Friday, January 25

Technobabble

I think I've gotten much better at this whole HTML/CSS code thing, with editing layouts and all. (Nice to know not all of my Computer Applications knowledge has gone to waste...but I can recall that when I was taking those classes, CSS was still relatively new in the Internet coding world.) Besides that, I managed to put a nice tag cloud on here, instead of the usual "labels" list, and changed the specs to match my blog. Not to mention, also used the great Google search to find hex codes for colors that Blogger won't normally give you. :-) I'd give myself a pat on the back if I didn't feel so dorky. :-p

P.S. Does it bother anyone else that these days it's perfectly acceptable to say things like "Google it" when asked a question you don't know the answer to or use "Facebook" as a verb? Or that increasing numbers of people rely on Wikipedia for factual information for papers and reports? It's almost like people can't take the time to appreciate dictionaries, encyclopedias, or reputable online reference sources anymore. The printed word still exists in our increasingly-reliant-on-technology world, and has been around since man figured out how to make papyrus. Granted, technology and the Internet have made things easier and quicker to access, but at the same time, I feel like it has caused people to lose their grounding with the real world--the world of turning pages, handwritten-script, physical books and papers you can actually lay your hands on. Of course, this might seem a bit of an oxymoron coming from me, writing in an electronic blog, but I still make a point and take the time to write (with pen in hand!) in my bound book journal. I like to be able to experience the way that ink flows across the page in my script, to enjoy the way that books smell when new and old, and to be filled with satisfaction at the physical output of filling pages with my thoughts. This technology age is also why I get frustrated sometimes at the library, missing the good old card catalog like the one we had in elementary school, you know, the one with all the card drawers you could pull out?
Well, the point of all that is I find our over-reliance on technology a little disturbing and frustrating at times. I hate to think what might happen in the future with the development of new technology, pushing us further into the 21st century and beyond--maybe a world not unlike Terminator or I, Robot, or maybe perhaps an environment like Brave New World, Gattaca, or Minority Report. Interesting and scary to think about, no?

The I-Rack

I found this randomly while reading blogs on the internet about Korea--it's pretty funny so check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCPDqdgOg7Q

Wednesday, January 16

I took this political quiz today, it was kinda interesting to see the results:

84% Barack Obama
83% John Edwards
83% Hillary Clinton
78% Chris Dodd
76% Bill Richardson
73% Joe Biden
72% Dennis Kucinich
71% Mike Gravel
44% Rudy Giuliani
38% Tom Tancredo
35% Mitt Romney
29% John McCain
25% Fred Thompson
23% Mike Huckabee
18% Ron Paul

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Monday, January 7

Across the world...for 365 days.

I know I have mentioned this in passing to several people, and talked to some others in-depth about my desire to do this, but I wanted to let everyone know the details of what's going on. I've been offered the opportunity to go to South Korea for a year and teach English as a Second Language to kindergarten students. I will be teaching in Gwangju Metropolitan City (also known as Kwangju Metropolitan City), which is in the southwestern part of Korea. It's about 3 hours from Seoul by bus, 2 by train, and is the 6th largest city in Korea. It's plenty industrialized, but it's very clean and much cheaper compared to Seoul. My estimated departure should be around the end of January, beginning of February, depending on how long it takes for my paperwork for the E-2 visa to be processed by the Korean Government. I am very excited about going and experiencing all that this has to offer, but I'm also very nervous about leaving everyone behind for a year! Yes, I will be overseas for a year; that's how long the contract lasts. Of course, I do get some vacation time that I will want to take for the holidays, or I might get the chance to visit sometime before then.

To let people know about my adventures in Korea, I have created a blog where I will chronicle the time spent there, and post pictures. You can find news of my Asian travels at http://thekimchichronicles.blogspot.com. Also, I will post pictures on Facebook, and email people to let them know I'm doing well. If you would like to be on my email list, please send me a message and let me know this, so I will have that on record. I hope that I will get to see a good majority of you before I leave, but I know that might not happen, so I want to let all of you know I will miss you terribly, and hope that all of you have a wonderful year, no matter what you are doing. I love all of my friends! Feel free to ask any questions you may have, and I will be happy to answer them.