Archive for January, 2008

You Reap What You Sow. The Sins of Your Father?

Published by
the Hungry Dork Lord
at January 28, 2008 in Business, Pursuit for Happyness and Relationships. 0 Comments

How am I suppose to reap what I sow when I have inherited $3+ million in debt?

The two sides:
We hear it all the time: You reap what you sow. We also see the old theme: A guy inherits the sins of his father. Both situations exist but can they exist together? If we reap what we sow then what are all these problems that pop up that we never knew about? If we inherit the sins of our fathers (parents) then how do we ever create a life of our own? Maybe we reap the problems of our parents? Or do we only make our own gains after we overcome the situations passed down to us by our parents (financial, psychological, or situational)?

The problem:
I have not paid any of the mortgages this month. There are also a lot of bills that have yet to be paid. On top of that there are fines and dues from the various HOA’s and other monetary collecting bodies that have yet to be paid. Add in credit cards, borrowed funds, and other various loans and payments and we’re looking at about $30 thousand that needs to be paid immediately. This is not the total of my family’s debt however. The total of my family’s debt exceeds $3+ million. Hmmm… and all this time I’ve been thinking 3 was my lucky number.

The answer:
$3 million in debt is not that bad. I’m sure if we all looked into our families debt it would be much more than we thought was possible. Maybe not $3 million but more than we think.  A $1 million lump sum is not that much because there are bills every month. $1 million will eventually run out if it’s not put to work. Thus, how am I suppose to become all that I can be and “reap what I sow” when the financial decisions made by my parents have put us in a terrible financial situation and has caused me to “inherit their sins?” I love my parents and they have taught me a great deal but somewhere along the 26 years of my very young life mistakes were made in regards to financial planning. I can’t say who’s fault it is because no one owns up to it. That’s not really important anyway. What’s important is what we do from here. I have an idea to get through all of this but I lack the knowledge to pull it all off. I also lack the discipline, focus, and hunger to get everything together. Luckily, I possess an ability to allow me to overcome my shortcomings. Maybe. Hahaha. Hopefully I can learn to become disciplined, focused, and hungry enough to gain the knowledge I need to turn this disaster into good fortune. Then not only will I be able to successfully carry my own weight but I’ll be able to carry the weight of my parents as well. Who wouldn’t want to be able to do that?

I choose…

Published by
ms.le97
at January 27, 2008 in World Wide Watch and the People. 0 Comments

vote button

Come Super Tuesday - over 20 states will vote in the primary elections on February 5th, including California. As the Presidential campaign grows more suspenseful, debates and out-of-context remarks drive prime news, and the Obama vs. Clinton(s) fervor mounts, I find myself nervous. My God… WHO DO I VOTE FOR?

Trying to make an educated and thoughtful decision within the Democratic party has proven difficult. Frankly, I believe that all three John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton can make a good President. At a glance, all of their platforms appear similar. Universal healthcare, accountable education, greener global community, humane immigration policies, and pulling troops out of Iraq. All sound good, yes?

The nuances, however, lie in their differing approach to politics.

Hillary - Experience, Edwards - Empathy , and Obama - Change

A bit of all three are crucial in a President. My struggle for selecting a candidate volleyed back and forth between Hillary and Obama. Hillary’s several years of political experience explain the comfort and confidence she exudes everytime she mentions, “When I am President…” Experience would allow her to navigate through a familiar system, contact established networks, and anticipate institutional roadblocks.

I admit, Obama’s lack of political credentials worried me. Two years in U.S. Senate and only 46 years old! Then Iowa happened. I was mesmerized by his victory speech - his message of hope and change moved me. He’s a black candidate who won in a predominantly white state, he stirred something in the youth that brought them in record masses out to the polls, he blurred the party lines for some between Democrat, Independent, and Republican. If he can create that sort of change, in just the span of a less than a month, what more can he bring in four years?

Society is hungry for a change. We’ve been distrustful and disillusioned with politics and the government. We’re wiser and beginning to realize that America needs to take accountability - environmentally, globally, and ethically. We need a President who aspires to those ideals and will work from a bureaucratic as well as a grass-roots level.

I don’t think Obama holds all the answers, but I do think he’s ready to tackle those issues with a culturally sensitive and objective lens. Obama brings a fresh, intelligent perspective to politics. I believe in his vision to unite people. For diplomacy. Hope.

In the end, I choose change.

More info:

BBC 2008 Elections Guide
Link to SF Chronicle interview with Obama
AsianAmericansforObama.com

Ain’t too Proud to Beg

Published by
the Hungry Dork Lord
at January 21, 2008 in Checking In and Rambling. 0 Comments

Real quick since it’s been a couple of weeks since my last post. (So much for trying to at least write once a week.) Much longer considering the last couple of posts were regarding a curiosity. In Dec I started working at Things Remembered again as a seasonal. Crappy pay is better than no pay. Holiday season at TR is crazy mad as always. Despite that, the end of 2007 was awesome. Plenty of friends, plenty of food, plenty of fun, plenty of good times to be remembered. Much thanks to Diep, Julie, David, Patty, Chris, & Luke for spending New Years with me. Thanks to Irene for trying (mom got sick, hope she’s feeling better).

After NYE, my mom goes to Vietnam 3 days before I’m suppose to go to Tahoe. Once again there’s a hustle to get things situated before she leaves and tie up some loose ends before I leave. One of the houses was about to be rented out and there were a ton of things to be fixed before people could move in. Not to mention I work now. Sometimes I wonder if I’m actually loosing more money than I’m earning by working at TR.

Anyway, Tahoe was awesome. A storm the week before gave us plenty of nice powder to enjoy for the weekend. Though I don’t think my body was able to hold up to the 2 days of boarding. Especially since I had to stay up a little late Sat night in order to start some work I received from UCLA. Took 2 days rest in Daly City before taking a very entertaining Virgin America flight (entertaining and very delayed VA flight) back to Vegas to get back to work at TR.

Despite the great fun and much needed rest I can’t help but think of how the timing of the trip wasn’t the best for me. I applied to BofA sometime before the trip and got a call for a group interview that was taking place on Tuesday morning. But I wasn’t getting back until Tuesday afternoon! I also failed to finish all the necessary fixes to the rental house before I left and thus have to make time to take care of that soon. I had to spend some time on the trip doing work for UCLA in order to get a little extra income. Upon coming back to Vegas I had to scramble to organize some funds to pay some bills. There are still a stack of bills that need to be paid since I currently lack the funds to even think about them. I don’t regret going on the trip or anything. All the trouble I’ve had is worth it to enjoy a little snow and good company. However, I feel as if I wasn’t able to enjoy the trip as much because I got tons of other things on my mind, like how incredibly broke I am.

Though I am glad to start a new year, 2008 came with a lot of financial problems. Well the financial problems have been building up for a while, but I feel as it cumulated at the beginning of this month. One of the renters is moving out and thus the cash flow from that rental is non-existent this month. We were already behind on payments with that rental and now it’s even worse. There is still 1 more mortgage that has yet to be paid from December and just about all of January’s mortgages are late. Foreclosure is very very eminent. This is almost the bottom of the barrel. Foreclosure would be the bottom so I’m very glad I’m not there yet.

I may not be at the bottom of the barrel but I don’t have any problem at all taking a little charity. Food is a little scarce in the household and I’ve eaten a bowl of ramen at least once a day, sometimes twice. I don’t even think I ate much today except for some tostitos I bought a little while back and a few egg rolls that I won’t even discuss where they came from. I worked an 8 hr shift at TR without much sustenance and all I brought to hold me over was a can of coke. I did have some rice crackers that were there from Dec (still wrapped) and a cup of coffee from McD that a customer bought me, bless her soul. Um, yeah… there have been worse days I rather not discuss.

On the bright side… BofA called back for another group interview this coming Wednesday so I have to get some things together for that. Also, one of the vacation homes got rented out this weekend so there’s a little cash flow coming from that too. (Actually just got back from doing a little house cleaning there too. Bastards didn’t turn off the lights, close the windows or lock up properly! WTF MAN!) Anway, while I was in Daly City I got to talk to the fam and got everyone to agree to start incorporating our properties. This will allow us to take the properties out of our names and place them into LLCs which provides both asset protection and a chance for us to build back our credit. Now, if I can do this before any foreclosures happen I will be very happy with 2008.

If you’re reading this and thinking “OMFG that is so crazy!” Don’t over react.  The situation could be a lot worse.  In fact there are a lot of people in much worse situations than I am.  I just have a need to eat and lack the need to care where the food comes from. However, if you still feel bad for me please click the donate button and help the hungry.  Well… there is no donate button (damnit I need to figure out how to put a donate button on this thing quick) but when there is a donate button feel free to click it and donate =).

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and have a Happy MLK Jr. Day!

Ice Shark Answers

Published by
the Hungry Dork Lord
at January 7, 2008 in Brain Shock and Rambling. 0 Comments

Alright, so there are no real answers. There are just a few speculations. A couple friends commented on my facebook notes (facebook imports Thoughts for Barter) and there were some interesting insights so I thought I’d share. Though, I don’t think any of it really explains my pet Ice Shark that I ground into a very tasty shaved ice treat for myself and my sister.

Ice Shark Comments (WARNING some of the comments are hard to understand and some are just… they’re just… well you’ve been warned! ¦Þ) :

I.N.: looks like a condom in the first picture don’t u think lol

me: no, i don’t think it looks like a condom… but i do think someone needs to get laid =P

I.N.: who? you? no problem. come to LA. Guarantee u can get laid whenever you want. It isn’t so hard here since everyone here’s a sex machine and since ur good looking (not as good looking as I am of course), i don’t see why u’d have a problem getting it, unless u don’t want to :)
I.N.: Water increases density as it cools. at certain temperature it’ll reaches its maximum density. then its density will decrease as it get to the freezing point, which causes the water surround it to come to the top. note that water crystallizes into an open hexagon, which contains more spaces.
now wat do i get for answering such tough question? why am i so smart haha

C.T.: Water…. Density… Temperature…. Ctystallizes? If it were me I would say, water is wet. It is cold. Then it turns solid… But, that’s coming from a guy that sleeps on the beach between waves in 45 degree water….

me: i know that water expands when it freezes… but how does it expand to look like a sharks fin on top of the ice. it should expand evenly across the top of the surface because that’s the easiest way to expand. hmmmm… UNLESS! unless that area was the last spot to freeze which in itself is weird ‘cuz it should freeze evenly but if it is not than i suppose it is possible for that spot to expand upward. Thanks Ivy and Chris! This thought has come to a satisfying close, even if it is not absolutely correct. =)

I.N.: do u know how an iceberg is form? and how it looks the way it does - uneven? it has to do not only w/the density of water but also the structure of water. anywho, will try to explain more tomorrow. its’ 2:30 and i need my beauty sleep. The Great Debater is such a great movie! go watch it. I Am Legend’s 2nd half was weird. something is missing about that movie. i dind’t like it. but will smith is still the legend. very talented and HOT.

So after this little exchange of ideas and a few more exchanges with local Vegas friends and fam I’ve decided to believe that the reason I got my little Ice Shark was because the water froze unevenly. Normally (normally as in my observations with pulling ice cubes out of the freezer too early), water freezes on the surface first and then around the sides before it freezes in the middle. When the middles begins to freeze the ice expands outward. Thus, if for some reason the water freezes on one side of the container first, then around the sides followed by the freezing of the middle I suppose it would be quite possible that a small area of the waters surface would freeze outward to make it look like a sharks fin. Though this is speculation, I hereby decree it as fact unless I am proven otherwise. There was the idea that it follows the same way a glacier or an ice berg forms but I looked into it and that is just not possible.

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. It’s a new year, make it a great one.