New Toy

Happy Halloween!

The days have been getting colder and it could mean only one thing. Winter is near which means another season of good riding. Now that I'm working, I figure I could do some upgrades to my snowboard. I bought my first and only board used at a snowshow back in '99. The board is a Nitro Spectrum 159 with Rossignol SB bindings. As my skills improved I noticed my bindings weren't up to par and so today I did some shopping on West 4th (the snowboard shopping mecca). I forgot how many stores were clustered together and that made for good variety and comparisons. I went to The Boardroom, Pacific Boarder, Westside Sport & Ski, and Westbeach. I browsed through all the bindings and was thorougly educated about the science of snowboard bindings. Who knew the complexities involved? I learned what materials are used to construct bindings, the different types of rachet cranks, the rotations of hi-backs, strap positions, stance location, and what ramped gas pedals are. At The Boardroom, I looked at the Ride EX bindings which were light, but wasn't too crazy about the colour. He suggested another brand and model called the Burton Mission bindings, but they didn't carry it. He said they're even nicer.

My last stop was Westbeach, and lo and behold I saw the Burton Mission bindings. The guy who helped me was very knowledgeable about the product and preferred Burtons over any other binding on the market. He suggested Drake bindings as well, but the Burtons were nice and within my budget so I picked them up. I can't wait to try out my new bindings. It'll definitely make my ride more enjoyable.

Peace.

21 Grams

I've just watched the movie, 21 Grams, and it was quite good. It is a slow moving film of a jigsaw puzzle of scenes where in the end it all comes together. The film explores questions about life, death, identity, guilt, transcendence, and rebirth. The title interested me the most because it comes from the theory that at the moment of one's death, the body loses 21 grams (the weight of five nickels) instantly. It is thought to be "the soul." The soul is described in the dictionary as "the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life." With no soul, dead is dead. The concept of the soul is merely an article of faith. But if it was scientifically proven that the soul exists, a great deal of anxiety over what happens when we die could bring ease and also more questions about who we are. Christians believe in the life everlasting, a continuation beyond the limitations of mortal flesh. Death is not the end, but a transformation of leaving the world and joining the Lord. The soul poses very interesting questions.

In 1907, Dr. Duncan MacDougall of Haverhill, Massachusetts attempted to prove the theory that the soul was material and therefore had mass. He constructed a special bed in his office "aaranged on a light framework built upon very delicately balanced platform beam scales" sensitive to two-tenths of an ounce. He had tested six patients in the end stages of terminal illness and observed them before, during, and after the process of death measuring any corresponding changes in weight. He took into consideration as many possible factors as he could that would affect the results like evaporation of moisture in respiration and evaporation of sweat.

His results were published in The New York Times and the medical journal American Medicine in March, 1907. It was later learned his results were flawed due to the high potential for experimental error because of one of the key factors being the difficulty in measuring the precise moment of death. After 1911, MacDougall did not make any more experimental breakthroughs in measuring the human soul. He died in 1920 and his legacy lives on with the expression that the human soul weighs 21 grams (MacDougall's first patient decreased in weight by three-fourths of an ounce, which is 21.3 grams). It is still a myth to this day.
(Reference used: Urban Legends Reference Pages, 2004)

The soul is an interesting subject to explore. I can't imagine a human being without one. Whatever we call it, I believe there is something within us that identifies us and is important to someone, namely God. The things that differentiate one human being from another astounds me. The film made me think about the question "How much does life weigh?" One day, I could be on top of the world fulfilling my dreams, the next day I could be gone.

Peace.

Action Figures

I've begun collecting action figures this year and just recently I bought two Lord of the Rings characters. One is Aragorn and the other a Ring Wraith. The Ring Wraith is really cool looking in its dark ragged cloak with no head. Aragorn can't pose well and kinda looks like gumby. I tried pulling his arms down, but it was impossible. Other action figures I have on my desk are T-800 The Terminator Model 101 and Morpheus sitting in a couch from the movie, The Matrix. These figures are from McFarlane Toys and are the most detailed action figures I've seen. They've had problems in the past making The Terminator look like Arnold, but this year with the new T3 model, it actually looks like him. For the longest time, I've been looking for T-X Terminatrix. If you ever see it, buy it and I will pay you back. The wanted figure is show above. The cool thing with action figures is that you can set them up to do different scenes. I guess that's the adult way. The other way is playing with them, but then I'm too old for that. My bro thinks I'm weird having these action figures seeing that I'm not a kid anymore.

In high school, I had some old GI Joe figures that I use to set up in the backyard and shoot with my bro's BB gun. It was good times. But I'd never shoot the marvelous pieces of artwork displayed on my desk. They're my precious.

Peace.

Toasters

On most nights before going to bed, I usually have one piece of toast with peanut butter and a glass of homo milk. I was watching the toaster tonight and thinking who invented this thing. It's a pretty weird device if you think about it. Every time the toast pops, it scares the hell out of you. There's no warning light or sound to give you an indication that it's going to pop; the toaster or at least the one I have shoots the bread about a foot into the air and lands on the counter; and you either have to push the bread down again cause the bread isn't toasted enough or adjust the knob ever so slightly from barely toasted to burnt which can be tricky.

We live in a world full of strange devices. I wonder if toasters in the future will be computerized indicating when the toast will pop. Then, when I'm old and watching the toaster, I won't get a heart attack.

Peace.

Saved!

I had heard about a controversial film called "Saved!" when it came out in theatres at about the same time "The Passion of the Christ" came out. Some Christians have condemned this movie while others have welcomed it. It just recently came out on DVD and I was gonna watch it with my buddy, Tom, but we went to Playdium instead. Who can say no to video games. But the following evening, I went to Blockbuster and rented it.

This is a summary of the plot taken from imdb.com.

Mary (Jena Malone) is a good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school in Baltimore where she has good Christian friends, mainly Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), and a perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust). Her life seems perfect, until the day that she finds out that Dean may be gay. After "seeing" a vision of Jesus in her pool, she does everything in her power to help him turn straight, including offering up her virginity. But none of it helps because Dean's caught and sent to a "degayification" center and Mary ends up pregnant. It's during her time of need that she becomes real friends with the school's set of "misfits," including Cassandra (Eva Amurri), the school's only Jewish girl; Roland (Macaulay Culkin), Hilary Faye's wheelchair bound brother, and Patrick (Patrick Fugit), the skateboarder son of the school's principal, Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan); whilst Hilary Faye turns her into a social outcast.

After having watched the film, I would say it was quite good. The movie played on a lot of stereotypes that made me laugh. I have been going through some faith struggles and trying to understand what it means to be a Christian. I remember times where I have been so wrapped up in a Christian bubble that I forgot about the world. I had to watch what I became in how I viewed others. Sadly, I have to say the film does in a way portray some Christian communities. Some Christians do not realize their own sinfulness and judge others harshly. Some I have met in church are so plastic that it drives me up the wall. Why can't they be real with who they are and express what they feel? I believe it's the fear of being exposed as a sinner. But that's the beauty of God's love and forgiveness. We all make mistakes. We learn from them. There are also those Christians I have met who are genuine and loving.

The film mostly taught me about being under the law versus being under grace. It also reminded me of loving and accepting others for who they are. The secular workplace teaches me that everyday. Here are some mixed reviews from a Christian website I found. Interesting points of view eh?

Negative - Portraying young "Christians" as ignorant, brain-washed racists -- this movie is another example of Hollywood's liberal bias against conservative Christianity. If this movie was based instead on Judaism, Islam, or any other religious faith, it would be soundly condemned and stir up civil disobedience in protest. Yet Christ and Christians are considered good and acceptable targets in liberal media today. I recommend that all people - especially Christians - stay away from this blasphemous movie.
-Jonathan L, age 25

Positive - What viewers of the film should keep in mind is that the characters who were considered the outcasts were not rejecting Jesus per se. What they rejected was the community which labelled them and ostracized them based on who they were and what they were going through. Make no mistake about it, Jesus was all about unconditional love. The laws, rules and standards that have been justified and institutionalized in his name came after the fact.
-D Skelto, age 37

If you've seen the movie, post a comment. I'd like to know your thoughts.

Peace.

Doughnuts For Breakfast?

This morning for breakfast, I had scrambled eggs, bacon, and a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Do people eat doughnuts for breakfast? I wasn't so sure and I thought to myself, "Man am I consuming a lot of fat here" (not that I need to worry). Then, it made me think of all the different meal combinations my mom has put together. Many people have asked me what I eat at home. I usually respond with, "Food!" Ha. Funny yes. But because I'm Asian living in a Canadian society, I have to answer the question.

My mom generally makes all types of foods. We'll have spaghetti one night and have Korean BBQ beef another. Generally, it's rice, some kind of meat, vegetables, and a bowl of soup. Sometimes, my dish will get too Korean for my liking and I either have to get my dad to eat it or discard it secretly without my mom seeing me. Everytime, I do that I feel like a little kid rolling up his vegetables in a napkin or feeding it to the dog under the table. One thing about Korean food I do not like is Kimchi. I get a lot of flak for that.

Sometimes when my mom is away and my dad has to cook, I'll just order take out. My dad's cooking skills is about on par with me. Man, I really don't like what I cook. I learned a valuable lesson when I was living in Toronto. The lesson is "Marry a great cook who's hot too!"

Peace.

Life

These are quotes that speak my mind as of late.

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-Anonymous

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me -
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbour.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me, and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire-
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
-Edgar Lee Masters

Hot Or Not?

North American society is obsessed with looks, style, fashion, and trends. What's hot and what's not. It is a material world. Guys would rate how girls look. i.e. "She's a perfect 10." Girls would say, "What a hot guy!" This got two guys, Jim and James, thinking while drinking one day, "Why don't we make a site about it."

Within a few days, HOTorNOT.com was launched and word spread quickly. Soon after, it got to the press with articles about it in such magazines as BusinessWeek and Entertainment Weekly. Which leads me to why I am writing this. A few days ago, I was surfing the net and remembered hearing about this site a while back. I began a little experiment to see what score I would receive if I put my picture up. I figured I was already hot stuff and after seeing the results, I was correct. Based on 55 votes over the past few days, the world sees my hottness as 8 out of 10. Not bad. According to the site, I am hotter than 78% of the men on the site.



This was fun, and I hope it made you laugh or at least smile. Can't be too serious all the time.

Peace.

PS If you would like to rate this fine specimen, you can do so here http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=OZOZGYS&key=KVE