Look Ma, I Can Post!

http://danhom.wordpress.com/

Money, I Want Money!!!

I wrote in some blog a while ago, that I had changed my mind; contrary to my dreams as a kid, I currently do in fact--want to be rich and have a lot of money.

This is why: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-20-santa-secret_x.htm

Call me weird, call me crazy, and say what you will about sharing and building relationships vs. giving. There are only a few things that would make me happier than doing what this guy does.

Retire

I'm not shutting this blog down, but I'm trying to streamline everything I write into one place so I don't feel like I have all these appendages everywhere.

I don't know who reads this, but if you do and you for whatever reason what to continue reading, I'm going to plant myself over at my other blog, http://danhom.wordpress.com .

Hopefully I don't stay in China again for extended periods of time and lose my ability to access it.

Motivations.

I find it funny that sometimes we think the best way to stop people from doing something, is to outlaw it. Make it illegal.

Granted, for some people, there is a threshold for certain activities. If it is not illegal to steal, then more people will feel inclined to do so because there is less risk. But the idea that something making it illegal to steal means that nobody will steal is a bit silly I think.

I believe this. Everybody performs an action because they have some motivation to do so. I steal because I have no money because I have no job because no one will hire me because I'm Asian. Either that or I steal because I don't think it hurts anyone. I tell my girlfriend to have an abortion because I don't have the money to support the child.

But if you erase the motivation, any of the above said actions, are suddenly gone.

This, is how I think we should be going about stopping people from doing these we deem, undesirable.

Of course, changing people's motivations, is infinitely more difficult of a job than simply making it illegal.

Voices Riding on the Wind

Today was a pretty bad day. It was busy, lonely, and stressful to boot. The one bright spot in the afternoon was talking and helping some local young kids with their English, though their English is already pretty good. But still, I had a headache and overall the whole day still sucked.

And then it sucked more because I had to go out and figure out dinner on my own.

And then I got a surprise: a phone call from my local friend who's working in Denmark, just to see how I was doing. The conversation was refreshing and it felt good just to connect with a friend again.*

And then I found a really good Japanese ramen noodle place. Surprisingly good, since it was in a food court.

And then I spent an hour or so just listening to music in a record store.

It was a nice way to have an evening to end a rough day.

Do not underestimate the power of randomly calling your friends just to say hi. I won't.

* - Though I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise. He called two weeks ago, and at the time said he would call again in two weeks.

Momento for the Sunshine

I've spent the last chunk of undetermined time allowing Ms. Eva Cassidy's amazing voice to soothe my mind and soul while I sit here on a couch and waver between spacing out and searching for random, worthless information on the web. I would've loved to hear the woman live.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
It's not warm when she's away,
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
and she's always gone too long,
anytime he goes away.

Her rendition is so calm but her phrasing so smooth and perfect. It's the right amount of soul, the right amount of jazz, and just the right amount of gentle rhythm. Like the breaking dawn after days of rain.

It's like a mirror that reflects the opposite of what I'm feeling. It's the perfect antidote to the tense, pressure filled, tired mind. My thinking has become sporadic, my focus nearly non existent.

I suppose I could simplify things. Overcompensate, be overly decisive and just choose something. And if such choices carried no consequences I probably would have done just that. But since they don't, well I'm stuck listening to my newfound love.

Though honestly, that's not such a bad option after all.

Short Sighted Shock

Hooray for more shocks!

One of my good friends today told me he didn't believe I was Christian.

I can't say I didn't expect it, but I will say I didn't expect the thoughts and feelings that came with it.