Syfer

Check out my new awesome desktop!

I use Windows XP and my desktop used to look like crap. Over the years I just threw everything I downloaded or made onto my desktop. Eventually it became really cluttered and having a wallpaper there was just pointless as it was covered with a million icons. Recently I picked up two new awesome programs that replaces the standard windows skin and taskbar. It is much more clean and fully customizable. They’re called Stardock and Rocketdock.

Stardock allows you to change your whole windows theme. You can customize your start menu, taskbar, animation, wallpaper, application colors, and more. I have a picture of my windows menu changed with Stardock below. But this is only a piece of the customization. 

Rocketdock is a whole new taskbar pretty much. You can add programs that you use often to it and customize the icons or animation to it. It looks a lot better than windows’ taskbar. You can even add skins and little widgets to it called docklets. See below for how it looks.

Michael Jackson died just a day ago on June 25, 2009. It didn’t take long until the whole world knew. I had friends and coworkers telling me about the news. He was 50 when he passed away. One of the staff members in Michael’s home called 911. When the paramedics got there he was already dead. He had a cardiac arrest and the tried to resuscitate him, but there was no response.

He’s known as the King of Pop and his death is no less than a king’s passing. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital, MTV rescheduled their programs to play his videos like in the days when we all grew up listening to him, radio stations are playing his songs like Christmas music in December, crowds in the New York Times Square all stricken with grief as the headlines on screen gave news of Michael’s passing, news reporters on TV crying, hell.. even people at my work were crying and sad over the news.

I just want to say that I really hate tabloids and all these people who contributed to making Michael Jackson out to be a child molester, black guy turning white, skinny and fragile, and have a weak and girlish voice. Nobody on this earth is perfect, but I sure as hell bet if there was a rumor about any one of us it wouldn’t get as out of hand as it did with a celebrity as wonderful as this. Let’s clear all this mess. First off, Michael Jackson was not found guilty of molesting children. Yes, there were several, but after the first one turned him out to be innocent the whole world gossips and blindly thinks he’s a child molester so in comes the paparazzi and the impulsively suspicious people that want to create drama and maybe get some money out of it. Second, his face condition, his skin condition, and his voice.. There’s a reason he looks white, his nose is different, and his voice is weak. A lot of celebrities get plastic surgery and we all know that. Let’s just say Michael had one too many and because of it he developed diseases that pretty much made the rest of who he is seen as now. His skin turning color is a result from vitiligo. A skin disease that depigments your skin, causes depression, causes inflammation and cell death. (Even the white cells that support your immune system.) He also was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and needed a lung transfer. That is why his voice is fragile.

I grew up listening to Michael’s music. Someone who sings of healing the world, telling us to not live our life being a color, and how we can change the world.. I find it really hard to believe that he is the monster that people are making him out to be. Seriously, these people need to grow up and stop acting like they’re in high school. If it weren’t for all this negativity, I’m sure Michael Jackson would have had the funds he needed to get back to good health.

RIP Michael Jackson.

I’ve been out of work and going to kung fu on all four days now. It’s been almost two weeks now and I am SORE! I hope it gets easier within the month. I have really been pushing my body. My Sifu has been teaching me new stuff and catching me up to Scott and Jimmy which is good. I’m beginning to get my form back, but also a whole world of body aches. I got a blister on my finger from the Tiger Hook swords, because I’ve been using it so much the wrapping is starting to slide down the handle. I feel kinda bad though. While my techniques are good and my form is good, I lost the ability to count each movements. When we practice our forms as a class we count each movement. I’ve been practicing solo mostly and forgot how to count when practicing with the class. I was a bit disappointed when one of the younger students had to lead the class by counting. But it’s ok. We’re all here to learn.

There is a test coming up on October 12. This time Scott and Jimmy will be testing for their black belts. I signed up to help with the testing so I can spar. =) We’re going to need a few more people though. Otherwise, I’m dead meat. Wish me luck!

I haven’t posted in a long while, but it’s been a week since I’ve left my job. I gave in my resignation to them back in March, but told them I’d stay until they are ok. There were managers leaving the company and other changes that it seemed like having me leave during that time might not be the coolest choice to make. I wasn’t too happy with the company, but it doesn’t mean I should go and leave them in the dump. That wouldn’t be very mature of me. After all, I did learn a lot while being there and there were also some good times. But ultimately, I work hard to the very end, because that is just me. I’m doing it for myself, not Panda Express.

People look at each other. A persons habit and ability to stand after a hit is the mark of true character. I may not be satisfied with the company, but that doesn’t mean I should make everyone else feel like they shouldn’t work anymore. Who knows, maybe my actions might wake the people working at Panda Express up a little. Maybe my good work ethics and personality might influence others to go down a better path. I left in a good manner. I emailed my team and thanked everyone that played a part in my career from the beginning to the very end. Honestly, I am glad that I did. I had many people reply back to me on my personal email. I was very touched and happy to know I will be missed.

Now that I have all the free time in the world, I have been working mostly on educating myself and working on some things with friends for income. I saved up $10,000 before I left so I should be able to last at least 6 months without a job. We’ll see how things go. Wish me luck!

Haven’t been on here in awhile, thought I’d make a quick post. Found a site called Learn Credit Now that pretty much teaches anything and everything you’ll ever need to know about credit and credit related materials. Some of the stuff the site covers includes credit rating, credit report, credit scores, credit cards, identity theft, debt consolidation, etc. It is definitely a good resource to check out. If you guys want to learn more about credit take a peak.

Learn Credit Now also offers a free credit report and free credit score. It’ll help you know where you stand.

No one is perfect. Everyone has lied. In the past, I have lied a LOT. It was really easy for me (Probably why I’m so ninja now.). Through all the times I have lied, I did feel bad. My conscience is always there, except I brushed it off by being stubborn and held my pride. Since after I left High School though, I have been leaning more towards my heart little by little. I started to realize a lot about my life and had myself figured out all wrong. I feel like I just did a 360. A small lie makes me feel REAL bad now. Going through all the wrongs in the past and coming to the good in the present, it is becoming harder for me to get close to people. Sometimes the truth is good, sometimes it is not. Other times you need to let the truth out and have faith in the other person. Conflict is never easy.

I brought this up, because I am facing a tough decision right now. Let’s say you are part of some group. You are in a high position in the group, but not the leader. You care a lot about the group and step up to show it. If the leader wasn’t around, and plans on ending the group without letting anyone know. Let’s say you found out from a source you weren’t supposed to have. You stumbled upon it from your campaign to show your care for the group. What would you do? The group will be gone at a certain date and no one knew, except you.

1) Announce to everyone you will be moving the group and you found out the current leader had plans to end it at a certain date, but didn’t want to let the group down so you assumed leadership. Keep in mind, the current leader has been gone for 3 weeks and had no intention of letting anyone know. However, the way you tell them will have to hold back some of the truth to keep the leader and the group from finding out how you got that information. While lying to cover up the truth, there is a bit of air that carries the smell of suspicion. People might feel something odd about you, but can’t quite figure it out. This in turn loses some sort of trust with you.

2) Announce the truth. How you got the information and that it was to keep the group alive. You don’t want to let the group down and there are also others that care, but only you have the power to keep it alive. This way the group won’t be suspicious and it keeps their image of you as having integrity. It risks losing the leader’s trust in you, because of how you stumbled upon the source.

3) Do nothing and let it die naturally so that you can retain everyones trust in you.

To me. 1 can work depending on how careful you are and it is the NINJA thing to do. 2 is what I would do, because I’m really not the type to stand around and do nothing. I am honest, but at the same time I care deeply for things. 3 would make me feel some sort of regret.

After pretty much catching up with everything it is I need to do for both home and at work, I got real bored. Haven’t played any games for a while, since most of my consoles are pretty much outdated or not working. My PS2 doesn’t even work, because I modded it wrong.

Anyway, I got me an XBox 360 Elite today! I also got Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas, and the greatest game ever (because ninjas are too cool) Tenchu Z! I’ll be able to ninja the whole world on XBox Live.

If anybody has Tenchu Z and XBox Live, my Gamertag is Syfer EX. Find me if you wanna die.

It’s almost like our hangout spot. Bangkok is a restaurant in Portland. The owner’s son happens to be one of the best students in the school. He left for college 2 years ago though. It’s so sad to see the class grow smaller and smaller. When I first joined Kung Fu it was so fun. We had a lot of students and a lot of high belts. Class was a lot harder, but class was also a lot more fun.

My friend Sky is the comical one in the class. It’s always fun being around him, but for someone as quiet as me. You can’t help, but notice what’s underneath. Getting together with everyone is always nice. I sensed a bit of the emotional side of Sky when our Sifu left Bangkok. And out in the parking lot confirmed it. It’s like father and son. Sky wants Sifu to be proud of him. I can understand my Sifu though, because I am almost the same way. The silent type usually aren’t the people that will give a hug. I am sure though, my Sifu is indeed proud of him. Being present is always a sign of care. For the people who haven’t had many people be there for them, they don’t know how to be compassionate. It is just sad to see it this way, but it was not my place to interfere. All things must come natural, otherwise it defeats purpose.

Normally I don’t take Saturdays off, but I took this one off. Today we had a get together for my 3 kung fu classmates that are heading out to college. I also thought it’d be nice to do something with my mom since I’m usually busy at work and my sister does her own thing.

I figure, let’s take her out to a movie. Being as Rush Hour 3 just came out yesterday. My mom had never been to the theaters before. I remember my first time at a theater. My aunt took me and my sis to watch Batman Forever and Power Rangers. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life, because the way we grew up. We were just experiencing the American life. We lived in poverty back home. This was a nice change. My mom had a good laugh. Rush Hour 3 was alright to me, but the first two were better I think.