Guys and Shiny Things

What is it that men like myself have with shiny things?!  Is it just me??

I love shiny watches for one… silver is preferred!  My computer case is silver (and shiny)… Hee… it’s like I become possessed or something whenever I see shiny silver surfaces!  😀  Prime example… I upgraded my external hard drive to a 300-GB version with SATA connection.  The external case is Vantec NexStar 3.  It’s a beaut.  And it’s shiny aluminum case!  And on top of all this, the HDD LED  indicator light is blue to match my case!  Whoopee! So is this just me or are you guys also a “shiny fanatics”?!  😮

If I had the money to start my own business…

… it would entail a computer consulting/building/repairing services.

For retail stores like BestBuy and CompUSA to charge like $50 for a measley memory upgrade (which involves opening the case and removing and placing in a stick or two of memory for total of 5 minutes!) is ludicrous to me.  In fact, it’s despicable!  😡

So much in fact, that if I ever came into large amount of money, I want to start my own non-profit computer services.  It would encompass advice and consulting on what to upgrade, best value, and other general things.  In fact, I’d NOT charge for memory upgrades!  Sheesh… The sheer greed of these corporations gets on my nerves!  I’d definitely be about affordability mixing with quality services.  

We would tell where the consumer could get the best prices be it online or retail stores, what’s good value and not.  And my advice would entail around the customer’s actual non-bloated needs!

Ok… thanks for letting me vent off…  😉

The Goal for my Kids

With so many parents going just about bonkers in how to raise their cihldren, teaching them piano and violin at the age of 4, finding ways to sign up all kinds of things to learn and all, I feel like … I haven’t left Korea! 😮

The mania is catching up here as more and more parents are focusing on education and jobs and future. I find it hard to raise my kids to be… well, kids. Sending the kids to the best montessori and seeing if he/she learns faster than other kids, or develops skills faster… we, the parents, have become monsters.

In the light of this, but even well before this, I wanted my kids to grow up being kids, enjoying their youth, and not having to worry about if they can pass pre-algebra. I’m not against education. I just don’t want to get carried away like all the other parents who think that montessori is a life-changing decision for their kids.

All I want my kids to learn before they attend school is to know and learn just one thing: that their parents love them dearly. More than skills and education, I feel that today’s children grow up without the much needed basic essentials like being confident of themselves, and knowing who they are. I believe that most of this comes from the parents. I pray that Soojin and my love will be so evident that Anna and JJ will not even question whether they feel loved or not. I believe that when a child is so sure of his/her parents’ love for him/her, the child will begin life with the firm foundation. One’s self-confidence and direction, after all, comes from love. This in no way means that we will spoil them either as I can’t tolerate such selfish actions. Discipline, I believe, is also an action out of love when done responsibly.
If my kids want to learn piano and ballet, that’s one thing. I do want to push new things at them so they can experience new things of life, but I in no way ever will SHOVE it down to their throat. I will have thanked God for allowing me to be their source of confidence in their such malleable lives.

I pray that that is not asking too much: for them to grow up learning in their hearts that we love them. More than knowledge, recognition, fame, wealth, and materials, I want my kids to grow up enjoying life God has given them and live them for God to the fullest.

Nat & Frankie

Many of you may think that I only listen to alternative, rock or ska music genres… Well, I do listen to other genres.  The other two that most do not know of is 1) classical and 2) jazz.

Ever since high school and I discovered(?) Nat King Cole, I have been a huge fan of this great and beloved singer.  His voice is just sheer amazement to me.  It’s the kind that brings ease and comfort to my soul when I need it.  Of all the songs he has sung, my all time favorite has to be “L-O-V-E”.  You know… the song that goes “L is for the way you look at me.  O is for the only one I see…”.  Don’t make me sing it!  😛  In fact, that was one of my dreams (and still is), to be one of the backup singers for Nat King Cole.  However, due to my lack of singing skills, (and the fact that the legendary singer is no longer here on earth) it will forever remain a dream in my heart.

Since then, I have also discovered Frank Sinatra.  His voice is also rather legendary and memorable.  What is in their voices??!!  My all time favorite of his songs is “Fly me to the moon”.  Other very significant singers to me include the great Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald

Additionally, swing is an awesome variation on jazz (which is also why I love and discovered ska!).  Indeed… you just wanna dance when you hear that and it puts you in the jive…  Go listen to some!  😉

Technology Advancement… is it really advancement?

The past 30 years have been just simply amazing… Technology as we know it continues to change and all these “technological evolution”… it brings a constant question to an engineer like myself: “Is technology advancement really an advancement?”

I had written a sociology paper about 12 years ago in college. I will provide a link to that later but in the mean time, there are two things that we must address to categorize such existence of “technology advancement”. First is the impact on human emotion and attachment and second is the spiral effect of technological impact on the society.

Frankly, I have doubts. I don’t trust myself nor the humanity. We are bound to make mistakes in the “name of science” just like we did with the nuclear bombs. So long as we are humans (and especially without God in the picture), such horrendous “progress” will always abound. Sooner or later, greed and atrocity kicks in. Full speed.

I don’t look forward to that… This also brings in the counter question: “Should we continue developing technology at all?” Humans are like creatures of habit. It’s in my gene and our nature to continue this path. We can only pray that we don’t make mistakes and ask God for humility and guidance. Careful retrospective looks must continuously be applied…

Well? What say you? Share…

Pondering on the fatherhood…

I wonder what God was thinking and feeling … when He created us.

Why do I ponder you ask? That’s because I find both joy and frustration at this point in time. It’s always a joy to see life growing as well as learning new things, doing things that you never imagined possible. Yet, when they whine and cry at the tiniest things, it can drive any human darn near crazy!

I had such case of the latter today… things were going as usual… fed them, cleaned them up, let them play a bit so I can rest, took them to Wal Mart for our shopping… and when we return, my second baby goes awall about the candy snack I give him. Wow… my voice climbs higher and louder than any rock band. As I sit down now, I still wonder what God was thinking… and all I have to say is that I’m so glad he’s not a human! 🙂