My Lucky Day

Guess what reader? (I'm fairly certain I have at least one reader). Today must be my lucky day. I just received an email letting me know that my email address has been randomly selected to receive £450,000.00 in the British National Lottery!! Those generous Brits, aren't they great?

Can you believe it? It says that "e-mail addresses are picked randomly by computerised balloting," so I didn't even have to enter the drawing, and they picked me. Me, out of all the people with email address in the world! The best part is that this is all "powered by the Internet." I didn't know that things could be powered by the internet, did you? I bet we could use the internet to power entire cities. ENTIRE. CITIES. I'm definitely going to have to look into things powered by the internet, because the internet is what every energy source should be: cheap, limitless, reliable, and not at all dangerous!

You might be a little suspect of why the British National Lottery is sending me all this money (nearly the equivalent of 1 million dollars in useful currency!) but they completely explained it in the email. They said it was, "to enhance the utilization of the Internet." Of course it is! Because nobody uses the internet, we totally need to encourage that by giving away money in lotteries that you don't have to buy tickets for.

They tell me that all I have to do is give them my routing number and my bank account number, and they will wire the funds DIRECTLY to my account. Isn't that nice of them? I guess paying for law school is no longer an issue. Thanks internet!

Good News

I have received my first letter back from a law school that I applied to. And it was good news! The University of the Pacific accepted me into their program, and they have even offered to fly me out to take a tour of the campus. UoP is one of my top choices for where to go for law school, so now I can at least rest assured that I can go to law school at a place I like.

They also mentioned a scholarship for half tuition, and they'll pay for my books the first year. I'm glad that my first response from a law school was a positive one!

No Particular Reason

Here are some random facts about me. No particular reason, just a bit bored at work.

Languages I want to learn (at least conversational levels)

1. French - because it is French

2. Chinese - because it is sort of what Latin is for English, but for Korean

3. Japanese - Because it is similar to Korean

4. Spanish - I feel guilty about not remembering any of it from High School

5. German - I'm not really sure why...


Places I would like to live in, for at least a couple of years

1. Monterey, CA - Monterey may be the coolest city anywhere

2. Raleigh, NC - Weather isn't bad, houses are cheap, and I'd like to live back east for a while

3. Seoul, South Korea - I love the pace of life in Korea. Also, the transit, the fashion, the food of Seoul always make me feel at home. Sometimes, I feel more at home in Korea than in Fairfield.


Places I would like to visit (no particular order)

1. Ireland - Because I imagine it being very green

2. Paris, France - to use the French I'll be learning

3. Mongolia - I here it is ruggedly beautiful, and I've liked the Mongolians I've met

4. Beijing - the Forbidden City!!

5. North Korea - Because I can, even if it is only for one day.

6. Egypt - it is EGYPT... why NOT go there?


Things I want to learn how to cook

1. Dalk Ddori-tang - a spicy Korean soup with lots of chicken and potatoes

2. Abalone Bisque - Arguably the best use of abalone that man has yet to come up with.

3. Apple-cranberry pie - if you've ever had it, you would know

4. Chocolate Mousse - good stuff.


My Secret Ambitions

1. Become an Academic Decathlon Coach - it was most likely the most rewarding thing I did in High School

2. Teach - probably not at a public school, but I think it would be fun to teach or work in a school

3. Be able to ride my bike 20+ miles in one day - I've only done it once, and it was starting in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, it was hard, but rewarding.


Things I wanted to be when I was growing up

1. Marine Biologist - I think it was because my elementary school mascot was a dolphin, but it may have been because of EcoQuest.

2. Mathematician - Maybe because of Malcolm in Jurassic Park, and I used to really like math

3. Astronomer - again, I liked science, and let's face it. Space is the final frontier.

4. Lawyer - Perry Mason is pretty cool.


I think that is it for now. Feel free to admit any of your own random facts on your blog, or in the comments!

Movies I love that Critics Hate

Every now and then there is a movie that I really enjoy. I think that it accomplishes whatever it was that it set out to do, and made me enjoy the journey. These movies are not always movies that critics enjoy, but you can't always trust what critics say!

1. Stranger than Fiction
I love this movie. I may have a slightly rosy view of this flick because of when I saw it. The night I proposed to Roni, we were on our way to see this very movie. This is a movie about a guy who hears voices. Not just any voices though. This is a person narrating his life, as it happens. It turns out that a local author is writing a novel about a person who she believes is fictional, but who is very much real. I like this movie because it is not your typical Will Ferrell movie. It is (I think) a very original idea for a movie, and does a very good job at making the movie not only fun, but somehow believable.

What they gave it: D (67%)
What I give it: A

2. Secondhand Lions
Family movies are a tough sell. You have to make it interesting enough for kids, funny enough for the older kids, and entertaining enough for the adults. This is a movie that I feel does all of those things very well. It is sweet without being sappy, and I think it has a great story. This movie is about a young boy whose mother drops him off to live with his eccentric uncles for the summer. It has humor, adventure and just about everything in between. If you want a family movie, this is one I strongly recommend.

What they gave it: F (52%)
What I give it: A+

3. Alien Vs. Predator
Action movies. Are they supposed to have plot? Barely. Are they supposed to be believable? Not Really. Should they have aliens, or better yet, TWO types of aliens trying to kill each other?? Most definitely. This isn't a great movie, but it is a great action movie. I don't think you can blame an action movie for be an action movie. In all honesty, I enjoyed this movie more than I enjoyed Dark Knight.

What they gave it: F- (29%)
What I give it: A- (as an action movie)

Do you guys have any movies that should go on this list? Movies that you love, but critics hate? If you do, then leave a comment!

Crazy 8s

8 Things I'm obsessed with right now:
1. The Bwun
2. All things awesome
3. Getting my personal statement completed!
4. cup-pies (think cupcakes, but PIES)
5. Roni
6. Finding new ways to make my iPod Touch more awesome
7. This should really be called crazy 6s
8. Because everybody seems to give up around that point

8 Words or Phrases that I use daily
1. "the bwun"
2. "chief"
3. "I'm sorry, you can't cancel"
4. "Yes dear, I'm excited about the bwun."
5. "That's what she said."
6. "Have you even read the contract?"
7. "You are totally lurka-durking."
8. "You're a fidgeteer general!" (not really, but I feel like I should start saying it)

8 TV shows I love to watch
1. LOST
2. The Office (US version)
3. Pushing Daisies
4. Scare Tactics
5. 30 Rock
6. 24
7. Arrested Development
8. I think 7 is pretty good, considering we don't have cable and can't get reception in our basement

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Watch The Office
2. 3 hours of napping
3. sat at a computer for 8 hours
4. Ate 5 servings of fruits or vegetables
5. Worked
6. Really though, it was a weekday, and I work 8 hours a day
7. So there's only so much I can do
8. Play with my iPod

8 Favorite places to eat
1. Sam Hawk
2. Bombay House
3. Leatherby's
4. Brick Oven
5. Dave's Famous Heimburgers
6. Shadowbrook
7. Kimbap Cheon-gook
8. Hansot

8 Things I am looking forward to
1. The Bwun
2. Thanksgiving
3. Going home today
4. Possibly getting acceptance letters from law schools
5. payday
6. Painting
7. Getting rid of the mold in the bathroom
8. Having a clean house

8 Things on my wishlist
1. 1 million dollars
2. Getting Accepted to Law School
3. Rock Band 2 for the Wii
4. A healthy Bwun
5. A healthy Roni
6. A pastry mixer
7. I'm actually pretty content, and even the pastry mixer is pushing it
8. something amazing!

"8" people I tag
1. Everybody I know that has a blog has pretty much been tagged...
2. If you haven't been tagged, and you read this, consider yourself tagged

Totally Worth It

At the end of the sales year, the company I work at throws a big banquet where the top sales representatives are acknowledged, and rewarded. I'm not really sure why people from the office are invited. It might be because they feel guilty having a big party and not inviting us, but regardless the reason, we were invited.

With the lure of free dinner, and the promise of door prizes, Roni and I showed up for what would become the longest evening ever. The setup looked quite nice, and as we entered, we got our ticket for the door prize raffle. The prizes included a range of items, from a camera to a plasma TV.

We were sitting close to where the food was being served, so our table naturally figured that we were going to be among the first to be served. However, we were not. In fact, I think that we were the last table to get our food for every course of the meal. It wasn't because the servers were trained to go to the farthest table first, because there were tables that were even closer than we were who got their food first. It was like the servers just forgot about us until somebody thought, "I wonder why we have an entire table's worth of extra food?"

Rotten luck, right? Well, Even at our table, I was consistently the last person to get my food. I kept telling myself (and everybody else) that I was just saving up my luck for winning one of the door prizes.

After dinner, the official End of the Year event started. Basically, this consisted of people going up the mic and saying "I just want to say a couple of things about (insert person's name here)." And then they would talk for 20 minutes. In order to make sure that nobody left early, they didn't hold the raffle for all of the door prizes at once. Instead, they spread it out over the course of the whole evening.

Around 10:30, Roni and I thought we were going to die. DIE. I am pretty sure the event was schedule to run until 9:30. The food (whic

h was actually quite good) had stopped coming out around 9:00. We were bored; we were hungry. The final speaker had given her "closing remarks" and was on her way back to her table, when another person stood up and said, "I would just like to say a few words more about (insert name of person that he ALREADY SPENT 20 MINUTES TALKING ABOUT).

All of the raffles had been drawn at this point, and Roni and I were about to make a break for the exit. We would have gone kicking and screaming if necessary. All of the raffles except for one. There was a 42 inch plasma TV that they had not raffled, and the slim hope that we might win it was all that kept us at our table.

Finally, the speaker stopped, and announced that it was time for the final raffle. They drew the number, and slowly read it. All the numbers matched! We won! We are now the proud owners of a $800 TV that we paid exactly nothing for! Needless to say, having to stay the whole time didn't feel quite so bad after that :). We also got a $50 gift certificate to PF Chang's and a free sweatshirt.

The moral of the story? I guess you could say it is just like that old man who lost his horse!

Longest Week Ever

Is it just me, or does this week seem to just keep on going? Yesterday, I could have sworn that it was Friday. When I finally realized that it was not Friday, but it was Tuesday, it just about broke me. And today? My shift just started 1 minute ago, and I'm already ready to go home.

It Is On the Way

I have had the money saved up to buy the iPod touch for a couple of months now. I could have gone out and purchased the 8GB iPod touch right then, but I wanted to wait. I know that Apple updates their iPod lineup every year in September. I figured I had been saving up for 9 months, and I could wait a few more months until the newest version comes out.

The new version of the iPod touch looks great, and as a couple of added features that I was really looking forward to. I think that the wait was worth it! My brand new 16GB iPod touch (thank goodness for the price drops!) will be arriving on Monday!

A New Job

My time at the law school has ended. When I was hired full time, it was with the understanding that the job would only last until the end of August. I started my search for a new place of employment at the beginning of August. The trouble in being in a college town with a lot of college grads, is that you have college grads doing jobs that high-school grads are doing in other places. It really doesn't give you much of a leap ahead as far as job hunting goes.

That being said, I wasn't exactly able to find the greatest job in the world. I'm working in a customer care center for a security system company. There are a lot of interesting people working there, and despite the occasional call that I wish I didn't get, I think that I will enjoy my time working at the company.

Except for one thing. Some of my coworkers love to talk politics. I hate politics. It is the number one reason that I stopped studying it. Also, I'm just not wild about any of the candidates. I see equally compelling reasons for NOT voting for any of them. Here is my quick rundown.

1. McCain

Reason to vote - Years of experience in politics.

Reason to not vote - Years of experience in dirty politics. I just don't like him.

VP Palin

Reason to vote - ?

Reason to not vote - I think it is silly for republicans to say that Obama has no real political experience, and then pick Palin. She has only been mayor of a small town in Alaska (even the "big" cities there are small), and then governor of Alaska for less than two years.

2. Obama

Reason to vote - Very convincing speaker, and charismatic.

Reason to not vote - Feel-goodery doesn't mean you can run a country

VP Biden

Reason to vote - ???

Reason to not vote -I think is is silly for democrats to say that McCain is an old white guy who is out of touch with America, and then to pick an old white guy that nobody has ever heard of.

So there you go. Who do you guys think will make a better President? better VP? I don't even know if I will be voting this election because I don't think that an election should come down to who I dislike the least.

Scariest Thing Ever?? Quite Possibly.

As many of you know, I am fond of looking at the news every day. Sometimes, I am shocked by what I see, other times I am uplifted. Today, I was horrified.

First, I think you need to know something. I hate cats. Hate. Them. People go on about how intelligent cats are and how independent they are, but does that really matter? I say they are cold and plotting. You know what else is highly intelligent, cold and plotting? Serial killers. A respected source (read: wikipedia) says many serial killers have above average intelligence, but you don't see people going on about how serial killers make great pets. Yes, i just compared cats to serial killers.

So what could be more terrifying than a regular cat? How about a cat with wings? Terrified? But don't worry, they don't exist... OR DO THEY?

How would you like THAT flying at you?

OK, so that isn't really what happened. I'm not sure how trustworthy this news source is but it looks like the story is legit. During a recent hot spell in the Sichuan province in China, a couple of cats began to have growths develop on their backs. They started as little bumps, and then grew into wings. You can read the article here (it even has pictures).

The cats can't fly... yet. But we already know they are agile, AND intelligent. How long do we really have until they figure out how to fly? Our greatest fears are about to come true. If global warming is really happening, and if all it takes for cats to sprout wings is a good hot spell, then I see a whole world of hurt coming our way. Just don't say I didn't warn you!

Pretty Long, But Worth It

Every now and then (more often than you would think) we get spam faxes at the law school. I didn't know there was such a thing as a spam fax until I worked here. We got one today, and I just had to post it. It is long, but... well, you'll see. Here it is (spelling and grammar mistakes and all).

To Whom It May Concern,
I, Sean Michael Tooley, Am Seeking Representation/Help For
Me As A Victim Of Crime In The United States By
The Central Intelligence Agency.
Richard Williams,
Belinda Mclees,
Jim Mclees,
Andrea Hopkins,
Chuck Williams, And
Charles Williams,
Are Operating Illegal Wire Taps On Me, And Using The Wire Taps On me They Are Operating L.A.S.E.R. Weapon Systems/Machines On Me In My Home, And Out In The Public, Shooting Me In The Liver Giving Me Liver Failure, Killing Me, In There Efforts to Kill Me, "Furthermore, The Central Intelligence Agency Is Using The Internet To Tell EveryBody To Lie and Paying People Off To Lie Regarding There Public Execution Of Me Being Viewed By The Public On Internet.

This Is A Public Execution By The Central Intelligence Agency And Is Not United States National Security. "In Addition The C.I.A. Is Using The Internet To Run A Parliamentary/Domestic Terrorism Operation On Me Out In The Public By U.S. Citizens To Secure There Public Execution Of Me With Ultra-Violet L.A.S.E.R.'s.

Please Help Me. I Need Protection From These Individuals And To Be Removed From There L.A.S.E.R. Weapons Systems Being Operated One Me, Shot Into My Liver, Giving Me Liver Failure, Killing Me.

I Need Help With The Fact That EveryBody In The U.S. Is Lying, And Being Asked To Lie By The C.I.A., And I Need To Be Put In Contact With The Covert People/Outside People Who Continue To Secretly Sue The Central Intelligence Agency Regarding The Illegal Operation To Publicly Execute Me.

Thank You,

Sean Michael Tooley


Isn't that great? We got TWO letters from this guy! The other one is about the same, but goes on about operation "PURPLE."

I've Been Tagged

Roni tagged me for this bit of blogging fun. I am supposed to write 8 random things about myself, eh? Well, here it goes:

1. When I was little (probably around 8 or 9) I remember reading in a book that if you dig down far enough, then you can find fossils almost anywhere in the world (can you see where this is going?). So, I went out into the backyard with a shovel and started digging. I never found any fossils, but I did find an old action figure about a foot down. By the time I was done, the hole was about 5 feet deep and three feet across. Oddly enough, I don't remember getting in trouble for it.

2. I really like riding my bike to work every day. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

3. My favorite movie is Jurassic Park, I probably saw it 15 or 16 times in the theater. It helped that we used to have a 50 cent theater in town, and that Jurassic Park was in the theater for about a year.

4. Sometimes my boss intentionally buys too much food for staff meetings, just so that the people who don't go to the meetings can having some of the extra food.

5. I have a secret ambition; I want to be the coach of an Academic Decathlon team. It was one of my favorite things I did in high school, and it is one of the things that I feel prepared me the most for college.

6. This one time, my brother and I were outside throwing rocks at each other (we had been kicked outside of the house for being too rowdy). It was really dark outside, and we couldn't really see where we were throwing anything. The next morning, we found out that we had smashed our neighbor's car window with one of the rocks. That was the only time I remember getting grounded.

7. I ate dog while I was on my mission in Korea. It wasn't all that bad, and tastes a lot like beef.

8. I don't like a lot of vibrato in people's singing voices. It creeps me out, and I think a lot of people force it, and it makes them sound worse than they would NOT using vibrato.

There you go. Eight random things. I know I am supposed to tag people, but I really don't know who to tag. I could say something ambiguous, like the people who I'm tagging "know who you are," but... I don't even know who you are. If you read this, and had fun reading it, then go ahead and do it!

Of of the things to put into a can!

People put some pretty weird stuff into cans. I've seen canned 'possum, a whole chicken in a can, and even a cheeseburger in a can. But, this one takes the cake.



I am not making that up. I could not make that up, even if I tried. Still don't believe me? Here is the website. Only the exceptionally brave should watch the demo video. But, it is organic, so it is all ok. (read the sarcasm)

Whose fault is this really?

I like to read the news (i.e. the headlines) every day. Most of everything in the news right now is split between the conflict between Russia and Georgia (the country), and the Beijing Olympics. There was one article, however, that caught my eye. I will just copy the text here, because it is a short enough article:

"VENTURA, Calif. - The family of a gay teenager who was fatally shot in class blames the school district for allowing their son to wear makeup and feminine clothing to school — factors the family claims led to the death.

The parents and brother of 15-year-old Larry King of Oxnard filed a personal injury claim against the Hueneme school district seeking unspecified damages for not enforcing the dress code.

King, an eighth-grader at E.O. Green Junior High School, was shot in February. Classmate Brandon McInerney pleaded not guilty to the shooting last week. He was charged as an adult and also faces a charge of a committing a hate crime.

The family's claim, filed last week in Ventura County Superior Court, said administrators and teachers failed to enforce the school's dress code when King wore feminine clothing and makeup to school."

If you want to read it on the news site, so you know I'm not making this up, read it on MSN here.

Is it really the school's responsibility? I understand dress codes are meant to protect students, and maintain some level of public modesty. Most schools don't let students wear gang signs, for example. Many schools put a limit on how revealing clothes can be. But this doesn't seem to fall into either of the two categories. I'm no expert in law (yet), but I think it is pretty safe to assume that the school would be in really big trouble if they added "Don't dress gay" to their dress code.

This really seems like it is the parent's responsibility. Unless this was a private school with dormitories, I don't see how the parents could remain unaware of their son's activities. In an age where we flaunt personal choice as almighty, and we (by "we" I mean society as a whole) attack the government's ability to restrict choice, it seems all the more ridiculous to get mad at the government when they allow people to do as they please.

A Little Bit Late

Today, I was a little bit late for work. Actually, I was a half hour late. But it was ok, I was still the first person in the office today. Yesterday was Pioneer Day, which is a real holiday here in Utah, and so nobody worked. I don't know whose idea it was to put a day off on Thursday, and then NOT give everybody Friday off... but it sure wasn't my idea. Pretty much everybody is gone from the office today, and the people that are here are having a "Christmas in July" party.

Anyways, back to the reason for posting today; I was late for work. I have a good reason, though (sort of). See, I thought I was at work. Does that make any sense? No? Let me explain.

Usually, I am very good at knowing when I am dreaming. A dream will get to a certain point, and I will be say to myself, "Wait a minute, why am I in Tahiti? And why did Roni just turn into a talking parsnip??" and then I will figure out that I am probably asleep, and that I am probably dreaming.

The problem comes when I have dreams where nothing is out of the ordinary. This morning the alarm went off, and I sat up to say my morning prayers. I remember finishing, having breakfast and then heading off to work. I arrived on time and starting doing stuff in the office. People showed up for the Christmas in July party, and everything seemed really normal.

Until somebody showed up with a pony. It may or may not have been purple.



Don't ask. Really, I don't know either. At that point I realized that I never actually finished praying, and that I was going to be late for work; then I woke up. Does that ever happen to you? Not the purple pony, but do you ever dream that you are doing normal stuff? I almost feel like I wasted a dream.

Whew...

Do you ever look back at a fad and think, "Man, am I EVER glad that is over with!"? I was thinking about what fads I have been glad are over, and here is a short list that I have come up with. This is in no particular order.

1. Troll Dolls
Do you remember these? Here is a reminder of what they were.



Scared? Scarred for life? How was this ever popular? Drugs? I really don't know. What makes matters worse was that people collected them. This wasn't just some horrible gag that you hid in that kid you didn't like's backpack to scare him. People willingly bought more than one of these things. Personally, I think that collecting dolls is creepy enough (especially those porcelain ones...), but can you imagine a ROOM FULL OF THESE? Try not to. You will have nightmares. You really have to wonder though, who was the first person to say, "Hey, I know! Let's take one of these:


and make a TOY out of it! Toss some pink hair on it and that will make it cute!" News flash guys, it did not work.

Modern Day Version: ??


2. Beanie Babies

I guess that these are a step up from trolls. I guess. People went CRAZY for these things. There was this one lady on the news that had thousands of them in her house. Thousands! I remember thinking to myself that people will buy and collect anything. Anything. My favorite part of this is a description of a Beanie Baby on Wikipedia: "A Beanie Baby is essentially a fancy bean bag in the form of a stuffed animal." Need I say more?

Modern Day Version: Webkinz (Can I just say, putting a "z" instead of a "s" is not cool. It never was, and never will be)

3. Vanilla Ice

Bands come and go all the time, but has there really been anything as ridiculous as Vanilla Ice? Look at him.



LOOK at him! The shiny pants? The American flag jacket? Who was this guy? Why was he so insanely popular? At one point, didn't he even have a doll made in his image? I think about the only thing he did that I would be able to stand now is "Ninja Rap" from the end of Ninja Turtles 2. And that is stretching it. A lot. I might just end of movie early instead of watching that part.

Modern Day Version: Paris Hilton (Ok, so I just put that in there so that I wouldn't have two fads with "???" under "Modern Day Version," but now that I think about it there are some similarities)

4. Tamagotchi

Do you even remember these? They were these little toys about the size of a egg that had a LCD screen on it. The screen shows a little pet/creature that you get to raise.



It was all cool until it wanted to be fed every minute of every day, and then if you messed up, it would die. Talk about high maintenance. Doesn't that seem a little bit messed up? I understand the need to teach kids about death and responsibility of caring for others, but, seriously! "Oh Billy, looks like you were three seconds too late feeding Fido; he died because you didn't push the feed button fast enough." Doesn't that seem harsh?? Kids were so scared of letting these things die, that they would bring them to school with them, because what if Fido got hungry while you were in class? The whole thing was a bit creepy, and I was glad when it was over.

Modern Day Version: Nintendogs

So what do you guys think of my list? Like I said before, this is not a comprehensive list, and you are free to agree or disagree with it. Please leave comments about any fads you are glad are gone.

No Kidding.

Not to make light of a serious matter, but I believe msnbc has a bit of a typo on their headline.


I think they meant that 2 hikers were rescued ON Mt. Rainier, not that two hikers managed to save the entire mountain, and then one of them died.

"So I Was Wondering..."

We get a lot of calls here at the law school. Calls from people who feel they deserve free legal service because they are a BYU Student/BYU Alumni/Mormon/They were Mormon/They knew this Mormon guy once and he was "chill." Whatever the reason, people don't seem realize that the law school is only a law school, and not a law firm. We don't take on cases. BYU does have a legal department, and it is not associated with the law school. It isn't even in the same building.

Today, I wondered if people call the other colleges at BYU asking for help. Do they call up the school of nursing? I can see it now. Some guy calls up the office for the nursing program and asks "Hey, well, I have appendicitis, and I was wondering if you guys have any free medical services? Can I have one of your students do a surgery, could they just take my appendix out for practice? Because then it would be free."

Just like a doctor or a nurse practicing medicine before their training is complete, it is equally ridiculous to expect a law student to take on legal cases. They don't know enough. They aren't even real lawyers until they pass the Bar exam. In fact, they would get in trouble. Big trouble. I'm pretty sure they would never be allowed to become a real lawyer.

Kimchi Western

What is a kimchi western you ask? You remember the classic spaghetti westerns right? Movies that were set in the Wild West, but were really filmed in Italy. Sounds like a crazy idea, but some of the most enduring westerns are spaghetti westerns. Where would we be without the likes of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" or "Fistful of Dollars"?

Apparently, Korea is trying its hand at making western-style film. Borrowing (none too discretely, I might add) from the Italian, the title of the movie is "The Good, the Bad, and the Weird." The title makes perfect sense... in Korean. The Korean word for "weird" means something more along the lines of deviant, but what kind of title is "The Good, the Bad, and the Deviant"?

I say the film is western-style because it is not set in the American west. One might rightly ask, "how is it a western if it is not set in the west?" and that is a good question. Look at the poster for the movie, looks pretty western eh? The trick here is that to Koreans, this IS set in the west. Think of what is west of Korea. CHINA! so the movie takes place in China, Manchuria to be exact. Clever, eh?

The movie is set in the 1930s during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The plot follows three outlaws as they run rampant- robbing trains, riding horses, and shooting things- everything that is typically done in westerns. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I really want to see this movie. If you go to youtube, you can watch the trailer here.

You watched the trailer right? You want to see it right? Even if it gets horrible reviews, I will probably find some way of seeing it. Or maybe I can just wait for their next movie. "Fistful of Won."

Not Even 10 O'clock

It isn't even 10 o'clock yet, and I have been taken three calls. Why is that strange? On the first call I took, the caller ID read "LDS Church Office." The second call was just your standard law school call, but on the third call of the day, the caller ID read "United States Government, D.C." This could be an interesting day.

The Article Translated

Keep in mind that Koreans have a different idea of what makes in into an article. Here is my basic translation of the written about the Korean speech contest.

This year, BYU held its 21^st annual Korean Speech Contest. The Contest was held April 11^th in the BYU Conference Center.

The Korean Speech Contest was the brainchild of two of BYU’s most passionate and visionary professors in the Korean department, Kim Cha-Bong and Lee Ho-Nam. They created the contest as a way for students to hone their skills in spoken Korean.

Roughly 50 students of Korean, professors and various members of the Korea community gathered together as the meeting began. Kim Hui-Jeong, dressed in elegant tradition Korean attire, welcomed the group with her rendition of the Korean classic “Arirang” played on the kayageum.

Nathan Markel conducted the meeting, and welcomed everybody to the competition. He introduced the given topic of the contest, Korean culture. Many in the audience were pleased when he announced that after the contest, there would be a barbeque afterwards. In honor of the Korean culture, bother Korean-style ribs and kimchi were prepared.

He also introduced the judges for the event: Professor Heo Yang-Hoe, a professor at UVSC, Gwan Guang-Hak, a teacher at the local Korean language school, and Professor Julie Damron, a BYU professor of linguistics and Korean.

This year, the competition was split into three different groups: beginner, advanced, and open. Most speakers chose topics that reflected the differences between American and Korean culture they had observed in their travels to Korea, and continued study of the Korean language. Topics ranged from Korean etiquette, the flavors of Korean food, to the importance of friendship in our lives.

This year’s top honors went to Jarom Hillery with is speech titled “The Korean Alphabet and the Phagpsa Script.” His speech examined the origins and unique characteristics of the Korean alphabet. Jarom is currently majoring in Korean, and has been studying the language for over 5 years. In 2006, he traveled to Korea as an exchange student and studied at the Korean Language Institute at Sogang University. In the speech he commented that “King Sejong created the Korean alphabet with the idea that even a fool could learn it in 10 days, but even after 5 years of study, there is so much I do not know.” In a later interview he revealed his plans for the future: “I plan to continue my study of Korean, and I hope to some day work for a company founded in Korea.”

Original Article By:
Sung Daye

And So It Ends

Well folks, the unthinkable has happened. Since my last correspondence with club live, I had been patiently waiting for an email confirmation that my zune had shipped; I never received such an email.

Apparently, that did not deter Live Search Club from sending it out anyways. My parents were confused when a package arrived for me a few days ago. They sent it home with Besta, and Besta tried to get a hold of me.

Sadly, I was at a LSAT prep class when they called. Happily, Roni was able to get the message. When I came home from my class, Roni said that Besta wanted us to go to their place. She did not allude as to the reason. I was very surprised, relieved, and happy to discover a package shipped from Live Search Club!

After nearly 8 months of waiting, I was finally able to get the zune. And my verdict? I've decided to keep it. Despite being made by microsoft, it is actually a pretty cool little mp3 player. I really like that they allowed me to update to the latest firmware without having to pay. I don't have a very big music collection, and so 30 GB is more than enough space to store pretty much all of my music. I guess it wasn't a scam after all!

I'm a Winner!

Every year (for the past 21 years) the BYU Korean Language and Culture Club hosts a Korean speech contest. It usually happens during the winter semester. For two years, I have tried to enter into the contest. I have always found out about the contest after the deadline. This year, however, I was able to submit a speech in time for the contest.

There are quite a few native Koreans here at BYU, so they do have rules about who can enter teh contest. You can't be a native Korean speaker, and there are different categories that depend on the length of time the language has been studied. I entered the advanced division, which is basically the one for returned missionaries. The prizes vary from year to year, and have ranged from a trip to Korea to gift certificates at a local Korean restaurant.

The topics are supposed to be about some aspect of Korean culture, whether it be food, history, language or anything in between. My speech was about a possible relation between an alphabetic script written during the Yuan Dynasty in China and the Korean alphabet, written 200 years later (I know most of you are thinking, "wow... really interesting stuff there Romgi..."). You don't have to memorize the speech, but you kind of get bonus points if you do.

Speaking of points, each speech is rated by the judges based on content, relevance, difficulty of vocabulary, correct use of vocabulary, pronunciation and intonation (there may be some other categories... I'm not really sure).

So I memorized my speech, and I won! This happened almost a month ago, so you might be asking yourself why I am writing about it now. Provo has a fairly well established Korean community, and they have a newspaper that is published monthly. I am in the paper, as it talks about the speech contest. The girl Roni tutors is the girl who wrote the article. If anybody wants a translation of the article, just say so in the comments and I'll post a translation.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

I estimate that most of you have at least a passing knowledge of star wars. It has been shaping the culture of nerds for quite some time now. Have you heard that they are making a new star wars movie? If you have, I am sure that you already know that it is going to be done completely with computer animation. I was skeptical of the idea at first, but had convinced myself that if would be OK. I mean, George Lucas founded Industrial Light and Magic!

I saw a preview for the movie today. I must say, I am underwhelmed. I understand that not all CG movies go for realism. But to be honest, the animation just looks shoddy. To me, it is like they forgot they weren't making a Saturday morning cartoon. This isn't Veggietales.

I also understand trying to create a stylized work. But style doesn't mean you have to sacrifice quality (well... not always). For example, I think that the movie Flushed Away is a great example of using computer graphics, but maintaining a unique style. The characters keep the claymation look, but still look really good. Compare that to the poster on the left. Seriously, Look what they have done to Yoda! He looks like a twelve year old drew him! These graphics look like they don't even match up to the Star Wars video games.

What do you guys think? Am I way off base here? Or is this really as bad as I think it is?

A FITting End

Probably everybody that would read this blog already knows, but just in case you did not know, I won the Biggest Loser (he he... I almost typed "lobster") competition. The prize money came out to $270 for the men's division. I've been at a loss as to what to do with the money. I have already saved up for an iPod Touch (I am waiting patiently for the next generation of iPod Touch to come out... I'm hoping for bluetooth). I already bought a Wii (complete with a great game thanks to Roni's parents!). I already bought a pretty awesome watch (thanks mom and dad). I couldn't figure out what else to get!

I finally decided that because I earned the money by losing weight, I might as well get something that will help me to keep it off, and to help me get fit (that is where the title comes in. Do you get it? FITting, like fit...). I've decided to get a new bike! I went out bike shopping the other day, and I hadn't ever realized that the price of bikes varied so much. I mean seriously, it can go from cheap to expensive with surprising ease.

I wanted something that was a step above walmart, but not something I could win the Tour de France in. I decide to go with a hybrid bike, which unlike a hybrid car, involves neither gas nor electricity. Rather, a hybrid bike is a bike that lies somewhere between a road bike and a mountain bike. They are deigned for comfort, and cost a whole lot less. I am waiting for the bike shop to assemble the bike, then I will be be the proud owner of a new bike.

And You Are Defining That How?

I don't know how many of you read the news regularly, but there is one story that has been bugging me from the first time it appeared. An Austrian man lured his daughter into the basement of their apartment complex, drugged her, and kept her locked in the basement for 24 years. It gets worse. He fathered 7 children with her, and when one of them died, he just tossed the body in the furnace, as if it were a piece of trash.

He told everybody that she had run away with a cult, and nobody doubted it. He raised three of the children, and told everybody that his daughter had abandoned them on his front porch years earlier.

The man is now saying that he is not a "monster" and that the media is blowing this whole thing out of proportion. How exactly is locking somebody in a cellar for 24 not a monstrous act you might ask. His response? "I could have killed all of them -- then nothing would have happened. No one would have ever known about it."

This statement blows my mind! The saddest part about it is that he is right about part of that statement. Nobody would have known if he killed his daughter and her kids. This guy doesn't seem to realize that what he did was wrong, and I think that is perhaps the scariest thing about it all.

The Next Chapter

Looking at that title, you are probably thinking that this entry is going to be about graduating from college or something. Well, sorry to disappoint, but that is not what got me to blog. Rather, this is the next chapter in my saga with Microsoft's Live Search Club.

It was brought to my attention a few days ago that Microsoft had once again put the Zune on the list of prizes for Club Live participants. This made me wonder if they were no longer out of stock, which they had previously claimed. So, I decided that this would be an opportune time to email them once again about the status of my order. I emailed Club Live on Friday, and to my great surprise, I got a response today. It said:

Dear Live Search Club Participant,

Thank you for contacting Live Search Club Support. We are pleased to announce we have your backordered prize back in stock and will be shipping soon. We are shipping out within the next 3 weeks, when your item ships you will receive your 2^nd confirmation e-mail will any necessary shipping and tracking information.

Kind Regards,

Live Search Club Support

The first thing I noticed that set this email apart from the others I have received is that there is nothing ominous about it. It doesn't say "if we decide you aren't the scum of the earth" or anything like it. This has gotten me pretty hopeful that I may indeed receive a soon.

Completely Random

So I went to the BYU homepage today, and was greeted by this picture and caption.

Pepper spray may deter bear attacks better than guns.

The guy is holding two polar bear cubs with the mom knocked out next to him, and all they can say that it "may deter bear attacks"?! I think if the situation ends up with the bear unconscious, you can safely say it IS effective. Next time I go camping in bear country, I'm bringing whatever it is they are selling.

A New Link

I have added a new link on my links list. It is a blog called "stuff white people like." It is a satire of trends in the upper-middle class white community. Maybe you have heard about it, maybe you haven't. I think it is hilarious, and more often than not I am guilty as charged. You should check it out, but remember that it is a joke, and that it should be taken as such.

An Amusing(?) Anecdote

I am sure I am not the only person in the world that gets these emails. You know the ones that I mean. They are usually about some family relation, and are supposed to teach us some uber-valuable lesson that would have been impossible for us to learn unless we got that very email. I have put a copy of a story from an email forward from an old mission buddy of mine.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.

He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and
didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, 'How is your friend Audrey doing?'

She replied, 'Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.'

Her wise father asked his daughter, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.'

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!'

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the Republican party.'

If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat - I'm all ears.

So there are several reasons that I take issue with this kind of story. First, it is very obvious that this story is about as factual as Battlefield Earth. This whole thing probably never actually happened. The story was made up to simply prove a point. I am all about learning from personal experiences, and I will readily admit that well-written literature can be very convincing, but this kind of email forward is neither well-written, or true, and so it loses all persuasive ability for me.

The second issue that I have with this type of argument is that it takes a complex issue, in this case the difference between democratic and republican parties, and makes it into something where there is only one choice. I don't know much about politics, but I am sure that the democratic party is not all about the redistribution of wealth through higher taxes, and I am sure that the republican party stands for more than just letting people hold onto their wealth. If the parties were different in only one regard, then there would be no need for political or presidential debates to discuss different standpoints on issues. You can be a democrat that supports lower taxes, and you can be a republican that supports government aid programs. Isn't it our responsibility to make sure that everybody has a chance to get an education? I think that programs that support people that are making an honest effort are to be commended, not deplored.

Third, the story makes extreme assumptions. Not only does the author ignore important issues to simplify a complicated argument, but the analogy drawn between the hard working student and the party girl is very polarizing. You read the story and are left with only one option, to agree. You are made to think, "Well, she deserves those grades because she worked hard!" But there are flaws with the underlying assumptions for the argument. The argument assumes that everybody that works hard gets good grades, and that everybody with good grades works hard. It then equates grades to wealth. If everybody that worked hard was wealthy, then we would not having the term "working poor," and if everybody that was wealthy worked hard, then Paris Hilton wouldn't be wealthy.

I could go on about this for days (just ask Roni), but I think you get where I am going here. This email doesn't make me want to run out and join the GOP, it makes me glad I am associated with no particular party. Then again, maybe that is just my college education polluting my way of thinking.

You Know What Else?

So my last post got me thinking about elementary school, and all the things that were great about it. I liked how in elementary school you always get to go to assemblies. They happened so often! Everything from Doctor Seuss Week to Saint Patrick's Day got an assembly. My favorite type of assembly was the student of the month, it was hard to compete with that. Not only do you get a certificate, but I think you got pencils and stuff too. Maybe even candy. What else can a kid need?

The Bday

So you know when you are in kindergarten, or first grade, and it is your birthday, you get to bring cupcakes to everybody in your class? I wish we still did that when we are grownups, because it pretty much made you the coolest kid. I'm sure it was a horrible time for the mothers that had to make the cupcakes, or cookies, but I think the awesomeness makes up for the sacrifice.

Things I Will Never Understand

As my four year stint at BYU comes to and end, I am left with a few things that still boggle my mind.

Pink for Guys- Now, I understand that originally pink polos were popular because it was showing everybody that you were secure in your manliness, kind of like being cool with giving a guy friend a hug. But like many fads, things quickly degraded. It was not long before life was like a scene from a very pink horror story. Pink belts, pink backpacks, pink shoes, and yes, even pink pants for guys were to be seen. I was glad when the pinkification of men's apparel slowly faded, but I am still amazed (read appalled) when I see some people clinging desperately to their pinkness. Big weightlifters wearing pink somehow seems more o.k than emo kids wearing pink. (I was going to say scrawny emo kids, but that seems a bit redundant)

Shirts that say things like "I pooed" - Do I really need to explain why this is confusing? Unless this is some sort of major achievement, then why announce it to the world? Wait, even if it is a big accomplishment, I don't want to hear about it. I'm not against humorous shirts; there are a lot of shirts that say weird and funny stuff, but then there are these types of shirts. I am sure you know what I mean. Maybe these people are trying to seem "unique" at a very conformist BYU, but... if pooing is what makes them unique... I dunno about that.

PDAs - And I don't mean personal digital assistants. I am not even going to bother with the cliche "go get a room" response here, because, let's face it they can't. I also want to make it very clear that I am not talking about a peck on the cheek from your significant other before you head to class. I am talking about full-on making out in the quad. Why do people do it? If theyreally need to reach their daytime make out quota, then why don't they go somewhere secluded on campus? Don't they know that the art garden is WAY less trafficked than the middle of campus? There is a time and place for everything, and the middle of the walkway in the middle of campus in the middle of the day is not the time OR place for making out. Oh, and get a room.

Mustaches - I get it, these guys don't like the honor code, but they have to keep it. And I think we all know that people can get away with having a mustache at BYU. But, people need to realize that there are several types of mustaches. Not all of them are created equal. Some people look dignified with a neatly trimmed mustache, while others look like they need to be locked away. Very far away. If someone really must have a mustache, then please keep it tidy.

HFAC people - The HFAC is the Fine Arts College at BYU. I admire the artwork that students are allowed to post, and I enjoy BYU's many performances which occur in the center (maybe not so much for the modern dance routines). But you have to admit, there are some weird people in there. I am glad that these people are really "into the art" or whatever, but when they walk by me playing air guitar, and singing along at the top of their lungs to whatever rock opera they are listening to on your iPod, well... it kind of creeps me out.

I could go on for a while longer, but really, there could probably be an entire blog about BYU oddities.

"5Buck" Pizza

Dear 5Buck Pizza,

I am writing to you today in an attempt to help you see how little sense you make. The name of your company is "5Buck Pizza" and the slogan, which appears on every coupon, every store front, and every sign, is "All Toppings Free." When I first came to Utah and saw your store, I thought that it had to be some kind of gimmick. There was simply no way that you could get a "super premium pizza" for 5 bucks.

I was pleasantly surprised when I ordered Pizza from you, not only was it really 5 bucks, your stores used fresh toppings, and tasty dough. This was a win win situation. Not only could I get a top notch pizza, but I could get it for 5 bucks plus tax. I thought I would be a lifetime customer (well, at least as long as I was stuck in Utah).

Then the unthinkable happened. 5Buck pizza was no longer 5 bucks. I understood that the rising price of corn drove up the cost of milk (cows have to eat right?), and I thought it would be only a temporary price hike. After all, a one topping pizza was still 5 bucks, and if you wanted more toppings you would have to pay a dollar more. Not to mention the obvious, but your company name was still "5Buck Pizza." So what if you were no longer "home of the free toppings," you still made a great pizza that was worth the extra dollar for fresh toppings.

Then the DOUBLE unthinkable happened. Even though the price of milk in the grocery store had gone back down, you did not lower your prices. In fact, you raised them again. Doesn't this seem a little ridiculous? Now, the basic pizza (one topping) was 7 dollars. 7 dollars?!?! But the name remained "5Buck Pizza!!" It is even more ridiculous when you realize that you don't have a single pizza on your menu that is 5 bucks! Your small is 4 bucks, your medium is 7, and your large is 10!

Even this great injustice was palpable, because we still got coupons with every pizza. These coupons allowed us to get a large pizza for 7 bucks, which was great. But now, what may be the greatest injustice of all. We called to order a pizza today, and were told that you no longer accept coupons. In fact, I believe you said that the coupons we had were expired. When we mentioned that they don't have an expiration date, all you could say was "those expired 5 weeks ago."

So, how does your company make any sense? You used to be the best deal in town because "5Buck Pizza" was 5Bucks. But now you cost as much as Domino's pizza. I am now so disheartened with your company that it is doubtful that I will buy your pizzas any longer. It is like going to your favorite burger place, only to find out that though the name is "Burger Czar" you now only sell dirt. Nasty dirt. Nasty dirt that costs more than a burger.

Please go back to the good ol' days when you name made sense, and your logo wasn't a lie. Or change your company name. Either way will work.

Sincerely,
The Romgi

Vactor 21000 series

Today, I saw something truly amazing. I was working on a school assignment when I heard something loud this morning. Very loud. Now, today is trash day, so I first thought that it was just the trash getting picked up. The noise continued for minutes, it sounded like a some large street sweeper, but it was taking much to long to be a normal street sweeper. In fact, it was taking too long to even be a garbage man. I then realized that the trash had already been picked up nearly an hour earlier.

It wasn't until I walked outside that I saw the Vactor 2100.

This beast of a machine was moseying down the street. The huge pipe that you see at the top of it was swung out, and a large tube was attached to it. A guy was holding the tube, walking down the street sucking up all the dead leaves that have been around since October. In essence, he was vacuuming the road. As I walked to school, I could hear this thing sucking away from almost two blocks away. I couldn't help but think, "I wonder what this thing could do for my carpet!"

The next time a kirby vacuum sales guy tries to sell me a vacuum, and he tells me that the kirby is the best vacuum around, I am going to look him in the eye, and say to him, "Really? But how does it compare with the Vactor 2100 parked in my living room?"

Live Search Club Saga Continues (indefinitely)

I don't know how many of you have been following my Club Live story. I have been periodically emailing Club Live, in hopes that I will someday be allowed to get an update on my order. Well the latest email from them isn't really any more satisfying:

Dear Live Search Club Participant,

Thank you for contacting Live Search Club Support. Unfortunately, your prize(s), due to popular demand, is/are on back order and we have no estimated shipping date. Please note, after an order is placed, it is then processed for compliance with our Terms and Conditions for fair game play. After an order is processed and found to be in compliance, you will receive a second shipping confirmation email with any relevant shipping and tracking information

Kind Regards,

Live Search Club Support

So, I picked a popular prize. I really wonder when (and if) I will ever be getting my Zune. I placed my order about six months ago now, and they are just now telling me that they have no idea when it will actually ship. I guess I should count my blessings though, at least they didn't accuse me of being a cheater.

Still Life With Rice

I am taking a Korean History class, and as part of the work for the course, we are assigned to read a book about Korea. We were given great liberty in what we could read, and a good friend of mine recommended Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee.

I really liked the book, and I highly recommend it to anybody who is interested in learning about how the role of a Korean woman has changed in the past 100 years. Actually, I would recommend it to just about anybody. It covers the life of the author's grandmother, from her birth during the Japanese occupation, through the liberation of Korea and the Korean war, and up to her life in America.

I liked the book for two reasons. First, it reminded me of how much the Korean people have gone through in a relatively short period of time. Second, it made me realize how much life and society can change in the course of a lifetime. It made me wonder what life will be like when I am 80.

A Matter of Pride

Consumer reports put out their list of the top ten cars for 2008. Of the top ten cars 7 were Japanese cars, 1 was American, and 2 were Korean!The Hyundai (which by the way is pronounced hyun-day, not hun-die) cars to win the honor are the Elantra and the Santa Fe. It is a big step for Korean automakers. It wasn't too long ago that they weren't exactly known for their build quality in the US.

NIMH?

So... he looks WAY bigger than P2 in this picture, but he is really only about half the size.

So now we have a new rat-friend. I'm not as generous as Roni, so I'll skip straight to the last step and let you vote for my favorite names.

- NIMH - because the book is awesome, and so is the movie. As an added bonus, "nim" in Korean means "beloved one"
- Nicodemus - because he is one cool rat in the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH"
- Boris - I dunno... I think his fur color is like those Russian hats (not so much in the picture, but in real life)

Maybe Just a Little Bit Judgmental

I know that it is a little judgmental of me to think this way... but I can't help it. Whenever I see a teenage girl carrying around an iPhone, I hear in my head, "spoiled brat, spoiled brat, spoiled brat, spoiled brat." I am OK with adults having them, even if they are mostly a status symbol. But there is something wrong with a teenager having a toy that at a minimum costs $1800 (if you factor in the two year contract).

Forget London Bridge, the South Gate is Burning!!

Korea's number one national treasure was burnt down on Feb 10th. How do I know that it is the number one national treasure? Because Korea numbers each of the national treasures by rank, and the South Gate of Seoul was number one! This would be akin to somebody going and blowing up the Statue of Liberty in America. The structure was over 600 years old, and marked one of the historic entrances into Seoul. The government estimates that it will take three years, and over 20 million dollars to rebuild the gate. I've never been there, but I have been to the East Gate of Seoul. Now I wish I had listened to my friends and gone to the South Gate...

Happy New Year!

No, I'm not a month late for the New Year. Today is the lunar new year! (I think more Americans know it as Chinese New Year) It is once again the year of the rat. I was born in the year of the rat, so I have always had a special affinity for this year. This isn't just any rat year though, this is the year of the Earth Rat, so I'm sure there are some sort of special connotations that come along with that.

And the Winner is...?

In honor of "Super Tuesday," one of my professors held a sort of "what if.." election. He paired candidates form each party, and then asked the class who would we vote for. The results were interesting.

First in the lineup was Obama against McCain. He asked the class who would vote for Obama, and almost the entire class raised their hands. McCain, received absolutely no votes.

Next up was Hillary against Romney. He first asked who would vote for Hillary, and nobody raised their hands. When he asked about Romney, everybody's hands shot into the air (not really surprising right? Of course the Mormons vote for the Mormon.)

He then pitted the two favorites against each other, Romney and Obama. This time the class was split about 50/50.

The final match up was Hillary and McCain. He first asked who would vote for Hillary, and one person raised their hand. However, McCain again received no votes. When asked why they had chosen to not vote, most people said they did not want to be part of a decision that put either of the two in office.

A Spoiled Consumer

I was planning on my this blog entry being about the follow up email from Club Live, but (not surprisingly) that email has not yet come. So, I have decided to write about something else. I real feel that as a consumer of the entertainment industry, I have been largely spoiled.

I'm not saying that everybody is spoiled, I just think that I have been. An example of this is the Harry Potter series. Unlike everybody else in the world, I did not have to wait years between each of the books to find out what happened next to the characters. I was able to read all of the books within a fairly short period of time, and The Roni feels that because of this I have missed out on theorizing on what stuff means, that I have also missed out on part of the experience. I did not have to guess what the title of the next book meant, or guess when Ron and Hermione would get over themselves and just admit that they liked each other.

Recently, I have again been spoiled. We don't have a TV, but that doesn't mean that we cannot watch TV shows. Broadcasting companies such as ABC, Fox, CBS and the like have been putting full episodes of shows on their websites. I had been watching shows online on the nights that Roni was off tutoring, or going to evening classes. I mostly watched newer shows, like Pushing Daisies, but such a good thing was not to last. The writers strike prematurely killed many new shows. Because new shows had so few episodes written for them before they aired, it was only a matter of time until new shows ran out of new episodes to play. So I began to look for other shows to fill the time.

I remembered some people in my major talking about how much they liked to watch LOST. They kept talking about the "Korean element" of the show. So I figured that I might as well watch LOST. ABC put three previous full seasons up for viewing, and that meant that it could keep me busy for a long time. When I had heard of the show before, I had always just written it off. It all seemed too ridiculous to really believe. Seriously, a bunch of people crash onto an island and they get attacked by "The Others?" But from the first episode, I was surprised at the ease that they show allows you to suspend disbelief. I found that I was watching 2 or 3 episodes at a time, just because I really wanted to find out what happened next. About halfway through season 2, Roni also got addicted to the show.

The reason that I feel that I have been spoiled so far, is that like with Harry Potter, I was just able to watch the next episode to find out what happened next. I didn't have to come up with my own theories about what was going on. But now we are caught up to the most recent season, which just barely started. I feel deprived now that I will have to wait a full week between episodes! I really have been spoiled. Now I find myself wanting explanations that simply are not there. It is a little fun, and a little frustrating at the same time.

Bad Scam or Just a Bad Idea

Some of you may recall my brilliant idea of getting a Zune through the Live Search Club sponsored by Microsoft. You may also recall that I earned enough points through their system to cash them in for a Zune.

Though I did earn the points required, and spent nearly six hours a day for a month earning those points, it now seems that I may never get the promised product. The Zune was supposedly to ship from Club Live on, or around, November 5. Well, when November 5th came and went without so much as a peep from Club Live, I figured I would wait a little longer. After all, it did say that it could take up to 12 months for the Zune to arrive at my house.

By the time 12 weeks had passed, and I still had no news about the Zune, I figured I would investigate the matter a little further. It turns out that I was supposed to get an email from club live when the Zune shipped. I contacted the lovely people at club live to see what the deal was with my order. I was greeted with an automated response to my inquiry.

Now, I really started to get a little suspicious. So I googled it, and it turns out that a lot of people have had the same thing happen to them. A lot of people legitimately earned the points required, and ordered the prize they had been hoping for. When these people emailed Club Live asking about the status of the order, they got an email that basically said, "Thank you for your interest in the Live Search Club games. Your order has been canceled because you cheated to get the points."

How lame is that? I was really worried that I would get a similar email as a response. A few days ago, I noticed that I had an email from Club Live in my email inbox. I opened it, fully expecting to be notified that my order had been canceled.

Dear Live Search Club Participant,

Thank you for contacting Live Search Club Support. At this time, we are contacting our supplier for the status of your order. Your patience is appreciated as we will get back to you as soon as possible. In some instances, this may take up to 10 business days.

Please note, after your order is processed and is found to be in compliance with our Terms and Conditions (http://club.live.com/TermsAndConditions.htm) for fair game play as well as no duplicate software or hardware order, you will receive a confirmation email with any relevant shipping information. Upon review, all orders that are not in compliance with our Terms and Conditions, are cancelled. As noted in our Terms and Conditions, please allow 12 weeks for delivery of any prize order.

Kind Regards,

Live Search Club Support

I guess that my order isn't completely hopeless after all. But it still seems a little bit shady to me. I'm not going to get my hopes up until I get that email from them confirming that they have shipped my Zune. To me it seems as if they are saying, "We haven't found a reason to cancel your order yet, but we are trying to find a reason. Give us about 10 days and we will get back to you."