Another hero has passed away today.  If you want to complain about what he did or have any stupid detracting comments to make, don't leave them here. 

1. It has been a rather stressful week, well more like a month.  It's been a busy time of reading, research, and writting, lots of writting.  In fact, it's been so busy for me that I haven't been keeping up with my pleasure reading.  I have two books on my night stand that I have yet to crack.  I don't know when I am going to have the time to get to those books.

2.  All this work I have to do has really been getting me down.  So, I've been jumping at almost any opportunity for me to just relax. 

3.  I read this article.  I have to say that it makes me sad and disapointed.  I'm not sure if I would want to go see that movie, if they ever made it.  I may rant more on this later.

4.  I've recently began rewatching (well more like listening to, while I read and write papers) the new Battlestar Galactica series on DVD.  I have to say I love the music.  It is probably the best score I've heard for a television series.  I've been trying to find if they have the score on CD or on iTunes, but haven't had any luck finding it. 

5.  Several weeks ago, well may a couple months ago I stated that I was playing three games of chess.  Well, I have resigned from one game.  I saw no possibility for victory, only stalemate. 

6.  Upside, I've lost weight.  Downside, my BMI hasn't changed much.  I've been working out about three or four times a week.  I've adjusted my diet to reduce sugars and fats.  What more can I do?

Well, I didn't go running like I usually do on Saturday.  I had to go to the library to finish (start) a paper that is due tomorrow.  The majority of it is done.  I just need to add about a page.  That's what I did for most of my Saturday.  In the evening I met up with some people to have dinner and go to nrb afterwards. 

It was a very fun evening.  And yes, I did sing towards the end.  After the week and day I had, I needed to cut loose a little bit.  Although, there were a few people that I would loved to have seen there.

Church on Sunday was the usual drill.  Lunch was fun, but a little awkward.  Was suppose to have lunch with a group of people, but some people dropped out of the group and left just one other person and me by ourselves.  Of cousre I gave a certain person some grief about flaking out.  But, I still enjoyed the lunch.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing and working on my paper.

This is how a proper evacuation shelter should be set up:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071023/D8SETS4G0.html?123

1.  It is bloody freezing outside!

2.  Okay, so I was wrong.  The BoSox did have some fire left in them.  I think they'll take the WS in six games.

3.  Peolpe need to learn that you need to turn on your lights when they drive while it is raining.  (That and they also need to learn how to drive in the rain.)

4.  I need to get out more. 

5.  Why am I still single?  This is really just me brooding about my life in general.  I'm not going to say that I could care less about being single, but right now I have too much to do to really care.

6.  I can be an insesitive bastard sometimes, well okay...so most of the time.

7.  I finally got around to buying a new game for my Wii.  I got the Table Tennis, and it is pretty fun.  However, I'm not sure how much time I can invest into it.

8.  My knee is begining to act up again.  It's most likely because I'm starting to work out more and after a long dormant period it can't take the abuse...yet. 

9.  I need to dig up my CBs.  I don't like having to side step puddles.

10.  It's bloody cold outside!

This could have been another Cal Poly or Marshall:

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-usc-scarylanding&prov=ap&type=lgns

In my leadership analysis seminar class last night we began discussing the leadership decisions about the Rwandan genocide in 1994.  We talked about who was at fault for not acting, why the United States would not act, and why when we did it took so long.  As we were having ths commentary and discussion I noticed something odd, well I consider it odd, many (actually I think it was all) of the students were saying the "United States government" or the "US government" or "the militray."

I gave a commentary about the whole original mission being a failure from the begining, and added references to the Blackhawk Down incident in Somalia that had happened in the previous year.  I used the terms "our government" and "us" when I refered to the US and military.  I really did not give this much thought initially.  It was not until during a break that someone asked me about it.  They wnated to know why I kept saying we when talking about the military.  I simply told them; "You don't stop being a soldier when the uniform comes off.  Once a soldier always a soldier."  They gave me this blank look and walked away.  Unless you've worn the uniform, I don't think you could understand.  Though, it was only a short time for me; I understand the sacrifice involved, the hardships, and the brotherhood.

Now, what does this mean?  How do we indentify ourselves?  Are we so detatched that we do not want to have any attachments to any groups?  Or do we have some lofty ideals of neutrality, that we shed off identity?  Is identity something we cloak ourselves in for convenience? 

It is official.  They cast is almost all set.  Production begins next month.

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/MOV/011/index.html

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/va/20071012/119218483100.html

I know I'm looking forward to this.  I was seriously disappointed in the last three movies.

For several months now I had a link posted on my site.  It's the one that has the picture of a baby on it.  Well, for those that did click on it, you know what it's about.  For those that didn't...well what can I say?

This just breaks your heart:  http://www.elyseyu.com/news.html

Over the weekend I read someone else’s post about being Korean American. Well, to be more specific a 1.5 generation Korean American. For those that do not know what specifically that means, it means a person who was born in Korea (or elsewhere) and moved to the United States at a relatively young age (i.e. between about four and 12 years old). It is an age where the person is greatly influenced. There is still the pull from our cultural heritage, yet there is also that pull from our new home where we want to “fit in.” This post had me thinking for the past few days about who I was and how I identified. Did I find myself to be more Korean or more American? To be honest I’m not entirely sure.

Being born outside of the US and coming to the States at age eight was a difficult transition for me. I did feel being pulled to one culture and then being pulled back the other way. I had a hard time fitting in at school because I was Koreanized, but I didn’t fit in well with other Koreans because I was not a FOB (fresh of the boat) like they were. For a time I shed off my Korean self, so that I could fit in with my American friends. This became very easy for me to do, since I grew up in a predominantly white community.

However, as I got older I found myself going back to being more Korean. I started speaking Korean more, even cussing in Korean, eating more Korean food and watching Korean videos. Was it that I felt guilty? Or was I just exiting a rebellious phase on my life? Looking around at the other 1.5 gens around me, I saw three distinct groups. The first group was those that decided to embrace the FOB culture. Talking with them you find that they were here at a very early age and for some reason did not assimilate well and for all intents of purpose became a FOB. Then you have those that embraced American culture wholeheartedly. They would be the ones to totally disavow who they were and where they came from. And finally, I think this is the largest group, you have those that are still being pulled in one direction or another.

Honestly, I think I fall into the latter category. I have that identity crisis many times. The most obvious time I can think of is during the Olympics or the World Cup. Who do I cheer for? I cheer for both of course; but if the US and Korea are competing against each other? What then? I remember I had this dilemma during the 2002 World Cup. To some this may be a trivial example, but for me and many others it is not. I also remember my recruiter asking me if the US went to war with North Korea would I have problems fighting (read: killing) other Koreans. Internally, I was struggling with that question. Ancestrally, my family came from the Northern regions near Paekdu-San. So, in a sense I would be fighting (again read: killing) cousins or family. I gave the only answer that I could think of, I said: “They’re commies, sergeant. I have no problem with fighting (again read: killing) them.” How do we deal with this identity crisis?

Some of us are at ease with their identity as Korean-Americans and are able to switch roles without much thought, or have found that happy medium. However, there are those of us that still struggle with who we are and where we fit in. It is true we can choose to be more Korean or more American, but can we truly be comfortable with our choice? I envy those that are comfortable enough to switch back and forth or have that happy medium. For me, there are times that I find myself acting too Korean or too American; and it just feels awkward.

Suffice it to say, I do not think that there is an easy solution. I am pretty much relegated to this struggle for the time being. Looking ahead, I see that this struggle will be the same for my children. I think that it will take at least two generations after ours to truly find the equilibrium. So, I suppose for the time being that we need to find that middle ground that allows us to be Korean, yet feel the attachment to America. That way it will be easier for our children.