i want to be just like everyone else

This post is dedicated to the spirit of the perpetual "Jeff-look-a-likes" that seem to keep popping up in my life.

The earliest Jeff-look-a-like is my brother SW. Everyone always said we looked like twins. We both disagreed. In fact, we could easily tell each other apart. I don't remember a single incident of us mistaking the other for ourselves. Therefore, this Jeff-look-a-like has been debunked.

Back in college, there were quite a few Jeff-look-a-likes. They were always found by my friends, AA and KE. I think at one point there were a total of 3 Jeff-look-a-likes that they knew of. I, always up for scientific discovery, wanted to see these so-called look-a-likes so that we could have a proper comparison. Unfortunately for science, and the field of Jeff-look-a-like-ology, I never got a chance to meet any of them. The closest encounter was when we were driving around for no apparent reason (as you do in college) and KE spotted one. He was walking in some narrow alleys and in between houses (as Jeff-look-a-likes tend to do), and as we were in a car, it was difficult for us to follow him. But that doesn't mean we didn't try. I think we lost him after 5 min of circling around the same area. He just disappeared. I hypothesize that Jeff-look-a-likes have some sort of invisibility that they can turn on, or some special ability to escape from predators. These 3 Jeff-look-a-likes are still inconclusive.

Most recently, I have been informed of yet another Jeff-look-a-like. And this time, dear readers, we have proof. I was first made aware of this look-a-like by MJ. She even wrote about it on her xanga (along with a billion other look-a-likes), but as her xanga is protected, you, dear reader must make do with my summary. Her friend AW is so convinced that I look like this Jeff-look-a-like that she has started referring to me as "Dan Kim." Initially I was skeptical, but after being presented with the facts, I was inclined to agree. Here I will present Facts #1, #2, #3.



Wow, that's some irrefutable evidence there. But, in order to do this properly, and scientifically, we must present some sort of "control" to compare against. Thus, I will present my most recent picture.



You can tell that's me by the "Engineer" that's on my shirt. I indeed am a Computer Engineer. Honestly, now that I see the pictures side-by-side, I don't see the resemblance.

Thus, after careful review and re-review of the facts, I must say that this latest alleged Jeff-look-a-like has also been debunked. Good try, great effort, see you next time.

if you don't want to get anything done today

I know you guys read this blog because you're bored.

Hapland
Hapland2
Hint: click the "?" in the lower right hand corner.

Haven't tried the other games yet.

Try Cube Grow or RPG
You're supposed to figure out the right order to place things on the cube. I haven't solved this one yet.

this makes 0-2

As I'm rushing home to watch 24, I park my car, and step out only to be summoned by a guy who is sitting on a couch by the street (the couch was being thrown out, he didn't move it there). Mind you, I was on my phone at the time, so he was already being really rude by interrupting my conversation. Anyway, he says claims that his truck broke down a few blocks away and he needs money to pay the tow truck. He already has a bunch of money in his hand (like $100+) that he tells me to count (which I decline). He says he only needs $22.50 more. I don't have any cash on me (I just lost it all playing poker with my co-workers and paying for pizza) but I offer to borrow some from my friends (who I can hear inside my apartment. yeah, they're loud....like me). Being a little suspicious, but still wanting to help, I ask a few questions.

Why is he sitting on a couch a few blocks away from his truck? He says he called his friend (who has a tow truck?) and he's on his way, but he asked for an hour to get money together (his friend is charging him?). He was sitting on the couch trying to think of what to do.

I say I will go borrow some money, and go wait with him for the truck. He gets mad and says he isn't trying to burn me, that he's not a bum, and doesn't want to be treated like a baby. Uh, ok. I offer him the use of my cell phone to call his friend so he can call him to come earlier and not wait for an hour. He declines, saying his friend is coming, he doesn't need to call him. Uh, ok. He says he will wait for me while I get the money.

I go inside, tell my friends what happened, borrow some money, come back out (with HC) and say we will go with him to wait for the tow truck. He asks to borrow my phone. He proceeds to tell me some number (that seems like he is making up on the spot. "323, uh, um, 232, uh thirteen fifty seven"). I call the number and hand him the phone. He says his friend is not picking up, and is on the way. He asks if I dialed the right number. I show him the number. He dials again. He hands me the phone and it indeed is ringing but no one picks up. He keeps repeating that all he needs is $22.50 and if I can help him out. He says he will come back and pay me back and for me to trust him like a man. He doesn't want to be treated like a baby. I tell him he asked for my help, I'm not trying to treat him like a baby, but I want to wait with him, and this is my way of helping him. He then says, "Then this is my way of saying good bye," and walks off.

Obviously (or maybe not), this was a scam. The second time in LA that I've actually tried to help someone asking me for help turns out (again) to be a scam (I'm not counting that one time I did help the lady with the dog that didn't turn out to be a scam, but the dog died. That was just weird). This is seriously hardening my heart against helping those who ask for money or help. I don't want to judge them, or go into it being suspicious, but rather give them the benefit of the doubt. After all, when will I need help and have some crazy unbelievable story to tell? And how can I help the "least of these" if I automatically write them off when I first see them? So I try to keep an open mind, and offer what I can. And get burned. Repeatedly.

This sucks.

I won

Last Friday, I went to my first auto show. We saw a car that costs $1.1 million. That's just sick. A car. This is why AIDS is not being cured, there are hungry people in the world, and we still have landmines. Because of cars like that.

Besides that, I had a fun time. It was cool to see the new cars, sit in them, and help my cousin's family decide which car would be their next purchase.

For the rest of the population, auto shows are the equivalent of E3 for video gamers.

Over the weekend, I had my first taste of Korean shaved ice, a.k.a. potbingsoo. I'm getting so cultured by living in LA. The difference between potbingsoo and tswa-bing is that potbingsoo has ice-cream, a bunch of fruits, some chewy thing called duk, and the "pot" in Korean means red bean, so most of them have red bean. AND THERE'S NO CONDENSED MILK. That right there answers the question of which one I like better. No contest. No recount. Period. Exclamation point. That's the best part of tswa-bing! C'mon! I mean, I guess it's alright, but condensed milk is THE best part of shaved ice. How can you enjoy it without any? You can't. You really can't.

Watched 4 straight episodes of 24 on Monday night. It's good. Really good.

And the whole event that prompted me to even post: I won. A couple months ago (like August 2005), I got a ticket for making an illegal right turn from the left turn lane. I decided I didn't want to pay the ticket, so I got an extension, and then requested a Trial by Written Declaration. Goto ticketassassin.com for more info. Anyway, basically you have to pay the ticket, and fill out a form saying why you don't think you're guilty. I got my verdict tonight. Repeat: I won. Oh yeah, feels good. I definitely have to thank MJ for writing my letter for me. And making up reasons why I'm innocent. Sorry, I mean, helping me remember good (truthful) reasons why I'm not guilty. Lawyers are awesome.

http://wearingracism.blogspot.com/2006/01/spencer-gifts-campaign.html

maybe if my hair wasn't so long . . .

Tonight we went to go be in the audience for the Late Late show with Craig Ferguson. After getting in line around 7:30PM, we had to go through a security check (where they confiscated all our cameras and cell phones) and then sit on bench #4. After about 5-10 min of waiting, we hear: "Everyone sitting on bench #4, please listen to me very closely. We've had too many internet reservations show up tonight, and we're going to have to turn you away. These people had these seats reserved months ahead of time and usually we don't have a lot show up, but tonight more than expected came." So we didn't get to watch Dr. Phil and yell "Lemonade!" and do the "sua-bing" motion on live television (live for East Coast, anyway). I know all of you are disappointed not to see my television premiere, but I'm sure I'll eventually get on a show and make a fool of myself.

What a great first taping experience.

use of this information for any scientific studies is just plain insane

MJ, the new poll fulfills my promise.

I turned off logging for this one, so everyone feel free to vote more than once.

finally starting to get over jetlag

This is what happens when too many things happen to you in too short a time and you have a backlog of things to post: Only passing references will be made to major events that do them no justice. Oh well, that's life.

Posted some more pictures from Taiwan. I'm supposed to write an article about the experience, so it may end up getting linked here. Or not.

Got back Friday morning. Arrived in LAX an hour early, but we had to sit and wait on the plane for an hour because customs wasn't open. It sucked.

Went in to work on Friday because I took two weeks of unpaid leave. I figured I could use the money. I basically couldn't stay awake by 1:00PM. It sucked.

Saturday I slept in until 5PM. It was great. People started coming over for New Years. We ended up staying up all night due to........

TC and JT's engagement on New Year's Day. You can read more about it on JT's blog which links to TC's blog. There's also another blog that has details and pictures, but that person is related to a paranoid person which caused the first person to go protected. So you can't read it, unless you know that person. The original person, not the paranoid one. Got it?

Sunday, after eating a celebratory breakfast, went back home and slept til church started. Went to Exodus. Went to eat at a Cantonese place that gave us a $65 nasty fish dish. I got to eat crab though. Mmmmmmmmmm........crab....... Afterwards, went over to D and W's and stayed til 4AM.

SC, SC, SC and HC came to LA yesterday for their cousin's wedding. Hung out with them last night. Talked about how our friends back home are phasing people out of their lives. Yes, KE and AA, I'm talking about you.

Here's a picture of how ingenious the hotel Miyako, where they're staying, is: