Title: Captivating
Author: John and Stasi Eldredge
This book is about unveiling the mystery of a woman's Christian soul.
I can't say that this was one of the best books that I've read. I can't even say that this book was a good read period. So first off, I don't recommend this book - whether you are Christian or not. Except maybe if you were beaten, raped or have really low self-confidence, then maybe (and that's a big maybe), this book might help.
Immediately, the book turned me off with ... "Every woman in her heart of hearts longs for three things: to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty." [page 8]. EVERY woman huh? This sentence is either too specific (and thus wrong) or too general (and thus worthless) - it can't be both, take your pick. What then continued to chagrin me is the continual referral to movies and fiction in order to prove "real" (non-fictitious) points. Talk about credibility.
It's not that I can't sympathize with the hardships that she's been through, and most of the book is based on women and their struggles and hardships...divorce, rape, relationship stress with family etc. She was very brave to share all that with her readers. I'm glad she was able to get over them, but if that's the basis of forming a relationship with god, then no thanks. However, much to my dismay, along the next several chapters, I came upon the following that really disturbed me.
"God says he will thwart our efforts to find life apart from him -- Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way; She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them [Hos. 2:6-7]. He does this, as we said, in order to wear us out, get us to turn back to him in thirsty longing." [page 121]
God puts obstacles to wear us out...and when we have no where else to turn to, we pretty much have to turn to him - love him. Does that sound wrong or is it just me? That's like some psychopath who is in love with you (but not you with him); he kidnaps you, locks you up and breaks you down mentally to the point that in order to make it all stop, you fall in love with him beacause that is what he wants, because then the pain will stop. Scary. The authors also mentioned that god wants us to have a heart at rest (thus it is more inviting) and to have heart at rest, one must release fear. Well...taken from that passage above, fear is what drives one to love him is it not? Or is it desperation? Who is not fearful of being desperate though?
Moving on. What I can't stand is the generalization "most women" or "most of us"...I'm sorry, but until you've personally communicated with the 3+ billion women around the world, or even just half of the Christian women in this world, don't use that generalization. It makes one sound self centred at best and ignorant at worst.
I'm still trying to finish the book so I may add more critique, so go ahead and read it after what I've said...if you want :)
C
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Life at Corporate
Sometimes I wonder ... did I really go to school to do THIS?! Seriously. Mapping out business process flows, designing business flows, using squares, diamonds and lines to communicate. What world did I plop myself into?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A relationship is like a dance
Watching Dancing with the Stars...there are just so many types of dance that demands a certain...feeling or emotion. The Passo Doble is supposed to exhibit passionate aggression through the forms of the bull and the matador. The Viennese Waltz is elegant, a dance that a king and queen would dance too - kind of a like hidden passion that yearns to be free. The Jive is upbeat, young and perhaps best exhibits puppy love. There's also the Cha Cha, Salsa - both very flirtatious and seductive dances. The Tango, for me, defines how love is - being in the moment. Then there's the Fox Trot, Rumba and Mambo, which are...hmmm...special moments in a relationship?
The most important thing is though, it doesn't matter how good of a dancer you are unless you have the right partner - that goes for partners in a relationship too. You have to be able to act together in unity as well as one when necessary. It's not easy I tell you!
The most important thing is though, it doesn't matter how good of a dancer you are unless you have the right partner - that goes for partners in a relationship too. You have to be able to act together in unity as well as one when necessary. It's not easy I tell you!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Fear of Commitment from Wikipedia
Fear of commitment in much popular literature refers to avoidance of long-term partnership and/or marriage but the problem is often much more pervasive, affecting school, work, and home life as well.
The term commitmentphobia was coined in the popular self-help book Men Who Can't Love in 1987. Following criticism of the perceived sexist idea that only men were commitmentphobic, the authors provided a more gender balanced model of commitmentphobia in a later work, He's Scared, She's Scared.
Commitmentphobia is often most strongly apparent in romantic life. Generally, commitmentphobic people claim that they are eager to find a lasting romantic attachment and get married, yet they fail to find appropriate partners and maintain longlasting connections. Ironically, in these romantic relationships, the commitmentphobic partner craves what he/she fears most: love and connection. This paradoxical craving for a frightening reality leads to a confusing and destructive pattern of seduction and rejection. The results are emotionally devastating.
The key to understanding commitmentphobia is recognizing that such behavior is rooted in fear -- fear of lost options or fear of making poor decisions. The commitmentphobic mind sees decisions as permanent, opening the possibility of being caged or trapped forever with no means of escape. Commitmentphobia is a real disabling fear, that can be manifest in many areas of life, including career, home ownership, or even shoe shopping. This fear can make simple every day decisions into a tremendous burden.
To assuage their anxieties, many commitmentphobics become fantasy-driven, using their active imaginations to fill in for the lack of emotional security and closeness in their lives. Of course, these fantasies pose additional problems because no potential partner, car, or job can ever live up to the fantasy. Commitmentphobics are also prone to self-destructive behavior, such as walking out on partners or jobs without notice, leaving themselves and the people in their lives in untenable situations.
One potentially misleading aspect of commitmentphobic behavior is that the partner who is actively running away from commitment is not the only one with a problem. In fact, commitmentphobic behavior includes "settling" for inappropriate partners, pursuing unattainable partners, and engaging in instant relationship mergers as well as fleeing from what might have appeared to be a stable romance. Any persistent behavior that actively prevents a person from making a commitment or allows a person to make excuses for not having made a commitment can be considered commitmentphobic.
Authors Carter and Sokol handle this circumstance by describing "active" commitmentphobia, which is most strongly characterized by running away from relationships, and "passive" commitmentphobia, which is most strongly characterized by longsuffering devotion to an active partner who is running away, longing for a partner who has run away, and fantasy reconciliation scenarios.
The term commitmentphobia was coined in the popular self-help book Men Who Can't Love in 1987. Following criticism of the perceived sexist idea that only men were commitmentphobic, the authors provided a more gender balanced model of commitmentphobia in a later work, He's Scared, She's Scared.
Commitmentphobia is often most strongly apparent in romantic life. Generally, commitmentphobic people claim that they are eager to find a lasting romantic attachment and get married, yet they fail to find appropriate partners and maintain longlasting connections. Ironically, in these romantic relationships, the commitmentphobic partner craves what he/she fears most: love and connection. This paradoxical craving for a frightening reality leads to a confusing and destructive pattern of seduction and rejection. The results are emotionally devastating.
The key to understanding commitmentphobia is recognizing that such behavior is rooted in fear -- fear of lost options or fear of making poor decisions. The commitmentphobic mind sees decisions as permanent, opening the possibility of being caged or trapped forever with no means of escape. Commitmentphobia is a real disabling fear, that can be manifest in many areas of life, including career, home ownership, or even shoe shopping. This fear can make simple every day decisions into a tremendous burden.
To assuage their anxieties, many commitmentphobics become fantasy-driven, using their active imaginations to fill in for the lack of emotional security and closeness in their lives. Of course, these fantasies pose additional problems because no potential partner, car, or job can ever live up to the fantasy. Commitmentphobics are also prone to self-destructive behavior, such as walking out on partners or jobs without notice, leaving themselves and the people in their lives in untenable situations.
One potentially misleading aspect of commitmentphobic behavior is that the partner who is actively running away from commitment is not the only one with a problem. In fact, commitmentphobic behavior includes "settling" for inappropriate partners, pursuing unattainable partners, and engaging in instant relationship mergers as well as fleeing from what might have appeared to be a stable romance. Any persistent behavior that actively prevents a person from making a commitment or allows a person to make excuses for not having made a commitment can be considered commitmentphobic.
Authors Carter and Sokol handle this circumstance by describing "active" commitmentphobia, which is most strongly characterized by running away from relationships, and "passive" commitmentphobia, which is most strongly characterized by longsuffering devotion to an active partner who is running away, longing for a partner who has run away, and fantasy reconciliation scenarios.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
South for the Holidays
Good news, I am going south for the holidays. Bad news, south of Minneapolis includes Toronto and that's where I'm going. Sad isn't it?
The Case for Christ
In general, this was a well written book. He does build a strong case for Christ with his arguments and evidence, using 'typical' law rules to prove his case. Eye Witness, Historical Evidence, Expert Testimony and so on. He makes references in the bible to test consistency of the writings and events. All in all, it's not something scholars have never thought of - Lee Strobel verbalized it well.
There are however, 'holes' to his logic if you will.
1. No expert testimony from the opposing view. To get a holistic picture and to present a well balanced case, seeing as this is one of his 'key' premises to proving the case for Christ.
2. He makes a case for the authenticity of the document against the Illiad. If the Illiad is inaccurate from the beginning and has x number of versions, it doesn't matter how many translations it's been through, or version control or whatever, it is still inaccurate. Making a comparison to this book does not increase the bible's authenticity. He quotes the nature and stature of those who kept those records as time goes by and the strictness of versioning. Well, if the 'original' was wrong to begin with, it doesn't matter how strict the Church maintains its versioning control, you're maintaining strict control of inaccuracy.
Those were my biggest objections to his logic. All in all, it was a well written book and I do recommend it.
There are however, 'holes' to his logic if you will.
1. No expert testimony from the opposing view. To get a holistic picture and to present a well balanced case, seeing as this is one of his 'key' premises to proving the case for Christ.
2. He makes a case for the authenticity of the document against the Illiad. If the Illiad is inaccurate from the beginning and has x number of versions, it doesn't matter how many translations it's been through, or version control or whatever, it is still inaccurate. Making a comparison to this book does not increase the bible's authenticity. He quotes the nature and stature of those who kept those records as time goes by and the strictness of versioning. Well, if the 'original' was wrong to begin with, it doesn't matter how strict the Church maintains its versioning control, you're maintaining strict control of inaccuracy.
Those were my biggest objections to his logic. All in all, it was a well written book and I do recommend it.
Eat, Pray, Love.
So text books notwithstanding, it has rarely taken me so long to read a book. The book just never did generate enough excitement for me. It was slow. It was repeatitive.
The book was about the author's journey to self discovery - after a horrendous divorce and not knowing/feeling what she wanted. She made these self discoveries in the midst of her personal struggles in three place: Italy, India and Indonesia,which respectively corresponds to Eat, Pray, Love. Trying to let go of the pain of her past through an eating and traveling adventure in Italy and learning about what her "word" is (intraversero - or something - that means crossing over). Trying to find god in India through prayers and meditation with her guru, while in the meantime realizing her strengths and weaknesses and making them work. And finally, trying to find balance in her life by visiting an old Medicine Man in Indonesia (where balance is central to life on the island), in which, yes, you've guessed it, she's eventually found love on her terms as well as his.
The first chapter did a fairly good job of setting the scene: she's crying on the floor of her bathroom after realizing that she no longer wants to be married. I'm sure many women have had that thought crossed their minds many times at one or more times in their lives (and men of course). But it all went downhill from there. She just came off as whiny most of the time and perhaps that indicates my tolerance level for women crying about how tough life is. Granted, she did acknowledge that in the whole grand scheme of things, she probably doesn't have it all that bad.
The book would have been a more enjoyable read had the chapters been condensed to half of what it is. It just dragged on for too much. That or the book needs to be written in a way that can sustain attention and empathy from its readers.
The book was about the author's journey to self discovery - after a horrendous divorce and not knowing/feeling what she wanted. She made these self discoveries in the midst of her personal struggles in three place: Italy, India and Indonesia,which respectively corresponds to Eat, Pray, Love. Trying to let go of the pain of her past through an eating and traveling adventure in Italy and learning about what her "word" is (intraversero - or something - that means crossing over). Trying to find god in India through prayers and meditation with her guru, while in the meantime realizing her strengths and weaknesses and making them work. And finally, trying to find balance in her life by visiting an old Medicine Man in Indonesia (where balance is central to life on the island), in which, yes, you've guessed it, she's eventually found love on her terms as well as his.
The first chapter did a fairly good job of setting the scene: she's crying on the floor of her bathroom after realizing that she no longer wants to be married. I'm sure many women have had that thought crossed their minds many times at one or more times in their lives (and men of course). But it all went downhill from there. She just came off as whiny most of the time and perhaps that indicates my tolerance level for women crying about how tough life is. Granted, she did acknowledge that in the whole grand scheme of things, she probably doesn't have it all that bad.
The book would have been a more enjoyable read had the chapters been condensed to half of what it is. It just dragged on for too much. That or the book needs to be written in a way that can sustain attention and empathy from its readers.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
God and I
Well...as you might have noticed. I've stopped reading the Bible. Yes...it was kind of tough to go through it so I took a break. I did however, went to Church several times. I decided not to today. I just didn't feel like it. I don't feel anything really. Well, maybe exhaustion. Going to Church is kind of exhasuting sometimes. Especially when the majority of the time I just don't agree with what the Church is preaching about. Recently it's been about sin. It's weird hearing my 'name' being preached in Church and associating it with something evil. I did however enjoy the last service -
I like to use the grocery store analogy. When I go grocery shopping, I don't like everything that they carry, so I just pick and choose what I like and buy it. Sometimes though, maybe I'll try something new and end up liking it, even though I may not think so in the first place. I kind of see that metaphor with Christianity. I pick and choose what I like, and maybe someday I'll end up liking and accepting other parts of its beliefs. However, there are certain foods that I KNOW I don't like (like Avocado), and the same goes for with some Christianity beliefs (i.e. homosexuality is a sin). I think that's what I have the most trouble wrapping my mind around.
So I am taking a break. Besides, I've been buying a lot of new stuff and really haven't had the chance to 'eat' it yet.
CH
I like to use the grocery store analogy. When I go grocery shopping, I don't like everything that they carry, so I just pick and choose what I like and buy it. Sometimes though, maybe I'll try something new and end up liking it, even though I may not think so in the first place. I kind of see that metaphor with Christianity. I pick and choose what I like, and maybe someday I'll end up liking and accepting other parts of its beliefs. However, there are certain foods that I KNOW I don't like (like Avocado), and the same goes for with some Christianity beliefs (i.e. homosexuality is a sin). I think that's what I have the most trouble wrapping my mind around.
So I am taking a break. Besides, I've been buying a lot of new stuff and really haven't had the chance to 'eat' it yet.
CH
Monday, May 26, 2008
My Encounter with Religion
"Whatever your plans or objectives may be, they'll be a butt for serious obstacles; don't get discouraged for that. Don't wrap yourself up, knowing that your relationships with your equals will improve your spirit and your heart. Don't wait for happiness to come to you, go out and seek it by enjoying each moment of your life. You'd be willing to follow a newly met person to the end of the world; nevertheless take time to reflect before engaging yourself; love is blind, as is said everywhere and forever."
So that was my hororscope for the day. Moving on now.
So I, who believe in Evolution, went to (an Evangelical) church for the first time. Now, it's not that I'm becoming more religious (like some of my friends) or that I'm feeling lost/confused (or whatever) and need "answers." Nothing deep like that - fortunately I am quite content with my life at the moment. I may be looking for something (aren't we all?) but it's probably not god. However, this religious encounter has made me revisit the idea of how we all came to be. Tough question. There is no definitive answer. Regardless of what we each believe in - Evolution or Religion - both requires an element of FAITH, which is commonly associated with Religion. Lets face it, evolution wouldn't be called the THEORY of Evolution if it was cut and dry.
Now, anti-religious people knock on the bible, saying that it is "sexist" (towards women), that war and violence are "justified" by the bible and it's teachings etc (there are many so called "flaws"). If god existed, then why does he allow this and that and what is up with this free will that's not really free? Now, this is not to say evolution isn't flawed...how many decades have we been talking about the "Missing Link"? The link that "proves" that humans evolve from apes/monkeys? If evolution is in fact based on Darwinism - survival of the fittest, only the strong survive - then Hitler and Stalin wanting to weed the world of the "inferior race" is in fact practicing evolution. Scary thought isn't it? We "practice" survival of the fittest every day in our lives. As much as Religion causes war, so does Evolution.
So where does this leave me? Well. I have recently purchased a bible (New International Version) - this is not saying I'm becoming Christian or religious. I see it as a learning experience. I don't think I can ever accept that the Earth was only 5 days old before man "appeared on Earth" (I do believe in Carbon Dating), that we existed with dinosaurs, that good men and women will go to hell if they didn't believe in god and bad men and women can go to heaven if they repent. Of course, the caveat is that it's all subject to interpretation.
If there is a god...and if all non-believers go to hell...then I guess I'll be going to hell with a lot of my family and friends.
If there isn't a god...then...we are just part of the circle of life. Then there's the fact that I do believe in the spiritual realm...that there is a higher order of things...so where does that fit in? Is it related to god?...who knows.
If you think about it...believing that there is a god, in religion...is kind of like buying life insurance (or any type of insurance really). You'll be protected - and you have to admit, it's a nice comforting thought. All you have to do is change the way you live...
So that was my hororscope for the day. Moving on now.
So I, who believe in Evolution, went to (an Evangelical) church for the first time. Now, it's not that I'm becoming more religious (like some of my friends) or that I'm feeling lost/confused (or whatever) and need "answers." Nothing deep like that - fortunately I am quite content with my life at the moment. I may be looking for something (aren't we all?) but it's probably not god. However, this religious encounter has made me revisit the idea of how we all came to be. Tough question. There is no definitive answer. Regardless of what we each believe in - Evolution or Religion - both requires an element of FAITH, which is commonly associated with Religion. Lets face it, evolution wouldn't be called the THEORY of Evolution if it was cut and dry.
Now, anti-religious people knock on the bible, saying that it is "sexist" (towards women), that war and violence are "justified" by the bible and it's teachings etc (there are many so called "flaws"). If god existed, then why does he allow this and that and what is up with this free will that's not really free? Now, this is not to say evolution isn't flawed...how many decades have we been talking about the "Missing Link"? The link that "proves" that humans evolve from apes/monkeys? If evolution is in fact based on Darwinism - survival of the fittest, only the strong survive - then Hitler and Stalin wanting to weed the world of the "inferior race" is in fact practicing evolution. Scary thought isn't it? We "practice" survival of the fittest every day in our lives. As much as Religion causes war, so does Evolution.
So where does this leave me? Well. I have recently purchased a bible (New International Version) - this is not saying I'm becoming Christian or religious. I see it as a learning experience. I don't think I can ever accept that the Earth was only 5 days old before man "appeared on Earth" (I do believe in Carbon Dating), that we existed with dinosaurs, that good men and women will go to hell if they didn't believe in god and bad men and women can go to heaven if they repent. Of course, the caveat is that it's all subject to interpretation.
If there is a god...and if all non-believers go to hell...then I guess I'll be going to hell with a lot of my family and friends.
If there isn't a god...then...we are just part of the circle of life. Then there's the fact that I do believe in the spiritual realm...that there is a higher order of things...so where does that fit in? Is it related to god?...who knows.
If you think about it...believing that there is a god, in religion...is kind of like buying life insurance (or any type of insurance really). You'll be protected - and you have to admit, it's a nice comforting thought. All you have to do is change the way you live...
Monday, April 28, 2008
My first visit to the doc's in the US
Blows. I have been sitting here for almost an hour now (absolutely rediculous!!!) while other patients are being called. Apparently this doctor has been delayed. How can you be delayed when (as I was told) his schedule was wide open?! Seriously. I'm in pain :( I think I just might die.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Freaky Horoscope!
"Risks of inflammations, transitory fevers and above all rather painful raging toothache."
Wow...I am just recovering from a fever and I had a dream about breaking my tooth last night!! Freaky. Maybe there's more to this horoscope thing!
Wow...I am just recovering from a fever and I had a dream about breaking my tooth last night!! Freaky. Maybe there's more to this horoscope thing!
Friday, March 21, 2008
4 in a row...booyyaaahhh
Although our Canadian teams can't seem to nail the elusive Stanley Cup, the WORLD is ours!!
2007 World Juniors Champions...3-2 OT over Sweden =)
2007 World Juniors Champions...3-2 OT over Sweden =)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone...
I guess what keeps things "fresh" in a relationship is finding out new things about each other - not with respect to what is "good or bad" or "right or wrong" ... just...perspective/values/beliefs. And at the end...if it works it works, and if it doesn't, it doesn't. Like my friend says...what you gonna do?
I Know
I know loneliness
Loneliness of the imprisoned
I know fear
Fear of losing oneself
I know joy
Joy of being rescued by a friend
I know
So don't think I don't
I know
So don't think I won't
I know pain
Pain of the broken hearted
I know love
Love of the forbidden
I know happiness
Happiness of the innocent
I Know
I know loneliness
Loneliness of the imprisoned
I know fear
Fear of losing oneself
I know joy
Joy of being rescued by a friend
I know
So don't think I don't
I know
So don't think I won't
I know pain
Pain of the broken hearted
I know love
Love of the forbidden
I know happiness
Happiness of the innocent
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Your mission, should you decide to accept it
Mission: Hard to Believe
Level: Difficult
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to escape The Village in the middle of the night, undetected with all your belongings. Then drive off into the night with the music blasting out of the Ford Focus. Observed obstacles: drunk sleeping person on the living room floor, unpacked luggage, randomly scattered items, loud creaking doors and dark lighting. Available resources: BlackBerry.
Turning on the lights was not an option. So of course I had to rely on my handy BB to show me the way. Believe me, it was not easy finding and packing everything (I forgot the toothbrush and took the wrong headset). I wasn't sure that I would be able to pull it off successfully. But I did. A new skill to put on the resume. I even straightened my hair before I left at 5am.
Level: Difficult
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to escape The Village in the middle of the night, undetected with all your belongings. Then drive off into the night with the music blasting out of the Ford Focus. Observed obstacles: drunk sleeping person on the living room floor, unpacked luggage, randomly scattered items, loud creaking doors and dark lighting. Available resources: BlackBerry.
Turning on the lights was not an option. So of course I had to rely on my handy BB to show me the way. Believe me, it was not easy finding and packing everything (I forgot the toothbrush and took the wrong headset). I wasn't sure that I would be able to pull it off successfully. But I did. A new skill to put on the resume. I even straightened my hair before I left at 5am.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Cosmic Coincidence
Unbelievable, the weather here is fine, the weather in Dallas is fine, yet somehow my flight has been delayed. Again. I'm sure it has to do with all the delays in the East Coast.
Strangest thing though. I bumped into an old acquaintance at the airport. Here I was standing in the middle of the terminal trying to figure out where concourse E is and I guess the brief moment of confusion allowed the person the chance to catch grab my arm. And here I was wondering who the heck it could be. The thing is, we never really hung out or really had a lot to talk about...but here we are, at the Minneapolis airport swapping numbers...he'll be in MN every week for about a year...same as me. Wow. I'm still kind of shocked.
Strangest thing though. I bumped into an old acquaintance at the airport. Here I was standing in the middle of the terminal trying to figure out where concourse E is and I guess the brief moment of confusion allowed the person the chance to catch grab my arm. And here I was wondering who the heck it could be. The thing is, we never really hung out or really had a lot to talk about...but here we are, at the Minneapolis airport swapping numbers...he'll be in MN every week for about a year...same as me. Wow. I'm still kind of shocked.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
A broken heart...that's still beating
Love the new Lifehouse album - Who We Are. Will be seeing them on tour at First Avenue in Minneapolis, can't wait!! Here's one of my favourite songs from the Album...
The Broken clock is a comfort
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out
Chorus:
I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm holdin on)(I'm holdin on)
I'm barely holding on to you
The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life
Repeat Chorus
I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home
Repeat Chorus
Storm is great too!
Lifehouse - Broken
It helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow
From stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting
Though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best
Like you've already figured out
Chorus:
I'm falling apart
I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart
That's still beating
In the pain
There is healing
In your name
I find meaning
So I'm holding on (I'm holdin on)(I'm holdin on)
I'm barely holding on to you
The broken locks were a warning
You got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded
I'm an open book instead
And I still see your reflection
Inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose
They're still looking for life
Repeat Chorus
I'm hanging on another day
Just to see what, you will throw my way
And I'm hanging on, to the words you say
You said that I will, will be okay
The broken light on the freeway
Left me here alone
I may have lost my way now
But I haven't forgotten my way home
Repeat Chorus
Storm is great too!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Summit Ave
Saw them for the first time last night at Bunkers located on Washington Ave. They were pretty good! You can check them out on www.myspace.com/summitave. Although I must say that they sound much better live than they do on their recordings.
Ben, the lead singer, sounds like Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, or perhaps Live (when he sings Simple - awesome song btw). He also kinda looks like the lead singer from Duran Duran with a hint of Leonardo DiCaprio. They're playing again at Bunkers in a few weeks, will probably check them out again!
~Ci
Ben, the lead singer, sounds like Rob Thomas from Matchbox 20, or perhaps Live (when he sings Simple - awesome song btw). He also kinda looks like the lead singer from Duran Duran with a hint of Leonardo DiCaprio. They're playing again at Bunkers in a few weeks, will probably check them out again!
~Ci
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
WebClients...Which One!?
Disclaimer! Geek Zone!!
[Start Geek Post]
Alright, so last week I've been checking out various webclients/collaboration tools for one of my projects. The four (Enterpise versions) that I've selected to compare were Open-Xchange (OX), SquirrelMail, Google Apps and Zimbra (aquired by Yahoo!). So using the following main criteria: Scalability, Security/Anti-virus/Spam, Ease of Integration with Outlook, Cost and of course User Friendliness (includes Admin functions as well), the following were my findings.
OX
Has an extensive list of capabilities (aside from email) such as:
[Start Geek Post]
Alright, so last week I've been checking out various webclients/collaboration tools for one of my projects. The four (Enterpise versions) that I've selected to compare were Open-Xchange (OX), SquirrelMail, Google Apps and Zimbra (aquired by Yahoo!). So using the following main criteria: Scalability, Security/Anti-virus/Spam, Ease of Integration with Outlook, Cost and of course User Friendliness (includes Admin functions as well), the following were my findings.
OX
Has an extensive list of capabilities (aside from email) such as:
- Calendaring for individual and group
- Meeting coordination
- Document sharing with automatic versioning control and file locking (great to keep track of collaborated documents)
- PM capabilities
- Forums
- PDA sync
For the IT nerd, OX uses the company's existing directory, is scalable and replicable (unlike Open LDAP server) and allows central admin and sharing of authentication data with other services. With all these capabilities at a much lower cost and good support, it makes me wonder why anyone would ever choose MS Exchange. Oh right...Corporate brainwashing and great Marketing. Of course, economics also comes in play with Adam Smith's invisibile hand.
The only real downside that I see with OX is the integration piece. It is not easy. Using a Connector is relatively simple, but for more flexibility and transparency, any med-large corporation would either go with replacing the the OX OLDAP directory with the company's existing directory or use a MetaDirectory to act as an abstraction layer. Might want to also note that OX only works with Linux Red Hat or Linux 4. To integrate with Outlook, OXtender will also be needed. Now the question is, are all these capabilities necessary? Probably not for the average user.
SquirrelMail
Now quite opposite of OX, SquirrelMail is quite...simple. Really. There is nothing inherently lacking with SM if all one is looking for is an email client. It comes with the standard anti-virus/spam filter with tons of plug-ins (which is great) for added functionality like calendars, project management etc. The program was designed with the Unix admin in mind and integration is a cinch, especially if you compare it to OX. It uses PHP as its programming language so it should be relatively easy to work with when it comes to customization. Although when it comes to aesthetics, it is lacking compared to its counterparts. Did I mention that it is completely free? Oh, and ne parle pas francais? SM has been translated into various languages like Arabic, French, Chinese, German and Spanish! And it's free. Yes, even the "Enterprise" version.
Google Apps
The new hot App...Google has come a long ways since its introduction of Google Search. Google Apps and OX have similar capabilities, just varying degrees. So for example, unlike OX, the Calendaring capability does not have the function of categorizing calendar events. The great thing about Google Apps is that one can customize the interface for each user and it is relatively simple to use, so very user friendly, love the drag and drop. Not only that, from an IT standpoint, there is no hardware or software to buy, install or maintain. Scalability and integration is super easy.
Now...the thing that deters me away from Google Apps (again from an enterprise point of view) is from a security standpoint. Google's products have to stay behind Google's firewalls. So for any big corporation, this raises a lot of compliance and security issues since hosting on a public infrastructure just might be a recipe for disaster. No matter what Google says. With that being said, Procter and Gamble uses Google Apps, although whether this is divisional or enterprise wide I am not sure. I can't see their bread and butter, the R&D department, using this though. Surprisingly, when it comes to cost, it is more than OX, but then again, it's Google vs. open source - the fact that one has to pay for open source is sometimes a wonder for me.
Zimbra
This is a full calendar/mail/document management solution, which Yahoo! has just acquired to play with the big boys (or girls) - Open-Xchange and Google Apps - within the whole collaboration Web 2.0 sphere. A trend sweeping the IT industry today. The cool thing about Zimbra is that it can integrate with a wide range of third party applications like Wikipedia so it is higly customizable with regards to adding capabilities for users. When it comes to User Friendliness, it's AJAX interface beats out the other category players. What can I say, I'm a sucker for drag and drop functions. When it comes to integration, it is simpler than OX but a little more difficult than Google Apps. Zimbra is open source...but it is debatable in some IT circles. To make note, some universities use Zimbra so on a scalability level, it has no problems. With regards to security/compliance/anti-virus, the application is installed within the company's firewall so it is as secure as the company's firewall. Filtering is standard for email and any types of exchanges that occur across the network.
It doesn't have as many capabilities as OX or Google Apps, and by the time one adds all the components that are desired, it might just make a small dent in the corporate budget. Then again, depending on what users need, it can be a cheaper option.
So...what's my verdict? SquirrelMail is too simple, OX is overkill, Google Apps might cost me millions in a lawsuit.
I choose Zimbra.
[/End Geek Post]
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Forgotten combination lock
So I've almost finished unpacking everything except my hookah, which is locked in a silver case...with a combination lock - like the bike lock type. The thing is, I changed the combo number before I packed it up in the U-Haul and now...yep...I don't remember what the combination is!!! I've been trying various combination for the last few hours to no avail.
There are effectively 1000 different combinations that I can try (10 x 10 x 10), if I can at least find out ONE number, then there is only 100 combinations to try. Finite math does come in handy! At the end, I decided to use brute force and semi-break it. I got it opened, and after tinkering with it a bit, I figured out the combination I used, and I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME FROM!!! Anyways, I got my hookah out so I'm happy. AND the case still works...with the combo ;) I definitely remember the number now!
~Ci
There are effectively 1000 different combinations that I can try (10 x 10 x 10), if I can at least find out ONE number, then there is only 100 combinations to try. Finite math does come in handy! At the end, I decided to use brute force and semi-break it. I got it opened, and after tinkering with it a bit, I figured out the combination I used, and I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE THAT NUMBER CAME FROM!!! Anyways, I got my hookah out so I'm happy. AND the case still works...with the combo ;) I definitely remember the number now!
~Ci
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Never Once
Never once turned around
As I walked away from you
Never once turned around
I knew it was through
Never once turned around
If you only knew
Never once turned around
That the desire burns in me too
Never once turned around
You didn't have a clue
Never once turned around
That my heart was breaking in two
Never once turned around
Something I couldn't do
Never once turned around
I'd have run back to you
Sad...but sweet at the same time...
~Ci
Monday, February 18, 2008
My Idiotness with Car Keys
Ok - I don't know what is the matter with me, but lately I've been an absolute IDIOT with car keys.
I locked the U-Haul keys a couple of days ago and now my rental!! My next car will be idiot proof in the sense that you can't lock the keys in the car. So now...Geico to the rescue...AGAIN. I'm glad I got the unlimited roadside assistance option.
~Ci
I locked the U-Haul keys a couple of days ago and now my rental!! My next car will be idiot proof in the sense that you can't lock the keys in the car. So now...Geico to the rescue...AGAIN. I'm glad I got the unlimited roadside assistance option.
~Ci
Thursday, February 14, 2008
BlackBerry Enterprise Security Email Go Around
I should share this before I forget.
Last time I mentioned how I got around adding my personal email to the BlackBerry 8310 (trick is to do it before Enterprise Activation), but I found out that after activation, I couldn't reply to personal emails although I was still able to receive them. Well today I discovered a way to "respond", effectively maneuvering around the so called IT security thing.
Once you open up your i.e. gmail message, instead of hitting "reply", you must use the "forward" function instead. Yes, you will have to input the email address again, but you can type your message like you normally would. This route gives you the "send" option, whereas if you hit "reply", it doesn't give you the "send" option after you're done - only "save draft". I was pretty excited when I discovered this!
***********UPDATE************
If you hit "forward", the phone uses your enterprise email...so if you don't want that to happen and let the recepient know your biz email, or if you don't want your company to be able to track your personal emails...I suggest you not do the forwarding trick...I just realized it a few days ago :o
~Ci
Last time I mentioned how I got around adding my personal email to the BlackBerry 8310 (trick is to do it before Enterprise Activation), but I found out that after activation, I couldn't reply to personal emails although I was still able to receive them. Well today I discovered a way to "respond", effectively maneuvering around the so called IT security thing.
Once you open up your i.e. gmail message, instead of hitting "reply", you must use the "forward" function instead. Yes, you will have to input the email address again, but you can type your message like you normally would. This route gives you the "send" option, whereas if you hit "reply", it doesn't give you the "send" option after you're done - only "save draft". I was pretty excited when I discovered this!
***********UPDATE************
If you hit "forward", the phone uses your enterprise email...so if you don't want that to happen and let the recepient know your biz email, or if you don't want your company to be able to track your personal emails...I suggest you not do the forwarding trick...I just realized it a few days ago :o
~Ci
Another "About Me" thing...
1. Where did your last kiss take place? On my lips
2. Who knows a secret or two about you? A lot of strangers who don't know me...and vice versa.
3. Four words to explain why you last threw up? It's my par tay...
4. Have you ever burned yourself? Yes, both metaphorically (whathisface) and literally (cooking)
5. What is crazy to you? Love at first sight
6. Favorite cuss word? Fut.
7. Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now? No one, I'm an angel :p
8. Who is your hero? My dad, who tells me to grow up...
9. Would you ever want to be a supermodel? I'm content with just being Super!
10. Who is the most experimental person you know? Err...me.
11. Do you tell white lies? Only to white people.
12. When is your next party? My birthday...in a U-haul!
13. Who do you want to be with right now? The person who wants to be with me as well...
14 Do you scratch when and where you want to scratch? My legs...so dry from this cold weather!
15. How do you handle a break up? I go live in a different country - oh wait, that's HOW I break up :p
16. Your motivation for tomorrow? My new job!
17. Do you know what you will wear tomorrow? Something warm...brrrr!!
18. Last person to make you laugh? My dad - he told me he'd support me if I came home.
19. Last thing you ate? Tortellini with mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers in a cream sauce.
20. Do you ever go a few days without changing your underwear? No, I just go without.
21. Have you ever accidentally eaten an insect? Eww...yes. I will be forever traumatized.
22. Do daddy long legs freak you out? YES.
23. Have you ever cleaned up someone elses vomit? No.
24. Have you ever dropped food on the floor and eaten it? Did it land face up or down?
25. Do you kiss your pets on the mouth? Yes :p
26. Do you talk baby talk? Only to babies - age is not a factor.
27. What serial killer do you find most disturbing? Ugh...Robert Pickton!!!!
28. Do you watch court tv? No.
29. Would you ever work in a retirement home? Yes. I have.
30. Do you believe plants have feelings? Yes. Venus Fly Trap feels hunger I believe.
31. Do you laugh at people with bowl haircuts? Hahaha...um...
32. Do you have nervous twitches? No
33. Are you ever purposely irritating? Yes :)
34. If you could fly, where would you go first? Jupiter
35. Do you prefer boats or planes? Planes...faster to run away in.
36. Love or lust? Amour.
37. One best friend or 10 aquaintances? One BFF please
38. Favorite food? Too difficult.
39. Do you believe that your first love never dies? Everyone dies.
40. What upcoming event are you waiting and ready for? Retirement.
41. Current smell? Jasmine
42. Do you get your nails done? Nope...mine are naturally beautiful
43. Most favorite person? Don't have a favourite
44. What was the last thing you ordered at McDonalds? Coffee
45. Are you an emotional person? No
46. Do you like your name? Yes...if they say it right.
47. Do you have plans this weekend? Roadtrip!
48. Do you work? Yep...and I actually like what I'm doing!!!
49. Do you dance naked in your room? All the time.
50. When did your last relationship end? Thanksgiving of last year.
51. What are you listening to right now? Erykah Badu
52. Biggest fear? Fear
53. If you can remove one emotion from romance, what would it be? Jealousy
54. Favorite place to be? Greece...at the moment. Still lots to see!
55. What are you wearing right now? Pjs
56. Are your toes painted? Yep, red.
57. Does anyone hate you? My best friend, but I think she was only kidding when she said it.
58. How many people do you trust fully? No one.
59. Did you have fun doing this? Meh.
60. Are you thinking of someone right now? Yes.
2. Who knows a secret or two about you? A lot of strangers who don't know me...and vice versa.
3. Four words to explain why you last threw up? It's my par tay...
4. Have you ever burned yourself? Yes, both metaphorically (whathisface) and literally (cooking)
5. What is crazy to you? Love at first sight
6. Favorite cuss word? Fut.
7. Who is probably talking a load of crap about you right now? No one, I'm an angel :p
8. Who is your hero? My dad, who tells me to grow up...
9. Would you ever want to be a supermodel? I'm content with just being Super!
10. Who is the most experimental person you know? Err...me.
11. Do you tell white lies? Only to white people.
12. When is your next party? My birthday...in a U-haul!
13. Who do you want to be with right now? The person who wants to be with me as well...
14 Do you scratch when and where you want to scratch? My legs...so dry from this cold weather!
15. How do you handle a break up? I go live in a different country - oh wait, that's HOW I break up :p
16. Your motivation for tomorrow? My new job!
17. Do you know what you will wear tomorrow? Something warm...brrrr!!
18. Last person to make you laugh? My dad - he told me he'd support me if I came home.
19. Last thing you ate? Tortellini with mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers in a cream sauce.
20. Do you ever go a few days without changing your underwear? No, I just go without.
21. Have you ever accidentally eaten an insect? Eww...yes. I will be forever traumatized.
22. Do daddy long legs freak you out? YES.
23. Have you ever cleaned up someone elses vomit? No.
24. Have you ever dropped food on the floor and eaten it? Did it land face up or down?
25. Do you kiss your pets on the mouth? Yes :p
26. Do you talk baby talk? Only to babies - age is not a factor.
27. What serial killer do you find most disturbing? Ugh...Robert Pickton!!!!
28. Do you watch court tv? No.
29. Would you ever work in a retirement home? Yes. I have.
30. Do you believe plants have feelings? Yes. Venus Fly Trap feels hunger I believe.
31. Do you laugh at people with bowl haircuts? Hahaha...um...
32. Do you have nervous twitches? No
33. Are you ever purposely irritating? Yes :)
34. If you could fly, where would you go first? Jupiter
35. Do you prefer boats or planes? Planes...faster to run away in.
36. Love or lust? Amour.
37. One best friend or 10 aquaintances? One BFF please
38. Favorite food? Too difficult.
39. Do you believe that your first love never dies? Everyone dies.
40. What upcoming event are you waiting and ready for? Retirement.
41. Current smell? Jasmine
42. Do you get your nails done? Nope...mine are naturally beautiful
43. Most favorite person? Don't have a favourite
44. What was the last thing you ordered at McDonalds? Coffee
45. Are you an emotional person? No
46. Do you like your name? Yes...if they say it right.
47. Do you have plans this weekend? Roadtrip!
48. Do you work? Yep...and I actually like what I'm doing!!!
49. Do you dance naked in your room? All the time.
50. When did your last relationship end? Thanksgiving of last year.
51. What are you listening to right now? Erykah Badu
52. Biggest fear? Fear
53. If you can remove one emotion from romance, what would it be? Jealousy
54. Favorite place to be? Greece...at the moment. Still lots to see!
55. What are you wearing right now? Pjs
56. Are your toes painted? Yep, red.
57. Does anyone hate you? My best friend, but I think she was only kidding when she said it.
58. How many people do you trust fully? No one.
59. Did you have fun doing this? Meh.
60. Are you thinking of someone right now? Yes.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Chinese Rice Pudding
tNow I don't usually write about my parents...it just isn't that cool. But what can I say, I love them. They called me after learning that I was sick, from my little brother (Facebook status). I was kinda touched. I was even more touched when my dad said that if I was not happy that I should go home and he will support me. No jokes - not really, it was his second time offering. LMAO. I had to break it to him that he cannot afford to support my lifestyle. He said that I should start eating Chinese rice pudding to save him money. Now you know where I get my sense of humour from.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Minneapolis...meet Ciara
Flying over Lake Michigan with a slight turbulence because of the low riding winds, kind of gave me flashbacks on Lost. Except I'm sure if that were to happen, we'd be stranded on a really really cold place. No palm trees and beaches - IF we made it onto the island. The more likely alternative is to freeze in the water first.
Anyhow, driving to downtown Minneapolis from the airport took me all of 15 minutes. It was great. I like the city so far except for the cold. I did not know it could get that cold here - it felt like I was in Montreal, Alaska and maybe even the North Pole!
My first day at work at Best Buy was absolutely crazy. My Outlook has never been so jam packed with meetings. All my projects revolves around building online capabilities within the Mobile division to enhance the customer shopping experience. In fact...I only found out today that I was switched to the Online team, I was originally supposed to be working on projects that dealt with the In-store shopping experience as opposed to Online. But hey, I'm not complaining :) - everyone seems really cool. The day went crazier when my manager had to leave for an emergency and I was left to attend a meeting by myself. I don't even know what I'll be doing yet!!!! It was quite the day.
Anyhow, driving to downtown Minneapolis from the airport took me all of 15 minutes. It was great. I like the city so far except for the cold. I did not know it could get that cold here - it felt like I was in Montreal, Alaska and maybe even the North Pole!
My first day at work at Best Buy was absolutely crazy. My Outlook has never been so jam packed with meetings. All my projects revolves around building online capabilities within the Mobile division to enhance the customer shopping experience. In fact...I only found out today that I was switched to the Online team, I was originally supposed to be working on projects that dealt with the In-store shopping experience as opposed to Online. But hey, I'm not complaining :) - everyone seems really cool. The day went crazier when my manager had to leave for an emergency and I was left to attend a meeting by myself. I don't even know what I'll be doing yet!!!! It was quite the day.
Friday, February 08, 2008
I hate packing...and my Red River adventure
I really really hate it. You never realize how much you have until you have to stuff them in big brown boxes...then the boxes pile up and up and...I still have to disassemble my furniture. Fut. I should've hired packers - but I feel so silly with so little stuff for the "professionals".
Back to packing...*sigh*
~~~~~~~Update~~~~~~~~
So...we went to Cowboys Red River last night - my first country dancing bar. LMAO. Wow. I wish I had brought my camera!!! It was definitely a sight to see and glad that I went just for the experience. They had live country music, poker and crabs tables, a center bar console with dancers, a circle "board walk" around the center bar where people dance around on, one of those rodeo horse thingies and pool tables. Cowboys everywhere! Definitely the midwest here. My experience of Texas has just been completed. Now I'm ready to go :p
Back to packing...*sigh*
~~~~~~~Update~~~~~~~~
So...we went to Cowboys Red River last night - my first country dancing bar. LMAO. Wow. I wish I had brought my camera!!! It was definitely a sight to see and glad that I went just for the experience. They had live country music, poker and crabs tables, a center bar console with dancers, a circle "board walk" around the center bar where people dance around on, one of those rodeo horse thingies and pool tables. Cowboys everywhere! Definitely the midwest here. My experience of Texas has just been completed. Now I'm ready to go :p
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
In a nutshell...in no particular order
1. Minneapolis might actually be cheaper than Dallas believe it or not! I like how utilities are included...but parking is extra. Darnit.
2. Took a break from all this moving stuff ... saw the Giants defeat the Pats during the Superbowl. Yea Giants! I have never seen people so enthralled with commercials. It is definitely an advertiser's heaven...if only it didn't cost so much! Best commercial of the game...Pepsi, though the Audi one was pretty kickass too. Dumbest...SalesGenie.com - which makes it pretty good since I remember it...
3. Still on Season 2 of Lost...gotta catch up, but work gets in the way.
4. I've been pretty scatterbrained lately...hope it's not the old age kicking in.
2. Took a break from all this moving stuff ... saw the Giants defeat the Pats during the Superbowl. Yea Giants! I have never seen people so enthralled with commercials. It is definitely an advertiser's heaven...if only it didn't cost so much! Best commercial of the game...Pepsi, though the Audi one was pretty kickass too. Dumbest...SalesGenie.com - which makes it pretty good since I remember it...
3. Still on Season 2 of Lost...gotta catch up, but work gets in the way.
4. I've been pretty scatterbrained lately...hope it's not the old age kicking in.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Like the Wind
Well, I received good news and bad news last night. Good news is that I got the Consultant position in Best Buy. Bad news is that I am expected to move my life to Minneapolis in two weeks (well ONE, but my new boss was able to negotiate two weeks).
I don't know anyone who has been through three moves in six months. Memphis, Dallas and now Minneapolis. I am not looking forward to apartment hunting again...making new friends again...that whole process of "settling down" again. Truth be told...I am kind of sad to leave Dallas. But I am excited to leave as well...here's what I read about Minneapolis...aka. The The Twin Cities.
Things that stood out for me:
...fifteenth largest metropolitan area in the US, with about 3.5 million residents.
...has twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi riverfront, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway.
...ranked the most literate [city] in the US in 2007. A diverse population, the community has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs and through private and corporate philantrophy.
...the "Top Tech City" in the U.S. The Twin Cities ranked the country's second best city in a 2006 Kiplinger's poll of Smart Places to Live and Minneapolis was one of the Seven Cool Cities for young professionals.
...average annual temperature of 45.4 °F (7 °C) gives the Minneapolis–St.Paul metropolitan area the coldest annual mean temperature of any major metropolitan area in the US.
...second only to New York City in live theater per capita and is the third-largest theater market in the U.S.
...stronghold for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party (DFL), an affiliate of the Democratic Party.
Seven miles (11 km) of enclosed pedestrian bridges called skyways link eighty city blocks downtown.
Sounds and looks like Toronto (cept for the CN Tower), only smaller :p Guess it's time to get packing and organizing/canceling things and services...blah.
I don't know anyone who has been through three moves in six months. Memphis, Dallas and now Minneapolis. I am not looking forward to apartment hunting again...making new friends again...that whole process of "settling down" again. Truth be told...I am kind of sad to leave Dallas. But I am excited to leave as well...here's what I read about Minneapolis...aka. The The Twin Cities.
Things that stood out for me:
...fifteenth largest metropolitan area in the US, with about 3.5 million residents.
...has twenty lakes and wetlands, the Mississippi riverfront, creeks and waterfalls, many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway.
...ranked the most literate [city] in the US in 2007. A diverse population, the community has a long tradition of charitable support through progressive public social programs and through private and corporate philantrophy.
...the "Top Tech City" in the U.S. The Twin Cities ranked the country's second best city in a 2006 Kiplinger's poll of Smart Places to Live and Minneapolis was one of the Seven Cool Cities for young professionals.
...average annual temperature of 45.4 °F (7 °C) gives the Minneapolis–St.Paul metropolitan area the coldest annual mean temperature of any major metropolitan area in the US.
...second only to New York City in live theater per capita and is the third-largest theater market in the U.S.
...stronghold for the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party (DFL), an affiliate of the Democratic Party.
Seven miles (11 km) of enclosed pedestrian bridges called skyways link eighty city blocks downtown.
Sounds and looks like Toronto (cept for the CN Tower), only smaller :p Guess it's time to get packing and organizing/canceling things and services...blah.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Job Test
1. You wake up wanting to go to work
2. You like the people you work with or the company you work for
3. You will still do your job if it only pays half the amount
At the moment...0/3. There are times when you don't know what you want - I do know that I want to move on.
~C
2. You like the people you work with or the company you work for
3. You will still do your job if it only pays half the amount
At the moment...0/3. There are times when you don't know what you want - I do know that I want to move on.
~C
Sunday, January 20, 2008
I drink coffee every morning...
Current song: I don't think I'll ever get over you - Colin Hay
So...I am currently sitting in the cabin filled with the smell of burnt popcorn. Yes. I burned popcorn. I am also the type of person who have burned rice as well. If you don't know what that smells like, I suggest you don't start. If you don't know how that is possible, well lets just say I am talented.
The day was super relaxing...Arkansas' hot springs, fresh air, a beautiful sunset. That all ended when the Packers lost to the Giants in OT (second OT in NFL). So now I am sad and drinking hot chocolate and listening to sad songs. I'm going for a nice morning hike tomorrow and watch the sunrise before my long journey back to Big D.
So...I am currently sitting in the cabin filled with the smell of burnt popcorn. Yes. I burned popcorn. I am also the type of person who have burned rice as well. If you don't know what that smells like, I suggest you don't start. If you don't know how that is possible, well lets just say I am talented.
The day was super relaxing...Arkansas' hot springs, fresh air, a beautiful sunset. That all ended when the Packers lost to the Giants in OT (second OT in NFL). So now I am sad and drinking hot chocolate and listening to sad songs. I'm going for a nice morning hike tomorrow and watch the sunrise before my long journey back to Big D.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
C'mere
Now this weekend was meant to be my "get-away" - a nice and relaxing spa resort in the middle of the mountains surrounded by nothing but nature...in HotSpring, Arkansas (no you did not read wrong)...well it was anything but relaxing today.
I was out the door in my sweats and baseball cap by 7:30am hoping to get into town early to explore. So after cruising at 80-90 miles/hr non-stop for 4 hours...I realized that my clutch has disappeared! So...Geico to the rescue - le tow truck.
In the near distance I see Walmart and I contemplated running across the 6 lane highway to get to it (and a McD's...I haven't eaten anything all day). I figured it was because I had no clutch fluid (I popped the hood and yep...no clutch fluid), but the verdict was either the slave or master cylinder. I'm hoping it's the slave.
Glen (tow truck driver) said no dealership will work on the car because it's the weekend. Great. At least if I'm stranded here, it's at a resort. Haha. Turns out the truck driver owns a wreck shop and he offered to fix it for me (after I cried - well not really) IF he can find the parts. He dropped me off at the resort and off I went to my massage appointment. It was a much needed massage.
Glen just called...the car is done and he will pick me up at the resort tomorrow. I will make it back to Big D on time after all (knock on wood). Why am I not excited?
Oh...and the title of this blog? I was listening to Interpol's C'mere when I got stranded...
I was out the door in my sweats and baseball cap by 7:30am hoping to get into town early to explore. So after cruising at 80-90 miles/hr non-stop for 4 hours...I realized that my clutch has disappeared! So...Geico to the rescue - le tow truck.
In the near distance I see Walmart and I contemplated running across the 6 lane highway to get to it (and a McD's...I haven't eaten anything all day). I figured it was because I had no clutch fluid (I popped the hood and yep...no clutch fluid), but the verdict was either the slave or master cylinder. I'm hoping it's the slave.
Glen (tow truck driver) said no dealership will work on the car because it's the weekend. Great. At least if I'm stranded here, it's at a resort. Haha. Turns out the truck driver owns a wreck shop and he offered to fix it for me (after I cried - well not really) IF he can find the parts. He dropped me off at the resort and off I went to my massage appointment. It was a much needed massage.
Glen just called...the car is done and he will pick me up at the resort tomorrow. I will make it back to Big D on time after all (knock on wood). Why am I not excited?
Oh...and the title of this blog? I was listening to Interpol's C'mere when I got stranded...
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Magic of The Game
Warning.....SPOILERS for the book "The Game" by Neil Strauss!
*********************************************************
Now this book - The Game - has been out for awhile, and it was only recently that I picked it up. Well, not really, I downloaded the audio book and listened to it passively while doing other stuff :p. Do these "tactics" by Pick up Artists (aka PUA) really work - Negging (soft insults...you have a nice smile, too bad you have something stuck between your teeth)? Peacocking (doing/wearing something outrageous that gets comments)? Stringing (dangling something that the other person wants but making it just out of her reach)? Punishment (self explanatory)?
It's sad that smart and attractive women would fall for these tricks. This book really shows you a great social phenomenon, the evolution (or perhaps the right word would be regression) of social behaviour/development. The way I see it though...these tricks only works for certain types of women. Women who need men to confirm their self-worth, that they are attractive, smart and so on. The ones who crave attention, the ones who don't know what they want. And... unfortunately, there are a lot of women who fall under those categories.
If you look at it, the typical 'geek' (those who are not as socially adept lets just say), he is usually obsessed with a "system," which is defined by a set of processes. If "A" occurs, do "B" --> If she ignores you (A), neg her (B). Or, if she starts showing interest in another guy (A), punish her by flippantly leaving her pretending you are no longer interested and make her want to get your attention (B). There are many "processes" that the book goes into.
In a nutshell...yes, these pick up tactics will work on some girls. It is a good "one night stand" tactic book, but it does not tell you how to keep the girl. It will help the nerds, geeks or whomever to "break out of their shell", break the ice etc. But if you have nothing else to offer after using the system, once the program ends and there are no more processes to follow, the facade ends and you are alone again.
And yes...players sometimes gets played. You can't win all the time.
So that's my 2cents...
*********************************************************
Now this book - The Game - has been out for awhile, and it was only recently that I picked it up. Well, not really, I downloaded the audio book and listened to it passively while doing other stuff :p. Do these "tactics" by Pick up Artists (aka PUA) really work - Negging (soft insults...you have a nice smile, too bad you have something stuck between your teeth)? Peacocking (doing/wearing something outrageous that gets comments)? Stringing (dangling something that the other person wants but making it just out of her reach)? Punishment (self explanatory)?
It's sad that smart and attractive women would fall for these tricks. This book really shows you a great social phenomenon, the evolution (or perhaps the right word would be regression) of social behaviour/development. The way I see it though...these tricks only works for certain types of women. Women who need men to confirm their self-worth, that they are attractive, smart and so on. The ones who crave attention, the ones who don't know what they want. And... unfortunately, there are a lot of women who fall under those categories.
If you look at it, the typical 'geek' (those who are not as socially adept lets just say), he is usually obsessed with a "system," which is defined by a set of processes. If "A" occurs, do "B" --> If she ignores you (A), neg her (B). Or, if she starts showing interest in another guy (A), punish her by flippantly leaving her pretending you are no longer interested and make her want to get your attention (B). There are many "processes" that the book goes into.
In a nutshell...yes, these pick up tactics will work on some girls. It is a good "one night stand" tactic book, but it does not tell you how to keep the girl. It will help the nerds, geeks or whomever to "break out of their shell", break the ice etc. But if you have nothing else to offer after using the system, once the program ends and there are no more processes to follow, the facade ends and you are alone again.
And yes...players sometimes gets played. You can't win all the time.
So that's my 2cents...
Friday, January 11, 2008
End of Silence
There are very few albums where I like almost all of the songs - Metallica's Black album was one. I recently discovered Red's End of Silence (2003) ... "Breathe Into Me" got me hooked. I then downloaded "Lost"... then finally the whole album. I am going to go buy the album if I can find it, not exactly the most popular band.
Some of the lyrics aren't exactly "deep", but I am so addicted to the melody...
Already Over
Let Go
Lost
Pieces
Break Me Down
Gave It All Away
Breathe Into Me
Hide
Wasting Time
Already Over Pt.2
Yes, it is 4:30am and I am listening to this album. I can't seem to sleep - lately I have been having trouble sleeping, I always seem to wake up at 4am. 4 is a significant number in Chinese, similar to the meaning of 13, except instead of "unlucky", the number 4 is a little more extreme...it means "death". Now I am not a superstitious person at all...but having studied psych in University, the mind is a powerful thing and I am just stressed...and it is all just a cosmic coincidence ;). Now there is a good heading for a poem...Cosmic Coincidence - maybe I'll share...I am ending this posting at 4:44am. Night!
Some of the lyrics aren't exactly "deep", but I am so addicted to the melody...
Already Over
Let Go
Lost
Pieces
Break Me Down
Gave It All Away
Breathe Into Me
Hide
Wasting Time
Already Over Pt.2
Yes, it is 4:30am and I am listening to this album. I can't seem to sleep - lately I have been having trouble sleeping, I always seem to wake up at 4am. 4 is a significant number in Chinese, similar to the meaning of 13, except instead of "unlucky", the number 4 is a little more extreme...it means "death". Now I am not a superstitious person at all...but having studied psych in University, the mind is a powerful thing and I am just stressed...and it is all just a cosmic coincidence ;). Now there is a good heading for a poem...Cosmic Coincidence - maybe I'll share...I am ending this posting at 4:44am. Night!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Looks can be deceiving
Imagine meeting an elderly man in his late 40's to mid50's, with disheveled brown hair with specs of white, wrinkled clothes, unshaven. Who do you see?
Certainly not an ex-Executive at Philip Morris, not the CEO of CompUSA. But it was.
Certainly not an ex-Executive at Philip Morris, not the CEO of CompUSA. But it was.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
2007 - Year of Food Recalls
So for those of us in the F&B (Food and Beverages) Industry...2007 was definitely the year of food recalls. In case any of you (or pets) are still consuming poisonous food...here is a list for you to check http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/archive_2007.html as well as http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fsis_Recalls/Recall_Case_Archive/index.asp. Lets just say it was not a good year for:
1. Pet Food: National recall of more than 90 brands of popular pet food by Menu Foods due to an unknown cause. My poor dog was a victim of this...luckily he survived *sniff*
2. Ground Beef: Over 21 million pounds of ground beef by Topps Meat Co. The recall started in late-September in response to a New York outbreak of E coli, and ended up being the third largest hamburger recall in USDA history. The recall led the 67-year-old meat processing company to file for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy). I'm surprised they're the only company who went bankrupt this year from massive food recalls
3. Peanut butter: Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recall by ConAgra Foods, due to Salmonella. They recalled products back to 2005...so I guess if you had any of their peanut butter and survived...you were lucky?
Not to mention seafood like salmon, oysters and shrimp. Even chocolate wasn't free from recalls! Be careful what you put into your body people.
1. Pet Food: National recall of more than 90 brands of popular pet food by Menu Foods due to an unknown cause. My poor dog was a victim of this...luckily he survived *sniff*
2. Ground Beef: Over 21 million pounds of ground beef by Topps Meat Co. The recall started in late-September in response to a New York outbreak of E coli, and ended up being the third largest hamburger recall in USDA history. The recall led the 67-year-old meat processing company to file for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy). I'm surprised they're the only company who went bankrupt this year from massive food recalls
3. Peanut butter: Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recall by ConAgra Foods, due to Salmonella. They recalled products back to 2005...so I guess if you had any of their peanut butter and survived...you were lucky?
Not to mention seafood like salmon, oysters and shrimp. Even chocolate wasn't free from recalls! Be careful what you put into your body people.
Monday, January 07, 2008
It all started with "Hey there - JohnZem"
When I received this rather random text - and the subsequent conversation resulting from it...I had to post it. It is rather entertaining - well for me, not sure about the other end.
JZ: Hey there...-JohnZem
Me: Who is this?
JZ: JohnZem
Me: Don't know you
JZ: Yeah u do
Me: How?
JZ: Mikes friend.
JZ: I came to ur house Halloween
Me: Mike who
JZ: Ur brother dumbass (**why he gotta insult?!)
Me: I didn't have anyone over for halloween uve got the wrong person
Me: My bro's name isn't mike - loser (**means I gotta insult)
JZ: Yeah mike did
JZ: Is this gaby
Me: No - I'm hotter lol. Later
JZ: Who is this then
Me: Out of your league
JZ: Who r u?!
Me: A gorgeous stranger that u will never get to know. Go find that Gaby chick instead
JZ: Gabbys ugly
Me: Then u must've been desperate
JZ: What the hell i'm not even friends with gaby
Me: Then y u msgin her?
JZ: Im just textin everyone cuz I'm bored. Just go away
Me: I already said later - u d one textin dumbass
JZ: F*ck u dush bag c ya later d*cksuck (**Guess he didn't like looking stupid)
So that was that.
JZ: Hey there...-JohnZem
Me: Who is this?
JZ: JohnZem
Me: Don't know you
JZ: Yeah u do
Me: How?
JZ: Mikes friend.
JZ: I came to ur house Halloween
Me: Mike who
JZ: Ur brother dumbass (**why he gotta insult?!)
Me: I didn't have anyone over for halloween uve got the wrong person
Me: My bro's name isn't mike - loser (**means I gotta insult)
JZ: Yeah mike did
JZ: Is this gaby
Me: No - I'm hotter lol. Later
JZ: Who is this then
Me: Out of your league
JZ: Who r u?!
Me: A gorgeous stranger that u will never get to know. Go find that Gaby chick instead
JZ: Gabbys ugly
Me: Then u must've been desperate
JZ: What the hell i'm not even friends with gaby
Me: Then y u msgin her?
JZ: Im just textin everyone cuz I'm bored. Just go away
Me: I already said later - u d one textin dumbass
JZ: F*ck u dush bag c ya later d*cksuck (**Guess he didn't like looking stupid)
So that was that.
Re-energizing my soul
I need a place...where I can climb to the top - somewhere high - to scream at the top of my lungs. I need to fill my soul with new, fresh, clean, positive energy.
It's time to turn dreams into reality. I don't usually write this much, but there's been a lot going on in this crazy yet sane head of mine.
It's time to turn dreams into reality. I don't usually write this much, but there's been a lot going on in this crazy yet sane head of mine.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Drifting into the unknown
Horoscope: You'll need much courage and perspicacity in order to grapple with the difficulties which will suddenly arise in the professional domain; be ready for the battle.
I must say...I don't generally believe in these general horoscopes...but this one tugged at something inside...guess there's no time like the present...it's time to grow up and take control. Growing up sucks sometimes.
I must say...I don't generally believe in these general horoscopes...but this one tugged at something inside...guess there's no time like the present...it's time to grow up and take control. Growing up sucks sometimes.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Learned a new saying...'The Walk of Shame'
Woke up this morning in time to see someone doing the "Walk of Shame"...a term I recently learned about...lol.
From Wikipedia...
The walk of shame refers to any phenomenon in which a person has to take a walk in front of strangers, the roommate of the person she or he slept with or peers for an embarrassing reason before reaching a place of privacy. Most commonly, it occurs the morning after a night out at a bar, Dance club or party. People undertaking the walk of shame are understood to have spent the night at the house, apartment, dorm of a sexual partner (or perceived sexual partner), particularly a one night stand. Due to this, he or she can be recognized by the fact that he or she is still wearing the clothes that he or she wore the night before, has disheveled "bed head" hair or "sex hair." A woman might have smudged makeup on her face, smell like cigarettes and/or booze, and may suffer from a hangover due to excessive alcohol or drug intake from the previous night.
For a man, the walk of shame is often concerned with whom he slept. For example, if his bedmate is a considerably undesirable female, the man might do a walk of shame. On the other hand, there is often regarded as being no walk of shame associated with sleeping with a very attractive partner; this is sometimes known as the "stride of pride." For a woman, on the other hand, the walk of shame has more to do with being caught after a night of sex than it has to do with the desirability of her partner. These differences likely reflect cultural views.
In North America, college and university campuses most often play host to the walk of shame, as these walks often happen when students travel to and from dorms and Fraternity and sorority houses. The walk may be made even more humiliating when students promenade through large open quads, often subjecting themselves to whistles and catcalls from the few fellow students who are awake at that hour.
From Wikipedia...
The walk of shame refers to any phenomenon in which a person has to take a walk in front of strangers, the roommate of the person she or he slept with or peers for an embarrassing reason before reaching a place of privacy. Most commonly, it occurs the morning after a night out at a bar, Dance club or party. People undertaking the walk of shame are understood to have spent the night at the house, apartment, dorm of a sexual partner (or perceived sexual partner), particularly a one night stand. Due to this, he or she can be recognized by the fact that he or she is still wearing the clothes that he or she wore the night before, has disheveled "bed head" hair or "sex hair." A woman might have smudged makeup on her face, smell like cigarettes and/or booze, and may suffer from a hangover due to excessive alcohol or drug intake from the previous night.
For a man, the walk of shame is often concerned with whom he slept. For example, if his bedmate is a considerably undesirable female, the man might do a walk of shame. On the other hand, there is often regarded as being no walk of shame associated with sleeping with a very attractive partner; this is sometimes known as the "stride of pride." For a woman, on the other hand, the walk of shame has more to do with being caught after a night of sex than it has to do with the desirability of her partner. These differences likely reflect cultural views.
In North America, college and university campuses most often play host to the walk of shame, as these walks often happen when students travel to and from dorms and Fraternity and sorority houses. The walk may be made even more humiliating when students promenade through large open quads, often subjecting themselves to whistles and catcalls from the few fellow students who are awake at that hour.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
The BlackBerry Curve 8310
I finally got it! I even added a personal email to the phone (trick is to activate the personal email before the Enterprise Activation). However I messed up by hiding the personal email icon...now I can't get it back (hence I can't reply to personal emails), but I can receive them...better than nothing I guess.
What I have noticed is that the browser is extremely slow - I am unsure whether it is a connection issue or a software issue. However, my old BB 8800 surfed the net relatively quickly. So far that is the only major set back and hopefully it is just today that it is slow...
The camera phone on the 8310 is great, especially since it comes with a flash. The trackball takes a little getting used to but I do like it better than the side scroller - it is much more sensitive to the touch. Still love the full keyboard, which was the only reason why I chose it over th Pearl to be honest. The curve is only 1/4 wider than the Pearl and the weight difference is neglible. I am looking forward to loading the phone with a 4GB microSD card to play media files. Apparently the 6GB causes problems with the phone (slows down the O/S, incompatibility with the desktop manager, requires formatting...and that might not even work) - says the crackberry site...RIM will probably provide a fix but I don't need anything bigger than a 4GB anyway. As I mentioned last time...the GPS is good addition to the 8300 series. Now to try it out...
What I have noticed is that the browser is extremely slow - I am unsure whether it is a connection issue or a software issue. However, my old BB 8800 surfed the net relatively quickly. So far that is the only major set back and hopefully it is just today that it is slow...
The camera phone on the 8310 is great, especially since it comes with a flash. The trackball takes a little getting used to but I do like it better than the side scroller - it is much more sensitive to the touch. Still love the full keyboard, which was the only reason why I chose it over th Pearl to be honest. The curve is only 1/4 wider than the Pearl and the weight difference is neglible. I am looking forward to loading the phone with a 4GB microSD card to play media files. Apparently the 6GB causes problems with the phone (slows down the O/S, incompatibility with the desktop manager, requires formatting...and that might not even work) - says the crackberry site...RIM will probably provide a fix but I don't need anything bigger than a 4GB anyway. As I mentioned last time...the GPS is good addition to the 8300 series. Now to try it out...
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