glacion's Xanga

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:30:11 GMT

I know it's not Christmas anymore, but: Who couldn't use a jacket with 40 pockets?

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Wed, 21 Dec 2005 05:45:32 GMT

It is actually pure coincidence that I stopped regularly updating my blog immediately after my hopes of a Big Game victory this year were cruelly dashed. No matter.. there's always next year.

The sudden decrease in posting is due not to a sports-induced depression, but rather other things occupying my time, not the least of which is my occupation. Basically every six months I rotate to a different functional job within my company (Intuit), so when it gets close to the rotation date, work gets really busy as I try to finish up or transition all my responsibilities. I suppose it's conceivable that one day I will write more about my job, but it is not this day.

In addition, the weekends have been relatively full for the past month, with Jess coming home with me to NY for Thanksgiving and Google and Intuit holiday parties. Non-work life recently has been consumed with the search for a new place to live, since the lease on our old apartment is up. That could be a whole post on it's own, but it boils down to we are moving to Cupertino, right across the street from Cupertino Village. Speaking of which, here's an interesting Wall Street Journal article about the CPT: The Great White Flight. It's about how the high Asian population in certain schools in the Bay Area have made it too academically competitive, and white kids are moving out of the district. I think this is a pretty incredible phenomenon. Is it racism? It definitely ties into traditional Asian student stereotypes, but as someone who embodies about 90% of those stereotypes, I can't say it has ever really affected me that much. I do worry a little about the creation of divisions between ethnic groups though. I'm not a history or sociology expert or anything, but it seems like most of the worst conflicts in the world are due to racial and ethnic intolerance, and the stereotyping of cultures besides your own is really the first step towards intolerance. So, in the spirit of the holidays, love thy neighbor, especially if he is a studious Asian boy.

With that, I am off to Hong Kong and Japan for the next two weeks. Happy holidays, everyone.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:37:39 GMT

On this the eve of the 108th Big Game, I would like to reflect back on the first Big Game I attended, in my freshman year, when Stanford fullback Casey Moore catches the game-winning 25-yard touchdown in overtime, carrying the Cardinal to the 6th of their 7 straight victories. I would also like to point out that the last Big Game I attended, in 2001, was also a Stanford victory, so I feel pretty comfortable about tomorrow's game, at which I fully expect to see some shock and dismay on my Cal grad coworkers' faces.

GO STANFORD! BEAT CAL!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 01:30:06 GMT

I always love reading people's birthday blog posts, because it's an easy way for me to remmeber that someone's birthday is coming up. Well, you guys don't get that favor from me, because my birthday was last Sunday, so if you haven't already wished me happy 23 years, I have crossed you off my list.

This birthday weekend was relatively chill compared to past debacles, but typified by lots of awesome food. We went to Forbes Mill steakhouse in Los Gatos, where I tasted Kobe beef for the first time, courtesy of my generous and loving girlfriend, Jess "Everything tastes better dipped in melted butter" Lee. For those who are curious what an $80 piece of 8-oz filet mignon tastes like, it's kind of like a birthday party in your mouth -- if, like me, your parties are typically attended by beer, sake, and beef carcass.

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Wed, 09 Nov 2005 23:57:48 GMT

Craziness

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 21:51:41 GMT

Making games using the Google Maps API seems to be the new cool thing.

Google Maps meets Risk

Google Maps meets Carmen Sandiego (it is highly recommended that you play this with Rockapella on loop in the background)

I anticipate this trend becoming more and more ridiculous in the future.. Google Maps meets Civilization? Google Maps meets Your Mom? I know I'd play that.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:23:41 GMT

When I was a freshman at Stanford, I remember finding out that one of the girls in my dorm had won the Intel (Westinghouse) Science competition in high school, with some crazy project having to do with encrypting information in DNA strands. Because I am a dork who went to Stanford, I felt a sense of respect and awe, which I have never felt again about a science project. Until today, when I read "What is the Ultimate Jello Shot?". (Quick answer: 60 proof). For my more "sensitive" readers, you may also want to look at the other study on the site, "How Many Condoms Can You Wear At Once?"

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:00:18 GMT

Hope you don't suffer from performance anxiety.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:59:28 GMT

Oh November. How I love it when you gradually augment crisp autumn breezes into biting winter blasts, stripping the trees of their brilliantly colored plumage and bringing the promise of snowy curtains. Oh wait, I don't live in New York anymore. Um... Oh November in California, how I love your occasional chilly dampness.

There are plenty of good things about November, though. Like Thanksgiving. This year I'm taking Jess back to NY with me, which will be the first time I've been back there for Thanksgiving since high school. No more sitting forlornly in my empty dorm with the scattered few others who are unloved by their families. Actually, thinking back I have generally fond memories of that weekend, either from imposing on others' families, or assembling aforementioned abandoned ones and doing our own Thanksgiving thing.

On a more depressing note, I also turn 23 in November, which pretty much doesn't mean anything except being one year closer to death and makes you that much sketchier for hitting on freshmen girls. Not that I'm into that. It would be great, though, if this year's birthday doesn't become a huge fiasco, a trend which has developed in the past few years. I have high hopes.

Assorted depressing thoughts for today:

"LaDainian Tomlinson has as many TD passes (3) this season as the Jets do as a team." - ESPN.com Power Rankings for this week. I'm not even going to go into the Stanford-UCLA game last week. I am declaring this week to be a sports moratorium.

An AskMen.com article on how to "Be Cool" - This is pretty much the stupidest thing I have read on the web in recent memory. Provides such insightful tips as "If you're always bringing losers to the group, you'll soon be labeled a loser as well. On the other hand, if you're known for bringing cool people around, your coolness factor will skyrocket." and "Have a nice girlfriend (preferably good looking)". Please. Time to stop savoring your memories of being part of the high school in-crowd, and try being an individual, maybe? And watch some Freaks and Geeks while you're at it.

Monday, October 31, 2005

Mon, 31 Oct 2005 18:38:39 GMT

Happy Halloween. More good pumpkin pics at http://fresh99.com/funny-pumpkins.htm