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August 26, 2003

15 Seconds of Fame

Thanks everyone for all the birthday wishes, gifts, and drinks! I had a great time! *grin*

I went to Kezar Stadium Bob St. Clair Field tonight to watch the Niners scrimmage against each other. It was sweet -- watched Leon completely botch a field goal attempt (props to you bro for trying though, and not scrubbing or pulling anything! haha), got lots of autographs from Niners players (nevermind the fact that half the names I got will be cut by next week... that's OK!)...

Jeff Garcia was a total class act -- he spent a long time in our area signing autographs for everyone... T.O. hammed it up, and the crowd loved it of course.... too bad he only signed a few autographs before having to leave.

Oh, did I forget to mention my TV time? ;) Malou Nubla shot a segment in our section, and according to the friends who called immediately, we got some good airtime! LOL.

Here's a short clip that my friend managed to record and convert to quicktime. =)

Speaking of football, here's the results from one of my awesome fantasy football drafts:

(have the option of keeping up to 2 keepers; I kept Ahman Green)

In draft order:
William Green
Corey Dillon (GREAT value)
Koren Robinson
Kurt Warner
Carolina D/Special Teams
Charles Johnson (also love this pick)
Alge Crumpler (probably could've waited another round)
Tom Brady
Kevin Faulk (drafted too high)
Travis Taylor
James Thrash (ehh, whatever)
Charles Rogers (Rookie of the Year, baby!)
Patrick Ramsey
Daniel Graham
Jeff Reed

Posted by stevelee at 01:00 AM | Comments (6)

August 21, 2003

Friendster

Lately, I've noticed that an increasing amount of people are jumping on the "Bash Friendster and pReSSuRe tHeM nOt tO cHaRgE, yo!" bandwagon. These people seem genuinely livid that Friendster would have the *gasp* audacity to charge for their services, and send out angry letters urging their friends to protest, etc.

Do you think those servers cost nothing to setup and maintain? Remember when everyone was bitching about how slow Friendter was a few weeks ago? They fixed that by adding more servers, which costs MORE money. Additional overhead for electricity, maintenance, and what not.

In the real world, things like these *gasp* cost money! Bottom line: for all the bitching and letter writing you do, it's not going to change the fact that the funding for Friendster will have to come from somewhere. To expect the owners to continue paying out of their own pocket for YOUR enjoyment is ludicrous.

I will acknowledge that the overhead for a service like Friendster shouldn't be very high, though. Sorry for the rant... *tries to breathe normally*

On an unrelated note: I just finished chatting with some old co-workers at Sun... they all miss me and wished I was still there. That made me feel good... =) But on the negative: my manager thought I had better things on my plate since I didn't contact him about a job, so they hired someone else... doh! Sigh, that's what I get for not staying in touch and telling him that I still needed a job.

Posted by stevelee at 03:31 PM | Comments (7)

La Di Da!

Wow, guess lots of people were in Vegas this past weekend! The worst part about that place has to be the constant cigarette smoke -- as soon as you walk off the airplane, you're smacked in the face with it!

...Ahh, the pain I go through to have some fun. ;)

Seems like lots of people are dieting and exercising these days. Jeanes, Rachel and cspell are on the cabbage soup diet, and I might cleanse my system next week too! Hopefully, I won't get too bad a case of flatulence, though! ;p

I've been exercising regularly and continue to eat much more healthy ever since coming off the diet. It's become somewhat of an addiction -- most likely fueled by paranoia of putting on the weight that I lost! ;) Plus, I'm totally in the jogging zone -- my goal is to run around the lake in 30-35 minutes, or approximately 6-7 minutes per mile. I will get there, dammit!

I also want to run a 5 minute mile... that commercial of the 50 year old lady with the awesome body totally inspired me! =)
=====
My first fantasy football draft is this weekend!! Woohoo! Man, I LOVVVVVVVVVVVE fantasy football! Especially the draft part! Hahaha.... ahhh, I've been looking forward to this day since, ohhh.... the end of last season!

Since I know most of those fools in that league read my page, I can't share my winning draft strats... but man, Joe Montana and Barry Sanders look great! ...Oh corn, I said too much! =(
=====
Finally, a heartfelt quote I got off Jackie's xanga:

When I say ... I am a Christian, I'm not shouting, "I'm ok!" I'm whispering, "I get lost," and that's why I chose this way.
When I say... I am a Christian, I speak with an unusual pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need the Truth to be my guide.
When I say... I am a Christian, I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I am weak and pray for strength to carry on.
When I say... I am a Christian, I'm not bragging about success. I'm admitting that I have failed and cannot ever pay the debt.
When I say... I am a Christian, I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are very visible but God believes I'm worth it.
When I say... I am a Christian, I still feel the sting of pain. I have my share of heartaches that is why I seek His name.
When I say... I am a Christian, I do not wish to judge. I have not much authority I only know I'm loved.

-- author unknown

Posted by stevelee at 01:07 AM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2003

Vegas, baby!

Wow. I decided to pass on a hike with some friends to spend time with my mom and aunt in Las Vegas. Since I was essentially by myself, I thought the weekend would suck... but I ended up having the best time ever there! =D

Random snippets:
- It amazes me how loud and angry Cantonese speakers can sound, yet you realize that's their normal speaking tone!
- Good talks with my mom and aunt; got to learn more about them.
- It takes money to make money... both my mom and aunt have good eyes for investment (although I think my aunt has a fuller, long-term vision). I must have picked something up from them, because I made some money off the stock market myself during the dotcom era, and if my parents had listened to me about the real estate around China Basin and 3COM stadium, we probably wouldn't have to work anymore. =(
- Since my mom was some "top notch" VIP, we were treated really well... you bet I took full advantage of that, and got to kinda live life as a big baller! Haha. It's amazing how much and what they give you for free!
- There were LOTS of Chinese people there, most likely for the Alan Tam/Hacken Lee concert that my mom and aunt also attended!

- White men (at least the ones I saw at Vegas) seriously can't dance. Man, and I thought *I* was bad. =x

- Met a taxicab driver who was a participant in the World Series of Poker, and his brother is actually the main commentator for these events on ESPN! Cool!
- Hawaiian shirts. I used to think they were tacky as a kid, but now... I think they're cool! I guess it depends on your attitude/confidence to pull it off. This weekend, it seemed to work. ;)
- Craps is my new game of choice. Exciting, social, and you can actually make some good money! Fringe benefits include flirting/chatting it up with cute girls that also are playing for the first time. ;)
- As my long time readers know, I sometimes can be painfully shy. Yet, there are other times when everything's just "on," and I can shmooze with the best of them and make great first impressions. Sometimes I wonder what affects my moods (that way I can always be "on")... but whatever the case, I was totally "on" all weekend long! Hehe.
- I met this one older gentleman... we chatted about all sorts of things... felt very "old boys club-ish" if you know what I mean. He bought me a few drinks (I returned the favor... see VIP blurb above, haha), and invited me to join him and some other investment bankers to their VIP suite at some, err... club. I respectfully declined, but he gave me his business card, and invited me to contact him if I ever went to New York... he'd let me drive his Ferrari (the SEXY 360 Modena) Sweeeeeet!

- Finally, the highlight of my weekend. I decided to go swimming/sunbathing for the first time in like, 15 years? (Yeah, definitely feeling more confident about my body now... still some flab I need to get rid of, but I'm getting there =)) I'm there chilling, reading my Maxim, when I notice these 3 HOT ladies enter the pool area. I decide to go for a swim, "conveniently" passing by them and making sure they notice me. Time passes, and we're all just chilling under the sun, and I flag down a waitress. I give her my drink order, and ask her to tell the "asian lady in the red bikini (HOT!!!) sunbathing down there" that I'd love to buy her a drink, and to pass the message: "I think you're beautiful."

The waitress eventually gets over there and passes my message, at which point she (K) sits up to look around for me, and I casually lift my hand and greet her with a smile... which she returns. =) We get our orders, the waitress tells me that she thanks me, and we lift our glasses to each other.

More time passes, and I notice her 2 friends leave... and then K comes over to sunbathe with me! For many reasons, I'm thankful for my shades! =D We chat it up for a while, hit it off well, and eventually exchange info. We hooked up later that night... and as for the rest, well, like the saying goes:

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." *grin* But I will say that I had the BEST and most fun time I've had in a long time!

Confidence, a chill attitude, and not worrying about things seems to do wonders for me... just gotta continue being myself (need to work on the relaxing part though), having fun (and not being so uptight), and keeping my priorities intact. =)

Evil -- I never got to visit the California or other big Hawaiian casinos this weekend. =(

Posted by stevelee at 01:13 AM | Comments (10)

August 11, 2003

2003 Church Summer Retreat

Wow, where to start? I had an amazing time up there -- away from the distractions of civilization, just sharing and enjoying fellowship with God and my brothers and sisters. Thank you Manus and Joe (and Pastor Wayne, as always) for really making the effort to hang out with me, to make sure I was settled in, and feeling like a part of the group.

I think this was the first time -- out of all the organizations and activities I've participated in -- where people (not just those 2) went out of their way to invite me over to talk and hang out with. That made me feel so incredibly happy. =)

Admittedly, there were times where I wanted to quietly slip into the background of the group -- to retreat into my comfort zone -- but there'd always be someone to pick me up, and invite me back into the group.

I used to believe that fellowship with other Christians wasn't important -- that going to church and worshipping on my own would suffice. But I realize now that I was wrong. I'm amazed at how ...good and comfortable it felt bonding and sharing with my brothers and sisters...

Not only did I have a chance to bond with many people (from kids to church elders), but I really believe that my relationship with Him has improved considerably (not just from this weekend, but a steady increase for some time)... and just being able to worship and praise Him with all of my heart, surrounded by all 3 congregations... that was an awesome, joyful experience.

I have many great memories... besides the ones I've already listed, I finally had a chance to try bungee jumping (kinda) and rock climbing (I'm scared of heights!)... but the most memorable had to be sharing at the campfire on the last night.

If you know me, then you know I pretty much never willingly speak in front of large crowds. Partly because I suck at it. Well... for the longest time, I felt this deep need to express in front of everyone how I felt about them and the church... the appreciation and love I felt.

I kept on wavering until Pastor Wayne placed a hand on my shoulder and whispered: "Do you want to share something, Steve?"

After a brief moment, I got up... and slowly walked down to the fire in front of everyone. As I got to the front, I heard scattered whispers of "who's that?"

...But I also heard the girls in the front encourage me with: "yay Steve!"

That warmed my heart... so I picked up the mic, and proceeded to give the most honest and heart-felt "speech" I ever remembered coming out of my mouth! I'm still amazed at how unafraid and clearly I spoke... and I can only praise Him for speaking through me.

Since the words have more or less been etched into my heart and memory, here's what I said:

"I'm not an eloquent speaker, nor am I a charismatic person. But I do know this: from the first moment I stepped into this church, some Sunday back in March, I really felt that God's been speaking to me.

...I feel truly blessed to have met Pastor Wayne and all of you. If there's one word that could describe how I feel about all of you, it's love. I can't explain it, but I really love you all, and thank you for making me feel like a part of this family.

Finally, I just want to praise the Lord for helping me find my new spiritual home."

...And yes, I started breaking down towards the end. =(

Thank you Pastor Wayne for your continued love, support, and encouragement. Thank you Career Fellowship for opening your arms to me. I'm humbled by so many members of the church, young and old, inviting me to join them and chat... learning more about each other.

I pray that my walk with Him continues to grow stronger, as well as my relationship with all of you. =)

Man... my life's just been awesome lately. On a physical (finally able to jog around Lake Merced in a decent time without stopping, and my body's finally starting to get into shape), emotional (I got a letter from the Dean of my college congratulating me on being in the top 5% out of the entire college...), and spiritual level... I'm happy about where I'm at. =)

It's amazing what happens when you stop worrying about all these different things of the world, and just concentrate on what's truly important. Everything else will eventually come, naturally.

Posted by stevelee at 02:20 AM | Comments (5)

August 05, 2003

"I wish I had a nice camera" ;)

Interesting and entertaining discussion on Eric's site about the importance of photography equipment. =)

I agree that -- like with most other activities -- it's the skill of the user that is the most important factor, but having the right equipment plays a significant role in the quality/ease in that same activity.

If you're interested taking your digital photography to the next level (if you're a newbie like me =)), check out this article on understanding your histograms.

And here's a useful article on digital blending, for your high contrast, landscape shots.

Does anyone have feedback/comparisons of the Canon EOS 10D and Nikon D100 digital SLRs? For some reason, I find myself eyeing the Canon 10D more (though I read a review claiming it had difficulty taking sharp pictures)... probably due to me already owning a Canon PowerShot, and from admiring Eric's beautiful photographs! =)

...In doing my internet version of window shopping, I've already picked out 3 starter lenses for my imaginary 10D: the 16-35mm f/2.8L USM, 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS, and 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS! *drool*

Posted by stevelee at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2003

It's a Beautiful Life

Congrats Anna and Mike on your new life together! You know I'll always be there for you two, no matter what. =)

I had a great weekend... attended Anna and Mike's beautiful wedding, where I read some scripture with the lovely Glenda (and somehow managed to not mess up! =)), got reunited and hung out with a bunch of "old" faces from APO (props to Ray and Al for driving all the way up from SoCal! ;)), and made some new friends!

Highlights of the day:
- Anna and Mike getting married (of course!)
- Catching up and goofing around with all the old schoolers like the good ol' days
- Bartering our soda/cider for unwanted champagne from the tables around us...I think between our 2 tables, we finished off 10 bottles? =x (yes, very ghetto)
- Finishing off the vodka bottle of Mike's friends, as they cheered me on
- The official photographer trusting and letting me play with his sweet Nikon D100! Amazing camera, and not as heavy as I expected it to be! Unfortunately, now I lust after a digital SLR camera 10x more! =(

Lowlights:
- Hennessy. Yuck. Nasty. =x

Here's some random pictures from the past 2 weddings... sorry, but this is about all I can display publicly. =)

Changing gears....(I know, blatant segue)

I can't fully describe it, but... I just feel so at peace and happy. I think I'm finally starting to reach a level of self-acceptance and confidence where I can express myself the way I want to, without feeling embarrassed or ashamed. Without obsessing about what others may think of me.

I could joke about myself... I could speak in front of the entire church without feeling shy or self-doubtful... I could party with my friends one night, and go to church the next day and still feel a part of that family.

As my pastor (once again, I have to say how awesome he is... so full of love... a guy I totally admire!) knows, that's a huge step for me. I had (have) all these pre-conceived notions of how a Christian should act, that I constantly felt guilty or "lower" than the other Christians in the church, and it became difficult to fit in.

But, I realize now that it was really me holding myself back. No one is perfect, and so long as your heart is in the right place (in this case, wanting to know and serve God), that's all that really matters. Not what other people think of you.

I really love my church -- the pastor, the people... almost all the people I've met have been so welcoming, friendly, supportive and positive... without making me feel obligated to do anything. I think my pastor's right in believing that God's speaking to me... and I'm positive that I've finally found my spiritual home. =)

I guess that's the best way to describe it... I feel full of love right now. =)

Posted by stevelee at 01:22 PM | Comments (5)