oh and two more things... american idol (a show i never watch but aileen makes me)... how can someone that's only 19 with a 4 year old daughter be a role model for america?

"you can't have kids yet?!?! you're only 15!!!!!! you ruined your life!!!!"
"well fantasia did it and look at her!"

and ann: i think what you write about sounds a bit like communism... which is also how the world of star trek lived (wayne, you can verify this for me).

today barnes and noble was holding a red dot special where they had a trivia contest in the music situation. they ask you a question and you have to use their new music sampling system to find an answer to a question. i was going against this white couple, who did not look very computer savvy. so of course, i won and i got to pick out any CD from the top 50 or "best of" rack. it took aileen and i 10 minutes to find a cd. not because we had so many choices, but because all of the top 50 cd's sucked. i wanted to get 'the best of the beegees' or 'the best of queen' but we ended up on the new outkast album (it actually took me a while to remember what we actually picked). why? because we can sell it on ebay and make money. so that was that. atlanta rocks.

another bragging point about my job... we have a flight simulator!!! it's across the street from my office and i'm definitely going to try and fly a boeing. no more xbox or ps2... time to upgrade baby.

third point... snl has gotten so bad, the only way it's funny nowadays is if the actors screw up and laugh themselves.

gerbera daisies. i'm not really into flowers, but the colors were so brilliant. i wish i was better in photography/photoshop so i could capture the colors better. note that this is in jpg format... it looks much better in .psd format. 

experimenting with hello.com... picture of me and aileen at the braves/padres game. 

welcome... lostpancake

interesting to note what steve posted since i was going write on a related topic. there are a lot of friends around me who are going through some major life changes (none of whom read this site... i don't think), and even though it's cool to see your friends move on in life and be happy, what if you and everyone else just does not think it's the best way to go? this is completely hypothetical, and i mean 100%, but here is a scenario:

a very close friend of yours is moving to take a job which you, your other friends, or family thinks is the wrong way to go. it is what he wants to do at the moment, and would make him happy. however, you know that this person has a tendency to make bad decisions and has done so in the past.

do you tell your friend that the decision he is making is a bad idea or do you just let him be and let him live his happy life? it's a weird dilemma to be in... on one hand, you want your friend to be happy. on the other hand, you wnat your friend to be set straight. it's a tough decision to make, and for me, i'm usually one who will tell you that i don't like what you are doing (but it really depends who you are). some have told me that shows i care and it's what you should do (i.e. accountability), others have told me it's "parenting" and i should back away. the way i take usually creates conflict, but i figure if it will help someone you care out, it's worth it. but now, i'm not too sure.

this is something that i have been struggling a lot with lately, and a part of me tells me to back off and let it be and i have been doing so. i'm doing it more and more these days, but it burdens me to know that someone you care is potentially making a really bad decision.

i sat in a brand presentation from our ad agency yesterday. all i have to say is, you could tell with 100% confidence who the account execs were. i wonder how hayeun and annie are like during presentations.

today i woke up at 530am and barely made it to catch a 715am flight. i was in a 5 hour meeting in a very dim conference room listening and watching powerpoint presentations and demos. there were quite a few people in the room, about a baker's dozen, and i didn't say a word. needless to say, i was extremely tired and i was nodding off on two separate occassions. i had no idea what anyone was talking about - there are so many freakin acronyms in the airline industry, but combined with the IT industry, it's ridiculous. there was tension right from the beginning with the company's #3 man scolding the software company for being so behind, so it was pretty scary. so that was orlando.

the best part was the treatment we got in the airports and in the flight back to atlanta. i got to bypass all the security lines with a flash of my badge, and it works for any airport that a1rtran serves. on the flight back to atlanta, we were a early so we happened to catch a previous flight that was delayed that was finishing up their boarding. we showed them our tickets, and they rushed us in the gate, closed the door behind us so nobody else could get on (to be honest, i don't think they even knew if all the right people were on board yet). turns out, there were three open seats for four of us. i kept saying that i'll stay back, but the stewardesses who were pacing the isles making sure if there were no open seats asked if i would be willing to ride in the jumpseat. of course i said 'sure' but one of them remembered that the rules were recently changed that only uniformed staff were allowed on. this whole time, the plane was ready to go so basically, they delayed the flight just for me.

so what did they do? so it turned out that one of the passengers was an off-duty steward, so the on-duty stewardesses made him change in the lavatory and sit in the jumpseat so i can sit in his seat.

on a sidenote, i hate people who hog all of your space... i wanted to yell at this guy to stop putting his leg and arms over my side of the armrest. it was freaking uncomfortable, and you could tell he was doing it on purpose so he could have more room. so annoying.

started work today... well technically i did. i just had orientation today with the a lot of other new hires. aileen was telling me to befriend as many stewardesses as possible, but none were there today. today, there were only ramp staff (people who do all the luggage handling) and customer service staff (people who you check in with). so i tried to "befriend" as many of clerks, but i don't think it really is going to make a difference. in any case, they have a two-week very intensive orientation (they have a quiz everyday on some really hard stuff and have to take a final exam) while i only had to show up today. crazy.

but the perks you get in this industry is really cool. i get to travel anywhere a1rtran flies for an unlimited amount of times. so technically, if i had the days off, i could fly back and forth from san francisco, la, vegas, new york, florida, bahamas, etc. all in one week if i really wanted to. i'm really hoping i get those benefits, but i'm not quite sure since i am only an intern. also, you get 6 "buddy passes" for friends per year, where you pay $60 and they can fly anywhere a1rtran flies roundtrip (but it's a standby flight). too bad that you have to work for at least 3 months to get those benefits. now all you guys are going to stop being nice to me. anyways, aileen is my "companion" (as opposed to spouse) so she will get unlimited free flights too after i work for 30 days. we're gonna go visit everywhere this summer (again, fingers crossed since i'm only an intern... i filled out all the paperwork and really hope that they just let it slide...)

but while most of orientation was quite boring (sexual harassment, privacy, etc.), the end was awesome when they were talking about priveleges that airline employees get at the airport. if i fill out the paperwork, i no longer have to pay for parking or even go through security checks at the airport! i can't really talk much about it, but man... awesome. if i don't want to fill out all the paperwork necessary for that clearance, i still get "vip" priveleges in all the security lines, which still isn't bad. you know all those pilots and stewardesses you see just cutting through the line sometimes? that' s me now :) nice.

tomorrow, i start my first day with a business meeting in orlando, florida. i think the meeting is 830am so me and my manager (and maybe the chief marketing officer) have to take the 715am flight and we get back on the 6pm flight... going to be a very long day.

welcome tia!!!

last month, i wrote about renewing my lease and the dilemma i faced. i took the honest way, and today, when i went to actually sign it (they needed to prepare it, and since i was at home and atlanta the past week, it took a while), i was rewarded. i believe that things always come around, whether good or bad. i know that life doesn't seem that way sometimes, but as God put it, you'll be rewarded in heaven. so today, when i was going over my contract, my rent was supposed to increase by $10, but it wasn't increased at all. better off, the $200 duck i pulled somehow was recorded as $300, so now i save even more than just the $400 duck alone.
green day has a song called 'nice guys finish last,' which i sometimes see the merit but find it so hard to believe. hopefully, i can have more experiences like this that will prove them wrong. take that, green day.

quick note... this blog shows up as #4 when you search "iraqi POW abuse" on altavista ... random but cool.

things you just don't want to hear before your plane takes off

heard on the plane ride home, and while they weren't shouting, they were not talking quietly on this very small 15 row plane. note, we were actually seated in the plane. MAN is a person who is a airline maintenance software salesperson who happens to be a certified airline mechanic. WOMAN is an old lady who is not fond of flying.

WOMAN: so what happens when the engines fail? does the plane start going down?
me (only in thought... and i'm sure the rest of the plane was thinking the same): what the... why is she talking about this in a plane?!
MAN: oh don't worry, there's a backup generator for the engines. everything on planes.
me: whew...
WOMAN: but doesn't the backup generator... doesn't that have a chance to fail too?
me: SHUT UP OLD LADY!!!
MAN: well... yeah, but there are two engines and with the technology on these planes these days, especially the one we're flying on now, there is a very very small chance of that happening. as a matter of fact, the injury done to a person through stressing about plane crashes -
me: don't use the word crash... not now, not here...
MAN: combined is greater than actually being in one.
WOMAN: i see, that's comforting to hear... but what about missiles? you know, people can shoot us down with missiles.
me: what the heck?!
MAN: well... yeah... if that happens, then it's just a risk worth taking i guess... but i highly doubt that will happen.
WOMAN: well, you never know... there are some crazy things going on in this world you know...
me: oh my goodness, shut up. shut up now.
MAN: ma'am, you know something that we all don't? (he chuckles)
WOMAN: oh, you never know, that's all... just some crazy things going on. that's why i hate flying.
me: i think i'm going to crap my pants.

one big reason why i don't want to own a house is because i hate yard work. true, it's worth it to make your house look good, your neighbors look good, and to increase your property value. but i hate yard work. i hate yard work mostly because i hate bugs and wasps. when you have a forest in your backyard with a small lake, it definitely helps the bugs grow (especially those dang gnats and mosquitos). we also have a few places where wasps love to build nests. i've already destroyed five. the past couple days at home, my mom has made me mulch our yard and mow the lawn. i have about 10 mosquito bites, and my head has become Club Gnat, with a lot of little gnats swarming around my sweaty head. it also sucks when you're sweaty and wearing glasses. your hands are dirty, your clothes are dirty, and your glasses are dirty. how do you wipe your glasses? it just sucks.
today, i felt something fall in my ear and let me tell you, my biggest fear is bugs crawling in my ear... but if you've been reading my old blogs, i am very scared and hate spiders the most. so naturally, put the two together. so while i was out working the yard, i felt something fall in my ear, panicked, tried to get whatever it was out, and ended up squashing and killing a spider inside my right ear. did i mention that i hate yard work?

i've seen many bands perform before, but what we saw in nyc (as mentioned in steve's blog ) was quite different.

first, there were the asians. it was definitely not the typical 'asian' thing to do, and the only why asians were there was because there were a couple asian performers. after the asian performers left, the asians left. one of the asian guys who performed did not look like a rocker. he was dressed in the typical asian get-up, so it just looked funny at first when he started bouncing his head, making out with the mic, and shredding his electric guitar. i wish i took a picture.

second, i really wish i took a picture of his parents who were watching on the side. the dad looked so incredibly nervous i couldn't stop laughing. he had his hands between his legs and was constantly rubbing his fingers together, like he had to pee really badly or for my high school friends, our history teacher mr. heim sitting on the desk. the dad looked scared to death. funny stuff.

went to a fundraiser gala tonight with my mom. it was quite fancy and it cost $75 per head, although my mom went for free since she was a grant recipient. i wish i remembered that 'black tie optional' meant tuxedo optional, but suit and tie are required. i felt a little embarassed in my sports coat and banana republic shirt with khakis. i stood out like crazy and i'm sure it just looked real bad.

it was also interesting to watch teachers, teachers who i used to have over 10 years ago talk about the school system and their students. it gives all my teachers this human touch.

guest entry from vlotty:

What Men Really Want

First, I must thank Bork for this opportunity to write a guest blog.
I'm honored, really. Very honored. On an aside, I wonder if there's
demand for blog critics.

Back to the topic at hand. So what do men really want? I really think
when you get down to it (especially as the biological clock nears
midnight - and yes, whether men want to admit it or not, they have a
biological clock too... except for a select few like Hugh Hefner), men
really want the Toyotas of women.

Yes, when we're young, we go after the Ferraris and the Jeeps, and
maybe even the occasional Hummer - eventually, we want to settle down
with a Toyota Corolla or a Camry. And fast forward a few years - we
won't even mind if that Camry becomes a Sienna. Why? We just want
something reliable. Something that gets the job done, gives a nice,
smooth ride, and is a good value.

Sure, while we have our Camrys or Siennas, we'll still dream about the
Boxters and BMWs - but in the end, we're very happy to have our trusty
Sienna. Women shouldn't feel so bad if we want a Sienna AND our Boxter
- just remember, our old faithful is still the Toyota.

In any case, I'm sure I've offended many females with this post - but
admit it - you think pretty much the same way. You start out chasing
Harleys, but end up yearning for the good ol' VW or Volvo.

Ok, I think that's enough damage for now. Leave a comment and tell me
I'm right.

i spent a lot of time today watching the congressional hearings concering the iraqi POW abuse allegations.

some observations:
that donald rumsfeld is a sharp shooter, and don't ever piss that guy off. he'll snap back at you like you just talked bad about his mom, and he doesn't care if he's on public tv. just look at his face when you get the chance.

every congressperson had a couple interns behind him or her. 95% of them were good looking.

the house committee is a bunch of selfish idiots. i know this is how it is done all the time, but after the representative scolded and reprimanded the rumsfeld, saying how much in disgust they were, this is a HUGE problem, rumsfeld needs to resign, like, really heavy stuff, rumsfeld would lash back at them. right after their time was up, they got up and left. i'm sorry, if you want to pretend that you care, at least stay for the whole questioning to be at least interested in what rumsfeld and his crew have to say before passing any judgement. it's just ridiculous. towards the end of the hearing, there were only 5 people left towards the end, starting from like 30 people.

i was at barnes and noble cafe today, and there was this korean fob sitting in front of me. she was wearing a white labcoat and had nurses gear on. it looked like she was studying for nursing school. why am i writing? because her cell phone rang and her ringtone was the wedding march. i couldn't stop laughing.

warning: very boring post
*********************************

Greenspan Says Budget Deficit
Poses a Threat to U.S. Stability

A WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE NEWS ROUNDUP
May 6, 2004 10:45 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Thursday that the U.S. government's budget deficit is a threat to the nation's long-term stability.

Mr. Greenspan told a banking conference in Chicago that the federal budget deficit was a bigger worry to him than America's soaring trade deficit or the high level of household debt because those two problems can be corrected by market forces.

"The resolution of our current-account deficit and household debt burdens does not strike me as overly worrisome, but that is certainly not the case for our yawning fiscal deficit," Mr. Greenspan said in prepared remarks to a conference given by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

"Our fiscal prospects are, in my judgment, a significant obstacle to long-term stability because the budget deficit is not readily subject to correction by market forces that stabilize other imbalances," he said.

Mr. Greenspan noted that the federal deficit, estimated to climb above $500 billion this year, will amount to 4.25% of the total economy after being in surplus just a few years ago. He said one of the biggest concerns was that the deficits now were occurring right before the first wave of baby boomers will begin retiring.

"We have legislated commitments to our senior citizens that, given the inevitable retirement of our huge baby-boom generation, will create significant fiscal challenges in the years ahead," Mr. Greenspan said in his remarks, which were delivered by satellite to the conference in Chicago.

The Fed chairman cautioned that the country shouldn't be lulled into a false sense of security about the federal deficit just because at the moment interest rates on long-term Treasury securities remain at low levels.

He said that the dollar's foreign-exchange value has remained close to the average level of the past two decades in spite of soaring trade deficits and that there have been no major economic disruptions triggered by record-high household debt.

"Has something fundamental happened to the U.S. economy and, by extension, U.S. banking, that enables us to disregard all the time-tested criteria of imbalance and economic danger?" Mr. Greenspan asked. Answering his own question, he said, "Regrettably, the answer is no. The free lunch has still to be invented."

Mr. Greenspan said the current-account deficit, a broad measure of U.S. trade, will have to adjust eventually. He said that even if the conditions that have fostered the gap don't change, foreign investors probably will want to hold fewer U.S. assets at some point.

"International investors, private and official, faced with a concentration of dollar assets in their portfolios, will seek diversification, irrespective of the competitive returns on dollar assets," Mr. Greenspan said.

As long as markets remain flexible, they should be able to diffuse the current-account gap before a crisis builds, he said. He cited Fed research saying market forces should restore a more sustainable trade gap "without measurable disruption."

"I say this with one major caveat. Protectionism, some signs of which have recently emerged, could significantly erode global flexibility and, hence, undermine the global adjustment process," Mr. Greenspan said.

Mr. Greenspan didn't offer a solution to the budget deficit in his speech Thursday, though in the past he has called on Congress to move quickly to address the looming funding difficulties in Social Security by trimming the benefits of future retirees.

He has suggested raising the retirement age for receiving full Social Security benefits and reducing annual cost-of-living adjustments that Social Security recipients receive.

Federal Reserve policy makers met on Tuesday and left a key interest rate at a 46-year low but signaled that they planned to start raising rates at a moderate pace in coming months. Mr. Greenspan did not address interest rates in his prepared remarks.
******************************

not sure if anyone read the article, but i found it pretty interesting. i think the most interesting part is that i understand what all of this means. when the fiscal deficit rises more than it can handle, it will ultimately affect the rest of the country due to different means. where our GDP is roughly equal to our consumption + business spending + government spending + net exports, the only things that the fed can directly control is the business investment and our income through changing the interest rates or money supply. and as always, greenspan is right, they do not have the ability to directly control government spending even though it is a large factor of our economy. the only way for government to reduce its deficit is to increase taxes or cut spending, or aka programs... which of course, Bush cannot do in an election year. so the question comes down to this... start to save the nation before it gets too late or get re-elected?

tough choice.

i had an awesome time in atlanta. just awesome. aside from the concert, which was definitely an experience, i went to a karaoke bar (no i didn't sing), and a padres game. i can't wait to live in atlanta this summer.

i'm in new jersey now and totally had a "sliding doors" moment. for some reason, my credit card would not read in the ticket machine... so i finally used my other one, ran up the escalator... and i JUST missed the monorail to the train, so i had to wait 3 minutes for the next one. i knew the train was coming soon and had to wait an hour for the next one, so i really wanted to catch this one. so i sprinted out the monorail, ran through the gate, and sprinted down the steps... just to see the train leaving. so i had to wait an hour for the next train. i kept thinking... only if my credit card worked the first try... i would be home by now. so instead, i finished up a book and it turned out that steve would be on the train as well. so it was cool seeing steve again and we had dinner at my place. so now i think the other way, had i made the train i intended to make, i wouldn't have been able to catch up with steve and finish my book (eat more chikin - inspire more people: doing business the chick-fil-A way).

speaking of the book, it was a really quick read. i got it for free when i had an informational interview with chick-fil-a, and it was written by the founder of the company, who happens to be a very strong christian. he had some great quotes, which i cannot recall since i lent the book to steve, but it was great to learn his philosophy on treating customers on a higher level than making money. also, on his belief that work and church should not be separated and that you should work the way you honor God at church. he also had some great proverbs that he really stuck to, and the one that stuck to me most was proverbs 22:1: A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

in atlanta right now and just spent the weekend at the midtown music festival (www.midtownmusic.com)... huge music festival where i got to see all these bands along with some interesting sights.

those include:

- a lot of pot
- about 10000 empty beer cans littering the grounds
- 1 fight
- 1 kid with a broken nose (unrelated to the fight)
- a high school-aged girl barfing (since she was drunk)
- parents who bring their 2 year old kids
- 40,000 people crammed into a space to watch these bands play
- a lot of crowd surfing
- 3 cops
- foo fighters
- the strokes
- the offspring
- jessica simpson
- jason mraz
- 20000 good looking girls
- $7 polish sausages
- 1 unforgettable experience, that i hope i will never experience again... and definitely will not let any of my kids go either.

tonight was a crazy crazy crazy night. i can go on about this for a while, but i would like to announce that i almost got into my first bar fight tonight if it weren't for those super fast bouncers. okay, i exaggerate. i tried to stop a fight tonight when some random guy bashed two beer bottles on my friends head... and then the bouncers came when i jumped in to try to stop it... my neck still hurts. insane.

on another note.... YAY AILEEN!!!!!!!!