#i built it back in 2019-20... ah memories

[nineyellowgirl]

Meadowville, Green Hills University, Institute of History / hallways and classrooms

[hhhhhhhappycow]

Prince of Tennis 2019 Hunger Games AU:

(Aka something I half-daydreamed after reading the Hunger Games prequel and watching the Prince of Tennis live action series):

When 15 year old Lu Xia volunteers as the tribute for District 4, even the peacekeepers are bewildered as to whether he can do that. After all, he spent the majority of his childhood in the Capitol with his mother. However he was born in District 4 and returned there the year before to live with his father in the Victor's Village, and so they allow it.

People talk, as they always do, wondering whether this was why he returned to them at all, why he kept to himself and always seemed to be training for something. It was.

The 15 year old boy he took the place of, Ah Mu, sobs with relief and gratitude and sorrow for this stranger who has certainly saved his life.

His father, the famed Victor, Lu Xiangqian, only watches in silence as his son walks toward the stage. There is no pride in his face, only terror.

Next they call the female tribute, and nobody steps forward for Qi Ying as she moves towards the stage, dwarfed by all those around her. She knows she doesn't stand a chance.

Lu Xiangqian is silent as he accompanies his son on the journey to the Capitol. Although he does not say anything, it is clear that this brings back memories of his own Reaping, 20 years previously, when he was just an unknown boy from an impoverished family, and not yet an underdog success story lauded by the Capitol. He has not been there in years, had returned to District 4 shortly after marrying and remained there even when his Capitol wife left him, taking their infant son with her, to return to her home. He is met with cheers and screams in the streets.

Also accompanying them is Qi Na, Qi Ying’s aunt and a fellow previous Victor. She won her own games two years after Lu Xiangqian, and although not quite as beloved a figure as he is, she too is welcomed in the Capitol. In spite of the quiet life she has enjoyed since her own games in the Victor’s Village of District 4, she takes it upon herself to mentor both Lu Xia and Qi Ying, determined that one of these small children will make it out alive. Still, her heart breaks every time she looks at them, realizing she will at some point likely have to make the choice between saving her niece and saving her former mentor and friend’s son.

Lu Xiangqian cannot bring himself to mentor his own son, and he knows that Lu Xia would resist all attempts for him to do so. Instead he spends time talking with the others at the training centre, giving tips when he knows Lu Xia is listening in. In particular, he finds himself bonding with a plucky young boy from District 8, Qiao Chen, who somewhat reminds him of himself.

Despite Qi Na’s advice for them to make allies, Lu Xia keeps to himself, and Qi Ying sticks close to his side. He makes no effort to befriend her, but he does not send her away either.

During training, they meet some of the other tributes.

Mu Siyang is the Career tribute from District 2, although he is not the standard Career as Lu Xia thinks of them. Siyang trained along with several other boys from his year, and managed to best them all. At 17, despite being a year younger than is usual for volunteers, the mentors from District 2 believed him to be far more capable than any of their 18 year old trainees, and so prompted him to step forward. Siyang, who had long since accepted that he would one day be reaped, merely did as he had been asked, with little complaint. He is tall and strong and by far the favorite to win, even favored by the Head Game-maker's own son, Ji Jingwu. His one weakness, which he hides from the tributes, is an old arm injury that occasionally acts up. Like Lu Xia, he largely keeps to himself, although he seems willing to train with others when they approach him.

Another unusual choice for a Career- and also a favorite for victory- is 17 year old Zhuo Zhi, from District 1. Similar to Siyang, he was supposed to volunteer in the following year, at 18. However, at the Reaping, it was his younger brother's name that they called, and the 18 year old who was supposed to volunteer- Guan Yue- remained silent, knowing that Zhuo Zhi would take his place. Lu Xia immediately marks him, aside from Siyang, as the toughest competition. Zhuo Zhi is careful not to practice his skills in front of the others, and there are rumours- supported by his high scores from the Game-makers- that he has no weaknesses. He seems to spend time with Siyang the most, seeking out his company and joking in an interview that they were both clearly fated to be in the games together this year rather than the following year.

Yan Zhiming, an 18 year old from District 3, is seemingly omnipresent in the training arena. He watches his competitors train with a sharp gaze, gathering data on all of his opponents. He takes the time to learn all of their strengths and weaknesses. It is only when Zhang Baiyang from District 7, tired of being watched, snaps at him to actually pick up some skills while he can or his data isn't going to be of any use in the arena, that he realizes he needs to learn to put his information to use.

Although not a Career, and despite only being 16, Zhang Baiyang is another favorite to win, strong and steely and determined. The only problem is he does not do so well with interviews, acting sullen and withdrawn in a way that comes across as sulky rather than arrogant. He puts maximum effort into training, although he himself does not seem confident in his ability to win. When Yan Zhiming approaches him with the offer of an alliance, he is reluctant to accept, but ultimately agrees after a seeming change of heart. Neither of them know how long it will last.

Qiao Chen, also aged 16, is from District 8 and is considered more of a dark horse in the competition. While he does not have the strength of the Careers or Baiyang, he is agile and has high endurance. His cheery attitude also endears him, both to the viewers and other contestants. Although not Baiyang, who gets fed up with Qaio Chen following him and trying to copy his strength exercises. At the prompting of Lu Xiangqian, he attempts to ally himself with both Lu Xia and Qi Ying, trying to earn their trust. Lu Xia remains suspicious that this is either just a ploy or that his father is orchestrating it solely for his benefit.

He Xinglong, 18, is from District 11 and is considered another dark horse. In interviews he is mild-mannered and friendly, but when talk turns to family, his face turns hard and he announces that he promised his father he would come home, and that he intends to keep that promise. He is up there in terms of raw strength, although in the training sessions he spends more time working with the paints and learning to camouflage and hide himself. Asides from Qiao Chen, he is the only one Lu Xia may consider as a potential ally.

While not a favorite to win by any means, it is not considered outside the realm of possibilities for Chi Dayong, an 18 year old from District 5, to emerge victorious. He is an all-rounder, strong and intelligent, although he is somewhat slow and tends to trust others perhaps too quickly. To the surprise of many, Siyang seems to befriend him, becoming the only person other than Zhuo Zhi (and occasionally Yan and Lu Xia) that Siyang speaks with. He seems to be aware of the fact that he will not win, and is simply striving to stay alive for as long as possible.

Despite the rumours and the fact that the girl from his home of District 6 is, Tang Jiale, also aged 18, is not a morphling addict. His twitchiness comes from nerves only, as like Dayong he knows he is unlikely to live. While he is nimble and quick, he is not necessarily strong and he lacks stamina. He becomes close to Dayong over the course of their training, and by the time the two head into the arena they have a strong pact: If they're going out, they're going out together, at least.

Huang Jing and Ma Xiuwen are from District 9 and District 10 respectively, and deep down they both know they will not last long. Still, both boys are just shy of 15, and are in denial about their odds, doing their best in training to gain skills and strength in spite of the fact that their mentors have already abandoned them as lost causes. Together they copy the moves that Siyang does, trying to emulate him, and even Lu Xiangqian and Qi Na offer them advice. Huang Jing reassures Xiuwen that their training will pay off, that the two of them will make it right to the end, but he knows his words are empty.

The first time that anybody pays attention to Qi Ying is during the interview stage. She departs from her script and speaks of the atrocities, both awaiting them and in their home districts. Her speech is heart-rending poignant and heavily edited by the time it reaches the Capitol.

Lu Xia does not say much in his interviews, only stating that he is here to beat his father's records, although he does, to the surprise of many, defend Qi Ying.

Jiale and Dayong drum up some popularity in the interviews, with their clear affection for each other being viewed as an inspirational friendship by many. They both secretly wonder how much of it is built on the need to survive.

Another popular duo, for a different reason, are Baiyang and Qiao Chen. Their squabbling during training comes to a head during the interviews, and members of the Capitol gossip about the potential for a passionate showdown between the two once they enter the arena.

Siyang's interview only gains him more respect: He is introspective, intelligent, and calm, speaking about the event that is about to unfold with sorrow but also a resignation that is mature beyond his years.

Zhuo Zhi plays up the mysterious angle, bantering with the host (and Jiale, in an unexpected friendship that some of the audience love) and smirking throughout. The only time he cracks slightly is when his brother, who he volunteered for, is mentioned: That is when his determination to get home is truly revealed.

Lu Xia is slowly starting to realize that winning the Hunger Games may be harder than he initially thought.

[f4liveblogarchives]

Fantastic Four Vol 1 #155 & #156

Wed Jul 31 2019 [02:56 PM] Wack'd: Thus continues the reign of Len Wein [02:58 PM] Wack'd: You know, you really didn't need to specify South America and Africa! Most places have some sort of wilderness! Also the idea that there are wild places untouched by man that you can safely make out as savage is basically bullshit but if it needed to be that for the "harder to tell which ones are the animals" joke Antarctica is a safe bet. Or the ocean

[02:58 PM] Wack'd: Also jesus I know only one of them is black but calling them animals is still a real bad look [02:59 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, Reed stops Ben from doing something stupid so he just does his usual "twists up a piece of metal public property to prove a point" shtick and moves on [03:00 PM] Wack'd: And then the Silver Surfer attacks! [03:00 PM] Bocaj: Analogizing criminals to animals is some real bad tough on crime nonsense [03:01 PM] Wack'd: Yes [03:02 PM] Wack'd: Calling it: someone has kidnapped Alicia to blackmail Norrin into attacking

[03:04 PM] Bocaj: "How many times do we have to go through this, man?" "A LOT I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS BENJAMIN GRIM" [03:04 PM] Wack'd: So Norrin tries to fly through Galactus' barrier again and his power gets drained so he crash lands in Eastern Europe, where he sees a poster declaring the area's queen to be SHALLA BAL! [03:04 PM] Bocaj: Hm [03:04 PM] Bocaj: HMMM [03:04 PM] Bocaj: HMMMMMMMMMM [03:04 PM] Bocaj: I might remember something but then again I might not [03:05 PM] Bocaj: I can say for certain that Norrin Radd constantly has too many feelings [03:05 PM] Wack'd: So it turns out Norrin landed in Latveria [03:05 PM] Wack'd: And Shalla married Doom [03:06 PM] Wack'd: Doom wiped her memory of Norrin and agreed to undo all he had done and release her if Norrin--well, guess [03:06 PM] Bocaj: Ffs [03:06 PM] Bocaj: Doom needs to stop marrying amnesiac women [03:07 PM] Wack'd: It's his fetish [03:07 PM] Bocaj: Kinkshaming [03:08 PM] Wack'd: Not sure what I like more, Doom's expression, or the way Norrin appears to have been stickered onto the panel

[03:08 PM] Wack'd: A rare instance where the expressive mask actually works [03:10 PM] Wack'd: Anyway, it cliffhangers into Surfer resuming his attack, begging for forgiveness

Fri Aug 9 2019 [07:01 PM] Wack'd: DOOM: MASTER OF SUBTLETY

[07:02 PM] Umbramatic: Subtlety is for lesser beings than DOOM [07:03 PM] Bocaj: Where do villains get hero chessboards? [07:03 PM] Wack'd: Where do you think Alicia gets so much money sculpting tiny superhero statues? [07:03 PM] Bocaj: IT ALL MAKES SENSE! [07:04 PM] Wack'd: Anyway remember that time Doom stole Norrin's powers? Doom has quietly retconned his memories so that, instead of being tricked into hitting the anti-Surfer field around Earth like a bird on a windshield, he simply decided that having superpowers didn't suit him and gave them back [07:04 PM] maxwellelvis: You love that retcon, don't you? [07:04 PM] Bocaj: Wait so Doom retconning his own memories is actually a storied historied thing he do and not just a squirrel girl jape? [07:04 PM] maxwellelvis: The "Doom mentally rewrites all his defeats in his head" one? [07:05 PM] Wack'd:

[07:05 PM] Wack'd: He's not owned! He's not owned! [07:05 PM] Umbramatic: Reed's ass tho [07:06 PM] Bocaj: That's not America's ass [07:06 PM] Umbramatic: nope [07:06 PM] Wack'd: Alicia touches all the butts. For art [07:06 PM] Bocaj: I appreciate her sacrifice [07:07 PM] Wack'd: Anyway turns out Doom is watching footage of last issue and is pissed off that Norrin refused to kill [07:07 PM] Wack'd: "How dare you weigh the pains of hell against the wrath of Doom?" is his reaction [07:09 PM] Bocaj: Wow [07:09 PM] Bocaj: That’s a really god bad guy line [07:09 PM] Bocaj: Good [07:09 PM] Wack'd: So Norrin brings Reed, Johnny, Ben, and Medusa back to Doom, "hypnotized", as Doom gives him shit for not doing a murder [07:11 PM] Wack'd: Mostly he's just teed off because he has all of this godly power and refuses to use it, but Norrin argues that restraint is far more a show of power than Doom's definition--"an armored hand across a quivering lip" [07:12 PM] maxwellelvis: That's another really good line [07:13 PM] Wack'd: Anyway there's a real quick power-cosmic-vs-sorcery pissing match before the two agree they're evenly matched and Doom has Norrin put Reed, Johnny, Ben, and Medusa in fet--er, torture devices

[07:14 PM] Umbramatic: kinky [07:14 PM] Bocaj: Gonna kinkshame Doom [07:14 PM] maxwellelvis: 'Course, since this seems to still be pretty early in the issue and the Surfer created these devices, I assume he's got some backdoor or something up his non-existent sleeves. [07:15 PM] Wack'd: Doom built these, he's just complimenting Norrin on getting them in the restraints [07:15 PM] maxwellelvis: Ahh [07:15 PM] Wack'd: Norrin: “What have you done to Shalla-Bal, that she can watch such cruelty in abject silence? And worse: what has an uncaring world done to you that you could've conceived it?” [07:15 PM] Bocaj: “Devil took my mom” [07:15 PM] maxwellelvis: That's the Surfer we know and love. Ready to wax philosophical at the drop of a hat. [07:15 PM] maxwellelvis: "My dad was killed because he couldn't doctor good enough" [07:17 PM] Wack'd: So Ben has Johnny swing his birdcage over to him so he can rip it open [07:18 PM] Wack'd: You know, like when there's evil opposites--just gotta get everyone to swap dance partners. Or torture partners [07:18 PM] Wack'd: Johnny uses a...piece of wood that was lying around? To smash Reed's device open [07:19 PM] Wack'd: And then Reed saves Ben and Medusa [07:20 PM] Wack'd: Then they go fight some robots and speculate that, well, none of this is really Doom's best work [07:20 PM] Wack'd: Let's not forget he once managed to keep them captive for like six issues [07:20 PM] Wack'd: So he's probably phoning it in, which means worse stuff later [07:20 PM] Umbramatic: oh my [07:21 PM] Wack'd: hahahahahaha

[07:21 PM] Wack'd: "Oh yeah those were my bad old robots, thanks for taking care of that for me" [07:22 PM] Umbramatic: ah, doom [07:24 PM] Wack'd: So it turns out Doom is just buying time so he can use a new machine to siphon off Norrin's,power to create a *new* Surfer. A Herald of Doom, if you will, which Doom doesn't, but he should [07:25 PM] Bocaj: He does [07:25 PM] Bocaj: Later [07:25 PM] Bocaj: In the 2018 run

[chucksandjeans]

A DECADE IN REVIEW & GOALS FOR BEYOND

PRECURSOR

This is a difficult post to write because there’s a lot to reflect on. Where do I start? Over the years, I’ve gone back and forth whether it makes sense to write these things down. It all started years ago when LiveJournal was popular. I wrote down daily routines and activities that I did during the week. It was remarkably diary-oriented with little thought put into what I wanted out of it. This Tumblr account started 11 years ago in 2008 when I arrived in Singapore to start my semester abroad. I started to document my exchange adventures, foods I ate, sights I saw. It was a means to write down my life so I would not forget it. In more recent times, I continued writing down travel blogs but moved towards using writing as a way to plan for the future. It’s interesting looking back and seeing that my younger self scribbled notes about daily events, then grew into my 20s writing things down to not forget them, and now using writing to plan for the future. I wonder what the next decade in review will look like.

2010-2019 AT A GLANCE

Overall, I give myself A- for this decade.

RELATIONSHIP - A

I spent the first few years of the decade lost. I came out of a long-term relationship and hurt people along the way, myself included. It was a difficult time in my life and I was jaded for a long time. Between the ages of 22 and around 25, I was a quintessential tool that did a lot of things that I thought someone in their early 20s should be doing. Going out, dating random people, not being honest with anyone to protect myself. It took a lot of courage to get out of that state and looking backwards, it was a state that I had to go through. Things changed when I met my wife who pulled me out of that slump and showed me that love could be all powerful. I am so grateful for my past relationships because they all brought me to where I am today. My marriage has evolved from a simple swipe to dating to moving in to signing the papers and soon having our first child. It’s crazy to think back to 2010, what I was doing and thinking back then, and fast forward to today. It’s magical to see what life has to offer and I am only beginning to appreciate all the small things. I started weak but finished the decade strong.

FAMILY - B+

My family is small in Toronto and North America. I love them deeply and when I look back, I don’t think I truly showed them that when I was younger. My parents brought me here, giving up their careers and community, so I could have a better life. I gave them a ton of grief as a teenager and could have done a better job in my 20s to take care of them. As I grew older, I understand why my dad use to say “you’ll know when you’re older”. I use to roll my eyes but now I understand. I hope I can pass this knowledge onto my child(ren) so that they can mature their thinking. Likely, they won’t understand until they are adults too but that’s just how the cookie crumbles. My extended family in Hong Kong - I neglected them for the most part. I spent my 20s traveling around the world and only went back in 2018, 10 years after my last visit. I can’t express how happy I was to see them and at the same time, seeing how the years have taken its toll on them. I hope I still have time to see them and create memories before the winters go by. 

FRIENDS - B+

The definition of friend has changed dramatically. I use to think friends were the ones who I partied with, drank with and ate with. I tried to have as many friends as possible and know as many people as possible. What a silly way to think? People came and gone and I struggled with that, in particular when the fake friends faded away. Real friends faded away too. I can’t say that it came as a surprise but it definitely came. I use to think friends lasted forever - the way we hung out, how often we hung out, how many movies we saw - but now I see, just like everyone said, parties will eventually end. I had to redefine what the word friendship meant to me. Sometimes I look at photographs and see faces of people that I never see or talk to. Friendships evolve and I am glad that there are a handful that I cherish deeply. New friends, old friends, it’s time to think about who are the real friends.

CAREER - A

The beginning of the decade marked the beginning of my career. I started at E&Y in September 2009 so January 2010 was still early days. I just finished the CKE and going into my first busy season before the SOA and UFE exams later in 2010. It was a long time ago but it feels like yesterday. I wonder if 2010 VLiu knew that everything would be okay, that 10 years later, he would be still clueless and figuring things out. So much has happened since then, from being promoted to moving functions to companies. I got lost in a big company and searched for meaning in my work. I learned how to work tools and technology, networked and built relationships. I screwed up, joined the wrong company and returned to a career that I knew was not my passion. I met great people, managed a growing team and launched a business. I did case studies. I learned that my skills defined me but I could learn new skills. I pushed harder than I ever thought possible, mentally and emotionally. This last decade was a blur. What a blur.

TRAVEL - A+

I did well here. After the exchange semester and Europe backpacking trip in 2009, 2010 onwards marked the most active travel itineraries that I could dream of. Years ago I already started jotting down my goals on where to globetrot and as this decade comes to a close, I am proud to have been to 6 of the 7 continents, hiked some of the world’s greatest trails, lived in tiny huts and tents to lush hotels. It was a decade to remember and a passport to cherish. I grew a lot as a person having seen so many things and as I think back, I am very lucky to have had the opportunities, money, time and freedom (and companions) to see these places. Travel is good for the soul, and this part of my soul is happy. I marked Norway as my 50th country with my wife and no longer am I chasing stamps. I am now chasing memories.

HEALTH - B

I am proud of myself for creating a healthy lifestyle for myself early on even before 2010. I have a certain friend to thank for this, but early on in first year university, he inspired me to take up weight training. Since then, I have been dedicated to this activity and it carried through to 2019. I can’t say that I work out as much anymore. From 2010-2015, I probably worked out 5 times a week for at least 60 minutes per session and ate a ton of protein shakes. In more recent years, this has dialed back for reasons I am ashamed to say as laziness. I still go 1-2 times per week but that’s still way less than before. However, I am choosing to eat healthier with less meat which counts for something!

FINANCE - B+

I have been notorious with saving and believing that paying myself first is always the best path forward. I don’t know what the future holds so having a steady contribution to investments was the approach that I have been taking. Hopefully it works. I trust finance theory.

PERSONAL - B+

I am proud of what I’ve accomplished between 2010-2019. I’ve grown as a person personally and professionally. I have matured in how I think about friends and family, and what it means to be happy. I made mistakes along the way and I learned from them. Now, I am in a good place with all aspects of my life. Overall, it was a good 10 years.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS OF THE DECADE

Everything Celine-related: meeting her, getting to know her, building a relationship, planning a wedding, having the wedding, and all the ups and downs in-between. I think back and cannot picture my life without her.

Road trip: the drive from Toronto to LA was monumental and solidified some lifelong friendships that cannot be replicated. The memories are so precious and I am so glad that trip happened.

Buying a house and decorating: the rush of signing papers, moving in and the fun of hanging paintings and measuring furniture. Ah, first homes!

Walking the Highline NYC with Celine: it was just so magical. The sunset, the city, the photo that captured it all.

Weddings: this decade was filled with many joyous celebrations of my friends getting married. It was so beautiful to see them tie the knot and celebrate with old friends. I know I complained about too many weddings, but now that I think about it, I will miss the weddings.

Revisiting Singapore: SG has a special place in my heart. Seeing PGP again too. It feels like a different me but the same me. I miss that part of my life a lot.

Darth and See Lai month: 2015 was a rough year as I chose a terrible boss and made a made career mistake. Luckily for me, I had a network to help me and I got through it. Darth reminds me that most importantly in any career, happiness comes first. Money is a byproduct. The one month spent at home was filled with mom-son time. I loved every second of it, even though I was recovering from a traumatizing experience.

Jamie: Jamie Anderson, the classiest man I know. His deep voice, decisive attitude, and gentleman’s classiness, I will never forget.

Corporate Development: this was a huge career accelerator for me. The people that I met and the deals that I worked on set me up nicely for the rest of my career. Project Laker will always be my pride and joy.

Ventures, Anthony and Derek: Joining RBC Ventures was a life-changing experience. I finally learned that I could learn new skills, and be friends with the people I worked with. I met two of my greatest mentors. It was the time of my life.

Norway: nuff said. Norway 2 aka. Iceland was also great.

Travel stuff: all the places I went this decade were so great.

Duncan and NWTS nights: some of these nights I dragged myself out. Now that I think back, these are the nights I can’t and still remember.

Living in condos: Pinnacle has a special place in my heart. Moving from 12 to 16 Yonge and to 33 Bay several floors. I had fun living in my own filth hehe and eating take-out everyday, walking to the Goodlife at 8pm to workout. Everything has a time and place.

Being a douche in the PATH: slicked hair, fitted suit. Every dude has to try it once!

Mom karaoke parties: always a fun time!

Music festivals: Veld, Swedish House Mafia, Digital Dreams. #awesomesauce

Hanging out at NWS townhouse and walking to BBT with Stella: the summers that I lived downtown had some fun activities after work. The summers were always filled with nighttime fun like bars and drinking and walking Bentley.

Passing UFE: it was pretty cool studying for the exams and passing them!

Cube: club nights.

2019 AT A GLANCE

I am very happy with 2019. My wife and I came out of 2018 with gusto with new energy and dreams. This year had a fair share of ups and downs which taught me resilience and the power of positive thinking. When Steve left the company, I was devastate and had to learn how to deal with it while managing a big team. Celine and I hiked Patagonia and we found out we were expecting a baby. Later in the year, I found a new career direction while preparing for the new baby’s arrival. It was an experiential year with so much to be thankful for.

RELATIONSHIP - A

This was the first full calendar year of marriage. Celine and I are growing day by day and moving on to the next chapter with the arrival of our baby in a few weeks. 2019 was a much “easier” year than 2018 now that the wedding and the house costs are behind us, so we spent a large part of the year enjoying each other’s companies. We spent our honeymoon hiking in Chile, visiting family in Vancouver, and explored Italy, Slovakia and Hungary. We ate at amazing restaurants and created unforgettable memories. A few weeks ago, we ate at Patria, the restaurant where we had our first date, to close a chapter in our lives as a couple and welcomed the next chapter as a family of three. We are ready.

FAMILY - A

I really enjoyed this year because we had the chance to visit family with my parents in Vancouver. It was a very fun trip and one that was long overdue. Without the pressure of the wedding, 2019 was more of a breeze.

FRIENDS - A

We had a fair share of dinners and hangouts this year. Celine also hosted a few DTL sessions at home which was great. I also strengthened friendships with some old friends and new friends, which I am particularly proud of. 

CAREER - A+

There were a ton of ups and downs this year. From Steve leaving the organization to an unnamed person on the team who was a pain to manage, this was year marked with learning how to deal with things. My career was predominantly smooth sailing except for the grief that I cause myself mentally but this year was truly a test on my character and perseverance. I was lucky to have great mentors and friends who coached me through the hard times and I came out the other side a stronger person. Later in the year, I found happiness in a new career direction. I saw this as a culmination of my many sleepless days and nights thinking about what’s next, and an outlet for my trapped ambition. I am at peace with all the bumps that I encountered to get here because now I am here, and I love it.  Earlier in the year, I set out to find a role where I can develop new skills, stimulate my brain, gives me a strong network  and provides a leverage a brand. I can truly say that 2019 was a defining year for my career.

TRAVEL - A

Celine and I flew a fair bit this year from Chile to Vancouver to Europe. Chile was a beauty and brought me back to our road trip days in Norway and Iceland. Hiking in Patagonia, trekking the Atacama and sleeping in a rusty shack near the Magellan Strait are going to be memories of a lifetime. Vancouver, another great trip with family. Europe was a different feel and it was Celine’s first time in the Eastern side of the continent. The cuisine and history was super awesome and I’d go back in a heartbeat. From a work travel perspective, I had the chance to go to New Orleans for a few days and then San Francisco for 11 days for orientation. It was my spending so much time in San Francisco and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to experience it. Now I know that I shouldn’t pick a hotel in Tenderloin to stay in. I did not do well in setting a new travel goal however. After I hit 50 countries, it’s been challenging to think of a tangible target to run towards. I need to do that this year.

HEALTH - B-

This was an average year for health both physically and mentally. Physically, I’ve been going to the gym less and less, maybe 1-2 times per week. I did complete the RBC Race for the Kids 5km though in a pretty decent time, but next year, woooobooooyyy not sure. I spent many nights stressed and sleepless because of the ups and downs at the office so that was not great. However, Celine and I started doing affirmations first thing in the morning and before bed. It’s a chance for us to think about what we are thankful for. It’s become routine for us now, and it’s helped a lot.

FINANCE - B

We did well this year. Aside from being a big under the water after the basement and backyard renovations, which we had to do, we kept our spending in check and continued to save throughout the year. Celine and I are both aligned on how we view finances which is good, and a testament to how a rough 2018 year prepared us for 2019 and beyond (especially with a new baby coming soon).

PERSONAL - C+

I spent the last few years thinking about my career and very little on how to improve myself outside of that realm. I don’t know how much that has impacted me, but I can say at a minimum that it’s kept me up many a nights thinking about my career. Now that my career has been realigned, I should spend more time thinking about my goals from a personal perspective. In 2018, I did accomplish my goal of reading 3 books and writing in my journal 2x per month. These now seem like easy, attainable goals though so nothing to celebrate.

FAVOURITE MOMENTS OF 2019

Celine telling me that she’s pregnant: unspeakable happiness.

Hearing my baby’s heartbeat for the first time with my ear: this was so mind-boggling to me. For the longest time, the baby did not hit me as reality as much as Celine...since she was carrying Leia and all. But hearing her heartbeat changed it all.

Seeing my Uncle 1 and Auntie 1: I haven’t seen them for years...or a decade. I can’t remember now but it was warming to see them again in the same house years later.

At Stephen’s Basilica rooftop: the sunset was beautiful atop the church looking over Budapest. It was not quite Aksla, but it was indeed captivating.

Cuernos and Patagonia: the views, experience, air and water. The hike, although rainy, was perfect.

Borago: World’s 50 Best does not disappoint. My favourite was still the rainwater from Patagonia.

Windy shack in Punta Arenas: the town was lame but the tiny hut that called itself an Airbnb was memorable. The Magellan Strait is very windy and shook the house until Celine and I worried that the roof would fall onto us. Hah.

The day we almost died: Patagonia at its finest.

Steve leaving: this was a rough day for me and the beginning of a rough week. My world fell apart piece by piece and I did not feel career disappointment like this before.

Me leaving: the decision to leave Butter/Ventures was difficult and I weighed the pros and cons. I chose to leave under my criteria which was easy, but actually leaving was very hard. Luckily for me the relationships that mattered are still strong.

Various case studies: LOL.

Interview at Square: I got the first email when I got back from Europe in early September. From then until the final interview on Wednesday, October 23 was a rush. I received the offer verbally on Friday, October 25. I accepted the Saturday. It all moved so quickly.

Seeing NWS super happy about escape rooms: I rarely see NWS that excited and it was fun to see on Ryan’s birthday. Board games and escape rooms - it was more like NWS’ birthday.

GOALS FOR 2020 AND BEYOND

RELATIONSHIP

I will support my wife in her personal and career endeavors. I will encourage her to be creative, ambitious and honest with herself so that she can achieve her maximum potential.

I will be an attentive and caring husband, and try to be positive in the most difficult situations. I will listen first and offer an opinion after if suitable in the situation.

I will be cognizant that my wife is stressed from taking care of the baby and try to relieve her stress as much as possible.

I will recognize milestones and also everyday events because life is short.

Stretch: I will create and capture more memories outside of Instagram, through writing, photos or videos.

By 2029: I will be a model husband that knows how to cook, clean and take care of my wife and family. I will continue celebrating the big and small moments with my wife, remembering anniversaries and birthdays, and continue being the young-love that we have today.

FAMILY

I will be a great father, whatever that means! I don’t know yet but I promise to be a great one.

I will be more present in gatherings and create a balance where possible to bridge the various groups.

I will maintain a strong relationship with family overseas.

Stretch: talk to at least 1 overseas family member once a month

By 2029: I will be the father to 2 beautiful children. I will be supportive and understand them as much as possible, and try not to be a lame dad. I will have great relationships with my family and my in-laws, and maintain a strong connection those overseas. I will be back in HK at least 2 times in this decade.

FRIENDS

I will build on strong social bonds by reaching out, staying in touch, physically going to see friends, and recognizing special moments.

I understand that this aspect of my life may change with a new baby coming but I hope to maintain a relationship with at least my closest friends. I will not be non-existent to friends.

Stretch: hang out with 1 friend per a month

By 2029: I will be a great friend to a small group of people. I will celebrate their big and small moments, and try my best to keep the group close.

CAREER

I will think about my career more critically and plan out my path. Now that I have started a new path at Square, it is important to think about what I am learning here and map that out against where I want to eventually get to. This allows me to think about my career in a more structured way.

I will consistently evaluate my skillset and upgrade/up-skill where I see a gap, through reading books or taking a course.

Stretch: meet at least 2 new people every month who can help me in my career or gives me new ideas and add an international aspect to my experiences; discuss international opportunities with Square

By 2029: I will be managing a small, high-performing team in a career of my choosing. This career will pay well, have great people and culture, and grant me the flexibility to work the way I want to to suit my lifestyle. I will have international work experience.

TRAVEL

Find a new goal that revolves around travel and cultural exploration. I want to love travel immensely again.

Go to at least one place with the new baby on a plane.

Stretch: Take Celine and the baby to San Francisco for a few weeks.

By 2029: I will have been to 60 countries and went on 2 more big hikes (which could mean something like Patagonia). I will have been back to Africa somewhere, Asia and Australia. Europe is fine too but it will have to be Scandinavia or Eastern Europe. Our baby will be well-traveled.

HEALTH

I will choose to eat healthy food more often. In particular, this means more fish, chicken, vegetables and legumes, and less red meat, fried foods and dairy products.

I will eat more fruits and drink more water (at least 2L daily).

I will workout at least twice a week.

Stretch: drink 3L of water daily, workout thrice a week and run one organized 5km-run.

By 2029: my kids would be old enough by this time so that I can go back to a regular gym schedule. Between 2020-2029, I want to maintain a healthy body and mind, great sleep, and no need for drugs. I will have healthy cholesterol and X levels to be able to eat what I want and exercise the way I want. I will look good.

FINANCE

I will continue shifting the finances on a monthly basis to ensure that Celine and I are tracking towards our retirement goals.

I will spend less money on products and more on experiences.

I will cut back on impromptu purchases.

I will continue saving money for myself, Celine and the baby.

Stretch: plan for investment property

By 2029: we will have 2 investment properties and a sizable investment portfolio suitable for our stage in life. We will be have financial freedom defined as having enough money to do what we want largely without financial limitations.

PERSONAL

I will find out what it means to be a husband and father.

I will dedicate time to self-improvement through reading, listening to podcasts, thinking about the future and philosophical topics, and documentaries where I can learn something.

I will focus on what I can control and push out things that I cannot control. I worry too much so this will help me reduce mental stress.

I will be a better listener and only dish out tough love sparingly.

I will continue documenting my career ambitions and philosophies in my journal at least 2x a month.

I will clean the house once a month. This means wiping the windows, vacuuming and mopping the floors, bleaching the sink, etc.

I will not leave my shoes and jackets everywhere, and will not leave the lights on if I don’t have to.

Stretch: I will read 5 books this year.

By 2029: I will be happy.

[svetlanabelikova]

JOURNALING V

content warning:

weight loss/talking about weight

medical/surgical discussions

it has been awhile since i updated anyone casually interested in this part of my life, hasn’t it. 

well, part of that is b/c i’ve been busy. holidays and everything, also i’ve started a work out routine, but i’ll get into that in a moment. also i didn’t have any doctor appointments for like, literally 3 weeks straight, which was nice. much better than speed running it like i had been.

today is 11.11.19, (make a wish if you believe in that sort of thing) and i’ve decided i no longer want surgery.

let me back up here.

so, let me re-read my last post just to remember what i need to fill in... ah yes, the fun i had w/ the x-ray. that feels like it happened months and months ago.

well, since then , i’ve been trying to get my life a lot more organized. i’ve started a (bullet) journal (mostly b/c i love watching the aesthetic set-up videos on youtube) and in it have been tracking my progress by the numbers. for the first few weeks of trying to lose weight, i was weighing myself every other day, sometimes more than that. i became obsessive and felt like the numbers weren’t enough. i wasn’t losing enough and one weekend i had gained back like 1.7 lbs or something. but seeing any increase in the numbers upset me. even though when we are talking about 1 or 2 pounds in someone that’s got over 300 of them, it isn’t the same as if someone is more like a buck fifty. 

being able to put it down somewhere physical and then keep a log so i can see the numbers adding up or going down in a catalog has been very helpful for my mental health. having just the numbers on a paper has allowed me to watch my weight go from 349 in the beginning of october to where it currently is (or was as of 11.6 i only weigh myself every other wednesday. why wednesday and why every other week, i don’t know. it just seemed like more than once a month but less than every week. a good distance between not enough and too much) which is 329 lbs. 

when put to paper, 20 pounds in a month is, i think, great. i know everyone says “oh the first 10-12 pounds comes off so easily!” but not from where i’m standing. i have been working for those 20 pounds. 

speaking of working, let’s dig into that piece of proverbial pie i teased earlier. 

i have a work-out routine. which is the first time i’ve said that in,,, probably ever. i know while in school i technically had one in p.e. class but let’s be honest. i did not give it my all and would take any opportunity to skip if i could. now it is just me, alone w/ my dark synthwave music and the pedometer built into pokemon go.

yeah, i could download a real work-out app that would track this stuff for me, but my phone’s memory is full to bursting and listen, i need to walk my buddy and eggs. i’ve got friends on pokemon go that need gifts and it is already built-in w/ this new adventure sync, so might as well use what i have.

so, i work out every monday, wednesday and friday night. i usually leave the house a little before 9pm and try to be back a little after 10pm. just about an hour. in that hour i walk down my street (which is pretty long imo), around the corner to the pokestop at the park, around the park, back down my street and return home. in the beginning i just walked around my street, or just to the stop (which is 0.7km from my front door) but as i’ve built up stamina, i’ve been able to walk all the way around the park. actually my goal for november, is to start walking around the park twice a night, at least once a week. 

on average it is about 3,400 steps(or roughly 3.5 kms) and an hour of activity, 3 nights a week. i doesn’t seem like a lot but:

1. it is an hour of cardio every other day that i was not doing before, and 2. additional movement that adds up

i walked a combined 40,881 steps in october 2019 while working out. that is on top of whatever else i did while shopping or playing w/ the kids or what have you. 

and i plan to add more. i found a great video on youtube that is all about basic, beginner yoga for curvy people. the instructor talks about doing yoga to your size and abilities and not letting anyone tell you that you can’t do yoga b/c you’re fat. i don’t buy into the idea that yoga can directly help you loose large amounts of weight, but what it will do is help build up muscle in my legs and relieve tension in my back, which will then allow me to walk longer and w/ less pain. after forty minutes or so of fast walking, my knee starts to scream and my back burns. hopefully by adding in this yoga that concentrates on thighs, calves and back, where most big people have issues, it will help me target issue areas, deal w/ them in a low-impact way, then save energy and build up stamina to push myself in other ways.

i also want to eventually start adding weight training into my work-out routine.  gods, it still sounds so bougee to say i have a ‘work out routine’, but there you have it. 

i’ve also begun to overhaul my eating habits. for breakfast, 6 days a week, i have a protein shake. water and soy milk mixed w/ a plant-based protein powder and an additive of instant coffee. sugar free, dairy free. and awful. i hate them. i’ve tried a few different ones and they are all fucking awful, but i drink them anyway. 

i also usually eat a salad or soup for lunch. i’ve been finding a lot of really great salad combinations on top of rediscovering my love of salads. when i first went vegetarian, i was big into salads but eventually, it became easier to buy those premade, frozen veggie-friendly meals. like all that Amys’ food or the MorningStar brand (which still conjures ideas of satan-worshipping vegans, but hey, i can dig it). i’m trying to find pre-paired salad meals. i found this really good asian inspired salad that had friend wonton strips and a wonderful sesame seed sauce. so good. each bag can make 3 lunches for me, so it is great to stretch them out. also did you know that most cans of soup are technically 2 servings? i didn’t.

that was probably my biggest problem w/ food that i’ve addressed: what constitutes an actual serving size? 

before last month, i assumed a serving size was what looked right. like in the case of the soup, i assumed if it all fit in a soup bowl, it was 1 serving. 1 can of soup can fit in 1 soup bowl so it would make sense, right? nope. 1 serving of canned soup is actually about half the can or roughly 1 cup of liquid. which doesn’t seem like a lot. 

so i’ve stuck to salads. 2 and a half cups of salad is like, i don’t know, 35 cal. so, i can go hog wild, prepare a giant ramen bowl full of salad w/ carrots, onions, a sprinkle of slivered almonds, a splash of lite raspberry vinaigrette, and some sliced, uncured ham and that is lunch, baby!

dinner is pretty untouched, other than i eat on children’s plates now. i heard somewhere from some dietian on a show or something that eat on smaller plates, like children’s plates, helps trick your mind that you are eating more than you actually are. your eyes see a plate full up w/ food rather than eating a little food on a large plate, it is the same amount of “little food” but looks more filling on a little plate. i don’t know if it is true, but i feel like it helps me portion food out better. if a helping of potatoes can’t fit in the little sectioned off children’s plates, it is probably too much potatoes. rip

dessert has been downsized, if i have it at all. 3 thin oreos rather than like, a bowl of cereal. a 1/4 of soy ice cream rather than however much i can pile into a small bowl. 

so that is the update: breakfast is a protein shake lunch is soup or salad dinner is served on a child’s plate dessert is 3 thin oreos. 

maybe this week i will start keeping a calorie count, just to get an idea of what my average is compared to the 2,000 cal/day suggestion.

ok, so that was already a lot, but i did mention that i had suddenly taken a large left turn when it came to the surgery. my last journal update was all about how i was excited to blind, no walkthrough, speedrun this so i could get cleared for the surgery on like january 1, 2020. well, ha ha, nevermind. 

this latest class i went to was enlightening. i mean they all have been so far, for different reasons and in different ways. the first class was about what kind of choices we had. did we want to take mediation? did we want to go to food addicts anonymous? did we want surgery? so this new class i went to on 11.7, was a follow-up to the surgical path.

i was already on the fence about disfiguring my insides. the idea of slicing off 2/3 my stomach rearranging my intestines already sounds horrifyingly frankenstineian to me. it sounds like something midevil doctors would come up w/ while snorting morphine or something. but, i was assured that it was the best option, that it was incredibly safe, it was done all the time, it had great success, etc. 

i allowed myself to be talked into it. i relented and bought into the dream they were spinning for me. 

not after this class. the amount of insanity that is involved, even beyond, again, the whole cutting off and throwing away 2/3 of your stomach, there is some buck wild rules you have to abide after the surgery. i wrote them down (which i was the only one that did. in a class of 9-10 people, i was the only person taking notes and the only person horrified by what i was hearing):

- lose hair first 3-9 months (me, a person w/ thin hair: oh yikes) - will need to take as many as 12 vitamins a day (me, a person that hates taking any medication) - will not be able to take any medication other than liquid/pills will pass thru tiny stomach too fast to be effective (me, a person that hates liquid medication w/ a passion), only tylenol allowed; all medication from doctors must be liquid or chewable - 70% of patients need a follow-up surgery (WHAT) - no smoking (that’s fine) no alcohol (hang on....) after surgery. ever - ideal meals after surgery: 60-100g protein, 40-80g produce, no carbs, no sugar (wait...) - eat a meal every 4 hr.s or so (that seems like overkill) - no carbonated drinks, no drinks w/ sugar/cal (but i love my fizzy drinks :c this is bullshit) - chew each bite 20-30 times, every meal should last a half hour (that’s normal for me anyway, i’m a slow eater but idk how i’m supposed to chew soup 20-30 times) - 30 min.s of activity/day (got that covered, chief) - go to support groups (no thanks, don’t wanna listen to other ppl complain and the idea of being open to other ppl,,, in real life, where they can see me? absolutely not, how dare you) - 64oz of liquid/day (is that not normal? i already drink that much, if not more) - only able to drink a shotglass amount of liquid at a time or risk vomiting (WAIT) - drink every 15 min.s, possibly even during the night (HANG ON) - no drinks w/ meals, stop drinking about 30 min.s before meal and don’t resume until 30 min.s after meal otherwise it will wash food away too quickly to be absorbed by tiny stomach (HOLD THE HECKIN’ PHONE)

at w/ that, the instructor ended the class b/c there were no questions. i was in shock. all i wanted to do was be like those tik tok kids that recreate meme images but i wanted to become the living embodiment of this gif:

literally, i looked over at my mom, who was sipping on a soda and scrolling through facebook for most of the class and went “nevermind, i don’t want surgery”.

i think she thought i was joking. she laughed and waved it off, but the... the existential dread i felt in that moment. this,,,, this was what old howard was shooting for when he wrote about all that cosmic horror. this feeling that i was the only one seeing the insanity in that classroom.... i was the only one that realized that it was madness. how would a person drink 64oz od liquid a day, broken down into 1oz at a time, but not w/n an hour of eating and also having to eat every four hours. that means you’d have to somehow shove 64oz, broken down to 4oz an hour, for 3 hours, then not drink anything for an hour, over only 16 hours. you couldn’t drink anything for 4 of those hours while you eat your tiny baby meals for your tiny baby stomach. i’m not great at math but it doesn’t seem physically possible to me and yet everyone in the class were just nodding their heads like “yes, of course old chap. perfectly reasonable.”

i’d rather continue to starve myself, and work-out. theoretically, if i continue to lose about 20 pounds a month, i will lose my goal weight by may 2020. sure it would be faster w/ surgery. it might be technically easier w/ surgery but everything in my mind tells me that the surgery is wrong. that it isn’t sustainable. i don’t want this surgery and i certainly don’t want the second stage of this surgery 10 yr.s down the road. if you think cutting 2/3 of your stomach out is upsetting, the image of the second step surgery in which they take that rough banana shape of a stomach and stretch it out into what is effectively, A STRAW. 

A STRAW.

and once more: A STRAW!!

i could get behind having a banana-shaped stomach, but a straw in which the food literally just,,, falls through you is grotesque. 

gonna be a big, fatty NOPE from me, chief. hard pass. 

[auburnfamilynews]

Mary Hattler/File

Where success is built from failure

War Eagle Auburn fans! Welcome back for yet another week of us all trying to make sense of where our rooting interests most benefit the Tigers. This week, we’ve got what feels like a light plate in terms of where we can serve to benefit within the SEC, with both Alabama and LSU being off prior to the Game of the Century of the Year. That being said, we’ve got some real hate to direct towards Jacksonville, Florida this weekend and a night game in Jordan-Hare to get to. With that in mind, let’s figure this out...

Ole Miss at Auburn

Normally I’d use this space to go down a laundry list of reasons why we all hate Ole Miss. Which, if we’re being honest, sure we all hate everybody we play to a certain extent, but hating Ole Miss requires a lot of work that I just don’t have in me. Also because our losses to Ole Miss typically come on some of the more forgettable seasons in Auburn Football history. Except one.

On November 8, 2003 the Ole Miss Rebels, ranked 20th in the country came to the Plains with a quarterback by the name of Eli Manning in tow, a national television audience from CBS, and hopes for an SEC Championship. Meanwhile Auburn, ranked in the preseason at #6 in the country, came into the game at 5-3, attempting to salvage a potentially lost year and stay hopeful for a chance at getting to Atlanta. This was set to be a tremendous showdown between the greatest Ole Miss quarterback in a generation (literally) and an Auburn offense that had found some rhythm after an 0-2 start, and featured a fierce backfield of Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Brandon Jacobs.

As the game went back and forth into the 4th quarter, Auburn had pulled ahead 20-17 until less than 3 minutes to go when Ole Miss punched it through to take a 24-20 lead. 3 plays into Auburn’s next, and last drive, a sophomore receiver named Ben Obomanu caught a screen pass and raced 51 yards to the 10 yard line. Auburn was within striking distance with plenty of time and a chance to contend deep into November (somehow) in the SEC West.

3 plays later, on 3rd and goal, a lesser player...no, a lesser person, would have let this moment define their career. Ben Obomanu had dropped a wide open ball in the south end zone that would’ve been a huge momentum clinching game for a team in desperate need of it. Sadly, the player responsible for getting us into position to win the game was at the center of blame for why we lost.

Obomanu grew up a few minutes after that moment, choosing to face the media and take ownership over what happened, like someone with maturity beyond their years. Any feeling of finger pointing in the locker room wouldn’t stand up to the integrity and character that Obomanu showed that day.

My question to you all is this...when you think of Ben Obomanu, is the Ole Miss game the first thing that comes to your mind? Because I have a few moments that far outweigh him coming up short that night in Jordan-Hare.

I think about a screen pass early against Alabama a few weeks later, letting the Tide know they were never going to have hope at momentum as we took out a season of frustrations on a hapless Crimson Tide. The hurt and pain from weeks earlier in the south end zone had been redeemed.

I think of the wide receiver who never got the picture painting like Courtney Taylor against LSU in 2004, but managed to lead the undefeated and uncrowned 2004 Auburn Tigers in TD receptions

I think about opening the floodgates on the opening drive of the 2005 Iron Bowl with a TD reception. I think about a flawlessly executed reverse go 45 yards to pay dirt, giving him his second score of that wonderful afternoon. Both of those touchdowns being celebrated in the south end zone served to further distance any shred of failures on that same part of grass 2 years prior.

I think of the Selma native getting drafted in the 7th round of the NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks and lasting the better part of 7 seasons in the NFL.

I think of the man that upon retirement chose to go back to school to work and ultimately obtain his law degree.

I think about the guy sitting in Brother Chette’s office as I walked into it, a freshman, non-student athlete, hurting and in need of encouragement and going to one of the few people on Auburn’s campus who had a personal relationship with me and cared. Brother Chette was on the phone when I walked in. And there was Ben, a real, legitimate leader in the locker room and FCA, with a smile on his face as genuine as I’d ever seen. Ben had no reason to care about me or talk to me. He was a senior football player who I viewed as a legend. And yet there was this humble kid from Selma, just shooting the breeze without a care in the world with a broken, depressed, and lost kid trying to figure too much out all at once. I think about that act of kindness most.

So on this 2019 version of Ole Miss week, let’s remember Ben Obomanu, a sophomore who put us in position and then made a mistake. Let’s remember that a moment in time doesn’t have to be the memory we hold closest by the time this brief moment in the players’ lives are through. And let’s believe that for every painful moment we had in Gainesville and Baton Rouge in October, that the defining moment of this team is in front of them. They haven’t played their best game...YET.

War Damn Eagle.

(Also if you’d like to read more detail about that 2003 Ole Miss game, please go read this excellent piece from Wesley Sinor a few years back.)

Florida vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)

Ah Jacksonville. The most spacious parking lot in America. This is a super fun game to go to if you hate both of these teams, even if you’re dressed in a Gene Chizik inspired shacket!

Even if it means you end up losing a pain of sunglasses to the Atlantic all for the sake of a joke. :(

ANYWAY...common sense, decency, and the downright ethical and moral thing to do in this game is to pull for Georgia...to absolutely get their ass kicked. I know I know...we all hate Dan Mullen for somehow getting a Mississippi State problem to somehow become an Auburn issue in 2010. And that loss a few weeks back still stings. And there’s even some logic in wanting to be the ones to ruin Georgia’s season by handing them their second loss, all but ensuring they miss a chance at the national championship for (as of 11/1/19 at 5:03 PM) the 14,182nd day...not including roughly 23 hours and 49 minutes.

I mean, sure! That sounds great! But let’s think about this...what if we don’t end up winning that game? You really want that kind of pressure on this bunch right now? Wouldn’t it also be pretty great to see a deflated Georgia walk into Jordan-Hare with nothing to play for and not a care in the world because of some false sense of entitlement that they’ve had for 14,182 days, 23 hours, and 51 (now) minutes? I want to watch this team get buried, dug up, kicked, and buried again.

GO GATORS!

Seriously, don’t pull for Georgia. These people deserve bad things, and they deserve them all the time.

Mississippi State at Arkansas

Y’all I’m gonna be honest with you and say that you can go ahead and root for whoever you want here...just know that one or both of these coaches will probably not be coaching at either of these schools soon. For that reason the comedy of it seems like State winning and maybe getting their fanbase hopeful is the best way to crush a soul, since Arkansas has been numbed to all of this for a while.

Hail State?

UAB at Tennessee

I picked Tennessee to win this game because they’re playing better. They should be able to outlast a C-USA team, right? But OH MAN am I pulling hard for the Blazers here. There’s few things that would make me happier than seeing UAB find a way to beat Tennessee. And CAN YOU IMAGINE THE T-SHIRTS IF THEY WERE TO DO IT BY MORE POINTS THAN THE TIDE?!? Please let it be so.

GO BLAZERS!

Have a different perspective on where our rooting interests lie this weekend or want to throw in some games of your own that you have some personal hate invested into? Feel free to share in the comments section below!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/11/2/20944319/rootability-index-vol-4

[amieravenson]

Magickal Month- May 2019

Magickal Month- May 2019 May was named after the Roman goddess Maia, a goddess of fertility and abundance. Several cultures marked May with fertility festivals of some sort or another, and our modern Pagan festival of Beltane is no exception. It’s a celebration of fertility, sexuality, flowers, and love. Spring has sprung, and it’s time to celebrate all the good things in life! All I want to listen to in May is dub music. This warming weather needs chill music, and there’s nothing more relaxing and happy to me. Here’s the Pandora playlist I can’t seem to turn off lately. There have been so many critters around lately. We’ve seen lots of birds, known and unknown, and the squirrels are in full frolic mode. We even have a new cat in the neighborhood and I’m partially annoyed that people don’t keep their cats in and partially thrilled to try and make friends. Also, tons of frogs have been appearing for us. I’ve even been doing a little light gardening as my body allows. Lunations: May 4- New Moon in Taurus, 6:45pm EDT May 18- Full Moon in Scorpio, 5:11pm EDT Astronomy: May 6- Eta Aquariids meteor shower begins May 10- Eta Lyrids meteor shower begins Celtic Tree Month: Willow (April 15th- May 12th): Resonance and harmony, creativity, fertility, feminine rights of passage, inspiration, love, love divination, sleep with a willow wand for vivid dreams, protection for underworld journeying, found near water, spring cleaning physically/mentally/emotionally/spiritually, letting go of the past. Hawthorn (May 13th- June 9th); Matters of the heart, love, empowering relationships, fertility, union of male and female (Beltane), intimacy, passion, triple goddess, purification, cleanses the heart of negativity, under protection of faerie realm, guards wells and springs, happiness. Holidays (non-Pagan): May 1: Yom HaShoah (Jewish) May 2: National Day of Prayer May 4: Star Wars Day May 5: Cinco de Mayo May 6: Ramadan starts (Muslim) May 9: Yom Ha’atzmaut (Jewish) May 12: Mother’s Day May 18: Armed Forces Day May 23: Lag BaOmer (Jewish) May 27: Memorial Day May 30: Ascension Day (Christian) May 31: Lailat al-Qadr (Muslim) Holidays (Pagan): May 1: Beltane/May Day- a fire festival dedicated to fertility May 5: Thargelion Noumenia- Greek festival dedicated to all the deities. May 8: Greek feast of Aphrodite and Eros, honoring love and passion May 10: Thargelia- Greek festival honoring Artemis and Apollo and purification of the community. May 18: Feast of the Greek god Pan May 19: Celtic festival of wells and springs honoring Brigid Themes for the month: Celebration, flowers, joy, sexuality, growth, expansion, warmth and fun. General activities for the month: Cooking out, swimming, spending time outside, gathering flowers, love magick, beauty magick, sex magick. Herbs I’m using: Fresh dill, symbolic of Spring and love and sexuality. Parsley, it tastes so green and herbal and delicious, so I’m adding it to everything I cook. Sage and cedar, to bless and cleanse the new place so the energy is fresh and clear! Stones I’m using: Selenite, also to clear, cleanse, and refresh the energy of the new place. Chrysoprase, iridescent green that has such a natural/plant energy, it reminds me of Spring and the forest. Rutilated smoky quartz, the enormous, 10 lb chunk I have that’s being transferred from its place of honor in this house to a place of honor in the new house. Goddess of the Month: Persephone as Kore, Goddess of flowers and Spring. As a Goddess who has returned from The Underworld, her joy and innocence show us that we can come back from the darkness ourselves. Her joy has been earned, and I feel like it’s all the sweeter as a result. 3 card reading:

May 2019 3 Card Reading This month, we start with the Knight of Swords. So we’re communicating clearly and possibly even aggressively. But we aren’t accepting any bullshit, and we’re cutting through to the truth of things. We’re finding a sense of clarity and focus this month, and this may even mean cutting away things that are holding us back. Next, we see the Page of Cups. So we’re also feeling idealistic about a new start this month. This could be a new love, a new spiritual endeavor, or a new creative project. We’re feeling the beginnings of something that we really care about. Whether or not it lasts is another question alltogether. The excitement is in the beginning. And finally, we have 8 of Cups. So in order to enjoy our new beginning above, we may have to leave behind something else that we’ve built. It may be that the thing that the Knight of Swords is cutting away is what’s allowing us to have the new start of the Page of Cups. This is fine, and it’s a natural progression in life. When you see the 8 of Cups, you know that it’s time to turn from what you once thought was important and move toward a new future. Our special guidance card is Know Your Fears. So this is a call to examine what it is that you’re afraid of, especially in letting go of the old. Are you afraid that the new thing won’t measure up? Or that you’ll miss what you’re leaving behind? Spend some time really thinking about what it is that you’re afraid of, and whether your fears are justified, or whether they’re just holding you back. The Garden by Moonlight By Amy Lowell A black cat among roses, Phlox, lilac-misted under a first-quarter moon, The sweet smells of heliotrope and night-scented stock. The garden is very still, It is dazed with moonlight, Contented with perfume, Dreaming the opium dreams of its folded poppies. Firefly lights open and vanish High as the tip buds of the golden glow Low as the sweet alyssum flowers at my feet. Moon-shimmer on leaves and trellises, Moon-spikes shafting through the snow ball bush. Only the little faces of the ladies’ delight are alert and staring, Only the cat, padding between the roses, Shakes a branch and breaks the chequered pattern As water is broken by the falling of a leaf. Then you come, And you are quiet like the garden, And white like the alyssum flowers, And beautiful as the silent sparks of the fireflies. Ah, Beloved, do you see those orange lilies? They knew my mother, But who belonging to me will they know When I am gone. My personal tides: We’re finally moving to our new sacred home! There were several false starts, but it looks like we just needed the oomph of Beltane to jolt the energy into motion. When I wrote April’s post, we were supposed to have closed by the time it posted, but it didn’t happen. May is our month! So we’ve started moving and doing some renovation work, doing our final rounds of decluttering and minimizing, and getting that full-life transformation that we’ve really been needing for a long, long time. My personal goals: Husbear’s foot is still gummy, so a lot of the move is on me. Fortunately, we’re moving about 20 minutes away, so if I can take 3 car-sized loads/week, we’ll get there in time. Then one or two big loads of furniture, and BOOM! Moved. Then comes the yard sale… :0) Pretty much everything is revolving around my vision of what I want this new life to be and creating SACRED HOME for Husbear, the cats, and myself. :-) Blessed be! :-) Read the full article

[minkinsmusic]

Day 1 …. I have accepted a challenge (from Edward Benjamin Blau II Esquire) to post seven albums that I love – one album per day. He’s changed the rules a bit, though… so here is how this will go:

These will be records that had an effect on me, not necessarily because I love them, but because they represent something in my life. So yes, posting albums WITH EXPLANATION as a way to connect with my Facebook friends. Your comments would be nice as well. Each day I will ask a friend to take up the challenge. This is number one. Let’s unleash the love and memories …

U2 was coming to Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium October 6th, 1987 touring behind the record shown below. A great album that pushed the band into the next hemisphere of popularity and importance. We had just moved to Akron in July and there was no way I could spend hours standing in line at the Chapel Hill Sears Ticketmaster location. When I arrived about 30 minutes before they went on sale the line was 50 yds long in the parking lot. Wearing a shirt & tie, I made a sign out of cardboard that I needed two tickets and hoped someone buying 2 (limit 4 or 6) would help me out. Somehow I got someone’s attention near the front of the line and I offered to buy one of their tickets if they bought me two. We ended up in the first row of upper box seats on a blistering cold night with winds howling off Lake Erie. What a show.

The Hitchcock twist to this tale was the night I came home from work prior to heading up to the concert. My wife Ellie had been to the doctor that day and we found out we were going to have a baby. October 6, 1987.

  Day 2 …

  Ah, the memories overwhelm me. There’s not a lot to do growing up in Canton, Ohio when you’re 16 with a driver’s license. What’s crazy is that the best thing happening was driving north on Cleveland Avenue to a little po-dunk one stoplight rural community (mid 70’s) called Uniontown. It was there we found salvation … classmates Sally & Red were part of the handful of friends making the journey to Boulder Junction. This old lumber built structure made dulcimer/wood instruments and would host musicians on the weekends. Performing on a tiny stage on a monthly rotation were the likes of Alex Bevan, Charlie Wiener, Jim Ballard, and the man with the booming voice John Bassette. With no liquor license (only natural fruit juices were sold) we had no problem attending. Closing your eyes and listening to their records can literally take you back to that heavenly space.

Ah, but the Hitchcock twist to the tale. As one of the major instigators of planning the Senior Cut Day Party, I took a flyer and wrote a letter to John Bassette pretty much describing the above and wondering if he would come perform. Never heard back from him. On the afternoon of this epic day, Steve Red Michel was playing guitar on the sound system we set up in the shelter. A large African American man shows up with a guitar. OMG he showed up. He played several songs then disappeared. Like an angel …. Thanks Alex B for inspiring me to tell this story. 💖 RIP John Richard Bassette 22/29/1941 to 11/9/2006. 💖

Day 3 …

It was only in January that I took an extended weekend roadtrip to Memphis. I’ve been to Music City several times for AmericanaFest, but had never driven the extra three hours to see the historical landmarks of Staxx, Sun, Graceland, and the Lorraine Motel. Breaking up the trip with overnights in Nashville each way equated to finding some good live music. Brandi Carlile was playing the historic Ryman Auditorium and had sold out all 6 nights! The secondary market prices for good tickets were pretty steep, but I kept my eye on the listings. Finally, I found 2 single tickets on the main floor aisle Row Q and S for $40/each.

After trucking down the highway, checking into our hotel, and having dinner. It was off to the Ryman. Brilliant singer/songwriter Natalie Hemby (part of The Highwomen) opened and I kept my eye on some empty seats in front of me. As soon as her set ended, I grabbed Ellie and waltzed her down to the 9th row where four spots were unattended. Needless to say, this is where we remained.

Brandi Carlile put on a show that was Springsteen-esque. Besides Hemby, The War & The Treaty and Sheryl Crow were guest performers. The Grammy Award artist and producer of several albums by other songwriters just blew the audience way leaving it all on stage. I bought this record when I came home.

The Hitchcock twist to the tale is that this would be the last big show I’ll see for the foreseeable future … January 16, 2020.

Nirvana (full-band instrumental) Hold Out Your Hand Raise Hell Lovesick Blues (Hank Williams) The Story The Eye A Case of You (Joni Mitchell) The Mother Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (Aretha Franklin) (with The War and Treaty) If She Ever Leaves Me (The Highwomen) Crowded Table Redesigning Women (The Highwomen) Redemption Day (with Sheryl Crow) Pride and Joy Encore: Mainstream Kid The Joke Cannonball Party of One

Day 4 ….

This album marks my very first assignment with Lost Highway Records on March 14, 2002. I mailed in a postcard from a Lyle Lovett CD asking fans to be part of the LH street team. After some time passed, I was contacted by the label to assist in the Cleveland market. Those that attended this show remember it was the “migraine” concert in which Adam’s performed without a spotlight on him. I worked dozens of shows (while still running the optical office), including assignments in Columbus, and was later promoted to “Captain” status. Artists included the likes of Adams, Lovett, Willie Nelson, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello, Kim Richey, Tift Merrit, The Jayhawks, Ryan Bingham, and John Eddie to the Mercury/UMG label promoting singer/songwriters eventually falling into a category now referred as Americana. When I started writing my music column, I penned a letter to label founder Luke Lewis thanking him for the opportunity to represent LH and moving on. Besides connecting with some of these artists, I met lots of great people along the way …

The Hitchcock twist to this story is a great book by Thomas O’Keefe titled “Waiting to Derail: Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, Alt-Country’s Brilliant Wreck” that came out on June 26, 2018. Adam’s demise quickly followed with a postponement of released material. The other twist is I chose this album on 04/20/2020 …

Day 5 ….

Emmylou. That’s all I need to say. One of the most iconic voices in music. She’s on just about everybody’s records lending her gorgeous vocals besides a long and lustrous songbook of her own. Portions of her career with Gram Parsons and her very own Hot Band are Hall of Fame worthy.

I really wanted to see Emmylou in concert and she wasn’t coming to Cleveland anytime soon. I caught wind of a show in Pittsburgh by Calliope – The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society on May 19, 2000 at Carnegie Library Music Hall. Time for a roadtrip.

The space was like walking into a Shakespearean theater. Of course, I had decent seats on the floor of this intimate, old performance space with the small balcony extremely close to the stage. Emmylou was performing with the Spyboy band and ranks in my top twenty concerts. The album shown below is my favorite Emmylou record and gives me chills everytime I hear it.

The Hitchcock twist to this story is that the lead guitarist for Spyboy was the one and only Buddy Miller (wearing the baseball cap). I have become a fan and admirer of both Buddy and his wife Julie’s work; especially due to my wingman I called out with this post.

Day 6 ….

I initially began writing Minkins Music in January 2007 for Mimi’s Magazine, my longest supporter, before retiring the column in December 2019. A story on Griffin W House back in 2008 during the Flying Upside Down tour took me behind the music and the life of the Springfield, Ohio native now residing in Nashville. Not only was the story a shot in the arm for Griffin, but it elevated my game leading to additional avenues to expand my column.

A college degree from Miami of Ohio in 2002 in English Literature and Writing, his thoughts were to enroll in graduate school, but his poetry professor gave him the inspiration to channel his creativity toward being a songwriter rather than following in his footsteps. The passion and determination in House’s songs have since been filled with personal, richly detailed snapshots of his life and Flying Upside Down received my “Best Album of 2008” award. The record hit singles “One Thing”, “Live To Be Free”, “Waiting For The Rain to Come Down”, and “The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind” first caught my ear from Mike Marrone, program director and DJ extraordinaire of the somewhat deceased “The Loft” channel on SXM.

The Hitchcock twist to this story is that a lot has happened since for House, as well as my own personal story, with the highs and lows along the roller coaster of living life that all of us encounter. But music, and especially writing stories, is the common thread that connects many of us … including those mentioned in this post 💖.

Day 7 …. today is the final official day and I included albums #8 & #9 to weave this story

I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and my sister was a dozen years older than me. Along with children’s records from Disney, Tubby The Tubba, and The Chipmunks, there was a copy of Peter, Paul and Mary sitting out to play on the phonograph. Moving was released on January 15, 1963 and I had just turned four years old. I played songs like “Settle Down”, “Flora”, “Morning Train”, and “A’Soalin” over and over again …. not to mention big hits “This Land Is Your Land” and “Puff”. Along with invisible friend George, they kept me company.

On Feb. 9, 1964, The Beatles made their first live U.S. television appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. More than 70 million Americans gathered around their televisions to watch four young men from Liverpool make history. I had just turned five years old, and we watched Ed Sullivan every Sunday night. The following year Help was released on August 6, 1965 along with a movie on August 25, 1965. Two of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater when I was six years old were Thunderball (Dad’s pick) and Help (Karen’s pick).

In the fall of 1966, the family packed up and moved to Canton. I was seven years old and my sister was long gone to Indiana University. We lived in a townhouse apartment for a couple years before moving into a little bungalow. At some point my sister transferred from IU to Kent State pursuing a fine arts degree. There were so many historical points on the timeline to mention leading up to the release of Tommy by The Who on May 17, 1969. We received two newspapers a day (The Cleveland Dealer and Canton Repository) before cable and 24/7 news reporting. My folks had a record collection made up primarily of Broadway Shows, Classical Music, and comedy records. I still had my kids records and some 45’s purchased at the local department store Giant Tiger. By this time I was ten years old. I remember sitting in our little bedroom turned family room when my sister said you need to listen to this record. I must have played it a zillion times.

The Hitchcock twist to this story is that I’m not sure if my sister remembers or realizes the influence of these three records on my vinyl addiction. I’m sixty-one years young now. 💖

Ah, but does there need to be another Hitchcock twist to tie these all together?  My last posting was on December 25, 2019.  After twelve years of writing it was time to take a break.  I had a difficult time just trying to sit down and write a story about the Nashville/Memphis road trip that took place a few months ago.  Thinking about this challenge of not just picking records I love (I have a sixteen cube Ikea unit of vinyl and another six drawers of CDs) but one’s that had either an interesting story or impact on my life.  Maybe there’s still a little life in these fingers after all.  Stay tuned for the rest of the story …  

7 Albums That I Love – 1 Per Day Day 1 .... I have accepted a challenge (from Edward Benjamin Blau II Esquire) to post seven albums that I love - one album per day.

[awesomecolorfulcollectorwombat]

AMD And Intel Had A Baby! And It's A Beast!

New Post has been published on http://delphi4arab.com/amd-and-intel-had-a-baby-and-its-a-beast/

AMD And Intel Had A Baby! And It's A Beast!

In early February of 2018 we published an article about the cooperation between AMD (AMD) and Intel (INTC), or as we dubbed it, AMD’s hidden strategy against Nvidia (NVDA). Please read the original article for more background, but we will summarize some of the key points here.

AMD is now cooperating with Intel. Yes, indeed, hell just may be frozen over at the moment. AMD is selling Intel its Vega GPUs in silicon form, no IP transfer. Intel then packages these Vega GPUs on the same substrate with one of its CPUs to make what AMD calls an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU).

(Image of Intel CPU and Vega GPU attached to a single CPU socket board from Intel.com.)

The GPU communicates with the CPU via an 8x PCI-E bridge and shares power circuitry to create better efficiency.

Ok, so that sounds good for Intel, but aside from shifting more GPU cores, which AMD already has no problems doing, what is the benefit for AMD? Ah, but that’s the “hidden strategy!” You see, one of the biggest hurdles AMD has to deal with at the moment is software support. Nvidia, AMD’s GPU rival, has a stranglehold on the higher end gaming market at the moment. As a result, most of the games coming out on the market are optimized for Nvidia’s GTX GPUs first, and are only later tweaked to perform well on AMD’s hardware.

By partnering with Intel, AMD is able to push Vega GPUs into more mainstream computers. The Intel-AMD APU uses standard AMD graphics drivers and software, though the software bit is skinned with Intel branding. The more AMD equipped computers are out there capable of playing AAA game titles, the more likely are those games to be optimized for AMD first. AAA is an informal classification for top tier games from major studios, and those studios are likely to go for the largest possible market first and foremost. Now it’s Nvidia, but in the future the market mix may shift to AMD thanks to the strategy outlined above.

We just recapped the strategy we think AMD is pursuing, now let’s take a look at the first fruit of that strategy.

AMD and Intel had a Baby, and it’s a Beast!

(Photo of Intel Hades Canyon NUC from cnet.com.)

Meet Intel’s Hades Canyon Next Unit of Computing, or NUC for short. Hades Canyon NUC is a follow up to Skull Canyon NUC released in 2016. Skull Canyon was a big success for Intel sparking many similar small form factor gaming oriented living room computers from other manufacturers. However, it’s biggest downside was its lack of dedicated graphics. Hades Canyon NUC addresses that shortcoming in a spectacular way.

Hades Canyon features Intel’s I7 CPU combined with Radeon RX Vega powered graphics from AMD, all on a single chip, communicating over an 8x PCI-E bridge built directly into the substrate. This gives Hades Canyon enough horsepower to play real VR games or drive up to six monitors. Here is a quote from Sean Hollister from CNET.com who had first hand experience with Hades Canyon at the 2018 CES.

I can attest to that, because I strapped on an Oculus Rift connected to the Hades Canyon myself. The game Echo Arena looked butter-smooth on the system I tried on the CES show floor. I even got Intel to open up the back of its demo station, to prove it was running on this tiny box instead of a hidden gaming rig. Sure enough. How is this sorcery possible? It’s thanks to one of the most surprising and unlikely pairings in silicon history: a new Intel processor with built-in AMD Radeon graphics inside.

Devindra Hardawar from Engadget tested Hades Canyon NUC with various game titles and found performance to be excellent for such a tiny device. According to the article:

Doom 3 ran between 50 and 60 frames per second with High graphics settings in 1080p. [..] It also had no trouble keeping up with a fast-paced game like Overwatch, where I saw between 60 and 90FPS in 1080p with Ultra settings. […] I was also blown away by how well it handled Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, a cinematic indie game that really taxes the GPU. Even with very high settings, it ran between 30 and 40 FPS, which is still playable. Knocking that down to high-quality graphics boosted performance to a smoother 50 to 60 FPS. Overall, the Hades Canyon NUC proved to be a capable 1080p gaming machine.

Devindra also tested the Hades Canyon NUC with Oculus Rift and found that games like Superhot, Duck Season, and Serious Sam VR ran flawlessly with no lag or dropped frames. On top of being a very capable living room gaming PC Hades Canyon NUC might be perfect for large scale VR experiences where players put on backpacks that carry computing hardware for tether free gameplay.

(Photo of a WALKER VR Backpack from Play3r.net.)

Investor Takeaway

Above we described AMD’s hidden strategy of cooperating with Intel in order to further penetrate the gaming market and talked about the first fruit of that cooperation, the Hades Canyon NUC. According to CNET the new Intel-AMD APU is already slated to appear in the 15-inch HP Spectre X360 and Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 laptops later on this year, and we think it’s just a start. This might just be the beginning of AMD GPU domination in the laptop and small form factor market. As AMD penetrates the gaming market more and more games will be optimized for AMD architecture first and foremost which should lead to performance improvements for the discrete AMD GPUs as well.

At the time of writing AMD is trading right around $10.08 down 2.7% for the day on a completely unrelated news coming out of Taiwan Semiconductors Manufacturing Company (TSM). TSM reported weakness due to softer than expected high end cellphone market, but they also reported that they expect high-performance computing chips to make up 40% of the company’s growth over the next five years, from an initial estimate of 25%. TSM is a contract manufacturer for 7nm Vega GPUs and we believe that on a whole this is good news for AMD. We also think that panic selling exhibited today in Micron (MU) is completely unwarranted. If TSM sees growth in the high-performance computing market, that market will also need high performance memory to go along with those processors. But such is the market.

On a whole we are still very optimistic about AMD’s prospects in 2018 and 2019, and still have $20 price target for AMD. Our optimism is bolstered by the industry reception of Hades Canyon NUC. We believe that soon OEMs will recognize the performance and efficiency advantage of Intel-AMD APU, and then they just might start wondering, if Intel-AMD APU is so good, how good is an all AMD APU?

Disclosure: I am/we are long AMD,AAPL,MU.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.