I Defected to Xanga

Blogspot has been good to me.

But it seems I'm getting more readers at Xanga.

Note: Click on the link to see my new blog.

21-Year-Old American Soldier Witnessed Best Friend Die of Land Mine Explosion

I was reading an article at 24 Hour Fitness about a young soldier who had recently spent time in Iraq and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He had witnessed his best friend die from a land mine explosion. And was face-to-face with the lifeless body of a 12-year-old girl — the result of a raid by certain members of his unit on a village of children, women and elderly Iraqis. There's a pending investigation on the suspected culprits.

After I read the first few paragraphs of the article I began thinking about how sobering it must be to experience such harrowing incidents. I don't think I'd ever be able to laugh the same way or enjoy the company of friends or continue to live life as I had before.

I'm 28 Now

St. Louis Rams star Marshall Faulk has played 12 seasons in the NFL. He has won a Super Bowl and made seven Pro Bowl appearances.

I turned 28 two days ago.

Some things I'm learning about myself:

1) I'm drawn to humble and gentle types.

2) I like eating baked beans mixed with corn. It's an easy-to-cook meal (lots of fiber, too).

3) I prefer quiet (at work and in my living environment).

4) The Rainbow Sandals I bought were a wise investment. I'm still wearing the same pair I bought five years ago (I was a fifth year senior). They remain in good condition.

5) I'm my own worst enemy. The way I conduct myself in situations, for the most part, either has a positive, life-giving effect on me or results in me feeling unpleasant or empty. I'm trying to do more of the former.

6) I like driving my '99 Honda Civic.

7) I love L.A. — the self-segregated racial diversity, the urban sprawl, the pizza places and burger joints, the Mann Chinese Theatre, Huntington Beach, the libraries. I know it has its drawbacks (e.g. traffic jams). But I don't mind.

8) I prefer to be around Asian Americans when it comes to church and community group. I checked out a church once in which there were a lot of non-Asians — not my thing.

Note: My men's group is filled with different races (i.e. Chinese American, white, Mexican-american, black, Korean American). I feel like this is where I really experience "church." We're really open with each other about our struggles. The people with character are held in high regard. Each person takes a turn speaking if he/she wishes to (cross talk isn't allowed). We call each other to see how the other is doing. The group is centered around ideas such as the first step to transformation is the admission of powerlessness, and turning our will over to the care of God to experience a new, better life.

I feel a closeness with them I don't really have with most other people. It just validates a message I heard a pastor give once about how people can't connect with a person through his accomplishments and strengths, but through his weaknesses.

Other things I'm learning:

1) I like to run.

2) I like to read.

3) Costco hot dogs are the best I ever had. Hands down.

I Got a Job at Yahoo! as a Listing Editor

Fortune Magazine named Yahoo! one of the top 100 companies to work for in 2006.

I got the call today from my job agent at Ajilon.

I start May 17th (my birthday).

I guess all the preparation I did for the interview paid off. My job agent gave me a booklet on how to ace interviews and I studied that for about a week.

I will no longer receive government checks.

Yahoo's office is located in Pasadena, but they will be moving to their own building (they share one now with Kaiser Permanente and another company) in Burbank in June.

UCLA Hanoolim Holds Korean Culture Night at Royce Hall

True Colors, a romantic comedy, was written by Reuel Kim, my small group co-leader.

I attended a play at UCLA held by Hanoolim — a Korean culture club — that included traditional dancing and music (including drums).

It was a modern-day story centering around a 26-year-old Korean American woman (adopted by white parents) who teaches an art history class as she works toward a PhD.

I enjoyed the interplay between the performances on stage, and the crowd's reaction.

Note: Korean Culture Night is an annual stage production presented on the UCLA campus. It is the largest known Korean culture performance in the nation.

Another Hit Movie Recommended To Me By Netflix

Murder On A Sunday Morning.

It's a documentary about a black teenager who is accused of murdering a white woman at a hotel in Jacksonville, Florida.

The film is directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. I gave it a five-star rating at netflix.com.

Netflix Provides Much-Needed DVD Rental Alternative to Walk-In Stores

Netflix founder Reed Hastings.

I started renting films from Netflix last year.

Their huge selection — over 55,000 titles — is one of the reasons I have a membership.

I remember there were times when I would walk into a video store looking for an Akira Kurosawa film or some documentary that I read about on Roger Ebert's website, but would be told by a clerk that they didn't carry the movie I was looking for.

I no longer have to experience this because of Netflix.

Patrick Goldstein of the LA Times wrote an article about it.

I'll Be Attending Film School at LACC This Summer

Going to film school has been on my mind for the past two years.

I believe in the visual medium. It catches peoples' attention. It reaches a mass audience. And I think it has this special ability to reach people at a deep, soul-shaking level.

It only takes four classes to obtain a certificate in cinematography — my area of interest.

Some of the movies that I think had stand-out photography were:

1) Sleepers
2) Ran
3) George Washington
4) Badlands
5) Days of Heaven
6) He Got Game

Los Angeles Community College has had some notable film industry graduates. They include Albert Hughes (co-director of Menace to Society) and Karen Moncrief (director of Blue Car).

My Take on Laker Fans at Staples Center

My friend Sang and I had pretty good seats (procured by me) at a preseason game against Charlotte. I stole these images from his blog.


Laker star Kobe Bryant prepares to shoot a freethrow. He is a top candidate for MVP this season.

I went to a Laker game (vs. Trailblazers) earlier this week.

It seems a lot of truly die-hard fans (of which I am one) don't seem to show up.

My personal theory:

1) Angelenos attend Laker games, not because they're fans, but because they want to catch a glimpse of a few celebrities and maybe watch the game if it is close.

2) Company executives invite clients to a Laker game as a treat, in the hopes that the clients will be more swayed to do business with them.

3) Going to a Laker game is a trendy thing to do, even though the person attending the game may not really care about basketball. Since the Lakers are L.A.'s marquee professional sports franchise, it is hip to tell friends and acquaintances: "I went to a Laker game."

4) Real Laker fans (most of whom are in the low-income bracket) can't afford to go to most of the games, therefore, the most passionate, vocal, loyal ones watch the games at home, or at a sports bar.

Clippers Will Move to Orange County for 2006-2007 Season

Although one of the most reviled owners in sports, Donald Sterling has made the Clippers into one of the NBA's most profitable teams in recent years, due in large part to the team's low payroll.

In an attempt to forge an identity away from L.A.'s other professional basketball team, Clippers' owner Donald Sterling has decided to move his team to the Anaheim Pond, it was reported today by the Associated Press. Sterling said he will rename his team the Orange County Clippers.

A few years ago, Sterling was given the same opportunity to move his team to the Pond, but said he didn't want to drive in freeway traffic on his way to watch games. He also mentioned he didn't want his friends to drive in traffic either, and that his commute would have been too far. Anaheim city officials offered helicopter rides to and from Clippers' games, but he refused.

Now it seems Sterling has had a change of heart.

Realizing Los Angeles is synonymous with the Lakers, and not wanting his team to play in the shadows of one of professional sports' most successful and glamorous franchises, Sterling made the final call on the Clippers' move to Orange County after urgings from Clippers' officials and outside consultants (including David Stern).

The Clippers have long had a history of losing since moving from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984. And they were often known as L.A.'s second tier basketball team because of their losing records over the years.

The move to Orange County allows the Clippers to have a city they can call their own.

5'8" Nate Robinson Wins Dunk Title

Nate Robinson was a standout at the University of Washington. He also played defensive back for the Huskies football team. He's known for his tenacious heart and passion for the game.



I've been playing in a basketball league at church (Youngnak). I scored a left-handed lay-up on this play (had six points in the game).

Kobe, Shaq End Feud Before Game at Staples Center

Shaquille O'neal made peace with Kobe Bryant at midcourt before tip-off last night at Staples Center. The Lakers won 100-92.

After the game, the two spoke to the media about their reconciliation.

Shaq: "His wife's having a baby and my wife's having a baby, so I just went up to him and said congratulates on the baby. We'll see each other again when you guys aren't around. We'll sit down and have a conversation."

Kobe: "It made me feel good. We've been through so many wars together. It feels good to be able to enjoy that again and now just be able to move on, and for this organization and the city to move on and focus on building this team, and wishing him all the best with his team down in South Beach."

Bryant added later that he is looking forward to sitting down with O'neal somewhere in South Beach or Newport Beach during the offseason to further mend their rift.

Kobe: "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that. We'll probably talk about tricking out cars; like putting hydraulics on a '53 Impala. We'll be talking about fun stuff."

I bought a copy of the L.A. Daily News and the L.A. Times today and cut out the front pages of the sports section and pinned them on my living room wall.

Crowd at Clippers Game Turns in Favor of Kobe

Smush Parker and Kobe Bryant engage in a chest-bump celebration after a victory over the cross-town rival Clippers.

Ever since the Lakers and Clippers moved to Staples Center, I've really looked forward to watching the two teams play against each other. Especially when it's a Clipper home game. There's something about a sold-out Clippers crowd rooting against the Lakers — L.A.'s more popular hoops team.

It's like the little brother trying to trump the big brother, at the little brother's home turf, with all his friends wildly cheering him on.

As I was watching tonight's matchup at my apartment, I saw something at an NBA game that I've never seen before.

In the opening minutes of the fourth quarter Kobe Bryant hit two three-pointers in a row. Then a well-defended pull-up jumper. Then another three. The Clipper crowd was in a frenzy. They began chanting "Ko-be,Ko-be, Ko-be."

In the first half, he got booed whenever he got the ball.

It was freakish to hear the Clippers' crowd cheering emphatically for a player on the opposing team.

The Purple and Gold went on to win the game 112-109. Bryant finished with fifty points.