September 9, 2007

  • Project Untitled

    What is Project Untitled?

        The goal of this project is to change myself in 1 month. To change myself into a person who eats, breathes, sleeps success. I'm doing this because I'm not content with the way I am now and I haven't acted upon it. It's still a question of whether or not I'll be able to do this successfully, but I'll be putting forth my energies into improving myself.

    But what exactly is eating, breathing, sleeping success?
       
        When you close your eyes and daydream, what do you usually daydream about? I daydream of a better me. A person who can handle himself in any situation. Think of the character Lex Luthor from Smallville. There are some of his qualities that I want to have in myself. Not the evil crazy paranoid guy with the asshole father though. It wouldn't hurt to have a Kristin Kreuk after this project but I think for now, I'll work on other things. See, I want to be the person I imagine. I want to feel empowered by this change and not take "no" for an answer (in a non-stalkerish way). How successful this is depends on how much I want this to happen.

    What does it take?

        I am not entirely sure myself but I've got an outline of some of the ideas of what I will be doing. The healthy living for one. I think I will start my work towards building my business. No, I will follow through on those steps towards building my business. I will also get my helmsman rating as well as studying towards a real estate license just for the heck of it, on the side. Oh and let's not forget studying the guitar.

    When does it start?

        Today.

    When will it end?

        I planned 1 month but I will see how much I like it. I can't see why I wouldn't, so let's hope it never ends. I'll continually plot out more guidelines and keep this blog updated with signs of my improvement.

    I've taken out two of the things that distract me - facebook and aim. Zon changed my facebook password so I'd never have to deal with it again. For now, I've uninstalled aim. I'll do the same at all the computers I'm at so I can cross it out of my life. I think it's a great way to see who your real friends are as well. Who would call you? Of course I don't mind having the superficial ones as well. I'll blog about that soon as well.

    Xanga is a compromise since I want to chronicle the changes (if any) as well as write the way I want to write (as I've promised myself and haven't followed through on. Maybe I'll blog of that as well)Wish me luck.

       

August 31, 2007

  • Cracked.com article

    http://www.cracked.com/index.php?name=News&sid=2354&pageid=2

    Thomas Edison

    What He's Remembered For
    Invented radio, microwaves, primitive radar systems, the lightbulb and electricity

    Why You Should Hate Him
    He did not
    invent the light bulb. Edison was not the smartest scientist around—not
    by a long shot. He did, however, hire a brilliant man named Nikola
    Tesla, who luckily was.

    Tesla is responsible for radio,
    microwaves, primitive radar systems and the electricity we use today,
    which Edison gets credit for. The truth is that Edison hired Tesla to
    redesign his electrical generators. Tesla did, but when he asked for
    the $50,000 he was promised, Edison replied, and this is a direct
    quote, “Tesla, you don't understand our American humor," and paid him
    only in middle fingers.

    Tesla
    quit and tried to strengthen his electrical discoveries in an effort to
    provide free energy for the entire world, but Edison and his thugs at
    General Electric devoted time not spent on stealing patents to making
    sure that the rest of the scientific community thought Tesla was crazy
    and dangerous. Tesla died alone and in serious amounts of debt. Edison
    died on a pile of money in a “Suck it, Tesla" T-shirt that he did not
    design.

  • Resolutions


    From September 1-30 I am making a resolution to:

    • Run everyday
    • Eat at least 3 meals a day
    • Eat healthy
    • Spend less time online when I'm at home.
    • Dress well everyday
    • Get my helmsman rating for sailing
    • Take more pictures

August 1, 2007

June 3, 2007

  • Dear Xanga,

    We had an amazing time together for the last 4+ years but this relationship has grown stale. I no longer feel that you care and even when I go out with the boys, I don't feel guilty not reporting to you the next day. We had fun. You were the muse that sparked my creative mind. All the secrets you kept private and the ones you protected, it meant a lot to me that you did that for me. I found a new joy in life... a joy that you no longer provide. The joy of .... ok sorry, I slept with your sister, Facebook. Revolution, bitches.


     


       Sincerely,


    Vinh Dang

May 16, 2007

  • Waiter Rant

    An interesting blog from www.waiterrant.net

    It’s the tail end of the lunch shift. I
    pretend to watch the office girls walking past the front window as I
    eavesdrop on two of my customers. I know that’s not very polite but
    it’s an interesting conversation. Besides, I’m bored.

    “I don’t know,” the younger of the two men says. “I thought I’d be happier at this stage in my life.”

    “What’s the problem?” the older man sitting across from him asks. “You’ve already made all the money you’re ever going to need.”

    “Yeah,” the younger man says sadly. “But being rich isn’t all I thought it was cracked up to be.”

    “It never is.”

    There’s a long pause. Finally the younger man says. “My wife’s upset
    that we don’t have children. The doctors say we probably can’t.”

    “How old’s your wife?”

    “40.”

    “And you’re?”

    “The same age.”

    “Did you think about adopting?”

    “My wife doesn’t want to raise somebody else’s children.”

    I can see the two men reflected in the window. The older of the two
    men, a grey haired successful looking type, purses his lips and thinks
    about what he’s going to say next. I like when people think about what
    they’re going to say. It means they care.

    “Listen,” the older man says. “So you may never have children. What does that mean for you?”

    “I don’t know,” the younger man says.

    “Are you, like, big into carrying on the family name?”

    “My parents are dead. My sister has children. So……”

    “Will it kill you not to have kids?”

    “No.”

    The older man leans back in his chair. After a long pause he says,
    “Sometimes you have to exploit the negatives in your life. That may be
    how you have to look at this.”

    My ears perk up. This conversation’s solid gold.

    “Exploit the negative?” the younger man asks.

    “You and your wife probably can’t have children of your own and you
    don’t want to adopt. Some people would say that’s a negative, right?”

    “Yes.”

    “But not having children means you and your wife are free to do
    other things. You can travel, explore business opportunities, go to
    school – you’re not tied down. There’s a positive side to not having
    kids.”

    “That sounds kind of cynical.”

    “Not at all,” the older man says. “I have three girls. I love them
    to death. They’ve given me a bunch of grandchildren I adore. But any
    parent, if they’re honest, will tell you that there are negatives to
    having children.”

    “You wouldn’t do it over again?”

    “I wouldn’t change a thing,” the older man says. “But that’s the way my life worked out. Your life may be different. Are you comparing your life to other peoples? People with kids?”

    “Yeah.”

    “Your life may not work out the same way. And if you don’t live your life as it really is — you’re heading for trouble.”

    “Maybe.”

    “All I’m saying is this,” the older man says. “You have to look at
    the empty spaces in your life, see the possibilities, and turn them
    into opportunities.”

    As I’m listening a quote from Sun Tzu floats into my head. “Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass what he defends, hit him where he does not expect you.”

    “So you won’t have kids,” the older man continues, “But you have a
    lot of money. Millions. Maybe not having children will give you the
    time and freedom to use that money to help thousands of kids somewhere.
    When I was your age I was hustling to to pay for braces. I couldn’t
    spare a dime to charity.”

    “You have a point there,” the younger man admits.

    “Your life’s going to be what it’s going to be. But when you’re
    stuck my advice is to look inside the negative parts of your life for
    inspiration.”

    “Lemons into lemonade?” the young man says, laughing softly.

    “No,” the older man says. “If everyone tried following their bliss
    everyone would be trying to get to the same place at the same time.
    It’d be a fucking traffic jam. But since no one likes going into the
    negative there’s more room for opportunity – less competition, less
    traffic.”

    “I think I see what you’re talking about,” the younger man says.

    There’s a lot of truth in what the older man’s saying. Frustrated
    with being a waiter I blogged about my experiences on the internet.
    Exploiting that negative allowed me to uncover opportunities I never
    would have dreamed possible for myself. I struck into a void, bypassed
    obstacles, and hit my enemy where he least expected it. Who’s my enemy
    you ask? Why myself of course.

    The two men finish their coffees, pay the check, and leave. I go
    outside to catch a breath of fresh air. I watch the younger man climb
    into an Aston Martin and drive away. As I stand on the sidewalk I think
    about what makes people happy. Kids? Money? Sex? Power? The right job?
    A nice address? Many people looking at my life would say I’ve made all
    the wrong choices. Sometimes I think they’re right. The demons of
    loneliness and failure are never far from me. But, in my less anxious
    moments, I realize my life is probably unfolding as it should. Screw
    what other people think of me.

    Sometimes, for some people, the only way is the wrong way.

May 7, 2007

  • Cha-cha-changes

    "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."
    -Nelson Mandela, A Long Walk to Freedom

    "Long time no see, Missy." I said as I seated myself across from her.
    "I know! It's been over a year since I've last seen you. You've changed!" she replied back.

    It really had been over a year since I last saw her. She was beautiful when I last saw her, but now she was stunning to say the least. Her girlishness of old had disappeared, long since replaced by a more mature charm.

    After a quick glance over the menu, we ordered lunch. As she ordered her familiar soup and salad, I smiled. The bubbly lilt in her voice was still the same. It sounded as if her words were chasing each other closely yet barely succeeding in not tripping over each other.

    We've had a roller coaster ride of a relationship since we were children. From the thrill of seeing each other almost every day to the lulls of a couple of years caused by moving and being in separate schools. We had kept in touch tenuously, with the odd emails dotted between the months or the coincidental encounters in Boston.

    However, this last break lasted almost all of our college years.

    We caught up on current events and joked about the seemingly distant past. I hadn't really thought of her that much. But now that I see her and talk to her, the camaraderie and joy that we always shared with each other came back full force.

    Before I knew it, the check had been paid for and we were outside the door of the restaurant. It might be a tired cliche but it's true. Time flies by when you're having fun.

    It must have passed through her mind as well as our conversation died down and we slowly walked back to our cars. We stopped by her car as it was parked closer to the restaurant.

    "I guess this is so long for now." She says with a girlish grin.

    "For now." I reply as I return a boyish grin of my own.

    She walks to me, quickly wrapping her arms around me. Surprised by the suddenness, I hug her back. As she unwrapped her arms around me, she gave me a small kiss on the neck. Being the slow person that I am, I let her go a long second later.

    "So long." as she opens her car and jumps in.

    "So long." I reply as I walk back to my car. So many questions flitted through my mind, quickly disappearing to the lingering sensation of her lips against my neck . How I wish things could have stayed the same.

    Standard Disclaimer Time!
    Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purley coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required.

April 16, 2007

  • Here's to my first day being 23. Cheers!

April 11, 2007

  • Banksy - Graffiti Artists

    I'm going to speak my mind, so this won't take very long.
        
    Despite what they say, graffiti is not the lowest form of art.Although you might have to creep about at night and lie to your mum it's actually one of the more honest art forms available. There is no elitism or hype, it exhibits on the best walls a town has to offer and nobody is put off by the price of admission.

    A wall has always been the best place to publish your work.

    The people who run our cities don't understand graffiti because they think nothing has the right to exist unless it makes a profit, which makes their opinion worthless.

    They say graffiti frightens people and is symbolic of the decline in society but graffitie is only dangerous in the mind of three types of people; politicians, advertising executives, and graffiti writers.

    The people who truly deface our neighbourhoods are the companies that scrawl giant slogans across buildings and buses trying to make us feel inadequate unless we buy their stuff. They expect to be able to shout their message in your face from every available surface but you're never allowed to answer back. Well, they started the fight and the wall is the weapon of choice to hit them back.

    Some people become cops because they want to make the world a better place. Some people become vandals because they want to make the world a better looking place.