The Worst Boyfriend in D.C.

So I was in the car last night on the way to Melting Pot with G, and we were listening to the radio. Unashamedly, we were listening to HOT 99.5. The "Freek Show" with Julian (who, by the way, has one of the most annoying voices a male could ever have, in my opinion) was on. The night's competition was for DC's worst boyfriend. To which G casually interjected, "maybe I should call in too." We laughed it off. Soon the women started calling in with their respective horror stories.
My goodness. We were both shocked and amused at the same time. Take, for instance, this one young lady, whose boyfriend, I'm sure, was definitely in the running for top dog (pun intended). The list of horrors read like a pathetic excuse for a Hollywood bad boyfriend character. This list included, but I'm sure was not limited to, always conveniently "forgot" his wallet when eating out, the days he remembered he would "treat" her to the Dollar Menu at McD's, and once, he showed up drunk to a dinner with the young lady's parents.
Okay, the extreme nature of the story aside, where the hell do these ladies find these guys? Furthermore, what exactly is the appeal? The caller mentioned, at one point, that she thought she could "change him" and that she could see "his potential." Oh please. The always forgetting his wallet should be a dead giveaway.
Another story was about this one young lady who had been dating her (now ex) boyfriend for six years. Then one day he said, "I love you." The next day he disappeared (presumably on some hedonistic adventure). On the third day (forgive me for the phrasing) he broke up with her.
Anyway, we never did find out who the worst boyfriend in DC was. Apparently the coveted prize was a live call to the offending party in order to force them to participate in a broadcasted declaration that the lucky winner was indeed the worst boyfriend in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The idea being that it would effectively remove him from having any possible future chance with a lady.

Questions for discussion:
1.) Where do you draw the line between "has potential" and "drop like a bad habit?"
2.) Is this characterization transferrable to the opposite gender (i.e. females)?
3.) Have you had similar experiences, whether personal or second-hand? Discuss.
4.) What is the cause for the seeming prevalence of losers?

The Day After Yesterday

The voters of Virginia have spoken. They have agreed that the Grand Old Party is no longer grand, nor is it a party.
I like to call it the "Bush Halo Effect."
Rejection due to association.
Har har har.

Fast forward to today (Wednesday).

Had one of, if not the, best night I've had in a long time. Great restaurants are a million times better when you're in good company. Thanks, G, I had a really great time. I hope you did too!

BTW, the servers at Melting Pot are really nice people. The food is great too. I highly recommend it for a nice, low-key night out.

Okaly dokaly.

Election Day

Today is election day. This means, for 98% of the country, it's Tuesday.
However, if you live in Virginia, today is the day to pick our new governor.
Let's take a look at the candidates, shall we?

Tim Kaine - Democrat, BA in Econ. from U. Missouri, JD from Harvard
Jerry Kilgore - Republican, BA in Business & P.A. from UVA-Wise, JD from W&M
Russ Potts - Independent, BA in Journalism from UMD

Kaine will continue the administration of Warner, who is the most popular Virginia governor in over 15 years. Warner was able to come into the state and fix a lot of the fiscal irresponsibility which had spread throughout the administrations of former governors Allen and Gilmore. With Kaine, Virginia's reputation as the best managed state in the union would surely continue.

Actaully, i don't care about the other two.
Haha.

It always amazes me when I hear that the average voter turnout in the United States is as low as it is. CNN told me (and yes I believe everything that CNN tells me, since Dan Rather doesn't work for them) that since 1945, the average voter turnout hovers around 48%. CNN further stated that this number places the United States behind 113 other nations in voter turnout. Click here for the data. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's "sad," but the incongruency between America's foreign policy and its culture leaves much to be desired. It's fitting that it is the same bloc of uneducated voters (haha get the joke? bloc of uneducated voters? No? nevermind.) who vote along party lines are the same ones who helped usher in the current administration who has chosen to overlook the sad state of the American electorate today.

Along the same lines, Mark Warner in 2008? Perhaps. He's got my vote!

Bored

I have been increasingly bored and uncaring about school in recent weeks. I'm not exactly sure what's going on. It's not even that I don't enjoy my classes. I enjoy most of them and actually learn from them. Sigh.
This weekend was really fun. It's what I've been craving/needing for the past few years. Meeting new people is always fun. Like I've observed many times in the past few days, (a revelation, if you will) I think the extrovert in me, which had been suppressed in the past few years, is starting to re-emerge. I've found myself more willing to initiate a conversation. Yeah, it's still hard, but I'm getting there.

Fun Times...

Dear Internet Community,
Sorry for this really lame "what I did today" post. But it was so damn fun, I just had to share...

Well, after a stressful and mentally numbing week (not really, that's just a rationalization for staying out late tonight), I was able to enjoy some (at least in my view) well-deserved leisure time. So, after putting the final touches to my German Business Culture "report," I headed out the door to meet up with Joe Hong at Tysons. After a long debate about where to eat dinner, we settled on the Food Court on 3. My Great Wraps! wrap wasn't so great. We hung around and stopped by church to drop off my car so we could carpool to Murky for Sam's CD Release party. I met a lot of really great people tonight, which was definitely a highlight of the evening. After the music faded, we headed over to Hard Times Cafe for some food and drinks. Had my first Guiness. I think there was something wrong with the tap because I tasted a slight metallic aftertaste. (Is that normal?) I was disappointed that there wasn't a distinctive flavor to the beer. Nice texture though.
After grabbing some grub, we headed over to Option in Maryland for some Karaoke-ing. I debuted "Yellow", busted out my "Wonderful Tonight", did a duet with Sam on "Wonderwall", and a duet with Joe on "Dust in the Wind."
Also did a duet with Ru-something on "Dancing Queen." Had lots of fun. Only lame part was the place closed at 1:30. So having arrived there at 12:30, we only got an hour to sing.
Oh well, no worries, still had good times all around.

Haha, i'm such a dumbass... I forgot to get your phone number...
Oh well.

On a related side note... is it bad that I compare other women to the one I have deemed in my mind as being close to perfect for me?
And yes, that means there IS someone... in both categories...

A Surge of Literary Inspiration

Thresholds

There is a place I know
That lies at a crossroad of life
It is here my dreams meet my reality
It is here my wants meet my haves

There is a place I know
That joins two moments in life
It is here my past meets my future
It is here my eyes meet my road

Though my road has been long
Though my path has been rough
I find solace at this place
Where my life takes on new meaning

There is a place I know
That reveals the road ahead
It is here my mind must be made
It is here my heart must commit

There is a place I know
That covers the road behind
It is here my soul must let go
It is here my thoughts must be freed

Though the road will be long
Though the road will be rough
I find comfort at this place
Where my heart is ready to press on

It is here that I have found myself
It is here that I have found my soul
It is here that I have found my path
It is here that I have found you

19 Things That It Took Me 50 Years To Learn - by Dave Barry

1) Never under any circumstances take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2) If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."

3) There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."

4) People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5) And when God, who created the entire universe with all of its glories, decides to deliver a message to humanity, He WILL NOT use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle.

6) You should not confuse your career with your life.

7) No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.

8) When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.

9) Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

10) Never lick a steak knife.

11) Take out the fortune before you eat the cookie.

12) The most powerful force in the universe is gossip.

13) You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

14) You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

15) There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age eleven.

16) The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

17) The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.

18) A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

19) Your friends love you anyway.

Hell or High Water

Today, during my many bouts of procrastination, I sat and wondered what exactly I am capable of.

How far would I go to make the one I love happy?
How far would I go to save my ass? (reputation-wise)
How far would I go to save my own life?
How far would I go to save the life of the one I love?

"Hell or High Water" was the phrase which popped into my head when I was thinking about others. I would go through Hell or High Water for her.
Flaming hoops, poison-tipped spiked-hurdles, huge vats of steaming hot acid...
Okay... maybe not THAT extreme. Not to downplay the lengths I would go, of course.

I'd probably drive hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat, if necessary.
I'd fly to the other side of the country, if necessary.

Haha what a clich?d entry.

I read this article from the Wall Street Journal. The whole article was on the conveyance of love within relationships and families.
It opened with a very touching story.
In a family where the words, "I love you" were commonplace, a father told his daughter, as she was going out the door, "Remember, I love you!"
The daughter replied, "I love you too, dad."
Little did he know, that would be the last time he would see her alive. She would die later that day from a car accident.
Later, the father recalled how thankful he was that the last words he would ever speak to his daughter would be a reminder of his love.

I'm always hesitant to tell people, particularly the ones I am not related to, that I love them.
Another one of my fears is that I would lose the ones I love without ever having told them directly, "I love you."

What I Want(ed) to be When I Grow Up

Here is a list of things that I have wanted to be at one point or another so far in life.
Some of these are still on the "would like to do" list...
1.) Firefighter
2.) Policeman
3.) Doctor
4.) Lawyer
5.) Newscaster (broadcast journalism)
6.) Elementary School Teacher
7.) High School Teacher
8.) Principal
9.) Band Teacher
10.) Navy Officer
11.) Journalist
12.) Writer
13.) Biomedical Engineer
14.) Urban/City Planner (Systems Engineering)
15.) Corporate Clone
16.) Psychiatrist
17.) Psychologist
18.) Network Engineer
19.) Entrepreneur (Small Business Owner turned Multi-National Conglomerate Executive)
20.) College Professor
21.) Pastor
22.) Army Chaplain
23.) United States Senator

My Timing Sucks...

I think I have the worst luck when it comes to timing.

I had this great awesome plan all worked out this past May.

It was solid. Foolproof, even.
I had accounted for everything. Or, so I thought.
I had forgotten the human factor.

The first signs of my flaw appeared as a small crack.
Really, nothing big. It patched itself up.

Unbeknownst to me a huge gash was forming, hidden, away from my view.

Then it happened in July. The first piece fell.

Little by little, my plan cracked and tumbled with every passing day.

Then, the heat of the August sun started to beat down on me. Long days passed.
The heat left nothing untouched. It affected all.

By September, it had become but a mere phantom of its original grandeur.
I tried futilely to rebuild. But it had been damaged beyond repair.

All that remains of it is the foundation of hope upon which it was built.
The hope from then has now become the hope of rebuilding the plan in the future.

This hope is what sustains me every day.

Dealbreakers

What is a dealbreaker, you ask? A dealbreaker is, ceteris paribus, one of the things that will make me immediately lose interest in you.

So... here goes...

1.) If you disrespect my family, no matter how weird or quirky we may be, you're disrespecting me and who I truly am. You can go screw yourself.

2.) If there is any picture of you on the Internet where you are
    a.) rowdily drunk
    b.) dressed like a hoochie
    c.) naked or otherwise indecent
If you have a picture like this, you obviously have some issues, whether it be severe inferiority or some other exhibitionistic tendencies. And please, don't tell me you dress like that because it makes you feel feminine or whatever. It's like Dave Chapelle said, don't wear a whore's uniform if you are not a whore. It is possible to be sexy and classy at the same time. Don't ask me how. I don't have time.

3.) If you disrespect my aspirations in life. Sorry, if you have a problem with what I want to do with my life then you can take your opinion very far away from me.

4.) If your primary response to things I say is "whatever." If you're responding like this, you obviously either don't care to hear what I have to say, you don't know what I'm talking about, you have no opinions of your own, or you think you're always right. There's a couple other things that "whatever" could mean, but, whatever.

5.) If your priority in life is to marry a rich guy and plop out babies, cook, and clean for the rest of your life. Sorry, just not attracted to the stay-at-home mom types. It's nice and I respect it. Just not my style.

6.) If you constantly patronize, belittle, trivialize, or underestimate me or everything I say. This is pretty much self-explanatory.

7.) If your relationship with your parents singularly consists of shouting, criticizing, yelling, etc. No matter how well-adjusted you may think you are, 99.9% of the time, it affected you and it will come out.

8.) If your idea of "fun" is to go to a club and get as wasted as humanly possible. There is more to life than killing brain cells. The occasional drink or two or three or four or five at a low-key party is nice. The occasional going out to the club or bar for a drink or two with a friend is nice. Binge drinkers need not apply.

9.) If you think the prospect of going to a museum or other similar low-key venues is "gay and boring" I guess this is kind of a sugar coating/icing qualifier. Going to the mall to shop is fun. Walking around town window shopping is fun. If this is the extent of what you consider fun, I just hope you're open to doing other things as well. If not, well... I'm sure you're a nice girl.

10.) If you bump, grind, or freak dance on a regular basis (closely related to #8 and #2)

11.) If you don't like dogs or animals in general. If the prospect of having a German Shepherd or a Yorkshire Terrier is not appealing to you, then there is no future for us.

12.) Try to change me into what your little mold of what you think I should be. (closely related to #6) If you don't like me for who I am, then it'd be better if we didn't progress beyond the acquaintance phase.

13.) Big feet. A quirky thing. I just don't find girls with big feet attractive. By big, I mean... anything larger than women's size 9.

14.) Heavy makeup. This kind of goes back to #2 and #8.

15.) Everything that comes out of your mouth is sarcastic and/or cynical. Sarcasm is just unattractive.

16.) Attention-starved. Please don't say things to make me like you.

17.) Your Korean sucks. I speak Korean pretty fluently. I would want you to, as well.

18.) You don't like Korean food. How can you not like Korean food.

19.) You think Annandale is the best Korean food on the face of this planet. This means either A.) you don't have a good palate (and therefore cannot taste or detect all the MSG) or B.) Your mom doesn't know how to cook. Maybe one is the result of the other, who knows.\

20.) You take advantage of my niceness and dick me around.

Anyway, this is a work in progress. Don't judge yet. Certain individuals have informed me that this seems more rant-like than anything. Like I said, it's a work in progress.

People Watching

There's a little game I like to play whenever I'm out in public. The game is more enjoyable when I'm in close quarters with people. It's a little game I like to call, "Guess the Profession."

The rules are simple.

1.) Subtly look at the person, (don't stare, lest you be slapped with a restraining order) and try to figure out, based on any visual cues, what they do for a living.
2.) Don't ogle. That's just wrong.
3.) If there are no visual cues, then make up a creative story.

The easiest cues are things like ID badges and military uniforms. If you ever ride the Blue or Orange lines, you will find an incredible surplus of material on the train that will keep you occupied from Largo Town Center to Franconia/Springfield (or New Carollton to Vienna, if that's your thing)

The second easiest cue is/are the bag(s) the person is carrying. You may need to brush up on your Latin and Greek for some of these cues. An example: "The 37th Annual Otolaryngists Conference." That simply means the person holding the bag is an Ear-Nose-Throat doctor.

Finally, the hardest is to figure out by where they get on/off the Metro. Ideally, where they get on should help narrow their place of work. Where they get off should help narrow their income level. Oh, check for wedding bands too.

Now, a few real-life examples from today!
A.) A middle-aged woman gets on at the Arlington Cemetery station wearing business wear. She is holding a folder.
B.) A middle-aged Asian man gets on at the Foggy Bottom station and is holding a bag that reads, "The 16th International Pigment Cell Conference"
C.) A middle-aged man gets on at the Rosslyn station wearing a green dress shirt under a black sweater with gold colored leaves sewn onto each shoulder.

Did you figure it out???

Here are my best guesses...
A.) A nice lady who works in the Arlington National Cemetery Administration office.
B.) A nice dermatologist who works at the GW Hospital
C.) A Major in the United States Army.

Okay, those were kind of easy.

Another thing I like to do is watch the interactions between people.

This one time, I saw a guy talking to a pretty young lady. The initial greeting was along the lines of, "Hey aren't you so-and so? Yeah, we met at that place for that thing? Yeah! How are you?" From there the guy held on to the ceiling rail with a big smile and the lady folded her arms and leaned against a pole smiling politely.

Today, I saw a guy and a girl (presumably co-workers) dressed in business attire. He sat by the window. She sat by the aisle. He was talking to her. She laughed a lot. He looked straight at her. She looked up at the ceiling.

Okay. That's all.
I know. I'm weird.

But at least my Metro rides aren't boring.

I'm so thankful for the fact that I have two really awesome noonas who help me with all my stupid problems. Thanks Tina and Rahel.

What Does the Future Hold? ($3.95 for the first 10 minutes and $.95 each additional minute)

I often sit back and wonder what exactly will the world be like in, oh, let say, ten years. Will we have flying cars? Will entire meals be compressed into pill form? Will we have robotic maids?
The answer to the previous three questions is most likely, "No."

I'm excited to see what I'm going to be doing in ten years. Maybe I'll be out on the fields of North Korea, preaching to G.I.s. Maybe I'll be at a base in Georgia as a counselor. Maybe I won't even be in the Army. Who knows. All I know is that I don't think I'll be at a church. Definitely not as youth pastor. Haha. It's not so much that I don't like working with the youth. Well... actually... maybe it is. I just don't feel a bleeding aching heart for youth. Lambast me all you want, but I don't believe that's my calling.

I've always wanted to teach.

No, not high school. Too much hand holding goes on in high schools these days.

College or Grad School is where I want to be.

I never saw myself as leading a church or a congregation. Sure, that's what most people think right when you drop the "s-bomb" on them, i.e. "Seminary."
"Yeah, I want to go to seminary."
"Oh? You want to become a preacher?"
"No"
"Oh, then a minister?"
"No."
"I don't understand."

No, no. No church for me. Too much drama. Too mundane. I'd get too caught up in it and bored by it at the same time. (Is that even possible?)
I need something more challenging. I need something with a little more kick. (Bam!)

One of my greatest fears is living a mediocre life. I do not want to be 40-something and not have accomplished anything cool. I envy all my professors who have a veritably infinite source of anecdotes and bio-sketches to tell you about until the cows come home.

On top of that, I've always wanted to leave my mark on history. Not for the fame. Not for the fortune. But simply as an indicator or a sign of hope to posterity that yes, people do care.

And my name on a building would be nice too...

Wait, is that too much to ask for?

Ugh

I feel so dead.

The Art of Letter Writing is Dead

July 14, 1861

Camp Clark, Washington

My very dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days?perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more . . .

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the Government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and sufferings of the Revolution. And I am willing, perfectly willing, to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt . . .

Sarah my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me unresistibly on with all these chains to the battle field.

??The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me?perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness . . .

But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the gladdest days and in the darkest nights . . . always, always, and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath, as the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again . . .

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the first Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861.

Such beautiful words. So filled with love. This depth of intimacy is so often lost in today's world of instant messages and e-mail. Some of you know that I deplore the inability of AIM to convey emotions and other factors in human communication that could never be replicated. Not even video chat can do justice to a conversation in person. I fear for the future of humanity if the world continues in this way.

Along the lines of intimate communications...

There are some things I would never compromise on when it comes to the woman I marry.

1. My faith and calling to serve God.

2. A woman who lacks (or denies) the ability to feel through words or simply brushes it off as sappy love poetry.

Words are truly a beautiful thing. While the English language itself leaves much to be desired in the realm of accurate conveyance, it nevertheless conveys things which simply cannot be acted upon otherwise.

Granted, there have been some beautiful letters to come out of Iraq. But so often, we either lack or deny the very human emotions which set us apart from the rest of God's creation. These emotions are the very essence of what makes us human. These emotions are what sets us apart from every other organism on this planet.

Emotions are different than reactions. Everything reacts. Your dog will react with fear when you yell at it. Primates will react with anger when their needs are not met.

What we feel as humans is felt not only by our brains, but also with our heart. This is what makes us human. This is what makes us beautiful.

What a Difference a (couple of) Week(s) Makes

Wow.
So I'm writing this at church right now. I had to drop off my mom because she has to set up for a banquet or something tomorrow at church. Anyway, it was the first time I came out for a Friday in almost three weeks. It was kind of awkward seeing the youth outside of Sunday. I mean it wasn't bad or anything. Quite honestly, I don't feel any guilt for not participating in Youth Ministry as much. It actually has become better. I found myself being a little more patient with some people than I had been previously. I think this cutting down of church time has been good for me. I think it's something I've needed to do for a long time. I've never been happier. Well, I guess there are other reasons for my happiness as well...
I think these last three weeks have been some of the happiest weeks I've had in a long time. I've had a lot of time for myself, for my schoolwork, and for others.
I'm actually really happy right now.

Granted things didn't work out like I wanted them to last weekend. I think, however, it was for the best. I would never have gotten all my work done in NYC.

The two papers turned out pretty well. I guess the English paper I had due on Wednesday left a little more to be desired. The exam from yesterday (Thursday) was a little too easy. You know that feeling you get when an exam is a little too easy? I mean, it wasn't easy, per se. I think it's just a result of paying attention in class?
The only thing that threw me off was the question on the Kondratiev Cycle. I guess I should re-learn that part before the midterm.

Summer is officially coming to a close. The fall clothes are out. Baseball is in its final weeks.
Lots of good memories behind me. Lots of better memories ahead. I can't wait.

Murky Coffee is now one of my favorite places to chill/work/study. For some reason, stuff just flows in to my brain. Good coffee too.

That's all.

Moral of the story: I'm happy.

Damn freaking shithead noncredible threats.
Damn freaking papers and take-home exams.

NYC is indefinitely postponed.

What a disappointment.

I guess this means I have to do work now.

Heading up to NYC this weekend. I'm looking forward to it. I've been looking forward to it for several weeks now. I am in desperate need of a change of scenery. The isolation down here in Wood-freaking-bridge has been driving me crazy. Granted, I had a great weekend last weekend. Coldplay was great. Party on Saturday was fun. Had lots of fun. Spending a day in the city is something I have wanted to do since the last time I went up. The last time, family and time constraints prevented me from ingesting and fully experiencing the great vibrance, life, and character of the city.
I can't wait.

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