the Terriblelands

Pointless Post #71

2012-02-22T14:52:00.001-08:00

My mom received a text message from an unknown number which read:

sri hot sauce is the sh_t!!!

How to piss off your dog

2012-02-07T18:13:00.002-08:00

...with vegetables!

Actually, I think I just confused him more than anything.

He's so cute!

Terrible New Layout

2012-01-15T23:17:00.006-08:00

Poop

That word still makes me laugh, or at least break out into a smile. Also, I had (took?) one today.

AND in some exciting Tim-news, I changed the template of my blog so that it looks like I exist in the 21st century. If you're reading this in Google Reader or some other feeds aggregate, I strongly encourage you to check out the new look of the Terriblelands in the interest of being visually amazed!

You may ooooh and aaaah to your heart's content, but use your inside-your-head indoor voice only. Unless you are reading my blog out loud to a blind person. And if you are, I would like to meet this "reader." Hardy har har.

Crap, I'm rambling again.

--------------
Saw gas for 131¢/litre a few days ago and today I saw it for 123.9.

My apologies in advance for weird layouts, broken links and other errors as I make more site changes.

Pointless Post #70

2012-01-02T11:21:00.002-08:00

Eating a sandwich, listening to jazz music, and watching the 1990 Whirlpool Washing Machine: Permanent Press Cycle.

I take pleasure in little things.

Also, that video needs more colour, but what a cool cycle!

2 Cor. 13 and Ice Cube, foo'

2011-12-31T01:09:00.002-08:00

While reading 2 Corinthians 13:5 in a Bible study, the chorus from Ice Cube's song "Check Yo Self" came to mind.

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (NKJV)

Test yourselves and find out if you really are true to your faith. If you pass the test, you will discover that Christ is living in you. But if Christ isn't living in you, you have failed. (CEV)

Come on foo! You better check yo self before you wreck yo self!
I mean, do you actually follow the Word of God and treasure it in your heart? foo?!

Ok, I'll stop saying that.

Here's the song for your amusement. WARNING: salty language alert.

.....and my above thoughts leads us into this really great sermon by Paul Washer that I first heard in 2007 (2008?) and that I listened to again last month. The summary of the sermon is 2 Corinthians 13:5.

Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas?! kaaashplfffffttts!!!

2011-12-24T12:02:00.000-08:00

Without fail, the news will always say something this time of year about political correctness and wishing people “Merry Christmas” or whether or not people are choosing other seasonal greetings. I always get annoyed by this topic.

I’m going to make an awesome old man when I become senile.

Yesterday, I went to Safeway to pick up some thyme. The cashier wished me “Merry Christmas.” I went to get some roast chicken from Save-On-Foods. The deli guy wished me “Merry Christmas.” At work I’ve been wishing customers Merry Christmas left and right and many times they even beat me to it before going out the door.

The day on the calendar is marked “Christmas.” It’s not that hard to understand, even if you don’t celebrate it. You’ll get the day off anyways even if you wrote “Festivus” on your own calendar.

One on one, I don’t think most people care about political correctness, unless perhaps one individual is representing some sort of corporate or government image. En masse, the motto is assumed to be “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” and “Happy Holidays” is the norm.

I loathe that phrase.
I really like Michael Bublé’s Christmas album.

Before running away and looking at cat videos on YouTube, you should read this article entitled “Arrival of One which is Awaited” by Andrea York. God reveals Himself to her and she writes out really encouraging things. You should subscribe to her feed.

And in the words of Jim Carrey, I hope you have a CHRISTY CHRISTY CHRISTmas!

Pointless Post #69

2011-12-19T15:59:00.004-08:00

Yesterday evening, I found a loonie in some leafy muck on the side of the road where rain water flows into the storm drains. It was very dark and I thought it was a very large penny (which isn't worth getting your hands dirty over), until I remembered pennies aren't that large. So I took a few steps back and behold! ONE DOLLAR!

My hair is long enough that it can get caught in my jacket zipper.
Also, I found a knot in in one of the hairs today.
Jamie Oliver's Christmas specials are faaaaaantastic! Leek and Turkey pie? WOW.

I'm enjoying one of my Christmas presents from my sister and brother-in-law:

Sooooooo good. I just wish there wasn't MSG in in it. That's the price for deliciousness I suppose.

--------------
Saw gas for 121.9¢/litre and its below 95¢ on Vancouver Island?!

10 New Spider-Man Pictures

2011-12-08T23:35:00.001-08:00

I've been feeling pretty lazy lately, hence no new posts, as well as I had pneumonia recently. God loves me and I'm feeling much better, though I still wonder how I got it in the first place. I lost about 12.5lbs in the process. So now I get to gain it back, plus more!

Here's seven of the ten new-ish Spider-Man pictures. Some I forgot I had taken and some I just took tonight:

Just watched the PC Superdogs at the PNE.

In the Pacific Coliseum. Can you spot him?

At the newly renovated half a billion dollar BC Place stadium after a Whitecaps game.

Being a showoff.

Beating up a plastic candy.

Drinking "water."

BELGIAN COOKIES!

--------------
Gas hovered around the high 120s in early November and recently I've seen it as low as 124.9¢/litre.

Pointless Post #68

2011-10-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

It aggravates me when someone calls my phone early in the morning, asking for someone that doesn't live here (or doesn't exist) and then hangs up without apologizing when I tell them they have a wrong number.

Example, this morning, shortly after my alarm goes off:

*ring ring*
Me: [groggily, but trying to sound awake] Hello?
Rude person: Hi, may I speak to Amanda please?
Me: You've got the wrong number.
Rude person: *click*
Me: RAAAAAGE!!!

Wire clothes hangers also aggravate me. They get caught on each other so easily!

--------------
Gas has been around 135-138¢/litre the past few weeks, and even hit 141¢ near Thanksgiving but today I saw it for 131.9¢/litre. Le sigh.

Pointless Post #67

2011-10-28T16:34:00.002-07:00

Some lady just thought I just finished high school.

Ageless youth win!
...or maybe its because I dress like a slob.

Hmmm.

Occupy Vancouver/Wall Street/etc.

2011-10-20T18:13:00.002-07:00

I think this movement is both very rational and irrational. It depends mostly on the reasons behind it.

For example, if you have served your country overseas, have a degree(s), been laid off and on the job hunt for ___ months, your home has been foreclosed, and then you see bank CEO's using government bailout money to give themselves cash bonuses in excess of millions of dollars, I'd be more than upset too. If you're protesting just for the sake of "protesting" than this is just dumb.

I've thought a few times what would happen if someone with too much money and time on their hands went down to these Occupy demonstrations with a scissor lift and just rained money down on people. Would the movement turn into a free for all?

This would probably work better with US $1 bills rather than loonies...

Just By Being You: Toronto and Winnipeg

2011-10-15T17:34:00.004-07:00

I was watching the Senators-Leafs game last week and I strangely found myself silently (read: very, very silently) rooting for the Leafs. They were playing great. Phil Kessel was doing his thing where he puts the puck in the back of the night and those goals were worthy of applause. So I did (but silently). Toronto was up 4-0 after the second period. It helped that the celebration goal song is the same as the Canucks ("The Whip" by Locksley), but tangent, I find it annoying that Columbus uses it too.

Twenty minutes from a shut out win? Ok, Toronto, you are worthy of my approval tonight. You played well so maybe I'll make an effort to cheer for you more often instead of booing for no reason whenever I hear someone mention the Leafs. If I sound obnoxious, its because its just center-of-the-universe Toronto. Taranna! pffft.

Anyways, third period commences and poof, the Senators make some changes, Alfredsson finally shows up to play, and all of a sudden its a close game. The Leafs end up winning 6-5. After nearly blowing a 4-0 lead.

I applauded your victory, Toronto, but just barely. After seeing the Senators score a few unanswered goals, I jumped ship and deep down I wanted Ottawa to tie it up and win the game in OT so that I could sneer and say, "No finish! That's why you're Toronto!" followed by sarcastic applause. My, my, I would have showed you.

Eeesh, Toronto....

*shakes head*

The next day after church, I was watching a recording of the Jets' home opener against the Canadiens and suffering succotash that was a good game. Aesthetically, it's too bad Winnipeg's MTS Centre isn't up to par with other NHL arenas (they have the smallest seating capacity in the league) and the steep seats made for some weird angles at brief moments while watching the game on CBC. But it almost made it intimate and intimidating at the same time, if thats possible (at least, that's what I was trying to imagine from a player's standpoint). Or maybe I just had the volume on too loud and I was just too excited.

It's great to have a seventh NHL team in Canada. I was excited at the announcement of the purchase and move of the Atlanta Thrashers back to Winnipeg and I watched so much live news coverage of super happy Manitobans that day. I was too young too care about the old Jets, but being able to see a Canadian city and it's people coming together around their team today was just very beautiful. I also found it cool that Stephen Harper was at the opening game. Very classy of him (and I'm not being sarcastic).

Too bad Montreal beat them. And too bad the Jets are losing against the Coyotes right now as I write this (Edit: they lost), but I know I'm going to enjoy more of this Winnipeg-Phoenix rivalry in the future (because it's old Jets-new Jets).

Great sign by a fan in the stands after Winnipeg's first goal tonight:

C ouldn't
B uy
C oyotes

Got Jets!

Hockey, weeee!

Pointless Post #66 - Best Email Greeting Edition

2011-10-13T15:32:00.002-07:00

It's early Thursday morning. I'm still a little groggy and checking my email before I start doing anything work related. There's a reply from a dear friend in my inbox. I open the email.

Tim!
You are a fresh pie!

I burst out laughing and continue reading.
Thanks, dear friend, I needed that!

I think I can see myself embracing that as a new nickname too.

Seacre...I mean, Freshpie out!

...actually never mind.

Pointless Post #65

2011-10-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

(cold, grey, and damp weather) + (a selection of classical music by Julie Nesrallah on CBC Radio 2) + (home made mac and cheese, with extra cheese and chunks of ham) + (a stool to sit on)

= Contentment

I suppose that equation could be improved if I replaced the ham with bacon, but I'll work on that next week.

In other useless Tim-news, I discovered a new condiment (or is it a seasoning?).
Crushed up potato chips! You can use it as a topping on anything! It adds flavour AND texture.

And crunch!

I've yet to try it in my coffee.

Hebrews 12:29 - For our God is a consuming fire

2011-09-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I watched this video on a blog many weeks ago, said "Wow!" to myself and then forgot about it.

The following Sunday, the pastor mentioned Hebrews something in his sermon which I flipped to in my Bible, but my eyes were drawn to Hebrews 12:29 on the adjacent page because I had underlined it. And I remembered that video again.

Fire can be destructive, but it can also purify. When fires occur in the wild, they definitely destroy and consume the dry brush, but it also makes way for the new growth.

So let that verse and video simmer in your mental thinking pot.

Pointless Post #64

2011-09-18T00:49:00.002-07:00

I don't think people appreciate my devotion to headbanging as much as I do, especially when I'm driving and making left turns. Sigh.

--------------
Gas has been around 133-137¢/litre, but hit 140¢ during Labour Day weekend and today again.

PNE Crazy Dogs Review – VERDICT: It's All Hype :-(

2011-08-30T15:34:00.015-07:00

I went to the PNE on Saturday and because of all the coverage I've seen and read on the news about the newest concession stand, I was very excited (super excited!) about trying something from Crazy Dogs. It's a brand new PNE-run concession stand (so they accept credit/debit cards) and they are most well known for their 2 foot hot dog, the "Double Dare Ya." It's a 2 foot long hot dog covered in chili and a bunch of other things. Here's the Crazy Dogs menu:

When I heard about the Crazy Dogs' two foot dog, I said to myself (and probably out loud), "I want to try that. And I'm going to eat it all myself." But the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't justify the $25 price of what's probably more than one week's serving of sodium. I also looked back at my records and remembered that a foot long hot dog (from a different concession stand) was $5. So I thought, for $25 I'd be better off buying five foot long dogs. But alas, after 4 years, the price of a foot long hot dog with grilled onions at the PNE is now $7. Good grief, it's not like it's gold (long story short, I bought and ate a foot long to wash away the taste of the Crazy Dog).

Ok back to Saturday. After looking at the prices, I finally decided on the "Surf's Up Dog" mostly because it had popcorn shrimp. Everything else is mostly cheap starch.

$10.50. Whew! I'm at the PNE; I can't have second thoughts about this.

Here's Spider-Man about to dig in:

And a close up:

As you can see in my pictures, it looks good. It really does.

Check out this positive review (scroll down for close up of the hotdog; click on the thumbnail).
It looks good in those pictures too!

What's the problem Tim?! Are you just a whiny cheapskate?!
Good question! And yes, I am!

For $10.50 I shouldn't have ignored my second thoughts and I should've been able to expect a reasonably generous slathering of toppings because that's what's making this hotdog crazy! Isn't it? ISN'T IT?!?!?! BLUGABLOOGAUNGGHTH!!!!

Whoah, not sure what happened there...crazy, haha (get it?).

Anyways, here's my review. It's a gigantic pretzel bun (that's very dry) that props everything up high and that's what makes the hotdog look big. As for the toppings, on the hotdog I was served, I don't believe the servers were generous because the coleslaw was spread across the dog pretty thinly, and there's a lot of air in between of all the condiments/toppings. It looks like a lot of popcorn shrimp, but there were only 12. The equivalent of a small child's handful. A stingy, small child.

Ok maybe not a small child, but what I'm trying to say is there isn't actually a lot there, for the price I'm paying for. Underneath all the toppings is a wiener (beef?) that's dwarfed by a bun that's 4-5 times it's size which is really nothing special itself. How's it taste? Good. But nothing special.

My review might be coming across as harsh, which is what I'm trying to go for because I'll say it again...$10.50 for a hotdog? It better wow me. But it didn't. You hyped yourself up too much on the free promos you did on the news, PNE. It's your own fault you disappointed me. Besides, you've already made a killing on these hotdogs and will continue to do so no matter what I say. People will still buy these ridiculously priced hotdogs.

Which reminds me, the PNE isn't worth going to unless you can get in for free or very close to free. Aside from the musical acts, there's nothing much new or worth going to see, assuming you've been there in past five years or so.

Long live the IKEA 75¢ hotdog. FOREVER.

Pointless Post #63

2011-08-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

Why do my socks wear out faster the older I get?

Having a pastor(s) under the age of 50 is beneficial because they are easily coerced into dunk tanks for the amusement of the church (and God's glory, muahaha).

Here's a video of Spider-Man riding the moving sidewalk at Calgary International Airport (YYC).:

--------------
Gas was 129.9¢/litre yesterday and 133ish a few days ago.

Pointless Post #62

2011-08-25T17:23:00.001-07:00

Good songs to listen to in the morning to wake you up and get you motivated:

Enterprising Young Men - Star Trek (OST 2009) by Michael Giacchino

and

Macho Man by The Village People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO43p2Wqc08
(won't let me embed, poop)

...oh wow, I just watched that video and it was surprisingly gay, hahaha.
Still a great, catchy song though.

Speaking of gay (as in merriness), a customer, who's name I don't even know, made fun of me a few days ago by telling me that my ponytail was really weak. I laughed him off and told him I was working on it.

Where does he get the nerve to tell me that?
It's My Little Pony™!!!
But in his defense, he's right, haha!

44 New Spider-Man Pictures! EXPLOSIONS

2011-08-10T14:39:00.003-07:00

That's an increase of 115% new content! WOW!

O__O

Here's a sample of whats on the Flickr set:

At a Vancouver Whitecaps game.

At the Celebration of Light fireworks.

Doing the Grouse Grind.

Doing sudoku in the airport.

In Calgary International Airport.

Getting room service at 3am.

JUMBO THE ELEPHANT IN ST. THOMAS ONTARIO!!!
AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!! I HAVE NO NEED TO BE SHOUTING!!!

Feeding some cows in Shedden, ON.

La fin.

--------------
Gas in London, On was about 126.0¢/litre on August 6th.
Here, I've still been seeing it at 130-132.
But today I saw it at 127.9¢/litre.

ICBC Waving Commercial

2011-07-26T13:29:00.000-07:00

Do you live in BC? Have you seen these ads? If not, here you go:

Did you like it? Well, you should because this is a good commercial.

The actors are likeable.
It's very clear, concise, and ends humouristically. Humourly? It ends on a funny note.
Murray's Lunch!
It's memorably distinct.

And finally, it's very relevant. I've only been driving for a few years, but even I've noticed that driving around Vancouver seems to be getting worse. When I'm on the highway, I'm frequently tailgated and cut off, and the number of times people turn/change lanes without signalling is beyond counting. And it pisses me off.

But last week, something fantastic happened. I allowed someone to merge (I slowed down, he sped up; there was plenty of room to do so even before we changed speeds) and I received a thank you wave. A very pronounced, flat-palmed, fingers-spread, hand-in-the-air, visible-through-the-rear-windshield, right hand wave. I was taken aback because I literally cannot remember the last time I received a thank you wave. And then I started cackling like a lunatic because I remembered the ICBC commercial, and I waved a thank-you-for-the-thank-you (er... I guess that would be a "you're welcome") wave back, as I continued to chuckle.

Yesterday, some pedestrians waved at me as I slowed to a stop at a crosswalk. I waved back.

It felt great. And I want more.

EVERYONE HAS TO TRY THIS!!! EVERYONE!!!
HULK SMASH!!

It's almost as good as the release of endocannabinoids when I eat potato chips.
Almost, but not quite.

Anywho, in some recent Tim-news, after 8.5 months, I finally got a haircut! Actually, it was meant to be a trim, but the guy cut so much off! I'm still a little bummed by how much he took off the back of my head. My goal of having a ponytail is still there, but it looks like it'll take another few months before that's realized. I'll take solace in the fact that when I got home, my parents looked at me and said, "What happened? We thought you were going to go get your hair cut today."

And finally, I'm going to Ontario for Ted and Heidi's wedding. I should really figure out how I'm going to get there...

Why the 2011 Vancouver Riots Were a Good Thing

2011-06-24T17:10:00.002-07:00

(Note: I took this picture from....somewhere. Sorry to the person who took it but you deserve the credit)

My title is actually very misleading. I don't condone rioting, unnecessary violence, or any sort of irrational, destructive, and childish behaviours that were present in downtown Vancouver on June 15, 2011 (or anywhere for that matter). The point of this post is to add to the social commentary by looking at positive aspects that resulted from the riot as well as to discuss the aftermath and any lessons that can be taken away from the experience, with a mostly optimistic point of view. Cynicism is pragmatic and has it's time and place, but optimism encourages hope and even healing.

The next day (Thursday, June 16) I was helping a lady when news coverage from the riot appeared on TV. As soon as she saw the images, she made a tiny gasp, turned her back to the TV and remarked that she couldn't watch it anymore. She said that seeing it all unfold felt like a "personal attack" on herself and began to tear up as she said this (her eyes watered up really fast!). I tried to say something uplifting with a smile, and she returned the smile, most likely to be polite, but really, there's only so much time you can devote to dwelling on what you've lost before you can move on. The milk was spilled. Let's wipe it up.

There are many who hold the viewpoint that the police should have been better prepared. Regardless of the VPD's professional preparation in managing the crowds and perhaps even the outcome of the Canucks game, this riot was going to happen (the size and scale would just be very different). It's pretty much a well-documented fact that the rioters were not "true" Canucks fans. They were misguided individuals who wanted to see mayhem and disorder take place on Vancouver's streets.

(Right-click and open in a new tab; YouTube won't let me embed this awesome Dark Knight clip.)

And it just so happens that Canucks' fans were in that same area and some decided to follow the riot. They wanted to see something burn too.

And knowing this should humble us, as Canadians (which is a good thing). Even though Vancouver and other Canadian cities are often highly ranked in magazine publications for being a "livable" city or having a high and well-respected standard of living, it doesn't mean we are superior to other nations. Yes, Canada is a wonderful place to live, Vancouver is beautiful, and the people are friendly, but deep down, we struggle with the same problems that even developing nations struggle with (albeit on a lesser scale). We have troublemakers. We have criminals. We have family and friends who make bad choices in the heat of an emotion-filled moment. We have members of our society who are discontent with their own lives and desire to see other share their discontent and anger. We are all ignorant, selfish, and have an inherent sinful nature. We have to acknowledge that. And we have.

Canucks fans, Vancouverites, and Canadians everywhere have a collective shame over what transpired during the riot. This is a good and proper response. If you've been following the news as much as I have (which is a lot) how many times have you heard people/organizations say, "This is not my Vancouver," or "This doesn't represent my city?" Our Canadian reputation to the world of being peaceful and friendly, was blackened by each car that was set on fire, each pane of glass that was broken, and each item that was looted. If we want to gain back the respect of the world, we must the use the shame to motivate us to never allow something like an infantile riot to bring notoriety to our city. How we might do that will require lots of long term effort.

But because it’s just been over one week, short term responses will suffice. The thank you notes that started to appear on an unattended police car on Granville Street, is not only touching for regular citizens, it provides an immeasurable amount of encouragement for the police and the work that they do.

From The Vancouver Courier, “Goodwill drapes downtown Vancouver while police chief faces riot fire” by Mike Howell:

The sight overwhelmed Const. Eric Kerasiotis, a member of the VPD’s crowd control unit who suffered a head injury in the riot. Off duty because of the injury, which he wouldn’t discuss, Kerasiotis was returning to the Cambie Street station to pick something up when he noticed the cruiser.

“I saw this and it was more emotional than I would have expected,” he said as people continued to post sticky notes on the car. “It’s a thank you that I don’t think any of us really expected to see. It was very nice. We worked hard. I think we did well. No matter how it went, we would have been criticized.”

He paused to collect himself.

“But this,” he said pointing to the decorated cruiser, “is more important to us—more important than anybody realizes.”

The outpouring of public support for the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services, emergency and paramedics, and especially the Vancouver Police Department in messages of encouragement and commendations have been unprecedented (at least to my knowledge). True gratitude from the heart is a type of love that is easily received

Oh, sort of a tangent, but one thing to be thankful about this riot was that it happened in Canada, where we pay taxes and have emergency first responders who willingly respond to crazy situations like these. Despite the abuse and assaults (I can’t imagine being a police officer waking up the morning of Game 7 and thinking, “There’s going to be a mob-like atmosphere downtown tonight and I’m going to get bit by some drunk, dirty hippies”) they stand their ground and do their job.

Because of our government system, the army was not called in to mow everyone down with machine gun fire, and there were no fatalities that night. If it weren’t for our laws and court system, it could have been uglier. I heard one middle-aged man converse with my parents that he would have liked to have seen the police be more pro-active. As soon as they saw some hooligans, all dressed in black, start to put on masks or cover up their faces, he postulated that they should have ran up to them, grabbed one of them and “just tazered him for 20 minutes!” As much as I want to agree that that solution could have helped quell the riot, I’m thankful that that is not a standard protocol for police. Absolute power can corrupt absolutely and when there’s adrenaline in the mix, hang on to your butts people.

Another well documented response that I’m only going to briefly mention are the giant “get well soon” cards, or the signing of the boarded up windows on the shops and buildings that were smashed. I didn’t go down to see for myself, but it seemed like the Bay’s boarded up windows got the most attention. It was a way for the public to collectively respond and “interact” while reading what others felt and thought.

Over the next few days, I saw news reports of random people going downtown to give other random passer-by’s free hugs, Timbits (weeee!), and the Metropolis mall’s glee club went and greeted cruise ship passengers at the Waterfront with some vibrant songs. It was a way to spread cheer versus the spread of hate and destruction a few nights before.

As it is being well documented on Facebook groups and sites like these I believe the use of digital and social media as a result of the riot is primarily a good thing because it serves as a deterrent. Don’t do stupid things because anyone can be watching. But it’s also proving itself to be dangerous and comparably negative. I can’t help but compare China’s human flesh-search to ours. Thanks to social media, people have been outing rioters and looters seen in photos/videos posted online (which is a good thing), as well as publishing their personal information and publicly shaming them (which is a mostly a bad thing). In some cases, it’s very much an online mob that is turning on the people who have been “caught,” but they still deserve a fair trial in a court of law, despite how damning the evidence is. It’s troublesome to read some the outrageous insults and death threats because I doubt all these things would be said to the accused/identified if they were standing right in front of us. Peel's principle has been changed in our situation to “The police are the public and the public are the police…as well as judge and jury.” Proverbs says our words can be destructive. Posting a scornful comment is included in that.

Finally, the last major thing I want to talk about that was good about the riot, was that Vancouver got to see some light shine amidst the darkness. I’m referring to the people who stood up to the rioters and tried to stop the madness. They were Canucks fans who were downtown that evening. They were regular citizens, untrained in crowd control, security, policing, or whatever. And they knew what they were in the middle of was wrong, and they did what was right. Vancouver Riot 2011 (now called Vancouver Heroes) has a bunch of photos and links to some of their stories. Letters from the Front Lines: Vancouver Riot also has some first hand accounts on those who protected the city (paid and un-paid) and who choose to remain unnamed and unrecognized for their actions.

Shanna Selinger was named. She stood up to rioters who were trying to break into a liquor store.

The women in the video below who were protecting their BMW are unnamed. If it is indeed their car, they were their own good Samaritans because the mob surrounding them were brainless.

And on the news the following day, I saw several young women being interviewed who were helping the clean up crew and volunteers, post-riot. There is irony in this as we saw that most of the destruction was caused by men, but we have evidence of women who had the real balls that evening (and following morning). God bless these women and others like them who stood up in the face of harm and adversity. They have real balls, not like those idiots trashing the BMW. That video still particularly sickens me

------------

When I see pictures and video snippets here or there, I have to try and put my judgment aside. I try, I really do. If I was there, what would I have done? I really hope I would have done the right thing, but assuming I was overtaken with my adrenaline, would I have been swept up in the silliness and kicked at an already broken window? Would I have grabbed a bag of chips from a pile that was thrown outside the doors of a shop by looters from the inside? Would I have posed in front of the riot police or a burning car for a picture? Would I be cheering along with the crowd as we see a car being flipped over? If I did any of these things, would I admit it? Would I admit it if I was seen in photos or videos taken at the time of the incidents? What would I do if someone outed me and posted all my personal information, address, etc online?

We see the need for justice and we know there’s a need for compassion, but how do we appropriately balance the two for long term healing?

The best thing about this riot, whether its politically incorrect or not acceptable, is that Vancouver needs Jesus. If we don’t want this to happen again, the hearts and minds (especially of young people….the amount of high school kids involved? wow…) need to be changed and influenced by biblical principals. And that starts with knowing God’s true love. This is not another Christiany cop out answer; this is real.

To end this ridiculously long post, I will quickly mention that although trivial, we also learned from the riot that buying insurance is a good idea and this edited clip with Alfred being obsessed with tangerines is stupid, but a happy way I will choose to end this post. Consider it your reward if you actually read this whole thing. Maybe I should send out more floppy boxes….hehehe.

(Right-click and open in a new tab; YouTube won't let me embed this awesome Tangerine Knight clip.)

Vancouver, behold your Shame

2011-06-15T23:59:00.008-07:00

...as opposed to "Vancouver behold your gods"

Optimism was in the air. It was palpable. Game #7 was the first thing that I thought about when I woke up today (huh, I guess, I’m heathen). Virtually everyone I encountered today was in the same mood as I was. Today was the day the Canucks were going to win the Stanley Cup. Tonight and the days following (probably the whole year) were going to be days of celebration because well…the idol was going to be in our possession.

The game started. And then the game ended. I was sad.

What a tough pill to swallow. We lost 4 – 0. All year, hockey analysts and commentators picked the Canucks to be the ones to watch. EA Sports’ NHL 11 video game simulation picked the Canucks to win the President’s Trophy and to win the Stanley Cup in seven games against Boston. Oh, cruel irony.

But life goes on doesn’t it?

Apparently not. All you have to do is google “2011 Vancouver riots.”

After watching the cup presentation, I took a break from watching TV, went out to walk the dog, and when I came back to see what’s happening on the news, downtown Vancouver had descended into madness. The major news outlets showed non-stop pictures and live video feeds of Canadians, acting with childish behaviours. Take a deep breath. Yes, unbelievable as it is, these are our fellow citizens. Canadians setting vehicles on fire. Canadians picking fights with each other for no reason. Canadians smashing shop windows, looting department stores, taunting the police, and just standing around to get a good Facebook photo. Tens of thousands of Canadians, standing around, being apathetic and cheering on the chaos.

I could make some symbolic references on how Gotham City did not turn on each other when they were provoked, but I won’t.

It’s unfortunate to say that the troublemakers are the same people as you and me, but they are a product of our society. Canadian society. Those are my peers. They may have well been my former classmates from school, who knows. There seems to be a general consensus of disgust, disappointment, and humiliation by the childish rioting, but still, one of the most troubling aspects of the whole mess in the streets were the thousands of people, standing around as if it were a free show. Sigh.

Thank you alcohol. Thank you negligent parents. And thank you young, rioting, adrenaline fuelled males (mostly) for exposing why Vancouver needs Jesus so much.

It must be a huge bummer to be a Canuck player to look on the news and see your name on the back of a person as they kick in and smash a window.

Tomorrow is a new day, Vancouver.

Game #6: Canucks at Boston

2011-06-13T11:36:00.004-07:00

Two for us in the 1st period. One for them in the 3rd.
This city and province is going to go nuts tonight.

Enjoy the first stanza of this very good song! It's very appropriate.
Aaaah another contradictory post, but I love it. 8^)

EDIT (June 13, 2011 - 1opm) : So hmmm....I need to learn how to keep my big mouth shut. On the bright side, Game 7 :-)

RE-EDIT (June 16, 2011): *facepalm*

Pointless Post #61

2011-06-10T14:35:00.002-07:00

There's something magical about cleaning with bleach. There's something magical as your utter disgust turns into instantaneous gratification after wiping something that was once blanketed in dust and unknown muck and then being able to see the pure white surface shine clean again. There's something magical when your cheap spray bottle cracks and your diluted bleach cleaning solution sprays up into your eye. There's no other burning sensation like it. It is a one of a kind feeling.

Also, whole wheat crackers are unsatisfying. I almost miss my childhood days of processed, enriched white flour, and high trans fat snacks were still with me. Killing me slowly with that delicious, delicious gluten.

Note: In case there's ambiguity, I'm fine; I was wiping up something with bleach when I thought, "That would really suck if that happened right now."

The Canucks are simply Bieksallent

2011-06-06T13:17:00.004-07:00

I love burgers. There is nothing like a succulent, beef patty on a warm, toasted bun, covered and topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, melted cheese, special sauces, and just because I'm feeling fancy, some sautéed mushrooms and plenty of crisp bacon slices. It's a combination of delicious flavours and fresh aromas from quality ingredients, that fuse together to make a symphony orchestra of culinary tastes.

The following videos are to your eyes, what a good burger is to my mouth. Mmmmmmm!

Vancouver Canucks - All Goals 2010-11 Season (43:10)

Vancouver Canucks - 2011 Playoffs - Round 1 - All Goals (5:16)

Vancouver Canucks - 2011 Playoffs - Round 2 - All Goals (4:11)
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Vancouver Canucks - 2011 Playoffs - Round 3 - All Goals (6:51)

Wow, just pure wow.

What can we learn from those videos? Where should I start?

-keep your stick on the ground and get ready, especially if you're playing with the Sedins
-puck movement frees up the ice and/or gets the goalie to move from side to side
-speedy forwards are luxurious to have
-get pucks on net, even if you don't have a shot
-working from behind the net (à la Gretzky) is almost always effective
-having a crowd in front of the net is great
-having an excellent screen with a quick stick is even better
-big shots from the blue line change the game
-offensive defenceman that know how to pinch are valuable
-winning faceoffs is obviously important
-rebounds.... lots and lots of rebounds (see first point)
-breathtaking goal-tending and HIP CHECKS

I could keep that list going and going, and yes, those are really basic points, but this is why hockey is the ultimate team sport and why the Vancouver Canucks are everything they are this season. And ok, the goal-tending and hip checks weren't featured in those videos, but they do add to the game. Goal-tending is self-explanatory, especially for the games when the team has trouble scoring and hip-checks are just beautiful because not only do they take an opposing player out, it gets the fans involved.

Aaaagh, I'm so horny for hockey now. Haha, yes I said it. Blame Ray Barone. It's a very accurate analogy for sports fans.

This is a very ironic post considering what I talked about last time. Oh well.
Oh yeah, thanks to nic876 for those great compilations and hours of splicing! 8^D

Game 3 in Boston tonight! Yeah!
------------
Saw gas for 130.9¢/litre yesterday.

Note: I believe "Bieksallent" is a Tom Larscheid quote.

Vancouver, behold your gods!

2011-05-31T15:35:00.001-07:00

I say that in jest, but at the same time, its true. And being Canadian, I know its not just Vancouver that worships hockey, but the whole country. I will reluctantly admit even I choose to worship hockey over God sometimes. This year, the Vancouver Canucks playoffs motto is "This Is What We Live For," and I shook my head at it when I first saw it. But I have to agree with it because it is a very accurate statement.

I was six years old when the Canucks last made it to the Stanley Cup Finals and all I can remember from that is playing outside on the jungle gym at the church barbecue with all the other kids, while all the adults were inside watching Game 7 against the Rangers. And then I remember me and my sister egging our mother on to honk the car horn on the drive home as we passed by groups of people on all sides of the roads, waving Canuck flags and white towels. It was fun. I didn't quite understand or love the game of hockey completely, but I understood the spirit of the game that drives people together.

Fast forward to the 2010-2011 NHL season where I'm able to follow along and watch almost all 82 Canuck games on TV in their entirety. I can do this now without guilt because I'm done school and I don't have homework nagging at me after the game is finished. I enjoy and revel in the win of the team's success. I silently mope around after a trouncing by an old playoff rival. At the back of my mind is the top prize in all of hockey and how maybe this year our home team will win it.

And then the Canucks lead their division in points.
And then they finish best in the Western Conference.
And then they end the season as best in the entire 30-team league.
And then we finally knock out Chicago with a devastating Burrows OT goal.
And then we beat Nashville.
And then we defeat San Jose.
And now we’re facing Boston for the Stanley Cup.

And today all of Vancouver, all of BC, and a lot of Canada (well…some of you hate us, but hey, it’s our time, 8^p) is waiting, waiting, waiting for the puck to drop shortly after 5:00pm PST on June 1, 2011 for Game 1.

And that is the beauty of hockey. That is the beauty of sports. It is a unifier of gender, age, race, and religion. All people can come together to cheer on and celebrate one team, one goal, and one prize. Strangers can high-five each other on the street. Smiles can be exchanged from across the room at the sight of someone wearing the same numbered jersey as you are. It’s an exciting and optimistic time for Vancouver that matches and arguably surpasses the hype of the Olympics and Team Canada’s quest for gold in men’s hockey last year.

And yet part of me is saddened at the sudden madness that one common goal can generate. The amount of money individuals are willing to spend on one ticket to a home game are now averaging a month’s rent (~$1000, give or take a few hundred). Canucks merchandise is flying off store shelves. Diehard fans are decorating their cars more elaborately with decals, posters, figurines, and gigantic team flags that probably slow them down when they drive on the highway. It is an idol. The Canucks are an even greater object of worship than they once were, in a city that desperately needs something greater. I am saddened at myself for often choosing to worship them also.

But I am confident that if Vancouver wins the Stanley Cup, it can be a tool for the glory of God. Yes, the hockey lover in me wants Vancouver to win it and I’m fairly sure it might cause more idol worship for a time, but I am ever so hopeful that hockey and sports in general can be a captivating stage for the name of Jesus to be made famous. It can be a stage for the Gospel to be proclaimed.

Sports is a recognizable and influential part of life world wide, more so in societies that have disposable incomes. The more I read (albeit, still very slowly) Recreation and Sports Ministry the more excited I am at the potential that hockey in this city can be used to reach people who have not been open to God before. I am quite certain of this because all the truths I’m reading in the aforementioned textbook are culturally relevant, and have Scripture to back up its points. Seriously, if you are thinking about how sports can be used as an effective tool in your church or ministry, this book is a beautiful guide, and you need to get it. Sports ministries are not a new thing. Reaching people for God, through recreation, is an “idea” well over a hundred years old and more.

So, as the Vancouver Canucks and the millions of fans supporting them, prepare to give Beantown a meaningful lesson in Canadian hockey, I will hope and cheer and pray. I will also continually hope that maybe in the near future, member(s) of the Vancouver Canucks might be able to speak in a church or other venue about their personal faith in Jesus. I can only imagine the kinds of people who might be drawn to that kind of event who may have never been to church before. And how sweet would that be to have the Stanley Cup up there beside the speakers, with a Bible resting inside it?

Go Canucks Go!

------------
Saw gas for 140.8¢/litre last last last Sunday. Gadzooks. Now its about 135ish average?

Pointless Post #60

2011-04-25T21:17:00.003-07:00

I'm pooped but this article is worth reading:

......because I wear that watch everyday! In fact, I own two of them. Just in case one breaks (totally serious).

I used to wear a Timex Ironman watch but I got frustrated with that because the etching of the words on the side (Indigo, Start/Stop, Reset, etc) got rubbed off over time, the Indigo light itself was fading, and the replacement straps are so expensive and they wear out so easily.

But I bought my beautiful Casio F-91W's in 2009 and I haven't looked back since. The strap that came with the watch shows no wear and it's just a really simple, easy, reliable watch to use. I actually take a lot of pride in it because it's so cheap, but yet so good. Kind of like fast food, but even better because this helps me keep track of time. I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. And I really love fast food.

You're welcome Casio.

PS - I'm not a terrorist.

--------------------
Saw gas for 137.9¢/litre last week.

Pointless Post #59

2011-04-01T00:01:00.004-07:00

I've hid it long enough. I've been training with Brent for the past five months now and I've made the cut for the Battlefield Fight League! Mark your calendars and please support me as I delve into the world of competitive MMA.

I'll do another post when tickets are available, but I'll be on the amateur MMA card of "BFL 8," on May 28, 2011, at the Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo, B.C. The final card and match ups will be available on the BFL website next week so be sure to check it and I really could use your prayers in my final weeks of preparation and training.

I want to fight to the best of my abilities while giving God full glory.

Pointless Post #58 (GIRP best times and Inside the Boxes)

2011-03-28T13:55:00.012-07:00

Whats better than a yuppie? An effeminate hipster yuppie!
I was grinning to myself for a few minutes afterwards.

-----------------------------------------------------
Him: Annyung-say-o! [that's how I heard it]
Me: [staring blankly and thinking to myself] Did he just say "hello" in Korean?

Him: You're not Korean?
Me: Oh, haha no sorry. I get that sometimes.

Him: Cho-san! [that's what I heard]
Me: [staring blankly]

Him: You're not Japanese?
Me: I'm Chinese.

Him: So you speak Mandarin?
Me: No...

Him: You're Canadian born...I was born in Sangai!
Me: [nodding my head]
Him: Hey can I borrow your phone? My car got towed.
-----------------------------------------------------

I don't have a clue where Sangai is. I must have misheard him.
Also, GIRP is fun. My best is 36.4m.Update (March 29, 2011): New best of 64.3m

Update (March 30, 2011): Finished it!
Inside the box: Ball in a cup - 31m 24.4s

Update (April 1, 2011): New Tim-best times
Inside the box: Antibacterial gel - 14m 56.8s

and
Inside the box: A branded yoyo - 10m6.9s

Update (April 3, 2011): Inside the box: Worm casserole and A temporary tattoo
I know my facial expression would be more than disappointed if I climbed all the way up a cliff for that.

...and when I think I'm making good time, the stupid bird keeps interfering with me and then this happens:
Winner: Bird <==== ALSDKJFLAKSDJHFLKJHWHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!!?

Update (April 5, 2011): New best time!
Inside the box: Two carrots - 8m57.5s
That bird is so resilient, no matter how many times I punch or swinging heel kick that thing in mid-air! It kept beating me all day yesterday too.

--------------------
Saw gas for 135.9¢/litre a few days ago.

Pointless Post #57 - Christopher Walken Edition

2011-03-17T22:16:00.005-07:00

Fatboy Slim - Weapon of Choice (ft. Bootsy Collins)

(it wouldn't let me embed so you have to click on it)

Man Makes Chicken With Pears

--------------------
Saw gas for 131.9¢/litre a few days ago.

Squirrel Fishing videos finally on YouTube

2011-03-05T23:35:00.002-08:00

See title of post:

Pointless Post #56

2011-02-28T12:57:00.002-08:00

This is why I think Twitter is stupid:

http://gizmodo.com/#!5772509/how-the-internet-wrongly-decided-it-was-bart-simpsons-birthday

However, I did lament the death of a famous TV dog once.
...aaaand three fingers pointing back at me, now! o_O

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Floor Hockey in the Amazon

2011-02-23T00:45:00.007-08:00

That title is so misleading and really, just a gigantic lie. But it's catchy so I'm sticking with it.

Almost one month ago at church floor hockey, only one of our regular goalies showed up and so I somewhat excitedly goalie-suited up (HIMYM) because when I was a kid (between the ages of about 7-Eleven...hehehe) I was a fantastic goalie. I think it was because we used a tennis ball and at that age, no one was strong enough to make hard shots.

Fast forward to today, where I feel unstoppable because despite having no hockey pants, I have finally invested in a very strong cup. It's amazing how invincible one feels when you don't have to worry about losing the prospect of future generations.

Alright, all gear is on, let's jouer au hockey! Long story short, I was a horrible goaltender. First shot on net? GOAL! Huh? It went in? Oh there's the ball behind me....oops. When you're playing in net, it's such a completely different mindset from being a regular player because little things like knowing where to place your stick and how high you have to hold your trapper up, really makes a difference. Depth perception was a real problem because now there's a cage in front of your eyes and a good chunk of peripheral vision is being blocked off by the goalie mask. More little things like knowing how to go down on a shot, which leg to put down first, when to get up, knowing which direction to fall, etc. It was humbling and tiring.

I had a bruise on my right knee from where I would fall down to make a save, and it was as big as the circumference of an aluminum pop can. My worst "injury" was a blister that formed on my thumb from where I gripped my goalie stick (which becomes noticeably heavier than your normal player's stick after a 30 minutes or so into the game). My glutes took four days to heal completely, possibly from my awkward crouch stance. It felt like 2005 again. Ah, memories.

I think when you're playing goalie as a kid, you're still really soft and have lots of sugar-reserve energy so it's easy to bounce up and down and react to the shots of your peers. That and there's no developed muscles to get sore from. Note to self, remember to warm up and stretch. *shrugs*

Anywho, here's a picture of what I looked like. I'm so tiny in comparison to the net!

As long as we're on the topic of hockey, as of tonight, the Canucks are still leading the league, but only by a point. Part of me thinks its unreal because in my short lifespan, I cannot remember the last time that has happened. My memory only goes back as far as about 2003 when we were division leaders, but we're number one...in the entire league?! Cross your fingers folks. :-)

Oh and before I end, what's the deal about Amazon you ask (hey humour me...you've already read this far)? I'm googling about sports ministries last Tuesday night, and I end up on the Amazon page for Recreation and Sports Ministry by Broadman and Holman. The reviews make it look like a decent read but its $17.63 brand new. Awwwww. But hark, what's this in smaller print? Used copies from CDN$ 1.02? SOLD! The shipping cost me CDN$ 6.49 so I paid $ 7.51 and it should arrive in about 2 weeks. Thank you Amazon and thank you "atlantabookcompany" for your excellent speed and service. I got an email the next morning (10 hours after I placed the order) saying it was shipped and on its way. Weeee!

I'll have to remember to post a review about the book.

------------
Saw gas for 125.3¢/litre a few days ago...caramba!

And our loonie is 1.02365 USD...chihuahua!

New site banner, weeeee

2011-01-26T12:38:00.004-08:00

Nothing big, just replaced the old header/banner:

with

Bigger and better. With my own custom font! 8^D

In defense of the TSA and human screeners at airports

2011-01-19T22:52:00.002-08:00

Being a human screener at an airport has to be one of the most hated professions right now, but I doubt they get spat on or have feces thrown at them like prison guards do. Or their fingers bit like some dentists. Probably just a lot of verbal abuse. *shrug*

When I heard about the story of the 82-year old cancer survivor who was "humiliated" by airport security in Calgary, it got me thinking, despite the embarrassing situation, it's slightly reassuring to know that security personnel were doing their job properly.

I actually don't have a lot to say in defence of these workers, other than that I think for this one particular instance in an airport or similarly related setting, it's good to have unapologetic, robotic, and emotionless workers because in order to be 100% effective, they need to assume that every single person going past them is a deadly terrorist making their best effort to lie and not get caught. There is literally no margin for error because as soon as one mistake is made and something bad gets past a screener, the entire system nationwide (eg. the TSA in the United States) is blamed, cursed, and made to look incompetent. It's virtually a lose-lose situation.

To assume that children, women, the elderly, or even handicapped persons should be treated and screened differently (eg. this can be read as "less thoroughly") would be like giving a terrorist the key to the cargo door of the airplane.

It's important to keep in mind though, this doesn't give the screeners and security personnel the right to be inhuman, condescending, and rude to their "customers." But I imagine it must be difficult to keep morale up when everyone is swearing at you as you check them. It will take a lot of sensitivity training, a lot of discretion, and a lot of gumption to be the ideal and perfect screener. And since being perfect isn't possible, we will continue to have many reports of airport screening horror stories.

I wonder if I'll regret what I write here in the future. I remember in 2003, after putting my bags through the x-ray machine and walking through the metal detector, that I was pulled aside by a screener and was double checked with a metal-detecting wand. I was a little huffy (siiiigh stupid teenage me) because it was only the zipper on my pants that triggered the secondary check.

Oh well.

Pointless Post #55

2011-01-19T22:47:00.003-08:00

I've decided that shrieking along with Maria Sharapova at the Australian Open on TV is a fun past time, mostly because it annoys my dad. I'm thinking of trying this the next time I take a slap shot in ball hockey.

And if you clicked the link, at the 1:05 mark is when someone from the crowd yells "shut up!"

HI-larious!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

The End of 2010

2010-12-30T23:59:00.001-08:00

I wish I could write something profound and super meaningful, but at this very moment there's nothing pressing I want to share. All I can say is that I can't believe 2010 is coming to an end. As I get older, it seems like time passes by quicker.

Gas was 121.1¢/litre on Christmas.

I'm currently reading What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters by Philip Yancey. It's very sobering and basically deals with what good is God when people are suffering? Not "Aw shucks, I dropped the remote control in between the couch and the wall," but real suffering like mass shootings, persecution in non-democratic countries, and human trafficked sex slave workers. That's only the first three parts, which is where I am now. It is a good and necessary read.

Hope is a necessity in life. What good is life if there is nothing to hope for?

This showed up in my inbox on Boxing Day from The Daily Bible Verse and I really like it:

Matthew 2:1-2 – We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2

The Magi add a fascinating twist to the Christmas story. They were ancient astrologers who were regarded as the wise men of their time. They were not Jewish and this is the only time that they are mentioned in the Scripture. Their appearance and departure is mysterious and full of imagination. Notice the two groups who knew of the Christ: poor shepherds and respected wise men. Jews and Gentiles. God wanted to make it clear that the gospel was meant for rich and poor alike. It was meant for the smart and the uneducated. In other words, the gospel has been sent to the entire world.

Today’s commentary by:
Dave Whitehead, Senior Pastor, GraceNYC.org

It's something worthwhile to think about.

======================================================

When I was in Grade 7 (1999-2000), the school gave us agenda books to use as day planners. Being a special school year (Y2K), the agenda had a little rip-out portion that you could fill with memories and seal up to serve as a "time capsule." I wrote on mine that I could not open and read the contents for at least 10 years, and I actually did rip it open last year, January 1, 2010 at about 1:15am. I thought I would be flooded with memories and have some laughs, but I was pretty disappointed with myself with what I had written down. I was so vague!

Now a year later since I opened the "time-capsule," I'm still a little disappointed with what I wrote, but some of the things I recorded are kinda funny when I think about it, so here are some things that are maybe worth a chuckle to you (my answers are verbatim):
----------------------
What kind of computers do you use at
SCHOOL: junky ones
HOME: pc with a cd-rom [NOTE: It was a 300 Mhz Celeron with less than 4GB HDD space and about 256MB of RAM running Win 98)

Out of any vehicle I would choose: One of those cars that are boats

My friends will remember me most for:
being a geek, helpfulness, annoyingness, smartness, funnyness (not really), wanting to skydive

The Movie I want to own: Pokemon, the first movie [NOTE: I was really into Pokemon]

The class I like most: Gr 5, because Miss Loewen and Mr. White were nice.

Junk Foods, what do I buy, what does it cost? Chips - 69 cents to $3.00 [NOTE: this Christmas 2010, I received 2 huge bags of chips (the kind that's almost 1kg) and a huge thing of cheetos...so good...]

Top 3 tunes: Supernatural by dc Talk, some church tunes, and I'm So Happy by Hokus Pick [NOTE: my music tastes back then were pretty much limited to the local Christian radio station or whatever I heard about through friends)

My coolest day this year (1999) was when: I got lots of money, and when I got out of school

Two TV shows I never miss: Pokemon and Recess [NOTE: I still love Recess and saw a few episodes this year; I laugh at Pokemon now..aaah childhood]

What random act of kindness have I done lately: trying to be good [NOTE: so basically, nothing]

What are 3 things people do that I see as hurtful: hitting, name calling [NOTE: lol. I had virtually no world view back then]

Two issues I care deeply about: huh? and wha? [NOTE: I got lazy here. I wish I could slap my younger self]

My pet peeve: idiotic annoying people [NOTE: I think today I would change this to selfish, ignorant people]

Three things I enjoy learning about: animals, computers, people

My best learning resources: encyclopedia, computer, people [NOTE: we had a World Book Encyclopedia set that I used to browse and read for fun....kinda like Wikipedia now, but with 1000% less pop-culture and 100% more paper cuts]

3 new skills I want to learn: skydiving, 2nd language, being funny

3 things I want to achieve in my life: skydiving, being a millionaire, helping the world [NOTE: I almost can't believe how many times I referenced skydiving in my time-capsule, and I'm still not done mentioning it]

Time travel; what I am doing in 5 years? probably either in college, university or whatever [NOTE: I was in my second year at SFU in 2005]

What would I like people to remember about me: all the good things

This is what I wish to contribute to society: helpfulness, money, a good idea

Personal Mission Statement:
I want to be the best I can be and have God help as I do things. I want to be a success and always be a help. I want to have a ripe, rich, old life and fulfil dreams. Hopefully I might be able to fly/skydive.
----------------------

I still want to skydive, but it's at the back of my mind now 8^p
God is too good to me. I need to put away childish things.
Let 2011 be a year of hope, renewal, and growth. Man up.

Pointless Post #54

2010-11-19T14:57:00.003-08:00

Someone I literally just met said "See you in the new year!" and then wished me Merry Christmas. So I wished them a Happy New Year. It felt strange because one, I'll probably never see them ever again, and two, it's over 36 days until Christmas.

Huh.

Here's a funny thing. If you are not happy or satisfied with your current job, I noticed some labels on some dry dog food the other day. One read "Better tasting formula" and the other said "50% less fat, but very tasty [sic]."

You've got to be pretty dedicated to have that job. Or very unfortunate.

-------------
Gas was around 115-117¢/litre a few days ago. Phew!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #53

2010-11-08T11:51:00.002-08:00

When no one is around, instead of walking normally, I sometimes like to hop, skip, or gallop.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

KFC Double Down Review – Verdict: Double LET DOWN :-(

2010-11-01T01:11:00.004-07:00

Colonel Sanders, why oh why have you failed me? I wanted this to be a good review. I really did. I have longed to write something positive about KFC ever since their idiotic contest of Summer 2008 caused me to rebuke them, because I really do like fried chicken. But I can’t, because I want this to be an honest review, with only my bias. 8^p

So let me begin!

When I heard about the launch of the Double Down in the US, all I could think of was “genius.” A sandwich of bacon, cheese, and two pieces of KFC’s original recipe chicken breasts with no room for a bun? Beautiful. Deep fried goodness! If America is good at something, it’s fast food. I always make an effort to eat fast food when I’m in the US. There’s just so much variety, fast, and all kinds of delicious unhealthy, and usually cheaper than prices in Canada! I was sad to hear the Double Down was only available south of the border, but my heart leapt with joy when I read on some news website that the sandwich would be made available in Canada for a limited time.

YES! \o/ <-- if you can’t see it, it’s a guy with his hands in the air

I was excited again when I saw a KFC flyer in the mail within days of reading the news, with the Double Down sandwich proudly featured all over it. I got even more excited when I read and heard on the news about how experts, doctors, nutritionists, and other humans were disgusted about the amount of calories and sodium this one fast food menu item had (actually, I wasn’t to thrilled about the sodium, but hey its fried chicken). I was excited for the hype. I like fried chicken.

So I told myself I would try it, and I did. I went and bought the Double Down sandwich a few days ago for $6.99 ($7.83 total with HST; the combo was priced at $8.99) and apparently I had a stupid grin on my face as I walked out with my takeout bag, or so I’m told. I hadn’t had KFC/friend chicken in a long time. Did I mention I liked fried chicken?

Under normal circumstances, I would have cringed and debated for a long time at the price, because lets face it, I’m Chinese. But I thought, this sandwich has to be worth it, because, its fried chicken, cheese, and bacon…TOGETHER! But I now know, its not. This was my first let down. Also, as a Christian I believe in good stewardship of money and so paying almost $8 for one item of fast food isn’t worth it.

Yes KFC, you may be raking in the cash on early sales right now, but I believe they’re all sales out of curiosity based merely on the aforementioned hype. While writing this post, Yahoo News linked to this story on their front page about how the Double Down broke sales records but I don’t think they’re sustainable. At least, from a rational point of view, they shouldn’t be. I could have gone to MCDONALDS and bought FIVE JR CHICKENS for about the same amount of money ($1.39 + HST five times is $7.78). So take that KFC. I’ll have to post another time about my love for the JR CHICKEN available at MCDONALDS. I’m so subtle

This is what the Double Down looked like in all the ads I saw:

Honestly, doesn’t that look deliciously beautiful? Look at that crispy batter skin. Look at the golden brown of fried perfection. Look at the tantalizing pieces of bacon hanging out of the side, waiting to be nibbled. Look at the sauce smeared with love, as processed cheese peeks playfully from the inside of the sandwich. This is what I expected.

I concentrated in marketing for my BBA degree and I did not clue in. Sigh (and also consumer FAIL).

This is what I unwrapped:

Huh.

There was a lot of processed cheese. As you can see, it hadn’t really melted. There were only two pieces of bacon, and they were maybe about 3 to 3.5 inches in length. The top chicken “bun” was comparably smaller to the bottom “bun.” I do not remember tasting any special sauce. I will give credit, in that they were two delicious pieces of white chicken breast. I will give a thumbs down on the crispy batter. There wasn’t a lot of crisp to it. The eleven herbs and spices of the original recipe batter were not as aromatic as fried chicken pieces I had eaten in the past. I should have cut it in half and taken a picture of it as a cross-section, but I was too hungry at this point to care. It was also a lot smaller than I thought it would be, especially for the price of $6.99 plus tax. Picture something quite smaller than the Burger King Whopper and that’s what it is.

Overall, I was mostly disappointed and let down on the general appearance of the sandwich and the amount of bacon. I googled pictures of the Double Down, and American versions don’t really look like what I received. I also stumbled upon home made versions of the Double Down. If you want this “experience” you’re better off trying to recreate it at home. It would be cheaper and more satisfying in the long run, especially when you’re adding your own bacon.

So long story short, KFC’s Double Down is not worth it. I kind of want someone to prove me wrong and tell me it was all a bad dream, but un-photoshopped pictures don’t lie.

Just ask Spider-Man.

STEEELLLAAAA!!!

Pointless Post #52

2010-10-22T22:56:00.003-07:00

I hate hearing people eating/chewing with their mouths open. To me, it's vulgar, disgusting, and bad table manners. Also, it sounds gross.

On the other hand, I LOVE hearing animals eating/chewing with their mouths open. When they do it, it's just so cute!

Look! He's making crunching sounds! AWWWW! O_O

This is just a cat licking a goat milk lollipop. Not as cute as the above video, but still cute!

This is sort of related, so I thought I'd link it too.

And to end this pointless post on a completely unrelated topic.....
CODY MCKENZIE!!!! GUILLOTINE CHOKE!!!! YEAAAAAHHHH!!!!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Riding the “Euro Express” at Genting Highlands

2010-10-02T22:18:00.003-07:00

I decided to upload a new video to YouTube from the Tim-vault of 2009! While visiting relatives in Malaysia, our cousin took me and my sister to Genting Highlands with his family, just for fun. Compared to North America, this theme park was pretty tame, but it was still fun. It’s even more fun when you make your own fun.

While eating dinner at the First World Plaza (a part of the entire resort area) I looked up and saw the “Euro Express,” one of the indoor thrill rides that make up the First World Theme Park. It’s more or less a kiddy roller coaster. I had a lot of pent up energy and I noticed people (a good mix of south east Asians, other Asians, and some Arabs) didn’t really scream and shout on thrill rides as I’ve grown accustom to back home. I though to myself, wouldn’t it be fun to go on that little ride, lean over the edge of the car to look at the families that are trying to have a nice meal and the oblivious bystanders below, while shouting at the top of my lungs “we’re all going to DIE,” making them think I was crazy while filling the building with sound of my screams?

The Plaza was not a noisy place to begin with. So I agreed with myself, yes, that would be fun! This is an amusement park after all! Good idea Tim!

I also thought it would be appropriate to scream “we’re all going to DIE” in a more common language, which is Bahasa. So my cousin taught me the very useful phrase: Sekarang kita semua nak mati.

Aaaand my sister and I got into the line for the “Euro Express” (mostly filled with family-aged kids, mothers/fathers with youngsters, etc) and got into the roller coaster car. I turned my camera on and started to record. I screamed the ENTIRE ride. I looked down below and across the different levels of the shopping area, tried to make eye contact with confused visitors, and screamed AT them. At their faces.

We got off the ride and I checked my camera. In my haste, I somehow thought it failed to record at all. My throat felt quite sore at this time, but hey, we’re here; we have nothing better to do, so lets try it again! So we lined up and got on and I did it again! And I promptly bought a bottle of overpriced water after that. Ugh my throat was sore. It even felt a little sore as I watched my videos again, hahaha.

Long story short, both times we went on the ride, my camera DID record my antics and screams, but the video mode it was on only limited it to 1-minute clips.

Usage of convenient technology FAIL along with the obvious Bahasa language FAIL.
But making your own fun memories WIN.

Here’s what the rollercoaster is like with normal people:

……and then with me, spicing it up a notch. WARNING: there is a lot of Tim in it:

Wipeout Canada bummer and REESE’S PUFFS RAP!

2010-09-26T23:59:00.004-07:00

I was a little bummed tonight. I had somewhat high hopes to be a contender to be a semi-finalist in Toronto for a chance to compete on Wipeout Canada. But the rules stated they would consider the top 20 entrants with the most votes and it became apparent to me that I was not popular enough to garner enough votes because my inbox had 0 new emails tonight.

Section 5 (d) stated:

(d) The twenty (20) entrants WILL BE NOTIFIED BY TELEPHONE OR E-MAIL NO LATER THAN 11:59 p.m. ET on September 26, 2010, AND MUST RESPOND WITHIN 24 HOURS OF SUCH NOTIFICATION. Upon notification, the entrant must respond by telephone to the contact number provided in the notification, and the entrant’s response must be received by the Sponsors within 24 ours of such notification. If the selected entrant does not respond in accordance with the Rules, he/she may be disqualified. The Sponsors are not responsible for the failure for any reason whatsoever of an entrant to receive notification or for the Sponsors to receive an entrant’s response.

As of now, its about 3:00am EST and I haven’t been contacted so…….poo. 8^(

I’m still hoping that maybe the entrants who had more votes than me will be disqualified for some reason and that I’ll be chosen. Some of the entrants didn’t even have a wipeout in their video!

Anyways, to take my mind off of that, I’m going to talk about eating cereal.

I do not understand how people poor* cereal into the bowl first. I always poor milk first, then cereal. I eat the cereal until its gone. I usually have a substantial amount of milk left, so I pour more cereal. I finish my cereal, and continue the pattern until I only have about two mouthfuls of milk left which is usually quite sweet at this point and then I’ll drink it and finish up. This should be the norm… isn’t it!?

*see comments

On average, I usually take about 8 minutes to eat a bowl of cereal using my method. I don’t know how the people who pour cereal into the bowl first do it. Oh well.

In the past few months, I have eaten a lot of Reese’s Puffs cereal because a cousin of mine discovered them and got me hooked on them in the process. Prior to this, I had been faithfully eating Oatmeal Crisp (almost exclusively) for at least the past 10 years. But enough about that. What I really love is what’s been on the back of my cereal box which always still amuses me when I read it. It is the Reese’s Puffs Rap, and I’ve transcribed it below. I rap it in my head as I eat. It’s quite catchy.

My Reese’s Puffs Rap

THAT PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE __(1)__
IS THE __(3)__ THAT I __(2)__ THAT __(1)__
REESE’S PUFFS, REESE’S PUFFS, IN YOUR BOWL, IN YOUR BOWL!

RECOGNIZE THE TASTE THAT I __(2)__
REESE’S PUFFS REESE’S PUFFS,
WOW PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE __(2)__

SO CRUCIAL TO MY __(4)__ VERNACULAR
THAT PEANUT BUTTER __(3)__ IS OH SO SPECTACULAR
REESE’S PUFFS, REESE’S PUFFS

MY REESE’S PUFFS ARE __(5)__
EACH PEANUT BUTTER ORB IS __(5)__!
REESE’S PUFFS, REESE’S PUFFS, IN YOUR BOWL, IN YOUR BOWL!

1 - I MUST CONFESS, I MUST POSSESS, I WILL OBSESS, I WILL ADDRESS

2 – FLAVOR, SAVOR, CRAVER, RAVER

3 – DUO, TASTE, FLAVOR, MIX, COMBO, HOOKUP

4 – EATING, CRUNCHING, BREAKFAST, CEREAL, CHOMPING

5 - A MIRACLE, L-L-LYRICAL, OH SO SPHERICAL, TOTALLY RADICAL

General Mills should send me a free box of cereal for this awesome free pub I’m giving them. Also, I like free cereal. Canada overprices cereal and its ridiculous. American groceries FTW!

-------------
Saw gas for about 111¢/litre three days ago.

Pointless Post #51

2010-09-16T23:13:00.002-07:00

Please go to this link:

http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/55534/voteable_entries/8198534?ref=mf

and vote for me, and then tell your enemies (and friends) to vote for me too, so that I can attempt to get on Wipeout Canada, so that I can make a fool of myself.

If not, I will commit hamburger seppuku. And by that I mean will eat a hamburger with a knife (and probably a fork).

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Hockey FAIL

2010-09-16T22:50:00.004-07:00

Monday was a bit of a bummer for me.

My wooden CCM stick that I bought from Walmart 3 years ago and cost me $11.26 broke. And it wasn't the shaft, it was the plastic blade!
I wasted 45 min the previous week re-taping the shaft with duct and hockey tape, hehehe. On the bright side, I now know my taping is effective, because I'm cheap. Because I'm Chinese. Cogent? Who cares.

I also somehow tripped myself which trying to check someone from behind. I'm not sure how I tangled myself up, but I wasn't even able to get my hands/arms in front of me to break the fall, so I landed full force on the left side of my body. I really felt an oomph of wind leave my breath as my chest hit the floor. I now have a weird "L" mark/bruise on my left shoulder (I'm not kidding, there's a mark that looks like a triangle with one side missing, hence the "L") and a bruise on my left hip.

And when I got home, I realized I got a splinter from something. Probably from the tables we use as boards. Its hard to see but the cut where it entered my flesh is further up, so the splinter you see there is actually the whole thing lodged under my skin. It wasn't too bad to get out.

Ok I'm done whining now.

-----------
Saw gas for 117¢/litre a few days ago and now its at 112¢/litre.

Last chance for Wipeout Canada?

2010-09-10T15:16:00.004-07:00

I just got an email in my inbox saying this:

Disappointed that you didn’t get the call to compete in Wipeout Canada? MOTRIN® and Wipeout Canada are teaming up to give previous applicants one last chance to be cast AND COMPETE TO WIN THE FINAL SPOT FOR WIPEOUT CANADA! For five days only, the casting call will reopen for those who previously applied.

Answer the casting call:

All you have to do is share your favourite wipeout caught on camera. Go to http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/55534 and upload your video. ENTRIES WILL BE OPEN FOR SUBMISSION from September 10th (9 am ET) – September 14th (11:59 pm ET). Then, invite your friends to vote for you at www.facebook.com/wipeoutcanada from September 15th – 22nd. A panel of judges will select the top 10, from the 20 entries with the most votes; those selected will compete in a Wipeout-style challenge in Toronto on October 16 for the final spot in Wipeout Canada!

So I uploaded a video of me wiping out.

Voting starts September 15, 2010 at http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/55534/voteable_entries/8198534?ref=mf so view my video and vote for me if you want to potentially see me on TV and make a fool of myself, provided that I make it to the "tryouts" in Toronto first.

Four Wisdom Teeth Cut Out

2010-09-09T18:07:00.004-07:00

I had all of my wisdom teeth taken out this morning in an oral surgery. They were impacted (I believe that means they were growing into my other molars) and were all still underneath my gums still. So the oral surgeon cut them out.

To be honest, I was A LOT more nervous for my Class 5 road test than this. I sat in the chair, the anesthesiologist came in and poked my arm with a needle, said he'd pump me full of something, I'd taste something bad in my mouth, and then be knocked out in about 15 seconds. I asked him if it was going to be exactly 15 seconds. He said more or less. I started to get a weird taste in the back of my throat and I think I started to gag. And then I woke up about 45 min later (or less?), not remembering anything, but feeling very, very drowsy/weak. It's a very trippy experience to be sedated! Phew!

My biggest concern about getting my wisdom teeth removed was about my recovery and being able to eat (because I am a selfish glutton). When my sister had her wisdom teeth removed, she wasn't able to stand up after the surgery and then she got high on the Tylenol 3's. She does not remember taking our dog into her car and taking him for a drive. Very scary, and somewhat hilarious stuff. God was merciful then.

And He's been very merciful to me too! I was completely conscious and aware of everything right after the surgery and still am. I don't have a lot of pain, other than a dull soreness at the back of my mouth and throat. Swallowing is a little problematic, but I have very little swelling. I watched Jana and Jill Duggar get their wisdom teeth removed a few months ago on 19 Kids and Counting, and I thought my cheeks would balloon and go chipmunk like they did. I think I just look I've been eating too much for the past week. See bottom for pictures.

[WARNING: potentially gross paragraph ahead!]

I asked for my wisdom teeth and they put two of them in a little container for me. I think the other two teeth were removed in pieces so they just chucked them. They were a lot more bloody and had little pink globs of flesh(?) stuck to them, which I guess must have been my bits of my gum they hacked out of my mouth. I tried to wash them and remove it as best as I could. It reminded me of uncooked chicken. And I really hoped they were my teeth I was washing and not someone else's they randomly gave to me. What do I know? I was sedated! I don't know why my mind likes to over think stupid things like this. And no, I will not try to see if they fit in my mouth to determine if they are actually my wisdom teeth or not. I know some silly goose is thinking about that now. You fruit.

So yay, I'm on mush foods and have limited mouth movement. I wonder how people in developing countries cope. They probably just never have their teeth checked out, have complications, get infections, and suffer a lot/die early. I am such a pansy.

Why is God so merciful to me?

And now to end this post, a trio of Tims for my own amusement, and now yours. I know, I need a haircut. Maybe I should end every post I write with a picture of a trio of Tims. Nooo, that would just be narcissisticly creepy.

12am - just ate Korean noodles and ice cream. The last time I can eat solid food and I'm content.
12pm - surgery just finished less than an hour ago... I'm alert, but still under effects of anesthesia. Also, there is gauze in my mouth.
6pm - haha look at how more swollen 12pm Tim's face and crazy his eyes were! I'm hungry now. Also, my hair still sucks.

Wipeout Canada is RACIST

2010-07-29T01:19:00.003-07:00

Wipeout Canada is RACIST because they didn't pick me! I'm Chinese, so they must hate Chinese people! Actually, that's probably not true at all....I think they didn't pick me because I wore glasses in my audition video. I can really see without my glasses! Ugh. Also, they're racist.

The callback interview/auditions(?) were last Thursday (July 22) at the River Rock Casino, and I was not invited. I saw the snippet they did on Global BC news that night and most of the people in line where (drumroll please....) white! Surprise, surprise! I bet all the show's producers are......WHITE! I think all the judges were white. Anyways, I saw one girl's face that was Asian-looking....other than that....nope. In all seriousness, I'm joking about the racist thing. I just like to stir up trouble because I have nothing else better to do. Or do I?

The main website claims that applicants shouldn't give up hope and that they will still contact people.....so I guess I should cross my fingers. One percent of me is actually really excited that I still have a chance! The other 99% is plotting vendetta. I mean, I didn't say that out loud.

PS - I love white people. I was just kidding, haha Chinese make the funny joke!

Free Advertising: DealExteme.com

2010-07-08T15:25:00.003-07:00

I am a satisfied customer. The gist is, super cheap stuff, potentially Chinese knockoffs of the real thing, but fairly good quality at super cheap prices, with shipping included. SHIPPING INCLUDED AAAAUGGGGGHHH-MAZING! Note that prices are in US dollars. And that shipping takes a few weeks..... maybe a month. No joke.
Things I have got from them include:

1. Silver Irregular 3x3x3 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube - $4.33
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25029
Great bump cube, turns beautifully, light, but sturdy, if you're not a gorilla. Ordered and paid May 7th, received on May 31st.

2. Mini 2x2x2 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube Keychain (5-Pack) - $3.58
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16336

They feel cheap, and they are, but hey its a keychain. After a few months, I'm pretty sure the stickers will wear out. But, hey, there's five! Ordered and paid June 7th, received on June 16th.

3. Floppy 3x3x1 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube - $3.11
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.26682

This thing is crap. It's made from a cheap soft plastic and after some playing with it, the middle flap pieces broke off, that's how soft the plastic is.....so now they are held by plumbers glue. Stiff turns too. BUT DealExtreme, being the smart company they are, offered to send me a replacement or give me store credit, for FREE! So I chose store credit. See number seven.
Ordered and paid June 7th, received on June 16th.

4. 3x3x2 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube - $4.56
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.34099

This thing looks cheap at first, but upon closer inspection is very good quality plastic and turns fairly nicely. The stickers also feel like they'll last a long time. It's just really hard to solve! Ugh. Ordered and paid June 11th, received on June 24th.

5. 4x4x4 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube - $7.86
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.18533

See number four. I think they're the same company too, because they both have a cheap looking logo sticker slapped on them "QJ Magic Cube" which is kind of a shame because the cubes themselves are beautiful! The stickers on this one are also like a textured matte feeling....very nice. Ordered and paid June 22nd, received on July 8th.

6. Floppy 3x3x1 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube (White) - $5.37
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.27796

It's just plain beautiful. Much more different and complicated than the regular 3x3x1.
Ordered and paid June 22nd, received on July 8th.

7. Maru Mini 3x3x3 Brain Teaser Magic IQ Cube - $3.93
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20017

Haven't received it yet, but all reviews say its a good cube. I would have never gotten this, or number five and six if it weren't for number three (the lousy 3x3x1 floppy cube) breaking and them offering store credit. There was some ambiguity in their customer service, and I misunderstood their offering of credit when I made the last orders...long story short, I'm getting this one for free.

Two New Vids: Wipeout Canada and Jumping over KongKong

2010-07-03T21:52:00.003-07:00

I uploaded two new videos on YouTube.

I applied to be on Wipeout Canada and it was advised that a video would be a good addition to the application, so I tried to do something reasonably entertaining/funny on short notice. I had much better ideas, but this is the result:

And from the Tim-Vault of 2004, a video of me jumping over my grandfather as he takes a nap:

Pointless Post #50

2010-06-25T22:27:00.002-07:00

Friday night. Sitting in my room. Trying to figure out my 3x3x2 puzzle cube. Life is good.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #49

2010-06-19T00:55:00.002-07:00

Sometimes the sound of my own voice irritates me.

......o.O

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Wisdom is Empathy

2010-06-13T23:30:00.004-07:00

I almost can't believe it's been about a month since my last post. But then again, since I'm no longer in school, I don’t really have the same things to procrastinate about……just real life….sigh. Whatever, this almost doesn’t make sense.

IRRELEVANT INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH

I guess some big news to share is that my sister is now married and “removed” from the family. She’s no longer in her room and her last name is all different. In Chinese “thinking,” when a daughter gets married, they’re “lost” to the family she weds into, which in one way sounds ridiculous, but in a sense is true. I don’t miss her (yet), but it is quieter around the house.

Fun fact related to the wedding, or rather, embarrassing fact. I bought a suit three years ago (off the rack, yeah!) and it fit great. But when I tried it on last month (for the first time since then), it was very evident that my butt, hips, and thighs (good grief, I sound like a woman) had gotten bigger… much bigger. My mom, God bless her seamstress-ing skills, let out the pants a bit, but even then it was a tight fit. So the two weeks before the wedding, I started cutting out almost all salty snacks (and some sweets… only some) and a few days before my sister’s big day, I started running, er… fine, fine, WALKING on a treadmill (because I don’t have stamina to run) to cut down on my water weight. And the good news is that it worked! My suit pants fit better…but they were still a bit on the tight side…haha.

Why I am explaining all of this? Because last night, I gorged on some lovely salty snacks before going to bed; a nice 240g bag of crunchy Cheetos, which I had only planned to eat half of. Ugh, I felt horrible right after, and while trying to fall asleep too, as I lay in bed (thank you God for my bed!) with a parched mouth and that horrible thirsty-but-not-thirsty-at-the-same-time feeling. I don’t know how to describe the feeling on my tongue, but just know and understand that I had ingested too much monosodium glutamate (and about 2485mg of sodium according to the nutritional facts on the bag). I think I was still feeling the effects of it today as well. But all in all, I love Cheetos and I love you too, Joyce and Phil (so please buy me some Cheetos). Haha, it’s a joke! Seriously though, Cheetos are the best. Haha, another joke! I could do this all day!

Sooooo…. it was two week that our pastor at church was talking about Solomon and wisdom, and I sat there pretty convicted, because I think in my heart there have been times where I’ve been asking God for much lesser things. In 1 Kings 3, God asked Solomon in a dream what he wanted, and instead of asking for wealth and power, Solomon asked God for an understanding heart to judge the people and discernment between good and evil. I think I realized at an early age that it is actually quite foolish to ask for wealth from God, despite desiring it very much, and I used to pray to God to give me wisdom, just like Solomon asked God for wisdom. In summer 2006, I started to memorize Proverbs 2:1-6 and I used to pray it too, because not only does it sound noble, but its quite godly. However, I know there are many times where I prayed and asked meaninglessly. I asked God for wisdom without even caring or thinking about what I was asking for.

But God in His great love and mercy, I believe has started to answer my prayers. In the past few years, I’ve started to learn how to have empathy, so much to the fact that its felt like my heart actually hurts, and I may have even shed tears for strangers. I believe that wisdom is empathy, understanding and caring for what another person goes through. I still have much to learn though, because I know there are times when I choose to be ignorant and cold-hearted, but I think empathy, and wisdom altogether, sometimes feels like rare qualities to find on someone in the street. Sometimes it feels like it doesn’t even exist at all.

I found this fantastic video through Lon Wong’s blog. It is potentially intellectually heavy, so only watch it if you have enough time to think and digest it. Think of it as a challenge, especially if you’re only used to watching stupid, funny videos like me, but you will be rewarded in the end, because the doodles are cute and funny, but the message is strong:

And finally, I found this Venn diagram yesterday (via Gizmodo) and I literally laughed out loud, because it is AWESOME!

ITS SO CUUUUTE!!!!

------------
Been seeing gas between 113 -115¢/litre.

Tom Cruise Clairvoyance

2010-05-08T23:36:00.002-07:00

This happened on Saturday, but I just remembered that I wanted to write about it now....

Anyways, while vacuuming I was thinking about how my mom likes to offer slippers to visitors to our house. Personally, I like to go barefoot (I like to feel carpet underneath my toes) and I sometimes think offering slippers to guests is unnecessary. I think it's because in Malaysia when my parents were growing up (and even now) most people wear slippers in the house because somehow the floors get really dirty there. I can attest that even in my grandparent's home to this day, there's always an abundance of slippers to wear and the floor did feel dirty when I walked barefoot on them.

But that's not the point of this post I'm writing about.

As I continued to vacuum, my train of thought somehow wandered to the scene in The Last Samurai where Tom Cruise tracks mud and dirt all over the nice hardwood floor of the Japanese widow's home. And then I remembered how he later learns to take his shoes off before coming into the house. And then I thought about the scene where the youngest son starts making faces at Tom Cruise during dinner. I love that scene because its so cute, and feels real.

I dare you to sip water as you watch this:

If I ever meet Tom Cruise, I think I'd like to try this, or better yet, that's how I'll thank my prospective employer when I go in for my next job interview.

Anyways fast forward a few hours later when I'm flipping channels on TV and what's playing on CBC? Yes, its The Last Samurai. Am I clairvoyant? Definitely not, because I didn't predict it to be playing on TV, I just happened to think about it.

But just in case, I'm going to try and think about foot-long hotdogs with all the trimmings, and crunchy Cheetos all day tomorrow. But according to the my logic, that would mean I would only be seeing these things on TV...

Hmm, I'm going to have to think this through more carefully. But I do like junk food!

------------
Saw gas today for 114.9¢/litre

Pointless Post #48

2010-04-22T21:08:00.006-07:00

Haven't wrote anything in a while. Because I'm lazy.

Here's a very small snippet of what my life has consisted of in the past few weeks/months, in no particular order:

-Battlefield 2
-the Vancouver Canucks (and other Playoff hockey)
-Sriracha sauce
-the Duggars from Arkansas
-going crazy thinking that something is wrong with my computer, only to find out that it's Microsoft's stupid software that can't handle a semicolon (";") in a password (and just to add, if SQL Server Express were a person, I'd kick it in the groin)

That last one really drove me nuts. Sigh.

If I had a nickel for every time I went out and realized the zipper was not zipped up on my pants from when I was a little kid until now, I'd probably have about $1.

Here's a new Tim-video on my YouTube channel, starring Tim. If it seems familiar, it's because you have a good memory and saw a picture of it here, way back from Pointless Post #31.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

CGA Recruit Process

2010-04-01T00:01:00.002-07:00

It has been a relatively time consuming process, but I got an email saying my CGA application has been accepted and I'm now officially a CGA Recruit!

I'm one step closer to getting my accounting designation and becoming a Certified General Accountant!

YEAH!

Pointless Post #47

2010-03-20T22:49:00.003-07:00

It was such a warm and beautiful day, I thought to myself, as I knelt down to pick up a warm, steaming pile of Lance's feces off the sidewalk.

Today was the eve before spring.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Spider-Man at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion

2010-03-13T22:15:00.002-08:00

As seen here:

Standing in line. The lineup to see and touch the Olympic medals is just ridiculous, and to wait in that line is also potentially ridiculous, depending on your priorities.

Royal Canadian bling (there's a loonie in his hand).

In a digital photo booth.

These should be the last Spider-Man pictures in a while. *shrugs*

the Terriblelands update - NEW feed, NEW "host"

2010-03-10T19:18:00.005-08:00

Relatively important news (relative to me anyways)!

Do not check http://www.sfu.ca/~toh anymore!
It is no longer being updated!
It's been moved to http://www.theTerriblelands.com.

I've been publishing the Terriblelands using Blogger via FTP onto my SFU file space since I've started this site in 2005. Blogger won't be supporting FTP publishing very soon (by the end of this month) because of costs and resources and so while mucking around with my Blogger settings a few days ago, I clicked on something that I can't undo, so now my stuff no longer gets published onto "http://www.sfu.ca/~toh."

Everything now gets hosted at http://theterriblelands.blogspot.com (or now that I've paid for it, www.theterriblelands.com, which will redirect you to the blogspot address anyways). Its actually more convenient this way.

Also, the new RSS feed to subscribe to is:
http://theterriblelands.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Please delete the old feed if you used it.

For now, all my old pages (on my SFU file space) will remain up, but I plan to move all that stuff someday anyways, especially all the things categorized under "the Terriblelands Annoying Frame Menu". Expect many broken links in the future.

Please do not panic. Please return to your seats in a calm and orderly manner. That is all.

--------
Saw gas for around 113¢/litre. Hasn't been that high of an average since the past summer.

Pointless Post #46 - more Spider-Man, at Sochi House

2010-03-08T15:59:00.002-08:00

More Spider-Man pictures:

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #45 - avec Spider-Man pendant the Olympics

2010-03-06T18:25:00.003-08:00

Here's two new Spider-Man pictures:

Spot him and win a prize!
(The prize will be you win at life)

I'm sitting on a ledge!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Back to "normal" life (post-Olympics)

2010-03-04T17:56:00.003-08:00

I'm almost sick of the word "olympics." The keyword there is "almost" because I consider the fact that I got paid to do very close to nothing (which makes me feel good and bad at the same time) because of the Olympics. On the bright side, because "working" at the Olympics was so uneventful, I was able to learn how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's cube (done during "work")! I've only memorized the algorithms though, so it's not like I can analyze a cube and figure it out in a few steps. I have to do it step by step, according to Leyan Lo's beginner's guide. Basically, if I mess up one turn on the last step and something is out of place, I usually can't fix it, and I'll have to start again. So far my best time is 1:47 though. Thank you Leyan, for making it possible for slow people like me, to be able to appear to be smart.

I'm personally quite happy that the Olympics are over. No more crowded public transit. No more drunk people butchering the Canadian anthem as they scream it at the top of their lungs. No more woo-ing (eg. people screaming WOOOO!) in the streets for no apparent reason (with subsequent "echos" by other people down the street). No more lineups for silly things such as disappointing pavilions (I'm looking at you, Canada House, even though I didn't even bother to visit you!). No more of a lot of things. It was very nice for a time, but that good thing needed a good ending, which it did. Nothing and no one was blown up. God was merciful to Vancouver.

Also no more VANOC cookies (at least for now). I'm glad someone else wrote a post about them before I did. There's a picture in that link, and that's what they looked like. I averaged about 6 per day, with a grand total of 108 cookies. They're pretty good. The only disturbing part is that the cookies are all individually packaged, and they didn't have an expiry date on them. With all the additives/ingredients listed on the wrapper, I was slightly wary... but hey free cookies! Everything is A-OK!

I registered a domain name today: http://www.theterriblelands.com

I slightly regret doing it it, because now that life is back to "normal" it also means I'm unemployed again. Oh well.
Two weird searches have lead people to my site recently which are worth sharing:

"how to graph geraniums"
AND
"is 2 bowls of multigrain cheerios too much?"

Not random at all! I'll post more Spider-Man pictures soon.

Pointless Post #44

2010-02-16T04:00:00.004-08:00

I almost can't believe it, but the last time I posted a Spider-Man picture was in December 2008! That's a long time ago. I had already planned to do this, but thanks to Jill's spurring on, it made me do it faster. So far, the fences are still up around it but apparently "engineers" are working on a solution to be able to get people to be able to get closer to the fire. I know this because a Montreal cop told me this as she laughed at me taking these pictures.

I at first wanted to have Spider-Man waving a Canadian flag, but seeing as how I didn't have any small ones, I made him hold a skewer of mini marshmallows, yeah!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #43 - Olympic Cauldron Edition

2010-02-13T23:36:00.006-08:00

Here's an obligatory, stand-in-front-of-a-famous-landmark-like-a-tourist picture. I believe this was the most popular conservative Chinese person pose of the 20th Century if my made-up facts are not mistaken.

What should I do/how should I pose the next time I'm near it?

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Vancouver Olympics, Day 1 - Cauldron up close

2010-02-13T20:41:00.005-08:00

Day 1 was yesterday, but as I've previously mentioned, its sort of unbelievable the Olympics is finally here. After seven years of speculation and hesitation, we'll just continue to speculate and hesitate how it will unfold. And we may as well enjoy it, when possible.

I nearly cried a few times yesterday, once out of sadness and once out of joy. Within the past few years, my tear ducts seem to be easily triggered, but I always manage to keep it in at the last second (I don't mind crying, but I try not to because its messy). I woke up in the late afternoon yesterday and while checking my email, I read about Nodar Kumaritashvili's death. It saddened me, but like most bad news, I sort of brushed it off. While flipping through channels on TV, all of a sudden I saw the video of the crash and I cried out in shock. I pray that God can turn this tragedy into something good somehow.

The opening ceremonies was beautiful overall, with the First Nations welcome and representation from across Canada and Parade of Nations the best part. I lost interest after that because it got too slow. Long story short, I almost cried during the parts where Canada was represented. Again, in the past few years, I've gained a greater appreciation for this country, one nation under God, where He has dominion from sea to sea (to sea). If Canadians realized what they were praying when they sing "...God keep our land glorious and free..." during our national anthem, who knows what wonderful things God could unleash on this nation to use to bless the world with.

At work, anything Olympic related seems to be a popular topic of choice to talk about (that was sarcasm) and some coworkers have theorized that the majority of Vancouver has come around into embracing the Olympics because of the torch relay that went into so many communities. I literally only had to walk outside my home for 30 seconds before I was on the torch route. It seems to have been a good way to capture everyone's interest. Somewhat ironically, the cauldron that is now lit outdoors which was lit by the flame in the torch relay (presumably) is inaccessible to the general public, because if you were to go down there now, unless you have proper accreditation, there is a rather large fence that separates you from the flames (although you can still see it). My YouTube description will end this post:

This is the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Cauldron up close, in the middle of the Jack Poole Plaza (I think that's what this open space is called). This video was taken on February 13, 2010, around 5am. Just out of site are some police officers who guard the flames, probably chuckling at me because I look like a tourist (and I did). Unfortunately, it looks like the fencing around this plaza won't be taken down for security reasons since it's right next door to the Main Media Centre Venue (this plaza is connected to the International Broadcast Centre, aka the new Vancouver Convention Centre) so hopefully this video will suffice for now until it opens up to the general public. You can hear the gas burning and feel the warmth if you stand close enough. Its pretty windy as it's basically on the waterfront. If I get the chance, I'll try and bring some hot dogs to roast over it the next time I'm there.

A bunch of Olympic related stuff (work and play)

2010-02-06T22:43:00.006-08:00

I've had four full shifts so far at the Main Media Centre venue. Not many guests have arrived yet so not much was done this week. It was pretty quiet. On the plus side, I've been trying to make use of these slow times to pray. I had a very good prayer time one night. If my prayer life was plotted on a graph, you would have seen a huge surge in activity at the point "Friday, 2am." A good way to make a true Christian feel guilty is to ask them how their prayer life is.

On the negative side (or is minus side the opposite of plus side?), almost all other Olympic venue workforce (other Event Staff, Games Security Screeners ("security?"), and police) have been celebrating the Olympics the same way I've been by planning to also, by eating as many cookies as possible. I speculate there must be a correlation between the amount of cookies we eat and the amount of work we have to do (and also not to mention the fact that we were promised cookies during our shifts). Truthfully, the cookies aren't actually that tasty. It just helps to eat something.

I pity some of the police from across Canada that have been brought in here to work the Olympic venues. Some of the cops I've talked to have shifts over 12 hours long, in a single location (ie. blocking off a tiny street with a barricade), only at one particular venue. Whoopee. They also have to be away from their families for 5 weeks.

Ok, so for something unrelated to my job, I happened to be walking along Thurlow street (the newest part, closest to the waterfront) and I saw what resembled huge helium tanks (but not quite... maybe it's natural gas?) being delivered behind some covered gates next to the International Broadcast Centre (the new Vancouver Convention Centre building). Inside those gates is a huge thing covered in white plastic so it just looks like a big white cube. Global BC news speculated a few weeks ago that's where the Olympic flame will be on display during the games, so that makes sense if it's true. And if it is true, I'll try to take a picture of it.

I can't remember what other stuff I wanted to say and I want to end quickly because I haven't killed zombies for a few days now, so if you are looking for optimistic news/insight/fun related to the Olympics, check out:

http://2010vanfan.ca <-- a super-optimistic and informative fan blog http://www.citycaucus.com/2010free <-- free stuff happening during the Olympics

Vancouver Olympic Cookies

2010-02-02T05:02:00.005-08:00

It is a little past 5am right now. I'm trying to alter my sleeping schedule, because I start work at 10pm tonight (or ~17 hours from now). My shifts will go until 7am. How ironic that I've been killing hundreds of zombies for the past few days (playing Left 4 Dead, yeah!) and I sort of feel like one now as I force myself to stay awake. I wonder how Batman does it.

I have a more general idea of what I'm actually doing at the Main Media Centre venue, but not so much of what I should expect (and I can't really say too much anyways because our supervisors made a point during training/orientation by asking us not to blog on the interwebs). Because of strict corporate sponsorship and stuff for the Olympics, we're not allowed to bring our own food/drinks to work, so instead one meal is provided for every shift you get, and hot drinks and cookies are provided throughout the day! So I'm definitely expecting that.

I plan to visit the break room so that I can stuff my pockets with cookies to eat during my shift. That's a normal and rational thing to do right? That's how I'll celebrate the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. I like cookies.

---------
In other Tim-news, I was finally able to pick up a book from the SFU library that I put a hold on in, wait for it, October 2008. Apparently it was lost.

Post-SFU, 2010, and the Vancouver Olympics doesn't feel real

2010-01-13T00:17:00.008-08:00

I've been a student for almost my entire life and so the idea of me not returning to school again still doesn't feel real. On the other hand, I'm finding it very easy to not think about school... at all. It's actually very easy too. Also, I'm a lazy bum.

I saw someone at church last Sunday who I haven't seen for a long time and we greeted each other with a hug. I'm pretty sure he's done two handed hugs in the past, so I put out both arms, just as he only put out one arm (maybe to do a side-hug?). It was almost awkward. He asked me if there's anything new in my life, and being the dull person I am, usually I respond, "Not that I can think of" but for the first time....this decade (oh yeah, I also find it weird that its 2010.... I keep writing 2009 on things) I promptly said, "Yes, I'm done school, and I'll be working at the "Olympics" soon!" (although I didn't do air quotes). I'm no longer a dull person (or am I? Please don't respond to that in the comments)!

And yes, it's the Vancouver 2010 Olympics (that's also weird to think about that its happening so soon... and that its actually happening). I'll be getting paid (none of this volunteer nonsense... I only work for free for Jesus and family) to be an "Event Services Staff" at the Main Media Centre venue at Canada Place and the new waterfront Vancouver Convention Centre. I'm still not sure what I'll be doing. Apparently it involves standing a lot outside and smiling.

With so much free time, I've been able to watch and read more news, so I'm trying to learn and absorb as much useful information I can about the Olympics seeing as how I'll be representing it in a way. I used to be so anti-Olympics, but I think that's an incorrect perspective now, as I think I was (and still pretty much am) actually more overall anti-corporation. That seems contradictory coming from a recent business student graduate. I just hate seeing money mis-managed and poorly spent on unnecessary things. Stewardship is to be a godly act of worship which I could probably preach about. Long story short, I think I'm getting excited that the Olympics will be here, and that there will be tons of people from all over the world (but I'm not looking forward to the crowds and traffic/wait times everywhere...which again seems contradictory). I am a strange person.

There are a lot of hardcore Canadians who are really excited about the games and who are actually taking the time off to volunteer and are so proud at the fact that they can do that sort of work, in Canada. You only have to watch CTV to get a glimpse of that with all the propaganda "Do you believe?" commercials as well as the newscasts (but then again, perhaps they're just trying to milk the Olympics for as much as they can because according to some other news (Global was it?) CTV overpaid for the broadcasting rights and still haven't broke even yet due to low advertising/sponsors). On one hand, all that stuff almost makes me feel bad that I'm not also moved to the point of tears when I see venues/the torch/etc which is exactly how some people are reacting, because I almost feel like a marginal person who happens to be working at the Olympics. On the other hand, I've been trying to busy my mind with more important things; things that last longer although fun and useless things (eg. video games) are competing for that same attention.

I should be starting work by the end of the month and by God's grace, I plan to work hard and put forth my best efforts (as God would require me to as a testimony to who He is and why He made me) while trying to have an enjoyable time at this once in a life time opportunity (as I also try to stay dry, assuming Vancouver winter weather remains the same old rainy Vancouver weather). Yay.

More weird dreams

2009-12-29T12:18:00.002-08:00

Two nights ago, I dreamed that I was driving horribly on a highway, crossing in and out of oncoming lanes of traffic, except my point of view was like a third person video game perspective, so I couldn't really see everything. It was disturbing during the dream because I didn't want to have an accident. During that dream session, I also flew (my second dream of flight!) and that was fun, but then I also shot people with a gun. They didn't look/feel like real people though. I wonder if that's leftover remnants from my time of gaming right before going to bed, shooting zombies. That was fun. It's always fun to shoot zombies.

In last night's dream, for some strange reason I was somewhere at SFU and for some stranger reason, I met Georges St-Pierre, but the weirdest part of it all was that he seemed to know me (that even weirded me out, during the dream). And for all you fans, he was exactly as he seems to be on TV, humble, gentle, and very polite and personable. He was a lot bigger than actual size in my dream though. Don't know what that means.

Some day, I plan to write out my thoughts about my time at Simon Fraser University, and reflections on the past decade. Y2K was not too long ago was it? It is a good thing to reflect, look back, and learn. After I shoot more zombies.

I'M DONE! YES!

2009-12-15T13:24:00.002-08:00

This was inspired by a story from Phil, who said that when he finished his very last final exam at Simon Fraser University, he handed in his paper, shouted joyously, kissed the floor and left the room.

I thought that was near-epic and so I wanted to do something similar, but better. However, as you can see, I think it comes off more silly than anything... someday I'll do this better on a lone mountain somewhere, like on the Chief in Squamish or something....

In case you're wondering, I'm prancing funny because it was cold and windy. I'm running funny because... actually I'm not too sure. I wanted to scream louder and longer (perhaps more in a Dragonball Z kind of way) but I didn't want to attract security. This is relevant because the final exam I just completed was about policing. The things I throw on the ground at the end are noise makers... the camera's mic doesn't pick it up very well. I'm pretty sure I startled a guy who was walking by sipping his coffee and the few people who were within hearing range in Convo Mall thought I must be some mental nut.

Big thanks to Will for filming and witnessing my madness for me.
God is good and merciful.
This hasn't completely sunk in for me yet. But I'm done! Yes! BAM!

Pointless Post #42

2009-12-05T00:32:00.004-08:00

Quote of the Day:

Setting: Professor (a former policeman, now turned academic, although he's very down to earth and HI-larious!) is explaining about crime scenes, forensics, and other morbidly gruesome things (they were bad) in Criminology 251 - Introduction to Policing.

Paraphrased quote:

"Real life is never like those sexy gang shootings you see on TV."

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #41

2009-12-04T01:14:00.004-08:00

I hate it when I read something, start to daydream or get distracted, and then when I get to the bottom of the paragraph or page, I have no clue what I just read. Serenity now!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #40

2009-12-03T16:42:00.004-08:00

I just finished the last research paper of my undergraduate studies! And most likely my life! And it's a reasonable hour, not the middle of the night/early morning/late morning/must-hand-in-few-hours-from now (aka no sleep before handing it in)! Twenty-two and one half hours before its due! A new Tim-record!

Now I have about 200-250 pages to read (in PDFs) for an in-class final tomorrow.... the same class the term paper was due for. Too bad prof doesn't know how to space things out.

Productivity... yeah!!!

In other Tim-news, my school-related posts will soon cease.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #39

2009-12-03T14:46:00.003-08:00

There's nothing in the world quite like cursing your computer at two, three, and four in the morning. By five you're too tired and focused. By six AM, the work is done.

Productivity, yeah!!!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #38

2009-11-26T22:28:00.006-08:00

Went to the library today. Got some books to start my term papers. Yay. Instead of starting on my work like a normal person, I decided to stack my newly borrowed books according to their size in descending order (biggest to smallest, from the ground up), and then take pictures of them. It's actually quite an impressive pile, sitting on the floor of my room. I stubbed my toe on them a few minutes ago.

And then guess who decided to make an appearance?
He is not so impressed.

Productivity! Yeah!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Dead bird and ice tea

2009-11-24T01:47:00.002-08:00

I have work to do, but I don't want to do it. I could go to sleep now, but I don't want to yet either (partially because I'm not too sleepy).
So I thought I'd write a little something.

Firstly, in the past year, I believe I have never drank so much ice tea in my life. I like ice tea. It taste good. It's also a good alternative to soft drinks because I'm not the biggest fan of carbonate beverages (aaagh my mouth it hurts!). I guess this is a testament to how many times I've eaten fast food this year. And it is a lot. I guess that's probably a bad thing. This is sort of significant for me because usually, I only drink milk, water, and the occasional juice...box. Yes I still bring them to school with me from time to time. I try to be a simple person.

Secondly, last night after taking the dog out to pee before going to bed, he sniffed at something on the ground, and upon closer inspection, I realized it was a bird! I thought it was dead, and was about to poke it (to check to see if it really was dead), until it's head moved slightly. Pitiful looking thing just sitting there, in the rain, in the cold, looking miserable. So finally, I picked it up with some paper towel (didn't come into contact with it) and put it in a shoebox with some more paper towel. Turns out it was injured and bleeding, from somewhere. We could only tell it was bleeding because the paper towel was smeared on some parts. After some googling, the BC SPCA website suggests to leave it alone, and to call a wildlife rehab centre. So... it was past 11pm last night when I discovered the bird, so that means I'll have to wait until morning to call the centre.

This morning, open the shoebox, and lo and behold, the bird is dead. Pity. At least it died warm. Went out to backyard, buried the dead bird. Now I'm out of a shoebox...

I'm dreaming...

2009-11-03T23:59:00.002-08:00

...of me standing victoriously over a pile of zombie corpses, with dual berettas in hand, and a cool sword strapped on my back (think future Trunks... except even COOLER). The zombies are a metaphor for swine flu (because it seems to be the top story almost every other day on the news) and the berettas and sword are just cool. Actually that's more of a silly daydream.

I can't help but think about visions and dreams. Yes, they are a way in which God can speak to people (or appear to people), but that has never happened to me. I heard Lance making very soft, muffled yelping noises from his bed. He does that when he's dreaming. I know this because in the past, when he made those noises, I've seen his eyes moving under his closed eyelids. Sometimes he kicks and moves his legs. I can't help but wonder what he's dreaming about.

On Saturday night/Sunday morning, part of my dream was that the computer at our church that's used to display songs and stuff in the sanctuary was infected with spyware (and some of it was Korean too.... extra weird) and that someone had uninstalled a bunch of programs that we need to use on a regular basis (eg. PowerPoint). I also dreamed that the computer was extra laggy and to top it all off, my mom was running the computer and in charge of everything, and in real life, my mom isn't the greatest with computers.

After waking up and having breakfast (this is real life now), I get a phone call from the person who's in charge of managing all the visual stuff that day at church and it turns out our projector is not working properly. When I get to church, I discover that the computer will establish a connection with the projector (mounted 50ft? [rough estimate] above the stage) but will turn off after only a few seconds. So the whole service, there was just a blank screen and me trying to troubleshoot what the problem was. Stupid computers. And stupid people for messing around and causing this mess. It was too difficult for me to figure out.

I don't think the dream I had the night before was God speaking to me or a warning of what was actually going to happen, because it turned out to be separate problems, but they're almost related. Also, I think the dreams and visions where God speaks to people (or appears to people) are much more than dreams. The kinds of dreams people in the Bible had are sort of real, almost tangible. I think those are similar to the kinds of dreams members of the persecuted church have (I'm currently reading The Heavenly Man by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway). Those dreams are meaningful and real.

"Real" dreams, visions, God-given messages and such, are things that will cause feelings to persist. Plain old non-sensical dreams (the kind I have 99.99999% of the time, to my knowledge) usually fade away out of memory. I partially learned that from an Archie comic (Jughead was having some weird experiences) but it's true.

I had a dream once where I was able to fly. It was amazing.
I want to see Zombieland.

Pointless Post #37

2009-11-01T00:42:00.003-07:00

Actual conversation on instant messenger, not a few hours ago:

=========================

this is what Tim says:
just a reminder, tonight is daylight savings
put your clocks back one hour
don't waste it, like last year
8^p

Calencairion says:
ooooooh, thanks u saved me 1 hr
woohoo!

this is what Tim says:
hehehe
i thought i should let you know
cause i remember i did a post on this......

=========================
Which can be read here. My life is so exciting.

By the way, about swine flu/H1N1... I'm starting to think that I might have actually had it!
I had a lot of the symptoms listed on the Immunize BC website and so.... yeah... I just thought that was interesting. I guess I didn't turn into a "serious" case and I'm not a statistic. God is merciful to me... but why?

In other Tim-news, I didn't know the answer to a question on a recent midterm, and the prof said we can write jokes down for partial marks (I'm 100% serious), so I wrote a dirty joke. I didn't come up with it, I heard it somewhere.

A white horse falls into a mud puddle.

Thank you, I'm here all week!

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Obligatory mid semester post (and final)

2009-10-25T23:22:00.003-07:00

Final because this is my last semester ever, so there probably will never be a post like this ever again. I will graduate (I wonder why it's not "undergraduate") by December 2009. Kind of scary. The unknown lies ahead. Everything is uncertain.

Haven't posted anything in a while, out of laziness, apathy, and I had the flu for a good week a while back. It wasn't swine flu, just regular flu... whatever that means. I just know it sucked the strength out of me for a good 5 days, gave me lots of chills, headaches, and I was sort of useless as a human being, doing nothing. I don't think I've been that sick, that long before. But I'm better now. Thanks for being merciful to me God. I washed my hands a lot that week for my family's sake. And they're all doing fine. So see, God is merciful for keeping them well too.

School is typical, which means its getting boring. Stuff is interesting, but I just keep getting distracted, or things just don't seem relevant enough. There may be some partial information overload as well. My Intro to Policing course (CRIM 251) is pretty awesome though. I think about policing a lot now. They go through a lot of stuff and don't get enough credit. The media distorts things too much. I really want an ASP. Too bad they're illegal.

Lately, I've been trying to give an outlet to what little humour I have, by (drumroll) drawing comics. Ohhhh. Ahhhhh. I'll post them all some day on here. It's called "Little Bits of Tim" (haha its a pun!) and a few have been published in The Peak (SFU's student newspaper). I don't get paid. I hardly get feedback. I just get the satisfaction of seeing my crap printed and published on newsprint. It's sort of a me-thing, for my own satisfaction. I need a real job.

The weather is colder now. Its nice. Canucks are starting to win games. I am still alive and my life is the envy of billions of poor, dirty, sick, and underprivileged people around the world. I am so unworthy of what I have and I take everything for granted. And yet I still want more.

Here's a picture of a little cardboardy/paper dog I folded and glued. You can see its from a design similar to the one underneath it (you cut out the design, fold and glue the pieces together). And below the design is the policing textbook I ignored while assembling the dog, instead of cramming for my midterm. It's actually quite cute! Dogs are cute. Thanks Johnson. It was kind of a pain though. I don't think I have enough patience to do the other one.

Pointless Post #36

2009-09-25T16:32:00.004-07:00

I wish more of my brain was HDD, rather than RAM. So much info to memorize in classes.

The bus was so packed and hot the other day, a drop of sweat fell from my face onto a guy's arm who was sitting. I apologized and he was understanding.

Leg still twitching, but hardly as frequent. Maybe 5 or less times a day now. I kind of miss it.

Had a presentation this week. We're encouraged to use humour, so I Rickroll'd the class. No one got the joke. So I called out "FAIL" on myself (I think some people understood that), and then I continued on.

Tim is not funny and is boring.

FAIL

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #35

2009-09-16T00:52:00.004-07:00

The muscle in my leg/knee/thigh is still twitching! It's the exact same muscle, but I've noticed the twitching is not as often as it used to be... but it's still a good few times a day that it happens!

Also, one of my profs has 6 digits! Five fingers and a thumb! A classmate pointed it out to me today and it absolutely distracted me the whole class.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #34

2009-09-01T15:32:00.004-07:00

I cycled 18.8 km the other day. Actually, it would be more correct to say that I traveled 18.8km by bicycle, because I coasted ~4km as there was some downhill. It was fun (and sweaty)!

Ever since, there's been a muscle above my left knee bordering my inner thigh that keeps twitching sporadically. Strange.

Also, I've finally wiki'd succotash. I've always wondered what that stuff actually was.
It's a little disappointing.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #33

2009-08-20T00:44:00.005-07:00

Saw gas at 106.5¢/litre today. Yay! Although, I barely listen to Praise 106.5 anymore.

And in a kept promise to myself, I killed 2 wasps yesterday (see very end).
Fried them with the bug zapper. They should know better than to come indoors.

Also, I'm not a big fan of corn. Corn on the cob, canned corn niblets, frozen corn kernels, and other corny (haha!) items are not foods I'm very fond of. Processed corn is ok I guess, like tortilla chips. However, I have always loved and will always love popcorn. Beautiful.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Bachelors of Business Admi...NO! Sociology ftw!

2009-08-05T22:31:00.005-07:00

For my Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) at SFU, I have 112 out of 120 credits needed to graduate (why isn't is "undergraduate?!"). Its a little weird to be able to see the end after... erm, so many years. I think I'm quite sentimental in the fact that I reflect a lot on my past experiences. I reflect a lot on all the awesome, silly, and lame things I do (and say). Mostly lame and silly. Ok, mostly lame. So its no surprise that I've been doing a lot of reminiscing about my experiences of almost everything since I've started my undergrad studies at Simon Fraser University.

I remember being told in first year that for some reason, it takes SFU students a little longer to finish a four year degree than most students from other universities. I scoffed (I literally threw my head back and contemptuously laughed... ok maybe not) at that, but nope, for me it's true (technically, because I’m doing co-op it’s now considered a five year degree… right?). I also remember being told in first year that it's common for SFU students to change their faculty of study to get a degree in something other than what they first started in. I think that mostly applies to Arts students (or, general studies, whatever its called). I didn’t scoff at that, but I have daydreamed about that, if that statement was true for me. In the past few years, I have grown deeply interested in the broad topics of anthropology and sociology. I think, if I may humbly say, it’s because I have been blessed with more wisdom in understanding people and also being able to experience immense empathy from my observations. I never would have understood the things I do now, five years ago.

So why anthropology, but more importantly, sociology? Humans are so freaking amazing. It sometimes amazes me at how one person can do something completely sadistic, torturous, sadistic, and evil towards another person. Nothing else on earth can do what a human does. People are completely jacked up. But then I’m reminded of myself, and the things I think of in my head against other people. It turns out I’ve grown increasingly violent the older I get. I daydream beating people up. Sometimes random people.

There is a yappy girl talking loudly on her cell phone who won’t shut up. The bus is full and she is sitting in a row of two seats, leaving the window seat empty beside her as she sits on the aisle seat. Her backpack is in the middle of the aisle on the floor and she does not care less that her high pitched voice is driving me and everyone else nuts or that her bag is blocking the aisle as people try to step over it, as they make their way to the back of the bus as they try and make more room. I walk over to her and push her bag so that it pins her leg into the seat in front of her as I grab her cell phone and wind up tennis-forehand-style as I slam the phone into her face.

I’m late and running through the Sky Train station to make a connection, but I am blocked by a tall guy meandering slowly through the station as he talks to his two buddies. They are still in front of me as we step onto the escalator. They don’t move to the right, but stand in the middle of the escalator blocking the flow of human traffic. They continue to stumble off slowly, blocking the entire path as I see my Sky Train leave without me. They reek of alcohol and their drunk laughter carries throughout the whole station like hyenas, except more irritating. I size the tall guy up, and imagine my right foot delivering a high kick into his throat, cracking the cartilage in his trachea.

The Bible is so true. Jeremiah 17:9 (NKJV) says:
The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?

As demonstrated, I know that too well.

But back on track, humans are so amazing in the way they interact with each other. This is the reason why everyone loves to people watch. It is enjoyable for people, to stare at other people as they go about their business. I think most people have done this in the mall, a restaurant, etc. Little kids are often more entertaining for their innocence and naivety. It’s also amazing (or rather shocking) what little kids know and say to each other, but I think that is because they are just imitating something they heard.

Anyways, regardless of all this, I’m glad I’m still in business, because I’m sure that sociology has tons of reading and papers to write, and in general, I am lazy.

I think the thing that amazes me most about human interactions and relationships is family. God is quite funny. He lets us choose our friends, but He doesn’t let us choose our family. Sometimes we want to choose our family, or find new ones, but we can’t. Sometimes we want to pick and choose different family members and remove some here and there, but we consider God cruel as He won’t let us. This is actually a two-way safety precaution because from the other perspective, our family members didn’t exactly choose us either. So we’re stuck with each other either way. It’s quite astounding the things I do and say with my family, and what they do with me. We accept it because we’re family. If we did the same things with friends, those friends would probably run for the hills, but with family, it’s ok for some reason just because we’re related. Usually. There are exceptions.

I sincerely thank You God, for family. Just please don’t let my friends know I’m related to them. 8^p

Wow this post is all over the place…sorry!

Seven point five months and ongoing with 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Canada

2009-08-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

If this post sounds familiar, its because I did a semi-review kind of thing last September 2008 for Virgin Mobile Canada, but I dumped them in December 2008 (roughly 3 months after my post, hardy har har) because my top-up expired, as well as I found a cheaper provider. Narf and zort!

Back in December 2008, I was quite fed up with the 30¢/minute rate and 15¢/sending text (free to receive) rate of Virgin's because that ate up money quick (and because of how they had kept increasing rates previously). A good friend told me about 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Canada, which I initially thought was ridiculous at the time because one doesn’t usually think of mobile phones when one thinks of 7-Eleven. Anyways, after reading many websites, forums, and other reviews of other people, (mostly from the awesome: The Unofficial 7-Eleven Speak Out Wireless Canada Consumer Page -- http://www.speakoutwireless.ca) I decided to switch to them because they sounded quite legit and reasonable after all my research.

At the time, Speak Out was offering a wonderful incentive for me to switch: buy $100 worth of airtime (what Virgin calls “top-up”) and get a free phone! The super duper Nokia 1208! The worm danced in front of me and I bit the hook. It didn’t hurt. And the worm was delicious. Tasted like molded plastic and 96 x 68 pixels.

The cool thing about Speak Out is that their initial rates are 25¢/minute, but if you buy airtime worth $75 and up, they say that they’ll charge you 20¢/minute! Actually however, they just give 25% more airtime so when I bought my $100 airtime and free phone and activated everything, the system said I had $125 remaining (but the system would still charge me 25¢/minute). I was happy.

Actually I’m still happy.

I talked to Virgin Mobile reps before switching and of course they tried to get me to stay by offering me free top-up, but it wasn’t much. For the most part, Virgin’s customer service is good, but I haven’t had any problems with Speak Out’s. Actually, I think I’ve only called Speak Out’s reps once or twice when I was initially activating my phone and porting my number to my new Nokia 1208. Because my airtime expires after 365 days, I haven’t called since.

One bummer thing about Speak Out is that there is a monthly 911 fee where they subtract 99¢ each month from my airtime, so actually, if I were to buy $100 worth of airtime for one whole year, it’s actually about $113. Maybe another bummer thing is that it cost to receive text, but sending/receiving texts is just 5¢/each so that’s okay. But they don’t charge for voicemail and caller ID. Yay.

So what about the Nokia 1208?

It’s significantly smaller than my old hunkajunk Nokia 6015i and of course is lighter. It doesn’t have a camera or can play mp3s, video or fancy stuff like that, but it has a FLASHLIGHT! So cool! It also has neat converting stuff (weight, length, temperature, currency, etc) which apparently is standard on most phones… so actually, my new phone is still quite lacking and sort of outdated still, but the most important thing is that I’m happy with it, and it’s far unlikely to get stolen. I can even change the background colour and themes! It’s on a soothing blue now. Hmmm, one annoying thing I forgot to mention about this phone is that I can’t change the background text, as it constantly has the words “Speak Out” across it every time I look at it. It’s not life threatening though.

Here’s the only picture of my Nokia 1208. I was comparing it to a gigantic curry puff in Shah Alam, Malaysia during breakfast. Look how gigantic that thing is! It was mainly filled with potato but it did have some meat. It was reasonably spicy and the pastry part was great. Probably fried in dirty oil, but do I care? No. I think my aunt bought it for me from a street peddler. Mmmm. I like food.

Pointless Post #32

2009-07-16T16:05:00.003-07:00

A few months ago (maybe two months.... three months?) I signed up to get a free sample of Nutella in the mail, and it arrived this morning! At first, I was hesitant at trying it because from my viewpoint, putting chocolate on bread is a little weird... but I tried it anyways.

It was like eating a Ferrero Rocher sandwich... and I know this because I ate two Ferrero Rochers right before eating the Nutella sandwich. Mmmmm..... I'm a very healthy person.

Interestingly, while writing this, I've just found out that both Nutella and Ferrero Rocher are owned by Ferrero Canada Limited. While you go rush out to buy these two products, I'll be waiting for my endorsement cheque.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #31

2009-07-05T00:26:00.003-07:00

I'm waiting at Gate 21. Another layover in Hong Kong International airport. Earlier today, after going through customs in Penang, I bought a bunch of drinks totaling to RM 9, because stuff is slightly more expensive in HKIA. While going through the transfer mini customs thingy after landing in Hong Kong, they confiscated all my drinks because the containers were all over 100ml. Completely stupid.

I was in a bad mood (I don't like being dehydrated) and had to buy new drinks (to rehydrate) but while at the checkout counter as I paid for my bottle of $10 HKD water, I found a $20 HKD note on a little ledge . The $20 HKD converts to roughly RM 9, or about $3 CDN. So, it sort of worked out, except that in Penang, I had the purchasing power of 1.85L of safe bottled liquid while in Hong Kong, I only had the purchasing power of 1L with the same amount of money (roughly). Oh wells.

Here's a picture of me brushing my teeth in the middle of the airport.
--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #30

2009-06-30T19:40:00.004-07:00

Here's a picture of me next to an ad in Prangin Mall about internet or something. The turtle is surfing on it's own shell at a high speed with a happy smile on its face, showing you just as how fun and fast you could be experiencing the internet if you subscribed to their service.

The turtle's expression makes me laugh.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #29 - Tim's Future Wife Edition

2009-06-25T21:00:00.004-07:00

Ok, so this happened a few days ago, but I think its still pretty significant. While at HKIA I met this pretty lady and talked to her a bit, but no matter what I said, she didn’t seem too impressed (maybe it was my “accent”).

I don’t quite get what she was shaking her head about, but later…

She seemed to fancy me… that’s right, don’t be shy…

Or maybe I was just taking funny, staged photos with advertisements around the airport… yeah people were looking at me funny, but the end result is a funny picture!
Her size in the ad was just perfect for me to pose along side. You should try it. Taking funny pictures is funny.

And sorry, I can't remember what brand this ad was for.

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Chinese high-heel wearing terrorist...?

2009-06-21T21:32:00.004-07:00

I'm in Hong Kong International Airport waiting for a connecting flight to Penang (the actual time where I'm located is June 22, 12:32am). My sister and I are visiting our grandfather and other family members in Malaysia for 2 weeks. It was an unexpected trip due to his health (we decided on coming on this trip literally 1 week ago and everything worked out despite me having an expired passport (had to pay extra for faster processing) by the grace of God).

Anyways, we have a +7 hour layover here and so we're at a laptop station trying to check email and stuff. For some reason, the outlets don't work so we're just sitting here banging away on our computers on battery power. A young lady just walked up to us, stuck a charger connected to her cellphone into the outlet and walked away. I don't know where she went. I'm hoping it's not a bomb.

EDIT: The phone vibrated across the counter, startling us... There's now 1 missed call...

EDIT EDIT: She came to pick up her phone 10 minutes later. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I don't think her battery charged. Oh well. I'm alive and in one piece.

The light... it BURNS!

2009-06-19T16:05:00.006-07:00

Know what's cool? The SFSS Health and Dental Plan that was introduced earlier this year. I almost opted out of it, because, pffft, come on... I'm Tim. I'm invincible. And I could have used the extra money for more important things, like crunchy Cheetos. But I didn't, and I'm glad because now I can wander around the house looking like an idiot for the next three hours:

Huzza? Whooza? What was that?!

I got my eyes checked today (woohoo covered!) and the optometrist put these drops in my eyes that dilated my pupils, so everything close to me is fairly blurry to me now and I'm super sensitive to light. I had to squint my way home. And I don't have sunglasses, so thank you Cineplex for these wonderful 3D glasses (ps. Up is good, but not worth the money to see in 3D)! They get the job done.

For the two of you that read this, yes, this could have been classified as a Pointless Post, but because of the length and the bonus visual, I thought I'd give it its own post. Trying to change things up a bit. Wouldn't want you to get bored. I'd lose readers and then my sponsors would kill me! That floppy disk guy is a task master!

Saw gas for 113¢/litre. Caramba!.

Scotiabank FAIL

2009-06-11T15:49:00.002-07:00

What's a fun thing to do in the middle of a worldwide recession? Sign up for a new credit card that's what! What? You thought I was going to say be prudent and cut back on spending? No, that's too easy. And to be fair, today doesn't feel like a real recession anyways (scroll down to "A Real Recession" for some good reasoning).

Anyways, to be fair, I didn't really want a new credit card, and I wasn't looking for one, but SCENE Visa promised me 2 free movie tickets if I signed up for one, so who am I to say no to that? Free! I filled out the application in late April...

Received my new card in May...

Finally got around to activating my credit card yesterday. And then what happens when I check the mail an hour later? I've received my first bill from Scotiabank about my new SCENE Visa card!

IT'S FIVE PAGES (ahem...technically, 3 sheets of paper)!

It states that I have a payment due on June 25, 2009 for a total minimum payment of $0.00.... here, you read it:

NOTE: yes, I blurred some stuff out 8^p

Completely unnecessary junk mail. Literally and physically. Good job automated corporate computer systems. I think the thing that confuses me most is that I hadn't even activated or used my card yet and a bill was already sent... strange.

Haircuts are fun

2009-06-05T11:43:00.004-07:00

A long time ago I mentioned that my sideburns were long.
So for my enjoyment and your disgust, I made some animated GIFS!

This is partly due to the fact that a few weeks ago, some random lady thought I was in my mid to late 20s (which made me feel bad), but then another random lady yesterday thought I was still in highschool (which made me feel good).

Before and after my haircut, I took some funny (or demented?) photos.

I also thought, with a bit of a stretch, when my hair is long, I look more Mongol (good movie) since hair like that seems to be uncommon on Asian people, but then when I'm all haircutted up, I look more Han.

Wow I really do look like a tool.

----------
Saw gas a few days ago 109¢/litre. Zoweeee.

Pointless Post #28

2009-06-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

When I was in high school, I used to be able to crack an egg with one hand beautifully. Lately, I have been having trouble cracking an egg with two hands... sometimes having to pick broken shell out...Sigh

Also, I put some pants on yesterday morning (no applause necessary) two pant legs at a time (I sit on a chair... I can't do a mid-air-two-legs-pants-on yet) and they fit very snugly around my waist. I thought, "Cool, I don't need a belt today."

Three hours later, my pants had slid down halfway around my butt so that I looked like a suburban white boy who thinks he's fly just because he listens to gangsta rap. I can't recall this happening to me before. *shrugs*

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

Pointless Post #27

2009-05-26T18:39:00.003-07:00

My sideburns are really long. People at church have made comments about them. That's how long they are. Sigh.

In other news, the joy of my summer life that I met last year is about to return tomorrow!
Yes, I'm talking about WIPEOUT!

Oh Mr. Sweeper, how I've missed you...

--------------------------------------
What are Pointless Posts?

What to watch? Global Doc - "Hip to be Holy" or "Revealed: Hip 2B Holy"

2009-05-16T22:46:00.004-07:00

To clarify the topic of this post, there is a documentary on Global coming up entitled "Hip to be Holy" or "Revealed: Hip 2B Holy" or even "Hip 2B Holy." I can't figure it out, but different Google searches turn up different pages calling it different names. It's a little weird that there doesn't seem to be consistency with the title.

It will be airing on Global stations on Monday, May 25, 2009 at 10pm PST/EST (or 7pm if you're in the west and into timeshifting). If all goes well with my tech, I will be recording this program.

Why watch it? Read a few abstract thingys:

From the production company responsible (90th Parallel), they say:

In the race to attract new converts, Evangelical Christians are pulling out ahead – and they’re reeling in young Canadians: particularly, GenNext, or, The Disciple Generation.

Suddenly it's hip to be holy.

Hip 2 B Holy, directed by Karen Pinker, is the latest in the REVEALED series with Kevin Newman for Global Television.

From the GlobalTV.com website (where you should be able to find definite listing times for the show) they say:

Hip to be Holy
Monday, May 25 at 10.00 et/pt

There's a Christian reformation stirring in Canada's Christian churches. Forsaking the traditional pew and altar, these Christians are dropping pop culture references, defying the orthodoxy, and creating their own brands of worship. Suddenly, it's hip to be holy.

And finally, here's a snippet I found on YouTube:

It looks very interesting, and it should be interesting depending on the point of view it will be presented in. My concern is that there will be bias against Jesus/Christianity as there usually is in the news/media/pop culture/world/etc and that half-truths will be told, or that things will be explained or reported in a way that might seem discrediting to the Alpha program and Christians in general. I guess we will see.

Also, I don't know if it's true or not, but I think some portions may have been filmed in2007 if my internet sleuthing is correct. Anyways, in the interest of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the luxury of debatable discussion without persecution (at least from where I'm writing this post), I encourage you to watch it.

EDIT: May 19 - I've been getting a lot of traffic because of this post which shows lots of people are mucho interested in this documentary, as well as the topic. I've found another snippet which has some interview-like dialogue with Kevin Newman and the director Karen Pinker that Googlers might be interested in (btw, if you're reading this, want to buy floppy box from me? Click the link on the top right hand side of the page. 8^D)

~~Another EDIT: June 1 - You can watch the entire documentary on the~~ ~~Alpha Canada website here. You can thank Lon at Solar Crash for the link.~~

Hopefully no more EDITS - June 5: You can watch the entire doc on the GlobalTV website, WITH ads, woohoo (note: sarcasm)! If the link doesn't work, just search for it on there. It's there, I saw it.

Saw gas today for a low of 100.4 and a high of 104.6¢/litre. Also, it's been a while since I've done some pointless posting, so watch out for that.

Floppy Disk Pen and Pencil Holders For Sale

2009-05-09T18:38:00.011-07:00

(or you can use them to hold candy)

They’re recycled! Makes great gifts! If you buy them, you’re helping the environment (if you’re into that sort of thing)!

Cute! Neat! Geeky! Cool! Unique! Hand-made!

Available in BLACK

NAVY BLUE

GREY

One for $5
Three for $12

Shipping to Canada: $1
Shipping to USA: I'll get back to you...

(This is a lot cheaper than the ones I've seen on Etsy.com)
If you buy more than three, shipping costs will go up slightly, but I’ll have to check how much and get back to you.

Also, 25% of everything I make from this, will go to help children in India via Mission of Mercy Canada (I’m still undecided between their clean water projects or school funding projects).

Email me at
Regarding payment, I accept PayPal.
(And yes I know, my photography skills are seriously lacking.)

I am such an idiot

2009-04-29T21:55:00.003-07:00

I have never left a movie theater feeling angry before. Usually I'm happy and sometimes in awe of the great storytelling, until tonight. I just saw Knowing and I left the theater angry.

It is so incredibly stupid, I feel like an idiot for freely choosing to see this movie. I was not coerced, I was just under the assumption that it would be intersting, but KNOWING IS ONE OF THE STUPIDEST MOVIES I HAVE EVER SEEN!!! If only I knew. Sigh.

I wish I could erase the part of my brain that remembers the movie in my brain, because its taking up valuable space. Don't see this movie. If you love yourself, don't watch this movie. If you really must though, don't spend money to watch this movie. Trust me. Read the entry on Wikipedia on it, read forums, read about how much other people hate it. It's really that bad. That's why I'm taking the time to vent about it, because I feel like such an idiot and I need to warn everyone else.

*Spoilers*
Nicolas Cage and the female protagonist (forget her name) yell at each other unnecessarily a lot because Nicolas Cage doesn't know how to communicate and answer simple questions. A bunch of aliens torment a bunch of kids and lots of violin/suspenseful/potentially scary music is overplayed in too many scenes. Every student at MIT who owns a laptop chooses Dell. In the end, it turns out the numbers on the paper are predicting the end of the world, and two children are transported somewhere by the aliens to start the human race afresh. The earth is burned up by the sun. The End. Oh wait, her name was Diana.

I need to go watch TV and try and cleanse this filth from my mind.

Sweet, Sweet Brain Atrophy

2009-04-19T23:01:00.002-07:00

I had a term paper due last week on Tuesday, April 14th. I was really looking forward to writing it because I thought I had it all figured out.

So on Tuesday April 7th, I go to the library borrow a lot of books I figure that I'll need for research.
On Wednesday, April 8th, I start a bit of research.
Thursday, April 9th, I procrastinate and play video games.
Friday, April 10th, I procrastinate and play video games.
Saturday, April 11th, I procrastinate and play video games.
On Sunday, April 12th, I start to panic in my mind a little since I only have about two days left and so I start doing (haha "start") my research again. I end up nodding off to sleep during my research.

On Monday, April 13th, (its due tomorrow), I start being really productive by late afternoon, lets say 5pm.
By 9pm, I've spent a lot of time on my introduction. It is really slick and I'm proud of it.
But now its 11pm, oh crap, I still have 2000/2500 words left to write? I've only just nailed down my thesis.

Sure, 2000 words isn't that bad but considering I had a whole week, I'm slightly bummed and now diminishing marginal returns is starting to set in a bit (sort of); as time progresses (or "increases"), quality of writing decreases.

Now its 2am, early Tuesday morning. I've given up on that grade-A paper I was planning on getting.
Sun is starting to peek through my window at 6am... must write... anything...
It's 7am, and I'm nodding off at the keyboard.
I give up at 9am. I've finished a rough draft of my citations. Time to sleep. I'll wake up at 10:30am to finish it.

Sleep through multiple alarms and snoozes. Wake up at 12pm.
After some food, its 1pm and my productivity has amazingly sky-rocketed.
Go to school and hand in paper at 3pm.
Brain atrophy starts to take stronger hold over my body.

For example, while cleaning my room a few days later, I found some maps I've been saving. I love maps. They're fun to look at. I'm easily amused by Google Maps (and before that Keyhole) and looking at countries and where things are located.

So anyways, in the beginning of phone books, there are local maps of the Lower Mainland and I've always thought, it'd be fun to tear them out and stick them all together to make a giant map of Greater Vancouver. So I did that. Sort of.

I had cut off all the side bars and was already 1/3 of the way done taping all the small pieces together, but as I was overlapping them and making the roads and other parts of the maps perfectly aligned, I realized, they weren't perfectly printed and the maps weren't 100% aligned or to scale. Some roads didn't connect perfectly. So I gave up.

I still love maps though. They're fun to look at.