Pirating

Chris' movie post got me into thinking about piracy again. But movie and even music pirating isn't as big a deal as video game pirating. Movies are probably watched by people more in the theaters than on illegal websites. I've also read that music artists make more money on concerts than CD sales or legit downloads, so they can still makes tons of money. When people download hacked PC games or buy used copies of PS3 games, the makers get NOTHING.

Before I get into my main point I would like to answer the rhetorical questions: Is pirating a sin? Is it okay to pirate?

Answer is yes and yes, because we are human. We like to get things free, even it would have only cost us a dollar.

Just like in natural selection, the relationship between seller and buyer is a struggle. Whoever comes out with better tactics and strategies wins, until the other side retaliates. I will not get into morals, only law and enforcement. We know the world is a place where not everyone follows the rules for the sake of it. I admit that I avoid my phone in the car only out of fear of a ticket. On the other hand, I keep my car at 70 because I derive my excitement on turns, and I like to save gas. If I was more crazy, I'd probably drive at 85-90 and tell the law to suck it. My point being is that we follow some laws out of natural inclement, and others because of fear of punishment. That's as far as I'll speak about morals. The only thing that matters is what video game makers and players can do.

Here's my own life memory of video game protection:

1995ish I remember after you installed Doom it was able to run off your hard drive.

1997ish I remember playing a flight simulator game that required you to run the CD in the tray, even though all data files are installed.

The gamer solution: make CD copies and pass them out to friends

The maker solution: CD encryption

2000ish Sim City required the real CD, it would know if you were running a fake.

the gamer solution: hacked EXE files of the program no longer required the CD aka "no-CD cracks"

the maker solution: STEAM digital distribution

2003 or 2004 is when Steam came out. At first I thought it was just for CS to convert online CD-keys into accounts. Boy was I wrong. Steam allows makers to release games that had to be activated by Steam. Once a new CD key was locked into an account, that's it, it's useless. This made even single player games unsellable.

Even with all this anti-piracy action, most gamers are playing pirated single player games. Hackers found ways to bypass Steam logins.

the maker solution: force the game itself to work only after connecting to the company's servers.
Starcraft 2 can't be played on LAN, and apparently Diablo 3 single player won't load unless you connect to the internet.

The piracy issue was pretty isolated to PC games but it's being targeted in console games now.

Gamestop makes billions of dollars off used games alone. The video game industry wants a slice of the pie but Gamestop pretty much gives them a middle finger. How ironic, I thought game makers and Gamestop were best friends when I was a kid. Games make nearly all their money in the first few months, then people buy the used versions. Apparently this is a reason that games cost so much now.

It all comes down to whether you think buying a PS3 disc entitles you to property or a license. The gamers say it's their property and that they can sell it. Makers say that it's a license, but they have no power to enforce that. The only thing they can do is to force registration.

BF3 was the first console game that made you enter a CD-key and lock it into one account. If you buy a used BF3 at Gamestop, you will need to buy a $10 license fee to play online. I think most online games will do this from now on, pretty much ensuring that I will never buy a Call of Duty game again. And there are discussions about making the next Xbox or PS4 game discs just data, and having to pay full price for licensing.

Alot of gamers got pissed at this but I thought it was pretty smart. I support what people do for their own interests in business. If hackers can get around it, good for them. Makers want to make money, and the people want to be lazy and steal without punishment. Of course the most moral people won't steal software, but like I said, we all have different morality standards for different things. This is where force comes into play. We are all thieves of opportunity, it depends on how easy it is.

At least I admit when I pirate. There are those who claim to be liberating files from capitalist overlords. Or those who claim they do it out of necessity. Stealing a piece of bread is a necessity for Aladdin, playing video games is not. They are not heroes of society. They are not the only ones trying to get by. Gaming programmers have grueling schedules and it pisses them off that they are only getting a fraction of their earned money.

It's good to see both sides because although I like free stuff, I know companies won't survive if they make no money.

So here's the conclusion:
It makes sense to pirate things if you're not sure if they're good or not (while knowing it's "bad" no matter what). But if you like a game or movie or band, go buy a new version or watch in the theaters or buy a CD. If you're not supporting things you like, then its your fault if they die out.

Note to self, try to watch some episodes on TV instead of using hulu all the time...

Basketball: a reference for real life

I was reading some articles on ESPN last night, and today marks the 10th year anniversary of Allen Iverson's "practice" speech in front of the media. Here are some famous parts:

Reporter: "So you and coach Brown got caught up on Saturday about practice?"
Iverson: "If I can't practice, I can't practice. It is as simple as that. It ain't about that at all. It's easy to sum it up if you're just talking about practice. We're sitting here, and I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we're talking about practice. I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?
Now I know that I'm supposed to lead by example and all that but I'm not shoving that aside like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. (laughter from the media crowd) We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now. (more laughter)
Reporter: "But it's an issue that your coach continues to raise?"
Iverson: "Hey I hear you, it's funny to me to, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we're talking about practice."
Reporter: "Is it possible that if you practiced, not you but you would make your teammates better?"
Iverson: "How in the hell can I make my teammates better by practicing?
Reporter: "So they can be used to playing with you."
Iverson: "They should be used to playing with me. Those are my teammates. So my game is going to deteriorate because I'm not practicing with my teammates? Is my game is going to get worse? I'm asking you, is my game going to get worse? So what about my game? Is my game going to get better because other players are hurt on my team, I mean, do that hurt me? Do you think that hurts me? I'm being honest, people are hurt on my team but do that hurt me? Does that hurt me when I go out there and play 48 minutes, does that hurt me as a player? Does that hurt me if this person is hurt or that person is hurt? Do it hurt me?
Reporter: "You don't need it as much as they do."
Iverson: "What do you mean by I don't need it as much?"
Reporter: "Because you're the superstar"
Iverson: "What do you mean I'm the superstar?"
Reporter: "Because you're better than they are. One of the best in the NBA."

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Reporter: "May I respond to that?"
Iverson: "Yeah"
Reporter: "There are people that have suggested, myself included, that instead of shooting 40 percent, you...
Iverson: "What do you know about basketball? Have you ever played?"
Reporter: "Yes"
Iverson: "I don't know Phil, I don't know you as a basketball player. I know you as a columnist but I have never heard of you as a player though.
Reporter: "Why is that an issue?"
Iverson: "Why is that an issue? Because we're talking about basketball."
Reporter: "Let me ask my question."
Iverson: "Go ahead, Phillip."
Reporter: "Supposed you shot 44 percent..."
Iverson: "I don't know about that. That is in God's hands. I do not know if that will help me or not. That's God. God does that, It ain't up to you to say if Allen Iverson does this then he'll do that. That's up to God. It ain't up to anyone in here. That is up to God. He handles that.

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Iverson thinks that practice is for increasing individual skill only, so he thinks he doesn't need it, because he already gives 100% out on the real games. Because you know, basketball isn't a team sport. Also, his low field goal percentage is something he can't control, from deduction, he is saying that he shoots the ball and God determines if it goes in.

I don't even blame ballhogs anymore, most of the time they don't know that what they are doing is inefficient. I actually think it's a bit unfair for coaches and broadcasters to say that teamwork and passing to the open man is the "right way to play". It's unfair for the ballhogs with tremendous talents. So let's just say that the "right way" is the one that leads to the most win probability. Teams with high assists ratios have higher field goal percentages. That usually leads to better chances of winning. But ballhogs refuse to look at the numbers and see what they're doing is inefficient.

How does this relate to real life? I respect people for giving it 100% effort, even when they do something wrong or short sighted. Unfortunately, it's bad when they don't see mistakes. Worse it's when they refuse to admit mistakes to themselves. The famous quote goes something like this: "When you start to think you know it all, you stop learning." And when we stop learning, GG.

Moral of Iverson's career: stay humble and keep learning.

Stand Up To Bullies

My Trip to St. John's Seminary

As I was telling Ceci earlier about our trip the seminary, she accidentally said seminar. Then my Latin education kicked in and I recognized that those two words come from the root word semen, which means seed. As in things can sprout forth from those three: priests, ideas, babies. I will have to remove this paragraph for the kid version of BiA lol. At least now you will know that there is truth to the quote: "jizz is like a mustard seed" ...

Btw, if you haven't seen any of the pictures of twitter, go over there and check out the posted links: www.twitter.com/biaftw

Okay now to my main point. I enjoyed the day alot! The day was perfect because I was with Jon and Tony so there's endless jokes. But even if I had gone alone, I feel that I would have a good time. Here's why: The most important thing I took away from this trip wasn't learning how priests live and study.

The biggest thing is that we will always keep our sense of self no matter what. People change slowly over time, but only because those changes make us happy. So why fear change? If it happens, it's because you chose to make that change! Therefore, why do so many young men fear becoming a priest? Are they afraid that they will lose their personality and become prayer robots? That's probably the main fear. But I'm here to tell you that priests can be cool. If a priest is socially awkward, it's probably because he was like that before he became a priest lol.

I'm not afraid of becoming a priest. I am 100% open to it. I am not afraid of change. For example: I preach self-defense, but who knows, maybe one day I can become one of those "turn the other cheek" types. As I said before, change isn't bad because we would only do so if it makes us happy.

So what makes us happy? The key thing here is that we were all made to find love. At the age of 24, I will propose boldly: The purpose of life is to love. As Catholics, we are called to live in a relationship with God. That's the only love that sustains. I believe marriage is a special love, but it is only sustained by the grace of God. Marriages stand no chance without divine help. It's God that gives us the humility to say sorry, and the patience and endurance to go through tough times. So even if you don't become a priest, it sounds ridiculous to say you don't need a special connection with God. We can all agree that we need to search for God in our lives no matter what we become.

In the same way, men who become priests choose so not to make the world a better place, or for honor, but they do it because they fall in love with Jesus. What a great thing! Who doesn't want to experience the love of God? Others experience it through different forms, such as through marriage. But priests fall in love with Jesus and his Church. It lifts their hearts like an embrace from a loving partner.

In summary, we should take comfort in knowing that we will become what makes us happy!

But anyway to be honest with you, I don't have any inclinations on becoming a priest. I sometimes think about how the job would be, and I think I'd do a decent job. My homilies would have a dual goal of inspiring their hearts but also keeping them awake. It has been said that laughter is the language of the soul :-) But like I said, I don't have inclinations because I'm not "in love" with Jesus. We should all fall in love with Jesus, but the call of vocation is a special one. Like I said, I don't fear the call of duty. I just don't have the call. At least I don't think so. To be honest with you, I don't even know what it feels like for God to speak to me. I do believe, but it's almost a blind faith. Reason does not line up with faith most of the time, but I've put that aside and just decided to trust in God.

So in the meantime, I will follow my dreams: become a doctor, change the world through service and spreading love, bring honor and dignity to the downtrodden, bring love and hope to those who despair, and try to find God in every step along the way.

Lastly, I do want to say that I kinda miss being in love. Not in a desperate way. But I do sing along to love songs sometimes. Why? Because love is a beautiful thing, but I don't ever stress about how or when it will arrive. But I still enjoy the idea of being married and sometimes I feel like praying for my future wife, even though there's no face on her yet. And even more so than thinking of marriage, I think dating is super fun. I think "the hunt" is exciting. I know I would have alot of fun bantering with a witty girl with a great sense of humor. And I also know that I love being a knight in shining armor: doing things like writing poems, planning surprises, etc... I already try to be a knight in every day life and I enjoy it. But it's not quite as special as when you're in a relationship. So in that sense, I think I would be happiest if I met the girl of my dreams. But who knows...

Anyway, sorry if I jumped around alot, but I'm just typing what I'm thinking. Here's my summary: Priests aren't happier than lay people because they are priests, they are generally happier because they are closer to God. But married people can be holier than priests and be happier than priests. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is what pulls your heart strings, what makes you fall in love? That is life's greatest gift, and I highly anticipate it. I don't know what it is but I don't stress. I can see myself being happy no matter what path I take. I just enjoy the journey, and it feels great :-)

To understand the Ballers

To understand the Ballers, you must first become a baller.

How do you become one? You must study the many fields of knowledge. The courses you must take include the following:

1 year of Borat

2 years of Norris

2 years of Schwarzenegger

2 years of Stallone

1 year of Justkidding films

3 years of NBA

1 year of FPS games: elective of CS, COD, or BF

4 years of elementary Vietnamese

4 years of Jesus and "forgiveness"

1 year of faking accents (Viet, Kazahk, French, Russian, Mexican, etc.)

1 year of SBD

1 year cumulative of Power Rangers and Fresh Prince

1 year of WWE

1 year of Robocop

an elective in any Van Damme or Seagal studies

optional honors course: Bronson studies

These courses will allow you to understand the Ballers when they use intellectual jargon such as "a woman is like a mustard seed" or "suh suh ayah!". Or you can learn to use the colloquial "get to the choppa!" while slurring to one side of the mouth or "verryy naice". Perhaps you can also learn to understand the perjorative "duuuu you!" or "mudabitch right in the va-chim!". You will also understand elite airsoft tactics such as firing a gun from the hip in the middle of the battlefield. If you study your electives well enough, you will learn that repeated kicks to the side of the torso or quick hand slapping to the neck are the two most dangerous moves in the history of martial arts.

So if you want to join the elite circle of "insiders", you must learn, only then can you become part of the "inside" jokes.

Here's a lesson free of charge:

GMG: People who want everything to be easy

Here's a review I reamd from someone who doesn't like Battlefield 3.

Don't worry this post isn't all about video games, it's just a primer for discussion.

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I brought BF3 and COD:MW3 about the same time. I tried Call of Duty first and hated it for the most part but stuck with it and found a game I had some good fun with after a while. After maxing out a few weapons and earning a few rare titles I got bored of the game and decided to try BF3.

Over the past month I've owned it I put it in several times to try and get the hang of it but not liking it all so much (not for the same reasons I disliked COD at first). I didn't enjoy the pace of BF3.

To break it down multi-player is the highlight of this game. Offline I tried for a bit and found I liked it for the hour or so I played even though it was like riding on rails. Online the game doesn't have the experience you think it would.

Between COD and BF the biggest difference gameplay wise is the option of using vehicles. You have your choice of using just about any Jet/copter/tank/army machine you can imagine...even a freaking bulldozer.Which adds charm to the game but wait! All of the vehicles are hard as dry dog turds to drive. The vehicle controls are punishing. I crashed so many jets before figuring out how they work it was embarrassing.

If there is one question about the game people asks it's how do you pilot vehicles in this game. EA never thought to add in a bootcamp,flight school, training mode or anything at all that would make the game more enjoyable for people just starting out. So your left to be a pest to your teammates crashing equipment they need to win until it takes you X times to figure it out.

Since I brought the game mainly for that reason it was my biggest turn off from it. The FPS aspect isn't worth talking about. It's not exciting or heart pumping like COD is. You see a guy you kill him or he kills you. Guns are so so compared to COD and the accuracy of the guns is like playing baseball in the dark. You either hit or you miss when you swing but you won't know until you see someone fall or that ball fly. The weapons look more detailed and sound good though but don't expect intense fire fights as most people scope and snipe or in COD terms it's Camper heaven. Not really anyones fault but the games. The maps are so big that really scoping and sniping is the best method to take people down when your playing infantry.

Back to the vehicles though. They tried to make this game simulator and that's the problem. There's just too much crap going on and too much to remember/do. Each vehicle steers differently there are no simple controls. You'll be so busy trying not to crash or get your teamates killed you'll forget what you got in the vehicle for. Tanks are the easiest to drive but also the worse. They get stuck on everything and maneuver like well... a tank. They also don't last long as someone always has an RPG to take them out so get your rounds off quick or take down whatever you need (how realistic is that? an RPG takes down a tank?).

In a Military Action game I'd expect to be able to focus on the battle and not focusing on how to be a Pilot or tank driver which is why I'm not a fan of this game. If they want to make flight/driving simulators they should just make a separate game just for that not mash the two together. The game would be more fun with simple vehicle controls so everyone could have a good time without having logged 90000 hours into the game to master a jet or dunebuggy. I'm Using a PS3 controller to fly I don't think complex controls are necessary, I've never seen a real F/18 or Viper pilot use a PS3 controller to fly Why so Serious with the freaking vehicle controls.

I've given up learning to fly and know have become a suicide Kamikaze pilot. I find my target and crash into them. At least when I crash it will help out the team somewhat.

If BF4 comes out or any BF game I'll pass I'd rather stick with COD. I play games for fun not frustration.

Oh yeah and the game pace is so slow it is boring if you're used to faster action and heavy gun fights that make you think like in COD. I see BF3 as a game for people that fail at being COD to run to. Not many people like COD because of the skill and reflexes it requires to become skilled at but people love BF3 because it doesn't require much any of that. It's like the Anti call of duty. Hardest thing in this game is learning the GOD awful piloting controls. THIS GAME SUCKS SKIP IT!

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This fool made me laugh so much. Complaining that vehicles are hard to drive because they all handle differently(you mean I can't turn an SUV hard like a sports car, why not? what happens?!) Complaining that guns are hard to use because they have different recoil patterns and velocity drop? Complaining that real pilots don't have to use a PS3 controller (but instead a stick, throttle, and shitload of God knows how many buttons in the dashboard)?

Here's a summary of what grinds my gears.

1) What he thinks is important or vital to modern warfare is completely off. He complains that a game should stick to "focus on the battlefield" instead of vehicles (oh yeah... sorta like how the American military dominated Iraq, we sprinted our infantry across the desert without tank or plane support). This applies to ignorant and prideful fools in society that think they know what's best for everyone when they don't know jack. Being ignorant and prideful alone is one thing, but when you combine the two you get Super-Douche from the planet of Douche-ton. He can only be stopped by douche-tonite.

2) This guy doesn't care about team goals, only his own stats. He's wants a high kill death ratio, and doesn't care about his level of competition. I on the other hand, enjoy a good whooping of noobs, but also equally value a 1:1 ratio if I win a Rush game against supreme competition. You only get better by going against those better than you (in other words, losing isn't the worst thing). If you are content with being better than noobs, then you aren't getting any better. An example is an adult that thrives on dominating basketball games against kids and wants them to know he's better than them.

3) This guy wants everything to be easy. I enjoy the fact that I've crashed helicopters a couple times before I was able to fly them through tunnels. I'm still amused when I crash a plane into a near invisible radio tower. I laughed my ass off when my jeep got stuck between some debris and Tony and Jon were in the backseat and we got killed by a tank. Outside of BF3, there's other everyday slips. I appreciate the fact that I still miss basketball shots even when I'm on fire. You think I'm really good at stick shift? Sometimes I literally grind my gears because I'll stall my car every now and then.

These everyday small setbacks give you perspective that we are human who make mistakes, and you have to work to become good at something. Talent only takes you so far. So why do I laugh at my failures, while some annoying kid RAGES over his microphone? It's because I know that hard things are worthwhile because they are hard. More importantly I believe in my potential to become better. These small setbacks remind you to be humble, but it gives you hope. It lets you know how far you have come, and how hard you have to go. And knowing is half the battle.

Balance

Life is all about balance. People should be a little bit of everything, to enjoy as many things as possible and to understand as many people as possible. So here's a list off the top of my head.

Balance between working and playing. Balance between science and arts. Balance between taking shots and driving to the basket. Balance between driving to the left and driving to the right. Balance between serious and playful. Balance between a katana sword and a sushi knife. Balance between playing with bunnies and playing with "bunnies". Balance between giving honest advice and not hurting someone's feelings. Balance between holding your ground and giving way. Balance between respecting elders and doing what you want to do. Balance between being a lady's man and being a man's man. Balance between being the helicopter pilot in BF3 and being the gunner while your friend crashes the helicopter. Balance in telling lame jokes and telling dirty jokes. Balance in being a dreamer and being a do-er. Balance in eating sugary cereal and eating boring cereal. Balance in making a fool of yourself and gaining the respect of others. Balance in being wise and being youthful.

the list goes on and on...

Like a Skyscraper

I heard this song tonight on the radio while I was preparing some things for Thieu Nhi tomorrow.

This song is so beautiful, because I already had 9/11 in mind.

"You can take everything I have

You can break everything I am

Like I'm made of glass

Like I'm made of paper

Go on and tear me down

I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper"

I stopped doing what I was doing and just sat in my chair and listened. It was the raspy voice that was full of heart and emotion that caught my attention. I didn't know who it was because I didn't know any pop stars who sang like that, except maybe Hayley Williams from Paramore, but it wasn't her voice. This type of voice fits Christian rock. But anyway a quick search on youtube found that it was Demi Lovato of Disney fame (probably in Miley's shadow). Anyway I've heard of before but never heard any of her songs before. Kudos to making a great song Demi. I'm sure you'll be making nice royalties as radio stations across the country play this song tomorrow (err today).

This song connected to me on so many levels. At the personal level it reminds me that there is a will of fire deep within us that no one can extinguish. It reminds me that hatred put towards us will not win. The ultimate victory is to rise above the hate and to love yourself and spread it. I believe this song is a great metaphor for the way our nation can rise above terrorism after ten years since 9/11. There is no victory in hate, there is only victory in love.

By the way, the victims of the war on terrorism are now triple the initial amount of 3,000 on the day of the attack. About 6,000 servicemen have died in Iraq and Afghanistan since then up until now. Let us pray for the souls of the departed, for peace and successful democracy in the two new nations, and for our soldiers to come home safely.

Loving Your Enemies?

I'm going to try to keep this to the point. I was going to make a post last night but a whole day allows me to put me my reasoning together after thinking about all point of views. It is indeed good that Osama bin Laden was found and exterminated, but I am not one for dancing in the streets. Before I can tell you why that is, I need to tell you a little background for you to understand me.

I am not a pacifist. I emphasize being strong and arming yourself to defend yourself and those you love. However I also advocate forgiveness. You should try to reach out to your enemy and make peace. But as history has shown countless times, not everyone has reason and rationality. Maybe their reason and rationality has been affected by hatred or vengeance. Maybe they're just crazy. I would not feel guilty for killing a zombie or a pirate to defend myself because they both lack the ability to love.

But those are the easy cases; not everything is so black and white. There are so many cases where theres no "bad guy" or "good guy". Every battle in history has involved young men killing each other that could have been best friends in normal life. But it's so easy for society to brainwash someone into fighting because they are the "good side". I'm a sucker for glory and honor and being a brother in arms. I have always had dreams of being a soldier for those reasons. Anyone who is a fan of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings knows what I mean. It just feels awesome to fight against evil.

However if you look at a war from outside the box, at the individual soldier level, there is no bad guy. A soldier like me, one who fights for his family and teammates, will have no choice but to kill someone who shoots at me. The enemy could have been just like me, someone who helped his community to be a better place. He had no choice but to go to battle against me. If I happen to kill him, I couldn't find it in myself to gloat. It's an unfortunate necessity, so to celebrate death is wrong. The soldiers who take pictures with dead combatants in Iraq are assholes. How is that any different from the terrorists who drag civilian truckers' bodies through the streets?

So you wonder what position I take? Thus far in my life, I realize to be a pacifist is to be a fool. But to live by the sword also means to die by the sword. You know those Chinese war dramas with people flying around? As a teenager I always thought it was lame how they built up storylines where both were good guys but they were just destined to fight each other because they were heroes for warring kingdoms. It never made sense to me because I didn't know who to root for. Of course one of them has to die, but he gets a proper funeral and eulogy from the opposing hero. Some other examples are Achilles vs Hector and Naruto vs Pain. I love the movie Troy and the Naruto manga because they explain both characters and why they do what they do. Both do what they believe is good. When you are outside the box, there really is no bad side. Who is to say what we believe is good and what the enemy believes is bad? Of course we think what we do is good because it is the result of growing up in our culture. The extremists also believe what they do is good.

In the end we have to fight the terrorists, and they have to fight us. I accept that. I have to defend my way of life, and they have to defend theirs. I'd be happy to leave the terrorists alone with however they want to live, but their way of life insists on making me worship the same god as them and killing innocent people. And so we must fight. But everything we do must be done with the purpose and hope of ultimate peace through love. Violence for the sake of violence or "killing them all" will never solve anything because you cannot kill everyone. Wars will always leave orphans that vow revenge.

To end the cycle of hate we have to understand the enemy. We may not ever come to terms with them, but our actions can change the next generation. They are brainwashed by hate, and so only love can change them. It will take a long time, even some generations, but I believe it can happen. We need to reach out to our enemies with a hand of peace every chance we get, and only defend ourselves if absolutely necessary. If we are content with watching cool videos of airplanes taking off from carriers and cruise missiles launching from submarines, and yelling "Hell yeah kill those motherfuckers" (my exact quote as a 9th grader after 9/11)... nothing will ever change.

It took me nearly ten years after 9/11 to see that my views were flawed. We have to try to see outside the box, outside the "drunk glasses" that our culture has put on us. Did the people yelling "USA USA" think how video of themselves will make potential future terrorists think of us? How about neutral countries like China? Or Europeans? It makes us look like dicks. I don't care if the man is a mass murderer, just because someone deserves death doesn't mean you celebrate it. I remember the rage boiling inside me when I saw videos of Muslim people celebrating the deaths of 9/11. I swear if I was 18 at that time (with my 14 year old mentality) I would have joined the military right then and there. Our celebrations are encouraging future violence. Yes Osama died, now we should work towards making peace with his disciples. But our actions so far are doing the opposite.

I don't blame people for celebrating. We are all made differently, but people need to know the consequences of their actions. I don't blame the father who shoots his daughter's killer in the back. Even though it's justified, it's still murder. Osama might have deserved to die, but cheering his death still looks classless.

I was annoyed by the updated Facebook statuses of people cheering his death. I almost decided to mock them all with a status update of "WOOOO NATIONALISM!!" How can some people say "it's a good day to be an American". That's something you say when you land on the moon or get every kid to be literate, not when one man is killed. Blind patriotism is a dangerous thing. What's next, Obama throwing a parade in front of the White House like this?

Okay so I exaggerated with the Hitler comparison. But you gotta admit, the Nazis with their shiny helmets and boots look BADASS. Germans probably thought they were the shit, and they probably thought. "if we put our mind to it, Nazi Germany can accomplish anything, and not just because of our wealth and power."

When watching the Obama speech and celebrations with me, even my 13 year old brother has the foresight to tell me "how stupid, what are other countries going to thing of us?" Never discount the world's perception of us. That plus learning history can give us a gauge of how we're doing as a nation. If you ignore those two, you are content to live inside your bubble and be lead astray by mob mentality.

Old enemies can become good friends, all you need is perseverance and some time. Example from history: France and England treated Germany like shit with insane demands of war repayments after World War I. You know what happened. The US didn't demand any war repayment from Japan after WWII. In fact we spent a fortune in Japan to help them rebuild their country. And look at our relationship now. We're good allies. We give them F-15s, and they give us PS3s. Although they are fools, they do not know that PS3s are much more valuable than F-15s. Obama finally got the time to go after Osama because the Playstation Network is down.

Pictured: a pathetic F-15, whose air to air combat kill ratio is ONLY 100+ kills to 0 shot down. I'll give you respect when you get a thousand kills (which is about half of Rambo's kills in Rambo 4)

--------------------------------

Meh who am I kidding, I'm gonna indulge in some patriotism for the next few minutes while singing along to this song lol

Forever Young

With my previous post about my body starting to go downhill, I realize physical youth is to be treasured, but it's not the only thing that matters. You know the people who smile more and laugh more? You can point them out easily because they're young at heart. They still enjoy the little things in life. They've taught me that being mature doesn't mean you have to be serious. I want to be a Phil Dunphy when I grow up (except with better jokes).

I really do hope that I still love my hobbies as a 75 year old man. I want to always get that "hell yeah" when I switch gears at red line, the adrenaline rush when I run the fast break down the court, the thrill of the recoil sending shockwaves through my body and the little smirk I get when I see a .45 inch hole in the bullseye.

There's a difference between getting tired of something because you've grown old at heart, and giving up something voluntarily. I've always wanted a two seater car, but it's not practical with me being in Thieu Nhi and living with my family. I like having fun, but not at the expense of others. So I've decided that my compromise is to drive a fuel efficient car and have a motorcycle. Motorcycles are awesome. They give a better adrenaline rush than a convertible, and have better fuel efficiency than a Civic. It kills two birds with one stone! Yes motorcycles are dangerous. How very selfish of me to put my life in danger for a thrill you may ask? Everyone dies, yet not everyone lives. Besides, I'm going to give up the motorcycle when I have children. Like I said, I like having fun but not at the expense of those who depend on me.

This is why I'm gonna love my 20s. With nothing holding me down, I'm going to do whatever I want however I want. I do want to be a family man someday, but first I want to travel the world to save lives as a doctor and convert the hopeless and downtrodden everywhere I go. And when I get that ball'n'chain and give up the things I love, it'll be because I love something more, not because I've grown old at heart :-)

The people who make mid-life crisis purchases do so because they were too quick to grow up, and they want to regain their wasted youth. Ballers, let's not make that mistake of wasting the best times of our lives. Carpe Diem. Seize The Day. Hãy Bắt Ngày.

Mmmm.... motorcycle....

an observation from watching Jersey Shore

When women fight each other, they often grab each other's hair and start pulling and slapping each other. So my fellow women ballers, this is for you. I do not advocate fighting at all, you should just walk away. But if some crazy trick is pulling your hair, you gotta defend yourself. Notice that while both her hands are on your hair, theres nothing covering her face from the bottom. So a strong uppercut will get the job done. While you're at it, bellow out a "BOOM HEADSHOT!" Then you can walk away with dignity. Just looking out for ya, Mac makes sure no one hurts his friends.

Remember to get your torso and abs into it! Here's how to get it done:

DO NOT READ: "Challenge Accepted"

Warning: Getting on a horse may result in very sore testis

There's something about having that one person who you can really talk to and spend time with. Succeed or fail, the journey is definitely worth it. So to all you single dedicated subscribers this challenge goes out to you, GET ON THAT HORSE! I know each and every one of you and I know that anyone should be so lucky to be with you, Yes! YOU!!!!. I'd like to extend my left arm (cause the right is busy) out to you in hope that you will accept my challenge. How else are we gonna have family picnics and outings!?

Disclaimer: I have little to no experience in this matter =P

as a great person once told me, "suck it sideways"
-j.Frosty

Why do men get along easier than women?

warning: long post ahead. read this when you're taking a massive dump. a normal dump will not suffice.

For some reason or another, if I get along with two girls that I think are very nice, it usually doesn't translate into those girls getting along with each other.

It's a sight to behold when it happens: they either ignore each other, or act really nice in a fake way. It's such a shame that such things exist but they do. I've given this some thought as to why this happens, and from my education in evolutionary biology, and reading such anthropology books about development of human civilization and behavior like Guns Germs and Steel, and Mean Genes, here is my hypothesis.

Let's say we're viewing a hunter-gatherer tribe. The men start the day with the daily hunt. They have to stay focused and work together, because a mistake from one guy can totally blow a kill. So if two guys have a problem, they might throw a few punches to get it out of their system. Then they let the hard feelings go in order to work together and bring home a buffalo. Then they celebrate by sharing the peace pipe after dinner.

How would the woman's day go about? They would be taking care of the home. While not taking care of the children, they would be doing other household chores, like knitting clothes. Basically they would interact mostly inside the home and not so much with other women in the community. Well they would be around the women, but there wouldn't be any teamwork oriented goals, mostly just working within their family for the family.

The way evolution works is that those who have the best physical or behavior traits in a particular environment/timeframe will have the highest "fitness" based on how many children they have, and how many of those children will grow to have children.

I am postulating that over the millions of years of human development, the men with traits of teamwork were able to bring home the big game and share with each other when one member was starving. The loners would constantly have to go after rabbits and squirrels, and he would die if he couldn't succeed. Therefore teamwork gene passes on.

The women probably worked in a different way. Those who stayed close to their kids and dedicated all their resources to them had a higher fitness level. They were more likely to have grandchildren than the women who didn't really care for their kids upbringing. Thus they passed on the gene that encouraged isolation within the woman's personal circle.

This makes sense if you think about the two things a child needs to grow up: physical resources and love. In traditional views, the father provides most of the resources and the mother provides most of the love.

So while women were passing on the loving family gene, a nasty side effect may have been the distrust of "the other": people outside the inner circle. And since the hunter-gatherer women spent most of their day in contact with each other, its not hard to see them start comparing stuff: "my children are smarter than her children" ... "my husband is stronger than yours, and he is a better hunter" ... "oh yeah? well im prettier so i bet i can steal your husband from you" ... blah blah blah.

Now here is the really interesting part that I don't have a hypothesis for yet. How come men can insult each other and still be good friends? in fact, the more we bust each others' balls, the closer we are. But that would make women tear each other apart. i cant imagine a woman saying to another: "girl your shit stank! it must be what you ate because you suck at cooking!" lol if Frosty told me that I'd bow down and start thinking of a better comeback. But anyway, I digress, back to the topic at hand.

We are a product of our genes. Things that tempt us are because our ancestors had these tendencies, and it kept them alive. Unfortunately our genetic evolution took millions of years to evolve and what we have now is genetic lag. In leaner times, we developed a strong taste for fat because it has the greatest calorie to weight ratio. Great for packing on storage for famines! Now that we dont have famines anymore (due to agriculture) our love of fatty foods is fudging us up the wazoo. Another example is that women of ancient times didn't go to work, they stayed at home with the family. Now that women ARE going to work, that genetic lag isn't conducive to teamwork and getting along. Men understand the pack system. We may not be friends with our boss, but we cooperate and get the job done because it has to be done. Women may have the family centric gene of "i'm getting mine because my family is the best". Hence theres alot of women-women tension at the work place. Its true especially if you've seen the tension between female boss and female employee ... freakin death stares everywhere...

Okay that's pretty much it... My argument has tons of holes in it and I know that it can be refuted easily. But this is my gut feeling about why things are the way they are. I'm not being sexist, I'm only saying that we are descendant from those in which these inherited tendencies kept them alive. I'm not saying women dont belong in the workplace, dear God no. I'm just saying that due to our ancestors, they have to try harder to break away from their genetic tendencies in order to work alongside each other, whereas it comes easier to men (thats not the only thing that comes easier). It's like saying I have to try harder not to watch pr0n than Willy Bob does. that fact my friend, is an obvious truth. I am a human, I have willpower, and I have a choice. But my genetic desires make that choice very hard (that's what she said).

If you guys have any theories as to why women dont get along as easily as men, I'd like to learn more! Please tell so in the comments.

By the way guys who are single may see this as a reason to stay single and avoid the drama. But don't worry guys! Women usually only treat other women like crap, so you're in the clear! Totally In!



By the way, this is post 300! This is madness! THIS IS BEEEE AIEEE AAAAYYYYYY !

Sacred Hoops

I jacked the Column Title from one of Phil Jackson's books, where he talks about how he's been able to infuse Zen and Cherokee spirituality into basketball. I merely want to elaborate on the teamwork aspect of the "beautiful game" (that also, is jacked from the world's nickname for soccer).

A game of basketball played by five people who are well-versed in all the basics (both in individual offense and defense, but more importantly: team offense and team defense) is the most pure expression of friendship that I know.

Think about it: friendships are about having each others' backs (if one guy gets past your teammate, rotate over on defense to help) and trust (once you rotate, another teammate will rotate over to cover your spot). Also you know someone well enough to know when they are better off with some space (Jon is highly efficient with the ball in the post) and when to give them a helping hand (Bryan likes a screen to get open for a shot). It's about helping your friends when you see they're struggling ("Don't think about the miss, just shoot") and congratulate them when they do well (a slap to the butt is always appropriate).

There's no jealousy or envy. Teammates are more than happy to ride each other's hot streaks, because it contributes to the whole team. On a fast break, no one cares who ends up with the ball and scores, the team wins either way.

But there's a difference when you have a team with people that play like they have to prove something, like the fact that they are the best person on that court. There's tons of bad shots taken and bad possessions. Distrust breeds distrust and soon you have a group of people not wanting to pass because they know they won't get it back. I think it's an ideal metaphor for a group of people working together who don't work as a team. You end up with a train wreck because of a few people who want things their way all the time.

Morale of the story: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts... so go find friends who play basketball as a team, and go win (while having tons of fun) .... then apply it to real life. Win-Win situation! Now you know why we're called Ballers in Arms.

The Lore of the Last Stand

Being a lover of history, I was on wikipedia for a few hours today jumping around links when I got to a subject that I couldn't stop thinking about. What is it about a last stand that pulls so strongly on the human emotion? Is it because a band of brothers sacrifice themselves to save the lives of others? Or is it because these men would rather die on their feet than live on their knees? I think it's amazing because these people have found something worth dying for. And really, what is a life worth if you have nothing to live for? One last stand in particular stands out the most to me, and I'll get to that at the end. The last stands by the Spartans at Themopylae, the Texans at the Alamo, and Brits/French at the Dunkirk evacauations all had the same thing in common. They delayed the enemy so that their comrades could re-gather and fight. They sacrificed their lives with a strong faith that victory was sure to follow. And in those three cases, they did win: The Greeks allied to defeat the Persians, the Texans beat the Mexicans, and the Allies took back France from Germany. But the story of the South Vietnamese 18th Division really makes me want to tear up out of sadness and pride in these soldiers. The difference in their last stand is that they knew they were going to lose. There was no hope left. Political strife tore apart the Southern government, and the Americans had deserted. They lost their homes and families, the only thing they had left was the rifle in their hands and the buku balls in their pants and by God they were gonna use them. The majority of them must have been like 18-21 years old. And I'm a 23 year old wondering whether I should buy Medal of Honor or Call of Duty :/

Here's their story from Wikipedia

The 18th Division was an infantry division in the III Corps of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam considered the 18th as undisciplined and was well known throughout the ARVN for its "cowboy" reputation. In 1975 the 18th was made famous as the only ARVN division that stood fast and refused to surrender before Saigon fell.

During the last major battle of the Vietnam War, the vastly out numbered 18th Division stood and fought at Xuan Loc, 38 miles north of Saigon. This battle is considered the epic last stand of ARVN forces, where the 18th earned the name "The Supermen". It was commanded by General Le Minh Dao, a smart, conservative and emotional commander. The 18th made a defiant apocalyptic last standagainst communist forces in Xuan Loc, a city strategically important for intersecting five main routes. The fierce fighting raged for two weeks. The 18th Division, outnumbered 7:1 by the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) forces, all but destroyed three VPA divisions before finally was overwhelmed by superior numbers. The division was forced to evacuate from the city on April 21, 1975, nine days before thefall of Saigon. Upon learning the 18th had lost "Xuan Loc" that afternoon at 3:00pm President Nguyen Van Thieu made a tearful televised speech that was broadcast around the world in which he blamed the United States for abandoning South Vietnam; he closed the speech by resigning the presidency. The 18th was finally destroyed while defending Bien Hoa Air Base.

There's also stories of airmen that fought until the end. The majority of Air Force planes stripped their planes of armaments and deserted to Thailand or American carriers, but some took off with a full payload and attacked the enemy until they were shot down.

This is a picture of two soldiers from the 18th.

I think what's more amazing about the 18th that they had that reputation for being mavericks. It goes to show you that no matter what other people think of you, if you know you're right, just do what you do. There's always an opportunity for redemption. You'll get your respect and your actions will echo in eternity.

Rest easy brothers, you're free now.

Good Times Ahead

I'm awestruck by the feelings I get when I read Paper Planes. The stories they tell really bring out emotion and theres such a strong connection within these stories. Then I realize I haven't really done that at BiA too often. Probably due to a misconception that a manly isn't supposed to be emotional. Well I used to think that way, but now I have seen the light. Exhibit A: A juiced-up man on 'roid rage is full of testosterone, and he must obviously be feeling something as he smashes everything he sees into oblivion. If he has the right to have feelings, so do I.

The only thing on my mind tonight is the hope for Thieu Nhi this year. The San Clemente camp was a great way to wrap up the summer. I've gotten to know many people better this summer for sure. Some people think of me as an easy-going goofy guy who throws himself and his dignity out there for entertainment, but I really much more enjoy getting to know people through intimate conversations rather than through an exchange of jokes. I bring that up because I've had a paradigm shift as a Huynh Truong in recent years. I used to think that to get people to come to Thieu Nhi, you had to go have fun activities and get everyone to hang out and have a good time. Although those things are essential, within the last year I've realized that you hook them for life if you can gain their trust in you.

I think you get through to them not by teaching ideals or by playing fun activities but by putting yourself out there and gaining their trust. You can do that by getting to know people pass the surface, not being judgmental, by being patient with people's shortcomings, by believing in their potential to be great, and by expecting nothing in return. Sometimes they do give you nothing in return, but thats okay. Overall you get a whole community of great people who are supportive of one another. Of course I'm talking about the Nghia Si/Hiep Si, because it has always been my belief that the teenagers are the lifeblood of Thieu Nhi. It made me a little bit discouraged when I switched from Nganh Truong of NS to Thieu, but now it excites me, because I get kids a little bit before the teen years. Because its harder to talk to teenagers when they've already decided Thieu Nhi is lame and a waste of time. Sort of like playing Call of Duty Modern Warfare on very hard difficuly. It's frustrating when you keep getting shot down when you turn the same corner over and over again. Or you're approaching from a safe distance and all of a sudden you're sniped and you don't know what happened. But miraculous conversions do happen sometimes, eh Andy (not TN wise, I'm referring how you went from fat to fit)

I've also thought about what should be a HT's true source of inspiration? At training camp they tell you that you need to have a true love for God in order to teach the kids in the best manner. I think that's totally true, but can't it also be okay for the reverse? How about having a true love for the kids which encourages me to get to know God better, so that I can teach the kids about God? In both cases, you end at the same distination: a stronger individual faith and a stronger TN community.

Anyway, I am really excited for this year! More fun, more learning, more jokes, more people, more food, and more Magnifikool!

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley

Inception - 10/10
Toy Story 3 - 7.5/10
Despicable Me - 7.5/10
(all movie ratings in previous posts have been dropped by 1 point)

Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously
-J-

Mohandas Gandhi said

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

-J-

you are poor, as for me? well I'm rich.

One day , the father of a very wealthy family from the city took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip , the father asked his son , "How was the trip?"

"It was great , Dad." said the son.

"So , tell me , what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:
"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have walls around our property to protect us , they have friends to protect them.
When I grow up I wanna be just like them"

The boy's father was speechless.

Sometimes perspective is a wonderful thing. It helps us take a new look at things and think of everything we have, instead of only the things we don't.

Appreciate every single thing you have!

-J- Courtesy of [AOF] www.angryoldfarts.com

Life

55 Best Things in Life. (not necessarily in order.)

1. Falling in love.
   
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
   
3. A hot shower.
   
4. No lines at the Super Wal-Mart.
   
5. A special glance.
   
6. Getting mail.
   
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
   
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.
   
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
   
10. Hot towels out of the dryer.
    
11. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.
    
12. Chocolate milkshake.
    
13. A long distance phone call.
    
14. A bubble bath.
    
15. Giggling.
    
16. A good conversation.
    
17. The beach.
    
18. Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.
    
19. Laughing at yourself.
    
20. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
    
21. Running through sprinklers.
    
22. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
    
23. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
    
24. Laughing at an inside joke.
    
25. Friends.
    
26. Falling in love for the first time.
    
27. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
    
28. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
    
29. Your first kiss.
    
30. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
    
31. Playing with a new puppy.
    
32. Late night talks with your roommate that keep you from sleeping.
    
33. Having someone play with your hair.
    
34. Sweet dreams.
    
35. Hot chocolate.
    
36. Road trips with friends.
    
37. Swinging on swings.
    
38. Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.
    
39. Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking eggnog.
    
40. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling stupid.
    
41. Going to a really good concert.
    
42. Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.
    
43. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
    
44. Winning a really competitive game.
    
45. Making chocolate chip cookies!
    
46. Having your friends send you homemade cookies!
    
47. Spending time with close friends!
    
48. Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.
    
49. Holding hands with someone you care about.
    
50. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
    
51. Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.
    
52. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.
    
53. Hugging the person you love.
    
54. Watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
    
55. Watching the sunrise.

Frosty