Top Gun and Cake - Part 2

A lighter post than part 1.

It's quite sad that I know 90% of the answers of...

The Top Gun Exam

1. On what date did the USN establish an elite school for the top one percent of pilots?

2. What did the Navy call that school?

3. What hand signal does the pilot give the catapult officer to indicate he is ready to be launched?

4. What colour flight deck jerseys do the aircraft refuellers wear?

5. What ocean is the aircraft carrier operating in at the beginning of the movie.

6. Which aircraft carrier is it?

7. What is the carrier’s hull pendant number?

8. In the opening air combat sequence why does Cougar “break high and right”?

9. At what range from the Enterprise does the air combat commence?

10. What is Maverick’s idea of fun?

11. At what range from the carrier’s flight deck does Maverick “call the ball”?

12. What is the name of the Admiral’s daughter that Maverick has in his list of high speed passes?

13. What are the last words Cougar says before he throws in his wings?

14. What is the geographic location of Fightertown USA?

15. What was the Navy kill ratio in Korea and what did it fall to in Vietnam?

16. What does “ACM” stand for?

17. What beer is the ditsy blond drinking when Maverick and Goose arrive in the target rich environment of the officers club.

18. What manoeuvre does Charlie brief that a MIG 28 cannot do?

19. What is the hard deck on Maverick’s first hop at Top Gun?

20. What type of aircraft does Jester fly?

21. Complete this phrase by Jester. “You can run but …..”

22. What colour is the F-14s Head Up Display symbology?

23. What colour does it turn at lock on?

24. What is written on the coffee cup of the air traffic control officer when Maverick buzzes the tower after his first hop against Jester.

25. What alternative career does Goose consider after he and Maverick have been chewed out by Viper for flying below the hard deck?

Bonus Questions

26. What is the name of the squadron on the honour board outside Viper’s office and what date were they deployed to WESTPAC?

27. What is Charlie’s address and what time is dinner?

28. Who has the best set of “ripped abs” in the volleyball game.

29. When Viper is de-briefing the second mission (2 v 2) he tells Maverick that he made a wrong choice. What should Maverick have done?

30. What training mission is it when Maverick leaves his wingman?

31. What is the motto on the recruiting poster in the Top Gun locker room?

32. On what training mission does Goose get killed?

33. What are the switch settings on the F-14s HOTAS armaments switch?

34. When Maverick’s No 1 engine flames out - is it the port or starboard engine?

35. What is the blatant error in the Admiral’s briefing about the “situation” involving the crippled communications ship?

36. What sector is Ice allocated?

37. What is Maverick’s plane number? (Trick question)

38. Is Maverick left handed?

39. How many aircraft did Viper lose from his squadron in Vietnam?

40. What carrier did Viper and Tom Mitchell fly from?

41. When Viper is telling Maverick about “Bogies all over the sky like fireflies” what is he talking about?

42. How many rows of medals does Maverick wear on his ice cream suit at the Top Gun graduation ceremony?

43. When Maverick reports he is supersonic, how long will it take him to get to the battle?

44. The first MIG shot down gets hit by a missile. Where does it get hit?

45. What is the air warfare call sign of the aircraft carrier?

46. How much would it cost you to play three songs on the jukebox at the bar in Fightertown?

47. In the movie credits which of the US Navy pilots doesn’t have a callsign?


How many can YOU answer?

Top Gun and Cake - Part 1

No quote this time to segue into the blog. Sorry, I just couldn’t find one that incorporated Top Gun and cake.

It is mid-December already, signaling the near ending of another year. Another twelve months of my life has passed, and as always during this time of year, I look back on what I’ve done to see if there has been any progress. At a quick glance, the score appears to be - World: 1, Jeremy: 0. I know what you’re thinking, Oh great, another emo post, how original. Yet, secretly you’re intrigued. Your reading speed increases as you desperately race from one word to the next if for no other reason than to comprehend the sentences that spell out my emotional turmoil. Perhaps it’s some sadistic schadenfreude you try to hide. Perhaps you’re just as emo. Perhaps it is all. Perhaps it is none. Perhaps.

Either way, we’re two weeks into December and the normal “rush” that occurs during this time of year is definitely in full effect. It’s a global – well okay, not global, but definitely widespread – sprint to the finish line, all while trying to tie up loose ends and accomplish last year’s resolutions. For me, I currently feel like I’m in the eye of the storm; two turbulent weeks have passed, and two more turbulent weeks are ahead. A lot of the flurry has revolved around work, and work-related drama. I’ll elaborate, since you’re probably curious as to what it’s all about, but to protect the innocent, real names will be replaced with characters from the hit 80s movie Top Gun. Yes, I know Top Gun is probably the most overtly homosexual movie ever created but it’s still one of my favorite movies of all time. Deal with it.

There’s been a lot of tension amongst us pilots. A lot of towers have been buzzed, hard decks broken, and abandoning of wingmen. Hollywood and Wolfman have stocked the hanger with missiles, while Merlin was too close for missiles and had to switch to guns. Iceman and Slider engaged and successfully splashed multiple bogies, however, couldn’t get a good tone on many. Goose was killed. Viper is trying to get Maverick to fly with Jester, though Mav is already feeling the need for speed.

Okay…that didn’t play out as well as it did in my head. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire.

*Insert awesome literary segue*

Dealing with all the drama, both in and out of the work place, has led me to see that the older I get, the more I realize the immensity of my emotional capacity. I find myself always trying to do the right thing, when there are times I know in my heart that I want to go in a different direction. It’s a constant battle between heart and mind, whose battle lines become clearer as I mature in my young adult life. I've been fighting. Fighting for something that I don't know is even there. However, the sheer act of fighting for something gives my life purpose, a goal, a milestone to strive for and eventually surpass. The optimist in me fuels my desire, accelerates my ambition, but can possibly be my greatest fall. I set myself up for something great or something terribly miserable. It's a risk I'm willing to take. It's been a risk I have always taken, throughout my life. However, I never really noticed this trend until recently. Nothing worthwhile materializes without taking that risk. It's what keeps existence exciting, boundless.

Three years ago, I would have told you I was 100% happy with my life. A loving family, amazing friends, and someone who loved me and that I loved back. Picture perfect, but in the inside, I think I knew the life I was leading wasn't as pristine as I thought it to be. It's naive to think your life is ever perfect (so maybe I'm slightly pessimistic after all). Perfection is an illusion that is reinforced by society, your friends, even your own mind. I don't think I'll ever reach that 100% goal, but I want to die trying. Life is about the journey and my definition of love and life is ever changing. I have learned so much of myself in the past few years. The way I handle things now, differs so greatly than the way I would in the past. I just hope that one day I'll be able to release what has embedded itself so deeply in my heart. I guess that’s what I'm fighting for; a chance to expose my heart, bleeding, in the open.

I feel like some of the most trying and important days of my life are still yet to come. All there is left is to hope for the strength to carry on and prevail. To quote The Matrix, “Hope – it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength and your greatest weakness.” Some dreams refuse to die. Some souls never know when the cause is lost. Such ignorance can be truly awe-inspiring.

End of part 1.

Patience is not passive...

...on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength.

It has been quite awhile since my last blog entry, and even that was not about anything of great importance. But then again, that is not really the point of a blog. Blogging is just a vehicle through which your subconscious is expressed. I have been denying my subconscious' right to speak freely for almost 2 months, so I guess it is time to let it out. However I am waiving all liability for any disagreements and/or controversy that man ensue below, and by continuing to read, You, the reader, hereby waive all rights to arguing, criticism, and/or trolling.

Let's begin with a small recap of some notable events that have occurred.

October:

In the beginning of the month, I participated in Timfest '08; a combination of my friend's surprise birthday, Lovefest '08, and Oktoberfest '08. It was a giant weekend filled with too much booze, crazy dance parties in the street, half and fully naked men and women, crazy drunk Germans and Belgians. I ended up staying in SF the entire weekend, and I must say, city life is quite intriguing. I thought that I'd always love the small town life ala Danville and Davis, but the hustle and bustle of the city was, well, refreshing. Who knows, perhaps someday in the future I'll move to the big city and get a taste of something new.

The following weekend was the Oceanic 7 + Others trip down to the beautiful Monterey. It was a great weekend trip filled with lots of great food/drinks, bonfires, the Dark Knight on IMAX, and a lighthearted race using the surreys (5-person bike). It's always great to get away from the stresses of the real world and just relax and enjoy the weather, the beautiful scenery, and most importantly, the company of great friends.

Halloween came and went as one would expect, and as with every holiday it seems, the Discovery cubes at work get creatively and lavishly (perhaps over the top?) decorated. Giant spiderwebs tented from the air conditioning duct towards multiple cubes, covering not only cubicle walls, but notebooks, binders, computer monitors, and even my beloved action figures. Giant spiders guarded the candy bowl, overlooked the plants by the window, and one continually attacked unsuspecting invaders. This Halloween season included multiple costumes, multiple parties, lots of booze, and unfortunately, puking that was not associated with alcohol, but rather a nasty virus that has since mutated and spread like wildfire amongst the helpless Dvaxians.

November:

I’m sure I don’t really need to significance of Nov. 4th and the great history that was made on that day, but in case you’re reading this blog from under a huge rock, the two biggest newsflashes that seem to be on everyone’s mind is that 1) Barack Obama was nominated our 44th President of the United States of America, and 2) Prop 8 was passed in CA. I don’t consider myself a very political person; I’m very apathetic about the policies and decisions that are being made around – despite the fact that I know that they will have the greatest impact on me in the future. It’s not something I’m proud of, and is an aspect in my life that I’m trying to change. I do want to get more involved and be more educated in the government and exactly what its role is going to be.

However, with this election, despite my best efforts to stay neutral and unbiased, this year’s election season proved quite difficult to remain in my atrophied state – both at home and at work. I think one of the main reasons why I try to stay out of the political arena is because it is supercharged with emotions. It’s one of those conversation topics that most people try to avoid because it ultimately leads to conflicting opinions and arguments. Politics and religion, two strong conversation topic ‘no-nos.’ Go figure that the two most talked about events from the election orbit politics and religion. I consider myself an independent/moderate, not entirely left wing and not entirely right either. Perhaps this is reflected from my two very different environments which I spend my days: in Berkeley and in Danville. Berkeley is the Mecca of all that is liberal (hippie tree-sitters anyone?), so it’s no surprise that most of my coworkers (albeit a few exceptions) are Democrats. Danville, however, is composed mainly of religious rich white folks; the town itself is quite conservative, and thus, mostly Republican. So naturally, when I’m at work, I hear mostly left-wing talk, and when I’m at home, mostly right-wing talk. I guess it’s the best (or worst) of both worlds and it allows me to hear both sides of the spectrum, which in turn helps me to be better informed and make my decisions based on both sides of the issues. The only problem is that I end up feeling that since I’m neither left nor right wing, when I’m placed in either a full left or full right wing territory, I feel out of place. Both ends of the spectrum are so passionate that when I don’t fully agree with someone about something to their degree, I tend to sidestep the topic/hide my own opinions, lest I open myself up to a flood of clashing arguments and criticism. I’ve seen just how damaging politics and social issues can be to the environment of the workplace. It’s appalling how disrespectful people can be when they don’t agree with you, and quite frankly, I don’t want to deal with that kind of high school bullshit. I find it quite ironic that liberals, who are supposed to embrace different ideas and promote tolerance and free thinking, are some of the most intolerant people. Singling specific people out at work is not acceptable, no matter what issue that agree or disagree on. Blah, I wish I could just go back to my bubble and not have to deal with all this crap.

Changing gears a bit, the day after the election, on my way home from work, I got into a car accident. A 15 year old driver with her learners permit decided to slam on her brakes in the intersection as the light went from green to yellow. I couldn’t stop in time and ended up rear ending them. My airbags deployed and my car was totaled. Despite my best efforts to plead with the insurance company, CA law says that if you’re in the back of the accident, it’s your fault. Now I’m carless and poorer. Guess I will always remember, remember, the 5th of November.

Finally, on a lighter note, I recently went up to Sacramento for a little R&R, more drinking, and even more Rock Band 2. After some discussion, Death By Turnip was formed; Sven on drums, Tusk on bass, Razlo on guitar, and Lacey as our singer. It was an awesome weekend, and a much needed break from all the crap that had happened in the beginning of the month.

Thanksgiving is coming soon, as if I needed another reason to eat more. I’m getting fat and lazy and all the food included in the Thanksgiving feast will just make it worse…deliciously worse. I can’t wait.

Some people are like slinkies...

...not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

You know who is a slinky? Joshua Jackson. Yup, little Pacey McStupid from Dawson's Creek. Instead of going on this huge long rant on my personal dislikes about everything that is JJ, I'll leave it to a quick summary that mainly focuses on his recent piece of crap...Fringe. Okay, so I guess my frustrations shouldn't be aimed at the actor per say, rather the writers who think this nonsensical piece of garbage has any shred of common sense or logic. They throw around ideas that seem great, but if you have an IQ higher than that of a rock, certain things just don't seem to fit. Not only is the writing bad, but the visuals are even worse. I'm not talking about the CGI or other special effects - those are decent for a television series. I'm talking about little things that try and make the show more intense or unique, but only end up distracting and ultimately annoying the viewer. So I've created a list of 5 things I hate about Fringe. It's sad that after only watching the pilot episode, I already have a list of hate.

5 Things I Hate About Fringe:

5. Jackson's character. This dubbed 'genius' is a nobody who knows he's smart and thus flashes his IQ around like it's a badge. He's a wanderer and a faux-con artist. He's a nobody. The only reason why he's in the show is because his dad is the only person in the world who can help the FBI deal with "The Pattern." He's not an FBI agent, yet he is content in trying to play one, and goes about doing FBI related things - like breach an entrypoint in an abandoned warehouse. The funny thing is, no one on the show seems to realize that he's not an FBI agent. Case in point, Jackson's character is wearing a visitor badge yet he is able to walk through an FBI personnel only door, and into an unlocked interrogation room where the supposed evil mastermind of a flesh-dissolving compound is being held. He then goes postal on said mastermind's hand without being noticed. In the words of Chief Wiggum: "That's some fine detective work there, Lou."

4. The ability of an interdepartmental FBI liaison to have the power to ascertain any equipment, chemical, facility that a mentally institutionalized patient requests without having to go through any type of acquisition form/request. They reopened a derelict lab in the basement of Harvard, brought in a cow, pulled images from a dead girls optic nerve, and then just for kicks decided to make LSD. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

3. Random flashes/cutaways/bad edits/lens flares. There are enough of these in the pilot episode to make a blind person go into epileptic shock. True story.

2. Fringe = LOST wannabe. Yes I know J.J. Abrams created Alias and LOST, but come on, Fringe was supposed to be this radical new show; this generation's X-Files or something. I guess J.J. really took it to heart with that whole 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' expression. There's classic LOST elements at every stinkin turn. The most prominent LOST ripoff is the music. Every suspenseful part is accompanied by increased music volume which suddenly cuts into commercial. The fading/increasing is exactly the same in every type of situation, and it even sounds the same. Fringe not only took the same music techniques, I'm pretty sure it took the music itself. It tries to be the same without being the same. One show is a geniuine Mickey Mouse shirt while the other is a cheap Asian knockoff labeled Miokey Mouse.

1. FLOATING MOTHERF--KING TITLES! It may have been cool to use in Panic Room, but now they're just annoying. They add nothing to the show and are pretty distracting. It looks like they're trying to blend the titles into the scenary - as if to portray that they're a physical object in the scene that you'd think the characters would acknowledge. Nope. They just float along looking like a cheap WordArt logo.

The only reason to watch Fringe is to see shit like this:

Yup...That's his jaw melting off.

Some days are a waste of makeup.

Today was just one of those days. The kind of day where you things just seem to get worse as time goes on. To sum it up, I made stupid mistakes that culminated to my coworker having to redo her experiment. It was a n00b mistake, and one that I should never have made. To make matters worse, the whole situation put me in a funk for the rest of the day, and I just couldn't get my head back in the game. More stupid mistakes arose and pretty soon replacements had to be called, and I was officially sidelined. I guess the stars just weren't aligned in my favor. It happens to everyone, or so I was told repeatedly by anyone who could see that I was distressed. But as Churchill once said, "If you're going through Hell, keep going." In case that quote was too inspirational, how about one from Ani Difranco. "Maybe you don't like your job, maybe you didn't get enough sleep. Well nobody likes their job, and nobody gets enough sleep.  Maybe you just had the worst day of your life, but you know, there's no escape, there's no excuses. Just suck it up and be nice." Imagine that quote with a cute picture of a kitten doing chinups. Awesome.

EDIT 9/19:

Looks like yall won't have to imagine the kitten after all.  Behold the awesomeness.  Thanks Muellerette for the pic!

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged...

...to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

So it's been a long time since I've updated this thing, and I think the quote above holds a lot of significance. Blogging/journalism or whatever you want to call it, leaves an unbiased history of ones mindset at a particular point in time. It's enlightening at times to go back through the annals of your own history and observe just how drastically you've actually changed.

OKAY seriously, it's taken me way too long to write this entry. It's been on "draft" mode for almost a month. I have this whole potpourri list of things that I was going to write about, but now that I've procrastinated so long, I'm pretty sure most of it is out-dated. So this is the quick and dirty recap. No more bullshit. I wanted to write something substantial, but this whole time I've pretty much been suffering from writer's constipation (metaphorically speaking of course). My only hope is that if I strain really hard to push this entry out, future entries will let flow freely like...well you get the point. With that said, lets get this show in the road.


2008 Beijing Olympics:

So I was originally going to write about them, but time has come and gone, and it's way too late to start writing about past events. Plus I'm pretty sure everyone is Olympic-ed out, at least for another 4 years. Besides, you know the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. So let's get several thousand words out of the way:

All hail white bikinis, wet bodies, tight abs, tighter asses, and beach volleyball cheerleaders. Let us not forget our international friends. All hail hot Paraguayan javelin throwers.

Work life:

What can I say about work. I'm pretty sure it's a love/hate sort of relationship, and that many if not all people experience that with their job. I think the work that I'm doing is great, and I'm glad that I'm getting to learn new things and get the much needed experience. But at the same time, the commute sucks, the hours are long, and lately, there's been way too much drama. It's like high school all over again. It's time to grow up and start acting like adults. Throwing tantrums, ignoring the problem, and telling flat out lies are unacceptable at any age. But despite all the crap, I think I'd still come just for my coworkers. They've come to accept me as one of their own, and though I am the baby, it's nice to be a part of that family.

Social life:

What social life? Work life is my social life... for the most part at least. But when I'm not chained to the lab bench or my cubicle computer, I try and flutter my social wings. There have been several events that have been quite memorable. One particular event that stands out involved camping, booze, and a dislocated knee. There's nothing like spending 5 hours in a hospital to get you back in touch with nature. I've also been partying it up with my Dvax crew, and surprisingly, got solicited by one of my friends. It pretty much went as follows:

X: I have a fear of dying a virgin.
X: When I'm like 85 (and still a virgin) and you're 84 (and if you're single/widowed)...I'm gonna call you on my 85th birthday
X: Be prepared!!
Me: LOL! Will do.
X: w00t!

What can I say, I'm a Picasso beneath the sheets, and everyone wants a piece of me. Reservations are available, though seating is limited.


...wow...even I can't believe I just wrote that. This entry just needs to be put out of its misery. Hopefully the writers constipation is over, because this has got to be the biggest literary piece of crap I've ever produced.

Tact is the art of making guests feel at home...

...when that's really where you wish they were.

So it's been quite a long time since I've last written in here. I've mainly been working and recently prepping for my family vacation to Mexico. I may bring along the laptop so that I may write about the adventures at sea, but it's still up in the air.

Have you ever had someone tell you that your ears are lopsided or ask if you want your eyebrows trimmed? No? Make your way to the Supercuts in Danville, and you won't be disappointed.

Writing advertisements is the second most profitable form of writing...

...the first is a ransom note.


**DISCLAIMER** The following contains content that may not be suitable for children or very innocent adults. Reader discretion advised.


This entry has been pushed back for awhile, so I figured I'd better just write it or else I'd never get to it. So recently I've been watching more TV than normal, and I've come to realize that there are some pretty great ads out there. It doesn't need to be said that the majority of advertisements are pretty crappy... but it's the rare awesome ads that I want to focus on. For example, a rare gem are the Comcast ads. Words of wisdom illustrated by completely random and often hilarious scenarios. In the words of a crappier advertisement, brilliant! There are two advertisements that I saw the other day that have stuck with me. The first is the Discovery channel advertisement about how awesome the world is. You can't help but feel nice and warm when you hear the song. Apparently it's an old camp song, but that doesn't change it's awesomeness. Especially if you're an avid Discovery Channel watcher and can recognize some of the hosts who sing in it. The commercial is this generation's hippie song (I really can't think of a good hippie example...maybe Kumbaya?) And if you don't believe me in the brilliance of Discovery Channel' advertisements, try this one, and this one, and this one.

Not all advertisements go for humor or warm happy goodness. Some display its genius in more subtle ways. And what's more subtle than a lingerie clad model whose...ahem...eyes...yeah eyes...have the power to stop a man dead in his tracks. It's really quite simple actually. To make an effective advertisement, all you need is someone with long flowing hair, perfectly colored skin, eyes that seem to stare straight into your soul, soft supple lips, and a great set of...um...personalities... What was I talking about? No matter. The point is that Victoria's Secret' new bra, the new Dream Angels with memory fit, is a very effective and well crafted advertisement. Why? Look at the commercial. Doesn't that look like the most comfortable thing on the planet? I don't even have boobs and I think that wearing one of those would be like floating on a sea of soft memory foam (which by the way, is probably one of the greatest inventions ever. They should put memory foam into everything). What's softer than a supple breast? A supple breast cradled in memory foam, that's what. It's like airbags for your...well...airbags. Genius. It reminds me of one of those Bud light commercials. In fact, now I want to try doing one of my own. Enjoy.

Today, we salute you, Mr. Memory Foam Bra Inventor
(Mr. Memory Foam Bra Inventor)
You've done what man has only dreamed of,
making a soft supple breast, even softer.
(Feels like a pillow)
You slaved away tirelessly trying to add new things:
Tin foil. Sandpaper. None of which seemed to work.
(Ouch, ouchie, ouch, ouch)
Until one day you decided, lets give a pillow,
to those chest pillows.
(Posturepedic goodness)
So crack open a nice cold Budweiser beer, oh master of the mammaries,
because when it comes to the chest, you're the best.


Wow...quite possibly the weirdest/lewdest post yet.

Music washes away from the soul...

...the dust of everyday life.

It's kind of funny how music can evoke so many different memories and emotions. For instance, when you hear Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", you may suddenly be reminded of a long lost lover that got away. Or when you hear virtually any Boyz II Men song, you may be brought back to a time where you can literally feel the sweet supple touch of soft lips as your entire body reaches its quintessence of arousal created by that first kiss.

As for me, well lets face it, I'm a nerd. And so it's only fitting that it is nerdy music that evokes memories and emotions in me. Case in point, John Williams' "Battle of Endor." There are many feelings that emerge when listening to this classic piece. First off, it's an epic score that encompasses the true essence of Star Wars and its battle between good and evil. Located at the climax of the ultimate saga known to man, the Battle of Endor delivers on multiple levels. There are parts that seems almost patriotic, as the tones and transitions prepares you and makes you feel as if you're a rebel fighter attacking the mighty Deathstar. No other score conveys surprise after surprise let engulfs you until you can actually feel the sense the complete bewilderment of Home One as Admiral Ackbar yells "It's a trap!" What other music gives you the proud sense of victory in overcoming the odds and taking down the might Super Star Destroyer, despite its intensified forward fire power. However, I think the emotions that the Battle of Endor best discloses are struggle, pain, and loss. My heart can't help but ache every time I see the unnamed Ewok fall victim to a well placed laser blast. And to make it even worse, you must endure watching his furry lil buddy get his heart broken as he realizes that his companion is not moving because he is sleeping...for eternity. So the next time you see me in the lab, and out of no where you see a single tear, it's because of John Williams and his astute ability to make music that allows me to relive the loss of the unnamed Ewok for as many times as I can hit the back button on my iPod.

Here's to you lil buddy.

It's a trap!!

Health is not valued...

...till sickness comes.

So this past work week has been some what stressful, with it's ups and downs, but it's finally over, and I can say that progress has been made. I'm finally close to finishing up my protocol optimization. Plus, this week has had it's share of fun times as well.

Thursday, me and some of the Dvax crew headed out to the Kensington Circus pub. I was, to say the very least, disappointed that it was not very circus like. No clowns, no bears, no creepy carnies (although the latter may only be fount at actual carnivals). It was a very pub like atmosphere, so I guess the name wasn't a complete lie. The cool thing was that they had this little corner with toys that the kids could go and play at. Pre-partying started @ BK's place, with our very own YC making her specialty multi-layered shots. Good food + good drinks + lewd/crude conversations = WIN!

Friday was badminton with the usual crew. It was super packed and we spent half the time waiting for a court via their crappy rotation system. But by this time, I was definitely feeling under the weather, compliments of some of my coworkers. But I tried my best to tough it out and play even though I was feeling pretty crappy. It was still fun, and dinner afterwards was good. All in all a pretty good end to a long week. Here's some pics that were taken from my new toy!

Cube Art

Working hard


Cute blonde :)

If we believe that tomorrow will be better...

...than we can overcome the hardships of today.

So today was definitely a stressful day. I guess it's bound to happen in the working world where everything just seems to come crashing down. My optimization protocol is taking longer than expected, and I can't help but feel that there are lot of people waiting for me to finish. Or rather, are eagerly watching over my shoulder for data. But today, instead of completing me serial dilutions, I had to mess around with a messed up calculation template, which had two blaring mistakes. One caused a 1000 fold error, and the other, caused a reciprocal 1000 fold error. Guess someone up there really likes me, since mathematically wise, the errors canceled each other out, and the erroneous template just happened to spit out the correct answer. Sheer dumb luck. I think I should buy a lotto ticket.

Tomorrow is play time at the pub, and hopefully will get to test out my new camera. Also, I'll be sure to post pics of the cubicle art that appears from time to time behind me.

When you look back on your life...

...some of your greatest happinesses are family happinesses.

So today representatives of my family gathered together with representatives of the families of the immediate aunts and uncles to pay our respects to our passed ancestors and relatives. This was, of course, in line with the Chinese tradition. So bright and early, my family and I headed to the farmer's market to buy flowers. The farmer's market is a great place to buy all sorts of goodies, and like many of the other shoppers, we succumbed to the irresistible temptations of freshly popped kettle corn...and if that wasn't bad enough, we also gave in to the mini donuts :P Is it possible to create a more perfect bite-sized piece of cinnamony/sugary heaven? No. No it is not.

We headed to Colma, the city where the population of the dead outnumber the living. So if zombies ever do become a reality, be sure to stay away from that place. It was nice seeing my relatives again, and I know that my Grandma would have been really happy that we were all together as a family, remembering her and our other passed relatives. And as per tradition, afterwards, we all went out to a big feast. We hit up this buffet place called Moonstar, which is right next to Koi Palace in Daly City. It was good, some foods being better than others, and for the most part, the quality was better than other buffets.

I also learned a new fact today. The term "2 buck Chuck" is actually referring to a wine sold at Trader Joe's. Charles Shaw wine is actually sold for $1.99, who woulda thought. I'm also getting acquainted with my new toy...my Canon SD870IS. Finally I'll be able to take pictures and not have to worry whether or not my camera will turn on. While my me and my old Fujifilm did have some good times, I definitely won't miss it.

Hopefully soon, I'll have something more interesting to write about. These entries have been kind of sub-par. Do YOU have any suggestions?

Sometimes it doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on...

...What matters most is the fact that you get off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.

**NOTE:** I started this entry 3 weeks ago, but haven't had the time to actually finish it. Therefore this will just be a super long entry to accommodate everything that has happened. So don't say I didn't warn you if your eyeballs pop.

This past week, I've had to make several decisions that could very well change how the next year or two of my life plays out. Perhaps the most important decision I've had to make is in regards to the MCATs, which I am scheduled to take in April. I'd like to say that despite my best efforts, studying isn't going as well as I'd hope, but that would be a lie. I could lie to you all and lie to myself, but that still wouldn't help me prepare for the test any better. The honest truth is that I haven't been putting my best effort into studying. I haven't been doing all the things that I should be doing in order to maximize what little free time I have. I can make all the excuses I want, blaming long hours at work, constant fatigue, and busy weekends, but in the end, none of that justifies my lack of motivation. I feel different, like I've changed, and I'm not liking who I've become. Somewhere along the road, the old me and the new me got separated, and I need to get myself together...

...but like the title of this entry says, what matters most is to make a decision and move forward. Progression is dependent on the ability to ward off idleness. So I've made the executive decision to push back my MCATs till June instead of April. This has two distinct consequences. The first is that I now have more time to study and better prepare myself for the test. The second is that I've delayed my application process for another year. Both are good and bad. It's good that I'm getting more time to study, but bad because it gives me a false sense of security. Delaying the application process is good because I have more time to better up the app and make myself more appealing, but bad in the sense that it'll be another 2 and a half years (1 year for the next app season and 18 months for the actual application process) at the very soonest before my dreams of becoming a doctor are realized. Plus with the unstable lifestyle of the biotech industry, I may have the added stress of looking for another job. So many uncertainties.

But enough of the dramatic stuff. These past two weeks have also been filled with lots of fun. There have been lots of birthday celebrations, including but not limited to drunken fun at T-Rex and AsiaSF. Now I've always heard stories about AsiaSF, but had never ventured there, until last Wednesday. Surprisingly, it was way more fun than I ever imagined. It wasn't weird knowing the fact that the beautiful women were actually beautiful men. It was a night filled with wild debauchery, lots of alcohol, and dancing; all in all, a great birthday celebration, and perhaps one of the most fun Wednesday nights ever. Ever. =Þ

The following day was also quite fun, thanks to Dvax's very own ELISA Queen, for taking me out to the ball game! Though a die hard A's fan, I put my team loyalties aside, and enjoyed a Giant's pre-season expo against the Mariners, all in the name of the game haha. Despite the defeat of the Giants, unholy parking prices, and despite the fact that we were both dumb enough not to bring our sweatshirts even though we're both Bay Area natives and know very well how cold it can get in SF (which would ultimately lead to an ill-fated attempt to faux-warm ourselves up with booze, huddled arms to share warmth, and finally a rejuvenation via hot chocolate), I had a great night :)

More recently, we went to celebrate BK's one year at Dvax. Nothing too fancy, some food and beer, and great friends, what more can you ask for? How about a cute blonde who couldn't keep her hands off me? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but what can I say? This charm, these dashing looks, it's almost unfair...almost. What's my secret? It's all about the smooth pickup lines. Here's a freebie from my personal collection. "If I were an enzyme I would be DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes."

:)

Dancing is a vertical expression...

...of a horizontal desire ;)

And so comes the end of another weekend. It was nice to find time to relax, unwind and above all else, to party. Birthdays come around only once a year, so you should always pull out all the stops to ensure a memorable (even if you don't actually remember it) night filled with debauchery and drunken goodness. Dinner festivities at a local brewery, and physical festivities at club Avalon. While the atmosphere was filled with lots of eye candy, in the end, nothing terribly exciting happened. Kind of like this entry. FAIL!

Stress is...

...the confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the living daylights out of some jerk who desperately deserves it.


This is how stress makes me feel:

This is also what happens when I get bored in the lab. =P

The manner in which one endures what must be endured...

...is far more important than the actual thing that must be endured.

It's a very tough world that we live in, and despite its total cliche-ness, it doesn't change the fact that it's true. As a young adult, whom has relatively little experience in the grand scheme of life, I can't help but feel that my naiveness is the crux for both my profound optimism and ignorance.

For the past week, I've felt several battles rage within me. The first, a war on the microscopic battlefield. An army of viruses vs. my army of killer T's, Macs, and B's...armed to the teeth with a plethora of antibodies. I suffered some casualties, but have since recovered. The other battle, didn't have such a clear cause and effect. It was one of those emotional roller coaster rides that you always hear about, but without any real trigger. Just little things here or there that'd make me really stop and think about the differences between what I want in life and what I'm getting in life.

One aspect of my life where I'm facing a "what I want vs. what I'm getting" struggle is regarding my hopes of becoming a doctor. It's one of the few things that seems so constant, so unwaivering, so steadfast. It's one of the few things that I believe I'd be good at, and something that I'd look forward to doing everyday. The problem is getting there. I know that anything worth anything is worth fighting for, and that fighting for your dreams makes it more worthwhile in the end, but I can't help thinking that sometimes it'll only be that...a dream. I'm so busy at work that I barely have time to study for the MCATs, which are creeping up faster than I'd like to admit. Plus I doubt that my credentials are even good enough to get in. If I don't apply soon, it wastes another year. And I can't really count on Dynavax to provide me with job security. I barely survived the layoffs that occurred a week ago, and I know that if another round happens, I'm at the bottom of the totem pole. Biotech is great, but it's far from being remotely stable. The only really stable thing in my life right now is my love life. To clarify, that's my very stable lack of a love life.

Now before you get all preachy on me, I realize that there's absolutely nothing wrong with being single, and that plenty of people find happiness and are quite content without having the hassle of a significant other and all the commitments and obligations that come with the territory etc etc. It's not to say that I'm in desperate need of attention (though some of my friends have called labeled me as 'the desperate one'), but I do miss the companionship. Just the feeling that someone is there for you who really cares about you and your well being. I miss having that person who I can always count on, my rock that steadies me in the turbulent sea of life. Perhaps this was brought upon by my constant surrounding of married/engaged/spoken-for coworkers. Most of the people I work worth have their lives where they want them, and I'm struggling to keep up, to find my footing. But I must endure. God places the heaviest burdens on those who are capable of carrying the weight. It's a testament to our own strengths that we have the ability to carry on and persist when those around us fall. This roller coaster may have its ups and downs, but I guess when you hit rock bottom, the only place left to go is up!

We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days
Through the fire and the flames we carry on.

The only reason why I ask how your weekend went...

...is so that I can tell you about mine.

Three day weekends are always nice. That extra day off seems to just make everything better; it's the icing on the cake, that extra little oomph. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my President's Day weekend spent up in Davis. It was nice to visit Dan for a belated birthday celebration, as well as celebrate Steph's birthday on Saturday/Sunday. I got to try out some new food places, such as Oshio (which replaced Yummy Guide), and Burgers & Brew (which replaced Hibachi). Oshio was good, with cheap sushi rolls, but Burgers and Brew was great, with huge burgers and tasty fries (I got garlic fries which were super garlic-y). My weekend was full of eating and drinking, where one afternoon I consumed 2 lunches, and one evening, I consumed 2 dinners. Plenty of booze was consumed as well. I also got the chance to see Jumper, which was disappointing. It could have been way better, but gave the impression that all of the movie' budget was spent on visual effects, and when they ran out, they just decided to end the movie there. And Samuel L. Jackson didn't even say his trademark "motherfucker." Disappointing indeed. Finally, I got to spend some time with old friends, and even managed to make some new ones. There were plenty of laughs, some tears (no one wanted to shave balloons with me..wth?), and some flirting. All in all, it was a great weekend. And now I'll leave you with one of the most memorable moments of the trip, where I nearly peed my pants from laughter. Good times.

Love doesn't make the world go round...

...love is what makes the ride worth while.

I'll keep it short and sweet. Congrats to all those who get to spend it with their significant others, and cheers to all those who are going stag. And for those of you who need some cheering up, I recommend going to Fark.com and reading the survey called "I knew this was going to be the worst date ever when ______________." Some highlights that made me laugh:

"...I noticed her penis was bigger than mine."
"...she logged off."
"...she opened her mouth to speak."
"...she figured out how to get out of the trunk."
"...the first question he asked was what WoW guild I belonged to."
"...he told me masturbation was getting kind of old."
"...I showed up for a date with someone I met on Craigslist and it was my aunt."

Haha that's enough for now. Happy Valentine's Day all!

The world is a book...

...and those who do not travel read only a page.

**INSERT** Okay so it's been a week since I've gotten back from my trip to Asilomar. I started writing a huge entry, but got distracted and soon enough, I completely forgot about it. Since it's been so long, it'd just be weird writing about the trip as if it just happened. So I'm just going to post what I had, and if you have questions, you can ask me about it later. There are some pics, but I failed to bring them to work, so I can't upload them into this post...sorry! **END INSERT**

So I have safely arrived back home after my travels to the Mid-winter Conference of Immunologists at Asilomar in Pacific Grove. The 4 day/3 night stay was quite an experience for me, the newbie at Dynavax, since I had never been to an academic conference like such. I was literally surrounded by hundreds of researchers, post-docs, and scientists, many of whom flocked in from around the US, and some from other parts of the world like the UK and Japan. It was a plethora of science geeks, so naturally, I felt right at home. But before I continue, here's a little warning. The entry will be long and somewhat detailed, so if you just want the gist of it, here it is:

The conference was interesting, with lots of scientific jargon, a couple head scratchers, and more than plenty of "wtf did they just say?" moments. Asilomar is beautiful and despite the rain and cold, the scenery was breath-taking. The conference wasn't all work, and when we could, we played. Food tastes better when you don't have to pay for it, otters are sickeningly cute, always roll your pants up above your knees when you wade into the ocean, and lastly, just because you're a science nerd, doesn't mean that you can't be smoking hot.

That was my Asilomar trip in a nutshell. For those ready to brave the longer, more detailed version, let us start from the beginning.

Day 1:

The start of my trek began by making my way to the secret location of HMK’s lair. The coordinates of her house were deemed classified under the whole "if you tell anyone, I will shove a pipette down your throat" protocol, so excuse me if I don't disclose that info. From there we picked up RGY, loaded up the car and headed down south. We made it to the edge of Fremont before we decided that we were hungry and since the food was being covered courtesy of the company, that we'd stop at a fine institution of elegant cuisine...and by that I mean Denny's. Normally, I never step foot into a Denny's unless it's between the hours of 2am-5am and there's been alcohol involved, but it was surprisingly good. If you're curious, you should try their bacon ranch chicken sandwich thing, and I'm pretty sure the garlic-bread buns was what made it amazing. After dinner, we hit the highway and soon enough, we were at our hotel and ready to go to bed. Deer Haven is where we stayed, and it was a quaint little place. My room was nice with a king-sized bed, lots of chairs (yay?) and best of all, a warm fireplace. My only complaint about the room was the bathroom. While their shampoo/conditioner/shower gel dispenser thing was cool, what wasn’t cool was their showers built for oompa loompas. No offense to the vertically challenged, but when the shower head doesn’t make it past your shoulders, there is something wrong. Sadly, my crappy POS camera is very temperamental, and only allows me to take pics when it feels like it, so I have no photographic proof of the abomination…you’ll just have to take my word for it. That pretty much summed up day 1.

(Imagine a picture of the dispenser)

Day 2:

Waking up at 6:30am on a Sunday morning should be a crime. While all of you were sleeping soundly in your bed, I was getting up to a wet and cold morning. We had a continental breakfast inside the tiny “lobby” before we headed to the conference grounds. We checked in, got our badges and reading material and headed to the cafeteria where they were (thankfully) still serving breakfast. It wasn’t stellar, but it was hot. The OJ had a weird aftertaste to it, but overall it was okay (by mass made cafeteria standards). Immunology lectures go from 8am-12noon and then pick up again from 7:30pm-10pm. The morning lectures made me feel like I was back in college, with a PowerPoint presentation in the background, and information that made no sense to me being spoken over a mic. I took notes on what I could, and when I was completely lost, I fell to my sanity keeper, the beloved crossword puzzle. After the talks were through, we headed back to the cafeteria to get lunch. It was decent, a nice Mediterranean steak salad with feta cheese and olives. We met some cool peeps there, including a very cute researcher from Stanford. She had a very “girl-next-door” cuteness about her, which made lunch more enjoyable to say the least. Anywho, as we decided to leave, the Heavens decided to drain the bathtub, and a torrent of water came pouring to the ground. HMK, being the wisest of us all, had worn a waterproof jacket with a hood. This intelligence, however, was also a curse, since it made her the prime candidate to walk back to the hotel, and bring the car around for myself and RGY, whom did not have waterproof hoods above our heads. RGY and myself did manage to run from the cafeteria to the main lodge, drenching ourselves in the process. Once in the safety of our SUV, we drove to the nearest Rite Aid and bough umbrellas…umbrellas that wouldn’t get the chance to be used for the rest of the trip (read: we got screwed and it never rained hard enough again for us to use them). A quick nap/rest at the hotel, and then it was time to get fancy for the poster sessions. And a blog wouldn’t be complete without a MySpace-esque picture.

(Imagine a picture of the most charming, handsomest, and dashing man you've ever seen. And then replace it with a picture of me.)

After mingling around the poster session, it was time for dinner, and for that, we headed to Carmel. We found a nice seafood place called Flaherty’s, where I had angel hair pasta with fresh clams. And nothing goes better with seafood than a nice bottle of wine. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel, where we all passed out (too tired from our hard day’s work to attend the evening lectures), concluding day 2.

**INSERT** Yup, I only made it to the end of day 2. You're missing out on the adventures from day 3 and 4! Too bad, those were fun days. But to make it up to you, I'll add some quick pictures that I got from my phone. Enjoy.

This is a glimpse of Day 4, and what the world of immunology conferences are like.

I consistently find my desk toys in weird positions when I come into work. This mornings' was too funny to pass up. Vader got pwnd by Luke and Yoda, and Spidey getting raped by Anakin and Obi-Wan. I love my coworkers.

Goodbye old friend

When I started writing this entry, I was going to talk about all the stress and crap that's been going on with me at work. And while this past month has definitely pushed me to the limits, things just seem so trivial now. An old friend and former co-worker passed away this morning, which came to the shock of practically everyone who I've spoken to. Today's world is so busy and frantic that the frailty of life seems so distant, that we're so far removed from it all that when reality finally catches up with us, it completely knocks us to the floor. Honestly, I think I'm still in shock. He was only 24 years old, the world at his feet. I don't think I've ever felt such a great sense of mortality. While we've grown apart this past year, the world is a lesser place now. I'm reminded of a quote from Arthur Schopenhauer:

"The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendly soul arises from the feeling that there is in every individual something which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone, and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost."

Life is a very precious thing, something that we all take for granted. It's times like these where we really have to stop and think about what really matters to us. Live every day to the fullest, because there are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go.

Rest in peace, old friend.

Chaos in the world brings uneasiness...

...but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth. I’d like to think that amidst all this chaos and stress that I’m being given the chance to explore my creativity and grow in both a personal and professional manner. Yet it seems like the only thing I’ve been creative in is how to mess up my experiments. I’ve been given the daunting task of processing very precious samples harvested from very expensive monkeys, in order to give the Company a clearer picture on which candidate drug is better. As my boss likes to put it, I’ve been here for a little over three months and I’ve already been thrown in the deep end. For the most part, my experiments have gone well, except for a few samples which are being quite difficult. These problems have in turn slowed me down, and it’s almost certain that I will not be able to finish the experiment in its entirety by the Feb. 1^st deadline. While my boss and fellow teammates understand the situation and support me, I can’t help but feel that, despite the massive volume of work and the almost-impossible time frame to achieve it in, I could have done better. Then again, it’s not over till it’s over, and I still have time before my trip to Asilomar. My thumb is primed and ready to pipette. Bring it.

And on a random note, a milestone occurred while coming to work today.

It’s funny how the little things like watching all those 9’s roll to 0’s can make morning traffic a wee bit more tolerable.

Weekend!

So it's finally the weekend...woohoo! After a long week at work, doing nothing but transferring samples, RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and real-time PCR, I'm looking forward to a nice and relaxing weekend. The rest of my month will consist of everything I did this week, just in greater amounts. But one thing that will help ease the process, is my newly found anthem, found by one of my coworkers.

Warning: it is quite nerdy, and I'm sure only science people will appreciate it. But then again, this is what I do for a living, so you're just going to have to bear with me =)

Linky

HRT

In a previous post, I mentioned that a new beginning is caused by an old beginning coming to an end. For some, those words couldn't be any more true. It's tough when you lose a significant other. It's tougher when they're your best friend. And it's incalculable when your best friend decides that it's time to call a quits on the friendship and goes about erasing you from existence. Heartaches can cause even the most rational people to go completely insane, and when you're not completely rational to begin with (which pretty much covers every single person out there), the effects of a breakup can cause you to do unthinkably cold and cruel things. I can't imagine being able to say to someone that I truly loved, that I wish they had never existed, and that whatever time in the past that we shared together, has been erased. Just like that. With a snap of a finger, years vanish, and memories disappear faster than Britney Spears' sanity. I guess for some it's easier to be black and white, and hurt others so that they can share in your pain. I don't think there is anything you can really say when someone has decided that those actions are their only option. You can only hope that one day, they'll realize that a breakup isn't the end of the world, that when the pain finally fades, you can still be friends. For those of you out there who feel like you have no other option, I hope this quote can help enlighten you.

If I had the letters "HRT", I can add "EA" to get a "HEART" or a "U" and get "HURT". But I'd rather choose "U" and get "HURT" than have a "HEART" without "U"

Rain rain go away!

I normally don't mind the rain. Except when it decides to screw with my afternoon. Instead of enjoying myself and relaxing, I had to be outside in the freezing cold getting soaked because the rain clogged up the drains in the backyard. So it was up to me and my dad to sweep away the water before it got too high. 2 hours + 1 broken broom + soaked clothes = victory! One plus was seeing my dad try and squeeze his way into my sister's boots. Classic.

Every New Beginning...

...comes from another beginning's end. It seems very fitting to start off the New Year with a new blog, a fresh start; tabula rasa as they say. Perhaps this is one of my futile attempts to actually stick to a resolution I so naively thought up of on a whim, or perhaps this is my inner-self finally breaking free and declaring my internal struggles in a glorious uproar of chaos... well, it's most likely neither of them. My guess is it's because I'm damned bored and have nothing better to do. It's not that I have all this free time on my hands, far from it. I'm actually dreading this month due to the sheer volume of work that needs to be done, and the daunting task of being in charge of processing samples that are worth more money than my life (according to the Company's life insurance policy). On top of that, I have the MCATs to worry about and of course the wonderfully delightful AMCAS apps that will surely take whatever sanity I have left and pulverize it into a frigid sanity-smoothie. Perhaps 2008 won't be as cracked up as I might hoped it would be. We're only 5 days into 2008 and already I've heard news that two of my relatives have passed away. What a way to start it off...oh well...c'est la vie...or in this case, c'est la mort. Either way, 2008 is going to one wild year. So lift up your mugs and give a toast for new beginnings!