This is what you get when you eat the Golden Arches....

Dude, I almost barfed while reading this, but I know for a fact that I vurped!
(vurp - when you vomit in your mouth and swallow it again, ew!)

not to be confused....

When i said you shouldn't talk about race with people, don't let that confuse you with "races."
I highly suggest you keep talking about them...especially them NASCAR kind.
Yeah boy!

Something to think about...

People say there are two things you should never talk about with people you just meet:
1) Politics
2) Religion

I have a third...RACE! Dont talk about race....not a good thing.
Although I will never know what its like to be white, there is no way in hell a white person can even imagine what its like to be a minority. Problem is that I have surrounded myself with smart people. People that AREN't racist, but because they are smart, they think they know whats up.
Maybe some of them do, but come on...have you ever had someone make slanted eyes gestures towards you? Have you ever had someone talk slowly to you because there's just no way I know how to speak Engrish.
I am the lone asian in an all white crowd. They dont look at me as Korean, they say, but I look at myself as Korean and I think I stick out very obviously in a sea of pale skin.

Perhaps I created my own problems. Maybe I need to socialize with more asians...
We can all try and say that we love each other, color has no barriers, etc...we need to work on it big time and not pretend to think we know what its like, and instead, admit that we are all ignorant sometimes.

kooks are lame!

Obama or bust...

Everywhere you turn these days, is news about the elections that will shape the next several years in our House and Senate. Mamy states are choosing new Governors as well, including California. I fricken can't stand the Governator, but Angelides is sort of a kook himself. Its basically gonna be the lesser of two shitheads...again...as usual.
2008 is also coming into the picture now. Hillary looks really strong, but there are no clear candidates yet. Kerry says he'll prob run, Edwards should be expected as well. Then there's Obama! He gained tons of popularity after his speach at the convention in 2004, and since then has been gaining support throughout the country. But...this will stir things up for sure within the party. Will Hillary lose most of the African-American votes? Hillary will need those votes. With South Carolina being the first state to hold a primary, who will come out on top?
There is an excellent article in the NY Times and Obama's hints towards running.
I guess once they all officially announce their candidacies, we'll know.

Bottom line...F W!

The Lone Star State...

First of all, if you're from Texas, I am sorry. Really sorry. I have never had anything good happen when in Texas. Even in Austin, which is the only city in that state that isn't completely nuts. Needless to say, we all know our President is from that place too. Remember the Alamo...my ass!
I have met some great folks from there, but as a whole, that place is back-ass-wards.

There are some folks in Texas that still believe Texas to be its own Republic. Come on people!
Anyway, to show you how fucked up TX is, look at what a State run website does here.

Gnarls!

North Korea, South Korea...

With so many problems in the world today, we have recently been blown away with the news that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Can we really be that shocked?

A brief history and cultural lesson for everybody...technically, North Korea is still at war with South Korea and the United States. The Korean War never ended, and as a Korean American, I can tell you that this problem still exists, every single second of everyday. As a Korean person, I cannot look at the North Korean people as my enemy. Koreans never had the choice! The whole reason there is a North and South is because the U.S.A, and China and the then Soviet Union divided it at the "38th parallel," which is the most heavily guarded and armed border in the world.
Millions of Korean families were broken up, lost, kidnapped...not by choice, but because of political, geographical, and economical reasons. To this day, I have a great uncle that i will never meet, talk to, or even be able to send a letter to without worrying about censorship from the DPRK.
Geographically, Korea is an easy entrance way to all of Asia through the Pacific Ocean. Lying between China and Japan, Korea has endured centuries of war with both countries. There is still grips of animousity between these nations. Once the West became interested in Asia, the shit started to hit the fan everywhere. The US became interested with using Korea and other parts of Asia for military reasons. Strategically, the US and the Soviet Union (backed by China) formed a demarkation line at the 38th parallel separating Korea, into North and South. To this day, the United States and China have strategic agendas to make sure North and South will never ONE again.
Why shouldn't we be suprised about the North having nukes?
Well, we have known for over a decades that North Korea has sold arms to communist, guerilla, and outcasted nations. Having the USSR and China backing you pretty much means carte blanche. Once the Soviet fell and China became a Capitalist society there was little interest in North Korea. This left them fend for themselves with limited resources coming in as aid, where previously they lived typical Cold War communist ways. During this time, the South, backed by the United States prospered becoming one of Asia's major players. North Korea desperately wanted to get a piece of South Korea's action, so they started to trade, deal, and work even closer with sketchy countries.
During the 1990's, much of Asia suffered from a drought, but 3rd world countries like North Korea were extra fahked. Millions and millions of Korean people in the North died of starvation, and yet there was little to no media coverage of this. In the 1980's, celebrities rushed out to make cheesy songs to help countries around the world with starvation, but in 1995, not a single country but South Korea came to aid the North. Eventually, China started to send more aid, but even to this day, North Koreans have nothing to eat. Millions of tons of rice is exported weekly from South Korea and still people die everyday.
Towards the end of that decade, the US started to communicate with North Korea but due to an upcoming election, things were pushed to the side. Once Bush took office, he has basically blown off negotiations with North Korea, usually blaming the Clinton administration of ruining relationships with the North.
Why is this so important?
If the North has nukes, and their Leader Kim Il-Jong is crazy enough to see millions of his own people die of starvation while he eats like a king, why wouldn't he use it on neighboring nations like Japan, China, or even South Korea? He would. As I write this, there are hundreds of missiles and rockets pointed straight to Seoul, only a skip away. In less than 20 minutes after launch, thousands of Koreans will be dead. North Korea knows that the US (probably) wouldn't let this happen. Japan, China, Russia, the USA, and South Korea should all be shitting bricks and worried about what to do.

It freaks me out when i think about all the issues going on in Asia. Being Asian-American is already tough in this country, but being Korean-American may be even more difficult if things keep going the way they do. Muslims faced it recently with 9/11, and its only 60 years ago that the US Government displaced thousands of Japanese-American by forcing them to abandon their lives and live in internment camps. They (US GOV) said it was for "their protection."
Fahk that. They were scared. That was ONLY 60 years ago people...think about it.

Within my circle of friends, I am known to speak my mind and its not unusual for me to make snide comments about being "white people" and how I interact with a mostly all white crew. Although I believe in my heart my friends don't look at me as "the Korean guy," I often find myself feeling out of place just because of my skin color. Obviously my social circles are a result of my upbringing, but its still something I think about. Recently, a friend had a shirt made for me that read, "from the good korea". I know he had no ill intentions of getting this shirt for me, but it made me realize the naivity about what truly is the situation in my motherland.

Get out of my way!

Surfing...hard to think of something better than it, but its tough. The feeling you get when you step into liquid is like no other. Snowboarding, skating, skiing, wakeboarding, nothing is quite the same.
Then you got longboarders vs. shortboarders...I grew up riding single fin, 10 foot boards my entire life. I can ride short, little 1 1/2 inch thick grom riders, but they aren't as exciting to me. Fishes are fun though. I want a new 6'0...sick!

Surfing has taken off tremendously in the past 30 years. Its super popular and tons of people are learning every single day. I think its great that people get to experience the same feelings I do when I am in the lineup...but...STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY KOOK!

One of the biggest reasons (besides being a () in the cold water) is the fact that tons of kooks are out there, taking off when they shouldn't, having no control of themselves let along their boards, and just cause they own a $400 wetsuit, they think they rip. Recently a girl I know took up surfing. Now she is convinced that she is a surfer. Thats what we call a kook folks. KOOK!!
BARNEY GALORE! She was trying to tell me that the ocean water in SF is 65 degrees...it wouldn't get that warm here unless hell became earth. I am the last person that thinks he knows everything, but the ocean, surfing, any waterman activity, do you really think I don't know my shit?

I am not trying to be a smartass or an asshole, I just wish people knew where the fuck they fall into the world. If you choose to learn to surf, good on ya, just stay the fuck out of my way.

Here is some NORCAL footage to keep you going.

How rad...

would it have been to be at this show...thats real talk.

While you wait...

Here is a quick little piece of entertainment from our lake sonoma trip.
More to come very soon.

Getting older, not old....

There are so many cliches about life. How short it is so we should live the fullest lives possible, etc....

Well, its true! During the last couple of years, I have been reminded almost daily that I am getting older each day. Every commercial on tv tries to sell products to help us stay young. Viagra, Levitra, Cialis...all products for men to keep a boner so they feel young. Skin creams and ointments to help your wrinkles, body sprays for men to get young, hot girls...its absurd!
Maybe its been this way for years...maybe its just cause I am getting older and finding myself in front of the television each night.
Its become a problem...too many entertaining shows on tv every single night these days.
Oh well.