Hope everyone has a great Sunday!
Via Snuzzy.
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Mario Kart Bike Lane
I would go biking (which I never do) in Portland (where I’ve never been) just to partake in this magnificence.
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Via BikePortland.org.
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Google Maps Without the Map
Click here to visit a global Google Maps interface with everything but the location labels removed. I’m having quite a bit of fun zooming in and out of various large cities, and trying to identify countries just based on the names of their states/cities/provinces.
Via kottke.org.
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I Am Not a Christian Because I’m Scared of Hell
One of the many misconceptions that non-believers have about Christianity is that Christians only attend church, follow the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus, and claim to believe in God because they are scared to spend eternity in hell. They say that the Church uses hell as a scare tactic to gain more followers, that this method is not only unhealthy but also unfair.
While I am sure that there are some churches and individuals who use hell as a scare tactic, (and sadly, only follow Christ because they are scared of hell), I strongly disagree with this way of thinking. Because as stated in the title of this post, I am not a Christian because I’m scared of hell.
Do I believe in hell? Sure. But I have no idea what it’ll be like aside from the fact that it is a place void of God. And that is the #1 reason I do not want to be in hell.
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Miriam wrote about some of her thoughts on God and recounted a question asked of her: why do you want to go to heaven?
I want to go to heaven because I love God and want to be close to Him. Sure, that is not the only reason — there are many others, such as being able to meet and walk among all Christians throughout history, including Biblical characters whom I am sure will make me squeal like a little girl face to face with Justin Bieber when I meet them — but this reason is my first and foremost.
There have been a few instances in my life where I have been in the presence of God, and there is nothing like it. Never have I felt so humbled, so inadequate, yet so LOVED. Never have I been so overcome with a barrage of emotions that my body automatically gives out from under me; I stumble, kneel, and bow. Never have I felt more at HOME, more safe or comforted.
And I know that this is just a fraction of what I will experience in heaven.
Do I know that I will go to heaven? Yes. I am confident that I will go to heaven. And I am not being arrogant or presumptuous here — I know that God loves me, sent His only Son to die on the cross for me, that by His grace I am saved, and that I will enter heaven when my life on earth is over.
I am not afraid to die.
I often think back to the haunting dream I had late last year. How, at the moment when I knew I was about to die…
…my life does not flash before my eyes. I am afraid for a split second before a sense of calm and acceptance overwhelms my being. I know I have lived an imperfect life, but I also am certain that I will soon be with God.
The only fear I have about the afterlife is that my loved ones will not be in heaven with me. And this is the reason I evangelize, especially to those who are important in my life. Because I cannot imagine spending the next life without — not experiencing the glory of God without — J, our children, the rest of my family, or my beloved friends.
I also know that I will meet the child we had lost last year in heaven.
I know that many will read this and think that I am delusional. That is fine. All I know is that I am confident in my faith, and that I want to share my faith with others because I want them to experience this same joy. Not because I want them to be scared of hell.
So, to reiterate, I am not a Christian because I am scared. I am a Christian because I am loved.
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Area Code Elitists
Remember that scene in the Sex and the City movie (the first crappy movie, not the second, crappier, insightful film about life in the Middle East and cross-cultural exchanges) when Carrie needs to get a new phone number and is dismayed to find that there are no more 917 numbers available, and that she’ll need to settle for a 646 number?
“I’ve got hoes, I’ve got hoes…in different area codes, area codes…”
Well, I’m not sure about other cities but here in New York, it sometimes does seem like there is a social dichotomy based on area codes. In other words, your cell phone’s area code may very well determine just how long have you been a loyal New Yorker.
I couldn’t help but be reminded of this phenomenon when I stumbled upon an article called 212 Area Codes Now “Retro-Chic” in the Gothamist. According to the post, 212 numbers (which is the original area code for Manhattan) for your mobile phone have become the new rent-controlled apartments: few and in between, and very difficult to obtain.
I actually do not know anyone in real life with a 212 cell phone number. But about half of my New York friends tote 917 numbers, which came right after 212, and have become pretty difficult to obtain themselves. I still proudly cling onto my own 917 number knowing that it is an “endangered species” (so to speak) and know that I would probably have the same reaction as Carrie if I ever had to change my number and became stuck with a 646 or 347 number.
Very mature, I know.
Have I become an area code elitist? Should I be concerned, because — as one commenter to the aforementioned Gothamist post says — you “can’t get much more shallow and insecure than thinking your area code makes you cool or not.”
Can anyone outside the New York area chime in on this phenomenon? Or is this another silly occurence specific to New York?
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Body Counts for the Cast of ‘The Expendables’
Last weekend J and I made a trek to the theaters to watch The Expendables. I had been dying to watch the movie ever since I saw its trailer earlier this year. To me, the plot didn’t seem that great but the all-star action cast was intriguing. I figured that all these stars wouldn’t be in a movie unless it was awesome (ie, the trailer and plot for The Italian Job didn’t seem that great but it had an all-star cast and it ended up being spectacular)…right?
Wrong. The movie was just…meh. Definitely not worth the price of a movie ticket. Perhaps the cost of a rental, or even a matinee ticket price, but not a full $10 ticket.
Still, the flick was entertaining and managed to fill two hours of my life nicely without my wanting to gouge my eyes out. As such, I couldn’t help but find the following infographic absorbing and wanted to share it with my readers. Enjoy!
Via Power of Data Visualization.
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Super Mario Picnic
Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan [Must Watch]
Last night I managed to squeeze in a total of two hours of sleep (yay for insomnia!) and spent the morning in a foggy haze. After energizing myself with some pad thai, I suddenly jolted awake.
Ohmigosh there are only 6.5 weeks left until my due date! There is soooooo much left to do! How am I ever going to get everything done in time? And why is the house so dirty? What if the baby decides to come early? What if unexpected guests drop by? Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh…
I proceeded to spend the next four hours dusting, vacuuming, polishing, and scrubbing. The last hour was hell — I really felt like my back was about to give out on me. But I forced myself to keep going. “It’s for the sake of the baby,” I kept telling deluding myself.
Needless to say, I am now POOPED. I can barely put together a coherent sentence, let alone spew out blog posts.
So I’ve decided to make up for another day lacking good posts with a movie trailer I watched yesterday: Darren Aronofsky (of The Wrestler and Requiem for a Dream fame)’s Black Swan, a psychological thriller starring Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel.
The full synopsis:
BLACK SWAN follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Barbara Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter’s professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.
I have never taken a day of ballet classes in my life but sometimes I regret having chosen taekwondo over the classical dance genre (at least I managed to score a second-degree black belt out of it!). Perhaps if I had taken some ballet classes, I would be more graceful and less of a spaz. And while I usually hate chick flicks, I loved the movie Center Stage and have had an interest in ballet flicks since.
Black Swan is set to be released on December 1 and I hope that I will be able to wrestle myself away from the baby long enough to go catch it.
Via GeekTyrant.
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Better Book Titles
Dan Wilbur of Better Book Titles aims to “improve” book titles by distilling them to their essential elements:
This page is for people who have trouble slogging through the information on book jackets or feel intimidated by the title and cover itself. How many times have you perused the cover of a novel only to rub your sore eyes and realize you’ve learned NOTHING from the book’s title?!
This blog is for people who do not have thousands of hours to read book reviews or blurbs or first sentences. I will cut through all the cryptic crap, and give you the meat of the story in one condensed image. Now you can read the greatest literary works of all time in merely seconds!
Take a look at my three favorites below. Perhaps you can judge book by its cover…
Tip: if you want to see an archive of all the covers without having to navigate through numerous pages, just visit http://betterbooktitles.com/archive
Via Neatorama.
I like books, gadgets, spicy food, and art. I dislike shopping, hot weather, and the laws of entropy. Although I am a self-proclaimed computer nerd, I still have a love for handbags and makeup... and I am always teetering on high heels. To learn more about me, visit the 
