Good Feelings

Well this vacation may have been filled with like 42hrs of sucky work....but so far its been a good one. I really needed this vacation. Its been a gift to get away from all the clutter, the work, the school, the phones, the internet, and video games. Its kinda like creating a cone of silence around myself where it is now only my family, my dogs, and my mind to relax with and find some peace. I hope everyone elses vacation is going well. May you all find the vacation you need from your normal lives. Merry Christmas everyone.

Lazyness

Well it seems ive been a little lazy lately and not writing anything in my blog.

Well ive been working a lot since last tuesday...i think a total of 42 hrs in 8 days, nice fatty pay check comin my way in 2 weeks!!

So i was thinking the other day while on the freeway. Since i have to drive to work everyday i think a lot while trying not to crash at the exact same time. I started to think about the state of human beings. Golding once stated that "man is inherently evil." When i think of this i know it is not true. It can't be. I believe that man is inherently good from the day of birth. I believe every human being has the potential to do good, to love, to sacrifice, and to live a fulfilling life. If we look at the news we see war, strife, starvation, disease, and hatred. Many people state terrorism is in our backyards, the Chinese are right behind us, and that our world is dieing. These are all concerns, but they will all fade from light eventually. None of these will last forever. Today's enemies are tomorrow's brothers, and yesterdays fears are tomorrow's memories. I think all humans have a heart, a potential to be good people. Some though i think just get lost. Lost through tough times, through deaths, through anguish. They lose faith in themselves and in the rest of humanity. Why should they care about everyone else around them when everything that meant something is gone. These are the people who need others the most, to show them that everything is alright. Life is worth waking up everyday and smiling about. You may be on the road of hardship at the current moment, but something better can always be around the corner. Everyday is a special day, it will be the last of that day ever, you will never live that day again. So remember to live with a light heart full of love and prospect. Humans are good...we just sometimes need to sort through the trash news we are told to hear the ones around us that matter.

Finals finally finalli

Well it looks like my last senior year fall quarter has come to an end...that is before my super senior year next year. lol. Well i am ready beyond belief for the next three weeks. Little work=$$, some time for family time, arizona trip, vegas trip, 200 movies i need to watch, and of course....christmas dinner! So to all you folks still chuggin away with finals i wish you the best!! I still have to finish a stupid project so were almost in the same boat. Except i have it easier. lol

The idiocracy of the UN

So me and my bro had a 3 minute little argument about the UN. Basically i think the UN was a good idea. It doesn't do much, has no military backing (muscle), and is ignored at the most crucial moments by just about everyone. Countries only use the UN when they need it, not when it needs them. The 5 power seats of the UN i think is stupid cause it means unequal sharing of power. Vetoes? come on.
Well what we were really discussing was the "failed" UN mission in Congo. 25,000 UN personnel there, and the general consensus is that they have failed to stop the massacres and killings. Why? Because of all the red tape and talk about sovereignty. The UN is worried about meddling in other countries afairs, but still is willing to send them to show a symbol. On several occasions UN armies have been reluctant to attack or defend because of rules and regulations. Why in the name of god would you stand there and watch civilians or others get attacked or killed and do nothing? Even if given the order to stand down, how could you in good conscious not do nothing. Could you live with yourself if you did nothing? Should you not stand up for those who do not have the capability to do so? I dont mean invade a country and occupy. But you should in good thought do something. My brother said that there are rules and sovereignty must be kept. He said that more people would have been killed if the UN hadn't been there. But if i were an army general there, and told to stand down. I would like to believe i would disobey orders, take the consiquences, and protect the people i have been sent to protect.

Robotic Ethics Part II

Written by Isaac Asimov are the Three Rules

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

-These are the three rules of robotics written in i robot and other books. If one has ever read the real book you will realize that we as humans may never be able to control our own creations. So how do we treat our own creations? Are they equals? Are they based upon the same rules, laws, and rights as a human? We created them so thus they should have shared rights as their predecessors right? These may be some questions that will have to be answered in half a century or so. I know many people believe that there will be some big war once robots realize how destructive we really are. But i believe this is just another imagination by people who want a war. Humans naturally want an enemy to victor over...why not one that is not human. One that if you destroy you never have to blink twice and feel sorry about it. I don't think there will ever be a war. I think that one day we will sit side by side with our creations and hopefully work together to solve this worlds problems. Maybe they can be our saviors to help get rid of the societies corrupt. Having no desire for greed, maybe they can be societies natural regulators. Possibly a white light in the distance and putting humans back on a peaceful track, one we have never seen in our whole existance.

Rise of AI robotics Part I

There comes a time in human development when we have to think of ethics. Normally people think, "oh ethics, like treat people nice...right?" Right there i will slap you in the face if you say that to me. haha. No serious..i will. Forgetting the dumbness of id say 60% of the society i live in, i think the upcoming issue is of robotic ethics. We as humans have the drive to do two things; tred into the unknown, and replicate nature. Naturally if you look around you...right now in fact...you will notice that much of what humans create is a direct replication of good old mother nature. The clothes we wear, the buildings we build...all slight alterations and replications of nature. The ultimate replication many believe is that of ourselves. There is the thought of cloning...been there done that. Just test tube that, old news. I'm talking about AI robotics. The advancement of robotics is amazing. From the amount of processors engineers can squeeze into just the arm of a prosthetic (which im writing a report on...thank you!), to the power applications being invented to drive these robots. It is hard, but not impossible to create human like robots. Its being done all over the world. The hard part is making them human. How do you make a machine human. We as humans naturally apply life like characteristics to lots of things...animals, stuffed toys, cars, and many other non-lively things. But to create an artificial life form is the ultimate goal. We have made leaps in the direction. Some robots are able to do face recognition, object recognition, limited speach and path orientation. All of this development is progressing at an exponential pace. Now you may be wondering what will this all come down to? ultimately it will come down to the concept of "The Point of Synergy." This is the point at which a robot can think by itself and recognize its own existance. Top scientist predict it to come within 20-30 years...around 2030. This day will be one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs since the splitting of the atom. But the question will ultimately be...will you be ready? Will you be ready to accept a life form other than organic? It is coming. So whether you have thought about it or not it will arrive and when it does there is no turning back. There will be no off button. Once self consciousness is met, there is no turning back; thus the reason for the term "Point of Synergy", all the pieces come together for the end goal, artificial intelligence.

Thought again

I believe i was raised the best a parent could raise me. Open minded and told that you should be obedient, well mannered , and respectful. I was also raised though to question what i don't believe or do not understand. I was not born to blindly follow the masses. To subject myself to rules and regulations that make no sense or have no explanation to their bearing would be the crime of my raising. So the question is, how does one say to oneself, this is wrong. I have to do something but i am one person, one voice. You will not take my voice, you will hear it. You will hear it and you will answer. I will not stand for anything less. I was raised to stand up for those who have no voice. I will raise my voice and they will hear me. They will all hear me.

Weekend my friends

So looks like this has been a pretty good weekend. Friday went to Disneyland with some friends and had a thanksgiving potluck. Soooo much turkey, but it was fun. Got to meet about 6 japanese foreign exchange students who where really funny. Played some games on the PS3 with some friends...intense...and then played cranium with some more friends. It appears i can't hum or know song lyrics either. haha. Rest of the weekend has been hmwk. Im actually getting quite a bit done. So im pretty proud of that..also getting ready for my 10k coming up thursday. Well see how that goes. haha

Id like to finish off with a piece of mind. I believe that you live only one life. You be who you want to be. Not what you are. If someone says go left, but you think right is better, then by god you find a way to go right. Be it a day, a month, a year. You go right. No one can tell you how to live your life or deprive you of your dreams. The only thing they can't take are your dreams and ambitions. So never let anyone tell you you can't. Because if you give up your dreams, then you gave up on yourself, your future, what should have been but never will be.

Peace

So the series WWII in HD on the history channel started this week and will go for 4-5 days. It is suppose to be the first time that actually WWII footage is restored to HD quality. I cheer the effort to restore this footage and remember history before something happens to these dwindling footages. But as i have watched the trailer I can not help but to almost cry. So many lives lost. So many families destroyed. For what?? Dirt and the prospect of calling it property. The part in this trailer that got me the most was the footage of the little japanese child. Made me almost cry. Made me sad. Made me hate war. If you want to see why i can not justify designing weapons in the future, then watch the trailer. I won't lie, i want to watch this series. I want to learn about the history of the war and from the people who fight it. But in the end war is just destruction, it gains nothing.

*Viewing Discretion Advised.

Run it

So ive been thinking about money. Not that i need more or anything but rather what i think is best to do with it. So basically i see three things i can do with it. A) Save it all and retire super early and live out my little life with my lab and my cottage house on a lake. B) Spend it on games, clothes, and nerf guns. C) Spend it on food, entertainment, and random stuff when im hanging out with friends. All three of these seem to make up a proportion of me. But im going to have to say I love C) the best, followed by A) then B). C) is the best because i am only going to ever live each day once. Each day may be my last, so i believe i should enjoy each on with he people i care about the most. Those will be the days i remember, and not the one where i was in a store thinking if red is my color. A) and C) i like equally, cause one day i will get old and need to save my money to ensure my kids wont send me to some dump of a retirement home. That aint ever goin to happen so i will back myself up with my own money. C)....well thats admit it. Nerf guns just lift that whole category up to equal A) by itself. Whats cooler than playing "zombies at 1am?"

MW2 saved my life (not really)

So i bought Modern Warfare 2 and finished it. It was literally the best single player game ive ever played. (this isnt a spoiler by the way, no worries). I don't play a whole lot of video games, in fact this is probably the most ive played this whole quarter. But the game really brought it home. Brought it close to home and made you believe it.
Met some of the mentees from my program today, and they are all super cool. The mentors are chill and all have their own personalities which contributes to the program. The mentees, though all 1st-2nd year, all are willing to come out and hang out/learn from us 3rd/4th years and hopefully take something away from this. Im really looking forward to this and cant wait to get the e-mail telling me which mentee will be mine.
Last little thought for the day, i think i am going to join ESC. (engineering student council). The deadline already actually passed to join, but last summer when i was overseas I gained this feeling of commitment and helping. So many people in Denmark went out of their way to help me and make things easier, I now hope that in my last few years of school i can return that favor and create a better school environment.

abc...defg...hijklmnoPPPPPP

Welllllll this last week was strEEEsssFUUL! Tests, projects, and no sleeping! But all of that is now over!! And i have 1 week of somewhat nothing, just some randomm homeworks and an essay...but pleASe thats nothing.

So ive been thinking that i really want thanksgiving to come like tomorrow. I need a break and i want to see my sister!!!! I havent seen her in over 11 months..i think...and its about time for a little family reunion. Plus some freakin dang good turkey with gravy.
Started my EMF program this last weekend and i am super excited to meet my mentee this coming wedseday. Im thinking...he grows to 6 feet tall...gets the same haircut as me...and now i have a side kick in which to take over the world!!

...

I wonder why im so afraid. I don't want to be like this, but im afraid to move on. Im afraid that i will make the wrong choice.

p.s. i think im getting sick, dam

Those days...

Hey pals,
Well the weeks just seem to go by like nothing. Can't believe that its already over with 5th week. Where did it all go? I won't lie...i like the work. I love all the hmwk and projects. I love the late nights of focus and tests that make me feel like shit after all the studying. It makes me feel useful. Makes me feel like i am actually capable of something. For all you seniors out there and this is your 4th year, i will miss you guys. I hope we have the time of our lives and never forget each other. Thanks for always bein there and makin everything worth it.

Wat i could be

So i used to think of this alot, but as i got into college it kinda moved to the back of my mind. I may be a mechanical engineer, i may be a person who wants to save the world one day with these skills...but there is always apart of me that wants somethings different. I rarely think of it, but theres like a 5% of me that thrives and wants to join the army or do something completely directed or organized. I sometimes think of how if i had joined after high school i would almost be done by now. There is just a part of me that would like nothing better then to stand on a line and say "your not getting past me" and thats it. Sitting here i like to think that the problems out there are being solved or the i can rely on other. But sometimes i think if i where there then things would be better. The world would be better. I know i can make better difference the path im taking, but sometimes it bothers me that im living such a life when i never get to see the results of my work. It could take 20-30 yrs to see my efforts ever come to ground. I am proud of my major. Engineering i think shapes everything around us. I just hope one day that without firing a gun i can prove my worth to those who want to save the world and say "i did my part and moved the cog of the wheels toward world salvation."

Its a long haul..but well make it out okay

So this week has been one heck of a week. Starting with Sunday its been nonstop thrill ride of studying for midterms, rewriting essays, and doing 3 different hwmks/labs. All of that has completely drained me to a weird point where im not tired anymore. It sounds kinda weird, but the last two night ive only gotten 4-5 hours alseep each and each day im like wide awake. I even had some trouble falling asleep the other night. Interesting if you ask me cause i normally fall asleep in like 2.5 seconds.
Well i had my first International Discussion table yesterday and it went well. Met a grad student from Egypt and one from Iran. Both where very friendly and from my interpretation spoke really good english. They said they merely wanted to make some friends and practice using new vocabulary; cool with me. Also i missed an interview the other day for a Mentor program i applied for for engineering 1st-2nd years on accident. Thought it was thursday, but it was really tuesday. Got a reschedule yesterday and it seemed to go pretty good. I was informed though that i may get more than the 2 mentees i asked for as we are short on mentors...so i said bring it on. I think it is my time to give back to my school. Here is my shot and im going to take it running.



-cant wait for the weekend :]

This article also made me smile today
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/10/22/dogs.irpt/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

I hate sunday study days

Well today was an exciting day where i woke up at 9:30 and then just worked on hmwk all day! Yeah! Looks like its 8:39pm and im still not done...(sigh). Looks like my teachers envy my youth and are making me pay. Its okay i think ill just retaliate and fall asleep in their classes to smite them! jk. haha Well this week looks like its goin to be a very very buisy one. Won't be able to really take a breathe until it turns in to friday morning. I have...a midterm, 3 hmwk assignments, a lab, an oral report/essay to give, an interview to be a mentor, 14 hrs of work and my foreign language program starts officially on wed! So if i make it to friday anyone...i sure would like to have some fun or something come friday...anyone is welcome to suggest something..i don't care if i haven't ever hung out or spoken to you...lets do something fun!!! :)


Hey guys i forgot! From now on i want to post a little bit of music for you guys to listen to which reflects how i feel or what im likin at the moment! Enjoy!

Invisible

Sometimes i feel invisible to the world. Its kinda like i got left on an iceberg and the rest of the world sailed on without me. I tried to catch back up, but its like the harder i try, the worse it gets. I try to make it go away. I do the thing i love to make it go away...run. But the weird thing is every time i run, i feel more invisible.

A Moment

So today i think i had a moment. There are times when you have like 100 thoughts floating through your mind and you just don't know how to put them together and in order. I often get frustrated because i feel lost in this big world or ours that has a million moving pieces. I try to make my pieces move in the exact pattern i want but it never seems to happen that way. But today i had a moment of clarity of how i may want my future to go. So right now i have 4 engineering classes and one of them is 190W engineering technical writing. Now when signing up for this class i considered this class a joke and a waste of my time. My thoughts were engineers need to know how to do math and physics...not writing. First two lectures were kinda whatever and was review of what everyone learns about writing since high school. It was today though that actually made me think about my future in engineering and my responsibilities. Today my professor talked about "engineering ethics". This seemed pretty clear to me; follow the law and follow basic morals or don't do subpar and don't produce a product which you know may intentionally hurt a fellow human being. But as we talked it became clear to me the ethics of engineering has a gray area because engineers don't control everything. After the actually short topic i stayed after class to ask the professor the following question, "How is it engineering has ethics when we are the ones who create the weapons of war?" He smiled at me and discussed how he himself will never work for an engineering company which is committed to the killing of others for profit. I gave some of my imput to because this was an important topic of mine involving engineering which i have not had the opportunity to talk with anyone. At the end i came to the following conclusion:
I can not in my good conscious work for a defense corporation when it comes time for me to find a job. I came into this school wanting to design tanks, personal armor and advanced weaponry..but over the last 3 years and 9 years of war i will not commit my skills to such inhuman actions. I am instead going to help heal this world hopefully with my acquired skills in alternative energies and resources.
Its not often i become clear about something, but this is one time i think i am actually doing something right for myself and for everyone else.

Hello friens!

Hey guys! Or the 1< people who read my blog < 6 ! Haha, its a equation..get it? No? Bahhhh, its okay. Well nothing much has happened in the last week cause no homework yet tho. Other then that i have tried to keep myself buisy since this year some of my roomies are more occipied with things and i now find myself alone in the apartment. So i have joined a group to teach incoming international students english, mentoring program for engineering freshman, and possibly the Eng club on campus. Also been thinking about joining a robotics club on saturdays for a airplane project...but they meet in the morning....right? haha. Other then that halloween haunt coming up soon, and who knows wat will come my way. I'm young and eager to see the world but not ready to grow up. So bring the future on, i can run with the punches and only make this world a better place with my engineering skills one day.

So it begins...

So i have finally gotten back to school yesterday. Haven't had much time to sleep, or time to myself because of work. The other night i had to work 8pm-1am at the ARC late night. It was good to see all my old co-workers again, but then again there were like a shiz load i didn't know cause they are all newbs. Kinda sad how at the end of every year i have to watch 1/3 of the ARC staff fade away and and new crew comes in to replace them. It usually is a little harder for me to get used to the new staff cause im used to the old people, who aren't ever going to return. On a funnier side the other night i was where one of my favorite pairs of jeans and while i was often bending down to count the nummber of push ups people were doing i must have at one point in time ripped a hole the size of my fist near the back pocket. Didn't realize it till the end of the night right before i left cause i friend ask what was with my jeans. Talk about embarrasing!! Just another little funny random story to go into "Craig's Funny Stories of Life" belt. :)

That feeling

So for all of my life I have been what i consider a part of a "unit". Since the day i was born i have had my twin by my side. Always there. We are what i consider the closest bond two people can have. We know each others thoughts, emotions, reactions, and abilities. I have never had to really rely on anyone else because my other half has always been there. That is why i can honestly say I have never really known what it feels like to be a singular person. I have always been a unit and not an individual. Even when going over seas we went to the same country and lived only 2 floors from one another.
In these last two weeks though i think i have gotten my first taste of what it feels like to possibly be an only child/individual. My bro has been away for basically two weeks so i have not been able to hang out with him cause he has been working at his job at UCI. This is the first time i have realized that i am having a hard time thinking of what to do with all my free time without my brother. Each day i wake up and i can't for the life of me figure out what i should do with myself. I even ended up going to see a movie by myself cause i just was bored to death. So far all i have really done is exercise, watch movies, play games, and sleep in. Haha, doesn't sound bad right? Well after 10 straight days of that i am just itching to get a textbook in front of my face to keep me buisy.
In conclusion. I now think that children/independent individuals have it tougher than me. I have had it good for so long, not really having to try too hard to make friends or keep relationships cause i have had a perfect friendship with me at all times. Little bit of a reality check for the double trouble in life this week.

The Future Part 1

So with all my free time I have had some time to think about what I would like to see in my lifesome day. This is part one of two. Part one will be what i would like to experience, and Part 2 will be what i would like to see. (see is the reference to not visual) So here we go.

1) One of these days i would like to see the Northern Lights. While in Norway and Sweden i was hoping to see this marvel but to no adoo it was raining and cloudy about 99% of the time. If there is one thing that amazes me more than anything it is outer space and all her secrets. One day i hope to return to the North to see one of the greatest light shows on earth.

2) Shuttle Launch; Hopefully in the next year I can make my way down to Florida to witness one its final launches. Every person has there calling of something they believe they must see, the shuttle is mine. I consider this one of mans finest engineering endevers. A million parts are moving at once, some of the smartest computers are firing off millions of impulses to all sorts of components and at the same time men are defying gravity, the one constant trying to keep humans on the ground.

3) Alaska; this i consider to be one of the finaly pieces of America to be untouched and left to the way mother nature had intended. No malls, parking lots, and freaking walled in neighborhoods. Just the good old pines, wildlife, and free flowing rivers. If you have ever seen the stars in the woods on a clear night, you would realize why this place might be a special place.

4)Halley's Comet: I missed it the last time it came around earth...mainly cause it passed by 2 years before i was born but thats NO EXCUSE! I just hope that this is something i can hopefully see before i pass away because i would like to have seen an object that people have seen since 240 BC.

5) Fjords of Norway: I got close to seeing these, but it was too far and too expensive. These are valleys cut into parts of Norway by glaciers of phenomenal size. Whole valleys with enormous rivers exist now where the glaciers pushed rock/dirt out of the way over thousands of years. I saw pictures...green..flowers..and pure beauty.

6) Great Barrier Reef: I would like to see this oceanantic marvel that has somehow escaped mans endevour to destroy everything not developed by him. It is slowly being affected by human interference, but hopefully it will survive so our children and then theirs will have the ability to enjoy such marvels as I.

See wat you may of the World

So I have finally got home from my study abroad trip, and after being up for 24 hours for my long flights, i am finally starting to get back into the swing of things. This blog though is not about my trip rather it is about a though i have been thinking of. So at my dinner table, in the car, and just at random times my family loves to talk to one another. About anything. The one thing I have recently talked about an which has made me a little aggravated is over the distance in wealth in the US. I am not rich, and i never will be. I don't expect to ever in my life. But for the life of me i do not understand why people with wealth do not help those without. I see people sitting upon billions of dollars in wealth and they do nothing to help their fellow man. The homeless need shelter, with 9% unemployment people need food and clothes, and adolescents in foster care need someone to look up to. I know everyone doesn't have the money to help support these. But to see all this money not being used to building facilites which may only cost in the millions and help thousands of individuals is beyond my vary being of thought. I am not trying to sound like a winy little kid about our system. I just don't see how our government can spend on pig-barrel projects and the rich on million dollar house expansions when their fellow man our losing faith in life itself. What can one do when all you have is the power of words and volunteer but have no power to change the world?

Bon-Vouage!

Well people this is my last day in Denmark for at least a week. Tomorrow morning i leave for Oslo Norway at 6:30am in the morning! Ahhh! Well it okay. My agenda for the next week is Oslo..then Stockholm..then Lund and finally Malmo! So won't be around for a while, so tell you all about it later! :)

Danish class over..

Well people looks like that was my final day of danish class! Took part 1 of 2 of my danish test. It was interesting. The listening section was pretty tough, couldn't understand what they were saying half the time, so just gave it my best shot. Can't ask more than that right? Saw District 9 today in a theatre that is bigger than the IMAX theatres in the US, it was a really good theatre. For a movie that had a limited budget it was a really good movie. I loved the hidden meanings in the movie the most, they really were trying to tell you a few things about us and the people around us. I also saw the Avatar trailer. I watched it like 3 times yesterday...but seeing it on that huge screen with something like 30 speakers surrounding me...i was speachless. I literally was stunned into a state of shock i was so impressed.
It should be interesting coming back home though. This whole summer i have been wearing jackets, sweaters, and pants. Im going to be coming back to a world in which no shirts and shorts are a must. In fact i think the whole time here the highest its ever been is probably 85-90 for like 3 days. haha. The rest of the days have been little cloudy, windy and like 65-80 degrees. But come to think of it im glad i didn't have to deal with all that hot weather, cause it kinda kills me slowly while im there cause i don't think my body vents heat well.
Well hope all are good and having a splendid summer!

A Day of Misery

So this week has been interesting. There have been these Iraqi refugees that have been in Copenhagen for a while. Denmark hasn't given them asylum and the refugees don't want to go back since it is still too dangerous. A local church has given them asylum and allowed them to stay there while the danish gov gets there act together. Well the other night the police broke in at like 1am and seized everyone in a mass eviction. From what i heard they used dogs, batons, pepper spray to keep back protestors. Heard they seized all the men, but lots of the women and children ran and went into the city to hide. There have been protests in the city for the past few nights denouncing such a heavy handed move.
So next on my shit list is that this morning was like the worst morning of my life. One i have like an eye iritation, which means my eyes are blood shot and it looks like i have been smoking weed or sumtin. Two, i threw up 5 times this morning cause i think i got food poisoning either last night or this morning. Three, phone ran out of minutes so i could call eric or anyone else for help. Four, had to skip school cause i felt so sick. It came down to this one period when i was near toilet sick and my texts were being denied sending...i was just about to cry. Worst morning ever.

On my minda Today

So i got done with school today and a bunch of my compadres went down to the harbor beach to hang out. I kinda wanted to be alone for a little while so i put in my headphones, hopped on a bike and took a ride around the city. While on my bike i was just pondering about some random stuff.


First off i was thinking about Disneyland. :) Haha, i know...all the way in Denmark and im thinking about a place that is only like 15 minutes down the street from my home. But when i think of that place there is nothing i can do but smile and turn into a little kid all over again. Just gotta love that place. So on my to do list when i get back...go to Disneyland...get ice cream on Main Street at midnight, and go on all my favorite roller coasters!


Second i was just thinking about my dogs. I know when they see me all they probably think is "play" "buddy" "must scratch and bother" haha, but i do truly miss a friendly animal by my side here. There are plenty of the human kind here, but no dogs who know im home when all i have done is open the door to the car from across the street.


Third i was thinking about all books and movies i have to catch up on now. Here in Denmark it is hard to get my hands on english books i want to read. Ran out of books to read about 2 weeks ago, and its the one thing that actually helps me to go to sleep, so yea. Movies...well yea. I just want to watch "A Time Travelers Wife", "My Sisters Keeper", "Transformers 2", and a bunch of others, either caues i read the books or i just plain think they are bad ass.


Last but not least i just kinda miss my family, the So.Cal sun, and ability to relax all day and have no agenda or plans.

Okay..thats about it. Tak for Dag!
P.s. Disneyland...(drool)

Nightly Thought

SO i was biking back to Signal Huset (my apartment on the island of Alma) from taco night with some friends and i looked up at the stars. I know i am quite far from home but it still does not change the fact that when i look up at those stars i was still awestruck. From where i was riding there were alot, but if you have ever been in the middle of nowhere then you would understand my statement of how magnificient the sky can truely look. Beside the point, just looking at those stars made me think about how fascinating the universe is. The short stick on the fact is i often think about things and just never tell them. In fact a person may be talking to me, but rather i am thinking about some extreme in the world, or random event, only pretending to pay attention to that person. Back to the fact...the universe is the one thing that never ruins my day. I look at it and just try to on a scale i can understand the beauty and perfection it represents. To me, it represents the unknown...the amazing...perfection....infinite...beauty...and the all knowing. Just looking at a few stars amazes me. Those images i am seeing are million...billions of years old. Most of those stars for all i know may have already blown up into star dust...on there own journey to produce more stars, or even better...life. We are all made of star dust, hell our planet is made of some star dust. So if you want you can actual think of the universe as its own creator and life cycle. Destroying itself, and giving birth to itself over the finite period it has existed. If you ever have a chance i would suggest looking up at the stars. For me it personally helps me think clearly and allows me to let myself go. For you...well thats a discovery you'll have to make on your own journey.

What a week

Hey guys!
Well my vacation week is now at an end. Left last saturday and went to Berlin till wed. That was quite the experience. Before i got there i was thinking that i was goin to experince another Copenhagen with some style and new sights. I was quite taken back once we got there and started to explore and see the sites. I came to realize that this was a city that had not seen peace in the last 500 years for more than a moment of time. Ill post some of the pictures later tomorrow so you can see what i mean. I saw a jewish memorial that had over 1000 stone pillars. Walked through them and was quite shocked. There are memorials all over the city toward those affected by the holocaust. It is suppose to be a symbol of never forgetting what there country once did. A daily reminder to fight against prejudice and oppression. Seeing the berlin wall was also something. In real life it is not some huge wall. Its probably 12 ft high, but yet it seperated families, friends, and loved ones for over 26 years. There were numerous pictures of the soviets and americans facing off at checkpoint charlie, which made one realize that germany has just begun to rebuild itself after the devastation of WW2 and the Cold War.
Next went to Prague from wed to friday. This is just about the most beautiful city i have ever visited. There were buildings and statues that were build over 1000 years ago. My country was not even an idea yet, yet prague was a flourishing city of growth and prosperity. This last saturday was also pretty interesting, Copenhagen had its annual Gay Pride week which ended on saturday with a huge concert and parade. The parade was really roudy and jolly followed by the concert which was excellent; having some of the biggest danish bands; Faggit Ferrys and Medina (Kun for mig!!)
Well hope everyone is well and its not too hot in So. Cal!!! Time for bed for me, have school tomorrow =(

Be Back in a Bit!

Well peoplers im off on my one week break to Berlin till Wed and then Prague till Friday! Ill hopefully be able to tell you all about the interesting things that happen and take lot of pictures. I wish you all a great week and safe ventures!

-Craig

To Tell a Lie to Myself, Urself, Everyone

Hey guys!

So i was talking to some of my classmates the other day and a thought came into my head. A thought which focused on lies. Now im not talking about the bad lies, where i tell someone i didn't steal the last cookie out of the cookie jar but did. No no..those lies are unacceptable lies in my eyes. They start small but grow bigger as the web branches out farther. The lie im talking about is the one we never tell ourselves but always manage to tell others. This "lie" is interesting because we tell it to others because we care and don't want them to worry. We lie to them even if we know we are 100% wrong. Yet we never lie to ourselves the same lie.
Ex) Im at work and someone has trouble breathing. I would naturally tell them "Everything is going to be okay"
This is an interesting lie because when you think about it everyone who is listening knows this is not a fact. All i am doing is tell them a lie to calm them. They accept it, and everyone else accepts it.
The other lie i say we don't tell is to ourselves.
Ex) I fall down and have trouble breathing. I don't lie to myself and say "Everything is going to be okay." I usually say, sh*t i better see a doctor or i might die.
I find it interesting that these are acceptable lies in society. I think they are much needed to provide hope and encouragement, but just odd that they exist. Cause often they downplay the seriousness of an impeding situation at hand.

Well random thought for July 20th. Gotta get back to studying danish...again. xp

So i right now am sitting in a room in Denmark. But rather i am thinking about something rather smaller that was brought to my attention but I have never really put much thought to because I have never been outside of my own country. So my teacher is Danish and often when we are speaking danish the subject of how many english words are entering the danish language is quite astonishing. Not only that but also danish youngsters think it is cool to speak danish and add english words into the sentences as a "cool factor". The discussion was, which was a short one, is the danish culture being destroyed or is it merely transforming. She believed it was being destroyed. I agree with her. Denmark receives about 80% of the new words and phrases it gets every year are from america, and they do not change them. Iceland on the other hand, just a few hours away, takes phrases from america and then changes them into their own language. I think this is a better way to handle the situation.But yet another thought came up from someone else. Iceland may make their own words, but forcing a new word for "computer" is much harder then just using the word "computer" that everyone else is using. So all this thought made me think of one thing america is secretly good at; a global recipe:

A) Create a culture based on materials, movies, and over exagerations
B) Make lots of television shows & movies about them.
C) Let stir in country for 30 years
D) Export to new countries view material items, commercials, ads, movies, and television shows
E) Wait 30 years (one generation) in new countries
F) You now have a generation that has only know american culutre. You don't need to go to war anymore to force ideas, you have exported your own ideas/beliefs via a new simpler channel. All you have to do is play the waiting game.

-Via this conclusion of how americanism spreads, i do not like it. I think we are slowly destroying other cultures. Americansim isn't bad, but i believe that once it starts to slowly dissipate other cultures, is when it has gone too far. Just the thought of the day!

Why hello my friends!

So all is well here in DK. THe weather is a nice low 70's to high 80's sometimes. People here love to sun bath whenever possible cause they don't get more than a few hours of sunlight in the winter, so at all parks in the city on warm days there are half naked people lying around relzxing with their friends. So i think todays little post will be about some thoughts and things i have notice/learned here while during my stay in DK...

1) Danish people love three things: beer, ice cream, and their røde pølser. So first you always see ice cream. It could be raining and you see the little shops full, the signs in the windows, and the people walking aroung licking up their favorite flavors. I don't think i have every eaten this much ice cream in a three week period. haha. The danes love beer, and they drink it to socialize. They drink with a few friends by the water or at a pub not to really get drunk, but to just relax and spend some time together. Third they love their "røde pølser" or a danish hot do. Those carts that sell them are everywhere. I won't lie, not bad. Not bad at all. But the ketchup is too sweet and the mustard is a bit off for my taste.

2) Danish women have their babies young. Everytime you look around their are a lot of babies and mothers walking around everywhere. The idea i like to think is that when it gets cold there aint much to do here, haha. But seriously i think its just a part of their culture. Its just a little weird to see a women strolling a baby to a cafe and she looks maybe 25 in my eyes. Just used to the american thinking of "wait as long as possible" haha.

3) Peanut butter is non-existant here; Chocolate butter is the thing. So i haven't had peanut butter in almost a month and have tried at least 2 of the supposed 5 chocolate butters put on sandwhiches. not bad. But when i get back i want a p&j first thing off the plane. That or In&Out. Im not picky. lol

4) Last thing, i learned i think i did something wrong in mother natures eyes. Had to bike home from school, usually a 10 min bike ride home, even with the normal wind against me on the way home. But the other day, it rains on me. Then i get hit by a swear like 20 mph or more gusts. Gosh dang. It took quite a while and sucked the life out of me. I guess i shouldnt have joked about the odds of it ever raining here at school.


King Christian IV castle

So got the news back from the International Office and it looks like I probably wont be extending into the fall quarter. Most of you probably didn’t know I was attempting to, but I did. Basically ran out of time. Which brings me to my next point. While I was biking back to my apartment I started to think about something. So I won’t be staying in Denmark this fall. But it is not the end. By far this is the beginning. I could easily return to this country for grad school, or possibly apply for an internship some time in the future. I am young, and there is no reason I can’t still reach for the stars and possibly touch them.
Thinking about not getting the extension also made me think of something else, imagination. I became an engineer. I did not become an engineer cause I hope to make a lot of money. Nor hope to have a steady job. I could give less about that. I became an engineer because when I was a little kid I used to dream up the most creative things possible and would draw them. I would build them out of legos, tinker toys, and linking logs. I used to sit in the living room with my brother and we would create worlds of our own. Worlds with no rules, worlds with possibilities. I still do love engineering, but not getting this extension has made me realize one thing kinda. As you get older, people kill your imagination. Teachers kill your imagination. As I grew older I stopped designing the impossible and only started thinking of the probable. I started thinking of cost ratios, materials, and the reality of the consumer. Teachers would straight up tell us something like , “the combustible engine is a crude, dirty, and dangerous machine.” I frankly believe this. I believe it was the worst thing that could have happened to our planet. But as I try to imagine a world without it, I can’t. I can’t because frankly it’s a power source we study and we are told is essential. Well right about now I like to think about the improbable. I like to think about the idea that one day I will return to this/ or another country with opportunity. I also like to think that one day I will say to an engineer “ I think we should replace the combustible engine.” He will say “How?” and my response will be “I don’t know yet, but give me a week; my imagination needs some time to figure it out.”

Hey guys here are some photos from here you might like;


*Haha, thats at a train station in Malmo Sweden...only for smokers


* The world famous Nyhound. Its filled with cafes, a strip club, and a harbor where local Danes brag a 6 pack and relax at the harbor.

4th of July!

Hey friends!

Well im not goin to lie. The 4th of July just wasn't the same this year. Im used to the military jets, hot dogs, corn, and big bangin fireworks! But as i believe most people are aware, but maybe you arent and just need a reminder...Denmark does not celebrate the 4th of July. Ouch..i know. So instead a group of us went over to Sweden for a little day trip. It was a pretty good trip. Saw a castle, and one of of their nice parks. The only weird thing was that it was so freakin deserted! I thought it was goin to be like Copenhagen, which can sometimes be really crowded with people. But instead most the streets were deserted with little to no traffic on foot or in car. It was quite almost all the time. We stopped by some malls, which were okay but kinda overpriced for my budget. The best part was that right before we left we got invited for free "food and drinks" to a little italian bar/cafe. We all thought this was a little weird and shaddy, but we went...well cause 1) it as free..2) it wasn't in your usual shady alley, it was on the main street. The place had just opened that day and was really nice. Had comfortable seating, sweet soundsystem and good dance music. No boozes tho, and thats a good thing cause when they said "free drinks" we then saw like a 5 yr old drinking from one of the glass cups..and thats when i was like "no f*ing way..." haha. Other than that goin in on my third week of class starting tomorrow and i think this week there is a city wide jazz concert starting to go. TTy guys later!

p.s. ill start to post some pics next time!

-Craig

Hellow my friends!

Well haven't written for a few days so i decided to take a little break and write something new! Last friday we had our first social event as a class and went down to the local beach. Now a beach in Copehagen is where people sun bath on the grass and go swimming in the river which has this cool thing that looks like a sunken ship. Basically you go to the top and jump off. haha. Was pretty fun, just chill and eat amongst the people of Copenhagen. So this last weekend was pretty fun. Had a little pow wow at a friends apartment which was pretty chill. Just had a little pot luck and hung out with all the people in our danish classes. Fun thing is it is litteraly right above the red light district, so the whole time walking there and away i was waiting for some chick to ask if i need anything. lol. ( u all know my answer right?) xp i aint dirty for those of you with dirty minds! (cough sina!)Well we hit up a bar after that, and it was alright. Was pretty small and there was like 2 other guys there with the same kinda shirt as me. haha. The whole time there i kept like groaning everytime i saw them. But hopefully they were more focused on their booze then me. Passed by a michael jackson tribute concert on the way there. Looked pretty lagit, too bad couldnt have stayed. I mean the king of pop only has a gathering like that one last time. Well last week denmark actually had its "summer fest", kinda due to summer solist. Since denmark get little sunlite during the winter, but like 16-18 hrs during the summer its a big deal. Fake which burnings and all! Missed that due to jet lag tho. lol, but on sunday we went to a student housing party that supported that. That was pretty fun, inflatable rafts for river, bound house, bar, and a dance floor. That was pretty lagit. Besides the danish experience classes are getting harder. "Jeg kan ikke tal dansk" haha. So thats seems all for now. Bought Harry Potter tickets for midnite showing coming up and tomorrow going to a museum so ill write back laterz!
-Craig

Change of Thought

Hi Fwends!

So i have now officially been in Denmark for about 1 week. I have seen many things but the one thing i think i see is a change in the way i am perceving things. My Dad once told me that he would accept us moving out of the country one day if we wanted to. When i originally heard this i bocked at such a concept. Why would i want to leave the good old US of A! I thought about it and i simply couldn't see it. Cheap gas, cheap items, big cities, movies, action, all that stuff. But while i have been in Denmark only 1 week...i feel as if i am starting to see a whole new side, that perhaps there is something wrong with my country. When u have never been outside your own country you will never see it. But in these last seven days, i am starting to be convinced that there is something wrong with my country. Talking to people of other nations has also opened my mind to new thoughts and viewpoints. I see Denamrk, and i see this; mass public transportation, almost no homeless people, little to no cars, families in parks, a population that does not need to be pestered by police 24/7 but rather a society that follows the laws and thus receives respect from the police. People in my country say socialism is bad. I once thought it was. They told me it was bad, it is an evil. But i look at denmark and i see not an evil, but a nation that is moving forward. Education costs nothing here. Government helps pay for tuiition and board. Health care does not cost a families savings. I see this and i realize that i think i have been wrong my whole life. Something is wrong with my country. Materialism, capitalism, militarism, call it what you may. But one thing is certain. In 7 short days. The view of my nation has changed forever.

Whats up guys!

So about two days ago i finally got my first view of Copehagen. It is quite the city. It is so clean and there are a lot of white people. haha. No, but seriously. They are all really tall, and the danish girls are all really good looking. Hands down. But the city has so much life, and foot/bicycle traffic. The amount of people driving is like nothing, everyone takes the metro or bikes to where they need to go. On tuesday we just walked around the city aimlessly and found ourselves walking through the royal palace with guards on watch, saw the canals, and saw some of the other notable buildings like the old stock exchange and some churches that our older than my country. Classes are pretty swell, im pretty sure i sound like a gringo, but i think im kinda getting the hang of it. Its hard, but with a little elbow grease not too shabby. Wednesday a bunch of us went over to a castle in the middle of the city and enjoyed a lunch with the Danes. Its kinda weird, since they only get sun like for a short period of time during the year, they like to take their shirts off and tan whenever possible, so we are in the gardens park and there are tons of danes, all with as little clothing as possible. The castle was cool, saw more army guards patrolling ceremonially the castle, and saw the royal treasure. It was impressive, but i still can't believe the amount of dimonds and gold some of those things had. Rest of the day was a blurr cause i accidently just slept. lol TTyl!

Hello my fellow bloggers! (from 6/19 couldnt post earlier due to errors in system!)

Well my trip is only 1 day old and it has been quite the ride. You would think that one would go to the airport, get on there flight and then get to the next flight…so on and so forth. But wait….this is the adventure of Craig we are talking about. So heres how it really went down. I got to the airport alright, (only to see my brother eric get yelled at by a TSA official cause 1) he put his laptop in the wrong spot through the scanner, and 2) he had his cell phone on him when goin through the metal detector!) but the plane that was suppose to take off at 1:30pm never did cause it was having mechanical problems. So after some wait they switched planes, but only to have that plane have a problem with its radar, or that’s what the rumor was. So around 3:30pm we finally took off, but it made it so we didn’t arrive in Chicago till it was too late for us to take the international flight to Copenhagen. So here I am now, in a pretty nice hotel paid for by United Airlines eating a traditional Chicago style pizza. So you know what, its not all that bad, cause when you think about it, how often would I be able to do something like this? Ttyls!

For Real

Dear Mr. Jason, =)

It is now starting to come to life and look real in my eyes. Going to Denmark seemed like just a thing of the future. But i just official said good bye to my last roommate a minute ago and now it has hit me. No matter what in about 4 days i'm going to be on a plane to Denmark. It is an exciting thought, but at the same time I am deathly afraid to go overseas cause I don't speak the language yet and I don't know what to expect. I will be thousands of miles from any resemblance of home; it will be the adventure of a life time and thankfully i will have my twin by my side every step of the way.