.: Reminder for Everyone

:. A Synopsis

here i start again... reminiscing of the past
but this time it's different
a new body, an aged mind..

Life has taken a turn of events
An old city, and new friends..
Hopefully I land soundly.

.: Just Another Day At Work

Pictures of the sf bay while working on a roof 3 stories up.  The places I go and the views may be nice, but I really need to finish school and find a comfy white collar job so I can stop risking my life everyday.

One small step at a time to the top, otherwise you might fall!

.: Tragedy in Japan

I'm sure anyone who doesn't live under a rock knows about the heart-breaking events that are ongoing in Japan. I wanted to express my condolences for the people in Japan and to tell them to not lose hope amongst all the chaos!  It's heartwarming to see so many nations preparing and willingness to help our fellow human kind.

It's crazy how scary nature can be, I have a fear of earthquakes because I've experienced the Northridge earthquake, which was only a magnitude of 6.7, and that terrified me as a child seeing our neighborhood literally break down.

I can't imagine the pain and sorrow they must be facing from a 8.9 earthquake and pray for the best to those that are going through this ordeal.

:. Here's an insightful post by someone who experienced the quake itself from gizmodo.
I survived Japan’s massive earthquake

:. The Story of a Guild Part 2

I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback from the previous post! I've been really busy with work and school these days so I apologize for the big gaps and shortness of my posts.

The Constitution
The liberation from our first corrupt leader made us realize that we required a set of rules to prevent another dictator and ensure fairness in our guild.  The cabinet gathered and worked on a constitution to keep limitations on the leaders and formed a currency system to help distribute loot and trade amongst the members.  We were no longer savages but civilized people who respected and followed law.

The Rise to Power
To my surprise, I was elected as the next person to take the throne to lead our guild. With the help of my cabinet, our reputation began to grow through our achievements and conquers of dangerous mythical beasts.  In a blink of an eye, our guild had become the #1 nation in our land and we were suddenly busy reading resumes and doing interviews for all the people applying to join our ranks.  The guild as a whole would vote on an applicant based on their performance and attitude after a two week trial period.

I began to experience the power and influence of being the leader of a top nation as strangers would approach me with respect and try to befriend me out of the blue.  I began receiving random presents from females and no one dared to question me. Managing relations with other guild leaders were also important to establish trade and prevent any conflicts in territory.

This whole process was a strange experience for me because I was 17 during my reign in power and was the youngest in the guild.  The guild at this stage was composed of 60 players whom were all older than me.  Having everyone's obedience and respect was very eye opening on how strong power is and its influence on other people.

The Bitterness of Power
As time went on, I realized the downsides of being in a state of power.  I slowly became stressed and bitter from resolving all the drama and problems amongst guild members.The game I had once loved had become a job and I was no longer having fun but too busy managing adults who were all older than me.

The rise to power had become the cause of my death.

.: The Story of a Guild

I want to share a past experience on how certain video game communities evolve to form its own societies with structures and regulations just like a government. It's interesting how a lawless virtual world ends up becoming civilized where reputation and power becomes a great value and its influences on other players.  I have witnessed corruption, espionage, marriages, break ups, and great friendships being born in my adventure.

The Colonization Era
The story begins when a game was newly released and a couple of friends and I wanted to have some fun. Rumor was that 20,000 people had already set sail to the new world and we followed suit.  Once we arrived, we ignored the other colonizers and took care of each other but as we began to explore further, we realized that our numbers had to grow in order to survive this fiery world where dragons ruled the lands.

Our group slowly began to interact with different players and eventually formed a guild. We were a small guild exploring an unknown territory and accepted anyone who wished to join our new found colony.  These were dark times because there was no enforcement on who we invited and how we interacted amongst each other until our first leader.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S
The first elected leader of the new found colony was a man named Bishop.  Bishop was not a clergyman but a 22 year old electrician who liked to sing the B-A-N-A-N-A-S part in Holla Back Girl by Gwen Stefani.  Finally having stability and rules to follow, the colony began thriving with new members and we were up to 40 members and I was invited to become one of the 5 officer cabinet members.

The Revolution

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"

- Lord Acton

As time passed, we no longer heard the joyfullyrics that would spread laughter through the fields but the angry, crazed voice from Bishop when we failed to return with the hidden treasures from the enemies we had slain.  How can I say it, Bishop was going bananas and began abusing his power to use the colony for his greedy personal interests.

Our home had become desolate and we began to lose members left and right so something had to be done.

      

                                          
* To be Continued..
* I realized as I was writing this experience, that everything I wanted to express would make this post way too long. So I was wondering if everyone would like a follow-up post or I should just blog a new subject. Thanks for your feedback!
  

:. Stand Your Ground When Someone Tries to Rob You

It's a gloomy Thursday night and I'm on my way to crash at my friend's apartment in San Francisco.  I arrive to the deserted BART station, a public transit system in Nor Cal, around 10 pm and idly wait for the train to arrive.  As I sit down reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I notice a group of guys approaching me out the corner of my eye.

"Hey man do you have a dollar bill for my 4 quarters?".  I don't know if it was the shitty weather or the gangster attire these guys were wearing but something didn't seem right. Usually when someone asks for change, they want to convert their bills into coins.  I've never heard of anyone wantin ga dollar for four quarters.

Something's fishy.
I casually respond "sorry I only carry credit" when I actually had 2 bills stashed in my wallet and watched as they walked away from me.  The train finally arrives and me being the idiot walk into an empty compartment in the back of the train while the mystery group enters the compartment next to me.

Now the train is in route, I look up and the guy who asked me for change slides open the door, enters the compartment, and sits a few seats directly in front of me. At this point, I finally realize what's going on because the mystery man's friends are blocking the door from the other side.  I mean who would randomly just leave his friends to come into a train compartment where I was the only person occupying it.

In my backpack, I had a recently purchased aluminum Macbook and my love for my gadgets suddenly kicked in action because I was ready to fight to my death to protect my dear baby. Let's just say the next 5 minutes in the train compartment looked like this between me and the guy.

 

                                                                                       

The guy eventually got up and left without a word.  This really surprised me because he was much bigger and had his friends looking out for him.  I learned that day it is important to stand your ground and not look weak when you encounter a situation where someone is trying to take advantage of you,.  Most of these losers do not want to deal with someone who might potentially fight back.

TLDR: I'm just glad I didn't get robbed and I was ready to go down fighting like a man rather than cowering in the corner

.: Song Traces in the Mind

Breathe in is the current song that is stuck in my head.  It's funny how when a song gets stuck in your head it can either be a good or bad thing.  If its a tune thats pleasurable like the song above :P, it is a nice random surprise in the middle of the day.  Then there are the bad tunes that leave traces in the mind forever.

One song that never leaves the back of my head is Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Man.  Now I am not a fan of this song and was boggled when it became a hit during its debut.  Somehow this song has haunted me for many years and I just feel silly when it echoes in my mind.  I have to acknowledge the ingenuity of this song because of the effect it has on me even though I thought it was trash.

So what song is currently lingering in your head?

P.S. I was wondering if anyone knows an option to receive e-mail notifications when I gain a new follower so I can return the favor.

Thanks in advance!

:. Save 15% off Verizon AT&T Bills and Free Amazon Prime

Hey everyone, today was a hectic day so sadly I could only post something short.  I wanted to provide some free money saving services that I use that most people don't hear about since the companies don't advertise it openly.

If you have a work or student e-mail, you can get 15% off your phone bills from AT&T or Verizon by just submitting your e-mail from the official sites I provide.  All you have to do is submit your e-mail and just open the e-mail you receive, no need to input any information or credit card info.

Note: once you obtain the discount, the discount will happen your next occurring monthly bill, so you'll have to wait a month to see the discount take place.

Amazon Prime, a membership service that provides unlimited fast shipping, is also available for free for 1 year if you have a working school e-mail.  So dust out your old login info to access this awesome service.  If you are a regular Amazon user like me, the Prime service is something you'll love.

Verizon: www.wireless.att.com/business/authenticate

AT&T: www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/employee/emaildomainauthentication.jsp

Amazon Prime:  www.amazon.com/student

.: The Addiction Gene

When someone hears the word addiction, most people refer the word to how frequent one indulges in their addiction.  There are many forms of addiction such as drugs, sex, or the internet. People do not realize that they can be addicted even if it's not a constant occurrence.  The true definition of addiction is a continued involvement with a substance or activity despite the negative consequences.

The idea that boggles me is the fact that certain people are more predisposed to addiction if they have the addiction gene running through their family.  I'm a big fan of Loveline, a national radio show where people call in to seek help and advice, and every addict who calls in reveals that their family members are struggling the same issues.  Now I'm not just basing the addiction gene theory just from the radio show, because it has been scientifically proven that the gene exists from respectable scientists.

In my personal life, I feel the effect of the gene running through my bloodline.  My family is known to have an addictive past and I have struggled through some addictions where it has resulted in major consequences in my life.  Having the addiction gene does not mean you will become an addict regardless of what you do, but if your family history shows an addictive past, I would advise you to be cautious.

To anyone who is facing difficulties with their addiction issues, don't lose hope.  A friend of mine had been addicted to cigarettes and weed since he was 9 and has finally overcome his addiction through dedication and weaning it off slowly. Acknowledge the problem before its too late and don't be scared to ask for support from your loved ones.

:. Restrepo

Restrepo is a documentary I recently watched about a platoon in one of the most dangerous zones in Afghanistan. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the military and what occurs in the front lines of todays modern war.

It explores the dangerous situations soldiers must costantly endure in a hostile foreign country. Paralleling the adrenaline pumping events, this film shows the rare picture of the mundane activities that soldiers must combat during downtime.

As a personal thought, I used to desire to fight in war and experience combat. I don't know if this wish was due to the war games and films I watched growing up or me seeking to an exciting lifestyle. Now that I'm older, I realized this to be very naive and somethig that shouldn't be proclaimed quickly.

On the stance on war, I oppose it because it causes people to perform atrocious deeds and brings sorrow and death to both sides. Regardless of which stance someone has, I believe we should respect our soldiers because they are risking their lives everyday. This film helped reinforce my respect by conveying the emotions and tough times they face while most Americans don't even realize we are in war.

.: Funny Word Days

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog!  This blog will be composed of my random personal experiences, thoughts, and human psychology. The blog has a lot of work to be polished so expect things to develop as I make changes slowly!

Starting off, ever have one of those days where a particular word looks strange?

Now I don't mean it physically looks weird or it begins to animate.  For me it's the way its spelled or the meaning doesn't seem to fit comfortably.

I can't explain the phenomenon but it makes me giggle and think for a few minutes.
Hopefully I'm not losing my mind :T

The world holds me back..