If you’re reading this, it means you made it to 2009! (Disclaimer: Except for parts of the world that are slacking time-wise. Not a good way to start the year, Baja California Norte, Mexico) So I hope you gave it a warm welcome because it’s going to be with you for..um…another year. Right. Moving on. New Year resolutions are also here and it’s time to spill ‘em so someone can hold you accountable (Yes! For those of you who secretly cross the “hard ones” out at the end of the year because you weren’t too serious when you made them). So now we present my New Year Resolutions:

1. Read the whole Bible
   When I was on my way back to Atlanta from New York over Thanksgiving break, the announcer guy at the gate said several times that the plane flight was going to be very turbulent and that if we wanted to go to the bathroom, we should do so while in the airport. While on the plane, before take-off, the pilot also repeated the same lingo. I decided to chillax with some Bible reading, you know, calm things down a tad. So I decided to read the book of Revelation. All of it. Here’s the picture: It was a midnight flight, the plane was shaking like an earthquake, I was by a window staring down at what looked like a furnace, the utter darkness and the city lights through the dark gloomy clouds made the world look like a smoking abyss. I guess I don’t need to tell you that Revelation has now become one of the clearest books of the Bible to me. Now if only books like Kings and Chronicles could “come to life” like Revelation did, perhaps I’d be reading my Bible my ninth and tenth time over.
2. J-O-B
   B.O.L.O: Be on the Look Out for “Job”. He’s elusive and highly volatile. He’s wanted in all 50 states and a reward of $50,000/year will be given to anyone who captures him. Yes, the much sought-after three letter word starting with “J” and ending in “ob” might be a doozy this time around. But what am I crying for? It’s 2009! That means new budgets, fresh openings, new ventures, optimism and certainly jobs. Right? I know some folks who are out-of-school and still looking for jobs. My advice: For as much time as you spend on the computer on Facebook, why not learn a programming language like PHP and send in an application. That way, work will never be boring. (You may need to use a dual-screens with one screen on Facebook and the other on PHP. This way, you won’t miss any pokes or Vampire Slayer requests!)
3. Graduation
   Apparently a student was denied from “walking” just this past semester due to a poor peer evaluation in a class all because he freeloaded on a little project as the semester was winding down. That’s like killing an inmate the day before your sentence is up. You just can’t afford to get sloppy people! More than the money, time and effort it’s going to take for him to “walk again”, I think nothing is worse than the breath-taking and yes, sometimes suicide-inducing element of surprise with which such news is brought to your attention. Suffice it to say that graduation (at least at tech) is not without it’s challenges and getting through it will be cause for celebration by itself.
4. Exercise
   Swim. Bike. Run. Get Naked. When most people think of new year resolutions, for some reason losing weight always seems to come to mind. Today, I caught some glimpses of a documentary that delved into the lives of the morbidly obese. One man weighed over 1,000lbs and had not left the bed at his house for 4 years. Fortunately, I don’t have a weight problem, though I probably should considering how much food I eat. I decided to put exercise down because I like food too much. And in this case, I find it’s better to eat what I want and exercise like Chuck Norris…..than to pay more to eat less from a small selection of food that I don’t like while my bones thin and my muscles wither because I won’t get on a treadmill. Diet and exercise are obviously the best solution but until my waist size surpasses 34″, I’m sticking to my gut instincts.
5. Redesign SavvyMinded.com
   Yea, I want to change the look and feel—and function of the site. Some of you are like, “Finally! This dumping ground will get some fresh air at last!” Some of you may like it however. Either way, suggestions are welcome and can be communicated through comments or if you can save me (and the site) some embarrassment and send comments via email at “chinchin96 (at) gmail.com.” Feel free to tell me what you like about it too. What’s gonna change you ask? Well, for one, I may start responding to individual comments made on the site, as a commentator. For the rest, you’ll just have to wait and see!

Alright, I’ve spilled my beans, (quite tidily might I add). Now it’s your turn. What!? Yes you are! No Buts!

If you’re still scratching your head, here’s a list of popular New Year resolutions that might have you saying “Oh yea….I need to do that too!”

1. Lose Weight
2. Manage Debt
3. Save Money
4. Get a Better Job
5. Get Fit
6. Eat Right
7. Get a Better Education
8. Drink Less Alcohol
9. Quit Smoking Now
10. Reduce Stress Overall
11. Reduce Stress at Work
12. Take a Trip
13. Volunteer to Help Others

Popularity: 1%

The concept of tattoos has always intrigued me. so much so that I decided to do a little poking around. I recently asked a friend what she thought of tattoos to which she gave me a look like I had asked her how many pant sizes she’d gained in the past week before asking, “Why? Why are you asking me?” After reassuring her that her answers would not be publicly broadcast on prime time radio, she felt a little more at ease saying, “I think they’re nasty and tacky and I don’t like them at all. I can’t believe people would actually do that to their bodies! I wouldn’t even do that with piercings as I only have onehole in each ear. Eww, I just know I would never get one.” What strong opinions I thought to myself….until she casually stepped outside to have a cigarette! You can bet that all she had just said went right out the door with her. My problem wasn’t so much that she smoked as it was the fact that she did it right after completely tearing down people who got tattoos because they’re “nasty” and bad for the body. If you’re going to make a claim like that, make sure your own “vice” is in check. Everyone has their own.

I’m not here to give you reasons why tattoos are good or bad or why you should or shouldn’t get one. My real motivation behind this is to find out why people decide to get tattoos, how they come up with the art and what usually keeps them going back for more. Like this guy here on your left….

Let’s throw out an example. Okay, so I like food. A lot. So much that it can get a reputation of that of a smoker or alcoholic. But I think it’s clear why I may eat more than a moderate share. From smelling the food before it’s arrival to prepping my utensils and finally stuff my face silly, I enjoy the taste and it’s a nice full feeling for several hours. So, being fully aware that food and tattoos are just a little different, I’m having trouble seeing where the connection is with Tattoos.

I mean, let’s say you’re a girl who just got her ears pierced as most girls will. There’s a nice feeling of being grown up, or feeling “beautiful,” if you will. Since a first piercing is something most every girl will experience, it’s natural for them to want more piercings or get them in different places later on. But where do you decide that one day you’re going to tattoo yourself? And where do you get that inspiration for the artwork to go on your body? I figure it’s not something you do overnight because it’s sorta permanent. Kinda like a mother going to the doctor to make it so she can’t have babies anymore. If you’ve thought about getting a tattoo, where would you get one and where would you never get one? If you have a tattoo and it’s visible and you didn’t mind the pain or price involved, what stops you from getting it anywhere on your body? Then lastly, I’ve always wonder whether the tattooing process really is addictive. I think it might be—-sort of. I compare it to a teenager who’s never heard of Limewire, KaZaa or any sort of free illegal music downloading service. His music has always been purchased with the eyes of his parents staring down his back. But now, he’s free. So he goes to download his all-time favorite song. This is the first tattoo. Then he listens and he’s pleased. Then after a while he hears another song he likes or that his friends like or listens t and then downloads another. And another. And another? He doesn’t seem to get so much pleasure from owning these songs as he does having other people know that he does. I could be very long, but invite an invitation.

As for me, most people know that I’m quitecheap frugal, and as much as I like food, I rarely pay for it. So, paying for someone to inflict pain on me is not in my ball park of things to do real soon. Even if it means I can’t throw my arms over my face and shock/scare/humor people in the process. I’m also somewhat fickle with art because it’s not as definitive as science so they’d probably have to make a skin version of white-out where you get to start over whenever you like.

Popularity: 2%

So if you haven’t realized, I’m like a little kid sometimes, always trying to get my hands dirty–whether in the paint bucket or in a sand castle. Today, I’d like to share some photography. But please, keep expectations low! In fact, it’s a requirement. The following are some samples and if I don’t get completely shot down, I’ll consider positing some more. Enjoy.

This picture was taken on a sunny afternoon and captures one of the engineering buildings at Georgia Tech on the west side of campus. Not sure if I wanted that student to be in the picture.

I don’t know why I’m fond of this picture. Perhaps it’s the state of pondering that befalls this gentleman’s face. Or perhaps it’s his playful grin and slanted eyes. Thoughts?

The floor here is that of a child’s playground. You know, the rubbery material that doesn’t hurt to fall on. Anyway, I liked this aeria-type shot because it look like a pretty cool perspective.

There’s nothing like putting together a stage of fake characters because real life was too boring to produce a shot worth taking. This one romanticizes a wooden male figure with a blue female wine bottle. Ahh, what a match.



This was also at the same location and look to me like a beautiful shot of two young ladies. I like the “candidness” of this one. Doesn’t look too “posed.”

This is the Society of Step, a Georgia Tech organization that steps (big surprise right?) but also takes an active role in helping and supporting the community. They’re quite a friendly bunch.



This is the well renown AT&T building known for it’s AT&T-ness and stuff like that. Kinda nice looking, not gonna lie.

Popularity: 3%

Now I’m sure I’m not the only one who forgets people’s names the minute they announce it. See, what happens is this: When I meet someone and they’re first to introduce, I’m too busy reminding myself that I need to introduce myself once they’re done. That might sound crazy, but I’ve actually walked away from handshakes without giving the other person my name, only to have them pull me over to say they don’t “believe” they got my name, when what they really meant to say was “Aye! You smokin’ crack?! You better get your behind over here and tell me who you are before I jump you!” And boy, if I wasn’t black, my face would resemble a big fat cherry every time that happened. So apparently I was hearing what they were saying but not really “listening”. Yea, that’s bad, I know, but I’m working on it. Remember that people’s names are important and one should strive to learn them…..

But how do you know if someone knows that you don’t know their name? Perhaps when you say “Hey, man” every time you see them? Or “‘Sup Dude” or better yet, just “‘Sup?” Do they take offense to that? I once had someone completely ignore me because they had reason to believe that I didn’t know their name and when confronted, said, “Pshh, you don’t even know my name.” At this, I was taken aback but not surprised. After all, I had never really called her by her name and on several occasions just couldn’t bring it to memory. However, at that instant it immediately shot out of my mouth and left her quite dumbfounded. She had no excuse and was embarrassed, to say the least. But people do notice…no matter how good you think you are at masking it.

But you may slip up every now and then and find yourself in a nasty mess. I mean, let’s say you legitimately forget someone’s name. How many tries does one get before asking becomes unacceptable? Are they allowed to have clues? What if you just don’t see that person that much? What if they really look like this other person you know? And don’t get me started with twins, telling me they look nothing alike! Who do they think they’re fooling?

But the worst part is, they rarely every forgot my name!! What’s that all about? Why can’t things just be mutual? Cheez! Get it together people!

Popularity: 7%

Aren’t gyms great? I mean, you get to burn some energy, relieve some stress and meet all sorts of people. Well, I don’t know about you but I’m not too fond of them myself.

First off, those weights are really heavy! Yea, and if you don’t have someone to spot you, you might near kill yourself. Secondly, nobody ever smiles! Ever! That’s just not cool. How can something as universal as smiling be looked down upon? It seems like everyone is out to “out-buff” the other person and smiling is a sign of weakness. Oh, and don’t even try talking to anybody. They’ll give you this look like you’re the scum from underneath their feet. It seems as if everyone’s super insecure because the next guy is “more cut” or has bigger biceps than they do and to get over it they have to be seen lifting twice as much as the other guy—even if it looks like cruel and unusual punishment.

It’s like a jungle sometimes. Often when I’m there, all I see are large beastly men with muscles where I never thought they could grow, walking around like apes, pulling on bars, teeth clenched, eyes popping, and grunting very loudly. That kind of environment just makes for tense situations where people embrace irrational decision making. I learned that the general rule of, “If you can’t lift it, put it down,” has been rejected by gyms worldwide. You see guys who look like they’re being electrocuted, shaking frantically trying to lift weights that are just too heavy. I tend to treat weights like kids; the bigger they are, the less you want to pick them up.

But on occasion, I’ll pretend I don’t know anything about working out (pshh, like I need to pretend!), and randomly ask someone to show me the ropes. At this point their egos swell and they say something like: “Well, what you really need to do is work your quadrazoids on the tri-galacto machine over there. And make sure you lift at least 300Ibs, otherwise you’ll ruin the work-out”

Popularity: 10%