2013

2013
Is not a prime number
As 33 x 61 = 2013
However 61
Is a prime number
And 33 = 11 x 3
Where 11
Is a prime number
And so is number 3
Therefore
What does that mean?
It means that in your life
2013 will be the only year
That can be attained
By multiplying
Three prime numbers
3 x 11 x 61
Happy New Year!




Courtesy of Intergalactic Jedi Golf Federation School of Mathematics



.

One Birdie At Night

One Birdie At
Night Flying
Through The Dark Sky To
Reach The Far End That
After Years May Finally
Be Within Grasp Considers
Turning Back Only
To Fly Faster Towards
The Rising Sun





..

No Love is Greater

No love is greater 

Than the love of parents

For their child

And no grief greater

Than the grief of parents

Who lost them

No amount of tears

No amount of wailing

Can express the anguish

And deep sorrow

For those who so loved their child

So much and so dearly

Only if you can turn back the time

If only for few more moments

To hold them and feel their breath

But that day will come

When you will see them again

Never again to be parted

Forever and ever

Just not now

Or tomorrow

But that day will come

A day closer tomorrow
Than today

Time will not go fast enough

But that day surely will come

Dedicated to those who loved and lost the most precious lives of their existence at Sandy Hook. 

So how many tries does it take to replace one outlet?

On a sunny Saturday afternoon I decided to go around the house and replace worn down outlets. Total of five outlets were replaced. Included among them was one outlet in the office that has a switch for the top plug. In another words, each outlet has two plugs one on the top and one on the bottom. The top plug is connected to a switch by the door that can be used to turn on and off the lamp that is connected to that plug.

So I go to the fuse box outside the house and turn off power to the outlets. Then I come back in and open up the face plate for the outlet and take out the worn out device. I noticed total of five wires.  Two black on the right side one attached to top plug and the other attached to bottom plug, two white on the left side one attached to the top plug and the other attached to bottom plug, and a ground wire attached at the bottom side.
So far so good.
I figured that's simple enough. Thought to myself, "The room switch must control the power to the top plug". Piece of cake.
So I proceeded to disconnect all the wires and reconnect them to the new outlet exactly how it was connected before in terms of their relative position to one another. Just to make sure.
Put the outlet back in the wall box and closed the face plate.
Went back outside and turned the power back on. Came back inside. Plugged in the lamp to the new top outlet plug. And Voila! Light comes on!!!

Except I tried to turn the lamp off by turning off the room switch and it stayed on. !@#$!@#%@#$%!!!
Damn it! I cussed to myself and tried the bottom plug. And it had power also. And it also didn't turn off with the room switch.

What da F@#$k!!! After few minutes of wrapping my brain while looking at the new spare outlet I bought I finally figured it out........(at least for now).

I noticed the top and bottom connections on the side of the plug are connected to each other by a metal plate in between. Which means if only one hot black wire is connected to one screw (either one) it will supply power for both plugs top and bottom since they are connected.
Ah ha!!
So all I had to do was to disconnect the connection. Conveniently and obviously for this exact purpose the connecting plate came with a little knob that you can wiggle to disconnect which further supported my hypothesis. I noticed same connecting plate on the other side for the pair of white wires. So I took my ranch out and wiggled both plate connector knobs and disconnected them on each side. Problem solved.

Feeling empowered and brilliant for having figured it out I put the corrected outlet back into the wall box and closed the face plate. Went back outside and turn the power back on. Came back inside and plugged the lamp into the top outlet and turn on the room switch. And Voila!!! Now I can turn the lamp on and off by the room switch! Success!!

But the feeling of success only lasted few minutes until I realized that now the two hall way ceiling lights leading into the office are out. WHAT DA !@#$!@#$!@#%!@#$!!!!!

Now I was really confused.
How in the hell the hall way lights related to a wall outlet???
Or is it just a coincidence that the two light bulbs went out because of turning the fuse box on and off multiple times??
So I replaced the light bulb and still doesn't work. What the heck!?!?
So it must be related to the wall outlet. But how??
After meditating on the problem for few minutes I vaguely remembered from my college physics on electrodynamics that all circuitry has to be in a closed loop. So somewhere, somehow, by replacing the outlet I have severed a electric flow.
And it hit me.

The top plug hot black wire on the right is switched by the room switch. And that is connected to the white exiting wire on the top left thus maintaining the flow of current.

The bottom hot black wire on the right is constant unswitched wire. However, now that I have severed the metal plate connection between the top and bottom plug on the left the current has nowhere to go! And this loop is part of the hallway lights!!!

Never have I imagined replacing a wall plug would require so much thought!

So now I have to go back and replace the whole outlet one more time.

So how many tries does it take to replace one outlet???
Theoretically just one.

But in my case, THREE.

I took out the electric meter and confirmed the completion of the circuitry with top left and bottom right plug holes. But the question lingers.
If that is the case what is the purpose of the white wire that is connected to the bottom left plug connection???

UPDATE: After replacing the outlet with minor adjustment - leaving the left pate connection intact and severing the right plate connection - everything is now working perfectly. The upper plug is switched on and off and the hall way lights are back on. As for the white wire that is connected to the lower left side of the plug it must be wire coming off the hall way lights. The only puzzling thing is that it wasn't necessary for this wire to be connected to this outlet. I suppose it was a matter of convenience to close the loop in this outlet box instead of having another connection somewhere in the wall.

The job is now complete! Thank you very much.

Moral of the Story: Don't fear the electricity. Fear your lack of understanding. 

Wishful Thinking

Often people say
That everything that happens
Happens for a reason

As if to say
That for anything that happens
There is a purpose

That purpose and reason
Came before the event

Like each particular event
Was planned in advance

By some supreme being
Watching over you

Wishful thinking

But that is just what
People want to believe

To accept the situation
To comfort their mind

For everything that happens
Is nothing more
Than ball bouncing off the wall

Just a consequence
To everything that happens before

If there is only one event
One event only
For which there is a reason

Is that you were born

A Total Waste

The value of a gift

Its worth

Is not determined by

Its cost in money

Its authenticity

Its rarity

Its usefulness

Nor is it determined by

Who the giver is

How it is packaged

Or delivered

The value of a gift

However big or small

Its total worth

Is independent of the gift itself

And solely determined by 

The attitude of the giver

And the receiver

Bottom line

Don't waste money in buying expensive gifts
Unless you want to
But if it is unappreciated
It is worthless

A total waste

The Other Way Around

Some people are truly rich
And it shows

Some people are truly rich
And it doesn't show

Some people are truly poor
And it shows

Some people are truly poor
And it doesn't show

Some people are truly rich
But appear poor

Some people are truly poor
But appear rich

Some people are neither rich or poor
And who knows how they appear

But one thing is for sure
No matter how rich or poor

Money doesn't care one bit
It's the other way around

Sadly that is True

Fighting and fighting

As long as there has been record
Fighting is part of the story

War after war
Killing after killing
Empires rising and falling

In any and every situation
With spouses
Coworkers
Friends
Family
Strangers
We fight

Is it human nature?
To fight until death do us part?

Sadly that is true
For everyone

For the true battle
Lies within

Until you find peace

I Stand

Cold winter night
Looking up at the sky
Gazing into infinity
That which has no end
I stand
Infinitely far away
From a place
Infinitely far




..

A Rich Man

The difference between 

A rich man who is blessed

From a rich man who is not

Is that the former

Never wanted to be rich

While the latter

Always wanted to be 

 

The Standard

Everything
Like the length, mass, volume
Even the wind speed
Your hair color, intelligence
Or how fast ice melts

Everything and anything
That human beings deal with
Has a standard set up
By which it is measured

Except when it comes to morality
Most people resist any and all attempts
To accept any standard
By which they live

Anything goes
Like the ship lost in the sea
Absolutely clueless
Of what is right from wrong

At the end
The society as a whole
Will end up in absolute
Chaos and self destruction

Not because there was no standard
It was there all along
But because humans
Resisted it

Breakfast

아침에 아침을 먹고
저녁에 저녁을 먹듯이 

저녁에 아침을 못먹고
아침에 저녁을 못먹는것은

아침의 잘못도 아니고
저녁의 잘못도 아니요

오직 아침을 저녁에 

아님 저녁을 아침에

먹으려하는 사람의
부질없는 욕망일 뿐이다


Breakfast in the morning
And supper in the evening

Not breakfast in the evening

Or supper in the morning

Is not the fault of morning
Nor the evening

But the fruitless desire
Of those who

Wish for breakfast in the evening
And supper in the morning


I suppose some explanation may help to understand the gist of this chirp. Basically what it's trying to say is that there are many things people want as they go through life but have the misconception that they can have what they want at the time of their choosing while preserving the static image of what they want regardless of when that occurs. Which is not true. A good example is 'marriage'. Often you hear "I'm going to get married when I'm in the 30s" or whatever number they choose sometime later in life. There is nothing wrong with how people plan their lives. However, what people often don't realize is that by virtue of attaining something at a later time, say 5 or 10 years, it becomes something different. You cannot experience the breakfast - meal in the morning with sun shine, bird chirping, morning news, after good night's sleep - in the evening. Unless you sleep during the day and work at night but even then the experience would be different as you would have the meal in the dark. Some people feel they can delay certain events in their life and still preserve the same experience, but that is not true. Instead of trying to have breakfast in the evening they should skip breakfast and plan to have a good dinner. And understand that breakfast in the morning is something they will never experience, and not something they will experience later. Something later is different. Neither good or bad. Just personal choice. 

Egg Against the Wall

There are situations in life
Where no matter how hard you try
The outcome cannot be changed

Like trying to steer the ship with your bare hands
Or throwing egg against the wall
It is a futile attempt

The sooner you realize the futility
The sooner you can decide

Either to stop trying
And accept the situation as is
Or walk away

Either way
Is a no win situation

But better than
Throwing egg against the wall

One Day For Sure

Hot days of the summer
Cool days of the fall
Cold days of the winter
Warms days of the spring

Seasons come and go
Like clouds in the sky

But your life will never come again
At least not in the same way

Once you leave the life you live

One day for sure

Closer today than yesterday

Deal No. 2

Here is the deal
I will give you two dollars
And you give me back one dollar

Sounds simple
Like a great deal

But beware

Anyone who gives two dollars
Expecting a dollar back
May never see that dollar again

Deal

Here is the deal
You give me a dollar
And I will give you two dollars

Sounds simple
And like a great deal

But beware

Almost everyone
Who accepts such a deal
Will get ripped off

Sure is Fickle

It just reminds me

How fickle human love is

One day ready to die for
That person you are so happy with

The next rather die
Than live with that same person

One day confessing the true love

The next testifying in court

Sure is fickle
That one thing people yearn for

Waiting and waiting
Yet never finding

Until it's too late

Lost

The ones who
Are absolutely positively
And truly
Lost

Are those who
Have absolutely positively
And truly
No clue

How lost they are





..

Like a Diamond

It is all about perception
But the truth maybe far from
What you perceive to be true

Like a tiger
Hiding behind the bushes
Ready to strike

Like a diamond
In the heap of ashes
Ready to be cast away

It is all about perception
But the truth often is far from
What you perceive to be true

MY Open

MY Open
Maul Yoda Open

Memorial Day jedi clash
Playing golf talking trash

Who will become the victor?
Will it be the instructor?

Try they will using their force
To make others a farce

Whatever the outcome
Legendary will he become

And his name is Vader
Darth Vader

Just Do Your Stuff

Sometimes you just have to
Turn off your emotion
Become a robot

Just do your stuff
Go through the motions
And give your mind a rest

No reason to get angry
No reason to get ecstatic
No reason to worry

Life goes on
Whether you give
Or don't give a shit

So many people
Vying for attention
Feeling so self important

So many hypocrites
Living for self glory
In the name of who?

Modern day pharisees
And sadducees
Totally unaware of the hypocrisy

Basking in the achievements
Did this and did that
Will do this and will do that

All the while that guy on the freeway ramp
Is worried his kids will go hungry again
Stands few more hours to get an extra buck

All That Matters Is

Sitting in a rowboat
In the middle of the ocean
You look west and see
The sun over the horizon
Rowing and rowing
But doesn't matter how fast
How strong or how beautiful you row
All that matters is
That you have someone you love
Not someone who loves you
In your boat




.

Possible?

So I watched the documentary called "The Hubble" recently
Basically it confirms that the universe is infinitely large
How large?
So large that even if you traveled 100x the speed of light
You won't get out of our own galaxy in your lifetime
Not even close 
Our galaxy is called Milkyway
That contains billions of stars
One of which is our own sun
And there are billions and billions of galaxies
Each separated by millions or billions of light years away from each other
A light year is the distance light travels in one Earth year
So basically with light speed
Humans can not go anywhere in our universe
Unless we discard one assumption
That light is the fastest traveling entity
The fact that the universe is in the same dimension
As far as our own universe is concerned
Everything in this universe is held together within the same space
However vast the space may be in between
It still is the same space
If indeed the universe is expanding
And the big bang theory is correct
Then there is only one thing that is common in all parts of the universe
Gravity
Does gravity have speed?
Is there any way to measure the speed of gravity?
I think the effect of gravity is instantaneous no matter how far
It loses strength fast with distance but its effect must be there
So billions and billions of stars and galaxies exerting its gravitational pull
All intertwined but somehow connected by gravity
Like pulling on a rubber band
Its effect is felt instantaneously at a far away distance
It is definitely an entity
If somehow can be manipulated or artificially created
Can deliver messages to a far away universe instantaneously
As for traveling to the far away galaxy
The only way seems to be to exert enough gravitational pull
To bring that part of the universe closer to the point of departure
Possible?
Anything is possible
Unless proven otherwise

Choose Not To Be

Happiness is not
Having a lot of money

Although money can buy a lot of things
It cannot buy happiness

Happiness is not
Being in love with someone

Although that euphoria feels good
It does not last

Happiness is not
Being beautiful

Although beauty may garner attention
That is all there is to it

Then what is happiness?

It is something most people
Choose not to be




..

Around

Like the breeze
Across the plain
Through the trees
Over the mountain

Such is life
From birth
Through childhood
To old age

But some wind
Goes around and round
On the plain
Like a tornado

Destructive
Confused
And directionless

Just spinning around
And around

Around

Arou

Ar

A

.

?

Just a Matter of Time

How long does it take
To go from here to there?

Five minutes?
One hour?
A day?

What if one hour seemed like a day?
And a day like one hour?

How can anyone judge the passage of time?
If the time itself is not constant?

It is not the time that dictates how fast we go
From here to there
But rather our ability to change energy into time

Energy is inversely proportional
To the amount of time it takes to go
From here to there

Sine E=MC^2=1S/Time with S being time factor
Then Time=S/MC^2 or S/E

S = Time x E

Whether this has any relevance to truth at all
Is just a matter of time

Ha Ha Ha

Are you the king?
No I am not
Then why do you act like one?
To survive
Because everyone else is acting
Like they are kings and queens
If you don't act like one
You become their subject
Indeed
And everyone seems to be trying
Trying what?
Trying to show off their crown
To see who has the bigger crown you know?
For some the crown is so big
It doesn't even fit
But they carry it around anyway tied to their backs
They can't even walk straight
You see all these people who are not happy?
That's because they can't stand up straight
Hahaha
You think that's funny?
I sure do your magesty!




..

I Am Afraid

A flower cannot blossom because it wants to
It blossoms because it has no choice

A man cannot be born because he wants to
He is born because he has no choice

As such

A man cannot live forever because he wants to
He lives forever because he has no choice

The question is, where?

Even that
There is no choice
I am afraid






..

Worthy to be Wanted

Hungry person wants food
Cold person wants clothes
Homeless person wants a home

Sick person wants to be healthy
Poor person wants money
Lonely person wants a companion

But what if a person have all the above
What else is there to want?

Power, respect, prestige, glamour, envy, pleasure, fun?
More money, better house, better job, better clothes?

There is nothing in this world
Worthy to be wanted

Perhaps the only thing left
Is your salvation

Or Just Mere Presence

The concept of infinity is not completely understood
By physicists or astronomers it seems
Every now and then you hear "Now there are x-number of more planets and stars"
In the universe
As though no one has suspected it

Most physicists believe that there is end of the universe
And that there was the beginning of the universe
Have you heard of "Big Bang Theory"?

It is innate human characteristic to have order in understanding
That everything has to have beginning and ending
But why or who made such grand presumption?
Perhaps because everything we can touch, feel, smell, hear, or see has
A beginning and ending?
Or because all human beings have birth and death?

The concept of beginning and ending is so embedded in our minds
That the concept of infinity is incomprehensible
Yet, we live in a world where infinity is so intimately incorporated
Without which none of the things we now take for granted would exist

Y = 1/X is an example
If this equation is false then the whole mathematics would fail

Conceptually the most simplest of shapes is a circle
Which has no beginning or ending
Every point in the circle is same as every other point

Have you ever wondered why the circumference of a circle
Cannot be calculated to a finite number?
It can be measured by taking arbitrary point of a circle
But it cannot be calculated to an exact finite number based on C = Pi x Diameter
Why?

Because a circle has no beginning or ending
It is just there
All beginning and all ending

Such is the case with time
There is no beginning or ending
Just there

Our universe may have had the beginning
And there may be the ending of our universe

But what was before or after or beyond
Is

Or just mere Presence

It is in the Future

If you look at the star at night
Those photons of energy originating from that star
May have traveled millions of light years
To land on the retina in the back of your eyes
To register and give an electro-chemical signal
That tells you it is a star

Is it a coincidence?
That those particular photons
Landed on your eyes?

Knowing what is going to happen
Is not the same as
Predicting what is going to happen

Knowing what is going to happen
Implicates that it has already happened

Predicting what is going to happen
Implicates that it has not yet happened

So which is it?

Why is that important?
Because you cannot change what has already happened

No matter how much you try
You cannot change the past

Even though
It is in the future

Can you?

Mountains Change

Time passes
Mountains change
Continents drift apart
And stars disappear

But the only thing
That remains the same

Is the human nature



..

Happy New Year

Having lived
Another year
Passionately loving
Perpetually hoping
Yearning for
New and
Everlasting
Wonderful
Year
Earnestly waiting
And anticipating
Remembering

Happy New Year!