triggering Action Potential

new videos of cats on my youtube channel. Link on the right side.

This one goes out to Jeff-- I hope you're salivating :)

Final Fantasy 2008

I have been giving the green light to jump through the final hurdle-- the final fantasy of my 2008. For 7 years, I thought it was impossible to graduate from school, weathering through some tough times. I suppose all those trials and tribulations are what getting an advanced degree is all about.

Before I celebrate too much, I have to write up my dissertation and defend it. But the idea of being able to finish by fall is a wonderful feeling--a positive motivation that's needed to run this last stretch.

It's filled with obstacles--scheduling the dates is not easy, and writing this tome will take time. Not to mention I still have a few more experiments left to wrap up. Time is not on my side for this final fight.

I think I better fill up on my mana and work some magic on the keyboard.

Baseball season outlook

Quit picking the Cubs to win! Please! I have read, for many years now, that during the preseason, the Cubs look like the Chosen Ones to play in the World Series (and even win it). But it hasn't happen. Cubs roster looks good on paper. It looks good in an EA Sports video game. But in reality, that's it (well, it does sell tickets and make money.) Even playing in the weakest division in the league, the Cubs won't make it past the playoffs. It's not the curse. I don't believe in the curse.

I mean, just look at the Yankees lineup--looks good on paper, in video games, in fantasy baseball, but they can't win in October.

so, please, I implore you to stop picking the Cubs. With 162 games in the regular season, a lot could happen. I predict Cubs will make wildcard by losing in the one-game playoff (after blowing a 10 game lead in September), and get swept in the NLCS.

Spend like you have it!!

That's the American Mantra when it comes to money. And when you don't have it, you move on to, "buy now, pay later."

It's sure biting us in the buttocks, at least for many of us whom lack the know-how of a good financial management. It is sad, because you can't take a course on personal finance management in school; you'll have to pay for it for some money-robbing fat cats to tell you.

In this economic state, it's a lesson to many people that you can't spend the money you don't have, and living within one's mean is very important. I made the same mistakes during my college years, dropping cash like cow dungs. It was so easy--you'd think you'll make back the money the next month. It's hard to live a life as a young 20s when you see your friends or strangers partying and buying up the latest electronics. Peer pressure.

Missing the big picture.

That's why this Tax Rebate/Stimulus Package is so ironic-- because on one hand, the government wants the consumers to spend the money, to put more liquidity into the markets. On the other hand, the government wants to enforce the idea that savings is a good idea for long term. So I'm caught between a rock and a hard place: should I spend the money to help stimulate the economy or should I save it in case the economy tanks and I need it for some emergency? At this point, seeing how the economy is tanking and gas prices rising, I'm putting my money away for a rainy day.

Legal vs illegal

It's a great debate, whether to legalize several currently illegalities. Top two examples are marijuana/addictive drugs and prostitution. To break down in pure economic terms, it actually makes more cents (senses) to legalize marijuana and prostitution because then they can be federally regulated, instead of federally sought after. A lot us act irrationally and tend to like activities that are "illegal" or "forbidden." We enjoy the rush of not getting caught. So psychologically, once marijuana usage can be documented and becomes widely available, where is the rush of getting some Mary Jane while you're looking behind your back? Making something illegal also means that someone will try to be a smart ass and bend the rules--ie criminals. Perhaps marijuana and prostitution don't have the strong backing of say, firearms, alcohol, or the tobacco companies, where these three have also caused many sad stories, but at least the government has some regulation and is collecting taxes from them.

Of course, it is also about morals and protecting those who are innocent bystanders. Paying money for sex?! Sure, it is the oldest profession in the human history, but there are health-related issues and consequences that result from rampant sex. Legalize marijuana could lead to widespread usage and more problems than now. but the truth is: we are already dealing with these issues and spending the money and efforts, how's that different than making it legal and have more control over it than let some Joe Chill be the boss?

again, we are irrational thinkers. We sometimes just don't choose the best course of action, because that's how we wanted it.

5 years!

Wow, I just realized that I have been blogging for almost to 5 years now. How time flies. March of 2003 was when it all started.