Journals

My son should have been casted as Anakin Skywalker, for he is much more menacing than the other kid actor in the prequel.

My son told me: "I want to be Darth Vader for Halloween."

And I am going to be Luke Skywalker.

See the irony?

Two years ago, I started my struggle with a perforated appendicitis.

It was a humbling experience, since I've always taken my good health for granted.

So, the Sennheiser headphone finally arrived. I am a bit late opening up the package and reviewing it because I just finished one of those 30-hour hospital shifts.

The packaging is decent. Not overly impressive, but sufficient. The headphone also comes with a gold-plated 1/4" adapter, which is nice, except that I don't have any use for it.

The ear cups fit over my ears very comfortably. I wore it for about an hour, and I wasn't bothered by it at all. This is in contrast to the old wireless Sennshiser headphone that I own.

The cord is extremely long. I think it's more than three meters. I guess the manufacturer doesn't want anyone to complain that the cord is too short. Storing such a long cord can be annoying sometimes.

Finally, when I tested the sound, I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed. The bass isn't necessarily loud, but it doesn't go as low as I would like. Compared to my $25 speakers with subwoofer, the low-frequency sounds don't come out as low in the headphone.

Otherwise, the sound is clear and crisp. Maybe I haven't broken in the headphone yet. This is only after a few hours of listening.

I guess for $20, I can't really complain much about the sound quality.

Overall, I am satisfied with my purchase. It's impossible to beat the price of this headphone. Any other headphone around $20 sound like a group of rabid squirrels being overrun by feral cats.

I just bought a pair of SENNHEISER headphones for $19.99.

The reviews at Newegg are pretty positive. I already own a pair of SENNHEISER , but that one was just uncomfortable after wearing it for more than an hour.

This one looks more comfortable.

I have created a video blog that allows me to address parents on vaccine topics on a weekly basis.

I am hoping that I can put a proper perspective on issues regarding vaccination for parents.

I tried getting fiber optics to my house, but it's not available in our neighborhood yet.

Bummer.

For some reason, I kind of lost interest in playing games recently.

I just can't find the motivation to fire up Steam and play.

So I signed up with Netflix. While my wife works at night, I will watch a movie (instead of playing games).

My son showing more of his musical talent.

I believe I have the H1N1 flu (the "swine" flu).

I am staying home today. If I go to work, I will expose many babies to this virus.

This is the reason why none of us feels bad about killing Nazis in games.

graphic torture

I dreamed about this last night. I saw this movie ten years ago, yet it still haunts me.

Toward the end of dinner last night, I was feeding my son fruit.

He leaned over, looked at me, and said "I love Dada".

He then put him arm around my shoulder and gave me a hug.

This all came spontaneously.

We often say "I love you" to him and hug him, but it's still great to get such a response from him out of the blue.

I already know that he's going to grow up to be a wonderful man.

I was not aware of this dirty little secret in American history.

In the 1970's, the American public endorsed the idea of eugenics, and the Supreme Court upheld such practice.

60,000 Americans were forcibly sterilized because they were deemed "feeble-minded".

Anyone who is homeless, illiterate, or is an orphan is qualified as inadequate for bearing children.

The obvious eliticism behind such shocking discrimiantion did not bother most people.

My wife's parents are illiterate farmers. If the government had gotten to them, my wife would never have been born, and my son would not exist today.

My wife graduated as the top student of her high school, and she went on to become an engineer.

I took Scottie to his first movie in a theater this afternoon.

The film was "Up" by Pixar.

Pixar has never disappointed me before, and with "Up", the bar has been raised even higher, and I didn't think it was possible to raise the bar higher.

"Up", true to Pixar's tradition of making untraditional films, is as different as you can get from the Disney animated classics. The main character is a feeble and bitter old man who gets around with a walker. His sidekick is a boy whose father abandoned him after he remarried. The story is about death and grief, love lost and found. It's some pretty heavy stuff for an animated feature. No wonder it's only the second Pixar film that garnered a PG rating.

Despite the grim premise and an unlikely hero, the film promises to take your heart and soul to new heights (pun intended). It's heart wrenching, and I spent half of the time sobbing in the theater.

As for Scottie's experience, it went as well as I expected. There were no less than six previews, which took more than half an hour. Even though the movie was only about 96 minutes, he lasted for an hour and half. I was able to distract him with popcorns, but that only lasted through the first hour of the movie. We went outside to the lobby for about ten minutes, during which he spent driving a 18-wheeler (a video game in the lobby). I was able to coax him back into the dark theater by bribing him with popcorns.

We were able to finish the movie together. He enjoyed the experience, but I am not sure how much of the story he actually understood. He's only 22-months today, so he didn't have to pay for a ticket anyway.

One of my friends lend me the book "Narcissus and Goldmund". It was a crucial book that led him to his spiritual path and ultimately converted him into an Orthodox Jew.

For those who are unfamiliar with this work by Hermann Hesse, it's a story about two monks who befriended each other, and the author took us into an introspective journey into their lives.

Each of them represent a philosophy in life. Narcissus represents the cerebral, control, and introspection. Goldmund represents the freedom, sensual, and emotional elements in life.

After reading the book, I realized that I went through several stages in my life already. For the first part, as an adolescent, I related most closely to Narcissus. I was a studious student and devoted all of my effort in discipline and study. The second part of my life, which started around my college years, I gave myself to indulgence. This phase did not fully realize itself until I was training to become a doctor in residency. I played games with things and people, and I didn't feel fully alive until then.

Finally, I became an artist. This is when I can most closely relate to Goldmund. I feel the fervor of creation, and it often boiled my blood during one of the creative frenzies that I engage in when I design a level for games.

Now I feel that I embody both elements--Narcissus and Goldmund. It's the only way to fully live life. I am finally at ease about my identity when I am able to embrace both aspects of life.