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Monday, June 27, 2005

Losing my mind!

This is something that I ran across this morning on /. The topic is something that we went over ad naseum while I was at school to fulfill my ultimate dream. It is probably something that will more most everyone I know.

It seems that our civilization is creating more and more digital documents but not actually thinking of ways to store them. Now so many documents will be lost! Woo are we! I do not really think that losing these documents is the biggest issue. It seems to me that not being able to get access to the documents right now is worse (Government secrets are bad. How will I know who to vote for if all relevant data are hidden?). What good is keeping something if no one can use it? If these institutions focus on giving access to the documents and use system redundancy I think the major issue of storing the information in an archival manner can wait. My humble opinion.

Anyways, on a completely different note, tonight should be fun as I will probably be playing two hockey games. Also, Mr. Wilson will be filling in for me at softball this afternoon.

Z.Monkey

Thursday, June 23, 2005


It's a robbery!

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

Ah, Wikipedia! I think that this post is really just an expansion of the last post. In my readings yesterday I was somehow directed to Occam's Razor. This has basically become the idea that the simplest theory is usually the best; assuming that it takes all evidence into account.

I think this is the theory that I, unknowingly, used when I was a kid. Back then I was often brought to Church and I was probably as strong a believer as a little kid can be (This brings to mind the Anabaptist argument that a child cannot be a believer). Anyways, I was a avid reader and, like many children, I loved dinosaurs. This is where I got in trouble; the stuff I was learning in Church did not make room for dinosaurs (many of whose remains I had personally seen). So, I took it upon myself to see if I could figure it out. I asked my mom and others whether it was possible for the 6 days of creation to actually be billions of years. I was flatly told "No". There was no discussion, there was no explanation. This forced me to actually look at the creation myth, which I will admit is a fascinating story, and decide that it did not take everything into account and must be wrong. Of course, once you stop believing that a god did not create you, you have a hard time following any of the rituals.

I think my argument here is that creationism becomes ridiculously complex if it tries to take everything into account (i.e. God hide the dinosaur bones in the earth), therefore it is probably not correct. I do not know why this is bothering me so much lately. I think religious people just frustrate me.

Z.Monkey

P.S. 'Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity'

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Incompetence

I just finished reading this article in the New York Times. I really find it difficult to believe that people have such a hard time reconciling religion and science. I personally think that a god that created species based on evolution, or something similar, would be much more impressive than a caretaker god (one that makes something but has to keep fiddling because it didn't get it right in the first place). It just seems like they are unwilling to accept anything new, which is why I stopped going to church, stopped believing in god, stopped have faith (in god or man) and started feeling better about myself. Just be a good person and stop worrying about specifics.

[Name calling time] Pigheaded nutjobs!

If evolution is not taught in school then a whole bunch of people will be deficient (sort of like I am with grammar as I was taught none until I got to College).

Some interesting resources: http://nationalacademies.org/evolution/, http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=NEWS_letter_president_03042005_BA_evolution, http://skepdic.com/intelligentdesign.html

Z.Monkey

P.S. Delicious flood of death sweeps through Manhattan.
P.P.S. Actually, after thinking a bit it seems that I could not reconcile the two. I guess I am upset that people are willing to work so hard to disregard something... isnt it easier to go with the thing that makes more sense?

Monday, June 20, 2005

Will Post for Food

I will be posting again soon with something substantial, but right now I am catching up with work and tonight I am playing softball. You will have to wait for the violent Canadian story, more photos, videos and me complaining about missing my flight.

Yatta!

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Ich bin der Angst

Nothing like nearly getting into a fight with some drunkin' Canadians to livin' up you night! If you live in Korea with your brother and your brother is a spaz, do not let him freak out and start a fight!

More tomorrow... I need to drink some sweat and get some sleep. Er.. argh!

Hizzah to three hours of sleep!

Fuck off!

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Is it cold in here?

One of the women here has this. An idea of the specs can be found in english here. Why are all the laptops in the US so farqing big? Why can't I buy one of those from Dell? This is the kind of laptop that I really want. Something I can carry with me everywhere! Too bad the battery life is only 2.5 hours.

Merry X-Mas? No nevermind. I believe that this will be a hippie christmas (not cheap mind you). We will be making presents or buying presents that are made locally and with respect to our environment. At least I think this is the plan...

Not much new

Everything is starting to wind down now. Things are no longer new and adventurous. I am here for three more nights but I am ready go home now. So, I've been told that after a long rain you can actually see the ocean, which is 25km away (this happens once or twice a year)! I still have not purchased batteries so no new pictures. I cannot put two sentences together.

Besides meetings and working in the hotel room I went to see Star Wars. The theater was really nice even if it was owned by Loews; it also had DTS.

Tonight I get to go out to dinner with everyone here and then I think it will be the gym, a little work and sleep.

Z.Monkey

P.S. If you feel like buying me something...

Sunday, June 12, 2005

Tired Dogs

My feet hurt. Too much walking I think, especially after sitting on my ass for 7 days straight. I have a bunch of noteworthy photos to share but I had lost my USB cable, which I found, but then the batteries in the camera died. Also the backup batteries I brought are also dead... fuck. WTF by the way. I just got every email on my mailserver sent to my inbox... again. I do not need to read those 4000+ emails again. Fuck!

Crush kill destroy.

Random link: http://einstein2005.co.kr/ (remember to babelfish it)

If I get really bored this week I may learn the dance from the yogurting video, though I do not think it is physically possible to do. Also, I miss my wife... if you see her tell her I say hello!

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Last Two Days

Friday went over smoothly, with actual work only rearing its head once. After the event a bunch of us went in search of dinner and found it at The Outback. After dinner it we wandered around the wrong part of town looking for a place to have a drink, the only thing to be found were Karaoke and 'Hooker' bars. So, in a couple cabs we hopped and found a more interesting location (the name of which escapes me). We ended up in a beer bar til 4am. While there we were able to watch a bunch of Brittney Spears and even a game of Starcraft, the later being the more enjoyable. Also, feel free to check out this video... I did not know yogurt was a verb.

Yesterday I slept in past the DMZ tour... so I instead went out with some guys from Lamprey. We saw the reprocussions of Bush's meeting with Roh Moo-hyun while trying to see the changing of the guards. Then we went to Korean War museum. After, because we were tired, we went to get some beers, then to bed by 8.

I would put up some more photos but I cannot find my USB cable... I may have to pick one up today.

One observation I can make is that when people are tired after these events the response is to go find a bar. Now I am off to find someone so I do not end up spending the day walking around by myself.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

Der Stiefel

Four of us went out to do some drinking last night from a large glass boot ('Der Stiefel'). If you would like purchase a boot and give it to me please follow this link: http://www.straubs.net/Beer_Boots.html. For the game you need the following:
  • Ein Stiefel (2 liter glass boot)
  • 4+ people
  • 2x liters of beer (where x is equal to desired level of drunkeness)
  • a die
  • a glass (not clear)
First off you fill up the boot with beer and roll the die to get two numbers (from the top and bottom of the die). Then take turns rolling the die. If you roll the numbers chosen before you drink. You can drink as little or as much as you want. The person who drinks second to last buys the beer.

Photos from this and other exciting Korean activities can be found here.

Z.Monkey

Pictures

Here are some pictures from Korea. They are really crap... I know because several people have told me. I will get more pictures from other people and put them up.

Oh, and Steve is alive! And he has a kid named Riley, whose sex is unknown.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Cleansing

I have have been clean crap off of my laptop today in an attempt to make it run better. Bye bye Apache the broken, bye bye Musicmatch the obese, bye bye birdie. Yesterday, CJ, Cassie, Alex and I went to Lotte World and visited Lotty and Lorry. It was much like all amusement parks... only slightly amusing. But fun was had by all even if our understanding of Korean made the Haunted House less than scary.

This evening there is an appreciation dinner for those people volunteering. I will be partaking in Pulgoki. I think there was some of that in the Lunch buffet but I am not sure. I speak no Korean so I cannot ask the people with the food. Oh the pains of ignorance!

On a side note, I think that I am slowly recovering from jetlag though I may be getting sick again. Huzzah! Hopefully this does not happen because tomorrow is trivia night at 3 Alley Pub where we will be partaking in the boot. More on that later.

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

Thank you Babelfish

Babelfish ad nauseum.

Why are you here today?

너는 왜 여기 오늘 있는가?

Why it spreads out here today it is?

그것에 의하여 왜 그것이 밖으로 여기 오늘 이는가 퍼지는가?

By it here it happens it spreads out why today at this outside of it?

그것에 의하여 여기 그것은 일어난다 그것의 이 외부에 밖으로 왜 오늘 퍼진다 것 을?

By it here it outside it this it happens spreading out why today at the outside?

그것에 의하여 여기 그것이상으로 그것은 이것 그것 일어나 밖으로 왜 오늘 외부에 퍼진?

By it it this it happened above it of here and at the outside it spreaded out why outside today?

그것에 의하여 그것은 여기의 그것의 위 이것 그것 일어나고 외부에 밖으로 왜 밖에 오늘spreaded?

By it it happens this it of up of here it, outside why only today at the outside the spreaded?

에 의하여 외부에 이것 여기 그것의 위의 그것, 왜이상으로 단 오늘 일어나는 그것에 의하여spreaded?

By outside it dignity it of this here, only it happens why today at above, me by it the spreaded?

밖에 그것에 의하여 존엄에 의하여 이것 여기의 그것, 단 그것 오늘 의 위에에, 그것에 의하여 나가spreaded까 왜가 일어난다?

Only by it by a dignity it of this here, only by it it goes out to the up of it today and, the spreaded it peels and it happens why?

단 존엄에 의하여 그것을거쳐 이것 여기의 그것은 그것의 위에, 단 그것에 의하여 그것 오늘 나가고, 그것을 거피한다spreaded에 의하여 왜가 일어나는가?

By a dignity only it passes by it and it of this here by it only it goes out to the up of it, today, by the spreaded which peels it it happens why, me?

존엄에 의하여 단 그것은 그것에 의하여 통과하고 이것 여기의 왜가 에 의하여 일어나는 그것을, 나 거피하는에의해 그것의 위에 그것에 의하여 단 그것, 오늘,spreaded나가는가?

By a dignity only it, by it it passes and this here why by it happens and me it, or it peels by by it only on up of it it, today, the spreaded it goes out?

존엄에 의하여 그것에 의하여 단 그것은, 그것 통과하고 그것에 의하여와 나가 그것 일어나는 까 왜 이것 여기, 또는 그것의 그것을거쳐 곁에 단 위에 위로 그것을, 오늘,spreaded그것을 나가는가 거피하는가?

By a dignity by it only it it it passes and with by it it goes out and it it happens and and me it peels and and and it it and and and spreaded it above grade this here, or it passes by in side comfort it, today, it goes out it peels?

그것에 의하여 존엄에 의하여 단 그것은 그것 그것 통과하고 그것을거쳐에 나가고는가 그것 나 그것 껍질 그것 그것 일어나고는가 급료의 위 그것을 이것 여기spreaded, 옆 안락안에 곁에 그것을, 오늘, 그것 나가는가 그것 거피하는가 통과하는가?

By it by a dignity it passes it it only and to it passes by it goes out and and it boils and and and to side it it of it or it shell to happen to here spreaded of this and inside side comfort it, today, it it goes out it it peels up it of salary it passes it and?

존엄에 의하여 그것에 의하여 그것은 그것에게 그것을 단 통과하고 그것에 그것에 의하여 통행은 나가고는가 이의 헌데 그것 편들는가 위하여 그것의 그것 또는 그것 여기에 일어날 것인가 포탄spreaded안 옆 안락, 오늘, 그것 그것 그것을 통과하는 급료의 그것높은 쪽으로 거피하는 그것 나가는가?

By a dignity by it it only passes it to it and to it by it the transit goes out and boil do it do sides of the different meaning boil go out for side comfort inside the thing authorization projectile spreaded which will happen to it or it here of it, today, it it of the salary which passes it it it it peels with the high piece?

Monday, June 06, 2005

Tuesday Morning

Last night I went out to out a bar called the Nashville, which, being located on the roof of building and with the weather being so nice, made for an enjoyable evening. As I am running on little to no sleep right now (about 10 hours since I left the apartment) so I really do not think this was the best idea but it was fun. This was my first opportunity to actually leave my hotel and I made two observations: Seoul is fucking enormous and it smells like pee... I think that's because of the river... which is made of pee.

There is also a ridiculous subway system. I am not talking about the trains either, but the endless corridors underneath the city that are filled with people and shops. There are even sketchy alleys with sleezy bars in them. It is very interesting.

Skype. You are a good thing.

That's it for now... time for breakfast!

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Unfortunate

I went to dinner last night and learned that my credit card does not work here. This is a slight problem as I was going to put my hotel bill on it. I will call them sometime shortly if they do not respond to my email.

Sigh. I wish I was better at remembering names/faces. I have already misidentified several people and forgot the name of several others. I smooze with the worst of them I guess. Thankfully I will mostly be working with someone whose name I actually remember and whose device I have already worked with. I now have an hour to kill...

Fuck you Jesus

I have successfully arrived in Korea and I was only searched once. There is bad news though. My credit card is not working! Fucking bastards. Now how will I pay for my room.

My room is fantastic! It even comes with a cellphone and free alcohol during happy hour! Sigh... I will need it. Time to clean myself and sleep for the first time in close to 30 hours.

Z.Monkey

Melancholy

I am writing this post somewhere over Alaska. As the title states I am feeling a little down, perhaps because I will not see my wife for two weeks, perhaps because my ass hurts. I suspect the first. I feel like making a list mostly because I am unsure I can write a coherent sentence. Be forwarned, this post may be really long as I really have nothing to do on the plane.

Good/Not Bad*
  • The first inflight meal was not too bad.
  • Getting from LaGuardia to JFK was really easy.
  • Noise cancelling headphones I borrowed from N8.
  • Korean music videos. I am amused by them.
Bad
  • The air in this plane is really dry... my eyes are cracking.
  • I will not see my wife for two weeks.
  • The first inflight movie was 'I Good Company' (not what you think... the movie made me depressed but not because it was terrible).
  • The second inflight movie is... I forget because I am not able to watch it because it is in Korean and there is a talk guy in front of the subtitles.
  • I think I grabbed the wrong converter from the Lab... so I will have to pick one up upon arrival.
  • Final movie... 'Racing Strips'. Now I want to kill all zebras.
Blah, that is all I've got so far. It will still be light out when I land so I will post some photos tomorrow (time permitting). Oh, where is your prom king now.

Z.Monkey

*You may not think there is a distinction but right now I feel there is.

Friday, June 03, 2005

Updating?

I will continuously post updates (along with some photos) of my trip to Korea... assuming there is time. Tomorrow I leave Manchester for NYC. Where I have to transfer from LaGuardia to JFK (stupid expedia), from there it is to Seoul! Woo?

Also if another person asks if I will have soul food in Korea or indicates that I might find soul in Korea I will punch them. Shut up Dan.

Z.Monkey

P.S. I am looking forward to partaking some Kimchi. I hear they serve it with everything.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Anxious

I feel like I am faking my way through stuff right now. I am doing things I have never had any experience with but everyone seems to think that is normal. I am not really nervous about the flying to Korea, North Korea and Dick's insistance on pissing them off, working the DLNA event or going to the F2F meeting after. What I am nervous about is a meeting that was arranged for me by one 'Ben' fellow here at work. Am I really someone who can jump into an unfamiliar situation and buttshit about something I do really know about? What am I expected to do at such a meeting? Err! I think that I could actually enjoy this trip if I did have to fucking go to this meeting! Fuck you Ben, fuck you to hell and way to ruin my life [trip]!

On another note I actually have someplace to stay the second week I am there. Yeah! Time see if my credit card company will increase my limit; I don't want to run out of money while I am there.

Z.Monkey