2009 in pictures

Last year I recall attempting to write up some summarizing thing for my livejournal, going through important things that happened in each month. I think I was at maybe July before I got too lazy and stopped. This year, I will instead use pictures, and show one cool thing I did each month, proving that my life is interesting and fun and full of intrigue. Enjoy.

1. January

My first ever Exploratorium Rubik's Cube competition. Had been wanting to go to one for years, and finally got to! No world records were set, but I did "win" the Life Award with a result of awesome.

2. February

I went to see Wicked. I got to wear cool shoes. I knew all the songs. It was amazing.

3. March

This was a happy month although I don't quite remember what I was doing. Here is a green flower I got for free on St. Patrick's Day.

4. April

I had a McGangBang. lulz. It was quite good.

5. May

Not something cool I did per se, but they were putting in new windows, resulting in a hole in our wall for a day! All while I was studying for finals, great timing.

6. June

I met Sarah Dessen! She was one of my favorite authors in middle school/high school. Also bought my first book by her, which is also my favorite - This Lullaby.

7. July

Death Cab for Cutie at the Greek Theatre. Along with Ra Ra Riot and Andrew Bird. Got my tickets the day of, so cheap!

8. August

US Nationals at Stanford. In which I got two 17s solves! Fun weekend too :)

9. September

This was a busy month so I don't have anything specifically taken during it, but I was working on a production team for BARE magazine, culminating in this super fun photoshoot in October.

10. October

Dressed up as Elphaba (minus the green) for Halloween! Then did some negative cube solving. (Check out Bugs Bunny's whiskers teehee)

11. November

Went to two back-to-back Rubik's Cube competitions, in which I started competing in one hand. After the 2nd competition Berkeley also killed Stanford in football.

12. December

Received my amazing gorgeous Nikon D90 body and started learning to take pictures. Expect better pictures next year!! Also, I think my hair length has come around full circle.

I have concluded that Tumblr...

..is for people who don't know HTML. Or can't format their blog entries (with or without HTML). Or need predefined formats for their entries. Or even just can't come up with their own material and need to "reblog" other people's.

Basically it is an awesome (or ridiculous) combination of Twitter/Blogger/Livejournal. And I say that with all the love/respect I have for it.

Say this blog of mine, "show me something pretty," was actually on Tumblr. There wouldn't ever be gaps and months of MIA-ness. In fact, posting would be so easy, it can be done 12938921 times a day. Observe -

Step 1: Login
(this one is actually kind of hard because the "Log in" link is smaller than the SIGN UP NOW part. Just shows how much Tumblr loves its users)


Step 2: Click something
You can choose from six options - Text, Photo, Quote, Link, Chat, Audio, Video. With the exception of Text, most of these categories assume a small text box for your "blog" post.



All you need is a URL and you have a blog post! So silly how people try and come up with actual articles.

The best part is the "Advanced Options" on the right. Like changing the HTML or the color or the font style or the... oh wait.

If you can't think of anything, no worries. Just click on this button. It's like an instant entry generator!


Step 3: Post!
Click the post button. And go back to step 1. Repeat. Forever.


So now you're probably wondering, where is my Tumblr? Yes, I did make one. Yes, I did use it. No, I don't know how often I'll continue to use it. No, I don't know if I'll become addicted to it... I titled my Tumblr "how to disappear." I have decided that it can be a clever and subtle message to Tumblr (instead of a reference to fanfiction) - disappear plz. Just kidding. No, really.

Let your imagination take root...

A couple of days ago I had been thinking about my life back in high school/middle school compared to my college life. What did I do all the time, cooped up in my house after school with limited transportation and at times limited internet access? (dial-up netzero, anyone still remember that?)

Managing my own forum, of course.

(I had a thing for something-spirit-something)

Eventually became co-admined with KP, who made the latest layout. We had almost 2000 members and was actually pretty active at one point (until we stopped checking it).

Should I be worried that I managed to login to my admin account with my current password? That means I've been using this password for ~5 years...

Also, from 8 Top-Paying Part-Time Jobs for College Students
1) Computer Lab Assistant (on-campus)
This is me at work reading about what an awesome job I have. Go me!

Happy Anniversary Blog!

Around a month late, but it's been a year! I renewed my redirect domain a few weeks ago. My first post here, as usual, was a shameless plug for Livejournal, on Oct 3rd, 2008.

One year later, I was obliviously eating sushi, unaware that I was missing our anniversary. Following the football game, in which we epic failed. Studying for something probably.

Haven't had any bright ideas for posts recently, but here's to another year of happy thoughts!


Happy clothes!


Happy animals!


This one's just funny.

RescueTime rescues time

So for the past week I've been using this handy time tracking tool called RescueTime. It basically keeps track of the time you spend on all your windows and categorizes them from -2 (very distracting) to +2 (very productive).

It's kinda fun. You can tell them you want to "get focused" for however many minutes, and they'll block all your "very distracting" sites.

(I have yet to actually use this feature. Like I'm going to let some program tell me what I can and can't do)

Then they give you detailed reports of how long you've been productive/unproductive.

More productive during the weekend - to be expected.

It also breaks it down by categories.

For some reason it doesn't realize how much TV I watch on my computer...

I kind of feel they should have a more forceful version. Maybe something that includes an angry pop-up that appears when you've spent too much money shopping online. Or a witty message that shows before they destroy my farm on Farmville. Or even automatic IM responses that will alienate all my buddies and prevent them from IMing me. Maybe it'll happen when I start setting time goals.

But the best part is, when your productivity becomes positive, you get this teeny tiny ribbon:

Huzzah! All that hard work and they couldn't even make the ribbon a little bigger. It'd be nice if it flashed and glittered a little too. Something else they should add to the more forceful version.

boys are awesome

*Names have been changed to protect identites

So as I hope you will be able to tell, I am not Cone*. I am nothing like Cone. Cone is a girl, while I am a boy. Cone is cool, while I am pretty much the definition of awesome that you’ll find in the bible. Cone is interesting most of the time, I am interesting all the time. The list could go on and on.

Even though I am not Cone, I thought I should write about something that Cone is interested in. Unfortunately, I never pay attention to her when she is talking so I have no idea what her interests are. Labels to the rescue! On the right bar of this blog,  you’ll find a list of all the labels Cone has used before to tag her posts with. I’ll just assume those are her interests. I said above that I don’t pay attention to Cone, but she talks so much that sometimes I can’t tune everything out. So I’m going to give you my impression of what she thinks about her interests.

Quick note first: I am surprised that there are no labels for ‘Legolas’ and ‘green’.

Books: Cone likes books. Cone likes to read books because it makes her feel smart, unless the book is a textbook, in which case she does not like reading books because occasionally they make her feel dumb.

Boys: As a general rule, Cone thinks boys are dumb. As with any rule, there are a few exceptions. First of all, even though I am a boy, I am not dumb. Secondly, Cone never thinks boys are dumb until they stop talking to her.

Celebrities: Personally, I do not know much about celebrities. I think Cone must like them though. One day, I wish to be a celebrity so Cone will like me too.

Emo: Cone is emo half the time, and thinking about being emo the other half of the time. Even though she talks as if she dislikes emoness, she secretly loves the feeling. Cone is a closet emo.

Fashion: Cone prides herself on being on top of the latest fashion trends. Whenver Cone sees people dressed in simply jeans and a t-shirt, she likes to think to herself about how much better dressed she is. She then gets a big smile on her face because she is happy that she has a superb fashion sense.

Music: Cone likes music. She likes Stars, Eminem, and maybe even Soulja Boy.

Pictures: Cone enjoys taking pictures of good looking, well dressed people. I am one of these people.

Rubik’s Cube: Cone lurvs rubik cubes. She will see to it personally that you get hurt if you spell it rubix cube. Cone likes these cubes because she twists and spins them very fast. Some people might say that she needs better hobbies, and I think these people are right.

These labels all served to give a clearer picture into Cone’s interests. So if you want to be Cone’s friend, all you have to do is… read emo books about celebrities’ fashion while looking at pictures of rubik’s cubes. And most importantly, don’t be a boy because boys are dumb.

This was a guest post by Chubbers. Check out his blog and my corresponding post here

Freshmen Hunting

As the start of school approaches, one may notice on a college campus the sudden appearance of a great many individuals who seem "glad" and "cheerful" as they make their way from class to class. Depending on your preference, you may want to avoid or instantly bond with such "freshmen." Therefore, I've written up some tips on spotting them.

Tip 1: They travel in packs
Freshmen never move alone. They are continuously trailing along a roommate or two, sometimes even their entire floor. At this point even something like "Let's go buy textbooks from the overpriced bookstores" will conjure up half a dozen eager faces, ready to head out with said freshman.


"I love studying on the grass in bright neon colors!"

Tip 2: They have their ID/keys/good luck charm from Mom around their neck
I suppose this makes it harder to lose, but that's what pockets are for, and this fashion statement is way tacky. Everyone and their mom has a student ID with a corresponding lanyard, not original at all. Try having it hang out subtly from a jeans pocket instead of loped around one's neck.

Tip 3: They're still wearing their high school class shirt or some sort of first-day-of-school ensemble
So they look like they're still in high school. Probably busting out a new Abercrombie & Fitch hoodie that looks the same as the ten other ones they own. (for further info, consult this post) A class shirt can also instantly indicate what year they're in (ie. freshman)

Tip 4: And finally, they talk way too loudly and look way too excited.
You can probably expect them to show up to class around half an hour early, in order to mill around outside and introduce themselves to a new friend. They talk about everything with absurd levels of enthusiasm ("ZOMG the expired bread at the dining commons was sooo good roflcakes")

Just wait, kids. In a few years all of you freshmen will be old and bitter like me. Just kidding. I'm a freshman at heart :D


I love school and learning and studying and learning!!

A Weekend in Pictures Part 1

Part 1 because more may be coming soon.


The venue. Dinkelspiel Auditorium at Stanford University.


Darren doing a mystery puzzle - solving emo cube with 3D glasses!


Me and Macky judging. I swear I just looked away on accident. lol.


Another mystery puzzle - team blindfold with TouchCube! DNF.


More team blindfold fun.


"yesyesyesyes nooooo no yes! yesssss" team bld using only yes/no


Day 2 - skirt/dress day


Berkeley kids warming up


BBQ at Lars Petrus' house


Day 3 mystery puzzle - crazy cube sudoku! Another DNF.


Awards! I got one too :)


We're all winnars!!

Photo credits: Lucas Garron, Stanley Wong, Lars Vandenbergh

EPIC.

SPOILER WARNING.

If you've known me for a while then you'll know that I used to be an avid Potter fan until the release of the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I even joined a Facebook group about how bad it was. But right now I won't go on about the numerous reasons why HBP was bad (ask me in person or see my livejournal for that), I'm going to say good stuff about the movie.

They basically took every ridiculous funny thing in the book (all the snogging, for one), and made it hilarious in the movie, which I greatly appreciated. Finally I can actually laugh at stuff they made funny intentionally (and not at how bad the movie is). Cormac was priceless! And of course, lovely lovely Luna is still my favorite movie character.


Adorable! Too bad it didn't roar though.

And how about these points:
-Michael Gambon finally produced a decent Dumbledore
-Tom Felton finally fulfilled his Draco potential (I quite liked the dark shadowy Room of Requirement scenes) Yes no one can be as awesome as fanon!Draco but Tom did a good job
-Dan Radcliffe is getting better and better at acting.
-Emma Watson. Enough said.

This movie is the perfect buildup for the double Deathly Hallows whammy. Relationships are set up and Horcrux story is introduced, not to mention accompanied with an amazing lake scene with appropriate EPIC music (think LOTR) and fantastically scary dead people. The ending was a little disappointing relative to the climax though. Harry and Hermione in a Deep Talk while Ron sits to the side? Meh.

Other minor disappointments:
-Ginny is still not as kick-ass as the books
-Bill/Fleur???? I want Clemence Posey back but it's not going to happen :(
-No amazingly beautiful and sad funeral scene in which everyone hooks up
-Alan Rickman as Snape was good but could have been so much better. Maybe show a little more emotion while being cold and showing none?
-Bellatrix was amazing but totally stole Cissy's lines. What happened to the "MY ONLY SON WAHHH" bit?
-Different Tom Riddle actor but this guy was good too.


Need moar evil plz. (haha I win Patrick roflcakes)

go cry, emo kid

Here I've compiled a list of things that I do when I'm feeling emo. I sure do like lists. Hopefully this helps some emo kids out there when they feel like letting the scissors slide.

1. Listen to cool music
Specifically, angry music! I find that Eminem helps a lot when I'm angry! If you need some music to listen to, here is my Last.fm page.

2. Eat something yummy
Candy helps. So does ice cream. Although you should eat them when you're not emo too. Preferably with me.

3. Buy something awesome
Not that I'm advocating spending crazy money (for all you perpetual emos), but there's nothing like finding an amazing deal to cheer your spirits. SlickDeals and DealNews are good places to start. The sheer anticipation of knowing that somewhere in cyberspace something awesome is on its way to you - a good feeling indeed.

4. Make a long rant
Get out all those emo feelings onto paper! A diary perhaps. Or if you're a technology lover, an online journal. You can lock it up and hide it in the deep depths of the internet if you'd like too. Later you will look back at these epic paragraphs of feeling and self-discovery and nod at how profound and deep you are.

5. Rant to someone else
That is what AIM is for. Of course, if no one will listen to your emo ramblings, there's also Omegle (talk to strangers!). Eventually you'll find someone sympathetic to your troubles. I still recall one of them comforting Stephanie once, when she described to him how she'd never held hands with a guy roflcakes.

6. Look at cute things
This never fails. Cute Overload preez.

7. And the last one...
is to STUDY. Who has time to be emo when you have a midterm tomorrow and reading to catch up on and work and everything else? Academics are always #1 priority right. At least it's kind of productive. And you can feel good knowing that somewhere in the near future, because of your hard studying skills, you will have a good job and money and can simply stop being emo and buy yourself some happiness.


awww!!! being emo is no fun :(

Why You Should Put On Clothes (and How)

While college is a great way to show off your style, wear what you want, be accepted and all that, it does actually mean you should put on clothes. Like actual going-out clothes, not your pajamas or sweatpants (or underwear *cough*Irvine*cough*) As much as I enjoy lounging around in fat comfy pants and t-shirts at home, here are some reasons why and how I keep these clothes at home (or the gym, but we all know how much I go there ha).

1. Regular clothes are just as easy to put on
Changing your clothes takes so little time. Why not go from homeless-look to stylish-look in less than five minutes with a change of pants? It's silly that some people can't be bothered to put on decent clothing, especially if you're going to class - maybe you can't be bothered to pay attention either.


Sweats should not be worn in public. Uggs should never be worn period. I've never understood why people wear Uggs (especially in the summer) or sweats, and unfathomable why they'd wear them together... do they elongate your legs maybe? Make you look less like a chunky Eskimo?

2. Regular clothes make you more alert
Going off on that last point, putting on going-out clothes make you feel like you're out and not just in the comfort of your own home. There are other people around that you have to consider and things you have to pay attention to. It puts you in the right mindset to focus (if you're in class or taking a test) - not fall asleep. Instead of lumping around (and looking) like a sack of potatoes, you can look fresh and ready for whatever the world has in store for you!


Mmm potatoes! but not an attractive look

3. Putting on clothes makes you look modest and decent and not like you're in your underwear

This is not an outfit. This is your underwear. Underwear should not be worn as outerwear. That includes wearing leggings as pants. No picture provided because no one wants to see every cellulite curve of your lower body. Save it for the gym.

But still wanting to look mildly promiscuous? The trick to being revealing but not like a street hustler is to expose certain parts but keep it modest everywhere else. Case in point: show your legs, but cover up the top -

Kate Moss is a good example. Cover up! And put on some real shoes (ie. not flip flops)

4. Running shoes do not go with dress clothes
Until recently, I've never noticed how silly it looks for guys to wear nice khaki pants with running shoes. This look is mainly channeled by Asian dads or other equally nerdy guys who are noobcakes at dressing up. If you're going for a business casual or slightly dressy look - running shoes should not be in the equation. Especially when your pants are too short.


Hmm... which one doesn't look right? There are plenty of comfortable-slightly-dressy shoes out there - try a little something called matching.

5. Don't wear clothes all from the same brand
Okay this last point doesn't have much to do with the previous ones, but annoys the balloons out of me. Remember high school, when it was cool to have "ABERCROMBIE & FITCH" emblazoned across your chest and all other body parts, announcing to the world that you have succumbed to their mindless following? Well in the real world, it isn't.

If you wear clothes from all the same brand (especially Hollister, AE, Abercrombie), that is not called having style. That is called overpaying so you can assume the role of their walking billboard. Yes, you match and look put-together - well duh, because everything is from the same store and all look the same! Not to mention that in A&F ads, none of the models seem to be wearing any of their clothes anyway. BAD IDEA (see above points).


Not sure what they're trying to sell here, but it's definitely not clothes. The end.

Why I Hate Physics

Because my textbook is so messed up:



So I sold it back to the bookstore >D

I also made spring rolls! NOM!

And that's all for today