four or five girls who sit together. They are by far, the loudest of the students of the class. You can listen to an entire conversation, especially if the guy is talking. They must be freshmen, because they have that aura about them, plus they talk about Chemistry and English 101 very often. But I believe the girls have a slight crush on this guy, or he just one of those guys who get along/flirt well with groups of girls, a player perhaps.
Moving down a row or two, you get to the next group. They don't sit together, a few sit in the same row, but apart by a seat, and some sit down a row or even across the aisle. They talk together before class. I'll call them dorm buddies because of their proximity, because if I were to have class with my friend Richard, Dustin, or Mike, I'd sit next to them. But these girls do not sit together, so they probably know each other from living near each other and happen to recognize each other in class.
The next group is the classmate group. Looking around before class you can see people, groups of two or three of people who are talking together. They don't sit next to each other, they sort of have that same dispersal as the previous group I talked about. Across an aisle, a row down, but not together. They probably have a few classes together, maybe an art class or something where they recognize each other in a smaller class size. They are suprised, initially when they recognize someone they have another class with, sitting close by. They don't realize it, but they are pulled together, almost by a magnetic attraction through their familiarity.
Then you have the loners, like me, who are just single individuals who are taking this class as a needed BoK (supplementary class) or just wanted to take it early to get it out of the way. Even these people tend to sit in the same spots. In the three days that I have sat in this seat, the same girl has sat in front of me, and in front of her a guy with a laptop has been sitting. He is always checking out clothes online, but he has a word document open that he uses as a front; an excuse to have his laptop open. These people don't have a particular time when they come in, but more often than not, they are there earlier than the other students.
Of course, there are the students that come in late, they are even more random than than all the other groups, but even they have patterns. These people never take an empty aisle seat because it leaves them too exposed. And they rarely go down past the first ten rows since they don't want to be too obvious about being late. Though, you do have some people who do go down to the half closer to the professor, either because they don't care or because they see someone they know, and prefer the comfort of these people rather than sitting by themselves.
So, the next time you have an auditorium type class, sit in the back to watch people and how they group together, it's pretty interesting. This is done best in the morning when you have some time to watch people rather than coming in with a few minutes to spare.
Every once and a while I like to observe people. Please note, that it's different from being nosy, because I really have no interest in what they are doing, I just want to see what's happening.
Psychology lecture is a great time to do that. It's a good sized, auditorium style, lecture hall. Not as big as Zimmer Auditorium, maybe a third to a fourth of the size. But, sitting in the back you can watch people, unobtrusively. It's a little early, about quarter till eight, when class starts, and most people come in around five till. But even now there is action.
College doesn't have a seating chart, people are not assigned seats, but people tend to sit in the same seat after a few classes, so if you pay attention you can recognize faces, just by their location. For instance, five rows down from me, there is always a group of people, one guy and four or five girls who sit together. They are by far, the loudest of the students of the class. You can listen to an entire conversation, especially if the guy is talking. They must be freshmen, because they have that aura about them, plus they talk about Chemistry and English 101 very often. But I believe the girls have a slight crush on this guy, or he just one of those guys who get along/flirt well with groups of girls, a player perhaps.
Moving down a row or two, you get to the next group. They don't sit together, a few sit in the same row, but apart by a seat, and some sit down a row or even across the aisle. They talk together before class. I'll call them dorm buddies because of their proximity, because if I were to have class with my friend Richard, Dustin, or Mike, I'd sit next to them. But these girls do not sit together, so they probably know each other from living near each other and happen to recognize each other in class.
The next group is the classmate group. Looking around before class you can see people, groups of two or three of people who are talking together. They don't sit next to each other, they sort of have that same dispersal as the previous group I talked about. Across an aisle, a row down, but not together. They probably have a few classes together, maybe an art class or something where they recognize each other in a smaller class size. They are suprised, initially when they recognize someone they have another class with, sitting close by. They don't realize it, but they are pulled together, almost by a magnetic attraction through their familiarity.
Then you have the loners, like me, who are just single individuals who are taking this class as a needed BoK (supplementary class) or just wanted to take it early to get it out of the way. Even these people tend to sit in the same spots. In the three days that I have sat in this seat, the same girl has sat in front of me, and in front of her a guy with a laptop has been sitting. He is always checking out clothes online, but he has a word document open that he uses as a front; an excuse to have his laptop open. These people don't have a particular time when they come in, but more often than not, they are there earlier than the other students.
Of course, there are the students that come in late, they are even more random than than all the other groups, but even they have patterns. These people never take an empty aisle seat because it leaves them too exposed. And they rarely go down past the first ten rows since they don't want to be too obvious about being late. Though, you do have some people who do go down to the half closer to the professor, either because they don't care or because they see someone they know, and prefer the comfort of these people rather than sitting by themselves.
So, the next time you have an auditorium type class, sit in the back to watch people and how they group together, it's pretty interesting. This is done best in the morning when you have some time to watch people rather than coming in with a few minutes to spare.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
New Music Channels
Over the last week or so, I noticed some of the streaming channels I listen to did not connect anymore. Namley the New Age and Trance channels. Normally I listen to Vocal Trance or Hardcore, but sometimes I do get weary of them and listen to some other channels I have as backup. So I went to check out my source, at Digitally Imported, to discover that there were SEVEN new channels to listen to! I'll list some of the ones I listen to:
Current
Vocal Trance - A fusion of trance, dance, and chilling vocals.
European Hard Trance - Like Vocal, more bass and less vocal.
New Age - Soothing Sounds of New Age and World Music.
Deep House - Silky, sexy, deep house music.
New
Ambient - A blend of ambient, downtempo, and chillout.
Lounge - Sit back and enjoy the lounge grooves.
Roots Reggae - The best of classic and modern Roots Reggae.
While I was typing part of this blog I was listening to the New Age channel, and these two songs played:
Yanni - You Only Live Once
Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - Now We Are Free
Yanni is a very well known/famous piano player and the other song is the song played in the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe, when his character is dying at the end of movie, where flower petals are falling all around him, and in his last breaths he sees himself walking down a path, among waves of grain to meet his wife and son who had died. Well "Now We Are Free" is that song, it's a very touching piece of music. I am sure many girl's (and guy's) hearts wrench up when they hear the song, after seeing Gladiator.
Current
Vocal Trance - A fusion of trance, dance, and chilling vocals.
European Hard Trance - Like Vocal, more bass and less vocal.
New Age - Soothing Sounds of New Age and World Music.
Deep House - Silky, sexy, deep house music.
New
Ambient - A blend of ambient, downtempo, and chillout.
Lounge - Sit back and enjoy the lounge grooves.
Roots Reggae - The best of classic and modern Roots Reggae.
While I was typing part of this blog I was listening to the New Age channel, and these two songs played:
Yanni - You Only Live Once
Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard - Now We Are Free
Yanni is a very well known/famous piano player and the other song is the song played in the movie Gladiator with Russel Crowe, when his character is dying at the end of movie, where flower petals are falling all around him, and in his last breaths he sees himself walking down a path, among waves of grain to meet his wife and son who had died. Well "Now We Are Free" is that song, it's a very touching piece of music. I am sure many girl's (and guy's) hearts wrench up when they hear the song, after seeing Gladiator.
Weekend Anime
Along with watching Stealth and Unleashed this weekend, I also saw some pretty good anime.
Suzuka is easily becoming one of those series that I eagerly look forward to the next episode. It's a pretty common story line; guy meets girl, falls in love with girl, but girl does not share his feelings. The guy does everything to try to win her over, joins the track team with her, cares for her, and just flat out asking her out. The girl easily falls into the cold and detached category, unable to express her feelings. The last few episodes (13-16) has been about the guy starting to go out with another girl, and the dynamics between those three characters (guy, girl, and other girl) is really fascinating. I could use their names Yamato (guy), Suzuka (girl), Hotona (other girl). There is no one particular defining thing about this anime that makes it good, it's a little bit of everything.
Bleach, well it's always been a very fun anime to watch, it's probaby the most popular series that's being watched currently. This series falls more along the lines of fighting and drama, compared to Suzuka, which was more romance and drama. There are a lot of personal struggles with the characters and of course their is the awesome animation especially during some of the fight scenes, which can be very creative. The next couple of episodes should be great. The last episode, 54, I've watched at least three or four times because it was so good. The one thing everyone (who hasn't read the manga) is looking forward to is how Ichigo's Bankai state will look like. For those who aren't familiar with Bleach, I'll run down a few basics. The world of death is governed by Death God's, who either send someone to Soul Society or Hell once they die. Ichigo, a human with great spiritual powers becomes a Death God, through his friend Rukia. Rukia breaks the law by doing this, and gets taken back to Soul Society to be executed. Ichigo goes after her to save her, but he has to get stronger to do so. As a Death God, there are levels of power that can be unleashed through training. The two that I am familiar with are Shikai and Bankai, Shikai being below Bankai's level. Shikai is attained when a Death God has great resolve and Bankai is the manifistation of this resolve. Since only the strongest of the Death Gods can attain Bankai, each form is unique, and that's why everyone is looking forward to Ichigo's Bankai. I am sure if you are at this point, you found this very entertaining /sarcasm.
Mai Otome is another cool anime, but I won't get into it this time around.
Ciao for now.
Suzuka is easily becoming one of those series that I eagerly look forward to the next episode. It's a pretty common story line; guy meets girl, falls in love with girl, but girl does not share his feelings. The guy does everything to try to win her over, joins the track team with her, cares for her, and just flat out asking her out. The girl easily falls into the cold and detached category, unable to express her feelings. The last few episodes (13-16) has been about the guy starting to go out with another girl, and the dynamics between those three characters (guy, girl, and other girl) is really fascinating. I could use their names Yamato (guy), Suzuka (girl), Hotona (other girl). There is no one particular defining thing about this anime that makes it good, it's a little bit of everything.
Bleach, well it's always been a very fun anime to watch, it's probaby the most popular series that's being watched currently. This series falls more along the lines of fighting and drama, compared to Suzuka, which was more romance and drama. There are a lot of personal struggles with the characters and of course their is the awesome animation especially during some of the fight scenes, which can be very creative. The next couple of episodes should be great. The last episode, 54, I've watched at least three or four times because it was so good. The one thing everyone (who hasn't read the manga) is looking forward to is how Ichigo's Bankai state will look like. For those who aren't familiar with Bleach, I'll run down a few basics. The world of death is governed by Death God's, who either send someone to Soul Society or Hell once they die. Ichigo, a human with great spiritual powers becomes a Death God, through his friend Rukia. Rukia breaks the law by doing this, and gets taken back to Soul Society to be executed. Ichigo goes after her to save her, but he has to get stronger to do so. As a Death God, there are levels of power that can be unleashed through training. The two that I am familiar with are Shikai and Bankai, Shikai being below Bankai's level. Shikai is attained when a Death God has great resolve and Bankai is the manifistation of this resolve. Since only the strongest of the Death Gods can attain Bankai, each form is unique, and that's why everyone is looking forward to Ichigo's Bankai. I am sure if you are at this point, you found this very entertaining /sarcasm.
Mai Otome is another cool anime, but I won't get into it this time around.
Ciao for now.
Monday, October 24, 2005
The Little Things
Walking back from Psychology this morning, I was making my way across McMicken Commons near TUC and saw a couple together talking. The girl was zipping the guy's coat up. It was kind of cute, because in the ten seconds it took for me to go by them, she was still attempting to zip up the zipper, even though the guy could have done it in less time. I thought it was kind of cute, such a sign for affection (I guess).
Call me sentimental, but I smiled when I saw it.
Call me sentimental, but I smiled when I saw it.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Friends Who Will Remain Friends
The other day, a friend asked me to take a survey for his leadership class he is taking. The questions were all about him, personal questions, asking things such as "Do you find the person trustful?" and "Does the person easily lose focus?" etc... personal sort of questions. I took the survey, answering the questions the best I could, 1 being the Diasgree and 5 being Agree. I marked down an answer for each question, 1 - 5. Now these answers, I didn't think would be taken seriously, so maybe I didn't answer them completely seriously.
A day or two later a person close to my friend asked about some of the answers I gave, one of them about the trust issue, which I put down as 3, I think. The person told me that my friend (who gave the survey) had been bothered by the answer I gave, wondering why I put down three and not five... was I not his friend? That sort of surprised me, and then when I thought about it, it sort of made sense... *start tangent*
This person I would call a very good friend. When you are in college or highschool, you meet a lot of people, and you get to know their names and maybe even learn a little about them as you progress through classes with them. But there are some people who you won't remain in contact with after you leave the institution you are at, whether high-school or college. Yes, you may have worked together, and laughed about the same jokes, and hung out, while at school, but beyond that, nothing. Then there are those friends who will still remain your friends after you leave. You may not see them all the time, but you'll stay in contact via phone, email, or what-have-you. Those are your friends, the difference between calling someone your classmate and your friend.
When I left highschool, I had maybe a handful of friends who I have stayed in contact with, one of which I had had a crush on for a couple years during highschool and who turned out to become my girlfriend who I care very deeply for... anyways... enough of the melodrama... of the 30-40 odd acquaintances I had at high-school, my classmates, there are less then five I probably stay in regular contact with and call my friend. The same will happen in college, of the 30 college friends/classmates I have, only a few of them I will have a close enough friendship with to stay in contact with. What, you don't believe me? How many people on Facebook do you call your 'friend', and of those, how many do you stay in regular email or phone contact? How many people signed your yearbook from high-school and you still stay in touch with? Probably not as many as you thought. *end tangent*
...getting back on track about my friend and the survey, that friend will surely be a friend who I will stay in contact with after college. I'll quote one of my favorite authors who said, in a book, "Mind what people do, not only what they say...". What I mean is that, such surveys should not be taken to heart. Could have I given the highest marks possible, on that survey? Yeah, sure, my friend sure qualified for them all, but then what kind of friend would I be if made him look good? Hehe. It would not be any fun that way.
Ciao for now.
A day or two later a person close to my friend asked about some of the answers I gave, one of them about the trust issue, which I put down as 3, I think. The person told me that my friend (who gave the survey) had been bothered by the answer I gave, wondering why I put down three and not five... was I not his friend? That sort of surprised me, and then when I thought about it, it sort of made sense... *start tangent*
This person I would call a very good friend. When you are in college or highschool, you meet a lot of people, and you get to know their names and maybe even learn a little about them as you progress through classes with them. But there are some people who you won't remain in contact with after you leave the institution you are at, whether high-school or college. Yes, you may have worked together, and laughed about the same jokes, and hung out, while at school, but beyond that, nothing. Then there are those friends who will still remain your friends after you leave. You may not see them all the time, but you'll stay in contact via phone, email, or what-have-you. Those are your friends, the difference between calling someone your classmate and your friend.
When I left highschool, I had maybe a handful of friends who I have stayed in contact with, one of which I had had a crush on for a couple years during highschool and who turned out to become my girlfriend who I care very deeply for... anyways... enough of the melodrama... of the 30-40 odd acquaintances I had at high-school, my classmates, there are less then five I probably stay in regular contact with and call my friend. The same will happen in college, of the 30 college friends/classmates I have, only a few of them I will have a close enough friendship with to stay in contact with. What, you don't believe me? How many people on Facebook do you call your 'friend', and of those, how many do you stay in regular email or phone contact? How many people signed your yearbook from high-school and you still stay in touch with? Probably not as many as you thought. *end tangent*
...getting back on track about my friend and the survey, that friend will surely be a friend who I will stay in contact with after college. I'll quote one of my favorite authors who said, in a book, "Mind what people do, not only what they say...". What I mean is that, such surveys should not be taken to heart. Could have I given the highest marks possible, on that survey? Yeah, sure, my friend sure qualified for them all, but then what kind of friend would I be if made him look good? Hehe. It would not be any fun that way.
Ciao for now.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Stealth
Spoiler Warning - If you have any intention on seeing this movie and don't want any spoilers, don't read this post.
Tonight I watched Stealh, an action movie, about three pilots, who lead up an elite fighter pilot taskforce, along with a very unique fighter plane, Eddie, who is an unmanned fighter jet, guided by an AI.
I am not going to right some fancy review, because that's not what it is about. Just a few points on my likes and dislikes and general connections concerning the movie and the trailers.
I'll start with the trailers; when I saw the trailers for the movie it gave a completely different feel for the movie. The trailers made it seem like that it was about how this AI plane, Eddie, goes crazy after it is struck by lightning, who then goes and targets a major American city with a nuclear bomb.
The movie was not about that, it did not even come close. The AI plane does go out of whack, developing more of a conscious and personality as the movie progresses. There are nuclear warheads destroyed, but the closest the movie came to America was landing at an airfield in Alaska. Hardly a major American city. The movie was more about the AI plane and how rules and protocols were being ignored in order to push this new technology.
The three main pilots were played by Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Jessica Biel. Now, most of you are probably familiar with the names Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel. Jamie Foxx is known for his comedy (Jamie Foxx show and stand up comedy), and for his roles in Ray and Collateral. Jessican Biel is mostly known as one of the Camdens in 7th Heaven, but also in movies such as Saw and Blade Trinity. Josh Lucas is the not so common name who you've seen in Sweet Home Alabama (as Jake) and possibly Secondhand Lions. What's the point of this? Well the previews also made some indication that Jamie Foxx was the squadron leader. But in the movie he isn't, he actually is probably the least signficant of three, considering he died half-way through the movie. Josh Lucas was the witty squandron leader, and the best flier.
Trailers often have a tendancy to be very misleading. The fourth Harry Potter movie to debut this November has a trailer or two that shows clips spanning the ENTIRE movie, including the end battle. If you read the book and seen the trailer, you know what I mean. To those who have not read the book, then the clips have no particular meaning or significance. But getting back on track, Stealth's trailers gave an entire different view of the movie, which I thought was kind of silly. Whoever edited the trailers either didn't know what the movie was about or was using old clips that were no longer part of the movie.
If I had seen the trailers they way they should have been shown, I probably would have seen the movie before today.
All in all, I liked the movie, it was a good popcorn-action movie, that had a pretty thin plot holding the whole movie together, which also included some cliche parts too. But you don't win awards from these type of movies, and those sort of standards should not be applied to them either. For fans of Jessica Biel, you'll see hardly any skin in this movie, since she is in a flight suit most of the time. There is the token "bathing suit" scene, where she shows off her body. Girls, that same scene also includes Josh Lucas taking his shirt off and flexing his muscles. That scene could have been left out, but it was supposed to help show the chemistry between the two, since the developing romance factored into the last quarter of the movie. And if you expect a big kissing scene at the end, where the lead characters fall into each others' arms and lock lips as if they were fighting the urge to snog the whole movie, then you'll be disappointed again. All you get is a scene where Biel and Lucas are on deck and she says someting along the lines of, "Just tell me you love me, pansy.".
In conclusion, if you want to watch a decent action movie, with some pretty realistic/cool special effects, then be sure to check this movie out.
Tonight I watched Stealh, an action movie, about three pilots, who lead up an elite fighter pilot taskforce, along with a very unique fighter plane, Eddie, who is an unmanned fighter jet, guided by an AI.
I am not going to right some fancy review, because that's not what it is about. Just a few points on my likes and dislikes and general connections concerning the movie and the trailers.
I'll start with the trailers; when I saw the trailers for the movie it gave a completely different feel for the movie. The trailers made it seem like that it was about how this AI plane, Eddie, goes crazy after it is struck by lightning, who then goes and targets a major American city with a nuclear bomb.
The movie was not about that, it did not even come close. The AI plane does go out of whack, developing more of a conscious and personality as the movie progresses. There are nuclear warheads destroyed, but the closest the movie came to America was landing at an airfield in Alaska. Hardly a major American city. The movie was more about the AI plane and how rules and protocols were being ignored in order to push this new technology.
The three main pilots were played by Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Jessica Biel. Now, most of you are probably familiar with the names Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel. Jamie Foxx is known for his comedy (Jamie Foxx show and stand up comedy), and for his roles in Ray and Collateral. Jessican Biel is mostly known as one of the Camdens in 7th Heaven, but also in movies such as Saw and Blade Trinity. Josh Lucas is the not so common name who you've seen in Sweet Home Alabama (as Jake) and possibly Secondhand Lions. What's the point of this? Well the previews also made some indication that Jamie Foxx was the squadron leader. But in the movie he isn't, he actually is probably the least signficant of three, considering he died half-way through the movie. Josh Lucas was the witty squandron leader, and the best flier.
Trailers often have a tendancy to be very misleading. The fourth Harry Potter movie to debut this November has a trailer or two that shows clips spanning the ENTIRE movie, including the end battle. If you read the book and seen the trailer, you know what I mean. To those who have not read the book, then the clips have no particular meaning or significance. But getting back on track, Stealth's trailers gave an entire different view of the movie, which I thought was kind of silly. Whoever edited the trailers either didn't know what the movie was about or was using old clips that were no longer part of the movie.
If I had seen the trailers they way they should have been shown, I probably would have seen the movie before today.
All in all, I liked the movie, it was a good popcorn-action movie, that had a pretty thin plot holding the whole movie together, which also included some cliche parts too. But you don't win awards from these type of movies, and those sort of standards should not be applied to them either. For fans of Jessica Biel, you'll see hardly any skin in this movie, since she is in a flight suit most of the time. There is the token "bathing suit" scene, where she shows off her body. Girls, that same scene also includes Josh Lucas taking his shirt off and flexing his muscles. That scene could have been left out, but it was supposed to help show the chemistry between the two, since the developing romance factored into the last quarter of the movie. And if you expect a big kissing scene at the end, where the lead characters fall into each others' arms and lock lips as if they were fighting the urge to snog the whole movie, then you'll be disappointed again. All you get is a scene where Biel and Lucas are on deck and she says someting along the lines of, "Just tell me you love me, pansy.".
In conclusion, if you want to watch a decent action movie, with some pretty realistic/cool special effects, then be sure to check this movie out.
Friday, October 21, 2005
What You Do Not Know
You know? I was going to post something about my Christmas Card Exchange cards, but since I know some forum peeps read this blog, I best not write anything conerning it. If you are from Fantasy Essentials, and you are on the X-mas Card Exchange list, then you'll find out in the next couple of months... if you are not on the list, I might discuss it after the holidays. I've only got two other cohorts who are aware of the *ahem* details.
It's only October, so I have some time.
It's only October, so I have some time.
"See" the passion
Today in psychology I was sitting in the back, with my laptop open, doing some editing, because the professor does not require 100% of my attention, only about half of it. Anyways, we are doing a chapter on perception/sensory type stuff and we were talking about the eye and our professor gave us an interesting fact. If you are on a date, you can tell how much the person likes you by the dialation of their eyes. The more dialated, the more they like you, and the less dialated, well, you better wrap things up pretty quick. So, if you are on a date, you can look deeply in your date's eyes and see if you are making the right moves.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Perfect Pirate Costume
As I was browsing through the top 100 pictures at a digital art website, I came upon this picture,
and thought, "Wow, that pirate costume the middle person is wearing is pretty cool." There is no peg leg, no parrot, but the oil-skin jacket, with the white, open collar, blouse, the headband, and the pants, just gave off the aura of "pirate" without even needing a pirates hat or parrot. The patch is not necessary as I did not see it at my initial reaction, but it could add more to the pirate aura or just clarify for those who may be confused. If I could get together these items I think I'd have a pretty awesome costume, not necessarily for this year, but eventually. I could definately see myself saying "Avast!", "Arrr!", and "Walk the plank!".
-K
and thought, "Wow, that pirate costume the middle person is wearing is pretty cool." There is no peg leg, no parrot, but the oil-skin jacket, with the white, open collar, blouse, the headband, and the pants, just gave off the aura of "pirate" without even needing a pirates hat or parrot. The patch is not necessary as I did not see it at my initial reaction, but it could add more to the pirate aura or just clarify for those who may be confused. If I could get together these items I think I'd have a pretty awesome costume, not necessarily for this year, but eventually. I could definately see myself saying "Avast!", "Arrr!", and "Walk the plank!".
-K
Oh Why?
Wednesday... oh Wednesday... I will be at school all day. That's bad. Why, do you ask?
Because three new anime subs were releaesed. And the school likes to block torrent downloads, whether legal or not.
Yesterday, I saw a thread online, asking for medical advice, based off a description provided. I find it hard to believe that someone would base their decision on going to a doctor off of some advice provided by random people whose age may range from 12 - 40, and who have no knowledge in the medical field (i.e. nurse, PhD, etc...). I would never let my general health be gambled on, by advice from some random forum people.
Because three new anime subs were releaesed. And the school likes to block torrent downloads, whether legal or not.
Yesterday, I saw a thread online, asking for medical advice, based off a description provided. I find it hard to believe that someone would base their decision on going to a doctor off of some advice provided by random people whose age may range from 12 - 40, and who have no knowledge in the medical field (i.e. nurse, PhD, etc...). I would never let my general health be gambled on, by advice from some random forum people.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Paradise Kiss
Warning: The title concerns anime. Just so you know.
A new anime series that came out this fall, for which a sub* was released today. After initial doubts, I downloaded it (it's free, so why not?) and viewed it. It was totally different, compared to other series I have watched so far. The animation is different, and it has a more mellow feel to it. I'll quote from AniDB.net, a bit of the show description:
"Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school everyday. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who has a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss". The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari instead..."
I browsed an anime forum to check out the general comments on the series and there was a submission that had particular interst:
"The show is running a contest for fans' fashion designs, with the prizes being to have your design appear in later episodes of the show, in a magazine and on the Web, to take part in a ParaKiss fashion show, and to have your design in a ParaKiss shop. The website says: "ParaKiss will help you take the first step toward your dreams (of becoming a fashion designer)."
It's open only to amateurs. The judges will be Japanese fashion designers. The deadline is very soon: received by October 20."
Kind of cool, neh?
Also, the ending song is not a typical J-pop song, it's from a British pop band Franz Ferdinand. It's rather catchy.
*sub (n.) - An anime episode, that was translated by a group of individuals who added a translation on the bottom of the episode, so that the rest of us need not learn Japanese to understand the show.
A new anime series that came out this fall, for which a sub* was released today. After initial doubts, I downloaded it (it's free, so why not?) and viewed it. It was totally different, compared to other series I have watched so far. The animation is different, and it has a more mellow feel to it. I'll quote from AniDB.net, a bit of the show description:
"Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school everyday. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who has a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss". The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari instead..."
I browsed an anime forum to check out the general comments on the series and there was a submission that had particular interst:
"The show is running a contest for fans' fashion designs, with the prizes being to have your design appear in later episodes of the show, in a magazine and on the Web, to take part in a ParaKiss fashion show, and to have your design in a ParaKiss shop. The website says: "ParaKiss will help you take the first step toward your dreams (of becoming a fashion designer)."
It's open only to amateurs. The judges will be Japanese fashion designers. The deadline is very soon: received by October 20."
Kind of cool, neh?
Also, the ending song is not a typical J-pop song, it's from a British pop band Franz Ferdinand. It's rather catchy.
*sub (n.) - An anime episode, that was translated by a group of individuals who added a translation on the bottom of the episode, so that the rest of us need not learn Japanese to understand the show.
The Aftermath
Today was the big day, the EM Fields exam. Tensions were running high, brains were hurting, and general nervous was going around. I woke up this morning, and the very first thought, even before my eyes were even open was, "EM Fields", yeah, that's how much it has haunted me over the last few days. Talking to some people before the exam also mentioned having dreams about EM Fields this past night. Scary huh? That a class like this could pervade all our thoughts, is pretty disturbing.
But, it is over, it was a lot easier than what has previously been discussed, but that doesn't mean it was hard. It was just not the impossible and insane task that we had thought was going to be put in front of us.
Next up - Psychology. This shouldn't be as bad as EM Fields, I hope.
Supernatural is on tonight, but it's just a clone episode, looks pretty boring. So that means more study time, or does it. I wish I could veg out, but not until this weekend, maybe. It depends on what happens over the next few days.
I borrowed my friend's computer to write this, and he is eyeing it anxiously, ready to be reunited with his laptop again. I better not delay the reunion.
Ciao for now.
But, it is over, it was a lot easier than what has previously been discussed, but that doesn't mean it was hard. It was just not the impossible and insane task that we had thought was going to be put in front of us.
Next up - Psychology. This shouldn't be as bad as EM Fields, I hope.
Supernatural is on tonight, but it's just a clone episode, looks pretty boring. So that means more study time, or does it. I wish I could veg out, but not until this weekend, maybe. It depends on what happens over the next few days.
I borrowed my friend's computer to write this, and he is eyeing it anxiously, ready to be reunited with his laptop again. I better not delay the reunion.
Ciao for now.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Happy Birthday
Today is my older sister's birthday. She'll be 23 I believe. Currently she is overseas doing a study abroad to fulfill her student teaching requirement. So she is away from most of her family and friends on this special day. If she reads this blog, may all her birthday wishes come true.
I think I blog too much, or maybe it's because it's a new fangled discovery. At any rate, this will be my last one for today. I've just come off of a studying stint, my brain overflowing with formulas, just hoping a few will stick. I was checking away messages, and saw a fellow student that had a very fitting away message, in regard to EM Fields:
"I don't know which is going to be worse, taking the test tomorrow or studying for it all day today knowing the whole time my efforts are futile."
I will be glad when this exam is over, which starts the downhill path for the rest of the week that includes homework assignments, and labs, and another exam, that will surely pale in comparison to the carnage our professor will wreak on us tomorrow.
Hopefully I will blog something more cheerful tomorrow.
I think I blog too much, or maybe it's because it's a new fangled discovery. At any rate, this will be my last one for today. I've just come off of a studying stint, my brain overflowing with formulas, just hoping a few will stick. I was checking away messages, and saw a fellow student that had a very fitting away message, in regard to EM Fields:
"I don't know which is going to be worse, taking the test tomorrow or studying for it all day today knowing the whole time my efforts are futile."
I will be glad when this exam is over, which starts the downhill path for the rest of the week that includes homework assignments, and labs, and another exam, that will surely pale in comparison to the carnage our professor will wreak on us tomorrow.
Hopefully I will blog something more cheerful tomorrow.
Delaying the Inevitable
Here I am again, sitting at my desk, typing away on this current blog, delaying the inevitable; studying for the EM Fields exam. After talking and listening to many people today, the general consensus is that we have no chance in passing this exam with a decent grade, as the amount of material, to learn, is overwhelming. Could we ever be prepared for this exam? Probably not, since there are just too many formulas to remember.
Some of you, who read this may sympathize, and nod in agreement, others may scoff at my remarks and tell me that if I studied enough, that I could have no problem acing the exam. To the latter half, I will say this; wallow in your ignorance because you cannot comprehend the difficulty of such a task. If I were to show you this material we have to learn, you may simply wave me off, stating that you were not familiar with the material, and if you were familiar, there'd be no problem in learning it. But there is a reason why the number of sections (containing 30 students each) has been halved, because it's hard. The proof is in the numbers.
This is me, signing off, to memorize some equations.
Some of you, who read this may sympathize, and nod in agreement, others may scoff at my remarks and tell me that if I studied enough, that I could have no problem acing the exam. To the latter half, I will say this; wallow in your ignorance because you cannot comprehend the difficulty of such a task. If I were to show you this material we have to learn, you may simply wave me off, stating that you were not familiar with the material, and if you were familiar, there'd be no problem in learning it. But there is a reason why the number of sections (containing 30 students each) has been halved, because it's hard. The proof is in the numbers.
This is me, signing off, to memorize some equations.
Beautiful Monday
Monday's can always be a drag, but what makes them more of a drag, is when the weather is nice. Monday mornings should be cloudy, to reflect the dreariness that is reflected in the faces of so many students and workers.
But alas, on this Monday, the sun is shining, there is a slight chill in the air, that foretells a nice fall day. I however will be looking out through a window on this day, because of a wonderful exam that I have tomorrow morning. I will be sorting through my notes to try to memorize seemingly countless equations riddled with psi's, theta's, ro's, and other various greek letters and normal letters with bars, karats, and subscripts peppered across key symbols. Oh how I am not looking forward to this exam, I have even dreamed about it (*gasp*), that's how much it plagues my mind.
I am sure tomorrow, at noon there will be sense of relief, mixed somewhere among the feeling of dread that seems so probable. But I will only have a brief reprieve, as a Psychology exam occurs the next day. So as I close the notes of one class, I will be opening the notes to another to try to remember the difference between a dendrite, occipital lobe, and who encouraged marijuana for every illness.
As I look outside at the sparkling dew in the grass, I silently think, "Oh the irony.".
Have a wonderful day everyone!
But alas, on this Monday, the sun is shining, there is a slight chill in the air, that foretells a nice fall day. I however will be looking out through a window on this day, because of a wonderful exam that I have tomorrow morning. I will be sorting through my notes to try to memorize seemingly countless equations riddled with psi's, theta's, ro's, and other various greek letters and normal letters with bars, karats, and subscripts peppered across key symbols. Oh how I am not looking forward to this exam, I have even dreamed about it (*gasp*), that's how much it plagues my mind.
I am sure tomorrow, at noon there will be sense of relief, mixed somewhere among the feeling of dread that seems so probable. But I will only have a brief reprieve, as a Psychology exam occurs the next day. So as I close the notes of one class, I will be opening the notes to another to try to remember the difference between a dendrite, occipital lobe, and who encouraged marijuana for every illness.
As I look outside at the sparkling dew in the grass, I silently think, "Oh the irony.".
Have a wonderful day everyone!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Looking Outside
So I was sitting at my desk, where I am sitting most of the time, when I am in my room. The sun was beginning to set and I had I realized how much I touch the world from the very room I am sitting in.
Some of you that know me, know that I post in a few forums, for the last few years, and I've come to know quite a few people who would be deemed as an "internet friend". These friends are from around the world; Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, not to mention those from North America. I realize that when I am giving advice, helping with a technical question, or just general posting, that I touch the lives of people across the globe. And all this is done from my computer.
You've probably heard the phrase (or some variation of), "My monitor is a window to the world.". Some don't realize how true that really is.
Some of you that know me, know that I post in a few forums, for the last few years, and I've come to know quite a few people who would be deemed as an "internet friend". These friends are from around the world; Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa, not to mention those from North America. I realize that when I am giving advice, helping with a technical question, or just general posting, that I touch the lives of people across the globe. And all this is done from my computer.
You've probably heard the phrase (or some variation of), "My monitor is a window to the world.". Some don't realize how true that really is.
My Blog
I've tried journal type places before, such as Live Journal, but I don't think I liked doing that, or maybe I wasn't into it.
I saw someone's blog earlier today, and thought to myself, "Hmm, it would be interesting to have my own blog, even if it's just to type out some thoughts."
So here we are, I've created a blog. I am not very familiar with the set-up, so I will be doing a bit of tinkering.
Happy reading!
I saw someone's blog earlier today, and thought to myself, "Hmm, it would be interesting to have my own blog, even if it's just to type out some thoughts."
So here we are, I've created a blog. I am not very familiar with the set-up, so I will be doing a bit of tinkering.
Happy reading!
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